Stubbs Coffee
3827 N. Lincoln Ave.
773-477-9840
Minimalist coffee shop: Don’t expect frills, such as finished floors, at this North Center coffee shop. The furniture here is spare. The menu is limited. It’s cash only. And yet, Stubbs possesses a quirky charm. Sunlight streams into the tiny space. Whimsical drawings by the assistant manager brighten the walls. Funky music fills the room. Wireless is free. The coffee is very good, as is, unexpectedly, the food.
A short list: The menu isn’t extensive. Stubbs serves numerous permutations of coffee — Americanos, lattescafe au lait and so on. The coffee is by Fratelli Coffee Company, an independent roaster in Schiller Park. There are also boxed and bottled juices and house-made smoothies. To munch on, the cafe serves baked goods from outside bakeries and sandwiches, hot and cold, made behind the counter.
Linger a while: We tried a latte, a cafe au lait and a mocha and found all three delicious. The coffee was strong and smooth; the drinks expertly crafted and served in mod white CB2 mugs. We also ordered a brie, spinach and tomato sandwich; a ham and Swiss; a turkey and Jarlsberg; and a grilled peanut butter, banana and jelly sandwich. We especially loved the simple and delectable brie, spinach and tomato, which came meltingly hot on crunchy French bread. The salty, savory ham and mild Swiss also came hot and between slices of baguette. Both sandwiches disappeared quickly. The turkey and Jarlsberg, while perfectly fine, did not wow us.
Bring cash, and a stroller: Prices aren’t high, but they are high enough to warrant a stop at the ATM if you’re planning to eat lunch here. Coffee drinks range from $1.50 for a shot of espresso to $4.05 for a 20-ounce mocha. Baked range from $1.10-$3.75; sandwiches cost $4.25-$6.50. If you’re planning to bring your little one, bring a stroller; there are no high chairs here.
Last drop: Stubbs serves up excellent coffee and high-quality sandwiches in a bare bones alternative to chain coffee shops. The cafe’s name itself is a little inside joke — Stubb was the mischievous, easygoing second mate on the ship Pequod in the book “Moby Dick.” The sober first mate? Starbuck.
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