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A plate with lobster and avocado toast.
Dig into a plate of lobster avocado toast brunch at Maple & Ash.
Maple & Ash

Where to Eat Brunch in Chicago Right Now

Enjoy a Bloody Mary or benedict at these 20 spots

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Dig into a plate of lobster avocado toast brunch at Maple & Ash.
| Maple & Ash

Brunch — not quite breakfast, not yet lunch — is one of the best parts of the weekend. The Eater Chicago Brunch Heatmap is here to help by highlighting the newest options for a delicious midday meal. The latest additions to the list include the new Lakeview location of Evette’s All Day, a brunch spin on the tasting menu at Maple & Ash, and French-Moroccan fare at LeTour. These restaurants join a growing number of kitchens offering exciting brunch menus. So start the day off right with eggs (and much more) at these 20 destinations.

For a list of classic city favorites, check out the Iconic Brunch Map.

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The new restaurant from Amy Morton and Debbie Gold serves French-Moroccan dishes including spicy shakshuka with goat cheese, braised chicken tagine and duck liver mousse with medjool date jam. Order a bottle of bubbly for DIY mimosas made with hibiscus syrup or orange or grapefruit juice, or spice things up with the Marakesh Marie blended with harissa and served with a charcoal-grilled olive.

An upscale bar and dining room inside a round building. Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

Irene's

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The former team behind The Press Room brings a new spin on an old-school diner, serving breakfast and lunch fare daily at the counter or in large booths. Dig into a breakfast burrito stuffed with chorizo and scrambled eggs or a plate of carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese frosting while sipping a draft cold brew or drip coffee from Passion House. A kids’ menu is also available.

CheSa’s Bistro & Bar

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CheSa’s Bistro & Bar, the first full-service restaurant from CheSa’s Gourmet Food Trucks & Catering chef and owner Chesaree Rollins, offers a fully gluten-free menu of Cajun and Creole fare. Weekend brunch highlights include fried chicken served over cinnamon beignet waffles and creamy grits topped with short rib. A DJ provides music on Sundays. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Little Goat Diner

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Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner moved from the West Loop to Lakeview on April 18, offering a cozy spot for all-day breakfast with options including shrimp & grits with braised pistachios, avocado toast with brown butter kimchi, and corned beef hash with eggs. The sweet side of the menu features milkshakes, fresh baked cinnamon rolls, and pie. Diners in a hurry can visit the “Grab & Goat” section for Big Shoulders coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries.

Evette's All Day

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The third outpost of Evette’s, which also has locations in Lincoln Park and Fulton Market, expands on its core Lebanese-Mexican menu with dishes inspired by chef/owner Jamra Mitchell’s time spent in Arizona and New Mexico as a child. Start the day with egg scramble in a paratha-style flakey wrap with fried onions and mozzarella, or with a plate of chorizo and halloumi tacos.

Stay Cafe

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The new Logan Square all-day eatery provides a destination to get some work done while having a meal and a drink any day of the week. Brunch fare ranges from light to decadent, with options like a goddess omelet filled with feta and spinach or red velvet buttermilk pancakes topped with cream cheese icing. Wake up with a Vietnamese iced coffee or chill out with a bloody mary made with CH peppercorn vodka and garnished with a strip of candied bacon.

Pompette

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The all-day cafe and wine bar from veterans of Wood and Salero offers coffee and grab-and-go cinnamon rolls and apple coffee cake along with dine-in brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Options include buttermilk pancakes with blueberry jam, farro salad with candied walnuts, and a smoked salmon plate. Book a table through Resy.

Maple & Ash

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Splurge with a $90 brunch featuring a choice of entree such as lobster avocado toast or steak and eggs accompanied by sides of maple-glazed bacon, filet mignon, and crispy breakfast potatoes. Make it a party with a tower of espresso martinis or bubbly. Maple & Ash also offers a brunch version of its tasting menu for $175 that includes caviar, a seafood tower, and a bottle of champagne.

Brass Tack

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The new brasserie within the Waldorf Astoria Chicago offers bottomless still and sparkling rosé during weekend brunch. Try the sommelier’s selections paired with ultra crispy chicken confit or a plate of cinnamon sugar French toast served with horchata cream. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Brunch spread featuring sparkling rose, coffee, pancakes and french toast John Scholl

Barcocina West Town

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Lakeview Mexican spot Barcocina opened a second, larger location in West Town in October, welcoming even more groups for bottomless brunch. A $60 package includes two hours of house margaritas, mimosas, and Mexican beer plus chips and salsa, access to a buffet of bacon, scrambled eggs and carved meat, and a brunch entree or plate of tacos. Options include s’mores French toast topped with graham crackers and torched marshmallows, and breakfast tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and jalapeño syrup. A la carte dishes are also available. Make a reservation on OpenTable.

LIVA at Chicago Winery

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Gather a group and take over one of the new River North spot’s large booths or grab one of the small tables near the fireplace and share bottomless mimosas along with a benedict made with pork belly and giardiniera hollandaise or brioche French toast with Grand Marnier syrup. Try the working winery’s excellent Blanc De Blancs with the bubbles and board brunch special, which offers two glasses and a chef’s selection of cheese, charcuterie, and accompaniments for $40.

The acclaimed restaurant from the owners of Le Bouchon brings its novel spins on French fare to brunch, serving a foie gras Monte Cristo with duck bacon, a duck breakfast patty and duck egg along with a burger topped with raclette cheese and caramelized onions. Pastry chef Antonio Incandela shows off with a patisserie section featuring a variety of croissants, pound cake and a foie gras danish. The brunch is available on the weekend and Mondays, when the restaurant also offers half-price champagne.

avec River North

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The restaurant’s large dining room makes it an ideal place to bring a group to share Mediterranean fare such as spiced shakshuka with Tunisian couscous or hummus with soft egg and hearth-baked pita. Split a cinnamon toast punch bowl made with rum, spiced pear liqueur and horchata or order a bloody mary garnished with one of avec’s signature chorizo-stuffed dates.

Big Star Mariscos

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The West Town spot’s focus on tacos and seafood extends to its brunch menu, where options include ceviche, shrimp and grits, and carnitas tacos with scrambled eggs and handmade flour tortillas. Order a prickly pear mimosa or bloody maria and chill out to classic albums and music from local bands played on vinyl records and cassette tapes. Make a reservation through Tock.

Yardbird

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Start the day at the new comfort food spot with hand-pressed juices, chicken and waffles served with chilled spiced watermelon, and blueberry pancakes topped with lemon curd and brown sugar oat crumble. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Planta Queen

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The Miami import brings a vegan brunch option to River North, serving Asian-inspired fare such as ube mochi waffles with caramelized bananas, cinnamon buns with chai icing, and kimchi “egg” fried rice. Make it a party by adding bottomless mimosas and sake sangria.

Syrup poured over purple ube waffle
Ube waffle from Planta Queen

Dine on Latin-inspired fare while surrounded by plants and floral prints. The cocktails are just as vibrant, with options including the Tijuana Unicorn Show made with mezcal, prickly pear and edible glitter or the Spice of Life, a blend of tequila, cucumber, elderflower liqueur and jalapeño that has plenty of heat. Start with an order of fluffy corn fritters or crispy flautas stuffed with lobster and smoked gouda before digging into pork belly breakfast tacos made with hand-pressed tortillas. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Duck Duck Goat

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Stephanie Izard’s Chinese-inspired restaurant offers dim sum brunch on the weekends. Nibble duck spring rolls, duck or vegetable fried rice omelette, soy-cured lox, and bacon and egg moo shu along with favorites from the dinner menu such as xiao long bao stuffed with duck and goat. Make a reservation or try to nab a walk-in spot.

The Loyalist

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The casual restaurant below two-Michelin-starred spot Smyth launched Sunday brunch for the first time in January. It’s a truly indulgent affair offering seared foie gras with lentil salad and an omelet made with camembert and caviar. New cocktails include A Model’s Dejeuner made with rum, coffee liqueur, and grapefruit, and a bloody mary featuring pickle-brined vodka. Make a reservation on Tock.

Nisos Mediterranean

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Chef Avgeria Stapaki brings the flavors of her native Greece to the West Loop’s Restaurant Row at Nisos, which launched brunch at the end of November. The two-story space is meant to transport diners to the Mediterranean with colorful dishes such as French toast made using tsoureki (also known as Greek Easter bread), and hashbrown potatoes with feta, chive oil, and fried eggs. Book a spot through OpenTable. The restaurant is from the owners of Hampton Social.

Nisos French toast features toasted tsoureki, white chocolate and mascarpone monte, strawberry soup, and mint Parker Hospitality

LeTour

The new restaurant from Amy Morton and Debbie Gold serves French-Moroccan dishes including spicy shakshuka with goat cheese, braised chicken tagine and duck liver mousse with medjool date jam. Order a bottle of bubbly for DIY mimosas made with hibiscus syrup or orange or grapefruit juice, or spice things up with the Marakesh Marie blended with harissa and served with a charcoal-grilled olive.

An upscale bar and dining room inside a round building. Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

Irene's

The former team behind The Press Room brings a new spin on an old-school diner, serving breakfast and lunch fare daily at the counter or in large booths. Dig into a breakfast burrito stuffed with chorizo and scrambled eggs or a plate of carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese frosting while sipping a draft cold brew or drip coffee from Passion House. A kids’ menu is also available.

CheSa’s Bistro & Bar

CheSa’s Bistro & Bar, the first full-service restaurant from CheSa’s Gourmet Food Trucks & Catering chef and owner Chesaree Rollins, offers a fully gluten-free menu of Cajun and Creole fare. Weekend brunch highlights include fried chicken served over cinnamon beignet waffles and creamy grits topped with short rib. A DJ provides music on Sundays. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Little Goat Diner

Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner moved from the West Loop to Lakeview on April 18, offering a cozy spot for all-day breakfast with options including shrimp & grits with braised pistachios, avocado toast with brown butter kimchi, and corned beef hash with eggs. The sweet side of the menu features milkshakes, fresh baked cinnamon rolls, and pie. Diners in a hurry can visit the “Grab & Goat” section for Big Shoulders coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries.

Evette's All Day

The third outpost of Evette’s, which also has locations in Lincoln Park and Fulton Market, expands on its core Lebanese-Mexican menu with dishes inspired by chef/owner Jamra Mitchell’s time spent in Arizona and New Mexico as a child. Start the day with egg scramble in a paratha-style flakey wrap with fried onions and mozzarella, or with a plate of chorizo and halloumi tacos.

Stay Cafe

The new Logan Square all-day eatery provides a destination to get some work done while having a meal and a drink any day of the week. Brunch fare ranges from light to decadent, with options like a goddess omelet filled with feta and spinach or red velvet buttermilk pancakes topped with cream cheese icing. Wake up with a Vietnamese iced coffee or chill out with a bloody mary made with CH peppercorn vodka and garnished with a strip of candied bacon.

Pompette

The all-day cafe and wine bar from veterans of Wood and Salero offers coffee and grab-and-go cinnamon rolls and apple coffee cake along with dine-in brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Options include buttermilk pancakes with blueberry jam, farro salad with candied walnuts, and a smoked salmon plate. Book a table through Resy.

Maple & Ash

Splurge with a $90 brunch featuring a choice of entree such as lobster avocado toast or steak and eggs accompanied by sides of maple-glazed bacon, filet mignon, and crispy breakfast potatoes. Make it a party with a tower of espresso martinis or bubbly. Maple & Ash also offers a brunch version of its tasting menu for $175 that includes caviar, a seafood tower, and a bottle of champagne.

Brass Tack

The new brasserie within the Waldorf Astoria Chicago offers bottomless still and sparkling rosé during weekend brunch. Try the sommelier’s selections paired with ultra crispy chicken confit or a plate of cinnamon sugar French toast served with horchata cream. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Brunch spread featuring sparkling rose, coffee, pancakes and french toast John Scholl

Barcocina West Town

Lakeview Mexican spot Barcocina opened a second, larger location in West Town in October, welcoming even more groups for bottomless brunch. A $60 package includes two hours of house margaritas, mimosas, and Mexican beer plus chips and salsa, access to a buffet of bacon, scrambled eggs and carved meat, and a brunch entree or plate of tacos. Options include s’mores French toast topped with graham crackers and torched marshmallows, and breakfast tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and jalapeño syrup. A la carte dishes are also available. Make a reservation on OpenTable.

LIVA at Chicago Winery

Gather a group and take over one of the new River North spot’s large booths or grab one of the small tables near the fireplace and share bottomless mimosas along with a benedict made with pork belly and giardiniera hollandaise or brioche French toast with Grand Marnier syrup. Try the working winery’s excellent Blanc De Blancs with the bubbles and board brunch special, which offers two glasses and a chef’s selection of cheese, charcuterie, and accompaniments for $40.

Obelix

The acclaimed restaurant from the owners of Le Bouchon brings its novel spins on French fare to brunch, serving a foie gras Monte Cristo with duck bacon, a duck breakfast patty and duck egg along with a burger topped with raclette cheese and caramelized onions. Pastry chef Antonio Incandela shows off with a patisserie section featuring a variety of croissants, pound cake and a foie gras danish. The brunch is available on the weekend and Mondays, when the restaurant also offers half-price champagne.

avec River North

The restaurant’s large dining room makes it an ideal place to bring a group to share Mediterranean fare such as spiced shakshuka with Tunisian couscous or hummus with soft egg and hearth-baked pita. Split a cinnamon toast punch bowl made with rum, spiced pear liqueur and horchata or order a bloody mary garnished with one of avec’s signature chorizo-stuffed dates.

Big Star Mariscos

The West Town spot’s focus on tacos and seafood extends to its brunch menu, where options include ceviche, shrimp and grits, and carnitas tacos with scrambled eggs and handmade flour tortillas. Order a prickly pear mimosa or bloody maria and chill out to classic albums and music from local bands played on vinyl records and cassette tapes. Make a reservation through Tock.

Yardbird

Start the day at the new comfort food spot with hand-pressed juices, chicken and waffles served with chilled spiced watermelon, and blueberry pancakes topped with lemon curd and brown sugar oat crumble. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Related Maps

Planta Queen

The Miami import brings a vegan brunch option to River North, serving Asian-inspired fare such as ube mochi waffles with caramelized bananas, cinnamon buns with chai icing, and kimchi “egg” fried rice. Make it a party by adding bottomless mimosas and sake sangria.

Syrup poured over purple ube waffle
Ube waffle from Planta Queen

Tabu

Dine on Latin-inspired fare while surrounded by plants and floral prints. The cocktails are just as vibrant, with options including the Tijuana Unicorn Show made with mezcal, prickly pear and edible glitter or the Spice of Life, a blend of tequila, cucumber, elderflower liqueur and jalapeño that has plenty of heat. Start with an order of fluffy corn fritters or crispy flautas stuffed with lobster and smoked gouda before digging into pork belly breakfast tacos made with hand-pressed tortillas. Make a reservation through OpenTable.

Duck Duck Goat

Stephanie Izard’s Chinese-inspired restaurant offers dim sum brunch on the weekends. Nibble duck spring rolls, duck or vegetable fried rice omelette, soy-cured lox, and bacon and egg moo shu along with favorites from the dinner menu such as xiao long bao stuffed with duck and goat. Make a reservation or try to nab a walk-in spot.

The Loyalist

The casual restaurant below two-Michelin-starred spot Smyth launched Sunday brunch for the first time in January. It’s a truly indulgent affair offering seared foie gras with lentil salad and an omelet made with camembert and caviar. New cocktails include A Model’s Dejeuner made with rum, coffee liqueur, and grapefruit, and a bloody mary featuring pickle-brined vodka. Make a reservation on Tock.

Nisos Mediterranean

Chef Avgeria Stapaki brings the flavors of her native Greece to the West Loop’s Restaurant Row at Nisos, which launched brunch at the end of November. The two-story space is meant to transport diners to the Mediterranean with colorful dishes such as French toast made using tsoureki (also known as Greek Easter bread), and hashbrown potatoes with feta, chive oil, and fried eggs. Book a spot through OpenTable. The restaurant is from the owners of Hampton Social.

Nisos French toast features toasted tsoureki, white chocolate and mascarpone monte, strawberry soup, and mint Parker Hospitality

Related Maps