Not all of us have the luxury of a cushy office with a coffee machine and all the other modern essentials. Enter the coffee shop, a safe haven for the work-from-home types, where the coffee is hot and the WiFi is free. Avoid nasty glares from Starbucks baristas by camping out at one of these 16 cafes.
Read More16 Cafes With WiFi as Strong as Coffee, 2017 Edition
Go ahead, stay a while
3 Greens Market
Cheeseburgers, pastrami sandwiches and a mile-long (not really) salad bar are under one roof at the latest Brendan Sodikoff concept. It also features a full coffee bar servicing a massive lounge and game room, with overstuffed couches and communal tables.
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Asado Coffee Co
With four locations to choose from (the Irving Park original in addition to West Town, River North and Loop cafes), a freshly roasted cup of coffee is never far away. This roaster specializes in direct trade green coffee for its Bourbon, Peaberry, and Especiales blend.
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Baker Miller
Enjoy brunch with your coffee and free wifi. The flagship shop serves up lox sandwiches, grits and oatmeal all day in the cozy cafe. Don't miss out on the baked goods, from oversized peanut butter cookies to hand pies, with hot or nitro iced coffee.
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Bang Bang Pie Shop
Answer the call of pie at one of Chicago's favorite and coziest pie shops. Here, seasonal flavors such as apple and triple-berry come and go, while maple-bourbon pecan remains on the menu year round. Biscuits covered in avocado, sausage, or gravy satisfy those looking for a savory fix.
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Bourgeois Pig
This long-standing Lincoln Park favorite services DePaul students and beyond in a European-style cafe. Built into an old row house, a display case of pastries is the centerpiece of the first floor, while a fireplace surrounded by antique couches is on the second.
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C.C. Ferns
Straight out of the 1970s, this coffee shop has all of the comforts of your grandmother's basement. Mis-matched furniture, a vintage bar cart, and throwback travel posters fill the space that also offers boozy coffee drinks and Doughnut Vault donuts.
Caffe Streets
This no frills coffee shop serves up some serious Joe in the form of Metric Coffee pour-overs, Chemex and cortados (among other espresso beverages). Seating is spaced out among rows of high-top counters ideal for camping out solo with a laptop.
Café Integral
With its Nicaraguan coffee, vibrant tilled decor and overall laid back vibe, good luck getting any work done in this cool cafe. Located inside the Freehand Hotel and spilling into its communal lobby, kick back with a flat white and order of shakshuka.
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Dark Matter Coffee
這潮人聚集地,魚餌bike-toting,佛羅裏達州nnel-wearing sort with sustainably sourced coffee roasted around the corner. It's available in the bar or on the back patio via drip, pour-over, or one of the other creative coffee concoctions, such as the Agave Latte or Mayan Mocha.
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Dollop Coffee & Tea Co.
With a recently opened West Town cafe and bakeshop, Dollop is shaping up to be an unstoppable coffee empire. Grab a freshly made croissant and cup of Metropolis coffee at the Uptown original or one of the six other locations.
Filter
Filling up like a home-away-from home for Wicker Parkers, this large coffee shop is a go-to for the work remotely types. Seating among the tables and worn-in couches is often scarce, but coffee is not. In addition to java roasted on site, the cafe offers a full food menu from breakfast until dinner.
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Gaslight Coffee Roasters
With an equal emphasis on the design of the space as the coffee served inside it, the guys of Gaslight created a comfortable and cool coffee shop. Enjoy their freshly roasted brews under taxidermied animals with a side of avocado and tomato toast.
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Heritage Bicycles
Chicago's premiere (and only) destination for coffee and bikes is this airy Lakeview shop. SIp on Ethiopian single origin while getting your brakes checked. It also offers a variety of breakfast pastries, sandwiches, and baked goods from nearby Southport Grocery.
Reno
Start with a bagel with whipped feta schmear, transition into the quinoa salad, and end with a masala chai latte. It's easy to eat and drink the day away at this Logan Square spot where the WiFi is reliable and the food is delicious.
The Allis
The West Loop may be a hot spot for restaurants, but it's less saturated with WiFi-friendly coffee shops. The opening of Soho House created an oasis for creative types to congregate over Intelligentsia lattes and Matric cold brew.
The Wormhole Coffee
Proudly boasting the title of Chicago's only coffee shop with its own DeLorean, this hipster hangout is very laptop friendly. While you're there, grab a signature coffee and tea concoction, such as the The Chronic — juniper tea made with grapefruit peel, grapefruit juice, and tonic water reduction.
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