Small Axe Cafe

Forget the craziness of that other local foodie shack. This café is FANTASTIC!
Food that is fresh, satisfying and wholesome.
This small café is a must checkpoint while you shop for a fine umbrella. Looking for some foodie suggestions? Hong Kong noodles with Tempeh.
Looking for something to refresh? Try one of their fresh juices featuring such ingredients as Bok Choy. The liver cleanse looked enticing.
Our culinary desires led us to a gluten free fudge brownie. A few bites probably undid any of our attempts to have a healthy lunch… totally worth it though.
The café was the highlight of our trip as despite all our searching through the stores, I could find many incense sticks a Buddhas in all sizes but not one umbrella, let alone one fantastic one.
Eat well Providence… just pack your own umbrella.

Not my favorite, it was close by to Charlestown Breachway so we stopped here for a quick sandwich but the sandwiches didn’t have much flavor and we didn’t even want to finish them. I feel bad but I wanted to like this place because it seems quaint and organic but they just need to improve the recipes and beverage selections. We tried the BLT and Pesto with Cheese…

Went here today with my family. Food was very decent, but we will not return due to AWFUL service. I understand that there was only one server on (she rudely repeated this many times) but her attitude was super mean. Also note they will not accommodate specific requests — we asked for one egg for our baby daughter when we explained we were looking for food for her and were abruptly told «no» with no other suggestion! Everyone else in the café was visibly facing the wrath of the server as well, saw two groups walk out.

We went for lunch today 8÷30÷14 and the food was good. The waitress was lacking in people skills and compassion in general. We ordered panini sandwiches. We waited close to 35 minutes for the sandwiches to come out, they were tasty-​but a little cold. Also, I noticed all the tables around us were bring brought glasses of water with their meals, but our waitress never brought us any. I asked her, «could we have some water please?» It took about ten minutes and she came out with ONE glass of water! We had 3 people at our table and we ordered 3 entrees! I caught her in the kitchen area and told her to at least bring the elderly lady at our table a glass of water. She defended herself! Unbelievable. I was so offended. I would go back bc I love the umbrella factory– but if she’s working I would not even think about eating there.

Went here today for lunch with my mom, it was great. This small café is attached to the small axe store on the Umbrella Factory grounds. The inside is clean, 5 – 6 tables and local artwork on the walls. When we walked in, it wasn’t really clear whether we should take a table or go to the counter, so we stood and read the menu board and then sat down. The menu board had a few interesting salads, a few different sandwiches, soups and mac and cheese. The dishes were creative and sounded appealing. I have heard that most of the ingredients are local and some of the vegetables are grown on site. I got the grilled fish sandwich with tartar sauce, polenta and sauteed kale on the side. The fish was cooked perfectly with tasty spices, the bread was fresh and delicious. The polenta, which I have only had a few times elsewhere, was moist and buttery. My mom got a grilled chicken sandwich with gorgonzola cheese and a spinach salad on the side. We both got fresh brewed lemon ginger iced tea. Everything was fresh and delicious. I have been going to the umbrella factory for years, there has always been a café or smoothie place there but this is the best yet!

great menu with creative flavors and variety. awesome sandwiches, salads, and soup. the mexican food is very impressive, probably the best i’ve eaten in southern R.I.

This is a very cool little place at the rear of the Fantastic Umbrella Factory grounds. Staffed by hippies, they feature an eclectic small mix of gourmet comfort foods – everything made from scratch!
The menu on the day I went was: egg sandwich, quiche, walnut gorgonzola salad, bean and cheese quesadilla, rice and bean burrito, chicken focaccia sandwich, fish tacos, salmon burger and Stonington flounder. I opted for the soup/​sandwich combo for $ 8 which was a large bowl of homemade tomato bisque and pesto grilled cheese on homemade bread. Awesome! Sides were red-​potato salad, cole slaw, cous cous salad or garden salad. Relaxed comfy environment! Can’t say enough good things!

It’s always nice to know that there are hippies everywhere. Rhode Island had me a little intimidated, with it’s fancy east coast attitude, where people where boat shoes because they actually have a yacht. When
I was recommended this place, there was a bit of a sigh of relief. While it could fit right in in downtown Berkeley, I would swear it was actually airlifted straight from the Santa Cruz mountains. It’s located in the back of a complex of other hippies selling stuff, making getting from the parking lot to the restaurant an adventure; on your way you can buy a sarong, a bag of penny candy, and a new pipe (for legal herbs only).
The food is good, but nothing remarkable. Lots of your standard hippie fare, faux-​Mexican and that kind of stuff. Apparently they do have great meat though, the carnivores in my group sung the praises of the burgers. All I know is they source the meat from a farm that is no more than 20 miles away, which I think is pretty cool.
It’s worth a stop because the whole environment is so interesting, but I wouldn’t go out of my way just for the food.