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I heart Petsi Pies! This is one of the places I look forward to visiting when I'm in Cambridge for a weekend. The pies are great, but you don't want to overlook the baked goods! The last time I was there, I tried the vanilla brioche and two of the savory scones (cheddar+bacon and ham+gruyere+caramelized onion).
Please be careful with the nutella latte; its vortex of warm, chocolatey, nutty, caffeine will claim the soul of all but the strongest.
Where do I even begin? Petsi's Pies is everything a neighborhood cafe / bakery should be.
Charming eclectic decor? Check.
Artsy counter staff? Check.
Wifi? Check (though only during select non-peak hours).
Most importantly, it's food is the real deal. The cupcakes here are better than any I've had at those so-called "cupcake places", the breakfast cous cous (while odd sounding) is a fabulous innovation on oatmeal, the muffins and scones are fresh and come in decadent flavors (like banana chocolate chip). And the pies get rave reviews whenever I bring them to friends.
This is the best place I've ever worked. All baristas are treated well.
Food is delicious. Paul is a sweet manager.
Have a slice of blueberry pie! Eat a dark chocolate apricot cookie! Come one, come all and have some fabulous Rao's coffee.
And, yes, I usually know your name. I'm good at that.
One of my friends said if Petsi Pies served alcohol she'd never leave.
I'm very fond of Petsi. It's one of those places where I'm always wondering how they do such a good job. Like they had been waiting all day for me to come in and their only goal is to make my dining experience perfect.
I usually go for lunch and do the half sandwich + cup of soup combo (which comes with a little salad). Only $6.99. Amazing. Their food is so fantastic they could be charging much more than that and people would still pay. Yet they choose not to rip me off. So noble.
My favorite soup is the coconut curry chickpea. My favorite sandwich is the ultimate BLT. The soups and sandwich specials change daily so you have the opportunity to feel spontaneous when you order.
Finally, about ordering - the person who takes your order is in a great mood. Always. Everyone is always smiling and friendly. It makes me want to quit my office job so I can work there and be part of their happy group.
I'm giving Petsi 2 stars out of spite. I would give it 5 stars if ONE thing changed.
Picture this.
You have a bakery/coffee shop. It's located on a quaint street in Cambridge, right around Harvard University. It's a block from 2 undergrad houses and surrounded by houses filled with students who go to the graduate business schools. What day do you think would see the highest traffic at such an establishment given the location near students? What day to students tend to settle back down to focus on work.
Sunday, right?
Not here. This place is closed on Sunday! Who closes a bakery/coffee shop on Sunday?!
I love Petsi. I live across the street. I go in all the time to pick up snacks, meet friends, etc. But I cannot, for the life of me, understand why they close on Sundays (especially knowing the other Petsi location does not).
As I said above, open on Sundays - five stars.
Petsi Pies is amazing. It would be the best coffee shop around save for one very important detail that other Yelpers have alluded to. Why on earth are they closed on Sundays???
I essentially across the street, so I'm super spoiled to have Petsi's as a neighborhood haunt. As far as food and drink go, they can do no wrong. From the delicious breakfast sandwiches made with loving care at 10 AM to the delightfully fluffy fritatta at lunch, I love them. The loose-leaf tea comes in a wide variety--my personal favorite is the Moroccan mint. But the true star at Petsi's is a muffin. I almost don't want to tell you about it because I have had it sold out before I got there on more than one occasion.
But, my fellow Yelpers, today is your lucky day. It is a banana-chocolate chip muffin which will knock your socks off. Yummy milk chocolate chips nested in a creamy banana muffin is to die for. So make sure to check it out--just not on Sunday.
Oh how I love Petsi Pies.
I rarely spend any actual time inside the place though because I live down the street, so everything is taken home with me or taken to work with me. It's my way with the Petsi.
Mainly I get coffee and it's so good that it will make you rethink any "good" coffee you may have think you've tasted before. I prefer the iced coffee but what are you going to do when it's freezing cold out?
The staff is great and they completely know what I'm going to get (but I enjoy confusing them occasionally by switching it up). The owner is friendly to everyone and makes a point of learning all the regulars names (and sometimes giving them samples of things they are trying).
The breakfast sandwiches are great and so are the regular ones. I haven't tried many of the other menu items.
The pies are great, especially as a savior for poor planning dinner parties (oh crap, we need desert)!
Negative: There are no cinnamon buns unless it's Saturday! Of course, this helps me not become fat so I shouldn't complain.
Since my host during my stay in Boston lives within walking distance of Petsi in Cambridge, I ate breakfast here twice! Loved the breakfast sandwiches (the Farm was my go-to) and the coffee and service were great too.
Petsi has free Wi-Fi, save for the lunch hours, and while not exactly a cozy place to hang out, would be a "sweet" place to hunker down and get some work done! Even though I seemed to be eating every 5 minutes during my stay, I was never back in Cambridge during my afternoon sweet craving, and sadly did not have time to sample a Petsi pie. Next time for sure, Petsi!
The best part about Petsi's is they always have something new and intriguing to try. Perhaps it will be a unique flavor combination in a scone, the sandwich of the day, or a wacky new soup. I go here a lot but I never feel like I always get the same thing. I do have some favorites, though- the blackberry ginger scones, triple berry scones, and apricot chocolate chip cookies to name a few. I'm also a fan of the Turkey Cheddar Avocado sandwiches, and I'm never disappointed when I get the sandwich of the day. The sandwiches come with little lightly dressed salads and are plenty filling. I'm not a fan of the tuna salad sandwich- it has nuts in it and something about crunchy tuna salad just doesn't work for me.
This place can be crowded, so be prepared to share a table.
Don't be discouraged by the name. Petsi Pies has much more to offer than absolutely delicious homemade pies. They have daily specials (both soups and sandwiches) for vegetarians and meat lovers alike, not to mention a small but comprehensive menu of sandwiches and salads that they serve every day. I work right near Petsi's, and I'm pretty sure almost everyone in my office would agree that it's one of the best places to get lunch in the Harvard Square area. The staff is above and beyond friendly and the chefs are the kind that take the time to get to know their patrons. Whatever you do, don't overlook this somewhat hidden cafe on the outskirts of Harvard Square. You won't be disappointed!
This place is so charming. I was craving a slice of pie, but the selection was not great when I went. Their savory tarts are delicious and they had a nice selection of sweet treats, soups, and sandwiches. I tried the apple walnut cake and a hot cappuccino. Both were wonderful. I would definitely recommend this place for a quick breakfast, lunch, or evening snack. Its small, and quiet so bring a book or some work to get done if you are coming alone. It's perfect for that kind of thing. I can't wait to come back and finally try the pies I've been hearing so much about!
Did you know that an anagram for petsi pies is "IS PEE SPIT"? That sound you just heard was your mind being blown. These are the things you think about when you are on your 12th serving of coffee, sandwiches and pie. At petsi pies, this can become a reality. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and you would not feel bad. EVERYTHING is good... I do mean everything (I once tried to taste their hand soap because it smelled really good).
DRINKS: Lattes, coffee, teas. All offered in an iced version and all very tasty (way better than 1369).
BREAKFAST: Sandwiches, tarts and frittatas are the common menu items. Breakfast couscous is sometimes offered.
LUNCH: Salads, soups and sandwiches. You can do a 1/2 sandwich, 1/2 salad (or soup) deal or a straight up salad or straight up sandwich. They have daily specials which reflect seasonal ingredients. Highly recommend it.
DINNER: Same as lunch. There is so much variety that you can enjoy this for dinner too. My favorite treat is the coconut cupcake... (Petsi, if you are reading this, I would "accidentally run over" any person of your choosing if you give me the recipe for your coconut cupcake. If you wish to contact me, my phone number spells out the only 10 letter word that has been expelled from the Vatican).
Pie pie pie. It's fall so it's time for apple pie.
I didn't leave Petsi disappointed - was very pleased with the result. One slice of pie is $3.50 ($12 for a full pie), but it's very filling. Perfect crust. Nice people here.
Areas for improvement: The atmosphere definitely needs some work. This place has the potential to be one of the neatest places in the area if they did it right. Also, parking is a disaster. You might as well walk or take the T from anywhere you might be, because parking is virtually impossible at all hours.
Looking forward to coming back for some of the other snacks and desserts...
Fun fact: Petsi was the owner's nickname growing up
I went to this place solely for the scones. I've had one too many soggy, yucky Starbucks scones, which I buy to accompany my overpriced Sbux brew.
The cherry-almond: amazing. Crispy/crunchy/melty-in-your-mouthy. Great. So great it almost made up for the iced coffee that they served me in a flimsy Solo cup with a lid. Maybe the idea behind that is eco-friendly...but if so, it was lost on me. Take-away coffee is take-away coffee, and serving it in a cup that feels like it's going to crack and ooze coffee once you step out of the place isn't that fun.
Anyway, the scone was so great I got a mixed berry scone to go.
And then I was sad. The scone was soggy, yucky. $2.05 I will never be able to get back.
I wish they'd make a "sog meter" for scones. I could carry it around and steer clear from the disappointment that is biting into a scone that tastes like a bland, tough muffin.
The other things at the place looked great, though. I'd give it another go just to try the frittatas, etc.
Pestsi how I love you. Unfortunately my wallet does not. Food here is great. Though I wish the portions were bigger for the cost. This isn't a cheep eats place. The food is worth it though. The coconut cupcake will be the death of me. Also love how you switch out the art. But mostly I love that you are a block from my house.
On my trip to Cambridge to see my sister, she took my boyfriend and I here twice. We enjoyed both visits very much. My sister, who lives down the street, says that this is her favorite coffee shop and that she comes here very often. So we went and enjoyed it too.
The first time around I got a bagel and a steamer. The second time I got a cornbread and jam muffin and a peach italian soda. I liked round two better. I also stole bites of my sisters raspberry cream cheese coffee cake and my boyfriend's lemon scone. All were SO very amazing. Probably the best lemon scone I have ever tasted. My lucky boyfriend :)
The staff is so friendly and nice, plus they were playing an awesome soundtrack of Bon Iver, Band of Horses, etc. Fantastic.
I got a coconut cupcake here last week and it was possibly the best cupcake i've ever had in my entire life.
They were sold out of pie though!!!!! I couldn't buy a pie at Petsi Pies!!
Sometimes, you just start craving pies. I had no idea that there was anywhere in the city where you could find seriously good pie for a good price. Right now, I live about 3 or 4 blocks from Petsi Pies and I only found out about this place yesterday. I'm moving 3 weeks from today. You have no idea how sad and happy that makes me. I'm sad that I've gone nearly 8 months of living so close to this place without ever discovering them, but happy that the food is so great. Their pies utterly fantastic. Kira D. and I took our inaugural trip out here last night about an hour before their closing. The first thing that the person behind the counter did was apologize for not having too much, as they were closing soon. That's ok, though - we were there for pie and oh, pies they had.
I got a slice of the lemon merengue and the girl got a slice of cherry pie. The merengue on the lemon pie was to die for - so light, so creamy, so very sticky. The lemon itself was delicious, as it was a wonderful balance of tart and sweet. The cherry pie was truly fantastic as well, very tart and full of what were clearly fresh cherries before they were baked into this delicious pie.
The staff was incredibly friendly and more than helpful to us new-comers. In addition, the place itself was incredibly welcoming, having that fantastic homey feel that only non-matching furniture can provide. I'm definitely looking forward to going back and trying some of their drinks (did I really see Nutella Latte on the menu?). I'm afraid that they might be a one trick pony as I haven't had a chance to try anything but their pies, but if that's the case, I'm OK with it because their pie is seriously good.
I love this place. Try their Triple Berry Scone! OMG!
It's amazing!
they always have pastry. They make their own fresh pie and the breakfast sandwiches are just delicious. :)
Even thinking about this place makes me happy. It's a great place to study and they have wireless! Note: they turn it off around noon for about an hour!
And you might want to take your headphones with you because it can get loud during lunch.
I also love the tea selection.
Petsi Pies is really nice most of the time, but there are definitely a few downsides. One, it gets really crowded and they do not have a good system for taking orders or delivering them. I've had my order messed up a few times, and it's never clear where you should stand during any phase of the ordering process. Huge pain. But the coffee is amazing, the staff is super friendly and easy going, and they have a nice selection of tea ad cookies and the like. The food is almost always good, but sometimes I've had some bad experiences with the salad being slimy... which is really pretty gross, especially when it's in your sandwich.
Basically, it's mostly nice, but occasionally a let down.
Two words: Nutella latte. Actually, three words: pear pecan scone. Okay, four words: I love Petsi Pies.
In addition to the absurdly wonderful little creatures that are their baked goods, Petsi Pies has a great atmosphere -- the staff are friendly and they play surprisingly awesome music. It can get a little crowded on weekends, but with free WiFi and comfy seating, it's a great place to study or hang out with a small group of friends.
Oooooh Petsi Pies, how I love you. And I'm not just saying that because I've lived three steps from their door since they opened.
Yeah, sometimes it's hard to get a seat and their might be a line, but that's the price I'm willing to pay to get my fix. The owner is SUPER friendly, and the usual staff is the same. I've never eaten something from here that I didn't LOVE. It's not glamorous or pretentious, but there is always local art on the the walls and the staff plays some great tunes.
here is my favorites list:
Pies: Mississippi Mud pie, Apple crumb (oh man...), Key Lime, Pumpkin, triple berry
Scones: If there is a pear pecan scone in the scone box, do yourself a favor and GET IT! You will thank me and love me forever! Other favorites are lemon, pumpkin cranberry walnut, triple berry
Sweets: COCONUT CUPCAKE, oh god how I love you... , whoopie pie cupcake, Gingerbread, Cream Cheese Coffeecake, All the cookies...
Not So Sweets: Mozzarella/ tomato/ basil sandwich (breakfast AND lunch) is my favorite! It's light but very filling. Turkey/ cheddar / avocado is delicious. Actually, EVERY single one of their breakfast sandwiches is amazing. I highly recommend the tuna salad sandwich which is super light on mayo (bonus). OH, and all the sandwiches come with a little side salad! The fritatas are AMAZING and come with wonderful homemade toast.
Beverages: A soy Notty Toddy rules my face off!! Unfortunately, it's an Iced coffee and it's only on the menu when it's a bit warmer out. tear. The house dark roast helps me through every day. Wonderful tea selection. OH! And there's a moca-coca which is amazing, but get the small! It's super rich.
***TIP!*** When you get a to-go cup there, sometimes they leak. After going there for years, I finally noticed that on the lid, there are instructions! Go figure. Make the arrow on the lid line up with the seam on the cup and it wont leak!
They also have free wi-fi (and the other yelper that said they steal their internet is incorrect. I seriously live next door and their network always pops up...).
I can't say enough positive things about Petsi Pies. I will be sad the day I move away from Cambridge and can no longer go here.
PS- check out the hilarious collage in the bathroom. ha
Please go to Petsi Pies, get one of their whoopi pie cupcakes (chocolate cupcake with real whipped cream filling and topped with chocolate fudge), and then write me a thank you note. It will change your life.
Anything someone would do for a Klondike Bar, I'd do for Petsi's Pies. That includes killing a man (okay, not really. I mean ... it's pie). They're that good.
I hesitate to review this place because I'm a little possessive, but goodness-- Petsie is the dream cafe. Great coffee, friendly service, and homemade baked goods to die for. the scones got me through last winter (one scone + one cup of coffee = $3.62, a prettttty wonderful price) and they have nice sized sandwich and lunch deals, as well.
i take my hat off to them-- way to paul and the team.
This is my neighbourhood-go-to coffee shop. the coffee is some of the best you can find in the greater Boston area, and there scones are THE best i've ever had (including ones I've had in the UK, Ireland, and NZ) and come in a menagerie of rotating and unique flavours. And, of course, their pies are OFF THE HOOK (try the chocolate bourbon pecan pie or the cherry pie). The staff is really chill and friendly and always smiles at me. plus: free WiFi!
My only complaint is that the staff is a little oblivious as to when to speed things up - they don't handle long lines or a lot of customers well at all and really need to work on that, but, overall, the rest of the place is great enough that i'll still give it 5 stars.
The blueberry pie is killer! The parking situation sucks, I was nearly ticketed because I couldn't find any non-permit parking. I suppose it was worth the risk, the treats were all delicious.
didn't have pumpkin pie when i stopped by. boo. but they had pumpkin bar(cake-type) which was good enuff. also picked up an apple pie, fresh out of the oven, to bring to a housewarming party. really dense, good 'ol american and t a s t y!
I am soooo excited I found this place! The tomato, basil, & mozzarella panini is amazing. The only con is that they don't serve soda here (and I need my diet coke!), thankfully I work really close and usually take it to go. I haven't even tried their baked goods yet, but they look really good too. Extra bonus: the owner is super nice and friendly, after coming here twice he remembered my name!
I go to Petsi's for the sandwiches, but i try get there on the early side before I'm up to my eyeballs in hipster heaven. 4 stars are for the food and partially for classic cambridge atmosphere. The ordering process is a bit chaotic but the food is usually quite worth it.
Savory pies, not so good. I had the mushroom one, the dough is not good enough for a savory pie, it tastes too sweet which contradicts the naturally salty tastes of cheese and mushrooms.
The sweet pie, however, was simply amazing. I had their Mixed Berry pie with 4 types of berries.
If you're going here I recommend you only go for the sweet pies and you can get them by slice also which is nice. The staff is real friendly, although if you intend to eat in it's a bit crowded.
I am going back again for sure.
I generally rate restaurants and the like primarily by food quality, and it really takes something exceptional about other factors to influence my review. Let me tell you a true story about how much Petsi Pies cares.
I recently woke up to find my car vandalized on Sacramento street (no this is not a rough neighborhood) right outside the back door of Petsi Pies. The thieves stole the hood of my car (who does that?), the front bumper, and the radiator right out of there. Needless to say this was a bad way to start my day.
It seemed like the entire staff at Petsi was there for me. A nice baker named Saya (sp?) was quick to help me cover the innards of my automobile and even brought out a couple bags of free pastries for me. I was offered a cup of coffee by another employee, and someone in there even made me smile by joking that they committed the crime and were baking up some "auto-part pie." It was great to have some help from a few friendly people on a very shitty morning.
If the caring philosophy of the staff here applies at all to their baked goods, then I'd venture to say anything you ordered here would brighten up your day.
Thanks and a big shout out to the friendly people over at Petsi Pies.
True story - I first thought Petsi was some sort of organic pet-food shop before actually taking a… Read more »
I love pies and this is THE PLACE to go.
Not far from Mass Ave. this little coffee shop is relaxing and tasty. The Lemon Scones are wonderful. Note: wifi is off during peak hours. Could use more relaxed seating.
O Petsi Pies, how I shall miss you. What a beautiful summer we had together, you with the best cold brew coffee in the entire Boston area (and free wifi) and me with a summer job that didn't require going in to an office. How much time we spent together.
This is probably the best kept secret of the Harvard square area. It goes without saying that the pie is fantastic, but there's so much more. First of all is the cold brew coffee, for anyone who hasn't tried it, you might change your entire view on coffee after you do. My boyfriend and I would go here for coffee almost daily last summer. Then there's the scones, beautiful soft cream scones. Then there's breakfast, fluffy eggs in a pepper-bread roll. Then there's lunch, what some have called the best gazpacho around and a special that I can't remember the name of (normandy picnic?) but was worth waiting for. I could go on, I'm a baked goods snob and my boyfriend is a cold brew coffee snob, if you're looking for a lunch/snack place for either kind of person, you've found it.
Great customer service. My sister ordered me two pies here as a gift, but when I went to pick them up it turned out they were at the Somerville location. The guys were embarrassed, said this happens way more than it should. I guess Somerville bakes all the pies and regularly forgets to send over the ones people ordered to pick up in Cambridge. I felt sorry for them because it must suck to constantly be dealing with angry people who want their pie.
Anyway, I waited like 15 minutes while someone drove the pies over from Somerville. They gave me iced coffee while I waited, then since the pies were paid for the guy slipped me a $20, which I thought was above and beyond.
Now on to the pies: Key lime was nice and tart with a proper graham cracker crust and attractive lime zest on top. I don't care for pecan, bf's favorite, but this one was nice and dark with a delicious richness and crunch. I'd like to try the fruit pies and savory tarts.
The Cambridge shop is a really cute place to get a slice and a cup of coffee, but they were like totally out of pies when I arrived near closing time. If you're looking for a big pie selection, I'd go to the Somerville store.
I had high hopes for Petsi Pies: had heard great things about the PIE, the pie, the pie! Went there on a Saturday on a combined run with a stop there and the Whole Foods up the street, only to find the bakery shelf quite bare: there was only key lime, bourbon pecan chocolate and cookies. The hell? Perhaps that attests to the popularity of pies and perhaps I should not have been sniffin' around mid-afternoon, but...if you're a pie shop, could you have some pies at least 'til closing? So, I settled on a slice of key lime, split it with the GF, who found it not limey enough. I thought it was refreshing, not overpowering, good crust. I'd eat it again. The cookie was huge, a little hard, and I would pass on that again. The service? Nope. There were only three types of pies in the counter, but the shopgirl seemed utterly confused when I asked her what the different flavors were (and I wouldn't have done that if they were labeled). I wanted to just push her aside and serve myself but, alas, I'm a Southerner--we have MANNERS!
Now I'm willing to chalk this up to an off day and try Petsi's once more, or even go over to Inman and Tupelo, where I'm for darn sure they probably have some pie to polish off after dinner, but I'm leaving this two stars based on my experience, largely because if you are, indeed a pie shop, you best have some pies 'til closing, or at least knock my socks off with some other stuff...as it stands, I'm just...yeah, exactly.
I go here for only 3 things--vanilla latte(ice and hot), cheesecake flavored squares, and blueberry muffins. So my reviews on food only reflect those stuff.
First of all, people who work there are cool. They are friendly, and many babies/children also hang out there, so this place is kid-friendly. If you are a regular, they really get to know you and ask about how your family is, etc. Although I never used free wireless there myself, it seems to have one, because I see lots of people with laptop getting on the web. What's also cool about this place is that they support local artists by hanging their art works. As an artist myself, I appreciate very much, places like this one.
With a world full of chain coffee stores, these little stores that are unique to the neighborhoods are precious and we should all support stores like these!
Great neighborhood coffee shop on quiet corner of Putnam and Mount Auburn. The chocolate croissant was exquisite, as are all the other pastries and treats. I don't drink coffee, but my boyfriend frequents Petsi Pies for his iced coffees and raves about it. There are always people on laptops or friends meeting up to chat, and it's a much better atmosphere for it than Starbucks.
I like pie. I like biting into fruit, i like the messy goo that holds it all together, and i especially like a flaky piece of crust.
Unfortunately, petsi pie failed to deliver almost all those ingredients! I stopped eating halfway through because of the amount of corn starch (or potato starch, go figure what they used) they added to hold the fruit juice together. It was borderline biting into an unripe banana. The crust was average, but not flaky.
The espresso, on the other hand, was delicious, and the place has a good vibe, especially because it's slightly off the main road and makes you feel in the know.
Go have a cup of coffee there.
Somerville, MA
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Arlington Heights
Category: Desserts
Neighborhood: North End
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Porter Square
Category: Coffee & Tea
Somerville, MA
Category: Coffee & Tea
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