The espresso drinks are fine. Staff is friendly. Their pricing is on par with other coffee shops in the city. There is a live DJ on weekends, which makes it a loud spot. Not great to read/work. It might be different on weekdays though. read more

Cute spot & nice staff. I stopped in to pick up a white mocha latte for my son while I was in the Printer's Row neighborhood. Service was quick and easy and my son said his latte tasted great. There was a DJ, which added to the coffee house vibe. There were some retail options too. Overall, N&S is a great little spot. read more

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Necessary Sufficient Coffee is a cute coffee shop in Printer's Row. They really care about sustainability and quality of their drinks. - They offer a 50 cent discount for bringing your own reusable cup, work with a certified B-corp Olympia Coffee as their roaster, diverted 70 tons of coffee waste from landfills to compost, and more. - You get a free mini chocolate biscotti if you post them on your Instagram story. - They make their own syrups to flavor drinks, no Torani syrups. - Be prepared for an automatic 15% gratuity on all orders. I tried their black sesame latte, which was quite good. They also have a beautiful mural with a bird and lemur, step seating and regular tables, free wi-fi and outlets. It's a great place to work or chat with friends! Highly recommend! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Odile - Black Sesame Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great stuff at N&S today. Great service. Clean bathrooms. Tasty coffee. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! read more

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Vibes? Epic. Food? Teeny teeny tiny portions, but tasty. Pricing? Pretty wack. $77/3 peeps' very skimpy meals, and I echo many other reviews that state their frustrations with "automatically added gratuities". That is not a real thing, that is a 15% baseline price mark up. The small business hustle is not an easy one, but offloading the costs of a fair wage onto your customers will create some backlash and lost business. I hope that this business is able to find a pricing model that works better for delivering a quality service, treating their employees and customers well, and continuing to keep this fancy Chicago neighborhood well fed and well caffeinated! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Bibimbap Bowl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love the vibe! The music was very chill & everyone I encountered was great! I had the Smoking Gun to drink & to eat a spinach wrap. They were so yummy! My daughters brought me with, they've been here several times before & I can see why. I'll definitely come back, because good - no great coffee is a must for me! Plus, there's so much more to try & they have other items to buy. read more

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I love everything about this place! They believe in sustainability so containers and packaging they provide can be composted, and they have bins for composting and recycling. You can also bring in your own mug and receive a discount. A 15% tip is included with every purchase so they can pay their employees a living wage. I really appreciate this. They also have cards you can place on your table, indicating if you are open to sharing your table with others or not. I love all these details! Colorful, vibrant decor! Very welcoming. Indoor and outdoor seating. The big storefront window can be opened to take in the views too. DJs creating great vibes. I love the ambiance. Excellent beverages! I loved my iced blackberry matcha, as well as my honey lavender iced latte. They have a delicious looking food menu too so I'll have to come back and eat here. It's clear that all ingredients are fresh and high quality. They have fun swag and merchandise for sale. Positive vibes all around and I highly recommend. read more

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Grabbed a matcha with a hint of lavender syrup and their oatmeal, and it was the perfect cozy combo. The matcha was smooth and earthy with just enough floral sweetness, and the oatmeal was warm, hearty, and comforting. Simple, calming, and exactly what I needed. read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Sweet Oatmeal Bowl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm a sucker for Necessary & Sufficient. It feels homey. I love the laid back feeling and the cozy space. I find myself craving their breakfast burrito. Their coffee is solid (especially their fancy seasonal drinks), but I actually prefer there tea. The baristas are always friendly and helpful. read more

To start, the coffee is actually pretty good but overall, not my go-to anymore. I used to go here all the time and I never actually felt "welcomed" in here, except by their one chef they had (I WISH I could remember her name - she was awesome) but as soon as the cafe down the street opened up, I decided to change my daily coffee route. I can't really explain it but the vibe in here just feels off. There was one person who was pretty nice and friendly but I'd say a majority, just didn't make you feel welcomed and it always seemed to be a problem if a question was had. I never left feeling good and that's not a good way to start the day! Also, the pricing here is ridiculous. You're up charged for everything and plus, they even upped the mandatory tip amount. A coffee and oatmeal was around $25. read more

Loved Necessary & Sufficient Coffee! I tried their seasonal blackberry matcha and it was delicious. It's served in a cute glass and there is so much seating inside. The service and ambiance are great and would definitely go back to try the food! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been going to necessary since they opened back in 2023 I believe- it was new on printers row but i go in at least once a week best coffee in the loop. Service is 10/10 the staff is great. read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yall, I saw the low star rating and guess I had to just find out for myself. Honestly, this place has so much potential. There's tons of indoor seating space, an indoor/outdoor concept with the big open air window, and a ton of great options food and beverage wise. I was shocked how empty it was when I came in, especially since Cafe Deko right across the street looked packed. I realized why when I received my total and took a peek at the other reviews. Automatic gratuity? On top of $6 for an iced tea? It's ridiculous. It's such a shame because this place could really be the spot for some nice coffee and coworking, but unfortunately I don't know if folks will come back until they get rid of this ridiculous policy and rethink their prices. read more

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Great place to stop on my way to a conference. Short line, quick turnaround, good service.

Coffee, coffee in my way to work i have many choices of coffee shops i try this coffee shop i been trying capuchino, flat white, oatmeal, hot coco pretty good they charge extra $ if you want to enjoy your coffee in a mug read more

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I visited for an after hours event but they kept the staff on. I tried the hot chocolate and because they're a no cash location, I grabbed a "small snack" (a packaged gingerbread cookie). That cookie cost $20. My fault for not asking. It didn't have a tag. It was good but not worth $20. The event ran long so I wanted something else and ended up putting $4 on my card. I guess I understand going cashless but not always my favorite thing. read more

Quaint little coffee shop in the South Loop. I snagged a tumeric latte and it was solid; the staff was very helpful with recommendations too. In an area that has several good cafe options, you should definitely give them a look. It's chill, not pricey and has a lot of options. read more

Great spot to meet, network and chill. Coffee great, pastries tasty and service amazing. I highly recommend. 5 if there was a little more space to gather but its really a great spot!!! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Coffee here is the best and the service is always friendly and swift It's a wonderful community filled atmosphere We are lucky to have them in our neighborhood. read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Best coffee in Printers Row.We love sitting outside with our dogs. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good service. Very nice baristas. There are a couple tables inside to do work with laptops, but I would recommend coming earlier to get a seat. The lox bagel was unexpected. The cream cheese is mixed with the smoked salmon and deconstructed. The coffee was alright, nothing special read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Ambiance - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of my fav local coffee shops, they always have good seasonal drinks! Got the Smoking Gun which was really good and an experience with the smoky flavor, but heads up that the drink is probably 6 ounces! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overpriced and mediocre food. Would not go there again. It's so loud in there on weekend

My favorite baker Tropicake is in this space and my British boss loves the pavlova from here . The best ingredients and lots of love goes into every dessert. The cappuccino and teas are great too read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Tropicake owner with her biggest fan - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fast, yummy food, great drinks, vegan friendly, sustainable utensils, chill and good vibes

I was told of this place by a few cafe fans so I had to check it out! The space is beautiful and spacious with plenty of seats and inviting artwork to look at if you hit a roadblock in what you're working on. I wasn't hungry when I came so I settled for an iced chai and an almond croissant. Both were quite yummy. They los have an extensive list of meals I would like to try next time. The barista was very kind and held on to my drink as I went to go to the bathroom. The 15% gratuity was interesting to say the least but it is just guaranteed tip for the baristas, which I can't complain about. Hope to be back soon! read more

I got their blackberry matcha (I forget if it's a seasonal drink, but it seems likely). It was visually aesthetic and tasted great. I noticed they used a bamboo whisk (versus and electric whisk) to make it which is a plus to me since it allows for the true matcha flavor to come out. They also have an ube syrup on the menu that intrigued me. One thing to note is that they automatically add gratuity to your order, so along with the city food tax, my total came out to just under $10 which is pretty pricey. Nonetheless, there was a handful of seating options to catch up with friends or work. I didn't get a great look at the outlet situation, but it seems promising. The interior was also fun and inviting. read more

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A real nice spot (: I came in for a quick breakfast and the staff were super kind and helpful. I ordered the avocado toast (yum!) and a latte. Both were delicious and hit the spot. Big fan of all of the pickled red onions. Definitely more of a "would you like a piece of toast with your micro green salad?" -- but I think most meals should be eaten like that to be honest. Excited to come back soon! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Avocado toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance is okay but always very busy! Staff is very kind and lattes are excellent. Pastries much less so..

Great coffee spot in south loop! I love the interior with the mural, there are a lot of fun seating options too! We got cappuccinos and an apple scone which was delicious! They have a nice variety of pastries and other food options which is nice, although they were out of quite a few things on Saturday morning. read more

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I stopped by this cafe during the Printers Row Lit fest. The cafe has a great assortment of both coffee and tea drinks. They also have a wide selection of pastries, breakfast foods, and other light bites. The staff is super patient and knowledgeable about their offerings. I ordered a hibiscus tea Arnold Palmer and a sweet potato cinnamon roll. Both were absolutely delicious. They really invested in vibe setting during the lit fest and had a DJ playing some mellow music. read more

they auto add 15% gratuity. Even for purchasing prepackaged goods. not a good look. Not a coffee drinker, but they also have other things and teas. read more

This place is cute and very close to where we live. They have a good matcha latte (the only milk alternative is oat but I like that so it's fine) they do automatically add tip but you know because it says "add additional tip" when you're paying. We also got a ham and cheese and egg and cheese sandwich that was really good. The bread was so fluffy like a croissant. They forgot the cheese but still good! Will go back. read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great coffee shop in Printers Row. The coffee itself is really good and they have some great bites. The real winner here is the focus on local goods. When I was there, a pop-up with local candles and home-goods was present and I'm guessing they rotate. Another cool thing was events they hold like game-nights or reading nights. read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I always pass by this place and thought I'd give it a try. I got the medium iced Ube latte with oatmilk, and they added a mandatory 15% gratuity which I wasn't aware of. The drink came to almost $10, and it's definitely not worth the price tag. The espresso/ coffee itself tasted sour, and you can't taste the ube at all. All I can taste from this drink is a hint of coconut flavor and sour taste from the coffee itself. I'm not sure maybe it's just this drink didn't taste as good, but probably won't be trying it again. read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Medium iced ube latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Coffee is good .Breakfast sandwich was decent. More expensive than Starbucks and I'm not sure it's any better . Other than supporting local.. its got a cute vibe . I may come back. Ok I will .. upped to 4 stars .. free refills on coffee . read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - House Coffee with a ham and cheese breakfast sandwich . - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great vibes, food came pretty fast even with the extremely long line they had due to the book fair on Printers Row read more

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This place was great and I highly recommend if you want to enjoy a nice drink while getting some work done or just to hang out. My girlfriend and I went in for a pick-me-up before our date night and it was a nice start to our date. The space is nice and allowed us to wind down after our train ride to the city. Also, there's cute tiny things throughout the shop which we loved. Check it out! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Interior - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overpriced. The staff is immature and unprofessional, and the manager's attitude makes it clear that this behavior is learned from the top down. The owner enforces a 15% "mandatory tip" even on grab-and-go items, which feels like a way to compensate for poor hiring and low staff morale rather than reward good service. The owner's defensive, condescending replies to negative reviews say everything about how this place is run. As much as I love the location and interior layout, I hate supporting shady, unethical business practices. read more

This is a great addition to the south loop. The space has been curated with care. There is a lovely mural on the wall, and the ambience is light and inviting. I am a sucker for a good latte and theirs is the perfect combo of frothy and strong. Also beautiful latte art never hurt anybody! read more

Necessary & Sufficient Coffee - Printers Row - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been to this place several times now, and as of this morning, it'll be my last. I've had issues with the service quality in the past, and today was the final straw. I went to get my avocado toast and coffee, and they informed me that they're now charging a mandatory 15% gratuity on all purchases. Mind you, I wasn't sitting in the restaurant, I was just ordering to-go, and there was no option to decline the gratuity. The place is already outrageously priced, and now I'm being charged extra for poor service. To make matters worse, I wanted my latte with alternative milk, but they only offer oat milk--no soy or almond options, which is just ridiculous. When I asked if they had something for me to carry everything I ordered, they told me they don't offer bags. So, I'm paying 15% extra, and I can't even get a bag. The latte I ordered, which was supposed to be a medium, ended up being this tiny 10-ounce drink. I essentially paid $30 for avocado toast and a terrible 10-ounce latte. And to top it all off, the latte was awful. There was no one else in line, yet it still took them 12 minutes to make it. Every time I've gone, I've been disappointed, and now I'm just frustrated because there are so many coffee places in the neighborhood, but none seem good. This place has officially taken the crown as the worst in Printers Row. It's disappointing because the setup is nice, but the service, food quality, and now these ridiculous charges are unacceptable. read more