One of the best ways to get to know a city is to find all the cool coffee shops. These spots are often where local artists and tastemakers hang out, after all—especially freelancers who don’t have standard nine-to-five desk jobs. As a cold-weather destination, Chicago has always been home to an array of cozy bars, cafes and lounges. But in recent years, Chicago has welcomed a new crop of indie-owned cafes to the coffee scene that infuse their owners’ backgrounds and personal history into the food and drinks.
Whether you’re hunting for a coffee spot to plop down with a book and a solid latte, looking for a place to get some remote work done (wifi required) and stay caffeinated, or perhaps just seeking somewhere to meet up with friends, Chicago is home to several coffee shops that not only offer unique interiors and fun design, but are entirely homegrown. You’re likely to see the owner slinging shots at the espresso machine or moving their wrists with poise to craft Instagrammable latte art with the milk pour. These Chicago-based coffee shops are also neighborhood-driven, tucked into areas outside of The Loop, and truly cater to locals. And remember, it doesn’t have to be a blustery Windy City winter day to hunker down in a coffee shop—iced-drink renditions hit the spot for a chilled buzz.
Below, we’ve curated a list of nine indie, local coffee shops in Chicago that are worth a visit. Each one is a unique concept with Windy City roots, and two of these cafes even sell books on-site, just in case you crave a new read and want to dive into its pages right away.
The Best Coffee Shops in Chicago, Illinois
Sawada Coffee
- 112 N. Green St., Chicago, IL 60607
Barista and latte artist Hiroshi Sawada (who won the 2008 Free Pour World Latte Art Championship and authored a book on latte art) owns this West Loop Chicago coffee shop, so you know you’ll be getting a great drink. This cafe’s virtually untouched warehouse-chic space (think high ceilings, exposed brick walls and a wall of multi-pane windows overlooking Green Street) is tucked into Fulton Market, and is Sawada’s first U.S. location (the second is in New York City). Sawada also operates Streamer Coffee cafes in his home country of Japan. While you can definitely order coffee menu staples like lattes and cappuccinos here, try something more unique the next time you visit. The highly photogenic Military Latte is composed of matcha, espresso, vanilla syrup, cocoa and your choice of milk. If you want a sweet treat, grab a camouflage donut from Chicago’s Doughnut Vault next door—that is, if you can brave the line that’s almost always out the door. Also on the menu is a riff on the pumpkin spice latte; Sawada’s version folds in hojicha, Japanese green tea. Any drink can be ordered “Tokyo style,” with a dash of kuromitsu, a Japanese black sugar syrup.
Dark Matter Coffee’s The Mothership
- 738 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60612
Along with a New York City outpost, Dark Matter Coffee operates eight locations sprinkled throughout several Chicago neighborhoods (including Osmium Coffee Bar in Lakeview and Soft Parade in West Town), and all feature wildly colorful murals, embracing an unapologetically maximalist design. The Mothership location in West Town is a good choice if you’re on a short trip to the Windy City, as it’s got the psychedelic wall art and vibe the brand’s known for, and also happens to be the flagship cafe. Thoughtful sourcing goes into every drink; the Café Miel, for example, features coffee beans and honey from San Jerónimo Miramar, a coffee farm partner in Guatemala, for the perfect terroir pairing. You can also order a Shirtado, the signature coffee drink created at Dark Matter Coffee’s very first cafe, Star Lounge. It’s similar to a cortado, but served in a martini glass. As a souvenir, pick up either a can of one of their eight ready-to-drink canned coffees or a bag of their in-house roasted coffee and espresso beans—try Unicorn Blood, an espresso blend.
Dark Matter Coffee
Four Letter Word
- 3022 W. Diversey Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Childhood friends Eylem Ozkaya, Kevin Heisner (also known as the artist Shlumper) and Ria Neri opened their first cafe and coffee roastery in Istanbul, before importing the concept to Chicago in 2015. Initially, Four Letter Word was located in The Plant, among other small businesses that dabbled in food and drink. Two years later, it moved to its current spot in the Logan Square/Avondale area. Designed by Heisner, the cozy little cafe features architectural details like a tin ceiling, globe pendant lighting and parquet flooring, along with some seating. Locals flock to this spot for the coffee shop’s single-origin espresso. The owners work hard to cultivate relationships with coffee farmers around the world, and include their partners’ bios when marketing their small-batch roasted coffee. Next door, peruse the sister bookstore, Four Letter Books, which offers additional seating and features a selection of rare and used titles on architecture, art, design, philosophy and politics.
Courtesy of Jonathan Vega
The Understudy Coffee and Books
- 5531 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640
The Understudy Coffee and Books’ co-owners, Danny Fender and Adam Todd Crawford, met while studying at DePaul University’s Theatre School. They chose to stay in Chicago after graduation, drawn to the city’s theater scene, and eventually opened their coffee and bookshop in 2023. Like any good playwright, they strive to tell the story behind everything they make, partially driven by Fender’s stage manager background. Beautiful tile flooring and exposed brick walls add to the atmosphere, along with the bookstore within that sells plays and acting-technique books, making this a fun hangout for writers and playwrights. On some evenings, the cafe hosts live play readings and drag performances. As for the truly great coffee? While you can order classic lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and drip coffee, brewed with Chicago’s own Metric Coffee, creativity is really on display with the specialty lattes, from the Two Old Cat, which tastes like banana bread, to Folklore, with brown-sugar syrup and local maple syrup.
Anticonquista Café
- 952 W. 18th St., Chicago, IL 60608
Anticonquista Café owners Lauren Reese and Elmer Fajardo have a direct connection to the coffee they import and roast: the beans are grown on Fajardo’s two family farms, located on the Guatemala-Honduras border, with one in each country. The couple personally knows the farmers and shares their story and lifestyle with customers. Open since 2024, the Pilsen cafe and coffee bar is decked out in bold hues to cultivate positive energy. The menu features more than typical cafe drinks, including the iced pinol (roasted maize ground into a fine powder, mixed with cardamom and mesquite) and an iced Americano topped with orange cold foam.
Courtesy of Lauren Reese
Plein Air Cafe
- 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, IL 60637
Soo Choi teamed up with Art Institute of Chicago alum Kevin Heisner—who also has a stake in Four Letter Word—to open this Hyde Park cafe, featuring a timeless black-and-white interior. In French, “plein air” means open air, and is a nod to a painter’s artistic discipline. The design complements its next-door neighbor, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Robie House, completed in 1910. This is a great spot when you want more than a coffee or espresso (drip, pour-over, or classic) with a pastry, as there’s a full breakfast and lunch food menu created by Chicago’s Art Jackson, of Pleasant House Farms’ urban gardens, Pleasant House Bakery and Pleasant House Pub, with items like stuffed French toast, quiche, tartines and club sandwiches.
Courtesy of Nathan Michael Gomez
Soloway Coffee
- 2275 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
On the corner of North Lincoln, Soloway Coffee is a sunny spot with brick exterior walls and plenty of windows. The owners first launched their coffee roasting business in 2016 in Ukraine (Soloway means “nightingale,” a symbol of a new day, in Ukrainian), and opened this Chicago cafe in 2024—it fits right in, as the Windy City is home to one of the largest populations of Ukrainians in the U.S. This Lincoln Park cafe, near DePaul University’s campus, serves coffee and pastries, including cinnamon rolls, pistachio-dipped croissants, canelés, and syrnyky (a Ukrainian cheese pancake), are made by Soloway Coffee’s sister bakery, Abrah Bakery and Daily Bistro, which is open for breakfast, brunch and dinner next door.
Side Practice Coffee
- 5131 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60625
This corner cafe, located near Winnemac Park on Chicago’s North Side, excels in infusing Southeast Asian flavors into coffee drinks, conceived by owner Francis Almeda—think pandan blended with matcha and ube cold foam. A new addition, the Island Latte, features matcha, macadamia milk and coconut milk, topped with roasted macadamia nuts. Ube and pandan-vanilla (burnt vanilla) syrups can be added to any drink. Named in honor of locals who juggle side practices, the clothing merch with its fun logos and illustrations showcases Almeda’s own side gig as a graphic designer.
Courtesy of John Ringor
Tasa Coffee Roasters
- 4136 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60639
Jackie and Pierre Marquez opened up Tasa Coffee Roasters in West Humboldt Park in 2022. The minimalist design is all neutral colors and clean lines, letting the food and drinks take center stage. To bring in some of their Latino heritage, the owners added very good coffee beverages like a horchata cold brew and dishes that range from Cuban sandwiches to empanadas. Seasonal options are equally sweet, such as a pumpkin cheesecake latte and a s’mores latte, topped with tiny marshmallows, to kick off the cooler months.
Courtesy of Alan Luntz
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