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Inspiration Kitchens
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
4715 N Sheridan Rd(between Lakeside Ave & Leland Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640
Neighborhood: Uptown
(773) 275-0626
- Nearest Transit:
-
Lawrence (Red Line)
Wilson (Red Line)
Argyle (Red Line)
- Hours:
Wed-Fri 8 am - 10 pm
Sat 9 am - 10 pm
Sun 9 am - 2 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
203 reviews for Inspiration Kitchens
Review Highlights
"Cafe Too is also one of the best brunch deals in town."
(in 73 reviews)
"I had the berries and creme french toast (delish."
(in 31 reviews)
"Eggs Benedict: poached eggs were perfectly cooked."
(in 26 reviews)
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203 reviews in English
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Review from Darek L.
Chicago, IL
11/20/2011
I went here for the first time ever today with a friend for brunch. Delicious menu! Decent prices! But that's just to start. The staff was extremely pleasant. I can't remember when I went to a place to eat and the people working were happy to be there. It was like I had walked into someone's personal kitchen. Someone was constantly filling my water or coffee, smiling, checking in in a very non-annoying way. I felt very taken care of. Chef Kim is a warm and pleasant light walking around the cafe, making sure everything and everyone is well.
Even with all of that, it gets better. The whole point of the cafe is to provide the homeless and underprivileged with training and jobs. This place is truly a gem of Uptown.
Chef Kim is trying to start a Soul Food night on Sundays. Though I can't attend next weekend because I'll be out of town, I hope this becomes a weekly event. I would really like to come some Sunday night.
I can't wait to go again! -
Review from Jack P.
Updated - 2/4/2012
I'm afraid I brought the unnecessary baggage of prior expectations, along with our little Friday night supper club here for dinner. I had only been here for breakfast, and was looking forward to the dinner experience. I'm sad to report that was very disappointing. Allow me to elaborate.
First, the very good things. Big comfy booth for the four of us in the window. Nicely appointed table with cloth linens. Complimentary basket of fresh chips were welcomed and devoured. And the potato/leek soup. That was delicious and inspired. Attentive and friendly service erring on the side of too many hands in the process making us feel a bit rushed, And there was only one other table that evening. The rest was pretty uninspired.
Besides the soup, we sampled a beet/endive salad, and the appetizer crab cakes. The salad was tiny, and of course created for one person. The light vinaigrette was a compliment to the nicely shredded endive, creativley presented with little cubes of cooked red and yellow beets. As far as the crab cakes go, I didn't know it was possible to make crab cakes the size of a quarter. Doll-house crab cakes if you will, and just OK as far as flavor. You should have seen the four of us try to split the three of those.
As for the rest of the incredibly shrinking meal, my entree arrived with a plate of nicely shredded and cooked veggies topped with a chunk of salmon about the size of my big toe. Yes, this was the salmon entree, not an appetizer. It was a 2 ounce filet at best. Dry, over-cooked and tasted like it came from a bag in the Aldi freezer case. (I can get that salmon at home.) Friends ordered Chicken Vesuvio, Braised Beef, and Pork Tenderloin, which by the way when it arrived was Pork Loin Roast. The silence amongst us told me my friends were being polite. Their portions were a bit larger than mine, but not what any of us expected, I think.
None of the warm food was very warm, by the way, starting with my soup. I was too hungry to send it back for zapping, and the worst that could happen is it would just turn into vichyssoise as it cooled.
While the prices here are very reasonable, I could have thought of other better choices for our outing. And if someone had said that the current inspiration was "nouvelle cuisine," as opposed to the generous servings I recall from breakfast here, I would have perhaps looked for more "comfort food." I don't mind small portions, but at least call it tapas.
And service needs to be more than "nice," and less than filling water glasses 20 times during the meal. The air was friendly, but it felt as if staff were just going through the motions, to get us in and out. Not sure what the chef was thinking. I would probably return fo breakfast, but not dinner. Breakfast still a 4, dinner a 2.5.Listed in: Cheap Eats I Have Known and…, Top Restaurants, Hooray for The Little Guy!, 3 Square Meals in one place, Jack's Favorite Breakfast…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/15/2009 ROTD 4/26/2010
I've been trying to get to this place for such a long time. Does anyone else have those friends who… Read more »
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Review from Mike F.
Chicago, IL
11/2/2011
The cafe's premise -- providing homeless and underprivileged individuals with training and jobs -- merits five stars on its own. The fact that the food is very good and an amazing value is just icing on the cake.
Service is extremely friendly if somewhat unpolished (keep in mind their mission). And I'll take that anytime over smooth, cold, efficient service. After we told our server how much we loved our braised beef, she let the chef know, and the chef came out and chatted with us for a few minutes.
We've brought friends for dinner here several times, and they've loved it. Haven't had brunch here yet, but heard its extremely good (and popular).
Eat here. Trust me. -
Review from Jayne F.
Chicago, IL
1/26/2012
IKU is an excellent and affordable addition to the neighborhood, and I'm pleased to see that they appear to be thriving. Staff is friendly, food is good, prices are reasonable, and they help out the community; what more could you want? Because they offer family-style dining and small plates, this is an especially good place to come with a group of people who are into sharing lots of different dishes around the table. Uptown tends to skew heavily toward fast food and greasy carryout places, so I like that Inspiration offers a somewhat upscale dining option a few blocks from home, without the hefty upscale price tag (or transportation hassles) of a more formal downtown restaurant. BYOB is also a plus, and I don't even think they have any corkage charge. If you haven't visited yet, you should definitely give them a try!
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Review from Emmy T.
Rockton, IL
1/29/2012
The world needs more Inspiration Kitchens! We went to Inspiration Kitchen for brunch on a whim and were thrilled with our discovery. Not only is the place cute and trendy, the staff welcoming and extremely friendly, but the food is top notch! Everything we had was absolutely delicious. Our favorite dish was the eggs benedict...eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise was superb! After we left we went home to learn more about the Inspiration Corporation and were inspired by the story of how the kitchen came to be. The world needs more Inspiration Kitchens, and we can't wait to go back as often as we can, it's our new favorite spot!
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Review from Marisa C.
Chicago, IL
1/26/2012
This place is great. The food is wonderful and I always get fantastic service. Their commitment to the community, helping previously homeless folks with job training, is something that everyone should support. Love this place!
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Review from Seth F.
Chicago, IL
12/27/2011
I stopped in to meet a friend for coffee and I'll never go to the local Starbuck's again as long as this place is open. I always feel a little sheepish about just ordering coffee in a restaurant, but not only did I not get any attitude, they couldn't have been more friendly and welcoming. Good coffee, free wifi, good prices, part of the community... everything I'm looking for in a coffee shop, plus the mission statement and food too. I'll be back with my laptop and try the menu as soon as I get a chance.
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Review from Josh G.
10/3/2011
I have eaten here several times, and I enjoy the food, atmosphere, service, but most importantly, the reason they are there. Simply stated, they are an organization which helps those who are homeless and/or in poverty learn food industry skills.
I have had the Chicken Caesar Wrap ($8) several times. I've tried some of their specials. I've had their fish tacos as well; they have good food.
The front of the restaurant is all windows, so there is great bright light if that is your thing.
Service: Anne has been my server every time but one. I like her a lot; she's great.
On only one occasion have I not been too thrilled. It was when I ordered avocado with a fish taco, I believe is what it was. They brought me out this brown avocado in a dish. I sent it back and asked for fresh. I was a bit disappointed anyone would serve something like that.
Info you may need- When they are not serving food, they still serve coffee, pastries, and desserts.
Monday
7am - 10am Breakfast
Tuesday & Wednesday
7am - 11am Breakfast
11am - 3pm Lunch
Thursday & Friday
7am - 11am Breakfast
11am - 3pm Lunch
5pm - 9pm Dinner
Saturday
9am - 2pm Brunch
5pm - 9pm Dinner
Sunday
9am - 2pm Brunch -
Review from Kristina T.
Chicago, IL
10/9/2011
Absolutely loved the food, service, and atmosphere!
I joined a couple friends for brunch, both of whom are regulars. The staff knows them pretty well so it was wonderful to be able to chat with the staff and hear what they really recommended to try. I love, love little neighborhood restaurants where you can develop that sort of relationship. The staff was incredibly attentive and helpful. And, they even brought out a free plate of their deliciously rich Bread Pudding.
The food was also pretty darn fantastic as well. Everything was incredibly fresh, including my fruit salad (I tend to use fruit salad to gauge freshness). Overall, my taste buds were pretty pleased.
It's definitely worth going to for the food and atmosphere, and it just makes it that much sweeter and more enjoyable to know it's directly helping people in the neighborhood. All around incredibly positive and lovely experience. -
Review from Samantha L.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2011
This was a difficult review choice. My biscuits and gravy skillet was delicious, and pretty much two full meals for me, but it was my third choice after they ran out of my first two choices. I loved having BYOB mimosas. There was a really friendly and helpful server that happened to not be ours.
Now, our server was pretty bad. He completely screwed up my two friends' orders TWICE. The first time, he told a friend that they ran out of regular salmon and asked if it was okay to put smoked salmon in the Salmon and Spinach Benedict. My friend said that was fine, and somehow his order came out as bagel and lox. Even when the server "fixed" this, there was no spinach in this salmon and spinach benedict. For my other friend, he somehow mistook Caprese Panini for a Ham and Cheese Panini. Those two sound nothing alike. When he "fixed" this order, the caprese panini came out with no basil or pesto. So basically, mozzerella and tomato and bread.
The other server was much more helpful to us, even though we weren't her table. I really wish she had been our server, and that would have probably resulted in a 5-star review. I wouldn't mind trying this place again, but I hope I get that woman next time.
On the bright side, I saw a modern day pirate here yesterday. He was wearing all black, tight clothes on a 88 degree day, a beret, and his shirt was V-neck to his navel, and he also had a limp. -
Review from Steve R.
9/3/2011
"Dine Well. Do Good."
http://www.inspiration.../
A group of us went to Inspiration Kitchens for dinner after seeing that it was for a good cause and served good food. It was also featured on Check, Please! On their website, they say that "Inspiration Kitchens has helped hundreds of individuals gain the skills they need to find employment and exit homelessness and poverty." Employees are being trained for careers in the hospitality industry.
The restaurant was classy and intimate, our server did a good job (with help from a mentor), and the and food was delicious. Dinner is served tapas-style and is great for a date night or small group. Small plates and flatware are cleared and replaced promtly.
The corn fritters were perfectly prepared and presented--crunchy on the outside and savory on the inside. The spinach and artichoke mac & cheese was incredible--the pasta was cooked al dente, with just the right amount of spinach and artichoke to complement the buttery mac & cheese.
The slow braised beef was tender and served with an outstanding parmesan polenta and red onion frites. We also tried the crab stuffed tilapia and crab cakes. All were very good. The fish was fresh and perfectly prepared.
For dessert, we sampled everything: caramel bread pudding, funnel cake sundae, banana pudding, and strawberry shortcake. The banana pudding was probably the favorite among the group, but there weren't any leftovers either!
Overall a great experience. I give it an extra 1* bump for a great cause. -
Review from Danielle C.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 6/1/2011
With the passage of time, the name change, and a change of meals, my love for this establishment has grown!
Inspiration Kitchens seems to be quite fitting name it helps to encompass all that they do, and they do so much! Programs to help those pulling themselves back up, food for those who need it, as well as wonderful, great tasting food in a comfortable atmosphere.
I have been multiple times for breakfast (my favorite meal out). The crab cakes are wonderful, the burrito is fantastic, the caprese is tasty, and the sweet potato has browns are yum-o! The specials are worth a try, I have never been disappointed.
We went for lunch the other day. The outdoor patio was open but it was a bit too chilly for me! Oh my, the food! I want to eat there again, like NOW!
I had the ham and cheese pannini. It was huge and actually made 2 meals. It came with fries, which I upgraded to sweet potato fries and the whole thing was delicious!!! I could not turn down a cup of the potato leek chowder ($2). It sounded and tasted fantastic, and for that price, it was more than worth the calories! My companions both had the fish and chips. I have to admit that this is what I really wanted but was unsure if I could handle any grease. It was AMAZING! The small pieces of fish had a light breading and were not greasy AT ALL! They tasted heavenly!
I had my eye on some tantalizing looking muffins for dessert, but after this feast, there was no room left in the inn!
Really, do yourself a favor, EAT HERE! You get great food at an outstandingly nominal price while helping people help themselves. Does not seem to me like you should ask for much more!Listed in: Semi Soused (or SOBER)…, My take on CRAB CAKES!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/13/2010
Sometimes, good things are worth the wait. My journey to Cafe Too fits this criteria!
I had heard… Read more »
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Review from Roseann M.
Chicago, IL
6/16/2011
We had a very pleasant breakfast at Inspiration Kitchens this week.
The interior is light, airy and pleasant. It almost doesn't fit in the neighborhood, it's so nice. (Sorry to be so blunt, but if you'd seen the activity I saw out the window while dining. . . yeah, it's still Uptown).
The breakfast menu has a couple omelettes, but the main thing is, build your own breakfast sandwich. I made an Egg McMuffin style breakfast sandwich - whole wheat English muffin, bacon, fried eggs (hard - the server asked if I wanted them hard or easy), tomato, and swiss cheese. I chose every single item.
My friend also ordered the build your own sandwich. She had whole wheat toast, sausage, scrambled eggs, American cheese, and cucumber.
Remember that old fast-food commercial, "Have it your way?" Well, we got to have it our way, and it was all hot and delicious.
The coffee is Intelligentsia. Good stuff.
The server was a very professional, efficient and pleasant woman named Anne. She handled everything just right.
The breakfast sandwich cost $5.00. That, my friends, is a good deal. You don't need a Groupon to get value at this restaurant.
I would definitely go again. We were there on a weekday, so it wasn't crowded at all. It probably gets very busy on the weekend.
Good stuff. -
Review from Adam F.
Chicago, IL
3/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this place.
Not just for the food or the service but what Inspirations Cafe is and does.
Inspirations Cafe gets people of the street and teaches them a skills so they can get back on their feet.
Read more here http://www.citysbest.c...
The staff was very friendly and helpful even when the rest of my party showed up a half hour late.
Yes I should have known better.
Yelpers are never on time especially in large groups.Like groups bigger than one.My meal was very good even though the Crab Cake I was craving was sold out already.
I hope these individual who took excellent care of us con be as personable and diligent with whatever path they take from here. -
Review from Rico P.
Columbus, OH
8/24/2011
I think that Inspiration Kitchen is a fantastic idea, but me and my friend decided not to eat here after we even walked in due to service. The guy behind the counter was nothing short of rude and made us both sound like idiots when we simply were confused by their not serving food until 5p when it was 4:50p.
This review is solely based on service for we lost our appetite and didn't end up eating. If you want cheap food and don't mind terrible service, there are still a thousand other places in Chicago... but not Inspiration Kitchen. -
Review from Celeste W.
Chicago, IL
7/16/2011
Solid 4.5 stars! 5, since I like to round up. :)
The food is really good and inexpensive. The boy and I stopped in for brunch today, and for two meals (his panini was so big he has dinner too, haha) and a latte the bill was under $20.
We were a bit confused walking in, everyone was busy but once someone noticed us, service was nothing short of great! A little slow, but they were very busy and water refills were always prompt.
I had the berries and creme french toast (delish! and REAL whipped cream!), the boy had the ham/cheese panini with hash browns (they serve their hash browns chopped instead of shredded, which surprised him). The food is closer to 4 stars, it's VERY good, and not too fancy, as well as served in an appetizing fashion. Everyone who stopped by our table was friendly and all smiles, and I got a really good feeling from the place.
The goal of the place, as a training program for the homeless to get back on their feet, has bumped this up from 4 to 5 stars. Wonderful job! -
Review from Jessica G.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 6/4/2011
I gave them a second change - a new rating for their new name. However, although the service has improved, the food quality tanked.
The french toast was still good - I'll give them that. But the pancakes were weird and tough, and had a single slice of strawberry on top for the "strawberry bread pudding" pancake special. Also, mystery chocolate chips baked in, not on the menu - it was okay, but didn't 'go' with the other flavours.
The omelet was the killer. Make-your-own with tomatoes, spinach, and peppers. The tomatoes were fresh but had the skins on, which sloughed off into the omelet when cooked. The spinach was soggy and bitter - pre-cooked or frozen maybe? The peppers were WAY overcooked, soggy and limp - pretty obviously pre-cooked for quicker prep.
There may not be any other 'nice' breakfast places nearby, but I'll gladly eat cheap pancakes at Golden House then return here for honestly bad food. I was not inspired to return.
I still gave them 2 stars instead of 1, because I like the message (and the french toast). But honestly, that was a zero-star omelet. Blech.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/30/2010
I feel bad about giving this place a poor rating, but I'd rather be true to myself.
I was super… Read more »
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Review from Ellen M.
3/31/2011
SO terrific. Sure, I've had hoity-toitier food, but this place had everything I require in a brunch, nothing I can't stand, plus karmic bonuses.
-Three of us ate and drank well for $40 ($33 & $7 tip).
-Yummy latte.
-Service was perfect, not stuffy.
-Easy to get to via CTA, and rock-star parking is not a problem.
-They support a terrific charitable cause.
-Fucking delicious.
I had the black bean eggs benedict and was satisfied well beyond lunch time.Listed in: Favorite breakfasts in the…
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Review from Kelz M.
Chicago, IL
3/13/2011
Adam F. invited some friends to brunch and, never one to turn that sort of thing down on a Sunday, I came along. First things first: I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never heard of this wonderful cause before. Especially since I run my own outreach to help those in need (http://www.chicagonow....). *hangs head in shame*
I am, however, now happily enlightened! So what's my take on the Inspiration experience?
The overall experience: alright, let's give ourselves a little reality check here, haters. This is, essentially, a school. You're not going to get a meal cooked by a celebrity chef... these are people from the streets learning a valuable skill and that'scool.
The food? Not bad! Was there room for improvement? Sure but I've also had significantly worse cooked by reputable chefs and I paid a whole lot more for it.
The decor is lovely. Yes, the dining area is small but it's not nearly as tiny as I was lead to believe. There was plenty of elbow rooom for our party of three (and extra room for the bags of beer - it's BYOB)!
Our server was a sweetheart. A little frazzled but no big deal.
In short: go here. You'll get a decent meal on the cheap and you'll be contributing to a most worthy cause. -
Review from Jill C.
Chicago, IL
10/15/2011
I really love this place. The dining room is very small so it can fill up fast but I've never had to wait long for a table. The food is great and the plating is lovely. The hash browns are a mix of diced regular and sweet potatoes and they are fantastic. Sometimes they run out of certain dishes, but I've never been disappointed when I've had to pick a second choice. The prices are more than reasonable, and when you factor in what a great cause this is, you really ought to give it a try.
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Review from Angela G.
Lansing, IL
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to thank my friend Adam F. for getting the brunch together a couple of weeks ago. It was a great idea.
I've past this place several times but never actually stopped by. When I walked in, I was greeted warmly by the staff. I must say though, I'm really impressed with the concept behind the restaurant. Helping homelessness in Chicago.
My server was Ann. Ann was a exceptional server. She definitely needs to teach a class to others on how to be a server/waitress. Very courteous and knowledgeable about items on the menu.
I'm not gonna lie, the food was something to be desired. I had shrimp and sausage over rice with eggs. I concur that the food is bland. Not bad but bland. However based on the concept of the place and the amazing jasmine peach tea, I know I will be back. -
Review from MarBear F.
Chicago, IL
10/7/2011
My husband and I love this place. We've been going here for coffee, pastries, and breakfast for the last 4 1/2 years. It's a great spot to have in our neighborhood. Anne and the rest of the staff are incredibly friendly. We had dinner for the first time here last night, and the tapas-style dishes were amazing. Definitely stop by if you are in Uptown.
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Review from Brian P.
Chicago, IL
10/10/2011
Cheap food. Great food! Friendly, attentive service. Open for breakfast or brunch every day of the week. What more could I ask for?
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Review from Donna C.
Garrett Park, MD
5/14/2011
Love love love the concept. This is a smaller version of Delancey Street in SF so trains folks down on their luck in food service. Service was friendly and good, ambiance is nice. Creativity of menu for a small place is good. Food? Eh.
I had scrambled eggs, supposedly with cheddar, peppers and something I can't remember because basically I got dry overcooked eggs with tons of cheese melted on top. My companion ordered a 3-egg white omelet, which must've really been a 5-egg white omelet. It was huge and accompanied by a truckload of dry potatoes.
Glad I went but don't make the trip for the food. -
Review from Beth D.
Chicago, IL
10/3/2010
Don't hate me, don't hate me, don't hate me, don't hate me.
Allow me to explain?
I had been circling around Cafe Too for a few months but the timing was never right, until today. The concept and amount of high Yelp-praise were big plusses, but the experience fell a little short of expectations.
The specials listed an egg scramble that was right out of my dreams: portobella mushrooms, spinach, crisp tofu, egg whites and rosemary roasted potatoes. Yep! Even the $5 blueberry pancakes on the regular menu could not dissuade me.
The dish in concept was perfect; the dish in reality was not. The first strike was its wetness. Just too much oil. The second strike was the lack of portobellas. Truth be told, I was distracted and didn't even notice it until after I'd eaten, paid, and left. So really, I take partial blame for that, since if I had had my thinking cap on I could have asked them to correct it. As it was though, I was dividing my attention between my food and the discussion of last night's Lord of the Rings: Return of the King viewing. So, my bad...partly.
The matter of the toast is a draw. On the one hand, it does not come with skillet orders and must be ordered as side. No problem, we figured it out, ordered and received some quickly. The toast itself was amazins. I am a wheat girl but the options were white and rye, so we went with rye to complement our savory skillets. The bread was large and good, but the (rasp?)berry preserves were really, really good. I almost ordered a second serving....and there were four pieces in the first.
There is a specialty coffee menu but the teas are pretty special too. They're loose-leaf and steeped in a pot with hot water for 2+ cups. I went for the green Wow Mint, and wow it was. It was the all-time mintiest tea I've had, and was a whopping $1.60
The service was pretty good, and I noticed other tables' coffee cups were regularly topped off (no coffee drinkers at ours). Seating was kind of unusual - we walked in and were seated up front at a 6-top although there was a 2-top in the back corner. Then, when two more people came in, they were seated at the other half of our table, though they moved it a few inches apart. Still, close quarters and their unavoidable convo further distracted me from discussing Frodo's journey with the ring.
Overall, more of a 3.5 experience and I do plan to go back. Pretty good, with potential for even better. -
Review from Dan L.
Chicago, IL
5/17/2011
First, I should say I the concept is a winner, and the recipes in general were interesting. I will be back to try it again; perhaps the chef trainees were still new.
I went with my mother and a friend of hers for dinner. They had salads, which they liked. I had a beet bisque which was too sweet. However, I'm not a huge fan of cold soups, so I'll withold judgement.
My entree was a flank steak with chimichurri gnocchi, which I ordered medium rare. The steak was extremely unevely done: a small part was medium well, and the rest ranged from rare to "seared and bloody." The server did stop by to ask if the steak was done correctly, but I had only taken one bite, and the sauce was masking the doneness of the balance of the steak. If the steak had not been sliced and plated, I'd have sent it back to the kitchen for a minute or two on the grill. Since it was plated, going back on the grill would have been problematic. I ate about half. I also wasn't given a steak knife. The regular knife worked fairly well, but a steak knife would have been nice.
The chimichurri gnocchi were flavorless, really big for gnocchi (potsticker size!), and didn't have any chimichurri sauce. I ate one of the three.
My mother ordered the risotto, which had shrimp, bacon, and... some other stuff. My mother doesn't eat bacon, and I didn't notice it listed as an ingredient (although I didn't look too hard to check). Since it was garnish, she scraped the bacon off, and dug in. The texture was perfect! But it was way too salty, and really buttery. I expect it to be rich, but not to that degree. It was too salty to finish.
The third entree was an almond crusted chicken breast with sweet potato chips. It was quite good. I've always wished there was a way to get sweet potato chips to crisp up like a regular chip, but I've never seen anyone do it.
Deserts were also varied: The green tea crepe was well prepared, but the recipe was just not that good. The funnel cake sundae was to much whip cream/ice cream, and not enough funnel cake. Probably shouldn't have been served in a tall sundae glass, if they wanted to show off the funnel cake: it was all hiding at the bottom.
The plates were all too small for the amount of food on them. It could very well be a cost saving measure to use a single size of plate, but perhaps getting the next size up would be an option?
Both steak and risotto are difficult dishes to execute perfectly, so hopefully the student chefs get this and can improve.
Anyway, since it's so inexpensive, I'll go back to see if the chef has improved. -
Review from daniel a.
Chicago, IL
4/8/2011
Clean neat little place very kind staff. The area was starving for this kind of place.
Im a couple of month regular now, hope the new name and staff keep it up -
Review from Ali H.
9/18/2010
Three stars for the food, one extra for their social cause. In a neighborhood with so much poverty and homelessness, it's great to see an agency taking steps to actively improve the lives of these people. The staff at the restaurant were all homeless/disadvantaged in some way and are all in a work training program. I thought the food was a-ok, but not amazing... We had the caprese benedict which was pretty blah in both flavor and texture. Likewise, the hash browns were little hard cubes of regular and sweet potatoes. For my taste, they were too little and had been fried too long leaving them very hard and crunchy.
We also had the sweet potato and pecan pancakes. They were good, although the pecans were really burnt and had a strong burnt flavor. The sauce on the pancakes was probably the best part of the meal, and definitely trumps any regular syrup for pancakes.
Check it out. It's a good cause. If I had been at M. Henry I would have been disappointed with quality of the food, but I'll cut them a little slack and will probably go back and give it another try. -
Review from Cathy B.
Chicago, IL
10/3/2010 4 photos
Cafe Too was on Check Please! so I HAD to check it out. I thought the location was awkward with brand new condo buildings in front of Cafe Too yet there was homeless people on every corner.
Environment - Clean and modern but the space is very small.
Waitress - Polite but we did not get a refill at all for our water.
Food - GOOD. Nothing spectacular. My crab cake eggs benedict was unique and flavorful. My hash browns were pretty good with the sweet potatoes mixed in. My boyfriends "make your own omelet" with ham, spinach, and feta cheese was alright, a little bland.
Price - about $10 for each entree, our total bill was about $21 for both of us. Not bad for two entrees that stuffed our stomach.
I am not sure if I would come back here. I overall liked my experience but I probably won't be craving this food in the near future. -
Review from Kate W.
Chicago, IL
7/13/2010
Wow, this was a seriously fantastic meal.
I'm not a morning person, but I really like breakfast food. Luckily, there is brunch. A meal where I can get breakfast food at 1 in the afternoon. A meal where I don't have to get my lazy ass out of bed before early afternoon. A meal that fills me up and then leaves me sleepy so that I can go home and take a nap after only being awake for 2 hours. Brunch, you are my hero.
Cafe Too happens to serve brunch, and what a meal it was. They had the great idea to combine biscuits and gravy with corned beef hash. And then they put cheese on it. That's right, cheese*. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this was going to be good, but it exceeded my expectations. The entire meal was fantastic and I want it again, soon.
The service was great; attentive but not intrusive and friendly but not in-your-face. As we were leaving one of the waitresses even gave us a tip on a festival that was happening close by. I thought that was a nice touch. Plus, since this place is part of Inspiration Cafe (hence Cafe Too) dining here goes to a good cause. Yay for charity!!
I will make it a point to come back here soon, it is now a part of my brunch rotation.
*See my review of The Grafton for a better sense of my love of cheese. -
Review from John B.
6/1/2010 ROTD 9/9/2010
I finally made it to Cafe Too for brunch. And yes, you should mock me, because this place is an easy walk (just under a mile) from my front door. I don't know what took me so long, but now that I've been there, I'll be back.
First of all, biscuits and gravy. Or biscuits and gravy madness, I should say. Why has no one else thought to put cheese on biscuits and gravy? If you're a purist, the very thought may horrify you, but if you're a gourmand like me, you say "bring it on!" And cajun sausage gravy. Oh mother.
I had the fruit salad instead of the hash browns -- and quite the tasty combo it was, too -- but my companion had the potatoes, and the addition of sweet potatoes to the mix was a delightful surprise. More of a potato hash than hash brown, but potato/potahto is what I say to that. Was it good? Then eat it up!
If you know anything about Cafe Too, you know it's run by the Inspiration Corporation, and part of its goal is to provide employment training for Chicago's poor and homeless. For my dollar, that translates into people who are happy to have a job. If you've had to put up with surly staff at other eateries, you'll be happy to know there's none of that here. Our sassy server treated us like family.
What I didn't know until today, when I checked out their website, is that Cafe Too has a prixy fixy dinner menu. 18 bucks for three courses, or 24 for five! (Appetizer, soup, salad, entrée and dessert.) Considering that most places with a prixy fixy offer three courses for $25 (or more), and only offer it one night a week, this is a steal!Listed in: The Best of Me
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Review from Nikkie H.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2010
Another brunch spot tried and tested.
Cafe Too was pretty darn good. My friend and I went there today to check it out. We were drawn to the great reviews, great prices and the great work it does.
I had the chorizo skillet, which was super yum and she had the crabcake benedict, which I tried and was also super yum.
I took off one star for a few reasons. 1. They forgot to bring our coffee, which wasn't a huge deal. My friend's tasty hazelnut latte made up for it. 2. I ordered over-easy eggs for my skillet and they brought out scrambled. It still tasted good. 3. The food was lukewarm. I think they forgot about it, because the table next to us came in at the same time as we did and got their food about 10 minutes ahead of us.
Even with all those things we both would totally go back. We got there at about 11:45 and had a super short wait to be seated, the servers were fairly friendly, the food tasted good and it's just great for the community. -
Review from Saeed R.
Chicago, IL
8/23/2011
Very good time indeed. Came in with my 6 and 2 year old for breakfast. I was immediately greeted and asked to sit where ever I pleased. After asking for our drinks they brought the kids two Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes with chocolate chips and whipped cream - said the chef wanted to make the kids something special. All this without me even asking. I ordered the biscuits and gravy - it ought to be called Mt. Biscuits and Gravy. I'm a big guy and couldn't even eat it all. Very clean - even the bathrooms! Very good service! Very good food - my 6year old daughter asked to tell the chef that her food was "A"+. I don't even know where that comment came from. And above all very welcoming for families with kids.
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Review from Jenny H.
9/11/2010 1 photo
We walked in from a drizzling saturday morning. The lady at the register warmly welcomed us and told us to find a place where we'd be most comfortable. For such a tiny place, I was surprised that we had our pick of tables. The food took quite a while to arrive; however, we soaked in the crisp, bright interior and once our food came, our weather-related dreariness quickly dissipated.
My friends ordered an turkey bacon avocado wrap and crab cake benedict. I was intrigued by their green tea pancakes and ordered a "half stack" to share amongst my girlfriends, plus a salmon-spinach benedict. My benedict arrived sans spinach, but no matter, since I was too busy sopping up the roasted tomato hollandaise sauce. The pancake itself was very subtle, but the honey crème anglaise was definitely the star of the dish. It will forever ruin the relationship I have with pancakes and conventional maple syrup. I tried a little bit of my friend's crab cake benedict and had to refrain myself from gobbling up the other half of her plate. There wasn't anything exciting about the side "hash browns"- which was more like cubed potatoes, but I liked how there was a mix of different spuds (including sweet potatoes) that added a savory element when you ate it all together.
Next time I'm in the neighborhood, I will be coming back! -
Review from randi z.
Chicago, IL
8/6/2011
Lovely unexpected spot with terrific small plates and great value.
And byob too!
We had 5 plates - 4 were definite winners
Ham and chorizo fritters, avocado and bacon salad, hangar steak w/ garlic mashed, and flatbread with carmelized onions and calamata olives. The only plate that was not fabulous was blue cheese, bacon and shrimp quesadilla that was ok but overly salty. Service was solicitious and friendly. I've been meaning to try this place for quite a while and will definitely return. -
Review from Erik J.
Chicago, IL
11/16/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Great service. Great food! The brunch is incredible on the weekends and the menu is constantly changing. The 1/2 sweet potato 1/2 regular potato hash browns are fantastic.
I highly recommend the 3 or 5 course prix fixe dinner there too. -
Review from Mary V.
Chicago, IL
2/27/2011
Had brunch with the boyfriend at Inspiration Kitchens this morning - what a lovely surprise!!
The breakfast platter was amazing - gave me everything I want in a breakfast: french toast or pancakes, eggs any way, toast or hash browns, sausage or bacon - all for eight bucks. I usually end up having to mash together a bunch of sides to get this, but at IK they do it for you! The rest of the menu was enticing as well, but not overwhelming.
We sat right next to the door, which made me leery because I get cold easily, but I was warm and snug the entire time. Service was quick, pleasant, cheerful, and non-intrusive. The atmosphere was bright, fresh, and clean, and I could hear myself talk. Oh yes, and we were seated immediately upon entering, at 11 am on a Sunday.
Even if I didn't know about the altruistic background of this place, I'd return again and again. Which I will! -
Review from Dhruv P.
9/18/2010
Just heard about this place and what's not to like? They help the local community while providing great food in a great atmosphere.
I went this morning at noon for the brunch and was easy to get a table.
Our order was taken quickly. The special that looked too good to pass up was the Sweet Potato and Pecan Pancakes. YUM. I don't think I can ever use Maple syrup after trying Cafe Too's spread.
However, the Caprese Benedict was just underwhelming. The taste was muddled. The hash browns weren't anything special either. It was nice that sweet potatoes were mixed, but I think that if the potatoes were cut larger or shreadded, the taste would have been a marked improvement. The middle of the road isn't cutting it.
I would come again. The prices are reasonable and their ethos is very admirable. -
Review from K T.
Chicago, IL
1/22/2011
Good food but not great.
Had the chicken, pesto, goat cheese panini with fruit on the side. The fruit was lackluster, the panini was fairy tasty. The BF had mushroom, florentine eggs benedict. We both enjoyed our lunches but were not blown away by anything in particular.
The staff was friendly, the place nice and clean and the prices pretty typical of Chicago but I do not think we will be going back. We don't really live in the neighborhood.
Also we were not offered a refill on our sodas until the end of the meal! Our drinks had been gone for way too long and our food finished. Meal over, "would you like more coke?" No, not while I'm signing the check thanks, too late. That really annoys me.
We were happy to try some place new but just really not that impressed. -
Review from Nick B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2011
4.5 out of 5 stars? Right in my neighborhood? WHERE have I been!? I've had Cafe Too bookmarked for some time now and finally walked over and met a friend here for brunch. When I arrived, I realized that it was a lot smaller than I imagined. We were seated right away which was nice, but the booth was a little uncomfortable as the seats were high and the table was low. I felt like I giant.
Anyway, ordered a glass of OJ. $3. Fine, but I always hate paying high prices for orange juice at any brunch place to begin with. I went ahead and ordered the lentil cakes that were marked as a healthy alternative. Phew! The dish came with the cakes topped with red pepper aioli, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, and a pile of steamed spinach. Overall, a solid dish. The cakes were a little smaller than I hoped, but they were tasty. The spinach tasted...well like spinach. I was looking for a little more spice to it, but I guess that's why they invented pepper, yeah? The potatoes were awesome though.
Overall, a cute place in the neighborhood. Worth the hype? Eh...not really. I'm glad I came in, but with the cramped space, moderately higher prices, and not bad, but just OK food, I can't see myself rushing back. I gave Cafe Too 3 stars because I do support the goodwill they have for the community.
