Reviews of Big Shoulders Coffee (Coffee Shop)

Kyle Giannone

Big Shoulders doesn't quite have the name or reputation of some of the other local roasters but it is, in all honesty, one of my top 3 coffee roasters. The price is right to as it is a little (to a lot) cheaper than many places I would consider their competition. They also make some fantastic lattes if you are into that too. Also, they legit make the best cold brew I've every had. I could drink a gallon of it every day (and some days I feel like I need to). I used to live right next to this place and leaving it behind was one of the worst parts about moving to anew neighbourhood.

Joy Green

i wanted to post a food pic but it looked so good i couldn't stop. nothing but great experiences here. it has a nice atmosphere. not close to my job, i wish it was.

Jon Finnell

Conveniently located on the way to the Chicago Blue Line stop, it has quickly become one of my favorite coffee shops. Everyone is very friendly and I believe the coffee is made by magical elves with an ancient recipe that has been passed down for generations.

Paul Forbing

Friendly staff and an inviting atmosphere. They have excellent wifi here. Being on a busy intersection next to the train stop its a good place for people watching. They also have a transit board in the shop which I do not see very many places. It gives you the time for the bus lines running through and the blue line train. This is very much your stereotypical big city feeling coffee shop.

Alex G

Great coffee, decent vibe and setting, slow internet, decent service; needs better selection of pastries... everything seems glazed and donutlike - nothing savory and no classics like croissants. Appreciate getting the drink when I buy a bag of coffee :).

zane gholson

Very friendly, great prices, great food and coffee

Adam Napier

After having their coffee a number of times and continuing to order off their online store, I would say that this is the best coffee in Chicago. I have grown to like coffee based on this companies excellence and so far nothing I have had in Chicago even compares. Keep it up BSC!

Tyler Devan

Really nice coffee shop with a great selection of Do-Rite donuts. Coffee itself was good and the service was great as well. Location is very convenient to the blue line and they have a nice transit tracker so you don't miss your bus or train. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because they didn't have coconut milk.

Mike Kay

Great coffee and service. Went back for a second and 3rd coffee the next day. Also, if you but a bag of coffee, you get a free drink!

gene Hernandez

#goodcoffee

Derek Venhuizen

Everything is great except for the wifi

Delbert Simmons

A very good place for a great cup of coffee or tea with family and friends

Alisha Gonzalez

I kinda had the same problem as the other reviewers on here with the machines But I managed so I’m OK with it the coffee was great and fresh obviously and I love the music in the background I like the location it’s a great spot and the place had a great vibe to it this is the place I usually meet my friend when we are ready to hit the road a great greet and meet

Bridget Gunden

GREAT design, staff, and of course, COFFEE! I love the unpretentious vibe that comes from this place. Being that their coffee is what it is, they could easily slump to snobville. But, the staff are honestly all just really great people. They all seem to WANT to be there, which is refreshing from so many other coffee houses with drones who basically get your order for you while refraining from escaping their misery out the back door. Can't beat the homemade chai either!

omega blessed up Smith

Nice place

Aaron Pfauth

I visited this location at around 9 AM on a Sunday morning, and was surprised at how empty it was. I really liked the layout of the building, very modern/industrial. The coffee itself was enjoyable, and was made pretty quickly.

Patrick Volker

Best coffee in the city, now serving Do-Rite Donuts. Unbeatable combo, with the added bonus of very friendly baristas, a great location, and a cool modern interior. My favorite!

Mark C

This is how Coffee places are meant to be. Great coffee, relaxed 'baristas', no shouting out orders. Public transport. Blue Line, Chicago Stop. 66Bus many others One of a kind (sort of, there are 2 or 3 others in the City)

Gear Mo

Definitely good coffee. I been going there less because of their slow internet. More like snail slow. Even if you are the only one there. If the internet was fast, it definitely would make it a five star brewhouse.

Scott Kahle

Super strong coffee when you need an extra kick.

Joseph Smyly

If you want REAL Coffee This is the place. Real Bean Bro!!! However You like it. They'll even Roast your beans, can't go wrong here. The Owner travels the world to bring you the best of the best.... #TruStory

Rob Anderson

Try the marshmallow latte with an old fashioned donut.

Tina Kotrych

Americano was a little too watered down but overall super tasty with great baked goods. Love that the espresso my friend ordered came with a little cookie. I will be back!

Brandon Malm

I go here almost every morning before work. As a disclaimer, I've literally only had their drip coffee. It is very affordable (bring your own vessel!) and tastes great. Great location, staff is nice, drip is nice, can't really ask for a smoother transaction.

Sarah Koupal

Nicely designed open space with a lot of natural light. I got the marshmallow latte - so delicious!

Joe Roznai

Great coffee selection, all fresh brewed to order. Helpful staff

Jason Forehand

I like the fact that Big Shoulders roasts their own coffee in-house. The owner is super friendly, and is my new regular stop.

Tomislav S. Mitic

Good coffee place if the blue line at Chicago and Ogden

Eti Khang

Lovely coffee. With great atmosphere. Perfect to sit down and get some work done. Very friendly staff. Will come back.

Joel Lopez

Best way to start a productive day. Love the iced latte with regular milk and almond flavor.

Faisal A

Good coffee options.

Jennifer Altman

one of the best coffees in the city, cold brew ice coffee

Richard Gengler

Best coffee in town! Very comfortable to hang out, and the service is top notch. It's my go to place whenever I'm anywhere near downtown.

Sebastian Krupa

This place is adorable!!! It's just a little counter with some mighty good coffee! I encourage you to try their specials of the day. I've tried a lavender mocha and a regular cappuccino. The mocha was a tad too sweet, but that's a common problem for me. Remember that this place is CASH ONLY!!!! I noticed the signs after the barista started my order, and she let me come back with cash when I got to it. It's lovely to encounter the honor system in the heart of a city!

Lexie Rodriguez

Their pastries are delicious

Tiffany Crump

Big Shoulders at Midway airport tastes like burnt coffee. Terrible.

Robert Statton

Great coffee and latte. Very friendly staff. Decor could be improved....pics are strange. Brown dirty ocean? Would recommend.

Jason Mlady

Friendly and helpful staff. Also, one more thing... MARSHMALLOWS!

Kara Delisle

Best cafe con horchata EVER!

Matthew Guralsky

I work a job with some rough early morning hours, but I consistently wake up ten minutes earlier just so I have time to grab a coffee from Big Shoulders. I don't know what kind of sorcery they use to brew their drip coffee but it is the best I've had in the city. In fact, I've only really had their drip coffee. I can only imagine that everything on the menu is great as well. I recently lost my debit card, but I still made the choice to use the last two bucks in my pocket at Big Shoulders. Worth it. You're the best part of my day Big Shoulders! Stay Golden! I love you!

Ashley Zaucha

Coffee is delicious. Great people. :)

Mallery Ingmire

Big Shoulders offers amazing coffee without any attitude. Their menu is small, but the quality makes up for any lack of quantity. Try the marshmallow latte. When you buy their beans, they will grind them based on what type of machine you use and throw in a free drip coffee!

Michael Boyadjian

Just got a plain coffee. The fast drip was convenient. It's a little small inside, so be careful when moving around. The staff were friendly, too.

burrell poe

I love their coffee!

Marisa Marco

Strong coffee. Friendly workers. Awesome ice teas. Oh & smushy, soft cookies! Love this place. Love that's it's in my neighborhood & right by the Chicago Blue Line stop. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COFFEE SHOP! Word.

Oliver Green

Staff is always super friendly and coffee is good too.

Dalton Wood

Ordered the Kenya they had on pour over, very good. When 15 minutes before closing came around they asked everyone in the cafe if they wanted any of the pastries in the cabinet up front for free before they closed, very sweet!

Erin Graham

Absolutely delicious coffee at really affordable prices. Try the marshmallow latte for a little treat! You won't regret it! Their pastries are also delicious + they offer a nice variety of savor and sweet.

Tim M

This is possibly my favorite coffee shop in the city. Their hot and iced coffee is fantastic, have never had a bad bag of beans from there and service is great too.

George McFadden

So, this place is super cute and has great coffee and donuts!

Emma Tumminello

You should go to Big Shoulders. The drinks are excellent and the drip coffee is self-serve, making for an excellent accompaniment to the Do-Rite donuts they supply. The staff is helpful and kind. On top of all that, the building's humongous windows give a beautiful perspective on the expanse of Chicago. ♡ ... are you on your way yet?!

Roxann Paulson

Big shoulders usually means big attitudes but not this place. Laid back, relaxed, informative about their goods and a free cup of joe with your bean purchase. Unlike some other too big for their britches, Big Shoulders has good, unpretentious beans!

Paul Razgaitis

Great coffee, vibes, and service. Thumbs up all around

Sarah Easterling

They were on Ritual for a bit which helped for grabbing coffee before getting on the train/bus, but recently stopped taking Ritual orders before 10:00a? Sorry, commuters? Otherwise, great coffee and friendly staff.

Leo Krasnov

Good location, next to Chicago blue line. I had their cappuccino, very good. They have WiFi and a decent amount of seating for a small coffee shop

Dan Fisher

Personal favorite for people watching

Connor Heckler

This place is a great cafe to come, enjoy some delicious coffee, and relax or get some work done. Great, low key atmosphere. Staff are very kind and respectful, no one rolled their eyes when I asked for a Chemex or a Kalita Wave. One of my favourite coffee spots.

Jeff Mota

Best coffee house in River West. Plus they carry fancy donuts now too!

Ty

Phenomenal Coffee. Very friendly staff. If only it was closer to where i live.

Pete Bekos

Pretty decent coffee

Valerie Vaughan

I look forward to getting my coffee here. Their staff is wonderful and the coffee i just love. I highly recommend Big Shoulders!

Mike Manley

Best coffee in Chicago. Great people gather here. Great people run the place! Tim Coonan is the owner, and he really knows coffee!

Matt zebroski

REALLY good coffee.

Dana Simpson

Fast service but it comes at a cost. I was the only customer in line and they mixed up my order. Guessing the barista heard "whole" instead of "oat" milk though I was still charged the extra $.75 for oatmilk. I didn't take a sip until I was on the road... 20 minutes later my stomach is rumbling and I destroy a bathroom. I didn't taste the whole milk because the latte was spiced with chayenne, honey, and tumeric. Lactose intolerant people: TRIPLE check they use milk-alternatives or you'll pay the price in more ways than one. Tasty beverage was not worth the pain.

Scarlett Chicago

Clean, good coffee!

Max Cohen

Great coffee

Sarah Zurcher

Great neighborhood latte spot.

John Halbert

Good coffee, friendly staff, terrible internet unfortunately.

Michael Jermann

Chill environment with outstanding drip coffee and super friendly employees.

Victor Santos

They roast tgeir Geisha coffee too dark. Btw, does not at all taste like a Geisha.

Parth Patel

Horchata Latte. Nuf said

K Begs

I was hoping for a better experience after seeing 4.5 stars on Google. The kegs weren't pouring properly which greatly affected my experience and review. Price was reasonable and cashier was nice. Coffee was nothing special.

Alex Bowman

The staff here is great. You can tell that whoever is in charge of hiring cares about hiring good people above anything else. I want to be friends with every single person I interact with here and we always have a good conversation. Oh yeah the coffee is great too!

Daniel Martin

Time and time again has this coffee shop outshined every other I've been to. Whenever I get a coffee, I'm always offered a small glass of water to go with it. I didn't have to ask for it. 2 kudos from me.

branden mcleod

Great coffee, atmosphere, and customer service

Ashley Powers

Best. Coffee. In. The. City.

Nataliia Babiak

simple and tasty

Jason Mok

Great espresso.

Erik Skurka

Some of the best coffee in Chicago. Thank you for not jacking the price of drip coffee to over $3 like most indi shops around town. Love the place but y’all should upgrade your WiFi speed and hardware

Walker Llewellyn

All of the staff had abnormally large shoulders...Chemex and iced coffee was good

Austin Monroe

Delicious coffee and espresso.

Anthony Nardini

Great coffee

Crystal Hendricks-Kretzer

One of our fave stops for coffee. They have your traditional coffee shop offerings, but the quality if their coffee is a step above the rest.

Sara Taylor

Best cup of coffee in the neighborhood by far, and a helluva cool staff

Andrew Davis

Kinda weak coffee

Craig Bender

Tasty latte. Nice staff

Raminta K

Smooth coffee and great service!

Mark Kim

Good coffee, good pastries.

matthew gilboy

Definitely a favorite stop-off before/after riding the Blue Line, especially on cold winter days when I want a pause before getting on a crowded #66. They have good coffee that is less acidic than the majority of Chicago coffee. They roast their own beans (no longer on-site), have very pleasant staff, good wifi, and a comfortable atmosphere.

David Schwartz

An average coffee shop. Would go again, but for convenience rather than being drawn there

Wayne Hoffman

I love this place!

Peter Medlock

Great Iced Coffee! Take the whole family, but don't think its a destination visit.

Tim McCoy

The coffee is muddy and overpriced. The atmosphere is just a bit too stuffy and pretentious.

Nisah Cheatham

Solid coffee, though there is one roast that just seems average.

Eben Via

Cute place, but wifi was spotty and that's mostly what I look for in a coffee shop

Weston T

Good coffee and a great staff. It's nice being able to get coffee right before I get in the train.

Nathan Love

Very relaxed environment with great coffee. Preferred over Starbucks and Dunkin.

Arvind Narayan

Slightly disappointing. Cold brew tastes like it was made using spent grounds from a pour over.

Tahsin Khan

Excellent marshmallow latte. Great customer service. Very nice sit down place to chill and do work.

prashanth murugan

Good service but not a great menu

Jeremy Watt

Great place, awesome coffee.

Rachel Fry

Exceptionally great coffee. Perfect stop for commuters.

Paul Ferrara

Great atmosphere, fantastic coffee, wonderful staff, and the nicest owner with an obvious passion for coffee and community.

David Ingmire

Big Shoulders has zero pretentiousness, great coffee, and a few unique treats to boot. The staff and owner are so incredibly friendly. The space is so unique with the big glass windows looking out at Milwaukee/Chicago/Ogden. My wife and I love to buy the ground beans directly from them here but from time to time enjoy a Marshmallow latte. Just wish they had a little more table seating than the one table they have now.

Eugene Sanchez

the perfect cup of coffee and great price

Laura Zabinski

Love the atmosphere of this place. Warm and cozy, with staff that go above and beyond. Highly recommend a V60 or a capuccino!

Rich Jacobs

Maybe the best nitro cold brew I've ever had. Super creamy and full bodied. Felt like i was drinking a Guinness coffee. The espresso was incredible as well. Not bitter, rich in flavor hitting chocolate and raspberry. I will be back!

TK Street

Cool place. They make a pretty good almond milk latte. And it's right next to the Blue Line. They even have a screen showing departure times for nearby lines. Very cool.

Tae-Yun Lee

아파텔 앞에 있어서 갔는데 핵좋음. 종업원도 친절하시다. 와이파이도 잘 되고. 아메리카를 느끼게 해주는 자유로운 여성분도 인상적. 미쿡사람이 한국보다 더 노골적으로 쳐다보더라. 눈이란 목 빠지시는 줄.

Tracy Mitchell

Great custom crafted coffee drinks and lovely teas.

Ryan Meyers

Big Shoulders is a gem in the River West neighborhood! Excellent espresso, friendly staff, and lively environment. The wi-fi network is very reliable!

Jeremy m

Great coffee. Cute place.

Glenn Garnaut

If you love #melbournecoffee, you'll love Big Shoulders. And they can do an outstanding flat white!!!

Jay McGuire

Had the Ethiopian great cup!

Bulmaro Damaso

A great place for a cup of Coffee I try their house pour and it was phenomenal. They carry muffins and other bites

Markus McGee

My weekend go-to

Daniel Evans

One time they did a special method for a cold brew and told me all about it. Another time they were just really friendly. That cold brew gets me every time as I have become a fan of black coffee ice.

Andrew Freeman

A friendly coffee shop to relax in the morning with plenty of natural light . Convenient located near CTA trains and buses.

Vonnie Jeffers

We arrived on a peaceful Sunday morning and was greated with the nicest lady. She gladly took our orders and delivered the most wonderful macchiato's. We chose our seats by the window enjoyed watching the Chicago world go by. THANK YOU for an awesome experience.

George Colley

Very nice little coffee shop. Great staff.

Mikolaj Gozdalski

Cozy place at a convinient location with good snacks and coffee.

Heather

My first time here. Cute little place with a big communal table and some individual seats by the window. Bought a vanilla soy latte, and it was delicious. Full of flavor. Will be back

Malik Johnson

I never ate any food, but they let me sit with my brother for about an hour!

Chrystal Caruthers

D'Angelo crooning on the stereo surround speakers, moist carrot cake with crystallized ginger embedded in the creamy buttercream icing, and a perfectly made latte. Delicious! I will be back .

Vincent Meli

How much can you say about a nice cup of coffee and a donut? Visiting Chicago our friends brought us here. A mocha that was just right and hit the spot. Not to take any shine away from the coffee, but the glazed donut was just perfection. Pillowy soft, not too sweet. Great way to start our day.

Ben Pavlich

The espresso is great but the service was a little pretentious

Kevin Behrens

One of the BEST coffee shops I've visited. Excellent REAL coffee, view of the city, ambient uplifting music, and a super friendly staff. Get a cup of coffee and an Apple Fritter too. Amazingly good according to my mother, I got one to go too. I highly recommend "Big Shoulders Coffee"!

Veronica Rogala

Great location. great atmosphere, great service. I have not tried the coffee - only the tea, Chamomile Mint - also great!

Juan Bonfante

Great coffee and pastries

Jim Schultz

Nice non-corporate coffee shop.

David Sager

The Marshmallow latte is a unique and sweet experience that you do not want to miss if you go to Big Shoulders.

Gabrielle Earley

Super hipster! Great service! Didn't order anything though.

Cristian Hernández

Captive view and staff in the multiple intersection of streets and CTA ( train,/bus) stations. The amazing window can show how is the neighborhood. Music of my favorite tunes. Cold chocolate with almond was so fresh and tasty. The pieces of art ate diverse and nicely picked. Recommended it.

Kamilah Jackson

The price board is misleading. If they change the prices, they should change the board. The horchata latte was exotic tasting. Coffee seriuosly enchances flavor of horchata. Not bad.

Jordan Skowronski

Love their beans

Korey Martin

I feel really comfortable here. It's busy enough to feel stimulating but calm enough to focus on what I'm doing or meet up with a friend. The atmosphere is extremely casual at no expense of the quality of the place whatsoever. It is seems to have a large number of regulars who so add to the general welcoming feel of the place. It's nice. Highly recommend it. I sit at the bar and make light chat with the baristas and read and doodle. Their baristas are also really laid back and pleasant. Cool place all around.

magic man

Great coffee.