Matchacita Review
Author: Madeline Mahoney
Photographer: Karina Mak
Despite the pandemic, some new businesses have managed to open their doors. One of these businesses is Matchacita, a cafe in Lincoln Park that opened in late March.
Matchacita may be a trek from the UChicago campus, but if you’re in need of a new location for your latest Instagram shoot, this just might be the place!
The store is decorated in a vibrant tropical style, with artificial vines and flowers filling up the quaint space. One wall hosts a neon sign reading “Squeeze The Day”, which is a popular spot for taking photos of the cafe’s colorful drinks. Matchacita offers counter service and limited outdoor seating. The menu sports specialty lattes alongside standard coffee shop beverages, smoothies, toasts, and other treats.
What I ordered…
I ordered the Matchacita Latte (“made with love and almond milk”), a pitaya smoothie bowl, and two very cute macarons.
The Matchacita Latte…
The Matchacita Latte was the highlight. Although the price wasn’t cheap at $6.65, the size was generous. The matcha was flavorful with the perfect amount of sweetness. They even leave the almond milk and matcha unblended, so your drink is camera-ready!
The Smoothie Bowl…
There are three base offerings for the smoothie bowl - pitaya, acai, and matcha. I chose pitaya (also known as dragon fruit). The standard $11.95 smoothie bowl is allowed four toppings. I went with strawberries, mango, granola, and bee pollen. Despite its vivacious color, pitaya has a somewhat faint flavor meaning the smoothie bowl basically tasted like banana. As for the toppings, the granola added a nice texture, but the fruit was not particularly fresh, and I have discovered I am not a fan of bee pollen (imagine a floral rather than sweet taste).
The Macarons…
Finally, I sampled two of the colorful macarons, matcha lavender and pink basil. The macarons were tasty but the flavors were not identifiable. Though now that I think about it, “pink” might be an apt descriptor. At $3.50 a piece, I feel comfortable saying they were not worth the price.
My Overall Thoughts…
Matchacita is certainly a fun place to visit! However, I wouldn’t suggest you go out of your way to make it up to Lincoln Park unless you’re set on their tropical background for your next Instagram post.
The Matchacita Latte was the highlight. Although the price wasn’t cheap at $6.65, the size was generous. The matcha was flavorful with the perfect amount of sweetness. They even leave the almond milk and matcha unblended, so your drink is camera-ready!
There are three base offerings for the smoothie bowl - pitaya, acai, and matcha. I chose pitaya (also known as dragon fruit). The standard $11.95 smoothie bowl is allowed four toppings. I went with strawberries, mango, granola, and bee pollen. Despite its vivacious color, pitaya has a somewhat faint flavor meaning the smoothie bowl basically tasted like banana. As for the toppings, the granola added a nice texture, but the fruit was not particularly fresh, and I have discovered I am not a fan of bee pollen (imagine a floral rather than sweet taste).
Finally, I sampled two of the colorful macaroons, matcha lavender and pink basil. The macaroons were tasty but the flavors were not identifiable. Though now that I think about it, “pink” might be an apt descriptor. At $3.50 a piece, I feel comfortable saying they were not worth the price.
Matchacita is certainly a fun place to visit! However, I wouldn’t suggest you go out of your way to make it up to Lincoln Park unless you’re set on their tropical background for your next Instagram post.
