Flat Black Coffee Company

 

4

50

Cecilia L.

Cambridge, MA

I work next door and the coffee is delicious. Fair trade and perfectly brewed. Friendly servers, free wifi and no more expensive than the sucky Starbucks. The Australian thing is really cute -- jumpin' roo is coffee with a shot of espresso. I had a sample of their citrus shortbread and it was ALL I could think about for the rest of the morning.

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Elite '08

59

170

Sean M.

Westborough, MA

Mayan Mocha Latte. Chocolate with a hint o' cinnamon, and creamy froth. The Crack and Heroin Speedball of lattes. I'm up to 2 or 3 a month. Good thing I work closer to South Station or I'd be having 2 or 3 a day.
It's just another coffee house with staff that have a healthy disdain for their customers. There has also been construction that has been going forever but none of that steals any stars. 5 stars for a 5 star drink.

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1

3

Vanessa C.

Allston, MA

So glad Yelp helped me find this place. It's the only real, respectable spot in the financial district worthy of being called a "cafe".

COFFEE: A large selection with some exotic options that change frequently. I think their coffees tend to be on the spicier side in general, but there's something for everyone. Always well-brewed and fresh, and they double-brew their iced coffee, which rocks. I've tried their black iced tea and actually liked it a lot, pretty good for a girl who does NOT like tea.

BAKERY: I LOVE the fact that they sell day-old pastries for a dollar. And their pastries are HUGE. I've tried the croissant, the blueberry muffin and a plain scone (all day-old). Delicious. The scone was perfect, and I might have to say that the croissant was the best, butteriest, flakiest croissant I've ever had.

PEOPLE: Very friendly and fast service. They're happy to take the time to recommend a blend and are always pleasant and smile. They seem to like working there a lot. I would too - see ATMOSPHERE.

ATMOSPHERE: Being a neat freak, the thing I like most about this place is that it's spotless, even during the busy times. They usually have fresh plants on the tables, and the corner location and tall windows make it even more endearing. You can tell people don't mind waiting in line here during the busy times.

Free wifi, btw. I did some work here before I headed into the office and it was a great way to start the day.

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11

30

KATE G.

Jamaica Plain, MA

The decor is wonderful creative layers of wood and stunning small oil paintings hung beautifully.  The staff is surprisingly mellow in a fast downtown setting.  I have enjoyed both the fair exchange coffee and tea they are up to snuff. Limited tabled - but all window space has high stool sitting.  Great place to people watch and meet your guy for a break from the daily grind.  ** Note lobby attached to coffee shop is under construction so a bit loud right now

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2

6

Heathen A.

Boston, MA

Coffee is essential to my survival of 9 hours of staring at my 3 1/2 greyish brown cubicle walls.  Even more essential, is the short break in the day that i escape from the monotony that is corporate America, and step out into the world experiencing a wonderful feeling of freedom, however fleeting it may be.

All too often I choose to go to one of the 7 Starbucks within the 4 block radius of my office, where i feel herded like cattle to the barista, with loud, irritatingly happy music blaring, and shouting, overly-perking staff who lack the ability to properly brew coffee or make a decent latte.

But then, a ray of hope.  Flat Black Coffee.  We are excited to try something new.  We enter into the coffee shop, and notice the nice, open area.  not too many tables, plenty of room to sit, walk, and breathe.  The music is upbeat but not obnoxious, the crowd is professional and pleasant.  The staff are incredibly nice and knowledgeable, with a true appreciation of coffees and teas.  A delightful spread of pastries, cookies, and sandwiches tempt you as you decide your order.  There is no rush to order, and the staff are more than willing to answer any questions you may have.  

Then  - the real test...the coffee.   I opt for the Nicaragua blend brewed coffee.  Delicious warm aroma, brewed to perfection - I knew I had found coffee Mecca.

If you are like me and desperately need the daily coffee escape to survive, do yourself a favor and go to Flat Black Coffee.  You will never look back.

For the fellow caffeine addicts out there - try a Jumpin' Roo.  Brewed coffee with a shot of espresso.  Perfect for those rainy Monday mornings.

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Elite '08

115

332

Chloe D.

Revere, MA

I'm a strong believer in leaving your desk on journeys to maintain sanity while at work. Sure, I could go across the street to Starbucks and get a Tazo tea relatively quickly, and on a day such as this, where the snow is lightly falling, but turning into rain just as it hits the ground....it would be relatively convenient.

But, I wanted to try something new, and thus we were off to Flat Black, about a 2 block walk from work on Broad Street. It's almost 11:30 and there's no line, and a couple people sitting by the window tip-tapping on laptops quietly. I decide that I'm going to go the low-caffeine route and grab a white peony tea, it's organic and is the least processed of all teas (so I read) and tastes fairly similar to a green tea or possibly an oolong.

Sandwiches are sold nearby...chorizo, ham and cheese croissants, tomato and goat cheese danishes, cookies, brownies, high percentage dark chocolate....the finer things in life that you grow to love with age, sort of like how you used to hate listening to Van Morrisson with your parents, but now enjoy it...in secret of course.

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Elite '08

157

350

Liz D.

Boston, MA

Yeah, I could just go to Rebeccas in my building and wade in mediocrity, but my friend dangled the carrot of delicious white tea from FlatBack when he stopped by my desk this morning.

So warm. So good.  

On an impulse I decided to go, but not before I took a moment to mope and watch my breath fog up the windows of our lobby.

-looks at the falling snow-
-looks to Chloe-
-looks at the falling snow-

Fine. Bubushkas and tarps it is, let's do this!!
Leeeeroyyyyy jenkinssss

Bopped over to Flat Back which I went to in a past life for hot chocolate and was happy to drop in again.

Warm and den like, with intricate wooden paneling and pictures of 'Roos along the walls.  G'day mate.

On the blackboard:Coffees, steamers and things of the likes

If you want tea, you can hit up their thurough menu which details the different beverages.  I stuck with my whitetea.  I'm a woman who knows what she wants! Laddamercy.

Also you can score some danishes, muffins, LOAFS, ham and cheese croissants, etc.  They're right at the counter, prime poking spot.

You can also grab assorted beverages, mugs, a random french press, coffee grinders, mints, and chocolates ranging from lime to 99% cri cri dark chocolate.

If you work in the district you have no excuse not to try it, unless you're allergic to outback motifs and good tea

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88

166

BB F.

MA

The five star is purely for the coffee there. Everything else is an added bonus. I love the name , so exotic-Aussie!!  I had walked by this place several times but had never ventured in, cos it look too..umm..foreign and pristine? I enjoy coffee but am not a coffee snob  and from the outside , it looks like one of those places where people know their coffee.
True! It is. But not snobby at all. I get real coffee there, not fu-fu latte or chai. The real deal, costa rican coffee, ethopian. Oh it smells and taste like REAL coffee, powerful stuff. I love the cups too Yellow -orginal! They carry snacks too, like muffins etc, wish they carried bagels-toasted. There is a decent seating area. Very clean place , so close to work. My new coffee mecca!

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7

20

Lou S.

Middleton, MA

Flat Black Coffee Company ... my new favourite coffeeshop. Glad to have something other than Starbucks to count on for a nice, strong cup. I typically get a latte with some sort of flavor ... the friendly staff serves it up without too much pretense or forced camaraderie. Also a great place to hang out and chat ... do a little work w/ the free wi-fi setup there ... nice backdrop audio mix goin' on ... ya know?

Go to Flat Black and enjoy ... aight?

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0

24

Sarah G.

Dorchester, MA

Can I give someone 7 or 8 stars?  If i could, Flat Black would have them.  I heard about this place through the Australian American Association of New England (phew!  That's a long name!), and I figured I'd give them a shout because I love all things Australian.

I don't even like coffee, but I get an iced mocha here EVERY DAY (lucky me!  I work .2 miles from the Broad St location and live across the street from the Lower Mills location!).  Did I mention I don't like coffee?  These iced mochas are a dream come true.  It took me a while to learn their secret.  My boyfriend suggested that perhaps it's that non-fair trade coffee's taste is affected negatively by the sweat of the badly treated/paid coffee pickers, so of course anything made with fair trade espresso would taste better.  I wasn't convinced, so I went ahead and studied the process.  Yes, it is partly due to the ingredients used, but here's the real trick: half regular chocolate syrup and half DARK chocolate syrup.

So now that I discovered that, I can sit back and enjoy the art-like layered presentation of my mochas rather than racking my brain trying to figure out what makes it so mind-blowingly delicious.

GO HERE.  It's worth the extra few blocks to get past Starbucks or Dunkies.  The employees are awesome, the prices are lower, the coffee tastes better, and the lines are shorter (well, until you all head my advice, anyway).

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Elite '08

13

315

Mina I.

Boston, MA

Plus one star on the location - because it is only a couple blocks away from my work and it is a refreshing change from larger chains.  The teas are really great and sometimes as a special treat to myself I get the Raspberry Kiss..  (but watch out, last time they made it for me it was like strawberry milk..  eei)  But other than that, out of the many times I have been there the staff is really friendly and helpful in making suggestions.  The interior is relaxing and the looks of the place are great.  I have brought my boyfriend here, who is from Seattle and has very high coffee house standards, and he even liked it!  I highly recommend Flat Black!

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11

11

Caleb H.

Brookline, MA

Australian Espresso Bar? Cool concept, plus points. Honestly, the only downside to this place is that there's no location near my apartment, so I only stop by during workdays.

I think three *major* points explain why i give the place full stars:
* The espresso drinks are artisinal and taste amazing
* The staff is very friendly, and very very cool
* The chocolate syrup (used in mochas, etc..) also tastes amazing

Don't believe me? try a base comparison. drink an iced skim latte from its competitors and from here--a good base drink with very few frills. Notice how some competitors taste like cigarette ash? Now notice how Flat Back retains a smooth and delicious character? I'm sold.

This is my favorite espresso in the city.

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15

83

Jennifer B.

New York, NY

Minus one star or the location, which is only convenient if you work very nearby. A spot closer to the T that would be on the way for more people would certainly bring in more visitors.

Otherwise, the coffees I've had at Flat Black have been delicious, plus fairly traded. I also really enjoy the atmosphere that features good design and design mags to browse, as Flat Black shares the building with a local architectural association. Kudos for an indy coffee place downtown! My coworkers and I have made it a regular after lunch stop whenever convenient.

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2

5

Kate L.

Brighton, MA

Stumbled on this this morning.  Great alternative to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.  The tea selection takes up a whole menu and the iced teas offer at least as much selection as Tealuxe.  Also, they carry currant scones - a rare, but tasty treat.

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Elite '08

28

203

Brendan M.

New York, NY

Think an Australian coffee shop is a weird concept? It is, and yet here we have Flat Black, complete with bouncing kangaroo logo and funky locale. Cheaper than Starbucks and with super-friendly owners. Haven't been here enough to comment with aplomb on the overall quality of the coffee, but so far, so good.

Update: I can now comment with aplomb. It's good. Go there.

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13

53

Ankita d.

Boston, MA

A week-old coffee joint in the financial district.  Impressive that most of their coffees are organic, fair-trade, AND shade grown.  The unimpressive fact is that the coffee tasts uber watered down.  The owners are super friendly and are really excited about the socially reponsible products they sell.   Its new, so I'm sure they're working otu a few kinks.  Definitely give it a try!

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0

8

Rik A.

Jamaica Plain, MA

One of the best coffee shops I've ever encountered, and lucky me it's a block from the office. Flat Black is a fantastic antidote to the cookie-cutter of *bux and the donut. The owners are fun and friendly and they even offer free wifi. [You can sit on the stoop before they open if you really need an internet fix, since the network is always on.] They just launched a new web site where you can buy coffee beans, teas, and accessories. And the space is super stylish, with nice flower arrangements from Winston's. Their iced vanilla latte is amazing.

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