Bloc Cafe

Bloc cafe is one of my favorite cafes around. The coffee is good, the atmosphere is great, there is free wifi and friendly staff. There is only one thing that I wish was better and that is that when I order coffee for here that sometimes they still serve to-go plastic cups. If I want my coffee to go I bring my own mug. If I order for here I expect the container to be reusable. Sometimes it works but often I am being disappointed. Would be great if you could be consistent or - what would be even better - don’t serve plastic cups at all for the environment.

Crazy busy, but a phenomenal tea collection! They have Spirit and Kilogram teas. I got to try two, and they were both delicious!!! Ramp access makes it accessible. Everyone was friendly and service was efficient.

I love this place so much! There are many cafes in the area but not many make an on-point specialty coffee using intelligentsia. The GM here is awesome, baristas are skilled, staff is genuine, and there’s pretty much always a place to sit with large in and outdoor seating areas.

Really beautiful space with lots of seating. Food has lots of vegetarian options, albeit a little pricey. Beautiful latte art! Maybe not the top espresso in town, but still quite good.

I was staying in the area while visiting Boston and am glad I found this gem. The coffee was good and the breakfast burrito was fresh and home-made. The cafe is a great space to work in and I loved all the local art on display.

- Coffee was good quality - I tried a bagel and cream cheese and found it to be above average. Highly recommend - Good variety of seating indoor and outdoor - Free WiFi; good place to sit and do work

Love this cafe! Nice ambiance, lots of outdoor seating, good food. The best, most authentic croissant and pain chocolat in the Boston area. A little pricey.

Burrito was alright, nothing too great. Mocha was fantastic though, and outdoor seating was nice when it’s warm out - they also have plenty of indoor seating. Good working space.

Great spot for coffee and a light breakfast! The cold brew was tasty, but the best part was the garden breakfast sandwich! Very fresh. I enjoyed the ambience inside this place too. A lot of plants and nice windows - a great place to catch up with a friend.

Loved the cute vibes and delicious food here. Didn't love the rude service and long wait time. We got the Breakfast Sandwich Special on focaccia and the Middlesex sandwich on an everything bagel and both were delicious. As another reviewer mentioned, the focaccia was one of the best I've ever had (soft, light, and lightly toasted). The everything bagel had a great amount of flavoring, but could have been larger/doughier. Both sandwich fillings were delicious, but I would recommend the Breakfast Sandwich Special if you prefer the creaminess of avocado and the Middlesex if you prefer the smokiness of tempeh bacon. The lowlights were: - The cashier taking our order giving us rude looks every time we asked a question (can you get a sandwich advertised on focaccia on a bagel and vice versa? yes. can you get matcha as a tea and not a latte? no.) - The 15 minute wait time for our order This place would easily be 5 stars for me if they had better service.

Happy to see a cafe that is open past 5! The cashier was so friendly and welcoming- he interacted with all the customers!! I really enjoyed my smoothie- it was so thick with a strong nutty flavor that didn't overpower the strawberry. My friend liked it so much that she ended up getting one too! The veggie sandwich was ok- the tempeh was really nice and flavorful with a smokiness but the sandwich as a whole was a little bland and we used a lot of their hot sauce. I love that there's so much outdoor seating especially on a nice day. Again I really am so pleased with the service- such a welcoming space and decent cafe in Union.

Came here on a weekend afternoon and the line was long. The most average tasting sandwich that isn't worth the price...managed to find seating but it is definitely hard to find seating if you aren't lucky. I won't be back anytime soon.

Bloc is a very cute coffee shop in Somerville near Bow market. It's very cool inside and is located in an old bank so it has a great ambiance. Despite it being huge inside for a Boston coffee shop, I find they don't usually have enough seating and at times it's really hard to find a seat. I wish they just had a few more tables! The coffee is really good and they have a pretty large selection of food and smoothies as well - so lots of options. Definitely a good place to go get some work done if you can find a seat!

Bought ice coffee with caramel and a bagel, the bagel was decent. But the ice coffee tasted like it was just boiled water, had no taste and what so ever. For the price that is being charged, it's criminal to call that coffee. To the point I thru it away and went across the street and union square donuts,now that place is worth it.

That was 15 dollars for tofu on sourdough. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if nothing had to die for my sandwich, it shouldn't be more than $10. Let me give credit where it's due - Bloc has some dynamite bread. It's the kind of bread that makes me able to look French people in the face when they say something like "oui oui le American bread is awful". Well, have you tried Bloc? No? Then au revoir or whatever it is. But in defense of France (this is rare for me), you get a baguette there and it's one Franc or Euro whatever they use now. Anything on bread in Bloc is minimum $9. Bloc is nice - don't get me wrong, but sometimes I wonder if it's some kind of social experiment to see how high they can put the prices and still have people show up.

Food and beverages: I enjoy Bloc's sandwiches and coffees! I usually grab a breakfast sandwich from here, but they have plenty of options. The bread is always so fresh (I love the sourdough and focaccia). They also have vegan menu options available. Atmosphere: there is both indoor and outdoor seating. When you walk inside, you can order at the register or on a touch screen. The inside is bright at the front, but a bit dark towards the back given the lack of windows. I've worked out of the cafe a few times, they have WiFi if you need it. The seats outside are great for warmer days, but not all have umbrellas to provide shade from the sun.

Intelligencia coffee (shout out chicago!) served here. Pretty weak, though. Lots of food here - cooked by a toaster oven/salamander. Space opens early with lots of seating. Huge patio (under some construction when we visited early September). Chill hipster vibes. We love an environmentalist!

The outdoor patio is great with trees that haven't bloomed giving a cold March weekend some warmth. The food was ok with the only gluten free bread being a wrap, that I can't really recommend. The service was fast and friendly. I ordered the turkey wrap and sat in the warm sun, all in all a good experience. I'd be more definitive next time with ordering.

Expensive? Check -- $20 for a large iced latte and two pastries. Asked to tip before receiving service or your order -- Check Get my drink and then wait until having to ask for the rest of my order -- Check 2 employees standing around doing nothing and then walking away while 7 customers wait, leaving 1 staff to make drinks and 1 to make food -- Check check check

Coffee shop hopping on weekend mornings might just get you started on the right foot! Especially with this dreaded cold weather that happens this time of year (thanks Northeast). They have Intelligensia coffee here, so I knew it would be good. I just had a regular drip coffee and it was delicious. My 3yo got a cinnamon bun and ate it up - well mostly the parts with frosting. :D The space is so great and interesting. It's an old bank and they've turned the old vaults into seating areas. There is plenty of seating to be found too, which is nice. I also saw they have some fresh bagels (I think I heard via Forge). Will need to save my appetite for next time. Will be back. In terms of parking, bring your quarters. Metered parking but real, live change only.

I finally had a chance to stop by here this past wekeend. When my friend and I walked in, we were a lil confused how to order since there was a line formed behind a kiosk and another line behind the actual register. We decided to stand in line behind the register and placed our order of one iced chai latte, one pumpkin caramel latte, a peach oat muffin, and two bagels and lox. There was an ample amount of seating inside as well as outside. We grabbed a table outside and our food/drinks came out quickly. Everything was so good, except for the muffin. It was too crumbly for my liking. Will definitely come here again to try out more things.

Very cute coffee shop with lots of seating. They also own Forge and Diesel in Somerville (love Diesel). All the menus are very similar/basically the same. I came here around noon on a Sunday for coffee + breakfast sandwich. Ordered online since the line was out the door and got my iced latte pretty quick, but then had to wait 30 minutes for a sausage, egg, + cheese sandwich. Don't get me wrong, the drinks and food are good, but probably a couple dollars overpriced I think I paid ~$17 for both.

4.5/5 Really cute coffee shop (that used to be a banking building) and lots of space including an outdoor seating area. Came here in the afternoon and the area I was sitting in got lots of sunlight. Good place to do some work (free wifi), read, or relax. The place is decorated with plants hanging from the ceiling and also has a bookshelf in the corner. I got an iced maple latte - not bad but a bit on the pricier side (over $6 for the 12 oz size)

My first time at Bloc. I tried to order salad at kiosk. Salad was advertised for 16 dollars and the menu over the kiosk specified greens avocado tomatoes and your choice of protein. Kiosk did not ask what my protein choice was, so I abandoned it and ordered at the counter, including smoked salmon as my protein. They added 5 dollars to the price! Most menus will say added protein this and that for this and that extra price . Seems like classic bait and switch. So I ordered a matcha latte instead and it was barely warm. Maybe lukewarm. I came back to the counter and asked them if they could microwave it or boil it to hot. They said no we'll make you another one. Which was also lukewarm. For 6 dollars. this place is not good.

Bloc is a Somerville staple, and has earned this title. I've had a range of their coffees, and they're always stellar. The baked goods are a consistent selection of the Forge offerings (alongside Diesel), and I've grown to appreciate a pumpkin loaf, pain au chocolat, or my personal favorite - the sticky bun. Bloc is unique in its expansive space, a former bank, where you can certainly park yourself with a laptop or good book, finding a small nook to yourself. The staff always seem to be in a cheery mood and generous with their time and resources. A true neighborhood favorite, this one!

I rarely am upset enough to leave a negative review but this place is bad. It's severely overpriced for what it is. Add to that the iced chai despite being priced at nearly 6 dollars was super watered down and tasted horrible. It's clear they made chai and then let ice melt into the larger container to keep it cool through the morning making it watered down before adding ice to the drink itself. The croissant is smaller than competitors despite being a dollar more than most others in the area. Will not be back!

Stopped by on a random Monday to finish up some work. They have plenty of seating and free Wi-Fi which is always a plus. Bloc used to be a bank so they have a vault in the back which has been turned into seating. The old teller windows and safe deposit boxes have been repurposed in the space which is a very cute touch. In my picture you can see the safe deposit boxes under the benches. Tea-ade: lemonade with black tea 5/5 The drink was so refreshing! You could see and taste the fresh lemonade so there was no sour artificial taste. I will definitely come back to try the other drinks! It's a bit pricey but I feel like that's normal these days for cafes like this. The outside courtyard is also quite nice.

I've been coming here for years and am finally leaving a poor review because there is less and less actual drink in my cup now. The Chai is 2/3 full. And this for almost 6$? Poor value and poor attention to prep. Chai is watery and thin. Have you ever had real Chai? Used to be good food, even if it always was expensive. I will be choosing other area cafes in the future unless something changes. ​

I love their coffee, food, ambiance and everything else - except the wifi. All of their cafés have the same issue (Diesel, Forge, Bloc). The wifi is the WORST i've ever encountered in any coffee shop. If it connects - which half the time, it doesn't (and never at Diesel), it doesn't stay connected for longer than 20mins. Please please please fix your wifi! I hate working at Remnant!

This is one of my last resort coffee spots in Somerville, and I've been back a few times (maybe 5?) in the hopes it will be different - I give up. Their menu is seemingly always out of date, and regardless when I've come by, they have always been out of several ingredients so it's a mystery what will be available. I expect to wait at least 20min even if I just ordered coffee to-go, and at least 30min if I order food from the kitchen. The bank theme is cool, but after spending 20min for my order, I never want to linger. Mismanaged or understaffed, Bloc is cool to walk through, but I try to steer my friends to other coffee spots every time.

I have passed this place many times and finally tried it. I had latte. It was warm sunny day so we went outside. I liked the outside patio. Latte itself is good (not the excellent but still good). Price and size are reasonable for Boston area. It seems nice to have some work or study done there.

Nice looking place with a fireplace and good parking right in the front. Foot on the other hand leaves much to be desired, but drinks are very good!

Quality of food is great but service and food prep is always terrible. All I ask if for my bagel to be toasted. This means it's hot and a little crunchy. 9-10 times its served to me cold, like it's been in the fridge. Only go occasionally when I really want a bagel because there is nowhere else in Union that serves halfway decent bagels. One day I'll learn not to go back to bloc haha.

I used to really enjoy Bloc, but the last couple of months, the service has seriously gone downhill. The last 3 times I went there, I told them my name for my order, spelled it out for them and everything, and whoever was taking my order didn't bother getting it down correctly. Then, when my order was ready, it just sat on the counter because no one bothered trying to find me or tell me that my food was ready, so I had to go up there to ask about it and prove that it was mine. This level of service (or lack of service) is absolutely unacceptable for the prices they charge ($15.50 for ONE sandwich...). They only way I'm going to come back here in the future is if someone else pays for my food. Would not recommend.

okay so my pal and I decide to go to for coffee after a nice meal around Somerville and thought it'll be nice to visit this place. Yelp says it cuz at 9:00 but when we got there to our disappointment it was closed boo . Okay It closes at 5 pm everyday

I used to live right near here and when I had friends in town I'd love to take them here to sit and chat. I also used to walk every day to MIT and I'd enjoy stopping for a muffin on my way to work. I recently visited and was rather disappointed, mainly because I came to sit with my laptop and get work done, but inside it was FREEZING! It made my food turn cold pretty fast and it was really challenging for me to sit comfortably. The coffee also is just okay, in my opinion. The prices for everything are high, which is understandable with high rent but it's hard to justify paying more for just mediocre coffee and food. Great potential for this place.. it has a lot of space, centrally located, and basically located centrally in a hipster Mecca. Hoping next time I return I have a better report!

If you can't make a hot latte how are you even open Milk to coffee ratio? Idk man Disappointed

Yes , I will be back. When we walked in there was a sign at the counter stating we had to order on a kiosk because of how busy things were. There is one kiosk and a person was using it and they were confused and slow. It was just us plus the one woman. Not sure why they couldn't take our order. Once you order the tip screen appears... sorry why would i tip when i just had to punch in my order ? The menu was expensive , but I did enjoy my croissant with ham and cheese. Love the vibe here , just not the service. Plus I read reviews regarding dogs .. i love dogs. i'd come back more often if i could bring my little guy.

Bloc has an amazing breakfast egg & cheese sandwich! Ask for it on sourdough bread (always tastes like it was just made that morning!!). The sandwich which comes with egg, spinach, this amazinggg garlic aioli sauce and I add tomatoes (which are seasonal). And the breakfast sandwich is huge btw!!! They are open for takeout/curbside pick up during COVID. You can place your order ok Toast or they have an iPad for self service ordering/pick-up with an awesome flowchart about how to order/where to stand to ensure social distancing. They also have hand sanitizer to use after ordering on the iPad!

All of their breakfast sandwiches are delicious. The Pallet was great, if you're a pesto lover definitely get that one!! The focaccia bread is soft and fresh. The latte was also delicious, huge drink portions and a cute atmosphere. Order at counter and take to your seat.

I've only been here once and it was a really bad first impression. One - we walked in with our dog and asked where the patio was and the employee told us how to get in, then when we picked up our food and drinks $$40 later, the same employee said that we couldn't be on the patio bc we didn't have a service dog. Would have liked to know this info ahead of time bc we are here visiting our family and we wanted to eat on a patio. So we just had to take an Uber back. Wasn't aware of any sign that said no dogs. Two - by the time we got our drinks we realized we got the wrong milk bc the POS system didn't give a popup when you order a latte. Not very customer oriented to expect people to get your POS system on first try. I understand we're still in a pandemic but had I ordered to a person this would not be the case. Many places do it well and it's sort of annoying how limited their person to person interaction actually is, you feel like you're bothering them when you go to the teller window. Three - the lox bagel tasted like it was pre-made, and the tomato was soft and mealy. I thought for a second that they may be canned tomatoes. It was gross. The only way a lox bagel is good is if it's fresh. Disappointing all around!

I often pick something up from Bloc on my way to work and love that it's so convenient and Covid safe. You can order on your phone and it's ready pretty quickly. They have the best bagel I've had in the area! I always get the everything and there is actually seasoning on both sides! And not too salty. I also love the ham and cheese croissant, which also has a sprinkling of the everything seasoning. I am a bagel snob (I have had bagels in Somerville that have ruined my whole day) and I approve. I am not a coffee snob, but I do enjoy the beverages here too. The vegan club sandwich is also delicious and that's coming from someone who eats meat. The cookies, I have to say, and underwhelming and the prices here are on the higher end but I don't mind because of the quality. Overall, would recommend!

Completely out of bagels. The other day no avocado toast love these union shops socialism creates scarcity and high prices. All served with the arrogance of a generation that feels entitied to tax the equity in my house for their own desires to live in expensive neighborhoods.

Friendly service, good coffee (intelligentsia), and awesome decor. I got an americano and sat in the room that used to be a bank vault. I worked for a little while on the table made of bullet proof glass, from the old teller window. It was getting a little stuffy, so I moved outside. Outside seating is definitely the way to go on a sunny day.

Nice little lunch spot when you're just looking for the basics: soup and sandwiches. We waited upwards of 20 minutes for our food when we were quoted a 10 minute wait. Seating was scarce because many students were there studying for an elongated time. Although I was loving all of the vegetarian options, I was so happy I went with The Pallet, which is turkey, goat cheese and fig spread on multigrain bread. It was so simple and delicious, and I'm excited to recreate it at home. My boyfriend got the 777, which was roast beef, olive Mayo, onions and greens. He asked for it toasted, but it came out cold and hard. Definitely not something he would order again... Both came with the tiniest portion of pasta salad on the side, and they were out of forks, so we looked crazy eating it with our fingers. I would return for coffee and that phenomenal Pallet sandwich again, but definitely NOT during a peak lunch hour.

I come here at least weekly - for breakfast, lunch or a coffee or tea treat to go. The patio is the loveliest spot in the square. The space is great for working remotely. The staff are friendly and kind. The food and drinks are delicious, too. I used to come here every Tuesday morning with two friends from work before biking into the office together - it was a lovely tradition and I highly recommend the spot.

This place is mostly is pretty solid for coffee and a place to chill. But I ordered a bagel with peanut butter spread to stay, and for some reason the PB was on the side and had been put in a little plastic container, with barely enough to use. Why? Why not put directly on the bagel like other spreads? And why use up plastic unnecessarily? Let's use less plastic.

I've been going to Bloc a couple times a week for years. It's one of my favorite places and I genuinely don't get some of these reviews. Everyone who works there is extremely friendly. There's never much of a wait for food or coffee (minus back in the day on like a Saturday morning). The online ordering is way easy too. You can just order on your phone with Apple pay and it's ready when you get there. Their covid response was really good too. It's kind of everything you want in a coffee shop.

Pre covid review: got a breakfast sandwich (starlight) and raspberry lime rickey and both were great. Staff were friendly and everything came out quickly. The starlight had a great cheese spread on it and the bread was perfect.

Such a cute little place to grab a drink and some food! Great location for walking around before or after!

I was looking for a place to use my laptop on a Sunday afternoon and I stumbled upon Bloc. They have lots of seating in a cute environment and they also have a section with lots of natural sunlight. I ordered a small coffee (very bitter and not good) and a plain bagel (literally plain - not toasted and no topping but I like it like this). The bagel was tasty but had kind of a weird smell but I was able to get over that. The wifi here is the main problem. They have a 3 hour limit per day which is fine but after only half an hour of using it disconnected my laptop and I wasn't able to get back on unless I wanted to pay. Not only that but it was super slow. If you guys fixed your wifi I would come back if I ever wanted to do some work.

Had been here just as COVID restrictions were being lifted. Enjoyed my first visit, the patio is nice and there were several dogs with their humans enjoying the morning. Came back this morning and knew to order ahead. It's about a 15 min walk for me so I ordered as soon as I left since the estimated time was 15-20 min. Within 5 min of ordering my food was ready so when I picked it up along with my hot coffee it was cold. Also I went with my dog to sit and enjoy the patio only to be told she was not allowed as she isn't a service dog. There were no signs stating this but instead was told by an employee after having an initial rude encounter asking what I wanted when I went to pick up my pre ordered breakfast. Overall not a good experience this morning and the food was nothing to call home about. As I was leaving I noticed 2 dogs who did not appear to be service dogs and were not be having like so on the patio. Wish I would have read the other reviews before going this morning though I assumed it would be fine as I had been here before.

It is a cute cafe. People come in here and can sit, relax and enjoy their beverage. When I come here I typically get a hot chocolate. I sit in the cafe when I come here and the hot chocolate is put in a nice mug and topped off with whipped cream. It is a pretty good size and always looks delicious. I have tried a brownie from here and it was pretty good. It was very sweet especially paired with a hot chocolate. This is a nice place to come.

Lots of people working on their laptops. Love how they serve coffee by Intelligentsia. Love the natural lighting of interior. Great baked goods variety and breakfast.

Now this is the kind of bloc you want to live on. I was obsessed with Bloc Somerville from the second I walked in. It was like a millennial cafeteria and I loved it! This looks like a converted warehouse location with the café in the center and sporadic seating throughout the area. The inside is massive and to top it off they have an outside picnic style area with a bench and little circle table seating amongst the trees. I was super excited about the extensive menu! They had a lot of cool flavors I've never seen before. I went for the iced cardamom latte [cool right!?] it was very very good! The cardamom blended so well with the taste of the coffee!! As an afternoon snack, the barista's favorite vegan lemon shortbread cookie paired perfectly. It was the perfect lemony chewy cookie. I had a wonderful afternoon with my drink and cookie sitting outside and street watching. I really like Bloc Somerville - you should definitely go!

We came here yesterday for brunch and had a great time. The thing I absolutely love about this cafe is that they are dog friendly! You can bring your dog in and order and then sit outside with your dog and eat. The menu has soups, sandwiches, and salads as well as a baked good assortment. My husband had the breakfast egg sandwich and I ordered the chicken salad sandwich with sprouts and tomatoes. Everything was delicious. My mint tea was made with fresh mint. Our dog made some other doggy friends! It was a great time overall. I also really love the outside seating here. It has open and has a ton of seating. On a beautiful day, I could sit here for hours. We will definitely be back!

Great atomphere. Slightly more expensive but the food is amazing. I got their Terrance sandwich $11 and it was delicious. I also got a chai tea $4.15 and it was also great. This is definitely the type of place I would come back and sit while getting some work done. Nice friendly quiet atmosphere. Used to be an old bank and still has the old vault repurposed into a sitting area. Would definitely recommend.