Wonderful gem tucked in the Museum Park area of the South Loop! Venue: small space with indoor and outdoor seating in a quiet area. Entrance is shared with a dry cleaners, but you are in the right spot. You can grab a table and then order at the counter when ready. They provide you a number and bring over your meal when ready. Food: we order the Traditional French Toast, Mascarpone French Toast, and Bananas & Nutella Pancakes. Everyone loved their meal: pancakes were huge, 3 full pancakes with a generous amount of bananas and Nutella. The French toast comes with berries (we ordered on the side) and the boys really liked it. The Mascarpone was a great mix of flavors- didn't feel too heavy and the blueberry compote was great. Service: very warm and welcoming. And QUICK. We had a family member (who shall remain nameless) accidentally knock over an entire glass of water and the staff appeared with rags and mops like they were a pit crew. They quickly fixed us up and were so kind. read more

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I was a regular customer (for a limited number of items), so I was surprised when Little Branch informed me that they didn't appreciate my feedback on the inconsistencies in my orders. Little Branch has never been overly friendly, but they did their jobs and most of the time the food was decent such as the veggie wrap which was good. However, I only ordered a limited number of items because most items were lacking such as the burrito--bean spread and no beans??? Skimping on the avocado in general). As with smaller cafes, consistency wasn't a standard and some times little things would be missed--no mayo on a sandwich, cheese forgotten on an order, too many shells in the crabcake poboy, chips instead of the salad you paid extra for--for the most part they would fix things with no fuss. This is the only reason I overlooked the flavorless fish taco dinner which I stopped ordering (initially they were good but declined in quality/flavor over the years), and worst I got sick from the fish tacos one night. The rosemary potatos are good when they have enough rosemary and the side salad was generally fresh--other than than that most of the food is marginal. My one star is for lack of customer appreciation and marginal food overall. read more

CALL THE HEALTH INSPECTOR I visited Little Branch for the first time the last Sunday of August. I decided to give it a try (and give myself a morning off from cooking) bad idea. DO NOT EAT THE FOOD FROM THE KITCHEN. I got violently ill late that afternoon and visited my Dr, who confirmed I did get food poisoning. Also, there is cold lettuce??! in the breakfast burrito, which was not listed in the menu description (I would have ordered it without had it been listed, also that is the item that made me sick) my husband and I shared a smoothie and he had a extra dry burnt pastry they passed off as a croissant and he did not get ill. Maybe the coffee and smoothies are safe, but eat at your own risk! read more

After a members-only early morning yoga event at Shedd, my dear friend and I decided that brunch was in order. Normally I would've used Yelp, but she's even more bossy than me, so she pulled up Google Maps and searched "brunch". This little place was first on the list! After a ten minute or so walk from Museum Campus we found ourselves right here! Located on the ground floor of a large highrise, and shared an entrance with a dry cleaner, this place really was the cutest! A super clean, seemingly healthy, cafe that offers substantial breakfast and lunch options. Everything from French Toast to Burgers to fruit smoothies to espresso. I enjoyed the Western Omelet, my friend had the breakfast burrito. Both were delicious! Service was so nice, too! Great for people watching and there seemed to be a large space for patio seating. Obviously, this is April in Chicago, so we sat inside. Would not hesitate to return! read more

what a lovely place with good atmosphere , friendly fast service! great outdoor seating area but also a cozy tables inside. kitchen was super quick even on a Sunday morning ! Food is delicious, especially the alaskan omelette, greek salad and the avocado toast! Lattes were good, suggest taking triple espresso as for my taste . overall great experience and definitely suggest visiting if you are in the area read more

My best friend and I found this little brunch place just by googling brunch places in south loop. The place was pretty cute and quiet--also pretty well lit. The food items came in generous portions and was on average $10 an entree. I ordered the salmon panini and honey (earl grey) tea latte and they were both delicious. The only complaint I had about this place was how slow the WiFi was. We came here to eat brunch but also finish up some trip planning for our upcoming girls trip, and the pages took forever to load. I would recommend this place for a good hearty brunch but not to study! read more

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Great food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere!! Definitely worth stopping by if you're in Chicago and in the mood for a nice brunch. read more

Little Branch Cafe - Denver Omelette, Mascarpone - Stuffed, Flamingo smoothie, Canary smoothie - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were scouting for somewhere to sit down and have some breakfast before our tour of the Prairie Ave historic district. On the way, we passed over another place that might have had a little better food and a more diverse menu because there was a 25min wait but we were disappointed by this place. And there was no line. We each had egg breakfasts. Bacon and eggs for me with potatoes and pancakes and a western style omelet for my wife with fruit. They made the requested substitution of bacon for chicken on the omelet and her split shot latte was good. read more

Great service every time and great coffee bar. Have a large selection of non dairy milks too!

Great potatoes! Chorizo breakfast was delicious. Breakfast bagel was good but could use sharper cheese. Get your own water refills, they don't come to you! read more

Little Branch Cafe - Chorizo breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent service, super friendly and helpful staff. I had the bagel sandwich and it was exactly as described. No extra frills not in the description, so no surprises. My husband had the yogurt parfait and was very pleased. It had layers of fruit mixed with the yogurt and granola. We're both extremely happy! read more

Little Branch Cafe - Granola and Yogurt Parfait, Bagel Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant was such a hit! The family owned business vibes were so there and I just absolutely loved my meal! read more

Little Branch Cafe - Bagel Sandwich with fruit and potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This small place is a gem! Nice people good breakfast and lunch- nothing fancy but yum!

Nice little find carved out in a corner of town. Walking distance to the museum and aquarium. Great breakfast food and good smoothies. Deceptively roomy and service was good. The end. read more

Terrific service, AMAZING food and delicious coffee! Wish I lived here, this would be a regular go to!

Meh. We were looking for a breakfast spot near the museums during our trip to Chicago last September, and I found this spot on Yelp. We were disappointed overall with our breakfast here, which is sad because the people who work here are nice. I ordered the mascarpone French toast, which sounded so good on the menu but could have been executed better. It was basically a brioche sandwich with a little bit of mascarpone and blueberry spread inside. The brioche was cut very thin--not at all the thick, fluffy brioche slices I was hoping for. The mascarpone was still cold in the center, and I needed more of it. The blueberries tasted frozen and were quite sour. The entire dish needed more sweetness. For $11, this was a lot to spend on something I could have made better myself at home. My husband got the chorizo breakfast special. He didn't realize it at the time, but there were actually two different specials labeled "chorizo breakfast" on the menu, and instead of a chorizo and egg sandwich, he got scrambled eggs with chorizo. I actually enjoyed his dish, which was a nice rendition of a Mexican classic, but he was disappointed, as he doesn't like scrambled eggs. The restaurant itself was empty on a weekday morning and needed a little cleaning. They have such solid reviews that maybe the rest of their food is good, or maybe there are so few other dining options in the area that people really appreciate this place. For us, we wouldn't go back. read more

Very nice little cafe tucked away in South Loop. Solid breakfast options and the coffee is good. They also have great smoothies which I appreciate. The entire staff is attentive and nice as well. Their lunch options are good as well. Highly recommend. read more

Excelent breakfast , great service It looks it is a family owned and operated so the service is even better read more

Best breakfast we had while visiting Chicago. Near the museums and parks. Fast, friendly service. A great start to a day of museums.

Great food, great atmosphere, great service! Little Branch Café is a south loop gem; you'll be hard pressed to find food on the same caliber at the same price point. read more

Love Little Branch Except for when they skimp on fruit in the delicious smoothies that cost $8to$10 I also WISH WISH WISH they were open thru 7pm for dinner. There would rarely be a reason for grocery shopping or cooking. The FOOD is so good. The split pea soup got me running over there like a sps junkie. The tuna is award worthy .the food is just good!! read more

This may just become my new favorite brunch place. It's quaint and a little on the smaller side (fits 20-30 ppl). The food is pretty good and not having to deal with long brunch lines is a bonus. Prices are reasonable and the menu has a good selection. I put this in the same category as MacKelly that includes dine-in. All the wait staff is super nice and it feels family run. Spoke and Bird is for foodies that can spend. Little Branch Cafe is for everyone and affordable for those that like to eat out. read more

Little Branch Cafe - Little Branch Bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Not a good experience I'm afraid. While staying downtown my girlfriend and I were looking for a breakfast/brunch place to eat. We found this little cafe tucked in the middle of a condo complex.. alright. It had a cool hip look to it and lots of choices of food and drinks. She had a frittata sandwich and I just had some scrambled eggs. Right away I knew something was up with my dish. The eggs were drenched in oil. Also there's no butter, jam, condiments, or even water at your table. This wasn't really explained and we finally figured out you had to go to the counter for them. If you wanted water you'd have to go all the way down to the end where you get it from a faucet. This was at best, diner quality food. Mediocre. We both agreed the hashbrowns were very bland. After a while we stopped eating. Our stomachs didn't feel that good. I actually felt nauseous for the rest of the entire day. Thank goodness we didn't had anything major planned in the city. A little walking and I would've puked for sure. I guess this place has pretty good smoothies. They make the smoothies right behind the counter and the blender is loud... Extremely loud. To the point where even if you're sitting far away you have to pause your conversation because you can't hear anything. I feel that this is a hangout type of place. The worker at the register expected us to know what we wanted right away. Even after giving us a menu he hurried us after looking at it for just five seconds. Sorry but I can't say anything good about this place. Seems like the kind of cafe where some friends wanted to start a restaurant but lack the professionalism to do so correctly. read more

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Great shakes. I like some of their soups- but really wish folks checking you out would first confirm they have items before charging you. Couple of times now where I pay for a soup- only to find minutes later they ran out of it. And then I feel forced to buy a soup that I wouldn't have otherwise:(( I'll just stick to shakes moving forward read more

Love this hidden gem cafe! I've had the blackened chicken sandwich and the breakfast burrito - both were very good! The coffee is also fresh and delicious. The service is always friendly. They have a nice outdoor seating area. They get quite busy on Saturday mornings and for good reason! Five stars. read more

Great place for breakfast. I dined in and ordered a chai latte along with the little branch on a croissant. Everything was very tasty and fresh. I applaud the staff for dealing with a very ill mannered tourist from Portland that morning who thought it was okay to blare music from his cell phone, yell at the staff for no reason, interrupted our waiter when taking our order...the list goes on. He unfortunately was sitting right behind me. If you are in the South Loop I recommend stopping by! read more

I wandered around 13th and Indiana for a moment before realizing that Little Branch really *is* tucked away, this time on the ground floor of one of the condo buildings in the series. Brightly lit and along a residential street, it's the neighborhood spot I always wanted (but not in my neighborhood - wrong tax bracket entirely). The roast beef panini with horseradish sauce, cheddar cheese (an interesting choice) and pickled onions was absolutely delicious. The bread was perfectly toasted, the size just right. The chips are crunchy kettle and the pickle is I think house-made (and very sour, just my type). Four shots in my iced americano (Metropolis) and the sandwich set me back about $14, I'm apparently not a cheap date. Add $4.10 worth of pistachio gelato onto that and you have the cost of a movie and snacks by comparison. That said, the environment is lovely and the staff is so sweet. Sunny inside, comfortable with plenty of seating to spread out and a little outdoor area (not shaded though, for you sun lovers), and free WiFi. I cannot wait to go back for brunch, dinner and adult beverages followed by a stroll around the museum campus. A sweet little find indeed. read more

Little Branch Cafe - Pistachio gelato! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When my family bought a condo in Museum Park, I was really excited to see an adorable little café right out the door. Because it's so tucked into all the condos and townhomes, you'd never just stumble upon this place while wandering around town. It's worth the trek off the beaten path. I absolutely love their yogurt parfait! Made with plain yogurt, fresh berries, honey, and local granola, it's a great way to start the day. It's giant, which makes up for the sort of high price ($7, I think). The parfait is second only to the Quiche of the Day. You have to make sure you get there before it runs out, because once it's gone, it's gone. My favorite is the salmon, cheddar, and spinach, but all of the varieties I've tried have been awesome. They come with a cute little mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan, and balsamic dressing. Delicious! They started serving dinner fairly recently, and their menu is small but great. I had an awesome burger one night, and the full bar doesn't hurt either. If you follow them on Facebook or Twitter, they will tempt you in with pictures of their delicious specials every once in a while. I would be lying if I said it didn't work! read more

Little Branch Cafe - Salmon Quiche - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went here with my boyfriend on a Saturday morning. Little branch is definitely a hidden gem on prairie. They share a door entrance With a Cleaners. The concept is you order before sitting.. which kind of limits your choices of seating on a busy day. But no problem! I felt kind of rushed while I was ordering bc there was A line of people behind me. I went with buttermilk pancakes with fresh berries for a dollar extra. I felt like the berries should be included. I also got a side of bacon. 3 slices for 2.95. My boyfriend got a med cup of coffee and a frittata sandwich. We were slightly underwhelmed with this order, the sandwich wasn't warm and the frittata was sort of flavorless, and the potatoes were undercooked. Overall the food wasn't amazing! But the environment and atmosphere was! Next time Ill have to try the omelettes! Those looked so mouthwatering on another patrons table. read more

This corner cafe can be hard to spot if you are not looking for it. However, it is well worth the stop in if you are looking for a quick bite to eat and that easy going cafe feel. I had the breakfast burrito which is fantastic. My girlfriend said the potatoes were hands down the best thing she had, detailing just how incredible she thought they were. Well worth the stop. read more

Little Branch Cafe - Breakfast Burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oooh lucky peeps live in this building! I wish I had this adorable cafe in the bottom of my condo building. My hubby had the car for the day so I cabbed over here to meet the lovely Colleen C. I was worried about finding a cab home from this residential area off Michigan Avenue, but it took Colleen way longer to find a parking spot than I did to find a cab. Apparently cabbing to Little Branch Cafe is the way to go. We ordered at the counter from a lovely woman. Milk and honey granola (my fave!) parfait for me...and a latte since I hadn't had my fill of caffeine for the day. Both were quite tasty and made me very happy. The only thing that could have made me even happier was some of their yummy looking gelato, but that seemed too much of an indulgence for a Tuesday morning. Perhaps next time I'll enjoy some during my cab ride home... read more

Little Branch Café is a quaint café that is tucked away in a small neighborhood, off the main roads. If you don't live in the area, then parking may be an issue. There is meter parking about 3-4 blocks away on the main streets, so prepare for a little walk. This café is part of an apartment complex, so there seem to have a lot of locals' chit chatting with each other or busily working away on their computers. When you first walk in, you will be greeted with huge colorful chalkboards with their specials and drinks. I decided to try out the cinnabon, breakfast burrito, and a green tea latte. The cinnabon was hard as a rock when I tried to cut into it. I would expect them to have at least offered to heat the cinnabon back up so it could be soft, warm, and gooey. But I had to go through rolled eyes, dirty looks, and some attitude to get it heated back up. The breakfast burrito was a pretty decent size. It was wrapped in a flour tortilla and filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, beans, Chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, and bacon. It also came with a side of fruits and chili cream. I enjoyed all the different flavors and texture. The winner of the meal was the green tea latte. It was hot, foamy, and full of matcha flavor. The food here was decent (nothing too great to make me want to come back,) but the service was horrible. All the employees were not really friendly and had nasty attitudes. I just don't understand why people were in such a bad mood...maybe something in the air, but I don't think I will be dining in anymore. read more

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I like this place. A great neighborhood cafe. If I lived in the neighborhood I'd probably come here regularly, but nothing special enough about it for me to make the trip from outside the neighborhood on any regular basis. Good food, made fresh, good staff, good coffee. Just nothing outstanding or special. Good, quality place. If you're in the neighborhood, make the stop! read more

Okay. Two things made me choose this place. 1. the George Nelson lamps hanging in the window. 2. A place halfway between me and the friends I was meeting. Well, those two things were accomplished. I like the "pay at the counter", as it's more convenient than awkwardly dividing a check at the end of the meal. Then you can just slam down the tip and go. The interior is great. Cute, modernist, with sort of a "chic north woods cabin" feel. Logs for stools at the bar, cool. Uncluttered, yet charming. I had the bagel sandwich. Bacon, cheddar, eggs over a bagel with potatoes. The potatoes were great, savory and delicious. I didn't ask for the bagel to be toasted, and I should have, because it was a little soggy. Hm. So, overall . . . it's sort of out of the way for me to come back a lot, but if you live in the condo building it's in, you should try it. It was perfectly pleasant, just not that exceptional. Hm, I'm gonna give it three stars instead of two, after all. read more

Getting to Little Branch Cafe can be a huge pain when you are walking in 12 degree weather and the wind is beating your face like you stole something....HOWEVER, the food (red velvet waffle) is worth it. Little Branch Cafe has a great brunch/lunch menu which overs a variety of options that I'm sure even the pickest of eaters could find something to their liking. The red velvet waffle is sweet and tasty. You only get one, but if it can fill me it than you should be good. The apple maple chicken sausage weren't that good. I don't know how one can mess up chicken sausage, but they succeeded. They should stop purchasing their chicken sausages from whatever store they get them from and hit up Trader Joe's. Home fries were could, but just needed a little bite more seasoning to really knock my socks off. read more

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We ordered the Pancake and Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast. The French Toast was FANTASTIC!!! When I had the first bite, I was amazed by the texture. I will definitely visit again for this must-have French toast. read more

Little Branch Cafe - Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a fun find! I'd definitely like to come here again, since we only got to swing in for post-brunch cocktails. The set up is a little strange, but once we figured out you order Starbucks style and then wait at your table, it was all good. They have drink specials from Wednesday-Sunday. We came in on Sunday, so the special was either a Bloody Mary or Mimosa for just $5! The Bloody Mary was a steal, but the Mimosa was a bit on the tiny side and served in a martini glass, which seemed off to me. The menu looks great with many breakfast/lunch offerings. My friends had a smoothie that seemed overpriced to me, but it included gelato as one of the ingredients, so I suppose the price makes sense. If I make it back to Chicago for brunch, I will be hitting up Little Branch for more than just beverages. read more

Little Branch Cafe - Bloody Mary special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you're looking for a great breakfast place, but you don't want to wait 45 minutes to get seated (see Yolk or Bongo Room)...then Little Branch Cafe is the place for you! You order at a counter and then the food is delivered right to your table. We arrived on a Sunday morning around 10am and we were able to get a seat right away. I ordered the croissant sandwich and it was excellent. My wife had the breakfast fritata sandwich and it was right on the money for her. read more

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Such a hidden gem! Went here for lunch and the food was really good and reasonably priced. Lots of good options to choose from and the service was very friendly. They have outdoor seating available, nothing fancy but nice to be able to sit outside. Just be aware it is in a residential area so there is no easy place to park without paying for a meter and walking several blocks. read more

Food was ok, service was bad. Took forever to be seated and the table only had one chair. Our order was rung up wrong so I never got my coffee, was told they'd bring water but had to ask 3 times. Ordered a meal to go before we left and waited forever to get it. The food was ok but nothing great, I could find the same quality anywhere and probably get better service. read more