Hungry Boston: The Paramount

The most important meal of the day, breakfast! Boston is filled with diners which is awesome, home cooked small dive establishments pop up all the time. After doing some research it seems there was one spot that really resonated downtown and it's The Paramount. Identified as "Cafeteria" style dining, Paramount specializes in Breakfast and Brunch however they also provide some unique lunch items. I went with the Mrs. early in the morning (7AMish) and there wasn't much of a line or anything but apparently they get swamped on weekends and during peak hours. Anyways I'm glad there wasn't any wraparound line or fighting for a seat because the inside is kind of small.

Unfortunately or fortunately however you want to look at it, the location is in Beacon Hill on Charles St. It's good for people in the area or commuters but if you have a car, good luck trying to get a decent parking spot anywhere close in the morning. The restaurant itself is small and quaint which is nice because it can be more intimate but it's also a downfall because when they get busy the customers will be on top of each other. Overall it's very clean and the layout isn't too bad so they do fine in these categories, nothing special.

Well lets go over some ground rules, if it's busy then there's a sign that clearly explains the process of seating. First and foremost you have to enter the line, no seat saving everyone in your party must be in line. Once there you order your food and wait for it to be cooked in the open kitchen, once you receive your food then and only then can you try to find a seat hence "Cafeteria" style. Like I said I didn't have to experience that (thank God) however there have been numerous posts of people trying to sit down first and being instructed that it's not allowed. If you can avoid this kind of experience then I suggest you do, to me that whole process sounds kind of hectic and not enjoyable although there are those who will swear it's not so bad. Most of the patrons are wealthy locals or businessmen so don't expect a hip young vibe.

Onto the goods, the food. Pictures of breakfast food always seems to look nicer, I blame the colorful fruit and the natural morning light. So does it taste as good as it looks? Honestly, I would say no but take that with a grain of salt because my idea of breakfast is meat and eggs. I chose not to get meat and eggs here because eggs are eggs and breakfast meats are breakfast meats, it doesn't matter how you dress it up it's not that special. Anyways their specialties fell on pancakes and french toast so of course we had to try it! The pancakes and french toast were indeed good but nothing exceptional, I'm sure other people who love this kind of thing will disagree with me but I just wasn't wowed. I liked the turkey sausage it was interesting but I prefer bacon or corned beef hash any day.

So overall would I go back? Not unless it was a special occasion, the location, price, and inconvenience outweigh the experience and food. (Price wise it was about 30-40$ for food and drinks for two)

Now don't get the wrong idea, it's worth the try for sure because some people seem to praise it but as I said breakfast doesn't excite me enough to go out of my way. The long lines and constant business do speak for itself so don't think that this establishment isn't good by any means either. I guess I'm just a strange non-breakfast person. I go out of my way to try these restaurants in hopes that one will change my mind about breakfast, however as of yet the only breakfast items that I've found to be revolutionary were from "Bruxie" and "Roscoe's Chicken" both located in California.

Score: We Liked It! (7/10)