Montrose Spa

Love this place, Great selection great people. One of the few things that hasn’t changed about this neighborhood in decades

I don’t know what would I have done without you in college. And as I come back to my alma mater for a visit and literally a few doors down from starbucks and other goodies, I know I needed to see you again. Montrose is a small convenient store, but the real deal is the deli/​sandwiches that they make here. They are delicious, comforting, and everything you need when you need a pick-​me up. The cuban and the desperado are my favorites. They are also huge– so don’t be greedy and share. I don’t know why I didn’t take a picture– since there are soo few pictures of this place. But– this place is amazing and local. Come for a breakfast or a general sandwich. There is no seating in here (b/​c it’s a small grocery store after-​all) but in the summers there is outdoor seating.

If you need some necessities for the evening/​day it’s a close by place to go. The prices are pretty high but I’ve been ripped off far worse by other places. Great aspect– the make breakfast and deli sandwiches!!! SO good!!! The staff is usually pretty pleasant. Seems as though the staff will close down the deli whenever they feel like it. I’ve called 3x well before they have said the deli closes and have gotten a no. Make up your mind Montarose!

Get the Desperado with Salsalito Turkey. It’s seriously the best sandwich ever.

This is a convenient place to buy some soda and chips, and their sandwiches are fine. The store is too narrow and feels a little dirty (perhaps because it hasn’t been remodeled in a while), but they carry a lot of breakfast basics: eggs, milk, orange juice, and bacon. Their very limited produce section is very bad: the fruits and vegetables often look weathered and well past their peak of freshness. The sandwiches aren’t fantastic, but given that this is one of the few quick lunch places in the area, they’re serviceable.

I’m never shopping here again. I went in to get stamps, and I asked, «do you have stamps?» The woman at the counter said, «sure, do you want 10?» I said «yes.» She rings it up for $ 12. I thought, «gee that sounds high» but I know the postal service keeps raising prices, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. But when I got home I realized she had sold them to me at 2.5 times the cost! It was my own damn fault for not knowing the current price of a stamp, but I’ll never shop again at a place that rips off their customers like that. Shame on you montrose spa — and I used to like your sandwiches, too. No more. I’m so disappointed.

This is an excellent little shop, with all sorts of groceries packed into a small space. They have a great selection of staples, like cereals, beverages, and produce, as well as a range of goods that are missing from many bodegas, like flowers, fine chocolates, and kitchen supplies (e.g., coffee filters). They have good hours, too. Also, the shop includes a deli, but I can’t comment on the quality of the food because I have only shopped here for groceries. The only thing to watch out for here is that the produce and bread can sometimes be on the verge of going bad, so check for ripeness/“best-by” date.

this place is right near my work and my absolute favorite place to snag a sandwich. the cuban is awesome, as is the BBQ chix BLT, but they will make anything for you. a regular BLT is only like $ 4! they have an insane beverage selection too, and a ton of ice cream and chips. good brownies and baked goods at the counter as well. basically this place is awesome and if you don’t mind waiting for a few minutes in a cramped space, you’ll be rewarded with an off-​the-​hook sando! DON’T SLEEP

The Lady Grey sandwich: Golden chicken breast, dill havarti, thinly sliced cucumber, ranch dressing and watercress (shredded lettuce in the winter months), served on a soft wheat bread. DELICIOUS.
Do it.
Tell them Melissa sent you.

This is a convenience store on Mass. Ave between Porter and Harvard Squares. It’s the only real «corner store» in the area (there’s a CVS in Harvard Square and a Rite-​Aid much farther up Mass Ave). One might expect a place with a monopoly to be unpleasant to visit, but the store is actually quite nice.
–They’re open until 11PM, which is great.
–They have a fair selection, especially of frozen items and drinks (for a small store, keep in mind that this is not Star Market).
–The employees are universally friendly.
I haven’t had too many of the sandwiches, which were good but not always great. I do wish they had certain items, sometimes, or that certain items cost less. But as far as small convenience stores go, this one is a pleasure to deal with.

The convenience store items are expensive and not necessarily fresh, but the sandwiches are awesome! You wouldn’t think so, by the look of the place, but it’s true. Try the Reuben.

The best cuban sandwich I have had in a very long time. I lived in Florida for almost 6 years and I was dying for a good place for cubans. My sweet boyfriend recommended we go here. I can’t even tell you how good their cubans are. THE BEST. The wait is very long so if you’re okay waiting please do try the cuban. They make it right in front of you which is nice. It looks like a dingy convenience store in a serial killer movie, but as long as you’re okay with that it’s worth it!

Great tasting sandwiches at good prices. Nothing fancy, just deli meat and some good toppings, but completely delicious. And if you need garbage bags or an avocado while you’re waiting for your sandwich you can get that too.

One of the better cubano’s in town.
Half a baguette pressed with ham, pork loin and mortadella with Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. A formidable sandwich. Crispy bread, warm melted cheese. Bam.
Reasonable grocery selection as well.

Solid deli. Big, delicious sandwiches — the Cuban is fantastic. A little cramped, but you could conceivably use this as your go-​to grocery/​general store and pretty much get by. Their biggest problem is throughput: get here at the wrong time and your order could take half an hour, so try to avoid coming in around noon. This is actually one of the good takeout lunch places in an area that could use some more, so definitely put it on your radar if you live or work around here.

I love perusing the refrigerated beverages! It is the best/​strangest bottled/​canned beverage selection in the area. The weird options never taste the way you hope they will, but it feels like you accomplished something.
If you want a sure thing, the cut mango/​pineapple by the register for only $.99 is always a winner.

I live in the neighborhood and come here often. If I wasn’t so lazy, and the Spa wasn’t so close, I wouldn’t come here at all. The groceries are overpriced and occasionally expired. The sandwiches are delicious and I used to stop in for one on a regular basis. One day I saw one of the girls who makes the sandwiches put on plastic gloves, make a sandwich, sweep the floor (keeping the gloves on), and then make another sandwich. That was the end of that. They do have coke bottled in Mexico (or as my husband and I call it: Mexicoke), and a good selection of bottled drinks. These days, we mostly go to the spa for a sugar fix or for fizzy water.

Dear poor law student,
Are you in need to a seriously tasty sandwich? Sick of eating at, and waiting in line at, the Hark? Want to see the light of day for a few minutos?
Walk a few blocks to lovely Montrose Spa. Yeah the name makes no sense, but who cares?! The sandwiches are delicious and they have my favorito pop chips.
Bonus: You can call your order in ahead of time and avoid the wait!

Dear god, if Adam E’s review isn’t absolutely spot on.
Montrose Spa is indeed weird. It’s also totally awesome, makes a great chicken salad sandwich, carries Mexican Coke (a-​cola), and provides me with my morning neighborhood gossip. There’s not much this place can’t accomplish, except maybe the mad skill of carrying unprocessed cheese, but I’m working on it.

Okay, so the first time I came here, I was sent by someone to buy turkey. I know they said «Montrose,» and I thought I heard something else that sounded like «spa,» but I didn’t understand why one would buy turkey at a spa. I didn’t feel like arguing, so I headed down Mass ave looking for something that started with «Montrose» and sounded something like «spa.» Lo and behold. Montrose. Spa. I didn’t get the concept of a New England «spa» when I first moved here, but now I don’t think I could live without.
I haven’t had the cubano, but I’ve had their other sandwiches, especially the egg breakfast ones, and boy are they good. And almost cheap. I love the store for the sandwiches, the considerate and friendly staff (who know you and what you will order after only two visits), and the random gourmet stuff I’m always tempted to buy when I’m in there. I’m not one of those people who’s too lazy to get to Shaw’s to do my shopping, but I def. know plenty of people who’ve lived comfortably on Montrose alone. And the turkey cold cuts are good, btw.