In town for Expo?

Here are the best places to hit up for the weekend, from a local

For those that aren’t aware, the Specialty Coffee Association has an annual Expo weekend, featuring expert-led lectures and workshops, industry competitions, product booths, and tons of other fun coffee-related shenanigans. This year, SCA Expo is hosted in our neck of the woods: Chicago.

If you’re visiting from out of town, you may be interested to hear what the best places to go are from a local’s perspective. Whenever I travel, I look for the opinions of real people—in fact, I usually just ask the baristas at the first cafe I go to where I should go. Consider this that conversation, except ahead of time.

Chicago coffee Recommendations

With so many options for coffee, it can be overwhelming to narrow it down. Should you hit all the big names in the industry? Should you try to get the up-and-coming or obscure? I’ve collected the advice and opinions of my team to give you the best advice from locals on where to go and potentially where not to go.

top recs for Chicago cafes:

Metric Coffee: Metric is our favorite place in Chicago. Their coffee is dependably awesome and the people are great. As an industry professional, you’ll be inspired by their beautifully and intentionally designed micro cafe connected to their roastery. Although they have no indoor seating, they have a handful of tables outside that are lovely in warmer weather. Parking is not difficult, especially on weekends!
Drip Collective: Drip Collective opened only a few months ago but is already making waves. They are a multi-roasted with great coffee offerings and a few excellent specialty drinks as well. Their emphasis on art and culture also screams Chicago. Definitely a great representation of the heart of the city.
Four Letter Word: 4LW has two awesome locations in the city. Their Logan Square space is a small eclectic spot that serves a traditional menu and features a Turkish coffee preparation. Estero FM—a super great Fulton Market all-day bar—also recently opened with 4LW operating there until 1 pm.
Dayglow: Although they recently started roasting some, Dayglow is a multi-roaster featuring roasters from all over the world, which is a huge draw for those tired of the typical offerings we see stateside. Their space is minimal and beautiful. Also, there’s a great restaurant right next door if you need a bite to eat.

Cafes you may want to hit up:

Intelligentsia: Intelligentsia has obviously had a huge impact on the coffee industry (and the Chicago scene in particular), and it may be tempting to hit up one of their cafes for the slice of history it represents. Although every cafe is similar in terms of service, menu, and even aesthetic, their Millenium Park location is a stone’s throw from the Bean, so it is an easy pair.
Blue Bottle: Blue Bottle has been a big player for a long time, but they are a recent addition to the Chicago scene. Their coffee is good and they have great food, which can be a definite draw. Similar to Intelligentsia, I wouldn’t say that Blue Bottle in Chicago is different than anywhere else, but you are going to get great coffee and probably also get a sneak-peak at some really good work flow while you’re waiting.

suburbs coffee Recommendations

You may be surprised by how different Chicago suburbs are. Throughout the Chicagoland area, you have these towns with thriving downtowns where small businesses like local restaurants and genuinely good coffee flourish. With so many people leaving the city during COVID, these areas have only grown in both size and culture over the past few years. Here are our top recommendations for suburbs cafes to visit:

Tala Coffee Roasters (us!): Okay obviously we’re biased, but we’ve been told that we’re a trip out of the city. Our three cafes are all offering 25% off drinks to anyone who shows their SCA badge or registration through Tuesday, April 16th.
Backlot Coffee Roasters: Backlot has been a big name in the Evanston scene for a long time, one of the first to bring specialty coffee out of the city. They have good coffee and food.
Brewpoint Coffee Roasters: This Elmhurst-based coffee roaster and cafe is run by delightful people who are intentional about their business and community. If you’re in the area make sure to stop by for a cup of coffee or one of their fun specialty drinks.
Five & Hoek: Although they are a bit far out from the city, these guys are a great option if you’re driving through the Wheaton area. Wheaton is also a very cute destination in and of itself, so it’s definitely worth a stop if you have the time.

Non-coffee recommendations

There is a lot to do in Chicago other than coffee, of course. With so many tourist attractions, it can be hard to nail things down. Here are the places we typically take our friends and family who are visiting from out-of-town:

Garfield Conservatory: Garfield is one of the top ten botanic gardens in the world, and as a person who has been on most gardens on that list, I can confirm that it is pretty awesome. Whether you are particularly in to plants or not, this is worth the visit. It is also free (donation encouraged) and has ample free parking.
Millenium Park, “The Bean,” etc: Essentially if you want to go on a leisurely stroll in downtown, you can hit up a series of free outdoor tourist attractions within about an hour, all along the Lake Michigan shore. Essentially you can walk from Maggie Daley Park, to Millenium Park, across the Lurie Garden, and down to the Buckingham Fountain. This also brings you conveniently right past the Art Institude of Chicago, which is definitely high on the list of museums to go to while in Chicago.
Lincoln Park Zoo: This free zoo is fun for people of all ages, and has a really nice mix of indoor and outdoor attractions making it great for almost any weather conditions. Parking can be difficult but if you’re willing to walk a little, you can definitely find meter parking.
Chicago Botanic Gardens: This sprawling park offers both indoor and outdoor gardens that stretch literally as far as the eye can see. The CBG is also on the top ten gardens in the world list, and amply deserves its spot. Contrary to its name, this garden is actually not in Chicago, but it isn’t difficult to get to (and it’s close to our cafes!). They also have a cafe with pretty good food, too, so you can easily make a trip out of the experience!

Best Chicago Coffee for SCA Expo