Restaurant Wed Jun 13 2007

Coffee Without Much Character

Unfortunately, when it comes to ambiance, Coffee Chicago in Edgewater is not the first coffeehouse that springs to mind. Its location, on the southwest corner of Broadway and Berwyn across from a Blockbuster and a Payless shoe store, doesn't provide the greatest setting for a leisurely afternoon spent sipping a hot beverage. With a Starbucks on every corner and a host of more interesting cafes close by (Pause, Kopi, Sweet Occasions, and Metropolis Coffee, to name a few), I often walk by Coffee Chicago without giving it a second look. Recently, however, I noticed a sign in the window advertising free wireless internet, and I couldn't help but feel envious of the happy-looking customers sipping their drinks at the outdoor tables. So a friend and I decided to give it a try.

We were both pleased with what we ordered, an iced latte and a cup of six-herb tea. The tea selection is vast, which I found out when I was handed a conveniently laminated list at the counter. (Surprisingly, not every cafe that serves more than a few teas has a list like this, which forces the counter person to reel off the choices and the customer to make a panicked decision based on whatever he or she happens to remember at the end of this ridiculous exercise.)

Coffee Chicago has a fairly decent range of food offerings as well, including everything from cookies to low fat muffins to ice cream to calzones. And while I'm not convinced that this will be my new go-to coffee spot, I did enjoy a beautiful afternoon on the nicely fenced-in sidewalk table area. If it weren't for the roar of the buses on Berwyn and the blast of air horns echoing down from the construction on the el tracks, I would give more credit to this unappreciated coffeehouse. As it is, they do the best that they can in a less-than-stellar location, and if you find yourself in the area, you won't regret stopping in for a drink or a snack.

— Dana Currier / Comments (0)