Hi-Rise Bread Company

Lousiest service I have ever had there in the past 15 years. First order came out wrong, sent it back. Took 20 minutes for the next tuna sandwich (not grilled, not fancy, just a tuna sandwich) to come out. Then they had to take it back to wrap it because it hadn’t been made to go. THEN, I get it back to my office and it STILL wasn’t what I had ordered. Honestly, I go there frequently for pastries for my office, but no more lunches. The front staff said they were understaffed but the owner was strolling around as usual, so it apparently didn’t bother him. Horrible.

What a terrible place. Sandwich and a drink for $ 17. The drink was cold and served with extra attitude. What is happening to Cambridge. Hi rise = high price and high attitude. Not worth it. We have to take stands against such places

i’m pretty surprised that this place only has 3.5 stars. i’m basically bloating up as i write this, but the bread here is incredible and well worth the bloat. i’ve tried two of their sandwiches, and each sandwich can be two meals, and have loved how chewy in the center and crispy at the edges and flavorful the breads have been. the content of the sandwiches themselves has also been delicious, high quality and plentiful. i’ve also tried their cinnamon date scone, which was decently sized (scones are usually too big IMO) and not too sweet, and fresh. i love this place! i’ll miss it when i’m gone. also: not a lot of seating in the store so be open to taking your food to go.

Excellent bakery selection, great sandwiches, and somehow they consistently have the absolute best fresh-​squeezed orange juice in the Boston area.
Prices are higher than average, but very much worth the quality.

AGAIN??? I ordered a #10 no onions, extra pickles (as I have many for years) and I get a tuna sandwich with radishes, a hard boiled egg and arugula?! So again I’m looking forward to a treat lunch at $ 19 and it’s wrong??? There’s no seating so I take out but I feel like I have to check what I’m taking home… what gives?
Third times a charm? FINALLY got my sandwich right today…

I just got back from Hi-​Rise Bread Company, and I couldn’t wait to write this review.
I honestly don’t understand why this place has such low reviews. The food I tried was delicious, the service was absolutely fantastic, and the bakery sells so many different things!
I ordered a Vanilla Bean Loaf (slice) and the Nat Queen Cool (half-​sandwich), and both were amazing! The Nat Queen Cool was just a tad too spicy for me, but it was a quality sandwich with really fresh ingredients. The half sandwich was also plenty big, and I could probably have split it with another person. As for the Vanilla Bean Loaf, the cashier nicely offered me an end piece because she knew it was the best part — of course, she was right because the extra crust on the end piece is sugary, crunchy, and elevates the cake to a whole new level. I definitely understand why so many people recommend both items.
There’s enough seating for perhaps 15 – 18 people in the bakery, but people like to talk and read, so there isn’t very high turnover on the tables. I would recommend getting your stuff to go if the place looks a bit too crowded.
I know people in the past have complained about the service and the prices. Honestly, for the amount of food they give, I think it’s pretty justified (similar to San Francisco prices IMHO). And as for the service, they must have switched new staff members or re-​trained them, because they are very nice and speedy with orders!

Great sandwiches and bread. A bit pricey but lots of food. A half sandwich and a cup of soup will leave you stuffed.

Nat queen cool and mahatma gloves are excellent. Great coffee and fun wine selections.

I like Hi-​Rise. It’s a quiet and nice bakery. Yes, it is a little pricey, but I think the food is definitely worth it. I almost always get the «Allen Likes it Grilled», a nice juicy chicken sandwich with a soft sesame bun.
I can’t say I am a big fan of their desserts. Except the chocolate fallen cake and the lemon cake. They are both soo delicious, light and sweet at the same time.
Ah also, they sell whole roasted chickens with rosemary. I tried that once, and it was pretty good. I think they are sometimes sold out, so you may want to order ahead.

The sandwiches — yes!
The cookies — yes!
The homemade Oreos — yes yes yes!
The prices? Nah.
That just about sums up Hi-​Rise. I could gush and gush about how good my sandwich was, and how good the baked goods were. And I will do that. But twenty four dollars for a sandwich, three baked goods, and a lemonade??? OUCH!!!
Now that we’ve got the complaints about wallet damage out of the way, let’s talk about the food. I ordered #57 — braised short rib, cheddar, pickled onions, horseradish aioli, and arugula, all on a fresh baguette. It was epic. Incredible. So good. The meat was so juicy and tender. So full of flavor. The sandwich was gigantic though. I was full after just half, and I came there STARVING. They should consider selling half sandwiches, actually.
Those little homemade Oreos are insanely good too. And you can watch them bake them fresh while you’re there munching on the ones you just bought. They’re not too sweet, they’re just perfect. My chocolate chunk cookie didn’t disappoint either, but it’s the Oreos that I’d come back for. This Hi-​Rise location is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it is indeed bus accessible. Or you could just jog there like I did. Then you won’t feel the slightest bit of guilt as you munch on all your treats!
To sum up — hefty price tag, but overall, definitely worth the money and the trek.

Hi-​Rise — yummy sandwiches, albeit a little expensive. Good options for the vegetarians and the meat eaters in my life. The kids menu isn’t adventurous, but it makes my kid happy. Wish there was more seating and, especially, that they had high chairs. (The location closer to Harvard Law School does.)

Great food. Functional but sometimes very rude service. Snooty establishment, but still good.

Hi-​Rise doesn’t, I suppose, need me raving about it. Everyone knows how delicious it is. But I’m going to rave about it anyway. Here goes:
I live around the corner from Hi-​Rise – go to yoga across the street and am often at the library catty corner from it with my kids – and I come here way, way too often. Everything they offer is incredible. The coffee (Counter Culture) is the best in the neighborhood. They make a great Arnold Palmer and their straight lemonade is delicious. Their bread is my favorite, especially the flute. I love all the breakfast sandwiches, but especially the Green Eggs and Ham and the Counter Service. Their soups! In the winter, I eat their soups for lunch at least twice a week. And it’s hard for me to go a day without buying a cookie (my favorites are the ginger molasses and the almond macaroon) or a piece of the beyond-the-scope-of-anything-you’ve-ever-tasted vanilla loaf cake. You have not lived until you’ve eaten it.
I sometimes get take out meals from here, and love especially their roast chicken.
Basically, I love this place. Including the incredibly sweet folks who work behind the counter and bake the bread, who are always giving my daughter dried apricots or a free muffin. And I love the owners, too, Cynthia and Rene, who are always around, with their beautiful, sweet daughter Lucy, and always have a «hello» for you. People who complain about the prices should bear in mind the love, and the care, that goes into every element of this business, which is truly a family enterprise, and one which I feel hugely grateful to have nearby!

Hi– Rise is my go to in the neighborhood, and all high-​price jokes aside, its worth every penny. The coffee is good and strong, and their cheddar snails are possibly the only thing I will wake up early to go get on a cold Cambridge morning. Their sandwiches are delicious and there are no words to describe how good the vanilla bean loaf is. Attire: Wear your best sweats and morning outfits.
Downsides: Their sizes of latte drinks seem to have diminished into one small/​medium size with a very hi-​price, and there are no soy-​milk subs for our lactose– free friends. Also, NO WIFI. This is a big one for me… but not big enough to stop me from grabbing the greatest bread in West Cambridge.

I have been here a number of times over the years. The food is delicious if overpriced, but every visit I am astonished by how rude the employees are (at both locations.) This morning takes the cake. I walked in at 7:50am and was told that they wouldn’t be open for another 10 min. I said «okay, I’ll just take a seat and wait.» The employee then told me I would have to wait outside. It is 5 degrees with a «Realfeel» of –18 this morning. I can see no reason on a morning such as this to make a customer wait outside for 10 minutes in dangerously cold weather. I won’t ever be returning.

If you want a coffee to go, I think you’re missing out on what this place has to offer.
Hi-​Rise is a destination. Living slightly off the beaten path makes it a blessing if you want to sit with a book in the morning and enjoy a damn good cup of something warm. What makes them really stand out is the breakfast sandwich selection. While it’s not inexpensive, you can pick up a bacon, spinach and egg sandwich on a potato bread bun that will make your morning. I consider it a treat worth dropping in.
To date, they don’t carry soy or almond milk. If lactose isn’t your body’s favorite compound, then you better stick to Americanos or a black cup of coffee.
A random side note — they also have an incredible selection of bourbon on a shelf in there. I feel weird perusing it at 8am, so I have a plan to head back some eve and pick up a bottle.
Wear your nicest puffy jacket there in the winter or you’ll be a fish out of water. The clientele are often put together. It’s not the place to walk to after rolling out of bed.

I stopped by Hi Rise without reading any of the reviews and now that I have, I am surprised so many say the staff are rude! Disappointing to hear. For me, everyone was actually perfectly nice. I asked for soy and the girl working politely said they don’t have it but recommend the homemade almond milk instead.
The almond milk was interesting. I’ve never had it of any sort before so I was caught off guard by the residue left in your mouth after you take a sip. Maybe this always happens? Anyway, the flavor was pleasant and it’s kind of like getting a snack and a drink?
Delicious cranberry cookies. Soft and fresh. Also enjoyed the coconut macaroons. And it smells heavenly inside.
I like that you can watch the bakers do their thing, but they could definitely rework the seating and fit more in. Overall, I’d like to go back to try a sandwich!

I love their treats! Their coffee is some of the best and the environment is very sweet. To be honest, I enjoyed their first location better as I used to nanny around the corner a number of years ago and it was more rustic and homey. They have done a decent job with the new place and it’s all shiny and new, but I miss the picnic table and benches.
I also had a no wifi problem. As a writer who frequents cafés, I would say that’s a minor glitch. If you’re looking for AMAZING coffee & treats come on by… just don’t expect to do anything other than chat with your adoring friends and loved ones, you won’t be working here!

Three stars is for the food alone. I got an excellent, fresh veggie sandwich, my hubby got something resembling a Cuban and I sampled a bite of his very good chocolate chip cookie. However $ 11 for a veggie sandwich, $ 3 for a chocolate chip cookie and our order took TWENTY MINUTES even though it was not super busy. Granted, they did warn us it would take that long but HOW? And WHY?
Not worth the price, not worth the wait. I’ll be at Dave’s Fresh Pasta next time I’m craving a sandwich.

Nom nom nom. Came here with my husband and his family over the Christmas holidays for a quick brunch. There isn’t a lot of seating to cater to big groups, but we managed to find room to squeeze all seven of our little tushies into seats.
Service was relatively quick despite the Sunday afternoon crowd. All of the baked goods looked amazing, and I settled on a simple chocolate brioche and hot chocolate to fill my tummy. Both were absolutely delish — and the chocolate filling on the inside of the soft and flaky brioche was a nice surprise. My husband loved his egg sandwich so much that he polished it off before I could nab even a nibble, but he assured me it was «really, really tasty.»