Francesca’s Café

They’re closed and I’m sad. Sorry statement about the South End when there’s no way for a locally-​owned, chill, relaxed coffee and sandwich place to stay open. My options now are either a $ 25-​$ 30 sit-​down meal or Dunkin Donuts.

I absolutely love this place!
It was the first place I ever went when I first visited Boston.
They’re cash only, hence the 1 star removed. But that’s where the negatives end.
Their food is so yummy, so fresh, and very reasonably priced for the neighborhood. Lots of vegetarian options, too.
There are usually tables available, with plugs and (I think) free wifi.
It’s right in the middle of everything in the south end, so it’s pretty convenient to run in and grab a quick bite before you meet your friends for a show.
My favorite bit is the wee art installation in the bathroom, of cups/​dishes that servers broke, with wee notes like «i was having a bad day» and such. It’s strung up with Christmas lights and makes me smile every time I see it :)

97 degrees and rising, I stumbled across Francesca’s right after arriving in Boston, desperately looking for a place to beat the heat, relax, and have a good lunch. I found most of those things at Francesca’s. Despite the café title, Francesca’s has a full menu, serving up sandwiches and salads in addition to café pastries and ice cream/​frozen yogurt. They also have a full coffee/​tea and smoothie menu. What they don’t have, is air conditioning. Disappointed but not too discouraged, I took a seat near the open window and enjoyed the crazy cross breeze being generated by the windows and fan combination (though I did have to pick up my flying napkin about a half dozen times). I went for the iced coffee and Mandarin salad, keeping the beat the heat theme in mind, and really enjoyed both.
If I was a local, Francesca’s is the kind of place I could see myself dipping into daily to chat with the staff, grab a coffee, or just hang out. They weren’t too busy when I came in, and didn’t mind that I lounged around for awhile drawing– and avoiding that blazing sun. The staff were also more than happy to give me some tips on where to go around town, and offered me a refill to-​go on my iced coffee, which was more than appreciated!

Popped in for a coffee when I was in town visiting. It’s a cute spot with great coffee and interesting coffee specials. They serve gelato (yummm) and sandwiches. Benches outside were a great place to people watch. My favorite surprise was the guy who served me my coffee was wearing bright red lipstick – love it! Express yoself! If I lived here, I would probably be a regular.

Cash only place!
I only got some bakery goods here to go, yum!
Cupcakes, check!
Rice Krispies, check!
Whoopie pie, check!
There’s seating here and I see an array of sandwiches here on the menu, yum!
Prices are relatively low at this casual café.

The food and the service are both strange, inconsistent.
Layout and signage –It’s just confusing whether or not it is a sit down restaurant.
It is, I guess, but you can also take out… but wait seem annoyed if you want to take out.
Why do wait staff seem so irritated?
Sometimes they are fine and some sandwiches, like the veggie burger, sometimes, is good!
They should take cards, and just tighten up the feel of the place a little! It could be good! It has potential. C’mon Francesca’s, cheer up!

Awesome spot in the South End… used to come here a lot when I lived in Boston but I always make sure to stop by whenever I visit.
The food is usually decent as well as the coffee, and the service is usually punctual and friendly.

Took a breather here en route to some event that we were way too punctual for. Place was empty but felt quite homey. Nice guys manning the café. Grabbed some hot chocolate and happily sipped away. Magazines here and there. Gazing outside at the wintry mix sweeping Boston.
Nice place to sit and reminisce.
I’m a sucker for bathrooms and this one had personality.

Francesca’s can be summed up in one word: disappointing. Aesthetically, it looks like an adorable neighborhood gourmet coffee shop, one where you can leisurely grab a cup of coffee, a fresh home-​made sandwich or pastry and relax while reading a book or catching up with a friend. But it’s not. If you want to eat there, you must get table service, which turns a coffee or meal here into a very different experience. One in which you have to sit down and be waited upon by a server who may or may not be paying very much attention to you.
While a number of reviewers have mentioned that Francesca’s only accepts cash, this is actually a good thing — it keeps prices down! And besides, there is a Bank of America ATM right across the street — if you don’t have cash, it’s not that terribly inconvenient to get.
Finally and most importantly, I was disappointed with the quality of the food. It was boring, not very flavorful and our sandwiches did not appear to be made of very fresh or high-​quality ingredients. Our coffee was fine, but not anything memorable. You are much, much better off walking a couple of blocks to Wholy Grain or the Buttery for a much more relaxed and superior café experience.

I like this place. Nice and simple but not boring. They offer a lot of coffee drinks and smoothies. They also have a decent amount of vegetarain options. I also love places that offer breakfast any time of day.
Don’t forget to bring cash.

A fantastic drink selection, open-​minded Italian soda concoctions and nonchalant diner service. Sounds good to me!
I ducked into here while waiting for a table at a restaurant down the road. Decided to venture snagging a coconut Italian soda. It was good, sweet sipping soda and people watching.
As far as foodstuffs go, they weren’t very vegan-​friendly so I didn’t splurge on any sort of sweets or snacks. But a if you’re just looking for a cheap, nice little hang out on the area? This place is spot on.

I visited Francesca’s earlier today with my family. We were headed over to the BCA for a children’s theatre show, so we had our 5-​year-​old nephew in tow, so this was a perfect spot for a casual pre-​show lunch.
I had the Mini & Mista: the sandwich of the day– chicken salad on a small english muffin and a garden salad. It was the perfect size and really hit the spot! My sister-​in-​law had the chicken quesadilla wrap, my mother-​in-​law had the chicken salad «mini» as well while my husband enjoyed a Milky Way latte and a fruit salad and our nephew had a bagel and cream cheese. I did mention he’s five, right?
We all cleared our plates! The food was great and really affordable. Well-​priced for the South End. I also had some iced tea-​free refills and NOT Lipton! I want more right now.
The wait staff was great– the waitress was patient with me when I lost all ability to communicate and had to repeat what I wanted 3 times after asking her a bunch of questions.
The space is small. Be prepared to be constantly moving around to allow people to get between the tables.
It’s cash only! Be prepared.
I’ll have to come over here for lunch at some point since it’s somewhat close to where I work.
They had a case of baked goods that looked yummy. I will be back to sample those as well.
I’ll be back for another reason: all day breakfast. Yep. You just hooked me.

Can I have an omelet? Yes.
Can I have an omelet for dinner at 7pm on a Monday night? You bet your sweet ass I can.
Can I say ‘ass’? Woo hoo, I just did !!
There are a lot of small cafes in South Boston. I bet you’d be hard pressed to find one that serves a full breakfast menu all day. That’s why I love Francesca’s. They have all the sandwiches and drinks as any other place but they will serve me eggs with my Sex on the Counter… which is one of my favorite drinks to get before taking in a show across the street at the Calderwood.
It’s especially pleasant during the early evening as there aren’t too many people who come in before 5pm. They always have decent music playing in the background and sport artwork from local artists on the walls. The waitresses are friendly and don’t bother you much like a couple of other places where they come asking you if everything’s alright every 5 minutes.
Thank you Francesca for giving me eggs any time I want them and not being weird about it.

Warm hug in a cup? That’s what’s found here…
Sex on the counter is amazing, and is probably something that will remind you of your grandmother hugging you after a bad day… close your eyes as you sip and don’t think of the name (cause then you’re in a pretty twisted weird ass incestuous fantasy)… and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Almond joy is delicious!!! This is a more happy drink, I mean, listen to it’s name… it has the word JOY in it!
Food is good, veggie quesadilla wrap very tasty and filling.
Big Sexy Chocolate Cake was annihilated… that’s how sexy it was.
Service very accommodating, our waitress was attentive and very polite.
As my nephew said, «I wanna eat there again.» (He is only 4.)

I don’t understand how this place has such high ratings.
My family and I went for breakfast one weekday and came out completely disappointed.
I ordered the breakfast burrito and my parents both ordered french toast. My breakfast burrito was bland, at best, and was drenched in pretty gross «salsa.» The french toast was absolutely disgusting. I am VERY easy to please when it comes to breakfast foods, but this french toast was just gross. It tasted like toasted bread with cinnamon rubbed on top. I feel like it wasn’t drenched in batter AT ALL, and no amount of syrup made it any better.
I think the only decent part of our breakfast was the iced coffee…
It was also really annoying that this place is cash only… and we found this out at the end of our meal… which I think made it even more annoying since we were already so disappointed with the food.
Will not go here again. I wish it had been the weekend and we could’ve gone across the street to Aquitaine for an amazing breakfast, or even Billy’s on Berkley St.

Great vibe, happy-​go-​lucky font on the many-​square-​inch menu, breakfast burritos served all day and great variety of sandwiches.
On the first visit, it took over 30 minutes to get my Tuscan Chicken ($ 7.50). Unwrapping it minutes later unleashed paper so loaded with, um, drippings (?) the foodstuff itself became glazed in a slick sheen that made it impossible to survive with clean hands. Call it what you will, but I’m a huge stickler for to-​go orders (read: portable) having that namesake quality of being able to be eaten on the go. And unless the power of WetNap compels you, this demon ain’t gettin’ exorcised.
That said, the beastly ‘wich piled thick with roasted chicken, slightly-​too-​thick prosciutto, roasted reds, pesto, provolone, and spinach tasted pretty GD good. And «good» really is the best word, because that’s how you describe something that loosens the shoulders and helps you appreciate chewing and tasting the first bite, while planning your next. When the bites just keep coming, «big» works too. Good and big. Yes.
3.5 leaning towards 3 because that’s where my oily fingers slid. For flavor and funk, though, I will definitely give Francesca’s another go.

great breakfast croissant and excellent coffee.

Stop #20 3:17 PM:
Never had a chance to finish up my 2009 Boston Dining Tour in which I visited over 24 different restaurants in the span of 3 days. For a complete review, see Cindy Y.‘s comments from 2÷19÷2009. After eating at so many restaurants, I felt that Francesca’s was just alright. It’s a solid «artsy» and chill hangout spot. Cash only of course. I was amazed by the one man kitchen hat managed to pump out sandwiches, wraps, and smoothies with effortless speed. Fracnesca’s isn’t the place to make a destination out of but it’s certainly a great choice when you’re looking for somewhere to kill time. [Original Visit: February 2009]

Whenever I am in the mood for a sandwich in the South End, I go for Francesca’s Café. Quick, cash only, and made to order service, and a hugely extensive menu.
I almost always opt for the cubano (pork with pickles and mustard) or the Pastrami and grill chicken with pesto. Both of the sandwiches are made hot and fresh to order, and EXTREMELY TASTY. No joke, if you haven’t had pastrami, pesto, and grilled chicken in a sandwich, you probably aren’t living. The cubano is perfectly cooked pork that is juicy and tasty, with an abundance of mustard and salty pickles.
Simply great for sandwiches! Gotta love Francesca’s!

Possibly the best omelet I have ever consumed, and the best flavored coffee (which I don’t usually do because it usually bites). The service was pretty darned good, too.
I love you, Francesca’s.

Oh, South End. Please let me apologize for taking 7 months of living in Boston to finally begin exploring you in your fullest. Sure, I’ve been wanting to try B&G Oysters for a solid four months now, and I promise to plan a trip in the very near future. However, and quite possibly more importantly, I have recently discovered your exquisite espresso and delightful desserts, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Creative coffee lovers and dessert devourers alike, meet Francesca’s Café. A short walk from my place of employment, I expect to frequent Francesca’s quite often. While my go-​to morning espresso has not changed, I will dabble my desires for variety here. I decided to try the Milky Way Latte. However, I was curious when the barista slid my latte across the counter… the deceptive cup, plain white, simple McDonalds-​like lid. But, what it lacked in outer pizazz, it more than made up for in taste. The mixture of chocolate and vanilla syrup, awakening espresso, and slowly steamed milk was smooth, rich, and creamy. I’m still flabbergasted by how good this drink was!
I also ordered the black and white chocolate cookie. I expected a hard, crisp pastry to meet my chomp, but it was not to be. Under the cover of smooth-​ilicious (smooth and delicious) icing lie a friendly fluff of floury goodness. It more-​closely matched the consistency of a moist chocolate cake, as it nearly broke in half as a reached into the bag to pull it out. Why must I describe it in such an artsy, over-​the-​top manner? Because simply stating it was «good» or «great» doesn’t do it justice.
So, learn from my mistakes, go to South End soon and often. Step into Francesca’s Café and experience a true South End establishment firsthand.