This place has a vibe different from other coffee shops.
While it is a great place to study and basically set up camp for the day it is also a great place for a lot of thing evidently.
They have a theater in the back. They host events.They have regular dance classes. They have a religious chapel attached. They have a lot of space and are intent on using it to the fullest. This result in a less than intimate experience because you are sitting at tables in what is essentially a multiple purpose room/auditorium.
If you can get beyond the overwhelming feeling of the space you will find friendly people beyond the counter and snacks. They have typical sugary snacks and those weird gluten free bars that are a blend of crushed nuts and raisins.
It is certainly a great addition to the area and if you chat it up with the baristas some of the warmth of other coffee shops will come back.
I'm a Columbia student so we have a building right next door. Went here on a break one day between classes and was met the most EXCELLENT service. The barista, Justin, was nice and welcoming and made me feel like I was the most important customer of the day. His friendliness and the quality of the coffee has kept me coming back during my class breaks.
Definitely recommend this place! Maybe there's a promotion for Justin in the near future? He's a GREAT employee!
What this place has going for it is the great environment - spacious, decent music playing, and quiet enough for studying or reading. The staff were very friendly and courteous. I tried the Overflow, which was good but didn't overly impress me. I'll try the other drinks when I'm back next time.
Review Source:Food is OK so I give it 2 stars.
Coffee is good and I give it 3-4 stars.
Place is very comfortable to do work, read, hang around, with maybe only the lighting being slightly sub-par, so 4 stars. Â I especially appreciate the double doors that prevent the rush of cold air every time someone comes in or out.
People are simply excellent, 5 stars without any doubt.
This place makes South Loop a better place to live. Â Now, if only Chicago didn't go to bed at like 7 PM :-), this could be a super-cool place to hang around in the evening. Â I do appreciate that they stay open till 9 on weekdays, though. Â It certainly won't turn us into New York overnight but it's a step in the right direction :-)
I came here yesterday and had the Nutella Mocha. I had never seen that before, so I thought I would try it. It was delicious! I also tried a few sips of my friend's hot chocolate which was almost just as delicious. The guy running the place also gave us a sample of the coffee. I tried it black, which I never do, and it was actually really good.
I was really happy with the service here. The guy was super friendly and made conversation with us while taking our order. You could tell he was really good at his job because he made our drinks really well.
I subtracted half a star because there was not enough seating in this place. Most of the tables were taken up by people with books and laptops, so there really wasn't room for more than about 10 people to sit down in the entire place. Luckily, our barista let us take a table in the corner where he put his belongings, so that was really nice of him.
I subtracted another half star because the chocolate pastry I ordered was disappointing. I think the breading just didn't taste as good as it does at most coffee shops.
Overall, the quality of the drinks and the service made this a really great experience. I would definitely come here again -- maybe just a drink to go next time though, unless I'm lucky enough to find a seat!
Well I hate to be the one 2 star reviewer, but I'll tell you why. Â It totally lacks any sort of atmosphere. Â I felt like I was inside the lobby of a church, oh wait, I was! Â It was a strange vibe to be. Â The latte was average, but nothing I would run back for. Â Nothing unique about this place. Â I think they have some gluten free stuff, but their bakery items were either wiped out or they really don't do that. Â Seems like a great place for the local college students though.
Review Source:Came here during my vacation in Chicago. The staff is really friendly and that's always a plus for me at any place I go to. I ordered a caramel latte which tasted pretty awesome. I also ordered a croissant sandwich with egg and cheese, and I found it to be delicious. The seating is a little limited, but if you're there early shouldn't be a problem.  For 2 sandwiches and 2 coffees it came out to be about  $19 or so.Overall, it had a good ambiance and I enjoyed the time I was there.
Review Source:The coffee just doesn't taste right to me. Â I like coffee, but I like mine smooth, not too strong or over-roasted. Â I think Overflow's is both strong and over-roasted.
It's convenient to have a coffee shop close to where I work. Â And that is the only reason I go there: Â convenience.
I always get my coffee to-go... hanging out there seems weird. Â There isn't adequate seating, and the arrangement of chairs/sofas that is there is odd.
Lastly, I think it's weird and off-putting that this coffee shop is religious.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this place, but given the absence of numerous South Loop coffee shops I decided to give it a try. The staff are great, friendly and helpful. The coffee is good and reasonably priced.
I look for a coffee shop where I can sit down for a couple hours and get some serious work done. This place was good for that because it was quiet, and uncrowded.
The trouble is that I feel sterile here. It's not quite my ideal setting, but I'll probably be back.
Overflow is exactly the type of cafe I look for. Â Great drinks (you absolutely must try the speziato, it is as amazing as everyone says it is), nice staff, and not too large of a crowd. Â I love the fact that there is a ton of light coming from the windows. Â It's a great place to meet a friend or to get some serious work done. Â
Now that I live in the area, I'll make sure to stop by here frequently!
Overflow is a pretty chill place, and the coffee is quite good. It feels to me like a real neighborhood spot--lots of people camped out to work, lots of moms with babies. I've never seen it mobbed, so it's a good place to go when you want to hear yourself think or have a quiet conversation. (I have to admit that I wonder how they stay in business!) For people watching or food, it can't match Bridgeport Coffee; it's a different sort of place, and I'm glad for that. It doesn't have the scenester feeling of the Coffee Studio in Andersonville; there's nothing pretentious or hip about it, and it doesn't overflow with grad students reading Lacan. It's good to have a quiet, simple coffee shop in your neighborhood, and that's just what Overflow is.
Two big thumbs up for the fact that they will put iced drinks in real glasses if you're staying in, for the fact that they stock almond milk--only cafe I've seen doing that in Chicago--and for the free wifi that actually works.
I'll admit that the space isn't the greatest--it feels a bit institutional and lobby-like, cramped by the windows and too big in the center of the room where there aren't many tables. But let's face it: this is not a serious drawback. I just moved down the street, and plan to be a regular!
I came here because of two Yelp friends, Robyn T. and Maria G, writing about it in such glowing terms that I had to check it out. Â My Yelp friends are never wrong!
Overflow is surrounded by multi use facility for the entire community. Â The space is clean, modern and bright. Â The barista was extremely welcoming and when my daughter compared the Overflow latte to one she had enjoyed at Ipsento he even explained that they were connected with Ipsento. Â Now we knew we would love it even more. Â
We both got the Overflow latte, hers with the cayenne pepper and mine without. Â I tasted hers with and for me, I made the right choice to not include the hotness. Â We did not try any of their treats. Â (OK, Â true confession time, we were nibbling on some crispy little cookies we had purchased at a bakery.) Â
Now I feel guilty so how to deal to make the guilt go away? Â
I will just have to make a return visit! Â Maybe I will run into my Yelp friends!
My husband and I are big fans of local coffee places (no chains!). We used to stop by Donna's Cafe, but we started frequenting Overflow more than Donna's. Â The staff are great, and the coffee -yuummm. I just tried the Overflow yesterday with cayenne - it has a mix of coconut milk, hazelnut and mocha! Delish.
I've seen people sit here and work. I've been wanting to try it out, but it seems a bit packed. The only reason why I haven't given it 5 stars is because I wish they'd add more chairs, some plants maybe, carpets, and make it more cozy.
I live right across the street from this place and love when they moved in! It is a great place to study (free wifi!), though often the tables available aren't big enough for my med school books. ;)
Pretty good coffee, and they make darn good espresso drinks. The hummus sandwich is also killer, and the blue corn chips that they serve with sandwiches are addicting.
Definitely a go-to in the area!
Love that this is so close to me. It's really quiet in there and there's enough space for people to do their thing without being on top of each other or being annoyed by the dude who taps his pen to some weird irregular beat.
The last time I went I was hungry so I had a slice of their spinach quiche. It was pretty good even though it was microwaved. I would have liked it to be a little warmer though. Coffee was really good. Oh and they have free wifi. Who doesn't like that?
I come here about 3 times a week and like the place a lot. Â
My favorite part about it is how authentic it is relative to other coffee shops. Â It has the same offerings as Starbucks, but it's run by people trying to build a community, not just take your money. Â A lot of the same people come in everyday, so I've made a few friends out of it.
The staff is friendly, they don't mind if you stay a while to work, and it's pretty quiet compared to other places. Â
Some people may not like the space but I think it's better not to have people everywhere. Â It makes the place a lot more relaxing than your typical coffee shop.
When we moved to Chicago's South Loop earlier this year, Overflow Coffee Bar quickly became our go-to coffee shop. From my first Nutella Mocha, I was hooked. Locally owned and operated, Overflow impressed us with its coffee but won our loyalty with its community minded mission.
Overflow's shop is spacious and comfortable. There is plenty of room to get a little bit of work done on the complimentary Wi-Fi or to sit and read a book. They even have a little book swap station if yours ends before you're ready to leave! I particularly love the huge windows that look out on State Street.
For more reasons I *heart* Overflow, check out my blog: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FHMXbLS&s=d3efcd6e16092d1e3ac7f875c5cbdf88b8e1dfc325bf163f99d19d1b60657752" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/HMXbLS</a>
First things first - its a much needed addition to the south loop. There is a dearth of coffee shop.
Free wifi - not a lot of ppl and good baked goodies to eat. The drinks are good too. But they need to use up all the space that they have more efficiently. It looks as if they are still setting up.
I can't tell you how happy I am that there is a neighborhood coffee shop in the South Loop. And Overflow has made me happy on a weekly basis. It's a place I can take my kids in with me for a morning coffee and treat and a spot I can escape to alone on the week day evening.
The good: Free wifi, really, really nice people working there, decent music taste on the speakers (and I am a bit of an eclectic one when it comes to that), yummy treats, great quiche, good service, fun events, friendly customers, and a nice sense of community that I think the South Loop can always use.
The bad: Well, I'd like it if they were open a bit later. Wait... what's that? Summer hours!? Awesome!
Great coffee shop! I am a bit of a coffee shop ho... I cheat on my favorites and travel around the city looking for the next free wifi study spot. I can't commit to just one...
Overflow meets all the criteria... free wifi, enough outlets, pretty comfy seating, good balance between quiet and lively, friendly baristas, good drinks and food.
The speziato latte is delicious (though it suspiciously seems just like Ipsento's signature drink.) Coconut milk latte with hazelnut and cayenne pepper. Yum...
The scone I had was also mouthwatering... pear ginger?!
Add on top of all these pluses that some of the profits go back to the community... good do-ers! And they have some fun activities on the website: book clubs, game nights, open mics.
Overall, a gem in the South Loop. I've already told my other coffee hoes about it!
The coffee at Overflow Coffee Bar is good, but it tastes even better when you know that this café has more than just its bottom line in mind. This South Loop coffee shop is based on a business model of social entrepreneurship. The owners, husband and wife team Amanda and Brandon Neely, are thinking about the neighborhood, the greater Chicago community and the world beyond our front door. Overflow purchases its coffee from Chicago based vendor Coffee Ambassadors, who in turn buys it beans direct from farmers at 25% over the fair trade rate. With this commitment to an expensive commodity like coffee, it's no surprise that the café is equally as focused on building up the South Loop neighborhood.
Overflow boasts a book club, documentary screenings, open mic nights and evenings focused on the fun of board games. On a recent weekend visit there were families with kids enjoying brunch, Columbia students typing away on their computers, and individuals just looking to enjoy a good cup of coffee. With an open loft-like space and lots of natural light, it's easy to see why folks migrate to this independent café. The signature coffee drink will keep patrons coming back; The Overflow is a sweet coconut latte with chocolate and hazelnut. Though not an extensive food menu, the options are well rounded with sandwiches, pastries, build-your-own oatmeal and fresh green salads.
This coffee shop seeks to inspire its neighbors to build a stronger South Loop community. If you haven't been yet, be sure to head south on State and get involved at Overflow. March 31st marks Overflow's 1 Year Anniversary!
The speziato...ORDER IT! Made with coconut milk, hazelnut syrup and....wait for it....wait for it...PEPPER! Weird, right? But the best LATTE that has ever graced my lips.
I am not a huge latte person. Â I like my coffee black.
But pepper in a latte? I was intrigued. So I ordered it and it BLEW my mind. Â The latte was ...heavenly.
The BEST LATTE I have ever had.
Ever.
I'm sorry Intelligentsia and  Metropolis and all the coffee shops I still like,
(P.S...starbucks...you were NEVer in the running for best latte)
but overflow got you beat!!
So good I thought about it days afterwards. I made the trek from Hyde Park to this coffee shop yesterday just to have the speziato. I had an hour to kill before my movie nearby on Roosevelt so decided to walk here from the Red line.
I almost cried when I got here(about 545) and it was CLOSED.
WHAT??????
I am pretty sure it is supposed to be open till(I think) 6?
I almost deducted one star for that! But I couldn't because your lattes are just so good and you guys have great hearts for the city of Chicago and the world.
(plus I just looked at your hours and i am in the wrong. Only open on Saturdays till 5. )
Echo what other reviewers have said. I've been invited by the very friendly baristas to come back for their movie nights, discussion nights...etc. All to educate my mind and soul on the needs of the world beyond my latte.
Love the lattes,love the airy space and  love the mission behind the coffee. You guys are the reason I come to the south loop.
Still drooling thinking of the speziato. YUM.......
Tough to compete with this place. Service is outstanding and unlike the big coffee places, they actually take the time to know their customer's and their preferences in a friendly way. Limited menu but everything is fresh and delicious. Great space to relax and read, work on a laptop, or organize a group event/meetup.
It's packed throughout the day (not just the a.m. coffee/breakfast rush) for a reason.
The owners are very involved in the South Loop community and help in so many ways - from selecting "good conscious products" to hosting events to discuss important topics of the day and everything in between. It's great to have them in the South Loop!
I've only ordered decaf coffee here so far, but it's seriously the best I've ever had. (Seriously - I'm used to some pretty darn good coffee and I think I could go without cream here - it's that good). And based on my love of their decaf and some of these other reviews, I think I might need to go earlier in the day so I can try out and enjoy something a bit more interesting. Â
It's a chill, relaxed environment. Love the free wi-fi and variety of people there - always someone coming or going. Also they have a pretty cool focus on the art world and supporting local artists. Word up, Overflow. Seriously awesome.
They rent out some extra space as a community hotspot of sorts for group gatherings. They host a runner's group and a knitting group - even yoga classes for kiddos. Gotta love that stuff - if you're the least bit interested, be sure to inquire with the cashier - they'll get you the info you need in a totally non-pushy way.
It seems I am in the minority, but I had a rather negative experience the first time I stopped in. The staff was awkward, unfriendly and kind of rude. When I tried to make conversation with the woman, she flatly told me to stop talking to her because she was too busy ( we were the only ones in line?). The coffee was tasty, but took forever to make. I agree, the setting is a little too open to give it that cozy, coffee bar feel. So, all in all, I probably won't be returning.
Review Source:Love this place!
Location, location, location :) Â This part of south loop was in desperate need of a cafe! When I visit my sis in Chicago the walk to a cafe was super far and the closest place was an overcrowded Starbucks..but now we have Overflow!
We can walk there and sit for a spell or get tasty coffee to go..I hope the locals support this cafe so I can indulge during my Chicago visits :)
Public tours at Columbia College posted us up in a part of Chicago that we had not explored much. Our contact set up a tab at the coffee shop right next door and the Chicago fall-weather began. Temperatures were mild and the Jane Adams sandwiches we had for breakfast were great!
The coffee was good, not too strong, easy to drink.
Their special Overflow was the best thing there, spicy drink with coconut milk and espresso. I was satisfied and the staff was beyond nice to us. It made for a great day.
And every time we stepped inside the café, they were playing The Beatles.
I know not if it was on purpose or not, but it brought me joy.
Went here a month or two ago with a bunch of med student classmates and the owners noticed we were studying together and offered for us to use an extra conference room they had. We studied there all day and they  were very accomodating and friendly. I had a interesting,  but good, latte with cayenne pepper - definitely something to try
Definitely a great place for people enjoy studying in coffee shop settings but want to get away from the sterile "Starbucks" feel.
This is a much needed and welcomed spot for the neighborhood hence the 4 stars. Â I'm happy to see such a big, comfy, coffeehouse. Â However, my first trip was a bit lackluster.
I tried to pay with a credit card and the cashier asked me if i had seen the sign outside, clearly I hadn't (when I left I noticed that "cash only" was written on one side of the sign which just happened to be facing the other side of the street I walked up on). Â
I ordered a non-fat iced chai and it was only just fine. Â There was nothing special to it and it didn't quite have the zing as it does at another one of my favorite coffeehouses. Â Also, the cup made the place live up to its name: it was overflowing! Â Had to use a handful of napkins to clean it up.
All in all, it's a nice addition and I'll be back, just looking forward to using my card and trying a different drink.
The basics:
- Large space, plenty of chairs and two-tops, lot's of natural lighting, and many electrical outlets (woohoo!).
- Free Wifi, just ask for the code.
- Excellent prices on drinks and espresso, nothing over $4. Â They do have a limited food menu, made up of mostly sandwiches.
- It appears that have many rooms available for meetings and such.
I think I found my new study location...welcome to South Loop / Near South area.
Just sat down at Overflow Coffee! Â I'm uber excited to welcome a coffee shop to the neighborhood. Â It's in a great location and everyone there was very friendly.
Can't wait to see them grow. Â It's a big space, so it feels a little sparse. Â But they have good drinks, yummy looking pastries, lots of heart and free, secure, wifi!
This is my new favorite coffee shop. Â They got just about everything right:
- The coffee is excellent, and it's all better-than-Fair Trade.
- The sandwiches are good (I like the "Fort Dearborn", personally).
- The pastries are excellent and worth a 5-star review all on their own; there's a somewhat wider variety than you'd find at your average Starbucks, prices are similar, and the taste and quality is much higher. Â The biscotti are probably the best I've ever had. Â Most of the pastries are from a local Chicago charitable bakery called Sweet Miss Givings and they're all completely fresh every morning. Â Tip: Â They often have a day-old pastry basket with muffins & scones & biscotti, etc. for super-cheap. Â They're fresh enough to begin with the day before, and they're wrapped so well, that I can hardly tell a difference.
- Free wifi, plenty of seating, and lots of power outlets - it's a very laptop-friendly place.
- Service is great!
Easily the best coffee shop in the South Loop, and probably the best for a wide radius beyond, too.
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