AFH ART//KITAUNA PARKER
Everybody loves good food. Even more so, everybody loves good, affordable food, so I set out to find three of the best affordable restaurants in Boston.
Mama’s Place, 764 Huntington Avenue, Mission Hill
Mama’s Place offers traditional Greek cuisine along with burgers and seafood. Upon entering Mama’s with Nattalie Gualdron, a sophomore at Noble and Greenough School, I immediately noticed the cozy ambiance. Customers were chatting happily and enjoying their food, and the cashiers were very warm and welcoming. Mama’s is a very small restaurant, however, so for bigger groups it may be best to order takeout.
I chose a BBQ burger, with pepper jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon and caramelized onions on a lightly toasted bun, plus fries and a drink for $13. Nattalie got a shaved sirloin steak and melted cheese sub, plus a drink for about $11. In addition to being affordable, the food was delicious! Everything was well prepared and we left Mama’s full and satisfied.
Saus, 33 Union Street, Downtown
Saus is known for offering Belgian-style fries, beer and 15 different sauce options. Sandwiches, salads, and Belgian waffles are also on the menu. Uche Ogbue, an 8th grade student at the Winsor School, visited with me.
Upon arrival, I was hit by just how small Saus is. Very little seating is available and the front of the restaurant quickly became crowded. That aside, I did find the decor of Saus to be very aesthetically pleasing; Uche described it as cozy.
I ordered a Liege waffle with Biscoff cookie spread and a big side of fries for a total $13. Uche ordered a Liege waffle with dark chocolate hazelnut sauce along with two diet cokes for $11. The wait for the food was not very long, only about 15 minutes.
The fries were definitely the highlight of the meal. Though I ordered them with curry ketchup, I often found myself eating them plain because they were good enough on their own. Uche and I agreed that these were some of the best fries we had ever eaten. I enjoyed my waffle, but Uche found the texture too dense and “bready.”
Overall, Uche and I both left Saus satisfied with our meals. We will definitely be back in the future for more.
Laughing Monk Cafe, 737 Huntington Avenue, Mission Hill
I visited Laughing Monk Cafe, which specializes in Thai cuisine and sushi, with Ify Ogbue, a student at Milestones Day School. The interior of the cafe is large and very minimal with black furniture and some exposed brick wall. Less than a minute after we walked in, we were seated. Our waiter was friendly and always doing his best to attend to our needs.
Ify and I ordered the same thing: pineapple fried rice and a can of soda for $15 each. During our brief wait for the food, we both noted the good music selection playing in the cafe, enhancing our already great experience.
The pineapple fried rice was absolutely delicious. I particularly enjoyed the contrast of the sweet pineapple with the savory rice and vegetables. Our meals proved to be very filling. By the end of our visit, Ify and I had both decided we would like to visit Laughing Monk Cafe in the future.