Friendly Eating Place

Seriously, what more do you want?

by Mike Miliard

on the cheap

Vanille June 29 Joe's Café, June 22 Pita Kabob, June 15 Viva Burrito, June 8

When my friend and I walk down Mass Ave between Harvard and Central Squares, we often repeat the same inane routine:

"I'm hungry."

"Yeah, I could eat."

"But it's gotta be a place . . . "

" . . . that's friendly."

"Hey! Look! The Friendly Eating Place!"

Best name ever. And the food's not bad either: burgers, sandwiches, Greek specialties. The décor may be minimal (photos of azure Greek vistas dot the bare walls; an Orthodox Madonna icon can be glimpsed behind the counter), but the large span of front windows affords a prime view of Mass Ave bustle. Try the souvlaki dinner: a nice little Greek salad, fries, a sizable slab of pita bread, and huge chunks of succulent lamb, all for the very kind price of $6.50. The gyros ($4.50), peeled from a sizzling spit of glistening meat, are superb. And when I'm scouring the Mass Ave record shops on a Saturday afternoon, I always reserve a few pennies for those rare vinyl sides by stopping in for a bacon cheeseburger and a side of onion rings (Fryolated to perfection) for just $5. Mmmmm . . . artery-clogging.

The Friendly Eating Place: it's cheap. It's friendly. It's a place. And you can eat there.

The Friendly Eating Place, located at 985 Mass Ave, in Cambridge, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Call (617) 354-3245.

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