Go there for the sandwiches. I've only had the drip coffee which is fine, does the job. The breakfast sandwiches though. Fantastic. Fresh eggs, delicious bacon, on whatever bread you want. The focaccia was fresh and was great with the Davinci sandwich. Another pro, it's not a cluster like so many other places in the neighborhood. If you're not looking for the full wicker park brunch experience and just want a good old fashioned cafe experience, then this is it for you. read more

Love Gallery Cafe's new River West location at 734 N. Milwaukee! Bright, fun cafe space with great art wall by a local artist. And their spicy egg sandwich on a jalapeño bagel was to die for! Can't wait to pick out my next treat there! read more

Great place. The food is really good (try the Munch, the Rivera, the Monet-Warhol, the Botticelli). I don't think there is a better hot sandwich in the neighborhood and the prices are very reasonable. Everyone who works there is very friendly. The coffee is very good and the place always smells good because they roast their own coffee beans on-site. If there is another cafe in Chicago that does that, I haven't been there. The owner is often working behind the counter and is very friendly. Thumbs up on Gallery Cafe. read more

This morning I walked 1 mile to Gallery Cafe and it was worth every step. The owner is friendly and helpful. I love this place. I love the simplicity and the folks who work there are so nice every time I go in there. I love the dark coffee and I drink it everyday. It is consistently great. Bottom line, fine coffee, caring owners, a top-notch experience at a tiny neighborhood coffee joint. read more

Superb little cafe. Great atmosphere and the Kahlo breakfast burrito (add sausage) is amazing! Will be back to try more of their breakfast and lunch offerings. read more

Coffee was ok, service sucked hence why I'm giving it 1 star. Gentleman making coffee had quite the attitude.. Maybe an off day for him? Cafe was decorated beautifully and had a nice atmosphere. My advice is work on your employee - customer service. read more

The last two times I've gone to gallery cafe, i promised myselft that I would never come back.Convenience aside, I will not come back again. Terrible service just ruins any positives about the coffe shop. Get a system for orders and implament it! read more

Good place for coffee as they carry their own branded beans, though it is more comparable to the over-roasted style of Starbucks than the nicely roasted style of Intelligentsia. Still, this is a pretty good place for coffee and coffee shop food and it has character. They also have free wireless internet. So why two stars? Because the people who work there suck. They are there to hang out and have a good time. Running the place, as in everything between taking the order and giving you what you ordered, is something that is done when they get around it. I'd love to work there, but I wouldn't want to be a customer. "Just Indulge" is directly across the street with better attitude but less character. read more

I could kick myself that I didn't listen to the other reviews on this place. It's right across the street from my work so I wanted to try it. Got a mini chocolate shake for like $5 that's nothing special. And a muffin that's like a cement block and tastes like a cement block. I'm not sure if it's like gluten free or what but it has zero flavor and its rock hard. Maybe their wraps and sandwiches are more their thing. Desserts is not ur thing for sure. waste of $8.50. I can't believe I spent 8.50 on a mini shake and a cement muffin read more

Gallery Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is overpriced and the staff is always rude. The coffee and food aren't good enough to justify their poor attitudes. Wicker Park has so many coffee shops; you're better off at ANY other. read more

Such a cute spot to enjoy a variety of delicious beverages and bites! Had the Rothko and recommend trying it out, if you've never had it. 5/5 read more

I get my coffee here every morning. Fabulous! Try the Costa Rican Roast.

Rad little neighborhood coffee shop with a decent collection of artists and thinkers that frequent it. My favorite drink is the Rothko; the Claudel is pretty spicy so be warned if that's not your style. I've been known to frequent this spot for the coffee, the conversations and the local art/music events. read more

Best oatmeal on the planet! Great for websurfn and the americano is addictive like crack. Sandwich of the month names need work, but otherwise the food is the cat's pajamas. Love the staff, skinny blond guy is the man! read more

Stopped in this morning and pick up a breakfast burritos, outstanding! I'm not a huge fan of the coffee they brew, but the food makes up for the coffee. read more

My friend and I tried this place earlier this morning and WOW were we DISAPPOINTED! The menu looked great and we were excited to try this place. My food was average at best, but that wasn't even the problem. My friend (who i should note is very low maintenance) ordered an egg sandwich w Turkey or chicken Sausage. After one bite she noticed the turkey sausage tasted a bit "off". After I tasted it i agreed. She went back to the counter and nicely told the person working there. I thought immediately they would of just apologized and made her a new one. NOT THE CASE, they basically told her too bad. She then asked if they would just give her a bagel and cream cheese instead. They refused. When we walked out immediately following, a person walking by saw how annoyed we were and said "oh you don't like the food their either?". Ironically the person on the street had the same problem with a different breakfast sandwich a few months earlier. It's really too bad bc i wanted to like this place, but food poisoning is no fun and I can't imagine how they could treat their customers the way they treated my really sweet friend. If you want a great breakfast try Flo, Milk and Honey or Bongo room. Don't chance it here. read more

The staff here are always such a pleasure and their smoothies are simple and delicious. Perfect for a quick and simple bite to eat as well. Also a great place to bring your laptop and chill while getting some work done or just hanging out. read more

I come to gallery pretty much everyday. as i live a block away. there staff is way cool and very friendly. the coffee is good and so is the food. there is free wi-fi with no limit on time. i tend to do most of my surfing there and hang out with friends. it has a real nice neighborhood vibe, so its welcoming and not snobby. nor is it the starbucks feel of corporate coffee. so as far as wicker park coffee shops this one is the best by far. and i have lived in this hood gor about five years. read more

While I was eating my sandwich, I thought to myself "Julie, you're so lazy, you could have made this yourself at home!" But on the bright side, it only cost me $4, which is is pretty darn cheap. I'll probably go back to try the breakfast sandwiches - they all sound fantastic; however, I can't really say I would recommend Gallery Cafe. Its a convenient neighborhood spot, but it has zero ambiance (you'd think a place called Gallery Cafe would be artsy and cute... but its not). I just don't think its that special - particularly in an area like Bucktown that has so many great places to sit and eat. read more

Have spent several afternoons in the Gallery Cafe and was just back recently. The coffee and other drinks are quite good, the atmosphere super laid back and the wi-fi is free. It actually reminds me of the little places you find in San Francisco in the Mission neighborhoods and definitely hasn't gotten overly "cool." Frankly I could sit all day here and work and would probably do so more if I lived anywhere near the place. There's even a FedEx/Kinkos across the street to mail your important documents. :) read more

I would come here to read since the place is so empty. At least it was when I went on a saturday night. My friend and I came in here for hot chocolate cravings. Not bad at all although it would help mr barista who served us to smile every once in awhile. It's not that hard; I too was a barista at a few coffee shops. read more

It's exactly what you'd expect walking up to the place. An uncomplicated little coffee shop with the standards and a decent tea selection. My lemon bread was a little cloying but at least it was lemony. And I think maybe the burning smell some folks mentioned was caused by the ginormous coffee roasting machine... It is a little rank, I'll admit that. But the service was fine when I came, prompt and cheerful (I had the guy though, not the blond chick). read more

Cute concept, good location, decent service, crappy coffee. I've never eaten the food at Gallery Cafe but I've had different coffee drinks on separate visits and have always been disappointed. It's just not good. And once I went there and they had Chik Fil-A straws. How the heck they even got Chik Fil-A straws is baffling considering there aren't any Chik Fil-A restaurants in the tri state area. I'm guessing they stole them and just put them in the straw dispenser? Kinda hard to ignore the tackiness of it all when 'Chik Fil-A' is clearly printed on the straw wrapper. Anyhow, the place could use a good scrubbing too. It always looks grimey in there. read more

Very underwhelming. The beverages are always too hot to be consumed, like really really hot. I got a bagel there today, and they did not bother to put the cream cheese on for me. They gave me little cream cheese packets that smelled of a nasty body odor. It took so long for them to prepare my bagel, that I was shocked they did not put on the cream cheese. Also the chalk board menu is very difficult to read. Go to Wormhole or Cippolina instead. read more

the place has greatly improved ever since new management took over! creative atmosphere with local artists' pieces featured on the walls for sale and succulents at all the tables, delicious food and drinks for $5, strong wifi, great music, big windows make for lots of natural light and a view for people-watching :) read more

I'm so disappointed to read the negative reviews of the Gallery Cafe! We live right near here and frequent it. They have the best coffee - their house is my favorite. The scones and muffins are fresh and delicious. I also enjoy the breakfast sandwiches - yes, the wait can be a little longer than you'd wait at say Dunkin' Donuts or something, but who cares? And the eggs aren't scrambled to order - but if you want that go to a sit down brunch place. I've never had anything but a positive experience here and great service. The coffee is killer - I get it at least once a week. read more

Ugh. The music is so loud that I can barely study. Also, my coffee had been brewing all day long and was disgustingly bitter. I need fresh coffee! read more

Just really 'meh'. Their coffee to me sucks. It tastes incredibly bitter. Their bagels are like what a Jewish New Yorker fears they would find in Iowa and yeah, the attitude of at least one of the barista's (the sad looking blonde) is a lot to put up with just to eat something on the run. Just really sustenance and that's about it. The guy is nice though and they do have the horoscopes posted daily. read more

I'll say the best part first, the coffee here is the best you'll get in the area. The beans are roasted and ground in-store, and the difference is obvious. Everything else about Gallery, however, is just outright irritating. Every person who's taken my order at Gallery had an awful attitude and couldn't possibly be more bored to ring me through. It's made abundantly clear that the other side of the counter is not a priority to these American Apparel models in training. This is a real shame, because they seem like pretty interesting and fun people when they're talking to each other (as you're trying to order). You pour your coffee for yourself at the tank, which is fine, but it makes the $.50 charge for refill seem a bit steep. Maybe you're paying to avoid a staffer's eyes being rolled at you when you bother them for more coffee. The tables are small and cramped together, and not very comfortable if you plan on hanging around for a while. The wifi signal is very weak and drops out fairly regularly, as well. Don't even bother if you need to do any kind of work online. If you're just popping in for a cup to go, you're set (assuming you aren't left waiting at the counter). If you are looking to enjoy yourself for a while, avoid the attitude and head down to Alliance Bakery on Division. The coffee doesn't stack up, but the staff and atmosphere are worth it. read more

I absolutely love gallery cafe! Always have good coffee drinks, the donuts are amazing!! They also have really good lunch menu items vegan muffins and good options for smoothies! Always my go to cafe in wicker Park. If you're an artist of any sort come support local artists since they donate to aspiring artists! read more

Decent coffee. Service has room to improve.

If I could give negative stars, I would. The staff are snobby and pretentious hipsters who all seem to have serious attitude problems. The girl I encountered actually made me feel that I was an inconvenience to her!! There is a minimum on credit cards, which is against Visa policy rules on their website. The food is terrible, and the coffee is even worse. My friend ordered the hummus and vegetables and got a paper plate with gross-looking hummus and small squared of chopped vegetables .. how do you even dip that in the hummus? TERRIBLE! DO NOT COME HERE!! read more

Nice atmosphere, cheap, but good food. Have only been here once, but just moved into the neighborhood and can't wait to go back.

I love Gallery Cafe. It's my friendly neighbourhood caffeine establishment. Everyone is always nice and friendly. It's sort of the antithesis of Starbucks. I get the impression that the employees really like working there. In the year I've been going I don't notice any employee turn over. They roast their own coffee in a giant roasting machine so you know it's fresh and delicious. I've had probably 5 or 6 of the food selections and they've always been fresh and tasty. My favourite is when Rachel makes me a peanut butter and jelly with bananas. Hmmmm. I'm happy to see they've extended the weekend hours. I hope they keep it that way! read more

Decent sandwiches for lunch, but they do take a long time to make them. Also, as another reviewer commented, the roasting coffee beans fill the place with smokiness, and it clings to your clothes and hair for the rest of the day. read more

This place needs to stop buying its own press. The coffee was on par with what you'd find at a gas station, except with a sheen of frou-frou hipsterism that apparently eminates from the word "Gallery" being in the name. I used to live right by this place, and stopped frequenting it after a few visits as it just wasn't worth it. I thought it was expensive, and had needlessly long waits. read more

Can someone (preferably the owners) tell me why it always smells like something is burning? I don't suffer from any health problems but every time I go in, even just to pick up and go, I have trouble breathing that stuff in much less stick around to eat! You folks are always packed because of your free wi-fi but I can't see myself going here to relax, drink coffee and order up a sandwich. As for Counter service, you might as well have a robot serving you up. NO customer service what-so-ever. Try smiling, looking up or being nice once in awhile, it won't kill ya! This goes for everyone. I've been served by almost everyone there and if the owner cared at all, get some personalities in there. In a day and age where service is key, why would you sell yourselves short? read more

Totally unfriendly, uncool staff. Slow production. Loud music that stinks. Bitchy/ugly staff. The hours don't make sense (close at 8pm - a coffeeshop?) and the clientelle is pure YUPPIE. read more

Grunge. The staff was a little rough, you have to jump through loops to get to use the restroom - and the restroom was pretty nasty. The honey bottle was clogged and covered in honey...seemed pretty par for the course. read more

I randomly walked by here when I was hungry and ahd a few mins to spare so I stopped in. I ordered a veggie sandwich and it was really good and they take CCs which isn't entirely typical of the more hipsterish places in Chicago. I did notice a slight hipster attitude surrounding the service which is fine by me, but I definitely would understand if it rubbed others the wrong way. read more