PiniPico Coffee & Empanadas — Restaurant in Chicago

There are posters around the restaurant and a big mural of Rio showing Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer Statue). The atmosphere is really chill and I loved the interaction between the staff. The founder of PiniPico Lou was there and it made my day when he pronounced my name correctly as he handed over the food I ordered to me.

I wanted to get the juice but it seems like they are pre-made (stored in the fridge) so I got the cortado coffee instead. It is a little sour for me. They also have the Brazilian soda - Guaraná, which I used to love drinking.

When I was in Brazil, I have never tried/seen the different flavours of pão de queijo like bacon or jalapeño that they have it here. We got the classic pão de queijo and another one after we finished everything we ordered from the first round. They have a selection of pastries and we also got the coxinha (Brazilian chicken croquette), empada (mini pie), empanada de carne (beef empanada). When we finished our food, we got a brigadeiro (chocolate-condensed milk dessert ball). It melts in your mouth and is a perfect little treat as dessert for when you have a sweet tooth but already full...

This is a coffee shop on Clark Street at Germania Place in the Gold Coast that replaced a Starbucks that went out of business across from the Latin School.

I have patronized this location a few times and the coffee is good and the staff very friendly. It is a simple operation, nothing fancy with some interesting Brazilian pastries and snacks. I usually order a medium cappuccino decaf which costs $5 including tax. While it is estimated that a person could make their own coffee for 18 cents a cup, small coffee shops are not making excessive profits after overhead, salaries etc are factored in. The average profit on a cup of coffee is only about 50 cents.

I recommend this place especially since it is seldom crowded when I stop by in the afternoon. While I’m not a big coffee drinker, I feel it is important to patronize our local businesses which have taken a beating during covid. We want to keep people employed which is equally good for the economy...

The store is a great size with very lovely employees. The aroma inside is warm and lends to the great coffee beans used. Their menu is quite diverse for a local store and it’s clear from the many other customers that PiniPico is well loved for their coffee. I ordered a lavender oat milk latte and a breakfast empanada. The lavender oat milk latte was very strong in lavender, which I don’t mind but was surprised that the flavoring was so dense. Their coffee really hits the spot, it was one of the most potent lattes I’ve had from coffee shops in the surrounding area! I enjoyed their free WiFi and outdoor seating on a crisp morning. I couldn’t give 5 stars though, as the interior dough of my empanada felt raw. I’ve had many an empanada, so I was surprised, as the “chewy” texture upon more bites and investigation felt really too raw. One more thing to note, I would love to see recycling available in the store and/or more sustainable...