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Stax Cafe

4.2 (217 reviews)
Closed • 7:00 am - 3:30 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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Stax Cafe Photos

Business Info

STAX CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Stax Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

The caprese
Suhani A.

This place is very cute and the food was actually pretty good! I got the Taylor street frittata and Dubai chocolate pancakes with it which were both very good! We also got French toast, but I didn't really like it because it felt too eggy for me. Overall, I actually really enjoyed the breakfast and will be back!

Chocolate Chip
Semira A.

Stax is where you go when you're looking for a great classic breakfast, large portions, all for a really good price. The service is always friendly and the food comes out fast! The restaurant has a fun ambiance and the decor makes you feel right at home. I love getting some chocolate chip pancakes with house potatoes on the side. No frills, just great food.

Oatmeal Coconut Banana
Julisa W.

Wowwww! Just got to Chicago and our friend suggested stax. What a lovely welcome because the Monte cristo waffle and coconut banana oatmeal pancakes were SO GOOD! The Dubai chocolate French toast was PHENOMENAL!! Don't miss it, as it was on special. Honorable mentions are the Bloody Mary, the amazing spiced up fries and the service was quick and pleasant. We will be back!

Lisa L.

First thing.....they do not accept substitutions! If you are someone who likes to mix things up this is not the place for you. The food itself was good and the portions were large. The server was exceptional which explains the 4 stars vs 3 stars.

Oatmeal waffles with apples
Willie A.

Everything was delicious,the staff was friendly,food was hot,the place was clean and fresh smelling.the ambiance was open with well lit.

Cutie pie pancakes
Sarah M.

I wish I could give this place 10 stars. The service is phenomenal. We bought our 2.5 and 9 month old and they were very accommodating with seating. We loved how cute it is inside! Our food was sooooo good! I would definitely get the breakfast stitches sandwich everytime. I got the sauce on the side and forgot to take a picture. My husband got the starving student and my little guy got the pancakes and we had some to take home!Go here for amazing food and service!

Mini Pancakes
Leeza S.

Excellent food and service. The omelette was so delicious and the pancakes were fluffy. The menu is massive, so it was hard to choose options. I will be coming back the next time I'm in town, to try more delicious items.

Dubai chocolate pancakes

Their pancakes are the absolute best!!! My friend's breakfast sandwich was also excellent!

Service was good, food was alright burger over cooked, pancakes were delicious and fluffy, ambiance is okay

Healthy start pancakes
Ashley H.

What a treat to find affordable diner style food in West Loop! We had a lovely visit from start to finish at this cute spot. The restaurant was packed and pleasantly chatty during brunch prime-time, but the wait moved quickly and we were seated within 20 minutes. The menu had a creative flair on the nostalgic diner breakfast we all know and love- we were all getting flustered trying to decide what to order! When game time for ordering came, I decided on the healthy start pancakes with a side of extra crispy bacon, while my friends ordered the avocado smashed breakfast sandwich and the veggie skillet. Everyone seemed to really like their dishes, but the pancakes were outstanding! Fluffy and moist, they were loaded with blueberries and perfectly complemented by the creamy yogurt and crunchy oat topping. The bacon was addictively crispy and everything came out piping hot. Cannot recommend Stax enough if you're in the mood for a good old-fashioned brunch with a twist!

Stax chopped salad
Sagarika G.

We saw this place literally waking down the street and decided to grab some food. It was a Sunday morning and it was definitely packed inside. There's tons of indoor and outdoor seating so it's perfect for a sunny day! The service was super quick and we were in and out of the restaurant in less than an hour, which was amazing! I got the Stax chopped salad and my friend got the honey ricotta French toast. The salad was truly one of the best I've ever had. There was lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, pickled onions, garbanzo beans, feta, and the yummiest dressing. It was SO FRESH! I hate when my salads taste anything less than straight of out a garden, and this one was just perfect. I also added grilled chicken on top and it seriously made for such a filling and delicious salad!! The French toast had a bunch of berries, ricotta, honey, and pistachios. I'm not a big fan of French toast but this one was a game changer. It was just the right amount of sweet which was complimented perfectly by the berries on top. The pistachio was such an incredible touch. I was in LOVE! If you guys ever see this place, please go inside and you will not be disappointed! Some of the best brunch food in the city, for sure!

Disregard the message on the photo but the food was good those pancakes were massive. And the service was pretty fast as well
Jazzi S.

Food and service was good and the ambiance was great! They sell drinks too just in case!

french toast
Gabby Z.

absolutely loved the food and ambiance here. everyone was super welcoming and friendly. waited about 10 minutes to be seated and got straight to ordering drinks. orange juice and coffee were very well made and the orange juice was super freshly squeezed. food- french toast 10/10 no complaints. right amount of sweetness and good choice of bread and just overall really good. breakfast burrito 10/10, was not expecting it to be this good. i loved it. the potatoes were also super seasoned. we will be back

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6 years ago

Food is amazing and the staff is so friendly. Water and coffee is constantly full. Portions are large, so I would recommend sharing.

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8 years ago

Excellent food, Excellent service, Beautiful outdoor seating and beautiful indoor seating and ambiance.

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7 years ago

Loved the food and unique choices!! Huge portions too! Ambiance is clean and resfreshing!

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Page 5 of 6

Ask the Community - Stax Cafe

Is this a BYOB?

Nope

How easy is it to find parking?

Both locations have street parking and the spot directly in front are metered. If you do a bit of looking you can find a spot.

What's the price range?

9-15/ plate

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Au Cheval

Au Cheval

4.4(9.5k reviews)
0.5 mi•West Loop, Near West Side
•$$

so glad we tried this place! we actually only waited about 15 mins to get seated at the bar on a…read morewednesday night around 7pm. we came here for my boyfriends birthday and we were so happy we chose to celebrate here. the two people that helped us was antonio and issa and they made the experience 10x better. they were very attentive and friendly and just easy to talk to. gave us good recommendations and good vibes. we both really liked our drinks and were happy with the spread the food came out. we got to eat the bone marrow first which also came with this really good sauce it was almost like a meat jam but was so good on the bread and then put some of the bone marrow on for the perfect bite. now the burger, you just have to try it because it really is that good. the sauce in it was so good and it just had a really good flavor. it was just an elevated burger. we got fries as well and we shared the burger so it we were really full after. the server brought out ice cream with a candle and some sort of chocolate sauce too which just made the overall experience. we were really happy with the service and food and it just made my bfs bday that much more special and memorable.

Despite all the hype, it's really an average smash burger. This is a place that has capitalized on…read moresocial media hype and people wanting to say they've been here and thus are cool and trendy. But it is seriously just a greasy smash burger. Their fries are good, and actually stand out more than the burger. Everything is overpriced. I don't know why people complain about the wait; do some research like a responsible adult. I never just walk into a place and expect to be immediately seated, I call first - like anyone who has some sense. If they tell you the wait is 2 hours and you have 2 hours to kill, there are a bunch of bars in the area where you can have some drinks and an appetizer (and not feel like you're stiffing Au Cheval; they're the ones with the 2 hour wait, what do they expect people to do?) Not much to say about the decor or ambience; it's a typically loud West Loop bar with mostly 20 - 30 somethings all trying to one-up each other with their trendiness that instead makes them all basically clones of each other. It is crowded, and you're a moron if you think any place like this is suitable for your 5 year old. That's not the restaurant's fault - it's not Chuck E Cheese. Often I wish Yelp offered a 1/2 star option, because there are places that are a 4.5 or a 3.5. Not in this case. 3 stars is spot-on.

Photos
Au Cheval - The cooks were very attentive!

The cooks were very attentive!

Au Cheval - Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

Au Cheval - Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

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Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

Bar Siena - mini tavern burgers. april 2026.

Bar Siena

4.2(2.4k reviews)
0.5 mi•West Loop, Near West Side
•$$

Last night, after a genuinely frustrating experience elsewhere, I walked into Bar Siena not…read moreexpecting much (if anything), just hoping for a reset. When I asked about the wait time, the host joked that it was two hours. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed and played along. Given what had just happened minutes earlier, it did not quite land... but to their credit, the moment I explained the situation, everything shifted. They sat me promptly and turned what could have been a lingering bad night into a completely different experience. Julio, my server, set the tone immediately. Julio was professional, attentive, and generous. He brought out meatballs on the house, which were excellent. I ordered calamari, rigatoni alla vodka with shrimp, and what I believe was a chocolate torte for dessert (also on the house, which I was not expecting). Everything was spot on. The rigatoni in particular stood out. It was made in house and had the kind of texture and quality you notice right away. The Manager (Lance) also stopped by, having been present when I explained what had happened earlier. That kind of awareness and follow-through matters more than people realize. It what separates a place that serves food from a place that understands hospitality. By the time I was finishing dessert, I found myself watching pizzas go out to nearby tables and immediately reconsidering my menu choices for the evening. That's usually a good sign. The host who initially joked about the wait time also came by at the end of my meal. She was polite, thoughtful, and clearly intentional about making sure the experience landed well. I appreciated this gesture. When the bill came, I asked what the total would have been without the discounts and complimentary items. Once I had that number, I tipped Julio the difference. It felt like the only appropriate way to reflect the level of service and generosity I received. I'll be back (for the pizza). Overall: Food (yes) Service (yes) Ambiance (yes)

(Kari's Rating 8/10)…read more TLDR: -Attentive Staff -Smaller portion sizes -Dark atmosphere Came here on a weekday with a friend and had a reservation for Monday at 7:30pm. We had to wait a little bit for a table so we sat at the bar because my friend and I aren't drinkers. We just had glasses of water while we waited for our table. Once we got seated, our server took our order relatively quickly and we ordered the House made for Kasha with a goat cheese and honey topping, the grilled octopus appetizer, and because we were enjoying our conversation so much we ended up just skipping Wright to dessert and ordering the gooey butter cake. For a light meal, this was relatively satisfactory. Our server said they come to the octopus because we waited so long, so it was nice that the staff was acknowledging that we waited a little bit for our table and we're willing to compensate us. As someone who lives in the river north area, I have actually been here, probably a dozen times, and it's always a good little spot but a little bit pricey for what you're getting. I would still probably come back with some friends, but I wouldn't go on my way to come here if I was bringing people off from out of town.

Photos
Bar Siena - Industrial bar

Industrial bar

Bar Siena - Parmesan Potato Skins appetizer

Parmesan Potato Skins appetizer

Bar Siena - This  N 24 was so delicious! I love mezcal so much  and it was the perfect birthday drink

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This N 24 was so delicious! I love mezcal so much and it was the perfect birthday drink

The Dearborn

The Dearborn

4.4(2.8k reviews)
1.1 mi•The Loop
•$$

New favorite! Came downtown from the 'burbs for a show - my sweetie called ahead and we got a GREAT…read moretable just inside the door, perfect for people watching. Tasty drinks - the grapefruit pilsner was a perfect choice for a warm spring evening, and our server was funny and sweet. Sticky ribs appetizer was spot on, with just enough heat to keep it interesting. We shared the fish and chips - perfectly cooked, crunch and sweet, great fries! House made slaw and tartar sauce was out of this world! Gotta make one comment on something we didn't have. The next table over, two middle aged women order cheeseburgers. When they came out I almost regretted ordering the fish. They were huge, juicy, and looked incredible. This two ladies, drinking their Chardonnays polished them off, that's how good they were. Next time... Dessert? Why not? Sticky toffee cake please. Perfect with a cup of black coffee. Out the door and on our way - we'll be back! Thanks!

We dined at the Dearborn on a Saturday afternoon with my family. Our reservation was strategic we…read morearrived hours before we assumed it would become very crowded. The seating was tight. Overall I was having a good experience. The food was OK. The menu was limited. Oh btw, the special that day was a $70 wag goo burger. That interaction between me and the server reminded me of a car salesman trying to sale me undercoating for the car i just purchased. REALLY I can't make it up. The experience dropped to a single star as our dining experience was nearing an end. The manager of the front of the house. Made a conscious effort to make it clear that the table we were dining was needed by waiting customers. I've never ever experienced this before in any restaurant in the Loop. I can't and will not recommend dining here. This is why I'm giving 1 star. I my opinion The Dearborn maybe they need to be in a different location. Maybe located far west of the Loop. I would suggest instead of Dearborn maybe Halsted St. and probably change their name to The Halsted. Im not going back. OH btw good luck in your new location.

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The Dearborn - $12 Martinis for Martini Mondays

$12 Martinis for Martini Mondays

The Dearborn - New Spring Menu

New Spring Menu

The Dearborn - Spring desserts

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Spring desserts

HIDE+SEEK

HIDE+SEEK

4.0(378 reviews)
0.5 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

The Fam and I are always looking for new places to indulge one of our favorite food groups, which…read moreis brunch with bottomless mimosas. After doing a search on Yelp, I decided we should check out HIDE+SEEK. Ding ding ding! We have a winner folks. We decided to go with the Brunch Party. First let me start off saying that Brunch Party is one plate, one side, and endless mimosas. The entire table participation is required and there is a strict 1.5 hour time limit. That said, Angelique (was our server) was on point during that time period. Our glasses never got pass the half-way mark and a good time was had by all! HIDE+SEEK has a pretty chilled vibe and the décor was cool, a very nice bar area, booths on the east side of the restaurant and tables in the front. I think there was a back area, but can't for sure as I didn't explore as we were seated immediately in our booth. Angelique was very cool. She welcomed us and asked if it was our first time there (it was) and began to explain the menu, focusing on Brunch Party and that everyone at the table had to participate, which we did. For my entrée I got the Short Rib Hash (Sunny side up egg, piquillo pepper, red wine jus, rosemary mornay) and my side was Eggs Your Way (over easy). I got an order of the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (honey-whipped ricotta, blueberry compote, maple syrup) for the table. Both dishes were very nice. I am a sucker for anything with short rib meat in it and this hit well with me. The pancakes were good, nice and fluffy, and the compote was very good. They weren't as lemony as I have had at other restaurants. The flavor was there, but in a subtle way, almost like an afterthought, but still nice. The pancakes themselves were nice and fluffy, just they way I like them. The Doctor got the cheeseburger and fries, which looked nice. He cleaned his plate so I have to assume it was good. The Queen got the Steak and Eggs. I had a bite of the steak and it was tender and had a nice flavor to it. Overall we had a great time and while it was only an hour and a half, it seemed longer. I will totally come back here again for brunch, but want to check out their happy hour and dinner as well. The menus looks interesting.

I would come back here, but it isn't high on my list. The food was overall good, and the menu is…read morevery creative and diverse! Even so, it wasn't enough to necessitate the price tag, which all of my friends and I were surprised by when we paid at the end. The cocktails were outstanding - we all enjoyed our choices. For some of us, they were enjoyable enough where we got the same one more than once 0:) Our server was not very friendly - she does not need to act like our BFF or anything like that, but she was cold and seemed annoyed by our questions and such. She also had no idea about the wine, so my friend just rolled the dice on what she wanted without knowing much about it. She wound up liking it - but more clarity would've been helpful (or even seeking out someone else working there for more info!). Minor environment note: The largest artwork there is a triptych of photographs - three famous women: Princess Diana, Sharon Tate (I think?), and Marilyn Monroe. There is a horizontal band going across where their eyes all line up, and the band replaces their eyes with cartoon eyes, likely of Disney princesses. It is supposed to be quirky but I found it creepy, especially since it featured three famous women who met untimely ends.

Photos
HIDE+SEEK
HIDE+SEEK
HIDE+SEEK - The Dutchess

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The Dutchess

Stax Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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