Tempo Café
6 East Chestnut St.
Chicago, IL
Visited August 19, 2010
Beer selection: None
Food: Gourmet 24 Hour Diner Food
Every city needs a place like the Tempo Café.
What Denny’s or Waffle House are to small town America, the Tempo Café is to the big, bustling, sophisticated city of Chicago.
A place where you can get an over-stuffed omelet and an endless cup of coffee 24 hours a day to cure whatever may ail you.
But as much as the Windy City is one of my favorite big cities in America, the Tempo Café is no Denny’s or Waffle House.
No. As a true reflection of the city it serves, the Tempo is, dare I say, gourmet hangover food.
Every glass of orange juice is hand-squeezed.
The omelets come with such exotic choices from broccoli-ham-mushroom-tomato to banana-walnut-honey.
You can also get skillets piled high with hash browns, ham, onions, green peppers, and multiple types of cheese that puts your local Denny’s to shame.
And while I wasn’t hungover, I was hungry.
So I chose ‘The Omni’ – a delicious omelet with ham, green peppers, onions, Swiss cheese, and American cheese, served in a skillet over a pile of homefried potatoes. I couldn’t even contemplate finishing it all.
And just to make sure no one confuses this place with Denny’s, each breakfast comes with an orange slice, a prune, two slices of sesame seed Greek toast with fresh butter and homemade marmalade, and a tall glass of hand-squeezed orange juice.
All for about $12, including tax.
Heck, I’ve had pints of beer in this city that cost more than $12 bucks!
A bargain meal in a city that is otherwise no bargain is what packs them in 24 hours a day.
Cops and crooks. Preachers and pimps. Teetotalers and drunks. Suits and sandals.
They all have one thing in common – they appreciate a good, hearty breakfast to greet the rising sun. Whether they’re just waking up or finally heading to bed.
You can find them all here.
So the next time you’re in Chicago, the Tempo Café is a must. Your stomach and wallet deserve no less.
Rating: Seriously Thought About Buying Shirt
