Bess's Cafe

We've ordered takeout from here a few times now and our favorites are the dan dan noodles, crispy chicken wrap and beef noodle soup. The slices of beef are just the right amount and they are tender without being too fatty or overly veiny. The food is consistently delicious and piping hot upon timely pickup. Their ingredients are fresh and flavorful without being overly salty. We've also tried their steamed dumplings and they taste just like homemade dumplings but note that they have a very light flavor profile.

Service is neutral. We seated ourselves and he handed us a tray and we took it back to the table. It's up to you if that would be an issue.The interior was smaller than expected. Definitely a hole in the wall type of place.Beef roll: I really liked it and would order it again. The beef wasn't too dry and you can't go wrong with hoisin sauce.Dan Dan noodles: very flavorful and yummy Spicy wontons: other than it really not being spicy, i thought it was great and really flavorful. Pork belly noodles: nothing special but it was good.

10/10 recommend! In Brookline hillls for a month for business, and the price was so affordable and food was so good. I definitely recommend the scallion pancake wrap as a good snack or meal. Fast service and great taste!

No indoor seating as still in full COVID mode still with just take out. Shrimp dumplings ok; nothing to write home to Mom about. Not much flavor .I guess a neighborhood spot and looks good for takeout.

Maybe other items are pretty good... the beef noodle soup.. soup itself it pure soy sauce... super salty... you can't call it a noodle soup when you can't even drink the soup... the chicken dumplings with sichuan sauce is ok, nothing wrong and nothing special.. taste ok.

Bess's Cafe is a hidden gem. The Jiang-Nan style noodles and small plates all give me extreme nostalgia with every dish giving off a homemade/homecooked authentic taste. Ugh, it was all divine.To start The Boy and I got the Cucumber Salad and Pork & Chive Dumplings. Loved the cucumber salad - seasoned perfectly, not missing a single flavor. The Dumplings are steamed and for $6 you get about 8 sizable dumplings (not stringy small ones that some restaurants give).I got the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup for my entree. It definitely was not spicy but I still enjoyed the sweet, savory broth - yes their beef noodle soup broth leans toward the sweet side. The soft-boiled egg was perfect and I felt it came with plenty of beef slices. I had no problem with the $12 price point of this bowl.The Boy ordered the Crispy Chicken Scallion Pancake Wrap for his main and he absolutely loved it. The pancake was crisped to perfection and the chicken equally crispy! He ate this in a jiffy.At the end of the day it was ~$32 for the two of us which I would happily pay again.

My friend and I went here recently for dinner. It was a small place with about 6 tables. We ordered the pork & chive dumplings, crispy chicken steamed buns, crispy scallion pancake beef wrap, and dan dan noodles. The crispy chicken steamed buns came in a set of 2. They were really delicious and the chicken was not dry. The crispy scallion pancake beef wrap was one big wrap cut into two pieces. I really liked this wrap as well, less the cilantro.The steamed dumplings and dan dan noodles were cooked al dente which was very good. The dumplings still had soup in them. Nice! The dan dan noodles were more like Peking noodles and had more meat than I expected. I was expecting it to be a bit more spicy as well.Hope to come back and try other things next time!

Our first time experience here was not good. I asked about a dumpling that was crispy on the bottom and was told by owner that I should go somewhere else since she had nothing like that in the restaurant. We were new to the place and wanted recommendations. We placed an order irregardless and was disappointed with the pork belly ramen (tasted like spaghetti), cold cucumbers salad didn't appear fresh and pork/chive dumplings were soggy. Also, everything was bagged to go and even though we wanted to have a sit down on the counter. Note Black plastic containers are supposivley banned in town of Brookline since it's not recyclable.

Always good food and friendly service. The dumplings are my favorite. A great neighborhood find

Food: 4.5/5Food here is very flavorful and delicious. Their spicy wontons are a must order. They aren't that spicy, but the sauce is still amazing. I've tried their Beef Roll and it's a nice combination of ingredients. My favorite item so far is their Dan Dan noodles; can't go wrong with ordering this. It has plenty of minced beef along with a very good sauce.Service: 3/5You go up to the register to order and the food is later handed to you once ready. Once you finish your food you throw away your own trash and hand back the tray. For a small restaurant like this, there is not much you really need to ask for.Ambiance: 4/5Small dining area with a few tables. Perfect for dining in for a quick lunch or takeout. Interior is clean and bright.Overall Experience: 4/5My go to spot for takeout lunch when I'm in the area! They do close earlier than other places though.