Ula Cafe

I’m a fan of cafes. I love hunting through the various neighborhoods of Boston looking for those spots that only locals know about. It’s great because each café is representative of the neighborhood it is in. Last week, Boston’s Cool Spots blog came up in a conversation with a friend. She asked me if I had heard of Ula Café, a small café tucked away in Jamaica Plain. I had not.
“It’s on Amory Street, near the Stony Brook T stop,” my friend explained.
We drove down Amory and she pointed out an old brewery that had been converted into store fronts and space for rent. I went back to investigate further the next day.

Opened in June of 2007, Ula Café strives to create a space where individuals can interact with the Jamaica Plain community and eat good food. The café serves standards like coffee and tea, as well as sandwiches and soups. The highlight, however, is the daily fresh-baked pastries and breads.

The café takes advantage of its space with exposed brick walls and rubbed steel countertops covered with fresh baked goods. Polished wooden benches and tables line walls and recycled metal chairs are placed at each table. The place has an airy feel to it due to strategically hung track lighting and sconces. There are also large windows that let in plenty of natural light. Ceiling fans, in the same style as the metal chairs keep a cool breeze moving through the café.

The walls are decorated with artwork, currently by Joelle Voogt. On one wall, opposite the cash register, placards display the various types of food Ula offers from specialty sandwiches like the Sweet Potato Vegetarian to their season Quickbreads and baking powder biscuits.

Amanda Smith, a student at the Museum School and resident of JP, recently discovered Ula by accident. “I got off at Stony Brook thinking it was Green Street and happened to wonder in,” she explained. “I’ve been coming back because it’s a great place to study, though sometimes it can get crowded.”

Smith is right, while I sat in the café, taking using their free wifi, enjoying fresh-squeezed orange juice and a biscuit with raspberry jam, several cyclists came in to order Loose Leaf iced tea. The commotion, however, is welcomed because it means Ula is succeeding in its conviction to bring the community together.

Compared to Flamepoeira, Ula is less intimate. I like that the café has fresh-baked goods and real utensils. I’m also a fan of the artwork and funky design of the place, but I never felt a desire to hang out longer than it took me to finish my food. There is a feeling that, even though Ula offers nice amenities like free wifi, it’s more of a place to pick up a coffee and a sandwich and keep moving.

To get to Ula Café, take the Orange Line to Stony Brook, cross the street and walk south for half a block. The Brewery Complex will be on your right, and Ula is tucked in the corner