11 Degree North — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Not great here. We have waited 45 minutes to get our food. We came up and asked how long it would be at about the 30 minute mark. We were told it was coming out right now. We then saw the food come out for people who came in at least 20 minutes after us. At that point, we asked about our food. We told them it had been 45 minutes and nothing had been called. They said someone must have taken our food.

This place could do with either adding names to the orders or going by order numbers rather than just calling out which dish it is and expecting people to know if it's theirs or not.

Aside from that, though, it is hard to believe that someone else grabbed our food when we asked to eat here (therefore, with dishes, not paper bags) and all that had come out since we ordered were paper bags.

I asked for half the food to be canceled (personal choice, I did not want my meal, but my boyfriend wanted his), and they did refund that dish to me. This review was bumped up to three stars from one purely because of the cashier that helped me with the refund. She handled the situation in a very mature and professional way.

Update: We did not get any food. After waiting for 15 more minutes and seeing other orders come out, we requested the rest of our refund and left.

It is still baffling that the only person taking any ownership or offering solutions was the person that gave us the refunds. The cook that came out was asking who took the order (seemingly trying to pin the blame on her?) and the girl that took our order said "I don't know who took it."

I'm not sure why this place is "top rated" on here when they are not organized and seem to just throw the blame on their low paid cashiers or, even better, the customers. (Very evident by the sign on the wall, saying that they don't serve fast food but food as fast as they can and to please have patience.)

While I absolutely don't recommend this place, there is a very cool hot dog place just down the street, Devil Dawgs, that were able to get us some good lunch in less than ten minutes. AND they use...

I can't say enough good things about this place. In terms of atmosphere, it's a very straightforward shop, a few tables, a service counter, and the menu on the wall behind the counter. Nothing amazing, but comfortable and welcoming with seats against the windows for people watching. It's worth noting they don't have a public bathroom, but the Target on the corner of Clark & Belmont does. The folks who work here have always been friendly, and for food made fresh it's remarkably fast.

Okay, on to the food - at this point I've probably had every Arepa on the menu that doesn't have pork in it, and they have all been excellent. You get an absolutely overstuffed arepa and get to choose between eating it over the little holder or having some of the filling with a fork to make it a little more manageable before you tackle it. The ingredients are always high quality, and everything comes out VERY hot from being made fresh to order. I've had their bagel sandwiches as well and they are delicious, but if you're coming here and not getting the BEST AREPAS in Chicago then you are out of your mind.

As far as beverages, I've tried a good number of the coffee drinks and their chai latte and they were all good. They use interesting combinations and definitely provide something a little different compared to other coffee spots in the city. If I lived nearby I'd probably make their coffee part of a normal ritual because it's very well executed.

In terms of price - food is inexpensive for what you get - less than $15 for most items on the menu. Coffee is a little pricier, but considering the unique options I think it's well worth the price. This place is worth going out of your way for, and just 3-4 blocks West of the park, or a block and a half East of the Brown/Red line stop. Do yourself a favor and give it a try, it's a favorite stop...

I can't remove any stars for any reason at all. This cafe exceeds my expectations. I'm mildly annoyed that most folks default to the Starbucks across the street out of trust of brand or nostalgia. This cafe has anything and nearly everything you're accustomed to adding to your coffee. Including the less commonly requested items. I believe it is superior to its nearby competitors. I fell in love with the Venezuelan culture that is displayed through not only the employees but the merchandise on display as well as the specialty products available like Malta Polar and Kola Champagne. Venezuelan culture is very similar to Puerto Rican culture so when I walked in and heard that subtle Reggeton in the background I said, "This sounds and smells like a bakery back on the island." I've had both their arepas and their sandwiches and I have a strong preference for the arepas. The arepas are stuffed with their respective ingredients. They have a large list fillers for the arepas. I've had all kinds of stuff there including black beans, shredded pork, plaintains, gouda cheese, avocados, onions, ham, corn, etc. I could go on, but my point is that the quality of their food and beverage, hot or cold, is wonderful considering that their menu is pretty big. They're up to the challenge. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to get cheap, tasty, and powerful coffee paired with a fresh and...