Stealing a line from Arlo Guthrie, you can get anything you want at the S&S Restaurant. Perhaps most famed for serving up Jewish-style deli fare in Inman Square since 1919, it also slings up nearly everything under the sun – also pizza, burgers, clubs, crabcakes, baby back ribs, New York sirloin strip, omelets, blintzes and, of course, bagels with schmears galore. You name it, they’ve got it. Given its history, the family-owned and run eatery is a de facto historical institution and an enduring cornerstone of the square’s renowned eateries and destinations. (It also birthed Legal Sea Foods back in 1950, or 31 years after the S&S opened.)
The “S” on the sign comes from the Yiddish word “es” meaning “eat,” so eat and eat. But trying to eat one’s way through the all-day menu – at seven tightly packed pages – could take a long time. I used to live in Inman Square and, at one point was on my way to doing so, noshing at the bar at night on my way home after class or work.
That was a long time ago, when I had a full head of hair. On recent visits back, I found the food still had the same solid, homestyle quality and mother-made comfort that had me coming back for more. The spare and neat family-style deli café and dining area has a past-era air to it, but that too only further contributes to an overall vibe of comfort.
What to eat? The omelets are big and plump. If you’re going to have one, feast on The Inman, which comes with diced ham, onion, peppers and mushrooms – in short, a classic Western with a local twist. You can’t go wrong with the intriguing variations on Reubens and triple-decker clubs, including a Cape Cod Reuben that comes with the requisite Russian dressing and sauerkraut but also a sly, seaside spin: There’s haddock instead of pastrami or corned beef as your featured marble-rye filler. For those triples, put your hands together for the classic turkey club or the turkey and avocado (add bacon). Get ’em on warm wheat toast or light rye.
The salads, like the multideckers and omelets, come in ample sizes of solid quality. The Cobb is classic comfort and a meal in its own right. Christopher’s in Porter Square had the other travel-for Cobb, but it closed during Covid (the locale is now McCathy’s), so I’m thankful the S&S is still putting out leafy bowls of fresh greens, crisp bacon bits and sliced, hard boiled eggs. I’ve been drawn also to a unique offering on the salad slate: the Maine Blueberry, with crisp fresh greens teeming with plenty of plump and juicy blueberries, slightly candied walnuts, mini mozzarella balls, grilled chicken and tortilla crisps with a raspberry vinaigrette – a hearty, healthy nosh that packs a sweet, tangy pucker.
Things have changed at S&S over time – the delicatessen made two Inman Square location shifts between when “Ma” Edelstein founded it in 1919 and finding its current location in 1935, and the Michell-Wheeler family (descendants of Ma) also operated the Ryles Jazz Club across the way for 41 years before closing it in 2018. The hours at the S&S bar and dining room too have been dialed back. Last dinner orders must be in by 7 p.m., so getting a later-evening club and a beer while watching the Red Sox is just a memory. Still, for a late lunch or and early dinner, you can get the comfort you want at Ma’s restaurant.
S&S Restaurant, 1334 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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