The Understudy Coffee and Books

The Understudy Coffee and Books

5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL

★★★★★4.8(629 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

Nestled in Chicago, this theater-themed café seamlessly merges specialty coffee with a thoughtfully curated bookstore, creating a bright modern space that feels like a creative's second home. Their signature drinks like the Theater Camp Latte showcase genuine creativity, while warm staff (like the notably attentive Jett) and killer pastries make it equally perfect for a solo work session or hosting a celebration with friends. The playwright-heavy book selection and cozy, spacious interior have earned loyal fans who keep coming back for the genuine good vibes.

What to expect

Specialty coffee, with creative signature drinks. A slow-sit, laptop-friendly spot, good for meetings. Pastries on the menu. Wifi.

Traditional drinksSpecialty drinksSlow sitSignature drinksPastriesLaptop friendlyWifiMeetings

Google Reviews

Laura Nevrenchan
★★★★★2 months ago

This place is my new favorite spot. The vibe is always so good in here. I Love the Theater Camp Latte. Super cool bookstore attached Killer cute. Wonderful pastries. Check it. 💜

Kandise Le Blanc
★★★★★4 months ago

I hosted our engagement party at The Understudy on a Friday evening in October for around 40 people, and I genuinely could not have asked for a better experience. From the start, Jett was incredible. They helped schedule the event and functionally served as our day-of…

Korn TH
★★★★★5 months ago

This is one of my favorite coffee shops. I love how it’s paired with a bookstore — good coffee, tasty pastries, and a great selection of books all in one place. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a good read with a fragrant cup of coffee in the heart of Andersonville.

Natasha Al-Rafie
★★★★★7 months ago

This is such a cute space, pretty big inside and the book selection is great. As you can imagine they have a lot of playwright books. Several versions of Hamlet, guides to the great comet of 1812, incredible selection. The coffee shop is great too, although folks said online…

Bill
★★★★★a year ago

Understudy Coffee & Books is a bright and modern café that combines great coffee with a curated bookstore. The space can get quite busy midday, but seats tend to open up after a short wait. They serve Metric coffee, along with a variety of seasonal specialty drinks; during my…

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