Ennui Cafe

I come not to bury Ennui, but to praise them…
Okay, and bury them a little bit.
I was turned on to this place by a good friend of mine. It was your typical upwardly-​mobile coffee house, full of atmosphere and character. Yeah, sometimes it would be hard to find a seat that wasn’t already occupied by the «Chess Mafia» (and I mean that in the best possible way), and sometimes they had some kinda jazz music the appeal of which totally escapes me, but it more than made up for it with that atmosphere and character.
Unfortunately, the previous owner sold it to the people who more or less ran it straight into the ground. Everything that set it apart from the other pretentious coffee house that shall remain nameless, they stripped away. The only thing that remained was the coffee and the music the appeal of which totally escapes me. I don’t even know why they bothered buying the place if they intended to kill it off with not-​so-​benign neglect.
I knew they were in trouble the last time I came in. They had two people, their wifi connection was non-​existent, and they shut down at 6:30. Now, if this were the dead of winter, when virtually nobody was there, I’d get it, but in July? Intolerable. I told my friend that I expected them to be gone by December. I was off by about four months.
If it was so bad, you may or may not ask me, then why are you giving it three stars?
The three stars are for what it used to be, not what it became.
As I said, I came not to bury Ennui, but to praise it… but I did have to call it as I saw it.
RIP, old friend…

Rude staff will hate you from the moment you walk in. The place always smells like burnt toast because of the waffle iron panini machine. The coffee tastes terrible and the prices are too high.
Oh but do check out the kitschy lamps on all the tables!
blah

Great place over-​all, the staff is very friendly and helpful, especially Juan and James. I had stopped coming here for a while because the owners are quite unfriendly and don’t seem to know what they are doing, but now that that they never come around its quite pleasant to be there. The prices aren’t to bad, about average for the most part, however if you are going to use credit its a five dollar minimum. Coffee is great and so are the paninis.
During the summer it can get crowded but they have a fairly big outdoor patio so finding a spot is usually not to bad, they have free wifi and there is plenty of parking about a block east at the beach.

How quaint and lovely. Sure, the baristas have no idea what they’re doing and it’s a little bit makeshift, but it is a nice place to sit and have a conversation for a couple hours, which is exactly what I did.
And although there’s nothing impressive or winning it’s just fine for little coffee shop in the hood. Certainly nothing to go out of your way for though

I got a hot chocolate here once, on my way home back from class– not so hot chocolate indeed.
However, after a good review from a friend, I decided to try some espresso drinks. Lattes are now a staple for me at this joint, and I don’t mind hitting it up on the go.
I agree w/​other reviews on the food– eh…
However, lattes and espresso drinks rank superior to the Starbucks nearby. Sweet!

This place is ok… the staff is pretty nice and the coffee is decent. I really like that they have a large food selection too. I have had lots of their salads and sandwiches and never been disappointed.
There is lots of seating, decent sized tables and usually not to crowded or loud.
However, I dont think its the cleanest coffee shop and the bathroom always smells like pee.
It does the job… for the most part

I’ve lived across the street from Ennui for a few years, and the lure of a «local» coffee shop is part of what drew me to this part of the neighborhood. For that, Ennui is passable but not spectacular. The coffee products and sandwiches are pretty good, though not exciting — my go-​to if I’m hanging out there for a while is a turkey pesto panini and a large iced coffee. The atmosphere is definitely that of a «classic» college coffee shop: lots of plants and paintings, everybody either huddled over a laptop or chatting amongst themselves. There’s a long-​standing clade of «regulars» whose presence have become part of the defining atmosphere of Ennui. The staff are its biggest stumbling point: Service is often slow, and the cashier will often be terse or not even really talk to you at all.
The best part of Ennui, though, is its outdoor porch area, which is a great place to sit and people-​watch during the warmer months and makes up for most of the negatives you might encounter.

I really don’t get how they’ve survived.
Slow service. They buy their pastries (I asked), and serve most fresh out of the fridge. And just because you put something in an iron, doesn’t mean it’s a panini.

It was alright, it’s a cute café… and I love the seats by the window. Looks like a nice comfy place. somewhere I’d go if I was still in college for some late nite studying/​group meetings, some coffee and some quick eats. It’s def not a place to come for just for food.
Boyfriend and I ordered 3 paninis Chicken Pesto, Turkey Pesto (sans mayo) and a Mediterranean…
The bread was crunchy and the pesto was garlicky. I didn’t even try the Medi. but boyfriend didn’t finish it. (I wasn’t in the mood for feta. and apparently there was a lot in it)… the chicken pesto was saltier than the turkey… but they were just… well crunchy sandwiches… you can make your own… probably «healthier» ones too. and tastier…
The biggest fail tho was the apple pie. They looked so thick and pretty and we tried to find some good in it, we really did. but he crust didn’t taste like anything, no butter, no chew no nothing, just fluff. the apple filling had thick slices of apple and lots of cinnamon but was a bit too sweet and since it was cold pie. and crust fail, lunch ended on a sad note. we should’ve just gone to 5 Guys as planned…
(btw I did ask the guy at the counter and they don’t make their own pie, but still, buy pie from another place please!)
ALTHOUGH, i really want to go back just to try their chocolate cake tea. smells so good…

A friend first took me here when I was in high school, and have been been making a point of coming back periodically ever since. I can spend hours here reading, working, and observing other patrons. There aren’t many places where you just happen to overhear a conversation about absolute zero!
I have liked all the drinks I have had here. The breakfast paninis are also good. Some of the tables and chairs could use some evening out, but it’s still a comfortable place to hang.

I like this place because it is so near my house. The coffee is decent (although I must admit, I haven’t tried an espresso drink yet!) and there are a lot of tasty food options. It’s close to the beach and has lots of outdoor seating.
Sometimes the music is a little too loud for me, and the wi-​fi always stops working on me about half-​hour into it, but these are more personal problems.

I’ve been going to Ennui for years, and I find it to be a very good place. Good food, especially the cold frappachinos. The vibe of the place is cool, and they have lots of comfortable seating. They take debit and credit cards, which they didn’t used to do in the past; it is a plus in their favor.
My only complaint is that sometimes, the free Wi-​Fi is iffy. Once, I couldn’t get a connection at all. At other times, it takes awhile before one can fully connect to it. But otherwise, this is a good place to hang out.

Middle of the road café/​coffee house. In the summer it becomes something more due to the outdoor seating, but on wet, rainy fall and spring days, cold winter days, or just blah days, I find it dreary. Nothing to special, nothing to stay away from. I do like the table and chairs for car watching up in the front window, the rest, well, yeah– you are in a basement.
I typically get iced coffee here *hint– if you get flavor, make sure to mix it in yourself, no one will do it for you*. The regular coffee is ok too. Food, nothing to write home about.

When I moved here, I got one look at this place, and resolved to write my dissertation here. I think that sums this place up.
(ok, I’ll add a few more words) The place oozes with creative juices, full of furrowed eyebrows wearing black rimmed glasses, bent over their laptops, occasionally taking breaks to sip from the mismatched ceramic cups, or biting into a mediterranean panini. yes, this is where I shall write my book to be read by no one.
Then of course, there are the inexplicable townies who apparently live to cycle through all of our mediocre RP establishments asking you awkward questions, using the bathroom and then leaving without buying anything. I still have yet to figure out that breed.
Anyways, I quite like the staff. One guy is very friendly but perhaps fell on his head as a child and now suffers from memory loss, but as long as you don’t mind asking for things multiple times, it’s not a problem. The other guy’s efficiency is out of control. He’s not particularly friendly, but hell, I don’t care, the guy is making 4 sandwiches, grinding coffee, wiping tables, and taking my order at the same time.
A lot of the chairs are old and I often feel the might of my rear will unite with physics and give the chair what is has coming to it, but that actually hasn’t happened yet. So that’s good.
The lentil soup and greek salad are two of my dietary staples (seriously, delicious, $ 3 lentil soup) and they will happily supply you with endless supplies of water for tea. I also quite enjoy the water jug and the large tables, so I can spread out all my esoteric readings, asserting my dominance over the lay-​readers.
The stairs down to the garden level café are precariously jagged and at a funny angle, and I am still waiting for someone (me) to fall and never get up. Wow, that sounded terrible. I didn’t mean that. yes i did.

Ennui is pretty solid… far better than it once was, for sure. The outdoor space is a big draw in the warmer months.
You will likely be accosted by folks in the neighborhood wondering who you are, what you study, whether you think you resemble their niece in Toledo, whether you have an extra cigarette, and so forth. This is all quite neighborly and nice, if a little unexpected.
Recommended if: you have over $ 5 for a latte with coffee in it, headphones, and more than a little patience.
The staff ranges from mildly surly to worse.

I recently moved just down the street from Ennui, but have been there several times since. I haven’t had a particular problem with any of the employees, they’re doing their job and quite frankly, it’s a little refreshing to have someone do just that and not act over-​the-​top just because they’re being forced to.
I have only eaten the Ceaser salad (it was a strange craving a few times one particular week), but my boyfriend has had several of the sandwiches and loves them all. I think they have a Chicken Pesto or something that he really likes. With the pastries, I discovered some type of chocolately– brownie thing that was amazing.
The teas, coffee and Italian sodas are pretty average, but still delicious.
It’s a pretty cozy, comfy coffee shop that I’ll definitely continue to come to while I’m in the Rogers Park area.

I used to live directly across the street from this café, and I only went in twice. One time was at my girlfriend’s insistence, so that she could get some coffee on our way to an excursion. Another time was for hot cocoa, the quality of which I don’t recall.
It always seemed too dirty and run-​down, and I got an unfriendly vibe from the clerks. And besides, it was so close to home that I could just make my own tea. Plus, almost every day I spied through the window one of my old English literature TAs from college and didn’t want to have to speak to her. Actually, I have seen her in this café as recently as this summer and want to stop and ask her whether she is now working for the university or it is taking her over twelve years to finish her PhD.

I live right across the street from Ennui and figured that was a plus when I moved here a couple years ago. However, though I continue to hold out hope that the place will improve, it’s just not worth it to go here.
First, the service is consistently attitudinous. There’s one particular guy, usually there in the mornings, that is just so unfriendly, I dread walking in there at that time. I would be willing to overlook it if the coffee was good. Alas, it is not… at all… and I’ve downed a lot of coffee in my life. I’m not necessarily part of the latte crowd, so regular old brewed coffee is fine by me. Don’t get it… unless you like wondering whether or not angry counter guy has just included his cigarette butts in the «special blend.» In fact a friend of mine told me his strategy for avoiding the coffee (AVOIDING THE COFFEE!) – he orders an Americano and a glass of water and mixes his own «brew» himself. I’m sorry… I’m not doing that.
So if the coffee and service sucks, why two stars? I have to say, their breakfast paninis are really good as is the patio atmosphere during warm weather. I also love (although am not really part of) the regular crowd that sits there in the mornings – they’ve been going to Ennui… forever…and they are kinda the REAL owners of the place. They place might have installed a snappy new «stage,» but these people exist to keep Ennui real; I love them.
Little tip: Check for open-​mike/​performance nights. Unless you’re going there for the performance, any work and/​or relaxing cannot happen. Meanwhile, your eardrums will be blown out.
Bottom line: Ennui doesn’t have to try so hard. They’re Ennui… of Rogers Park fame… but the new owners seem unaware of this and are really trying to jam it into the «coffee house» genre «introduced» by Starbucks. Ennui was there first. It was «the coffee house.» It doesn’t need to be anything else but itself. So stop messing with it and learn to make a solid cup of coffee.

Ennui rocked back in the day, when I lived in RP, and it’s still great now. I’m happy it’s still surviving in these days of Starbuck$ homogenization. A damned independent coffeeshop and proud of it!

Since I have a job interview here later this week, I decided to try it out before the day of the interview to get a feel for the place — especially in light of the last review.
When I placed my order I was asked if it was for here or to go — and I wanted to sit there and eat and answered accordingly — He made my coffee and handed me a HUGE coffee mug! YUMMEH! (White chocolate mocha!)
I grabbed a Chicago reader and sat down to read while I waited for my toasted Chicken Salad sandwich. I really had nothing to gauge it by – I’m still new to Chicago. Let me tell you this sandwich was HUGE! I could only eat half of it and that was a push. It comes with a bag of Jays chips, as I never had them before I also deemed them quite tastey!
It was quiet, I left sassyfied and I loved the coffee in the ginormous cup (with whip crème)
The guy working COULD have been a little friendlier, but then again he may have just been having an off day too.
When I go on Wednesday, I’ll update my review on how things went.
All in all I was satisfied.