Chef Sara's Cafe

I went on Saturday, May 16, at 10:45am and the two young ladies serving at the time were really…read moregreat. Both greeted me and were friendly. I chose the honey vanilla latte. I enjoyed it and tasted both flavors so make sure you like honey if this is what you choose. I think I would stick with my regular French vanilla next time. I also tried the cheese danish, warmed up and I enjoyed it. The seating options were varied and there were plenty of them. I liked the bar style seating along the window so you have privacy and a view. They also had tables which were good for couples or groups. I'd definitely return if I were in the area.

We had a couple of hours to kill before we could check into our Airbnb. This cute little corner…read morecoffee shop was the perfect solution. Especially since we had our luggage with us. I got an iced coffee and a blueberry muffin, while my wife got the chai latte. It looks a true community gathering spot as they advertised events like karaoke, speed dating and candle making.

Blueberry Muffin and Iced Coffee

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Cafe 53

4.4(392 reviews)

2.8 mi•Hyde Park

Amazing flavor. The bread was fresh and crunchy and soft on the inside. They gave extra creamy…read moregarlic sauce per my request. The sauce takes it to another level. Staff is so kind. 10/10 would recommend.

Nice selection of oven roasted sandwiches. Food was great…read more The owner and staff were very personable and made sure we liked our orders. Also reasonable priced food.

Fresh pastries

Corned Beef

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Menu (March 2026)

Harper Cafe

5.0(8 reviews)

2.4 mi•Hyde Park

Harper library is right next door, so Harper Cafe is automatically awesome by its proximity alone…read more I must echo the previous comment in that this cafe gives off the epitome of a hipster vibe; being a hipster seems like a requirement to work here. I won't hold it against them though (it is a college library cafe after all, and it really just creates a sense of whimsicalness). The tea is pretty great, made from tea leaves, not tea bags. There are big comfy chairs (though they're always occupied in the daytime). They have a good option of prepared foods in their fridge (from Rajun Cajun, Siam Thai, The Nile, etc.) and a wide selection of baked goods. All reasonably priced. Basically a very well-stocked library cafe, making it really easy to literally hibernate 24/7 at Harper library when you're studying. Harper Cafe makes leaving the building unnecessary .

Harper Café is arguably the best coffee shop in Hyde Park. They play some of the best music I've…read moreever heard and conversing with their baristas makes me feel very sophisticated. I'm a big fan of their London Fog--who knew that I'd find a little slice of London, UK in Chicago, US :-) !! If you're feeling hungry, check out their vegan food options. So delightful!!

Capital One Café

4.6(28 reviews)

2.7 mi•Hyde Park

Visited today to deposit a check, and Jawan guided me through the entire process. It was easy, and…read morethe staff was incredibly friendly. Slightly upscale, but quiet - lots of people working, even on a Saturday.

Late Review Reliable…read morespot for wanting to stay at a cafe for a while. Open until 6pm and has a plethora of seating inside. I always go with someone who has a capitol one card (you have to)--which is the one downside, I wish there was just a fee to get in if you didn't have a card. The coffee isn't bad, chai latte is actually good. Overall 6.5/10

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Sweet Drip Dessert Cafe

4.2(54 reviews)

2.6 mi•Hyde Park

Great place to go on a nice warm day! Staff was very nice and the cafe in general was beautiful…read more Food was AMAZING but a little pricey. They had many Dubai chocolate deserts that have been really popular on TikTok! Highly recommend the biscoff crepe!

So this wasn't my first time visiting Sweet Drip it's just my first review since visiting twice!…read more The first time I patronized I tried the gelato which was very good, but it's not in m picture. This last visit, I bought the Dubai chocolate sundae, the Biscoff (lotus) strawberry cup, and I also got two of the small pastries. Overall I enjoyed everything, the baklava was okay, I preferred the Nutella pastry more. The service was very good and the people behind the register were nice!! The inside is very cute and I did like siting inside!! I will be back! Just any FYI the Dubai chocolate sundae may feel pricey but it's completely worth it!!

Tres leches cake

Caramel Frappuccino

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Cookie Monster ice cream sandwich

The Brew

2.9(8 reviews)

0.1 mi•South Shore

This is a magical place that transcends the business of coffee…read more The Spirit flows as smooth as the Americano (Large Espresso) i throughly enjoyed on this rainy travel day home.

I want to like this place and have been a few times, but today was the last straw. I was charged…read more$7.95 for lukewarm drip coffee in a plastic cup without the half and half I requested. They didn't have any paper cups so the barista put in a plastic cup. I asked for half and half, which they did not have (but there was oat, almond, and whole milk). There was also a stack of gun news papers, a publication of the NRA, which has supported stand your ground laws and kept silent on police violence against unarmed black and brown women and men. Come on, South Shore. Let's do better.

Mushroom matcha coffee

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Hibiscus tea lemonade

Fairgrounds Coffee And Tea

3.8(13 reviews)

2.7 mi•Hyde Park

The breakfast options at Fairgrounds are outstanding. Too many places that are coffee-centric…read morewill have some pastries (that may be good, but a scone alone ain't breakfast) or some microwaved egg sando thing. At Fairgrounds I just finished a really good breakfast taco with eggs and beans and we'll sauced that was an honest to goodness solid start to the day, along with coffee in a real cup not paper. I'd put this in the rotation if you are near UofC.

I never leave reviews but I felt like I had to. The staff is never particularly friendly here,…read morewhich never bothers me, but today was pretty bad. It took me about 15 minutes for my smoothie because the barista forgot about it. That's fine, it happens. But later in the day, myself and a few other patrons were literally yelled at by an employee to get out since they were closing. We were all on the other side of the cafe, so none of us heard any of the earlier announcements that they were closing soon (they must have been quiet, or I was just too locked in). I even knew it was getting late so I tried looking up hours online (inaccurate information) and even on the door (nothing there). I figured I would just leave when someone asked me to, but I wasn't expecting to get yelled at. Another patron even said "I feel like we're being yelled at right now," and she said "Yeah, you are." So I definitely didn't misunderstand. Weird. Never been yelled at in a cafe before for just sitting, but new experiences are good for growth I guess? That being said, I will not be returning to this Fairgrounds.

Bacon Breakfast Taco

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Cool chance to experience the fairgrounds lifestyle while visiting Chicago. Like this!

Robust Coffee Lounge

3.7(401 reviews)

2.0 mi•Woodlawn

Great breakfast/ coffee shop in the Woodlawn area ! Service was fast and I loved seeing the diverse…read morecrowd! Will be back again !

This place sucks! And it's sad bc it's the only coffee place in the area so we don't have many…read moreoptions The service is rude and racist and they service mostly black and brown ppl. It's slow they never get orders right and even when you order ahead it takes FOR EVER! There is alway only one person making coffee at the busiest time, mornings. When you ask questions or for iodates it's always met with an attitude. Ppl dont say anything bc it's the only place in miles to get coffee. It's a coffee shop. You need more ppl making coffee please. And fix the attitude. Also they knew a new exhaust system. Anytime you go in there you smell like food. It's disgusting

Inside

Everything Bagel & Cream Cheese

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Green Supreme

Plein Air Cafe & Eatery

3.9(305 reviews)

2.4 mi•Hyde Park

A great cafe to visit especially if you are right next door visiting the Frederick C. Robie House…read morenext door! I highly recommend the homemade chai, it is very cosy and spiced. Ample indoor and outdoor seating! Lines are long but it does move kind of quickly! Plenty of tables to work, sit, or rest.

Stopped after the library closed for a coffee and a bite. Got the cortado and a turkey sandwich…read more The cortado was really smooth and had non-dairy options. The salad and dressing were great and the turkey sandwich was hearty but honestly a little plain. Overall good stop with a cute vibe and great space.

Ordering counter

Sandwich

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Medici On 57th

3.6(1.1k reviews)

2.4 mi•Hyde Park

We had lunch here and the pastries were all sold out. So we went back in the morning to try a bunch…read moreof their pastries. We had the cheeseburger and Cubano sandwich. I'm not the biggest fan of the burger. It was fine, but the pickles are packed under all the fries. It's missing condiments. They pack some ketchup and mustard, but I need mayo too. It was only when I ate 80% of my burger when I realized. The Cuban sandwich was good and the fries are way more substantial. The pastries are good value. The apple cinnamon and the roll that they have is delicious. Everything had a good amount of butter mixed in so it was flakey. But whatever the roll is, that one is especially good. I haven't eaten at the restaurant, so not sure what the interior is like.

Cute spot to grab lunch! Ended up here on a whim but were able to get seated immediately on their…read moreoutside patio at around 11am on a weekday. They have a large selection of sandwiches and salads and other items on the menu. I got a gin lemonade cocktail with blueberry gin and raspberry syrup which was nice but perhaps a touch too sweet for my taste. For my meal I went with the Han's favorite which was a very solid sandwich and got a side of chips as well. Our service was great and it was a pleasant experience overall sitting outside!

Upstairs

Calamari appetizer

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Stefan P.

14 years ago

Just moved to the neighborhood and the only coffee shop that showed up was a closed down one at this address. Yelp needs to replace my soul cafe with chef Sara's cafe in their search results. So after traveling far to mediocre Cafés I decided to see for myself and was delighted to find Chef Sara's Cafe instead of the listed one. It's a great place with real homemade food and great latte. Nice and friendly staff the volume of the background music is low enough that you can converse in a normal tone of voice which rarely happens at other cafés. Free Wifi with ample bandwidth. read more

Camille T.

9 years ago

It may be my favorite place for breakfast, but the service is good and of course the food is too. Kudos, they've recently added some menu items to be more contemporary, such as vegetarian items. Their staples of breakfast dishes are what you might expect when you first walk in. :-) read more

Chef Sara's Cafe - coffee - Updated October 2026

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