Had The Otom. Bacon, Egg, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Spicy Aioli and I chose a whole wheat bagel. I was pretty hungry so I also added a hash brown. I was more than pleasantly surprised, the sandwich was huge and delicious. I'm still working on the large ice coffee as I'm writing this and it's a pretty value, too. The counter server was excellent as well. highly recommend this joint! read more

Cafenation - The Otom. Bacon, Egg, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Spicy Aioli and I chose a whole wheat bagel. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Great coffee, and delicious decaf options. The pastries are excellent too. Will say that if you get a sandwich/breakfast sandwich, it can take a bit. More like a restaurant wait than a cafe. Best to order ahead if you need pickup. But the wait is worth it! read more

Super nice hangout spot if you're looking for a warm and rustic atmosphere. I loved how they have a "March madness" activity all planned out, as well as a bunch of community-oriented activities and resources (e.g. selling local artists' works and have a coat donation box). On top of that, their coffee was great. read more

Had a delicious Turkey club at CafeNation this afternoon. The sandwich is made well and reasonably priced! They also do free avocado add ons on Fridays, which is a fun added bonus! The cafe is also all dolled up for the holidays, making it feel extra cozy. read more

We stopped in on a busy weekday morning. I had looked at menus online before our visit, but their menu has changed and they no longer offer omelettes or crepes. They do have great breakfast sandwich options. I ordered an egg sandwich and a latte. Both were served pretty quickly. The latte was perfect, it hit the spot. The sandwich was piping hot, good portions, and very filling. Great place to grab breakfast & coffee while in Brighton. read more

Very bar tender vibe here even in the morning. People were nice but dismissive, thought it would be a fun place to sit for bfast but it just felt like a dive bar. The bagel sandwich wasn't bad but boring, bagel wasn't even toasted and feels like one of those super doughy Costco bagels. Price is ok for what you're getting, at least the latte isn't $6...yet read more

Best coffee in Brighton. Top tier breakfast sandwiches and friendly staff as well. I was indecisive of my order and Taylor was kind enough to work with me to figure out. Nice space to do work as well. read more

I definitely recommend this place! In the land of Dunkin Donuts and other crappy coffee chains it's really refreshing to have a great local coffee shop. The coffee is really good and doesn't taste burnt and bitter like Starbucks, or watery and flavorless like Dunkin. Their breakfast sandwiches are fantastic. The bagels are really good in their own and then all the fixings from inside combine to make a delicious combo. The ambiance is cool and chill, it's not too loud (for a coffee shop) and there's plenty of seating. Plus, the staff is super friendly and they'll even remember your name. I go here once a week at least. read more

Cafenation - Cold Brew and "The Ottom" breakfast sandwich. Perfect combo for any morning! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

This review is for their breakfast/brunch. It gets crowded! Food - We had the mushroom filling on a jalapeno-sriracha bagel and this was delicious. The flavors of the mushroom really stood out. Along with the savory dish, we also order the brie and apple crepe. I don't know why but they overdid it with the spices. So much so, that the dish was bitter and could not be eaten. Tea - Rooibos latte for the win - yum yum! Service - Initial order went well. When I walked over to tell the cashier that we cannot eat the crepe all I got was "Thanks for letting us know". That's it. No "Can I make you a new one?", "Can I offer you something else?", "Can I take it off your bill?", nothing. So that's that. Second visit, we went in the evening for a coffee on a weekday and it was much quieter then. Got a butterbeer latte - it's a latte with caramel and vanilla topped with cinnamon. The barista said it was sweet and boy, was she right. A little too much for me. And I also saw that the coffee was flavored with artificial syrup, and was not the house-made kind, so a little disappointed. But this time around, customer service was fantastic - friendly and all smiles. It's worth a visit if you make the right choices and the right people are working at the counter! read more

See all

As many reviews have stated, this place is always crowded on the weekends. You definitely won't get a table. However, when I have gone in the early afternoon on a weekday I've gotten a table with an outlet and everything. So if you can go during the week you'll be much better off. The problem with Cafenation lies in the cost. With so many breakfast and coffee spots in the area, it just becomes ridiculously expensive. A bagel with cream cheese and lox is $6.50 and the breakfast sandwiches are $5-$6. They're good don't get wrong, but just a little too expensive. The coffee is also alright, but a little pricey. If you want to support a local business this is a great place to stop by and their bread is actually really good, I watch the deliveries for Iggy's and it smells amazing. However, I would also try other spots in the area first. read more

Cafenation - Bagel with Lox and the Cowboy Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Love their lattes. Only thing is that it is SO busy. Hard to find a spot to sit in their on weekends. Cute and cozy vibes!

Great place, that seems very community oriented. I had the special- a spanakopita crepe, with fresh spinach, garlic, onions, and feta. Very tasty! The crepe was just a tad sweet, as I like crepes. Had an americano as well, which was pulled perfectly. Both came out fast. The only change I would make for next time would be to sit in the back rather than the front. I guess Saturday morning to afternoon must be prime time for people going on first dates. I'd rather sit in the back, where the vibe seemed more chill. read more

Cafenation - Spanakopita Crepe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

This is one of my favorite coffee shops in Brighton! Plenty of seating to hang around and work, chat with friends, etc, the coffee is to die for, and the breakfast sandwiches leave nothing to be desired. Highly recommend! read more

This chill, unassuming little cafe is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Brighton. I've had the rounder and otom breakfast sandwiches and they were both delicious. I have yet to try their lunch sandwiches but I bet they're great too. I also like their coffee - my order is a small iced hazelnut coffee with oat milk and it's so refreshing! Friendly service too :) read more

Great local coffee shop with delicious food! They have a variety of sandwiches, salads, omelets, even crepes. I ordered a breakfast sandwich, and my husband ordered a lox special on ciabatta. Both were excellent. The one downside is its popularity. It can be difficult to find seating throughout most of the day. So as long as you're ok with taking things to-go, you won't be disappointed! read more

See all

Over priced average sandwiches and drinks. Got two iced lattes and two sandwiches for me and my girlfriend. $26 plus tipping on their iPad came out to around $30. The chai lattes weren't anything special, almost too watery for us. The sandwiches were bland despite one of them being caramelized onions, eggs, bacon, and cheese on an everything bagel. I taste more seasoning and flavoring with dunkin's caramelized bacon sandwiches on their everything bagel. Also, not sure why this place comes up when searching "crepes" on Apple Maps, they don't have any here. For the price I could have gotten 2x the food at dunkin's. read more

Wish I could share more pictures, but I devoured everything before I got a chance. I had a cheddar chive scone~AMAZING. The "ottom" on a cheddar jalepeno bagel, also amazing and a Caramel latte. The vibes are adorable and great place to study or work. Also the staff are super sweet :) read more

Love this place! The caramel lattes are always fully stirred through unlike other places & their sandwich options are great! I've had the Rounder and the Common. Great food, nice people, and the order ahead is easy and accurate for timing! read more

Cafenation - The Rounder sandwich plus bacon and avocado - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Their sandwiches are exceptional. The staff are always very friendly and the decor and atmosphere are great! Their coffee is always good and consistent. My only gripe with this place is that I get a sandwich every time I go and there is one staff member in the kitchen that seems to never cut the sandwich in half. A minor thing, but some of their breads (particularly the sourdough) can be a bit tough in the crust which makes eating the sandwich a bit harder. A minor annoyance. Also I wish they had lemonade on the menu since it's summer, but again, it's otherwise a fantastic cafe. read more

I haven't been in this place in quite a long time and I always loved it. But I guess it's under new management. First impression the front door is disgustingly dirty big turn off. Then placing my order sm americano the person taking my order totally forgot how to greet a customer and say please and thank you. Then waiting for my coffee a person came in and I'm assuming they were the owner by the way they jumped in to help. Here's the think they had just come in still wearing the outside coat grabbed cups to fill with ice never washing their hands. The americano was very good but I don't think I'll be returning to soon. One more thing Best of Boston 2016 was the previous owner. read more

Hard to give 5 stars in such a scuzzi neighborhood. Minimalist, not so happy or clean, but a peaceful place with great coffee and good food. Don't come in with five dollars for breakfast, I spent $9 for a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee, I could have upgraded both and spent $15. Fast service and pleasant staff. read more

Fantastic latte with great espresso and friendly staff. 4.5 stars for me- only thing holding me back is price. $4.25 for a small latte is fairly typical but 75 cents for nondairy milk is quite steep- I'm more accustomed to 50 cents in other area shops. Still, my coffee did taste like a $5 latte so I don't feel ripped off! read more

Good iced coffee. Friendly servers who offered suggestions to make options dairy-free. Large space for working or chatting.

It's been a while...I've been working, eating, and not writing... Anyways! Today I was craving brunch (or anything really - hangry). The other half knows I absolutely LOVE lox (interesting fact - lox is derived from the Yiddish word for salmon), so he Yelped this spot. It's a small cafe, but there's a fair share of small and larger tables. Unfortunately, tables were full when we came in - there are a lot of people sitting by themselves with their laptop and a cup of coffee. Cafenation is located right on the popular Washington Street, so I see many young professionals and students come through. Parking is not horrible, but it is 2-hour street parking so you might have to look around! I ordered a wheat bagel with lox and lox spread (YES) and an iced green tea while the other half got the atom (otom?) with additional sausage on a jalapeño siracha parmesan bagel. We got it to go. I was a little disappointed that the wait was pretty long. We waited 15-20 min for our food. However, when I got my bagel, I thought it was worth the wait. The bagel is fresh and toasted just right. The spread and filling did NOT spill out as I ate my bagel and the amount of lox was good for me - delicious. My other half also had high expectations, but unfortunately, they seemed to have forgotten to add one of the best parts of his order - the bacon! Needless to say, he was a bit very disappointed. I would love to come back again - hopefully to faster service and a correct order next time. Happy Sunday! read more

Cafenation - Wheat bread with lox spread and lox - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

See all

I heard of this place through a couple of family friends and I also know the owner. It is fairly close to where I live and I finally decided to come here for lunch. I got one of their savory crepes, which comes with a salad doused in a balsamic dressing. I got a California barbecue chicken. What makes their savory crepes unique is that the batter used is made from buckwheat instead of the traditional flour batter you see on a typical French crepe. They get it from the somewhat famous and legendary supermarket chain known as Whole Foods Market. As for the crepe itself, I thought the chicken itself was decently good, the cheese was tasty, and the barbecue sauce had a decent flavor and the cilantro put some flair to the sauce. The salad was pretty good, not the freshest salad but still good and the balsamic dressing made up for it. It's good that they are adding a decently good salad with the savory crepes and sandwiches to make a complete meal. As for coffee, I had a Hazelnut Mocha. I thought it was a pretty good quality coffee and it is the first time in a long time that I found a cup of coffee actually enjoyable to drink. It did not have an gratuitous amount of sugar, just the right amount, which is a key quality for a good coffee. The cream was pretty good. This is probably the type of coffee I could drink every morning before I start work. One great advantage this cafe has is the free wi-fi, which is great if you need internet. Overall, this is a pretty good choice to get some unique crepes and some good coffee. If you ever see the owner, Alvin, tell him I said hi. He's committed to making this cafe good. Hi Alvin! read more

Cafenation - California BBQ Crepe with a cup of Hazelnut Mocha coffee - Total of about $13. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Solid cafe. Food looks good, but I only got a drink, a macchiato. It was heavy on the milk/foam, almost more like a cortado than a macchiato, but that's alright because I like cortados. Milk was foamed well, espresso tasted good. Staff was friendly enough, and there is seating for about 25 people. Wooden chairs and tables get the job done -- nothing super plush to sit in for hours, but probably good for getting work done. Only a few outlets. Plenty of places to lock a bike up outside in Washington St. read more

Cafenation - Macchiato from Cafenation - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

I just had the most delicious chicken pesto salad on focaccia!!! I know I have eaten food from here a couple times before and it was good, but for some reason I had kind of forgotten about Cafenation. What first caught my attention here is that they have crepes. You don't see that everywhere, and the assortment has something for everyone. They have a ton of breakfast and lunch options. I also love that there is a choice of breads for their sandwiches- bagels, sourdough, wheat, focaccia, ciabatta, wraps. They also have a variety of beverages- teas, coffees, lattes, juices, sodas, etc. I got my sandwich to go and I was impressed by how quickly it came out, but also how nicely it was put together. I also loved that it came with a side salad and dressing! After my super sad Pavement experience I knew I had to find a great place to get fresh sandwiches, and Cafenation is definitely it!! read more

Cafenation - Chicken pesto on focaccia to go! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Hmmm... what to do about lunch? Maybe Cafenation? I have only been there once before, a number of years ago, but I remembered they had a really yummy honey salad dressing on the greens served with their crepes. Yep! Once again, a small mound of leafy greens dressed with that delicious dressing. :) And beside it, taking up the rest of the plate, my lovely chicken pesto crepe - filled with chunky strips of (white?) tender chicken, creamy pesto sauce, some fresh baby spinach leaves, diced tomato, and CHEESE! Mmmmm... And all for $8.14 after tax. read more

The line here is way too long on a Saturday or Sunday, but this is a little gem in the Brighton neighborhood. I love their Californian sandwich and you also cannot go wrong with the breakfast sandwiches here. There are no frills to it. Solid shop with hard working baristas and quick service. The perfect place for a quick weekend meal or study session. read more

The chicken pesto panini is the best sandwich in the entire city of Boston. Well, it's a close tie to Flour (in Central Square)'s roasted chicken with avocado and jicama..... ANYWAY: If you want an omelet as a crepe, however, make sure you LOOOVE egg. I like their coffee a lot. I like how they have soy/vegan options (soy milk, tofu spread for bagels, etc). They butter their bagels so it drips everywhere, but they're still really good. It's crowded, so you may or may not find a table, but it's crowded because it's good! Especially for lunch. It's much better for lunch than any other time. The staff is EXTREMELY efficient (in my opinion!). If you sit in the back, just be aware that when they make your coffee, they put it on the counter in the FRONT of the store. The don't typically (if it's crowded) bring it out and call your name. Really quaint place! Will be returning FREQUENTLY! read more

Review for Sunday brunch The line is incredibly long. Prices are too high. The food takes a good amount of time. Felt very rushed since customers were hovering waiting for a table. Food is good but ovepriced read more

Coffee (espresso) review. I can't emphasize enough that this town seriously needs more good coffee places. This seems like a local favourite, partially because of their extensive menu, but their coffee is really mediocre. I got one of the seasonal specials, a latte with honey. Even the sweetness of the honey couldn't cover up the burnt bitterness of the coffee, and it was quite bland. Boston, please step up your coffee game, since I visit a lot. Kthxbai. read more

I'm a pretty loyal cafenation customer; as in I make it out here at least once or twice a week. They offer an excellent tea, coffee and smoothie selection. Their breakfast sandwiches are awesome and the service here is friendly and efficient. I highly recommend this spot for people watching or to zone out and do work. read more

Love this place. It's a good place to work and relax. I order breakfast here and iced tea/lemonade which was amazing. The staff is amazing and service was fast. read more

Cafenation - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Dropped by here to for a late brunch and got our sandwiches to go. We ordered the Californian sandwich with bacon on focaccia and the Common bagel sandwich with bacon. Yum to both! The only downfall for both might have been the bread. I do love focaccia but the bread from here was a little difficult to bite into, causing all ingredients to shift to the end of the sandwich. And the bagel for the Common was a little soft and not as hearty as what we thought. Definitely needs Pavement or Kupels touch for the bagels. Place is really cute and small, and it seemed pretty busy, thank for we beat the rush. Service was pretty quick. Only gross part is there were flies on the pastries... So I probably wouldn't recommend getting a pastry from here. read more

Cafenation - California sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

See all

This place is perfect for an afternoon chill. Groups are studying/hanging out on a Sunday afternoon. With large tables and free Wi-Fi, you can join the group and enjoy some good coffee! Not exactly quiet, but just like a normal coffee shop.Ordered cafe latte and an omelet. Both are great. People are friendly and respectful. read more

Cafenation - Great latte. Good for an afternoon chill! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Relaxed atmosphere, great food, and free refills on drip coffee. I got a scramble with cheddar, caramelized onion, and mushrooms and loved it. Would love to visit again! read more

Cafenation - Scramble - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

I was there just after this place opened and they were still working out the kinks. I'm glad to see others have had a better experience - I thought the breakfast crepes were dry and didn't have a lot of flavor. Update: 5/8/07 So I just got an email from the owner asking me to come back in and give it another try. Any place where the owner is committed to turning a customer's experience around and reaches out to do it gets points in my book. Stay tuned! read more

Cafenation - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

The space is small, therefore the close seating can make one feel a bit claustrophobic. But the people are really nice here and seeing that the place is so busy during lunch hour, it's definitely gained the approval of many. My experience- 1. Slow wi-fi: Probably because it's not password protected so who knows how many people are taking advantage of it. 2. Ordered the hummus, avocado panini. I love the ingredients (cucumber, red onions, bean sprouts, tomatos, cilantro, hummus & avocado) However, the ciabatta is way too hard... 3. The side salad is delicious with the added sweet flavor from their homemade balsamic glaze. Overall, an ok time here. I think next time I'll just get a salad. read more

Cafenation - Hummus, avocado panini - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Love this spot for studying, and they also have good food! Great tea list. Highly recommend their veggie cream cheese on a bagel, super fresh! read more