Waltham restaurant history
Through the years many restaurants have come and gone from the streets of Waltham.
This is a recent history of the restaurant scene.
The guide is sorted by street name and number.
If you have any facts that I should include, please contact me.
ScottShurr@waltham-community.org
- Beaver Street
- 5 Beaver Street - Dean Dairy (photographs) -
In the spring of 2001, this favorite ice cream stand failed to open.
The spot is now occupied by some new houses.
- Cooper Street
- 16 Cooper Street - In the 90's this was an Italian restaurant called Ristorante Marcellino.
At the turn of the century former politician Joe Malone took it over, and it became
C. P. Nutting's (photographs), an upscale steak house.
That business failed, and in March 2002 it reopened under the former management,
and is once again Ristorante Marcellino.
- Crescent Street
- 241 Crescent Street - Victoria's Cafe Restaurant
opened in January of 2003, serving American breakfasts and Peruvian the rest of the day.
- High Street
- Lexington Street
- 140 Lexington Street - May 7 2006 - The D'Angelos in the strip mall is closed.
- 146 Lexington Street - Kenny Rogers Chicken Roasters was built here in the 90's,
but closed within a year. The restaurant now houses the populer Waltham branch of
Watertown's Demos Restaurant, an economical choice
for Greek cuisine.
- 1100 Lexington Street - Late in 2002 - Panera Bread opens in the plaza on Lexington Street
- Main Street
- 39 Main Street - This was the Ground Round for a long time, but it is now
John Brewer's Tavern & Restaurant.
It started out as a Howard Johnson.
- 617 Main Street - A number of different restaurants have occupied this location.
In the 90's, it was Viet Foods. It became the JTK Grille and Sushi Bar for a short
time, and is now Sushi Yasu, a family
owned restaurant serving Japanese, Korean, and Thai food as well as sushi.
- 655 Main Street - Sam's Deli occupied this spot, with several different
proprietors, until March 2003, when it reopened as
The Coffee Ring
Review. In 2004, the name
was changed to In A Pickle.
- 659 Main Street - Occupied by Chinese institution New House Restaurant for
years, this spot became Tumrubthai Restaurant in late 2001. Since then the
name was changed to Baan Thai.
It was originally the Nanking Restaurant.
- 663 Main Street - This was Bluestone Bistro before it reopened as
Carambola, a sister restaurant
to Boston's Elephant Walk, specializing in Cambodian & French cuisine.
In 2005, the name was changed to Elephant Walk
- 677 Main Street - In 2004, the former storefront of Allegro Printing opened as Cafe On The Common. On August 1 2006 Sebastian and Alexander's, a new ice cream shop, is opened
in an expansion into the space next door.
- 699 Main Street - Waltham Seafood Restaurant, as of October 2003, had signs in
the window saying "closed" and "space for rent".
March 19, 2004 - Wright Seafood & Italian Restaurant
opens in the former Waltham Seafood building. The new restaurant was closed as
of April 2006.
- 806 Main Street - Arbys was
torn down in 2001 to make way for
Wendy's Restaurant.
Review.
- 849 Main Street - Joe Sent Me
was formerly The Press Box.
- 869 Main Street - Summer of 2005 - Costello's Pub closed
- 873 Main Street - Anna's Pizza House,
run by Anna herself for years, was sold early in the new century, but retained
the name.
- 897 Main Street - The restaurant at this spot, under several different names,
was run by the same family for 37 years. Starting out as Piece of Pizza,
it was later a Papa Gino's, and finally Mama Josie's after founder Josephine Hebert.
It closed in February 2002. On February 8, 2004, Papa George's Pizza
opened at this location.
That establishment closed, and it reopened on May 1, 2006 as
the new site of Sabatino's.
- 912 Main Street - Pete's Pizza & Wings
was Johnnie's Pizza Shop.
Review by Mike Morrison.
- 1006 Main Street - Bickford's Family Restaurant was closed as of January 2006
- Moody Street
- 220 Moody Street - Jake's Dixie Roadhouse
was Jake and Earl's until Earl retired.
The site was the Red Rooster for many years before that. I think the
Red Rooster closed in 1999.
- 227 Moody Street - Ciro's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria
occupied this prime location on the first floor of the Cronin building.
In January, 2003, the Waltham location closed, and a few months later, all
of the sites of this small local chain were empty.
Reviews.
The site reopened on July 22, 2003 as Margaritas Mexican Restaurant & Watering Hole.
- 265 Moody Street - This was open for a little while as Tomato City before
it changed hands to become the Asian Grill.
Before Tomato City it had been the Moody Spa.
Review by Eric Salerno.
- 272 Moody Street - On February 11 2006 - Shoppers Cafe was destroyed by a fire that
consumed a building that also contained apartments, a hair salon, and a motorcycle
shop. The owners say they will rebuild. Photograph.
- 273 Moody Street - May 15 2006 - Opening of Guanachapi's, featuring authentic Guatamalteca, Salvadorena,
Mexicana & American dishes.
- 286 Moody Street - La Piazza Cafe, a coffee and pastry shop, closed in January
of 2006. In June 2006 Ponzu "Far east and the rest"
opened here.
- 374 Moody Street - The popular Heritage Restaurant occupied this space for a number
of years after moving from a smaller location across the street.
Tom Can Cook, which serves Thai & Chinese
food, took over after the Heritage closed on 25 February 2001.
Review.
Photos of the Heritage Restaurant.
- 467 Moody Street - In October 2005 the bar known as Frosty's reopened with it's
original name The Lincoln Bar
- 474 Moody Street - On February 18, 2005 Tempo, an American-style bistro, opened
between the So Cal and Wings Express. The site was once an auto accessory store.
- 484 Moody Street - The So-Cal Restaurant
opened in March 2004 at the former storefront of Hanlon's Men's Shoes.
Review. It was closed by February 2006.
In May of the same year, a partnership between the So-Cal owner and a relative of the
owner of Taqueria Mexico opened a new restaurant called The Hungry Coyote (Netzahaualcoyotl)
at the site. By November of the same year, the restaurant closed.
- 560 Moody Street - Ritcey's Sea Food Kitchen
began in 1911 as a fish market opened by Ernest Ritcey, whose portrait is above the front
counter. The market was turned into a restaurant by his son Harry in the 1940s. After
several more succesions of family members, the restaurant closed in January of 2004. It
is scheduled to re-open on April 1, under the direction of Kim Collins, Kevin Ritcey's daughter.
The new business failed, and was closed for good by February of 2006. An Italian restaurant,
Ristorante Gemelli opened there in
August of 2006.
- 714 Moody Street - Cafe Berlottes closed in March of 2003, and Franco's Italian Pizzeria
moved in from it's old location at 727 Moody Street.
- 727 Moody Street - Vacated in March of 2003 Franco's Italian Pizzeriamoved
across the street to 714 Moody Street.
- Prospect Street
- 136 Prospect Street - Watch City Diner, which changed owners a few
years before, again closed during the summer of 2003. It is now open
as Sabatino's Italian Kitchen.
- 137-139 Prospect Street - This was the Condor Restaurant, up until June 2002.
For a short time after that it was El Gran Jaguar.
Mediterranean Breeze opened
there in November of 2003, but closed again early in 2004. A reopening
under the same name was planned for June, but apparently never happened.
Late in January 2005 the restaurant appeared to be open as the Prospect Cafe.
- River Street
- 85 River Street - Pini's Pizzeria
used to be George's Cuisine.
- 90 River Street - Brigham's employees were
told on 24 December 2002 that today was the last day of business.
Subway opened at this
location in 2006.
- 154 River Street - Green Tea House, Chinese & Japanese Cuisine And Sushi Bar
opened in August of 2007. Used to be the Ming Terrace Restaurant.
- 434 River Street - A new gourmet deli opened
in early 2004.
- Totten Pond Road
- 477 Totten Pond Road, at the Best Western TLC - This was Michael's Italian Grill. On April 29, 2005, it reopened as Piccadilly Pub
- Totten Pond Road - This site was once Thackery's, with an outdoor patio that was always a great place to go for drinks and dinner in the summer. It was torn down when the hotel at the site was renovated.
- Waverly Oaks Road
- Willow Street
- 170 Willow Street - Pandorgas closed in 2002.
- Winter Street
- 380 Winter Street - On April 29, 2005 -
Piccadilly Pub opened.
- 475 Winter Street - Winter Street Cafe changed its name to
Sato,
but still serves Japanese & Chinese meals.
Review.
- Unknown location (Let me know if you have more information)
-
From an email received in January of 2004 - Scott: You failed to include Saldis Pizzeria. I forgot the address, but it was a constant watering place from 1953-1957. where a large cheese pizza cost $0.90 and a glass of beer $0.35.Ê I know that in 50 years, things change, but Saldis was forever.
Ê
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Comments and suggestions welcome.
Send email to Scott Shurr at
ScottShurr@waltham-community.org
Created: April 2003. Updated: 3 September 2007
...always under construction!
