First tip: ARRIVE EARLY!  No Exit is teeny tiny.  We arrived right under the wire and had to sit on separate ends of the "theater".  It's essentially a little coffee shop with a few tables and bar stools around the perimeter, which makes it a great spot to see an intimate play.  The musical I saw, Light in the Piazza, had some strong vocals which seemed to frighten the lady in the front row, so  you may want to hang back a little.
They have a liquor license and actually offer a play-inspired menu (this was spaghetti and meatballs, you know, 'cause it's Italian) prior to the show which is served to you by the actors. Â We didn't partake, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it.
Overall, the performance was strong and the space is cute. Â I will come back to see more.
I saw a performance of Chess this past weekend at No Exit and I was very impressed with the performance. Â The singers were fantastic and the staging, choreography and musicians were stellar. I can't get over how their small cast was able to deliver the choral pieces so well. This venue was TINY which actually made the whole thing even more enjoyable. Sure, the tables were squished together and people kept bumping me from behind - but it was all worth it as I was about 5 feet from the performance and could see and hear everything perfectly.
We didn't eat beforehand since I didn't see a possibility of anything very vegan friendly able to occur so I can't comment on the food. However, being waited on by the actors would have been very fun.
I also can't comment on the bathrooms since we were invited to use the ones at The Glenwood next door - and those were very nice.
Overall, being able to experience such talent and entertainment at so small a venue and for so reasonable a price, is one of the many things that makes living in Chicago as worthwhile as it is. I brought my parents to the show and they had their doubts as we were seated. However, they left completely awed and thrilled. I can't wait to return for another show.
I used to come here in high school and college all the time. Â The time between 1991 and 1998 was freakin' magical when it came to hanging out at No Exit. Â Doing my homework in the back corner, listening to some great jazz on Sunday nights, laughing at the hippies talking about "groovy vibes", drinking some great coffee, crushing hard on the waitresses... you couldn't possibly go wrong.
The Heartland people bought this place, eliminated their only competition in the immediate neighborhood and haven't really made good use of this place at all. Â
I booked some pretty great all ages punk shows here, until it was no longer profitable for Heartland Inc. Â Whatever, I'm not bitter. Â Point is, these hippies gone venture capitalists have bastardized an otherwise great coffee shop. Â Good job guys. Â *slow clap*
The No Exit Cafe is tucked away on a strip of Glenwood Ave in Rogers Park. It looks like a place most people wouldn't venture in unless you knew somebody who knew about it. The inside has this feeling of a small diner, something out of a small po-dunk town where the locals look like locals and the coffee is black. The décor is made up of anything and everything. People just leave oddities such as Elk antlers or a painting of James Dean, and then it gets put up on the walls. Along with the eclectic décor this café has a lot of history behind it; it has been in this location since 1967 but it moved here from Evanston back in 1958. Back then it was known for being a beatnik (coffee and Jazz) kind of joint with a diverse crowd, mostly a lot of college students and professors. With the changing of the times and being in the "art" district of Rodgers park I would say that it is even more diverse now.
In addition to being a café it hosts a play here and there which is really why I experienced such a place. The play "Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night" was nothing short of brilliant. Nothing like sitting at a table with some friends and wine watching a play so close that if you stuck your foot out they would trip (It was an accident..ok) one of the actors. French translator Arnold Johnston did a terrific job at bringing Jacques Brel's play to life and he was actually there the night I went. This play is so worth seeing and I would get tickets asap because I believe it won or is nominated for a Jeff Award. The performers themselves gave such a passionate performance that the crowd was speechless. What makes this café unique is that the performers are actually the staff too and sure enough as soon as they step foot of the stage they fill up your water or hand you a receipt for your meal.
I can't say I would eat here but I would come back for a play or two.
Used to be a full on coffeeshop, and one of the first places I hung out at when I moved to Chicago. My brother has macked on many a waitress here. Now part of the Heartland Conglomerate.
Now it's sort of a threadbare performance space with dingy, beat up furniture - home of Democracy Burlesque - and has food service too. I saw "food service" in the barest possible terms, 'cos it's sorta  light on the "service"
I really miss this place. On Sunday nights, me and some of my friends (were talking 10+ years ago) would go there, drink coffee and watch this Jazz combo play til about midnight. It was truly awesome.It had a wonderful,dim, relaxing aura to it. The place itself didn't look like it changed much since the sixties, in fact I remember seeing some graffiti in the restroom that read "Strawberry Fields Forever 3/6/67.
Review Source:Right down the street from the Heartland Cafe and Red Line Tap, this small gem can be found. Â A long history of left wing political activists have graced this cozy cafe that once only served coffee, tea or light snacks, but now boasts a full menu. Â They have local and regional musicians on the stage, as well as poets and comedians. Â The parking is scarce but the coffee and atmosphere make it well worth the trip to east Rogers Park.
Review Source:This is your classic coffee house that has been through several incarnations in the neighborhood. It was serving doppios long before Starbucks was even a glint in its founder's eye.
I used to go and hear Art Thieme and Tom Dundee and great folks like that back when it was on the other side of Glenwood.
They still serve up coffee and pastries and give the stage to aspiring performers. Now owned by the righteous folks at Heartland, this is a great place to sit and get over-caffinated and write bad poetry and flirt with the cuties doing the same. Or have a heated discussion about some obscure topic that is of the utmost importance to you and practically no one else.
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