4839 N Damen Ave

I recently moved to Ravenswood in mid-March 2023 and started exploring local coffee shops. My goal was to find a comfortable, queer-friendly place with excellent coffee. After trying a few, I discovered Groundswell, and I knew my search was over. What sets Groundswell apart is their unique coffee flavor profiles and small-batch roasts, ensuring freshness. My personal favorite is Laboyano, which offers delightful hints of peach, red apple, and kiwi. Despite the unconventional combination, it's perfectly balanced and bright without being overly sweet or fruity. Beyond the coffee, Groundswell offers a relaxed ambiance, great service, and reasonable pricing. They have a rewards system where you can earn free coffee after just a few visits. Additionally, if you purchase a bag of coffee, you'll receive a complimentary cup. I should also mention that they source pastries from a local bakery, which are usually delicious. Overall, I highly recommend Groundswell. The staff is friendly, the coffee is consistently high quality, and it's a local business, which is an added bonus.

This place provides a real solid shot of espresso. The service was fast and we loved the glassware choice for the shot. They don't provide a side of soda water with the shot as some places do, but this was still a nice experience.

Server was rude. I felt like I was treated as not some one here to spend money and pay tips. From the moment I walked in and ordered the interaction was just as though I don't belong here (guess my skin color doesn't quite match). And the worse part was the place says it is opened till 5 on Saturday on Apple map (sure yeah that's probably my fault lol). And that was the whole reason I was there. The server told me that they are closing in 5 minutes. Shouldnt this be something you tell a walk in customer before hand? I'm not here to spend 10 dollars and not even be able to sit down for a rest. And the server's attitude is, you can imagine, making it even worse.

Service was really kind and efficient, and I also love this location with patio seating and high top seating inside. However, my matcha latte was SO clumpy - The most important thing with a matcha latte is to just take the 30 seconds to whisk it, but that wasn't done as you can see in the photos. This was on a weekday morning around 10am, so there wasn't a large line/rush, either.

Not particularly cute or comfortable, this is aimed at grab-and-go morning commuters and the Pilates set. What an unfortunate experience. I've been coming daily to this locale for over a year now, the staff are lovely and friendly every morning. But I had the unfortunate experience of meeting the owner today. Mind, this is a person of whom I had a poor opinion to begin with as he has difficulty keeping his staff in supplies: things like milk and cups. Rather important to a coffee shop. And he jerks their schedules around in a way which ought to be illegal--just HAVE a schedule, bro. But, he's also an a$$hole. On a personal level. To the clientel. The man says entirely unhinged things to people because he's a "business owner." How that's managed to last is a mystery as in any reasonable world he'd fail fast. I expect it is his general absence from the facility which allows it to limp along...without milk...or cups. (Re: Owner comment below, I've posted this review some months after the above incidents.)

Fresh single origin beans and great staff! I always enjoy stopping in this place to get new beans and relax with a great coffee.

Stopped to grab a coffee, just expecting a coffee. Holy cats! This is one of the best coffees I've had in my life. The staff and decor are very welcoming. It might be a bad thing I stopped in here. Will be all the time now

Stopped in for a lavender latte on a cold afternoon just before closing, The staff did not rush us, even though it was 5 minutes before closing. The staff were nice, but not overly friendly. The cafe has a clean aesthetic, with seats and tables. The coffee was good, but not the best I have had. If in the neighborhood, I would try again, but not go out of my way for.

Big shout out to this cafe on Damen. Great crew - always fun to have a little chat with them when picking up a Java. They make you feel welcome and know your order by heart after a short time. Try their espresso tonic - very refreshing for the summer for sure. Love the outdoor patio and after a while you start recognizing regulars hanging out for a chat. Outside of the donuts I don't know the quality and taste of their food, but at least it looks good.

The coffees here are always really good, and the outside seating is a nice option. The only issue is when we order 16 ounce hot beverages, they more often than not only fill them up to about 12 ounces. So we just started ordering only 12 ounce hot drinks here. ‍

I like yuppie coffee places. It feels pretty in here, and the drinks are good. The food choices are super limited, so just come for beverages. In the summer they have a yummy lemonade drink. The only thing I don't like is the service. I don't think they've ever been notably nice...kinda makes me not want to sit inside. I recommend ordering a coffee to go. In and out.

Great oat latte, fresh selection of donuts, cute sailboats on their cups. I'll visit this chill neighborhood cafe again and again.

The coffee was decent but I like to do work at coffee shops and there wasn't a large seating selection available, the wifi was slow and it was cold.

I have been eyeing this café for a while now, but I hadn't given in to trying. Today was my first day. My overall thoughts were that it's super cute in there, the barista's were nice, and the coffee was good. I would definitely come here with a friend for the café experience, or to study. But I'm unsure how I feel about the price for a 9oz to-go cappuccino which was 4.75$.. Perhaps due to 2023 inflation prices? Either way, I would come back for studies, to hang out with a friend, or just for the café experience.

Groundswell is a neat little coffee shop just outside of the metro downtown area of Chicago. It's rather small, so I don't recommend bringing more than 2 other people with you, though. They have a cool looking mural on the big wall when you walk in, and the space is warm and inviting! The people working are kind, and when Iw as handed my cortado, the girl working behind the bar had a warm smile and made a point to say thank you. The coffee itself is alright. It's roasted a good amount, so it'll inherently be pretty bitter. If you're a fan of lighter roasted coffee, I'd have a hard time recommending this place to you, because I like the lighter roasts as well. However the espresso shot that I had was extracted well, and probably the best that you can do with darker roasted coffee. They have a good selection of pastries, juices, and breakfast items, too. I had the sausage and egg burrito, which was pretty average. The employees are very kind, but the product they serve is alright. 4 stars because of the people, took a star off because of the coffee.

The coffee and food are great, but I'm disappointed by everything else. There is one cheery barista, everyone else is business only. I'm not asking for much - a thank you, a smile or even a "have a good day". I come in about 1-2/week and it never feels any different. They have a great points program, but it doesn't connect with their online ordering system. I tried to download their app but that didn't work either, so if I want points (and free coffee), I have to order on site. I once brought this up to one of the employees and they just shrugged at me. I've opted to head down to Perfect Cup more frequently because the service is much more friendly, even though I prefer the coffee here.

I gave it four stars before but I have been going back. I am a proud coffee snob. My partner is also quite serious about coffee. From Chai Latte to black drip coffee this place is heaven. Buy a couple bags for home if you like joy in your life. The baristas are cool, tip them.

The coffee at groundswell is great. Cappuccino was always prepared properly. The interior is clean and simple. The soundtrack was a nice 2000's indie nostalgia. The place gives kind of the tiny shirt indie vibe which I like. I'm from out of town and brought some beans back with me that were honestly amazing. No complaints.

Coffee is good but the employees are the least friendly people ever. They especially are unkind to children. Considering the neighborhood, they would be wise to have a little more patience. The last straw for me was an employee scolding my 3 year old for touching a piece of plastic designating the pickup spot, and he wasn't even hurting anything or getting in anyone's way. My son cried the whole way home asking why they weren't nice there. I'll be taking my business elsewhere from now on.

Only had the mocha coffee but it was good. I'm happy. My partner that morning I had a breakfast sandwich and he didn't complain. I would go again if I'm in the area

This is our neighborhood coffee joint :) Have walked here so many times. Reliably great coffee, crisp and satisfying paninis, delicious savory croissants. Relaxing, light-filled interior with ac in the summers. Friendly service. Never had a bad experience :)

A semi-gloomy, chilly, but could-use-a-stroll in a neighborhood day, with "Tell Me" by Groove Theory playing on my Pandora while riding the CTA, I felt like I needed some coffee. I was glad I had spare time before heading to work. I checked my Yelp bookmarks and saw "Groundswell Coffee Roaster." As soon as I walked, I had an instant connection with this place. The decors were quite minimalist. Pastries and merchandise were laid out nicely. Patrons seemed to be comfortable and diggin' the atmosphere. I ordered a large, 16 oz. mocha. It was smooth, calmative, yet deceptively strong. The balance of chocolate, hot milk, and espresso was spot-on. I initially felt that I wanted to cuddle with my blankets and take a nap (though I was heading to work), but their post-caffeine effect kept me energized. Overall, it was a delicious cup of mocha and was well worth the trip. I wish I could actually stay and enjoy my cup of joe. I promised myself that I would come in and relax under no time crunch on my day off. Although it wasn't ideal weather for sitting in the patio, their sidewalk patio area was delightful and inviting. This part of Ravenswood has many local shops and boutiques and is very walking-friendly.

Delicious latte, vegan pastry options, and cool & calm vibe for dine in! Definitely a repeat customer.

I used to go here often when I lived next door at the Madison. After a while, I simply stopped going and eventually moved to a different neighborhood. However, groundswell is still on my way to work (Madison St location) so recently I thought "hmm, I can't remember why I stopped coming here, let me give it another try" and now I've been reminded why. Every single time I've gone recently (more than once, and this is why I stopped going in the first place), my mobile orders were never ready. Never ready, wrong, simply gone, and I'm sitting there for an extra 15-20min. The whole point of mobile ordering is supposed to be the ease and quickness that provides. If that's just not possible for your location, I would stop doing it. It's beyond frustrating, as many people mobile order because they are in a hurry.

Stopped in a couple of times over the weekend while in the neighborhood. The location is great, and it always seems to be pretty busy. The WiFi password is posted by the drink pickup area, and the place seemed to be filled with people working or catching up with friends. Tbh my only issue is they played what I assume was the Bruno Mars Essentials Spotify playlist on repeat. I've gotten cold brew every time I've gone (bless you unseasonably warm January!), and I haven't been disappointed. It's pretty good. Better than Starbucks at least. I've also tried the breakfast panini with ham and the veggie breakfast wrap. Both were OK, but I could probably make something better at home. The main reason I'm giving 5 stars is because latte art! Finally a place that does art and isn't bad at it! I was pleasantly surprised to see the snickerdoodle latte my companion ordered had a nice leaf design.

Groundswell is a member of the Chicago coffee passport. Very modern atmosphere with reclaimed wood and clean lines. Not a huge seating area, but enough small tables and bar seating that I had no trouble finding a place to park and do some work. Free wifi. The baristas are very friendly and are currently playing Spice Girls pandora radio (it is nearing closing on a Sunday night), so they are my favorite people ever. "I am giving your everything, all that joy can bring....Say you will be there...." Hearts. They use a homemade mint syrup for their mint mocha. It is sweet, but you do get the espresso come through and not just sugar.

It's a coffee roaster and the drip coffee was balanced and smooth, but this place got the breakfast panini just right--and it's a small twist that makes it. Instead of scrambling eggs which become sorta bland, they hard boil eggs and then smash them into a spread on the sandwich with cheese, ham and grill it. The result is a lot stronger yolk and egg flavor. Nice. Staff friendly and efficient. Seating is limited but long rail and long bench make good use of the smaller space, and the full panel glass windows let in a lot of light.

Coffee is good, service is lacking.. Walked in on a Sunday morning and stood at the counter for several minutes while I patiently watched the barista put away pastries in front of me. All the time wondering if this place was even open. She eventually took my order but placed three doughnuts DIRECTLY in a paper bag! Not the kind with wax lining but a bare paper bag with a handle! Imagine tossing a bunch of cinnamon rolls in a paper grocery bag from Whole Foods. Would you eat it when you got home? I wouldn't. Since I don't enjoy scrubbing grease off my car seat, I asked for them to be placed in wax paper bags which she complied. I tried to give this place a pass. But on my way out I noticed an online order on a table with the same type of paper bag with food items INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED! Idk I got a sense I was being treated differently from the moment I walked in. If you like good coffee and can turn a blind eye to bad service, this is your place :)

I went here when I just moved into my new apartment. It was a nice day, so I decided to walk around. I was actually headed to The Perfect Cup, but got lost (since I'm a newbie to the 'hood). Boy am I glad that I decided to check it out! The decor is chic and modern. It is a small place, but is perfect for sitting and getting some work done or relaxing. The staff is very friendly and sweet. The girl at the cash register smiled and was very helpful with the menu. I definitely felt at home. I was hungry and wanted to grab a bite, so I ordered the ham and cheddar panini. It was fabulous! First of all, all sandwiches should be panini's because they are just that delicious. As I finished up my meal, I decided to stay and admire my surroundings. One of the employees was cutting the cheese from the block so you know it was fresh and delicious. If you want somewhere local and cute, come here! Reasonable priced sandwiches and delicious drinks.

Made a special trip up here today for their breakfast panini. Also ordered an iced coffee and they made me a cold brew instead, which is NOT the same thing. And can someone please tell me when it became "cool" for employees to be aloof and edgy, rather than warm and engaging? I'm clearly not cool enough to patron this place. But god damn I love that breakfast panini.

Pretty good coffee over here. I like the inside of this place... it is very modern and the people are extremely nice and friendly. Even with multiple locations, this place has a cool small business feel, in my subjective opinion. BATHROOM REVIEW - located near the back, it is a one-staller that was pretty clean. Sit or squat? Sit!

I am a hardcore coffee beans snob. Not espresso drinks but always in search of the best beans I can find either at home in Chicago or any road trip. Groundswell has the best coffee beans in the city. And boy, I've looked. Roasts are light which means brighter, multi-dimensional flavors. Plus, more caffeine, if that's your thing. Staff is always super nice and the space is beautiful.

This place is great! Located in Ravenwood, it's a cute little coffee shop with super friendly staff, vegan options, and the space is just gorgeous. The nonfat latte and almond milk latte were so good (as was the beautiful latte art!). I noticed people set up with laptops and they weren't disturbed and plenty of baked goods if you get hungry. Two more reasons they get thumbs up? Great selection of music played in the background and gender neutral bathrooms!

Best coffee in Ravenswood, if not all of Chicago. If you're still going to the Perfect Cup you're missing out. The vibe is chill, the staff is friendly, nice little outdoor patio. What's not to love?

Good coffee and they have do-rite donuts, but the most unfriendly staff I've ever encountered. It's as if they are upset you're giving them business. Been there about 4 times in the past few months since it's convenient, and each time no "hello" or greeting of any kind, no "thank you" or "have a nice day" or basically any human kindness whatsoever.

I loved them pre-Covid, but now I love them even more. The staff at their Damen location is amazingly good at making coffee AND lovely to boot, and their online ordering platform is smooth and quick. Everyone is masked, you can just dash in to pick up your cup from the counter. My toddler loves their pastries. We stop by as often as possible, because we hope they stick around.

Awesome coffee and great selection of pastries and food. Great tea selection as well. Area for small meetings and/or for work

This used to be my favorite coffee shop in the city - spent a lot of time here when I was in between jobs. I think some of the employees changed over, though, and lately it has been less-than-stellar. For example, today, they had some very loud pop-punk/alt-punk music blasting -- I noticed a lot of other patrons who were trying to do work filtered out a lot sooner than I'd expect; I fully believe it was due to the noisy atmosphere. Nothing like what I (or many of my other business or conversation-oriented folks) would look for in a space to work-outside-work. My girlfriend went here to get me a coffee a couple weeks ago. She doesn't frequent the place, so asked for a vanilla latte (they don't have vanilla). The employee just said "no." - nothing else. No joke, no fun back and forth - it was extremely rude and she was understandably upset. I had a similar experience today. I'm not looking for someone to be annoyingly cheerful! I'm just looking for someone polite. The coffee they make here is great and it's a beautiful location - I love the windows that look at the street, and the wooden interior is beautiful. In theory it's a great place to do work! But not anymore in practice. I probably will not be going here again unless something changes, which I'm very sorry to say, because I like everything else about it. For now, though, I'm home to nurse my migraine. [Edit] I forgot, their router DNS seems to be messed up - only about 50% of websites resolve. Would love for that to get fixed.

Cute coffee shop in Ravenswood. Great relaxing place. There were lots of families. It was so packed. Service was nice.

I'm at a regular here, completely committed to my iced latte and the laid back neighborhood atmosphere. The black and white mural, with just enough white space + the wooden tables and hanging greenery = the ideal coffee space. I always experience friendly and efficient service, occasionally opting for the espresso soda to mix things up (it's a party for your taste buds). Definitely recommend Groundswell!

The coffee just doesn't taste good. I was so excited to pick up a cup of latte on the way to my work that would brighten up my morning. I got a 16 oz latte. As soon as I took a sip, I knew something was off. It just didn't taste good at all. It had a very mild coffee flavor with A LOT of milk, which nearly tasted like a half shot of espresso in a 16 oz cup of milk. I used to go to groundswell in the west loop before, and I absolutely loved their coffee, so I had expected the same thing from this place. Just sad.

I was in the mood for a chai latte. Decided to try this place out. I'm so glad I did. The staff was very welcoming and friendly, not to forget knowledgeable. The chai was great, it had the spice that makes a chai a chai but not too sweet. You taste subtile notes of cardamom and spice. The plum colored mug it came in was cute too. The space is really laptop friendly. By that I mean you can virtually sit anywhere and have an outlet handy.

Easily the rudest barista I've ever had the pleasure of ordering coffee from. Will not be retuning unless management reaches out. Rolling eyes at the customers and not responding when you say something. So rude.

Would have liked to try this establishment but I felt immediately uncomfortable upon entering. The barista checked me up down and turned around without a greeting. I'm wearing sweatpants on a Sunday morning. Sorry I'm not in dress code? I'll take my business elsewhere.

I'm struggling to find a flaw, but I can't. Maybe the warm day has me struggling and this place is very well air conditioned. The staff members are all very friendly. Smiles across the board. I ordered an iced green tea latte with a breakfast panini (no aioli). Both are great! The drink came in a very large size (more than expected). And the panini was just yummy. Overall, great service matching great food with a modern interior.

Looking good, what a nice spot, looks like it has been worth the wait. This is a great addition to the growing Damen N of the Brown Line station shop options. Solid service and a welcoming atmosphere. Will be back to try some of the sandwiches they have on their menu.

What a great new addition to the neighborhood! I came here with friends with our toddlers on an afternoon and was pleasantly surprised. The coffee is strong and flavorful, the food delicious, and the people so nice! I don't want compare it to Starbucks because it definitely is not one. The vibe is way better. Yes, there are people working on their laptops but the music was loud and I felt like you can talk without worrying about disrupting your neighbor. I will be back, and will tell more friends about it. Good job, Groundswell!

I was in the market for a new coffee shop to do some work in, and stumbled across this on Yelp. WOW! I am ecstatic that there is a coffee shop like Groundswell in my neighborhood now. Its modern and simple design still feels very cozy. I had a full load of work to do so I was there long enough to try a vanilla latte, green tea latte, and their breakfast panini. Without a doubt, some of the best food and drink! Their vanilla latte was SO fluffy, it was amazing. Their green tea latte had just the right amount of sweetness to it. And their breakfast panini, perfect! It's filled with cheddar cheese, ham, crumbled egg and sriracha aioli! YUM! Definitely coming back here as much as possible!

I still love groundswell. I still come all the time. But one barista, who I've seen working for weeks, consistently coughs all over the bar without covering her mouth. Even when making paninis. Today, she handled my money without taking off her panini gloves. Then she made more food after handling money without changing gloves. Please train your baristas (maybe it's just one who is the issue) to be clean!!!