This week, I reviewed Revival, which resides at 197 Elm St. in Davis Square. It’s nestled right next to Dakzen, and is easy to spot with the cool giraffe mural on the side of the building. There’s a bench outside which is a great spot for sunny days. The seating is really minimal inside (only five tables) so I wouldn’t count on Revival as a study spot, but if you are able to grab a seat, it’s a great environment with lovely natural lighting.
On warmer days, the outdoor tables are definitely a great spot to hang out. I would say it’s a place to read, but maybe not work, because (obviously) there are no outlets outside. In the summer, though, I’ll be heading to Revival on sunny days! A staff member told me that they’re getting new outdoor furniture soon, so I’m excited to see what that will look like.
I really like the coffee here and rate it a 9/10! It’s smooth and creamy and even though they gave me almond instead of oat milk in my iced latte by accident, I really enjoyed it. I’m usually a hardcore oat milk girl, but the almond milk latte was excellent. I absolutely recommend Revival’s coffee and am going to try more of their food. Also, in the fall, Revival’s “chaider” is definitely one of my favorite drinks. It is a chai and apple cider drink and it’s amazing; 9/10 from me! A very cozy and comforting drink for a cold day.
When I visited this week, I ordered a Caesar salad and it was delicious! I’m kinda picky when it comes to Caesar salads and I was happy to find the lettuce was chopped to just the right bite-sized pieces. The dressing was great and the croutons were perfectly crunchy but not too hard. Pro-tip: add cherry tomatoes! The salad received an 8.5/10 from me, docked a little because the lettuce was pretty yellow, so it didn’t seem super fresh, though it still tasted great. Also, there was just a lot of chicken, and while the chicken was good, there wasn’t an even chicken-to-lettuce ratio.
In terms of pricing, Revival matches other spots in Somerville. My $12 Caesar salad was worth the price, since it was a filling meal. I’m not positive, but I think Revival updated their menu recently, because there are so many options now that I don’t remember seeing in the fall. Some of their other meals which I’d love to try include: “Not Your Yaya’s Salad,” the zucchini cardamom muffin and the “Green Queen,” which has chicken and pesto on a potato roll. They have a pretty extensive menu, with prices ranging from around $3–6 for drinks and $4–12 for food. These prices seem fairly reasonable to me, considering how expensive some of the food in this area is.
Overall, Revival gets a strong 8.5/10 from me. It’s a little bit of a walk from Tufts’ campus, but if I’m already in Davis Square, I’ll happily stop by for an iced latte or a quick lunch! They also have an option of ordering ahead for pickup, which is great because there’s such limited seating. I plan to frequent Revival this summer when their outdoor seating is back out!
