Want to treat yourself or someone special to a fabulous brunch? Chicago offers a wonderful array of fun, eclectic and delicious eateries sure to make anyone forget their worries - at least for a few hours. So, while there are multitudes of restaurants to choose from, we've compiled a list of the top ten brunch places (in no particular order). Happy eating!
ANN SATHERS RESTAURANT 929 W. Belmont, 60657, 773-348-2378 5207 N. Clark, 60640 773-271-6677 Hours: Open 7 days a week from 7am - 10pm. The first thing most people think of when Ann Sather's is mentioned are the outrageously delicious sweet rolls, but these gooey pieces of heaven are only one of the many items this North side mainstay has to offer. In addition to ample omelets filled with fresh ingredients and traditional egg dishes, Ann Sathers offers Swedish-inspired fare such as pancakes with lingonberries and potato sausage. The popular Belmont location has two floors with ample seating with colorful hand-painted walls and warm wood accents that make the atmosphere quite cozy. Lunch and dinner selections are also available at this and other Ann Sathers locations.
For the breakfast menu, the estimated cost per person is $12 - $15 including coffee and gratuity. The dinner menu is inexpensive at approximately $10 - $12 per person.
Reservations are recommended for brunch.
Ann Sathers restaurants are open on all holidays.
THE DRAKE HOTEL Oak Terrace Restaurant 140 E. Walton, 60611, 312-787-2200 The restaurant is open seven days a week with breakfast served from 6:30am-11:30pm, lunch until 2:30pm and dinner from 5:00pm-10pm. The Drake Hotel has been a Chicago institution since the roaring '20s. Nestled inside this historic hotel and overlooking Lake Michigan is the elegant Oak Terrace Restaurant. The restaurant offers daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a Sunday brunch. Diners can choose from such offerings as maple ham, halibut, crab cakes, omelets and assorted smoked fish, along with one complimentary glass of champagne.
The cost of brunch is $59 per person (not including tax and gratuity), $28 for children 6-12 (not including tax and gratuity). Children under 6 dine for free. The regular dinner menu is $18 - $35 per person (including tax, gratuity, and liquor).
The Oak Terrace Restaurant is open for all major holidays.
HOUSE OF BLUES 329 N. Dearborn, 60610, 312-923-2000 Seating for the Sunday Gospel Brunch: 9:30am, 12pm and 2:30pm The regular hours are as follows: lunch 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday - Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; dinner 5-11 p.m. Monday - Thursday and Sunday; 5 p.m.-midnight; Friday and Saturday; late night menu 11 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday and Sunday; midnight-2 a.m. Located right downtown, this unique venue offers a legendary Sunday brunch that is sure to make for a memorable time. Diner's can soak up soulful sounds at the same time they sample the brunch offerings. The price of a ticket includes the all-you can-eat buffet, the gospel show, tax and gratuity, coffee, tea and juice. The buffet includes the standard build-your-own omelet, as well as scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and buttermilk biscuits with country gravy. More non- traditional items such as assorted salads, jambalaya, barbecued chicken and mashed sweet potatoes are also available.
Tickets are available for the Sunday Gospel Brunch: $35 per person for a private opera box (seats four adults) $32 per person for the main floor $29 per person for the rear of the club $15 for kids 6 - 12 Kids under 6 are free (Note: As of May 27, ticket prices will increase to $40 per person for an opera box and $35 per person for the main floor and the rear of the club.)
The dinner menu is about $25 - $35 per person (including tax, gratuity and liquor).
The House of Blues is open for all major holidays except for Christmas.
WISHBONE RESTAURANT 1001 W. Washington Blvd., 60607, 312-850-2663 3300 N. Lincoln Ave., 60657, 773-549-4105 Breakfast is served from 7am - 11am, lunch from 11am - 3 pm and dinner from 5pm - 10 pm, Monday - Friday. On Saturdays, the hours are from 8am - 2:30pm, with just the brunch menu available. On Sundays, the brunch menu is again the only available menu and is served from 9am - 2:30pm. Both bustling Wishbone locations boast large, open dining rooms with some of the most unique artwork around. It seems like you can always find something new in the murals on the restaurant walls, which feature assorted woodland and barnyard animals. The brunch menu offers such Southern-inspired fare as the jambalaya omelet or crab cakes smothered with hollandaise sauce and served with eggs and home fries. Diners can also choose from old stand-bys, such as eggs benedict and biscuits with country gravy, or go vegetarian with the black bean patties. The bar usually concocts one or two fun specialty drinks weekend brunches. Both Wishbone restaurants are also open for lunch and dinner.
The average cost per person is $12 - $17 (add $5 - $6 dollars for the specialty drinks). The dinner menu averages between $12 - $17 per person (including tax, gratuity, and liquor).
Reservations are not accepted, but the bar area is open until a table is available.
Wishbone is closed for all major holidays, but is open on Christmas Eve day.
SPIRIT OF CHICAGO CRUISES Departs from Navy Pier, 60611, 312-836-7899 The first lunch cruise boards at 10am and sails from 11am - 1pm. The late lunch cruise boards at 2:30pm and sails from 3:30pm - 5:30pm The dinner cruise boards at 6:00pm and sails from 7pm - 10pm. Lunch and dinner cruises have become an increasingly popular way to celebrate most occasions. The lunch cruise packages include a buffet-style meal, musical entertainment and a sightseeing tour along the Chicago coastline. The buffet menus change regularly but will include an assortment of salads, entrees, side items and a signature dessert (usually cherries jubilee). Those partaking in the dinner cruise enjoy a four-course meal as well as a DJ for dancing. The dinner menu includes selections such as the baby pitas with roasted red peppers appetizer, the garden salad, the beef burgundy entrée and the bread pudding soufflé with whiskey sauce dessert.
The cost of each lunch cruise is $43.31 per person. This includes the meal, tax, water, tea and coffee. Alcohol and soda are extra, and this doesn't include the gratuity. The dinner cruise is $75.40 per person, Sunday - Thursday; $87.74 per person on Friday evenings; and $97.73 per person on Saturday evenings. These prices include the meal, tax, water, tea and coffee. Alcohol and soda are extra, and the prices do not include the gratuity.
Cruises are available on Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
Reservations are required.
BONGO ROOM 1470 N. Milwaukee Ave., 60622, 773-489-0690 The Bongo Room is open Monday - Friday, 8am - 2:30pm, with breakfast served all day and lunch beginning at 11am, and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am - 2:30pm, during which only breakfast is served. Located in the heart of Wicker Park, this busy eatery always come highly recommended. The brunch menu changes seasonally, but there are a few stand-bys, such as the enormous and delicious breakfast burrito, that usually remain. Other selections range from traditional bacon and eggs to the towering stack of chocolate French toast to a salmon and red pepper benedict, all served in gigantic portions. The blood orange mimosas (when available) are also a unique favorite.
The estimated cost per person for the breakfast and lunch menus is $12 - $15 (add $5 - $6 for mimosas).
The Bongo Room is closed Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas day.
The Bongo Room does not accept reservations, but there are many shops and boutiques along Milwaukee Avenue to browse amongst until a table is ready.
BISTROT ZINC 1131 N. State St., 60610 312-337-1131 Bistrot Zinc's regular hours are Tuesday - Thursday, 5:30pm - 10pm, Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30pm - 11pm and Sundays, 5pm - 9pm. The Bistrot is closed on Mondays. The charming Lakeview location offers patrons a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere along Chicago's lively Southport Avenue. The meal includes a choice of appetizers, such as escargot or fresh berries with heavy cream and powdered sugar, entrees, such as a ham and gruyere cheese omelet or duck a la orange and desserts, such as the popular crème brulee and mousse au chocolat. Print-outs of the menu are available in advance at the restaurant.
The cost of the brunch is $30 per person plus tax, gratuity and beverages. The average cost per diner for the regular Bistrot menu is $28 - $32 per person (including tax, gratuity, and liquor).
Bistrot Zinc is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Reservations are required.
JOHN'S PLACE 1200 W. Webster, 60614, 773-525-6670 John's Place is open Tuesday - Friday, 11am - 10pm; Saturday, 8am - 11pm; and Sunday 8am - 9pm. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. John's Place, situated right in the center of the Lincoln Park neighborhood, always draws a crowd. Its lively, kid-friendly atmosphere is bolstered by both the park right across the street as well as the outdoor seating (perfect for spills and crumbs). The brunch menu runs toward traditional fare with unique flavors added. John's Place offers their popular omelets, scrambles and French toast alongside pumpkin or chocolate-banana pancakes. Fresh fruit and juice are also available. Lunch and dinner are also served throughout the week.
The average cost per person for brunch is $10 - $15. The average cost of the dinner menu is $12 - $16 per person (including tax, gratuity, and liquor).
John's Place is closed for Christmas.
Reservations are not accepted, but there's always the park to keep you occupied until a table opens up.
CUATRO 2030 S. Wabash Ave., 60616, 312-842-8856 Hours: Monday, 5:00 pm to 12:00 am. Tuesday, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Wednesday – Saturday, 5:00 pm to 2:00 am. Sunday, 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. Sunday Brunch is from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
This Nuevo Latino hot spot in the South Loop serves up one of the most festive breakfasts in the city with their “Bossa Nova Brunch” every Sunday. You’ll vibe to the Brazilian beats of live band Bossa Tres (10:30 am to 1:30 pm) while choosing from a modern a la carte menu that mambos with the flavors of Latin America and the Caribbean. Standout specialties include the Tropical Pancakes (coconut milk pancakes studded with pineapple, mango and toasted pecans) and the Tortas Gigantes (warm, Mexico City-style sandwiches piled high with avocado, smoked chipotle sauce and your choice of crispy breaded rib eye steak or chicken). The Tres Quesos version is filled with seared fresco, Oaxaca and Caribe cheeses and drizzled with a touch of olive oil.
The average cost per person for brunch is $10-$15.
The average cost per person for dinner is $25-$40.
Reservations are accepted.
Cuatro is closed for most major holidays, but is open for New Year’s Eve.
NORTH POND 2610 N. Cannon Dr., 60614, 773-477-5845 Hours: Sunday Brunch, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Lunch (June through September), Tuesday – Friday, 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday, Reservations available from 5:30 pm.
This idyllic setting in Lincoln Park is perfect for a romantic meal or special occasion. (And the fixed price Sunday brunch is a nice way to enjoy it at a slightly lower cost.) The Arts and Crafts inspired interior features an Illinois fieldstone fireplace, copper accents and nine-foot French doors on three sides for beautiful views of the pond, park and city skyline all year round. In the kitchen, Chef Bruce Sherman uses locally sourced, organic ingredients, often preparing them in creative, complementary pairings. Impressive selections from the three-course brunch menu include the “Farm Egg, Perch” (poached hen egg and fried lake perch filet with Gruyere cheese grits and parsley coulis), and “Pancakes, Apple” (cinnamon-cornmeal pancakes with apple compote, maple cream, sage sausage and sunny-side-up egg).
The cost per person for brunch is $29.
The average cost per person for dinner is $50-$75.
Reservations are recommended.
North Pond is closed for most major holidays, but is open for New Year’s Eve.
The Top List of Best Brunches - Chicago, IL