Ground Up Coffee & Bites

Excellent espresso in store and I buy their beans for home.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

It’s a great place to get work done but I tried their pumpkin spiced latte n thought it’s not worth the price!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Poor coffee and even poorer customer service. Employee/manager? Is snappy and rude. Definitely a place to avoid if you just want to work or get coffee

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 1

The golden chai and seasonal white chocolate mocha are amazing

food is good but the girl with blonde hair and glasses is extremely rude, I immediately regretted tipping

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 1

Great place to study, read, and chill out
The baked goods and hot drinks are excellent 👍🏼

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Quite studying vibes

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

My partner and I have been frequenting Ground Up for 3-4 years now, and it is about as close to quintessential local coffee shop perfection as you can get without having a Central Perk-style living room setup.

The coffee is head-and-shoulders above chain quality (we also buy beans here regularly), and the sandwiches/baked goods have never disappointed (and we've tried all of them by now). Yes, you're paying city prices, but for your money you are getting actual quality.

But just as important, if not even more important, is the neighborhood feel. This is the kind of place where management and staff learn who you are. They call you by name when you walk in, they remember your order, they ask how your dog is doing. There are so few places left where you get that kind of feel and treatment, that it really stands out as special when you encounter it. All the more so when it's a place you go to as often as a coffee shop. Ground Up is basically part of our daily routine, and there's never a question as to where we are going to get our coffee from. This is the kind of place you want to support on every level.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Been here a couple of times and noticed on every occasion a certain lack of friendliness and warmth. Yes, they may have a policy of staff shouting goodbye when you exit but that doesn’t make up for the rather cold staff interaction while you’re in store.

Their coffee drinks are fine, though. I just wish they would give you what you ordered - on some occasions, I received a 16oz latte after having preordered (and prepaid) a 20oz one.

I like their concept of providing two different seating areas: one with regular coffee shop appearance, the other as a silent area for working or studying. However, the latter is very sterile, cold and unappealing for my personal taste. The main area has better vibes, but their habit of keeping the sunshades lowered at least half way (even on days without any sunshine) can make it almost depressingly dark (the least you need in a city like Chicago).

All in all, I’d rate them 3.5 stars - if they worked a bit more on their service and atmosphere, they could easily reach a full five.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 2

Staff was very friendly and quick! Drinks were amazing. Only disappointment was the leadership of the manager/ supervisor on shift (she had orange curly hair) she came out and started yelling and chewing out the staff in-front of all the customers- no respect whatsoever. Staff were trying to attend to costumers and she bitched them out for doing so because they weren’t paying attention to her yelling. There is always a time and a place and that set the tone for the cafe. Hopefully she can work on better leadership skills! (Praise in public & reprimand in private)

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

I owe this coffeee shop a review. The atmosphere is amazing. The staff are welcoming, knowledgeable about the food, and able to engage in positive conversations. I came here during the summer. I asked about gluten-free options and was recommended the chocolate chip gluten free muffin. It was moist, I think oats were in it, well I liked the combo, and warming it up set the tone! 🥰

Also, the self-serve stand is top tier touch! Loved that I could customize my drink just how I like it. I added honey. There was also plenty of space to work. Very comfortable environment.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious pastries, the spinach feta is my go-to for lunch, very filling and so good! Recently had their seasonal latte, hazel and amber, and it was awesome. The vibes are great, good place to sit and work as you eat or to meet with people and chat. I've come here every time I'm in the area so far and plan to continue.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I would never call this a specialty coffee, every time I had a hot coffee it was extremely hot so milk was burned and the foam was very big for both cappuccino and flat white, there’s is a difference in how the milk is steamed, but they don’t really do that here. Iced coffee was fine. The pies are unmatched and amazing, plus the people working are always very sweet.

Absolute standby for me and many others on the UIC campus or in the west loop area. Excellent coffee and tea, lots of drink options and customizability, great food including sweet pastries and savory hand pies, as well as some other snacks. Service is always on point, and atmosphere is excellent. I've been here hundreds of times and will continue to come back whenever I'm in the area. Kudos to Alex and the team!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It’s fall in Chicago! And my favorite drink in the whole city is the taffy apple chai-der! It’s soooo good! I get it every week! And the breakfast sandwiches are really yummy! Love this space so much. A real Chicago “hidden gem”

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5