Caffè Nero — Restaurant in Dedham

went to the one in Arlington and had a great experience, so was really looking forward to replicate the last visit.

this location's decor is the same as the other, very cozy, conducive to chatting with a friend or working alone. the line accumulates at times but disappears just as quickly, one would not need to wait more than 10 min to get served.

service was ok but what happened (twice) resulted to the 3-star rating. first time i was at the counter I ordered a flat white in my cup, even showed the guy when i said it and he seemed to acknowledge it. then he went on doing his things without taking my cup, and i waited. moments later my drink appeared in their disposable cup unexpectedly. thought maybe i spoke too softly or he was too busy (i was in a line that time).

before i left i went to order a regular coffee for the next day, tried to use my cup again. this time, it was acknowledged alright. but for forever reason, coffee was first poured into a disposable cup then re-poured into my cup, and the disposable cup was thrown away without a second thought. do you think i brought my cup all the way over here just so i can feel like a hipster??? i was trying very hard to do my part on reducing waste, guys! and you really are not helping.

one strike, maybe an accident. two strikes, it's a pattern. brew coffee should be the easiest thing to pour into a personal cup, and yet you managed to screw it up. that's really sad, Nero. you're breaking my heart. and oh, while your other specialty coffees are delicious, that brew...

I’m giving this 3 stars because the food/beverages have always been top notch. However, the staff at this location is not particularly friendly and not communicative by any means. I haven’t been to this location since 2019 (due to COVID) and figured I’d order pickup for a change in pace. When I got there, I was immediately helped and I advised that I was here to pickup. They walked off to go look, never indicating that I should follow them. So I stood there waiting, moving along with the line (which there wasn’t much of) until another person asked me if I’d been helped. I stated that I was picking up, to which they pointed all the way at the end of the bar. There I saw the same person who initially helped me, impatiently patting on the bag and talking to me in a rude tone. I had to scoot past the line and if you know the layout of that location, it’s a tight fit. Had I known I could just simply pickup at the very end of the bar, I would’ve gone around. Every establishment operates differently and I didn’t know what to expect going in. I didn’t appreciate the assumption that I knew I had to go grab it myself and the lack of direction, all played out in a rude manner. I will not be returning here again...

I've been here a few times and the coffee is better than other chains. Not as burnt and the milk foam not as soapy looking. I've tried some food items in the past and they were good too. The best thing about it is the environment. If you can find a place to sit and chill out, it is a great cafe to sit and relax and talk with a friend or even a group of friends. I say if, cause it gets rather busy and not many seats will be free, if any.

My advice is, if you come with a group of friends, have one or two, just on the lookout for a place to sit while the others wait on line. I wouldn't suggest waiting to find a seat after you order unless you are by yourself and can sit in a high chair they have that tend to be empty.. ish next to their mobile ordering.

They don't have a drive through and parking during busy hours is a pain unless you head straight to the covered garage in legacy so this is not a place I go to unless I'm waiting for my wife to finish a nail appointment or shop at one of the stores, but I do enjoy it every time I do go.

Oh, and they do have free Wi-Fi if you want to work or study, maybe watch a video or two on your phone as Internet speed is decent, not 4k...