I agree with the other reviewers about the loud music. Not good for working. Also, it's super distracting and unprofessional when the baristas who are on break sit at the coffee bar while the baristas on the clock making the drinks were talking to them and having a full on conversation. The reason the customers were giving you a hard time in the first place was that you made their drink too sweet because you were more worried about chatting with your coworkers. I was sitting nearby hearing all of this and noticed at least two customers who asked their drink to be remade. I also heard a curse word come out of one of the baristas on the clock. read more

I have been to Starbucks all across this country, and this is without a doubt the one that makes the consistently worst drinks, as well as being all around terrible. I'm not sure who does the training here, but you obviously have very poor taste in employees. Today the lady at the register was sleeping standing up, totally forgot about my sandwich, and once again my drink sucked. Your soy milk is always warm, and a drink with two shots of espresso always tastes like there is only one shot. I simply have to avoid this place from now on. Every. Single. Time. My drink sucks. Not kidding. read more

1. The homeless topic. If you know much about the homeless, you know they are people like anyone else. In an area where there are a number of homeless, you want to encourage the right ones outside your establishment to keep the bad ones away. I know the homeless topic is not one everyone likes to get into, but having a friendly person outside the store to open doors is practically security. Not to mention, if you have to park and run inside and don't have change on you, there's always the homeless guy you can borrow from and remember on your way out. However, Starbucks local management needs to always be aware that whoever is the first impression of their store is also part of the image of their company. Selectivity is important. 2. The meat and potatoes (or coffee & milk?). I think management and staff here are friendly. The space can get really cozy really fast. It can be difficult to find space to sit at times. Rarely in the past couple of years have I had a bad drink. I have had the wrong drink a couple of times, but they are really good at making another or just not charging for mistakes if the drink is acceptable. It's easy to make friends with the employees here, so if that's your thing, I encourage it! My biggest complaint comes down to the area where baristas put drinks by the sink and due to their lack of space, pass rinsed or dirty pitchers back and forth over open-topped drinks. Cooks do not make and prepare meals between dishwashers, baristas should keep structure to their work-flow for sanitation. read more

Disappointed this morning. Ordered through mobile, and when I got there a sign on the window said they were opening late due to "unforeseen Circumstances", even though a barista was inside. When I came back an hour later they were dismissive, then made the wrong size drink while talking to a friend on a cell phone. This place needs a manager. read more

This Starbucks is fantastic. Not only is it a great store with an amazing staff, but they will go to extreme lengths to make sure you're taken care of. Seriously a fantastic group of people, they are a gem to have in Evanston. read more

If I could give zero I would. I was temporarily living in Evanston for the past week, and, this was the closest one for me to walk to. I am a Starbucks girl, I know Starbucks and have grown to like it BECAUSE of their service. Being that, I have NEVER experienced any more worse service than at this one. They just don't seem to get it. Usually, you have someone taking orders for the line, then the register, then the drink maker. This one had a total knucklehead, instead of taking drink orders, filling up the friggin bakery goods, while there was a line practically out the door. Another day (this is all within just one week), it was my turn to order, the guy at the register, does not even greet me, HE GOES AND WALKS TO THE SUGAR/MILK BAR TO CLEAN IT UP, instead of taking care of me!!!! It took a minute or two for someone to casually walk up and take my order. The first day I went they screwed up my order, since I had a dog outside waiting, I couldn't ask for them to change it since it probably would've added on another 20 minutes to what I had already waited for for the first drink. If I lived in Evanston and this was where I needed to go on a regular basis, I would actually contact the corporate Starbucks. Something was really funky and ajar at this one and needs looking into. And, it wasn't only me. One morning I was there, another gentleman complained to the manager about the drink maker blabbing away while he waited a super long time for his drink. And, the manager did not even apologize. He got frustrated and rude with the customer. The only thing nice about this one is the very sweet homeless man outside. read more

Hmmm....always crowded, as all Starbucks are. But the music is really LOUD. Which is so odd as everyone is working for hours on laptops. Seems the staff enjoys the loudness...me? Not so much. Today's jams were tolerable but last 3 days were jazzy blues yuck that I wouldn't listen to at 3:00 am... read more

I asked for a dark roast coffee, but they didn't have any. That was understandable since it was late in the afternoon and all they were serving by that point was Pike Place, which I do not like so I asked for an americano. However, when I asked for an americano the cashier rolled his eyes at me! Then when I got my drink, it was lukewarm. Worst experience I have ever had at a Starbucks and I will not be returning. read more

This Starbucks location can never seem to get my order right. They usually forget part of what I've ordered. There are so many cheaper places in the area that are just as good and don't screw up as much as this Starbucks does read more

This is the slowest Starbucks I have ever been in. There's a ton of staff that move with absolutely no urgency - even with the new location nothing has improved and their lines are absurdly long. I have no idea how they are so inefficient but something has got to change over there read more

This location is very peculiar. I'm usually there in the morning rush before 9, and the line is either out the door or short. Either way, you're waiting a very long time. This morning I counted seven employees behind the counter. One on the register. One barista. The other five...I couldn't tell you what exactly they were doing. One guy is almost always cleaning the glass partition by the register line right in the middle of everyone. Glass cleaner spraying all over the pastries behind the glass. Very appetizing. I understand that restocking napkins and cleaning needs to be done, but can't this happen BEFORE or AFTER the breakfast rush? And if there are two registers, shouldn't two registers be open to make the line go faster? I've just started working in Evanston, having previously worked at the Merchandise Mart. The Starbucks there is packed from the minute it opens, and the line moves FAST. You're in and out in 5-7 minutes, even during big shows. I feel like this Starbucks needs to be better managed. I will say it's almost always clean and everyone is friendly. read more

------------------------------------- ----- update: 3/20/2014 ----- ------------------------------------- the fruit flies are back, both in the store and crawling on the pastries. they addressed the problem for a while but they're here again. this is poor. last time i checked, insects on food is a bad thing, especially food you will sell to a customer to eat. c'mon, starbucks, you can do better. read more

I was just curious...aren't there requirements for food storage here in Illinois? The fact that this store has all its pastries sitting out, uncovered seems weird. Not to mention gross. Just today while waiting in line, I watched 3 flies molest a glazed donut. Can't imagine I'm the only person who takes issue with this. read more

Lauren will make you coffee and your day. Come for the coffee. Come again because of the friendly faces. This is the cleanest and most elegant Starbucks I've ever been in. Cheers to you Lauren and your team. "You doing good? That goes to all of you." Good all around. read more

I literally visit this Starbucks every (week) day. The manager is awesome and he greets me by name as soon as I walk in. The only downside to this location is that it is really small and can get super crowded in the morning, but the friendly staff and delicious coffee make up for it! read more

The manager Jacquie is the best, my mobile orders have been messed up several times and she always goes beyond to fix the mistake and help me out! Honestly love the service at this location thanks to her! read more

Newly updated Starbucks, very swanky and much bigger than the original store a few doors down. Try the Clover Press coffee, you won't be sorry. read more

It's (now) big, clean, attractive and comfortable. Same coffee and bakery items as every other Starbucks. Close to Evanston's shopping and commercial district as well as to Northwestern University. Nice place to either grab a coffee to go or to sit and hang out with a laptop. read more

I hardly ever go to Starbucks anymore, there are usually local coffee shops with more character and better/cheaper drinks around. But I've gotta say this is the nicest Starbucks I've ever seen. Industrial chic decor (which is obviously all the rage these days but I still like it), lots of diff kinds of seating, clover machine. I am currently sharing a table with a gentleman who has been talking to himself nonstop for 20 mins but he seems perfectly friendly and polite so 5 full stars! read more

I love the new interior and set up. It's very modern and chic and comfortable enough to sit down and do homework. Of all the cafes, the newly remodeled Starbucks is the closest thing to your quintessential college coffee shop with a hip vibe. Based on my experience here yesterday, I am pleasantly surprised by the friendly service I received from one of the workers.. If every Starbucks had someone on staff like her, then all of them would receive 5 stars for service. The coffee is not terrible, but it's not the best either. For a Starbucks coffee though, the Americano is acceptable. (Much better than Panera's.) read more

I'm really impressed with all the changes made at this location. I used to hate coming here because it seemed dirty and the barista's were rude. The last couple times I've been here it's apparent that they are making a lot of changes. read more

Unfortunately, this Starbucks is pretty bad. For a prime location, the staff get a lot of drinks wrong, miscommunicate with each other, and are not that friendly. So, service and drinks get two stars. The third star is because this place is GREAT for seating. If I were a student, freelancer or anyone else in need of a place to sit down and plug in for hours at a crack, I would definitely come here. read more

I feel badly for giving this just three stars because of all of the money spent remodeling it, but I am not sure who they remodeled it for. The old store was a cramped and wimpy Starbuck's for being so close to a university, but at least the only people who went in there wanted the coffee. Now this place is huge, and I was told it is one of 24 Starbuck's in the country that can serve wine and beer. ¡Great! BUT, who designed this place? By 8am on a Sunday morning, I found all of the two-tops to be filled, each with a single person sitting there working on a laptop/ipad. So there are communal tables where I have sat twice before and been hit on twice before by other customers. The tables are at the wrong height for the chairs if you want to type comfortably. There also don't seem to be any shades for the floor to ceiling windows in the front, so sunshine comes glaring in and nobody sits in the twelve seats in the front during large portions of the day. If you have a stroller, the only place to park it would be at one of the two six-top "communal" tables, which then obstructs movement and disturbs the other customers. The ladies' room has two stalls, which is fine, but I was in there when a woman was changing her baby's diaper, and the space was so small, she had to put the stroller in one of the stalls. So it becomes a one-stall bathroom if there is someone trying to use the changing station. Good idea Starbuck's, but this is a case of not knowing your clientele, or trying to attract a different one, or trying to be everything to everyone and instead, becoming a prime example of form not following function. It's like the architect checked all of the boxes for requirements, but forgot about the people he was designing for. If I wanted a place to have a talk with a friend over a pumpkin spice latte and a cupcake (and leave an hour later in a sugar coma), this is the place. But otherwise, it is off. Also, with all of the redesign and the spread of foods, I don't see why they can't offer at least some reduced fat or lowfat pastries. It seems a shame. read more

This should be renamed the Northwestern Starbucks. I guess Northwestern does not have libraries for its students to study. If you are a resident, good luck getting a seat. Several of us have individually tried to get seats at several different times of the day, several different days of the week. It is nearly always infested with students for several hour a day. They hold seats for each and nurse a coffee for several hours while stressfully studying or casually tweeting. The evening bites/alcohol is a joke; students are there in every seat! Where are we going to sit and have a glass of wine? Also, how uncomfortable to be drinking wine next to someone freaking out about an exam or paper! The only good thing about the lack of seats at Starbucks has been my getting to know the other local coffee businesses and also visiting Cosi - which is always empty. Nothing can be done to fix this, so I will just warn all of you to either try your luck and go or avoid coming there altogether. Zero stars. read more

A pretty nice Starbucks. I like the inside table, decor and really like that they have a map of Evanston on the wall! Service has always been great and they even gave us free 'nitro' espresso shots when they first came out. read more

Large Starbucks. Much better than norbucks. Staff is chill and helpful bathrooms are clean and the atmosphere is chill

Can never say anything bad about Starbucks. Been to so many of them from coast to coast. Pacific - West - East coast. Always great coffee, great people. read more

Yesterday I reviewed the Starbucks that's closest to my home. This is the one I go to instead of that one. Completely opposite that store, at this one you'll almost always find friendly faces. There are a couple of employees who are average, but with most of them being so far above the bar it's not enough to withhold a star. I'm usually here late at night (thank goodness for a store that's open until midnight). That crew I know by name and they know mine. They know my drink preferences and always make me feel welcome. I'm here less often during the day and almost never in the mornings---but still enough to confidently say those crews are a pleasure as well. Even at the busiest times, no matter how long the wait, you'll always see them working together to get everyone served in a reasonable amount of time. And I always leave with a smile on my face--even if I've not entered with one. The parking here can be annoying and it takes twice as long for me to get to (then the location closest to me)...still there's no comparison. There's a reason I happily accept those minor inconveniences to make this my regular location. read more

Aside from being a gorgeous location with a dedicated staff, this Starbucks is home to the Evanston Go Club every Wednesday night from 6pm to 10pm or later. This is a fascinating, beautiful, complex yet easy-to-learn Asian board game of pure strategy. The club is free, and happy to teach beginners. The place gets one star off for being a part of the Starbucks Corporate Pod Clone Conspiracy. Otherwise, I like! read more

I love this Starbucks. When you first walk in the line always looks horrible. Don't be discouraged though. The employees work together really well and the long line moves fast. I normally have a drink in my hand in less than 5 minutes. I've only actually sat in the shop once but they have a ton of seating and it is a really comfortable environment. In addition to the pastries and sandwiches that all of the Starbucks serve, this one also has wine and tapas. read more

I know it's kind of random to review a Starbucks, but I always enjoy finding good ones around Chicago/Evanston. The 2-story one on Rush/State St. downtown Chicago remains my absolute favorite, but this location has an above average seating arrangement and ambiance, and the line always moves pretty quickly. The staff are also really nice and helpful. Most people are doing work on laptops or having some sort of meeting. Seems like a good place to go to be productive. read more

I don't normally write reviews of starbucks because, let's be honest, it's starbucks. But the staff here are great, super friendly and always remember my drink - for instance, I love peppermint mochas but find the peppermint can be overpowering, so a few weeks ago I asked them to go easy on the mint. This morning, about 3 weeks later, they remembered. One of them told me today about a special deal for cardholders, and it turned out he was wrong, but his manager honored it anyway. Also, this is a huge shop, with loads of good seating for sitting and working for hours, and always plays decent music, and not too loud which is good if you're working. read more

Service is good. Had a hard time working since they were playing Christmas music at an excessive volume. I asked if they could turn it down. They said yes, but instead just changed the music. They are now playing "Taps" at an excessive volume... read more

I went in an ordered a frappuccino and the barista complained very loudly to his coworkers about having to make the drink right in front of me, so the other barista made it. However, before he made my drink, he took the garbage out and replaced it without washing his hands...sick. So not only was I embarrassed when I had to get the drink from the counter in front of everyone who heard the barista complaining about making it, the drink was made by someone who had just picked up the garbage with unwashed hands. read more

Friendly staff, but they need more people. It's no surprise this location is busy, but it's ridiculous to wait over 10 minutes for a drink. I wish there were more coffee options in the area. read more

I ordered a caramel macchiato and when I got was milk and an espresso shot. No Caramel. Unbelievable.

I absolutely love this starbucks! The staff is amazing and every drink is perfection. They even greet me by name when i walk in the door! I love this downtown evanston Starbucks. Great job guys! read more

The new store is absolutely gorgeous and I like the staff. The morning crew is generally excellent; but the afternoon/evening crew is hit or miss. Some of the workers move slow and sometimes seem to be either very tired or just out of it. Another problem is the patrons. They stay there for hours at a time, setting up multi-hour work sessions, sometimes buying nothing, holding seats for their friends, and being disrespectful of others if they happen to talk on the phone or to their friends. This is not a study hall or library; it is Starbucks, a coffee shop. Hopefully, the patrons will understand this at some point and find somewhere else to suck up seats for several hours at a time or at least show some respect to those of us who are there to read a book, chat with friends, or just enjoy our coffee/read the newspaper. Also, why are people bringing groceries and other outside food into Starbucks? One guy brought a grocery bag full of food from Whole Foods including beverages! Until then, I will sometimes try nuStarbucks and if it's a no-go, I can always go elsewhere (e.g., Unicorn across the street). nuStarbucks, as it is, will not be my primary go-to destination. read more

Great new Starbucks. Its nice that they are open so late and the new store is very spacious so there is plenty of room to study or work. The baristas are always friendly and they genuinely want to assist you. The only complaint that I would have about the store is that the music is a bit loud sometimes and during the busy hours its hard to concentrate with so much activity in the store. On the other hand, its a great place to people-watch and relax if you aren't in a hurry. New store looks great!! read more

Great service,great product,equals great review. This is my go to place. The ambiance alone will make you want to stay .