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. read more

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! read more

You really have to screw up to get a bad review out of me. The owner of this establishment has a pretty dumb premise for a cafe - say that you focus on authenticity and quality and then have your staff be snobby when anyone orders something against your own personal and misinformed concept of "purity." I couldn't get a double shot with an inch of hot water but I can order an americano? I can't get my shot to go so that I can personally add in hot water? And what is this authenticity anyway - the owner clearly knows nothing about Italian coffee because they had no idea how to pull an espresso lungo. Even more hilarious was that despite the inane rules, supposedly based on purity, they have a red-eye on the menu, which had to be about the most American and "unpure" coffee drink out there. People clearly buy into their snobbery and fascist coffeehouse practices, but for me, not giving customers what they want with their coffee is not acceptable. read more

Chris and Megan really knows their beans! The coffee is the sort of perfection I love, like heaven in a cup with an art swirl on my latte'. There is a decent amount of space to sit, the atmosphere is nice, and the Loyola crowd will appreciate the drinks, wi-fi, and proximity to campus. This is as good as coffee gets folks, trust me, I did the Chicago Tour de Cafe' - so I know. read more

Rivers and Roads Cafe - What do we want? Coffee! When do we want it? All the time. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Buy local. Found this little neighborhood coffee shop on Devon, not far from the Lake. Great atmosphere, eclectic art and decor, 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. read more

See all

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 communit read more

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. read more

Today was my first time stopping in, and I'm certain it will be my new go-to coffee shop! The barista was helpful in the drink "lingo" and was super friendly. There is definitely a nice cozy feel. Oh yeah..and the coffee is delicious! (Kind of important, huh?) I ordered a Redeye black, and it tastes awesome! read more

Great service, delicious pastries, and a warm environment. Just what you need on a cool fall afternoon. Great location and good prices. read more

Rivers and Roads Cafe - Café au lait Apple muffin. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place it great! I just moved nearby and the couple times I've stopped in both the coffee and the service have been superb. The patio is great for hanging with my pup. read more

Ellipsis Coffeehouse is the best coffee shop in Chicago. They don't have the sparkle of two Slayers, Italian marble counter tops, or Pinterest-able interior design. They don't roast their own beans (they use Counter Culture, so that's a big help), they don't bake in house - in fact they have little cakes and cookies individually wrapped, just like the first coffee shop I worked in 15 years ago. They are nothing like the Big Shops of Chicago. The biggest difference? They know how to make coffee. To be clear about what I am saying: coffee in Chicago sucks everywhere (I'll get to the exceptions). Shops are too concerned with gimmick and aesthetic, and ride on the laurels of being a "not Starbucks" in the right neighborhood. Sadly, one can forgive the shops this grievous sin because the customers don't hold them accountable. Ignorance wins by a landslide when it comes to laypeople's knowledge and appreciation of coffee. And why would it be any different? It's a vicious cycle of customers wanting "not Starbucks" in the right neighborhood, at places the Reader and Eater deem worthy and up and coming (because they look great, or the shop has a great media team), where they can Instagram their cup and latte art. That Dragon on your latte has nothing to do with how well calibrated the espresso is, or how well the staff maintains the machine, or much understanding the barista has about extraction theory. Accountability shouldn't be based on sales, and Likes, or Reader Awards (Metropolis won last year. Metropolis.), it should be an internal, self driving passion to be the source of good coffee in a world of garbage coffee! Cafes aren't inherently doing something right by being "not Starbucks." In fact, they are taking on a huge responsibility and burden by suggesting that "If you come here, you will have better coffee than you will get at Starbucks and the like." Ellipsis takes on that responsibility and they do it with mastery and humility. Maybe most people walk out without giving it a second thought that they just had the best extraction in the city, or how much different it tastes than Starbucks and wonder how the two can even legally be allowed to be called the same thing! Separation of roaster and cafe is an important aspect of this equation. I believe most places are trying to do too much and quality on roasting or service (or both!) drop. Counter Culture doesn't have cafes; they roast and educate. There are a few exceptions in Chicago. Metric and Groundswell. They roast and they have a cafe or cafes, and they do both very well. While I'm at it, on the other side of things, my favorite roaster in the city that doesn't have a cafe is Four Letter Word. Do yourself a favor, barista or not; go to Ellipsis. Get a pour over (even better, get a pour over flight) and know that what you are tasting is good, and extremely well made, with care and passion, from a team of people that push themselves to learn more and improve their craft in order to make great coffee for everyone, whether they realize it or not,.. read more

I love doing my homework here! I've never been when it was busy so I've always experienced very friendly staff and prompt service. There's also free WiFi and lot's of space to sit. read more

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 !!!! read more

Good environment. Ice chai latte and regular chai latte taste so bad. Highly do not recommend. Other stuff is OK.

I'm not in this area much but I happened to be and stopped in for a latte and ginger lemon scone. The coffee was excellent, as good as any I've had around the city and the service was great, the baristas were friendly and seemed genuinely happy I stopped in. I'll for sure be back whenever I'm in the neighborhood. read more

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. read more

My friend and i just walked out of this pretentious place. We wanted espresso shots over ice but were told they would not make our drinks. The women waiting on us suggested we getting something else and we settled on ice coffee. Neither of us is a coffee snob in the least bit but what we were served was so bad that after taking one sip, both of us dumped our drinks and walked out. If you are going to be an elitist establishment, at least have the goods to back it up. While we did not try the pastries they were certainly not baked on the premises and didn't look so great either. Oh, and one more thing, for those of you wanting to order a solo or doppio "to go" or cappuccino they wont do that either. read more

an ellipsis just slipped from my lips. Thank you mindful baristas that steam intention into passion.

$4.50 for 12 ounces of coffee and milk (latte) is quite a lot, and it wasn't anything special. Maybe I've just been spoiled by Chicago Grind. read more

This place has a decent set up. Unfortunately, that is about the only positive thing that I am willing to say about my visit, other than I do not really see myself ever returning. I was quite off-put by the customer service. I ordered a few espresso shots over ice, and I received such a snobby response. "I can't do that." When I asked him why, he then proceeded to tell me the whole spiel about how it shocks the espresso, compromises the quality, etc. I already KNOW what it does to the espresso, and I LIKE what it does to the espresso. I'm fairly knowledgeable about coffee, and I knew what I was ordering. I can understand that they may not want to compromise the taste of their espresso, but I specifically told him that I know what it does to the taste, and I like it. I am the one whose drinking it. So if I tell you what I like, then I couldn't care less about what you think, since you aren't drinking it. The bottom line is that It doesn't require them to go out of their way. They were perfectly capable of doing what I asked. They were simply being snobby. The better response from this place would have been something along the lines of "we don't recommend that" or "we suggest that you try it this way". Simply refusing, and saying something like 'we can't do that' or 'we don't do that', when in fact they really can, and they just don't want to, is pretty off-putting. For the sake of business, there comes a time when you give a little in order to receive a happy customer, particularly when you do not have to anywhere near go out of your way to do what they are asking. I'm sure if I complained, they would give some insincere apology, or again, talk about the quality of their espresso, or something about how they just can't bring themselves to do it. So I didn't even bother to complain. I have went to very nice coffee houses, some much nicer and higher in quality than this place, and never had an issue with this order. So rather than complain, I prefer to spare myself another lecture, and just go somewhere else. Besides, even if it is against their policy to make the drink, there is a MUCH more respectable and appropriate way to explain that to a customer. Their snobby attitude and the manner in which they handled this, was simply unmerited and rude. So, if you want espresso shots over ice, don't bother swinging by this place. "They don't DO that." read more

Was told they couldn't make me an espresso over ice because it would ruin the shots. I explained I worked and still work for a coffee shop for over 5 years and while I know what it does to the shots I still wanted it. I was told they wouldn't do it. I then settled on ice coffee instead, which was absolutely terrible. Pretentious coffee shop for absolutely no reason. Ended up dumping my ice coffee out and went down the road to a better place. read more

I stopped by on my way to work , the name caught my eye and I am so glad I did. It was the best latte I've ever had! I have come back 3 more times and the staff are friendly and it's a hip and welcoming vibe. On my most recent visit, I also tried the Earl grey tea scone. It has a very unique taste and I loved it. I'm not in the immediate neighborhood, but I see myself becoming a regular. If you love coffee, this is a place to savor. read more

Having lived in Roger's Park for almost a year and after visiting almost every coffee shop in the area, Ellipsis is without a doubt the best place we've got. Great coffee, free wifi, nice atmosphere. A good place to kick back for a few hours and get some work done. read more

UPDATE: Will never patron again, due to the response of the owner. See his reply on my original review. Ok, 12oz is the smallest COLD beverage you have. That was not explained to me by the barista. It's also not very noticeable on the menu. Go look at the pictures of the menu on here. It's very easy to miss that the cold iced coffee starts at a 12oz. i thought the 12oz was the smallest sized drink overall, when clearly that would be an 8oz. How about apologizing for your barista's miscommunication? Also, $4.00 is still expensive for the okay coffee. It's not great coffee, it's just ok- something you can make at home. Lastly, and what's most disappointing is that the owner ignored my biggest complaint which was the rudeness. Your barista practically threw a plastic cup at me and told me to put my coffee in there after SHE mistakenly placed it in a mug when i asked for it to go WHILE i was ordering it. Not to mention they completely ignored my brother when he walked in. Based on the other reviews, my complaints are legitimate. i'm not the first to complain about rudeness, price, quality of coffee and lack of attention from baristas, however based on the owner's response, i can see why these complaints continue to arise. i will make it my duty to tell everyone in the neighborhood to not patronize this business. ------ ORIGINAL REVIEW: $5.00 for a 12 oz of okay iced coffee, which actually is 8 oz of coffee with 4 oz of ice (my sister and i measured it when we got home). Along with the coffee, you also receive mildly rude and unknowledgeable service. i was told that the 12oz was the smallest they have when clearly their menu says otherwise. i look up at the menu after paying and receiving the coffee, and behold, the 12oz is not the smallest. i also once ordered my coffee to go and it was given to me in a mug. When i told the barista, she rudely handed me a plastic cup and told me to put the coffee in there. Not a problem, just a bit off putting... My brother walked in one day, and they completely ignored him for about 2 mins, so he left and went to Starbucks. Get an upgrade in both coffee and customer service, especially considering the price. $5.00 for 2 gulps of coffee is not gonna cut it in a neighborhood where there are literally a dozen more places to get coffee. read more

Ellipsis is a bit on the pricey side ($6-$7 for a pour over), but their coffee is really good and there's not much else on this part of Devon. They sell Counter Culture Beans from North Carolina (I love the beans from Papua New Guinea). Outdoor seating is available when it's warm out. I'm very glad they're in the neighborhood! read more

I support small businesses as much as possible but when the "indie" attitude overtakes the customer service, it's not worth making the effort. That was my experience here. I was chastised for ordering my espresso to go. I know, I know...they won't serve it to go "on principle that it impacts the quality". I'm an educated person and am willing to suffer the "lesser quality" espresso. If a CUSTOMER is willing to pay for espresso that may be compromised, one should be served and not lectured. This is a coffee shop in Edgewater...Let's lose the elitist attitude. read more

Cute quiet coffeehouse on Devon. There are a lot of different seating options and it has a cozy, neighborhood-joint type of vibe. I had the Iron Empress tea, which was very flavorful--loved the fact that I was given loose leaf tea instead of a tea bag; makes it much more worth it. read more

The coffee was great just the Barista was kinda moody....he seemed to have an attitude, maybe because I came in with my kids as in no Children Allowed! It's a nice & cozy Coffee shop read more

One employee was nice. The other employee was rude. I left feeling upset and angry. I wish I never went there.

This coffeehouse is in a great location. Its nice enough. On the plus side, there is a nice, quiet atmosphere with great outdoor seating when the weather is warm. On the negative side, the coffee and espresso are really quite bad. I'm not a coffee snob, but if I need a fix, I will walk the longer distances to Metropolis or Coffee Studio. Even Starbucks brews a better cup...Its really too bad, this place could be great. read more

I've never gotten so much attitude as I have here. My barista took unfriendly to all new levels. I understand bad days and don't care if I get happiness and sunshine, but the level of contempt I felt was beyond the pale. No one should be treated like that. I was going to do some work here but I don't feel comfortable. read more

I love a coffee shop where the batista actually WANT to know yiu! They were so pleasant, PLUS they're latte was delicious! Loved the atmosphere read more

I ran in this morning after I discovered I was out of coffee at home. I wasn't in Ellipsis long but the atmosphere is warm and pleasant. The cashier was super friendly and conversational. I ordered a soy latte which was smooth and very creamy. I really enjoyed the heart on top. So fancy! The latte was delicious. My brief encounter with Ellipsis was very pleasant. I'll be back again when I have time to sit a spell. read more

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. read more

Nice coffee... Barista is a slight jackass tho. Shame. Service style is very important. We ordered our coffee and asked him if he had heard something and he just rudely said our total. Then just yells across the room "your drinks are done" and walks away not even handing them to us... Rude rude rude. Bad attitude. Had a face like he hated his job and the world. read more

I have stopped in for coffee and to work several times in my short 3 months in the neighborhood, and have been thrilled with the flavor, work space, and service. As others have said, Chris and his staff are very friendly, and take great pride in making excellent coffee every time. I highly recommend this place for serious coffee lovers and those seeking a friendly place to work and sip/nibble on something tasty! Best dry latte I've ever had. read more

This is a negative review on account of being told that I couldn't have the drink I wanted. I wanted espresso shots over ice and blatantly refused. They told me it compromises the quality of the shot. I explained I knew how it tasted and they still refused unless adding water first. After the argument got nowhere, I had it their way and it was so watered down and weak I couldn't finish it. We need more friendly local coffee shops and this couldn't be farther from it. read more

When I visited: 6.22.16 What I got: (Batch Drip) Drink Review: One of the smoothest cups I've ever had. It had a certain moistness that struck me, prompting me to question the strength and diffusion of this cup. As I finished out the cup, I concluded that the flavor was consistent, albeit a bit bland. Bitterness was okay but few other flavors could be picked up aside from your base acidity. There were some quiet hints of grape and pear but without any other notable tastes brought to bear, it all faded to a basic black cup. Cafe Review: A surprising amount of space in this humble caffeine corner on Devon. High ceilings and able seating in the elongated main cafe offer plenty of tables, benches, and bars to sit at. The brick walls intermixed with red and charcoal grey painted drywall give off a modern urban vibe accompanied by various artwork. Friendly staff and solid music choices (Black Keys and Jimmy Hendrix) rounded out the welcoming tone for the long stay. Overall, the cafe itself was pretty standard, but bland. No strong connection to the neighborhood (and living in RoPo for 6 years this explains why it was only my second time in). Really I can't complain as there were no issues here but at the same time nothing too stand out too much either. Better than a Peet's or Starbucks chain but only by a bit. Overall Visit Rating: 6/10 read more

I'm a sucker for big windows and good lighting! I could sit and read, or draw here all afternoon, of course while drinking Ellipsis' fabulous coffee. They had a lot of cool pastries, yay! My friend and I shared a scone and it was super. I really enjoyed their display and set up on the counter. They had a bulletin board that promotes events around the neighborhood, that was fun to look at too. They have an array of teas and coffees. I'd love to return and try some of their other selections. read more

I'm new to the area, and just stopped in with a friend for a cup of coffee. Liked the atmosphere, the staff was very friendly and they made good recommendations. I also like that they offer 'green' alternatives to disposable cups. I'll be back! read more