A bit pricy, 7.50 for a medium latte. But the flavors are super fun and the place is very cute. I ordered an oatmilk apple latte 7/10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Thomson Mai
Got a latte and it taste like it was made with drip coffee, definitely not worth almost $6
Kristian Ording
Lively coffee shop right by campus with an excellent offering of coffee drinks and tasty breakfast treats. Exotic mix of Asian ingredients in their pastries looked quite amazing and will have to come back to sample. Ample seating in a side room with a mix of tables and couches. Small outside seating area on the sidewalk is somewhat underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kat Ducoff
Matcha was good. Staff was rude. Some manager type was standing in the walkway on her phone when I went to go and get my drink and gave me a dirty look saying nothing when I asked if I could get by. Also, some guy was in there clearly having some kind of mental health crisis rocking back and forth on the couch saying he had lost the cap to the medicine he had with him and they completely dismissed him just going back to the their conversation as if nothing had happened when he went to ask them about it. Overall, I don’t like the atmosphere that these employees are creating and I won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Ming-Feng Ho
I was in UIUC and ended up coming here three days in a row -- not because it tasted great, but simply because it was the only pour-over place I could find in town.
1. Pour-over coffee: Beans seem fresh (only one option Counter Culture), but the pour-over skill feels chaotic. The flavors are muddled, and it doesn’t feel like the store has developed a pour -over style that really suits the beans. I tried their pour-over on two different days with the same results. I’ve brewed Counter Culture beans myself before, and I don’t feel the beans are well treated here.
2. Other drinks: Espresso-based drinks are much better made. I also tried the Kyoto-style cold brew, but I wouldn’t recommend it-- it just tastes like a dense, sour drink with no clear flavor layers. (Probably some stirring with ice might help separate the layers.) It even gave me a headache at night. I’ve had this style before in Japan and Taiwan, and usually people don’t drink a full cup -- more like an espresso-sized portion. Typically, the barista should experiment with the ratio of ice cubes to cold brew to balance it out.
3. Environment: Plenty of seats and a restroom, but the space isn’t very pleasant. There’s a damp, basement-like smell (likely from the AC), and I noticed some unclean spots by the windows. Around noon it also gets noisy.
Overall: An average coffee shop near campus. Staffs are nice. Good for students to gather and talk, but not really a place for well-crafted coffee.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Luke F
Awesome iced matcha latte!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Courtney Chaffin
4 of us visited and all enjoyed our drinks We had one of the staff favorites from the board, oatmeal cookie, matcha, and a coconut lavender coffee! Great espresso flavor and not overly sweet! Definitely have vegan options and their baked goods looked tasty, we didn’t get any.
Vibe was cool and the outside seating was perfect! Barista was friendly and fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Teresa
Insane prices for lackluster coffee. Atmosphere is cute for a study spot and they have cool flavors of food and drinks. I spent $7 on a small latte… which was not that good for the price. Would go somewhere else for coffee for cheaper.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Eva Smallhorn
I ordered a blueberry chai which I loved! My husband loved his cold brew.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Kenan Najjar
Left my AirPods here in May. Find My showed they were still at the cafe, so I returned the next day. Staff member at the counter checked and said they weren’t there. I searched my seating area with no luck.
Used Find My’s compass feature, which led me back to the same counter area. Asked staff to check again - he insisted they weren’t there. I pinged the AirPods from my phone and they chimed audibly from under the counter. Only then did he check again and “find” them in the exact same spot.
Whether intentional or careless, I would’ve lost $300 headphones without the Find My app. Poor customer service.
Coffee is also overpriced - steep even for California standards.
A welcoming coffee spot with plenty of seating and a great setup for working or relaxing. The coffee was excellent across visits - the pour over had great clarity, the espresso tonic was refreshing, and the specialty lattes were flavorful and well balanced. Service was a bit uneven at times, as there was a long wait for the pour over, but overall it was a wonderful spot with quality drinks with a great atmosphere for studying.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
T vT
This is the place for your caffeine needs. The Kyoto coffee will set you up! Cute place, nice servers and baristas, and a chalkboard to have fun.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zach Solecki
For a huge college campus there are very few serious coffee shops. This place nails it though. They’re able to satisfy grumpy coffee snobs like me or kids who want a specialty drink. Really solid baked goods too, love the cinnamon scones. Only issue is it’s small and can be tough to find a seat, but there’s a reason for that!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samantha McCullough
The best vibes! Quiet, LGBTQ+ friendly, gender neutral bathroom, fantastic coffee and food!
A bit pricy, 7.50 for a medium latte. But the flavors are super fun and the place is very cute. I ordered an oatmilk apple latte 7/10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Got a latte and it taste like it was made with drip coffee, definitely not worth almost $6
Lively coffee shop right by campus with an excellent offering of coffee drinks and tasty breakfast treats. Exotic mix of Asian ingredients in their pastries looked quite amazing and will have to come back to sample. Ample seating in a side room with a mix of tables and couches. Small outside seating area on the sidewalk is somewhat underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matcha was good. Staff was rude. Some manager type was standing in the walkway on her phone when I went to go and get my drink and gave me a dirty look saying nothing when I asked if I could get by. Also, some guy was in there clearly having some kind of mental health crisis rocking back and forth on the couch saying he had lost the cap to the medicine he had with him and they completely dismissed him just going back to the their conversation as if nothing had happened when he went to ask them about it. Overall, I don’t like the atmosphere that these employees are creating and I won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
I was in UIUC and ended up coming here three days in a row -- not because it tasted great, but simply because it was the only pour-over place I could find in town.
1. Pour-over coffee: Beans seem fresh (only one option Counter Culture), but the pour-over skill feels chaotic. The flavors are muddled, and it doesn’t feel like the store has developed a pour -over style that really suits the beans. I tried their pour-over on two different days with the same results. I’ve brewed Counter Culture beans myself before, and I don’t feel the beans are well treated here.
2. Other drinks: Espresso-based drinks are much better made. I also tried the Kyoto-style cold brew, but I wouldn’t recommend it-- it just tastes like a dense, sour drink with no clear flavor layers. (Probably some stirring with ice might help separate the layers.) It even gave me a headache at night. I’ve had this style before in Japan and Taiwan, and usually people don’t drink a full cup -- more like an espresso-sized portion. Typically, the barista should experiment with the ratio of ice cubes to cold brew to balance it out.
3. Environment: Plenty of seats and a restroom, but the space isn’t very pleasant. There’s a damp, basement-like smell (likely from the AC), and I noticed some unclean spots by the windows. Around noon it also gets noisy.
Overall: An average coffee shop near campus. Staffs are nice. Good for students to gather and talk, but not really a place for well-crafted coffee.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Awesome iced matcha latte!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
4 of us visited and all enjoyed our drinks
We had one of the staff favorites from the board, oatmeal cookie, matcha, and a coconut lavender coffee! Great espresso flavor and not overly sweet! Definitely have vegan options and their baked goods looked tasty, we didn’t get any.
Vibe was cool and the outside seating was perfect! Barista was friendly and fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Insane prices for lackluster coffee. Atmosphere is cute for a study spot and they have cool flavors of food and drinks. I spent $7 on a small latte… which was not that good for the price. Would go somewhere else for coffee for cheaper.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
I ordered a blueberry chai which I loved! My husband loved his cold brew.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Left my AirPods here in May. Find My showed they were still at the cafe, so I returned the next day. Staff member at the counter checked and said they weren’t there. I searched my seating area with no luck.
Used Find My’s compass feature, which led me back to the same counter area. Asked staff to check again - he insisted they weren’t there. I pinged the AirPods from my phone and they chimed audibly from under the counter. Only then did he check again and “find” them in the exact same spot.
Whether intentional or careless, I would’ve lost $300 headphones without the Find My app. Poor customer service.
Coffee is also overpriced - steep even for California standards.
Restaurantji Recommends
Always a great experience ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A welcoming coffee spot with plenty of seating and a great setup for working or relaxing. The coffee was excellent across visits - the pour over had great clarity, the espresso tonic was refreshing, and the specialty lattes were flavorful and well balanced. Service was a bit uneven at times, as there was a long wait for the pour over, but overall it was a wonderful spot with quality drinks with a great atmosphere for studying.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the place for your caffeine needs. The Kyoto coffee will set you up! Cute place, nice servers and baristas, and a chalkboard to have fun.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
For a huge college campus there are very few serious coffee shops. This place nails it though. They’re able to satisfy grumpy coffee snobs like me or kids who want a specialty drink. Really solid baked goods too, love the cinnamon scones. Only issue is it’s small and can be tough to find a seat, but there’s a reason for that!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best vibes!
Quiet, LGBTQ+ friendly, gender neutral bathroom, fantastic coffee and food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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