Oro Chocolate & Coffee

Oro makes chocolate in the space. That's the structural thing about this Wicker Park cafe: it's a coffee shop and a working chocolate operation, with the chocolate-making process visible while you drink your latte. The owners care about fair-trade sourcing in a way that one customer mentioned bringing a student in specifically to learn about it.

The cacao shot is the order that announces what kind of place this is. Golden sipping chocolate. A coffee chocolate bar that combines the two product lines on a plate. Horchata matcha for the matcha drinkers, mocha for the mocha drinkers, a Tamarind Tini for anyone who shows up later in the day. The vegan menu is substantial enough that vegan customers can build a full visit around it, including a vegan hot chocolate that delivers on the premise.

The seating has personality. Rocking chairs, bar and bench setups, soft seats that customers consistently call cozy. The room can get tight at busy times, which is the trade-off for a cafe that's also producing chocolate behind the counter. An Australian customer said the latte qualified as a credible Melbourne latte, which is the kind of cross-Pacific endorsement you don't get every day, and the kind of small detail that suggests the espresso program is doing more than coasting on the chocolate side of the operation.

Dog owners can bring their dogs in briefly for a free treat but can't stay inside, so plan around that. The shop suits Wicker Park visitors wanting a cafe and chocolate experience in one stop, vegan customers, and remote workers who can grab wifi and an outlet during off-peak hours. The chocolate operation is the part that makes Oro different from the next cafe down Milwaukee Ave. Lead your visit with the cacao shot or the sipping chocolate, then circle to the coffee menu once you've tasted the part that nobody else in the neighborhood is doing.