Great addition to the neighborhood! Joe and company are the hostess with the mostess they make everyone feel welcomed. Perkolator has great coffee selections and food. I stopped buying coffee from the store and come here instead. They grind my beans for my Keriug without judgement which I appreciate. I love how they support the neighborhood and not just their own interests, they use products from the neighborhood (deli meats) and ensure everyone thrives. They showcase local artists work as well and have a relaxing funky vibe in their decor. read more

Great people and great product. Had two amazing bagels and rice Krispy treats. Great start to my morning.

I worked as a barista for 8 years of my life so needless to say I have become a coffee fiend, ha! I prefer mom and pop shops and spending money where I know it is deserved. I moved into the neighborhood a few months ago and scoped our this spot. Let's just say I'm pretty obsessed. Not only is it a phenomenal cafe but also a little space themed record store! The coffee is strong (necessary for me), the breakfast burritos are huge and delicious and the calm atmosphere cheers you up. Home away from home! read more

the baristas were by far the best baristas I've encountered. I loved their willingness to go above and beyond for their customers. Plus the good food and good lattes - what more can you ask for? read more

This neighborhood cafe has become my go to place to relax and enjoy a perfect cup of coffee. The bakery goods are always fresh. There is a limited menu of breakfast, lunch sandwiches, and soup. I've happily eaten my way through most of the menu. There may be a wait, but it gives me time to enjoy the displayed artwork. I also try to make time to browse Sputnik; the attached used book and record shop. The friendly staff is always attentive and patient while I struggle to decide which treat to pick out! This place is a neighborhood gem! read more

My favorite coffee shop in the Portage Park neighborhood. The owner Joe is so nice and cares about his customers, good coffee, love their record shop portion, and their breakfast burrito is amazing! read more

Great for parents with kid who need coffee (the parents need the coffee, not the kids) fantastic donuts and pastries. One problem is only one bathroom. Oh well. All in all a great coffee place. read more

The Perkolator is a great place for a cup of coffee, breakfast nosh, and more! The staff are friendly and VERY knowledgeable about all things coffee from macchiato to cappuccino. Plenty of tables to sit at and enjoy your drink....and right next door (literally you just pass thru a doorway) you can find old time vinyl records, books and more from the nostalgic to the unusual. Go here. Get your caffeine fix. Enjoy. read more

I had yet to find a place where I can feel comfortable yet productive with my work until I discovered Perkolater! For the quality of their customer servive and items, I'm surprised this café isn't usually more busy. I'm always able to find a seat and I'm also able to choose between the 2 rooms they have! I've come here at least five times within the past two weeks! read more

Great little coffee shop for this neighborhood. The service is always really friendly and attentive. If you have any questions or requests they will help you. All the drink I've had were just perfect. You definitely notice the quality in everything they do. read more

This place used to have the best homemade pastries, especially their cinnamon rolls. Now everything is just dry and tasteless. Instead of thinking about what business to open next, how about focusing on flavor? #dontbelievethehype read more

LOVE this cozy, family-owned coffee shop! You immediately escape the hustle and bustle of the city while enjoying a fresh cup of coffee and a tasty treat. I immediately feel relaxed when I enter the doors and it's just what the NW side of Chicago needs. I'm a mom too and the fact that there's a kids play corner is a huge win for me as well. Do yourself the favor please and enter this sweet little coffee escape as often as possible. It may not have a drive thru, but it's all charm and the coffee is better. Promise. read more

My wife and I have a new favorite spot to enjoy our warm beverages. The Perkolator is a very cozy and charming coffee shop that provides an inviting atmosphere and excellent customer service. Of course the coffee is great and I love the pastries from local bakeries around the area. Definitely a Portage Park gem! read more

This place just keeps getting better! They have really expanded their food menu which is great. So many times coffee shops limit what they sell to baked goods but this place has all the pastries, cookies, scones, etc but then ups the game with breakfast sandwiches and burritos, homemade soup, panini, wraps, etc. This summer they are adding outdoor seating too! read more

The drinks are really good if you don't mind the wait (almost 10mins). Depending on who's taking care of you, you may get a smile or a scowl. They don't seem very organized. The dining area is a bit outdated, I'm sure that's the look they're going for. FREE WI-FI! read more

Super quaint and friendly neighborhood coffee shop!!! We shared the jalapeño breakfast and breakfast burrito and couldn't be happier. Next time i want to try their Mediterranean wrap. Good coffee and pastry. Inside and outdoor seating too! read more

Great coffee, super nice people behind the counter and tasty baked goods! Sometimes after dropping the kids off at school I stop in for a cup of coffee and just sit in their colorful shop and check out the art. I love all of the vintage furniture and decor too! read more

Amazing ass always.. even when they don't have something in stock the other options never fail me.

I love this place. It is about 3 blocks from our house and I take my 2 kids (9 & 11)about once a week for a treat for them....it's more of a treat for me! They have some boardgames that my kids play, next door is the record/used books shop where my son always has to get at least 5-10 comics (50 cents a piece)-he likes the old ones. Across the street is a small thrift store that is always a stop after Perkolator on the way home to see what's new. The owners are very nice and so are all the workers. The chicken salad on a croissant is my favorite. Cafe con Leche is great as well, Fig Green tea is good...blueberry & chocolate sea salt scones are my favorite as well. Although my son really misses their cannoli's!!!!! Bring them back. :) Yeah, there can be a lot of little kids here and there but that's what this neighborhood needs...a place to bring your kids to hang out in a different environment, get out of the house, support the local businesses-not some stuffy people upset about Little Johnny banging 2 train cars together while he goes over his presentation on his laptop! Perkolator's awesome and I'm happy they are a family friendly place. Plus seeing who's artwork is on the wall every month is nice surprise. read more

Oh how I love this place. It's a real Chicago gem. Their breakfast sandwiches are much better than I ever expected from a little coffee shop. They're actually pretty damn good. Try the cafe con leche. ....oh and buy a book! Reading is good. read more

I can't say enough about the Perkolator. In a city with a coffee shop on every corner, I still choose to drive 20 minutes from my house to get work done here. They place is adorable first off, colorful and vintage and covered in pieces by local artists, wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor. I've yet to have food that isn't fantastic...that veggie bagel?? Seriously?? Yum!! The staff has never been anything but friendly, helpful, and welcoming. There's outlets all over, so I can outstay my laptop battery as well as my welcome. Their used book-shop/record store attached next door is just as fun! I've probably been going to Half Priced Books once a week for a year, but then I came here and it changed the game. I've been making a sincere effort to work at different coffee shops every week, as I'm in a big beautiful city full of them, but I keep ending up here and am not upset in the least about it! read more

First time here was awesome. Recommended to me by a friend of mine and he was spot on. Great pastries and coffee, excellent vibe and awesome music selection. Fast wifi too. Being a part time musician, I appreciate a place that has a vast selection of music playing that doesn't sound over commercialized. This place reminds me of old school coffee houses in Chicago like Cafe Aroma and Kokomo. What's great is its on the Northwest side! Keep going strong and keep it local. read more

This is the kind of coffee shop we need on the Southside. The space is very cool with on-street parking right there. Chicago parking meters are in effect. They play the kind of music everybody likes. Well, I like it anyway. The drinks are excellent, dark roast coffee is delicious, strong but smooth. We did not try the breakfast fare, but the lunch sandwiches are first rate and priced right. The staff is welcoming and friendly; they don't have that hipster shtick at all. And then there's the connected used record and book shop. In the future, when I'm in the area, this will be a must-stop. I'm tempted to '5 star' the Percolator. Maybe after one more visit! read more

I would highly recommend this neighborhood coffee shop(+ more) Yes they have all the things you'd expect from a regular coffee shop, what makes this a five star though is all the extra amenities combined together to make this a staple in the community. High-quality service from high-quality Baristas who have an inherent love and talent for what they do, and that reflects in their specialty drinks offered. (My personal favorite being the peanut butter chocolate latte). Add to that affordable food that tastes better then anything else you can get for the price ($4-$9), attached there is a little book and record store, community board games where you can play with friends. Seriously a grand slam, and one of the reasons why I love this neighborhood. read more

Love this place. Amazing atmosphere, great service. The coffee is absolutely the best. Cafe con leche is my favorite :-)

My favorite coffee shop in Portage Park! All local bread, pastries, veggies, and meats. There is a record store attached with lots of seating and a cute play area for the little ones. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. read more

Ambiance was really excellent . Staff was helpful , and coffee was great. I had the americanos and way better than Starbucks , didn't see it coming . So if you're in the area ... give it a try ! Perkolator is nice for a caffeine break read more

Was okay but for the price it was not, smelled really bad we couldnt enjoy our meal. The mango Smoothie was the best though

My husband and I are new to Portage Park and miss all the great coffee shops in our old Edgewater neighborhood. We've been to Portage Grounds, which is closer to our place, but I was not that impressed with the ambience, my decaf coffee (no caffeine while I'm pregnant), or the price. I'm a teacher and the mother of one of my students told me about this place, which her friend owns. We are very glad we stopped in today. When we first walked in with both said, "oh yeah, this is my kind of place." We were pretty sure we loved it, even before the drinks and my blueberry muffin arrived. Once we consumed those things, we were smitten. My decaf mocha is delicious. We will be back. read more

The BEST fresh breakfast burrito ever. Very cozy spot. Latte a plus. My new neighborhood spot for good eats. Music was pleasant. Service one of a kind. Love the art and decor. Felt at home. read more

It's a total gem, especially for the North West side of Chicago! Love the atmosphere and decor! They have an adorable couch that I am likely to sit on if it's available. Great coffee, amazing food and pastries. My favorite espresso drink is an Americano and they do that well! They also have a sweet little set up for the kiddos!! Super great for families, coffee dates, homework, or even a quick drink to go. Street parking is quite easy to find right out front but it is pay to park. Unless you don't mind walking, there is free parking on some near by side streets. It's my go-to coffee shop of choice! read more

Perkolator is fantastic. Joe, the owner, and his staff really invest in the place. They care about the food and the coffee and, as a customer, you can tell. Highly recommended-one of my favorite coffeehouses in Chicago. read more

The location is perfect, nestled in the corner. I walked in and was greeted happily. I ordered a cold brew coffee. While pouring, I decided to look around. Looks like a perfect place for a study session. Will be coming back to hang out here. I did have a problem with the cold brew. I do like my cold brew to be a bit more strong. I had high expectations for it. But I guess I'm being a bit picky. The food looked great!! I will be back to try something else out! Will update. read more

The atmosphere is retro cool. The service is phenomenal. The staff is always friendly. The food is delicious. I always get the breakfast burrito and I have never been disappointed. The coffee is delicious. I love coming back. read more

So friendly, is all I can say! I think it's the owner, but he's been there every morning and is always super welcoming! The coffee is good and it's a small business. I also like, that for money I pay I get a full 20oz of coffee. Unlike the other coffee shop down the way, when I go there and order a large its not all that large! Plus the employees are so nice here I think this is my new morning stop by! read more

Nice place. Great service but the coffee could be better. 4 well deserved stars but the Portage Grounds is better. I'll give you a try again soon. read more

I love this place with friendly staff, good coffee, great music and record and book selections. It's a wonderful neighborhood coffee shop - just the kind we should have more of. Now, go visit read more

I was craving some hot tea and luckily I found this place. Walked in and immediately fell in love with the atmosphere. Hidden gem! Love the vintage look. read more

Their coffees are robust and flavorful(Don't forget to check the specials). The owners and staff are always super friendly. I wish i could start every morning off with their ham and egg breakfast sandwich . The caprese panini needs mentioning also. It's filling and delicious! read more

The Perkolator is a very quirky and fun atmosphere. The decor is eclectic and has a 70s feel. Service was friendly and prompt. The main room is very inviting, offering old school board games for people to play. They also had a kids zone with toys. Attached is a bookstore to peruse during or after you drink your coffee. Will be back! read more