Pavement Coffeehouse - Symphony is a neighborhood café that combines specialty coffee, bagels, and a comfortable space that works well for studying, meeting friends, or taking a break. We walked into a location that has more of a relaxed café feel compared to a typical grab-and-go coffee shop, with plenty of seating and a welcoming atmosphere that makes it a convenient stop before or after visiting the nearby Symphony area. The layout is open and inviting, with a mix of tables and communal seating that accommodates both quick stops and longer visits, and the energy of the room stays calm and approachable throughout the day. The coffee is one of the main reasons to visit. The espresso drinks are smooth and well balanced, and we found the Spanish latte particularly enjoyable, with a subtle sweetness that complemented the espresso without masking it. The matcha and cold brew are also popular choices, and the café does a good job with the basics, delivering drinks that feel thoughtfully prepared rather than just quick coffee. Their drip coffee is a solid option if you prefer something simple, and the quality holds up across the different drink styles. The bagels and sandwiches are the other major highlight. The menu has a variety of bagel options, including classics and more creative combinations like the rosemary salt bagel. The bagels have a soft interior with a slightly firmer exterior, and they work especially well with breakfast sandwiches. We tried the Sunrise bagel and the lox bagel, both of which came together well, with fresh ingredients and a good balance of flavors. The variety of dietary options also stood out, with gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan choices available, making it easier for different preferences to find something. The atmosphere is one of the strongest parts of Pavement Symphony. There is enough space to sit comfortably, and the café has a good study-friendly environment with plenty of outlets and natural light. It can get busy during peak hours, especially with students and people working remotely, so seating may be harder to find at certain times, but the energy of the room stays focused and comfortable. The service can vary depending on the rush, but the staff generally keep things moving, and the ordering process is efficient. The biggest consideration is value. Some items, especially certain drinks and bagel combinations, can feel a little expensive compared to simpler coffee shops, but the quality is good and the café experience itself is what sets it apart. Pavement Coffeehouse at Symphony is a reliable café with good coffee, solid bagels, and a comfortable space. It is the kind of place we would visit when we want to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere rather than just quickly pick up a drink, offering a dependable stop for a morning coffee, a light meal, or a study session that feels both practical and inviting. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Cute space with lots of seating, ideal for a quick coffee chat or studying/working. The Iced Vanilla Latte was sweet and creamy. Their Death Cream was also popular in which you can get regular or Maple cream - love that they have a separate Sweet section on their drinks menu. We got the Sunrise Bagel Sandwich - while it had a generous amount of fluffy eggs, there was only a singular piece of bacon and cheddar cheese which was a bit of a letdown. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Sunrise Bagel Sandwich, Iced Vanilla Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is going to sound a little odd, but they have surprisingly good bagels! They have proven to be a wonderful respite during the 5-6 months of the year when being outside is unpleasant due to either the blustery cold and gross humidity. A warm, toasted bagel with butter, accompanied by one of Pavement's many refreshing warm and cold beverages, a definite YES. There are times I wish as soon as the door opens I will be greeted not by a bell or chime but Adele's song of a similar name as this establishment. Corny, but I think everyone would smile! During the fall and spring semesters, finding a mid-afternoon seat can be quite difficult. Alas, that is not the fault of Pavement, but of those who linger too long and need to find a library. All in all, a good spot with its own charm. read more

Nice place for coffee and bagels close to Northeastern. Packed with students on a Saturday morning. We got a couple of bagel sandwiches. Mine had egg, American cheese, arugula, tomato, and aioli. Not the greatest sandwich ever, but the everything bagel was so great that this place gets four stars. Lots of small and community tables, so that makes it a little easier to get a table. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - The Awakening. Good. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I tried Pavement for the first time today. I ordered the Sunrise on an everything bagel. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The bagel itself was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I liked eating it plain. The egg and bacon were pretty standard. The study space is also really nice. I didn't order any drinks and think that would've heavily played into my rating so I hope to come back again to try more items on the menu. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - The Sunrise (everything bagel) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered ice latte - it was essentially flavored milk. Don't bother with coffee here Also ordered a bagel - took 20 mins to get it... for 1 bagel!! read more

Great food, decent coffee, but very stingy with ingredients like arugula, of which you can expect a singular sprig of it if you add it to your sandwich. Also the employees need to wear hairnets (they don't) and my gf had hair all over her sandwich. read more

INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER is the term of choice for this Pavement Coffeehouse. Indeed, the negligence and apathy shown by the staff could have surely led to a swift death had it not been for our astute senses and unwavering attention. A brief visit to Pavement Coffeehouse on Gainsborough Street turned into quite the affair. Part of the order was forgotten. Another part was corrupted to no end: indeed, my friend and fellow customer ordered a bagel sandwich that she specifically and clearly requested to be prepared with "vegan egg." After all, were she to consume a real and true egg, the kind from a hen's body, she would have gone into anaphylactic shock, leading to a SWIFT AND SUDDEN DEATH. But alas, despite several mentions and several muted giggles from the staff, the bagel sandwich was disgracefully prepared with a real and true egg, the kind from a hen's body. Alas! Fortunately, my friend and fellow customer recognized from a mere glance that the "vegan egg" appeared to in fact be a real and true egg, the kind from a hen's body. And yes, after I sampled it, I confirmed this suspicion. A SWIFT AND SUDDEN DEATH averted! Since we had taken the products and goods to go, we returned to Pavement to confront the staff about their error. With an apathetic giggle, oblivious to the potential gravity of her mistake, the girlie at the counter simply said that they would prepare another. And another was indeed prepared, this time with "vegan egg." So, you ask, with a potentially deadly affair such as this, why has this establishment been awarded two (2) stars? The answer is that the coffee itself and the food itself were refreshing and tasty. Despite the quality of the products, it seems that a visit to this Pavement Coffeehouse can very well be flirtation with death. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - The venue within - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I usually like coming here but I feel like the quality has been going down hill a lot. Today I bit into my bacon and was disgusted by a very raw taste. I took a look and the bacon is basically undercooked. I'm really grossed out and have a terrible taste in my mouth from this experience. Also not worth the price for them to be neglectful like this. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Undercooked bacon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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pretty cafe vibes. i got an iced americano and it was very watered down.. the bagel was okay. i didn't like the way we ordered. you wait in a long line and they call your name to pick it up.. except you can't hear them call your name and you pick up your food cold. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Harper - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My go-to coffee and bagel spot near campus, usually worth the wait, although the wait can be very long (I've waited an hour+ for a bagel and latte). Can be hit or miss, especially during the busiest hours. Once or twice they've gotten my order wrong and the staff is typically busy and not overly accommodating. My go-to is the sunrise bagel on the rosemary salt bagel. Definitely try the rosemary salt bagel-- I'd never have anything like it! I typically try their specialty lattes and most of them have been great. Definitely a splurge for a bagel and latte, but I'll definitely be back. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Sunrise Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The. Best. Bagels. I went three days in a row for breakfast to have the lox bagel with cucumbers and sprouts/capers. I ordered the salted rosemary bagel with the classic lox and cucumbers and sprouts. I don't think I could have been happier. It's heaven in a bagel. Literally so easy to order ahead of time and pick up. They have plenty of options to change up/ add to their normal bagels. The coffee I ordered (iced mocha) on the last day was quite bitter, but did not detract from my bagel experience. Next time I'm in Boston I will definitely be coming back for these bagels alone. read more

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One of the best bagels I've ever had! The rosemary salt bagel was amazing and the vegan options are fantastic. I got that bagel with the veggie tofu spread and the vegetables in it tasted so fresh. The iced coffee here is also great and they have non dairy milk options! Especially for a place in the city, I was impressed by the price of my bagel. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Rosemary salt bagel with veggie tofu spread - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

wait forever Ang get harassed not worth the wait there is no sense of urgency whatsoever

I loved the aesthetic first of all. I had a Lavender infused Lemonade with a Rosemary Salt Bagel. The combination was delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Lavender Lemonade and Rosemary Salt Bagel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The matcha at Pavement is the best in Boston. The regular is already already fairly sweet, and adding a pump of vanilla makes it perfect. The Farmstead Bacon Egg and Cheese is wonderful, the bacon is crisp, the cheese is a perfect flavor, and the bagels are fluffy. The blueberry muffins are moist and very berry-ish. Although there is a good amount of indoor seating, it is usually packed so finding a table is often difficult. The music is always extremely loud, which can make it hard to focus if you're looking to find a space to do work. Cashiers are kind and service is always fast. However, I do not recommend their gluten-free options. It was incredibly disappointing, the bread was chalky and the sandwich was barely put together read more

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It was packed with people when I came and there were a few people ahead of me in line, but service was really quick and everyone was kind! I had the lavender pearl green tea and it was absolutely delicious! The condiment bar has everything you need from lids, mills, syrup, honey, and sugars. Even though there's a variety of seating, it's hard to find a spot because lots of them are there to study or get work done. Slightly high noise level, but very cute atmosphere overall! Will definitely be back to try the coffee! read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Large tea bag! Love it - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First and last time coming here. 15 min for a toasted bagel with cream cheese to come out ice cold with hair in it? Yuck.

I had two Latte's today, one in the morning around 8am, and a second one at around 2pm. The first had no flavor, was disappointed. I figured I would give them a second try, maybe the espresso machine wasn't completely warmed up. Second Latte was mostly milk, could not even taste the espresso. Too bad, this use to be a B+ house, now I would rate it a C-. read more

Coffee was good, espresso too sweet. Bacon egg and cheese was underwhelming and had cream cheese on top (???). Also Rebecca M was rude and did not make eye contact read more

Overpriced! $14 for a bagel and a matcha is outrageous!! On top of that, horrible service. Littered with people on their laptops, the library is down the street folks! Much rather prefer the Allston location as the staff are personable and service is quick! read more

Got the classic lox bagel sandwich for lunch, it was pretty good! I liked it. They didn't have any everything bagels left so I got the sesame bagel. There was a lotttt of cream cheese, and I'm not the best judge of lox bagels because I haven't had many, but I liked it a lot. It was $9.50, a little cheaper than other places in Boston so that's good. Would probably get again. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Lox bagel classic - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is a cute and bustling coffee cafe with breakfast sandwiches (starting at $5 - $10). We ordered two bagel sunrise sandwiches. The bacon was nice and crispy. The egg was fluffy and hot. It's definitely an egg that's cooked in the microwave or some quick method but I'd does the job. When we went, the cafe was very full and all seats were taken so we took our sandwiches and sat around the corner (5 min walk) to Tatte cafe. The bathrooms are clean and the people seem nice. Don't rely on parking but it's def accessible to the T and super close walk from Northeastern U. They serve specialty coffee but I didn't get any during this visit. read more

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I wish I had gotten their name but someone with a dark bandana working register today absolutely changed my life!! I asked what drink would rock my world and the lavender oat latte was exactly that! I swear the best recommendation and the most charming person ever, will definitely be coming back for the phenomenal service! I think a raise is well deserved read more

I've been here quite a few times. It's a small place, but very cute. The people who work there are often very nice. I've only ever tried their matcha, but it's been good every time. I recently ordered some bagels and they were great too. It did take a while to get the bagels, but the drinks have never taken too long. read more

I came here many times and people here are sooooo NICE! They make my day! I have bagel with plain cream cheese today and I got my food in 5 mins! There are a lot of seats here, the atmosphere is good for reading or writing paper. I didn't order coffee this time, but my favorite coffee here is Latte! read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Everything bagel with plain cream cheese - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Hey, Yelp app. Is there coffee in the neighborhood? Is there something that isn't Starbucks? Yes, yes, there is. Pavement has that instant "coffeehouse vibe" when you walk in the door. Ecclectic furniture that looks like it fell off a truck and some of it looks like it got run over by a truck, too! But the seats are comfortable and most of them have power outlets nearby. As for the wifi, it's free for the first little while. And then you have to pay for it. Interestingly, there are some other "free" signals nearby that you might be able to glom on to. Or change your MAC address if you know how. Oh yeah. The coffee! My latte was perfectly smooth and tasty. The plain croissant was nice and buttery and flaky. They did have a reasonable selection of other bakery items and some breakfast and sandwiches. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Every time I get Pavement, I remember how overrated it is, but this time takes the cake. I spent almost $22 on the smallest cappuccino I've ever seen and a bagel I've been craving all day. Not sure if they hire people who can't read or what because almost none of my bagel order was right (and I was missing what I paid extra for) but it said it all right there on the order slip attached. Wasn't even busy. I will not be returning and will be telling everyone I know to go elsewhere next time. read more

I came here with a friend. It was my first here and I loved it. It's a cute little cafe. It's really aesthetic The service was wonderful. The employees were super sweet. You would see a lot of students coming in to either do their work or hangout. It's a relaxing environment. Though the menu is limited, they still have great food and drinks. I got a cinnamon raisin bagel with raspberry jam along with a vanilla latte. It was so good! read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Cinnamon raisin bagel with raspberry jam + vanilla latte :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Worst service ever. Barista made drink for her friend before even looking at the seven tickets in front of her. All-around poor quality.

Sandwiches are good, but overpriced. Espresso is literal garbage, burnt, citrusy, unswalloawable. The drip coffee is also gross. Farmer horse around the corner is infinitely better and cheaper. This place is in business because of dumb northeastern students read more

Pavement is open for takeout! They have their own app which makes mobile ordering super easy and quick. I live one block away so I ordered and put my shoes on and it was ready! I got a latte and a bagel with lox & schmear. Super yummy! Everything tasted super fresh but needed a little reconstruction to eat haven't interacted with their employees as of late (due to Covid) but they have always been super friendly and helpful in the past!! read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Latte w/ almond milk and classic lox on everything - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Usually come here for breakfast on my way to work. Their bagels are good, they have a wide variety of bagels and cream cheeses. My favorite sandwich from them is "The Fix". It's a perfect blend is sweet and spicy in my opinion. You won't regret it! The interior is nice and cozy, it is very popular amongst NEU students as it is a great study space! read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Maybe the food is good, we wouldn't know because it took thirty minutes for them to spread cream cheese on a bagel and we had to leave before it was done. read more

This is probably my favorite bagel place! The staff is kind and respectful and their food is delicious. My go-to is usually the jalapeño bagel with spicy diablo cream cheese but sometimes I like to mix it up and get their breakfast sandwiches. If you're looking for a great study spot with a great atmosphere and great food, pavement is the spot for you! read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Tequila Sunrise Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Had an experience yesterday that left an extremely sour taste in my mouth. A friend and I were sitting and working at a center table when an older gentleman quietly entered. He approached me and politely asked whether I would be willing to spare some money so he could get something to eat. I didn't have any cash, but was about to get up to buy him something myself. Before I could, an employee came over and started loudly berating the man, telling him he had to go and immediately threatening to call the cops if he didn't leave. When the man asked why he had to leave, the employee told him "you're in here all the time, you have to go". (This didn't seem like a great reason to me, since people need to eat every day!) The man got angry and eventually stormed out, without getting to eat anything. I understand that it's likely against policy for people to enter Pavement asking customers for money, and I know that being asked for money or food can make some people uncomfortable or affect the atmosphere of an establishment. However, the way this employee made a scene and humiliated this man rather than discreetly telling him he can't ask for money and politely asking him to leave was extremely upsetting. It showed a lack of professionalism, and more importantly, human empathy. I don't know what good writing this review will do, I guess I hope an employee will read it and think about how situations like this can be handled in the future. I wonder if Pavement has considered a pay-it-forward system so that instead of having to make a scene when people ask for help, they can prevent discomfort by providing a discreet way for people to ask whether they can get anything for free. I want to emphasize how polite and unobtrusive the gentleman asking me for help was before he was loudly and publicly berated by the employee. The employee cited this man's anger as a reason why he needed to leave but it was the employee who made a scene, humiliated him in front of several people, and made him feel attacked and defensive. The least a company that participates in the gentrification of an area can do is institute a system where people can discreetly ask for free food at the counter--or at the very least train their employees to treat people with respect and empathy even if they aren't the "usual" type of person who comes into the shop. Loved coming to Pavement before now, but this was a violent wake-up call for how people are treated in this shop when they don't look or act like a usual customer. read more

I love their Sunrise sandwich (I think that's what it's called)-especially with a jalapeño bagel. MMM. I tried it once and found myself craving it again. The service is fine, but not memorable and my friend ordered a chai latte and she said it was not very good, but I can only review the delicious sandwich myself, which she also enjoyed. It is slightly greasy and very satisfying, but the bacon is thick-cut (which I love) and the jalapeño bagel adds a perfect touch, not overbearing, but definitely noticeable. The atmosphere is nice. It seems like a nice place to work if you snatch the right spot, but it is also poppin so you have really snatch your spot or someone else will. read more

Pavement Coffeehouse - Sunrise sandwich on jalapeño bagel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It's essentially just a very nice and small coffee house. Prices aren't bad and the food is good. I'm not really a coffee person so I've mostly tried their pastries and teas, which are consistently good. The service is quick too. It's nothing too special, but a nice place to stop on a morning commute for a small breakfast. read more

Okay food and drinks, and nice ambiance. Pricing is outrageous, especially considering how close to a university it is. $9 for egg and cheese on a bagel is a no for me. read more

Addicting! Get the rosemary salt bagel and get the Diablo cream cheese. Yum! The coffee tastes good to me although many friends seem to have mixed feelings about it. It's hard to go wrong ordering here. I just wish they'd stop raising the prices! read more