Great place for coffee or a light meal. We loved the oatmeal with baked apples. Has outdoor seating as well.

I am rating the place, not the food. It's a perfect neighborhood caf. I quite like the espressos, but I am not a coffee snob-- however, the coffee snob friends I have don't turn up their nose at it. The staff are beyond friendly, a great feeling in the place, good energy and you feel like you're always welcome. Great garden in back for nice days. No internet, which I like-- this is not a place to work, although they certainly don't mind if you try. Other than coffee, they make good sandwiches (roast beef & brie is my fave) and heavy salads. They have baked goods but they import them from somewhere else. To correct a poster above, the proprietors and staff are almost all Algerian, not Italian. read more

Love the backyard garden!! So cozy and peaceful. Food was good too. Tina sandwich was great but burrata and tomato salad was a bit bland.

Wonderful neighborhood cafe that I highly recommend if you're around Porter Square. The owners are the best and seem to know most of the neighborhood by name. The place can get a bit crowded and the service a tad slow, but you can grab drinks and chips to get started on while you wait and pay for everything at the end of your meal. Their chicken salad sandwich is the best chicken salad I've ever had, hands down. Good selection of cold bottled drinks, like Orangina. Great relaxing atmosphere, especially on weekend afternoons. read more

I really like Cafe Rustica! It's a comfortable neighborhood cafe that makes good coffee and better sandwiches. My only complaint is that they don't have WiFi so I can never stick around for too long. I always get the egg sandwich and it carries me through lunch (very filling). read more

Wow. This cafe lured me away from my old favorite cafe, the Oxford Spa. I loved the atmosphere of the spa, but one visit to Rustica and I was hooked for life. It is small but there is always a table, the owner is charming and personable, the prices are from the 80s, the music is intelligent and eclectic, and I wish I were there right now. Is it Saturday morning yet??? read more

Love this place. I live on Beacon so I go here all the time for lunch. I always get the same thing: the roast beef, brie, and red pepper sandwich on a baguette. 95% of the time, it is perfection, and it really hits the spot. Not pricey either. The atmosphere is great too. There is a backyard where you can eat outside, there's usually ambient world music playing in the background, and the guys who work there are very friendly with their customers. One time I was short a quarter, and they told me not to worry about it. They're great! Just hope that all these positive reviews don't cause a deluge of customers that might ruin the atmosphere! read more

He probably only pretends to remember you, but who cares. This guy makes you feel like a regular, even if you've only been there twice. Sandwiches are great. Coffee is good. But you just want to take that little man home with you and put him in a kitchen cabinet. read more

Love the people that work their, the bagels, sandwiches and their iced coffee. I give five stars to each of those. I used to live across the street from these guys and I thoroughly miss it, and frequently go out of my way for a bagel toasted with cream cheese, tomato and lots of cracked pepper and my iced coffee. The chicken salad sandwich is amazing, and their roasted red peppers go well on just about anything. Don't forget CASH ONLY! I used to go in there with buckets of quarters because of this, but ITS WORH IT! It's not everyday you get to walk into a cafe and feel like you just traveled to Europe, or at least someplace where stress had subsided greatly compared to the rest of city... read more

The coffee is nice, but this is the only place where after sitting alone for half an hour over coffee, I was asked to leave (!) because there are other paying customers who might want to sit. read more

Lovely place with everything you could want at a tiny cafe. Tiny bathroom. If only they were open longer.

the best, best, best subs in cambridge, i swear. i walked in off the street and asked for advice on what to get, and the lovely man behind the counter was so gracious in advising me what he liked. i ended up getting the tuna sub, which was SO GOOD i almost died of joy. JOY I TELL YOU. also, their bread is amazing, as is the delicious coffee. i would come here every day, if it weren't for my pocket book and my waistline. the only con? cash only. read more

I come to Cambridge once a month or so to visit my partner, and I love that he lives near this cafe. I make sure I come here each time, because the rustica special sandwich is FANTASTIC. They have great coffee, and the guys who work here are the kindest. The service, food, and coffee are great, and I've sat here for hours doing work without any complaints. They have a nice outdoor back area when it's warm enough, and a lot of natural light. read more

nice and low key even on a Sunday afternoon -- coffee is a bit more reasonably priced, cookie and sandwich were delicious, and staff were incredibly friendly. will be back :) read more

Fantastic service and really good food. My sister was in love with this place.

Delicious simple and ample food at great prices. Terrific and accommodating fellows are welcoming and make good food and drinks.

Great little place. Whole wheat / wrap options would make it even better!

The guys at Café Rustica are the best. It really feels like a neighborhood café. And the Rustica Special (tomato, mozzarella, pesto) can't be beat. My husband's favorite sandwich is the roast beef. Only downside: no high chairs. (It's very small.) Still, we are moving away from the area, and this is one of the places we'll miss the most. read more

Driven past many times. Finally remembered to check it out. Wonderful egg sandwiches. Ours was on 7-grain bread with caramelized onions, mushrooms & swiss. Everyone else loved theirs too. Very reasonable prices. Easy to find room for all 7 of us. Wish they had more pastry choices. Will be back soon. read more

This is a really nice neighborhood joint that serves high quality sandwiches and pastries. (I've never ordered the coffee drinks here, so I defer to other Yelpers.) The sandwiches are delicious... crispy toasted baguetty goodness, with hearty ingredients made to your liking. The perpetual special (a mozzarella pesto prosciutto delicious mix) is super super tasty. All reasonably priced at around $6-8. A MUCH better deal than the nearby Oxford Spa. Yes, it's always busy; yes, it's hard to get a table; yes, it keeps super minimal hours. But, luckily, I live near enough that it's just easy to get a sandwich to go for lunch when they are open. read more

I'm visiting from California and needed a quick lunch but want to support small businesses so I found this little gem of a Cafe in Somerville on Yelp. I ordered the roast beef specialty and small cucumber salad. The roast beef was thinly sliced/tender and rare (perfection!). All the fixings were fresh, the pickles had a little heat (oh yeah) and the Brie complemented the beef so well I was transported to Paris. The salad was delicious with a simple balsamic and EVO dressing. I will be back for the prosciutto specialty for my long flight back to Ca (make sure you ask if they have Parma prosciutto). I gave this place 4 stars only because the produce was not organic - easily 5 stars if organic is not important to you. read more

We had the roast beef sandwich and the ham and swiss. Both were terrific and the guys are friendly and pleasant. It's a great neighbor restaurant the we love every time we visit. Right now there is a line out the door, so we aren't the only ones who like it. read more

This was my first time in and I will definitely be back! Cafe Rustica has such a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and It's quiet enough to read. I ordered a bacon egg and cheese on a ciabatta and it was excellent! The eggs were fluffy and the bread was soft. The iced americano was great also! read more

Always wonderful- the salame/provolone/capicola is a favorite. Lovely people and service-- everyone is a pleasure to be around and accomodating. Great neighborhood spot. read more

Yelp led me here, and Yelp didn't do me wrong! Just had the best tuna sandwich of my life. Seriously. Not a big mayo fan but I like tuna sandwiches, so I got it Italian-style: with olive oil instead of mayo. SOO good. Bagette (they give you different bread options) was fantastically tasty, all the sweet peppers and other accouterments just added to the deliciousness. Wow. I would usually just say that all sandwiches are about the same, but this one proved me wrong. Nice little cafe. Cute seating, and kick-ass sandwiches. Got an iced tea. Unsweetened, which I appreciate (if I want sugar, I can add it myself), but a little bitter for my taste. Otherwise perfect experience. The sandwich just did it for me. read more

This place is amazing in a small room, soft spoken, calm atmosphere, genuinely friendly, kick-ass sandwiches and coffee kind of way. I have never had a bad meal here and have always left feeling like it's one of the best kept secrets around. I just hope enough of you don't read the reviews to make it crowded...but they do deserve it. read more

The best sandwiches in Somerville. And they're so friendly! And a backyard patio! Love this place.

It was probably 10 years ago when my daughter, son, and their friends first took me to Cafe Rustica for breakfast--loved it then and on subsequent visits when in town. Now I live hear, and, oh, boy, it is worth a trip from Arlington to be in a place that feels as welcoming, charming, and serves the best sandwiches around. BTW, the soups and salads rank just as high. Yes, it is tiny; please don't linger all day, much as you'd like to, because these wonderful guys need to make a living! And if I"m in line waiting for a table while you peck away interminably on your laptop or read ALL the sections of the Sunday Globe, it might get nasty! read more

This is without a doubt my favorite sandwich/cafe in the Boston area. I lived on Beacon St. 2 years ago and wound up going here for lunch every other day of the week - even though I have moved somewhat further away (I can't just walk to Rustica!) I still find time to go back every other week simply because of the sandwiches and staff. Truly homey environment. read more

- Food seemed reasonably good - but I became violently ill within 30 minutes of eating it. - Service was mediocre, sometimes good, sometimes poor. Plates were cleared away timely, but it took a half hour to flag down the waiter just to get the check when we were ready to leave. - The manager (or owner) was rude and obnoxious. He would come by to ask how everything was (which is a good thing) but would walk away while I was trying to answer (which was not a good thing). - The manager tried to tack on a "20%" gratuity at the end for mediocrity. When I told him that I objected to a forced percentage, he pointed to miniscule print on the bottom of the menu that stated they could do that and insisted on including it in the bill. Their website says 18% gratuity for parties of 8 or more. We were a party or 2. Then after tacking on 20%, they had the gall to round UP to the next highest dollar, which made the tip closer to 23%. Outrageous! - The decor was very nice - I gave 2 stars because of the decor and the fact that the waiter was friendly. - I will not be back. to Cafe Tomaine. read more

This place is indeed a hidden gem!! Great value, excellent food, awesome staff, great ambiance!!

I so enjoyed living around the corner from this Porter Square nieghborhood cafe. Their sandwiches are to die for (the Rustica special was a personal favorite) and the friendly staff makes you feel right at home. read more

This place is so freakin amazing!!!! I love everything I've ever eaten there. As a matter of fact, I just picked up breakfast, lunch and dinner for myself (since I work 3 jobs) and it is 10AM and I've already eaten breakfast, half of lunch and part of my dinner. It's THAT good. I love all the guys that work there. They are friendly, funny and always have smiles on their faces. I would give this place 100 stars if I could. read more

This is my favorite place for coffee or a bite to eat! The food is great and the atmosphere is really cozy and friendly. It's different from other cafes because I've noticed that people don't typically go to Rustica to park themselves with a laptop and do work... it's the kind of place people go to socialize with a few friends or relax with a book. The owners of the place are really friendly, warm people and it makes me happy to start my morning there. read more

I've been here a couple times and been impressed by the quality of the sandwiches and the friendliness of the guys who work here. If I lived closer I'd probably stop by on a weekly basis. read more

Excellent! Love the atmosphere, food, coffees and the people working there are engaging and friendly. Cozy little find that's definitely worth checking out. read more

Great service, and even more amazing sandwiches! Love that they have stacks of national geographical as well as books that you can read, plus the garden out back is lovely. read more

This is literally my favorite coffee shop in the whole world. They're right around the corner from my apartment, and the folks who own/run it are literally the NICEST PEOPLE in the whole world. It's the sort of place that is next to impossible to find anymore - where they remember their customers and the way they like their coffee, where you can relax with a book in the corner, where you can have a nice chat with a friend. Their sandwiches are tasty, their cookies are AWESOME, their prices are super reasonable, and the service is the best you'll ever find. read more

I recently moved to the area and I was sorting out my pre-work coffee routine. I stopped by Rustica once during the week on the way to the T. They have very strong coffee, which I love, and I also got a pastry. I missed the minimum credit purchase by a few cents. They were kind enough to let me pay with a card, but now I am in the habit of having cash on hand when I swing by for a cup. The thing that impressed me most is Is I had to be somewhere early on a Saturday morning. I looked like I needed a coffee for sure. There was a line of a maybe 4-5 people ahead of me. Despite only being there once or twice before and without me asking, the gentleman at the counter prepared my 'regular' for me and had it ready by the time I got to the counter. I appreciate their efforts to get to know their customers. They do a lot of little things to make your experience pleasant and memorable. Other perks- they have stacks of newspapers, books, old nat geos, and their little back patio is an oasis. read more

I had the special that day and I added prosciutto to it and had it grilled. It was outstanding. I can't wait to go back and try another sandwich. read more