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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Near North SideChicago (Purple Express, Brown)
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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This River North cafe gets quite busy during the week with traffic coming from the local residents and big commercial building across the street. It can be noisy and crowded, especially around lunch time. Things simmer down a bit starting at 2. The wifi is a bit slow for some reason.
I love coming here on the weekend when it's less busy. The place is a bit cold in the winter, but they do a good job keeping it cool in the summer. @spot offers a lot foodwise: wraps, paninis and sandwiches, salads, soup, smoothies and an array of baked goods. The baristas are friendly.
If I'd yelped this place within the first 10 minutes of my visit, it would have been 5 stars all the way. Super friendly service (honestly, the best coffee service I've had in ages); great-tasting coffee, a sign letting me know you could do BYOB here at night...a menu that had me planning future lunches...
And the place was so charming and inviting that it made me want to hang. And so I did. And enjoyed a nice 20-minutes of alone time and reading an issue of Real Simple magazine.
Then came an urge to visit the washroom. And it was out of order with a note and sadface. A sadface isn't enough sympathy for me, At spot! You're trying to be more than a coffeehouse--right? You're promoting yourself right now as a restaurant! And now I have to go and fake my way into Kitsch'n across the street to use the washroom. God, city living sometimes...
Finally, there was reflection. My small coffee and tiny granola bar cost $5.62. I didn't get a receipt but I'd guess the little Southport Grocery homemade granola bars (the small square, not the rectangular size) are around $4. YIKES. I almost hope the new barista had something else on the cash register when she rang me up because that seems excessive.
So, in short: Cute place, great service, possibly-excessive granola bar prices (I'm going back to investigate) and currently an out-of-order toilet.
Yeah, that's a solid 3 stars for the moment...Maybe I'll call ahead next time?
This place is kind of weird and not in a good way. I would give it 2.5 if that was allowed, so I'm downgrading it because it's got such a weird vibe.
Initially I thought it seemed like a really cool place - bright colors, lots of comfortable seating, tables, wifi, a good variety of food, easy street parking, outdoor seating.
On the downside, I thought the service was just plain bizarre. After my friend ordered a coffee drink I was left standing at the counter for several minutes while the wait person (who may have been the owner?) went and chatted with a woman in the office next to the counter area. She knew I was standing there waiting as my friend and I had talked about ordering some food. I finally had to go and interrupt her conversation to get served a bagel. She seemed kind of irritated that I wanted to order something - maybe couldn't be bothered as it was just a bagel.
I initially fell in love with this place, but it quickly soured. It's a shame as this is a cute little place with a lot going for it. I'm not sure if the whole 'We're not Starbucks' announcement is more about maintaining independence from a big chain or asserting the fact that they feel they don't need to provide decent customer service.
Still a very good option for coffee (Metropolis!), lunch (BLT panini!), studying, working, etc...In fact, they cater to the students/workers! Plenty of outlets, seating, even some corral type seating that faces the wall for maximum concentration!
I downgraded just a bit because I ordered a rice krispy treat...and it literally almost broke my tooth it was so hard. They were kind enough to swap it out for a "cookie brownie," which was also really hard, but edible. I don't know what the deal is with the baked goods...but they need to figure it out! I will eat almost anything, and this was just not up to snuff.
Friendly staff...I come here to work fairly often and always enjoy it :)
Plus, there's a nail salon next door. Score.
So, this place is pretty much a perfect coffee shop...in my humble opinion. And, after visiting… Read more »
If you live in the neighborhood this coffee shop is a must!
Here's why:
* Free wi-fi
* Carol's cookies
* plenty of seats to choose from
* Carol's cookies
* It's quiet (I actually had a few conference calls here with no problemo- ok, well maybe everyone else is quiet besides me)
* Friendly, helpful staff
* And yummy food, such as the tomato bisque soup I had here for lunch today
* And did I mention they sell Carol's cookies (sorry, I"m a bit obsessed).
If you're not in the neighborhood parking can be a bit of a hassle, but they do have a parking lot nearby ($5 for 2 hours, $8 beyond).
This place is expensive, slow, and has a poor selection of food. Of the few items on the menu, some are quite good.
I once had a chicken salad wrap that was 3/4 wrap by weight, 1/8 lettuce, 1/8 chicken salad. I paid $8 for that wrap...
It's adorable and tucked away just so it's really hard to find.
First time i tried to go there I followed the sign on Halsted pointed to it.
Then I discovered they were closing at 6pm on that particular day.
Oh well, I travel down Halsted here a lot so next time!
Came in again next time, it was open and the woman behind the counter was super friendly!
The cafe has that nice, new feel to it. There are tones of brown and muted colors so it made it feel really nice and cozy.
The danish I had was amazing and so was the coffee!
Best of luck to them since they are kind of at mercy of the condo residents surrounding them.
I guess they are sort of affilitated with @Properties somehow, but not overwhelmingly so?
I was wondering since the logos look similar. But I guess they sponsor something there or something like that.
Overall friendly vibe and I might try sandwich next.
Very expensive and very slow. Nothing that sets it apart from Starbucks or Carribou.
The one good thing is the free wi-fi and large seating areas.
EDIT- I just received a very postive message from the owner saying she had considered some of my feedback and made a few additions which I thought was pretty cool, so I am definitely hoping to check it out again soon.
ANOTHER EDIT- reading other people's reviews, sounds like the owners took my suggestion to put in chair and couches- I rock :) Ok I feel a little guilty now for not having gone back yet, especially living about a 3 minute walk away! What can I say, no free time for coffee shops! :)
This place just opened up on Sept. 19, and it has potential, particularly as it fills a need in the area. Its a little Starbucks-esque (might have been the lighting fixtures, the color scheme, can't quite put my finger on it), but when there aren't any other starbucks nearby this isn't really a problem. The initial layout was a bit awkward (hopefully they've rearrange with some couches/chairs instead of just tables laid out in rows!). No one was actually sitting at the tables when I showed up mid-morning- just a few people in line, so I don't think this would cause major problems.
They have a nice drink menu with the specialty coffee drinks, plus different varieties of apple cider. They also have some sandwiches that sounded pretty good, the stuffed pretzels, and assorted desserts (some of the biscottis looked really very tempting, and they normally do not get my attention!)
quick note on parking- there is a parking garage maybe 50-100 yards away, so if you are concerned about parking on the street because its close to where the projects are slowly coming down, then there's another option for you. If you can find street parking though I wouldn't worry too much about leaving your car there- I guarantee, no matter what it is you are driving, someone in the neighborhood has something fancier (there are $3million dollar mansions about a block away, expensive restuarants with valets that park the cars in the neighborhood, plus the condos right there are super pricey (I certainly can't afford one on the buildings surrounding the shop!) and the cops are ALWAYS patrolling- so safety of your car should be far less of an issue than other neighborhoods). It can be tough to find non-permit parking though, they keep tightening restrictions
while its nice to have a kid friendly area (since there are a lot of kids in this neighborhood, which I always find surprising, where do you put kids in these little condos!)- I don't think they can afford to sacrifice as much space to it as they have (but again something I'll report back on once I get another chance to check it out) plus lets face it, other people's kids are more often than not really annoying :) (love the kids belonging to family and friends, but I always manage to be the one getting stuck next to some hyperactive misbehaving child of an ignoramus of a parent when I want some calmness!)
Bonus for people looking for somewhere to work (again keeping in mind the kid factor)- they have two little work stations that sort of have the college library feel- little nook with table space and plug-ins for your laptop.
I think they planned to offer outdoor seating- I'm guessing they are waiting till next spring or summer since its late in the season now, but that will definitely help
Its definitely a welcome addition to the area but time will tell how it plays out!
i popped in for breakfast this morning and while this place is very cute, the service was ridiculous. there was one person working the morning rush so it took about 20 minutes for my smoothie to be made and then another 10 minutes for a latte. there were people who came in after me who were still waiting for a toasted bagel. there is a big sign that they are NOT starbucks, which they definitely are not - you would definitely not have to wait 20+ minutes for anything at starbucks.
One of my favorite new spots in an up and coming neighborhood! The snacks are nice. The tea, coffee and specialty drinks are very creative and extensive. The atmosphere is super comfy! It feels like you're in a friends living room. The owner is there often and is so friendly and open to feedback! Love her!
Only drawback...I wish they were open later!
bah...
i've been to this place a couple of times. it's nice, warm, etc. even the employees are nice.
then there's the grandious claims of "we're family owned - we're not starbucks - we love kid - etc, etc, etc" that make you think you're helping some non-corporate entity survive in a jungle of coffee shops. seems great, altruistic. etc.
but survival shouldn't be an issue if you can get people to pay 3.50 for a 20 oz cup of decaf! i got there last night around 6. a couple of people in the place. no one else in line. the woman at the counter asked for my order. large decaf. i don't look at the board. and she rings it up and says 3.50. i paid and then it hits me. 3.50? for a cup of coffee? i mentioned the high cost and said "even starbucks doesn't cost that much." she said "we're not starbucks." then she told me they cold brew their decaf and that it was low acid and i was really gonna like it.
i look at the board and the coffee of the day is 2.00. cold brewed coffee is 3.20. i didn't ask for cold brewed anything. and if there was no decaf coffee of the day, she shouldn't have automatically decided to upsell me a cup that cost another 1.50 after tax.
last visit to this place. as a business owner myself in the past, i have no tolerance for companies that behave in such a manner. starbucks and caribou may have their corporate issues, but if they don't have something they ALWAYS ask to replace it with a bar version for the same price, like a decaf americano.
the other one-off shops i go to never pull this kind of crap either. and so i'm done. seems by the other reviews up here that they've managed to live up to my ratinig pretty well.
Great little place to hang out and work. Free Wi-Fi and a great library of programming and business books for your reference. I have to recommend the quiches. Did I spell that right?
Far superior to surrounding take-out lunch options. Great paninis, bagels, coffee, etc. The atmosphere is great and the food is 4/5. Can be a little overpriced, but not to the point where it's a problem. Figure $6-7 for a sandwich and normal prices on everything else.
Went here with a few friends after work. It's really cute and cozy and a nice alternative to starbucks. I had a green tea which and the mini-sugar cookies which was great. I think the thing that makes this place is the staff and the atmosphere they create. When one of my firends was being incredibly indecisive, the guy at the counter was really nice and offered her a few samples of things to help her decide and with my tea, I was told not to let it steep too long because it would turn bitter, which is never a good thing. All in all it was a really cute place and i would def. go again
Love this place! It's near where I babysit so I decided to check it out. The first time I had a coffee drink (vanilla something, similar to a frappucino) and it was really good! One day I had lunch there and they had a grilled cheese/tomato soup special so I got that... Their tomato soup with orzo is excellent. The last time I got the veggie panini, also excellent. The place is really clean, and spacious. Lots of room to sit and eat and work. They have free wifi which is definitely a plus, and in the corner they have toys and games for kids, almost like a little play area... so it's great for me when I want to go in there and grab something quick because the kids I am babysitting stay out of trouble :) It's never really crowded that I've seen but I'll be surprised if it doesn't catch on. It's a really fun, neat little place. Oh, and the staff is super friendly.
Love this place! I'm so glad I can get a great americano right by my house now. They also have really good paninis. As usual, I go for the bbq chicken. The staff is always pretty cool there also.
Cute spot that I've been eyeing for months. I went in for a cup of coffee and breakfast. The bagel wasn't very fresh, but edible. The coffee was pretty good. The interior is cute. I will probably go back at some point and utilize the free wi-fi.
Right by my work and a great local coffee shop. They have Metropolis coffee and lots of great teas. The coffee is good and they have some food. I think that the food is from local producers as well. Way better than Starbucks if you want to support local businesses. Sometimes they can be kind of slow though. Also, free Wi-Fi and some little study nooks for you and your computer.
Actually I'd like to give them 4 & a half stars. Really close to 5.
Coffee tastes good.
Very comfortable place.
Customers are quiet, not loud like other coffee shops near colleges.
The staff keeps cleaning around the kitchen and the floor when it's not crowded.
I love this cafe!
Chicago is the city of amazing restaurants. Working downtown, I should have my choice of a multitude of options. Strangely enough, finding a good lunch place near 600 W Chicago is not as easy as you would think. In my efforts to not have to bring my lunch from home, I tried @spot cafe, a cute little coffee shop across the street from my building. The atmosphere was really great. Free WiFi, comfy couches or chairs and tables if you prefer. The food, only so so. I read over their menu, thought a panini sounded pretty good and made my choice. This was only to find out that they really don't carry the food on the menu. I was then told what I did have the choice of. The lady at the counter told me her preference, so I thought I would try it, turkey and pepperjack dijon panini. All in all, not so bad, but slightly typical for any panini. They are a little on the expensive side for what you get, but it was fresh and brought out to me. They do have tons of other options too, including a homemade hummus that sounds pretty good and soups, so I will likely end up giving it another try some time in the future. All in all, I kind of give it a 7, it will fill you up, but you really wouldn't dance for it. :)
Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and a wide variety of food aside from the standard coffee shop menu. Also, there's wi-fi & plenty of seeting for laptop users.
Nice to see that there are more places for coffee, lunch and other side items in this redeveloping area. I am no coffee drinker as I like some stuff from Starbucks and others from Dunkin Donuts, but the coffee here is decent, similarly priced as with Starbucks; some of my coworkers swear by @spot's coffee. Food items are decent too, like the cake bars and the cream cheese pretzels, but this place seems to be indecisive as far as what they will have for lunch on a regular menu, despite they having pretty much the same items. Good place to hangout if you get sick of 600 West Chicago, or need to come in for a quick on from the cold winds of Chicago - kid friendly, WiFi is, I think, available, and all in all a decent place for a cup of joe.
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