Barismo
| Address: | 171 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474, USA |
| Phone: | +1 339-368-7300 |
| Site: | barismo.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 9AM–3PM 9AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 66
Reviews 10
A
A Private User
I dont get it! Being from the west coast where great coffee is easily found, I was excited to hear about this place. But it was just weird. Nobody would wait on me and the only people in there were some guys standing around the counter talking about coffee. Their coffee beans arent marked in terms of roast - just these exotic names so you have to ask but they just ignored me. I finally interrupted and the guy behind the counter stared at me and I asked which types were dark. (I know that some coffee purists dont believe in dark roast but its easier on my stomach and if Stumptown and other top roasters can do dark, well then.) The guy mentioned a type and I took it and walked over to the counter, And stood there while they talked about how hard it was to find great coffee. Finally I caught his eye and he just stared at me and asked what I wanted. Umm. could I pay for this. "Yeah.". So I paid $12 (they only take cash by the way) went home and brewed a cup and it was medium roast and tasted sour. The other two times I did get better service but there were still these guys standing around talking about coffee and I had to ask for assistance, even if it was just to pay. The coffees all seemed medium to light roast to me, even the espresso beans, and I was treated like an intruder.
MI
Michael Abrahams
Before you read the 2- or 3-star reviews of this place, take the following into consideration: Barismo is not a coffee shop, it is a coffee roaster. Theyre not in the business of giving you smiley face service and grabbing chocolate croissants with little metal tongs or laying out out couches for Tuesday poetry nights or setting up free wifi to entice 29 year old Harvard APs to sit around and discuss Faulkner. These guys are in the business of roasting serious, no compromise coffee. The inside looks like a factory. The primary reason to come here is to purchase fresh roasted coffee beans. Order a cup of drip or espresso if you want to try out a new roast before committing to a whole bag of it. You may want to do this as their selection changes with the seasons - they only offer the best, freshest beans available. This is the coffee roaster youve been trying to find, offering the complexity and variety to live up to the hipster cred youre purchasing with it. Call ahead to order a 2.5lb or 5lb bag roasted for next day pickup. They accept credit through the mobile app LevelUp.
A
A Private User
Come in into this unassuming hole in the wall, and be transported into a different world, where making of coffee and tea is art, science and religion. Both coffee and tea are sublime and addictive. Here the best coffee of your lifetime can be had, and every minute detail of the magic will be explained - just ask. Espresso is perfect, and manual slow drip (ask for "siphon") lets every shade of the bean flavor come through. Tea aficionados must come for the tea ceremony. Unique Taiwan tea leaves (mostly oolongs) will be steeped 4-5 times, with extraordinary attention to detail, and you will be privileged to to taste ambrosia, beautifully and subtly changing flavor with every steep. Come often, try everything, ask about anything and be ready to have your world rocked. This place to Starbucks is as Louvre to Walmart.
A
A Private User
After walking in to Barismo with a big head, thinking I knew the world about coffee, I left feeling completely castrated. These guys know their @%&#!!!! Three types of alternative brewing methods: pour over (V60), woodneck, and siphon. Not knowing what woodneck was, I grabbed that. Oh good heavens, was this a good cup of coffee. Its like they took the pour over and made it even stronger and more aromatic. I had a 10 minute discussion with the barrista about the different coffee brewing methods and roasts they had. If youre a coffee buff, head over to Barismo. These guys supply wholesale beans and grinds across all over Boston. Not only that, theyve got siphons, V60s and woodnecks for sale. Its legit!!
DA
David Almond
WARNING!!! They only light-roast their beans. There is this cult that somehow light roasting leaves intact the true flavor of the bean such that one can taste the real nature of the bean, and thus its origin. Maybe, but at the cost of completely exhausting your saliva glands. Dark roasting, if done well, brings out a depth of flavor youre just not going to get in a light roast. Analogy would be a beaujolais vs. a 5-year old Pinot. Im giving them 4 stars to prevent the owner from bugging me about the review, plus since I am categorically panning light roasts its kind of unfair for me to grade them in the first place. It would be nice if they put a hanging curtain in front of the bathroom.
GR
Grant T Ballard
Excellent coffee. Ive been a barista for 5 years, and a roaster for 1. Came in ten minutes before closing time which is annoying for the baristas trying to close, still got good service. Bonus points +1000 Being from Portland, Oregon, Im a (good) coffee fiend, and always try the espresso first. Ordered a double espresso, it was excellent. Shots were pulled well (not too over or under extracted) and tasted good. I havent had coffee made by any of the other baristas here, but Ive been hard pressed to find really good coffee anywhere outside of downtown Boston. These guys got it
LO
Loretta Noriega
Ill preface this by stating I am not a coffee drinker. I enjoy the smell of coffee more than I enjoy the taste of it. The reason I go to Barismo is to buy fresh roasted bags of coffee for my coffee-geek boyfriend. He says they are exceptional roasters! I find the staff very helpful when I go in to the shop. They take the time to explain the available coffees so that I bring home bags that my boyfriend will enjoy. I really appreciate that. I will say that I started ordering their cappuccino and love it. Actually, its the only place I will order a cappuccino and enjoy it.
DA
David Johnson
This place may have among the best available coffee in the Greater Boston area. If I really want a good espresso or black coffee, I will go here or George Howell. Its a quiet and small place, decorated with various seedlings and coffee equipment. The staff is pleasant, if slightly undereducated in the coffee process. They are competent and fast. Id give another star if the staff was trained more extensively and able to answer deeper questions and if the decor was a little more cozy. Overall, great coffee and good people.
AN
Angela Rivera
I love the lattes here. I almost get on everyday I work in the area. The Vegas muffins are great. They have a few French footed macaroons out and you can call the location on broadway for more flavors and larger quantities. This coffee show isnt like dunkin donuts, the drinks are hand crafted in front of you. I usually get Nick A , Nick 1 or Jonathan who makes my lattes. Keep up the good work!
A
A Private User
The coffee geekery is strong here. If you think you know a lot about the worlds biggest commodity, visit barismo for a sense of you own inferiority ... and the best roasted beans around. I use their El Bosque in a French press at home, as well as their various espresso blends at work, and Ive never had such consistently good brews.
