Heart and Soul Cafe — Restaurant in Ipswich

I have to say without irony or hyperbole that our brunch at the Heart and Soul Cafe was one of the best meal or customer experiences I've had in a long while. Sure, the huge menu was drool-worthy, the food was great, the live music terrific, the service excellent, the outdoor seating nice (didn't hurt that it was a beautiful day, with the bright yellow cafe microbus glowing right across the street from us). What really makes it are Bud and Julie. (Ok, and the food. And baked goods. And did I mention the mimosas?)

When we walked up to the door, Bud, adorned in tie dye, approached us and - quite unexpectedly - made us feel amazingly at home with the most welcoming, sincere, heartfelt greeting I've experienced in a food service environment in years. Not just friendly, not just welcoming, but the air of a true and consummate host who clearly knows and understands - either through years of experience or a personal genius - the value of kindness and real hospitality in the restaurant business. He chatted with us, walked us to our table, assured us if there was anything we needed he'd be right there... all of which seems standard and to be expected.

But it went beyond a nice hello and a personal touch, in a way that I find hard to properly put into words. It truly did feel like there was heart and soul behind every word and gesture. Their restaurant is the kind of place that makes me immediately buy their T-shirt - and I did - because I want to support their mission, wear those colors, show off this amazing place I discovered, and have other people in the know see it and go "Oh yeah, brother, I am part of that family too." It's the kind of place that inspires people to leave reviews like this. I am proud to wear my "Heart and Soul" on my sleeve.

All I can say is it's institutions like this that can really make a community. There are just a few places that have made me say "Wow, I'd move here to be near this place." The Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford. The Portsmouth Music Hall. The Kosher Nosh Diner in New Jersey. The Shalin Liu in Rockport. Heart and Soul is now another one of those rare gems in my small collection, a most aptly named dining experience. Thanks Bud and Julie, we will see...

One word accurately describes this place: Amateurish. Kind of like the owners were avid home cooks who thought they should open a restaurant. Bad move.

I met a friend here for coffee and lunch a couple of days ago. The menu is huge; much too extensive for what looked like just one cook at lunch rush. There’s inadequate time and staff to assure that everything is equally delicious and well prepared. I had a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with home fries. The BLT was pretty good at best and not very filling. Definitely not worth the $9 they charged. The fries were genuine, but tasted off, like they were made many hours before. And they weren’t hot.

Although we were dining in, coffee was served in a paper cup, rendering the coffee dull and (duh) cardboard tasting. Not using a real cup screams “We’re cheap here!” Ditto for the plastic silverware in a cellophane wrapper with napkin. McDonald’s at its best.

The one waiter was extremely pleasant, but completely overwhelmed. He mentioned getting us silverware but none ever appeared. The owner was obviously too cheap to hire more wait staff for a predictably busy time frame.

My advice: Pare down the menu. Focus on doing a few dishes really well and toss out the plastic utensils and cardboard cups. And open up your wallet and hire more staff.

Maybe I’ll go back and try it again. But I doubt it. There are better restaurants in Ipswich. Not many,...

My family and I stopped here for brunch after hiking the Blueberry Hill loop in Bradley Palmer park, and both the service and food were among the best I've ever had at any kind of food establishment. Bud (whom I presume is the owner) was incredibly hospitable and made sure that our entire party (8 of us plus our two dogs) were seated safely outside and kept warm by the portable heating lamps. They even had dog bowls out which provided a much needed drink for our two dogs. This restaurant clearly makes the safety and comfort of it's patrons a top priority which made dining out during this difficult time a breeze. To top it off, the food was absolutely amazing! I personally ordered the breakfast burrito, and I truly believe it was one of the best burritos I've ever had! All 10 of us (dogs included) were incredibly impressed with our experience at the Heart and Soul cafe, and we will definitely be back in the future. The name of this place is truly fitting, for it is apparent that the owner and his staff take great pride in the work they do and put their heart and soul into the service and food...