The Understudy Coffee and Books

One of my favorite places to work remotely from! I love a bookstore atmosphere and being a theatre kid, this is my heaven. Drinks are always perfect and I love that they get baked goods from defloured. As a GF girlie, I am always looking for a coffeeshop that has something I can snack on.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Cute queer cafe! Really cafe place to chill out in and get some studying done.

Really neat place. Was there in the morning looking for a bookstore open early. The selection is very interesting with few pop reads.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My first time here and it was honestly a 10/10 experience ! Staff were so kind and my drink was delicious! Music and vibes were impeccable, can’t wait to come back again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It’s so hard to write this review. I’ve been here quite a few times in the past year, I even had my first date here with my partner a year ago. Today we came back to recreate that day and were completely disappointed. The first barista that helped us out was absolutely amazing and I wish him nothing but the best.

However throughout our time there things got worse as a child continuously harassed us asking for money and even at one point tried to take my partner’s stuffed animal that I had just purchased for him as a little gift out of his hands. She then proceeded to follow him around the store despite him politely declining to give her money multiple times and kindly explaining the stuffed animal was his. The girl then came over to me asking
me persistently for money to which I told her “no” multiple times very politely, finally saying “hey i told you no three times.” A barista with a grey bandana then proceeded to yell at me across the cafe saying “you don’t speak to a child that way” which was completely unprofessional even if I did do something wrong. I went up to explain the situation to a different staff member with my partner and what this girl was doing and they were persistent about there being a “language barrier” between us and the girl. Though no still means no, and walking away means no. They grey bandana woman walked over and inserted herself saying “Do we have a problem here?” in a completely condescending tone, then defending the girl saying that they were family friends and went shopping every week. She then proceeded to imply that we were being racist towards the child, despite my partner being hispanic and both of us being in other minority groups. Any time we would bring up that the child was harassing us and we simply wanted to be left alone she would bring in the language barrier and how the world is a scary place for non-white people right now. While that is true there’s a line that needs to be drawn saying that harassing customers for money and attempting to steal belongings isn’t okay. At the very least the staff could’ve asked the parents to get the child under control.
My issue here is not with the child, it is with the staffs utter lack of compassion for an inconveniencing situation and the grey bandana woman’s completely condescending and outright rude tone.
I can’t bring myself to go back here and support this place after being spoken to that way and it breaks my heart because the inside is absolutely adorable and the drinks are phenomenal. It’s seriously a great place to work, read, or just hang out when this staff member is not there. Unfortunately, I can’t go back and have been advising my friends in the neighborhood to also not return.

Edit after staff response: It’s clearly not understood that the issue was not the child, it was the staffs response. If what I did was “yelling” then I’m curious to see how that came across and why the double standard exists that a staff member can yell at a paying customer. Even if I did yell do two wrongs really make a right? Is allowing your staff members to be passive aggressive to customers really appropriate? No one is denying that life for unhoused people is hard. No one is mad about that. It’s the staffs absolute failure to handle the situation that doesn’t sit right with me. Instead of initiating a calm conversation the staff proceeded to yell and demean us, not even attempting to care for or hear our side of the story. Horribly disappointed and will not be back. All I wanted was an apology, and it’s sad to see that a business couldn’t give that.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 4

Service: 1

A very classy, smooth cup of coffee. Looked through some books, new and used, which I enjoy doing, anyway.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Had a delicious cortado here! And sat in a comfy couch to read. Great vibe.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve been here once before and enjoyed it, but I had a very rude experience today. They have holiday hours this week, and I support workers having time off to spend with loved ones or themselves (although I’m more in support of coffee shops being completely closed to honor this, as many I know are during the week between Christmas and New Year’s). However, when we came in at 1:50pm (10 minutes before close) and approached the counter to order, we were very impolitely told that they had already done last calls, and the person telling us that whipped the ordering tablet towards themself aggressively while communicating that. This was incredibly unwelcoming behavior. I am certain most people wouldn’t know that the cafe was actually closed 10 minutes before it’s reported to be closed online, so I would have appreciated more grace being given to me and the other members in my party than what we experienced. I’m not someone to demand baristas make me a drink right at close, as my partner is a barista themself and I’ve heard outrageous stories from them, but given that there were still 10 minutes to close, I was astonished by this outright rude behavior and would like a kinder notice of the “rules” of the cafe in the future.

Fantastic coffee and atmosphere, plus the uniquely modern experience of anti-capitalist conversations happening inside a thriving small business. Would love to see some sugar-free flavor options. Still five stars.

I hosted our engagement party at The Understudy on a Friday evening in October for around 40 people, and I genuinely could not have asked for a better experience.

From the start, Jett was incredible. They helped schedule the event and functionally served as our day-of coordinator, making everything feel seamless and calm. Jett went above and beyond all night, checking in, clearing empty plates, and making sure the space flowed well. Truly the kind of person who elevates an entire event.

They helped us create exactly the vibe we wanted. Warm, intimate, and celebratory. They brought out candles to fill the space beautifully and let us play our own playlist, which made the night feel personal and intentional. We were also graciously allowed to stay past our original end time, which meant we could enjoy the evening without feeling rushed.

Having bartenders for the entire event made such a difference. Ander helped develop our batch-made signature cocktails, a spicy margarita and a coconut gold rush, and they were outstanding. So good, in fact, that I’m now seriously considering having them recreated at our wedding. They also created a sign outside for our event, which was such a thoughtful touch.

Honestly, the whole night felt cared for. I’m already looking for excuses to host future events here because the team, the space, and the experience were that good. Highly, highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Came foe event
Loved the energy, music and had a different kinda beer, that was lovely too:)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent coffee & pastries and even better vibes. A kind & silly group of baristas who are likely to sing along with the radio as they make your coffee. I always leave feeling more hopeful for the future and grateful for Chicago.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love this spot. Been coming here to study and relax. The coffee is great and the atmosphere is great for hanging with a friend or wanting to read a book.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Just the right amount of liveliness but not crowded. Great atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is one of my favorite coffee shops. I love how it’s paired with a bookstore — good coffee, tasty pastries, and a great selection of books all in one place. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a good read with a fragrant cup of coffee in the heart of Andersonville.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5