I really enjoyed this place. I ordered a large Iced Tea and a tuna sandwich since I was dying due to lack of protein. I don't eat fish but it was my last choice and so I went for it. I noticed that their tuna has no mayo in it which was a plus. The guys at the counter took a while to notice I was ready to order. Lol. So heres what made coming here a great experince...they were playing all the songs from SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK!!!!! I was totally feelin it!!!! I was in love. The Iced Tea was good. Very refreshing. The tuna was good. I had no complaints. It had carrots which added a nice texture to it. Overall the food was good and the experience was ok. The staff needs to pay a bit more attention to the customers though. read more

Two stars, according to Yelp, means "Meh. I've experienced better." That is totally correct for Gallery Cafe. It is average at best. Our fair city has MANY awesome coffee places, and Gallery is far from awesome. I think the problem actually may be the cups ... since our coffee tasted like the dumb cup. Skip Gallery and walk to plenty of other great coffee places in the neighborhood. 106/365 read more

This is my go to place for breakfast after a night out. With their large menu of breakfast-ish items, I always find something to hit the spot. Food items I go for: * Breakfast sandwiches (all named after famous artists. All unique and great) * Muffins (they have a number of delicious, wrapped up muffins) * Coffee (their house blend is very decent). * Smoothies (they have a number of flavors and combinations). Although I frequent this place, there are a few things that could be improved: * Their service is pretty slow. Usually there are only two people working the counter. So when they get 4 or 5 orders deep, you can be waiting up to 10 mins for your food. But if you have time, it's worth it. * Their staff is cordial but I don't think they've ever been "friendly". As other people have noted, they sometimes seem unhappy to be there. But I've never had anybody be mean or snobby to me. * The tables are a little close together, so it can be awkward trying to talk with a friend when somebody is quietly working on their computer right next to you. But it's a coffee shop, not a library. So, overall, I would recommend it as a way to start a Sunday morning. read more

If you like big crowded coffee shops where you are so close you can smell the smoke/booze off your neighbor, this place is not for you. The staff is really friendly, and the environment is very low key. Not too many people, but sometimes I think that is the perk. Free wifi, good coffee and an overall good coffee shop. read more

This place is more than just a coffee shop - they have all sorts of food as well. I enjoyed a root beer float while sitting in a sunny booth in the front. As I dined I glanced around and noticed that they have a lot of outlets. This may sound like a strange observation, but as someone who travels frequently for work and has fruitlessly sought out outlets in many locations, it was nice to see that if I'd had my computer with me I wouldn't be fighting some other patron for power. My favorite thing about this place is easily the music they play in the background - soft opera and other classical music - perfect. read more

Good coffee and good sandwiches. A bit overpriced and you have to plan to wait a while on the weekends. I'd probably go to Starbucks if it were closer. I know, I'm a bad person. Free wifi though. Stay away from the Carrol's cookies here. Freshness is questionable. Edit: I am bumping them up one more star because they play Pinback a lot. read more

I enjoy the coffee and other specialty drinks here. I would say it's not a place I would go out of my way to go (especially since I no longer live in the neighborhood) but I'll stop by if I'm in the area. The café is a nice place to sit and hang out with friends or alone. They don't have as much seating (or nearly as nice seating) as a Starbucks or Caribou or something, but it's still a place to go. They also have free Wifi, which is really nice if you bring your laptop. When I went there were a lot of laptoppers, so I presume there's also outlets, as well. The food is also pretty decent. I had a sandwich with chips and I was actually surprised that the food was quality. I really enjoyed it. read more

They've got coffee for $1 here! it definitely beats 7-11 coffee on a cold or tired day. Not the best place for food or atmosphere though.. read more

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

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Stopped by to grab a quick early morning coffee before heading to Damen North Dental across the street. Even though getting coffee before seeing the dentist is counter intuitive, I'm going to make this a regular pre-dentist stop. The service was quick and the seating was plenty. The place is a little divey so I'm not sure if I would trust the food but the coffee was excellent. read more

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

The good: My super-fattening caramel latte wasn't half bad, and neither was the blueberry scone. Aside from that this place is just a big no-no. I showed up a full hour before closing and the girl at the counter didn't want to make me a sandwich. I asked what the Hawaiin Kona tasted like and on top of not describing it very well "it's very good" she gave me this attitude like I was an idiot for not having had it already or knowing about it. Then when I asked for a cup she said she would have to make it. The tables are crowded. The wireless is not working. And every time a song stops she has to go over and pick a new one on her ipod. I don't really like listening to the clicking sound of her scrolling through songs repeatedly. Just... don't do it. read more

Come for the breakfast sandwiches, they are fresh and have some of the fluffiest, most delicious eggs I've ever purchased. Consistently great breakfast sandwiches, with healthy options and whole grain bread on the menu. The selection of pastries and random assorted garbage is lacking, which is fine by me. Decent cold beverage selection. Ambiance not quite as cozy or comfortable as some coffee shops. They recently added a bit more art to conform to their name. Overall, this is a go to spot for me and just close enough that I go out of the way to get to it. read more

This review is for the location located on Milwaukee Avenue in the Avenir Apartment building - I can't seem to find another location on yelp to put the review. I've never been to the other location but this one is great! The staff is always friendly and welcoming, wish I knew their names to give them a shout out! I love blueberry pastries so I have had the blueberry scone and the blueberry muffin this past week and I will definitely be back for more. The Columbia dark roast they are featuring right now is absolutely delicious and I drink it black! But the real star to me, that separates this place from any other coffee shop is the Maple Spice syrup they offer in the fall. I dream of this stuff after I finish my latte - it is SO good! Please never stop offering it!! The weather is so hot these days, and I am ready for fall and this beats any pumpkin spice latte syrup by a long shot. Go, try the maple RIGHT NOW. Can't wait to go back tomorrow morning........3rd day in a row.....for one of these! read more

Decent little place to get a bite to eat and have a very average cup of coffee. The sandwiches are good and I do like how every wrap sandwich and plate is named after a famous artist. Its been around a while and seems to be unaffected by the gentrification that has exploded around its location. I kinda love that. Slackerness rules here - its a laid back place to chill out and grab a bite in Wicker Park. read more

Been here many times as its just down the street, so I know their menu and coffee well. I mostly prefer to get their coffee which they let you pour your own and make to each individuals specifications. Usually two good choices, one always being the house blend. Today went with just an egg breakfast sandwich, the Varo, which I chose due to the jalapeño peppers. Wile I would have preferred more of these, you can't beat the taste and the quality of the handmade sandwich. I got mine on a pretzel roll with pepper jack cheese. They offer many varieties of sandwiches and have a nice outdoor patio for those wanting to linger around. I always come back for the cheap coffee and is truly what a local coffee shop should be. read more

Got a delicious coffee there, but jesus the service was dour! I mean, how can you sell coffee and...clearly not drink it yourself? Oh so gloomy! I also got a piece of pumpkin bread, which I should have looked at closer. It was small, which I appreciated (I hate those giant muffins or pieces of bread you can't finish), but it turned out to be the heel of the loaf. Lame! The ambience is cute, didn't look around long enough to really notice. read more

This morning I paid $5.17 for a large burnt coffee and a muffin that was definitely not made today. This is pretty much the Gallery Cafe experience in a nutshell. I've gone to this place a couple times in the past couple weeks, since it's on my way to work. Here are a few places you could go to get a better cup of coffee: - Buzz Espresso, Goddess & Grocer, the Intelligentsia place across the street, or any of Wicker Park's ample coffeehouses -Dunkin Donuts -The coffee machine in our kitchen The ambiance is decent, and the employees are friendly, and that's why this place gets two stars. I think my best experience here was meeting somebody from Craigslist to buy a cell phone, but that's only because it was a great cell phone. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place! I work down the street, and spend almost 90% of my mornings stumbling into this place for a latte. All of the staff is friendly, knowledgable about coffee (that matters), and they are more than willing to go the extra mile to ensure your beverage, sandwich, or pastry is satisfactory. One time the manager went down the basement to grab me a drink holder for two coffees. I am shocked this place has such a poor rating on Yelp. Drink prices are on par with, if not cheaper than, a certain chain coffee shop located at Milwaukee/Damen/North and it makes me happy knowing my money is going to a local business owner. Furthermore, the food is DELICIOUS and the sandwiches are all prepared fresh before your eyes and served with chips. Local art is for sale on the wall and free WIFI is accessible. This is definitely a place in the neighborhood to support. read more

The creative menu is the best part of this place. Each dish is named after a famous artist: it's quite clever. The coffee was delicious, and the service relatively prompt. However, the food was very mediocre. My breakfast sandwich took way too long for a simple avocado and eggs on french roll. I've gotten better breakfast sandwiches at Einstein Bros. Bagels. Nice place though, good atmosphere. read more

Eh probably won't come back, the employees were very kind, so they get a 4 star review, but the latte was awful, espresso is supposed to be a little sweet and slightly bitter the milk foamy and creamy. This espresso tasted of cleaner and burnt. I don't know if it was burnt in roasting or what but I don't think it was done well at all. Because after the third remake of the drink it was bad. Try changing out the beans or something? The sandwich was just bland, not a lot of flavor and when you see avocado expect the worlds smallest smear if the stuff. I just wish it had something more to it, or even just more avocado. I don't think I will make an effort to go back in to The Gallery Cafe, which is sad because I was so excited to finally try this place. Oh well, I guess there are people who like it or it wouldn't be in business. Well on to the next coffee shop I guess. read more

hmmm... I stopped in, got a nice little coffee (iced & black, hard to mess up), got a nice wrap, ate it on the nice little sidewalk patio... everything i expected. I didn't expect much and I didn't get much... It doesn't mean they suck! come on people!... :-) read more

Perhaps I don't have as delicate a palette as some of the other Yelpers, but the coffee at Gallery Cafe tastes no more or less bitter than coffee does anywhere else. I wouldn't say it's the best coffee I've ever tasted, but it beats out convenience store swill and just about anything I can make. As far as the help, no one there has been anything but nice to me, and I'm a fairly grumpy, terse customer, so this is no small praise. Plus, if you didn't want a sassy barista, what the fuck did you go to a coffee shop for? I can understand some complaints that the service is slow, but one can stand at the counter and watch them make your meal or drink fresh. They're not lolly-gagging around; it just takes more than 10 seconds to make a decent sandwich. Time yourself at home and see if you can beat them. Anyway, they've got plenty of prepackaged, ready to eat food at the counter for those too impatient to wait. Anyone who goes someplace besides a library or their bedroom to study and then complains of the noise is, in this Yelper's opinion, an r-tard. The music isn't really my style, but if it bothered me that much, I'd bring headphones. Basically, I like this place, but I don't like the asshats that come there just to complain. Do the regular patrons a favor and go to Star$$ if you've got a rectal twig. read more

Solid food, but really do like the overall esthetic of this place. Food is a little steep compared to Starbucks or something, but that's to be expected with a small business. Probably the only real downfall is just the service is really slow. Not necessarily a get in/get out type place, but if you wanna chill and have coffee and a decent sandwich it's worth it. read more

Food for pickup is always ready on time. Would highly recommend Spicy Bob Ross and Manet breakfast sandwiches

not a sit back and relax type of place... the tables are too close together and the set-up in general is just not inviting. it seems like a place more ideal to stop in for your morning coffee on the way to work. i was hoping for a snack but the sandwiches didn't seem like anything i couldn't run home to make for half the price. there wasn't anything in the bakery display besides some dry looking bagels. the tea was "okay" (just boxed tea so can't really screw that up). i did hear 2 customers ask for their coffee to be warmed up again. strange as i had to wait about 20 mins to steal my first sip of my scalding tea. read more

Warning before reading on: Unfortunately I didn't get to try any of the coffee drinks here so this review is mostly for their ambiance and rice krispy treat! Like another reviewer said, this little coffee place flies under the radar and is very unsuspecting. I think I've driven and walked by this place plenty of times without going in. But I finally tried it while waiting for my order from Puptection across the street. I loved the funky hippy vibe of the place with the menu scrawled in different colored chalk, large floor to ceiling windows, funky art, and a few tables and booths scattered throughout. The rice krispie treat I got here was tasty and their breakfast and sandwich menu sounded really good, I'll have to try those another time. Staff was ok-not super friendly but definitely not unfriendly. The one thing I didn't dig so much is that there was a "Gandhi" sandwich which I really think does not do justice to who he was. Naming a sandwich after one of our world peace leaders just doesn't seem right to me. I was seated by the windows and was disappointed to see that there were no outlets near where I was--I'd have to get up and move tables to plug in my dying laptop, but by then I had to bounce anyway so it didn't affect this visit. If I did want to stay for a couple of hours though I'd make sure you found a table near an outlet. read more

I just recently hosted an event at Gallery Cafe and loved every bit of my experience there. Geno is so nice and accommodating and the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was perfect for my meetup for about 25 guests. Everyone at the event complimented all of the artwork, the taste of the coffee (seriously, that Turtle Latte is the TRUTH!) and the overall relaxed vibe. Geno and his staff went out of their way to make sure that we were comfortable, fully caffeinated and that we were enjoying ourselves. Seriously, one of the best cafe's in the city! read more

Gallery Cafe - Guest for the Dreamer + Doer event at Gallery Cafe! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm not a coffee person, so I can't comment much on that, but their smoothies are great! I had a Peach Party smoothie with an apple base... it was awesome! Also, I had a "Botticelli" wrap - chicken, pesto, artichokes, lettuce, red onion, and a tomato wrap... quite delicious as well. I was impressed with all of their different choices on the menu. Will definitely be going back to try more out. And I don't mind the atmosphere... a little crowded, but at least 99% of the people shower on a regular basis. read more

I came here to study, but the lighting was so bad that I could barely see my book. It's also pretty small, which means the seating is shoved together in a cramped space. I don't know why a good coffee shop that doesn't close at 6 and has decent lighting and seating is so hard to find in the Bucktown/Wicker Park area. I've been camping out at Starbucks (which has ridiculously loud music) out of necessity, but it would be nice if there was something locally owned. read more

There's few places open early in this neighborhood so it's a good place to grab breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches are named for famous painters and are very tasty (hold the salt and pepper though?). Free wireless is always a plus. Ultimately, I'm just glad there isn't a sandwich named the Van Gogh... read more

I love local coffee shops and got to try this quaint spot. Definitely unique with the art work on the wall. Seating is mildly uncomfortable, I wouldn't sit here for more than 4 hours doing my work. Also, it was pretty cold, I didn't even sit by the door, but with people coming in and out, heat was hard to regulate. Their assortment of tea was a plus!! I couldn't even decide on which one to have (well, I am indecisive from the beginning) but still, lots of good tea to choose from read more

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Power Monkey Smoothie, The Klimt sandwich, art and the staff = a perfect day And watch the coffee beans roast right in front of your eyes. GC rocks my world! read more

I used to love coming here for a Hopper pita pocket at least twice a week (before I moved to Lincoln Park). Although, I dreaded coming here to order a pita pocket. Why? The people (or kids) who work here are so damn slow. I listened to a kid have a conversation with another girl who was making coffee for 5 minutes before anyone took my order. And this kid had the nerve to give me a dirty look for standing there waiting to indulge in a delicious pita pocket. Hello? I'm paying your salary son so you can live your dream and become a painter. Don't get me wrong. The food is REALLY good. Make sure you leave your afternoon wide open because you'll need time to wait for your food. read more

I just wanted to note that lately the shakes have not been tasting so great; they seem almost watered down or something. I've heard this from a few other people too. Hopefully its a few isolated incidents. On another note, the people that work here have seemed to get a little friendlier lately as well. read more

I had some time to kill and needed wifi so I popped in here for a coffee and some breakfast. The wifi was reliable and fast but the music was so loud that it made it a bit hard to concentrate - especially for a Saturday morning at 9am. The bagel sandwiches looked inviting so I tried the Gauguin with tomatoes. The bagel was barely toasted and the cream cheese was barely there. Between the bland attitude staff and the even blander decor, I'll opt for the place across the street next time. read more

This place was great. It was cold, rainy and miserable outside and we had spent sometime looking for a spot to stop, sit, and have something warm while killing time before heading to the airport. After wandering around the area for the better part of an hour, we stumbled in here. I ordered a coffee, a soy latte and a veggie sandwich to go. I giggled to myself when the guy at the counter told me he'd have my latte "fashioned" for me in just a second. I was sorry later. It literally was fashioned, one of the best coffee drinks I've ever had, complete with the leaf pattern across the foam on top and everything. Maybe I'm easily impressed. Sure, service was a little slow, but the guy was working alone, and was fairly busy. I was not unhappy with the time I was to wait, nor did I find the service at all unpleasant. The sandwich was still really good when I ate it at the airport a few hours later. For the quality, it's worth a wait. read more

Went into for the first time today. Wasn't super impressed. I tried the iced coffee. The barista told me they just pour hot coffee and espresso over ice. Not terrible but definitely not a cold press. I'd be willing to try a latte if I stop in again. Atmosphere is pretty normal for a neighborhood shop. Any place that roasts their own beans can't be too terrible. Prices aren't bad either. I paid less than three bucks for an iced coffee with caramel. read more

Wonderful service along with great coffee how can you beat that! And I really love that they serve the wonderful nearby Kitty cat cafe!

This place has amazing coffee and exellent breakfast sammys. The Manet is my fave (eggs, provolone, and Pesto) There is something special about the way they make the eggs, cant describe it. I am giving it 4 stars because 80% of the time it takes forever to order, as well as get your food...even when there's only a few people there. Also they always have different artwork up on the walls when I go in, which is a nice concept, but I have never been super impressed by it. read more

My favorite local spot for coffee. They have great sandwiches for lunch too. Some outdoor seating when the weather is warm! Be warned they close a little on the early side - 5pm. read more

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