We saw the Scratchboard Kitchen on tiktok and wanted to see what all the hype was about. How did it turn out, let's find out: Ambiance The Sratchboard kitchen has a bright and welcoming decor. The lighten in the place was warm. And the music seemed similar to a club beat but not obnoxiously loud. Service The service was great. Our server gave us some recommendations and the staff seemed pretty nice. The food itself did not take too long to come out. Also, when there was a mistake with one of the orders, it was taken care of without any issues. Food Fried potatoes This was a recommended side. The potatoes themselves were crispy with a fluffy middle. It came with a spicy mayo type of dipping sauce which tasted good other than the fact that dipping the potatoes in it did not really get that much sauce on them. I would recommend this side dish. French onion grilled cheese The French onion grilled cheese is a very tasty dish. It has the sweetness of the caramelized onion and nice cheese pull. It is a rich dish so eating cause food fatigue. We got it with bacon. It was good but not really necessary. Crispy chicken sandwich This is the chicken sandwich seen on tiktok. The cutlet is thick and it was fried with a light coating. The chicken sandwich was juicy. I think mine might have needed a little more seasoning (my own preference). Overall The scratchboard kitchen is a nice place to go and have a bite to eat. It has a nice array of food and drink options. I would recommend at least trying the food and enjoying the ambiance and service. read more

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Went here during the block party for dinner where the streets are closed. We had 3 couples. All the restaurants create beer garden seating out in the road. The problem is the road is curved. You can see the problem with seating. People are almost falling over. The menu is very very small. The waitstaff was great. They have 1 bourbon. 1. WTF? They gave me a sample that was effectively a full pour. LOL. It was great. I ordered another. How could you not? Nobody complained about their food. It was fine. They need to expand their menu. Other than the menu and the street, it was a nice experience. read more

Don't go on a Sunday. So VERY rude. Went in they said 15-30 min wait they would call the 3 of us. After 45 min we went in to ask how long and they said " we are NOT TAKING WALK-ins" after we had waited 45 min. And on top of it they were so rude. When we went in 45 min earlier they did not tell us there was a chance we'd NEVER be seated read more

I've only had pastries and coffee here, but both are absolutely top tier. The highlight is the homemade pop-tarts. These things are pure magic. The best flavors so far have been s'mores and ginger-pear-miso (please bring it back!) Their gluten-free baked goods taste incredible and have a beautiful texture. And definitely do not skip the cereal milk coffee! Yum! read more

What a cozy restaurant. The interior is set up as a winter ski lodge with a ski lift, snowy pine tree decor and comfortable seating. Parking may be a challenge at times but the village parking garage is only a block away. We ordered the smash burger which came on a brioche bun with bread and butter pickles and cheese. The truffle fries were good but a little too salty. I'd opt for regular fries next time. The squash soup was delicious but the chia seeds on top were a bit too hard and crunchy for me. They have a nice selection of beers and cocktails too. Everything is ala carte so the bill can add up. A nice winter retreat. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

We had a fantastic happy hour burger here a while back so decided to head back to try out the breakfast. We REALLY wanted to be able to add SK to our breakfast option list but left rather underwhelmed. First, the server was VERY sweet, but not very attentive. Our pancakes and egg sandwich took almost a half hour to arrive and she never bothered to check in with us while we were waiting for our food or during our meal for that matter. When the meal did arrive, the pancakes were cold for some reason. We would have sent them back but we were already running late. Along with the pancakes came a tiny metal ramekin of syrup-- about an ounce. Almost seemed like they were rationing the syrup which was odd and not appropriate for the fairly thick stack of pancakes. We asked for more syrup and were given another tiny metal ramekin of it. We were also disappointed with our $5 side of bacon which consisted of two very small pieces- actually one and 3/4 pieces. One other very odd thing was that they do not offer salt and pepper shakers at the tables nor do they have them if you ask. When I asked for salt and pepper, our server brought back another tiny metal ramekin that had loose salt and pepper mixed together in it?? Again, it felt like they were rationing the salt & pepper which is REALLY strange. Because the pancakes were cold it's hard to make a call on how good they were. The breakfast sandwich was pretty good aside from the English Muffin being mostly un-toasted, but the sandwich needed seasoning (glad I had the tiny ramekin of salt & pepper). The "hash brown" was a frozen somewhat oily triangular thing that was a let-down. All in all, not a horrible breakfast, but not a memorable one either. We'll likely come back for the burger, but will pass on future breakfasts. read more

Fresh food that is well prepared. Service was great. Atmosphere a bit noisy; small place. Portions seemed a bit small for the price (we did brunch). Many choices of healthy and traditional fare. read more

The inside of the restaurant is very tight, so if the weather is permitting, I would recommend outside seating for more room. Our server was very relaxed, and almost a little too relaxed. I appreciated the no stress ordering, but at times we felt forgotten. We ordered a side biscuit, which never came. Our server found us as we were leaving and offered it on the house, even though we had asked during our meal of the biscuit was coming and he said "yeah it should be out", but never updated us again. We had to tell him to remove the biscuit because we were already done with our meal and we were never checked on again. I will say, the breakfast sandwich was good, but very big. So come with an appetite! The egg was fluffy and the bacon was thick and not too chewy. The avocado was fresh. It said there is a cream cheese spread, but that was slightly peppery and more of a pimento. The shakshouka was my mom's. She said it was good but there was hardly any feta. We have had shakshouka elsewhere and decided this wouldn't be something we try again. Not pictured was my iced coffee, which I would not get again. Very watery and really no vanilla flavor. However we will come back and try their lunch service. The quality is there and everything is made in house, maybe we just got an off day. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Shakshouka - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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The food was so good! I ordered the hash and while the dip didn't go with it, once I got it home and was able to add some hot sauce it was perfection. My friend got a biscuit sandwich and potatoes which she loved. The portion sizes were that perfect amount of not too small, not too big. read more

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It was a great find. Too bad it was raining or would have enjoyed the outdoor seating. Interesting and tasty menu with a good eye on healthy eating. read more

Love this restaurant. We've been here a handful of times and it never fails. We've always enjoyed our meals, and the staff has always been kind and attentive. We like the outdoor dining experience for brunch with our kids. We get to enjoy tasty food and beautiful weather. They offer a kids menu with a coloring sheet and crayons to keep littles busy. The scones and pop tarts change every time we've gone, so it's kind of fun to try it each time there's a new flavor. These are both great! Flaky and buttery. What's not to like? What we got: Lox on toast - The amount of lox is generous and the proportion of salmon to bread and everything else is just right. Love the capers, dill and red onions on it. It's on one slice, but definitely filling. Kids French Toast - This is sweet. But it's nice and fluffy and a winner for our kid. Sometimes kid menu items lean bland, and I'm not sure why. But this was flavorful and it comes with orange slices, so a little added bit of nutrition! Cheesy grits - So creamy! This was a really nice texture and consistency. It's a side but we ordered it as a main for our other kid. Slagel bacon - Comes with 2 slices, and we added it to the grits. Rose cardamom latte with oat milk - So good! It's sweet but not too sweet--the cardamom isn't overpowering and the rose isn't too floral. read more

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I stopped in here for a quick brunch with an old friend. The atmosphere, baked goods, entrees, and lattes were outstanding. The entire staff was so kind and warm, however it was our server Lisa that went above and beyond. She was so helpful, patient, and personable. Truly a wonderful experience. Given that there was such a large staff working, and that everyone I met was so kind and genuine, this speaks volumes to the work environment cultivated by the entire team and I just wanted to recognize that I deeply appreciate their efforts. read more

Disappointed to not be writing a glowing review of Scratchboard Kitchen. My fiancé and I have loved coming to brunch here over the last 3 years but left today feeling the experience isn't quite the same. We visited on a Sunday morning with no reservation which was no problem. The male at the host stand doubled as our waiter and could not be less hospitable. He mumbled, never refilled our water glasses, had a dry tone, and never smiled once. It came across that he could have cared less to be working that day and was irritated to be serving us. It seemed the menu had grown since the last time we dined which we were excited for! My fiancé ordered the Shakshouka and I the Breakfast Sandwich with Crispy Potato side (my favorite). The food took about 15 min to prepare and when it was brought out, I felt disappointed. The Breakfast Sandwich switched from their fluffy biscuit to a grainy english muffin. The Crispy Potatoes continue to not come with enough sauce. Underneath the coleslaw side was a dark, short hair. I asked for a new plate which they accommodated. We were later told my Crispy Potato side was comped which was nice but also the cheapest item we ordered and not the affected item. Down to receiving our bill, our waiter was not warm and came across impatient and careless. Overall, portions seemed smaller but pricing is still a premium. They pride themselves on all ingredients being fresh and house made but service has declined. This should be a two star review but I am hopeful they will turn things around. read more

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The place is kind of small and cramped. I sat by the window and there were people sitting across from me who had babies so it was noisy with them crying. I came here for brunch, we were expecting that the chopped lettuce would be really fresh because it had local ingredients but it was dry and coming from Michigan it probably dried out by the time it got to the restaurant. I got the steak hash which was salty, the sunny side eggs I thought would be out of the ball park but were nothing out of the ordinary from grocery store bought eggs. The vanilla late and chai lavender latte were delicious though. The fingerling potatoes were good but salty. Parking is also difficult in this area because the street that the restaurant is on was blocked. read more

I stopped into Scratch Board Kitchen on a whim while heading out to grab coffee and decided to stay for lunch and I'm really glad I did. The restaurant has a clean, upscale vibe with a lot of thought put into the decor. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the menu was surprisingly diverse and creative. Pricing was reasonable for the most part, but I did find that adding a protein (I chose grilled chicken) made the meal a bit pricey my total came out to around $42 for a coffee, entrée, and pastry. I went with the Seasonal Grain & Veggie Bowl quinoa, lemon chili vinaigrette, peas with preserved lemon, artichokes, brown beech mushrooms, and red pepper spread with grilled chicken on top. It was fantastic. Fresh, flavorful, and balanced, with the mushrooms adding an earthy note that paired really well with the tang from the preserved lemon. The lemon squeeze at the table brought everything together. The cold brew iced coffee was also a standout rich and smooth, like an actual cup of brewed coffee poured over ice (not your typical watered-down cold brew). And I couldn't resist trying their chocolate strawberry pop tart. It was exceptional clearly handmade, soft and buttery with the perfect touch of sweetness. I genuinely wish I had grabbed a second one for later. All in all, a great little lunch stop. Would definitely come back, especially for brunch or to try more of those pastries. Just be ready for the bill to climb a bit if you add extras! read more

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Third time is not the charm. I'm not sure why we gave Scratchboard another chance. After our dinner experience a few years ago we should have known better. But we figured we would try the brunch again. Well. What a disappointing brunch. We had a reservation for outside. They were busy, but they tried to seat us (two adults and a high chair for a baby) where two adults and a baby had no chance of fitting. We ended up waiting for a table to leave so we would have space for the high chair. No problem. But the food. Oh boy the food. Again, I have no problem paying high prices for small portions if the food is quality. But this food was not. The breakfast hash was oily and under seasoned. No one wants to eat an egg and potatoes with no salt. The Rueben tartine was edible but came with a coleslaw that was potentially rancid and definitely soggy and inedible. On top of that, our server was a little rude. We won't be back. If you're stopping in for a latte or poptart I'm sure that would be fine. As those were tasty. But I cant recommend the food. read more

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This was our first time - love this place!!! Great fresh food - good service such a cute place . We have the chicken biscuit sandwich just delicious, can't wait to go back. read more

In again for happy hour. Lisa is a great waitress and hottest. Burger is excellent, and chopped salad is very fresh and healthy. recent updates have been noticed. Very nice and modern! read more

If you're in need of some top-tier comfort food, do yourself a favor and get the ham and Gruyère cheese sandwich with extra protein. It was warm, melty, and basically gave me a hug from the inside. My partner went for the Mediterranean salad with chicken, and let's just say the chicken was doing all the heavy lifting. The salad itself? It looked like it had been prepped by someone with commitment issues--definitely not freshly cut. Now, about the Bloody Mary... I respect creativity, but this mix was like a failed science experiment. It tried way too hard to be different, and instead, it tasted like regret in a glass. Hard pass. Thankfully, we ended on a high note with coffee, which was strong, smooth, and exactly what I needed to recover from the Bloody Mary trauma. The atmosphere is bright and welcoming, and our waiter was fantastic--attentive, helpful, and didn't rush us, which is always a win. Would I come back? Absolutely--for the sandwich and coffee. Would I order the salad or Bloody Mary again? Only if I lost a bet. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Trauma inducing Bloody Mary - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Had heard great things but overall was disappointed. We sat outside on a Saturday in late May and I'm not sure if it was because it was early in the season or what, but they had someone scrubbing the sidewalk for at least an hour with a large broom and strong chlorine smelling cleaning product. It was very loud and the smell was not appetizing whatsoever. The table also was a mess when we sat down, with bird residue on it. Our food was served and we had no napkins or utensils to eat with, and it got cold with the breeze while waiting for them to be delivered. Food quality was good, but felt a bit overpriced for the mediocre experience. read more

Definitely in my top five breakfast spots. I crave this place so bad all the time. Their menu is always very exceptional and exquisite. The service is great minus the last time we went our server was a little dry on her communication, but besides that interaction it's been great always. The ambience is so cute inside I love sitting in the back. God bless the hands and soul of whoever made my biscuits and gravy with eggs on the side. There is not one thing I've gotten that I do not like. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Espresso martini a must (anywhere I go) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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It's a cool cozy spot, seems trendy.. the latte was good! Very smooth oatmilk latte with cardamom and rose. The food.... needs some work. Didn't taste special, I think I've gotten better tuna salad at a grocery store food bar. It was bland, boring. The kale salad was $6 extra to get as a premium side and it's kale and lemon like it's so boring yall I'm sorry for $6?? Nahhh. Service was good, nothing wrong or out of the ordinary there. I wouldn't come back to eat, I'd come for a drink -- maybe. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

We ordered the Kaluga caviar and smoked trout dip for appetizers. The caviar came with potato chips and crème fraiche. I don't think the potato chips were a good pairing. They overpowered the caviar. When you add the crème fraiche it was same outcome. Caviar was overpowered. The smoked trout dip was delicious. It also came with the potato chips and they worked out fine with the dip. Had a cup for the soup. It was very thick. I thought of it as more of a sauce than a soup. It would pair great with a meatball. The tuna melt sandwich was good. Also ordered the Ruben tartine. It was delicious. Best thing we ordered. I would come back for that alone. Staff was very welcoming and nice. Great vibe in the restaurant and the decor is great. I would recommend restaurant. read more

I was seated outside where there was a street fest going on so it was good people Watching. My friend was a little late meeting me so I ordered the strawberry smash and the sunchoke gratin. I wanted the gnudi but they were out so I was kinda bummed about that. The sunchoke was very good though so it made up for it. My friend and I ordered a bottle of wine because they are 1/2 off on Thursday which was great! Service was good and wasn't too aggressive. They had a cute inside area that I will probably dine in when the weather turns back in the fall. Only down fall was there were a few menu items out that I wanted to try, but overall very good food and drinks. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Strawberry smash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

The food here was SOOOO great. The house made gluten free chocolate pastry was a great start, and my gluten free biscuit sandwich was excellent. I love a good Bloody Mary, and that was just good, not as high end tasty as the food. Only downside I could see was the table layout not much room to maneuver if you were dining with kids or a stroller read more

We had a reservation for a group of 7 and we were unfortunately disappointed. Our service was not good. She brought us the wrong drinks, did not apologize or offer to get the correct ones, and charged us for the expensive ones we didn't order. The shaved vegetable salad was delicious as was the bread and butter. So good! The $45 savory charcuterie board was a cute idea - would have loved to have more of the three crackers and a pretzel stick. I want to continue to support this business but I'm not sure how to moving forward. read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - I forget the name but it was a salad with peas, micro greens, ndjuda, lemon something....it was incredible. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Scratchboard Kitchen has a cozy feel in their restaurant. The breakfast menu is familiar yet not typical breakfast offerings. They also have a good selection of brunch cocktails. The staffs are friendly and helpful. There are enough gluten-free options for us. The coffee cake delivers on the flavor, and the biscuit is quite thick. The only criticism is that the biscuit is not fluffy. Instead it has a texture similar to Angel Food Cake. One other suggestion I would love the restaurant to take note of is to have GF version of the Sausage and Gravy. It would elevate the experience GF customers even more! read more

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Smash burger, truffle fries, beer and service were amazing! Nice stop while on work travel. Outdoor seating was perfect on a beautiful day! read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - The Smash burger and truffle fries were amazing! I can't remember the name of the beer, but that was just as good - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Rainy July Sunday night. We made a reservation that was early to get home to watch the Cubs. We were seated in front...and so were the next three sets of diners. Tight in, ok, maybe a server didn't show? But none of us could scoot back without bumping others. Weird! Lots of chatter about cocktails, lots of choices, not our thing tonight, my husband got a fresh squeezed lemonade and we settled in with menus. Dinner? Super limited choices-one soup, one pasta, one fish dish. Still-optimistic. I ordered the grain forward salad and added grilled chicken (+$8) He had soup and Rueben with a side order of truffle fries. Also a bread app. In truth it was fine-but for the money, it was weak. The bread was two pieces cut in half from a larger loaf-$8-they didn't even bake it in house! His sandwich was open face-but one piece of bread-again, too much for two little. Nicely constructed but missing the top... My salad was alot of garbanzo beans and cabbage with not one but two cores from the heads of lettuce. Handmade--who lets that leave the kitchen? My chicken was ice cold and about 1/3 of a breast-five very thin slices. Thank God we ordered that bread! Our server was nice but she mainly talked to my husband-rarely making eye contact with me or filling my water glass. He even joked about it. $90 later and we had dessert across the street...so many options nearby. If you like to drink, that might help... read more

Ordered a chicken sandwich and truffle fries. The total ended up being 32$ and the sandwich barely even had half a chicken breast... it was tasty but not worth 32$ when you can't even get a decent piece of chicken. I ended up eating half the biscuit on its own...I was so excited to try it after seeing tik toks hyping it up. :( read more

First and last time coming here! It was absolutely terrible. We got seated ALLLL the way in the back by the bathroom and kitchen and moved ourselves. Friend and I wanted to order the banana latte, server Lana/ Lena or whatever says they don't have it today. Then we wanted to order the fried chicken sandwhich and she goes we don't have that chicken today. She said " I only work Tuesdays." I don't care when you work, you should know how to do your job on the day you do work. Why wouldn't you welcome us when we told you it's our first time and tell us WHAT YOU are OUT of so we don't have to waste our time. The service was absolute shit. She barely came around to check on us etc. will not be back. read more

Ridiculously overpriced. Combined with the small portions, an overall disappointment.

Food is really good but the portions are very small and everything is very expensive. Also, the vibe is not family friendly at all. If you have little kids, maybe go somewhere else. read more

Wow. Wanted to find a yummy spot to celebrate my husband's birthday and this was THE spot. Delicious food and drink, friendly staff, beautiful atmosphere. You won't be disappointed with this spot! Adding it to our breakfast, dinner, and cocktail spots rotation read more

3.5 - This is a breakfast/brunch spot located in downtown Arlington heights. There is street parking available and there are a few lots a couple blocks away. All their items are locally produced which I love. I tried the salted honey chai latte which was pretty tasty. For food I had the avocado citrus toast which was very unique and something I wouldn't think of putting together and it was soooo good. I highly recommend the avocado citrus toast. This is on the pricier side with small portions. I understand it's higher quality however I think the portions are just too small. Service was great - the person at the host stand was very kind and seated us right away. Our server explained that their menu is constantly updating pending what's available from the local markets. This is a cute and rustic place perfect for a girls brunch. read more

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Got the worst Avacado toast .. I was so excited coming here. I've heard good things and it's close to my house. But it seemed as though the entire "everything but the bagel" seasoning tub was poured on here. I was shocked this was even served to me. Very disappointed. The sandwich was 16 dollars. This was just embarrassing. I'm so sad i couldn't enjoy this on my day off ! read more

Scratchboard Kitchen - Avacado toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Scratchboard kitchen prides themselves on making everything from scratch which is a concept that intrigued me to try brunch here. They had fun options on the menu like homemade poptarts but unfortunately were all out at the time I came. I ordered mushroom coffee and a biscuit sandwich which was okay. We also got potatoes and pancakes. Truthfully, both the pancakes and the biscuit were dry. The food didn't blow my mind. Additionally, our waiter was kind of rude and I felt rushed by him. The restaurant is really cute since they have plants all around. I thought this place was just okay. read more

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Continues to impress. Our server Nico was fantastic, we ate inside due to the sweltering heat, the AC was perfect... that back room area is underrated. I little bright, but wee went for lunch so it was fine. For cocktails we went with the gin strawberry shrub... Nico shared the recipe for this cocktail with us, so we'll be trying that at home! I ordered the blueberry grilled cheese... you heard me... blueberry grilled cheese! I added the smoked brisket... fantastic. The Brie, the blueberry sauce the Smokey brisket. Good lord! My wife ordered the curry chicken salad on an English muffin, and she said it was fantastic... she has impeccable taste and I often have buyers remorse when I try a dish that she orders. Not this time, tho. Dang that grilled cheese is good. Pics below. read more

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My mom, sister, and I have a monthly dinner and we divide up selecting restaurants we want to go to. This is my pick! I've been here previously for brunch and was wowed by Chef Grace Goudie's flavor combinations. During the summer months, Arlington Heights blocks off the streets from traffic and allows restaurants to extend their patio seating into the streets. We were greeted and seated outside by Francisco who pleasantly asked if we are returning or new customers to welcome us to Scratchboard Kitchen. My sister enjoyed a Rose No Thorns mocktail and it was sweet with rose water, grapefruit, lemon, and soda. The Bibb Lettuce Salad had the sweetness of the blood orange, equal sourness from the shallots, and crunch from the seeds. It mostly had an earthy flavor. What did knock my sock off was the Fried Chicken on grits! There was cheese in there and it seemed like they laid a secret honey down on the plate before putting any food on it. I was obsessed! The sprigs of dill and fresh herbs on top really brightened the heavy dish. I hit like and subscribe to the Fried Chicken & Grits. read more

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Horrible food, had to wait an hour for our cold food that anyone else would expect to be warm. Dirty bathroom ewww