Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea — Restaurant in Oak Park

Love the design of this cafe, very unique in a warm and welcoming way. Their customers are steady so the staff could do with another person or so to help serve, but the service was still good, and the staff nice despite having their hands full. I only got a drink, but their food does look good. They actually have a kitchen, something that has become a rarity in most cafe stores now. Their food is freshly made, so not necessarily just frozen and thrown in an oven, which is a refreshing change. You can still get a great cup of coffee, but, instead of settling for second grade cafe food that makes your stomach curl in protest, you actually get authentic cafe food made fresh for you that you can enjoy without having to pay for an actual restaurant visit. You still get that cafe vibe that's great for inspiration, studying, and just relaxing, while also enjoying their unique coffees and food items. They do also sell coffee beans in a bag for you to take home, as well as some other cute coffee items such as hats, matcha bowls, and t shirts. They have a variety of drinks, including teas brewed fresh that can be made hot or iced, and many flavors for their coffees. Great place, and if you live in the area, unlike I do, I recommend taking advantage of its proximity to you because you're definitely lucky to be close to such an adorably unmatched coffee shop. And if you're just visiting, like me, I still recommend checking it out, it'll be worth it. (They also have swings by...

The decor and vibe was great. The menu has unique and fun items. The food and coffee was pretty good. We ordered coffee and breakfast to go. When we got home we realized there was no Lox in our Lox and Bagel. We called the store. They said to return and they would give us a fresh order and refund the card. Which was very generous as we felt very inconvenienced. After driving all the way back and then home again to open up the box to find what I would consider to be a very small amount of lox was very disappointing. We order lox all over Chicago and have never seen such a small amount. I called back just to express my disappointment and felt very dismissed. I asked to speak to the manager and they wouldn’t put me on the phone with the manager. He just put me on hold and conveyed to me what the manager was telling him. Which was ‘that it was their standard amount of lox and there was nothing else they could do and that he needed to get off the phone because he had other things to do.’ I didn’t call to receive anything for free, but to express how disappointing the entire experience was for us, but they were not interested in hearing me out. I know Sunday was probably a busy day for them so I will go back and give them another shot, but our first experience was not what we...

Happy to see a GOOD independent coffee house on east Lake street! On this block there are four establishments that sell espresso drinks, and of the four, Fairgrounds has the best! One of the other four places that sells espresso drinks (across the street) is Starbucks. Starbucks is fine when it may be your only choice in a town, but we've got options here people! Support good local establishments so they stay please!

Fairgrounds sells beans (same as they brew) including decaf, along with brewing accessories, and they serve food & pastries also. The food is decent, but I come here for the cappuccinos. Very rich, and they offer non-dairy alternatives. The Pacific Barista coconut milk they use foams awesome. They also serve coffee alternatives should coffee not be your thing. They offer counter service only, so grab a menu (by the line entry) and find a table and view your options prior to getting in line.

Oh, and did I mention that the staff are all friendly? Big plus. The only downside is the lack parking. You can park in the lot at North Blvd & Oak Park Ave for free up to one hour. It may feel a little far in 30 degree weather, but...