Chicago/ Food & Drinks
Published on May 16, 2018
Start your day right with these 4 new Chicago spots for breakfast & brunchCafe Corbel. | Photo: Enis B./Yelp

Looking for a quick breakfast on the way to work, or your next great brunch spot in Chicago? These new eateries will satisfy all your cravings. Here are the freshest places to check out the next time you're on the hunt for breakfast or brunch.

Frunchroom

4042 N. Milwaukee Ave., Portage Park

Photo: Brenda M./Yelp

Frunchroom is a café serving breakfast, lunch and brunch that specializes in Chicago-style bagels, sandwiches and fresh pastas. Located at 4042 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Portage Park, it is a collaboration between Community Tavern's Matt Saccaro and Quay Tao, Eater reports.

Diners can expect to find breakfast sandwiches with fillings like garlic sausage, egg, taleggio cheese, pickle and mustard. The selection of housemade charcuterie includes duck prosciutto and and pork belly terrine, and the house-cured fish offerings include the lox that tops its bagels. 

For weekend brunch, Frunchroom offers challah French toast with honey tahini, orange and toasted sesame. (You can check out the full menu here.)

With a five-star rating out of 13 reviews on Yelp, Frunchroom has been getting positive attention.

Yelper Maria C., who reviewed Frunchroom on May 4, wrote, "Frunchroom brings a fresh new approach to breakfast and lunch — [with] all items are made in house. The weekend brunch is super delicious and BYOB. Be sure to try the BLT or the sausage sandwich — amazing!"

And Adrianna S. noted of the everything bagel, "I think the cream cheese was homemade, and it was very good, with a hint of yogurt, I think? Not as creamy as actual cream cheese, but I really liked the flavor."

Frunchroom is open from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)

Cafe Corbel

2342 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park

Photo: Enis B./Yelp

Cafe Corbel is an American café and bakery with Turkish influences that serves breakfast and brunch at 2342 N. Clark St in Lincoln Park. In addition to its dine-in options, the new café also does catering for special events like birthday parties, office gatherings and baby showers, as we previously reported. 

Among its selections of housemade sweet and savory pastries are options like the spinach and feta borek (a filled pastry made with phyllo dough), beef brisket borek, walnut baklava and Turkish simits (bagel-like rings of bread rolled in sesame seeds.) You can take a look at the full menu here.

With a five-star Yelp rating but only one review, Cafe Corbel has received a positive response so far.

"Great place to taste incredible pastries, pies and more. Borek and baklava are the best," wrote Yelper Melih B., who was the first to review Cafe Corbel on May 5.

Cafe Corbel is open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily.

Square Biscuits

4160 N. Lincoln Ave., North Center

Photo: Chris B./Yelp

Square Biscuits is a traditional American breakfast and brunch spot serving up comfort food from early morning until midafternoon. Located at 4160 N. Lincoln Ave., the new arrival specializes in biscuits both savory and sweet, as we previously reported.

Sweet varieties of the signature square biscuits include the blueberry breakfast biscuits, apple biscuits and peach biscuits, as well as more traditional savory biscuits with sausage gravy.

Also on the menu are hearty breakfast and brunch choices like eggs Benedict, French toast, and two eggs any style with potatoes and bacon or sausage.

Yelp users are excited about Square Biscuits, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of nine reviews on the site.

"We tried the peach specialty biscuit and each had coffee and the two eggs with meat, which came with potatoes as well," wrote Yelper Emma M., who reviewed Square Biscuits on May 11. "All [of] the food was made from scratch, and you can tell the difference!"

"To everyone's surprise and delight, we were given free donuts as a starter. ... They were fresh and everyone loved them," Yelper Beth M. wrote. "The biscuits were fresh and the gravy was so good they asked for a container to bring it home."

Square Biscuits is open from 6 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekends.

Nilly Cafe

60 East Adams St., The Loop

Photo: Nilly Cafe/Yelp

Nilly Cafe is a breakfast, lunch and brunch spot, offering a variety of pastries, snacks and full meals at 60 East Adams St. (between Wabash Avenue and Dearborn Street), as we previously reported

In addition to espresso drinks made with Lavazza coffee, Nilly Cafe offers breakfast choices like crêpes, parfaits and breakfast sandwiches like the ham, egg and cheese on a croissant. Its house-made pastries include croissants, cinnamon rolls and muffins, and lunch choices include pizza, salads and sandwiches. (You can check out the breakfast menu here.)

Yelp users are excited about Nilly Cafe, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of eight reviews on the site.

"This café is a gem in the middle of the city. Everything we ordered was delicious: gyro in pita bread, Italian sub with meatballs, ham and cheese in croissant, feta and spinach roll," wrote Yelper Rhonda R., who reviewed Nilly Cafe on May 11. "I understand that a lot of what they serve is homemade, that's why. Service was excellent."

"Do visit this hidden gem! Fantastic staff, Omar is great and will make you feel at home. Excellent coffee, sandwiches and pastries," Anastasia H. said, recommending the gyro sandwich and iced coconut coffee.

Nilly Cafe is open from 6 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)