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Brunch at Brunch Cafe

Inventive and indulgent dishes star at this family-friendly eatery

March 17, 2008

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Brunch Cafe

Address:: 935 Rt 22, Fox River Grove, IL, 60021

Phone:: 847-516-0409

Overall User Rating:: (9 ratings)

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Hours:: 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

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The scene: Considering the influx of locals at Brunch Cafe in Fox River Grove on a recent Sunday, it’s baffling that no one realized until now how much the northwest ’burbs needed a cute and contemporary brunch spot like this one. The decor is up-to-date and non-offensive, with sage green booths, amber pendant lights, polished floral arrangements and not a piece of country brick-a-brack in sight. We spotted sweatshirt and baseball cap-wearing young professionals, late 20s and 30s parents with babies in tow and plenty of Cary-Grove High School kids with their parents. With a second location set to debut later in 2008 on Lake Street in Roselle, we so want to declare Brunch Cafe as a potential challenger to a certain multiplying-like-bunnies mini-chain that we know and love (ahem, starts with “egg” and rhymes with “schmarbor”).

The cuisine: Expect the requisite colossal omelets, skillets and frittatas that you’ll find at other suburban breakfast spots, but the expansive menu also offers inventive eats we haven’t seen elsewhere, like the desserty Nutella-pecan crepes ($7.29) and tiramisu blintzes ($7.99). Savory eats include an avocado-topped breakfast quesadilla ($7.49) and a goat cheese eggs benedict served on Portobello caps ($8.99). And the Denver spuds—potato skins filled with eggs, cheddar, bacon and green pepper into two potato skins—sound unlike anything we’ve ever eaten for breakfast, ever ($7.29).

Loved it: Our pancake flight consisted of mini-orders of chocolate chip, white-chocolate chip, strawberry and blueberry flapjacks served on a super-cute quartered platter ($9.99). Utterly decadent -- and eerily similar to the mini-pancakes we devoured at Honey in Glen Ellyn when in opened months ago.

Hated it: This isn’t a spot for a stick-around-for-hours, linger-over-mimosas kind of brunch. One, there are no mimosas. Two, service is friendly but swift, so you’ll be outta there in no time.

Cost: $6-$10 for entrees; $2-$3 for coffee and juices

Wait: 15 minutes. Expect a half-dozen or more parties of various sizes waiting on a weekend morning, though the staff turns tables extremely quickly.

[ Lisa Arnett is the metromix suburbs and shopping producer. lmarnett@tribune.com ]

What other people are saying...

3 comments | Add Your Own

TReid from Cary - March 01, 2009 at 9:32 PM

Ask for the server who memorizes everything! Shes the friendliest, funniest, quickest, server we've ever had and she never writes anything down! My...

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munchman from Barrington - December 05, 2008 at 6:16 PM

Awesome place for breakfast, and as noted in the article they turn out the food fast. Good strong coffee, vanilla-y pancakes, some special every w...

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terri-fic from SE McHenry County - August 30, 2008 at 1:49 PM

Our family has changed from driving all the way to Barrington from Cary to this delicious place for breakfast and lunch... the food taste freshly m...

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