Cafe El Meson

Cafe El Meson sits at 4631 S Kedzie in Brighton Park, run out of one of the oldest farmhouses in the neighborhood with a cathedral-ceilinged second floor. Pastor Juan built it as a Puerto Rican restaurant with a Christian bookstore in the back, which is exactly the unusual combination that makes the place work. The kitchen runs Puerto Rican sandwiches alongside coffee. The El Jibarito Steak Sandwich with arroz con gandules and the El Meson Sandwich are the two plates that hold the menu together. Outdoor seating, free wifi, dog friendly. Hours run Monday and Tuesday 10 to 9, Wednesday 10 to 5, Thursday and Friday 10 to 9, Saturday 9 to 5, closed Sunday. Order a coffee and an El Jibarito if you want the lunch Brighton Park orders. Order a coffee upstairs under the cathedral ceiling if you want a quiet hour with a book in a Chicago neighborhood that does not get written about enough.