Farooq’s coffee adventures: Meddle Coffee Bar
Meddle Coffee Bar has a cool look.
Meddle Coffee Bar
601 Jackson Blvd.
Toward the end of winter break, when I was thinking about coming back to Chicago for school in the middle of January, I couldn’t help but reflect on the wise words of popular R&B artist The Weeknd: “I can’t feel my face when I’m with you.”
It can get ridiculously cold, and indeed there are many times when we literally can’t feel our faces after just a few minutes outside. That’s exactly where Meddle Coffee Bar, located just a few blocks from Union Station, comes in. While you’re trekking to school and need to duck indoors to regain feeling in your face, you can kill two birds with one stone and grab a fantastic cup of coffee while you’re there.
Meddle is the newest location of local Chicago coffee company Dark Matter Coffee, at 601 W. Jackson Blvd. Dark Matter prides themselves on providing “intellectually honest” coffee that is sustainably sourced and masterfully roasted and brewed. They employ various innovative methods, such as barrel-aging coffee beans, to put forward the highest possible quality of coffee.
When I visited, I tried a
barrel-aged latte, and by no means of exaggeration, I would say it is one of the best lattes I have ever had in my years of exploring the city’s coffee shops. Often times the foaminess of the steamed milk atop the latte mixes with espresso and just sits flavorless, but that wasn’t the case here. The steamed milk and espresso came together beautifully, and the milk didn’t mask the flavor of the espresso. Again, this was undoubtedly one of the best lattes I’ve tried.
On top of having one of the best lattes around, Meddle also features some of the coolest and most unique decor I’ve ever seen. The purple fluorescent lights in the shape of the Dark Matter logo ornaments the wall behind the counter, complemented by a creamy-purple and gold floor. Golden pipes and pillars accent the space, making for one of the coolest places I’ve been, hands down.
Trust me: this description doesn’t do it justice, so check it out!
Overall, Meddle stands as one of my favorites.
Follow along with the coffee adventures on Instagram at @farooqscoffeeadventures and tag your journeys with #farooqscoffeeadventures.
Farooq Chaudhry is a junior studying sociology and economics. He’s interested in social issues, basketball, and religion. In his free time he loves to read, visit coffee shops, and spend time with his cat, Simba. He hopes to one day work in urban economic development or public policy in Chicago.
