The Breakfast Club
Category: Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near West Side1381 W Hubbard St
(between Ada St & Noble St)
Chicago, IL 60622 (312) 666-2372
69 Reviews for The Breakfast Club
What a wonderful neighborhood breakfast place! I love the West Town area and The Breakfast Club is tucked away in a beautiful residential area...there are a few other business on the other corners, but the pink awning sets the restaurant apart.
I was anticipating a long wait but at 10:30 AM on a recent Sunday my group of friends and I had to wait for about 10 minutes (a welcome change to the brunch places in my area). With good coffee and a variety of alcoholic beverages and a pretty big menu this is my kind of place. The egg dishes were all good (loved the potatoes) but it was the stuffed french toast that stole my heart (creamy filling with pecans on top). I usually can't finish my entire meal but I cleaned my plate at this pink palace!
Thank god these booths can't talk because I'ld be in pretty deep here. I've been going here for years and looooove it. Just drove by the other day and made a note to self to go eat me some breakfast here soon.
I've always had excellent service and excellent food, from what I remember. This used to be a very big after club hang, and I don't mean drunks getting their grease on (okay, maybe a little). People that actually worked in 4-5am clubs used to come here after closing/counting which before the proliferation of debit cards, used to take hours. So we would wind up here at 7am still in club clothes eating omlettes with the nearby factory workers and urban pioneers that lived in these crazy things called lofts!!!!!!!!!! Who would've thunk it!
Great home fries excellent sausage from the nearby meatpacking district and the lightest and fluffiest pancakes in the world. Perfect french toast and a great cup of coffee makes for the always pleasant experience. Always a buzz in the room and very friendly, tolerant management. Even was I was naughty, they were still very nice.
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I had high hopes for The Breakfast Club. Cute name, pink building, expansive menu - what's not to like?! Well... the food actually.
I was starving (as I usually am) so everything on the menu looked great, but I settled on the lox benedict. I don't see this at many restaurants, but I used to know of a place that made it SOOOO well that I miss it and dream of it often. The Breakfast Club did not do it justice. Aside from the whole dish being straight up cold, the hollandaise was gross - almost as if it were prepared from a mix - and the cook obviously had no idea how to poach an egg.
The biggest offense however, were the potatoes. They were actually delicious, but they served me LESS THAN HALF of what my friends received. This was beyond disappointing as I'd been watching with a watering mouth as plates heaping with potatoes passed by me repeatedly while waiting for my meal to come. And then I had this cold, measly little serving. I coulda said something, but then I'd have been the piggy whining for more potatoes and no one wants to be that girl... so I just let it go.
My friends' meals were also pretty so-so... the omelet was a little undercooked, but the French Toast was good.
Service was decent, but the place is more of a diner than what I had been expecting... not that that's a bad thing, but maybe I should've taken that into consideration when ordering my lox benedict.
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This place is average across the board. The food is nothing great but the portions are large. The place is inexpensive but is has no frills. I doubt I would go back.
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Oh The Breakfast Club... Well it's in the neighborhood and always seems to be where we end up on those days we're craving breakfast food. I think their food is pretty consistent and good. It's nothing fancy but I've never had a bad experience here (with the food).
The staff has always been friendly and I've never waited more than a few minutes for a table.
The only bad experience I had was last summer my husband and I were eating at a table outside and this group of 4 or 5 adults and a baby sat at the table next to us. They had 2 large poodles and a Deer Hound (huge dog). They seemed like regulars the staff was very friendly. The dogs swarmed around their table and drank out of plastic buckets slobbering all over. Super unappetizing. I love dogs, and honestly don't mind that they were around the table that much but it was a little disruptive.
I dealt with it and as I started ignoring the dogs I was watching one of the women with her baby. The most disgusting thing ever, she honestly changed her baby's diaper on the table! I was completely shocked! Why would you ever do that? Then wrapped up the diaper and set it on the table for the poor busser to dispose of. I couldn't really finish my food after that.
To that disgusting woman. The world is not your living room. Your baby might be precious to you but I don't want to watch you change it's diaper in public especially at a restaurant. Please go to the restroom and do it like a civilized person. Thank you.
I still love the Breakfast Club, just not some of its patrons.
I love Breakfast Club and I love the homey feeling. Food is average in my opinion, but that's not a bad thing as it's not meant to be fancy. I go most often weekend mornings and enjoy the laid back vibe. It gets pretty packed after 10, but summer time offers outdoor seating.
After nearly a year, my boycott of The Breakfast Club ended on Sunday. The last time I was here I had a nasty experience with the host of my formerly beloved restaurant when I tried to make change after a friend had just made change. He snapped at me about how they shouldn't have to make change; that he had no change to give me, and just left me shaking. Worst customer service experience I have ever had, hands down. I still get really upset even thinking about it actually, so seeing him this Sunday made me really tense up. At the time the place was cash only and we were regulars going there every week or two, so it was a big loss from my life, but I just couldn't handle going there after that happened. Prior to that experience, the host had been nothing but nice to us.
Zachary's sister was in town for his birthday weekend and he has been severely missing this place, so I lifted the ban and we went there. I love the blueberry scones, the hot chocolate, the asparagus and cheddar omelet, and so much more. I am sure I will go back again since it really is delicious food, but I don't think I'll ever feel as comfortable here as I used to.
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It's a shame that a place that boasts "home style cooking" with a homey diner feel, really only equates to mediocre breakfast. Although we had to wait about fifteen minutes to eat, we didn't mind. Any place that serves Steak & Eggs Benedict is okay in my book. When we got to our table, we settled in and ordered what we thought would be a reliable breakfast. I had the Benefict aforementioned and my boyfriend had an omelette and ordered a blueberry waffle for us to share. When we got our food, my hollandaise sauce was freezing cold. Since our server ignored us for most of the meal, I had to walk up and grab him at the kitchen to ask him politely to warm up my sauce. When I told him about it, he explained to me that since it has egg product in it, it's always served cold. I'm in the food industry myself and have enjoyed many a Benedict in my lifetime, so I know that's not true. I returned to my table, and when he delivered the sauce back to me, he told me again that it should be cold. I hate that!!!! Nothing drives me nuts more than a server who argues with me over how I like something prepared. It's not hard damnit! Nuke the sauce! The blueberry waffle was also disappointing. Not folded with fresh blueberries in the batter, but "fresh frozen" ones crumbled on top. We couldn't even eat it, it was so gross. All that, and a $35 tab later, we left. It's a shame for all the great breakfast places that I'm more than willing to pay $35 for breakfast, this one just doesn't add up.
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Came here for lunch during work. It was great - no lines, no crowds and the food arrived pretty fast. What's more -- breakfast for lunch? SIGN ME UP!
The decor inside is not much to talk about - pretty standard breakfast-y choices.
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okay, i five star things a lot. whatever. i also tend to review places i like and not so much the places i find middling. take that for what its worth.
that being said, my sunday late breakfast (i guess brunch.. we are speaking of the afternoon) here was amazing. the boy and myself ate like kings in a pink little house. once dinnertime rolled around he only was interested in the thought of more stuffed potato pancakes (with cheese - i think swiss/gruyere - and chorizo), and my swedish pancakes with lingonberries, syrup, and butter were .. its hard to describe, honestly, how good they were. the little hint of cinnamon in those sweet, hot little thin cakes.. so good.
so, needless to say, i will be eating here again. i like all the pink, i like how its big yet crowded yet waits arent too long, i like the prices, and i like that they have mimosas and other breakfast cocktails.
actually, i uh, i really want some of those pancakes. now.
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This place is incredible. I love feeling almost like I'm in someone's house without having to take my shoes off or impose when I need more coffee.
Brunch selection and volume are great, just really good, reliable food. Make your way here and don't get turned off by the pink awning.
revision: 2 visits later, I can't decide if I'm freaked out or weird. Good fun, fun atmosphere, but plain.
Great simple breakfast diner!
Everything is so pink and light hearted! They have great scones, omelets, pancakes, coffee like a truck stop's (weak and chalky), but, more importantly:
-NO HUGE WAITS!
-NO LOUD, HIP, YOUNG GO-GETTERS WHOSE FACES YOU'LL LIKELY THROW A DRINK IN AT NICK'S BEER GARDEN LATER THAT NIGHT!
Order me a Bloody Mary or a Bellini and I'll toast to that!
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Lovely food, good service.
The decor turned me off the first time I went here, as did the lack of space you have once you sit at your table. They smush tons of tables next to eachother and it is very likely you'll bump elbows with a stranger at one point or another. It is very pink inside and outside. Pink awnings, the servers wear pink shirts. After a few times of coming here I thought it was cute. The servers have always been very attentive and friendly. The food has been good almost every time I've been there. (I think one time the food wasn't cooked very well... but that is rare for me to experience there).
I gave it three stars because it has good food and good service, but the space is just too small in there. It is good to go on a weekday but on the weekends it's just too crowded for me.
Another place I have been coming to for years! My father introduced me to this place and would take us here for breakfast! First time was over 10 years ago or so before that neighborhood turned around! It was a secret spot!
Stopped here not too long ago for breakfast.
Always went for breakfast.........always had a great meal! You can't really screw breakfast up..........just give me bacon that isn't fatty and not burnt to a crisp, some eggs toast and make sure you keep the coffee refills coming! not hard right? they did it all!
Good food, good portions, good prices........check it out if you are in the hood!!! i am always up for trying out new breakfast spots, so should you!
Ordinarily, my self-imposed rule is to visit a place at least twice before writing a review. But I was not happy with The Breakfast Club, so I'd like to post a review after my first visit this time; I'll edit it after subsequent visits (if any).
I stopped in for breakfast here this morning. For a Saturday morning, it was pretty empty. Is 8:30 too early for most folks on a Saturday? Or too late? Anyway, I had no problem getting a table. I was on my own, since I was getting my car serviced down the road (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I was up for a hearty breakfast, so I ordered the Huevos Rancheros. When it arrived, the eggs were done great, but the black beans that came with them were COLD. I'm not talking lukewarm, but just out of the can cold. The server was very apologetic (hey man, it's not your fault) and had the kitchen warm them up; however, when they returned they were merely lukewarm. I was hungry so I just ate them.
The food was tasty enough, and I didn't need to request extra hot sauce to spice up my eggs. The sauce was heavy on onions, and the rice was pretty blah. Coffee had a burnt taste, as if it had been sitting on a warmer for hours.
Maybe next time I'll order something sweet and hope to be pleasantly surprised. I'd like to give them one more chance. (I'd also like to help them edit their menu with the misspellings.)
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Nothing fancy. Simple and good. It's BYOB so you can even bring bailey's for your coffee
Based on the outside view, it did not appear to be big but it was roomy. We were a party of 7 and called first before arriving to add our name t0 the list. The entry way tends to get too crowded so I waited outside to avoid staring at people's food and standing right behind them. We waited about 15 minutes for our table which is awesome as it was 11:00am Sunday morning. FYI- they do not have high chairs for toddlers but just booster chairs.
I ordered the french toast since it was prized as "Best french toast in Chicago" per the menu. I sort of disagreed since I liked my french toast cooked WELL. I thought it was too sloggy and possibly undercooked. My husband had pancakes and he didn't like it but our friends' kids loved their chocolate pancakes. I thought the hash browns were awesome. It's crunchy and dry...but that's the way I like it.
About the service? I thought our waitress was extremely nice and the bus boy always stopped by to filled our coffees. I kinda like the "weak" coffee. The place can be very crowded and at times, it feels like I am going to rub elbows with the customers near by.
I would return since it's close by and the food was decent.
Great atmosphere, great food, and the best french toast in the city. Get the stuffed version and youll be happy. Great potatoes, they have a little scallions in them. Try the omelette with the sour cream in it, its fantastic.
The same namesake as the movie.....and totally pretty in pink!
You gotta try the stuffed french toast. My friend ordered that and I couldn't stop "tasting". I ordered the oatmeal banana pancakes. I keep being surprised at what oatmeal is being thrown into these days (descarte's oatmeal latte anyone?!) but it totally works! They were huge and awesome so I took half home for breakfast the next day.
Something worth mentioning: there was a pretty good wait and we were also a party of 8. Which seemed to scare the bajebus out of them. They pushed 4 tables together and it was a little tight. We had to wait a little longer for that (which was fine...and in all honesty still better than places like Bamboo Room) and then the waiter walked up to us and seemed totally intimidated by the bunch of us! He forgot a few things but was very quick in coming back and also very apologetic.
I'd go back! Maybe w/ 5 or 6 less people though.....
27/52
Love this place! The French toast is some of the best anywhere, and the egg and veggie skillet is awesome. Coffee sucks a little (too weak), which is a downer. Nice outdoor seating in the summer. It's also a big pink house, which is sweet.
Found this place with the help of Yelp. Nice Place.
Let's talk hash browns. There are the 2 types. The shredded kind and the chunky kind. The Breakfast Club has the latter. I really don't have a preference between the 2 but sometimes you feel like having one or the other. The hash browns were solid. The chunks of potatoes were just right and not too greasy.
The setting was pretty cool. It's basically a house turned restaurant. Can't comment too much on the decor since it was a beautiful summer morning and we sat outside. I must say there is an awful amount of pink though.
Again, Nice place. I'll definitely be back.
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The owner of Iltaco decided the neighborhood needed a breakfast place, so she opened this cozy restaurant that's hard to miss. Not only are the awnings pink, but the walls inside are pink also. Pink, pink, and more pink. A general rule of thumb of mine: if a place has to be flashy to attract attention, it means the FOOD isn't drawing the crowds. Everything from the blueberry pancakes to the hash browns to the biscuits and gravy is made from scratch. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't memorable either. The space is small, and I'm a big guy... so you can imagine my comfort level. Tables and customers are packed in tightly.
There's something to be said for the BC, but I'm declaring in front of the whole world that it's due mostly to ambience and simplicity - it's a converted house with a bay window, so it feels very much like my old Chicago home on Dickens. The food fills the void when you're in the mood for eggs, bacon and pancakes. I KNOW I'll be back again and again - I enjoy the sentimentality/lack of pretension (excuse me while I go knock a star from my Bongo Room review).
The omelettes aren't spectacular (but not bad) and DO NOT order the sausage biscuits and gravy. Smooth gravy with a sausage link cut into slices does not equal s/b/g.
But I like it. Last time I brought Miriam W, to give her a different view of the city from what she'd just enjoyed at Hotel Monaco. How'd I do, kids?
They just started accepting credit cards.
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Nice enough, I suppose, but in the realm of diners, it's a little sub-par [I wish I could highlight half of the second star, actually].
I wasn't impressed by much [and was actually nearly sick by the amount of pink], but the menu was pretty extensive and the people were friendly. The food came in normal, diner-sized portions at normal, diner-sized prices.
I probably wouldn't go back, but if it were in my neighborhood, I think I'd consider it...
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Brunch is my favorite thing ever and this place does it up right. The only thing I can't understand is why it is still decorated wall-to-wall in nauseating pink. Blech.
I really like the simplicity of this place. Most of the diners are from around the neighborhood and have been coming regularly for a long while. I like that. I like their specialty omelettes, and the stuffed french toast is to die for (cream cheese, sugar and walnuts!) They only take cash, which is more charming than annoying in this setting.
I really can't speak about the wait. I'm an early bird and am usually up hours before brunch places even open.
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So I love breakfast food!!! Try and do it as many weekends as I can!
This place, although, go with girlfriends or mom or sisters!! (Else you'll hear guys grumble about the PINK).
It's a very cozy and family atmosphere, the owner is there often and warm, food isn't extraordinaire but pretty good and definitely good enough to go back!
Warning: Take cash!
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Pink. Good, basic American breakfast fare of eggs, pancakes, french toast, skillets. Pink. Easy parking in neighborhood. Pink. Probably have to wait for a table on Sunday. Pink.
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The Breakfast Club boasts a waitress that calls you 'honey' and an interior designer who shares my love of carnation pink. I was so excited to try this place- namesake alone. I wanted to love it, but I found it's style to be a little down-home for me. The dusty awning, marked-up menus, and dirty plates waiting to be cleared on one of the inside tables was a turn off. We had "Chicago's best french toast" with bananas (Yum!) and a fluffy omelet with tomatoes, feta and spinach. Despite the GORGEOUS weather this weekend, we sat inside since there isn't much scenery on the sidewalk patio. We found a hair in our french toast, but we didn't say anything. Again, we really wanted to love this place. So cute. Such nice people. Unfortunately, everything didn't come up roses this time around...
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Out of sight, out of mind. This place has haunted me for years. I first went back in '95 or so, and promptly forgot its name and location. I was excited to located it again last year and took a long hour and a half walk to get there. I was starving, but the food didn't quite measure up to my hazy memory of this place being this magical out-of-the-way breakfast joint. However, I love the ambience and am willing to wager the food will be better next time.
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The Breakfast Club has become a neighborhood classic..and has actually gone beyond that and become well known throughout the city. It used to be somewhat empty with tables always available and superior service, but since the area has begun changing, so has the clientele and service at this place.
If you're going on Saturday or Sunday during normal breakfast or brunch hours, be prepared to wait. Especially if the weather outside is gorgeous! The Breakfast Club holds a minimal amount of people and is rather compact, with tables one on top of another and aisles that you can barely move through. Also prepare yourself for wishy-washy service. Sometimes the service is great, sometimes it's horrible.
Their omelettes? Fantastic. Their chocolate chip pancakes or french toast? To die for. Their biscuits and gravy? Yeah - don't get it. Trust me on that one. Just don't get it.
Thankfully they began taking credit cards so that eliminates the need to run to an ATM after you've already gotten there, parked and realized that you had no cash.
And another plus? The parking lot.
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PINK, PINK, PINK
Try the avocado, creamcheese and bacon breakfast. Mostly great food. Service lacks when it is super busy, understandably. Closes at 3 pm.
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More like 2.5 stars
I went there last weekend, and was a little underwhelmed. I do have to say the pink decor made the place unique and cute- I liked that. On the other hand I didn't really go for the pink, but rather the food. I ordered the eggs, they were fluffy, but that was about it. the potatoes were overcooked and crunchy. I was not impressed with my meal. My boyfriend got the french toast, and it was pretty good. I guess if we decide to go back that is the only thing I will order. But I do have to say it will take a lot of coaxing to get me back there any time soon.
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I was here once, but wasn't to impressed with the food! The service was great though the waitress was shocked I was Hispanic and kept coming back to hear me speak Spanish...lol?!! Good time that's for sure!!
Anyhow, cool spot for something different!!
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don't want anything fancy, don't want to dress up, just want a good old fashioned, big menu breakfast? this is the place, but better.
inside is a standard old fashioned diner type atmosphere, but clean, fresh, pretty in pink. there's one server in particular who has a smile that seems to radiate from the heart, no matter when i see him. that's a star right there. the other waitstaff is just as pleasant.
i usually order egg whites with spinach, which isn't on the menu, but which they accommodate with no problem. hub orders a super french toast (quelle suprise), and we also do the benedicts, spinach for me, reg. for him. if that doesn't do it for you, there are tons of other selections. everything is always dependably good. and their coffee isn't the standard diner variety, but has some substance.
other plus: a private parking lot across the street.
caveat: they only take cash, and the closest atm is two blocks away, so be prepared.
Beyond comfort is the only way I can describe The Breakfast club. I used to think that this place was a mob front because they didn't used to take cards and the waiters wore a lot of gold and sometimes looked like Frank Sinatra.
The food is good because the staple of all the meals there is butter. I swear the orange juice has butter in it. Ignoring the health risks, the food is fresh and always comes hot! It is a great down home comfort brekkie cooking. I love how they can make foods that would never be associated with each other sound like they belong. The avocado, sour cream and bacon omelet for example. Odd.
The pumpkin pancakes and other sweet treats are worth the lines on the weekends.
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I went here once because I passed it often while riding my bike and it looked cute and unique. The breakfast wasn't anything spectacular. Denny's churns out the same quality items at lower prices. My orange juice was so thick with pulp I could hardly drink it. I actually had to chew my orange juice! Given there are so many other quality breakfast/brunch joints around, and given that its relatively inconveniently located, I have no desire to return, and I think I'd recommend making your own breakfast at home before suggesting this place to anyone.
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this "all-pink" restaurant is a cute old-fashioned neighborhood joint. It has been around for about 20 years and you can just see the old school charm. I opted to try the potato pancakes there, which were decent. (But you can only have so much potato pancakes.) My dining companions did order the lunches, which were rather small for the prices. Overall, the place was good but not exceptional. I would go back and try something different--maybe more standard breakfast fare.
i love this place. simple food, fast. with sometimes sassy service. walking distance helps too. tables are close together, making it nice and cozy. and i believe they take cards now, which is awesome.
I don't get why everyone is so weirded out by the pink-ness. so it's pink. bfd. of course i do work in what must be the second pinkest place ever. . . anyway, breakfast club rocks. the omelets are huge and fluffy, the pankcakes are super- just stay away from the corn pancakes, as they are basically just pancakes with corn kernals in them. the potato pancakes are awesome, and the lunch-y stuff is great as well- it's basically diner food, but good diner food. but my absolute favorite thing is the chicken sausage. they have chicken sausage, and it's not some fancy 'apple and cilantro' or spinach and feta or something over-flavored, it's just good ol' fashioned breakfast sausage, mde from chicken. oh, and they deep fry it. i'm almost positive. and it's awesome.
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eh.........it's Ok, I guess. I love breakfast and from now on I know not to go here if I want something great.
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