It seems that some restaurants are just perfect for lazy Sunday mornings; indeed, people search far and wide for friendly little breakfast places where they can read the newspaper over a plate of eggs and cup of coffee while hanging out with friends or family. For those who live near South Braintree, people have not one, but two good choices for breakfast spots: The Olympian Diner on Hancock Street and Ashley's on Washington Street (which is a couple of hundred feet away from the Olympian). And while both have been featured on this site, the focus of this review--Ashley's--may be the better choice if you are a bit more pressed for time.
Ashley's looks tiny from the outside, but it is a bit larger than you might expect, as tables extend pretty far back into the building where Ashley's is housed. Because of this, as well as the quick service, the lines to get in are rarely lengthy in this here. But the people who work at Ashley's don't tend to rush people out of the restaurant as so many places tend to do, so if you want to read the paper (especially at one of the seats along the counter) while you are having breakfast, it is no big deal. If you are in a rush, however, service at Ashley's is almost impossibly quick, with meals often coming to people's tables within 5 minutes of their order.
The breakfast menu at Ashley's is quite extensive, with a variety of omelets offered along with French toast (including a Bavarian French toast with cream wedged between the slices), pancakes, waffles, poached eggs, and breakfast sandwiches. The combination breakfast plates here include all the standards (eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, toast), with options such as the hearty skillet plate coming with a mixture of cheese, tomatoes, bacon, and home fries, with eggs and toast served on the side. Lunch items include soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes, along with chicken pot pie, fish and chips, and liver and onions.
In the past, it seemed that nearly every town center had a place like Ashley's; a neighborhood restaurant that people could depend on day in and day out. With huge shopping centers continuing to change the landscape, however, fewer and fewer of these places seem to exist. But Ashley's bucks this trend, and continues to thrive, for which people in this close-knit South Shore neighborhood should be thankful; Ashley's is indeed a vital part of the area, and one that many will continue to frequent on those slow, lazy Sunday mornings.
Copyright © 2004-2018, Boston's Hidden Restaurants (www.hiddenboston.com).