Nice staff. Comfy vibe. Nice variety of seasonal drinks. Interesting food options. Who doesn't…read morelove quiche?

The coffee shop was average, no wow factor. It felt earthy and chilled. Yes coffee is tad too sweet…read moreso if you do like definitely go. Yes they do have avocado toast. Will give an update. You can order the coffee you want, and there is no non fat milk expect skim milk, no coconut milk too. Their matcha is from china from a local place.

I would give Matari 4.5 out of 5 stars, so I'm rounding to 5 based on service and ambiance! I heard…read moreabout their fruit mousse cakes online, so we knew we had to stop by to check it out. The cafe is immaculate and service was very friendly. The person who took our order was patient as he explained the different pastries in the case. I wish they had signs explaining what each pastry was so I could have decided while waiting in line. We ended up sharing an iced pistachio latte (delicious and 10/10!), the pistachio cheesecake (10/10!), and the strawberry mousse cake (7/10 - a subtle sweetness, great texture, but needed more cake or crust inside as it was mostly whipped cream and the shell). The mousse cake was $12.00, which felt steep considering it was mostly whipped cream, even though it was obviously beautiful. We would definitely come back for the coffee and to try more menu items! Check this place out!

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.

Food: I had been wanting to try Philz for years due to the mint mojito, and this certainly did not…read moredisappoint! It was super refreshing., Service: Super nice and fast. Ambiance: The store is lovely. So spacious, clean, working spaces with natural lighting. So glad I made a spot while visiting.

Looking for fun, creative coffee creations? Come by Philz in Evanston. It's worth the wait as they…read morecraft your beverage. Enjoyed the Philtered Soul iced coffee. Lots of cozy couches and spacious bright seating area.

A new place for me that I accidentally found on Google Maps. It looked interesting in the photos,…read morebut in real life it's even more beautiful. A very nicely decorated place with great taste and attention to detail. I went with my friends for an afternoon coffee. We all ordered different types of coffee, and every single one was excellent. Unlike chain coffee shops where everything comes in paper cups, here you actually get a real cup, which I really appreciated. My friends also ordered spinach pie and said they hadn't had such a good one in a long time. The guys who work there are very kind and pleasant. Overall, everything was truly wonderful. I would definitely recommend everyone to visit this place!

Nice opening store with Middle Eastern flavors. Love the…read morecoffee roasting machine sitting in the entrance of the store. Will be fun if we came in a time when they roasting the coffee. The air in the store fills with the really nice Chia aroma. The pastry is a little bit on the sweeter side. We came in around 3:30, and there were no lines. So we got our coffee quickly.

I love a good bubble tea and was excited to find one so close to the Target I always frequent. The…read moreinterior was very minimal and modern. There were quite a few people hanging out inside. I did a mobile order and it was ready within a few minutes. There are so many options! I opted to try the green tea and was excited to see there was a lavender flavor option and of course I added pearls. I LOVE the tab on top - that's a first I've seen at any bubble tea place. The tea wasn't the best I've ever had and I'm not sure if it's because of the lavender flavor but that is my assumption since I never had it in a bubble tea before. I think all the fruit options are a much better way to go. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more menu items and even their savory food items.

Candy Cloud was such a fun little find…read more I tried the peach drink and it honestly reminded me of an energy drink but in the best way possible. It had that refreshing kick, but was definitely on the sweeter side, which I actually loved. Super flavorful and perfect if you're craving something fruity and bold. My sister got one of their coffee drinks and WOW... it was so good. Very caramel-forward with a strong, rich coffee flavor definitely a must if you're into sweeter coffee with a real caffeine punch. We went a little before closing, and I was lowkey expecting slower service, but they were so quick and efficient. Everything came out fast and the staff was still super friendly, which I really appreciated. They also have a surprisingly big food menu, which makes me want to come back and actually try more next time. That elote sandwich is already calling my name Overall, such a cute spot with great drinks and speedy service. Definitely coming back to explore more of the menu!

The best latte hands down. So glad they opened up one in Gurnee. I had the salted caramel latte and…read moremy friend had the cold pistachio latte. Bothe were sooooo good!!!! We had a chocolate pastry which was also good but the table next to us had some kind of chicken sandwich that looked tasty. Yum. Will be back for sure. The place is beautiful and spacious. They have a room for private parties like baby shower that you can reserve. The staff is friendly and very nice!!

I was craving cardamom coffee and we decided to stopped by Haraz to try it out. Very spacious and a…read morelot of parking spot. They even had a quiet room with door for coworking/studying. Went with their all spice mofawar, and a cleaner palate one Qishr since hubby wanted something tea-like. After ordering all that, we noticed there's a separate tea option that had a citrusy flavor so we got the sunlit tangerine also. The drinks were very strong in a whole mix of spice flavors, which I actually really liked, but it is a little too watery, not dense or creamy enough, and the coffee flavor lean a bit more too acidic/sour. It's not bad, but I think it's just not exactly to my liking. What I didn't realize was that a lot of the spices sunk to the bottom so when I remixed the thic layer of spices with oatmilk at home, it tasted pretty good with the right consistency. All of the drinks were pretty diluted in our opinion, and I think it's too much spice for my husband although I liked it. I also ordered some pastries, but the server packed the wrong one. If I didn't look closely enough I might've missed that. There was one last Dubai pistachio cookie which I asked for, but they gave me the Biscoff cookie instead which was a less expensive one. Anyway, they were fine switching it out after I pointed out, but no apologies or anything. While we weren't impressed with the drinks at first, the medovik mouse/honey layered cake was really good-- it was pretty dense where the buttery parts were, and it was pretty sweet so it balanced well with the acidic coffee. We didn't know the cookie had more fillings on the inside until we got home. The fillings had crunchy flakes which adds a really nice texture, and the filling is not too sweet. Really good. We liked the pastries a lot more than the coffee. Perhaps we just aren't used to the flavor and taste profile of the coffee. I'd be willing to try more here.

I was so excited to stop here on infrequent trip to wilmette and have a scone and coffee. It's…read morecharming and smells dreamy. I was sad though bc I asked for a cherry scone (fresh out of the oven even) and it was burned on the bottom. I felt sheepish complaining about it so i didn't. Big bummer though!

This tiny little coffee shop is nestled amongst the apartment buildings and shops on Linden…read more There's only about five seats in the shop, three of them along the front window, so it can get cozy inside but for the warmer months they seem to have lots of outdoor seating. Inside they also have a record player for some ambiance and good music. Their chai is delicious! It was sweeter than I expected but I like it sweet too. On the spicy to sweet scale of chai, this is definitely on the sweet side, so if that's not your bag you'll want to select something else. The menu overall is small, but the drinks are pleasant. They had several scones and although I skipped those, another woman in the shop was buying a scone wheel to bake at home, so I don't deny they piqued my interest. There is a good deal of parking along the street here, but I don't think they have a parking lot. As of March 2023 they are open Friday through Sunday only (see my photo).

Cool newer place in Glencoe/Glenview area on the backside of the train station. Service was…read moreexcellent and the vibe of the place was great. Busy place for a Friday at 2pm. Lots of customers either working or socializing with their group of friends. Decor was nice and modern. Service and Ambiance Grade: A+ I ordered a cortado, Anytime Toast, and a Gigantic Pretzel. The Cortado was nice and strong. They did not skimp in any way and came in a double shot glass. (Cortados generally come in that size.) Grade: B+ The Anytime Toast comes on a whole grain toast with Avocado, Bacon, Tomato, Egg (I requested fried), Giardinera, and a slice of green apple. Very tasty I must say! Wish my egg was over easy or medium. I was told that over hard is how it comes. Grade: A-/B+ The GIGANTIC Pretzel was exactly that! Biggest pretzel I've ever had. It normally comes either salted or cinnamon sugared, but I opted for just butter. You also have the option of choosing 3 out of 5 dips...beer cheese, yellow mustard, dijon mustard, chocolate, and/or sweet cream. I chose cheese, yellow mustard, and my favorite was the sweet cream! The sweet cream was just like frosting on a cinnamon roll. I don't think they could have done better with this item! Grade: A+ Overall, I'd love to see this place stick around. The "Glenview" area needs more places like this! Great spot with great vibes!

Love: the iced cinnamon honey oat milk latte. It's a special treat for myself whenever I stop in…read more Do Rite donuts! Like: enjoyed the tuna and avocado toast on my first visit in. Variety of pastries, coffee, smoothie, and tea options, and there's a board posted for estimated wait for food and drinks. Dislike: space is a bit narrow, and the noise level is way too energetic for me. Would be hard to have a conversation while dining in here. No great spot to wait for to go orders. Not a lot of parking spots in the lot. Before 11am, you can park at Grandpa's Place.