Chicago Grind

My local coffee place where I normally go to work is under construction, so I went a little further afield looking for a new experience. I made a wrong turn at one point and found myself face to face with this coffee shop.
I went in, set up, ordered a latte and a bagel, and got cracking. The staff was really nice, if a trifle over-​friendly (I’m super shy, though, so that’s probably on me, not them). My coffee was a really pleasant surprise — super strong, the way I like it, though it might not be for everyone. Still, it was a delight; really woke me up. The bagel was great, too — not over-​toasted. It might sound like nitpicking, but a bagel toasted half to death just tastes like charcoal to me. This wasn’t.
If half stars were an option, I’d give 4.5 — I’d knock off a tiny bit for the fact that the traffic pattern inside isn’t ideal. I sat at one of the small tables (barely had room for my computer & food) near the door, and kept getting bumped into by people going between me and the bigger table nearby. Still, that’s a relatively minor thing for an overall pretty pleasant experience. I’ll be back.

All the way up!!! 5 stars. Started off with the imported prosciutto Primo loaded up with provolone sliced tomatoes and a balsamic glaze unbelievably tasty, oh and btw the gluten free bread super tasty the top that had the Arnold Palmer with extra kick in it. Okay so between all the friendly service that I received here the food is just simply amazing I had the chocolate Belgian waffle with banana as well as the chocolate éclair «little on the unhealthy side» but effin delicious. I just can’t believe being in Chicago for 18 years just finding out about this place definitely coming back again over and over if they continue the same quality service.

I’m really happy I stumbled across Chicago Grind. They have a great selection of food — salads, pasta, sandwiches, pastries and more — as well as coffee. I can appreciate that the wifi is fast and that there are plenty of tables and a few couches, all with outlets nearby. Definitely stop by for a great cup of coffee or to get some work done. It doesn’t get too loud or busy and there’s also plenty of outdoor seating as well. Highly recommend.

Coming in for my daily coffee is the best part of my day! The staff is friendly, the environment is inviting and great for working and the coffee is always as strong as I need it to be. The food is tasty too! Yummy pastries, bagels, savory sandwiches and salads — love it all!

Terrible waffles. Cold, too sweet and they did not even put whip cream even though it said it on the menu.

This is a cute small-​ish coffee shop in Edgewater.
Came here for a coffee meeting a couple Saturdays ago and was pleasantly surprised.
Staff was super friendly and helpful while at the counter. Told me about everything and answered my questions about specialties and recommendations. The staff, other than the girl behind the counter, we’re also very attentive to keeping the place clean, which is huge in my book.
I ordered a chai tea latte and it was good, and nicely priced. Great flavor and quality/​quanity for the price.
I was very happy a d will definately go back. The patties and baked goods are also really good a d highly recommended. You won’t be disappointed in anything you order from this Edgewater gem of a coffee shop.

I love this place! I come here to study almost weekly, and although usually busy during the weekends, the atmosphere, coffee, and food are all worth it. Easily accessible by the 36 bus and the Red Line, Chicago Grind attracts a pretty diverse crowd, and I’d consider this place a microcosm of the Northside. After many times here, I can say that Chicago Grind definitely has many regulars that make up a quarter of the crowd most of the time, but the staff is super friendly to all.
The people aren’t the only great thing about this place; the food’s delicious and very fresh. Their flatbreads and salads are always a win! The Arugula and Beets salad seems pretty plain, but the favors are dynamic and not to miss. I’ve never had a complaint about the food, and all their baristas know how to make an awesome cappuccino.
One thing — could use a couple more outlets.

Coffee was average (Bowtruss coffee roasters). I think my espresso shots were over extracted. I had a decaf americano w/​steamed almond milk. My husband went with a drip coffee w/​steamed almond milk.
Food was good. We had lunch – I had the vegan wrap and my husband had ½ turkey pesto panini & spicy chicken soup (soup/​sandwich combo). Portions were nice size.
Beverages and food were brought to us at our table and our empty plates were cleared away later. Staff seems pleasant and helpful.
Atmosphere is airy and relaxed.
We keep trying local coffee shops. Our favorite local place for coffee so far is Everybody’s Coffee on Wilson.

Great coffee shop for lunch! Iced coffee was good and turkey pesto was AMAZING. It was a tiny bit expensive and the seating was crowded but I think it is worth it to support a small local business! The staff were very nice as well.

I just moved to the area and spent the first week or two trying to find a coffee place where I could get a good cup of coffee and do work. I found this place and haven’t bothered trying to find anywhere else to go because it’s so great. The atmosphere is just what I was looking for, super friendly and none of that «coffee-​snob» stuff you sometimes experience at local shops like this.

GREAT NON-​CHAIN COFFEE SHOP w/​an amazing menu to choose from. My girlfriend and I went for brunch and they carry Defloured products which is a stellar gluten green bakery organization, and that really added to the greatness of this location.
I got a Nutella coffee drink which was HEAVEN and I plan on going more.
The owner is a very nice woman and when I saw my drink was ready and I went to pick it up she had already began walking it to my table and told me that the way things work is she brings it to the customers. Extra bonus for lazy people like me.
The cook is VERY cleanly and is constantly wiping and cleaning his station which is appreciated and nice to see.
Food and coffee is delicious here — I HIGHLY suggest stopping here!

What’s going on? This place was full when I came in around 10:30am, on a thursday. So I expected it to be good.
I came here because I wanted a decent cup of coffee. After I said I was ready after much hesitation, the lady insisted on giving me the menu. I thought I just said I was ready to order?!
Anyways, I got their lavender latte. It’s too damn sweet. It’s so sweet that it burned my throat. The smoothness of the milk foam didn’t make up for it. There was also lots of foam in it that I wonder if they’re making a cappuccino or latte. It was also not strong, at all. So it just tasted like awfully sweet lavender milk. They get a 2.5 for how bad the latte was. Rounded down coz service.

I love coming here. It is a little on the pricey side, but they do have a drink loyalty program and daily food item deals.
I’ve liked everything I’ve tried so far. The sandwiches and flatbreads are tasty and filling – generous portions and always fresh. I like the fig green tea, coffee, and chai.
The owner and staff have always been so nice to me. Thank you.

Love it… cozy, nice variety of food and coffee/​tea selections. Ambiance and décor are just lovely. Friendly staff as well.

Good coffee, great cozy feel inside, good service. A little too many «buy 1 coffee and sit there for 8 hours» people taking up good seats, but if I needed free wi-​fi I guess I’d spend time there too.

One of the best cafes on the north side. Great coffee and nice, quiet place to get work done or study, especially during the day. The atmosphere is inviting, and feels so home-​y compared to the usual Starbucks and other small grab-​and-​go coffee shops. This place is calling you to stay and hangout for a bit. Fantastic owners and workers as well.
In the summer, they have a pretty spacious patio outside as well. Definitely a hidden gem that I hope continues to get more attention.

Today was my first time trying this place. Thought I’d check it out since it’s located conveniently where my train and bus connect. Since I had a 13 minute wait for the bus I stopped in for an Americano. An AMERICANO. Its just espresso and water. No way it should take longer than 13 minutes but it did. No one was in front of me except someone who had ordered before I ever came in. I finally had to tell the guy «I’m about to miss that bus. Please hurry!» Was the coffee worth it? No idea. Didn’t have time to doctor it up to my liking. Will I go again? Not unless I have at least 20 minutes and Will not be leaving a tip. Cute place though.

So I have to edit/​erase my first review and take off stars for this place. Only a couple minutes after enjoying my egg sandwich and leaving a good review for this place– a guy comes into the café and calls out to me while I’m in the middle of getting work done, abruptly and aggressively asking me if I ordered anything. When I told him I did he proceeded to ask me what. I told him the egg sandwich and then he just walked away into the kitchen. Turns out it was the owner. His confrontation was so loud, abrupt and rude that other customers around me asked me if I was okay and encouraged me to say something. I spoke to a girl at the counter who was nice and apologized to me on the owner’s behalf, but I really would have appreciated a direct apology from him. If the policy is that you have to order something in order to do work in the café, there are much more polite ways of enforcing this. Also I was the only person he approached even though there were people around me without food or drink in front of them.
In the future I would not feel uncomfortable going to hang out and get work done in this café because I’d have to worry about being approached if I didn’t leave my dirty dishes sitting in front of me as proof that I had ordered something.
Final review: Pro: good egg sandwiches and I’ve heard the waffles are good. There are some comfty couches/​chairs if you can manage to get them. Negatives: no bathrooms, rude owner.

I know Chicago Grind has good reviews but the Nutella latte I ordered was not good at all. There was no trace of nutella or nutella flavoring in the drink and was overall quite bland. The spot itself has a decent amount of seating for relaxing/​studying/​hanging out. The décor on the exterior of the building isn’t too welcoming, the awning is a bit cluttered with a lot of words and had it not been for Unilocal I probably would have passed by without a second glance. I wish I could give Chicago Grind a better review, maybe I just ordered the wrong drink.

I’m going to agree with another Unilocaler who recommended Chicago Grind as a study/​work spot.
There’s only so many places with electrical outlets, but as pointed out, there’s a couch area that’s usually taken up, and then there’s a series of small tables for two along the windows, and these are the spots with the outlets. The large tables in the center of the room, as far as I know, don’t have anywhere to plug in.
While they have music playing, I don’t think the volume is so high nor is the music that intrusive or upbeat that it’s disruptive — just a personal opinion, but if you are after dead quiet, you might want to explore another option.
The staff has always been very courteous to us and their drinks are quite good — their green tea is on the strong and bitter end, though. We have not tried the food, but the menu seems to have a decent selection that we might try if we stayed long enough into a meal hour!

This is an ideal coffee shop to get work done. They have a cozy reading nook or a good number of tables (communal and solo). The one thing I would change is the level of noise. They often have music playing and it gets annoying — especially when it’s clear the majority of people are doing work. Maybe they could turn it down?
Food and drinks are superb and love the loyalty card.
Be sure and check in with them to get your free cookie!

Walked in this cozy little spot after spotting it while riding my bike around the city. Saw a sign about Belgian waffles and decided to get just that, a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whip cream. I also grabbed a Nuttella Latte as that caught my interest as well. All in all I gave them both a solid 4 out of 5.
The Belgian waffle was good, not the best I’ve ever had but still pretty darn delicious. It had a nice crunch on the outside with the center being moist and fluffy. The only thing I’m not much of a fan of is the sweet strawberry jam like syrup as I prefer my Belgian waffles with fresh fruit instead but that’s just me. They had other varieties which I’ll be going back and trying soon though.
The Nuttella Latte was pretty spot on in what I was expecting, with delicious flavors of chocolate and hazelnut being very fluent with a robust coffee flavor to accent.

I think this place is great for a quick breakfast on the go! This place offers free wifi if you need it, it is a bit of a tight squeeze, but I went on a Sunday, so I’m sure it varies depending on the day. I ordered the breakfast burrito, it was decent, not bad, the eggs are different here though, I’m not sure how they make them but they don’t taste like your normal egg. The friends I was with also enjoyed their food! I’d come back.

The ambience is wonderful. The coffee is awful. It is so bitter you need to half cream. Let’s try the coffee. Noooo good. That’s why you go there. For the coffee. The bitterness makes Duncan donuts a diamond. Food is ok. Friends are waiting for their food. A second chance maybe. Always give stuff a second chance.

Random reasons why im very happy Chicago Grind opened in my hood:
a.) Their bagels are always fresh and always good.
b.) Their staff members from young to old are friendly and courteous. Good hiring and training. No one seems miserable working here.
c.) This «Coffee Shop» makes some mean sandwiches and salads, and a decent waffle
d.) Large outdoor patio with flowers
e.) Good tunes, all kinds… Ive heard John Coltrane, Mumsford and Sons, Neil Young, Devo, and Nina Simone music heard on various trips here. Nice
f.) Bathroom is always clean and so are the tables and floor.
G.) Cakes and pastries are fresh and defintely above average. They carry some bundt cakes and cheesecakes that are downright amazing
H) They have the fastest and most reliable wifi of any coffee shop ive been to… its better than what i have at work.
I.) How many coffee houses you know that have Daily Specials?
J.) their coffee (Bowtruss) and Tea (not sure) are high quality.
Some various reasons why my partner and i visit this place at least twice a week. Keep up the good work.

Great assortment of pastries and beverages and sandwiches and salads-​you get the point The prices are good and the food is tasty. There’s seating, a restroom and the place has a good vibe and great playlist in the background. The staff is pretty friendly as well.

Stumbled upon this place on accident and decided to go in.
Space: Modern interior, clean, plenty of seats, solid wi fi. They also have an outdoor patio which is bonus.
Service: Very friendly staff. Seems to know their stuff and were very helpful.
Drinks/​Food: I ordered a latte. The temperature was perfect. Hot but not scalding. The quality of the espresso was divine. They use Bow Truss products. Anyone who’s been to Bow Truss already knows how great it is. It was relatively perfect as lattes go.
I want to give five stars, but I’ll need to pop in a few more times and stay longer to get a feel for the place. Definitely worth the stop and I’ll be back again when I have a bit more time.

Brrrrr!
(Sing next phrase to Nelly’s «It’s Getting Hot in Herre») — It’s getting cold in there, so put on all your clothes. I am getting so cold, I need to put some clothes on…
Like previous reviewers said, it’s freezing in there! But, in all fairness, it kept me awake.
The part that made me leave early though, wasn’t the cold; it was the smoke that filled up the space. Here’s what happens when you heat up food in a small space with little ventilation: Oh, it fills up with smoke. This means, I am not only breathing smoke, but I also leave smelling like smoke. If only they created a «Smoke Nazi» similar to Seinfeld’s «Soup Nazi» and held fast to «No smoke for you», I might just be back…

I haven’t been here since it was Chicago Coffee. First, it was a nice surprise to see the updated, comfy décor. Second, the baristas couldn’t have been any friendlier, more conversational, or more helpful. Hats off to them for creating a welcoming vibe. I ordered a soy chai after I was advised that their chais are on the spicy side. Yes, it was a touch spicy — just the way I like them. And the temperature was perfectly hot. I ordered the vegan wrap. It was freshly made, and packed with fresh, crunchy vegetables nestled inside a soft spinach wrap. My friend also dug her sandwich. All I can tell you is that she said she loved the rye bread, and before you know it, the dang thing was gone. All in all my experience was tasty food, good chai, friendly folks in a cool environment. Good neighborhood joint.

This place had a recent update inside and looks great. I prefer to visit in the late morning when the couches are more available.
The coffee is SO good (though I know that’s relative) and the pastries are light, full of flavor, and reasonably priced.
The music playing now is Michael Buble.
They have daily specials and I’m taking advantage of them all this week to give them my full review.
The mocha which was just delivered to me is full of flavor, a good, mild chocolate, blended well with the coffee taste.
I hope this Café stays in the neighborhood forever!

Needed a place to grab lunch and work on my laptop for a while, this place fit the bill. Has free WiFi, sandwich was good, staff was nice, they even let me swap out my coleslaw for more pickle Spears… Awesome because I hate coleslaw!
This place is classy, nice jazz music playing, sophisticated tile backslash behind the counter, wood floors and do leather covered chairs.

— Plenty of seating with two-​seaters, a couch, two armchairs, a little bar area, and two big tables (seats 10 each) for groups
— Limited outlets
— Free wifi with strong signal
— Lots of really delicious food/​drink options, including vegan and gluten-​free items. And, daily specials! My buffalo pasta salad and turkey fiesta sandwich were awesome with huge portions for $ 6.95.
— Friendly, helpful staff
— Pretty busy, so not a quiet atmosphere — but not too loud
— Easily accessible by transit (right off the Berwyn red line stop, along the #36 bus route on Broadway)
Spent the day here with a friend getting some work done and it was great.

The Chicago Grind is a cute little coffee shop in the Uptown /​Edgewater part of town and is supposedly extremely new to the neighborhood. The inside is modern with clean hardwood floors, dark wood counter tops and tables and just feels very fresh. It’s the type of classy coffee shop you expect in 2015 rather than a lot of these older rustic coffee shops that have been around for however many years now.
I spent half a day here working last week and although the food and service was pretty good, working here was probably not the best decision I ever made. It’s not that it was uncomfortable or uninviting, but it’s more that the noise level was actually pretty high for the morning — afternoon with all of the guests coming and going over the course of the day. Outlets also weren’t very ample, so finding a place to plug my laptop into became a bit of a puzzle too.
That said, if you want to go here for a quick bite to eat it’s pretty great. I had the breakfast sandwich with eggs, Canadian ham, and cheese on an everything bagel and it was overwhelming (in the best way possible!) and super delicious. I could also see the chef in the back using salt and pepper too so that just brought a huge smile to my face. The only let down that really caught my eye was that the bagel was barely toasted. Had it had that wonderful caramelized toasty-​texture, it would’ve been the breakfast sandwich of the year for me. Maybe next time!
So here’s the long and short of it — don’t work here. It’s just too popular and too busy and you’re bound to be distracted all day. If you want some delicious café food though this is definitely a homerun in this area of town!