Homegrown Cafe

This is a great brunch spot. I went here with a friend and the service was quick and friendly, the coffee was good, the tea selection fantastic. The vibe was very laidback and relaxing. Definitely a good place to take your time and enjoy a chat. When we were there, we definitely got some of the regular weekend crowd. Tables of people who knew each other and went there often.
Our food was also delicious. I love the style of décor as well. Definitely a great place for a catch up session with the girls.

This place is really chill, a nice brunch with good coffee, good music for a Sunday morning where I am extremely hungover. A nice play with a chill attitude.

The chicken & waffles were great. The biscuits & gravy left something to be desired. The pale ale michelada was delicious & my daughter loved the sugar cubes

In a nutshell: service was pretty disappointing and there were rogue olives in my breakfast burrito.
My boyfriend and I stopped here for brunch a few months back. It looked quaint and very cute from the outside. It was one of the last warm days out, so we decided to enjoy the outdoor seating. Service was quite slow; it took forever to get our coffee. At first, I assumed it was because it was Sunday brunch and thus slammed with customers, but when I went inside to use the bathroom, there was not an overwhelming amount of people in there.
I ordered the breakfast burrito, because how can you go wrong with a burrito? Alas, apparently one can. When my burrito arrived, it had carrots and olives in it, which I found very odd. These ingredients were also not listed on the menu (I guess maybe it counted as «salsa»?), and considering olives are a polemic food, you’d think they’d want to mention that.
I decided to live with the carrots, but I happen to hate olives, so I started to pick them out. Our waitress noticed me doing this and said, «Is something wrong?» I replied «Well, I didn’t know there would be olives in here, and I don’t like them, so I’m taking them out.» She said, «Oh! Well, the good thing about olives is that they’re easy to pick out!» and walked away. I was baffled by her response, not to mention she didn’t even consider asking me if I wanted to switch to something else. Pretty ridiculous. On the bright side, my boyfriend got the cassoulet and said that it was pretty good (but not phenomenal).
Our waitress brought us free chocolate chip cookies at the end of our meal. Maybe that was some sort of apology for the burrito. Unfortunately even cookies wouldn’t really get that bad taste out of my mouth, literally and figuratively.

I read that this place had Bananas Foster French Toast, so I had to try it of course! It was pretty tasty, but can I say a little too sweet? I don’t know if I’ve ever said that about anything! I still enjoyed every bite though. Another item on their menu that looked good was the pancakes, because it gave you a few options for toppings like the «Elvis», cherry, blueberry, etc. My date got the brunch burrito and added some bacon to it. He liked it okay, but the bacon added an extra $ 2.50! So it was a pricey burrito in the end. The coffee was also very strong and delicious.
I liked the interior, and the service was very friendly. Overall is was nice place for a decent weekend brunch without having to wait for a table like some of the other crazy busy brunch spots.

I came here once a few weeks ago, and I am not sure that my experience was «typical» for this location, but here it goes…
I came in here around 10am last Saturday for brunch. It was completely empty. My boyfriend and I stood around a few minutes, watched this kid play with a toy in the back of the room, and occasionally were greeted by random people that seemed to be mechanics fixing something in the back. After a while, a man came out of the back and seated us. The man was very nice, though he was dressed like a dishwasher and my boyfriend and I got the feeling that seating and taking food orders was not his hired position, but we sat down in the empty restaurant anyway. Soon the other tables started filling up as well.
We were given the brunch menu, which was just a small selection of items on a printed sheet of paper. The menu we were given was NOT the menu that they have online. I have a gluten intolerance, so I was happy to see that they had gluten-​free items on the menu, marked by an asterisk*… Upon further reading, these starred items were not gluten free. They literally have an item marked «gluten free» that had «toast» in it. They marked one item made with a tortilla and otherwise gluten-​free ingredients as containing gluten, but not another similar item. The man who seated us was unable to clearly let us know what actually contained gluten or what did not, although we all agreed that «toast» was not gluten free.
I ordered the homegrown breakfast, and my boyfriend ordered the Chicken and Waffles. The food itself was good, but I can’t say that it was worth the price. Nothing remarkable.
… Fast forward to the present day, and I find out that the Unilocal times for the restaurant and their website times are different. I do believe that it’s possible we arrived there before they opened (in our defense, we checked the Unilocal times and the restaurant did not have their times posted on the door), and no one had bothered to tell us and we (and other patrons) were seated and served anyway. Perhaps it would be a different experience if we arrived later?

Get the mac and cheese, it’s unbelievable!
I had the fried chicken and waffles and thoroughly enjoyed them. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, which is exactly what I’m looking for when I’m looking for Brunch.

Went to this LOVELY little, quaint restaurant for brunch with my friends for an early Christmas get together. I could NOT be more happier with the choice my friend, Jude, made. I love trying new restaurants has much as I love eating good food. I am picky when it comes to fried chicken and hot tea.
The service was spot on and was so friendly. I asked for her recommendation for hot tea and she helped me choose a VERY delicious Oolong tea. I was quite happily surprised to have the tea served in a little loose tea pot. The pot was just the right size for this tea snob and it gave me about 2 ½ tea cups worth of some delicious tea.
My friend, who was there before, suggested an unusual drink that they serve, a beermosa, delicious mixture of stout and orange juice. It was perfect and really delicious!!!
The menu had a lot of appetizing items and was difficult to choose just one. I decided on the chicken and waffles after reading some reviews on Unilocal.I have been in search for some really good fried chicken for a while since I moved to Chicago. The chicken was cooked perfectly, moist and seasoned just right. Very crispy and meaty. The serving was too much for one person, but I was able to devour the chicken and waffles. The only draw back about the waffles was the spice they sprinkled onto the waffles. In my opinion, it did not go well and the kick was unexpected.
My friend ordered the mac and cheese and we shared some bacon. There was A LOT of bacon, so I was glad we shared. The mac and cheese, what else can I say, it was the BEST. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw how HUGE the portion was and I was SO impressed that I took an order home to share with the boyfriend. The choices of cheese with a touch of bacon was PERFECT (and I have had Oprah’s favorite from Philadelphia).
I highly recommend going to this adorable establishment for breakfast, brunch or lunh and enjoy some mac and cheese. I am looking forward to returning to this great place and tasting more from the menu. Chef Gil is AMAZINGLY talented and great with kids.

I went here recently after checking Unilocal for «hot and new» businesses.
When we got there it had a sticker on the door stating «michelin recommended 2012»
so maybe it’s not new…
(UPON reviewing the website it says they opened in August 2013 so maybe it was a sticker from the previous tenant.)
Anyhow, we were the first inside and the server appeared to be dressed for washing dishes or bussing tables however he was attentive.
The menu has some menu items listed as gluten-​free however the basic breakfast was marked as gluten free with the designated star but had toast as a part of it. Upon investigation the server/​busboy stated that the toast was NOT gluten free and suggested they would just leave that off with no substitution suggested.
I had the chicken and waffles which were actually amazing.
We ordered a side of bacon and probably had literally a POUND of bacon.
It was amazing.
GF was happy with her breakfast and it included delicious homefried potatoes of white and sweet variety.

Cute décor and basic is the best way to describe this place. I been here twice now. When they first opened in the summer and just recently. The first time we came here, service was slow. There were only two people on the floor and it took ages to order. We almost walked out, but decided to give the place a chance. The food was good. I had the Banana Brioche French Toast. It was surprisingly not too decadent and sweet. I was impressed. I really enjoyed the Brioche Bread and asked the server about where the bread was from. He had no idea and kinda just brushed me off. I feel like he should know more about the food he is serving. My husband had the Catfish Po’ Boy. It is no longer on the menu now.
Oh yes, since then the menu has change. The second time around, I got the same exact thing. It looked like nothing I had the first time around. It looked like mush (see posted photo) and was not as appealing this time around. I was disappointed by the lack of consistency. Perhaps a different chef?
Anyways, I think they also took the Full Afternoon Tea Service off their menu. Overall, I don’t think I will be coming here anymore. The service is not inviting and I do not feel welcomed here.

love the homey atmosphere…
however the very limited menu is not very vegi friendly. i’m not a breakfast food eater and always hope to find a good vegi savory dish on a brunch menu (i.e. egg based dish — i eat eggs/​cheese — or sandwich or hearty salad). i settled for a very ordinary overpriced salad. also, don’t expect overflowing (which i agree is unnecessary most of the time) plates to fill a hangover. this is a bit on the «frou frou» side. the staff was very nice and made us feel at home but have no reason to return unless they completely redo their menu.

I’ve got to learn to phone ahead when using
coupons. Because they aren’t accepted here and the waitress gave a pretty long excuse. At that point we should have gotten up and headed to Glenn’s Diner. Anyhow, we ordered the biscuits and gravy — plus eggs (at $ 4 extra. Kinda high considering a dozen eggs cost 99 cents on sale) and the special of eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast (i asked if there was a choice of toast, waitress didn’t know, said umm, maybe wheat or white?). We are biscuit lovers. Homegrown Café’s biscuits were weirdly flavored and very dry. My breakfast was ok and the potatoes were a mix of white and sweet. But the toast? White and came WITHOUT butter or jam. At this point, I was peeved.
BTW, the coffee is excellent (and was refilled without having to ask). Want to know why? It’s from Julius Meinl, a few doors north. Duh, we could have eaten there for the same price.
Will we return to Homegrown? Nope. Because they didn’t even comp us the one coffee or give us 10% off. It’s not our fault
offered a coupon. If they’re not going to honor it and they’ve had other people try to use it, they could AT LEAST have posted a notice on the front door. We’d immediately have gone to Glenn’s Diner.

Met a couple of friends here for brunch. They were busy but only a couple of people were waiting so I figured, we wouldn’t have to wait long. My friends and I waited and watched as the hostess sat people who arrived there significantly after us (and it wasn’t because we had a huge party, we had a table of 3). After 30 minutes or so we sat down, and I was still giving them the benefit of the doubt. But, this is where my experience turned. We sat for about 10 minutes at our table (total time in restaurant: 40 minutes now) with silverware in front of us. No menus. So, I got up and grabbed menus for my group. We looked them over and decided what we wanted. Still no waitress in sight. So, I stand up in the middle of the restaurant until someone notices me, comes over, takes our order.
Luckily we didn’t wait for too long for our food, which I admit, was good. (Although I’ve been having post-​brunch tummyache for the rest of the day now… so maybe it wasn’t THAT good).
I then tried to give the waitress a coupon, which they wouldn’t accept. Something about the coupon being offered without their permission. I mean, I get it, but still. So they gave us 10% off. I’m not complaining, that part was nice. But I was looking forward to trying a new neighborhood place for brunch with some friends and overall, this was an annoying experience.

After reading the very positive Unilocal reviews, I went there this morning for breakfast. The wait was about ½ an hour, but the hostess did state they had never been that busy. The atmosphere was a little loud and it felt cramped. However, the décor was nice. All of the staff was very friendly and professional, but it felt like there wasn’t enough help.
I ordered scrambled eggs, hash browns, and buttermilk biscuits, and expected that the food would taste like: scrambled eggs, hash browns, and buttermilk biscuits. Unfortunately, my expectations were far from reality. There was a peculiar reddish/​orange powdery spice-​substance on literally all the food. It was potentially paprika? Paprika has its place, but its place is not everywhere. The scrambled paprika eggs were the highlight of the meal, but unfortunately «edible» is the best descriptor I can give them. The hash browns also contained this peculiar spice, and were made from sweet potatoes. This is fine, but I hate sweet potatoes, and never anticipated that they’d use sweet potatoes. The buttermilk biscuits, I mean, the paprika biscuits, tasted like salt blocks and to add insult to injury, were still doughy and undercooked.
My eating companion got the chicken and waffles, which were also unable to escape the effects of the paprika bomb. Additionally, the chicken was overcooked and dry. One piece was literally a sphere… I don’t know how that happens. The waffles were okay, kinda droopy, but what can you expect from waffles?
I can’t help but wonder if all of the other Unilocal reviewers were: 1. high on drugs, 2. paid off, or 3. suffering from severe reality altering mental illnesses.
The coffee was pretty good though.
If you’re looking for your food to taste like what you expect it to taste like, don’t go here. I think a menu with descriptions of the food (such as, «paprika on everything!» or «hash browns made from sweet potatoes») would also help avoid diner disappointment.

We were looking for somewhere to go get brunch that would be over by Half Acre so we could get started on our brewery tour of Chicago right after.
Homegrown didn’t have a ton of reviews, but then we realized that they are still pretty darn new. We decided to give them a try and I’m glad we did! It was so fast and easy to get a table for 6 without a wait (although, I do hope they get busier just so they stick around!).
Our server was super friendly and excited to make suggestions to us. I really do like it when you can tell the servers have actually eaten the food they are serving. I got a breakfast sandwich and my husband got the chicken and waffles. Everything was really delish. Others at the table had the breakfast burrito and the bananas foster french toast and I heard good reviews of those as well. Only complaint… and this is just something that bugs me… is they never refilled our coffee. I always want a full cup of hot coffee when I am eating breakfast! Always. I just feel like it is a basic that shouldn’t be messed with.
Its a small menu, but everything listed has lots of flavor. I’d definitely come back if I was in the area again.

The fried chicken and waffles with sausage gravy and maple syrup. Oh yes, yes, yes. The only thing that disappointed me during my meal was my small stomach… if only I could continue to eat and experience this foodie nirvana high of fried chicken delight until my plate was entirely devoured… I owe the world, the chef, chicken, and myself a larger stomach to finish this meal over and over and over again! :)
Music, décor, waitstaff… all friendly, inviting, hipster/​cottage/​southern vibe, superb.
A few other items on their menu include scotch eggs, raspberry ricotta pancakes, and savory biscuits with fried eggs. I plan to come back again and again knowing I will continue to be satisfied and fulfilled dining here.

Not your typical breakfast place. It’s so nice to have a place in the neighborhood that is casual and comfortable but still serves excellent food. Haven’t tried lunch yet, but definitely will.

The breakfast here is amazing. Yes, I will probably continue to miss Chalkboard, but I couldn’t afford to eat there as often as I liked. At Homegrown, however, I’m in danger of becoming a permanent fixture. The food has the same high quality, fresh ingredients that Chalkboard had, but the price is much more affordable and I’m a sucker for good breakfast fare. The biscuits and gravy were amazing. I added a scrambled egg as is my want and was in 7^th heaven. My kids loved the banana bread french toast, and my husband was lucky I didn’t steal all of his potatoes that came with his ‘breakfast’ eggs and toast. We’ll be back to try the rest soon.

Although I was sad to hear that Chalkboard was closing, I got excited when I saw that Chef Langlois was opening Homegrown in its place as a breakfast/​brunch/​lunch spot. I stopped by this morning with a friend and we loved the food. She got «breakfast» — eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes while I really enjoyed my brunch burrito. We will definitely be back!

My husband and I just went for a rare Friday breakfast out. Amazing! The chicken and waffles was savory, sweet, and seasoned in all the right places — all juicy meat, crispy skin and perfect gravy. I had the banana pound cake french toast and, despite not usually being a super sweet breakfast person, almost licked my plate. The toast was light and perfectly set-​off by the bananas foster topping.
We’re coming back ASAP!