Simon's Coffee Shop — Restaurant in Cambridge

A little over $14 for a BLT sandwich and Chai Latte (I like mine with a shot of espresso, which I'm sure was a little upcharge). This was my first time ordering from here. I was in and out, can't speak to the "ambience" of the place. But...

The barista today did me a solid, and I'm forever grateful for that. Wish I caught their name, but give em a raise!

FOOD I asked for the multi grain bread on the BLT, and wasn't really sure what to expect cus I've never had Iggy's multigrain before (I'm low key obsessed with their ciabatta bread tho!) but it was really good — if you're a fan of true grain breads. The crunchy kind.

Whatever condiment they put on the BLT is a mystery to me, but they put just the right amount of spread on it. Not too thick, not squishing out the sides when you take a bite. Just enough. And it amps up the umami, elevating it from your typical, bland BLT.

DRINK Be aware that they don't have a large coffee menu. They're pretty bare bones as far as coffee goes. Don't expect to get any fancy flavors like "mint chip julip pomegranate with avocado foam and a pump of apple crisp flavor." No. None of that. There are photos of their menu posted on here, I suggest taking a close look at the coffee + hot drinks board before making the trip.

The Chai latte (hot) with a shot of espresso was delicious in my opinion. No added cream or sugar necessary. I mean it helps when you start with a GOOD CHAI, and I felt they started with a good Chai. I didn't find the espresso to be overpowering on the flavor either, but I'm someone who enjoys a good strong coffee flavor. Each sip I could taste both, and it was lovely.

NOTE You cannot order drinks over the phone from Simon's. Must order in person (maybe you can order drinks thru Uber Eats/DoorDash tho, I...

This is a very good place. I met a friend for lunch on a Friday afternoon. We ordered two sandwiches, an iced latte, a scone and a bottle of water. Total cost was $40. The sandwiches were very good. I had the turkey and avocado on sourdough. It was fresh and very tasty. I gather from the speed with which my friend ate his that it was equally good. The size wasn't huge but reasonable. My friend's coffee was very good. The scone was amazing, albeit not traditional. For one, the shape is not the traditional triangle. Instead, it resembled a biscuit. The texture was dense and toothsome, not light like many scones. In fact, I would almost consider this something altogether different than a scone. A baked good form all it's own. If you're expecting the traditional scone you may be disappointed, but if you approach it for what it is you won't be. I loved it. In fact, I liked it so much I took three more home with me too freeze and enjoy later (not included in the price above). The service was exceptional. Fast, friendly, but not artificially chummy, and professional. They got hit the right note. And the place was comfortable, attractive and not at all crowded, although they were doing a brisk business. All in all, highly...

For our annual coffee crawl this year, my wife and I are biking around Cambridge and Somerville, MA and trying to determine the best place for iced coffee/lattes around. We are reviewing based on for categories: taste, coffee/ice ratio, atmosphere, and customer service.

Simon's Coffee Shop is out first stop:

Taste: ** My iced honey latte was great. Not overly sweet with the honey dissolved throughout for a consistent flavor. There is an underlying depth to the espresso that adds a nice, nutty background note. My wife's iced mocha was not as good, with the espresso flavor all but marginalized and a palette dominated by cocoa flavor, almost akin to a Starbucks mocha.

Coffee/Ice Ratio: * Spot on. Perfect amount of ice to chill the drink while not diluting it by melting too quickly.

Atmosphere: * Nice, but not super inviting. I wouldn't want to chill out and enjoy my drink here... Seems best for a grab-and-go experience.

Customer Service: ** Almost non-existent, honestly. The workers seemed too concerned with joking among themselves to pay more than the barest of concern to the patrons.

All in all, Simon's is a good coffee joint, but it's kept from greatness by...