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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
Neighborhood: North EndNorth Station (Orange, Green)
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Only one mention of the hot chocolate from Yelpers? That's absurd. As a matter of fact, it's as redonk as Kim K's b-donk!
Just recently one of my co-workers asked me to join her at the Equal Exchange Cafe at lunch time. I had already eaten, but I went with her anyways in hopes of grabbing a coffee.
Although the coffee choices all looked tasty, I decided to go with the spicy hot chocolate, which I've always heard about, but have never actually gotten a chance to try.
Now, I usually swear by LA Burdick in H.Square for all my molten chocolate needs, but I think I'm going to have to reconsider from now on. The hot chocolate was so thick, warm, and delicious that one cup of it was able to melt away all my work-related stresses.
The cayenne pepper in the drink even brought my olfactory senses back to Valentine's Day in elementary school when I would always look forward to one of my favorite candies, red hots. The chocolate and cayenne is such a divine combination...a must try.
Equal Exchange Cafe is an amazing little sanctuary right in the middle of lots of craziness. Now, if only they would install a revolving door, because I already look forward to returning before I am completely out the door.
Good, organic, fair trade coffee. Can't really go wrong. They make good espresso drinks and quickly. Their rewards cards gets you a free coffee after your purchase 9 or 10, basically getting you 10% off if you're a regular.
Tip: after 5pm, food (pastries, bagels, lunch items, etc) is half off.
For a quick cup of coffee before hopping on the T, Equal Exchange Café provides a piping hot cup with a conscience. Made quickly and with fair trade coffee, the soy latte I sampled had slightly nutty notes, which I am not accustomed to, but really enjoyed the flavor.
If you need a snack, there is fresh fruit delivered from Boston Organics and a case full of baked goods from local favorite, Petsi Pies!
The atmosphere is relaxed, despite it's proximity to a bustling transportation hub and a major highway, and the staff is very friendly. There are plugs for laptops and plenty of seating, which makes it easy to pass up any Starbucks and get your caffeine fix here instead!
They now have sugar free vanilla syrup. Yes. This place is awesome.
Independent coffee shop. Outdoor seating. Free wireless internet. Parking. Plugs for computers.… Read more »
There's a lot to like about this place, but it has a couple major issues that cost it some stars.
First the positives:
As others have commented they do indeed have a very friendly staff !
And they offer good coffee and it's fair trade too.
The free wi-fi and new outdoor seating areas are both a plus.
I really like the spring rolls and peanut sauce.
They also sell some great chocolates, and the chocolate used in the mocha's is high quality.
Now the negatives:
The hours and closing Sunday's borders on INSANE. For us folks that live in the area, not being able to get a Sunday coffee or morning pastry is unforgivable. Also they close at 7pm in the evenings during the week, a little early for us running-late-heading-home-would-like-to-buy-a-prep ared-meal/sandwich-people. They claim Sunday's are too slow to open, but you gotta cater to your customers on busy and slow days to keep'em coming back. Since I have to find my coffee elsewhere on Sunday's, I've mostly stopped going there the other days now.
I think they go a little overboard on the gluten or wheat free items too exclusively, how about some full of it stuff for the rest of us !? It makes some of the pastries blah, crumbly, less flavorful.
It seems to take them about 3x a Starbucks to make my coffee, so I wonder what they can do here to speed things up a bit, is it the machine or poorly trained staff or ???
I'm lactose intolerant so it's soy in my drinks. But they have Inconsistent soy milk, sometimes sugared, sometimes not, recently gluten free, wasn't previously....
They have very limited breakfast sandwich concepts, blah bagels, could really do a lot better on this even with just a toaster and microwave (well not sure they have a microwave)...
So that's my review, I hope to be able to upgrade this rating at a later date if/when they make a few changes to hours and products, because I was sooo happy when they opened, well when they were open, haha again the hours over the holidays were a mess, closed ALOT...can't mess with a guys morning coffee....I need them to be there to sell it to me !!
I have such a love hate with this place.
Two stars for the coffee.
The price is just way too much, and they usually always screw up my food order. I asked for a bagel NOT toasted. After the girl put it in the toaster she came up to me and said "Sorry I accidentally put your bagel through the toaster." Um, anyone else would have just gave me ANOTHER bagel - doesn't take a genius. So, I had to wait an extra couple minutes for "my" bagel to toast, even though I didn't want it toasted. Really?
Today I went there (I only go when the line is too long at Dunkin's and I don't have time to wait) and I got a small bottle of juice and two tiny muffins, and it came to over $7 (and the muffins taste like something a middle schooler would have made for a bake sale). Lesson learned. Only go for the coffee.
You know this place is earthy crunchy when you see hippies preaching to the staff. You just hit the bull's eye!
I like their tofu spring rolls, really like them. For like $7 you get 3 fresh tofu spring rolls that come with 2 peanut sauces. The amount of fresh food is comperable to the price. Sure, you can get a cheaper lunch but you should treat yourself to a GOOD lunch. The spring rolls have a lot of basil in them so they are really flavorful. Then add in the dipping sauce... yum! Overall this reminds me of hte tofu/shrimp spring rolls you can get at Whole Foods but you only get 2 (yeah, WF is a bit cheaper but you only get 2) and the peanut sauce is much better!
Another good thing about Equal Exchange is that they carry good sodas. Their organic ginger beer has a really good bite to it. If you like ginger then you will love this!
I absolutely love what they stand for, that alone would keep me coming back. Staff is always wicked friendly no matter what time of day you go in, and their drinks are always made well. Had a tasty corn muffin with jam in the middle the other day (from Petsi Pies) which I would definitely recommend.
I really love that their (hot) smalls are actually small; for me, I never finish all my hot coffee/drink, there are always a few sips left because it got cold in the time I was drinking it (or maybe I'm just a slow drinker). But here, the small is a bit smaller than normal, making it the perfect size. It sounds weird that having a smaller size than the competition would be considered a good thing, but I really dig it.
I've been a fan of Equal Exchange coffee for years and years, both because they make great coffee and because of their fair trade mission. I was pleasantly surprised to stumble on the cafe when I started working nearby recently.
Friendly staff, good coffee, good pastries in a neighborhood in which all three are generally lacking.
They participate in "Bicycle Benefits" in which you can buy a sticker for your bike helmet that gets you 10% off. They not only recycle paper & plastic goods but also compost as well.
What's not to love? Go there!
Great organic, fair trade coffee, friendly laid-back atmosphere and free wifi, a few blocks from the heart of the North End and across the street from North Station and the Garden... what more could you want?
They fixed their customer service issues! Huzzah! These folks are smart, and fun and awesome, and they stock great muffins, bagels, scones and doughnuts from places like Petsi Pies and Homemade Bread Company #3. The line moves fast, and they give away their wi-fi for free. :D
Now, please to erect one of your stores outside my home. Thank you.
They're losing a star. I've been here a few times now, and every time it's the same story:. A marvel… Read more »
Equal Exchange Cafe is a kind of oasis in the badlands of North Station. There's a Dunkies or a pizza/burger joint on every corner but where do you get an organic cuppa or fair trade coffee? Here, that's where! And, replete with free access to the world wide webs...yes, all of them. Stop in, note the contrast between the knotty wood furniture and the glazed concrete, breathe in the aroma of diesel and donuts and appreciate that the cup of whatever you're holding bought a kid in a third world country a pencil for school...even if they had to work in a sweatshop before school to make those togs you're sporting. Ahhh, poverty is a complex problem.
Glorious! Equal Exchange gives me such a good feeling after walking out with a tasty latte or cranberry walnut muffin - and it's not just because of their commitment to fair trade and conscious consumption.
The atmosphere is calming, and the baristas are seriously friendly. If you've got a minute or so, they'd love to draw you a foam picture in your coffee. Some attempts are more successful than others, but it's all made with love.
Equal Exchange is a good spot to pick up a quick lunch with sandwiches coming from The Biscuit in Somerville, and really tasty fresh spring rolls, but I have no idea where they are from.
All in all, a perfect spot that happens be less than a block away from my office. Yippee!
Super nice employees, a more than tasty sandwich (half-priced as it was after 6), and a cup of water to go in a corn-based cup. I love that they love the environment, they don't even sell water in a bottle, use recyclable cups and are a culture of sustainability. Definitely hit up Equal Exchange instead of the North Station food court, it is well worth the half a block walk.
Causeway Street and the North Station area can be a bit of a barren wasteland when it comes to anything but sports bars. There are a few decent places for lunch (though that took a hard hit when Mulligan's closed shop) like Au Ban Pain and the like, but for anything great you need to hike up toward Hanover Street. And on a day like today, 30's and 40+ mph winds, going more than a block or two is a Shackleton type adventure I want no part of. So thank the gods for the Equal Exchange Cafe that just opened up across the street from my office.
I spotted it, sitting across the I-93 from the Boston Garden the other day while walking to work and knew I had to try it out first chance I got. They of course have a selection of guilt-free coffees and teas along with their counterparts muffins, bagels and fruit square things. Thankfully they also have "light-lunch" items such as surprisingly delicious spring rolls, mango salads and sandwiches. The sandwiches were slim pickins when I got there but the spring roll and raspberry square thing made for one of the tastier lunches I've had from around these parts. Huzzah, Equal Exchange Cafe!
One of the joys of working in an office 8+ hours a day is the let's-go-get-a-coffee routine that happens daily around 10:30 or thereabouts.
Since our office relocated to the border of the North End, our daily hunt for java involved a ten minute walk into the heart of the North End. That's all well and good, but Sean below me is right: *we work in an office* (read: we're lazy) and don't want to have to walk very far for coffee.
Thankfully, Equal Exchange Cafe opened up right down the street between North Station and the North End. EE is staffed by super friendly (one HIGHLY energetic) baristas that know how to pour, and pour well.
Their dark roast is better than their medium roast, and their espresso drinks are superb. The baristas even know how to make little designs out of the foam in a latte, which you know makes it taste so. much. better.
They also have a great assortment of baked goods that come from a couple bakeries in Somerville. I highly recommend the Brioche toast and the desert bar.
Overall, thumbs way up. Equal Exhange is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Did takeout for lunch with some co-workers today. We loved the spring rolls. Huge portion, and the peanut sauce was fab. The sandwich got a great review - yummy bread, salami, provolone. They don't hand out needless bags, and all the containers are compostable and eco-friendly. Very nice staff and quick service. The only downside: the place is TINY and there were no tables. What can you do.
The coffee looked good -- I'll update after I try it!
I stopped in here last week before going to the "new" Garden. I want to check my email and warm up a bit from one of our typical Boston spring days (cold and rainy). I was really impressed.
* Helpful staff
* Good music
* Free wifi
* Great coffee (free trade)
I will definitely be back next time I am in the area.
Two co-workers and I took a field trip from our office in Central Sq. to Equal Exchange Cafe to do some reconnaissance today. Our goals:
1. Get out of Dodge at the lunch hour for once (we seldom venture further than a couple of blocks from our building).
2. Research the chow.
3. Support Equal Exchange.
4. Investigate the cafe as a possible event space.
Results:
1. Done!
2. Pre-made veggie sandwiches for $6.50, fresh veggie spring rolls for about the same. I sampled the tomato-mozz-pesto on focaccia, S tried the spring rolls. Both yummy. For the drinks, I got a mocha (my "test" drink: strong, maybe a bit too overbalanced on the chocolatey side. S had the chai and was happy. R had the hot chocolate and pronounced it "really good". I'm still waiting on a report about R's brownie, which she got to go.
3. Full disclosure: my workplace has a relationship (polyamorous--we both have multiple partners) with Eq Ex and so were predisposed to support this place. Also, they sell Eq Ex products--coffee, chocolate, nuts, etc.
4. There are about 5 tables and another 8 counter stools, so not much room. Funky greenish turquoise paint job, high ceilings. Could work for a small event.
Overall: Friendly, efficient staff. They recycle and compost their waste. Tap water is served in a pitcher. While we were there at about 1:15-2:15, it was packed and it looked like there were people having casual work meetings, reading, studying, etc. It would be great if they had chips or something else munchy to go with the sandwiches. It also has potential as a neighborhood hangout/coffeehouse with music a la Clear Conscience Cafe in Central.
This isn't a neighborhood I frequent, but if I worked around N. Station this would be my coffee joint of choice.
I had a realization about espresso recently, namely this:
* Lightly roasted espresso is good if you're drinking it straight. In this case, go for something from George Howell.
Here was my realization, though: lightly roasted espresso is too mild to work in a cappuccino. The milk absolutely drowns out the coffee. This is why, despite my love for Simon's, near Porter Square in Cambridge, I don't love their cappuccinos.
* Darkly roasted espresso is not my cup of ... um ... tea. It may be yours, and that's cool. I take my cue here from Murky Coffee's founder, Nick Cho: the oil you see on the outside of a darkly roasted bean "should be inside."
* Full-city roast: that's the stuff. It's juuuuust right.
This is why the Equal Exchange Café is my new favorite Boston café. It's a one-minute walk away from North Station. (You pass over the Zakim Bridge on the way there. Given that you're walking over a massive Interstate highway, the view could be worse.) Their cappuccinos are spectacular: the espresso is malty -- just rich enough to poke out through the foam, which is thick and accompanies the espresso perfectly.
My Short Version For Boston-Area Coffee Drinkers, then, is like so:
* Drink straight espresso at Simon's and Toscanini's.
* Drink cappuccinos at the EECafé.
Even with the expansion of the North Station commuter rail passenger area, it's still a drag to wait for your train there. Luckily, Equal Exchange has changed all that. It's an bright space with good seating and mellow atmosphere. The baristas are always willing to help (and play good tunes). Prices are fair, esp. for fairly traded and locally made products.
As far as offerings go, the chai with soy milk is super. I've also been impressed with their sandwiches from The Biscuit. (Still hoping for vegan pastries ... a girl can dream.)
When you're done with your drink/eats, your meal isn't done. The cafe composts most of its paper goods. Keep up the good work!
free wi-fi. friendly staff. gluten free snack options! = perfection. they offer muffins ($2), cookies ($1.50) and brownies ($2) made by a local gluten free company: glutenus minimus, which makes the ultimate in gluten free baked goods. these brownies and cookies will trump all- even those gluten filled concoctions.
Hot baguettes 3 for 1 dollar
Neighborhood: Dorchester
Free Short Hot or Iced Coffee
Neighborhood: Back Bay
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Desserts
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