Ellipsis Coffeehouse

Great little modern café spot! :) I enjoyed a tasty Chai freeze and was super tempted to get a second one it was that good! It is a little tight if you want to fit at a table with an outlet but good atmosphere and friendly service!

Buy local. Found this little neighborhood coffee shop on Devon, not far from the Lake. Great atmosphere, eclectic art and décor, wonderful artwork. You know it must be good if locals hangout on a holiday weekend. Free wifi and all the cool drinks the majors have. For a local flair and nice relaxing rest stop, there is even outdoor sitting, this is the place.

Great local place to get a pastry and a good cup of coffee.

A wonderfully understated café that makes a mean cup of cappuccino. Wi-​Fi is fast too. Grab a window seat and you’re set for the afternoon.

Great size. Not too noisy on a Sunday afternoon. Nice playlist playing appropriately loud in the background. I had the jasmine tea which was very nice and looked/​tasted like green tea. Barista refilled my cup with more hot water without any hesitation (never know each café’s policies). Bathroom was clean and spacious. Wifi password is easily seen on a nice wood sign on the bar. I’d like to try its tea flight next time.

I absolutely loved the layout of this place. It’s not necessarily huge, but there’s a nice amount of seating, as well as much variation in the kind of and/​or amount of table space available. Got a latte, which was yummy, and also pleasing to the eye. The barista was really friendly too. Also, there are free Ellipsis Coffeehouse stickers at the register that you can take. My heart – which is very fond of stickers – grinned.

Really great space, coffee, and pastry items!
The space itself does have a nice amount of seating that’s arranged close to outlets, so it’s a great space for studying and group meet ups for work or just to hangout! The menu is pretty straight forward, but they have a great variety of blends.
I ordered the 12 oz latte and a chocolate chip scone. The pricing is pretty aligned with other coffee shops. The scone was very yummy and paired well with the latte. The latte was creamy and milky, just how I like it!

I’m finally writing this review after promising Chris I would do it for years now. It’s also a response to some of the negative reviews I’ve read.
Ellipsis is a great coffee shop if you want great coffee. They are not The Coffee Studio, hence, they are not staffed by lazy, douche-​bag hipsters. They are dedicated to the art and craft of making coffee and espresso. They also are NOT a Starbucks or a Dunkin Donuts. Please keep that in mind when you come to Ellipsis.
Since we are in America, Chris has the ability to run his business how he wants to. If that means no espresso on ice or no microwaved coffee, then deal with it. Go a block east to Starbucks and get their sh*tty, over-​roasted, burnt-@$$ coffee or a heavily taste-​compromised espresso on ice. Don’t be mad at Ellipsis when they won’t compromise their standards. Appreciate their dedication to an ideal. Take the time to talk to Chris about why he makes the decisions he makes; he has a reason for everything. He cares very much about how he runs his business. And he certainly isn’t MAKING people spend their money there — I have never seen him pull a gun out on a customer, which is commendable. If you don’t like it, just remember that you are in Chicago, America, and can always go somewhere else.
I love Ellipsis because Chris is a personable, dedicated individual, it’s a neighborhood business, and the coffee is excellent. The staff is friendly (maybe with the exception of the «Fiery Spaniard» who is not actually a Spaniard and probably not as unfriendly as I think he is) and the service is fast. I highly recommend visiting Ellipsis if you are a human that enjoys good things.

Ellipsis Coffeehouse is the type of coffee shop that attracts the laptop crowd. If you have a laptop that depends upon power outlets, you will not be disappointed here. There are varied seating areas and work spaces which are welcoming, comfortable, and easy to use.
I love the in-​house coffee mugs, which look like they were carved out of petrified wood.
The staff was pleasant and swift. Our drinks were ready before we could blink.
Added bonus: there is serious discussion about Wuthering Heights happening near the window.

The workers were friendly enough.
The food was good.
The drink was average.
And I take off all points here — it was freezing. It’s 19 degrees outside and 50 in this coffee shop. I paid overprice prices for drink and pastry to sit in a cold shop. I keep on my coat and ear muffs and scarf the entire 3 hours. I may come back in the summer but they will not see me during cold months. And this was after asking the warmest spot in the shop.
Tables wobble too but they try to fix it. They indicated it was the badly done cement floors.

The guys here are amazing and so welcoming! They make you feel like you have been invited over for coffee at their home. Coffee is great. Atmosphere is chill. Def becoming my fav coffee shop.

Great coffee & great brownies etc. from the Lovely bake shops … You can contemplate your life while gazing at a mysterious wall of question marks across Devon … As with so many other great Chicago coffee houses I just wish it were open in the evenings … Believe it or not even in Chicago not everybody suddenly turns into a sports bar jock when the sun goes down
The names of the coffee bean blends seem to constantly get weirder & weirder … But even jaded me dropped my jaw a bit quizzically to discover that the heaviest promoted blend here currently is «Sweet Valley High» ??? Hmmm … that doesn’t sound very hipster! …
I guess that show was a long time ago … So If those luscious, succulent twins are still alive, let’s just hope they don’t err on the litigious side !!!

This neighborhood coffee shop is quaint but food and customer service is really lacking. On my first visit in 2015, the dessert I ordered was as solid as a rock (like it was 2 – 3 days old.) I didn’t complain bc I really didn’t want to appear like a jerk or troublemaker. I just noted it to myself to never get food here again. But I visited again today, because a friend was there and I went to meet her. I didn’t order any sweets due to the last experience, but I did get a latte. It was served luke warm at best and went cold pretty fast. So I got up and asked the worker if he could warm it up for me. Here’s how that went down:
Me: «Can you please warm my latte up for me?»
Employee: «I can’t, I’m sorry.»
Me: ‘Are you serious?“
Employee: ‘Yes, we don’t do that.“
Me: ‘Why?‘
Employee ‘It will compromise the taste.‘
Me: ‘But, you’re not drinking it, I am.“
Employee: ‘Sorry, I can’t do that.‘
Me: ‘Are you the owner or is the owner here?‘
Employee: ‘No’
Me: ‘Are you the manager or is the manager here I can talk to?‘
Employee: ‘No’
Me after pushing a few more times and getting no where: «That’s ridiculous»
So, I went back to my table with my $ 4, half full, cold latte.
Did the employee mention it was bc of some health dept. rule? Nope.
Not that I wanted this, but did the employee offer to make me cup that’s fresh and warm? Nope.
I firmly believe in supporting local establishments, but won’t come here again. I’d much rather go to Metropolis down Granville or even better, Chicago Grind on Broadway/​Berwyn. Wayyyy better food selection, better (and hot) coffee & better service. I’d welcome management feedback and perspective on this experience bc I am left baffled at what transpired today.

Here’s something to keep in mind when a university is near where you are: look for a local coffee shop. Furthermore, have I told you the «rule of Chi-​town foodie?» Yes, I bet I have. Pull out your Unilocal app. when seeing a national-​chain spot, here are the steps to follow:
1) purposely skip the «green logo» or a place where they sell cloying donuts and mystery coffee.
2) don’t ever hesitate, because an independently-​owned coffee shop is really in proximity.
Ellipsis is located a couple blocks west of Broadway, on the corner of Devon and Lakewood. Unlike many other coffee shops in the city using Metropolis, Dark Matter, and Intelligentsia, Ellipsis has a business relationship with «Counter Culture,» roasted in Durham, North Carolina.
Mr. Americano and Ms. Iced Chai were quite delighted with their drinks, not to mention that free wifi was graciously available for me to get intimate with my i-​pad mini. The noise level was moderate, so it was appropriate to have conversations with Daddy J.
I also saw some serious-​looking essay composers around, so I would assume that types of patrons here were pretty diverse and inclusive.
After a brief repose, we checked the #36 bus schedule on the CTA bus tracker and soon headed out to the bus stop. Thank you, Ellipsis.

Good coffee, good vibes. Staff was friendly, and welcomed my indie coffee passport. A nice mix of clientele as well, with both Loyola students and folks from the local community.

I drink a lot of coffee. I give a place a chance, but I don’t waste time on bad coffee.
So oddly, this It took a little while to grow on me. But it’s now my opinion that Ellipsis serves the best coffee in a three or four mile radius. It’s definitely in the top echelons in Chicago’s coffee world and they serve the beans of what’s currently my favourite roaster — Counter Culture.
I’m lactose intolerant, and since they started carrying the soy milk I like best (that doesn’t curdle or smother the coffee in sugar and vanilla), I have to give the place 5 stars.
You can keep it simple and stick to what you know you like, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, they’ve got a rapidly rotating selection of pour-​over, batch, and single origin espresso coffees that regularly surprise me with new tasting notes i never thought I’d taste in coffee. Stand at the bar and chat about it!

As you can tell I don’t post a lot. I usually have to really like someplace or feel the need to complain. I also tend to read other reviews first and if «it’s been said», I don’t bother.
I think this place is great! I don’t go here often, because it’s not walking distance for me. When I do go, the service and coffee are always the best! The staff seem to take time with each customer. It’s a comfortable place to stay and relax.

Just moved across the street and I want to like this place but something is off. I’ve been here three times and each time I’ve had a different server. I usually order a green tea and buttered bagel. If I’m paying almost six bucks for this why am I cutting, toasting and buttering my own bagel in addition to doctoring up my own tea while the staff is causally talking with one another behind the counter? Where exactly is my paid for service??? I find it unsanitary to touch my bagel after touching my money and then the bagel cutter after everyone else does with their hands. Not to mention I’m doing it over a basket full of dirty dishes on the prep counter and it’s only 9:30am on a Sunday.
And can I please get more than one butter pack for a whole bagel. It’s unnecessary to ask for two for a $ 3-​$ 4 bagel, pretty please?
Nothing is wrong with the place but it isn’t exactly right for me.

Great coffee and services performed with a smile.
This area of Chicago has got a ton of cafes and each differs in offerings & performance. Take this one for instance, check out their website and learn that they adhere to practicing the finest brewing, steeping or French pressing methods. (I didn’t know there were so many techniques and technicalities to coffee making.) Down to the minute details of the coarseness of the grind used, what the hell you say?! A place for coffee nerds to unite.
I’m a simple coffee drinker. Dunkin’ donuts coffee won’t do it for me, so it’s gotta be strong. When ordering I leave the type decision up to the barista. Pair it with a baked good (which comes from Lovely, a local bake shop) and I’m satisfied.

I’ve tried three times before downgrading my review. Their coffee (roaster) is great – no one can doubt that. If you come in for atmosphere, a cup of joe, and good service, you’ll get that.
I come in for the coffee grind to go, ground for a french press. Unfortunately – as is my third try there – they can’t grind it correctly. Their settings are Way too coarse: I add so much grind to my press (waiting well past a 5 minute steep time) that I can’t even press the filter all the way down, and my coffee still always so diluted you can see through it.
Proper French press grind should appear like coarse salt; some of their grind measures over half a centimeter.