Bow Truss Coffee Roasters River North

Great coffee.
Not worth the wait if you have an agenda.
Not much standing or seating room.
Pretty cool looking inside but off-​putting staff.
Pricey for sure.

Forced 20% tip! The girl who rang me up set a 20% tip on the iPad payment thing without asking, which I really didn’t appreciate. I had a $ 15 order so that $ 3 tip was almost enough to have bought me another latte! Usually places set the default tip at 0 and let you adjust. I’m happy to tip if a place deserves it but not for no reason, especially that much. I went back the following day to complain and the cashier who was there actually argued with me! He said he probably couldn’t refund me (didn’t even try to play with the iPad to see if it was possible) and that it was my fault for not changing the tip setting to something else. I told him that regardless of whether I have the option to change it, the default setting shouldn’t be 20%. He then said, «Well what do you think it should be?» I said «I’ve only ever seen it at No Tip,» which is in fact what I’ve always seen at coffee shops. He then said again that he couldn’t refund me so I offered to just get a drink and pay the difference after subtracting the $ 3 tip. He said, «No, obviously the coffee will be on us. I wouldn’t want you to be dissatisfied.» Well if that’s how you feel, maybe you shouldn’t have argued with me in the first place?
The coffee itself is fine but it’s annoying that they only have 2% or whole milk for lattes. They claim it’s because they need the fat to foam it more but I’ve had plenty of foamy skim lattes.

Great coffee! For the naysayers or the I’ve had better, please tell me where? This is the best coffee in Chicago and the baristas there are really great! I work at 1871 and the intelligentsia there couldn’t care to Bowtruss. This location along with Lasalle are my favorites!

A decent alternative to Starbucks if you’re looking to switch up your routine. The staff was friendly and locale had a sleek urban vibe but with limited seating. I enjoyed my iced coffee. However, the entitled — yuppy anti-​police, anti-​military, diatribe (I heard while in line) left a bitter taste in my mouth. The combination blow was to my bladder when I learned that the bathroom is for staff only, ouch

I’ve always enjoyed their coffee. The concept is great, very fitting to a local coffee shop. The variety of different brew styles /​options is good. I ordered a small v60 drip and enjoyed it very much, but just did not enjoy the slightly inflated price-​I suppose rent is quite a bit higher in River North so I understand. Staff was decent.

Bow Truss Coffee is hidden behind the stairs that take you to the train on Wells street.
The place has a cool and original décor, some seating available. There is a table right by the window that has comfortable seating, I wish there was more sitting options like that.
The coffee is ok. I tried the almond and soy latte. The foam wasn’t very thick. It is good coffee, but I had better.
Friendly staff.

V-​60 = rocket fuel. Delicious pour over. Smaller place but very good. Will definitely revisit.
Seems like the cold coffee was a big seller.
Good cinnamon donuts as well.

Stumbling upon Bow Truss while exploring the city, I could not have pegged a more hipster coffee shop. With all the usual fixings of a hipster spot, from the brick walls to the chalkboard, I wasn’t surprised to hear that this shop didn’t offer wifi, power outlets, nor bathrooms. I ordered a soy latte to warm up in the chilly Chicago weather. The drink was okay, nothing special. However, a really cool thing they had a viewmaster toy that I used to play with as a kid. It offered a nice trip on memory lane for me. The toy was the best thing about my trip to this coffee shop.

Really nice latte here with some interesting special syrups. Small but cool atmosphere, was a nice alternative to a more mainstream coffee shop.

Hipster coffee shop, lacking wifi or power outlets. I visited on a Wednesday morning alone, ordering a pour over. I probably won’t go back.
# Coffee
V60 pour over: I think I got an African bean, but can’t remember which. I tend to prefer fruitier and juicier beans. It tasted all right — a bit over-​extracted and not very exciting or flavorful. Almost like the beans were a bit old.
# Service
Person taking my order was cordial but not friendly. The barista who made my drink didn’t really make an effort to announce it, so it was left at the bar. Shame they didn’t check to see whose coffee was just sitting at the bar unclaimed.
# Ambience & Seating
Really dark ambience, typical overblown hipster fare with lots of exposed unfinished wood furniture and incandescent lighting. There was precious little seating, which is fine. Not a good place to work, and not a particularly friendly or enjoyable environment to chat or relax either.

Superficially excellent… could be so much better.
This is a coffee shop that talks an excellent game. It’s cool, hip, funky… offers a choice of coffee bean… all the things you want. But…
Their standard ($ 3.25) coffee is pretty poor. They also do a single origin ($ 3.50). I asked the barista for the smoother, least acidic (espresso) of the two and he gave me their standard. For me, WholeFoods’ espresso ($ 1.60ish), which isn’t great, is better (as well as being both organic and FairTrade).
Also, not much in the way of seating and the round, shared table in the centre has no leg room, so I had to sit at a tangent to the table.
I thought I’d really like this place as it appeared to be exactly my cup of tea. But, unfortunately, no.

Second stop on Chicago caffeine crawl.
The key factor about this place is that they have an ancient viewmaster thingie toy. You know those camera shaped things that you insert picture reels into and pull the lever to switch between pictures. I didn’t even know they existed anymore. Looking through one of these again was like going back to my childhood. Definitely worth the stop.
Hold on. Didn’t I come here for coffee? Yes, yes I did. I actually got coffee before I looked at the viewmaster. It was an acceptable Kenyan pour-​over or something to that effect. They have an amazing selection of single origin coffee for sale. More than most places and even with different processes, washed and natural, of the same coffee. The design is the typical brick and wood design but they seem unusually focused on boats and umm, trusses. Actually this is probably the first coffee shop I’ve seen with an actual boat inside. It’s a dark little place, with a great cup of coffee and viewmaster.

I’ve got to say, the coffee scene in Chicago is a rather silent and almost hidden expression. Quite the surprise for such a grand city. I mean, other than Intelli being the main representative for coffee, there’s not much there to challenge my claim (Starbucks doesn’t count). Coffee really does seem like a well hidden industry. Bow Truss Coffee Company and another small shop I found are an epitome of that notion.
You’ll find this shop noisily concealed by the roars of the blue line track that runs along Wells. Storefront almost covered by the beams that hold up the never ending train activity. But what you’ll find in the shadows of the track is this quaint little shop; which serves exceptional coffee. They do their own roasting and the staff was friendly. Plus the quirky shop design was easy on the eye.
By far, one of my favorite shops in the city. I’d recommend a cappuccino and one of those cookies they offer. I don’t know if they make their pastries in-​house or buy them from a vendor, but that cookie I got was the best.

To date, this is the best mocha I have had in Chicago. I was not expecting the place to be so dimly lit but it is worth noting. There isn’t much space so don’t bring your science project, football team, or the like.
Service: Awesome! Cheerful staff means cheerful Jeff :)
Food: Simply the best. Mocha was beautifully balanced.
Value: WELL worth it. I recommend sticking small with coffee this powerful.
A++. Many Taste. Very Flavor.

Most coffee places in this area wants customers to enjoy themselves drinking a fine cup of java, unlimited free internet with their technology device of choice, instead Bow Truss is going back in time and wants you to enjoy a fine cup of java with no technology obstacles.
I like Bow and Truss, I can sit here and look at people and drink my java — no plugs, no internet and no clicks from a laptop, a perfect place to just relax and meet people.

Close to the Merchandise Mart AND the Doughnut Vault (Doughnut vault also serves Bowtruss coffee too but you won’t get options like the pourover or a cold brew).
Overall, good quality beans and roast. We tried a Kenyan pourover and an iced pourover. Definitely preferred the flavor profile of the iced over the Kenyan beans that I got. Small and simple on the inside. Come for coffee, an interesting interior and conversation. Don’t really stay for anything much else (no wifi, no bathrooms, not a lot of seating and dimly lit). I’ve enjoyed a majority of the roasts that I’ve tried so if coffee is your thing and your only thing for that moment, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Customer service here is great. They’re very friendly nice but I’m not a big fan of the coffee so I can give them more than average. It’s just the flavor of the coffee is very bitter and I just don’t like The bitterness level that it’s up I’m probably not coming here ever again but I don’t want to give them a one star because I’m sure a lot of people like this place. It’s just not my thing and that’s why I’m giving it to. But it’s a very modern looking coffee shop and it’s nice but not my cup of tea

Love their coffee here! I feel it’s more stronger in taste here than Intelligentsia, but that could be a personal preference.
After grabbing doughnuts nearby, I found this coffeeshop being the closest around and with good ratings on Unilocal!This spot can be easily missed, as the inside of the shop is a little dimly lit and the size itself is pretty small; there’s only a big round table in the center and ledge seating by a wall. When I arrived here with my two friends, no line! After we ordered, suddenly there was a huge rush of people in business attire waiting in line almost out the door.
They told me their cappuccino is the most popular drink here, but I opted for the latte instead. I felt their espresso was very rich with lots of flavor. Nothing beats a good cup of coffee in the morning especially with a long dat ahead.
It’s funny how the guy in charge of the pastries sits separate from the coffee bar, as he’s in front of the window near the entrance. I wouldn’t be surprised if their pastries are as delicious as their coffee! If you’re in the area, I would recommend coming here!

BATCH COFFEE — clean. No after taste. Best consumed as black.
V60 COFFEE — how clean can the taste get? I love that it’s only $ 0.50 difference. If you have time, get it.
DESSERT — none. Strictly coffee. No mocha either. Just macchiato.
DATE VENUE — a perfect quick coffee date venue. It’s dark, and industrial. Romantic! Sit at the round table. Make it a mid-​afternoon (off peak) date. I think rush hour is going to be crazy here.
SERVICE — the tattooed, funky hair gals are great!
SUPPLIES — should your coffee maker break, the place to get a quick replacement. Or, if you need to quickly impress a coffee connoisseur. I got my Chemex filters for $ 8 that is comparative to Internet pricing. Yay!

The brewed coffee from this place is very good, and the atmosphere is exactly what you expect from a nice coffee shop. $ 3 for a regular sized cup of coffee is a lot to me and explains why people choose chains over nice places like this.
There was a local bakery selling baked goods inside (Blue Sky Bakery). I got the berry scone which was very good and I recommend stopping by if you ever see them there again.
Probably wouldn’t recommend this place to work or study out of, though.