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Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Near SouthsideRoosevelt (Red, Orange & Greens)
Mon-Tue. 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Wed-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
"What is going on over here? Ten five star reviews in a row? For that sandwich place on Lincoln, you know the one by the Paulina brown line…" read more »
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I went here with a friend after being deterred from eating at Yolk by the long wait. Having already patronized Yolk several times, I figured I'd give some place else a shot. My friend recommended Little Branch Cafe and I'd never heard of it or seen it given its almost clandestine location. It seems to be one of South Loops best kept secrets so far and is the perfect escape from the usual hustle and bustle of Chicago's weekend brunch scene. There was no wait (on a Saturday morning), service was quick, and the atmosphere was nice.
I had the frittata sandwich and chamomile tea. Both were very good. I also squealed with joy when I noticed their gelato offerings at the entrance. Of course, I selected pistachio (my favorite!) and it was oh so good.
This place is a real find. Shame on you if you live near by and haven't been inside!
AS a south looper, i'm definitely glad to see a hip coffeehouse type place finally open up in my 'hood. This place has great chai lattes, good scones and cookies, and good gelato. The brunch during the mornings is also really good, and not ridiculously expensive.
Outside of a few times where i was waiting 20min + for a carryout, i've never really had any bad experiences.
The vanilla chai latte' is pretty good . I'd say worth a visit if you live in the south loop, but not something to come cross-town for.
I am so happy this little cafe is so close to where I live!! I actually discovered this place on a chocolate tour and I'm so glad I did!!
We arrived at around 11:30am for brunch and there was plenty of seats inside and outside. This little cafe is a self serve place so we ordered our food first, and then grabbed a seat. The atmosphere was nice, not too loud, not too quiet. We ordered the breakfast burrito (with chorizo) and the vegetarian panini. The breakfast burrito came with a small bowl of fruit and ancho chili creme. I dont know what it was in the ancho chili creme but it tasted great with the breakfast burrito! The burrito had scrambled eggs, avocado, refried black beans, and pico de gallo. I opted to have chorizo in it and it made the burrito taste EVEN better! The ingredients mixed so well with each other! The vegetarian panini had avocado, tomato, sprouts, cheddar and horseradish on marble rye bread. It came with chips and a pickle. The pickle tasted more vinegary than most other pickles I've had, but still very good. I also ordered a chai vanilla latte with soy (sweet) and it was delicious. I cant wait for a revisit!
By the way, on the chocolate tour, we tried the chocolate pretzel drink which is pretty much hot chocolate except mixed with chocolate syrup and caramel with a touch of sea salt. I know it sounds weird but it tasted soooooooo good. The sweet and saltiness really balanced each other out.
I make it a point to go here for breakfast whenever I'm in the windy city.... The last time I was here I think I ordered a couple of things and finished them both.... Banana Walnut Pancakes and an excellent BLT along with a perfectly flavored coffee... just a wonderful little place!
We moved here from Seattle this summer and hoped to find a local cafe with great coffee and a good atmosphere. Little Branch offers both! The staff knows me by name, and I've come to crave their Mexican hot chocolates, lavendar chai lattes, and French toast. We pop in at last weekly for a beer after work (they're open late) or a midmorning brunch. Love, love, love them.
Nice to see that Little Branch improved. Cute setting, delicous coffee. Would recommend.
Not so impressed. I had hoped Little Branch would be more neighborhood-y and granola-y, similar to… Read more »
My girlfriends and I went for a Saturday brunch at this hidden gem because we didn't have time to wait a half hour + as we usually do on the weekends.
When one of my friends turned us down the street into the museum park leasing office, I was really confused as to where she was taking us, but lo and behold, there was a door taking us to the museum park cleaners and little branch cafe.
The cafe isn't huge, but the food was fresh and delicious. It was pretty busy when we got there, but we snagged a table, drank cucumber water and caught up while we waited. our server was a little bit spacey, but I had only gotten 5 hours of sleep before waking up to do some heavy eating so I was in no place to judge. We asked her what the quiche and fritatta of the day were and she didn't know...luckily the girl ringing us up did. I got the quiche of the day (salmon, scallion, cheese, and capers) my friends got the sandwich of the day, the oatmeal, and two got the fritatta sandwich. Mine was pretty good, and pretty small which is a great thing as I am not good with portion control. The other dishes were more hearty, and from what I tasted, they all were good.
I can't wait to move to the south loop just to have this little spot to go to. The smoothie menu was TDF, but at 5.95 a pop, I'm not sure that i'll be able to afford very many!
Little Branch Cafe is like a little bud in the Chicago spring....you really have to look for it but once you found it it warms up your heart and put a smile on your face....
My bff and I don't see each other very much lately (ahh...dissertations and papers to write...) and decided to have breakfast together this morning. We also wanted to do that out of our usual haunt and check out once again this little gem tucked in the middle of a forest of high-rises. We chatted, shared the latest news, I received new kitchen gadgets from the Home and Houseware Show (I know you are jealous) and we happily shared a frittata sandwich (nice and moist) and a lox bagel (a little too cheap on the lox) while sipping on coffee.
Pros :
+ privately owned
+ a pretty large choice of coffee and teas - hot or cold
+ wine, beer and coffee drinks spiked with all types of liquors!
+ interesting paninis (prosciutto, parmesan, fig jam and arugula on ciabatta bread...hey honey! I am here!)
+ gelati to die for (not for breakfast though...I am not that addicted just yet)
+ cute decor, sleek and modern with 'branchy' accents and bonzai-looking plants
+ very friendly staff
Cons:
- no parking space. At all.
BUT you can ask to park in front of the store itself if you don't come on footsies. The owner explained to me once that it would be their responsibility to call the tow-truck and they wouldn't do it obviously if they know it's your car and you are inside giving them your business.
- pretty limited food options for breakfast
- a tiny bit expensive
- loud zen music...you know the kind of music you are supposed to listen very softly in a spa room. Except it was LOUD. Which totally defeats its purpose.
All in all - a good option and a great one for the neighborhood.
This adorable cafe gave me a good vibe. The interior is clean and modern, but has just the write amount of natural touch - from polished rock to bare wood and plants. We stopped here on a chocolate tour and sampled the chocolate covered orange cocoa - it was delicious! They shared freshly baked sweet treats and gelatto with us as well (I recommend the vanilla bean). Bonus: they just got their liquor license and offer a full brunch on the weekends, so you can really enjoy this gem anytime.
I thought this place was great and a nice new option in an area where there are few.
It is tucked away on the cul-de-sac that starts 13th running west and has a simple but thought out design aspect to it. The people that work there were extremely friendly. It seems they mostly make sandwiches but have a brunch menu for the weekends, maybe the weekdays too.
I got a breakfast burrito because i was sort of hungover and wanted the chorizo. The chorizo was awesome and really made the burrito, I could do without the lettuce next time. I like that a small ramekin of fruit was provided and although I think the dish was a decent value at $7.35, the fruit put it over the top.
Looking forward to wrangling the dogs over and having some drinks outside in the sun.
RrL
Great little cafe in the South Loop that has a great ambience and isn't part of a national chain. The coffee was strong and tasty. My partner got a chai latte. This is something that really isn't on the menu (surprisingly) and the barista explained that the chai they had was quite bitter and would be best if added to a vanilla latte. It turned out to be a delicious recommendation.
Minus one star for there being not that many electrical outlets for plugging in your laptop and them being hard to find, also for no shutters so the sunlight shines straight in your eyes during the late afternoon. I will definitely be back since it is within walking distance of my apartment and I don't have to worry about parking issues.
We read all the positive reviews from Yelp and we purposefully made a point to visit this little cafe in the middle of a high rise apartment building.
Perhaps our experience was coloured by the crappy weather (torrential downpour) as we made our way from the Roosevelt station however, this place does not merit the accolades as rated by others.
We were surprised by the meager menu options for breakfast, so we tried some of the grilled sandwiches. The bread was decent, good amount meat inside however nothing special. The chips were nothing to scream home about. The pickle was good - crisp and sweet.
To be frank, there was nothing particularly appetizing about the pastries that were displayed.
I had the vanilla chai latte that everyone was raving about but I didn't really like it. I love chai (the kind that my friend Simrit's mom makes at home - when she uses real spices). I love chai lattes. However this chai was weird - the spices were off.
And there was a floral aroma that just doesn't work - it was actually to the point of being more like a Earl Grey latte than a chai latte. I don't know - maybe they gave me a lavender scented chai instead of the vanilla.
So to be frank, it's a decent place but nothing to go out of your way for. Certainly we would never go back there again when we visit Chicago again.
I visited this café just this past Sunday for the first time. I'd been eager to check it out because (1) I live in the neighborhood, and (2) because of the (mostly positive) reviews. I was, however, greatly disappointed with the service and the price. But, mainly the service!
As soon as I walked in, I was impressed with the low-key, swanky décor, and couldn't wait to get seated to survey the place. Since it's my first time, I was not aware of the fact that it's not a full-service restaurant. Neither did the friend that I came with, so we waited to be seated. The lady behind the counter, who is one of the owners, greeted us with a smile - but instantly shoving us the menu (yeah, just one for us to share) and instructed us to order first. I was a little taken back by her condescending behavior. I conveyed immediately - and with a smile - that this was our first visit, as my subtle way of hinting that we don't know your "rules of engagement". She then immediately and politely explained, in her barely audible voice, how we should order first, then sit anywhere we want...but no "Welcome" before going blah, blah, blah. But since we ordered lattes, she then added that we should stand by the other end of the counter to wait for our lattes first. So, after we paid, we moseyed down to the other end of the counter, behaving like two good school kids.
While waiting for the lattes, which took a good while, we saw ice water and tea dispensers on the counter. We were pretty thirsty by then as we walked 10 blocks to get there so we really wanted some water. We were afraid to get the water though as we weren't sure what the "rules" were. Then, we saw another patron getting up to get water, so we then did the same. (Phew!)
We finally got tired of waiting, so we decided to sit at the available table right across from the counter. Just as I was about to sit down, this other lady, who is one of the other owners, told me I couldn't sit there; it's for a bigger party. She led us to another table and said: "Sit here, it's only the two of you, right?" I was flabbergasted. (Darn! We were doing so well, and we screwed up again, lol!) Later on, I saw that she was putting the tables together - combining the two other tables on each side of where we weren't supposed to sit - for a party of eight. I wish she was more tactful in letting us know. I think saying something like: "Sorry, but I'm actually preparing these tables for a large group. Would you mind sitting over here instead?" would have been much more easy on the ear.
We ordered the bacon-and-egg croissant, the mascarpone-stuffed French toast, and two lattes, and it was over $27. The French toast was very good but heavy. The breakfast sandwich was nothing out of the ordinary. The lattes were a bit too muddy and bitter for my taste.
I actually did already make plans to meet another friend for breakfast there this coming Monday, but I have now suggested another place.
I don't think I'll ever go back on account of the rude, militant service, especially when the rudeness comes from the owners. Good job on first impression, Soo and Sang Choi!
P.S. This is my very first review. This place actually prompted me to sign up just to write up my experience.
It was a bit busier than normal (according to others I talked to while waiting, and the owner). The food was really good, portion size was nice (I had the mascarpone french toast), as the stratta was sold out for the day. I also had the lavender chai latte, which was excellent.
They are very accommodating for trying to seat parties, although i don't really recommend going there in groups bigger than 4 on the weekend.
They just got their liquor license and are building their bar. If you have any suggestions, the Choi sisters are open to adding it!
I'll be back on a weekday to experience an afternoon table with 12 yr Macallan!
"Woohoo," indeed. The South Loop is a sorry-assed excuse for a nabe, especially when it comes to coffee-houses. Expect to hike to Pilson, or midtown. or farther to locate a single non-chain coffee joint.
Luckily, tucked in the bottom of one of Museum Park's massive highrise apartments, the exceptional Little Branch holds sway.
They got - many coffee drinks, amazingly thoughful and delicious sandwiches, one salad, and deserts that I would probably love if I weren't always dieting. I had the gelato once, and it set me free... They also have a full bar. Good music, too. Just the right mix.
The full bar is an unlikely feature for a place that's only open until 4pm on many days, but hey, doormen need to drink too, I guess.
Why 4 stars? Because I don't live in the Museum Park megaplex, so parking is impossible... even then, the incredibly friendly staff will let you stop your car there for a few minutes if it's not too busy.
Fine, I switched it back to five stars, even though it is somewhat inconvenient to get to during the winter, because the staff is so good.
Little Branch, a very welcome addition to the South Loop.
I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THEIR NEW BRUNCH.
A great little cafe/coffeeshop. Great place to grab a cup of coffee to go, or bring your laptop to. More seating here than at the nearest coffee place, the shoebox-small Fivebucks over on Roosevelt. (The South Loop needs a few more cafes!)
However, the food here is hit-or-miss, in quality and availability. They have a very limited menu (as in, half-a-dozen items) most of the week.
Better for coffee and chatting than fine dining. It's a shame, because I think it would be great if they expanded their offerings a bit.
The only actual negative is the parking situation. None. Walk a few blocks though...it won't hurt you.
The food is good, and not super expensive. Atmosphere is casual and friendly. I had some quiche (love quiche!) and it was tasty. Definitely try a coffee drink. Very nice.
Have been coming here as I can for a couple of months now, and the food and coffee is great. The two adorable ladies that run this place are awesome and there's one particularly adorable guy there with phenomenal taste in music (you know who you are. :) ).
For those of us who don't live in/near the South Loop it's a bit out of the way but it's really worth it if you're looking for a small quiet spot in the downtown area with incredibly friendly employees and a great cup of joe. I don't quite understand some of the more negative reviews on here, I think those people where expecting either a) a dive-y touchy-feely coffee shop or b) a really swanky place. This cafe is nestled nicely in between with a very mod yet comfortable approach to the look while being pretty minimalist with little neat touches of more traditional hole-in-the-wall cafes(check out the collection of wooden owls, etc. on the wall behind the counter).
There is a serious lack of restaurants in general in the South Loop. I was very happy when this opened, and I read several favorable reviews. A group of 6 of us went for Sunday brunch.
I was thrilled to see that they serve Metropolis Coffee (a favorite of mine), and liked their all around push of locally owned businesses.
Unfortunately, the food fell short. Of the 6 different dishes on the table, only 1 person thought their food was noteworthy. I tasted 3, and while everything sounded good, nothing was worth trying again.
I would most likely eat there again if in the area, but would not go out of my way.
Two stars for the coffee and gelato, one star for potential. I tried the lavender-honey gellato and it was really wonderful. I never would have come up with that flavor combo, and was so curious that I ordered it.
The coffee was standard, nothing awesome.
I think the location is great, and the sitting area gets great light, but they are just still trying to figure out who they are.
One of the best new restaurants in the South Loop and a fantastic alternative to the long waits and mediocre service at other South Loop brunch places. In the last year they've added a kitchen and a full bar and expanded their hours, especially on the weekends. If you haven't been there in a while it's worth a second look. Service can be a little bewildering at first -- typically the cashier is also the barista and some awkward waiting and standing in front of the cash register comes before you can pay -- but the staff are super nice and down to earth. There's also a buy-10-get-one-free card.
For brunch, I recommend the french toast, which is just sweet enough for adult tastes and pairs well with their espresso drinks, and the breakfast burrito without chorizo, which is refreshingly vegetable-laden and tasty.
Nice job on the new brunch offerings!
People who live in this building are really lucky!
Everything is so great!
After looking at this reviews, I can't see why there aren't more stars. Everyone says that the… Read more »
I love the atmosphere here - very mid-century modern, wood panels, floor-to-ceiling windows and stools that look like tree logs to add some warmth. It inspired me to go with an organic-industrial contrast in my loft.
They have tons and tons of magazines to read, as well as free wi-fi, so you'll never be bored. They played awesome music the first time I went in, which was back in the winter (February maybe?) - they played disc 2 of In Rainbows, The Shins and Modest Mouse.
So why only 3 stars? I'm not a huge fan of their food or drink. They serve Metropolis coffee, which is difficult to find on the southside, but in my opinion is a bit overhyped. Metropolis and Intelligentsia do not make good iced americanos because their espresso tastes too muddy and burnt to me. It's definitely meant to be softened by milk, so go for a latte if you go here. My iced americano was exactly as I described.
My big issue with this place are its hours and its attitude. In the summer they're open til 7pm, but in the winter only 4pm! Way too early to close. Plus they have signs everywhere about not letting you bring in your own food, and to instead enjoy their baked goods. I understand if they don't want you to bring in a sandwich or something big, but don't bitch about my muffin, especially when the baked goods you sell are sub-par and stale. If I am paying for coffee, don't freak out about my chocolate chip muffin.
My wife and I live in the neighborhood so we took a walk over there today for the first time and had lunch. Pretty good sandwiches and nice strong coffee. This place is OK.
I went to this cafe back in March for lunch with a friend and I thought it was so charming. It's kind of hidden and there were only two other patrons in the place besides us. The food was good. Nothing to write home about but I have to give it four stars for the service and the ambiance of the place. I had a turkey rueben and a cup of soup and both were decent. I think you should check it out because its not a chain and that is refreshing in itself.
Really good chai latte here. Yummy brownie. I like the magazine racks filled with current issues of magazines. The service was friendly. Lots of smoothie choices & a nice selection of tasty looking pastries & sandwiches.
I like the spare, clean lines & colors of the interior.
The only problem -- they don't have comfortable seating, making it hard to want to linger & read here.
If you are in the neighborhood and want a real coffee shop with people who care... Little Branch to the rescue.
They make great lunch paninis, coffee, and good breakfast.
The new expanded menu and liquor license make it a great escape.
Enjoy!
I have high hopes for this place because they said they are opening a little wine/beer lounge soon, so please!!!
However, I did not think the mochas nor the chai lattes were great at all. We had a grilled cheese sandwich which was pretty good but nothing to write home about. I live basically on top of this place and I havent been back since. So it can't be that good.
Oh it's also pretty cold/stark in the winter, which is not what you want when you are in a coffee shop trying to warm up!
You gotta love the gelato there... not just good, but the skill the sisters have loading up the huge serving size in a little cup. :-) The space is so cute and comfortable. However, I can't possibly give a coffee place better rating than Intelligentsia. Cappuccino is cappuccino... not cappuccino drink.
What a great spot!!! I spent the weekend studying here for an upcoming exam, and this place provided the perfect arena for some super-productive cramming. On Saturday, I had their turkey reuben, pressed to perfection with a STRONG cup of Metropolis coffee. The food was really tasty, and to my surprise, when I went to buy another cup of coffee, it was refilled for free!! Bottomless cup!! I had such a good day Saturday, I came back Sunday for some more of the same. I'm glad you Yelpers turned me on to this place, the perfect spot to spend a lazy weekend day sipping on some great coffee and noshing on well made food. Oh yeah, and they have pretty good taste in music as well, I heard Bjork, Jeff Buckley, and M.I.A. among others during my visits.
Just got back from a lovely little luncheon here. I loved it. The aesthetic is my favorite -- chocolate brown walls with little woodland/mod detailing (as I told my lunch companion, "I could live here") -- and our veggie panini sandwiches were just right. Neither of us tried the coffee, but I wouldn't mind returning on that errand in the future, if I'm in the neighborhood. Also, the two ladies behind the counter were both very nice and cute.
Awful. Ten minutes for a latte and 25 mins for an over-priced sandwitch and the tables were dirty. Had hoped for so much more since I live in the neighborhood but if you want to try it do so soon cause it won't be in business long with such terrible service.
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