With only six items on the menu and four tables to sit at, Mission Hill's new Green T Coffee Shop could best be described as minimalist. Conveniently located off the Brigham Circle E Line stop, smack dab in the middle of some heavy competition, this undersize spot is cheaper than neighboring Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and J.P. Licks — so much so, in fact, I find it hard to believe that Green T can keep its prices low.This basement café, with its wooden floors and tables, transports customers to a cozy cabin away from the hustle and bustle of Boston. There's even a faux fireplace by a large rectangular window that looks out onto Huntington. (If you luck out and find it free, the best seat in the house is the nearby wrap-around bench.) Unfortunately, with the limited seating, the space isn't big enough for loitering — unless you don't mind fellow customers hovering around, just itching for you to leave. You're better off getting your food or cup of joe to go.
The breakfast options are three variations of bagel sandwiches, the most expensive being a bagel with cream cheese and lox at $6.95. Lunch options are three different $4.95 sandwiches that all come with a side of the soup du jour (on my visit, it was creamy tomato soup). One is a plain grilled cheese, the other a black-forest-ham-and-cheese panini, and the third is what I got, a fresh veggie sandwich with fire-roasted hummus. (Vegans beware: there is mozzarella cheese on this sandwich, even though it didn't say so on the menu.) It was healthy and filling for the price, but considering it was advertised as a veggie sandwich and only contained peppers and lettuce, it ultimately let me down.
My mouth still waters just thinking about their homemade pastries. There were croissants, sticky buns, cranberry pecan rolls, cookies, and muffins. I decided on the $1.75 sticky buns — the perfect caramel complement to any of Green T's drinks. My choice was chai ($3.67), with a sweet rather than spicy taste, but would recommend adding a little honey and cinnamon to it at the self-serve counter. As I tweaked my drink, I noticed there weren't napkins, and the honey was running low. With all that food in my hand for only a little over $10, however, it didn't matter much.
GREEN T COFFEE SHOP, located at 745 Huntington Avenue, Boston, is open Monday–Friday, 6 am–10 pm, and Saturday–Sunday, 7 am–6 pm. Call 617.487.8409.
