TYPICA CAFE (DINER CAFE) TAYLOR

A great place for a quick bite. Beautiful and pleasant ambience. Delicious food for a fairly reasonable price and friendly service. They have a variety of coffees. Update: Tried their buffalo chicken wings, it was more of vinegar than the buffalo sauce. Pisca Andina was fine. Although the staff is friendly but have to wait a long for them to show up to take order or even pay the bills.

This is a cute Venezuelan/Caribbean Cafe. It seems their strong suit is with breakfast or brunch. When I ordered the CLASSIC BURGER I thought it was going to be a classic American Burger. I was surprised to see corn inside (the corn is cold). I had the same issue when I tried their CLASSIC HOT DOG, it had corn as well. It was not what I expected it to be. This is not to say the food was bad, it was just not my cup of tea. If these are regional or national classics they need adverstisied as such.The actual Venezuelan food is worth the trip. The Pastelitos of ground beef and rice were very good. I recommend to try them. The arepas are eaten like a sandwich. The Arepa of Reyna Pepiada was very filling. Overall the Cafe serves decent food, although it is a little bland for my taste. You should give it a try.

Do not sleep on this spot! Empanadas, sweet plantain waffles, chorizo Benedict were all amazing! The coffee was great too, 10/10 will be back. The diner style booths are super cool!

Best Venezuelan food i tried in Chicago(after my wifes,she is Venezuelan too)!!! We had some empanadas and llanera(skirt steak,cheese and guacamole) and they are super delicious,what i like the most is that food is not grease. Latte that we tried compliments the food People who work here are fiendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I would recommend you to come to this place if you are not in a hurry,just to sit,relax,drink your coffee and enjoy some good food. Rating wise yes this place is a legit 5☆🥂

Best Venezuelan and american- venezuelan fusion food! The only problem is choosing what to order since everything is delicious!! The owners Daniel & Karen and super friendly and the best hosts! I highly recommend you trying their in-house roasted coffee.

In two years of living in Chicago, this is the best cortado I've had. Tucked on the corner of Taylor and S Claremont, this neighborhood gem has a pick-up coffee counter and dining in. The staff is the friendliest and the food is incredible! Consider starting with the Sweet Plantain Waffles and balance the sweet with the savory Arepa Benedict. And try the pastries to go with a coffee, like the buñuelo. They're often as busy as the staff can handle, so if you're sitting go when you're not in a hurry. I've been at least weekly since I first went!

This is one of the hidden gem-like cafés in the Near West Side / Illinois Medical District area. I have only dined there once and shared a brunch menu with a friend, but I do want to return and try different menus. We had Nutella latte and it wasn’t too overpoweringly sweet for me! ☕️&🥞 What I liked the most was its ambience and kind staff members. Will update this review when I return and dine for the second time ☺️

Great Venezuelan food place, Nice Outdoor Patio. Recommendations! Arepas all of them are Delicious 😋 flight, sweet, filled..... Hawaiian Burger, Bacon Hotdog, Empanadas,

Have been by this restaurant several times over the last three months attempting to try it. They are not open weekdays at 7AM as posted. I have been by at 8 and they are not open either. I called them today (Friday) at 12 noon to confirm that they were open before coming by for lunch. By the time I got there at one, they were closed. Would really love to try this place, but does not adhere to any posted hours. Please fix this!

Tried to place a decent sized order on grubhub since everything looked good. After an hour of delays the order was just cancelled. Damn shame. Maybe they were busy that a $60 order from a potential customer didn't matter. All good.

What a lovely little place near work! Good food and good coffee. The waitress was very friendly and accommodating. The arepa was very filling and the sauce it came with was so fresh and tasty. I will be back!

Let me just say, the owners went way above and beyond to allow us to dine here when they wanted to close early. Lovely couple. The food was flavorful and healthy portion. I maybe would have preferred the fried food to be blotted on paper and then placed on plate without napkin underneath. My food stuck to the napkin. Not a deal breaker, for sure. When I return to Chicago, will make it a point to return for breakfast. Take the time to support this establishment.

After weeks of walking by the new Taylor Street location of Typica Diner and Café, we finally stopped by for lunch today. We were blown away by everything: service, ambiance, prices, and food. We cannot wait to go back! First and foremost, Typica is a Venezuelan restaurant with traditional Venezuelan foods along with creative takes on familiar breakfast and dinner classics. We went for brunch, so we didn't even look at the dinner menu...we'll definitely have to go back. So many things to try!! We chose to stay for a full meal, but Typica has a full to-go coffee, tea, and pastry bar. The coffee drinks and baked goods sound amazing, so we'll plan to stop by for a quick caffeine and snack kick sometime soon! The clean, white, and teal seating area is adorable and cozy. The servers and staff were incredibly friendly and helpful...we felt very welcomed! We started with coffee in the matching real mugs. My husband got the Arepa Benedict and loved the amazing blend of creative flavors! He thought all of the ingredients were fresh tasting and the chorizo and panela cheese created a delicious medley of flavors! He also loved the presentation! Almost too pretty to eat...almost My friend and I got the Llanera Arepa and it was to die for. The skirt stake was perfectly cooked and meshed perfectly with the guacamole, thick and juicy panela cheese, and savory arepa corn patty. On top of that it came with a delicious aioli (garlic?) on the side which was the perfect accompaniment! Prices were great and we loved the neighborhood atmosphere vibe which was very conducive to conversation and friendship. We greatly look forward to our return visit to try new items on the menu sometime soon. And if you haven't been, fix that and get over to Typica Café on Taylor Street today. You won't be disappointed!

I ordered from here before 8:30pm (they close at 9:00pm) from their official website (not a 3rd party). When I get there (after driving 20 minutes, still before their closing time), I'm told that the kitchen is closed and they can't fulfill my order. They say they called me but I didn't have any missed calls. What I don't understand is why they don't close orders from their own website after a certain time if the kitchen is closed? Or call more than once if you can't fulfill an order? The thing is - this is the second time I've been here. The first time I also ordered online from their own website and they also had issues. That time they said they never got an order and I had to wait 30 minutes in the store for them to make my food. I'm giving two stars because the food is actually good when they're able to handle all the mess that comes beforehand. I don't like giving poor reviews but they really need to get their act together.

Looking for a diner as it was late morning. Close the hospital, we chose this nice corner spot. It seemed to be family owned and operated. The place was clean and they also had outdoor seating. I had the sweet plantain waffles which were delicious. The right amount of sweet with eggs cooked perfectly. My husband had the bacon and egg waffles which he devoured. Wished he had more! There was a coffee station up front and there was a variety to choose from. We had the caramel latte but needed more sugar for both our tastes.

My coworkers and I were excited to try this place out as it is a short walk from our workplace. The location is not ideal as it is tucked between other fast food/fast casual joints. Our first attempt was unsuccessful as the restaurant was closed due to repairing the espresso machine. Typica was open one week later when we decided to go for lunch on Friday. Our high hopes were soon vanished after several attempts to give the establishment the benefit of the doubt. First off, we ordered tequenos to split as an appetizer and when the dish came out, the cheese was still cold and still in block form, seemingly like it was straight from the freezer. After bringing this concern to the waitress, the kitchen decided to refry the half bitten tequenos rather than giving us a whole new set of tequenos. For our main dishes we each ordered various arepas. We pre-emptively asked for extra sauce (as sauces are the mainstay of a delicious arepa) and was not given at first when presented our dishes. Arepas were decent, not as flavorful or enticing as others I have tried. As an aside, they did not have several things from the menu such as the array of juices and chicken arepa. Overall, I hope the establishment makes some changes in regards to customer service, quality of food, and ambience of environment.

VISIT. EAT. ENJOY. this is such a hidden gem in Chicago. There wasn't a wait and the staff was very accommodating and nice. The menu has too many great options. We got the plantain pancakes and breakfast arepa. It was well price and we left very full. We would come again.

This is one of the hidden gem-like cafés in the Near West Side / Illinois Medical District area. I have only dined there once and shared a brunch menu with a friend, but I do want to return and try different menus. We had Nutella latte and it wasn't too overpoweringly sweet for me! What I liked the most was its ambience and kind staff members. Will update this review when I return and dine for the second time

Cute local spot serving breakfast with a Latin twist! I had the sweet arepas and my boyfriend had the Venezuelan criollo tradicional. My caramel latte came out first (mmmm cafecito) and then the food. While I enjoyed my sweet arepas, I wouldn't order as my meal again. To be fair. I didn't realize what I was ordering as this dish was unfamiliar to me. I'm not so sure about sour cream on top as I didn't think it added to the flavor much. I typically prefer something sweeter for brunch though. I did nibble on the criollo dish, and oh my, it was delicious! The service was speedy and attentive and we WILL go back as I saw quite a few dishes I would like to try!

When in the medical district you have to try Typica! Authentic Venezuelan food. The arepa flight is one of my favorites. You can sample the different meat and cheese. Every dish that I've tried from here has been delicious so far. The restaurant is small but not congested. You can come in for coffee and pastry, or for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They have great service and get the food out to you quickly. They also give great suggestions for people who have never tried Venezuelan food. Street parking is available and wasn't difficult to find.

This very unassuming place is so incredibly cute. There isn't that many places to get brunch by the Western CTA station, but it happened to be a midway point for a friend and me. Don't let the small number of reviews deter you from visiting! It's a super cute diner with the classic diner booths and cute wall decor. The service was great. It was one lady, but she made sure we were taken care of and she was super sweet. We got a hazelnut latte, sweet plantain waffles, Belgian waffles with fruit and the veggie arepa. Everything was amazing. I highly recommend the sweet plantain waffle with the fried egg like the other reviews here because it's unique and also delicious! Give this place a chance, it'll be worth it!

I really love this place! It's a tiny restaurant that has elegant decorations and seats. I was there around 9 AM on a weekday and it was just me and another group of guests there. I had nutty latte & arepa benedict. Those tasted good! Nice presentation and flavors. I was very full afterward. Would re-visit and try something else:)

First time in Chicago, my brother and I were looking for a breakfast cafe. Coincidentally we found this nice aesthetically looking cafe down the street only a 5-minute walk. We were a little upset because we arrived when they were supposed to open but they didn't seem to be opening soon therefore we waited for 10 minutes and decided to some back at a later time. Thankfully they were opened the second time we came around! We were surprised to find out that this was a Venezuelan Cafe. The place was really clean and very nicely decorated. Service was decent, not much attention from the server and wasn't very attentive being the only ones dinning in. The food was great and very delicious and don't get me started on the coffee (Hazelnut Latte) as well! The portion are smaller than what you would think and little pricey but diffidently a place to try every once in a while. I had the Aerpa Chorizo, and the Chorizo was so good, the sauce they provide blends in very well with the flavor of the chorizo. I would totally recommend this place!

The SWEET PLANTAIN WAFFLES was one of the best breakfast my girlfriend and I have ever had. Tucked away, we were surprised how quiet it was here on a gorgeous Saturday morning. Coffee is delicious also.

Unassuming, yet a gem. I never leave reviews but having been to a multitude of breakfast spots in the city this one has topped my list. Well brewed coffee and well seasoned delicious, and interesting food. You won't regret stopping here for a coffee or breakfast.

Cute little place. Incredible arepas and very kind service. I wish they had desserts so I could try even more!

Have come here a couple of times for brunch and we love it. Child friendly and all the food is delicious - plantain waffles are a family favorite and my daughter loves the sweet arepas with mango juice. They have created the perfect fusion of Venezuelan and American staples. Menu has just enough variety to cater to many tastes without being overdone.

My boyfriend and I come here for breakfast often. I usually just get the hazelnut latte which has literally been the best coffee I've EVER had. My bf had the skirt steak with panella cheese and liked it. Great walking neighborhood. Get your butt there!

Great food, friendly service, chill atmosphere. Would highly recommend to anyone for any time of day

Went here for dinner and it was great! The staff was very friendly and the food was amazing! Our kids said the waffles were the best they've ever had and Llanera and pelua were delicious. Would definitely recommend.