The Best Coffee Shops
We love good coffee. While some of the country’s best roasters can be found in the city, we do have a variety of great options throughout the suburbs that either roast their own beans or serve some of our Chicago favorites like Intelligentsia, Dark Matter, Metric and Four Letter Word. Whether you are looking for a place to work or just need a quality cup of joe, check out our list of favorites below.
NORTH SHORE
Backlot Coffee
An Evanston neighborhood favorite with two additional locations in Chicago. Locals rave about their friendly service, quality beans and specialty drinks. The breakfast sandwiches and baked goods are high quality as well. Space is warm and friendly but on the smaller side so can fill up quickly during peak times.
Colectivo Coffee
Dollop Coffee
Enjoy a delicious slide of pie from Hoosier Mama Pie Company with your espresso in a beautiful sunny space. Dollop is a popular Chicago roaster with several cafes across Chicago and Evanston. Everything is hand-made in house using high quality ingredients. In addition to pie, they offer pastries and buttermilk biscuit sandwiches for breakfast, and then savory pie plates, sandwiches and salads for lunch and dinner, along with a variety of coffee options. Don’t forget to grab a slice or whole pie to go on your way out.
Hometown Coffee & Juice
A North Shore gem with three locations that serves up La Colombe coffee alongside delicious salads, smoothies, bowls, toasts and other food options. You can also pick up a Do-Rite donut while there or transition your work day into happy hour with their cocktail offerings. They also have an app if you want to order ahead for pick up.
Locations in Glencoe, Winnetka and Lake Forest (see map for details)
Newport Coffee House
A high quality roaster on the North Shore that serves top-notch USDA Certified Organic coffee in beautifully designed spaces. Known for their commitment to quality, design, and delight, they offer an exceptional experience across their coffee, cafés, and bakery. You can also book their Instagram worthy Citroen Coffee Truck for your next outdoor party or corporate event.
Locations in Evanston and Bannockburn (see map for details)
Tala Coffee Roasters
One of our favorite coffee roasters with three beautiful cafes. Not only do they make some of the best coffee, but Tala also creates warm and inviting spaces that are perfect for a place to work, read a book, or catch up with friends. Their cafes also offer tasty pastries from local bakeries and the roastery in Libertyville hosts a variety of educational classes and events throughout the year.
Locations in Highwood, Libertyville and Winnetka (see map for details)
Towne & Oak
A café and private event space located in Winnetka offering a diverse menu of grab-and-go items and made-to-order dishes like salads, tartines, cheese platters, and hearty daily specials. Enjoy a full coffee bar alongside a curated selection of wine, beer, and specialty drinks. The skylight-soaked café combines the refreshing feel of being somewhere new with the comfort of home, making it the perfect local gathering spot.
NORTHWEST SUBURBS
Calibre Coffee
An independent coffee shop located in the Arboretum shopping center of South Barrington. They constantly rotate the coffee roasters and feature diverse coffee drinks from across the world, providing the opportunity to always try something new. They also offer quality loose leaf teas and a small selection of baked goods.
Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters
One of our favorite roasters in the suburbs with multiple locations across the northwest burbs and a big focus on being part of the local community. In addition to great coffee, their cafes are great places to work, meet with friends or relax with a book. Each location’s menu varies slightly but most offer food and baked goods.
Locations in Barrington, Palatine, Cary, Crystal Lake and Libertyville (see map for details)
Hansa Coffee Roasters
A local roaster out of Libertyville that focuses on sourcing beans from small, quality-focused families and cooperatives around the world. Their Libertyville location is a great place to work on nice days when they open up the garage doors. Their Lake Bluff spot feels more like your traditional cafe.
Locations in Libertyville and Lake Bluff (see map for details)
Heady Cup Coffee Roasters
A small-batch specialty coffee roaster specializing in single-origin offerings and custom blends. You can visit their shop out in McHenry or increasingly find them at several great local spots across the suburbs. They also have a full-service coffee cart that can be rented for events or corporate outings.
Viator Coffee
Viator started as a mobile espresso bar, bringing their specialty coffee shop experience to weddings, private parties, festivals, corporate events, trade shows and more, but recently opened their first shop at the Dream Hall in Elgin. They offer quality coffee and baked goods in a food hall space that is great for working or meeting up with friends.
World’s Fair by Fairgrounds Coffee
A true gem that would be impossible to find unless someone told you where it was. The latest Fairgrounds location recently opened in Bell Works, the new Metroburb space being transformed from the former AT&T research facility. World’s Fair offers a variety of high quality Chicago coffee roasters, along with solid food options, a great space to work and a full service bar should you want to extend your stay into the evening.
Locations in Oak Park and Hoffman Estates (see map for details)
WESTERN SUBURBS
Blackberry Market
The popular fast-casual cafe, bakery and coffeehouse offers up expertly crafted coffee with Intelligentsia beans, along with daily handcrafted meals, dinners to-go, tasty baked goods, and a robust catering menu.
Locations in Glen Ellyn, La Grange and Oak Brook (see map for details)
Brewpoint Coffee
What started with the founders looking for an espresso machine on Craigslist turned into three coffee shops, a coffee roastery, an event space, and a book about running a coffee shop. Brewpoint is a local favorite with great coffee, friendly staff and a cozy atmosphere.
Multiple locations across Elmhurst (see map for details)
Five & Hoek
A small independent roaster and family owned shop with locations in Wheaton and Knoxville, TN. They roast delicious coffee and offer a variety of specialty coffee beverages and lattes. They also feature house-made caramels and syrups, that add a nice touch to your favorite coffee drink. Be sure to check out their new venture, Sassy Biscuits, which is next door.
Sparrow Coffee
One of our favorite coffee roasters, which can be found at many of Chicago's Michelin-starred restaurants. Their founder, Chris Chacko is one of the world’s top roasters and has created a must-visit place for serious coffee enthusiasts. The Naperville cafe also caters to locals, young professionals and students with an inviting, light-filled space that fills up quickly most days. Everything from pour-overs to cortados are top notch here, while also offering delicious baked goods and food options from culinary director Matt Danko, formerly of Grace.
