16 Best Coffee Shops in Chicago in 2023 (By a Local)
If you revel in that first sip of coffee in the morning, then you’ll be delighted to hear about all the best coffee shops in Chicago.
Getting your caffeine fix is a must for fueling each adventure-filled day, and Chicago has everything from classic hipster-esque coffee bars to eclectic neighborhood spots and coffee shops with a unique twist.
As a coffee-lover and Chicago local, I’m here to guide you to the best Chicago coffee shops as you discover the best things to do in Chicago.
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16 Best Chicago Coffee Shops
Sawada Cafe
A West Loop coffee shop serving up some seriously good drinks
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (312) 344-1750
The West Loop is known for its foodie scene, and the coffee shops are no exception. Located right off W Randolph St on N Green St, Sawada is one of the best coffee shops in the city. It was started by world-famous barista Hiroshi Sawada and has become a Chicago favorite for sure.
The Military Latte is an all-time favorite so be sure to order it if you visit. Composed of espresso, specialty matcha, vanilla, milk, and cocoa powder, it’s a tasty concoction that’s flavorful and well-balanced. The vibe here is cozy but still buzzing, so I recommend picking up coffee to take on the go.
👉 Don’t Miss: Green Street Smoked Meats shares space with Sawada and serves up smoked BBQ as well as a good selection of cocktails and beer.
The Wormhole
A quirky, sci-fi-themed neighborhood coffee shop in downtown Wicker Park
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 661-2468
A car isn’t exactly what you’d expect to see when you walk into a coffee shop, but at The Wormhole, you’ll find just that and more. As soon as you walk in, you’ll see a to-scale DeLorean from Back To The Future sitting high on a loft shelf. The coffee shop is also filled with other 80’s themed decor from Ghost Busters to E.T.
Amid all this sci-fi decor, the drinks are tasty and there are ample tables and seating for those wanting to bring their laptop and get some work done. The Honey Bear latte made with local honey is by far a fan favorite, but they also have a rotating list of seasonal drinks.
👉 Don’t Miss: The Wormhole is close to a ton of fun things to do in Wicker Park.
Cafe Deko
Art Deco-inspired cafe in between Lincoln Park and Lake View
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 661-6425
If you’re looking for an Instagram-worthy cafe then head to Cafe Deko in between Lincoln Park and Lake View. This corner cafe has an Art Deco-inspired design with lots of richly colored seating and gold decor. It’s sure to make you feel like you’re in a European cafe, and it’s great for snapping some cute pictures.
Cafe Deko offers a variety of espresso classics as well as specialty coffee drinks and teas. If you’re hungry, they have some pastries and croissants to choose from as well.
📚 Related Reading: How to Get Around in Chicago (By a Local)
Hero Coffee Bar
A cute alley coffee shop located in the Loop
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 661-1254 (Lake View location)
Hero Coffee Bar is a small alley coffee shop located in the Loop, right off the Adams/Wabash stop. The coffee shop itself doesn’t have any indoor seating, but instead has patio seating throughout the alley, making it a great outdoor work spot if you visit Chicago during the warmer seasons. The patio is also covered with hanging lights, which gives it a charming city vibe.
The menu has all your coffee staples like espresso drinks and matcha, as well as a variety of syrups you can add in. As far as food goes, there are a bunch of tasty bagel combinations.
Caffè Streets
An innovative cafe space in West Town, with tasty drinks to match
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 278-2739
Nestled on Division Street in West Town near Wicker Park is this cool and modern, yet cozy coffee shop. The interior of Caffè Streets is picture-worthy with its wood-paneled walls and ceiling, and lots of natural light.
The drinks here are just as impressive, too. They’ve got you covered with all the classic espresso drinks, as well as some tasty concoctions like rose water lattes and rosemary matcha. A personal favorite is their oat milk matcha with vanilla and lavender.
Gaslight Coffee Roasters
A Logan Square cafe with that classic coffee shop aesthetic
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website
Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood is full of great coffee shops, and Gaslight Coffee Roasters definitely ranks high on the list. Everything about this corner cafe between N Milwaukee Ave and W Fullerton Ave boasts that classic coffee shop aesthetic.
They’ve got all your espresso staples as well as some seasonal drinks and tea. The space has exposed white brick, tables for working, cozy lighting, and an overall peaceful atmosphere.
Dark Matter Coffee
Unmissable and funky neighborhood coffee lounge with locations in West Town and Lake View
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 384-7827 (Star Lounge location)
At any Dark Matter Coffee shop you can expect a funky atmosphere with delicious coffee and espresso. The baristas here are friendly and helpful and the place has a real local feel to it—it’s the kind of place that Chicagoans frequent.
Dark Matter Coffee also has an array of bakery goods including donuts, which are a must-try. All three locations have ample space for hanging out or working, and the Star Lounge location has a great back patio.
📚 Related Reading: Chicago Packing List (29 Things People Forget to Bring)
Colectivo Coffee
A bright and open coffee shop, perfect for digital workers around the city
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (312) 312-5011
Colectivo is a great coffee shop for digital workers and anyone just wanting to be productive. With locations in Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, and Uptown, it’s an especially great place to hit up, no matter where you are in the city. The vibes are laid back and these coffee shops are spacious, with tons of seating and outdoor patio space, too.
Colectivo serves a variety of drinks from classic coffees to specialty drinks and smoothies, which are all tasty. They also offer all-day breakfast food and bakery goods.
Four Letter Word Coffee
A small, Avondale coffee shop serving up tasty beverages
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 360-8932
With only two locations in the world—one in Turkey, and the other here in Chicago—it’s safe to say that Four Letter Word Coffee is unique. They’re known for serving up phenomenal coffee, including classic lattes, iced coffee, and cold brew.
Located in Avondale, the cafe is small and often operated by one barista, but the wait is worth it for the locals who frequent here. Four Letter Word also serves up some unique sweet and savory pastries. But if you want to snag some, come early since they go fast!
Eat Me Milk Me Coffee & Tea
A cute boba shop with tons of tasty flavor combinations in the West Loop
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (312) 265-0615
Boba lovers listen up, because this West Loop cafe on W Randolph St is a great place for not only boba, but loose leaf tea and coffee as well. They have a wide selection of fruit teas, tea lattes, and bubble teas, which I recommend ordering if you visit. They also serve up some Chinese baos if you’re hungry.
The vibe of Eat Me, Milk Me is friendly and laid back. It’s a great place to visit with friends and the decor is super cute, with a fun checkerboard pattern covering most of the cafe.
Cafe Jumping Bean
A local neighborhood coffee spot in Pilsen that always serves up top-notch drinks and food
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (312) 455-0019
On the corner of W 18th Street and S Bishop Street in downtown Pilsen, is Cafe Jumping Bean. This coffee shop serves up top-notch coffee and cafe fare, and has a super friendly, local vibe to it—the kind of place where people know your face and remember your order.
There are a few tables inside for working, but I recommend sitting at the window-facing countertop for journaling, catching up with friends, or people-watching!
Oromo Cafe
Bright and airy coffee houses in Bucktown & Lincoln Square known for their health-conscious fare and delicious Turkish coffee
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 904-8147 (Bucktown location)
Oromo Cafe is an innovative coffee house known for its health-conscious approach to food and drinks. Turkish coffee is Oromo Cafe’s specialty, which is a super strong and rich coffee with a slight coffee ground texture to it. If you’re a coffee aficionado, this is a must-try, and you can order it in different ways, with various spices or milk blends.
The atmosphere at Oromo Cafe is bright and airy while still being cozy and quiet, which is great for getting work done. Since there are locations in Bucktown and Lincoln Square, I highly recommend putting either on your Chicago itinerary.
Cà Phê Dá
A Pilsen cafe serving up tasty Vietnamese eats and specialty coffee drinks
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 999-1800
⚠️ Closure Note: Cà Phê Dá is temporarily closed and will be opening in September at the University of Chicago.
Located in downtown Pilsen, Cà Phê Dá offers visitors a little something different in terms of your typical cuppa joe.
In addition to their tasty wings and other Vietnamese street food, they have a selection of specialty coffee drinks including egg custard coffee. Egg custard coffee is a Vietnamese style of coffee, and definitely worth trying. The consistency is thicker than your average latte but just as smooth and tasty.
Sip of Hope
A Logan Square coffee shop with an amazing mission
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 661-6986
If you’re in Logan Square, then consider dropping by this unique coffee shop with an amazing cause. As the walls state inside, Sip of Hope is the world’s first coffee shop that donates 100% of its proceeds to promote mental health education and support suicide prevention.
They offer a great range of classic espresso drinks as well as other non-coffee lattes and teas. The vibe is great for getting work done and the baristas are super friendly.
Kibbitznest
A late-hour, no-WiFi book bar between Bucktown and Lincoln Park
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 360-7591
Leave your laptop at home and instead, visit Kibbitznest with a book or group of friends. This coffee shop/cocktail bar, located between Bucktown and Lincoln Park, is no-frills when it comes to its lack of WiFi. Instead, the shelves are outfitted with tons of books and games, which is meant to encourage some good old face-to-face conversation and quality time.
Kibbitznest opens later than most traditional coffee shops, but stays open later, too — even as late as midnight. They offer a standard selection of coffee and tea, along with craft cocktails and other beverages. They also have a small plates menu. Lastly, and just a heads up, they don’t offer dairy milk alternatives.
👉 Don’t Miss: Pequod’s Pizza is located just across the street from Kibbitznest, and is a local favorite for deep-dish pizza. Read our guide for more Chicago restaurants!
Ludlow Charlingtons Coffee Shop
A cozy Lincoln Park coffee shop that benefits our furry friends
📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (773) 697-7984
Ludlow Charlingtons Coffee Shop is a cute, cozy coffee shop located just a short walk from Lincoln Park. They make all your coffee favorites, but their iced coffee and iced latte drinks are a fan favorite, so be sure to try one.
What really sets Ludlow Charlingtons apart is the fact that a portion of their proceeds go to Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control, to help shelter dogs find their forever homes. So, while you’re sipping your delicious coffee, you can feel good knowing you’re doing a little something to help out our canine companions.
👉 Don’t Miss: Lincoln Park and other nearby Chicago neighborhoods make for great places to stay, so be sure to check out this part of town!
FAQs About Coffee Shops in Chicago
Is Chicago known for their coffee?
Chicago is known for having tons of local, specialty coffee roasters all around the city. Not to mention, there are tons of talented baristas who work at these coffee shops.
How much is coffee in Chicago?
A cup of black coffee costs around $3-$4 and coffee like cappuccinos, Americanos, or mochas costs around $4-$6.
Do most coffee shops in Chicago have dairy alternatives?
Nearly every coffee shop in Chicago offers dairy alternatives for milk and creamer. Options like almond milk and oat milk are available at most places
How many coffee roasters are in Chicago?
Chicago has more than 30 roasters and tons of coffee shops scattered around the city. It’s safe to say it’ll be easy to find a good cuppa.
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By this point you’re probably craving a little coffee or tea fix. No worries, just be sure to drop by any of these Chicago coffee shops during your visit. And while you’re here, check out our Chicago safety tips – it includes key information about visiting this awesome city!
