Teele Square Café

This was one of my favorite late a.m. breakfast/​brunch spots, until they *sniff* CLOSED just after Memorial Day. Their food was always fresh, and served by competent people who seemed to enjoy working there. It was often frequented by a bustling mix of Tufts students and local folks who shared a love of good food. There’s no place else like it nearby, with the same quality food and staff.
I’ll miss you, TSC!!! Hopefully, the chef and/​or owner will pop up again in a new spot soon.

June, 7^th 2010
As this is my first review, it is an inauspicious debut.
The restaurant has posted a notice on its door, apologizing to its customers, and announcing that it has gone out of business.
Oh well. There are now two restaurants in Teele Square offering breakfast: Istanbul’lu (starting at 11am!) and the old standby, Rudy’s.

Teele Square is a comfortable place that doesn’t seem rushy. The service there was generally decent though I had a bit of a problem at the end (which I’ll describe later). The atmosphere is warm (the yellow walls) and inviting. It has a good coffeehouse feel to it.
I had the bacon, swiss cheese, onion, and spinach omelet with toast and home fries. At $ 6.50, it’s a nice deal and the portion is pretty decent. The omelet was tasty, with the combination of the cheese, veggies, and bacon being rather harmonious. The strong swiss and spinach flavors went well with the subtle eggs and sweet onions. The buttered toast was multi-​grain, and it was okay. The home fries weren’t the most flavorful I’ve had but they were passable.
The ice cream there is from Christina’s over in Cambridge. I had the mango sorbet, which was outstanding. The mango flavor was strong and the sorbet was smooth and not tasting of icicles. My friend and I got kiddie sizes for our sorbet/​ice cream. His mint chocolate chip, portion-​wise, was a joke and was the only blemish in the service. I know it’s a kiddie size, but it was barely 3 spoonfuls, and I’ve see much larger kiddie sizes from a ton of places. My portion was pretty good though. So the shaft-​job my friend got takes this off from 5 stars consideration…

Teele Square Café is a genuinely awesome place for take out and sit down breakfast. I usually get an egg and cheese sandwich on croissant and am always satisfied. Their meals are wonderful-​the home fries and homemade bread are particularly delicious. The staff are competent, patient and friendly-​exactly what you need while in the midst of a hangover.
There are only two downsides. First, It’s a bit more expensive than other spots in the area, but not unreasonable. Second, they don’t have smoked salmon anywhere on their menu. Ummmm what? Life would be perfect if I could walk to a place around the corner from my apartment and get a bagel with salmon… but no. Oh well, life just isn’t perfect, right?

Teele Square Café is adorable. They make simple, really good food. My spinach, onion, and swiss omelet was so awesome I had to take a picture of it! The onions were caramelized, which made it taste even better than I’d expected. The home fries are super tasty, with onions, bell peppers, and a hint of paprika. Even the toast was great: multi grain bread with a perfect amount of butter. On a previous visit, they had a chorizo and black bean burrito as a special– it was huge and quite tasty.
I haven’t tried their coffee or tea drinks yet, but I’d really like to. They make some of their specialty drinks with tea, which is great for those of us who do not like coffee. The café has an open plan kitchen and a spacious seating area lit by huge windows. Overall, I’d say it’s a great neighborhood café with a nice mix of students, families, and not too many hipsters.

Despite the distance from my home and the excellent choice if café options near it, Teele Square Café get my vote for a great morning spot to get a bit of work done.
Excellent coffee, inexpenaive and filling breakfast sandwiches, plus ample space for laptops without much crowding will keep me returning here. Not even their cash only policy can keep me away for long!

A great little café in Teele Square, as the name would suggest, and a nice, quiet spot to do work. I’ve never had a problem getting a table there and the free wifi makes it an ideal spot to plug away for the long haul.
— If you’re going to be there a while, ask about making your coffee bottomless. It’s only like 25 cents more, I think, and definitely worth it if you as sleep-​addled as I am.
— The portabello mushroom sandwich is a real winner. Order that and leave happy.
— The only thing precluding this place from five stars is its hours. 8am-​5pm Monday-​Saturday and 9am-​3pm on Sunday knocks it down a peg as I’d love to work there a bit later into the evening.
In short: Good food, good coffee, good service, free wifi, but weird hours!

Very cute breakfast spot with a super friendly staff and solid food. The fun and colorful décor is a nice touch.
My vanilla cappuccino was properly made and lovely. I had the spinach, bacon, onion, and swiss omelet served with home fries & multigrain toast. The omelet was delicious, the home fries were OK and the toast was thick & tasty– definitely a great deal for $ 6.50!
So why only 3 stars? The menu was pretty limited and only the omelets caught my attention and the home fries were just OK but not great and they were half my breakfast meal. Still a solid 3 stars and I will be back!

FINALLY a delicious sandwich shop in the area! We’ve lived in the area over a year (the husband a few years longer), and I feel like we’ve tried so many sub/​sandwich shops and have been repeatedly either disappointed or left feeling «meh» and way too full.
Teele Square Café is delightful! They have real sandwiches, and the sandwiches are deliciousss. We tried the Cubano today to go, and aside from askin for the pickles on the side and having the sandwich loaded with pickles, it was outstanding. I think maybe «pickles on the side» signified «pickles on the sandwich AND on the side» as we got a big dill pickle wrapped in foil in addition to the relish on the sandwich. But that’s ok because the sandwich was so amazing, and the people were friendly, the prices were so reasonable… we can’t wait to go try it for breakfast sometime!
Have yet to try anything other than a sandwich but man, if everything else is as tasty and well-​made as that sandwich, this is going to be our favorite sandwich place for miles for sure.

I am very sold on Teele Square Café. I have yet to go there for anything but breakfast, but I will say that breakfast gets five stars for sure — I just moved near Teele a couple weeks ago and have been over at the café for breakfast no less than five times in 14 days.
My pick? The «Working Man» plate, with two eggs (a perfect over medium, as ordered), some toast (rye, thanks), a good-​sized helping of hash browns, and a cup of coffee with free refills (average, not phenomenal coffee, I usually pick the light over the dark roast) for $ 4.50.
Brunch on weekends is also great — on Sundays they have extra omelet specials, none of which exceed $ 6.50 or so. Definitely cheaper than Renee’s or Sound Bites or the like. This morning I had an excellent ham and asparagus omelet for $ 5.75 — a full $ 3 cheaper than I’d expect to pay at most local brunch places.
Bonus: For better or worse, it seems like the secret isn’t out yet, so not only can you eat a delicious omelet, you can eat a delicious omelet without waiting 45 minutes for a table. Sweet!
Rounding out the awesome and cheap breakfast eats is free wifi (just ask the cashier for the WPA password), making TSC a great place to work as well as eat. Awesome. I’m sure I’ll be back countless times in the next year.

If you like delicious food, great service, reasonable prices, and good music, you’ll love this place. If you don’t, you don’t deserve to spend time there anyway. Teele Sq Café is simple food done incredibly well. I’ve been a regular at this place for about five months now and I have never had something I didn’t love. Specifically when it comes to their daily specials, you are always in for a treat. Additionally, it’s nearly impossible to spend more than $ 10 there. The prices are beyond reasonable. Maybe what I like best about it is how genuinely the ownership and staff want their patrons to be happy. When the owner is working in the kitchen, he always makes a note of coming out and checking to see how the food is. I absolutely love this place.
Also, they have awesome live music on Wednesdays. Check it out!

Teele Square Café, you have stolen my heart. Oh how I wish more places in Teele Square were like you. Right now we’re stuck with a laundromat, 3 convenience stores, some lame-​ass skate shop (really? is this 1992?), and the glorious Teele Square Café. When Soliel Café closed, I was pretty bummed. I had never gotten my ass around to actually going there, but checking out their menu and hearing that their pastries were North End quality, I had always meant to. Then Teele Square Café opened and I finally decided to check out this very cute place amongst the other forgettable store fronts in Teele.
To start off, their coffee is wonderful. Every latte I’ve ever had here has been truly great and leaves me wanting another. I resist though, as if my heart were to explode due to too much caffeine, the café would no longer have my heart (except maybe in several small pieces). Also, their menu is super creative (I follow them on Twitter and every time they actually remember to post the specials a little part of me dies inside if I’m not able to make it out there), incredibly fresh, and definitely refined. This isn’t standard café fare, though they do have that if that’s what you’re looking for — the food that you get at Teele Square reflects the high-​end South End restaurant background of the chef & owner. From ratatouille omelets to backyard eggs to homemade biscotti, you’re going to find something inventive and unique here each time you go.
The menu isn’t super vegetarian friendly. Off the top of my head, the only meal that I can think of that’s strictly vegetarian is the hummus sandwich. I’m not knocking this super delicious sandwich, it just gets tiring to be your only option. The specials are really great but tend to be meat oriented as well. I wish it wasn’t cash only as well, but that’s just getting nit-​picky.
Thank you, though, Teele Square Café. You give me hopes for an increasingly cool square. If only others would follow your lead and not open skate-​shops and knockoff purse stores across the street.

While I am taken by the very lovely Sarah G., everyone can still take note that the surest way to my heart is through a sandwich. Sandwiches are a very special and important thing to me, and I’m pretty positive that if I had to pick one kind of food to eat for the rest of my life, you bet your sweet patoot that it would be a sandwich (if upon reading this you slam your fist and want to argue that sandwich is too versatile a food group to be considered a «single meal» then, well, you’re right — but shutup).
Anyway, long story short — Teele Sq. Café does sandwiches damn well! I’ve been here twice and got the roasted eggplant sandwich the first time and just had to get it again the second time because it was phenomenal. My girlfriend got the grilled chicken with pesto the second time and that was excellent as well. To add to it all, the staff was extremely nice and it’s a very inviting atmosphere. It’s not extremely cheap but is reasonably priced. Hopefully will try a salad next time (that is, if I can wrestle myself away from the roasted eggplant sandwich).

For the past 7 or so weeks, Teele Sq. Café has been my go-​to place before I go throw some balls at people (dodgeball hollaaaaaaaa!!).
Teele has a lot of things going for themselves:
1. Free wi-​fi: The first time I came, the girl told me they had wi-​fi but that it was a paid service. She then continued to tell me that if you sit in the corner, you can usually score free wi-​fi from the laundromat next door. Thank you, you are awesome
2. The Soups: I always order a half sandwich and soup combo. The soup is HUGE! Gigantic! And always tasty. Whether its the chili, tomato soup, gazpacho, or vegetable soup, I’ve never been disappointed.
3. The Sandwiches: Always taste fresh, the combinations are always yummy. They make boring BLTs taste fantastic
4. The Ice Tea: Every week I got the large iced tea (extra lemon!) and every week it was fantastic. Definitely thirst quenching on a hot day
5. The Staff: Always friendly and willing to suggest the most delicious plate on the menu, and always appearing with a smile even though I would stay there for 2 hours.
Thanks to them I was able to spend my time before dodgeball making some extra money, and nomming on delicious food in the process. I can’t wait till dodgeball starts again so I get to go back to Teele Sq Café!

MMMMMMmmmmm prices add up quickly, and their serving sizes are definitely only big enough for lunch or a lunch/​snack for hungry boys… but still MMMMMMmmmmmm
Matt J and I wanted something kind of healthy, fresh… and we walked by this place, and just seeing the chalkboard like boards inside, we knew this was the winner. ha You can get their sandwiches as a sandwich or a wrap, so I got a wrap with chicken, pesto, tomatoes and mozzarella and my boyfriend got their eggplant sandwich with goat cheese, and he was in heaven. Sandwiches have to be the way to my bf’s heart, and Teele Square, thank god we live near you, so I have a way to make my bf’s stomach happy in a short walk!
All of the ingredients were fresh, and the staff was so friendly and nice, and there are tables here so you can sit and do work too if you want. BUT they do close early, so come here early if you want to try some of their deliciousness! Can’t wait to try the ice cream here next time, or one of those awesome looking brownies on the counter! Oh and I hear the breakfast is yum yum

I was a big fan of Soliel Café, and was very sad to see it go. (RIP, best eggplant parm in the history of ever). Being a devotee of Soliel, I was naturally apprehensive about Teele Square Café – what if it didn’t live up to my expectations?
Turns out I had no reason to be concerned.
Things I love about Teele Square Café:
1. The breakfast sandwiches are exceptional. Even better than Magnificent Muffins & Bagels. I am something of a connoisseur of breakfast sandwiches, so I don’t just throw around words like «exceptional».
2. The portobello & fontina sandwich. I cannot say enough about how delicious this is. Almost makes up for the fact that I will never eat one of those amazing eggplant parms again.
3. THE BROWNIES. The brownies are deceptive. They’re just sitting there, chilling out on the counter. But lots of places have brownies on the counter, and lots of those brownies suck. These brownies do not suck. These brownies are amazing, and I have been known to walk up to Teele Square for the sole purpose of acquiring more of them.
I’m also pretty excited about the fact that they have Christina’s ice cream now – I haven’t tried it yet (here, anyway), but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.

I came here for the first time a few days ago for a coffee and a muffin. They were both very good, especially the cinamon muffin. The place is well lit and clean. If food equals love and love equals marriage then food is marriage.
I will be back to try their cubano and reuben sandwiches.

I brought my dad here today for some breakfast. When I walked in the door, the girl at the counter looked at me like I was a murderer. I knew right away my review must have been brought to their attention. The owner spotted me and came over to ask if I was «Benjamin K». I said yes. He asked me to step outside of his store to talk to him. I told him «absolutely not». He said «are you serious?» and I replied «yes.»
At that point it was clear to me that I was never going to come back to this establishment. I’d like to give the owner the benefit of the doubt that he was going to have a fair discussion with me, but I don’t want to have to be on guard when in public to have to justify my reviews to business owners at all 150 or so of the places I’ve reviewed.
Unilocal is a public forum, and my review didn’t violate any terms of services, and I don’t really feel like I owe this business anything. I’ve always played fair with them, and they admitted to me that they put a Unilocal sticker on the window from a different business. It’s gone now, but so is my trust.
Some of my reviews are bogus, but they are never for places that stand to lose something for my absurdity. I take my own reviews seriously, and as far as I can tell, this place is freely manipulating the system that I want to be able to trust. There are a few suspicious reviews already for this place, but that’s up to Unilocal to regulate what reviews it will accept as appropriate. Take what you will from my experience.
Three stars because the food is good and so is the coffee, and like I’ve always said, I know the service and organization will improve over time.

Saturday morning I decided that instead of our usual breakfast haunt, Renee’s, I wanted to try the recently opened Teele Sq. I never went to Soleil, mostly because it was never open when I walked by (I moved to the area last August). We got to the café right before what seems to be the rush, and managed to get food and sit before all the tables were gone. There’s not too much seating, but people rotate through the space pretty quickly in the mornings, so you can usually find something. I got the homemade granola with yogurt and fruit (heaven!) and my sweetie got the friend egg breakfast sandwich on ciabatta. He seemed to like it, as in, his plate was clean in under 5 minutes. The coffee is good (and HOT!) so be aware, and the menu is extensive. My mom is coming out this weekend and I believe that a grilled peanut butter and fluff for lunch is in my future… mmm, fluff.
Would definitely go again, and plan on working my way through the menu as I go!

What a turnaround from the Soleil Café! Gone is the sultry girl at the counter (Soleil #1) and the overpriced, takes forever food (Soleil #2).
Stopped in to try my new local for breakfast this morning, and was pleasantly surprised by the attentive, friendly service and the incredibly tasty, reasonably priced food. AND the latte was perfect!
I had the frittata — Mediterranean veggies — it was absolutely delish!
Like Matt W. I really hope Teele Sq café survives — it’s just what Teele Square needs. I will definitely be back to sample the lunch menu.
** Cash only for now.