Andala Coffee House

Was in the area and had to do some work so I found this adorable coffee shop! Upon entering, if you plan on staying, you can seat yourself at any empty spot -- and there's plenty of seating options. You can scan the QR codes scattered around the shop to view their full menu. Since it's a sunny September day, I opted for the iced Turtle latte with almond milk and it totally hit the spot! The drink itself was so delicious and creamy that I wouldn't have noticed that I ordered it with almond milk. The staff was also extremely friendly and made the space feel very welcoming. There were lots of other patrons that were either just doing work, reading, or enjoying a drink. The wifi was quick and not laggy at all. The decor of the shop was also to die for! Overall LOVED my experience at Andala and this is one of the places I would definitely go out if my way to stop by.

Middle Eastern cafe/restaurant in Central Square! One thing I really admire here is the atmosphere. It really feels like you're stepping into someone's home -- family home that's been lived-in for decades type beat. The place is heavily decorated, and each room carries a lot of personality; the main room feels like a cafe where you can see the pastry window and register for carryout, one of the side rooms is a sunroom, and downstairs you'll find a dining room table as well as a coffee table surrounded by couches -- all of these are places you can get seated for full table service! The menu spans breakfast, lunch, and dinner and includes teas, coffee, and espresso drinks making it a good option for anytime of the day. Dishes are colorful, casual, and yummy -- honestly looks and feels like a homecooked meal (in a good way). Some people come just to grab a coffee to-go but this is a really good spot for a slow, laid-back, weekend breakfast and/or lunch with friends (especially when the other Cambridge brunch spots already have hour long queues).When you come, I highly recommend getting the hummus for the table -- it's really freaking good and I don't know why (I usually get the hummus with beef). Other go-to's are the chicken shawarma plate, and the turtle latte (a lot of people talk about this one and I think it's worth it).

Came here with some friends on a Monday night. There were lots of places to sit, both indoor and outdoor. The ambiance was great - very cozy, different places to sit with different vibes. It has a lot of character. Service was friendly. I ordered the spinach pie plate, which comes with two spinach pies and a salad. The salad was tasty, with tomatoes, pickles, and cucumbers. The dressing was not too heavy on the vinegar, which I always appreciate. The spinach pies were not my favorite but certainly not bad either. The dough they were wrapped in was not crispy like I was expecting, but soft and bready. I loved that part. The spinach mixture inside had a sourness that I didn't love. That being said, for the vibes alone I would come back here, and there's a lot on the menu that looks good, so this certainly won't be my last visit.

My experiences at Andala Coffee House have been mixed, although the most recent ones reflect a degradation in quality of operations. The ambiance here is admittedly fairly nice, and the food that I've tried has been perfectly good. My two most recent visits, however, were tainted by a service (or lack thereof) that was neglectful and shrouded in operational incompetence.As for the food, it's good. Not so exceptional that customers find themselves lusting for more after they visit, but perfectly satisfactory. I am a particular fan of the hummus ajami with beef and the other hummus options. The semolina cake is also a tasty dessert. Prices are more or less in line with what you would expect in the area.During my penultimate visit, we were seated, then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. It was the middle of the afternoon on a weekday--not a very busy time. We flagged the server several times ("someone will be with you in a minute"). Finally I went inside to order at the counter, where I was informed that doing so is expressly prohibited if dining in the establishment, and I would have to continue to wait for a server to take our order. After around 40 minutes of lounging in the establishment we left.My latest visit was a similar story. This time, we managed to spend a full hour lounging and intermittently flagging down staff members before leaving. This was not at a peak time either. Generally, I could care less about ambiance and service. But it becomes an issue when there is no food to be had either. This isn't baseball; two strikes and you're out.One could argue that the inability to order food precludes the very experience for which one visits a restaurant: to eat.Without being able to eat, what is there for us at Andala Coffee House?

This is such a cozy spot to work or meet up with friends. There are tables and mini couches throughout. I've only sat on the main level, but I think they have a downstairs as well. They have a bunch of seating, but it does get pretty busy on the weekends. While they're a coffee/café type place, they still have plenty of regular menu items. I also love that you can order an entire pot of tea.I've stayed here for a few hours at a time, so don't worry if you're looking for a place to stick around for a while. Perfect spot to hang out at on a cold winter day!

I would walk by Andala every single week and was always so curious as to what was inside and I finally did it! It says Coffee House but it also has tons of food options! The upper floor of the restaurant is definitely more cafe-like with people studying, seats by the windows, and the front where you can order coffee and desserts. Downstairs, on the other hand, offers more seating and cozy seats. Because it is a more casual place, the service is a bit inconsistent. We had multiple people come and take our order and didn't really have one server.For food, we ordered the Falafel Plate and Chicken Shawarma Sandwich. The falafel was extremely crispy and crunchy on the outside. The inside was a beautiful green color and full of flavor. The hummus and sauce it came with was also a delight.The star of the show was the shawarma sandwich. Every single bite had me verbally saying "Oh my gosh this is so good." The flavor profiles on the chicken were ridiculously delicious and the tumeric came out wonderfully without being overpowering. It was also so juicy that I could legitimately drink some out of the sandwich (even though yes, that's gross). The pita on the outside was the perfect level of chewy and the pickles in the sandwich cut each bite with acidity.I will definitely be back to try other dishes, or just for the Chicken Shawarma sandwich!

I went here on a trip to Boston and now that I'm home I keep thinking about Andala. Considering moving to Boston just for this place.Everything about this place is sublime. The restaurant is very cozy and looks like you've been welcomed into someone's house, there are many seating options and different vibes. I saw people on a date, families there as well as students studying.However, it was the FOOD that enraptured me. The hummus is so GOOD you can't not get it. The entree did have a side of hummus but trust me you want to order a separate thing of it. I wish I could have brought a tub on the plane. I also got the falafel wrap which was huge and also quite delicious. The tabbouleh was more on the tart side but I know some people prefer it that way. I wish I could go back.

If I could give 3.5 stars that's what I'd give Andala! Their food is great- very few complaints there. We tried the merguez hummus plate and the chicken shawarma plate, which were both super flavorful and the hummus was incredibly smooth (but a little thin / liquidy so if you don't like it that way, I would get something else). The Arabic bread (kind of like pita) that comes with the hummus plate was a bit inconsistent in that some pieces were softer than others that seemed a bit stale.My biggest complaint with this place is the service. On a Saturday at around 2, it was pretty busy and we were seated downstairs (they have a couch area down there where it seems like it would be nice to hang out and have a leisurely coffee with your friends). Being seated downstairs we felt pretty neglected by the servers- it was very hard to get anyone's attention when we were ready to order (especially because there were so few servers). I believe that if you sit upstairs there's a water cooler where you can get your own water, but downstairs there was not. We asked our server if there was a place for us to get water down here and they said they would bring water over, but they never did. (We asked twice then gave up.) I also received my cappuccino easily 10 minutes after we received our food. They may just have been short-staffed that day, but based on my experience I would not come here if you're expecting good service- or if you're too hungry. I would say the food makes it worth it though if you're not in a rush.

Great service from the moment we walked in. A choice of patio or indoor seating with a really nice trellis covered patio. Choices on the menu ranged from delicious chicken, beef or falafel sandwiches to full entrees of chicken or beef. 4 or 5 great salad choices and very reasonable prices.

The restaurant is very home-like, with lots of cultural decorations on the walls. There is also a lower level to the restaurant.The food is incredible, and it's a great place to get some Middle Eastern flavors. Would definitely visit again.