Cafe Wha Who?

Great atmosphere — a much better alternative for conversation with a friend than Starbucks. The staff was very attentive and polite, and the café itself was very quiet, which was most appreciated. I will say though that my hot chocolate and brownie were so/​so, and my companion found her tea to be alright as well. Unless you live in the area, I wouldn’t make a special trip to Café WhaWho?, but it was a pleasant enough way to spend an afternoon.

Love the concept… tea/​coffee house with booze a la board games! When I read about this I was impatient to check it out. My laziness as usual impeded me from doing so. But a friend of mine wanted some business advice so I suggested we meet here.
I work a lot at internet cafes so I was hoping to find Wha Who as another option but… The tea I had was very mild and mediocre. The food selection wasn’t very appetizing. I found the furniture to be uncomfortable so it wasn’t conducive in getting work done.
The service was extremely nice so I am giving it an extra star.

I’ve been here twice, mostly after Chicago net Tuesday events, and quite frankly — I’m impressed.
Décor — classy and understated.
Food (especially the panini) — wonderful.
Service — OK first time, slow the second, but there was only one server with a *huge* crowd of us. Easily to let slide.
Plus, booze (for those who desire such) and great coffee (for caffeine aficionados like myself).
I *strongly* recommend Café WhaWho.

I work across the street and this is my favorite coffee shop in the area by far. The owner and staff have always been really nice and the few food items I’ve had here have been pretty good.
The reason I give it 5 stars though is because of the people I sat across from last time I went there.
This 25 year old-​ish hipster is sitting between these 2 chicks on the sofa directly across from me. He’s got his left arm around one, and his left hand wedged in between the crossed legs of the other. The chick on his left barely speaks english and cant be much older than 22. The one on his right is a sexy-​ass Ginger (yes they exist) who is giving me dirty looks every time I gaze over at them trying to figure out what the hell is going on with this trio.
The ginger chats up my friend and I a bit which just confuses me more, and she waves after we leave and pass her in the window. (I think I got semi-​wood).
Anyway, I don’t really care about the coffee, food or ambiance, but if studs that are opening dating 2 hot women hang out here, its definitely the coffee shop for me. 5 stars.

Ok, I think they figured it out. This time they offered an iced americano. Good stuff. Still — It’s 80 degrees out — they should probably toss a batch of coffee in the fridge.

I have Café WhaWho? as a stop on my Chicago Coffee Cruise 2010. In order to try as many coffee shops as possible, I have to visit some coffee shops before I go into work at 8:30 — a normal go-​to-​work time.
I went out of my way to stop by on my way to work, found a parking spot, and walked up to the door. They don’t open until 9. Are you kidding? You are a café! Most people drink coffee in the morning… Am I missing something here? Is there a special reason why they don’t open until I’m already hungry for lunch?
I suppose I could have checked the hours online, but I don’t expect any coffee shop to not be open, you know, when people want coffee.
To be fair, I will go again when I can make it after work and update my score accordingly. From the other reviews and pictures, the place looks quite lovely.

There’s a reason they call it the dating game. At least for those of us who overthink everything. I know I’m personally always trying to stay one step ahead of the «competition» when it comes to creative dating ideas. So even the simplest sentiment like, «we should do coffee,» just sets off a landslide in my mind of «where, where, wheres?» I mean, what if it goes well at coffee and I want to move on to restaurant and drinks? I mean, I’d have to choose a place where there were these two options nearby. What to do?
Questions, questions, questions. Thankfully there’s an answer in the form of a question (Alex, I’ll take «places for a casual first date» for 100), to this particular dilemma (downtown, at least). WhaWho?!
This place takes all the guesswork out of «doing coffee» in the downtown area. To begin with, most of the places downtown are early closing Starbucks. But this place stays open until 8:00 p.m. Which, by central business district standards isn’t so bad. It turned out to be the perfect amount of time for the date I recently had there (she is apparently a very busy girl, it took two weeks just to schedule a time to meet). But even if it had continued on later there are numerous entertainment options within a stone’s throw of its location basically underneath the Chicago Brown Line stop.
But there’s a better part than just the time schedule. WhaWho? has its own bar selection (including wine and mixed drinks). Now, the ironic thing about my recent date is she doesn’t drink coffee and neither do I. But, there were options on the menu at this «coffee shop» for both of us. I got a PBR since it had been a bad day at the office. She, besides not drinking caffeine, is also gluten intolerant (boy, do I ever find the tricky — read picky — ones) so she got a non-​alcoholic hot cider. Both were inexpensive enough to be mistaken for a place further west down Chicago.
Not that I wanted to seem cheap (the one drawback to such a chill place). But, again, it was only a «meeting.»
If there’s nothing much to talk about (thankfully with this date, it wasn’t a problem), there’s a large selection of board games to get the conversation started. This girl was not competitive (which is a minus) but if I reuse this location in the future, that might be a plus. And there’s a full selection of seating arrangements depending on what the girl might like — from comfy leather couches by the window to tables for a more businesslike female new acquaintance.
Had she and I chosen to eat, they also have a nice sandwich menu and the pastries you’d expect from a coffee house. Though we didn’t indulge, so I can’t vouch for the quality of these. In fact, I can barely vouch for the quality of the date. I don’t know if I plan to see this girl again once she’s done shooting her 20-​minute documentary short film. But if I do, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find a place for a second date and beyond that’s so easy. What to do? What to do? What to do?

Shh!!! Don’t tell anybody about this place!
That is exactly how I feel about this place. I work around the corner so when it first opened, I discovered it and over the past months the dynamics have changed this café.
First of all, this is the only legitimate café in the area. If you drink *$, I mean Charbucks, then just don’t even bother because you are not worthy of drinking real coffee. WhaWho gets their beans from Starlounge coffee. I am huge Intelligentsia Black Cat fan for its body and Metropolis Redline fan for its complexity. The Starlounge blend is pretty decent. Once in a while, the roastmaster there goes stupid and blends Ugandan Malibar roast that has superior crema but tastes like burnt rubber. However, the baristas are more than willing to listen to your opinion and pull that desired shot.
Yes, I have a crush on my personal barista, Chelsea. She is a sweet girl who always pleases me with her superior shot pulling skills. She knows that I always go for doppio ristretti style pulled around 22 seconds. Robert is the manager and he is a real chill dude and he will work to get your drinks right. I know I have neglected Robert and Steve since Chelsea showed up on the scene, but I told them that when you have a superstar barista around, you just have to suck it up and stick with your bench status in my line up. However, I love y’all still!
Also, Chelsea is a certified pastry chef who worked at Charlie Trotter’s and Sepia before joining WhaWho for flexibility and freedom! She will bake cookies and brownies in the afternoons in shop! Which local coffee shop bakes their own goods on spot? I don’t eat cookies but her brownies were luscious like her long dark hair. I am pushing her to make pain au chocolat like the ones in Parisian boulangeries, but she will eventually get there, someday, oneday…
The atmosphere here is sweet and I love the art work that Steve displays proudly. It is pretty laid back and chill, so if you are too fussy, stick with your Chad/​Trixie spots in LP/​LV!
I don’t eat much of a lunch but only drink coffee so I cannot comment much about food but I had it once and it was superb and well priced for the area. I’d rather pay $ 2 more and eat here than at Steve’s grease pit next door.
I used to study here for my GMAT’s last year and thanks to their coffee and tables, I was able to pull off my target of 700+! Thank you guys at WhaWho for all your support and encouragement! Nowadays, I show up around lunch to surf the net on their free wireless, take a nap on the long couch then grab my doppio before heading back to the office.
If you need to get work done, come here and don’t tell anybody. Once you are free, bring your friends and promise them not to tell anyone about our little secret.
Just like French women, little secret brings a sense of mystery!

Super veggie chilli! Great way to spend a lazy afternoon with a friend!

Café WhaWho? I don’t like the name, but I like just about everything else about it.
We ventured into this place last week for a Meetup gathering, but got there early to grab a bite to eat.
Their potato salad is pretty good, and the caprese panini, also good, easily fed the two of us. I ordered some forgettable tea and was kicking myself for this after tasting my husband’s apple cider. Do get the cider; its delicious!
The space is very comfortable and felt like it had enough different areas, so no group is right on top of their neighbors. Their upstairs is also pretty cool, especially for private events like our night of game playing.
The owner seemed friendly, making small talk with customers while also knocking out drink orders. Because there were so many people in line ordering drinks, he told us our food would take a few minutes, and I did not mind at all because he let us know up front and was polite about it.
I’m looking forward to coming back.

This is precisely the sort of business we need more of in this area, and while I was glad it was somewhat empty this afternoon so I could have my choice of seating, I always worry too– I want to see good stuff stay open! I feel guilty for not having gotten myself here sooner!
All I had was an Americano so my review at present is essentially for the space as a hangout. Couches, chairs, and small tables spaced out well, such a nice vibe, music present but not oppressive, some people there hanging out in groups, others on laptops working. I will be back soon to try out the food. I’m not one to hang out in bars alone, but I would definitely come here in the evening for a glass of wine to read and not feel out of place
Seriously, bar-​meets-​coffee shop… so brilliant.

Awesome. It is so neat looking inside — local art on the walls, comfy couches, open ceilings, lots of space to decompress… I had some tea and it came in a french press. This is how I make top notch tea at my home and I was really impressed to see it done this way here. Some other mates had food — it took a while to make, but it looked and smelled so fresh that I was kicking myself for not ordering food here.
Also, THEY HAVE ALCOHOL. Did I really need to bother with the paragraph above?

Coffee + Alcohol= the essentials of life! Café Whawho offers both plus free wifi. This café serves as the ultimate urban environment with a lounge sort of feel and exposed brick wall. Also, Café Whawho is located extremely conveniently under the brown line «Chicago» stop. Workers are also very nice. I will continue to support Café WhaWho!

A coffee shop that sells alcohol? Really, yes, really! It reminds me of Parisian cafes and even what Cosi used to be like a decade ago. I came here last night for the first Wednesday knitting meetup. The café is cozy with comfy, dark couches, local artwork lining the walls, a long bar, magazines, and board games. I could see spending a few hours lounging around here. I had a pumpkin spice latte. The latte is your standard fare and luckily was their special, so it was only $ 3. I enjoyed sipping my latte and meeting new knitters. The barista/​bartenders were very nice and kept the table clean throughout the time I was there. I like that they serve alcohol because it would be nice to knit with some wine in hand and hopefully not mangle a few rows in the process. Café WhaWho? brings back the café lifestyle before it became commodized into boring, character-​less places serving coffee and not much else.

Well, I didn’t exactly go WHA-​WHOOOOO but I like this place.
They have magazines, newspapers, and newsmagazines for you to enjoy. Everyone needs to brush up on their Star and US gossip, right?
The pumkpin latte I had was good not great so maybe they need to brush up on their seasonal drinks or just stick to basics.
Extra plus for offering wine. I mean, why aren’t other places jumpin on this bandwagon?

So after perusing Paper Source during lunch with a co-​worker — we decided to grab lunch to go and head back to the office from Café WhaWho. Ooh, a new lunch spot, good menu and decent prices! And here we are at the beginning of the end of enjoyment.
So I ordered the Café Salad to go — dried apricots, cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts with a balsamic vinaigrette — perfect lunch for a hot day. Well I get back to the office and to my surprise there was barely anything there — pretty much a side salad. Most of my lettuce was bad and full of what looked like frisee lettuce. No crostini was included. Too bad, because the salad that I saw being served before mine was out looked fresh and proper lunch portions. So the salad on the small side, I could have lived with, its the fact that most of the lettuce wasn’t fresh.
The service was far from stellar as well — barely saying two words the entire time we ordered. Great concept, but I don’t think I will be back anytime soon.

Located in what seems to be the next hustle and bustle in the River North area, Café Wha Who? is the next best secret. Located sheepishly next to Bar Louie directly across from the Chicago Brown Line, this café boasts a hefty amount of liquids ranging from caffeinated to alcoholic. The interior is very casual and artistically decorated meaning that there is all kinds of really good artwork adorning the bare brick walls. Great comfy chairs, and sofas will melt your rush hour worries away.
I think its one of the more unique businesses that support local talent, promotes conversation and appreciates relaxation. The service is on point and ultra friendly. And with free Wi-​Fi, you may feel like youre doing work in the comfort of your own home. So next time you are in the area, give comfort and relaxation a try.

Watch out gastropubs, there’s a new fusion lounge on the Chicago scene, and its name is Café WhaWho. Right off the Chicago — Brown Line stop and two doors down from Bar Louie, it features:
Board games. Risk, Scrabble… i even saw a wooden board set being opened up by two mac-​bearing dudes, whose eyes were wide with wonderment. This is a fancy game shop, folks.
Quiche. I had ham and cheese, which was slightly watery and took time to heat, but once received, I devoured it. Savoriness galore and for $ 6, a steal downtown. Other noteworthy items on the menu — charcuterie and cheese plates.
Free wi-​fi. This should be a given most places, except for some…*cough3rdworldcough*. Buying $ 5 worth of food/​drink for wifi? So 2008.
Full bar. This establishment is not suitable for those under 21, which is fine with me. I was the only female in the place though, which was interesting.
Lesson learned: Whether you’re studying, snacking, gaming or imbibing, Whawho will definitely sate your wants/​needs.

I am so torn writing this review, in a sense I want to get the word out that there is a new chic coffee house in my work hood, but in another sense – it would be nice to keep it a secret. Do not get me wrong, I am not so bold to assume that my measly little review is going to drum up loads of business for Café WhaWho, but the more reviews a place has, the more people want to go to it. Oh, please do not let the name put you off, sounds dorky, but the place is actually pretty cool.
Anyhow, all that being said, I confess that I am THRILLED that this place has opened. It is such a wonderful alternative to Starbucks (YAY!!!) and definitely has a more upscale feel to it than your run of the mill coffee house. Could be the fact that they serve liquor – yep you heard me right, Booze. I have to say I love the fact that there is a sign right before you walk in that states: You must be 21 to enter. I love, love, love that, mainly because I work at the college right around the corner and I feel that this is place I can go to with out being bombarded by students since most are under 21 (yippy skippy for me!).
This is place where you can go to totally unwind after a hard days work, or just for a break right after you get off the Brown line stop at Chicago Ave. The atmosphere is very chill, the seating is modern but not stiff, as you enter you will see a very long bar area where the staff is eager to greet you. The music is on, but not obnoxiously loud and they have some couches mixed with table & chairs set up. It is dimly lit, but not dark and they have FREE WiFi – seriously people get in on this action.
This place is great for working, studying, and also for smallish groups to gather & play games. They have a few board games on the shelves in the back by the restrooms. It is not a huge place, but just the right size for intimate gatherings or just to go chill solo.
The menu is not extensive, but has the right mix of light fare, coffee, and drinks. They are a bit on the pricey side, but not break your bank stuff. Currently they are open 2pm-​10pm everyday of the week – hopefully they will expand their hours once business gets rolling.

Yesssssss… a new biz, a discovery that had me grinning ear-​to-​ear as I bypassed that wretched Starbucks underneath the Chicago brown stop. YES!
Coffee: check.
Booze: check.
Together: check mate.
Exposed brick walls, plush leather furniture, free wi-​fi, beautiful local art (I even saw the artist hanging it, legit), a long barrista bar, friendly staff. and what’s this? Spirits! Why yes, I’d love a little nip with my Americano (in a real mug!), thankyouverymuch. Baked goods? Serious icing on the cake, the brownie was TO DIE FOR. mmmmm.
This is going to THE PLACE to study/​work/​play/​chat/​date/​coffee/​drink in this ‘hood…laid back, no pretension, a welcome deviation from the clubs and huge-​ass restaurants in this area.
They just opened tonight. Hurrah for an Sbux alternative, close to the train… with liquor to boot! Check it out. The el can be your DD.