Two Shades Cafe

Cutest study spot and the girls working are so kind.

So cute. Yummy too. wifi + seats! 👌

Great place for a quick breakfast or for sitting and working for a while. Lots of seating, comfortable. Friendly staff. Good food, excellent coffee. Some good vegetarian options.

Got 2 double-shot espressos and two brownies: 23 dollars. That is just crazy!!! In Italy, 2 coffes and two croissants is maximum 6/7 euros, even in Milano or Roma.
The poor girls working there (nice students trying to make some money) were so embarrassed with the check... I tipped them anyway, it's not their fault if the owners are thieves

This is an Little Italy neighborhood café that is great for working, socializing, and getting a quick bite ☕️💻❤️🌯! There is a section of tables where you can focus & get some thing done, while the other side has comfy couches and stalls. There is a wide variety of coffees and drinks you can choose here too!
P.S. When I had the donut during my visit, it didn’t taste like it was very fresh. However, maybe my donut just happened to be not the best one so I will definitely visit again and try other options!

The cutest coffee shop in Little Italy! The atmosphere is so cute for reading, working, or catching up with friends and the service is so friendly! The chocolate croissant was delicious and I’d definitely recommend the matcha!

The food was good, can’t say it was memorable. The staff were friendly. There were lots of students and people working on their laptops. At one point the music was just loud rock and it was hard to think, I requested a change in volume and genre and they were accommodating.

After reading so many great reviews, we were disappointed by our experience. No one said hello when we walked in or when we were looking at the menu. The barista that took our order seemed like she wanted to be literally anywhere else except working. My fiancé and I both got the breakfast burrito. Both of them were still cold in the middle and the cheese wasn’t melted. I got an iced tiramisu latte, the flavor was delicious but it barely had any ice so it was still hot on the bottom. Everything did come out in a decent time and the shop was very cute/aesthetic.

The people who run Two Shades Cafe are so genuinely welcoming and so humble that you feel like you are getting coffee at a friend or family member's home. Just the kind of people we need in our neighborhood! So far I have had donuts, Americans, and coffee. The donuts were the best I've had in a long time. The Americanos and coffee were so fresh and delicious. I can't say enough about the quality of their product and the kindness of everyone inside. Great experience! So good that this is my 3rd day in a row going there.
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UPDATE!
Augast 16, 2022

I left the post above when they first opened. 7 months later, I am logging on to leave another review. This place has gotten even better. The coffee is top-notch, better than Starbucks. When you take a couple of sips you can immediately feel the coffee. Literally an uplifting sensation. Just what I need everyday on the way to work. This place is so amazing I can't put into words. So happy they are in our neighborhood. When I first posted I was talking about how awesome the owners were. I can't end this post without saying how wonderful and amazing the employees they hired are. They are all so sweet,hard-working, and genuinely caring. I wish everyone that owns a business can learn to operate and run things like they do. Seriously top notch.
Way to go TWO SHADES!
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UPDATE NUMBER 3!!!
Nov 13 2023
Still the best coffee in the neighborhood and the nicest employees and owners.
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UPDATE 5!!
July 5 2025
Love the ladies that work here. Nicest collection of humans to represent Chicago. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

New favorite place! Veggie bagel was soooo yummy. Get the tiramisu latte !!!!! Nice quiet place for chilling/studying/working. They don’t play music which is actually really relaxing if you want some peace and quiet. Staff is so friendly and really seems to care about their customers and improving their product.

Super cozy & nice ambience, delicious options, staff is really nice, good wifi, and surprisingly not always too packed despite it being a UIC hotspot. Thankful for the vegetarian/vegan food options too 💗 (the vegan chicken is reallllly good!!)

I had coffee and lunch at this location, and it was very delightful. I had a flavorful turkey panini sandwich and the dirty abuelita. This is a great place to stop by for quick lunch or breakfast, and it's also a great place to hang out or work on a laptop. The baristas are friendly, and the atmosphere is very inviting and chill.