Best Brunch Restaurants In Chicago

You can hold on to this list of brunch ideas for Mother's Day, but you don't have to wait until then to go somewhere fun or special. Chicago being the foodie town it is has restaurants that specialize in different cuisines even on morning menus. However, if looking for somewhere yummy for breakfast or that later start of the day with brunch, then consider these five popular places even though their reputation may mean a wait. The restaurants vary from high end to neighborhood casual but they understand allergies, their food is delish and going to any of them is an experience.

The Signature Room At The 95th
875 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 787-9596
www.signatureroom.com

Go the The Signature Room atop the John Hancock Center for the view. Stay for the food. Arguably, at $50 for adults and $25 for youngsters under 12, brunch here costs more than neighborhood places. But diners have a million dollar view of Lake Michigan and the Chicago shoreline and brunch is really a full, gourmet meal. It starts with yogurt and granola parfaits, seafood, cheeses and lots more tasty bites. Then, move on to such entrees as steak and eggs, chocolate Belgian waffle, omelets, lamb, chicken and vegetarian dishes. Definitely leave room for the dessert buffet where you find pastries, ice cream treats and other sweets. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended.

Pierrot Gourmet
108 E. Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 573-6749
www.chicago.peninsula.com

Pierrot Gourmet will be a double surprise. Even though it has a Chicago Peninsula Hotel address, it sits west of the hotel entrance at Superior and Rush Street. It is French rather than reflecting the hotel's roots. Walk into a warm, atmospheric cafe/patisserie that could comfortably sit in Leon, Paris or a French wine region. Breakfast is typically scrambled eggs with oven-dried tomatoes or Gruyere cheese, or a biscuit with brie, jam and chicken sausage. Or it could be a popover with asparagus and poached eggs with a sweet potato hash. But there are also brunch specials of quiche Lorraine or Provencal, brioche French toast with berries and flatbread with smoked salmon or ham. Hungry yet? Brunch is 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No reservations.

Lula Cafe
2537 N. Kedzie Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-9554
www.lulacafe.com

From its unassuming beginnings in a a single storefront in 1999, Lula Cafe has grown across a three-store space to become an institution in the Logan Square neighborhood. Farm fresh is the cafe's mantra, as is adding new and experimental dishes to the menu. You still can get good old standbys such as a lox plate or two eggs any style and pastries. But the cafe also dishes up pork shoulder with roast carrots, rice grits and a really hard boiled egg or a breakfast sandwich of braised bacon and turkey leg confit with a sunny-side egg and gruyere cheese or gingerbread French toast or duck egg with sweet potatoes for brunch. Breakfast/brunch goes from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily except when closed on Tuesday. No reservations.

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Ann Sather
909 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-2378
www.annsather.com

It's hard to talk about breakfast without mentioning Ann Sather's famed cinnamon rolls. But the restaurant also does lots of variations on eggs done as Benedict, omelets and breakfast wraps. Ann Sather started as a Swedish restaurant so you can also get Swedish pancakes with lingon berries, Swedish meatballs and Swedish waffles. The restaurant has three Chicago locations — the original place on Belmont in the Lakeview neighborhood, a cafe on Broadway and one on Granville. The place with the most atmosphere is the Belmont location, which feels warm and friendly. Breakfast is available from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. through 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. No reservations unless a large party.

Cafe Selmarie
4729 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 989-5595
cafeselmarie.com

If you see a line out the door at a corner in Lincoln Square it is likely to be folks waiting to do brunch at Cafe Selmarie. The best plan is to go early, put your name in, then check out its bakery for goodies to take home or work off breakfast ahead of time by walking around Lincoln Square until the ten or 15 minutes they told you are up. Selmarie does its own granola, but you should try its cinnamon roll griddle cakes, bourbon-cherry french toast or a scrambled egg dish with mozzarella, pesto and apple and gouda chicken sausage. This is a Ravenswood neighborhood place that attracts diners from across Chicago and suburbs. Breakfast is served from 8 to 11 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The cafe is open Monday for lunch at 11 a.m. There's no reservations, but call if interested in wait time.

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Jodie Jacobs is a veteran journalist who loves writing about Chicago, art, theater, museums and travel. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.