A black painted door on a quiet side street leads into the warmly lit, cosily furnished, and charmingly rustic Brothers & Sisters Co. Café. With lightly weathered, earthy walls, eclectic artwork, and the hum of conversations, Brothers & Sisters Co. is less a pit stop for caffeine and food than a place designed to make people sit and stay awhile. Its two greatest selling points are the menu and the ambience — and the latter makes the bus ride worthwhile.

The café’s interior is the best part. The counter and display are directly inside the door, and automatically your eyes are drawn to the chalkboard menu and signs above the arch that leads to the smaller seating area further into the café. In the seating area, textured walls and an abundance of warm lighting attached over nearly every seat lend the space an inviting, lived-in quality. The exposed electric conduits further contribute to the raw, historical charm. The artwork selection is also deliberate: Framed paintings of impressionistic landscapes are the lone decorations for two of the walls. Nothing about the café is polished or curated; instead, the decoration and ambience meld in a genuinely rustic and charming way.

The above is not to say the menu is not special. Food provides solid, hearty foundations for the experience, while the drinks provide something more memorable and unique in terms of taste. With a wide selection of food and drinks alongside seasonal offerings, Brother & Sisters Co. avoids the monotony of a café that serves the same menu year-round. The drinks menu is specifically appealing in the seasonal lineup: The caramel apple iced matcha, for example, strikes the perfect balance between the three flavors. Both the caramel and apple come through in the syrup, while the matcha remains noticeable without overpowering it either. Unique, full-year drinks on the menu include their red chili latte and chai latte.

The food is satisfying, but less distinctive. The food menu consists mostly of bagels and sandwiches, but the care put into the presentation and quality of the food makes up for the unoriginality. A plain bagel with cream cheese arrives already cut in half, with a generous amount of cream cheese spread snugly between the warm slices — small, but appreciated details that make the experience more hospitable. Its accommodation is valuable in a café with a clientele of mostly students working or friends eagerly awaiting to chat.

The menu is reasonably priced, particularly given the quality of the food and the cafe’s ambient setting. If one wants a treat, Jamie’s Ice Cream Co. — an ice cream shop owned by the same owner — is the café’s neighbor, with a door connecting the two shops.

The overall rustic charm also extends to the cafégoers. The clientele is in no way limited to just younger audiences. Locals of various ages frequent the space, giving it a ‘neighbourhood favourite’ character that can be difficult to find in cafés catering primarily to university crowds. Quintessential café music also plays in the background at a volume that adds to the room’s warmth, and headphones easily block it — and any conversations — for those who prefer their own soundtrack.

The café is consistently busy, with a near-constant stream of orders at the counter, despite customers arriving in waves. Tables turn over fairly regularly, and while a short wait may be necessary, the atmosphere makes it well worth waiting. One can observe the decorations, soak in the warmth, and place their order before settling down to chat, work, or simply relax.

Service is another highlight. Orders and drinks are placed and collected at the counter, but the food is brought directly to the customers, regardless of one being to-go or for-here. Staff members are happy to recommend items and warmly greet customers, and the wait for food and drinks is short. The service is attentive but not intrusive, allowing customers to settle into the ambience. Overall, the staff’s friendliness spreads and adds to the hospitable warmth of the café.

There is, however, one notable drawback for the Harvard crowd: the journey. At roughly a 25-minute bus ride on the 66 Bus, Brothers & Sisters Co. is not a convenient stop between classes. Nor is its food and drinks so special that it alone demands a special trip. However, judging the café solely on its menu misses the point. For anyone willing to venture beyond familiar Harvard Square, a T, bus, or Uber ride is completely worth the trip if you want to stay and enjoy the charm of Brothers & Sisters Co. Café in its combination of good food, thoughtful drinks, genuine service, and a rustic, warm atmosphere that invites customers to settle down and forget about the time for a little while.