My House

This review is a little late, but better late than never!
I really wanted to try My House. It looked like it had promise and I love being able to walk a couple of blocks to a coffee house instead of trekking aaaaall the waaaaay to the Sbux on California. The sad truth is that I was never able to try My House because every time I walked over there they were closed!
Once they were closed for the owners honeymoon. Congrats, but how about some coffee?!? The second time they were closed for a vacation. Uhm, I get that small business owners sometimes have to close down instead of hiring the extra help to keep the shop open, but dammit I was 0 for 2 at this point and it was starting to piss me off.
Over the weekend I was at the laundromat on the corner and thought «hrm…I’ll give them one last try.» Closed. It turns out they were closed for good. Drat. Foiled again.
I took a look at the stores hours that are still painted on the door and they were strange. Why would a coffee house open at 11am on the weekends?!? People needs their coffee earlier than that, yo! And why stay open until 7pm on the weekends? It’s no wonder they couldn’t make a go of it in Logan Square.

Looks like it closed.
I noticed a for rent sign on the door went up a couple weeks ago.

I’ll go four on this as I can’t see anything really wrong with the place.
When I go there it is always pretty empty. I like it like that though.
The place is cozy and has free wi-​fi and board games.
The drinks are always good and the best bang for your buck though is tea. I like coffee and tea so I am happy with either… my coffee is always good but it is a tad expensive.
The people who work here are always nice to me.
NO credit cards but Walgreen’s is right next door almost to go get some quick cash back.

Maybe it’s the atrocious outside decorations, but I’ve only been in here once, despite living only a block away. The one time I went in I ordered a large iced coffee. At My House, a large is 14 oz. What’s a small or medium? Half of it was ice, so I only got about 7 oz. of single-​brewed, i.e.watered-down, caffeine-​be-​damned bullshit coffee. For three bucks.
I wanted to like this place since Logan Square needs more coffee houses, but this experience combined with some other reviews ultimately means I won’t be back to My House.

I gotta say, this place is chill. It’s comfy, unpretentious, real.
I go there to watch porn online.
These bad reviews are out of touch… I am really in this place *a lot* and here’s the REAL TRUTH:
1) It is comfortable. Nice couches & nice soft chairs. Also tables and hard chairs for more serious time stuff.
2) The employees are awesome! They chat with anyone who is friendly, and they make customers feel welcome. I like them. The guy painted the airy-​psychedelic paintings.
3) The plain coffee & tea in a «for here» giant mug is totally reasonable, price-​wise. Just is! Come see for yourself, 2 bucks. (But cash only. But only 2 dollars?)
4) They do have free wi-​fi, and they are *tot-​al-​ly cool* with you coming in and getting a $ 2 cup of coffee, and hanging out online all day. :) THOUGH, yes, it cuts in and out sometimes: but all you ahve to do is tell one of the owners! Just yell out in a clear, kind voice: «I think the internet cut out again!» It takes them about 5 minutes to get it going again, and this doesn’t even happen all that often to tell ya the truth.
It’s sweet. And real.

why no open earlier?
me want coffee before noon
me want give you money
no wants it?

I wanted SO-​O bad for this to be my new coffee shop…
First visit: CLOSED. Opens at 11:00am. WHAT? You’re a freakin’ coffee shop for God’s sake.
Second visit: Doesn’t accept credit/​debit cards. Fine. Don’t know what percentage of people carry cash these days, but whatever.
Third visit: I ordered the Hot Mint Choco. It was almost $ 5 for a 12oz cup and it SUCKED! I asked the guy if it was hot chocolate and he said it was espresso. I said «oh» and turned around. He could have cared less that I looked extremely disappointed, especially after a dollar tip (now totalling a $ 6 cup of something that was gross!) He could have at least offered to make me something else or apologize for the misleading name. Nothing!
I am very pro small businesses, especially in this economy, but this place will send me right back to Starbucks. Looks like there will be another FOR RENT sign in Logan Square soon.

Decent place, fun atmosphere, nice service. I didn’t experience anything like the other reviews. The girl that works here was really friendly and made me feel right at home.
The décor isn’t as upscale as you’ll find in a Starbucks, but that’s a good thing! This place has character, and about a ⁷⁰⁄₃₀ ratio of couches to tables, which is good if you need to lounge. My House is an authentic coffee house designed for people to come hang out and relax at. Not sit in cold, rigid chairs and get ushered out because the air conditioning just routinely kicked on to an uncomfortable level.
Prices are also great, and I think most other reviews are exaggerating. Most special drinks like lattes and cappucino’s are priced $ 3, $ 3.50, and $ 4 for small, medium and large, which is right about average, generally beating Starbucks prices.

Ewww, I just found out my horrible «barista» here was also the OWNER. WTFFFF. She is the worst business owner I have ever met. EPIC FAIL.
Hello, I just paid for a $ 6 latte here. I didnt order anything special…(double soy latte with honey) and It was only 14oz. (their «large»). I also asked for a double, but she somehow took it as to mean, a single extra shot on top of the regular amount of espresso, so there was 3 shots total, when I wanted only 2. I used to work at a coffeeshop, and have common sense, double means TWO. Or even if I meant, double my shots, there should of been four. My barista was a total idiot and the drink was whatever, no 14 0z. coffee drink no matter how fairtrade, organic should cost $ 6.
This is my second time in here and I will never go back and I will urge everyone in the neighborhood NOT TO GO BACK. It is ridiculous.
Also, I understand DIY, I’m an artist. But what the hell is wrong with a place that cant even get proper signage? Your open sign is drawn with markers on the back of a PAPER PLATE and taped up to the front window.
I refuse to believe ANYONE has a crappier apartment then «My House», as anyone with even a little bit of sense, and even the dirtiest bachelors would have decorated better.
WALK PAST & Go next door to Glorias– my boyfriend just got a 16 oz. double shot, café con leche for $ 1.75.

The snack selection looked moderately priced and while it was an unusual selection for a coffee house, i think it could work well. The seats looked comfy too and a big thumbs up for free wi-​fi.
However, that’s when the pleasantries end because the coffee is TERRIBLE. I’ve actually had better freeze dried coffee than what was served (read: shoved) to me.
I actually ordered a large mocha. The reason I haven’t yet mentioned espresso yet is because I don’t believe it contained any. It tasted like watery budget brand hot chocolate with maybe a spoonful of light roast freeze dried.
To make it worse, I was in dire need of a serious caffeine boost and was even prepared to pay the extortionate $ 5 price tag for a large in order to get it. I was sorely disappointed to find out that large means small in this place.
I think My House would be best off focusing on the food, tea and reading selections and call itself a Euro-​style café… or better yet, buy in better coffee and get staff trained in how to make it well– please!!!

I really like this place. I don’t understand the negative reviews! Granted, their baked goods and coffee aren’t to par with larger chains, but what do you expect? It’s their house and they’re just serving coffee and tea! I don’t find the prices to be too high either, especially by comparison. If I have extra cash in my pocket, I love to saunter on over, order an espresso in the summer and a cider in the winter, and have a seat in one of the multiple comfy chairs (especially if there’s one open by the window. Great light!
It gets four stars instead of five for having sub-​par espresso in a hispanic neighborhood, and for only offering really bad reading selections.
It gets four stars, though, for having board-​games aplenty, allowing for ample lingering time, for having wi-​fi, and for offering a really odd selection of baked goods.

Ugh. I want to like this place more, since, as another reviewer said, Logan Square needs more cafes, especially more wifi cafes. But hey, I gotta be honest for you people! I’ll start with…
The goods: I wanted an Americano-​type drink, you know, 2 shots of espresso and a little hot water. When I ordered one, the server asked if I wanted one shot or two. I said «2.» She replied, «There is no 2-​shot Americano, that would be a double.» I said, «Oh, ok, um, then a double.» I thought that an odd little exchange, but whatever, I just needed to get online as I didn’t have Internet at my apartment yet. I sit down, and a guy comes in and asks for an Americano, and guess what, they have the exact same exchange! Come on, who orders 1 shot of espresso with hot water?! The drink tasted alright. I also had some kind of butter cookies on the side and they were good too, however I didn’t feel I had much other choice in the snacks department. Besides the small selection of Mexican butter-​cookies, My House’s specialty seems to be Things To Do With (not fresh-​baked) Bread. You can get cinnamon toast, peanut butter toast, peanut butter and jelly, maybe peanut butter and banana was on there too, and all at prices equivalent to buying a loaf of bread, peanut butter, bananas, and jelly and cinnamon too. Even their tea is pricey– my friend ordered one and exclaimed, to me only as he is a server himself, «Is that for 1 cup or the whole box??» and he is from NYC!
The service: I’m sorry, the girl who works there was snotty the majority of the times I’ve been in there, which is between 5 and 10. Maybe the job sucks, or maybe she feels bad that the place is overpriced with no selction and this is her way of dealing, or maybe something’s going on in her life, I don’t know, but she is definitely not what made me return. The free wifi was. The guy who works there has a friendlier vibe.
The atmosphere: I like the mismatched couches and chairs and little stacks of books laying around, but my OCD kicks in and I don’t like the idea of my bare skin (it’s summer) touching the old, musty couches! But maybe that’s just me.

I’m sorry I want to support this place, but I can’t afford coffee more expensive than Starbucks, even if it is organic free trade. Especially with the awful interior. It reminds me of my grandmother’s house, but not in a cool retro vintage kinda way. Anyway, I hope that they do well, but I most likely won’t be making it back there.
Sorry My House.

I guess now that coffee houses appeal to the corporate types, «stay-​at-​home-​moms,» the critical sophisticated Unilocaler and so forth, expectations are a bit more refined and specific. This place is not so refined, but that doesn’t mean it’s not comfortable.
This is the place to go if you have a crappy apartment or a crappy roommate who doesn’t let you get shit done. The «experience» is like hanging out at your friend’s chill place because like I said your place sucks. If you just want a comfortable couch, cheap eats and plain ol’ coffee (nothing too strong) in a place where they won’t look at you weird if you show up w/​o a laptop (the coffeehouse essential these days) then you’re gonna appreciate My House.
Cool points– many tasty dishes with peanut butter, cool art and guitars as décor, cooky garage sale-​like books to read, free wifi, and stays open til 10.

Yeah, like a few others, it’s just not the right escape place. If you are going out to seek refuge from the monotony of being home all day or work all day or anywhere all day, this really doesn’t cut it. It’s dark and dingy, not comfy and eclectic like most indpendent coffee shops. If the coffee was superb I’d give it a better rating but it wasn’t. My husband’s regular coffee tasted watered down and my latte was bitter. The kid working/​painting was very sweet and seemed to enjoy his gig at My House, but unfortunately the experiencedoesn’t match up with the intention.

I wanted to like this place because it’s a coffee shop near my house, making it a welcome and convenient alternative to something like Starbucks. However, it really misses the mark on several counts:
1. It feels like I’m at home, with living room and kitchen-​y furniture all around. That’s ironically not comfortable. Part of the reason why I and others leave our homes to go to such places, is to exactly be in a new environment that doesn’t feel like we haven’t left the couch. Oh, I feel lethargic hanging around the couch by the TV — let me go get some quality reading done at the coffee shop, on the couch by the TV — what?
2. The coffee is very expensive and poorly made. Almost 2 dollars for what may be smaller than a 8 oz cup. That’s pretty expensive. I might be willing to pay something like 15 bucks for a small cup if it’s weird or neat– like Kopi Luwak (!) or Jamaican Blue — but unless you’ve visited the plantations yourself, your fair trade coffee doesn’t mean that much more to me than anyone else’s fair trade coffee — and theirs costs significantly less. As to its being poorly made, both times my coffee tasted like sludge. I’ve worked on and off in coffee since I was 16, and really, it doesn’t take much to make an American drip. Just grind, measure, filter, water, wait, presto. I don’t know — maybe they don’t have a water filtration system. But then, neither does the water system in my (actual) house, where the coffee always manages to taste yummy.
3. I don’t know why I made a third bullet, but this ties in with point number 1. The lack of comfort, that is. For people like me, who are slightly ADDish, and slightly claustrophobic, this place is both small, and there’s too much stuff. By stuff, I mean clutter, brick-​a-​brackery, etc. and often there’s the quintessentially annoying TV and music on at the same time. I realize they perhaps are going for a social environment and not a study environment, but I think it’s awkward at best for any purpose.
4. Bad advertising! When people look for a new coffee place to visit they like to look in the window and see what it looks like, see if it’s populated, window-​shop, if you will. That’s not possible when you cover your front windows with tacky painted writing that blares the name of your business to the street. It just looks hideous and uninviting. Especially if you’re trying to get someone to come into your faux-​living room. A simple sign would be fine — let people look inside!
I still haven’t found a coffee place I love in the entire city of Chicago. It’s possible the above statements must be taken with the understanding that I may be outgrowing the sort of thing to begin with. I still think my critiques are valid, nevertheless.

As a person obsessed with decorum and procedure, I’m thrown off by places like My House.
I’ve learned the coffeehouse method: You walk in, go to the counter, buy your coffee and sit away from everyone else. Right?
Not at My House.
I walked in, and strangers were sitting next to each other. We talked about WiFi and stuff on the radio. As others have said, I felt like I’d just walking into someone’s home. At first, I really didn’t like it. But that feeling shifted into «I’m a regular» within a half hour.
I like that food and drinks are served on real plates and in real mugs. Also keeping with the My House theme, the barista can be moody. On my first visit, she was kinda crabby. On my second visit, she was a sweetheart.
If you go in the late afternoon, the place is really cozy and full of nice people. If you go during the morning and early afternoon, expect it to be less inhabited and quieter.
Also, the register sometimes is low on change; bring lots of small bills and coins.

My House feels like just that– MY house. I have to agree with the other commenters about the fact that when you walk in, it feels like you are in someone’s living room. I had a cup of tea and the banana pudding. Both were very delicious. Although I went to My House with the intention of reading my book, I spent most of my time there perusing their ecclectic selection of books, magazines, and board games. If you don’t have anything to do, My House is a great spot to go to, because there is a lot already there for you to do. My only qualm with My House is the lack of tables to put drinks on. I think they are just starting out, and probably don’t have a lot of money to decorate, but eventually it would be great to have more individual seating options and more tables. Also, it seems like a great spot for local artists to hang their wares. I would love to see that at My House.

Very nice visit here! The owner was serving coffee and he was extremely nice. I had a sandwich (fried/​grilled soynut butter and banana sandwich) that was different and tasty. Fair trade coffee and some organic offerings, too.
I don’t live around here but will be back, for sure. Wifi was up and working after the owner reset it. no other problems.
Great feel.

I’ve been excited about My House’s opening for some time, and now, they’re finally up and running… and living up to my expectations. This cozy coffeeshop offers a variety of tasty pastries and coffee/​tea offerings at reasonable prices. In addition, the atmosphere of the place is comfortable (think your living room w/​better food and more to do); there are a number of couches, board games, and books (including coloring books & crayons), and even a guitar to mess around on. Oh, and did I mention free wifi? In addition, the owners seemed super down-​to-​earth and nice; I’m really thrilled to see a place like this in my neighborhood. Also, looks like it’d be a neat setting to see small shows if they were able to get something like that going on. Highly recommended A+++ yesss.