The Qahwa — Restaurant in Palos Township

TLDR: This isn’t just another qahwa house— aptly named, this is THE Qahwa spot

Unique elements: 🕌📿 Prayer room/mini musalla!!! I came back to this coffee shop over others repeatedly especially for this. worth paying the $$ for coffee when it also comes with an experience 🎨 Beautiful mural of Masjid Al-Aqsa and other artwork displays made it feel very community-centered

Amenities: 🛜 Free wifi (password @ register) 🔌 Ample outlets along the walls (w usb-c ports!! first time I’ve seen that in a cafe) 🫧 Clean tables and seating area 🅿️ Free parking, lot right outside the establishment 🚗 Curbside pickup option; although not a drive through, great customer service where they bring it out to your car

Insights from a student: ☁️ Really nice and quiet atmosphere in the mornings, great for studying/working 🌤️ Well-lit, a whole wall of windows 📈Gets busy in the afternoons, Asr/Maghrib time (bc seating is all in one open space, noise levels can get pretty high) 📚 Opens earlier than most public libraries, making it a great spot for a day of studying.

Okay, how about the actual coffee? I tried something different each time and was never disappointed ☕

My only suggestion: An area for improvement would be a step up regarding the restrooms. Especially as a space w prayer accommodations, it would be superb to have more wudu friendly situation— even if not changing the plumbing for a full station, could be as simple as stocking paper towels i/o just air dryer.

Final verdict: Highly recommend! If I ever write a novel, this would be a place that the characters visit. Lowkey wish I had a place like this to frequent when I was younger BUT it made me so happy to see all the young families and students fostering a sense of...

Dang.. very unsanitary here. I am grossed out. I love the bridgeview location, but I came here to study since the space is bigger. They aren’t welcoming here like they are over there, BUT what made my experience REALLY BAD was that I was waiting for my drink, I didn’t hear them call it out (my hearing isn’t the best though so maybe I just didn’t hear?), but I kept looking to see if I saw my drink. Well, I saw that a lady grabbed one. She drank from it and came back saying that it wasn’t what she ordered and she thinks she got the wrong drink. They gave her the correct drink. Moments later I looked over again, and the guys finally looked my way and signaled to me to come get my drink bc it’s ready. Well I walked up and I clearly saw that the drink was already sipped on from the lid. I asked them if this is the drink that the lady took and brought back, and they said yes. I just looked at them because it was very obvious that this drink had someone else’s mouth on it already and I was just surprised that they tried giving this to me instead of throwing it out since it was mistakenly given to the wrong person. Even if it wasn’t obvious that someone drank from it, why would they ever take a beverage back from somebody after they walked out with it and try to give it to another person?! They finally said do u want us to remake it or what and I said yes. I’m just in shock. I am 99% sure that they did not remake it and all they did was change the lid. I wish I stood there to see, but I was uncomfortable and anxious about the fact that they gave me a drink that someone already took and sipped on. This is not worth almost $9 I’m really really disappointed I’m warning my friends and fam about...

A local breath of freshness! I encourage other races and cultures to try Arabic style sweets and refreshments as this is truly a fulling experience. It’s great to dive into options that aren’t monopolized coffee chains like Dunkin and Starbucks and be in a more relaxed and at home environment. The place is great for families couples even is quiet and peaceful for college students as many come here to study. The coffee is fresh and full of rich flavors packs a sweet punch perfectly. I loved especially the lotus desert as it is rich yet not empowering and all the flavors play so perfectly pairing w any drink. This place supports our love for back home 🇵🇸 Palestine has so many empowering dishes and drinks and proudly does this place give that love and drive. I unfortunately have to be honest that the cashiers at times can be little too serious and not as welcoming little standoffish at times so that is something that takes away from the service as I don’t look Arabic but as I am Palestinian I would like to come in feeling that warm welcome energy from back home. Hopefully their staff can improve on mood behavior because this limits other people from other cultures to come in and try out the place sadly, mood moral is key to a good paying patron. I encourage others to come in and experience and ask about Palestinian culture and explore its flavorful palette here because cashiers don’t highlight the community and welcomes of the...