This week, we have a list you are not going to want to miss. With finals right around the corner, there is no better way to destress or focus a little better on the work! than to go get your favorite drink. Here are some places you should consider stopping by.
Hero Coffee Bar
With multiple locations throughout Chicago, Hero is a must. The establishment offers great coffee and a charitable business. For all retail and whole bean coffee sales, owners Michelle and Trey say $1 will be donated to local charities in the city.
What makes this particular location so special is how the outside is decorated, as posted by a lot of visitors. Seeing a picture and finding it in person is another story. If you do not look over at the right time, this alley is easy to miss. Once you visit, the room to order is tight and compact; the only seating is outside under the string lights.
Their menu offers bagel sandwiches, a variety of pastries, coffee, tea, matcha, and lemonade. As currently listed on their site, the seasonal drinks are the Pumpkin Pie Latte and Maple Cold Brew.
Holiday drinks may be right around the corner, so make sure to be on the lookout for them! For more details on the menu, click here.
Their aesthetically iconic location can be found at 22 East Jackson Avenue. This location is roughly 40 minutes from campus, but very worth the visit. They are open from 8 am to 2 pm every day but Sundays, when they are closed.
Tea Yard
Next up, we have a place that serves beverages other than coffee! For any tea or boba lovers, this one’s for you. Tea Yard is a bubble tea store with dozens of customizable options for every individual.
Pictured in image two, on the right is the Brown Sugar Bubble Milk, which comes with tapioca. I have been to Tea Yard on multiple occasions, and this drink has been my favorite thus far. It is pretty sweet and has almost a caramel-like taste with the brown sugar. The milk part is also very evident in the taste. This would be a drink I would definitely recommend if you are overwhelmed with all of the options and would not mind the sweetness.
Some of their signature drinks include: the Purple Yam Cloud Milk Tea, Matcha Cloud Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Bubble Milk, Royal Blueberry Tea Mousse, and Peach Oolong Tea Mousse. Additionally, the menu offers other teas, caffeine-free options, smoothies, frappes, and some small snacks. For every drink, you can customize to add tapioca, lychee jelly, popping boba, other jelly flavors, and more.
For a full view of the menu, click here. If you order ahead, you can see all of the customizable options.
This business is located at 5405 95th Street in Oak Lawn, making it less than ten minutes away from campus. As listed on their site, Tea Yard is open every day from 12 pm to 9 pm.
Coffee Cats
Yes, you read that right. Next on the list would be Coffee Cats, which is located right on campus in the Warde Academic Center. You can find this stand next to the HUB desk on the first floor.
Pictured above is the Very Berry Smoothie, which had a variety of different berries in it. The exact ones were not listed, but Coffee Cats offers a lot of different flavored smoothies to choose from. You can also add protein powder to them if you choose.
The smoothie had a great consistency that was not too thick and not too thin at the same time. In the cup it was in, a straw was unnecessary to be able to drink it, which was very nice. I would definitely consider these a Saint Xavier hidden gem.
Coffee Cats also offers a lot of coffee, tea, and refresher options you can normally find at Starbucks. As well as this, they have bottled drinks, snacks, and more.
Next time you are heading to class or leaving the Warde for the day, make sure to stop by and try a Coffee Cats smoothie for yourself. They are open weekdays from 8 AM to 3 PM.
Afro Joe’s Coffee and Tea
Last but not least, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Afro Joe’s for the first time. They are a black-owned business just under ten minutes away from campus. The environment was extremely friendly and the inside was very relaxed.
When I was there, I tried the Pumpkin Pie Latte as well as a Butter Pecan Cheesecake jar. They do not have their holiday flavors yet, but the iced Pumpkin Pie was great. It was a good mix of having a coffee taste and still being sweet.
However, if you are not one who likes such a strong caffeine flavor, you are better off trying one of their teas, lemonades, or other options. Some signature coffee flavors here include the Sweet Potato Pie Latte, Cinnabon White Chocolate Mocha, Matcha Lemonade, and Arnold Palmer.
Afro Joe’s also offers several food specials, from the Salmon BLT to the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap. As well as this, they offer many cheesecake flavors. These include Strawberry Lemonade, Banana Pudding, Oreo, Lemon, and the Butter Pecan I got to try. For being in a jar, I thought it was incredible, to say the least. The crust at the bottom was very rich.
There were also whole pecans included with the layers of regular cheesecake. I would highly recommend any cheesecake lovers out there to try this immediately. If ordered in advance, a whole pie is available instead of just the jar.
For the whole menu, click here.
Afro Joe’s is located at 1818 W 99th Street in Chicago. They are open from 7 am to 3 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 am to 3 pm on Saturdays, and 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays.