Brookline food guide: Coolidge Corner and Washington Square

Brookline is a town, not a Boston neighborhood, although a map shows it almost entirely surrounded by the city. It has its own government, its own schools and, for diners, two distinct centers: Coolidge Corner and Washington Square. Both are on the Green Line and both have a mix of delis, bakeries, cafes and neighborhood restaurants that residents use every day. Each center has its own character, and planning a visit around it pays off.

What is Coolidge Corner like for eating?

Coolidge Corner is the larger of the two, built around the crossing of Beacon Street and Harvard Street. It is a commercial hub with many restaurants, delis, coffee shops and small shops, and the town has long been home to a large Jewish community whose delis, bakeries and specialty food shops shape the street. You will also find Mexican taquerias, Asian restaurants, sandwich counters and ice cream shops within a few blocks. It is busy at lunch and on weekend evenings, and walkable from the Coolidge Corner stop on the Green Line C branch.

What about Washington Square?

Washington Square is a smaller crossroads where Beacon Street meets Washington Street, on the C branch too. It has a quieter mix of neighborhood restaurants, a tavern, a Greek restaurant, cafes and bakeries. It suits a calm dinner or a weekend coffee. Parking is easier than in Coolidge Corner, but the dining rooms are small, so book where you can.

Is there a farmers market in Brookline?

The Brookline Farmers Market runs in the warm months in a parking lot off Centre Street. Dates and times change from year to year, so check the town's page. The market sells produce, eggs, baked goods and seafood from regional growers and fishers.

How do you get to Brookline?

The Green Line C branch serves Coolidge Corner and Washington Square, the D branch runs through the south of town and the B branch touches the north edge. From downtown Boston, a Green Line ride is a short trip. By car, parking is by permit in many residential streets, and the commercial streets use meters with time limits. Read signs carefully, because Brookline enforces them.

What is Marathon Monday in Brookline?

The Boston Marathon route runs along Beacon Street through Coolidge Corner on Patriots' Day in April. Streets close, crowds line the course and many restaurants open early or run limited menus. If you want a table on that day, plan well ahead. The following Tuesday is back to normal.

What kinds of food can you find?

• Deli classics: pastrami, matzo ball soup, bagels with lox, babka, rugelach.
• Greek lamb dishes and breads in the Washington Square area.
• Baja-style fish tacos and other Mexican cooking.
• Coffee and pastry at neighborhood cafes.
• Small-plate restaurants and tavern menus for dinner.
• Kosher bakeries and shops. If you need kosher food, ask each business about its certification.

When is Brookline busiest?

Weekend brunch and Friday and Saturday dinners. Before and after Red Sox games, cafes near the Green Line fill. Students from nearby universities add traffic during the school year. Midday on weekdays is quieter, though lunch counters near Harvard Street still fill at noon.

What if you eat vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free?

Brookline has long catered to varied diets, and most menus mark options. Ask about cross-contact if you have an allergy. Delis can be tricky for gluten because bread and flour are in every part of the kitchen.

What is the best way to spend an afternoon in Brookline?

Start with coffee and a pastry in Coolidge Corner, then browse a bookstore or a shop. Walk down Harvard Street to the shops, pick up a loaf of bread or a bag of bagels, and take the Green Line to Washington Square for a late lunch. If the weather is fine, a nearby park is a good place to eat a picnic. Brookline is compact, so you can cover both centers on foot or by train in half a day. Leave time between stops for a slow walk, since the best finds in a town like this are often a block off the main street. A small bakery, a corner market or a quiet cafe often turns out to be the part of the day that you remember best, and none of them needs a reservation.

Is Brookline expensive?

Prices are close to Boston's, and the town is one of the pricier in Massachusetts. Lunch counters and delis are the cheapest way in, and a sandwich and a drink is a modest meal. Dinner at a neighborhood restaurant costs more, and a restaurant in Washington Square may have a short menu and small tables. Remember that Massachusetts adds a meals tax to the check, and a tip is customary at sit-down restaurants.

How do you remember what you liked?

A walk between two squares gives you plenty to compare. Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. Rate each pastrami sandwich and each bakery pastry, and Mosey tells you which corner to head to first next time. A tag such as Deli or Bakery on your favorites makes the list easy to share.

More guides to read next:

• Lowell, MA food guide: Cambodian restaurants and the Folk Festival
• New Bedford food guide: Portuguese cooking, scallops and the Feast
• Northampton and Amherst food guide: farmers markets and farms

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