Bite Cafe
| Address: | 1039 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, USA |
| Phone: | +1 773-395-2483 |
| Site: | bitecafechicago.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 9AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 9AM–1AM 8AM–1AM 8AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
VA
Valery Stanley
"Meh. Ive experienced better." - thats right - "Meh." is all Ive got for the new Bite. Yes, the new decor is very nice, the matching chairs and lamps, the renovated "bar" area. Its all very very nice. But thats about it, Bite has no character, no spark, no bite. Now, its just another regular breakfast place with an absolutely regular, boring menu options, that are not even cheap anymore. I dont know/care whose idea it was to remodel and revamp the old Bite. Maybe it was the new management, maybe the hipster clients werent leaving enough tips, who knows... All I know, is this - no longer will I proudly bring any visiting family members, numerous couch surfers, and unaware friends to this regular boring cafe. Sure, change is good, but not when it turns an original, eclectic, fun, tasty and cheap neighborhood staple into a "Meh". Looks like the management is following up some of the negative reviews with a "give us a chance to get on our feet", but what could they do? Are they gonna replace the uniform printed menus with the old book covers? Are they gonna bring back the original breakfast items to replace the totally blah sweet potato hash and poutine? I dont think so. If the place is not smashing on the opening day, or weekend, its done. Everyone knows that restaurants and cafes only go down in awesomeness with time, not up. I wish the new Bite the best of luck, Im not sure how they are going to attract the polished clientele that they new slick decor calls for, but I doubt that the regulars, hipsters or not, will return for the second try.
ZO
Zorin Dobson
My favorite place for breakfast ever! It is a cozy little cafe that is amazing for being BYOB. The baby blue chairs accent the unassuming and comfortable little cafe. I really went because of the menu though, one item in particular. The pork hash. The pork shoulder was braised to be very tender and had the nice bite of a bit of vinegar that I love in a pork shoulder. It reminds me of when my great grandmother made pork shoulder. Two of my favorite vegetables also made an appearance in the hash, kholrabi and brussel sprouts. When you top everything with the spicy hollandaise, you end up with a dish of pure bliss. The menu describes a crispy sourdough that accompanies it but the toast being under the mounds of hash doesnt remain crisp. This is not to say that the toast isnt tasty as a matter of fact I do like it being underneath to soak up the hollandaise sauce an runny egg yolks. The crowning achievement of the place was the mashbrown. It is one of those taste to believe it things but I think it is one of the best hashbrowns Ive ever tasted. It is crisp and has creamy mashed potatoes on the inside and a nice bit of onion flavor from scallions.
CA
cat gill
I give it two stars for the Calamari and the Beef Tip which were excellent. The service was terrible. The first waitress was so bland as was most of the food we had last evening. We ate and there were empty tables around and when we finished and were just visiting with friends we were told they needed the table. A BYOB place. and that we could go next door to a dilapidated room to hang out. We each dropped 50 dollars. If it was busy we would have had the class to give up the table without being asked but they did not have the class to let us sit for awhile. Im 65. Ive lived in Chicago all my life and never once in all my time was I asked to leave a table. And the other peeve I had was you walk through a small kitchen to the restroom. It was messy and also there was bowls of food I passed. I hope nobody sneezed on it. I mentioned it to a friend this morning and he ate at the restaurant and said they had to wait for their dishes and they finally left. He hated it. That did not happen to us. Is this the new service that has come into being, "the lack of consideration and grace." Yuk.
MO
Monica Kumar
My friend and I had went here for Brunch during weekday. Parking was convenient and free. Outside it is clean and simple with one big window. Inside everything was quiet, clean, cozy and just enough lightning, not harsh. Only four star due to service was not the best despite I was the first one present. The lady at the counter was not on her toes every second and took her time with everyone. On the up side, food was delicious! and would def come back here. We had the Bi Bim Bop (Farro, Mushrooms, Squash Zucchini, Shaved Brussels, Green Curry Vinaigrette, Pepitas, Fried Tofu, sans Sunny Egg, Sesame Chili Sauce on side) and Summer Salad (Butter Lettuce, Asparagus, Spring Onion, Candied Olives, Shaved Carrots, Hazelnuts, Fresh Mint, Salad Cream). Both were fantastic and presented very pretty. This place is great for a brunch date. They offer variety of coffees such as Dark Matter Bite Blend and Dark Matter Chocolate City Iced Coffee.
IJ
Ijun Lai
Came here for brunch because its close to my friends place and he really wanted to check it out. The hostess was very nice but said she couldnt give me a time estimate until our whole party was there. The last friend straggled in 15 minutes after us which I meant I was getting hangry. I notified the hostess and then waited on the bench by the pool table. I wish they could move the pool table a bit more into the center of the room because having peoples butt in your face and dodging pool sticks is not a good combo when someone is hangry. I should have known better and brought a granola bar. We were seated about 15 minutes later, not too bad of a wait. I got the pork hash and loved it. My friends got eggs benedict and something like a reuben. Both good, but pork has was definitely the best dish out of the three.
A
A Private User
I used to live mere blocks away from Bite & ate there about once a week; now that I live across town I only get to go about once per month. The menu never disappoints on either selection or deliciousness, their daily specials are divine, and the CHEESECAKE, my gods, the CHEESECAKE... The waitstaff has remained the same since I started eating here, & though they get overwhelmed during rushes (Sun. brunch is the worst), the service is always top notch. The rough brick walls display artwork featuring a rotating variety of artists. Regardless whether youre vegan, veggie, or omnivorous, there is something delicious here for you. Oh, and I also like thats its BYOB. ^_^
EL
Elijah Litscher
Bite is a charming spot for brunch and dinner with solidly good food at a decent price. Its BYO but connected to Empty Bottle so you can work over and get a drink at EB and bring it back to the restaurant. Their daily dinner specials are always on point - the Sunday Beef Stroganoff is one of the best comfort food meals Ive had in the city. For brunch, the breakfast poutine and challah french toast are solid choices and my pregnant wife has raved about the milkshakes. The only downside is they will try to seat you at Empty Bottle if Bite is crowded, which is a decidedly different experience. The service at the bar seems rushed and unfriendly.
