Best Brunch Spots in Chicago

Our Local Expert Says:

This intimate Cuban restaurant is a great place to take a date for dinner or catch weekend brunch. A live band plays during Sunday brunch (11 am to 2 pm). The food is rich and flavorful. You won't leave disappointed.

Description:

Café 28 specializes in Cuban and Mexican cuisine that goes a bit above the typical fare. Instead of tortilla chips, you'll be offered a basket of bread while you browse the menu. It includes items like pistachio-crusted chicken, honey jalapeño pork chops, and almond-crusted halibut. When Café 28 opened in 1995, the restaurant only served breakfast and lunch at its nine tables. Once the menu expanded to incorporate dinner dishes, Café 28 quickly grew to include indoor seating for 100 as well as a back patio. Diners come not only to sample the food, but also the drink menu. Café 28 mojitos use fresh ingredients and are served strong. - Betsy Mikel

Our Local Expert Says:

As far as Lakeview brunch destinations go, Orange is worth the wait. Expect long lines on Saturday and Sunday mornings (even in the winter, although lines are shorter than in the summer months), but know that you will soon be munching on something delicious like Chai tea-infused French toast, jelly donut pancakes, or steak and eggs Benedict. You can also choose your own juice (fresh squeezed) from any in-season fruit and create your own frushi.

Description:

This restaurant in Lakeview offers modern twists on classic breakfast dishes. Try the Orange-Rosemary French Toast, which comes with almonds, cherries, and of course, orange slices. Many of their dishes as well as their coffee comes infused with orange flavor, but there are other options, like the Veggie Sandwich, which comes with balsamic dressing, jalapeno mayo, and garlic-yogurt sauces. You might get the Caprese Benedict for brunch: a caprese salad on top of the standard egg's benedict plate. They also offer a kid's menu. - Gina Rosemellia

Our Local Expert Says:

A wonderful and small romantic restaurant, but also another fantastic Chicago brunch location.

Description:

Angelina's is truly a romantic gem of Lakeview. A little neighborhood Italian restaurant tucked away just a few blocks from Wrigley Field, complete with candlelight, an intimate environment, yet a relaxed atmosphere for any occasion. Come here for a delightful lunch of fresh pasta, a romantic dinner. However, it is not just for couples, it is a perfectly cozy setting for a group event, or for a fantastic Sunday brunch with unlimited mimosas.

Description:

This long-time neighborhood fixture is a cross between a typical American diner and a more upscale cafe. People flock here for this reason, and the place hops seven-days-a-week. It is especially crowded on the weekends when the restaurant bulges with people clamoring for standards like burgers or more elegant crepes. All the food is made fresh, and it is all very good, making this a great, inexpensive place to cap an evening out in Lakeview.

Description:

Unpretentious decor of brick and large storefront windows provide an inviting backdrop for the food. Start by selecting from a range of delicious breads and salads. Then move to the memorable entrees, including yellow-fin tuna, black squid ink pasta with calamari and fusilli. Guests will find an ample beverage selection, but those with a sweet tooth will have limited choices. Sunday brunch and menu items are medium priced.

Description:

On the heels of their upscale Asian spot Sunda, the Rockit Ranchers are bringing a bi-level sibling of their River North flagship to the Cubs' backyard, serving up original favorites like the ballyhooed Brie-slathered Kobe "Rockit Burger" along with new comestibles like five styles of flatbread pizza (chorizo & pepper, bacon cheeseburger, caramelized onion & goat cheese, etc) and ballpark-appropriate mini hot dogs, an unfortunate side effect leftover from the steroid era.

Description:

Germain and Sara Roignant have run this intimate gem of a cafe since 1972, never straying from the reasonably priced crepes that have won them a loyal following. The decor is heavy on '70s-era brown, but if you find the main dining room too dark, head to the back patio (enclosed in colder months), which sparkles with strings of white lights. Onion soup, pâté, and escargot are all good starters, but the highlights here are the whole-wheat crepes -- each prepared on a special grill that Germain imported from his native Brittany. Single-choice fillings include cheese, tomato, egg, or ham; tasty duets feature chicken and mushroom or broccoli and cheese. But I'd suggest going with the richer fillings, such as beef bourguignon, coq au vin, or curried chicken, for the best overall flavor. Non-crepe offerings are few: orange roughy and steak frites. Don't leave without sharing one of the dessert crepes, which tuck anything from apples to ice cream within their warm folds.