Darwin's Limited

Darwin's use to be a great place to hang out. Grab a coffee/tea and use the generous free wifi but during the summer months it turns into a hang out for local foul smelling homeless and politically obsessed cranky old women. I'd advise waiting for the fall and for the students to return before going to the shop on Mt. Auburn.

I've been going to Darwin's sandwich shop for many years now because it's one of Harvard Square's remaining neighborhood gems. I've watched it evolve from a little corner take-out place, into 2 popular community hot-spots. That's because in this society of corporate largesse and sameness, Darwin's remains independently owned and original, serving inventive, high quality and super tasty food. The word is out about this place and it does get crazy busy in there during lunch hours. But the places hums along, and they couldn't fit any more employees behind that counter if they wanted to. Generally they're friendly, hard-working, and doing the best they can. I get to know some of their names, I ask what the 'specials' are that day - it gets me through the line quicker, and I enoy my delicious, authentic Darwin's experience in their crowded but lovely cafe eating area. Or I sit on the bench outside and then I go back to work - nourished and energized. I highly recommend it, but not for the weak at heart.

The sandwiches at Darwin's really are some of the best in Cambridge. Fresh ingredients, excellent bread, interesting combinations. However, the service is absolutely terrible. Last time I went there, I waited 45 minutes for my sandwich. 45 minutes! For a sandwich with three ingredients at an over-the-counter deli. The time before that, there were hardly any other customers in the place, and I stood at the counter for 5 minutes, completely ignored, waiting to place my order, only to be given a completely condescending and sarcastic attitude from the person taking the orders. Unfortunately, Darwin's is so popular in the neighborhood that they have no incentive to improve their service. Terrible.

Sometimes when I'm at work, lunch calls for something better than what the adjacent Shell Gas Station has to offer. Sometimes, I head over to Darwin's Cambridge Street location. The sandwiches are deeelish and the staff serves you with a friendly smile but when it comes to finding a seat you're pressing your luck. Group tables are peppered with nerd-surfers and data-darlings who all know the game: one laptop user per table, and take up as many tables as possible, and when a sea of patrons stare at you surfing, kindly smile and remember: surf away, look away. This little restaurant is best summed up as a cyber cafe, with some tasty takeaway if you're hungry. So without a laptop, I am stuck sipping my sanpel and chomping on my sandwich back at the office.

The sandwiches are great, albeit a little expensive. Although, don't ever hope to sit down in Darwins, because at 9am, 25 laptop-wielding wifi squatters rush the doors and take all the seats. They don't buy anything, and don't acknowledge the desires of paying customers to _auctually_ eat the food they purchased at the same location. If you can get beyond all those idiots and the staff that won't simply turn the wifi off during lunch or ask people to leave, then its a fine sandwich shop.