Equal Exchange Café

Pretty good lunch spot. I like their vegan soups and pastries. Nice selection of kombucha. Perfect alternative to the iffy arena food at TD Garden.

Love the coffee here, and they serve an English muffin that reminds me of those sold at Model Bakery in Napa. I ordered a couple of them and had them toasted, but should have asked them to toast them a bit longer than they normally do as I didn’t get the nice crunch from that first bite.
They provide with pats of butter for the English muffins and bagels. However, they were served directly out of the refrigerator — so the butter was hard. If only they could have served them closer to room temperature so that it would be easier to spread evenly over the English muffins or bagels (and their bagels are huge).
Friendly service. Great place to socialize with friends.

I am a huge coffee snob and this place wowed me. I was waiting for the commuter rail last weekend and decided to swing by. I loved the vibe and I was able to have my multi grain bagel while looking out the window and the sun shining. A great moment tasting that coffee! Only thing would be good is to have the wifi password posted or a bit more noticeable rather than bothering the staff for it. Excellent coffee!!!

I love this place– I go to the gym next door and often stop in for coffee or breakfast afterwards.
They have great espresso and high-​quality brewed coffee as well. My personal favourite is the Cortado (2 shots of espresso + 3 oz of steamed milk). There are a few tables as well as a high seating bar by the window. They have wifi so it’s a nice place to set up camp for a few hours if you need to get some work done.
They also sell great pastries, muffins, cookies, bread, and sandwiches from local bakeries (ex: bagels from Iggy’s in Cambridge), as well as THE BEST granola I have ever had. I seriously go there sometimes just to buy the granola by the cup and bring it home!
It’s on the pricier side but as other reviews have noted, it’s all fair-​trade and organic so that might be expected.

Came here after taking the GREs and had a very nice coffee to decompress. It’s pretty cheap coffee and it’s really good. They have some good snacks too. Right by north station. I didn’t realize that I got there a couple min before it closed and the guys working were super friendly about it and still served me and let me eat there. It’s pretty small. But it smells delicious in there. Mmmmm coffee beans

Fantastic coffee. I got a basic iced Americana, a frequent go-​to for me, and it was the best I’ve had, at least in a long while. I also had some of their Vietnamese spring rolls; these were pretty good, but didn’t awe me. The star of the trip was definitely the coffee. The service was decent, but it was crowded and loud, so they were obviously a bit rushed.
They also had outlets and free wifi, which was my original draw, and they also have a small lot for free, 15-​minute parking (a rare find for a coffee shop in the Boston area).

Equal Exchange was delicious. I had a soy iced coffee and a lemon scone for brunch, and it was spectacular! The employees were very friendly to us from the moment we entered. Everything was very quickly prepared, as well!

Pretty fantabulous all the way around. Solid bakery items, fantastic large chocolate chip cookie. GREAT espresso drinks, my go to is a café au lait with a medium roast.
Thank you EE!

Equal Exchange Café located right next to TD garden. Perfect for a nice cup of joe they serve coffee from the Dominican Republic
follow my instagram: @coffeebeantown

Ambiance and location is on point. Love the outdoor seating, the coffee is incredibly good, as are their pastries and yogurt parfait. I haven’t tried their soups or sandwiches.
I tend to avoid espresso on Tuesday mornings due to one of the male barista’s (who I was told is the manager and typically wears a hat)? Tends to burn the milk and move slowly with the orders. The rest of the staff is great.

Love this place.
Great décor, outstanding coffee… Cappuccinos & Lattes are spot on. Everyone that works here does a great job.
Highly recommended… A+ all day long.

Great coffee, really the best in the area. Especially a fan of the espresso. Recently, EE renovated their space and I have to say, I’m not a fan. I understand wanting to look more modern, but I think it is a mistake to eliminate all of the beautiful hand-​drawn and personal touches that made the café feel so warm. Also, the new blue color is a cooler shade… I miss feeling like I’m walking into a rainforest :(

Organic, fair-​trade, etc…
Very friendly staff, nice change from Dunkin, enjoyed some of their delicious chocolate and, of course, great coffee.

I was so excited to find out that they allow dogs in their outdoor seating. Too bad that on their outside seating: 1) the wifi doesn’t work, 2) there are no plugs for laptops/​electronics (but I find that’s rare for outdoor seating), 3) there are obnoxiously loud employees from the attached office building (including the Celtics Office) that have lunch in the same seating area, and 4) the seating is along a major road near North End, which has tons of traffic. Seriously loud and obnoxious.
Not the best atmosphere for enjoying outdoor space and working. I won’t be back. (My latte and Vietnamese rolls were good. They offer ready made lunch like sandwiches and salads.)

First time I’ve been here and wow! It’s a cute small place with a home feeling. Great coffee, I ordered the iced chai, and it was one of the best I’ve ever had! The workers were friendly and willing to fix my drink if I didn’t enjoy it! Great place!
Xoxo

Swung by here around 7:30am on a Saturday morning and there was already a line going out the door.
I ordered a blueberry muffin and a regular iced tea. The muffin was soft and not overly sweet, but definitely a large muffin. The tea was standard.
There is limited indoor seating, but outdoor seating is also available.
Not a bad place to grab a quick breakfast.

Enjoyed the opportunity to sip my freshly-​made beverage & people-​watch. The cashier, when asked, offered a couple of their favorite lunch spots — as did the barista. As far as the team working during my visit, really nice. One or two had «a tad too many tattoos,» but other than that — it was a clean operation w/​engaged & polite staff!

This is good coffee, like, I don’t need very much sugar good. I’m so happy Equal Exchange is over here, there isn’t a huge coffee selection in this area (besides an abundance of Dunks).
I don’t find the price to be any more expensive than starbucks, boston common coffee, or any other similar place.
I recently tried a chocolate chip cookie… there were two options… gluten free or vegan… so I tried to act cool like I eat either of those options (I don’t) and got the gluten free cookie… which to my surprise was really good!
Yeah, the staff isn’t nearly as friendly as say, Starbucks, but honestly am I even that pleasant when I come in for my mid-​day coffee? Probably not, so I don’t really care. No one has been rude and that is more than good enough for me.
And now, not only have I had my first gluten free experience I also became a rewards member, which apparently links right to the debit/​credit card you use there, so that’s cool!

This place is great, not only they have a social mission but great music selection. Best iced latte I’ve had!
Fair price
Nice patio
Small and convenient for work

Things they do well:
Coffee.
Things they could improve on:
Attitudes – ⁹⁄₁₀ times I go in I get at least one eye-​roll or impatient tap from a baraista while placing my order. God forbid I ask a question about the coffees you are offering today (I come in 2 – 3 times a week).
Food – As I type this I am eating their blueberry muffin – which has a large hint of orange and the texture of a foam football.
Silver Lining – They have outdoor seating and are pretty cool about your dogs being there.

No idea they served Iggy’s bagels! I wouldn’t have eaten an ABP bagel before my visit had I known that.
The lattes here are smooth and velvety. Good price point too. Equal exchange is a nice edition to the otherwise pretty empty TD garden area.

My favorite coffee spot in the city! All organic, fair trade!
They have Iggy bagels and croissants
You can buy bulk coffee
They sell organic chocolate
Delicious sandwiches, soups and juices

No latte art :(
But the coffee is strong and has a good flavor, though it was a little too bitter for my taste.
Great view of the bridge and TD Garden, and only a stone’s throw from North Station T.
The internet is pretty fast, though I did have a little bit of trouble connecting to it in the beginning.

This is a nice place to hang out and study. I’ll comment about the location first: I came here with my fiancée about a month ago while in the midst of studying for an exam. The sunlight (when it is sunny in Boston) streams through the huge windows, which makes the place — though small — very welcoming and warm (physically and otherwise). We sat on high seats next to the bar by the window. There is a lot of table space for drinks and food and study materials. There are outlets for your laptops. The staff are very nice and friendly. Restrooms are located in the building next door, which is convenient. The location isn’t too inconvenient, either. Though it’s not in a locale where I spend a lot of my time, it is a skip and a hop from the North Station T Station, so it’s not too bad.
My fiancée and I ordered a iced vanilla latte and a couple of pastries — an almond croissant and a chocolate croissant. The croissants were pretty good (the almond was better than the chocolate by far), but we both loved the vanilla latte the most. It was iced but they still added milky foam to the top of it, which was pleasant. It was refreshing and tasty on a warm summery day.
I would certainly come here again.
Verdict: great café to hang out and do some work while drinking iced vanilla lattes and eating almond croissants

Equal Exchange is one of my favorite coffee shops in Boston. It’s in a great location right off of the North Station stop and right in front of TD Garden.
They’re all about the fair trade coffee and the pastries are all great. Some of my favorites are the lemon scone and the almond croissant. The granola is great too but I would stay away from the pre-​mixed granola + yogurt. I’ve had one too many soggy breakfasts with those.
I love the tall tables/​bar they have for seating by the windows and it’s one of my favorite places to sit before work and just hangout. The biggest gripe that I think most people have (including myself) is the short hours. They close at 7pm on weekdays, 5pm Saturday, and 4pm Sunday. On game days especially it would be nice if they were open just a bit later.
Also, they accept Level Up!