Ames Street Deli

Were Hamlet speaking to Horatio about cocktails, he’d tell him to come to Ames St. There is what you know. And then there is what Sam and company will open your eyes to. Do yourself a favor and come here.

The drinks here are delicious! You can tell they take their time to make each one perfectly.

The food here was fabulous. Be forewarned, that at least at dinner time, the menu is very limited. They call it a «Bar Menu,» and it has only about six items, with half being «appetizer-​like» (we had eggplant dip) and the other half being sandwich-​like (we had a poutine concoction that was amazing). The seating is mostly at counters, with just a few tables, some of which are also high. The Ames Street Deli is physically connected to the fancy «Study» restaurant next door… sharing the same (funky) restroom facility (and maybe partly the kitchen?) 5 stars as long as you know what you’re in for. If you want a full dinner, though, to elsewhere. (Study maybe?)

I was greeted by a warm and friendly face named Cee. She gave me some great suggestions and decided to give the beef tongue a try. It was the right choice. It was cooked to perfection and sandwiched between two plantain buns and topped with a signature mayonnaise. Delicious! The place has a great vibe with its mix of modern and moss. Big windows make it a great spot to people watch, if that’s your thing. I’d suggest it to anybody in the area.

Excellent. Great in the morning for coffee and even better at night for drinks.

paooooooooooooo de queijoooooo! im going to be specific! and quick !
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We frequent this place on a regular basis
Great cocktails and an interesting selection of sweet items to choose from. These are sold on ‘first come, first served’ basis and can differ from one day to the next. Have sampled a few things from the food menu and these have often tasted great as well
Service is occasionally difficult to engage — but overall the food and beverages are enjoyable :)

Very solid café located in Kendall Square. The first time I went, I had the breakfast sandwich with sausage which I thought was pretty standard compared to ones I’ve had at other cafes. The second time, I had the scrambled egg donut. From the name, I was expecting a sliced donut with scrambled egg between the halves (almost like a bagel), but the donut was more like a beignet and the scrambled egg was egg custard filling. I thought the scrambled egg donut tasted great, but the name is a bit misleading. I also had a chai latte, which was delicious.
Overall, I thought the food flavor and quality were good and the price was reasonable. I’ll be back!

Delicious pastries and sandwiches, just a tad pricey.
I love the pastries at Ames Street Deli. Their Kouign-​amann are amazing. They consistently have a delicate flaky exterior and an soft, almost custardy core. Pastry perfection. Their pao de queijo is spot on. I even tried their ‘taco muffin’ with sour cream and guac and it was good. Their famous egg-​stuffed donuts are great and for $ 2, they might be their best value offering. They take a while, but are freshly made. My verdict? The wait IS worth it. They do seem to run out early on the day unfortunately, so don’t show up after 9:30 am.
I have also found their lunch offerings pretty delicious. All of the sandwiches and soups I have tried have been full of flavor. The downside is that they tend to be pretty small, so even after a soup and a sandwich I am left a little hungry. I sadly can’t justify spending ~$ 20 on lunch on a regular basis, but if I could, perhaps I would. I have not yet tried their cocktails and dinner offerings. Their macarons also look very tasty.
Great for a takeout pastry breakfast, good for a small lunch.

Loved everything about this place. Went in on a cold rainy day and was immediately nice and warm. The lunch crowd wasn’t too crazy as it usually is around Kendall Sq (maybe the drizzle scared them off though) so it was comfortable and they had some nice cocktails available in the early afternoon.
The menu changes quite often so what you read or see here might not be available so check the menu on their website! (they reprint daily)
Having said that, my Beef Tongue Jibarito (succulent beef, mayo, and lettuce on some huge plantain slices). It was amazing. The portions aren’t huge but I was fully satisfied so don’t let that scare you away. Based on this mean I wouldn’t hesitate to try something else on the menu. Going to try and go back for a casual dinner someday!

This is only with regard to their coffee station. In short, small amount of coffee after a long wait thats overpriced and not even hot. More details below.
I ordered a poor over, which naturally takes longer than other drinks, but this one took nearly 10 minutes to get to me. I received the coffee about ²⁄₃ way full in a 12 oz cup, which cost just over $ 5. After I put on a sleeve and cap I walked out and took my first sip, it was lukewarm.
The staff is pleasant, but the poor over is not.

Breakfast sandwich: 5 star
Delicious sandwich, perfectly balanced flavors. Bread was oiled for crisp, but not soggy. kale was lightly dressed with lemon. Piquillo cheese spread had the perfect amount of seasoning. Egg was well-​cooked and cut to perfectly fit the sandwich size.
Macchiato: 3 star
A good drink, with a cute foam heart on top. I just wish it wasn’t $ 3 for one mouthful…
WiFi: 2 star
There’s a «Ames St» wireless, but the staff said not to use it. We were supposed to use one of the open networks that our computers can detect. That felt a bit uncomfortable, as I would prefer the security of a password or access-​controlled internet source rather than random open networks. Beggars can’t be choosers, though?

Is this a deli? It seemed to be more like a bar the night I went. Is this an ironically named place? Is that a thing now?
Came here for a startup event type thing. Not being a fruity drink person, I wasn’t really interested in the long list of cocktails. They had a few wines by the glass and I stuck with that.
The menu is pretty limited. Grilled cheeses and bar food. We had a charcuterie. Would it justify a trip here? Not really. But it was fine.
On a Thursday night the crowd was sparse. Our group of 20~30 people fit in easily.
A guy at the bar started obnoxiously yelling at the whole group that we could move to another large table. I was in a conversation so I ignored him. So did everyone else. He yelled again with about the same (lack of) impact.
I didn’t really understand what this place is about. Hardly any food. Hardly any wines.
I can’t imagine coming back. Next time a friend brings this place up, I’ll steer us towards Meadhall across the street.

We came here for dinner and sat at the bar. We shared the eggplant dip with pickled veggies and super crunchy, perfectly salted, (right in front of our eyes) fried chips. It came inside an Asian-​inspired dark bowl with chips placed on top of the lid. Super cute presentation. Then we both got the spicy chicken sandwich which was in an onion roll with avocado purée, ranch, jalapeños and spicy red pepper. Spicy peppers were perfectly balanced with the creamy cooling ranch. Chicken had a great char on it and was well balanced with the fattiness of the avocado. Overall, a great meal!

I came to Ames Street Deli on recommendation from my favorite Boston bartender needing a bite to eat in Cambridge before I made my way to the 4^th of July fireworks.
Alltogether the space is beyond neat. First of all, I think the layout is really neat. One half is café style with your deli, 2 some table tops and the middle coffee condiment counter which divides the room from the bar area that wraps around the back area. Hanging from the ceiling are modern style metallic squares [I think copper or red style glass] and moss-​growing pillars. On the right side of the bar you have your TV hanging with one additional neat features of being able to play Old school Mario Cart. Gotta love it!
As it was the 4^th of July, instead of having their regular food menu they were offering a BBQ outside. Awesome. I had one of their burgers which was cooked just right. Spice up the burger yourself with different toppings and sauces and you are ready to go. The burger was delicious and not too large.
My favorite part of the spot was the drink matrix. A swift solution to every barman’s dilemma of an adventurous, yet indecisive people dividing drink styles by ingredient and style and placing their different specialty drinks on the matrix. Definitely allowed me to transfer between the taaaht&tangy ‘so fancy’ [a vodka drink] to the weird and wonderful ‘Pineapple project’ that was serve up in a flamingo floater. Loving it. Helps immensely for the servers and the servees alike.
To the service itself, I do love engaging and happy bartenders that do not fret from embarking into a conversation about breaking onto the rooftop of a newbury street bar to watch the Boston Pops fireworks or tips and tricks into how to win at said Mario Cart game. They definitely bring a homey vibe to the entire scene.
A good old thumbs up for my 4^th of July pre-​fireworks Cambridge adventure.

Ok, I’m back on board! The menu changes all the time, which makes me sad when I lose a favorite, but the new lineup is great!
I’m totally in love with desserts, especially the chocolate ones… But then I also had a super cool green tea cake and grapefruit thing that was also great (and unique).
However, what has really captured my heart– brazenly stolen it like a jewel thief pulling off a multimillion dollar heist– are the drinks.
Back bar and journeyman are known for their infinitely creative and always delicious cocktails. Ames St is totally up to the task.
Their expertly designed drink menu is formatted into a grid, with base spirits on X axis and flavor profiles (refreshing, tangy, bitter, etc) on Y. And it changes ALL the time. I’ve tried some weird stuff, including today’s Gibson pickle: Hendricks, cocchi and. PICKLE JUICE. And last week, a creation that was described as a cross between a Bloody Mary and a margarita– and it tasted just like that. Importantly, everything is really GOOD. Not weird but bad. Everything is also perfectly balanced– you can taste everything, but not one thibg. I’m over the moon by the talent of Sam and the Ames St bartenders.
Stop reading this and go get a cocktail!

If you’re looking for a tasty snack and a good drink, this is great. If you come hungry hoping for a full belly like I did, Run Away!
After dropping close to $ 20 for a few items I received a sandwich puny in size but large in flavor. I had to ask about an ingredient and the cashier didn’t even know, too bad for me it was peppers. The potato crisps were so delicate and thin, but I only got about 8 of them, so the plate felt half empty. Also got a «salad» which was actually a cold side, not quite what I expected but good. Very unique and well built flavors, just wish there was more to taste.
In fact, we went to Clover directly after just to stuff some fries in our faces to feel satisfied!
I’d like to give the Pancake Saturdays a try! So I’d go back for that or snacks, but never again for a sad Failwich.

I knew this place was coming. backbar told me. I love backbar so I thought, lets give this place a whirl.
Walking in it feels like a bar in Kendall Square. Its a little techy, glitzy, high ceilings… does that make sense? But it looks nice. It feels fancy and there is a lot of space. Its also a Saturday night and its dead. But they’ve only been open 3 weeks. If you build it, they will come.
I saddle up at the bar and chat with a couple of the bartenders. They are friendly and helpful but not overbearing. I try the Project Pineapple (the first drink with smoke I have ever liked), a Goldrush and The Ecstasy and Agony. The last was one of the better drinks and I basically asked Robert (bartender) what he wanted to make me and this masterpiece was created. I don’t know what exactly was in it. But it was wonderful
The food whoa. I had the mushroom sandwich and it was perfect for a bar snack. Salty, mushroomy, mayo-​y (and I dont even like mayo). My friend had some sort of play on words about being a burrito. She said it was amazing and really tasty. Word to the wise: these sandwiches are quite small, so plan accordingly
The only big downside is this is not a cheap place. Plan accordingly.

This is more a 3.5 stars, but I will give it the boost since it just opened and may be adjusting. It is also nice to have more lunch and late-​night drinks options in the area (especially closer to Main St, casual places open after 6pm are a bit sparse).
This is a very stylish, gourmet sandwich and dessert café. You can do both takeout and dining-​in and it’s pretty fast in comparison to its similar counterparts (Flour and Clover). The sandwiches here are small (really not enough for a full meal), and the staff was good about warning us. Specific dishes:
— Rabbit sandwich — I am not well versed in mortadellas (though I am a fan of sausages and pâtés) but it wasn’t up my alley. A bit like spam and not the rabbit texture and flavors I’m used to. I also couldn’t find the pork liver. But maybe I wasn’t high brow enough to «understand» this dish.
— Mushroom sandwich — I didn’t try it myself but my friend gives it a ³⁄₅. Seems it wasn’t too special?
— S’mores cake — cute concept, though a bit rich for me, the chocolate overwhelmed the marshmallow and mild graham cracker tastes.
Overall, this place has potential but I’m not sure if I will come back soon. It’s a weird niche since it’s a bit pricey for lunch, but has a small menu for dinner. I wish this place the best of luck!

I work right across the street but never noticed this place til today. It’s a «deli» but really looks like a café, with lots of pastries, a chalkboard menu, a cool interior, sandwiches, and sides. I ordered a sandwich to go from a woman with a tablet and was given a card (five of hearts) and told to wait.
The sandwiches are TINY! Was not prepared for that. I got the $ 6 mushroom sandwich and asked for no mayo — it was a good sandwich, lots of mushrooms balanced by cilantro and some radishy thing, but definitely still had the mayo. -.- they have a ton of sides so I guess you’re supposed to mix and match a sandwich to sides and spend $ 10 – 12 on lunch? I would have appreciated if someone mentioned the size because I’m definitely going to be hungry in an hour.
Probably would go back, since I work right here — but maybe not for a sandwich. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, because this is above average — I just wish I knew about the sizes /​cost!