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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hyde ParkMon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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I dig Third World Cafe--I can always find a table to sit at in the sun and get some reading done for class. The huge windows allow you to people-watch as much as you please, and the chicken melt is positively scrumptious! It's a little bit spicy and the chicken salad is obviously homemade. It honestly makes my mouth water.
I also appreciate the free self-serve water to help cool my mouth down after some hot coffee. It's true that the coffee isn't particularly spectacular, but I'm not a huge connoisseur when it comes to that kind of thing. It gets the job done and keeps me awake.
The only thing that's a little unfortunate is how expensive it is--I find I can easily sink $12 or more with a sandwich and small coffee, let alone an espresso drink. And I do wish they had a wider selection, but this is still one of my favorite places to hang out in Hyde Park.
It makes me really sad to give Third World 2 stars, but I think it's fair. I started going here about 2 years ago, and they used to be really great - the coffee and sandwiches were pretty good, but more importantly, they had free internet with your purchase. It's a very nice space to sit and study in, so I used to spend a lot of time here.
Since then, I think they must have hit upon hard times, and as a result, they don't have free internet reliably anymore. I find the hours they offer it, and the amount of money you have to spend to get it, has changed almost every time I've been there. I don't really mind them only offering it some hours per day or week, or only to people who buy $5 worth of merchandise, but I wish they'd be consistent so that I know what to expect.
Unfortunately, their food and coffee isn't good enough to justify me spending money here if I don't have internet to use while I sit and enjoy them. They are also more than a little overpriced. It's too bad, because I really do feel like this nice, small coffee shop is getting killed in this economy, but unfortunately, it's just not as great an experience as it used to be.
Not sure why everyone is so down on this place, as it is decent enough and laid back for a regular old independent neighborhood coffee shop. Chicago has a dearth of true places like this that are open, friendly, on a nice corner, and not overcrowded with 100 medical students studying for Step 1 & 2. Sure its not a luxury setting, but that's the trade-off for having a little independence. There wasn't any free internet but they were really friendly. Yeah it did close early but I was just stopping through so I can't complain about that; it would be useless to me if I lived in the area and wanted to work later.
I like this place quite a bit. The coffee is strong, its a decent space to work in, the staff are quite friendly, and the wi-fi, when available, is a nice plus. Shame about the hours, which are limited, but otherwise, a fine place.
I ventured here once after a hard day of riding my bike down the lake front and decided to ride through Hyde Park.
Very nice place to go and open up your laptop and pretend you are really writing something. This is one of those calm coffee shops where everyone pretty much minds their own business and is not really open to free conversation. It is a little cozier than Starbucks and a lot more peaceful. I grabbed a seat by the window to watch my bike, because of the bike stealing hoodlums in HP then I proceeded to enjoy my dry sandwich and juice.
The guy who owns the cafe is super friendly! I've been here a few times and have always had good service though the drinks and food are just okay. I've had the coffee a few times, and it's just average. The chai latte was super sweet, but decent.
I was really disappointed when I came here once before work hoping for a coffee and bagel. Wanting to support a locally owned business, I drove past Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks to come here. I got my coffee, but was told the bagel delivery hadn't happened yet that morning! It was already after 7am and no bagels! I went to work hungry... I'm not a happy hungry person...
On a good note, this place supports local artists and sells the art displayed on its walls.
Annoying. There is a ton of potential for an awesome independent coffeehouse experience here, but it just hasn't been realized. Which is so frustrating, because it seems like the feedback, at least here on Yelp, for the past couple of years has been saying the exact same things:
--Make some better food and if you want to charge prices higher than Starbucks, then make that shit worth it
--Have better service
--Change up the furniture and layout to make it more comfortable and welcoming
--Duh - Free WiFi (refer back to first point - if there was better stuff to buy you wouldn't have to hold the WiFi hostage to get people to buy your wares....)
It is just insane when independent coffee houses aren't very good, but blame Starbucks for their loss of business. If you don't put out a good product or a good vibe, nobody's going to want to hang out there - Starbucks or no. It's not my American duty to just give you my money and I shouldn't have to be helping you out or doing you a favor. You're the one in business - give me something good to buy. intelligentsia ain't going out of business, because it's good - so be good.
So I chime in with everyone else. I wish I could like it more, I want to like it more - Third World, can you please help me like it more?
Third World Cafe is a neighborhood, mom and pop owned establishment. Not a corporate entity (i.e. Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts ) with a brinks truck full of money and financial backing. Robert is struggling to make a small business work, and provide a service to the community. This is a typical "before starbucks" coffee house.
Hours are limited by the landlord- Uof C.
You will always be greeted with a smile and conversation. Great place for a cup of joe and to meet new people. Cheers for the little guy !
Support your local small business and give Third World Cafe a chance.
The decor has a few defects but the cappuccino colored walls are appropriate. Definitely the best coffee around, Fair Trade and Organic, the only in the neighborhood! They have two varieties every day and also make all their baked goods fresh.
The best part is the fact that when I walk in the door, I deal with real people, not automatons. When I order my coffee I have a 50/50% chance of dealing with the owner, who is usually ready with a joke or a sympathetic ear (must have been a bartender in a former life.)
It used to be packed on weekends with computer using freeloaders (come on six hours in a cafe getting refills so you can play World of Warcraft away from the girlfriend?) and students studying in the sun. Since Robert ended the internet on weekends there are always seat and the turn over of customers is faster.
The food is fresh, and they cater if you have a desire (we did a few meetings and lunches at work) and the deal was fair. His dips and sauces rock! (try the hummus).
Third World Cafe has been in Hyde Park for a few years and we had never considered going into this place, but as of late I've been stopping in before meetings every morning. The Blueberry muffins are simply outstanding, baked right there on the spot. If you come at 7:00 a.m., you may be lucky enough to get a piping hot one right out of the oven. The Cranberry Walnut muffin is wonderful also. The coffee is good, but our favorite is a wedge of that liberally sliced pound cake they have. They should call this cake "crack cake". The ambiance is not the best, it looks like someones decorated family room, buy we don't go for the scenary, we go for the java and cake. Oh, we would be remiss if we didn't say that the owner is a super-cool guy and all the staff are warm and inviting, no attitudes here! Give it a shot, you may be surprised.
Good coffee. Food is OK. I've always gotten good service.
Atmosphere could be improved. They need to deaden up the space a bit, perhaps some carpet or anything to soak up the sound. They could do one better by making it something of a venue, hosting music or other talent a couple evenings a week.
4 stars for good coffee, good location and being independent in a corporate town.
I really wish I could give it more like 3.5 stars. Walking by one Starbucks in the area, I asked a local where the closest indie cafe was.
She directed me to Third World Cafe. Cool
When I can in from the rain, I first noticed that there were a good number of people. But, the lay-out is REALLY bad. They could arrange tables, chairs, etc, to make it much more friendly to computer users. It seems like they want people to hang out, but it sure ain't built for it. Few outlets and sparse tables has many a back-aches in here from trying to get settled. The decor and design seems disjointed and without a theme, almost like it is not quite finished. Also, my iced-coffee was served in one of those plastic cafeteria cups. Not kitschy nor cool.
Still . . . the vibe is cool, wi-fi with purchase of $4 and it's the only thing around here apparently. They should hope it stays that way.
It looks like it should be a great college town cafe from the outside. Are you kidding, in Hyde Park? College-friendly amenities? NOOOO. BOOOO. No free wi-fi and closes at absurdly early hours. Never experienced anything wrong with the product itself, but I barely ever am even able to go because it's closed by the time I'm out in my neighborhood and needing coffee... and then I have no choice but to drop some change at Dunkin (Drunken) Donuts and say hello to the friendly hobo regulars. Come on, Hyde Park. Honestly. You make Baby Jesus cry.
I haven't been there often, though it is my corner coffee shop.
The coffee and baked goodies are really good. The only time I've tasted Metropolis (is it still Metropolis or have they switched?) coffee and really liked it. That's where the 3 stars come from. Their sandwiches look appetizing but haven't tried any.
I never come here to study because, like others said, the layout is AWFUL and it just generally seems like a place I'd get too easily distracted. I also boycott because of the name. Seems ridiculous, I know, but seriously. What is third-world about good coffee in Hyde Park? Is it your sparse 'n shitty "African" wall decor?
This is a great retail space and I would go there EVERY DAY for studying and coffee and people watching (the MASSIVE walls of windows are perfect for this) if someone did something attractive with it. Instead, I head to Istria Cafe at 57th/Lake Park or their new location at 51st/Cornell.
The staff are friendly if you are.
Please Third-World: read your Yelp reviews and make some changes!
It's fine, but kind of ho hum. Little selection, wireless only if you buy something and not available on weekends, and the drinks are nothing to write home about. Will I love supporting small coffee shops in theory, this one is just okay.
Sometimes the coffee is really good. More often it's mediocre. Usually because it's burnt.
Unfortunately, they serve to-go coffee in Styrofoam cups, which not only makes the coffee taste terrible but the accompanying I'm-killing-the-planet guilt precludes whatever pleasure I would have had in drinking it.
this second bone to pick sounds petty but is so strange that I had to include it: the owner frequently runs out of clean small-size of for-here mugs and refuses to sell a small coffee in a medium mug (solution: fill up two thirds of the larger cup). Once my friend questioned him about this and he said that it cost him more to wash out the medium-sized mug...mystifying...
On the plus side, it's one of the very few non-Starbucks coffee joints in Hyde Park and has excellent natural lighting and plenty of comfortable seats for studying. And the counter staff (besides that nitpickin owner) is quite nice.
The best part about the cafe is the staff. Super nice and friendly and up for some heee hawwwwww giggling. The layout of this place is just a little confusing - no sense of order nor real comfort since it seems to be a bit thrift-store-haphazard. The coffee is good and organic and traded freely and hot and ooooohhh yeah that's how I like it.
If you get a table in the center at Third World, it's an OK place to have a cup of coffee for a while. If you manage to get a big comfy chair around the perimeter, you won't want to leave (especially during winter). Pretty much everything I've gotten food and beverage wise has been... fine. Regardless, it's a great place for people-watching and doing work. Which you probably have a lot of of you live next to Third World. Like, a lot a lot.
Had a pretty nice cup of hot chocolate - add sugar-free hazelnut syrup and whip, throw on some cinnamon - and thought it was very reasonably priced. The staff was very friendly and the layout was comfy but seemed a bit sparse for some reason; I think it was the lighting that cast a glare on everything. I really liked all the artwork on the walls and the really plush, broken-in loungey chairs; it seemed like a nice place to go do some reading or to have a nice chat with a friend.
A great community- and globally-conscious alternative to Starbucks. They make the best chai (Oregon brand!) in Hyde Park at better prices than Starbucks.
The breakfast foods are delicious, and the lunch foods are great too, if a little pricey.
The atmosphere isn't great, but it's nice enough for a college-town feel, and the staff is really friendly and helpful.
The service is great, but honestly the coffee is Not delightful. It is a comfy place to sit and enjoy the sun, but that's about all.
Nice staff, especially the manager. Sometimes hard to get a table. The wireless often does not work and they don't offer wireless at the weekends. I think the drinks and food are really over priced.
Although I'm not sure what constitutes it's "third world" status, this is probably the favorite coffee shop of mine to support in Hyde Park. It's a small shop, usually full of students studying and such, which is what I used it for.
If you buy something, you are presented with the secret wireless internet code (which I'll sell to you for a dollar if you want to park out front for a few hours)!
And now we'll compare this establishment to Starbucks and Borders, the two other cafe/coffee places where I sometimes did work while living in H.P.
--Borders is open late, has lots of tables and good food/drinks. But the tables are notoriously full and the cafe area is loud. No free internet.
--Starbucks is small, but usually more quiet. No free internet.
--3rd Way Cafe - great food, drinks and atmosphere. Usually decently quiet. And I read somewhere that the cafe is completely vegetarian. Neato. BUT - (Big Gripe) closes unusually early for a coffee shop - 7:30.
Looks like the Third Way is the way to go, unless you study late like me.
Third World Cafe has really good coffee, particularly iced coffee, and I believe it's also cheaper than either Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks.
I wouldn't come here to eat (it's not particularly pricy, but their sandwiches aren't nearly good enough to pay $6 for), and the few times I've come here to work I've been disappointed: when I've been lucky enough to find a seat, I'm continually distracted by the high-volume conversations going on around me and the ear-achingly LOUD blender they use to make frozen drinks. Not to mention the inscrutable art they have hanging on the walls.
They do have good coffee, though.
Third World Cafe is the perfect place to go and hit up for some free wifi, at least I was told it was free, judging by the number of college students sitting with empty cups of coffee that was most likely finished 3 hours previously, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was free.
I feel bad giving it 3 stars, but the truth hurts sometimes. Especially when you have to go through something painful to give it. While 3WC is a somewhat neutral looking coffee house, they serve food as well. Some small sandwiches, salads and brownies of course. It's layout and atomsphere stop it from being that quintasential locally owners coffee house.
While the service wasn't slow or rude, the staff of two sure as hell didn't look like they liked working there. It could have been the 30 mooching college students who were taking ever available chair & table and most likely didn't tip on that small mocha they'd been nursing for hours.
Fact of the matter is 3WC could be a great neighborhood cafe even with the bandwidth jumpers, but they need to come up with a better seating situation or start charging the dead beats for internet access so I can get a seat. Get tables bigger than a spare tire donut, try a couch instead of single padded chairs. And please but a sandwich with slices of meat in it not just tuna or chicken salad.
Way too much foam in the lattes...way, way, way too much. But, whatever. The oatmeal chocolate cookies are gigantic and tasty. Everything is baked on the spot. The sandwiches are all pretty good also. But, I suggest getting your food to go...the atmosphere sucks. Tables are awkwardly placed, shaky, and can't really fit both a notebook and a plate comfortably...Also, the wireless internet has been down every single time that I've been there.
Yeah, I just don't like the place. But, the food is good, I'll give it that much.
I like to come there and do work on the weekends with my fiancee. It is a convenient location with pretty good coffee and other treats. My only complaints are that the atmosphere could be a little more comfortable and internet should be available on weekends.
I want to like this place, I really do. It's one of the few, if only, non-University owned coffee houses that actually has sufficient seating. Honestly, I'm not even sure how it stays open, except that people down here are so desperate for a non-Starbucks, non-U of C cafe. Simply put, Third World is just poorly run. Their service is slow and lousy; most of the time you feel as if you are intruding or causing a great deal of agony to the person behind the counter. No one really knows if the Wi-Fi is working, and what the policy is. Probably the lowest moment was the day when I was informed that there was a new $4 minimum per hour to use the Wi-Fi, so I sucked it up and bought a muffin. Then the Wi-Fi was down! It's always crowded too, and part of that is due to the poor lay-out. They also are constantly changing their hours, so you think you have a few hours to sit and get some work done, and then you find out that under the "new" business hours, they close ridiculously early (I think 5 on a Sunday).
I am hoping that a Jumping Bean or Daily Grind-type establishment will come to Hyde Park soon. Until then, it's the U of C's Hallowed Grounds for me!
What can you do when Hyde Park has only three coffee shops (plus that place known as "Starbucks")? It would be nice if the name of the cafe made any sense (solidarity or colonialism?). It tries to be quirky but isn't comfy enough to achieve that. I will admit that the wait staff went from apathetic rudeness to quietly polite (am I still in Hyde Park?). Thank goodness. I come here out of desperation, but I don't think it's that great. I guess I was spoiled in the Pacific Northwest.
A lovely little neighborhood joint in Hyde Park. It's always mystified me that a neighborhood so full of university students could go so long without a stable independent coffeehouse to serve them, but considering the reputation of the students at the U of C, I suppose they must be making their own coffee in some subterranean dormitory library-bunker-coccoon rather than going out and interacting with the public. In any event, Third World is pretty low-capacity, and the tables could be a tad more spacious, but the vibe is nice, and the food and drinks are satisfying. I've gone only during the day; if, as the previous reviewer says, it closes at 7:30 PM, that's a serious minus, for which I've docked it one star.
While out biking up and down the lakefront path, I wanted to grab a bite to eat. I knew there had to be some independent place to Hyde Park, so off the beaten path I went. I passed Third World Cafe, and not thinking it looked like much on the outside, I ventured in. I could tell they haden't been open too long. Things seemed kind of new, I guess. Anyway, I ordered the Mediterranean sandwich and it was very good! I spoke with the owner, and he was very chatty and friendly. Now, I am not a computer cyborg, so I don't care if they had wifi or not, I go to cafe's to EAT, I do my computer work at HOME. I did not try any coffee drinks either, so I can't rate them. But I will go back the next time I am out biking in the area.
Been coming here quite regularly since it opened 2 years ago. Very good cappuccinos, lattes, and espressos. The bagel with lox is a fav dish. Free Internet is a plus, (weekends at 4pm). On the downside, the place can get crowded at times (Sunday ~ 11:00..), and having a family with 2 toddlers drumming up the place right next to you is a karma killer.
As anyone who lives or works in Hyde Park will tell you, Third World blows. Its only use to me is as a reminder of the lack of a single decent, independent (not located inside U of C) coffeeshop in Hyde Park, despite the huge market for one. I gave it a good few tries before giving up. The food is lackluster, they close too early, the coffee sucks, there isn't enough seating, everything's expensive, and they're anal about their wireless. You can only use it if you purchase a certain amount (I think $4, but whatever it is is definitely more than just a coffee) and other reviewers have noted it's sometimes down. Nothing worse in a coffeeshop than the implication that you're not welcome to just sit there to work or chat, provided you've made a purchase, for as long as you please.
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Category: Coffee & Tea
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Category: Coffee & Tea
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