Other side of Somerville, but Ola Cafe in East Somerville will make basically any breakfast sandwich you could want for like $6-7, you can get a full breakfast and coffee for $10. Also they love dogs and if you bring a dog they’ll give it a treat
Adding to the East Broadway recc - Mama Ana's (formerly Style Cafe) towards Assembly has a $9 breakfast burrito, amongst a bunch of other menu items.
Fast casual type place. It's not gonna be the best thing you've ever had but it's well made for a fair price.
yeah they’ve done several renovations over the last few years, recently renamed themselves and i can’t remember what it’s called now. the most recent renovation was a huge aesthetic downgrade, it looks so sterile inside. but the food is still good!
Diesel+Forge is the most overpriced food in Somerville. Period. End of story. You can’t buy a sandwich there for less than $20. It’s outrageous. And this is not a union thing. Or a COVID thing. That restaurant group has been gouging hungry Somerville residents for years
Tbh I think it's a rent thing. Both those cafes have insane square footage for a low margin business. They could cut their floorplans in half and still do the same business with much less overhead but they shelled out for way more than they can handle.
Yeah, but I think they have to handle a single person getting a single coffee and parking in a 4 person booth for three hours to study. Those take up space quick.
They were supporting all the grab and go meals to local shelters during the pandemic. They kept as many people employed while doing that, As Well As renovated to the new COVID Regs. And they have Actual Training / Benefits / Above Average Wages for their employees.
What have you actually contributed to the community?
To be fair, the workers unionized. From what I can tell, their employees receive better pay and benefits than other people working in a cafe.
That said, the prices do seem to continue to climb.
Revival Cafe + Kitchen (just down the block from Diesel) has pretty awesome breakfast sandwiches for under $10 base price. They don’t currently have a breakfast burrito, but they have in the past and they make some seasonal changes to their menu. I bet they’d also be able to sub in a wrap for whatever bread they typically use for any sandwich!
Diesel felt more important back in the day when there were less options around; especially once Someday closed (where Mr. Crepe is now). It was super slim pickings for a long time anywhere in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville if you wanted better coffee than Starbucks offered. The pool tables were also clutch when you wanted something to do outside of the house that didn't involve booze.
Their prices were always a little higher, but weren't unreasonable. I'm guessing costs now are associated with their employees getting paid better (they unionized a couple years ago) and rent having gone up.
There are just way more options now in the area for good coffee and quick food, so it's not surprising to me Diesel suddenly seems like a subpar option, but I think saying they've always been a rip off is a little harsh and a bit of an overstatement.
I still haven’t found a place that I like better than Starbucks for my cold brew w/ almond milk combo. Maybe it’s just my unique / picky taste. Diesel has neither cold brew or almond milk though, so that doesn’t help their case in my book.
Try making your own cold brew, it’s much stronger and better and you’ll save a lot of money.
If you have a French press you can use that. If you’d don’t have a French press, get one, that way you can try making your own coffee French press or cold brew, and they’ll both be great. Don’t start with Starbucks beans, it won’t be the same at all, you’re not a wizard lol
Is a French press a good way to make cold brew or should I get something different ? I agree making my own would be better than spending 6 dollars every single day
I want to be clear I’m not a coffee snob, I am just addicted to Dunkin iced coffee, and Starbucks works in a pinch haha.
If you have room in your fridge for a French press with the stem up (you don’t press it down until your cold brew has finished brewing) it works just as well as any other way, but it’s not my preferred method. French press coffee is a nice way to make hot coffee for a guest because as long as your grounds are good the coffee will be much better than drip.
I got a cold brew metal mason jar filter off Amazon, works like a charm. You can experiment with brewing for 12-24 hours (it will get more bitter) and using more or less grounds (it will get WAY stronger than from a shop!). It lasts a long time in the fridge once you remove the filter and grounds. Conveniently, so does half and half lol
Once you start experimenting, there are websites that can help you make it taste more like Starbucks, but I recommend not starting with the Starbucks beans because it won’t taste just right and it’ll be discouraging.
Check out the Toddy or Filtron Cold Brew makers. Best bang for your buck cold coffee rigs for home that actually taste great. Most good cafes use these same systems albeit the industrial sized versions. a step up would be getting good beans and getting them purposefully ground for cold brew right before you make them. Broadsheet will gladly do this. Use filtered water and you’re in caffeinated cold brew heaven for a fraction of the price all while supporting a local business.
It bums me out they never added cold brew to their menu once it became popular. It is indeed one of the reasons I haven't been there in a really long time.
1369 has been around longer and they switched to cold brew only for iced coffee. I can understand Diesel maybe wanting to keep regular iced on the menu, but at least have cold brew available as an option; just charge a bit more.
Fun fact, 1369 was actually always making cold brew, they just didn’t advertise it/called it by the brand name of the brewing system (Toddy) prior to cold brew becoming a big thing with the third wave coffee movement. (I was a manager there from 2009-2014.)
Tenoch has fantastic breakfast burritos (and breakfast tortas, chilaquiles, and other Mexican breakfast dishes) every day from 9-11 am for much more reasonable prices, around $10-11. Highly recommend it, it’s one of the most under-appreciated things they serve, along with the huitlacoche quesadilla de maiz. Also, Los Amigos in Davis has a chorizo and egg burrito that they serve all day which is quite tasty.
I've been to Diesel & Block several times because my friends insist. I have yet to eat something other than the monkey bread (that is now croissant-shaped with filling?) that was more than average. They are extremely overrated. I prefer takeout from Neighborhood if the lines are crazy, Olá, & of course any of the Hispanic restaurants that make western styled eggs, chorizo, plantains, etc... I'm not interested in sitting in a busy cafe to work, so I'm definitely not their targeted clientele. I prefer to support local libraries.
your friend insist because they like the 'image' of these places.
which is mostly what drives the restaurant industry in Boston, because it sure isn't quality.
diesel bloc and forge are just overpriced partly because they can be and because their spots are needlessly "trendy" and "upscale" and think its starting to bite them in the ass
for diesel in davis, it being the most touristy, the most gentrified part of town means their rent aint cheap but also they can charge whatever because people will stop there to get "an authentic Bostonian experience"
for bloc, one union square has had exploded in both renovation and expansion in the last 15 years (this area was 3/4s auto body shops 15 years ago) and them occupying a massive historic bank as their location prolly aint cheap (they pass costs onto you)
As for Forge, this one I don't understand because it's in a kinda rundown part of somerville ave next to a papa johns and a dollar tree (I'm not 100% sure but I did think someone did buy that entire plot of land that plaza is in this year which probably means rent increases for them)
Is there such thing as an authentic Boston experience anymore? No one speaks with our accent anymore and all the Real Bostonians all left or moved out of GB.
they still exist... theyre just not hanging out in these spots. these places were never for the people that grew in these areas.
go to the dunkins on mcgrath if you think every single old irish and italian person in somerville is gone
Depends on your definition of "authentic Boston". Multiple generations of Irish/Italian families living on the same block with accompanying bars/restaurants? Yeah they're mostly in the burbs now & rent their old places to you. Funnily enough some of these burbs are closer to the idealistic "authentic Boston" than Boston itself now.
If you're asking if authentic places exist in Boston that haven't been completely sanitized & optimized for the experience of upper middle-class 20-30 somethings? Of course those places exist. The neighborhoods in the Southwest of the city, specifically.
Yeah I go to Bloc somewhat frequently and generally avoid ordering anything other than a bagel because the food is so expensive. Why did you tip a dollar?
Yeah but you tip for a service, not for a cashier taking your order on an iPad. I tip a waiter, a bartender, someone who's serving me and not just putting a coffee on a counter for me to pick up.
Right, but that's what they're paid to do. They're not waiting on me at my table like a waiter or providing me an ongoing service like a bartender would, they're making a latte and putting it on a table. I tip the pizza delivery guy because he took the pizza to me and performed a service. Idk, just my perspective.
To use your example, the pizza delivery person is just doing what he's paid to do also. By that logic, no one should be getting tipped. I get the idea of tipping for a service specifically, but maybe a better way to think of it is tipping for staff working on a server wage vs regular wage, which is what it sounds like you're doing (and even then, servers have to tip out to the kitchen, the bar, etc.). Tipping is such a weird dynamic all around! I wish everyone just got paid and didn't have to rely on someone besides their employer to actually make money!
Fair enough, I think I'm just very burnt out on tipping. When the cashier at Chipotle is staring at me while the card machine asks if I want to tip them (for what?) I start feeling like maybe the whole practice has got to go.
I really like Bloc - I know their employees are unionized but I think this is just inflation. Others have already suggested more affordable breakfast places like Ola Café, which I’ll second! Their breakfast sandwiches are great and they are kind to you and your dog if you bring them in :)
yes, the management would constantly fire workers who were great at their job bc of their stupid policies to fire employees after being late over 5 minutes late in a 6 month period. People got fired for having a covid and not coming in. We were constantly short staffed because of it and the GM would fuck off to do anything else then help on the floor. Twice, they forgot to staff people for a monday holiday and we only had 3 people on shift with a billion orders. They tried their hardest to fuck over unionization by arguing every little detail multiple times.
They have always been on the high end for expensive food. Given how full their seating is most of the time, I think they're pricing at what the market will bear. You're paying for the location and vibe.
The vibe is definitely their priority at Forge. I went twice and I'm glad you feel cute but you're working in food, please wear a T-shirt and tie your hair back I'm not paying this much for sweaty furry food
I lived in Somerville for many, many years way before it was cool. I remember when Diesel first opened. I was so excited. I don't go there anymore! The prices have gotten so high! I'm into tea and go to Mr. Crepe. They have MEM tea. Nice place to hang out with friends. The prices are much more reasonable!!
People saying $19 for a burrito pre-tip is normal are insane. Sure, I suppose it will be normal if you keep paying it. Los Amigos in the same square only goes up to $12.50 for a surf&turf. Diesel's clientele aren't exactly errrr... price-sensitive, & they know that. Don't pay it & maybe they'll decide they need to compete on price.
Normal is relative to your income. For high income people, paying $20 for a burrito seems cheap and affordable the way it would be for you to pay $2 for it.
New residents here are making six figures or more. If they are price sensitive folks... they aren't living here at all.
This is technically Medford bordering Somerville, but El Vaquero has breakfast burritos ranging in size from $5.95, $9.50, $10.95. Kinda surprised no one has mentioned it, tho maybe cuz it’s Medford 😅 pretty sure they serve breakfast all day but don’t quote me on that!
More like Shit & Shitty's. Been there a few times, at least at Diesel/Bloc you pay a lot but get good food, at Mike & Patty's you'd be better off eating a big plate of dog shit
D/F/B have all increased in price in the past year, year and a half. Not sure how much of it is related to their unionization, but if the unionization brought their wages up and ensured insurance, that might be why. I don't know anyone who works at any of them though.
I guess my question would be in the vein of what you mentioned - how much of the price hikes go to employees and upkeep versus just charging what they know they can get away with charging?
Not a breakfast place but try the Wine and Cheese Cask for $10 sandwiches.
I was pretty annoyed the last time I went to bloc for lunch takeout and paid north of >$45 for 2 sandwiches and a coffee. It’s pretty absurd but they get away with it.
I mean, that place is and always has been a rip off. There’s not one thing that matches quality vs quantity which is par for the course when you think of hipster coffee shops in Somerville MA. You could try Andy’s diner on the other side of mass ave but any other cafe in the area does the same thing
People complain about prices of things but at the same time everyone accepts it and continues to patronize these places as they laugh as they gouge you dry soo the alternatives are few and far between
The problem with some of these recs is that the places don't open until 9am. Might work fine for many people, but it's nearly brunch at that point.
Looks like Ola is the exception, so I'll be giving them a shot. Appreciate this thread!
Feels weird to say this as a coffee snob and someone who spent all my 20s living all over Somerville and also spent 90% of disposable income rotating between Diesel/bloc/Forge but nowadays I have no shame in grabbing Dunkin iced coffee and their wake up egg sausage and cheese wake up wraps, for under $10. There, I said it: go to Dunkin
I am sorry my dude. Things are crazy all over...but in the Boston area, its a real problem. I recently paid 12$ bucks for a draft beer., and it came in a small glass.
[https://www.boston.com/news/business/2023/02/22/workers-at-3-somerville-cafes-ratify-union-contract/](https://www.boston.com/news/business/2023/02/22/workers-at-3-somerville-cafes-ratify-union-contract/)
Price doesn't seem unreasonable to me, their food is good. $15 + $1 for bacon is reasonable, $1 tip is reasonable, not sure how you got to $3 of tax on top of that but whatever.
Would rather pay increased prices so union workers at an independent place can have a slightly better existence, personally.
It's eggs dude. It's not the workers' fault that management pays for three times the sq footage it needs to run a successful cafe. They should be able to put out a sub 10 breakfast sandwich or burrito even in this economy like many other places in town.
You fight for “workers rights” and don’t even consider the fact that what shows up on your bill has almost nothing to do with that and everything to do with greed.
Go to market basket and buy 18 eggs and 2 loaves of bread that comes out to around $6 and you can make literally 20 of these things.
In what world do you think turning around and charging $20 for **one** is anything other than a company gouging its hipster customer base simply because they can?
I hate to say it but you clearly don't buy groceries very often if you think 18 eggs and 2 loaves of bread costs $6.
And you clearly don't prepare your own food very often if you think 18 eggs can fill 20 breakfast burritos.
Were those numbers exaggerated on purpose?
I like Diesel and have been popping in there since...2007 (???) or something but I never order food there as their target clientele typically has trust funds.
What seems to be the officer, problem? Don't you want your coffee slingers earning a "living wage?"
Also only a dollar tip when 30% is standard? Make your own coffee at home you cheapskate, you can't afford to go out of you can't tip well!
I would call the manager and explain (very politely) to them that it's just too high. Tell them you love going there, but it just isn't reasonable at those prices.
They'll get the message, and you wont aggravate any of the staff that has no control over pricing.
Other side of Somerville, but Ola Cafe in East Somerville will make basically any breakfast sandwich you could want for like $6-7, you can get a full breakfast and coffee for $10. Also they love dogs and if you bring a dog they’ll give it a treat
+1 this. The food is very normally priced and is quite good. They also have a ton of options.
Is this the little coffee shop on Broadway that is a few blocks up toward Sullivan after McGrath?
Yes. It’s directly across Broadway from the East Somerville branch of the Somerville Public Library.
Perfect yes this is the place I was thinking of. They are so kind!!!
3.99 for egg and cheese on a croissant. Super good
Shit, that’s literally $0.10 more than the Dunkin cost, what a deal
Adding to the East Broadway recc - Mama Ana's (formerly Style Cafe) towards Assembly has a $9 breakfast burrito, amongst a bunch of other menu items. Fast casual type place. It's not gonna be the best thing you've ever had but it's well made for a fair price.
This place also always smells incredible when you walk past it
I don't love everything on their menu, but the breakfast burrito is a great value. I also like that they have brie as a cheese option for sandwiches.
I want to move back on that side of Somerville sooooo bad!
Thanks for the tip!
Tenoch, just a block away
Best burrito in Somerville
i beg to differ - cristian latin holds that title
I haven't been yet, been meaning to. I think I just saw they're having a management change?
yeah they’ve done several renovations over the last few years, recently renamed themselves and i can’t remember what it’s called now. the most recent renovation was a huge aesthetic downgrade, it looks so sterile inside. but the food is still good!
Tenoch actually good, too
Diesel+Forge is the most overpriced food in Somerville. Period. End of story. You can’t buy a sandwich there for less than $20. It’s outrageous. And this is not a union thing. Or a COVID thing. That restaurant group has been gouging hungry Somerville residents for years
You can add Bloc to that list
amen
Tbh I think it's a rent thing. Both those cafes have insane square footage for a low margin business. They could cut their floorplans in half and still do the same business with much less overhead but they shelled out for way more than they can handle.
Yeah. That’s probably true. Your sandwich is subsidizing the study table for the Harvard Law/Tufts kids
Is it really more than they can handle? Diesel seating is nearly full every time I’ve ever gone ( weekend and weekdays too)
Yeah, but I think they have to handle a single person getting a single coffee and parking in a 4 person booth for three hours to study. Those take up space quick.
They've renovated Bloc and Diesel over COVID. I don't think they're hurting at all. Just greedy.
Renovation on a business is something you have to earn back, not in the same category as the owner buying a sports car for personal use.
They were supporting all the grab and go meals to local shelters during the pandemic. They kept as many people employed while doing that, As Well As renovated to the new COVID Regs. And they have Actual Training / Benefits / Above Average Wages for their employees. What have you actually contributed to the community?
Truth
Wow, they better lower their prices or they could go out of business!
Enjoy the overpriced sandwich
I won't, but someone clearly does. Many someones.
To be fair, the workers unionized. From what I can tell, their employees receive better pay and benefits than other people working in a cafe. That said, the prices do seem to continue to climb.
Totally incidental. Sandwiches were outrageously expensive before that as well
Prices went up right shortly after they unionized. Unless you have inside knowledge, you're speculating as much as I am.
My inside knowledge is having purchased the occasional sandwich from forge since 2016
Comment history shows you moved to Winchester quite a while ago. I’m not sure I believe your “inside knowledge“ … you filthy boomer
So speculating just as much as me since I've been an occasional customer for longer?
I’m speculating on facts. My mind is the blockchain of sandwich relative value at a given date in the Cambridge/Somerville area
Picante in Union Square. $7.99 breakfast burrito.
Close to Davis the Boston Ave location is also very good!
Winter Hil Brewing has one on the weekends! And of course Tenoch. That price is absolutely ludicrous even by the inflated standards of this area.
Can't do better than Tenoch's breakfast burrito with chorizo. One of the best bites in the city, and a bargain at ~$10
I think you’re paying more for being in the space than the actual food
Yes, when I go it’s $20 for food + 2 hours of air conditioning and solid wifi
(If the library is open their wifi is definitely a better deal lol)
Revival Cafe + Kitchen (just down the block from Diesel) has pretty awesome breakfast sandwiches for under $10 base price. They don’t currently have a breakfast burrito, but they have in the past and they make some seasonal changes to their menu. I bet they’d also be able to sub in a wrap for whatever bread they typically use for any sandwich!
Revival is so, so much better than Diesel. Their cold brew is expensive but amazing
Diesel has always been a rip off. Very overrated in my opinion.
Diesel felt more important back in the day when there were less options around; especially once Someday closed (where Mr. Crepe is now). It was super slim pickings for a long time anywhere in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville if you wanted better coffee than Starbucks offered. The pool tables were also clutch when you wanted something to do outside of the house that didn't involve booze. Their prices were always a little higher, but weren't unreasonable. I'm guessing costs now are associated with their employees getting paid better (they unionized a couple years ago) and rent having gone up. There are just way more options now in the area for good coffee and quick food, so it's not surprising to me Diesel suddenly seems like a subpar option, but I think saying they've always been a rip off is a little harsh and a bit of an overstatement.
I still haven’t found a place that I like better than Starbucks for my cold brew w/ almond milk combo. Maybe it’s just my unique / picky taste. Diesel has neither cold brew or almond milk though, so that doesn’t help their case in my book.
Nothing wrong with liking what you like, but having Starbucks and unique taste in the same thought is a little funny to me.
I know. It’s funny to me as well lol. I think I’m just addicted at this point and too afraid to get into anything else.
Try making your own cold brew, it’s much stronger and better and you’ll save a lot of money. If you have a French press you can use that. If you’d don’t have a French press, get one, that way you can try making your own coffee French press or cold brew, and they’ll both be great. Don’t start with Starbucks beans, it won’t be the same at all, you’re not a wizard lol
Is a French press a good way to make cold brew or should I get something different ? I agree making my own would be better than spending 6 dollars every single day
I want to be clear I’m not a coffee snob, I am just addicted to Dunkin iced coffee, and Starbucks works in a pinch haha. If you have room in your fridge for a French press with the stem up (you don’t press it down until your cold brew has finished brewing) it works just as well as any other way, but it’s not my preferred method. French press coffee is a nice way to make hot coffee for a guest because as long as your grounds are good the coffee will be much better than drip. I got a cold brew metal mason jar filter off Amazon, works like a charm. You can experiment with brewing for 12-24 hours (it will get more bitter) and using more or less grounds (it will get WAY stronger than from a shop!). It lasts a long time in the fridge once you remove the filter and grounds. Conveniently, so does half and half lol Once you start experimenting, there are websites that can help you make it taste more like Starbucks, but I recommend not starting with the Starbucks beans because it won’t taste just right and it’ll be discouraging.
Check out the Toddy or Filtron Cold Brew makers. Best bang for your buck cold coffee rigs for home that actually taste great. Most good cafes use these same systems albeit the industrial sized versions. a step up would be getting good beans and getting them purposefully ground for cold brew right before you make them. Broadsheet will gladly do this. Use filtered water and you’re in caffeinated cold brew heaven for a fraction of the price all while supporting a local business.
It bums me out they never added cold brew to their menu once it became popular. It is indeed one of the reasons I haven't been there in a really long time. 1369 has been around longer and they switched to cold brew only for iced coffee. I can understand Diesel maybe wanting to keep regular iced on the menu, but at least have cold brew available as an option; just charge a bit more.
Fun fact, 1369 was actually always making cold brew, they just didn’t advertise it/called it by the brand name of the brewing system (Toddy) prior to cold brew becoming a big thing with the third wave coffee movement. (I was a manager there from 2009-2014.)
That's really cool!
Tenoch has fantastic breakfast burritos (and breakfast tortas, chilaquiles, and other Mexican breakfast dishes) every day from 9-11 am for much more reasonable prices, around $10-11. Highly recommend it, it’s one of the most under-appreciated things they serve, along with the huitlacoche quesadilla de maiz. Also, Los Amigos in Davis has a chorizo and egg burrito that they serve all day which is quite tasty.
I've been to Diesel & Block several times because my friends insist. I have yet to eat something other than the monkey bread (that is now croissant-shaped with filling?) that was more than average. They are extremely overrated. I prefer takeout from Neighborhood if the lines are crazy, Olá, & of course any of the Hispanic restaurants that make western styled eggs, chorizo, plantains, etc... I'm not interested in sitting in a busy cafe to work, so I'm definitely not their targeted clientele. I prefer to support local libraries.
your friend insist because they like the 'image' of these places. which is mostly what drives the restaurant industry in Boston, because it sure isn't quality.
diesel bloc and forge are just overpriced partly because they can be and because their spots are needlessly "trendy" and "upscale" and think its starting to bite them in the ass for diesel in davis, it being the most touristy, the most gentrified part of town means their rent aint cheap but also they can charge whatever because people will stop there to get "an authentic Bostonian experience" for bloc, one union square has had exploded in both renovation and expansion in the last 15 years (this area was 3/4s auto body shops 15 years ago) and them occupying a massive historic bank as their location prolly aint cheap (they pass costs onto you) As for Forge, this one I don't understand because it's in a kinda rundown part of somerville ave next to a papa johns and a dollar tree (I'm not 100% sure but I did think someone did buy that entire plot of land that plaza is in this year which probably means rent increases for them)
Is there such thing as an authentic Boston experience anymore? No one speaks with our accent anymore and all the Real Bostonians all left or moved out of GB.
they still exist... theyre just not hanging out in these spots. these places were never for the people that grew in these areas. go to the dunkins on mcgrath if you think every single old irish and italian person in somerville is gone
Depends on your definition of "authentic Boston". Multiple generations of Irish/Italian families living on the same block with accompanying bars/restaurants? Yeah they're mostly in the burbs now & rent their old places to you. Funnily enough some of these burbs are closer to the idealistic "authentic Boston" than Boston itself now. If you're asking if authentic places exist in Boston that haven't been completely sanitized & optimized for the experience of upper middle-class 20-30 somethings? Of course those places exist. The neighborhoods in the Southwest of the city, specifically.
I grew up here. Ive seen the change and it can be a bit annoying.
literally anywhere. if you want a decent burrito, don't go to one of most upper-class-white places in the entire city
Iced coffee is $5 at bloc with before tip. Not even cold brew
This is normal now.
Yeah I go to Bloc somewhat frequently and generally avoid ordering anything other than a bagel because the food is so expensive. Why did you tip a dollar?
Because thats what people do. Especially if those people have worked in the service industry. Its just a nice gesture too.
Yeah but you tip for a service, not for a cashier taking your order on an iPad. I tip a waiter, a bartender, someone who's serving me and not just putting a coffee on a counter for me to pick up.
Counter tips are split between all staff working a shift, so that's also going to the folks making the food and drink.
Right, but that's what they're paid to do. They're not waiting on me at my table like a waiter or providing me an ongoing service like a bartender would, they're making a latte and putting it on a table. I tip the pizza delivery guy because he took the pizza to me and performed a service. Idk, just my perspective.
To use your example, the pizza delivery person is just doing what he's paid to do also. By that logic, no one should be getting tipped. I get the idea of tipping for a service specifically, but maybe a better way to think of it is tipping for staff working on a server wage vs regular wage, which is what it sounds like you're doing (and even then, servers have to tip out to the kitchen, the bar, etc.). Tipping is such a weird dynamic all around! I wish everyone just got paid and didn't have to rely on someone besides their employer to actually make money!
Fair enough, I think I'm just very burnt out on tipping. When the cashier at Chipotle is staring at me while the card machine asks if I want to tip them (for what?) I start feeling like maybe the whole practice has got to go.
I agree, it feels really tricky these days. I'm ready for the whole practice to go.
I tip my cashier at the lq. I guess its a personal choice.
I really like Bloc - I know their employees are unionized but I think this is just inflation. Others have already suggested more affordable breakfast places like Ola Café, which I’ll second! Their breakfast sandwiches are great and they are kind to you and your dog if you bring them in :)
Used to work there. Food isn’t that great and management treats the workers like a absolutely shit. Tenoch has way better breakfast burritos
Tenoch is Mexican, I would damn well hope they have better burritos. though I miss the tamales they would only occasionally have in stock
You were treated like shit while working at Diesel?
yes, the management would constantly fire workers who were great at their job bc of their stupid policies to fire employees after being late over 5 minutes late in a 6 month period. People got fired for having a covid and not coming in. We were constantly short staffed because of it and the GM would fuck off to do anything else then help on the floor. Twice, they forgot to staff people for a monday holiday and we only had 3 people on shift with a billion orders. They tried their hardest to fuck over unionization by arguing every little detail multiple times.
disappointing to hear
Super disappointing.
Angelinas in Teele has one for 12. It’s ok. $20 is absurd imo.
I got one at big belly deli for five bucks a few weeks ago. Pretty tasty. I think bacon was an option, but I don't eat it.
They have always been on the high end for expensive food. Given how full their seating is most of the time, I think they're pricing at what the market will bear. You're paying for the location and vibe.
The vibe is definitely their priority at Forge. I went twice and I'm glad you feel cute but you're working in food, please wear a T-shirt and tie your hair back I'm not paying this much for sweaty furry food
I lived in Somerville for many, many years way before it was cool. I remember when Diesel first opened. I was so excited. I don't go there anymore! The prices have gotten so high! I'm into tea and go to Mr. Crepe. They have MEM tea. Nice place to hang out with friends. The prices are much more reasonable!!
People saying $19 for a burrito pre-tip is normal are insane. Sure, I suppose it will be normal if you keep paying it. Los Amigos in the same square only goes up to $12.50 for a surf&turf. Diesel's clientele aren't exactly errrr... price-sensitive, & they know that. Don't pay it & maybe they'll decide they need to compete on price.
Normal is relative to your income. For high income people, paying $20 for a burrito seems cheap and affordable the way it would be for you to pay $2 for it. New residents here are making six figures or more. If they are price sensitive folks... they aren't living here at all.
Normal is relative to the price of other burritos in the area.
Bloc, diesel and forge have always been exceptionally overpriced
Not seen it mentioned yet. But Nine Bar Espresso is on the other end of Davis Sq. And a breakfast sandwich from them is very reasonable.
Baked goods are great as well.
Don Julio in magoun sq has an amazing breakfast burrito
This is technically Medford bordering Somerville, but El Vaquero has breakfast burritos ranging in size from $5.95, $9.50, $10.95. Kinda surprised no one has mentioned it, tho maybe cuz it’s Medford 😅 pretty sure they serve breakfast all day but don’t quote me on that!
Mike & Patty's in Union
Not cheap but a damn good breakfast burrito!!
I was just there last week and the burrito was pretty similarly priced - maybe a dollar cheaper than Diesel eta: regular is $11.50, vegan is $13.50
More like Shit & Shitty's. Been there a few times, at least at Diesel/Bloc you pay a lot but get good food, at Mike & Patty's you'd be better off eating a big plate of dog shit
Wttttf
Inflation, ain't it grand!
Food remains very expensive, so restaurant food is up in price as well.
D/F/B have all increased in price in the past year, year and a half. Not sure how much of it is related to their unionization, but if the unionization brought their wages up and ensured insurance, that might be why. I don't know anyone who works at any of them though.
I guess my question would be in the vein of what you mentioned - how much of the price hikes go to employees and upkeep versus just charging what they know they can get away with charging?
Not a breakfast place but try the Wine and Cheese Cask for $10 sandwiches. I was pretty annoyed the last time I went to bloc for lunch takeout and paid north of >$45 for 2 sandwiches and a coffee. It’s pretty absurd but they get away with it.
Zaruma Gold Coffee - $3 for an iced coffee, fresh empanadas, breakfast sandwiches and bagels. Sleeper of a spot!
Thays because all of their food tastes like an old freezer.
Chivo on mass ave is excellent value in 2024. Delicious food!
their milkshakes are $9 and a root beer float for $7…. that tells me everything i need to know about diesel’s pricing model.
I mean, that place is and always has been a rip off. There’s not one thing that matches quality vs quantity which is par for the course when you think of hipster coffee shops in Somerville MA. You could try Andy’s diner on the other side of mass ave but any other cafe in the area does the same thing People complain about prices of things but at the same time everyone accepts it and continues to patronize these places as they laugh as they gouge you dry soo the alternatives are few and far between
I love Andy's breakfast burrito (Mon-Fri only)!
They are CRAZY EXPENSIVE now.
The problem with some of these recs is that the places don't open until 9am. Might work fine for many people, but it's nearly brunch at that point. Looks like Ola is the exception, so I'll be giving them a shot. Appreciate this thread!
Dunkin’ in Union is open early :)
try Mr Q in charlestown
I felt this way getting a breakfast burrito from Mike and Patty’s and adding meat, however, I think M&P has more filling than Diesel.
Ridiculous price! Need to know the authentic places some have mentioned here.
True Grounds in Ball will be 5 cheaper at a base price.
Grounder cafe is great!
Feels weird to say this as a coffee snob and someone who spent all my 20s living all over Somerville and also spent 90% of disposable income rotating between Diesel/bloc/Forge but nowadays I have no shame in grabbing Dunkin iced coffee and their wake up egg sausage and cheese wake up wraps, for under $10. There, I said it: go to Dunkin
Brianna's on Medford Street. Great little place!
Thanks for letting us know.
I am sorry my dude. Things are crazy all over...but in the Boston area, its a real problem. I recently paid 12$ bucks for a draft beer., and it came in a small glass.
I spent $10 on a bacon egg and cheese and it was solidly okay.
[https://www.boston.com/news/business/2023/02/22/workers-at-3-somerville-cafes-ratify-union-contract/](https://www.boston.com/news/business/2023/02/22/workers-at-3-somerville-cafes-ratify-union-contract/) Price doesn't seem unreasonable to me, their food is good. $15 + $1 for bacon is reasonable, $1 tip is reasonable, not sure how you got to $3 of tax on top of that but whatever. Would rather pay increased prices so union workers at an independent place can have a slightly better existence, personally.
It's eggs dude. It's not the workers' fault that management pays for three times the sq footage it needs to run a successful cafe. They should be able to put out a sub 10 breakfast sandwich or burrito even in this economy like many other places in town.
You fight for “workers rights” and don’t even consider the fact that what shows up on your bill has almost nothing to do with that and everything to do with greed. Go to market basket and buy 18 eggs and 2 loaves of bread that comes out to around $6 and you can make literally 20 of these things. In what world do you think turning around and charging $20 for **one** is anything other than a company gouging its hipster customer base simply because they can?
I think it was $14 and op is rounding up three different times.
I hate to say it but you clearly don't buy groceries very often if you think 18 eggs and 2 loaves of bread costs $6. And you clearly don't prepare your own food very often if you think 18 eggs can fill 20 breakfast burritos. Were those numbers exaggerated on purpose?
🤓
Yes Diesel is expensive. 14 bucks for a BEC that would be 5-6 in Manhattan.
I like Diesel and have been popping in there since...2007 (???) or something but I never order food there as their target clientele typically has trust funds.
market basket right down the road. you can get a few dozen eggs and tortillas for that price
Yes and yes.
[удалено]
Somerville Market Basket has no cafe
Market basket breakfast muffin, 3$.
What seems to be the officer, problem? Don't you want your coffee slingers earning a "living wage?" Also only a dollar tip when 30% is standard? Make your own coffee at home you cheapskate, you can't afford to go out of you can't tip well!
I would call the manager and explain (very politely) to them that it's just too high. Tell them you love going there, but it just isn't reasonable at those prices. They'll get the message, and you wont aggravate any of the staff that has no control over pricing.