Metric Coffee
2021 W Fulton St. Chicago, IL 60612
Metric is an excellent street-side, pick-up and go shop. They are committed to purchasing directly from select small coffee producers and delivering an excellent experience with a philosophy of transparency. This philosophy is made evident from their sharing of procurement process and pricing details, to the design of their shop where solid glass walls is all that separate the retail space from their extensive roastery. Founded by two coffee veterans, (Caffe Streets & Intelligentsia) they’ve created a superb grab-ngo destination.
Coffee:
With a retail space limited to a galley walk through, to-go cups are the only option, and while I find such a vessel degrades the Cortado experience, I nonetheless found it excellent. Their expresso bean was Big Riff, a South/Central American dark roast flush with a milk chocolate backbone that cut nicely through my Cortado’s whole milk. My drip was a vibrant light roast from Honduras that mingled sweetness, citrus zest, and had a clean finish. Both beans used the washing process.
Barista:
With a line out the door, there wasn’t much opportunity for conversation but nonetheless, they were friendly, pleasant, and efficient. Their equipment and work area was spotlessly maintained.
Vibe:
The neighborhood is a vintage brick, industrial scene with a diverse selection of new businesses taking advantage of the beautiful architecture and lofted interior spaces. Right next door is their supplier of sweet and savory deliciousness, BRITE Donuts and Baked Goods. Upon arrival, we were qued along the exterior wall in a quickly moving line. The experience heightened my anticipation as I wondered, what is going on, is it really that busy? Entry provided an answer in the affirmative, along with a short galley bounded on one side by a display of merch and on the other by their service counter. It’s a small but comfortable space which we found to be filled with people who appreciate and seek out good beans. If that’s you, you won’t be disappointed. Our bakery order considered the bacon and butterscotch long johns, but instead we went with a mango creme delight and a tomato basil, open-faced croissant. Both were superb. On two walls they have small elbow counters but with the flow of people, the can’t be confused for places to enjoy your order. Outside, they have eight two-top tables that are bounded by a wooden fence street side, and by a wooden arbor overhead, that make for an inviting urban respite. I don’t recall what music they were playing as I was preoccupied by placing our order, moving down the line, and taking in their roasting operation which clearly serves a significant audience beyond this store. They have no publicly accessible bathroom (again, this is grab and go) but I give them no demerits on these points as their’s is a different concept, but one executed with care and craftsmanship.
Make You Better
Very clearly, this is a coffee shop run by coffee people. However, I would have appreciated more alluring merch.
For a grab and go, with outdoor seating, that roasts their bean on premise, this is an excellent coffee shop. And on top of it all, you support a business that develops fair and transparent relationships with their growers. Metric coffee is straight up worth a visit.
~ Clyde <3
