10 Best Coffee Shops In Evanston, Illinois

coffee shops in evanston
Meghna
Meghna 
Updated
| 5 min read

Evanston, known as the city of trees, is part of the larger city of Chicago in Illinois. It is probably most famous for being home to the Northwestern University, a sprawling, highly rated university. If you’re in town, you should check out the campus or take a short trip to Chicago, which has plenty to offer. Evanston has also been the backdrop of many famous movies like Sixteen Candles, Dennis the Menace and Cheaper by the Dozen. Evanston is also home to plenty of coffee shops. Their ambiance will make you want to spend your weekend curled up in the corner with a good cup of coffee and a book. Keep reading to find out about the best coffee shops in Evanston, Illinois.

1. Cupitol Coffee & Eatery

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Cupitol Coffee & Eatery on Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Cupitol Coffee & Eatery features a three-in-one setting: a bakery, a café, and an all-day bar. They use only the freshest of ingredients, prepare simple recipes in a European style, and serve their dishes to patrons at affordable prices. Their menu is extensive and comprises artisan drinks, delectable desserts, and mouth-watering meals. The calories consumed in each food item, including drinks of varying sizes, are listed clearly on the menu as well. There are plenty of seating options and power outlets so you can go and park yourself and enjoy the café all day long.

Cupitol Coffee & Eatery

Address: 455 E Illinois St Chicago, IL 60611

Website: Cupitol Coffee & Eatery

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 7am - 9pm; Fri - Sun: 7am - 10pm

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2. Unicorn Cafe

Editor’s note: Establishment is Permanently closed.

Unicorn Café is one of the oldest coffee houses in the city. It has been around for 30 years! It uses only locally grown and produced ingredients. For example, they use locally grown beans produced by Sparrow Coffee, an environmentally friendly and sustainable coffee company. Its pleasant ambiance has quickly made it a popular place for students to work on projects or to enjoy a cup of great joe with their friends. There are also vegan options on the menu, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Unicorn Cafe

Address: 1723 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States

Website: Unicorn Cafe

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 7am - 6pm; Sun: 7:30am - 6pm

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3. Newport Coffee House

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


Newport Coffee House was started in 1992. Its ownership has changed hands a few times in over the years, but this has not compromised the quality in the slightest. The present owners hail from Sweden and they have made it an authentic Swede coffee house. Bright and minimalistic are the words you would use to describe the style of this café. The coffee house is popular because of its efforts in making sure everything, from the coffee beans to the brewing, is of the best quality. In fact, many have described them as being perfectionists to the nth degree to ensure that guests get the best cup of coffee each and every time they order.

Newport Coffee House

Address: 1121 Half Day Rd, Bannockburn, IL 60015, United States

Website: Newport Coffee House

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 7am - 5pm; Sat: 7am - 4pm; Sun: 8am - 4pm

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4. Coffee Lab Evanston

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


Coffee Lab has been bringing great cups of coffee to Evanston since 2010. It is quite popular amongst Northwestern University’s students as it’s a short walk from their Tech institute, and is close to L station on the Purple Line. It also has plenty of seating with ample charging outlets that ensure that you have the liberty to take as long as you need to finish that paper. Their signature beverage is the pour-over coffee in glass beakers, made by their friendly baristas who do everything to make sure you feel like you’re at home. It’s usually very crowded as many find it to be one of the best places for solo visits, group dates, or study sessions.

Coffee Lab Evanston

Address: 910 Noyes St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States

Website: Coffee Lab Evanston

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 7am - 7pm; Sat: 8am - 7pm; Sun: 9am - 7pm

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5. Backlot Coffee

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Dear friends of Backlot, Sunday, May 30, will be the last day of coffee service for the Backlot Coffee location at 1549...

Posted by Backlot Coffee on Monday, May 24, 2021

Backlot Coffee is unique as its name originates from its location. A backlot is an area where a few homes share a common backyard, which serves as an area where people can spend their time with each other and enjoy a sense of community. Backlot Coffee is fully integrated into the community. They create novel drinks like the cardamom rose latte, in addition to the quintessential coffee drinks. They also have home-baked goods made completely from fresh ingredients. The only drawback is that it has limited seating.

Backlot Coffee

Address: 2006 Central Street Evanston, IL 60201

Website: Backlot Coffee

Opening hours: 7am - 4pm (daily)

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6. Brothers K Coffeehouse

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

On a cold day come try our Mexican hot chocolate. Available in 8 oz or 12 oz. Nice drink not too sweet, a little nutty with cinnamon. Limited menu item!

Posted by Brothers K Coffeehouse on Friday, February 14, 2020

Brothers K is a coffee shop that was starting in 2005 by the Kim brothers. Their philosophy: a perfect cup of coffee taken in the morning, can make anyone’s day better. They go to great lengths to make sure each cup of coffee is consistently good. They use fresh beans from the Metropolis Coffee Company, and they ensure the freshness by purchasing it in batches a few times a week. The brothers are all about community, and they take great efforts to familiarize themselves with all their customers. They also love giving back to the community and they do this by hosting latte art classes and poetry readings, and by featuring an artist on their walls every month.

Brothers K Coffeehouse

Address: 500 Main St, Evanston, IL 60202, United States

Website: Brothers K Coffeehouse

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 6:30am - 6pm; Sat - Sun: 7am - 6pm

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7. Colectivo Coffee

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


Colectivo Coffee was created more than 25 years ago in a warehouse, over vinyl and caffeine. This café provides freshly baked goods from the troubadour bakery, and a simple menu with high-quality items like sandwiches, breakfast meals and bowls. Their salted caramel latte and rich hot chocolate are just two of the other many delicious drinks they serve. They also have a fire pit that will keep you fresh and toasty even during the winter, and a dog-friendly patio.

Colectivo Coffee

Address: 2530 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60614

Website: Colectivo Coffee

Opening hours: 6:30am - 9pm (daily)

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8. Reprise Coffee Roasters

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


Reprise Coffee Roasters was started in 2015. They focus on using sustainably produced coffee from Gold Mountain Coffee Growers. Reprise is known for creating specialty coffee like their rosemary sea salt caramel latte and the maple syrup latte. They have a relaxing, low-key ambiance, which is perfect for relaxing and enjoying a cup of coffee with your significant other or friend on the weekends. For those with furry friends, the patio is dog friendly, so you can sit outside and enjoy with your pup.

Reprise Coffee Roasters

Address: 710 Main Street, Evanston, IL 60202

Website: Reprise Coffee Roasters

Opening hours: Mon: 6:30am - 3pm; Tue - Fri: 6:30am - 6pm; Sat - Sun: 8am - 6pm

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9. Wired Coffee House

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


Wired Coffee House is a family run and owned coffee shop in Evanston. They use Black Mamba Coffee, which are coffee beans bought from small scale farmers in Ethiopia. If you come here, you can try their all-day brunch. A few interesting features of this café is that they have a “pay it forward” program in which you can choose to pay for someone else’s drink or meal. You can specify a particular person, or for anyone who matches a particular description. They also have a Wired Coffee Card with which you can redeem 12 drinks for the price of 10.

Wired Coffee House

Address: 901 Davis St Evanston, IL 60202

Website: Wired Coffee House

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 6am - 11am (closed on Sat & Sun)

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10. BrewBike

Editor’s note: Establishment is Permanently closed.

Brew Bike was created for students, by students. It is a series of carts within the Northwestern University Campus, which provides delicious coffee to those on campus. This also means that they’re only open as long as the campus is open during the academic year. Students have the added benefits of learning how to set up and run a small business as well as the ability to earn some money.

BrewBike

Address: 1970 Campus Drive Café Bergson, Evanston, IL 60201, United States

Website: BrewBike

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 8:30am - 10:30pm; Fri: 8:30am - 3:30pm; Sat: 10:30am - 3:30pm; Sun: 11:30am - 10:30pm

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Enjoy Evanston

Coffee
Source: Pixabay

If you’re in town for the sights or for the fun activities, you’re sure to experience the best of the town’s attractions. What did you think about these coffee shops? Make sure you drop by one or all of them when you’re in Evanston.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Meghna is one of those few lucky individuals who can claim more than one country as her own. She spent her formative years in India, Singapore, and Malaysia and consequently attended a variety of...Read more

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