Starbucks

A basic Starbucks. Great place to work but be aware if you get a coveted booth you might need to share as it gets packed. Definitely recommend Clover over the regular stuff if you’re getting a black coffee. Also move past the Latte and Capuccino options for a Flat White. The quality of the milk is much better and you’ll have a more enjoyable cup of coffee. (p.s. WIFI is legit. Also there are wireless charging stations all over… and plugs)

Service here sometimes is slow given its prime location right next to the T stop. Luckily, there usually are multiple cashiers going to get the line flowing. Seating usually is limited as well as the volume of patrons is great. I would recommend visiting the Starbucks in the Garage or on Church Street if you want a peaceful place to work or to chat.

Main advantage of this Starbucks: it’s not as busy as the main Starbucks in Harvard Square next to the T stop! It’s quieter and lines are shorter, although it’s not that much easier to find a seat/​table there compared to the other Starbucks since there isn’t too much seating. You need a code to use the restroom so just ask the baristas for it. This Starbucks is located in the Garage among many other places for food and other things. I usually come here to quickly grab coffee before class or to settle down and study for a whole day.

Always My Favorite Coffee and Pastrys, Anywhere in The WORLD

First, a caveat: This is NOT the main Starbucks in Harvard Square. It is NOT especially big. There is NOT a second floor. It is NOT good for people watching. Reviewers who mention this are referring to a different store, which is at 1380 Mass Ave, right next to the T (subway) station.
That said, this is a nice Starbucks in itself, a little crowded in the afternoons and evenings but rather open in the mornings. There is a nice long table at the back and a few booths that are good for groups, though it’s tough to find an open booth.

Very large starbucks, with lots of seating inside. A lot of the tables though are too low to be comfortable to use. Drinks what you can expect from Starbucks. so no need to comment on that.
The only downside to this Starbucks is that its quite an ordeal to get to the bathroom. You need a receipt, and if the barista forgot to give you one, then it takes a huge amount of time to go get their attention, and manage to get them to help you get to the bathroom.
On the upside, the view on Harvard square is great!

This location in Harvard Square is always crowded. Seating is extremely rare to come by even on the top floor at all times of the day. The drinks are decent and what you would expect of a typical Starbucks. I haven’t had any bad experiences with customer service to date but the wait time for drinks has been known to be quite long given the number of tourists and other people who stop by.
A helpful tip, there’s another starbucks right nearby on Church street about a block north. That one is smaller, but is far less busy and crowded than this location. One treat that I do love from Starbucks are their cake pops. I’ve had almost all of the flavors and the two I enjoy the most are the birthday cake pop and the seasalt caramel chocolate cake pop.

Happy customer just became extremely disgruntled.
I ordered a decaf and was told it would take a few minutes to brew — that’s fine and it’s happened before. So I stand in front of the same bariista and wait, and wait, and wait. A few minutes becomes 12 minutes, and all this time I’m still right in front of the barista who took my order. It’s not busy, so he sees me, but doesn’t say anything. I walk up to one of his colleagues and ask on the status of my decaf. He doesn’t see anything brewing, and asks the original barista about it as well. Turns out he had moved it to the end of the counter, but never bothered to called it out nor tell me that it was there. If this place was busy I’d understand, but given the drop in traffic, I’m more than peeved that I’m drinking lukewarm coffee.

Most people think that every Starbucks is the same, but that isn’t true. The staff here was friendly and helpful, even though the store was busy. The store is in a central location — Harvard Square — so you might want to try another location if you’re in a rush.

ALWAYS SO SO SO BUSY
Go to a different sbux location in Harvard square if you have the choice.
The view from upstairs is phenomenal and it’s a great place to do work but you can almost never get a table…
**TIP** there is a secret (lesser known) extra bar upstairs — so you can walk in, go straight up and order and probably not wait in line, then leave latte in hand 3 minutes later =)

When all of the other area Starbucks are crowded, come to this location, slightly hidden in The Garage, to get your quick fix and a seat (maybe). I’ve never struggled to find a seat here, and the booths are so big that you can actually share them with people you don’t know. Your new best friends might be studying Romance Languages & Literature or just seeking refuge in the only calm Starbucks s/​he can find.
The best thing about the Starbucks is how short (and quick!) the lines are. It’s pretty small, but there are more seats than the location on Church Street. Seriously, why does everyone go there? Aaaaand… unlike the one on Mass Ave, you actually *can* sit and drink your coffee. The difference here is: the Starbucks is indoors, not within eyeshot, and not close enough to the train station that you’d be stopping here before or after hopping on or off the red line.
The baristas are friendly enough. I once thought I lost something and I called, and they actually looked for my stuff! I actually had it in my bag, but any time I’ve called any other Starbucks, they’ve not been as responsive. Either the friendliest people are at this Starbucks, which often smells of Vietnamese-​Starbucks fusion, or the low-​key atmosphere is nice enough for it to feel like a community.

One of the better Starbucks! Conveniently located inside The Garage, it’s a natural stop after dining at one of the many surrounding eateries. Despite its tiny sign outside the building, it is busy; Often its many tables are full, but the lattes have been regularly great. They also serve reserve coffee with that clover machine. It also has fun grain/​coffee bean decorations against the wall by the entrance; It is one of the more artsy Starbucks.
Their bathrooms are don’t have key pads, so have easy access for tourists and what not. It doesn’t have the most clean bathrooms and has only one toilet for each gender. The other day, the lock didn’t work in the women’s room.
Personally, I also like the brick walls with the arch windows and enjoy using one of their many outlets to work on my mac. Customers are very often students, but also other people meeting friends and chatting.

Very busy Starbucks location. Staff typically does a great job pushing drinks fast to get you in and out. 2^nd floor is awesome for studying, meetings, or people watching. The entire Harvard Square is fun for great access to lots of things.
I’m giving it 4 stars, because for a more personable, cozy and less chaotic/​rushed Starbucks, walk a few blocks down to the Church street location. There, the staff knows your name after only a few repeat orders.

It’s perpetually crowded but the upstairs seating is great, with plenty of couches and a great view of Harvard Square. Service is decent albeit a bit slow at times.

Service was super slow and I was they only customer ordering. The guy making my drink clearly was tired/didn’t want to be there & took his sweet time making it/​chatting with another employee.
That’s all fine & dandy, I like when folks happily chat, but what’s annoying is how he saw me sitting on one side of the counter & curtly slid the drink (on the opposite end), and walked away.

Its no secret to anyone who knows me that I love coffee. And I also love starbucks. That is why it pains me when I have a bad experience at one. I received an iced coffee from friendly baristas and headed on my way to an appointment. I took my second sip and imbibed something that made me choke… I hacked up a long tangled mini-​clump of thick black hair. I was so freaked out that I flung it into the street and through my coffee away in a hurry. In retrospect, I should have brought it back and got a new one, but as they say, hindsight is ²⁰⁄₂₀. I probably wouldn’t have wanted a new one anyway…
What are the odds of having another drain-​clogger in my drink? Slim-​to-​none probably… but I won’t chance it again. I went to Peets.

Um, best Starbucks ever?
Literally, I could spend an entire day here. And I did. Once.
The first floor may be a bit dark and gloomy, but go upstairs! There’s a spacious second floor with huge windows and tons of seating, including plenty of amazing, comfy seats right by said windows. Perfect for people-​watching and looking out over Harvard Square. Like I said, I have easily spent the day here (and I’d spend the entire night, if it was allowed). Just plugged in my laptop, pulled out my iPad and iPhone (Wi-​Fi is free, as it is at all Starbucks locations), and I was good to go.
Service is friendly and fast, even in the morning when there’s a long line. If you go upstairs and stay there for long enough, waitresses will come around asking if you want anything, and/​or will take away any trash at your table. If you want to use the restroom, you have to buy something and ask for the code, which they’ll put on the back of your receipt. The restroom is in the basement, and you have to take the elevator to get there. If you’re a bit common-​sense challenged like me, you’ll find that the elevator is a bit hard to figure out (especially when you really REALLY gotta go), but if not, you’ll be just fine. :)
All that being said, I love this Starbucks!

This Starbucks is conveniently located.
It has 2 levels of seating.
If you need to use their restroom, be sure to ask your cashier to stamp your receipt with a code. The restroom is located on the basement level, but the elevator will not work unless you enter in the code that was stamped on your receipt.

The quieter Starbucks in the Square… though sometimes it does get crazy busy, I’m grateful to have a place to grab a quick coffee after work and before class.
The service is actually impressive here… especially Molly, she’s such a jovial and jolly barista. I love that! Once, I remember the barista behind the counter was less than nice to me, but that same barista offered me a «Sorry, this one’s on me» drink for the future, to make up for his off day. That’s stellar customer service.
Definitely one of my Harvard Square staples. Really glad it’s here.

This is by far one of the best Starbucks I’ve ever been to. It sucks and yet at the same time, it makes perfect sense that they stamp your receipt with a code so that you can use the restroom (i am sure it is to deter non-​patrons from using it). i dislike that it’s in the basement but whatever. I didn’t come here for the bathroom. I just love the view from the second floor.
I could sit here for hours, with my phone, or laptop, or a book or nothing at all, but a cup of tea and stare into the streets full of people and street art and vendors.
This place is always packed but a true gem in the middle of Harvard Sq.