HEYDAY EATERY

The plates honestly look better than they taste. I tried the Benedict jar and the cheese pancakes but was a bit disappointed. It was like one was missing sweetness and the other saltiness. I also had a chai which was lukewarm. The service was really good as was the place, but the food flavor needs a bit more.

Great place! Chill vibe and very friendly staff. The food is fantastic, with definitely new flavors to common dishes. I loved the breakfast burrito, definitely worth a try. My wife enjoyed the bowl. The coffee they use has a unique flavor that, to me, is great. We loved the fact, that they use real cutlery, plates and cups and not plastic.

Small breakfast and coffee spot with an artistic interior. Staff were friendly and while we didn't stop in for food what we saw come out like really good. Drinks and pastry that at got were solid but the pastry selection was very limited. Definitely will come back to try the food sometime!

Cool interior vibe. The breakfast sandwich was okay, but the potatoes were seasoned perfectly and really tasty. Tried the matcha with coconut water and ginger ale—not my thing, but glad I gave it a shot. The ordering system seemed a bit off ($$ issue), and the cashier looked a little confused, so just keep an eye on your bill

Came here before the grand opening and I was pleasantly surprised! When you walk in you're immediately struck by the eccentric and bright space. The pastry case is delightful and enticing. We ordered the poached croissant and the breakfast sandwich. Both servings are quite filling especially with the pickled veggies and roasted potatoes. While the egg sandwich was on, the poached croissant is one of the most flavorful egg and croissant combo I've ever had in Chicago. The labaneh sauce is incredible. The Orange mocha and miso caramel iced lattes were also great! All their syrups are housemade. Finally, the meat is halal!!! Immediate win.

Hello everyone and thank you for reading my reviews! Yesterday, on Sunday, September 28, 2025, I visited HEYDAY EATERY in Chicago together with my wife and daughter. We came here because we saw recommendations on social media and wanted to try it for ourselves. First Impressions The coffee was excellent, and the food was tasty — definitely something unique for this Chicago location. It left a good impression in terms of flavor and originality. Suggestions for Improvement This time, instead of giving advice to visitors, I’d like to share some recommendations with the owners, because I truly want this café to become even better: 1. Parking: Please provide clear parking instructions. It’s not obvious where guests should leave their cars. 2. Seating Layout: This is the biggest issue. The seating arrangement is very uncomfortable for almost everyone. The tables may look stylish, but they are impractical. I personally spilled food on myself because I couldn’t sit properly due to my height. I also noticed other guests struggling. Many people peeked inside, saw every table taken, and left. My advice: switch to regular wooden tables and chairs — you can still keep a great design but make it functional. 3. Wait Time: Orders take too long — about 20 minutes on average. It seems you might be short on staff or equipment. Perhaps reconsider the workflow or add technology to speed things up. 4. Outdoor Space: If possible, open a summer terrace. It would be a great addition. 5. Decor: The large yellow stands don’t add much. They take up space and the paint job isn’t great. Good idea, but poor execution. 6. Restroom: Please add paper towels and ideally divide it into two sections. 7. Decorative Touches: The metal flowers are cool, but they would look better on the outside facade. 8. Atmosphere: If you’ve ever visited a Burning Man party, consider bringing some of that creative energy into your design. 9. Menu Additions: Chicago lacks small desserts — please add some to your menu. Final Thoughts I sincerely wish you success — I believe this café has potential! Please don’t be upset about my lower rating; my feedback comes from a place of wanting you to improve and thrive.

Stopped into Heyday for an afternoon pick me up, and I'm happy to have checked this eatery out! Their matcha jasmine cheesecake has creamy molten center and gets more solid as you eat towards the exterior. Flavor is on the spot delicious! The hot black sesame latte doesn't have as much black sesame as advertied in the photo though. Let's talk about the ambiance. Modern, futuristic surrounding with large floral metal pieces everywhere. The bathroom looks like a science lab. Euro club music is booming. Quirky vibes. The cashier is extremely sweet and welcoming. I'd come again for my next study session or breakfast for sure!

Ordered delivery on Uber Eats, base heyday plate is pretty affordable at $12 and has very flavorful unique sides (labneh cream cheese, edemame, great poached eggs!). Tho protein addons are pricey $5 for 3-4 strips of bacon so without a 20% deal on Uber Eats definitely would’ve skipped that. Only critiques is the bacon was pretty undercooked and the bread could’ve used more toasting. I put both of those on the stove and they were DELISH!

Love the ambiance, friendly service. Get matcha with ginger ale so refreshing so amazing !

Super yummy coffee and fun inside! Loved the vibe and energy! Can't wait to try the food!

the strawberry is good but matcha could be stronger but the place is so cute, will def come back to try breakfast

This is a new-ish place with cafe fare in a bright, modern, lemony-yellow space. What to order: Morning Bowl, hummus, house pickles. I can't quite place my finger on what cuisines HEYDAY is specializing in, but it feels a bit like whatever the owner likes to eat/drink/make, which might be from the Eastern-Mediterranean (use of labneh, hummus, tahini), Ukraine (syrnyky), Spain (Basque cheesecake, Catalan cream), or Japan (lots and lots of matcha). A refrigerated pastry case featured a tasty-looking chocolate cheesecake, and other chilled items. Service was very friendly; I got the Morning Bowl (egg of your choice with labneh, hummus, avocado, pickled vegetables, cucumber, edamame, and mixed greens) and the matcha coconut water. The food was well-made and well-seasoned; I particularly liked the beet hummus and pickled vegetables. If I were to nitpick, maybe labneh doesn't need to go on everything  (I'm sure you can ask for without) e.g. the breakfast burrito filling is just labneh and scrambled eggs which won't scratch that itch if you want a classic breakfast burrito. And the music was a bit loud. As someone already getting tinnitus, I'm sure turning down the volume will be good for everyone who works there, not just the customers. At any rate, I'll be back to try the syrnyky, cheesecakes, and coffee!

What a fun cafe! It's got a modern feel with the music and decor. It's funky in a really fun way. Some of the tables swivel! Definitely a unique vibe compared to other cafes in the area. And their food and drink offerings are also unique. For food we got their happy/poached croissant and scramble burrito. They seem to specialize in soft eggs because both food orders had a different kind of soft egg. The croissant was tasty but very gooey as the eggs are poached. Just make sure you have plenty of napkins! I like that there are pickled veggies on the side to balance out the meal and I really enjoyed the side of potatoes. The scramble burrito was also solid. The scrambled eggs are very soft so if you like that texture these are for you! Their heyday banana oat latte was solid but my favorite was the top cream latte iced! The cream was heavenly and the perfect amount of sweetness. Definitely worth checking out this cafe!

Matcha quality is so good and not too sweet! It's nice and not overly milky. The cafe was cute and spacious! The only critique I have is that the milk was steamed before pouring it over ice, which caused the drinks to get a watery very quickly

Aesthetic vibey place but it feels a lil superficial. Drinks were super mid and watered down. We got the miso caramel latte and black sesame latte and they looked amazing but they didn't taste like that at all. The ratios must have been off bc both of them tasted like sugar water lol

[I left this review on Google maps first since it wasn't on Yelp yet] Service was terribly slow and the person taking the orders seemed very confused about the drink offerings. The wait was very long and my dirty iced matcha was mostly milk. I ordered a pastry that was also very dry. My visit was during the opening week, so I am hopeful that they have been able to workout the kinks, as there are way better options in the area. I was offered a certificate to make up for this experience, but I'm not interested in returning.

Stopped into Heyday for an afternoon pick me up, and I'm happy to have checked this eatery out! Their matcha jasmine cheesecake has creamy molten center and gets more solid as you eat towards the exterior. Flavor is on the spot delicious! The hot black sesame latte doesn't have as much black sesame as advertied in the photo though. Let's talk about the ambiance. Modern, futuristic surrounding with large floral metal pieces everywhere. The bathroom looks like a science lab. Music is booming. Quirky vibes. The cashier is extremely sweet and welcoming. I'd come again for my next study session or breakfast for sure!

Bright, clean and modern interior. Slightly slow service in the opening weekend but the super friendly staff made up for it. I enjoyed the matcha cheesecake w a cup of hot matcha latte a lot! Our family also got the breakfast sandwich (with yummy side of veggie pickles), iced black sesame latte and iced banana oat milk latte to share. Overall, a solid 4.5 star cafe.

You must try this place! Seriously. Nothing like that in Chicago. It's very European, like really European, not a cheesy Italian European. It's fresh and sooooooo tastyyyyyyy!!!! We have tried a few dishes and a few drinks... OMG!!!! Coffee-tonic!!! The food is fresh and delicious. They do drinks in 3 minutes, food in 6. It's real. Service is also great!

Very cute cafe with healthy all day breakfast options. The people are super friendly and also got to speak with the owner! Definitely recommend- easy location with free parking.

Yummy matcha and nice staff!!! My bf loved the strawberry basil lemonade. Ambiance was cool and it wasn't too packed. The food looked great but will have to try it next time!

This is a great Ukrainian cafe in a convenient spot. The place is bright and the menu is nicely curated. The food and matcha were flavorful and the sauce to our croissant was delicious. :)

really cool bright ambiance, with classic menu items that were delicious. I'll be coming back

Fun seating/decor/ambiance, friendly service, tasty drinks. A welcome addition to the neighborhood!

So delicious, def something a matcha lover would enjoy. The service was great and staff is very kind - offer you suggestions! I also really liked the vibe and colors of the space, very modern

Loved this spot! Great food, tasty coffee, and super friendly service. Cozy vibe that makes you want to stay a while. Definitely coming back!

the ambiance is very nice in here, good study spot. the service is very nice and cool, the food was amazing. i got the black sesame matcha and it was eh, the matcha flavor was overpowered by the black sesame. the black sesame is very grainy. overall the matcha was very light and didn't seem present in the drank at all

Staff was very friendly as I walked in! The space is a decent size and has a good amount of tables and chairs. The set up and interior of the cafe is unique and very different from what I typically see in other Chicago cafes, which is nice to see. I also appreciated that there's an actual parking lot for HEYDAY, even though it is smaller, esp in an area like Wicker Park. I chose the black sesame latte to go, and it was the perfect level of sweetness. I think I would prefer the black sesame mixed with the espresso already since it was a bit difficult to mix the black sesame on the side of the cup. I will be coming back to try other things on the menu!

I went to this place for the first time and I loved the atmosphere. Food was delicious and matcha was tasty

Really aesthetic cafe in wicker park area! The menu option is abundant, came here for their matcha. Bonus they have free parking in the back!

Music is good, interior is unique, and the service is nice. I ordered the black sesame latte hot and it looked very cool with the layers. You can really taste the black sesame with the coffee.