Bear Hill Cafe & Deli

Plain and simple… I just won’t go back. How can my Italian get soggy from their counter to my car out front? Had a tangy taste as well.

This location is no longer open. But Bear Hill Deli too, down the road has the same food and staff. This location is now the break room for the vet located in the same building.

Having recently moved offices, I now work .4 miles away from this Café & Deli and occasionally go there for lunch if I feel like a quick drive and not having go further into Waltham.
The place is modest and yet is one of the few lunch spots around that isn’t a chain like Uno’s or Bertucci’s. Surprising really considering the number of office parks in the area. Parking is very easy to find there, either on the side street adjacent to it, or across the street in the big lot. Upon entering, you will proceed to walk down a small ramp and face the wall that has the entire menu listed on it.
The line moves very quickly and on my few trips there so far, I’ve had sandwiches and salads, and each have been solid meals. No frills, nothing amazing, but good and reliable, and… best of all, affordable. They have a bunch of seating inside and accept credit cards.
Along with their sandwiches and salads, they also have daily specials which range from chicken ziti to egg, ham and cheese sandwiches. Overall the place is close-​by and reliable, and sure tastes a lot better than CostCos pizza!

I’ve driven by this place for years, I used to live nearby. I didn’t try it until today, however. It’s pretty basic/​cafeteria style: I ordered rice and beans with veggies, and got exactly that: a scoop of rice, a scoop of beans, and a scoop of veggies.
That said, I paid FOUR dollars for it, which is less than most meals at say, McDonald’s. A meal that’s pretty healthy (though mildly flavored, hot sauce helped) no less. The veggies were well cooked. It was also big enough portion that I couldn’t finish it, even after cycling for a few hours. There seemed to be more sophisticated food options there as well for omnivores and vegetarians. I didn’t look too carefully for vegan stuff after I saw the rice and beans on the board.
I must say the atmosphere was kind of old school diner meets your high school cafeteria. Not bad, though. I’ll be back.

Considering that, like other reviewers have said, there’s a huge lack of options on Bear Hill Road in Waltham, ths place is pretty average. You won’t find any exotic ingredients or options here, but the basics they are provide are decent. I’ve never eaten inside the place because it just looks like someone’s basement, but I’ve taken my food to go and have ordered platters for lunch meetings and it’s been fine.
The owner is really flexible as far as providing other options too. We tried to start a «Healthy Day» at our office and the owner came up with several affordable options for people to choose from. Of course, they don’t deliver, so someone has to run out and pick it up, but hey, what else could you want for the money?

I have been frequenting the Bear Hill Café for about three years now. Not because the food is amazing but mainly due to what the other reviewers have said… there is nothing else on Bear Hill Rd besides Unos!
As stated, the food isn’t great but it isn’t terrible either. They make some pretty good sandwiches but their breakfast may be the best thing they offer. I definitely suggest getting a ham, egg and cheese on an English muffin. The cheese is always perfectly melted.
The staff is very friendly and I am pretty sure Joe knows everyone by name or at least face. It does get busy during lunch but if you don’t want to wait you can call ahead and they will have your order ready for you.

Jeff S.‘s comment about the commercial/​industrial ghetto of Waltham is all too true! Bear Hill Café is located on a street of random office building after random warehouse, a sea of nothingness! There is no where for the working crowd to eat at but Uno’s or Bear Hill Café. Considering how boring Uno’s can be, it is nice to have another option, however…
The décor leads you to feel like you are dining in your guy friend’s garage, decorated with knick knacks and sports memorabilia. The menu offers basic breakfast sandwiches and home fries, which I like. The muffins and baked goods are alright. Each day they offer a new kind of hot meal for lunch, kind of like the cafeteria in high school. They also have subs, which are OK. The parking situation is also hillarious, you must use your parkign break to keep your car from rolling on to Bear Hill Road. On the up side the staff is very friendly and I like to try to support a local business. It is also cheap!
Really, now that I think of it… Bear Hill Café is basically a high school cafeteria for adults!

I miss this place. I used to work down the street from the Bear Hill Café. They had the best Chicken Ziti and Broccoli. The Thanksgiving Day wraps were great too. The cost was really cheap and the portions were always huge. I often go back when I am on vacation.

Not great, but decent in a pinch. Domenic’s is my one true love for my Waltham sandwich needs, but if I’m in a rush or want to save a few bucks, Bear Hill Café is fine. I definitely prefer it to Uno’s, though.

This café is located in the commercial/​industrial ghetto in Waltham on Bear Hill Road, up past the Home Depot and Costco. There’s a few choices to eat nearby, but Bear Hill offers the soup and sandwich crowd a cheaper and healthier alternative to the 2,000 calorie pizza offerings of the Unos down the street. «Healthy» is of course subjective, as there are mostly subs and such here: you could drown yourself in chicken parm and high-​fat meatballs. There are some good wraps here, greek and veggie and whatnot, but the whatnot and the rest is just average. Nice bread on the subs. Good daily soup offerings. Parking isn’t great and the place is mobbed from noon to 2 on weekdays. Still, it beats anything else around if you’re too lazy to drive to downtown Waltham for a lunch break.