Brunch is as much a tradition in Chicago as baseball, jazz or lawn chairs saving a parking spot. Lakeview residents are lucky to have a huge array of brunch options. But the morning after a night of debauchery, your head might start spinning as you try to decide where to get your brunch on. So here’s a breakdown of the best brunch spots in Lakeview.
Most welcome newbie: Bakin’ and Eggs, 3120 N. Lincoln Ave.
You only need to view the lingering weekend brunchers waiting for a table to know that Bakin’ and Eggs is the new hot spot in Lakeview. The pun isn’t meant to be pardoned at this swanky eatery, as both baked goods and bacon are highlighted on the menu. For the bacon, you can try the bacon waffle or taste several types in a flight. But as trendy as flights of salted meat can be, the down-home favorites on the menu, such as biscuits and gravy and granola pancakes, are what keep Lakeview neighbors coming back.
Killer bloody mary: Blue Bayou, 3734 N. Southport Ave.
Sometimes you just need a Bloody Mary to kickstart your weekend, and there is a definite kick to Blue Bayou’s Bloodies. Plus, the New Orleans-inspired bar and restaurant serves meat and cheese as the accompaniment to its Bloody Mary. The chunks of pepper jack and salami act as an appetizer while waiting for your Cajun-style meal. Blue Bayou serves southern creations like Crab-cake Benedict and the crayfish omelet. It’s like Mardi Gras in the morning.
Pancake portal: Southport Grocery, 3552 N. Southport Ave.
You know a place is good if every weekend the wait for a table is two hours. Southport Grocery and Café’s brunch is consistently yummy, and the creative dishes, like the hash, are neighborhood favorites. But customers crave the pancakes. The cupcake pancakes are made with actual cupcake batter. No joke. The bread pudding pancakes are cinnamon-sugar heaven. The best part may be the “pancake taste,” which is the option of ordering just one. Everyone knows having both your sweet and savory is brunch perfection.
Hangover cure: S&G, 3000 N. Lincoln Ave.
This old-school diner serves more breakfast items than brunch. But if it’s eaten past noon it’s brunch, right? S&G, which stands for Sam and George’s, has been open for more than 50 years and has over 100 menu items to choose from. A Friday or Saturday night in Lakeview can mean a rough morning, and a fancy benedict may be the last thing your stomach needs. So when you just want some eggs, sausage and potatoes, S&G is your spot.
Coffee connoisseur, Uncommon Ground, 1214 W. Grace St.
Nothing says winter coziness like a piping-hot mug of coffee. But when the mug of coffee is more like a bowl of latte yumminess, and it’s enjoyed by a fire, the coziness is off the charts. Uncommon Ground’s inventive latte drinks include delectable ingredients like Mexican chocolate and hazelenut, plus they can be served spiked. Pair one with an item from the seasonal menu and you have a brunch that warms from the inside out. The summer is just as nice at Uncommong Ground, however, when coffee can be iced and drank while people watching from the sidewalk tables.