"Plenty of place to chill out and read on comfy chairs."
(in 4 reviews)
"The iced lattes and mochas are the best I've ever had."
(in 5 reviews)
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Zume's Coffee House
Rating Details »
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Art Galleries, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: Charlestown223 Main St
(between West School St & School St)
Charlestown, MA 02129
(617) 242-0038
Alan Bull: Paintings & Monotypes
New art at Zume's:
January - March 2010
Art Opening Saturday January 16th 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
- Nearest Transit:
-
Community College (Orange)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good for:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- None
29 reviews for Zume's Coffee House
Review Highlights
It's quaint, comfy, fast and enjoyable. Zume's is the perfect little neighborhood coffee shop. It's a nice stroll from the apartment on a Saturday or Sunday morning post-hangover. The sandwiches are decently priced (maybe a little high) but the coffee is good though served very hot (so take the cover off to let if cool down, I learned the hard way).
Enjoy!
Almost a year, several variations on caffeinated beverages, more pastries than I care to admit, and an ongoing Fourquare battle for mayorship since my last review, I can quite honestly say, I love this place.
Stopping at Zume's (it's pronounce 'zoomies', not 'zooms' - I asked) is a daily ritual. The drinks are the awesome. The donuts are spectacular, and the other pastries are nearly equally good (it's just the donuts are THAT special). The soups and sandwiches are great - that and free wifi make Zume's my go-to spot for a working lunch.
No, there aren't any plugs for laptops, but my battery's good for 3 hours, so I can work there for a while.
I don't know what other people are saying about poor service. Everyone I've encountered - owner to barista to the sweet lady that makes sandwiches in the back - have been super pleasant to me. And I'm the type of cheeseball that doesn't think about what to order until I'm right at the counter. If anybody deserves curt service, it's me.
There is an influx of strollers throughout the day. It gets rather loud with all those moms and babies. I just plug my headphones into my ear and keep working. It's fine for me, but I felt I should warn you nonetheless.
All in all, a great neighborhood coffee shop.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/2/2009
I moved to Charlestown last spring and I have to say, I love Zume's.
First and foremost, they make… Read more »
Really cute, cozy place. This is so close to being the ideal neighborhood coffee shop. Just one problem: snotty staff.
I brought my laptop and went to plug it in and couldn't find any outlets. I asked the girl at the counter if they had any outlets available and she said, "no" (rather curtly). I then found a hidden outlet and plugged in. Almost immediately a woman whom I assume to be the owner or manager rushed over to me, taps me on the shoulder and says, "We DON'T have outlets for a REASON." Her tone was snarky and condescending - and she didn't tell me what that REASON was. I told her my battery was dead so I would have to leave the cafe and go elsewhere. To which she replied, "OK".
Her tone was incredibly rude - and that's what turned me off.
A few other things that tipped the scale to actually make me dislike the place: I ordered a latte and it was lukewarm, watered-down and less than half full. I also think its weird to have such a problem with someone wanting to plug in a laptop.
Who knew it as such a crime to plug in your laptop in a cafe.
I won't be going back.
I'd give this more stars-the management was fine and the place cute--but I went with a student and we were the only people of color in the place--and we were getting stares. Like people had never seen a brown person before. It was odd.
I used to be a huge fan of Zumes just until up about a month ago. I was ordering 3 shots of espresso over ice and then adding some milk. After ordering one morning, one of the owners came up to me (while I was talking on my cell phone) and interrupted my conversation to tell me he was going to charge me for a latte the next I came in. I have never had a problem with ordering this drink before at any other cafes...it really turned me off. I have experienced the staff to be rude and not very friendly. When you go into a shop early in the morning a smile would really be nice!
The reason it gets two stars from me is because their sandwiches are pretty good and they have good desserts and doughnuts.
I like Zume's. It's a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon chatting with a friend or reading a good book. I usually get their chai latte, but sometimes I mix it up and get a rooibos latte instead. Never had their food, but it looks good and they have a large sandwich selection. Overall a nice, independent neighborhood coffee shop.
Cute coffee shop - I felt very "rural college town" when I was inside. A decent sized space (by the photos here I assumed it was tiny.) You can sit at the bar by the front window (5 or so seats?) and the furniture is set up for socializing, with a central living room-ish area and more cushy chairs along the walls.
They have a large menu of drinks, smoothies, iced/hot teas, coffees, and typical coffee shop food. Reasonable prices - my medium berry iced tea was $2.40.
Warning! I think they have some sort of organized Mom party in the late morning? I was there around 10 today and suddenly it was swarming with strollers and screaming tinies, and they all seemed to be hanging out together.
still turned off by the staff attitude, but wanted to update that the donuts are from Kanes donuts in Saugus... go there and you will NOT be disappointed. except by their coffee. it's not so great. better donuts you will not find.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/12/2009
It's the doughnuts that give it the 3-star rating... and the coffee, which is solid. Staff is cold… Read more »
Ok, I go here on Tuesday around 11:30 AM and they told my boyfriend that they couldn't toast his croissant? UHHHHH..... I got a grilled sandwich but you couldn't toast the croissant? LAZY! $16 for an iced tea, iced coffee, a grilled sandwich and a croissant....I'm only pissed because they wouldn't toast his favorite breakfast item!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/21/2009
Zume's is a nice place with a similar setup to Starbucks but often quieter. Leather couches and… Read more »
A great locally owned shop. Always a place to sit and enjoy you coffee and snack or sandwich.
The only draw back is for those who don't like kids. Seems to be a bit of a hang out for moms during the day. But the kids, are small and cute.
So not a bad distraction.
Yummy drinks and food, but a bit pricey. Plenty of place to chill out and read on comfy chairs.
Heeeey I kinda like this place!
A welcome addition to the practically non-existant Charlestown food/coffee scene, I'm a big fan of their coffee drinks. The iced lattes and mochas are the best I've ever had. Seriously. That is one bold statement, but at over $5/large, it better be!
I like the decor, but I don't like all the screaming babies, so go across the street to Dunkins if you see strollers outside.
While I've never had their food, it looks good. Their donuts look amazing! But don't eat their cupcakes... they're from Lulu's and not worth the calories.
Coffee whore, right here.
I work at the school down the street and coming in every day at 6 a.m. is killer without coffee. I bounce back and forth between Zume's and Dunkin's depending on my mood. I like to come by here after work sometimes too, just to grab some green tea and get some work done. It seems to be a cute locals place; I love it with the sunshine streaming in. Everyone was super nice.
I was on a fairly large job in Charlestown over the past winter, so when it was time for coffee, somebody always went to Zume's. I was happy with the coffee, though through some human error I have received a decaf coffee instead of a regular.
I liked the iced coffee better than the hot, which is somewhat unusual in my experience with me and coffee. Seeing as the weather is getting nicer, I might get myself over there to taste a few more things.
I am not a huge fan of the baked goods that I have tried from here. I thought the lemon scone was really incredibly dry and too sweet. I thought the crossiant was dry and hard to rip apart (BAD SIGN) so I will probably not try any of those again.
I like this place. Too bad I'm rarely in Charlestown or I'd stop in much more often. The prices are a bit higher than most coffee houses, but I'm more than happy to support a local business that displays original artwork and gives me a super comfortable chair to lounge in. Besides, I'm here rarely, so I'll spend $3.50 on a soy latte.
I'm not a huge fan of their baked goods (I had a pretty negative experience with a slice of chocolate cake here). But what you can do is grab a coffee or a tea to sip on, bring a good book, and chill here.
They serve pretty decent coffee and tea as well as sweet snacks (no chance to try sandwiches). Locally owned and run, it's nice to have a good alternative to starbucks.
I hear it gets busy during lunch but on a rainy Saturday afternoon it was almost empty.
This is a great place for coffee/paper minus the rude staff and screaming kids which they seem to cater to. I'll drive to Starbucks where they are always pleasant and chill in peace or hit DD across the street.
I wish I could say that I love Zume's because I love the concept of it - and I actually do get my coffee there some mornings, and other mornings at Dunkin Donuts. It all depends on whether I feel like starting my day with a scowl or a smile. Believe it or not, the ruder, less friendly option is at Zume's, not Dunkin Donuts! The staff don't really seem to enjoy what they do at all. In this economy, I often leave there thinking, why not let someone who'd actually like to be working do this job?
Why do I bother with Zume's? The coffee is stronger than D&D, and they have some healthy breakfast options. But that's about it. From my experience, the staff at Zume's seem as though they are doing you the hugest favor by waiting on you at all. I've rarely seen any of them smile, and I often leave there feeling a little bit hassled and like I've just offended them by paying $7 for a coffee, banana, apple and yogurt.
There is one blonde girl who works at the counter who is pretty sweet, and the woman who makes the food in the back is very nice, but everyone else leaves me cold. There are several people who I literally have never seen crack even the semblance of a smile in the entire year I've been going there. Not the best way to start the day.
This place should have nailed 5 stars no worries from me. It's convenient to my house, it's a coffee shop in a neighborhood that desperately needed a cofee shop.
That being said, I can't bring myself to do that. It almost seems like the owners of this place conspired with Walt Disney to come up with a cofee shop themed restaurant that appealed to kids and families. The families just loiter around as their kids become obstacles you must navigate around. It's a nightmare for anybody who doesn't have kids.
In my opinion, there are three places that shouldn't try to be family themed: bars, coffee shops, and Las Vegas.
The coffee is good and much better than D&D across the street, obviously. The food is fair at best, not worth the price. I've gotten nearly every sandwhich and they all have left me wanting so much more.
Not thrilled with the people in there either, they always look constipated or angry about something, unless you have a kid, then they will be all ga ga all over you, barf.
Best of Charlestown for sure (unless you wanna spend some quality time with the foreign tourists who chill at Sorelle). Their coffee is strong and they have these donuts from Saugus that are the size of your face and taste like winning the lottery. A little pricey but whatever. It's the hangout spot in Ctown for the moms with strollers set (get ready for some heavy stroller traffic) but if you don't mind hanging out with some tow-headed kids named Madison and Ava, then this is the place for you!
Awesome. Charlestown is only a hop skip and a jump away from where I live and I love to have a reason to go (Olives is always a good one). I just wanted a simple iced tea so I cant comment on the food, but I got what I believed is called a red berry iced tea. I wanted an iced green tea but was told they only have regular iced tea or the berry. I threw caution to the wind and took the berry. And seriously: Awesome. I sat down in the comfy couch surrounded by tons of scattered newspapers (I love reading the newspaper, my girlfriend thinks its antiquated and that I'm strange for not getting my news online, I disagree.......but needless to say I was in newspaper nirvana). I seriously had to force myself to drink slow and enjoy every sip because I wanted to go back up the counter and ask if I could order a gallon of the stuff. I don't care if its pre-made, from a powder, freshly brewed, magically created, whatever; its delicious. I'll say this too, the owners were there and the whole place has a family, cozy friendly vibe. Its classy, comfy, delicious and cute. Its pretty much what I look for in a woman, in coffee house form. I want to go back right now and begin exploring the menu but its cold and grey here and I'm being lazy. If only I could magically transport myself onto their comfy couch with a nice latte in hand reading the Globe (the Herald kinda sucks...sorry). Ahh ....one can dream. Ohh and free wifi too! How badass is that and you dont have to say "venti" "grande", blah blah...a simple "small" or "large" will do (That's strike one and two on you Starbucks....you've been warned!)
I'll be back for many days, months and years to come.
I love Zume's! I treat myself every weekend for breakfast. It's a tad on the pricey side but well worth it. I would recommend their bagels (whole grain) and their donuts. OMG the donuts! They get them from Kane's Donuts on Route . The glazed donuts are handsdown the best donuts I've ever had! The coffee is good although their dark roast is a little on the bitter side. Weekends are crowded in the shop if you want to sit, read the paper and enjoy sipping.
I really wanted to like this place because it's one block from my apartment and it seemed like would make such a cute hangout. That said, it 's almost like the owners decided, "we could put in that extra umph to be awesome... but why try so hard, people will come here anyway because its us or Dunkins." The coffee, of which I've tried a lattee and mochachino, is decent, but definitely not as good as Starbucks. I also tried an eclair and it tasted to cardboard, so I've been wondering how long those pastries sit in the display case. I haven't tried their sandwiches, but I do think it's nice that they offer them. The staff seems a little spacey, but then, I'm comparing to Starbucks again. I love the outside decor, and the inside ambience is welcoming as well. But... the inside could be a little cleaner. I'd really like to see this place improve.
I enjoyed the mellow vibe here, the staff was friendly and not intrusive. Lots of comfortable seats. I will be back frequently, also because the area is so pleasant to walk in. The pop/rock music played at a reasonable volume, loud blasting music is a major complaint of mine.
The coffee and tea drinks were over-priced. The magazines were all fashion/self help. A few political/art magazines would have been good.
Is there anyone else that thinks it's a it unfair to chage a additonal 40 cents for soy milk? Look, I know a gallon of cow's milk costs around $4 bucks and a gallon of soy costs around $6 bucks...but 40 cents a cup when regular milk is free? To be fair, Starbucks does the same thing but it sure would be nice if a local joint like Zume's took a different approach and ended the practice. If I order my coffee black, should it cost less? Of course not! So why if I order it with soy should I pay more? Heck, I don't even use any sugar....
Excellent sandwiches, soups, salads and CAFFEINE!! Yes, it is a bit pricey, but you are paying for the quality. And they handle my (at times) obnoxious "please add this" or "take off that please" with a smile and friendly service.
The only thing bad about this place is the fact that a Dunkin Donuts is down the street lowering their property value! This place is the best! I had a cupcake and they were from the northend somewhere...the best cupcake I've had in recent memory! Go support the place keep Charlestown improving!
Zume's is a welcome addition to Charlestown. It's a good place to chill on a Sunday morning with a cup of tea and the paper. It's not, however, a good place to work-- the wireless is spotty, you have to balance your laptop on your lap, and it can be incredibly loud, especially when there are kiddie play groups descending on the place.
behold the power of YELP! i *just* got an e-mail from one of the owners, who saw my earlier review and grumbling about the price of their au laits. they took to heart my review, noticed the price and have since changed it! yahoo! i've up-ed my rating to four stars, because i really do like their coffee, comfy chairs, ambience and i'm really excited to support a local spot that supports its local folks. yeah for yelp. and yeah for responsive biz owners.
i really, REALLY want to like this place. and i'm trying very hard, but something is not clicking. there always seems to be a healthy crowd and more people coming in and out (and not off of a duck tour) than other local coffee houses and there's a warm vibe - most of the times. i've been here a total of three times including on opening day and the last two times, the staff was kind of twitchy. their menu seems to expand each time and they now have frozen yogurt, BUT their prices have inflated as well. i don't understand how they can charge MORE than starbucks for a small au lait with soy. it's a small drink and it shouldn't be over $3!!! this is my biggest gripe. they do have wifi, and as noted - cute spot, nice decor, comfy couches and the florist's dog is always outside to greet you - but i can't get past the fact that a "local coffee house" (ie. not a chain!) is charging more than the big guys, who just also raised prices...
maybe on my fourth visit i'll have an ephinany.
