Enjoyed their Ube latte and their babinka pastry! It was great to find familiar treats and always open to try new ones. The staff were welcoming and friendly, shared details of their menu items and made recommendations. Definitely a place I would visit again if i am in the area! Cute, almost rustic, and sheik with warm greetings and tasty morning treats! read more

Went here with a date after dinner. REALLY COOL interior. Paintings on the wall, appear all for sale, local artists? Filipino pasties?! So cool! I got a 16 oz hot latte with oat milk. My date got a hibiscus hot tea (pls note. They have MANY flavors for tea!) relaxed environment. Plenty of seating. The owner is behind the counter helping make drinks! 5 stars read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - My pretty YUMMY 16 Hot Latte 16oz with oat milk. SO pretty - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Best Ube Lattes! Recommend getting it hot rather than cold. Service was quick and friendly. Great cozy vibe to study at. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Ube Latte, Ube Macapuno Cupcake, Buko Pandan Cupcake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

We were in the area and simply out of convenience, we dropped in to pick up a pint of ube ice cream to go. I found it to be a homey little coffee shop and they specialize in Asian inspired products and flavors here. I could see the shop being very popular with the NU students and there were not surprisingly several present during our short visit. It was also a nostalgic visit to the area as it was very familiar stomping grounds for us as visiting parents back when the kids were attending NU. Anyway, ube was too popular and all gone, and we settled for a pint of red bean ice cream and made by Village Creamery. read more

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I love this spot! I was visiting my parents, who live just a couple of minutes away, so we walked here a couple of days. They have so many fun, coffee options, like seasonal drinks. They don't have a lot of food, but what they do have is very well done. I appreciate the multitude of seating options. It is a very cozy spot! read more

This coffee shop is located just a few blocks away from the Evanston campus. When you first walk in it has the homey vibes that just invites you to stay a whole. They have signs everywhere inviting for folks to stay and study in the space. While walking up to the register they have a variety of pastries that were Asian inspired. I picked up a couple Ube breads, and a red bean one. Once you walk to the counter and look at the menu, the menu doesn't quite list all of these signature options but had I have known already known about their Ube latte I would've have missed out on the experience. I've enjoyed the ube latte both hot and iced. I personally prefer it iced because I think you can taste the ube flavor a lot more. But hot is delicious as well if you don't like cold drinks, or just want to warm up. Parking is either street parking, or there is a parking lot across the street where you can pay to park. The staff is incredibly friend and offers service with a smile. They make recommendations and ensure that your drink is to your expectation before you leave the shop. Can't wait to come back when I'm in the area! read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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The London Fog and scone were very good. But the place lacks ambience and quality heating. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - London Fog and Chocolate Chip Scone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

First, we had a rather rude cashier. I asked if there was a menu, and she just pointed up at the marquis and didn't say anything. If not for Google and Yelp reviews, I wouldn't have seen other drink options. We ordered an iced ube latte and an iced matcha latte, and it was literally tasted like a large cup of milk with some coloring added. The ube and matcha flavors weren't there at all; all you can taste is the milk. I also purchased an ube white chocolate cookie, and I question if ube is in the cookie. We ended up throwing out our drinks and going to Philz instead! read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I went to Evanston to visit a friend and we stopped by this coffee shop to work for a few hours. I really liked that they offered a variety of drinks with flavoring- matcha, ube, lavender, you name it! I opted for the lavender matcha latte and my friend got a chai tea latte. I was a little disappointed with the matcha. It tasted pretty watered down and I didn't taste ANY lavender unfortunately! In regards to coffee shop vibes, its definitely got that busy student feel. So many tables, I saw lots of group studying going on. It was quite loud, but I do like that type of feel! read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Lavender matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

THIS PLACE CARRIED ME THROUGH FINALS WEEK. great cafe with extremely aesthetic interior decor and great for a nice bite, very creative drinks read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - gingerbread latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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This smelled like home when we first came in! The ambiance was awesome, feels homey! So while waiting in line, we looked at the menu and noticed that the pastries and other non- drinks are not posted on their menu, meaning it changes daily which is a good sign. We were surprised they have Filipino breads and pastries!!!! With a twist!!!! Gotta try a bit here and there. The ube cake was delicious! Not so sweet which is good! The ube swirl bread was a no brainer gotta get and bring home to the master. But..... we fell in deep love for the non Filipino bread- the Hokkaido Honey bread toast!!! This is to die for!!! My kids were fighting over it so we got 4 more! And to go too!!! And is the right price unlike the toast we had at O_ _........ sorry..... but no kidding... this is the best!! We also had the ube drinks which was very goody delicious!! They did no good stingy!! Remember- Hokkaido Honey Toast! This has been embedded in my brain and my daughter's too!! My daughter drove for an hour back here again to get for all of us here at Lake County. We will definitely bring my sister here when she comes visit from Cali. And the staff there were so friendly and polite! Especially to Eunice!! We love her!! Thank you for a great and wonderful experience!! read more

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I'll give this place 3.5 stars. I was going to do three but then thought about 4 but after reviewing again I'll land on 3.5. TLDR - a lot of seating but some of the chairs hurt my back, the iced chai latte was just okay (kinda watery), but a great environment and great service I decided to trek up to Evanston for a change of scenery. I was trying to look for a place that had a lot of seating and good reviews so I came here. It was definitely busy - lots of students - but there was available seating. I ordered an iced chai latte with oat milk and an ube white chocolate chip cookie. They unfortunately ran out of oat milk and order before mine but one of the staffers ran to a nearby grocery store to grab some oat milk. The other staffer asked if I wanted to wait or if it wanted whole milk and I said I'd wait. I'm glad that they were able to get some additional oat milk! (I'm lactose intolerant.) I first tried sitting at the large communal tables in the back and those chairs hurt my back right away. The back part of the chair is curved and i couldn't sit there for long. A seat opened up at the counter chairs so I decided to move there. It's really tight seating (not fat friendly) and again the chair was starting to hurt my back. Overall not a great seating experience. I turned around and saw one of the individual tables opened up so I switched there and that chair felt great! I could see myself sitting in one of those if they're open but they seem to be pretty popular/not always available. (I wished I took a photo of that comfortable chair but I just took pictures of the other two chairs.) Lastly, the iced chai latte felt watered down and not that tasty. The cookie though was great! In all, would I make my way to come back here from where I live in Lincoln Square in Chicago? Probably not. If I lived in Evanston though, I might try going there on off hours to give it another try. read more

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Small coffee shop in Evanston just next to the Noyes stop on the Purple Line. This is an Asian-American coffee shop, and it's my understanding they sell some pastries from the Philippines and other Asian nations. Here today I got a chai latte and ube latte. The ube latte was not for me, as I don't drink coffee; however I understand it was quite good. That drink had a definite flavor of coconut that permeated the drink. My own choice was the chai latte, which is my standard. It's interesting to see how different a chai latte can taste so different from place to place. Here at the Coffee Lab, it was not quite as sweet as I've had at other places. That's not to say it was not sweet at all, because it was, but this leaned more toward the spicy end of the spectrum. And those spices did cause it to trend toward the hot (spicy, not temp) and that was a nice change of pace. In addition to drinks, they sell greeting cards, pastries, sandwiches (egg salad and tuna when I was here), and a few other items. The art on the wall looks to be available for purchase. There is a bookshelf for patrons to selected from. When I was here it was fairly busy, lots of students it seemed. I wouldn't make a special trip to visit this shop, since I live so far away. I'm glad for the owners sake that it's so popular! But it was a little crowded for my taste; not a lot of comfortable places to sit and was a little too full of students hanging out. But they have some interesting and tasty drinks, and could hardly be more convenient for commuters. read more

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Stopped by for an ube latte on a day off, it was lovely! Good ube flavor without being overly sweet. And what a gorgeous color! They have a lot of offerings, ranging from cupcakes to small bites to drinks. There's a lot of space to sit and study as well--this looks like an awesome chill study spot. There's street parking around the neighborhood, and it's a nice area to walk around as well. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Ube latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I'm sorry to say this was a horrible experience. I ordered a almond milk latte with cinnamon. Wow was that drink watery. There was no smoothness to the drink and I even had 1 shot instead of 2 and it was bitter. I was very disappointed and didn't even take a picture before I ended up returning for a refund only to go to a much better Backlot Coffee down the street. You need to work on the texture and harshness in your drinks. read more

Really cute coffee shop by Northwestern. My friend goes to grad school here so we grabbed coffee and walked around the neighborhood. I was surprised to see so many Asian options, like red bean paste buns in to go packages. They have a collaboration with a Japanese Bakery on the weekends. They also had a number of season drinks (see my pic) like apple pie latte and maple brown sugar latte. I got the peach cobbler latte and it was good. I'm not sure that it tasted like a peach cobbler, but there was a peach flavor and I would order again! read more

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They've got the trending stuff on the menu: ube and matcha lattes. The matcha? I could barely taste it. Maybe it needed an extra scoop? The ube? Hmmm it just needed something more. Kinda thought the ube latte would have espresso but I don't think it did. My sister got a honey mango latte. It was amazing! That's the one to get while you're there!! I believe it's a seasonal drink? I like the vibe here though! My sister got a cute bubble tea sticker. It's not a large place but there are tables and you can walk around Evanston a bit. It's one of my cousin's favorites in town. read more

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This is a combined review for Nayon and Coffee Lab since Nayon is owned by Coffee Lab (and is located inside as well). TLDR: get the Ube ensamayda, skip the Ube latte. I wanted to know more about Nayon/the owners but I couldn't find very much info on them. I'd love to know what inspired them to bring SE Asian flavors to Evanston. I did find out that they own Coffee lab and based on their last names, I assume they're Filipino/Korean, which made me feel more assured that there would be some authenticity/respect for the featured culture in their products. Coffee Lab: Coffee lab is a cozy, spacious coffee shop that I could have seen myself studying in back when I was still in school. My partner got a black coffee and I got the Ube latte with almond milk and a shot of espresso. Our total was about $10. Ube Latte with almond milk and one shot of espresso: 3/5 The ube latte was a gorgeous purple color and was only slightly sweetened. The sweetness level was perfect for me, but the ube taste was disappointingly faint. Given that my drink cost $7+ (including almond milk and espresso), I would have expected a more flavorful drink. Ube itself has a mild nutty vanilla flavor with a hint of coconut. Having a stronger flavor wouldn't at all be off putting, even for people who have never had Ube. I wouldn't order this again unless they tweaked their Ube flavoring. Nayon: Nayon is located near the window corner of the shop and features a rotating selection of South East Asian pastries, some traditional, some inspired/modernized/fusion. I love having various SE Asian flavors available to me in Evanston! I wish there was a toaster or microwave available to heat up my pastries though. Tuna Bun: 3.75/5 Solid classic tuna bun with red pepper flakes. The bun was soft, chewy, and not at all dry. The tuna had the slightest touch of Mayo with kept it from being dry but wasn't at all heavy. The red pepper flakes were the perfect addition. I appreciated having a savory pastry option. Pandan Bibingka: 4/5 Dense, chewy, sweet pandan flavored dough with a carmelized coconut topping. If you like mochi, give bibingka a try. Pandan has a foral, earthy, coconut flavor and is very popular in SE Asian desserts. Ube Ensamayda: 5/5 Yessss! Everything I was hoping for. A rich, chewy, soft, fluffy brioche bun filled with sweet ube paste, topped with ube frosting, and the best part.. shredded slightly salty mild cheese. Don't knock it until you try it! The salty sweet combo is addictive and this bun would have only been made better if it was slightly warmed up. This bun was as good as any ensamayda that I've had in Filipino bakeries in SoCal. It also fulfilled the ube taste that I was hoping for from my Ube latte. Ube tastes slightly like a nutty vanilla with a touch of coconut. Super delicious! I asked Nayon's manager to post the daily pastry options to their Instagram story every day so we can see what is available. Also, it would be nice to feature a little sign with some info on at least one pastry/flavor so that people who are not used to SE Asian flavors will not be intimidated. I hope they feature new flavors soon... kaya jam, salted egg, mung bean, calamansi (maybe calamansi bars?). These pastries will make me less homesick for SoCal this winter for sure. read more

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I went to Coffee Lab & Roasters years ago when it was under a different owner. I was curious to see it now with the added Asian pastries to the menu. Since it's on Northwestern's campus, most of the people studying there were students. Needless to say, the owners of the caffe are nice but the coffee was just so so. I miss when you could see them making the pour overs in the counter. I also ordered a chocolate croissant. The croissant was good but was not warmed up even though they asked me if I wanted it warmed and I told them I did. Music is kind of like a classical twist on pop music but was a bit too loud for my liking. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Chocolate Almond croissant and house coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

COFFEE LAB NEVER DISAPPOINTS! My all time favorite Evanston cafe! I always make special trips just for the ube lattes and bakery goods. I like studying there and enjoying the cafe scene. The staff are so sweet and great to talk to as well! I HIGHLY suggest the ube lattes, I've honestly become obsessed with it!! read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Ube Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

BEWARE of this place that nickels and dimes you to death! Like prices aren't high enough these days! Even though the coffee is good here, they are corrupt in their transactions. I ordered a 4 ounce 4$ drink that came to almost $6. When I asked them to print my receipt, I was texted a receipt that not only had a large tip added even though I clicked the screen for "no tip", I also was charged 10.25% tax even though there is a huge sign in block letters above the counter that say, ALL PROCES HAVE SALES TAX INCLUDED. This is highly unethical and definitely a bait and switch! read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

My wife found this place in her search for places with ube lattes, and it was also recommended by some friends. Ended up coming here twice in one weekend because I didn't see that they only have their ube pastries on Sundays only. Between my two visits, I got a hot ube latte, iced ube latte, matcha latte, matcha white chocolate scone, Earl Grey scone, maple bacon donut (from DB3), ube swirl bread, ube buns, ube turtle bread, Kopi Roti buns, a cheesecake brownie, and a makapuno ensaymada (young coconut bun). All of these were for myself, my wife, and both of our parents, by the way XD. Both lattes were good, but the ube latte stole the spotlight. It's sweet but not overwhelming, and has a great ube flavor; will be a go-to for sure. I was happy to get the maple bacon donut since I missed it the last time I was at DB3, haha. I'm actually not a huge fan of scones, but these scones were really tasty and I'd get them again! As for the ube pastries, it was my first time having anything like them and they were all great! Favorite would probably be the Kopi Roti buns, which Jay gave the tip of putting in the microwave for 20 seconds to really make it good, and he was right, of course. Great customer service too! On my first visit I was accidentally double-charged for one of my lattes. I talked with Jay over the phone and he was really nice about giving me the refund and even offered a complimentary drink and small pastry when I went back the second time! Also love that they support the local art scene by featuring am artist and exhibiting their pieces in the store! This place is definitely a local gem. read more

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Great service, great drinks, great desserts! I've been here a couple of times and now I literally can't go to Evanston without going here. I usually get the ube banana pudding + an ube matcha latte (iced ube latte but i ask for matcha instead of espresso and I add some of their simple syrup). The pudding is actually to die for and the baristas are so nice. One even greeted me when they saw me walking outside later in the day. Overall, love it! read more

I'm visiting a friend from out of town and had just landed after a long flight. We stopped by coffee lab as my partner and friend have been here before and both loved it. I had the opposite experience. I ordered a dirty ube latte and was confused when the order came out as just a regular ube latte. I'm not an expert in coffee so after my partner explained that my drink had no coffee - I went back to the register to see if I could have my order corrected to what I had actually ordered. The person at the register corrected me and told me that I had actually ordered a regular latte and not dirty in a condescending tone. This was incorrect as I know & both my partner and friend had heard me order a dirty ube latte. I was about to just return my drink - because who wants to deal with that? But the cashier offered to take my drink back and add a shot of espresso. I felt this was a weird interaction and completely unnecessary. I felt put on the spot and gaslit. So I will not be returning and I hope there is more training on customer service because this experience actually caused me to have a lot anxiety. The drink was great, though! read more

Too dirty! Need a full renovation! I never seen this much dusty coffee place. Coffee even did not taste good.

A cafe with sone asian american infleunces. Menu is slightly hard to read to find the more unique stuff, but do ask because they have some items that are harder to find. Tried their ube latte and man it is an instant favorite. I never understand before why it is so popular to add to dessert in Filipino cuisine until I try their latte. Had their ube bun as well. It was delicious. The place was crowded on a Sunday. But they have outdoor seating on the store front, and across the street under a giant tree. Right next to the train station and a parking lot. But most people that comes here are college student from North western. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - They made latte art even though it is capped - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Evanston cafe frequented by locals-students and commuters using the Purple line. Friendly staff, eager to please! Had a soy cortado and a cinnamon walnut pastry both were meh. There's something about serving cortados in paper cups when the customer says they are staying that erks me. But even so it was just ok. The pastry though heated seemed stale. I don't live in the area so I wouldn't drive here but I don't see that to be a problem because it was full of regulars. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Soy cortado - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Yummy coffee. DELICIOUS ube and mango cupcakes. My husband and sons devoured them. Nice vibe inside. Lots of folx taking to go but plenty of seats inside, and a few tables outside. Close to Noyes train station. Friendly service. read more

Service is always great, but depending on who's working, the ube latte quality varies. I also see that the availability varies as well. If you're craving an ube latte, definitely check this place out if you're already in the area. Otherwise, I would be cautious going out of your way to get an ube latte in case they've run out (love this place and its ambiance though) read more

It's a nice vibe Prices are pretty nice, nothing too expensive but the coffee isn't as nice as reprise in my opinion. They also did serve me an espresso instead of the pour over I ordered. So I got a bit screwed there but it's also not my fault for rly noticing when I just grabbed it and left. Overall it's cool but there are better places for a few more dollars read more

Worst ube latte I've ever had, practically zero coffee in it and tasted like plain hot water

My daughter and I love exploring unique, non-chain coffee houses and this one made our day. In a larger space than before, it's spacious with a lot of seating if you wish to stay. They have all of the traditional hot and cold coffee drinks that are freshly brewed, in addition to a few sandwiches and pastries (DB3 donuts sometimes) and other goodies if you want a snack or something sweet. We really liked it! read more

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I have heard about this place for a long time and made a special trip to try to support small Evanston businesses. I am so glad I went into this small coffee shop! They have special drinks I have never seen anywhere before including an Ube latte as the owners I believe are filipino. I love the fact that they partner with artists from the area and have a lot of art on the walls and on the tables. Just bought coffee beans as well and I am sure if it is as delicious as my drink was I will be back many times!!!!! read more

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I am in Ube heaven! The best ube latte, and some really good Asian (esp Filipino) pastries! Can't beat a playground is across the street where my toddler can play when I chill out with the goodies :p read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Cool neighborhood coffee hangout. Good coffee. Good food stuff. Great location. Outside seating.

I found this place through my friend. The staff was very nice. The ube latte tasted really good and to me it wasn't too sweet which was great! The scone was moist and delicious. Inside it was open, bright and they have art. I would love to eventually sit down inside once COVID is over. :) read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Iced ube latte with mixed berry scone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

One of my favorite spots to study in Evanston. Although it's usually packed, because I think it's everyone's favorite spot! With a variety of cafe and food items, ample sunlight from the street, and different kinds of tables for individual or group studying, Coffee Lab has won the hearts of Northwestern students north of Foster. However, the best part of Coffee Lab in my opinion is the service! The baristas are THE best, and always super super friendly. Lots of smiles, and I can tell they're enjoying their job. Recently visited to try out the Ube Latte, recommended by friends. Was not disappointed at all - the flavor was rich, sweet (but not too sweet), and best of all, it was a beautiful purple color. Would highly recommend trying it out if you're a fan of ube, the Japanese purple yam that's been showing up in many trendy desserts! read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Ube Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The inside was nice, but it was smoky There was one person running the whole thing and they were nice and the food was really good.

Loved this breakfast spot! Walked here with a friend while visiting Northwestern. To drink, I got an iced ube latte; I have never had ube before, and enjoyed the unique flavor. I also bought the green tea red bean and milk cream bun, as well as the pandan bibingka. The pandan was my favorite, not too sweet and I loved the mochi texture. read more

Coffee Lab & Roasters Evanston - Iced Ube latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Fall update: They have a seasonal Ube latte (hot or cold). Tried it hot and it was delicious! Very creamy. During COVID times, there isn't any indoor seating. Was hoping to try one of their Honey Toast or Ube pastries, but they were out by the afternoon. Go early! read more