Chicago takes its coffee seriously. The city helped shape America's modern specialty-coffee scene, and today it has a deep bench of homegrown roasters whose beans show up in cafés and restaurants all over town. The best way to drink them is at their own bars.
The roasters' own cafés
- Intelligentsia Broadway Coffeebar in Lakeview: the original coffee bar of the roaster that helped put Chicago on the specialty-coffee map. Order the Black Cat espresso.
- Dark Matter Coffee – Star Lounge in Ukrainian Village: the flagship of Chicago's loud, art-loving homegrown roaster. Try whatever seasonal espresso blend is on.
- Milli by Metric in Avondale: the café arm of roaster Metric, pairing precise coffee with very good pastries. Get an espresso drink and a Paradise Bun.
- Gaslight Coffee Roasters in Logan Square: a roomy, vintage-feeling roaster-café with a full brunch menu. Order a pour-over of the house roast.
- Afro Joe's Coffee & Tea in Beverly: a Black-owned roaster-café that doubles as a community gathering spot.
The creative drinks
- Side Practice Coffee in North Center: a Filipino-owned café whose ube, pandan and black-sesame drinks sit on seriously good espresso.
- Dayglow in Humboldt Park: a colorful café pouring beans from rotating guest roasters, plus some of the city's most creative signature drinks.
Pair it with a pastry
Chicago's bakery scene is just as strong. See our picks for pastries and croissants, donuts and bagels.
New to the city and looking for your neighborhood café? ChicagoApartmentBuildings.com is our guide to apartment buildings across Chicago.