With its red brick exterior and clean, refurbished interior, Hometown Coffee & Juice is a casual yet chic place to get some work done or meet up with friends. The classy cafe bustles with energy from friends meeting up for lunch to business partners chatting over a cup of coffee to kids enjoying a rainbow sprinkle sugar cookie after a long soccer practice. Aromas of freshly baked muffins and the gentle whirr of blenders preparing smoothie bowls fill the air, rounding out Hometown’s cozy atmosphere.
Owners Lou and Julie Rubin opened Hometown in 2018 wanting to create “an all-day cafe and gathering place where people wanted to be.” Their desire to create a space that had fresh, filling food without having to wait for a server led to the quick-service coffee shop suitable for any time of day.
With locations in Winnetka, Glencoe and another coming soon in Lake Forest, Hometown is a staple in the North Shore community, serving up affordable yet tasty snacks, meals and drinks.
The menu features timeless selections to be enjoyed at any time of day, and most items are less than $15. Rubin said Hometown’s menu appeals to customers who “do not want the pressure of going to a restaurant to get an expensive and full meal.”
Hometown treated us to some of their top menu items:
Matcha Latte
This warm latte was beautifully crafted and an insta-worthy drink to treat yourself to on a cold day. The creamy texture and foamy milk contrasted the earthy matcha flavor well and made for a well-balanced drink. Unlike the other matcha lattes I've tried, which tend to rely on sugar to give it flavor, this latte was very matcha-forward and strong.
Harvest Kale Salad
The perfect salad to remind you of fall, this bowl was bursting with flavors and color. Nestled into a bed of dark green kale were juliennes of red cabbage, sprinkles of green pumpkin seeds, chunks of orange sweet potato and specks of brown quinoa, all topped with a mustard dill dressing. The sweet potato and quinoa brought a nice heartiness to the salad, complemented by the zesty mustard dill dressing. Pumpkin seeds and raw red cabbage added another dimension of texture, making the salad an enjoyable experience.
Berry Bowl
This classic berry bowl had everything you’d want from an acai bowl. Topped with crunchy granola, fresh berries, a chopped banana and a mint leaf, this photogenic bowl gave me all of the antioxidants and nutrients I need as a college student.
Butternut Squash Soup
Hometown’s soups change every day; we’re lucky to have tried the butternut squash! Soft cheese and pumpkin seeds elevated the texture of this creamy soup. It was served with crisp bread to dip and soak up every last drop of soup.
Garden Caprese Toast
One of Hometown’s most popular items, the caprese toast had a spread of both avocado and pesto, expanding on the flavor palette of the well-known avocado toast. Topped with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a dash of balsamic glaze, each bite was refreshingly light yet complex.
Hometown is a change of scenery for Northwestern students. Fourth-year student Sara Frank said, “It’s a different crowd than your typical Evanston cafe and the food is really good; it’s a good escape."
Frank usually goes to Hometown to do her homework but will take friends and family for a meal when she has visitors.
“I like having a place outside of Evanston that I can go to as well,” she said.
For Northwestern students, even though Evanston may be our temporary hometown, it's definitely worth making a trip out to Winnetka or Glencoe to discover a new Hometown.