Backlot Coffee

Beautiful vibes, good amount of seating. Water fountain to fill up water bottles, restroom. Had the rose cardamom latte. Rose simple syrup is made in house! Gluten free and vegan pastry options. Folks behind the counter said the GF options were from dorite and they use separate tongs.

Been meaning to stop here on my way to work for months - finally did and well worth it. Ham and cheese croissant was delicious and the cold brew was very smooth. I took it to go, but next time I’ll try to build in some time to sit and enjoy because the interior is very nice and cozy. Staff was very helpful, quick and kind.

Nice place, better than the one in Evanston but both good coffee shops that we like

I was there for the first time today. The cortado was strong and hot, and the almond croissant delicious. Super clean, not a big area but expansive enough to spread out comfortably, nice woman behind the counter. I loved it, but I have one complaint: The restroom has no hook on the door on which to hang my purse/backpack/bag, etc. If I'm alone, I have to carry my stuff with me, right? I could probably ask someone to keep an eye on my stuff, but I'd rather take it with me to the restroom instead of bothering other customers. Please put a hook on the door for the convenience of your customers. Otherwise, well-nigh perfect.

Beautiful space, bright, open, welcoming, fantastic drink and food options, not too much, not too little, kinda perfect! Wifi, water refill, coffee accouterments. We’re so excited to have a good coffee shop in the neighborhood. You should visit them now!

A stunning shop that fills the need of some good coffee in this pocket of the neighborhood. We ordered the cold brew and it is perfect! So smooth and chocolatey. Love the interior design as well - the countertops and backsplash are amazing. We are so excited for Backlot to fully open and are happy they’re here! Looking forward to returning for more soon!

Love, love, LOVE Backlot Coffee! We've been going to the OIP location for over 7 years, we've never had a bad experience. The coffee is great, the food is great, the people are great and the vibes in this new shop... Are you kidding me?! It's gorgeous! We also love the diverse art displays. And their own coffee beans are soo good, we haven't met a blend we don't love. Most of all, the employees and the coffee are it for us ❤️. 5 stars, absolutely recommend, if you haven't been, you are missing out. We are SO excited to see this small shop grow- and thrive!

Visited first time 11/16/24 around 3:40- not particularly busy time. Asked for espresso . Was made and I picked it up. They had the demitasse but didnt bother to ask if i wanted to drink in cafe or to go, just started making it to go until i asked. The cup it was served in was cold and made the espresso lukewarm. So far not great but ok. Now the espresso itself. It was made poorly. It was their houseblend. I told Them afterwards it was very acidic - almost like vinegar. Two “baristas” began to Discuss and They just smiled and said “oh yeh we just put in new beans so machine was probably not pulling the shot correctly.” Really? Not even an earnest apology, not an offer to make another cup, not even an offer for a free or discounted cup next time, despite the fact that I mentioned I was a first time customer. Seems like the staff needs training on customer service and customer retention. Would not be inclined to visit again given this first time experience.

I love Backlot Coffee. They're cashless here. Not somewhere I get terribly often since usually I would stop by when I was visiting Hewn in Evanston, so I was super excited when I saw that we were going to get our own Backlot in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square. The chai is pretty good here, and that's my go-to drink so yay for me. Their specials are good too, like Sandy's Holiday Soda. Reminds me of my favorite punch at formal events and holiday parties we attended when I was a child. This location is much more spacious than the other locations; Evanston always feels crowded, though lively (but Evanston has the best food and pastries) and honestly I don't even recall if Irving Park has any seating besides maybe a few counter chairs. The Montrose location has several two-tops as well as a large communal table for folks to use. Parking can be more of an issue than the other locations, though. There are some street spaces along Montrose or the side streets as well as a 15 minute pick-up spot, but no dedicated parking for the place.

I finally got the chance to check out backlot coffee today! The interior was super cute and had plenty of places to sit and study. There were also outlets available and WiFi, I ended up losing track of time and staying for hours. Employees were super friendly from the second I walked through the door and the matcha latte they made me was amazing. Probably the best iced matcha I've ever ordered from a cafe before :)

Very excited to have backlot in the neighborhood! I've been eagerly awaiting their arrival and I'm happy to say they're finally here!! They have a few street parking spots right out front which was convenient to run in and grab a cuppa while I was running errands. I was looking forward to grabbing a treat and a coffee. I got the horchata draft latte. It was pricey but what isn't these days. They only offered this in a 16 oz. For treats they only had cookies, banana bread, or a vegan scone available. Hopefully they'll have more options next time I stop in! The space was super bright, clean, and spacious. I could hear everyone's conversations so might not be the best place to work if you have work calls to take. I loved the gigantic round table. I'll be back!

We love Backlot Coffee!! Two visits so far in the last month and my god we're glad this opened up. Interior is gorgeous, soft, and airy with an artsy vibe to it. Service is wonderful as are the staff. My favorite so far is the strawberry cream cold brew, I would drink this every morning. My husband loves the black cold brew and to him it's one of the best cold brews in the city. All the pastries are spectacular. We had two donuts so far as well as the following croissants: spinach feta, ham & cheese, tomato basil. Croissants are huge and flakey, just as they should be. Definitely add this to your radar.

This is a great neighborhood coffee shop. There's good seating set ups if you're coming to work, both communal and individual. There's a nice selection of pastries I didn't get into but I had some really extra overnight oats that I was a huge fan of. And then there are interesting coffee options too, I got a nice iced horchata latte. Completely sold.

Great coffee, friendly staff, quiet environment when not busy, nothing more you can ask for :)

My wife and I went in today for a coffee date. She loved the experience and vibe of the staff so much I decided to leave a review. We had cold brew (excellent) and an iced latte. I had a classic Chicago chocolate glazed donut, which transported me back to childhood immediately. She had a French-style fruit pastry she rather enjoyed. Previously, we split a lemon-flavored pound cake from this store once. My wife raves about it to this day; best lemon cake she ever had. (We were told today that the selection of sweets rotates frequently.) I love them as a friendly neighborhood cafe and see myself going back quite frequently in the future. Notably, I was signage that coffees are $2 before 8:30 AM, which covers the coffee-right-after-taking-kids-to-school run for many of us around here, and might also be useful for people prior to commuting or their first meeting of the day. Thought I'd mention it. The interior is beautiful, though I'd consider it a bit cramped for doing work on a laptop in, given how busy it was in mid-afternoon on a summertime week. A few people were trying but I wouldn't recommend that experience. (If one finds oneself in the neighborhood and needs to occupy a table for an hour midday to send email, I imagine the pizza place a few doors down would be amenable to you grabbing a drink and doing that, as long as they don't need to turn tables. They're good people.)

Great addition to the neighborhood! Backlot is very nice inside and staff are very friendly. They have an amazing selection of baked goods that I have yet to sample, but my restraint won't last long. Their beverages are high quality and are great. My husband likes the chai tea latte and I enjoyed a strawberry soda of sorts that was supposed to have mint in it, but they were out of mint, but honestly the drink doesn't need mint and is fantastic as is so I am satisfied. Looking forward to becoming a regular here.

We love backlot!! My son and us love the donuts and love grabbing a cup of amazing coffee just around the corner. The space is BEAUTIFUL! And the staff is so lovely, pleasant, helpful and hardworking. I ran into the owner and he's from the neighborhood and such a nice and enthusiastic guy! Will continue to support! So lucky to have this in the neighborhood.

My husband and I have only been there once but we totally love it. They have the best Cardamom Rose latte! The pastry is excellent. Love the huge community table and the space. We'll become a regular for sure!

Amazing coffee and a super friendly staff! One of my favorite cold brews in Chicago! This location is great to work at!

Love their product. Some of the best in the city! Woulda posted five stars but was disheartened to hear this location is contemplating not accepting cash. I hope this notion is reconsidered.

Reasonable prices, great coffee, and pleasant service! The only thing I didn't care for was the seating. I felt like the table was too far from the bench seating and I was not able to move the table.

Love this place. I get the cold brew black and it's really great. Before they opened we'd go to other coffee places in the area and, not that it's a necessity for good service, but we went to one almost daily for a year and they never showed a hint of recognition. With backlot, by the second time we went they were striking up a short conversation that we had started the last time. They are very warm and welcoming and also do great work. Really great location, ambiance, staff, and product. 10s all around.