The smoothies are good, the food is ok, the coffee is meh. But it doesn't really matter anyways because they seem to just close whenever they want despite the times listed on the door. We tried to go on 3 separate occasions during business hours and they weren't open, so we just stoped trying to go read more

Always quiet, but I'm always first in line for a smoothie. I'm definitely a smoothie girl pineapple, strawberry blueberry with a protein shot.! All the sandwiches look amazing!! I definitely recommend read more

Yummy turkey panini and a delicious healthy protein shake. Like the couches and chairs giving a cozy feel.

Great environment, people, food and drink. My family and I come here every year for a basketball tourney. We love stopping in at this cafe. It is a relaxing place to have a drink and eat. We have brought friends here to enjoy between games. I always have the breakfast burrito and my family has turkey wraps. It's easy to lose track of time at this establishment. read more

The smoothies are the best I have had! They're super fresh and prompt service by a nice young man. I had the pina colada and mocha. Both excellent. read more

Food was tasty! Environment was clean, and staff were friendly. About a 6 minute wait time in total. Buffalo chicken panini was a 7/10, the bread could be toasted a little more. Chips & salsa 10/10. The peppermint patty coffee is true to flavor and didn't need any added cream or sugar for flavor. read more

Cafe Edesia - Buffalo Chicken Panini Peppermint Patty ice coffee - Cafes Near Me - Gardner, Massachusetts

I had the basil mozzarella salad and a cup of the soup (wild rice and mushroom). Both were very good! My husband really enjoyed his meal and the kids had grilled cheese that they ate very well. We were planning for just a quick coffee and ended up glad we stopped for lunch! read more

Cafe Edesia - Cafes Near Me - Gardner, Massachusetts

I have eaten here one time before; May 2024. It was delicious. The food was fresh and warm. Service was good. I ate here today, with my friend, and the food was very unsatisfactory. The Quina was dry, the chicken was dry and flavorless, and the very minimal number of vegetables, were not fresh. The soup was cold, even the oyster crackers were stale. While the service was good, the food was such a disappointment that I am hard pressed to want to return and waste another 60 plus dollars. read more

Diamond in the rough! I was impressed with the quality and taste of my panini today. It came with delicious warm tortilla chips and this incredible slightly-spicy and delightfully -sweet, salsa! To boot, the staff were all kind and welcoming. Looking forward to going back! read more

I am quite shocked it's still open to be honest. I think the fact that's it's the only one in the area is it's saving grace. The food is decent but not worth the price. Inside has potential (the whole idea of a coffee shop other than Starbucks in Gardner has potential) but it's dark, dirty and everything looks so run down. It's pretty gross. read more

The food is delicious. I love the couches and the decor. Great place to enjoy a coffee, eat some good food and chill. I had the turkey and avocado panini... read more

Service and food are great! Eclectic atmosphere and really nice people working there. Would definitely go back. Especially like the Beach Bum smoothie. read more

This spot is really cute & quiet! It's more spacious than I expected; there's plenty of seating and even couches. The menu is bigger than I thought! All the sandwiches/wraps looked great, but they don't have gluten free bread. They have breakfast options too, but I decided on lunch food. I decided to get the quinoa bowl with chicken, and it was excellent! It comes with dressing, but if the quinoa/chicken had added flavor, it would've been a bonus. My friend got the pulled pork sandwich and I tried some of the pork. It was flavorful and well sauced. Next time, I want to try a latte because the seasonal flavors look bomb! read more

This is my FAV place in town I love it! The food is amazing and it's a great place to bring your laptop and get some work done. The staff are very friendly as well! read more

Great sandwiches, nice atmosphere and friendly owner. Perfect place for lunch. Highly recommend! read more

Great choices on the menu and excellent service!! Love the atmosphere! I recommend Cafe Edesia!

When you pay extra for avocado you actually GET avocado!!! Every place always gives about 2 slivers... i swear I got half an avocado and it was everything!!! I had the best Sandwich I've had in a year. Custom ordered: toasted ciabatta, cheddar, mayo, bacon, tomato, and avocado. I ate it so fast I couldn't take a photo! read more

Stopped in to check it out. I love the NuCafe in Worchester and this place took over. I love small business Which I love to support! They must have been busy. The place was a little untidy. I Had a turkey Panini's which was good with chips. In short I think this is a OK place if you want something different then the chain restaurants. I would pick this place definitely. read more

I like the food here, and especially the smoothies, but it makes me sad every time I go in. The place has SO much potential to be a great cafe, but the atmosphere is such a downer. It's dirty, the furniture is in rough shape, there's a sad-looking fish tank, the lights are often off, and there is stuff EVERYWHERE - boxes, unused wall decor, seasonal decorations, you name it. I'll continue to go here to support a local business (and it's better than having yet another empty store front in Gardner), but geez do I wish the management would put in some more effort to make the place welcoming and clean. I know things have been tough the last couple years due to Covid, but the state of the restaurant has been the way I described for several years now. read more

Really enjoy the cookie smoothie :) + chips, + salsa is yummy. Staff is very polite and fast! Highly recommend calling ahead. read more

I really love this place. I've been coming back for the past few days to snag wi-fi and work and have tasted quite a few menu items and drinks by now. I love the smoothies, but they also have frozen iced tea, mint green tea and a sherbert smoothie that all rock. The pesto panini and pulled pork panini are dee-licious and I also am loving on their hummus platter. You can get fruit or chips and salsa with every sandwich and their salsa is fresh and delicious. The space is huge, lots of couches, ample access to plugs and tables to work from. Big fan and happy to support small local businesses making fresh delicious food and helping us home-workers get out of the house. :) read more

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I heard about this place way up in Jay Peak, when I ran into some people who happened to be from Gardner, where I have family and roots. However, they called it "Jumpin' Joe's Jumpin' Place", so on a visit to the Chair City I had some difficulty finding it, but prevailed after asking around. Stopped in on a late afternoon for some coffee, soup and snack and was very impressed with the cleanliness, atmosphere and quality of food. The homemade soup (sausage and kale) was outstanding, the coffee hot and fresh and a muffin that was perfectly heated - all hit the spot. The next day I stopped in for lunch and had a tremendous turkey pesto panini and a hot tea. I highly recommend Jumpin' Joe's - I mean Cafe Edesia... read more

This place has so much potential as it's the only cafe in the area. Unfortunately it is always dirty, they never clean the tables, there was piles of garbage bags for an hour in the middle of the dining room when I got here. If the dining area is this dirty I don't want to know what the kitchen is like... The food I've had here is good though and also the drinks. There are random things being stored throughout the dining area. Also don't ever come here if you are in a hurry- they will let you stand awkwardly at the counter for over 10 minutes before acknowledging you. If poor tidiness / customer service doesn't bother you, you'll enjoy this place and the food/drinks. read more

This place is honestly DISGUSTING. Nothing is clean. Crumbs and trash on the floors. Super run down inside. There is a fish tank inside (has fish in it) and is so gross water is basically a dark green looks almost black. Wait time is ridiculous. We stood there awkwardly for like 10-15 mins. read more

Nice seating. Quiet environment. Good service and nice classic rock jams in the background. Great for coffee and computer work. Did not eat here read more

They make delicious smoothies, and the sandwiches/paninis that I've tried were all pretty good.

Not a fan. Customer service has gone downhill since the ownership change. A number of issues... I ordered lunch for my entire staff, for us to pickup, when we arrive to pick it up they want to charge us a catering fee! Absolutely wrong! Catering is for when you deliver the food. Prior to that event, we ordered staff lunch, the bill was $40, they charged us $140! Rather than refund our money they gave us a gift card for $100!! They should have credited our card $100. I was forced to spend that $100 with them. When we asked, their response was "we don't know how to refund it"!! A previous time to that, I arrived at 7:55 for an 8am meeting with a client. The staff didn't arrive until 8:20 even though the door said they were open at 7am! I won't go back! I'd drive to the one in Worcester 40 mins away rather than go here which is 2 mins from my office! read more

Went to the NuCafe on 10/9/2015 at around 7:25 at night. My wife and I walked accross the street after sitting at Sorrento's for 45 minutes and learning that they never made our order [ see that review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sorrentos-brick-oven-pizza-gardner?hrid=anhuPCUHlCVKg0pAsNs5sA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) ] We walked in, told the two staff that we were in a bit of a hurry and that their neighbors really dropped the ball on our date night dinner. They dropped everything to make sure we were well taken care of! There were about five other customers in the room, and the furniture, decor, lighting, and layout were comfortable and relaxing. We ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap and Cuban Panini to go. The orders came fast and fresh, absolutely perfectly seasoned and literally heaped with meat and toppings to make a delicious combination of flavors. The Cuban was perfectly toasted and made in a new but authentic style. Both dishes came with a generous portion of tortilla chips. The best part of this visit was how welcoming, understanding, and attentive the staff was after our date night was set off the rails across the street, and they really made us feel like we were important to them at that exact moment. Will be visiting again when I am in the area. read more

I love this place! So much better now, than when it was Nucafe. There are some pros and cons about Cafe Edesia. First, the prices are way to high! I know the ingredients must be nice and fresh, but, the prices are making me travel all the way to Leominster, to go to The Daily Bagel, where I've been going since I was a kid, because their prices are much better and they have much better food items. The smoothies are $5, for a small, at Cafe Edesia! I think that's ridiculous. I get the Turkey melt panini with a side of fruit (watermelon slice) it cost $8. It was good. I really don't think it was worth the price. The bacon was microwaveable. The sandwich was sort of burnt, in spots. It was a disappointment. My children also had grilled cheeses and were one was on the burnt side, but all-in-all good. We got Cookies and cream smoothies and a small, tiny one was almost $6! This cafe is right down the road from us and the type of place we love! But, I'm from Leominster and don't mind venturing out to my favorite cafe and getting amazing food for a lower price and better food, too. read more

I was passing though Gardner on the way home from a weekend trip, and was looking for a quick bite to eat. First of all, directions were way off, and we got lost trying to find this little cafe. The food was ok, but nothing special. My friend ordered a buffalo chicken panini and I ordered an egg salad. I don't really have any comment about the food-- I was underwhelmed to say the least. The interior was nice and open. The huge couches looked comfortable, and if I were a student, I'd definitely come here to study. read more

Drive by all the time and never knew about this place until a friend friend told me about it! Great place for sandwiches and my latte was perfect. Such a large menu with a lot of healthier choices (rare to find around this area) Definitely will go back soon! Tip for the manager: get some background music playing!! Coffee shop music, instrumental music, anything! read more

The prices are very reasonable--sandwiches and salads under $8 and they come with chips and salsa, focaccia or apple slices. The menu is diverse enough--typical cafe fair: baked goods, breakfast items, soups, salads, sandwiches, smoothies. I had the turkey avocado grilled flatbread special. The ingredients were fresh and portions good sized. Not a lot of quick healthier options in Gardner so this is a great addition and a two minute drive from my office! read more

First off, you walk in, no greeting, no smile, barely even acknowledgement. Fine. Ok. Go to order food, they have items on the menu that are seasonal and out of season. Ok. I order a salad, ask to have chicken added, order the chicken stew. Order a coffee which was barely even coffee, it was hot bean water. I had to add the cream myself which was in the bottom shelf in its original container (not a big deal but odd). Chicken stew was hot and flavorful but had 2 large bay leaves in it, which you should take out prior to serving and there was no chicken to be found. My salad came out with no chicken on it, the girl behind the counter got me the pre-made cold and unflavored chicken and apologized. The atmosphere, that's where it gets bad. Boxes everywhere, near the back exit, furniture misplaced, the bakery display was almost empty, there was just random boxes and items and bags of trash everywhere. It's clear that the owners take zero pride in their establishment, neither were present. Really sad because this could be a cute coffee bar. Also, my meal was 16$. For a lackluster salad, a cup of chickenless chicken stew, and a small hot bean water (coffee). I won't be back. read more

Definitely one of my favorite local cafes. They have a good selection of smoothies and java drinks along with really good sandwiches and breakfast items. I get the dill turkey sandwich and it's SO good. They have baked goods too. They staff is always pleasant too read more

Pink passion smoothie was so good! I also got a wrap which was ok but not bad! Really nice people working there!

I've been coming to the Nu Cafe for a long time and I have never been disappointed. Granted, there aren't a lot of choice for cafes like this is Gardner, but I've never felt the need for another one. I usually stop in for their smoothies - which are delicious! They had fruit smoothies, chocolate one, peanut butter ones, and much more. I'll bring the laptop and enjoy a smoothie while on the Internet. The wifi there is fast and consistent. Their coffee is good, I have not complaints about it. I've eaten lunch there a few times and they have quite a variety to choose from. Prices are fair, and all the employees are super friendly and personable here. read more

Upping my rating. This is *the* spot in the area for quality coffee drinks, fresh sandwiches, juice drinks and kicking back with friends or alone. Little conversation nooks are spread around the main dining area. read more

We went for after-dinner coffee and dessert. I was very impressed with the quality of my cappuccino, it was strong and perfectly prepared. My boyfriend ordered a mocha frappe, and you could actually taste the coffee and chocolate - it wasn't loaded with sugar and artificial tasting like most chain coffee shops. I also ordered a blueberry muffin, it was moist and delicious with a crispy, sugary top. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, it's an expansive establishment, but it's filled with tables, couches, and big comfy chairs to make people comfortable. The man behind the counter was very professional and courteous, a nice change from the usual miserable-acting food service workers you encounter at most places. I'll definitely be returning. This is a nice little place that you wouldn't expect to find in Gardner or the surrounding area. read more

I really do want to love this place! I go to one in Leominster exactly like it, and it's so much better. So, I usually get a panini that costs me around $7! Which I think is ridiculous! Sure, they need to make their money back, but at my favorite cafe in Leominster- I pay $5, rounded up. All natural ingredients, no burnt panini bread, a delicious side salad and an amazing deli pickle! The cons here: I asked for panini bread, because there is such a thing. The person taking my order said,"there's no such thing as Panini Bread. I was like!!!! Didn't day anything, but knew these guys don't know their stuff. There is a such think as Panini bread, used only for panini's. They only offer the same sandwiches, which are complicated and boring. Like Mozzarella, Spinach and Chicken. They take quite a while to cook and get your order prepared. About 10-15 minutes. It's annoying. Your sandwich comes with either chips and salsa or fruit. I get the chips and salsa. The chips are stale, always. The salsa is good. All-in-all, this place needs a revamp, big time. I will keep going to Leominster as long as they keep their prices and menu this way. Their drinks are outrageously priced, too. read more

Alright, so the atmosphere is either going to be something that you love or something you hate. There is lots of old furniture around this decent sized room. There are bar tables, short tables, Victorian looking chairs. Nothing really matches. A lot of coffee shops have this beatnik look so I guess that's to be expected. I ordered the cuban sandwich and it was amazing (probably the best I've ever had). The spicy mayo was great and contrasted perfectly with the semi sour dill pickles in the sandwich. Even the salsa and chips that came with it was amazing. read more