Sol Cafe

The low rating is for the WIFI.
I love this place; I’ve spent countless hours and dollars here and I want to do more of that! But the Wifi has gone downhill and is not dependable. There aren’t tons of people online– it’s of average capacity. I’ve never had this problem at a coffee shop before and its a real downer. It wasn’t specifically my computer, a friend was with me and had to use her hotspot. They need to fix it or upgrade their system.
Otherwise, I really really love this place. Chill vibe, great music, fun and friendly servers and parking!

Really, really excellent coffee. They make really good chai in house too. Pastries from local places on point. Glazed and infused donuts on the weekends. Super friendly staff. My go to coffee shop.
edit: now they have do-​rite donuts instead of glazed and infused… still outstanding. :)

I really like this place. There is lots of sunlight beaming into the place, hence SOL café, and it has a very comforting atmosphere. The staff is all very friendly and down to earth. I can’t forget to mention, they have great coffee, and a nice selection of pastries. I’m a big fan of the hippie granola scone. Also, glazed and infused on weekends? Yes, please! It’s also a good place to stay for a while and get some work done or read a book.

Update: Come early or they might run out of apple cider. However, if you wait a little bit they’ll get some more instead of just waiting for the next day to get some. Great customer service!

It is surprising to see the slow Renaissance that Howard Street is experiencing, especially near the Red Line. And finding Sol Café in walking distance is a plus.
I have had drip and pour-​over, both of great quality. Since name brand coffeehouses like Starbucks have become playgrounds for toddlers and post-​toddlers who are stuck with their mothers who are glued to their cellphones or entranced in conversation with their girlfriends, Sol Café reminds me of what coffeehouses started out as.
The look screams hipster. But there isn’t the off-​putting hipster attitudes. Sol Café gets it right.

A nice local Rogers Park coffee shop right by the Red Line Howard stop. I ordered a large iced mocha which they had pulled two shots for — if I could do it over again I would have added a shot (small, medium, and large all have two shots default). The mocha was bold but as mentioned could have used a bolder flavor supported by additional espresso. The ambiance was earthy and hip and the shop was full with both groups and individuals hammering away at they laptops. I’d certainly stop by again to try my order again or sample a pastry.

No more panini? Boooooo. The offerings from the local supplier are way worse, expensive for what they are.

This place is adorable, friendly, has a great vibe and is delicious. I just stopped by to try out their coffee and loved it! Lots of solid standard drinks (I always try a basic latte on my first visit) and a handful of really creative coffee concoctions! I’m already planning a return trip with friends to try the small, but yummy-​looking as well as affordable, sandwich menu!

This café adds so much to the neighborhood. The staff are super friendly and they have a nice variety of tasty treats and drinks at a reasonable price. Great lighting and plentiful seating, I love the interior. Check it out!

Sol Café is Sol good.
It brings the neighborhood sól.
Its employees have soul.
My favorite thing about this café… oh man there are so many favorites… is the fact that I had one of the best vanilla latte’s ever! You know it’s good when there is no sweetener required. When I placed my coffee order I was asked if I wanted two or four shots. That was a first!
This coffee shop is beyond hip and cool. Come in for coffee, made-​to-​order sandwiches starting at $ 5.95 (I’ll be back for those), Glazed and Infused donuts, and pastries that are fresh and not dry like so many other cafes. Come in for a café stop, shop for cool art prints covering the walls, play games, use the place as an office and hook up to the printer for all your print needs.
Here I was served the freshest almond croissant I’ve ever had — anywhere. I’m not sure if it was brought in from another bakery (I assume so), but I’ll be back for another one of those for sure.
Though my croissant was beyond moist and tasty, the Glazed and Infused donut case called out to me. How could one pass up a white chocolate praline with lavender honey cake donut? Oh not me!
Such a welcoming communal café. They also host art events and private parties. If you haven’t been here before, it’s Sol worth it ;-)

Rustic and creative. Great lighting, better drinks. Lots of different types of seating: comfy chairs, intimate tables, long tables for groups. Just east of the Howard L stop. My favorite coffee shop on the far north side.

Saw a fellow Unilocaler (old high school friend too) review this café so I had to come and try it. Rolled out of bed, nagged my husband to come with me, grabbed whatever clean clothing we had and headed out on this chilly morning amidst the sleep in my eyes. Quick splash of water and I was good to go.
I have enjoyed frolicking to different coffee/​tea joints just because I am too old to go «clubbing» and I enjoy some free WiFi with my caffeine buzz. So here’s the gist of the visit.
Easy to find, easy to park: Score for me.
Staff non pretentious and friendly. Score.
Place has nice natural light, a great open layout that I appreciate.
There are books available to read if you are so inclined.
Drinks:
I had their espresso drink called «The Q». I really enjoyed it. It has a smokiness to it and such a creamy taste and it didn’t harsh my buzz from the caffeine from the espresso. Yum.
They serve Glazed and Infused doughnuts on the weekend so it was a must to pick one of those beauties to go with my coffee.
My husband is more simple in nature and had a regular coffee that he enjoyed with his G&I doughnut.
The only thing nerving was two lil pumpkins (kiddos) barging back and forth in the ladies restroom making it hard to focus on the task at hand when I went to the ladies room. Lol
Oh by the way, they have chalkboard walls in the restroom that are dope! Chalk available to write any positive message if you so choose.
I will be back as I enjoyed the place and will try their own signature grilled sandwiches. I don’t mind taking the drive there.
Support your local coffee shops, they are just lovely!
Peace!

Sol is nice for a number of reasons… You can find things here that you can’t elsewhere. They opened in an area that may otherwise be perceived as risky to a business person. They have great chai.
I’m a regular here for their house-​made chai. While the vast majority of places serving chai are pouring it from a concentrate, here that’s not the case. Occasionally you’ll walk in and they’ll be simmering the ingredients cooking up a batch right there behind the counter.
In the coffee department you’ll find some drinks you won’t elsewhere. The «Q» is a nice treat now and then when I’m not wanting a chai: espresso, smokey flavor, corn-​infused milk, and paprika. There’s also a thai drink that uses goats milk (seasonal maybe?) that I like.
They have some delicious donuts on Fridays and weekends. The space is available to rent for private events, and they also host special events now and then for the general public. They also do catering. Free parking in rear makes it easy for an in/​out if you’re not on foot/​bike. Free wifi. They have a printer you can use.

This is now my closest coffee shop. Independent or otherwise. Unless you count the Starbucks inside the Jewel. Which I am not. I don’t need any more Starbucks in my life thankyouverymuch.
But yeah! Or perhaps I should say, hell’s yeah! We love Sol Café at my house. I have enjoyed several of their specialty drinks and found them all to be quite good.
So good and so friendly!

In the few minutes that I have spent here, I have compiled a short list of my observations for your enjoyment. DISCLAIMER: I only had coffee. No treats.
I feel as though I have stumbled across a secret hipster society in the Southern most part of Evanston.
— Men with beards? Check, both customer and employee.
— Local art displayed? Check.
— Fixtures that are unique and custom made? Check.
— And most importantly, mason jars? Well double check. To serve iced coffees and as part of the light fixtures!
The coffee I had, delicious. The employees were friendly. They have free wifi (something I am currently enjoying). And they have lots of treats. How they taste? I’m not sure but they look pretty damn good/​sound good based off descriptions.
I would definitely come back here (and maybe add more substance to this review). That is all.

I consider myself a coffee and tea extrodanaire and so a place like Sol Café makes my top 10 list. The location is ideal and reflects the diverse cultures of Rogers Park. From the amazing front entrance of windows to its wonder pipes and exposed brick interior, you know its going to be a wonderful experience. Friendly staff that is knowledgeable and honest with suggestion and the coffee and food to back it up. Under the weather? You have to try the Dr. Feelgood and the Mocha is amazing. As for sandwiches… creative and absolutely delicious lick the plate worthy. This is a place you have to experience.

I love Sol Café! Good food, good drinks, good service… what’s not to love?
Their coffee is top notch. These folks take their coffee seriously, but not too seriously –no one will judge you based on your order, so don’t worry about that. Coffee not your thing? They also have a nice selection of tea. In addition to your usual coffee, latte, or cappuccino, they have some seasonal options available that are always interesting and worth a try. Pastries and food are also good, and on the weekends, they have donuts.
Yes, I love their coffee and treats, but my favorite thing about Sol Café is that it is always welcoming and friendly. The staff are genuinely nice and always helpful. They are great about making recommendations and answering questions.
Sol Café is my new coffee spot in Rogers Park. I will gladly go a few blocks out of my way to visit Sol when I’m in the neighborhood and in need of a caffeine fix.

Roger’s Park is on the rise again. As the masses look for more affordable housing and a new neighborhood to conquer, you know the neighborhood is coming along when the cute and trendy coffee shops sprout up. Sol, however is more than just cute and trendy.
While the décor is top notch and some of the furniture pieces are original (see the bookshelves in the corner) Sol has also managed to give the appearance of not trying to hard. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and more importantly the cofee is pretty damn great. If I had any complaints I’d say I wish it stayed open an hour later and had a tad bit more seating, but this location is my favorite so far of the Roger’s Park coffee shops and the competition is certainly there.

The place is trying to make everyone here deaf. It’s certainly concerned with being hip and part of a «scene.» Interesting menu items, good coffee. I just wish they would turn the fucking volume down on the music. It’s a mid-​Wednesday afternoon, ffs. The place is mostly full of people trying to work or read, and while that in itself can be criticized as annoying (Laptopistan), that’s what most people look for in a coffee shop, really, and not whether cool music is playing really fucking, chest-​vibratingly LOUD as all hell. The people who order have to yell over it to be heard.

I stopped by here to meet up with a friend since it was a good halfway point. For how the surrounding area looks, Sol Café itself is a clean, trendy place to grab drinks/​food. I ordered the Blood-​Orange tea, which was nice — fruity and subtle, but with a nice kick of citrus. I also liked how they kept my tea leaves and told me they could make me another batch if I wanted.
My friend ordered the afternoon delight, which was… well… delightful! It was light and sweet, and not quite like anything I’ve had before. He also ordered a red velvet donut, which I did not get to try. They have a selection of donuts from Glazed and Infused, which is great, but they looked a bit stale.
There were not any tables open when we walked in, so the staff went out of their way to shuffle people around. Only thing I have to complain about is one of the people at the front got a little pushy about taking our order, even though there was nobody behind us.
Not particularly special enough to make the trip back for, but it was a nice visit.