I love Life Alive cafes, and the Davis Square one was less busy than some of the other locations around Boston. I had the Coconut Red Lentil Dal, which is a summer special, and it was the best Life Alive bowl I've ever had. It was fresh, hearty, and delicious, with the creamy dal going perfectly with the lentil and rice base. Our food came out quickly and there was both indoor and outdoor seating available. I'd definitely come to this location again! read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Coconut Red Lentil Dal - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

First place I would give 6 stars if possible!! Our food was perfectly prepared, fresh, and filling. Prices were extremely fair given the quality and quantity of food. I think there was a hole in my plate!! (Because the food disappeared) The atmosphere Life Alive has curated is so comfortable and open. There is plenty of seating space indoor and out. 10/10 read more

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The food here is always fresh and delicious year round. It's fun to try different combinations of add-ons.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many options they had at Life Alive! I had been to their central location years ago and back then the menu was limited. But they've really upped their game! They have Asian and Middle Eastern flavours while keeping their core value of healthy food. The prices are also very decent, you can get a meal for around $15. The space in Davis square is next to a parking lot (paid) but convenient so you don't have to find street parking. There is ample space inside to socialize or dine solo. The vibes are very hipster, as any place in Somerville. You order first, then take a seat with the table number. They then bring the food to you. I got bibimbap and was pleasantly surprised at how flavourful it was. Definitely will keep this in rotation for a lunch / casual date. read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Chili Garlic Mushroom Bibimbap - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Staff is beaming with warmth the minute you walk in the door. The seating and decor is comfy to the touch and recharges the soul visually. The strawberry sunshine was the perfect blend of fruits and nutrients while restoring my energy on this hot summer day. read more

I love Life Alive but lately I've been disappointed by the quality of service in the evening. Twice this week, I have ordered dinner to go and twice this week I have been left waiting for my order. I want to preface this by saying that the staff are all extremely kind and were quick to remedy the inconvenience. However, the manager's behavior when I went to pick up my latest order was nothing short of careless. I ordered a chili garlic mushroom bibimbap and a strawberry and cream power chia for pickup. I placed the order at 8:22pm and was quoted a ETA of 8:42. When I arrives around 8:40, the food was not only not ready, they forgot about my order entirely. Again, the staff were very on top of it and apologized before starting to make my order. I was appreciative of the two young ladies who communicated with me as they made the order and offered to compensate me. The manager however was not as gracious. After getting my grain bowl I waited around for another few minutes before inquiring about my strawberry & cream power chia. The manager told me they no longer had it, gave me a random strawberry drink and said the price was the same so it was fine. He did not offer to refund me for what I actually ordered and his attitude felt unwarranted. Moreso, amidst this entire ordeal he was mostly absent and the two younger girls had to go get him repeatedly to ask what they should do. When he did come around he was distracted on a facetime call. Things happen and items run out but after a long day, I did not appreciate how this was handled. read more

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First, yes it IS expensive. My youngest worked at a different location years ago and got me addicted to their smoothies. That being said, I LOVE their smoothies and they do a good job all around with their other items. I have not had a bad dish yet but I am old and know what I like so I don't get adventurous. This is a newer location so the set up is lovely and clean and full of light. read more

Amazing variety of healthy food and drinks. Delicious flavors. Look forward to going to there whenever I'm in the Boston area. read more

Food was amazing... I ordered the shakshuska pita and the iced Mocha latte... everything was delicious... read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Shakshuska pita... - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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At the register, I placed an order, paid for it, and received the food with zero words and no eye contact from the cashier.

I like the food it's solid if a tad pricey. The main issue is beware of dining in near Noon. The problem is this joint gets so bombed with delivery orders so you'll wait a very long time to get your food. It took 50 mins for my avocado toast to arrive. Stick to DoorDash at busy hours with this joint. read more

They offer a great 20% discount if you are a down under yoga member which is super awesome. The PBJ açaí bowl has me locked in even in the winter months, and I love that they don't skimp on the peanut butter. The inside is the best study environment and is just so beautiful bright and aesthetic read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - PBJ açaí bowl - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I order from them on Uber eats frequently, and unfortunately, I'm having the same issue with my order every time. I'll order a smoothie and clearly mark NO banana (I'm allergic) and add protein powder. They have gotten it right once in the last 5 orders. I'm a Sommelier so I'm literally trained to taste things. The last 4 of the 5 orders, there was banana and no protein powder. So clearly I can not rely on them to follow directions or for any level of quality control. Secondly, it would just be nice if they had breakfast all day on the app, but that has nothing to do with my rating. Unfortunately, I will have to find a new healthy place to order food from. read more

Healthy delicious food. Always a great option for i need to grab something for lunch though I do need to make sure to plan ahead and order well in advance since it's such a busy location. read more

Food: WOW. The Autumn Falafel and butternut spice latte was DELICIOUS! No complaints here, I finished everything, feeling super content, knowing I will be satisfied for the rest of the day. :) Service: Food was fast, the workers were able to help me on which menu items were the most popular but tbh they could've smiled a little more haha, it was a beautiful day at the restaurant. Ambiance: I love this location. Davis Square is such a fun area, and the restaurant has tons of natural light, they maintain it well. read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Butternut Spice Latte, Autumn Falafel Bowl - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Obnoxious corporate chain masked as an earthy cafe that pipes loud pop music over a long stretch of public sidewalk outside a doctor's office -- in complete contradiction to its peaceful bohemian branding. L.A., please keep the music inside so people can choose whether they want to listen to it and elderly, hard-of-hearing and sensory impaired patients can navigate to their appointments safely. read more

Words cannot describe how happy I was to find out that Life Alive has finally expanded to Davis Square (in fact, on its website...they have sooo many locations now.when they only used to be in Central Square / Copley and another place back 4-5 years ago!). I used to frequent Life Alive frequently for a variety of their acai bowls in the morning when I was working in Boston...and certainly do miss having such a great, healthy start from Life Alive every work day! The shop looked very modern and clean. I liked that they did open early! So, guess what I did my first morning I was back in Boston?!?! I walked over from my place to have a proper healthy breakfast there! The food was not only very satisfying, clean and healthy...they also looked good and colorful...totally instagrammable! I also liked that they also had free internet in the cafe as well (although..it wasn't conducive to me because I had to be on a call and there were definitely background noises of people and music playing in the shop!). Overall, I love that Life Alive is finally in Davis Square! I will definitely stop by Life Alive again the next time I find myself back in Boston! read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Blue algae coconut milk drink and honey mango acai bowl - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Great selection of healthy food and drinks, all employees are very kind and efficient. A little pricey so we can't indulge too often, but I guess it is worth it. read more

Loved the atmosphere, food, and service!!! As a vegetarian this was an AMAZING option for me. And they have a LOT of dairy free, gluten free, vegan, and soy free, allergen friendly foods for those with other dietary restrictions. Highly recommend this place to go solo or with friends. read more

I like going to this cafe when working from home. It's on the expensive side, but the atmosphere makes up for it. You can study or work and not buy anything as well. Good for summer days in which your AC is broken. Food is generally healthy too. read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Peanut noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

A refreshing take on the organic food/bowls that seems to be everywhere: good, fresh ingredients. Food preparation seemed a little slow, but perhaps why quality was higher. read more

Nice health & wellness cafe that's conveniently located right outside the Davis T Station. There's plenty of seating and free wifi, so it's a good cafe for studying. The Teriyaki Tofu bowl was really nice - they didn't skimp on the veggies and the tofu was deliciously crispy. Everything was drizzled with their yummy teriyaki sauce. The only thing that wasn't a hit was the Vanilla Honey Oat Cold Brew - the honey taste didn't pair well with the bitterness of the coffee, plus the vanilla taste was nonexistent. Wasn't a fan of this combo. Service was fine. read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Nice place for a quick, healthy lunch. Had the Avocado Greens salad (Everything-encrusted avocado, cucumber, sweet corn, pickled onion, kalamata olives, crispy chickpeas, feta, shaved vegetables, baby lettuces, romaine hearts & basil green goddess dressing) with no olives and it was delicious. My friend got the Watermelon Poke salad, which looked amazing (Chili-lime watermelon, mango, avocado & cucumber with brown rice, cilantro & mint, radish, frisée, peanut crumble & sesame ginger dressing). read more

Fresh healthy delicious food in a welcoming chill environment. Staff exceptional. Just what we needed on this cold February evening. read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Taco Verde with cheddar - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I went to Life Alive located on 20-40 Holland St, Somerville, MA with several locations around the Boston area this plant-based cafe serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and smoothies. At my visit, I had the Elvis and Blue Raspberry Acai smoothie. The Elvis smoothie had peanut butter, banana, raw cacao, coconut gelato and coconut milk. The Blue Raspberry Acai had acai, blueberry, raspberry, dragonfruit, lemon and coconut milk. My personal favorite was the Elvis smoothie! The peanut butter and coconut gave it such a rich and creamy flavor. We also tried the blueberry superfood waffles and the breakfast hash. The blueberry waffles with the honey and syrup were a classic breakfast dish! The breakfast hash was beautifully plated with sweet potatoes, quinoa, peppers, onion, rainbow beets, cilantro-lime vinaigrette, and an egg. If you are around the Davis area check out this new Life Alive spot right on the bike path Overall Rating: Food: 8/10 Affordability: 6/10 Ambiance: 8/10 read more

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We were hungry and this place looked hopping. We made a good choice. The app was easy enough to order from the car, and when we went in, we immediately were given proper attention. We did have to wait longer due to one of the items needing time, but people kept coming by and checking in with us. They were very well coordinated and it showed. The inside was very pleasant and had we had more time we would have eaten there. Once we got the food we took it back to the hotel to eat. We were surprised how tasty everything was. Reading the descriptions, I was worried it would all taste like a mishmash but it actually worked! Good textures and variety. Even my kid was willing to eat the tofu. We got three warm bowls. My favorite was the spicy noodles. What brought the rating down a bit was the smoothies. They were expensive and thinner than I expected. My kid enjoyed it though. I probably wouldnt get them again and stick with the warm bowls. read more

Life Alive is the most recent entrant into the healthy "bowl" restaurants in the area. My wife LOVES these places, but I find them to be a little derivative as they all seem the same to me with pretty much the same offerings and same(ish) price points. The bowls are good and often offer up 2 meals because of the amount of grains they put as the base. There are a variety of options to choose from, and each one has proven to be flavorful and well thought out as a dish. The main problem for me is that for the price there is too much grain as the base and not enough "stuff" to go with the grains. I always end up with a bunch of left over rice/grains that are doused with dressing and bits of the "good stuff" added to it. Honestly, the drinks/smoothies/shakes are the best part of this place. It feels like a juice bar meets a smoothie place and they have a barista friend that hangs out there too! I love all of the offerings in terms of drinks and have just gotten used to the $8+ prices of these types of "liquid meals" - despite thinking they are overpriced. Buuuuuuut, they are delicious and worth trying at least once :) Live Alive might be one of the better places to serve this kind of food. It seems fresher, better executed, and has more options that I personally enjoy. If it were just a bit cheaper, I wouldn't hesitate to give it 5 stars... but for 2 drinks and 2 bowls to be over $45... I just can't get behind that kind of "value" in a consistent basis. We go here periodically, but it is not in our usual rotation. read more

Life Alive is one of my favorite cafes around Boston. With multiple locations, they serve plant-based food in a bright, lively setting. The inside of the Davis Square location is bright, colorful, and welcoming. Great for lunch, the food is always delish. My favorite things to get are usually the Avocado Toast, Living Caesar Salad, and the Açaí bowls. All of them are super flavorful and hit the spot! They have some really good smoothies too but sometimes they don't blend them long enough so there tends to be clumps in them. Usually service is good but they tend to get really busy around lunch. I've also had a couple times where my online orders for pickup have got lost which was frustrating. Overall, I'm so glad Life Alive opened a location in Davis Square, it's definitely one of my go-to spots! read more

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My wife's a vegan, do I get try out a ton of vegan restaurants when on trips. This place did not disappoint, but I was highly impressed. The cost was very reasonable and the food was fantastic with a large menu to offer the service style to be improved upon, but I overlooked that with the quality and taste of the food. They did forget my order, and my wife had to go back up and remind him, but aside from that everything taste very good. read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I've eaten at this location several (at least 5) times before and, usually, it's good. As others have mentioned, it's Davis Square so it does tend to be busy (especially during peak afternoon hours/on the weekend). The times I have managed to snag a seat have been great -- the vibes are great, the look/style and overall feel are pretty cool (boho look), and the music is hip/chill. As another reviewer noted, though, the smell does stick to your clothes here (ventilation is not great). The last time I dined here I could smell the food on my clothes for hours after. The reason I'm giving this a 3 stars though is because I have been extremely disappointed with my food pick-up experience here. I usually get an acai bowl and when I order dine in, I get a relatively large bowl and the portion size feels worth the money. However, I recently ordered an acai bowl for pick-up and the portion size is NOT the same as the dine in size (which fills a much larger bowl). I got around half, maybe 2/3 the amount of acai for the same price as dine in. Extremely disappointing. Do not order the acai bowls for pick-up--just get them in person. read more

Welcome to the neighborhood, Life Alive! Nothing can beat the original Central Square location, but I'm so very glad that Life Alive is now in Davis as well. The menu is consistent but the "corporate model" as I see it - aka no half-bowls, more mainstream descriptions (no "enveloping" and "embracing" sauces) but the options are still the same and top-notch veggie fare. I love the Adventurer so much I rarely consider anything else, but I just had the breakfast hash bowl and it was pretty spectacular. The people here are super nice (two people told me by name that my meal was ready when I came back after running errands), the seating is lovely indoors and out, and the location is key, right next to the T and near parking. Very glad to have another healthy option in the neighborhood! read more

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I'm so stoked to see Life Alive opening in Davis Square!! It has been one of my favorite vegetarian (maybe in general) restaurant in the Boston area. I've tried multiple bowls and smoothies numerous of times from different locations, never left unsatisfied (maybe a little due to not having enough!). Here at the new Davis Square location, we tried the Thai Peanut Sutra and the Spring Falafel. The former tastes better to me with decent amount of sweet and slightly spicy. The latter is also flavorful in its own way. They also throw an interesting opening event that you can exchange an old t token to a free bowl. How fun! I'm really looking forward to enjoying many more delicious meals here! read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Grains - Thai Peanut Sutra - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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I love their food. Smoothies are always amazing as are their breakfast tacos, peanut noodle bowl, and LA salad. However this location can be slow in service so highly recommend ordering in advance if you are en route to someplace else and thinking you can stop by. Otherwise a great place to have nearby. read more

Tried the ramen, and it struggles to have as much umami while remaining vegan. I also personally would have preferred smaller chunks of tofu rather than two large slabs--given the form factor, it really needed to be marinated because it was quite bland. The hot ocean blue latte was like a hug in a cup, and I'd definitely recommend it on a cold day. read more

Fast service and great vibes to sit and work for a while! I got a smoothie and avocado toast and was very happy

Did someone say organic? YES. Rating: 4.5/5 Price: $-$$ Wifi: YES Arrival time for food: 10-15 mins Pros: -comfy ambinance -food was delivered at a reasonable time -great café to work -free and fast wifi Cons: -no servers come to your table to place your order; must go to the counter to order (first timers like me didn't know that) -there is not a lot of seats for those who want to have a working-while-eating-or-drinking experience (first come first serve for available seats) My final impressions: Overall, delicious and nutritious food for the price!!! I ordered the Ocean Blue Latte and Shitake Udon for lunch. My friends kept calling the Ocean Blue Latte the "blue drink" because they didn't know the name of it. Heard from all of them that it's a delicious drink. It gets its color from the protein powerhouse blue-green algae. I saved it for last, after eating my noodle dish. The drink was phenomenal and also GF + DF. My friends ordered the Budda Bowl with steamed egg + Cafe latte and the Avocado Sol w steamed egg + honey vanilla oat cold brew. They were raving about their orders, which only means I have to go back again! read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Ocean blue latte drink with shitake udon - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

My friend ordered the honey vanilla oat milk latte and I loved how sweet and flavorful it was so I went to order the same thing. Mine came back as if it was a completely different drink-very bland, tasted nothing like the one my friend received. I'm not one to inconvenience workers to ask for a new drink but it was one of those instances where I really couldn't enjoy the drink, as I was anticipating something sweeter. One worker at the register came up to me and tried to gaslight me into thinking the coffee was made how it was supposed to be. She told me that "it's not supposed to be that sweet" and that "it's not Starbucks." I was taken aback because it's not like I could've forced her to try both my drink and my friends so she could taste the difference, so I just asked for a new one. The new drink was sweeter but definitely not consistent with what my two friends ordered. Overall, whether the drink was supposed to be sweet or not, there should be consistency with how they're supposed to be made. I also didn't appreciate the passive aggressive response of saying "it's not Starbucks". I would've went to Starbucks if I knew this would've been my experience. read more

Live Alive is a delicious restaurant chain with the most vague and hard to remember name! The food and drinks are so appealing I am glad I don't live close to one. I'd be spending a lot of $. And while I spent a chunk of change on my lunch recently, it was good value for such fresh and healthy food. I enjoyed the shiitake udon (complete with egg, sweet potato and broccoli), and my guest enjoyed the autumn falafel seasonal special. I also got the watermelon drink and it was like eating a fresh watermelon sprinkled with mint. Very refreshing for a cold winter day, took me right back to summer. The space is clean, bright and welcoming. There's one big round table on the middle of the room with kind of weird hand chairs, and a row of small 2 person tables with individual chairs and a long pillow covered bench. High tops and other nook tables are in the back. Overall it is a pretty big space. The staff are very friendly and the set up is quite eco-oriented where you get your own napkins and water, and you bus your own table. When you've placed your order at the central check out area they'll give you a little number to display before bringing out your delicious food. And wow the food is very nice! My meal was so gingery I didn't really taste anything else, but the udon noodles and broth were soothing given the gross winter weather. The servings are huge, but you have to ask for take away containers. We only needed half of what we bought to feel content, so that makes the price easier to bear. Just keep it in mind if you're eating on the go and can't take leftovers with you! Lots of seasonal offerings so the menu is always changing, and they have rice bowls, salads, and soups. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free options so everyone can be happy! read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - Watermelon juice drink and autumn falafel season special - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The price on the menu didn't reflect the current price. Got a honey vanilla oat cold brew but it's just sour water with no honey or vanilla or coffee flavor. The food and other drinks here are fine but this was an abomination. :( read more

Life Alive Organic Cafe Davis Square - "Honey vanilla cold brew" - Vegetarian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

So overjoyed to find a place that doesn't use seed oils and where the ingredients are fresh! I always look forward to a visit. Is there any way the blenders can be in the back room? It disrupts the nice ambiance :) read more