Best Brunch Spots in Chicago

Brunch in Chicago is a weekend ritual, and the city takes it seriously enough to stand in line for it. The rules haven't changed much since we first wrote this list. Get there early or expect to wait, and if a place is BYOB, stop for bubbles on the way.

A lot else has changed. Orange, whose "fruishi" and chai French toast opened the original version of this page, has closed. So has Nookies Too on Halsted. Broadway Cellars and Deleece don't appear to be operating either, and their old web addresses now lead to spam sites. Here's where to go instead, from 100-year-old diners to chef-run dining rooms.

The classics

Lou Mitchell's
Lou Mitchell's (565 W. Jackson Blvd.) has been serving breakfast since 1923, and it's on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits near the start of old Route 66, so it gets called the first stop on the Mother Road, and it's a good send-off if you're starting a Route 66 road trip. Egg orders come in the skillet with hash browns and homemade toast. Since 1958 the diner has handed out free donut holes, and boxes of Milk Duds go out with them. It's open Wednesday to Friday from 6am and weekends from 7am, closes at 2pm, and is closed Monday and Tuesday. Take the Blue Line to Clinton, or walk over from Union Station.

M. Henry
M. Henry (5707 N. Clark St., Andersonville) was on our first list and still draws a weekend line. The kitchen calls its cooking globally inspired New American, with seasonal and organic ingredients where it can get them. Time Out singles out the thick blueberry pancakes and a fried egg sandwich with Gorgonzola and bacon. It doesn't take reservations. It now pours beer, wine and cocktails, and if you'd rather bring your own bubbles, corkage is $5. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 2pm, and closed Mondays. The Bryn Mawr Red Line stop is about a 10-minute walk east.

Nookies
Nookies Too is gone, but the original Nookies is still at 1746 N. Wells St. in Old Town, where it's been since 1973. It's a straightforward neighborhood breakfast place, and it opens at 7am every day. The Sedgwick Brown Line stop is a few blocks away.

Where to go for a party

Angelina Ristorante
Angelina (3561 N. Broadway, Lakeview East) is still pouring bottomless mimosas. Brunch runs 10:30am to 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. It's a small, loud Italian neighborhood place, and this is where you go to keep Saturday night going, not to nurse a hangover. The Addison Red Line stop is about a 10-minute walk.

Bronzeville Winery
Bronzeville Winery (4420 S. Cottage Grove Ave.) does brunch on Sundays only, 10am to 3pm, with DJs playing. The wine list is long and the plates are mostly savory, which makes it a good one to pair with a South Side day.

The chef-driven brunches

Lula Cafe
Lula (2537 N. Kedzie Blvd.) opened in 1999 and helped turn Logan Square into a neighborhood people cross town to eat in. The kitchen cooks from the farmers market, and the brunch menu changes with it. Brunch runs from 9am every day except Tuesday, so a weekday visit is the way to skip the weekend crowd. The Logan Square Blue Line stop is around the corner. We also mention it on our food and drink page.

Avec
The West Loop's avec (615 W. Randolph St.) is best known for Mediterranean small plates at dinner, but it also does weekend brunch, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. The Clinton stop on the Green and Pink Lines is a block away.

Big Jones
Big Jones (5347 N. Clark St.) is Andersonville's Southern restaurant, and it digs up old recipes, including chicken fried in leaf lard (The Infatuation has it on its brunch list). It's a short walk from M. Henry, so if one line is too long, try the other. The nearest L stop is Berwyn on the Red Line.

Sweet, cheap and BYOB

Batter & Berries
Batter & Berries (2748 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park) is for people who want sugar at brunch. The French toast comes in blueberry, strawberry, caramel and lemon, and the flight gets you all four. It's BYOB, so bring a bottle of sparkling wine for mimosas. It's right by the Diversey stop on the Brown and Purple Lines, and there's a South Loop branch too.

Uncle Mike's Place
Uncle Mike's Place (1700 W. Grand Ave., West Town) serves Filipino breakfasts all day. A longanisa or tocino plate with two eggs and garlic rice is $14.95, and the skirt steak breakfast is the house favorite. It's open every day from 6am to 2pm, and the #65 Grand bus stops nearby.

If you're planning a whole weekend around eating, our food and drink guide covers the neighborhoods, BYOB restaurants explains how bring-your-own works, and outdoor dining has patios for when the weather cooperates.

Photo by daftgirly