Best chicken sandwich I ever had. The bread was amazing. Definitely going back. My new fav sandwich spot.

I absolutely love the kufta sandwich from this place. When I was at Uchicago this was a regular study and eating spot for me. I always got the kufta because I loved the tender beef and the amazing seasoning. I don't know what is in the sauce they use, but it is so tasty. The bread they use is always very fresh and altogether they create a wonderfully tasting sandwich. It is also quite big given how cheap it is and it will keep you full for a while. My girlfriend also loves the sumac chicken sandwich and Turkish coffee. They have great outdoor seating in their back patio area as well. Update: I came here again recently and decided to finally try some of their pastries. I got a cherry strudel and cheese danish. The cheese danish was great! The bread was flaky and soft and the cheese in the middle was so flavorful. The strudel was not as great, it was a little too dense for me and lacked in cherry filling. I also decided to try the healthier version of the kufta with a lettuce wrap rather than bread and I found it as tasting but slightly less filling than with the bread. It is definitely a great healthy option for those watching their carbs. read more

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TL:DR - Sub par sandwiches. Not inedible, but also nothing I'd go out of my way to. Pesto chicken was a bit disappointing. Hummus 53 should only be eaten there, otherwise it gets too oily and soggy. Taking covid precautions seriously, which I appreciate. Came in based on a recommendation. All in all, I thought the place was just ok. I got a pesto chicken sandwich and my partner got the hummus 53 breakfast sandwich. The pesto chicken itself was pretty sub-par. the chicken was fairly dry and the pesto didn't have much flavor. The hummus 53 lacked any real pepper flavor. We only knew it was in there because it was listed on the menu. We also got it to go, and it was super oily. If do eat the hummus 53, I highly suggest eating it in. They do have an enormous selection of deep river chip flavors. Deep river makes a super solid kettle chip. So that was a plus. I also got a cheesecake brownie. That was super fudgy with a nice balance of cheesecake in it. Outside of the food, they are taking their covid precautions seriously. All but four tables inside were off-limits to encourage spacing, the back patio was open for outdoor seating, and there was one way lanes to the register and out. All in all, I don't think I'd make any special trip to Cafe 53, but if someone else wanted to come I could find something that I could eat. read more

Got the chicken and waffles, which for the price was a meager amount of food, like 4 chicken nugget sized pieces and 2 small waffles, however it did taste good. They also tacked on a 3.5% optional fee which we had to tell the waiter to take off. I'm fine with tipping but when have we gone too far that we can put a second optional charge to the bill? read more

Amazing sandwiches, get the Dutch crunch bread! Plenty of veggie options! Large patio out back.

The food and sandwiches are phenomenal ! Vibes is that of cross btwn eclectic hipster cafe and NY deli Solid coffee!! - didn't expect the cappuccino to be perfect when they have like 20 options for caffeinated drinks! read more

Making a passable sandwich isnt hard. There are plenty of fast food options like Penn Station, Quiznos, JJ's, etc. What makes cafe 53 so much better is they don't cut corners on bread or sauce. The Dutch Crunch bread is delicious and has a great texture. All the different sandwiches have a unique sauce - teriyaki, sumac, buffalo - and every single one of them slaps. If you're vegan, there's really no better option for protein substitutes. Their meat substitutes are packed with flavor and will leave you questioning if they got your order right. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu and I can't recommend it enough for anyone looking for a high quality meal. 10/10. read more

The sandwiches here are the best I've ever had! I love their freshly made dutch crunch bread and it tastes great with any of their sandwiches! My fav sandwiches here are the sumac chicken and turkey avocado sandwich! Love that this place is halal and offers delicious vegan options! You wont regret experiencing this place! read more

Best-tasting coffee in Hyde Park, and the best food to go with it out of the coffee shops too. Delicious cakes and bagel sandwiches. But several improvements are needed: 1. They're understaffed. The wait times on food orders from 10-2 are upwards of 30 minutes. This is not ideal as a coffee shop largely serving on-the-go students. It's not because they're slow or lazy--they are clearly rushing and sometimes this results in clumsy mistakes (I've been given slightly incorrect orders many times). This could be fixed by hiring a few more people. 2. They need to be a little more careful to get orders right. I've ordered from here roughly 40 times, and can recall at least five errors deviating from my receipt (wrong milk in coffee, scone x instead of scone y, missing bagel sandwich ingredients, etc.). Overall the best coffee shop on the South Side! But still frustratingly held back by a small number of flaws in service that could mostly be fixed by hiring a few more people. read more

An unassuming place with their own version of hot sandwiches. Nice that the staff offered to give me a free plastic cup (of cold water) or a purchase of a plastic bottle of refrigerated cold water. Looks like all their sandwiches are made to order. read more

I'm so mad nobody told me about this place ! I had the garlic chicken sandwich and omg it was sooooo good . Better then pop belly . Should have be a little cleaner for people to dine in but it's pretty cool place . Will definitely go back read more

Tried the vegan pineapple teriyaki chicken sandwich today! Delicious, as always, but unexpectedly spicy (a little too much for my low spice tolerance). I think the flavors are amazing though and pair really well with the pineapple. The teriyaki sauce adds a good kick, and as always, the vegan chicken was delicious. Just wish it was marked as spicy on the menu so I could have asked for a little bit less heat. Overall, I don't think it makes my top 3 vegan sandwiches at Cafe 53 (mostly because it is up against some tough competition) but it was still super yummy! read more

Cafe 53 - Vegan Italian Chicken Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you ever want REAL authentic coffee and fresh food, come here. I live 30 minutes from this place but the drive is always worth it. The workers are always so kind I recommend an iced dirty chai latte with oat milk. Although the building itself is pretty small, this place is worth it. read more

This review is way overdue. I have been eating from this cafe for at least 6 years. Everything is phenomenal! From the vegan, vegetarian, chicken, roast beef, breakfast sandwiches is made with high quality fresh ingredients. Meats are high quality halal certified. Sandwiches are always made to order so be a little patient- I promise it's worth it. We have catered meals from here for work and for personal gatherings and their service is always on point. They always take time to answer all your questions. The ambience is perfect for getting work done. Space is limited but they never make you feel rushed or unwanted. read more

Small shop. Tried the turkey avocado on French bread. It is a large sandwich. The French bread was fresh, a good amount of deli sliced turkey, cheese and avocado. The only negative was the iceberg lettuce on the sandwich. read more

Checked this place out for breakfast and was pleasantly surprised. The prices were reasonable and the food was delicious. I tried the egg sandwich with veggies in a croissant and loved it! Giving 4/5 stars only because had to wait quite a bit to get my order even though there were barely any people in the store. read more

Came here for breakfast one morning and had a great experience!! We got an iced coffee and iced chai latte, the vegan buffalo chicken sandwich and a bagel with hummus, cream cheese and tomatoe. Both were very filling and great! read more

Honestly the best coffee shop around 53rd for great sandwich. It is just very small if you need space to sit and work

Absolutely obsessed with this Palestinian owned coffee shop! Their sandwiches are PHENOMENAL. Their outside patio is incredibly adorable and beautiful to sit in. They are the most kind and generous hosts - the owner gave us free ice cream. LOVE LOVE LOVE and can't wait to go back to Chicago just to hit this spot up. read more

The sandwiches here are amazing!! I have a gluten allergy, and when I mentioned it to the owner, he went and made my sandwich himself. He said he would guarantee no cross-contamination, use new ingredients, clean the work service, etc. It meant so much to me that he would not only make my food himself, but also that he knew all the precautions that needed to be taken. I enjoyed a delicious turkey and avocado wrap. The others in my party (who are not allergic to gluten), had a chicken sumac sandwich and a garlic chicken wrap. They also gave five-star on their food. We enjoyed our sandwiches on the back patio, which was comfortable and quiet. Absolutely will be going back here again, and would absolutely recommend this place to anyone who is wanting a delicious sandwich In Hyde Park! read more

Cafe 53 - Gluten free turkey avocado wrap - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm so bummed I didn't take any pictures of our delicious food! My daughter got the bbq chicken sandwich and my niece got the Turkey sandwich. They both said they were absolutely delicious! And we were shocked by the size of them. They ate the one half that same day and the other half for lunch the next day. I wanted to order myself a vegan one but it was late for me and I decided not ans wish I would have. We were in town visiting family. And help is always my number one go to. So this was near my uncle's house. Will definitely go again when I'm back. read more

Extensive choices for diverse styles of sandwiches & desserts!! A gem in Hyde Park on 53rd.

Honestly a blessing to Hyde park! It's completely halal, which even if you aren't Muslim it's still a plus Bc the meat is pretty much cruelty free and way more hygenic. Everyone who works here is genuinely nice. The food is a 11/10!!! I had the garlic chicken sandwich which came out fresh, hot and massive!!! It easily became my lunch and dinner and I still had some left. I also had a pistachio cannoli which was great because it wasn't overly sweet, being over the age of 16 super sugary things just don't go well for me but this was a pleasant surprise. You could tell they put in a lot of love and effort into the cafe in general from the food they make to the actual atmosphere. Probably my favorite spot in HP now; can't wait to return read more

My new fav place. I love all these sandwiches and their coconut ice cream is the best thing in the world.

Loved this place. Stopped for lunch with the family after the Museum of Science and Industry. Delicious sandwiches, especially the bread (Dutch Crunch), and also got ice cream and specialty coffee drinks. Very reasonably priced. Highly recommended! read more

Great food, great study spot, fast service. This place is a hyde park classic. Highly recommend the sumac chicken

Sandwiches are pretty good! The cafe's got a nice vibe and a lot of students from Uchicago come here to do work. the gelato is also delicious! read more

Two words- DUTCH CRUNCH!!!!!!! One of the best sandwich shops out here. I always get the garlic chicken on a Dutch crunch bread.

Great sandwiches and drinks. The ginger iced tea was good. I recommend the garlic chicken sandwich on French bread.

All around good service, food and atmosphere. Love being able to stay close to home and finding good food.

Love the atmosphere here. It seems like I am at a village coffee house on vacation. Great food, coffee, & ice cream selection. Only negative is the wifi sucks. Did a wifi speed test and was amazed to speed is slower than my data speed when not connected to wifi. read more

Cafe 53 - Love the atmosphere here - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Have only been once in three years... but I'll probably correct that. Enormous, reasonably priced sandwiches. Could maybe use a bit more meat but not a bad deal at all. Everyone loves the Dutch crunch bread. I honestly don't see what the big deal is. It's good but not amazing. But good is perfectly good. Hummus is great -- I especially love the peppers they add to give it a bit of a kick! read more

This place was delicious! Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon. The staff confirmed everything is halal (!) We ordered a kofta sandwich and breakfast sandwich (egg, everything bagel, cream cheese, pastrami, cheese, and giardinera- SO GOOD). Honestly one of the best breakfast bagel sandwiches I've had. Art on the walls for sale, huge menu for breakfast and lunch, college student studying. Will be back! read more

Cafe 53 - Inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice cafe located in Hyde Park. They have several coffee and food options. I had the Turkish coffee and basil, goat cheese sandwich on a croissant. Great service and food. read more

Delicious sandwiches. Welcoming and culturally rich atmosphere. Family owned Palestinian store. Worth a visit and the wait!

Service was good, vegan sandwich was excellent and I will certainly have it again. Dining in a little complicated as the place is small and the popularity makes it a little congested. Wouldn't stop me from going again though. read more

Excellent surprise. Notable vegan menu items and wonderful service. Vegan Sumac Chicken Sandwich was awesome.

Don't eat at Café 53! Food was nightmare! I didn't like the taste of the corned beef at Café 53, so I returned it. I was told that it didn't matter whether I liked it or not, they would not even replace it. The male worker, decided to call me derogatory names as I left. This was a Groupon, so Groupon even refunded my money. Why did the worker call to harass me an hour after I left the store? read more

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Owner was very nice and helpful with recommendations. Sumac chicken was great! Lots of different options for sandwiches.

You have got to try this place. One of the best halal subs I've had. Great service and amazing food. Their Sumac Chicken Sandwich is out of this world! The best point, their meat is all halal! read more