This place obviously has great coffee...since I am one of the hundreds of 4-5 star reviews! Loved my white mocha...it was very different from starbucks white mocha..but great on its own. I would love to come here to relax on the weekends but it looks extremely crowded....this place gives more than coffee...it is a hang out place!
Review Source:What an awesome little cafe! On the outside it looks like a chain coffee shop-bakery, but once you step inside the vibe changes. The atmosphere is very casual and neat and this place is perfect for a relaxed breakfast, lunch, or snack (including a small group). The service is attentive and fast and friendly and the menu is great.
They have amazing tea and coffee selections and a good selection for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts (pasteries). Everything seems to be made in-house and fresh. I got a darjeeling tea with the turkey and avacado sandwich, and both were great. They really hit the spot.
Overall a fantastic find in the neighborhood. The only downfall, a little pricey for what you get. My sandwich was 9 dollars, a little steep in my opinion. Still a great choice for something casual.
Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Food: 8/10
I've never been to a real Austrian cafe but sure am glad to have an Americanized version in the 'hood. Good service, coffee and sandwiches. Really tasty french toast, so rich it gives me a bit of a tummy ache. I like the little touches: old photos of the European locations, cans of coffee on the walls like a general store and the newspapers in wooden binders. A bit on the expensive side.
Review Source:The first time I came here was with a meeting with a wedding photographer. Â As soon as I stepped in, I knew why she chose to meet here and why she said it's one of her favorite places. Â The atmosphere is nice - perfect for a little afternoon date with friends or a special someone or a business meeting such as the one we had - some days are super busy but it has some kind of calming effect...They have a great selection of tea. Their latte was very good, too. Â Service is friendly and if I'm in the area again, I will no doubt make a stop here.
Review Source:This beautiful little cafe and restaurant is unbelievably delicious. In particular, the Truffled Croque Madame is a life changing sandwich. It's hard to say how, precisely, it changed my life, but there is a distinct sense that things will never be the same. I highly, highly recommend it. Other than that, the pikant mocha is also deliciously different, and both of the french toasts on the menu--caramelized banana and walnut/blueberry--are rich, creamy, and big enough to share (that's what she said). Everything from the decor to the food and drink presentations to the dessert display is very tastefully done. I cannot recommend this place highly enough, but dammit, I'm trying! Go to this place!!!
Review Source:I just cannot quite figure this place out. Â Is it getting too popular with people in the neighborhood. Â Is this restaurant gentrification?
Do not get me wrong. Â I love this place. Â I have for years. Â The food is solid. Â The coffee and tea are excellent. Â But I feel off when hanging here lately. Â It has that sort of European feel going on which maybe is part of what throws me off. Â I love to travel but I want European coffee houses to be take me into Europe when I leave their doors.
My ex and I lived in the neighborhood for 6 years, but he never wanted to come here! I remember always gazing into the windows while passing by, imaging us having brunch or a coffee date. Â :(
Well, that's a good thing because now I can enjoy this place without memories of a past relationship! JM is always packed, but I come during off hours. I've had various flavored coffee drinks which were all excellent. I tried French press coffee for the first time here and fell in love. The best part was not having to share! The worst part was having the jitters all day, but I had a family party so I needed the energy. Food wise, I've only had the almond croissant (get this. now!) and a ham and cheese crepe which was okay. I love the ambiance and comfy seating.
I did have one little negative incident here. The waitress gave me the wrong check, which incidentally had the same pastry I ordered. The coffee wasn't on there. I thought since it was the holidays, she was being nice. I paid cash and gave her a nice fat tip. As I am finishing my coffee, she brings the check and money back and told me she made a mistake. Aww man. Well, it was a nice thought!
You know I will be back, and most likely with a date. :P
This is one of the best cafes in Chicago. Both locations are great. Been a fan since Day 1 and still look forward to returning for a cup of joe each time I get a chance.
The live music is great. The atmosphere is cozy and conducive to long conversations. Â Sometimes it can get a bit busy so off hours are definitely preferred.
The kitchen menu is just okay but the sweets/pastries are good compliments to their coffee bar drinks and teas. Definitely come here for a snack but don't stay for a meal.
A love letter to Julius Meinl:
Dear Julius Meinl,
Such an asset your store is to the Lakeview neighbourhood that it's my first point of call on a five hour pilgrimage from the border of Canada. That's the devotion which your beautifully prepared desserts and delectable egg dishes, authentically prepared true to the Austrian standards of your original location, inspires in me. The equivalent of driving non-stop from Munich or Prague to Vienna for an hour to ninety minutes of quiet enjoyment in these rarefied settings.
Where else can a cafe be full to the rafters and still maintain an elusive air of refinement and tranquility? Go to any Starbucks, coffee house or bar in this city, you'll discover loud conversations, the shriek of children cutting through the atonal hum like knives. Here the little ones sit  still longer, attended by parents or caregivers who include them in conversation or arrest the outbursts somehow. Your Opera Torte may be involved, for what stop by that extraordinary pastry case does not invite salivation and quiet appreciation for the artistry in composing so many simple ingredients into a slab of creamy or chocolate perfection? I have yet to find a comparable place without a liquor license.
You who invites harpists to serenade your dinner crowds one night and manages soul or jazz ensembles the next, please realize the inherent value and civility in such places. They are a rarity in many parts of the United States and Canada; having visited 40+ states and 5+ provinces in search of a lovely cup of tea, I should know. I revere atmospheres that mix culture with culinary heights and intellectual stimulation. The soft scent of melting cheese and the clink of small spoons in your trademark cups is soothing and melodious to all the senses. The rushed North American society vanishes once we walk through your doors.
I could wage a death-defying struggle against my income taxes or a transatlantic flight after your mac and cheese spaetzel. The decadence of your almond inflected pastries on a delicate sponge is mouthwatering. The baked eggs are worth every moment of the wait, but the kind request that patrons add a little time to their dining experience is another genteel gesture in an age which rarely recognizes their value. I could wax poetic on the pleasure of the baked eggs and the balance of flavours offered, or the sustaining strength of the hot goulash prepared in a manageable portion instead of grossly oversized Americanized ones which lead to so much waste and excess. A bowl of goulash on spaetzle is like a hug from Grandma.
Taking away an extra box of your torte for the long drive home is not the same as the romantic, intimate ambiance I find in your shop. I miss the attentive, discreet service that never comes as intrusive, but welcome. The moment I walk in, I'm seated by someone happy to inform me of seasonal offerings and let me find my bearings, but never more than a few footsteps away. When a gentleman dropped a glass of water on the floor and promptly doused himself, three of your staff appeared in an instant with a fresh newspaper, real towels, another glass, and all the cleaning supplies necessary. The concern was for the guest as much as the area. He was freshened up and put to rights immediately.
For that, I ask you to please consider expanding. I realize another outpost may diminish your ability to keep these high standards but certainly you can exist outside Chicagoland. I have no doubts that you would thrive in other cities: Detroit could use your old world charm. I'd even take one of the southern Ontarian cities like Kitchener-Waterloo or, if I Â must, Toronto (though it's no closer) to add to the landscape of revered institutions who bring a taste of Europe to us.
Love,
Heather
Julius Meinl is awesome! Â The ambiance of their cafe's and the great service make it a go to place for coffee and latte's. Â They have a nice selection of desert's and it's a good spot to go hangout on a cold day or after dinner. Â If you're looking for something different than Caribou and Starbucks' with some heart in the business...then drop on by, you won't regret it!
Review Source:Beloved brunch spot, a long-time favorite in Chicago. Charming cafe with a European feel. To-die-for pastries (almond croissant is one of the best you'll ever have) and delicious coffee. Baked egg entrees are a savory indulgence.
Venue gets slammed on the weekends, servers can get harried, so grab a coffee and enjoy a pastry while you wait.
My friend and I came here for brunch after we were told Southport Grocery would be an hour and a half wait. Â We were seated right away here, though we did have to sit outside on a windy 70 degree November day. Â
We were told upon seating that service would be slow outside, but I didn't find that to be the case. Â I ordered a hot chocolate to start, and it was pretty good, though it could have been hotter. Â
I went for a lunch option and my friend ordered a stuffed french toast. Â My roast beef sandwich was fine. Â I think this place's breakfast/brunch options are probably the way to go. Â
I'd have given 3 stars for the food only, but the service was good. Â They brought my friend the wrong kind of french toast (okay, that was bad), but they not only fixed it very quickly, but they comped our drinks, and they boxed the "wrong" french toast for us to keep, saying they'd otherwise have thrown it away. Â I thought that was really nice. Â I sampled both french toasts (banana and stuffed), and the stuffed french toast was amazing!
I'd come back...but only if Southport Grocery has a wait next time I go!
I go here to work on my laptop a lot. The food is really good, I recommend the baked eggs or the spatzle, which is like a gnocchi dish. They give you yummy little cookies with every drink! They also give you 2 hours of free internet, but it you have a 3G card, they'll let you sit there as long as you like. My only complaint is that you have to ask them to refill your drink instead of just doing it when it's empty.
Review Source:A friend of mine told me about Julius Meinl because we both share a passion for classical music. He let me know that every Friday and Saturday night from 8:00PM-11:00PM they have live music. He saw a harpist one weekend and when we all went there together we saw a great string quartet called the glass cage (i think) and they played arrangements of contemporary songs like Brittney Spears, Radiohead and Imogen Heap.
It was definitely the music that brought me in but the cafe itself is really adorable. It's very European in the style and decor, even how the deliver your coffee and tea reminds me of being in France.
If you're looking for a nice romantic place to drink beautiful teas and coffees and eat dessert or even just need a place to study I highly recommend it.
I haven't tried their food yet, I really wish they would serve dinner until 10:00 on Friday and Saturday night.
Came here while apartment searching with my roommate and loved everything about this place. I am a sucker for ambience and everything about this place really hit the nail on the head for me that day. Great music, comfy chairs, quaint seating areas, super tasty food.
I tried the strawberry and nutella crepes that came with fresh whipped cream. I'm not a huge fan of whipped cream, but this was phenominal. Our waiter was not overbearing, though he probably could have come back to see us a little more often. I suppose that's our own fault, since we both whipped out our laptops and started typing away.
Can't wait to come back here in the winter and snuggle up next to the window and watch the world pass by.
One of my favorite breakfast places! The coffee is very strong and has its own unique flavor. This is not Starbucks or dunkin donuts, we're talking a little more stain your teeth, wake you up flavor. What coffee is supposed to taste like. We typically order the French press, an egg dish (quiches are awesome, baked egg dishes especially the basil/goat cheese are v good), and the beef goulash is hands down our favorite. When in doubt, get the goulash!!! If you're not full after all that - the strudel is some of the best in the city. There are several Julius Meinl's all over town, and they own a bakery that used to be on Irving Park but has since changed location. The strudel is made there and then shipped to the different locations.
The only thing that I will mention is expect to run into screaming children at this location. This Julius Meinl's is on Southport, which is home to 1000's of pregnant women and their obnoxious strollers full of too many poorly behaving children. Â I've had a couple of breakfasts ruined at this location by a 3 year old asshole because it decided to have a melt down and it's hipster parents just ignored it. Parents - when your child can't sit quietly in a restaurant, you remove them. Its not rocket science. You are ruining other peoples' meals that they are paying good money for.
That's the end of the rant, but be forewarned. They do have a counter for small orders if you would like to take your food and coffee with you.
coffee makes me sleepy, predominately, i think, because of how freaking tired i am of sucky coffee. also, i might have an undiagnosed neurological disorder.
julius meinl's delicious espresso beverages, however, are like waking up in a world where drinking coffee doesn't have to be a painful, utilitarian experience, but rather can be, as the austrians say, "super freaking delicious." seriously, one sip of my latte and i was doing julie andrews spins around the austrian mountaintops, only instead of actually spinning i was just saying, "this is super freaking delicious" (like an authentic austrian).
i've also had the distinct pleasure of being able to replenish my blood sugar here once or twice before i slipped into a coma, or passed out like that one girl in my high school math class that one time when i think she just didn't want to take a test. what i mean is that i've eaten the food here a couple times and i didn't puke it up like that girl on that one totally-too-real-for-comfort episode of degrassi.
one time i got this like salmon-egg bake breakfast item with cream cheese which tasted like heaven, you know, if jesus was up there and he was really a fish and instead of clouds there were just really fluffy eggs. you can decide for yourself where the cream cheese fits into this analogy.
i was also fortunate enough to be feeling adventurously pretentious one time and ordered this quinoa apple salad thing they were dishing up to all the frou-frou, bougie, health-nut, cake-haters. this stuff was simply beyond delicious, in an entirely different realm of tastiness reserved for dishes that have like julia child's ghost's plasma as their secret ingredient (i think this constituted the dressing they used).
the cafe itself is simple, with big bright windows and chairs for sitting on and tables for eating/drinking at (tip: if you bring chairs to a table, you can sit while you eat/drink). it's pretty well done because when you walk in you're like, "oh i'm in a cafe" which is good because that's what it is and if you were like, "oh i'm in a crematorium" or something you'd probably not be sure where you were and you might even get freaked out and then suddenly leave in a fit of terror like the time i desperately pushed my way out the emergency exit at a haunted house when i was in 5th grade.
overall, i think if you want a tasty coffee beverage, or a relaxing weekend breakfast, meinl is the place to go. prices are fairly reasonable, i didn't have to like cash my CDs in early to foot the bill or nothing. just kidding, i don't have CDs.
they also have dinnertime supperfoods. i've gotten one or two of those, but i think the breakfast items are what really do it for me here.
The coffee here is stellar. Â It feels so luxurious to order an entire french press just for me and linger over several cups of coffee. Â The food menu is pretty good and the pastries are even better. Â This is an Austrian-style cafe so the menu is very European- not everybody's cup of tea but I think it's a nice change from your average coffee shop. Â
The only negative for me is the extreme wait to get in here on a weekend. Â I don't always have the patience to wait 1/2 an hour to have a cup of coffee, but when I do it's worth the wait.
To go? Or not to go? (Or rather, would you like us to take your name down and let you know when a table is available?)
If you're in a rush, I'm so sorry for you, because the Meinl experience includes sitting down and feeling pampered at a cozy table (sometimes a little TOO cozy). Coffee here is nice but the reason I come here is for tea. Such a huge selection! I hear they used to have a larger one, with more abstract teas that could cost you WAY more than you would spend on a nice sweater, and I was a little bummed that I never got to experience that menu...however, from the teas I've tried (and the little cookies I've dipped in my cups feeling like a yuppie) I've been elated by the seducing tea coma you can go into with cup after cup pouring at your own table. One or two teas MAX is what I suggest for trying since you get a whole pot to yourself, but come with friends and you can all swap a taste!
It's unfortunately not a place that makes you feel like you should be lingering. If you're done eating and drinking and drinking some more, there are usually plenty of people waiting for a seat, and your waiter/waitress is usually super attentive and to want to sit down and read a book or something quiet of that nature, it's a bit draining to feel guilty you're not constantly sucking new things down so as not to stiff your waiter of the tip they could be getting serving another table...If you're coming for a business lunch or to discuss something between a couple people, or a date, or just lunch with a friend, it's a nice quiet and happy spot to do it at. Mac and Cheese btw...awesome, rich, filling, cheesey.
Thank goodness for this place! It just saved me from going insane without internet for almost a week!
I just moved to downtown Chicago 6 days ago and have been living without AC and Internet therefore I found this place with my "free wifi" app on my iPhone.
Upon reading from all of the other Yelpers reviews on this place, I must say I am a huge huge huge fan of the full service coffee house style. I can't recall the last time I was in a place like this and if I did, it was about 5 years ago when I was in Paris, France. This coffee place definitely has the European feel and seemed very comforting with great service. I ordered their ice green tea with a side of a blueberry petite four and everything was delicious!
I can't wait to come back to this place to try the actual menu and the popular espresso everyone seems to rave about!
T'was late one evening and my friends and I were going to catch a show at the nearby Music Box. We were hungry, restless and cranky; so we needed to do something to fill some time. Then somebody suggested that we should hang out at Julius Meinl. My friend was raving about their coffee and delicate Austrian pastries.
So we grabbed a table and proceeded to order some of their tortes and delicious drinks. Tortes were rich and tasty albeit their smaller portions. Regardless they complemented the coffee very well. I also found out that they are actually based in Austria and many products were imported from there. I don't know how I could miss this little European gem all this while!
My only complain is the portion size. It would certainly be nice to have more than two bites at least. I've heard they do breakfast/brunch as well, which I will be trying out very soon.
So we stopped in Wednesday night to relax, catch up, and have some coffee. However, it didn't go that way. They were obviously busy but had only a single server for the entire place! Ridiculous!
Most people in the biz will tell you that you should have 1 server for every 8-10 tables. Maybe Julius Meinl thinks people ordering coffee and pastry deserve the same level of service as people ordering a meal. If so, stop forcing us to use servers who are going to either take forever or ignore us. Better yet, invest a few bucks an hire an extra server.
The coffee was average at best, probably since it too so long to make and serve. Â The pastry we wanted they were out of but we were told we could wait 10 mi while it's pulled from the freezer to thaw? Really? Frozen pastries. I asked the manager and he said they are made at another location. He didn't say they were frozen but I'm not sure why the server would lie. They seem cheap so I wouldn't be surprised.
Well, we probably won't be coming back. Save a few bucks and just goto Starbucks or Caribou. You will be happier when your expectations are not shattered.
I don't really get to coffee shops too much, despite the fact that there are two or three pretty decent ones (not Starbucks) around me. Â When I do want to go to one, this is usually my choice.
What's good about it? Â I really like the coffee. Â It truly is amazing coffee. Â The lattes are hand made and not automated like Starbucks. Â The coffee is fresh and bold, but never over roasted. Â They stock tons of it too, to take it home with you. Â All-a that is good.
The live music on Friday, Sat nights is also good too.
What's not so good/slightly disappointing? Â I find that this place is kind of beat to shit. Â Maintenance is not their strong suit here, and I feel like it's kind of dirty too. Â I don't buy the whole high-volume thing as an excuse either.
The food choices (the eggs in particular) are kind of disappointing. Â I waited at least half an hour for a burnt omelette...thing. Â It was overcooked, too hot, and kind of too greasy. Â The sandwiches are good though. Â The turkey avocado one is really tasty.
In theory, this place is a good concept and a rather nice execution, however, they haven't kept it up, and they really need to be able to make some decent eggs if they want to be a worthwhile proposition for a breakfast place.
I do like the fact that I can sit here for hours on end and get two pots of french press coffee for $10. Â Table service at a coffee shop is not really common in the US from what I gather, and this is one of the few places that is geared towards it. Â Like, they don't get bitchy if you only spend $10. Â And for that reason alone, I'll continue to go back, but no more breakfast for sure.
Coffee is excellent, go for whatever special they have.
The food is good, baked eggs, sausage plate with truffle oil over arugula.
Good European food is hard to find so I was so happy to be able to check this place out over my Birthday brunch.
I can't wait to go back and try the savory crepes and goulash spatzle.
Come here on a weekend brunch morning and feel very European with pastry, coffee and good conversation!
Phoebe's Phun Phact time: Did you know there are only 4 Julius Meinls in North America and all of them are on the Northside of Chicago? Obviously, I must take advantage of this.
Sister, friend, and I came here for a study buddy date. Sister ordered the cheese Spätzle, however the waiter forgot to put her order in. Thankfully, we were comped the Spätzle and enjoyed the rest of our snacks. Friend ordered their key lime pie expecting an actual slice of pie, but it came out as an eerily green shiny dome. The French press coffee here is smooth, flavorful, and incredibly indulgent. Combine that with a Topfenstrudel (basically a cheese danish) and you've got the perfect afternoon treat.
Parking by the Lakeview/Wrigleyville JM is incredibly annoying because of the busy intersection and permit parking. Take public transport or walk your lazy butt here if you can. It is well worth the hoofin.
What I love about this place the most is the fact we're the only ones to have it in N America. Better still, they're all on the N side and one coming soon to Evanston!
Yes, the coffee may be strong but it's flavorful. They only have one size fits all for their cold beverages of lattes, teas, smoothies and juices.
I haven't detered away from a cup of coffee in the afternoon, served on china when dining in, with a pastry. When I really want to impress my friends, I order a few and bring them to someone's house party.
I have never been fond of the coffee here because I find it too strong but I love the gingersnap cookie the coffee is served with. So I order the tea, which I love, and steal the cookie that comes with Hubby's coffee. Being a kind and generous man, he pretends not to notice that I have stolen his cookie yet again.
Seriously, the tea here is great. They have many varieties worth having. Try one of their Oolongs, one of their Green teas, or the Rooibos. They also have some very nice fruit teas and herbals. Their selection is so extensive you could probably visit 30 plus times and not have a tea repeat.
They have free wifi and will not chase you out if you plop yourself down to work on your laptop and drink tea. Every time I walk by or go in, many people are doing exactly that.
When I come for lunch, I enjoy the goat cheese salad and the chicken salad sandwich. But, be warned, the chicken salad sandwich is not for everyone because it has grapes and walnuts in it, which makes it a little sweet. I happen to love it, but my mom always made her chicken salad with apples so the sweetness is pleasing to me.
If I come for breakfast, I like the chocolate croissant, the Nutella crepes or the Danish monkey bread, when they have it.
Went here after a night of Korean galbi (that's Korean BBQ for you non-Koreans out there) for a friend's birthday. Â I'm not a big fan of coffee or tea, but I most certainly am of deliciously decadent desserts!
The chocolate cupcake with butter cream frosting is soooooo freaking good. Â At first I was kind of put off by how hard the frosting was, but after tasting it, I regretted my sour first impression. Â It's so creamy and and perfectly sweet to match with the moist and fluffy chocolate cupcake.
The atmosphere itself is very nice--very cafe like, but also nice enough to chow down. Â Hoping to go back soon!
I don't get out to breakfast or brunch too often. Â For one, the brunch crowd tends to rub me the wrong way. Â I usually find myself getting seated next to some harpy shrieking about how this brunch place compares to other brunch places. Â "Day and night she talks, each word more useless than the next." Â Waits for tables, waiters more hung over than I am, and it's all way too early in the day. Â My bed, couch, fridge, and bathroom are preferable to almost any restaurant on a weekend morning. Â But if I were a brunching man, you'd see me here pretty often. Â
As you are in a coffeehouse, you'd do well to start with some coffee. Â You have the option of spending an extra $2 for a French press of your brew of choice. Â This is a no-brainer. Â You're getting about three cups out of it, and it's fresh, hot, and delicious. Â Plus, it's good to just have the whole damn thing at your table. Â Your waiter might be busy, and you can also look down on other people who have foolishly chosen not to order the French press. Â
My brother and I both opted for sweet over salty, he for the baked banana french toast, I for the stuffed French toast. Â Both excellent, but the stuffed French toast is nearly transcendent. Â Brioche, topfen cheese, streusel, and an apple compote. Â Instead of a few dried out squares, you get a steaming piece the size of a brick, and without the French press to keep you alert, it would likely cause a full blown food coma right on the spot. Â
This place gets pretty busy by late morning, so don't put things off for too long unless you're not sure you can keep anything down. Â Waiting for a table for brunch is pure hell.
Several years ago a friend had hipped me to Julius Meinl on Southport. Then we used to go on Friday nights after dinner and listed to any guest acoustic guitar players or violin players. The desserts were always fresh and inviting.
Then there must have been a change in management, as the desserts were stale and service was horrible.
But there must have been enough complaints to make a change back for the better. The service is great. The desserts no longer induce winces. I have not been back after dinner on Friday nights, but rather on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Satisfaction has returned.
This place is such a contradiction. Beautiful atmosphere, delicious food and pastries, a wide selection of coffee and tea drinks - so why is the wait staff so cold and unfriendly? I mean, the place always has customers, so the wait staff has the opportunity to make some serious tip money. The people working at the counter are pleasant. But the servers? Cold, cold, cold.
The Purple Grandma and I stopped in on a recent weekday, around 11:30am. The full lunch crowd hadn't arrived yet. We chose a table in the front half of the restaurant. Our server was a robot who had not received his personality chip yet. Data on Star Trek:The Next Generation was an android who had no capacity for emotion, and he was more pleasant. We got our food, our waters, our coffee drinks in good order. The mechanics of service were there. Good customer service also includes saying "hello", or some kind of pleasant greeting. We got none of that. It was so noticeably absent, we even discussed it. It's part of table service at this location. Along with your coffee, you get frost. Doesn't Julius Meinl do any kind of training at all? Or all these servers all relatives of some big shot? It really detracts from the experience.
At 11:30am, something else detracted from the experience. They were completely out of scones. Purple Grandma asked for the highlighted hot tea. They were out of that, too.
Isn't 11:30am a little early to be running out of menu items?
I had a croissant sandwich with egg and bacon. It arrived piping hot. It was good. I think I may be going on an egg sandwich tour of Chicago. Purple Grandma liked her second choice of hot tea, though she didn't order any other food after she found out they were completely out of scones.
In case you're wondering, I still tipped Mr. Frost 20%. I suppose that won't encourage him to develop some people skills.
If Julius Meinl doesn't get this service issue addressed, it is really going to start hurting their business.
My Chicago friend took me here for a nice afternoon tea, and as a tourist in Chicago I never would have discovered the place. The place does have a European feel to it, and it wasn't overcrowded or loud. Their tea selection was impressive, and even though they were out of the first TWO teas I selected (which was pretty annoying) I ended up with a nice fruit tea which I think was the Rooibos Strawberry Cream.
The tea came out piping hot in a glass Bodum tea press and was enough for about three full cups. It was presented on a little tray with a cute cup, sugar, and a little cup of creamer which was a nice touch. We sat at a little table by the window and their chairs were nice and comfy.
The only downside is that I do agree with other reviewers who said that their server seemed a little annoyed if they didn't order food. Ours kept doubling back to see if we wanted anything else several times. I could understand this if they were packed, but there were lots of open tables and it was mid-afternoon so the urgency seemed a little out of place.
Cure for your hangover...
Really appreciate the excess amount of water that they serve... trust me I needed it when I had breakfast with a couple'a friends last weekend. Great coffee at 7 am?? Yes please... Loved the baked eggs with Rösti potato pancake, caramelized onions, aged Parmesan & truffle oil and the sweet potato spätzle. Totally unique!! Although I have to mention that their tables are so small, We kept knocking the water everytime we stood up... come on people, I had to criticize something!!
This review is independent of the food and coffee, which is just fine.
This place is very un-friendly towards those wishing to use a laptop or do work, I'm guessing in an effort to discourage patrons who lurk for hours on end. If you'd like to do some work in a coffee shop, I'd say go elsewhere. From my experience today:
-they don't provide wi-fi Friday through Sunday
-no outlets visible anywhere (but to be fair there's lots of places with that situation)
-server promptly ignored me once I pulled out my laptop, which I found extremely annoying only because I ordered a drink as I sat down and told her I'd make a food order when she came back. Which she never has. Trying for eye contact every time she walks by isn't helping - I think I've been officially written off!
I'm sad to report that they just lost a customer. I was stoked to spend a day of studying here when I was met with a RUDE waitress who seemed annoyed that I was setting up camp with my laptop there. I politely asked if they have a password for the wi-fi and she told me they don't provide Wi-Fi on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. GREAT! NO WI-FI ON WEEKENDS WHEN PEOPLE STUDY, what a WINNING concept! When the bus boy was about to tell me how to log on out of kindness, ANOTHER RUDE employee approached me and said "Like the other girl said...we don't provide wi-fi on weekends." Oh, and the bus boy noted that when they DO provide wi-fi it's only for 2 hrs. A huge pet peeve of mine. On top of that, my waitress asked 3 times if that was "ALL" I was getting (I ordered a latte---standard at a cafe you'd think).
*sigh* Disappointing to say the least. When it's $5 for a latte and crappy service, why WOULD I stop going to Starbucks? There's a reason that Starbucks has so many loyal customers.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
