Starbucks

This location is usually pretty quiet. You don’t wait in a long line, and there are always empty seats if you’d like to stay and work. The thing I like about this location is the seats just next to the window. It’s great to work/​read and look outside.

Who actually goes to Starbucks for the quality of coffee or pastries (unless it’s Pumpkin Spice latte season)? That said, the below review is based on the more important aspects – i.e., seating, ambience for writing/​reading/​studying/​meeting up with someone, etc:
Seating: You’ll occasionally have to stand or wait during peak hours, but there’s lots options.
Ambience: Check. Good spot for working, meeting someone, etc.
Service: I completely agree with those who have complained about the service. Some of the baristas are great, but there are a few bad apples that are rotten enough to spoil the experience. Two baristas, one male and one female, in particular are very condescending. They especially don’t like students, and I’ve heard them complain about how «annoying the students» are –loud enough for patrons (including said students) to hear. I empathize, but they apparently haven’t gotten the memo that they’re located in a college town.
Cleanliness: this place is lacking in that department. The bathroom gets gross by the afternoon and the tables for seating are always sticky and grimy. I guess that’s to be expected, given the amount of traffic at this location. Even so though, it’s not hard to occasionally wipe the tables.
This is the best Starbucks in the area, but again, it is Starbucks…

Are you Unilocaling a Starbucks?
«Yes, are you writing a Unilocal review for Starbucks?»
Okay. Okay. Let’s all move on. It’s a Starbucks. That said, during the Summer it’s not that crowded, and during semesters you can usually find a chair to nab. The windows allow you to watch Mass Ave go by in the soothing sort of way that I picture my grandparents doing in a rocking chair with a much quieter street. The staff is friendly and the environment is perfect for finishing a paper or even getting some reading done.
But it is a Starbucks. I think you know already if you’ll like it or not.

Really nice medium sized Starbucks, its conveniently located nearby Lesley University for those that are students. I haven’t had any bad experience here so far, really good ones and employees are helpful whenever I had questions.
This place can get pretty packed, I had to stand for a few minutes trying to drink coffee while eating my sandwhich (it was pretty difficult) until I saw a opening and gunned for it.
Like I said its not a large place so if you decide to come during peak hours, expect to wait a few minutes for a seat.

Shouldn’t have renovated. Should have left well-​enough alone. Not cozy, and less seating. Staff ok, not great.

This lonely star is for the new girl with the Mohawk. She’s a total bitch. No smile, no acknowledgment of the customers. She’s just miserable. I haven’t noticed her name her tag yet. Every time I go in there when she’s working I leave in a bad mood because of her attitude.

Be not fooled, my friends. This Starbucks is not in Porter Square; it’s actually by the law school. Unless you think HLS is in Porter Square, this definitely is a slightly misleading description of its location.
Minus 1 star because it’s sort of far from both the Porter and the Harvard Square stations. Minus another star because it’s not the speediest Starbucks in the area.
In spite of its three star rating, this is definitely one of the better Starbucks in Cambridge. I know I’ve annoyingly docked two stars for seemingly stupid reasons, but let me explain.
1. There isn’t tons of seating here, but there’s enough that you’ll find somewhere to sit.
2. The baristas are some of the friendliest baristas I have ever met. I might not go there every day, but I’ve never gotten annoyed by the service here.
3. It’s a much friendlier environment, in part because the clientele is generally more ‘local’ (or based locally) than at any other Starbucks.
4. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump away from some of the cute bars and restaurants in North Cambridge.
5. The drinks taste how they are supposed to taste!
6. On busy weekdays at 7:00 AM, it can be a real pain to stand on this line. It’s the one time the Mass Ave/​Harvard Square Starbucks is less crowded than this one.

Their service and selection is what you’d expect from an average neighborhood Starbucks. I like to go here off hours to read and hang out with friends. It has a great view of Massachusetts Avenue too.

Not the best customer service this time around.
I ordered a gingerbread latte and they gave me peppermint. I didn’t know that I had received peppermint because the drink order nor my name were called. I was literally standing there for 8 long minutes. When I asked for my drink the barista says, «oh, here, I thought you ordered peppermint.» No apologies for waiting, nothing. In fact a customer apologized to me for waiting so long an getting the incorrect order.
She then made the correct drink and still no apologies. I’m not one to make a big deal out of things so I thanked her and left.
I’m even more upset because once I drove away and took a sip– the latte tastes awful.
Bah humbug!

Usually noisy and crowded (lots of folks from Harvard Law School and Lesley University, don’t they have libraries and other places to set up their laptop and reading?), and the wifi (free) is very slow. Fine if you just need to grab something and go, terrible if you want to sit down and hear yourself think while you consume your drug/​treat of choice (Starbucks offers some refreshing non-​pastry, non-​bread items, such as fresh blueberries, expensive of course, in their tiny plastic package).
Other coffeehouses, Simon’s and Bourbon, up towards Porter Square, are usually quieter and mellower in addition to having character (Bourbon has a lot of space, and it’s not one big square, so in addition to the big table in the center you can sit in one of the area farther from the counter and feel pretty cozy).
What else can one really comment on for a Starbucks? It’s consistent with the chain, including staff that’s typically pleasant and competent enough, music that’s not too loud, and a clean bathroom. Even a tiny purchase can be paid for with a debit or credit card.
Also, if you want used coffee grounds (for composting, gardening…), they like most Starbucks will give you some for free (don’t ask them when there’s a line); if you call ahead, they’ll set some aside for you.
A tip: if you need to park around the corner on Shepard, read the signs carefully or you could get a ticket in the time it takes you to get through the line.

Delicious coffee, friendly staff.
One thing that makes this Starbucks better than most is: If you order a soymilk drink, the staff give you a container of soymilk and let you pour it into your drink by yourself. This means, if you’re like me, and you’re a coffee wimp, you can add TONS of soymilk to your drink! :-)

Consistently understaffed and slow when compared to other locations. Coffee is fine and good place to work but adding one more person during rush times is a no-​brainer.

This is the kind of Starbucks that people just set up shop in – stacks of textbooks, laptops, open sketchbooks, etc. Good luck getting a table during exam periods in late November, late April. Extremely popular with students at HLS and Lesley, but they’re generally pretty polite and quiet, so noise is rarely an issue (or at least it blends together). The one exception, bizarrely, is sometimes between 6:30 and 7:30 AM when the regulars get kind of loud. Bring headphones for that. The staff is awesome and will get to know your regular order in a matter of days.

Really friendly staff at this starbucks – always smiling.
Perfect place for a law student to grab a cup of joe and get some work done in a less depressing atmosphere.

This location gets a lot of business because of it’s location, and depending on the time of day it is pretty fast. They have name-​brand recognition going for them which is also a draw.
However, with name-​brand recognition, there should also be a base-​level of similarity between beverages. Out of all of my travels, this Starbucks has messed up more of my drink (I get an iced soy latte, not super complicated) than most. I have had more burnt tasting espresso and accidentally sweetened beverages in the last month than an entire year at the three Starbucks surrounding my home base (and I drink a lot of lattes).
Finally, the service here is brisk. Even after a month, they don’t recognize a repeat customer. Simon’s down the street asks if I am having my regular after just a couple of visits.
Normally a Starbucks fan but I am choosing to not take my business to this location when there are local shops nearby at a similar price point and a better product.

After spending more time than I would like to admit in this Starbucks, I finally am ready to add my two cents.
I have had mixed opinions about this location for awhile. They do some things well, but I can’t recommend the location without giving a few warnings.
The largest problem with this location is that the volume does not match the layout of the store or size of the staff. They typically have one barista and one cashier, yet there is a constant heavy flow of customers. While the competent employees move customers quickly, there is nearly always a line. Unfortunately, the store does not appear to be set up to accommodate a line, and it awkwardly forms down the middle of the store. More employees and some barriers to define the line would help a lot.
The second thing that defines this store is the large number of Harvard students (mostly law, I presume) that constantly fill it. While I’ve spent my fair share of time studying in Starbucks and am okay with this, the store again could be set up differently to condense the tables that are appropriate for studying while separating the comfortable chairs to allow for other uses. The current set-​up makes the location feel overrun with students, who mostly end up sitting at small tables that aren’t really ideal for studying.
However, this location is not without redeeming qualities. The employees are nice and competent, although they have gotten my order wrong a few times while they were rushing to keep the line down. I blame the organization of the store for causing them to rush more than the competency of the employees though.
Also, since a large number of students are in this location, it is nice to go here to study. The abundance of students who are studying makes the environment really conducive to focusing.
Finally, I really enjoy the bar that they have by the window. While the view isn’t as nice as the one in the new Harvard Square Starbucks, it is pleasant to watch Mass Ave go by as I sip my coffee and work on my laptop.
With its nice staff and ready clientele, this Starbucks has a lot of potential. I hope to someday be able to increase my rating if they find a way to reorganize their store to make things operate more smoothly for patrons and staff.

A summary:
1. Wall-​to-​wall jammed with law students (mostly obnoxious).
2. The acrid smell of over-​roasted coffee. And the faint taste of the soap they used to wash the machines out in your $ 4 latte.
3. Lines that can move slower than the traffic near Harvard Yard.
4. Nary a free seat.
I’d rather burn the calories and walk to Darwin’s. Or make the trip up Mass Ave. to the myriad café’s lining the streets up to Porter Square.

I scored a comfy leather chair today! Hip Hip Hip!!!
Hooray!
Hooray!!!
Marshmallow Dream Bar is heaven in my mouth.
This Starbucks is one of the better ones as you head South.
On Mass Ave is where the bus stop is.
Come on in for your shiz!
I like the Venti Non-​Fat No Water Chai.
I never thought I’d be «that guy.»
I even order it «Extra Hot!»
I love the foamy milk a lot!
Coffee, espresso, macchiatos and more!
This place should have a revolving door!
I sit and sip and think to me…
Does anyone anymore just drink tea?
Coffee for you, and tea for me!
Starbucks is chain, tis true.
But, it’s a nice chain that is here for me and for you!

This is a great place for morning studying, though I don’t know how productive. I love that there are giant windows so you can people watch when you are bored.
However, this starbucks has consistently given me much smaller portions of my tall mocha than the other starbucks.. . though when I order a grande it’s way too gigantic for me to finish. Such dilemma.

Another day, another Starbucks. No matter which direction I go from home, there’s a Starbucks within walking distance. Sometimes there are two. Though this kind of disturbs me, it always reminds of why I like Starbucks: Consistency. Stopping into any location pretty much guarantees that my drink will be made correctly and in a timely fashion. It’s a simple pleasure.
This particular location is no exception. It meets all of my standard service and taste requirements, while also providing ample seating for laptop toters, an accessible restroom and outlets.
Additionally, they started serving these mini frosted donuts. I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but I buy them three at a time and gobble them down before I even take the first sip of my latte. They are really tasty and most likely exceptionally bad for you. The latter part of that sentence will probably not stop me from eating them.