Decided to drop in on a Friday afternoon after reading some cool reviews. Located in Elmwood Park,…read morethis cafe/ reading room/ miniature slot machine cafe offers local patrons a space to visit. When I entered there was no one there but the owner. I decided to order Bodega Combo #3 with an upgrade to a Horchata. I was told there were no Columbian empanadas (Bodega combo # 2) so that is what led me to order the other. I swear it took the owner 15 - 20 minutes to make both the empanadas and horchata. The empanadas were frozen, not fresh, and placed in an air fryer. The drink made had tons of ice and just as much cinnamon. Personally, there was no balance. I did not enjoy it. The empanada choices: are spinach & artichoke, chicken, and vegetarian. The best was the vegetarian, then the chicken followed by the spinach and artichoke. In my honest opinion, for an $11.50 meal, you would have been better off grabbing a $3 bag of tostinos pizza rolls and coke from the dollar tree and being more filled and satisfied. I was not impressed and I honestly believe that the space has so much more potential to draw in a larger crowd if the food choices were improved.

Great drinks, so nice to have a good variety of tea and lemonade. Empanadas are delicious. Miss the…read moredonuts

We've been to Eggsperience many times, and it truly never disappoints. But this visit was a little…read moreextra special, we came on Christmas Eve day, and the place was almost empty. Just us, a quiet room, and a whole lot of good energy. Every server working that morning was incredibly friendly and attentive. Maybe it was because we were the only ones there. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit. Maybe a perfect mix of both. Whatever it was, it turned a simple brunch into a genuinely lovely experience. And the food? As always, excellent and abundant, comforting, generous, and exactly what you want when you're settling into a holiday mood. Sometimes it's not just about what's on the plate, but how a place makes you feel. That morning, Eggsperience felt warm, welcoming, and just right.

A lot from this place can improve! We were there on New…read moreYear's Day. The seat we were sitting at was freezing from some draft to begin with. The service took a long time, also to begin with just to get a decaf coffee and a tequila sunrise that looked terrible, NOTHING LIKE THE PICTURE that gets displayed on the table. Then I ordered my breakfast with my eggs poached. The food took forever to arrive, and my eggs were fried. I made the waitress aware of it and she said that she would get them replaced. By time she got around to remembering my eggs I was at a point that I had eaten the rest of my breakfast and some of the whites of the fried eggs since I was hungry. She said that we're almost ready. Really?! Then she added that she would get them ready to go instead and not charge me. Who cares at that point? A few minutes later, some other waitress brings the eggs to the table on a plate with the doily to eat at the table. I am one of those people that are very patient, but I've had it at that point and asked for the check. I just threw the coach X into the to go boxes that a different waitress had gotten for me. I am even mad at myself for tipping decently. I'm never going back to this location and I don't know why I did. The one on Irving Park by six corners is 10 times better and closer to home. I just wanted to go for a little drive with my son on that day. Lo and behold, a friend of mine actually told me that a person that lived around at Elmwood Park one distinctly told about the bad service there. Horrible!

My husband and son took me to Hemmingway's Bistro on my birthday last Saturday. We sat at a…read moresecluded table in a little nook that was perfect. Right away we were brought water in a basket of warm crusty bread with butter. Then we met our server, Axel. He was a young man with lots of knowledge of the menu. He was personable and engaging. We started out with drinks. I asked our server Axel if the bartender could make a bees knees, and he said if they had the ingredients they would make one. It turned out Axel was the one who made my cocktail and it was spot on. We shared the chicken liver pate hors d'oeuvre. The pate was served with three small crostini toasts, cornichons, cubes of clear jelly which we couldn't figure out what it was, and Dijon mustard. The pate was very good but it was disappointing to only receive three small crostinis on the plate because the ratio of pate to crostini was way off. We had to ask for another basket of bread so we could finish the pate. For dinner my husband had beef wellington, my son had lamb chops and I had the special for Saturday, soft shell crabs. Each of us enjoyed our dinners. My son asked for creamed spinach instead of the ratatouille that came with the lamb chops, and Axel was happy to make the substitution. I'm so glad I went with softshell crabs because I hardly ever see them offered on a menu. They were delicious! We ended sharing a mango soufflé - after I made a wish, of course! I forgot how much I love dining at Hemmingway's. I definitely recommend this bistro for lunch or dinner or even their jazzy brunch on Sundays. It was the perfect place to celebrate my birthday.

Went for the champagne brunch and had a nice overall experience, though with a few caveats. The…read morebrunch is $52 per person, which includes one moderately sized brunch entrée, one glass of champagne, and unlimited access to the buffet. The buffet was okay--not bad, but not especially memorable. It included crab claws, shrimp, oysters, smoked salmon, bagels, a wilted salad, pasta salad, and a handful of dessert options. The savory items were fine but didn't feel elevated for the price point. Quiche was served cold which is not my preferred temperature. That said, the desserts were the highlight. The crème brûlée and lemon tart were excellent and definitely the standout items of the buffet. One downside was the service, our waiter was MIA for a while, which made things feel a bit disjointed, especially when trying to get the check. Overall, it's an okay brunch with a nice atmosphere and solid dessert offerings, but for the price, the buffet selection felt a bit underwhelming. Worth trying once, especially if you're there for a leisurely brunch and good sweets, but not a must-repeat for the food alone.

Excellent in all aspects! Very friendly and attentive staff. Great for cocktails With a good wine…read moreselection.

I have been wanting to try The Little Gem since Thursday night out when I tried their Wagu Sliders…read moreand Fish & Chips. We visited to celebrate a birthday on a Saturday night with a reservation and were seated by the window to our delight. The ambiance in the restaurant is so cozy and rustic, a wonderful vibe. We were first brought Garlic Pesto Bread that was still warm and delicious. Later we ordered drinks and appetizers. Both the Honey Whipped Goat Cheese and Beet Salad were phenomenal and so unique. For entrees we ordered the Beef Tartare, Caesar Salad with Blackened Salmon (an added request), Italian Sausage Orecchiette, and Braised Beef Short Ribs. Absolutely nothing disappointed and everything our waitress Lauren recommended was spot on. She is a rockstar! For dessert we ordered two chocolate mousses, and Crème Brûlée to share. The perfect way to end our night. This is a great upscale date spot or place to celebrate as it is on the pricier side, but we could not have been happier with our food, service, and overall experience.

Went here before a game and had a cocktail and some apps, meal and apps were awesome…read more I could downgrade the review because the churro wasn't great, but I can also maybe say it's cause it was in the bag for a little bit since I took that to go. Beverages, ceviche, meal, all really good!

FOOD: $22 too high for 3 small tacos. They don't even give you sauce and tortilla chips to snack…read moreon while you wait for your tacos, and No rice and beans! I dined at this restaurant on a Sunday evening at the time that tacos are the only entree on the menu. 3 tacos--choice of Pork, Shrimp, Beef, Chicken. The shrimp was my favorite; should have gotten all three shrimp. However, there was nothing special about the tacos to cost $22, and that's excluding taxes, and tip. FYI: The couple dining at the table next to me said that their drinks were delicious. They were given an extra churro so they gave it to me along with the complementary sauce that's served with it. It was delicious! SERVICE: Extremely BAD. Short staffed. Only a young lady taking orders. Just BAD! Ambiance: I ate on the small patio area in front of the restaurant. It's too small and close for comfort to me. So, on busy days and times it's probably best to make a reservation. Not so sure if I'll dine at Amerikas again; so I will not be recommending anyone to dine there. However, others seem to like dining there pop perhaps you will too.

Came here for lunch with my parents and family. Wonderful menu and service. Great outdoor seating…read moreeven with North Avenue rushing by. We ordered bruschetta, calamari, bolegnese, lamb chops. Great servings sizes. Perfect amount. The inside decor is terrific. Would love to come back for dinner.

I came here last night with my boyfriend for Valentine's Day. I was super excited because we often…read morepass by this place. Unfortunately, we were kind of let down by the service. They were definitely not prepared for the crowd of couples. A few minutes after we sat down, a waitress who was not ours came by and asked if we had ordered already. We said no, thinking that she would help get us started. Instead, she took my boyfriend's menu to hand to her table. This left a bad impression on us. Food wise, it was delicious and all food came out in a timely manner. They were being pretty strict about only being seated for 1.5 hours max due to the rush. Our waitress was fine, checked in on us in a timely manner. I love the interior design of this place, and it looks really nice in their patio. I don't think I'll be coming back though, at least not during any nights I know it'll be crowded.

Visited Blondies on a recommendation from a neighbor. Upon arriving there is plenty of off street…read moreparking in the lot next door to the relatively quaint establishment. The interior is decked out in old school decor with many memorabilia of comic/animation characters from a bygone era. The staff is friendly and direct, the cooks move competently and for food they have all of the expected classics at good prices, while also offering a rotating monthly specials with unique items that do really feel "special". The bathroom could use some updating and the space is a bit tight and warm from the kitchen. But overall the food is solid, the prices are fair, and the staff are friendly. If your local or visiting and looking for a classic diner , I would highly recommend you visit this unique and timeless establishment.

Down home in the best way, this greasy spoon has charm and hefty portions…read more Not fancy but not run down. Character and tastiness for days

Order the BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato + avocado), it's fantastic! Service is quick, interior is…read morewell maintained and conveniently located, but it's really all about that sandwich. XOXO, BLTA Lover

Second chances are not always a good idea.. I should have…read morefollowed my gut. So the first time I came in to give them a try I got a cupcake and croissant warm, my wife got a fancy coffee and some egg thing. She was happy with her order other than the iced coffee came hot.. so not really what she ordered after the long wait we didn't want to wait any longer. My order on the other hand was quite a disappointment, to me a fresh croissant should be light flaky and fluffy hot. This one .. this one was more like it was made at a beef shop it was flatted out and soggy.. I think it was over cooked in the electro zapper.. aka the food killer microwave.. just what I wanted to over pay for some microwaved slab of dough..thanks.. Now.. let's get to the second chance before reviews.. Wife ordered an iced coffee, I ordered a few donut holes.. The vanilla glazed was a wreck, dried out, stale, hard.. this should have been tossed out.. Let's try the chocolate.. meh, almost dried as bad but the after taste was meh.. like cooking oil. My wife's coffee showed up hot.. after like 15 minutes wait.. overall this place is meh.. should have stuck with Starbucks or Dunkin even.. Cleanliness was also a question.. enjoy the pictures of the semi busy place with a long wait and dirty floors/tables/chairs.. wonder what the back of the house looks like..