We've enjoyed our two visits at this new addition to downtown Park Ridge. Both times we've ordered…read morethe same thing and staff has been very kind and helpful. We both like light sweetened and strong tasting coffee. This is that place to fill that void! I personally order the Fredo and my husband gets the mocha. It's sweetened to our liking and water is given to us even when we wait for a to go order. Really great service! Also a huge difference from our first visit but still great both times. Inside is a little tight because this place seems to stay busy, rightfully so!

$$$ expensive. Food was a little salty. But overall good food the drinks weren't super unique…read moreeither. Got a panini and dirty chai latte. The goal was to work here but it's too noisy and crowded.

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.

What a fun themed coffee shop! From a motor shop to a coffee shop, there's fun for all. The parking…read morelot is a bit small so it becomes a hindrance when it's busy. But once you get inside it's so much fun. With a variety of drinks from coffee to teas and boba there's really something for any mood. They also have baked good from local bakeries. The staff is also super friendly and knowledgeable when it comes to drinks. All in all, a great experience and we can't wait to come back soon and try other drinks.

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!

Off the Wall Cafe is a tiny, low-ceilinged and dim-lightingish but definitely cozy neighborhood…read morebreakfast restaurant that can double as a coffee spot for catch-ups and get-togethers. It's intimate without a lot of privacy and they have excellent coffee creations (lots of lattes), super friendly staff, and a fun board-game vibe (featuring a wall sized bookcase of board games) that makes it easy to linger and relax. Their seasonal lattes, tasty pastries, breakfast sandwiches and welcoming atmosphere make it an easy place to hang out plus it's right across the train tracks from the Park Ridge Metra train station.

If you love pastries that melt, flake, crackle, and crunch in all the right ways... 85°C Bakery…read moreCafé is your new best friend. Every pastry on my table was unreal: the almond croissant was buttery and crisp on the outside with the softest layers inside; the cheese bread had that glossy, chewy exterior and sweet creamy pockets; the chocolate bun was rich, moist, and cocoa-packed; and the pineapple bun had that signature sugary crust that breaks like a cookie. Paired it with a creamy iced matcha and a caramel coffee frappe that tasted like liquid dessert. Between the freshness, the textures, and the warm bakery aroma filling the entire place... this is top-tier bakery bliss.

I was excited to have an 85°C in the Chicagoland area unfortunately it does not live up to its CA…read morelocations that I have tried and loved... It's funny bc when my family in CA took us to one-it was like 8pm and there was soo much to choose from... Here, it seems no matter what time you come- there are only a few items for sale... they claim they run out but based on the reviews, it seems they just dont stock well.. the drinks are also EXTREMELY sweet.

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.

3.5 stars because the price is ridiculously high…read more Seen this place on Yelp a lot but never went. It was beautiful inside. Space is pretty big and nicely spread out so you're not sitting on top of one another. Just super expensive, especially for the bakery items! Like almost $15 a slice, which is crazy to me. Drinks are also pricey. XL Dubai chocolate cheesecake - Just ok. Bland and we didn't like the cheesecake texture. It was pretty flavorless overall. Chocolate baklava - Now this was the winner! It had cream inside which we didn't expect. Delicious! Harazi Mufawar (Coffee, cardamom & cream) - Delicious! They recommended adding sugar because it's too strong otherwise. It was still strong w regular sugar, so glad we did. Haraz Latte (Double shot espresso, honey, milk, haraz spice) - Very good! Didn't really come hot though, it was lukewarm Coffee Beans - $30 for a small sized bag. Pricey! Price - Expensive!! 0/5 for price, crazy expensive

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:)

Amazing mocha lattes and always great service! Would definitely recommend checking them out!read more

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.

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

This is he first time I've been to a coffee shop and the actual coffee used for the drinks ruined…read morethe coffee for me. First off, it's a really cute spot - the decor is eclectic, and the seating is ample. The baristas are friendly and welcoming. I visited based on their offering of coffee flights, and I liked that they change their flights based on the season. I ordered the Valentine's Flight for I believe around $17 - to me, it was not worth that. The coffee used was very watery; it reminded me of what hotels offer for free within the rooms. The flavors of each drink was nice and unique, but it still didn't mask the watery coffee. I wish the coffeehouse well, but this was the most disappointing coffee flight I've ever had.

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 didn't have a chance to take pictures of the goodies I got since I absolutely devoured them…read morestraight away. I had never really had turkish delights before but man are they truly delightful. I originally went in for the dubai chocolate which was good but the true star of the show are their delights. They have an endless amount of flavors and so far all the ones I've tried are fabulous. I'm tempted to go in and try a piece of each flavor. Alasoufi deserves all the hype; they're a great place for a sweet treat that doesn't leave you feeling bad about yourself.

Papagalino is an excellent bakery in Niles…read more I saw they have a dine in/restaurant and bar area as well with a patio, but I only tried their bakery section for take out so far. The bakery is excellent. I tried their Mocha Cappuccino cake - delicious and big portion! Maybe one of the best kinds of these cakes I've tried before. I love all the parrot decor inside the bakery as well. The employees I encountered were very helpful and friendly. I definitely recommend the bakery section of Papagalino for their cakes, and I will be back to try the restaurant piece in the future.

What happened to those tasty cakes? Received 2 cakes for my…read morebirthday and both cakes were super sweet and the main ingredient was the creams on both, you could not even taste any actual cake.