Café 57

Well, that went down hill fast. New folks came in, Belinda went away, the prices went up and the quality went down and then it closed. I tried for a few weeks after the management change happened but the final straw was when I ordered an iced coffee and the person at the counter gave me a lid with fruit flies crushed in the lip. When I reacted and showed him, he just gave me a new lid. Nope. Done. Not that it matters now, as they’re gone.
Belinda, if you’re out there, come back! I miss your lattes and your wonderful good mornings.

Good lattes. Cute and clean inside, though it’s cramped. Appreciate the free wifi. Bakery and sandwich items are lacking however. And prices are a bit high for the quality. Overall a cute neighborhood spot to grab a coffee and relax.

Had the pumpkin Pie cheesecake and it was magnificent! Staff were really nice and friendly, great service!!!

I haven’t been back to Café 57 more than once or twice since the management changed and Belinda was pushed out, which happened around the end of 2012. Belinda made everyone’s day better; whatever problems the café may have been facing, she was certainly not one of them.
It’s difficult for me to review how the place has been this year, but it would also be inappropriate for me to leave up my previous glowing review. Three stars for location, seating, hours, and memories. Maybe I’ll return to Café 57 eventually, but in the meantime I’ll be trying to figure out whether Belinda has found a new location.

This is a cute place with good service.
They make each drink right then, so it may be a bit slower than some other places.
My hot chocolate was very good.

GREAT coffee! Be prepared to wait a while for them to make your drink but it’s worth the wait. Delicious pastries and fun location under the Metra tracks. Great place to bring a book and read while enjoying your coffee.

drove past this the first time I came here — its right under the train tracks.
Pros: the latte was so hot I almost burned myself. Free parking
Cons: the lighting is a little low for studying.

I think this place has a great location — metra station, walking distance to lots of commuters, people visiting the park, etc
The place itself is very cozy, hipster. I visited on a Sunday morning and both employees were grouch-​Os.
The person making my drink didn’t greet me or smile or anything, but when she gave me back my change, I could see the realization on her face that her demeanor would increase her tips. She was suddenly nice when I got my change back. Creepy.

I just love this coffee shop under the Metra tracks! I take the train into Chicago from Indiana (I have a Honeycomb Hideout there!) and my first stop, if I’m not late for work (I have a client in the mornings). The coffee is off the chain! I brew my own beans at home and the strength of Café 57’s is just like mine! They give you a big olé cup of coffee, bring it right to your table after you order it from one of the staff. I had a turkey sandwich that was pressed with whole grain bread Panini style. I had the sausage breakfast sandwich that lasted me til dinner. You can sit were you like. I was a little upset when I noticed no soap to wash my hands but I keep sanitizer in my bag. You can sit outside or inside. They also have that fancy Italian water and orange juice. Thank you Café 57!

I’ve been here twice and both times asked for decaf, but not long after drinking felt the jitteriness of caffeine, so I’m pretty sure that neither time the barista (same guy both times) gave me regular coffee. It was also pretty expensive– the soy milk was pricier than if you go to other coffee shops. I wasn’t impressed. I’d love to support the local coffee joint, but I’d rather go somewhere that they give me what I ask for and pay less for it.

Very impressed. I just stopped in here after getting off the metra and was very surprised. Might make this a regular stop.
Price– very reasonable. Got a 16oz chai latte for $ 2.50ish and got some banana bread for pretty cheap.
Quality– superb. Latte was very flavorful and bread was tasty
Quantity– just right
Atmosphere– small place but cozy
Staff– best thing. One guy gave me complimentary coffee/​orange juice concoction and they are making liquid tiramisu. Very innovative and open to suggestion. The barista is so sweet and calls you babe when you walk in. Great great staff.
Would definitely recommend.

We walked by and needed breakfast so we stopped in for a quick bite. We’re not coffee drinkers so we just went with juice, scones and chocolate croissants. The service was excellent and the food was very good. I would definitely go back again.

Atmosphere: (Outdoor area) small, pleasant and private.- 3 stars
Service: Nice, friendly and informative.- 5 stars
Food:
Roast beef sandwich– 2 stars
Strawberry smoothie– 4 stars
Conclusion: I loved the environment however wifi was only free for one hour which makes this a nice place to stop and rest for only a little while. I’ll likely head back if I’m ever in the neighborhood with some free time.
3 stangs!

Belinda is awesome. Lattes are awesome. Pastries are good. Enough said.

What a great little place for coffee!
Our Adventure Friday was the Hyde Park Holiday edition today and was one of our better adventures! I had to have some coffee after all the walking, snacking and book shopping.
I knew I would get some much needed caffeine but did not realize it would be a work of art! When I saw the latte leaf drawn in my cup of joe I was so excited I could not drink it at first, it was too beautiful. Finally, I put a lid on it and consumed it pleased to discover that it tasted as good, or maybe better, than it looked.
I just wish we didn’t have to get back to the car and take our coffee to go, I would have enjoyed spending some time in this fun place.
Hyde Park Holiday + Caffeine Cruise = Coffee as art
Cup — paper
Preparation — hand crafted and then some
Cost — about 4.00

You can’t go wrong at Cafe57. Three friends and I meet here every Thursday morning and without fail are always met with an extraordinary taste of the the best latte in Chicago.
Belinda and the staff bring an always pleasant bit of joy and excitement to an early morning.

While passing through Hyde Park, I had a hankering for dessert and coffee. I remembered Bonjour Café from my days of living in Hyde Park. But Café 57 is now the replacement. There was a steady stream of people coming and going, which was an indicator of how good the café must be. I had a morning roll, which was reminiscent of the morning rolls I bought every work morning: fresh, flaky, and delicious. I had bought a chocolate chip cookie for take-​away and that was equally yummy. The cappuccino was quite nice, although I cannot compare it to coffee at Bonjour from the past, since I had only bought chai in the past.
Fabulous service. And the cashier speaking French, fortunately for me I speak it, was an added touch. This is one of the reasons why I still have a heart for Hyde Park.

Excellent lattes and the friendliest and most sincerely, non-​obnoxiously enthusiastic employees I’ve ever seen. We stopped by on Thanksgiving morning and were ridiculously warmly welcomed — who else would be so cheerful working on a holiday?! I was impressed.

Belinda, the once employee– now owner, oozes charm and enthusiasm in this HP coffee stop. Her «hello gorgeous» is the cream and sugar in your morning coffee.
She continues to carry the excellent Intelligensia coffees (and the chai I love) and the teas and pastries established with the previous owners — but adds her love and enthusiasm.
Keep up the great work Belinda! Keep focusing on what you are doing — you are doing it well.

A better cup of Intelligentsia coffee than Intelligentsia themselves! Plus Belinda, the owner is the best. She always knows what I want. Customer service is great. Do they ever have a bad day? I’m sure they do, but as a customer you would never know.
Great coffee doesn’t have to come with a shot of snobbery. This place will give you a couple shots of kindness instead, to go along with your caffeine fix.
Definately my go-​to coffee shop. Best in the HP!