New Wave Coffee

This place is pretty big but somehow always packed every single time I've been, and the wifi is generally slow. I mean, good for them, getting the business. I've only ever had their coffee (Metropolis, not my favorite but I do like it), which always seemed a little more bitter than it ought to be. The staff is not terribly friendly, and the service is kind of slow...like, if you walk in here to get coffee and there's a line, you should probably just turn around and go somewhere else unless you want to wait eons. I really appreciate that they put soy milk out on the fixins bar so you don't have to ask for it or get charged extra (really, this should be standard everywhere by now). They have some vegan treats in the cooler, but none of them were particularly awesome to me. I do like the way the light comes in through the windows.

I have been pretty faithful to New Wave since moving back to Logan Square a year and a half ago. The coffee is ok and the staff are super sweet. They used to have amazing croissants but, tragically, their baker was severely burned and now their pastries are pretty awful. Here's a suggestion to the owner: trade coffee for croissants with La Boulangerie. Apparently the owner of New Wave owns the building of all the businesses right there, including La Boulangerie. And, he forbids La Boulangerie from selling coffee AS WELL as individual pastries. HOW IS THIS LEGAL? AND WHY ARE WE SUPPORTING SUCH PREHISTORIC PRACTICES? What a jerk. Don't cooperation and community trump profit margins? in san francisco, cafes--at least the ones i know-- thrive on supporting each other this way. I will be buying my beans and cups of coffee from the new cafes sprouting up all over Logan Square. See ya New Wave!

Well, I'll start by saying I didn't have the coffee here. And that I'm not really familiar with this area of Chicago. I've heard some things... that I thought weren't really true. Until I came here. Now I appreciate my neighborhood coffee shops a lot more.

I love me some metropolis, but I chose not to have it here since it was night. I'm sure they are reliable for coffee. That's not what the 2 star is for. Rather, it's because this is probably the most unwelcoming coffee shop I've ever walked into.

We came to eat ramen down the street and had to wait a bit. Why not stop by this charming bright coffee shop we drove by earlier to relax a bit? Because it's not really a welcoming place. The barista literally did not make eye contact or have any expression on his face. I'm pretty sure he went out of his way to avoid eye contact. The other girl was nicer. Then again, the whole vibe of the place just made me feel very exposed rather than comforted. I guess we just didn't belong there.

My hot cider was nice and warm. Bf's hot chocolate was not very rich, but okay. His extremely overpriced tiny piece of COLD apple pie was haphazardly slapped onto a plate and tasted very below average.

Next time, I'll remember to make reservations for dinner.