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    J.P. Licks - Cambridge

    3.9 (552 reviews)
    Open • 9:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order J.P. Licks - Cambridge Takeout or Delivery

    J.P. Licks - Cambridge Photos

    J.P. LICKS - CAMBRIDGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Two scoop strawberry on waffle cone
    Rich W.

    Delicious ice cream with steady stream on patrons out the door. The staff is friendly and allows you to sample their homemade ice cream for you to make your choice.

    Lixwich
    Adam H.

    Fantastic little stop on our wandering/walking tour of Cambridge. Such a lovely area the Harvard Square is. Lots of activity from locals, students, and tourists. I could never get any of my kids interested in Harvard, so I never got the official tour. This was my chance, LOL. Well, no school tour, boo... Inside this ice cream shop is like a mixture of punk rock vibe, pink, black, and lovely sweet treats. I kind of like it. It's not like most ice cream shops in the south that I am used to seeing. ANYWHO! I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM! That's my motto basically so let's get it in me. If you pair that ice cream desire with a shot or two of expresso, things really start to look up! Behind the counter folks were ok. No real superstars to speak of. Paid so I did mint have a lot of interaction. This place served its purpose. I am glad we stopped. It looks like it's a chain when I searched it on Yelp. The affogato was really good. Nice and sweet with a big espresso bang at the end! Just lovely. The ice cream sandwiches are good too!! Stop by if you have a chance!!! '26 - 5

    Peanut Butter Cup Sundae
    Kit D.

    This is a great option for ice cream in the Harvard Square area. My girlfriend and I stopped here on a cold winter day (true Bostonians) and each ordered a small peanut butter sundae. We subbed chocolate ice cream for vanilla ice cream, and it was great. It had peanut butter sauce and hot fudge. The guy behind the counter really hooked us up! I couldn't even finish my ice cream! It was a little pricey at $20 for two sundaes, but well worth the treat!

    Coffee cookies 'n cream
    Maggie W.

    J.P. licks is (I think) unique to Massachusetts. Their menu includes ice cream, shakes, coffee, and many other options. They have some unique flavors (e.g. Celtics Pride), while also having their own take on classic flavors for their ice cream. I got the coffee cookies 'n cream and I think it's probably one of the better coffee-related ice creams I've tried. The coffee flavor is rich without being overpowering. The ice cream melts in your mouth and is just the right amount of creaminess. I also got a FroJo, and I think if you like your coffee sweet this is a great option for you! The coffee notes carry throughout, but are a bit overwhelmed by whatever else they add to the drink. I liked that they also had cow-related products for sale, such as cow-shaped bowls and mugs. The barista / ice cream servers made and scooped my order very quickly. There's limited seating inside, but there are also tables outside of the inside is full.

    Jason C.

    I don't know what else to say other than it is a cute little ice cream shop! the flavors weren't anything unique or special but it was definitely good and creamy ice cream. I think think its local so thats why It was recommended to us but I do remember it tasting really good even though it was 20 degrees outside.

    Richard D.

    Conveniently locared in Harvard Square, J.P Licks is steps away from Harvard University! With a large variety of flavors for ice cream, yogurt, and sundaes, there's something for everyone. Service was quick, efficient, and includes samples. We got the black raspberry and coffee cookies and cream. Unexpectedly, the mixture worked. Definitely coming back to try other flavors and get the coffee cookies and cream again!

    Latte
    Mito I.

    Brief Summary: - Ice cream has creamy flavor but light like a sherbert - Coffee is not sour - Indoor and outdoor seating - Along the streets close to the Harvard University The weather that day started off cold and rainy, and then the rain died down in the afternoon. However, the clouds remained, so as the sun shown its strength, it grew humid and warm. Earlier was a day for warm dishes and soups, now it became more of craving cold drinks and desserts. Along the rows of stores and food places, there was one place that felt new to me and it was J.P. Licks. The message of having coffee and ice cream lured us inside. There were a small amount of tables and chairs inside as well as out, and we found a bar styled seating near the store windows. They offered different types of cup sizes and waffles options, but for starters we chose the second to the smallest cup and ordered the mint chocolate chip. I also got a relative a latte because they don't eat ice cream. We enjoyed the ice cream's texture, almost like a sherbert. It's almost like eating iced milk and cream, that was how strong the creaminess was. The mint and chocolate chip was refreshing; a soft touch of the mint was tasted within it

    Cookie dough
    Jenny T.

    Food: First JP Licks ever in my 7 years here, and after a random ice cream craving, I will say it was good! They let you try samples which is really nice! I was debating between mint cookies and cream and cookie dough. Service: It's ice cream, so it's fast (obviously). The worker was nice for letting me try samples :) Ambiance: I love how there is both indoor and outdoor seating, and Harvard Square is a lovely area to have a JP licks.

     a person holding a cup of ice cream
    Samantha C.

    Came in at a slow time of the day so I can't speak on service during busy hours which a lot of the reviews here do however, the employees were great when we were there. We got to sample flavors (there was 5 of us) and they were really attentive. I just wanted a little something sweet after lunch and they had the perfect mini cup size. It was also a cold day (for us Floridians) and we all ended up ordering hot chocolates. Everything was tasty and we had no complaints!

    Christine H.

    So good! Expensive ice cream, but so creamy. Many flavors to choose from. It is a fairly small store located on the street with other stores and restaurants. We were looking for a place to have dessert after dinner and JP Licks hit the spot!

    Froyo

    Food: 6/10 Service: NA Ambiance: Nice college town vibe Got the froyo. Much better than yogurtland and quite refreshing, but it's not significantly different.

    Garen A.

    Decent selection of choices, but for the price and amount you get I wasn't too impressed. I do like the location, right in the heart of everything, and the staff was nice enough, but overall I think there are better ice cream spots in the city! Stay Cheerful

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    1 year ago

    No line and fast service midafternoon on a weekday. The summer peach flavor was delicious. Standards ice cream place otherwise

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    2 years ago

    Yummy ice cream. Definitely a local spot to check out. Big scoops even for their smallest cup. Trust!

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    1 year ago

    While it's a bit expensive it's known in the Boston area for a reason. Good ice cream, sundaes, and toppings

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    2 years ago

    Ice cream was okay. This location has outdoor patio seating which could be nice on a summer night.

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    Page 1 of 14

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    Yafa Bakery & Cafe - Baklavas in the midst of a busy store!

    Yafa Bakery & Cafe

    4.9(210 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    I'm slightly hesitant to write this review because I don't want to overhype it, but I'm not one to…read moregatekeep a truly wonderful spot that a local friend suggested before he moved away. The hospitality here is top-notch--the owner is incredibly friendly and welcomes practically everyone who walks through the door with a delicious sample of their chai. When it's not completely slammed, they are generous with free samples, which makes exploring their menu so much fun! Love supporting this locally owned Palestinian bakery. I've tried the Napoli and the Pistachio Baklava so far, and both were insanely tasty. The chai is an absolute must-try! When dining in they also have a cute plating where they add flower petals. Next time I'd also like to try some of their savory menu items too. As others have mentioned, the seating space inside is super tiny, so plan accordingly. The first time I met up with a friend here for chai around 10:00 AM, it was nice and calm, but by 11:00 AM there was already a line out the door. It fills up fast, but it is completely worth it.

    Yes, that's it. I have never tried pastries from this culture, but it was phenomenal…read more Staff is very friendly and gave me samples. I'm a business partner but I'm not biased. I'm very surprised I enjoyed everything. Fresh pastries, what I assume is "halal" ingredients, great staff, and much more. Well worth the stop.

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    Vinal Bakery - The G.O.A.T.

    Vinal Bakery

    4.8(166 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    •$$

    I had to try this place after seeing it online! If you came in by car, there is street parking…read morebehind the building. The inside is relatively small, but can fit at least 2 parties of 4. A lot of orders are for pick up, and this is definitely the move if you want to avoid the wait. - G.O.A.T., (5/5): added a turkey sausage - delicious! egg was perfectly cooked and the English muffins were nicely toasted - Sausage McVinal, (4.5/5): so good. If you like a classic egg McMuffin, this is that but 10x better - Sam-I-Am, (4/5): after we tried the other to-go orders... we decided to try more. this tasted so good fresh, and the garlicky greens were a bit wet, but added a nice punchier flavor I would 100% come back here again, and I left with 2 types of English muffins (original and jalapeño corn) and they were GREAT. A simple cream cheese or salted butter spread, toasted is great. The texture is what sets it apart from other English muffins. I wish they lasted longer in the pantry. The shelf life is around 4-5 days, but then the solution would be to just have a constant shipment of them. Problem solved ;^)

    Made my way to Vinal Bakery on a Sunday in the late morning and I have to say that this tiny but…read moremighty cafe and bakery is a pretty solid choice for a quick and satisfying breakfast sandwich. The place was extremely busy yet well organized as they were pushing orders out efficiently and in a timely manner without sacrificing the quality of the product. I ordered the iced maple latte and the G.O.A.T. with the addition of bacon on their classic English muffin. The latte was very good. The breakfast sandwich was also delicious. The egg was cooked a little bit more than I would've liked, but the bacon was cooked perfectly, the goat cheese butter added richness, the pesto was fresh and their house made English muffins are excellent. It's obvious that they use great quality ingredients for everything they make. It's also not crazy expensive which is also a plus. It's a little bit out of the way for me, but if I'm ever around Union Square again I'll make a point to return!

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    Vinal Bakery
    Vinal Bakery - GOAT

    GOAT

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    Mike's Pastry - Nutella cannoli

    Mike's Pastry

    3.9(583 reviews)
    0.1 mi•Harvard Square, Riverside
    •$

    I hadn't had a cannoli in a while, so I was excited to try the ones at Mike's Pastry in Harvard…read moreSquare and they definitely did not disappoint in terms of size! These cannolis are enormous, practically a pound each. They're definitely on the pricey side, but you get a huge cannoli, and honestly, one is more than enough to fill you up. Even two people could easily share one. We also tried the Oreo cheesecake and one of their cakes. Both were good, but I personally enjoyed the cannoli much more than the cake. Next time, I think I'll skip the other desserts and stick with the cannoli. That's definitely what I'd come back for!

    Mike's Pastry is the place that is on every single must visit in Boston list. So, when we walked by…read moreone near Harvard Square, we had to stop by. This one didn't have a long line that I knew their North End location would certainly be marked by. On our first visit, we tried a plain cannoli to have a baseline of what to expect. We also tried a pistachio macaron. On the second visit, we tried a red velvet whoopie pie and a pistachio cannoli. The cannoli's are fire. The shell is thick, crispy and they hold up. They're stuffed with sweet creamy ricotta. It's a perfect pairing of soft cream and a hard shell. This location had a few bar seats available at the window and against the wall. There's a huge window of sweet treats on display. I definitely recommend visiting, try a cannoli and get something to go. They have everything from lobster tails to Boston cream pie. I think it would take someone with a lot of will power to come here and walk out without getting something.

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    Mike's Pastry - Florentine Cannoli

    Florentine Cannoli

    Mike's Pastry
    Mike's Pastry - Amaretto cannoli

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    J.P. Licks - Cambridge - icecream - Updated October 2026

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