Dark Matter Coffee
| Address: | 738 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60612, USA |
| Phone: | +1 773-697-8472 |
| Site: | darkmattercoffee.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 6AM–6PM 6AM–6PM 6AM–6PM 6AM–6PM 6AM–6PM 6AM–6PM 6AM–6PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
ER
Erika Pfleger
Best cup of coffee in my life! i was having a crappy day, had never been, and was around the corner. the cappuccino i was handed was a thing of beauty--artistically foamed, deeply aromatic. i almost started crying before i even tasted the coffee. And with that first sip nothing else mattered. i think i actually giggled. The folks behind the counter were so friendly and amazingly versed in coffee knowledge and flavor descriptors. They had some really cool music jamming in the background, tons of copper roasting machinery in the back room, and photos of coffee and farms in El Salvador (I think) that really capture the imagination, and made me think for the first time that coffee is more than just a caffeine delivery system. This coffee is art, religion, all of that. ill never go anywhere else. I left with a pound of Unicorns Blood, which im enjoying at home right now. going in later for another cappuccino!
WI
Will Muckian
Not necessarily a regular coffee drinker, but I had been told by a number of coffee fanatics that Dark Matter was just about the best place I could go for a cup. Foolish and inexperienced, I walked into the shop on an empty stomach and gulped down a Red Eye — the stores coffee with an espresso shot. The taste was solid (again, my lack of regular coffee drinking means that I was unable to detect any artistry in the brewing) and I only burned my tongue once, but a few hours later, my stomach had made its displeasure clear. From 8pm to 12:15am, I was in massive pain. After water and a few hour-long sessions with my head precariously draped over a toilet bowl, I recovered. I will be going back to Dark Matter soon, though with a new wealth of experience and a stomach full of food, to enjoy this wonderful concoction again.
MO
Monica Kumar
I took a tour of Dark Matter Coffee roasting facility which opened a year ago. Awesome place to learn about coffee, owner and staffs are friendly and very knowledgeable! The exterior building is covered in cool mural artwork and including the inside half of the facility is covered with a submarine mural art with the coffee roasting machine blend with the art. They get the coffee from all over the world! So we had a tasting of strong El Salvador coffee after watching how they process the green coffee beans. Overall a fantastic experience and definitely worth checking out! There is a Star Lounge that offers the Dark Matter Coffee. Burnt orange walls with long wooden bar.
BR
Brooke Hutchison
This is a chill coffee spot that is great for commuters on the go, or "coffee snobs" who want to chat up the baristas about how they roast their coffee - yes they roast it there, and its amazing. They have a good philosophy, too, which the baristas are happy to tell you about, but if you dont want to hear it, they dont impose it on you (which is nice). I have had a few different blends there (which I loved), and appreciated the knowledge the baristas had about the coffee ahead of time, allowing me to choose a blend that I knew Id like... but really, at this place, I cant imagine Id encounter a bad blend. Check them out!
AI
Aidan McNichols
Dark Matter is awesome. Between their endlessly knowledgeable staff and their amazing coffee, they cant be beat. The atmosphere at the Mothership and at Star Lounge are both fantastic. Its exactly the kind of place that you can stop in quickly for a drink on the go or sit for hours with your laptop or a good book. Dont forget the baristas, who make incredible drinks and know anything you want to find out about their coffee. Dark Matter also works with amazing musicians (examples include Mastodon and RJD2, off the top of my head) to create blends that fit the artists style. It really doesnt get much cooler than this.
AM
Amy Ravit Korin
We came to the Dark Matter Coffee Roasting Facilities for a Saturday morning tour, and spent two hours learning all about their philosophy and process while sampling the different roasting and brewing methods along the way. We had beans from El Salvador and each method extracted slightly different flavor profiles. Besides learning a great deal about coffee from beans to brew, the Dark Matter crew was hospitable, passionate and make a great product. You can get Dark Matter coffee at numerous cafes around the city, but I recommend going to the Star Lounge which is their cafe.
PA
Paul Schmitz
This is probably THE BEST COFFEE Ive ever had. The Steampunk-ish Artistic Mothership isnt a sit-down shop, so youll want to get your joe on-the-run (they only have one type of coffee on tap at a time...but 100% WORTH IT) The manager, Kelly, was kind enough to give us a tour of how they roast the beans, their machinery, and methods. Shes a super-cool gal. The coffee was a light roast from El Salvador, with hints of orange and the dreams of puppies... I wish there was one where I lived...but the drive from downtown on a Sunday morn TOTALLY worth it.
GR
Grant Hansen
Absolutely loving and talented people roast and brew coffee here! For example I stopped in for ten minutes to on my way home to pick some "unicorn blood" and support my local business. When I met an employee just outside as I pulled up he sympathized with me about my car troubles that I was having and gave me a free bag of beans. I never write reviews but I had to say THANK YOU! Such an amazing crew of helpful and pleasant people to solve your coffee needs. Stop here, you will be pleased you did!
DA
Daniel Fogel
They call this location The Mothership and with good reason. It feels like the center of the coffee universe when you walk in. Big, warm smiles, and loud ass music greet you, as does the smell of coffee roasting. The source all their own coffee and if you want to grab a cup and go, you can do that, but if you want to talk coffee and learn about origin trips or just how your coffee is grown, nearly everyone there can tell you. BONUS TIP: they sell Dorite Donuts - get the old fashioned.
ME
Melissa Sanchez
I went here with a friend for their first tour of how they roasted their coffee. It was awesome! Great decor of the place - as they had someone handpaint inside & as well as outside. People were really nice and informative. They let us sample their coffee. It was really delicious!! Im not a big coffee person but i had no problems with it. It was fascinating how they let us see how the process was from beginning to end!
JO
John Piazza
One of my favorite coffeeshops in Chicago. Great music, friendly baristas, fun atmosphere, and of course, delicious coffee. Their specialty coffees are a nice treat--be sure to give them a try. They have a nice outdoor patio in the back, so if its a nice day, make sure you check it out. Really excellent design work throughout too--they must work with a good agency or have some talented designers on staff.
BI
Billy Phillips
Literally the best latte Ive never had in my life. And Ive had a lot of lattes. I had to pace myself so I didnt drink the whole thing in one gulp. Seriously so good. The outside is pretty nondescript but it definitely has a "dark" aesthetic inside. This is quick service place, no where to sit inside or out. Ill definitely be back for more lattes!! Keep it up Dark Matter.
DA
David Esposito
Good place to buy their roasted coffees and a good cup of joe. I didnt realize till entering the "mothership" as they call it that this original store is not a full service coffee shop, yet their other 2 locations that came came after are. So if picking between them, skip the mothership for one of their newer places for a more well rounded coffee house experience.
