Jam’n Java

This place is awful. I’ve been here three times and every time thy forget my order and/​or mess it up. It’s never really that busy here but for some reason the wait staff just can’t get their act together.

solid spot. one of my favorite things to do on lazy weekend mornings is set up shop with coffee, a bagel, and my laptop at a bustling local spot. since i moved to arlington over a month ago, i’d been searching for somewhere besides starbucks that allowed me to do this.
jam’n java seemed to fit the bill, but i was honestly scared away by the negative reviews until i finally just decided to bite the bullet and check it out. i was pleasantly surprised! it has a nice vibe, with lots of locals and bikers milling about, and many, many bonus points for the parking lot from this parallel-​parking-​phobic girl. the coffee was actually quite good (haven’t tried the iced yet, though) and the bagel was delicious. i could see hints of the blah service that other reviewers have mentioned, but all of the girls behind the counter were quite nice and attentive to me. i prefer the atmosphere in several other not-​so-​local spots, but if you’re looking for a quick morning bite or to relax for a while, i wouldn’t hesitate to stop by!

The food is just so disappointing. Everything «sounds» delicious, but it lacks in flavor and presentation. The lentil soup I had was denser than chili. The focaccia it came with was not fresh. The presentation looked like they were war rations. Just lumpy ol’ soup with a hunk of stale bread. I tried their cuban sandwich, and also wished I hadn’t ordered it.
The menu needs some serious re-​vamping, the ingredients need to be fresher, and the preparation as well as the presentation needs more care. Only then can the prices be justified.

Two stars because I dislike handing out only one, and this was my first visit so I can’t crucify based on that.
I just left Jam N Java with an order to go. I write this as I eat it. I got the Pomodoro sandwich, which is roasted chicken, cheddar, greens, tomato, and chipotle Mayo on a French baguette. It’s one of the worst sandwiches I’ve ever had. The bread is just this side of stale, and the chicken is so over-​cooked and tough as to be nearly inedible. The cheese appears to a couple slices of some processed cheddar. Overall, the sandwich is pretty flavorless and really disappointing. If I hadn’t taken it to go, I would’ve asked for my money back. I’m throwing half of it away and forgetting about this place.

This place was a bit chaotic, and they weren’t even busy.
I was biking along the minuteman and wanted to stop and chill for a little on my way back to Somerville, and thought an iced coffee sounded nice. And this is right on the path! Great location.
They weren’t super busy, and when I walked up to order there were about 3 or 4 girls standing behind the counter discussing something (work related), which was obviously fine… until they continued to all just ignore me. Eventually one of them asked, «are you all set?» I ordered my iced coffee, and had my money out. One of the employees walked away to make it, put it down on the counter, and then walked away. Okay, thanks, but I need to pay. Another employee asks me if I want anything else. No, I’m good… Awkward silence… can I you please tell me how much this is?
So, weird service, but whatever. That would not have even been memorable if the iced coffee was any good. I don’t require the finest coffee in all the land, but this was truly bad. More like coffee-​flavored water. I think I only drank half of it.
I used the restroom on the way out, which had to be one of the filthiest restrooms I’ve ever seen.
I don’t like to complain on Unilocal,but you gotta get it together!

One of the WORST restaurant experiences EVER. It is so bad that I’ve never left a review on Unilocal before but I had to this time. First of all, I’m not a picky person, not hard to satisfy. But I have to say this place was a nightmare.
My boyfriend and I went here to grab some sandwiches for lunch. The place was crowded with moms and babies screaming and crying. We were really hungry so went up to the menu and tried to decide what we were gonna get. My boyfriend likes tuna so he asked the cashier if she recommend their tuna sandwich. The cashier looked at my boyfriend right into his eyes and screamed, «I DON’T KNOW. I HATE TUNA.» — ARE YOU SERIOUS? I still can’t forget her face with expression of disgust. Is this how they treat customers? HOW RUDE!
We felt really awkward and annoyed after hearing that so just quickly ordered 2 sandwiches and OJ so we can leave this crappy place ASAP. While we were waiting, I could hear the cashier taking other customers’ orders and she was kept cutting them off by rudely interrupting them. I don’t know she’s just part time or not, but she seriously needs to learn better manners.
When we got the food, I was sooooo disappointed because sandwiches were pretty awful. They made my boyfriend’s sandwich with the end pieces of bread! WHO DOES THAT? Using hard end piece of bread for the sandwich? My boyfriend was so not happy. My tuna melt was mediocre, not thing special, just tuna and pieces of bread. The bread was overly buttered and soggy. Even their OJ was overpriced, I got a tiny little cup of OJ for over $ 3…
I have no idea why this place has more than 2 stars on Unilocal.I don’t wanna sabotage their business or anything but thought I should at least share my horrific experience at here with others. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND this place to anyone, and I WILL NEVER GO BACK again. Ugh!

The soup was very good,
However, the serving size is made for ants

Jam’n Java is a mass of contradictions. Overpromising, underperforming, baffling:
The owner can be surly, but then again, he can warm up and be genuinely nice. The space can be dominated by parents and kids, or not. The hours aren’t bad, but the art is.
The coffee is weak, but the teas are good and as strong as you like them. The baked goods are nothing special — they have a pistachio muffin that is bright green, for instance. The sandwiches sound kind of exciting, but prosciutto on a baguette feels more like ham and cheese on a roll. The salads are awful: cold, packaged, slightly wilted. Bite for bite, it’s a culinary experience akin to eating at Whole Foods, or Panera. It will do.
The croissants are made with vegetable shortening and the lemonade is from a mix. And the staff will look you straight in the face and lie about this.
Yet the egg sandwiches come on Iggy bagels, have a slab of tangy cheddar on ‘em and are a glory to behold. Your choice of bacon or ham.
You can park, you can ride a bike or walk. You can take the bus. And when you get there, you can sit down and eat your food and drink your beverage, which is saying a lot, since a fair number of Arlington’s coffee, bakery and/​or sandwich establishments (with better products, I’ll grant you) seem to actively discourage this.
It’s the very least a coffee shop can do, but because of it, Jam’n Java, you are A-​OK in my book.

great location. with the right management, this place would be gold. BUT I have to thumbs down because of multiple issues with my lunch visit recently;
* no love put into my way overpriced $ 8 chicken salad sandwich at all (skimpy portions and an old pickle from a store bought jar)
* dirty, dilapidated mens room, just yuck
* owner was more interested in doing paper work than tending to his establishments needs
*I miss Carberry’s

Nice place for a cup of hot tea! They pack nice loose-​leaf tea into their own bags, which I appreciate, and it was well priced. The dude got a turkey sandwich that was pretty decent.
It was packed on a Sunday afternoon — people having meetings, studying, whatever, but the atmosphere was relaxed. The parking lot was completely filled, but it was not hard to find street parking. The only thing I didn’t really like was that there was a bit of trash scattered around the floor, but I guess they were too swamped to check often.

A cute, no-​frills, laid back café in Arlington with plenty of hot beverages and pastries to keep you warm on a cold, rainy day. However, I just didn’t find anything remarkable about it. The hot chocolate was okay, the tea options were minimal and the muffins were kind of dry. Also, the swarm of flies flying all over the open muffin baskets pretty much killed my appetite. Service isn’t bad, though.

This place has a great location– right on the bike path and in Arlington Center, while also having a nice sized parking lot. My husband and I love the atmosphere of this location as it is pretty big inside, and has a nice outdoor seating area. They also have open mike nights there. I am a big iced coffee drinker, and they have about 8 different iced coffee flavors which makes this a plus for me! The white chocolate chip is to die for! And the chocolate raspberry is also pretty good.
I have also tried the bagel, egg and cheese sandwiches. There is no shortage of bacon or egg put on these sandwiches! In addition I have tied some of the pastries which they make in house– all of them very tasty. Very nicely displayed in a case as well– so if you weren’t hungry, you will be when we see this display case!

Really like this place. Nice and unpretentious sandwich shop with pastries if you should have a sweet tooth.
The paninis are great. the Fresco is a particular favorite and the service is always quick. I’ve only been twice but it’s one of the first places I think of when I am in the area for lunch. Definitely a nice quick stop for a solid sandwich.
The artwork on the walls is pretty cool too, couldn’t help noticing it.

I’ve gone here occasionally for years. They should change the sign. The place I was at today was not the Jam’n Java of the past. And this was not just a one-​off experience. Sure, maybe the staff was having a bad day — that must explain why one girl just sat behind the register staring at the growing line until finally I said, ‘Can I order with you?’ Or it took the others forever to make my sandwich.
But you can’t explain away the rotten cucumber that I fortunately saw because it slipped out of the sandwich (because that sandwich was not built to be eaten — huge chunks of stuff). You can’t explain away the orange American kids’ cheese they put in response to my request for cheese. Or the crappy bread. Of course, I returned this «sandwich» — got a knowing look from another customer in line who seemed to be unsurprised, and overheard yet another begging the staff to please prepare what she ordered, not something completely different.
There’s also the pastries. For years, I would look forward to them. Now, the muffins look mass produced and weird, like something you’d buy at Stop and Shop. Even the cinnamon rolls and other standbys look diminished.
And, the place is filthy.
So the owner/​manager is cutting costs — they need to step back and take in the big picture. It shows. (Though, sadly, not to several of the most recent reviewers, so perhaps the owner is playing to the market just fine). It’s frustrating as Arlington doesn’t have another option. But I guess I’ll just continue on to Cambridge. I prefer to be surprised by how good something is, not how gross.

Breakfast sandwiches are ENORMOUS and pretty tasty.
Coffee is terrible. And overpriced…$ 3 for a laaahge iced??? No spank you.
But yeah the bacon eggo cheese on a bagel is INTENSE… so if you have time, order one here, and get your coffee elsewhere.

Good coffee, awesome baked goods, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and friendly service. Right on the Minuteman bike path in Arlington center. Nice to get something to eat and walk down to Spy Pond Park, but Jam’n Java also has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Seems like a good place to frequent if you want to get to know the local community. I believe they also host the occasional live local music event as well.

I’ve been going to Jam n’ Java for several years. It is a fairly large coffee-​and-​sandwich-​and-​baked goods place.
On any given day, the patronage is split in thirds: people who use Jam n’ Java as their home office typing away on laptops using free WiFi for hours, first-​time moms enjoying each others company amidst a swarm of strollers, and people who go there to just eat and drink.
I agree with the other reviewers the staff is very friendly and makes an effort to learn your name.
Pros: wide selection of sandwiches, fairly good coffee and espresso-​based drinks, free WiFi, large seating area. Good meeting place for new parents who are learning the ropes. (I don’t know if there’s a changing table or not in the restrooms.)
Cons: There are a few things the management might want to attend to. The breads have for the last few months been «tough» — for example I realize French bread should have some bite to it, but it almost tastes day-​old. Your mouth shouldn’t hurt after eating a sandwich. Also the sandwich service is very slow.
The pastries LOOK great but the ones I’ve tried are — I hate to say it — pretty bad. I’ve tried their brownies, and they were dry and crumbly. I’ve heard good things about their other stuff but it’s a shame.
Something irks me about people setting up shop to use public café’s as a home office, but, having been in that situation before, I guess I shouldn’t complain. Sometimes people just need an air-​conditioned place to work. It just seems rude to sit there for 8 hours with an empty cup of coffee. If you’re doing that, order something.

This place is an alternative to Starbucks. Big. huge selection. Management is horrible. They made me a chai that was disgusting and I wanted something else. They told me that they would only switch my drink out for a tea. Tea is $ 0.99. I paid $ 4 for this chai that was flavorless (like Starbucks). After arguing with the girl, she finally grudgingly gave me a smoothie.
Also found the place had wifi that didn’t work with my computer. Very little plugs so my computer was sputtering from energy.
Good things about this place… big, good brownies, and ample parking.

Tucked away from the main street in downtown Arlington you will find Jam’n Java. It feels hidden, and I bet it would be jam packed if it were directly on the street. The interior is very nice. Plenty of seating, and a coffee house vibe. I saw several customers on laptops, just relaxing as they enjoyed their coffee.
I have mixed feelings about the coffee. They offer flavor squirts, and had some very interesting choices like pomegranate and gingerbread, but they didn’t offer many brews. Also, the taste of the flavor squirt wears off mid-​way through drinking it (especially if you get iced) and then you’re left with regular coffee. I prefer places that offer hazelnut, or name some exotic brew of the day. That being said, the coffee was good, somewhat deep and bold in taste.
Prices were more than reasonable. I wasn’t sure if I was charged extra for the flavor shot, but if I was then it certainly wasn’t much. The woman behind the counter was very nice. And they had a great array of baked goodies and sandwiches to choose from.
I’ll probably return if I’m in the area. It’s not something I’d go out of my way for, but I do want to try a few of the flavor squirts. If you find yourself in downtown Arlington, be sure to stop in and have a cup of coffee.

Since Minuteman pathway runs by this place, Jam’n Java is a convenient stop during a long bike ride. There is plenty of room to park bikes at the store front, and at the far end of the parking lot there is a courtyard and a couple of picnic tables.
Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I had drinks here. Inside, it was easy to find a table within eyesight of our bicycles. The crowd varied between singles using laptops and families doubling up on tables. The families and play date groups were very pleasant to be around. The children were all well-​behaved and polite. Babies cooed calmly and were tended to by their parents.
I liked that people without families had plenty of places to sit. A couple of people taking advantage of the free wifi sat and sipped coffee at their leisure. Friends sat together and coupled themselves with laughter. It was apparent people had plenty of room and the harmony of the environment was not contingent upon another group not being there.
My only point of contention with this place was the foam factor in the cappuccinos, where you paid for the 25% of steamed milk that floated above the precious drinkable part. I would contend the idea of paying full price for a partly filled cup of coffee unpleasant and slightly unreasonable. Although serving superfluous froth may be a normative behavior with some coffee shops, others might not consider the practice such a sound business model. Moreover, when splenda was added to my drink, it stuck on the foam rather than dissolve easily into the coffee, so it took some maneuvering to avoid inhaling saccharine gulps of whipped air.