Little Branch Cafe

Very disappointed in quality of meat. Ordered Wasabi burger — meat tasted old, lacking flavor. For over 10 dollars expect a high quality meat which is definitely not the case. Employees seem disinterested and more worried about closing the restaurant and getting people out by closing time than providing a quality experience. Will not return.

I’ve been here a bunch of times over the past 5 plus years or so. They were definitely better when they only served breakfast. Today’s food was less than stellar. It sounded grest via description but the flavor was missing. I don’t know if they changed ownership or chefs recently but it is definitely not what it was 2 yrs ago. Great location. Warm décor. Probably stick to drinks.

I am a fan!
had the breakfast burrito, ordered blueberry pancakes, and two eggs, potatoes and toast. (They forgot my toast) :(But that’s okay! It all tasted great! They also have mimosas and bloodys. I will HAVE To come back to try those.
I tried the spit pea, (vegan) which was really good! Totally a nice take on Split Pea, when it’s normally made with prosciutto.
I will be back I am sure!

Great café in the heart of the south loop. Relaxing atmosphere and cozy dining. The wood log bar stools give you the feeling of being in a cabin out in the mountains. Great food and great service. Two thumbs up!

Not worth it, unless you’re desperate. Drinks are a lie, food is a ripoff, expensive. Take your money elsewhere.

First time here and I will not be back. Went in for brunch. You would think everything would be fresh right? NOT!!!
My friend ordered the Old fashioned French Toast, side of bacon and jasmine tea. I was going to get the stuffed french Toast, but was then told my friend got the last order of french toast.
Then they told us they weren’t serving liquor because they hadn’t renewed their liquor license yet.
I ended up with the Red Velvet waffle and a side of bacon. Asked if they had cream cheese frosting, nope!
Get our food, the bacon was extremely old and I could tell it had been reheated, well at least they attempted to reheat it because it wasn’t even hot!
Nothing about this waffle was soft or pleasant to eat. Extremely crunchy with syrup and pecans slapped on it.
Best thing about the $ 16 I spent was the freshly squeezed orange juice.
Should’ve gone to Batter ‘n’ Berries like we started to!

I am fortunate to have the Little Branch literally steps out of my front door. I moved to the south loop a year ago and was delighted to find this place so close. This is a great place on a few fronts. I can be found most days sitting with doing some work in the morning enjoying my green tea. The staff is always super friendly. Love the food — that which I’ve tried. I don’t eat gluten/​sugar so most of the menu is off limits to me but I do have my favorites. Spicy Tuna w/​sea weed salad is great — as is the Spicy Tuna sandwich minus the roll. My fav though is the Lox plate sans bagel. The salmon is always fresh but it’s the pickled onions (ya I know pickled onions) that really make it for me. The Little Branch has quickly become my second home.

I was so disappointed in my meal at little branch. I ordered the lavender chai latte and it was basically scented steamed milk, I couldn’t drink it. I also ordered a vegetarian panini that was barely toasted, it was mostly spinach covered heavily in some sort of pink salad dressing served on rye bread. The sides were cheap potato chips and a pickle that appeared to be a dill spear but did not taste anything like one. My total meal (with tip b/​c you tip at the counter before your food comes) cost $ 16 which felt like a complete ripoff. I could have prepared something better than this at home for much less. Everything that went into the meal seemed cheap and haphazard. Maybe we caught them on a bad day but I will not be back.
Side note: my friend had to send back her eggs and bacon because the plate was full of grease and the fruit looked like it had been sitting out for days. They offered a free pastry to make up for it on our way out but nothing sounded appetizing at that point.
If you’re in the area for brunch, do yourself a favor and just go to bongo room, it’s so much better.

I have been to Little Branch several times, and each time, I walk in saying, «Maybe this time I’ll actually like what I eat.» Unfortunately, my aspirations notwithstanding, I cannot yet make that representation.
If you enjoy not-​fresh breakfast options (the vaunted French toast that I ordered this morning tasted like it had once been frozen, and the «blueberry compote» was just a mountain of thawed blueberries), stale pastries, and not-​that-​good coffee drinks – all offered at a really cute and convenient location with free [really slow] wifi, then this is definitely your place. I honestly don’t understand why this place keeps getting featured by local publications as an inspired breakfast option, when there are so many places (close by!) that are far far better.
Perhaps if they cut their menu in half and really focused on making fresh, made-​to-​order food; completely switched up their vendor for their pastry selection (or made their own homemade baked goods); got rid of the tragic looking gelato section in front; and used better coffee beans, this place would the standout that it has the potential to be. In the meantime, it’ll limp along, propped up by reviews of questionable credibility…

We ordered the Pancake and Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast. The French Toast was FANTASTIC!!! My boyfriend ordered it for me, so I didn’t know there was some filling in it. But when I had the first bite, I was amazed by the texture. I will definitely visit again for this must-​have French toast.

Loved the food! I had the french toast (original) and it was delicious and needed no syrup, great, thick cut bacon and a mimosa. The gentleman who rang us up was very friendly and helpful in picking out his favorites (he was so right about the french toast). The woman there was less than polite and I imagine is the same grouch others spoke of in their reviews — she’s the only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5. I’ll be back for sure.

Great place to grab a quick lunch and drink before we headed over to the Museum Campus, which is just a short walk away. The menu is diverse without being overwhelming and the atmosphere is laid back. We sat on the little patio outside to enjoy the weather, and while the patio view isn’t much, it was quiet.
The fritata sandwich was awesome as was the prosciutto and mozarella pannini. Definitely recommended for those who are looking for a casual lunch with good food and a cocktail (or two).

Overall, the food was pretty good. Not many complaints about that. However, they were not very busy and this is two times in a row I’ve been there and everything has been dirty. There’s been trash coming out of the trash cans, the tables have been dirty, the chairs of been dirty.
this place has a good location and a good ambiance. It just needs a little bit more order in their kitchen and their operations.

I live in the building next door and work from home, so as soon as someplace close with wifi opens in the neighborhood, I won’t be back.
As other reviews have pointed out, the owner is rude. (She’s scolded me multiple times for not having cash to pay for coffee, and once refused to give me the café’s wifi password until I after ordered something. A barista — not the owner– gave it to me as I packed up and threatened to leave. Unfortunately, I think he no longer works there…)
The place is loud, not from the conversation, but mostly from the constant bang — strong enough to rattle the windows — of a back door slamming shut as people go in and out.
The kitchen staff also seems to be forever taking out its anger on something (working for an evil owner, perhaps?) by slamming around what sounds like large metal objects in the back.
I could live with this if the food was better and/​or not so overpriced. Please, someone open a café in the South Loop with better service, free wifi and decent coffee to save us all from this place! The staff at Little Branch have not set the bar very high, so you don’t even have much to live up to.

My boyfriend and I stopped in before we headed to a Bears game last Sunday. If you’re headed to Solider Field it is a really close walk, which is nice.
I got the prosciutto waffle sandwich. I was feeling wild, you know. I wasn’t really sure how it was going to turn out because it seems like the flavors wouldn’t work together. I was very happily surprised. It was very tasty. The waffle wasn’t so sweet that it took over the flavor of the rest of the sandwich. My guy got the turkey Rueben and it was pretty tasty as well. I was happier with my order because his little sandwich just fell apart in his hands. I got a coffee and it was just fine. I’m not going to give it more praise than that because it was just a cup of coffee. He got a hot toddy and was all about it.
I was super bummed with the sides. If you have those tasty sandwiches, having a sad little pile of Lays potato chips on the side was just underwhelming. I expected a bit more from the taste of the sandwich.
It’s a little odd when you walk in. You walk in to a pastry counter, but you don’t order there. There’s a giant chalk board with their menu on on it. We didn’t know if we were supposed to sit, if we ordered up front, or what? It was just odd. We walked in to a crowd of other people who didn’t really seem to understand what was going on either. You order sort of around the corner and then they bring some things to you and other things they just hand you??? I don’t know, maybe I’m being a baby about it but it seemed a lot harder than it really should have been.
I didn’t like how I was treated when I was in. We both got treated like we were stupid when we asked if we were meant to order up front or sit first. I get that they were busy, but rudeness isn’t okay. I also HATED being scolded by the waitress. She brought us a hot toddy and said «Where’s your number?» I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. She said «You HAVE to have a number.» And I said I didn’t have one and she rolled her eyes and went and got me one. I don’t understand why I got in trouble for your weird system falling apart. Don’t scold me. There’s no need to ever be mean, especially in the morning, so I left with a bad taste in my mouth.
All in all it was fine. The tasty sandwich saved this from being a 2-​star review because of the treatment and the confusion.
Convenient for a Bears game but I won’t be back. I’ll walk a few more blocks to be treated nicely.

So I’ll preference this rating that it may be move up once I try more items on the menu. The location itself is a little hidden, but easy to find to those that live in the neighborhood. My friend just got a condo across the street so this maybe our spot to come to grab something quick to eat.
Last night we went to just pick up our food cause we had to run. I had the chicken breast sandwich that included either fries, sweet potato fries or a salad. I went with the salad cause I already ate horrible earlier. The sandwich wasn’t horrible but it tasted like something I could whip up real fast at the deli. I did enjoy the garlic mayo though. Salad was okay but nothing spectacular. I look forward to going back and trying them for brunch… oh yeah and there dessert selection.

What a fun find! I’d definitely like to come here again, since we only got to swing in for post-​brunch cocktails. The set up is a little strange, but once we figured out you order Starbucks style and then wait at your table, it was all good.
They have drink specials from Wednesday-​Sunday. We came in on Sunday, so the special was either a Bloody Mary or Mimosa for just $ 5! The Bloody Mary was a steal, but the Mimosa was a bit on the tiny side and served in a martini glass, which seemed off to me.
The menu looks great with many breakfast/​lunch offerings. My friends had a smoothie that seemed overpriced to me, but it included gelato as one of the ingredients, so I suppose the price makes sense.
If I make it back to Chicago for brunch, I will be hitting up Little Branch for more than just beverages.

First visit to Little Branch after living in the South Loop for almost two years and it’s great to have another breakfast/​lunch spot in the neighborhood. Staff is friendly and the setup is decent.
When it came to the food, it was just okay. My prosciutto & mozzarella panini was good but the balsamic vinaigrette was too overpowering and took over the entire sandwich. My partner had the ham & swiss and liked it but once again, felt the mustard overpowered the sandwich.
My biggest gripe was that the place needed a good dusting and sweeping. The window ledges had not been dusted for a while and they were looking «fuzzy». The floor between the window and column was littered with straw wrappers and dust. The lamp shades could’ve used a once over with a swiffer. It may sound trivial but people notice these things and the overall look & upkeep of the restaurant is just as important as the food. I may be back but I’m not gonna rush.

Little Branch Café is a quaint café that is tucked away in a small neighborhood, off the main roads. If you don’t live in the area, then parking may be an issue. There is meter parking about 3 – 4 blocks away on the main streets, so prepare for a little walk. This café is part of an apartment complex, so there seem to have a lot of locals’ chit chatting with each other or busily working away on their computers.
When you first walk in, you will be greeted with huge colorful chalkboards with their specials and drinks. I decided to try out the cinnabon, breakfast burrito, and a green tea latte. The cinnabon was hard as a rock when I tried to cut into it. I would expect them to have at least offered to heat the cinnabon back up so it could be soft, warm, and gooey. But I had to go through rolled eyes, dirty looks, and some attitude to get it heated back up. The breakfast burrito was a pretty decent size. It was wrapped in a flour tortilla and filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, beans, Chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, and bacon. It also came with a side of fruits and chili cream. I enjoyed all the different flavors and texture. The winner of the meal was the green tea latte. It was hot, foamy, and full of matcha flavor.
The food here was decent (nothing too great to make me want to come back,) but the service was horrible. All the employees were not really friendly and had nasty attitudes. I just don’t understand why people were in such a bad mood… maybe something in the air, but I don’t think I will be dining in anymore.

Getting to Little Branch Café can be a huge pain when you are walking in 12 degree weather and the wind is beating your face like you stole something… HOWEVER, the food (red velvet waffle) is worth it.
Little Branch Café has a great brunch/​lunch menu which overs a variety of options that I’m sure even the pickest of eaters could find something to their liking.
The red velvet waffle is sweet and tasty. You only get one, but if it can fill me it than you should be good.
The apple maple chicken sausage weren’t that good. I don’t know how one can mess up chicken sausage, but they succeeded. They should stop purchasing their chicken sausages from whatever store they get them from and hit up Trader Joe’s.
Home fries were could, but just needed a little bite more seasoning to really knock my socks off.