Kafein

Kafein has always been eccentric from the staff to some of the items you can order. I’ve been coming here since high school which was some years ago. Back then I’d give it 4.5 stars easily. It was weird but homey. Good for a late night coffee and snack.
Recently, with what I assume is new management it changed a lot. The coffee is pretty watered down, and the staff are more rude than eccentric. Definitely disappointed. Their desserts taste fine though, and it’s still a nice place to sit so it keeps 3 stars.

First time here. Loved the atmosphere and the service. However, the coffee tasted watered down. FYI there is a service charge of 2.20 if you don’t order anything.

Monday Night Open Mic — it was awesome. Kafein is also a lovely place to study and it has delicious milkshakes. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend, but if you are going to study avoid going on mondays due to the open mic (comedy and music)

I used to love this place until it got new management. Walking in, I saw the place lacks the cozy charm I used to love about it. I came with a group of friends who all ordered drinks, but I didn’t want to order anything. The waiter asserted that I’d have to pay a sit-​in fee of $ 2.20 pretty rudely, and then rushed me while I looked at the menu.
EDIT: I ended up not paying the fee and instead leaving. While I was heading out the waiter snarkily «thanked» me for coming in, and then chuckled with other coworkers in the back. That dropped this two to three star rating down to one.

This is a kick-​ass place around the neighborhood. I loved the ambiance and the decoration. It is definitely a place worth checking out if you haven’t been here yet. The coffee shop along with the nice set of menu and really warm service, seems to be the spot for students to catch up on some quiet time. There is a huge shelf of books if you enjoy a good read.
We ended up playing Charades and Head’s up while we were here. The coffee is great and some good food, good time with friends is on the cards.

Love this place. Love the grasshopper shake and the brews. But mostly love the atmosphere. The trivia cards at every table is a really nice touch. Have been here on an open mic night too. Very enjoyable.

Bad service and rudeness all around. I’d not go back unless it’s the only café open nearby, sadly this is sometimes the case after 8pm when Peets closes.

This is a fun and funky place. Lots of couches. It is busy, particularly through the study season. A hit for northwestern students. However, I have to say that I was underwhelmed by both the food and the coffee. But the shining light were the milkshakes, they were extreme. So if you feel like a milk shake in the middle of winter pop in for a quick one.

I’ve been a patron of Kafein for well over 10 years. I can honestly say this is the best I’ve ever seen it! It’s very clean, the service is stellar, they are coming by to take your orders which is great because it reduces the traffic in the front and the line was frustrating. When I discussed with the owner the discrepancy with the online prices I learned that he is working on acquiring the domain (always a headache, I know how that goes as a small biz owner) !
Thanks so much for a great experience!

After returning to Evanston from a 2 year gap, I must say I’m extremely disappointed with the downward turn Kafein took. Their prices have gone up, and their service and product quality have completely gone down.
I called tonight around 11:30 to see if They would fulfill a carry out order this late. Richie, who picked up the phone, said they were closed (even though the hours are till 12) and then awkwardly thwarted my response by saying «oh what time is it? Yeah we’re open I guess»
Eventually I walked the block in the cold. When I was done looking at the menu, I was left standing at the counter with no one to help me, only to see this Richie kid texting in the back for 5 minutes.
To make a long story short, Richie did not know how to make my drink properly… a Carmel cider is probably one of the simplest things on their menu. Yet he forgot the caramel… also My cheesecake slice cost $ 5!?! On
, it is listed as $ 3.45. Yet I somehow paid $ 10 for a cup of hot apple juice and a small slice of cheesecake…
This is not the Kafein I remember from my undergrad years here. This new ownership is horrible and its sad to see NU students just flocking here not knowing any better how they’re being ripped off.
I must admit… Peter, the owner did give me a cash refund on the spot after I asked Richie for a business card to contact the owner. Still, I will not be patronizing this establishment as service is more important than anything to me. And I received the worst service here today than anywhere I’ve been in Evanston.

Absolutely love this place. Was referred by my friend from the Assyrian Chamber. Glad he pointed me this way.
Such a cozy, chill environment. Staff is very friendly — Richie is coincidentally always there when I am, and always really nice.
Hot chocolate was amazing! Love all their teas. They have an extensive menu that will keep this place from ever getting old. I’m a fan for life.

Nice find. Thanks Unilocalers! I came here and had a nice coffee, got a lot of work done, and a great atmosphere.

They have really comfortable couches so it’s really nice to come here and read a book.
however, their espresso quality is mediocre and there’s nothing really special about it. The latte is usually coarsely made. The oreo cake they offer is not fresh nor moist. The pumpkin pie is really basic and nothing really stands out. Service is friendly and fast.

I really enjoyed my several hours at Kafein. The Aztez Mocha was deliciously spicy with very little sweetness, just the way I like it. Next I got the Honey Nut latte. Hazelnut and Raw honey make up this sweetly scrumptious treat. This definitely satisfied my sweeter tooth. Plenty of seating and strong wifi made it great for work. Prices were also decent. I look forward to going back and trying the food since it smelled and looked really yummy! Also, the fact that it is open until midnight makes me extremely happy! What a fantastic way to be student friendly!

Cute place that’s open late in Evanston. However, as most of the newer reviews indicate, the place has definitely gone downhill from its hey-​day.
Service was extremely slow, the drinks were all very mediocre (and very overpriced), and their «Big A$$ Chocolate Chip Cookie» was two small not-​very-​good chocolate chip cookies. Very disappointing to say the least, and most everyone in my party said they would not be going back. The waitresses spent most of their times gossiping or on their phones in the back, and were inattentive to customers.
Will most likely not be returning, no matter how late it’s open.

Pretty cool place located in college town. It’s nice and small but it’s TOO small. Many times I felt congested and felt that it was too stuffy. Some of the customers had body odor and it sucked to be sitting so close to them. No way to get any studying done since it gets loud. There tends to be open mic nights which is ok.
To the positives… the coffee is excellent though and the staff is super nice. The price is fair which is why I think college kids love it so much. A large cup of coffee or a latte is very affordable. The service was pretty cool since the staff was always there to answer questions.

It’s been a long time since the last time I went to Kafein, and I remembered a cozy little spot where I had a milkshake for the first time. Unfortunately, since then, I’ve developed a touch of lactose intolerance…
I had a cup of tea. It was not particularly exciting. The space itself was pretty consistently crowded, the tables were slow to be cleared after the patrons left and I thought my tea was a little burned. (Am I possibly a tea snob? When offered literally a mug of hot water and a tea bag, yes.)

I’ve been visiting Kafein since high school. If you’re willing to wait for your order for like half an hour and be served by a waiter with an ego even an art student would pucker over, then you’re in good company. However, their coffee and shake concoctions are amazing, and I could order their hummus plate for the rest of my life.

Place wasn’t all that.
Presentation is key when it comes to anything. This place was a real let down in this area.
I ordered a white chocolate hot coco and New York cheesecake. Cheesecake was good, but the coco wasn’t topped with whipped cream or anything. Add to that, it wasn’t hot whatsoever. Again, presentation is what I would take points off for. The cheesecake was brought with the wrap still on as well as the cheesecake turned upside down on the plate. (I turned it facing up myself lol)
Service was rude and lazy. They weren’t even busy!
The only thing that I enjoyed was that they had these random fact cards on the table which were kind of fun to read. They gain back some magic points for that.
It is what it is.

Cute little place and opens late!
This place as a restaurant feel. Just seat yourself and the server (who also mans the drinks and food) will eventually get to you.
That being said… it’s one person for the entire place so if you’re in a rush don’t come here! The wait was kind of painful. –1
Go to the counter if you want to go.
Aztec mocha is good! Slightly sweet for my taste though but it’s my preference. Love the tiramisu too (:
Nice place to gather would recommend for a date or small group.
And yes, free wifi!
And also witty «specials» on the back of the menu (;