El Spot Cafe

This was the best restaurant ever. I put down one star to get your attention.
I went there practically every single day for lunch. Their sandwiches and coffee were seriously the best and I don’t even like coffee. Their character, their family, their food, their service, their everything was outstanding.
Now they are closed. They said the owner of their building had changed and they were being kicked out. That’s hard to believe based on their success. Whatever the reason is, they didn’t leave willfully. If you look around, this neighborhood is full of closed shops and stores. Business are being driven into the ground and this wonderful family was taken down with them. Whatever is going on, it needs to stop. This neighborhood has gone to sh*t.

Delicious food. Awesome customer service. Coffee and lattes are phenomenal! It’s open early. Sandwiches to die for.

Coffee so good its like crack!
Not that I’ve ever tried crack, but it seems like a good comparison. Strong as #@#£.
The Americano is sublime. I haven’t tried the food but can’t say enough about the coffee

Went here yesterday and I think I had the best cubano sandwich ever! The staff was very nice! Great job guys!

Ok so you want a really good sandwich. Your not downtown or near north where all the good trendy places are. Well this is the spot for you. Family owned and operated. This is a hidden find. Only a matter of time until people discover an alternative to the ton of Mexican restaurants in the area. Try the steak or the pork. Oh did I forget to say that the prices are very reasonable?
So you only want a coffee and do a little work on your laptop you say. Well Starbucks is full of the usual. Come here for a great cup and relaxed atmosphere.

We had the El Jefe and the El Gordo, wow great price for the sandwiches. We also had chupacabra (caramel frappacino with coconut)…hubby really enjoyed the drink. A nice contribution to the neighborhood… Yay!

I dont write Unilocal reviews but use Unilocal heavily i signed up with Unilocal just for this place cause its really good. So if ur in the area and dont know where to eat… this is it trust me
Steak sandwich and add avocado

Wow. Finally Belmont/​Central /​SoPo (that’s South Portage Park) has a great breakfast/​lunch sandwich spot that is super easy to get to by walking. I went there today to pick up sandwiches for my husband and I. What a great experience. I ordered the Cubano and the grilled chicken sandwich — which were both just terrific. I also ordered a horchata, which was delicious.
The couple that owns it could not be any more accommodating and really just incredibly pleasant people. People of SoPo, unite and support our growing local businesses like El Spot. Go early (they open at 6 a.m.!) or come late (they close at 8 p.m.). Whatever you do, do not miss El Spot.

The food at El Spot really does hit el spot… hardy har har. I’ve been coming here since they opened up a few months ago and it is always a pleasure to eat here. It’s a small family-​owned business with excellent service. They make you feel like family.
Despite the awesome service, the food and drinks here are the real highlights. I’ve had several of there sandwiches. The pollona, a grilled chicken sandwich, is my go-​to sandwich. But their «El Jefe» or steak sandwich and «El Gordo» or lechon sandwich are incredibly tasty and flavorful.
They have a daily rotation of fresh drinks, such as horchata or homemade fruit drinks. And their specialty coffee selections are awesome. If you’re in the mood for a chocolate treat during the summer, they have a delicious chocolate drink called the sweet Grandma, and it taste like abuelita made it! If you need the extra jolt of caffeine, they also make it with a great coffee flavor.
Overall, awesome service and amazing food. Plus, you cannot beat the prices. Less than $ 5 for a big sandwich. This is my new favorite sandwich AND coffee spot!

You are reading this review cause you found yourself near Belmont and Central, don’t want another pierogi and just want a place to get some work done for a half hour, enjoy a simple inexpensive bite to eat, and a coffee that accepts ‘small’ and ‘large’ during ordering.
This place is the ideal independent coffee shop with solid hot food to compliment. Yes, there are great coffee shops around Chicago, but this is the only place within two miles of this location, so if you want a bright roomy place where you can slink away into your own fortress of solitude with zero sense of pretension, make sure you stop in here while roaming around Belmont-​Craigin.
And if you find yourself needing to detour to the restroom, make sure to enjoy the massive hidden ballroom on your way.

Fantastic! We will dine here over and over again! My husband had the Cubano sandwich, I had the Steak both were perfect! Began with expresso and ended with an iced latte so delicious.
The owner and his wife were helpful and kind this place is one you cannot miss!
Once you try this like us you will be back over and over again!!!

I find it exciting and wonderful that a coffee shop like this opened in Belmont-​Cragin. Clean, with a friendly staff and strong, simple menu, this corner café is just what the area needs. Look forward to many almond milk lattes and café con leches in the future.
Update: Was overjoyed to find out they have gluten free options for wraps! Carlos can make any of their sandwiches in a gluten free tortilla wrap.
This place just makes me love it more and more.

Update: Unfortunately The Spot has closed due to a lease termination. Hopefully they will find a new location soon. Good luck Carlos!
This is a great addition to the neighborhood! The owners are extremely friendly. Their café con leche is awesome! They also have a good list of specialty beverages which all seem phenomenal however I can never pass on my café con leche :)
They have a food menu which they make on the spot (no egg patties sitting there waiting to get warmed). The sandwiches are also pretty good… only tried the «chanchito» and «del sol»… both are egg and cheese sandwiches with bacon/​ham. This is my new «Spot» for coffee!

A couple of friends and I stopped by and split three sandwiches: La Habana, one with chorizo, eggs, and potatoes (forgot the name), and I think the El Gordo. All three were delicious with generous portions, and absolutely perfect with a nice cup of café con leche.
The owner was very friendly and even offered us free samples of one of their blended coffee drinks (the mighty grandma) and it was absolutely delicious! I definitely plan on making this a regular hang out spot.

I live in the neighborhood and like to support local businesses. I will be returning not only for convenience but for the beautiful café con leche, outgoing service, and family-​friendly atmosphere. The barista was skilled and friendly, and treated my toddler as a guest instead of a nuisance. It smelled too good not to enjoy a (very reasonably priced) breakfast sandwich, so I went with the Del Sol… Delicious!!!
Long hours, friendly staff and delicious food. Can’t beat it!

So, they don’t have iced coffee on the menu. But that didn’t stop them from offering to make me one. They asked what kind of coffee I normally drink. I’m a die hard starbucks, iced white chocolate mocha fan. But there isn’t a single starbucks within an acceptable driving distance, so this past year has been a little hard on my picky coffee needs.
Vanessa changed my world today. She made me the best iced white mocha I have ever encountered. It tasted like coffee, it was identical in flavor, and the fact that it wasn’t all syrupy made it even better. I am now going there every morning I can for my «starbucks» fix.
I wasn’t hungry enough to try their food, but I cannot wait to give the chorizo, potato, and egg sandwhich a try. Other than the coffee and the want to try their food, their customer service will bring me back 10 times over. They were more than welcoming, made me make a deal that if the coffee wasn’t what I was looking for to be honest and let em know and I wouldn’t have to pay for it, and they even gave me samples of the delicious homemade juice they had. Btw, I hate cantaloupe. Either my tastebuds changed within the second he handed me the sample cup, or it’s just that good.
This neighborhood has a lot to offer with the numerous grocery stores, parks all around, little kitchy shops up and down the busy streets, and elote carts not far from home. The only thing I was missing, I found today. Can’t wait to become a regular at the family owned El Spot!

First timer and I must say coffee and sandwich were Grrrrrreeeat ! Had the café con leche and chorizo & egg breakfast sandwich. Friendly and quick service.

Great food prepared by great people. Love it. El Gordo sandwich was awesome. Great flavor and the bread soaks up the flavor of the meat

This is an up-​and-​coming place on the northwest side of Chicago!
DRINKS: This place has a very wide variety of special coffee drinks, with detailed descriptions of each one listed — all with creative titles such as ‘The Mean Mug’ — a coffee w/​six shots of espresso offered. The ‘Abuelita’ hot chocolate hits the spot (no pun intended) on cold winter days. They’ve got what you’re looking for in coffee, lattes, tea, and hot chocolate — for very reasonable prices.
SANDWICHES: What a great place to go for grilled meat sandwiches for a great deal. Nice variety of chicken, pork, beef, ham, and Kielbasa sausage cooked sandwiches with different toppings available like onion, avocado, and more. I had ‘El Gordo’ and it was great!
TECHNOLOGY: Free Wi-​fi available. No big cash register on the counter — They take card payments on an iPad and can send you a receipt via email.
ATMOSPHERE: Nice lamps, very colorful and creative displays of information, and very comfortable. Tons of windows lets in lots of natural light. Friendliest staff and owners in the area. The names of the products on the menu speak to the multilingual and multicultural inclinations of the staff — the name of the place, case in point.
It’s only been open a week and a half, and I can only see good days ahead for this place!

We stopped in tonight at the end of their first day with a big group so we could try out a wide range of the menu items. Everyone was very happy with the food and found the prices very reasonable.
I had «El Gordo» — a lechon shredded pork sandwich that was juicy and very well seasoned. Went through a few napkins, but totally worth the mess! The rest of the sandwiches around the table all looked great too, I’d love to try them all. I’m posting pictures as well.
The breakfast menu looks great too — I’ll have to stop by sometime for breakfast and enjoy the free wifi and start exploring the drink menu.