For upward of 20 years, The Friendly Toast has been a comfort food hangout in the heart of Portsmouth, plating up pancakes and eggs with buttery bread to loyal followers whose appetites often were piqued by a wait to get in. The restaurant later added a Cambridge location, and, after being purchased by local restaurateurs in 2013, has now brought its combination of eclectic décor and tasty food to the Burlington Mall.
The Friendly Toast catches your eye with vintage kitsch that ranges from the odd – a selection of dog paintings covers one wall in Burlington—to the welcome-y nostalgic, such as Storyland stickers and cutouts from classic children’s stories. The red and green pleather booths and retro style tables make hanging out with friends seem natural, and with seating for 120 the restaurant isn’t too big as to be overwhelming.
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Probably best known for its all-day breakfast offerings (can you say cheesecake French toast?), “The Toast,” as devotees call it, also offers lunch and dinner. The Burlington menu has the same standards as the other locations, as well as specials that chef Jarred Bailey, who helped open the chain’s other recent location in the Back Bay, and previously manned the kitchen for Polcari’s, and his staff craft for Burlington only.
Seeking a breakfast-lunch combo? Try the chicken and waffles, served on a bed of mashed chipotle sweet potatoes with layers of Belgium fluffy waffle wedges, bacon and fried chicken tenders then topped with house-made hot honey, maple sour cream and scallions. A menu surprise is the “But I Won’t do Mac” – just one of the meatloaf-pun items available on the menu. Here, the meatloaf is combined with mac and cheese and finished with garlicky greens, crisped onions, and a Sriracha glaze. Avoiding dairy? Go for the vegan mac, a dish that takes an intense amount of preparation to make sure the vegan cashew sauce evokes the classic cheesiness of mac and cheese.
Don’t overlook the Falafel Wraptor. Like everything else at the restaurant, the falafels are made in house, and presented in a classic wrap combo of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, pickle, red onion, and tahini dressing, plus Sriracha if you like a bit of heat.
The Burlington location also has a full liquor license, which owners Eric Goodwin and Scott Pulver see as a way to get people a reason to drop in any time of day. The duo bought the Friendly Toast in 2013 and are expanding the chain with an eye toward replicating the locally sourced, house-made food without eroding the originality of the Toast.
“Our entire team here at The Friendly Toast embraces the unique elements of the restaurant … and our top priority is making sure every guest walks away with a memorable ‘Toast’ experience,” says Goodwin, in an email.