Now this is a cool concept. Let's back up. I meet a couple of friends on Sunday mornings at coffee shops and cafes. No chains, just stand alone locations. Each place has a theme, or a charm all its own and Grind N Gears Cafe is one of the latter. When you pull up you immediately recognize the place as a former body shop or service station. Not a as station, but a body shop. They have their own small parking lot in front with special motorcycle parking on the sides of the lot. It's a small place. When you walk inside there is a runner leading up to the counter with their case of delicious looking eats and a platform above with an old Indian motorcycle perched looking over the place. To the right of the counter are some toys for the kids, including a kids motorcycle and other funs toys to keep the kiddos busy while their parents enjoy a magically concocted coffee drink by the shops artisans. There are comfy little sitting areas composed of oversized furniture from your parents basement. The front has a few racks of leather jackets that feels like your at The Alley's northern location. They do have some hats and apparel for their own shop and I almost bought a hat. On the left side, they have another seating area, but it looks more like a table in a cozy kitchen than a sitting room. It's quaint no matter where you look or sit. Lastly, their drinks and food are quite good. With all the stand alone coffee places popping up, Grinds N Gears is one of the cooler places and I don't mean hipster. read more

Service isn't the best, but the coffee seems okay, maybe a little better than average. Nice concept, but they should put bike people can touch even if they're from the scrapyard. That would automatically make it cooler here. read more

On Oakton. A challenge to locate and to park. The lot is small and has parking for motorcycles around the perimeter. They do have pastries but I don't think they make them on house. The coffee selection is decent for a small place. I would go again for the seasonal offerings. Not to much indoors seating. There's a few tables outside though. read more

What a fun themed coffee shop! From a motor shop to a coffee shop, there's fun for all. The parking lot is a bit small so it becomes a hindrance when it's busy. But once you get inside it's so much fun. With a variety of drinks from coffee to teas and boba there's really something for any mood. They also have baked good from local bakeries. The staff is also super friendly and knowledgeable when it comes to drinks. All in all, a great experience and we can't wait to come back soon and try other drinks. read more

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Love this spot! Been here twice to work and enjoy coffee and pastries and it's been great! I've liked everything I've tried so far. Such a cool spot. Very unique! I like how they have clothes and shoes you can buy that go to fund a great cause. Love coming here. There's also lots of seating as well. One of my new go to spots! Also love that they have some toys for kids to play with. read more

Wild Fork offers premium flash-frozen meats and seafood - coming here during the holidays is great, as they have some amazing deals! Their selection is extensive, having beef and steaks, chicken & turkey, seafood, lamb, pork, burgers and sausages, and even 'exotic' meats. We found some thick-cut bacon, wagyu steaks, and large shrimp at competitive prices. Staff are readily available, and they allow you to peruse the items at your own leisure. Checking out is efficient - don't forget to sign up for their rewards program, The Club! Located at the Glen Oak Plaza, there's ample parking! +flash-frozen, premium meats and seafood +efficient staff +located at the Glen Oak Plaza +ample parking read more

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Large enough lot to always find a parking spot. Friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful staff. The space is large and clean and open. Nice little treat when I want to rummage New4uvintage every now and then. I've been here twice now and enjoyed an iced coffee drink the first time but really enjoyed this matcha with strawberry milk the last time. Super delicious and affordable. They also have a mango option that I will definitely try! Lastly, they have some small scooter type toys for kids to ride and a small selection of vintage motorcycle clothing and locally painted gloves. Pretty neat spot, come check it out for yourself! read more

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This is a cool coffee shop and it offers a nice variety of hot and cold beverages, snacks, sandwiches, and more. I have been here once and I enjoyed my experience. It's a coffee shop themed around motorcycle culture. They have some nice, vintage motorcycles in the shop as a part of their decor and they also sell clothing apparels I ordered a Taro milk boba tea and a cinnamon roll. The shop was busy which is good. Our order was ready shortly. We received good customer service. The menu pricing was reasonable. We enjoyed our tea and cinnamon roll while relaxing in the café. Check them out. read more

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This place needs to up their game. The service was mid at best. $5 muffin half the size of a Costco one? Their bagels were dry $4.50 each with no cream cheese. My matcha drink almost $8 and it wasn't good. Waste of time and money. If you charge quality prices... provide quality products. Cool idea, because I love motorcycles but everything else wasn't good enough. read more

Grind N Gears Cafe - Cafe bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Niles, Illinois

I needed a midday pick me up and have heard great things about Grind N Gears Cafe. I loved that they have an independent building with a designated parking lot. The inside has such a cool design being very vibrant yet relaxed and biker merch/decor all throughout. Their menu has a variety of coffee, tea, milkshakes, and some food items. I do wish they had more food options but all items are sourced from other local spots (Greenwood Deli, West Town Bakery, & Minelli Meats and Deli). When I visited, I got the Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte since it was a new introduction to the menu. The coffee itself had good flavor but the oatmilk overpowered the syrup flavor. I didn't get any pumpkin taste which was a bummer. My 12oz latte was $8 which was very reasonable. They had plenty of spots to work remote, catch up with friends, or enjoy a solo date out. read more

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Cool, new motorcycle themed coffee shop! Lots of seating so it's a great place to sit and hang out or study. There are motorcycle jackets out for purchase, and little motorcycles/cars for kids to use while they're there- so cute! The menu has something for everyone- coffee, matcha, chai, and boba and you can add CBD in for an extra $2 to any drink. Lots of pastry options and there was also a gluten free/vegan option for cookie. The staff was very friendly and told me that there are events there every weekend like car shows, etc so if you're into that, make sure to stop by! read more

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Driving down Oakton Street, you might miss the Grind N Gears Cafe, because it looks like a gas station, or service station as they say, and you'd be right. This used to be a BP Station and now is a motorcycle themed cafe. Check it out! There's cycles, apparel and most of all, coffee and pastries. If you know me, you'd know I love places like this. This has the best vibes and is a cool place to hang out. I had a wonderful macchiato and delicious chocolate eclair. I heard there are donuts? When I stopped in a mom was ordering some drinks and her young ones were riding the little cycles. Fun for all! read more

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This place reminded me why I love small businesses. The owners are so proud of their hard work and full of creativity to make it flourish, and it's infectious. Joel, the owner, wandered over to me whilst I was waiting for my order and struck up a conversation so I got all the scoop. I'm writing this review on Thursday, January 30. The cafe opened this past Monday, so it's just about as brand spanking new as can be. They're in the midst of their kind of soft open, as Joel called it. He has a deep interest in motorbikes and that was part of the impetus for the cafe. The shop has several different bikes on display, and they have apparel and stuff scattered around, too. There are a few tables, as well as a counter to sit at along the western edge of the shop. The drinks are good. I had a breve chai which was good, though to my fellow chai drinkers this is not at all a sweet chai, if that's what you're hankering for. As for coffee they have the standards, as well as a few of their house specials, such as the Harley which has a raspberry flavor and this is what I picked up for my significant other. Word has it, it's delicious. I hope they'll continue with the creativity and have some specials as they grow (and maybe even some non-coffee specials!!) During my talk with Joel, he mentioned that the windows in the front are garage-door style, so as it warms up they'll open them and add some tables outside. He mentioned that they hope to have some food trucks on occasion in future, and the credit union next door has said they can use their lot for something like a little farmer's market if they choose to host one. I love that they have such cool plans. As I told Joel, one thing that I took for granted whilst living in the city was the abundance of coffee shops around that were not Starbucks. It's been somewhat difficult to find that in my new place so Grind and Gears is a welcome addition. They have a small parking lot and parking is easy. They're also dog friendly if you happen to have your pooch along. read more

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Service was not the best. The person who took my order seemed annoyed and kinda just stared like it was an inconvenience. The concept seems fun but the drinks weren't even good honestly. One of them had to be remade but since the first impression wasn't great I didn't want to even ask. read more

Good variety of teas and espresso drinks. They were attentive and environment is interesting. It's a great place to chill. I was there in winter, there were about 5-6 tables to chill. When it's warm outside, they appear to have seating outside. There wis plenty of parking. read more

This place is definitely interesting. From the outside, it looks more like a garage than a café, with a ton of motorcycles parked out front. The vibe is actually pretty cool. They serve food, donuts, pastries, and other coffee shop-type items. I stopped in with my brother, and honestly, it could have been a much better experience. Right away, we could tell the blonde girl behind the counter was in a terrible mood. No smile, no hello, no welcome whatsoever. She seemed genuinely annoyed that we were even there. When I asked what kinds of donuts they had, she rolled her eyes and acted like I was inconveniencing her. The whole interaction was uncomfortable. I don't know what was going on with her that day, and frankly, it's not my concern as a customer. If you're working the front counter, basic courtesy is part of the job. Because of that first impression alone, I wouldn't come back. The atmosphere and concept are cool, but customer service matters. If you're going to be the face of the business, at least act like you want customers there. read more

Fun new coffee shop in Niles. I almost drove past it because it looks like a mechanic garage. I ordered one of their specialty lattes which I thought was okay; it was a little too sweet for my taste. They had mini cupcakes and a couple pastries on display as well. There's lots of parking and wifi but only a limited amount of seating. The staff were super friendly and they even had little ride on motorcycle toys for toddlers. read more

Grind N Gears Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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Highly recommended. Really great use of a unique former service station. Excellent coffee options and pastries too. They're very kid friendly. They even have a collection of small bikes for the kids to ride while you enjoy your coffee. Ample parking too. read more

Tired of Starbucks and DD? Want a cool spot with cool motorcycles and if you time it right car and bike gatherings? Plus the coffee is premium with tasty treats. Dog and kid friendly to boot read more

Grind N Gears Cafe - Classic Bikes on display - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Niles, Illinois

Excellent coffee, friendly service, and a cozy atmosphere. Whether you're stopping in for a quick drink or spending some time working or catching up with friends, it's always a welcoming spot. Definitely one of Glenview's best coffee shops! read more

Thanks to Yelp, I found a new gem! What a fun new business that's motorcycle themed! I love that the inside is filled with motorcycle themed merchandise, and they have a wide variety of beverages (coffee, boba tea, hot chocolate, CBD oil, etc) and pastries. I tried one of their specials today - the lavender mocha, and it's one of the drinks that you can get iced which I love. They also asked me what type of milk I would like - I went with almond. As for pastries, I had a chocolate chip muffin - perfect for my taste buds (not too sweet and not too plain). There were chocolate chips evenly spread throughout. The staff here is very friendly, efficient and made great recommendations. They have free WiFi as well as plenty of chairs and tables for those who want to lounge around, study, or enjoy their beverage and pastry. There's also plenty of free parking on premise that they own. I'd totally come back when I'm in the area next and would recommend this place to anyone looking for coffee, tea, and if you're a rider, you most definitely need to come check it out! read more

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Went on a Sunday morning around 9am. They were out of eggs. We got 2 bagels and cream cheese and 2 drinks. Very expensive. The girls working the counter were not friendly at all. read more

Really cool place for people into bikes and the community. Went on a Saturday morning and there was no organization with orders coming in and out and our breakfast bagel took 25 minutes! Bagel and cream cheese. read more

Great coffee shop, kids loved playing with the toys. Great atmosphere. Comfy chairs. Very relaxing read more

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Great service, friendly servers, patient and most helpful to our needs. Would recommend.

Each time we go it's gets better and better. They now have mugs and even more leather furniture. My cappuccino was delicious and they have more and more food options. Staff was very friendly and I hear, in the summer, they will have art shows and ice cream for the kids. read more

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Grind N Gears is such a great addition to the area--don't let the gas station look fool you. The vibe inside is super cool, the drinks are way better than Starbucks, and the staff is genuinely awesome. They just added Boba tea (my kid is obsessed with the strawberry one), and rumor has it their new ice cream machine is gonna be a summer favorite. Definitely worth a stop if you appreciate good coffee. read more

Awesome place, good coffee, friendly staff and owner. Occasionally can get overwhelmed with little kids on toy motorcycles, but that's why noise cancelling headphones were invented! Come here most weekends for work and friendship. read more

Great coffee... cool place to hang out (especially if you like motorcycles). If you're in the area, check this place out.

I really like this place. The baristas are excellent and everyone is very friendly. Coffee quality seems top notch. It's not usually too crowded and has a mostly relaxing atmosphere. I'm not a big fan of the motorcycle theme but otherwise I think it is a great place. Would love it if they served drinks in mugs rather than paper cups. read more

I absolutely love Grind N Gears Cafe! I've been going here consistently since it opened last year. The coffee is always delicious and the atmosphere is great especially for kids. They have a bunch of toys and kid motorcycles/vehicles. My 2 year old son loves playing with the toys they have! Sila is an excellent barista and is super nice/welcoming! I always enjoy catching up with her and she makes delicious coffee. read more

4 of us stopped in. The motorcycle theme is a cool idea but I wasn't really impressed with it at all. The coffee was mediocre, the Taro lacked flavor, as far as sandwiches go, there were only 2 kinds. On this day, your choices were Refrigerated, Pre-made, American or Italian sandwiches. The baristas seemed uninterested, unfriendly and just didn't seem to try at all. Don't bothering stopping in. Skip it read more

As a 20+ year resident of this neighborhood, I am so excited to have a coffee shop in this space which has been a vacant eye-sore for as long as I've lived here. Now it is a vibrant neighborhood space, with a friendly staff and terrific coffee. It boasts eclectic decor, cool items for sale and a just a great overall vibe. I'm so looking forward to being a regular here! read more

I tried their lavender matcha and it was so good! The barista had even asked me to let them know if they had put enough matcha which was awesome because a lot of coffee shops do not put enough!! Love the concept- definitely a very cool place to check out :) read more

Good iced coffee in a very cool moto centric cafe. Really looking forward to some bike shows here this summer!