With a Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts seemingly within any two-block radius and McDonald’s offering its new McCafé line of premium coffee and espresso, there are more than enough options for Chicagoans in need of a caffeine fix. But followers of locally owned Intelligentsia Coffee Co. have found a haven for the hot stuff that, in their eyes, those other chains simply don’t deliver.

“It’s by far the best coffee in the city,” said 57-year-old Simon El Hage, as he sipped his post-dinner cup on a recent evening at Intelligentsia’s Broadway Coffee Bar, 3123 N. Broadway. A senior vice president at Draft FCB, El Hage and his wife trek to Lakeview from their Andersonville home four or five evenings a week for this coffee.

This isn’t percolated coffee or even espresso. Baristas craft each cup individually, scooping grounds beans into a porcelain funnel and onto a paper filter they place atop the funnel. In go the ground beans. Then, they slowly pour hot water over the beans, producing what patrons say is a robust, incredible flavor.

But a small cup, eight ounces, starts at $3. That’s more than at most coffee spots, where a standard 12-ounce small usually runs about $1.50. And with by-the-cup brewing, you can forget free refills.

“Price is no issue when you have the best coffee – period,” El Hage said.

Founder and CEO Doug Zell said Intelligentsia is not merely a different brand, but what he claims is a unique product.

“It’s specialty coffee,” Zell said. “We’re taking this to a new culinary level. It’s like trying to compare a cheeseburger from a fast food place to Kobe beef sliders from a fine-dining restaurant.”

He pointed to a number of things that he says justify pairing the word “artisan” with his art of coffee production.

Source is a primary differentiating factor: “We’re heavily dug in on the ground in about 20 countries, where we are working very closely with growers in places that are considerably over international fair trade standards,” he said. “As a result of paying the prices and investing in the infrastructure in these communities around the world, we’re really pushing to make the coffee a great culinary creation.”

Second is the roasting: “You’re not going to see something that’s more than a week out of our roaster at any of our locations, so there’s a huge freshness factor,” Zell explained. “And we also have our in-season initiative, which means we’re trying to offer stuff that’s really fresh off of harvest.”

Lastly, and certainly not least important, is the preparation and attention at the coffee bars: “We have some of the best baristas in the world with regional and national championships to back them up, so the way the coffee is made is by people who are very skilled and meticulous.”

With his baristas, or “coffee chefs,” brewing individual cups, atmosphere is part of the equation. Each of the five locations – three in Chicago and two in Los Angeles – has its particular tone and design but is still openly branded as Intelligentsia. The décor is tailored to the aesthetic and personality of the surrounding area and clientele.

So whether or not they are bean buffs, Intelligentsia has its share of aficionados who simply like the overall package.

Carlos Baldizon-Martini and Michael Johnson, both career advisors at the Illinois Institute of Art, choose the Intelligentsia in Lake View for its all-around individualization.

“It’s not just about a coffee; it’s how it’s presented,” Baldizon-Martini said. “The place is unique and sort of artsy and there aren’t that many of them. Starbucks is more cookie-cutter and you know what to expect. It seems to be about accessibility. Here, there is a more of a neighborhoody feel.”

Johnson is more passionate about his single-served cup. “It’s just authentic,” he said. “This cappuccino is the right size, nice and small, perfect temperature. They focus on that and that’s important to me – to come here and know that the people behind the counter really care.” The fair trade ideals upheld at Intelligentsia is a determinant as well for him.

Both Johnson and Baldizon-Martini are willing to pay the price for better coffee, better ambiance, and better values.

Zell assured that none of these elements will be compromised as his business expands.

“Given the way we want to execute and the training we put in place, we can’t open 100 new Intelligentsias,” he said. “We certainly would not want to lose what sets us apart and defines us.”

They certainly would not. Because, as Ken Bennett, who frequents Intelligentsia’s Monadnock Coffee Bar, puts in plainly: “It’s just sexy.”