It took two years of living in Chicago, but I finally found a breakfast spot I genuinely like. Fried Egg is neither a greasy spoon nor a place that attempts to be bougie while failing at delivering quality. Fried Egg Cafe delivers all-around excellent quality, great service, and a fair value. I ordered the Sassy Eggs with Pancakes as my side. To start, the pancakes were some of the best I've ever had. The exterior was very thin and crisp, and the interior was soft and fluffy. Not only were these cooked to perfection, the level of sweetness was on point too! A matter when butter and syrup are there, but not really needed - in other words, excellent. Then we arrive at the Sassy Eggs. In no particular order, the first order of excellence was the Chorizo, which had the perfect amount of spice and heat without overpowering or overwhelming anything. The next was the hash browns that were perfection incarnate. All these things are great and all, but one cannot beat the gestalt. Eggs, veggies, potato, guacamole, crema, chorizo, all come together as a perfect skillet-style breakfast, and one that was well thought through rather than ingredients thrown together willy-nilly. When it comes to value, the plate was $18 - not bad at all, considering not just the quality, but that there was enough here to take home and have a breakfast for the next day. As for the service, it was friendly and fast! Final verdict: Fried Egg Cafe 100% nails it. It is neither a spot that serves unsalted eggs and two bacon strips or $12.99, nor is it a place that serves a single slice of Unicorn-sweat marinated ham for $24.99, which isn't even that good. Great food, more than adequate portions, and not highway robbery. Oh, and good coffee too! read more

Fried Egg - Sassy Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My boyfriend and I went here for breakfast this morning. The restaurant is just 5 minutes from my apartment, and we'd like to try it. It used to be Francesca and we loved it. The place was busy which was great, the layout is still the same the owner didn't change anything. When we arrived, the staff greeted us, and the host took us to our table. Joey was our server. He explained to us about the new owner of Fried Egg Cafe. We both had coffee (I had hot, my boyfriend had cold brew) both were delicious. He had the egg Benedict w/hash browns. I had the banana crepes and bacon. Both dishes were good. I'm glad this place is here in my neighborhood. read more

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Maybe the best breakfast food I've ever had. The place was great and clean and cool. Sat right away on a Saturday at 11 am. Got the skillets and my friend got the breakfast sandwich. All were phenomenal - like truly so good. The blueberry ricotta pancakes live up to the hype. So surprisingly not over sweet and the perfect balance of tartness from blueberries and richness from ricotta. You can tell all the ingredients were top notch across the board. And the cherry on top of the sundae was our server, Mallory. Incredible. She was attentive but not overly so. Got everything we needed fast and had fantastic recommendations and just a great friendly personality. Our food came out so quick. I cannot say enough good things about this place! read more

A great addition to the neighborhood! Staff is super friendly, the space is large, and the menu is comprehensive. We went for the first time on a weekend day and despite them being busy, we were able to get seated right away. I ordered the veggie benedict and was blown away by the hollandaise and the perfect poach. I could eat this every day. My partner ordered the avocado toast as it was one of the few vegan options available. He really enjoyed it, but we found it a bit weird that the avocado was only on one piece of bread with the other one having the greens. Never seen that before! My only small quibbles are that we wish there were more vegan options in general and vegetarian lunch options. Also the baked oatmeal is full of things like raisins that it doesn't mention in the menu. I'm looking forward to going back! read more

Fried Egg - Veggie Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm so happy we have a new breakfast spot in area that opens ridiculously early! I finally got around to visiting Fried Egg thinking they just opened two weeks ago but I found out they opened months ago. The inside of Fried Egg is beautiful. It's a lot of dark wood, spacious, and has a beautiful ceiling. I can see them easily accommodating a variety of party sizes. Our waiter, I believe his name was Niko, was extremely friendly. He has gift of gab so he made us excited to try the food and had us already planning our next visit. When we arrived he was able to seat us quickly. We visited earlier in the morning so the restaurant wasn't too busy. I opted for the Italian skillet with a side of pancakes. The food arrived quickly, again we came during a slower period, and the portions were large. I easily got two meals from my order. The pancakes are in my top five around the city. They have crispy edges which I haven't found in any place nearby. They're not doughy and don't seem pre-made. The skillet was delicious aside from the hash browns. The hash browns are completely flavorless and mine were semi-burnt. I added salt and pepper but ended up not wanting to take any home. The Italian sausage in the skillet was flavorful and made up for the hash browns. I've already visited twice since my first visit so this is definitely in my breakfast spot rotation! read more

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Beautiful wood filled location the Fried Egg has taken on from Francesca's. Breakfast entrees generally around $15 with basics just above $10. Attentive service and lots of seating at windows or just one away. No line for us on a late Sunday lunch (1 p.m.) and open until 4 p.m. Portion sizes were generous. Loose tea in a tea pot is a pot for one and the loose tea is still in a bag. (not enough to ding between what was planned for the menu and what became reality). Take note the spicy syrup for the chicken & bacon waffle. Chicken was crispy out and moist tender inside. Cozy spot to stay a while given there wasn't a line waiting. Free street parking still possible - not permit required. read more

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New favorite breakfast spot, the wait staff are attentive and personable, the omelets are so good and a good value. The marquee says Francesca's and it still has that dark wood, comfortable dinner & drinks kind of place, but they're only open until 3pm for breakfast and lunch. Say hi to Ava and Tyler! read more

Have been here three times now, and very glad this place finally opened. First time I had the Eggs Benedict. This is sort of my go-to for trying a new place, and WOW. The Hollandaise may have been the best I've ever eaten. It was light and fresh and lemony - if it was not freshly made I'd be very surprised - WOW, was it good. The rest of the Benedict was super tasty as well. Next time, I had the American Omelette - this is really a Denver omelette - this too, tasted fresh and delicious. Predictably, it was a giant blob of food - 3 eggs? - but really good. Today, I had the Breakfast Burger. This thing is CRAZY. It's a regular hamber BUT with an over easy egg, guacamole AND bacon. Along with lettuce, pickle and tomato. This was not my favorite thing. It was a LOT to eat - I only ate half, and I found it a little bit flavorless. Your mileage may vary on that, I likely should have just ordered the regular burger (which my companion had), it was a more reasonable size. The staff here has been unfailingly great every time we've come here. Friendly, efficient and pleasant - attentive without hovering. Their coffee is fabulous Julius Meinl. Ambiance. Here's where I have something to say, but this takes nothing away from the deliciousness of the food. I had so many good happy hour times here when it was Francesca's - in it's current state, it's a little sad. First, it looks like it's being used for storage - bags of coffee, other boxes, and staff personal items. No, guys - make that a little more festive and decorative, not like a closet. Also, the bar chairs are gone. Even if you don't have a liquor license (yet?) the bar is a good seating area. Right now, it's piled with stuff, and doesn't look great. Also, that GINORMOUS Pepsi beverage refrigerator right when you walk in the door is giving me "gas station". The bathroom is a little worn, yet clean - the ambiance issues are an "all in due time" situation, I suspect. It's true that I'm a fussy designer, and interior design dilettante, but I notice these things. That said, welcome to the neighborhood, and we'll be back!! read more

Fried Egg - Stellar coffee! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious food; friendly, courteous, attentive staff, varied, unusual menu; want to return to order other items on the menu. Leave happy! read more

My family and I absolutely LOVE this new spot in my dad's neighborhood. Everything we have tried between our 5 visits so far has been amazing. The staff is super friendly, we have had the same waiter the last 3 times we've been there (beard, facial piercings, always has nail polish that's on point) and he's excellent even when it's crazy busy, it doesn't feel like he's disappearing or anything, he comes to check on us and helps us out when needed. The food is AMAZING. The pancakes, especially the baklava and lemon blueberry, are worth a trip. My dad says the coffee is great, too, and he's picky. read more

Large menu! Great food! Big portions! I got the open face Greek chicken pita you definitely have to eat it with a fork, but it was so good. I can't wait to get it again. I also got an order of the lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes, which were also huge m! so light and fluffy. so delicious, tons of topping and flavor! read more

Fried Egg - Open face Greek chicken pita - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Would give a solid 3.5, if allowed. Pancakes had a great flavor, just wish they were a little fluffier. Chocolate chip crepes were solid, maybe a little too vanilla tasting to my liking. Biscuits and gravy was delish. The Veggie Benedict was tasty, but the potato latke was very dense. Hollandaise was very thick, would have preferred a thinner sauce. Got seared at a cute little booth in the corner. Hot day and AC didn't reach that far back, so got a little toasty in the corner. Overall a great breakfast option. Super attentive server and staff, kept filling up our water glasses before we had to ask for a refill...so 4 star service and friendliness. Free street parking on Sundays. read more

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Service is good during the week but awful on weekends. I sat for 25 minutes without even being offered coffee before I got up and left. I think the food and the price point are fine but be prepared for a long wait on busy days. read more

I've gone several times in the past few weeks, both breakfast and lunch. The first morning, I ordered an All-American omelette (I walked in wanting a Denver omelette if anyone knows what's up), chocolate chip pancakes, hash browns, whole wheat toast, and coffee. Everything was delicious except the hash browns were very cold. They couldn't explain why the timing was so off ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I also wanted peanut butter with my toast but they didn't have any? What kind of breakfast place doesn't have peanut butter? The second visit I ordered their special Breakfast Burrito with chorizo and was stunned at how great it was. Flavorful, delicious, messy. They fixed the timing and my hash browns were piping hot. The manager got me crunchy peanut butter before my food was ready. With quick turnaround, it's clear they want to survive. The third visit was lunchtime, I ordered a patty melt which was alright but missing dressing? (Normally my patty melts have thousand island dressing or similar). The onions and beef patty and rye bread were very delicious. The fries were steak fries and piping hot. The ranch dressing is not homemade so kinda runny but it works in a pinch. Why do restaurants not make their own ranch dressing? They would be better off getting the ranch from Wingstop on Broadway IMO. Things that are sorely needed still: removal of the Francesca's marquee on the building, bring-your-own-beer and bottomless mimosas (they are trying to get a liquor license, let's hope this is rectified quickly), outdoor seating? This corner is huge and easily could fit 8 people outside I think. Pros: The staff are hella friendly and it seems several live in the neighborhood too, making this a great gathering spot/great location in general. Great coffee. I'll be returning obviously, let's try keeping this place alive Edgewater! :) read more

Fried Egg - all-American omelette with mushrooms, chocolate chip pancakes, whole wheat toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have to say I think this is one of the best breakfast restaurants in Chicago. This is our third time here in the last couple of months. I am very impressed with the quality of the food and the care It is given in the preparation. The servers are all outstanding. They are very friendly and attentive, and I must say observant. Our server today was Robbie, and as he approached our table, he noticed I was turning around, looking at the blinds behind us. I asked if we could open them to brighten up the room and he happily Complied with my request. My Husband had the chicken and waffles. It is a huge piece of chicken that was fried too perfection. It is a breast that is butterfly and pounded out to be as large as the waffle it sat on. The spicy maple syrup is a great compliment. I had the buttermilk pancakes, which are so light with just the slightest hint of vanilla. I asked for some of the blueberry compote that normally is served with the lemon blueberry ricotta, pancake, and they were happy to oblige. Coffee is good. My Husband always knows when the coffee is good as I do not put any cream in it. I highly recommend this place and we are looking forward to coming back for lunch as we found a couple things on the lunch portion of the menu that sound very interesting. read more

I met my Brunch Club here last Saturday to sample their Brunch/Breakfast offerings. I had some trouble locating the restaurant as it still says "FRANCESCA's on the outside above the entrance. But the Fried Logo is on the door.The waitstaff was very friendly & attentive. We were seated right away & I ordered some coffee immediately. A good cup o joe with cream! I had the Italian omelette and it was very hearty just like the photo on their website with a side of hash browns. Overall, a pretty good experience & I'd return for a 2nd visit. read more

Over priced food was mediocre at best. Staff was rude. Waited 45 minutes for our food read more

Great new restaurant in the neighborhood! My husband and I have been three times so far and have loved the food each time. Large menu with a wide selection that would please just about anyone. The burgers are huge and oh so tasty! They certainly don't skimp on portions either. The Chicken Pesto Sandwich is a must try! Service has been excellent, professional and very friendly each time we've been. I think we've found a new favorite place in the neighborhood. read more

Good food, friendly staff, interesting city crowd. Glad we tried it. #iraeats #iraeats1 read more

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Thought I would try the new restaurant in the former Francesca at Bryn Mawr location. I enjoy a good breakfast, which is what Fried Egg serves. I had the All American Omelette which came with Hash Browns & a stack of 3 Pancakes. I had buttermilk. I had an unsweetened Iced Tea with my food order. The ambiance was perfectly quiet, with some music in the background. The server was very polite and knew how to talk with us customers. He did not interrupt while I was eating except once, to ask the usual question of how was everything and if I needed anything else. I did order a Fried Chicken and Bacon Waffle to go for dinner. All the food was delicious and I will be returning again. read more

So happy to see this space being used again. Came in around 11am for breakfast and was thrilled with the expansive menu. The food was great, the service even better. The folks here are so kind and accommodating. Apparently they'll be opening up dinner in a few months. I can't wait to come back! read more

Fried Egg - Pancakes, greek omelette and hash browns, iced coffee. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So glad to have this in the neighborhood. Definitely recommend the patty melt. And fantastic service as well. Well worth a stop in if you are in the area. read more

Five stars times three: food service and ambience, all superb. I now eat there at least once a week.

The waffle was excellent. The syrup is not real maple syrup, but a beautiful spice was added for the chicken. Service was good But ambience is the Mia Francesca room, which was beautiful. I have no idea if they serve alcohol. No one offered me a cocktail and I didn't look to see if or ask. I'd go back. I would really love a real roasted turkey sandwich or really good Monte Cristo sandwich with real maple syrup read more

We were very excited to see Fried Egg finally open. It was months in the making as the "coming soon" and "help wanted" signs had been up since last summer. It is located in the old Mia Francescas and the interior decor is largely unchanged. I went with different friends - once for breakfast and once for lunch. Staff were very pleasant - but at the end of the day, a restaurant lives or dies by the food. Unfortunately, in our experience, it was consistently underwhelming. Two of us ordered the Root Veggie Hash - listed as their breakfast speciality. Proportions were wildly off. It was about 98% cubes of undercooked sweet potatoes. The remaining 2% was composed of a thimble full of squash, spinach, apples, carrots, and goat cheese. Neither of us finished. My lunch choice was a Chopped Salad which was missing the avocado topper. Heavy on the lettuce, light on everything else - especially the flavor. We all realize we were there during the "soft opening". We will likely return simply to support a much needed business on Bryn Mawr. We want them to succeed but they need to seriously up their food game at this location to do so. read more

We had a great experience for our first time dining. The staff were friendly, attentive and kind. We had the Chicken and Waffles. What a delicious choice. Huge portions. The hot honey was the best. The place was clean and spacious. We will be back! read more

From what I understand, this place opened a week ago. They don't have everything that they list on their menu (they aren't out of it, they just haven't bought the ingredients), so be prepared to settle for your second option. I got the Chicago style Cheese Steak sandwich. It's just a large piece of skirt steak and some cheese. The bread was incredibly soggy, similar to an extra dipped italian beef, but it was because it was soaked in oil. The piece of skirt steak was impossible to bite or even cut through, and it had no seasoning on it. I took my first bite and it was just bread because I couldn't bite off a piece of the steak. If you absolutely must eat here, make sure that you get something simple like scrambled eggs, as anything else is too complex for the kitchen staff. read more

Service was excellent. My side of pancakes was light and tasty; but, my omelette lacked much flavor. Portion sizes were large, and presentation was quite nice. The pancakes smothered in blueberries looked "to die for". read more

Overpriced. Service was terrible. Waitress barely came to check on me throughout the meal. Food took forever to come out. Says there's coke products on the menu but they don't have any. read more

Food was absolutely Amazing!! definitely will be coming back! I got ginger lemon tea and they even use locally sourced honey! The Chicken and waffles are so good. Joey was amazing his service was so refreshing and he was incredibly kind! read more

Joey was an amazing server. This spot really has some good eats. Not too pricey and the decor inside is aesthetically pleasing and spacious enough for you to really take in your morning. read more

Finally a restaurant in the neighborhood that serves traditional American breakfast. Today was their first day open. I had a taste for fresh fruit bowl and they had a good one. I also had the strawberry waffle. Tomorrow I am going for the eggs, potatoes and toast. I saw a good looking omelet and the menu includes sandwiches and burgers. They list the fruits and vegetables on the back. It was an impressive list. The place was clean. My waitress was Chrissy and she was friendly and knew the answers to my questions (remember that this was her first day also so she was well versed.) I am kind of excited for the breakfasts as I have missed them. I would have had one today but it was 1 PM and I was ready for the fruit and the waffles also had fruit. These folks seem to care about presenting a good meal. It is at the corner of Bryn Mawr and Kenmore. I have been walking past it for months waiting for them to open. I may be impressed by them having my traditional breakfast. read more

Katie and Elver are two of the best servers! I had the Grecian omelet, which came with hash browns and toast. My friend had two eggs, sausage, and toast. The coffee is locally sourced a and there were generous refills. Our breakfasts were very delicious; hence, the 5-star rating. We will definitely be coming back. read more

Went for a late brunch during the week. The staff were very nice and did a great job. The food was good but nothing beyond standard breakfast fare. I would revisit, but I am not actively craving another meal from here. Solid 7/10 place. read more

Delicious food! Fun and energetic service. Try the Shakshuka, excellent. Also had specialty Baklava Pancakes which are really really good! read more

We had an excellent breakfast - poached eggs with corned beef hash; blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes; spinach omelette. This was the second day they were open. The service was impeccable, the food arrived hot & delicious. The broad menu was reasonably priced. We will definitely go back & try other items on the menu. read more

Five stars. The Fried Egg Cafe is wonderful. Great breakfasts... crispy hash browns, yummy blueberry pancakes and they know how to make poached eggs! Also excellent for lunch sandwiches... Tasty Reuben and juicy hamburger on a grilled sesame bun. The staff is friendly and helpful. Comfortable setting. My new very favorite for brunch and lunch. read more