$8+ for a sandwich and $5 for an hour of Wifi? Umm. Yeah, no. Even the king of overpriced items, Starbucks, has free Wifi now. And actually, I'm typing this from across the street at Starbucks with my $3 cup of "reserve" coffee by my side. You're a cafe, not a hotel. Your Wifi audience isn't captive and can easily go elsewhere. It's 2011. Get with it. read more

It's impossible to find a place to sit for breakfast/coffee here because of the laptop crew. Somervillains can't write their screenplays at home, so they congregate at Diesel. Coffee is good, but takes forever, and they don't have many different sweeteners, just Sugar in the Raw and jars of sugar water. Prices are high, seating is scarce and be prepared to stand in long lines, while other people's names are called ahead of you. read more

I've found myself in diesel Cafe 4 or 5 dozen times in the past 2 decades or more. The food and coffee is fine but I have two huge gripes that bring the rating from a 4 or 5 to a 2 *edit: changed to 1, see below*: 1) They want you to pay for WiFi. The dining room is huge -- it's a study and laid out like one. But it's $4.95/HOUR for wifi. I haven't been to a cafe that charged for wifi in many years. Totally sub-standard and a deal breaker. 2) When I go to cafes, I usually want to drink lots of coffee and get work done for a couple hours. Guess what, unlike every other cafe I've been to in the past few years, there's no discount for ice coffee refills. Starbucks makes you pay 59 cents. Panera is free. Other's: $1 tops. This place gives you a laughable 10 cents off. They'll gladly charge you $8+ for an ice coffee with a couple refills. Why? 3 [minor gripe]): $12+ for a house salad and an ice coffee. About at least a $1 too much. That on top 1) or 2) .. ugh. It sucks because I was looking for a study/coffee-shop near my gym at Fresh Pond, and the atmosphere here is perfect, but I'm not going to ****ing pay $20 to use their wifi for 3 and a 1/2 hours, and $9 for a couple refills of ice coffee. Someone please let me know when they decide to provide free wifi so I can give my business back to them and stop advocating against them. edit: Actually, since I require my cafes to provide free wifi, I'm bumping the rating down to one star. I will never go back (and suggest you don't either (if you're looking for a cafe to get online work/leisure done)). read more

Diesel has the most wonderful atmosphere, friendly and super professional staff, and extremely well crafted espresso-bar drinks. It's such a valuable and important community space. read more

Asked for a lg decafe , and was handed a small cup. When questioned she told me that was the largest in decafe they make. Wtf? 4.50 for this . Sorry I would rather go to Mickey D's and get a cup of coffee, just as good . read more

Lesbians, lesbians, everywhere, and not a drop to drink. As far as the coffee shops in the Boston area go, this place has to have the most character of any I've visited. Young, energetic crowd engaging in a panoply of activities. I have made this my designated study nook. Why go to a dusty library when you can procrastinate by playing pool or checking craigslist every 5 minutes to see if that cute girl in the corner has posted something about you yet (Trust me, it happens all the time...I feel like people go here for this specific purpose). The coffee is average to mediocre. It's only saving grace is the added touch the baristas give when they make a cute little leaf design in your foam. And that's really only if you tip them. Nonetheless, it's better than Starbucks. read more

Minus a star for being too crowded ALL the time, therefore forcing the staff to be even more inattentive than ever. Every time I go it feels more and more expensive as well. I love to get my coffee on but I just don't feel like I am always getting my money's worth once I go through the obnoxious line, finding my drink somewhere on the counter, and then navigating the individual, laptop-using table hoggers (as one person I have learned that I only need ONE chair and a small table...DUH!). I want to keep that fourth star there but it's just not worthy in my mind. Another day, maybe Diesel can win me back... read more

1. Overcrowded. No one likes paying over $10 for a sandwich and a drink only to find that there aren't any available tables because half the tables are taken up by people who bought a $1.50 cup of coffee 4 hours ago and are playing on their laptop alone at a table for four. I've been here one too many times when you just could not get a table because it's full of people who think coffee shops are libraries, and now I'm never going back. Diesel needs to learn to turnover tables for it's paying customers. After I couldn't find a table after looking around for over 5 minutes, the inept counter staff wouldn't cancel my order. 2. Dirty Overcrowding has led to the second problem, which is that the cafe becomes filthy. People make messes at the tables and don't properly pick up after themselves and the staff is too busy so you end up cleaning up after other people half the time. And the bathrooms? They get disgusting. They smell terrible. Paper towels everywhere. Gross. 3. Paying for wifi? What is this? 2005? Lame. You can sometimes get free access to someone else's network in the back area. 4. Seriously, it's overcrowded. Coffee is good, food can be good, but it's not worth the hassle of going here if you end up just having to leave because there isn't a seat, but can't go to another restaurant because they wont cancel your food order. 5. The days of cruising cute girls are long over. Diesel used to attract attractive girls. Definitely not a place to go people watching unless you like the slightly tubby, middle aged, let-me-show-off my new iphone while i work on my laptop crowd. read more

I've been coming to your cafe for years, and always had great service in the past. Friendly workers, clean. What happened? The last few times i tried to get lunch or just a drink the service was pretty bad. Everything took too long. Tables were not cleaned, bathroom was neglected, but the worst part for sure were the staff. Rude, condescending, and sometimes just straight up ignoring your patrons. Just to be clear. Not all the staff is like this, but it would appear most of them are more interested in flirting with each other and customers than enticing repeat customers. I've done this job. There is no excuse. read more

Been here several times to get coffee to go which is really good. Went there recently on a Friday night after 9 PM with friends. Their chai tea was very good. The atmosphere is chill. I was highly surprised it wasn't busy but right after I thought that the place started to fill up. Yeah, there's a snootyness behind the counter but after you've been there once you get over it... read more

Unpretentious. I think that is the best compliment i can give any cafe. Now i am not some uninformed, entirely uninvolved or socially ambivalent person...but...i don't want to feel like i am supposed to be some pseudo-Che Guevaraian revolutionary to drink a cup of coffee at such a place. Diesel pulls off the hip, anti-commercialist vibe while adding an everyman edge (motorcycle above the entrance, pool tables) that deflates any pent up preconceptions of pretentiousness that one such as myself may have about a cafe. The option of putting booze in one's coffee kicks the vibe up a notch. This really seems like the next incarnation of the bar, or at the very least its viable day-drinking alternative. Coffee, food, booze, pool tables, plenty of space...and did i say unpretentious? Yes? Good. read more

hip crowd. good food. not big on service, but they are friendly and it is worth it. what else do you need?

I wish they accepted cards! And thats why i didnt give them 5 stars. Other than that, i love this cafe. ok another disclaimer, the WIFI isnt free. The coffee is great, ample seating available. Different feel than starbuck, reminds me of Austin, hole in the wall coffee shops! Fun,electic, student and young professionals kind of crowd. Yes, it has the industrial thing going on. But very convinenetly located and plenty of street parking on the weekend. I love their latte's and sandwiches! read more

Cool atmosphere, tasty coffee & yummy sandwiches. It's been pretty loud and crowded when I've gone the last few times on weekends, so finding a seat has been impossible. read more

I really enjoy grabbing a pot of tea and writing here for a few hours during the week. They have an excellent selection of loose leaf teas and their pastries are fantastic. They don't have free wifi, which is a bit frustrating but it also keeps me focused on my thesis. It would be nice though if a purchase came with an hour or two of wifi. I'd definitely work here a lot more often if they did as the lighting is a lot less harsh than the office fluorescents. read more

I'd give it 5 stars for the coffee, the location, the atmosphere. When I lived in Boston, I went to Diesel a lot -- again, for the coffee/location/atmosphere. But, please, to get WiFi at Diesel, the charge is $5/hour or $8/day. Really? Is this 2007 or 2011? We all know that Diesel, like any other cafe, doesn't want folks clogging the available tables for hours with their laptops. Fine, but this is a ridiculous charge for WiFi. If Diesel cut the WiFi charge in half, it would be a great alternative to the Starbucks across the street with free WiFi. As it is, though, Diesel's huge WiFi charge makes it less alternative/hip than Starbucks with its free WiFi. read more

Incredible and unique sandwiches, especially for vegetarians and vegans, as well as great coffee and tea selections. Cozy, cool, and friendly vibe. I honestly cannot give this place any negative comments. Truly a must stop! read more

Ridiculous food. A sandwich with red beet hummus (aesthetically pleasing but just tastes like beets in a paste), avocado, feta, purple onion, etc. on a wheat bread. Those foods simply don't go together. The reason they don't go together is because when they are in your mouth all at the same time it tastes like sewage. Or actually just sharp like feta and purple onion and bitter like beets. Genuinely gross. read more

diesel cafe is a core part of davis square and of the boston queer *scene*. and i do mean *scene*. i have my gripes, and i'm not often here since i don't drink coffee and find the decor to be grimey, uncomfortable, and cold (not cozy like i would prefer in a coffeeshop). but it is what it is- a place to see and be seen, to run into friends, to meet up for a drink, to display local art, to spy on the polyamorous group, to have a missed connection, to take photobooth pictures! (these are all over my fridge) etc etc. i like the monkey wrench sandwhich and sometimes they have good soup, but generally there are better places to eat in the area (they do have vegan snacks here though). lots of drink options, i like the wu wei tea, iced vietnamese or some of the more desserty non-caffeinated drinks. especially with someday gone now, i'm glad diesel is still holding down the square. read more

This is my favorite coffee place in the whole area. The coffee is good, the sandwiches are excellent, and the service folks are the generally some of the nicest people I've ever been served by. It gets a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. If i wanted cheap coffee and shitty food, I'd go to DD's across the street. The owners are really nice as well. My only complaint about the place is the waiting area and the milk/sugar counter get a little crowded when it's busy, and if you're waiting for food, you always feel like you're in somebody's way. But that's a small inconvenience in the big picture. read more

This review is specifically for the internet. I paid $8 for internet and am being kicked off every ten minutes, which has made studying impossible and extremely aggravating. I'm not downloading any files, transferring files, streaming anything, or even listening to music provided by an internet-based service. I don't expect these kinds of issues when I've just paid to access and use the internet. This is incredibly unacceptable. I should've just gone to Starbucks to use free, consistent wifi. read more

Food: Perfectly acceptable. I like the breakfast burrito best. Space: Comfortable enough, I love what they've done to that back of the building. The pool tables and photo booth are a nice touch. Here's why I'm writing this review... Diesel, your espresso is lousy. You source some fantastic beans: Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, and Stumptown! You've got a beautiful La Marzocco espresso machine! What's the problem?! You need to train your baristas. Every shot of espresso I've had here has been poor, and the milk-based drinks have been sloppy at best. It seems the only criteria you have for counter help is that they must wear a stupid hat, large rim glasses and a flannel shirt. If these are your priorities, you might as well save the $$ and start pulling shots of Folgers. read more

As a graduate student who needs to sit around and read for long periods or time... this place is perfect. they don't bother you, the music isn't loud, plenty of room. The staff are nice and friendly. Now, it's perfect unless you get stuck next to a table of role players rambling on and on about their upcoming event. But that only happened once. Usually it's just cute girls with boyish haircuts and people playing board games. Coffee is super good and strong. And it's clean and sleek in its decor. read more

Best coffee joint in the Boston/Cambridge... Love this place

Wonderfully energetic ambiance and fun for people watching. Or maybe it's fun for people who'd rather go table watching. Another crowded coffee place during the weekend, to the point that I'm waiting for a wrestling match to break out whenever a seat opens up. Wi-Fi'll cost ya $. read more

Not terrible, but you are better off getting coffee at Dunkin across the street. They have pool and other stuff to distract you from the over-priced okay-ish coffee, but you'd be better off buying the cheap stuff and spending the rest of your time/money elsewhere. read more

Well of course the sandwiches are expencive - THEY ARE GOOD. I love diesel. I love everything about it. From the yummy sandwiches, to the way they make radishes into an exciting meal of the day, to the gender-ambiguous lesbians working behind the counter. Most of all, I love diesel when they leave their porch open on a sunny day. I don't want to be stuck in air conditioned room, when we only get about 40 days of summer in boston. I'd much rather read my book & eat my food in the sunshine. So keep the porch open diesel :) read more

Overpriced burnt coffee. Staff with attitude. Unclean restroom. Enough said.

GRRRR. As a resident of Davis for about a year now, I've been frequenting Diesel about once a month. Every month I give it another shot, thinking maybe THIS time around I won't leave the place utterly frustrated. Hands down they have amazing coffee, no one will question that. It's about the same price as a Sbux across the street and, in most peoples' opinion including mine, infinitely better-tasting. And I adore their lime rickeys when I'm just not in the mood for a latte (and they do latte foam art too! awesome!) The food is okay, not my favorite in the area, but good for a quick nosh -- perhaps a bit too pricey even for that. HOWEVER. When it comes to seating, this place is as freaking bad as L.A. Burdick's in Harvard Square. No, I take that back, it's worse. At least at Burdick's there's a decent turnover where conversants at the tiny cafe tables leave when their coffee's finished. Here at Diesel, you may notice the large, luxurious booths that easily sit four if not six. And almost all of the time you'll see a lone laptop user or book reader taking up the entire booth, relegating groups to the smaller tables aside. Does this make ANY freaking sense to you? It doesn't to me either. Ask to sit with the lone laptop user and watch how they roll their eyes at you. I only come in here now when I'm getting coffee to go. It's a shame, but the seating arrangements here are infuriatingly awkward. read more

The Diesel Cafe can make one great latte! They also have a nice selection of tea, but unfortunately it is impossible to get a seat. So grab a latte to go and take a walk around Davis! read more

Aesthetic wise Diesel is pretty nice and gives great hipster vibes that are Instagram worthy. I needed something real quick for work so I popped in an ordered a veggie club that sounding amazing between the bacon tempeh and bbq mayo but it was kind of underwhelming. The sour dough bread could have scrapped the roof of my mouth and the tofu was legit just a slice of tofu that was out of the package. If it had a little salt and pepper and was cooked a bit but it was bland af. And the sandwich was almost $12. A bit over priced in my opinion. read more

Diesel is a decent coffee outpost where the food and beverages are considerably outmatched by the overall popularity of the joint. Seriously: it's near impossible to find a seat here, even though you have to pay for Wi-Fi. (I'm not against paying for Wi-Fi, but at Disel, it doesn't seem to help with opening up tables.) The coffee itself is fine and so are the pastries: particularly the croissants and the vegan cookies. But again, I just don't think Diesel lives up to its monumental hype. read more

I love this place. Best hot chocolate around. Someone said the attitude there sucks? I've only experienced utter friendliness. Maybe you get back what you give? Also, the pool tables were affordably cheap for someone just looking for distraction while drinking their coffees/cocoas. =) read more

Diesel is located in a hip, cozy space. The food is decent and the coffee contains caffeine. There's a pool table. What more could you ask for? Well, actually, I have some ideas. First, no rats. I saw some scurrying around. Ugh. Also, the appropriately weird art doesn't distract sufficiently from the grime. Either get even weirder or cleaner, please. Also, the coffee doesn't taste that great. Just go to Three Little Figs. Or Forge, or Bloc 11 (same owners, surprisingly). Or even iYo, which is not nearly as hip but is much better for work. read more

I'm totally into Diesel. After moving to Somerville from the Mission in San Francisco, I have been experiencing severe hipsters-drinking-coffee-while-blogging/coding/photo-shopping-on-their-Macs withdrawal. Diesel is like a tiny slice of Valencia Street - delightful tattoos, tasty coffee, vegan-friendly fare, and (the ever important) bonding over shared outlets. Besides the fact that Diesel's iced coffee does wonders for turning my mid-afternoon drowsiness upside down, I'd go so far as to say that Diesel has improved other aspects of my life. For example, I got a great recommendation for a hair stylist from a woman at Diesel who wanted to share a booth with me. Nice one. read more

I want to like it, I really do. I don't mind the alleged "hipster" vibe -- sometimes the workers are a little detached and offputting, but hey, indie coffee shop. The thing is: the coffee is often sour. Not bitter or strong -- sour, as the result of being brewed badly. And often as in usually. If you load up the cream and sugar you might not notice, but if you like good coffee black, this is just not the place. Espresso drinks are a better bet, so if you wanted just plain coffee, go for an Americano instead. read more

I heart this place, and it is without a doubt my favorite coffee shop in the Boston area. You can drink your favorite caffeinated beverage, eat, and play pool. The coffee is good. It is open late. The space is varied (good spots to sit and study/read, tables and booths to converse with pals, couches and seating to lounge) and is pretty big... but is almost always crowded, which speaks of its popularity. That said, you won't be rushed out the door, which makes the experience just that much more enjoyable. For me, it comes down to that vibe thing, and it is good. read more

I like the atmosphere but the staff is the opposite of friendly. Don't ask any questions. They don't like that. Also, if you order anything from the bakery, don't expect them to turn their body and hand it to you. Expect them to type it into the register and have you wait while they prepare sandwiches until your muffin is next. Then they will call your name. Strange practice. read more

I had just worked out and was wearing a sweaty too-tight ready-to-be-thrown-away-or-turned-into-a-rag t-shirt. I had sort of forgotten to eat and needed something for my walk home so I wouldn't pass out. I was in line and the guy said "what'll it be Miss Dave Matthews Band?" The band name was written very tightly right across my boobs. Maybe I was asking for it, maybe I had low blood sugar, but I kind of wanted to punch him in the face. Then he's trying to flirt with me about the baked goods. I paid 2.25 for a cranberry corn muffin. It was really good (or I was really hungry) (or both) but that's a tad on the expensive side for its modest size. I will only be back in a pinch read more

I'll keep it simple since there are already quite a few reviews but anyways; -it was a little too crowded for my tastes, meh, maybe I'm a bit uncomfortable with claustrophobia & crowds -line moved very quickly, which was a big plus in my book -iced coffee was great! & they have biodegradable straws! -mint chocolate brownie was XXX good! I'll be back to try something other than sweets very soon! read more