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Stopped in around 11ish on a Saturday morning. There was a 10 minute wait to get a table. Our waitress seemed pretty nice, but was incredibly busy so didn't have time to check on us often. They were pretty understaffed. Food also took a while to come and then we weren't checked on again until we flagged our waitress down to pay our check. The food was pretty good, but a bit overpriced for what it is. They also don't mention that the Coke products are cans (so no refills) instead of fountain. The pancakes were on the dense and chewy side and my friend got mini waffles with her meal and said they lacked flavor and had a weird texture. My omelette was delicious and perfectly cooked, the house potatoes were flavorful and very tasty. She also had bacon and eggs, which she said were pretty standard, but nothing special. She did say her iced latte was very good! They try to seem fancier than they are with cholula over franks, ketchup and syrup in cups, cans over drafts but overall I'd say this was diner breakfast for a fancier brunch price.
Expect a long wait during prime dining times, but the food was worth it! Servers were friendly and food came out in a timely matter. I would love to come back and try other items on the menu
Never underestimate a delicious classic American breakfast. I came back to Chicago for a weekend to see a friend. I was a regular at Stax when I lived there before the Teachers' Union takeover. They have amazing orange juice! Strange to say, but never underestimate a good glass of orange juice. Their coffee was average diner coffee, which is ok! I'm not a coffee snob; there are enough of those around who frankly presume an erudition they don't possess. But it was a good cup of coffee. Now they have a really, really exceptional breakfast menu, but I walked in with the intention of ordering blueberry pancakes because that's what I had a taste for. I got them. They were excellent. They were a big stack of 3 big, fluffy pancakes with blueberry compote in the middle. My huge critique here is that they give you a shitload of little butter packets that you have to individually open up and slather on your pancakes. Come on, guys! Seriously? This is a frickin' diner! Give us a proper butter plate so that we can easily put butter on it. It looked ridiculous showing all the butter wrappers on the table. They were good cakes...fluffy and flavorful. I woud recommend using a better maple syrup too. I also ordered their pork sausage. That was really exceptional. One order was two very large links of sausage which I shared with my dog. The service was good, and no regrets. Not exceptional, but never underestimate a good sturdy breakfast diner.
I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area, the food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the Dubai choclate pancakes and expected them to be extremely sweet however it was very balanced. They were cooked perfectly and were so fluffy with plenty of chocolate both inside and on top. We had also ordered eggs and French toast which looked and tasted delicious. The latte here was just as enjoyable since it wasn't too bitter or too sweet. The service as well was really nice, our server was really sweet, attentive and very helpful. The tables were very clean and the place had a very peaceful vibe unlike many other diners. If you're in the area and want a warm & tasty meal, I would 100% recommend stopping by.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Everything was delicious,the staff was friendly,food was hot,the place was clean and fresh smelling.the ambiance was open with well lit.
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!
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.
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!
3 years ago
7 years ago
The Restaurant: Stax Cafe is a well sized restaurant that felt like it was influenced by old style diners. I came on a Friday morning during a work week, so I can't really speak to how busy it can get here, but there is quite a large amount of seating. The actual dishes are pretty massive and we weren't able to even finish 2 dishes with 3 people and had a lot of extra food. The menu is quite large with a ton of different sections. It's a little bit much to navigate at first, so I would recommend that you try and look at the menu first to choose what you want so you aren't overwhelmed Recommendations: 1) Lumberjack Skillet - This is just a good skillet with solid sized pieces of potato that were crispy and delicious. The meat on it was perfectly cooked and added a ton of flavor, and the cheese added the extra punch of flavor that you needed. The eggs were standard scrambled eggs and were great additions, but not the star of the dish. The potatoes and meat really were exceptional. Would get again: 1) Skirt Steak and Eggs - My biggest issue with the dish was the the steak was pretty overcooked. We had ordered it medium and it came well done, which made it pretty chewey. The actual flavor of the steak was great and the Chimichurri sauce was what added a lot of great flavor to the steak and the potatoes and veggies were crispy and delicious. Definitely would get again and hope that the steak is better. 2) Mini Waffles - The waffles were good and crispy and had solid flavor. I don't think they were out of this world, but they were good waffles. 3) Mini Pancakes - The pancakes were fluffy and good along with solid flavor. Just like the waffles, I didn't think they were out of this world, but they were solid pancakes. Overall, this was a good experience, but I don't know if this will be my #1 choice for brunch moving forward. read more
Let me start of by saying how HUGE the menu is. I almost couldn't decide, but I went with the waitresses recommendation - breakfast tacos. I always choose savory over sweet so they hit the spot! I also got to try the lavender pancakes which were pretty yummy. The interior is also very cute, with recipes written on the wall like a chalkboard. Overall, I would definitely try this place again because their menu is just so large I wish I could try it all. read more
I always go to the other location for Stax. We were headed to another spot and decided to check out the newer location. We saw some of the same staff from Taylor Location. This location had so much more room and even a waiting area. They also have alcoholic drinks (little pricey). The menu is the same and still delicious. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
Food: 4 Service: 5 Mood: 4.5 Protip: Most entrees come with side of toast pancake or waffle; get any of their speciality pancakes! They're deliciously fluffy and huge and so much bang for your buck (the waffles are mini sized). Highly recommend the banana ones This is the newer location in Wicker Park/West area and I was pleasantly surprised by how modern, clean, bright and open the space was! It's much less busy compared to the Taylor Street location, which can easily have an hour min wait on Sundays around 11. (The menu is the exact same as the other location) Service is great here; food came out freakishly quickly and support fresh; Coffee and water was always refilled quickly. If you're craving Stax I would recommend the new location! Stax knows how to cook their eggs: beautiful sunny side up on the skillets and perfectly poached for their prosciutto avocado benedict. We did notice that the veggie and brisket skillets come with too many potatoes and not enough other ingredients; both girls who ordered skillets still had a full layer leftover but didn't bother packing since it was only potatoes. read more
5 years ago
Maaaaan so we've been having a hard time finding a brunch spot that didn't have two hour wait and we came across this one, called and lady told me it was going to be about 15 so we rushed. We check in and get on the list, and we're not even there for a few min when the manager asks if we mind a table outside and we said no so we take it. They're super efficient. As soon as a table gets up, they immediately clean and set it up for new guests which is how they're able to keep the wait to a minimum. Our server was super friendly!!! Her name was Shannon. I ordered the skirt steak and eggs and my sister ordered the avocado smash sandwich, they both came with toast and potatoes and grilled onions and bell pepper. It was delicious!!! The steak was juicy and flavorful and mixed with the eggs omg the best combination. I'd def come here again. I attached a picture but I hate to say it doesn't do it justice. Edit : It wasn't the manager. I'm told it's the owners wife so the co-owner was super friendly. Saw her checking up on tables constantly and had a great vibe and attitude!! She and the server made the experience super enjoyable! read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
6 years ago
Great customer service. Beautiful establishment. Food was tasty. Turkey burger was flavorful, loved the bun. Fries were delicious. Also tasted the cinnamon roll waffle- amazing!! It Came out in a reasonable amount of time. Was able to talk to a few staff and everyone was very committed to ensuring the best experience. Would return. read more
8 years ago
Mmmm, it was just ok. I felt like it was overpriced, under delivery. I got the brisket Benedict. Zero flavor. I was slathering it in salt and hot sauce. I would walk a little further on Milwaukee and go to Windy City Cafe. read more
Such a great brunch experience! Got seated right away at 10am on a Saturday (we got lucky filled up right after we got there). Very sweet and attentive waitress. We ordered iced coffee, veggie hash, and a frittata. The best part was you could get potatoes or mini pancakes or waffles for a side. Great to have a little bit but not have to order an entire plate! They also had a lot of cocktail options and they looked really good, will be back to try some asap. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
This meal was a so much more than i expected! I was a little nervous about the raspberry preserves but honestly it was such a good combination. The service was great and the food came out super quick * definitely recommend! read more
2 years ago
First time trying this place out. You can't really tell when you're outside, but when you walk in, it's a pretty cute brunch cafe with nice interior! The service was great and I loved the presentation of the food. I wouldn't say the food is amazing for the price you pay, but it is good, just not amazing. Portion is very filling, especially the potatoes that come with the Frittata...it really fills you up! I would definitely go again for brunch if I'm ever in that area. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
the food was absolutely AMAZING! we went here for my 21st birthday brunch, the mimosas were delicious, service was great, there was a good view and the french toast was to die for! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
6 years ago
Heard about Stax through Tik Tok and the food looked really good so I decided to check it out. I had the chilaquiles which were tasty but I paid $3 to add chicken and there were about 4 tiny cubes of chicken in the entire dish, if even that. The menu also says it includes black beans and I saw about 3 beans. I wish I would have said something to my server about it but I didn't. I also ordered the crepes and they were probably the worst I've ever had because they were super thin, crunchy, and cold. I was looking forward to a fluffier crepe but these were not it. Overall I probably won't come back but the service was quick and attentive. read more
These are weird times we are living in, and some days we want structure and routine but other times we need to enjoy and indulge during the unique time we have at home. Today I treated myself to the Cinnamon Roll Waffles and a side of Pork sausage. They came with plenty of syrup (which is always a concern of mine when ordering breakfast take out) and still warm...granted I live less than a mile away I had them delivered from UberEats. Needless to say my morning was excellent and I actually saved half for tomorrows breakfast so tomorrow can be excellent too. Treat yo self, friends. read more
8 years ago
Five star addition to the neighborhood! Delicious, casual breakfast/brunch spot with very friendly, relaxed service. I've been a few times and it's consistently good. I'm a little obsessed with the prosciutto avocado benedict because it's AMAZING. The breakfast tacos are also great. Waffles and pancakes are not to be missed! On one of my trips, my sister had the lox plate and loved it. Their kids mac and cheese is also totally sublime. Don't miss their delicious brunch cocktails and awesome fresh squeezed juices. Service is really friendly and attentive. Great place for kids and adults. read more
6 years ago
I dined in at Stax Cafe in February 2021. I ordered the Monte cristo waffle sandwich and the mimosa. I've been here many times and the food is always great. They have a ton of variety on the menu, I've never had something that I didn't liked. I especially love the jam on this sandwich. It gives it just enough sweetness to balance out the savory sandwich. But if you want more sweet, just add the syrup. read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
We more than enjoyed our breakfast at Stax. The Steak & Eggs w/ chimichurri and pico de gallo was so delightful. I upgraded my mini pancakes to blueberry w/ a blueberry lemon compote and they were soooo delicious. Oh, and they served it all with scrambled (or however you like them) eggs atop well seasoned house potatoes and roughly chopped bell peppers and onions. I couldn't have asked for a better breakfast. read more
Pretty standard breakfast restaurant. Great latte and omelette combo. I'd go with the waffles as a side. Mixed feelings on the house potatoes, but I don't feel like I can judge since I don't care for onions and peppers in mine. I'm more of a hash brown gal. Good outside seating and service. read more
7 years ago
I started my meal with a side of mini pancakes, which was two large pancakes. They had a fluffy yet slightly dense, cake like texture/flavor, likely from the sugary batter. I prefer a slightly thinner consistency to my maple syrup but the flavor was good nonetheless. My main dish was the hot ham 'n cheese crepes. They came topped with an arugula salad, drizzled with honey mustard having a glaze like consistency. The sweet and savory flavors complimented each other nicely. My husband had the meat wagon omelet which was loaded with a combination of meats to which he added cheddar cheese. The meat was all high quality with great flavor. He had the house potatos on the side which could have used seasoning as it was not flavorful like the rest of our food. The portion sizes were all large we took home plenty of leftovers. I always appreciate when the waitstaff keeps my water glass and coffee cup full, which they did. I would definitely recommend Stax to anyone looking for a high quality, unique breakfast while in Chicago. read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
Great brunch experience! I got the Denver omelette and I really loved their version with poblano pepper! You can choose mini waffles or pancakes. I went with the banana pancakes with macadamia nut crumbles and they were fantastic! My boyfriend had bacon and eggs and we both had coffee which was amazing. I'm excited to return to try more items from the menu. read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
Had the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon(sans the caviar) it was decent, could've done without the bagel, i prefer an English muffin. But the honey ricotta French toast i had was great and satisfied my sweet tooth. Good sized portions. Wait staff was friendly. Only down fall was a pesky fruit fly trying to have breakfast with me. read more
More info about Stax Cafe
522 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
River West, Noble Square, West Town
Directions
(312) 877-5055
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https://www.staxcafe.com
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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.
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