2 Sparrows

I wanted to like this place but I really don’t. I have come here three times now and I haven’t yet been wowed. The food all sounds good but not strong on taste or great preparing. I would skip the hype and look for places which have both chic looks and great tastes. The juices are typically good, get those if you come here and stuff that doesn’t sound like it can be messed up. Like eggs.

2 Sparrows’ strength lies in its pop-​tarts. With flaky and slightly savory crust and seasonal filling ranging from mushroom and goat cheese to blackberry and orange to peach, these tarts are a far cry from Kellogg’s.
The rest of the brunch menu is good — but not great — so if you get just one thing, make it a homemade pop-​tart.

My roommate and I decided to try 2 Sparrows for Sunday brunch a couple of weeks ago. Have got to say I am still basking in the afterglow.
We only had to wait a short while before we were seated, but the service was a little disappointing. I asked our server about some of the dishes, and my initial indecision seemed to cause her some anxiety. So the absence of a fifth star in my rating was mainly due to her lack of assertion. My roommate and I ordered the strawberry rhubarb french toast and the chilaquiles respectively, in addition to the orange marmalade pop tart and a cinnamon roll to share. First of all, the cinnamon roll was absolutely sensational– sweet and laced in tang from the goat cheese icing. The pop tart was also very good, though I wasn’t as partial to the slightly bitter and pervasive citrus flavor as I thought I would be. While we waited for our main entrees, both the manager and the owner (who was equipped with a dustpan and broom I might add) greeted us. I was immediately impressed by their demeanors, and when they informed me that all of their ingredients were from local farms, it certainly appealed to my love of the bougie and bucolic.
But now the ENTREES. My roommate’s french toast was gorgeous and ample– strawberry rhubarb jam over brioche capped by a dainty dollop of chantilly cream and almond slices. I had the most massive chilaquiles (a pair of eggs, tortilla chips in a tomatillo salsa with melted cheese, aioli and black beans. As someone who has been told to «eat like a Polish truck driver», I was surprised at my only being able to consume half of this gorgeous monstrosity. At $ 10, it was a steal.

The food was great. Chiliqulles and Eggs Florentine and French Toast for the group. Great flavors and textures. Decent price. Very good coffee (metropolis brand)
The service leaves much to be desired. A waiter spilled water and other liquids on me. The most irritating thing was we got here at 10 am and they already sold out of Chile Rellenos. Seriously? Our waiter was a bit crude.

This place was barely just fine. Was left disappointed and unsatisifed.
Stumbled upon this place while already in the area and stopped in for breakfast. My sister and I were seated promptly. The ambiance was pretty inviting with an open and modern space. We waited quite awhile for our server to come. Luckily, a busboy had already filled our waters. I even noticed that a table seated after us was taken care of before we were. I actually saw another waitress glance over at us while we were just sitting there with our menus closed and told our waitress that we needed to be taken care of. She finally comes over and takes our order. While friendly, she didn’t really check up on us. Our food also took a tad long to come out. Also, I felt a drop of water come down on my shoulder and noticed that water was dripping from the vent above me. I didn’t asked to be moved as it wasn’t constant, but that is something they should already be monitoring. Also, it was awkward to see a waitress in training, as she shadowed another waitress around like a puppy dog.
I had the brisket hash while my sister had the veggie quiche. To my disappointment and surprise, my hash was one of the most bland things I have ever had… and I usually think a pinch of salt is too much. I don’t understand how the braised brisket had zero flavor. I even cracked a bunch of fresh pepper on there, and it was still lacking in flavor. The only flavor it did have was the pickled veggies and it contrasted the dish in a bad way. Also, they left in some fatty bits, so it was hard to chew as it was unappetizing. They also did not know how to cook the egg, as the whole thing was nearly well done and the yolk was not oozing at all.
My sister’s quiche, along with another’s that I saw was burnt, like overly burnt on its crust. She also did not find the inside to be all that good or flavorful. Mediocre at best. The only good thing was her tangerine ginger tea, in which it came out in the whole pot and not just a cup, which was nice.
Took another while for our waitress to come by to get our check, as I noticed was the same for the table next to ours, as they seemed annoyed as well.
Slightly less than ‘fine’ food and service. Definitely not coming back.

2 Sparrows is a fantastic, understated place for brunch. I’ll tell you why: great food and very cheap beers. I think the cheap cans ($ 4) of good beer (my personal favorite is the pint size cans of vandermill’s cider) is worth coming on it’s own. But add to that good coffee, good bloody Mary’s, good creative brunch foods, and short lines, what could be better on a Saturday or Sunday morning!

I’m shocked 2 Sparrows is only two stars, yet then again I’m not sure I’d call it a 5 star place, either.
We only experienced a short wait at prime time on a Saturday. We started with the cinnamon roll with goat cheese icing which I would consider the best cinnamon roll I have ever had. Outrageously delicious.
Also delicious: the drinks. These aren’t your run of the mill mimosas and bloodies … we’re talking legit brunch drinks here. If one were to be planning a day of drinking I would start here.
Why knock off one star? My entrée (pork belly sandwich) was ho-​hum at best. Nothing special at all. Pretty clear this is why they are only three stars I guess … if I only ordered this it would be 3 stars or maybe even two.
My plan for my next visit: drinks and cinnamon rolls. The breakfast of champions.
²¹⁰⁄₃₆₅

For some reason I’ve always been drawn to Two Sparrows with their homemade pop tarts, but the mixed reviews have kept me away.
I don’t think it will be added to my regular brunch rotation but everything was good. The menu seems to change monthly which I am all for, but it makes reviewing a little more irrelevant.
I split the Orange marmalade pop tart ($ 4) with my table of 4 and was a bit disappointed.
I had the Salmon BLT 2.0 at ($ 14) — grilled scottish salmon, bacon, pickled red onion, tomato, remoulade sauce and greens on a pretzel roll. It was quite good.
A friend got the Chilaquiles ($ 10) — tortilla chips, fire roasted tomatillo salsa, 2 sunny side farm fresh eggs, queso-​cheddar blend, black beans. Though I haven’t had the whole menu I think this is by far the best value, it is literally the largest bowl I have ever seen and seemed to sooth the hungover tummy of my companion.
Definitely one the nicest brunch locations around the Diversey Harbor area, hopefully Yolk doesn’t take away too much business for them.

I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately 2 Sparrows came up a bit short. We came here on a Saturday around 11 for brunch after seeing the long wait at a nearby breakfast staple. 2 Sparrows had no wait for our party of two. The menu has so many unique dishes that it was hard to pick what to order. Unfortunately everything at our table ended up pretty mediocre in flavor.
To start, we ordered the special cinnamon roll with goat cheese icing. The roll was dry, mealy, and had almost no cinnamon to speak of. Grands from a can have way more to offer :(
I ordered the daily quiche, which was tomato and caramelized onions on our visit. The portion was generous, but quiche was way overdone with burnt crust and brown top, while the filling was a little too wet for my preference. Speaking of fillings, there was very little veggie content to speak of.
Fiancé ordered the traditional breakfast plate (bacon, eggs, and toast). His dish was pretty basic, but still underwhelming compared to what is offered at other brunch places. We could have easily whipped up the same thing with more flavor at home.
Service was decent, though again not great. Our server was knowledgable and friendly, and did check in with us a couple of times. My coffee cup was only refilled once though, a definite strike for me. Prices were a little high, especially considering the mediocrity of their product. All in all, 2 Sparrows was a disappointment. I wanted to like it, but will not be back for a second chance.

I went to 2 Sparrows yesterday for Mother’s Day with my mom and aunt. We got seated as soon as our whole party arrived (note– they will NOT seat you before the entire party is in the restaurant, even if someone is parking).
We shared the maple bacon doughnut and the side of fruit to start. The maple bacon doughnut was better than bacon doughnuts I have and elsewhere, I think because it was fresh and still warm and the bacon was in crumbles, and not in a long stale piece like I have had at other places. My mom loved this, and stated multiple times it was the best maple bacon doughnut she has ever had. The fruit on the other hand was very sad. a few apple slices that were browning (and flavorless), blueberries, and grapes. My boyfriend actually noted that it was worse than fruit you buy at the airport…
I got the Old School breakfast — eggs were good, bacon was crispy and warm, english muffin was so-​so (a little soggy by the time it got to me). My mom ordered the Benedict, and although she didn’t have any rave reviews about it, she must have liked it because it was gone before I could get a bite. The star of the meal was my aunt’s dish, the Shrimp and Grits. This grits were so creamy, the shrimp perfectly cooked, and the collard greens with the sauce brought the dish together in a perfect meld. The sauce had a little spice which paired well with the creaminess of the grits. I would highly recommend this, and will definitely order this if I go back to 2 Sparrows.
Overall, some hits, some misses. The restaurant does have an interesting cocktail menu though, so I may go back to try that out.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for awhile. I finally had the opportunity. They don’t take reservations which is understandable but there was 6 of us, so I knew it was going to be a wait. The wait wasn’t too bad considering, but that’s because we had to crowd around a small table. The waitress was by far the worst part of this whole experience. She came by, got our drink orders, 3 waters, 2 coffees and 1 tea. She forgot the tea. Not a big deal. Everyone makes mistakes. Finally comes back with the tea. At that point my friend wanted a beer and asks what lager she recommends, she says they’re all good, and then he asks, ok, which ones are the lagers, and she comes back with a «I don’t know». She gets our food orders, walks away and never comes back. Seriously. We never got a refill on our waters, coffees or teas.
A runner comes out with our food and my eggs are very over done. I wait for awhile for the waitress to come back and check on things, but she never comes. Finally, I flag down a bus boy and ask him for new eggs. He comes back less than five minutes later with another batch of over cooked eggs. At that point, I was too hungry to wait so I ate my steak and eggs without the eggs, so just steak. The steak was cooked nicely but the fries were soggy. My friends who ordered the chilaquiles were both disappointed. They said they were missing salsa, which is kind of an important ingredient. My other friend ordered the pork belly and was not impressed. Someone did order a special, which was a biscuit sandwich and she really liked it and I got the bacon donut on the side which was great.
Once we were finished and our plates were cleared, our waitress miraculously appears and makes sure we pay the check. Never asked how the food was or if we needed anything else. We paid (no tip of course) and got out as fast as possible. It was awful. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Came by Saturday for breakfast, about 9am and were one of only 4 tables of people. Needless to say we got quick service and our food was delivered quickly too.
Started with the orange/​coconut poptart this time (I liked the goat cheese cinnamon roll better) and then ordered the Market Quiche which this time around was onion, tomato and I can’t remember what else. So good though, and always very fluffy and fresh tasting. My husband ordered the Salmon BLT on a pretzel roll which while it looked small, the salmon was a good sized piece and very well cooked.
Servers are always so nice here, will need to come and try lunch next time.

2 sparrows is the definition of a 3.5 star restaurant. It’s certainly better than A-​Ok but definitely not good enough to be 4 star worthy. However, I believe with some minor adjustments it can get there. First off the time my party of five waited for our food was somewhere between 20 – 25 minutes which I found very long for a brunch place. For my dish, I ordered the pork belly hash containing crispy potatoes, fried pork belly chunks, and an egg on top to be a pretty tasty dish though it was small and overly salted. I tried a homemade tater tot which my friend shared with me and it was shredded fried potatoey bliss– definitely better than that store bought stuff you sometimes get served at restaurants.
Solid brunch in the LP area.

Came here after discovering a 1.5−2 hour wait at Batter n Berries down the street. I had the biscuits and gravy, which were perfectly salty and creamy… they did leave me feeling like I might go into cardiac arrest after I finished though. Totally delish.
The food is thoughtfully assembled and plated with care, and overall is a solid place for brunch!

Great brunch options. Very reasonably priced. Quality ingredients that shine through.
I’ve had a good smattering of dishes, and they’re all consistently delicious. Try the tater tots. They’re oversized and tasty. I also like the chilaquiles.
It’s just great to have a nice brunch spot on Diversey without a big screen tv playing sports. Thank you 2 Sparrows.

So we really wanted to like this place. .but the food just left me hangin man.
Pros:
1. Good service
2. No wait (even on a Sunday morning)
3. Clean and pretty décor
4. Classy food presentation
5. Free street parking on Sundays! (no charge at the meters)
Cons:
1. Lacked flavor
2. Ordered the steak and egg’s and the steak came out well done and tough (supposed to be med-​rare). The root veggies side was bitter and fibrous. (Again lacking in flavor…)
3. Metropolis coffee — eh. Bitter and just… bitter.
I am determined to be proven wrong because I really want to like this place! I’ll probably come back for lunch sometime…

One thing I look forward to on my Saturday mornings is BRUNCH. Saturday mornings are devoted to waking up semi-​early for brunch to start your weekend right. 2 Sparrows did the opposite. The restaurant seems to have the right ingredients to make it an awesome brunch spot –great Lakeview location, beautiful repurposed wood interior, and solid brunch concept, but in my opinion they fell short on their food execution.
My brunch buddy and I shared the Maple & Bacon Doughnut and the goat cheese Cinnamon roll. We enjoyed the balance of sweet and salty in the doughnut. Also the doughnut had an interesting flaky texture. Actually we only enjoyed the doughnut out of everything we ordered.
My brunch buddy ordered the daily quiche that came with a fresh garden salad, and I had the biscuits and gravy. We sampled each other’s plates and both agreed that the food was a bit lackluster all around. I did not understand why they plated the biscuit and gravy in a bowl with the green salad because the greens were mixing in with the gravy and it looked totally wrong. I ordered my dish with a poached egg because the server recommended it and was disappointed to find the egg overcooked into a hard boil. C’mon you’re a brunch spot.
Also the whole time my brunch buddy and I felt like our server was rushing us out even before we were looking at the menu.
Overall I did not enjoy my experience at 2 Sparrows besides my dining conversation and will not chirp about it to friends in the near future. Sorry. :/

A co-​worker of mine was telling me this was the best brunch he has experienced in Chicago so I was thrilled to finally get my lazy ass up on a Saturday to see if this place was any good. Got there around 11am and was welcomed to a 30 minute wait. The good thing about it is they give you water or coffee in the doorway while you wait.
Once seated, we took a look at the menu and there were some good looking dishes to b consumed. I decided on the belly sandwich which was a biscuit with blackened pork belly, egg sunny side up and spicy aioli and it came with roasted potatoes. the potatoes were great but the sandwich itself was just ok as I have had similar that packed more flavor. Bloody mary here is pretty good
The place itself has a nice décor and is pretty cramped, but they make it work. I would give this place another try, but would get their earlier so I don’t have to wait 30 mins for just ok food

Very cute place in a location that is totally lacking in the brunch department. The wait was about 20 minutes for two on a Saturday at 12:30. Our waitress was attentive and didn’t mind that we brought in our Starbucks that we picked up during our wait. My boyfriend started with orange juice that was out-​of-​this-​world, fantastic. We ordered their mushroom/​goat cheese poptart that was a little disappointing. The exterior the pastry was awesome, but the inside was weirdly dry. Not really worth the $ 4 for its size and taste.
We ended up splitting the shrimp and grits and the steak and eggs. Shrimp and grits were fantastic. My only issue is that the dish was expensive and only included four underwhelming-​sized shrimp. I think a couple more would have seriously added. The steak and eggs was definitely nontraditional. It came on top of bleu cheese grits that were good, but had a very overwhelming flavor. The red wine aioli was so tasty and added to the beef. I also truly enjoyed the greens on the side that had a light and refreshing dressing.
Overall, I liked 2 Sparrows, but will probably not return anytime soon. I’m always a little concerned when deciding on what I’m going to order is too easy… there wasn’t a ton I just «had» to try on their menu. However, great space, good service, and convenient location.

The menu falls somewhere between hipster foodie and, «Hello! You’re the best breakfast ever!»
The menu may be slightly different than what is posted online — it’s somewhat fresh. Less like a hirsute guy from the 70s with his shirt unbuttoned down to his waist to show off a tacky medallion type of fresh; more like seasonal local farmer’s market items and chef disposition fresh. Or for those of us diners who like to be surprised, serendipitously fresh
For example, on the morning I was there, Buttermilk Pancakes were actually Lemon Poppyseed pancakes. Magical-​sounding, yes?
The anti-​cupcake/​pro-​doughnut factions out there will be happy to know that they make their own doughnuts. For the so trendy, you’re last month’s news, they have a maple and bacon doughnut — with bacon crumbled on the outside like chocolate sprinkles. If doughnuts, cupcakes, and bacon make you despondent, they also make their own pop-​tarts. These too come in trendy flavors, but doesn’t Blueberry Ginger or Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese sound appealing regardless of the hipster-​ness?
I opted for the Eggs Benedict. I 86ed the House Made Pancetta (fancy bacon) and subbed the House Cured Salmon (lox). The Hollandaise comes on the side; you mix it yourself. Well, it’s hollandaise and spinach sauce in one and some sort of very mild southwestern sauce in the other. If you’re from the Southwest, you’ll roll your eyes. It also comes with a salad. If you’re not keen on dressing glazing each individual baby spinach leave, ask for it on the side.
My Lox Eggs Benedict was lovely. It was almost like getting a bagel and lox with poached eggs on top. I also loved that my breakfast came with greens. I ordered a tea, which was near perfect. Jasmine Green, and it came in an iron teapot. For a square meal, it was very hip. (I know, wittier than most.)