Great matcha. Friendly staff. Good ambiance and overall great experience at this establishmentread more

I was amazed at the service of café Shepard! The door to door service truly hit the mark! I was…read moreespecially impressed with the frothiness of the milk and the temperature of my coffee. Not too hot that it burned my tongue, but definitely a nice warm beverage to take on my trek up to north campus. I appreciated the chef himself taking the time to explain to me the ratios of what went into my coffee. I am currently feeling buzzed by the espresso proportion and recommend this coffee for the energy to do your work, as I ran all the way back from north campus for no reason. The ambiance of cafe Shepard was eclectic and sophisticated yet still understated. 10/10

Pour has figured out how to make their tables stable and not wobbly. That's just one little special…read morething of many that I love about this place. Another is that the background music is always an excellent interesting mix and not too intrusively loud.

About a 1-1.5: Evanston Pour is a popular coffee spot in the Evanston 'hood - we came here to get…read morea caffeine fix, and ordered: +the Cookie Butter Latte - prepared with cookie butter syrup and milk; I did request this to be extra hot, but it was served lukewarm +a Latte with almond milk - also served lukewarm +an Almond Croissant +and, a Scone The coffee was just not strong, and the fact that it was served lukewarm was a total no. The pastries were just okay, but could have been more fresh and/or warmed up. Staff was friendly, and the place also offers cocktails/other alcoholic beverages. Seating is available, but somewhat uncomfortable; not much of a place where you can do work or study. Metered street parking can be found in the area. +lukewarm, weak coffee +metered street parking

I was quite impressed by this location, particularly the hot food. I was staying in the nearby…read moreHilton Orrington/Evanston and this is the closest coffee shop I found on Yelp. The coffee is standard (nothing special) but the hot food is what really impressed me. I had the bacon egg and cheese croissant, and it came out so fresh and hot that I couldn't touch it for a few minutes. Once it cooled a bit and I sunk my teeth into it - oh my! Delicious. It doesn't like much in the photo (and it comes wrapped in paper almost like a fast food sandwich), but the taste is great. I liked it so much that I came back the next morning for a Cajun breakfast burrito and same story - piping hot and delicious. Portions are perfect for breakfast. Location is perfect for those at or visiting Northwestern. And the dining area is quite spacious, welcoming, and clean. Staff are quite nice as well. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

After being quite impressed with a Colectivo Coffee in Madison, Wisconsin, I was a little bit…read moresurprised to see that it was a chain. While waiting for my car to charge nearby, I decided to pay this location a visit. I ordered one of their seasonal lattes, a small hot one. All in all, there was a lot to like! First, the coffee wasn't overly sweet and had some actual coffee notes, instead of all of it being buried under milk and sugar. Second, they have more than enough seating for everyone who wants to grab a cup. Because of the number of people working, I can't call it a "third place" but the fact that they are welcoming to students and Yelpers alike without making them keep buying beverages or banning laptops outright is worth a shout-out (you'd be surprised) One of the best things about this place was the service. The person taking my order was very kind and welcoming, and the coffee came out very fast, especially considering how busy it was inside. Final verdict: I appreciate that Starbucks has to deal with ten times the online and mobile orders. Still, I feel as though Starbucks needs to take notes - for what it lost, it seems Colectivo still has.

I just recently discovered this place. I work in Lincolnwood. It has a great ambiance to talk with…read morefriends, co-workers, or just chill by yourself and sip on coffee. More than enough seating and outlets to do work. My go-to drink is the iced café latte with whole milk. The coffee quality is far superior to Starbucks. Also, I love the gauva empanada with cream cheese! Also its good to know you are supporting a local business. Happy to know 5% of their proceeds go to charity. Overall highly recommend!

Such a warm and cozy cafe. Grab something to go or stay awhile, this place is IT. They have…read morecoffees, teas, and specialty lattes. I went with an iced peppermint tea and it was very refreshing. I also tried the guava and cream cheese pastry and my goodness this was insanely delicious. The pastry dough is crispy, flakey and fluffy. The guava jam and cream cheese was sweet and not overly sweet. I stopped in on a weekend morning and throughout my time here there was a constant flow of customers coming and going. Staff members were able to keep up with the influx of weekend customers. Within 5 minutes of placing my order my items were ready to be picked up at the front counter.

Good coffee. Love the vibes they put out. Busy place, but not so much that you wish you'd have…read moregone to another place. The folks who take your order are proficient. Some coffee places you only order coffee since the food selection is weak. That isn't the case at Backlot. I get the Classic( somewhat spicy) and my wife gets the Monty breakfast sandwich. A great start to your day!

Best latte I have had while on this trip! Maybe ever! Wish they delivered to Evanston Hospital or…read moredid DoorDash!

Disappointing. Been here twice and the service was paltry…read moreeach visit. Today me and my fiancé walked in and said hello to the unoccupied barista. Asked the barista their recommendation and they said they had none and told me to look at the menu. Didn't bother staying and left. Employees there appeared like they didn't want to be there and very unwelcoming. We won't be back

The space is gorgeous, airy yet cozy, it feels so artistic and just cool. The matcha is good…read more Sadly I got the wrong order and just went with it but the coconut matcha was definitley a new experiece. The drink itself was refreshing and bright. It was not bad actually though i would not get this again. The salted caramel latte was also on that interesting flavor profile. I've learned I'm not an adventurous coffee drinker so I'd stick to their traditional menu. It's such a beautiful space I'd love to come back to read a book and relax for a little bit.

I would give Matari 4.5 out of 5 stars, so I'm rounding to 5 based on service and ambiance! I heard…read moreabout their fruit mousse cakes online, so we knew we had to stop by to check it out. The cafe is immaculate and service was very friendly. The person who took our order was patient as he explained the different pastries in the case. I wish they had signs explaining what each pastry was so I could have decided while waiting in line. We ended up sharing an iced pistachio latte (delicious and 10/10!), the pistachio cheesecake (10/10!), and the strawberry mousse cake (7/10 - a subtle sweetness, great texture, but needed more cake or crust inside as it was mostly whipped cream and the shell). The mousse cake was $12.00, which felt steep considering it was mostly whipped cream, even though it was obviously beautiful. We would definitely come back for the coffee and to try more menu items! Check this place out!

I wanted to like it. I did. But after a few visits, it's just not for me…read more The first trip, I tried the Matari Tea: Green tea, Himalayan pink salt, milk, and spices, topped with roasted pistachios. Sounds good, right? Alas, it could not have been blander. I couldn't taste any "spices" or even the hint of salt. The profile was that of very watered-down tea mixed with milk, and a ton of pistachios floating on top. Like, barely crushed pistachios. Huge pieces, covering the top of the drink, bobbed around like tiny icebergs, and even they somehow had a toned-down flavor. The drink was definitely a swing and a miss. Fast forward two weeks, and I tried Matari again. This time with a simple cortado. I sat at the table right by the door, and the espresso was pretty good. Solid body, not too bitter. It was on the pricy side ($7+), but I was ok with that. But then, I'm hanging out, sipping my coffee, and I catch a burst of perfume-like scent. I'm shocked, but whatever, I figured someone in heavy perfume walked by, no big deal. A few minutes later, wham, I'm hit in the nose with another burst of perfume. Then, I see it. A slight haze around me. So, not a heavily perfumed woman after all, but an automated air-freshener. After further inspection, I see the unit plugged in on the ground right behind my chair, which sprays up and out on a timer. That's right, an air freshener right next to a table where people consume food and beverages, shooting a mist into the air that slowly rains down onto my head and table, and into my coffee. I ended up tossing the last few sips of my cortado, as I could taste the scented whatever-it-was in my cup. I'd have gone to the counter and asked for a new one, but I was so over my visit by then, I just opted to get out. The staff aren't very friendly. Not rude, but they don't give off a welcoming aura, and I didn't feel like trying to explain the issue. Lastly, can we talk about their little "your order is up" beepers? We've all seen them. The little electronic things that blink and make a noise when your order is ready, so you can go snag it from the counter. When I think of a coffee shop, I think quiet and peaceful, or perhaps a bit louder, with bustling people and well-paired music. At Matari, it's an insane BEEP BEEP BEEP that goes off every few minutes when an order is up. I get it, you don't want to bring the food out to your customers. But does it really need to feel like an airport Chili's? It's a bummer, because Matari is beautiful inside. It's clean, it's chic, and its location is at a notable crossroads in Skokie with plenty of parking, leaving it extremely convenient. They've even got an easy-to-use website, which so many coffee shops simply do not have. There aren't a lot of coffee shops in this particular part of town, which is why I so, so very much wanted to love Matari. But subpar drinks? Air freshener spray intrusions? Frequent and obnoxious beeping? I tried. I'm sorry. I just can't.

Cute coffee shop with lots of natural light serving up a good coffee! There are many tables inside…read moreand outside the cafe to enjoy your coffee on site or take on the go. The drink menu is basic but offers bold flavors. The iced coffee I had was strong and hit the spot. Employees are friendly and helpful. I will definitely go back!

Very popular coffee spot in a quaint neighborhood in Evanston. The place was buzzing with people…read morewhen we walked in and there were no seats available (good sign), so we ordered lattes and an egg pocket to go. I wasn't going to order food but was tempted when I saw the delicious egg filled pastries on others plates while waiting. Very good coffee and yummy sandwich. Friendly, efficient service and homey/cozy ambiance. We found street parking with no issue in this mostly residential area.