Joseph S.

Chef Vargas, the unbeknownst, little hidden gem in Elkins Park, is worth a visit. My friend suggested we go to Chef Vargas, she lives in Elkins Park and has been there many times. It was my first visit. She told me she usually gets the grits to start, then has the main dish, Fried Chicken and Waffles. Sounded like a great duo; and it was! The grits had a rich corn flavor and were cooked perfectly, with a decadent silky texture. The Fried Chicken and Waffles were excellent! The large boneless chicken breast was perfectly fried and tender, with a crispy flavorful crust! The waffles were delicious and buttery, slightly crisp outside and soft on the inside! It was a breakfast treat!

Liz R.

I was visiting a friend and we said we were in the mood for brunch and the main thing we both wanted was GREAT FOOD (& not necessarily brunch mimosas or cocktails) and to not drive into the city so we decided to roll the dice and give Chef Vargas a try .... JACKPOT !!! This food was OUT OF THIS WORLD! We decided to split the Cinnamon Roll French Toast which was one of the October Specials and every single element of this dish was pure perfection! I got the Chillaquilles because I had a hunch given Chef Vargas' background that there had the potential to be the best I've ever had and wouldn't you know that I was 100% RIGHT!!??!! Hands down the BEST I've ever had and I've had them in Mexico and in 5 star restaurants ... I literally couldn't stop eating them. My friend had the Chicken and Cheddar Waffles and she left not a single morsel ... DELICIOUS !!! Now that I've shared just how special the food is, I can also share that the location and ambiance is also pretty as well. The restaurant is located in what appears to be a residential apartment building yet when you walk in it truly has a vibe and style of its own. Service was also nice as the servers allowed you to have time to review the menu and to enjoy your food without feeling overbearing. Oh, it's also worth noting that the restaurant is cash only and is also BYOB. Chef Vargas' is definitely a hidden gem and we're already planning our next visit where we will try lunch, specifically the variety of tacos that are featured because our spidey senses are telling us they will be absolutely BOMB!

Olivia M.

This hidden restaurant is located in a residential building. It's very small and clean, with efficient staff. The food was very good. I ordered the chicken birria tacos, which came three to order. My husband had the chicken salad, which was also delicious. I can't wait to return to try something different on the menu.

Octaviann M.

Food was excellent definitely my new go to breakfast spot. French toast was so good didn't need syrup and the chicken was really good

Juan N.

Came here today with my kid and have to say this was one of the best French toast i ever had. Food was hot and fast My kid pancake was nice and fluffy the eggs was to perfection the only reason for the 4 star is a only cash place i wish they accept cards

Casey P.

Very delicious. Very much a hidden brunch gem. There were a good amount of people on a Saturday afternoon, so there has to be a little buzz apparently. I knew where to find the building as a friend lives here, but the location itself is a bit tucked away. The omelet I had was so hearty and made for the perfect size. I also actually quite liked my berry lemonade, even being a little skeptical of drinks possibly sweetened with syrup (Is it just me or do some places overdo the syrup?) The waitress was friendly and the inside of the restaurant was cute. I'll even forgive the chairs that I hate that pinch your hips. Looking forward to returning with family.

Aisha F.

Cher Vargas is the definition of a hidden gem, heavy on the "hidden". I pulled up to this apartment building confused and would've never have known this spot existed. Cute little brunch & tacos joint with Mexican roots. Apparently at night it's a BYOB dinner situation-- I'll certainly be back. I tried the Caribbean eggs benedict because one thing about me-- I'mma get an eggs benny. Plantain, roasted pork, and a garlic tomato hollandaise sauce. Absolutely delicious!

Phanna P.

Was a bit of a challenge to find as it's part of an apartment complex. It's off to the side from the front entrance to the building. Small place but cozy. Loved the menu and had to try a different type of Benedict with plantains as the base and the pork is tender. Very tasty. A must try. Pulse it's cash only and atm is near the entrance to the restaurant.

Bill K.

I've likely been here 5 times in the past year. Each time I've had something different, each of which I'd order again, which is unusual (even at GOOD restaurants I often get something that doesn't impress that I wouldn't order again). Each time I've visited this small cafe, there's only one person, the Chef, preparing food, which likely accounts for the consistently high quality. I usually order one of the monthly specials & always choose the Puerto Rican dish, which never failed to impress me. I highly recommend this spot. Today I got Guajillo-Barbacoa Fried Quesadillas = Crispy quesadillas filled with cheese and barbacoa. Topped with salsa ranchera, crema, cabbage salsa, and queso fresco. Shown in photo.

Christina V.

Was looking an awesome brunch in the burbs because I didn't feel like dealing with parking or crazy waits. Fellow yelpers, thank you!!! This place was sooo worth it! Nondescript, attached to an apartment complex with no sign outside the door but some signs to help guide you. I love little hidden gems like this - Geesh probably not so hidden soon I realize lol. The restaurant was cute, service was excellent and friendly and chef was walking around the place. 2 of us for brunch. 3 entrees, guess who was the greedy one? Lol, yep this yelper had to do the research for y'all. See how much I care! Lol! My friend got the savory chilaquiles. I got the specials of the day, a NY strip steak with an herb butter, eggs and potatoes and the strawberry cheesecake waffle! Worth every single calorie!! Coffee was also excellent! Highly recommend!

Mike B.

Not to put too much of a damper on this 5-star review, but I was in Philadelphia for a funeral unfortunately. I say this cause it's integral to the story - so stay with me. My father asked me to look around the area where the cemetery was to see if I could find a place that some of our family could go after the service. Two requirements: 1) It could host a large group and 2) Had options for someone who was a pescatarian. So I got to Yelping, and I Yelped hard - let me tell you that. Typically after a Jewish funeral, you might end up at a Deli of some sort. Or maybe a higher end restaurant (at least in my experience). I stumbled across a few delis, but none of them looked like they had a ton of seating and/or a ton of options for someone who just ate fish (outside of lox of course lol). I did stumble across a higher end restaurant, which I actually threw into my suggestions... but it actually didn't open till later that day. So we ended up choosing Chef Vargas. I had never been there, but after the funeral, I drove up to the address and my stomach sort of dropped a bit. Chef Vargas is located in what appears to be some sort of apartment building I believe. And I had been to one of these types of restaurants in College Park... and well let's just say, great food - but the ambiance was not somewhere where I would want to take extended family after a funeral. I entered through the back door which has sparse signage and was somewhat difficult to find, and I get into the restaurant and all of that stomach drop just melted away. The cozy restaurant located at the back of this apartment complex(?) is REALLY cute. It has ample seating with tables that could easily move to accommodate our party of 9. And don't even get started on the food. Oh, you wanna get me started on the food? Man was the food was just excellent. Not to mention that the service was some of the friendliest most accommodating service I've had east of the Mississippi. I went with something fairly light as I usually don't eat breakfast/ brunch. But I had also been up since 5:30 cause I had to drive from DC to Philly to be at the service at 10am. I got their strawberry salad which is served LITERALLY in one of the large Ikea bowls that I purchased for my own salads at home. It's big... cause I enjoy big salads #JustLikeElaine. The salad was filled with grilled sauced chicken, a ton of strawberries, cojita cheese I believe, and wonderfully fresh veg. One of the our party got the creme brulee french toast which I had a bite of and was absolutely heavenly. The menu is filled with various dishes with many leaning toward the breakfast/brunch side of things and almost all have a Latin flare. One of our party across from me had the large quesadilla and was thoroughly happy with it. She couldn't finish it it either cause it was legit big. Someone else in our party got the fish tacos which he said were excellent. Everybody was raving about the food. Some of my relatives who live close to Chef Vargas vowed to be back, even one mentioning that she had to take her friend there now, and that she had heard of it and had been wanting to visit. The coffee never stopped flowing - and almost all of us were drinking it. I mean... what more can I say. Total don't judge a book by it's cover sort of place. Total hidden gem. I LOVE the Yelp Community, cause they KNOW where it's at. This place slaps, and slaps hard, and if you can get past the lack of curb appeal, you will be handsomely rewarded inside.

Tiffany C.

Cute little breakfast/brunch spot tucked away inside of the Elkins Park Apartments. Great vibes and super friendly staff. I had the chicken and waffles, food was just okay for me but I'll definitely be back to try other menu options.

Ahashta J.

Quaint little place! My husband ordered chicken and waffles and I had the barbecue Benedict. We actually ordered take out via phone and then decided to eat in when we went to pick the order up. I guess the place was so inviting we could help ourselves. So we were invited to sit down and eat, we ordered beverages. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The brisket was so tender, the eggs perfectly cooked, the potatoes, guacamole and salsa were all very tasty. My husband finished his meal leaving nothing. Not a place to request hot syrup or hand a fancy beverage but good old tasty brunch, they've got it! We will return.