Great place! We had avocado toast with egg and salmon on toast. Only in town for two days and the…read moreowners made us feel like we were locals.

Been here before and typically have had decent experiences. I like to support locally owned cafes…read moreand know that the owners take a lot of pride in what they do here. I wanted to update my past review because today's experience was kind of sub-par. The good: - love the ambiance and atmosphere (really good coffee shop vibe) - lots of speciality drinks - service is pretty timely - free wi-fi - seating inside and outside The not so good: - employee who took my order was extremely unpleasant (stared at me when I gave my order and looked generally annoyed; never even responded to me when I talked to her; when picking up my drink, I also said thanks and have a good day and she just stared at me and turned away - SOOOO WEIRD AND UNCOMFORTABLE) - I had a 16oz speciality latte and a cup of strawberry banana overnight oats. Total of $15 not including tip. VERY EXPENSIVE. - latte was pretty undrinkable - overloaded with syrup - but didn't want to interact with the girl behind the counter about it - overnight oats was in a small-ish cup - wish there had been more for the price Hoping if I stop in again in the future that employees are more welcoming and pleasant. I'll stick to straight up lattes instead of the specialty ones. Probably pass on the food since it's $$$.

Cute coffee shop, great coffee, friendly baristas. I also just read about their good neighbor…read moreprogram, love to see that they support the community.

I wonder if my experience was a fluke, but unfortunately this was some of the worst "matcha" I've…read moreever been served. From the pictures alone you can see why, there was just a pinch of matcha powder in there, my drink simply tasted like sweetened oat milk, which to be fair, didn't taste bad, it just isn't a proper matcha. I wonder if my drink was this way because we came in around 15 minutes before close, no one was at the counter to take our order, I had to lean into the storage room to get the barista's attention. The barista was super friendly and attentive once they realized customers had been waiting. It's a shame because it looked like a cool spot to hang out, plenty of folks were working from here, they had some cool tiger artwork on the outside of the shop that drew me in, great vibe, but sadly I just cannot recommend coming here as it seems like a bit of a hit or miss experience.

I love the inventive flavors and kind staff at first sip. This place always delivers with a 10/10…read moredrink. I enjoy my coffee extra knowing it's locally owned and a community hub for the surrounding area. That means there's a good bit of seating here too!

First Sip is a great stop if you're a matcha fan. The fruit basket matcha specifically is very…read moresweet but tasty. The decor is dark and unique and the staff are friendly, though they clearly stay very busy throughout the day. It should be noted that wait times for drinks can occasionally run long, so it's worth building in a little extra time if you're not in a rush- on certain days, expect to wait around 10 minutes for your drink. Overall, worth it for the fruit basket matcha alone.

Loba has been on my pastry bucket list for awhile! With inventive pastries that you won't find…read moreanywhere else, this spot sits at the top of Chicago's bakery list. The interior was pretty small and cozy, so I wouldn't count on getting a seat during peak hours. Because they tend to sell out quickly, I strategically went on a weekday around noon. However, they were already almost out and if that's not a community endorsement, then I don't know what is! The sourdough muffins were listed as a house favorite, so I opted for the pineapple. This was unlike anything I've had before- I'm not typically the biggest pineapple pastry fan, but this was outstanding. The sourdough gave it a unique flavor and it was perfectly moist without being too sweet. All of the flavors came together really well, and you better believe there was not a crumb left. The offerings aren't cheap, but the quality definitely outweighed the price for me. I will definitely be back soon (and earlier), and highly recommend paying a visit!

This was recommended by a friend and I'm glad I gave it a try. The pastry was excellent - fresh and…read moreflavourful. I got the Almendra en flor (I don't remember what was in it but I got it with corn milk) which was pleasant and paired perfectly with the pastry. Service was great, staff was friendly and my order was made quickly. The place itself is small and there are seatings but very limited. Only reason I'm holding back on a 5-star rating is that I've only tried a few items so far and would like to come back to try other things next time.

I stopped by Oromo one afternoon for a quick pick-me-up. The woman working the register was so…read moresweet and welcoming. I asked her for some recommendations and she suggested one of the frozen drinks. I'm so glad she did because I have been craving it ever since! They have a few frozen drinks to choose from, but I went with the cold brew + hazelnut truffle. It's made with housemade hazelnut milk, cold brew, cacao, frozen bananas, housemade coconut caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, and seasalt. Trust me-- it is just as heavenly as it sounds! I forgot to get photos of it because I drank it so quickly--sorry! The space is so cute inside and it's in a fun area to wander around, right in the heart of Lincoln Square. Can't wait to come back!

I wanted to love Oromo Cafe. I popped in for lunch during a visit to Lincoln Square, primarily…read morebecause the menu sounded fabulous - so many plant based options, including house-made milks. Unfortunately the menu overpromises and the food underdelivers, at least that day. -Lentil soup: good flavor, but very watery, more like broth than soup. The amount of soup barely reached a third of the way up the bowl, and the price of $7 for the bowl size was candidly just not worth it. -Beet hummus sandwich: again, good flavor, but I was anticipating a sandwich (as per menu description). What was presented was a single piece of naan spread with a thin layer of beet hummus, scattered with a few toppings. For $13 my expectations were higher. The beet hummus was delicious; with the goal of recreating this at home I asked a member of the staff about the ingredients. Unfortunately rather than saying, "I'm not sure, but let me check," they responded with "I don't know. I just started and I don't know most of the menu items." There is a lot of fabulous food in Chicago. Although Oromo Cafe is fine, I recommend saving ones dining experience and money for something truly fabulous.

Accidentally found this place while I was leaving Yoga Box on Sheffield. Friendly environment with…read morereasonable prices for breakfast: orange juice, coffee, avocado toast with egg: $21. I like how the baristas are friendly with each other and are enjoying working here too. Browntstone walls and comfortable seating with decent music make me feel like I can concentrate on journalling and reading.

The Queen wanted to come here to try the coffee flight, but soon discovered that the flight was not…read moreoffered on the weekends, just the Mon-Fri. Ancient Grounds Coffee Co is located on Belmont, not too far from the Red Line. There was plenty of street parking, but was odd that the signs said the training was 24/7, but when I tried to pay on my app, it would not accept it, so I took a photo of the app saying that just to be on the safe side. The store is very bright and clean. We had a problem getting in, initially thinking the store was closed, although we could see folks in there. Turns out that the door is somewhat hard to open, and fortunately the gentleman sitting in the window alerted us to push real hard. Turns out while we were there, he was the unofficial doorman letting others know to push real hard. Since the flight was unavailable, we decided to have breakfast. The Queen got the Best Damn Ham & Egg (bacon, ham, egg, and pepper jack cheese on a croissant) and I got the Breakfast Burrito (sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and cheddar cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, side of salsa). Both of these were quite good, fresh in flavor. I also got a cranberry orange scone, which was also quite tasty. Before I could ask if they could warm it up, they offered to do so. I love pastries and I need them warm, so kudos to them for offering without me asking. The Queen got a Biscoff Latte (secret recipe syrup, a double shot of espresso, milk, whipped cream, topped with a biscoff cookie. This drink is 16 oz in size. She said it was delish and that the cookie was just lovely. I got a standard mocha with almond milk and that was very good as well. There are seating options throughout the location and ample room if you want to work on your laptop: tables, benches and couches. I like that they offer different sizes (8 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz) for certain drinks, while some come in 16 oz only. And there is the option of hot and cold drinks. Service was cool. The staff was pleasant. Once you place your order at the front counter, they will call you up to the front to pick up your drinks and eats. I have to also mention that they were playing some great dusty tunes to groove on a Sunday morning. I thought the prices were pretty reasonable, especially when you compare it to a Starbucks. Avocado Toast under $10, yes you heard that right. I can definitely see myself coming back here on an early Sunday morning to just chill, drink and eat, it was that much fun. Before leaving, I did thank our doorman for his service in helping all of us to get into the joint. Next time, I will know to use some muscle to get into Ancient Grounds Coffee Co.

Still a fantastic spot! I came by bombastic again for the first time in a while and it's always a…read moregreat experience. The space is feels like you're in someone's house which I love. The staff working were awesome and super welcoming. I decided to go with my old favorite, the cocosette. It was a super hot day so I got it iced. The flavors of hazelnut, mocha, and coconut compliment the coffee so well! I got it with coconut milk which was so good! I want to come back in the evening one night for cocktails!

I ordered an iced oat milk vanilla latte and it was great! Next time I'll ask for it to be a little…read moreless sweet, but otherwise it was perfect! Super nice people working at this cafe!

Somehow I had no idea about the Collective hype until the Ravenswood location. I love the fact this…read morecoffee shop is two stories! If you're getting off the Metra, the shop is right there for a quick coffee run. There is a school right across, so you might have to park a few streets over due to parking restrictions on the side, but it's usually not too hard to find parking. The coffee is amazing, I've gone with the hot brew of the week and the Iced Salted Carmel Latte and have been a fan of both! The coffee definitely packs a punch. The shop isn't too loud and spacious to get work done or meet up with some friends and you won't be bothering anyone. Collective gets A LOT of mobile orders, so even if they don't look busy, they definitely are. You might be waiting a little while during peak hours. The rewards program is pretty decent, too! Also suggest a breakfast sandwich if you're hungry. They're decently sized and everything is well seasoned.

Not a huge fan of chain coffeeshops, but this one is actually ok- all of the neighbors go here, so…read moreit doesn't feel so corporate and impersonal like most Starbucks. I was really impressed with the space- 2 story/ open, with lots of plants and bright colors. It felt like a bit of California. My latte was good. My scone was nothing to write home about, but fine. Perfect Cup is forever the best coffeeshop in Ravenswood, but this is an ok option for coffee before going grocery shopping (and getting to avoid the horrible Starbucks in Marianos!).