Egg Harbor Cafe — Restaurant in Chicago

We had a wonderful brunch experience at Egg Harbor Café in downtown Chicago. It’s a cozy and inviting spot with rustic wooden tables and handcrafted ceramic mugs that make you feel like you’re in someone’s home rather than a busy city café. Even though it was a weekend morning, the wait was minimal—no more than 5 to 10 minutes—and the staff was warm and attentive from the start.

The menu offers a great variety of classic and healthy options, which was a big plus. I went for the Salmon Eggs Benedict, served on a toasted English muffin with fresh arugula, perfectly poached eggs, silky hollandaise, red onions, capers, and generous slices of smoked salmon. The dish came with a side of their house potatoes, golden and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside—simple but done right.

My partner ordered the Avocado Toast with fresh mozzarella and tomato, topped with a balsamic glaze and chopped basil, served alongside scrambled eggs and a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit. The avocado was creamy, the tomatoes were ripe, and the whole combination tasted fresh and balanced. The fruit bowl was colorful and well portioned, with pineapple, berries, cantaloupe, honeydew, and grapes.

We also had a round of drinks: a strong black coffee, a rich oat milk latte, and a fresh-pressed juice that had a bright, tangy flavor—likely carrot, orange, and maybe a hint of ginger. Refills on the coffee were frequent, and the mugs themselves had the café’s name and artwork, adding to the charm of the place.

Another thing I appreciated was the inclusion of lighter meat alternatives like turkey bacon and chicken sausage, which is great if you’re looking for healthier protein choices. The vibe was relaxed but buzzing, with a diverse crowd and just the right amount of background chatter to make the place feel alive without being overwhelming.

All in all, Egg Harbor Café is a fantastic breakfast and brunch destination in Chicago. Great food, friendly service, minimal wait, and a menu that caters to both indulgent and health-conscious preferences. I’d absolutely go back—and I’d recommend it to anyone visiting the city looking for a satisfying and well-balanced meal to...

I have been to Egg Harbor at Lake Geneva and had a nice experience there - but the one at Chicago is not so good. The operation is a mess.

Waited 15 mins for the seasonal brown sugar vanilla iced coffee and it came in a tiny plastic to-go cup with way less coffee, ice & cream than the picture. We double checked with the waitress and she confirmed it is what we ordered - she explained it is in the plastic cup because the kitchen ran out of glass mugs and are still washing it. She said it's still the same amount of ingredient which I think she's kidding me - I can tell the difference with my raw eyes and I know how large a glass mug is. I feel the attitude was like just take it and stop complaining. I do not think it is reasonable to assume it is acceptable to us without even checking with us ahead of time - the restaurant could have checked with us telling us there are no more glass mugs, and they can only serve in tiny plastic cup and be honest it would come with way less ingredient due to size limit, and we can pick something else. And BTW I checked other tables around, we are the only got served a drink in a plastic cup - not sure how the waitress judge it is fine with us - it is NOT.

Another fun thing was at the same time I also asked where is the other drink I ordered (lemonade), she said the kitchen is waiting for the glassware to be washed. I don't get it why the restaurant decide one of the drink can be in the tiny cup while the other can be in the glass.

I politely asked the waitress to remake the ice coffee in the glass, which they did (it is way LARGER than what came up in the tiny plastic cup and finally match the picture). But I do hope the restaurant can treat the customers more reasonably and take the initiative to check with the customer in advance - not assuming customer will just accept something with way worse quality but pay the same price. It is not about the money but I do expect a more reasonable &...

To start off with our experience with the Egg Harbor, we booked a table ahead of time. The website and text message that followed said that the wait would be 85 minutes, so we had time to get ready. Then, not even ten minutes later, we received an alert that said that we had to be at the restaurant within 5 minutes or else our table would be given away. Of course, it was given away to another party, as there was no way we could be there within those five minutes. We immediately booked another table as soon as we were ready to leave. This time, the wait was 15 minutes, and we got to the restaurant a little before that time. However, when we got to the restaurant and tried to check in, we were told that there was a 30 minute wait. This was frustrating, but nothing too serious; the reservation system just needs to be fixed.

We were sat after 30 minutes. It took our server a little while to get to us, but it was still within reason. We were happy with our beverages, as they came out almost immediately. But, our food seemed to take forever, as we waited for over 30 minutes despite there not even being a rush at the time we were there. When we finally got our food, it was lukewarm and seemed as though it had been sitting, ready to be served, for a long while. A member of our party ordered a cinnamon roll, which was so hard it could have been days old. That same member also had to cancel his order, as there was still a long wait on his food after the rest of our party’s orders had been served.

Although the service was very slow, our server was responsive to our complaints, and the manager was as well. However, we were very disappointed with the quality of the restaurant, especially noting the high prices for mediocre food and...