Moody and Main Street provide Waltham with fantastic food, ranging from Chinese to Indian to Mexican to
American. Whatever you want, you can find it downtown. That is except for coffee.
I’m an avid coffee drinker; I’m even drinking it while I write this article. However, my coffee intake actually decreases when I’m at Brandeis because of the coffee at Einstein’s. I’m sorry, but the acidic, bitter, burnt, old coffee at Einstein’s just doesn’t cut it for me; it’s a last resort when I absolutely need to stay awake.
Dunkin’ Donuts does have its perks, but occasionally the line is out the door. Other times you’re not feeling Dunks generic coffee, and want something special but there are no Starbucks except a fifteen-minute drive away (and driving to Wellesley just for a latte is a bit excessive). Recently, I decided to step outside my comfort zone of dorm-room-brew and Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee, and try a locally owned shop—Café on the Common.
First, let’s talk location. Café on the Common is roughly a mile, mile and a half away from campus. It is located at 677 Main Street, right across from Moody Street. If you’re up for a walk it’s not that bad, however, if you have access to a car, it is not as easy. Downtown Waltham is terrible for driving. You can take a Bran Van there, but they will probably have as much trouble with downtown driving, if not more. As for parking, I parked about two blocks away next to Sushi Box. There is also a parking garage around the corner.
Now, let’s talk coffee. In order to give you a full report on how Café on the Common was, I tried three different drinks:
1. Basic coffee
This was just okay. It wasn’t too bitter, and it wasn’t too smooth. If you’re looking for spectacular coffee, this wasn’t it. But if you’re looking for basic coffee this will work. One small complaint I had was that there wasn’t any splenda; only sugar and sweet and low.
2. Café Mocha
This was actually really yummy. I find that some places put too much chocolate in and you end up getting the gritty feeling at the end, however, that wasn’t the case here. It was just sweet enough, and didn’t leave me cringing at the end. I definitely recommend you get this drink.
3. Hot Apple Cinder
In the spirit of fall, I just had to try this one. It was fantastic.
I asked the woman at the register what was a favorite pastry, and she told me éclair. I tried it, and it was pretty good. The filling was light, and not dense, so I didn’t feel 10lbs heavier afterwards. The service was friendly, and the atmosphere was calm. The dining room was very spacious and there is free wifi, making it a perfect place to go to do work. The hours are 7am-6pm, which is a little bit inconvenient. They serve breakfast and lunch, as well as baked goods, coffee, specialty drinks and teas. Overall, I would go to Café on the Common if I didn’t have a car, otherwise I’d stick to Starbucks.