The service at this place sucked and so did the food. At first when we got sat down we didn't even get are drinks taken until 10 minutes after we sat down when we got are food and drinks we ate and the food had no taste it was tasteless nothing had flavor but the pancakes were BOMB I would only come back for the pancakes read more

It's chaotic and unorganized but good. If you are looking for a chill place to have a lazy, calm, weekend brunch...this is not it. If you crave a high energy, busy, fast paced, diner vibe...Tempo delivers. We arrived and walked up to the register to put our name in for a table. We stood there and the gentleman working the register/front door looked overwhelmed and confused. He wouldn't look up at anyone to speak with them or accommodate them. This included not only myself and other guests, but also food delivery services who were asking questions regarding their incomplete orders, and other employees. At one point another employee looked at him after she wasn't being acknowledged and said to him 'Hey what's wrong with you...use words and tell me what you need from me!' Finally, after 9 minutes of me standing and staring at him, he looked up and said, 'I have tables but I don't know what's happening at the moment...write your name on this pad.' So, I wrote my name down on the notepad and was sat after a short wait. The server arrived and was pleasant. She brought us what we ordered and checked in with us every now and again...ok but nothing special. Food is typical diner food and was good but again nothing special. Upon leaving, there was a line gathering at the front door so I recommend planning for a wait as this place appears to be quite popular. Tempo is good and I would recommend it, it's just nothing super special. read more

Tempo Cafe - Brunch! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Found this spot on a recommendation from our hotel which was a quick 5 min walk away. Appreciated the waitlist feature on Yelp, as we were able to arrive within 5 mins of our name being called. The restaurant gives me a diner feel, but there is something on the menu for everyone! Reasonably priced and good tasting food. Would definitely visit again on my next visit to Chicago. read more

The menu options were vast and it was the perfect place to go meet with a friend or go on a date where there is good food but it doesn't break the bank. Service was very timely and the food tasted great! read more

Great late night place to grab diner food. Not the best quality but still good for what it is. Great prices and a fun vibe!

Would not ever go here again. Was told a 15-20 minute wait and waited over 30. Had to ask for water after sitting down for 15 minutes and the restaurant was extremely warm. My order was messed up and I was overcharged due to this mess up and waiter still didn't do anything. She walked past us several times without acknowledging the fact I wasn't eating my meal and was trying to make eye contact with her to come by. Overall very unhappy! read more

We ate here for lunch and had a larger group so we got tables separated. One group sat inside and the manager told them they could buy their own champagne for mimosas. We sat outside and also went next door to get a bottle of champagne. The manager came out and told us they could not allow champagne outside the restaurant. Although, our waiter said they had allowed champagne outside many times before. Therefore, it was evident the manager discriminated due to the fact that we looked younger. (All 23 yrs old) Manager went about the situation extremely rude and unprofessional. read more

Round the clock grub downtown? A rarity. I dined for breakfast on a weekday, so I did not witness the unbearable wait times...though I'm sure if I had, I'd be deducting another star. It's a decent stop for a downtown omelette, but it's nothing to wait around for... Aforementioned omelette was BIG. Denver style, served in a pan. Interesting touch, though really...I'd prefer a plate. Just a thing I have. I know I'm not super sophisticated, but I generally don't eat out of the skillets at my house. Ok, that one time...but that doesn't count, because I didn't have any dishes clean ;) Food was acceptable, and prices are on par for downtown. It's a greasy spoon with Gold Coast clientele and price points. The outdoor patio is prime for people watching and the service is a bit spotty, although adequate... Coffee is hot and strong, just the way I like it. Many refills later I was extra jolted and ready to power through the day... I wouldn't wait for it, but if the timing is right and you're downtown in search of breakfast, it sure beats the food court at 700 N Michigan! What's with the weird orange/prune plate? Is that a prune? I have no idea. Maybe just a bloated cherry. I could not tell, and did not want to find out... read more

I never get sick of Tempo, it truly always hits the spot. Everything comes out hot and fresh, staff are very easy to communicate with even when it's busy (which it typically is) great spot. read more

Oh Tempo, how I wish that your chicken a la louie didn't satisfy me quite so much. And I wish I didn't love the soup that came with my meal, along-side the big, potatoey steak fries. Know why? NO FREE REFILLS. In my world, that's just bogue. If I pay $1.95 for a lovely Diet Coke and I slurp to the bottom, please...just fill it back up. Cuz if you charge me another $1.95, I might scream. I'm bratty like that. (Oh, and also, when I refuse to order one of your non-refillable drinks, please do not punish me by not refilling my water glass. That's just mean. Like Kate Gosselin drinking water in front of her thirsty kids and not sharing mean.) Nice patio, good assortment of breakfast foods, and my sammie was awesome, loaded with avocado and bacon. But I'm still mad about the no free refills rule. read more

This morning I was very hungry from not eating dinner the night before due to a massive lunch. I had a wicked hankerin' for a good skillet, but did not want to haul all my gear down to Cozy Cafe for one of their wicked specialties. Located two blocks off the Chicago Red Line stop, Tempo Cafe is in the middle of the circle of restaurants and bars that mysteriously do not take debit or credit card, but do have an ATM inside. There is a great patio area and I wish it had been nicer, because I would have hurried and fought for a seat. I came in around 10:30am and was seated immediately. Inside, I found a very diverse crowd including businessmen in suits, moms taking the kids out and cops. People were of all races and that made me feel comfortable. A coffee man came by after I was seated at a giant booth all by myself and was quickly followed by water man. The waitress dropped by quickly and I went to work: Poor man's skillet and a side of sausage ba-ba-ba-boom! As I twitted my thumbs and played around text messaging, all of a sudden they dropped a Poor man's skillet, toast, 3 perfectly poached eggs and a generous helping of butter, jam, and the like. They also dropped an orange slice and a date in front of me. Condiments on the table included Grey Poupon, Ketchup, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Tabasco and salt and pepper. I dug into my toast first and laced up both slices with tons of butter - yum! I ate that and moved to sip a few gulps of water and then began working on the poached eggs. Once they were gone, I stirred the skillet that had three, count them three slices of cheese! Ketchup in hand, I pitter pattered pats of catsup and made my crispy skillet complete. No, this was not some soggy mess of a skillet, it was a meat-filled potato wonder. The ham was large pieces, some hacked into tiny cubes, and some cooked like it was bacon. This diversity in texture really did it for me, and I ate the whole damn thing and did not fall into a food coma! On the downside, I ordered a disappointing side of sausage for $3.95 which looked like it could have come out of any old Johnsonville mini frozen sausage patty box. If you are thinking of getting giant links of sausage, this is not it! All in all for an $8.50 skillet and some wicked ill food, call me a happy camper! read more

A Yelper recommended the chocolate chip pancakes, and I'm no anarchist so I ordered those fluffers. Deelish. Seriously, melt in my mouth so good, so fine, so glad you're mine. Good. I put butter and syrup on them in reasonable quantities and just shut up and ate. My girlfriend got a skillet, which seemed quite the thing to get. I wasn't feeling savory though I did want to reach over and snap some ham bits out from under her nose. *Overcome with regret* I'll go back, for the CC Cakes. Exclusively and intimately. Possibly alone. In the back corner booth. Leave me be. p.s. Service was great, though the waitress was continually disappointed by my not wanting more coffee. I kindly explained I had four cups at home. Oh the secret lives we lead. read more

Always great breakfast avocado toast is yummy. Mr dtr had raspberry waffle also yummy. We came on Friday at 10am no wait. Great day service.

In my humble opinion Tempo Cafe is a much needed diner in this neighborhood. I mean, who doesn't love a diner with familiar dishes and big portions? I was happy that the hotel where I'm staying directed me here when I asked where I could have a kid-friendly big breakfast. This is a good ol' diner prefect for big plates of eggs, hash browns & toast. They have a few fresh squeezed juice options which is a nice touch. A definite revisit if I stay in this part of the city again. read more

My guilty pleasure hangover location after a late night and too many adult beverages. This time was after a friends wedding ,we packed the car and figured we would fill up before heading home. found a parking spot pretty quick and got our name on the list...... 10 -15 minutes promised. took closer to 30 minutes.......... the staff was not turning over and cleaning tables as quick as i remember from my last visit a couple of years ago. The food was as i remembered, a slice of orange and a prune to start with a bottomless coffee. I dined on the 3 eggs western omelet in the skillet with a side of slightly burned hash browns and rye toast. My man went the full carb route... french toast and hash browns... not burnt..... He shared :) Hangover fading....! A plus is they now take credit cards. I will give them another try next time in the city, Tempo Cafe and i have history.... but give me a realistic seating time and let me decide if i want to wait or move on ............. read more

Breakfast was fantastic. Service was fast and friendly as well. I got the corned beef hash with eggs over easy and my son got the strawberry pancakes with bacon. Perfect. Everything was done just right for us and we devoured every bite. The fresh orange marmalade is da bomb too! read more

I'm a breakfast for dinner kind of guy. I don't know what kind of guy that makes me. Oh, wait an AWESOME guy (giving you the "Fonzie point"). Pants and I worked up an appetite after watching others leap and jump through the air (Contemp. dance festival). Yep, that's how we roll. Lucky for us it wasn't busy and there was plenty of tables on the patio for a nice sunny day. There really isn't much to say about the place, decor is plain and the service is ok, nothing really special but... the food is solid. It's not fancy and it's more then likely to put some meat on your bones. The servings are HUGE! I didn't have to eat for the rest of the weekend. They have all of your standard breakfast items so it's not hard to find something you like. I went with the Poor Man's Skillet -A skillet full of hash browns, bacon, green pepper, onion, first topped with melted American, Mozzarella, cheddar and Swiss then topped with your style of three eggs. Good lord I was struggling to finish and didn't. Pants decided to be crazy and go with the Jamaican- 3 Egg Omelettes with banana, walnut, honey. That shit was good, I almost stole it and yes we both said that it was so good it was "Jamaican me crazy". Like I said solid and a big meal. Also, bring cash, no credit allowed. read more

At 9AM on a weekday, it was not too busy for these times. The never- ending coffee cup was a good idea. The Crabmeat Eggs Benedict was excellent. The fresh squeezed orange juice in a fountain glass for $5 was just spectacular. It was a great way to start the day. read more

I want to give this spot more stars I really do!!! it was 7 or so years ago, I was in Chicago for work, and first discovered this spot, was dazzled by the fresh fruit selections, fresh raspberries and blueberries in abundance, who has that? amazing omelets... My first moment at Tempo was @ about 4am on a random chicago night about 7 years ago, and truthfully the fact that a place like this existed in Chicago made me want to move here (with many other contributing factors for sure!)... I love the Jamaican omelet, hmmmm banana walnut honey in eggy goodness! Fast forward to last night... Had some out of town buddies in and we were have a fun night out about and around, drinks, dinner, movie, dessert (tempo for dessert and coffee after movie, twas late!), more drinks.... 6 of us... Cheese cake.... BAD! I mean it bad! Chocolate cake... Not Good! I mean it not good! Fresh raspberries... On point! Cream pies.... None to be had... So sad! Banana split... No chocolate Ice cream?? What? Service was good! Hey kidz just a suggestion... Take Credit cards, really it is 2010... Just Cash is so not cool! I will give Tempo another chance, cuz I love this place, but if this continues, I will fall out of love! read more

The only place in Chicago for breakfast. Reminds me of New York style diners that are open 24hrs a day and have a full menu. For those that love omlettes, waffles or pancakes this is the place. No place better to cure your weekend hangover. Bring your cash because no credit cards are accepted. Prepare to wait and see everybody you know as the line just confirms this is the best breakfast place in town. read more

THIS PLACE IS AWFUL!!! Just another lame greek joint, claiming to specialize in everything, but in reality only specializes in poor quality food and dining. AVOID!! read more

Stupid, dumb, and hyphy. You only go to this place because 1) you're drunk 2) its the only place open 3) everywhere else is packed or closed and you're starving and its in a central location 4) you like spending $5 for just a grilled cheese on white bread or 5) you want to go somewhere non-pretentious to show off your designer sweatpants and Ugg boots. read more

Sometimes I have to force myself to write unfavorable reviews. Typing out glowing 5-star ones are so easy, but 2-star ones are a little painful. Still, a meal at Tempo Cafe resulted in me being nauseous for an entire day. Hm... not so good. I had skimmed some reviews, suggested lunch there after a mad 3-hour morning study session, even bringing along cash. I was excited! An P. liked it and I generally trust his food choices. So when I order a hot roast beef sandwich with soup, I am hopeful! Even looking forward to my meal... What came out was not so good. The chicken rice soup tasted fine, but was this gloppy white thick cream stuff that sort of resembled Elmer's glue. I thought chicken rice was supposed to be broth-based? My fault for not asking I suppose, though if they had done this with chicken noodle, people might have thrown a fit. My sandwich was a mound of flavorless roast beef on top of some bread that basically disintegrated. The mashed potatoes were pathetic. Not remotely creamy - did they mix this stuff with water? Can we get some butter and cream in here please? Extra heavy peppering didn't help anything. I think maybe people who don't have their own teeth would like this food. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing and should have gone with breakfast instead. However, if you aren't going to do something well, then don't put it on the menu. Simple. Plus 1-star for friendly service. read more

Large portions and delicious! Love that you can check in ahead of time to reserve your place in line. Maybe because of the busy time we were there, but the service was extremely slow. We waited quite a while before being acknowledged once sat down. Then another 15 minutes before getting our coffee. They were out of most juices, but the place was hoppin. Will definitely try again if in the neighborhood just to try something else from their menu. read more

This is the best breakfast place in Chicago! All meals I've tried have been delicious with huge portions. I love coming back here. Very cute environment. read more

This is a breakfast for a man about to go work a ten hour shift on the farm. It comes in a skillet for Pete's sake! And not a small skillet either. This spot is classic diner food but with tasty options. I've been here now a couple times over the years and Tempe never seems to let me down. On my most recent visit, we got lucky with cold and rainy weather in the middle of the week which meant that Tempe wasn't very crowded and we actually got a seat without waiting. We first tried the banana pancakes as our appetizer followed by a skillet omelet. Yes, I said a skillet. I got the egg white omelet with ham, cheese, spinach and mushrooms. It was large and definitely in charge. The omelet rests on a bed of hash browns within the skillet. I ate and I ate and I ate and I ate...and guess what this skillet looked like when I was too stuffed to think? It looked like a little bird had poked a hole in it with its beak and took some little bites. It didn't even look like I had eaten anything! PS - every bite was delicious. The only downfall is that more often than not, there is a line out the door to eat at Tempo. But hey, that's the price you pay for a delicious breakfast to start your day! read more

Bless this oddly located Gold Coast diner -having gone to grad school in this neighborhood, this place was a godsend. Just try getting a decent meal when you're living on student loans in this hood that isn't McDonald's, go on, I dare you. It seems like most places that don't require reservations in this neighborhood have been closed down, most likely, due to my detested alma mater owning every square inch of real estate in this neighborhood - thanks a bunch, Loyola. Nicer than most diners, but a diner nonetheless. Cheap and yummy breakfast with well prepared eggs and great hash browns, really friendly servers, good sandwiches and salads, generous (huge) specials, tasty soups. When I was feeling really rich, I'd get the open faced turkey sandwich, they make it right at this joint. An extra point for letting me sit, chain smoke, and study for hours without giving me the bum rush. Thanks, Tempo, I needed that. read more

Everyone told me this is "THE BREAKFAST PLACE" to try out. I tried and tried and tried least 20 different times to go here. Long lines, waiting, very longgggg wait. So every time I walked by hoping there wasn't a long line then get disappointed and ended up going elsewhere to eat. I finally got lucky few weeks ago on Labor Day, not many people around downtown that day. It was WORTH THE WAIT! I had ham & cheese omelets with side of french toast. Oh man it was so good. I can't believe they bring your plate of food using a frying pan? How many of these do they have in the kitchen? I noticed that this was how they served omelets from looking at other tables. You guys must have 100 of these frying pans huh? lot of washing dishes.. hehe They give you so much food, I couldn't finish everything, and I think I digged the french toast much better. I'm going to keep on trying to go here again. read more

Such a love hate relationship with you, Tempo Cafe. I live right down the street from here, and the food has always been fantastic. It's the service here that really drives me crazy. As a college student, sometimes I'm up till 1am studying and doing homework. Decided to come here for a meal and do my homework but was told that's "not something they do on the weekends" and that I "couldn't have my laptop in here" .....Um, okay. Even told them I was going to order food and they still turned me away with empty tables. Rude rude rude rude rude. Would have loved to enjoy some Corned Beef hash here. Second time I get a to go order coming out to $13.45. Look on my bank statement and see I was charged $27.32....This place has to get it together. read more

Their slogan is "Never miss a beat!" and boy is that true. Their service was quick. It was unbelievable how quick they sat a table of 11 women without any reservations on a packed Saturday morning. Their service is 5 stars. The food is the reason its 3. Not sure if it was just how unbearably freezing it was inside or that the food was sitting for awhile before it was served. But it was room temperature and being Cuban, I love my food super hot. Overall, I had a great experience at this restaurant! read more

I ate here with a friend this past Sunday morning. They had a long line but it want rather quickly. Once we went inside noticed the tables were quite close to each other, which I didn't care for, but we were luckily they sat us at a booth. We both had a poor man's skillet and it was fantastic. We were looking for hearty breakfast to get through the day and we got it. We weren't hungry again till later that night. It was very busy but I our waitress was very attentive. I didn't even notice that they didn't accept credit cards. I oddly had cash on me otherwise that would have been an issue. read more

Went here on the recommendation of the hotel clerk when we were looking for a nice place to grab breakfast. We roamed on over on a rather gorgeous Sunday morning and expected the place to be very busy. Much to our delight, we were seated outdoors instantly; if we'd have been about 20 minutes later, we'd have been stuck waiting. It's all about great timing, right? The hostess had all the personality in the world, and our server was very friendly. The menu is mostly classic diner food, but really - what's wrong with that? The French toast was very tasty. And the poor man's skillet I had, with all sorts of hashy-goodness (if I can create a word) underneath a bed of 4 cheese and 3 over easy eggs? That's just heaven in a skillet if you ask me! And all told breakfast was around $28.00. Can't beat that! We'll be back! read more

by 2k9 you'd expect every place in the US to accept credit card, but Tempo still doesn't. That's OK though, because its worth using their old school ghetto ATM for the excellent Omelette Pan! The rest of the stuff is pretty mediocre but Tempo is the ultimate late night food spot in Chicago, and you can be as drunk as you want and still feel comfortable here (they're used to it) I like Tempo although I don't go often. Don't forget, make sure to get the Omlette pan otherwise you will probably be disappointed with the mid-level food. Service: C+ Food: B- Overall: B- (late night in Chi doesn't offer much. . . . ) read more

Best place to go to immediately after a night of late-night partying! I highly recommend the omelettes, pancakes, and waffles. They are delicious and oh so filling! It gets pretty packed and busy with all the other party animals who come in looking to fill their bellies with carb-heavy breakfast food. You may have to wait a bit to be seated, but it's worth it. The service is great and extremely patient. You'd have to be, especially when dealing with a restaurant full of drunken maniacs! I give Tempo Cafe 4 stars: 3 stars overall plus an additional star for their friendly and extremely patient service. Oh yeah, one more thing. When you come to Tempo Cafe make sure you have cash on you because they don't take plastic. Holla!!!™ read more

Now if you know me YOU know that I truly love Breakfast. So, I was surprised when my friend who was in town visiting mentioned Tempo and I had not heard of it. Well I made my way down to Tempo and let me tell you if you want to sit on the patio be prepared to W A I T. So, we decided to eat inside. I love any place that serves regular ole breakfast and they serve it all day. So, I have no issues with the food. I do think that our server needed to WRITE down our order. I mean she forgot quite a few things that we said and I know that it is hip, as you young folks say, to memorize an order but if your memory is a little unstable WRITE it down!! With that said I will definitely go back but if I have that same server I will expect their to be some lapses in memory. read more

Always a solid choice for breakfast. Strong value considering the large portions. Always well executed including the house made marmalade. Plenty of patio seating. read more

Since I work third shift I rarely eat breakfast in the morning. I usually just come home, shower and crash. My cousin invited me to breakfast today before we went shopping. So Though I was tired I figured why not go and get some breakfast for a change. My cousin suggested Tempo Cafe. I thought for a second? Oh yea Tempo, I didn't even know it was a cafe. I would just see the sign whenever I would ride by but never paid any attention. I met him at 10am and he had made it there before me. I walked in and the woman, ok I may get dissed on for this, but the woman at the counter, honestly looked like Charo. I was looking for my cousin and then she popped in my face. and ..my first thought was..Charo? ...Ok, progressing. We ordered, He got Pancakes with a peeled large phallic banana...ook yes bananas are phallic, but we both just thought it was random.lol a peeled banana just sitting atop the pancakes..plus a side of sausage. I got an eggwhite "Gold COast Omelette which is onions,mushrooms tomatos & spinach I added mozzerella, wheat toast & cranberry juice. Everything, was great! I loved that they had the eggwhite option. The Omelette was huge! and it had potatoes under it. I loved it. Very huge portion and very filling. ...Came to 35 bucks with tip. I enjoyed it, though we sat at a booth and i felt that the seat was too far away from the table i waz like sittin on the edge of the seat. But i dont care i really liked the friendly service, the speed of service, and the delicious food. I definately recommend! read more

Trying to get to another place, we ended up here. The service I do have to say was 5 stars. but the food was ok. Be warned services are huge!!!!! Way too much food.. They do not even have a 2 egg platter - smallest one is 3 eggs which is way too much for me. I requested 2 eggs one instead but was advised that they were going to charge me for 3 - no substitution. Had them fried - with ham - it was over all - toast was amazing.. Hubby had a huge platter of scrambled - 3 eggs - all mixed up with ham, bacon, way to much for one... toast were big as well. best part was the freshly made orange marmalade - that was awesome!! gotta get extra of that for sure. We were advised that in the good old days, Jordan used to come in with his buddies after a late nite out (they are open 24 hrs). Must of been a site! Sure he enjoyed the big servings!!! If ever in the area, do not believe we would come back again. Its one of those hubby and I say, been there, done that..... read more

Food was decent, though the service needs improvement. They were friendly, but very spacey. When our server sat us down there was money on the table - a tip from the last diners. I pointed it out to her, and she responded "oh, that belongs to the other waitress. I'll just leave it there, if you don't mind." That cash remained at our table the entire time we were there. It's sort of uncomfortable to have someone else's cash lying there while you're eating. My friend and I each got coffee - she had an omelette, and I had the morning special, which was simply French toast with fruit on top. A plus for not giving me preserves - fresh BLUEBERRIES (score), fresh ripe strawberries, and fresh banana. And no, they didn't put more banana than anything else just because it's cheaper. The french toast was perfect. My friend got this huge cheesy omelette that she thought was great. We definitely wanted more food - I was still hungry (my dish had only four half slices of bread) and my friend wanted something fresh after all that protein and cheese but the server seemed pretty anxious to get us out of there, even though it wasn't crowded. She left our check on the table five minutes after we got our food. I told her "Actually, we'd like to order more food." She responded "Really?" and smiled. We nodded, but she left without taking the check back. We figured she was off getting our menus. After ten minutes, she came back and asked us if were were ready to pay. Um, all righty then. The bill came to almost $30, and we paid with a $50 bill. She came back with our change: a $20 bill and a $1 bill. Since we didn't really want to tip her $20, we had to ask her again for change, and she seemed slightly annoyed (!?). She came back with two $10 bills. Um. Well, thirty three percent it is, then. We didn't really feel like pushing it further, since we were in a hurry at this point (since we were planning to stop somewher else for food after leaving Tempo) and the server looked confused, not bitchy. Good food though. read more

2AM Gold Coast diner, late-night standby for all your shenanigans at this hour. Oversized omelettes and skillets to stave off your impending hangover. Ample seating, good for groups. read more