Great Escape

barefoot baristas? sweety plastic smell and stale coffee ground aromas? the sound of cheeldren laughing and playing. never again.

Found The Great Escape on the internet as a midpoint meet up with another friend with kids. The kids loved it, it was very clean, and I was impressed with their family-​friendly food menu (good kids menu with reasonable prices, nice adult options including a vegan sandwich). One detail that I particularly appreciated: my medium coffee was served in a tall ceramic mug, not paper. We also enjoyed interacting with the family that owned the business; their daughter, who appeared to be around eight years old, very capably ran the cash register when we arrived, while the parents also greeted us warmly and were very accommodating and welcoming. We will be back!

I’ve been here twice now with my 15 month old and we love it. Both times we went for two hours and he didn’t get fussy at all– so much to look at and play with. I had the Irish mint latte and mocha and both were great. Veg panini was decent. Comfortable couches. Clean…

I was in town with my kids visiting a friend and her children and it was pouring rain. We had 4 kids to entertain with a lot of energy and we wanted to catch up with each other so she suggested going here. I was so impressed and want to open one in the area I live in! The food and drinks were actually very good, it felt more like a cute little coffee shop than what I had in my head before arriving. I got a banana mocha and it was really good! I love the down to earth feel of the place, the fact that everyone seemed to not mind kids screaming and playing and sometimes crying. We were all there for the same reason… some sanity! There were not a lot of seats when we arrived and one of the women there helped us to find a place to sit, which was so nice of her.
My kids are 18 months old and 5 yrs old and I didn’t have to follow around after them at all. A few times my son came out of the play room with a truck or something but I promptly sent him back in. They were occupied for over 3 hours and I got to catch up with my friend. Great place!

I have to mention the food. It’s GREAT! My daughter ordered a grilled cheese which was prepared wonderfully and was delicious. I ordered the soup of the day and wish I could remember the name of it because it was equally wonderful. The play space however, was packed which is why I only gave it 3 stars. Of course this was likely due to it being a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Additionally, the play space is very small. The small size combined with it being so crowded made us feel as though it became a bit unsafe for our 13 mo old. Probably better suited for 2 – 3 yr olds. My active 4 year old complained of being «bored» about a half hour in. The staff are incredibly friendly. In fact we were greeted shortly after walking in.
I can imagine this place being a wonderful getaway for stay at home moms with little ones looking to get together for a play date or just get out of the house on a weekday.

Place is nice, my kids have a lot of fun playing here, but if you come for lunch don’t bother food is vile. And unless my membership, they won’t let you reenter, which really sucks because then you can’t go leave have a good food and then come back. The coffee is yummy though.

My daughter loves coming here to play. It’s a great place to go when it’s raining and the kids need to get out of the house.

Kind of expensive for what you’re getting. There are other play areas that charge slightly more or around the same price for a bigger play room.

Small and humble. The staff were kind to me and my kids. The equipment and toys were very clean. This place is a gem. Oh and the coffee is great.

When we lived in the area, we were here all of the time. We had a membership and we were not shy about using it for all it was worth and then some! My girls love this place and we still plan visits any time we make the trip up from CT.

one of the few independent places in Leominster to get a great espresso. The owner and staff are very friendly and have a passion for coffee. This place also has a play space for children, seems ideal for the busy parent (which I am not) but you don’t need to have kids to get a great latte here.

Somewhat to my surprise, we really really like this place! I’m a stay at home mom, so I’m in all the time, either with moms groups or just with my ten-​month-​old son. I’ll admit I was apprehensive at first. Prior to checking this place out, I was afraid it might be dirty; I was afraid there would be pressure to have my kid play alone while I got coffee; and I wasn’t sure how age-​appropriate the equipment would be for my ten month old. I was pleasantly surprised that they have a strict policy of sanitizing hands prior to entering; many if not most parents stay with their kids at all times; and the equipment seems versatile in its appeal to a wide range of ages, and is definitely a hit with my little one!
Play
My ten month old loves playing here!
There’s a gym structure that’s deliberately designed and custom built. It’s clean, colorful, completely non-​porous, and my son loves climbing around over the rolls and obstacles, and three year olds also enjoy running through the whole course. By contrast, Jam Time in Maynard has a ton of second-​hand-​looking junk, some of which can be climbed on, thrown in a big room.
The toys are great. I’m a bit of a toy snob. I don’t like dirty toys, dolls with bottles, barbies, plastic toys in general, or things with batteries. I have a firm preference for wooden toys and things that nurture learning. They have a ton of Melissa and Doug toys, both to play with and for sale, so there are plenty of wooden toys, a wooden train set, a wooden kitchen set, a Lego table for building, etc. They also have books and puzzles, which offer a great alternative activity. I’m not sure if it’s intentional, but there aren’t batteries in any of the battery-​op toys, much to my pleasant surprise! Some of the toys are a little beat up from play, but none of them feel or look dirty.
Again, by contrast, Jam Time has a plethora of toys, but none of which I really want want my kid playing with.
Café
This place is an actual café with really good espresso beverages, pretty good pressed paninis, and prepared food of which there are some organic options. I was half expecting it to be a café in name only, but it’s actually coffee worth buying! (Which is unlike Jam Time, which advertises «gourmet coffee» but only has a Keurig for which they charge $ 2.) The café is cute, too, with café tables and leather couches.
While the food they do have is pretty good, however, I wish they had more options given that they don’t allow outside food or drink (although I’ve never seen them say anything). I’ve seen muffins on some week day mornings, but they tend to sell out fast. There also aren’t many food options, especially for a kid who can’t have dairy. I’d love to see an almond butter sandwich on the menu! In addition, the food and drinks can take a while, but we typically just deal with that by playing until they’re ready.
Environment
I’ve seen one of the owners every single time I’ve gone in. It’s a family business but also seems professionally run. With the owners working so closely with the customers, the fact that they care about the business shows. The other women who I’ve seen working are also all great. Everyone there seems to love kids.
However, I know a business has no control over who comes through the door, and I’m probably wishing too much from a public establishment but sometimes I wish other patrons would just leave! Once I saw a man just hanging out in the café, but he wasn’t with any kids. Could it have been totally innocuous? Yes, of course. But, well, there’s a Starbucks less than a half mile away, and TGE is full of kids… I was completely sketched out.
Another time, some kids came with adults who I believe were older siblings. The adults entered the play area with shoes and then layed down on the floor together (and not while playing with kids); it was kind of inappropriate and took up a large portion of the floor. One of the kids was wayyy too old for TGE and was terrorizing other kids. Another kid was completely destructive and was chucking trucks at the toddler play area mats, and flattened the play house. Needless to say, we didn’t feel comfortable continuing to play with them in there.
99% of the time people are very responsible for their children, and the other parents I’ve met are really friendly. But I kind of wish there was a protocol in place to keep the TGE safe and enjoyable for everyone (I.e. regulars like me!) when the other 1% show up!

Attended a party today for a one year old with my two and four year olds. Walking through the door, the place was very bright and clean. The staff greeted us right away and showed us the areas of interest. There was a nice café area with seating for the adults and a moderate sized play room for the kids. The café was set up like a typical coffee shop. I liked it. Adjacent to the café was the play area separated by large glass windows. You can keep a eye on the kids with ease from the café. The play room had a book area, chalk boards, play kitchen, a nice wooden train table, various soft sided playground equipment and a large padded jungle gym. There were about twenty children in all. They seemed to be having a blast playing. The food was served about an hour into the party. Run of the mill fresh made pizza and soft drinks. After lunch, back to playing for about a half hour. The cake came out and gifts followed. In all, I would have a party for my children here. The price seemed to be in line for the services you received.

Love the play café, however in my opinion there should be an age limit. We were there over the weekend and there were a couple of older boys running and over powering the area. (They were 7 and 9) Plus I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my 2.5 year old while these boys could have easily pushed him over in their games of tag etc. I will make it a point to go in the early hours of a weekday to avoid the chance of older kids being there!

Love this place. I can bring both my kids, get them something to eat and let them play. They both live it there and the owner is so nice. We are regulars!

This place is great! Kids love the fun in the play area, and the supervising adult keeps it safe and clean. Parents are usually good about watching their children. Food choices are healthy and well priced. Coffee and snacks are fresh and tasty. Don’t plan on going here for a half hour, plan for a few hours!

Had a birthday party for my 4 y/​o there. I’m not really sure what places charge for parties but this was a party for 7 kids (10 invited but three couldn’t make it). The cost was over $ 325 which seems like a lot of money. The place is very clean, the staff was very nice, and the kids had a blast. This is a new place and I think they could have been a bit more organized. Hopefully this comes with time… We were left to do the cleanup in between the pizza and cake and it would have been nice for somebody there to take the responsibility of timing the playtime, cake time, etc…
I guess my main issue is spending over $ 325 on a party and I had to bring my own cake… That’s a lot of cake… Ha! I made a joke… but not funny Play Place, you charge too much!
And somebody mentioned the heavy door between the play area and the dining area. One of the kids actually had the door hit them on the head. It’s way too heavy and closes real fast. They tried to prop it open with a table but the little girl moved the table to get by and got hit with the door.

Love this place, Great price, good food. Love that i can sit and drink some coffee while my little man plays. He loves the staff and the playspace !

This place is awesome for young kids. We love the huge Windows that look into the play area so you can sit & watch. Good selection of coffee, teas, & hot chocolate.

Not that impressed. First off, the price of $ 8 is quite high considering how small the play room is. Also, you are not allowed to bring outside food/​snack in which forces you to spend even more money! Then, it was a little concerning that the owner’s mother who monitors the room was visibly annoyed that my 2 yr old son wanted to come back and forth from play room to café to say hi to me. The door locks behind you and she kept having to open the door. Finally, I agreed to just stay inside the playroom where he could see me. Overall, I felt that the owners mother was a little too
strict and rigid for a play café which made me uncomfortable! Jam Time in Maynard is a lot bigger and way more accommodating to both parents and adults!