New Wave is an 80's themed cafe for people born in the 1990s. Logan Square has a dearth of cafes to say the least, so I feel like my three stars are generous. I'm definitely grading on a curve. New Wave fills the chasm that seems to exist and in the neighborhood in that it serves the second best local coffee roaster in the city. They deserve the utmost credit for doing so at a fair price. Further, they have free, easy to use internet access. I like the openness of their space and it'd be a great place to hang out and chat for a few minutes to an hour. One could not really plan to do work in that cafe at the times of day I have attended. To be fair, though, when I've walked by people seem to be diligently reading/writing/studying. Those kids know their way around an espresso machine. The culture at New Wave seems to attract angry hipsters who still miss Filter, but shun anyone who bought a Shins' album AFTER "Garden State" came out. I've only rarely felt so uncool. Can't someone open an independent coffee shop for those of us who aren't yuppie snobs or counterculture clones? Can't someone open a shop that has free wifi, cheap coffee, somewhat clean employees, AND a comfortable place to sit and chill or work? Still, it's basic economics - supply and demand. Whether you're craving and willing to pay five for a delicious Tremmens or not, if all they're offering are $3 Miller Lites, sometimes you have to settle. Three Stars read more

For a long time I tried to give these guys the benefit of the doubt, but it's just gotten so bad. The service is terrible. The staff have that unlucky combination of being dim and rude. Seriously, it would be difficult to find a barista there with an IQ in the triple digits. They all have this vacant, lost look in their eyes. What are you so angry about, kiddo? Just relax. It's just a job. It's just coffee. read more

I was wrong about New Wave. They're not cool hipsters, they're unconscionable monopolists. I wanted a croissant and a coffee this afternoon. I went to Boulangerie, "we don't sell coffee, they sell it next door." Fine, I thought and ordered a cafe au lait at New Wave. Then went back to Boulangerie for a croissant. "Sorry also to tell you we can only sell them by the dozen." This apparently the doing of New Wave for enforcing some non-compete clause in their lease. Is New Wave afraid, rightly so, that the product at Boulangerie is superior to theirs? No matter, New Wave was completely out of croissants, so I had to settle for chewing on a baguette with my coffee. New Wave, you are not cool anymore. read more

(tip, there's two entrances, the other side is 2552 N Milwaukee) Just passing by the soon-to-be-open New Wave Coffee I decided to peak my head in and see what's up. It's a huge, well lit space with colorful tiled floor, exposed brick walls, paintings by local artists and scattered with tables, comfy chairs and couches. They'll be offering espresso drinks, snacks, salads and sandwiches AND free wi-fi. The owner, Susan, greeted me, offered me a free cappuccino and gave me the run-down: they've been working on this place for a year and were supposed to open the week before Christmas, but are now slated to open New Years Day. The place is gorgeous and huge and exactly what Logan Square needs, a large (non-coperate/un-Starbucks) locally owned coffee shop where customers can sit, relax, read or work in a comfortable and spacious atmosphere. It reminded me of all my favorite SF haunts, and it's only two blocks away. I wish them all the best and really hope they can withstand these hard economic times. read more

Okay I'll admit that hipsters amuse me. I am not offended by mustache sportin', Paul Bunyon shirt wearing, winter hat in summer done up hipsters. I merely assume that Jesus Christ, Mohammad and Vishnu flew in on their flying saucer and planted the seeds of the modern day hipster (which have flourished in Williamsburg and Logan Square) to entertain the rest of us. That being said, I hate the food, love the coffee and this joint gets a three-ski from me-ski. Oh yeah... open up at 6 am you lazy ass hipsters. That's when men need coffee. read more

I love coffee. The drink I order is as simple as it gets, a double espresso. Yet somehow these hipster clowns managed to screw it up. Horrible, burnt crema, topping off a bitter single shot of doodoo, when I clearly asked for a double. I thought for sure a 30 year old Barista would know how to pull a proper shot. I thought wrong. The employees were extra wack. Too bad, cause the place has a great location. Get over yourselves, you make coffee. read more

Why a review on New Wave? It's been there for ages. I do like the fact it is a coffee shop that tries not to be snobby in an area that is quickly becoming snobby. Emphasis on *tries*. Every table and seat is seemingly taken by someone on a Mac or highlighting sentence after sentence in a book, hour after hour. How anyone can study and work with Patti Smith blaring and coffee machines whirring defies explanation. The prices are creeping higher, although not yet at Intellegentsia pretense yet. The furniture is beyond "shabby chic." Dilapidated is a better description. The floors are also filthy, and you may find transients sleeping on a sofa. read more

It's really really unfortunate that the owners have chosen to escalate their "issues" with La Boulangerie. Their latest action goes beyond protecting the business and seems to have the goal of driving the bakery out of business. Beyond that, I've always found their service to be slow & the atmosphere to be harried and uninviting. I love to support local businesses, I just wish that New Wave did too. read more

If you enjoy getting sour cream on a bagel because the baristas "didn't realize" they'd mixed it up with the cream cheese (!!!), New Wave might be for you! If you enjoy getting attitude and sipping your coffee in the brick and mortar equivalent of a dirty sock: you guessed it. New Wave! If you're a fan of watching the people behind the counter have a staring contest where I can only assume the winner begrudgingly has to take your order, then absolutely come here. If you want quality and service, try Damn Fine Coffee. Gaslight. Even intelligentsia. They might seem elitist, but at least they can make a pour over. read more

I came here again the other day for lunch after the "great flood of 2010" closed down all the restaurants in the neighborhood. This was the only joint left to get a sammie. I had the Johnny Fever...it was supposed to be spicy and was not. Fail. I don't really like their coffee anymore, it's too weak, but I do love the Italian cherry sodas. read more

I want to love this place, but I just can't. It's literally steps form my house, and it's bad enough for me to pass it by and keep on going to another place. After trying for over a year, I can't manage to like it. What I like: -It's close to my home -Lots of seating and tables -free decent wi-fi -I have been lucky I guess, because the staff has always been nice enough to me. What I don't like: -It is ALWAYS freezing in there! Even in the summer. -The music is way too loud. I cant drown it out with my headphones. I an not that picky about music, but more often than not it's terrible pretentious noise. Play what you want but keep it down. -I have never had a good coffee drink there. Never. -there are 2 kinds of people here - those working/studying respectfully alongside others and cooler than thou noisy ass hipsters. Annoying as hell and they make up most of the clientele. The annoying factors are SO annoying they completely outweigh the positives. On another note, they have some deal that keeps the bakery next door (La Boulangerie) from being able to sell certain products. Really? I live in the same neighborhood and cant buy a couple of croissants and a few macarons from the bakery because of New Wave? Way to be a good neighbor, New Wave. That sucks a lot and on its own is enough for me to decide that I'd rather spend my money anywhere else in the 'hood and encourage others to do likewise. So, I will continue to pass up this place for Nuthin' Less (better coffee and more reliable wi-fi anyway) or Cafe Moustche or head further out to Ipsento. read more

I wish I could stand up to the tidal wave of change that is approaching from the east to overwhelm Logan Square, but I don't see much I can do. I can, however, point out the obvious, and it's that the charming elements of Logan Square that attract displaced hipsters (I can only assume that the onslaught of the young and the trendy to Logan Square and Pilsen has to do with the sky-rocketing price of living in Wicker Park and Bucktown) are going to be gone after this monsoon dies down. I'm not against New Wave for only this reason-- that I object, I OBJECT, to all these local changes-- but also because I was genuinely not that into it. I wasn't into the confusing decade-clashing decor (antiques next to retro next to modern does not an attractive cafe make). I wasn't into the intense sweetness of the brand lemonade or into the air-conditioning being set at a freezing temperature. And I wasn't into the lack of community happening as a result of each 4 person table seating 1 person and their laptop-- I came in with three friends and there was nowhere for us to sit. I did like the sofa and the video games, and I liked the bookshelf full of games. Recycled ideas, certainly, but good ideas nonetheless. Too bad it would be difficult to sit and do any of these activities. Not the fault of the management, obviously, just an observation. The thing is, though, that this coffee shop isn't the problem. They took over a section of Logan Square that needed more businesses for the neighborhood. And the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the decorating and the idea of hipsters (the idea being what people are alarmed by, because clearly no one can make sweeping generalizations of a group of individuals) won't stop me from dropping by and grabbing a coffee sometimes, or for one of their tasty sounding, if a little expensive, sandwiches. The problem is that this is how Wicker Park began. And I'm afraid. I'm very afraid. read more

Just found out today about the Boulangerie bullshit and blocking them from making cofffee. Went in, tried to order coffee, was infomed of the embargo, apologized to them and decided to write this review. Bullshit... read the other reviews. PS - their coffee has gone way down hill. Espresso not much better than Starbucks any more. read more

I've been here a few times now and I want to tip these unruly people behind the bar but this one girl who works there, who's seems to be there whenever I come in has the shittiest attitude ever. With her bowl movement facial expressions and her ill rotten bitchy voice when it comes time to receive my order I feel like dumping my crappy latte she just laboriously prepared right into her ugly disgruntled face. Fire her please, please remove her. I don't care what her problem is, if she doesn't like men, or she just doesn't like her job, or she has a gnarly case of roids, just get rid of her please. Visual Descript: skinny, Usually wearing black & grey, combat boots, black glasses, tattoo behind the ear, Beanie on head, Nefarious demeanor read more

The menu's okay, nothing spectacular. The coffee's better than Starbucks in that it's not terrible. The whole staff seems to be made up of pseudo-intellectuals in their early- to mid-twenties. I say "pseudo" because their brand of arrogance almost always stems from an inferiority complex, which leads to a subsequent willful ignorance and general assholishness. These issues are never a problem for the true autodidact. Glad we cleared that up. Anyway, the shop itself is spacious, with plenty of comfortable places to sit. It's a nice place to relax quietly with a book or a laptop. Their ambient music is good, too (The Breeders' cover of 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' came on while I was there). Because of its convenient location, I'll probably go back, but I'll be sure to keep to myself. read more

I have lived in Logan Square since before it was Hipsters and their PBR, I live here when the neighborhood was a blue collar Polish and Mexican neighborhood, where you were lucky to have a Dunkin Donuts close enough. However over the last 5 years the neighborhood has been gentrified and completely restructured. This review is however not about the neighborhood, but about the service, or lack of, provided and the environment. When I first went to New Wave Coffee, because I wanted to experience some better tasting coffee, being a Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts sort of person. I went on a Saturday morning, and instantly when I walked in I knew I would not be fond of the environment and decor. Among heaps of "hipsters" on their mac-books, I managed my way to the front of the Cafe and had to wait in line for a little bit as it was rather quite busy due to it being a Saturday morning. There is a sense of phoniness to this cafe, it tries to hard to be other than what it really is. The music that is usually playing there is horrid, with one exception when they were playing some hard rock/metal, if you have nothing good to play then don't play anything at all?. The coffee is okay, the judgment on me ordering a latte is absurd. Sorry that I don't know all the blends of coffee in the world, or what the latest indie rock album is. or that I don't fit in the cliche that you guys fit in by not trying to fit in. In this country I expect a business to treat me well and to be kind as I am paying costumer and not a robot. Most of the workers think more highly of themselves than anyone who enters the place. Customer service is not mocking a costumer who comes in or sneering at them, and not judging them on what they are wearing and how they look. This isn't correct business etiquette. The prices are not = to the environment and customer service. I suppose that is the end of my rant, I only come here for coffee if it is on my way, I would love to be a return customer or even a regular, but until the employees get off their high-horses and be thankful that they have a job, I sadly cannot. read more

I really really wanted to like this place. I live down the street and I'm a grad student so I hoped that New Wave would be the perfect neighborhood coffee shop for me to drink a good latte and study on the days wanted to get out of the house. Too bad EVERY time I come here I am assaulted by some terrible breed of experimental rock music that they play way too loud. I wore earplugs on a couple of occasions, but they didn't do much help. If it's not the blaring music then it's the half-broken chairs and too-cool attitude of the staff. If they forget your food order or get your drink wrong, then it's your fault, not theirs! Don't you just love establishments like that? Anyway, what really put the nail in the ole proverbial coffin for me was their Svengali-like no compete agreement with neighboring French bakery, La Boulangerie. I mean, not letting a French bakery sell individual croissants is totally normal, right? I guess New Wave is hoping that having to buy a whole big dozen of La Boulangerie's delightful, fluffy croissants will coerce customers into buying one of their greasy, rock-hard equivalents. I would rather buy a hundred of La Boulangerie's croissants and support a wonderful small business then buy a single pastry from New Wave. So there! read more

While I realize that Logan Square desperately needed a coffee shop, I have to say: this is one of the worst I've ever been to. The coffee is pretty gross, due to a strangely sour taste. The staff are hit or miss - some are super friendly, others can barely bring themselves to look at customers - and the music is borderline atrocious. Seriously, the last time I was there they were playing what sounded like hardcore; I wondered briefly what disaffected 14 year old boy had selected the album and toyed with whether it was some sort of experiment ("how bad can we make the music before everyone leaves? how long must we play it??"). Also, I've heard a vicious rumor that they play Faith No More's greatest hits on a regular basis. Seriously? My other complaints relate to the space itself. First off, there aren't that many tables. Perhaps it's a capacity issue, but it appears that there is a ton of open room and that more tables could definitely fit. Secondly, what's with the bathrooms? In both the boys' and girls' rooms, there is one stall with a proper door and another one with nothing but a curtain. Why? Is this some sort of statement or was Home Depot out of doors when they opened for business? Oh, and be forewarned that the wifi almost never works. The only saving grace for New Wave is that it fills a need in the neighborhood. I suppose that's a start. read more

Well this place is lucky it's the only one in the area. As soon as someone wises up and opens a second one, then it won't take them much to give New Wave a run for it's money. Seriously, as long as it served coffee and didn't put poison in it, I think it'd have a strong chance of beating out New Wave. I am sitting in here now and everyone looks like they got dressed out of the costume box left over from my high school plays. I have had a lot of jobs in my life and almost all of them were in customer service. I thoroughly understand how hard it can be sometimes and I don't believe in the whole theory of kissing customer's asses as they walk in the door. I do believe in being a civil human being and behaving in a polite manor to everyone you meet regardless of being at a job on the clock or just on the street. Some of the employees here apparently do not believe in that. In their defense though, I think they are too preoccupied with how cool they look in the reflection of themselves on the espresso machine to have any sort of manors or personality. Just to be clear, dying your hair a crazy color or wearing a bandana arm band around your bicep doesn't equal personality or creativity. Their sandwiches are pretty good so there's that. The coffee is not better or worse then any other place I have been so I think, as I said before, this place has location on it's side. It's also very easy to pretend that you are at The Max from Saved By The Bell. The biggest problem I have with the place are the people who work here. Then again, I wasn't wearing a curtain as a skirt, or my grandpas' old church shirt as a dress, perhaps I'd be treated nicer if I looked just ridiculous enough to be cool. read more

I also have no sympathy for La Boulangerie - they did knowingly sign the lease. However, I find the fact that the so-called non-compete even needs to exist rather interesting. Are New Wave's coffee and croissants so bad that they have to contractually limit other business from selling them? Here's an idea--New Wave should produce a BETTER product than La Boulangerie, that way people would go to New Wave even without the restriction. But instead they advertise that they provide a subpar product. Sad. read more

I think they may have played the same song three times at this point, in the 1 hour since i have been here. Look, I like postal service, but I might have to comit myself if i hear the line "silhouettes when our bodies finally go" One.more.time. Also, the waitress was un-friendly for no discernible reason. Their coffee is very meh. Their espresso based drinks are definitely off. Their food-stuff in the case is pretty much awful- stale, weird, bland. Their sandwiches are pretty good. (In fact their 9 - 5 is probably their only saving grace.) As for the non-compete clause (with the next door French Bakery-- Which is wonderful I might add): half the time I go to NWC they are out of croissants and ALL of the times I go there its for coffee, not their pastries. Seriously, let the bakery sell baked goods. Hell, let them sell coffee. Learn to be better not to box out. Lastly, putting on my old man hat here, turn the god damn music down! Seriously. The music played ranges from pleasant to the worse shit I have ever heard in public. Regardless, turn it down. Why does it have to be loud? No one is there to listen to the music. UPDATE: they just played the song again. I might have nightmares about postal service tonight... Im outta here. read more

If you were alive when New Wave was new, or if you don't think that rude is cool, then this place is probably not for you. But it's a really sweet place, if you're walking down the street, and suddenly need to take a poo. read more

I am a supertaster. This does not mean I get a sweet cape or sweet powers or a sweet sweet pile of dudes to come home to every night. Instead it means I have some crazy hyperactive tastebuds that are attuned to sweet things, as opposed to bitter things. This means no licorice, grapefruit, or coffee because they are too too bitter for my delicate little palate. Which has always SUCKED because I LOVE the smell of coffee, but I'd never liked drinking it because to do so would have the same effect as putting my tongue in a pile of burnt hair. Not that I would know or anything because that's gross. Anyway. I used to be a Starbucks girl because the building I worked in had a Starbucks IN it and the staff there was so effing wonderful that I happily spent $5 for a grande nonfat with-whip white mocha EVERY DAY. This makes me cry when I think about all the money I could have saved by not going to Starbucks and all the SHOES I COULD OWN INSTEAD. Eventually, I bit the bullet and decided to start drinking "regular coffee" and when I started drinking "regular coffee" I decided that it was TOO BITTER and thus had to be sweetened within an inch of its life and had to have enough creamer in it that it was a color lighter than my skin. I have since seen the error of my ways (Thank you, coffee loving former-boyfriend.) and now take my cups of coffee with two creamers and two splendas, thankyouverymuch. I have also started working out of coffee shops because I find that I'm more productive when I'm not at home, and thus far, New Wave is my favorite. -- There's bottomless Metropolis coffee for $2.50. -- There's free WiFi that doesn't suck. -- New Wave has some of the best people watching in the whole city. -- There are lots and lots of little tables and enough power outlets to match so that if you're going to do work or dick around on the internet because Comcast has cut out for the 32498762th time, there is a space in New Wave for you to do so. -- They have a seriously solid playlist that is loud enough to drown out everyone else, but quiet enough that you can get shit done if need be. For every day that it is nice enough to bike down to Logan Square and pump some sweet, delicious coffee into my veins, I will probably be there. Thank you, New Wave. You're the tits. read more

New Wave captures the worst of everything about coffee shops, Logan Square, and the world. killmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillme read more

So THIS is where all the supposed "hipsters" in Logan Square were. While I only gave this place two stars, New Wave is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. More stars can come with improvements, and I expect even In These Trying Economic Times, hipsters still need coffee and more shops will be opening soon to fill the gap if New Wave doesn't step up. Tasty pastries, great and inspired homemade soup, open and roomy, interesting layout and furniture. Metropolis coffee. So what's the problem? New Wave's baristas couldn't pull a good shot of espresso with a rope. A bitter, angry, miserable little thing, it barely covered the bottom of my cup, had no crema, and tasted of dirt and aluminum. The hipster ethos goes a bit to far in this place I'm afraid. Somebody needs to step up and apply some standards. Note to New Wave: train your staff. read more

PROS: 1. TRULY GOOD COFFEE: never amiss, well trained baristas, they really know what they are doing. 2. CROISSANTS: Seriously, the most amazing, buttery, croissants i have EVER had. They may not have the exactly correct french ratios, but I'm american, I like butter. My favs are the ham & cheese stuffed, the almond, and the spinach. the sandwiches are good too. 3. LOCATION - can't beat it. CONS: 1. SLOW: Since they are so good at being baristas, they take a full 8 minutes to make every drink, i swear. Last time i was there there was 3 drink orders in front of mine and I waited for 20 minutes. The barista was working very efficiently and it actually was kind of fun to watch her work, but I was running late for work by the time i got my drink - like every cup is a masterpiece. Just don't go here if you're on any sort of schedule. 2. COST: When I go in and get a medium soy latte and a croissant - it's at least $8. Most of my full meals, cooked at home, I try to keep under $5 per person. And I shop at the Dill Pickle! So i'm basically getting a snack for the price of two meals. 3. LEASE: I can't let it go - the whole deal with their lease, I mean I'd be pissed if I opened a coffee shop and someone came in and opened another one right next to me, but that is how capitalism works. You combat it by offering a better product, better customer service, or better prices. That's just how our economic system is supposed to work. And I can't fully respect a place that takes short cuts. I'm not even sure that it would hold up if they were taken to court by a good lawyer. 4. DECOR: bad colors, too bold, uncomfortable seating, horrible cold ambiance, broken or wobbly chairs and tables, and I'm all for vintage couches, but I feel like I need to take a shower after sitting on these couches. 5. NICE, NOT FRIENDLY: While the staff is "nice" they aren't "friendly." I always feel sort of like I'm interrupting their conversation. read more

First things first, I am astounded by the tumult of smug negative reviews for this place in response to the whole croissant controversy with La Boulangerie. Who knew a fairly innocuous neighborhood coffee shop could bring out such disdain from so many angry Yelpers?! La Boulangerie knowingly signed a lease in a building with on non-compete clause on one of their primary goods. They knew this going into the situation and apparently thought the location was worth this enormous drawback. Looks like they might have been wrong as normal healthy people apparently don't want to buy and consume 20 croisants at once (DUH!). So who's fault is this? I don't know all the exact details, but from my perspective it looks like bad judgement/business sense on the part of the bakery... not a villainous and draconian New Wave trying to control the neighborhood. Whether or not it's good PR for New Wave to continue enforcing the clause will remain to be seen, but I have a tough time blaming them for the ridiculous situation the bakery knowingly put themselves into. Ok, with that out of the way now onto New Wave itself... full disclosure here, I don't generally enjoy "hanging out" it in coffee shops. I only really come here when my internet is down (fucking Comcast) or I run out of beans at home and need a refill. Usually just get my delicious bag of Schweik's Blend and a cup to go. So I can't really comment on the ambiance/atmosphere of the place since I've never been here more than 20 minutes max. But I will say every time I've been in here the staff has been pleasant enough and my coffee (all I ever order) has been served promptly and tastes how it should. And one time when I was in here they were playing proggy black metal at a borderline uncomfortably loud volume level while some older ladies were having a book club meeting... all of which obviously ruled. read more

Gross. Everything about it. It either smells like urine or like a dirty sock, which is likely due to the damp couch collection. The drinks are mediocre. read more

I started coming here on the way to work, when the Starbucks I usually go to was always so packed in the morning that there was nowhere to park. I'm not a morning person and caffeine is a necessity if I want to survive my commute to work. There's always plenty of parking around in the morning and I like the Metropolis beans they brew. Plus it's the same price or a bit cheaper. They have plenty of pastries from various bakeries and pies from Hoosier Mama, and other drinks as well, but I usually just get the drip. They always have a different light and dark roast, so variety is nice. If I'm really tired, I go with the Redeye: Regular drip + 2 shots of Espresso. That bad boy will wake you up real good. Lately I've been craving some of their pumpkin seed caramels. They usually have 3 different kinds of homemade caramels, but that was the best so far. They're always friendly and fast with the drinks. I've always taken my coffee to go, but the place is huge and there's plenty of seating, including some comfy looking love seats. Throughout the day the place gets packed, so I tend to stop by only in the mornings. Also, please make some more of those pumpkin seed caramels. Thanks. read more

Fix the whole pastry debacle with the corner bakery already if only on weekends. New Wave usually has plenty of croissant pastries all day during the week (sometimes having too many for the day) so it's fine but on Sundays they run out of croissants about noon or so and don't have any more but you can't buy any less than a dozen at Le Boulangerie because of the clause. New Wave won't order extra because "we end up with too many leftovers by closing" but it's every Sunday this happens. Hopefully Le Boulangerie might outgrow their location and move but don't hold your breath. At least you can grab a coffee and then go get a crepe or something at Le Boulangerie but dammit I want my chocolate croissant. read more

I went here w/my husband because they have wifi and we wanted to go to an independently owned coffee shop. This place has bathrooms that have finally made me consciously remember a recurring nightmare that I have every few months. In the nightmare I'm in some weird place with lots of bathroom stalls and most of them dirty, many of them with no doors, some of them leading in to other stalls, some overflowed, etc. I have to go to the bathroom and I keep walking to try and find a toilet that is both clean and private and I can't. OK now back to New Wave. Their bathroom reminded me of this nightmare because one stall has a door but the other one is much larger but there's no door. I found myself just staring at this large open space with a toilet in it, no doubt my mind triggering my old nightmare. I only know there is a curtain for said enormous stall from other yelp reviews. I personally did not see one. There is a lot of graffiti in there which doesn't really excite me. Clean and private are my two biggest things for bathrooms, as the above nightmare reveals. :-) Speaking of nightmare, the couch and sofa chairs in New Wave may create a new recurring nightmare for me. They were so dirty you'd have to really have an aversion to clean clothes to want to sit in one of them. Normally I love relaxing in a sofa chair in a coffee shop but you could not pay me to sit on one of these. I get that you can get furniture in the alley but you should then use some foaming cleaner and actually clean them. You'd have to be blind to not see all the dirt in the fabric of these sofa chairs. I'll update here if it becomes a new nightmare for me. I ordered hot chocolate and it was really weak. It tasted watery and the whipped cream was super fake. Total disappointment. My husband's tea was AOK, the baristas were fine, and our scone was fine. Not dying to go back. read more

caveat: I just moved to chicago so I in no way have any nostalgic affection for this place. I get what the decor is going for...it's just sort of...trying too hard. alternative shabby-chic. The coffee is decent; I like that it's locally-sourced, I don't know if it's fair-trade but I'd be excited if it was. Most of the staff has been friendly, I kind of think people that talk shit about their baristas being snobby are usually projecting their own feelings of inadequacy. Regardless, they went down a couple stars because I waited in line for ten minutes on that nice hot day we just had to get an iced coffee. So then I was told they didn't have any and just stared at blankly by the generally nice coffee-serving man. I stared back blankly. I guess I didn't think to ask for an iced americano, but then again, he didn't think to offer it. The difference between he and I is that one of us works at a coffee shop and is actually paid to think of things like that. Hint: it is not me. I didn't think of this until I sort of confusedly left the counter and went down the street to Lula, who also didn't have iced coffee but offered me iced americano (which was delicious). and then I thought "well, I'll be damned. iced americano" See? The system works so well. Edit (in which I review the reviewers): I also just read some other reviews, and can we get a moratorium on the word hipster already? what the hell. Do you also hate beatniks? Are you mad because someone is on your lawn? How was disovering the internet last year, was it cool for you? read more

Short story: Bad service, mediocre coffee, loud, dirty, gross atmosphere. Staff was rude. I didn't even know my coffee was finished because no one told me. Their own conversations took precedence over my order. The music is so loud you may as well take your laptop to a bar. Just very non conducive for a coffee shop. And did I mention the terrible service? read more

Uggh. I'm sure the coffee's fine, but seriously, the service sucks. My girlfriend is the sweetest person in the world and when she forgot to tell them she wanted her drink iced, they pretty much freaked out and took a tone with her as if it was the end of the world. On a lighter note, I did enjoy reading excerpts from a Babysitter's Club book they have available for customers to read. Pretty much, after looking at all the other reviews of this place, they should probably cash in on their horrible attitudes by marketing the whole place as a shitty sarcastic horribly-serviced establishment. Oh wait. They're already on it. read more

If coffee actually tastes good then you don't need to put a lot of crap in it. For instance, you probably really love a Starbucks mocha blah blah but hate their standard cup of joe. It's because the coffee tastes like burned marbles and crushed dreams. Not here...the Metropolis coffee is good stuff and you can actually savor the flavor. It's a coffee shop and they serve good coffee. No comment on the level of "hipster-ness" because I don't really care. They're pleasant and they serve my coffee hot and fast...love you, mean it. read more

Let's say you're in Logan Square and a friend is throwing a birthday party at Bob Inn and you've got about an hour to squeeze in some homework or work before hitting the bar. Where would you go? My best bet of advice for you would be New Wave Coffee right off the Logan Square Plaza. It's funny, I used to live right down the street and probably walked by a million times and never noticed this cafe. Before Raul B's birthday, Jaz P convince me, Nishan P., and Aurore L. to stop on by for some coffee so we could all be a little more productive before the birthday. Is New Wave Coffee new? It could be by the looks of it, it's bright a slight hipster appeal with indie rock playing all day. People are all armed with laptops sucking in the internet going at download speeds of 0.89 Mb/sec and upload at 0.28 Mb/sec. Despite this, it's cool since it's an unsecured network and also free. It's also funny because when I walked around no one was actually doing any work, there were all reading their email! Let's get back to studying for a second though, let's say it's late on a Sunday and you've got to get this work done, you go crab a bottomless cup of coffee for less than $3 and set yourself up on one of their many circular tables, steal a spot on a desk or try to plop down on a big leather couch with a coffee table in front of it. You name it, they've probably got a way for you to get your study on. Open late and lots of people, did I mention it's right off the plaza? read more

This place sucks! They are not even nice and don't even sell croissants or if they do they must sell out right away or give them only to "certain" people. The food they do sell, seems to come from some where else, they don't even make it! The place is a mess and doesn't look clean like half the people that work there. Plus they also suck as business neighbors! Non-compete clause in the food service business? Do you also have one against the bodega down the street that sells better coffee than you? Just walk past this place! read more

New Wave is a winner! After a 1 year bocot of New Wave due to their conflict with the french bakery next door I am back. Thank you for letting La Buchone Bakery sell their amazing chocolate crussants by anything but the dozen, though it is nice to grab a few extra. I have no idea why it took so long or why they were even able to stop a near by business from selling things, this is America after all. But I am just happy to be able to enjoy both again! New Wave is a place where you will find the majority of people on their laptops (good chance it is a macbook) for hours on end. I prefer to stick to the classics a play some NES on their old school big screen TV. There have defiantly been days where you could find me sipping tea for hours while playing Klax. It is a very relaxed atmosphere that begs you to stay around for as much time as you can with their fun art work and very comfortable furniture -- with a funky style. They have an excellent loose leave tea selection and a very good chai tea latte. As for fun treats they have a very good selection of tasty things to try, with a surprising number of vegan treats. One of my favorites is the spicy cayenne and chocolate scone, it is sorta like a Mexican hot chocolate scone - spicy, sweet, and delicious! Seriously, it is worth going in just for their baked goods! I would not go out of my way to go to New Wave but every time I am in the area I find my self at least stopping in there (if not staying for a few) to grab something tasty! read more

I have to say it's nice to have a new shop in town, especially since No Friction closed :(. I still miss my Sunday morning coffee runs! We needed a replacement, and for that I am grateful to have New Wave around. This place is definitely bustling. Don't expect to find a seat for more than one on any given weekend day. I love the interior look to this place. They did a great job with the design, and they have a lot of interesting art on the walls. I have to say that I would prefer Intelligentsia, but Metropolis is a close second. I have to second another review...I also received an extraordinarily cute latte heart from the barista :). read more

Gave it another shot 2 1/2 years later, but the drip coffee is still super bitter, and their espresso drinks (latte) wasn't the right milk/coffee ratio. I don't know if they follow instructions, or have inadequate training, but they are doing something wong, based on their beans, it should be above average at minimum. As for La Boulangerie, they are the dummies that signed a bad lease, don't fault New Wave for enforcing it. Almost every coffee shop in any building would ask for exclusivity clause. read more