Cafe Soroni

Compelled to support the local flavor after missing my train, I popped in for coffee and a bite to eat. The individual working the counter could hardly be bothered. The ham, egg, and cheese on a bagel was similarly uninspired. The ham was cold, the bagel barely toasted, and the cheese clearly just took off its cellophane jacket. The coffee was decent but whilst I was drinking it (fast so I could GTFO), the staff and another customer proceeded to trash talk other customers who were not present. Yuck. Next time I will cross the street for a reliable McExperience. Even if I am contributing to deforestation.

Not a bad lunch option in the Jefferson Park area. Small menu but they seem to get the most out of it. Wanted to try one of their panini’s the other day, so I stopped in for the Chicken Pomadori. Took about 5 minutes before the sandwich was ready, no big deal. Grabbed it to go; which was better anyway as the little seating they had was already occupied. At first glance, was a bit let down with the size, but it packed enough flavor to make up for it. Shredded pieces of chicken, fresh spinach, pesto mayo, provolone cheese, and sun dried tomatoes were a great flavor combo. Unfortunately the really skimped on the ingredients. After the first few bites, I took a closer look, only to find sole pieces of spinach and sun dried tomato comprising the sandwich. The majority of the panini was pesto mayo and provolone. Granted it still tasted great, but I can only imagine where it could have gone with more careful construction. Still for $ 7.00 and a bag of chips, it’s hard to complain. I’ll stop in again and give them another try, maybe they were waiting for a delivery and held back a little on the accoutrement …

So glad I discovered this café. I go there for the Chicken Pomodoro panini religiously. it’s the best panini I’ve ever had! They use super fresh ingredients, a lot organic, homemade and the flavors really «pop» — especially the chicken. It’s really tender and flavorful.
I usually get coffee when I go, too, and tea sometimes. The coffee is Italian, Lavazza — and they add cinnamon and nutmeg (I believe!), which makes it even tastier. Teas are a European brand, Benjamin, and I’m crazy for the dark orange, iced. I love that you can get comfort food here, like my beloved chicken panini, that’s really yummy but still healthy. Very good homemade soups, reminds me of my mom’s. Going to try one of their smoothies now that it’s summer. :)
The décor is cool– colorful yet relaxing.
The owners are friendly. They seem really into healthy foods and organics, which I am too– actually, I found them by searching Unilocal for «organic sandwich» a few months back. :)
Prices are really fair. I’ve gone to similar cafes in other neighborhoods that charge about double. They have good specials too, like a panini and medium smoothie is 9.99. A panini or wrap + dessert is 8.99. A panini + chips + soft drink, 7.99. And they have half sandwich + soup specials– most recent one was 6.50, just to give you an idea.
Another cool thing: they have baking classes for kids which seem really popular. They’re always adding more classes + baking parties, and healthy snacks classes, like making fun designs with fruit & other healthy foods. I volunteer w/​an org that does healthy cooking w/​kids, so I think it’s cool that they do this, too.

I only stopped in for an iced tea so I have a limited info.
But…
…the tea was FANTASTIC. The forest berry tasts a bit like fruit juice without all the added preservatives, high-​fructose corn syrup (hellooooo neurotoxins!) and other crap.
The owner is really ncie and the inside is cozy. I’ll be stopping in for a panini soon!

Went here with some girlfriends for a weekday morning coffee klatch. I am not a coffee drinker, but in general, where good coffees are served there are good teas so I decided to check it out. Low and behold, they had Benjamin Teas, which are apparently out of Chicago (yay!) and my green tea was delicious and not bitter. Had a croissant, too, which was HUGE and buttery (probably should have had it warmed up, though).
Just know that they have more food available than what is out in the front display cases. You can get a nice light breakfast or lunch there. I found the owner very sweet and hospitable. Definitely a more upscale escape than McDonald’s across the street (yuk!).
Huge plus: There is a parking lot in the back, did you know!!!
Transportation is not an issue here as it is half way up the block from the Jefferson Park CTA /​Metra terminal.

Stopped in here for the first time for brunch today. Both my husband and I had the vegetarian panini with roasted red peppers, spinach, feta and hummus. It was delicious!
The man behind the counter was super nice. Only waited about 10 minutes for our food. Inside was quiet, cute and clean. Seems like a good place to chill if you have time to spare before catching a train. Jefferson Park needs more places like this.

Pretty good little café and sandwiching shop. Fine expresso drinks and inventive breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and paninis. Nice addition to Jeff Park.

This is the type of place we need more of in the city, especially in this neighborhood. Locally owned by friendly people who run classes for kids on the weekends, it’s a great place to get a little work done when you don’t feel like doing it at home. I enjoy the coffee (the warnings about the cinnamon are correct, though I enjoy that; buyer beware) and the paninis are quite good as well. They also have free wi-​fi. Great place for killing some time if you are at Jefferson Park and have to wait for a train.
Only drawback is some of the quirks with the coffee, which I could see people not enjoying, like the lack of cream and the cinnamon. The sizes run on the small side as well, at least compared to chain coffee places. Still an easy recommendation despite the caveats.

So I stumbled across this place last weekend after getting discouraged that my house was out of everything grocery and I was starving for breakfast.
I am SO GLAD that I stopped in! First let me start by saying that the Caramel Latte that I had was delicious. It was the perfect amount of sweet without being too much. Truly a VERY good drink, and I have tried probably half the coffee houses in this city over the past years. The owner seems to really have a passion for making coffee and you can taste the difference in his drinks.
The breakfast sandwich that I had was also good. The owner spent a lot of time talking with me about his little shop. And I was very intrigued by the fact that his wife bakes all of the goodies in their bakery case. He told me that the only thing they «buy in» is the bread and croissants. While I did not try any of the desserts, I will definitely be back for them.
I honestly have to say that little café’s like this one are such an asset to a neighborhood. It is so warming to find owners that care so much about their customers and the experience that they give them. I felt so comfortable just sipping my coffee and talking with the owner about his shop. This is just one of those places where you can taste the love in the food! I am looking forward to making this a regular stop for me!
One last thing, I noticed they had pictures posted of cooking classes that they do with kids on the weekends. Very cool.

Fantastic shop… Excellent Lattes!
I have to say, that I really enjoy this tiny coffee shop. I’ve dropped in a few times now, I recommend the Turkey Avocado wrap and the Caramel Cappuccino… Excellent.
I was a bit hesitant to go in since I had a negative experience from the previous owner, The owner and his family have surely made this place my new favorite neighborhood coffee shop.

I love the coffee, although buyer beware it’s brewed with cinnamon, so if you don’t like that flavor order an americano.
The snacks are all homemade, and very tasty. The artichoke panino was so good I could eat it everyday.
My only complaint is they don’t have half and half.. . if you ask for half and half they offer you a little container of vanilla flavored creamer (blech). So I always use whole milk.. . I just wish they’d have some real cream for their delicious coffee.

So a couple of mornings I have been taking the train and been delighted that this place is actually open before 8am (despite the fact that 8am is the posted time). Stopped in again for a mocha on the way to work and honestly, they are GD delicious. The 1^st early morning visit, the guy there was a little distraught that I didn’t have smaller bills because he didn’t seem to have adequate change so the 2^nd time I was conscious of having smaller bills, but it was kind of strange. Dude, the ATM only gives 20’s, so I’ll do what I can, but my $ 20 should be just as spendable as a $ 5… so that was awkward.
Otherwise, I still like this place a lot. Super clean. Super delicious. As quick and responsive as you can expect a solo act to be… I’m sure I’ll be here many times again. See you there ;)

Very cute. sweets are yummy. my chicken panini was great. just the way I like them. Thin and crispy and cheesy goodness.
It looks like they have a ton of variety when it comes to coffee beverages, I will check it out next time. Only minus is parking.
Too bad the place is not packed. The Jefferson park commuters should ditch the McDonald’s across the street and try out this café instead. They have veggie and vegan options too!
Please stay in business Café Soroni

I love this place!
I work in Jeff Park and am so glad to have found a home away from home. More than organic, they care about their food and their customers… not just the trendy label. Coffee is always fresh, pastries are delicious and homemade (you can taste it!), and conversation is always good. It’s not just a plug in and zone out space (although comfy seating and free wifi is a draw), it’s a hub of community.
Try the soup, it’s incredible. Sandwiches are what you’re hoping for… inventive, fresh, and satisfying.
I stop in as often as I can.

I hate to give a one star review, especially when everyone else seems to love this place (makes me think I’m missing something), but I had an awful experience here. The coffee was not good — let me say this up front, but then…
The owner was nice, I guess, but I asked for cream for my coffee and he pulled milk out of the fridge. I mentioned I preferred cream in my coffee, and he fed me some line about they don’t use cream because they don’t like anything artificial ruining the coffee. Huh?
Cream comes from a cow too?
If you ran out of cream, — just say that, but pouring milk into my coffee and schooling me on the virtues of milk instead of offering me what I prefer (and a standard coffee condiment) isn’t gonna work for me.
Here’s why I would never go back:
* I would never go to a coffee place that doesn’t offer cream
* Now I find him– the owner — shifty from his response
* The coffee had a cinnamon flavor (and I do not like cinnamon)
* The croissant I ordered was the chewy kind they offer at Costco — I thought with all the great bakeries in the area they would outsource the baked goods to one of them. Maybe they do — but the croissant was not my thing either.
So, I am bummed this place did not work out for me, because I love a good cup of joe and this is in my hood, but congrats to those who are in love with the place.

I was having a particularly bad day, and I needed to get away from the house for a little while. I decided to google «coffee shops» in Franklin/​Schiller Park area, and being not too surprised that there isn’t anything but a Startbucks, I decided to take a drive to Chicago.
And I stumbled into Café Soroni. Its a small place that is truly awesome. My caramel coffee latte was the best coffee I’ve probably ever had. save for the fact that that title was held when I went to Rome in ’07 and downed cappucinos… So back to my trip to Café Soroni, I was really *REALLY* sad that day, and ordered a Nutella panini sandwich, complete with bananas on top of my perfect latte… Heaven! I finished it all! And I’m not a dessert person… I finished my latte as well, and sat and enjoyed the free Wi-​Fi for a few hours… truly a great place right by the Jefferson Park Blue Line stop… I’ll definitely be going back. The place was immaculate, cozy, and the owner makes you feel so welcome and comforted.

This little place is awesome. They understand that coffee and/​or coffee drinks aren’t supposed to be served at one million degrees and you’re actually able to drink it as soon as it’s placed on the counter for you.
Also, for a little place their food menu is pretty large. I ordered the Soroni chicken salad and a ham/​swiss panini. Instead of being some pre-​made sandwich and pre-​made salad, both items were made right behind the wall just for me. After about 5 – 10 minutes of sipping on my coffee, the fairly large portions were were placed in front of me.
I was thoroughly impressed.
The two staff members (owners?) were extremely proud of their little place and they know that what they are serving their patrons is home-​made and top-​notch. Their confidence in tandem with their friendly and chatty personalities is something I can respect and appreciate.
Highly recommended — probably gonna go back today for lunch for that salad and another panini.

I’m glad to see a Coffee Shop in Jefferson Park.
I don’t think there’s even a Starbucks around.
The atmosphere is great here. I love the décor and the warm feeling.
It truly has that «coffee shop appeal».
The owner is friendly and welcoming.
Great selection of drinks and sandwiches.
Free Wi-​Fi which you can never go wrong with.
Great spot to grab a drink before work or wind down after.
Right next to the train station which is an epic win.

We just moved up north from Bucktown and I happened to come across this new spot that looked interesting. I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. Café Soroni has an excellent selection of tasty sandwiches, soups and salads well worth checking out.
And their espresso beans are second to none! My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon in Italy and we have not had cappuccinos that have been anywhere close to the quality in Italy until we tried Café Soroni.
Stop in and say hi to Rocco; he and his wife will take good care of you.

It isn’t easy to find places in Jefferson Park where people under 40 congregate. Being just a few steps from Jefferson Park terminal, Café Soroni draws a younger crowd and manages to appeal to us without being pretentious or overpriced. The owners are the friendliest people you will ever meet, and the good-​vibe atmoshpere allows me to either get more work done than I can at home or meet new people in the area.
Soroni boasts a very healthy menu, which features homemade soup (though it seems to always be chicken noodle), fresh and unique salads, delicious sandwiches, and panini. The coffee is strong, their tea selection is abundant, and their lattes are delicious. I can only hope that in the summer they offer fruit smoothies, since there is nowhere else in the neighborhood to get those.