Tucked away in a cute row of eclectic shops just east of the Metra station is Astra. A good sized…read morespace with plenty of room to hang with your people. The service is fast and friendly, and the product quality is surprisingly good. We have been back several times for the chai latte. I will echo another comment I saw that the tables/floors/chairs looked like they need to be kept up with in regards to cleaning, I did note that while I was waiting for my order. Glad to have them in the neighborhood!

Beautiful cafe in Highland Park. I had the cafe miel that came with honey and cinnamon. It's a very…read morelarge space with plenty of seating. They are dog friendly. A dog came in with their human while we were waiting for our drinks, and I noticed dog hair on the floor where we were sitting.

TLDR - The Black Forest Coffee drink is great!…read more Full Review First to note: I'm a big coffee person and love drinking my coffee black in the morning. I will almost always pick black coffee over lattes, cappuccinos, and other classic combinations that would potentially mask the flavor notes of good quality coffee. The exceptions are specialty coffee drinks that have some unique combination of ingredients (aside from just different syrup flavors). But even then, I admit I'm a bit wary of having tried many cafes where these specialty drinks end up being too sweet. I've passed by Cherry & Coffee Cafe many times in Hawthorn mall in the past without giving it a second thought because of the very thing I mentioned above - likening it to cafes with overly sweet drinks. On this particular day, which happened to be Father's Day, I was in the area and looking for something caffeinated in the afternoon. I happened to glance at Cherry & Coffee Cafe's menu on google and saw something called "Black Forest Coffee", which was described as being made with chocolate syrup and maraschino cherries. This sounded intriguing enough that I ventured over to give it a shot. It somehow didn't click in my mind that this wasn't black coffee (I had interpreted/misread the description as having notes of chocolate and cherry). It finally hit me when I was ordering my drink and the barista asked me which milk I wanted (it's also quite possible I got confused because "coffee" was in the name instead of "latte"). I decided to go ahead with my order anyway since I had already made the trip over. Long story short, I was VERY surprised that the Black Forest Coffee drink was both not too sweet and quite good! My wife is especially picky with sugar levels (think Kung Fu Tea's milk tea with 0% sugar because she thinks the boba already adds enough sugar) and even she enjoyed it. So thanks to this happy accident, I think I will be back in the future to try their other offerings! Full description of Black Forest Coffee (found on my receipt): Espresso, chocolate sauce, maraschino cherries juice, shaved chocolate, maraschino cherries, milk or alternative milk

I tried coffee and crepes with banana and strawberries, Nutella and were delicious, just the right…read moreamount of sweetness without an overwhelming amount of sugar. My daughter ordered a savory salmon crepe, and it was also very tasty. I will be recommending this cafe because I really liked it.

This place is awesome! What a little hidden gem tucked inside the Lake Cook Metra station…read more Authentically one of the smoothest drinking lattes I've ever had, AND one of the best croissants I've had outside of France. All served with love from the friendliest folks you'll meet. With all due respect to Seattle's finest, why would you drink liquid cigarette ash and frozen pastries from Starbucks when you could go here for literally the same cost? Please do yourself this simple favor.

I've been in the station connected to this spot more times then I can count, but I'm usually later…read morein the day and always miss my shot. Today Is new years eve and I was nearby on errands when I saw people inside finally! Yes, it's coffee time. First of all, this place is an oasis. Way too cute and perfect to be connected to the grime and cold of the metra station. If your waiting for a train, do yourself a favor and come in here! Better smells, better temperature, better people. Find me waiting for my trains in here whenever they're open. The professionalism here is on full display, you can tell from the obvious thought in the decor, the look of the coffee machines being used, and the excellent and friendly service. I just had a quick mocha today, I needed to warm up and this drink improved my mood right away. Made in front of me (before paying... that's respect) by a sweet lady who also hooked me up with a punch card, it was very nice. Not overly rich from the chocolate and just the right temperature. I see they make they're own pastries and have some fancy cold options for summer! I can't wait to come back and try more. I'll definitely be filling up that punch card in the coming months!

Delicious coffee and excellent service Best decaf brew…read morearound! My favorite staff on the North Shore!

I came here awhile back to meet my friends, who were headed up to an event in Highland Park. This…read morelocation is huge, and the staff is great....they didn't bother me when I said I was waiting for a friend and sat at a table for 20+ minutes without ordering. (It turns out, my friends went to the Winnetka location, so after texting back and forth, we realized the error so I left to go meet them and get a drink at the other location lol). I have had the coffee here as well previously, and it's always good, too. All the Tala locations are top notch. But I did appreciate that they didn't hassle me when I was awkwardly taking up space for almost a half hour haha.

I needed a place of respite between being in Chicago proper and heading to the Citadel Theatre for…read morea show and Blue Cafe was the perfect, cozy fit. The lady running the shop was so sweet! She helped us place our order because we couldn't find the croissant on the kiosk, served us our drinks and snacks, and was unbothered by the fact we hung out for about an hour, doing puzzles, writing Yelp reviews, and reading a book. My matcha was delicious, my daughter loved her caramel latte, and my boyfriend tried the chai latte. He likes his on the sweeter side so he wasn't quite sure, but I enjoyed it! The croissant was fairly priced and served nicely on a real plate. The music was instrumental and not too loud so I could concentrate. The bathrooms were unisex, spacious, and immaculately clean. I would definitely plan my route to and from the area to include a stop here and I hope the shop finds lots of success!

Terrific service, best neighborhood café for all your desires and cravings…read moreDefinitely recommended

While in town visiting my family, I was in search of a coffee shop and happened to stumble upon…read moreDrip & Culture. Thankfully, it was only 10 minutes away, so my mom and I hopped in the car to try it out. Drip and Culture is located in the back of Supermercado Gonzalez. It's not rare for Mexican grocery stores in the area to sell hot food in the back of the store, but it was very unique to find this super cute, black-owned coffee shop located right in the back. After looking over the menu, I decided on the Ube Matcha and my mom chose the Banana Rum Caramel Latte! Both drinks were a 10/10!!! My drink had an Ube horchata base, which tasted like the perfect mix of vanilla and cinnamon. It was absolutely amazing and paired perfectly with the matcha!!! My mom thoroughly enjoyed her latte as well! Next time I'm in town, Drip and Culture will be my first stop. The shop has a 90s theme with jerseys on the wall and VHS tapes, which gives such a nostalgic vibe. I can't wait to return!!!

Drip & Culture is such a cute coffee shop tucked away and has been one of my Waukegan favorites! I…read moremake it a goal to try as many local coffee shops as possible always better than the chain stores. Not only is the coffee delicious, but you can also grab tacos and relax with a seat while you enjoy your meal. The service is always welcoming, and it really is a great family owned business. One thing I love is that the menu is constantly evolving with new featured drinks, giving you something different to try each visit. So far, it has never disappointed. If you're looking to support local and enjoy great coffee, Drip & Culture is absolutely worth a stop!

Cute, cozy space with great drinks!! It's quite a hidden gem and I would recommend to everyone, I…read moregot a delicious matcha.

When in the area, we had to make a stop by one of our local faves. We stopped by because I was in…read moreneed of matcha and absolutely love their strawberry matcha. My husband came with and saw croffles and it was a no brainer. We waited a few minutes for the croffle to come out, and it was so good. My little even devoured the strawberries, it was the perfect snack and treat for all! Can't wait to come back soon, we saw they had other flavors, and some fun new drinks.

So excited that one of my favorite coffee shops in Skokie is open closer to my neighborhood! The…read morehours aren't updated here but they are definitely open, at least on the weekdays. They're located inside the Metra Station which is the perfect little spot for commuters. I got my usual Cardamom Rose Latte which was just as great as the one in Skokie and a spinach and feta empanada. My husband enjoyed his iced americano and spicy chicken salad croissant. The barista was kind enough to toast both items and let us know that it would be a bit of a wait for it to warm up but it was totally worth it. Definitely worth popping in if you're going to take the train or even if you are just craving a really great latte!