Any good coffee shops/roasters in Oak Park? (Chicago, St. Charles: apartment, house)

[Scheherezade]

I just moved to the village and have extinguished my emergency coffee beans. I guess I was a little spoiled when I lived in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis; there were about 8 excellent coffee shops (many with in house roasters) within a 10 block walk of my apartment. If I wanted Caribou or Starbucks, I would live in St. Charles.

Where do Oak Park residents go to get fresh-roasted whole beans?

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Scheherezade

I just moved to the village and have extinguished my emergency coffee beans. I guess I was a little spoiled when I lived in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis; there were about 8 excellent coffee shops (many with in house roasters) within a 10 block walk of my apartment. If I wanted Caribou or Starbucks, I would live in St. Charles.

Where do Oak Park residents go to get fresh-roasted whole beans?

I think Blue Max in Forest Park (Blue Max Coffee - Forest Park, IL) roasts their own beans. I'm sure there are a few others.

[kindrakindra]

Buzz Cafe may as well. Blue Max is a great option.

[Doglover5]

Blue Max.

[Hatchetman]

Oak Park could definitely use a decent coffee shop in the downtown area.

[chet everett]

Chicago ain't like Seattle and our suburbs are not like Minneapolis' Uptown. People here accept a pretty bland range of coffee. The few successful independant shops in Chicago's hipper areas have to pay far higher rents than spots in MN and I suspect the relatively light foot traffic even in walkable suburbs do not afford them the ability to compete with the well financed chains.

Mail order coffee is pretty popular among folks that have invested in top quality espresso machines but do not have access to a local source of interesting variatials.

I beleive there is a still a local coffee roaster operating in Libertyville which of course is too far to consider for an Oak Parker but there is some local interest. Perhaps if the OP and other neighbors could prevail above some of the roasters in Chicago to expand westward there could be some competition.

[Lookout Kid]

I disagree with half of Chet's assessment above. There has actually been a great deal of development in terms of Chicago coffee roasters in recent years, and a few are getting national attention, like Big Shoulders. The old stalwarts Intellgiensia and Metrolpolis still have the largest retail footprints outside of the big chains (both branded shops and independents), but neither one is found much outside of the city.

To Hatchetman, in the DTOP area you are pretty much stuck with Caribou and Starbucks. There used to be a sort or Euro bakery on Marion that had Illy, but they closed shop. Nothing great.

[oakparkdude]

Any thoughts about the quality of coffee at Sugar Fixe?

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

Any thoughts about the quality of coffee at Sugar Fixe?

Too new for me. My DTOP knowledge is easily dated by two years.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Too new for me. My DTOP knowledge is easily dated by two years.

They serve Julius Meinl coffee, for whatever that's worth. I'm no gourmet coffee drinker, so it all the same to me, but my kid likes the sweets they sell.