I saw a line out the door, so I knew I had to check it out. I grabbed a hazelnut latte, and it was…read moregreat! The staff are super friendly and impressively quick, even when it's busy. I would not wait in line but it is a solid coffee.

But the barrels... they're so tempting!…read more Running right across the middle of the shop, there are barrels full of different kinds of coffee beans. It is so tempting to open them and start smelling, only the signs very nicely ask you not to. Wanting a break from dime-store coffee and tea (Folgers - no hate, it has a place), I decided to get something a little less "meh". Added bonus is that I am able to support a family business, as opposed to the Walton family and their associated shareholders. The staff at The Coffee & Tea Exchange was wonderful! They helped me select three different coffees to take home, speaking to the roasts and what makes them unique. I'd also like to award some bonus points for just the right grind of coffee for my reusable Keurig pods. My amazement does not stop at coffee, either - this also applies to teas. I went home with a few varieties of some of the more flavorful loose-leaf teas I've had! The kicker? The prices were very reasonable! True, it is not as cheap as a large can of Red or Blue coffee from the grocer's, but at the same time, not as expensive as something a corporation (maybe with a two-tailed siren??) has convinced you comes from a magical place called Seattle. Final verdict: My freshman year roommate had 4 open tubes of toothpaste because "variety is the spice of life." I have one tube of toothpaste, but coming up on a dozen different coffees and teas in my cabinet. Once I start running low, The Coffee & Tea Exchange is the first place I'll go to restock.

We had a lovely evening listening to great music in a clean, safe environment. Staff was so…read morefriendly and helpful. Loving the coffee I brought hime.

Incredible coffee! The flavor and taste is smooth yet savory and is unique in its originality…read more Can't wait for this to open! Come on city of AH.

We went to the bar here expecting a one off experience. Ricky and Zachary on the 4th floor made all…read morethe difference. From friends visiting from out of state, you could not have picked a friendlier or more attentive staff. Thank you for making our visit memorable and fantastic! promote these two!!

Mood: Chicago must With a fun Chicago trip landing super…read moreearly going to the reserve was a must! I am not much of a Starbucks girl but this place was 4 floors of coffee, delicious bites, & a full bar! Started my morning with an espresso martini flight and omg- just what you need to start the day! 10/10 bold, fresh pressed, & right amount of sweetness. Pistachio croissant 9/10 the right amount of pistachio but not as sweet as I'd like Chocolate croissant 10/10 it was perfectly fluffy and filled with chocolate. This will be my forever Chicago staple.

Great customer service. Ordered a cherry danish. It was great. They were patient and explained what…read moreeverything was to us out-of-towners as we were indecisive. They offered to heat up my danish and when they brought it to me, they asked if i wanted a plate also. Visiting from out of state. Would come back. If we lived here, we would come daily. They also grind and package their own coffee here! And you can watch them do it

Cool place to have a coffee, hang out. Lots of nooks, alcoves and spaces if you're looking for a…read morepeaceful place to work. The coffee itself is bold and delicious. I had a tumeric ginger chai latte which I will now refer to as calm in a cup. It was just what I needed. Scones were great too.

Such a great local coffee chain in the Chicago area! There are a ton of options for both coffee and…read morenon-coffee lovers. I personally got the Brown Sugar Latte since I've never seen a flavor like that before, and I'm in love with it! Additionally, I'm a fan of the interior of the shop. Great vibes, plenty of indoor seating, and very friendly baristas! I would definitely come back here for my morning pick-up.

This was our first stop in Chicago. Cool little place and the staff was nice. No up charges for…read morealternative milks which is awesome. I got the brown sugar miso latte which was a great salty sweet combination. The iced drinks have 4 shots of espresso so I'd say you get your moneys worth.

I wanted to like it. I did. But after a few visits, it's just not for me…read more The first trip, I tried the Matari Tea: Green tea, Himalayan pink salt, milk, and spices, topped with roasted pistachios. Sounds good, right? Alas, it could not have been blander. I couldn't taste any "spices" or even the hint of salt. The profile was that of very watered-down tea mixed with milk, and a ton of pistachios floating on top. Like, barely crushed pistachios. Huge pieces, covering the top of the drink, bobbed around like tiny icebergs, and even they somehow had a toned-down flavor. The drink was definitely a swing and a miss. Fast forward two weeks, and I tried Matari again. This time with a simple cortado. I sat at the table right by the door, and the espresso was pretty good. Solid body, not too bitter. It was on the pricy side ($7+), but I was ok with that. But then, I'm hanging out, sipping my coffee, and I catch a burst of perfume-like scent. I'm shocked, but whatever, I figured someone in heavy perfume walked by, no big deal. A few minutes later, wham, I'm hit in the nose with another burst of perfume. Then, I see it. A slight haze around me. So, not a heavily perfumed woman after all, but an automated air-freshener. After further inspection, I see the unit plugged in on the ground right behind my chair, which sprays up and out on a timer. That's right, an air freshener right next to a table where people consume food and beverages, shooting a mist into the air that slowly rains down onto my head and table, and into my coffee. I ended up tossing the last few sips of my cortado, as I could taste the scented whatever-it-was in my cup. I'd have gone to the counter and asked for a new one, but I was so over my visit by then, I just opted to get out. The staff aren't very friendly. Not rude, but they don't give off a welcoming aura, and I didn't feel like trying to explain the issue. Lastly, can we talk about their little "your order is up" beepers? We've all seen them. The little electronic things that blink and make a noise when your order is ready, so you can go snag it from the counter. When I think of a coffee shop, I think quiet and peaceful, or perhaps a bit louder, with bustling people and well-paired music. At Matari, it's an insane BEEP BEEP BEEP that goes off every few minutes when an order is up. I get it, you don't want to bring the food out to your customers. But does it really need to feel like an airport Chili's? It's a bummer, because Matari is beautiful inside. It's clean, it's chic, and its location is at a notable crossroads in Skokie with plenty of parking, leaving it extremely convenient. They've even got an easy-to-use website, which so many coffee shops simply do not have. There aren't a lot of coffee shops in this particular part of town, which is why I so, so very much wanted to love Matari. But subpar drinks? Air freshener spray intrusions? Frequent and obnoxious beeping? I tried. I'm sorry. I just can't.

Even though it's on the expensive side , the mouse fruit cakes were absolutely outstanding!…read more Had the hazelnut, mango , raspberry mouse fruit cake and the pistachio tiramisu cup. By far the raspberry mouse was the best one! Maradi coffee is a bit in the expensive side but the service is outstanding and the food delicious. The place was packed so we couldn't eat there but it looked very cozy. A must in the neighborhood.

Beef empanadas is super addicting. Chicken tamale had a…read morenice spicy kick, I do wish it didn't fall apart so easily though. Beignets are always fire Horchata Coldbrew was delicious

Cute cafe! The place was hopping on a Sunday morning. Despite the busyness we received our order…read morequickly. We tried the horchata cold brew. It was really good! A perfect mix where you tasted both horchata and coffee. The prices were average for Chicago.