Cafe Deko Is the Most Photogenic Skip in Lakeview

I want to be clear about what Cafe Deko gets right before I get into the rest of it, because it gets a lot right.

The interior is genuinely, almost unfairly photogenic. Brass monkeys holding up globe lighting. Large banquettes. Palm trees placed with enough intention that they balance the room and soften the exposed brick without looking like an afterthought. Good branding that holds together from the signage to the cups. I took several photos here and every one of them looked great. I understand completely why this place is an Instagram staple and why it's packed constantly and why they opened a second location. The room earns all of that.

And then you drink the coffee.

I burned my tongue badly enough on my first visit that I learned to wait a full twenty minutes before touching the cup on every subsequent one. The milk is too hot, the espresso is over-extracted, and the baristas are working without the foundation they need to do the job correctly. The pastries are mediocre at best. Nothing on the food and drink side gives you a reason to come back once the novelty of the room wears off.

I asked Allen what he thought of it. He stared at me for a second and said: "It's such a nothing burger." That's the review. Two words, completely accurate.

If you care about what's in the cup, this is not the place for you. If you want a beautiful room and a guaranteed Instagram photo and you're fine with the coffee being an accessory to the aesthetic, Cafe Deko will absolutely deliver on that. A lot of people feel that way and the packed room proves it. I am not one of those people, and I won't pretend the coffee is good because the room is gorgeous.