The Laundromat that I usually go to closed down recently, so I was forced to walk a little further to another Laundromat. Adjacent to said cleanery was the Oxford Spa Café (a curious name for a place that is not a spa). I have gone on a few occasions (once for breakfast, once for lunch) to the “spa café that is not a spa and barely a café”*.

My first foray into the cuisine of Oxford Spa Café (OSC) was their breakfast burrito, which was a combination of salsa, cheese, eggs, and red onions in a tortilla. The service at OSC was not what I usually get from Café Rustica, though I would not fault OSC, as they were nice, just not friendly. I always hate reviewers that complain about service at restaurants, as any number of factors could influence the service in a restaurant that is beyond the control of said restaurant. However, I believe this does not apply to café’s, as cordiality of employees should increase for establishments that rely upon repeat business. Many restaurants can get away with having outstanding food and terrible service, however how different is one cup of coffee versus another? It is here where service is of utmost importance above all else. That and the fact that the most daunting work that a café employee must do is assemble a sandwich (I actually find sandwich assembly to be a great stress reliever). The burrito was definitely more flavorful and superior to that of South End Buttery, as the salsa was quite spicy and provided strong flavor to the otherwise banal egg – cheese - tortilla triumvirate. 

On a separate occasion, I got the Eastern, which was an egg mixed with feta cheese, roasted peppers and onions.  This was thoroughly disappointing, far beyond the $5.50 price, and felt like whoever decided that these ingredients would make a good breakfast sandwich should be shunned from the culinary world.

My final excursion to OSC was for lunch, where I got the Marco Polo, which was roasted eggplant, sun dried tomato pesto, lemon garlic aioli, provolone cheese, and lettuce in an Iggy’s baguette. This too was a well-constructed sandwich; however, once again the service was very business-like and made me feel like I was intruding on the fun they were having not serving food. For the price of the food and the haughty attitude of the employees, OSC definitely puts their worst foot forward. However, the quality of the sandwiches and baked goods is quite high, that ALMOST makes up for its faults. There are a few vegetarian options and one vegan option, though not enough to make me want to frequent this establishment. Also, they are listed as having gluten-free bread (on the internet), but I do not believe this is true anymore. Overall, I will give Oxford Spa Café three cheese sandwiches, for mediocre service hurts the good café.

*My catchphrase, not theirs.

Oxford Spa Cafe
102 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-1811 
(617) 661-6988