Ravenheart Coffee

TOTAL RIP OFF
I just paid 5.00 for their medium macciato, which contains one ounce of coffee and one ounce of hot milk. That sandwich was even worse. If I could give them no stars I would.

GREAT brewed coffee. Smooth, flavorful, and a great start to my morning.
The service at Ravenheart is also consistently top notch. They know their coffee and they’re a pretty laid-​back crew. On more than one occasion, they’ve brewed a fresh pot for me when it’s been sitting for a bit. That’s says a lot. Nicely done :)
One drawback: the atmosphere is a kinda weak. I want to stay a while, but things get a little stale after about an hour. A few couches, some armchairs, and a new sound system would go a long way.
If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee and a place to pop in the earbuds while you work for a while, Ravenheart is the place!

I found this coffee shop when I needed a caffeine fix downtown and Starbucks just wouldn’t do. The menu on the wall was being redone, which the gentleman behind the counter had a good sense of humor about (as there was literally nothing on it). But he made some great suggestions and I ended up with a toffee-​something latte. I also had a poppyseed muffin which was DELISH. I don’t know if their food is made in-​house, but if it is, huge kudos to them. That thing was GOOD!
I don’t usually have reason to be in Downtown Elgin, but I’ll have to find myself there again soon so I can go back!

Simple coffee place for a cup of coffee. Hours are limited if you want a sandwich for breakfast.
When sandwiches are available they are very good.
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M-​F 7a-​6p
Sat 8a-​4p
Sun Closed
I’ve been on the hunt for a local coffee shop to spend time with the wife and ventured into RH a few times over the last couple of weeks. My preference is to support the small business over the mega-​conglomerate I ordered up a Mocha but they were out of Raspberry Syrup so went plain then followed up with a Dark Roast. The coffees were well brewed, balanced and hot. Service was great.
Their menu consist of coffee products with large at 20 oz, basic sandwiches at 5.50 and bakery products
The atmosphere was quiet with low key background music. At one point, I had left my wallet at the counter and the staffer promptly returned it which is both comforting and says a lot about the place and people.
Wifi was free and reliable, see the staff for the passkey
Definitely worth a visit… and with a little more advertising and attention to detail could be a prominent gathering spot in the reworked downtown of Elgin.

I Found the spot. I have been looking around for a couple of years and I believe I have found the best coffee shop in Elgin. The coffee is amazing especially when Daniel Craig (Kudos) brews it. The place is comfortable, warming, and a great spot to relax and enjoy a good cup of Coffee. The sandwiches they offer are simple but tasty. The Barista’s are welcoming and very friendly. Love the place so much I will be coming back daily.

I had really high hopes for this place. Great location, nice logo… but after trying last night, very disappointed in the coffee. It’s not too hard to do coffee better than Starbucks, but this was much worse. I’m thinking it’s not fresh roasted, or something went way wrong while making it. I couldn’t finish half of it. Suggestion: Get your beans from a place that roasts fresh (Intelligentsia, Metropolis, Conscious Cup), and/​or train you employees. Something’s wrong with your main ingredient for almost everything you sell. My wife got a hot chocolate and was also let down. Sounds like it was made with water and a couple scoops of instant cocoa – not steamed milk and quality cocoa syrup.
I don’t know if this was just because it was a really busy night (Elgin’s Zombiefest Night), but they didn’t serve with real mugs – just cheap, unbranded styrofoam cups.
Some of the staff was friendly, some a bit rude and frustrated. When I asked for a glass of water I got two waving hands and an exclamation, «What kind of water?! (soundling like a frustrated Napolean Dynamite).
I’d really like the place to be better, thus the long review. I hate to slam the place, but think these are things that could be fixed – and really need to if you want to succeed. The one place you can beat the mega-​coffee chains is having fresh beans, and better drinks. Make some killer espresso, and really fancy latte art in real mugs with some inspired recipes. Go visit The Wormhole, or Intelligentsia in Chicago for some ideas of things that are working really well. Work a bit on the ambiance and signage for the menus.
The biggest disappointment is the coffee quality. Fix that first. The only way people are saying they like it if they’re getting a drink with only 30% espresso and 70% milk and sugar. I had a boilermaker (just coffee and espresso), to get a sense of the quality. I would have ordered an espresso, but it looked like I’d be served in a tall styrofoam cup, so I passed.
I won’t go into details on this one, but get a bigger garbage can with properly sized liners. Serving bad coffee, and having a poor garbage liner that’s too small for the can means lots of messes for you to clean up.
Giving two stars because the location is awesome, the logo’s cool, and you really could make this place great. But the coffee rating is 0 stars.

Wonderful place to catch up with a friend or colleague. Hard to beat a comfortable environment, great coffee, and friendly service from a local business.

Great little coffee shop in downtown Elgin! Loved it and will be back… pretty good sized crowd for a Saturday afternoon.

Great coffee, free wifi, and friendly people. Without the hustle and bustle of big chain coffee shops.

This is a cool spot. Friendly service, laid back atmosphere. It’s a very under rated coffee shop.

I met up with a couple girlfriends to catch up on our busy lives over some coffee, and this was a perfect place to do just that. i wasn’t impressed by their sandwiches — it was like something your mom made for your lunch, but it was still tasty I guess. The coffee was good though, and the atmosphere is great for a quick rendezvous.

This place is slightly more comfortable than the average Fox River Valley coffee shop. It still has that thrown together, strip mall coffee shop feel inside but at least it decorated like a hotel lobby (I’m talking to you Arcedium!).
The best thing about this pace is the high tables. They are perfect for sitting and typing away at my laptop, without giving you the backache that many normal coffee shop tables will give you after a few hours.
The coffee is decent but nothing to write home about. The sandwiches are actually pretty good, although not really special in any way. If you want a solid ham and swiss sandwich this is a good place to get it.
The staff is friendly but you definitely don’t get a strongly welcoming vibe. I’m not sure if I care about this, but it is worth mentioning.
To be honest I don’t know how this place is still in business. I have been spending my unemployed afternoons here, surfing job sites, and there are always the same three people here.
If you don’t need Wi-​Fi go to Domani, but otherwise this is your best bet in Elgin.

Dude! You can’t give a guy dark roast when he asks for decaf!
But since it was before noon and the guy was cool and admitted his mistake, I will still give 4 stars for quality coffee and atmosphere.

I have gone to Ravenheart more than once, so this review is based off of several negative experiences that I have had. I was at Ravenheart doing some work, and was debating buying a coffee. I asked the employee when the last time the coffee was brewed. She looked at me and shrugged, saying «I dunno, I just got here 45 minutes ago.»
She started pouring me a cup, and reached the bottom of the urn, so there wasn’t quite enough for a full cup. She looked at me and said «I guess I’ll brew a fresh pot. I’ll let you know when it’s done.» I mean, come on now.
Now, I’ve worked at coffee shops, and chemically, coffee starts breaking down after 15 minutes. This is why it is standard procedure at Starbucks and Caribou to brew every half hour (even 7 – 11 brews every half hour). For being a coffee shop, their coffee is poor, and their prices are high.
I don’t want to give it one star because the space is not so bad, they have a nice selection of magazines and ample room for seating. I just won’t be going back.

A bit hidden away but very nice. Recently remodeled. Not many pastry choices but has all the standard coffee drinks.

The staff are polite, and the drinks are good. A nice place to have a quiet drink, or meet with friends.