I've only been here once or twice but I love it. I've gotten iced tea and the price is extremely reasonable for the portions. The staff is very friendly and lively which makes the atmosphere better. good amount of seating, fairly clean. read more

Don't mind the bum by the door. He's harmless. Peet's coffee has a freshness that Starbucks lacks. (I am a Starbucks employee so I think I can vouch for this.) It's probably because they grind and pack each espresso shot to order instead of letting a machine do it. The espresso has what I can only describe as a woody flavor, which sounds unappetizing, but is actually really delicious. This location isn't huge, but it does the job. And on a nice day you can sit on the benches in the mini park outside and sip your drink. A certain coffee lover I know swears by Peet's and will take the 35 minute T ride any chance he can to go here. That's dedication. That's good coffee. read more

Oh. Dear God. I'm awfully tired of "Harvard types" getting crap simply for going to Harvard. Yes, I'm a grad student there. I'm also a Boston native. I'm not choosing one over the other. Regardless, I like Peet's. The coffee is fine, and the internet is free, which is more than can be said for Starbuck's or Crema (apparently, Crema has now decided to turn their internet off during peak hours. Not that it ever worked for Macs, anyway), and the view is nice. I have to agree, though, that the setup is pretty poorly thought out. There aren't enough seats or tables, and it can be pretty hard to navigate your way through the place. Hell, at least they don't lock the bathrooms. read more

Now back to my reviews during my May trip in Boston..... so since I'm not a huge fan of Starbucks (which iFeel is overrated...and you leave smelling like feet after spending so much time in the cafe...), we grabbed a quick latte to warm us up in the rainy Cambridge area. I remember the first time I have Peet's coffee in the NE... definitely better than Starbucks, but not up to par with Coffee Bean! I will always choose Peet's over Starbucks anyday! read more

Although the quality of drinks here is on par with most Peet's (and I'm from the East Bay in California, the birthplace of Peet's, so I know good Peet's when I have it), the service is a little slow and the crowds are insane! Good luck getting a seat here! Maybe I always happened to be in the Harvard Square area when it was high-tourist season or weekender time, but seriously, I could never find a seat! Not even outside! (Unless I wanted to sit on the grass which is not an option 9 months out of the year) It was a little frustrating because my friend at MIT always wanted to meet there. I much preferred my local Peet's at Coolidge Corner, that was slightly more low-key, but when you're in Cambridge and you want Peet's...this is obviously the way to go :) read more

A friend of mine invited me out for coffee, said he'd pay. I take him up on it -- how could I not?! -- then he drops the bomb: it can only be at Peet's in Harvard Square. Huh?! It seems he was offered a free drink if he bought a $25 gift card. He took them up on that, and now that's the only place he'll buy coffee - even though he's not in Harvard Square very often. So I make my way from Charlestown to Harvard Square, to Peet's. The store's a decent size with a good amount of seating, but it's still hard to find a seat. No surprise really, considering a certain university is right down the road. It's been stupid hot as of late, so I order an iced latte. It was delicious, considerably better than *that other chain* that's all over the place. Peet's has an interesting take on offering wifi in the store: they offer it for free, but only in 2 hour allotments. This allows you to get some work done, but keeps the camper's at bay. read more

There's nothing special about this location except the crowds. You always have to wait to get a table, and sometimes it gets awkward, as you try not to get in the way, but are really looking for a place to sit. But it's Peets, and this is very tasty coffee! It's worth a little awkwardness to get the goodness. The mochas are good, and they even now offer a sugar free option. The lattes are awesome, too. The default milk they use is whole milk, but they can also use soy, 2% or skim. Bathrooms are pretty nasty, though. Try to use them somewhere else in the Square if you can. read more

I love coffee shops! I like to get the iced tea here (the hisbiscus and chai are good but the plain one is the one I prefer) and top it off with soy milk and 10 packets of splenda (of course I ask for it unsweetened because it's devastatingly embarrassing to order a medium cup of anything with an ungodly 10 packets of splenda). My friends like Starbuck's better and I don't see why one has to win over the other since in 30 min., we'll need coffee again....so in the course of one day, we could give both establishments their fair share of our biznaz. Anyway, it's fun to sit out on the patio and read for hours and watch all the ivy league weirdos and harvard hotties strut on by... read more

I normally don't rate national franchise type establishments, but I must give Kudos to my favorite peets. First and foremost, Peets in harvard sq is adjacent to the coolest park in Cambridge, complete with random ghostly homeless dude resembling a Greenman mumbling something incoherent at the door. Quintessential Cambridge character. The coffee, while on the darker and medium roast, is the best and most unique for a darker roast I've ever had. I can hang out here for 10 minutes and smell like coffee for hours later. Awesome. The tea selections are also a very good quality. read more

My favorite coffee and breakfast spot at Harvard square. And, for Harvard students, we can access to Harvard high-speed internet while enjoying the best coffee in the neighborhood. Peet's opens very early in the morning, and I often start my day there with a big cup of latte, a pecan raisin roll, and the New York times. read more

If you're in Harvard square and you're looking to get a good latte head over to one of the three Starbucks in the square, if you're looking for tea head over to Tea Luxe. So why go to Peet's then? Well if you've never had one of their Icelandic pear Danishes you are missing out. Sure the lattes here are good, but not great. The seating here is minimal and is always taken. I don't even know if they have a loo to use. Go here for the coffee, but get the pastry instead. read more

I prefer the Coolidge Corner Peet's location - it's bigger with more seating and the staff is friendlier. I've been to this one just a couple times, and both times I was disappointed. One time the barista was outright rude to me for some unexplainable reason, and then my latte was literally an inch short of being filled. okkkk.....if I'm going to pay $4 for a beverage, I'd like to have all of it, thanks. Another time my latte just tasted bad. There's enough other coffee places in the area that I won't be back to this location. I'd rather go to ABP than this one again. read more

As someone who has worked in the coffee business - at a Starbucks and also at a little mom & pop independent place, I was really impressed by Peet's iced lattes. The secret is that before anything else, they toss a dollop of foam in the cup, and after the ice, cold milk, and espresso are added, it's mixed in and gives the drink a lighter, almost frothy consistency. They're awesome. Otherwise, the coffee and espresso drinks aren't noticeably better or worse than most places. The location is great, and the interior is pretty spacious for a Cambridge coffee house. And in the summer months, it's nice to get an iced latte and have it outside in the park in front of Peet's. read more

Right on par with Peets in general/everywhere in terms of coffee and atmosphere. The windows unto the little square out front make it especially nice--but so pleasant if can be hard to find a seat. IMHO, Peets is a lot like Starbucks except with much better hot chocolate. However if your this close to L.A. Burdick, go there for hot chocolate. read more

Went here for the first time on a Saturday morning around 9:30. There aren't any Peet's around my home or work so my allegiance generally falls with Starbucks. I had iced coffee, which was excellent. Also had an almond croissant which was amazing. Their baked goods selection beats the pants off the (usually) disappointing items found at the bux. This location has plenty of room inside and outdoor seating is comfortable and plentiful as well. Only very slight negative: the "barista" could have been more pleasant - but whatever, it's Boston. read more

Peet's coffee is great, don't get me wrong. The chai is delicious, better than Starbuck's. My main complaint is the seating and the other patrons at this location. This place is often packed. When it isn't packed, it's 80% full of jerks on their laptops. I say jerks because if you're one person sitting at a table that seats 2 or 3 and you've long ago finished your drink but you insist on continuing to read fark or "work on your thesis" (you aren't fooling anyone!!): you are legally a jerk. I'm sorry, but there it is. It's a bit like Diesel Cafe in that way, except without the hip cred or indie ambiance. I'd say go to Tealuxe instead. read more

Me versus THE S-L-O-W-E-S-T single shot of espresso E-V-E-R Who wins? the highly anticipated 30 mL of liquid pick me up Singolo (when I finally got it) - fine crema, nice acidity without being too bitter I love the coffee and espressos at Peets as well as all the staff but they are SO disorganized and disjointed. There are four people behind the counter and it doesn't seem as if any one of them has a defined role which makes it very VERY inefficient. There are plenty of other cafes with only a solo barrista making all the espresso drinks with speed and flair so waiting 15 minutes for a single shot is totally unacceptable. read more

This Pete's is an outpost of relative retail sanity in an area of Harvard Square's nasty poo-laden (sometimes literally of homo sapiens) Bizarro twighlight zone that's fed by what comes off both ends of Memorial Drive (& from Brighton). If you're dedicated to Pete's & yet have a life on the clock you must tune your schedule to the well oiled-machine of an operating staff that must deal with all manner of crazy tourists, academics, life-long academics, leaky bottomed toddlers with parents in tow, leaky bottomed vagrants, & mofos who wanted their coffee five minutes ago even though they haven't put in an order yet. The layout is weird, the seating is for crap. The acoustics are horrid. That being said, Pete's completes me. Yet, there're also a couple of key things that might make this Pete's, if only, slightly magical. Each of the staffers seem a good catch - boys and girls alike. The awkward layout & waiting can make for interesting, if not easy, shared experiences with darling visitors to the outpost bordering crazy-towne - with Pete's in-hand no less! read more

I don't care if it is a chain or not, the coffee is very strong without being burnt or bitter. They serve great coffee, and it's a nice atmosphere, and a wonderful location looking over the little park in Harvard Sq. Four stars because seating is too limited and no WiFi unless you are lucky enough to steal from nearby. read more

I love its location. There are a few tables and a lot of people coming all the time so it can be difficult to find a place to sit. Coffee tastes good and there are many bakeries. It is noisy some times (or maybe when I came, it is late sunday morning). Still, I can study there. read more

Peet's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Came in to get a half pound of coffee beans and the worker behind the counter gave me my complimentary coffee for my purchase of beans. She also gave my wife a complimentary cup of tea. Definitely above and beyond. I know we cannot expect this every time. Today was our lucky day! read more

I've come here many times over the last year and a half. Sometimes the internet works well often it doesn't. Just get it together Peete's. Thanks Just wanted to say thanks for the follow up from peets below. Appreciate you looking into it, happy to up the stars once that gets better. Thank you! 9/3/15 - same old crappy internet connection. Let's get this fixed guys, you're a multimillion dollar company. so incredibly frustrating. read more

Better than Starbucks? Yes and no. This particular location can get real busy just because of where it's located. So, if you are looking for a nice relaxing place don't go there. Still, the baristas are generally good and knowledgeable and you are right at Harvard Square where all the action is. read more

I love Starbucks, but need to concede that Peet's coffee is unparalleled. Best coffee in Boston-- only wish there were more locations. read more

Peet's Coffee - Cash registers - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Wherever I go, I typically get a London Fog with almond milk. Some places aren't sure how to make it, so I am sure to tell them (I know only since I've been getting them consistently). Went here at night, not busy at all...no one there knew how to make one. I explained it (just steam the milk and add it to the tea with a couple pumps of vanilla), and it still took forever and the barista was still confused. Walked out, waited for it to cool down, and once I tried it it wasn't even right. This sort of thing happens whenever I go to Peet's. Rarely anywhere else. read more

Great coffee; bad store. What? Uh huh! Let's examine: Here in heart of Harvard Square is a branch of Peet's coffee - one of say six in the entire Boston area and one of the few on the east coast. This is one of the most trafficked coffee shops you'll ever step foot inside of. Lines of ten minutes and more are not uncommon and seating can be next to impossible because it's a favorite of college kids who encamp here for days at a time; while continuing to sip on a single cup of the best brew going. Hate to be a hater, but a good manager would be able to rectify this and get the bums out of there so those of us who'd like to sit and chat for 15 minutes with a friend can actually do so. I love Peet's and wish there were more of them on the east coast. Peet's, as one former colleague described, is the "crack of coffee." Yup, she got that right. read more

I like a cup of coffee every now and again, a big cup of coffee, yeah, a big cup, big cup, full of coffee, a strong big cup full of strong coffee yeah coffee that makes me happy and awake strong and dark and smells like cofffee yeah gets me going gets me pumped gets my eyes open COFFEE strong and deep smell and dark and bitter and coffee and buzzing and drinking and going and doing THINGS and maybe coming back for more coffee and never stopping yeah drinking coffee, big big coffee with lots of caffeine and some milk in my coffee or maybe cream or milk or half and half and cream and no sugar no no sugar thanks just coffee and milk or cream or or milk with my coffee YEAH coffee feels good is strong is bitter and strong and dark strong coffee and shit i have a headache now read more

First, the good things: consistent, decently priced, attentive to customers' preferences. Next, the not-so-good: poor ambience (Specifically, noise travels much too well in there. They need to invest in sound dampening so that the person working the cash register can actually hear the order.) They also need to educate certain employees on general sanitation practices. Ordering my drink and then watching the barista who's constructing my drink run his hands repeatedly through his LONG and bushy hair AND his equally bushy beard does NOT inspire confidence, let me tell you! But the staff in there is almost always pleasant, especially Mr. Guy. He rocks. read more

I ordered raspberry mocha latte and it was like raspberry syrup. It was too sweet. I asked employee to fix but he was pretty rude. His name was Robert. He tried to sell me another espresso shot at regular price. Actually when you want to add to your drink it is 75 cent. He said 1.95 for espresso. I was expecting more respectful response because of the location being Harvard university. He wasn't respectful at all until I complained again. read more

I have been a big fan of Peet's coffee for over a decade. Their coffee is always consistent and of good quality - up until today. My latte was undrinkable! They made it again for me. The second was the same as the first. I threw it away. read more

Peet's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Peet's is a well-recognized coffee shop in Harvard Square because from the looks of it, it does everything right. It creates the comfortable, cafe ambiance; it has cafe paraphernalia in the right places; it melds to the studious atmosphere created by the intelligentsia of Harvard as well as to the environment Harvard Square strives to maintain. However, let me forthright about something, and that is, that the coffee here does not taste good. It's not done right. Basically, Peet's is on the same wavelength as Starbucks in terms of pricing and ambiance. But some people are cool with that, but not me. Coffee shouldn't be that expensive, especially for students who need their caffeine fix. There is one upside though: it's a good pickup place if you're looking for that Harvard hottie. read more

A little taste of the west coast in Cambridge. I was first introduced to Peet's in San Francisco and I'd have to say I like it a bit better out there, though it may just be the set-up/layout of this Peet's. I'm always looking for a Starbucks alternative and this Peet's just isn't conducive to my studying style, or maybe I just find it odd in general to sit at a high table. I think what Peet's does have going for it is the super strong drip coffee (it is even stronger than Starbuck's). The lattes are also good, but it seems to take the barista forever to make them. Although I've been tempted by the frozen drinks, I dislike that they don't have a light version, so I've never actually ordered one. read more

Out of all the coffee shops that are in Cambridge, I really don't see where all the fuzz about this one comes from. Been here twice and their coffee has been less than mediocre. The machine looks great, so maybe they don't know how to operate it? Also sure it is a great place to study, and they do provide free wifi, but that wifi is beyond slow - you literally can't do anything with it... I suggest finding other places... read more

I love Peet's!! I've been going there all summer. There was one day I went where they took slightly longer to make my drink (or so they said - I actually didn't notice them taking longer at all!) so the barista gave me a "get your next drink free" card! They definitely go the extra mile to take care of customers. read more

10/10 would come here again for coffee and pasties. After a long cold bike ride I came here to warm up. Ordered a cappuccino and banana-walnut bread. The place was packed but very well staffed. I had my drink and delicious bread within a few minutes. Kudos to staff for saying "today we sliced the banana bread a bit too thin, to there's two slices in the bag" - so nice! This has never happened in other shops / bakeries (looking at you, Flour!). I'll be coming back here again. read more

I like Peet's because it has better internet than Dado Tea or Starbucks. Their coffee and tea are both superior to Starbucks (but the tea ties with Dado). Their travel coffee mugs are cheaper, more durable and more functional than Starbucks'. I bought a mug that retains heat and doesn't spill here, and it's still going strong, unlike the "cute" Starbucks "red cup" plastic mug that fell apart within a couple of weeks. I like working or reading here, but there is rarely a free spot to be found. read more

On a spring day this is a perfect place to come, sit outside and have a nice cup of coffee. It has cute little benches and is right in Harvard square so its great for people watching or just sitting around if you have a few extra minutes. They have great coffee and so many bagels and pastries, great for a stop in the middle of a shopping trip. read more

Yes, there are damn fine independents in the area, but Peet's turned me on to rich, dark roasts years ago and never fails to tickle the ol' taste buds. read more

I haven't found my mom and pop's coffee place yet so until then I go to Harvard square's conveniently located corporate owned coffee house until some smaller place pulls at my heart strings. But at least it's straight up, you know what to expect, and they're very fast at getting you your drink. Good iced coffee. That's all I usually get. Free Wi-Fi. read more

This is by far one of the best Peet's Coffee shops I've been to! The staff is super friendly and they joke around with you - pretty uplifting if you're having a stressful day. The shop is super spacious with plenty of studying spaces, which is important for me because I love studying at coffee shops. As far as drinks go, I definitely recommend the almond milk latte. This was the first time I saw this on a menu and had to order it. It did not disappoint. This is conveniently located really close to the Harvard Square T stop, which I really appreciate as well because I don't have a car. I'd love to come back soon and study. read more