Mark’s Cafe

PROS: the staff is generally very friendly (especially at 1 in the morning — I know I wouldn’t be that nice at that time of day); the hours are convenient; White & Wong cookies are plentiful here.
CONS: the coffee is generally bitter; this place has the distinction of having served me the worst hot chocolate I’ve ever had; their «whipped cream» isn’t whipped cream at all.

I had a starkly different experience than many other Unilocalers. I went to Mark’s — like many others — for the convenience of a cup of chai while I was studying. Granted, I went at a late time of the night, but the two individuals who helped me were extremely kind, courteous and thoughtful. The gentleman who prepared my chai latte for me wished me the best of luck with studying as well. The drink was also solid, on par with the likes of Starbucks or United by Blue. I was really pleased with the experience — so much so that I, someone who seldom posts review on Unilocal,felt that their service and caring warranted a positive review. I do understand that it can get crazy during the regular hours at Van Pelt Library, but I was thoroughly pleased with my late night/​early morning café experience.

I have offered this bet to many of my friends: Buy a large cup of coffee (no milk or sugar) from Mark’s Café and drink the entire cup slowly. So far no takers and it’s not surprising. The coffee tastes extremely bitter as if the machine hasnt been cleaned in ages. If there is a place with worse coffee on campus, I have been unable to find it.

You don’t say. The attitude, the taste of coffee, the price for snacks… It’s just convenient… that’s all.

I get it. You’re the most convenient coffee shop to students studying in the library. And the students here study hard, read a lot and need caffeine to wake them up. But do you have to be a jerk when you take my order? I don’t get the attitude problem. Maybe taking my order and getting my drink is inconvenient to them.
Second time I’ve order a drink here so far and it will definitely be my last. I’d rather make the trek to Starbucks.

My friend and I needed a bit of coffee to keep us awake during our evening class, so we stopped by here. Prices are reasonable and the coffee isn’t bad. I would steer clear of their baked goods though. My friend and I tried an apple fritter, and it was terrible. It was cold, hard and dry.

Mark’s Café is nestled on the first floor of Penn’s main library, selling coffee and snacks for students and library visitors alike.
Overall, this place is reasonable, but nothing more. The hours can vary dramatically depending on the day and time of year so I recommend checking their website if you are depending on late night caffeine. Specifically, the café will sometimes be open for most of the day, closing in the late hours of the night, but at other times will close early (mostly Fridays, weekends, public holidays and during the university’s vacations). They sell a reasonable selection of snacks, including bagels, yogurts, salads and if you’re brave, sushi. Almost all of these are extremely over-​priced so you might not want to have dinner here unless it’s a real emergency (the desperation of stressed and hungry students must be factored into their pricing!) The wait times are like their hours: either great or terrible. The staff are certainly not the most efficient at serving customers, so with just a few people coming at once, a line starts to snake into the library. The café is slightly redeemed by its outdoor seating area, which can give a nice dose of daylight when the weather’s nice and an allround pleasant environment, away from the stream of pedestrians on nearby Locust Walk.
So, this is a very handy location for thirsty and hungry students with a great seating area outside. They are let down by the wait time, prices and (sometimes) hours, but that won’t stop their customers given its convenient location.