Today, I had the opportunity to attend the soft open for Forge. I was very pleased. Disclaimer: for their soft open, the team offered their full coffee/drink selection and various pastries and breads. I was hoping to grab a sandwich, but it looks like I'll have to wait a few weeks. In true Diesel and Bloc 11 styling, this place has a sophisticated and put-together feel to it. From the outside, it doesn't seem like it would be that big of a space, but upon entering, I was greeted by high ceilings and minimalistic and funky decor. The white walls and natural wood accents in the shelving and counter truly create a relaxing and focused atmosphere. The staff was friendly and precise, and were doing well with the hectic nature (that is to be expected) of a soft open. I had to wait a little while for my pourover coffee (I selected the Kenyan Intelligencia blend, as advertised on the small clipboard next to the register - a nice touch). I'm pretty sure the barista was still in training, so she had to make my coffee twice, but I guess the second time was the charm... it was awesome. I enjoyed the italian herb and cheese focaccia... don't miss it. They also had a potato leek variety that I will try next time I'm in. The vibe is relaxed, clean and welcome to this area of Somerville. The stretch of Somerville Ave. between Porter and Union needed a breath of fresh air, and Forge certainly seems to be it. All the best to the crew as you prepare for your grand opening in a few weeks! read more

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we stopped in for lunch before kicking off a brewery hop for the afternoon and overall thought it was really good. the menu is really appealing and healthy with spins on traditional sandwiches. i ended up getting the emery, which had edamame hummus sandwich on wheat bread with tomatoes, cucumbers, tempeh, and greens. it was delicious, and really hearty for being vegetarian and i wasn't even able to finish the whole thing. my sister got the spicy club which i also really liked but it was a huge sandwich and a little messy, and my friend got the broadway. my husband wasn't feeling too well so we got him the bread plate which came with a generous portion of sourdough, apples, and really delicious butter and jam. we finished with a brown butter chocolate chip cookie which was delicious. the reason for 4-stars is that it took forever to make the food, at least 10-15 minutes just for sandwiches and this was not at a rush hour. they haven't really nailed the system for pickup and it was very confusing if two people ordered the same type of sandwich for whose was up when. plus they were out of eggs when we got there. read more

Really 3.5 stars, but the staff are super nice so I'll spot them the extra half. They make a perfectly serviceable latte, and their baked goods are very good. I was in with a friend, and she said her ice cream was excellent. The vibe is nice, the seating is ample (which is rare as hell in Somerville these days, especially now that the weather is nice), and the wifi is free. The big gripe I have is their pricing. Their coffee and sandwiches are good, but not nearly good enough to justify being that much more expensive than the better shops in the area, plus the portions are small in a relative sense. I'll probably go back, but wouldn't go out of my way. read more

Always fantastic. The specialty sandwiches are my great, especially on a toasted salt bagel.

I really want to like this place. I've visited many times at different times of day to see if it would be better when they weren't so busy. The staff is nice and the product is good, but not good enough to warrant the prices and, honestly, the wait time for the food is unlike any other place I have ever been. I once went in when there was no one in line in front of me and I waited 15m for an egg and cheese. Maybe it's their toaster that's slow? Also 9/10 times the food order isn't even done correctly. Again, if you have the time and the money to spend, it's pretty good and the atmosphere is nice. But I don't think I'll be back. read more

AH-MAZING. This coffee shop/bakery is complete with delicious coffee, assorted baked goods, ICE CREAM, free wifi, and a roomy, quiet atmosphere. The coffee shop is quite large with plenty of seating for groups, students studying or a quick catch up with friends! There is a lot of natural lighting that comes in through the windows and large lights for all of your studying needs! I had a small drip coffee which was smooth, fruity and delicious! Their pastries also all look delicious - ranging from buns to ham and cheese croissants to amazing looking muffins! There is also a food menu for those who want a meal! If you aren't feeling coffee, they have house specials such as raspberry soda or cardamom lattes. The staff was very friendly and the space was perfect for studying! I definitely want to come back to try the ice cream and a pastry. :) read more

Visited Forge four times for take out items only (three small sliced sourdough loaves, and a scone). I refuse to pay their astronomical prices for sandwiches, however I appreciate the quality of the produce is probably excellent. The sourdough bread is really good, the scones are huge and of ample size to share between two. The prices here inspired me to do some home baking, I baked a batch of scones for less than the price of one in this place. This place always seems packed with people staring at electronic devices. read more

Look--I'm NOT that guy. I don't troll Yelp for hours and leave shitty reviews for places willy nilly. I don't even think I have an account, I had to sign up after writing this and re-paste this back into the review box. But look. This place is SO CLOSE to being what I wanted. It's a cool atmosphere, they've certainly got that. They have rustic yuppy chairs and tables. They have cold brew. They have embossed letters spelling "FORGE" above their windowed and diverse kitchen area. Great. What's not great was literally every part of my experience here. That sounds dramatic. Let me tell you -- it is. I'm pissed. I walk in, look at the menu board (30 feet from the cashier, better remember your order!) and found what I wanted -- a bacon egg and cheese and an iced coffee. Sounds pretty simple, I think. I walk up, ask for that, it's $14.02, I pay, I-- wait wait wait. What? It's $14.02? WHAT? fourteen dollars for those two items? Did I accidentally throw in another sandwich? An order of caviar? A macbook pro? Like what in this order brings a coffee and a sandwich to be double what I pay at Magnificent Muffins and Bagels in Teele Square (my MagMuff order actually featuring a bigger iced coffee, btw). Is it the cold brew? is it the smokewood part of the bacon? is it the organic-ness of the english muffin? Did Pope John Paul christen this sandwich with the holy word? Did Beyonce like sneeze on this sandwich or something like what is the DEAL okay. So it doesn't register with me how much it costs until halfway through using their touch-pad thing to finish ordering and they ask for tip. Sorry, I really don't have any remaining cash to tip you with. I can't! Fourteen dollars! to make a long story short I get my order, I stir milk in my coffee, keep the stirrer and napkins because there's no visible trashcan at the rustic milk and sugar table made of old machinery, and I sit at my table that looks like driftwood and doesn't sit still because one of the legs are bent and shakes the table. The sandwich was exactly what I expected: just a sandwich, it's pretty good, not bad. Not made with gold foil or crafted by Beyonce Knowles (I don't think? I can safely assume). Again--not that guy. This is hopefully my first and last Yelp review. But I had to. This was one big exhale. The second star is because there is free wi-fi. EDIT: I've calmed down and realize now that this was extra so +1 star (I also did get a lot done there which idk if it was because of Forge but still, wasn't all bad except for the whole $14.02 ordeal) read more

It's at a convenient location, and the staff is extremely nice. But I can't stand the ever-present smell of food, on the burned toast to roasted garlic spectrum, so prominent it's both oppressive while there and I can smell it off myself for hours after I leave. Espresso drinks are nothing to write home about, and breakfast sandwiches are way overpriced. read more

Second time here. First time was about 6-8 months ago and I had the same experience. They did not seem busy at all. All the online order customers walked right in and got their orders immediately. They do not take cash. I ordered and waited a solid 15 minutes for a bagel. Asked for it toasted. Finally get bagel, barely toasted. In fact the bagel is soggy and there is no crisp. Mind you this bagel is more than 5 dollars toasted with cream cheese. Bagel had no heat as it probably sat for ten minutes after they "toasted it". Will not be back read more

Love, love, love this place. It's gotten me through exam period. There's always seating during the week, free wifi and plenty of outlets. Their salads are fantastic. The staff is super friendly. And they've got the best playlists. read more

Forge Baking Company - Cafes Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Came here for brunch last weekend. Loved the coffee and pastries but was sadly let down by the breakfast sandwich and breakfast bowl I ordered. The bowl was lacking flavor and the sandwich was very run-of-the-mill without any real pizazz. I would love to come back and sample the enticing lunch options, however the hot breakfast options remain this establishment's limiting factor. read more

I can't even express how I'm feeling about this fig bar right now. Totally delicious. Cool space, friendly staff and a lovely selection of teas and baked goods. Very happy to have stumbled upon Forge read more

Forge Baking Company - This fig bar is friggin' delectable - Cafes Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The food and beverages are very good (delicious coarse-cut grits). The place is spacious, the wifi free, and it's located in a spot that definitely needed a nice coffee shop. However I might not return. The prices are higher than Bloc 11 - around $10 for sandwiches, $3 for a cookie, $8 for a loaf of bread !! Even in a Paris (France, not Texas) bakery bread baked on location isn't that expensive. In the middle of a neighborhood which is still partly working-class, it feels like an insensitive pricing policy that is making this place excluding instead of hospitable to all. Please Forge, review your prices, or try to have a selection of affordable goods along with the rest. I really want to like you and become a regular, but in this context it's impossible - am sad enough about excessive gentrification of Somerville, and your driving up prices next to Papa John's Pizza isn't helping. read more

We live on the West Coast, but when we visit Cambridge, we ALWAYS go here, particularly for the pastries. They're not cheap - but good pastries are not cheap. (Do you really want to pay as little as possible for something that you eat?) Also, the coffee is excellent; not just the flavor, but the preparation (temperature, foam) read more

I really want to leave a 5-star review for Forge because it has so much potential to be my favorite place, but I get hung up on portions and prices. Let's start with coffee which is a solid 4 stars. The coffee service is pretty much the same as Diesel Cafe in Davis and Bloc 11, except for their much-hyped Nitro coffee. I've tried Nitro and it is literally cold brew coffee served out of beer keg. It comes out as a Guinness-like, frothy, multi-layer coffee which brings out the sweet and creamy notes of coffee (think espresso crema). Coolness points should be awarded for Forge apparently collaborating with local Aeronaut Brewery to perfect this offering. That being said, it's $5 for a tiny 12 oz pour. For the more practical patron, I recommend you stick to an iced americano or iced coffee and add a little liquid sugar plus milk and you essentially have the same flavor profile as Nitro. Let's move onto the food which is a 2.5 star adventure. The coolest part of Forge is that it is a working bakehouse, providing all the baked goods for sister cafés, Diesel and Bloc 11. It is so cool to watch bakers at work from the viewing window in the back. They feature an assortment of breads and baked goods along with some tasty sandwich options. All this being said, the prices are absolutely prohibitive. The best bargain is a $4.50 fresh-baked French baguette. Tiny scones run for $3, small artisanal bread loaves for $7+ and their breakfast sandwich options are pitifully small. I had the SAME breakfast sandwich I get at Bloc 11 (egg and cheese with cheddar on sourdough) and it was literally HALF the sandwich for a dollar more. $5.60 gets you one slice of bread, halved with an egg patty sandwiched between. I am still hungry as I write this review which is why I might come across as negative. The food is delicious, don't get me wrong, it's just very pricy for very little. In short, go to Forge with a full belly and you'll be fine. Grab a coffee and relax in the cool ambiance or get some work done on your laptop (wi-fi is pretty awesome). read more

Forge Baking Company - Literally HALF the breakfast sandwich I'd get at Bloc 11. Delicious, just very small for $5.60. - Cafes Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Four stars for vibe and food: Forge has pretty tasty food and a great chill vibe that's conducive to a nice afternoon of sitting down for a little work or meeting up with friends. Their staff seems to be very friendly, too! Two stars for pricing: The menu items at Forge are grossly over-priced for the portion you get. I've tried three of their sandwiches, all of which were barely satisfying and 9+ bucks a pop. Bloc 11 in Union Square serves large tasty breakfast sandwiches for at least 2 dollars less. Same ingredients. Two stars for service: Each time I've tried Forge (4 visits, I think) I have waited an unreasonable amount of time for food and coffee. I once waited 30 minutes, my breakfast sandwich was wrong, and then 10 more minutes to fix it. This is not just during a rush. I recently went in on a Wednesday morning to grab a quick sandwich and coffee to-go. Only three others in the cafe and one person ordered ahead of me. It somehow took 10-15 minutes to get the sandwich made. I hope they will improve their service soon! Until then I'm heading to Bloc 11 in Union square for quick service, decent prices, and yummy food. read more

I don't hate this place, but I don't love it either. I'd say out of the three Diesel offshoots (Diesel, forge and Block 11) this is my least favorite.. The pros: HUGE space, with good lighting, lots of seating, cold brew iced coffee is smooth and not acidic at all. Cons: If you think they'll have what's on the website menu godspeed and good luck because they won't. I came here in November looking for the horchata expresso and they didn't have it, and still don't have it... it's April. But it's still on the website. Coffee/latte menu is quite boring, and pretty expensive. Only 'exciting' one is the Cardamom latte. There is also not much in the way of other drinks that are non-coffee. Soy milk is the alt milk -yuck. Parking can be HORRENDOUS. One day I had to leave after circling 5 times. Sharing the tiny lot with the dance studio and a dollar tree makes for quite a mess. But the worst thing is the service, brisk, semi rude and when we were there today the manager and staff made their friends drinks (who came in after us) before ours even though we were there first. Then went 'Oh, they're still waiting? ' Mind you we were literally waiting for iced coffee, the easiest drinks ever. If I can actually figure out when the horchata expresso would be back I may return, but otherwise I don't think this place is worth the effort... read more

I'd been wanting to try Forge ever since it opened. There's a serious dearth of coffee shops in the area and with the reputation of Diesel and Bloc 11, I definitely had high expectations. Unfortunately, Forge was fairly lacking. First off, we only got coffee so I can't speak to any of the food. I would note however, that there were not many options, especially for breakfast. When 2/3 of your name is "baking Company", I don't think it's unrealistic to expect a good assortment of pastries, scones, breads, etc. maybe we hit them at a bad time (10:30am on a Saturday) but there were only about 2 options on display, neither of which looked very substantive. Regardless, we didn't write Forge off completely and grabbed a horchata and chai latte. The size was medium at best, but the flavor was just not there. The chai flavors were muted and had no depth, while the horchata resembled nothing of the sort - honestly it tasted more like a bad iced coffee. I couldn't finish either, making it a waste of $10. Excellent decor and large open interior but that's not enough to make up for the prices and lack of quality/variety. I can't imagine myself returning unfortunately and I'm a bit concerned after this experience since both Bloc 11 and Diesel have instituted new menus using Forge breads and pastries. read more

Delicious bread - ciabatta for Cuban sandwich is excellent. The baguette eaten with dinner later was similarly excellent. However, the process of ordering and receiving a sandwich took nearly 30 minutes. The Cuban is comprised of ham, Gruyere and delicious pork with a spicy mustard. Missing: the pickles. Hopefully next time but I can't afford to wait for 30 minutes for a sandwich without even an apology for the wait. There seems to lack a system to prepare and make sandwiches as everyone waiting in front of me also had issues with getting the proper items in their order or had to wait an inordinate amount of time. The space is nicely appointed and large and can easily hold many people while they wait for their food. read more

Nice overall atmosphere and appearance, friendly staff, and good ice cream. Fairly short list of flavors and you might want to walk - parking is tough. read more

With lots of delicious pastries and sandwiches on the menu, I let myself stroll over to Forge as a treat once or twice a month. It's a bit pricey, but I think the quality makes it worth it for me. My only gripe is the WiFi at Forge is essentially unusable. Every time I've gone, whether there's a large or small crowd, I can hardly check my email. With the coffee shop being so large, it's a bummer that I can never stay for an hour or so to get some work done online. read more

I LOVE Diesel and Bloc 11, so I was excited to try Forge. I have been twice so far; I was disappointed on a couple of different fronts. First, as one reviewer mentioned, the prices at Forge are prohibitive and totally out of keeping with a. the prices of the owners' other two cafes and b. the neighborhood it is situated in. I'm not sure the average Union Square dweller is going to want to part with $9 or $10 for a latte and a pastry. Food was a mixed bag-- I had a carrot and ginger soup that was poorly seasoned and almost chalky. However, the Cobble Hill salad was very good. The bread--as one would expect-- was phenomenal, and I would probably go back just to pick up a loaf or two. The baristas are talented and the espresso drinks were great by my metric. It seems unlikely that the Manhattan-style prices here will go down (as the surrounding areas will no doubt start following suit), but if they did, I might become more of a frequent visitor. read more

The best coffee / bakery place in Boston. Have had many things and come many times. Everything is always excellent. read more

Was doing grocery shopping and decided to stop by Forge for the first time to get lunch. Coffee (cold brew) was great. The scopes have way too much icing for my liking- made it too sweet Autobahn was yummy, loved the pesto and the cheese was perfect (not too heavy and perfectly melted)- Recommend this sandwich! The atmosphere is good- there's seating in the back and in the front. Hipster decor and has an ice cream parlor next door. (have not tried the ice cream yet) read more

The food is five stars but don't order on site. Even though people work there they aren't talking to you at this time so you have to order through a computer that doesn't have all choices (eg, no ice, where is this grocery thing I took from the shelf but is on one of ten screens and takes forever to find). You can't see pastries and there's no one to explain it. Order from home at your leisure or wait until it opens again. read more

Updating my review. I still very much love this space, but it's become one of the most expensive bakery/coffee shops in the area. The quality is fine, but it's not worth the prices they charge (certainly for the size, regarding baked goods). Sadly, I think more and more establishments in Somerville will soon follow suit! read more

Intelligentsia coffee, free wifi, and awesome breads. How could you go wrong? Somerville Avenue has been long overdue for a make over. With new restaurants popping up near Union Square (namely A4 Pizza), specialty coffee joints seem to be here to stay. I'm a HUGE fan of the Biscuit in Somerville and it will probably continue to be one of my favorite little coffee shops in my neighborhood, but Forge is a lot bigger and you don't have to worry about getting there with work to do and not finding a seat. It's industrial decor, mix of wood, iron, and vaulted ceilings gives it such a cool look inside. When you first walk in you don't realize at first that there is a back to the place where there are huge ceilings and windows where you can watch the staff bake bread. The wifi is free and if you are a scholar, student, work-a-holic, or _______, this you will appreciate because free wifi has seemingly come to an end in most Boston area coffee shops (unless your Starbucks). There are lots of tables of various sizes good for gabbing, working, or just enjoying a newspaper. I've never had to graze to wait for a table, but the secret is out and there seem to be a lot more people there now so you may very well have to wait for a table during peak hours. Intelligentsia coffee is served here and while it's cool to get individualized pour-overs, I'm not the biggest fan of the coffee itself. If you like bitter notes in your coffee than you'll really like it. The bread is great and they have a great selection, but their baked good offerings are smaller than you'd expect. I haven't tried their sandwiches or salads but it seems like a lot of people order them there so maybe on my next visit I'll give them a shot. Forge is a cool place for sure and while in some ways I can't help but scoff at the continued gentrification of hipsterville--ahem I mean Somerville--it's great having a coffee shop where you know you can get a seat when you want to get work done. They also have small parking lot in front so if you're planning on driving they've got you covered. read more

The first thing that struck me upon coming here is the amount of space they have. This is a place that is expecting to have lots of traffic. Because its still new at 12pm on a Thursday there was no line for lunch. Although there should have been because they have some mighty tasty sandwiches... (if only the price was as easy to swallow). $6 for a simple grilled cheese is a bit steep. The brew Intelligenca coffee which in my coffee critic opinion has seen better days. There are 50+ better roasters out there then Intelli. I know this place is associated with Diesel and Bloc 11 both of which serve Intelli so i guess there is a relationship there.... but in my opinion its time to move on. read more

I LOVE the Forge and could not recommend it more!!! I live within walking distance which is good for my stomach but bad for wallet. But seriously, you have to go here! My favorite is their breakfast and pastries. You need to get maple butter on your breakfast sandwich- AMAZING! I love their sticky buns and muffins. Their soup is homemade and killer (especially the Chicken Noodle). I'm also a huge tea snob and love their teas! Their chai latte is great and I get their iced tea frequently in the summer. I have been so impressed with the Forge during the pandemic. I have been anxious about getting food out and the Forge makes me feel so comfortable. You are able to order online and pickup outside contactless. Thank you Forge staff!! read more

Forge is AMAZING. I seriously love this place. The food is phenomenal, the ice cream is even better, and the service is fantastic as well. I genuinely enjoy being here. Special shout out to the people that work at the ice cream counter - they are always willing to give samples, and they are enthusiastic and excited to be there. I also love the chicken salad here. You can't go wrong with any of their baked goods either. My only complaint would be the people that plant themselves there and work, hogging all of the tables. It's a bit frustrating when you are there to eat a meal and there's no where to sit because everyone is sitting alone with their computers out. read more

very friendly and hip place, tasty breakfast, especially the honey oat sandwich with egg and pesto, they also know how to make black tea. I like their wooden furniture and the big space but the naked big white walls and all the ventilation tubes are not quite what I would call "nice", certainly personal preference though. read more

Forge Baking Company - Cafes Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I love this place but I'm disappointed it's actually more expensive than Starbucks, and I wish it wasn't because I would be here several times a week instead only 5 times since it opened. On another note, I loved this chocolate bundt thing I had once, sadly I never saw it again. It seems like they are inconsistent with their pastries. The hot chocolate is fabulous and the homemade marshmallow is the icing on the cake. Love it enough to make me pay $4.50 for it, ouch. And it's a small size. Also, I don't like the creepy artwork. read more

The most splendid cafe and bakery on the entire Atlantic seaboard! They serve Intelligentsia (Chicago) coffee and bake the finest breast kneaded by the delicate fingers of angels. Atmosphere: 100/5 Music:: 100/5 Pastries: 1000^100/5 (best bread in the United States (Vienna is my bench mark for the quality of bread, it must be the excellent water)) Coffee & Tea: 100/5 Forge doesn't fuck around, they built a parklet of top notch quality for the residents of Somerville within 2 days flat! These people are awesome. If Forge decided to get into coffee roasting, I'm sure they could figure out a way to roast a world class coffee. - Sam read more

My partner and I ordered an Everything Bagel with Scallion Cream Cheese and the bagel was too salty to be edible. I couldn't eat more than two bites of it and wanted to return it. I asked the manager if I could and even though she did void the transaction, she was extremely rude. Both my partner and I felt like the staff was acting if they did us a favor by returning our money when we refused to eat admittedly horrible food. Never coming here again. read more

Forge, owned by the same folks that do Diesel Cafe and Bloc 11 Cafe, vies for the jewel in the tiara of this bakery/cafe chain with Diesel. It offers a great space to meet up with a friend or grab a table to hunker down and do work for a couple hours. The Food/Drink: I am not a coffee drinker, so I can't comment on its quality (although they have so many fancy toys and hipstery methods of making coffee that I have to assume it is superb.) However, the food offering are delicious. They or exorbitantly priced for the portions you get, but if you are feeling indulgent, they are delicious - particularly the baked goods, which are made on site, and supply their other cafes. For the best bang for your buck, try one of the breakfast sandwiches, which are pretty delicious and almost as filling as the $10 sandwiches... The Experience: The space is open and industrial-chic, which works well, because its spaciousness also allows a lot of people to find a place to sit. It can be busy, but there is usually a space or two to plunk down and work. The extra perk, at least as of writing this, the WiFi is free! (A rarity in the Camberville cafe scene.) It's also in a nice location that suffered as a cafe dead-zone for a long time. read more

A great place to get work done and grab a coffee. It looks like a hole in the wall but the place is actually spacious and has good food. I haven't had a hard time finding a place to squat. read more

Great spot to come study and enjoy a dank ass sandwich. My favorite is the Broadway, which has fresh mozz, pesto and tomato. WiFi is pretty slow though, be warned! The biggest downfall for Forge are actually their pastries, which is odd to say for a big hipster industrial bakery-lookin' place. The pumpkin bread tastes like nothing, and they don't have any way to heat up croissants. Who wants a cold chocolate croissant?? Not this girl. I pray every day that they will add a savory cheddar scone or pasilla biscuit to their repertoire. Love ya, Forge!! read more

This one is for their ice cream bar. Holy shit what a difference. Their bakery is okay to admire from afar. But the ice cream... there's no ambivalence. The vanilla malt ice cream gives me a feeling. The blueberry ice cream as well. So good I got sad for leaving. So good so to others do not tell. read more

As many living in the neighborhood, we were excited to have forge opening at Somerville Ave. The location is nice and convenient, and the sandwiches good. However, and here it comes... Prices are just insanely high. A (pretty delicious) loaf of bread costs over $8 (!!!), the sandwiches about $10 - $11. This is just way too much, and unfortunately a reason not to go back right now. Pretty sad! read more