Qahwah House Coffee - Lombard — Restaurant in Lombard

This café is really unique and my wife and I would highly recommend you try this place out. The drinks and pastries are have very unique flavors and they tasted really good. The inside was also pretty spacious and the aesthetics were different than your local coffee shop. Overall 4.5 / 5 and here's why:

+1 Aesthetics - Qahwah House has a unique look to it with warm lighting over their coffee bar, huge bags of coffee beans on shelves on the side of the store, and huge images of Yemen lining the walls. You enter and already feel like you'll have a different experience than most local coffee shops.

+1 Drink Flavors - I ordered the Mofawar and my wife ordered the Adeni Chai and we were pleasantly surprised to taste something completely different. For reference we've worked as baristas for a couple of years in the past and we're avid coffee/espresso drinkers. Their use of cardamom doesn't overpower the coffee drinks and the Yemeni Black Tea my wife ordered also had a different kick to it than other teas we've tried.

+1 Food Flavors - We also tried their tart, a chocolate cake, and one of their pistachio pastries. They were delicious and did not disappoint.

+1 Service - There weren't that many customers there at the shop when my wife and I came in but we received our drinks and pastries in under 10 minutes. The cashier was also very helpful in telling us what each pastry was since some of the top shelf was not labeled.

.25 Order Process - While the employee was very helpful in helping us choose our pastries, it would have been a smoother process if all of the pastries were labeled. Given we were trying new things, it would have been easier for us to see the labels and order.

-.25 Aroma - When you enter you're hit with an intense cardamom smell. It was overwhelming and took a bit to get used to it. It would have been better if the cardamom was offset by espresso or other fragrances.

Overall we would definitely come back to try other drinks/pastries and we would recommend you try this place out.

Some extra points: Having an online menu of the drinks/pastries offered in store would help newcomers like us. We saw some fancy tea/coffee cups and plates a group of customers had when we arrived and it would have been cool to have the same cups/plates. Ensuring all the pastries are labeled would have made the ordering process a breeze. There was what looked like a coffee grinding machine in the middle of the store. Not sure what for but it would be awesome if events were held to explore more of the culture through coffee drinks and...

Idk who worked the morning shift today but she was slower than a sloth. I walk in and there isn’t a single patron in there but me. She’s filling hot water into a kettle, which is expected at this establishment, but this is where her lack of hospitality begins. There was no greeting, no acknowledgment of my presence as I make a b line to the register. I must have stood there for a good 5 minutes until she came to me and asked what I’d like. I let her know the hurry I was in, with a smile and all while being kind about it just to let her know to hasten up a bit. It was already odd I was not spoken to until that point, and I’ve worked in hospitality so I know this isn’t a standard. I ordered 3 croissants to go. As I was paying, another customer walks in and the employee looks as though she’s about to stop serving me (mind you I don’t have the croissants yet) and ring up the new customer. I gently let the employee know I don’t need the croissants warmed up and that room temp is fine. So she moves away from the register to start boxing my order. This was promising because now things are moving along and I’m not getting delayed because she wants to ring up the other customer (who just walked in). After she boxes everything up, she goes down to the kettles. I’m thinking she’s going to bag it up for me. She returns to the register and I look at her like where is my order? (I didn’t say it, only thought it.) she starts ringing up the next customer, and I’m dumbfounded. I had to ask her where my order was. Only to find out, while I was standing dead in front of her, she took them down to the door side of the counter. At this point, I know she’s doing this because I let her know I was in a rush. I was gentle with my words so not sure why she did that. Also, she DIDNT BAG THE 3 small boxes. Really great customer service. If I ever see her there again, I’m leaving. Even if my friends and family want me to join, I’m not. I’m fully aware my absence won’t do anything to break down your establishment, but I can use my words to share my experience. She does not belong in a business of hospitality if she can’t do the basics. I would have given her the benefit of the doubt if it was right at opening time, but she had been there for at least an hour because that’s how long the store was open. She should have Already acclimated to the work environment by that point. Horrible, disgusting service from a horrible, disgusting, and miserable person. And she represents your...

Qahwah House - Or Is It a Coffee Club?

Ah, Qahwah House – the supposed haven for a cozy cup of Yemeni coffee, but with a surprise twist: it doubles as Lombard’s very own Desi Youth Night Out. You might walk in expecting a peaceful family hangout but brace yourself – it’s more like you’ve stumbled into a modern “desi club” scene, minus the cover charge.

The place is a magnet for the young desi crowd, attracting every college student, young professional, and aspiring Instagram influencer within a ten-mile radius. Imagine a full cast of "Desis Gone Wild" in their weekend best: girls dressed to the nines with makeup for days, boys trying to impress (or at least looking like they’re ready for their debut in a music video). There's a lot of mingling, loud laughter, and glances exchanged across tables. Just add dim lights and a DJ, and you might think you’re at a club with espresso shots instead of tequila.

Look, I get it – social spots evolve, and Qahwah House is the hangout for the local scene, but if you're a conservative Muslim expecting a family-friendly vibe, it’s going to feel more awkward than inviting your grandma to a nightclub. It’s a place where “meet and mingle” is the unspoken motto, and if you’re not on board with that, well… let’s just say you may find yourself clutching your cup of qahwah, wondering if you missed the memo.

So, to all my Muslim brothers and sisters thinking of heading here for a chill, family-friendly outing: maybe save it for when you’re feeling adventurous. Or better yet, if you want the club vibe with a coffee cup in hand – you’re going to love it. But for those of us who wanted to keep it simple with coffee and conversation? Let’s just say I’ve...