Coast Cafe Cambridge

If you’re like me and you just moved up to Boston from the South, you might be craving some fried catfish and no other fish will do. This is the first place I found so far that didn’t serve fried catfish as a sandwich or po’ boy. ORDER: Fried catfish with 2 sides: macaroni and cheese, and green beans. Also came with cornbread. PRICE: Given the portion size and quality of the meal, $22 is a reasonable price that is comparable to those of other restaurants. I ended up making 2 meals out of a single order. FISH BREADING: Even after a 30+ minute transport home straight from the restaurant, the cornmeal coating was still crispy. Not too thick or doughy. FISH MEAT: The meat was soft and flaky; it had absolutely no fishiness or toughness that catfish can have. The restaurant was not stingy on the size of the fish, serving it as actual fillets (I had 1.50 fillets) instead of narrow strips. And portions of it were thick; in the picture I took, the piece was as thick as my thumb, a little less than an inch. No part of it was chewy, remaining consistently soft and fully cooked throughout. SIDES: The green beans were fresh and perfectly soft. More importantly, the flavor was well-balanced and not too vinegary. Not sure if it was the time it took to transport it home, but the mac and cheese was a bit dry. But the noodles were still chewy, and not mushy despite the travel time. The cornbread muffin was soft and sweet and not a crumbly mess. SERVICE: Take-out is the only option at this time. But the person who took my order was pleasant and efficient. CONCLUSION: YES, I would definitely go back. And YES, I would recommend it, at least for the fried catfish. I have no complaints about the restaurant (other than the double set of doors that was a bit tricky to maneuver) or the food. 5 stars from me!

The Coast Cafe should be the standard for soul food in Boston. I ordered the fried chicken thigh combination which comes with cornbread and your choice of two sides. The rice and beans were perfectly seasoned, the collard greens were tender without a single mushy leaf, and the cornbread completed the whole plate with its sweetness. But the fried chicken y'all -- juicy, not over-battered, and no gaps or sloughing off as you take your bite. That's extremely hard to do. Even before the pandemic, they mainly operated on takeout, and their experience shows with their friendly staff, attention to detail in neatly packing meal boxes, and maintaining food quality on the way home. Wish I still lived in Cambridge so I could be back sooner.