Solid breakfast & lunch located a block from Elmhurst Hospital. Simple Skillet was filling. Portobello Crepe was light and tasty, with lots of fresh veggies in the filling. Greek Salad was sizable. What makes this place really stand out is the excellent service. Our server June C is the quintessential hardworking restaurant professional who is efficient and engages her customers with just the right amount of friendly, personable banter. Restaurant was bustling on a Monday for lunch, which says a lot. Many of the lunch crowd seemed to be regulars. Food came out fast, but we didn't feel rushed. We'll be back. read more

A nice unpretentious little diner with plenty of space, reasonable prices, and some surprisingly good breakfast tacos, served with a little bit of bacon and jalapeno and a decent salsa. I couldn't read the vibe well enough to tell if it's the kind of place you could hang out for a few hours working on a coffee if you had, hypothetically, a ton of time to kill in Elmhurst. But at a minimum it's a nice place for an unpretentious civilized breakfast. read more

My husband and I love this restaurant, the food was absolutely amazing, it was incredibly fresh and so delicious, the service was top notch. If you are looking for a breakfast or lunch cafe, you would be hard pressed to find anything better, also if you are there on a Sunday be sure to try their homemade cream of chicken soup, probably the best I've ever had. If I could give this place 10 stars I would! Highly recommend. read more

Whenever I'm in Chicago I search for hidden gem foodie spots. I mean Chicago is literally foodie Heaven. We didn't dine in because we were trying to prepare for an event but I'm kind of glad we didn't. It's small and dark inside, and I felt like the tables were too close together. But they made up for it all with an AMAZING breakfast. I got the gyro skillet. Absolutely delicious!! The picture does it absolutely no justice.. I never thought of gyro as a breakfast item and now I know I need it often. There were huge portions of meat and amazing tzatziki sauce and nobody will ever call them stingy with the cheese because for every bite I got delicious feta cheese chunks mixed in. It was amazing. The pancakes were basic, there was nothing wrong with them but I'm not going to reminisce on them. But that gyro skillet!!! I can't wait to get it again read more

Fresh Start Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

I've met up with friends a few times at this cafe since it is convenient, near Elmhurst Hospital, not too far off the 290 expressway for friends coming in from the suburbs. It is a basic diner, breakfast and lunch only I believe, but nothing that stands out. The space and decor are dated, but functional. Free parking. Service prompt. But the meals are basic diner fare, nothing too impressive. Head to the counter to pay when you are done. read more

The hash browns were not cooked well. Not crispy and had chemical taste to them from the grill. Orange juice did not taste fresh squeezed. I think they have changed owners and food not the same. None of the staff we knew before were there. Service very nice. But others there for years read more

Been in this area for a while, first time here. Great spot for a good old fashion breakfast. Nice service. Loved their radio station . All about positive messages. Which is very much needed today. Enjoyed June's service and recommendations. Spot on!. Like I said, just a good old breakfast. I had pancakes, turkey patties and eggs. My gurl had a build your own omlette with gyro meat. I'll be back for sure!! read more

See all

Went to Fresh Start Cafe on May 16th, 2023, for a breakfast meeting with my colleagues. We ordered Strawberry Fruit Crepes, the portion of fresh strawberries and crepes was very generous. So much that I had enough for a late lunch. The 2+2+2 pancakes, sunny side-up eggs & bacon portions were also generous, but my colleague must have been hungry because he ate it all up. The same went the scrambled eggs, hash browns (extra crispy) with sausage links. This is a great old fashion neighborhood breakfast place. The owner and several of his friends were seated at the table next to ours discussing world events and eating and drinking bottomless cups of coffee. A shot out to our waitress Janet, who always made sure our coffees were hot & full. Next time I am in this area I will make sure to stop by for breakfast. read more

Amazing sandwich California focaccia, bread is soft and chewy, The turkey is tender and juicy, creamy avocado, which adds a rich, buttery texture that enhances every bite. read more

Fresh Start Cafe - Amazing California focaccia sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

I've haven't been here in awhile and invited my sister out to breakfast. As we arrived no hello but the lady at the host station complaining about a coworker. Mind you she saw us walk in and still continued her conversation bad talking and when she was finally done asked how many. We were seated by our server she on the other hand was very nice. Food and service from our server was great. But as for the hostess not so good. As I was paying with a credit card I noticed there's a 3.5% credit card charge. I was like ok there's a additional charge I was handing my card she just rolled her eyes at me. But from the time we arrived till we left she wasn't very pleasant. I do miss how it was a more warm welcoming place. No need to have customers walking to be greeted hearing work gossip and speaking negative about coworkers. Then why even work there. read more

Looked at the menu online. $5.05 for a cup of coffee? $18 for a standard egg breakfast. Looking at $30 for breakfast per person with tax and tip plus a credit card fee? Way too expensive. read more

The food is very high-quality for the price. All the other prices around are so high, but their quality stinks. This restaurant at least put some money into the food. It is a very nice location by the train tracks with parking usually available here or there I really like the place it's affordable and delicious read more

We were in the area & This place was rated high Service was subpar Coffee was good & they give you a little pot on the table Eggs Benedict was not good, sauce was coagulated, ham was mostly fat & hash browns extra greasy I got the egg, green pepper & onion burrito that had a weird name. It was served like a quesadilla & was flavorless Bill was over $40 B4 tip read more

I was really surprised by how expensive this place was. I ordered a Tuna sandwich, and it was almost $19.00. Last time i will be ordering from here. Should have went next door to Subway. read more

Food was okay-better options around. My biggest issue was the owner/manager(?) was wandering around with his dog. While I like dogs I'm not enamored of dog hair in my food. Or the dander from a dog. Leave the dog at home r at the least have it off somewhere and not walking around when people are eating. I'm in that area a lot and often getting breakfast but that is not a place I'll go back to. Try Beatrix in Oak Brook. Selections may be a bit more limited but no dog hair. read more

My first time at First Cafe and won't be my last! We were promptly seated and our waitress June was very pleasant. The truly fresh squeezed OJ was a refreshing change from most breakfast spots. I ordered the 2+2+2 with French toast, egg whites and turkey sausage. French toast done well, and eggs were not over greased. My husband had the eggs and peppers on French bread and enjoyed it. The portion size was appropriate - but not excessive. I could have eaten more but chose not to. Left feeling refreshed and not carb loaded. Will visit again. read more

** Review in the times of COVID ** No signs listed, but everyone wore a mask inside until they sat at their table. All the workers are wearing masks, busboys are also wearing gloves. Compared to other restaurants, I felt fine here even though they might not be as strict as other restaurants. i.e. temp checks at the door. The only thing is that they are still using is hard menus vs. QR codes that most restaurants have nowadays or disposable menus (waste of paper if you ask me) A lot of the customers are known by the workers and the owner, so they probably don't read the menu anyway and just order the same thing. Food is just as yummy as usual. I am still loving the oatmeal pancakes. It's an amazing dish on my day off of "proper" eating :D Our waitress was really nice and friendly. I hope this place survives during these crazy times!! read more

Large portions, friendly staff & nice touch of wrapped utensils with yarn. Coffee & water refills were plentiful.

The restaurant is kind of full so we decided to just have a carry out. We got our food surprisingly fast. The food was great, tasty and and not salty at all. We'll be back definetely. read more

Best Chicken Salad Sandwich in the game. Better than the blackberry market chicken salad - and that's saying a lot. I also love their oatmeal. It comes with a ton of toppings on the side. Super friendly and reliable service. read more

Consistently good for decades, nice environment & a clean john. What more 'ya need? Good prices? They got 'em too. Don't let the stripmall landing fool ya fancy pants - this is a lovely gem' read more

Went for breakfast but decided on lunch. Omg loved the Turkey Focaccia. It was delicious. The homemade chips were amazing. I recommend this place to everyone. The menu has so much to choose from. Can't wait to come back and try something else. read more

Be careful when ordering. They do not follow the special Instructions. I ordered a Mediterranean omelette with no onion. Sadly it came with so much small chopped onion that it it's inedible. So I'm having a side of fruit for breakfast. I'm sad. My husbands bacon breakfast sandwich was pretty good. Hash browns tasty. And my mom's waffle was good. The standard Belgian. If you don't follow the special instructions that you allow for them, you can ruin someone's entire meal. And delivery orders can't be simply returned to the kitchen. I hope they will be careful in the future. Otherwise the meal was a standard tasty breakfast for everyone else I ordered for. I did let them know about this. Not just in this review. read more

My wife and I were in the area for our anniversary weekend. We stopped in for a late breakfast and weren't sure what to order because everything on the menu sounded so good. Our waitress was really good at answering all our questions. The food was, as the business name points out, made fresh. My wife's chorizo skillet was the best I had ever tried. I had their sampler breakfast of pancakes, fruit (strawberry) crepe, and Mediterranean omelette. The omelette was superb because of the excellent feta cheese they use. It had that great sweet and salty taste to it. The pancakes were good, and the crepe was also very very good. We both tried the fresh squeezed orange juice and it was very good. My wife's chorizo skillet was the highlight though. There is free wifi in the restaurant and everything was very clean. The best breakfast we have had in a long time. I need to find more excuses to be in Elmhurst so that I can try more items on the menu. We are definitely coming back for lunch. Breakfast for two (including tip) cost us $38. Not the cheapest breakfast around, but the quality of the food and service were exceptional. read more

Fresh Start Cafe - Chorizo skillet. The best! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

See all

Incredibly impressed by this little cafe. Aptly name, this restaurant is only open until mid day but offers a nice variety of breakfast staples and sandwiches/wraps for lunch. You really get the sense that this is a family owned restaurant with mostly regulars coming in. Honestly, it's like the home cooked version of IHOP. I loved everything about this place. It was clean, the staff was friendly, the food, although simple, was amazing and the coffee was decent. I ordered The Works omelette which came with a 3-egg omelette with lots of ingredients and your choice of potatoes AND toast or pancakes. The entire meal seemed like I was eating at someone's home. While I'm not a huge breakfast person, I do plan on including Fresh Start Cafe into my regular rotation here in Elmhurst. read more

See all

Great omelets g very good service fair prices this place is close to home nice people work there we love the food

Had the breakfast tacos- excellent recommendation! Salsa was really good too, I think it was made "in house". Very good, quick to table and portions were large. $3.65 for a cup of coffee seems a bit extreme, but I guess that is the world we live in now. read more

When I need to meet a client or coworker for breakfast in the Elmhurst area, the first place I think to meet is at Fresh Start Cafe. I love the way they put a pot of coffee right on the table so when I'm ready for another cup I don't have to wait. The food is as good as you're going to find at any breakfast coffee shop type place. And they will go the extra mile to make sure you are happy with your meal. Today I asked, Janet, our server for oatmeal and I wanted it on the dry side. So the cook made a special bowl for me. It was perfect. They also have freshly squeezed orange juice and in general there are just a lot of nice little touches they have to make customers feel they are important. read more

See all

The menu had TONS of options. The ambiance of the place was pretty good. Very family-friendly. We were greeted right away by one of the ladies at the register and were seated instantly. I got pancakes and a side of hash browns. Some of my other family members got the Build your own omelet, burgers, breakfast potatoes, etc. For drinks, we got orange juice. It wasn't bad but there are definitely better options out there. Overall, pretty good and would go again to try more things off the menu. read more

I gave neutral review for restaurant! Website stated carry-out only, curbside! Actually dining room was open for dine-in. I ordered biscuits and gravy, carry-out in styrofoam container doesn't do a good review. Gravy was tasty and small bits of sausage. I forgot the "hot sauce"! Overall it was ok, can't wait til Covid is under control and over!! read more

Fresh Start Cafe - Entrance and outside signage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

See all

Good food and really good service for breakfast at a decent price. Meet there Saturday mornings with the guys and always enjoy it.

Being from out of town, we had not eaten here before, and we wanted to grad a quick sandwich....it was awesome. The place is so cute and clean and the food all looked delicious. We'd love to come back and try breakfast. We called ahead and it was ready and the staff were very friendly and we loved the food. We'll be back! It is a great neighborhood cafe. read more

Yummy food and kind staff. Met up with a friend and we had time to talk in a quiet corner with plenty of refills on coffee. Would definitely head here again. Extensive menu and great place for breakfast. read more

When you walk into a breakfast joint and there's a table of 6 male retirees who you know have been there chewing the fat for hours, days...years, you can look forward to what's ahead. I had a loaded omelette, asked for the hash browns well done and got them that way. Menu is plentiful, portions are large, place was clean, and the service came with a smile and even some joviality. Recommended. read more

Ordered delivery from Fresh Start Café twice during an 8-night stay in the area. Both occasions were pleasant. Fresh salads and yummy paninis! read more

Perfect place for brunch with your family. Extensive menu with all the standards and everything looked good. I got the crepes and enjoyed them. There wasn't a long wait and the service was great. read more

This is my new restaurant of choice. Good food good service good prices and one of the things that impressed me is they bring you a coffee carafe. That way I don't have to keep asking for coffee. read more

Hidden away in a strip mall in Elmhurst, Fresh Start Cafe has plenty of free parking (gotta love the burbs!) and offers up a wide array of breakfast and lunch offerings. We stopped in on a Saturday morning. While busy- the place was not packed so we were seated in one of the booths along the front windows with no wait.. Definitely the best seats in the house! Our server was busy but managed to get our coffee served all the while bantering with other customers who were obviously regulars. Families and seniors make up the majority of the crowd. The menu includes all of my breakfast favorites so it was hard for me to choose what I wanted. I finally went with the ham. cheese and tomato omelet that was served with hash browns, toast and jam. And my friend ordered the Southern Eggs Benedict which looked alot like biscuits and gravy but on a muffin instead. He said it was good but it didn't look all that appetizing . . .sort of a "white on white" display. As for my omelet- it was overcooked (darn!) and I prefer chunks of ham and this was more like ground up ham. But it was tasty if I didn't eat the bottom and it came up quickly. Breakfast for two ran about $25. The manager (owner?) was pleasant and welcoming and even took a few minutes at the end of our visit to talk with us. If you are looking for a place for breakfast or lunch in the burbs- Fresh Start is a solid choice. read more

Was eating there one time, then noticed two servers laughing and pointing at me. Were they laughing because they spat in my food, or just because I'm ugly. I just went out to eat, what did I do wrong? Guess I'm not human. 2 stars because the food was always good. read more

During this quick trip to Chicago, we were looking for a tasty breakfast close to our hotel, and Yelp directed us to this gem! French toast, crepes, pancakes, oatmeal, waffles, eggs just about any way you can have them, coupled with bacon with just the right amount of crisp got our day started right! The dining room is plenty big to accommodate the weekend morning Rush, so we were sat right away, and the service was excellent! read more

Fresh Start Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois