Ordered the strawberry cream latte and osmanthus matcha to go, and I have to say - the to-go packaging was probably the best and most thoughtful I've seen here. It honestly reminded me of the kind of careful drink packaging you'd see in China. The drinks were very good, and I was pleasantly impressed. The strawberry puree in the latte tasted fresh, and the matcha was strong and flavorful. Love love. We ended up sitting down for a bit so my son could have some shu mai, and he liked them. The soy sauce really reminded me of what I grew up with in Guangdong, which was such a nice little nostalgic moment. Personally, the shu mai themselves weren't the best I've ever had, but for a small snack, there was really nothing to complain about. Overall, a very cute and thoughtful spot with drinks I'd happily come back for. read more

OverLay - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stopped by this new spot after grabbing breakfast nearby, and I've been on a mission to try different matcha drinks lately. I ordered the ube matcha, and my friend got the strawberry matcha. Both were really enjoyable and nicely balanced. Ordering was easy through the kiosk, and the place started to get a good crowd while we were there. The worker was very friendly and helpful, which made the experience even better. There is also street parking available, which is always a plus. Definitely a solid spot if you are looking to try something a little different! read more

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First and foremost, the ladies behind the counter are SO NICE. I came here for the first time after seeing it on Instagram and they were hand whisking the Matcha behind the counter, love to see it. When I walked in, they all smiled at me and were super friendly when I asked about the Osmanthus. The Matcha is the most beautiful green color. I got the Ube Matcha with some boba, which costs an extra dollar but I love how it tastes. The ube is sweet and earthy, it adds the perfect flavor to the drink. One thing is I think they forgot to give me a boba straw and gave me a regular one, so I had to opt to use the sip lid, but that's no trouble. They have a bunch of special drinks, including one that's been trending called "dot cake." I have to come back and try this place again! Overall the atmosphere is also very welcoming. Theres lots of seats, and board games with a couch by the back. It's such a cute place with the sweetest baristas. I'll definitely be visiting again. read more

OverLay - Ube matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute speciality drink and coffee shop if you're in the area. The ube swirl smoothie was amazing. I'll never need to order the biscoff latte ever again. It didn't taste like biscoff, most had the coffee. And I actually like that taste of coffee. This didn't really taste like anything. I'll try something else next time. The young lady working the register was super sweet. read more

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This is a really cute spot near the UIC campus - I was doing a Chicago matcha run around the city and this was one of my stops. I didn't try their other drinks but got their blue osmanthus matcha - I was not super impressed with the faint matcha flavor and the drink overall tasted a little watered down and was not as smooth as I'd hoped. read more

Quick service, cute boba shop. Mango milk tea is just with added mango puree but refreshing! read more

OverLay - Mango milk tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Service was very friendly and made you feel welcome. The place was super chill cafe style, to simulate Taiwanese style cafes. The food was solid, nothing to rave about but was flavorful and filling. The drinks were great but a little sweet. read more

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Such a fun and yum experience at Overlay Café! Owner and hostess Casey warmly welcomed me and described the extensive menu offerings. It was difficult to choose my beverage, but I went with the awesome Hong Kong style coffee with milk boba plus a small serving of sui mai topped with furikake flakes and a tasty sweet soy sauce. 10 out of 10 easily! While enjoying my food, I could not help but be tempted by the many running photos on the monitors promoting their other inviting beverages and treats. Had to takeout encore sui mai and steamed barbecue pork buns which were perfect meaty filling & soft pillowy bun. Café peppered with many cozy tables, some with cute games for interactive activities for adults and children as you sip & munch away. Highly recommend repeat visits! read more

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Wow! So much more than expected! I was invited to try this woman owned business by Kate. Thank you!! As it is International Women's Month, I thought it was fitting. Walking in, this small shop offers so much eye candy. Orange sharks coming out of the wall under a big tree, board games, comfy pillows and many seating options created a fun and welcoming first impression. The young lady working was an ace. She was answering questions,taking orders and was smiling and sweet the entire time. Her exceptional customer service made my experience even better. I picked up my order to go so I could bring goodies to my family who live nearby. In addition to lattes and fruit teas, my Thai Milk Tea was the best I have ever had. It was so creamy and full of flavor. I also tried an order of Siu Mai dumplings, a Strawberry Shortcake smoothie and 2 croffles. Now my son & daughter-in-law are regulars! They can't get enough. Parking was easy, the food & beverages were tasty and the customer service could not have been better. There is no reason not to try this great little spot. read more

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Hey fellow Yelp users! This was my first time visiting OverLay as part of the Yelp Experience. I took my best friend with me as my plus one. For starters, I'm obsessed with their cute logo of a blue shark on a floatie. Like sooo cute!!! I was kind of indecisive on what to get even though I already looked at the menu before coming. I was debating between the ube smoothie with boba, ube milk tea with boba, & the hearbreak punch lemonade. I ended up getting the heartbreak punch lemonade which is strawberry lemonade. Casey, the owner of OverLay, recommended me to try it with lychee jelly. This was my first time trying lychee jelly, so I didn't know what to expect. It was so good!!! I totally recommend if you're looking for something fruity and refreshing to drink. My best friend ended up getting the strawberry shortcake smoothie and it was so good too!!! Honestly everything was delicious! Customer Service: We were welcomed by the owner, Casey, and one of the staff members. Casey was so sweet, gave us some recommendations, and shared more about her business with bringing the Hong Kong culture to Chicago. Atmosphere: I love the atmosphere OverLay brings as it's a cute and cozy spot to enjoy a drink or even munch on light snacks/meals like their siu mai or bubble waffle. Great place for a coffee date/chat, hanging out with friends, or even for a date. Overall Experience: Overall, I had an amazing experience for my first visit to OverLay for the Yelp Experience. Thank you Casey (owner of OverLay), OverLay, & Yelp for putting this experience and event together. I highly recommend this place if you want to try a new spot in the University Village neighborhood. I hope this review helps OverLay & its current and future customers. Have an amazing day! read more

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Very cute cafe with free wifi and a self order kiosk . Enjoyed the free yelp elite mango tea boba with green tea and 3 pieces of pork shumai . I also bought another brown sugar boba for my daughter, customer service was excellent and the space is cute to work in peace. . Would certainly come back. read more

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On our second visit here we got the Oreo milk tea and strawberry milk tea. We also got the Oreo egg waffle. Service was quick and each item tasted great. Can't wait to come back to try other items on their menu! read more

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Did I come in for the free shark air tag holder? Yes, yes I did. Other than coming for the free keychain, I've been here a few times and always had a good experience. Not going to talk about the current promo because they have different limited ones randomly but their drinks are pretty solid. I like to dip the original bubble waffle into the crème brûlée top. Thank me later. I wouldn't say the bubble waffle batter tastes traditional and fluffy but it's fine. It's a good snack to share with friends. I also like their mango matcha. This place is also cheaper than other boba places on Taylor so that's a plus. Their coffee is easy to drink and their matcha is decent so I would suggest any of those. They also have a good brown sugar boba if you want a more traditional boba drink. The staff is always super sweet and the owner is really nice as well. read more

OverLay - Original bubble waffle and crème brûlée latte. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Thanks to Yelp, I found this hidden gem near my Alma mater (go flames)! It's my first time here today. The service here is amazing, friendly, and efficient. Matthew greeted me right away and gave me the background story of Overlay and what they're known for. I tried their Hong Kong inspired coffee milk tea and their siu mai. I loved the milk tea - there's grass jelly in it, and I also appreciate him asking me what sugar level I wanted because I usually go for 0% or the least amount possible - he made it 30% today which is perfect. I also ordered their original bubble waffle and their BBQ pork buns to go. Everything was delicious and made to order. There were chairs and tables for people who want to dine in, hang out, or study there. This place is also special to me as I have family from HK, and the items here give me a feel of home away from home. It's walking distance to UIC's campus and is accessible by public transit. There's limited metered street parking. I'd totally come back when I'm in the area next and would recommend it to anyone in the area. read more

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At the Italy festival, owner I believe gave us sample and invited us in telling us good atmosphere inside. Came back 20 min later and it was indeed a good spot! Tried the waffle and boboa and it was good! Also, there was game we could play! Good atmosphere and nice spot. read more

Cute new coffee shop on Taylor St ! They have strong wifi with lots of outlets and is a nice place to work. Haven't tried any of their snacks/food yet but the Overlay coffee, mango matcha latte are both great! They don't have sugar adjustments yet but the baristas and workers are both super receptive to feedback (and said sugar adjustments are coming soon) and have even asked me for their recommendations a few times!! They also added cute stuffed animals that add a cute little touch. Not too many tables so come here early or be lucky to be get one!! read more

OverLay - menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I don't think they have fully set up everything in here yet, but it's a cute little bubble tea shop. They've got some interesting flavors listed on their menu that I'll be happy to try when the weather warms up a bit. No warm options, but it could also just be at the moment since they just opened up. I got a dark brown sugar boba milk tea which was good. Even with 50% sugar it was still sweet (not overly so). Service was quick but I was the only one there at the time. I'll be back again! read more

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Friendly staff and delicious coffee! Cute environment with games and such. I'd definitely recommend this spot.

Hong Kong decour gave a unique vibe. Ube Cream Matcha Latte and siu mai was DELICIOUS! Very friendly staff and good service.

Seems new on the block so I've been meaning to check it. The cashier was really kind and helpful. The decor is really bright and colorful with cute plushies around. The drink was very refreshing, next time I'll try the milk tea. read more

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Decided to give this place a shot today, and I'm glad I did!! I got a caffe latte with boba and it was pretty good. It's not very sweet so definitely ask for sugar if you prefer your drinks a bit sweeter!! The interior is very cute and there's plenty of spaces to sit. Their prices are pretty average in my opinion, and there are some other spots on Taylor that offer cheaper drinks and/or larger sizes. But Overlay has some unique flavors that are def worth trying if you're in the area! read more

the boba is so good and the workers there are so nice 10/10 service and 100/10 boba would reccomend!!!

Their matcha mango latte is amazing. Must try. Good service. And great ambiance to work in.