Stax is a perfect breakfast go-to! The service is quick and efficient and the food is fantastic. I sat at the bar/counter for a quick early morning breakfast. I ordered the regular gluten free pancakes which were HUGE and perfect for sharing. They were also delicious and have a hint of vanilla. Also had the black pepper bacon and it's a must. Overall a solid place for sit-in or carry-out and staple in the community! read more

Every 5th Saturday, my first cousins and I have brunch together. We celebrated family here. It was a long wait, so I recommend getting on the waitlist before arriving! The good news is people will wait to eat here, as the food is delicious and they nailed it with the service. We enjoyed everything, and no one complained. We were a group of 8, and it was awesome. We waited 45 minutes to be seated; there were 19 groups ahead of us, so that speaks volumes. If you read my reviews, you know I love waffles, and seeing butter pecan as an option meant I was in heaven. Everything was affordable. My family enjoyed ot and I highly recommend read more

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Consumer beware! Please make sure to get your receipt after paying. Twice now this place has increased the tip above the originally approved (20%). The first time, I called to speak to the manager, who basically told me that they could not do anything about it. I went back about a year later this week, and a few days later when I check my records, I noticed that they have added an extra 2.5% to the tip. This time I am writing this review, which I hope will help people, and perhaps, this business will stop this practice. read more

I really enjoyed my experience here! My friend and I came around 1pm and there were still a lot of people enjoying their food! In the morning, the wait times get pretty long, so I recommend coming later in the afternoon to get seated right away. We had the creamy chicken poblano soup, southwest chicken salad, wild mushroom crepes and seasoned fries. Everything was delicious and I highly recommend checking this spot out. The staff is shelf friendly and they are really good with kids! read more

Stax Cafe - Southwest Cobb - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Late Review Been here about 3 times and this is my favorite location. It's small inside but I love cozy space. Every time I come I ALWAYS get the same cookie butter pancakes which are delicious. I always enjoy my meal with each visit. The service is good. Fast paced, nonstop movement because they're really busy. You'll never have too many dishes on the table. The host is a doll. I'm sure they have more than one, but I always see the same one. Very sweet! Overall 8.5/10 read more

Stax Cafe - Hot Chocolate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Diner perfection! The classic americana diner brings all the classics to the table! And more! The Dubai pancakes were incredible! The scramble was fantastic with hashbrown potatoes! I was with a big group and the servers did a great job accommodating us. They can only use up to 3 cards so just know that if you are going with a big group! read more

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Over the years, they still don't miss. My go-to meals are the Spanish Harlem, Starving Student, and the oatmeal pancakes--all consistently delicious. They've even added alcoholic drinks to the menu now, which is a nice touch. Local, tasty, and efficient--they get you in and out without the fuss. read more

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Walked in on a Saturday around 11:30am to put our name on the waitlist for 2. The wait ended up being shorter than originally quoted! Stax is a cute, casual brunch spot. Lots of tables and they churn through people quick! I ordered the Starving Student and they had it out within 5 minutes. Even my friend's breakfast burrito took ~15 minutes tops! Our server brought us everything up front and was there without being intrusive, which I appreciated. Overall we were there for probably an hour and then were able to move on to our next destination. Food was hot, fresh, and tasty. I'll be back if I'm in the area again for brunch! read more

The service was exceptional! The place was packed and managed to seat us in under 90 seconds and did so with a smile! I wish I could remember our servers name- she was training someone and I felt like we were her only customers. And... everyone took care of us- all the staff made sure we were good and didn't need anything! The food was extraordinary! My daughter had a mini off the Nutella/raspberry French toast and a mini off the cookie butter pancakes and she was in heaven! I had a bacon, broccoli and pepper jack omelette and a side of pepper bacon! When I say I hand off want to come back to Chicago just to eat here again... I'm telling you the truth! The latte got rave reviews from my 17 year old too- a picture is worth a thousand words so please take a look! With all the hustle and bustle the ambience was great! I love seeing places that both event and service oriented- this Stax Cafe sets the bar pretty high! read more

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What a great spot! I came here for lunch with a colleague. Easy street parking, clean and welcoming environment, fast and friendly service, and great food. THE FOOD!!!! I opted for the adult grilled cheese, which was delicious: in addition to cheese, it had some bacon, avocado, and blueberry jam goodness. I gobbled every bite. I asked for a salad as my side, and the salad they brought me was GIANT and full of yummy, fresh stuff! I had to take it home because it was just too much food: a side salad on its own would have been fine for lunch by itself. My colleague had a skillet and she really enjoyed it. When the bill came, it was super reasonable. I will definitely be back here very soon. read more

Yummy food! Not a need to go to, but we didn't get the pancakes so that's on us... need to go back and get them and give them a real try lol read more

Stax Cafe - Side Mini Waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were looking for somewhere close to eat after hockey this morning and decided to try Stax cafe. When we walked in it was very bright and vibrant. We were quickly greeted and seated by the staff. I ordered the brisket hash and ordered a round of butter pecan waffles to split for the table. Food came out in no time. The brisket itself reminded me of a pot roast and the eggs were a grewt topper. The potatoes were boiled which was a nice change to the classic fried. The waffles weren't bad either. read more

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Best brunch spot. Bloody Mary, fruit frenchie, Cali club sandwich, and quesadillas were great. Service was super friendly and efficient in a packed restaurant. It's loud but comfortable. read more

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I was seriously craving brunch food but didn't feel like stepping out of the house so I decided to order from Stax Cafe through Uber Eats. I've been to the restaurant once before and remember it being super crowded which makes sense because the food is usually really good. The portion sizes are generous and I think the price matches the quality when dining in. This time I ordered the chicken sandwich and the chocolate chip pancake. While the portions were still great the flavor just didn't hit the same. Everything was cooked well but the sandwich felt a bit dry and could've used more sauce. As for the pancake I'm not sure what it was maybe the maple syrup but it didn't quite go with the chocolate chips the way I hoped. Overall I'd definitely recommend dining in if you can. The food experience is way better in person than through delivery. read more

Stax Cafe - Fried Chicken Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love Stax! It's the perfect breakfast spot. The prices are very good for what you get. For the folks not looking for mimosas, they have coffee, fresh juice, tea, etc. My hazelnut latte was so good! After you dine in, pay at the hostess stand. Service is great and there is plenty of space for a large group. read more

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The place is small but nice. We got seated pretty fast during a late breakfast. We were half and half with the food. Steak and eggs with chimichurri and pico de gallo was tender and seasoned properly. The braised beef brisket Benedict was also tasty. The chorizo and poblano was lacking something. It was sort of bland. My daughter had to ad a lot of Cholula. They have their own coffee blend from Sparrow and it was one of the best brewed coffee. Too bad they didn't have a bag to sell for home. The staff were friendly and we got our food in a timely manner. read more

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We came here for breakfast after seeing Beyonce in Chicago. This place was such a great choice. I will say the potatoes were so delicious, I ordered more to go. Our service was quick and over servers did not hesitate to jump in to help as needed. It was really cute inside and had lots of seating. We were able to find street parking outside, not far from the building. If I have the opportunity to come back, I will! read more

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Ordered a skillet breakfast, SOOOOO OILY I got violently ill immediately after I ate some it. The waitress was so nice. She helped me to the bathroom so I could throw up! They were nice enough not to charge me for the breakfast read more

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The food was amazing. Service was great. There was a bit of a wait but it was worth it. Close to our hotel. Will definitely be back. Small but cozy. read more

Stax Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for brunch based off a referral from a family member. When I tell you the steak and eggs with Chimichurri and Pico de gallo and roasted potatoes were amazing!! I wanted to come back the next day. The service was great too. read more

Stax Cafe - Skirt Steak & Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I went for breakfast close to the time they open. We were sat quickly. The place is well lit. Tables are fairly close to one another. Service was fast and food came pretty quick especially since we ordered steaks. We both had the steak with the chimichurri sauce on top. When I tell u the sauce magnified the flavor of the steak! The steak was cooked well and juicy but the sauce made the flavor pop. The cinnamon roll waffles were so delicious. read more

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So let me tell you, the service here just awful! The food was actually good, but I'll never have it again because the experience with the wait staff was so bad that it's soured me to return here. I was by myself and agreed to sit at the bar, waited like 15 minutes before the server gave me coffee mind you only because I had to ask the manager who never said he was sorry, just a snarky "we're busy" response. OK, the person sitting right next to me had coffee and water. He was so kind as to offer me his water because for whatever reason, I guess I looked completely hydrated. I cannot get the server to give me water. I proceed to order my food, waited quite a while for that (np) but not once did she ever come back to check on me to see if the food was to my liking, to offer me more coffee, or bring the damn water! In the meantime another customer seated after me at the bar was greeted with a smile by the same server and she actually brought him some water. We finished our meals at about the same time, she proceeded to go to him give him his check offer a to go bag, but she couldn't. be bothered to ask me the same. Maybe I had accidentally slipped on Harry Potter's cloak? I'm not sure. Anyhow I had to go to the cashier to finally pay the bill because she never came to charge me for my breakfast. Moral of the story: It's probably 50-50. You might go in there and get treated decent and have a good meal or you might go in there and be completely ignored like I was. Fortunately for me, there's plenty of good options to choose from in Chicago so I won't be back to Stax. read more

Their waffles taste like fluffy donuts, so yummy, had the steak and eggs, very generous portions. Will definitely be back!

Ordered online and when the food arrived it was still warm. Everything we ate was pretty good, would love to come in to experience it in person. Would highly recommend based off of this try. read more

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We walked in on a Sunday afternoon for a late brunch. Although we had a little trouble finding the right parking spot, I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get seated right away. The waitress was courteous and took our orders promptly. We ordered a mimosa and a peach Bellini which were both pretty delicious. Our food came out pretty quickly. I ordered chilaquiles. It was good, maybe it was missing something to make it more filling or maybe it was the right amount of food. Either way, I cleared the plate. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals as well. The pancakes especially seemed to be light and fluffy. As far as decor, it was decked in Christmas decor. It helped put us in a festive mood. I will return specifically for the pancakes, the nice cocktails and the friendly staff. read more

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This place is great! We had such a great experience here. We got the mimosa flight and it came with so much more than we were expecting! Our server gave great recommendations, the lumberjack skillet was hearty and delicious and the French toast is unbelievable. It was a little crowded which is to be expected, but it was a great experience! read more

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Always good to enjoy brunch here We order juice orange & carrots, coffee soo good Ricotta French toast and side of potatoes really good Staff on point huge portion read more

Stax Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stax Cafe has got to be one of my favorite breakfast spots. I usually make a trip when it's a holiday or I have a weekday off from work. My latest visit was the day after Christmas, which is the best time to go because folks are either sleeping in or taking gifts back to the mall. A lot of the items on the menu at Stax Cafe are à la carte, which can be expensive depending on your appetite. Generally, I tend to choose an option where it includes the mini waffles and house potatoes. Both are so good that you could eat them without meat. However, I'm a meat eater, so I always choose a good combo. On this particular day, I chose the Ham, Poblano Pepper, Onion, and Cheddar Omelette. Yes! It was delish with flavors running throughout. Of course, I also got the house potatoes and mini waffles on the side and their freshly made strawberry and orange juice. Trust me, if you go to Stax Cafe you won't be disappointed. read more

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Excellent Brunch Place! My husband and son said they were the best pancakes they ever had! We also had breakfast burrito, lumberjack skillet, plain pancakes and cookie butter pancakes! Wow! read more

Stax Cafe - Cookie Butter Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute little brunch spot! Our waitress was very attentive and welcoming, and the food came out super quickly. I ordered the Egg Sardou, which was decent, although I did not expect it to just be stuffed artichokes with no English muffin. The dish was in the "Eggs and Bennies" section of the menu, and was topped with hollandaise, so I guess I just assumed it would be some sort of eggs Benedict with stuffed artichoke bottoms on top of an English muffin. Regardless, it was tasty and the potatoes were delicious. I also loved the bell peppers that are mixed in with the potatoes. Our waitress also gave us hot sauce and ketchup before our food came out without us even asking! The tacos were also good, and I'm sure more flavorful with the chorizo (opted for none to make them vegetarian). I loved that the dish came with sour cream, pico, and salsa. Overall, it was a good experience, and I will definitely be back if I'm looking for a brunch spot again in the area! read more

Stax Cafe - Eggs Sardou - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My boyfriend and I's go-to casual brunch spot in River West! Stax has a nice little patio and all the waitstaff are friendly with quick service. Last time we went, I ordered the savory crepe, and it was very good and truffle-y. We also highly recommend the cinnamon roll waffles!! They are amazing - it tasted basically like a cinnamon roll thrown in a waffle maker with icing on top. It is probably one of my favorite things that I have eaten recently. read more

Stax Cafe - Cinnamon Roll Waffles, Crepe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food. Place was packed fortunately we got here a few minutes before the rush hour . However it took some time to get our food. Which was delicious. Service is amazing and the atmosphere is great. A bit loud but overall great experience. Coffee was amazingly tasty! My god. Coming back in our next visit to Chicago!!! read more

Stax Cafe - Mini Egg Tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food taste very stable Service as good as my first visit, staffs are friendly Ambiance, cozy and fresh, colorful but comfortable read more

Stax Cafe - Lumberjack Skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came here for breakfast on what seemed like a busy Tuesday morning. Place was about 80% full and people kept coming in. We were seated right away and received the food we ordered very quickly. The service was great overall. My wife ordered their Honey Ricotta French Toast and I ordered Sriracha Egg Sandwich. The French toast were pretty tasty. This is the second time that we get a dish with ricotta for breakfast and Staxs did not disappoint. It was topped with strawberries, blueberries, crushed pistachios and honey. The fresh fruits, pistachios and ricotta mixed really well with the French toast. This dish was really delicious and filling. My Sriracha Egg Sandwich came with house made sriracha Mayo, over medium egg, sharp cheddar cheese, and pecan wood smoked bacon with ciabatta bread. The sandwich itself was good, but was disappointed in the lack of sriracha flavor. I was hoping for some Asian heat in the sandwich but didn't get any. Although the sandwich was good I probably wouldn't get it again. But I'll definitely be back. read more

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Great service, good food and nice neighborhood!! Cozy atmosphere! We'll be back for sure

Stax is a local brunch place and so me and my friends decided to give it a try. We ordered a bunch of sweet items and I got the Caprese sandwich. The pancakes were delicious and so was the honey ricotta French toast however I wasn't a huge fan of my sandwich. it was a little dry and lacking sauce. The fries were also average. It's always packed so make sure your whole party is there as that is the only way you can get a table. read more

Stax Cafe - The Caprese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love coming here! Amazing food, staff and very clean! Haven't been in a little while but it's still so good! I got the frittata and asked for the sirracha mayo to dip my potatoes in! My husband always gets the starving students with pancakes. These pancakes are phenomenal. I'm not sure what the their secret is but I could come here and just eat their plain pancakes and be so very context. Keep up the good work Stax! read more

Stax Cafe - Veggie Frittata with feta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been in multiple times and Stax doesn't disappoint. This location is on a cute stretch of Taylor street across from the Starbucks, nice area to grab brunch with friends or family. Their service and kitchen are both quick. I love their omelets, and love that as a side option you can get mini waffles or pancakes. It's just the right amount of carbs on the side of the main. Recommend. read more

Stax Cafe - Denver omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been coming to Stax for years but have never done a review, so here we go! I am not a fan of pancakes. I grew up as a French toast lover the first restaurant to change my mind was Stax. I would always get the starving student meal, but since I recently stopped eating pork, I tried their steak and eggs, which were delicious. They also came with a side of pancakes which I have already raved about. My sister got the egg tacos served with mini waffles which she thoroughly enjoys. My only grip with Stax is this table-to-plate size. No matter what I am eating, I always play Tetris, trying to fit everything on the table. I hope they rectify this issue in the future. Overall I love this restaurant, and glad they survived the pandemic. 4 stars out of 5 read more

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Came in on a Sunday at 11 and they were packed! Waited 30 minutes to be seated. The cinnamon roll waffles came highly recommended and I see why, they were delicious! Overall meal was good and 5/5 from me. I'd return and bring visitors. read more

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