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Kendall/mit (Red)
Mon-Fri. 6:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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I love and hate this place.
The food is good and the service is faster than a sit down. But, expect to spend 10 minutes waiting because there is always a crowd during lunch and they make your order when you place it. I go here a lot because it is close to my office and every other quick place around here is crap.
The only reason why I don't give this place 4 stars is because it is expensive. Ten bucks ($10) for a sandwich and drink.
I've been working in the area for about 3 months and now that my time there is ending, I find Cosi. What bad luck!
Can I jut say how amazing the flatbread is? I'm a self-proclaimed bread snob and it still amazed me. Hot and fresh, just the right amount of tangy, crisp outside but still chewy in the middle... Heaven!
I had a plain cheese pizza on this amazing flatbread and it was awesome. Calories be damned, I'll be getting that again.
The line was very long, being it was lunch time, but it did more fairly fast. The order-taking process was painless and if you're eating there, you got a little card to put on your table. In just a few minutes someone is bringing you that hot, delicious pizza.
The dinning area can be crowded, so my advice is to scope out a table before ordering. The prices are a bit high, but the food is quality. I can't wait to go back!
Scale of 1-10 (multiple visits):
7 Food
9 Service
10 Atmosphere
6 Value
I have eaten lunch here many times and the food is pretty good.
The service leaves something to be desired, though. I have been with friends who say that Cosi has gotten their order wrong more than once, but I have had no such thing happen.
The pizzas are pretty good, though that is a direct result of the flatbread they make them on being awesome. The sandwiches are alright. The tomato basil soup is really good though! Well, as good as tomato soup can be. It's really thick and mmm, good for dipping bread in!
It's a bit better than Au Bon Pain, the equivalent "trying to be fancy" restaurant in the area.
TBM Melt. Do it!!! Now!
Cosi has good food, a nice atmosphere, and a lot of options. I especially like the chicken parm melt and the pesto melt (melts are kind of like a panini). The only downside is that it isn't very cheap for a sandwich place.
If you've never been here, it's so easy to find from the T stop. So,
if you don't know the area, this is a good option for when you need some grub or afternoon pick-me-up.
It's also a good spot to meet-up for a mid-afternoon chat and latte, which I indulged in both, happily.
The chat was great. The latte didn't compare to others I've had. It's your standard latte - average at best.
I like the vibe at Cosi, though it can be quite busy, even at what appears to be a non-peak 2 p.m. hour on a Friday afternoon.
I didn't eat here, so I can't speak to their food, but the place is what you'd expect it to be - clean, decent service, clean bathrooms and ample seating. Sadly, the wifi, it seems, is spotty, at best.
A very good weekday lunch spot. Lots of options for everyone, fast friendly service, and its not burgers and fries. I am completely in love with the chicken pesto melt sandwich. The pizzas are pretty good. Lots of salad options. In a medium sized group of co-workers, it would be hard for anyone not to find something they like. Very busy from noon to 1pm. Free wifi is nice too.
I really like this place. I work in the area and come here at least once a week. The tomato basil soup is great and I pair it with half a sandwich and I'm good. I don't like the honey mustard on the tuna sandwich, though, but the bread is great. I love how they have samples at the register for you, too.
The service is great, in my opinion, and I never have to wait a long time. Yes, they have messed up on my order a couple times but they fix it right away. A staff member once noticed that I was sitting an unusually long time and took care of me right away. A minute later, the manager came by with a gift card for a free meal. They seem to really care about providing good customer service. I think they are doing well, overall, becasue that place is ALWAYS packed at lunch time.
I don't know what the bad reviews are about but I can tell you I eat there frequently so I have given it a real shot. Perhaps I've just been lucky...
Hopefully, they can keep up the good work.
I'm going to give an extra star. When you consider that the service is decent, and the place is not nearly as frenetic in the morning as it was when it first opened, they seem to have gotten their act together. It's still a little wacky at lunch, but for breakfast, it's a decent option.
On top of this, they also tell you the healthy options, which is much nicer than ABP, where you find out later (or in their computer thingy) that the bread is filled with oodles of empty calories.
The lines here seem to be longer than any other place in Kendall. Whether that is because of actual… Read more »
The service is bad.
The food is good, and much better than anything else around the area. ABP? no please.
Overall, I'd say go here if you want a good sandwich, salad, or flatbread, but don't really expect someone nice to smile at you when you order or to say thank you.
I've been to Cosi way more than I'd like to. That's probably because the options in Kendall are pathetic, and a girl's gotta eat.
I've tried a pesto flatbreast sandwich -- The chicken was chewy and flavorless, the flatbread was dry and meh -- and the line was awful. I went back and tried a flatbread pizza, better, but nothing to write home about. The cheese was just melted on top and the veggies were just placed there. It sort of had a cheesy bread taste.
I took a crack at their Mojito Lemonade and had to pour water in it to get it down. It tasted like pure cane sugar water with pieces of mint floating in it. You're probably better off eating at Rebecca's cafe.
Meh. I've been here before. I tend to like the beverages pretty well, and the sandwiches aren't bad, but I've had better. I'd favor any locale cafe over a chain. I also feel weird when people ask me whether I want chips or apple slices. Apple slices in bags just seem a bit strange at a restaurant. Why not just give out a real apple?
I think you're better off going here to meet someone for a coffee or smoothie, rather than a full meal.
Complete 180.
Agh, the appeal of Cosi has flipped a big one on me. There is still the enjoyable nibble of fresh cooked cosi-bread (salt=good), but that's. about. it.
The prices are overboard especially when they get your order wrong repeatably. The line goes out the door from noon through 1 on a daily basis, which you might think is a good sign, but this might be part of the reason why your order comes without chicken when you asked for chicken. The chicken's not that great anyway. Definitely not fresh. It's got that odd slimy-moist texture to it and it's always perfectly cubed.
I used to love you. Now, I just take advantage of you as I creep up behind the hordes of suckers and snatch as much bread from the sample bowl as possible.
Have you looked at the nutrition facts on their Web site? Please do -- even if you aren't a health nut and you don't diet -- it will still shock you. I thought I was eating healthy -- some tasty soup or a grilled chicken sandwich. WRONG.
Plus, I used to go religiously every Monday for the Winter Garden Veggie soup, and then they discountinued it. I went three Mondays in a row and they said "Oh, we're out." And then they finally told me they had discountinued it (without removing it from the menu).
On the plus side: They have a much better set-up than Au Bon Pain -- but try not to go between 12:00 and 12:30, it gets crazy.
I only go here when I'm really really hungry and am desperate for a quick dinner (sandwich) before heading back to work in the Kendall square area. This is only because Kendall square doesn't offer many choices besides Au Bon Pain, Cosi, and the unhealthy food court when it comes to restaurants.
Service: Awful! The staff is both incompetent (I kid you not: In four separate but consecutive visits, they screwed up my order (e.g. wrong sandwich, but the best was a breakfast egg sandwich without the egg but just a spinach between two slices of bagel...)). At first, it was understandable because my first two visits were within about a month of their opening in 2007. But then repeated mistakes even after a year of opening is just sheer incompetence. I wouldn't mind this so much if it weren't for their attitude! At one point, the cashier (who seemed like one of the managers) grumbled at me angrily because I asked for a glass of water and protested when he *charged* me for it (counting it as a small beverage, for a sit-down restaurant!!!!!). You don't forget an experience like that.
Food: Food is actually decent. I like their multi-grain flat bread and their grilled chicken TBM sandwich. I think the price is comparable to the Au Bon Pain next door. I wouldn't say it's cheap (certainly not compared to food court) but it's not exorbitantly expensive either.
I wonder where the staff's attitude comes from? Perhaps most student oriented businesses like this one can remain open because there just isn't other restaurants in the area for people to go for lunch / quick dinner?
I might change my review if I ever come back here, but my first brush with Cosi was a 2 star-er, mainly because of the weird aftertaste in my sandwich.
Food: I got the tandoori chicken which sounded great on the menu but had sauce in it that tasted like paint thinner. I'm not sure what kind of spices they put in their sauce, but they were way too powerful and completely masked the taste of the otherwise normal chicken and bread. Do not get this item!!!
Service: The strange cash register guy nearly gave me guff because I could not understand what he was saying. Enunciate please!
Atmosphere: Kind of cute inside. It's very ... cosi. hahaha
Synopsis: I'll stick with Corner Bakery, but if you choose to go, do NOT get the tandoori chicken sandwich.
Has your work day sucked the life out of you? Are you in grave danger of forever losing your sense of humor? Then step into Cosi during lunch hour--it's not the food that matters so much, it's the inventive spelling that will help pick you right up.
Where else could Francesca, Alli, and Sean suddenly turn into:
Franchaska, Alla, and Scene, much to the amusement of the Cosi clerks?
Next time I'm just going to tell them that my name is Peggy-Lee. Peggy Lee Finnefrock.
We'll start at a minimum 1 star rating:
+1 star for the amazing flatbread stuff that they use and that you can get for free at the register.
+1 star for the cute girl that works the lunch shift all the time and has a crush on my friend.
+1 star for the great sandwich choices and tasty, unique flavors.
-1 star for being INSANELY crowded at lunchtime. It's like the floor of the NYSE when waiting for your number to be called after noon.
There you have it, 3 stars it is.
Great (square) bagels and coffee. Nice place to sit for a bit. Not gourmet but hey, it's a coffee/ sandwich shop!
Kendall Sq is definitely in need of new options, but Cosi doesn't really scratch the itch. I realize they're new, but I've never seen so much irregularity in how a sandwich is made. I'll often get ingredients that aren't part of the recipe, mixed cold & hot meats (when they should all be hot), and occasionally a completely botched order.
5 stars for the bread, though.
I've been here a few times lately and things have improved a lot so fair's fair, time to bump up the rating. The Cosi Club, Grilled Chicken TBM Melt are very good and it's great that they offer carrots as a side instead of chips.
Also, you can tell a lot about a place about how they handle problems. Lunchtime today there was a mix-up and I was waiting nearly 15 mins for my sandwich. Irritating, but straight off they offered me a cookie / brownie and the manager then offered to pay for my lunch next time. I accepted the cookie and declined the lunch (I'm not one of those miserable gits who complains just to get free stuff) but I appreciated the offer.
This branch is also way way better than the one on Federal Street
I was pathetically excited to see a new food place opening in the wasteland that is Kendall Square.… Read more »
Place is very nicely decorated and comfortable. Has free wireless and is a nice place to hangout. Their food is alright, nothing outstanding but they do have some original stuff, including their trademark smores that come in a kit that is brought over to your table: it's a lot of fun, especially with friends.
Aside from that they just need to improve their management. Every time I go there, the managers and employees are on their cell phones and people end up waiting 10-20 minutes for a sandwich and a drink... something that should be taking 5 minutes, tops. They also have trouble remembering frequent customers.. I've been there many times and every time I come back they don't recognize me and still ask the same questions over and over. I work in retail and see many faces per day and I still manage to pick people appart and custom-greet them.
OK, after eating here now about a dozen times and understanding what's good here, I want to bump up my review by one star. Go with the lunch pizzas and salads for a good meal, it's much harder to find a great sandwich here but turkey and brie, tuna melt, and the meatball sandwich are at the top of my list. I've also been getting their smoothies which are great!
You can't eat here everyday but there's enough variety to keep you interested if you're coming here once a week.
This place is always packed during lunch time on the weekdays but it's one of the better quick lunch… Read more »
Just what Kendall Square needs...ANOTHER overpriced sandwich/salad shop. [And now we have Sebastians too. Yipee!]
I've just eaten a COSI breakfast sandwich and honestly, not impressed. Bland and chewy. I could have pulled it from a warmer at a convenience store and not known the difference.
However, their sandwiches ARE pretty decent, but I don't really know how I feel about spending $9 for a "decent" sandwich, six crumbled potato chips and a soda.
An acceptable alternative to Au Bon Pain on those days I forget to pack a lunch and feel as though I have money to burn, but certainly little more.
Dear Cosi,
In a way I wanted to like you.
I generally prefer the mom & pop places, but I thought I'd give you a chance. I'm sorry to say I almost wish I hadn't. While your chairs may be comfy, the food did nothing for me, at least not on this visit.
I just stopped in for a snack, and your free wireless drew me in. I ordered a caramel apple cider (which took three employees to ring up) and a brownie bar. The caramel apple cider smelled of chemicals (definitely wasn't all natural), and made me nauseous (no lie).
I do like the fact that you bring the food to the table when its ready. It's nice to not have to worry about leaving your laptop and bags at the table to grab your food and weave through the tables. So that's definitely a plus.
Maybe I'll give you a second chance if I find myself in the area in need of wireless and more food than just a snack. Maybe a nice sandwich will change my outlook, as some of them do sound good. I would like to thank you for giving the vegetarians more than one option, it is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Carrie E.
This joint just opened up in the location that once was the Wrap (a place I really don't miss too much), and like most opening days, it was absolutely mobbed. I slipped in as people were reading off the menu and had seen what I thought I wanted; a Wasabi Ginger Roast beef sandwich. I walked up to the counter with some tepid feelings on how I was to order, but I managed to get my sandwich with chips for about 6 bucks. Holy crap, that's CHEAP for this area!
Service was super quick. They had a ton of people working, so we'll have to play "wait and see" on how the service turns out.
The sandwich? Pretty good! The bread was a little dry and overly chewy, but it's a pretty good combination of food and I'm digging it. Chips are standard relabled fair, I think I'll go for the carrot sticks next time.
Inside was typical generic yuppie eatery. I'd rather eat at my desk.
Neat things: They offer carrot sticks or chips with your lunch, so you can be healthy still.
Cosi adds a MUCH NEEDED new food venue in the Kendall Square area, and it's an appealing option for those of us who are trapped on the Main street strip.
Update: Went there a second time, took FOREVER for a pressed turkey and cheese. It was pretty decent for the price, but I think I was ready to just about take off it took so long.
So I used to frequent Cosi when I lived in DC, and I must say that the experience hasn't quite translated. I used to go during lunch time and stand in a massive line to get my sandwich or salad. Maybe I was less picky back then, but the line always seemed be moving.
And frequently there were interesting occurrences, like the time when they broke down the bathroom door to arrest some guy who passed out while shooting heroin. But that's another story...
The food is just a bit too expensive for what you get (about $6-7 for a fairly small sandwich). The sandwiches are unexceptional, and border somewhere between fair and not quite adequate.
Also, the service isn't quite friendly enough. There is also something slightly off about the people at the cash register. They aren't constantly taking orders, but seem to pause to collect themselves between customers. It can be kind of annoying when you stand there and are ignored by the person at the counter for a minute or two. It seems like they have plenty of staff, so it isn't quite clear what is happening. Maybe they will eventually figure it out.
The free bread is good, but it seems infrequently replenished when compared with other Cosis. This might have to do with the fairly low volume during off-peak hours.
I keep going back to Cosi because I really like that they you can make s'mores right at your table. Other than that I'm not really sure why I bother. The service is terrible. No matter what time of day, whether it's busy or the place is empty. They forget your orders, bring out the wrong the thing and are kind of rude. They also seem surprised too when I ask for something I ordered and it wasn't brought to me...even if I'm the only person who has ordered anything in the last ten minutes!
Like I said, you can make smores at your table, that's pretty great.
It's hard to get a feel for this place. I tend to come here quite a bit, since it's on my way home from work. At first, I thought it was kinda a more upscale Panera (with the same type of price but a better atmosphere), but actually the food is quite better.
The Kendal Square location is asthetically quite welcoming, actually. You walk in past the menu's right into someone at a counter ready to take your menu. If there is a line, they usually have freebie bread out to warm your tummy up for the real food.
The seating areas is supplied with a great deal of couchy like comfy chairs, some actually couches as well as booths, for the less couch friendly. It's a greaet place to grab lunch and snuggle up with a book, or get coffee.
It's basic fare, sandwhichs, melts, soup, salads and pizza. They do get somewhat creative with the items in it (ie. Tandoori Chicken Sandwhich).The serivce tends to be a bit iffy, though.
Sometimes they are dead on. Everyone is smiling, welcoming and polite. Sometimes, they get your order wrong, the manager gets upset (vocally) and they are rude.
All in all, I stop to pick up a bite here once in a while. It's not my favourite sandwhich in town, but it beats fastfood. Oh, and there is free wireless!
I'm upping my stars here because I went back and it was a lot better. Sucks that they aren't consistent but my tuna melt was melted this time and was rather quick even though it was crowded and busy.
I'm going to agree with a lot of previous posters here. I went here today after a rather decent experience at the downtown one last fall. I wanted something other than ABP and thought "hey - why not?" Plenty of reasons, actually. Starting with the fact that my tuna melt was cold. So was my friend's chicken melt. Cold. And the flavors were plain and bland. The service was curt and efficient. I went at 11:15, knowing that the lunch rush can easily make you wait forever for your flatbread, and still had to wait 15 minutes. I know they can't possibly use the excuse that they were melting my "tuna melt" (see above if you are wondering why). And for a whooping $7 for a sandwich and mini pack of baby carrots, I felt ripped off. I should have just gone to ABP....or maybe waited at Emma's for their fantastic tuna melts.
Cosi is the best lunch option in Kendall Square. I used to go to Cosi in Brooklyn before the whole atkins craze and the stock market crash nearly killed the place.
They seem to be expanding again. Cosi is the place we go when we can't think of anywhere else to go. That's a pretty good place to be as a restaurant. It's not amazing, but it's the default. Go Cosi!
I generally try to avoid chain stores, but I do come here occasionally (partly for lack of better options at Kendall Sq).
I actually really like their Hummus&Veggie Sandwich (love their bread!), and combined with the chips that come with is (you could get carrots instead, but you wouldn't want to eat too healthy, would you?), I always feel completely satisfied after eating here, so as far as I'm concerned the prices are actually ok. (While other places might charge slightly less for a sandwich, I often still feel hungry after eating there, so I prefer to pay the extra buck and feel satisfied.)
The place is relatively comfortable (compared to, say, Au Bon Pain), and they have free wireless, but I hardly ever eat in there and usually get take-out, anyway.
On the negative side, the people working at the cash register can be somewhat strange and hard to understand and are at times excruciatingly slow, which is (needless to say) VERY annoying.
I usually have pretty late lunches, so I have never encountered the long queues that other reviewers have complained about, but I would definitely not go during peak lunch hour, as I can see how this might lead to absolute disaster.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS COSI, go to the one on Milk Street in downtown Boston, instead- you'll have a much better food experience.
HOW do you mess up a Cosi sandwich??? This location figured out how to do it. I knew I was in trouble when the cashier freaked out because I wanted to "make my own" sandwich. She kept trying to get me to get one off of the board that she knew how to ring, but I insisted. Bad move on my part. My sandwich, which was quite simple by most standards- turkey and swiss, extra mayo, and field greens, came back dry as a chip, and just tasted awful.
Everyone sitting in the dining area, which I must say, was very nice and trendy, had a laptop. I felt out of place with no computer. Oh, well, it is MIT, what did I expect? A decently done sandwich, maybe???!
Yes, its overpriced. But I like the flatbread/brie cheese/turkey sandwich and it keeps me coming back.
It gets pretty crowded and sometimes it can take 10 mins or so to get your food, so watch the clock if you need to be back in the office quickly.
Its a nice addition to the lame selection of lunch choices for those of us working in the Kendall area.
Yet another Kendall Square lunch time clusterfu*k. But, one where ordering and receiving your food is quick and you get to much on yummy, warm, fresh baked bread while you wait?
There are 1000s of people at this Cosi during lunch time. Okay, maybe not. But it seems like it, with all the area companies and MIT so close by. The breads, salads and sandwiches are actually pretty good, and some of the choices are unexpectedly creative. I like the Bombay Salad with masala-scented chicken. I even think the chicken is real! maybe.
Good luck finding a seat!
Convenient from the T and Marriott Hotel. Not bad for soup-from-a-bag Panera-style food
I went back, grudgingly, when a friend of mine **insisted** we go here for their avacado + chips combo. Perhaps it was that there was absolutely no one else waiting at 3pm, so it only took 15 minutes for the staff to bring out a platter of greasy chips and a small cup of dip. Oh, and his **toasted** chicken sandwich? Still cold; chicken still cubed.
RUN FOR THE HILLS, FOLKS. Swallow your pride and just go to ABP nextdoor.
Cosi in Kendall needs to take a few lessons in efficiency management. The first time I went with a… Read more »
I would give it 2 1/2 stars because I LOVE that they have Make Your Own S'Mores. Other than that, the food and drinks are just okay, they aren't bad but they are really great either. The service on the other hand is horrible. They always seem to forget some part of my order (usually the drinks). One time they forgot to give me a cup so that I could get my own soda and when I went back to the counter to ask for the cup they seemed annoyed with me. If it wasn't for the S'Mores, I would probably never bother to go there.
Hmm looking at the other reviews, I can see why you may not like this place when they mess up your order. However, I remember they did that once and fixed it right away. Yeah, if you are working in the area, cannot afford a 1 hour lunch break, and find it pricey to pay $9 for lunch, I would not come here the wait is a little long. But if you are willing to wait, go for it, their tomato basil soup is awesome.
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