by Annette F
Are you looking for a great local / independent speciality coffee shop in Chicago? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up the best independent and local coffee shops in Chicago — and there are plenty to choose from. There are some really unique coffee shops in the area and we have given you just a bit of information and the address so you can check them out and find your favorite.
These are primarily local businesses, but some have multiple locations and we included all of those we could find to give you plenty of options and see if there’s one near your location. We didn’t include the big chains since they are easy to find with any app.
We think you will find a spot for your caffeine fix, whether you are visiting the area or are a Windy City resident. This guide is designed to help you quickly scan through and discover which of these Chicago coffee shops might be perfect for your coffee break.
Ludlow Charlingtons Coffee Shop
Ludlow Charlingtons is a cozy, family owned coffee shop near Lincoln Park. They dedicate 50% of their proceeds to Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control to help shelter dogs find their forever home. The shop is decorated with portraits of dogs dressed in Victoria era fashion. So, while you are sipping delicious coffee, espresso and specialty drinks you know you are helping sweet dogs find good homes.
https://www.ludlowcharlingtons.com/
2425 N Clark Street Chicago,
Sputnik Coffee Co.
Located in Chicagos historic Back of the Yards neighborhood, Sputnik Coffee roasts and brews a medium roast blend with Arabica beans from Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia. Their single offering is smooth with chocolaty overtones.
https://www.sputnikcoffeecompany.com/
2057 W 51st St, Chicago, IL
Metric Coffee Co.
At Metric Coffee Co. they visit small coffee producers to hand pick the best lots each season. The cafe itself is located west of Fulton Market and has the roasting facility in the back. They serve fresh roasted single origin and blended coffees, cold brew, espresso and tea. They also sell brewing gear.
2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL
Four Letter Word Coffee
This is a tiny, specialized coffee shop in Logan Square associated with the roastery in Back of the Yards. Outside of Chicago, the only other Four Letter Word location is in Istanbul. Four Letter Word offers drip, pour over, iced coffee and espresso as well as Turkish style coffee.
https://www.4lwcoffee.com/4lw-chicago
3022 W. Diversey, Chicago IL
Sip and Savor
Sip and Savor has 3 Southside Chicago locations and a suburban location. They source fair trade beans and create jobs in the community. In addition to the usual drip coffee and espresso they serve mochas, frappes, lattes and blended drinks.
https://sipandsavorchicago.com
Bronzeville – 528 E 43RD ST CHICAGO, IL
Hyde Park – 5301 S HYDE PARK BLVD CHICAGO, IL
Forest Park – 7520 S ROOSEVELT RD FOREST PARK
Rosenwald – 78 E 47TH ST CHICAGO, IL
The Wormhole
The Wormhole is a time travel and 80’s themed coffee shop with a full size DeLorean in the front of the shop! They brew beans from a variety of cult roasters and serve some of the strongest cold brew out there. They have a rotation of seasonal beverages.
1462 N MILWAUKEE AVE CHICAGO IL
Ipsento Coffee 606
Ipsento Coffee prides itself on being involved in the whole coffee making process, from choosing the best beans to roasting and crafting beverages. In addition to drip coffee they serve Nitro cold brew, espresso drinks and coffee alternatives like Matcha Vanilla Latte and Chai Tea.
1813 N Milwaukee Chicago, IL
Caffe Streets
Caffe Streets is a modern yet cozy coffee shop near Wicker Park. They offer a different selection of coffee beans weekly and in addition to coffee and espresso beverages they feature some unique selections like the rosewater latte or rosemary matcha.
https://www.facebook.com/CaffeStreetsChicago/
1750 W Division St Chicago, IL
Dark Matter Coffee
Dark Matter has a small shop and coffee bar in the front of their roasting facility. The funky Star Lounge is just around the corner and offers more space as well as a patio. They source beans directly from farmers in El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala and Columbia.
https://www.darkmattercoffee.com/
Mothership- 738 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL
Star Lounge – 2521 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL
Osmium – 1117 W Belmont Ave Chicago, IL
Meddle – 601 W Jackson Blvd Chicago, IL
Electric Mud – 1856 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL
Caravanserai- 2901 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL
Sleep Walk Chocolateria – 1844 South Blue Island Ave, Chicago, IL
Sip of Hope
Sip of Hope is a Logan Square Coffee shop that donates 100% of their proceeds to suicide prevention and mental health education. They sell their signature roast and offer drip coffee, espresso beverages as well as non-coffee lattes and teas.
3039 WEST FULLERTON AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL
Side Practice Coffee
Side Practice is a neighborhood coffee bar that highlights small businesses and creative projects from people in the community. In addition to great coffee and espresso they have specialty drinks like their Manila Matcha that is a matcha latte with ube and macadamia milk. They serve pastries from a rotating list of bakeries.
https://sidepracticecoffee.com/
5139 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL
Brew Brew Coffee & Tea
Brew Brew is a modern Mexican coffee shop, the founders having moved to Chicago from Tijuana. They serve a variety of tortas in addition to coffee, espresso and their signature drinks like the lavender honey latte.
https://www.facebook.com/brewbrewchicago/
3832 West Diversey Avenue Chicago, IL
Moonwalker Cafe
Moonwalker cafe brews Dark Matter Coffee and offers a host of unique espresso drinks like the Almond Joy inspired latte.
https://www.facebook.com/moonwalkercafe/
4101 W. Belmont Ave Chicago, IL
Oromo Cafe
If you are looking for pure ingredients, Oromo Cafe has you covered. They serve their coffee and espresso beverages with house made nut milks, superfoods and pastries with no refined sugars. They are known for their Turkish coffee but also create unique drinks like their tumeric and ginger latte as well as the Korean honey ginger tea.
https://www.oromocafechicago.com/
Bucktown – 1912 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL
Lincoln Square – 4703 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL
Prequel Cafe
Prequel uses beans from Four Letter Word to craft their coffee and espresso. They also serve sweet and savory house made pastries.
1957 W Chicago Ave Chicago, IL
Dayglow
Dayglow features unique brews you are unlikely to find anywhere else. They have a coffee shop as well as a subscription service. They also have seasonal concoctions like hibiscus with peppermint or black sesame and activated charcoal.
https://www.dayglowchicago.com/
1757 N Kimball Ave Chicago, IL
Bridgeport Coffeehouse
Bridgeport roasts their beans on site and they specialize in the pour-over.
3101 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL
Build Coffee
Build is a coffee shop, used bookshop and community hub located inside the Experimental Station. They host book groups, game nights and gallery shows. They serve halfwit coffee, espresso drinks and specialty beverages like their iced cardamom rose latte.
6100 South Blackstone Ave Chicago, IL
Intelligentsia Coffee
Intelligentsia celebrates coffee with three Chicago locations and a local roastery. They serve drip coffee, single cup brewing and espresso drinks. They also offer home barista and brewing classes.
https://www.intelligentsia.com/
Broadway Coffeebar – 3123 N Broadway Chicago, IL
Monadnock Coffeebar – 53 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL
Millennium Park Coffeebar – 53 East Randolph St. Chicago, IL
Sawada Coffee
Opened by the Japanese latte artist Hiroshi Sawada, Sawada coffee is known for the strong Military Latte composed of espresso, specialty matcha, vanilla, milk and cocoa powder. They also serve drip coffee, espresso drinks and boozy steamers.
https://sawadacoffee.com/chicago/pickup-delivery/
112 N. Green St. Chicago, IL
Afro Joe’s
Featuring a delicious light roast coffee, Afro Joes’s also has a fairly extensive lunch menu. They host a number of events, most notably bourbon, beers and cigars as well as a kids movie night.
1818 W. 99th St. Chicago, Il
Gaslight Coffee Roasters
At Gaslight they roast beans in house and also feature a rotating schedule of guest roasters. They serve coffee, tea and all your favorite espresso beverages.
https://gaslightcoffeeroasters.com/
2385 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL
The Avondale Coffee Club by Reprise Roasters
Avondale has a retro vibe and uses specialty beans from nearby Reprise Roasters. They serve coffee and espresso drinks as well as non-espresso drinks and variety of lemonades. Their specialty drinks include the rosemary and sea salt caramel latte.
https://reprise-avondale-pickup.square.site/
3185 N Elston Ave Chicago, IL
Metropolis Coffee
Self professed coffee nerds, this father son duo started with a small roaster at the Edgewater Cafe and expanded to a large roasting facility along the North Branch of Chicago. They purchase all their beans at above fair market value from sustainable farmers.
https://www.metropoliscoffee.com/
Edgewater Cafe – 1039 W Granville Ave, Chicago, IL
The Factory Store – 3057 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL
Big Shoulders Coffee
What started as hobby roasting in a garage grew into Big Shoulders Coffee. They value service, manners and kindness in the service of their perfectly roasted coffee. In addition to drip coffee, espresso drinks and pour overs they also have a specialty toasted marshmallow latte.
https://www.bigshoulderscoffee.com/
West Town – 1105 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL
Gold Coast – 858 N State St, Chicago, IL
The Loop – 213 W Lake St, Chicago, IL
Chicago Board of Trade – 141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL
Wacker – 311 South Wacker Chicago, IL
Midway Airport Terminal A
Hero Coffee Bar
Hero Coffee is dedicated to making a positive impact in their community. They donate $1 of every bag of beans to their charity partners. In addition to coffee, espresso, matcha and seasonal beverages they serve a variety of bagel sandwiches.
https://www.herocoffeebars.com/
Lakeview – 2950 N. Sheridan Chicago, IL
221 N. Wells Chicago, IL
Jackson – 22 E. Jackson Chicago, IL
Printer’s Row – 439 S Dearborn St Chicago, IL
Heritage Bikes and Coffee
Heritage Bikes is committed to eco-friendly transportation and stellar coffee. You can enjoy Heritage Coffee and sweet and savory treats while watching the bike mechanics or perusing the bikes and gear at the back of the shop.
https://www.heritagebikesandcoffee.com/
Heritage Bikes and Coffee – 2959 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL
Heritage Outpost Uptown – 1020 W Lawrence Chicago, IL
Heritage Outpost Financial District – 300 S Wacker Chicago, IL
Dollop Coffee Co.
Dollop roasts their own coffee and creates their own bread and pastries in the bakeshop. They serve coffee, tea, espresso beverages and specialty drinks like the iced mossy oak with espresso, matcha and your choice of milk.
Dearborn – 343 S Dearborn St Chicago, IL
Dollop and Hoosier Mama Pie Co. – 749 Chicago Ave Evanston, IL
Dollop Diner – 5060 N Clark St Chicago, IL
Dollop General Store and Cafe – 1508 Sherman Avenue Evanston, IL
Gold Coast – 860 N Dewitt Pl Chicago, IL
Michigan Ave. – 150 n Michigan ave Chicago, IL
Monroe – 55 W Monroe St Chicago, IL
Nema – 1210 S Indiana Ave. Chicago, IL
Ravenswood – 1636 W Montrose Ave Chicago, IL
South Loop – 801 S Financial Place Chicago, IL
Streeterville – 345 E Ohio Street Chicago, IL
Uptown – 4181 N Clarendon Ave Chicago, IL
Washington – 4181 N Clarendon Ave Chicago, IL
Wells – 814 N Wells St. Chicago, IL
Hexe Coffee Co.
Hexe Coffee Co. is a sleek, moody coffee shop in Roscoe Village that serves all the coffee house staples with barrel aged coffee as well as evening cocktails. On nice days you can enjoy the large outdoor patio.
2000 W. Diversey Pkwy Chicago, IL
Colectivo Coffee
Originally from Milwaukee, Colectivo now has 5 Chicago locations. They build relationships with coffee farmers and roast their beans in Riverwest. All their baked goods are made from scratch at the Troubadour bakery. They serve coffee, espresso and tea as well as a wide variety of Spritz’s, blended drinks, draft beverages and specialty drinks.
Andersonville – 5425 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
Evanston – 716 Church Street Evanston, IL
Lincoln Park – 2530 N Clark St Chicago, IL
Logan Square – 2261 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago IL
Wicker Park – 1211 N Damen Ave Chicago, IL
Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea
Fairgrounds is so named because they give equal billing to coffee and tea. They feature espresso, matcha, loose leaf tea, tea lattes as well as coffee, tea and kombucha on tap.
Fulton Market – 1330 W Fulton Market Chicago, IL
Hyde Park – 5500A S. University Avenue Chicago, IL
Millennium Park – 12 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL
River North – 306 W. Erie St. Chicago, IL
Oak Park – 702 Lake Street Oak Park, IL
Groundswell
Groundswell Coffee Roasters serves drip coffee, espresso drinks, cold brew and Do-Rite Doughnuts.
https://groundswellcoffeeroasters.com/
Ravenswood – 4839 n Damen Ave. Chicago, IL
North Loop – 1168 w Madison St. Chicago, IL
Everybody’s Coffee
Serving only direct fair trade coffee, Everybody’s Coffee is committed to growing and strengthening their community. They feature drip coffee, aeropress and clever drip in addition to espresso beverages, tea and house specialties.
935 W. Wilson Ave. Chicago, IL
Cafe Deko
Cafe Deko is an art deco inspired cafe serving their own coffee blend, roasted to a medium-light level. The menu features all the coffee and espresso essentials as well as organic tea.
800 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL
Kibbetznest
Kibbetznest is a new and used bookstore that encourages old fashioned communication in comfy chairs, couches and communal tables. They have no no wi-fi and no drip coffee, but instead they have pour over coffee made to order and craft cocktails in the evening. They also stock plenty of games!
2212 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago, IL
This list is certainly not exhaustive and there are plenty of great coffee shops that didn’t make the list. If you have a favorite Chicago coffee spot or run across one in your travels to the area we would love to hear about it. What makes it special? Do you have a memorable experience from one of the coffee shops we mentioned?
Please share your thoughts, recommendations, and experiences in the comments section below. We’re always on the lookout for new places to feature, and your input can help us and other readers explore Chicago’s coffee scene more fully. After all, the best part about enjoying coffee is sharing the experience with others.