The Friendly Toast

It’s hard to believe a relative upstart in the usually desolate-on-weekends One Kendall complex could wrest the brunch crown from the tonier, restaurant-dense South End. But THE FRIENDLY TOAST’s Cambridge outpost has quickly built the same devoted following as its Portsmouth, New Hampshire, parent. Its secret? A terrific diner breakfast and lunch menu, strong drinks both caffeinated and alcoholic, and eclectic décor built on cheeky mid-century kitsch. (The all-day appeal of that same menu helped make the Toast the Phoenix readers’ choice for the best new restaurant, too.)

THE FRIENDLY TOAST | One Kendall Square, Cambridge | 617.621.1200 | thefriendlytoast.net