I like the environment - the music, the decor. I'm not a huge fan of the menu offerings and the prices. The grilled cheese is good, but I'm sorry...$6 and change for a simple grilled cheese sandwich that took them far longer to make than a grilled cheese should ever take. The coffee is alright...for the price, I'd rather just get Starbucks. I would come back but it's way too pricey to eat here frequently. read more

This is a really cute little cafe with very friendly staff. Their pastries are fantastic, as are all of the prepared foods I've ordered. We take guests staying with us to Kickstand for breakfast and its always a hit. Great atmosphere and a great little local place, that has something for everyone! read more

Apple cider is in season! Not too sweet, very convenient for quick meetups to get a good quality apple cider and baked goods.

Best coffee in Arlington, great selection of food and snacks, I love the salmon bagel !!!! friendly staff and fun place to be !!!

We had a nice experience at the Kickstand Cafe on a Sunday afternoon. The coffee was good and our bacon grilled cheese sandwiches were tasty. It was pretty crowded and we couldn't find anywhere to sit immediately, but the owner went around and asked small parties at larger tables to make room for those of us who had nowhere to sit. The number of people lingering was a testament to the soothing, cozy interior. It was a nice option for us when we needed a quick lunch before a concert at the Regent Theater and didn't have time for a sit-down meal. read more

Yummy muffins, pastries and bagels! We love being able to cycle here and sit at the tables outside. I also love that they use real plates and utensils. There's usually a gentleman there who opens the door for you as you're heading out with hands full. A+ for using local businesses to supply your local business. read more

Definitely no Jam N Java. This is the second time I've been to kickstand. The first time I went, I held my opinion because I was saddened by the loss of Jam N Java and felt my thoughts may have been biased. I ordered the Thai iced tea and a ginger pear scone. The Thai tea was not thai at all and in fact was chai. Although they are listed separately on the menu, do not be fooled, they are the same. The ginger pear scone didn't taste like ginger or pear and could have been used as a paperweight. Looked very delicious but very deceiving. My husband got the smoked salmon sandwich, which really could be called a veggie sandwich with a single slice on salmon. Not impressed. Also as a side note, the decor is terrible. Photos hung with blatant masking tape, holes on walls covered with masking tape, and a modge podge of various old and dirty tea pots with a splash of twinkle lights. Will not be going back. read more

I think this place is pretty awesome...the coffee is delicious, the atmosphere can be a bit overwhelming with all of the strollers, Mum's baby groups, etc and hard to find a seat just to eat a bagel. Extremely loud and can sound like a daycare center. Overall the staff is super friendly, and they have the best Chicken Thai curry soup-ever. But the older dude behind the counter is waaay to grumpy, and looks annoyed that you are there. Great place, wish they had later hours. read more

Consistently lousy service. I don't think their kitchen/staff is equipped for serving meals. Even the basic sandwiches takes forever to be prepared even when the store is not crowded. Impolite staff. Never going back. read more

I love this place. Good coffee and food. The owner is a local and really cares about the community. Staff are friendly. It just feels like a great asset for the Arlington community. Also, they are open even during all these snow storms we've had! And they had a local artist build an igloo and ice sculptures out front. Amazing! read more

Spacious cafe, chill vibe, and free wi-fi! But, average coffee and sub-par baked goods. Depends on what you value.

Arlington has needed this place for a long time. Heck, Cambridge needs a place like this. But I live in Arlington, so I'm thrilled. I come here regularly - in contrast, I pretty much boycotted Jam N Java. The food is healthy and well-made with high-quality ingredients. The Vietnamese spring rolls are a treat. The pastries are delicious and plentiful (though the muffins are just ok - overmixed batter). A good selection of tea, and I like the Earl Grey latte. My only quibble is with the iced coffee - bitter and dilute. I've found the staff to be very nice and helpful. The space is large and clean - the previous owners did *not* prize cleanliness so the improvement is particularly noticeable. I also appreciate their community mindedness. Kids are welcome. There are live music and events, and Kickstand served the intrepid (and the snow plow drivers) during the latest storm, and...there's an IGLOO and snow playspace where the outdoor seating is. read more

The food there is good but the room acoustics are dreadful. Loud. I won't return except for off peak hours. In warm weather you can sit outside, which is fine. read more

My go-to for almond milk lattes, Vietnamese spring rolls, and good vibes. As name suggests, they have bicycle-friendly parking (they're right along the Minuteman commuter/bike trail). read more

I like this place, but can't say there is anything outstanding about it. Their tea is good, but most of the food I've had there isn't that amazing. For example, the bagel and cream cheese option in the morning was quite bland. I will say though, the handmade mugs they use and sometime sell there are quite cute. read more

This local gem a really something special. Great locally baked goodies and lots of tea offerings. The place is very casual and gets lots of traffic from the bike path. At times deafeningly loud, the big crowds tend to pass through pretty quickly leaving this cafe a great place to study for a few hours. Free wifi, big clean gender-neutral bathrooms, beautiful and comfortable wooden chairs and eclectic tables, and excellent location. Their bagels are on point and the iced chai is very good too! read more

Tasty coffee. Yummy treats. Easy to find a seat. Friendly to folks who bring work on a laptop.

They have great coffee, sandwiches and pastries. It is a big place but feels very cozy, although it is usually packed with people at all hours of the day. read more

The owner is really kind and earnest, which is increasingly uncommon. I often get an iced latte, and while it's not epic, it is solid. Their chicken salad is tasty, and I sometimes have it for breakfast. It's quite busy and sometimes hard to find a seat, but the change to having laptop users sit at the bar seats in the windows has helped. It's great to see a bustling cafe in Arlington that provides an alternative to the 'bucks. read more

I have to say, as far as Cafe's go in Arlington, this one is by far the best. The baked goods are always delicious & there chai is by far, my favorite in the area. I come here regularly and will continue to do so! read more

Great food and good coffee. The staff is wonderful. Clean and right off the bike path. Good amount of parking but very popular. The WiFi is decent but searing can be tough..again because it's popular. read more

Nice atmosphere, good coffee and food, friendly and attentive staff. The espresso drinks and the Vietnamese Fresh Rolls are exceptional and a must try. Huge improvement over previous ownership. Locally owned and independent, so a nice alternative to the corporate chains such as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts in the area. Great place to relax and enjoy some warm food and drink. Glad to have them in the neighborhood. read more

A bit overpriced relative to quality. Sandwich and coffee were good; pastry, not so much. A but slow but friendly staff.

Kickstand cafe is the best! Amazing mint matchas and homemade scones. Their thai chicken soup is also a favorite of mine.. AND free wifi is always a plus. read more

Quality place. Great coffee, good food, and friendly staff. Plenty of spots for independent workers at a large communal table or at the counter near the window. I can always find a spot to sit on weekdays. My favorite is the spinach/mushroom/onion egg sandwich with sausage. read more

The food is good but the service is so slow. There is a lot of chatter between staff instead off paying attention to orders. Every single time I have been there they are slow. And, it is always nice to have something just handed to you while staff turns away without saying thank you but is busy talking about their social life or grandmother. How long does it take to toast a bagel? read more

Great place for fresh rolls, meeting a friend & chatting......Ok coffee, friendly folks and the owners set a roll model for other business's recently when they donated a full day's profits to a favorite non -profit (Southern Poverty Law Center). Respect to them. read more

wonderful place, great place to people watch and staff is super friendly. All the food is yummy but I especially love the scones.

Terribly slow lunch service. Had to wait ages for food. When it came it was tasty enough but quite expensive for small sandwiches and soups. The service was nice but just terribly slow in getting food out. read more

My friend and I went to Kickstand Cafe last week to do work - I am studying for the bar exam, and she works from home. We worked at the bar because laptop users are discouraged from using the tables. That was a bit disappointing, as I would have preferred to have sat at a larger table. Notwithstanding, there is ample seating, and everyone who works there is very nice, especially since so many people stay the entire day to work. For breakfast, I had the egg and tomato breakfast sandwich and a cold brew, which were both very good. For a snack, I had a pistachio muffin, which was also tasty. For lunch, I had the hummus and vegetable wrap, which tasted fine but was not particularly special. Overall, I really enjoyed spending the day there and look forward to going back soon. read more

I've been here at least half a dozen times because it's a pleasant trip down the bike path to get to - in fact, the location is probably the main reason it's as popular as it is, not the food nor the coffee. It's pleasant enough, but the food is definitely MEH (I had some gazpacho here that was so over-blended that it was just mushy tomato - gazpacho is supposed to be chopped veggies, not puree) - I had to ask them whether it was the right order and, sadly, they told me it was, the coffee is ordinary, and you frequently can't find a seat because there are so many people who buy a single cup of coffee and then take up a table for hours while using devices. In fact, I've been amused and disgusted to see lots of couples sitting there, homed in on their individual phones or computers and not communicating with each other at all, which is symbolic of our time since I also see such people walking on the bike path: mom on her cell, dad on his cell, kid on its iPad. (Not making this up - have actually seen a line of these folks.) I'm sort of looking forward to seeing what Caffe Nero will be like. Probably the same but maybe the food will be better. People seem to be drawn to anyplace with free wifi. read more

The food is really good and the atmosphere is laid back and fun, but the wait is ridiculous. We only had a couple of people in front of us and ordered 2 sandwiches and waited for over 20 minutes. I could have gone out and bought the ingredients and made them more quickly. And this wasn't the first time I've waited for very long time. Don't go if you're in a hurry unless you're just getting a pastry and coffee. read more

I tried this place twice and found this place to be a waste of money. I don't like their coffee. Croissant was stale, even thought I paid $2+ for the supposedly fresh one. The mozzarella sandwich tasted bland. No real breakfast options. Too much money for the bad quality food and drinks. read more

Kickstand hosted our very successful book signing event. Emily and her staff were gracious and helpful and went out of their way to make everything work smoothly. read more

I have gone three weekends in a row and all three times I was disappointed! All three times I told them I had an allergy to tomatoes and that I wanted just the egg and cheese on a bagel. . .pretty easy you would think. . .well you would be wrong! The first two times there were tomatoes on it and I went back and they fixed it. The third time was the third strike. First sandwich had tomatoes so I went back and told them that I was allergic and they simply removed the insides and put it on a roll, not what I ordered! So I went back a third time and they were out of plain eggs! The server also told with me that I need to be more specific next time when ordering. I ordered just egg and cheese on a sesame bagel, I think that is pretty clear and easy and he told me no and that all there sandwiches come with tomato regardless. So if you have an allergy and tell them so it clearly doesn't matter! I will stick to Gail Anne's! read more

I am from out of town but visit Arlington often because I have family here. I've been to Kickstand Cafe 3x. Once for just drinks and a bagel and it was fine. But, the two times I've come for lunch with the family (their choice - will never be mine), I have waited so long for a grilled cheese sandwich that everyone else was finished eating - literally 20 minutes for a grilled cheese sandwich. Plus, the staff don't seem to care one way or the other. This is the type of atmosphere that starts at the top. I can compare the customer service to the exact OPPOSITE of Trader Joes (as an example) where everyone is always nice and will help you out. If you are from the West Coast this is like comparing McDonald's service (overworked, underpaid, rarely does anyone care) to In and Out Burger where they hire the best staff possible. The food is passable. Their motto and trying to buy local is admirable. But, it will never make up for their bad customer service. read more

ate there today! great spot.. food was great, interior is fun and comfortable... met the owners by chance.. emily and mark... very friendly... will go again soon... going to take my mom read more

the REAL Arlington coffee shop, soulful and local with great staff. lots of good everything. the actual coffee is that oily winey stuff everybody's supposed to like right now, but it's everywhere. if you just want the best coffee, go to Barismo or Peet's in Lex. But if you want the community experience and a lovely morning, come to Kickstand and just put extra milk in it or something. read more