Seitan sammitch is nummy for vegetarians. BBQ sauce. Maybe ask for extra. Great vegetarian and vegan friendly diner. read more

One Kik Azz Joint! I'm usually not a big fan of breakfast skillets but I love the Cancun skillet here! it ab-so-fuking-lutely rawks! Great staff and chill enviro. enjoy!! read more

This place is awesome. Great atmosphere and very comfortable. Decorations are interesting and funny. Love that this is a late night place, good vegan options and some regular guilty pleasure type options. :) been coming here since I moved up to chicago and i'll continue to frequent this place. read more

This is my favorite place in the world. The food is amazing. Order the Buffalo Tofu sometime. I don't care if you're not a vegetarian. Order it anyway. It's so good it will turn you. The staff is also outstanding, and super patient despite having to often deal with Wrigleyville drunks. In case you've never had to deal with Wrigleyville drunks, I'll have you know that it's more frustrating than dealing with a room full of cranky toddlers. So tip well when you're here. The staff deserves it. read more

I was here a year ago after I finished my first 10k. I was tired AF, hungry & hot. This place hit the spot. I had to order a bloody mary. It was decent enough that I'd order it again. As far as my meal I hardly remember it. -_-. My server was super awesome tho! And so was the giant pb rice crispy treat read more

Cool, funky place for breakfast and anything else you can think of. French toast is 5 massive slices of egg battered goodness. My bacon benedict was the real deal and they added spinach for me...a LOAD of fresh green...that made it even better. Wait staff was fantastic and just like the place...cool, quirky, but friendly and engaging. I wouldn't hesitate to go back at any time. Worth the wait. read more

My 1st visit at 1100pm on a Sunday, was a take took a shot at the buffalo chicken wrap. The 1st bite was a winner!! Cheese couldve been more melted. The fries had a yummy house seasoning. Brb read more

Great place to grab a delicious brunch. They have plenty of vegan options, including vegan ice cream! Highly recommend their milkshakes... I had the chocolate peanut butter one and it was one of the best milkshakes I've ever tasted. The only reason I gave this place 4 instead of 5 stars is we waited a half hour for a table, then another hour for our food!!! The staff was friendly, the food was great, and there were plenty of options for everyone, though. Overall, great place. read more

Pick Me Up Cafe - Garlicious Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We will forever miss you in Lakeview but I will venture here for Gold Coin Plates and Clown Combos as often as possible. Ok

Amazing food I've had their fries, salad and cappuccino. The service has always been good too, it's cozy spot specially if you wanna get some work done it stays open till late so you can always stay and work. It is also a cute spot for a super casual date. Would love to go again! read more

Things that were good: -the decor of the restaurant is quirky and adorable -the service -bloody mary...yummo! -chai milkshake Things that were not awesome: -the food Bottom line: There are a lot of better diners in Chicago, but if you're in Wrigleyville looking for a spot with interesting surroundings and decent drinks this place is a great spot. read more

Pick Me Up is a solid place in these parts. It's definitely dive-y and kitsch but you're going there because you don't want to cook/clean up for yourself so get over it. We went there for Sunday brunch and the wait wasn't that bad. There are more tables in there than you might think. Service was pretty fast. There are quite a few loose leaf tea selections too. I had the breakfast burrito and my date had an omelet. The portions were quite substantial and I would say the prices were more than fair. There's definitely a lot going on here on the walls and the tables so you shouldn't run out of things to talk about and look at. The fare is very standard so don't expect to be wowed, however, lots of friendly service and good happy vibes. read more

This spot was amazing! They give you a lot of food with great quality and service. I loved the Dark chocolate chip pancakes and eggs, chorizo, and potato dish. Will be bringing my friends back. read more

I have been curious to try this place so me and my roommates did the other night. We sat down and the place was pretty much empty. We waited 15 minutes when I said something to the woman standing behind the bar. "Um, are we going to get service?" She replied "I will go get your waiter". Well, we got him and placed our orders. The food came out relatively quickly. However, we received pretty much no service after that. We had to hunt him down for more drinks, napkins, and the check. The woman behind the bar was doing absolutely nothing but cleaning the same machine for over an hour. As the place filled up, the service got increasingly worse and no one seemed to help this waiter, and he didn't seem to care. On a good note, the "special" pizza (eggplant, goat cheese, and onions) and grilled cheese were excellent. The Huevos Rancheros breakfast was covered in a pound of cheese, perhaps to cover up any inperfections. With the amount of restaurants in the area, I would only go back if I could pick it up or had 9 hours to kill. read more

You know when you've been out late (drinking, carousing, the like) and you're not ready to go home yet, but you're tired of the bars? You want to keep drinking or eating with your friends, but can't take another jam-packed bar so crowded that you can't raise your arms from your sides? Pick Me Up is the place to go. It's a late night diner that also serves drinks, and was EXACTLY what I wanted at about 1 am when I was starting to get tired but didn't want to head home yet. The food is reasonably priced, but of questionable quality - though I'm told that the desserts are really what makes this place worth coming back to. Our table had buffalo wings (not very good - tasted bland), home fries (clearly from frozen potatoes), and an omelette, which I didn't try but looked good. Even though the food didn't impress, the vibe of this place was great - it really did hit the spot. read more

Great little brunch joint! Service was very friendly and food was yummy! My fiance and I both had the special latte with almond milk, very good! He had the tofu scramble and I had the smoked salmon benedict (mine was missing a poached egg, but the sauce was great), and both were good! This is a very casual, affordable, and veggie-friendly place, I'll definitely be back! read more

Hipster heaven. To the point where, if you are not one, like me, you will feel out of place. If you aren't sure whether or not you are hipster, the staff will be sure to let you know by their glares. O man were they fresh. The food was great. My companion loved, and rightfully so, her vegan french toast. I got some kind of omelet that was delicious. For those who don't like garlic, you will not like Pick Me Up Cafe...every dish seems to have a hint of it. read more

Ok, so this place has a lame name especially when you want to meet with your friends there for food, but other than that the place is great. They open till late and 24 hours on weekends. Everyone is nice and there's vegan options. Their omelets are amazing. That's what I ordered everytime Im here. Def one of my fav breakfast spot late at night! read more

Love the feel to this place, comfy booths and great service. The interior kinda has that hipster and vintage Chicago feel. Personal favorite is the Gnocchi and their pasta; I would avoid ever ordering the Jalapeno poppers, which was just plain disgusting. read more

The First time I entered this place it was 3am, I was soaking wet from heavy raining and completely trashed so This review may be a little fluzzy. Heres what I remember... Finding a table and waiting forever for our waitress to come around. Scarfing down some awesome chz fries with ranch, ketchup and some other sauce. waiting forever for our waitress to come back. also stealing bites of my friends blueberry pancakes when he went to the restroom. read more

Where else can you find a chai milkshake?? I totally love that! When you imagine a late night diner, there are some pretty scary options out there. Pick Me Up Cafe is laid back and cozy, and I've been there several times when I'm craving some pancakes after a night out. I've had a good time there with friends, but recently I had some pancakes on the burnt side. It's ok because this place doesn't really give you high expectations, so I'm happy when the food is above average. Mmmm milkshake and pie. Thanks Pick Me Up for your happy waving coffee cup guy! read more

In theory, I love this place. Vegan friendly, oozing with personality, 24 hour spot. Sounds great. 'Til you have their subpar food, grocery store packaged desserts, and usually terrible service. This place doesn't seem to be managed very well... If you don't care about how your food tastes or that you get decent service then this place is for you. Otherwise, meh... This restaurant is just like a hipster to me... A pretentious, ironically nonchalant, counterculture advocate. read more

This an adorable little place. I passed a lovely random evening here with good company, lots of coffee, and an amazing falafal wrap. This wrap was seriously one of the best falafal based meals I had ever had. It had such great flavor, I totally recommend it. The menu was interesting and I am keen to try some more items, especially after reading more reviews. I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I love a solidly delicious veggie meal as much as a big juicy steak. Beyond that, goods service, cute decor, all in all, worth my time and effort. read more

This place is cute, opens late, but the food is TERRIBLE. It has the worst vegan mac and cheese I ate - tasted like the sauce was made from stale cardboard. I hate wasting food, but I just could not finish it. The veggie chili I only finished because I held my nose. (For vegan M&C, try Yah's on south side..best vegan mac&cheese I've eaten to date) I give this 2 stars only because the staff was nice. read more

The vegan cheeze fries are so good! The BBQ seitan sanmitch is amazing. Their salad portions are not that great for the price you're paying. I recommend getting a sandwich or dinner entree. read more

I would add another half star...so 3.5 'cause the people watching was so entertaining. Little unique cafe with a nice variety of breakfast/brunch/lunch options. The service was good, food was decent and no need to dress up...out of bed look is encouraged..or at least not frowned upon. I saw a bunch of people eating nachos and fries...and they looked great! I had a wrap, which was good, but would have preferred the other options if I could spare the calories. No complaints here. read more

I would have never found this gem if it weren't for my vegan friends visiting from California. Naturally, my friends researched a lot of Chicago vegan/vegan friendly eateries and this just happen to be one we tried because they were open late. The menu is vast and offers many options such as breakfast, lunch & dinner whenever you want it. The first thing you notice about the menu is that it can please anyone's dietary needs. My wife and I are not vegan, so we could enjoy many of their menu selections with meat, cheese etc; but they also offer many of the menu items vegan style, so all the animal products are taken out or replaced with vegan friendly ingredients. Once we got our food I was really surprised. This place looks like your typical diner and offers your typical diner food. However, the food was REALLY good. Many dishes look and actually taste like some good homecookin', both vegan and non-vegan alike. The best part of all is their pie. They have many selections, vegan and non-vegan and they are all SUPER delicious. I ate a vegan blueberry pie and could hardly tell the difference. We went back the day after we visited this place for the first time just to eat some more pie...it's that good. read more

Open late for post bar food. One of the few places available at three am to satisfy vegan cravings. Having said that, the food isn't spectacular. Pancakes aren't terrible, but not mind blowing. Their falafel sandwich is good because of the hummus. I've never had fantastic service, however, you can't expect fantastic service at the early hours of the morning when the servers are dealing with drunkards. But it is a little frustrating when you just want some damn water... read more

Pick Me Up Cafe - Falafel sandwich - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Pick Me Up Cafe is a great little place to grab brunch or lunch right in the heart of Lakview/Wriggleyville. The lightening is pretty dim inside and the walls are covered with an array of pictures and artwork which gave it a little bit of a hipster vibe to me. Their menu has a lot of vegetarian and vegan friendly options in addition to all of your traditional breakfast and cafe favorites. I ordered the breakfast burrito with chorizo and really enjoyed it! Portions are HUGE! I ended up taking most of mine home and having it for dinner the next day. Everything that was ordered at my table looked delicious, ranging from skillets to pancakes. At the end of our meal, our server even asked if we wanted separate checks, which pretty much never happens anywhere in Chicago! Everything is quite cheap too. Double bonus! Anytime I need a quick and easy place to take friends for brunch on a weekend, Pick Me Up Cafe will be at the top of my list! read more

I love this place for their great vegan options and their hours! Perfect for late night vegan nachos and shakes. I just got brunch there for the first time, and the vegan pecan pancakes were delicious (HUGE portion--I had to take some home!) I also love the decor and vibe of this place, it's so cute. Last time, I even got some great song suggestions from our waitress, who had chosen the playlist that was playing! Depending on the time, though, it can take a while to get food, so consider that if you're in a hurry. I'm also a little bummed that it is only open until 2am now. I recall it used to be a couple hours later, at least on weekends! But maybe I'm asking too much. read more

Pick Me Up Cafe - My vegan pecan pancakes. They were DELICIOUS and huge; I'd love to learn the secret to fluffy pancakes like this. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went to the Pick Me Up Cafe specifically because my daughter wanted to eat at the "Fallout Boy" cafe. On the surface, it's pretty neat - funky decor, eclectic vibe, laid-back neighborhood joint. Underneath? It's not worth the reputation it currently has as a destination for good eats and service. Honestly, if I could leave 0 stars, I would. We arrived late in the morning on a Sunday with a large group. I was actually willing to cut the cafe some slack given that we had a dozen people. After a very loooooong wait, we were finally seated at two tables side-by-side, and given enough menus for three-quarters of the group. We had no problem sharing menus, but it was a sign of things to come. Most of our drinks arrived quickly, though the server forgot one of them entirely for the duration of our visit (we ended up finally just getting it in a to-go cup). It only took us a few minutes to decide on our order, but forever for the server to come back and take it from us. When she did finally show up again, we told her we needed to do two orders. Because of the way we were seated, the server said it would be "too confusing" to group our orders together properly, so we'd have to figure it out ourselves when it came time to pay the bill. Say what? I mean, seriously? She also left us only enough silverware for about two-thirds of the group. After finally placing our order, it came time to wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And watch as she visited every other table repeatedly but ours. Eventually, our food came out and lo and behold, it was actually quite good. The food quality was great - my "Clown Combo" with eggs, turkey sausage, seasoned home fries, and pancakes was delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything to wash it down with as our server never brought refills - we had to flag down the manager / host before we could get our cups and glasses refilled. After eating, it was time to wait. And wait, And wait some more. When she finally dropped our checks off, we then had to go through and manually figure out who had what. Half our group was paying with cash, half with card, so we figured we would just divvy it up so we could get the heck out of there after three terrible hours. Not four minutes after she dropped the bill, the server came back and asked us what the hold-up was. By that time, we'd had it. We snapped at her that because she was incapable of splitting the bill we were figuring it out manually. This witchy woman snatched the check trays quite literally out of our hands and stomped off to go split the check. From my vantage point, I could see into the serving station where she was standing complaining to the manager about having to split our bill. But in the end, she did it...which means it was possible all along and she just didn't feel like dealing with it in the beginning. I paid my portion of the check, and one of my fellow diners paid the other, receiving a snarky comment from the manager on the way out. Given the craptastic service we'd just received, I'm not surprised at the bad attitude. So in the end, it wasn't worth the price we paid. We did get a single photo of my daughter sitting in the same booth where Fallout Boy took the photo for their album cover. Had I know it was going to be THAT bad, we'd have just gone in and asked to take a photo, and then eaten somewhere else. If you're visiting Chicago, skip the Pick Me Up Cafe, even if you're a Fallout Boy fan. It's not worth visiting and there are way better places to eat. HORRIBLE. read more

I'm no European cook, but I could easily make everything on their menu at home and my version would taste a lot better. Their servers aren't very friendly. The place is somewhat dirty. It gets an extra star because of their great cheesecakes and milkshakes. read more

You have to put up with a lot of shit from all sides of the map to eat here but its worth it. Whether its cubby fans jerking each other off under the table, shitty club hoppers pouring out the fake mexican cantina across the street, late night fashion victims or coffee house creeps you will always be surprised. The thing that keeps me going is vegan french toast, preferably on the weekend when you can order the banana walnut version. I've dragged in friends from all over the US and UK for their vegan french toast, no one's doubted it yet. Great seasoned fries. The staff is 99% clockwork, occasionally there is a fill in or someone I don't recognize and something can be amiss, but they always fix it and have comped stuff for being late/slow/cold/whatever. These are pro's, coffee is always topped and they're super friendly. Kudos to steve for playing hawkwind too. Holy shit that was a great night. read more

On a recent trip to Chicago, on the recommendation of my GF's friend, we grabbed some stuff from Pick Me Up for a late afternoon picnic in Lincoln Park on a busy day when lunch had kind of fallen by the wayside to get us through to dinner. To be honest, i didn't even go inside, but the hummus plate was great, as was the other thing we got, the name of which i can't remember, that consisted of bread with bruschetta style veggies, topped with cheese and then broiled. It was great, perfect for a picnic in the park on a beautiful autumn afternoon. read more

This is like a Chicago college student rite of passage. When I first moved here to go to Columbia, I frequented Pick Me Up with friends far more than I care to admit. Something about being an art student (which I am no longer) and the kitchy, eclectic/hipter atmosphere that fit so well together. After a long absence (and a change of career plans), I recently returned, taking advantage of their late night hours. Little has changed. The same kranky/emo servers delivering the same yummy, vegan deliciousness. Was craving some comfort food, so I went with the grilled cheese with tomato with a coffee shake to wash it down. Both were still good, if slightly more overpriced than I recall. Don't forget your quarters for the juke box (and please, play a Billie Holiday song for me :) read more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! My friends brought me here one late night/early early morning and man, I can't get enough of this eatery :] I can sit down and doodle a picture and post it on a wall displaying all its patron's artwork while enjoying some delicious food in a great homey type atmosphere. I love that it's vegetarian/vegan/and even meat friendly so there's something for everyone. DE-LISH! read more

I have a love/hate relationship with this place. Let's start with some love - it's open late, and makes Clark's look like a joke. The atmosphere is fun and there's lots of variety. A huge array of vegan and vegetarian options, huge portions and friendly staff. Now for the downside - the food is pretty hit or miss. They have your greasy diner staples, but if you're not in the mood for a heart attack on a plate, the food lacks flavor. They have great apple pie, and I've had great pasta dishes here (including the gnocci) but thought the omelettes were bland and the veggie burger tasted generic. read more

Hands down, Pick Me Up Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Chicago. Why? Because their food is ALWAYS prepared correctly, and with care, and served with a smile. And their extensive list of menu items will satisfy the hunger of even the most picky eater, the adventurous, the veggie, the vegan, the GF, the DF, and everything in between. If you haven't gone, go...NOW! And make sure to order yourself an appetizer plate of buffalo chicken w/ a side of ranch (or 2), a vanilla milkshake (vegan or regular) w/ banana and peanut butter cups, or oreos and m&ms, and a HUGE slice of their vegan carrot and/or mint choco chip cake. read more

If my boyfriend was writing this review it would probably get 4 stars, but this place gets a solid 3 from me for now. We came here before a Cubs game a couple of weekends ago when we had some unexpected free time to kill. There was no wait which was a huge plus. I think the best part of the meal was the price - granted we both just had water, but we both left stuffed for under $18. I got the smoked salmon & bagel platter. This is a hard dish to mess up, and it was pretty standard here. My boyfriend got an omelet with avocado and cheddar which he loved. The service was quick and friendly. There was some pretty annoying music playing, but other than that the place was pretty comfortable too. I may return if I'm in the area, but wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to come back. read more

I used to live a block away from here and I swear I couldn't come back for almost a year after moving out... If you're in the hell hole that is wrigley, it's a little refreshing to come to Pick Me Up and see that not everyone is a drunk obnoxious cubs fan. It's a pretty solid place, I literally only order three things from their menu but I ordered them consistently for a year, so I swear they're bomb. The buffalo chicken wrap, cheese fries and the garlicious sandwich (amazing if you love goat cheese! ) Warning, don't get the jalapeño poppers... read more