Where to Get Great Coffee in Chicago (18 Local Picks 2026)

Chicago has 126 Starbucks and 187 Dunkin locations according to Pulled Coffee data. Dunkin wins the chain count in Chicago, just like it does in New York. But the specialty scene in Wicker Park, Logan Square, and the South Side operates in an entirely different market.

Chicago: 187 Dunkin, 126 Starbucks. The specialty scene runs on a different track entirely.

Pulled Coffee tracks 462,531 coffee shops worldwide, including all Chicago locations. The 24,848 chain locations globally represent just 5.4% of all shops. In Chicago's specialty sector, Intelligentsia Coffee, Metric Coffee, Dark Matter, and Sawada Coffee represent a scene that competes with any in the country.

"Chicago has more Dunkin locations than Starbucks. The specialty scene does not care about either number."

Best Chicago coffee neighborhoods

Wicker Park and Bucktown: Intelligentsia Coffee on Milwaukee Avenue was one of the anchors of Chicago's specialty wave and still draws serious coffee drinkers. Dense with quality independent options.
Logan Square: Metric Coffee roasts in the neighborhood and pours at its cafe on North Milwaukee. The residential character of the neighborhood gives its coffee shops a less performative quality.
River North and the Loop: Dark Matter Coffee in the Loop. Serious about roasting, uninterested in pretension.
Hyde Park: University of Chicago neighborhood with academic coffee culture and some of the city's most interesting independent roasters.

See all Chicago specialty shops in our Chicago city guide. Visit Intelligentsia and Metric Coffee on the Pulled map. Compare with Minneapolis and Detroit.

Related: Best coffee in Minneapolis, Best coffee in Detroit, 12 best espresso drinks.