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    OverLay

    4.7 (27 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Lico J.

    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.

    Ube Matcha
    Lauren M.

    Thai place was incredible. The ambiance is so cute and the staff is incredible. The menu had a ton of options from matcha, to lattes to boba tea and some food. I ordered the Ube matcha and my friend got the strawberry one. Both of them were incredible and I would go back in a heartbeat!

    Interior
    Jemyra I.

    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!

    Biscoff Latte
    Jessica M.

    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.

    Ube matcha

    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.

    Strawberry Cream Croffle
    Mark L.

    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.

    Betty U.

    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!

    Mango milk tea
    Stephanie L.

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

    Rhonda F.

    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.

    Front of OverLay
    Monica L.

    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!

    Padma A.

    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.

    Crème brûlée latte
    Myra Y.

    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!

    Original bubble waffle and crème brûlée latte.
    Malynn T.

    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.

    Hong Kong Original Bubble Waffle

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    1 year ago

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

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    2 years ago

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

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    1 year ago

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

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    2 years ago

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

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    Buttercup  - Gelato! Cookie Butter on the left and chocolate hazelnut on the right, served in chilled goblets. So good!

    Buttercup

    4.2(57 reviews)
    2.0 miNear Southside
    $$

    Walked over to Buttercup after checking into my hotel in Chicago to grab a coffee and fire up the…read moreold laptop and get some work done. Though usually one for a hot coffee, it was steamy hot out so I went for an iced vanilla latte with oat milk and was wildly impressed. I was going to sit for a bit so had the latte for there and it was icy cold and the vanilla flavoring was brilliantly paired to the really good espresso notes within the latte. I also went for a Financier, which is a gluten-free banana bread sort of loaf and this was downright silly how good it was. It had a rich banana and sort of caramel flavor to it and as a gluten-free pastry option was one of the finest that I have had. Love that the coffee shop had just about every seat full with people doing work, studying, reading and catching up and the spot was a true neighborhood gem sort of location. Awesome spot!

    Such a cute and cozy cafe! It's a great spot to get some work done, and the service was super nice…read more You order at the counter, and the server helping us was really patient. The Pistachio Mocha (8.5/10) had a great mocha flavor and the espresso strength was perfect. Not too strong or too light. Loved this one. The Lavender Sea Salt Latte (8/10) had a nice lavender flavor, and I liked that I could actually taste the espresso without it being overpowering. The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (7/10) is only available Saturday and Sunday. The egg was soft, the bacon was crispy, and the brioche bun was nice and soft. The mayo-based sauce was flavorful, but there was almost a little too much for me. I liked how the sandwich wasn't dry though.

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    Buttercup  - Vibes

    Vibes

    Buttercup  - Buttercup - shaved iced on top.

    Buttercup - shaved iced on top.

    Buttercup  - Welcome to Buttercup.

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    Gathers Tea Bar - Ube Monster

    Gathers Tea Bar

    4.8(350 reviews)
    0.2 miUniversity Village
    $$

    This is one of my favorite matcha spots in all of Chicago! It gets pretty busy sometimes, so expect…read morea wait during their peak hours. It will get a little loud too if it's crowded, so be sure to listen to your order name or number in order to grab your drink at the delivery counter! Probably my 3rd or 4th time visiting, but the drinks always hit the matcha itch each time I love the Strawberry Matcha Latte since it brings a good level of sweetness from the strawberry puree but also the bitterness from the matcha. The matcha has such a deep flavor that with any of the specialty lattes, you don't lose any of that matcha flavoring to the add-ons. The Mango Matcha Latte is also very good! You get a lighter mango taste (in comparison to having a stronger strawberry taste), and you can still taste the depth of the matcha flavor. Even after the ice melting after time, you can still taste the matcha as if it was not watered down. That's how you know you're getting premium quality matcha. tl;dr If you haven't tried Gathers...you're missing out on some delicious matcha.

    Cute and busy cafe! We came midday on Saturday and everyone seemed to be here. Good vibes,…read morefast-paced and so many drinks options. I LOVED their menu because they have a good mix of boba, matcha and other decaffeinated drinks. Boba prices are good too, and regular drink is around $5.5 on average. I got mango matcha and I can tell it's a high quality matcha. Even towards the end, the matcha didn't get watered down much (see one of the pictures). The mango didn't taste authentic, but good quality matcha made up for it. Ube monster was also tasty; it has Oreo crumbs on top. The sweetness was just right. Service was fast and there are so many self-check out stations.

    Photos
    Gathers Tea Bar - Strawberry Matcha Latte

    Strawberry Matcha Latte

    Gathers Tea Bar - Brown Sugar Hojicha, Brown Sugar Matcha Latte, Black Sesame Matcha Latte

    Brown Sugar Hojicha, Brown Sugar Matcha Latte, Black Sesame Matcha Latte

    Gathers Tea Bar - Thai Tea

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    Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago - Starbucks

    Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago

    4.1(2.4k reviews)
    2.6 miNear North Side
    $$

    It has been a birthday wish come true visiting the Starbucks Reserve in Chicago this year!! I loved…read moreseeing the seasonal offerings like the iced one coconut latte, the yuzu espresso, the spring pea galette, the pistachio cookie, and the matcha strawberry financier. None of these will ever be found in my local Starbucks shop. My better half and I settled on an iced chai latte with added cold foam and a slice of their tiramisu. The iced chai was heavenly especially the added cold foam, which gave it a nice sweet taste and the tiramisu was our favorite, and made in house!! They also have a tiramisu latte on their menu, which we'll have to try next time. My only recommendation is to not come here in the middle of the day, as it gets very busy and if you'd like to sit down like we did, it will be tricky to find an empty seat. But all in all, the ambiance was just so lively and cool for a Starbucks lover like me. We finally secured an empty two seats on the second floor, (where I had put our order in)and enjoyed watching all the people and the workers behind the scenes. Know before you go: 1) Their 1st Floor--coffee and light bites to go. Second Floor--Coffee and full food offerings. Third Floor--the experience bar that has coffee creations, coffee flights, gelato, and light bites. Fourth Floor--Arriviamo Bar that serves coffee inspired cocktails, beer, wine and light bites. 2) Be sure to check out their seasonal food offerings and beverages. 3) They do offer Starbucks Reserve Experiences, which are hands-on workshops which you can book ahead of time.

    I must have gone at a random time because that awful around the block line was gone. I waited…read moreoutside for less than 5 mins and then I was in! I told myself if the line was long I wouldn't go. I got in line for the first floor to go area. You scan the QR code to check out the menu. People are busy walking around trying to buy merch to take home. The upper floors are for sit down service. The drink I ordered was so good. It was a matcha latte with black sesame cold foam. I think it's only served there because I have looked at the menu here at home and it's not there. I'm still thinking about this drink and going to look for it at a local coffee shop to see if it has something close to it.

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    Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago - Starbucks

    Starbucks

    Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago - Starbucks

    Starbucks

    Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago - Starbucks

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    Starbucks

    3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago - Cheeseburger

    3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago

    4.4(1.8k reviews)
    3.0 miNear North Side
    $$$

    An absolute 5-star experience from start to finish! The atmosphere was effortlessly chic and…read morebeautiful, setting the perfect tone for a wonderful meal. Every dish we ordered was exceptionally delicious and served with impressive speed. We started with the creamy burrata salad, which was paired with incredible, fresh-baked bread. For our mains, the steak sandwich was packed with rich flavor, and the branzino fish was cooked to absolute perfection. A gorgeous spot with flawless food and service--I cannot wait to come back!

    Need a reservation on OpenTable about a week prior. Ran about 15 minutes late due to misjudging the…read moreUber from our hotel and when I called, they moved my reservation out 15 minutes to accommodate. This is nestled inside of a hotel and it's not immediately clear in the lobby, but luckily they have a person greeting you upon entry. The hostess is in the middle and seating is in a beautiful atrium. We sat next to a fountain at a small table. 5/5 shrimp cocktail. The shrimp or colossal, lol! The cocktail sauce and the tartar/aïoli sauce was amazing, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. 5/5 crispy, artichoke with an aïoli sauce. Beautifully presented, perfectly crispy. The aïoli was so delicious. I kept it for the rest of my meal as it being sauce. 4/5 American breakfast with egg whites. Egg whites were slightly runny, but good portion. The bacon was crispy and slightly sweet. Super yummy. Crispy potatoes were like a deep fried large country potato. Good with the aïoli, but I didn't eat too much. 4/5 petite potato, American style. These are truly petite. I wanna say it was $14-$20 but I expected a little bit more. 5/5 chocolate chip cookie for my Bestie's birthday. Best cookie she's ever had. Delicious, warm, chewy. 5/5 butterscotch crème brûlée. First time I've ever had a butterscotch version. The custard was delicious, and the Brulé topping was not too thick. Annihilated the whole thing. The atrium was beautiful. I wish there was a little bit more space for us to take photos, but the hotel itself beautiful. Our service was great. I wish I could remember our servers name but it was a young man with glasses & he was fabulous.

    Photos
    3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago - Interior

    Interior

    3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago - Grilled shrimp and vegetable salad

    Grilled shrimp and vegetable salad

    3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago - Grilled shrimp and Prosciutto and Delice Board

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    OverLay - coffee - Updated September 2026

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