Coffee, Lunch and free WIFI

I've been to THE GRIND on N. Lincoln, but was unimpressed with the sandwich I ordered.

Any other options with free access to the Internet, a good cup of coffee and a tasty lunch?

Is this too much to ask?

I'm playing hooky, so this is somewhat urgent, so it needs to be North and within city limits.

Thanks.

How about Intelligensia on Broadway? Their downtown spot has good sandwiches, the coffee is tough to beat and I THINK they have WIFI. I know that lingering is welcome.

3123 N. Broadway
773-348-8058

Well, you can get the coffe and wifi at the Map Room at Armitage and Hoyne, but no kitchen.

If I were playing hooky, a lunch at Irazu or Babylon then a short walk to settle in for coffee and wifi at the Map Room sounds like a nice day.

Best,
Michael / EC


Map Room
1949 N. Hoyne
773.252.7636
http://www.maproom.com/

Irazu
1865 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-252-5687

Babylon Eatery
2023 N. Damen Ave.
773-342-7482

My secret spot is Art Gallery Kafe on Milwaukee just south of Armitage and Western.

Polish soups and pierogi are homemade and WiFi is free with a coffee purchase.

1907 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-235-2351

Pierogi for lunch sounds just right.

Here's a link that shows free wifi by neighborhood.

http://chicago.wifimug.org/index.cgi?HomePage

^
not very complete. try http://chicagofreefi.com/ instead.

I've frequented Art Kafe a few times as well...

Let's not forget Alliance Bakery on division... free wifi, decent bread...

TonyC wrote:^
not very complete. try http://chicagofreefi.com/ instead.

I've frequented Art Kafe a few times as well...

Let's not forget Alliance Bakery on division... free wifi, decent bread...

Great link.

Was curious where the "Free Humboldt" network that I receive at home originated (the Humboldt Library).

Just thought I'd report on my experience at the Art Gallery Kafe.

Parking was a bit difficult. If you want to drive there I'd suggest parking north of Armitage on either Western or Milwaukee and walk back. I would assume that most that frequent the place walk. It's right off of the Western stop of the O'Hare Blue line.

If you don't mind smoke, you won't mind this place. The owner smokes and was the only one smoking. When I walked in, the door was propped open (this was Friday and it was cold and wet!), I'm pretty sure to air out the smoke. I requested to have it closed because it was 40 degrees in there!

I had a bowl of the sauerkraut soup, a cappuccino and a very large piece of chocolate, chocolate chip cake.

The soup was great. I can't eat a lot of sauerkraut, so I slurped the broth and it was so tasty, flavored with sausage and what appeared to be beef. I also slurped up some twig or bark, who knows what that was, perhaps a secret spice or something. It was a huge bowl.

The cappuccino was perfect. It did not require any sugar it was so smooth. I'm so used to a bitter cappuccino out, I avoid them mostly, but if I try, I almost always have to add sugar. Not here....perfect froth, too.

The chocolate cake was apparently brought in, but was tasty enough.

The lighting was quite dim, but the room was nicely decorated, comfortable and roomy.

It advertises, I believe, a coffee shop with a view. I'm not sure if they mean a view of Milwaukee Ave. because of the nice, large window, or because of the art work hanging inside.

I didn't try the pierogi. How are they anyway?

Here's a link from the Reader where you can see the menu.

http://www1.chicagoreader.com/cgi-bin/r ... /3025.html

There are also a couple of pics posted.

I'm a big fan of The Grind - but mostly for the free WIFI, friendly atmosphere and the great cupcakes (from Southport Bakery - best cupcakes period - not just in Chicago, best I've ever had anywhere, homemade included)

Intelligentsia while being possibly Chicago's best café for coffee drinks (and does have a great, if pricy, selection of sweets) is neither great for food or free wifi (no wifi at either location).

A recent favorite is Café Mud in Evanston (just west of the Foster purple line stop). Large, spacious room, free wifi, and if you ask they'll customize their sandwiches (I like asking for horseradish on the roast beef - pretty tasty, freshly made sandwich for a café).

Westgate on Madison in the West Loop is another good option for free wifi with okay food (nothing special but they do have a reasonably good selection of food options).

Argo Tea on Armitage and Sheffield has very good tea and coffee, free wifi, and quite tasty food options (best for the sweets). A little pricy and the space is tight - if well supplied with power outlets and a strong wifi signal.

Panera Bread, including the location on Diversey just east of Clark, is a good option for free wifi and decent if not great food (bread bowl soups can be tasty and the sweets too tempting...). Good to see a major chain strongly supporting free wifi as a competitive advantage. Though I do tend towards independent cafes, they are a good backup option at times.

Sweet Occasions (?) is a newer place just south of Clark on Sheffield. They serve Homer's Ice cream, make a great espresso, haven't tried their food yet but it is a nice, if smaller, space, across from the park and they have free WIFI - worth checking out and exploring further.

Art Gallery Café is a newer space on Division near Wood. It is an entire large storefront, next door to a good bakery - you buy your food and drink in the bakery and then go next door. Free WIFI though I've had problems with the signal not working in the past - lots of power outlets and a great physical space (two rooms, don't miss the back room which is thankfully where the smokers are leaving the large front room for the non-smokers.

On Grand near Ogden is Sip - which while small currently is in the midst of a VERY large expansion which will add space for approx. 100 people (I think - they are expanding back by building a very large expansion, including a new courtyard space, a lofted seating area and more - once complete they will be one of the cities largest cafes - and last I heard they plan on remaining mostly drinks and sweets - meaning you can walk down the street to Bari foods and get a sandwich to go - if it were just slightly easier for me to get to I could see it becoming my favorite café very quickly.

Hope this helps - lots of other great options in the Chicagoland area, thankfully many independent cafes seem to be opening and many seem to be surviving even in the face of Starbucks. I think Intelligentsia does Chicagoland a big favor by providing high quality coffee to a majority of the independent cafes around town - giving many of them a good step forward in providing a decent coffee (still need to prepare it well but starting with good beans definitely shows).

Shannon

Internet access costs 3 bucks an hour, but otherwise Letizia's natural Bakery on Division might do the trick. Pretty good panini's and very, very good homemade desserts. Sitting inside's not too pleasant, as it gets super busy, but the sidewalk tables in front and the large, pleasant patio in back are great when the weather permits.

Letizia's Natural Bakery
2144 W. Division St.
773-342-1011

Interesting topic!

I had brunch a couple of weeks ago at the new Kitsch'n at Chicago and the river (the old Montgomery Ward warehouse, or the Domain lofts as they are now known).

Food was not great, but that is based on one visit, coupled with my distaste for squash in a breakfast burrito.

Free wi-fi, (I believe that it is throughout the building), but not a very strong signal where I was sitting. Fine for emails and surfing though. And I was told that there was no problem lingering for a few hours (with free coffe refills!).

Does the original Kitsch'n in Roscoe Village have Wi-Fi?

Paul Tyksins wrote:My secret spot is Art Gallery Kafe on Milwaukee just south of Armitage and Western.

closed as of today. not sure of the exact shutdown date tho... off to Nada i go.

Artisan breads and decent lunchmeats at the Austrian Bakery on Clark, north of Fullerton. Stay for dessert. DO IT.

Austrian Bakery
2523 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (773) 244-9922
Fax: (773) 244 9929
www.austrianbakery.com

Man, I thought Sip was undergoing yet ANOTHER expansion when I read this thread! To only notice that it was a bump from a year+ ago!

Anyway, Argo Tea Cafe is another good choice, but they don't serve any food. There is one on Armitage and Sheffield, and a new location on Barry and Broadway.

The Argo Tea Cafe at Rush and Pearson has food: croissants, muffins, salads, sandwiches, yogurt & granola, etc. I've not tried any, but it looks okay.

Argo Tea
819 N. Rush
312-951-5302

TonyC wrote:^
not very complete. try http://chicagofreefi.com/ instead.

I've frequented Art Kafe a few times as well...

Let's not forget Alliance Bakery on division... free wifi, decent bread...

The link is dead.

Is there a new one?

There's a new branch of Cafe Bombon opening at the corner of Oak and Clark (where no previous coffeehouse has survived). And the Newberry across the street has free wi-fi.

Panther in the Den wrote:The link is dead.

Is there a new one?

http://anchorfree.com/free-wifi-Chicago ... is-USA.htm

same site. enjoy. i'm sitting @ Coffee Beanery on Damen which is NOT on the list...

If you are anywhere near Elston and California (near Kuma's and the "best hashbrowns" at Clara and James) visit the MoJoe's on Belmont. It's laid back and the coffee is good. I skip the food (uninspired and some brought in) and just enjoy the music, the relative quiet, and the free WiFi. Just a block or so away is Mr. Pollo for lunch or dinner. The half chicken meal is a steal and the sides are generous. I choose plaintains or tostones and black beans as the sides.

MoJoes on Belmont

Mr. Pollo Menu