About us

Most of what we serve comes from how coffee and tea actually get served at home. Tea is strong, sweet, and comes in a small glass, not a mug. Chai karak has cardamom in it. Coffee gets finished slowly, with someone else there.

The syrups are the part we spend the most time on. Fig, brown butter, cookie butter, caramelized banana, creme brulee. They are cooked here rather than pumped out of a bottle, which is why a fig latte costs a dollar more than the rest and why we mark them with a star.

The sleeves

When you finish Iraqi coffee you flip the cup, wait for it to dry, and someone reads the grounds to tell you what is coming. Nobody entirely believes it and everybody wants to hear it anyway.

We kept the habit and dropped the predictions. Every sleeve carries a small arched tag, cut to the same shape as the alcoves on the wall, and what is written on it is a compliment rather than a forecast.

You walked in and the vibe improved immediately.

The room

There are arches cut into the shelving, a brass dallah on display, and enough tables that you can sit with a laptop for two hours without anyone minding. We are open until midnight seven days a week, which makes it an evening room as much as a morning one. All the food is halal and there is no alcohol.

We are in the plaza at Oakton and Wolf, next to Chicago Ramen. Come find out what your cup says.