Visited this place after seeing it on TikTok a couple of times. Came on a Monday for brunch and it was busy at 11:00a. But I loved the decorations they had for Halloween and the overall atmosphere of the place. I ordered the chocolate chip bacon pancakes and they were delicious! Still piping hot in the center! If I ever visit again I'm definitely gonna make a stop again here! read more

Stax Cafe - Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes and Pork Sausage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Enjoyed a really great breakfast at Stax while visiting the windy city. Service was great, despite it being pretty super packed in there. Menu includes selection of pancakes, omelettes, benedicts and skillet dishes. There's something for both savory and sweet breakfast fans. Decor is also cute inside! The "starving student" (eggs, bacon and toast) was a decent meal at a good value. At the time I was there, they had a granola pancake on the menu and it tasted a little more like granola than pancake. Not for me, but not bad. Peanut butter banana pancakes were good, but were more heavy on the peanut flavor than banana. Still delicious, I mean who doesn't love peanut butter on pancakes! Coffee was good, bacon was cooked well, and the breakfast potatoes were crispy. It was a solid breakfast. I would go back if I were staying in that area again. read more

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This place is FABULOUS!! The staff is soooooo nice. Everyone was smiling and said "hello" and "good morning ". Our server made me feel like we have been friends for a while. The Menu was fantastic, had everything you'd want for breakfast, including freshly squeeze juices. The food came out fast and hot. I definitely recommend this spot. read more

Stax Cafe - Denver Omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Found this place on Yelp. It did the trick for us when we were famished. Pretty easy to get in and get seated. I had the spinach and feta omelette which came with the house potatoes. It was a filling and delicious breakfast. Our server was very friendly and she made sure our coffee was always filled. read more

Stax Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really wanted to go here because I love breakfast. It gets very busy, and very loud! If you want to have a conversation, I don't recommend coming here as it will be hard to talk without yelling. The food was good, I got an avocado toast type sandwich. My boyfriend got an angus burger, which was better than mine. We both ended up feeling ill after eating, so im not sure what that was about. Otherwise food was good and service was good. read more

Stax Cafe - Half Pound Angus Burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here for brunch and there was a small wait but well worth it! Sat at the counter and enjoyed Taylor Street Frittata with the house potatoes. Highly recommend and I wanted change a thing! The seasoning in the potatoes is everything! read more

Stax Cafe - Taylor Street Frittata with House Potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Phenomenal service! I told them I needed to be done in 40 minutes; I don't know if they misheard my accent, but I was done in 14 minutes!! I sat down and I was given the menu I ordered immediately and he came back with food in about 2 minutes at most. And then I was done eating in 10. I ordered the benedict and as a European with a discerning palate, it was actually very respectable (read: awesome). This place should not be less than 4 stars average. I have been many times and will come again. PS it's definitely a good vibe to meet up with your friends. read more

I don't know if we came at a bad day but this was awful. The service was fine but both dishes we got were inedible. The honey ricotta had so much anise or mint or just some flavor that overpowered the whole dish. Zero honey and zero ricotta came through. The braised beef Benedict tasted like someone boiled beef and didn't season it. I'm hoping this was just an off day but it was gross. read more

Stax Cafe - Honey Ricotta French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Met a long time friend there form brunch. It was buzzing. The service was great and the food was good. The breakfast potatoes were yummy! The menu had a good variety of different dishes. It's a good spot if you live in the area. Parking might be a challenge, but I found a spot with in a block or so. I didn't feel rushed, but it's not the kind of place you can hang out and graze. read more

Breakfast is truly my favorite meal of the deal, however, this place fell a little flat for me. Although the food was just average, the customer service and ambiance were fantastic. I enjoyed my eggs, but the potatoes weren't seasoned enough for me, and my mimosa was a bit on the strong side, so I didn't enjoy it as much either. Overall, I had a great customer experience, but I wouldn't return due to the food quality. SOMETHING TO NOTE: Don't get discouraged by the constant long lines, Stax does a good job seating customers quickly. read more

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Service: 3/5 Food 4/5 Started off my visit on kind of a bad note. I walked in by myself shortly after this party of 2 and the receptionist saw the both of us standing by the front desk waiting to be seated. She seats the party of 2 and then just... disappears. I see her organizing the pick-up orders even when there was no one there to pick-up. I think I stood at the front desk maybe 10 minutes before getting seated even when they weren't busy and was physically seen entering. Other employees, even the cooks from the kitchen, saw me awkwardly standing there but no one said anything. I was finally seated by my waiter.. Taylor street frittata: Saw this was a pretty popular dish to order so I went for it. Basically a mini omelette loaded with meat and veggies surrounded by potatoes, peppers and onions. It was pretty tasty even though I did have to add salt and pepper due to lack of taste. It was good but nothing overly amazing. My waiter was nice but... After bringing my food, he asked me if I wanted hot sauce and I said yes. A few seconds later, he walks right past my table TWICE with hot sauce handing it out to other tables but mine. Me having social anxiety, I didn't want to call him out and ask a second time. I said "yes" pretty clearly so... I don't even know. I just ate my meal with the ketchup they provided. Grandma's pancakes: My entree came with choice of toast or mini pancakes or waffles. I opted for the mini pancakes which comes with 2. My waiter mentioned the house special which sounded delish since I wanted to try something new. These pancakes were my fav part of my visit. They are cinnamon pancakes with cranberries and raisins inside topped with candied pecans and cinnamon glaze. They smelled DEVINE - like freshly baked cinnamon banana bread. Don't be intimidated by the raisins, there were barely any in the pancakes. There were more cranberries if anything. This place was average to me. Something I just wanted to cross off my list for a long time now. According to the reviews, people are saying the other location is better? read more

Stax Cafe - Taylor street frittata - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had lunch last week at Stax and it was really insulting to my sensibilities. For the "Adult" grilled cheese with fries and the southwest cobb salad, it was $32.00 before tax and tip. The total was $45 dollars and the portions were small. For example the grilled cheese was on wheat bread 3 inches by 3 inches and the thickness was at best an inch. My calculations is their cost for this sandwich was a dollar-seventy five as there was was a fifth of a pound of cheddar on it(I pay 8 dollars a pound for good cheddar) and then 20 cents for the bread. The sandwich was not grilled with butter for sure. My salad had two slices of turkey and was served on a plate with the maximum height of the portion to be about an inch. The chipotle ranch dressing was horrid and tasted like the worst low cal dressing in America. I make my own chipotle ranch using buttermilk, sour cream, a touch of mayo, a tablespoon of Hidden Ranch Powder and some Badia's Chipotle pepper. It is better than any of the expensive dressing brands. They should use this recipe. Now that said, the pancakes looked awesome at the table next to ours. The portion was also reasonable. The ambiance is good. read more

Wanted to treat myself after completing my finals. I was craving pancakes, and I'm glad I stopped here. It was mid afternoon, and the place was bustling. It was a warm mixture of locals,students, and professionals enjoying good food and conversation. Despite the crowd, I was seated immediately. I glanced over the menu that offers a fair amount of options without being overwhelming. There are plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options as well. As I mentioned earlier, I was celebrating, so I decided to treat myself to a mimosa. It was absolutely delicious. I decided to go with the steak and eggs. I upgraded from pancakes to waffles after seeing my neighbors plate. I requested my steak cooked medium well... and it was! I was pleasantly pleased. The steak was seasoned perfectly, the chimichurri was fresh, and the waffles were like fluffy eclouds of goodness. The only downside is that they don't have wifi, which limited they time I was able to work from there. However, I'll be back again for sure. read more

Delicious food and coffee. The wait staff seemed to be short but they did the best considering . Will return

Service was slow and rude. I ordered a coffee it taste burnt and I didn't like it so I asked if I could just exchange it for something else to drink and they said no. Which is ridiculous I had clearly only taken 2 sips from the coffee and it's prob what 5 cent in cost to them. What a joke. I also had my 1 year old with me and asked for an extra plate so I could share with him. They said they would have to charge me to share a meal or I could order him something from the kids menu. He is 1 and will eat like 5 bites he does not need his own meal. They also charge a 3% fee to use a credit card, which is becoming common in Chicago, but still annoying. Place clearly hurting for money and penny pinching on every turn. I won't be back and certainly don't recommend. That being said the food came out super fast which surprised me since it took prob 15- 20 minutes just to get my order in. read more

I've been to stax a few times and honestly it's okay. Their breakfast tacos are good but last time I got them the eggs were super underdone. :/ read more

Stax Cafe - Mini Egg Tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good Day. I was treated to a Stax Brunch for Mother's day with my daughter and her family. The food was phenominal, Service impeccable and the location was convenient. My ONLY problem is....I am a Type 2 Diabetic and when I asked for sugar free syrup, instead of maple syrup for my french toast, I was told there would be an additional charge for Sugar Free syrup. So regular syrup is complimentary, but Sugar Free is not. I feel that I am being discriminated against, because of my health issue. How many others have felt the way I was treated. To be charged for sugar free condiment is appalling and discriminatory. The management of this restaurant really needs to rethink this stance and offer an alternative for those of us who cannot have, even though it tastes good, maple syrup. Management quit charging for the alternative. Shame on you and I hope you change your policy. read more

Amazing customer service. Food came quickly and was delicious! I loved the vibe and the theme of the restaurant. Would definitely go again amazing ambiance. The workers are very sweet and kind. read more

LITERALLY THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER!!!! Me and my family have been going here for years and we love it we come here every Sunday and it's delicious The food is very fast the waiters are very responsible and kind and nice and welcome you very nicely I really recommend the starving student meal and something I love about it is that they have pancake or French toast specials like they will have delicious pancake/french toast of the week Everyone is so nice and if their is wait it go by very fast I LOVE IT read more

The food is pretty good. You definitely want to make sure you put your name on the list they get extremely busy but the environments and the servers go out of their way to make sure that you're comfortable and happy. I would encourage you to Uber there because Parking is almost impossible read more

I normally have a nice time but this time the service was bad. I purchased food and Drink. I asked for hot water for my medical tea I drink before meals. I was told I cannot bring in outside tea bags because if I choked I could sue. That was the dumbest thing I ever heard and this is not the first time I drank my tea!!! Try like 20 times!!! I won't be returning the waitress and management was rude. I will also share this with my colleagues. Atmosphere was okay. read more

Popped into Stax for brunch with some friends who just flew in and got: - Chocolate chip bacon pancakes: 5/10 - tasted like generic pancakes with bacon in the batter, a little on the drier side - Mini egg sandwiches: 9/10 - everything about it was delicious, very flavorful - includes bacon, egg and cheese - Taylor street frittata: 8/10 - a flavorful and hefty dish, very filling - Lumberjack skillet: 8/10 - includes the same ingredients as the taylor street frittata but gives off different flavors - hefty and flavorful - Strawberry & orange juice: 9/10 - fresh squeezed and tastes delicious - Apple juice: 9/10 - fresh squeezed and tastes like apple cider - Iced vanilla latte: 9/10 - they use la columbe coffee and you cant go wrong with that Overall: 8.5/10 The food was delicious and the service was quick for it being a pretty busy Saturday morning. It was packed when we arrived and remained packed as we left. My personal favorite was the mini egg sandwiches and the fresh apple juice! The price point for each item was decent considering the portion size. The juices were a little expensive for it being the short size of the glass but considering its fresh juice I'll let it slide. Knocked down a few points for the pancakes but am open to trying other sweet dishes from Stax if I came back again. But, I would definitely come back just to get the mini egg sandwiches read more

Stax Cafe - Taylor Street Frittata, Lumberjack Skillet, Mini Egg Sandwiches, Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I absolutely love this place. Second time visiting with one of my girlfriends. The service here is fast and friendly. The place is small and was a bit busy when we arrived so we opted to sit at the diner counter where the chefs prepare the food. I opted for the skirt steak and eggs with waffles instead of toast. It comes with breakfast potatoes as well. It was absolutely delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and the chimichurri with the pico was amazing!! I devoured all of my food and had at least three coffee refills! The coffee is soooo good. I only wish they had non dairy creamer because I had to purchase oatmilk for my coffee. All in all, I'll definitely be back again for those steak and eggs! read more

Stax Cafe - Skirt Steak & Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ventured over to Stax early on Mother's Day to avoid the rush. Seated quickly and comfortably, with an infant tagging along- we often get squished into tables to accommodate our family. Servers were sweet and food came out quickly. Will enjoy again! read more

We'd been craving a great brunch for a few weeks, and wanted to try something different than our usual locations. We'd heard great things about Stax, and decided to give it a try. So glad we finally did! First of all, their delivery packaging was excellent - the food arrived looking like it did in the pictures, still warm and in tact. Our food was made to order (vegetarian substitutions, etc) a well, another big plus especially with delivery. The food itself was excellent, in the top 5 of best brunches we've had in Chicagoland (Ovo Fritto, Lucy's Cafe, and Wildberries are in that group as well). Plentiful portions, fresh ingredients, perfectly seasoned - what more could you ask for? The next time the brunch craving hits, there will definitely be a "new usual" to choose from! read more

Stax Cafe - a plate of food on a table - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was excellent! The staff should also build houses the way they bust @ss service food too!

I was in the area, and decided to stop to this location for breakfast. I was sat as soon as I walked in. I have never eaten here, so I was very undecided to what to eat. The environment was really neat, but the restaurant was extremely packed! The food was good and came out very quickly as well. read more

Stax Cafe - Brunch menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of my favorite breakfast spots. It's usually really busy but they turn tables QUICK. The menu is giant so you can try something new every time you come. Their special for this month was the blueberry cream cheese french toast i believe?? it was really really good. i think my favorite thing about stax is their house made juices. my favorite is the grape juice. read more

Stax Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING! Chimmy churi steak and eggs ! Mini waffles! We had to get another table because of how much we ordered! All worth it

Food and service were excellent. Went on a Sunday morning with no wait at all! Our server was helpful and very nice. Great atmosphere over all. The breakfast was terrific. I ordered mini chocolate chip and bacon pancakes, half order of cinnamon roll waffles, and peppered bacon. No complaints at all. Will be coming back again when I'm in town! Thank you. read more

Stax Cafe - Cinnamon Roll Waffles , Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes , Black Pepper Bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I recommend the lumberjack skillet. This business kills the brunch game, and they deliver in the atmosphere, the food, and the service. Saira is the best!!! read more

Stax Cafe - The lumber Jack skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a great experience dining here! Very friendly staff! In a pretty chill part of the city, about a half a mile walk from UIH and the medical buildings that are part of the University of Illinois at Chicago grad school campus. Right on Taylor Street, there are lots of free street parking spots available and it is pretty chill especially during the week! The prices are pretty average for Chicago breakfast and the food was incredible! The latte was a great start to the meal! Would highly recommend the veggie skillet and avocado smashed sandwich! Overall great experience and perfect if you are in the west side of Chicago or near the University of Illinois Hospital system or in the medical District! read more

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I come to this restaurant a lot, but today I was disappointed. I drove all the way from the east side of Chicago to find out they were cash only. My friends and I were not happy at all . read more

We were seated at 1:45 pm. Thirty minutes later all one of us had was a Stax Sunrise cocktail. We asked for a different waitress and they sent the same one back. Very poor customer service and the waitress didn't understand my order. Needless to say we paid for his one drink and left!!!! read more

Stax Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Carrot juice was super yummy. The cookie dough pancakes were insanely delicious. Reasonable prices

I am surprised by how much I enjoy brunch at this unassuming little restaurant. They serve quite a variety of dishes but I have never been disappointed. The servers are always very attentive and helpful. I have tried their mini egg tacos and their cinnamon roll waffles. The mini egg tacos were so cute and tiny. I feel like the best things come in small packages. These tacos had corn tortillas and filled with an egg and black bean mixture, topped with pico de gallo. Salsa on the side paired perfectly with the tacos. Their side of potatoes comes with bell peppers and onions and are so addictive. I could not stop eating them! Perhaps my favorite dish was the cinnamon roll waffles. You get 4 mini waffles and you know how I feel about mini things! These waffles seemed like they were make by putting a cinnamon roll into a waffle maker. They were crispy on the outside but nice and gooey on the inside. Somehow they weren't too heavy or too sweet. While Stax has tons of specialty pancakes, this is truly the dish to get instead! The only downside that I need to mention is sitting outside. Their outside patio during COVID is in the back, closed off between several buildings. I don't know why, but there were bees everywhere! It was hard to enjoy my meal when I was getting attacked by several bees every minute. And I know it wasn't just my table because I noticed it with everyone around me. Hopefully Stax can handle the bee problem, but in the meantime I would choose to sit inside. Its not too often that I am this impressed by a brunch place but this is definitely my list of places to come back to (even with the bee problem)! read more

Stax Cafe - Mini egg tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Review for carry out. Obviously if you want your food to be fresh and hot, dine in. Ordered brunch to celebrate mom's birthday early. Wanted to dine in for a better food experience but they do not take reservation :( one good thing about carry out is no wait. We were able to find 15-min standing parking across the street to run in to pick up our food. The place was packed with diners and people waiting at 11:30am. Food was warm when we got home, we live 13 min away. Presentation was good. At least the eggs Benedict was still runny. The skirt steak was not medium as ordered (not pink at all) so was tough to chew. I ordered the skirt steak so can only comment on that. Seasoning was good. Skirt steak came with choice of toast, mini waffle (2) or mini pancake (2). Got the mini waffle (not pictured). No one complained about their lunch so I guess it was good enough for them. Tip: dine in!! read more

Stax Cafe - Angus burger, Avocado Smashed Breakfast Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stax is a solid breakfast option for something quick and reliable. I did the BYO omelette combo which was tasty and the potatoes with onions are always good. Good portions too. Came piping hot, I actually burned the crap out of my mouth haha I subbed for the lemon lavender pancakes. Subtle flavor and tasty but the white chocolate raspberry were better. I like that you can sub the specialty ones for a side. Overall good option if you're in the area or craving traditional breakfast but I wouldn't travel far for it. read more

Stax Cafe - Lemon lavender pancakes 7/10 good not great - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was feeling more savory than sweet this morning and ordered the salmon and lox benedict. Unfortunately, it didn't really hit the spot. I understand that the hollandaise was supposed to be in place of the cream cheese, but there was very little of it and my poached egg was a bit under. We did get a side of mini waffles and those were bomb! Next time around, definitely will go sweet. read more

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Everything was great until I found a hair on my food. They removed the item out my bill but I still missed eating lunch