Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Backlot Coffee

    4.7 (153 reviews)
    InexpensiveCoffee & Tea, Donuts, Cafes
    Open 6:30 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Backlot Coffee Photos

    BACKLOT COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Backlot Coffee

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Food
    Joe M.

    Stopped into Backlot Coffee in Old Irving Park while I was out working and it was such a great find! I grabbed a quiche, a doughnut, and a large cold brew with an extra shot of espresso all for about $20. The quiche was delicious, flavorful, and the perfect size. The doughnut was huge and super satisfying. My cold brew with the extra shot hit the spot bold, smooth, and exactly what I needed to keep going through the day. The atmosphere here is really nice simple, comfortable, and perfect if you want a place to study or just relax with a good cup of coffee. The staff were kind and welcoming, which made the experience even better. Definitely a spot I'll be returning to whenever I'm in the neighborhood. Backlot is one of those coffee shops that makes you want to sit down, take a breath, and enjoy your time. Highly recommend!

    Cortado
    Alexander C.

    Friendly and fast service and delicious espresso. A couple tables to sit at and I saw a few people working on computers. There's also a selection of takeaway options like yogurt and sandwiches if you're on the go. .

    Oat Mocha Latte
    Omar G.

    Cute corner coffee shop. The cashier always has a smile on his face, feels very welcoming. Been here a few times and it's always a great experience. Lemon Poppy Loaf Frosting on top really helped enhance the lemon flavor, great if you like lemon. Banana Bread Subtle Banana flavor, had chocolate chips more of a chocolate chip flavor bread if anything Iced Mocha with oat milk Espresso roasted well, no burnt taste Light mocha flavor and not too sweet

    Cardamom Rose Latte and Vegan Orange Olive Oil Donut
    Mikaella M.

    It's a very quaint local cafe in Irving Park. It's quiet and seems like locals love to frequent it. A friend wanted to meet up here and it's conveniently close by where I live. I ordered the Iced Cardamom Rose latte with oat milk. It's good but the cardamom definitely overpowers the rose flavor. I didn't get to take a picture since I ate it quickly but I also got the Ham and Swiss croissant. I wish they offered to warm it up. The vegan orange donut was also yummy! Slightly crispy on the outside and moist inside. I love the subtle orange flavor. Will definitely come here again!

    chai latte
    Nazia C.

    Wasn't expecting cute latte art on my chai latte, but I was pleasantly surprised! It's delicious, and I would totally get it again! This location is smaller than the Evanston location and don't seem to have as many breakfast options, but I noticed they have ice cream.

    Mimi's Autumn Latte And Breakfast Scone
    Steve A.

    Came upon this as kind of a surprise given the location around it is basically not much to look at. It ended up being pretty good actually, thanks to the coffee and some dairy free treats. Backlot Coffee is a good name for it to be honest. Kind of hidden from Irving Park Road, and you have to go in the back to get in. The coffee is pretty good priced and so are the cookies and scones. After getting off at the Metra stop, I came in at breakfast. It's not a big place, but there thankfully wasn't a crowd. There's a pretty easy to understand menu. It's not complicated like many coffee places are. Still has lots to choose from. It's about $5 for a medium coffee. The seasonal specialties they had included the Mimi's Autumn Latte. This was made with cinnamon, espresso, ginger, milk, nutmeg, and vanilla syrup. Non dairy milks are available. There's also non dairy treats. It's about $3 for a Breakfast Scone. They even have a microwave you can pop it in to warm it up if you feel like that. Good coffee. It's also a pretty good place to do some work because it doesn't get that much of a crowd and it's kind of quiet. There's also a few treats for vegans.

    Aesha E.

    So first the weird. They're apparently under renovation of some sort... no places to sit or anything, not even a bar or a single table. But not a terrible thing, especially since I was getting it to go anyway. But what was a little more strange is when I asked for a stopper for my cup and she said they didn't have them, but "we have tape". Um, nah, you can keep your blue painters tape. I got a chai, my go-to drink since us non-coffee drinkers really only have that or hot chocolate. Their chai is excellent. A lot of places just seem to get the chai concentrate and add some steamed milk. But here at Backlot they have a house blend which was well spiced and even if it is a concentrate it's enhanced and much more flavorful. It also has a small parking lot, which I wasn't expecting. Not huge, and it's shared with several other businesses. This coffee shop isn't exactly convenient to me, but I would stop by when in the neighborhood.

    "Dirty Matcha" Iced Matcha Shot of Espresso Honey
    Melvic J.

    Nice and quiet atmosphere. Small space but a good amount of space to work! Staff is very friendly and got my drink out within minutes! I ordered a dirty matcha, a little feint in matcha and sweetness but overall I would give it 7/10.!

    Cappuccino

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    24 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joe M.
    0
    61
    182

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hanine C.
    8
    373
    25

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Isaac B.

    Isaac B.

    Thanks for your review, Omar!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Isaac B.

    Isaac B.

    Thanks, Nazia!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Steve A.
    4750
    5539
    8461

    3 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Isaac B.

    Isaac B.

    Thanks so much, Johanna!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex N.
    589
    6
    2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    So good! Love the vegan donuts! I go everyday when I'm in town to visit my friend who lives close by.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Isaac B.

    Isaac B.

    Thank you, Rachel!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ron R.
    161
    10
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Cozy coffee shop that fits in plenty of seats. And they sell delicious Do-Rite donuts.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    WiFi never works. Never have banana bread. I'm typing extra words now so I can fulfill the word limit for reviews.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 21
    Thanks 0
    Love this 18
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lisa V.
    275
    14
    8

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob R.
    317
    1168
    2535

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim A.
    52
    42
    54

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rosa J.
    540
    1239
    4024

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Backlot Coffee

    Does Backlot Coffee have Print With Me services?

    Do they sell whole beans?

    yes they do.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Necessary & Sufficient - Ham n'Cheese Morning Bun

    Necessary & Sufficient

    (60 reviews)

    Logan Square

    I joined my brother when he walked his kid to school the other week - please respect our privacy -…read moreand we stopped by Necessary on the way back. Come to find out they've been going here for awhile since it's really close to his old apartment as well. He's a homeowner now in an adjacent neighborhood - please respect his privacy - and he still enjoys stopping by on the way back from Scott's Tots. The coffee was great - as were the empanadas! Typically I do not love savory breakfast but when it comes to empanadas Ima dog it down every time no complaints. We got: -meat empanada (me) -ham and cheese morning bun (my brother's fave) And for to drink: -Chicago fog -Lake Shore Chaga It was delicious - perfect complement to the crisp Chicago air. Excellent service as well! Truthfully, what really warmed me to this place is that my brother's dog Wibby used to love coming to get pets and a pup cup from the window. She's been gone about 4 months now so it's always special to see little reminders of her around the neighborhood. Xoxoxo

    I love their coffee window that you can walk right up to and order while you're passing by. Their…read morecoffee was great but they didn't have almond milk as a substitute for milk and it is a bit pricey. I saw they had some fun flavors like a s'mores latte that I'd love to try next. Their staff was great and made my coffee quickly. The outside of the coffee window was decorated with plants and looked super cute! Loved stopping by for coffee here!

    Sipping Turtle Cafe - Salmon and goat cheese on croissant .......mmmmmmm

    Sipping Turtle Cafe

    (95 reviews)

    $

    Avondale

    Sipping Turtle Cafe was truly just a mediocre experience. I visited the coffee shop around 10 am on…read morea Thursday with a friend and there were only 3 other customers inside. The shop is sparsely decorated but seems to be a real staple in the community, which felt special to visit as an outsider. My friend and I both ordered egg and goat cheese bagel sandwiches. I ordered an iced lavender matcha and my friend ordered a cappuccino. The sandwiches were made with boiled eggs, which felt extremely odd. The egg type was not clarified on the menu, but I feel like for a breakfast sandwich to include a boiled egg instead of a traditional fried or scrambled egg, that should be disclosed to customers with some sort of expectations. My friend said the cappuccino was "just like every other cappuccino I've ever had." The lavender matcha really just tasted like a regular matcha. It was good but not much lavender flavor! Our food also took a bit to come out, despite the coffee shop being empty (only one other person already dining when we came in) and what we ordered. It looked like there were only two workers. I personally wouldn't visit Sipping Turtle Cafe again, unfortunately. There are a lot of other great options around that satisfy me more.

    A great spot with a great vibe! We didn't try any of the food, so I can't speak to that, but it was…read moresolid drip coffee and cold brew and friendly service. It seems like a great neighborhood spot - very welcoming!

    Milli by Metric

    Milli by Metric

    (48 reviews)

    $$

    Avondale

    Coffee shops seem to be all over Chicago, so finding the best vibes can be challenging or bountiful…read moredepending on what you're looking for! After seeing plenty of Milli by Metric social media buzz...we knew this one was going to pass the vibe test! Street parking in the neighborhood nearby! This space is everything I adore...mood lighting, exposed brick, community seating, and modern design touches. This is the perfect spot to grab a coffee and get some serious work done. The staff was friendly and welcoming! We ordered a Cortado and their season special, the Strawberry Thyme Latte. The Cortado had lovely flavor from the espresso and just enough creamy milk. The Strawberry Thyme Latte was a subtly fruity, with just a hint of herbaceousness that really elevated the drink. Top notch spot and very glad we chose this one!

    3.5 stars. Hard to give this rating but here are the issues…read more It's way too expensive. $5 for an espresso. $4.5 for a small drip coffee. Specialty drinks in the $8.5 and up range. Pastry's, that while are delicious, are also really more expensive than most other coffee spots and are not that big. Thy are really slow. If you walk in and there is a line that stretches to the door, which is maybe 10 to 15 people, expect to wait 15 to 20 minutes to o place your order and then another 5 to 10 minutes to get your food and drinks (unless it's a drip). I've walked in an walked out before because of that line. Seating and parking. Parking is obviously out of their control trial, but there is super limited parking in the area and it's really hard to find a spot. Your best bet is walking or riding there. As for the seating, it seems like there is plenty of seating but people camp out there with computers for long time and even at random times it's been really tough to find a spot. Lastly, their bags of coffee are really expensive. I know they consider themselves top of their market, but unless you are an occasional coffee drinker or just have that much money to burn, you can't drink their coffee daily. They sell 2 pound bag for $49. The place is stunning though. I hope their take out window opens eventually and maybe they can light a fire under their staffs ass to speed up. Something helpful also might be to put the menu by the door and maybe out the pastry display in the middle section so by the time the people get to the counter they know what they are ordering. Good luck to this business. There is t a ton over there, but these issues are going to prevent me from going regularly.

    Omarcitos Latin Cafe - Steak Sandwich or Steak Jibarito

    Omarcitos Latin Cafe

    (118 reviews)

    $$

    Logan Square

    Had a great lunch with friends here yesterday . The spot is a little confusing when you first walk…read morein... there's a patio with a food truck and outdoor seating . You can sit outside or grab a menu and go inside . The inside has about 8 tables that fit 4 people each . Inside there is a table with utensils and water glasses as well for help yourself service . You order at the food truck window and grab a seat. They brought our food inside to us on a tray. We ordered the rope vieja, steak jibaritos, and flautas . Everything was very good but I especially loved the flautas with the consome. It was absolutely delicious and very unique, I drank the leftover consome because it was that good . Just poor everything in one big bowl . The flautas keep their crisp even when swimming in the broth . I liked the shredded Munster cheese on the jibarito and loved the green sauce . Sooo good!! The restaurant is byob and we brought mixes for bloody Mary's and some beers. It was nice to enjoy the meal and not feel rushed . I really enjoyed the experience, good music playing and kind service . Definitely recommend

    I had such an amazing experience at Omarcitos today…read more I stumbled across an IG reel of this food spot, and I immediately knew I had to check them out. The cafe has such an interesting set up. You order from what appears to be a food truck, and there is an outdoor (open concept) and indoor seating. We ordered the steak sandwich and ropa vieja plate. The steak sandwich was DELICIOUS. The bread was crispy, and the meat was flavorful and juicy. The sandwich also paired so well with their garlic side sauces. The Ropa vieja was also so insanely yummy. The beef was so juicy and savory. The garlic rice was also so yummy. I'm not a huge fan of plantains, but the plantains were actually pretty decent! Overall, I had an excellent experience at Omarcitos. I cannot wait to come back once it gets warmer!!

    Backlot Coffee - coffee - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...