Backlot Coffee (Evanston and now Old Irving Park)

A new coffee shop opened up in Old Irving Park, the second location of a year-old Evanston hangout. It looks to be shaping up into a nice neighborhood joint, and, in my estimation, already serves some of the best espresso in the city (roasted by Stumptown), in a very friendly, neighborly setting.

They have a good assortment of food items from respectable sources:
Doughnuts from Do-Rite
Pies and hot, fresh biscuits from Bang Bang Pie
Argentinian-style gelato from Frio of Evanston
West Town Bakery

It's a nice place to grab a coffee and a snack near the Irving Park Blue Line, and the owners (John and Isaac) could not be friendlier.

EVANSTON
2006 Central Street
Evanston, IL 60618

M-F 6:30a–6p
Sa-Su 7a-6p

OLD IRVING PARK
3982 N Avondale Ave
Chicago, IL 60641

M-F 6:30a–5p
Sa-Su 7a–5p

I was pleased when Backlot opened on Central in Evanston; although I liked its predecessor (Linz & Vail), I thought their bean prices were getting more and more out of line. I was also pleased to see that Backlot offered Stumptown. But I've long since stopped going for one simple reason: virtually every single time I went in, the place was reasonably busy (or more), and John (one of the owners) was so busy chatting up his friends that he ignored customers at the register. So long as he had someone working the register, it seemed, he figured that the line there didn't matter. Eventually, I gave up--if he wants to chat up his friends, it's his store. But I don't need to shop there and after too many long waits for service, while watching him chat, I took my business elsewhere.