South Shore breakfast recommendation?

I'm running a race that ends at the South Shore Cultural Center this weekend, so I'm thinking I'll do some food crawling while I'm down there. I want to go to That's-A-Burger, but they don't open until 11am, and I will probably want something to eat before then. I like the ring of breakfast from Give Me Some Sugah also on 71st (anyone been?) followed by lunch from That's-A-Burger--sounds like a food musical--but I'd also like the option of a sit-down, hot breakfast. Suggestions for a place that will be open by 9:30-10am on a Saturday?

I don't want to go too far from that stretch of 71st. I'll have a bike, but I'll already have biked down to South Shore from UK Village and run a half marathon.

happy_stomach wrote:I'm running a race that ends at the South Shore Cultural Center this weekend ... I want to go to That's-A-Burger … but I'd also like the option of a sit-down, hot breakfast. Suggestions for a place that will be open by 9:30-10am on a Saturday? I don't want to go too far from that stretch of 71st.

It's too bad 5 Loaves Eatery moved; that might have been perfect. It used to be at 71st & Exchange, right across from SSCC's gate, but is now at 75th & King.

My Soul Café (warning: website has obnoxious music) is very close—72nd & Exchange—but it looks like their breakfast offerings are pretty minimal. Probably a pleasant place to sit though. I've been meaning to stop in to try their house-roasted Jamaican coffee that I've heard good things about.

Maybe your best bet would be L&G Family Restaurant, four blocks south on Exchange, another one I haven't visited. It looks like a comfortable 1960s naugahyde-and-formica luncheonette. Eggs with corned beef hash or salmon patties, grits, patty melts and hot meatloaf sandwiches—you know the sort of place.

5 Loaves Eatery
405 E 75th St
Chicago
773-891-2889

My Soul Café
7201 S Exchange Av
Chicago
773-336-8592

L&G Family Restaurant
7464 S Exchange Av
Chicago
773-374-3098

Rene G wrote:Maybe your best bet would be L&G Family Restaurant, four blocks south on Exchange, another one I haven't visited. It looks like a comfortable 1960s naugahyde-and-formica luncheonette. Eggs with corned beef hash or salmon patties, grits, patty melts and hot meatloaf sandwiches—you know the sort of place.

I like the idea of eggs and corned beef hash at a counter. It should be a nice prelude to That's-A-Burger. I'll report back. Thank you.

I did quite well for myself in South Shore today. This was all eaten before noon, so I think it's fair to call it breakfast.

First, I stopped into L & G Restaurant. This was clearly the place to be on a Saturday morning. The space is large, yet there was a wait for tables, and I had to wait briefly for one spot at the counter. They also seemed to be doing a brisk take-out business. Not a destination but perfectly pleasant. Service was efficient and friendly. Due to a miscommunication, I only got a side of corned beef hash and an OJ, and I was too embarrassed to see about my two eggs and grits knowing I was having breakfast #2 at That's-A-Burger. The hash was straightforward and hit the spot.



Next, I walked to That's-A-Burger and ordered a cheeseburger with everything. This was very delicious and crave-worthy. The loosely packed patty was fantastic, made me wish I had ordered a double. The fries were excellent, too. They had some crispness straight from the bag, but by the time I dug into the rest of it at the South Shore Metra station, the fries were completely limp. No problem. Here, too, it was pretty remarkable how friendly service was. You know a place is run by nice people when they're able to exude welcome and warmth from behind bullet-proof glass.



Finally, I stopped at Give Me Some Sugah, a cafe just up 71st that opened about three years ago. This place, too, was awesome. Here are their offerings today:



I honestly did not intend to buy anything for myself here. I just wanted to get a treat for my brother-in-law, but everything looked so good that I couldn't decline a sample of their potato chip-pecan cookie. This is the best way to spend $1.25 in Chicago. I've had my share of potato chip cookies in my life, but GMSS's is buttery and full of pecans and potato chips...silly good.



I got a walnut sticky bun for my brother-in-law. It looks fantastic.



There's seating for four inside, and GMSS serves SenTeaMental Moods tea, which I've had at the Logan Square Farmers Market and enjoy when I'm in the mood for tisanes. I actually walked out of GMSS and then turned around and went back in to get an hibiscus iced tea. It was excellent--no need for sweetener--and at $1.50, a reminder not to give any more of my money to overpriced Argo Tea.

L&G Family Restaurant
7464 S Exchange Ave
Chicago
773-374-3098

That's-A-Burger
2134 E 71st St
Chicago, IL 60649-2116
773-493-2080

Give Me Some Sugah
2234 E 71st St
Chicago, IL 60649-2522
773-363-9330
http://givemesomesugah.com/default.aspx

GMSS looks really good, although all I wanted after finishing that half marathon was about a gallon of Gatorade! I'll have to bike back down to 71st street later this summer and check it out.

Fujisan wrote:GMSS looks really good, although all I wanted after finishing that half marathon was about a gallon of Gatorade! I'll have to bike back down to 71st street later this summer and check it out.

I'm glad you finished OK. What a b*!tch of a race. I was just past mile 11 when they black-flagged the course and told us to stop running, but I didn't like that, so I booked it to the end (didn't know until I crossed the finish that a runner had died). A Michelob Ultra and slice of Lou Malnati's was just not at all going to be an acceptable end to that morning.

It's too bad the September Chicago Half Marathon is on a Sunday; that'd be another easy opportunity for a That's-A-Burger-Give Me Some Sugah one-two punch. But GMSS is closed on Sundays. Definitely worth a bike ride.

Bump. Any new recs for a South Shore breakfast? Has to be open Sundays. Two of my races this month end in Hyde Park and SS (Chicago Half or CARA 20-Miler, anyone?). I'll have my bike from Hyde Park, but I'll be on foot from the SS Cultural Center for the other race. Did the pie people find anything open on Sundays?

Thanks for posting a report on your earlier visit. I had no idea L&G would be so crowded but am happy to hear it worked out okay. If you get back to That's-A-Burger don't overlook the turkey burgers. I'm not generally a fan of minced fowl patties but think T-A-B does a great job with them (I get mine with Swiss, grilled onion, mustard and pickles). Based on your recommendation I tried a potato chip cookie from Give Me Some Sugah and thought it excellent (this coming from a non-cookie-lover).

happy_stomach wrote:Bump. Any new recs for a South Shore breakfast? Has to be open Sundays. Two of my races this month end in Hyde Park and SS (Chicago Half or CARA 20-Miler, anyone?). I'll have my bike from Hyde Park, but I'll be on foot from the SS Cultural Center for the other race. Did the pie people find anything open on Sundays?

My Soul Café, which I mentioned above, is gone for good. A couple months ago I saw them carrying out the last pieces of furniture and more recently I noticed new signs in the widows for [Someone]'s Café. I know nothing about it. I guess I'll never get a chance to try My Soul's house-roasted Jamaican coffee.

An interesting place not too far from South Shore Cultural Center is Yah's Cuisine (75th & Yates), a vegan soul food restaurant. That stretch of 75th isn't terribly inviting but inside it's very friendly and the food is surprisingly good. I hope to write more about Yah's one of these days. I think they now offer some breakfast dishes but don't open on Sunday until 10. Not sure if that's any help. What time do you plan on eating?

Right next door to Give Me Some Sugah on 71st is a branch of Quench!, the local no-pork, no-beef, sorta-fast-food mini-chain. I haven't eaten at the South Shore one but imagine you could do a lot worse. I don't think they open on Sunday until 11 and there's no breakfast menu.

For Sunday breakfast in Hyde Park I'd recommend Valois (53rd & Lake Park), one of the last Greek-owned steam table cafeterias. Slide your tray down the line and see your food. You won't find anything exotic here, just the breakfast standards, cooked to order, done well. A sign at the beginning of the line touts Obama's (supposed) breakfast favorites: steak & eggs, egg whites & sausage, pancakes & eggs.

Another good choice would be Original Pancake House (51st & Lake Park) but you can get their (very good) food elsewhere around the city and suburbs, not to mention across the country. I hear they serve buckwheat pancakes.

Mellow Yellow (named back in the '70s with Donovan's consent!) is almost next door to Valois. I haven't eaten there for ages (maybe that's saying something?) but they have an extensive breakfast menu including chicken and waffles.

You might want to stop at Bonjour Café (55th & Lake Park) to get a snack of French pastries before breakfast, or as dessert after (or both). Bonjour now has a small breakfast menu of omelets etc so you could take care of everything all in one stop.

My Soul Café (closed)
now [??]'s Café
7201 S Exchange Av
Chicago

Yah's Cuisine
2347 E 75th St
Chicago
773-759-8517

Quench!
2236 E 71st St
Chicago
773-493-7685

Valois
1518 E 53rd St
Chicago
773-667-0647

Original Pancake House
1517 E Hyde Park Blvd (51st St)
Chicago
773-288-2322

Mellow Yellow
1508 E 53rd St
Chicago
773-667-2000

Bonjour Café
1550 E 55th St
Chicago
773-241-5300

I'll add - http://www.medici57.com/ - to the Hyde Park portion of the list.
Medici On 57th
1327 E 57th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 667-7394

Rene G wrote:Mellow Yellow (named back in the '70s with Donovan's consent!) is almost next door to Valois. I haven't eaten there for ages (maybe that's saying something?) but they have an extensive breakfast menu including chicken and waffles.

Thanks for the great collection and commentary. I give Mellow Yellow one try per year and just can't recommend it - in addition to sloppily prepared food, the ventilation in the place is non-existent, so it's always hot, rushed, and unpleasant in my experiences.

The Medici is currently touting breakfast service starting at 7 AM. I think the competition with Z&H 57th (reflected by some fun flyers inside of both places) has been mutually beneficial, with some great specials and sandwiches popping up at the Med lately. I do think the Med croissants have slipped in the past year - consistently underdone and bready, even if the great butter and bittersweet chocolate flavors are there.

Thanks, guys.

For South Shore, I just realized That's-A-Burger is also closed on Sundays. I'm very disappointed that that won't be part of breakfast! Yah's sounds interesting though, and even if I run my fastest time, they should be open once I collect my belongings and walk over. I'm probably not likely to visit any place that opens after 11am unless for a second breakfast, only because it will be hard to wait that long without a meal.

Re: Hyde Park, I've actually eaten at all of the recommended places except the Original Pancake House. It's not unique to Hyde Park, but I may end up there since I have been craving pancakes since that buckwheat thread. I've never had anything that I've really liked at the Medici (and their sticky buns have been slipping, too). Perhaps, I should give their sit-down breakfast a shot.

I'll report back. Thanks, again.

I had to skip breakfast in Hyde Park to get to a meeting up north after that race.

This morning, I walked to Yah's after running 20 miles in the rain, and it was closed. The space was dark but didn't look broken down, and the posted hours still say they open at 10am on Sundays. I was too brain dead after running to consider other nearby lunch options, so I'm going to Chinatown after a shower. I hope Yah's is OK.

happy_stomach wrote:This morning, I walked to Yah's after running 20 miles in the rain, and it was closed. The space was dark but didn't look broken down, and the posted hours still say they open at 10am on Sundays. I was too brain dead after running to consider other nearby lunch options, so I'm going to Chinatown after a shower. I hope Yah's is OK.

Oh, that's really too bad. Just what you didn't need after your run this morning—a long walk for no food. I double-checked a card that the owner herself wrote out for me two weeks ago. A 10am opening time on Sunday should be correct. I ate at Yah's only three days ago and things seemed normal (though I didn't see the owner). Their website is now nonfunctional (I had been told they would redo it soon) and a phone call a few minutes ago went directly to voice mail. I don't know what the story is.

The walk was actually not far (at least compared to running from Wilson to the South Shore Cultural Center). I was only disappointed I didn't get to eat there. A detail I just remembered--I didn't take a picture because it was raining pretty hard when I got to Yah's, but I noticed a sign on the front door advertising stepping lessons. It would be very cool if a vegan soul food restaurant doubled as a stepping studio, less cool--I suppose--if Yah's has been replaced by a dance school.