My personal reviews of Chicago cafes and coffee shops that I visit. This is just for fun because I'm a nerd who loves his city and exploring new spaces. 
Reviews & Rating System Context
- 1. Most importantly I am a coffee-obsessed nerd, and coffee quality is paramount to me. This is reflected by the coffee score being the only score weighted out of 10 on my rating system.
- 2. I'm a work-from-home web-developer and a hobbyist artist who enjoys working out of coffee shops to code or draw.
- 3. I'm an urbanist, and am drawn to places that reflect the character of their neighborhood, and make an attempt to bolster local community.
A ★ denotes my current favorite cafes
★Gaslight Coffee Roasters
Logan Square, ChicagoNov 28, 2025
A down-to-earth coffee roaster right on the Blue Line serving excellent espresso and drip coffee for crazy-low prices. No frills, nothing crazy, just good coffee and principled roasting and service in a very comfortable cafe space.
coffee7 / 10
cafe4 / 5
price5 / 5
productivity5 / 5
vibes5 / 5
Total26 / 30
Order Suggestion: Drip Coffee
★Pedestrian Coffee
East Lakeview, ChicagoNov 3, 2025
"Pedestrian" in name only, this is an exceptional cafe. A beautiful shop space packed with high-effort, quality coffee and food items, all made in-house. Offerings change often as the owner tries out new ideas and products, but the coffee fundamentals are rock-solid. One of the best places in town for a consistent espresso or pour-over.
- coffee9.5 / 10
- cafe5 / 5
- price2 / 5
- productivity5 / 5
- vibes4 / 5
- Total25.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: An Americano with their premium single-origin espresso or any pour-over
★Thrd Coffee
Bucktown, ChicagoSep 24, 2025
Best coffee quality-to-price ratio in the city, plus good vibes and free cereal. Great sense of dedication towards community, and right off the 606 on a good stretch of Milwaukee Ave.
- coffee9.5 / 10
- cafe3.5 / 5
- price5 / 5
- productivity5 / 5
- vibes4.5 / 5
- Total27.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: A 6oz or "short" Americano, black
