Life Alive Organic Café: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Life Alive serves no meat or fish at any of its cafes, and the Davis Square cafe on Holland Street in Somerville opens at 7 a.m. every day. The menu includes eggs, milk, and feta, so vegetarians can order nearly anything, and a VG label marks every vegan dish.

The company started in 2004 and describes its food as organic, scratch-prepared to order in a chef’s kitchen. That shows up in the bowls. The Autumn Falafel pairs crispy baked falafel with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, black lentils, and lemon tahini, and it carries the VG label. The Coconut Red Lentil Dal brings curry tofu, roasted cauliflower, cucumber raita, and crispy chickpeas. The Miso Eggplant and Crispy Rice bowl adds sticky sesame tofu and mushrooms. The Chili Garlic Mushroom Bibimbap comes topped with a fried egg. For fall, the Spicy Feta Farro Bowl builds on roasted koginut squash.

The rest of the menu stays as wide. Salads include Thai Peanut Power, L.A. Caesar with chickpea parmesan, and Mighty Greens with warm spinach feta fritters. The Spicy Peanut Noodles and the Miso Tofu Ramen cover the noodle list, and the Shiitake Udon arrives with a hard-boiled egg. Soups rotate, so Butternut Bisque and Smoky Chipotle Chili can disappear without warning. Handhelds include a Crispy Falafel Pita, a Mushroom Shawarma Pita, and an All-Day Breakfast Burrito with scrambled eggs, cheddar, and lentil taco crumble.

Smoothies and açaí bowls fill out the day. Super Berry Açaí and Peanut Butter Power carry the VG label, while the Cookie Butter Protein Shake uses whey protein and milk. Oat milk lattés include Butternut Spice, Caramel Sea Salt, and Vanilla Tahini, though some of them skip a few cafes, so check your location.

The tradeoff for vegans is that the kitchen cooks eggs and dairy beside the plants. The company’s allergen page says it runs a scratch kitchen that handles wheat, egg, peanut, tree nuts, milk, soy, sesame, and sulfites, and it cannot guarantee against cross contact. Tell the staff about any allergy before you order. Every house sauce is gluten free, and the menu marks gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and soy-free dishes with their own tags.

Life Alive runs cafes across Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and this profile covers the brand. The Davis Square cafe at 20-40 Holland Street serves as the example address. Its page calls out a large outdoor patio, free Wi-Fi, and plenty of outlets, which makes it a workable study spot near Tufts University. You can order pickup or delivery from the site, or call (617) 996-6698.

Hours at Davis Square run 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Not every cafe carries every dish, and the menu flags exceptions for Salem and Lowell by name.

Order the Autumn Falafel bowl, pair it with a Butternut Spice Latté, and take the patio seat if it’s dry.