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Categories: Sandwiches, Juice Bars & Smoothies [Edit]
Neighborhood: Davis SquareDavis (Red)
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I'm giving Blue Shirt another star for one reason alone: the Indonesian squash and spinach soup.
YUM.
So far this is the only place I've found around Davis Sq that offers free wireless internet. The… Read more »
Let me begin by way of a polemic: I don't like Davis Square. It's not mere apathy I feel. It's an intense dislike. Davis Square reminds me of the boring main drag in a college town, with a few bars (that don't interest me), a couple of mediocre restaurants, one good restaurant (Martsa), and a video store that has gone out of business. It feels like the kind of place I've spent my entire life trying to avoid. So, there would have to be something really, really good to get me to Davis Square. (And, mind you, Mcintyre & Moore isn't there anymore...)
Enter the Blue Shirt Cafe. Burrito meets wrap (or are they one in the same?). The grilled veggie and goat cheese is always good, as is the curried chicken wrap. And, if wraps aren't your thing, there are plenty of good smoothies to go around at Blue Shirt. Blue Shirt probably won't make Davis a regular destination for me, but if I'm passing through, I'll always stop in and enjoy some goat cheese.
Even if everything else about my apartment was miserable, I'd still love it... just because I get to pass Blue Shirt Cafe on my way home from the T each day. I love this place. Since I discovered it, my grocery bills have dropped substantially, and my evenings have become much freer.
For under $6.00, I can get a delicious, healthy wrap. I usually end up getting the spinach/chicken wrap, which is always great. The burritos are also excellent. All too often, while picking up a sandwich for dinner, I also grab a salad for lunch the next day. Still fresh and yummy come lunch! And, for a real treat, the smoothies are terrific.
And the free wireless is delightful as well. :-)
It's a cafeteria. And their rice isn't always fully cooked. The coffee is dispensed from a thermos which is almost always empty, requiring an awkward five minute wait to get the coffee you just ordered.
That aside, I love love love Blue Shirt. Their wraps, smoothies and vegan baked goods make my day. How could I possibly resist a mini vegan cupcake with my wrap? I have taken my omnivorous (meat-eating) friends here, and they've similarly enjoyed their meals.
They offer free wi-fi with a five dollar purchase. Now if only they started serving vegan breakfast items...
The Blue Shirt Cafe has certainly not faded in the wash.
I went there after a particularly rough night of drinking to soothe my stomach with some fresh eats- turns out their food was just the trick! I had a veggie panini with avocado, sprouts, cheese, and so on... It didn't inspire me (oh the lack of salt!) but it did offer a quick and healthy alternative to mickey d's. And if the food doesn't grab you then the wide variety of smoothies is sure to lure you in (especially on a hot day) so check it out!
I found Blue Shirt a year ago and absolutely love their menu - the smoothies, wraps, and breakfast. You can convert any wrap into a salad too. My reccomendations are the Davis Square, Highland Ave, Veggie and Goat Cheese wrap/salad, and California Dreamin'.
Although the food is great...you're going to wait awhile for it. And the staff will be unfriendly. Is it worth it? Sometimes.
I was looking for a place to get coffee and a sandwich before the Jingle Bell Run on Sunday. A friend who lives in Davis and was meeting me to get our spectate on recommended the Blue Shirt. We went. I got simple food. It took a long time for them to make it. Their coffee was tapped, and it also took a while for them to change it.
By and large, I had a pretty neutral experience, as much as dropping in before watching a race can be called an "experience." The food was good - it was a solid breakfast sandwich, no doubt. Not one that will make me shudder in ecstatic pleasure when I remember it later, the way I do when thinking about, say LaGrassa's tuna melt, but still solid. Prices were low. Service was slow, but they were pretty busy. The location is great. If I'm in the neighborhood and looking for what they provide, I'll come back, but I won't trek to Davis just for the BSC.
If you like to spit on Starbucks, as I often do, then this is a good alternative. Bonus points: you actually can spit on the Starbucks in Davis from this place, since they are practically across the street for one another.
Best...smoothies...EVER!
I got the "Cobb Salad", which comprises a bowl of lettuce , absolutely inedible avocado ( I threw it out), sprinkling of feta and a tiny cup of overmarinated peppers.
The woman behind the register was doing me a HUGE favor by taking my order.
For $6.15, I can do better at Finagle a Bagel. I like to support local businesses, but this is ridiculous.
Yummy wraps and smoothies which are A-OK for the price. My favorite sandwich is the roast beef Highland Ave and the Hawaiian Song smoothie is so delicious that I haven't dared try another flavor.
Also: this is the only food stop in Davis with free wifi ($5 minimum purchase required).
I have to say, I have never been completely impressed with Blue Shirt Cafe. I always want to like it and it seems like something that's right up my alley, but every time I've gotten a sandwich here, it's been fine. Nothing great, nothing I'll really remember, but fine.
This time I opted for a tofu reuben. It was good enough, but not great. For the steep price, it wasn't really worth it either.
For my sandwich needs in Davis Square I'll be heading to the 3 D's (Deli-icious, Diesel and Dave's Fresh Pasta) and bypass this joint completely in the future.
Decided to give the breakfast a try, and something positive has clearly happened at the Blue Shirt Cafe in terms of customer service. For the first time, I was greeted with a smile and treated like my patronage mattered. We were just a few minutes late for the Early Bird Special, and they still let us get it. And the food was great. Eggs cooked perfectly, delicious home fries, and the vegan sausage (although it is clearly a sun-dried-tomato flavored dinner sausage) was tasty!
I still won't go to Blue Shirt for lunch, because I'm not a fan of the menu, but thumbs up on the breakfast.
1st of all -- CASH ONLY -- that's always important to say right off the bat...
2nd -- I haven't…
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Wraps and Smoothies pretty much sums up this place. Oh ya and randomly chips and salsa too ha ha
I only add in the chips and salsa because they were just meh here. And I feel like I find that a lot lately. It isn't that hard to get decent chips and some salsa with some spice. Chips you can get anywhere! But I wouldn't get them here.
Their wraps are pretty tasty though, and especially if you are a vegetarian this place has a ton to offer. I got their thai wrap and there wasn't quite enough peanut sauce in mine, but the sauce that was there was pretty delicious. Some of my wrap did fall apart slightly, and they say that good food isn't good if it isn't messy, but with a healthy type of wrap? It isn't really one of those types of food you like falling all over the place, ya know? At least they have a decent amount of tables for your food to all on here.
And maybe this is just the one time I went, but it took a little while to get our food, and for just a wrap it isn't the cheapest place in the world, but usually, and unfortunately, healthy options are never cheap!! That is why america is overweight!
Next time I will try a smoothie here, because I hear those are pretty fantastic, but for now, I would skip the chips and hope for enough sauce!
Nifty little place in Davis Square. Has a college cheap food vibe to it.
I personally ordered the Moroccan Beef wrap - very filling, and nice tasty ingredients. The beef could have been more spiced, but maybe that's asking too much. Also good have used smaller chunks of beef and more veggies (like the promised cucumbers, of which there seemed to be only 2 slices.) The peanut chicken(?) wraps are good too.
I am sitting here right now, slipping into a food coma as I peer out the window. In front of me sits half of a $6.60 grilled steak burrito, one bite missing.
I am full but still under its spell. Many people rave about Chipotle burritos, and I could never find their charm. But here I am happy. The juices and rice fell perfectly along with beans, meat, and tomatoes into my mouth. And for dessert, free internet access.
A better meal cannot be had down the street at Au Bon Pain. The green walls at Blue Shirt confuse but do not perturb me. More space and fewer people seem to sit here than at its chain competitor. It all seems quite perfect at the moment.
Oh and the music is so much better! They are playing Frou Frou as I type, but let that not deter you if it contrasts your taste. The playlist is pleasantly diversified for alternative ears.
Before this review begins, I have to admit a few things:
1. I am not a vegan.
2. I am not even a vegetarian.
3. I freely dine on the flesh of delicious animals without preamble.
So maybe I don't understand the appeal of Blue Shirt on every level--I know they have a nice vegevegan selection--but they totally aren't as hippie-dippie as the place might make you think. Any cafe that serves sandwiches with the name "Lilli's Pouch" should have a dreadlocked, tattooed, free-love sort of vibe (see Diesel) to accompany their hand-written signs for mulled cider. Instead, it's run by a kind of angry dude, and everyone who works there seems a little frazzled and unfriendly--and not even in a hippie-ster douche kind of way (see Darwin's). It's like a Chinese businessman bought out a mild-mannered sandwich shoppe without really thinking its vibe through, and now his employees are paying the price.
Foodwise, it's all pretty delicious, except that any wrap that has sauce or aioli in it will drip itself into a coma, and they use the same kinda dry, underseasoned chicken in every wrap. The peanut butter delight smoothie, though, might just be the best tasting beverage in Davis Square. Here, have an extra star.
I love their (inexpensive) breakfast and their vegetarian sandwich menu is large and delicious. Service is super friendly. Another bonus is that there is always seating as people tend to take out.
this place is a great (and dare i say, superior) alternative to diesel cafe (based on diesel cafe for my purposes, anyway), with better variety of better food at better prices and a better atmosphere. and by better atmosphere i mean that there is actually seating available and people next to you aren't fking yelling in your ear. it's a nice and quiet place to get food and study and get work done. (though being forced to eavesdrop on conversations at diesel can be fun too when you have plenty of time to waste.)
and another note: i'm far from a vegetarian, but the food is delicious nonetheless. also, diesel sandwiches have like 2 slices of deli meat in them...lyke...wtf.
Awesome! Ducked in last night for a quick bite with a friend. I got the Turkey Delight panini. It was so good, I may be inspired to recreate it at home!
Rye bread, cheddar cheese, carved turkey, tomato, caramelized onions, and dijon mustard. HEAVEN!
With a soda (and no side, kind if disappointing) it was about $8. Good enough quality and vibe that I'd say it's worth it. Also, sitting outside on a nice day is completely clutch.
I can't wait to go back and try ALL of their sammies!
137 REVIEWS???
Coming from Yelp London, this is quite a shock.... and I'm not sure I can add anything extra to the list here.
Just take my 5 stars as a sign that I had a great lunch -- the apple/lemon/ginger juice was just what the doctor ordered. The veggie & goat cheese wrap was HUGE but I ate it all anyway.
And P.S. I want to move here, based on Davis Sq alone.
This is another place I wished I had frequented when I lived in the area. I didn't try it until I was back in town just for a visit.
Count me as a spinach tofu wrap fan. It's more than just spinach and tofu: rice, black beans, and the piece de resistance, garlic aioli. If you love garlic as much as I do, get this wrap.
The food is prepared quickly, but the freshly made drinks take some time, especially when it's a hot day and everyone's getting a beverage. Definitely get the large size if ordering a fresh juice or smoothie. I kicked myself when I saw how much smaller the medium I requested was. I drank my Apple-A-Day, a fantastic blend of apple, lemon and ginger, way too fast.
Since they've expanded and thus have not only outside seating but a whole extra room + wifi, if I'm in Davis and have some work to do, I'm there. The food is quickly prepared and healthy in nature. I'm a sucker for a good smoothie or the use of an avocado in any sandwich/salad, and here we have both. I also appreciate any folksy place that isn't chalk-full of hipsters (I'm looking at you, Diesel). This is a great shop and I think it really exhibits the true essence of what Davis Square is.
Only con: there's not extra music/sound in the adjoining room, so the last time I was there working on my computer and having a burrito, I heard every word of some 40-something ladies waxing philosophical about internet dating and fully going over the term "casual sex". I'll let this one experience slide, learn to bring my headphones, and I'll be there on Monday.
What a huge menu. So many options, whether you're carnivorous or not (I am of the latter category). The great part about the menu is that you can order any wrap as a salad! So if you don't feel like dealing with the stuff-you-up-tortilla, just have it in a bowl. Easy and good.
Now the ambiance I cannot speakly highly of. The lighting is bad. I know they're being environmentally friendly by using fluorescents, but man is it harsh with the light green paint job! Makes you not want to stay there very long. There is free wi-fi, so of course there are the "I'm-in-my-own-world-leave-me-alone" types looming about the joint, but this makes it slightly awkward to go there with friends and actually have a conversation. Makes you feel like you're intruding...
The staff is decent. I always order a side of grilled veggies, which is not on the menu, so they're always slightly peeved by this, but hey. There is one particular guy who works there who has never once smiled, but I figure that's his problem.
Basically, I recommend getting food here but eat it outside in the park or something.
Hmmm.. Blue Shirt. I've been eating here since last fall, and I order the same thing every time-strawberry smoothie and a spinach chicken wrap.
On the positive side-
DENSE wraps. Very filling. Great selection and lots of healthy things. Improved seating. And most importantly, the stern but comely redhead who usually works the counter is absolutely the girl of my dreams.. Also, free water.
Negatives-
Architecturally.. poor flow, no place to wait for orders, bad lighting. Generally pretty minor stuff.
All in all, a good healthy option in Davis.
Blue Shirt is taking up some prime real estate with their mediocre victuals. I wouldn't mind if something much yummier and cooler took over that corner. But I guess a lot of people like this place, so I'm not going to hold my breath.
I've been to Blue Shirt Cafe twice. My first visit was a long time ago (like four years ago) when I had an un-noteworthy wrap. This wrap left such a non-impression that I didn't bother returning to Blue Shirt for almost four years. Well time passes, and so you forgive or forget.
Two days ago I was passing Blue Shirt for the many hundredth time, when I thought... I feel like a west coast styled veggie sandwich. I roll in. Friendly woman takes my order - Tofu Reuben and Blue Shirt Salad. Food comes. The Reuben is (surprise!) not noteworthy. The tofu is pretty much straight out of the box.
Then I bite into something hard and unpalatable in my pre-made salad. I dig the hard bits out of my mouth, find a piece of red chard that is all wrong - somehow completely un-chewable. Feeling optimistic, I start picking out all of the chard. Then I find.... a live lady bug! Crawling around in the salad.
Now as far as finding bugs in food goes... I'll take a cute lil polky-dotted ladybug over a roach any day. I wasn't horrified, just kind of awestruck (it being spring and all). Then after a pause, I realized that I was still kind of grossed out.
The counter guy offered for me to take another salad out of the fridge. I declined. Trekked it home fighting my gag reflex and crossed Blue Shirt off my list for another 4 years.
All of the food I've tried at blue shirt has been good and filling, save the breakfast options. really lackluster, those breakfast options. Spinach tofu wrap and lilly's lunch were quite good, and this is a nice spot to grab a healthful bite to enjoy in the sunshine in Davis.
On the more unsavory side, the service often comes across as totally rude. I don't need an ear-to-ear grin or anything over the top, but I would appreciate if I wasn't made to feel like it's a total bummer I'm ordering something and, SHOCK, they have to press a few buttons and print an order. I've worked in my share of slacker cafes, I understand the super cool cavalier 'tude you have to impress on every customer so they know how hip you are...get over yourself. :)
Like most places in Davis Square - this one upped the ante after I moved out of town. I'm so stoked they're taking credit cards now, and the cost of WiFi is reasonable if you're eating there anyways. The food is always great, I'm pleased to see the fixed up the menu board.
It would have been a lot harder to leave Somerville had Blue Shirt made these necessary changes sooner.
I've made peace with the fact that all Somerville restaurants are cramped all the time. In fact, I… Read more »
I really don't feel like being negative right now, because I'm having a good day. But my day would be even better had the "cobb salad" I got for lunch actually had some flavor. It was unpleasant to eat. I couldn't taste the egg, the roasted reds, or the avocado. It must have not been fresh. I know it came from the fridge pre-made, but there has to be some kind of quality control.
I've had three different sandwiches here, and they were all mediocre. I think I had the thai, the curry, and one other. They were all bizarre. The sandwiches made sense in theory, but they did not come together well. No synergy. Last night I got the Red White and Blue smoothie, which tasted more like smarties than real fruit. The space to order gets very cramped once a line starts forming. Not their fault, but it's a deterrent. I'm still looking for a better non-diesel sandwich option.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed Blue Shirt yet. I'm officially an addict. Been coming here for years. I love that they have expanded! That's awesome! I always get the Sesame Chicken Wrap it's just as good as the first time I had it. Whatever the secret sauce is, still darn tasty! Thank you!
Fine if you need an emergency bite to eat, but one thing I cannot stand is the apathetic people behind the counter (my biggest pet peeve). Of course it probably means that the owners treat their employees like crap, which is usually the reason an employee would be so rude and unhappy, but all the more reason to avoid the place.
Also, what's with the office-y overhead lights in the expansion? ick.
I have had a variety of experiences here with the help, but I have to say mostly it was nice interactions.
The food is affordable, and you can feel healthy after eating here, which I dare you to try to do anywhere else in Davis.
I've never eaten in here cause the seating seems really awkward to me, but I like the sandwiches I've had. Lily's lunch, and some teriyaki meat sandwich/roll. Very tasty.
A match made in location heaven?
The Blue Shirt Cafe & Davis Boston Sports Club.
I don't know about other people, but when I get out of the gym I am famished. And after busting my butt on some cardio machine and pumping iron for a few hours, the last thing I wanna do is fill my belly with empty carbs, greasy meats or general crap.
Blue Shirt Cafe (which you can see from the windows of the second floor of BSC) is the antithesis of all that aforementioned junk. Their food is fresh and they have a ton of vegetarian options. A virtual vegetable garden of juices to choose from, fruits to mix in and all made with the quickness.
A mixed veggie juice and a tofu burrito ran me about $10, which I'll bill as par for the course for fresh, healthy food. The staff seemed a little complacent, almost as if having a customer in the store was kind of a drag. Though it dampened my experience only int he slightest, I can see myself frequenting Blue Shirt often for my post-workout pick me up.
This place is amazing if you want to grab a great sandwich, salad or smoothie and go. I would not recommend sitting down to eat because the seating isn't very comfortable.
As a vegetarian, there are so many options for me! I love the Lily's Lunch and the fruit smoothies. My meat eating boyfriend always finds something he loves too.
In short: healthy, wholesome and filling food and great for take out!
I had to double check the address to make sure I was about to review the right place because I didn't think the service was rude or apathetic at all. I dropped by a couple of times late morning-ish during the week and was greeted very warmly by the girl at the counter. I think I was carrying my racket one time and she started getting very chatty.
I can't comment on the food as I haven't tried it yet, but the smoothies were pretty decent. I wouldn't describe it as orgasmic or anything, but I wouldn't spit it out either. I like that there are so many choices so there's always a right smoothie for the whatever day I am having. The space is a little odd, but I would go back.
My wife doesn't understand why I eat every meal as if it will be the last. Practically, I might have to skip my next meal, so I have to make sure the present meal is hearty and filling. That's the Haitian in me. Unlikely but not impossible, the present meal could be my very last on this earth. That's the pessimist in me. Regardless of the reason, every meal should be as filling as the steak burrito from Blue Shirt Café.
The steak burrito comes with rice but I always ask to leave that out. If I wanted a steak and rice plate combo, I'd go to Chinatown or a Greek diner. I take this very seriously and so far, the staff hasn't botched my special requests yet. Blue Shirt's steak tips are choice cuts of meat. Not the fatty tissue that some places stuff into their burritos. The meat is seasoned but does not overpower my palate.
Blue Shirt has a healthy bend, with plenty of vegetarian offerings including a pressed avocado sandwich that the wife always gets, but meat-eaters are just as welcome. Fresh drinks include lemonade and other fruit juices. The establishment is quite small and can only fit probably ten people, but the tables turn over fairly quickly.
Almost every time we go out to eat, we end up at the Blue Shirt Cafe. Their wraps are HUGE and delicious--there are so many vegetarian and vegan options, but I always end up getting the miso ginger tofu wrap, which basically tastes like an Asian meal in a burrito. I've also tasted my companions' dishes, such as the tofu peanut wrap (mmm) and the hummus wrap (mmmm), and the grilled veggie burrito (beats any typical Mexican burrito by far). I also love the squash and spinach soup, and the smoothies are delicioso!
Oh man, I ate the best sandwich I've ever had here - well technically it was a wrap. I definitely recommend the Moroccan Beef Wrap - so ridiculously good. I ate there yesterday and even though I live a 40 minute t-ride from Davis, I'm considering going back today. That wrap was just amazing, the pieces of beef were HUUUGE and perfectly seasoned to slight spicyness. Big pieces of cucumber, delicious salsa and rice - SO GOOD! Totally worth spending $6.50 (I think that's how much it cost.)
The staff were really friendly and the service was quick. Very clean and inviting interior. I will definitely be going back to the Blue Shirt Cafe and this time I'm gonna get a smoothie as well.
Ginger-miso tofu wrap. Whole wheat wrapped filled with grilled, marinated tofu, brown rice, lettuce, and and carrots. Very good, but they put way too much house-made ginger-miso sauce in it.
Portion was large, service was nice and speedy. I came a little before 12, so I probably missed the lunchtime rush. A little more than I'd normally pay for a wrap, but it's healthy and delicious, so it's worth it.
I wish they had other vegetarian options. What about tempeh? Everyone knows that a vegetarian rueben is made with tempeh, not tofu!
Blue Shirt expansion! And they take cards!
Blue Shirt, way to make yourself better than you already were! More seating! Free wi-fi! You accept cards!!!!
I am even more of a fan than before. ::nods::
Blue Shirt has never wow-ed me. But, perhaps, that is one of its assets: consistency. You can… Read more »
Yet another establishment that hit Davis after I moved away. Bastards!
I can't yet review the food, but I'd love to. I just got a soy smoothie and dang it was delicious.
Dig the hippie vibe. Like, a lot.
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: Creperies
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: American (Traditional)
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