Cafe Latakia

i cried when i saw the closed notice on the door the other day.
this was my second home.
my heart is broken.

They serve Illy coffee, so I I want to like this place. I really do, but I can’t.
The interior is scrappy and sort of dingy. The walk to the bathroom was creepy, and they had paper towels instead of toilet paper – not that I needed T.P. while I was in there, but… well anyway…
This area isn’t posh to begin with, but come on! Let’s show some pride of place and spruce up the shop. More desk lamps to warm the interior. Buy chairs that match. Get rid of the remnants of the ice cream parlor that used to be here before. Buy cup holders that don’t have cheesy advertising logos all over them. And for Pete’s sake: FIX/​TURN ON THE HEATERS! It’s 35 degrees out, and 60 degrees inside.
I really hate writing this review, because I want places like this to thrive, but all I could think of was: don’t sit or touch anything made of soft cloth that can’t be easily wiped down or disinfected.

‘Twas freezing! Who thinks freezing cafes are cozy? Not I! Sigh…
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(sipping tea, cold with coat on)
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Post script.
There were also workers fixing the cement floor behind the counter. This wouldn’t have been a problem except that the owner/​barista couldn’t satisfy my request to serve the tea in a for-​here mug, gesturing towards the construction and saying he couldn’t reach the mugs.

Service Service Service…
If you don’t feel like you are at home, then I don’t know what happened…
The Owner behind the counter was off the hook, this kind of service is what you would expect in a small town, not in a big busy city, in a very busy spot…
He was so helpful, knowing most of his customers inside, and offering all kinds of wonderful little nosh…
and soo many delightful liquid temptations!
If you want to support a local rather then a huge corporation, you can screw the boo and buck the star, right here!
He made me a wonderful protein shake, not too sweet, I love that!
Convenient location too, right next to LVAC!
I will be back again and again!

Owner Malik is kind and eager to please, working 7 days a week to get great ingredients for his stuff and to cook up new and yummy recipes I haven’t found elsewhere (Honeydew Green Tea Latte, mmm!). He is slow and meticulous, though, and not the best versed in customer service. He isn’t cold, but he is wary of Lakeview types (you know what I mean), and would probably do better in a Ravenswood or Rogers Park area. I like it here to stop in (rather than sit), and he knows me (and gives me a discount) whenever I do.
Café Latakia is a little neighborhood place in the wrong neighborhood, so if you’re visiting Lakeview for the comedy theater or the lake, stop in. And if you live there, give it a chance. It isn’t Starbucks or a «see-​and-​be-​seen» place. It’s what the corner store used to be.

Really Good. My boyfriend and I often stop here when we go out on our bike rides along the lake. It’s a really nice way to end the evening before we head home. Their Ice cream is delish.

Entee Sourie? Nam? Y’allaaah, y’estaaz! Ahlen! Ahlen woh salen, t’fudull!
I suspected this place was Syrian — Latakia is a small city in Syria, the only place this country borders the Mediterranean. The city itself is kind of a mess, falling prey to uncontrolled tourism, but the essential «syrian-​ness» comes thru in this friendly establishment. Syrians — all Arabs — are the inventors of world-​class hospitality, and this place is a shining example.
We popped in here for a couple of smoothies. Simple fare, but the care that the owner, Malek («king» in Arabic) put into making sure we would LOVE them was great. And the smoothies were indeed, delicious.
The café itself was pleasant — tables and chairs, and comfortable chairs. Interesting books, and several newspapers available for reading. Nice! I’ll come back!

After leaving Belmont Harbor, my lady and I were craving some ice cream. I saw a sign that said «Greatest tasting ice cream in Chicago», so I said lets see if it is true.
As we walked in we noticed they had really cozy seating which was not being occupied (don’t know why). I decided to try one scoop of the Key Lime Ice Cream on a waffle cone (delicious)and my girl got a scoop of black cherry (even better) and strawberry on a waffle cone.
They have everything sweet you can think of here: pastries, frappaccinos, varieties of tea, coffee, smoothies and everything else your heart desires. I have had plenty of ice cream in my 28 years and I have to rank this place somewhere near the top. This is truly a gem for East Lakeview!

Although it’s a coffee shop, you gotta try their ice cream.
Not only is the ice cream better than it’s two more famous Broadway Street rivals (Windy City Streets and Bobtail), it is also about 50 cents cheaper per cone. I recommend trying the Spumoni. It has ruined all other spumonis for me.
The owner Malek is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Make sure to start a punch card – you will definitely be coming back many times!

I don’t understand why this place always has empty seats in it… I like that it has different seating based on your preference — couches, high stools, tables. The free wi-​fi is nice — though sometimes spotty. The owner gives recommendations. He tries to remember you, which is also nice. Coffee is good. Tea concoctions are also tasty. There are enough outlets, which is also appealing.

Upgrade alert!
Malek (now I have the correct spelling) is as cool as they come. And not only does he makes a fantastic latte, but he makes great recommendations. I have a feeling Café Latakia will become a regular stop for the Strawberry Honey tea (I KNOW!) or the Berry Berry version.
He called his late mother an angel… and when I asked, «but aren’t all mothers?» he replied that his mother TRULY was one. Aaaww.
Ideal spot for both banging out work and people-​watching. Local small business support!

Is this place so special? Really? I don’t understand.
OK coffee and OK tea.
Free wi-​fi is not that special, there are a lot more comfortable café than this place.
The bathroom needs to be cleaned. It was messy.
I know there are bad customers messing the toilet, but the employee must check and clean it every now and then.
Actually I had to clean before I used.
Cash only. Don’t forget to drop by ATM before coming to this place.

I really like the product here. Great lattes, ice cream and sandwiches. He makes these delicate, incredible sandwiches for $ 5 and they are so worth it. They also have coconut syrup for the lattes. That is very important to me!
I love the guy that works here.
One star off because if there is a line, you’re going to wait a WHILE. And because the bathroom is nearly terrifying.

I came to Unilocal looking for the closest coffee shop to my apartment and read all of the great reviews that people have written about Café Latakia. If I had only known that they offered free wi-​fi I wouldn’t have been down the street purchasing food I didn’t need every two hours just to stay on the internet for the past two weeks. I finally go my own wi-​fi set up so that’s irrelevant, but I know where to go when I need to get out of my apt for a change of scenery.
While the store front could definitely do a better job of representing this great little café, the coffee is good, cheap, and the place is quiet. I’m a convert, and won’t be walking any further than necessary to get my caffeine fix from now on.

This place could be absolutely amazing, if only a few more people went here. They serve some of the best coffee and espresso drinks and prices much cheaper than Starbucks. I had a basic double espresso, which costs less than a grande regular Starbucks coffee. My friend tried the Rose White Hot Chocolate, which was phenomenal. Perfectly frother milk, not too sweet. This place even touts free Wi-​Fi, which was fast and easy too use. I think the location is great as well. There aren’t any coffee shops within a couple of blocks.
Now, here are the reasons I can’t give more stars:
1. The store front looks a little dingy. There is an ugly tile floor and ugly metal trim. They need to make a better effort to brighten the place up.
2. All the of the backed goods (all 5 of them.) looked like they had been sitting there for days, along with much of the coffee making items. They really don’t seem to get a whole lot of business.
3. While its great to find a coffee shop you can sit down a work in, this place was so empty that I worry thye will not be able to stay in business.
If they had a few more people hanging out here, they actually stock some more things and maybe even invest in something put on on that awful time floor. I’m rooting for the place cuz my coffee was so so good and so so cheap. Go here, it can only make it better!

Mixed reviews about this one…
TAKE WARNING! Do NOT be tricked by their outdoor Latte sign on a frigid winter day! The sign reads:
$ 2.00 Lattes
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Pumpkin Coffee Lattes
Pumpkin Chai Lattes
I ordered the chai one with soy milk, took a sip and then was rung up to a $ 4.– something drink. I asked about the sign out front and the worker (I believe the owner) was quite rude and said «Go reread the sign.» And continued to reach his hand out for the money. He’s just luck I had $ 5, especially since they don’t accept cards. It mentions both pumpkin lattes but it’s only the regular lattes that are $ 2. COMPLETELY BAD ADVERTISEMENT! I reread the sign when I left with the same thought as before. Yes, I may have been reeled in, but I plan on saving any one else who is tricked.
Now I must admit that the pumpkin chai was very delicious… and I have been here before for what is said to be «Award winning ice cream.» Not sure which award they won, but their Neopolitan ice cream is pretty dreamy.
Unfortunately, due to the rude service and my damaged morale, I’ll probably not return.

This is my new favorite place to study! Not only do they have coffee, ice cream and other amazing treats… but the owner, Malik, is amazing. He made me a made-​to-​order sandwich when I was studying late one night. He even went across the street to get fresh ingredients so he could make me a grilled cheese. Then he gave me some soup! PLUS he makes amazing Greek frappé! I had yet to find a place in Chicago that makes frappé as well as they do in Greece, but Malik does it perfectly! He can make pretty much anything if you ask him.
You definitely should support Café Latakia instead of the other coffee chains. He is a kind, hard working man and really cares about his customers. Plus they have Free Wi-​Fi and a great atmosphere for studying, meeting with friends, or just swinging by for a coffee. It really is a hidden treasure! If you go there, I will probably be there, too!

My friend and I came here to study for a bit on the weekend. She introduced me to a tasty Mexican Mocha that had a distinct and pleasant kick.
It was nice and quiet for studying and the guy that owns the place is really nice and friendly.
My only complaint was that it was really cold that day, think the heating wasn’t up to par that day.
And I am so over coffee shop chains, that Café Latakia was especially refreshing. Long live the independent coffee shops of Chicago!
Oh free Wifi too. :)

Odd place this one: imagine a place that specializes in selling diuretics and doesn’t have a toilet? Do so and then imagine the urine dripping down your leg an hour after consuming their product. Nice little store with a home-​owned feel, free Wi-​Fi, good quality coffee. Hushed reverent atmosphere with the soft sound of barely audible (?middle eastern) muzac, which in a way is more distracting to me because I can’t tune it out as easily. As long as the businesses around there don’t mind us pissing in their pots this is a nice place to hang out for a bit.

Café Latakia is a sweet surprise. I lived in Lakeview during my senior year of college, and stop back now and then to indulge my sense of nostalgia. My adorable boyfriend and I stopped into my old hangout — the Caribou Coffee near Broadway and Roscoe — but every table was packed and the patrons were aggressively cruisy. We continued down Broadway and ducked into Café Latakia.
As other reviewers note, the place has a mom and pop feel, and on the snowy winter day when I stopped in, it was blissfully quiet. Like library-​quiet. Very easy to do some work or have a quiet conversation.
The service was warm and friendly. The gentleman behind the counter quickly offered the wi-​fi information when he saw me open my laptop, and cheerfully offered more hot water for free, even after we’d been sitting for hours. I’ll be back.