Backlot Coffee

This is a fantastic local gem! Their coffee is consistently excellent, with a great selection of beans and perfectly crafted drinks. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, making it a perfect spot for working, catching up with friends, or just enjoying a quiet moment. The staff are always friendly and efficient, adding to the overall positive experience. Highly recommend!

Walked past this place for a few days and seen that it was always busy so had to check it out myself. I ordered the breakfast bagel with turkey, egg and cheese. The food, staff and coffee were all excellent and the the prices reasonable. Highly recommend

Best gluten free donut I have had in the 9 years I have been gluten free. A little crispy on the outside but super soft on the inside. Also had the gluten free bread with a breakfast sandwich which was also quite tasty. Coffee was good too! Another morning I had a gf cinnamon roll which was also pretty good.

I ordered a black coffee and didn't find it spectacular. Quite frankly, I thought I was drinking hot water. No coffee flavor whatsoever. My mom can vouch for that...she ordered a decaf Americano and said that she didn't know what she was drinking. The atmosphere was very crowded, busy, and loud. It was hard to find seating. The service wasn't anything special.

In and out quickly with a big order. Busy and hectic in a great way, but controlled and fun. Probably one of the better coffee shop experiences I’ve ever had. Great coffee and pastries to bring it all together. Will be talking about this place for a while

There is no coffee establishment nearby that beats Backlot. The premises are warm and nicely decorated with painted murals and local artist paintings on the walls. Owner John Kim was running the front all 3 times we visited and greeted many patrons personally. That says a lot and he remembered my name on 2nd and 3rd visit. The latte was great and the excellent cortado exhibited powerful aromas of quality roasted beans. Both had excellent crema which is a must for me. The staff is efficient, keeps premises clean and maintains good service levels - could be more friendly following John’s example. Great selection of baked goods and roasted beans. Give this place your business and you will be happier for it. My wife ranks this establishment #1 in Evanston and she has excellent taste (especially in spouses).

An Evanston classic. They have a great selection of donuts and pastries. Their breakfast sandwiches are all really great. Pulled drinks are pretty solid. Sort of mixed in their beans. Super friendly staff and nice local vibe.

Latte was quite good. I also had a raspberry chocolate coffee cake (recommended by the barista) and it was nice! Apparently the baked goods (except for the bagels and gf items) are made in-house, which made sense given how fresh the coffee cake seemed. Cute ambiance overall!

You walk into a gem of a place. The patients are laid out beautifully and the food selection is enormous. The coffee is very medium to light roast and has a very nice nutty taste to it. I ordered the 8 ounce latte single shot. Staff is friendly. The seating is great and allows for a good workspace. The coffee is exceptional and the team does a great job at refining the Coffee day-to-day. Overall, the taste is very smooth.

Coffee is fine. Drinks come up in a reasonable amount of time. But the ambience is absolutely dreadful. Baristas literally SCREAMING at the top of their lungs when an order is up. Like, strangers were commenting to each other and the staff is completely oblivious to their unnecessary volume levels. You seriously can't hold a conversation. It's almost comical. Completely decimates any cozy or relaxing vibes. It's also semi-daycare vibes but that's north Evanston for you. Unless you're getting the order to go, avoid. Even then, there's better places not far, so given the challenges of parking, probably skip this one.

Sorry (but, not sorry), but this place isn't it. We went on a weekend, and, as expected, there was a line out the door. However, the line was somewhat moving along, so the wait wasn't as bad. The staff seemed to try to be efficient, but they ended up confusing everyone by yelling out for those who are paying in cash or card to step up - this resulted in more confusion, as the patrons weren't listening or not paying attention; then it became where people were budging and not going in the order of the queue. When we finally go to the register, I ordered one of their 'specials', the Oatmeal Cookie Latte - this was just awful. Not sure who the baristas were on shift that day, but they had no idea to prepare this drink and seemed to not have any training whatsoever. It was literally just hot water with no flavor. I also requested oat milk, which, obviously, wasn't even noted on the cup - not sure what the point was for asking for milk substitutions? They have some table and counter seating, but it can get super tight; surfaces were not tend to by the staff, so seats and the tables were dirty and sticky. So disappointing and very inconsistent - not worth a visit at all. Metered street parking can be found in the area. +hot water for lattes +inefficient staff

I'm torn on giving this coffee joint either 3 stars or 4 stars. I had 2 hours to spare in Evanston while waiting for my daughter to be done with practice. I figured great - it's about 10:30am on a Sunday and I haven't had my coffee yet. I have a new book that I want to start, what better place to do that than at a cafe and relax for a bit. I go through the doors and it's chaos. The exact opposite of the environment that I was looking for. There's a bunch of people inside like a crowded restaurant, waiting in line to order and get their coffee and pastries, all the while the tables are packed and everyone is so loud! I wanted to run out of there and just go to Starbucks. I thought the inside would be much bigger and not so crowded but I was wrong. I decided to stay and ordered my cappuccino and my pecan tart for dine in. Why I didn't just take my food to go and went with my initial gut, I have no clue. The wait to place my order along with the wait for me to get my actual order was not bad at all. They got that line moving fast, and I was able to place my order and get my order in a matter of 5 minutes. So kudos to those working that chaos and being fast and efficient! On my way to get my order, the place was so packed that I almost knocked another customers coffee out of his hand with my tote bag. Sorry dude, get a better grip on your drink. Of course i got the DEATH STARE from dude, but what do you expect sitting there with your arm out right in the aisle where people are walking??!! Move it or lose it, buddy! Anywho, finally made my way to the counter to grab my drink, and found a large communal table near the back door with some people happily typing away at their laptops. The seats were high stools so not the most comfortable to sit in and not really space to place your purse or jacket except for the stool next to me. I just decided to eat my tart in a hurry and then leave. The tart was actually really good. Not too sweet or too sour and the crust was awesome. The cappuccino was nothing special, but I was already annoyed at the crowdedness of the place that I was not relaxed at all and just wanted to escape that zoo of a coffee shop. I may or may not come again at a less busy time. They had some good looking pastries on display at the counter, but I didn't have a chance to try them. Maybe next time.

would highly recommend! always great drinks,food and bakery items. All of the workers are super friendly and helpful. Parking is usually available too.

Speechless.... Absolutely speechless. As soon as you walk in you're greeted with the most beautiful assortment of baked goods. As an indecisive individual, it took me a good 5 minutes to decide which one of the sweet goods to partake in, I chose the peach stone. FIREEE, the marinated peaches on it, chefs kiss. Now the real banger was their HORCHATA COLDBREW. As a Mexican I'm never satisfied, as people usually slap cinnamon on it and call it the flavor... this is genuinely the only "horchata" flavored drink that captures the genuine flavor. You can really taste the rice and cinnamon component and i honestly feel like I'm back in Mexico. Definitely recommend not only for food but for vibes. New favorite coffee

Great place for a small breakfast to start the day. Despite a line literally out the door, service was quick. They had a large selection of pastries and sandwiches. I had The Monty and it was the best English muffin sandwich I've ever had! This is not just a slab of Canadian bacon but a pile of shaved ham that was enough to make me want to order just that for Easter. The balance of that with the aoili and pickled onions was amazing. I also had a mocha latte. I'm not a frequent coffee dinner but this was very balanced. I wish this place was near my house! Please open one in the Aurora/Naperville area!

I tried this place a few weeks ago when I was visiting the park across the street. I didn't realize it was a chain and will definitely also check out some of the other locations. I was pleasantly surprised by the large selection of grab and go options as well as baked goods. The first time I went I got the lemon Madeline's and glazed donut. The Madeline's were especially good and not overly sweet. I have found that when I have tried to go back (early afternoon)they seemed to have only a few baked goods left. The seating are is a bit cramped/ not super comfortable (right by where people get their drinks). There is a very high communal table where I usually see people working. Then there are super low tables at like almost knee level. I would have just preferred all regular tables.

Food is awesome Classic breakfast sandwich is great Coffees are all tasty and love the vibe. Staff is super friendly and this is the epitome of a. Neighborhood place. Gluten free options are totally appreciated and they have great choices ! Come to this place!!

Some friends took me back here and I ordered a latte, I didn't think it was good at all. It's such a shame that they charge a lot for these drinks because it's not worth the price.

Stopped here on an impulse to treat myself on my way back from grocery shopping at Jewel up the road. I got here 3 min before they opened and there was already a line -- definitely a hoppin' place at 7am on a Sunday. My americano was delicious. I hadn't been here since they remodeled, and it's super nice inside. I'll be coming here more often! For those coming to the shop by car, parking out front is enforced 8am-9pm Monday-Saturday. But, there's free parking in the surrounding neighborhoods on some streets, so just be mindful of signs. The EPD will ticket you.

Backlot Coffee is a great place for coffee, meals and treats; a great place to meet others. I met a former classmate to catch up over coffee and breakfast and had a very nice time. We met on an early Sunday morning. Note: if one wants a place to sit, get there early because after about 9am, there is a long line. There is a communal table in the back of the place to eat and/or work. I had regular coffee and 2 Empanadas - buttery and delicious! The staff is pleasantly friendly and attentive. Food items were appealingly placed on a counter behind main counter. Huge coffe bar in a separate section of the coffee shop for custom coffees. I may stop by in the future for a speciality coffee. Cheers! Parking: street parking Features: wheelchair accessible

This is a tier 1 coffee shop with delicious pastries and great ambiance! They serve breakfast and lunch, seems to be a loved establishment to Evanston locals. Friendly.

This is by far my favorite coffee shop in Evanston so far! The staff are very friendly. They are very serious about their craft and my drinks turn out perfect every time. The hazelnut chocolate croissants are absolutely out of this world--flaky, chocolatey--just as good if not better than the pastries I've had in Paris. It gets crowded but the sitting area is super nice as well.

Great coffee. Wish they had more GF beyond sweet donuty type choices. The coconut macaroons are amazing and I get one anytime they have them. Typically a line, but it moves quickly. Super nice service. Some seating inside but usually all taken. Some seating out back as well if it's a nice day. People are chatty, so if you like quiet places to work probably best to get it to go. Great vibes inside. Coffee to purchase.

Amazing bread pudding! So many tasty looking options. Busy, but easy to find a seat after getting our coffee.

It's pretty loud, and it was packed when school is not in session. There was a diverse crowd: some packs of students, others with families, and others just catching up on work on the benches! I got a small iced cozy cold brew, which had squirrel (house blend?) coffee, homemade chai syrup, oat milk, and cinnamon. It was interesting, but I wouldn't get it again. I definitely noted both the taste of chai and cold brew, but it was a bit milky for me. My New Year's resolution is to not drink my calories, so I think I'll just get their high-quality cold brew next time. :) They even had the compostable plastic straws that don't disintegrate in your drink!

Came with my kids for morning coffee and pastries. They ordered milk steamers and donuts while I got the oatmeal cookie latte and a chorizo and egg empanada. The latte was just okay. The cashier forgot to give me my empanada, so I waited for quite some time before I approached him and then he remembered to give it to me. I will say the empanada is delicious! It was consistently busy in there, and seating was kinda limited, so just keep that in mind.

Friendly and efficient staff. Baked goods are top notch. Don't sleep on the blueberry crumb donut. Nice outdoor seating area in the back.

No pour over here. The drinks are pretty good tasting but they are sweet. A bit sweet for one of us and mine was good. Not too sweet but I do believe these are more for taste than caffeine. They had drip but it wasn't the beans I wanted. I really recommend you read my previous review, but I wanted to add they had decent desserts and even now I believe this is a solid place if you are in the area. Though there are better places!

We came here on a Saturday morning at 8am and the line was out the door! Definitely a great sign. While on line, one of the ladies behind us were raving about the pastries. Did all of this influence my decision on what to get? 100% did. The service inside if you're a regular makes you feel like home. You can bring your own coffee mugs and have them fill that instead which is so environmentally friendly. When you walk in there's a huge table of pastries and man they ALL looked so good. Inside there's a decent amount of seating but it was so busy that everyone waiting for things to go is just crowding those tables and it would be hard to just sit and eat and drink in peace. BUT there is outside seating that highly recommend to get away from the crowd of people. We got the ham and cheese empanada which was delicious. It tasted like pizza and I'm all for a pizza tasting pastry bright and early. We also go the monty breakfast sandwich. This was amazing. So good that me and my husband were fighting over the last bite. Moving on to drinks, I think we just ordered wrong. I got the cardamom rose coffee and it was definitely heavy on the cardamom, a little too heavy that I couldn't finish my coffee. My husband got the green tea which he now says he probably should have gotten with simple syrup but he though it was steeped a little too long. But nonetheless we loved this coffee shop!

I came to Backlot with 3 other friends after playing tennis on an early Sunday morning. It was packed with almost no seating available on the inside. Sunday morning I presume is there busiest time of the week. The line still moved fast, and we were all able to order pretty fast. It took around 10-15 minutes to get the food. There was available parking on the street. We needed up sitting outside and eating there. All of us really enjoyed going there, but we do wish there was more seating available. We ordered their classic sandwich and iced coffees. It was all tasty and filling. We were happy with our choice of coming here.

Backlot Coffee is such a cute place in the middle of a thriving street in Evanston, Central Ave. Overall there is plenty of seating from tables to a bar with high top chairs, but don't be surprised if there is no spot available since it is such a popular location for coffee lovers to go to. They offer a wide variety of coffee, cold brew, and espresso options while also having non-coffee treats. I tried the matcha lavender iced with almond milk. It was unsweetened, which I thought was delicious, but definitely ask for sweetener if you like sweeter drinks. I highly recommend you go and try Backlot Coffee!

After picking up some pastries at Hewn I decided to stop at Backlot to grab some drinks. I quite liked this shop. It's got a lot of space, which includes a communal table in the back of the cafe. There are several other tables and in the middle of the shop near where you pick up your drinks, and in the front along the large bay windows is counter seating. I was here on a weekday around noon, so I haven't experienced the lines. But their drinks are quite good, so I can believe it. I had visited their location in Irving Park a few days ago and their chai was fantastic, and not surprisingly this location is just as good. I ordered a maple latte for my partner and he thought it was excellent. I'm not sure exactly how the two connect, but it sounds like Backlot and Plant Shop Chicago together opened Plant Shop Evanston a few miles away, which gives me an extra warm feeling toward them since I really like Plant Shop Chicago/Evanston. Perhaps their partnership is just that they have many plants in the place, which ostensibly came from Plant Shop Evanston. I'd definitely return to Backlot. In fact, if I was going to Hewn I'd probably make sure to stop here assuming Backlot was open... which will impact my goal to try a chai latte at various shops around! But it's worth it because as I've already said they are experts at their craft. There's street parking only; there are a couple 15 minute only spots and you'll use your Park Evanston app for the others.

My phone didn't eat first- whoops! I went to Backlot on a Saturday morning. It was super busy- we almost couldn't get a table! Luckily we were able to sit and enjoy. The environment was pretty loud for the first half of our time there. I enjoyed an iced chai, and iced mocha, a chocolate Bana's bread loaf, and a cinnamon old fashion donut. Everything was delicious!

It's fine, a little pricey a busy, overall fun enough for a quick drink. likely wouldnt choose this place again when I'm in town

I came because it has great reviews. The line was indeed out the door but I didn't think my wait was obnoxiously long . I order a lavender latte and considered some of the bakery items because they looked fantastic, but I had already eaten. Although busy seems to be the norm/ this is a popular spot the staff seem particularly flustered this morning. Probably a little stressed with the influx of customers and only 2-3 baristas on hand. I have had a plethora of lavender lattes and this by far was just okay. I can't say bad because it looked great, it came out hot but nonetheless. Just okay. I'm just in town visiting but I'll be sure to try something else another time because again, the line is throughhhhhhh the door. Lastly, the space seems super busy, and the space isn't great if you want to come get some work done or just hang out. I would refrain, but the view out of the window is a nice touch. Hope other people have a better experience. I paid 7 dollars with a tip for a just okay latte. I think my expectations were too high

A line up for a coffee shop? I should have walked away but so glad that we didn't. Oatmeal cookie latte? Strange but it was frigging amazing. It had a hint of sweetness but the flavours were amazing and even thought it was 28 degrees I finished the latte. Typically I never can finish a full 12oz but it went down so easy. Also blueberry muffin and blueberry rose scone was so tasty. The service was slow but for the quality of the food and beverage it was worth the wait. Staff was super friendly and helpful so service was top notch.

Decided to do a half of my wfh day here because of all the positive reviews. The people working there were very nice. I ordered a drip coffee and couldn't say no to the delicious display of donuts when I found out they were from Do-Rite. The place gives neighborhood vibes where it seems like folks come there to meet up for lunch or work meetings or even just a quick coffee break with co workers. Looking forward to coming back in the near future!

Backlot Coffee is a hidden gem in Evanston! It has been a while since we've been back as we moved further north for a period of time. The last time we were here, Backlot has just opened and now it has grown to be bigger and better than before! When you first walk in and you see all of the merchandise they have for sale with their branding. The sweaters are super soft and are extremely size inclusive. They carried up to a 3xl! For beverages, we tried the Cardamum Rose Latte and the Lavender Matcha Latte. Both of which were absolutely delicious! The creaminess and the pairing of flavors of the lattes made each sip better and better! When ordering coffee, you can doctor up your coffee by adding syrup and cream at the station. Backlot is a great place to meet up with friends, clients, or event if you just want a different scenery to get some work done.

My new addiction! The service, the ambiance, and the coffee is always delicious. The guy who takes my order is always the sweetest, not sure if he's the owner but amazing customer service each time! Definitely one of my top places to get coffees in the area. The patio is small and quaint which makes it perfect to sip and read.

Good coffee, excellent service, great value, great ambiance, great pastries. However, the bagels are downright antisemitic. I know this isn't strictly a bagel spot, but if an incorrectly named "New York Bagel" is the first item on the menu, you can't get away with serving skinny, stale, misshapen crust loops like this. I highly recommend Backlot Coffee for everything except bagels. You'd have better luck at Panera, which is a heinous thing to say and I'm already sorry I wrote it

Finally got a chance to work here while enjoying their coffee and food, and have to say, it's a great spot. The wifi is fast and reliable, as long as you can keep your concentration on what you're doing, this place is great. There are many distractions around - many people getting together to connect/chat, the whirring of the coffee machine, wafts of the bathroom's (clean) scent, soft music playing in the background, but if you're able to focus, this is a great spot to work/study/read. People are friendly, there are a couple communal tables. Just don't forget to keep buying items the longer you stay there! Their empanadas and sandwiches are amazing, especially their Monty (their tomato jam - wow), and they've got a solid selection of sweets too. $3 for a giant chocolate chunk cookie, not bad! Their kitchen does close at noon though, so keep that in mind. They do have some refrigerated items in their small fridge including burritos, quiche, that you could buy if you're feeling peckish, and want something other than baked goods.

Best gluten free donut I have had in the 9 years I have been gluten free. A little crispy on the outside but super soft on the inside. Also had the gluten free bread with a breakfast sandwich which was also quite tasty. Coffee was good too! Another morning I had a gf cinnamon roll which was decent.

Super friendly baristas. I've always felt welcomed visiting here. Backlot is my favorite coffee shop in the Evanston area. There's a lot of seating but on saturdays it does get quite packed with students and community members chatting or studying here. I love that there's lots of plants around the coffee shop and window seating to people watch. The coffee is top notch quality. I really liked the flat white I got here.

I'm not being dramatic when I say Backlot is my favorite cafe ever! Not only are the coffee and food phenomenal, but the workers are also extremely friendly. I would come here everyday if I could. My go-to orders are the overnight oats (I think about these daily) and the Herbie sandwich, but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I even get their surprise bags through Too Good To Go because I trust everything they make!

Got the breakfast chorizo burrito and a coffee, both good quality. Great atmosphere, owners seemed very friendly with both new customers and regulars. Could tell the community and neighborhood appreciated the business.

Super friendly service and great coffee. Also a wonderful baked goods selection!!! A wonderful part of Central Street.

Backlot has been my favorite and definite "go to" cafe since being in Evanston. Right now they are indeed open for walk through and take out! Parking is very quick as there aren't many people parked in the front. I got a Matcha Latte. On the menu, they have it listed as "Lavender Matcha" but if you don't want the lavender part, you can order vanilla, honey, simple syrup or no sweetener. They also have my favorite non-dairy sweetener, Oat-ly Oat Milk! It's hands down the best oat milk I've had. It does NOT taste like leftover soggy oatmeal water. It tastes delicious and creamy. I also got some banana bread. Mmm.

This cozy coffee shop was just what I needed today. Friendly service. Comfortable atmosphere. Great coffee. They require masks and if you're dining in you have to show a vaccination card. That made me feel comfortable sitting and eating here as I wait to pick up my relative after surgery at Evanston Hospital. I took one star off because even though the avocado toast was delicious, the soft-boiled egg on it was cold, as in refrigerated cold, which was a little weird. That would not stop me from coming back. Delightful place.

Amazing cafe and empanadas plus the apple juice to die for lol Cool vibes. Customer service is great too.

service was fast and easy, it's a general coffee shop and i appreciate its cleanliness and quick service to customers

Came here during a trip to Evanston. Loved so much I came 2x during my 4 day stay! I tried the plain latte the first day, and it was solid. Flavorful and not too bitter. Tasted my friend's rose cardamom latte, which reminded me of my travels and eats in the Middle East. This one is awesome! On my 2nd visit, I went for the maple latter, which is made with real maple syrup. This one was fantastic as well. Their oatmeal cookie latte is oat milk with honey and cinnamon, and that's next on my list! There is plenty of seating and cute little cushions to make your stay more comfortable. Great place to study/work or mingle. Service was friendly and fast. Tried their empanada - highly recommend as well.

Great coffee and treats. Love my oat milk lattes. They have great treats also Definitely recommend

This morning, 12/20, I had a very disappointing experience at this coffee shop. I arrived with my friend at approx: 7.20am, and she was asked what she would like to order by a middle aged? Asian man. She was a little confused as to which breakfast sandwich she wanted, and she was subjected to his impatient attitude, which he added to by slapping down a laminated menu and telling her to get back to him when she had made up her mind! WE WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE IN LINE! Our orders arrived lukewarm and soggy, without plates despite our request to eat them in house. This was a most unsatisfactory experience and we will not return. We are longtime Evanston and Wilmette residents and expect to be treated with courtesy and respect, not rudeness. Shame on the person who took our order. There are other coffee shops offering better choices.

All I wanted was decaf coffee. The word "coffee" is right there in their name--it didn't seem like a big ask. So I placed my order: two 16-oz decaf coffees. The barista read it back to me, so I thought all was well. Even with six people behind the counter, it took ten minutes to get my simple order--or rather *an* order. They handed me two decaf lattes with dairy milk, which my wife and I can't drink. When I pointed out the error, they quickly replaced it--which took only 90 seconds, about what I'd initially expected. The coffees were tepid. Because I paid cash, I didn't get a receipt, so I might have paid for the more expensive lattes. I'm giving two stars because the pastry selection was large, diverse, and appealing, and the overall vibe was good.

Love this place! Lavender Matcha is amazing and can't get enough of the breakfast sandwiches! Monty and Herbie are my faves

The BEST iced black tea. The service and selection of drinks/snacks is also great. They have ample study/sitting place and nice, warm lighting with good, upbeat background music. Lots of tables, a large communal table, bar-like seating and a whole area of just open seating. There's also lots of outlets near every seating area and free WiFi! I love it here. It's just the right distance from school that it's not overly crowded with college students but still close enough that I could ride my bike here or take the CTA.

Love love love this spot!! Hands down the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. Adorable little neighborhood spot!