Spring Cafe

Closed permanently.

I’m only giving this place 2 stars because the service isn’t consistent. I have been here a handful of times and enjoyed the food, and to me its a bonus that the place isn’t crowded so we can be sat immediately. However, the challenge is to actually get service once seated. Plus, on some occasions the food takes a pretty long time and again the place is almost empty??? (one to two tables max)
When I first started coming here soon after it opened, the service was great! But the staff must have changed because the past 3 times I came to eat, I get a menu but it takes forever to get my order taken and the food (same server). I would totally understand if the place was busy but thats never the case when I have been here.
It’s a shame because I want to continue to come here for the food, but if its going to take 25+ mins to get my order taken in an empty restaurant why get annoyed and frustrated when I could go somewhere else and spend my money on a place that values my business?!

We have been here several times. Mostly for brunch, but at least twice for dinner.
They have a great Alaskan omelet with lox, capers and goat cheese. You can’t beat $ 3 mimosas and $ 4 bloody marys.
The food is not anything to write home about, but is always good. I’ve never had a bad dish here. They have a full bar and the wines are reasonable.
This place is a great little gem.

This place was weird. I hate to be blunt, but it is. Granted my friends and I ate there at a very off hour (5:30, and no we’re not grandparents.) We were going to a show at Park West and had to be there for 6:30 opening. After realizing every restaurant within a half mile radius of Park West had a super long wait, we slowly walked up Clark until we came across a place that was not crowded, but also not completely empty.
The menu was a bit all over the place, but I think it was the corned beef and cabbage that threw me. Or maybe it was the pizza. It was a different assortment of entrée options and honestly nothing seemed appetizing.
We all ended up ordering the the cavatelli pasta and it was just okay. Very garlicky, huge pieces of broccoli and a bit watery from the white wine sauce. It came out quickly, which made us happy though, and it was definitely not the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. I do think I could’ve made the same dish, just as good, at home. Would’ve saved me $ 11.
One suggestion is to fix the bread. It was basically a slightly large dinner roll, toasted, and sliced into really thin pieces. It was impossible to cut off a piece to put butter on. Again, weird.

I stumbled into this gem on my way home from the lincoln park zoo lights. I was dining by myself so i decided to sit at the bar. Food was great, I ordered the stuffed chicken breast with a house salad. Service was great at the bar, and Hans the owner was there to entertain me with some good conversation. I will def be back. BTW, it was about 8 PM on a friday night when I went in there and the restaurant was full but it didn’t seem like much of an issue for wait time. 3 Dollar Mimosas on Friday’s. Did I mention Hans also bought me a glass of wine?

Finally, after being scared off by the initial bad reviews, I went to Spring Café. Actually, twice. First for breakfast a few weeks ago with three friends, and then last night for dinner with my husband. I can’t say enough about how charming and accommodating this place is. And the food is wonderful.
Where can you get breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day long in the same restaurant that’s not a diner or a chain pancake house? This place is beautiful and very cozy.
Foodwise, I had an omelet on my first visit, and the grilled salmon on my second. Perfect and delicious! My companions were happy with their meals as well. Friendly, professional service as well. Very reasonable prices.
I don’t know why it took so long for me to give Spring Café a chance!

I was super surprised how empty the place was on a Sunday morning for how good the food turned out to be. Everywhere else in the area was packed, so my friend and I were just ready to sit at the first place we could.
The eggs benedict is crave-​able; of course a garlic hollandaise would do me wonders. The eggs were poached perfectly, and I even think the hash browns are on the better side of what I’ve tried in Chicago. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were frozen to begin with, but at least they were seasoned appropriately. My friend ordered some crunchy blueberry pancake thing. I’m not really ever a fan of ordering pancakes when I eat out, and they further prove my point.
Service was quick, and our waiter was very friendly. He could tell we were in a bit of a hurry, and he accommodated us no problem. I’ll definitely go back, but I still want to try some of the café’s competitors in that area.

We had a wonderful beef burger and a turkey burger for $ 7 ea. Lots of tiny, perfect french fries for me and a lovely substitute salad for my friend. Service from Andy was professional, friendly and fast.
Salads at the table next to us looked large and excellent. I’ll explore the mid-​price entrees next time.

Perhaps after a few more visits, and when I’m not in a rush to get back to the office, I can provide a more well rounded critique. Until then, I recommend that you get into that apple and pear salad. I had that salad and I found myself thinking about it at various times during the day. And I don’t sit around contemplating spinach like that, so you know it had to be good. I even tried to duplicate it at home, but my handy work just didn’t make me smile like Spring Café’s did.
Eventually, I will try other items. But I had to give that salad a thumbs up on its own.

The huge, night red awning of Spring Café initially drew my attention as I rode down Clark St, and I commented that this was a place I wanted to try. Sunday bunch time, on a beautifully sunny day seemed like a perfect chance. We were promptly seated outside, quickly brought coffee and waters and again were quickly attended to for making our food order
I chose the Sassy Eggs simply based on the numerous Unilocal reviews. Let me say that this is probably the best egg brunch dish that I have ever had! Yes! No joke! It was chorizo and potatoes topped with two eggs (I had them cooked over-​medium), cheese and a bit of green sauce. The combination of spices and flavors created a perfect blend of food. The portion was a very good size, enough to share (unless your inner gluttony takes over and you can’t stop eating the entire dish).
My companion had the breakfast burrito + bacon. It tasted like a deconstructed BLT with eggs. I liked it as well.
The inside is clean, fresh, and was full of your typical brunch attendees who live in the area — couples, small groups, and some families.
Definitely get Spring Café onto your list. I’m guessing the wait times at this fantastic place are much less, if none, compared to the other popular joints in the area — until the word spreads!

I’ve been to Spring Café twice now for brunch, and I’ll probably be back. I’d like to give it a 3.5 rating, as it’s not outstandingly different as far as food goes, but it’s good. One of the big draws for this place is that it is not very busy. I don’t know if it’s because of the proximity of other brunch options (notably Orange just down the street) or the lackluster reviews, but the two late Sunday mornings I’ve been here, I haven’t had to wait at all. It’s been a good place to meet up with a number of friends coming from different parts of the city.
The food is good, and the atmosphere is bright and clean feeling. I’ve ordered the Sassy eggs and the Smoked salmon along with coffee and mimosas, and I definitely recommend the Sassy eggs. There’s lots of flavor with the chorizo, guacamole green sauce, which is kind of lime-​y. The smoked salmon was nice on a bagel with capers and slice tomato and red onion on the side. It’s not particularly special, but it’s somewhat light and fresh. Also, notice the plural for the mimosas — they are only $ 3, so it’s not bad to get more than one. Most of the breakfast items range from about $ 8-​$ 12, and portions are just fine. I didn’t go home with leftovers, but I felt satisfied.
Only about a third of the menu is brunch/​breakfast items, so I can’t really comment too much on the lunch and dinner menu. There is a full bar, and the menu includes options like salmon and steak. There are white table cloths and outdoor seating, so I think it could make for a nice lunch or dinner too.
The service is friendly. Both times I had had the same, nice waitress who kindly took a picture of my group when we asked (it was a birthday and we had a sort of college friend reunion!). She was a little bit forgetful — had to remind her about two friends’ drink orders to get them — but she apologized at the end that the second waitperson wasn’t there in the beginning.
I say, if you’re doubting because of the other reviews, give Spring Café a try anyway. You might be pleasantly surprised.

The «meh» reviews were a bit of a turnoff, but 6 of us got together here, tempted by a) proximity to the zoo and b) brunch not in Andersonville.
(…and $ 3 mimosas)
Brunch choices were $ 10 – 12 across the board. No complaints about the portion size so maybe just avoid that frittata. I got the sassy eggs (which are pretty great if you’re a fan of eggs smothered in STUFF — I am.) and couldn’t finish the accompanying toast. Friends’ coffee smelled lovely.
Our server and host were SUPER friendly and went out of their way to accommodate us:
— We were annoying and had the check split eighteen and a half different ways.
— Our party arrived across a half hour span, during which everyone was asked what drinks they wanted and provided with mimosas, coffee, and water promptly.
— Everyone’s food came at roughly the same time. 6 of us! awesome!
— It was our friend’s birthday and they brought out a big slice of chocolate cake afterward and plates for us to all partake.
— Two of us went back in 20 minutes after leaving and asked if we could use the restroom, and we got no dirty looks.
On a Sunday, at noon, Spring Café was decidedly NOT crowded. I’m surprised. Dinner takes up half the menu, but Spring Café still feels «brunchy» because of its sunny yellow walls and pleasant décor. Flatscreen TV’s were tuned in to the soccer game, which for some reason also feels brunchy. The high ceilings make this place feel huge.
It’s a solid option if you’re in the neighborhood and/​or wanting a nice, relaxed weekend brunch with no wait and no one rushing you out.

As I write my review, I can’t help wondering if this is one of those «hit or miss» places. I usually agree with Rick T. on his assessments of restaurants so I’m writing my review specifically based on my experience. As it should be, I know, I know.
Spring Café has been open for a couple of months and I’d been toying with the thought of stopping in for a while. What took so long? Well, their outdoor seating is minimal, though they do have a few tables, and I wasn’t certain about their «doggy as al fresco companion» policy. I’d sort of loiter around outside with my dog, hoping someone would see us but no one ever seemed to come outside so I passed until I happened to venture out sans Jilly Bean one day.
I was seated (by the open window — nice breeze!) immediately and my server was attentive without being intrusive. I always think «hm» when a menu doesn’t seem to have a specific focus; I’d rather see a restaurant do a few things exceptionally well than try to do everything (quality usually suffers).
Granted, I chose an easy-​to-​please dish but I find it very interesting that so many others complained about portion sizes and quality. I ordered the chicken quesadillas (served with all the accoutrements, including a just-​right portion of pico de gallo) and was stuffed at the end of my meal! I don’t remember the exact price of my meal (it’s been a couple of weeks since I ate there) but I do remember thinking «hm, not bad!»
I trust Rick T’s reviews so I doubt I’ll bother with breakfast at Spring, but, once they work out their newness and get acclimated to the neighborhood vibe, I think this could be a good place to relax and enjoy the Clark Street people-​watching.

I had a great outdoor lunch here on a Sunday. There were open tables outside about noon and we were able to park our bikes right next to our table. The inside appears to be on the fancier side but everyone was dressed casually. The menu had a good variety of lunch options and the chopped salad which I had was delicious. They bring you fresh warm bread when you sit down and my water glass was never empty. Would definitely recommend this for a nice lunch!

Ok, so I get that the place does have a bit of a split personality disorder. There are cloth napkins and EPSN on the big screen, I don’t get it.
On the other hand, I have eaten here 3 – 4 times and the service is always great, the salmon is so delicious and their soups are really good as well. I have only had dinner here, so I don’t know anything about the quality of the breakfast food. Its true, there is no wait ever, which always makes me wonder in Chicago, but as you’re facing an hour and a half to eat, you may reconsider.

I am so glad I stopped in tonight for dinner!
This neck of the woods has lots of bars, but not half as many places to grab a nice bite to eat and catch up with a friend. Spring Café is a welcome addition. They have soups/​salads, burgers, entrees, pizzas etc. and a nice, but casual, atmosphere.
While we dined the owner was in the house, Hans, and was keeping a close eye over his patrons. We ordered chicken parmesan and spinach salad with goat cheese. The wine list was perfect — who doesn’t love a $ 6 glass in Lincoln Park?
I’ll be back. Especially on a weekend — you can’t beat this location for a great meal before hanging out in the neighborhood.

Creative and mouth watering menu. Omelets in inventive varieties i’d never have thought to think of. Great portion sizes that allow you to finish your plate without wanting to purge afterwords. Great pricing!
INCREDIBLE Bloody Mary’s.
Cute Trendy atmosphere prompt and friendly service.
Full Bar is a plus!

Not wanting to wait anywhere for brunch, the boyfriend and I came in to try it out. I would agree with past reviews, definitely an identity crisis going on here. Some things just don’t match up. That being said, the service was great. I ordered the sassy eggs and my boyfriend won the better order with his omelet. He loved it, and the breakfast potatoes it came with looked awesome. Mine was just ok, I had been anticipating more flavor. The bf also had the blueberry granola pancakes with pecans which were good, but could have used more blueberries. They have an extensive menu and I could see lunch being pretty good as well. It was also well-​priced, definitely less expensive than most brunch places in the area.

I sure liked my pizza-​my wife sure liked her eggs benedict– but too many chairs too close together. I’ll be back often I hope
M

I had high hopes for Spring Café. I would have loved if it were my new go-​to neighborhood breakfast spot, but alas it is not. My first and only experience doesn’t have me itching to return; while my experience wasn’t stellar, it wasn’t a disaster either. Here’s what they got right:
1) Service. My server was awesome; attentive and friendly, I wanted for nothing.
2) Décor. Golden Cup was your average Greek diner through and through — average food and average décor. Spring Café has done a pretty good job erasing all traces of a diner and opening a simple, but nice restaurant. From the pale yellow walls, nicely tiled floor, to the dark wood tables and chairs — the space feels classier; smaller somehow, but classier.
3) Beverages. While I don’t drink coffee, I couldn’t help but notice the long list of coffees on their chalkboard menu. They also have espresso and a full bar, including mimosas and bloody marys during brunch.
4) Food. My breakfast potatoes were quite good, I would order these again.
Here’s where Spring Café needs some work:
1) Service. While my service was spot on, the rest of the crew seemed a little aimless; friendly, but aimless. While I appreciated their concern, I was asked several times if I needed a menu or had been helped. I had and this made the whole operation seem disorganized.
2) Music. For the love of all things holy, please find a new radio station. I felt trapped in an episode of the show Taxi. Think:
3) Décor. Why the TVs? Completely unnecessary in my opinion, especially if you’re going for something more upmarket than a diner. Their only redeeming value was their potential to drown out the smooth jazz hell I was stuck in.
4) Food. As an egg-​hater, I was lukewarm on the menu, but opted for the mango pancakes; I had two main issues with this dish. First, I was expecting mango-​filled pancakes, rather than the jarred strips of mango on top. Second, it’s a risky decision to add syrup to the dish for the diner. How one eats their pancakes is a lot like how one drinks their coffee — it’s a personal decision, not one to be guessed or dictated by the kitchen. By the time I made it through my pancakes the syrup had been soaked up like a sponge making them brittle.
5) Plating. Both of my dishes were too big for their plates. I love square plates, but not when I have to eat my meal gingerly to avoid sending food onto the table.
6) Timing. The kitchen’s timing needs to work; my server brought my potatoes and a random, unexpected side of toast because he feared they’d get cold waiting for my pancakes.
7) Prices. New restaurants have kinks, but one thing they need to ensure is that they’re charging their customers stated prices. The price of a side of potatoes was wrong in the register — 60% more than it should have been. Once I pointed it out, my superstar server was quick to address it and eventually removed it from my bill when they couldn’t easily adjust the computer.
While 2.5 stars may sound harsh for a new place, it seems fair. Spring Café has potential; if they can work out the kinks and tighten up the execution of the menu, I can see myself making a return appearance.