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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Harvard SquareHarvard (Red)
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I'm not sure how and I doubt it's anything healthful, but ABP has figured out how to make some tasty hot sandwiches.
I often stop by the Cambridge location after taking the red-eye into Boston for H-Y. Would be ****, but minus one star since Lou Dobbs was sitting next to us last time and we could smell his xenophobia oozing over to our table.
Pros: It's open until 2am. Do you know how many places in Harvard Square are open until 2am? (......silence......crickets......) Oh that's right I'm sorry, IHOP.
Cons: Such crappy food. Inexcusably crappy. And if you're a girl, don't go alone late at night, unless you want to find yourself in a conversation with a 55-year-old inebriated crazy Pete.
Balance: CONS
BOTTOM LINE: I don't care how awesome Harvard Square was in the 60s. In the 00s, it's lame -- and the fact that the only late-night grab-a-bite option here is Au Bon Pain exemplifies why.
It's such a crime that this ABP is across from my bus stop. I'm a coffee fiend that's trying to cut back, but it ABP calls out to me while I wait for my bus to work.
I find it hard to have negative reviews about a business that is largely self-service. The coffee is always plentiful and hot in the morning. I've never had to wait in line longer than 3 minutes. Staff members are nice and friendly. One time, the main cashier ran out for something and the staff had to scramble to find him for his code to the register. I was too busy finding it funny to be upset.
I've never been a fan of flavored cream cheese, but for some reason, I go absolutely crazy over their vegetable/garden cream cheese.
It is what it is - better than Dunkin' Donuts, but short of really good food. If it wasn't close, I'd never come in, but that makes it sound worse than it really is. Soups are fine, sandwiches a buck too much and salads a bit too pricey, too. The small pre-packed to-go items are a nice addition to the menu (for example, tomato, watermelon and mint salad) but are far too expensive. I'll have better choices on my Cambridge lunch list once I get around to adding them.
Dear ABP Manager,
I am writing with reference to multiple negative experiences at this specific ABP location. I encourage you to respond positively and helpfully to this criticism.
Firstly, I apologize for the inconvenience and distress created by your failures that have not lead to an acceptable standard of food, beverage or customer service quality. I'm sure you take great care to ensure that important matters such as these are properly managed, processed and implemented.
I encourage you to: retrain employees; implement a process that furthers the aim of serving hot coffee; create a daily inventory system to keep product available for sale; clearly establish employee tasks, duties and responsibilities; and create a work environment that encourages excellence.
I've long been a user of your products and up until now have always regarded you are a first-rate organization. I have every faith therefore that you will do what you can to rectify this situation.
Thank you.
I never see soap in their bathrooms so, I'm not sure how the staff are washing their hands...Enough said.
Oh yea that staff is nice and the service is good. It's always crowded (seat wise). But yea...Methinks not.
Amazing selection of healthy food. Most things on the menu have nutritional information printed in the description. If they don't, there's a kiosk that has everything. I just don't understand why there are SO MANY TABLES crammed into this little place? Also, why are there birds flying around inside?
Good Will Hunting made this place famous... Mini Driver and Matt Damon shared their (spitty) kiss here at one of the cement chess tables. Remember when you could see the spit between their two mouths as they pulled apart?
Au Bon Pain has yummy sandwiches, salads, and juice beverages. It's also very conveniently located near Harvard Yard. What is the deal with the slight smelliness and messiness though? Oh well, at least you feel like you're part of Good Will Hunting when you hang out here...! The friendly homeless man out front who talks to passerby's is pretty iconic too!
This particular Au Bon Pain is a little classier than the one in Harvard Square in the sense that the lines are smaller, you actually talk to the people making your food, and it generally feels like a cozier setting.
I have yet to have a problem with the food I've ordered here and there usually are plenty of seats to use while eating which makes it a nice stop on a weekend morning for breakfast.
People seem generally nice in the place (I don't know why others say the service here is bad considering the people I've met so far have been fairly friendly and quick to get you your order).
The location is a bit troublesome given you either walked pretty far from Central or had to walk pretty far in from Harvard but if you're in the area it's definitely worth stopping by.
OMFG! Blech.
Au Bon Pain continually fails to impress me and the one in Harvard Square is undoubtedly the worst branch of the entire chain that I have ever been to. The food here is lackluster to say the least and the store itself is just plain unsanitary. I understand that there's a large homeless population in Harvard Square, but it seems like there is some magnetic quality about this Au Bon Pain that seems to attracts anybody within a 100 mile radius who hasn't showered in the past month.
For one of my classes, our project group met at this Au Bon Pain, and the entire time I had to listen to some dude diss us because we were "trying to save the world with our academic bullshit." Oh, and apparently I'm also "an asshole who needs to get a real job" according to this guy. WTF. Like he's saving the world by spending his day ease-dropping on people's conversations and acting like an intrusive jerk?!
I almost caved in and bought an overpriced baguette just so I could bop this guy over the head with it!
Lastly, are people shooting up in the bathrooms or something?! THE MOST UNSANITARY restroom in all of the Greater Boston area. Excuse me while I run across the street to CVS so I can buy myself some rubbing alcohol to bathe in!
Don't come here with high expectations of food and drink quality. If you do, you'll find that the sandwiches fall in the spectrum of mediocre to somewhat inedible, especially the "hot" sandwiches, which are all generally made at the beginning of the day and kept under a heat lamp. The coffee is nothing special if you are a coffee snob, but if you're on the go, ABP is conveniently located right by the T stop. The tea is so-so, just like pretty much everything else about this place.
The pastries aren't too bad; I'm a fan of the sweet cheese croissant myself. They may not be the freshest, especially if you come later in the day, but again, if you are looking for something exquisite and freshly baked, this isn't the place.
The main perks of ABP in Harvard Square are:
-the convenient location by the T-stop and near the school
-late hours (open until 1 or 2 am - awesome after you've spent a late night studying and didn't get dinner)
-free wi-fi
-accepts credit card with no credit card minimum
-decent food and drink if you're not looking to savor your meal
-plenty of seating; nice place to have a chat with a friend outdoors on a warm day
I'm not really sure what a lot of people are complaining about because I didn't expect this place to have amazing service or food. It's part of a chain with people who serve a huge crowd of students, tourists and anyone walking in off Mass Ave, so it's expected that there would be a high turnover in staff, and subsequently, less than stellar service. I would, however, agree that the bathroom and the door handles are probably to be avoided. And try to avoid touching the table surfaces or at least use hand sanitizer because I can't remember a single time I saw a staff member come around to spray down the tables.
Bottom line - if you're looking for something late-night that is quick without sit-down service in Harvard Square, ABP will do. Otherwise, if you're craving tasty, cheap and greasy chow, try Charlie's Kitchen or Pinocchio's Pizza.
Most of the reviews and pictures here are actually for the 1360 Mass location at the Harvard Square T stop.
It's an unfortunate mistake because this store is at 1100 Mass Ave (see map) and is much nicer than it's dumpy Harvard Square counterpart. I can barely justify the 4 stars, but within the realm of Au Bon Pain, it's well managed, clean, and quiet.
There's free wireless, fresh coffee, and a pretty little Somalian girl at the register in the morning that always greets you with a smile.
The baked goods are standard Au Bon Pain, but less picked through.
Afternoons and weekends are generally quiet and you'll see the same group of slightly eccentric characters all the time.
There's the aging hippie relating stories of acid trips to his slightly younger coffee companions.
There's my crazy neighbor searching for an electrical outlet. She knows no boundaries. The pair of legs under the table won't stand in the way of her head or hands.
There's the professor with his 6 or 7 year old daughter. He quizzes her on quadratic equations while they share hot chocolate and danish.
And I am there too, quietly eavesdropping with my Breakfast Blend and Orange Scone.
Rating is really influenced by intentions. Would Au Bon Pain be my sought-after destination for any meal of the day? Absolutely not.
However, when all other coffee shops in the area are CLOSED and I'm not ready to stop studying and start drinking booze, I can count on this location to find a seat, as they have a ton of seating. Fairly decent coffee and I think the cookies and wraps are good, too. Plus, you can access "Cambridge Open"-- free wireless internet-- from most spots in the cafe.
It's open late. Like, until midnight or 1AM. They know their strong points. And when the weather is nice you can study outside.
In summary: They're open late, have lots of seating, decent coffee and food, a patio, access to free wireless and they are near some bars (for afterwards. Heh.).
It works. 5 stars.
pain au bon pain au bon pain au bon.... for ages I thought this place was called 'pain au bon' because of their sign. It took the several months between my interview trip and moving to Boston before I realised, but for me it will always be 'pain au bon'.
Anyway, Pain Au Bon is a crap coffee chain. I was immediately annoyed at the 'Paris, Milan, Washington, Chicago, London, Vienna...' signs all around the exterior. I've never seen a Pain Au Bon in London, Milan or Paris. Are they at the airports?? I guess it's a typical marketing gimmick - let's call it placenamedropping.
So of all the Pain Au Bons there is, this Harvard one is probably the flagship one. Just like the others the decor, ambience, service, food and coffee are bad to mediocre and it is a little overpriced. Starbucks is a much better coffee chain (if you must do chains) and sbucks probably gives a hell of a lot more to charity and the environment than ABP. For me, the chain is one star at most, but as this branch has such a good location for people- and chess-watching it goes up to two stars. It's a shame a better cafe doesn't own this great location.
MEH.
I realize that ABP is meant to be someplace to grab a quick bite, and is not fine dining. The food is consistently OK (but never great...even for a quick bite). The service is consistently bad.
The last 3 times I've gone in, I've ordered one of the "standard" sandwiches, but with some small change--different bread, no mayo. For some reason, this caused the sandwich maker to call an all-company meeting behind the counter to figure out what to do with my sandwich. I don't understand why not putting mayo on my sandwich is a life-altering decision for these people.
If that wasn't enough, nobody ever speaks. Unless the manager is nearby, its unlikely anyone says "Hello", "Have a nice day", or even "That will be $7.99".
The food gets 3 stars....but the people & service only get 1.
This place is totally hit or miss. When you need something carb-y and are in a rush (or it's 1 am), then ABP is a glorious haven in the wildnerness that is a bitter cold windy Harvard Square on a weeknight. Wait, except that all the pastries are stale and empty and the only people left in the building are homeless and unbathed.
Then again, sometimes it's early on Sunday AM and you can only get a hot breakfast....oh wait, Dunkin Donuts would be much faster and cheaper.
Eh. Super eh. If you go here I would never touch the door handle or trust that the coffee would be fresh. If you're desparate and in a rush, then I would go if there's no line. Even then, the surliness of your cashier might put you off.
To be fair, the last time that I went I hadn't eaten in 24 hours and my cashier was very nice, the sandwich was delicious, and it took 7 mins (I was in a rush). Hooray!
It's McDonald's on foccacia, except more expensive and not as tasty. The only thing you can taste in their sandwiches is the sauce.
I watched the girl behind the counter make my Arizona Chicken sandwich. I saw what she did. I know their secrets.
The bread was hard, there was one measly piece of iceberg lettuce on it, orange cheese, three "slices" of the tiniest, crappiest tomato ever. Then she squirted it with a bottle of red stuff and !voila! here's your piece of shit.
$6.50 please.
Another chain.
You know Au Bon Pain. Who doesn't?
I only go here for the free bathroom. The only things I like there are the stone tables outside, well, that and the free bathroom (being in Harvard Sq). When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Everything everyone has said here is true. But what I will add is that this ABP should not, I repeat, should not, have pastries out which can be handled by the general public. I have routinely seen people approach pastries with their bare (dirty) hands, refusing to use those flimsy pieces of wax paper which are supposed to protect us from each other's germs. Perhaps given the high foot traffic of this lousy ABP, pastries should be handled by staff only.
FIVE stars for hooking me up! After walking a full day in America's Walking City (did I get that right there? help me out Boston Bean boys), I was freakin' pained of thirst. But my brother and I were pretty tapped out, so we decided to split the most colossal size soda they've got. Well, it's no Big Gulp, so we finished it in the span of five minutes. What to do now? The menu signs said 'no refills'. So my smart little brother goes to the side of the service bar and sees this little worker with an apron chopping up bread with a knife. He doesn't speak English.
Brother: [low voice] Pssss! Hey!
5' 4" worker: [turns head to look at Brother, looks puzzled] Eh?
Brother: Hey man, here's my cup. Can you fill it?
5' 4" worker: Umm...[looks to see if anyone is seeing all this]
Brother: [quickly] Hey, HOOK ME UP!
5' 4" worker: [scared of 6' tall Brother] [grabs cup, looks to the left, looks to the right, then refills drink]
Brother: Thanks man.
I kinda dig this particular Au Bon Pain, simply because of its atmosphere.
Now I don't really care for ABP's food; I feel like most of their stuff is overpriced and it's not filling. I only really go if I feel like I'm having a "fat day". But that's beside the point! Sometimes a place catches your eye simply because of the atmosphere, and this place definitely succeeds in that sense.
The outdoor patio is bustling with activity. There's a good number of tables, so it's normally not an issue to grab a seat. It's located at the Holyoak center right on Mass Ave., a haven for shopper and student pedestrians, making this an ideal spot to just "people watch". There's also chess tables if you're game. The outside is essentially a nice place of zen to just grab some food or coffee and chill out.
I don't recommend the inside at all, since the space is narrow and it gets annoying having to sit in tight spots. Order your food, wait for it, pick it up, and go outside and enjoy the nice weather! For late spring, summer, and early fall, I definitely think this is a great spot to unwind at. Any other time is not recommended.
It's an Au Bon Pain. They are all the same.
Its a boring replicated chain of coffee/sandwich shops.
It may be your thing, but I prefer the local flavor. I'll happily walk 10 minutes down the road to the 1369 Coffee House on Mass. Ave.
Ah, Urban Pain.
I recall that their pain au chocolat was pretty decent. Otherwise, get your Harvard Square coffee elsewhere.
This branch always seems to be kinda dirty, but that might be more the fault of the massive influx of Harvard Square hanger-outers than it is the restaurant's.
P.S. The "How do you like them apples" scene was filmed at a Baskin Robbins on Bow Street (no longer there), not at ABP.
Surly and inattentive staff.
Substandard and overpriced food.
A "free" bathroom that you have to go through a CIA security clearance to use.
I wouldn't piss on this place if it were on fire.
This landmark strikes fear in my heart every time I walk near it...memories of high school and college come rushing back - never the good ones. During high school we used to hang out here...brenden once pretended to have a seizure while a busker was playing and several people rushed to his aid. Embarrassed, we ran away quickly.
The food? Hmmm. Well, it is fine....I prefer it to Panera. But is that really saying anything?
The management is rude, and the food is terrible. I wouldn't eat it again even if you paid me to do so.
The food was good for a chain restaurant. Coffee was also tasty. I imagine the place gets pretty packed on a weekday. It wasn't exactly quiet on a Sunday morning, but not so busy either.
Despite what another poster said I have got to disagree: old weirdos playing chess outdoors is the BEST THING EVER. Don't buy anything from Au Bon Pain but spend some quality time in the gorgeous outdoor seating space watching chess masters seriously school some newbies.
If you want to play, drop some money to play a master. Some of my friends play here every few days and they have learned a lot because of it.
What I LOVE about this ABP is one thing: it's OPEN until 2 a.m. EVERY NIGHT! That means space and light and unobstructed loitering with books until the wee hours, with good fresh food available, should you want it. Another great thing is this: you needn't purchase anything at ABP to sit on their patio or inside at one of their many tables--nobody minds. Personally, I like to grab some fantastic bubble tea around the corner at the Boston Tea Stop, and bring it over to ABP to enjoy with a bagel. Great for late-night studying and/or writing.
I really don't have much to say regarding the food or beverages here. They are, on the whole, very good. Personally, I think it is fantastic that they bake fresh bagels/pastries all day, because I can count on getting a very good bagel for about a dollar even late at night. I particularly like the honey 9-grain (or is it 8-grain? It's less than 10-grains, in any case) with some butter. It's slightly sweet and fairly substantial, without being dry or chewy. (I'm a bit of a bagel connoisseur, if you couldn't tell.) There are many other good things to eat; but, as I said, the food, while very good, is not the key point here.
I really wish there were more non-bars open past 10 in this city (Boston-Cambridge-Brookline--I mean you!), and I would really prefer to have one nearer to my apartment in Coolidge Corner, but more power to ABP for filling the much-needed role of late-night study/food/coffee place in a city of students (who are typically renowned for late-nights).
Two slight downsides/oddities to the place: First, it often smells a bit of cheese, which I don't consider to be the most appealing smell for a cafe, but it's never overpowering. Second, the late-night regulars--predominantly older men, who are a bit "off". They're old, occasionally a bit smelly (or is that the general cheese-odor?), occasionally OCD, but essentially harmless.
--Actually, to look to the shinier side of this coin, these guys, along with two "groups" of regulars, provide great opportunities for speculative character studies, should you like such things: the first group being the scruffy (working class? unemployed? crazy?) 50-somethings who talk rather loudly at one another (none of them are particularly good at listening) about ridiculously mundane things; the second, the hardcore late-night chess dudes, one of whom is a portly man with a penchant for extra large iced coffees and ruthless trash-talking at the chess board... ---Any additional observations on the ABP late-night crowd would be welcome, and amusing.
How to piss me off in the morning:
1. When I order my food and explain what I want slowly, you cut me off by saying, "hold on hold on" and give me a sharmy attitude.
2.When you're done being a cuntrag and have taken my order, you proceed to tell me that the bagel toaster is broken.
3.After I order a latte (no, I'm not one of those sqeelly, talk on my phone about my recent pedicure RETARDS) she gives me my receipt and in no way show me where to wait.
To make a long story short, someone turned around from guffawing with another coworker, saw my drink order, and finally made it. Thanks bud.
So I went to the one across from my work instead. The one I always go to, and will KEEP going to after witnessing this earlier unholy mess.
Au Bon Pain's outdoor seating is one of the defining elements of Harvard Square. You can watch the chess sharks play, or just sit with your croissant and coffee and talk.
The Au Bon Pain also (last I checked) has a public toilet, a rarity in the Harvard Square area. Someone on staff must labor mightily at keeping it clean - a Herculean task in the original sense.
"How do you like them apples?"
A scene from Good Will Hunting was filmed here...
This is for all Au Bon Pains in general...definitely an okay chain if you must eat at one. Sandwiches are always decent, if a bit bland...no surprises. I've never been crazy about the coffee, but it's drinkable. They do always seem to have really great soup, and alright bagels. I can think of far better options in HSq, but if you're at the airport or something, and don't have much to choose from, the yellow Au Bon Pain sign can be a welcome sight.
After working in the square for 6+ years, I loathe this place. The bottled juices cost over 2.00 and the same pastries at this location are more expensive than at the APB three blocks toward Central square. The lines are disorganized, the coffee is sub-par and the sandwiches are poorly made and over priced. Man, I really hate this place. I might go there if I was starving to death and there wasn't any place for miles around, but I would still hate it. Wow. That feels really good. I'm so glad I could get that off my chest. God Bless you, Yelp.
The cliche meets the unique here in this square in Harvard. There are people out playing the guitar, playing chess, reading poetry, alone, with friends, singing, dancing, festivities of all kinds. Great for people watching!!! You forgot that Au Bon Pain is really right there....but its oh so nice because you can still grab a coffee and a treat:)
I haven't been here for 9 years, but I still remember it fondly. It was a great place to get food and chill with friends. Being woefully underage at the time, I really couldn't be too picky about hangout venues.
If you feel like an overpriced corporate cup of coffee or muffin, this is the place to go. Though the place itself is kind of ghetto, the outside seating is really a wonderful place to sit. There is the chess master, who really is impossible to beat. There is often a street musician to listen to. This is a great meeting spot.
The full-scale Au Bon Pain, with pastries, sandwiches and drinks available as late anything else in Harvard Square. The outdoor patio (and in cold weather, the indoor patio) is covered over in chess players of all kinds. If you can swerve around the occasional Harvard Square bum/weirdo/drunk, it's great. :)
OK, good for the price.
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