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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lincoln ParkSedgwick (Purple Express, Brown)
Mon-Sat. 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
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So this is where the yuppies eat breakfast in Chicago.
If we were in LA, this would attract the young Santa Monica crowd. I kid. I kid.
Seriously, I really enjoy coming here with the gf for weekend breakfast---especially in the summa time. Just head to the farmer's market across the street and walk off the egg white omelette or whole wheat pancakes along Lake Michigan.
The food is respectable. But I really dig the neighborhood and vibe. Go early. It gets really crowded on weekends.
Since I just arrived in Chicago for an indefinite period of time, one of my first food goals was to find that go-to breakfast joint where first-meals-of-the-day are served past 10am. I found it!
Nookie was the theme of the day, apparently; my man and I got out of bed late, famished, and in need of some post workout sustenance. It was noon. I whipped out my iPhone and searched breakfast, Nookie's popped up, and I called to find out if breakfast was still being served.
Nookie's: 'We serve breakfast 24 hours a day.'
OMFG!
San Diego's 24 hour restaurants are pretty much limited to Jack in the Box and Denny's. The good news on Nookie's turned me on to say the least.
I ordered the Dixie Benedict. Two buttermilk biscuits topped with thick cut (JUICY) ham steak, and poached eggs all smothered in sausage gravy. Savory, delicious and under 8 bucks. The food wasn't swimming in gravy (a good thing), my over-medium poached eggs were picture perfect, and cooked just the same. A great breakfast I will return for.
The thick-shredded hash browns had just the right exterior crunch with a soft tater center. Good coffee for a diner-ish haunt, and the tabletop lemon ice water is a nice touch.
The stud muffin ordered the veggie omelet, which was huge and came with hash browns and toast for around 7 bucks. Huge pieces of mushrooms within. Nice.
Appropriately, Nookie's is the opposite of prudish when it comes to portions, and is equally generous in price. Attentive service. Nice restrooms.
Good diner food served fast. I had the BBQ beef (can you tell from my previous review I had a taste for it?) and enjoyed it a lot. Lots of beef on a potato like bun, cooked in a sweet BBQ sauce that wasn't too sweet, not too spicy, but just right. For a side I chose cole slaw that didn't disappoint but compared to the portions of other sides I saw, it was a bit skimpy and I could've gone for more.
Avoid the tap water. It's nice that they keep a full carafe at each table, but it tastes really nasty.
I absolutely adore old town and the stretch of wells from lincoln ave to division. I wandered into nookies in the early morning for some sustenance. I ordered a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a zuchhini-tomato-cheddar omelette. It came with great hash browns and toast. The toast I did not touch bc I was too busy with my perfect omelette. It was so good and definitely better than I expected. Fluffy, full of fresh zucchini and plump juicy diced tomato. The price was right, something like $8? Service was fair.
I think this is another no-frills breakfast place like sunshine cafe in the ukrainian village that executes basic breakfast iteams (omelettes, french toast, eggs and meats) well. Not avant garde frou frou breakfast iteams- I like it that way anyway!
Excellent breakfast hangout, services is fantastic, everyone there is attentive and pleasant to ensure that your experience is great. Sometimes you have short wait for a table, but it is well worth it. I love the omlettes, pancakes, salads, etc. I like breakfast at Nookies more than Lou Mitchells and that saying alot!
My biggest problem with a restaurant after terrible service is inconsistency in dining experience. If a place is mediocre 10 times out of 10, that's fine because I expect mediocrity. If a place is awesome my first time and all over the spectrum for the rest of my experiences, you're not going to be my first choice of restaurant. I don't want to play a guessing game.
Point being, the food at Nookies is better on the weekends. There is no doubt about it. If I've been to nookies 10 times, twice have been weekends and the food quality is LEAGUES better on a Sunday for brunch.
Yes, a Reuben on a Tuesday is worse than a Reuben on a Sunday.
It's not terrible on a Tuesday, it's just better on a Sunday.
Don't do that, please. Just be consistent!
That said, I've never had a BAD meal at Nookies. The service is always courteous as well, but on a weekday lunch you may be waiting a bit for a drink refill.
If you're going to go, make it a weekend and be prepared to brave a wait.
This spot located in Old Town is simply put...AWESOME!! The wait is often long when you go during prime time eating hours (usually breakfast), and even worse in the summer (they do have some outdoor seating). It is all worth the wait to eat here and the service is good - they always greet you with a smile.
My boyfriend and I walk here (40 minutes) and grab breakfast and or lunch often. Its worth it and we get a chance to prepare for the mound of calories we intake...well worth it!!
They have great breakfast dishes, which have not compared with any other breakfast place (maybe Wishbone) that I have been to in the city...really. They are better than Toast, Orange, Le Peep, Lou Mitchel's...I can go on, but I'll spare you!
They have some creative seasonal menu items including AMAZING stuffed french toast in the summer, which I highly recommend and great egg dishes. Even their salads and burgers are fantastic! Their portions are large and the prices are well worth the quality and quantity you get. It's a great spot for a large or small group and we never feel rushed. They take good care of you and will make sure you get exactly what you want.
Please note that parking is a pain around here!
As an avid Yolk diner I almost feel like I'm cheating even writing this review (sorry Yolk) and yet I have to do it; I feel compelled. I went to Nookies with a friend a few weeks ago and was in the mood for blueberry pancakes. Being the healthy foodie I am I ordered the multigrain blueberry pancakes and a cup of coffee without knowing I would shortly arrive in what would soon become my food heaven here in Chicago. You breakfast/brunch addicts and junkies know what I mean.
Out they came with blueberries on top, and in the middle - just like I like them. And the multigrain batter was perfectly seasoned with this surprise of cinnamon that left a perfect flavor on my tongue making me crave the next bite. The middle of each bite was somehow soft and almost gooey yet still cooked...I kept eating until I was nearly sick to my stomach they were so good.
Here comes the dilemma...I am now addicted. I have to have blueberry pancakes all the time for breakfast and I'm trying to recreate their yummy multigrain recipe at home (I don't cook - it's not pretty people) and to top it off, blueberries are out of season - it's heartbreaking. Where does that leave me (and us)...I've now become addicted to Nookies and their multigrain blueberry pancakes!
Oh yeah, my dining companion ordered an omelette and loved it although he was somewhat distracted by my nearly orgasmic experience across the table.
I had a great dining experience at Nookies! It's an awesome, no-frills diner with a cozy atmosphere, nice staff and pleasant music. Oh and the food is pretty great as well! Nothing revolutionary but there's no need to be groundbreaking in order to be awesome.
I'm a huge fan of breakfast joints like Nookies. I know they are open all day for lunch and dinner too but to me it's our breakfast place.
The food is good, the specials are always great, the waiters are always friendly, and it's only a short walk from my place. What more could I want?
Waking up early and going out for breakfast with my husband is one of my favorite things to do and Nookies is our favorite place to go. Of course they do get packed on weekend mornings but if you're trying to go anywhere for breakfast on a weekend morning it's going to be packed. So that doesn't really bother me. If it's good I'm happy to wait, or just get there a little earlier to avoid the wait. And Nookies is worth it to me.
Get. Here. Early.
Thank goodness we arrived by 9:15am on Saturday morning....when we left there was an hour wait! And for good reason, this place serves really delicious food!
The food....every fruit-type pancake you can think of, and killer omelettes. Killer! (in a good way). The orange juice is freshly squeezed and really, I can't think of many better breakfast spots in the city.
The only downside is the "decor"...if you will. It is basically a really bare space that has some tables and chairs and then filled with people. Not exactly quaint. But hey! With fresh fruit and whipped cream on top of your waffle, who can complain?
Holy Mother of taste buds! I had one of the top 10 meals of my Chicago life here today. My boyfriend and I shared our dishes. The seasonal specials including an omelet with mustard greens, sweet potatoes, ham, peppers. The tang of the greens mixed with the sweet of the yams and the saltiness of the ham was unbelievable. On top of that, we had a sampler of the seasonal pancake/french toast items. The flapjacks were moist, creamy pumpkin pancakes with roasted pecans. The pecans were toasted and mildly charred for a delicious burnt sweet taste. The french toast was good had incredibly fresh spiced apples and struesel cumblies. Oh, and their orange juice was the best fresh squeezed I've ever tried- EVER.
Okay. I'm a huge fan of the occasional trip to Nookie's for nice diner food in Boystown. But this one...Seriously?
In a nutshell: awful service, rude waitstaff and management. Here's what happened...
I walked in after a dentist appointment (yuck) for a salad and a nice read all to myself. Well, this didn't exactly happen. For one, it took FIVE MINUTES to wait to be seated...and then, I wasn't seated. See, after waiting that whole time, NO ONE even LOOKED at me or bothered to say, "Someone will be right with you," or "Can I help you?"
It was NOT crowded. At all. So, I figured, maybe I'm expected to seat myself? Doesn't seem like it, cuz I know how the other Nookie's works (see: someone at the counter ready to seat you immediately), but I think, "Whatever, who knows," and seat myself.
It became apparent that I was NOT supposed to do this, as every waiter and bus boy walked right past me paying me no attention / not knowing how I got there. So FINALLY, after 10 minutes, some waitress says something to the manager guy at the counter, clearly pointing at me. He shook his head and said something. She turns to me and says, "Excuse me, do you need a menu?" I said I did.
With that, she turns around and storms off to the front, shaking her head and throwing her hands up in the air in annoyance. At me. As if I wouldn't see this?
Then she hands me the menu and, in a fake-nice voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear, says, "Next time, just make sure you check in at the counter, okay?" I responded, "Yeah, well no one helped me for five minutes so..." And she WALKED AWAY as if I hadn't said anything.
I should've left. But i was starving and already there. So I stayed and ordered my salad. The rude waitress decided she should be nice to me from then on out, clearly remembering that she needed a decent tip at the end of all this. (Which, she did not receive nor deserve.)
I must say, I've never felt like such a nuisance to a waiter or waitress like this until the Old Town Nookie's. And all because I got confused by the lack of attention to be seated, and assumed I might need to seat myself.
So, I will NOT be going back to this location. Ever. Very rude and unprofessional. If I have a craving for Nookie's next time, I'll make sure it's at the Boystown one, where they actually, you know, SEAT you in a decent amount of time and are kind to you.
LOVE Nookies! Best breakfast in Chicago! I've tried them all, and this place wins. Consistent good food and nice friendly servers. Not the fanciest of places, but the prices don't warrant an expensive build out. I'm a big fan of good food at a great price every time you sit down, and that's what you get here. No surprises! I LOVE Nookies! I've even been for dinner. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. ;)
I think after visiting this place, I understand why it is 5-stars for so many people and yet the comments about it being totally standard breakfast are absolutely true at the same time.
It's a local haunt, not something worth driving from downtown for. It's also quite standard - not like an Orange or something new and eclectic.
The place isn't bad, which doesn't make it great, but it's average and reliable.
In addition, I think I made the mistake of ordering lunch instead of breakfast and it seems all the good reviews are for the pancakes/french toast.
My veggie burger was very okay. The "cottage fries" or "kettle-ish chips" that come with it were undercooked and just slices of potato. The soup that is supposed to come with it was not vegetarian and they wouldn't replace it with anything else!
The OJ was indeed good but everything else was very average, as was the service.
Went late morning yesterday, and there was a wait of course, but worth it. I had the "sweet" fall special and was in absolute heaven. Pumpkin pancakes/French toast with pears/and some other kind of hotcakes. YUM. My friends who drank coffee and orange juice loved their beverages. I wish I lived closer!
I don't eat too often in Old Town since I live further north.But every time I'm around, I simply cannot skip having breakfast at Nookies.Their food is fabulous!Even now,trying to remember their menu,my mouth is watering.I like their generous portion of delicious pancakes,their savory omelets,and the fresh squeezed orange juice . I definitely recommend this restaurant for a delicious quick bite in the morning.
You think Nookies. You think eggs. Breakfast. Weekend crowds.
Do you think...dinner? Chances are probably not, but this diner-esque haunt has some solid sandwiches, wraps, salads and entree items. Surprised? I sure was.
First off they have a rockin good strawberry milkshake with huge chunks of berries. Yum. Second most of their entrees include a bowl of soup (last night option included lentil or cheddar broccoli) and some really good fries (potato slices) and a pickle accompany the massive sandwiches. I loved my grilled chicken with avocado sandwich (it was so big I didn't even eat half the bun) and my friend liked her tremendous wrap so much she took the other half home.
If you're looking for an affordable, family friendly dining option for any meal check out Nookies. Bonus? Outdoor dining and friendly service!
My parents are visiting for Father's Day weekend, we wanted to get brunch on Sunday morning, but my Dad's not really a "foofy" brunch kind of guy. Aka, he'd take a greasy spoon diner over Toast, any day of the week.
So, Nookies seemed like the closest thing to a Diner I could find in Old Town. We sat down at 10am, with no wait. The service was prompt, and our expectations were...honestly we had no expectations. So let me tell you we were BLOWN AWAY by the food. I had the roasted veggie open face frittatta, and the eggs were fluffy and the veggies fresh and full of the grilled smokiness. The summer specials were incredible too. Do me a favor and get the Trio of: berry french toast, peach/cocunt hotcakes, and almondy pancakes. We split it among the 4 of us, and they were all so yummy!
You'll have food to go. Learn to love leftovers, I'm eating mine right now :)
Based upon my previous review, the owner of Nookie's contacted me. I really appreciate that he took the time to do that, although what I really needed was for someone to care at the time of the incident. I hope that my experience can be used as a teaching tool and won't be repeated for other customers. At least I know someone cares, if a little too late.
Oh dear. The one star is not due to the wait, which is considerable; but it's brunch in Chicago, and… Read more »
A must! Nookies is the place for anyone who wants great service, great food, and a great atmosphere. It's the best place in the city for casual dining. The place is alive with people who gather there to catch up and have an outstanding meal, but it is also a great place for a quiet meeting with great food. Nookies' service is top notch, and you never have to wonder where your waitress/waiter is. Bob, the manager, is the best. He multitasks seamlessly and makes sure everyone is comfortable and taken care of. It's the best spot, not to be missed!
I had the pumpkin and walnut pancakes and this crazy omelette that had collard greens in it or something, I forget! All I know was that it was DELISH! Every weird thing I ordered, I loved. It's in a cute neighborhood, the restaurant itself it very cozy and no frills, and they have a little semi-circle bar that I want to eat at one day. Just 'cause. I have to say, though. that I went on a Tuesday at 10ish so I didn't have to deal with a wait, which always makes any dining experience so much better from the outset.
Good, solid breakfast food.
It's the real deal. Benedicts. Waffles. Pancakers. The ambience is eh and the food won't completely wow you, but it's solid.
I had a California Benedict without bacon (english muffin, avocado, poached eggs and tomato with a hollandaise sauce). Not bad at all. Can't go wrong with avocados.
If I am in the neighborhood for breakfast I would definitely go back.
I've been to this Nookies two or three times, and have been consistently whelmed by just about everything--quality of food, quality of service, decor, other customers, other customers' orders, and so on.
Word on the street is, that you got a weakness for breakfast food items, and well, I'll be damned if that's not true, but wouldn't you know it, I don't think I've ever actually had breakfast/brunch here, and, well, if I did, it was one time (that "or 3"rd time) and it wasn't very notable.
Otherwise I've had the sandwiches. Pretty sweet if you like sandwiches with shit piled on top of 'em. For example, when I went last week, I got a tuna melt. That's right, tuna on english muffins with tomato slices and some nuclear orange cheese melted on the top. It was pretty good--the tuna's real mayonnaisey if you're into that. I usually prefer a drier tuna. Because I'm weird. The fucked up thing is, though, that I could barely eat any of the GD sandwich because I had a bowl of split pea soup that preceded it.
NOW IS THE TIME WHEN WE DISCUSS THE MAJESTY OF THE SOUP.
Seriously, this split pea soup was thick, creamylicious, hammy, oh my oh my oh tasty good. On its surface floated big as hell sourdough croutons, nary a sogged by the viscosity of their home waters. The croutons were buttery, a bit garlicky, basically fucking incredible. And the soup, oh, heavens, the soup. I tell you, I have never had it taken out of me so bad from a bowl of soup before. I'm a huge fan of soup, and it usually sates me, but, like, Campbell's doesn't cut it unless you also--in addition--hook up some cheese and crackers with that bitch. Now, the type of cheese and the type of cracker are HIGHLY context specific with respect to the particular soup, but their copresence is near mandatory, in my soup consumption book. But I'll be damned if this split pea didn't get a full fucking pass with crusty croutons alone. And then I was too full to eat my sandwich.
THANKS NOOKIES FOR FEEDING ME THIS SOUP IT IS THE SOUP OF HEAVENLY DELICIOUS DELIGHTS BUT NOW I HAVE TO TAKE THIS SANDWICH HOME AND I HAVE TO BE ONE OF "THOSE PEOPLE" TAKING HOME TAKEOUT CONTAINERS OF STINKY FOOD ON THE EL AND EVERYONE EVERYWHERE PRETTY MUCH IS 100% SURE THEY KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN EATING AND THEY'RE JUDGING ME FOR IT.
Thanks a lot.
And what the hell is with those slices of potatoes you pretend to pass off as french fries? That shit's like trying to call a sow's ear a fuckin' silk purse.
(2 stars on an everyday, 3 for the soup.)
Since my return to Old Town - scene of my post-college years - I have been revisiting old haunts, dare I say, as a mature (ahem) adult. (Don't laugh.)
Nookies was always one of those places I sought to cure my hangover blues. This time around it was more like a cure for plain ol' hunger pangs.
This visit was during the week on a rare day off from work. My boyfriend and I were quickly seated and served coffee. Great.
But then it wasn't so great.
After we sat down, we waited a long time for a server to take our order, let alone just say "hello - someone will be right with you." It wasn't even crowded, for pete's sake!
I tried to flag someone down but each time my friendly waves were ignored. Ooohhh... I don't remember it being like this. Maybe I need to drink just to tolerate the wait staff.
Anyhoo, we finally got a server who had the personality of a cactus. I so wanted to hug her. Yeah right.
Aside from the not-so-pleasant waitstaff, the food was delicious. I had the steak and egg tostada while my boyfriend had the brioche french toast with berries. Yummmm...
In a nutshell, food is good, waitstaff yuck. You decide what you need.
As for me, I will try to have a nasty hangover next time I visit so I can take my focus off the service and focus on the food.
This place is GREAT for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!! On the weekends it is crowed but worth the wait!! I went there for lunch today and had a veggie burger topped with THICK blue cheese and slices of apples, and homemade potato chips!!! The have great coffee and fresh juice!!
Under $10 for breakfast and over for lunch and dinner!!
BYOB
I went here early Sunday morning with a large group. There were 8 of us and it was about 8:00 in the AM. As there were other groups ahead of us (big events going on nearby, so large crowds), they said we had to wait until our complete party was here. So we awkwardly stood around, unintentionally hovering over the tables nearby as there was no real area to wait. It definitely was an older crowd at that time. Everyone was in their 50's or 60's it seemed, reading their morning paper and sipping their morning coffee. The atmosphere kind of reminded me of your typical suburban American restaurant--nothing impressive with regards to the decor. I was skeptical about the rave reviews my friends gave this place. Finally, everyone arrives and they seat us.
I start with an orange juice, which happened to be freshly squeezed. Delicious. Then I order the cheese stuffed crepes, with one cinnamon/apple one and a side of bacon. Pure dessert. The cheese crepes were very tasty and super sweet. I definitely enjoyed them but maybe too sweet for the morning. The bacon was perfect too--having a slight maple flavor to them. I tasted my friends eggs and they were cooked to perfection.
I wish I had the chance to try more food, so I could rate them more thoroughly, but I have to say, if you want an all-American breakfast, moderately priced, this is the place to go. I'm not sure if I would come here again, only because I'm more of a fan of creative new American cuisine and a more well decorated room but basing my rating on the type of food they specialize in, I will give them 4 stars. I would prefer to give 3.5, however--only because it was such a bland looking restaurant.
At least 100 visits here (I lived across the street 4 years), during all days of the week & hours of the day, I regretfully boycotted Nookies many many times over & over again. 2 stars for menu options & staff friendliness. Zero stars for drastically declining food quality over the years.
Being masochistic & returning ONE LAST TIME (every time) to give Nookies another shot is just plain self-destructive & abusive.
The omelets are always wet, undercooked, & halfway raw (as are the "hashbrown" aka microwaved raw potatoes) & swimming on a plate of greasy water. The cottage "fries" are either burnt char, like chewing a plank of deadwood, or a dead wringer for "hashbrowns" & raw potatoes nuked in microwave.
Medium-cooked hamburgers are ALWAYS well done, needing a vat of ketchup or sloppy toppings to choke them down like a bucket of peanut butter blobbed in your throat. The waitress, god love her 2 braincells, always giggled how "thirsty" I am every visit, drinking 3 pitchers of water & hot tea. No, ya twot..... I am hoping this beef-jerky overcooked cow will dissolve enough for digestion!! Hence the plate of lemons to break down the rotting meat in my gullet.
Note to self: McDonalds and Subway are 2 blocks down the street and comparable in quality for 1/5th the price. Or, there's always Walgreens for a protein bar & Diet Mountain Dew. At least I won't be nauseous & sorely disappointed by my 20th, 50th, & 90th repeat offense visits.
I really don't get the crazy appeal that draws HERDS of people so early on a weekend. Don't get me wrong - the food isn't bad, but it's just standard breakfast food. Really?
Ah Nookie, Nookie, Nookie! Talk about being leaving a place satisfied--ah!!!! The eggy goodness covered in the sinfully creamy cheese, the tart artichoke adding a ting of sass--ahhhhh!!! Someone hand me a cigarette--oh wait! I don't smoke--drat!!
For some reason I have been on a brunch kick lately--must find good brunch food at affordable prices or will die--this is my mission. Once I find a brunch spot the inevitable inner argument occurs & it can be killer sometimes: SWEET OR SAVORY?!?!?!?! my sweet side & my savory side really duke it out--you should hear it & the language--good lordy, lordy.
I am utterly ashamed of myself for having worked near enough to the place for the past 12 years & NEVER having been--someone slap me! Upon entry, I was pleased to discover how humongous the place is. You would never guess the size of the dinning room from the outside--I am guessing this comes in handy on the weekends as I imagine it gets packed. My friend & I were seated right away and promptly served coffee--already this place was winning in my book. Our server was quick in assisting us with the menu & ready to give suggestions (personally I love that).
He was very attentive to our needs and made the experience ever so enjoyable. He even displayed a ton of patience as the war of savory vs sweet waged on in my head (this little spats can take a bit of time). Savory won out on this trip & I ordered the artichoke frittata. It was delicious and the portion was MASSIVE. My friend ordered the Amy omelet with fruit cup and of course we shared (why go out with people if you are not going to sample each others plates?!?!?!?!). Both dishes were delicious--a word to the wise if you do not like lots of cheese be sure to tell them go to lite on that stuff. My only negative is the coffee--while I thought was Okay--I have had better. Trust me though, that won't keep me from coming back. The sweet side of my brain must have its day!
So the run down is this:
Place--spacious & comfortable.
Staff--friendly & super attentative
Food--comes out hot & quick and is utterly DELICIOUS!
If in the hood--check them out or heck make a special trip.
If all I sampled were the Eggs Benedict with hash browns I'd be rating them two maybe three stars and would call the experience average. I checked the Yelp app after leaving service at Moody Bible Church, within ten minutes got a table inside. The reviews looked awesome and someone said something about a wowzerful benedict. The only wowing factor I could find in mine was a citrus flavor to the hollandaise, other then that the eggs were over cooked and the english muffin was straight out of the bag, not toasted. Luckily I caught wind of the "Sweet summer trio" which can be sampled for $10 for one lucky person or a table. Stuffed brioche french toast with assorted fresh berries, mango coconut hotcakes and peach-raspberry pancakes. Took a bit longer than our entrees to come out of the kitchen, but well worth the wait. It was the shining star on the table, taste explosive fruity flavors colliding with just enough breading of three varieties. That is worth a second date, lovely dish. Coffee was blah, hash browns boring. On the next visit I'll branch out and try something the other reviewers call their favs. Eggs Benny you bore me. Brunch. Average brunch entree was under $10, $8 - $10.
(Sweet summer trio photo you can find above.) Dunno if I am a fan yet, have to sample more dishes.
Came here for brunch with a party of 4, and the wait wasn't too bad. We were all starving, so the prompt service with coffee as we sat down was great. Really good coffee too. Would be great if they could just leave a pitcher of coffee at a table....we were going through coffee pretty quickly.
We all wanted something sweet and salty...so each couple ordered a 1-2 main dishes + pancakes to share! I ordered the chocolate chip pancakes and then shared a denver omlette with my husband...who got their pancake special that was super sweet. I wasn't a huge fan of the denver omlette....maybe because the eggs weren't too fluffy? Or maybe because I'm spoiled and my husband can make really good omlettes??
Would recommend coming here, especially if the wait here is shorter than Toast. We couldn't get into Toast, so walked over to here and got served within 20 minutes.
I love Nookies! I've been coming here every month for my book club for nearly two years. They don't normally accept reservations, but the manager has always been really cool---call sometime in the day and give them a heads up and they pull tables together for us. They even do individual checks, which is a HUGE plus with a group! One waitress handles a group of 14 with ease and the busers are very attentive to refill water carafes for us. They let us linger as long as we want, never felt pressured to clear out. Even if they have other special events (another group, filming for something), they try to accommodate us as best as possible. They even let us do a special event with an author and 30 attendees without a problem.
I tend to stick to a handful of favorites, but I've never had a bad dish. Nookies serves breakfast all day and I love pancakes for dinner on occasion. Pancakes, crepes, french toast, waffles----all yummy with large servings. The only dish I've ever heard any of my group not like was spinach pie. Otherwise, we've tried almost everything---salads, burgers, pasta, eggs, sandwiches, soup, etc.----with happy results. Good diverse choices for vegetarians as well.
I've been here once for the typical Saturday early afternoon rush. The wait wasn't too bad. I tried a seasonal pumpkin pancake and it was really good. Good service.
I could rave forever. There's a reason my book club has stayed put in the same spot for nearly two years. Everyone is happy and the staff is outstanding!
Oh Nookies,
How do I love thee, let me count the ways....
#1. Your outdoor seating on a glorious summer morning.
#2. The fact that you have those buzzer things like Buffalo Wild Wings (for food) when our table is ready.
#3. Your omlets.
#4. the tiny chunks of fruit cooked into my panckes. (I never thought I would be the kinda gal to enjoy chunky anything, wow, was I wrong)
#5. The fresh squeezed O.J. (and the 7 refills I usually get).
#6. The huge meals at super uber skaduber cheap prices that allow me to share with a friend or take some home for later.
#7. Your baller staff.
I could go on and on. I love you nookies! See you next week!
Hmmmm.....
I felt kind of disappointed with Nookies. I've wanted to try it for a while, especially when I would pass it during the summer with all the outdoor seats filled and a line out the door.
I went on a Saturday around 1pm with the bf. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table, even though we were standing next to 4 empty tables that were set and ready to go- not dirty dishes waiting to be picked up- clean, usable tables right in the front. Was a server leaving from this section for the day? Anyhow, that put me off to a bad start as I was hungry and very grumpy I had to wait for a table when I could clearly see empty tables. Our server was friendly though, and we got our food quickly when we finally did get a table.
Next pet peeve, for some reason I was under the impression that this was going to be an exquisite, little secret breakfast place. Instead, it was a huge, multi-room, yuppy diner. Nothing about it felt inspired on the inside. I have the feeling it was better years ago.
The food was OK, not fantastic. I had the eggs Florentine. The hash brown potatoes were very bland and badly needed salt. My leftovers actually tasted better the next day, waking up from a night of drinking and realizing I had some food in the fridge.
I honestly dont have much to say about Nookies(can you imagine- ME not having a lot to say??)
Food- good, not great, but hearty and filling. I am especially fond of their omeletes which are LIGHT and FLUFFY. The other reviewers are correct- they do NOT skimp on the cheese. The hashbrowns are just OKAY, the fruit in their fruit cup is fresh and filling(not any of that nasty gross fruit-cup type thing you probably got in grade school). Service was attentive without being intrusive.
Solid four stars for Nookies...............
I just wish the place was a tad PRETTIER inside but OH WELL!
Solid breakfast spot. Place was slammed. Very good-looking & attentive staff. Food was banging and my bill was $20 for 2 people. Rad.
First time in town and pretty damn impressed. Just please have some Tapatio or Cholula to go with my Chilaquiles next time please. Thanks
This is slowly coming a place where 1/2 my acting class fills up on Sunday nights at 6pm.
It's really good to have breakfast...or lunch...or dinner. Or breakfast for lunch or for dinner. Basically everything on their menu is yummy. Their customer service is pretty good and the counter guy is great eye candy. It's always pretty quiet with only a few other diners in there when we go, and we end up making the place insanely loud.
Though I haven't been there in the morning for a hangover cure, I'm pretty sure it does the job.
A series of brunchy haikus:
Devine brunch trio:
Two kinds of pancakes, french toast
I might drool too much...
Cinnamon pear toast
from France was the clear winner
I ate every bite
And wished for seconds -
it was so fucking tasty.
Must make this at home.
Pumpkin pancakes, next.
Not as good as the french toast
but solid flavors.
Reminded me of
pumpkin spice from starbs
only much better.
Third plate was too much -
cherry-apricot pancakes.
Okay - but not great.
Everything on the
menu sounded like sex in
my mouth. For real, yo.
Too bad I got lost
trying to find the place and
walked down Sedgewick. Oops?
Please remember this:
Nookies is on Wells - order
their French Toast items.
Went on a Friday for brunch (spring break, yay!) and it was perfect. We were seated immediately and the waitstaff was quite attentive - full cups of coffee and water at all times. Even 20 min after we were done with our meal, we felt no pressure to leave.
Food was FANTASTIC. The 2009 french toast special (crunchy croissant napolean?) had a lovely filling of strawberries and vanilla marscapone and the crunchiness of the corn flakes added a much desired texture to french toast. Had a bite of all my friends' dishes: huevos con chorizo and the corned beef has were all fresh and plentiful.
I'm sure if this had been the weekend it would be a diff story. But based on my experience, I'd recommend this place to everyone.
Steak & Lobster $39.95 on NYE
Neighborhood: North Center
A Swinging Holiday Season.
Neighborhood: Uptown
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: French
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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