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Chi: Worth waking up for brunch?
Are these brunch venues worth waking up for - (and some not)!
- 921
- 3390
- Elite ’25
40 Places
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Shradha’s 5-star review: We made a pizza last night on their frozen gluten free base and it was perfect! The crust was a real pizza crust - not flatbread style! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: Love love love this new place! The ambiance was so well lit, spacious and California! We actually felt we were on vacation from the cold Chicago winter for two hours! Service was solid but of course the food was the second best thing about this place, following closely the wonderful atmosphere! I had the breakfast burrito and loved it! My friends got the scrambled eggs and tostada and enjoyed their food too! They do take brunch reservations on opentable and I highly recommend it! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: I didn't even realize they had opened a second location, which is great - only proves demand for vegetarian yummy food! This location is much more spacious, probably 3x as large. Has great service. And simply amazing food! Their gluten-free vegetarian burger is probably the best veggie burger I've ever had! Their gf bun tasted really good too. The mushroom-lentil meatloaf was good but the milkshake (vanilla chai) stole the show! Can't wait to return because there were so many items I wish I could've tried! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: Went here after ages and I think their claim of being the best french toast in the city is absolutely true - loooooved their french toast! Their chocolate chip pancakes were quite good too, maybe a little too chocolatey though. I love their fresh OJ and the place overall is simple, cute, pink, clean and all those other nice adjectives everyone else has used. Service can be a little slow, given how busy this place is on Sunday mornings so go when you aren't already starving... One other nice thing about this place is the free parking lot across the street! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: I can't decide whether this cafe made my urge to go to Greece stronger to hang out at more of such cute relaxing cafes... or satisfied it so well that now I can just come here each time and feel like I took a short trip to Europe! Love the decor, the ambiance, the atmosphere - very cafe, very casual, very elegant. Food and service were excellent too - scrambler, mutligrain waffles, fresh juices, everything! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: WOW - My new favorite for brunch - no kidding!! I'm not sure why this place has been getting low stars, however my experience here was great! As the best-friend said: "No one should go a day longer without eating at Yolk!" We're both vegetarian and not sure about non-veg, but their pancakes (Strawberry-Chocolate) and their Pecan French Toast were both amazing! Done to perfection, tastes amazing, cooked just right, a gastronomical treat!! The ambience was nice too! Only minus: service seemed spotty... but with this kinda food, who cares!! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: Returning after years and happy to see some things remain the same - like a reliable Sunday brunch with family at Walker Bros. The wait is long and they don't take reservations, but it's a throwback to a time when things weren't all "instant" in life. I'm so happy to see they've added gluten-free and vegan options on the menu - my gluten-free pancakes were actually very good! Decor is charming and antique-y, service is simple and efficient, prices are practical, quantities are generous, and food is delicious! -
Shradha’s 5-star review: My favorite diner? And maybe my bestie's too given it's called "sam and george's" -- but jokes apart, this place was awesome! In an area with plenty of parking, spacious un-cramped diner, chirpy servers, warm welcome, fresh food, awesome menu selection, huge portions, right price, what's there to improve here!? We really enjoyed our egg casseroles and they even had greek toast! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Less than a month old, what an exciting addition to the block for breakfast on a weekday! The place is really big, like really really big. Their menu is extensive and their seasonal fall menu with pumpkin and cinnamon items is really enticing. Their granola was very good - the yogurt was perfect, not sweetened yet fresh. Their poached eggs with sourdough bread came out just the way I wanted it. Can I tell you a secret - why have I not been able to give it 5 stars? The smell of the newly polished wood was nauseating for me.. But I recognize that's my own weakness, and will return real soon to give it the 5th one! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: I consider myself a brunch aficionado and kept myself away from this place this long thinking it's too far to make a special trip all the way from downtown!? I think this place is really good and not that I can add much to the already-stellar reviews, I loved all three items we ordered - waffle, pancakes & french toast! I think it's a consistent place with really good service and though small and busy, the place isn't cramped! Even the coffee, tea and capuccino were good. A little pricey everything, but I can see how they earned the right to do that somewhat.. -
Shradha’s 2-star review: This place seems to get worse each time - service, food, drinks. I wouldn't be surprised if they're on the verge of shutting down. They literally started threatening to not serve us around 9:30 when we're the ones who'd been waiting for our food for an hour. Until the bartender started shouting at us at 10pm - shortly after they brought out our food. Drinks were terrible, food portions small and flavorless, and basically no accommodations for VGF. They ran out of basic wines. -
Shradha’s 4-star review: it's been 2+ years since my last review so i have to write an update - i still frequent yolk, although mostly on weekdays because the wait is just too long on weekends. i do like their veggie skillet and ironman omelet as well as coffee and fresh OJ. They now also have patio dining which is fun! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of the River North location of Meli after being a big fan of the Greektown location for a while now! We were a party of 10 and while they don't take reservations, they do accept call-aheads a few hours prior to try and accommodate large parties as quickly as possible upon arrival. This location is much more spacious and you don't feel obligated to eat and leave to honor the rest of the long lines waiting to try their amazing fresh juices and smoothies. I had the french toast, which to be honest, isn't my favorite in chi-city and hence the one less star. Everything else about this place was absolutely perfect - including my berry smoothie, one of my friend's spinach-feta omelet that I tried, and all else! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Really good food -- especially french toast! The pancakes weren't too bad either but the egg sandwich is highly recommended! Cute and warm atmosphere! Ordering in line at the counter can get me a little impatient. And it gets crowded to go get the cutlery and pick up the food from the counter. If you want to add anything to your order, you need to stand in line yet again. -
Shradha’s 3-star review: I used to enjoy coming to this place once upon a time and fond memories brought me back recently. However, the experience was quite mediocre. I had a gluten-free vegan burger and my fiance had the fried chicken. The food was very much "A-OK" and we decided to not return for quite some time in the future. -
Shradha’s 3-star review: We returned recently for dinner and to celebrate our 6-month anniversary. We enjoyed our soup and the side of beets, but not a huge fan of the cauliflower or the quesadilla. These were gluten-free and they had a vegetarian-friendly menu, but the tastes were either bland (quesadilla) or overpowering (cauliflower). Service was just okay too - it looked the entire time that our server was unhappy with us for not ordering more food & drinks, or for being vegetarian. We didn't love our cocktails either, which judging by the price tag should've delivered more. -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Quick Note: Not a fan of their french toast, but their salads looked decent.. -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Just went back last weekend when my brother was visiting and he got hungry at 6am! This place is always so good!! i love their eggs! My brother had the Mushroom Special Omelet and i had the Greek Omelet and we both loved the egg sandwich too!! Great food, always warm and friendly! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Food was good (breakfast burrito, french toast, milk shake) but service was slow and grumpy. Good local neighborhood option! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: I'm not sure what I can add-in that hasn't already been mentioned besides the fact that while their burgers/sandwiches are not vegetarian, if you do eat eggs, their french toast and their omlets are good. But really, at RL, are you looking for me to review the food? The place is beautiful! It's so classy yet nothing presumptuous about it. The service was super-friendly (albeit a little distracted), the decor takes you to an old east coast library/study and the fireplace (by the entrance) is adorable. The place is a little cramped overall, especially the bar, but it's not distracting necessarily. -
Shradha’s 4-star review: The flight of the french toast was indeed as good as described by everyone else. There was no wait for a late sunday brunch and the chef personally came out to ask how everything was going. Service started a little slow but she got a lot more attentive as others left and she had fewer tables to take care of (she seemed to be assigned all tables as she appeared to be the only server). My friend has the deconstructed omelet and liked it, but I certainly think their french toast is the real winner. -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Food has gotten better since my previous experience - I enjoyed my truffle eggs and their monkeybread was amazing! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Was recently here for a friend's bridal shower and everything went off so well! The brunch menu was all-vegetarian and the each of the dishes was great! The place is spacious, and decorated elegantly without being kitschy, the service was a little slow but everything else was wonderful! -
Shradha’s 4-star review: really good chilaquiles, friendly service, easy parking, loved the local art showcased. -
Shradha’s 4-star review: Here for lunch yesterday & loved their butternut squash soup & green salad. Service is always solid & noise level was manageable for a business lunch. -
Shradha’s 3-star review: Can't believe this place isn't at all what it used to be - the nachos were totally not macho and they charge extra for any ingredients like onions!!! They never ever used to! The french toast came out cold and as if it was prepared and reheated. The quesadilla was very okay too. I miss the Clarke's of yore - the one where I spent a good bit of my college years! :=( -
Shradha’s 5-star review: Returning after a while (8 years) and both the place and me have grown. The service was excellent (Theodore) and the food was really good, especially for this gluten-free gal. They have about 20 options for gluten-free brunch, everything from eggs and waffles to burgers and sandwiches. We ordered the California Benedict and loved it. The Santa Fe Special was good but didn't stand up to the Benedict. The place does have a unique vibe and eclectic art, with the inside rooms loud and energetic. My personal preference is sitting outside, especially the back patio, which feels like an oasis of quiet on a Sunday afternoon. By the way, they have free parking lots in the alley saying Tweet behind the restaurant. -
Shradha’s 3-star review: I really don't see what the hype about this place is! None of their food is special or amazingly good - their portions are very small - from every experience I've had here, I think it's one of those places that people just grow loyal too, and will go there rather than try anything else. I love breakfast food, but I'd rather go to Clarke's or Walker Bros any day!! -
Shradha’s 3-star review: I'm still not a fan of Nookies and I will feel like I keep ordering the wrong items here. The vanilla french toast on a croissant was not a good idea by any stretch of anyone's imagination...! -
Shradha’s 3-star review: It was an interesting first-time experience - the southern verandah style dining on the patio, the old-fashioned fans on the ceiling, the food itself. But definitely not something I'm going to bring guests to or crave to go back to. We got the crunchy french toast - deep fried almost and so unhealthy. we also got the corn muffin, grit, and omelet. food was okay - service was actually great.
