Cosi Sandwich Bar
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near North Side57 E Grand Ave
(between Rush St & Wabash Ave)
Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 321-1990
- Nearest Transit:
Grand (Red)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Alcohol: None
58 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
"I am writing this review solely based on the atmosphere and drinks since that's all I came here for. First impression...SEXY..the whole…" read more »
25 Reviews for Cosi Sandwich Bar
I am not from Chicago and had never heard of Cosi, and was pleasantly surprised by it when my husband and I stopped in for lunch while visiting the city. I had the basic signature salad, which was really good, but the whole wheat bread that came with it was FANTASTIC and stole the show. I would eat here all the time if I lived near one. I think it kicks the shit out of Panera.
It's nice and the girl took care of me! Lot's of seating wide open spaces and not so crowded! Smokin' fast wifi helps!!!!!
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I have a hate affair with Cosi. I've had shitty service at Cosi at every single one on the East Coast I've been to, except the one at South Station in Boston, and I fear it is only a matter of time.
However, I was frickin' hungry today and wanted a sandwich. Their sandwiches are okay; a little pricey for what you get, in my opinion. I think Panera is much better than Cosi.
The service today wasn't anything to write home about but it wasn't the God awful service I always affiliate with Cosi.
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Smores are good...thats its. Smores=good
Breakfast. I went to this place because I got lost trying to find Bon Au something or other. I'm SOOOO glad I made that mistake. Do not carry a foam Dunkin Donuts coffee cup. Ick! Spend $4.50 and get the most freshest bagel omelet you ever had - plus coffee. It's orgasmic. If you travel from the suburbs and eat lunch on the train, wait. Everything is fresh. The eggs, vegetables, cheese, bagel is heavenly. It's high quality and the store is strangely not busy breakfast time. You'll never go back to whatever you were eating for breakfast. Beware: this location is closed but they have others.
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When I first moved into the area, I was excited to have a Cosi nearby- gotta love the TBM! For the first week, I had lunch there a couple of times....
However, I will NEVER eat there again! I was walking by last night and had a large disgusting rat scurry across the sidewalk right in front Cosi's doors (and in front of my feet....)
I don't know what it is about Cosi that rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's that the bread for their sandwiches is super thin and kind of tasteless. Maybe it's that their salads are almost completely composed of wilted romaine.
But for WHATEVER reason, I still go there. Maybe because it's close to where I work. Maybe because I not-so-secretly love the buffalo chicken sandwich and wish it was on better bread. Maybe it's the only place around me that sells Snapple Blueberry Iced Tea.
In short: it's not my favorite place for lunch, but I still go.
EDIT: I went there on Tuesday because I needed something that would fill me up for many hours and I blanked and couldn't think of anything else. I ordered the bacon, turkey, cheddar melt and ended up with....something completely different. I think they gave me the roasted turkey and brie instead. It was a good sandwich, and I ate it anyway because I didn't want to deal with it. But seriously, Cosi. Get on the damn ball.
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It looks like I am the only one who loves to hate this place. The food is awesome...tasty salads, great bread, good sauces, etc.
What I think SUCKS about this place is the service - it totally sucks. They remodeled the place in May of 2007 and it is a total clusterf-ck trying to order, waiting for your food, table service, etc. I have given them more chances than I care to admit to, but this has to be the most unorganized sandwhich shop in the city. Taking out or eating in, i'ts just a huge pain in the ass. I won't go here unless I have a lot of time to waste as it is a total crap-shoot whether or not I will get my order within a reasonable time and/or whether or not they will screw it up somehow. The only reason why it gets two stars is because the food is yummy.
I come to Cosi every freakin' day during my lunch hour. Seriously, you should come find me some time. Not only am I eating there, but a lot of times I'm getting comfortable, just hanging out while I read my US Weekly (but it looks like I'm doing work, shhhh). Anyway, I'm so glad someone in my office introduced me to this little gem of a sandwich shop - its such a perfect break in the middle of my day. Cosi costs a little bit more than La Subway, but its so worth it. Plus, I make up for the difference in price by consuming as much bread as possible while I wait in line to place my order so I'm sure to get my moneys worth. No shame, none at all. What can I say - I love me some carbs.
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I agree that the service at this Cosi is better than other locations I've been to. The lunch food is decent, but a little bit overpriced. My current beef is that I tried the peach yogurt parfait thing and I guess I didn't realize the peaches would be covered with peachy sugar goo. If I wanted that I would have gone to Walgreens and gotten a bag of gummi peaches and called it a day.
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I just read all the reviews about this location and can't believe that no one mentioned the best thing about this location...liquor license. Inexpensive wine, reasonable beer, strange coffee drink thingies. Just do not ask for an Irish coffee... they will try and make it with Kahlua, baileys and milk. Yucko. But it's not like they have a bartender, just a couple of kid waiters. The signature salad is great too. Decent bagel sandwiches in the morning.
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I have never been disappointed going here. I'm a big fan of their bread & although their sandwiches are pricey, I find myself willing to pay for it. Also good is the tomato spread & the hummus. They never put too much or too little.
& if you're a people watcher, it's fun to sit in the outdoor seating area. We witnessed a near-brawl down the street at Jimmy John's the other day. Entertainment!!!
Ed. Note: I tried one of their salads here the other day ... very good. The strawberry cream soda was delicious & really hit the spot on that hot ass day. Also, the employees were crazy nice. I like that a lot.
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For some reason I think this cosi is so much better than the other locations. The food actually tastes better and I'm not sure why! They also have an area where you can sit outside in the summer, which is always a plus in my book!
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Cosi is a great spot for a quick lunch. I have a love affair with the chinese chicken-style wrap... chicken, carrots, lettuce and this tangy asian-style sauce. I ask for extra dressing... it's so good. And that crispy crunchy bread is a pleasant change from the normal boring bread you get at Subway, Jimmy John's or Potbelly. I love it! Great salads and coffee drinks, too.
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Dear Cosi,
Why do I want to eat your bread all day long? When I'm waiting in line to order a sandwich (Wasabi roast beef being my favorite), I grab a couple of their "sample" pieces of warm flat-bread and shove them into my mouth. Then, after finding a table and sitting down with my sandwich, sometimes I "accidentally" grab a couple more pieces on my way to get "napkins." Oops! The interior is pretty trendy, however I will say that the staff isn't too diligent with cleaning the tables. Also, I feel the food is a bit overpriced, yet it is pretty healthy and very delicious! Great for a quick lunch break!
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On our first day in the city, my fiance and i stepped into this place simply cause we were starving and tired...not a bad choice. The bread is awesome. Somewhere between a pretzle and flatbread. Its all about the bread...which i could imagine burning out on at some point. Send one of these places out to LA, it would do well i think.
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Tired of all the "typical" lunch spots, I decided to seek out something a little different. Enter Cosi. It's not quite a stranger with it's Panera/Corner Bakery-esque atmosphere, but it's also new to my lunch repertoire. I ordered the Signature Salad---a delightful mix of craisins, pistachios, gorgonzola, spring greens and a light shallot vinaigrette. Although my intent was to eat it outside on this beautiful day, there were too many "loungers" milking their lunch hours. Ah well, can't blame them for that. And I'm sure the fresh-faced, all-smiles staff wouldn't even hint at moving even a minute before they were ready. Some other reviews mentioned the staff's great attitude, and I'm going to agree wholeheartedly. Great people, good food, and a fun location.
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Cosi is one of my all-time favorite lunch spots. I loved them when I was living on the east coast and was stoked to find they're also in Chicago. I probably go here atleast once a week and they're bread is really what sets them apart. I recommend their greek salad with tuna on top - delicious! Sooo much better than Panera : )
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The food is so worth the price, especially the bread! I think it might be my favorite bread in the world! The Shanghai Chicken salad is awesome, and its really big (and still pretty low on calories, as salads really should be right??)
Another thing I love here though is that you can make smores, and they are actually really good (not campfire quality but close!) Its a really fun place to stop for dessert- I came here once after going to dinner at Blue Water Grill because none of their desserts sounded as good as toasted marshmallows! I would recommend trying it out sometime if you're shopping in the area- it would be a nice break!
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I LOVE this place.
I've loved everything I've tried so far, but my favorite is the chicken pesto melt. It has a great sun-dried tomato spread... No matter what you get though, you MUST get the whole grain bread, it's wonderful.
I'm not a huge sandwich person, but these are so perfect and not too bready and heavy like your typical sandwich.
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Are you kidding me? Glorified Panera at stupidly high prices. The Greek salad is decent, but do I really need table service after 5pm? Leave me alone! I like the location, but the actual store was dirty. I will say that the staff is very very nice and I appreciated that greatly.
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This place has a very warm and cheerful atmosphere, cool staff, and awesome food! my favorite are the s'mores, which come to your table with a little fire pit, skewers, graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows- enough for each person to have 2 complete, hand-made, roasted to perfection s'mores. yummy!!
There are cool, friendly people who work at this location and you'll find a lovely, warm interior. The food is quality, but when I picked up breakfast sandwiches in the past, they were so dull. Almost zero flavor. However I did enjoy a few of the lunchtime items, including the spinach and artichoke dip and the chicken pesto sandwich. They also have salads and some delicious bakery items.
This place has some great sandwichs and salads. Very healthy! I recommend the tandoori chicken sandwich....it's very unique and delicious. They also make some good coffee drinks....give em all a try! A smore kit is also on the menu, so you can enjoy camping, right at your own table. Great for kids!!
Love the salads at Cosi! It's a really cute atmosphere and one of my favorite places to grab a salad. They also have yummy desserts- I can't resist their huge rice crispy treats.
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