Side Practice Coffee
Coffee shop · Ravenswood
5139 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Highlights
Filipino-inspired coffee shop with ube lattes & pastries
Filipino-inspired coffee shop with ube lattes & pastries
"Ravenswood's Side Practice sometimes feels more like a community center than a coffee shop, often hosting restaurant pop-ups, being the meeting spot for a run club, and letting local artists sell their work while Gundam Wing plays in the background. And like their well-curated events, they put as much thought into their coffee, which includes Filipino-inspired specials flavored with ube or burnt vanilla and black sesame. So even if you don't need to break in a pair of Hokas, it’s still an excellent place to get your caffeine fix and focus if “work from couch” runs the risk of evolving into nap time." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Ravenswood's Side Practice sometimes feels more like a community center than a coffee shop. One day, there’ll be a restaurant pop-up (sister bakery and Filipino-Hawaiian restaurant, Del Sur and Kanin both got their start here). Another morning, they’ll be sponsoring a neighborhood group run while a local artist sells jewelry as Gundam Wing plays in the background. And like their well-curated events, they put as much thought into their coffee, which includes Filipino-inspired specials flavored with ube or burnt vanilla and black sesame. So even if you don't need to break in a pair of Hokas, it’s still an excellent place to get your caffeine fix and focus if “work from couch” runs the risk of evolving into nap time." - John Ringor
"A Filipino-inspired coffeeshop located across from Amundsen High School in Ravenswood, providing a home for pastry pop-ups and fostering community engagement." - Lisa Shames
"This tiny coffee shop, across the street from Amundsen High School, is cozy and features drinks found nowhere else in the city, many flavors are Filipino. Purple chai comes with ube syrup. The Pandan Paradise combines pandan, vanilla, and macadamia nuts. Furthermore, if you become a regular, the barista will get to know you and craft drinks based on your preferences. For a fancier space, travel to Fulton Market’s Drip Collective, which is a sibling." - Ashok Selvam
"This cozy coffee shop from Renaissance man and owner Francis Almeda has earned a reputation as Chicago’s most unusual coffee shops, housed in a tiny space across the street from Amundsen High School. Its menu — loaded with Filipino flavors like ube and pandan — is truly singular around town with options like banana milk or macadamia milk. The real move, though, is to take cues from the experts and opt for a barista’s choice." - Naomi Waxman
