Cafe Integral at Freehand Chicago
| Address: | 19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA |
| Phone: | +1 312-940-3699 |
| Site: | thefreehand.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 24
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Rick Lupert
Cafe Integral was our choice for breakfast on one of two mornings we spent in Chicago. We were overall disappointed. It starts with the menu. If you’re a person with a special diet of any kind (vegetarian, gluten free), or maybe just someone who checks out restaurant menus to help make a choice about where to go, then you rely on online menus being up to date. (Putting aside for the moment restaurants whose menus change frequently or who at least bother to state the menu online is just a sample of what they offer.) Cafe Integral’s menu in person was different than what appeared online…the main difference being fewer choices. When asked about this, the staff informed us they recently had “scaled back” their menu. Okay, so please also scale it back online so we can make an informed choice about whether to give you a shot. I had the Pour Over coffee (as any good brunch loving citizen of the morning should.) It wasn’t bad but would have liked it bolder rather than smoother. I also ordered the Breakfast sandwich without meat. (You have a choice of sourdough or bagel…I picked sourdough. For vegetarians avocado is an option instead of meat which is nice. (Except I don’t really like avocado that much so I opted to not have it. The 2-year cheddar it comes with is cooked in with the eggs which unfortunately had the effect of it not being noticeable visually or by taste. I had to ask the server if they had forgotten the cheese because it was really a non-presence. Also, the omelet eggs were over fried My wife liked the sunny side eggs and greens she ordered. (Assembled from the “Sides & Extras” Menu.) She thought it was perfectly fine but nothing amazing. We would have loved to try the Yucca Hash that was listed on the online menu and looked pretty amazing by description, but was, unfortunately a victim of the “scaling back” of their menu. Our impression of the staff also wasn’t so great…not a particularly friendly bunch. The first person we encountered when we walked in told us in a kind of not-so-happy-to-see-us manner that we should order then sit. Later the person who brought our food seemed visibly inconvenienced by the lack of space on the table where she had to put our order. She also seemed like I was interrupting her when I later asked where the bathroom was. It just seems basic that staff at service oriented businesses should go out of their way to be friendly and welcoming…especially in the morning when your interactions with other human beings can set the tone for your whole day. Overall all of our experience here was disappointing.
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Niq Howard
Very cool space. The inside is a little dark, and no outdoor seating that I saw. There arent any seats, minus the one at the coffee bar that I found with a window nearby. This is the perfect place to disappear into the dark with a great cup of coffee and get some work done. The coffee side of the cafe serves strictly Nicaraguan, single origin stuff and they do it well. I got the pour over and the carafe carried the theme over, which is always a good sign for quality. Every assembly of coffee drink is done critically and well here. I highly recommend for a good quality coffee drink and very comfortable place to study or get work done. Plenty of nooks and corners of seating.
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Danial Stalcup
This place needs a Google review! Third wave coffee. Cappuccino was top notch and comparable to the best I find in San Francisco. I had the egg, ham, and aged cheddar sandwich. Not what I expected but I like different. Unfortunately it didnt excite me much. I think it would be better on baguette. Atmosphere is chill, dark and cozy. Music at a solid volume but not annoying. Staff was cool. Has a large communal table where laptops could fit but the rest of the space is made for chilling out and socializing - like a lounge
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Dylan KW
Great coffee and delicious food. Not the best service unfortunately. I ordered at the same time as my friends and waited an extra 20 minutes for my meal. I was not given cutlery or a napkin either. They even took the number sign from our table, meaning they must have forgotten my order but still refused to say anything of the sort. By the time my food arrived my friends had long finished (I couldnt let them wait and eat it cold).
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Jonathan Brief
This is a lovely place to have coffee... terrible, terrible coffee. I drink espresso, and Café Integral offers a choice of two. I normally go for the slightly more pricey one as I figure its better. Today they were out of it and I tried their normal one which was quite possibly the worst coffee Ive ever tasted. The place is an absolutely gorgeous place to drink coffee but that simply cant make up for what I was served today.
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Sangmin Chang
Great ambience and great coffee. I got a flat white and it was one of the better ones Ive had. Good work guys. 독특한 분위기와 맛있는 커피를 즐기고 싶다면 여기로 오세요!
JU
Justis James
An aesthetically appealing atmosphere with a wonderful seating area. Freehand is a great place all around, but Integral sells strictly Nicaraguan coffees, making it one of the most unique and honed in coffee shops in Chicago. Try the chia seed pudding.
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Noreen Wauford
We stopped in for breakfast and lingered an hour on the comfy couches. Beautiful presentation of drinks and plates. Theres more than coffees and pastries-- check the menu for items like delicious baked eggs (we substituted avocado for toast).
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Manon Blackman
Best avocado toast Ive ever eaten. Delicious Nicaraguan coffee (even just their filter coffee) with gorgeous aesthetic. Lighting is dim, which might be hard for work, but it is a cozy space and the atmosphere is wonderful. Will be returning!
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Colby Grabill
Underwhelming. Coffee was served burnt with a several day old croissant. The barista was also not very pleasant, giving me a dirty spoon when I asked for one for my coffee. No reason to visit or go back.
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Amit Mehta
The coffee first of all tasted terrible and burnt. I had drank half cup only to realize there was a lipstick stain on the cup (and I am a guy) and I could wipe it off with my fingers. Shame on you guys!
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Khalil
Staff was friendly and the coffee was great. Vegan and vegetarian pastries were available. Was in walking distance from my hotel and many others as it has a pretty central location
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Uwe Haken
Excellent espresso and americano - the food was delicious - we enjoyed the atmosphere, the background music, and the friendly staff. Will come back on our next visit to Chicago
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Mohammed Alrabiah
The coffee is excellent I definitely recommend this place. I would only wish the place stayed open a little longer
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Derrick DeBenedetto
Great chill atmosphere and nice staff. Lighting is not too soft or too bright. Good music and decent coffee.
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Javier Vargas
Great coffee and great food... might have waited a little longer than expected but it was still worth going.
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Matt Bishop
Delightful atmosphere, great coffee, served with a smile even tho it was a morning rush.
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Greg Nirshberg
Super chill cafe. Comfy seating. Mood lighting. Cool architecture. Coffees good too!
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Christopher Schaeffer
Very good coffee and an Ok egg sandwich. A welcome breakfast option at the Freehand.
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Nikhil Sudan
Spacious and comfortable seating with coffee and pastries delivered to the table.
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風戸正行
very cozy place with nice coffee at reasonable price... should be more popular
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Erik Nye
Adorable "for here" coffee service. The shakshouka with avocado is super legit.
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Taylor Sparrow
Really high quality coffee & a really comfortable & relaxed setting...
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David Wodrich
Best latte in Chicago! Smooth, rich, full bodied flavor profile.
