My husband and I recently visited for the first time with his parents, and we absolutely loved it…read more My in-laws come here often since they live nearby, so when we were in the area, we decided to finally give it a try. (Sorry, no pictures this time! I was enjoying my food so much that I completely forgot.) The ambiance is welcoming, bright, and modern, and the restaurant is much larger than I expected. Everything was clean, and our waitress was friendly and attentive throughout our visit. I ordered the Lox Plate, and it was outstanding. The salmon had the perfect texture and seasoning, the cucumbers and bagel were fresh, and all of the flavors paired together beautifully. I love seeing lox on a menu, but many restaurants either don't do it well or serve portions that are too small. Here, everything was spot on, and the portion was generous enough that I left completely satisfied. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal, and my husband and I have already said we'll be back very soon. This restaurant is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood, especially since there aren't many local breakfast spots nearby that aren't part of a chain. Highly recommend!

My friend and I are always looking for brunch places that are midway between us and stumbled upon…read more5800 N. The website doesn't really do the menu justice, it's kind of hard to read. That said, there are so many options, particularly for this vegetarian and egg hater. Pro tip: Make a reservation! The place had a solid wait from the time we arrived until we left. Service was ok, spotty at bits, but I also attribute it to the place being busy. We had to ask a second time for some missing items. To eat, I got the berry crepes and a side of hash browns with cheese. My friend got the eggs Benedict with a side of pancakes. The crepes were very good, but I preferred the bites without the berry mascarpone filling. The side of pancakes my friend got was huge, this would be plenty as a main. They are very good at accommodating larger parties, but do wait to seat you until your party is all there.

Great food- honey mustard pecan salad a standout. Sandwiches are big and perfect. Juices are…read moreoutstanding! Good service. Decent prices for the portions.

First time and at this location and had a nice brunch. It was a very busy brunch on Saturday but it…read moreis expected. I joined waitlist ahead of time so didn't have much wait. The waiting area is rather small and it was a cold day out. Food came out much quicker than anticipated. Being such a full house, I thought it would take long, but it did not. However, the server seemed to have tables in different sections so it took awhile for us to get her attention if we needed something. She did not check on us. Host was very friendly. Overall, great experience and I'd return.

The feel/ambiance was more like a diner than a cafe. I was given a booth and immediately regretted…read moreit because the cushions were useless. I felt like a child sitting there because the seats were low. It doesn't help that I'm not very tall either. The food was okay, and the portions were generous. I ordered the sweet potato skillet, which came with diced ham, cheese, and eggs. It also came with a short stack of pancakes, which were also generously sized. Although you definitely need butter and syrup on the pancakes, it wasn't very tasty without them. I could only finish half of this meal and had to take the rest home. Do not order the coffee, it tasted terrible, as if it were burnt. The server was very friendly and attentive at first. But when the food arrived, he didn't check back very often. I had to flag down another server for a takeout container before he came with the check.

Dined in for a Father's Day breakfast and had such warm, welcoming service. Brunch Cafe truly has…read moresomething for everyone & I was so surprised by the quality of the food! My family is fully a savory meal crowd, so we loved having options that weren't just two eggs with toast. There were assortments of skillets to choose from, frittatas, stuffed potato pancakes, chicken fried steak -- they really had it all. The food came out fast and had so much flavor, for the price you really can't beat it. Though I'm more of a fan of savory I couldn't help but be intrigued by their sweet offerings -- the Dubai chocolate waffle? Churro waffle coated in cinnamon sugar? Banana bread French toast? The list goes on and on, these flavors are so unique and I can't believe that I can find them all under one roof. I had to try the carrot cake pancakes, and they truly tasted like carrot cake. No syrup was needed, every bite had flavor and sweetness. I love that Brunch Cafe has gluten free options as well, and though I didn't try them I know they would be just as amazing as everything else. There's truly an option for every kind of eater in your family, and it proves they aren't a typical breakfast eatery. Pro tip: They get super busy, so be sure to join the Yelp waitlist to secure a place in line!

We ordered oysters, truffle fries, and sliders…read more Some of the oysters were huge! They were good. The sliders were really good, however they were not warm enough. The truffle fries were delicious. The fries were crispy, cooked perfectly, and had the right amount of truffle. The food was good, could have been better. I had the Espresso Martini and really liked it. The waitress was nice and attentive.

This place is so cute! It's a nicely decorate bar but they had a really yummy brunch! It was served…read moreon vintage dishes and was plated so nicely! I got the French toast and my husband had the veggie omelette. The servers were also attentive.

I work remotely for a company out of state, but two of my colleagues were in town for a conference…read moreat one of the many O'Hare/Rosemont area hotels. They asked if I wanted to meet for breakfast, and so after looking up the options close to their hotel (which was surprisingly limited), I stumbled upon Elly's. After looking at Yelp reviews, it seemed like a great option and would be easy for them to Uber to. And it was a great choice. We ordered coffee, which they promptly refilled multiple times for us, and then two of us got the crepes with either strawberries or blueberries on top, and the other got one of the omlettes. The crepes were extremely good. Portions are great and prices are reasonable given the amount of food. The staff was friendly at 6:45 in the morning (they were way more awake than I was) No photos of the food because it was my first time meeting one of my colleagues IRL (and only the second time meeting the other) and I didn't want to be weird haha. But trust me that the food looked great. I took my leftovers home to my parents' house (because I was visiting them afterward). I let my dad have them because I knew they wouldn't survive the extra 90 minutes back to my house when I was done with my visit. He told me later he put vanilla ice cream on them and they were delicious, so they held up well in the 45 minutes it took me to get from Elly's to their house, and being reheated later in the day. I'd definitely go back anytime coworkers are at a conference and want to meet up (which is surprisingly often. Perks of living near a hub!)

I've been to Elly's before (definitely the one in Jefferson Park, possibly this one too) but it's…read morebeen more than five years since. I don't remember it being this bad but... now I know, I guess. Food was not great. The pancakes were kind of--well, gummy is the word that springs to mind. Not pleasant to eat, at any rate. The omelet I ordered, the Southwestern Omelet I think, was ok. It was a bit thin, but maybe that's just because there were a lot of ingredients in it. The "Homemade" lemonade tasted like it was fountain lemonade. I left half of it, and the half that was consumed was mostly because my child wanted some. That was especially disappointing, because I don't order lemonade at restaurants unless it's not Minute Maid because that stuff is awful--and if Elly's truly has homemade lemonade, they should be embarrassed that it tastes identical to what Coke sells. I don't usually eat everything when I go out for breakfast and am happy to take half home for another breakfast, but I didn't want to take any of this home with me. I will say that they're fast--we were here less than an hour. I think it took fewer than 15 minutes from the time we were seated to when we got our meal, and we didn't order immediately upon being seated. We went on Saturday round 9:45 a.m. and it was half empty, though it was Easter weekend so I'm not sure if that had any impact.

Super cute little retro diner in Park Ridge. The food is delicious and service impeccable. I've had…read morebreakfast twice there and they do not disappoint.

My husband and I came here for the first time recently because we needed to fill some time before a…read moredoctor's appointment, and overall, we were content with the experience. The diner has a classic, retro feel with a checkerboard aesthetic that gives it a traditional diner vibe. It is not very modern or trendy, but it is clean and well-kept, which is really what matters. The space feels simple and comfortable, making it a place someone can visit regularly for a quick, reliable meal. The menu is very straightforward and features typical diner staples. The food was pretty good, but the dishes were very basic with nothing particularly unique about them. It felt like the kind of food you might make at home, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn't especially memorable either. I ordered an egg sandwich with cheese and sausage ($9.95). I also ordered bacon on the side (3 for $4.25). The egg sandwich was okay, but the bagel tasted like those cheap bagels you would get at a hotel during their complimentary breakfast that come from a bag. The sandwich didn't have anything on it other than exactly what they called it on the menu: a bagel, sausage links cut in half, an egg, and cheese. Nothing on the sandwich was seasoned or flavorful. My husband enjoyed his food much more than I did, and he ordered the Big Texas Breakfast ($12.95). This came with country-fried steak with sausage gravy on top, 2 eggs your way, and hash brown potatoes. He also ordered sausage links on the side (3 for $4.25). The service was friendly, and everything came out in a reasonable amount of time, which worked well for us since we were on a bit of a tight schedule. Overall, Lola's Diner delivered a simple diner experience with homemade-style food. I would come here again, but it wouldn't be my first choice for breakfast.

Food and service always the best! We love their Margarita Pizza and great appetizers...read more

This place delivers on food, ambiance, and service. Downtown…read morecity vibes and the food was delicious. Great menu with broad options. Friendly staff.

This restaurant is near O'Hare airport, but you'd never guess by the ambience. It's literally on a…read morelake in a refurbished church decorated with modern art. I selected it based on location and online descriptions. We met friends there for lunch before our flight and I was so excited that it lived up to the reviews. It's a truly unique space with excellent food. Everyone was happy with their food choices and I thought the tuna poke bowl I ordered was fresh and delicious. Service was friendly and seating was comfortable. I bet it's stunning in the evenings. Highly recommend this place!

A renovated church on Lake Opeka where the cocktails preach better than the entrées…read more The setting does the heavy lifting, and it earns it. Big lot, quiet stretch of shoreline on the northwest side of town, and then the building itself sitting right on the water. Genuinely gorgeous on approach. Inside is a soaring converted church, and the first ten seconds are impressive. The tradeoff is exactly what those bones promise: it echoes, and it gets loud. Plenty of space beyond the main dining room too, with offshoot rooms they use for private parties and events. **Service** Our server ran the table like it was a chain casual spot, which isn't what this room calls for. Pushy pace, back every two minutes clearing plates we were still eating from, no sense of letting the meal breathe. It doesn't need to be steakhouse formal. It just needs to slow down and match the setting. Credit where due, they brought out a sparkler for the birthday, which always lands. **Food & Drink** - **Chicken Shawarma Rolls** -- excellent. Phyllo, cabbage, red peppers, mozzarella, spicy garlic aioli. Best thing we ate. - **Appetizers overall** -- consistently good, clearly the kitchen's strength. - **Raw bar** -- oysters, crudos, poke bowls, towers. Looks like the real move here. Going that direction next time. - **Halo Del Santo** -- spot on. Reposado, guava, coconut liqueur, lemon, tajín rim. Cocktails across the board were perfectly made. - **Steak** -- fine. Average. The mains were the weakest part of the menu, which stings at this price point. - **Banana sticky toffee pudding** -- I've had amazing versions. This wasn't it. **Verdict** Round it to **4 stars**, honestly a 3.5. Worth seeing the space once on its own. Treat it as an elevated happy hour, drinks plus apps plus raw bar, and it's a genuinely good time. Order deep into the mains and the value drops off. Slow the service down and it jumps half a star without changing anything in the kitchen.