Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea

Instantly cheerful and enthusiastic greeting. I asked what types of green tea were available and the server just smiled wider, allowing me to smell their varieties before ordering. I knew which I wanted immediately and do not regret my decision in the slightest. I will be returning in the future.

Small coffee business inside the Chicago Athletic Association hotel. Hubby sais the coffee was great 👍

A wider range of options than your typical coffee local shop. Their exclusive list of “elixir” drinks are relatively expensive but unique and delish. The staff is wonderful and knows a lot about the Chicago region if you want to do something off the “tourist” path in the city. Try the matcha...and the doughnuts! 😍

Had the croissant and a matcha drink; was very good; great & pleasant service

Very bad hot (not hot at all) cocoa and the flower milk tea. Just feels very blend. I would give it 4 star rating if we had a seat. It's rainy and no seat at all!!! Only total of 6 person seat with much too many customers. While I understand it's a rainy day and cannot do outdoor seat, still shock at how little seats there are inside the store. I feel like in the end of day, that's just a huge lack in considering customer experience, considering how often it rains in chicago. We had to seat on hotel stairs indoor ended up being chased away. Very very very bad experience. The drink is also not great. So overall a one star unfortunately. Will never come back. And for ppl who want to come. I suggest any Starbucks is much better. At least they have enough seats.

Female barista took 10 min taking a simple coffee order for the couple in front of us. She’s chatting away completely ignoring our presence. I‘m so confused by the nonchalant attitude of the barista that I even check whether I’m standing in a spot that indicates I’m a customer waiting to place an order.
Because the wait is getting ridiculous, I ask the male barista in charge of making drinks if it’s at all possible to start preparing my coffee while I wait to order. He agrees.
When the couple in front walk away along with the barista at the register, I advance to the now empty register. The iPad order screen is facing me like self service machines typically do, and so I select my drink (with the number of options appearing on the screen) and prepare to pay.
Dismayed barista screams: “what are you doing? What are you doing?” as she turns the screen towards her. I answer that I’m ordering my drink as I come to the realization based on her body language that it’s not self-service, but a regular iPad register (no wonder it didn’t look user-friendly).
When barista realizes the transaction has been placed accurately and speedily in the amount of time it took her to walk back over (15 seconds), surprised says: “uh... you did it correctly...”
There was no “I’m sorry for the wait” or any sort of explanation. She ignored me, screamed at me for doing something that appeared common sense (after all, when she walked away she didn’t say “I’ll be right back to take your order”) and didn’t even apologize? Terrible service! Also coffee was meh, especially for its price. I visit the CAA often but I’m never going back there.

Went in after having a bite at the shake shack wanted a cup of black ICED coffee, it’s as if the cashier wasn’t listening to what I ordered. SELECTIVE HEARING, I’m guessing. this is what I get dark roast coffee drip hot coffee, ummm ok. Um this isn’t iced coffee black. Let me get you ice. I get ice and have to walk to the trash can to pour my coffee into a ice cup. After I did it the barista said I would have done it over the sink. Um why didn’t you say something til I already did it. Let me just say that this dark roast was one of the worst roasts I have ever tasted. I drink 15 cups or more a day from many coffee shops and it saddens me to say the word WORST. Definitely wasn’t worth my money for visiting as a FIRST TIME customer. Definitely won’t be back

Good coffee and fun service. The poppy seed lavender scone is great!

Had an underextracted single origin. It was definitely better than Starbucks, but wouldn't go out of my way for it. Great location, near Millennium Park, in front of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. Good people watching spot.

Espresso drink was a 5, but ham & cheese croissants were stale and staff were not very pleasant. Didn’t seem like a busy morning, so perhaps they were just having a bad day.