Prequel Is Fine. The Street It's On Is Better.
A design-forward Ukrainian Village cafe that curates good beans and doesn't always do them justice
Prequel has the right instincts. Bright, airy space with playful branding and clean design. A bar to sit at, tables to spread out at, a location on one of the more fun and trendy shopping streets in Ukrainian Village. They curate small-batch specialty roasters rather than roasting their own, and Four Letter Word is on that list, which is a genuinely good curatorial choice.
The execution is where things get uneven. The baristas have been inconsistent across visits, and the coffee landed somewhere in the fine-and-forgettable range each time. That's a frustrating outcome when the sourcing is good. Allen's brown sugar and cardamom latte was the standout drink of our visit, which tells you that the flavored drinks may be covering for some technical gaps in the espresso work. The breakfast sandwiches follow the same pattern — competent, not memorable.
As a place to open your laptop and spend a morning in Ukrainian Village, Prequel is a perfectly reasonable choice. As a coffee destination, it isn't the best option on that block, let alone the neighborhood.
A note: they've recently opened a second location in Wicker Park with a bakery focus. Haven't been yet. Will update when I do.
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