Rewster’s Cafe

As far as the food and space goes, this place is great. The times I’ve been inside, I’ve found the experience to be pleasurable and the menu to be really creative and nutritionally sound.
My 2-​star rating comes from the the inconsistency I’ve found in this establishment. The times I’ve made it inside, I’m happy with the service. But more times than I can count, I’ve been stopped by a locked door and dark lights at highly arbitrary times tos the day. The last time I went, I even checked their website before going to make sure they would be open. But when I arrived I was not at all surprised (though wholly frustrated) to find a dark locked restaurant with no explanation as to why.
I am happy to work around odd business hours, but they should be clearly stated somewhere… or at least a sign on the door saying «we’ll be back in 30 minutes» or «we ran out of food, sorry.» It just feels disrespectful to the customer to take for granted that they’ll continue to keep trying time after time. I’ve pretty much hit my limit, which is unfortunate, because their food really is good.

For this to be a café or coffee shop and have no coffee available is laughable. Besides that the experience was like trying to have a meal in someones living room that was not clean. My table needed cleaning, I looked around and every table had crumbs on it. The service really needs to be worked on; I ordered the ham egg and cheese croissant to go because i could not stand the uncleanliness. Instead i received a bacon cheese croissant. Maybe because i was not artsy, I did not receive a high level of service, but this place is definitely not for ME!

When we moved just up the street, I noticed a new-​to-​me coffee shop around the corner. Our first morning we realized that it was a café and not a coffee shop. But we went in for their breakfast.
The first thing you notice is the décor. It’s cleverly split into three areas: just inside the door, the Koi pond and the middle part (let’s call it that). It’s definitely designed for many types of patrons, be in a solo diner (at the Koi pond), a large group of six at the GIANT table or a four-​top for a more intimate-​with-​friends setting.
But that’s just part of it. The food. When the waiter comes by, he/​she has a fancy iPad to take the order. I think this is a good idea, mind you. It seems perfect for this size shop who would otherwise have to spend $ 400 a year in tickets anyway.
Oh. The food. Yes. It’s all very good! I felt the quality of everything I had was simply delicious. This particular morning I had the Rewster’s Hash, which was well done and very simple but tasty. A little dab of hot sauce made it just right. Not too salty. Well blend of flavors. I also had a black cuppa, complimenting the breakfast nicely.
The biggest shock was the price. I appreciate the quality of the food and the ambiance, so I expect to pay for that. But for the two of us to eat and drink came to well over $ 25. Which, for breakfast, is pricey — maybe I feel that way because it’s the neighborhood. But the neighborhood is changing and I need to get a grip.
We went back once already for lunch with the in-​laws and they all were able to find tasty food that is healthy and fresh. Still, it was a very pleasant surprise and we’ll go back. They’re not open super-​early (another reason it’s not a coffee shop only).

There’s a koi pond inside! No joke… well, I guess it’s not really a pond, but where else have you seen indoor koi in Chicago, let alone Logan Square?
When you walk in, you find yourself in a sunny space with pastries in a glass case and couches and tables to the right, a slightly dimmer seating area to the left. That’s where you’ll find the koi, and also a turtle! A turtle that gets startled at the sound of peoples voices. Speak and watch him dive, it’s kind of fun.
The walls are adorned with interesting pieces by local artists and I really like the stuff on the east wall. My favorite thing was my breakfast however. Such a simple concept, but I truly believe all components need to be excellent on their own in order to come together like Voltron and make an extraordinary sandwich. A couple of dairy products with some sort of protein between two pieces of buttery carb-​a-​liciousness? Of course, I’m talking about the Ham, Egg and Cheese Croissant. I could have had it with the bagel. But the croissant always make it better, doesn’t it? Yeah, yeah, I know I can order this at Dunkin’ Donuts. But they will f*ck up that egg, GUARANTEED. I asked for my sammy to be topped with cheddar and for my egg to be done over medium. That perfect balance of runny and cooked, oozy even. Whie I don’t mind over easy, I tend NOT to order easy eggs when I’m out, because I don’t want to be witnessed licking yolk off of my elbows as my sandwich contents drip down my fingers. The ham? No gristle, no chewy, I-​guess-​you-​really-​do-​use-​all-​parts-​of-​the-​pig-​what-​are-​you pieces in that slice. 2 perfect slices of ham. Perfect thickness. Cheese? non-​greasy, melty, but not melted. And the croissant? How do you mess that up, you ask? By toasting it to the point that it crumbles when your fingers touch it, or equally bad would be to take it out of the fridge and cut it and throw the hot ham, egg and cheese in. Nothing messes up my breakfast boner like an imbalance of temperatures in my sandwich. It also sucks when it’s cut in a way that one end of one half is totally thin, and the other end of that same half is thick as hell. I know, I’m picky as sh*t, but that’s me! This is my favorite sandwich in the world, and I believe I’m an expert in eating it. And I usually will eat it with ketchup, but I didn’t want to taint the perfection with foreign condiments.
I ordered a jasmine green tea to go with my meal. Delicate and fragrant, I’ve always like the smell of jasmine, my dad actually used to grow some in our front yard in Chicago. It came in a little press, which is always fun to play with at the dinner table. My wife had a short stack of pancakes and a Peanut Butter Mocha. I tasted both and unfortunately, the pancakes were better than the «Coffee Cocktail». Pancakes were fluffy and crisp on the outside, and the syrup they were served with was exceptionally light, for syrup, like ultra-​lite Karo, though I’m sure it wasn’t. The Peanut Butter Mocha wasn’t very hot when it arrived, and we didn’t really taste the peanut butter until we were walking past Hollywood Mirror (we drove BTW). It was just sort of chunky and sitting in the bottom of the cup. A little more heat and a little more stirring could have done that coffee wonders.
Overall though, I did enjoy my breakfast, probably more than a normal person should, and am looking forward to returning for the Nutella Latte and a Smoked Trout Tomato and Spinach scramble!

I really want to like Rewsters. It’s the closest coffee shop/​café to my house. But everytime I go there of late it seems like I’m trapped in someone’s weird basement experiment. It started out so great, with consistent and tasteful decoration – the French café chairs and the warm purple upholstry. But then. I don’t know what happened. A foosball table appeared in the entryway and a giant turtle pond in the large side room. Seating disappeared and the smell of cigarette smoke lingers in the air. I’m not sure what to expect whenever I walk through the door. Maybe that’s appealing to some? Not this one.
On to the other aspects though: food and service. This gluten-​free girl can’t eat much that’s on offer, but the study in grapes salad is pretty tasty. The tea selection is nice. Service is inconsistent. I’ve had attentive service and I’ve had slow service.
I wish they had stuck with the original design scheme, because this new one is anything goes.

I just realized this place was in walking distance from my apartment and I’m so excited to go back! The place appears to be small upon first walking in, but through the french doors there is another seating area with plenty of room.
To talk about ambience is a must… there are terrariums on nearly every table (or at least some sort of plant adorns each table if not a terrarium) and there is a koi pond with turtles too! This place had such an organic feel to it that made me feel right at home.
The food was also really fresh and tasty. I had the hash for my late breakfast/​early lunch and it was pretty good. It wasn’t anything to rave about really, but the ingredients were super fresh as they were receiving a local delivery as we were eating. Many coffee choices to choose from too. The menu had a lot of items that I look forward to trying on future visits.

I’m really torn about how to rate this place. I’ll explain:
Good:
–VEAL — you don’t often see veal on a brunch menu, and now I can’t understand why not! My build-​your-​own omelette featured veal, thyme, spinach and gouda. The ingredients were fresh and the omelette was scrumptious. The accompanying potatoes were also tasty.
–service — the restaurant is tiny, but was less than half full around 11:30 on a Sunday. Our server was attentive, especially when my friends requested decaf (they gave them to-​go cups when we were done, I assume because they don’t get a lot of requests for decaf in the morning)
–ambiance — it was quirky artsy, and I enjoyed it
Meh
–while I enjoyed my meal, my dining companions thought theirs (bacon onion tarte flambee and scrambled eggs) were just ok.
–the menu is fairly limited
–I ordered the crème de menthe shot for my latte, but could barely taste it. I want my $ 0.50 worth, damnit!
–the location is very random. Granted this was my fault, I have no idea why I bought a deal so far from my neighborhood, but it still seems like there’s nothing else around there. I’m kind of glad I didn’t love this place, because returning would be difficult.
Because I enjoyed my veal omelette so much and dug the off beat artsiness of Rewster’s, I rounded up to 3 stars. If you’re in the neighborhood check it out, but don’t make a special trip. Don’t forget to get a
certificate!

I was thrilled when Rewster’s opened. Finally, there’s a coffee shop/​restaurant with really good coffee, delicious food and hip ambiance. Here, in Avondale! And I can walk there from my home! They have good coffee, great hot sandwiches, and excellent, excellent soup (my favorite — I can’t make these soups myself). It’s nicely appointed, and you can stay there all day!
Aside from all that there are problems. The menu is limited; after circulating through all offering twice, the incentive to return diminishes. The atmosphere is unrushed, but sometimes so is the service. I’ve waiting overlong for my check; I’ve received my order before my silverware and water, and I’ve received the wrong order.
I recommend Rewster’s, but I can’t give it the highest rating.

Rewster’s falls somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. I am leaning toward 3 because I used a
gift certificate while dining here, which shouldn’t really matter, but always does.
The interior of Rewster’s spans across two store fronts. The entrace room is a coffee shop and the other room has larger dining tables. There is «rooster-​themed stuff» everywhere. This gives the café a colorful and cluttered appearance, which my dining companion and I found «zany.»
There was only one other patron when we walked in around 11:30 am. We were told to seat ourselves and the cook took our breakfast order. It was $ 9 for a choice omelelet with potatoes and $ 8 for hash. My omelette was pretty standard, but we both commented on the excellence of the potatoes. We also ordered the grape salad which featured grapes, raisins and candied walnuts. I felt that the dressing was a little heavy on the oil and could have used more balsamic, but overall I enjoyed it.
The bummer came when it was time to pay. Once we were finished we sat for approx 20 min before we were given our check. This is never appreciated when you have plans.
was the reason I tried Rewster’s and I would probably go back and give it another chance.

I grew up around the corner from this place. This location used to be my favorite hot dog stand when I was a kid. Now, it is a nothing more than a mediocre coffee shop with a boring menu and bland food. And overpriced.
I’m glad there is something here instead of a vacant store front though. I hope they continue to improve and I’d like to give them another chance next time I’m in town.

Its always nice to see something new pop up in this part of Logan Square as I always feel like there just isn’t enough cool stuff in this particular area. My girl has been eyeing this place for quite sometime, so she thought yesterday afternoon was the perfect time to do the damn thang!
When we walked in we noticed it was bigger from what it looked like driving by. Thats because you cant see what looks to be the main dining area when just walking/​driving by. Not a lot of people inside, but that is probably due to it being Lollapalooza weekend. We saw another couple chowing down on some food and it looked great! The first thing we noticed was the girl across from us eating pave. She said it was delicious and it damn sure looked delicious. I ordered that along with the egg, ham & cheese croissant… delicious! As always I get egg whites which always gives a better flavor in my opinion. Back to the pave… it was so good that I was getting full and still could not put my fork down. I also ordered the peanut butter mocha which was great as well which was very sweet and filling.
The place it self has a nice setup with pics on the wall and little pillows on seating against the wall. The chef and the servers were all nice annd helpful wih the menu. Definitely a good spot to try in Logan Square!

I honestly could have gotten better food at 7 Eleven and better friggin service at the Popeye’s down the street. First, we were seated next to a big speaker playing a static-​filled radio station — great ambiance. Then it took a year to get an order in, get our coffee that the server forgot and even more time to get our mediocre, over priced food– a dry croissant that had been sitting out all day with some ham and scrambled eggs and that stupid Rewster’s Hash with what looked like some pathetic frozen vegetables and runny eggs. That took 40 minutes to make? Then the dude I think was the «chef» comes out to make an appearance or something and just yells from across the room «how’s everything folks?» It took all of my politeness to answer, «Okay.»
I had been here before just for coffee to-​go. This was the first and last time I’ll stay to eat. The lame overpriced menu isn’t even worth giving it another shot.

At Rewster’s, you’ll pay and pay and pay, but in the end, that’s OK.
For a local sandwich shop in Logan Square, a glance at the menu can be heart stopping. $ 9.50 for a ham and cheese? $ 11 for roast beef? We can be sure that no High Life will be delivered here.
So there you have it. Not your everyday lunch. But having ordered one of their sandwiches, you will taste the quality. The bretzel bun for the ham and cheese is delightfully fresh, surpassing even that of Hannah’s Bretzel. The ham and cheese themselves are both delicious and, again, so fresh that you can feel the pig kicking. The side salad that came with the sandwich was also delectable. I only wish that it was twice as large, as I was craving another sandwich as soon as I paid my bill. (Time to forage in my own refrigerator).
Wash it down with a delectable pomegranate Italian soda and that will ease the pain somewhat. Still, at $ 16 including tip that’s a steep lunch. As a foodie’s respite from the daily grind, however, it is a well earned present for yourself. And as the ancient philosopher Special Agent Dale Cooper taught us, «Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it. Don’t wait for it. Just let it happen.»
Today, my present was Rewster’s Café.

Our server was woefully uneducated about the menu making it a time consuming ordering process.
In the end the eggs were undercooked and what was supposed to be a vegetarian meal had bacon on it.

For a good sandwich close to home…
Rewsters brings favor to a corner that is definitely in need. I was excited to hear that this place was opening up nearby. The menu is simple, but loaded with bold combinations.
For our first visit my friend and I split the Rewst Beef and VLT along with greens and a ginger soup. All were flavorful and I would definitely recommend. I’ll admit that the sandwiches are a bit pricey but… hey, you get what you pay for here.

In January 2011 a new restaurant called Rewster’s Café on the border of Logan Square and Avondale opened up. My friend and I went to check it out a few months ago. We really liked it.
The chef/​owner and was working behind the counter. Couldn’t be nicer. Some think the $ 10 – 11 sandwiches are overpriced, but all of them are made with top-​notch ingredients and all come with a side (we got salads). And both were super delicious. We got the croissant breakfast sandwich and grilled cheese and split them.
I also had a cappuccino, which I chugged. I remember being really tired and possibly hung over that day, but I don’t remember why. Anyway, the cappuccino was not enough so I also had some of the locally roasted (in Humboldt Park) Dark Matter coffee. Everything was great. The sandwiches were delicious. I loved the grilled cheese, but it was very rich. Splitting our sandwiches was perfect. I’ll be back!

Holy sweet goddamn. I am so exquisitely full, thanks to our friends at Rewster’s.
Here’s what happened. I walked in, ordered a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, a cup of delicious butternut squash soup, and a cup of delicious coffee. Sure it cost $ 15. But for a man of leisure who is as obscenely wealthy as I am, I didnt even flinch. Okay okay I flinched (and am for all intents and purposes unemployed), but it was worth it.
Then on the way out, the chef (who is French by the way) took out a huge pan of the pork belly he had been braising for the past day. He cuts a piece off for me, and explains that on the new menu, it will be available as the ham and cheese sandwich option. He was as excited about his curry pork belly as I was.
Sadly, the irony of a place called Rewster, serving curry (as in Tim, as in from the movie Annie) seemed to be lost on everyone but me.
This place is a gem. Do it, do it.

I hate to be the first one to leave a less-​than-​stellar review, but…
When it comes to food I’m usually not that big of a cheap ass… but I also expect what I pay for. And when I pay $ 8.50 for a medium latte and bagel w/​cream cheese, I’m expecting big things. Not so much. My bagel was «toasted» on a skillet with butter, which I found kind of odd. I’m already consuming a massive amount of calories as it is, so the last thing I need is for my bagel to be toasted in a pool of butter. A toaster would have been just fine. And I could be totally wrong about this, but I think I saw the bagels come out of bags from a well-​known (but not that good) chain bagel establishment.
After the initial shock of paying $ 8.50 for my breakfast wore off, I looked at my receipt and was charged 50 cents for an extra shot of espresso in my medium latte. I was asked if I wanted 2 shots in my latte, but was never given a different option, so why the extra charge? I could have gotten the same thing at Starbucks for $ 2 cheaper, which is outrageous.
(OK — cheap ass rant over…)
It seems like most of these rave reviews are related to the lunch/​dinner selections, so maybe I’ll give it another shot.

A cozier alternative to the fluorescent New Wave, Rewster’s is small (seating a dozen or so) but comfy, with armchairs and pillows as options. The people are friendly and attentive. They checked often to make sure I didn’t need more water — which is something that rarely happens. I’m not very knowledgeable on coffee, so I can’t say how theirs compares.
The chef offered to make me a vegan dish out of the ingredients they had on hand. I ended up with the open-​face leek sandwich without the cheese. The peppery flavour of the mustard worked well with the milder leeks and frisee, but there didn’t seem to be much substance to it. I ended up eating dinner at home afterward. I’d like to see a real vegan option that’s more satisfying, given that the prices are higher than average.
The closeness to my place and their willingness to accommodate me — even if the dish could use a little more something — makes it good in my book.

O, blighted south Avondale! I bring you tidings of great joy. Ye shall now have excellent coffee, tea, sandwiches and pastries!
Really, on a block where an auto parts shop is the most successful business, this is an event of biblical proportions. I have yet to try even a fraction of the ambitious café menu offered in this tiny storefront, but items like «Pain au Chocolat» and fresh-​baked bretzels and mini apple tarts assure that I will not be a stranger.
Also, the chef is French. Really French, not Pierre’s bakery French. bon appétit!