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    Nabala Cafe

    4.8 (95 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    NABALA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Good for working

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    Cardamom Latte And Hummus Pita
    Steve A.

    Checked out this pretty cozy cafe. It has kind of an African theme going on. Nabala Cafe is one of the newer coffee shops in Uptown. Great place to get going. There's also pastries. Basically it seems like a pretty simple cafe to get breakfast. It's also of course open at lunch. There's also later if you need to get perked up. Has a pretty limited menu. There's a few coffees and pastries. It's about $4 to get a medium coffee. Last time here it was the Cardamom Latte which smelled and tasted so wonderful. It's about $5 to get something to eat. Last time I got a Hummus Pita. Basic. This is just a pita filled with hummus so it's simple. A pretty good thing if eating on the go. The problem is the lack of seats because it's cramped in here at lunch. For sure it's a pretty great place to come and chill. It's got a pretty interesting selection of coffee that's not usual plus some pastries. This is located close to the Wilson Avenue station.

    Front window temporary signs
    Jessica G.

    Nabala cafe is a lovely addition to the neighborhood- perfect for a hot coffee or sweet treat!

    Outside
    Sabrina R.

    Nabala Cafe is a beautiful spot to grab some coffee, a quick bite, and study or catch up with friends. I love the community bookcase, with some great reading material. The space is bright, and the staff were super friendly. This is Uptown, so the parking is always up in the air, but I parked on Wilson because I had some other errands to run, and then walked over to Nabala. The cardamom latte was very good, with nice, but not overpowering cardamom flavor. The spinach pie was great with a nice lemony tang. I grew up in Uptown, and I know how this area was, as well as how it has changed in the last 30 years. At times it's bittersweet, but I can say I love to see new small businesses pop up in the area, especially when they add to the diversity and community that is Uptown.

    Ananya M.

    Was so cute on the inside and has a bunch of fun interesting palestine inspired drinks -- chai, baklava latte, cardamom/rose infused drinks. we got the chai latte with oat milk and it was good for like the first 3 sips then tasted not so good (assuming the sweetner was in the bottom). would've been better if they had mixed the sweetner with the chai concentrate rather than adding it before. also $7.69 for a small chai is a little pricy i think.

    Chai karak
    Chris M.

    Whether it's hanging out with friends/family or enjoying some time to yourself, Nabala Cafe is the perfect place to unwind. With the cozy atmosphere, vibrant decor, and ample natural light, the vibes here are immaculate. Nabala offers a nice variety of food - everything from savory za'atar bread to sweet baklava to numerous other baked goods - and of course they have a fine drink selection. Being a big milk tea fan, I'm personally fond of the Chai Karak. If you order a pot, it comes on a beautiful tray with cute little tea cups. Finally, huge shout-out to the staff here. They're all super friendly and this cafe has been through so much since they opened so if you're remotely near Uptown, swing by and show your support!

    Cardamom Cold Brew
    Anthony D.

    A Palestinian coffee shop located in Uptown. It serves coffee, baked goods, and some food items. The location is on the smaller side, so the limited seating when I showed up at noon was full. It is definitely a popular local spot. The staff was friendly when I asked questions on their specialty drinks and ended up ordering their Cardamom Cold Brew. It was pretty good and definitely has a unique flavor. The food looked pretty good, but I ate before I came so passed on it this time.

    Rohini G.

    Beautifully decorated and cute shop! Stopped in on a Friday evening and ordered a karak chai which was well seasoned and mildly sweetened. Also tried a few mamoul cookies. Staff is very friendly and gave us extra pastries to go before closing. Highly recommend!

    Arielle S.

    Nabala has become a go-to spot when I have visitors in town. It's the perfect setting to sit and chat (if you can get a seat - it gets pretty packed) over a pot of chai or some coffee. We tried some Turkish coffee and chai the last time I went. Love the vaguely herbal flavor in the Turkish coffee, and how the chai wasn't too sweet. Can't recommend this place enough!

    karak chai, pastries
    Sam L.

    Chai was soooo delicious! Cute cafe in a beautiful building and beautiful neighborhood. I've passed by it several times without knowing what it was and finally ended up checking it out. We ordered the karak chai with the spinach and chicken pastries, and loved everything. I will definitely be telling all my friends about this place and hope to be back soon.

    menu
    Maisune E.

    if i lived in chicago, this is where you would find me as a second home. the entire cafe is like a big, warm hug as soon as you walk in. i get emotional in such community spaces so maybe it showed on my face as i ordered, but the servers were family-like kind and sweet. it felt like i was home with my cousins who were making me tea in their home kitchen. i am in love with the grassroots decor, i could spend hours reading every sheet of paper, flyer, and picture inside. the leave a book, take a book concept only added to the connection. i enjoyed my iced mint tea, muhammara, and chicken fatayer. i asked to order zaatar to finish off my olive oil dipping and they provided it complimentary. since we can't enter palestine, this cafe brought palestine to us and im so grateful.

    mint chai, cardamom cafe au lait
    Mona T.

    So glad this spot just opened! It's a wonderful Palestinian-owned cafe and community space with amazing staff, patrons, and books to borrow/browse. Their drink selection is tasty and unique (really enjoyed the cardamom cafe au lait), and the food is solid and affordable too. It's perfect for working remotely, as they have long hours (from 7am-7pm or 10pm on most days) and spacious seating. I only wish that I lived closer that I could frequent this spot more often!

    Inside
    Andrew P.

    Came here on their very first day of their soft opening and am just thrilled to have them in the neighborhood. They're a Palestinian coffee shop with options like Turkish and Arabic coffee plus the typical coffee stuff. I also saw pastries/food but did not partake as I was about to have lunch elsewhere. Will need to come back to try them! The employees I encountered were friendly and the vibe overall was nice. I'd imagine as the establishment works through any kinks and whatnot, this place will be a perfect place to come by and do work, read, or catch up with friends. Excited to have you in Uptown!

    Store front
    Talena H.

    I went here to get a latte which is really good it was about seven dollars I believe which is a typical price I pay but it was a nice lowkey coffee shop they were pretty busy inside. I did get my order right away. Most people that was inside was already sitting down working and talking to each other so I got service pretty quickly which is great. It was a lot of information about Palestine inside I believe this is a Palestinian business, so it was nice to see that they were doing well! Also, they had a really cool bookshelf and I wanted to take a lot of the books to read because I love reading books but I didn't so I'm definitely go back to sit and read at some point it was kind of loud in there only because it was a lot of people so I'll probably wouldn't come a day that they're not super busy on the inside so I have some silence but other than that it was very nice

    Oat Chai

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    5 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Great options to pick from and vibe of cafe. The falesteeni breakfast sandwich and iced chai were great!

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food and friendly staff! I strongly recommend coming in for lunch. The ambiance is also lovely.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Friendly, welcoming vibe. Small, but the cozy side of small rather than cramped. The cardamom coffee was fantastic, so don't sleep on that.

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    6 months ago

    Loved the spreads on pita! Super friendly place with great tea, coffee and food. The cardamom drinks are esp good

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Can't wait to come have some coffee when I'm in Chicago! Amazing community hub for relaxing and connecting

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    Matcha En

    Matcha En

    4.2
    (287 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    Very nice sit down fancy treats Bakery and Boba Tea House in ChinaTown. It is a very busy place…read moreand once inside you'll understand why. Tastefully decorated and very clean lines. The menus are easy to follow they even offer a digital kiosk from Chow Bus to order. Friendly help took my order. The brown sugar boba milk tea, make sure you secure the top and flip it over to mix it together well, otherwise the flavor is lost. They gave us a sample of matcha ice cream and that was delicious I must say. Many wonderful treats I noticed and a busy place. Well done! You can find it inside the West Entrance. In front of Lao Szchesuan . Across from Chinatown's Walgreens on Cermak & Archer Avenue . Enjoy !

    Cozy dessert spot in Chinatown closely connected to so many more dessert and dinner spots. There's…read morea tablet available to order from but I missed it on entry. It's located opposite of the cash register and menu. Service was friendly. Washroom (restroom, bathroom search terms) available. Decent amount of seating, serving as a solid space to study or get work done. Black Sesame Matcha Latte - while the black sesame graininess settled at the bottom expectedly, the matcha was clearly whisked well. There were no clumps of bitterness to be found. Despite sugar adjustments, this was still very sweet so I'd classify the spot as more desserty rather than strong matcha or a cafe. Though I'm happy to be proven wrong with their regular matcha in the future.

    Photos
    Matcha En
    Chocolate crepe cake
    Chocolate crepe cake
    Super M (left) and Black Sesame Matcha Latte (right)

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    Super M (left) and Black Sesame Matcha Latte (right)
    UFOUU

    UFOUU

    4.3
    (60 reviews)
    7.9 mi

    I recently tried UFOUU, the Chicago-based bakery known for their Japanese-style cheesecakes, and…read moreoverall it was a really a hit for me. I wish I was able to travel with one of their cheesecakes but they require refrigeration. Anyhow the cheesecake itself was delicious super light, fluffy, and honestly felt like biting into a cloud. I had the salted egg but they had several flavor options that I would've loved to try if slices were available. The texture is what really stands out, and the flavor was unique and interesting in a good way. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it taste like, but it was sweet, but not too sweet They only sale but I consider a personal size but it's definitely enough to share with two people, maybe even three depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have. My only downside like others is the price. Paying around $19-$20 for a small cheesecake felt a bit steep, especially since they don't offer slices. I really wish they had smaller portions available so you could try different flavors without committing to a full cake prize. They package it very well and they also serve you a cute little fork set and a knife for cutting which I think is contributes to the price. The shop itself is very cute with chic décor and a lot of Asian-inspired artwork, which adds to the overall vibe. Customer service was friendly. When I visit Chicago again I'd definitely go back the texture and taste alone make it worth it but I do hope they consider offering smaller portions in the future.

    Came here for a hot drink while it's very cold in Chicago and not a lot of lot of places around…read morethat offer hot chocolate, hot coffee, or any hot drinks. We got here when it just was opening. The place was clean and the staff was really nice. We got the sweet roasted milk and it was very good and unique flavor. We were watching them while they were making that and the cheesecake and you can tell they put a lot of care and in time to their products.

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    Matcha
    Matcha
    UFOUU
    UFOUU

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    Mabu Generation

    Mabu Generation

    4.3
    (58 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    Decided to spontaneously eat here on a friday night while walking past and did not regret it…read more The restaurant wasnt overly crowded or loud and, the service was great while the food was even better. The taiwanese style popcorn chicken and pork cutlet were super juicy and tender with nicely crisp breading. The sausage had a pleasant sweetness to it and was served with garlic chips, which added a nice touch. Finally, the broth of the Sichuan noodles was packing with flavor: sweet, tangy, spicy, umami - truly hit all the spots without being too numbing to your mouth, if thats one of your concerns Would definitely return to try the other menu items, especially their hot sizzling plates and their dessert/drink offerings

    We came to Mabu Generation on a Sunday evening when the restaurant was not busy and was actually…read moreunusually quiet. One thing I personally did not like was that they require customers to pay first before the food comes out. For a sit-down restaurant, I prefer to eat first and pay after, especially when service is expected. The service was not very proactive during our visit. The food was okay, but nothing really stood out to me. For the price, I felt it was a little pricey compared to Taipei Cafe, and the overall experience did not feel worth it. Overall, the food was just alright, the service could be improved, and the pay-first system was not something I liked. I don't think I would come back.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Ovaltine Condensed milk French toast
    Ovaltine Condensed milk French toast
    R07. Japanese Style Curry & Garlic Udon With Mashed PotatoTempura Shrimp

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    R07. Japanese Style Curry & Garlic Udon With Mashed PotatoTempura Shrimp
    Te’amo Boba Bar

    Te’amo Boba Bar

    4.5
    (269 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    We stopped in whilst visiting Chinatown. We have one in our town and like to visit it on occasion…read more We ordered 5 drinks on the kiosk and found a place to sit in the back corner. Our order was ready pretty quick and everyone seemed happy with their drinks. The drinks are so pretty! Te'amo is pretty small and the night we went it was really messy.

    Are you guys ready for this review??…read more So my partner decided we are going to china town for lunch with his mom and sister. Family day in the city, DURING A SNOWSTORM!! We arrive, place is closed, will open in 10 mins. Perfect, we go to a near by shop and I spot some demon hunter Stanley cups!! I get them of course! We head to lunch, everything is great! As we are heading out, my partners sister spots Te'amo! I ask if she's ever had mochi donuts. She hasn't, so of course we must stop in because everyone needs to try them at least once!!! We order at the kiask and patiently wait for our order. We get our order and leave....leaving the bag with the Stanley's behind!!! We don't realize this until we are home (45 mins away)! I immediately call, no answer, call again, no answer. I decide to DM their instagram page and guess what??? THEY HAD THE CUPS!!! Here I was thinking $150 in cups were gone. But they had them!!! A miracle!! 10/10 stars!! Anyway! I highly recommend the brûlée ube milk tea and the ube mochi donuts!!

    Photos
    Te’amo Boba Bar
    Super cute, friendly, fast and amazing boba! Definitely a place to check out.
    Super cute, friendly, fast and amazing boba! Definitely a place to check out.
    Ube Mochi Donut

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    Ube Mochi Donut

    Nabala Cafe - cafes - Updated June 2026

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