From the moment I walked in, I knew this place was special. The atmosphere was warm and…read moreinviting--perfect for a girls' brunch, a coffee date, or a slow morning to yourself. The lattes were exceptional; I tried both the hot and iced caramel and loved every sip. The food was equally impressive. The Dubai Chocolate Crêpe with pistachios was light and delicate while still feeling incredibly indulgent. The avocado toast with pickled onions was packed with flavor, and adding a balsamic drizzle made it absolutely unforgettable. After spending three weeks in Chicago and visiting more coffee shops than I can count, this was easily my favorite. In fact, it was the only café that impressed me enough to come back a second time--and I'd gladly return again.

Checked out this cafe in Park Ridge at breakfast. Di Marko All Day Coffee Lounge is one of the busy…read moreplaces to go to around here. It especially gets busy on weekends. A lot of the classic breakfast items. There's also some things at lunch. Busy place with not a whole lot of room inside. It's got quite a few tables but they were mostly occupied. The only one available was a small one close to the counter so we sat there. A place where customers order at the counter. On the wall is a big menu. It's about $4 for brewed coffee. There's a few non dairy milk options such as oat. As for the food it's pretty much the usual things in a cafe. It's about $9 to get the Avocado Toast. Among a few of the vegan and vegetarian options. This came with greens and tomatoes. Pretty thick pieces of bread. These were hard to cut but it was great texture with the toppings and stuff. Among the other menu items are berry bowls. There's also sandwiches like paninis. For sure it's great at breakfast or any time actually. It's a popular place apparently so it's bad for big groups. This is conveniently located across the street from the Metra station.

Now this is a cool concept. Let's back up. I meet a couple of friends on Sunday mornings at coffee…read moreshops and cafes. No chains, just stand alone locations. Each place has a theme, or a charm all its own and Grind N Gears Cafe is one of the latter. When you pull up you immediately recognize the place as a former body shop or service station. Not a as station, but a body shop. They have their own small parking lot in front with special motorcycle parking on the sides of the lot. It's a small place. When you walk inside there is a runner leading up to the counter with their case of delicious looking eats and a platform above with an old Indian motorcycle perched looking over the place. To the right of the counter are some toys for the kids, including a kids motorcycle and other funs toys to keep the kiddos busy while their parents enjoy a magically concocted coffee drink by the shops artisans. There are comfy little sitting areas composed of oversized furniture from your parents basement. The front has a few racks of leather jackets that feels like your at The Alley's northern location. They do have some hats and apparel for their own shop and I almost bought a hat. On the left side, they have another seating area, but it looks more like a table in a cozy kitchen than a sitting room. It's quaint no matter where you look or sit. Lastly, their drinks and food are quite good. With all the stand alone coffee places popping up, Grinds N Gears is one of the cooler places and I don't mean hipster.

Service isn't the best, but the coffee seems okay, maybe a little better than average…read more Nice concept, but they should put bike people can touch even if they're from the scrapyard. That would automatically make it cooler here.

Got some coffee and pastries at this Park Ridge cafe. It has a close relationship with the beer…read morestore next to it. Off The Wall Cafe is a chill place. A pretty easy menu to go along. There's board games. Coming in it wasn't that crazy. It's quieter than the other places at breakfast that are around here. There's long tables if not able to get a booth so it wasn't like we had to wait. Order at the counter in front. There's not a whole lot to choose from which makes it easier to pick stuff. It's about $5 to get a latte. The Cookie Butter Latte was as great as it sounded. It's made with cinnamon, cookie butter syrup, and espresso. There's only a few pastries. It's about $5 to get a muffin. There were a few vegan choices including the Chocolate Muffin which was a big one. Have to say it's a great place for chilling. It's got an opening to the store so you can get beers after getting coffee and pastries. This is conveniently located across the street from the Metra station.

After multiple visits, the one question that comes to mind is: why isn't Off the Walk busier? They…read moretruly deserve all the business! I'm a sucker for a good coffee shop with fun flavored lattes. I'm also a sucker for cute atmospheres. So when you pair a great coffee shop with a board game cafe, how can you go wrong? Off the Wall is a cute storefront that is a branch off their establishment next door serving craft beer. I would often go to Off the Wall mid day throughout the week, and each time I go I'm shocked that it's not filled with remote workers and families. The staff are all pleasant and more than happy to provide recommendations if you feel stuck deciding what you want to order. With a variety of beverages, food, and even gluten free pastries (a win in my book!) you really can't go wrong with any choice. I always opted for coffee, and I really loved their specialty flavor this month featuring banana and caramel. The flavors aren't overpowering and aren't overly sweet, so for a coffee lover that actually likes the taste of coffee this is perfect. Their board game selection is vast and the interior of here is so cozy, I could stay for hours. Did I also mention they're wheelchair accessible? That's right - there's a wheelchair ramp and wide spacing to ensure everyone can enjoy their experience here. Can't wait to try their next fun coffee flavor!

This bakery has some of the most legitimately delicious bread I've ever had, and it's become a…read moremandatory stop whenever I find myself in Niles. No matter how many times I visit, I always end up finding something new that catches my eye. Between the incredible selection of breads, pastries, and drinks, it's nearly impossible to leave empty-handed. One of the things I love most about this place is the variety of bread flavors they offer. Whether you're in the mood for something sweet, savory, classic, or unique, there always seems to be a fresh batch coming out of the oven. The bread always tastes incredibly fresh, whether you're eating it immediately there or in the car or saving some for breakfast the next morning. The drinks deserve recognition too. They're consistently good, surprisingly affordable, and pair perfectly with whatever baked goods you decide to bring home. My go to drink here is the jasmine milk tea with 50% sugar and light ice. It's rare to find a place where the quality is this high while the prices remain so reasonable. I've tried a variety of their drinks over the years, and they've yet to disappoint. I was so happy they finally opened an 85 Degrees bakery here in the Midwest because I would always visit this place when I visit the West Coast. If you're a bread lover, this bakery is absolutely worth the trip. The combination of fresh-baked bread, flavorful drinks, affordable prices, and an endless selection of goodies keeps me coming back time and time again. It's one of those places that makes you start planning your next visit before you've even finished what you bought from this one.

We initially were going to a different bakery/cafe but when we realized it was in H-Mart, we wanted…read moreto go somewhere that was more comfortable. We were meeting our daughter and this was a convenient location. 85 C was in the same parking lot as H-Mart so we changed our plans. They are laid out like other Korean Bakeries. They have a very nice selection of sweet and savory pastries, bubble teas, coffees, milk teas, regular teas and more. I simply had an iced tea. At our table we also had one bubble tea and one latte. My partner and daughter also had pastries. I don't eat them but was told they were very good. They don't have a whole lot of seats but we were fortunate to get a table right away. We didn't feel rushed at all even though they were busy. I'd say this is a fine place to for an afternoon visit.

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.

Shirin Cafe is a must-visit for authentic Kyrgyz cuisine! The shurpa was outstanding -- rich,…read morehearty broth packed with generous chunks of meat, just like it should be. You can tell it's made the traditional way. If you want a real taste of Kyrgyz culture in every bowl, this place delivers. Service was top notch. Atmosphere quiet and respectful. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

After a more mediocre dinner, I was craving some dessert, and that's what I typed into Yelp - since…read moreit was 11 pm already I wasn't expecting much. But I found this little gem and wished I would have had dinner here. It's a little authentic central Asian food spot. With very rare to find products like Soljanka Goulash or Pirojki. But I was here for dessert and they have a few items for that. I ended up with a flaky layer of (kind of) filo dough a cake that we often had in Germany and it was really good I will come back to Shirin for more when I am in Chicago and you should just try it out and find some new favorites:)

Nice large area with traditional bake goods. I tried the spinach and cheese pockets which were…read morefreshly made. Criapy and delicious and would come back for more.

I'm so sad about this bakery closing does anyone know if there's another location- the owner was so…read morenice and the products were amazing .

Cozy cafe with the perfect ambiance for work or solo hang out time. Big fan of the decor and…read moreoverall vibe. The fall flights are delicious and perfect for sharing with a friend. Definitely worth a visit to support local, women-owned spaces like this!

Everything about this place is absolutely LOVELY!! The people are so friendly. The food is…read moreincredible and the coffee creations are so good!

These pastries/candies are so good. The green one has pistachios and the nougat was light and not…read moreoverly sweet. The crushed nut ones are nutty and flavorful, but not overly oily like what you'd expect with western peanut butter. And the red candies were chewy and lightly sweet and sour. The texture is just right, not too hard or soft, and leaves a clean after taste. I can't rave enough about this candy store. I loved everything I've tried so far. Loved how it is rich in variety and depth of labor, the texture is just right and not overly sweet or greasy. I ordered some pastry for a party and every guest loved them!

I stopped here to pick up some baklava, and they don't have the famous baklava, but they do have…read moresomething similar: the DELICIOUS Turkish delight! They have tons of different flavors, and the owner was super sweet and let us try the other flavors. They also have a vast selection of chocolate, nuts, and fresh coffee. The place is beautiful, clean, and organized. I'll be back to get some more sweets!

I love this place! It makes you feel like you're back home in Europe. The food is amazing, and the…read moredesserts are so delicious--it's impossible to choose because everything is so good! The workers are fantastic also!

Years ago we came here often. Decided to stop here for freddo after driving around. Unfortunately…read morewe were served a frappe and told it was a freddo. As someone who visits Greece often they are not the same. I do know they have good paninis and desserts prior to me being gluten free so that's what the 3 stars are for. I would not recommend this place for food if you are gluten free.