Hot Cocoa Crawl Across Chicago’s North Shore

Hugging your steamy mug filled with a magical elixir on a cold or snowy day casts a warm glow inside and out. Take a tour of the very best sweet drinks with a hot cocoa crawl. These cute cafés, bakeries and restaurants all have their tasty takes on pairing the chocolate beverage with whipped cream, marshmallows, peppermint, and more. To find more delicious dining, go Exploring North Shore Restaurants.

 

Hometown Coffee & Juice, Glenview, Winnetka, & Glencoe

First Up: Winter Favorites 
Cold days call for something cozy. Hometown Coffee & Juice (locations in Glenview, Winnetka and Glencoe) has a hit with Hometown’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate offering optional substitutions of oat, almond, soy or coconut milk. For another minty twist, try the Soul Merry special at Soul Good Coffee (Skokie). The community-minded specialty coffee shop mixes up their version with white chocolate, some “merry mint” and topped with crushed peppermint.
 

Cupitol Coffee and Eatery, Evanston

Coffee Shops Go Cocoa Loco
Chocoholics make a beeline next to Cupitol Coffee and Eatery (Evanston and Skokie) and their decadent Chocolate Bar for the all day/everyday brunch and more. Go traditional with Chocolate Hot (or Iced) or level up with Spiced Dark Chocolate Chai or Mint White Hot Chocolate. Beyond their stylish Turkish Tea Pot, BEAN BAR (Northbrook) compliments their regular Hot Chocolate with White Hot Chocolate, Hazelnut Hot Chocolate or a BBeppermint Hot Chocolate. Glenview Grind (Glenview) offers your choice of chocolate chips in their Glen Cocoa Hot Chocolate that you might as well pair with a chocolate chip cookie. 
 

Towne & Oak, Winnetka

Pretty Sips and Catered Cocoa
Hot Chocolate topped with whipped cream or mini marshmallows may be popular choices on your next stop, but the sun-soaked skylight at Towne & Oak (Winnetka) illuminates a Peppermint Hot Chocolate crowned with whipped cream and crushed candy canes. Do a taste test, then order in volume with their catered Hot Chocolate Traveler. Sip single-serve Hot Cocoa at Central Station Coffee & Tea (Wilmette) with whipped cream or marshmallows (and alternative milk or even Hot Apple Cider) plus a treat from their pastry case. Great for parties, too, in a small carafe or large Cambro (75 servings!).
 

Cafe Castemila, Westfield Old Orchard, Skokie

Surprising Stops for Hot Chocolate
Turns out, an authentic gelato shop can also craft a killer hot drink. Café Castemila (Skokie) makes their signature Hot Chocolate with the finest rich milk or dark Callebaut chocolate from Belgium — and a “Kinder” edition with whipped cream and marshmallows. Grab a wood-fired Montreal-style bagel from Lefty’s Righteous Bagels (Evanston) alongside their Hot Chocolate made with chocolate syrup, vanilla syrup and steamed milk. Or indulge that sweet tooth with a cup at Schlegl’s Bakery & Café (Lincolnwood) and a side of cupcakes, donuts or flakey, buttery strudel.