Cafe Kafofo

Need an isolated place to work? Café Kafofo is the place. It’s not busy like a lot of the coffee shops you’ll find in Mid-​Cambridge, making it optimal if you want to plug in your laptop and churn out emails or memos.
The tostadas are a piece of toast topped with cheese, herbs, and veggies, which is a nice snack to accompany a cup of coffee.
Overall, this is a cozy café in a good location that doesn’t suffer from insufferable congestion.

Came here with my boyfriend for breakfast before work. It took quite a while for the woman behind the counter to ask me what I wanted and I was the only customer waiting. The food took a while (maybe 10 – 15 minutes) and our coffees weren’t served until after the food came.
His latte’s foam tasted like dirty pipes and my iced coffee didn’t have the jolt I look for. I actually usually have iced coffee black but something was off in the flavor so I added half n half.
I got a tostado (open faced sandwich) with avocado, bacon, cheese and tomatoes. There was much left to be desired — bacon was thin, avocado was sparse, but the bread had a nice texture. He got the On the Way sandwich with sausage and cheese. They offered to add tomato and greens which was a nice touch. I had a bite and still felt like there was something missing — maybe eggs?
I think we’re going to stick with Sweet Touch or 2^nd Street Café.

Great coffee place! One of my favorite spots in the area. Mostly because the coffee is great and the place is small and cozy but the food is good too. I tried a grilled cheese sandwich today and it was great. Not only that, the staff is fantastic!

Nice and calming retreat on Saturdays. Friendly service and the food is ok, but quite a few selections were sold out for some reason.
The cheese bread is worth trying! The teas are nice too – props for having organic teas!

Stopped in for a quick cup of coffee for the first time today around noon. Was pleasantly surprised to also have a delicious chicken salad sandwich and an excellent cup of coffee. The staff was extremely pleasant and the coffee shop eating area is comfortable and clean. A great experience.

It’s a nice change from the frenetic pace, long lines, and impersonal atmosphere of Starbucks. Sometimes it fills up, but usually it’s quiet and a great place to sit down and do some work, or read.
I usually stop in on the weekends, and the girl in glasses who works there is friendly and quick with your order. Having someone say «good morning!» with a smile when you walk in the door is a nice touch that you don’t get at Starbucks, for sure.
One of the best lattes I’ve ever had, as well. The food can be pricey but it’s good. I love the avocado melt sandwich.
The one downside is that their hours can sometimes be hit or miss; they aren’t open before 10am on Sunday and they close too early for my liking during the week, but when they are open, it’s a great place, highly recommended.

I love their coffee, I like the atmosphere, and they have an interesting selection of sandwiches.

I ducked in here on a hot Summer Sunday to grab a sandwich and some coffee. Thing is, I really want to like this place and it has a lot of potential.
The sandwich was pretty blah. I think the bagel was stale because it was a tough chew and it didn’t have much in the way of salmon on it. I think a bit more vegetables would be great.
The coffee was quite good.
The service was nice, although the café was totally quiet. We did ask them to turn on music… but then I suppose they forgot. It did make conversations awkward because in such a small space everyone could hear everyone clearly.
³⁄₅ stars because the place was okay, but I think if they put in a bit more effort they would totally get at least 4.
All in all, it’s a nice spot. I will probably be back to do some work on my laptop in there.

I give them 6 months to 1 year. Coffee is great. I really mean it. Much better than anything else I’ve had in the area.
Ambiance is great — very quiet. That’s great for the customers — very quiet — but not so great for the business. Why is it very quiet? They’ve got a reputation for being that-one-place-I’d-really-like-to-try-but-they’re-always-closed.
It took me a few tries to actually catch them open. I eventually checked hours on-​line, and found they were closed evenings (usually when I’d pass by), and weekend hours were short. I came over one Saturday. Coffee was amazing. I came back next Sunday; note on the door said they were closed due to emergency, and would be closed the next day as well due to a holiday (best business is often holidays). I came back a few weeks later, this time checking on-​line. Again, closed — this time for maintenance. A few of my friends mentioned that they were in the same position — it looks really nice, but it’s always closed when they pass by.
It’s a tough business. They’re a small shop. They’re open 68 hours per week, with emergency closings. A new business proprietor would be hard-​pressed to do more than that. Their closest competitor — a chain store with crappy coffee and uncomfortable chairs — is open double that — 117 hours a week, with no closings. A Dunkin’ Donuts a 10 minute walk away is open 168 hours a week. Where would I rather meet someone for coffee? Kafofo. Practically, given real-​world constraints (must meet someone; must get work done; limited risk profile), where will I go? Sadly, the competitor.

This place is great. Friendly people, fast service, great coffee, and great location.

Café Kafofo has a nice quiet atmosphere that serves a pretty decent latte. The espresso itself was dark and a bit bitter while the milk was quite sweet, making for a drink that didn’t quite come together. The texture was decent, though the microfoam was a bit bubbly and alas, no art. The temperature was perfect though, so that’s always nice. All in all a pretty good drink.

More spacious and far less pretentious than 1369, and way cheaper than Bom Café. Coffee, tea, and pastries are all yummy and reasonably priced. Don’t get the grilled ham and cheese, though. Yeah, that’s how much I love this place – I had a terrible grilled ham and cheese there (floppy, cold, not really grilled), yet I’m still giving it five stars.

Café Kafofo is exactly what East Cambridge needed a great place to grab a sweet snack and latte. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Try the chocolate brownie. They also carry many gluten free snacks which is hard to find.

Café Kafofo makes the best and strongest coffee i’ve ever had at a café!
They have excellent service, a bright and clean atmosphere, plenty of seating, and self-​serve water. They serve pastries from Danish Pastry House.

I’ve been excited about this place since I heard it was opening some time in the last year. Been going there for the hot tea — whole leaf and delicious to be true. I’m sorry 1369, but Kafofo has the tea thing down pat!
Today I tried the sandwiches. I was whining to myself about having to walk all the way to All-​Star when it occurred to me that Kafofo might do. I ordered the chicken salad on sour dough bread. Wow! If Kafofo was just a sandwich shop — mmmmm… tasty, grown-​up, but not too much, delicious sandwiches…
Where was I? The chicken salad had grapes and I think the binder was goat cheese, just enough to bind and not to overwhelm, plus it came with a tiny side salad of Spring greens that were quite fresh and delicious.
I’m going back on Monday for the double chocolate latte and maybe I’ll try the grilled avocado sandwich too.

OK, so I’ve been here a few times now. .. I’ve yet to try the coffee, but I’ve had a muffin and sandwiches, which were good. The baked goods are pricey compared to Royal Pastry down the street, but they are unbelievably good.
They give you a lovely little salad with your sandwich, which I think is really nice. The avocado melt unfortunately though, takes forever for them to make, and it just doesn’t satisfy for some reason. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious, but it just doesn’t seem to stick with me.
I am glad that Kafofo is here, and I hope they succeed and stay a long time. Hopefully they will add a few things to their menu.

The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I tend to like more «cozy» coffee shops with carpets and lots of comfy chairs, and this is more of a «modern» looking place. That aside, this place has the best tasting lattes this side of Hi-​Rise Bakery and Café on Mass. Ave (which are pretty much unbeatable, anyway). It’s so rare to find a barista these days that knows how to warm the milk not so much so that it burns. They do it expertly at Café Kafofo. I also think the music mix is eclectic enough to keep me inquisitive about what’s being played (unlike some places in this area that seem to only play whiny, shrill indie rock, etc.). Last but not least, free wifi without need for a password! This is my new favorite spot for bringing my laptop and getting lots of work done…
I should mention, lastly, that there ARE comfy chairs, just not many of them. And they all face a central coffee table. Can’t think of a better spot to read a Sunday paper.

Welcome Café Kafofo!
A local coffee shop. LOCAL coffee shop… right by my abode!
Yes, I am extremely excited about the addition of Café Kafofo to my quaint East Cambridge neighborhood. A genuinely friendly staff serves up tasty Jim’s Organic coffee (which is hand roasted and ethically traded) and delicious sweet treats.
The environment is usually quiet, plenty of seating, & wifi of course.
Also impressive: their use of technology. iPad based POS system… first I’ve ever seen. You can get an app, and you don’t even have to bring in your credit card to pay.
The staff are great to converse with, and they are all upbeat and seem excited to be there.
I’ll be back, again and again.

Exactly what I was looking for…
A terrific latte and comfortable place to relax my mind. Kafofo amazed me with its small business charm AND embrace of technology. I bet you’ll smile, too, when the owner takes your order on an iPad, allows you to pay with LevelUp, and offers you free Wi-​Fi.
I’m a regular already!

This sweet coffee shop just landed in East Cambridge, not far from the two best fish stores in town (Courthouse and New Deal) not to mention «Live Chicken, Fresh Killed.» (Mayflower Poultry.)
Do yourself a favor and grab a great cup of coffee, some gluten free treats, some fresh sandwiches, the best smoothie in town and a friendly smile next time you are wandering up Cambridge Street. Free WiFi and places to plug in the lap top help out, too. As do lots of magazines and newspapers. What more could one need, really?
There’s ample room for spreading out your paper work and getting something accomplished, and they often have free samples of their Jim’s Organic Coffee and locally made pastries.
There are not a lot of coffee shops in this immediate area, so they should be an instant hit if all is right with the world. Office workers, poultry pluckers, barbers and bar owners, I am talking to you. Get over here and get some really good coffee.
I have to say that I thought my own coffee was perfectly fine but when I had an early morning cup here, and then a few more later in the week, I realized how genuinely awful mine is. No kidding. This is really good coffee. And the price is right, too.
I am not a Starbuck’s gal. These independently owned little spots are the ones for me.
So happy to have these nice new neighbors.