The OG. The coffee and pastries never disappoint even if the price does. You can't typically find a place to sit, inside or outside. Though, yes, it would be amazing if they updated the decor thru haven't touched since the 90s. It's a bit cold and sterile. But the coffee's good. read more

Great coffee shop and seems to be a neighborhood hot spot for WFH! Tons of seating - small tables, a larger community table, and bar seating around the edges of the place. The barista staff was fine - I personally love perky and friendly staff at a coffee shop lol and that wasn't the case here - but they were knowledgeable and helpful. The vanilla oat milk latte was great, chocolate croissant was great (apparently they source their bakery items from publican quality breads!), and my boyfriend especially loved his pour over. He's a pour over aficionado and he was particularly pumped that there were 3 options for pour over! read more

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I used to LOVE this cafe. However, they do make a practice of regularily accommodating homeless people in the shop (usually most of the day). It has really changed the vibe (and the smell) of the place. It's too bad. They usually occupy the only table with an outlet in the corner. Recommend going elsewhere - there's a bunch of other coffee shops in Lakeview. read more

First off, I just wanna say that I think the coffee is amazing at Intelligentsia. Every time I go, it's consistently delicious, no matter what I get. With that being said, I simply cannot work here. I can't get any work done. If you're a grad student like me, you need to make sure your laptop is fully charged before you come, because they have like zero outlets, and it is always crowded (which means they're doing something right!). 6.5/10 for me. read more

very basic menu, was disappointed with the amount of options. No sugar free syrups, no 2% milk, no skim milk. Also, took a very long time for coffee to be made. My cappuccino was bad - not worth the money read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - cappuccino with oat milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had a hot decaf latte and studied inside for about two hours this evening. All aspects were great: taste of coffee, seat is comfortable enough for long time work, good vibes, and nice baristas. No wonder so many people recommend this coffee shop! read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The atmosphere is perfect. If you need a spot to work, it's quiet and calm. The staff is very nice and helpful in giving recommendations. And of course it's delicious. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Avena Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Decent coffee, but the barbacoa breakfast taco was just bad. It was dry barbacoa in a pita with egg.

Stopped by again and tried the Smoke Salt Maple Latte iced, Avena Latte, and a Fruit Danish. Big fan of the Smoke Salt Maple Latte and the Danish was surprisingly good, flaky and sweet. The Avena Latte didn't really give off much in terms of flavor, mostly tasted of oat milk. read more

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Kind of weird vibes inside but the matcha was great! The fruit pastry was also pretty good read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Fruit pastry - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pros - matcha. ceremonial grade. green, not yellow or brown. nice, light, not overly grassy - they leave simple syrup, half & half, oat milk, etc out for you to modify yourself (preferred) Cons - coffee. i completely avoid their espresso and coffee Recommended - matcha! read more

I've been to other Intellegentsias in the city and they've all Ben consistently great. It's unfortunate two more locations are closing, and hoping that this one sticks around. I ordered a latte through their website and was getting placed on the counter right when I arrived. The guys here were very friendly and got me on my way. The latte was delicious and will be coming here more often. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The coffee and espresso was fantastic. Well bodied, rich, and not burnt like most espressos. While it was packed with people doing work, it wasn't the best working environment. The tables were small and not very sturdy, there were not many outlets in the entire store, and everyone's conversations echoed. I would definitely go back, but just for coffee to go. read more

Unfortunately I discovered Intelligentsia's iced lattes 13 years ago and now a latte from anywhere else tastes weird and substandard. Intelligentsia is how coffee is supposed to taste. read more

This location is spacious and service and coffee on point. It is pet friendly with an outdoor spot to sit as well.

The coffee quality is great and most of the baristas are very friendly! I've been going here for almost 8 years and I wish they would make more latte flavors that are not orange based. Maybe hazelnut or brown sugar. read more

Paid for a large but my cup was filled as a regular size anyway.. I've been coming here for months and this is the first time I was left unsatisfied. Bad way to start a Friday morning nonetheless! read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - "Large" vanilla latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not a "typical" coffee shop feel, a little more cafeteria vibe esthetically, but decent space. Quiet enough to read or work a bit. Staff was very friendly. I ordered a London Fog w/ almond milk and a chocolate croissant. The tea came with a small carafe with remaining tea in the side. The tea was absolutely delicious! I'm a fan of London Fog's in general but this may be my go to spot for them going forward. Croissant was huge and ended up saving half for later. It was light and just enough without being too sweet. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - London Fog w/ almond milk and chocolate croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

by far one of the best matcha lattes i've had in chicago!! perfect balance of balance of grass-ie taste and sweetness, pumpkin bread was great as well! the interior is cozy with plenty of tables, didn't see alot of outlets though for those wfh or studying. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This coffee is so delicious!!! I ordered a hot vanilla latte and it was perfectly sweet The baristas are always friendly and the coffee shop has plenty of room to sit and do work or hangout outside while sipping your drink read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Vanilla latte and cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A few years ago I tried Intelligensia coffee for the first time at an Italian restaurant and it was so good I had three cups. We were in the East Lakeview area recently we decided to stop for a cup of coffee at the Intelligensia Coffee Shop near Belmont & Broadway. We both ordered their house-brand coffee and we agreed it was very good but the music was louder than normal so I asked the barista if she would lower the volume, and she said she would look into it. Well, the volume didn't change at all. The music wasn't that loud in the rear of the shop but there weren't any tables available. It didn't surprise me. Most people go to a coffee shop to do work on their computers not to listen to loud music. One nice touch is they give you a separate container with a cup of coffee on the side. read more

The coffee here is good, but a little overpriced. I got a black iced coffee and paid nearly $6 for it - I'd understand this price for a specialty latte or a more elaborate drink, but for plain coffee it seems high to me. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My go to neighborhood cafe for a solid cappuccino and some productive work time. Their coffee is more on the pricey side, but it's good. The music is always fire too. Don't bother with the croissants though. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

3.5/5, rounded to 4/5 I got the Avane Latte (really unique, with cinnamon, ginger and cayenne pepper), and shared a croissant and also tried a few sips of the vanilla latte. I appreciated how much ice they gave. The latte itself was interesting - I could taste the hints of cinnamon and ginger, but it tasted more like oat milk than anything, which wasn't necessarily bad. I think if I tried it next time I would try normal sweetness (I got it half sweet). The vanilla latte was pretty good, I could taste the bittersweet coffee/vanilla pretty strongly. I feel like I would like it quite a bit half-sweet, might update this next time if I go again :) The croissant was a croissant. Pretty big. Honestly this feels like a nice study spot as well. I saw quite a few people working. The vibe is a plus! read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Avane Latte, Vanilla Latte, Croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

my husband and I are from Los Angeles and we were so excited to try Inteligentsia in Chicago. The coffee itself was OK (the ones we have in LA are definitely better), service in Los Angeles is much better too, and the barista's are much more professional, they dress as a professional barista, and take pride of what they are doing. Also, my husband and I did not feel welcomed in this establishment, service wasn't good. read more

The vibes in here hasn't changed in like a decade. Still Chill AF for a morning workspace

Read the yelp reviews and thought I'd stop by and get some work done. No patience from the barista when I was looking at the menu, even though it wasn't busy. Panicked and ordered a latte which was good and a croissant which was delicious. There was construction being done next door which sucked. Even with my headphones on I could hear the drilling and even feel it in my bones. Drank my coffee as fast as I ever have before to find a new location to work from. I'll have to go back once the other building is done with renovations. read more

I ordered a dark blend and was quite surprised that this $6 (!) coffee was quite ordinary and warm- not hot. The scone was quite good, but I will avoid their coffee. read more

I tried their Avena Latte. It was a really good latte and would reorder, but I would not add the cayenne. It was good latte with a similar taste to a chia latte. I loved the coffee shop for studying, so I will back to explore their other coffees. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Haven't tried the coffee, but if you want some tasty matcha this is the place baby. It is sweetened, but not too sweet. It's also a nice vibrant green instead of being yellowy. A bit pricy (+$7 for 16oz), but I'm assuming they use a high quality matcha powder so it's chill. I've gotten the matcha latte (w/ oat) both hot and iced and they both tasted great! There's a lot of seating inside too. Looks like it'd be a nice place to get some work done. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - look at that color :0 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Intelligentsia on Broadway in Lakeview is in a great location and has decent coffee, although expensive.. has a large space and is often packed. Sitting by the window allows for people watching too, and after 5 or 6pm you'll see a bunch of folks walking their dogs. So many dogs! read more

Love the coffee, love the baristas!! They add so much to the neighborhood. Great place to hang out and get some work done.

The knowledge of the average employee here is impressive. It will soothe the snobiest of coffee addicts. I once had a discussion, while my pour over was brewing, which included unconventional facts about water in the brewing process. I am of course aware of the standard knowledge about brewing, but this went beyond. Intelligentsia locations are sleek, busy, and not flooded with syrupy whimsy that you would get at sbux. I like this location and one in the loop. Difficult parking at both, but walkability and transit are top shelf. read more

The motherland of great coffee, brewing equipment and now pastries. Intelligentsia is the big name in local roaster that made it big from Chicago. They have all of their seasonal offerings for sale of whole beans. Most importantly, they are a great coffee shop with delicious drinks. The space is not huge, and is generally pretty full. Service is quick, as there's normally 2-3 people working at once. Make this a destination. read more

Someone cut in front of me when it was my turn to purchase. I tried to tell the worker (blond hair ponytail, I believe with glasses). But they simply said "I'll be with you shortly." If there people behind me, then I would have caused a scene. But I tried to be calm about it. When it was my turn I tried to explain to the worker. But they didn't understand. Even the guy who cut me off sheepishly apologized about it. But I don't think the worker did, after I kept explaining. If anything their response was essentially "Happens all the time. Business as usual." Maybe they were having a bad day. But line cutting is a big customer service point for me. You can judge by my review history to see how fair of a reviewer I am. I also attached my receipt to demonstrate that I'm a real customer. This purchase was $40 worth of beans. read more

Intelligentsia Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered an iced coffee as they do not offer cold brew. No flavor syrups here besides simple syrup or vanilla, and iced drinks are only offered in one size. Iced coffee was fine not as smooth or bold as I was hoping for. Iced dirty chai was pretty good, heavy on the spice. Customer service interaction was minimal. The space was very clean and quiet on Saturday morning. With so many other coffee spots popping up in the neighborhood we'll be trying another spot next time. read more

Great spot to grab a coffee or tea and to work from. I thought their space was big enough to have a good amount of people work remotely but did not feel crammed or uncomfortable. I had an unsweetened black iced tea (boring, I know) which was very refreshing and I've had their cold brew at the Loop location which is also very good. I like the Lakeview location a lot as the street has lots to offer which makes this place a great stop along the way. read more

Around my place and go every once in awhile. Every time I go the service and way they handle online orders vs in house is horrendous. Three times I've waited 15-20 min for literally just a single cappuccino... read more

Pretty average and slightly overpriced coffee compared to other places. Ordered a croissant and it wasn't even toasted. The lady at the register also looked super bored and disengaged. Wish they had glassware for dine in options since I'm trying to cut down on plastic. Nice place to work at but limited outlets. read more

This intelligentsia coffee is the worst. First experience 2 years ago was with my partner. The person at the register was hostile. When my partner didn't move down to the end of the counter, she was bluntly told you have to move down (it was our first time here). We ended up having to leave because the wifi sucked. I've had 2 more unpleasant experience with both staff and wifi. Just left after ordering a coffee. I figured I wasn't looking to work there and worst case scenario if the wifi still sucked, using my phone's data plan would be fine. The woman at register with green tint in her hair was somewhere between indifferent to hostile. I said hi and she just said "coffee" with no eye contact. After the credit card cleared and she handed it back, I said thanks and there was no response. There was no one else in line. The place was empty. I don't get the poor service that seems to be the calling card for this location. The one in Logan square has the best service. It seems like they resent customers. I was planning to sit down and cool off. I walked out and trashed my coffee and went to another coffee house And in the past when the wifi sucked, same thing, had to go somewhere else. I've wasted about $50 at this location. Never again. The worst customer service I've ever experienced. Not just one barista having a bad day. This spot just seems to have a culture of not caring about the customer experience. read more