Think Simple Foods

Honestly, everything is over-​priced, underwhelming, and the staff is so-​so. Went once, don’t plan on going back anytime soon. It’s really not all that great, so I don’t understand where these good reviews are coming from. Starbucks is better (which is hard for me to say). It takes quite awhile to get your coffee, or the attention of the staff. There’s nothing to rave or rant about here.

Overall: cute place to grab a coffee and pastry and read the paper or get some work done
Likes:
— friendly service
— doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside has a sophisticated coffee shop feel
— bake their own items — I had a gluten free blueberry muffin, I’ve had better but the non gluten free items looked delicious
Gripes:
— coffee was a bit bitter for me

Best chai I’ve had in a long long time. It’ll take a while because they’re not opening it from a box and adding milk. Oh no. This is tea steeped to perfection and mixed with steamed milk. Worth the wait.
It’s never too busy here and the pastries are pretty delicious. Just this morning I had the Nutella brioche. With my not-​too-​sweet, just-​right-​chai, I am a happy happy man.

I waited so, so long for this corner café to open, and it has been consistently disappointing. There is something off about this place. The service is weird. Just uncomfortable and weird. Once there was a woman who helped me and she was great, but all the other times the guys there were strange. One time I walked in and asked for an iced mocha to go and was told «due to a miscommunication» that there was no mocha chocolate that day. The guy asked if I would like to try caramel instead and I said sure… and I got a hot caramel latte in a mug. So not mocha, not iced, and not to go. Huh? Tried a chocolate pastry that was squishy and pretty flavorless, but I’ve heard the croissants are good. I also think the prices are really high. I know it’s in the near north neighborhood, but to be even more expensive than Intelligentsia is kinda ridiculous.

I just came in one afternoon for a small coffee. I had the regular drip coffee and it was strong– just as I like it. The gentleman who helped me was kind and served me quickly. They didn’t have anything other than half & half which didn’t bother me, but I would have preferred healthier options. I loved their selection of loose leaf teas. They were on display in glass mason jars. I bet they make a mean cup of tea.
Their location is perfect, and I loved the cleanliness and modern vibe of the coffee shop. It is simple, organized and spacious. Loved the window seating.

Bah… I am torn…
My eyes instantly saw the row of macaroons and huge case of sweets and quiches… YUMMY! They all looked so delish.
Confusing…where’s the menu? Where do we order? One tiny paper menu at the cashier.
There is a menu for sandwiches and a menu for drinks. The sandwich menu didnt seem that exciting and we were in the mood for a breakfast sandwich… which they do not have. However, the lady behind the counter said she could make us an egg, ham and cheese croissant. PERFECT!
1. regular drip coffee… pretty good. Very strong. In house served in a paper cup, no glass mugs. Only half and half… no milk of any kind. No soy, no skim, no nothing.
2. Vietnamese iced coffee… yummy! Condensed milk heaven
3. egg croissant… croissant was delish!
4. caramel apple crumb cake… this was good, but tasted like it had been in the case for too long. The top was hard and inedible. The inside was good, but nothing too special… wouldnt get again.
$ 19
Other interesting things…
1. Only plastic silverware
2. No glass mugs for in house coffee
3. Only half and half for coffee
4. No water anywhere
5. Where do we put dishes when we are done?
6. Salt/​pepper anywhere? I couldnt find them.
They are definitely still working out kinks. I think this place might be good for a coffee and some of the baked goods… Seems like they are still in disarray.

I have been here for a quick cup of coffee to support the new business, as I like to do. It was great, the woman and man working were very, very nice. All of the food looked AMAZING, but didn’t have time to indulge.
My suggestion to the owners would be, get a bigger online presence! I was trying to suggest your Café to my client for a meeting and it took me way to long to find the Café info online so we ended up just going to Starbucks — bummer. After my meeting, I dug a bit further, and I couldn’t even find a phone number (huge mistake!!!) Also, I saw two different times for the operating hours, which definitely wouldn’t make me want to schedule a meeting at your location.
The space is awesome and food /​drinks amazing. You have what it takes, but figure out your social /​online presence or you won’t last.

I have been wanting to try this place for weeks as it is right by my house and I walk past every day for work.
I finally came in, not knowing what their hours were because they aren’t posted on their doors, problem number one. When I did come in, there was no menu posted, except a small countertop menu that had the most basic of coffee names possible.
I got to the counter and said I had never been here before, what was their specialty or the best coffee to get, and the gentleman behind the counter rudely said «you can get whatever you want.» Well no duh! I was instantly turned off by his attitude and lack of promoting their own products that I ordered the first thing on the menu, a café mocha and a blueberry lemon scone.
The food and coffee were great! But since I don’t know what all they have, I feel they really miss the opportunity to set themselves apart.
I don’t know if I’ll be back, honestly. Sad since I really was wanting this to be my go to coffee shop, instead of Starbucks.

Came in for some «simple» food and couldnt have been more disappointed with this place. The atmosphere was fine but the service couldnt have been worse.
When I did sit down to eat I noticed tiny little ants running a marathon along the floor. After a quick nosh, I too ran out. I won’t be back.

With a love for coffee and experience working at Caribou Coffee for a little I started out 2014 with the mission to visit all of the coffee shops in my area. After visiting a few, I thought why not write reviews and share my thoughts on each of them. So here we are… with out any further ado let’s dive right in to my unbiased review of Think Simple Foods.
Location & Ambiance:
Its located downtown, and has a very clean trendy ambiance to it. If your looking to find a place to get some work done or study this is definitely a great place to go!
Coffee:
Well, it is a coffee shop so lets talk about the cup of coffee! I personally got a latte, and it was very good! They had a little foam on top, and the espresso was made to perfection. I would recommend getting a espresso based drink for sure!
Food:
They had a few pastry option, and the pictures that are posted on Unilocal are a little misleading. They only had a few options, but they did have some great muffins! I personally got the chocolate muffin and was impressed! My recommendation, if you do get the muffin ask them to warm it up!
Staff:
The staff was nice, and knowledgeable.
Overall, I’m torn between four and five stars, but because I cant find anything wrong with it… Im just going to have to toss a five star rating up there! :)

I was really excited to try this place as it’s right on the corner from my building. I waited 20 minutes for 2 coffees, a quiche and a chocolate croissant to go — which cost me just over $ 20. The croissant was okay, but the quiche was like a brick of salt. Sadly I had to throw it out, couldn’t even eat it. While this is on my way to work, I probably won’t be going back.

This place is a hidden treasure! If you walk by too fast, you may miss it, but you’d totally be missing out. It’s beautifully designed inside. A great place to relax and hang out. The croissants here are the only croissants I’ve ever had in the city of Chicago that can compare to croissants I’ve had in Paris. Crispy on the outside, and buttery goodness in the inside that just melts in your mouth… It is the perfect bite.
I used to live right by the Bouchon bakery when I lived in NYC, and I have to say, these are so much better! The flavors are so unique and delicious. Bubblegum, blood orange, passion fruit, bourbon pecan, blueberry, lychee… I could go on and on… I went back three times in one week just so I could taste nearly all of them.
I am not much of a coffee person, but I love tea. It is incredibly difficult to find a good cup of tea anywhere. No one seems to make it right. They always oversteep it. It drives me crazy. But this place does tea right. It is perfection. If you’ve never liked tea, you have to try a cup of the black lychee tea or the pu-​erh tea here. The flavors are complex and amazing. It will change your mind about tea.
I think everything on their menu is very fairly priced. Honestly though, I don’t mind paying a little more for a much higher quality product. I’d much rather pay little more for a perfect cup of tea than to save 50 cents with a Starbucks coffee or tea that tastes burnt and overdone. It is ridiculous that Starbucks is anyone’s standard for a good beverage. To me, buying a poor quality tea or coffee at Starbucks means I just wasted not only my money, but my time.

Well, looks like I found my new place for tea. I thought I was walking into «just another café with good coffee and some sandwiches» and was pleasantly surprised by their tea offerings. I rarely feel compelled to write reviews for places I have just been to for the first time, but am very happy with my experience here.
It is, without a doubt, the best tea I have had in Chicago, coming from a tea snob. I have gone to way too many coffee shops that fail miserably at making tea, so I usually just brew my own tea at home instead. I have also been to other tea places, and I felt Think Simple Foods had better tea.
First off, they have a wide selection of teas; green, white, yellow, black, you name it. By the taste of it too, it is great quality. I counted 33 different teas on their menu. No other place in the area I have been to offers the same and you have to go up to Lakeview to find similar options.
Second, they brew it right. You can tell again by the taste, that they don’t keep the tea leaves in too long or too little, heat the water to the right temperature, and are using filtered water (I assume, since unfiltered water would not taste nearly as good).
Third, it is priced fairly, especially for River North. You can get a cup for $ 3 and they even give you a free refill of that tea (or two if there is extra left). Every other tea or coffee place I have been to gives you one cup and that’s all.
Fourth, staff was good and helpful, place was clean.
Fifth, it is a cool hangout spot with big glass windows to people watch, outlets, wifi.
I am glad I gave it a chance. They do have coffee and sandwiches, but I am a tea guy, and considering how good their tea is, I think I will stick with it. I would even go so far to recommend it as a less costly alternative to an afternoon tea time, based on the quality of the tea I had today.

Literally, some of the best macarons I’ve ever tried. Plus, they have them for a great price currently (for a limited time, I was told) for $ 1.99. The chef works with a chemist and they concoct the most delicious flavors — like chocolate peanut butter, crème brûlée, jasmine, blueberry, or french vanilla.
The people who work here are very friendly and helpful, and when you walk in, though you are clearly downtown, it feels inviting and cozy.
I’ve heard from a friend that the sandwiches are great too! I’ll be coming back!

FRESHNESS
Blink and you may miss this new coffee destination in Chicago. I’ve been watching the construction crews working on this location and I kept wondering what is it going to be. If you walk or drive by you may still be wondering, so I decided to stop in.
It’s a coffee shop but it’s more then that. They roast there own coffee beans. How cool is that? Can we all say fresh coffee!!! That alone is enough of a reason to stop in here for some fresh joe. But it doesn’t stop there.
They make all of there pastries and baked goods on location. No coffee shops really do that. They all purchase from a third party and then sell it as there own. The philosophy of the owner is to use simple, real & pure ingredients to make quality products. That is a difference you can taste.
They also brew fresh tea based on what your preference. I’m not totally a tea guy unless I’m eating Asian food, so I’m no expert when it comes to tea time.
There is one cool master booth in here. It is kind of the «King Coffee» booth. Sit here and you will feel like the Brew Master. The rest of the seating consists of long communal tables, so very European. You will definitely get to know your neighbor. There is also free wifi. Yeah for free surfing!
The one thing I love is all of the natural light that is coming in. There are high ceilings with full length glass windows. It’s a perfect place to catch a coffee and watch the action on LaSalle and Chicago. This is a prime people watching place.
So if you find yourself in the area and need some caffeine, then give them a try. There is not any significant signage with the store name currently on the outside of the building. There are two giant white signs that say, «Now Open», so that should tip you off that there’s something in here.
So what’s in a name? Simply everything!

Great quiches! I had two so far, and I look forward to the expansion of their menu to include crepes. We need more like this in the neighborhood. Hibiscus iced tea was perfect too. Yum!