Century House Restaurant
235 Andover St, Peabody, MA, 01960
Century House Restaurant Menu
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Address :
235 Andover St
Peabody, MA, 01960 - Phone (978) 531-1410
- Website https://www.centuryhousepeabody.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Rose F.
Excellent value, decent food, good service. Place was packed for breakfast! The median age to dine here is definitely retirees, but maybe they are keeping this value place a secret. I got a 3 egg omelet with veggies, home fries, English muffin, and coffee for under $10. My companions got pancakes and those looked good as well. I'd like to come back for dinner. I hear prime rib night on Tuesday's you can't even get into the place!
(3)Andy H.
Was in town on business and wanted a true NE dinner. Thanks to Yelp, I found the Century House. It has an old NE vibe and many of the patrons looked like they have been coming for generations. A real neighborhood, warm and cozy place. The service was prompt and attentive. The food was terrific. I almost felt like I was in a movie with the scene inside. You had Father O'Riley at one table with a couple of cops talking about little Danny whoever, and what a bad seed he is. And, how bad they feel for his mother. Cool spot and worth a visit.
(4)Deb W.
My family and I visited The Century House for the first time yesterday (Father's Day). My main point is that the food was great and trumped the service luckily. The waitress we had yesterday was ATROCIOUS. For a good majority of the meal she was rude, snappy and rushed and only I think realized how her behavior was unacceptable towards the end of the meal as she tried to make jokes and be cheerful at that point. However in my opinion, she had already lost me. I would definitely go back here for the food but if I ever got seated with her again I would immediately request a different table. We sat down and were told the waitress would come back when all of our party had arrived which was fine. However when she did return she was rude and unaccommodating when it came to placing our drink order. My sister in law had asked for a drink to be modified and after much complaining and I don't know oh I'll have to see and hemming and hawwing she said she would check. Once she brought the drinks around we were waiting to see if rolls would be brought to our table as we had seen all the other tables around us receive. We did eventually get those. My mother in law and I both ordered Sangria and when we received our drinks and took a sip we knew there was more than just wine in our drink so we asked the waitress what was in it. Her reply oh I don't know I know there's wine in it and started to walk away while my mother in law was trying to ask her if she could please ask the bartender what was in it. She said she would but we'd have to give her some time because she was really really busy. (Which would be fine under normal circumstances but her tone of voice throughout our meal was unacceptable to say the least). It didn't get any better than that because when she came back quite a few minutes later and we asked if she had inquired about the Sangria she told us no she had been to busy. It was at that point we had to explain to her that it tasted as though there was a liquor in the sangria and we would like to know if that was indeed the case. At that point she agreed to go right to the bar and find out for us which was great and all but since when do customers have to explain why they are asking a question about a menu item? The ordering of dinner was also very frustrating because of her attitude. She was very rushed in taking our order and was visibly displease when we asked any kind of question about a food item. Luckily our food for the most part came out correctly. When it initially came out, my sister in laws side of squash and my fiance's mashed potatoes hadn't come out and the waitress was very frustrated when I tried to explain that to her. Overall I'm very disappointed at our first visit here. I had suggested it to celebrate fathers day with my in laws and it was quite an embarrassment to receive this kind of service. I do understand it was a holiday, it was busy and we were a party of 9 but I don't think that her frustration should have been taken out on our customers. Again I would definitely give Century House another shot because of the food quality but if I received the same service again I would definitely rule it out (However I don't think that would be the case as we saw all of the waitstaff for the surrounding tables being quite pleasant despite the day being busy).
(3)Rick W.
This is my first post on YELP. It was that bad, no it was HORRIBLE. First of all, we made a reservation...and had to wait while others without reservations were sat first. Then we get put into this 'back room' of about 20 tables and we were the only party...but there were booths and tables in the main dining room that we could have been seated at. Five minutes....ten minutes...no one comes to even greet us. The place was only 1/2 full! The first time I mentioned to a member of the wait-staff that no one had been to our table she looked at me like I had three heads or something and sulked off. Still no one came to our table. I walked up to another server a couple of minutes later and she whips around into the kitchen, yelling: "Who has table 21? Who has table 21?" We put on our coats, told the hostess the 10+ minute wait was unacceptable and that all the other parties sat after us already had service. She said: "Someone will be right over...". Totally unapologetic... We walked out. We eat out a lot and will NEVER, NEVER step foot into that place again!
(1)Jim M.
Good, homestyle breakfast with an old-fashioned vibe,
(3)Nettie W.
Ordered French opinion soup big hunk of barely melted cheese on plate soup, was luke warm, appeared to be microwaved. Meal came with instant mashed potatoes and food was very bland! Had the look, feel and taste of a prepared frozen dinner. Very disappointed as have been there numerous times with excellent quality food.
(1)Tedward W.
Welp, went for breakfast at 2:30 pm or so. Unfortunately they weren't serving breakfast at that point, so I went for a burger and my lovely lady opted for a panini sammich. We also made a very good decision by ordering the potatoskins app. DO IT. Trust me. Eat those sexy tatos. Instead of the traditional way, it's like crispy potato wedgies with a cheesy bacon sauce you dip them in, and it was oh so F'ing good. We could have just had that for breakfast, but we had already ordered. The burger was perf. Everything about it was excellent, including the onion roll bun!!! I asked for medium well and it was cooked medwell right on the $$. Lovely Lady said her panini was most excellent as well, and the service was excellent, not too much not too little just right amount of attention, and she said the word 'good' a lot, which probably helps, I don't know! So yeah. it was also this dude Chet's 90th birthday, and they sang to him, and the bar was packed at 2:45pm , but we sat in a dining room that was very pleasant. Very clean place, Happy Customer. I wasn't expecting it to be that good either. Have a great day, don't do anything I wouldn't do.
(5)Kelly J.
LOVE the Century House! $12.95 prime rib on Tuesday's is ridiculous! The ribs are HUGE and so are all of the other portions. The wait staff is as sweet as can be! I want to eat here like every night because of the great pricing and awesome service. I think we are officially Tuesday regulars but may have to alter each week so we can hit up the $9.99 steak tips on Wednesdays! Also great place to eat if you have kids. The staff was super with our 1-year old son when it came to anything he may have needed or wanted. Not to mention they kept stopping by just to say hello and talk to him :) Totally recommend this place!
(5)Ditch Q.
For those that complain about the ceilings and it being "old" . It seems old because it IS!! They tell people right on the menu that the restaurant used to be the house of the Royal Governor of Massachusetts! IT WAS BUILT in the 1700's! on the same site as the King Hooper Mansion. People pay high restaurant prices to sit in a historic building and your complaining .. Its amazing how people are so quick to tear down history in order to be more "hip" . Yes, this restaurant takes you back to a by gone time, when dining used to be an event. When you arrive and they seat you, they offer dips, crackers , and rolls (both regular and sticky buns) Back in the day , all restaurants offered crackers and accompaniments. I may not be part of the senior crowd, but I do remember when I was younger that this was the norm and not the exception. Yes, the meals are "comfort food" (Thank goodness) . I usually get the Chicken pot pie , (which is really good ) and in the winter I get the Egg Nog cocktail (To die for!) My husband loves their pasta and their Prime Rib. I stop at the shop on the way out and pick up the bean dip and shepherds pie. Yes, the crowd can be older at times, but that's because they remember what service used to be! This restaurant is also good for families, I have brought my 5 kids here , (of various ages) , several times (including infants) , and have never had an issue. I haven't had a problem with the noise, as others have mentioned. But I suspect that may be when they were in the bar , which seems to cater to the middle age crowd 30+ I glad the hipsters hate this place! Please Century House don't change a thing!!!
(5)K G.
Stopped in here for breakfast one Saturday morning while waiting for my car to be serviced. I found it was a great value with a plate of eggs, bacon and toast and endless coffee running less than $10. It was very crowded and popular with retirees, so it had an old-fashioned ambiance to it. The unusual thing is if you are taller, watch your head as the ceilings are very low here.
(4)Charlotte C.
Normally I like the CH. The food is pretty good and prices fair. The reason I'm writing today is I am still reeling from an incident I witnessed sitting at the bar with my husband. Usually, we sit in the restaurant as the bar seems to be very busy and loud. Ok, is this as awful as I think it is? A woman ordered Prime Rib. Bartender delivers it. Woman pokes the meat around as if she were looking for something, then calls the bartender over. She says, " I wanted a piece with a bone in it, can I give this back and exchange for one with a bone?" Bartender looks upset and says, "did you order it with a bone?" Woman says, "no." After a little back and forth, the woman says "I didn't touch it but I want one with a bone." Bartender says, "OK," and takes the plate away and brings her a new one. We overhear another patron ask the bartender if they throw meals away when they are sent back. Bartender says, "NO WE JUST SERVE IT TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER." WHAT?!?! I don't like wasting food either but come on. My husband had intended on ordering the prime rib but we were both pretty shocked and he just didn't want to chance that he'd get the same one that was just sent back. The news traveled quickly down the bar, as we could see people's faces in expressions of disgust. Update: Just called the health Department and they indicated that this is in fact a direct violation of code. Wow.
(2)Laura T.
I cannot believe all the negative reviews. This place is above most (if not all) in this area in this price range. The food is good. The prices are good. While you are waiting for your food you are served dinner rolls, pecan rolls, salad, crackers and dip.. Its is true that the crowd is older, if you go there for a late dinner its usually dead, so that's a plus! I've never had an issue. In fact, with only about 24 hour notice they were able to accommodate a reservation for me for a group of 20.
(4)Sheri M.
I've been going to the Century House for breakfast with my family for years, and I still get all giddy every time we go. Now that I'm living on the west coast I always plan a trip here whenever I visit home. Their Old Fashioned New England Country Breakfast is hands down the best. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and toast for $8. You'll be full all day. I always am. Yes, this place is frequented by older folks, but I'll take quiet older folks over screaming child beasts any day. The clientele make the dining area all the more quaint and relaxing. Of course, the service and food isn't top notch every single time. Sometimes you'll get a forgetful waitress. They also have the uncanny ability to serve only my aunt sausages that look like shriveled turds. But this isn't frequent enough to make you not want to come back. The service and food are fabulous the majority of the time. On the weekend the wait and the parking lot can be a killer, so we usually go during the week. But if you end up having to wait, it's definitely still worth it!
(4)Tom B.
Went for breakfast on a saturday,rest.was busy wait was not bad,service was good, food was just average,nothing to write home about. Would not go back for breakfast. I was kinda disappointed, always had great memories of Century House,maybe breakfast is just not they're bag.
(2)Yelp R.
Please let me state I have been going to this place for 30 yrs. The quality has really gone down hill to nursing home , pressed meat food and the service was horrible. Management unapologetic. We asked to be seated at a booth and were seated at a table. We asked for Jenny Lee as our waitress and got an inexperienced brunette. We usually tip our waitress (Jenny Lee $50 for excellent service). We ordered French Onion Soup and it was great. The chicken noodle soup however was put in a near flat soup bowl that was mostly spilled over the sides. We waited forever for our waitress to take our order for our main and had to ask for bread. We ordered Leg of Lamb from the specials menu for $15.95 pp Our waitress asked us how we would like it cooked. We thought we would be getting what the menu said...leg of lamb in a natural sauce. INSTEAD.... When we got the lamb, it was sliced wafer thin and there was barely a portion size on there and it drenched in gravy, not natural juices. The meat was not cooked to order and tasted like horrible cheap cafeteria food. It was obviously the rip off special. We complained to our waitress, who did not take it back. We complained to the manager. I asked for mine to be cooked medium and it was so dry the gross gravy could not even get it down my throat. My guest at his portion in 2.5 min, that is how LITTLE was on his plate. He got up and complained to the front desk...they did NOTHING. We paid our over $50 bill and left NO TIP. My worst dining experience and service experience there in 30 yrs. We will NOT be going back. For a restaurant that used to pride itself on service quality and excellent food, you have really slipped. Time for a new management team and cook. You need a restaurant rescue!
(1)Jack M.
We have had many really good experiences here, but on this past Tuesday we received a surprising underwhelming meal. On Tuesday nights, they offer the prime rib and two sides for 14.95 which used to be a good deal. However, they have removed the option of having a salad as one of your sides and will only give you one for an addition $2, along with sacrificing one of your sides. Prime ribs were all ordered either medium rare or medium and all of them came out around medium well. It was also really bland which surprised us. My grandfather and I split the Oreo cookie pie which was really good, and my dad and grandmother had the baked Alaska which they seemed to enjoy. However you come here for the steak, and on this night it wasn't good.
(3)Tim W.
The place is old, worn and the menu is too. Service was just ok. The food just plain sucked, probably the worst scallops I've ever eaten, I'd say they were one day away from being bait for my fishing trip. 5 out of 7 meals were horrible and 2 were tolerable.
(1)Tom D.
I've always been intrigued by this place and had the pleasure of dining here for breakfast this morning. First thing I noticed upon walking in was the ceiling height. They must have to carry extra insurance in case tall people get head injuries from hitting the ceiling. I'm about 6'5" and was barely able to stand up in the place. We were seated for breakfast in the tavern side of the restaurant. They keep it very dark in there, even on a gloriously sunny day like today. The decor is dated, but I think it lends a charm to the place. Where else can you eat off china that looks just like the stuff stored in your grandma's old hutch? My breakfast was good, but nothing better than what you'd get at any of the diners in the area. Thankfully, the prices were also no more expensive that these diners, so I got what I paid for. I had the French toast which the menu described as "extra thick". If this was extra thick, I'd hate to see the regular thickness. It was just standard Wonder bread slices, but it certainly satisfied the French toast craving I was having this morning. French toast and two scrambled eggs came to $8.50. The coffee was surprisingly good and strong. I didn't get to check out the full dinner menu, but the electronic sign outside was advertising baked stuffed shrimp for $9.95. If all the prices are that good, I can see why this is a favorite of the senior citizen community. Who says you can't have a nice dinner out on a fixed income? I'll be back to check out dinner sometime and update this review as appropriate.
(3)Shawn F.
This place looks nice from the outside. When I got inside, I feared for my head's safety. The ceilings are really low for a 6 foot guy. I guess they were aiming at pleasing the short, and maybe giving them a boost in self-confidence making them feel taller. It seems there is a common belief between the reviews for the century house, the crowd is old, and the atmosphere is reflected by it. The place is very quiet and reminds me of an elderly home. The most excitement there is in this place is when an old couple wins 5 dollars on keno. The waiting staff isn't always pleasant unless you are a regular. It makes you feel like an outcast. The food here is OKAY. It isn't the greatest, but it could be worse. I had the stuffed chicken which wasn't bad. The burgers are average. I had mashed potatoes on the side with gravy. These were a bit chunky and could have been mashed more. There are a decent amount of choices, but I would say the food is average. Don't come here if you are looking for some excitement, but if you are looking for a place to nap then this is the place.
(3)JOHN J.
we had drinks and ordered a pizza at the bar. the pizza was very tasty. the problem the place was ice cold and out side was cold. brite lights you will need sun glasses and a coat.
(3)Chris C.
Had breakfast here today, and all I can say is meh. I ordered their New England country breakfast which consists of 3 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pieces of bacon, 3 pancakes, 2 pieces of toast, and a side of home fries. The food wasn't bad, I just didn't find it great. The service was decent, minus the person doing the coffee rounds. I swear, I saw her come halfway to my section, and then turn around like 4 different times. I don't know about everyone on yelp, but if I'm having coffee at a restaurant, I like my cup to never go below half full. I emptied my cup 2 different times. And it's hot, it's not like I'm chugging it. Anyhow... It was a Sunday morning, and there were a TON of church types there. Maybe that's why? The menu seemed really plain and uninspired as well. I had high hopes for this place since the front desk clerk at my hotel said "I know this great restaurant not far from here", but really? Great? Hardly. I'd call it mediocre.
(2)Jennifer M.
We have only been for breakfast. The food is good. Service is ok. Only serving breakfast until 11:00 am.
(3)Katie S.
I have no complaints, but wouldn't go back. The food and customer service are both mediocre. This is just a restaurant that isn't my style. It attracts a much older crowd and serves some odd food. Instead of receiving bread to snack on before we ordered, we were given packaged crackers with bean dip, some other dips, and sticky buns. I found this pretty interesting and disappointing. Not for me.
(3)Jennifer C.
Just had breakfast here this morning and it was great!! I had the eggs benedict with bacon and home fries.. and it was a solid dish. And especially given that it was $6.99!! That's a great deal. A little bland.. so needed to add salt and pepper, but no biggie. My dad had fried eggs, sausage, and rye toast and said it was also really good. Coffee was also good. I was expecting an older crowd, but maybe that is more during (early) dinner time? Today, there was a nice mix of people.. families, friends, couples, old and young. Very comfortable surroundings. And our waitress was very friendly and kind. Would definitely go back! My parents are big fans.. they often get take out and have always been pleased with everything from the seafood to the steaks.. and they are picky! Thank you for a nice meal today!
(4)Ryan J.
If you are 90 years + this is the place for you... The dining room looks like it was ripped out of a nursing home... Residents included. We showed up at 8 and were told they would be closing soon and should eat in the pub... But they were out of prime rib... So we may want to come back another night.... In the pub we met Paula... She had the personality of a prison guard in a women's prison... Rough crude and robotic... She hated her job and it showed... The food was bland... But it was cheap... I won't be back till by 65th birthday !!! Ack
(1)Neil P.
Tuesday July 14. Prime rib night Haven't been here in about a year or so and was glad to see that they had updated the place. Not that it looks modern but, certainly cleaned up with nice booths and tables. This is a large function type place with a large pub on one side where we decided to eat. Two of us had prime rib. A generous portion but one was on the bone and the other was boneless. Looked like two entirely different pieces of meat. It was good though. The salads and veggies were average and the chowder was thick. Almost too thick. The French onion soup was amaZing. One of us got chicken broccoli and ziti which was really good. Warm apple crisp for desert rounded out the meal. Definitely a place to visit if you want a nice home cooked meal.
(4)Jaymee L.
Very good food ! Didn't like the salad or sides but the meat and potatoes were good! And can't beat the price of 64$ for 2 massive prime ribs
(3)Alicia S.
Well it does look like it belongs in a nursing home however I think they did a good job with the feel of history. Now let's get to the good part. I really enjoyed the rolls and everything that comes for free. The food is a little pricey but everyone was getting the roasted stuffed chicken which apparently was 9.99 on Wednesdays and looked amazing. I got the chicken broccoli ziti and my mom got the lobster. She loved her roll and I think it was the best chicken broccoli ziti I have had. I really like the chicken being lightly breaded and the sauce was amazing. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and would be back
(4)Larry G.
Bean Dip. Sharing. Lovely people. Specialty foods in adjacent shop. Keno. Date Night. Family Night. Any night. Century House. Go.
(4)Andrea G.
Am 53 (so not using a walker yet) & I Luv Luv Luv this place! I have been in the restaurant business for almost 40 yrs. & wouldn't even think of dining anywhere else, the Prime Rib is the BEST I've ever had & It beats anything in downtown BOSTON by a mile as does the service, Raff & Lauren work the room like no 2 other servers I've ever seen & I've seen some of the best! Also the hostesses have always & continue to be the most hospitable, no matter how bust they are! So forget driving into Boston & head on over to The Century House, you will not be sorry...All pro's, no con's..Price point, excellent service, (Raff & Lauren) atmosphere & let's not forget THE FOOD!!! My son got deployed to Afghanistan last yr. & we had 20 family members there for his going away party, & it went off w/o a glitch, everyone loved it! & that's amazing for my big Sicilian family...Infact just writing this has me wanting to go there for dinner tonight. Thank You Century House, I wouldn't change one thing... My family & I will always be back, again & again Angie G.
(5)Victoria R.
Went for breakfast yesterday food was okay nothing great needed more flavor. I think it couldve been hotter it was just warm
(4)Richard C.
Do you want to know where all of the old people went at the end of Cocoon? They came here! It's like every nursing home emptied out. The customers at Spud's are spry by comparison. Even the decor is assisted-living inspired. As is the menu. Think creamed, jellied, mashed,..no chewing required. Surprisingly, the prime rib, when you can get it, is good, and reasonably priced. Stick with the basic American fare, the international dishes are an adventure. Don't even think of getting a table between four and six! If you wait until a normal dinner time it thins out as the hordes return to the home for milk and cookies. The staff could use some training in having a personality as they tend to be rude, crass and indifferent. I assume that they'll be customers soon. A true deal is breakfast. Drive past IHOP and Denny's and come here. The patrons are younger, pleasant and ambulatory. The value is fantastic. A New England breakfast ( three eggs, three pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries and toast) for $8.99!!! Your great grandparents will love it ( the portions are large, they'll take home enough food for three lunches). It's not expensive and the food will keep your digestive track regular. What more could you ask?
(3)Vinny E.
I love this place. Great good. Great staff. Great atmosphere. At 49yo I like being one of the youngest people there.
(4)Patricia W.
I used to go years ago for twin baked stuffed lobster special for $12! Later in life for the Prime Rib, best around. More recently I've been once, and the food was great, but I had to request the bean relish, and the waitress took a while to warm up to us. I still enjoy the prime rib and all the fixings, and back in the day, their baked stuffed lobster was the best I've ever tasted.. If they had it now, I"m sure I couldn't afford it! The clientele is slightly older, but usually that's a sign of good food and good value, don't knock it!
(4)Frank P.
this place realy has gone down hill, food is terrible, plus the still have the worst waiters around
(1)Jan A.
I went there today, 9/28/14 with 8 other family members, 2 of them sisters over 80 yrs. old, (one being my mother). Right from the beginning we had explained how the bill would be split & paid by 3 of us in the party. All was well & the food was good for those of us who got their meal. However, my mother & her sister both waited & waited & waited & waited for their meals to arrive. How awkward & pretty uncomfortable to have everyone eating except for the 2 senior citizens! By the time their meals arrived, the rest of us had finished eating our own! Then it was told to us that one of their order's were given away to another patron & the meal had to be made entirely again! Are you kidding me??? Well I went to some women who appeared to be in a management type position & told them the situation. I also asked that an adjustment be made to the bill that I would be paying. At first one of the women went to investigate what was going on. Then she came back & told me the 2 family members would receive free desert. I told them they would not want desert & I already knew this about my mother & aunt. So then she finally let me know the one meal that had to be completely re-ordered would not be charged for. I said thank you & walked away. But wait! That's not all! Another family member was given 2 receipts for her meal & both were of different prices, one being $20 more than the other. When it was brought to the waitress's attention, she had said my meal got charged to that family members credit card. So that had to be re-done. And...I was charged for an appetizer another family member had ordered. WTF??? All of us liked our waitress & we understand people can have off days. They made good on the food mistake, but 2 different errors in the billing just made everyone of their blunders unacceptable to me. So since this was the very 1st time I had ever been there, I quickly learned it would be the last time as well.
(2)Douglas C.
Had THE worst experience at Century House today. We had a waitress who never smiled and made us feel like we were bothering her. She never gave us the complimentary crackers and dip or the sticky buns. She tossed some plain rolls onto the table. She was stone faced the whole time and brought our meals right after the crackers arrived(another waitress brought those to us) I had the lobster pie which had a soupy butter laden clump of bread crumbs. The mashed potatoes were instant, luke warm, and had a puddle of water around it. The summer squash was cold. The best part of my meal was my ice water with lemon! Never again! Just completely horrible! And I paid $23.00 for that meal! Disgusting food and a waitress who would rather be in a firing squad than being there!!!
(1)Marleny G.
Really bad customer service. Had a very rude waitress here. I work at a hotel up the road and people at my job always recommended this place to people and I tried it out. Food was nothing special and service was terrible. Atmosphere is very outdated as well
(1)Meghan I.
Went here on New Years day and just missed brunch by 15 minutes. Decided since we were there we would just have lunch. Ordered the appetizer special that was a Buffalo Chicken flatbread. The pizza came out and looked like a microwave pizza they they threw chicken nuggets on top of. The servers seemed to be overwhelmed because she barely came by the table to refill drinks or see how we were doing. Most likely will not be going here again.
(1)Chris K.
This looked like it could be a good place. That's about it - it looks good. The space is cramped with low ceilings, and hard benches. It took about 15 minutes for the server to even acknowledge me, much less come over. She did get my coffee quickly, and the salad was served promptly. The dressing was typical of the type you buy in the grocery store. I ordered the pot roast, and asked for no potato. The dish didn't look as appetizing as the pot roast at Denny's, and lacked any specific flavor other than "fridge". The peas and carrots tasted like they had been frozen for about a month before added to the beef. The portion was not up to the price. The server brought the wrong check. This is only the second time I've left less than a 10% tip. Normally, I leave 20%. I don't think I'll come back.
(1)Jeff P.
So... This experience was far less than acceptable. Pretty convinced the server was brand new and didn't want to be there. She did get our first drink order ok. Nothing went right after that. After a few drinks we asked about apps (A couple salads, 2 chowders, and an order of mushrooms). She said "they are being cooked". Salads were gritty. When the main course was brought she and her runner tried to serve prime rib to a vegetarian. After main course came server stood in hallway and glared at us. This was 2 and a half hours of my life I can't get back. Truth be told the 1 star is because the restroom was clean. Crossing Century House off my list.
(1)Jane A.
I was trying not to write a negative view and I did reach out to management but my message was not returned. As other reviewers have stated, this restaurant is outdated and so is the service. The wait staff and hostesses are not friendly or even courteous. It seemed like our server wanted nothing to do with us. I wanted to order another beverage but she just walked away from the table while I was mid-sentence. She also literally tossed the check at the table and she never returned to collect it. We waited 20 minutes and gave up and flagged down a different server to pay. There are plenty of other breakfast places to go where the service is passable. Honestly, I wish we had gone to the Friendly's across the street instead.
(1)Michael H.
Giving this restaurant 1 star is not my choice. I would like to take stars away from them. How is this restaurant open? The food is atrocious. No flavor AT ALL. The service is slow. Hostess from the tavern decided to join the hostess in the main restaurant because she was hot...temperature wise that is. This restaurant is filthy. Are you getting the feeling I didn't like it? Took 35 mins to get a glass of water. Bet you're wondering why I stayed. My wonderful brother gave me a gift card. Needless to say I will never go back.
(1)Mindy L.
I wanted to like this place, but the whole experience put a rather sour taste in my mouth. My husband's parents drove down from Maine and chose this restaurant as the meeting place. We arrived at about 11:00 am and knew served breakfast until 11:30 am. When the hostess greeted us, she loudly asked if we were having breakfast or lunch. My husband's mom replied, "chances are - some will have breakfast, some will have lunch." Reasonable assumption. The hostess tells us, "No, it's one or the other." To which my confused father-in-law says, "Oh, does this relate to where you seat us?" The baffled hostess doesn't seem to understand that we are not getting what she is laying down...and she said, "Oh wait - you want both menus?" Well YES. Apparently the idea of "brunch" was completely lost here. Scoot forward to us being seated. The waitress comes round and says (again they all speak VERY loudly), "I understand you'll be ordering breakfast AND lunch..." What is the big deal about this? Moving on... My mother-in-law and I decided on breakfast and my father-in-law and husband ordered from the lunch menu. Our waitress takes the orders, fires them and then 5 minutes later...the hostess returns to our table to let us know that the lunch orders will have to wait because the kitchen can't make breakfast and lunch orders at the same time. Wait, what? First of all, my husband ordered a salad. No reason why that can't be whipped up. Second of all, if you have a griddle going for pancakes and french toast...why can't you make a burger on another section of the grill-top? You can offer steak and eggs for breakfast but you can't make a bloody burger? At that point, what were we to do? Our orders were in, the news of the wait for some of the food came after they had been fired so ... fine. My mother-in-law and I ate our food and then 20 minutes later, while we were done...sitting there...we watched our very hungry gents finally eat their food. To top it all off...my pancakes were rubber. The eggs were fine, the bacon was crispy and the sourdough bread was delicious. I can't say anything about the experience will have me returning and that totally bums me out because I am all about the mom & pop shops.
(2)Kate S.
Best French onion soup on the north shore. Great service. Outstanding food at a great price. Definitely a regular stop for us.
(5)Doug I.
Great meal. Great kids value. Great service. My expectations were low before coming here for a family birthday dinner. But this was a huge surprise. We had two kids in the group and their meals were $4.50 each which included a huge meal (full size burger, etc), drinks, and large ice cream sundae. My steak tips and potato were excellent. Everyone in our group was very pleased. What lets this place down is the old decor and atmosphere. This is like an old school New England institution like Hilltop or The Chateau. It's not like one of these startups that think they know everything. If they renovated and updated, but didn't changed the staff or service, this would be on everyone's radar.
(4)Jon C.
What is not to Love about the bar....full lottery, great drinks, the food I very consistent ant the staff is always friendly.
(5)Bill N.
WRETCHED !! Have dined here at least monthly for 30 years..Never Again!! New décor amplifies sound so I heard every nuance of the blabbermouth 2 tables over, staggered table height had me looking at belly of one neighbor who brought mouth down to food, my former favorite seafood plate now pre fried mix of stuck together muck, former slice of fish reduced to nuggets, asked 3 times for coffee, asked 3 times for bill, then waitress Paula insisted on clearing the table and dumping food on me rather than get the bill!!! When we got home, my wife became sick, an experience we know from experience inhabits failing places. Bad management, poor service, rotten food..will never last another century....count me out
(1)Grizz J.
Love the C-House. I have been going there for many years and have never had an issue with the food or the service. Best Drinks, Beer, Apps & Food. Go there a little later and most of the old folks will be home in bed. Thank God the A-holes that rate the place a 1 or 2 will never go there again; That way they won't ruin my night wining and crying.
(5)Bryan C.
Went for breakfast with my family. Our waitress was anything but hospitable. The sausage tasted like reheated jimmy deans, the peppers in the omelet were mushy and far from fresh. We asked about the strawberry sauce for the Belgium waffles and were told it was frozen and obviously not fresh. On the bright side, the home fries, which weren't homemade, were ok and the cinnamon butter was helpful. But overall the meal was no where near being worth the price we paid. Could have made a comparable meal at home for a fraction of the cost. Needless to say we won't be back.
(2)Melody N.
We have eaten here a few times for their prime rib special. If you want a glimpse of retired life in the North Shore, look no further than Century House where if you are under 50 years old you'll feel quite young! The prices are reasonable but I find that I need to salt and pepper my food quite a bit no matter what dish I get. Before dinner, they provide crackers and a couple of dips to go along with it and a big basket of rolls. The last time I was here I got Shepherd's pie where the mashed potatoes were smooth on top with a nice char to it but the meat underneath needed some serious flavor overhaul. The prime rib is a huge chunk of meat which comes with a potato side dish of your choice and vegetables or salad. It gets pretty crowded in there and service has usually been decent. Overall okay. I usually just go because my husband really likes the prime rib.
(3)DEBBIE A.
Less than a week ago, my friend ordered three take out dinners, one prime rib and two chicken cordon bleu meals. It was a few days after Christmas and just before New Years. Route 114 was bumper to bumper traffic, absolutely horrible and yes, worse than it usually is. She lives in Middleton and it took her close to 45 minutes to get there and it is usually only a ten to fifteen minute ride. Okay, so she calls in the order and goes to pick them up. She arrives at the Century House and was told by one gal that they were NOT ACCEPTING take out orders that night. Well, my friend looked at her like she had two heads because she told the gal that she placed the order more than 45 minutes ago. I think this made the lady working there quite angry. So after conversation, the lady told her she would put the order in... which should of been done at least an hour ago. So my friend goes out to her car to wait for awhile while this meal was allegedly being prepared for take-out. After twenty minutes or more, she goes inside and still there is nothing for her. One other employee told her she would run the order out to her when it was ready.... and she kept her word and did just that. My friend did give her a nice tip for being so courteous. The employee knew where to go because my friend told her that her car was right up front and she would be looking for her. Finally after another 45 minute drive home, she arrives with the food. Now remember, she was gone for close to three hours. She opens the bag and we were like... "WHERE IS THE REST OF THE DINNERS"? WHAT A DISGRACE AND EMBARRASSMENT TO SAY THE LEAST. YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! The prime rib was okay but not like we were used to getting at the Century House. The fries were ice cold and sort of on the greasy side. One dinky little salad was enclosed and one little dinner roll... not a pecan roll. NOTHING. The two rubber chicken dinners were cold and did not taste right. We both got the mashed potatoes. One dinner had cauliflower and the other should of had green beans but guess what, there was NOTHING THERE. Who seals a dinner with one of the tinfoil sections completely empty and allows it out the door? Neither of the chicken dinners got their salads and there was one dinner roll between the both of them. DISASTROUS! Well, it was cold, traffic was at a standstill, the gal at the Century House had an attitude that night, and everyone was starving. The last thing we wanted to do is call them and complain. So we gobbled up the morsels that we did get for about $75.00 and that was that.... plus the tip so now we are up around the $85.00 mark. None of us are big eaters but we ended up calling the Middleton House of Pizza for a pizza because the Century House gave us a totally despicable meal, to say the least. Last night on Saturday evening, January 4th I called the Century House and asked for the manager. The woman on the other end said she was the manager and I am afraid that I failed to get her name. I explained the entire situation for her and all she could say was "Oh gee, I'm sorry". Then she added "next time, go through the meal and make sure everything is there". I thought to myself, is she on the same page as me? Why would I take possession of my dinners, tear the bags apart in the middle of the waiting area, and start counting meals? Hello, get real lady! I was so shocked at her careless attitude that I mentioned... if every patron did that then they lack confidence in themselves and they are certainly incompetent to be working there. I was just blown away with her answers. Extremely unprofessional. Now, this lady said she remembered that night but we should of called right away and we should never had waited a few days. Well guess what, New Years was upon us and a two - three day blizzard was too. Sorry, but calling for two salads (rabbit food), the missing vegetables, and rolls were not on my mind at that time. The Epicurean Shoppe is frequented by me, my friends, and family all the time. For years and years now, we have also eaten at the restaurant too. I mentioned to the woman that I think she should make good to my friend for a disastrous night but she was adamant about parting with a penny. A very cold woman indeed and obviously doesn't have much of a heart. If she had common sense or was a professional business woman, she would of asked for my friends name and address and mailed her out a gift certificate immediately, if not sooner. Bottom line: THE NIGHT WAS RUINED and my friend was out over $100.00 because she also paid for the pizza too. SHAME ON THE CENTURY HOUSE.
(1)Amanda O.
This restaurant is incredible. I got the chicken and broccoli early bird special, and I was not disappointed. They start off your meal with crackers, bean dip, and a cottage cheese and chive dip. Next they bring out warm sticky buns, which were incredible. The early bird special came with a choice of a fruit cup, onion soup, or soup of the day, which was chicken noodle. I got the fruit cup, which was served in a tall ice cream dish topped with a scoop of raspberry sherbet. Delicious. The main course was also wonderful, but because I was so full I had to take most of it home. The butternut squash was fantastic. The early bird special also came with dessert. I got more of the raspberry sherbet. All in all, it was a great meal, and I will definitely be going back. The decor was tired and needs updating, which is the only reason why I am giving Century House 4 stars.
(4)Kevin S.
Great deal for money. Nice portions sizes, and they accommodating to substitution. Wait staff was nice both times I'v gone. Clean and cozy. Differently a Local kind of place. I would recommend the fillet mignon as it is a good value for what you get. (not a amazing fillet but a dam good steak"
(4)Marc B.
Since I work nearby, I stop in from time to time for lunch. Never really impressed. More for the convenience. Today, it was a rather poor visit. I chose to have a late lunch at the bar. I figured, how busy could it be at 3pm for lunch. Not very. It took the bartender about 10 minutes to recognize my presence. Finally, after serving my beverage, just a soft drink, she finally brought over the menu. Again, another wait for her to take my order. Nothing fancy, just a burger with feta cheese on top, cooked medium. Rather that put the feta cheese on the burger and have it melt slightly, it was served in a small paper cup on the side. Medium was more like well done. The bartender never came back to offer a re-fill on the soft drink until after I asked for the check.
(2)Robert C.
Sat in the bar area where service was above average. Food was average at best (burgers,nachos, wings), just many other choices in area. Unless you enjoy cackling 70 year olds making fun of tattooed men, try somewhere else. This is a wax museum of old, withered and angry elderly people.
(3)Jamie Z.
The best hidden Jewel in town.. The atmosphere, food and especially bartenders are a home run.. Comfort food at its finest everything from the pecan rolls (you have to ask for these secret phenomenons) to stuffed mushroom apps, and special Prime rib on Tuesdays (get there early, or after the rush as there 2 bars are usually full) you really cannot go wrong. Wendy, Christina and other bartenders go above and beyond to get to know each and every person at the bar and I find myself sitting and eating not even realizing how many hours have passed. This is a great place and I highly recommend
(5)Ryan J.
If you are 90 years + this is the place for you... The dining room looks like it was ripped out of a nursing home... Residents included. We showed up at 8 and were told they would be closing soon and should eat in the pub... But they were out of prime rib... So we may want to come back another night.... In the pub we met Paula... She had the personality of a prison guard in a women's prison... Rough crude and robotic... She hated her job and it showed... The food was bland... But it was cheap... I won't be back till by 65th birthday !!! Ack
(1)Jennifer C.
Just had breakfast here this morning and it was great!! I had the eggs benedict with bacon and home fries.. and it was a solid dish. And especially given that it was $6.99!! That's a great deal. A little bland.. so needed to add salt and pepper, but no biggie. My dad had fried eggs, sausage, and rye toast and said it was also really good. Coffee was also good. I was expecting an older crowd, but maybe that is more during (early) dinner time? Today, there was a nice mix of people.. families, friends, couples, old and young. Very comfortable surroundings. And our waitress was very friendly and kind. Would definitely go back! My parents are big fans.. they often get take out and have always been pleased with everything from the seafood to the steaks.. and they are picky! Thank you for a nice meal today!
(4)Neil P.
Tuesday July 14. Prime rib night Haven't been here in about a year or so and was glad to see that they had updated the place. Not that it looks modern but, certainly cleaned up with nice booths and tables. This is a large function type place with a large pub on one side where we decided to eat. Two of us had prime rib. A generous portion but one was on the bone and the other was boneless. Looked like two entirely different pieces of meat. It was good though. The salads and veggies were average and the chowder was thick. Almost too thick. The French onion soup was amaZing. One of us got chicken broccoli and ziti which was really good. Warm apple crisp for desert rounded out the meal. Definitely a place to visit if you want a nice home cooked meal.
(4)Jaymee L.
Very good food ! Didn't like the salad or sides but the meat and potatoes were good! And can't beat the price of 64$ for 2 massive prime ribs
(3)Alicia S.
Well it does look like it belongs in a nursing home however I think they did a good job with the feel of history. Now let's get to the good part. I really enjoyed the rolls and everything that comes for free. The food is a little pricey but everyone was getting the roasted stuffed chicken which apparently was 9.99 on Wednesdays and looked amazing. I got the chicken broccoli ziti and my mom got the lobster. She loved her roll and I think it was the best chicken broccoli ziti I have had. I really like the chicken being lightly breaded and the sauce was amazing. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and would be back
(4)Larry G.
Bean Dip. Sharing. Lovely people. Specialty foods in adjacent shop. Keno. Date Night. Family Night. Any night. Century House. Go.
(4)Jared G.
Y do people say "our special is the prime rib" and then "we are all out of our prime rib" ? Y are u telling me if you are out of it?!? If I can't eat it then idc. OK?!
(2)Andrea G.
Am 53 (so not using a walker yet) & I Luv Luv Luv this place! I have been in the restaurant business for almost 40 yrs. & wouldn't even think of dining anywhere else, the Prime Rib is the BEST I've ever had & It beats anything in downtown BOSTON by a mile as does the service, Raff & Lauren work the room like no 2 other servers I've ever seen & I've seen some of the best! Also the hostesses have always & continue to be the most hospitable, no matter how bust they are! So forget driving into Boston & head on over to The Century House, you will not be sorry...All pro's, no con's..Price point, excellent service, (Raff & Lauren) atmosphere & let's not forget THE FOOD!!! My son got deployed to Afghanistan last yr. & we had 20 family members there for his going away party, & it went off w/o a glitch, everyone loved it! & that's amazing for my big Sicilian family...Infact just writing this has me wanting to go there for dinner tonight. Thank You Century House, I wouldn't change one thing... My family & I will always be back, again & again Angie G.
(5)Victoria R.
Went for breakfast yesterday food was okay nothing great needed more flavor. I think it couldve been hotter it was just warm
(4)Richard C.
Do you want to know where all of the old people went at the end of Cocoon? They came here! It's like every nursing home emptied out. The customers at Spud's are spry by comparison. Even the decor is assisted-living inspired. As is the menu. Think creamed, jellied, mashed,..no chewing required. Surprisingly, the prime rib, when you can get it, is good, and reasonably priced. Stick with the basic American fare, the international dishes are an adventure. Don't even think of getting a table between four and six! If you wait until a normal dinner time it thins out as the hordes return to the home for milk and cookies. The staff could use some training in having a personality as they tend to be rude, crass and indifferent. I assume that they'll be customers soon. A true deal is breakfast. Drive past IHOP and Denny's and come here. The patrons are younger, pleasant and ambulatory. The value is fantastic. A New England breakfast ( three eggs, three pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries and toast) for $8.99!!! Your great grandparents will love it ( the portions are large, they'll take home enough food for three lunches). It's not expensive and the food will keep your digestive track regular. What more could you ask?
(3)Vinny E.
I love this place. Great good. Great staff. Great atmosphere. At 49yo I like being one of the youngest people there.
(4)Patricia W.
I used to go years ago for twin baked stuffed lobster special for $12! Later in life for the Prime Rib, best around. More recently I've been once, and the food was great, but I had to request the bean relish, and the waitress took a while to warm up to us. I still enjoy the prime rib and all the fixings, and back in the day, their baked stuffed lobster was the best I've ever tasted.. If they had it now, I"m sure I couldn't afford it! The clientele is slightly older, but usually that's a sign of good food and good value, don't knock it!
(4)Frank P.
this place realy has gone down hill, food is terrible, plus the still have the worst waiters around
(1)Rachel W.
Hostess stand and wait staff are very abrupt and cold. Customer service is not a priority or even a thought here. Food is fine but you can find the same quality of food served with much better service anywhere else. I don't expect the red carpet treatment but don't refuse to talk to me and literally throw the check on the table without saying one word or without even making eye contact with anyone at our table. I feel this behavior is the norm here and is accepted by management. After many visits, my family, including my parents, in-laws, and siblings will not be back.
(1)J P.
Had family visiting and they loved the breakfast so much we ate here 3 times. All three times the servers were great. Tonight we had Jackie sweet, welcoming and attentive. I had the roast stuffed chicken breast and my honey the sole picatta both delicious. I highly recommend this place!!
(4)Chris C.
Had breakfast here today, and all I can say is meh. I ordered their New England country breakfast which consists of 3 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pieces of bacon, 3 pancakes, 2 pieces of toast, and a side of home fries. The food wasn't bad, I just didn't find it great. The service was decent, minus the person doing the coffee rounds. I swear, I saw her come halfway to my section, and then turn around like 4 different times. I don't know about everyone on yelp, but if I'm having coffee at a restaurant, I like my cup to never go below half full. I emptied my cup 2 different times. And it's hot, it's not like I'm chugging it. Anyhow... It was a Sunday morning, and there were a TON of church types there. Maybe that's why? The menu seemed really plain and uninspired as well. I had high hopes for this place since the front desk clerk at my hotel said "I know this great restaurant not far from here", but really? Great? Hardly. I'd call it mediocre.
(2)Jennifer M.
We have only been for breakfast. The food is good. Service is ok. Only serving breakfast until 11:00 am.
(3)Katie S.
I have no complaints, but wouldn't go back. The food and customer service are both mediocre. This is just a restaurant that isn't my style. It attracts a much older crowd and serves some odd food. Instead of receiving bread to snack on before we ordered, we were given packaged crackers with bean dip, some other dips, and sticky buns. I found this pretty interesting and disappointing. Not for me.
(3)Robert C.
Sat in the bar area where service was above average. Food was average at best (burgers,nachos, wings), just many other choices in area. Unless you enjoy cackling 70 year olds making fun of tattooed men, try somewhere else. This is a wax museum of old, withered and angry elderly people.
(3)Jamie Z.
The best hidden Jewel in town.. The atmosphere, food and especially bartenders are a home run.. Comfort food at its finest everything from the pecan rolls (you have to ask for these secret phenomenons) to stuffed mushroom apps, and special Prime rib on Tuesdays (get there early, or after the rush as there 2 bars are usually full) you really cannot go wrong. Wendy, Christina and other bartenders go above and beyond to get to know each and every person at the bar and I find myself sitting and eating not even realizing how many hours have passed. This is a great place and I highly recommend
(5)Jan A.
I went there today, 9/28/14 with 8 other family members, 2 of them sisters over 80 yrs. old, (one being my mother). Right from the beginning we had explained how the bill would be split & paid by 3 of us in the party. All was well & the food was good for those of us who got their meal. However, my mother & her sister both waited & waited & waited & waited for their meals to arrive. How awkward & pretty uncomfortable to have everyone eating except for the 2 senior citizens! By the time their meals arrived, the rest of us had finished eating our own! Then it was told to us that one of their order's were given away to another patron & the meal had to be made entirely again! Are you kidding me??? Well I went to some women who appeared to be in a management type position & told them the situation. I also asked that an adjustment be made to the bill that I would be paying. At first one of the women went to investigate what was going on. Then she came back & told me the 2 family members would receive free desert. I told them they would not want desert & I already knew this about my mother & aunt. So then she finally let me know the one meal that had to be completely re-ordered would not be charged for. I said thank you & walked away. But wait! That's not all! Another family member was given 2 receipts for her meal & both were of different prices, one being $20 more than the other. When it was brought to the waitress's attention, she had said my meal got charged to that family members credit card. So that had to be re-done. And...I was charged for an appetizer another family member had ordered. WTF??? All of us liked our waitress & we understand people can have off days. They made good on the food mistake, but 2 different errors in the billing just made everyone of their blunders unacceptable to me. So since this was the very 1st time I had ever been there, I quickly learned it would be the last time as well.
(2)Douglas C.
Had THE worst experience at Century House today. We had a waitress who never smiled and made us feel like we were bothering her. She never gave us the complimentary crackers and dip or the sticky buns. She tossed some plain rolls onto the table. She was stone faced the whole time and brought our meals right after the crackers arrived(another waitress brought those to us) I had the lobster pie which had a soupy butter laden clump of bread crumbs. The mashed potatoes were instant, luke warm, and had a puddle of water around it. The summer squash was cold. The best part of my meal was my ice water with lemon! Never again! Just completely horrible! And I paid $23.00 for that meal! Disgusting food and a waitress who would rather be in a firing squad than being there!!!
(1)Marleny G.
Really bad customer service. Had a very rude waitress here. I work at a hotel up the road and people at my job always recommended this place to people and I tried it out. Food was nothing special and service was terrible. Atmosphere is very outdated as well
(1)Meghan I.
Went here on New Years day and just missed brunch by 15 minutes. Decided since we were there we would just have lunch. Ordered the appetizer special that was a Buffalo Chicken flatbread. The pizza came out and looked like a microwave pizza they they threw chicken nuggets on top of. The servers seemed to be overwhelmed because she barely came by the table to refill drinks or see how we were doing. Most likely will not be going here again.
(1)Chris K.
This looked like it could be a good place. That's about it - it looks good. The space is cramped with low ceilings, and hard benches. It took about 15 minutes for the server to even acknowledge me, much less come over. She did get my coffee quickly, and the salad was served promptly. The dressing was typical of the type you buy in the grocery store. I ordered the pot roast, and asked for no potato. The dish didn't look as appetizing as the pot roast at Denny's, and lacked any specific flavor other than "fridge". The peas and carrots tasted like they had been frozen for about a month before added to the beef. The portion was not up to the price. The server brought the wrong check. This is only the second time I've left less than a 10% tip. Normally, I leave 20%. I don't think I'll come back.
(1)Jeff P.
So... This experience was far less than acceptable. Pretty convinced the server was brand new and didn't want to be there. She did get our first drink order ok. Nothing went right after that. After a few drinks we asked about apps (A couple salads, 2 chowders, and an order of mushrooms). She said "they are being cooked". Salads were gritty. When the main course was brought she and her runner tried to serve prime rib to a vegetarian. After main course came server stood in hallway and glared at us. This was 2 and a half hours of my life I can't get back. Truth be told the 1 star is because the restroom was clean. Crossing Century House off my list.
(1)Jane A.
I was trying not to write a negative view and I did reach out to management but my message was not returned. As other reviewers have stated, this restaurant is outdated and so is the service. The wait staff and hostesses are not friendly or even courteous. It seemed like our server wanted nothing to do with us. I wanted to order another beverage but she just walked away from the table while I was mid-sentence. She also literally tossed the check at the table and she never returned to collect it. We waited 20 minutes and gave up and flagged down a different server to pay. There are plenty of other breakfast places to go where the service is passable. Honestly, I wish we had gone to the Friendly's across the street instead.
(1)Michael H.
Giving this restaurant 1 star is not my choice. I would like to take stars away from them. How is this restaurant open? The food is atrocious. No flavor AT ALL. The service is slow. Hostess from the tavern decided to join the hostess in the main restaurant because she was hot...temperature wise that is. This restaurant is filthy. Are you getting the feeling I didn't like it? Took 35 mins to get a glass of water. Bet you're wondering why I stayed. My wonderful brother gave me a gift card. Needless to say I will never go back.
(1)Mindy L.
I wanted to like this place, but the whole experience put a rather sour taste in my mouth. My husband's parents drove down from Maine and chose this restaurant as the meeting place. We arrived at about 11:00 am and knew served breakfast until 11:30 am. When the hostess greeted us, she loudly asked if we were having breakfast or lunch. My husband's mom replied, "chances are - some will have breakfast, some will have lunch." Reasonable assumption. The hostess tells us, "No, it's one or the other." To which my confused father-in-law says, "Oh, does this relate to where you seat us?" The baffled hostess doesn't seem to understand that we are not getting what she is laying down...and she said, "Oh wait - you want both menus?" Well YES. Apparently the idea of "brunch" was completely lost here. Scoot forward to us being seated. The waitress comes round and says (again they all speak VERY loudly), "I understand you'll be ordering breakfast AND lunch..." What is the big deal about this? Moving on... My mother-in-law and I decided on breakfast and my father-in-law and husband ordered from the lunch menu. Our waitress takes the orders, fires them and then 5 minutes later...the hostess returns to our table to let us know that the lunch orders will have to wait because the kitchen can't make breakfast and lunch orders at the same time. Wait, what? First of all, my husband ordered a salad. No reason why that can't be whipped up. Second of all, if you have a griddle going for pancakes and french toast...why can't you make a burger on another section of the grill-top? You can offer steak and eggs for breakfast but you can't make a bloody burger? At that point, what were we to do? Our orders were in, the news of the wait for some of the food came after they had been fired so ... fine. My mother-in-law and I ate our food and then 20 minutes later, while we were done...sitting there...we watched our very hungry gents finally eat their food. To top it all off...my pancakes were rubber. The eggs were fine, the bacon was crispy and the sourdough bread was delicious. I can't say anything about the experience will have me returning and that totally bums me out because I am all about the mom & pop shops.
(2)Kate S.
Best French onion soup on the north shore. Great service. Outstanding food at a great price. Definitely a regular stop for us.
(5)Doug I.
Great meal. Great kids value. Great service. My expectations were low before coming here for a family birthday dinner. But this was a huge surprise. We had two kids in the group and their meals were $4.50 each which included a huge meal (full size burger, etc), drinks, and large ice cream sundae. My steak tips and potato were excellent. Everyone in our group was very pleased. What lets this place down is the old decor and atmosphere. This is like an old school New England institution like Hilltop or The Chateau. It's not like one of these startups that think they know everything. If they renovated and updated, but didn't changed the staff or service, this would be on everyone's radar.
(4)Jon C.
What is not to Love about the bar....full lottery, great drinks, the food I very consistent ant the staff is always friendly.
(5)Bill N.
WRETCHED !! Have dined here at least monthly for 30 years..Never Again!! New décor amplifies sound so I heard every nuance of the blabbermouth 2 tables over, staggered table height had me looking at belly of one neighbor who brought mouth down to food, my former favorite seafood plate now pre fried mix of stuck together muck, former slice of fish reduced to nuggets, asked 3 times for coffee, asked 3 times for bill, then waitress Paula insisted on clearing the table and dumping food on me rather than get the bill!!! When we got home, my wife became sick, an experience we know from experience inhabits failing places. Bad management, poor service, rotten food..will never last another century....count me out
(1)Grizz J.
Love the C-House. I have been going there for many years and have never had an issue with the food or the service. Best Drinks, Beer, Apps & Food. Go there a little later and most of the old folks will be home in bed. Thank God the A-holes that rate the place a 1 or 2 will never go there again; That way they won't ruin my night wining and crying.
(5)Bryan C.
Went for breakfast with my family. Our waitress was anything but hospitable. The sausage tasted like reheated jimmy deans, the peppers in the omelet were mushy and far from fresh. We asked about the strawberry sauce for the Belgium waffles and were told it was frozen and obviously not fresh. On the bright side, the home fries, which weren't homemade, were ok and the cinnamon butter was helpful. But overall the meal was no where near being worth the price we paid. Could have made a comparable meal at home for a fraction of the cost. Needless to say we won't be back.
(2)Nettie W.
Ordered French opinion soup big hunk of barely melted cheese on plate soup, was luke warm, appeared to be microwaved. Meal came with instant mashed potatoes and food was very bland! Had the look, feel and taste of a prepared frozen dinner. Very disappointed as have been there numerous times with excellent quality food.
(1)Melody N.
We have eaten here a few times for their prime rib special. If you want a glimpse of retired life in the North Shore, look no further than Century House where if you are under 50 years old you'll feel quite young! The prices are reasonable but I find that I need to salt and pepper my food quite a bit no matter what dish I get. Before dinner, they provide crackers and a couple of dips to go along with it and a big basket of rolls. The last time I was here I got Shepherd's pie where the mashed potatoes were smooth on top with a nice char to it but the meat underneath needed some serious flavor overhaul. The prime rib is a huge chunk of meat which comes with a potato side dish of your choice and vegetables or salad. It gets pretty crowded in there and service has usually been decent. Overall okay. I usually just go because my husband really likes the prime rib.
(3)DEBBIE A.
Less than a week ago, my friend ordered three take out dinners, one prime rib and two chicken cordon bleu meals. It was a few days after Christmas and just before New Years. Route 114 was bumper to bumper traffic, absolutely horrible and yes, worse than it usually is. She lives in Middleton and it took her close to 45 minutes to get there and it is usually only a ten to fifteen minute ride. Okay, so she calls in the order and goes to pick them up. She arrives at the Century House and was told by one gal that they were NOT ACCEPTING take out orders that night. Well, my friend looked at her like she had two heads because she told the gal that she placed the order more than 45 minutes ago. I think this made the lady working there quite angry. So after conversation, the lady told her she would put the order in... which should of been done at least an hour ago. So my friend goes out to her car to wait for awhile while this meal was allegedly being prepared for take-out. After twenty minutes or more, she goes inside and still there is nothing for her. One other employee told her she would run the order out to her when it was ready.... and she kept her word and did just that. My friend did give her a nice tip for being so courteous. The employee knew where to go because my friend told her that her car was right up front and she would be looking for her. Finally after another 45 minute drive home, she arrives with the food. Now remember, she was gone for close to three hours. She opens the bag and we were like... "WHERE IS THE REST OF THE DINNERS"? WHAT A DISGRACE AND EMBARRASSMENT TO SAY THE LEAST. YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! The prime rib was okay but not like we were used to getting at the Century House. The fries were ice cold and sort of on the greasy side. One dinky little salad was enclosed and one little dinner roll... not a pecan roll. NOTHING. The two rubber chicken dinners were cold and did not taste right. We both got the mashed potatoes. One dinner had cauliflower and the other should of had green beans but guess what, there was NOTHING THERE. Who seals a dinner with one of the tinfoil sections completely empty and allows it out the door? Neither of the chicken dinners got their salads and there was one dinner roll between the both of them. DISASTROUS! Well, it was cold, traffic was at a standstill, the gal at the Century House had an attitude that night, and everyone was starving. The last thing we wanted to do is call them and complain. So we gobbled up the morsels that we did get for about $75.00 and that was that.... plus the tip so now we are up around the $85.00 mark. None of us are big eaters but we ended up calling the Middleton House of Pizza for a pizza because the Century House gave us a totally despicable meal, to say the least. Last night on Saturday evening, January 4th I called the Century House and asked for the manager. The woman on the other end said she was the manager and I am afraid that I failed to get her name. I explained the entire situation for her and all she could say was "Oh gee, I'm sorry". Then she added "next time, go through the meal and make sure everything is there". I thought to myself, is she on the same page as me? Why would I take possession of my dinners, tear the bags apart in the middle of the waiting area, and start counting meals? Hello, get real lady! I was so shocked at her careless attitude that I mentioned... if every patron did that then they lack confidence in themselves and they are certainly incompetent to be working there. I was just blown away with her answers. Extremely unprofessional. Now, this lady said she remembered that night but we should of called right away and we should never had waited a few days. Well guess what, New Years was upon us and a two - three day blizzard was too. Sorry, but calling for two salads (rabbit food), the missing vegetables, and rolls were not on my mind at that time. The Epicurean Shoppe is frequented by me, my friends, and family all the time. For years and years now, we have also eaten at the restaurant too. I mentioned to the woman that I think she should make good to my friend for a disastrous night but she was adamant about parting with a penny. A very cold woman indeed and obviously doesn't have much of a heart. If she had common sense or was a professional business woman, she would of asked for my friends name and address and mailed her out a gift certificate immediately, if not sooner. Bottom line: THE NIGHT WAS RUINED and my friend was out over $100.00 because she also paid for the pizza too. SHAME ON THE CENTURY HOUSE.
(1)Amanda O.
This restaurant is incredible. I got the chicken and broccoli early bird special, and I was not disappointed. They start off your meal with crackers, bean dip, and a cottage cheese and chive dip. Next they bring out warm sticky buns, which were incredible. The early bird special came with a choice of a fruit cup, onion soup, or soup of the day, which was chicken noodle. I got the fruit cup, which was served in a tall ice cream dish topped with a scoop of raspberry sherbet. Delicious. The main course was also wonderful, but because I was so full I had to take most of it home. The butternut squash was fantastic. The early bird special also came with dessert. I got more of the raspberry sherbet. All in all, it was a great meal, and I will definitely be going back. The decor was tired and needs updating, which is the only reason why I am giving Century House 4 stars.
(4)Kevin S.
Great deal for money. Nice portions sizes, and they accommodating to substitution. Wait staff was nice both times I'v gone. Clean and cozy. Differently a Local kind of place. I would recommend the fillet mignon as it is a good value for what you get. (not a amazing fillet but a dam good steak"
(4)Marc B.
Since I work nearby, I stop in from time to time for lunch. Never really impressed. More for the convenience. Today, it was a rather poor visit. I chose to have a late lunch at the bar. I figured, how busy could it be at 3pm for lunch. Not very. It took the bartender about 10 minutes to recognize my presence. Finally, after serving my beverage, just a soft drink, she finally brought over the menu. Again, another wait for her to take my order. Nothing fancy, just a burger with feta cheese on top, cooked medium. Rather that put the feta cheese on the burger and have it melt slightly, it was served in a small paper cup on the side. Medium was more like well done. The bartender never came back to offer a re-fill on the soft drink until after I asked for the check.
(2)Jim M.
Good, homestyle breakfast with an old-fashioned vibe,
(3)Deb W.
My family and I visited The Century House for the first time yesterday (Father's Day). My main point is that the food was great and trumped the service luckily. The waitress we had yesterday was ATROCIOUS. For a good majority of the meal she was rude, snappy and rushed and only I think realized how her behavior was unacceptable towards the end of the meal as she tried to make jokes and be cheerful at that point. However in my opinion, she had already lost me. I would definitely go back here for the food but if I ever got seated with her again I would immediately request a different table. We sat down and were told the waitress would come back when all of our party had arrived which was fine. However when she did return she was rude and unaccommodating when it came to placing our drink order. My sister in law had asked for a drink to be modified and after much complaining and I don't know oh I'll have to see and hemming and hawwing she said she would check. Once she brought the drinks around we were waiting to see if rolls would be brought to our table as we had seen all the other tables around us receive. We did eventually get those. My mother in law and I both ordered Sangria and when we received our drinks and took a sip we knew there was more than just wine in our drink so we asked the waitress what was in it. Her reply oh I don't know I know there's wine in it and started to walk away while my mother in law was trying to ask her if she could please ask the bartender what was in it. She said she would but we'd have to give her some time because she was really really busy. (Which would be fine under normal circumstances but her tone of voice throughout our meal was unacceptable to say the least). It didn't get any better than that because when she came back quite a few minutes later and we asked if she had inquired about the Sangria she told us no she had been to busy. It was at that point we had to explain to her that it tasted as though there was a liquor in the sangria and we would like to know if that was indeed the case. At that point she agreed to go right to the bar and find out for us which was great and all but since when do customers have to explain why they are asking a question about a menu item? The ordering of dinner was also very frustrating because of her attitude. She was very rushed in taking our order and was visibly displease when we asked any kind of question about a food item. Luckily our food for the most part came out correctly. When it initially came out, my sister in laws side of squash and my fiance's mashed potatoes hadn't come out and the waitress was very frustrated when I tried to explain that to her. Overall I'm very disappointed at our first visit here. I had suggested it to celebrate fathers day with my in laws and it was quite an embarrassment to receive this kind of service. I do understand it was a holiday, it was busy and we were a party of 9 but I don't think that her frustration should have been taken out on our customers. Again I would definitely give Century House another shot because of the food quality but if I received the same service again I would definitely rule it out (However I don't think that would be the case as we saw all of the waitstaff for the surrounding tables being quite pleasant despite the day being busy).
(3)Mike F.
This is the best place for, drinks, apps, meals, and keno on the north shore!!!! Bartenders are the nicest ladies too!
(4)Rick W.
This is my first post on YELP. It was that bad, no it was HORRIBLE. First of all, we made a reservation...and had to wait while others without reservations were sat first. Then we get put into this 'back room' of about 20 tables and we were the only party...but there were booths and tables in the main dining room that we could have been seated at. Five minutes....ten minutes...no one comes to even greet us. The place was only 1/2 full! The first time I mentioned to a member of the wait-staff that no one had been to our table she looked at me like I had three heads or something and sulked off. Still no one came to our table. I walked up to another server a couple of minutes later and she whips around into the kitchen, yelling: "Who has table 21? Who has table 21?" We put on our coats, told the hostess the 10+ minute wait was unacceptable and that all the other parties sat after us already had service. She said: "Someone will be right over...". Totally unapologetic... We walked out. We eat out a lot and will NEVER, NEVER step foot into that place again!
(1)Michael F.
Best breakfast in town. I have been going to the century house for years. There dinner is top notch but breakfast steals the show. Everytime i go its homemade cornbeef hash nobody makes it better. Dont be fooled by pancakes other places Breakfast starts with eggs and meat and century house delivers.
(5)Tedward W.
Welp, went for breakfast at 2:30 pm or so. Unfortunately they weren't serving breakfast at that point, so I went for a burger and my lovely lady opted for a panini sammich. We also made a very good decision by ordering the potatoskins app. DO IT. Trust me. Eat those sexy tatos. Instead of the traditional way, it's like crispy potato wedgies with a cheesy bacon sauce you dip them in, and it was oh so F'ing good. We could have just had that for breakfast, but we had already ordered. The burger was perf. Everything about it was excellent, including the onion roll bun!!! I asked for medium well and it was cooked medwell right on the $$. Lovely Lady said her panini was most excellent as well, and the service was excellent, not too much not too little just right amount of attention, and she said the word 'good' a lot, which probably helps, I don't know! So yeah. it was also this dude Chet's 90th birthday, and they sang to him, and the bar was packed at 2:45pm , but we sat in a dining room that was very pleasant. Very clean place, Happy Customer. I wasn't expecting it to be that good either. Have a great day, don't do anything I wouldn't do.
(5)Jack M.
We have had many really good experiences here, but on this past Tuesday we received a surprising underwhelming meal. On Tuesday nights, they offer the prime rib and two sides for 14.95 which used to be a good deal. However, they have removed the option of having a salad as one of your sides and will only give you one for an addition $2, along with sacrificing one of your sides. Prime ribs were all ordered either medium rare or medium and all of them came out around medium well. It was also really bland which surprised us. My grandfather and I split the Oreo cookie pie which was really good, and my dad and grandmother had the baked Alaska which they seemed to enjoy. However you come here for the steak, and on this night it wasn't good.
(3)Yelp R.
Please let me state I have been going to this place for 30 yrs. The quality has really gone down hill to nursing home , pressed meat food and the service was horrible. Management unapologetic. We asked to be seated at a booth and were seated at a table. We asked for Jenny Lee as our waitress and got an inexperienced brunette. We usually tip our waitress (Jenny Lee $50 for excellent service). We ordered French Onion Soup and it was great. The chicken noodle soup however was put in a near flat soup bowl that was mostly spilled over the sides. We waited forever for our waitress to take our order for our main and had to ask for bread. We ordered Leg of Lamb from the specials menu for $15.95 pp Our waitress asked us how we would like it cooked. We thought we would be getting what the menu said...leg of lamb in a natural sauce. INSTEAD.... When we got the lamb, it was sliced wafer thin and there was barely a portion size on there and it drenched in gravy, not natural juices. The meat was not cooked to order and tasted like horrible cheap cafeteria food. It was obviously the rip off special. We complained to our waitress, who did not take it back. We complained to the manager. I asked for mine to be cooked medium and it was so dry the gross gravy could not even get it down my throat. My guest at his portion in 2.5 min, that is how LITTLE was on his plate. He got up and complained to the front desk...they did NOTHING. We paid our over $50 bill and left NO TIP. My worst dining experience and service experience there in 30 yrs. We will NOT be going back. For a restaurant that used to pride itself on service quality and excellent food, you have really slipped. Time for a new management team and cook. You need a restaurant rescue!
(1)Ditch Q.
For those that complain about the ceilings and it being "old" . It seems old because it IS!! They tell people right on the menu that the restaurant used to be the house of the Royal Governor of Massachusetts! IT WAS BUILT in the 1700's! on the same site as the King Hooper Mansion. People pay high restaurant prices to sit in a historic building and your complaining .. Its amazing how people are so quick to tear down history in order to be more "hip" . Yes, this restaurant takes you back to a by gone time, when dining used to be an event. When you arrive and they seat you, they offer dips, crackers , and rolls (both regular and sticky buns) Back in the day , all restaurants offered crackers and accompaniments. I may not be part of the senior crowd, but I do remember when I was younger that this was the norm and not the exception. Yes, the meals are "comfort food" (Thank goodness) . I usually get the Chicken pot pie , (which is really good ) and in the winter I get the Egg Nog cocktail (To die for!) My husband loves their pasta and their Prime Rib. I stop at the shop on the way out and pick up the bean dip and shepherds pie. Yes, the crowd can be older at times, but that's because they remember what service used to be! This restaurant is also good for families, I have brought my 5 kids here , (of various ages) , several times (including infants) , and have never had an issue. I haven't had a problem with the noise, as others have mentioned. But I suspect that may be when they were in the bar , which seems to cater to the middle age crowd 30+ I glad the hipsters hate this place! Please Century House don't change a thing!!!
(5)Jess H.
Ugh. Bland food, no seasoning. The menu is just so predictable. Boring pasta and seafood dishes you can get out of any old restaurant. Darkly lit, and loud loud LOUD. TVs everywhere. Century House? Far from old fashioned. This is the place you take your kids and let them grow bored as you drink with friends you haven't seen since college. I will never return to this place.
(1)Charlotte C.
Normally I like the CH. The food is pretty good and prices fair. The reason I'm writing today is I am still reeling from an incident I witnessed sitting at the bar with my husband. Usually, we sit in the restaurant as the bar seems to be very busy and loud. Ok, is this as awful as I think it is? A woman ordered Prime Rib. Bartender delivers it. Woman pokes the meat around as if she were looking for something, then calls the bartender over. She says, " I wanted a piece with a bone in it, can I give this back and exchange for one with a bone?" Bartender looks upset and says, "did you order it with a bone?" Woman says, "no." After a little back and forth, the woman says "I didn't touch it but I want one with a bone." Bartender says, "OK," and takes the plate away and brings her a new one. We overhear another patron ask the bartender if they throw meals away when they are sent back. Bartender says, "NO WE JUST SERVE IT TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER." WHAT?!?! I don't like wasting food either but come on. My husband had intended on ordering the prime rib but we were both pretty shocked and he just didn't want to chance that he'd get the same one that was just sent back. The news traveled quickly down the bar, as we could see people's faces in expressions of disgust. Update: Just called the health Department and they indicated that this is in fact a direct violation of code. Wow.
(2)Laura T.
I cannot believe all the negative reviews. This place is above most (if not all) in this area in this price range. The food is good. The prices are good. While you are waiting for your food you are served dinner rolls, pecan rolls, salad, crackers and dip.. Its is true that the crowd is older, if you go there for a late dinner its usually dead, so that's a plus! I've never had an issue. In fact, with only about 24 hour notice they were able to accommodate a reservation for me for a group of 20.
(4)K G.
Stopped in here for breakfast one Saturday morning while waiting for my car to be serviced. I found it was a great value with a plate of eggs, bacon and toast and endless coffee running less than $10. It was very crowded and popular with retirees, so it had an old-fashioned ambiance to it. The unusual thing is if you are taller, watch your head as the ceilings are very low here.
(4)Kelly J.
LOVE the Century House! $12.95 prime rib on Tuesday's is ridiculous! The ribs are HUGE and so are all of the other portions. The wait staff is as sweet as can be! I want to eat here like every night because of the great pricing and awesome service. I think we are officially Tuesday regulars but may have to alter each week so we can hit up the $9.99 steak tips on Wednesdays! Also great place to eat if you have kids. The staff was super with our 1-year old son when it came to anything he may have needed or wanted. Not to mention they kept stopping by just to say hello and talk to him :) Totally recommend this place!
(5)Sheri M.
I've been going to the Century House for breakfast with my family for years, and I still get all giddy every time we go. Now that I'm living on the west coast I always plan a trip here whenever I visit home. Their Old Fashioned New England Country Breakfast is hands down the best. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and toast for $8. You'll be full all day. I always am. Yes, this place is frequented by older folks, but I'll take quiet older folks over screaming child beasts any day. The clientele make the dining area all the more quaint and relaxing. Of course, the service and food isn't top notch every single time. Sometimes you'll get a forgetful waitress. They also have the uncanny ability to serve only my aunt sausages that look like shriveled turds. But this isn't frequent enough to make you not want to come back. The service and food are fabulous the majority of the time. On the weekend the wait and the parking lot can be a killer, so we usually go during the week. But if you end up having to wait, it's definitely still worth it!
(4)Tom B.
Went for breakfast on a saturday,rest.was busy wait was not bad,service was good, food was just average,nothing to write home about. Would not go back for breakfast. I was kinda disappointed, always had great memories of Century House,maybe breakfast is just not they're bag.
(2)Andy H.
Was in town on business and wanted a true NE dinner. Thanks to Yelp, I found the Century House. It has an old NE vibe and many of the patrons looked like they have been coming for generations. A real neighborhood, warm and cozy place. The service was prompt and attentive. The food was terrific. I almost felt like I was in a movie with the scene inside. You had Father O'Riley at one table with a couple of cops talking about little Danny whoever, and what a bad seed he is. And, how bad they feel for his mother. Cool spot and worth a visit.
(4)lynne r.
First let me preface this by saying that we used to go here alot when we lived locally ( 4 years ago) and we LOVED it here. The breakfast was awesome-had the best blueberry pancakes....Well we went this morning we were holiday shopping so we went in for breakfast and holy crap batman how this place has gone downhill! We ordered blueberry pancakes and cheddar cheese omelet with home-fries and toast. Basic stuff right? Well it took us 20 minutes to get our food after we placed the order... The food finally arrives and the eggs had American cheese in them--and to make the wrong cheese worse there was more cheeze than egg!! The pancakes were so dense and rubbery the knife wouldn't even cut through them. Horrible horrible nasty. We called the waitress over and told here the food came out wrong and it was all horrible and we didnt want it remade we wanted it taken off the bill. She comes back and oh I tried I really did and tried to pass off the full price. To which we said we were not paying for food that we sent back that was not eaten. We asked to speak to the manager....10 minutes later she comes to our table and handed us the bill with just the omelet removed even tho there was chedder. UM HELLO !! WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMERICAN AND CHEDDER. Please don't patronize us. This manager really needs to get a clue. Nope you lost two customers we will never go back and we will tell everyone (hence yelp!) how bad you suck now
(1)Mustachechuck S.
Lobster dishes, Changed recipes ? Baked Stuffed and Newburg down sized but price goes up at least keep the same size if your going to go up, The Prime rib of late is Hit or miss, The one you get depends on the cook at the time. Do not voice a complaint the stuck up ladies at the front desk look down on you like your a HOBO from Ohio THE ONLY THING THAT IS A CONSTANT IS THE OYSTERS, and bottled beer. This place has gone down hill big time they do not care They are busy ! The breakfast I tried a couple of times its Potato is frozen not home made the eggs are medium size. Sausages are precooked links not worth the time or money. A real turn off. They do not CARE period............ I am really surprised at this place, How you can't go around at different times a check your food out. No wonder Reds is doing well just go see how they do there breakfast REAL Home fries, sausage links, not precooked jimmy dean style with out the taste
(1)Randy J.
Came here once before a few years back and it was ok. Then more recently went on a Saturday night and there was almost no one there except what looked like a few old regulars. We were seated next the main door and it was COLD. We didn't even take our jackets off. A group or workers, the hostess, and some friends of theirs were standing around gossiping a couple of feet away from our table for much of the time we were there and we felt like we were being watched. Not to mention there were a couple of flies landing on our table and we had to keep shooing them away. The bread and cinnamon rolls they brought were pretty awesome. I ordered the marinated chicken and vegetables, which came in a separate side dish. The chicken was nothing special but was alright, the veggies were something weird. Overall it was rather bland.
(2)Jennifer C.
As much as I would love to give this restaurant five stars, I just can't after my last visit there. I have been coming here since I was a kid with my mom and her ex-boyfriend. We had always received excellent customer service and excellent food at a reasonable price. Some of my favorite dishes are the chicken parmigiana, fisherman's platter, clams casino for an appetizer and of course - their famous prime rib! After several years of not coming here, I had recently re-visited the restaurant out of a serious craving for prime rib. Though my queen cut prime rib & delmonico potatoes were unbelievable, I was disappointed with the chicken parmigiana my fiancé had ordered. It just wasn't what it used to be and was much smaller in portion. Our salads were also not fresh. We did order the potato skins for an appetizer and we were pleased with those - wish it came with extra cheese sauce for dipping!
(4)Mark D.
We were seated right away. The coffee was good, food was good, and the service was good. Waitress was kind and checked on us to see how everything was. We had a great time and we will be returning.
(4)Dina C.
Okay. I haven't been here in ages, but I do recall some very good New England style fare that is extremely hard to find elsewhere. In a sea of blue hair and the slight scent of moth balls from the patrons, you will find a treasure chest of lovely Pecan rolls, popovers, clam chowder, tender roasted chicken stuffed with sage stuffing, baked mac'n'cheese, grapenut pudding and Indian pudding. Yum!!!
(4)Sandi M.
First time last time. Food as bland as could be. Ice water warm! Husband got Seafood Alfredo with tails on the shrimp and Alfredo he said tasted like flour and water! Onion rings had no taste to them. I had steak tips and they were really good. Didnt bother to have anything else. My husband had some urgent bathroom trips about 45 min. later. Prices were good. Sad it wasn't better.
(2)jimi p.
Well the Century House was a place we went to for 20 plus years. Always liked the atmosphere and it was and still is older crowd. The recent renovations in the Tavern are a major disappointment. Didn't anyone take into consideration that most of your patrons are 50 and older? The new booths are so uncomfortable we couldn't wait to get out. The booths are so high your feet don't hit the floor. Trying to climb out of them is a project. Always waited for a booth there. Not anymore. There is a bar that you can put your feet on but your legs are in one place during the entire time and stops the blood flow to the legs. Lucky we didn't get any blood clots as a result of this ridiculous booths. This is a very big mistake. There are regular size tables in the middle but less of them. I don't know if the restaurant is trying to get a younger crowd in there but unfortunately this is the last time my family and I will go. And you would think with the money they put into this they would have fixed their sign that almost never works. Time to find a new place with comfortable seating. Bye Century House.
(1)Stephanie H.
Went here last night with the hubby and a couple of friends because we didn't feel like waiting for an hour at another establishment down the street- at which our friends couldn't even find parking. WIth that said we had a wait here as well but not quite as bad. This place for sure has a high draw for the elderly population which is fine. Decor is eh BUT I wasn't there for that :-) We waited at the bar for our table. Tight quarters if you don't have a seat at the bar (which we didn't for part of the time and then only got two seats) staff was friendly enough. The bartender that got us our first round took a little longer then expected for two beers and two glasses of wine but hey the place was packed. The bartender that got our 2nd order, right when we were getting buzzed for our table, was a little more friendly. The server we had once we were seated was very nice and friendly. The food portions were just right- and our appetizer came out so fast! We barely blinked and there it was. Bean dip that I guess they are known for is decent. They also brought out rolls and sticky buns. I liked the roll better then the sticky bun. Not really a fan of the latter at dinner time though. I ordered the baked scallops which came with a salad (Garden or Caeser) and a side option (I went with the mashed potato) And it was great. Cooked just right. The other three I was with ordered red meat- one the tips and two ordered some sort of filet. Cooked just right all around. I also liked that once we were done and just chit chatting we didn't feel the rush to leave as I have felt at other places.
(3)Kimmy B.
Reasonable prices , food is good but don't go in summer no air condition we actually sweat while eating our breakfast and drank our coffee . I asked the waitress if AC was broken and she replied no that it's always hot in here...
(2)Ian R.
Went here recently with my family... and wow is this place horrible. Took 30 minutes just to order drinks, food took over an hour. The only good thing I had was the salad. The ceaser dressing was excellent and they covered it in cheese. Our party of seven all ordered different meals... and they all were horrible. It became comedic, we were all trying to find parts of our meals that were good. I personally had the baked scallops with mashed potatoes. The scallops were not fresh, rubbery and "fishy" tasting. The mashed potatoes were way over cooked and I'm pretty sure it was a mix of real and powder potatoes...yes it was that bad. Never got any refills on the drinks, the waitress was to busy talking with her co-workers around the corner on how she can't believe how some children are raised these days...clearly she was commenting on one of her guests at a different table. Do yourself a favor and DON'T EAT HERE. If you want some good baked scallops for around $25 go half a mile up the street from the Century House to Legal Seafood and get your moneys worth.
(1)Lukas R.
Some many reviews comment about the age of the patrons here. Could it be that most Yelpers don't fit the demographic of this institution? Fact: the Elderly customers prefer an early meal. Check. This place does it. And exceeds at doing it. Fact: the elderly like a value. Check. Try the early bird special. Old timey bean dip and cottage cubes with chives. Next up salad. Next soup. (Isn't that an either / or combo?) The French Onion was very good. Next are mini cinnabon bons (I'm not gonna argue their presence) next your entree (I had the veal parm, pasta not overbooked, veal abundant ) Next Richardson ice cream ( come on now they coulda substituted some mass market ice cream) Total for 3 = $45 That's a. Value, and suprisingly good
(3)Sean D.
So I am in my 40s and grew up in the area and can honestly say I never had any desire to walk through the doors of the dark brown building. However, my Dad is a big fan of the place and wanted a BIG breakfast after a lil trip to MGH this morning. They serve breakfast until 11:00 which is pretty sweet in my eyes, especially for anyone who likes to sleep in. The place was packed at 10:30 AM but enough room for us to be seated promptly. The service was pretty good, coffees never got below half cup before they were refilled. We did have to wait a little long to order, just long enough for my father to get just a lil edgy. The food was perfectly prepared with very good size portions. I had 2 over easy with ham, home fries and toast. The ham steak was quite large and grilled. Eggs were perfectly cooked and the bread if not baked on site is very fresh and quite good. Home fries, were a bit less impressive, they reminded me of those processed ones you find at Friendly. My brother had the prime rib and eggs. The rib wasn't reheated leftover from the night before, it was fresh made that morning, and I call that dedication. It was a large bone in cut and cooked perfectly for him. Dad just had eggs and toast, but didn't complain and that's the best you can get from him. Prices were more than reasonable for the amount of food. All that said, next time I go out to dinner with my father and brother I will give Century House a try and leave our usual meeting spot behind
(3)Brenda V.
OMG....this place is terrific! So far, this is the highlight of my northward-bound excursion. The food is delicious
(5)Rose F.
Excellent value, decent food, good service. Place was packed for breakfast! The median age to dine here is definitely retirees, but maybe they are keeping this value place a secret. I got a 3 egg omelet with veggies, home fries, English muffin, and coffee for under $10. My companions got pancakes and those looked good as well. I'd like to come back for dinner. I hear prime rib night on Tuesday's you can't even get into the place!
(3)Erin C.
I went back to the Century House last night with my grandfather for a meal that was not a holiday. It was nice to be in the restaurant when it wasn't packed with people and a lot quieter. Our waitress was very sweet and helpful. I ordered the french onion soup which was fantastic. I can never turn down FOS when I see it on a menu (even if it was 90 degrees outside). My chicken and eggplant parmesean was fantastic and there was plenty more to bring home. My grandfather had the seafood platter which he enjoyed except that he had to dig through a replica of Mt. Everest made of onion rings and french fries to get to the seafood. I finished my meal with the grapenut pudding (I find that people either love it or hate it). All in all, a fantastic meal. The service was a little slow at times but the service was friendly so that more than made up for it! So I hereby upgrade Century House to 4 stars!
(4)Sarah T.
This place is one of those old school restaurants. And it has that charm when you walk inside and can sense the many years of people who have worked and dined there before you (or it could seem creepy, I prefer to think of it as sweet, though). I took my fiance there for his birthday dinner as he was wanting lobster and oysters. We were by far the youngest people in the restaurant by about 20 years or so - and it wasn't the early bird crowd, it was around 7 PM (way to go, folks!). Although I suppose that some people could have been there for hours nonetheless... In any case, we were seated after a brief wait. My fiance had oysters on the half shell, cherry-stones, and the twin lobster special. Yes, he ate it all! The oysters were "okay." He thought that they were rather small and that the shucker had lost some of the juice. The cherry-stones had a stronger flavor than usual. I suppose that you could call it the equivalent of "gamey" for seafood. The lobsters were super fresh! He loved it! The lobsters were definitely some of the best that he has had out. As for me, I had a side salad, which was fine. Nothing memorable there. I also had the filet mignon, but I ordered it without any of the sauce choices. My filet was cooked perfectly and so tender!! It was a really, really good piece of meat! We enjoyed ourselves and would like to think that one day we will be those gray-haired folks eating in one of the booths. And the price was good! Especially for the lobster and for the filet.
(3)Winston H.
A super place for the old folks...and young folks too! The pub is lively some nights. Food is very good and consistant. Good value, great martinis. Take your Mom and Dad here, Grannie too. Just make sure you sit in the dining room and not the tavern. Noisy waitress station doors slamming shut might drive Mom crazy!
(4)Missy S.
Ok, yes, this place has been around forever, and is a fave of the retiree set......so what! HOWEVER......that does usually symbolize good food, at reasonable prices! Honestly, my fave meal here is Breffie.....They have some killer Eggs Benedict. I used to stop here a lot when I worked in Salem. This place is definitely not 'cool' but they do have some good food...... ESPECIALLY IN THE 'takout' STORE next door (in the corner of the parking lot). They do catering out of there and we used to drive all the way down to get stuff (when we lived in Maine!), for our parties! Their chicken fingers are to die for, you can buy a a few or a 5 lb bag, they heat up awesomely in the oven, or are even delicious cold! Their whipped potatoes are wonderful, as are their au gratin dishes. Many things are frozen, ut oh so easy to heat up (they will give u a sheet that explains how to heat/cook/reheat everything). Their various fresh prepared foods like Chicken Cordon Bleu (which i also highly recommend if u end up eating dinner in the restaurant with the fuddy duddies lol), and they also have fresh butchered items like steaks, chicken breasts, etc. Also, their kidney bean dip is KILLER! and horseradish cheese spread....Yummm! My mouth is watering! So, yah, this isn't the coolest place to be seen, but its solidly yummy food from a place that has been around for decades!
(4)Jared R.
When I was younger, I always thought this is the place that old people went to die... instead, I understand that they're going for a little piece of heaven. Ok, sorry, I had to make that gag-inducing observation. The reason so many old people go there is twofold (threefold if you count Keno...) 1) The food is damn good 2) The food is DAMN cheap. First off: Potato Skins (or whatever they call them there). not your average potato skins. They give you what amounts to crispy fried steak fries and a cup of melted cheese that's got a good amount of bacon in. Dip and eat... it's great. Nothing on the menu will steer you wrong. Everything is a bit old fashioned, but it's all great. I tend to stick with sandwiches myself. Just watch your mouth... imagine eating with a room full of your grandma... a lot of them are feisty old ladies, but I always try to watch my mouth in general conversation. Also, watch out in the parking lot... don't want any old blue hairs backing over you as you get to your car... or worse, hitting your car as you pass them (actually, what's worse there... nevermind) Ok, so great food, great service, great prices. My only complaint is the slightly low ceiling height in the main dining room. I always feel like I'm gonna take out a light fixture. They also have the strangest bar... it's REALLY long. I tend to avoid it because it's a bit narrow between the bar and wall and I don't like to be eating the bar so I always feel like I'm in the way. The little Tavern spot off the left is just as good... but seriously, why waste that HUGE HDTV on 24/7 Keno... especially when there's two smaller HDTVs within 2 feet left and right of it. Put the game on for christ's sakes! All joking aside, we really do love this place.
(5)Daniel N.
This has been our restaurant for almost two decades. We have never had a bad experience. Pecan rolls and bean dip..fantastic. Very classy and consistent. If you want trendy or something tremendous forget it. If you want consistently good in a low key classy atmosphere then this is it. I have been getting the filet Mignon since 1995 and I have never been anything but thrilled with it. Good salads. Good servers. Awesome.
(5)Tim W.
The place is old, worn and the menu is too. Service was just ok. The food just plain sucked, probably the worst scallops I've ever eaten, I'd say they were one day away from being bait for my fishing trip. 5 out of 7 meals were horrible and 2 were tolerable.
(1)Tom D.
I've always been intrigued by this place and had the pleasure of dining here for breakfast this morning. First thing I noticed upon walking in was the ceiling height. They must have to carry extra insurance in case tall people get head injuries from hitting the ceiling. I'm about 6'5" and was barely able to stand up in the place. We were seated for breakfast in the tavern side of the restaurant. They keep it very dark in there, even on a gloriously sunny day like today. The decor is dated, but I think it lends a charm to the place. Where else can you eat off china that looks just like the stuff stored in your grandma's old hutch? My breakfast was good, but nothing better than what you'd get at any of the diners in the area. Thankfully, the prices were also no more expensive that these diners, so I got what I paid for. I had the French toast which the menu described as "extra thick". If this was extra thick, I'd hate to see the regular thickness. It was just standard Wonder bread slices, but it certainly satisfied the French toast craving I was having this morning. French toast and two scrambled eggs came to $8.50. The coffee was surprisingly good and strong. I didn't get to check out the full dinner menu, but the electronic sign outside was advertising baked stuffed shrimp for $9.95. If all the prices are that good, I can see why this is a favorite of the senior citizen community. Who says you can't have a nice dinner out on a fixed income? I'll be back to check out dinner sometime and update this review as appropriate.
(3)Shawn F.
This place looks nice from the outside. When I got inside, I feared for my head's safety. The ceilings are really low for a 6 foot guy. I guess they were aiming at pleasing the short, and maybe giving them a boost in self-confidence making them feel taller. It seems there is a common belief between the reviews for the century house, the crowd is old, and the atmosphere is reflected by it. The place is very quiet and reminds me of an elderly home. The most excitement there is in this place is when an old couple wins 5 dollars on keno. The waiting staff isn't always pleasant unless you are a regular. It makes you feel like an outcast. The food here is OKAY. It isn't the greatest, but it could be worse. I had the stuffed chicken which wasn't bad. The burgers are average. I had mashed potatoes on the side with gravy. These were a bit chunky and could have been mashed more. There are a decent amount of choices, but I would say the food is average. Don't come here if you are looking for some excitement, but if you are looking for a place to nap then this is the place.
(3)JOHN J.
we had drinks and ordered a pizza at the bar. the pizza was very tasty. the problem the place was ice cold and out side was cold. brite lights you will need sun glasses and a coat.
(3)Jim K.
Can't say we love the Century House but can't say we hate it either!. Only reviewing breakfast remember..so our usual fare of 2 over easy, home fries, bacon and side of hash is what we base our opinion on. Starting with the worst first..the home fries..they looked and tasted like "potato puffs" right out of the package. Now not saying we don't like "puffs"..and they were actually very tasty, but they were not what we expected in a "restaurant". Eggs were done to our liking as was the hash, toast was perfect, however the bacon was a trifle salty! Coffee was ok but the bottomless cup reached its bottom long before a refill was offered. Service....just ok and they could work on their smiles a bit which will enhance their tips. All in all..a good place for a breakfast meeting but overall not our best breakfast experience! The Breakfast Guys
(3)Greg S.
usually i can roll with the flow over cook my burger a lil ok undercook it a lil ok im not a complainer having said this century house didnt live up to its image today. we were a party of 3 f celebrating a birthday ok where to start...bean dip good ...rolls excellent....waitress very nice and on the ball.....heres where it takes a turn....DO NOT GO TO CENTURY HOUSE IF YOU ONLY DECIDED BASED ON ITS WEB SITE AND MENUS...this being said we came for the twin lobster dinner after checking it out online and calling this morning only tobe told the website needs updating and theyhave no 1 lb lobsters to serve....ok disappointing but they do have a big menu next up ordered the backed stuffed lobster....sad it was all shell and stuffing not really a real 1 1/2 lb even taking into consideration water weight so that was disappointing next person ordered the turkey dinner when it arrived i knew immediately it was going to be sent back 3 meh slices of turkey loaf on less than meh cold disgusting looking stuffing it looked like it was from a frozen dinner ive seen better served in public schools and that too was cold so that person sent it back and got the burger club looked great when sent out but was undercooked when bitten into now we come to what i ordered here they hit the mark with the fried haddock platter it was by far the highlight of the visit a generous portion perfectly cooked the fries were perfect not greasy looked great i literally left nothing on my plate my best advice if going to the century house is dont go with great expectation 1 for 4 on this visit but that 1 was great
(2)eric j.
This is a really good restaurant. The food is great and the service is FANTASTIC! Prices are really reasonable as well. The only drawback is breakfast ends at 11:30 am.
(4)E.A. F.
I could not agree more with the others who review this place. I went there with four other diners. Now to the food. I got fried oysters with french fries. After a lengthly wait, I thought they were catching my oysters, my plate finally arrived. The food was just warm not hot, the batter was soft and mushy on the french fries and oysters. The coffee was weak and just warm. Fortunately we did ot have a server like Josie M. , but I did see a lot of scowling servers. When i see that the special on the desert menu was grapenut pudding you know that octogenarians are who they are catering too. This is one place I DO NOT intend returning to.
(2)Bethany V.
People. They start serving alcohol at 8AM. Hello?? Older and WISER. Not from the area, we randomly stumbled across this place on our way to Maine... having been on the road for a couple of hours, we were starving for a big ol' breakfast. That's all I've ever had here, and it's all I ever think about on every road trip now. 10AM, an irish coffee in hand before I even order my breakfast... that's all I needed to sell me, and then the meals came. I cannot believe how much you are served for the price. Is it five-star? Of course not, you're paying 5-6 bucks here. But you're feasting like a king for that price... and they never ask twice if you want another irish coffee - they just keep 'em coming. This place has become a tradition for us now - we call it "our breakfast drinking spot." It's kitschy and out-dated and filled with awesome older characters, and I have to say, that's part of what keeps me coming back for more.
(4)Jon H.
First, I have to say I'm not surprised to see only one review for this restaurant, as it definitely does not exude Yelpness --- meaning, this place really does attract the nearly century old crowd. Not exactly a hopping place. However, it's pleasant enough inside, with big booths and New England influenced decoration. Their menu is quite extensive, and I was pleasantly surprised at the cost for most entrees for this type of restaurant. Most dinners can be had for an average of $12, and are served with so many side dishes it is tough to fit them all on your table. The food quality is above average. I had the roasted stuffed chicken breast, which was incredibly tender, with some decent mashed potatoes and vegetables. My wife had a very good French onion soup with a potato skin appetizer. They definitely do not skimp on the portions. Our waitress was friendly but a bit inattentive, though that might have been because we were on a schedule. While I am only lukewarm on recommending this place for dinner, I would absolutely recommend it for breakfast. I can guarantee you'll have to wait in the crowded entrance for at least fifteen minutes, but I feel it's worth it. They have French toast, pancakes, waffles, and omelets, served with toast and potatoes, all for around $5 or less! It's very reasonable priced and quite tasty. Also, their coffee is absolutely delicious. So in summary, this place might be worth checking out for dinner if you have a hankering for $12 duck. However I would definitely recommend it for a satisfying but cheap breakfast meal. It also has a convenient location right on 114 near both the Liberty Tree and North Shore mall.
(3)Melinda M.
I don't mind eating with old people! In fact, I think that it should be considered a plus. They're quiet, they don't bring in little brats that run around the place like animals, and they could care less what you're wearing or that you're stuffing your face. I agree, this place is for "townies," but that's exactly what I wanted when I decided to leave Boston and drive out to the 'burbs. There are plenty of places around here to get all dolled up and be surrounded by a younger crowd. Sometimes, I just want to eat good old fashioned comfort food, and this is where I go. I've always had friendly waitstaff and I've always been satisfied with the quality of the food. They start you off with crackers and cottage cheese and a yummy bean coleslaw tasting dip. Then come the rolls and the super satisfying sticky buns. Next, the salad is fresh and crispy. Tonight I had the London Broil and it was perfect! They have root beer floats! The prices are in the teens but they give you a ton of food so I don't think that's unreasonable. Sure, it kind of looks like you're in a retirement home, but you're in Peabody not the back bay! No frills, just good eating!
(4)Geoff M.
This place is for the over 80 crowd. The decor, diners and menu all prove it out. I think they use canned green beans, too.
(1)Brittani A.
Based on breakfast only. Now I hear this is a pretty good place for dinner, but they can't do breakfast! This was the most bland food I've ever had but I suppose that's how the old people like it. The home fries were essentially french fries. The hollandaise sauce was extremely ordinary. My grandmother ordered bacon and never got any. They do have belgian waffles with strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream which is the kids love. $2.25 for a cup of coffee, not even in a mug but in a teacup?! What a ripoff! Otherwise the prices aren't too bad, but the servings were smaller than a diner's and more expensive.
(1)Paul S.
This place is very nice. A little more upscale than your average food eatery. No Street clothes here, more of a preppy kind of a thing. Wheelchair accessible. A good place to take a date. My Picks: Blackened Prime Rib & Mashed Potatoes
(4)Dan L.
their Chicken Pie from the Epicurean Shop...excellent...with a side of stuffing.....and always have an excellent meal, for 40 years.
(5)Topher D.
There's 2 reasons to go to the Century House - 1 is people watching - go in the dining room, its freaking hilarious and makes you feel young - 2 is the baked stuffed shrimp - its to die for (esp. on Monday nights) also the complementary cheese and crackers is up my alley - did have a bad experience one night in the Tavern with not being able to get a bartender's attention, but it was super busy, so I give them a mulligan there
(3)Bill U.
Traditional American fare, at a great price. Get there early, because the lines at this place are as legendary as the building. Rare is it that I critique anyone else's review, but I find it wholly offensive that others will discount this restaurant because of the senior clientele that frequent it. I am still haven't passed the thirty mark myself, but I see nothing wrong with dining people named John and Ethel. No it's not hip and trendy, but if you were expecting that, apparently you did not catch the name of this place. And with all due respect to vegetarians, people who limit their cuisine to one food group should not expect much out of a meat and potatoes kind of place. Go for brunch on Sunday (early!) and look for specials like the lobster eggs benedict. Coffee never stops flowing, and food is always ample.
(4)Casey M.
1. I'm over 65 - - AND - - every time I go in there, I'm the YOUNGEST person in the room. - - hence, the name, CENTURY HOUSE ??? 2. ONLY place I know you can get good PRIME RIB for BREAKFAST.
(5)Hans R.
Ok, it is true that there are allot of retired people who eat here. That is because they know the food is better than Sylvan or Legals down the street. The parking lot is full of door dinging Lincolns just like the Continental or Angelica' s. Went here for lunch once and ate at the bar. The mixed drinks I saw them making looked very strong and large. The dinner is excellent. Prime rib is good, seafood is good. recommend the scallops is bacon for appetizer. Had breakfast once and it was very good too, broccoli and cheese omelet and home fries was like home cooking. Yes the floors are like ramps, either the building was there before 114 or they tried to make some wheelchair access, maybe both. Good food and service
(4)jenilee p.
it's old. it's clientele has probably been visiting since...johnny pesky made his mark. it's value, comfort food. a crock of french onion soup, a slab of prime rib complete with au jus, a little side of butter-rich whipped potatoes, and don't forget the grapenut pudding. waitresses are not without attitude and sass, but as i've experienced it, the good kind. a thick accent, and a talent for carrying 10 plates at a time, remarking about the cold weather. if you want to experience "townie" new england, then this place is wonderful. you just have to take it as it is, be prepared to get a huge meal for a decent price, and...well... i wouldn't order the salad. if you want exotic ingredients, intricate presentation, and a hip crowd, this is not the place for you. but if you're if you're from a fall river, a new bedford, a lawrence, a danvers, a metheun, you might just get a welcome, familiar taste of a night out with the fam.
(4)Michael C.
I like the century house but I can only speak for their breakfast. The staff is always friendly, the food comes out quick, and it is consistent. It's not great but like I said it's consistent. I've never had a bad breakfast here. I have heard the dinner crowd is one of the blue haired variety so being in my 20's I haven't sampled any items from that particular menu.
(3)Dave B.
The names says it all. The Century House has been around for a long time. I do however think the building (the low ceilings & architecture) is not as old as it seems and actually was designed to look older than it is. That being said I would agree with the other Yelper's that the average age of the diners here exceed 70 years old. We found ourselves dining here way too early on a Sunday. 12:00 noon to be exact. Long story short we were looking for a late breakfast or brunch. Turns out they stop serving breakfast at 11:00 & they don't offer a brunch. Dining here any time before 7:00 pm is like dining in a hall at a retirement castle. There were people in wheel chairs & some on oxygen. But these people know how to eat. The food here has always been and continues to be very good. The selection and the portions are large and the prices are very reasonable. You can eat in the formal dining room, the "Linden" tavern or if you could actually find a bar stool without a regular sitting on it you could hit the bar. You'll wait for a table at dinner time & the parking lot is set up rather oddly. If your over 6 feet tall don't stand up to fast or you might hit your head on the ceiling. Always clean & almost classy, you can't beat it for what you pay for vs. what you get.
(4)Steve N.
God's waiting room.
(2)Elwood B.
Good food and drinks at reasonable prices. If you don't like to wait for a seat stay away from the tavern on a busy night and stick to the dining area. Check out the diner specials for some great deals like the prime rib for $12.95.
(4)Missus F.
this place is kind of for old people. i've had good plates in here and i've had sub par plates here, but i must say that THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD QUITE LIKE THE CHEESE SAUCE FOR THE POTATO SKINS. just go get some. you'll know.
(3)Zoe L.
good place for seniors- nonthreatening flavors, but something for everyone. the early bird special seems to be a big hit, so the place was packed until 6:00, when it ended. entrees seem to be mostly in the $12-16 range. we had a roast duckling, chicken parm, and blackened scrod, all of which came w/salad + form of potato (baked, mashed, delmonaco (sp?), fries). this is in addition to the warm rolls (buttermilk AND cinnamon walnut) and crackers (melba toast, sesame sticks) that they brought out beforehand. a LOT of food. we had a fabulous server who was willing to accommodate all of our food pickiness. lots of tables (most of which were occupied); low ceilings. great non-chain option in a land crammed with chain restaurants.
(3)Stephen B.
hello to all who enjoy great american comfort food . if this is what you seek ,then look no further than the cenutry house . i have only gone. twice in the past 2 years, but each time just gets better ! my girlfriend is from peabody, and introduced it to me on a whim . the food is exceptional , very laid back atmosphere and comfortable.our most recent visit was nothing short of a great dining experience, she loves the french onion soup and the prime rib , myself, had the baked stuffed haddock and steaktips respectivley . our watress lisa was a sheer delight ,and catering to our every need ! you know how stupid people are , and talk about the clientle as " old people " well, i can only be lucky enough to be a blue hair enjoying great food at resonable prices for years to come. keep up the great work guys i will be back soon . p.s. i will make it a point to get there before the epicurian shop closes , as i want to take home a gallon of the famous bean dip .
(5)Cindy C.
Don't bother! The only reason we go here is that we have family who has gotten breakfast here for generations. There is no way we'd go for lunch or dinner - there are much better options (the new Grassfields or any of the restaurants at the mall (except PF changs- not a fan). Pellanas steakhouse is also expensive but wonderful!). The atmosphere is old and shabby, the food is sub-par, and God forbid you need a straw in your drink the waitstaff will place their fingers all over it before it goes into your liquid since the straws don't have wrappers! Breakfast ends at 11 (or 10:59 depending on what they feel like), and the red-haired shrew at the front desk makes no exceptions even for regulars. We usually go around 10, but I've been a handful of times right before or at the 11 cutoff and been turned away. One time, I had family in town for the weekend with whom we used to go but had since moved away, and we arrived exactly at 11, and they had already stopped serving breakfast. We asked politely if they could squeeze in one more but the witch wouldn't budge. Mind you, this is not just us, this happens to everyone. We tip well and know the waitresses by name due to generations of going there. As a result, I wouldn't even call this a family place, since there is nothing friendly or endearing about it except for the people that you may go with. There are now much better options nearby for breakfast such as Sunday brunch at Joes or Cheesecake Factory. So, unless you have a dear old granny who remembers this place fondly, go elsewhere!
(2)Randy J.
Came here once before a few years back and it was ok. Then more recently went on a Saturday night and there was almost no one there except what looked like a few old regulars. We were seated next the main door and it was COLD. We didn't even take our jackets off. A group or workers, the hostess, and some friends of theirs were standing around gossiping a couple of feet away from our table for much of the time we were there and we felt like we were being watched. Not to mention there were a couple of flies landing on our table and we had to keep shooing them away. The bread and cinnamon rolls they brought were pretty awesome. I ordered the marinated chicken and vegetables, which came in a separate side dish. The chicken was nothing special but was alright, the veggies were something weird. Overall it was rather bland.
(2)Jennifer C.
As much as I would love to give this restaurant five stars, I just can't after my last visit there. I have been coming here since I was a kid with my mom and her ex-boyfriend. We had always received excellent customer service and excellent food at a reasonable price. Some of my favorite dishes are the chicken parmigiana, fisherman's platter, clams casino for an appetizer and of course - their famous prime rib! After several years of not coming here, I had recently re-visited the restaurant out of a serious craving for prime rib. Though my queen cut prime rib & delmonico potatoes were unbelievable, I was disappointed with the chicken parmigiana my fiancé had ordered. It just wasn't what it used to be and was much smaller in portion. Our salads were also not fresh. We did order the potato skins for an appetizer and we were pleased with those - wish it came with extra cheese sauce for dipping!
(4)Mark D.
We were seated right away. The coffee was good, food was good, and the service was good. Waitress was kind and checked on us to see how everything was. We had a great time and we will be returning.
(4)Dina C.
Okay. I haven't been here in ages, but I do recall some very good New England style fare that is extremely hard to find elsewhere. In a sea of blue hair and the slight scent of moth balls from the patrons, you will find a treasure chest of lovely Pecan rolls, popovers, clam chowder, tender roasted chicken stuffed with sage stuffing, baked mac'n'cheese, grapenut pudding and Indian pudding. Yum!!!
(4)Sandi M.
First time last time. Food as bland as could be. Ice water warm! Husband got Seafood Alfredo with tails on the shrimp and Alfredo he said tasted like flour and water! Onion rings had no taste to them. I had steak tips and they were really good. Didnt bother to have anything else. My husband had some urgent bathroom trips about 45 min. later. Prices were good. Sad it wasn't better.
(2)jimi p.
Well the Century House was a place we went to for 20 plus years. Always liked the atmosphere and it was and still is older crowd. The recent renovations in the Tavern are a major disappointment. Didn't anyone take into consideration that most of your patrons are 50 and older? The new booths are so uncomfortable we couldn't wait to get out. The booths are so high your feet don't hit the floor. Trying to climb out of them is a project. Always waited for a booth there. Not anymore. There is a bar that you can put your feet on but your legs are in one place during the entire time and stops the blood flow to the legs. Lucky we didn't get any blood clots as a result of this ridiculous booths. This is a very big mistake. There are regular size tables in the middle but less of them. I don't know if the restaurant is trying to get a younger crowd in there but unfortunately this is the last time my family and I will go. And you would think with the money they put into this they would have fixed their sign that almost never works. Time to find a new place with comfortable seating. Bye Century House.
(1)Stephanie H.
Went here last night with the hubby and a couple of friends because we didn't feel like waiting for an hour at another establishment down the street- at which our friends couldn't even find parking. WIth that said we had a wait here as well but not quite as bad. This place for sure has a high draw for the elderly population which is fine. Decor is eh BUT I wasn't there for that :-) We waited at the bar for our table. Tight quarters if you don't have a seat at the bar (which we didn't for part of the time and then only got two seats) staff was friendly enough. The bartender that got us our first round took a little longer then expected for two beers and two glasses of wine but hey the place was packed. The bartender that got our 2nd order, right when we were getting buzzed for our table, was a little more friendly. The server we had once we were seated was very nice and friendly. The food portions were just right- and our appetizer came out so fast! We barely blinked and there it was. Bean dip that I guess they are known for is decent. They also brought out rolls and sticky buns. I liked the roll better then the sticky bun. Not really a fan of the latter at dinner time though. I ordered the baked scallops which came with a salad (Garden or Caeser) and a side option (I went with the mashed potato) And it was great. Cooked just right. The other three I was with ordered red meat- one the tips and two ordered some sort of filet. Cooked just right all around. I also liked that once we were done and just chit chatting we didn't feel the rush to leave as I have felt at other places.
(3)Kimmy B.
Reasonable prices , food is good but don't go in summer no air condition we actually sweat while eating our breakfast and drank our coffee . I asked the waitress if AC was broken and she replied no that it's always hot in here...
(2)Ian R.
Went here recently with my family... and wow is this place horrible. Took 30 minutes just to order drinks, food took over an hour. The only good thing I had was the salad. The ceaser dressing was excellent and they covered it in cheese. Our party of seven all ordered different meals... and they all were horrible. It became comedic, we were all trying to find parts of our meals that were good. I personally had the baked scallops with mashed potatoes. The scallops were not fresh, rubbery and "fishy" tasting. The mashed potatoes were way over cooked and I'm pretty sure it was a mix of real and powder potatoes...yes it was that bad. Never got any refills on the drinks, the waitress was to busy talking with her co-workers around the corner on how she can't believe how some children are raised these days...clearly she was commenting on one of her guests at a different table. Do yourself a favor and DON'T EAT HERE. If you want some good baked scallops for around $25 go half a mile up the street from the Century House to Legal Seafood and get your moneys worth.
(1)Lukas R.
Some many reviews comment about the age of the patrons here. Could it be that most Yelpers don't fit the demographic of this institution? Fact: the Elderly customers prefer an early meal. Check. This place does it. And exceeds at doing it. Fact: the elderly like a value. Check. Try the early bird special. Old timey bean dip and cottage cubes with chives. Next up salad. Next soup. (Isn't that an either / or combo?) The French Onion was very good. Next are mini cinnabon bons (I'm not gonna argue their presence) next your entree (I had the veal parm, pasta not overbooked, veal abundant ) Next Richardson ice cream ( come on now they coulda substituted some mass market ice cream) Total for 3 = $45 That's a. Value, and suprisingly good
(3)Sean D.
So I am in my 40s and grew up in the area and can honestly say I never had any desire to walk through the doors of the dark brown building. However, my Dad is a big fan of the place and wanted a BIG breakfast after a lil trip to MGH this morning. They serve breakfast until 11:00 which is pretty sweet in my eyes, especially for anyone who likes to sleep in. The place was packed at 10:30 AM but enough room for us to be seated promptly. The service was pretty good, coffees never got below half cup before they were refilled. We did have to wait a little long to order, just long enough for my father to get just a lil edgy. The food was perfectly prepared with very good size portions. I had 2 over easy with ham, home fries and toast. The ham steak was quite large and grilled. Eggs were perfectly cooked and the bread if not baked on site is very fresh and quite good. Home fries, were a bit less impressive, they reminded me of those processed ones you find at Friendly. My brother had the prime rib and eggs. The rib wasn't reheated leftover from the night before, it was fresh made that morning, and I call that dedication. It was a large bone in cut and cooked perfectly for him. Dad just had eggs and toast, but didn't complain and that's the best you can get from him. Prices were more than reasonable for the amount of food. All that said, next time I go out to dinner with my father and brother I will give Century House a try and leave our usual meeting spot behind
(3)Brenda V.
OMG....this place is terrific! So far, this is the highlight of my northward-bound excursion. The food is delicious
(5)Erin C.
I went back to the Century House last night with my grandfather for a meal that was not a holiday. It was nice to be in the restaurant when it wasn't packed with people and a lot quieter. Our waitress was very sweet and helpful. I ordered the french onion soup which was fantastic. I can never turn down FOS when I see it on a menu (even if it was 90 degrees outside). My chicken and eggplant parmesean was fantastic and there was plenty more to bring home. My grandfather had the seafood platter which he enjoyed except that he had to dig through a replica of Mt. Everest made of onion rings and french fries to get to the seafood. I finished my meal with the grapenut pudding (I find that people either love it or hate it). All in all, a fantastic meal. The service was a little slow at times but the service was friendly so that more than made up for it! So I hereby upgrade Century House to 4 stars!
(4)Missy S.
Ok, yes, this place has been around forever, and is a fave of the retiree set......so what! HOWEVER......that does usually symbolize good food, at reasonable prices! Honestly, my fave meal here is Breffie.....They have some killer Eggs Benedict. I used to stop here a lot when I worked in Salem. This place is definitely not 'cool' but they do have some good food...... ESPECIALLY IN THE 'takout' STORE next door (in the corner of the parking lot). They do catering out of there and we used to drive all the way down to get stuff (when we lived in Maine!), for our parties! Their chicken fingers are to die for, you can buy a a few or a 5 lb bag, they heat up awesomely in the oven, or are even delicious cold! Their whipped potatoes are wonderful, as are their au gratin dishes. Many things are frozen, ut oh so easy to heat up (they will give u a sheet that explains how to heat/cook/reheat everything). Their various fresh prepared foods like Chicken Cordon Bleu (which i also highly recommend if u end up eating dinner in the restaurant with the fuddy duddies lol), and they also have fresh butchered items like steaks, chicken breasts, etc. Also, their kidney bean dip is KILLER! and horseradish cheese spread....Yummm! My mouth is watering! So, yah, this isn't the coolest place to be seen, but its solidly yummy food from a place that has been around for decades!
(4)Daniel N.
This has been our restaurant for almost two decades. We have never had a bad experience. Pecan rolls and bean dip..fantastic. Very classy and consistent. If you want trendy or something tremendous forget it. If you want consistently good in a low key classy atmosphere then this is it. I have been getting the filet Mignon since 1995 and I have never been anything but thrilled with it. Good salads. Good servers. Awesome.
(5)Sarah T.
This place is one of those old school restaurants. And it has that charm when you walk inside and can sense the many years of people who have worked and dined there before you (or it could seem creepy, I prefer to think of it as sweet, though). I took my fiance there for his birthday dinner as he was wanting lobster and oysters. We were by far the youngest people in the restaurant by about 20 years or so - and it wasn't the early bird crowd, it was around 7 PM (way to go, folks!). Although I suppose that some people could have been there for hours nonetheless... In any case, we were seated after a brief wait. My fiance had oysters on the half shell, cherry-stones, and the twin lobster special. Yes, he ate it all! The oysters were "okay." He thought that they were rather small and that the shucker had lost some of the juice. The cherry-stones had a stronger flavor than usual. I suppose that you could call it the equivalent of "gamey" for seafood. The lobsters were super fresh! He loved it! The lobsters were definitely some of the best that he has had out. As for me, I had a side salad, which was fine. Nothing memorable there. I also had the filet mignon, but I ordered it without any of the sauce choices. My filet was cooked perfectly and so tender!! It was a really, really good piece of meat! We enjoyed ourselves and would like to think that one day we will be those gray-haired folks eating in one of the booths. And the price was good! Especially for the lobster and for the filet.
(3)Jared R.
When I was younger, I always thought this is the place that old people went to die... instead, I understand that they're going for a little piece of heaven. Ok, sorry, I had to make that gag-inducing observation. The reason so many old people go there is twofold (threefold if you count Keno...) 1) The food is damn good 2) The food is DAMN cheap. First off: Potato Skins (or whatever they call them there). not your average potato skins. They give you what amounts to crispy fried steak fries and a cup of melted cheese that's got a good amount of bacon in. Dip and eat... it's great. Nothing on the menu will steer you wrong. Everything is a bit old fashioned, but it's all great. I tend to stick with sandwiches myself. Just watch your mouth... imagine eating with a room full of your grandma... a lot of them are feisty old ladies, but I always try to watch my mouth in general conversation. Also, watch out in the parking lot... don't want any old blue hairs backing over you as you get to your car... or worse, hitting your car as you pass them (actually, what's worse there... nevermind) Ok, so great food, great service, great prices. My only complaint is the slightly low ceiling height in the main dining room. I always feel like I'm gonna take out a light fixture. They also have the strangest bar... it's REALLY long. I tend to avoid it because it's a bit narrow between the bar and wall and I don't like to be eating the bar so I always feel like I'm in the way. The little Tavern spot off the left is just as good... but seriously, why waste that HUGE HDTV on 24/7 Keno... especially when there's two smaller HDTVs within 2 feet left and right of it. Put the game on for christ's sakes! All joking aside, we really do love this place.
(5)Winston H.
A super place for the old folks...and young folks too! The pub is lively some nights. Food is very good and consistant. Good value, great martinis. Take your Mom and Dad here, Grannie too. Just make sure you sit in the dining room and not the tavern. Noisy waitress station doors slamming shut might drive Mom crazy!
(4)lynne r.
First let me preface this by saying that we used to go here alot when we lived locally ( 4 years ago) and we LOVED it here. The breakfast was awesome-had the best blueberry pancakes....Well we went this morning we were holiday shopping so we went in for breakfast and holy crap batman how this place has gone downhill! We ordered blueberry pancakes and cheddar cheese omelet with home-fries and toast. Basic stuff right? Well it took us 20 minutes to get our food after we placed the order... The food finally arrives and the eggs had American cheese in them--and to make the wrong cheese worse there was more cheeze than egg!! The pancakes were so dense and rubbery the knife wouldn't even cut through them. Horrible horrible nasty. We called the waitress over and told here the food came out wrong and it was all horrible and we didnt want it remade we wanted it taken off the bill. She comes back and oh I tried I really did and tried to pass off the full price. To which we said we were not paying for food that we sent back that was not eaten. We asked to speak to the manager....10 minutes later she comes to our table and handed us the bill with just the omelet removed even tho there was chedder. UM HELLO !! WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMERICAN AND CHEDDER. Please don't patronize us. This manager really needs to get a clue. Nope you lost two customers we will never go back and we will tell everyone (hence yelp!) how bad you suck now
(1)Mustachechuck S.
Lobster dishes, Changed recipes ? Baked Stuffed and Newburg down sized but price goes up at least keep the same size if your going to go up, The Prime rib of late is Hit or miss, The one you get depends on the cook at the time. Do not voice a complaint the stuck up ladies at the front desk look down on you like your a HOBO from Ohio THE ONLY THING THAT IS A CONSTANT IS THE OYSTERS, and bottled beer. This place has gone down hill big time they do not care They are busy ! The breakfast I tried a couple of times its Potato is frozen not home made the eggs are medium size. Sausages are precooked links not worth the time or money. A real turn off. They do not CARE period............ I am really surprised at this place, How you can't go around at different times a check your food out. No wonder Reds is doing well just go see how they do there breakfast REAL Home fries, sausage links, not precooked jimmy dean style with out the taste
(1)Mike F.
This is the best place for, drinks, apps, meals, and keno on the north shore!!!! Bartenders are the nicest ladies too!
(4)Jim K.
Can't say we love the Century House but can't say we hate it either!. Only reviewing breakfast remember..so our usual fare of 2 over easy, home fries, bacon and side of hash is what we base our opinion on. Starting with the worst first..the home fries..they looked and tasted like "potato puffs" right out of the package. Now not saying we don't like "puffs"..and they were actually very tasty, but they were not what we expected in a "restaurant". Eggs were done to our liking as was the hash, toast was perfect, however the bacon was a trifle salty! Coffee was ok but the bottomless cup reached its bottom long before a refill was offered. Service....just ok and they could work on their smiles a bit which will enhance their tips. All in all..a good place for a breakfast meeting but overall not our best breakfast experience! The Breakfast Guys
(3)Greg S.
usually i can roll with the flow over cook my burger a lil ok undercook it a lil ok im not a complainer having said this century house didnt live up to its image today. we were a party of 3 f celebrating a birthday ok where to start...bean dip good ...rolls excellent....waitress very nice and on the ball.....heres where it takes a turn....DO NOT GO TO CENTURY HOUSE IF YOU ONLY DECIDED BASED ON ITS WEB SITE AND MENUS...this being said we came for the twin lobster dinner after checking it out online and calling this morning only tobe told the website needs updating and theyhave no 1 lb lobsters to serve....ok disappointing but they do have a big menu next up ordered the backed stuffed lobster....sad it was all shell and stuffing not really a real 1 1/2 lb even taking into consideration water weight so that was disappointing next person ordered the turkey dinner when it arrived i knew immediately it was going to be sent back 3 meh slices of turkey loaf on less than meh cold disgusting looking stuffing it looked like it was from a frozen dinner ive seen better served in public schools and that too was cold so that person sent it back and got the burger club looked great when sent out but was undercooked when bitten into now we come to what i ordered here they hit the mark with the fried haddock platter it was by far the highlight of the visit a generous portion perfectly cooked the fries were perfect not greasy looked great i literally left nothing on my plate my best advice if going to the century house is dont go with great expectation 1 for 4 on this visit but that 1 was great
(2)eric j.
This is a really good restaurant. The food is great and the service is FANTASTIC! Prices are really reasonable as well. The only drawback is breakfast ends at 11:30 am.
(4)Bethany V.
People. They start serving alcohol at 8AM. Hello?? Older and WISER. Not from the area, we randomly stumbled across this place on our way to Maine... having been on the road for a couple of hours, we were starving for a big ol' breakfast. That's all I've ever had here, and it's all I ever think about on every road trip now. 10AM, an irish coffee in hand before I even order my breakfast... that's all I needed to sell me, and then the meals came. I cannot believe how much you are served for the price. Is it five-star? Of course not, you're paying 5-6 bucks here. But you're feasting like a king for that price... and they never ask twice if you want another irish coffee - they just keep 'em coming. This place has become a tradition for us now - we call it "our breakfast drinking spot." It's kitschy and out-dated and filled with awesome older characters, and I have to say, that's part of what keeps me coming back for more.
(4)Jon H.
First, I have to say I'm not surprised to see only one review for this restaurant, as it definitely does not exude Yelpness --- meaning, this place really does attract the nearly century old crowd. Not exactly a hopping place. However, it's pleasant enough inside, with big booths and New England influenced decoration. Their menu is quite extensive, and I was pleasantly surprised at the cost for most entrees for this type of restaurant. Most dinners can be had for an average of $12, and are served with so many side dishes it is tough to fit them all on your table. The food quality is above average. I had the roasted stuffed chicken breast, which was incredibly tender, with some decent mashed potatoes and vegetables. My wife had a very good French onion soup with a potato skin appetizer. They definitely do not skimp on the portions. Our waitress was friendly but a bit inattentive, though that might have been because we were on a schedule. While I am only lukewarm on recommending this place for dinner, I would absolutely recommend it for breakfast. I can guarantee you'll have to wait in the crowded entrance for at least fifteen minutes, but I feel it's worth it. They have French toast, pancakes, waffles, and omelets, served with toast and potatoes, all for around $5 or less! It's very reasonable priced and quite tasty. Also, their coffee is absolutely delicious. So in summary, this place might be worth checking out for dinner if you have a hankering for $12 duck. However I would definitely recommend it for a satisfying but cheap breakfast meal. It also has a convenient location right on 114 near both the Liberty Tree and North Shore mall.
(3)E.A. F.
I could not agree more with the others who review this place. I went there with four other diners. Now to the food. I got fried oysters with french fries. After a lengthly wait, I thought they were catching my oysters, my plate finally arrived. The food was just warm not hot, the batter was soft and mushy on the french fries and oysters. The coffee was weak and just warm. Fortunately we did ot have a server like Josie M. , but I did see a lot of scowling servers. When i see that the special on the desert menu was grapenut pudding you know that octogenarians are who they are catering too. This is one place I DO NOT intend returning to.
(2)Melinda M.
I don't mind eating with old people! In fact, I think that it should be considered a plus. They're quiet, they don't bring in little brats that run around the place like animals, and they could care less what you're wearing or that you're stuffing your face. I agree, this place is for "townies," but that's exactly what I wanted when I decided to leave Boston and drive out to the 'burbs. There are plenty of places around here to get all dolled up and be surrounded by a younger crowd. Sometimes, I just want to eat good old fashioned comfort food, and this is where I go. I've always had friendly waitstaff and I've always been satisfied with the quality of the food. They start you off with crackers and cottage cheese and a yummy bean coleslaw tasting dip. Then come the rolls and the super satisfying sticky buns. Next, the salad is fresh and crispy. Tonight I had the London Broil and it was perfect! They have root beer floats! The prices are in the teens but they give you a ton of food so I don't think that's unreasonable. Sure, it kind of looks like you're in a retirement home, but you're in Peabody not the back bay! No frills, just good eating!
(4)Geoff M.
This place is for the over 80 crowd. The decor, diners and menu all prove it out. I think they use canned green beans, too.
(1)Brittani A.
Based on breakfast only. Now I hear this is a pretty good place for dinner, but they can't do breakfast! This was the most bland food I've ever had but I suppose that's how the old people like it. The home fries were essentially french fries. The hollandaise sauce was extremely ordinary. My grandmother ordered bacon and never got any. They do have belgian waffles with strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream which is the kids love. $2.25 for a cup of coffee, not even in a mug but in a teacup?! What a ripoff! Otherwise the prices aren't too bad, but the servings were smaller than a diner's and more expensive.
(1)Dan L.
their Chicken Pie from the Epicurean Shop...excellent...with a side of stuffing.....and always have an excellent meal, for 40 years.
(5)Topher D.
There's 2 reasons to go to the Century House - 1 is people watching - go in the dining room, its freaking hilarious and makes you feel young - 2 is the baked stuffed shrimp - its to die for (esp. on Monday nights) also the complementary cheese and crackers is up my alley - did have a bad experience one night in the Tavern with not being able to get a bartender's attention, but it was super busy, so I give them a mulligan there
(3)Bill U.
Traditional American fare, at a great price. Get there early, because the lines at this place are as legendary as the building. Rare is it that I critique anyone else's review, but I find it wholly offensive that others will discount this restaurant because of the senior clientele that frequent it. I am still haven't passed the thirty mark myself, but I see nothing wrong with dining people named John and Ethel. No it's not hip and trendy, but if you were expecting that, apparently you did not catch the name of this place. And with all due respect to vegetarians, people who limit their cuisine to one food group should not expect much out of a meat and potatoes kind of place. Go for brunch on Sunday (early!) and look for specials like the lobster eggs benedict. Coffee never stops flowing, and food is always ample.
(4)Casey M.
1. I'm over 65 - - AND - - every time I go in there, I'm the YOUNGEST person in the room. - - hence, the name, CENTURY HOUSE ??? 2. ONLY place I know you can get good PRIME RIB for BREAKFAST.
(5)Hans R.
Ok, it is true that there are allot of retired people who eat here. That is because they know the food is better than Sylvan or Legals down the street. The parking lot is full of door dinging Lincolns just like the Continental or Angelica' s. Went here for lunch once and ate at the bar. The mixed drinks I saw them making looked very strong and large. The dinner is excellent. Prime rib is good, seafood is good. recommend the scallops is bacon for appetizer. Had breakfast once and it was very good too, broccoli and cheese omelet and home fries was like home cooking. Yes the floors are like ramps, either the building was there before 114 or they tried to make some wheelchair access, maybe both. Good food and service
(4)jenilee p.
it's old. it's clientele has probably been visiting since...johnny pesky made his mark. it's value, comfort food. a crock of french onion soup, a slab of prime rib complete with au jus, a little side of butter-rich whipped potatoes, and don't forget the grapenut pudding. waitresses are not without attitude and sass, but as i've experienced it, the good kind. a thick accent, and a talent for carrying 10 plates at a time, remarking about the cold weather. if you want to experience "townie" new england, then this place is wonderful. you just have to take it as it is, be prepared to get a huge meal for a decent price, and...well... i wouldn't order the salad. if you want exotic ingredients, intricate presentation, and a hip crowd, this is not the place for you. but if you're if you're from a fall river, a new bedford, a lawrence, a danvers, a metheun, you might just get a welcome, familiar taste of a night out with the fam.
(4)Michael C.
I like the century house but I can only speak for their breakfast. The staff is always friendly, the food comes out quick, and it is consistent. It's not great but like I said it's consistent. I've never had a bad breakfast here. I have heard the dinner crowd is one of the blue haired variety so being in my 20's I haven't sampled any items from that particular menu.
(3)Dave B.
The names says it all. The Century House has been around for a long time. I do however think the building (the low ceilings & architecture) is not as old as it seems and actually was designed to look older than it is. That being said I would agree with the other Yelper's that the average age of the diners here exceed 70 years old. We found ourselves dining here way too early on a Sunday. 12:00 noon to be exact. Long story short we were looking for a late breakfast or brunch. Turns out they stop serving breakfast at 11:00 & they don't offer a brunch. Dining here any time before 7:00 pm is like dining in a hall at a retirement castle. There were people in wheel chairs & some on oxygen. But these people know how to eat. The food here has always been and continues to be very good. The selection and the portions are large and the prices are very reasonable. You can eat in the formal dining room, the "Linden" tavern or if you could actually find a bar stool without a regular sitting on it you could hit the bar. You'll wait for a table at dinner time & the parking lot is set up rather oddly. If your over 6 feet tall don't stand up to fast or you might hit your head on the ceiling. Always clean & almost classy, you can't beat it for what you pay for vs. what you get.
(4)Steve N.
God's waiting room.
(2)Missus F.
this place is kind of for old people. i've had good plates in here and i've had sub par plates here, but i must say that THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD QUITE LIKE THE CHEESE SAUCE FOR THE POTATO SKINS. just go get some. you'll know.
(3)Zoe L.
good place for seniors- nonthreatening flavors, but something for everyone. the early bird special seems to be a big hit, so the place was packed until 6:00, when it ended. entrees seem to be mostly in the $12-16 range. we had a roast duckling, chicken parm, and blackened scrod, all of which came w/salad + form of potato (baked, mashed, delmonaco (sp?), fries). this is in addition to the warm rolls (buttermilk AND cinnamon walnut) and crackers (melba toast, sesame sticks) that they brought out beforehand. a LOT of food. we had a fabulous server who was willing to accommodate all of our food pickiness. lots of tables (most of which were occupied); low ceilings. great non-chain option in a land crammed with chain restaurants.
(3)Stephen B.
hello to all who enjoy great american comfort food . if this is what you seek ,then look no further than the cenutry house . i have only gone. twice in the past 2 years, but each time just gets better ! my girlfriend is from peabody, and introduced it to me on a whim . the food is exceptional , very laid back atmosphere and comfortable.our most recent visit was nothing short of a great dining experience, she loves the french onion soup and the prime rib , myself, had the baked stuffed haddock and steaktips respectivley . our watress lisa was a sheer delight ,and catering to our every need ! you know how stupid people are , and talk about the clientle as " old people " well, i can only be lucky enough to be a blue hair enjoying great food at resonable prices for years to come. keep up the great work guys i will be back soon . p.s. i will make it a point to get there before the epicurian shop closes , as i want to take home a gallon of the famous bean dip .
(5)Cindy C.
Don't bother! The only reason we go here is that we have family who has gotten breakfast here for generations. There is no way we'd go for lunch or dinner - there are much better options (the new Grassfields or any of the restaurants at the mall (except PF changs- not a fan). Pellanas steakhouse is also expensive but wonderful!). The atmosphere is old and shabby, the food is sub-par, and God forbid you need a straw in your drink the waitstaff will place their fingers all over it before it goes into your liquid since the straws don't have wrappers! Breakfast ends at 11 (or 10:59 depending on what they feel like), and the red-haired shrew at the front desk makes no exceptions even for regulars. We usually go around 10, but I've been a handful of times right before or at the 11 cutoff and been turned away. One time, I had family in town for the weekend with whom we used to go but had since moved away, and we arrived exactly at 11, and they had already stopped serving breakfast. We asked politely if they could squeeze in one more but the witch wouldn't budge. Mind you, this is not just us, this happens to everyone. We tip well and know the waitresses by name due to generations of going there. As a result, I wouldn't even call this a family place, since there is nothing friendly or endearing about it except for the people that you may go with. There are now much better options nearby for breakfast such as Sunday brunch at Joes or Cheesecake Factory. So, unless you have a dear old granny who remembers this place fondly, go elsewhere!
(2)Jared G.
Y do people say "our special is the prime rib" and then "we are all out of our prime rib" ? Y are u telling me if you are out of it?!? If I can't eat it then idc. OK?!
(2)Rachel W.
Hostess stand and wait staff are very abrupt and cold. Customer service is not a priority or even a thought here. Food is fine but you can find the same quality of food served with much better service anywhere else. I don't expect the red carpet treatment but don't refuse to talk to me and literally throw the check on the table without saying one word or without even making eye contact with anyone at our table. I feel this behavior is the norm here and is accepted by management. After many visits, my family, including my parents, in-laws, and siblings will not be back.
(1)Sheri M.
I've been going to the Century House for breakfast with my family for years, and I still get all giddy every time we go. Now that I'm living on the west coast I always plan a trip here whenever I visit home. Their Old Fashioned New England Country Breakfast is hands down the best. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and toast for $8. You'll be full all day. I always am. Yes, this place is frequented by older folks, but I'll take quiet older folks over screaming child beasts any day. The clientele make the dining area all the more quaint and relaxing. Of course, the service and food isn't top notch every single time. Sometimes you'll get a forgetful waitress. They also have the uncanny ability to serve only my aunt sausages that look like shriveled turds. But this isn't frequent enough to make you not want to come back. The service and food are fabulous the majority of the time. On the weekend the wait and the parking lot can be a killer, so we usually go during the week. But if you end up having to wait, it's definitely still worth it!
(4)Tom B.
Went for breakfast on a saturday,rest.was busy wait was not bad,service was good, food was just average,nothing to write home about. Would not go back for breakfast. I was kinda disappointed, always had great memories of Century House,maybe breakfast is just not they're bag.
(2)Andy H.
Was in town on business and wanted a true NE dinner. Thanks to Yelp, I found the Century House. It has an old NE vibe and many of the patrons looked like they have been coming for generations. A real neighborhood, warm and cozy place. The service was prompt and attentive. The food was terrific. I almost felt like I was in a movie with the scene inside. You had Father O'Riley at one table with a couple of cops talking about little Danny whoever, and what a bad seed he is. And, how bad they feel for his mother. Cool spot and worth a visit.
(4)lynne r.
First let me preface this by saying that we used to go here alot when we lived locally ( 4 years ago) and we LOVED it here. The breakfast was awesome-had the best blueberry pancakes....Well we went this morning we were holiday shopping so we went in for breakfast and holy crap batman how this place has gone downhill! We ordered blueberry pancakes and cheddar cheese omelet with home-fries and toast. Basic stuff right? Well it took us 20 minutes to get our food after we placed the order... The food finally arrives and the eggs had American cheese in them--and to make the wrong cheese worse there was more cheeze than egg!! The pancakes were so dense and rubbery the knife wouldn't even cut through them. Horrible horrible nasty. We called the waitress over and told here the food came out wrong and it was all horrible and we didnt want it remade we wanted it taken off the bill. She comes back and oh I tried I really did and tried to pass off the full price. To which we said we were not paying for food that we sent back that was not eaten. We asked to speak to the manager....10 minutes later she comes to our table and handed us the bill with just the omelet removed even tho there was chedder. UM HELLO !! WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMERICAN AND CHEDDER. Please don't patronize us. This manager really needs to get a clue. Nope you lost two customers we will never go back and we will tell everyone (hence yelp!) how bad you suck now
(1)Mustachechuck S.
Lobster dishes, Changed recipes ? Baked Stuffed and Newburg down sized but price goes up at least keep the same size if your going to go up, The Prime rib of late is Hit or miss, The one you get depends on the cook at the time. Do not voice a complaint the stuck up ladies at the front desk look down on you like your a HOBO from Ohio THE ONLY THING THAT IS A CONSTANT IS THE OYSTERS, and bottled beer. This place has gone down hill big time they do not care They are busy ! The breakfast I tried a couple of times its Potato is frozen not home made the eggs are medium size. Sausages are precooked links not worth the time or money. A real turn off. They do not CARE period............ I am really surprised at this place, How you can't go around at different times a check your food out. No wonder Reds is doing well just go see how they do there breakfast REAL Home fries, sausage links, not precooked jimmy dean style with out the taste
(1)Randy J.
Came here once before a few years back and it was ok. Then more recently went on a Saturday night and there was almost no one there except what looked like a few old regulars. We were seated next the main door and it was COLD. We didn't even take our jackets off. A group or workers, the hostess, and some friends of theirs were standing around gossiping a couple of feet away from our table for much of the time we were there and we felt like we were being watched. Not to mention there were a couple of flies landing on our table and we had to keep shooing them away. The bread and cinnamon rolls they brought were pretty awesome. I ordered the marinated chicken and vegetables, which came in a separate side dish. The chicken was nothing special but was alright, the veggies were something weird. Overall it was rather bland.
(2)Jennifer C.
As much as I would love to give this restaurant five stars, I just can't after my last visit there. I have been coming here since I was a kid with my mom and her ex-boyfriend. We had always received excellent customer service and excellent food at a reasonable price. Some of my favorite dishes are the chicken parmigiana, fisherman's platter, clams casino for an appetizer and of course - their famous prime rib! After several years of not coming here, I had recently re-visited the restaurant out of a serious craving for prime rib. Though my queen cut prime rib & delmonico potatoes were unbelievable, I was disappointed with the chicken parmigiana my fiancé had ordered. It just wasn't what it used to be and was much smaller in portion. Our salads were also not fresh. We did order the potato skins for an appetizer and we were pleased with those - wish it came with extra cheese sauce for dipping!
(4)Mark D.
We were seated right away. The coffee was good, food was good, and the service was good. Waitress was kind and checked on us to see how everything was. We had a great time and we will be returning.
(4)Dina C.
Okay. I haven't been here in ages, but I do recall some very good New England style fare that is extremely hard to find elsewhere. In a sea of blue hair and the slight scent of moth balls from the patrons, you will find a treasure chest of lovely Pecan rolls, popovers, clam chowder, tender roasted chicken stuffed with sage stuffing, baked mac'n'cheese, grapenut pudding and Indian pudding. Yum!!!
(4)Kelly J.
LOVE the Century House! $12.95 prime rib on Tuesday's is ridiculous! The ribs are HUGE and so are all of the other portions. The wait staff is as sweet as can be! I want to eat here like every night because of the great pricing and awesome service. I think we are officially Tuesday regulars but may have to alter each week so we can hit up the $9.99 steak tips on Wednesdays! Also great place to eat if you have kids. The staff was super with our 1-year old son when it came to anything he may have needed or wanted. Not to mention they kept stopping by just to say hello and talk to him :) Totally recommend this place!
(5)Sandi M.
First time last time. Food as bland as could be. Ice water warm! Husband got Seafood Alfredo with tails on the shrimp and Alfredo he said tasted like flour and water! Onion rings had no taste to them. I had steak tips and they were really good. Didnt bother to have anything else. My husband had some urgent bathroom trips about 45 min. later. Prices were good. Sad it wasn't better.
(2)jimi p.
Well the Century House was a place we went to for 20 plus years. Always liked the atmosphere and it was and still is older crowd. The recent renovations in the Tavern are a major disappointment. Didn't anyone take into consideration that most of your patrons are 50 and older? The new booths are so uncomfortable we couldn't wait to get out. The booths are so high your feet don't hit the floor. Trying to climb out of them is a project. Always waited for a booth there. Not anymore. There is a bar that you can put your feet on but your legs are in one place during the entire time and stops the blood flow to the legs. Lucky we didn't get any blood clots as a result of this ridiculous booths. This is a very big mistake. There are regular size tables in the middle but less of them. I don't know if the restaurant is trying to get a younger crowd in there but unfortunately this is the last time my family and I will go. And you would think with the money they put into this they would have fixed their sign that almost never works. Time to find a new place with comfortable seating. Bye Century House.
(1)Daniel N.
This has been our restaurant for almost two decades. We have never had a bad experience. Pecan rolls and bean dip..fantastic. Very classy and consistent. If you want trendy or something tremendous forget it. If you want consistently good in a low key classy atmosphere then this is it. I have been getting the filet Mignon since 1995 and I have never been anything but thrilled with it. Good salads. Good servers. Awesome.
(5)Stephanie H.
Went here last night with the hubby and a couple of friends because we didn't feel like waiting for an hour at another establishment down the street- at which our friends couldn't even find parking. WIth that said we had a wait here as well but not quite as bad. This place for sure has a high draw for the elderly population which is fine. Decor is eh BUT I wasn't there for that :-) We waited at the bar for our table. Tight quarters if you don't have a seat at the bar (which we didn't for part of the time and then only got two seats) staff was friendly enough. The bartender that got us our first round took a little longer then expected for two beers and two glasses of wine but hey the place was packed. The bartender that got our 2nd order, right when we were getting buzzed for our table, was a little more friendly. The server we had once we were seated was very nice and friendly. The food portions were just right- and our appetizer came out so fast! We barely blinked and there it was. Bean dip that I guess they are known for is decent. They also brought out rolls and sticky buns. I liked the roll better then the sticky bun. Not really a fan of the latter at dinner time though. I ordered the baked scallops which came with a salad (Garden or Caeser) and a side option (I went with the mashed potato) And it was great. Cooked just right. The other three I was with ordered red meat- one the tips and two ordered some sort of filet. Cooked just right all around. I also liked that once we were done and just chit chatting we didn't feel the rush to leave as I have felt at other places.
(3)Kimmy B.
Reasonable prices , food is good but don't go in summer no air condition we actually sweat while eating our breakfast and drank our coffee . I asked the waitress if AC was broken and she replied no that it's always hot in here...
(2)Ian R.
Went here recently with my family... and wow is this place horrible. Took 30 minutes just to order drinks, food took over an hour. The only good thing I had was the salad. The ceaser dressing was excellent and they covered it in cheese. Our party of seven all ordered different meals... and they all were horrible. It became comedic, we were all trying to find parts of our meals that were good. I personally had the baked scallops with mashed potatoes. The scallops were not fresh, rubbery and "fishy" tasting. The mashed potatoes were way over cooked and I'm pretty sure it was a mix of real and powder potatoes...yes it was that bad. Never got any refills on the drinks, the waitress was to busy talking with her co-workers around the corner on how she can't believe how some children are raised these days...clearly she was commenting on one of her guests at a different table. Do yourself a favor and DON'T EAT HERE. If you want some good baked scallops for around $25 go half a mile up the street from the Century House to Legal Seafood and get your moneys worth.
(1)Lukas R.
Some many reviews comment about the age of the patrons here. Could it be that most Yelpers don't fit the demographic of this institution? Fact: the Elderly customers prefer an early meal. Check. This place does it. And exceeds at doing it. Fact: the elderly like a value. Check. Try the early bird special. Old timey bean dip and cottage cubes with chives. Next up salad. Next soup. (Isn't that an either / or combo?) The French Onion was very good. Next are mini cinnabon bons (I'm not gonna argue their presence) next your entree (I had the veal parm, pasta not overbooked, veal abundant ) Next Richardson ice cream ( come on now they coulda substituted some mass market ice cream) Total for 3 = $45 That's a. Value, and suprisingly good
(3)Sean D.
So I am in my 40s and grew up in the area and can honestly say I never had any desire to walk through the doors of the dark brown building. However, my Dad is a big fan of the place and wanted a BIG breakfast after a lil trip to MGH this morning. They serve breakfast until 11:00 which is pretty sweet in my eyes, especially for anyone who likes to sleep in. The place was packed at 10:30 AM but enough room for us to be seated promptly. The service was pretty good, coffees never got below half cup before they were refilled. We did have to wait a little long to order, just long enough for my father to get just a lil edgy. The food was perfectly prepared with very good size portions. I had 2 over easy with ham, home fries and toast. The ham steak was quite large and grilled. Eggs were perfectly cooked and the bread if not baked on site is very fresh and quite good. Home fries, were a bit less impressive, they reminded me of those processed ones you find at Friendly. My brother had the prime rib and eggs. The rib wasn't reheated leftover from the night before, it was fresh made that morning, and I call that dedication. It was a large bone in cut and cooked perfectly for him. Dad just had eggs and toast, but didn't complain and that's the best you can get from him. Prices were more than reasonable for the amount of food. All that said, next time I go out to dinner with my father and brother I will give Century House a try and leave our usual meeting spot behind
(3)Brenda V.
OMG....this place is terrific! So far, this is the highlight of my northward-bound excursion. The food is delicious
(5)Rose F.
Excellent value, decent food, good service. Place was packed for breakfast! The median age to dine here is definitely retirees, but maybe they are keeping this value place a secret. I got a 3 egg omelet with veggies, home fries, English muffin, and coffee for under $10. My companions got pancakes and those looked good as well. I'd like to come back for dinner. I hear prime rib night on Tuesday's you can't even get into the place!
(3)Erin C.
I went back to the Century House last night with my grandfather for a meal that was not a holiday. It was nice to be in the restaurant when it wasn't packed with people and a lot quieter. Our waitress was very sweet and helpful. I ordered the french onion soup which was fantastic. I can never turn down FOS when I see it on a menu (even if it was 90 degrees outside). My chicken and eggplant parmesean was fantastic and there was plenty more to bring home. My grandfather had the seafood platter which he enjoyed except that he had to dig through a replica of Mt. Everest made of onion rings and french fries to get to the seafood. I finished my meal with the grapenut pudding (I find that people either love it or hate it). All in all, a fantastic meal. The service was a little slow at times but the service was friendly so that more than made up for it! So I hereby upgrade Century House to 4 stars!
(4)Missy S.
Ok, yes, this place has been around forever, and is a fave of the retiree set......so what! HOWEVER......that does usually symbolize good food, at reasonable prices! Honestly, my fave meal here is Breffie.....They have some killer Eggs Benedict. I used to stop here a lot when I worked in Salem. This place is definitely not 'cool' but they do have some good food...... ESPECIALLY IN THE 'takout' STORE next door (in the corner of the parking lot). They do catering out of there and we used to drive all the way down to get stuff (when we lived in Maine!), for our parties! Their chicken fingers are to die for, you can buy a a few or a 5 lb bag, they heat up awesomely in the oven, or are even delicious cold! Their whipped potatoes are wonderful, as are their au gratin dishes. Many things are frozen, ut oh so easy to heat up (they will give u a sheet that explains how to heat/cook/reheat everything). Their various fresh prepared foods like Chicken Cordon Bleu (which i also highly recommend if u end up eating dinner in the restaurant with the fuddy duddies lol), and they also have fresh butchered items like steaks, chicken breasts, etc. Also, their kidney bean dip is KILLER! and horseradish cheese spread....Yummm! My mouth is watering! So, yah, this isn't the coolest place to be seen, but its solidly yummy food from a place that has been around for decades!
(4)Winston H.
A super place for the old folks...and young folks too! The pub is lively some nights. Food is very good and consistant. Good value, great martinis. Take your Mom and Dad here, Grannie too. Just make sure you sit in the dining room and not the tavern. Noisy waitress station doors slamming shut might drive Mom crazy!
(4)Tim W.
The place is old, worn and the menu is too. Service was just ok. The food just plain sucked, probably the worst scallops I've ever eaten, I'd say they were one day away from being bait for my fishing trip. 5 out of 7 meals were horrible and 2 were tolerable.
(1)Sarah T.
This place is one of those old school restaurants. And it has that charm when you walk inside and can sense the many years of people who have worked and dined there before you (or it could seem creepy, I prefer to think of it as sweet, though). I took my fiance there for his birthday dinner as he was wanting lobster and oysters. We were by far the youngest people in the restaurant by about 20 years or so - and it wasn't the early bird crowd, it was around 7 PM (way to go, folks!). Although I suppose that some people could have been there for hours nonetheless... In any case, we were seated after a brief wait. My fiance had oysters on the half shell, cherry-stones, and the twin lobster special. Yes, he ate it all! The oysters were "okay." He thought that they were rather small and that the shucker had lost some of the juice. The cherry-stones had a stronger flavor than usual. I suppose that you could call it the equivalent of "gamey" for seafood. The lobsters were super fresh! He loved it! The lobsters were definitely some of the best that he has had out. As for me, I had a side salad, which was fine. Nothing memorable there. I also had the filet mignon, but I ordered it without any of the sauce choices. My filet was cooked perfectly and so tender!! It was a really, really good piece of meat! We enjoyed ourselves and would like to think that one day we will be those gray-haired folks eating in one of the booths. And the price was good! Especially for the lobster and for the filet.
(3)Jared R.
When I was younger, I always thought this is the place that old people went to die... instead, I understand that they're going for a little piece of heaven. Ok, sorry, I had to make that gag-inducing observation. The reason so many old people go there is twofold (threefold if you count Keno...) 1) The food is damn good 2) The food is DAMN cheap. First off: Potato Skins (or whatever they call them there). not your average potato skins. They give you what amounts to crispy fried steak fries and a cup of melted cheese that's got a good amount of bacon in. Dip and eat... it's great. Nothing on the menu will steer you wrong. Everything is a bit old fashioned, but it's all great. I tend to stick with sandwiches myself. Just watch your mouth... imagine eating with a room full of your grandma... a lot of them are feisty old ladies, but I always try to watch my mouth in general conversation. Also, watch out in the parking lot... don't want any old blue hairs backing over you as you get to your car... or worse, hitting your car as you pass them (actually, what's worse there... nevermind) Ok, so great food, great service, great prices. My only complaint is the slightly low ceiling height in the main dining room. I always feel like I'm gonna take out a light fixture. They also have the strangest bar... it's REALLY long. I tend to avoid it because it's a bit narrow between the bar and wall and I don't like to be eating the bar so I always feel like I'm in the way. The little Tavern spot off the left is just as good... but seriously, why waste that HUGE HDTV on 24/7 Keno... especially when there's two smaller HDTVs within 2 feet left and right of it. Put the game on for christ's sakes! All joking aside, we really do love this place.
(5)Tom D.
I've always been intrigued by this place and had the pleasure of dining here for breakfast this morning. First thing I noticed upon walking in was the ceiling height. They must have to carry extra insurance in case tall people get head injuries from hitting the ceiling. I'm about 6'5" and was barely able to stand up in the place. We were seated for breakfast in the tavern side of the restaurant. They keep it very dark in there, even on a gloriously sunny day like today. The decor is dated, but I think it lends a charm to the place. Where else can you eat off china that looks just like the stuff stored in your grandma's old hutch? My breakfast was good, but nothing better than what you'd get at any of the diners in the area. Thankfully, the prices were also no more expensive that these diners, so I got what I paid for. I had the French toast which the menu described as "extra thick". If this was extra thick, I'd hate to see the regular thickness. It was just standard Wonder bread slices, but it certainly satisfied the French toast craving I was having this morning. French toast and two scrambled eggs came to $8.50. The coffee was surprisingly good and strong. I didn't get to check out the full dinner menu, but the electronic sign outside was advertising baked stuffed shrimp for $9.95. If all the prices are that good, I can see why this is a favorite of the senior citizen community. Who says you can't have a nice dinner out on a fixed income? I'll be back to check out dinner sometime and update this review as appropriate.
(3)Shawn F.
This place looks nice from the outside. When I got inside, I feared for my head's safety. The ceilings are really low for a 6 foot guy. I guess they were aiming at pleasing the short, and maybe giving them a boost in self-confidence making them feel taller. It seems there is a common belief between the reviews for the century house, the crowd is old, and the atmosphere is reflected by it. The place is very quiet and reminds me of an elderly home. The most excitement there is in this place is when an old couple wins 5 dollars on keno. The waiting staff isn't always pleasant unless you are a regular. It makes you feel like an outcast. The food here is OKAY. It isn't the greatest, but it could be worse. I had the stuffed chicken which wasn't bad. The burgers are average. I had mashed potatoes on the side with gravy. These were a bit chunky and could have been mashed more. There are a decent amount of choices, but I would say the food is average. Don't come here if you are looking for some excitement, but if you are looking for a place to nap then this is the place.
(3)JOHN J.
we had drinks and ordered a pizza at the bar. the pizza was very tasty. the problem the place was ice cold and out side was cold. brite lights you will need sun glasses and a coat.
(3)E.A. F.
I could not agree more with the others who review this place. I went there with four other diners. Now to the food. I got fried oysters with french fries. After a lengthly wait, I thought they were catching my oysters, my plate finally arrived. The food was just warm not hot, the batter was soft and mushy on the french fries and oysters. The coffee was weak and just warm. Fortunately we did ot have a server like Josie M. , but I did see a lot of scowling servers. When i see that the special on the desert menu was grapenut pudding you know that octogenarians are who they are catering too. This is one place I DO NOT intend returning to.
(2)Jim K.
Can't say we love the Century House but can't say we hate it either!. Only reviewing breakfast remember..so our usual fare of 2 over easy, home fries, bacon and side of hash is what we base our opinion on. Starting with the worst first..the home fries..they looked and tasted like "potato puffs" right out of the package. Now not saying we don't like "puffs"..and they were actually very tasty, but they were not what we expected in a "restaurant". Eggs were done to our liking as was the hash, toast was perfect, however the bacon was a trifle salty! Coffee was ok but the bottomless cup reached its bottom long before a refill was offered. Service....just ok and they could work on their smiles a bit which will enhance their tips. All in all..a good place for a breakfast meeting but overall not our best breakfast experience! The Breakfast Guys
(3)Greg S.
usually i can roll with the flow over cook my burger a lil ok undercook it a lil ok im not a complainer having said this century house didnt live up to its image today. we were a party of 3 f celebrating a birthday ok where to start...bean dip good ...rolls excellent....waitress very nice and on the ball.....heres where it takes a turn....DO NOT GO TO CENTURY HOUSE IF YOU ONLY DECIDED BASED ON ITS WEB SITE AND MENUS...this being said we came for the twin lobster dinner after checking it out online and calling this morning only tobe told the website needs updating and theyhave no 1 lb lobsters to serve....ok disappointing but they do have a big menu next up ordered the backed stuffed lobster....sad it was all shell and stuffing not really a real 1 1/2 lb even taking into consideration water weight so that was disappointing next person ordered the turkey dinner when it arrived i knew immediately it was going to be sent back 3 meh slices of turkey loaf on less than meh cold disgusting looking stuffing it looked like it was from a frozen dinner ive seen better served in public schools and that too was cold so that person sent it back and got the burger club looked great when sent out but was undercooked when bitten into now we come to what i ordered here they hit the mark with the fried haddock platter it was by far the highlight of the visit a generous portion perfectly cooked the fries were perfect not greasy looked great i literally left nothing on my plate my best advice if going to the century house is dont go with great expectation 1 for 4 on this visit but that 1 was great
(2)eric j.
This is a really good restaurant. The food is great and the service is FANTASTIC! Prices are really reasonable as well. The only drawback is breakfast ends at 11:30 am.
(4)Bethany V.
People. They start serving alcohol at 8AM. Hello?? Older and WISER. Not from the area, we randomly stumbled across this place on our way to Maine... having been on the road for a couple of hours, we were starving for a big ol' breakfast. That's all I've ever had here, and it's all I ever think about on every road trip now. 10AM, an irish coffee in hand before I even order my breakfast... that's all I needed to sell me, and then the meals came. I cannot believe how much you are served for the price. Is it five-star? Of course not, you're paying 5-6 bucks here. But you're feasting like a king for that price... and they never ask twice if you want another irish coffee - they just keep 'em coming. This place has become a tradition for us now - we call it "our breakfast drinking spot." It's kitschy and out-dated and filled with awesome older characters, and I have to say, that's part of what keeps me coming back for more.
(4)Jon H.
First, I have to say I'm not surprised to see only one review for this restaurant, as it definitely does not exude Yelpness --- meaning, this place really does attract the nearly century old crowd. Not exactly a hopping place. However, it's pleasant enough inside, with big booths and New England influenced decoration. Their menu is quite extensive, and I was pleasantly surprised at the cost for most entrees for this type of restaurant. Most dinners can be had for an average of $12, and are served with so many side dishes it is tough to fit them all on your table. The food quality is above average. I had the roasted stuffed chicken breast, which was incredibly tender, with some decent mashed potatoes and vegetables. My wife had a very good French onion soup with a potato skin appetizer. They definitely do not skimp on the portions. Our waitress was friendly but a bit inattentive, though that might have been because we were on a schedule. While I am only lukewarm on recommending this place for dinner, I would absolutely recommend it for breakfast. I can guarantee you'll have to wait in the crowded entrance for at least fifteen minutes, but I feel it's worth it. They have French toast, pancakes, waffles, and omelets, served with toast and potatoes, all for around $5 or less! It's very reasonable priced and quite tasty. Also, their coffee is absolutely delicious. So in summary, this place might be worth checking out for dinner if you have a hankering for $12 duck. However I would definitely recommend it for a satisfying but cheap breakfast meal. It also has a convenient location right on 114 near both the Liberty Tree and North Shore mall.
(3)J P.
Had family visiting and they loved the breakfast so much we ate here 3 times. All three times the servers were great. Tonight we had Jackie sweet, welcoming and attentive. I had the roast stuffed chicken breast and my honey the sole picatta both delicious. I highly recommend this place!!
(4)Jennifer C.
Just had breakfast here this morning and it was great!! I had the eggs benedict with bacon and home fries.. and it was a solid dish. And especially given that it was $6.99!! That's a great deal. A little bland.. so needed to add salt and pepper, but no biggie. My dad had fried eggs, sausage, and rye toast and said it was also really good. Coffee was also good. I was expecting an older crowd, but maybe that is more during (early) dinner time? Today, there was a nice mix of people.. families, friends, couples, old and young. Very comfortable surroundings. And our waitress was very friendly and kind. Would definitely go back! My parents are big fans.. they often get take out and have always been pleased with everything from the seafood to the steaks.. and they are picky! Thank you for a nice meal today!
(4)Ryan J.
If you are 90 years + this is the place for you... The dining room looks like it was ripped out of a nursing home... Residents included. We showed up at 8 and were told they would be closing soon and should eat in the pub... But they were out of prime rib... So we may want to come back another night.... In the pub we met Paula... She had the personality of a prison guard in a women's prison... Rough crude and robotic... She hated her job and it showed... The food was bland... But it was cheap... I won't be back till by 65th birthday !!! Ack
(1)Neil P.
Tuesday July 14. Prime rib night Haven't been here in about a year or so and was glad to see that they had updated the place. Not that it looks modern but, certainly cleaned up with nice booths and tables. This is a large function type place with a large pub on one side where we decided to eat. Two of us had prime rib. A generous portion but one was on the bone and the other was boneless. Looked like two entirely different pieces of meat. It was good though. The salads and veggies were average and the chowder was thick. Almost too thick. The French onion soup was amaZing. One of us got chicken broccoli and ziti which was really good. Warm apple crisp for desert rounded out the meal. Definitely a place to visit if you want a nice home cooked meal.
(4)Jaymee L.
Very good food ! Didn't like the salad or sides but the meat and potatoes were good! And can't beat the price of 64$ for 2 massive prime ribs
(3)Alicia S.
Well it does look like it belongs in a nursing home however I think they did a good job with the feel of history. Now let's get to the good part. I really enjoyed the rolls and everything that comes for free. The food is a little pricey but everyone was getting the roasted stuffed chicken which apparently was 9.99 on Wednesdays and looked amazing. I got the chicken broccoli ziti and my mom got the lobster. She loved her roll and I think it was the best chicken broccoli ziti I have had. I really like the chicken being lightly breaded and the sauce was amazing. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and would be back
(4)Larry G.
Bean Dip. Sharing. Lovely people. Specialty foods in adjacent shop. Keno. Date Night. Family Night. Any night. Century House. Go.
(4)Jared G.
Y do people say "our special is the prime rib" and then "we are all out of our prime rib" ? Y are u telling me if you are out of it?!? If I can't eat it then idc. OK?!
(2)Andrea G.
Am 53 (so not using a walker yet) & I Luv Luv Luv this place! I have been in the restaurant business for almost 40 yrs. & wouldn't even think of dining anywhere else, the Prime Rib is the BEST I've ever had & It beats anything in downtown BOSTON by a mile as does the service, Raff & Lauren work the room like no 2 other servers I've ever seen & I've seen some of the best! Also the hostesses have always & continue to be the most hospitable, no matter how bust they are! So forget driving into Boston & head on over to The Century House, you will not be sorry...All pro's, no con's..Price point, excellent service, (Raff & Lauren) atmosphere & let's not forget THE FOOD!!! My son got deployed to Afghanistan last yr. & we had 20 family members there for his going away party, & it went off w/o a glitch, everyone loved it! & that's amazing for my big Sicilian family...Infact just writing this has me wanting to go there for dinner tonight. Thank You Century House, I wouldn't change one thing... My family & I will always be back, again & again Angie G.
(5)Victoria R.
Went for breakfast yesterday food was okay nothing great needed more flavor. I think it couldve been hotter it was just warm
(4)Richard C.
Do you want to know where all of the old people went at the end of Cocoon? They came here! It's like every nursing home emptied out. The customers at Spud's are spry by comparison. Even the decor is assisted-living inspired. As is the menu. Think creamed, jellied, mashed,..no chewing required. Surprisingly, the prime rib, when you can get it, is good, and reasonably priced. Stick with the basic American fare, the international dishes are an adventure. Don't even think of getting a table between four and six! If you wait until a normal dinner time it thins out as the hordes return to the home for milk and cookies. The staff could use some training in having a personality as they tend to be rude, crass and indifferent. I assume that they'll be customers soon. A true deal is breakfast. Drive past IHOP and Denny's and come here. The patrons are younger, pleasant and ambulatory. The value is fantastic. A New England breakfast ( three eggs, three pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries and toast) for $8.99!!! Your great grandparents will love it ( the portions are large, they'll take home enough food for three lunches). It's not expensive and the food will keep your digestive track regular. What more could you ask?
(3)Vinny E.
I love this place. Great good. Great staff. Great atmosphere. At 49yo I like being one of the youngest people there.
(4)Patricia W.
I used to go years ago for twin baked stuffed lobster special for $12! Later in life for the Prime Rib, best around. More recently I've been once, and the food was great, but I had to request the bean relish, and the waitress took a while to warm up to us. I still enjoy the prime rib and all the fixings, and back in the day, their baked stuffed lobster was the best I've ever tasted.. If they had it now, I"m sure I couldn't afford it! The clientele is slightly older, but usually that's a sign of good food and good value, don't knock it!
(4)Frank P.
this place realy has gone down hill, food is terrible, plus the still have the worst waiters around
(1)Rachel W.
Hostess stand and wait staff are very abrupt and cold. Customer service is not a priority or even a thought here. Food is fine but you can find the same quality of food served with much better service anywhere else. I don't expect the red carpet treatment but don't refuse to talk to me and literally throw the check on the table without saying one word or without even making eye contact with anyone at our table. I feel this behavior is the norm here and is accepted by management. After many visits, my family, including my parents, in-laws, and siblings will not be back.
(1)J P.
Had family visiting and they loved the breakfast so much we ate here 3 times. All three times the servers were great. Tonight we had Jackie sweet, welcoming and attentive. I had the roast stuffed chicken breast and my honey the sole picatta both delicious. I highly recommend this place!!
(4)Chris C.
Had breakfast here today, and all I can say is meh. I ordered their New England country breakfast which consists of 3 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pieces of bacon, 3 pancakes, 2 pieces of toast, and a side of home fries. The food wasn't bad, I just didn't find it great. The service was decent, minus the person doing the coffee rounds. I swear, I saw her come halfway to my section, and then turn around like 4 different times. I don't know about everyone on yelp, but if I'm having coffee at a restaurant, I like my cup to never go below half full. I emptied my cup 2 different times. And it's hot, it's not like I'm chugging it. Anyhow... It was a Sunday morning, and there were a TON of church types there. Maybe that's why? The menu seemed really plain and uninspired as well. I had high hopes for this place since the front desk clerk at my hotel said "I know this great restaurant not far from here", but really? Great? Hardly. I'd call it mediocre.
(2)Jennifer M.
We have only been for breakfast. The food is good. Service is ok. Only serving breakfast until 11:00 am.
(3)Katie S.
I have no complaints, but wouldn't go back. The food and customer service are both mediocre. This is just a restaurant that isn't my style. It attracts a much older crowd and serves some odd food. Instead of receiving bread to snack on before we ordered, we were given packaged crackers with bean dip, some other dips, and sticky buns. I found this pretty interesting and disappointing. Not for me.
(3)Robert C.
Sat in the bar area where service was above average. Food was average at best (burgers,nachos, wings), just many other choices in area. Unless you enjoy cackling 70 year olds making fun of tattooed men, try somewhere else. This is a wax museum of old, withered and angry elderly people.
(3)Jamie Z.
The best hidden Jewel in town.. The atmosphere, food and especially bartenders are a home run.. Comfort food at its finest everything from the pecan rolls (you have to ask for these secret phenomenons) to stuffed mushroom apps, and special Prime rib on Tuesdays (get there early, or after the rush as there 2 bars are usually full) you really cannot go wrong. Wendy, Christina and other bartenders go above and beyond to get to know each and every person at the bar and I find myself sitting and eating not even realizing how many hours have passed. This is a great place and I highly recommend
(5)Jan A.
I went there today, 9/28/14 with 8 other family members, 2 of them sisters over 80 yrs. old, (one being my mother). Right from the beginning we had explained how the bill would be split & paid by 3 of us in the party. All was well & the food was good for those of us who got their meal. However, my mother & her sister both waited & waited & waited & waited for their meals to arrive. How awkward & pretty uncomfortable to have everyone eating except for the 2 senior citizens! By the time their meals arrived, the rest of us had finished eating our own! Then it was told to us that one of their order's were given away to another patron & the meal had to be made entirely again! Are you kidding me??? Well I went to some women who appeared to be in a management type position & told them the situation. I also asked that an adjustment be made to the bill that I would be paying. At first one of the women went to investigate what was going on. Then she came back & told me the 2 family members would receive free desert. I told them they would not want desert & I already knew this about my mother & aunt. So then she finally let me know the one meal that had to be completely re-ordered would not be charged for. I said thank you & walked away. But wait! That's not all! Another family member was given 2 receipts for her meal & both were of different prices, one being $20 more than the other. When it was brought to the waitress's attention, she had said my meal got charged to that family members credit card. So that had to be re-done. And...I was charged for an appetizer another family member had ordered. WTF??? All of us liked our waitress & we understand people can have off days. They made good on the food mistake, but 2 different errors in the billing just made everyone of their blunders unacceptable to me. So since this was the very 1st time I had ever been there, I quickly learned it would be the last time as well.
(2)Douglas C.
Had THE worst experience at Century House today. We had a waitress who never smiled and made us feel like we were bothering her. She never gave us the complimentary crackers and dip or the sticky buns. She tossed some plain rolls onto the table. She was stone faced the whole time and brought our meals right after the crackers arrived(another waitress brought those to us) I had the lobster pie which had a soupy butter laden clump of bread crumbs. The mashed potatoes were instant, luke warm, and had a puddle of water around it. The summer squash was cold. The best part of my meal was my ice water with lemon! Never again! Just completely horrible! And I paid $23.00 for that meal! Disgusting food and a waitress who would rather be in a firing squad than being there!!!
(1)Marleny G.
Really bad customer service. Had a very rude waitress here. I work at a hotel up the road and people at my job always recommended this place to people and I tried it out. Food was nothing special and service was terrible. Atmosphere is very outdated as well
(1)Meghan I.
Went here on New Years day and just missed brunch by 15 minutes. Decided since we were there we would just have lunch. Ordered the appetizer special that was a Buffalo Chicken flatbread. The pizza came out and looked like a microwave pizza they they threw chicken nuggets on top of. The servers seemed to be overwhelmed because she barely came by the table to refill drinks or see how we were doing. Most likely will not be going here again.
(1)Chris K.
This looked like it could be a good place. That's about it - it looks good. The space is cramped with low ceilings, and hard benches. It took about 15 minutes for the server to even acknowledge me, much less come over. She did get my coffee quickly, and the salad was served promptly. The dressing was typical of the type you buy in the grocery store. I ordered the pot roast, and asked for no potato. The dish didn't look as appetizing as the pot roast at Denny's, and lacked any specific flavor other than "fridge". The peas and carrots tasted like they had been frozen for about a month before added to the beef. The portion was not up to the price. The server brought the wrong check. This is only the second time I've left less than a 10% tip. Normally, I leave 20%. I don't think I'll come back.
(1)Jeff P.
So... This experience was far less than acceptable. Pretty convinced the server was brand new and didn't want to be there. She did get our first drink order ok. Nothing went right after that. After a few drinks we asked about apps (A couple salads, 2 chowders, and an order of mushrooms). She said "they are being cooked". Salads were gritty. When the main course was brought she and her runner tried to serve prime rib to a vegetarian. After main course came server stood in hallway and glared at us. This was 2 and a half hours of my life I can't get back. Truth be told the 1 star is because the restroom was clean. Crossing Century House off my list.
(1)Jane A.
I was trying not to write a negative view and I did reach out to management but my message was not returned. As other reviewers have stated, this restaurant is outdated and so is the service. The wait staff and hostesses are not friendly or even courteous. It seemed like our server wanted nothing to do with us. I wanted to order another beverage but she just walked away from the table while I was mid-sentence. She also literally tossed the check at the table and she never returned to collect it. We waited 20 minutes and gave up and flagged down a different server to pay. There are plenty of other breakfast places to go where the service is passable. Honestly, I wish we had gone to the Friendly's across the street instead.
(1)Michael H.
Giving this restaurant 1 star is not my choice. I would like to take stars away from them. How is this restaurant open? The food is atrocious. No flavor AT ALL. The service is slow. Hostess from the tavern decided to join the hostess in the main restaurant because she was hot...temperature wise that is. This restaurant is filthy. Are you getting the feeling I didn't like it? Took 35 mins to get a glass of water. Bet you're wondering why I stayed. My wonderful brother gave me a gift card. Needless to say I will never go back.
(1)Mindy L.
I wanted to like this place, but the whole experience put a rather sour taste in my mouth. My husband's parents drove down from Maine and chose this restaurant as the meeting place. We arrived at about 11:00 am and knew served breakfast until 11:30 am. When the hostess greeted us, she loudly asked if we were having breakfast or lunch. My husband's mom replied, "chances are - some will have breakfast, some will have lunch." Reasonable assumption. The hostess tells us, "No, it's one or the other." To which my confused father-in-law says, "Oh, does this relate to where you seat us?" The baffled hostess doesn't seem to understand that we are not getting what she is laying down...and she said, "Oh wait - you want both menus?" Well YES. Apparently the idea of "brunch" was completely lost here. Scoot forward to us being seated. The waitress comes round and says (again they all speak VERY loudly), "I understand you'll be ordering breakfast AND lunch..." What is the big deal about this? Moving on... My mother-in-law and I decided on breakfast and my father-in-law and husband ordered from the lunch menu. Our waitress takes the orders, fires them and then 5 minutes later...the hostess returns to our table to let us know that the lunch orders will have to wait because the kitchen can't make breakfast and lunch orders at the same time. Wait, what? First of all, my husband ordered a salad. No reason why that can't be whipped up. Second of all, if you have a griddle going for pancakes and french toast...why can't you make a burger on another section of the grill-top? You can offer steak and eggs for breakfast but you can't make a bloody burger? At that point, what were we to do? Our orders were in, the news of the wait for some of the food came after they had been fired so ... fine. My mother-in-law and I ate our food and then 20 minutes later, while we were done...sitting there...we watched our very hungry gents finally eat their food. To top it all off...my pancakes were rubber. The eggs were fine, the bacon was crispy and the sourdough bread was delicious. I can't say anything about the experience will have me returning and that totally bums me out because I am all about the mom & pop shops.
(2)Kate S.
Best French onion soup on the north shore. Great service. Outstanding food at a great price. Definitely a regular stop for us.
(5)Doug I.
Great meal. Great kids value. Great service. My expectations were low before coming here for a family birthday dinner. But this was a huge surprise. We had two kids in the group and their meals were $4.50 each which included a huge meal (full size burger, etc), drinks, and large ice cream sundae. My steak tips and potato were excellent. Everyone in our group was very pleased. What lets this place down is the old decor and atmosphere. This is like an old school New England institution like Hilltop or The Chateau. It's not like one of these startups that think they know everything. If they renovated and updated, but didn't changed the staff or service, this would be on everyone's radar.
(4)Jon C.
What is not to Love about the bar....full lottery, great drinks, the food I very consistent ant the staff is always friendly.
(5)Bill N.
WRETCHED !! Have dined here at least monthly for 30 years..Never Again!! New décor amplifies sound so I heard every nuance of the blabbermouth 2 tables over, staggered table height had me looking at belly of one neighbor who brought mouth down to food, my former favorite seafood plate now pre fried mix of stuck together muck, former slice of fish reduced to nuggets, asked 3 times for coffee, asked 3 times for bill, then waitress Paula insisted on clearing the table and dumping food on me rather than get the bill!!! When we got home, my wife became sick, an experience we know from experience inhabits failing places. Bad management, poor service, rotten food..will never last another century....count me out
(1)Grizz J.
Love the C-House. I have been going there for many years and have never had an issue with the food or the service. Best Drinks, Beer, Apps & Food. Go there a little later and most of the old folks will be home in bed. Thank God the A-holes that rate the place a 1 or 2 will never go there again; That way they won't ruin my night wining and crying.
(5)Bryan C.
Went for breakfast with my family. Our waitress was anything but hospitable. The sausage tasted like reheated jimmy deans, the peppers in the omelet were mushy and far from fresh. We asked about the strawberry sauce for the Belgium waffles and were told it was frozen and obviously not fresh. On the bright side, the home fries, which weren't homemade, were ok and the cinnamon butter was helpful. But overall the meal was no where near being worth the price we paid. Could have made a comparable meal at home for a fraction of the cost. Needless to say we won't be back.
(2)Nettie W.
Ordered French opinion soup big hunk of barely melted cheese on plate soup, was luke warm, appeared to be microwaved. Meal came with instant mashed potatoes and food was very bland! Had the look, feel and taste of a prepared frozen dinner. Very disappointed as have been there numerous times with excellent quality food.
(1)Melody N.
We have eaten here a few times for their prime rib special. If you want a glimpse of retired life in the North Shore, look no further than Century House where if you are under 50 years old you'll feel quite young! The prices are reasonable but I find that I need to salt and pepper my food quite a bit no matter what dish I get. Before dinner, they provide crackers and a couple of dips to go along with it and a big basket of rolls. The last time I was here I got Shepherd's pie where the mashed potatoes were smooth on top with a nice char to it but the meat underneath needed some serious flavor overhaul. The prime rib is a huge chunk of meat which comes with a potato side dish of your choice and vegetables or salad. It gets pretty crowded in there and service has usually been decent. Overall okay. I usually just go because my husband really likes the prime rib.
(3)DEBBIE A.
Less than a week ago, my friend ordered three take out dinners, one prime rib and two chicken cordon bleu meals. It was a few days after Christmas and just before New Years. Route 114 was bumper to bumper traffic, absolutely horrible and yes, worse than it usually is. She lives in Middleton and it took her close to 45 minutes to get there and it is usually only a ten to fifteen minute ride. Okay, so she calls in the order and goes to pick them up. She arrives at the Century House and was told by one gal that they were NOT ACCEPTING take out orders that night. Well, my friend looked at her like she had two heads because she told the gal that she placed the order more than 45 minutes ago. I think this made the lady working there quite angry. So after conversation, the lady told her she would put the order in... which should of been done at least an hour ago. So my friend goes out to her car to wait for awhile while this meal was allegedly being prepared for take-out. After twenty minutes or more, she goes inside and still there is nothing for her. One other employee told her she would run the order out to her when it was ready.... and she kept her word and did just that. My friend did give her a nice tip for being so courteous. The employee knew where to go because my friend told her that her car was right up front and she would be looking for her. Finally after another 45 minute drive home, she arrives with the food. Now remember, she was gone for close to three hours. She opens the bag and we were like... "WHERE IS THE REST OF THE DINNERS"? WHAT A DISGRACE AND EMBARRASSMENT TO SAY THE LEAST. YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! The prime rib was okay but not like we were used to getting at the Century House. The fries were ice cold and sort of on the greasy side. One dinky little salad was enclosed and one little dinner roll... not a pecan roll. NOTHING. The two rubber chicken dinners were cold and did not taste right. We both got the mashed potatoes. One dinner had cauliflower and the other should of had green beans but guess what, there was NOTHING THERE. Who seals a dinner with one of the tinfoil sections completely empty and allows it out the door? Neither of the chicken dinners got their salads and there was one dinner roll between the both of them. DISASTROUS! Well, it was cold, traffic was at a standstill, the gal at the Century House had an attitude that night, and everyone was starving. The last thing we wanted to do is call them and complain. So we gobbled up the morsels that we did get for about $75.00 and that was that.... plus the tip so now we are up around the $85.00 mark. None of us are big eaters but we ended up calling the Middleton House of Pizza for a pizza because the Century House gave us a totally despicable meal, to say the least. Last night on Saturday evening, January 4th I called the Century House and asked for the manager. The woman on the other end said she was the manager and I am afraid that I failed to get her name. I explained the entire situation for her and all she could say was "Oh gee, I'm sorry". Then she added "next time, go through the meal and make sure everything is there". I thought to myself, is she on the same page as me? Why would I take possession of my dinners, tear the bags apart in the middle of the waiting area, and start counting meals? Hello, get real lady! I was so shocked at her careless attitude that I mentioned... if every patron did that then they lack confidence in themselves and they are certainly incompetent to be working there. I was just blown away with her answers. Extremely unprofessional. Now, this lady said she remembered that night but we should of called right away and we should never had waited a few days. Well guess what, New Years was upon us and a two - three day blizzard was too. Sorry, but calling for two salads (rabbit food), the missing vegetables, and rolls were not on my mind at that time. The Epicurean Shoppe is frequented by me, my friends, and family all the time. For years and years now, we have also eaten at the restaurant too. I mentioned to the woman that I think she should make good to my friend for a disastrous night but she was adamant about parting with a penny. A very cold woman indeed and obviously doesn't have much of a heart. If she had common sense or was a professional business woman, she would of asked for my friends name and address and mailed her out a gift certificate immediately, if not sooner. Bottom line: THE NIGHT WAS RUINED and my friend was out over $100.00 because she also paid for the pizza too. SHAME ON THE CENTURY HOUSE.
(1)Amanda O.
This restaurant is incredible. I got the chicken and broccoli early bird special, and I was not disappointed. They start off your meal with crackers, bean dip, and a cottage cheese and chive dip. Next they bring out warm sticky buns, which were incredible. The early bird special came with a choice of a fruit cup, onion soup, or soup of the day, which was chicken noodle. I got the fruit cup, which was served in a tall ice cream dish topped with a scoop of raspberry sherbet. Delicious. The main course was also wonderful, but because I was so full I had to take most of it home. The butternut squash was fantastic. The early bird special also came with dessert. I got more of the raspberry sherbet. All in all, it was a great meal, and I will definitely be going back. The decor was tired and needs updating, which is the only reason why I am giving Century House 4 stars.
(4)Kevin S.
Great deal for money. Nice portions sizes, and they accommodating to substitution. Wait staff was nice both times I'v gone. Clean and cozy. Differently a Local kind of place. I would recommend the fillet mignon as it is a good value for what you get. (not a amazing fillet but a dam good steak"
(4)Marc B.
Since I work nearby, I stop in from time to time for lunch. Never really impressed. More for the convenience. Today, it was a rather poor visit. I chose to have a late lunch at the bar. I figured, how busy could it be at 3pm for lunch. Not very. It took the bartender about 10 minutes to recognize my presence. Finally, after serving my beverage, just a soft drink, she finally brought over the menu. Again, another wait for her to take my order. Nothing fancy, just a burger with feta cheese on top, cooked medium. Rather that put the feta cheese on the burger and have it melt slightly, it was served in a small paper cup on the side. Medium was more like well done. The bartender never came back to offer a re-fill on the soft drink until after I asked for the check.
(2)Jim M.
Good, homestyle breakfast with an old-fashioned vibe,
(3)Deb W.
My family and I visited The Century House for the first time yesterday (Father's Day). My main point is that the food was great and trumped the service luckily. The waitress we had yesterday was ATROCIOUS. For a good majority of the meal she was rude, snappy and rushed and only I think realized how her behavior was unacceptable towards the end of the meal as she tried to make jokes and be cheerful at that point. However in my opinion, she had already lost me. I would definitely go back here for the food but if I ever got seated with her again I would immediately request a different table. We sat down and were told the waitress would come back when all of our party had arrived which was fine. However when she did return she was rude and unaccommodating when it came to placing our drink order. My sister in law had asked for a drink to be modified and after much complaining and I don't know oh I'll have to see and hemming and hawwing she said she would check. Once she brought the drinks around we were waiting to see if rolls would be brought to our table as we had seen all the other tables around us receive. We did eventually get those. My mother in law and I both ordered Sangria and when we received our drinks and took a sip we knew there was more than just wine in our drink so we asked the waitress what was in it. Her reply oh I don't know I know there's wine in it and started to walk away while my mother in law was trying to ask her if she could please ask the bartender what was in it. She said she would but we'd have to give her some time because she was really really busy. (Which would be fine under normal circumstances but her tone of voice throughout our meal was unacceptable to say the least). It didn't get any better than that because when she came back quite a few minutes later and we asked if she had inquired about the Sangria she told us no she had been to busy. It was at that point we had to explain to her that it tasted as though there was a liquor in the sangria and we would like to know if that was indeed the case. At that point she agreed to go right to the bar and find out for us which was great and all but since when do customers have to explain why they are asking a question about a menu item? The ordering of dinner was also very frustrating because of her attitude. She was very rushed in taking our order and was visibly displease when we asked any kind of question about a food item. Luckily our food for the most part came out correctly. When it initially came out, my sister in laws side of squash and my fiance's mashed potatoes hadn't come out and the waitress was very frustrated when I tried to explain that to her. Overall I'm very disappointed at our first visit here. I had suggested it to celebrate fathers day with my in laws and it was quite an embarrassment to receive this kind of service. I do understand it was a holiday, it was busy and we were a party of 9 but I don't think that her frustration should have been taken out on our customers. Again I would definitely give Century House another shot because of the food quality but if I received the same service again I would definitely rule it out (However I don't think that would be the case as we saw all of the waitstaff for the surrounding tables being quite pleasant despite the day being busy).
(3)Mike F.
This is the best place for, drinks, apps, meals, and keno on the north shore!!!! Bartenders are the nicest ladies too!
(4)Rick W.
This is my first post on YELP. It was that bad, no it was HORRIBLE. First of all, we made a reservation...and had to wait while others without reservations were sat first. Then we get put into this 'back room' of about 20 tables and we were the only party...but there were booths and tables in the main dining room that we could have been seated at. Five minutes....ten minutes...no one comes to even greet us. The place was only 1/2 full! The first time I mentioned to a member of the wait-staff that no one had been to our table she looked at me like I had three heads or something and sulked off. Still no one came to our table. I walked up to another server a couple of minutes later and she whips around into the kitchen, yelling: "Who has table 21? Who has table 21?" We put on our coats, told the hostess the 10+ minute wait was unacceptable and that all the other parties sat after us already had service. She said: "Someone will be right over...". Totally unapologetic... We walked out. We eat out a lot and will NEVER, NEVER step foot into that place again!
(1)Michael F.
Best breakfast in town. I have been going to the century house for years. There dinner is top notch but breakfast steals the show. Everytime i go its homemade cornbeef hash nobody makes it better. Dont be fooled by pancakes other places Breakfast starts with eggs and meat and century house delivers.
(5)Tedward W.
Welp, went for breakfast at 2:30 pm or so. Unfortunately they weren't serving breakfast at that point, so I went for a burger and my lovely lady opted for a panini sammich. We also made a very good decision by ordering the potatoskins app. DO IT. Trust me. Eat those sexy tatos. Instead of the traditional way, it's like crispy potato wedgies with a cheesy bacon sauce you dip them in, and it was oh so F'ing good. We could have just had that for breakfast, but we had already ordered. The burger was perf. Everything about it was excellent, including the onion roll bun!!! I asked for medium well and it was cooked medwell right on the $$. Lovely Lady said her panini was most excellent as well, and the service was excellent, not too much not too little just right amount of attention, and she said the word 'good' a lot, which probably helps, I don't know! So yeah. it was also this dude Chet's 90th birthday, and they sang to him, and the bar was packed at 2:45pm , but we sat in a dining room that was very pleasant. Very clean place, Happy Customer. I wasn't expecting it to be that good either. Have a great day, don't do anything I wouldn't do.
(5)K G.
Stopped in here for breakfast one Saturday morning while waiting for my car to be serviced. I found it was a great value with a plate of eggs, bacon and toast and endless coffee running less than $10. It was very crowded and popular with retirees, so it had an old-fashioned ambiance to it. The unusual thing is if you are taller, watch your head as the ceilings are very low here.
(4)Yelp R.
Please let me state I have been going to this place for 30 yrs. The quality has really gone down hill to nursing home , pressed meat food and the service was horrible. Management unapologetic. We asked to be seated at a booth and were seated at a table. We asked for Jenny Lee as our waitress and got an inexperienced brunette. We usually tip our waitress (Jenny Lee $50 for excellent service). We ordered French Onion Soup and it was great. The chicken noodle soup however was put in a near flat soup bowl that was mostly spilled over the sides. We waited forever for our waitress to take our order for our main and had to ask for bread. We ordered Leg of Lamb from the specials menu for $15.95 pp Our waitress asked us how we would like it cooked. We thought we would be getting what the menu said...leg of lamb in a natural sauce. INSTEAD.... When we got the lamb, it was sliced wafer thin and there was barely a portion size on there and it drenched in gravy, not natural juices. The meat was not cooked to order and tasted like horrible cheap cafeteria food. It was obviously the rip off special. We complained to our waitress, who did not take it back. We complained to the manager. I asked for mine to be cooked medium and it was so dry the gross gravy could not even get it down my throat. My guest at his portion in 2.5 min, that is how LITTLE was on his plate. He got up and complained to the front desk...they did NOTHING. We paid our over $50 bill and left NO TIP. My worst dining experience and service experience there in 30 yrs. We will NOT be going back. For a restaurant that used to pride itself on service quality and excellent food, you have really slipped. Time for a new management team and cook. You need a restaurant rescue!
(1)Jack M.
We have had many really good experiences here, but on this past Tuesday we received a surprising underwhelming meal. On Tuesday nights, they offer the prime rib and two sides for 14.95 which used to be a good deal. However, they have removed the option of having a salad as one of your sides and will only give you one for an addition $2, along with sacrificing one of your sides. Prime ribs were all ordered either medium rare or medium and all of them came out around medium well. It was also really bland which surprised us. My grandfather and I split the Oreo cookie pie which was really good, and my dad and grandmother had the baked Alaska which they seemed to enjoy. However you come here for the steak, and on this night it wasn't good.
(3)Jess H.
Ugh. Bland food, no seasoning. The menu is just so predictable. Boring pasta and seafood dishes you can get out of any old restaurant. Darkly lit, and loud loud LOUD. TVs everywhere. Century House? Far from old fashioned. This is the place you take your kids and let them grow bored as you drink with friends you haven't seen since college. I will never return to this place.
(1)Ditch Q.
For those that complain about the ceilings and it being "old" . It seems old because it IS!! They tell people right on the menu that the restaurant used to be the house of the Royal Governor of Massachusetts! IT WAS BUILT in the 1700's! on the same site as the King Hooper Mansion. People pay high restaurant prices to sit in a historic building and your complaining .. Its amazing how people are so quick to tear down history in order to be more "hip" . Yes, this restaurant takes you back to a by gone time, when dining used to be an event. When you arrive and they seat you, they offer dips, crackers , and rolls (both regular and sticky buns) Back in the day , all restaurants offered crackers and accompaniments. I may not be part of the senior crowd, but I do remember when I was younger that this was the norm and not the exception. Yes, the meals are "comfort food" (Thank goodness) . I usually get the Chicken pot pie , (which is really good ) and in the winter I get the Egg Nog cocktail (To die for!) My husband loves their pasta and their Prime Rib. I stop at the shop on the way out and pick up the bean dip and shepherds pie. Yes, the crowd can be older at times, but that's because they remember what service used to be! This restaurant is also good for families, I have brought my 5 kids here , (of various ages) , several times (including infants) , and have never had an issue. I haven't had a problem with the noise, as others have mentioned. But I suspect that may be when they were in the bar , which seems to cater to the middle age crowd 30+ I glad the hipsters hate this place! Please Century House don't change a thing!!!
(5)Charlotte C.
Normally I like the CH. The food is pretty good and prices fair. The reason I'm writing today is I am still reeling from an incident I witnessed sitting at the bar with my husband. Usually, we sit in the restaurant as the bar seems to be very busy and loud. Ok, is this as awful as I think it is? A woman ordered Prime Rib. Bartender delivers it. Woman pokes the meat around as if she were looking for something, then calls the bartender over. She says, " I wanted a piece with a bone in it, can I give this back and exchange for one with a bone?" Bartender looks upset and says, "did you order it with a bone?" Woman says, "no." After a little back and forth, the woman says "I didn't touch it but I want one with a bone." Bartender says, "OK," and takes the plate away and brings her a new one. We overhear another patron ask the bartender if they throw meals away when they are sent back. Bartender says, "NO WE JUST SERVE IT TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER." WHAT?!?! I don't like wasting food either but come on. My husband had intended on ordering the prime rib but we were both pretty shocked and he just didn't want to chance that he'd get the same one that was just sent back. The news traveled quickly down the bar, as we could see people's faces in expressions of disgust. Update: Just called the health Department and they indicated that this is in fact a direct violation of code. Wow.
(2)Laura T.
I cannot believe all the negative reviews. This place is above most (if not all) in this area in this price range. The food is good. The prices are good. While you are waiting for your food you are served dinner rolls, pecan rolls, salad, crackers and dip.. Its is true that the crowd is older, if you go there for a late dinner its usually dead, so that's a plus! I've never had an issue. In fact, with only about 24 hour notice they were able to accommodate a reservation for me for a group of 20.
(4)Melinda M.
I don't mind eating with old people! In fact, I think that it should be considered a plus. They're quiet, they don't bring in little brats that run around the place like animals, and they could care less what you're wearing or that you're stuffing your face. I agree, this place is for "townies," but that's exactly what I wanted when I decided to leave Boston and drive out to the 'burbs. There are plenty of places around here to get all dolled up and be surrounded by a younger crowd. Sometimes, I just want to eat good old fashioned comfort food, and this is where I go. I've always had friendly waitstaff and I've always been satisfied with the quality of the food. They start you off with crackers and cottage cheese and a yummy bean coleslaw tasting dip. Then come the rolls and the super satisfying sticky buns. Next, the salad is fresh and crispy. Tonight I had the London Broil and it was perfect! They have root beer floats! The prices are in the teens but they give you a ton of food so I don't think that's unreasonable. Sure, it kind of looks like you're in a retirement home, but you're in Peabody not the back bay! No frills, just good eating!
(4)Geoff M.
This place is for the over 80 crowd. The decor, diners and menu all prove it out. I think they use canned green beans, too.
(1)Brittani A.
Based on breakfast only. Now I hear this is a pretty good place for dinner, but they can't do breakfast! This was the most bland food I've ever had but I suppose that's how the old people like it. The home fries were essentially french fries. The hollandaise sauce was extremely ordinary. My grandmother ordered bacon and never got any. They do have belgian waffles with strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream which is the kids love. $2.25 for a cup of coffee, not even in a mug but in a teacup?! What a ripoff! Otherwise the prices aren't too bad, but the servings were smaller than a diner's and more expensive.
(1)Dan L.
their Chicken Pie from the Epicurean Shop...excellent...with a side of stuffing.....and always have an excellent meal, for 40 years.
(5)Topher D.
There's 2 reasons to go to the Century House - 1 is people watching - go in the dining room, its freaking hilarious and makes you feel young - 2 is the baked stuffed shrimp - its to die for (esp. on Monday nights) also the complementary cheese and crackers is up my alley - did have a bad experience one night in the Tavern with not being able to get a bartender's attention, but it was super busy, so I give them a mulligan there
(3)Bill U.
Traditional American fare, at a great price. Get there early, because the lines at this place are as legendary as the building. Rare is it that I critique anyone else's review, but I find it wholly offensive that others will discount this restaurant because of the senior clientele that frequent it. I am still haven't passed the thirty mark myself, but I see nothing wrong with dining people named John and Ethel. No it's not hip and trendy, but if you were expecting that, apparently you did not catch the name of this place. And with all due respect to vegetarians, people who limit their cuisine to one food group should not expect much out of a meat and potatoes kind of place. Go for brunch on Sunday (early!) and look for specials like the lobster eggs benedict. Coffee never stops flowing, and food is always ample.
(4)Casey M.
1. I'm over 65 - - AND - - every time I go in there, I'm the YOUNGEST person in the room. - - hence, the name, CENTURY HOUSE ??? 2. ONLY place I know you can get good PRIME RIB for BREAKFAST.
(5)Hans R.
Ok, it is true that there are allot of retired people who eat here. That is because they know the food is better than Sylvan or Legals down the street. The parking lot is full of door dinging Lincolns just like the Continental or Angelica' s. Went here for lunch once and ate at the bar. The mixed drinks I saw them making looked very strong and large. The dinner is excellent. Prime rib is good, seafood is good. recommend the scallops is bacon for appetizer. Had breakfast once and it was very good too, broccoli and cheese omelet and home fries was like home cooking. Yes the floors are like ramps, either the building was there before 114 or they tried to make some wheelchair access, maybe both. Good food and service
(4)jenilee p.
it's old. it's clientele has probably been visiting since...johnny pesky made his mark. it's value, comfort food. a crock of french onion soup, a slab of prime rib complete with au jus, a little side of butter-rich whipped potatoes, and don't forget the grapenut pudding. waitresses are not without attitude and sass, but as i've experienced it, the good kind. a thick accent, and a talent for carrying 10 plates at a time, remarking about the cold weather. if you want to experience "townie" new england, then this place is wonderful. you just have to take it as it is, be prepared to get a huge meal for a decent price, and...well... i wouldn't order the salad. if you want exotic ingredients, intricate presentation, and a hip crowd, this is not the place for you. but if you're if you're from a fall river, a new bedford, a lawrence, a danvers, a metheun, you might just get a welcome, familiar taste of a night out with the fam.
(4)Michael C.
I like the century house but I can only speak for their breakfast. The staff is always friendly, the food comes out quick, and it is consistent. It's not great but like I said it's consistent. I've never had a bad breakfast here. I have heard the dinner crowd is one of the blue haired variety so being in my 20's I haven't sampled any items from that particular menu.
(3)Dave B.
The names says it all. The Century House has been around for a long time. I do however think the building (the low ceilings & architecture) is not as old as it seems and actually was designed to look older than it is. That being said I would agree with the other Yelper's that the average age of the diners here exceed 70 years old. We found ourselves dining here way too early on a Sunday. 12:00 noon to be exact. Long story short we were looking for a late breakfast or brunch. Turns out they stop serving breakfast at 11:00 & they don't offer a brunch. Dining here any time before 7:00 pm is like dining in a hall at a retirement castle. There were people in wheel chairs & some on oxygen. But these people know how to eat. The food here has always been and continues to be very good. The selection and the portions are large and the prices are very reasonable. You can eat in the formal dining room, the "Linden" tavern or if you could actually find a bar stool without a regular sitting on it you could hit the bar. You'll wait for a table at dinner time & the parking lot is set up rather oddly. If your over 6 feet tall don't stand up to fast or you might hit your head on the ceiling. Always clean & almost classy, you can't beat it for what you pay for vs. what you get.
(4)Steve N.
God's waiting room.
(2)Missus F.
this place is kind of for old people. i've had good plates in here and i've had sub par plates here, but i must say that THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD QUITE LIKE THE CHEESE SAUCE FOR THE POTATO SKINS. just go get some. you'll know.
(3)Zoe L.
good place for seniors- nonthreatening flavors, but something for everyone. the early bird special seems to be a big hit, so the place was packed until 6:00, when it ended. entrees seem to be mostly in the $12-16 range. we had a roast duckling, chicken parm, and blackened scrod, all of which came w/salad + form of potato (baked, mashed, delmonaco (sp?), fries). this is in addition to the warm rolls (buttermilk AND cinnamon walnut) and crackers (melba toast, sesame sticks) that they brought out beforehand. a LOT of food. we had a fabulous server who was willing to accommodate all of our food pickiness. lots of tables (most of which were occupied); low ceilings. great non-chain option in a land crammed with chain restaurants.
(3)Stephen B.
hello to all who enjoy great american comfort food . if this is what you seek ,then look no further than the cenutry house . i have only gone. twice in the past 2 years, but each time just gets better ! my girlfriend is from peabody, and introduced it to me on a whim . the food is exceptional , very laid back atmosphere and comfortable.our most recent visit was nothing short of a great dining experience, she loves the french onion soup and the prime rib , myself, had the baked stuffed haddock and steaktips respectivley . our watress lisa was a sheer delight ,and catering to our every need ! you know how stupid people are , and talk about the clientle as " old people " well, i can only be lucky enough to be a blue hair enjoying great food at resonable prices for years to come. keep up the great work guys i will be back soon . p.s. i will make it a point to get there before the epicurian shop closes , as i want to take home a gallon of the famous bean dip .
(5)Cindy C.
Don't bother! The only reason we go here is that we have family who has gotten breakfast here for generations. There is no way we'd go for lunch or dinner - there are much better options (the new Grassfields or any of the restaurants at the mall (except PF changs- not a fan). Pellanas steakhouse is also expensive but wonderful!). The atmosphere is old and shabby, the food is sub-par, and God forbid you need a straw in your drink the waitstaff will place their fingers all over it before it goes into your liquid since the straws don't have wrappers! Breakfast ends at 11 (or 10:59 depending on what they feel like), and the red-haired shrew at the front desk makes no exceptions even for regulars. We usually go around 10, but I've been a handful of times right before or at the 11 cutoff and been turned away. One time, I had family in town for the weekend with whom we used to go but had since moved away, and we arrived exactly at 11, and they had already stopped serving breakfast. We asked politely if they could squeeze in one more but the witch wouldn't budge. Mind you, this is not just us, this happens to everyone. We tip well and know the waitresses by name due to generations of going there. As a result, I wouldn't even call this a family place, since there is nothing friendly or endearing about it except for the people that you may go with. There are now much better options nearby for breakfast such as Sunday brunch at Joes or Cheesecake Factory. So, unless you have a dear old granny who remembers this place fondly, go elsewhere!
(2)Michael F.
Best breakfast in town. I have been going to the century house for years. There dinner is top notch but breakfast steals the show. Everytime i go its homemade cornbeef hash nobody makes it better. Dont be fooled by pancakes other places Breakfast starts with eggs and meat and century house delivers.
(5)Jess H.
Ugh. Bland food, no seasoning. The menu is just so predictable. Boring pasta and seafood dishes you can get out of any old restaurant. Darkly lit, and loud loud LOUD. TVs everywhere. Century House? Far from old fashioned. This is the place you take your kids and let them grow bored as you drink with friends you haven't seen since college. I will never return to this place.
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