A Ravenswood cafe since 1997 serving vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diner food at reasonable prices.
A Ukrainian Village bakery and cafe serving traditional and modern Ukrainian dishes alongside European pastries.
A small specialty coffee counter inside a Beverly cafe on Western Avenue, open mornings Tuesday through Saturday.
A seasonal, open-air lakefront cafe on the patio of Berger Park in Edgewater, next to a marine-themed playground. Open roughly mid-May to mid-October.
A large, family-friendly Portage Park gelateria with dozens of rotating flavors and an outdoor patio, an easy dessert stop after the park.
A century-old Chicago ice cream and candy shop known for oversized sundaes served in old-fashioned booths, with both counter takeout and sit-down table service.
A small, historic coffee shop inside a preserved 1900s Pullman Company building, good for a quick stop while touring the historic district.
A Woodlawn coffee shop near the University of Chicago.
A vintage-style Humboldt Park soda fountain and bakery with seasonal pies and housemade sodas.
A neighborhood coffeehouse and roaster on Bridgeport's Morgan Street strip.
A Pilsen paleteria serving Mexican ice cream and fruit paletas long hours every day.
Metropolis' Edgewater cafe roasts its own coffee and opens early to late every day.
The original 1926 stand for the five-flavor Rainbow Cone, chocolate to orange sherbet in stripes, a family stop for generations.
A walk-up ice cream and funnel-cake window that has been a Bridgeport summer-evening fixture for years.
A Lincoln Square soft-serve counter known for its pink signage and rooftop bear.
A longtime European bakery in Wicker Park known for elaborate custom cakes and pastries, with an espresso bar.
A Western Avenue bakery-cafe in Beverly known for house-roasted coffee and daily-baked pastries.
A family-run Little Italy grocery and deli since 1948, sandwiches and prepared Italian foods at the counter.
A Bridgeport pastry bakery that opened in 2024 in the former Bridgeport Bakery space, open limited weekend hours or until sellout.
A South Shore no-pork breakfast and diner counter.
A Little Italy summer institution since 1954, serving Italian ice from a walk-up stand. Seasonal, open May through September only.
A neighborhood Mexican panaderia on Archer Avenue known for conchas and tres leches cake, a good casual treat stop with kids.
A Black-owned Chatham bakery known for key lime, sweet potato and apple pie plus savory bowls.
A longtime Bronzeville ice cream shop known for homemade flavors like butter pecan and black walnut, a simple stop for a family treat.
