It’s the holiday season and that means it’s the holiday party season and the “hey, let’s go get a holiday drink after work” season and the “what’s one more cocktail? It’s Christmas” season and eventually, it starts to just feel like the hangover season. A hangover on the weekend is no biggie. You can pad along to brunch and then go home and watch a Law & Order marathon. The weekdays, however, are another story. Not only do you have to get up and go to work but, indignity of indignities, it can be quite difficult to find something to eat that will provide you with the right balance of starch and grease necessary to go about your day in a marginally productive manner. Because we have felt your pain many times before, we’ve put together a list of some of the Hub’s best weekday options for soothing your angry tummy. Remember: it’s always worth it to wake up a little earlier and get some food in your belly.
•If you work in the Financial District, you can’t beat the South Street Diner has seen it all. The waitstaff there has seen it all, which means they won’t raise an eyebrow when you stumble in at 7:30am and order a bacon cheeseburger and a Coke. Oh, and a coffee. And maybe a slice of pie.
•Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe is packed on Saturdays, but on a weekday morning, you can actually get a seat without waiting. More importantly, you can get your order of blueberry griddle cakes and bacon in a delightfully prompt fashion, because there’s nothing worse when you’re hungover than waiting for food.
•El Oriental de Cuba is seriously underrated as a breakfast destination, but sleepy Jamaica Plainers should not rule it out. A plate of fried rice and ham will have you feeling at least slightly better in no time at all.
•The folks at Martin’s Coffee Shop are incredibly friendly, but not in a way that will be jarring to your poor, achy head. The pancakes are very close to perfection and the prices are more than fair.
•Sometimes, grease and starch don’t, on their own, have enough charms to soothe the savage beast in your belly. Sometimes, you need to add chocolate to the equation. When that’s the case, we advise making a beeline for the Mass Avenue Restaurant. Their chocolate chip pancakes are second to none and when paired with hot cocoa, enough to lift the spirits of even the most beleaguered.
South Street Diner [Official Site]
Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe [MenuPages]
El Oriental de Cuba [MenuPages]
Martin’s Coffee Shop [Official Site]
Mass Avenue Restaurant [MenuPages]
