Best Breakfast and Brunch Places in Countryside

"West LoopThis long-revered Mediterranean-influenced fixture from One Off Hospitality has held it down as one of the area’s go-to date night spots since opening its minimalist doors back in 2003, well before many of us could even define romance. And not much has changed -- the wine list is still spectacular, the chorizo-stuffed medjool dates are still iconic, and a reservation for the intimate front patio is still highly coveted."

"This sunny Lincoln Park outpost continues to serve up Cali swag via a full bill of brunchtime favorites. Hass avocado BLTs, loaded cobb salads, housemade English muffins, breakfast burritos stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs and sausage, and Guiliana Prosecco-fueled mimosas keep the grown-ups humming while junior takes on a heap of silver dollar pancakes crowned with fresh fruit and maple syrup.How to order: Head to OpenTable for all-season courtyard and indoor dining reservations or grab pick-up and delivery via ChowNow, Caviar, Uber Eats, GrubHub, and DoorDash. Available for Delivery/Takeout"

"Sticking with the theme of escaping the cold, another option if you’ve landed in Chicago at the wrong time is to go to Summer House Santa Monica, where the plants and California vibes will make you forget (albeit temporarily) where you are. The glass ceilings provide the perfect amount of lighting for the perfect #nofilter photos."

"Get a taste of California without leaving the city or even having to sit down through dinner. These cookies are always available alongside other sweets at their Market counter."

"Located on Milwaukee Avenue, The Bongo Room is a casual café that serves fresh, seasonal breakfast and brunch fare in a relaxed setting. Mornings are started with classics such as breakfast burrito, croissant sandwiches, and vegetarian croissant sandwiches along with a seasonally changing selection of made-to-order pancakes and French toast creations. Other breakfast items range from tomato scrambles and three-egg omelets with a range of fillings to breakfast sandwiches, all accompanied by freshly brewed coffee and tea."

"White chocolate, caramel pretzel pancakes, I dream of the day I’ll be reunited with you in Wicker Park. Known for their outrageous and oversized pancake, Benedict, and French Toast creations, their sweet and savory breakfast menu was designed for sharing (and you can actually order half portions). Snooze is Denver’s cheap imitation, and nowhere near as good as those sinful syrups."

"We’re talking White Chocolate Pretzel Pancakes and Red Velvet Pancakes and Egg Benedicts and all of the most decadent breakfast foods you can think of. There’s usually a wait, but if you’re in the mood to eat something unhealthy and worth it – this is your move."

"LoKal is offering all day brunch through delivery, as that was what they were really known for. You can get all your favorites, along with a Mimosa pack or even a 1-Liter whiskey bottle."

"Eden Chicago is a delightful offering on Chicago's West Loop dining scene, opened in 2016 by restaurateur Jodi Fife and her husband, executive chef Devon Quinn. The charming Mediterranean-style eatery serves up excellent brunch and dinner fare from the week, pulling from a variety of regional culinary traditions, including Israeli, Lebanese, and Spanish cuisines. Diners can enjoy delicious selections like baked shrimp paccheri, curried lentil brik, cumin-grilled lamb with couscous and merguez, and mushroom matzo ball soup with miso corn broth."

"Another restaurant with an appealing exterior facade, Eden goes for a more nature-filled ambiance to help you forget for a minute that you’re actually surrounded by skyscrapers, not trees."

"(Primary Neighborhoods: Various events and locations, city and suburbs). The family-run food truck Aztec Dave’s has been serving mobile Mexican food in Chicago since 2015. The focus is on the family’s grandmother’s recipes but with a modern spin."

"This sunny Lincoln Park outpost continues to serve up Cali swag via a full bill of brunchtime favorites. Hass avocado BLTs, loaded cobb salads, housemade English muffins, breakfast burritos stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs and sausage, and Guiliana Prosecco-fueled mimosas keep the grown-ups humming while junior takes on a heap of silver dollar pancakes crowned with fresh fruit and maple syrup.How to order: Head to OpenTable for all-season courtyard and indoor dining reservations or grab pick-up and delivery via ChowNow, Caviar, Uber Eats, GrubHub, and DoorDash. Available for Delivery/Takeout"

"Sticking with the theme of escaping the cold, another option if you’ve landed in Chicago at the wrong time is to go to Summer House Santa Monica, where the plants and California vibes will make you forget (albeit temporarily) where you are. The glass ceilings provide the perfect amount of lighting for the perfect #nofilter photos."

"Get a taste of California without leaving the city or even having to sit down through dinner. These cookies are always available alongside other sweets at their Market counter."

"Located on a beautiful stretch of Damen in Wicker Park, this is a popular spot for creative types, students, and anyone whose work requires them to tap away on the laptop for a few hours every day. There is a spacious patio, plenty of indoor seating (including an awesome loft space upstairs where the windows are open during the summer!), outlets galore, and plenty of good coffee and food. You will pay slightly higher prices here than at other spots on this list by nature of the neighborhood, but the staff are great and the environment is really conducive to longer stays."

"Milwaukee import Colectivo opened its first Chicago location in Lincoln Park to much fanfare in April with a huge heated patio space and fire pit. The chain has since opened shops in Wicker Park, Andersonville, Logan Square, and suburban Evanston. View this post on Instagram"

"The coffee store also has a bakery brand called Troubadour Bakery. The store has high windows, outdoor seating, and murals by Milwaukee artist Kevin Callahan. Therefore, it truly is the perfect neighborhood coffee shop."

"This is one of the smallest coffee shops on the list, the little sibling location to the slightly larger original Café Jumping Bean in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago — you could sit indoors at the 18th Street location before the pandemic, but I’m not sure when that option will return. On the surface, this isn’t the best option for remote work strictly speaking, with no outlets available and the outdoor seating being fairly limited. I wanted to include it nonetheless for a few reasons."

"Restaurants Coffee shops Loop. Hero Coffee Bar is tiny, with just five two-top tables and eight seats at their coffee bar, so consider this a spot for meeting a friend, not pounding on your laptop. Hero offers pour-over coffee, which is roasted once or twice a week so it's always fresh, along with hearty snacks like sandwiches and bagels, including the cutely named Fig, Nut of Your Imagination Bagel, topped with a tasty combo ofalmond butter and fig jam."

"There’s something heroic about how good the coffee is at Hero Coffee Bar. Plus, the tiny Loop location is tucked away just off of Jackson Ave., so its aesthetic is perfect for artsy Instagram shots. The coffee bar also has a pickup and delivery service in full swing!"

"Naturally, the cafe serves a variety of beverages, the most popular drink is the Maple Brulee. It is a latte with maple syrup and a blow-torched sugar top. The owner of the cafe, Melanie Martinez, wanted to create a menu that everyone could enjoy."

"Best Cupcakes: Nutella and Peanut Butter Filled Cupcake ($3.75). If you like grabbing a sweet stuffed cupcake and swinging on a swing set inside of a cafe, Molly’s Cupcakes should be on your “to go” list. They promise to give unsupervised kids free puppies and fulfill every cake craving you could possibly have."

"Miss Molly was Founder Johnny’s third-grade teacher and an awesome cupcake baker!. In honor of Molly as a way to help children, a portion of profits is donated directly to schools in the community. From their famous center-filled cupcakes to a fun sprinkles station, life is sweet at Molly’s."

"Molly’s Cupcakes is next on our list of the best desserts in Chicago. And it’s definitely a place you won’t want to miss out on!. The cupcakes here are just perfect – soft and airy, and available in loads of wonderful flavors too!"

"It may sound like a strange twist to combine “German heritage” with “Southern hospitality”, but Chef Mark Steuer makes it work in the most fabulous way. At this modern beer hall you’ll find German classics like Weisswurst and Sturgeon Pastrami, along with a “whole mess of chicken” under the menu’s “big as funk” category. Enjoy dining in this restored 1920s warehouse featuring cuckoo clocks vintage signage and the restaurant’s wild boar mascot, Ernest “Hamingway”."