Engine Coffee

Engine Coffee sits on Ashland in Noble Square, a block from Division and across from the actual Engine 30 firehouse the shop is named for. The room runs unpretentious, low-key, vinyl on the turntable, the kind of decor that did not come from a designer. The bar pulls Metric Coffee out of Chicago, with espresso dialed clean for milk drinks and pour-overs as a quieter option. Pastries rotate alongside Cafe Tola tacos and empanadas, which holds the room past breakfast and into lunch. Regulars are Wicker Park transplants who got priced out, freelancers on laptops, and the occasional firefighter who walked over from Engine 30. Saturdays the room runs warmer and slower. Order an espresso and a Cafe Tola empanada if you came in hungry and want something that holds. Order a pour-over and a pastry if you have a quiet hour and want the room to do its job.