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. 
- 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
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Bad Owl Coffee roasters
Bridgeport, Chicago Nov 21, 2025
A California roastery transplanted into a Chicago neighborhood. Feels anodyne and unserious, but wants to be taken seriously. Possibly good coffee, but yet to be impressed. Weird amount of fake plants juxtaposed to genuinely decent real pothos so idk what's going on
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coffee 3 / 10 -
cafe 2 / 5 -
price 2 / 5 -
productivity 2 / 5 -
vibes 1 / 5 -
Total
10 / 30
Order Suggestion: Latte with any syrup
Partial Review Only 
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Ctrl Z
Bridgeport, Chicago Nov 21, 2025
A strange, very small cafe with unique coffee offerings. Not a place to go and get work done, but unique coffee and funky seating good for a casual conversation.
- coffee 7 / 10
- cafe 2 / 5
- price 2 / 5
- productivity 1.5 / 5
- vibes 2.5 / 5
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Total
15 / 30
Order Suggestion: Pour-over
Partial Review Only -
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A Cup of Joe - Pilsen
Pilsen, Chicago Nov 22, 2025
A tiny community shop with good vibes and pretty good food. Maybe not an all-day work 'n stay but cute enough to stop into for a quick cuppa, especially for the price!
- coffee 5 / 10
- cafe 2 / 5
- price 4 / 5
- productivity 1 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
16 / 30
Order Suggestion: Small americano and a breakfast burrito
Partial Review Only -
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Nomad Chicago
River North, Chicago Oct 4, 2025
A girly boutique + coffee shop that does not compromise on the coffee quality. You'll step in, wondering which part of the business (coffee or boutique sales) is the supporting actor for the other, but never really find the answer.
- coffee 7 / 10
- cafe 5 / 5
- price 1 / 5
- productivity 3 / 5
- vibes 3.5 / 5
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Total
19.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: A specialty latte if you have the money, otherwise any pour-over
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Caffe Umbria
Bucktown, Chicago Sep 27, 2025
A roastery & cafe space with art deco & industrial vibes. Mediocre Italian espresso with above average chocolate. Overall a cool space in a good location that I wish had better coffee.
- coffee 4 / 10
- cafe 5 / 5
- price 2.5 / 5
- productivity 4.5 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
20 / 30
Order Suggestion: 12oz Mocha
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Hexe Coffee Co.
Lincoln Park, Chicago Jun 14, 2026
Gothic-themed cafe with a beautiful indoor cafe and large patio space. They roast a crowd-pleaser spread of coffee, and serve alongside full bar service as well as host music events. A great space that balances bar & cafe with a unique vibe.
- coffee 5 / 10
- cafe 4 / 5
- price 4 / 5
- productivity 3 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
20 / 30
Order Suggestion: Cortado
Partial Review Only -
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Lucky Cat
Lakeview, Chicago Oct 1, 2025
A tidy, modern cafe specializing in single-origin coffees from China. Chill vibes in a small shop on a busy corridor that manages to say "grab your coffee, but take your time, feel free to relax"
- coffee 7.5 / 10
- cafe 3 / 5
- price 2 / 5
- productivity 4 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
20.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: A single-origin *decaf* 6oz/short Americano, black
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Anticonquista
Pilsen, Chicago Nov 22, 2025
A family-run shop defined by its anticolonialism, this shop serves coffee exclusively from their family farms, and features wall-to-wall anticolonial propaganda & decor plus community resources.
- coffee 6 / 10
- cafe 4 / 5
- price 2.5 / 5
- productivity 3.5 / 5
- vibes 5 / 5
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Total
21 / 30
Order Suggestion: Americano
Partial Review Only -
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Everybody's Coffee
Uptown, Chicago Sep 19, 2025
A large community-oriented space with local art + zines, and high-quality-yet-cheap single-origin drip coffee.
- coffee 6 / 10
- cafe 4 / 5
- price 5 / 5
- productivity 2 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
21 / 30
Order Suggestion: Any size single-origin drip
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Printers Row Coffee Co.
Goose Island, Chicago Jan 29, 2026
Huge cafe-roastery with a wide variety of both coffee offerings and seating options. A great place to get some work done, or meet friends without compromising an inch on specialty coffee quality. However it can get very loud and overstimulating, especially on weekends, so plan accordingly.
- coffee 7.5 / 10
- cafe 4 / 5
- price 3.5 / 5
- productivity 3 / 5
- vibes 3.5 / 5
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Total
21.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: Pour-over or Espresso, depending on that day's offering
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Coffee Lab
Lincoln Park, Chicago Nov 10, 2025
A tiny shop with outsized coffee quality and personality, a little bit off the beaten path. Great coffee, good prices, awesome productivity access (if you can find a seat!)
- coffee 8 / 10
- cafe 3 / 5
- price 3 / 5
- productivity 4.5 / 5
- vibes 5 / 5
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Total
23.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: Pour-over or their Kyoto Style cold brew
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Jackalope Coffee & Tea House
Bridgeport, Chicago Nov 21, 2025
An eclectic cafe with tons of space, style, and charm but doesn't compromise on the coffee quality. It feels utterly unique and authentic, full of neat tchotchkes
- coffee 7 / 10
- cafe 5 / 5
- price 3 / 5
- productivity 3.5 / 5
- vibes 5 / 5
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Total
23.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: A small americano
Partial Review Only -
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Milli by Metric
Avondale, Chicago Nov 27, 2025
An experimental cafe space designed by the folks at Metric to serve coffee, in-house pastries, and eventually wine, Milli is a huge, gorgeous cafe space serving excellent coffee. The worst that can be said about it is that it may be *too* popular, because it can be hard to find a table despite the large footprint.
- coffee 9 / 10
- cafe 5 / 5
- price 2.5 / 5
- productivity 2 / 5
- vibes 5 / 5
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Total
23.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: Any pour-over
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Allez Cafe
Bucktown, Chicago May 30, 2026
A tidy cafe serving crazy good coffee with impeccable skill. Small and closes early, but worth the trip for food and drink!
- coffee 10 / 10
- cafe 4 / 5
- price 4 / 5
- productivity 2.5 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
24.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: Any espresso or pour-over
Partial Review Only -
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★ Pedestrian Coffee
East Lakeview, Chicago Nov 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.
- coffee 9.5 / 10
- cafe 5 / 5
- price 2 / 5
- productivity 5 / 5
- vibes 4 / 5
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Total
25.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: An Americano with their premium single-origin espresso or any pour-over
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★ Gaslight Coffee Roasters
Logan Square, Chicago Nov 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.
- coffee 7 / 10
- cafe 4 / 5
- price 5 / 5
- productivity 5 / 5
- vibes 5 / 5
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Total
26 / 30
Order Suggestion: Drip Coffee
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★ Thrd Coffee
Bucktown, Chicago Sep 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.
- coffee 9.5 / 10
- cafe 3.5 / 5
- price 5 / 5
- productivity 5 / 5
- vibes 4.5 / 5
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Total
27.5 / 30
Order Suggestion: A 6oz or "short" Americano, black
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