Spinning J Bakery and Soda Fountain

So cute!! I love the vibes in here. It is so hard to find a place with retro vibes like this. I love how intimate the space is. The food was excellent, the coffee was amazing, such a good find!! I can't wait to come back to try all the pies. And the sodas! I got the matcha almond tea cake, butterscotch pie, the smoked salmon bialy sandwich, and a lavender latte 💙 My friend got the poblano breakfast sandwich with bacon, chocolate shake, and guava cheesecake. They were also very happy with their choices!

A nice selection of sandwiches and baked items. The seating area is very limited, so we had to wait to dine in (which we were happy to do because of the cool decor and ambience). Sandwiches were small for the price. We had the polenta and the BLT (which didn’t have real tomato just salsa). The meal was tasty but overall greasy. Although the staff were friendly, as other reviews have noted you will be rushed out the door… so not somewhere to have a relaxed lunch.

I strongly recommend as a place to get some tasty baked goods and shakes, but probably to go. Their space is quite small, so don’t bet on finding a spot, especially for groups larger than 2 people. If you can snag a spot in their small space, it has a cute vintage soda shop vibe, but you won’t want to linger, as they seem to want people to get in and out so others can sit. The staff all seemed pretty nice. Where this place really shines is the baked goods, sodas, and shakes. The sandwiches are tasty, but on the smaller end, and served simply with some chips and pickle.

Cute aesthetic for photos, but the food was not good in my opinion. Also, definitely a majority white hipster customer establishment. As far as accessibility: It is generally wheelchair accessible (no steps), however I wouldn’t say it’s super wheelchair friendly, as the space and seating are pretty tight and crowded. Also, nobody in the restaurant was wearing a mask. I did not use the bathroom, so I cannot speak to bathroom accessibility. I ordered the Blueberry rose pie and buttermilk biscuit— the pie was really jelly gelatinous and the crust didn’t cut through without a knife. Despite being gelatinous, I couldn’t get a clean sticky bite from the pie, as the jelly-ness kept making it fall apart and not stab through easily. It really required a spoon for eating, instead of a fork. The crust wasn’t soggy though, and there were tons of blueberries — Just really not much flavor at all. The biscuit was dry and desperately needed butter. I was expecting a warm, buttery and fluffy biscuit. This was room temperature, dry, and hard. And I had to ask for jam (which also really wasn’t good). There are a few signs on the restaurant signaling that they are “social and racial justice allies”, but it feels performative considering the total lack of diversity (of both the customers as well as the distribution of FOH/BOH staff), the prices for the neighborhood, and the location. I didn’t have to wait to be seated as others had warned — But I went around 1:15 pm on a Saturday by myself (sat at the bar) right after it had finished raining.

This place is a dream come true. Everything is baked in house, bakery items and breads for sandwiches. Breakfast or lunch with pizza on Fridays. The menu is interesting and delicious, with lots of vegetarian options, all made with thoughtful and local ingredients. Sodas and coffees are made in house, and they also have milkshakes! So many delicious choices , I will be back soon. Definitely the best pies, scones, AND biscuits in Chicago!

I visited for the first time on a busy Saturday morning. There was a short line out the door, which seems common. The wait was absolutely worth it, though! I got the Roasted Poblano Breakfast Sandwich and a Blue Velvet soda. The sandwich was incredible, and the soda was unique! Less carbonated than I expected, but delicious. I didn’t eat in, but the restaurant itself was beautiful.

I’ll start with saying that the food at Spinning J was fantastic. Just a perfect bite to start your day with. However, this past Saturday, June 24th, two of my girlfriends and I decided to grab some food there. All was well until we grabbed a table and someone named Lisa, yelled at us from across the soda bar. Yelled at us to move so she could clean the table. She came over started spraying solution with all of our stuff on the side. When she was wiping down the table she chucked a trinket that was on the table and accidentally hit a customer who was sitting by the soda bar behind her. Lisa was that angry that she threw that trinket. I was honestly a bit shocked. It’s hard to say to say that I won’t be back there, because this has been the only bad experience I’ve had there. However, I was very upset at the way Lisa treated my friends and I that day. Just not cool Lisa, I hope that in the future, you are able to treat people with more respect than you did that day. I hope you have the life and day you deserve moving forward. No negative vibes and energy are required anywhere anytime, especially in the neighborhood you’re occupying space at.