Dark Matter Coffee Unveils New Cafe at Bucktown/Logan Square Boundary

Dark Matter Coffee has invaded Milwaukee Avenue near the Bucktown/Logan Square border, a street with no shortage of coffeeshops. The esteemed roaster on Saturday opened its fifth cafe, Electric Mud Coffee Bar. It opened by the corner of Milwaukee and Western avenues at 1856 N. Western Avenue.

The roaster, which debuted in 2007 in West Town, is a favorite at festivals and most recently in May helped launch the Sip of Hope Coffee Bar in Logan Square. While not officially a Dark Matter cafe, it’s a collaboration with Hope for the Day — an initiative aimed at addressing mental illness and suicide prevention. In March, they also teamed with Heisler Hospitality on Mad West, a cafe that serves food, beer, and coffee inside the United Center.

Electric Mud serves Do-Rite Donuts with a menu to similar to Dark Matter’s locations in Lakeview (Osmium Coffee Bar) and West Loop (Meddle Coffee Bar). That means a full-line of iced coffees on draft including Hopped Chocolate City (the company’s signature cold brew plus hops) and the popular agave latte. While Meddle carries a psychedelic theme, Electric Mud is a tribute to Chicago’s legendary Blues scenes. As Block Club Chicago — which first reported the opened — pointed out, the name is a reference to Chicago resident Muddy Waters, the influential musician and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

The new shop will be open “on random days” this week from 9 a.m. to noon, but stay connected to Dark Matter’s Instagram for more updates.

Electric Mud Coffee Bar, 1856 N. Western Avenue, this week open on “random days” from 9 a.m. to noon.