Mentioned by Time Out Chicago
The best brunch in Chicago to try right now
"A partnership of L.A.’s Stan’s Donuts with our homegrown Labriola Baking Company, the Chicago version may not be quite as star-struck, but wow, do they know how to donut. Now open in nine Chicagoland locations (with a 10th coming soon to Oak Brook Terrace), you can load up on their Standard (Glazed, Powdered Sugar, Plain Old Fashioned), Dough Boy’s Best (Peanut Butter Banana Pocket, Glazed Pretzel), and Specialty (Raspberry Bismark, Glazed Orange Old Fashioned, Dreamsicle Bar) donuts, as well as a small selection of “glutenless” donuts, and wash it down with Stan’s Dark Roast coffee (another happy partnership, this one with local Passion House Coffee Roasters)."
"We like going to Stan’s when we want a lot of variety or a donut that sounds like it was created by an eight-year-old. For example, they have a caramel marshmallow, Cap’n crunch, and our personal favorite, the biscoff (a.k.a. cookie butter-filled) pocket. If you don’t feel like feeding your inner child, consider ordering something like their pretzel-glazed or the pistachio old fashioned."
"The Best of the Batch: Glazed Old Fashioned Donuts ($2.75) or Nutella Pocket Doughnut ($3.75). Stan’s yeasty doughnuts have become a Chicago staple in the past few years. Stan’s was one of the first specialty doughnut shops to open in Chicago."
"Probably the most modernized bakery on this list, Floriole quickly rose to the top after its inception. This Lincoln Park bakery in Chicago is beautifully designed and even features a relatively large cafe area where you can sit and enjoy your pastry. The bakery is specifically European-style, featuring wines and beers to accompany your sweets, and plenty of coffee."
"Floriole is home to some of the best desserts in Chicago, and they always aim to go organic and local with their ingredients where possible. What we love about this spot, is that their menu is constantly changing according to the availability of produce. While this vibe may not be for everyone, there’s something exciting about this potluck experience."
"Come for Marty McFly's Delorean, stay for the coffee in this cozy Wicker Park space. The Wormhole is a fan favorite, and owner Dan Weiss is planning a ‘90s-style sequel in Bucktown called Wormhole 2."
"Like a trip back in time, The Wormhole Coffee in Wicker Park serves coffee in an atmosphere filled with quintessential nostalgia pieces, complete with an almost-to-scale model of the Delorean."
"Located just steps away from Millennium Park in Chicago’s South Loop, Wildberry Pancakes & Café is one of the best breakfast joints in town, with a range of mouthwateringly delicious choices for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The café’s all-encompassing menu features everything from eggs and skillets to yes, you guessed it, pancakes, and the casual eatery is always packed with crowds of locals and tourists alike waiting for a table. The menu boasts a wide range of egg dishes from omelets and scrambles to egg entrees and skillets, but it’s the signature specialty pancakes that draw the crowds, with toppings such as chocolate chip and banana, Oreo cookies, fresh berries and granola, and lemon buttercream and vanilla crème Anglaise."
"Caffe Streets is a Specialty Coffee Shop featuring different roasters. In a social atmosphere they offer different brewing methods with an emphasis on quality, freshness and flavor. All of their hot beverages contain cute and classy designs that will make you WANT to take a picture."
"After visiting Metric and loving it, I decided to check out Caffe Streets because I had read that the co-owner of Metric is also the founder of Caffe Streets. I figured it has to be good, and it is!"
"The Tempo Café is a family-friendly 24-hour diner that serves an all-day breakfast that is packed with favorites such as fluffy omelets, egg scramblers, gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, hamburgers, and more. Established over three decades ago, the warm and welcoming neighborhood diner has been providing locals with delicious comfort food for more than 30 years and continues to do so today. Breakfasts are wholesome and hearty, with dishes such as huevos rancheros, continental chicken livers, steak & eggs, corned beef hash & eggs, eggs Florentine, poached eggs and eggs Benedict."
"Chicago’s my kinda town with bars generally open until 4 a.m. That means late night grubbing is an essential part of the going out experience – the greasier the better. Also Try: Hollywood Grill, Melrose Cafe"
"A stand-out coffee store in Chicago, Fairgrounds serves a fifty-fifty ratio of both coffee and tea, but it’s the coffee that will have you coming back to either of their five Chicago locations. The stores are beautifully designed, and super Instagrammable. They even have eight rotating cold brews on draft, as well as their own matcha tea bar, if that’s more up your street."
"Fairgrounds has found the perfect intersection of quality coffee fans and busy urbanites by expanding its menu to teas, quick cafe-style food and an all-day breakfast menu. Combine this with locations in high foot-traffic areas like Bucktown and you've got a recipe for success. It's a good thing too because Chicago's breakfast taco game needs all the help it can get!"
"I’ve been visiting Fairgrounds for a while now, and it’s one of my favorite places to get some work done and enjoy a good cup of coffee. They have tasty breakfast sandwiches as well. You can also order flights of coffee, tea, or kombucha to try a few different flavors!"
"Cafe Marie-Jeanne does double duty, serving as a candle-lit setting for first Tinder dates and 10th-anniversary dinners by night, and opening up to locals in search of excellent coffee and French pastries by day. Chef Michael Simmons' zero-fuss approach to fine dining works in both occasions—but for brunch, you can't go wrong with smoked and cured fish or (if it's available) the Chicago-style lobster roll, a cheeky take on the city's hot dog. After stuffing a brioche bun with wood-smoked lobster coated with a paprika-and-coriander spiced aioli, Simmons "drags it through the garden," adding his take on the iconic toppings: shishito peppers, yellow mustard, diced onion, pickled cucumber spears."
"So come here for the pancakes, but stay for the Gallagher flashbacks. Plus the friendly staff is awesome, and will instantly make you feel like a regular. View this post on Instagram"
"Pause Massage sense that massage therapy necessitates being a normal section of a nourishing way of life. Everybody else desires to invest some time for yourself. They cherish rendering quality resolutions to ease strain and migraines that will benefit people and get better versions of themselves."
"Spavia Day is a lovely, welcoming spa that desires to treat each guest with an exceptional experience. Their warming staff presents the most attentive service, and treatment options are affordable. So whether you’re seeking products and selections in beauty, body treatments, skin care, or massages, you won’t leave disappointed with this choice."
"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. At Spavia, you can go for massages, spa treatments, body treatments, skin care, beauty treatments and much more. Think of this as the most luxurious spa treatment ever!"
"Spavia is open, but due to regulations, they might not be able to provide all of their usual services. They offer massages, waxing, skincare, and body treatments for both men and women."
"The torchbearer for a dying breed of Jewish delis and diners in Chicago, Manny’s has endured for more than a half-century in the South Loop thanks to massive and delicious pastrami sandwiches, an array of hot homestyle dishes on steam tables, and family service cultivated over generations in a cafeteria-style setting plastered with decades-old newspaper clippings and letters from Chicago luminaries. The space also now houses a new deli expansion for bagels, sweets, coffee, and food to go. A post shared by Manny's Deli (@mannysdeli)"
"The city’s most prominent Jewish deli is coming up on its 80th birthday but little about the experience has changed. Stroll in during lunch hours for massive corned beef sandwiches, potato pancakes, knishes, matzo ball soup, and more. Cafeteria-style service keeps things moving along quickly — a big plus for diners short on time."
"The corned-beef sandwich here is the one that other local delis aim to beat. Manny's has always been popular with Chicago politicians—so if...Read More"
"We love our bagels here in Chicago, and Bro Bagel is the best of the best. Purists can choose from plain bagels and a variety of cream cheeses, and the adventurous can explore bagel sandwich options like ‘The Veggie’ and ‘The Pizza Bagel.’"
"As the name suggests, the roof at The Garage Bar does whip up sandwiches: some teeming with crispy shrimp, others humble burgers elevated with a fried egg and bacon. Upstairs, the roof is decked out with comfy couches and green umbrellas, plus a changing list of 130 different beers, so even regulars can try something new. Plus, guests can play a handful of games like shuffleboard and darts."