Caffe de Luca

One of my favorite breakfast spots in wicker park. The décor is original as the try to take u back to the old italy streets. They also have a patio in the back where it is nice and quiet. Coffee is served in a huge mug so you don’t have to keep asking for more coffee. Breakfast pizza is original and tasty. Breakfast burritos are really good. Home potatoes are yum. Never had anything I didn’t like here.

I can’t lie and say that I checked out Caffe de Luca on purpose. The plan was to go to Hot Chocolate with some friends after church on Sunday. Little did we know that it is closed for renovations! No worries though, I searched on Unilocal for other brunch spots and Caffe de Luca had good reviews and was a few steps away. With only a 30 minute wait, we were in luck. However, I wouldn’t raise my hand to come back again. The service was good, the ambience was nice, but the food was eh, just ok. I LOVE brunch, so for the food to be just ok, I won’t be rushing to come back any time soon.

Our stomaches were rolling down Damon Street and we needed some grub when we passed by Cafee de Luca. Walking inside, it felt like a really cool cantina/​café in a Latin American country, laid back with a hint of spark and sizzle. We ordered eggs with our choice of cheese, veggies, and meat, I chose goat cheese, green peppers and turkey sausage was delicious. We got a side of fresh fruit and hash brows which were delicious. My orange juice sadly wasn’t freshly squeezed, which was a downside, but didn’t ruin the complete meal. The atmosphere is very laid back and family friendly, which is a plus. I def recommend this place!

I gave Café De Luca 4 stars simply because there are better places out there. However, they are consistently good concerning their sandwiches, omelets, and coffee. I also highly recommend their shrimp and greens on their appetizer menu. The only thing that I would be wary of is eggs Benedict. Some times their eggs are way over done and they really skimp you on the holindase (sp?) sauce. Ask for extra on the side for sure.
We go there often simply because it is good and a 6 minute walk from our house.

My first visit I only had a soup and salad, which were fine. Then I returned for quiche, which had a soggy crust and was about average when considering the plethora of bakeries and coffeehouses serving it in the area. Service was slow, but at least the food came out quickly.

We were looking for some place to try, so I looked at Unilocal on my phone (have I told you how in love I am with the app?) and Caffe de Luca was one of the places highly rated… so we thought, why not ?
We arrived and were immediately seated. The place is awesome. Jeremy noticed how they use the space very well, the decoration is so cool, it is intended to give you a feel like you were in some caffe in Europe (I would risk to say, maybe Italy?). I liked the menu, but i was looking for something light to eat this morning. I ended up ordering the mushroom, cheese, and spinach omelet, and a mocha coffee. I actually wanted the coffee with chocolate I saw in one of the pictures on Unilocal,but when I showed the waitress the pic, she said she didn’t know what it was. Anyways, I liked my coffee anyways, but I believe the waitress could be more aware of what’s in the menu. She was a little «disoriented», it kinda seemed like her first day at work — but no major complains about that.
I had fruit and toast with my order, and everything was good. I won’t say delicious, because to me an omelet is an omelet. Nothing surprising about that. Jeremy had the huevos rancheros and he loved it. I had a bite and loved it too. I think it is funny how every place has a different way to make the so famous huevos rancheros.
Price is fair, thou I think we could have spent less in a place like that.
We will probably be back to try new things on the menu soon :)

This was our second stop at attempting to eat some brunch after being told we’d have to wait a hour + at another local spot «Hot Chocolate»
Caffe de Luca is a real good place to catch brunch on a Sunday morning. Mimosas are only $ 3 and good and Bloody Marry’s for $ 5!
I really liked the décor of this place, high ceilings and narrow but long dining area really felt comfy. I had the spinach and mushroom omelet and it was fresh and tasty. Everyone at our table enjoyed the food. The service was quick and friendly also.

We came into Caffe de Luca for a late lunch while strolling around Wicker Park. The décor at de Luca is homey– love the laundry hanging in the back. We got sandwiches, which were generally a-​ok.
For starters, the 5 of us got bruschetta (they were out of calamari) which was actually very good. It comes with a lot of the tomato topping that you scoop yourself, so it’s great for sharing. For my meal, I went with the Italian panini. The prosciutto looked and tasted like a slab of ham, which I ended up removing.
The high point though is the service. Our waiter was very polite and attentive, and didn’t roll his eyes at our millions of questions. But that’s something I noticed all over Chicago, and very much appreciated.

Let’s just start out by saying, that I am not much of a breakfast person. I am def sometimes a brunch person. So my expectations are high usually when it comes to morning foods and suchhhh.
My friends and I have been on an eggs benedict hunt in search of the best one. I had a very disappointing crabcake benedict at another restaurant a few days before and so I was going to give this place a chance. Café de Luca has an amazing AMAZING crab florentine eggs benedict. It was actual lump crab meat and it was very generous. It was so incredibly tasty! I also had a kiwi italian soda with it. Yummy. Everything I tasted was clean and made with simple ingredients, it didn’t make me greasy full, it was a very satisfying full.
We will be back, it was a very pleasant experience! Although — our server was super awkward and it made me feel awkward. it was weird. He should relax.

Delicious breakfast! A nice spot in bucktown with italian street décor. I felt like i was sitting at a café in florence on a summer day. We ordered
grilled shrimp po boy — very good, the shrimp was very fresh and the portion generous
spinach and goat cheese quiche — ok, thought would be better, but the crust was soggy and the filling flavorless
thought the breakfast was good with relaxing atmosphere.

Our service was a 1 star, but the food and atmosphere were enough to save them from the lowest of the low rating on this specific visit IMHO.
We were seated promptly. The restaurant has a cute café vibe, quaint and cozy. Our server approached us and asked if we needed a minute… we said we didn’t…then he walked away. Okay, I guess we’ll take a minute to double check that menu. When he came back, we ordered… I went with the Pollo Piccante while the hubby went with the Buffalo Chicken wrap.
Both entrees arrived promptly (delivered by a different server). We opted to split so we could get a tasting of both. The Pollo Piccante was really good; chicken, red onion, giardiniera, herb aioli, mozzarella and hot peppers on focaccia. The heat was a slow build… while the Buffalo wrap was a hot on contact. The wrap was full of crispy chicken covered in Buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato, blue cheese dressing.
I had to flag down our server for more water. Hello, two spicy entrees. Yes, we’ll need to be watered more than once. After we finished, our table was cleared (by another server). And we sat, and sat, and sat while I watched our server wander back and forth not paying any attention to us at all. Finally I flagged him down for the bill. I really hope it was his first day otherwise there’s no excuse for ignoring a table.
I’ll be back for dinner or a martini… but sure hope I get a better server next time. Sometimes the proper server changes the experience completely.

Whenever I’m in Chicago visiting the BFF, I HAVE to come here for brunch at least once or twice!
My entrée of choice is the sausage, mushroom & provolone omelet, which is a 3-​egg omelet, served with a side of roasted potatoes, seasonal fruit and sourdough toast. WOW. Un-​freakin-​believable! Their regular coffee is tasty too.
Oh & the décor is like a little café in Italy. Line of clothes hanging up & cute artwork & painted walls.
The staff is always nice & friendly, too.

Went here with a friend, got there around lunch time. From what I know, they serve breakfast till 5 in the evening, however, we decided not to get breakfast. Instead I got the tortellini stuffed pasta and we decided to get the dessert taster platter. The pasta was rather dry on the inside, however the taste of the white sauce was great so I just cut up my pieces and doused them in the white sauce. The dessert platter was overkill, we got vanilla bean ice cream (yum), cheesecake (nah), carrot cake (yum) and tiramisu (yum). Oh and the portions are LARGE so watch yourself. I also got the mimosa, which wasnt amazing. Just a mimosa.
the décor is rather like a small street in italy, they even have clothes hanging from 2 windows at the top.

Sometimes I wonder if I have the superpower of Invisibility.
I dropped by Caffe de Luca, hoping to get some breakfast and an espresso.
So I grabbed a seat. And waited.
Hmm, I thought. Maybe on weekdays, I’m supposed to go up to the counter to place an order.
So I headed to the counter. Because no one handed me a menu, I opted for an espresso and a blueberry scone instead of the frittata I had my heart set on. And the barista told me that a waitress would be right with me.
The waitress emerged with my pastry and coffee. The espresso, Caffe Umbria, had a slightly over-​roasted, burned taste to it. Definitely not as good as Buzz across the street.
The employees I dealt with on this particular instance were all pleasant enough. But with a plethora of coffee shops and breakfast/​brunch establishments in the area, quality and customer service gaffes* mean I will take my caffeine addiction elsewhere.
* As an aside, I also had tried to plan a group outing here for a Saturday morning and got an extremely haughty attitude from the manager. Gee, I’m sorry that bringing in business for 8 – 10 individuals is a huge inconvenience.

Very solid spot for a weekday lunch — all of the food I had was well prepared. However, with the dishes that have a lemon herb vinaigrette, they could have not drenched the food in that sauce (grilled calamari and the garlic shrimp).
Beef Carpaccio — all around very good — fresh meat, seasoned well.
Grilled Calamari — calamari was cooked just right, so it was not chewy. seasoned with some nice spices and comes with arugula and tomatoes.
Pan-​Seared Garlic Shrimp — not bad, but the shrimp could have been larger, especially since the dish only came with 5 – 6. Also, drenched with the lemon herb sauce.
Pear and Gorgonzola Salad — candied walnuts looked great. overall a solid salad.
Cost might be a bit pricey for lunch ($ 20 a person if you order an appetizer and a sandwich or salad), but the food was good quality.

Comfort. This place is comfort.
I was back here recently for brunch during the week, and I was reminded how lovely this place is. Yummy coffee and great service, and a chillax crowd was the perfect setting for catching up with an old friend. Our 1-​hr power brunch turned into a 3-​hr leisure, but its worth it, because this spot is nothing but bliss.
— De Luca Breakfast keeps it real with a classic breakfast with all the trimming. Go with all bacon, and you won’t be disappointed.
— Frittatas change on a daily basis, and I’ve never been disappointed each time. Light, tasty, and very flavorfull.
caffe De Luca is the perfect neighborhood spot that’s all around just soulful.

It’s been a few years since I was here (good memories of it), I just stopped in last week again for dinner with my man, and I was pleased to discover it was still good!
We went on a Friday night around 7, and there were only a few other tables, pretty empty inside. Service was quick and attentive throughout, and we both liked what we ordered. Burger for him and grilled cheese with tomato and pesto for me, both with terra chips — simple but very tasty. My only complaint about the food is the slightly high price — $ 10 for a grilled cheese and chips? eh. that’s a tad high, even though it was very good.
Beer selection was small but well (low) priced, lots of wines, and several martini choices. I don’t usually drink martinis but because they were on special for the night ($ 6), I had the lemon one (two, actually…), and it was very good, tart and not overly sweet.

I really want to give them a fourth star, because the atmosphere is just so lovely and cozy… but I think right now I’m going to just stick with three. A strong three! A three that means «I will come back and give it another shot because it’s just so darn cute and looks like you’re sitting on an Italian street.»
My friend and I had a sunny table by the window, great for people watching. My chai latte was just what I wanted on a brisk spring morning. The eggs benedict… I’m sorry, but I just did not dig it! Something about the Hollandaise, and the thinly sliced ham instead of a big slab of Canadian bacon… it just wasn’t my thing. And I was bummed, because I do so love eggs benedict. But it was still a very pleasant place to sit and have brunch on a Sunday — not hard to get a table at 10 am either — so I would certainly return and give them another shot!

Stopped in with my husband on a busy Saturday afternoon, noon to be exact. We just seated ourselves at the bar since all we wanted was a caffeinated pick-​me-​up and something for my sweet tooth. Bad timing. Their line for take out coffee goers was endless. One of the servers did come by and apologize for the wait and offered us a couple waters.
Once the rush was over, I feel like each and every barrista came by to apologize for the wait and ask if we had everything we needed. The wait was well worth it. My chai latte + chocolate crossaint made me forget the momentary neglect!
They also have this small screen by door announcing upcoming events for Wicker Park/​Bucktown & a real time bus tracker. Are they helpful here or what?!

I’ve only ever eaten here once, and it was just an appetizer. The wait staff are nice and attentive, and they put up with my friends and me when we’re drunk.
I ordered the baked prosciutto which was salty but otherwise very good. Prosciutto is a salty meat, I know, but this seemed a little above and beyond. I also had a latte and it tasted like the espresso was burned, but I worked as a barista for a few years so I’m kind of a coffee snob.
The place is never crowded but there are always people there and they seem to be having a good time. It’s definitely worth a try if you’re looking for someplace new or if you just want to stop in for a martini.