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Chicago, IL

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Tempo Cafe

3.7 (1k reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

Order Tempo Cafe Takeout or Delivery

Tempo Cafe Photos

Business Info

TEMPO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

Recommended Reviews - Tempo Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Stephen C.

After all these years it's still the best Gold Coast near north side diner in the neighborhood. Been coming here for decades and recently moved back into the Gold Coast. Glad to see it hasn't changed. A classic Greek diner the best kind. Offings from breakfast and lunch sandwiches to Greek specialties. Always clean and the food is always on point. Where else can I go and get chicken liver with eggs? No where around the Gold Coast. Service is always straightforward and friendly. Many of the staff have been here decades. Great place if you're in the neighborhood. PS. homemade preserves with your toast at breakfast.

Soup of the day
Mark W.

Tempo cafe is one of the well known diner place in the neighbourhood. We didn't have a chance to try their breakfast, but we went in around 4pm for afternoon tea. We ordered a burger and tuna burger. Our meal comes with a cup of soup and fries, we enjoy the food. The burger were cooked to perfect, and very juicy. Similar to other diner place, the waiter are more than happy to refill your coffee if needed.

State Street Omelette. Egg whites, spinach and bacon subbed for ham. Sooo good and fluffy!!
Jennifer M.

Oh Tempo how I love your healthy breakfast options! Absolutely the best fluffiest egg white omelettes I've ever had!!! Always 10/10 ! But recently you've changed your really good breakfast potatoes to hash browns PLEASE bring back the old potatoes that were some of favorite breakfast potatoes I've ever had!! Hashbrowns were extremely greasy also

Build Your Own Omelette
Alexa K.

I think my family came in with higher expectations, so we were kinda thrown off, but overall this is a great spot! Classic diner food with lots of options, great portions, and fair prices. The staff is kind, but the food is nothing extraordinary.

Morning Glory Waffle
Taquanda H.

I went to Tempo on a Thursday morning. The wait time was approximately 30 minutes for two people. The restaurant is small and you will be sitting tight in your seat. Our server was friendly when she finally arrived at the table. We waited another 5 minutes or so before we were greeted. I ordered the morning glory waffle, turkey sausage and 1 egg scrambled with cheddar. The sausage and eggs where cooked well. The waffle came out cold. I requested whip cream, as I am not a huge fan of syrup. I got a small drop of whip cream not worth mentioning. Although everything was fresh and appealing I can't say I will be returning anytime soon.

Build Your Own Skillet
Christina A.

Tempo Cafe is a great, no frills diner in the Gold Coast. As with any diner, if you go there on a weekend morning it's going to be packed. However, if you're willing to put your name in early on Yelp or put your name in and wait a bit, it's worth it. Classic huge diner menu with whatever you want. Great omelets, Turkey club BLT, and coffee.

Inside
Anastasiya K.

Food was good, service was FAST. On a Saturday morning, I've never been seated so fast, order placed, coffee in my hand and a meal in front of me within 20 minutes. They definitely get busy on the weekend and know how to handle the flow. It was maybe a little TOO fast because I was barely able to catch a breath and talk to my friend. The food was really good. My chorizo/mushroom/cheese skillet was very tasty. A lot of food and wasn't even able to finish it all. Ask for the spicy house sauce - it was wonderful!! The inside looked very festive and cute. Service was nice.

Happy campers enjoying a stack of pancakes with blueberries and chocolate chips, and milkshakes for breakfast with Nana and Pop Pop.
Tom V.

We first visited Tiempo Cafe back in 2017 solely because it was close to our hotel and it featured Illy Coffee. Over the last eight years, we've probably enjoyed meals here dozens of times when we come to Chicago. The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, the food is absolutely solid, the prices are eminently fair and the portions are, to quote he who shall not be named, YUGE! When we stay downtown, our grandchildren love to join us for breakfast at Tiempo and the pancakes with blueberries and chocolate chips is #1 with them both. Plus, they love the milkshakes made with real ice cream. Things are always popping no matter what time of day you visit, and the smiles on every diner's face tell the story better than any written review. True Chicago place, with long time servers and cooks make Tiempo your best choice on the North side of the city.

Corned Beef Sandwich with a Gyros Plate in the back
Joani O.

Tempo has been here on the Gold Coast forever and when my daughter and I were thinking about lunching in the area, it came to mind. Tempo is a cute diner on the corner that serves up great breakfasts and is good for late evenings too. We had sandwiches that come with one of their soups (yummy) and fries. (Also good) Our waitress was sweet and service was excellent. I heard that the owner passed recently so I'm glad they're still there.

Corned Beef Hash and Eggs
Rahima J.

I got takeout from here so I'll need to come back to the get the full ~ experience ~ but the pickup order was really easy and they were very fast with getting the food made. The portion size itself was huge and they gave bread and jelly on the side too! Food itself was so yummy but nothing too crazy to rave about! Excited to come back and try it out another time

Turkey Reuben Sandwich

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Reviews are mixed. Many highlight the classic diner atmosphere, large portions, and varied menu. Breakfast dishes are especially popular, and service is often described as friendly.

Read the full review summary in the app

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Stefano K.

Thank you, Lucy! Check your inbox when you get the chance.

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2 years ago

The service and atmosphere were good. However I did not like the taste of the food. I may go next time to try something else.

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3 years ago

Great food. Awesome oj fresh squeezed. Wish they had one where I live too. Favorite is the morning glory waffle.

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Stefano K.

Thank you, Rachael!

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Stefano K.

Thanks for the feedback, Amber. We sent you more in a private message.

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Tempo Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Tempo Cafe

Do they still serve the Monte Cristi sandwich with steak fries, raspberry preserves, pickle and Cole slaw?

Hi Leroy, yes we do still serve the Monte Christo! Thank You!

Are y'all open on thanksgiving?

No...they have a sign on their door that they are closed for thanksgiving

I thought I saw somewhere online that this place is BYOB. Can you really bring your own alcohol?

Correct, until 10pm

View All 4 Questions

Blue Bottle Coffee - Wolf Point

Blue Bottle Coffee - Wolf Point

4.1(183 reviews)
0.9 mi•River North, Near North Side
•$$

Some people might say, "if you been to one Blue Bottle, you've been to them all", well I beg to…read morediffer when it comes to this location. Located near the Merchandise Mart and overlooking the Chicago River, this location has floor to ceiling windows with amazing views in every direction. Considering the layout, I am sure this place is frequented those who work and/or live nearby. There are plenty of table/chair combos; the perfect setup for laptop and tablet work. I stopped through on Saturday morning and there was a number of people already setup with their respective devices. They also have music playing in the background (at a very acceptable volume level) which for me, just added to the vibe. The staff, were friendly and helpful. Add to that, they did an awesome job of managing the line as it never got too long. As for drinks and food, no complaints here. It's consistent with the Blue Bottle level of quality I have come to expect and appreciate. Overall, I highly recommend checking out this location.

This place does get busy in the morning but it's such a nice place with direct sunlight when you…read moresit just around the corner on the benches. This place has some outlets. There's some seating behind the other side but it gets filled up quickly. The barista are so nice. I got their hot sweet latte and it was so nice and warm. I was able to WFH for around 4 hours here.

Photos
Blue Bottle Coffee - Wolf Point
Blue Bottle Coffee - Wolf Point - New Orleans- style Iced Coffee

New Orleans- style Iced Coffee

Blue Bottle Coffee - Wolf Point - New Orleans coffee (food not from blue bottle)

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New Orleans coffee (food not from blue bottle)

Doughnut Vault - Pistachio old fashioned

Doughnut Vault

4.3(1.2k reviews)
0.7 mi•River North, Near North Side
•$$

These are some of the best, if not *THE* best donuts I've ever had. Chicago has some excellent…read moredonuts... Do-rite, Voodoo, Firecakes, even Stan's under some conditions; Doughnut Vault beats them all! Maybe it's because they were made an hour or two ago? Maybe they use better/fresher oil? I don't know, and frankly, it makes no difference to the smile on my face. The two donuts I had that day were their daily specials. IIRC, one was a Salted Caramel Old Fashioned, and the other was a Yeast Apple(something) filled donut. The Old Fashioned blew me away. The dough had a very light, but nonetheless present crispness from being fried. The dough itself was sweet, and the salted caramel coating was on point, with actual salt notes coming through. The apple-filled was similarly delicious, though I regret cutting this into pieces and enjoying it over three days, for this made it seem like there was not enough filling! Learn from my mistakes, and enjoy these things whole! More to love is that their prices are more than reasonable for the quality, and the service is friendly, knowledgeable, and fast! If there is one quibble that I have, it's that the donuts were just a touch sweeter than I would prefer. However, this is a matter of personal preference, since these are donuts for crying out loud! Final verdict: Best donuts ever! Go! Do!

We got there around 11 AM and unfortunately, a lot of flavors were already sold out. The interior…read moreis very small. You basically walk in and immediately see the donut counter, with room for maybe 4 customers max. Service was amazing! The guy greeted us as soon as we walked in and had such big energy. Before we looked at the menu he showed us the variety he had left. 9/10 service, definitely a fun way to start the day! This was actually my first time trying an old fashioned donut. The pistachio old fashioned was nothing too special. It tasted more like a dense cake, was slightly oily, but I did like how dense and filling it was. 6/10. Definitely want to come back earlier next time to try more of their flavors!

Photos
Doughnut Vault - Glazed vanilla

Glazed vanilla

Doughnut Vault - Vanilla Birthday Cake

Vanilla Birthday Cake

Doughnut Vault

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Tempo Cafe - coffee - Updated October 2026

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