The best cafes in Chicago
44 cafes we’ve checked and stand behind — with the story on each one. Not a ranking; a record.
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Mrs. Fields
CafesMall-based chain offering cookies, brownies & personalized cookie cakes.
Mrs. Fields
CafesPanera Bread
CafesCounter-serve bakery/cafe chain serving sandwiches, salads & more, known for its bread & free WiFi.
Panera Bread
CafesOff the Wall Cafe
CafesOff the Wall Cafe is the kind of Park Ridge spot where Dark Matter Coffee and TeaLula teas fuel brainstorms, board games break the ice, and…
Off the Wall Cafe
CafesLattea Cafe
CafesLattea Cafe keeps things delicious and unpretentious with well-made coffee, smooth lattes, and a few fun specialties that feel like tiny…
Lattea Cafe
CafesFannie May
CafesRetail chain selling gourmet chocolates & candies, with gift options for special occasions.
Fannie May
CafesDunkin'
CafesLong-running chain serving signature breakfast items & a variety of coffee drinks.
Dunkin'
CafesAlHamawi Roastery & Coffee (Bridgeview) is the local move when you want fresh-roasted coffee plus shelves of nuts, Middle Eastern sweets,…
Destination 35 ديستينيشن brings a cozy, design-forward spot for seriously good coffee, including an Authentic Yemeni Coffee Experience with…
Panera Bread
CafesCounter-serve bakery/cafe chain serving sandwiches, salads & more, known for its bread & free WiFi.
Panera Bread
CafesGrind ‘N’ Gears Cafe
CafesPart coffee temple, part moto clubhouse, Grind ‘N’ Gears Cafe pours seriously good espresso while stocking vintage-inspired motorcycle…
Grind ‘N’ Gears Cafe
CafesMilk Cake Bakery
CafesMilk Cake Bakery is the nearby sweet spot to hit this week when you want something beyond a basic slice. Think tres-leches-style milk cakes…
Milk Cake Bakery
CafesFantasia Cafe
CafesMake this week taste better at Fantasia Cafe, where specialty drinks roll out in signature pink carriers and the pastry case tempts with…
Fantasia Cafe
CafesYEC-TLI Juice & Coffee blends health-conscious vibes with actual flavor, pouring hand-crafted juices, nutrient-packed smoothies, artisan…
Monday Coffee Co.
CafesMonday Coffee Co. is bottling sanity for busy days with its Cold Brew Minis, 2‑ounce concentrate steeped 18 hours for a smooth, dense kick…
Monday Coffee Co.
CafesBlack Fodder Coffee
CafesFrom weddings to office shindigs, Black Fodder Coffee rolls in with a legit specialty bar serving espresso, pour overs, and cold brew, all…
Black Fodder Coffee
CafesKribi Coffee Air Roastery keeps it clean and never bitter with small-batch, air-roasted beans, then turns that into spot-on lattes, baked…
Green Tomato Cafe
CafesGreen Tomato Cafe is the low-key neighborhood go-to for from-scratch soups, stacked sandwiches, and bright salads that actually taste like…
Green Tomato Cafe
CafesFriendly Coffee Lounge is your low-key Berwyn hangout for real-deal coffee, baked goods, smoothies, and a few fun coffee cocktails, all…
Cozy kitchen with a menu of traditional subs and wraps, plus soups and salads.
Panera Bread
CafesCounter-serve bakery/cafe chain serving sandwiches, salads & more, known for its bread & free WiFi.
Panera Bread
CafesElijah's Specialty Coffee and Tea keeps it cozy with pastries baked fresh daily, fresh roasted coffee from regions around the world, and…
Panera Bread
CafesCounter-serve bakery/cafe chain serving sandwiches, salads & more, known for its bread & free WiFi.
Panera Bread
CafesVilla Perk Coffee Co. pours handcrafted coffee, tea, and playful signature drinks that actually taste like someone cares. Feeding a meeting…
7-Eleven
CafesPit stop for snacks, drinks & daily essentials
7-Eleven
CafesWFM Coffee Bar
CafesWFM Coffee Bar is a full service coffee shop brewing a variety of roasts and making drinks to order. Swing by this week for a reliably good…
WFM Coffee Bar
CafesPanera Bread
CafesCounter-serve bakery/cafe chain serving sandwiches, salads & more, known for its bread & free WiFi.
Panera Bread
CafesNew Sound Cafe
CafesHoused in a restored gospel record shop, New Sound Cafe pours good coffee with a mellow, soulful vibe, and all profits support neighborhood…
New Sound Cafe
CafesThe Daly Bagel
CafesCoffee shop specializing in bagels and sandwiches including vegan options, plus homemade goat cheese cream cheese.
The Daly Bagel
CafesDunkin'
CafesLong-running chain serving signature breakfast items & a variety of coffee drinks.
Dunkin'
CafesOak Park’s own Whirlwind Coffee Company carefully roasts handcrafted single origins and blends that actually taste like the tasting notes…
Mulata Kitchen + Coffee is the Oak Park go-to for Brazilian-style empanadas and custom coffee blends, the kind that rescue both mornings…
VIGO COFFEE
CafesVigo Coffee is that modern, comfy cafe where the espresso leans Mexican in spirit, the smoothies, sandwiches, and pastries keep you fueled,…
VIGO COFFEE
CafesFamily-friendly, warm hangout serving traditional Yemeni coffee drinks, teas, desserts and pastries.
Grove Coffee
CafesPeople-first vibes, calming design, and seriously good craft coffee fuel Grove Coffee, which builds lattes on Modest’s single-origin…
Grove Coffee
CafesA Cup Of Joe
CafesCraving more than your usual caffeine fix, A Cup Of Joe brings Pilsen-rooted vibes, creative specialty drinks, and a menu that actually…
A Cup Of Joe
CafesCafe 53
CafesNeed a quick upgrade to your weekday eats? Cafe 53 has been a Hyde Park go-to since 2010, turning out oven-fresh sandwiches and strong…
Cafe 53
CafesThe Qahwa
CafesHome of the Iced Biscoff Latte, The Qahwa roasts its own coffee and builds signature drinks that actually stand out, from pistachio and…
The Qahwa
CafesSada Coffee Co.
CafesTrue to its name, Sada Coffee Co. keeps things pure and simple, from globally sourced beans and carefully dialed roasts to an artisanal…
Sada Coffee Co.
CafesPapa Chocolate
CafesPapa Chocolate is all about fresh lokma, crepes, and waffles covered in their chocolate. Pistachio kunafah touches, Lotus flavors, and…
Papa Chocolate
CafesBerry Pike Cafe
CafesBerry Pike Cafe is the Evanston spot for fluffy Liège waffles made with imported pearl sugar, melty steamed bagel sandwiches built meaty or…
Berry Pike Cafe
CafesSettle into the cat café lounge at The Catcade - Cat Cafe & Rescue and hang with adoptable snugglers while supporting a rescue that pulls…
Tree House Cat Cafe brings the caffeine and the cuddles. Book a lounge visit to hang with a few adoptable FeLV-positive charmers, then grab…
Fresh Belgian waffles, buttery crepes, and real-deal chocolate are the whole mood at Leonidas Chocolate & French Cafe. Swing by for a cocoa…
LUCKYCAT
CafesLuckycat is serving Chicago coffee with an Asian twist in Lakeview East, pouring Yunnan-sourced beans and creative sippers like black…
LUCKYCAT
CafesNothing matched that. Know a spot we’re missing? Tell us →
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