Real Coffee Club
Coffee shopCoffee shop

necessary & sufficient coffee

★★★★½ 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
Hip coffee & tea sho
3624 W Wrightwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 Website
necessary & sufficient coffee necessary & sufficient coffee necessary & sufficient coffee necessary & sufficient coffee necessary & sufficient coffee

Reviews (100)

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Becky Adams
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

if an iced latte is almost $9 it better be the best one i’ve ever had - not worth the price.

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Carolyn
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

The website lies - this is not a cafe, it’s a shack with an order window. No seating, no Wi-Fi. I’d skip this spot if I were you…

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Julia Mace
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great rotating menu. The walk-up only vibe keeps this place feeling fresh and fun.

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Jasmine Martin
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

The best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.

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Catherine Weindel
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

This place is a neighborhood gem. The coffee and chai are amazing. Staff is so kind. Can’t wait for “big buddy” season!

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Sammy Ormsby
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Friendly and helpful staff. Recommend’The Mule’ espresso Lemonade and Spiced Ginger, perfect for a hot Chicago afternoon. Coffee sourced from Washington State (bagged).

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jazzine acevedo
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

I’ve worked in the service industry for several years and now work as a nurse. I know times are difficult for everyone, but providing kind service is the least we can all do for eachother. I just came home from a travel assignment and went to take my dog on a walk around the neighborhood. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 26 years and seeing the changes in our area is difficult, but I’m still always welcoming to new shops that open. We had went to this coffee shop during the pandemic and they were so kind to Canelo& gave him a treat while we waited. This left a good impression on me. I always try to support my local coffee shops and today decided to go grab a quick cafe con leche from this cafe before my walk with canelo. I ordered and asked for a pup cup, the lady at the register said excuse me, what’s a pup cup? (Giving me a snark) While explaining i hear the barista inside say “absolutely not.” I ignore this rude comment and just say it’s a cup with whip cream, and the guy inside again says “no” loud enough for me to hear. I say it’s ok! Don’t worry. The lady goes “we have dog treats.” And leaves it as that and turns away. I get my coffee and walk away. Taste it and it’s not a cafe con leche it’s just coffee. So I walk back and they say yeah we gave you the wrong order, but you took off. She proceeds and pulls the old café con leche off the shelf and gives it to me. I taste it and literally it taste the same as the old coffee just w a splash of creamer? Mind you, I was right around the corner eating a sandwich I had ordered…so no, they didn’t even bother to peep out or try to find me after i “left”. Because I was right next to the building the entire time. Overall, I had to throw out the coffee because of how bad it tasted (not a cafe con leche, I’m cuban so I would know.) BUT even if the coffee wasn’t great…the customer service was terrible. Again, I never write bad reviews unless I’ve had a terrible experience… and would’ve brushed this off if the customer

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Alina Baryl
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Way too high of an up charge for oat milk. My local coffee shop but won’t be going back

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Amanda Dobron
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

What a delicious and delightful place! Went for the first time today: friendly, warm vibe, an amazing masala chai latte, quick service. Highly recommend

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Ryan Parkinson
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Wonderful coffee shop, uses premium beans and creates its own unique seasonal menu that is both innovative and delicious. Has a really solid selection of food items (mostly bakery, and includes vegan options) which are posted on the window with the rest of the menu - they’ll cross out the items that are out of stock on the menu on the windowsill where you pay. There is no interior to walk in, so plan accordingly if there’s inclement weather. The prices are also a bit steep compared to other shops… but other shops are serving cheap mass produced beans and aren’t paying their employees. Service is great and quick, they call out finished orders from their second window. If you’re in a rush the person at the register will immediately get the following drinks: hot drip coffee, iced drip coffee, and their nitro coffee. The rest they assemble and serve out of the other window on the right… if there’s a long line or you’re in a rush it’s nice to know you don’t necessarily have to wait. They sell small bags of beans and have about 5-10ish variations from the same producer, including the type they use in their own drip.

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Karl Haraldsson
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great espresso + milk drinks. Love a pop tart sometimes too.

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Caitlin Body
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I am so happy they now have gluten free cookies and apple cider. I have been wanting to try it for a long time but since I can't have caffeine or gluten I just didn't go. Now that they have an option for me I will be visiting more for a morning treat!

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Darcy Ross
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great service and drink and food offerings. Lots of tasty baked goods from nearby bakeries! I also love seeing the happy dogs that come and enjoy little complimentary dog treats. There are tree shaded benches nearby to enjoy your drinks and food as well.

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Jacki Putnam
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Decent coffee, friendly service, and the best chai cider I've ever had... but they regularly close early (I've been there fifteen minutes before their posted closing time of 5pm), so just be aware of the time. [In response to the owner's reply: I can provide proof that I was denied a mobile order before closing and that I was at your location before 5pm (but was given the closed signal by an employee inside) and an happy to provide it to you if you wish to provide me with contact information. I've worked in food and Bev for many years, so I understand sometimes it's necessary to close the store early, but it does happen fairly often and am merely passing along information to other potential customers to not aim to visit right before closing (I've never had an issue midday, it's always been in the last twenty minutes). Gaslighting your customers, however, is never okay. Thankfully, your staff has a much better approach to customer service than you do.]

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Patrice O'Toole
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Love this cute place! Staff was so friendly and did a great job on my Chai Tea - it's a treat for me and they nailed it! I highly recommend going and tip well! They deserve it. Thanks for being open and serving delish food and drinks

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Mike P.
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Let's start by saying. WOW!!! What an amazing place. The Best coffee experience I've ever had. The coffee is absolutely gourmet and delicious. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and genuinely seem to enjoy their work, thus making your morning That much better. Thank you for being the coffee oasis I've needed to start my day.

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Natasha Shokouhi
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Another superb coffee shop in Chicago! It took me at least 10 minutes to decide on what to order (that's just for drinks). I wish I could have tried everything but this was our last stop before the airport! The Iced Wallflower Oat Milk Latte - Orange flower & rose make this quietly floral drink sing. This was PHENOMENAL. Mushroom, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich. The brioche bun was so buttery and soft. I can never turn down mushrooms. You can't go in, just order at the window and grab when it's ready. Prices were reasonable.

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Danny King
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

UNNECESSARY AND INSUFFICIENT! As i continue to shout when i pass this coffee shop, both on my bike and the various cars i end up in… “INSUFFICIENT!” your coffee tastes terrible. if the coffee was decent i’d pay for the outrageous prices. gas station coffee actually tastes better than this place (though they do apologize for not being a gas station in one of their review responses). like how do you make espresso taste like moldy tea! as everyone in letterkenny (or summer sanders) would say “FIGURE IT OUT!” if you’re reading this, go to brew brew (also semi-pricy but actually worth it!) they seem to actually care about their customers and it’s only a 5 minute walk from this place. To the person who responds to these reviews, im looking forward to how you read half of this and try to make your own joke off of it. maybe accept some criticism and actually listen to your reviews! there’s potential in your shop and we all know wrightwood needs businesses! Thanks a latte and have a grande day!

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Kathy Azzo
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

I cant complain about the coffee, but nothing memorable. I was mostly disappointed with how expensive everything was after I was given the total then looked at my receipt later in the day. I ordered a latte and chose a non dairy milk option. I was not told there was an extra $1.50 up-charge for the milk. I just saw it on my receipt. I cant believe my small latte cost $8. I was also ASKED if I would like to tip $1.00 or more which threw me off guard because I would not have tipped one dollar considering I almost paid $20.00 for 3 items ordered. Staff was friendly. I pass on being a repeat customer. Thank you

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Amanda Panda
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

More like insufficient! Both coffee and breakfast sandwich were mediocre and overpriced.