Fresh Side calls itself “a little eatery and tea place” – blushingly self-aware, as you’re not going to find crumpets and scones here.

The outside of the place, on Amherst’s main drag, is black-and-white nondescript, but the interior is polished and modern.

We got mint tea, which was elegantly served in a clear pot swimming with leaves with shot glasses on the side. Small sprigs of mint were in the glasses, which were aesthetically awesome and made the tea’s flavor even richer.

They’re known for their tea rolls – sort of small Asian burritos, I guess? You can mix and match different tea rolls in one order, so I ordered the Vietnamese tea rolls & the pesto seaweed rice tea rolls. Both were fantastic, and I wouldn’t hesitate to order them again, but I’ll probably branch out and try something new next time.

The people I were with ordered bowls of rice, veggies, and chicken, and everything looked perfectly fresh and well-cooked.

Two things you absolutely gotta know: this place is cheap – you can get four tea rolls (about 2 small ‘burritos’, just so you can imagine the size)) for a little over $4. They know their audience in a college town. Also, it’s very vegetarian/vegan friendly.