Hexe coffee company
2000 W diversey parkway chicago IL 60647
On the site of one of the first and largest housing projects in Chicago stands a relatively new coffee shop amidst the redevelopment of the entire community. Hexe Coffee Company is an experience you don’t want to miss if you find yourself the neighborhoods of Roscoe Village and Bucktown in Chicago.
Coffee:
I woke up this morning feeling a little like Clyde. Yup, a cortado was in the cards.….. I am not an expert here, but the green Gibraltar glass had me. I found my cortado not as hot as I would have liked so I queried the barista on the temp. They were uncertain, which I am sure Clyde would have had a follow up. Overall, I found the mix of the milk and espresso to be a velvety taste and loved the differential of the feeling when drinking (frothy milk with the Columbian espresso). My black eye was a dark Columbian with the same espresso as the cortado. Really nice flavors with almost a smokey aftertaste.
Barista:
Really liked the person taking our order and offering what coffee selection would go with the espresso they were utilizing. Even though we got there early, the barista seemed slammed with orders and was busy executing. I sat at the counter and enjoyed watching him work the machines.
Vibe:
Early on a beautiful spring Saturday morning, Hexe has a great location on a funky corner where three busy streets converge. However, their outside arrangement really plays well with plenty of tables and a set back from the street that eliminates some of the noise. The inside has a decent amount of tables for hanging out and or studying, but I don’t think it’s a study/work place necessarily. It has a really good bar area which I think is a great way to encourage conversation. Maybe it’s because they morph later in the day to serving alcohol and being a place with open mics and events but I like the aesthetic. By the time 8:00 rolled around, groups of bikers were gathering for a morning ride and moms with strollers were meeting up for some fellowship and coffee. I am betting this is a bee hive of activity throughout the day. A super friendly person at the counter guided us on our coffee opportunities as well as the sumptous baked goods. Baked goods indeed!!! The egg sandwich on a homemade biscuit with crispy bacon was the savory and a raspberry scone was a simply scrumptious sweet. They bake on site here and it’s some of the best baked goods at a coffee shop I’ve seen (they are giving Fox and the Snow- Columbus Ohio a run for their money in the baked goods department). Clyde and I were discussing that it’s nice when a shop considers the selection of their sweet and savories in the bakery. Hexe crushes this consideration but it also oozes with freshness and taste.
Make You Better
The merch section is a little light, but there are some fun items like staff art and a cool logo that works itself into cups and their coffee bags. It’s kind of dark, but I like it. There are two bathrooms that are clean. I would have liked a more communal experience with the barista, but that is being a bit nit picky.
This is a hometown review for Matt so not really a womple, but I am returning for some good coffee, fantastic baked goods and a place that is welcoming.
Local wompling……Matt
