Here's a sampling of our user-reviews on yelp. See them all. 

Remember when you were a teenager and hung out at an old fashioned "coffee shop" that served coffee in miss-matched cups and handmade sandwiches? This is the place, . . . Secret ingredient? LOVE. That's right kids, love. It still exists. Inside Cafe Ballou. Sensational seating options for all your lounging needs: wooden tables and chairs, arm chairs, sofas and Japanese style cushion floor seating. For serious loungers only, of course. Oh, an here's one for all the techies....FREE WI-FI. Other fav's on my list:
- Your own personal tea pot* (*when ordering tea only) - Fresh baked cookies - F REE street parking - Artsy atmosphere with art covering the walls - An extremely social and pleasantly odd owner. Go now! Go!
--Rena P., yelp, ***** 11/6/11


Love this place.  Love it like fresh muffins. . . Cafe Ballou is my regular weekend coffeeshop and workspace, and I plan on it staying that way for a long time.  
--Matt B., yelp ***** 11/5/11

As I sit in Cafe Ballou and wait for my work email to finish replicating, I'm struck at how much I LIKE it here. First, adorable set-up.  Cute little vintage tables, comfy chairs and couches, plenty of places to plug in your computer, free wi-fi and a most excellent soundtrack (currently playing some sweet, vintage blues) make for an excellent work-from-home atmosphere.  
Angie M., yelp **** 9/7/11

Just revisted Cafe Ballou after some time outside the country....a warm welcome back to the city with a cup of strong black coffee and even better hospitality from Khosro the owner. In today's culture of homogeneous chains on every corner, Cafe Ballou is a comfortable place to chill with a cup of coffee and conversation. Bring a book, laptop, or attitude open to meeting friendly people and you'll like Cafe Ballou.
--Larry D., yelp, 6/4/11

My husband and I went here for a Waiting 4 The Bus Poetry Collective feature and . . .  I ordered a large Chai Latte, which was better than any Starbucks Chai drink I've ever had. 
--Sarah M., yelp, 5/18/11

I want to say the vibe here is like a cafe outside of a hostel, very relaxed, young, and spirited. Cool elevated tables by the windows with lots of pillows to lounge on. The staff is very friendly . . . Drinks are great, and I'm a big fan of their Monkey Bread. You'll see folks hanging out here for hours upon end reading or working, which to me is a good sign.
--Michael M., yelp, 5/16/11

The energy and spirit in this place is absolutely gentle, cozy and definitely warm. The owner is equally amazing...one of my favs! =)
--Keisha J., yelp, 3/31/11

I was discussing Cafe Ballou with my roommate today and I had noted the fact that so far Ballou has been my favorite local coffee shop. I've been making an effort when I'm not in the office to try and branch out to other places within a 2 mile radius but I still find myself coming back here. 
--Mike W., yelp, 1/15/11

This is the kind of place you don't want to review so you can keep it to yourself.  A true neighborhood gem!
--Jessica D., yelp, 7/23/10

I happened upon this splendid community cafe a few weeks ago while wondering down Western Ave. exploring my new neighborhood. You can now find me there every week-at some point-either working on something or reading with some Moroccan mint or pomegranate black tea. The energy and atmosphere is beautiful and you instantly feel right at home.  You can choose to sit on a couch, at a table, or on pillows on the floor right by the windows ( very comfortable and sunny). Also, the owner and staff are extremely pleasant.  Whatever you order is brought to you and occasionally someone will come around to refill your hot water or see if you need anything. Cafe Ballou also has some great open mic nights and musical events. Stop by, this is my favorite cafe in Chicago.
--Erin D., yelp, 2/10/10

Awesome place, love the true macchiatos and the various bakery items.  It's a bit too convenient, considering its right on my block, oh well, it's money well spent for a genuinely excellent coffee.
--Roman M., yelp, 9/3/10

I happened to run into this place while waiting for my band to come up at the empty bottle...First of all, I had no idea this little strip was so wicker park. I mean it's sparser, but there's definitely a hipster vibe down this block of western. So we get to cafe ballou, and the sign says "open 8am-8pm every day." It was 10:30pm on a wednesday night. But the lights were on, and a few people were hanging out, so we sauntered in to the sounds of a cellist playing on a little stage in the front window. . . We walked in to what felt like a private party, but ended up just being the intimate setting of this coffee shop. The decor is pretty great, quirky interesting art hanging on the walls, chairs and couches, as well as a little pillow and table area set into the other front window's "stage" area. The guy working there welcomed us right away... All in all, this is a great little coffee shop to hang out in if you live in the area, or if you happen to be sitting out a band or two from the bottle.
--Chad C., yelp, 11/4/10

I have found my new neighborhood place to get work done!
--Dylan D., yelp, 3/28/10

What a wonderful cafe!  Unlike other hip cafes, Cafe Ballou doesn't try to be something it is not. Cafe Ballou is a straight-forward coffeehouse that sells cheap/great coffee and kickbutt side-food.  Toss in some free Wi-Fi for everybody and Cafe Ballou is a true winner in my book. Cafe Ballou has MANY local artist events here throughout the whole week.  Poetry reads, Musicians doing a set, short plays, Artist gallery rotating on the walls.  Cafe Ballou is "alive" with culture and local art.  Way to go guys, keep it up for us lil guys trying to make it in world. This is sure to be one your new favorite spots.
--Dan D., yelp, 3/18/10

On top of the good food, tasty looking pastries, excellent coffee, the charm of it's interior is undeniable.  Everything a coffee shop should be!
--Mike W., yelp, 2/20/10

My new favorite coffee house! I haven't had a grilled cheese that good in a long time! i love the seating, especially the tables up by the front windows.
--Bob S., yelp, 2/25/10

This is a cozy coffee shop, with a euro eclectic feel, tasteful classy music and warm hospitality.  free wifi, cozy floor level seating with fun pillows and clean wood tables for studying and chatting.  great west facing windows allow a lot of sunlight in the afternoon. beautiful artwork displayed in a bright interior.
--Ginger A., yelp, 2/4/10

I recently found this place which is an oasis in the middle of a great neighborhood with really no other decent cafes.They have a great open mic thing going on. Great soup/sandwiches, really friendly staff, free WiFi whoohoo!  ...and, best of all, Intelligentsia coffee!  What more could you ask for? 
--Blake B., yelp, 11/3/09

This place certainly has its charm. They have a homey feeling that is completed with a proper bathroom, as in, I'm tempted to show up with a towel, some shampoo, and a hair dryer, just to see if I catch sneak a quick shower. One of the unique aesthetics would be the seating near the windows. You'd almost think that you could order a hookah with your coffee and tea. .  . The gent behind the counter was particularly pleasant. He offered to steep my tea several times without my having to ask. Meanwhile, I was secretly sneaking photos of what was going on. I'll just have to make up my mind as to whether to bring bar or liquid soap for my shower.
--Kent S., yelp, 2/13/10

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!  Cafe Ballou is a newish bright spot in the Ukie Village.  I came in Saturday afternoon to study and grade. . . Now normally I am big on reviewing espresso joints and Cafe Ballou can make a mean one.  But the real deal for me here is the tea.  They serve Benjamin Teas and have a Moroccan mint that is incredible.  On top of that they serve all their tea steeping in pots, so you get a couple of glasses with each pot.  You can also ask for more hot water to get a second brewing of your tea (something that is seemingly common everywhere but the US.) After 5 hours of grading, the comfiness of the chair was confirmed and I left with a wallet that was less than $10 lighter.
--Aaron K., yelp, 1/24/10

This is a great coffee shop.  Esp for studying.  I have taken some big exams in the past year and it's always quiet.  It's not a wild coffee shop where is a lot going.  It's good to have a spot that you can bring your laptop and get some work done.  I love the bottomless cup there but all the drinks are good there too.  They also have really good sandwiches and everything is made per order so it's fresh.  I once stayed here for like seven hours.  Drank coffee all day and had an awesome lunch.
--Anna J., yelp, 1/15/10

Delicious espresso drinks, tasty food and a wonderful music selection. It's like it came straight out of my iTunes. Shins, Wilco, Jose Gonzalez and other good stuff that should be in my music collection but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
--Jessica S., yelp, 2/6/10