You can't find a better group of conscientious and friendly people. They are cognizant of their carbon footprint, their place in the community while honoring their origins, sourcing local growers, bakers, and crafters and damn, is their food great! They support ALL in their community and the shop is gorgeous. I have been a loyal fan for many, many years. read more

Loved the sandwiches! I got the Chi-Talian (my new favorite sandwich) on a everything bagel and the hubby got the Cuban. Delish! Will definitely be back. read more

Spoken Cafe - Cuban - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Well I had some bad experiences and decided to review on Google, and the owner mocked and berated me for it, so now I'm here! They always run out of everything before breakfast is over. That is my main complaint. The owner replied to me with: "Want something badly, arrive earlier. Have a special request send a PRIVATE message and ask for it but there's no need publicly blast us......oh wait....that's your thing. 1 star reviews." Odd because I only ever made 3 one-star reviews including that one! One for an establishment where I witnessed the owner making a racist rant, and the other a place that literally scammed me. But ok, sure, it's just "my thing". Horrible people who can't take criticism and snap at you like petulent children. And a menu that runs out super early. Go to Dollop down the street! read more

Very delicious sandwiches! I especially love the one with artichokes, olives, and pesto on a pizza bialy. The coffee is good (dark roast for the 90s vibes!) as is the chai. Plus, everyone who works there is lovely :) read more

Perfect little nook with coffee, bagels and a nice environment to read your book in! They have a hot cream cheese called the "Eye of Sauron" which was unique enough for me to write a review on Yelp. Definitely recommend! read more

This place is great for sandwiches. A bit on the pricey side, but with the portion size it's well worth it. (Sometime I even have the other half for dinner.) You must try the turkey reuben. My only issue is that every time I walk in to pick up a to go order, I've gone to Starbucks prior to my visit. Without fail, the staff brings up that I "could have bought my iced tea at their store" or that my "cup/straw isn't biodegradable." Now, if I was eating IN their dining area, I'd see the issue with bringing in a beverage from another organization. But since I'm walking in and then walking out, ease up on the Starbucks guilt. I've tried the Iced Tea at Spoken. I didn't like it. I re-use my Starbucks cup all day. If this is such an issue, I'll start taking my business elsewhere. read more

Spoken is a nice little neighborhood cafe offering a wide array of coffee and tea beverages and light food. I wish the pumpernickel bagel was darker and offered more of a dense and chewy NYC bagel experience, but overall I'd say the bagels are quite good and I like the variety of flavors and toppings (eg sundried tomato cream cheese) available. In addition to sandwiches and drinks, Spoken also offers a wide array of sweets, which are often from local makers. I'm partial to the alfahores. Good amount of seating for hanging out or perhaps WiFi squatting, but they're generally full so I wouldn't plan to spend your full workday here. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff as well. read more

Quirky, comfie, cool coffee cafe. Caveat: we would love some more vegan options. Tofu scramble? Dairy-free cream cheese? Before you roll your eyes and say "Go back to San Francisco" we're just politely asking for options not that everybody gets "Meat is murder" tattoos. read more

When I came in they were playing the Canonball by Breeders! Chill place, friendly staff and finally a lunch spot where I could actually enjoy the music.. B-Rad was delicious. Fresh ingredients and flavors worked together perfect (spinach, turkey, feta and pesto, oh my god). Perfectly prepped and wrapped and the most perfect panini grill marks! Def going again. read more

The Home on the Ranch sandwich is my favorite! The Spoken staff are lovely, they buy locally, & they're loved in the community. 12/10

Outstanding coffee and food, but the lines are incredibly long and there is no way to pick up an online orders without waiting in the long line (I waited 17 minutes just to pick up an online order). All of the recent complaints would be resolved if they reopened. They also need to more consistently staff the hole in the door where customers are served (even once you make it through the long line, you wait for someone to show up at the hole in the door to hand you your online order or to place an order in person when your wait restarts). Please reopen. read more

Coffee for $1.50 in 2018! That's reason enough to be a regular here if you live in Ravenswood. Doughnuts from Do-Rite are another enticement. (I wish there was somewhere to get Doughnut Vault this far north, but Do-Rite is a solid substitute.) I also had a breakfast sandwich on a bagel and it honestly was not that good, but by that point this place had built up enough goodwill with me that I didn't mind. I'm guessing the lunch options are better because most of the food menu is lunch sandwiches. The space is attractive and I don't mind that it's small. The one thing I really don't like here is that most of the seating is backless benches. Memo to all cafes of Earth: No one likes backless seating!!! Luckily there are a few chairs with backs along a bar. But this is not the type of cafe that has comfortable places to sit, alas. But $1.50 coffee makes up for a lot! read more

I crave Spoken Cafe's bagel lox sandwich at least once a week - this place is truly amazing and the staff is so friendly. The last time I ordered, there was a pick up mix up (my fault, not theirs) and the staff was extremely accommodating. I will go back again and again! read more

Will and Sido have really turned this place into a little gem. I've been coming here since 1998, back when it was Beans 'n Bagels - and it just keeps getting better and better.. ! LOVE the selection of bagels, sammies, salads, and sweets! Oh, annnnnnd, the caffeines, which are my main food group. Lovely spot to sip, lunch, read, or work in the cafe, and a great place to pick up a bite to go! Try the Medusa, it's my fave! read more

This is a great cafe! During my Chicago vacay we tried many of there specialty drinks including a root beer coffee and even there bagel sandwiches. My favorite was the lavender latte and definitely the lox on a everything bagel. There employees were so nice during the time we were there. I would def say if you are in the area it is a must. The ambiance is cozy and we found ourselves going back for breakfast or just for coffee on the go. read more

Spoken Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came on a Saturday morning and it wasn't too busy. Service was quick and my breakfast bowl was HOT and fresh and delicious. Their pickled tomatoes are so good! My friend had the lox special and she's obsessed with it. read more

Small Space. Good Service. Friendly. The biggest beef is the place is so small. And there's only a few tables. That are always taken over by laptop jockeys. Which I guess is OK. But when you do spend over $20 on lunchtime stuff. You would like a place to sit. read more

Delicious! Had a lox bialy sandwich and it was outstanding -- the perfect combo of feta dill cream cheese, lox, cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, capers, and spinach. Topped it off with an iced earl grey that was perfectly brewed. It was not bitter and needed no sweetener. Yum! read more

Cool little place, kind of over-hipster vibe. Good food but not amazing. My main gripe is the coffee: it's just not very good. Sandwiches are good. Nothing special. Main problem: An 8 oz. cup of coffee is $2.15?? Gimme a break. read more

The place is very cozy and delicious! The place is hidden on the corner of Montrose. I don't usually drink black coffee but the coffee here was just perfect black, very flavorful. I ordered the Italian sandwich, which was full of flavor. The staff is super friendly. Overall a great little coffee shop. read more

Spoken Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't know of another place in Chicago that puts as much time, consideration, and care into making quality ingredients and products as Spoken Cafe. I adore this place. They also deeply care about their customer's input which I appreciate. During their reopening process they reached out to customers to figure out where our needs were, in terms of obtaining certain grocery items. Not many places did that! I ordered online for pickup and had no issues. I didn't go during their busiest times because I didn't want to deal with navigating that situation. Regardless, when I went there were still some people waiting so I simply asked those people if they had already put their names in before I went up to the window. It was a lot easier to figure out than others have made it out to be. read more

Been loving this place for the past couple months. Decent coffee, they make a lavender syrup that makes for a very good, not-too-sweet latte, and they have quality pastries - do-rite donuts and floriole pastries. Solid four star joint. Today was kind of a turn-off though. I got a cup of drip coffee to go, put some cream in it and headed for the train, only to notice that the cream had totally curdled in the coffee. A little googling will tell you that this can happen if your cream is nearing the end of it's life span (hot acidic coffee will speed up curdling compared to the cold carafe), if your coffee is very acidic, or some combo of the two. Not dangerous - if the cream wasn't bacteria-ridden enough to curdle in the carafe, pouring it into a cup of coffee won't suddenly make it so. Speeds up the chemical reaction, not the biological cause behind it. I've seen it happen a couple times, back when I worked at a café. We'd apologize and give the person a new cup of coffee and an unopened carton of half and half (instead of the one that's sat for a morning in the carafe.) Problem solved. I figured I'd call back and just let them know it's worth checking out the cream. Especially as I had picked the one of two drips they had going based on it being the "less acidic" one. Me: hey there, just got some coffee to go and noticed after I left that it curdled your cream, thought I'd let you know it might be worth double checking your cream. Barista: oh that's just the acidity of the coffee, the cream is fine. Me: yeah could very well be. Kinda unpleasant though. Barista: yeah, ok bye. [hangs up] To be fair, I was on the train, maybe she didn't hear the bit about "kinda unpleasant." Clearly she got the gist of what happened though, which seems worthy of an apology at least, maybe offer a free cup of coffee next time. Tldr - wish they would warn you, if it's likely that the drip of the day is going to curdle cream. And/or, just be receptive to fixing the problem. Grainy protein clumps suck. read more

I try so hard to like this place, but they keep letting me down. I'm not that picky about my bagels, but Spoken (formerly Beans and Bagels) frequently runs out of bagels pretty early on the weekends, especially in the nice weather. I went in today in hopes of getting a bagel and an iced coffee and they were out of both. A little frustrating since pretty much all they sell are bagels and coffee. I had to get an iced Americano instead, which does the trick but is basically twice the price. The service is super slow and the lids for the hot coffee always drip when I take a sip so I end up spilling coffee on my clothes. It's as if they bought the cups and the lids separately so they don't fit together perfectly. I really want to support a local business, but I've been disappointed by this place so many times that I really can't recommend it. read more

When I visited:3.22.16 What I got: Macau Mocha Drink Review: Certainly a spicier mocha than I'm used to, reminiscent of some Mayan Hot Coco I've had. Still the notes of chocolate and espresso came in at the end of each sip, alongside the foam to quell the spice delivered from the Chilies. A stand out serving for those seeking a unique spin on a mocha. Cafe Review: A compact, wooden, hideaway about 10 steps from the brown line. The quality salsa tunes playing over the speakers as I came in made me feel welcomed. Local art spread across the walls gave additional flavor and a respectful food menu tempted me with a mid afternoon salad or sandwich. Overall a solid joint, but nothing too particular stood out to me during this visit. Overall Visit Rating: 7.5/10 read more

First time here. Great little spot with a neighborhood feel. Located right next to the Montrose, Brown line stop. Very cozy and welcoming spot for a cup of coffee or tea and a quick bite to eat. I ordered their bagel with lox. It was great! The staff was very welcoming. Looking forward yo visiting this place again soon. If you haven't been, check it out! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. read more

Spoken Cafe - Lox on sesame bagel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overpriced and not even good. Just had the bagel with lox for $14. It tasted like salt with texture. Like the bagel was marinated in salt. And i even asked them to not put any capers on. Maybe the chef thought it wouldn't be salty enough so i am guessing they all cried on the sandwich. read more

Best hibiscus tea I've ever had! Nice staff, pastries could be better, but I'm being picky :) and the decor is cool, location is the best.

Perfect cafe in Ravenswood. Louisiana themed. Kind staff. Huge menu with a ton of food options, cafe desserts, and delicious coffee menu. People come here to study, chat with friends, or just hang out. The decor is awesome and I always feel comfortable here. Right across the street from the Montrose brown line station. I just wish it was open later! read more

This small little cafe is so cute and the food is amazing! I ordered a panini and it was SO GOOD. It's reasonably priced as well and the food made fresh while you're there! The staff were also super friendly with me. I'm a leasing agent and I do a lot of rentals in Ravenswood, and I always recommend this cafe to my clients!! Very happy with my experience there! :) read more

Quite possibly one of the best bagel sandwiches this side of Brooklyn. Seriously. The staff are helpful, but seem beaten down and borderline miserable. And in this politically adversarial climate, I'd rather not be inundated with messaging about fascism or whatever flavor-of-the-month problem someone has decided to champion. I'd like to eat my sandwich in peace, please. read more

My husband and I come for a bagel almost every weekend. These are the best bagels I have had in Chicago and coming from NY we take our bagels seriously. There is a large variety of bagels to choose from and a unique list of cream cheeses to match. The staff is always very friendly. Highly recommended! read more

Spoken Cafe - Cranberry walnut cream cheese on wheat. Artichoke cream cheese on salt and poppy. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A total neighborhood gem, which is exactly what I'd hoped to stumble upon when moving to Ravenswood. It's hard to find a cafe with such an extensive menu - their sandwiches are OUTSTANDING and I love that they make up special ones weekly that are always unique and delicious. I come here almost every day and it is my favorite little spot! read more

I could not give less than 5 stars to an establishment whose owners are as passionate as Spoken's are. They genuinely care about their craft and you can tell work their asses off to put their best foot forward, and it shows in their product. In order of importance, here a few of the Drawbacks: Price point is a bit whack. Almost $30 for two people to have a quick lunch with drinks. Place is a hot-box and could definitely use a ventilation system. You will leave smelling. The folks that work the counter can be rude about letting you know that it's almost closing time and you'll have to take your food to go. It's 2:45, and I just spent 12 bucks on a breakfast sandwich. I don't think the Worlds going to end if I leave at 3:01, yo. read more

I love this place! They always have interesting and delicious coffee offerings. Their bagels and cream cheese are also very fresh and creative. It gets very busy on weekend mornings with the stroller crowd--think strollers parked inside--everywhere--but it's clearly a popular place for a reason. The decor is very cozy and welcoming, and you feel good about supporting a truly local coffee shop. Note that a small is not a typical American "small"--you'll have to ask for a medium. read more

Still the same good folks with excellent coffee and breakfast options. Love the bagels, love the choice in spread, looking forward to eating more croissants and donuts. Had a sandwich for the first time - the Hemingway - and it was pretty good but not as sublime as the breakfast foods. read more

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This place seems to rebrand every 6 months so don't be surprised if it has a new name when you get there. Good coffee, great sandwiches, and most of the time you can find a seat for 2 even at lunch time. Best spot in the area for a sandwich and chips at lunch. read more

One of my favorite coffee shops. Fabulous coffee, staff, and breakfast sandwiches. It's a little on the pricey side, but surely worth the price for this little gem. read more

I come in here a lot because it is on my commute and right under the Montrose brown line stop. The coffee is good and they use different batches often which is nice. They are all free trade which I respect (but the prices are steep). The staff is mostly friendly but it is a slow place. I find myself waiting a lot in there when it is not busy. I recommend the coffees of the day. read more

Cranberry Walnut Cream Cheese. Yes. Sweet baby Jesus yes. I don't get anything other than that here and it makes my mornings when I do. I was not a big cream cheese fan until I tried it and I fell I lovveeeeee. Someone catch me! I love this place. Even with the new hipster name. I will admit , "Spoken Cafe" is a lot cooler than "Beans and Bagels", although it does not have the same ring to it. Eh, it's a give and take I guess. Ambiance: Wood everything. A variety of seating - booth, bar, window, table - a little bit of everything. Great vibes. Low-medium volume. Great for catching up with a friend over morning coffee; okay for work (if you put your headphones in). Quality: they really take their time with the food. Sometime too much, which then reflects in your punctuality to work. I always get the cranberry walnut cream cheese on cinnamon raisin bagel. I hate bagels because of how tough they are, but that never seems to bother me here. They toast it just the right amount to make taking a bite off easy. I love the walnut in contrast to the cranberry. I will admit that sometimes there is a garlicky taste to my bagel because of previous flavored bagels that have run through the toaster, but that's a tough issue to correct (I think?). Great for breakfast or lunch - some even call it... "brunch"... Customer Service: Always upbeat. Super friendly, but not overwhelming. They keep the place all kinds of clean. Accessibility: Street parking that always seems to be available. If you park a block or 2 down in pretty much any direction, you should be able to find something free. Area: Safe, friendly, with some cool shops you can check out with a friend after "brunch". I love Spoken. I hate how late it makes me sometimes, but if it is your only place to be, it's always satisfactory. Jamie "Jammy" D. "I'm not picky, I'm particular." read more

I just got a sandwich. It has your-choice nut butter, your-choice cheese, your-choice jam, caramelized onions grilled on Multigrain bread. I  chose burbon-pecan-nut butter, apricot jam, and provolone. It is one of the most amazing things I have ever put in my mouth. Not your Mama's, indeed! Great fair trade coffee brewed correctly, too! Sometimes there's a line out the door and they run out of bagels. Worth it~ read more