The Good The atmosphere here is great: clean, bright, spacious with lots of seating (great for working, not great for groups). The iced Americano was good. The Bad The Avacado toast was lacking in the avocado department, the toast was small and the light coating was miserly. It was tasty but lacked the substance I was expecting. The person who took my order asked me to wait for 1/2 hr for more bacon while the manager went to the store. They told me I could have a roll if I was really hungry, which I was, so I said sure complimentary role for my wait, but alas I got charged. After I paid they told me I wouldn't have to wait, they just took the bacon off of someone else's (another employee's I think) sandwich. The main concern though is there were a bunch of tiny beatles that were crawling around near my table and eventually go on me and my stuff. Probably a specific season but I felt itchy the whole time I was there. read more

I rarely leave reviews, but I'm seeing a bunch of reviews here that just seem extremely different than my experience, which has been uniformly great. Maybe it's being confused with another Cafe on the Common elsewhere? In any case, I came here often before The Plague hit, dozens of visits. I'd sit with my laptop computer and do work while enjoying their excellent coffee drinks and ambiance. I've have never seen bugs of any sort, waitstaff fighting with one-another, or any of the nasty things I see in some other reviews. Everything I've drunk or eaten here is great, tables spaced far enough apart to not feel claustrophobic, bright and open interior, everything clean including the bathrooms, plenty of outlets (although some have become a little loose (e.g., plugs can fall out with any weight on them). The staff change over time, but are usually very nice, or at the worst they are merely pleasant. It's not Starbucks, where everything has been researched to death by some multimillion-dollar consultants, so there are a few quirky bits: the pricing on baked goods can be puzzling, a dish you order might be slightly different the next time you order it, etc. So if you enjoy living in a zone of pure predictability, go to Starbucks. I have 4 Starbucks that are closer to my house, but I almost always drive the extra distance to this place. read more

Avocado toast - they could splurge with a tad more avo on the toast for 5/6$ (also it's really easy to make at home) Eggs - Garden club - London fog - Cappuccino - Wi-Fi and coffee for work all day- People watching - Name better service. I'll wait read more

The good: the coffee. I order a latte and it doesn't take terribly long, but it is made just the way I like it, not too weak or not too strong. The atmosphere is a welcome change from the cookie-cutter franchise coffee shops full of soccer moms and pensioners. The not-so-good: It gets crowded. Seating is limited, yet the place is packed with students who feel that it is ok to tie up a table with laptop and research papers for 3 hours for the price of a $4 coffee. This is a maddening trend among all coffee shops that offer Wi-Fi or people who use their own portable means to connect. Absolutely no consideration for other paying customers. Not sure what the solution is because there would probably be a revolt complete with torches and pitchforks if they ever imposed time limits. Parking is available in a municipal lot down the street. It can get full during the day, especially anywhere near lunch hour. It would also be nice if the staff didn't slam around the dishes and doors behind the counter. Especially if you are fortunate enough to actually find a table and it's next to the counter. read more

The vibes are cute, but that's about it. My sister and I stopped in for a coffee to go last weekend and what we hoped to be a 5, maybe 7, minute stop was closer to 15. The baristas were taking their sweeeeet time taking orders and making drinks. The group of 3 in front of us chatted it up with the barista for close to 5 minutes ... Did they not notice there were other people in line?! I was just very confused by the whole situation. Worst part was the final product wasn't even worth the wait. My sister's espresso was extremely bitter and my coffee was one step up from what you'd find in a church basement on a Sunday. It's a bummer, because the space is cozy, which might be why so many people overlook the meh product and hang out there anyways ‍ read more

Coffee great, sandwiches decent, but overpriced and the "chips" were literally a pile of crumbs.

A nice place to get a cup of something to eat. I stopped in here in search of a light dinner a little over an hour before they were closing. (I was waiting for my car to be fixed at a shop down the street) This place is better suited to breakfast/lunch than it is to dinner, considering the food here is breakfast-y/lunch-y... so, being unsure of what I wanted, I asked for something light. I was recommended the split pea soup (with hickory ham) and went with it. The soup position was rather large, and the soup was rather pleasant. It was appropriately seasoned, and appropriately thick. I would have liked to see a little more ham, but that is just a matter of personal preference. I should also note that while I would not have noticed this without seeing it, the soup was heated in a microwave. Might be because I was there late, or because that is more efficient... not sure. Soup came with an piece of olive loaf. The bread was fresh, cooked through (bread that can be made into play-dough is undercooked) and was also delightful. After chowing down the bowl I wanted something sweet and caffeinated. I got a molasses cookie, and a single macchiato (not to be confused with a Starbucks drink, this is just an espresso shot, with a tiny bit of milk foam. The coffee itself was of very high quality, and the drink was hot, rich, and strong. I would have preferred a little more milk foam, but no big deal. Cookie was nice, but I would have liked a stronger molasses flavor. I look forward to returning at a late time for breakfast, lunch, or ice cream! read more

Cafe on the Common is my favorite coffee shop in Waltham. They have great coffee- even the drip coffee is a huge step up from Starbucks, and their food is great. I really enjoy their rotating selection of quiches and their chai tea lattes. Additionally, I always forget that they serve sandwiches for lunch, but I shouldn't because they're tasty as well! In terms of seating, the best bet is to arrive early on the weekends as it does tend to fill up with people working. Additionally, the seats by the windows are great for people watching, but they warm up quickly on sunny days. This spot is worth a visit if you're in the area! read more

Cute little joint! Me and a friend had met up at Cafe on the common in Waltham. Neither of us had been there before. It was pretty busy. They seemed a little understaffed but they were working together pretty well. Like a normal café you order your food, wait and then you go pick it up when it's ready. We had waited a little bit because they had forgotten the crescent but we got in I. The end after reminding the cafe worker. I had ordered the Waltham fog which was some warm tea drink. It was very enjoyable! My friend had just ordered coffee and a croissant. Everything was good! The atmosphere was very trendy fast paced kind of cafe. There was seating but most people just picked up and went on there way. The place was pretty white and grey but not in a bad way. Overall if in the area I would definitely stop by for another Waltham fog! read more

I think it's more difficult to write a review based on a one time visit. Even back in Halifax I can write a review after visiting a place once because I can give an honest opinion about whether I would come back for a 2nd, 3rd or 545th visit. Cafe on the Common was a check-in on Yelp for me because I happen to be in the area during a 2 day stay in MA. I like coffee. I like sitting and drinking my coffee. I like a place to have ample "people watching" opportunity. Cafe on the Common offered all three. Just making those three things happen in a city I've never visited, makes me want to give them 3 stars. I needed to kill a little bit of time waiting for my friend to get off of work and since I don't know the area, the last thing I want to do is wander aimlessly. Cafe on the Common gave me the much needed "time waster" and "people watching" opportunity until I could meet up with my friend. I can't tell you about the food. I didn't have any. Staff was friendly. Drink was good (I actually had tea). Couch was comfy. What more could an out of towner ask for? read more

Cafe on the Common - Ginger Lemon tea - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Overpriced thoughtlessly and very messily made sandwiches. Salad missing ingredients. Staff not friendly. Place not clean. Only came because diner down the block was packed, so we gave this a try. Won't be back. Sad because this could be a great place. read more

Great coffee, pastries, and a great atmosphere. Sandwiches are also delicious. We love our weekend ritual of sitting down to a lovely breakfast at Cafe on the Common. read more

Waitress lost our order, yet food arrived cool an hour later. One order was not what was ordered- no offer to replace, no discount on check. Food adequate at best- not the quality we had there in the past. Never checked in after we were served until she brought the check. Do not recommend given the other good choices nearby. read more

Pleasant staff but very slow service. Seating was terrible - literally nowhere to sit. Lots of people on laptops (apparently buying a coffee gets you a lifetime share of their internet access). Food was ok - 3 stars? But wasn't great. Didn't make up for the lack of seating. Bottom line: won't be going back for food - maybe for coffee read more

I will definitely not return to this place, it is not cozy, its pastry shop is not fresh and the prices are not the most comfortable, pay for a cappuccino and bread cake 10 dollars... read more

I didn't realize that being a college student wasn't adequate enough for me to receive quality customer service and respect. As a paying customer I was completely appalled at the lack of kindness I experienced when I walked in. I was stared at, given dirty looks, asked to buy something after sitting for less than 5 minutes waiting for a friend to arrive. Not only did the barista serve a bad tasting waltham fog, but plenty of dirty looks and remarks behind the counter. I waited way too long to get my breakfast, the ambiance is cold and boring and I wouldn't waste your money giving this coffee shop any of your business. Starbucks is better, and the people are nicer anyway. read more

The coffee is awful. I've been there twice. Had a cappuccino both times- worst I've ever had. The coffee in the cappuccino had sour, burnt flavor. read more

I found this place by accident. I was in badly need of a strong coffee so I followed a few signs that said cafe with no success. then all of a sudden got a whiff of that black liquid gold I was looking for. So I followed the smell. I found myself in the Cafe on the Common. The atmosphere here is incredibly beautiful, welcoming and comfy. It's like being in a old vintage living room with a coffee bar in it. The place was packed cause there was a huge event going on across the street. so the line was fairly large. I ordered a large hot Moka Sumatra coffee $3.95 not bag of a price for the area. My coffee was handed to me in about 5 minutes fast. The coffee condiments are self serve. I put cream in my coffee cause that's how I roll. and took a sip. Now the Coffee was just OK for me. It tasted a bit watery, just warm not hot & was too sweet due to the over amount of Mocha they put in it. I don't like sweet coffee. But with that said. It seemed like the girl that made my coffee was new. I would definitely give this place another chance. The food looked amazing. Also given the fact that a huge event was going on nearby. They were bearing the burden that nobody else in the area that was serving coffee this was most likely not business as usual for Cafe on the Common. I will be going back. read more

I got a cafe latte and an avocado toast. The coffee was utilitarian but tasted good. The avocado toast was made with fresh ingredients and was very filling. I would come back again for lunch to try the other things on their menu since they have breakfast and lunch items. There are a few other shops you can walk to and there's free parking nearby. read more

Coffee is good. Nice atmosphere. They stopped serving burrito and wraps due to pandemic. They had Square Loyalty program, which just stopped working. I told employees, but even though I had the 10 points (for free drink), no one has authority to resolve issue, or at least tell you if they dropped the program. read more

Good service, and quick! Which is very important. They also have food for lunch which is OK. Furniture is a little outdated but the entire set up makes you feel comfortable and lets you enjoy your morning coffee. Good place to grab a nice coffee drink and try their homemade ice cream! read more

Me and my wife come here at least once or twice a week.Never had a bad meal here.Rich makes the BEST veggie burrito in Waltham buy far.In my opinion.Buy the way the iced mocha isn't bad either.LOVE RICK. read more

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I really want to like this place, I really do. It's a cute space, locally owned and in a good location for me. I travel to Waltham from Seattle about every other week and I've given this place several tries, but now I am seeing a consistent pattern of really poor coffee making practices. I also want to point out that this review is based on service and coffee only, not the food as I've only had a pastry or two. These are unforgivable sins in the coffee brewing world. 1. Manually turning of the La Marzoco after it pulls a 45 second shot. An Ideal shot is ~18-22 seconds and the machine should finish it on it's own. If your shots are pulling at 45 second ease up on the grind and tamp. I even watched one barista try to pull it without a tamp. HELLO, adjust the grind. 2. Pulling shots into cold, dirty cups. A no-no, please rinse out the shot glass, espresso cup before pulling a fresh shot into it. I don't want to taste someones shot from 3 hours ago. 3. Steaming milk and a way too low temp. Not sure what your rule is on steaming milk, but if I just order the milk is lukewarm at best. A good way to shorten your line quickly but not the correct temp for an espresso drink with steamed milk. Even if I order extra hot, I get a medium warm drink. Milk should be steamed to 190 degrees if ordered extra hot. 4. Pulling "4" shots from one coffee pull. Seriously bad offense, I order 4 shots and she pulls all four from one pull. This is awful and inexcusable. Things that are excusable but not nice. 1. Unfriendly service. I've only experienced one barista who was friendly and nice. Two are so so and two others are downright rude. Seriously this is not the way to run a coffee house. 2. Not warming your to-go cup. I have a personal to-go cup. Although this is pretty rare outside of premium coffee houses, the barista should really warm your cup with hot water before making your drink. A cold cup is bad for the espresso and also adds to the cold steamed milk issue noted above. Despite this issue, I may continue to go here since there is no alternative in Waltham. read more

Guys! Pumpkin soup and Apple Cider! This is the most small town you can get. I loved it. They had a mish mosh of pies and soups and eclairs and ice cream and their gigantor apple cider was 1.95 or something un-starbucksy like that. we tried the punkin soup too which had huge cubes of the tender squash with a chix broth base and spicy onions and leeks. Waltham is very sweet and very fall-y in the fall. Reminds me of Old town Orange or something, but cooler than the O.C. read more

So many others say it so well here, I just wanted to add my vote in the chorus on this place. I had the veggie wrap (lettuce, goat cheese, roasted red peppers and onions in balsamic) for $6.25. Comes with Cape Cod chips! Fresh food for reasonable prices. My coworker RAVES about the coffee, but I was at my caffeine max for the day so I passed. Plenty of seating indoors and a few tables outside. Definitely worth checking it out1 read more

What exactly is up with Waltham not having any coffee shops? Cafe on the Common is an oldschool coffee place, notable more for being the only non-Dunkies shop in the Waltham Center area (if that's not true, let me know!) than for any particular standout qualities. Walking in Cafe on the Common, you get the notion that this place has been a coffee shop long before being a coffee shop was cool. It's and oldschool space, marble floors, kind of cold -- not the Starbuckian warm, inviting interior we've become conditioned to expect from our coffee places. And you know what? I kind of miss that. CotC (see what I did there?) could get away with this sort of iconoclastic hilarity if the coffee, pastries, or pricing were particularly outstanding, but none of them are. OK coffee, OK scones, OK prices, OK place. Ok? read more

I've been trying to love this place for 5 years to no avail. They definitely use their stranglehold on the 'not Dunkin Donuts' market in Waltham to their financial advantage, as everything is probably 20% more expensive than it should be. The inside is stale and huge. Nothing remotely special or cozy about it. A couple of years ago I saw the owner fire a woman who worked there in front of several horrified patrons. Totally berated her. He's a dick. But because it's 'not Dunkin' and there is nowhere else to get decent coffee in Waltham, I still begrudgingly waste 2.50 for a large coffee in a medium cup. Kudos for the Raos coffee and awesome scones. Nish nish for being generally underwhelming and sterile. The extra 75 cents you charge for coffee and the 9 dollar sandwiches unfortunately can't buy you character, or soul. read more

Decent coffee shop near Waltham Common. I came here several times to study or get some school work done while attending Brandeis. Wifi is free. Service is fast and friendly. Coffee and pastries are decent, but nothing extraordinary. read more

Alright I'm going to give it to you straight. Best Bang for your lunch buck: Burrito. It's one of the cheaper things on the menu, it's huge, tasty and comes with chips and salsa. Also worth your time: ice coffee or one of their great selections of tea (they don't have Splenda, heads-up!) Don't waste your money on: Chicken Cesar Salad. It's small, sometimes they put TURKEY in it! and it's almost NINE DOLLARS after tax. Their paninis are ok, but also close to $9 I'm putting this all up front because really, sometimes you just need the basics. Extended versions below: I consider myself an expert on this joint: I work upstairs & visit pretty much everyday, let's just say you can thank ME for that "free" wifi you're using. Today was the tipping point: I've had an issue with their staff for months: rarely smile, get your order wrong 40% of the time and DO NOT apologize, rather make YOU feel bad for inconveniencing them. This place is disappointingly over-priced to the point where it makes you feel like you're not getting anything close to what you paid for. It's too bad because it COULD be adorable! With a little TLC this could be a charming spot. Long story short: some days I'm just tooo lazy to go anywhere else and so I shlup myself downstairs for a sandwhich, and then I want to kick myself for paying $9 AND they forgot my gosh-darn tomato...again. -- I have since updated my review of this joint a) because they have some new staff who are very nice. b) they have these new vegan granola bars that are to die for, but mostly c) the owner, fred, who is super cool with a wicked sense of humor. He's promised to name a sandwich after me. Let's see it fred... read more

I have such mixed feelings on this place. The good: --it's big and comfortable. Great for sitting and doing work on my laptop. I've never had any problems getting a table and it's never been busy enough that I've felt the need to leave to let someone else sit. --the pastries are good. I love the chocolate croissants. --Iced tea is also good, though a little stronger than the average tea. --good location. --free wireless. The bad: --staff are never particularly friendly. My husband, perhaps not as tactful as me, calls them downright rude. --the prices. An iced tea and a pastry is...eight bucks? Really? I'm still waiting for a competing shop on Moody Street. There are a lot of empty storefronts...who will pick up the slack? By the way, if you are on Moody Street, try the coffee shop inside More than Words. They're very friendly, prices are good, and it benefits area kids. Unfortunately they don't have a place to sit and work, and they have bookshop hours. read more

This is a great place to come and do some work. The WiFi is free, the coffee is strong, and the tea is exotic and delicious. Their lattes and fresh baked goods are also top notch. Sometimes it can be hard to find a seat, but once you sit down it's a good place to post up for a couple of hours. read more

Nice cafe and a place to meet up/hang out with friends right across the Waltham Common. They offer a wide range of coffee drinks and pastries. My favorite item on the menu is the Matcha Latte (they put green tea powder into steamed milk, it's delicious!). They also have 10+ choices of loose leaf tea (try the Red Zen tea!) displayed on the counter. You can smell the tea before deciding which one to take. The staff is always warm and friendly which is a big plus! Free wifi and free street parking (there is also a parking structure on Common Street if no street parking available). read more

I worked in Waltham for three years and this place was my absolute favorite! The atmosphere is the real selling point - it is a huge space, with lots of windows, and therefore lots of natural light. The food options are good (there were reasonable vegetarian options and lots of things for people who eat meat), but I think the drinks are better. Coffee is excellent and there's a lot of variety in the tea selection, from more traditional options like Earl Grey to funkier Rooibos (which is everywhere now, but at some point it was "new!"). Free wireless, so a nice place to work. Also a great place to meet a friend or colleague. A relatively recent development is an ice cream parlor, which would be nice to visit in the summer. My only gripes: staff are not friendly, and their hours - great for me as someone who worked down the street, but not good for the rest of the world who might want to visit after 6 p.m.! read more

Coffee was very good, with a variety of choices from fresh urns. There's plenty of room to sit, which is generous and easy. Decent plugs in the wainscoting; plenty of people working but a nice conversational buzz. Be careful of the windows; the ones that run down the side were very bright and hot on a July morning. Nice tired comfy couches. High ceilings, plaster walls, great vibe. Sat and worked for a few hours two days, and no one gave me the hairy eyeball. Good, basic baked goods. Shortbreads, brownies. The ice cream says it's homemade; I didn't try it. I had a fine turkey sandwich from a "build your own" menu with roasted pepper. And the quiche was very fine, gently cooked and moist, with a good ham chunked in. I needed to have a place to sit for a couple of days while my son went to camp at Bentley, which is about a mile away and in walking distance. (I didn't; on a summer weekday, there was plenty of street parking, and also there is a large municipal lot. BRING QUARTERS.) read more

I could take it or leave it when it comes to Cafe on the Common. Been in here a few times, but never been drawn into it so much that I must return on a regular basis. It's great if I'm in the area, but otherwise, I'll hunker down elsewhere. The prices are high and they have a minimum in order to use credit, which is like most other small cafes. While they have a large space, I feel like they didn't have much for seating. They could definitely make this cozier and provide some area rugs, large couches, and arm chairs. Instead, they've stuck with the hard cold floors and thin-cushioned uncomfortable outdoor patio furniture. This place certainly has a lot of potential but it seems like they're not even trying. I've held out on reviewing them for years, but the time has finally come to make my judgement. And as much as I want to love this place and make it a regular (study) spot, it's definitely towards the bottom of the list where I would rather drive outside of Waltham for other cafes/coffeehouses instead. read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. On the plus side, the location is prime: right across the Common from Waltham's transportation hub, where the six express bus lines cross two regular bus lines and the commuter rail. It's especially good for me since it's right across the side street from my bus stop, and I can see the bus coming up the hill and stopping at the lights through the big plate glass windows. On the minus side, unless I'm adding cream to my coffee at that point, it's already too late to catch the bus, since the line moves slowly almost every morning. This morning I stood behind a guy who was flirting with the barrista for three minutes (!), and she had no interest in either making him order or move to the side. I walked out and got my coffee at In a Pickle up the street instead. I doubt she even noticed. My major gripe with the place, however, is that it seems to be run by the most tight-fisted group of skinflints imaginable. A large coffee works out to be $3.26, and every time I get one and I don't have a penny, they give me back a fistful of change. Honestly, is giving me back three quarters really going to ruin you guys? Will losing that penny on a three-plus-dollar cup of brew coffee put you in the poor house? And don't get me started on the baked goods prices. Even with my good credit rating I doubt I could secure enough financial backing to afford one of their small slices of pound cake or a danish. So the skinny- great location, good fair-trade coffee, mediocre customer service, abysmal prices. If you need a place to kill some time and wait for a train, check it out. You might actually be able to get your money's worth. read more

I spend a lot of time here when visiting (or living) with my good friends in Waltham. Great coffee, excellent selection of teas and pretty good sandwiches. Personally, I am not so crazy about the breakfast selections (I wish they had a egg option of some sort and the scones are mediocre at best). Free wireless and ample space makes a fantastic spot to hang out and get some work done. And the metered parking garage down the street provides easy, ample parking for only a few quarters... not to mention 12 hour meters! Great addition to the Waltham scene! read more

In a pinch it's fine but expect: Rude service/too busy servers. They need to hire more people to keep up with demand. Tea is not that special and expensive. Pastries are okay. Pricey for subpar food and coffee. If the farmer's market is open, you should 100% get coffee/tea and treats there. They open June to November. I've come here a few times always as a last resort (e.g. between December and May), when In a Pickle had long line or was closed. read more

Terrible service: slow and rude...Practically inedible sandwiches made without care to proportions of elements. This is a lousy cafe for no good reason. read more

All around, this place is fine. It has parking and free wifi, two things that endear me to coffee shops. The chairs are comfortable, with either more comfy sit-and-read wicker chairs or more work-friendly chairs at the tables - good for those who need to type on a laptop and those who want to lounge with a good book. So as a place to study, a lot going for it. The downside really comes in what a coffee shop really needs to deliver on, which is food and drink. First of all, the prices. $8 for a sandwich with a pickle and some chips, $2 for a smallish cupcake. The large ice tea I had was a little over $2, which I guess is average, but they didn't give me any kind of refill discount, which I found annoying. Beyond prices, the food was unimpressive. I had a chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread that was not particularly memorable, beyond my first time paring chicken salad with pesto (which I will say is a good move). The mocha cupcake was dry, and it was a bit over-chilled, and overall not very impressive. I would be happy to work there again, but I'd only get the one iced tea, and I'd probably go after lunch time so I wouldn't be tempted to spend money on their less than stunning food. read more