The Edge

I loved The Edge… thats right, past tense.
Yesterday (10÷16÷11) marked the last day of business for this great East Side coffee shop.

The Edge is a coffee shop that is truly inviting and a great place to plunk yourself down for an afternoon of work, socializing or reading. The food is pretty good. I had a panini and some jasmine iced tea, and was able to have my tea refilled gratis when I returned to the counter for more scrumptious red velvet cupcakes. Nice. There’s a wonderful assortment of loose teas and coffee, and I hear they make a great latte.
There are several tables, large and small, a little group of comfy couches and plenty of light. The long L-​shaped room allows for two seating areas, one further away from the hubbub of the counter should you need relative quiet to concentrate. The corner of the L has a group of chairs around a coffee table which were occupied by a trio of young boys playing D&D for the duration of my stay. It was quite entertaining.
While parking is a pain, there is a lot just around the corner where you can leave your whip for the afternoon for under $ 4. Not too bad. It’s a cute place, and I’ll be back for sure.

I first came to The Edge for the coffee, but I will continue to come back again and again for the yummy breakfast sandwiches. The inside of the shop is funky, hip and very spacious. You can either sit at the bar-​type seating looking out on to Wayland, hang out at one of the cozy tables in the dining area, or sit outside at one of the patio tables. Wherever you choose to hang out and eat or sip your coffee, chances are you will enjoy yourself and your beverage/​food choice. My recommendation would be the West Side sandwich, bacon, egg, spinach, and tomato on your choice of bread or English muffin. It was truly one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have ever noshed on. I can’t wait to go back and try all of the other sandwiches and wraps. The service is always very friendly and the prices are reasonable, considering the area.

The Edge is a decent coffee shop in Providence, RI. They serve Intelligentsia espressos on a La Marzocco equipment.
I was initially a bit dismayed when I saw the barista start to make the drink. She didn’t seem to be putting all that much thought into pulling the shot, and the frothing pitcher had a temperature wand inside of it. The barista didn’t actually use the wand though, so I started feeling a bit better about things. The end result was a decent latte. The flavor was fine, but it wasn’t as flavorful as the beans are capable of. The texture was okay as well, but there was too much microfoam and no latte art was present. The temperature was fine.
This is probably the best espresso drink I’ve had in Providence, which isn’t saying much, but it is saying something. I would definitely come back to try a drink again. Hopefully they will get better so they can get everything out of the product they have.

Being a new transplant to the town called PVD, I tried this place out based on Unilocal reviews. Now, because I still don’t have gas, and therefore, no stove, I was delighted to find some hard boiled eggs here. Yeah, I eat hard boiled eggs for breakfast, sometimes. The coffee was perfectly strong and kept me amped for a few hours as I desperately tried to get my life together using their free internet, which I also still do not have. It seems like a nice little spot though, plenty of room and not overcrowded on a Friday morning. I’ll be stopping by again!

Amidst its more tony and subdued neighbors, the Edge’s garish chartreuse façade is a standout: the hoity-​toityness of Wayland Square seems an odd setting for this somewhat messy spot.
The bright exterior never quite prepares me for the space within.
I’m immediately taken aback by the serving counter and pastry display cases, behind which cooks and amiable serving persons take and prepare orders. Off to the left stretches a long, broad space with tables and chairs well-​spaced for privacy. Wide windows line about half the outer wall, but then a much darker, windowless space stretches beyond. It all seems jerry-​built, a tad unkempt — a clutter of seating, newspapers on tables, a stacking counter for dirty dishes.
Friend Tom and I place two orders for the quiche of the day (mushroom and broccoli) and one iced, one hot coffee, and await our breakfast at a table against the far wall. (The drill here is to order at the counter. A server then brings the food to your table.) The quiche arrives full of vegetables but a little heavy. Conversation is easy, with the place steadily busy but not really noisy.
Even though there are other morning options close by, I suspect I’ll be back, since I live here in the ‘hood’; and this is a good spot for a one-​on-​one meeting. And later in the day the famous cupcake sale is another worthy come-​on.

LOVE this place! I heard they had gluten free bread and so took my husband. GF bread is often pretty small in size so they charge you the half sandwich price and serve it with blue corn chips. It was delicious and just enough food. My husband said their cupcakes were absolutely amazing and his panini was HUGE; he almost didn’t finish it all. The coffee here is fabulous. When I want a good cappuccino, this is where I get it.
The service is good; efficient, friendly. The seats could be a little more comfortable and the tables cleaned more frequently but, generally, this is a really fabulous place to stop for coffee or get some lunch. Go to Angell St or Medway for easy parking.
Only downside: GF cupcakes only available upon advanced request. PLEASE consider making GF baked goods once a week! I would be there in a flash to buy a few for myself and friends.

Really, it should be 3.5 stars.
Pros: decent coffee, prime location, excellent cupcakes, food is alright. It’s a good spot to study in off-​peak hours. Cute baby central when the weather is nice.
Cons: uncomfortable chairs, not enough seating during prime studying hours (mostly afternoon), workers can be less than friendly at times (they’re stacking chairs 45 minutes before they’re scheduled to close!).

Plus — location in Wayland Square
Minus — the usual parking hassle
Plus — free wi-​fi
Minus — supercrowding during peak study hours
Plus — giant coffee mugs
Minus — uncomfortable tin chairs
Plus — not Starbuck’s
Minus — coffee just ok, and why don’t American cafes believe in a tiny biscuit/​cookie with your coffee/​espresso? why?
Overall the Edge breaks even.

Has «Cupcake Happy Hour» from 4−5pm! Half price cupcakes with the purchase of a drink! How devine! The seasonal drinks are great and the staff is very friendly. The place is usually crowded and has a very trustafarian/​intelligencia feel… lots of students from Brown/​RISD. So grab your book and head down there, definately feel free to ask if you can share a table and enjoy the delicious coffee blends and maybe a cupcake! Definately more character than the Starbucks around the corner but with far less seating. :(They have great cappuccino and the chai/​cider combo (winter seasonal) is a fab coffe alternative!

Why waste your hard earned money on non-​wifi Starbucks across the street?
The edge is beyond perfect for a little ri coffee shop. Tons of seating, free wifi, lots of fun drinks and plenty of yummy things to eat. My favorite are the large cinnamon rolls and the red pepper artichoke quiche.

My bf and I were pleasantly surprised to find an open (non-​chain) coffee shop on New Year’s Day. We stopped in for beverages and a light breakfast. I had the vegan pumpkin muffin, which was very fresh and packed with pumpkin flavor. He had the East Sider breakfast sandwich on a bagel, which was made to order and oozing with cheese.
The best part of The Edge (besides the super friendly staff) is their iced café au lait. It’s the only place I’ve ever had the iced variety and it is to die for-​creamy and frothy but still with a bold coffee taste. Sometimes I even add an espresso shot for an extra kick. I will continue to come here as long as they keep the iced au lait on the menu. The cupcakes are great, too!

Gluten free bread! Wooo! If you place an order, they can make gluten free cupcakes, too!
The only reason they get a ⁴⁄₅ is because their portions for sandwiches leave me wishing for another half sandwich.

There’s a lot of room in here to sit, work, and drink your cappafrappamocholattechino.
I’m a fan of their chocolate banana smoothie. You only need to get a small, it’s pretty filling. They also have lots of different cupcakes, which I haven’t tried, but their red velvet looks delicious.
One of the guys that works there is super creepy but also super nice, so I don’t know what to complain/​rave about when it comes to customer service.

Our
Breakfast
Was delish
And they did their
Part in helping students graduate sane.

Wonderful bar seats
Cupcake happy hour? I’m sold
Sample drink tastings
The Edge is a really nice alternative venu to bigger chains, and offers just enough above and beyond the normal coffee shop experience to make it a destination for breakfast, lunch, or a quick meeting.
The coffee (I had the El Diablo blend) was great, not bitter or burnt, but just dark enough to have some bite. The Intelligentsia brand is, as a few people have mentioned, very good, and the daily offering didn’t disappoint. Better still, and rare despite many shops with vegan offerings, was the availability of soy milk, front and center with the rest of the coffee additives. While I’m not vegan, I do appreciate soy milk so it was a nice surprise. Were I go to vegan, however, I would start with the pumpkin muffins on the counter this morning, which were so good as to significantly raise my expectations which heretofore had been much, much lower.
I really liked the sunny seating arrangement all along the Wayland Ave. The low counter makes it easy to relax and people watch, especially with all the foot traffic near Brown.

It makes me happy to find this coffee shop around the corner from the huge starbucks … boo starbucks… yeah local business!
The atmosphere is exactly what a coffee shop atmosphere should be. A table with local business cards, art on the walls, chalkboard menu, and books and magazines to read if you don’t already have work to do. I love the low bar (way better than having to sit on a stool) along the windows that looks out on Wayland ave, the small tables in the back, and the comfy chairs on the side — there’s seating for any mood.
The menu is great in that it’s a little fancy; however, I have to echo the other reviews in that it’s pricy: 8.50 for a sandwich. They even have a cupcake happy hour (with some vegan selections and two sizes of cupcakes) — though I haven’t had a chance to try it out.
The tea selection is great — loose leaf, my favorite, and a large selection. The staff is also very friendly. A kid went up to the counter and asked to exchange his old quarters for ones that have states on them and the server responded with enthusiasm. How cute!
A few warnings: Sandwiches are messy (both paninis and regular) and you have to ask for a silverware. If you have allergies be careful — the chicken salad, which has no description (menu or board), actually contains craisins, apples, and walnuts. While for some people this would be a bonus, if you are allergic to nuts or you just want a basic chicken salad sandwich, it’s not such a great surprise. If you want lettuce and tomato on that sandwich, you also have to ask for that separately.
So, there are some downsides — the last being that they’re only open till 6pm), still I will be back because the atmosphere, the service, and the tea holds its own.

Very cool place, interesting food and drink options. It’s set up with about 15 tables in all, some bigger than others and several with tactile fun toys to play with. Or maybe you sit next to the used books to thumb through. Either way, it’s a coffee house that definitely encourages you to park yourself there for a while and hang out.
With a group of four others, everyone loved their food. Was pretty bummed though that a coffee house that seemed to want to be a center for neighborhood advocacy did not have recycling, so we all had to throw our glass in with the regular trash. What happened to setting the example, and isn’t that mandatory anyway these days?
***** UPDATE!
Someone affiliated with the business wrote me based on what I wrote, and I have to tell you that it gives me hope that people still care. They’re looking into the recycling thing, hopefully we’ll see that change soon!

Killer breakfast — love to get «Kim’s wrap» and an iced coffee. Nicest servers too who are cheerful even at 7am.
Great alternative to starbucks — free wifi, chill vibe.
Lunch is great too– cookies are home made and delicious!

I have been there about 80 times and there are 4 things ilike about the Edge…

1. The pesto sandwich (egg and pesto and wheat bread)
2. Susan the owner… nice and polite
3. The edge serves their fantastic coffee in a large
ceramic coffee mug and a saucer
4. Henry (the regular), he’s the coolest
I wish the Edge had a Portuguese Linguica sandwich…
and Italian soda…