Fast, cheap, and amazing food. I find myself as a sort of biscuits & gravy connoisseur. I've almost always ordered biscuits & gravy whenever I've gone out for breakfast/brunch over the last two years. In my experience, that covers Yolk, Batter & Berries, West Egg, Eggs Inc, and loads of other places in and around Chicago, Omaha, and Boston. I can say that this place is a new favorite. Excellent job, Sunrise Cafe. read more

Sunrise Cafe - Smokey Mountain Eggs (Biscuits & Gravy with over easy eggs and bacon) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is taaaaaaasty. For vegetarians and vegans, they have a tofu scramble, and they offer vegan chorizo. They have a house hot sauce that reels me back again and again. Homey atmosphere, solid dining experience. read more

Sunrise Cafe - Tofu scramble, to which I add avocado. Leaves me full & satisfied each time. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When the weather is nice, this is my favorite breakfast place in Chicago. Unassuming, great food -- especially the "South of the Border" section of the breakfast menu -- pleasant and speedy service, decent prices. Good fresh-squeezed juice, and the restaurant is BYOB, in case you want mimosas. And very rarely is there a wait for a seat, even on their cute little patio (which is accessed through a door off to the right, just below the chalkboard featuring the day's specials. Until recently, it was cash only, but now they accept credit cards. I've had lunch delivered, and the chicken noodle soup is great, as is the grilled cheese sandwich. It is a no-brainer when I needed food to cure a hangover or the common cold. They've also got burgers, sandwiches, and a couple of salads. But they really shine in the breakfast area. Sunrise doesn't look like much from the outside, but give it a chance! It's only open until 3, so definitely a breakfast-and-lunch spot. read more

Tried this cafe out today for brunch. Was headed to another nearby place (Whisk) but thought an hr & a half wait was ridiculous. Walked in and sat right down. The wait staff were great, friendly and attentive. Glasses were kept full and the wait for food was normal or even faster. If you're just looking for a good breakfast or brunch, check this place out. The Eggs Florentine was fantastic and came with a side of hash browns. In fact, everything seems to come with a side of browns - and they're good. Their Sunrise Special is basic diner fare - eggs, bacon or sausage and pancakes (oh, and of course, hash browns) and it's fabulous! The guy at the next table had a croissant egg sandwich and I kinda wish I'd ordered that - looked great. Doesn't matter, put this place on your visit next list. You won't be sorry. read more

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

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We were going to try Whisk but the wait was tooooo long, so we ended up next door at Sunrise Cafe. Soooo happy we came here instead! Great food, nice family-owned restaurant, and it's cheap and BYOB! I got one of the specials: portobello mushroom skillet. Comes with mushroom, red pepper, broccoli, spinach, and hash browns, and topped with 2 eggs! Soooo goood! All the veggies with the mozzarella cheese was delish. Great combination. I also got a cup of grits with cheddar. Everything was so filling! My friends all really enjoyed their meals too. Everyone cleaned their plates! Will definitely be returning! read more

Sunrise Cafe - Byob is always a win in my book. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were trying to go to Whisk and the long wait pushed us over to Sunrise and were SO glad. Everything was amazing, reasonable prices, great service, and delicious food! Definitely worth a visit. read more

I've been here a few times over the course of several years for brunch mostly. Each time it's been a solid choice. It usually doesn't have much of a wait if any, as opposed to some of the other brunch spots in the area. The prices are really reasonable and the portions are really solid. I had the chorizo scramble and it totally hit the spot. Lots of chorizo and lots of scramble. The service is always fast and waitresses are always friendly. Solid. read more

Sunrise Cafe - Chorizo skilled. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Originally, I was captivated by the Ron Swanson shrine a few doors down at WHISK because I, too, wanted to order all the bacon. Unfortunately, the wait for WHISK was an hour, and Sunrise Cafe also had great reviews on Yelp. First of all, the wait staff are extremely nice. Water was constantly filled, which was definitely necessary on a scorching hot Sunday. Celine was super nice and always asked if we needed something. Making a decision of what to eat was the most time consuming part of my experience. I ended up ordering two eggs over easy with a side of corned beef hash. It's nothing amazing, but a great deal for a good amount of food. Everything was less than $10 per person, so I can't complain about that. This place has a homey diner feel, which is always good. read more

Honestly there are 3 reasons why I would recommend Sunrise Cafe. 1. BYOB w/ no cork charge 2. Choco chip pancakes are amazing 3. If you experienced the same frustration as I did when Whisk was over an hour wait after already buying 2 bottles of prime champagne you may just be looking for the closest BYOB. If that is the case you are in luck because Sunrise is right next store with BYOB. The food was mediocre. Diner style menu with diner style quality. Over priced for the quality and portion sized. If you went to a diner this would cost about half the price. Overall, I would not eat here again. read more

Went here based on reviews and was sadly disappointed. I ordered a breakfast burrito and the breakfast tacos both were terrible. It was not even edible and I was forced to throw it all away. read more

Sunrise Cafe - Disgusting Breakfast Tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This little hole in the wall in great! We had the Cinnamon French toast, Country Fried Steak & meat-filled omelet. Everything was good. The waitstaff was very attentive. (We were going to go to Whisk, but didn't have the cash. Glad we came here instead.) read more

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

Loved this local find! We were renting an Air BnB right down the street and came here twice on our trip. Both times the food was stellar. Perfect spot for your favorite breakfast staples with a little Mexican flair. Coming from Denver our Mexican food is a bit different, but it was fun to try this mid-west flair. We had the Chilaquiles and Huevos one day and they were both great! Not the green chili we're used to, but really good, flavorful, and fresh! Everyone was friendly and the service was good. Definitely check this spot out if your in the area you won't be disappointed. read more

Sunrise Cafe - Chilaquiles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My daughter went to the Sunrise for breakfast this morning. It's just the kind of breakfast spot we love. We ordered, I ordered the Challah french toast and bacon. My daughter ordered eggs, hashbrowns and toast. When the food comes, the french toast is just 2 pcs of white bread, not challah. The price for this breakfast was $33. That's outrageous! We won't be back. read more

Me and my husband live in the area and decided to try this restaurant out. Was not crowded so we were able to walk right in and get a seat. Water and coffee was brought to us. Maybe about 10 min the waiter came and took our order. We didn't order anything fancy simple pancakes,bacon, and eggs. After about 25 min the waiter came and told the 2 ladies sitting next to us that the kitchen was backed up and their order would be about another 30 min. Now mind you we have already been waiting for 30 min. But the waiter NEVER once said anything to use so after about another 10 min I asked would our order take 30 min as well and she said yes. My issue was why didn't you tell me that when you came and told the other table. I spoke with the manger Grace and she was just as rude she said "maybe she forgot" how could she forget to tell her table they would need to wait 30 more min after we have been here for 45 minutes Grace didn't care that we had been waiting and had to wait any longer. The tone in her voice she just didn't care. I try not to always put race into perspective but in this case that's all I could say why let your white guest know but not the black. Reply to owner: Mark, WOW anything to save face! Grace said not once but 3 times said we had to wait an additional 30 min! The woman sitting next to me told me what the waiter had said I didn't ask her anything! I never got loud..but that's the perspective you have on black people! If our food would have only took 5 min why wouldn't Grace or the waiter say "No your food would be coming right up" you and your staff are clearly incompetent of handling customer service! My experience was not a good one! read more

Great food and friendly service. Very kid friendly too. So glad we found this place. The cinnamon swirl French toast and sausage links were amazing! read more

Perfection, there's no better place to eat great food, meet greater people and just have fun

I really enjoyed this place. The servers were friendly and made sure I never saw the bottom of my coffee cup. The food was outstanding and reasonably priced. If your in the area and need a place to grab some breakfast this place will not disappoint. read more

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Our Grubhub order was sad. Everything showed up burnt. Sausage, hashbrowns, and French toast. Two stars because the bacon at least showed up normal. $30 burned. Bummed. read more

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

I've been going here for a few years now and I've neglected to write a review until now....but it's been my little secret diner gem! (and I didn't want to share) So, why 5 stars? It's the overall package. This is NOT a Bongo Room or Toast (also some of my favorites) so I can't say this is the BEST breakfast place I've been to food wise. So why 5 stars you ask? Because sometimes I just want a solid, no frills, no pretentiousness, no 1.5 hour long wait, no "...wait this breakfast cost HOW MUCH?!?!" dining experience. And for that, Sunrise is the ticket. I can't for the life of me understand how Whisk next door is so packed (their food is pricier and a little more gussied up, but it's got that perfect pretentious vibe that isn't backed up by the quality of the food). Sorry for the tangent...anyways I probably hit up Sunrise every other week, if not more often. They do standard diner fare but they do it solid all around. I've had the french toast, biscuits and gravy, omelette, etc. Many of their plates come with hash browns (the shredded variety b/c really should they be done any other way?) which are solid. Plus you can get ham off the bone as your breakfast meat option (which is definitely not offered at many places around here). The staff are down to earth people (family owned establishment) as well. So, if you're wondering what's for breakfast some day and you don't have the stomach to wait 1.5 hours for brunch and you really just want some breakfast fare done right....come on over to my spot, Sunrise Cafe. read more

Great little restaurant on Chicago Ave. It's surrounded by trendy and new restaurants, yet I would argue to say their menu beats all of those surrounding new comers. I started coming here about 5 years ago as I work in the neighborhood. I have tried other places, and nothing compares. Even something simple as a Chicken Noodle soup, they seem to knock out of the park, not by getting flashy and trendy, but by using good ingredients. That alone elevates them above the rest, their quality and ability to stick to that and not chase trendy is what makes them the best for breakfast. Most guys buy flowers for their wives when they are in trouble, I bring Sunrise's Chilaquiles home. Again, another example of a dish that seemingly everyone makes, but Sunrise Cafe just does it right. Nothing flashy, but best in Chicago. Also, really nice and friendly staff. read more

Such a quaint and homey place. I loved the diner feel and the breakfast was yummy and filling! The workers knew the menu well and were very friendly. This is just what we needed while we were on our way home. read more

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

Very good breakfast. With a friend we had breakfast here today. Two eggs at the Benedict mode. All really good. Was very helpful for our hangover :) read more

Sunrise Cafe - Goooood! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoy walking into an establishment and being greeted by folks who are genuinely happy to serve you. My waitress, Mandy, was sincere and cheerful at 8am- making my breakfast experience extra pleasant. I had breakfast tacos, filled with eggs, green peppers, onions and sausage. I definitely recommend asking for a side of their homemade tomatillo sauce (like a traditional salsa verde) it was not too spicy and tasted very fresh. I will absolutely come back, the folks here are respectful and casual- just the way I like. Thank you sunrise cafe. read more

Sunrise Cafe - Breakfast tacos: Classic and delicious. No frills. Tortillas are crispy and filled with eggs, onions, green peppers and sausage. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I wanted to like this place because I was really excited to see they had a tofu scramble on the breakfast menu. The service was ok, and my husband was happy with his vegetarian omelet. The hash browns (included in both dishes) were a small portion and over cooked. I was served the wrong toast, and the tofu scramble was truly terrible. It was supposed to be soy chorizo and tofu with bell pepper, mushroom and spinach. Based on the soyrizo being in the menu description, I assumed I'd get a southwest inspired scramble, where tofu was meant to replace egg. Instead I got soggy, flavorless tofu, with a strange wheat based meat alternative (tasted more Italian or meatloaf like), exactly one slice of mushroom, a few slices of precooked bell peppers and absolutely no seasoning. Somehow the entire dish was red in color as if paprika was all that had been used on it, but it really didn't even taste like that. The strange meat alternative was really unappetizing. It was one of the worst things I've ever paid to eat. Since my husband liked his (despite the small hash brown portions) and the server was relatively nice and attentive, I feel like I have to give two stars to this place. I wouldn't recommend this place because they have no idea what to do with vegetarian options, based on my experience; however, this place is probably more pleasing to meat eaters. Updated after cafe responded: The printed menu that my husband and I both saw said "soy chorizo." The online menu says "soy sausage". Besides the point, these were my opinions based on a real experience that I had at Sunrise Cafe - no fake information. Review changed to 1 Star due to unnecessarily rude and unprofessional responses from the cafe. read more

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

Great breakfast! I called ahead for breakfast and my food was ready within 10 minutes. The staff was so friendly! I can't wait to go back for another breakfast croissant read more

We got delivery. My food was spilling out of the cointainer and was all lunped together and gross. There was sauce all over the bag and container and the food had fallen apart. When we called to complain, they refused to refund me or do anything about it. read more

There was a 35 min wait at whisk so we walked into sunrise. It is perfect for what it is, good simple food. We were greeted right away and served water and coffee. They were almost full, maybe 1or 2 tables left open. Our server was upon us in no time ready to take our order. Our soup came first and was exactly how chicken noodle soup should be. My entre, chilaquiles, were made to perfection. The chips were crunchy, salsa warm and spicy, and eggs cooked right. All around a solid, no trickery breakfast. IM GOING BACK. read more

Messed up my order. I notated "no sausage in gravy" in the note on my order. The reason I put that note was because this same restaurant previously screwed up my order and used sausage gravy even though the item doesn't use it. Instead of calling me and asking for clarification, they decided to not put any gravy on my country fried steak. It was inedible. I called the restaurant to let them know. The woman who answered the phone, who I assume is Grace B. (Appropriate last name initial) was extremely rude, short and condescending. She said her snotty rude tone, "the cooks were confused on the note because we don't put sausage gravy." Obviously you don't, but you screwed it up last time. I asked her if she was confused, why didn't she call and confirm. She had nothing to say and had no solution. I'm going to do my best to let people know of this trashy establishment. Wrong person. read more

I came here with my bf one morning for breakfast and we were seated right away. The place feels like a friendly neighborhood diner and had a good vibe and great service. Everyone was very friendly. The food is just your typical comfort diner food. Nothing mind blowing in my opinion. My boyfriend got the chilaquiles and it was a large potion and he loved it. read more

Sunrise Cafe is an unassuming breakfast spot with no frills but great food. Everything my family and I ordered was really good. Our girls split a plate of fries that my husband and I ended up eating too because it was delicious. I ordered the eggs with corn beef hash and hash brown. It was excellent! The hubby devoured his BLT club sandwich, while my girls enjoyed their plain cheese quesadilla. They were attentive filling up my husband's coffee mug and making sure we had plenty of water. The only negative was how long it took for our food to come out...think we waited over half an hour. Otherwise, this place is great. read more

Great service! I am allergic to eggs so I was happy to order the tofu with the hash browns and it did not disappoint. The portions are large. The toasted raisin bread was also a good addition to the meal. Coffee was ok. read more

We've never dined in, but have ordered several times, the breakfast menu is great, huge selection and ordering eggs for delivery can be difficult but they have always come prepared correctly. For some reason though through delivery our order is always incorrect, the food is still great, but I couldn't tell you why we are always getting the wrong order. Will continue to order read more

What a joyful surprise this spot was. Tasty scrambled tofu and shredded hash browns with veggie sausage. Old school friendly atmosphere. Extremely Yummylicious ‼‼‼ read more

On our way home after a great weekend in Chicago, we wanted to fuel ourselves with a healthy breakfast. Using Yelp we found this hole in the wall gem. Of note, the coffee is fair trade and super tasty--available free with a Yelp check-in offer! I wanted something simple, so opted for eggs, toast and hash browns. The server was great with recommendations and the food was served hot and quickly. Very happy we stopped here! read more

Sunrise Cafe - Seating area - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have a special place in my heart that does breakfast this way: eggs, toast, and breakfast meat, if so desired. Simple and easy. Don't get me wrong, I love a fancy-schmancy brekkie now and again, but my roots are simple. My dad brought me up to love the cheap breakfasts that kept you going all day long. Sunrise Cafe is remniscent of those cheap breakfasts (although with a slightly higher price tag, thanks City of Chicago and big-city living). Friendly servers, quick refills, good coffee. And excellent omelets. I got my usual, veggie-style, adding a bit of feta cheese, English muffin on the side (my love) AND it is important to note that they do have raisin toast as well (everyone knows that english muffins and raisin toast are the two BEST breakfast carbs out there.) Oh, and shredded hashbrowns? Yes please! My mom enjoyed eggs florentine...and we both enjoyed the quiet clinking of a lazy breakfast joint on a Friday morning. I'll be back, probably with Dad for his approval, when I'm looking for some good, simple breakfast (and when I'm too lazy to cook it!!!) read more

This place serves decent breakfast and lunch, and it's great when you live in the neighborhood. The restaurant gets pretty crowded on the weekends, so be prepared to wait for a table. My usual order of chorizo and eggs, which is served with green tomatillo salsa, rice & beans, and tortillas, is a great choice. Their lunch is typical diner-style food like grilled cheese, BLTs, and burgers. Again, the food is nothing spectacular, but the prices are reasonable and it's a spot for neighborhood folk to have 2pm breakfasts on weekends. read more

I pushed the door. I am in Normal Town, in the heart of 'merica. In my emigrated mind fed up on countless movies, TV shows and Norman Rockwell illustrations the typical American diner looks exactly like this. Old-fashioned, with booths, ugly picture frames, American flags and a jug of coffee in the background. A little bit of wood, a little bit of grease, a couple of regulars and a board where the specials include pancakes, bacon, gravy and biscuits. But I am just a few blocks away from home, on Chicago Avenue. What a surprise. But the best surprise was actually in the plate. My chilaquiles were most excellent, with the tortilla chips still crunchy and the green salsa perfectly tangy. The hashbrowns of my breakfast companion were slightly charred just like he loves them, and the pancakes......................................so freaking fluffy and delicious that I just couldn't believe it. That's why I kept stealing bites, just to make sure. You know.... Best part yet: unlike most of the 'hood establishments, they serve Intelligentsia coffee, and not the infamous Metropolis. I leave the latter to Batman and am happy to slurp on some good joe, anti-hero style. I guess the sun rises late for the owner of the place since it usually opens at 7am but it's ok with me since I rarely have breakfast before then anyway. Like my little slice of deep America. read more

Oh yay! A diner near my house that serves Intelligensia coffee. Mmmm, I went here with my friend for breakfast and it was delicious! I ordered the chilaquiles.... now being mexican, I'm pretty biased as to what chilaquiles should taste like, the ones at the diner were pretty good, not my favorite but good. I, however, was not a fan of the rice. The service was great, very attentive staff and they even put smiley faces on the check. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would.. one of the most ridiculous dining experiences my boyfriend and I have had. We decided to walk down to the restaurant this morning for brunch instead of waiting an hour+ for delivery time.. boy, were we mistaken! We stood in the doorway for 10 minutes before anyone said a word to us. Although, people who came in after were greeted right away. Eventually, we were told we could help ourselves to seating on the "heated patio". After sitting, we waited 5 minutes for a very rude waitress to walk by us multiple times then throw menus on our table without saying a word. Another 5 minutes goes by before she comes back to take an order. Our order: The Smokey Mountain Eggs (biscuits and gravy, 2 eggs, bacon) and Breakfast tacos. Simple enough, right? (Sidenote: we were told there would be a bit of a wait.. but we did not expect what we would experience..) WRONG! We waited AN HOUR for this order. During this time, the only person that came to our table was the busser to refill our coffees. The server never stopped by to tell us food was on the way or to apologize for the wait. We finally received our food.. and what a disaster.. my biscuits and gravy had a thick film over it and my boyfriends tacos were inedible. He waited to finally get the servers attention to send his cold, stale tacos back as i forced myself to eat my cold filmy b&gs. We were the given a check by (what my guess) is the owner. She informed us that she had taken his meal off the check (which is good, considering he didn't eat any of it and did not order anything new) and "gave us a discount".. said "discount" was a whopping $.50 off.. we were still charged full price for my meal and both of our cups of coffee.. this bill was dropped off with a very rude attitude and insincere apology for the inconvenience. After spending an hour and a half in this restaurant, we then had to go to another place for my boyfriend to finally get breakfast. What a waste of time! read more

The smokey mountain eggs will likely be the death of me. That plate of fat, carbs and protein has to be the best example of biscuits and gravy that I've had in Chicago and the addition of eggs and bacon make it simply delicious. Add in really fast service from a cool server and I'll gladly come back. A half-point off for the owner not letting us even *pay* for a side of their blueberry compote to add to the pancakes my wife got with her combo breakfast - seriously, it's not a substitution, it's an addition. We would have paid a buck or three for the option. read more