I took my wife and two smallest children today to get a coffee and donuts at Robust on 63rd and Woodlawn. As I was paying for my bill a woman came in and was lingering around. The young man who was behind the counter rudely told her to leave and told her not to solicitate in the store. How this young man talked to her was what caught my attention. The anger and disdain that he spoke seemed like it was personal. I asked him why he was so angry and with many neck rolls, lips smacking, eye rolls, and heaving breathing he proceeded to tell me Robust's policy of not allowing people to ask for food. I understand how that at times can be problematic when running a business but this young man was super emotional and disrespectful on how he articulated that point of view. I walked over to the woman and asked if she was hungry and was there something I could get for her. She said she wanted a corned beef sandwich. I placed my order with the young woman at the cash register and Robert came running over to the cashier, neck rolling, lip smacking, and eyes rolling and emphatically told me I could not purchase the sandwich. I asked him why not and he told me because it was for the woman. I told him he would not dictate how I spent my money, he then told the cashier not to process my purchase. After a brief back and forth I submitted and just walked over to the woman and gave her the cookies I previously purchased. At this point Robert got super irate, began to talk crazy as if I wouldn't toss his flamboyant ass over the counter and back. Robert told me I now "had to leave"... I proceeded to "kindly" give Robert a clear depiction of what would take place if he continued his disrespectful ways this morning, prompting Robert to say he was calling the police. I sat down with my family and called the store manager to alert him of Robert's behavior towards the woman and myself. As the manager listened, he interrupted me and said that me purchasing food for another is a continued problem and against Robust's policy. So for clarity I asked him to explain his position and he continued to say that customers paying for food for "solicitors" is against the law and a big problem. I told him that we have supported Robust because it's a community business, I asked him how is it you can take profit from the community and allow someone from the community to be talked to in such a manner and dictate how costumers want to help those within that same community? I began to tell him about Robert and what I told Robert. He hung up on me. Now my conversation was unemotional and my argument was clear. The store manager was very adamant that the hungry people in the community are a "problem" and therefore I will cease purchasing from Robust. Under no circumstances will I ever allow any of my people to be humiliated and talked to in a manner that Robert spoke to this woman today. Being hungry is a "problem" and it's up to us in OUR community to look after our own. The owners name is Jake Sapstein. read more

Great coffee, eclectic crowd, from U of C campus to the local residents, good service, friendly and courteous. Good place to read bring your own or take a free book offered at the free book exchange. Tired of all the urban stereotypes of Chicago's south side? Enjoy! read more

I love this neighborhood shop. The owner and staff are always friendly (even at 6 am). They value customer feedback and implement suggestions. Table service at a coffee lounge?! Love it! The menu is too good so try EVERYTHING. Due to my love for this spot: I'm hosting an open house on Saturday, Nov. 27th from 11-2. Come out and support Robust and me. Free raffle entry, fabulous jewelry AND the opportunity to make money. Now that's oh so Stella & Dot Latonya M Jones - Taking Chicago by Storm read more

I purchased an $8 bagel a couple of days ago from this establishment in hopes that this experience would end better than it did. My sister introduced me to the bagel on Sunday 9/27/20 and the bagel and experience was great. But on 9/30/20 I don't know what was in the air. I asked for a toasted bagel and the gentlemen said in a condescending tone "all our bagels come toasted. " Of course I know this because I just had the bagel on Sunday. The representative had no compassion for me as a customer. And there was no manager to speak with at the time. So imagine my surprise when I get home and the bagel isn't toasted. Brought the bagel back the next day to speak with a manager. The same untrained, rude gentlemen was at the counter and said "i don't know why you brought the bagel back," he went on to say "the condiments on the bagel made it soft." After speaking with 2 other employees before I finally got in contact with the manager on the phone, the manger says" You have already spoke to 2 people, why do you have to talk to me." The manager went on to say" if you don't like our establishment you don't have to come back." And he was correct. I will not be back and I will not bring any customers to this business. I asked for the mangers name but got a dial tone. read more

As an avid patron of this coffee shop since its opening. I was greeted by a horrible experience today. I had a conference call to conduct. I was late for the call and decided to sit down and make the call, I had every intention to purchase something once the call was completed. During the call, I was repeatedly harassed several times by a staff member and once by the owner of the establishment to buy something or leave! Now while I might have worn what you may consider "urban apparel" and not a tuxedo this is no way to treat a returning/potential customer! I felt embarrassed during the call with a new hire candidate to halt the call to reassure staff I was going to purchase an item. After the call I proceeded to the register to purchase a coffee and juice and wanted to voice my disappointing opinion to the owner. I was told he "left" no more than 10 minutes after confronting me. Whether he was there hiding or really did leave I left my business card and told the staff member who confronted me initially this is not a way to run a business. She began to dribble generalizations and decided to tell me that I was part of a problem that begun after I walked in and another customer sat in their establishment without purchasing. I was floored! On top of the harassment, I'm now part of a conspiracy with a stranger I've never met to waste your resources? She then said: "Birds of a feather, flock together!" My brain could not believe what I was hearing. I would say the staff member did thank me for some reason but I felt it was a contrived effort to deescalate the situation before it became worst. In conclusion, as a fellow business-owner I empathize with the daily struggles it takes to run a business and when you encounter a potential customer who may appear to be taking advantage of your gratitude it may feel like a slap in the face. I get it. However, I live one block away, have frequented the business numerous times and was treated like total trash today. I wasn't a bum looking to rudely hassle the other customers for money. I was clearly a busy customer who thought a neighborhood coffee shop such as Robust would be a "friendly" place to support and work at for an hour. Clearly Robust has become a product of an environment I thought was long forgotten in the Woodlawn Community even with the surrounding crime/violence. It has in its time active here in our neighborhood turned into a rude place that I will NEVER recommend to be visited to my friends and family for the foreseeable future. I will be mentioning this to my Alderman as well being I live across the street from him. We should not condone this sort of treatment in our community. BE WARNED: "No Trust in Robust!" (Unless you buy something.) read more

Good coffee and a decent place to work or meet. I think they would have decent food based on the coffee and what things looked like, but I didn't try anything. Definitely next time I'm down there. read more

Yesterday I had the worst experience at Robust. The owner, which he pointed out to me every chance that he got that I was in "his business, his doors, his chairs and his tables," was so rude to me. Let's start with a little back story. I have been going to Robust since last year. I even had a small study group meeting there today so to say the least, I thought very highly of this place until today. I walked in and sat next to a friend and the owner kept looking at me. He then came up to me and said in an extremely rude and snarky tone that I need to buy something or else I can't sit down. I explained to him that I was just getting settled and that I would buy something in a minute. I also tried to explain that I was just there last week and there wasn't a problem in hope of gaining a little favor with to establish I'm just not some person off the street and that I was a loyal customer. He then pretended to be washing tables and came back and said if you don't want anything now that he could take the order and he could just have it waiting and at that point I told him that I was going to leave. He then said, 'that's why I wanted you to pay now because what if you had gotten a call and had to go before you bought something". I then tried to talk to him to explain that I was offended and felt that he was being offensive and disrespectful to me. I then asked if you are going to make this stink about a customer, would you not like me to come here anymore. He said that I wasn't a customer because I hadn't purchased anything yet. But...I said...I was just here last week and have been coming so I felt like I was a customer. He said that I thought too highly of myself and I said it's not that, I just never had this experience before, not here nor at any other coffee shop. He said that since it is his coffee shop that he makes the rules. All I wanted was a little understanding...I wasn't trying to stiff the guy. I was going to buy something...like I always do and always have...hell last week I purchase an over-prices $10 turkey meat sandwich. I mean come on...doesn't that get me a few minutes at a table before I'm accosted and a little understanding and respect. Honestly the experience really hurt my feelings and I couldn't believe that the owner would be that rude to me. I guess the owner couldn't understand :( read more

Recently got a cold-brewed ice coffee from them. They are usually delicious, but this time my coffee tasted like old fish. It turns out there was a lot of mold at the bottom of my coffee -- yikes! I returned the coffee (the clerk just said "ew" -- not even a "Sorry about that") and got a hot coffee poured over ice. read more

LOVE this coffee shop in Woodlawn. Breakfast sandwiches are perfect hangover food. The space is really creative and unique.

Never. Ever. Coming back here. Since i cant delete. Here. 5 stars. My review is too short and yelp want to make it a tip to others.

Original Review was 2 Stars When we first started to come here, this place was pretty cool. It is a quick walk from our apartment and nice to go to. The coffee and coffee based drinks are pretty good. However, the problem comes with the food. First off, it is kind of expensive for what you get. Secondly, they take a horribly long time to do fairly simple tasks. Thirdly, they tend to lose the food tickets a lot. When that happens, they aren't very apologetic and kind of look at you like you're trying to scam them (although they gave you a number for your food and it is still sitting on your table). Most of the staff has changed since we first started coming here and I feel like the service went down when that happened. I would like to still come here since it is close to home and I'd hate for the business to leave since it is one of the few places like this. However, just because it doesn't have any competition doesn't mean that their customer service should suck. 10/3/15 In the past year or so, Robust has really changed and become a lot better. It still takes awhile to get food sometimes, but the staff actually being pleasant makes the whole place seem a lot better. read more

I would rate this place 5 stars because I patronize this shop often. However, today I had a horrible experience...after waiting 20mins for a small coffee (church crowd had departed), I was cursed out by one of the workers named Bradley. Long story short he called me a bitch : o OMGosh. Of course the manger tried to diffuse the dispute and offered me a free drink but wheeeeew what an experience. read more

Slightly disappointing. I've come here three times to give it a chance, but $5 med lattes, warm coffee and a hair on my muffin I just couldn't give it high marks. However, great ambiance and you invested in Woodlawn. I'm not 100% done, but haven't caught the craze yet. read more

The food was good. But for $36 the portions were so small and not worth the price paid. The food was hot and made correctly. The best part of the meal was the over sized lemonade but this is not an experience I would pay for again. read more

Great coffee, good sandwiches and a great place to meet friends or business associates in the Woodlawn community.

I work on the Southside of Chicago and needed a place to get some work done in between commitments. My friend recommended that I try out Robust instead of the usual Starbucks. Their claim to fame is apparently the Mochadiablo, which was described to me as a mocha with habenaro sauce, so I of course, had to try it. The spiciness was on the mild side, even for a coffree, and wasn't anything special. I thought it was overpriced, even for a special coffee. They have a lot of outlets around the perimeter of the shop, which makes it a good place to work. I'd go back here again, but the coffee isn't anything to write home about. read more

I work near here so I frequent this place. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They serve Alterra coffee which is delicious (and organic/ fair trade). Their lattes and other coffee drinks, teas, and smoothies are wonderful too. In terms of food, can't go wrong with the bagel and lox. Cookies are delicious as well. Best of all, they have free wifi and plenty of space. Great decor too. Thanks for being so awesome, Robust! read more

I really like this place. The decor inside is really cool. The staff is friendly and the food is good! I like to go here, grab a bite and get some work done. It's a Woodlawn area gem. -- only problem I've had was the nearby school let out and the students piled inside,and were rather noisy. Not sure if that's a regular thing or only in the winter, nonetheless I'm still a customer. read more

Absolutely the best of everything; atmosphere, customer service, food and last but not least, coffee... which just happens to be superbly 'Robust'. read more

They aight. Fecking expensive though; they take their geographic monopoly deadly serious. The menu is on the wall, and what's there is it; this place is not terribly veg-friendly. It's a decent place to sit, sip and snack, and there's a take one/leave one library there as well. Robust is nothing to crow about, but it will serve if you're in this no-mans land of food options and need something to satisfy. read more

Great little community coffee shop. Love the vibes and the friendly staff. Excited this is walking distance from home! :)

Today was my first time and I have the say the experience was very delightful. The cashier was very knowledgeable about their product. She gave me her opinion on what she like which I liked allot. The prices are reasonable to me and the atmosphere was peaceful. My daughter and brother said they loved the favor lemonade, camel crunch to me was delicious, and my lox sandwich was great. I will definitely return. I recommend you try it . read more

Terrible! Overrated as ever! No seasonings at all. Don't pay for extra meat. You'll end up paying for the whole cow.

I loved the ambiance! They have books! They have Yummy hot fresh fast breakfast sandwiches. I had an egg and cheese on a biscuit and a ginger peach tea. Yum. I didn't want to leave. The staff is nice too. read more

Coffee was amazing. Very smooth, not bitter at all. Had a sandwich as well, barbeque Lou. Sandwich was OK. Customer service was awful. Young ladies working there at counter and in kitchen were very rude. Cashier and young lady making coffee continued their personal conversation and I had to wait until they were done to even take my order. Young lady who actually brought sandwich to me was rude and short. Maybe I will try other location. read more

Great coffee, and customer service. The only issue I have, it's really loud for a coffee shop. If you want to work or read a book, its almost impossible because the music is blaring throughout the establishment. Due to the music being so loud, people have to talk really loud to each other, which adds to the noise level. Most people go to a coffee shop to enjoy coffee, read a book, work and maybe have a small meal. I would love to visit more, but it's just too loud compared to other coffee shops in the area. Please consider turning down the music so more U of C students could enjoy a cup of coffee, while studying at your establishment. Stats suggest that the longer a customer stays, the more money he / she will spend. Sincerely, Turn Down the Music read more

I tried their "special" biscuits with sausage gravy but unfortunately, it was far from special. Unless all that paprika they sprinkled on top was suppose to make it special and not taste like paprika. The biscuits were good and were the highlight. The gravy barely had any sausage in it. The staff and atmosphere were just ok. read more

The Cappuccino could be better; was not as strong as we would have liked it to have been, though the way the establishment was designed distracted us from that. Board games are shelved, and it is in fact an actual lounging spot. If you're looking for a place to study, or you're simply looking to get away for some peace of mind, I recommend stopping by. read more

I'm in this area every few months, but I just noticed this cafe today. I was very impressed with the spaciousness and decor. It was very inviting and seems like a great place to so work or study. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. I had the infamous mocha diablo and I must say that the coffee was enjoyable and had a nice kick to it. I wasn't impressed with their glazed donut though; it was bland and had aftertaste. They had a large selection of donuts so I would bet that the other donuts taste better. read more

So a new location opened up on 416 W Ontario and employees walked into our office to give us flyers and menus letting us know that they are now open in the area, having caribou coffee right across the street my co-workers and myself decided to meet up for coffee the next morning and try it out. it states on the fliers and the girls passing out flyers that its open mon-fri 6am-9pm. Well we get there and it was still closed, and told us it dosent open untill 7ish. Already hate this place! Do not false advertise saying you open at 6am when you dont and also for being a new cafe in the area, not a great impression! read more

A nice, calm vibe accompanies your coffee at Robust, a name that embodies dreams for the neighborhood. Come here to sit and relax into mellow rhythms and gallons of natural light pouring through two walls of windows. The staff are kind. They warmed up my cinnamon roll and it was delicious. Just one thing, folks: have some respect for your food. Don't serve paper plates and plastic forks. See you at Robust. read more

The service here sucks! I've popped in a few times and almost always made to feel like an inconvenience. Don't expect a "hello", "good morning ", a smile or even eye contact, it more than likely won't happen here. This morning I needed coffee and stopped by...I noticed flies in the donut/danish glass area...I left. The one star is for the pleasant afternoon staff... read more

Started out here with some very decent coffee and an excellent bowl of oatmeal (with craisins, raspberries, and a little granola on top) -- now there's a way to make a couple bucks stick with you for the rest of the day. I'm not sure exactly where they're going with the decor, but the cafe is roomy and comfortable. I think they'd been open for 4 days before I showed up, and they already seemed to have their act pretty much together. A good addition to an interesting neighborhood, I'm interested to see what happens with this place. read more

I'm surprised this place gets so many starts from raters. I'm guessing it's because Robust is the ONLY coffee shop available in the area. I was (and remain) excited about this place opening. However, do NOT be at this place around 3:45-5:00pm when the local high school gets out, because the place becomes an absolute chaotic, loud, and obnoxious environment! The coffee here is good, but the food leaves much to be desired (I suggest making lunch plans elsewhere). Service is very slow as well, and not as friendly as when it first opened. The great thing about this place is there is free internet and ample parking available. The coffee shop and restrooms are kept very clean, and it's a very comfortable and hip feeling environment. read more

Finally, a great coffee shop in the Hyde Park area. Robust Coffee Lounge has delicious sandwiches at very reasonable prices and plenty of space to study. The light-filled, exposed-brick seating area makes the experience all the more enjoyable. Robust has a bigger selection than Istria and is open later than Third World Cafe. I'm so glad they moved to the neighborhood! read more

Very nice atmosphere! Wonderful combos and deals. I've only had the donuts, coffee, delicious cookies, and iced mochas. I'm trying to work up the courage to try the Mocha Diablo. read more

Initially I loved the waffles although they are a little pricey. I had one a couple of weeks ago and it was nowhere as good as when they first opened. Maybe I just had a bad batch. read more

This is my snow day destination! Cozy and friendly with a delicious assortment of sandwiches and baked goods. Hot coffee and delicious coffee drinks as well. read more

Just what this neighborhood needed! As my family were house hunting and waiting for our agent, we literally stumbled upon this coffee shop and was looking to just get a few bottles of water. I figured it would be a cute little coffee shop and nothing more. Was I surprised!!! With all of these Delicious Sandwhiches on the board, we had to order a few for dinner and we didn't have one sandwhich that wasn't good. The staff were great.. the ambiance was fantastic and I do believe that they have free internet. It's great to see Coffee shops like these instead of the standard "Commercial" coffee shops. If we do decide to purchase a place in the area, I'm sure that I'll walk here daily. read more

Great environment, I usually come in the early morning when they offer 50% off on a lot of menu items. Service is always stellar, the employees have always been kind and accommodating, and the food is great. read more