Life Alive Organic Cafe Central Square

I love this place for their vibrant bowls packed with flavor and fresh veggies! Their sauces complement each bowl so well and they are incredibly filling. I love the Buddha and Adventure bowl. Their butternut squash bisque and smoothies are also amazing! This is a great place for a quiet, fast casual meal that you know will be delicious and good for you.

Where to begin.. The one thing that makes me a regular customer is the staff. The service by the staff beats chick-fil-a by a landslide. ALL of the employees deserves flowers like Kevin and Iskren. Everyone is very welcoming and friendly. For the atmosphere it is vibrant on the upper floor and the bottom floor is low and discreet if you’re looking for a good date to get to know someone. The food is great. I am not a picky person at all (nor vegetarian) and the food is very great. I ask whoever is working the cashier to pick for me (I have tried majority of the menu) and i have never been disappointed. The swami bowl and the thai peanut noodle are the best on the menu. This place is a true gem

We ordered Chai Latte and Ocean Blue Latte, which were both very tasty. We also found the staff very friendly and the ambience cozy.

Awesome Vegetarian bowls bursting with flavor (no meat here). Loved the bowl with figs and pumpkin seeds.

We ordered a spicy peanut noodle it was delicious. Some of the noodle stick together so I suppose they need to loose them up before serving or add a little olive oil. We also ordered the teriyaki tofu bowl and again it was to perfection. What they need to improve is not to add sugar to the food and the we took it to go and leaked liquid so the paper bag broke.

I wish there was a Life Alive in every town! I've been to various locations over the years and it is always a great experience. In the fast casual dining category Life Alive is way out ahead of its peers. I don't know how they manage to offer such high quality, creative, nutrient dense dishes for the price they do. And also at great speed! If you are a chicken wings and fries person do not come here. If you are interested in wholesome, clean, thoughtfully prepared food, you must give it a try! As for service, I think all the healthy food makes the employees happy because they are always so nice.

A colorful, lively place with friendly staff and great food! They have a wide variety of fresh, wholesome bowls that were the perfect portion size. The service was pretty quick, and the general ambiance of the place is energizing and comfortable although it did get a bit noisy (I think the music was too loud) which made it hard to have a conversation.

So good! The food is excellent and brightens your day. If you're looking for healthy, fresh eating, this is the place to go. The prices are reasonable for the quantity and quality of food you get! I could go here every week and never get tired. for the wonderful food.

All organic. Great variety of offerings of food and beveragesvvvMy favorite restaurant anywhere!

This is by far my favorite of their locations- such a cute space! The workers were friendly, and I particularly love how this cafe is open so late. We got the pb&j acai bowl- it was a refreshing snack with a bunch of different toppings.

Everything was really delicious and nicely prepared! As a meat eater, I was surprised this was very filling! My friend and I both really enjoyed.

The food used to be so good. I don't know what happened to the quality... I got Swami and it was oily and bland..... The portion was small and they are skimping on the sauce too. Unfortunately, will not go back.

I'm not going to say it's the Panera guy, but it's probably the Panera guy. I've always been kind of on the fence about Life Alive. On the one hand, it's quirky and veggie and kind of fun, on the other hand I just paid $17 for blended kale. But I feel like their quality has been dropping for a while. This last time was kind of the last straw for me. The Taco Verde bowl was basically a flavorless mix of half-cooked peppers and beans. The "avocado" was a single half of a (small) avocado slapped on top of my hot food. Warm avocado may have been one of the original sins. It inspires the opposite of gluttony. Most of their bowls are things I could make out of a few pennies of raw material. Their prices seem like some kind of social experiment. I don't know if they got worse or I did, but Life Alive is Dead to me.

This place is SO COOL! Wonderful stop to get some real nutrients and energy while traveling. My friends and I got a variety of items and loved them all. I had the green smoothie and it was yummy and refreshing. A little heavier on the ginger than I'd prefer, burns a little but otherwise great and smooth. My friend had the Ocean Blue latte and said it tasted mostly like salted coconut milk but it was good.

I love this place for their vibrant bowls packed with flavor and fresh veggies! Their sauces complement each bowl so well and they are incredibly filling. I love the Buddha and Adventure bowl. Their butternut squash bisque and smoothies are also amazing! This is a great place for a quiet, fast casual meal that you know will be delicious and good for you.

I loved everything about Life Alive: the vibe, decor, aesthetic, drinks, and vegan food. I loved that there was so much room downstairs and there was an assortment of different types of seating--from sofa-seats with pillows to chairs. This is a great place to come for college students and visitors as it's right in Cambridge. The drinks were great. I particularly loved my Watermelon Poke. I will never have real poke in my life, but I don't feel bad when I can eat this vegan version and that too with watermelon. The ginger-sesame and watermelon flavors combined so well together. I'm sure other dishes may be average, but the watermelon poke I highly recommend! A++ for concept and physical space for sure!

Food: I loved the hot Mexican chocolate. Came here on a rainy day and it was so heart-warming. Service: Food is always really fast here. Ambiance: I love how there are 2 floors here, it has such a cozy ambiance in a lovely area of Cambridge :)

I'm local to this area, so I have been to this location multiple times. Compared to other Life Alive Locations, I am relatively disappointed by the ambiance and the food preparation here. I've had my order messed up a few times already (i.e. items missing in a dish), and a lot of times the food does not seem prepared correctly. There was way too much sauce on a bowl once, and another time a wrap I ordered was falling out by the time it was brought to me. The pb cup acai fudge is liquid when I order it here, which is no longer "fudge," by definition, I think? It's been very different from other Life Alive locations. The music can sometimes be quite loud on the above-ground floor, which is in contrast to the decor and the food/concept served here. The basement is nice and quiet but can be too dark, which is not the best for all occasions. However, I do like to be downstairs when I want to unwind - I just think there's no happy medium between the dark quietness of the basement and the boisterous brightness of the ground floor, but this medium is what I am often craving for in this location. The people are nice and the food tastes ok, but because of the carelessness in the food preparation and the loud music, I find myself going to other Life Alive locations instead. Because it's the most convenient location to me, I want to come to this one more, but my more negative experiences have unfortunately led me to avoid this location often times.

Even when I'm not feeling like lunch I know that I can come here for an amazing juice that will leave me feeling nourished and much better than when I came in. The thing I love most about life alive is their interior design, it's very chic and comfy across all locations. I think the one in Kendall square may be my new favorite because of the dark back room for cozy vibes

Stopped by while walking through Central Square and this place caught my eye since I was looking for a drink. Cafe has much drink options that revolve around kombucha, wellness shots, etc. The Mexican Hot Chocolate was a very solid choice. I really liked the texture--it was very creamy/foamy, but light due to the coconut milk (I guess like a whipped smoothie or milkshake). The chocolate was very light with a hint of sweetness from the maple and cinnamon, and the cayenne was just enough to give it a kick. The cafe vibe seems like a good place to catch up with friends or study for local students. The service was also very quick and the people very friendly!

This cafe is SO cool. The decorations, the ambiance, the number of nooks and crannies you can hide away in... it's a perfect place to study, go on a date, meet up with friends, anything. They have so much space in there! Their basement is really cool. Anyways, onto the food. Green Goddess: Delicious. It's so simple, yet so delicious. I think the secret is in the sauce. They have just the right amount of sauce and the flavor of the sauce is finely tuned to perfectly bring together the bowl. It's honestly great inspiration for some DIY veggie bowls at home. Eating these makes me feel so healthy. Prices are fair, too. I would definitely come back.

Great to have a vegan food place. The spicy noodle were good though not well mixed with sauce as one big ball of noodles on the plate. The green goddess grain bowl was well executed but short of flavorful due to the bitter sauce. The strawberry smoothie was yummy. Service was mixed as they are understaffed and the chef with the blue bandana, gold rimmed glasses and mustache and beard yelled at us when we asked if we were supposed to wait at the counter or order at the table. Shame. His shitty attitude made its way into the food.

Life Alive has a great atmosphere although it had a long line which was to be expected in Salem during October, I thought that the overall experience was great. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The juices, smoothies and coffees were very good, but the food flavor because of their no salt establishment. if the food isn't going to be heavily seasoned, then salt and pepper should be available for customers to add onto their food, even though they don't make their food with salt. The results of this were that the food lack flavor and I needed to be a little more seasoned. The food was very nourishing and healthy. I just wish it had more flavor or they had salt and pepper available to customers.

Finding out about Life Alive was the best part of my move to Boston. I love a healthy meal that keeps me full throughout the day and doesn't make me feel all groggy and nasty inside. The best part of this Cafe is that there's quite a few of them so whenever I have to run errands, I just go to the nearest one. My favorites from their grains are their buddha bowl, green goddess bowl (truly feel like a goddess after), adventurer bowl, and their avocado sol. From their salads, I usually opt for the avocado greens or their sesame shiitake tofu (minus the shiitake because unfortunately shiitake and my body don't go well together). But, ALL of their salads are super refreshing and suprisingly very filling. They even have acai bowl and a bunch of smoothies and lattes you can choose from! This place is practically heaven for organic, plant based lovers like me!! I also do recommend trying their homemade hot sauce and umami sauce that they have next to their self serve water bottles. I usually buy their hot sauce which is a little on the pricier side, but so worth it.

FOOD WAS GREAT but customer Service (Melissa) was NOT!! Attempted to order online for delivery directly through restaurant's website and it stated No Drivers Available. Had to ordered through Uber Eats for delivery that had a higher delivery fee. Once we received the order there was 1 whole meal missing (not packed in the bag). Called the restaurant and they would NOT take any responsibility for their error and Melissa kept stating because we ordered third party there is nothing they can do. She stated that if we ordered through their website directly that it would be able to be dealt with directly. I explained that we tried to, and we got a notice that no drivers available at this time. Melissa stated that they do have drivers and would speak with the Tech department. I asked her if they could have one of their drivers deliver the meal out and she continued to say that it was third party and we would have to go through them and all of a sudden did Not have any driver available...even though they screwed up and did not bag the meal - NOT UBER EATS!! I would Not recommend this location they do not care about their customers nor take responsibility for their errors!!!

Life Alive is always a nice choice when you're looking for a meatless meals. Their menu has a variety of dishes including noode-based items, greens, soups, small sides, juices like lemonade, cold press juice, tea, and smoothies. I liked the Fool II, a miso bowl with tofu and lots of veggies. Also enjoyed the açaí bowl (sans coconut because I'm not about coconut life), although it is more a snack size acaí bowl than anything that will keep you full for very long. There is an interesting seating setup downstairs, which is somewhat dimly lit. There are also tables along the window upstairs, but there is usually such a line that it's much calmer to go downstairs to dine. They have also been timely in the past with my pickup orders, and I have appreciated that attention to service. Always a good stop!

Honestly I don't even really know what I ordered but it was amazing. Incredibly fresh and flavorful vegetables and broths. And the fresh pressed juices are wonderful.

I'm not the healthiest eater but really trying to be better this year. Started coming here and I absolutely love it! I'm doing Dry January and replacing tequila shots with wellness shots and they're amazing! I've tried the ginger, turmeric, and wheatgrass - all fresh and made me feel great. I don't even think I've ever had tofu but really enjoyed it in their Elote Salad. It's actually one of the best salads I've ever had. Their Greek Tahini salad was also flavorful and delicious. Staff is super friendly and the ambiance is lovely. I'll be making my way through their menu this year.

Wow! I am impressed and not at all surprised this cafe remains in business! I frequented this place nearly a decade ago when I was in school in Boston. It was an early adopter of vegetarian/vegan food that was truly plant based, not synthetic, not solely tofu/falafels. It has cutesy vibe with comfortable, laid back, cushioned seating. The servers were friendly and always giving accurate advice. I am leaving this review so many years later because when my friends travel to Boston, I always have to google "vegan Cambridge" to remember the name. This is of no fault of the cafe- merely many years of hard schooling and being a single parent of twins. I look forward to visiting when I can take my twins back east!

Loved the food and drinks and service at the Central Sq location! Had the Swami bowl with the Hot Golden Milk and loved both; so yummy and filling portions! Also, can I say I love healthy food that's earthy and soulful; this was perfectly accomplished The staff was pleasant, too; feels good to spend your money on somebody who actually appreciates your presence with a smile and personable interaction. Worth the monies and time

Great healthy option with fresh ingredients. Drinks are overpriced, but food is good. I recommend the adventurer bowl if you like hearty and savory grain-based bowls.

Tried and really enjoyed the summer falafel bowl. The harissa sauce was really tasty and flavorful. Portion size was just right. Falafel were solid. The salad mix-ins had great variation in texture between the fried chickpeas and crispy kale and the soft roasted zucchini and tomatoes. And all this coming from someone that usually doesn't care for salads especially when they lack animal protein.

I came here for a lunch with coworkers, and I can't believe I haven't tried it earlier even though I work in the area. I got The Fool II, a ginger-sesame udon noodle bowl. It looked like stir fried noodles topped with kale, tofu, onions, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and carrots. But when I ate it, I was blown away by how good it was. The togarashi flakes at the top added a little bit of a kick to the sesame ginger flavor and I inhaled that bowl in probably under 5 minutes. I also got a coconut milk matcha latte. It was really unique because I've never had coconut milk with matcha before but it worked well together. The coconut flavor made the latte a little bit more refreshing than typical matcha lattes you would get at other places. The best part was that I felt so healthy after eating it! Definitely will be coming back again to try their other dishes too.

One of my favorite options in Central Square. When I first tried Life Alive, I was skeptical as a carnivore and picky salad eater... but now I come by at least once a week! The Emperor is my favorite, so umami and unique. I also love the seasonal specials like the Southwestern Sol. Definitely a staple in the area and one of the cheapest food options as well. I recommend ordering online to skip the line and wait. Those with food allergies should be careful because occasionally, they overlook my request to exclude cheese. I'd just double check the food before diving in. But again this happens maybe every couple of months for me.

Loved the food here. The place is a must go if you are into vegetarian options. Great ambience and service.

This is my go-to spot when I want something clean yet tasty. My favorite breakfasts are the blueberry superfood waffles and the breakfast hash. The runny egg on top of the hash is the winner for me. The superfood waffles also have a good amount of blueberries in them. The açaí bowls here are great too. I've tried almost all of them and like the PB&J one the most. I like to mix in the PB with the açaí to get more of a peanutty taste with every bite. The strawberries are fresh and you can watch them prep the açai in front of you! I've stopped by a few times since and also got the breakfast hash both in the restaurant and to-go. It is consistently great, but I do think the portions when you dine in are larger than when you get it to go. The service here is great and the workers are friendly! There is a downstairs as well, and I have never had issues getting a table.

Love the atmosphere of this place. Lots of seating options, food was yummy and came out very fast. Southwest bowl was spicy!!! But I liked it- just might get dressing w it next time

This place was great!! I got the sesame shiitake tofu bowl and added extra tofu and black rice, and it was super filling (in hindsight, could only have added rice and think would've been perfectly filling dinner. Or for lunch, could do just extra tofu without rice). My fav thing about this place is a) the labeling for vegan and gluten free etc and b) the menu! Like I wanted every single thing on there. So many good choices. Ordered to-go for pick up and it was ready when I got there, only spent about 30 sec in the restaurant (aka super efficient). It did look super cute tho. This location had a fair amount of people studying in the back row but there were also date nights going on. Friend loved her açaí bowl, too.

I remember loving Life Alive years ago, and after seeing poor reviews for their Harvard Sq location, thought I'd give the original a try during a recent trip! Food/drinks: I ordered something for take out that was hearty and wholesome but not as good as the Buddha Bowl. I love how easy it was to make modifications to my bowl (it used to be more complicated). I love feeling full but nourished after a meal. Staff were generally helpful, including the dear person who helped me find my food, bag it, and get me cutlery and hot sauce after I'd been waiting. Plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs if you want to stay.

Cute little spot in Cambridge! Highly recommend if you have the time. It's not very big for seating but overall a great vibe. Lots of variety

Perfect place for all your WFH/studying needs; the vibes here are great if you need to be productive (comfy couches, the location in Kendall has SO many outlets/expansive seating, etc). I also love that it's an exclusively veggie place! And the workers are so so so nice! I usually get the Living Caesar Salad, the Green Goddess, or the Thai Peanut Noodles! All are great options depending on how filling of a meal you're looking for. I used to love their acai bowls back when they'd blend each one per order. Now they use a soft serve like machine to output the smoothie base and it's usually far too icy for my liking. They're still good in a pinch if you're craving one and you're already at Life Alive, but you can get better ones at other places like CocoBeet (near FiDi), and Jugos (near Dartmouth St).

You walk in, the ambiance is bright yet relaxed. You order at the front, take your time looking at the menu, the servers offer to answer any questions and strike up a friendly conversation. You grab a seat by the window looking onto city hall, enjoying the view as the server brings your Buddha grain bowl in a timely manner. You look at the food, it's VIBRANT and colorful with a healthy & artistic scattering of almonds across the top. You dig in. You become absolutely convinced that you must learn to make this bowl at home. This is honestly the best grain bowl I have ever had. The ginger dressing sitting atop a warm perfectly cooked bed of grains mixed with the crunch of the almonds and the cabbage-- chef's kiss! This place makes healthy food, GOOD food. And all of this for $10.95! Honestly a steal.

My go-to spot for takeout! I love how all their bowls are super flavorful and fiber-packed. My favorites are the Adventurer, Emperor, and Green Goddess. 1000/10 would reccomend for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike!

Have been wanting to try this place for awhile; cool location and space. Stopped in with our vegan daughter and tried the Green Goddess bowl (served wso flavorful and delicious!) Watermelon poke salad and the hummus and pita plate (pita was a bit hard). They were all very tasty. Note: they don't have coffee here, just "superfood lattes."

Great food, cool vibes, and nice service! I've been back multiple times since first trying and they have so many things I want to try, I will continue to go back!

If you are a health nut, you will love this place. If you're not, you may not want to come here. I got an Adventurer Bowl and added avocado ($2). It was pretty good, tasted very healthy and was flavorful -- garlicky and nutty. The combination with beets, beets, almonds and grains works very well. I also got a Green Day smoothie. It tasted healthy but not so delicious. It was not sweet at all. It tasted like a lot of avocado and greens. :) It is a filling drink so maybe better to have after a morning workout for breakfast meal rather than a beverage. The staff was amazingly wonderful, friendly, fast and efficient. The space is very tight and the tables are very close to each other but the staff do an amazing job getting everyone situated. It does get super packed during lunchtime. I had a great experience and would come here again!

My favorite is the Swami bowl, sub with Quinoa. I like to add tofu. They now sell the dressing! It's called Red Miso Sauce - it's strangely in an unlabeled bottle with a cap that says "Hot Sauce" - lol. But it's great, and I finished it within 1 week of purchasing it. We also like the Blue Magic smoothie. (of note, as of today, 6/21/23, both the Red Miso Dressing and the Blue Magic smoothie are not being listed on their menu, though we've been ordering it for several years, as recently as last month. no idea)

What a wonderful place! We loved the atmosphere and kind service. We definitely will be back soon!

This location doesn't have the Forbidden Kale on the menu, which I was very sad about. But there's plenty of other things on the menu, so I'll take it as an opportunity to try other things. I got the green goddess bowl, which doesn't use green goddess dressing but is still very yummy. It's a pretty basic salad with chewy brown rice, steamed kale and broccoli, steamed tofu, and avocado with sweet and savory Asian style ginger dressing. Nothing too special but a nice healthy lunch. Staff is super nice, as usual for Life Alive locations. Plenty of seating downstairs in the basement.

I am blown away by how dope this place is. Every detail.. lounge spaces, colors, food is so nourishing and beautifully plated, the staff is so calm and loving. They bring your food to you whether you're upstairs or downstairs. Love at first sight for me, honestly.

i get the mexicali tostada every time i go and it's always so good. it's ALWAYS so good. omg..... its beautiful in there and is a GREAT value for your meal! fresh, healthy, quick, pleasant.... what more could you ask fore?

Got terrible food poisoning from this location two weeks ago. I had the green goddess bowl with a hard boiled egg. Huge Life Alive fan but it was awful. Called to report it and they said a manager would call back but they never did. Hope no one else got sick.

The food here is amazing. You can feel good about knowing where the food comes from, the meals are largely comprised of organic and locally sourced ingredients. The atmosphere is cozy, warm, inviting and inspiring. The staff are amazing. They are knowledgeable, passionate and care about the mission of Life Alive. This is an awesome spot for many occasions. It is an awesome spot for a date, meeting up with someone who you haven't seen in a while, to do work and / or simply eat a scrumptious, healthy meal and be present in the moment! I personally also love how I can get a hot matcha drink here as well with non-dairy milk! Tons of gluten free GF and dairy free DF options - just ask any staff member!! All Café Live Alive locations are places where I know I can have a huge range of options that I not only I can eat, but savor and love!!! Thank you to all at Café Life Alive for all that you do and create for people to have a place to gather, connect and savor delicious healthy food!! You are the best!!

Awesome staff!!! Knowledgable and friendly! Quality hot beverages! Made with care! Price is good!

The Innocent is alwaysssss delicious! Very sweet staff and ambience is calming. Love our LifeAlive, Central Square

I made a pick up order for a salad and three smoothies. So many things went wrong.. 1) Abysmal customer service and attitude when asking for my order 2) why bother asking online if you want silverware if nothing is given 3) super inconvenient packaging for to go orders. They only had paper bags without handles and when I asked for a bag was given attitude about it 4) ordered a forbidden kale salad and was given a southwestern sol salad instead

Love the feel of this Life Alive location, the seating and decor are really pretty and fit the vibe of Life Alive's food. I got the acai bowl, which was super sweet and yummy, though on the smaller side. It's typically a little packed in there so sometimes it takes some time to find a seat but I've always been able to find a spot to eat. It's a little on the pricier side but worth the cost.