Address: 4703 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Coffee roaster: Deans Beans
B's brew: 12 oz latte w/ whole milk
C's brew: 12 oz hazelnut horchata latte
Website: oromocafecgicago.com
The list of coffee shops to visit in Chicago is endless. It took a while to settle on one after a two-year long break from our blog. We landed on Oromo Cafe in Lincoln Square due to convenience, and we're glad that we finally made it in.
Oromo Cafe is named after the ethnic group that inhabits the Oromia region of Ethiopia which is known to be the birthplace of coffee culture. The Oromo tribesman were the first to use coffee as food. Their hunters who would leave on day long treks realized that consuming the plant provided energizing effects as well as the ability to suppress hunger. Today, coffee remains a central part of Ethiopia's culture. They even have a common phrase "Buna dabo naw" which translates to "coffee is our bread".
We went to Oromo around 9:30 on a Saturday morning. It wasn't too crowded, and we had a few seats to choose from. There was a good combination of community seating, high-top window seating and two-top tables toward the back.
I ordered my usual whole milk latte which had a very mild flavor. Luckily, the pastry that we ordered enhanced the experience for me as the sweetness paired well with the mild taste.
Charlie, on the other hand, was feeling more adventurous and ordered a hazelnut horchata latte. The recipe consists of house made rice milk, house made toasted hazelnut milk, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup and Dean's Beans espresso. This is definitely suited for a sweet tooth but we enjoyed trying the tasty ingredient combination.
