Jumpin’ Java Joints! 6 of the Best Cafes in Chicago

Chicago is a sprawling, sparkling metropolis of a city. A visit here presents travelers with a massive buffet of options for creating an unforgettable stay. From notable cultural institutions like Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (better known, perhaps, as The Bean) and championship sports teams to incredible dining experiences and some of the country’s most exquisite hotels, Chicago’s got it all.

And if you want to see and experience it all, you’re going to need fuel. Preferably that sweet brown elixir of life… oh yes, we do mean coffee.

Given Chicago’s size, it’s no secret that you can find a solidly high-quality caffeine fix just about anywhere you look. But we have a few very special places that we consider to be among the best coffee shops in Chicago. These cafés, whether indie or chain, house roasted our outsourced, for us they’re the ones that shine brightest for their conviviality, expertise, and top-notch beverage offerings, providing a fully enjoyable café experience to everyone.

Local Roaster Cafés in Chicago

Small joints that serve intention, craftsmanship, and care in every cup

1. Four Letter Word Coffee

If you’re looking for an excellent cup of coffee from serious java-heads, look no further than Four Letter Word. Coffee may be a high-octane drink, but 4LW takes true, slow care with their roasting process, ensuring a smooth flavor profile that lets their top-class choice of beans shine. The vibe of their shops–the original Chicago location is in Logan Square/Avondale, and they also serve coffee at Estereo FM in Fulton Market–is chill, a bit eclectic, and with a touch of international flair; no surprise there, given their roots with their very first shop in Burgazada, Turkey.

• Address: 1001 W. Fulton (Estereo FM) | 3022 W. Diversey (Logan Square)
• Hours: 7:30 AM to 1 PM daily (Estereo FM) | 8 AM to 2 PM daily (Logan Square)
• Price Range: $10 to $20 per drink.
• Specialties: The menu is small, but the coffee is sublime–start with a simple shot of espresso, expertly pulled, so you can really experience and enjoy the high quality and exquisite flavor.

2. Metric Coffee

In Chicago, there are any number of fine dining establishments; well, there are also elegant, elevated coffee experiences as well, and Metric fits that bill nicely. Tucked into an industrial space in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, Metric’s main focus is roasting their single-origin beans for sale–cafés and restaurants all over the city use their coffee–but they also make a damn fine cup of coffee themselves. And the fun part is that when you go to their tiny shop on West Fulton, you can watch them grind and roast their beans in house; talk about transparency! Metric believes in a complete knowledge of their coffee chain from origin to cup, in educating their customers on fair pricing, and in working as sustainably as possible. The goals are lofty, but the work ethic is fierce, and Metric does deliver on every, well, metric.

• Address: 2021 W. Fulton
• Hours: 7 AM to 4 PM daily
• Price Range: $4 to $12 per drink.
• Specialties: Enjoy the full and complex flavor of any of their simple drip coffees year round, or indulge in one of their carefully designed seasonal offerings. We are loving the Spring 2025 Orange Dreamsicle Latte–iced version for that full delicious popsicle dream experience.

Great Local Chain Cafés in Chicago

Your chances of getting a great cuppa joe are higher with these multi-location joints

3. Big Shoulders

You’ll find Big Shoulders’ cafés all over Chicago–in West Town, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast and more. This woman-owned small chain is committed to supply chain transparency, responsibility and accountability, and supporting carefully chosen good causes. And not only are they putting some big positive energy out in the world, they’re serving amazing house-roasted coffee in every one of their shops. You can feel great about your purchases here, and enjoy them thoroughly–Big Shoulders is the home of some national champion roasters, so you know you’re getting some of the very best coffee in Chicago.

Oh, and if you haven’t had time to stop at any of Chicago’s best breakfast spots, Big Shoulders has some fantastic grab and go options–the bacon, cheddar and jalapeño scone is a total flavor bomb.

• Address: 1165 W. Diversey Pkwy Chicago, IL 60614
• Hours: Vary by shop.
• Price Range: $4 to $12 for the coffee drinks, depending on whether you go for a basic drip or indulge in something more fancied up.
• Specialties: Order a Redeye if you’re feeling particularly droopy–their house drip+double espresso is sure to get your blood flowing! But we love the brown sugar miso latte for its truly lovely complexity of flavors.

4. Dark Matter Coffee

There may only be eight Dark Matter shops in the greater Chicago area, but you are guaranteed a unique experience at each and every one of them. No two locations are alike, yet all are fun and funky and trippy in all the best ways. But for all their spacey vibes, the company as a whole is well-grounded in their determination to serve a fresh, tasty, fairly-acquired cup of java. They work closely with their suppliers, carefully educate their roasters, and encourage the radical idea of positive disruption to bring about change in the coffee industry. Dark Matter is the kind of place that makes you think you, too, can cause the good kind of trouble… that you can be well-caffeinated doing it is an extra bonus.

• Address: 738 N Western Ave, Chicago.
• Hours: Vary by shop.
• Price Range: $4 to $5 per drink.
• Specialties: The menu isn’t overly complicated, but the quality of the coffee is top of the line. Get the barrel-aged mocha for a deliciously unique coffee experience. It’s like nothing you’ve ever had before and will absolutely redefine what you think that you know you love in a coffee.

Alternative Beverage Cafés in Chicago

If coffee isn’t your preferred form of caffeination, we’ve got you covered

5. TE’AMO Boba Bar 

Whether you’re exploring the delights of Chicago’s vibrant Chinatown district or seeing what foodie treasures the Chicago Loop area has to offer, if you’re a boba aficionado then you’ll love TE’AMO, a delightful destination for delectable tea beverages. As the name suggests, TE’AMO is all about love: love for tea, for good health, for humanity in general. The aesthetic in most of their shops is a warm, rosy pink that’s sure to lift your spirits and bring a smile to your face. For extra fun, you can write a love letter, and even attach it to your tea order.

• Location: TE’AMO has shops in Chinatown, the Loop, River North
• Hours: Vary by shop.
• Price Range: $6 to $8 for drinks.
• Specialties: Try a Moustache Tea, made with high-quality teas and topped with a thick layer of sweet cheese foam that’s sure to decorate your upper lip handsomely! We also love their Brûlée teas, with a sugary topping that’s delicately toasted for a slight sweet crunch.

6. Great Lakes Tea House

Chicago is home to some of the best Chinese food in America, but did you know you can also have an incredible Chinese tea experience here as well? For this, you’ll need to head over to Great Lakes Tea House, where nothing is greater than their deep, genuine passion for tea. From the incredible educational content of their blog to the care with which they serve their hand-selected teas on lovely traditional Chinese teaware, the absolute love and appreciation the proprietors have for their craft is apparent in every inch of what they do. Coming here is a unique and special experience, a true highlight of any trip to the Windy City.

Great Lakes has limited hours and a small space, but it’s such a gem of a shop on every level, we just couldn’t gatekeep it.

• Address: 1406 W. Grand Avenue
• Hours: 11 AM to 2 PM | 3 PM to 7 PM, only Thursday to Saturday
• Price Range: Single drinks run about $5 per cup.
• Specialties: Do the tasting flight! It’s fun, delicious and educational. But if you buy an individual pot of tea, we can’t recommend enough that you sweeten your cup with the Tea House’s real stevia leaves–none of the icky artificialness of processed store-bought stevia, the genuine article truly enhances and smoothly sweetens your drink.

For the Love of Caffeine

The love affair between coffee and humanity is both long and fervent, dating back centuries. Tea goes back at least as long, if not further! Whether your passion is for the bean or the leaf, visiting our favorite Chicago cafes will certainly energize your time in the Windy City.