Sawada Coffee — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

After reading all the beautiful 5 star reviews online and viewing the artful photos of the military latte drinks in huge mugs I was super excited to try this Cafe.

Unfortunately my experience here was more or less a three star. All the seats were taken and upon entering I saw tons of picnic bench tables downstairs and mistakenly assumed the downstairs restaurant was linked with this tiny coffee shop. I thought I could order a colorful drink and enjoy a comfortable experience downstairs; but the cashier taking my order stated I could have a seat over on their hardwood bleachers .

I'm surprised none of the reviews mention bleachers and after I finished my drink my back was absolutely sore and it wasn't the experience I was hoping for.

I walked in and asked the barrista for suggestions and she advised me to try the Tokyo latte since I have a sugar tooth then I asked the cashier if I could eat my cookie 🍪 and drink my latte downstairs by the picnic tables but she said only if I'm ordering food at the restaurant.

After I left I asked two other customers that sat at the picnic tables if they had enjoyed their meal at the restaurant and they said they just ordered coffee ☕ and took a seat downstairs and the cashier never told them they weren't allowed to seat themselves.

Well there you go. My latte was delicious but definitely not that special to look at and served inside of a paper cup. In my estimation ambience and kindness play major roles in determining how I write my reviews.

I'm a very blunt person -- I...

I've heard a lot of this place through Youtube and the coffee scene overall. While I was here I tried 3 things: a cappuccino, a old-fashion chocolate donut, and their signature military latte.

I was happy with the cappuccino. Nothing too much to write about, but it was well balanced and had a good layer of foam compared to Umbria coffee I had earlier in the week. The donut was a donut. I'd get it again, but I don't think it's worth going here just for a donut.

I think most of my opinion comes down to the military latte. Without taking price into account, the drink was decent. I didn't taste the cacao powder they put on top, but I did get a good taste of the matcha and espresso shot in the drink. I feel like the matcha and the espresso kind of mute each other out in a way. I was told it was sweetened with vanilla, but I wouldn't have ever guessed it. I do not really like sweet drinks, but I think this drink definitely needed a bit more.

The people here are very kind. The barista and I were chatting a bit about Bay Area coffee places, and the guy who took my order was also nice. The #1 thing about this shop is where it's located. Classic exposed brick wall, adjoined with a bar + BBQ place, and just so beautiful. I'd come back just to sit here and chat with some friends.

The coffee IS good here. Not the best I've ever had (Coffee Movement + Grand Coffee in SF are still my favorites), but definitely the best I've had thus far in Chicago. Give it a try and make your...

sawada is a popular west loop cafe, and for a great reason! i came here on a sunday morning and the line to order was pretty long-- it was nearly out the door. but it moved pretty fast and within 15 minutes, i got my order: the black camo latte with oat milk.

i absolutely love matcha, so i was excited by all the unique matcha options on the menu (which i have yet to see in any other cafe). the black camo latte features roasted matcha (hojicha) and espresso, which made an excellent combination, though the roasted matcha taste wasn't super strong and i could taste more of the espresso than matcha. there were detectable hints of cocoa with every sip, which were perfectly subtle--sweet without overdoing it. overall the drink was warm, flavorful, and satisfying. next time, i'd probably order the normal matcha latte for a stronger matcha flavor.

the price is quite steep even by west loop standards-- i paid nearly $8 for the drink, so i recommend the place as a treat / special occasion, rather than a regular destination.

otherwise, the cafe interior is super cute and has a large cafeteria-style seating area connected to green street smoked meats. it also has a beautiful outdoor seating area. the inside area is generally pretty loud, so it might not be an ideal place to do work or read, but it's definitely a great place to meet up...