Stax Cafe

Solid breakfast spot! A large menu with a lot of options for breakfast - skillets, omelette, pancakes, eggs, etc. I had the lumberjack skillet which was delicious and had a generous portion of meat and potatoes. You ca. upgrade your side from toast to any of the flavor pancakes, I did chocolate chip. It absolutely hit the spot for breakfast cravings and I would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet or savory breakfast. Prices are typical for the area and service was quick!

Food was beautifully made. Portions were huge. All of the food pictured took less than 15mins to come out Service was slow for the amount of people in the establishment. Took over 20 mins to get seated, plus there was no greeting from our server. Atmosphere was calm and quiet due to the lack of patrons.

Today I came to Stax Cafe to try the Dubai Chocolate pancakes. Wow. I am absolutely speechless. If you have never had Dubai chocolate pancakes you are seriously missing out. I have never had something so absolutely delectable in my entire life. I don’t know how I will return to any other restaurant after this. Absolutely phenomenal will be RUNNING back for more. If you have not tried, what are you doing????? Put this place into your google maps ASAP and try these pancakes immediately you will NOT be disappointed.

The food was delicious, especially the savory part of our order. The presentation was lovely, and it was a substantial breakfast. The service was excellent, and we arrived just in time before it got too busy. Overall, it was a pleasant Sunday brunch after Valentine's Day.

Nice breakfast spot. We were lucky walking in without any wait. 5 minutes after we sat down there were 30 plus people waiting for a table. Service is great. Polite attentive and friendly. Food variety is great. Flavors, temperature, quick service, appropriate food size/quantity. Truly only negative is a surcharge for credit card that is easily missed. Granola oat waffles were awesome!

This place is a hundred times better than Beatrix the food is very good the service is very professional and friendly, happy people all around the food is very good and economical, plenty free parking on the street. Catherine is a great member of your staff. Thank you

Wow. Just wow. The Dubai chocolate pancakes had us shaking with excitement. We also ordered the caprese sandwich to split (also delicious), but the real star of the show remained these addictive pancakes. If you have not tried Dubai chocolate pancakes, you MUST come here! RUN don’t walk! 🍽️🥞

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!

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

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.

Service was friendly, coffee was good, my frittata was little bland but potatoes were delicious. Husband had the Spanish Harlem omelette which was delicious. Was a comfortable and cozy place for brunch after an early flight.

The cinnamon roll waffles were absolutely delightful, bursting with flavor and drizzled with a decadent glaze that made each bite incredibly satisfying. I would eagerly return just for these. I also tried a wrap, which was equally scrumptious, packed with fresh ingredients that complemented the flavors perfectly. Every dish I ordered was a treat!

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!

While we were visiting Chicago over Easter weekend, we sought out a fun spot for Easter brunch. Stax Cafe seemed to get some solid reviews, so we gave it a shot. The host was super energetic and kind, and the whole spot was decked out in Easter decorations. The waitstaff started out super attentive and kind, but then just sort of disappeared. Every time we saw her, she was nice, but she was just gone for super long stretches of time. Not the worst by any means, but we likely would have ordered more drinks if she was around. And, there was really nobody there, which might be a telling sign for Easter Sunday brunch. In terms of food, the menu looked sooooo promising! I don't know if they were having an off day or what, but the food had virtually ZERO flavor. How do you serve up a Monte Cristo Waffle (buttermilk waffle sandwich with grilled ham & swiss, with raspberry preserves & over easy egg) and have no flavor? The preserves came through but the rest was just bland. Since we don't live in Chicago, there won't be an opportunity for redemption.

One of our favorite go to brunch spots especially after a busy night shift. The sriracha egg sandwich is my favorite thing. I love that you can add mini pancakes to your orders. (The mini pancakes are HUGE). Coffee is great and so is the service. Totally worth a try!

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

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!

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!

There's so many great options to choose from at this establishment and I picked a good one. My Adult grilled cheese consists of swiss, pepper jack, bacon, avocado, & blueberry lemon jam. The side salad that came w it had chickpeas and a light dressing. Definitely grab one when you stop by.

Food so good, service ok.. we went close to their closing time. Great spot for tourists like I was.

Lovely atmosphere, terrific service, and a really awesome menu that left me ready to revisit soon! We tried a few different pancakes including the chocolate peanut butter - awesome - plus the omelettes were expertly made and the potatoes were fresh with perfect texture (not dry or overdone by any stretch). Great coffee, and my partner's eggs Benedict slapped. Will visit again for sure and you should too!

A pretty standard, quick, casual brunch spot in the River West area! I tried the honey ricotta French toast which was a unique item and something I enjoyed. There was a little too much mint for my liking but would def recommend if you're looking for a sweeter brunch item.

This place was a great breakfast spot and we got seated right away during a busy Sunday brunch time. Parking is fairly limited during the busy hours but luckily got a spot within walking distance. The server was awesome and super informative. We ordered raspberry Nutella French toast, lemon ricotta pancakes, and lumberjack skillet. All of the food ended up coming within 15 minutes - very impressive! We absolutely loved the raspberry Nutella French toast - highly recommend! The server handed us our bill and even gave us a handshake at the end, very nice touch of service!

Cute little spot in the corner. They have a lot of options for breakfast and lunch. The service is great and the food comes out fast. We got the chilaquiles and honey ricotta French toast. Both were delicious. They have regular coffee or lattes which is great because most breakfast spots only have basic coffee.

The food options are delicious. Coffee is good. Nice ambiance. Parking a little tricky just allow yourself time to find Parking. Service is kind. Nice neighborhood to go for a walk right after.

Fluffy waffles! Good variety on the menu. Kid friendly. It's gets very busy so be ready to get on the waitlist. The food came out fairly fast though for a party of 8 people. The Taylor street omelet tasted a bit odd and the portion seemed a tad small. They plated it so that roasted potatoes were surrounded the omelet so it looks big in the picture but it really wasn't. The side of sausages was a good - they give you 2 plump links. The side of fruit was good variety and good portion. Overall it was okay. I will admit I caught a cold from the place in the 1.5 hour I was there. I just felt myself getting sick from something there. Oddly my toddler and dad didn't get sick but just me.

In short: plentiful options, delicious food, friendly yet slow service. I've always enjoyed the food at Stax, something for every kind of brunch craving, from large portions of omelettes to delicious pancakes that are cooked just right. This time around, I tried to blend my savory with my sweet tooth, by getting a half stack of the "healthy" blueberry and yogurt oatmeal pancakes, and a side of the house potatoes. The pancakes were excellent, nice and fluffy with a textured exterior, with oats, honey, and greek yogurt the perfect topping. The potatoes, with a little help from some extra salt and pepper, were fresh and tasty, the peppers and onions a nice touch. I may have wanted my potatoes a bit crispier, but that's just preference. Both of these for $13 before tip? Where else are you going to get this fresh and well-executed a dish for that price, especially in the area. My server was super nice and friendly, and even offered the half portion of pancakes to kind of help me have it both ways. But, it was far from busy on a Friday morning, and from sitting down to getting my check, it was nearly 80 minutes. Now, I had nowhere to go on a relaxing day off, but that is a considerable amount of time for a solo brunch meal and payment. Overall, though, Stax remains in my rotation for delicious and varying brunch options.

I've been to the UIC location but first time to the one near Grand Ave. Let's just say my experience was phenomenal. This cafe is bright, modern and spacious. It offers booth, table and outdoor patio seating (facing west). Staff are quick and aplenty so you won't be sitting with much of a wait. They have considerably large menu that makes it difficult to choose a dish. But across omlettes, sandwiches, mains, etc you really can't go wrong. I loved their Spanish Omelette which came with toast and house potatoes. All very good and what impressed me is that the waiter brought out condiments without asking. They are attentive and friendly! Thanks for a great meal ツ Note: Cafe closes @ 3pm.

The food was great. I'll start there. The location is awesome too. Easy to get to. Inside, it's loud. I don't know how to review the service because the whole thing was a bit chaotic. We put our name in. They told us it would be a ten minute wait. They were spot on. We were seated quickly. Our server came to visit us, asked if we wanted coffee. We all said yes that would be great. He left, and brought back water for the table. He came back five minutes later with coffee and then asked if we were ready to order. We gave him our order, he turned around to the POS system, forgot our order, turned around got our order again, then put it in the system. We had a couple of coffee refills while waiting for our meals to come out. Then one meal came out. No one else's. Come to find out, it was for the table next to ours. It just so happened to be the same thing we ordered. The server from the other table came, took the plate, went to put it on the correct table, but then was told he couldn't do that and gave it back to us. Our server apologized for the mix up. A few minutes later, the rest of our meals showed up. The food was good. We will go back when we are in town

Such a good breakfast spot! The breakfast potatoes were so good, I'm always a fan of the peppers and onions. My husband loved his steak and eggs-the green sauce was delicious. The service was great-our server was quick and attentive. Really good for a casual breakfast in Chicago!

A very cute brunch spot on the outskirts of downtown Chicago. For some sides, you have the option to choose between pancakes, toast, and waffles. I would personally choose the mini waffles because not only are they cute, but they are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside (especially if you eat them fresh). I came here for lunch on Monday and it was practically empty - I'm not sure if it's worth the wait if there was a huge line out the door. ..... VEGGIE SKILLET: 4/5 a very standard and solid skillet. doesn't say on the menu itself, but it also comes with two eggs on top. honestly, I primarily ordered this because I wanted mini waffles... MINI WAFFLES: 4/5 could be fluffier on the inside, but overall delicious and you have your choice between three to four different waffle flavors - ask your server as they may change it daily or seasonally

Love this place. Service was excellent. Food came out hot and delicious. We went on a busy Saturday and still received great service. Pancakes are soooo good!

Came here on a weekend and the wait was about 15/20 minutes, not too bad. I was skeptical about coming because the food just looks a little simple and basic, nothing too crazy. I wasn't too impressed but I wasn't disappointed either!

My experience would have been great if it wasn't for the manager. I expressed to my waiter that I didnt care for my mimosa so he went and got the manager. Before I could say much of anything he began treating me as if I was irate and belligerent or causing a scene (which I wasn't AT ALL). Not once did I ASK for my mimosa flight to be comped but when a customer is dissatisfied you don't treat them as if they're a criminal for speaking up. Owner was brought out and he handled the situation much better (which was no longer about mimosas but his managers behavior). That ruined my our entire experience.

Very cozy, bustling breakfast and lunch stop with unique items that you won't find anywhere else. "Adult" coffees with artisan design are very popular as are twisted breakfast items, like egg tacos. I got an "adult" cheese sandwich which was unbelievable and my wife got a chopped house salad that she fell in love with. Both of us would order what we got again. They close at 3 so you have to get in before the bell but it's well worth it. Parking is super easy and there were a lot of kids when we were there, so it's family friendly as well.

Oh sweet morning deliciousness. I've had a taste of your dishes and now I will never get over you. We were spending the weekend downtown and was looking for a classic Chicago weekend breakfast. You know what I'm talking about. We were in the loop and found that Stax was right off of the blue line - ridiculously easy to get to. We had amazing French toast, peppered steak and peanut butter chocolate pancakes. For me, the chocolate was too much - but that is more my weirdness of too much chocolate rather than the dish. If you're a chocoholic, get it! The second morning DH got a spicy morning dish while I went for the veggie omelet. I surprised myself my eating the whole damn thing! So ridiculously good! It was a lovely fall day so we sat outside but there's plenty of indoor eating as well. A cool relaxed vibe where I would gladly meet up with friends for a great weekend brunch. We showed up around 9 and were seated right away. By 10 there was definitely a wait. Happy eating!

My second time here; I decided on something savory instead of sweet. The California club was AMAZING. The avocado was so fresh, the bacon extra crispy, and so flavorful. It came with fries on the side that were seasoned with something salty and slightly spicy. We came in about 2:30 and our service was fast. Price is accurate for the food you get. Space is also pretty and they played a 2000s playlist.

OMG!!! What an awesome find on Yelp! This is the place for breakfast in Chicago's River West. The Stax Cafe was a hit from the moment we walked in. With Nora Jones and Ed Sheeran serenading us we enjoyed an incredible lunch of Pepper Jack BLTS with seasoned fries. This place is a must visit when in Chicago! We also had the opportunity to meet the owner, Spiro and hear his inspiration for the restaurant firsthand. Dodi provided fast, superb service and you must try the Cinnamon Roll stack! The perfect balance of great food and environment!!

Stax was relatively dissapointing to me considering the good reviews and equal pricepoint to other restaurants. It is just not a good representation of the quality of food that you can get in Chicago. I had ordered a greasy breakfast wrap and black pepper bacon for takeout and the only thing that I really enjoyed were the included potatoes. The side of bacon that I paid for was absolutely terrible--far overseasoned and sold at an offensive pricepoint for what you get. This extended into the wrap somehow too. The bacon far overpowered the entire dish and I could not taste anything else, so I just put hot sauce on it and tried to get it down. After everything, I was still left hungry. I was not too happy with my coffee either, which was primarily why I had decided to order breakfast in the first place. Competitors will give you a larger cup for the same price and will prepare it how you ask. Maybe others will have a better experience than me, but I have had far better experiences elsewhere.

Everything was great. The Halloween decor was a cute addition. Staff was kind. Found street parking right in front

Enjoyed our food and the service was great too. Kid friendly place so my daughter had fun coloring.

Came here for a work event the other day. I ended up getting the adult grilled cheese, which comes with two different types of cheese, avocado, bacon, and blueberry jam. I was hesitant but my friend had convinced me to get this and I am glad I did! The blueberry jam was an interesting addition but it worked well with the sandwich. The avocado was creamy and fresh, and the bacon/cheese combo hit the spot. The fries were nicely seasoned and had a nice crunch. The food came out very quickly, which was surprising as we were a party of 8-9 people. It's a nice breakfast spot, rest of my friends enjoyed their meals as well! Would return.

This place has good seating and really cute wall decor! I got the caprese which came with a side of fries. Personally, the caprese was okay, I don't think there was much flavor and mostly just leafy, but overall it was okay. The fries were really good! My friend got the mini waffles and frittata. She thought the waffles were good and the potatoes in the frittata are good, but the egg is not great. Overall, she didn't really enjoy the frittata. It's a good place to checkout for brunch, but we suggest trying the sweeter menu like the French toast or pancakes as they seem like they might be better!

Came around 12 and was sat immediately - cute little outdoor space as well as indoor space ! Fairly average food - nothing blew me away (I got the Taylor street frittata). The mini waffles are super cute and delicious as well. Would definitely come back if I'm looking for a reasonable quick brunch spot !

In theory this place is great and I like their menu, but the veggie skillet I ordered had a thick layer of oil/grease at the bottom of it, which made the meal less enjoyable. If you choose to go here, opt for an omelette or pancakes. The menu boasts being on the Michelin guide from 2012-2017, which makes me laugh because that was a solid 7 years ago now.

I came here for brunch with a friend on a Sunday morning and the were busy, but we were seated within ten minutes. The menu has soo many things that sound amazing- it was hard to choose. I went with the meat skillet and butter pecan pancakes as my side. Yum!!! I had to stop myself from eating it all. I can't wait to come back to try more things on the menu.

SUPER busy in the mornings, looks like they're understaffed. The service is just okay, some of the hosts are a bit rude. The food is not bad, but every time my friends and I have come here something we order gets messed up. I've ordered the smoked salmon bagel benedict on multiple occasions, and I don't really like the potatoes it comes with-- onions are undercooked so I substitute it with fries (there is a sub fee even if the side you want is cheaper than the side the entree comes with) Overall I'd say this is a pretty solid place in terms of food. Huge menu, but small downfalls are the service and consistency.

We've been going to Stax for breakfast for years. The food and service are consistently good. During peak times the line moves quickly. Small detail, big difference: Unlike the Taylor Street location and most places where you're hovering around people's tables they have a long bench and separate area for people waiting. But the real reason we keep going back is Arturo. With so many spots in the area to choose from, being able to visit with a friendly face makes all the difference.

Lots of options, and everything's good. The ricotta French toast is a favorite, and the mini breakfast Sammie's

Great food! Great service! Love the vibe! Wish I could give more stars! Would love to have Stax Cafe in Jax, Fl.

My favorite thing about Stax is their small patio. Nothing beats breakfast outside on a beautiful day. On weekends, scoring a table outside isn't easy. But weekdays, there's often never a wait. The longest I've ever had to wait for an inside table is 10 minutes, and that was on a Sunday morning. They have a full breakfast and lunch menu, but I always get breakfast, usually an omelette or the chilaquiles. If you want a carb splurge, the monte cristo waffle is obscene. Last week when it was 93 and humid, my friend and I opted for inside. We each had the build your own omelette (choose three ingredients from lots of options), and they were perfect. I substituted the potatoes and bread for ripe and juicy tomatoes (still nine pounds of Covid weight left to lose). We had a great waitperson. She refilled our coffee three times without having to ask. Street parking... there are a few free spots but the easiest are the paid ones on Milwaukee. They seem to do a ton of pick-up and delivery orders here, which will be especially great this winter.

We stopped here for breakfast before a big day in the city! I was not disappointed with my choice of food. I had the cinnamon roll waffles. I'm not typically a waffle person but these sounded great! Most breakfast places had a long wait but they was able to get us in and out quickly. I had a side of bacon as well and it was nice and crispy. Parking was not hard to find at this location either which is a plus for Chicago!

Lools can be deceiving. This restaurant looks and feels great. I was disappointed however when I ate their beautiful-looking pancakes. If you can't make good pancakes, then you shouldn't call yourself Stax. They weren't awful, but the topmost layer of the pancakes peels off easily. I prefer it when my pancakes do not fall apart. If you want better pancakes, go down the street to Maple, which does not look or feel as pretty, but they're pancakes are delish! If you can travel farther, go to Original Pancake House (best pancakes in the worlld) or Golden Nugget.

Loved brunch here. I was visiting from out of town and needed last minute reservations and this place did not disappoint. Great service and food.

Ordered takeout for brunch. Was excited to try this place because the menu sounds awesome! Tried the Breakfast Wrap, Starving Student, Honey Ricotta French Toast, Mini Buttermilk Pancakes, Blueberry Pancakes, Lumberjack Skillet, and House Potatoes. Unfortunately most of the items were just ok. The lowlights: overcooked and hard-to-chew bacon, overcooked and oily scrambled eggs, bland honey ricotta french toast/breakfast sandwich/house potatoes, and not enough meat on the Lumberjack Skillet. The highlights: very fast delivery (I think we used DoorDash), and the delicious buttermilk pancakes! Would definitely order the buttermilk pancakes again, but unfortunately can't recommend anything else.

Perfect cafe! The inside is so cute, the patio is a great size and also adorable. We had a hard time deciding what to eat. Went to the River West location service was good, food tasted great I ordered the honey ricotta French toast and I wasn't entirely a fan. I didn't know ricotta had green pieces in it (not referring to the pistachios). The fresh squeezed orange juice is absolutely delicious. Order a tall because you know you're going to want more, I made that mistake.

Not my favorite spot for breakfast. Ordered it to-go (important to add as this definitely affects the quality, but I did eat pretty immediately after picking up as I live close by) The breakfast burrito is a LOT of cheese and not much else in the flavor department. Any breakfast burrito gets the job done for me but it left something to be desired. The lemon poppyseed pancakes with blueberry compote sounded so good in the description but were not as special as they seemed. Overall a really average to below average spot in my experience. If I ever end up trying again I will hope that I can leave a more glowing review, but I will stick with my normal breakfast spot moving forward (shout-out Breakfast House!)