This modest establishment serves some very good food at decent prices. Their menu is mostly composed of crepes and sandwiches and their staff there is very nice and courteous. They can customize the menu items slightly and their side salad with their dressing was fabulous! They also have baked goods like croissants, scones and cookies and serve various types of coffees and teas. They seem to have built up a reputation and even have a group that pays them a tribute on facebook which nears 200 members. They have free wireless internet and have many repeat customers. I might become one. I like it there. Their decoration is simple and it's a pretty cozy atmosphere. One thing I did take note of is not to go there if it's a bit busy as the service will get significantly delayed by the demand and it could take a while for them to get to your order and get it done. read more

Cafenation opened about two weeks before I moved out of Brighton Center, so I only got to visit it one or twice. But since I still have reasons to return to that area (like doctor's appointments), I sometimes find the time to make a stop by the Cafenation. Like today. I had to get up super early to get to my first appointment, so by the time I was in Brighton for the second appointment, I was already in need of a little sustenance. The boy and I stopped into Cafenation for some food and beverage. I got the black iced tea and a raspberry lemon curd crepe; he got an iced green tea latte and a morning harvest crepe (mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheese, egg). Both of our drinks were good, and the crepes were huge. It wasn't what I'd describe as cheap, but it was a cute place to take a break out of a very long morning. read more

The location is a bit out of the way and parking depends on street availability. Other than that, loved my experience here! There are a lot of drink options, including a wide range of tea based lattes. They also have a tea pot option for tea instead of just mugs. The baked goods are plentiful, ranging from muffins to croissants. There are also sandwiches and crepes. I tried the egg, onion, bacon and cheese omelette as well as the Brie and apple crepe. The omelette was served warm at just the right consistency and the sourdough on the side wasn't just fluffy -- it was substantial, like real bread should be. The crepe had just the right blend of tart Granny Smith apples and Brie, topped with honey. It wasn't too heavy as there was just enough Brie for it to taste creamy. Would definitely go back again to try more of their crepe options! read more

See all

I've been to Cafenation many times both for coffee and brunch. It is a bit on the smaller side, esp if you compare it to Caffee Nero or Starbucks, but the food is always fresh and tasty, the workers super friendly, and they have killer coffee & tea! I love their rooibus tea and latte. I also had a pleasant conversation with the owner's mom, who randomly greeted us and asked us how we liked our food/drinks. She was super nice! Definitely a go-to spot in Brighton if you want good quality food/coffee/tea that are reasonably priced at a local cafe. what a gem in Brighton! read more

Just when I think Brighton has nothing good to offer - I am once again pleasantly surprised! Came in last Thursday for lunch. I wasn't expecting much, thought it'd be similar to an Sbucks. I was so wrong. This place has crepes! I love crepes. And panini sandwich's, my friend and I both had one and they were excellent. The staff was very friendly as well. Now I know why people sit here on their laptops all day. This is my new neighborhood go-to spot. read more

I LOVE this place! My roommate recommended it to me and I decided to try it one morning after a night of revelry :) I love their pressed sandwiches. I've had the Ham & Brie, the Pesto Chicken, and the Californian, and they were all so delicious. The portions are generous, the ingredients are very fresh, and the side salads come with a sweet, light vinaigrette. I often ducked in for an iced coffee while waiting for the 57 bus. Any coffee place that lets me add soy milk to my drink at the fixings bar is a star in my book. The staff is fun, courteous, and attentive, and I love the ambiance. I go to school in NYC and Cafe Nation could easily be a student hangout in the West Village. It's a great place to go for a lunch date, meet friends, do schoolwork, etc. Definitely worth a visit if you are near Brighton Center! read more

I always drive through Brighton Center and I never noticed this place. The sign and storefront are small and there's no lighting. I thought I'd try it out instead of going to Athans. The food there was really different. The sandwiches are better than Panera and the crepes are good too. However, when more than 5 people ordering, the wait for food can extend much longer. They haven't been able to scale past that for service time. If you're there for Wifi, its free, but there aren't many power outlets. I only saw 2 there. Also, the smoke from the crepes and pressed sandwiches can really get to you. There is no hood range in there and my eyes were getting really dry after being there for two hours. Not to mention, when I left, my clothes smelled like their sandwiches. read more

Coffee is the best I've had in Boston. I highly recommend the Dark Roast. Crepes are fantastic, and their sandwiches are great as well. Free wi-fi is a definite plus. Atmosphere is generally pretty good. The staff is very friendly, and the service is excellent. The only knock on the place is that the music is, well, inconsistent. Sometimes it's pretty good, other times it's almost unlistenable and requires headphones for an extended stay. Still, highly recommended. Best in Brighton for sure. read more

Coming to you live form CafeNation! I love this place. It is a somewhat recent discovery for me, as I've been on a quest for local spots where I can go for some trusty good food and coffee AND have guaranteed free wireless so I can be productive and continue my quest on the ladder corporate climb. CafeNation has all of these things! Plus being your typical DMB fan, I appreciate the music selection too! Alittle dangerous to be a regular here for the waistline, with crepes as a yummy option. Equally as dangerous for the wallet as its not really the cheapest option either. But, still pretty worth my once a week visit in my book. Try it out! And, shout out to my buddy working the counter here who seems to wear pretty much any baseball hat except Red Sox! read more

This is my second home, as I am writing papers here all the time. I love their coffee, the atmosphere, and the staff. The coffee is always consistent, always hot, and very smooth. You can either get the dark roast or the light roast, which is a good option to have. The light roast has more caffeine so if you want that extra kick, go with the light roast. The atmosphere is fun. It is a narrow space that stretches far. They have a clean bathroom to use, if needed. Also, the cafe posts rotating artwork from local artists, which adds a nice touch. It is impeccably clean and they have plenty of places to plug in your computer, as well as free internet (hard to find). The staff is great. I come in here a lot so people have come to know my name and my order. The staff and managers take great pride in the food they put out and they are very conscious of consistency, aesthetics, and taste. The crepes are excellent, as are the sandwiches. I have not ordered many salads, but they serve a side salad with their sandwiches. It has this delicious honey vinaigrette that I cannot seem to replicate at home. The music they play is also great, as they use pandora.com. It is a great place, overall. read more

Swiss, mushroom, and caramelized onion breakfast bagel: BEST EVER Also, coffee is great and I appreciate their variety of tea lattes. Yumm. I would give it another star if the counter staff were nicer or more professional. God, I cant stop thinking of that bagel now... read more

Best breakfast joint in Brighton. Everything was great the atmosphere, the wifi, the comfy chairs, the bagels, the eggs and the coffee is the best around. read more

First time here, ordered only a mint chip latte because I was in a rush to get to my next destination. The "perks": At 11:30am today, the place was packed before and after me, and the patrons seemed to order all kinds of different things - panini's, crepes, iced coffees, and all seemed happy with their choice, so I took this to be a good sign. The staff was hard at work too - 1 crepe maker, 1 panini "presser", 1 cashier and 1 barista. Each crepe was freshly spread on the hot griddle, each cup of coffee got its own fresh ground and foamed/steamed milk. The barista got my name right, smiled, and said "enjoy!" to me. 2 "downers" (drawbacks): 1. A 15 min wait for a small cup of coffee. (I'm impatient) 2. There is no clear organization / obvious layout for how and where people should wait after ordering. If you're going to sit there and eat, sure, grab a table - that's obvious. But if you're waiting on a to-go order, where do you wait? General comment: The mint chip latte was not as minty as I expected, but not too bad. The coffee was not too strong either - usually, I get a pretty good "jolt!" within a few sips, but I needed the whole cup and I only had a mild "buzz". Maybe it was the weather too, but it wasn't a bad cup of coffee. But for $3.50, it seemed ever so slightly over-rated. I think I'm too much of a Gail Ann fan... :T read more

5 stars. For so many reasons. A+ for hangover food appeal A+ for sober, non-hungover food appeal A+ for food choices (breakfast crepes, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, panini, and so much more) A+ for beverage options (asked the nice woman behind the counter to make me something different once and I got a vanilla soy chai tea latte or something...SO tasty and just enough sweetness) A+ for friendly staff Insider Tip: After living within walking distance of this place for 2 years, here is my advice: go before like 11am on a weekend and order the Everything bagel breakfast sandwich with bacon and cheese. Hands down, the BEST everything bagel I have ever tasted. Ever. They are so good that they consistently sell out before noon. read more

My boyfriend took me here as part of our first date, and it's just the perfect place. The owners are committed to good quality food and drinks and work towards improving their services (like updating their wireless router). Recently, they've been featuring some great photos on the walls. read more

Cafenation is a nice coffee shop that has everything it needs except for an exceptional barista. I know that sounds harsh, but that's the way it is. The cafe looks comfortable and the guy at the register was quite friendly. He was also quite knowledgeable about the selection of drinks. They offer a wide variety of espresso drinks, which is nice for those of you who don't drink much espresso and would prefer a mint-chip latte. They have a great selection of beans. They were serving both Four Square and Counter Culture. I prefer the latter, so I asked for it. Knowing that Counter Culter is one of the best roasters in the US, I was really excited to try it. Even though they are using a Rancillio machine, I was still hoping to get a nice drink. I didn't. Unfortunately, what I got was little more than foamed milk. The microfoam was bubbly, the foam was thick, the drink itself was thin and I could barely taste the crema. No art was even attempted in the microfoam. I'm going to give this place another chance at some point, because I am hoping that they have a barista who knows what he/she is doing. They have an opportunity to make great stuff, but they didn't execute. read more

Cafenation is a hidden gem in Brighton center. Their coffee is delicious (both fresh brewed and ground coffee to take home) and their breakfast sandwiches are the perfect touch to a Saturday or Sunday morning. The carmelized onions hit the spot. The ability to add avocado to everything on the menu is also a plus. I don't actually drink caffeine anymore but I will be back here for decaf drinks sometime soon. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a quick and easy breakfast sandwich and a great cup of coffee. read more

Yummy panini sandwiches, crepes and I've recently become Addicted to their iced coffee. and lattes. Even non-coffee drinkers seem to love their coffee, so you may just want to give it a shot. read more

After Eats & Treats closed for some reason last summer (WTF), I was seriously craving another creperie place. Me and my friend have done brunch here on the weekend (busiest time apparently?) a few times but were always able to find a seat. The cashier lady has an attitude, but i can understand since the kitchen is so crazy and its worth it for the coffee and crepes! I would definitely come here more often if i lived in brighton. I just wanna know how they get the crepes that color?!? read more

Simply put, I love it here! The coffee and chai are both delicious and expertly made. The crepes, paninis, and breakfast items are all fresh and never weight you down. And the service and free wifi keep you comfortable going there to chill for awhile. I do wish it was slightly less pricey, but I'm hooked so I guess they have me! Favorite Items: Nonfat Latte, Thai Iced Tea, Spanish Sunrise crepe, Spinach Waldorf Salad, Pesto Chicken Crepe.... read more

I go here probably 4 times a week for their iced coffee, which is the best that I've found in the area. Service is always polite and fast, and the coffee couldn't be better. Prices are actually comparable to the big chains. I've had their breakfast foods a few times, ranging from bagels and other baked goods to omelets etc. I haven't had their lunch food, but the breakfast always hit the spot, portions were generous, and the food came out quickly. My girlfriend is a fan of their lattes and what I'll call other "mixed drinks," which I'm no expert on, but she's impressed so there you go! Pretty sure they have free wi-fi because I see people hanging out there all the time on their comps. Also you can always get a seat right when your order is ready even though when you go in on a weekend you think you'll never get a seat. Not sure how that works out but it does! read more

Cafenation has most of what you can ask for in a coffee shop: Ample seating (to study) Large windows (to remind yourself that studying isn't so bad) Good coffee (not great but good) Good food (who doesn't want a sandwich?!) And Decent baristas (ehh) So overall cafenation is not a bad place to spend an afternoon. But they close super early. In my mind anything before 7 is early. But they do open early so i guess that's the trade off. Either way, they get 4 stars because they meet a need but not 5 because they close early and are missing a certain je ne sais quoi read more

I got the apple brie crepe which at first was tasty but then.... bug- cooked into the crepe. I got the mulled cider and that was tasty. If it wasn't for the bug in my crepe I would give more reviews. Staff was not super urgent on fixing the bug problem. read more

Cafenation - Bug on crepe. ) : - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

My fiancé and I visited the cafe for breakfast on a Sunday morning. We were visiting the area while apartment searching and can confidently say we will be coming back. I had the sunny side omelet and added caramelized onions, the flavors were great. My fiancé had the otom bagel with avocado also fantastic. Being bit of coffee snobs the coffee was definitely on par. A very good place to meet for breakfast with a friend, stop in for coffee or hang out and get some reading done. read more

Cafenation - Mmmmmhmmm Sunday morning! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

This place is awesome. If you live in Brighton Center, it is right on on Washington Street and walking distance from most places. They have great coffee and phenomenal sandwiches. My favorite is the Californian which comes with a side salad. They have homemade crepes, eggs, sandwiches, and tons more. I definitely recommend visiting sometime, and even using their frequent buyers card they keep at the register. If you hate waiting in line for coffee or breakfast at Starbucks in the AM, then definitely check this place out. Four stars from me! read more

As a freelance writer with no cubicle to call my own, I like to think of WiFi-enabled coffee shops as my surrogate offices. Cafenation is one of my favorites. It's a short bike ride away from my apartment when I'm Allstoned out. Unlike some other area java joints, Cafenation has consistently good music playing that eerily mirrors my own iTunes library, and it's mellow enough to not be distracting. And then there's the dark roast--little black droplets of caffeinated manna. I usually just get coffee or cider while I'm typing away, but my occasional food splurge here provides good (if not great) crepes and side salad with super awesome balsamic dressing. The employees are pretty nice people, who don't seem to mind that I hang around here for whole evenings while I finish up articles. They've cleaned up a couple of my coffee spills, too, for which my clumsy self is grateful. My only beef is that I wish they stayed open later, but that's true of most coffee shops in town. Alas, Boston is no city for insomniacs. read more

Best iced coffee in the Boston-area. Hands down. I've searched all over for the perfect iced coffee, and this is as good as it gets. Cafenation is one of the few places where you don't get a completely watered down iced coffee. Their iced coffee actually tastes like coffee--not like the coffee-flavored water you'll get at Dunks. read more

I've lived in the area for two years and right across the street for over a year and cannot believe that this weekend was the first time I came here. I thought it was just a yuppie over-priced coffee shop....I had no idea what I was missing! Amazing coffee, amazing crepes, the bagels (more so the cream cheese) is all delicious! I've yet to have something that I wasn't impressed with. A little smoky when there's a crowd and you go home smelling like food, but it's a small price to pay for deliciousness! read more

I like their coffee and the food's not too bad, but the counter service needs to learn to smile. They're not on the Allston Blanchard's level of disgruntled, self-entitled employee, but I'm not always getting the warm fuzzies going in there. The crepes are pretty good and they try to come up with creative combinations. Despite the counter-tude the coffee's pretty damn good and they earn points for having simple syrup and cane sugar. Trivial though it may be, it tells me they have an eye for detail. read more

Boo. I've always wanted to *adore* cafe nation. They have a delicious range of crepes, eggy breakfasts and tasty baked goods. They can't help the hordes of students and squashy space - so I'm not complaining about that. The quality of food, however, has gone down. Got a portabello mushroom panini. The bread was oily and not crisp in the way one would expect a panini to be. It was filled with soggy spinach, mealy tomatoes and a tough, slimy mushroom that had certainly not been made fresh. I was SERIOUSLY disappointed. The boy got a bagel with egg, bacon and cheese. The bacon was dry and had not been freshly prepared, the egg tasted a tad strange - like the pain hadn't been cleaned out before cooking said egg - and the cheese wasn't melty and delicious. I don't like their coffee - yes, I am a HUGE coffee snob and love my French press at home - but today's iced coffee was decidedly burnt and watery. At a time when there was no line and the cafe was fairly quiet, I wouldn't have expected poor execution with the dishes. For the prices they charge, I think the quality could certainly be kicked up a notch. Boo :( read more

Based on recommendations from several people and yelp, I was excited to try Cafenation and make it my neighborhood joint. However, when I finally ate there, I was pretty underwhelmed. The crepes were fine. I felt it was healthy, filled with good ingredients, but lacking some flavor and a bit dry. Nothing special, but satisfying. My real problem came with the salad. It was highly overdressed with a super sticky, honey-like dressing. The dressing itself was very sweet, much contrasted to the usual acidic dressing. Not bad, but it was just too much. Once again, not a big deal. My problem came with the salad itself. It was simple greens (baby lettuce and/or romaine), similar to what you'd get from a bag at Trader Joe's. Halfway through, the lettuce was clearly old and beyond wilted. You know, when lettuce has been sitting in the bag too long, has absorbed too much moisture, and actually becomes soggy and disintegrates on contact. It wasn't just one or two leaves - it was half the salad. I can't imagine the person who prepared the salad didn't notice this. However, my husband didn't seem to care that much and still tried to eat around it as much as possible. None of the food was standout for me here, but it does have a nice atmosphere and I enjoy the rotating local art. read more

Cafenation - crepe w/ salad (notice the thick gooey dressing) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

See all

Things I loved: -The americano. It was smooth and had hints of chocolate. I don't like my coffee bitter and this was great. -The art - they have lots of it up on the wall. -The bagel sandwich. I had The Broker which has spinach and Hollandaise sauce. I loved how crispy they toasted the bagel. Wasn't a super fan of the taste of the filling but my husband loved the egg and cheese bagel. -The music. It was soft and fun - no grinding loud music. -The staff was friendly. Things I didn't love: -The traffic in that area. It's very congested. It's a bit far for me to bike so I will only go here during off hours. If I lived in the area and could walk or bike I'd be here a lot. read more

After just moving to Boston, I decided to give this place a shot - looks quaint and pretty low key for the most part. I've had my share of soy lattes here - they're alright. I really loved their iced green tea and their iced chai. Pretty excellent. What I've noticed is that people come here for the food a lot of the time. After sitting with my lattes, the bagel sandwiches being ordered left and right looked pretty great so after ordering my first one, I was hooked. Definitely go for the otom (with avocado, duh) super delicious. Definitely making regular visits to this place. Great environment if you wanna get some studying/work done. read more

Great food and coffee in a comfortable atmosphere. The prices are average to slightly higher than average, but the portion sizes are good. I'm in love with anything chai they make, especially the caramel pumpkin chai for fall, yum! read more

Don't get me wrong, the food here is great, the service on the other hand is so slow. The past few times I have come here for breakfast and a coffee, I get my breakfast before my coffee is done; and no, I am not ordering anything complicated. A flavored latte should not be taking 10-15 mins to make. Please get a better barista and I would come back in a heartbeat! read more

Had a fantastic iced dirty almond milk chai tea latte here. The girl working behind the counter was super sweet and made it a pleasant experience. Happy surprise was their vegan banana muffins, very thankful to find a quick bite! read more

Looking for a place to have your daily caffeine? Or looking for a lunch place to have a great sandwich? I absolutely love their (hot) latte and their Pesto Chicken on ciabatta is great! We spent almost everyday here last week as we stayed with a family in the area while looking for a place to live and the atmosphere is really great for studying/working. I have to give them an extra star for their great Pesto Chicken and latte, but my other sandwich (I believe it was a turkey club of some sort) was subpar at best. The turkey seems to have been from a supermarket and was not what I expected. Which I had to subtract a star for. So I am still a fan, but there is room for improvement. I adore that they write on their tables for people to share it as it makes it easier around lunch when the place fills up. I need to note; on our first visit ( a sunday) the service wasn't top-notch, but on all the other days we were met by great cashiers and baristas! read more

I love this place. The food is awesome. Everything I've tried (usually something from the "savory crepe" list) has been delicious. They have really good (strong!) coffee, too, and I'm not easily impressed by coffee. I deducted one star because it tends to be overcrowded, at least on weekend - they don't have enough space, and they make it worse by offering free wi-fi, which encourages people to sit there and do work, or read, or whatever, occupying a table while people wait in line. I will add the 5th star when they move to a larger space, expand, or at least disable the wi-fi service on weekends. read more

I'm actually sad that I'm moving out of Brighton because I JUST discovered or at least just entered CafeNation for the first time last weekend. I got a tomato basil panini. The general rlule with me is that if a restaurant can make a delicious tomato panini, they've won me over. If it is only mediocre...nothing else on their menu is worth trying. CafeNation's was delicious. So already they won. My boyfriend got a breakfast sandwich, as well, that he said was great. The restaurant is only getting a 4, however, as there is not much seating and the place was wicked hot. In any event, I took my sandwich to go and was delighted. I'd recommend stopping in for a quick bite as there are a lot of those camp-out types there (sit with their laptops for hours). read more

Love this place. Great sandwiches, crepes, bagels, coffee, etc. The staff and management is great and the music selection is often good. Only downside is that it often gets packed because its so amazing. However, just to show how amazing this place is, on my way to work one day I looked in and realized that I didn't have time to wait in line, a lady (I believe is related to the owner) saw my grumpiness that I wouldn't get my caffeine fix and told me she'd get my coffee if that's all I wanted. It was, so I handed her cash for my beverage and she got it for me before my bus arrived. Started my day off great! read more