UChicago students live on no sleep. If you tell someone you woke up after 9 a.m., they might look at you funny or say to your face that you’re lazy. (I made this mistake once in my first year.) For most, after a long day of classes and clubs, nighttime is the time to hit the books. Maintaining a steady flow of caffeine is crucial for making it through the long days. You might start college with a minor addiction—not being able to function without a cup in the morning. But, before long, you’ll graduate to a morning cup, an afternoon energy drink and, for the most caffeinated among us, an evening drink as well.

I am by no means endorsing this lifestyle. However, if you find yourself on campus in search of something to keep you awake for those 4:30 p.m. classes or 9 p.m. study sessions, there are options. UChicago has five student run cafés, each with its own unique energy and function in the daily operations of an overworked college student. As someone who has had a morning coffee and afternoon energy drink since fall quarter (I haven’t reached evening caffeine yet—maybe this will be the year), I wanted to share some thoughts.

First, a breakdown of prices across cafés. This table is not comprehensive; I chose a range of common drinks and the largest sizes per their menu—Grounds of Being (GOB) specifies 16 ounces, other cafés only list a “large” option—each café offers for comparative purposes. As you can see, prices are fairly similar across the board, except for GOB which is the cheapest.

Next, a more detailed analysis of the ambiance, drink and food options, seating, and hours at each café. The following list is ranked in order from my most to least favorite.

Harper Café

Location: Harper Memorial Library, third floor

Ambience: 5/5

One of the most advertised spaces at our school is the Harry Potter-esque Harper Memorial Library. But the beautiful café just one door over doesn’t get as much love. Ironically, Harper Café might have more books than the library itself—shelves running along the walls surround you while you write your sosc paper or sip coffee with friends. The Gothic windows cast gorgeous light onto the red walls, making it the perfect, cozy hangout spot on campus.

Drinks: 4/5

Coffee drinks, hot chocolate, chai, matcha, and rotating specials—Harper has something for everyone. My drink of choice is mocha, and Harper’s is my favorite on campus. It strikes an exact balance, not too sweet and not too bitter.

Food: 3/5

As far as food goes, Harper can offer you pastries—muffins and croissants, mostly. I personally love the chocolate croissant. It also has a fridge with breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, and a few sushi rolls.

Seating: 3/5

Harper isn’t as big as some of the other cafés and finding a free table is a difficult task. By the afternoon, it’s often buzzing with people. The tables are mostly arranged in groups of four, so you’ll have to get there early or brave sharing with strangers. If you’re out of luck, I recommend taking your drink to the reading room next door in Stuart Hall—it’s almost as pretty as the one in Harper, and you’re allowed to have drinks (but no food, due to opportunistic critters).

Hours: 4/5

Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Harper’s hours fit any schedule. I often find myself there in the middle of the day, but, if you’re more of a morning person, Harper is good for that, too.

Hallowed Grounds

Location: Reynolds Club, second floor

Ambience: 5/5

Hallowed Grounds is easily one of the coolest cafés I have ever been in. Pool tables, board games, fairy lights, and memorabilia all over the walls make it a social hub. While it wouldn’t be my first choice for focused studying, it is the ideal atmosphere for a hot coffee and a study break with friends.

Drinks: 4/5

You can find all the standard favorites at Hallowed, including both coffee and non-coffee options. Some of their special drinks include horchata and, for an autumnal feel, “chaider” (chai and apple cider).

Food: 3/5

Hallowed Grounds has the usual: an assortment of croissants, cookies, and muffins, as well as small bags of chips.

Seating: 3/5

Hallowed has an array of options including small group tables, long communal tables, comfy chairs, and benches by the windows. However, it is a popular spot, and seating fills up quickly.

Hours: 4/5

Monday–Tuesday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Wednesday–Thursday: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

Saturday: 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m.–9 p.m.

Most times of day, you can depend on Hallowed being open—especially late at night, after other cafés close. My only issue with this is how much variety there is. It can be difficult to keep track.

Grounds of Being

Location: Swift Hall, basement.

Ambience: 4/5

Grounds of Being (GOB) is a great café housed below the Divinity School. It’s dim and calming, but that doesn’t detract from its liveliness. It tends to be full by the afternoon, so making it there early is important should you want to score a seat. And, if you do venture there, don’t forget to bring cash—it’s the only payment it takes.

Drinks: 4/5

GOB has three categories of drinks on its menu: espresso, coffee, and non-coffee. It has options such as lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, drip coffee and cold brew, along with quirkily named variations and specials celebrating Swift Hall’s centennial. For non–coffee fans, there is tea, chai, hot chocolate, and, uniquely, sparkling matcha. It uses Colectivo coffee beans (while the other cafés primarily use Metropolis), and it makes for delicious drinks. GOB also keeps a well-stocked fridge with soda, Olipop, iced tea, kombucha, Topo Chicos, Jarritos, and sparkling water.

Food: 4/5

If you are in need of a snack, sweet treat, lunch, or even an early dinner, GOB is here for you. Snacks, including bags of chips and candy bars; baked goods, including muffins, bagels, croissants and scones; and food from local restaurants, including Indian food from Rajun Cajun, Middle Eastern from The Nile, and Thai from Snail Thai and Siam Thai, are all available here.

Seating: 2/5

GOB is the smallest café in my ranking. Your options are the two long communal tables or the elevated seats running along the interior wall, both of which can get cramped.

Hours: 3/5

Monday–Friday: 7:45 a.m.–4 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday: Closed

GOB is a perfect first stop before class in the morning or during a break in the day. There isn’t a lot of variety, but it is consistent if that’s what you value.

Ex Libris Café 

Location: Regenstein Library, first floor

Ambiance: 1/5

Ex Libris Café (Ex Lib) is good for a quick study break—work for a while, run down to grab a drink, then take it back to your cubicle. Regenstein Library is meant for intense work sessions, not to be interrupted by extended stretches in a (kind of boring-looking) café. I love having Ex Lib in Regenstein, but it doesn’t have the unique energy or aesthetic of the other cafés.

Drinks: 3/5

Ex Lib ranks low on the list, but it has one major redeeming factor: the Great Fire. If you aren’t familiar, it is a Red Bull with lemonade and pomegranate syrup. Should you take nothing else from my article, at least use it as an excuse to get one. Ex Lib also hosts cool events throughout the year where it creates themed drink menus (infamously, its Inferno-themed night set off Regenstein’s fire alarm with their smoke machine last year). However, I often find the café’s combinations are a bit off—I’ve had coffees where all I taste is milk, found undissolved cinnamon in a cold drink, and received iced beverages without much ice. At least (most of the time) their mocha is good.

Food: 4/5

You can choose from an assortment of croissants, scones, donuts, muffins, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and regular sandwiches. If you’re sick of sandwiches, it also have sushi. Plus, it has two vending machines for snacks. It’s a satisfactory support for late night studying.

Seating: 4/5

Ex Lib is one of the larger cafés, with plenty of places to sit. There are three long communal tables and dozens of small tables in between. You should have no trouble finding a seat. However, I find the tall chairs with no backs incredibly uncomfortable.

Hours: 5/5

Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m.–10 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Saturday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

I have very few complaints about Ex Lib’s hours. For being in Regenstein, being open late is essential. My only wish is that it opened a little earlier on the weekends (but it’s probably not a good sign if you’re in the library at 8 a.m. on a Saturday, anyway).

Cobb Coffee Shop

Location: Cobb Hall, basement

Ambience: 4/5

Considering we have all had a class in Cobb at one point or another, Cobb Coffee Shop is a convenient café. It really channels the basement look with half-finished art cluttering the walls and grunge music blasting through the speakers. There is no boring surface in Cobb.

Drinks: 2/5

Of the coffee shops in this ranking, Cobb has the smallest menu. It doesn’t have an espresso machine or any of the flavored drinks that other cafés have. When you order a drip coffee, the baristas don’t mix it—you choose from the refrigerator of milks.

Food: 3/5

This is a great spot for a sweet treat before or after class. Cobb has croissants and muffins, or, if you prefer something savory, focaccia and lentil soup. For something more substantial it has a hot food selection from the same restaurants as GOB.

Seating: 1/5

Cobb has plenty of tables, but they are all quite small—no more than two people can fit. The tables are also wobbly, which doesn’t make for a good mix with hot drinks.

Hours: 2/5

Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday: Closed

The hours align well with when most students are in Cobb. However, not having any evening or weekend hours limits the flexibility to hang out in the space. This is also the shortest operating window on the list.

As the title of this article acknowledges, the question of the best campus café is an ongoing debate. Each one is unique and serves students in different situations.