Stopped here during our weekend trip in from Chicago with my husband and two boys (1 and 4) and couldn't have been more impressed! I've never been to a more kid friendly place - toys for the kids to play with, a treasure chest, stepstool in the bathroom, incredible service and the food was delicious! Highly recommend! read more

The food does not photograph well but it tastes so good!!! Best breakfast we had in Rockford by far. The burrito was so good, since I got it with no cheese I asked for verde salsa on the side which was the right move - highly recommend the mod. Lots of bees outside, recommend sitting inside -which is our only regret. read more

Lydia's Cafe - pork and chorizo bowl with guac - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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Large menu,great service, speedy and fast. Several alternatives, clever names. Have been there several times always good service and fair prices. . read more

Finally tried Lydia's Cafe! Cute spot off of rural, the service was very attentive and quick even with a full house. I love the menu idea of naming the dishes after things in Rockford! We opted for the Guilford Omelet and the Davis Park Eggs Benedict. Both were great. We will be back for sure to try more menu items! read more

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Just so good. Asked about sausage gravy. They sent out a small cup to taste. It was perfect. My buddy ordered that. I good the cb hash. Both were amazing. read more

Lydia's Cafe - HOME MADE corned beef hash! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

This is wonderful place that was recommended to us. Why didn't we come sooner? The menu had something for everyone and the food was AMAZING! Staff was super friendly. Loved the decor and the music was perfect.Definitely will be back again soon! read more

Very cozy place to have breakfast! Family atmosphere. People are very nice and food is pretty good!!!

Food and service were great! All of the meals are named after locations in Rockford! I had the Rock Cut which is a vegetarian Eggs Benedict. The place is small but it is very welcoming with more than enough space to accommodate smaller groups. read more

Lydia's Cafe - The Rock Cut. The best hollandaise sauce I've ever had! The hash browns were just right! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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I've been here a few times for breakfast and it was delicious and the servers are excellent! I'm looking forward to eating there for lunch!! read more

My family and I stopped by this morning and it was by far one of the best places we have had in a long time for breakfast/ lunch ! We tried a variety of the food such like the pancakes, biscuits and gravy, chimichanga and breakfast burrito and all were filled with so much flavor ! I got the breakfast burrito and let me tell you that it was not only filling but very delicious. The red salsa was spicy but like a good spicy and flavorful! I also tried the biscuits and gravy and I usually get that every breakfast place and this one had soft biscuits, not overbearing at all, the gravy was amazing ! I would definitely recommend this place because it was very satisfying and the flavors were great ! The service was fantastic as well, our server Stacey was so kind, friendly and very attentive to our needs. Very loving and sweet person and it's people like her that make that place even better because of the smile she gives when serving ! 1000/10 recommend if you are looking for a breakfast/ lunch spot ! Loved it ! read more

Lydia's Cafe - Biscuits and gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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Truly cannot believe it is still there or at least the name of her restaurant is? Lydia is what the owner named her Café - after her mom. Oh, forget exactly nearly 30 years ago? Yep, worked for a gentleman owner and family in a very small breakfast place as well as fine dining restaurant, kind of like Lydia's Cafe. Yes, met the new owner, Lydia's daughter. Yes, her husband there announced visiting the restaurant we managed far south of her: " she's going to do it all on her own" Who said you as a female owner won't make it. You need your whole family in there. Like running a farm is what a restaurant is. Yep! You want pictures? Oh, You want to know about her food? Well, read her reviews. Delicious, perfect, amazing, quirky and local. Congratulations to Lydia's daughter! See you next time. Thank you. Ms Mae read more

The staff was very friendly and went out of their way to make sure my granddaughter and I had the perfect breakfast. The food was very good and the options were perfect. There were plenty of seating options in this hole in the wall restaurant that is much bigger than it looks from the outside. I will definitely be back when I'm in the area again. read more

I spent a whole week in Rockford IL, and this was the best breakfast I've had all week! Service was prompt and since it's Christmas the ambiance was amazing. read more

This is a cute little place with a wide variety of food options. I have been there twice and have enjoyed my meal both times. The servings are ample... if you leave hungry, that's on you. Our server was attentive and offered great recommendations. There was a man there, not sure if an owner, partner of an owner or what not... he was checking on a few tables and made some off-putting remarks to the neighboring table and must have thought he was funny and went on how he made such great golf jokes to a party of golfers recently... he wasn't funny... definitely made me hope he didn't come check on us or talk to us... Tl;dr: Great food, great servers, watch out for the wannabe comedian... read more

New ownership for Lydia's and the food was great. Had chilaquiles and biscuits with gravy. Both were generous and tasty. Definitely recommend. read more

This is my neighborhood place. The food is always good, and the staff are lovely and welcoming.

My husband introduced this place to me a couple years ago. His teenage son likes to go because he can get a cheeseburger for breakfast! We go on a regular basis and I'm always shocked that I've never had to wait more then 10-15 mins for a table. Most of the time there is no wait at all. I have never had a bad breakfast here! The staff is always super nice and accommodating. It's a small place so not much seating and even on Mother's Day we didn't have to wait. Their food is definitely a few notches above the typical "mom and pop" breakfast places in the Rockford area. I was hesitant to make a review because I think they are the best kept secret in town and I want to keep it that way!! Lol read more

Best coffee in town. All their breakfast items are great. I haven't had their lunch items so will not comment on that. Small place with lots of tables so it can feel a little cramped if that's an issue for someone. read more

Family run, extremely hard working staff, excellent food. Mexican portion of menu is great, all the basics are done well. Entire tub of hot sauce. The best part? They have a small toy drawer and my 2 year old Absoltely loves it. read more

Definitely my favorite Rockford breakfast. They have the usual breakfast menu items but also have some delicious additions such as their Tex Mex items which are a lovely change from the other games in town. My husband returns over and over for the chorizo hash and I love the breakfast tacos al pastor. Today I had an excellent breakfast burrito which was on special. The hashbrowns and bacon were crispy, the eggs fluffy, and the veggies well-sauteed. They are under new management after the old owners retired and there is certainly no change in quality. We will certainly be back!!! read more

Embarrassingly small portions for a breakfast in a town full of breakfast options. I ordered a simple eggs with hash brown and bacon. The hash browns were a black hockey puck sized mass of grease and burnt potato. My bacon looked greasy enough that I passed on eating anything but the English muffin on my plate. My spouse ordered a better looking plate where the entree looked edible and the hash browns were not singed with a blow torch. However, she ordered rye toast and was served white. The server was a nice, sweet young kid who was very polite. I tipped her 20% despite the food being horrific. In essence, I paid $22 for meal in which my English muffin was the only thing on my plate. read more

Gave Lydia's another chance. There might be a new owner? Way too many tables. You can't put your coat on without Knocking someone out. The food....cold eggs and barely toasted toast. My husband ordered the Mexican sandwich and it was cold as well. The American cheese didn't even melt. Hardly worth $25 plus tip. read more

Excellent food, cozy and friendly atmosphere. Very kid friendly too! We found this on a whim traveling home from Galena and very glad we did and will be back! read more

This place was nice, service was great and very friendly, food was delicious. I would or will come back next time I'm in Rockford. read more

Lydia's Cafe - Sopes and over easy eggs, was very good. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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We visited Lydia's Cafe after visiting the Conservatory/Gardens in Rockford, IL. The place is small and in an unassuming strip mall. This place is small but mighty: service and food are too notch! We came in and were greeted right away. The place was filed but we only waited for a short while for our table. We had "The Bike Path" and "The Coronado" breakfasts that included pancakes, bacon, eggs, potatoes, and toast. We also had the breakfast special. See photo. I forgot the name but it was so good! Also had extra pancakes on the side. All food we ordered were delicious, seasoned well, and was at perfect temp when given to us. The kids finished their whole plate! Services was prompt and friendly. Dishes cleared ASAP, tables cleaned as soon as people left, and we were thanked when we left. The extra touch: 1) Bathroom was clean but I was impressed that there were bottles of little perfume on the counter that customers can spritz on if they want. It's the little things that show the owners care about the business. 2) The owners gave our kids a chance to check out their "treasure chest" and choose a goodie from it! Kids enjoyed that surprise. Highly recommended! -Super nice staff and owners -Delicious food -Clean establishment read more

I really enjoyed our brunch at Lydia's Cafe for our 35th Anniversary! The food was great and the personal service was excellent. We look very much forward to another visit soon! read more

Hands down one of the best breakfast spots in Rockford. We live 1000 miles away now and no matter how brief our visits home are, Lydia's is always a must do. read more

The food was incredible!!! The menu had many fun names for their delicious homemade creations!

They don't accept all credit cards and don't have a placard for it, so ask first! Food was okay, tea was blah and the service quick enough. Food: I went with the Aldeen, a corned beef hash that they make on site. It is bland for corned beef, but way better than from a can. Eggs were good, toast was a bit butter logged. Tea: Asked "black or green" so not really a lot of options. Only one thing of hot water and expensive for Lipton swill. Server was very nice, quick and left me on my own mostly (which was wonderful). Informed me my corporate card was not supported, although they take all other cards...? AmEx fails again at being small business friendly. read more

Great customer service and consistently amazing food! It is my favorite breakfast/brunch place! More so because it is local and their meals are named after Rockford streets and/or establishments! Their breakfast quesadilla is currently my favorite! Otherwise I enjoy the simple sausage links, eggs, extra crispy hash browns and ginormous pancake! read more

I had no idea what this place was till a couple weeks ago when I my wife and I were sans-kids and freed up to try some new eats. The menu is fantastic! Having spent time growing up in Texas and California, I love Tex-Mex food and it is extremely hard to come by it in Rockford, IL. This place was awesome! While they do have the Swedish pancakes and hash browns like Rockfordians love, the chorizo and eggs, the breakfast tacos took me right back to my childhood. The staff was super friendly too. Definitely a local secret, but the word is getting out. Next time we'll bring the whole family. read more

We have a fabulous breakfast here every week. They never disappoint! Excellent food and service!

The place is small, but the food and service are large. It's a great place for breakfast and well worth the wait if there is one. We love the way they name the menu items. I'm on my way down the list and haven't been disappointed yet. read more

LYDIA'S on Rural St. will not see me no more. I work nights, came here for breakfast when I got off with a coworker to grab a bite because it was close and open early. Ate and then paid for meal and talked and chatted, catching up. "The manager" I guess comes over and says "we need to leave they need the table because people are waiting ". I get it we totally understand. But when we were leaving out no one was waiting and there were other tables available INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. I still thought nothing of it. My friend went back in to get something "the manager" told the waitress "it was time for them to go. they been here over 3 hours." which was 100% a lie because I haven't even been off work that long. Terrible way to talk about a customer. RANT OVER. Y'all lucky y'all ain't got no corporate because I'd would be on the PHONE! read more

Support your local family owned business! It was nice to see this place fully packed on a Saturday brunch time. Great service all around. Our party of 3 were all very satisfied with our selection of choice. It was quite a hard decision to make seeing everything on the menu seemed delicious. Even with a full house, we didn't have to wait long for our food. Here's the thing on portions...I feel some people would complain or argue the price vs portion is questionable. The vibe is great, definitely not Rockford. (appreciate that). Clean & modern. I also appreciate the presentation. When you compare everything together, that's when you know what you pay for is worth every penny. read more

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Made a special stop for corn beef and cabbage on St Patrick's Day. It was a wonderful meal. Our server, Alisha, was quite attentive and new owners Stacy and Kevin checked on us too. The space is small but mighty. This is also my 'go to' breakfast place. They make their own corned beef hash and it is sublime. Try it, you won't be disappointed! read more

Delicious cafe type food for breakfast AND lunch Staff is amazing!! They treat everyone like regular customers! They also remember orders Easygoing comfortable place both neighborhoods and others appreciate the setting. ALLOWS PETS IN SEASONAL OUTSIDE DINING! read more

Love this place, food and staff top notch! Breakfast or lunch you can't go wrong! And make sure to say hello to Stacy she's the best!

Great service, great food, clean bathrooms. Good luck to the new owners! Went 9/17 and they're still waiting on new Liquor license. read more

Lydia's Cafe - The symbol - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Went tonight for there new fish fry on Wednesday! Totally great! Staff was super awesome! Fish was delicious! Sounds like they are doing this once a month. You gotta go. You won't be disappointed. read more