Restaurant Reivew

Boston Common Coffee Company

515 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 542-0595
Five Stars
Main Photo

Boston Common Coffee Company has 3 locations in the Boston area: Chinatown, the Financial District, and the North End. I spent a few hours at the Chinatown location. Having been to plenty of great coffee shops in different states, I was dissapointed in my experience at this Boston coffee shop.

Food

Boston Common Coffee Company offers both drinks and food. I ordered a large coffee in the morning. I did not like that they did not serve it to you in a mug. If I get a coffee out somewhere to sit and relax, I would rather have it in a mug as opposed to a paper cup. Also, the coffee was just okay in terms of quality.

The Caesar salad that I ordered for lunch was appetizing but overpriced (about $7). They have a decent sized cafe menu with plenty of options including wraps, salads, paninis, baked treats, and more. Cafe Menu

Service

The service here wasn't the best. The baristas did not seem knowledgeable about the coffee - something you should know a little about if you are working in a coffee shop! When asked if they have a dark roast coffee they had no idea what I was talking about!

Also, they seemed irritated when you asked for the key to the bathroom. Unfortunately, you have to try to ask them on the side while there is a long line of people waiting to place their order.

Oh well, what else are you going to do? Let them be irritated I guess - maybe they shouldn't require a key as it seems more of a hassle then necessary.

Atmosphere

This coffee shop was really packed, and I mean so packed that you had to wait for a seat. I was unable to find a seat for at least 10 minutes. I stood there sipping my coffee as I waited for a seat to open - so inconvenient.

After about an hour I saw one of the 2 couches open up - I moved to a couch and was much more comfortable.

This coffee shop almost feels more like a restaurant/cafe to me than other coffee shops I have visited. I didn't feel like they were promoting a relaxing atmosphere. For example, my favorite coffee shop in Tennessee had blankets on the couches, board games, books, etc. This coffee shop just did not have that relaxing atmosphere. In addition, all the tables had notes saying that they were for paying customers, which I felt was a bit tacky.

This coffee shop just did not have the ambiance that I am used to seeing at coffee shops. And, it was a huge disappointment that the coffee was served in a paper cup. Who wants a paper cup when visiting an independent shop to drink coffee? Where were the mugs?

Another thing I did not like was that you had to ask for a key to go to the bathroom - really inconvenient when you are drinking coffee, and, what about the germs? Gross!

This coffee shop is too small, too cramped, and there are only 2 couches to sit at. Who wants to go to a coffee shop and sit at a hard table? I might as well go out to eat at a restaurant.

The only reason I go to a coffee shop is to either relax with a good tasting drink and a good book or magazine, or to get work done on my laptop. If I was just going to grab my drink in a paper cup and go, then I might as well run in a Starbucks.

Final Remarks

Boston Common Coffee Company was not the best experience for me. I did not like the atmosphere, the drinks being served in paper cups, having to request a bathroom key, or the unfriendly service.

Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest coffee shops in the area (even though it is smaller than most others I have been to) so it may be worth a stop if you are looking more for a quick snack or drink as opposed to a relaxing afternoon out.

Boston Common Coffee Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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