This place has become a new staple for me in Amherst. Walking in and sitting down, the atmosphere felt warm and homey in a way I can't fully describe. The servers were very attentive and ensured all allergies were accounted for with the orders. They have phenomenal GF and vegan options--all with manageable prices!! As a broke college student, I'm glad I can still enjoy some delicious food. LET ME TELL YOU. This was my first Pad Thai ever and it did not disappoint. Definitely take a night at Fresh Side with delicious food and a warm apple cider. read more

Fresh Side - G F Pad Thai Noodle - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

This is a cute little place. It's mostly Asian fusion but there are some more "American" items mixed in as well. My mom got the chicken teriyaki and I tasted it and it was lovely. The chicken was very tender and the dressing on the little salad was so nice I got a little on the side and added it to my second taco. I got the fish tacos with the spicy mayo. The fish was expertly fried but I thought the all in flavor combo was a little bland. A little soy sauce would make them nice but I added a little miso dressing instead. Tea selection was great and all in it was a nice filling meal that didn't feel too heavy. Service was friendly and prompt and we never wanted for anything. read more

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I should have read the reviews. We had the ribs and tempura shrimp, pad thai, beef curry coconut udon noodles. Ribs ok, mostly peppery, tempura shrimp previously frozen - not inedible. The pad thai was not great - my bad expecting good from a fusion & not straight up Thai place. The curry udon was something else entirely...not much curry, looked & tasted like asian fettuccini Alfredo with pieces of deli roast beef. I shit you not. The kind you find on your chef salad. read more

Fresh Side - Curry udon with slices of roast beef - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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This was such a disappointing meal, I'm shocked that anyone would think this food is worthy to served to people. The positive: the restaurant is really cute on the inside. It was lunch time on a weekday and there weren't many people dining, so we were promptly seated. This was the only positive of the meal. The negatives: We ordered three dishes, pad Thai with chicken, rib rice and spring rolls. When the food came out I was so confused. The pad thai was literally a pile of seasoned rice noodles with a layer of boiled green beans, then a layer of tough chicken pieces followed by crushed peanuts covering the whole thing. There was nothing that resembled pad thai. The noodles were oily, and tasted like they were seasoned with fish sauce and that was all. This was not a dish where the ingredients were cooked together. This seemed like a dish where things were literally thrown together on a plate. Next was the rib rice. There was hardly any meat on the ribs. And what meat there was there was dry. The glaze on the ribs was tasty, a nice five spice flavor but that didn't really matter when the ribs were mostly bones. The rice that came with the ribs were awful. Truly the driest rice I've ever had. If you've ever left cooked rice out to dry without covering it, it was like that. Inedible for sure. The carrots and broccoli were boiled and not seasoned. It felt like an afterthought. The spring rolls were awful. The filling was very wet and just not appetizing to eat. All I could taste was ginger and mushy vegetables. The service was sub par. It was not busy when I went. We were the only ones dining inside the restaurant, yet the server was speaking so loud to her co worker on the other side of the restaurant that it was hard to enjoy a meal in peace. Definitely skip this restaurant. There's so many other restaurants in Amherst that would be worth your time and money. read more

Fresh Side - Pad Thai, Vegetable Spring Roll, Rib Rice - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Consistent, quick, friendly service. The atmosphere is very cozy. The food is delicious! The edo ride t-roll and scallion pancakes are a must anytime I'm there. Additionally, drinks are fairly priced. Would highly recommend. This is one of my favorite Amherst spots. read more

I love the tea rolls here and the five spice beef. Love the tea service. Usually get takeout but sit down service is efficient. read more

Try the tea rolls! So good! My favorite bite during the warmer months! And that coconut based drink is my favorite summertime AF sip downtown. The ribs appetizer is better than you'd expect And the coconut soup will warm your soul on a cold day - paired with the hot ginger drink & it'll cure what ails ya read more

I tried twice because my family likes it. I ordered a chicken soup and a rice curry. Both were literally inedible. The chicken was like rubber and the curry was tasteless mush. The service was oddly inattentive and they did not offer to comp my meal when I gave my opinion. 'Fresh side' is a terrible name, the food I got was neither fresh nor healthy. How do you make an outright bad chicken soup and rice curry? One star is probably too generous. Not cheap either. read more

amazing service great atmosphere. Jay the owner took care of us so nicely and it was so fun to support a local business with great food. Appetizers are my favorite and the drinks pair extremely well with them. Great experience and will continue the Friday fresh side tradition. read more

We had teriyaki chicken with udon soup, pho-- only one style and size--and rib rice, with a 22-ounce local beer and Japanese soda, for about $50 before tip. Portions were good, service was fast and friendly, street parking was easy. We sat outside. There is a size able GF and vegan list. Everything was clean. Will be back. read more

The food is delicious here! I haven't been in a couple years and had to search a google map of the colleges in MA, narrowed it down to Northampton, MA & then went on Yelp to find the restaurant. I have literally been thinking about Fresh Side a couple times a week for YEARS since I moved from New England. The service was always wonderful and the location and ambiance in Spring/Summer are beautiful when you can sit outside. I'm so excited to have my favorite place for Tea Rolls again and can't wait to take a day trip from NY specifically to come back! read more

Stopped here bringing my daughter back to school. This WAS one of her favorites. We both ordered Pad Thai. I'm not sure why they called it Pad Thai because it was nothing that you think of. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the chicken, green beans and the carrots in it were all frozen. There was no peanut flavor to it. We asked for a side of peanut sauce to try to help it out and all the peanut sauce was was processed peanut butter. Other food might be good, but stay far away from the so-call Pad Thai and don't count on it being fresh! read more

This post is dedicated to the Five Spice Beef Noodle Soup. Never fails me, amazing on a cold day when you need something to warm you up. Cute place and friendly staff! read more

Upon coming here, I ordered the shrimp tea rolls which were unlike any I've ever had but were quiet refreshing compared to fried egg rolls and similar to spring rolls wrapped in rice paper. My friend ordered the rib rice and it was packed with flavor and incredibly tender. Vegetables were a little on the bland side but necessary to complement the meat. I ordered the shrimp Japanese omelette fried rice and was surprised by the amount of flavor in it as well. Towards the end, it was little overbearing as there weren't any side dishes to offset the flavorful rice but was great for leftovers later that night. Overall, very happy with this place. read more

Fresh Side - Shrimp Roll - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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The name really doesn't describe this restaurant - I thought it might be a place that served salads and sandwiches before I entered but was pleasantly surprised to see their Asian fusion menu. The inside is very nice, and the staff was super friendly. You can even eat outside in a nice area and people watch. Our waitress was great and took our order promptly. She checked in even as she had several new customers arriving which I appreciated. Lots to choose from on the menu. The pitcher of sangria nearly got me but it was a bit too early and I went with a green passion fruit iced tea that was delightful. For food, I ordered the coconut sauce noodles bowl. The coconut sauce (more like broth/soup) was amazing. I could drink a bowl of just that! The noodles were great too. I wasn't as impressed with the cold chicken thrown on top nor the cold veggies. I would have preferred cooked veggies to raw. The other dish was an apple curry dish. It wasn't spicy at all and really tasted like apple sauce on top of white rice with tons of uncooked veggies and lettuce. It was pretty good but I'm not sure it was traditional curry. Prices were great for the quality and amount of food. We had the bonus experience of a curious squirrel entering through the open door leading to the outside seating. He was totally making his way to my table (I would have shared the curry!) before the owner saw and shooed him away. Fun place to have a quiet lunch for sure. read more

I've been coming to Fresh side in Amherst for a while. I looooove their tea rolls and that's almost always what I get when I go here. Their tea rolls are so fresh and delicious and are made with the best ingredients (PERFECT for vegetarians and vegans) read more

Fresh Side - two wraps of lettuce wrapped in plastic wrap - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

First time I've ever had tea rolls, and it certainly won't be the last! I ordered 2pcs each of the seaweed rice roll, the teriyaki chicken roll, and the pad Thai roll; took half home! Great portions for the money. The seaweed roll was my favorite. They roast the seaweed and if you're a lover of that scrumptious ocean plant like me, you'll love it too! We also had the hibiscus sangria- perfect concoction to bring out the best of the spring season. read more

Fresh Side - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

So yum. Love the tea rolls (especially the pad Thai roll) for a quick bite and the atmosphere is very cute and casual. Would 100% recommend the coconut curry udon noodles... amazing!!! So creamy and filling, one of my favorite dishes that I dream about eating again. Love the Thai tea and the Vietnamese ice coffee is also delish (super sweet from condensed milk). Definitely a good place to stop in and try. read more

Fresh Side - Pad Thai tea roll and spicy bean tea roll - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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Great food and atmosphere also love the margaritas there. I have a gluten allergy and they have a few great options to choose from

This was my first time to Fresh Side. I ordered 2 tea rolls, and took 1/2 of each home for lunch the next day (perfect!!). The tea rolls selected (of which there are many) were Seaweed rice, and Kim Chee. The seaweed rice roll was comprised of jasmine rice, teriyaki, peanuts, and nori. It was super tasty and a wee bit salty which is what I'd expect given the nori. The kimchi roll was not quite what I was expecting. My previous experience with kimchi (of which there are many types I understand) is the salted, gochujang fermented cabbage variety. This roll was pickled carrot. It was nice, just not what I was expecting. Maybe it was the spelling? I'd definitely check the place out again. read more

Insanely good food, and has remained very affordable for decades now! Hi there, recommend checking out the spot, classic Asian teahouse style inside, beautiful, alfresco, dining outside. read more

Excellent curry, superb herbal tea. I had the Apple curry with tofu, which came with a small side salad and a healthy mix of lightly cooked vegetables (broccoli, carrots, green beans, scallion). I finished it all. I also had the gojiberry and date herbal tea, which was sweet and came in a traditional cast iron tea pot with a matching cup. Overall, it was an excellent choice for a midwinter lunch. read more

Fresh side has been a staple of mine for years! Their vegan menu is incredible. The Thai T-roll (who doesn't love fresh mint!) and the vegan pad Thai have never failed me, and the vegan eight-treasure rice and coconut curry are favorites as well. The staff is always kind and pleasant and the portions are gargantuan for the price! Definitely recommend! read more

I have mixed feelings about Fresh Side. On one hand I think the restaurant is unique and different in the sense where they have many different sizes of dishes ranging from small plates to large plates. Along with serving tea in adorable tea pots that are great tasting. And on the flip side, I just didn't find coming here to be that special nor memorable. I ordered 2 different small plates and the taco was delicious, but everything else was kinda plain and boring. The other people at my table weren't very enthused about their meals either. And if you ask me, if you are taking the time to go out to eat where you're spending money on not only your food but the service as well, you should be 100% satisfied with your meal. And to me, the whole experience just wasn't that special. Not to say I won't ever try coming here again, I probably will eventually, but there are so many other great places to eat in the center of Amherst that I would choose before picking here that's all. read more

Fresh Side - Fish taco- taco was very tasty - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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Fresh Side is back to its former glory and then some! Cold peanut noodle salad had the perfect balance of sauce to salad! The menu has additions like brunch items. It was magnificent! read more

My favorite restaurant in Amherst! Cute outdoor patio, fast and friendly service, and delicious food!! Try all the tea rolls, Vietnamese noodle salad, and the star of the show PEANUT TOFU!! read more

Was craving some fried rice and came with a couple friends. The restaurant itself is pretty nice -- lots of windows and the staff was super friendly. I ended up ordering the Bibim omelet fried rice. First off, it was huge. The portions here are no joke and I could only eat half. I also noticed right away that it was really oily, and it kind of masked the flavor. I couldn't really taste anything in it, it was just a big mush of rice and vegetables. Price was okay, too, but not sure if I'll be back. read more

Fresh Side - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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I have found several things on their menu that are reliably satisfying to have with a beer and do some laptop work there, in between meals. The ribs, dumplings, edamame, and the aforementioned beer served by friendly people in a relaxed environment. read more

Just passing through the area and saw a somewhat eclectic menu and a nice outdoor area. We had rice paper spring rolls, fish tacos and ribs. Chicken wrap was a little spicy. All in all, very good and friendly, prompt service. read more

My daughter and I stopped in today and everything was delicious. This was my first time to ever try this restaurant as I'm not from the area and it was as good as she said it was. We had three different rolls and shared them so we could each try a different one. We loved the Pad Thai with Bean Curd Roll. I enjoyed the Black Bean roll but it was a little too spicy for my daughter. And the third was a Tea Roll (I think). This was a great place and when I'm back in MA, I'll make sure to eat here again! read more

Fresh Side - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

The tea rolls are large and very filling! Only quip is that they could have a higher filling:rice ratio. The owners are very friendly as well. Would recommend! read more

Tea cakes are awesome! Very good fresh food, inventive and satisfying, and excellent for both vegan and carnivores. Would absolutely return. Try the pad thai tea cake. read more

Fresh side is amazing. Highly recommend the tea rolls. Two doesn't sound like that much food but they fill you up! I recommend getting a couple different kinds and sharing with the table. The shrimp tea rolls are my fav. Also recommend the dumplings! read more

Nice Asian fusion lunch spot with nice people watching sidewalk seating. I had the Vietnamese glass noodle salad with shrimp. Nice fresh taste a a little zip. Had the ginger peach tea too to add nice combo flavors. Really liked location and waitress was good too. read more

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True rating = 2.5 After hearing my co-worker rave about this place (specifically the tea rolls) and missing out, I was determined to try this place out for myself. The first time here I went for the boring ol' Pad Thai along with sharing some tea rolls with my friends. I believe you can get either 2 or 4 and they are a rather decent size. If you aren't starving I think you could just order a plate of those for yourself to satisfy your appetite. The meal itself was pleasant, but not too memorable. Restaurant ambiance on the other hand begs to differ. The seating was uncomfortably close! It seemed like they tried to squeeze every inch of available space. The back of my chair was touching the chair of the table right next to us! Definitely don't expect any intimacy in this restaurant. I overheard the conversation of the neighboring table and getting in or out was a bit of a hassle. read more

This place was not too bad. I got the five spice beef noodle soup and it was alright. It wasn't spicy but it got the job done. My partner offered the curry noodles and that was good but it's comparable to UMass' curry noodles tbh so I could just get that would a meal swipe. This all just seems like gentrified Asian food and it shows in its customers. I went there a few months ago and my partner didn't even remember that we tried it. In other words, it's not memorable. read more

Oh my goodness this place is amazing. Great service. Not a long wait and just the best food. read more

Fresh Side - Vietnamese Coffee- Condensed sweet milk, and coffee in a French Press-so fun! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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An unfortunate experience. I read the reviews and thought it would be really tasty. Fresh side presents an enticing visual experience which does not deliver the flavor. I will say the portions were solid. I started with the Pad Thai Tea Roll with Chicken. It really had promise, but the wrapper was very thick that diminished the flavors in the roll. In addition, the peanut sauce was very yummy, but it was just put on the top of the roll which made it hard to eat through the roll. Not understanding the "small plate" portion size, I also ordered the slow roasted Asian style rib with hoisin sauce. They were a beautiful presentation. They smelled wonderful. And they were cooked sometime in the past and tasted like they were microwaved and maybe put in oven after. I know they can't be prepared to order. However, there's a real problem in how they get them from the "holding state" to the table. The texture was a bit mushy. The flavors were muddled. And I wanted to love them. While I like my food to be attractive, I'd rather be wowed by ugly food that taste great! read more

Fresh Side - Pad Thai Tea Roll with Chicken. Looked good. Check review. Thick wrapper. Limited sauce. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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This used to be a nice place for tea rolls and Asian Fusion. Went out last night with two friends and our meals were not up to par and we should have sent them back. Shrimp Tempura should be crunchy on the outside and juicy in the middle. My companions were served tiny hard shrimp that looked like they were prepared from frozen. A small pile of stir fry vegetables looked pretty sad as well. My meal was no better. Lost us as customers. read more

Disappointed. Used to be a regular patron 10-15 years ago and loved it. While visiting Amherst we decided to stop in for lunch. We ordered tea rolls and as soon as they were delivered she offered to get us additional sauce as she said a new person made them and they looked dry. Then my bf's dish came out cold and he had to go to the counter for assistance. I got the pad Thai and it was flavorless. Our server was nice and took a percentage off our bill. But I still left feeling disappointed that that is where we spent our afternoon in Amherst. Hopefully it was a bad day but either way I unfortunately don't see myself going back on future trips. read more