My personal recommendations for coffee shops around Chicago well suited for hunkering down and getting work done.
Humboldt Park
Long time, local favorite liquor store + sandwich bar expanded and added a great little spot with good coffee and espresso, excellent toasts and breakfast sandwiches (order the egg and cheese - it’s not on the menu), and plenty of seating. Can’t vouch for the wi-fi yet.
Bucktown
You already know Map Room as the cool Bucktown bar with lots of Belgian Beers and old copies of National Geographic adorning the walls, but did you know they served coffee in the morning? Great place to vibe out, super friendly staff, and they serve Dollop Coffee along with bagels, pastries, and consistent wi-fi!
Logan Square
Killer vibe and great espresso from Bridgeport Coffee pairs well with the egg and cheese bagel sandwich, vegan chili, kale salad, or the addiction-forming grilled cheese. Sit in the cafe area or head to the retrofuturist-meets-cyberpunk bar area and zone out listening to the baristas’ vinyl selections of the day.
Great people, great coffee, and 100% of proceeds go towards causes that destigmatize and provide education on mental health issues and suicide prevention.
Wicker Park
Caffe Streets became my go-to work coffee shop back in the day after Filter Cafe on Milwaukee Avenue shut down. I love the deceivingly-minimalist-yet-intricate-on-second-glance decor and the no-bullsh*t attitude of the people and the coffee.
If you can forgive them for being from Wisconsin (it’s tough, but give it the old college try), Colectivo has damn fine coffee and a full menu to go with it. The Wicker Park location is fantastic for vibing out and people watching. Plenty of seating options, from single high-tops, to indoor communal tables, to an upstairs perch overlooking the main area, to a killer patio, to “tweener” benches and tables that open up to the outside on nice days.
Go ahead and sh*t on it because it’s a chain and your hipster sensibilities won’t allow you to consume beverages at any establishment that has more than two locations. You’re missing some of the greatest coffee on the planet. Granted, I may be biased from my days of drinking Philz in the Mission District or from a food truck in the Financial District of San Francisco, but invest the wait time and $8 on a cup of Jacob’s Wonderbar and your disdain for capitalism will melt away like the dark chocolate undertones on your tongue. Oh, and the leather sofas are broken in just-right when you need an hour or three to get some work done.
West Town
One of several Dark Matter Coffee locations, Star Lounge sits on Chicago Avenue between Western and California Avenues, where East Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village, and West Town converge into a super vibey and chill neighborhood. While the wi-fi has admittedly been flaky for years (still waiting on that router), Star Lounge has amazing people, super strong espresso drinks featuring the Unicorn Blood roast, the best playlist in the city, incredible murals adorning the walls inside and on the patio, and Cafe Tola empinadas and breakfast tacos (if you can score one before they sell out)! Insider tip - check out the upstairs space (wait, there’s an upstairs?) and the bonkers Pokemon character neon signs, velvet sofas, and custom cheetah-patterned pool table.
Not a ton of seating, more of a neighborhood type place, but super comfy and chill with rotating art and specials, oh and vintage video game consoles too.
Like Chicago, Big Shoulders is hard working and pretty no-nonsense. The coffee speaks for itself, the espresso roast is one of the richest and smoothest of the local roasters (don’t tell my friends at Dark Matter, but it’s even better than Unicorn Blood), and the location at Chicago and Milwaukee has bar and window seating in addition to communal tables.
Fulton Market
Can’t say this cafe is special in itself, the draw for me is the fact that it’s located in Time Out Market Chicago and you can sneak upstairs and vibe out in the killer open area that overlooks the expansive main floor. Bonus points - if you get hungry, there are so many amazing food options at Time Out Market that your only problem will be deciding what to order. May I suggest chef Bill Kim’s Ramen Bar and the chilled peanut noodle salad?
West Loop
Fantastic and surprisingly inexpensive espresso for West Loop, grab a drink and spread out at a picnic table or at the bar in the space Sawada shares with Green Street Meats to get work done before the lunch crowd comes in and takes over.
No nonsense, good food, good coffee, chill vibe when not busy.
Play your cards right and you can get an actual vintage office desk to work at while you enjoy the coffee, food, and FROTHtail options.
Loop
Sleeper spot to escape to when you get stuck having to go into the Loop and need a place to get work done. Bonus points - the location at Wabash and Lake at the street level of the Virgin Hotel provides a steady stream of people watching opportunities.
