Really great sandwiches! I would recommend the buffalo chicken and garlic chicken oven baked sandwich. They're bread is the best part!

I love this place and eat here about 2 times a week lol.. I seriously eat everything from their Vegan sandwich menu. Do beware tho when it says spicy, it's SPICY. You won't fail to hit your heat levels with some of their spicier dishes. read more

Went here in the AM to pick up any fun baked goods to bring to the office. It was more expensive that I thought. I took a few cannolis (pre-made by some third-party company apparently). Yuck. It was more like a candy bar. Was not a fan. Perhaps their other items are better, but everything looked old and dry. I would've assumed they'd have their new baked items out in the morning, but guess not. read more

This place was a bit run down and the food was extremely ordinary. So so gelato, and one of the worst iced coffees I've ever had. Unfortunately that went in the trash halfway through. The back patio area was nice and very peaceful, so I enjoyed that. It's like a small oasis in the city and I can see why people would like to study here. The interior just seemed cramped and cluttered. I can't say that I would stop in again. read more

So many tea options!! The food menu looks pretty solid. read more

Cafe 53 - Green tea, wifi, and people watching - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had the corned beef on the Dutch baguette with a cardamon/cinnamon tea. Sandwich was delicious. I wonder if they sell the baguette solo. It was really good. Soft on the inside, crusty on the outside. Service was pretty basic. It's in my neighborhood so I'll be back. read more

I come here for coffee all the time. Fresh and different everyday, Cafe 53 offers a customer card that rewards you after 10 purchases. They also offer a stellar and diverse assortment of pastries and cakes to go along with your coffee (and if you run out of coffee, the refill is only 75 cents!). As soon as you enter you'll see dozens of students studying. Their tables are long and wide and comfortable enough to stay reading or writing for a whole afternoon. But wait, it gets better: if you're in the mood to have a conversation outside, Cafe 53 has its own patio. It's pleasant and large enough to accomodate up to 6 tables! With the close of Third World Cafe earlier this year, there is no better place to read, study or conversate than Cafe 53. Check it out if you're in Hyde Park! read more

Fun, chill coffee shop. Local vibes and fun art. Definitely will be hanging out here often!

Great place for tea. You can also get your sandwiches wrapped in lettuce if you are low-carb or gluten free. If the weather is nice, be sure to check out the patio in the back. read more

Near the job so it's always a quick spot to grab a bite. Only complaint would be the should add more meat to their sandwiches!!! Otherwise it's a nice place!! read more

The food is great I just think the delivery fee is a bit much. The roast beef artichoke (I added corned beef to mine) was amazing. They really need lunch speacials. read more

Good coffee, good service & great outdoor patio space covered by trees. Very peaceful and quiet & a great place to sit & chat with a friend or study/do work. I'll definitely go back. read more

We stumbled along this joint as we were looking at houses. We thought we were just gonna grab a quick coffee but we couldn't resist the awesome menu.... Vegan too! The food was phenomenal. By far the best sandwich I've ever had. I would highly recommend stopping by for a quick bite. We will be back! read more

Cafe 53 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesum began sandwiches.... Great service.. Great food... Great prices... Had a vegan avocado artichoke sandwich - real nice Vegan Buffalo chicken sandwich - not bad Began marshmallow brownie - heavenly... See u again... Soon..... read more

So for whatever reason, this humble little spot doesn't get much attention in the Chicago vegan world, but y'all, they have an entire vegan menu. They have a huge list of vegan sandwiches with vegan protein, and they make their own vegan garlic sauce. I've had the vegan garlic chicken and another vegan sandwich with artichokes and both were filling. The sandwiches are huge, though not quite a foot. I am used to 6 inch sandwiches, so I usually only eat half because they are actually filling. Messy, gooey deliciousness. They have vegan meatball subs, kufta, avocado and artichoke sandwiches, all kinds of stuff. Definitely worth a visit. read more

always excellent customer service and prices are very reasonable. They have great apple cider and caramel macchiatos.

I cannot sing enough praises for Cafe 53! Perhaps it's the collegiate nostalgia, but really it's a coffee shop with some great sandwiches and gelato and an incredibly kind owner. With plenty of tables and a patio out in the back, it's easily a go-to for many Hyde Parkers and UChicagoans to head to for some casual studying. I've had a few of their sandwiches (I believe a Roast Beef, Sumac Chicken, and Garlic Chicken) and nothing has disappointed. I would definitely recommend getting your sandwich with the Crunch bread (I'm forgetting the exact name of it) but it's delightful! If you're hard-pressed to make a decision among the vast choices (many veggie and vegan options, too!), the owner will happily give his recommendations. Out of all the development Hyde Park has been going through in the past few years, Cafe 53 is one of only three places that I believe is worth repeatedly visiting. Go there. Now. Seriously. read more

For a while when I moved into my new apartment I had no Internet. Since this was right after finals week and I had effectively just moved out of the library, I was determined to find somewhere with free wifi outside of the stony confines of the Regenstein. Cafe 53 has tasty baked goods, a large selection of teas, and enormous tables with plushy chairs. Their chairs are really, really, really comfortable. Among all of the coffeeshops in the Hyde Park area, I'd probably say that this is the best place to study. I do hope it stays open. read more

Got the tuna sandwich! It was delicious great customer service. Had to wait a little longer than expected because they ran out of an ingredient. But they made it up with a complimentary item of my choice! Thanks for the suggestions as well! The tuna sandwich was HUGE so I'm eating my other half now! Had he first half around 6pm. read more

I went here today for the first time. The owner and employees are so nice and welcoming! I had the new chicken parmigiana sandwich, and it was very tasty! Coffee was also good. It's a nice little cozy chill spot where people go to study/work/socialize over a sandwich, coffee, or pastry. Definitely a place to check out if you're in the area. read more

Better off going to subway! I'm trying figure out how my sandwich was soooo bad and they had just opened? It's like they gave me a sandwich they made yesterday and warmed it up! The vegetables were extremely over cooked and soggy! The bread was extremely soggy and they gave me a different bread than what I ordered! The sandwich literally made me sick! Save your $10 and take it to Medici up the street at least their food is fresh! read more

Super underrated for sure. Sizeable portions and tasty sandwiches. Also, great selection of teas

Had lunch here today. Can't recall the name of the sandwich but it was toasted with chicken and gardenare (sp?). Absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was quaint. The chairs were worn-that would be my only complaint. Plenty of options for vegetarians. read more

Ate here yesterday. Had a latte and hummus and falafel sandwich. The latte was really good. The sandwich was really good as well. Both had really good flavor. Only issue I had was we had to wait quite a bit to get served our sandwich, but other than that it was a nice place to go. read more

Best gelato around! And great sandwiches. Excellent secret back patio. My only recommendation is that I wish they used less plastic in their containers. read more

Cute little cafe with various pastries, sandwiches and quiches. I tried the little desserts, veggie panini, and mint lemonade drink. The food was great and the desserts are even better. Definitely try this place in you're in the area. They have an open patio in the summer so it's perfect for a nice summer day or evening. read more

Cafe 53 - Passion fruit cake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Didn't see any gluten free options -- but I really only came for a good cold coffee drink, and I was very pleased with it. Had a iced vanilla latte & it was made perfectly. My only major complaint was there was no outdoor seating, even when lots of other restaurants, cafes, have outdoor seating on 53rd street. If they opened up some seating outdoors it would have jumped to 4 stars. read more

Absolutely love this place. I tried the vegan Sumac sandwhich It was great! I dont typically eat vegan but decided to try it... its one of the best vegan sandwhichs I have tried. I will definately go back here! read more

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The Hummus: Decadent, creamy, sumac and oil sprinkled goodness. The Turkish Coffee: Sweet caffeinated elixir so hard to find but oh so delicious-eat your heart out Starbucks! The Vegan Chik'n Sumac Sandwich A robust flavorful hearty departure from the standard vegan norm and OMG where has this creamy soy based sauce been my whole life?!?! Great food, great staff and great menu. Can't wait to try another of the dozen plus vegan sandwich offerings! read more

Café 53 is my favorite spot in Hyde Park. As a vegan, it can be difficult to find quick, easy food options that aren't fries or sad salads. Café 53 has a full menu of vegan sandwiches and delicious bread (the Dutch Crunch is the stuff on which dreams are made) with such staggering variety that I'm never bored. There are even vegan baked goods! You can always find a vegan raspberry crumb bar, ginger cookie, and brownie with a few seasonal desserts as well. It's truly delicious food: so good that you could feed the entire vegan menu to an omnivore and they'd be none the wiser. The overall vibe of the café can't be topped. The employees are lovely people who have practically memorized my orders. I once forgot to specify that I wanted my coffee decaf and went up a minute after ordering to ask to find that they had already prepared it decaf because they knew I've never ordered caffeinated coffee. The one time my order was messed up, they remade the correct order very quickly and apologetically and gave me both meals. There's always French radio stations blaring jazz and ballads and a pleasant hum coming from the kitchen as orders are called out and espressos are made. I've spent entire ten hour days studying here (there's also free wifi!) and I feel more comfortable than I would in almost any library. In spring and summer, there's even a lovely little outdoor patio in the back where you can enjoy your food. You can't beat Café 53! read more

Recently discovered this place after going for a run. I wanted something healthy but tasty. I've been here twice so far and I really like the sandwiches! And I love the fact that they have lettuce wraps since I'm on a low carb diet. And if I ever feeling like treating myself they have great bakery items and gelato. The sandwiches are fresh made and oven baked so overall this is a great healthy eating place if you ask me. Next time I will try their vegan options. read more

Cafe 53 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious! I had the avacado turkey sandwich and it was awesome! The Dutch bread is unlike any bread I've had before and the homemade cream sauce was very unique! read more

Love this little shop. Their food delivers more than a standard coffee shop sandwich. The turkey and avocado is great and comes with a cream sauce instead of typical mayo. The Dutch Crunch bread was awesome - I think they finish each loaf to order so it comes out warm and crispy. It also means waiting a few minutes for your order. My boyfriend highly recommended the buffalo sandwich - messy but oh so good! read more

This is a small cafe on 53rd Street. During the day you can find plenty of U of C students. There is plenty of seating. They sell made to order sandwiches, gelato and desserts. The vegan garlic chicken sandwich on Dutch or Italian bread is delicious. The bread tastes very fresh. The service is great. They have a great selection of vegan chips. The vegan brownies are great too. I wish they had a wider range of vegan desserts. read more

I LOVE Cafe 53! I probably get a sandwich from here at least once a week because it's just so convenient and delicious. My favorite sandwich has got to be their garlic chicken sandwich. I'm a huge lover of sandwiches but honestly I've never quite had one like it. The sauce is creamy and the garlic flavor is very subtle. They also mix in some pickled jalapeños and giardiniera which brings in a little kick and tang to the sandwich. The only thing is sometimes it can take long to get your sandwich but honestly still well worth it! read more

Wonderful coffee shop. Great quality food and drink. Nice outdoor patio seating. Open for dine in or carry out during Covid 19

My 7yo daughter and I visited after a museum visit to the city this week. The falafel sandwich was amazing and their portions are amazing. One sandwich was fully satisfying for both of us. The staff was helpful for this 1st time visitor and the restaurant was clean and nice. read more

loved the gelato and the simple fact that the Cafe is there! Yeye Lynvonne Cafe Yeye: WCSU iHeart radio read more

Good coffee (and nice large mugs available if you're staying there). A few vegan offerings in the pastry case, including delicious gluten-free brownies. The real highlight here is the back patio -- a rare find in the area. Several tables & chairs, shade from lots of trees, and no street noise! It also tends to be a quieter crowd on the patio than inside, which is ideal for enjoying a coffee and reading. read more

The owner, who is almost always there, is very personable, and will knock himself out to make you happy. The coffee is way better than Starbucks and way way better than DD. Recently, the menu was expanded. Meat lovers, as well as veggies will be happy. I like the Eggplant Meatball, as well as their "Café 53 Sandwich" - which is a simple bagel with egg whites, covered in delicious Turkish olive oil, and sprinkled with mint. One note for those used to going to Starbucks... Café 53 does not have sugar-free syrup and a few other fancy things like that. Finally, the WiFi is reliable and extremely fast! read more