It was a stormy night and my Lyft Share driver had made the counterintuitive decision to follow his instinct rather than the GPS to take the other passenger home. Forty-five minutes later, I finally arrived at my destination—Lamplighter Brewing Co. I had already had a glass of wine, and I was feeling confident, but pulled together as I stepped into the coffee shop/brewery, meeting a friend and soon learning that I had been dealt a difficult card by fate. Not only had I been selected to drive with the world’s most confused Lyft driver, the bar had run out of cheese. On cheese night.

One should not advertise “Cheese Night” if one does not have sufficient amounts of cheese. A girl comes in, expecting to eat some solid blocks of fermented ewe’s milk and instead, given the lack of sustenance, two beers later, she’s loopy. Sure I shoudn’t have ordered the Lit and Blitzen, but I didn’t know the names represented my impending state.

To be fair, the beers were quite good, but I’m still a bit bitter.

But back to coffee.

By evening (and afternoon), the Lamplighter Brewery Co. is a hip spot to hang out or meet a friend. By morning, it doubles as a coffee shop—Longfellows.

I stopped in Longfellows with a friend one morning, hoping to get a bit of work done. Gazing about in wonder, the nooks and side rooms, couches and bar stools all about, made me feel like I was a chic 20-something with a livable income and a grown up apartment.

My eyes glazed over at the millennial approved menu, a lengthy listing with all sorts of options. I finally ordered an iced mint matcha latte (with almond milk) and a little chocolate-covered donut.

The matcha latte was amazing. Mint makes me nervous, but it was just the perfect touch, both refreshing and still matcha heavy. The donut was from Union Square Donuts. Sure I had just come from brunch, but it was just a little donut hole and it might have been vegan? Unsure, but if it was, double points for health and being kind to the environment. It was so soft and chewy. Covered in chocolate ganache and small enough to make me feel like the tightness of my jeans around my midsection was from the washing machine, not my caloric intake.

My friend soon succumbed to the food as well, ordering the avocado toasts. They were a laughably small size with a meager layer of avocado spread sparingly onto some crusty looking pieces of thin white bread. I didn’t even ask for a bite (very telling).

A corner shelf sits filled with games and the coffee is served in pretty ceramic cups. Coffee refills are free, assuaging any hurt feelings from the avocado toasts.

Daffodils sat out on the tables and my friend and I worked a bit amidst the busy atmosphere until two friends met us. By this time it was past noon. Slurping down my remaining latte Having long ago finished my latte, we got some flights from the brewery and put away our work to be done another day.

STATS

Adult beverages: Yes.

Vibe: Chic and industrial, but in a feminine way.

Music: Not unquiet, but it’s a busy place. 

Work/Study Spot?: Yes, but not if you need to make phone calls or do reading.

Wifi: Available with password.

Food: Breakfast, lunch, and pastries!

Punch Card: No.

Coffee Sourcing: Barrington Coffee Roasting Company

Milk Options: Soy or almond milk

Website: longfellowscambridge.com

Hours:

Mon – Fri (7:30AM-3PM)

Sat – Sun (8:30AM-3PM)

Location:

284 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02139