Tempo Café in Chicago is best known for its three-egg omelets. This local hot spot serves breakfast, lunch and dinner round the clock. Omelets, the cafés signature dish, are served in silver skillets on wooden trivets.

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Tempo Café is a light and airy coffee shop in an extremely casual setting. This cafe is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This Chicago restaurant has a simple nautical themed décor with oak accents and tile flooring. The fairly large dining area has a number of comfy booths, around 30 tables and a large patio seating. This clean and bright Chicago restaurant is bustling with diners most of the time. While reservations are not available in this café, priority seating is available. We asked The Peninsula, the hotel we were staying in to call ahead and put us on the list so that by the time we made the ten minute walk to the Café, we would be seated immediately.
Tempo Café’s cuisine is simple and straightforward. Different varieties of three-egg omelets, fluffy pancakes and fresh hand-made hash browns are the crowd pullers in this Chicago restaurant. The menu also offers regular fare such as salads, soups, sandwiches, hot dinners, seafood and stir fries. Also on offer are a handful of 'Waist Watcher' meals for those counting their calories. The beverages list includes coffee, latte, cappuccino and fruit and vegetable juices.

I ordered the Poor Man's Skillet while my partner opted for the Morning Glory Special. The Poor Man’s Skillet was full of hash browns, ham, green pepper and onions, first topped with melted American, mozzarella, cheddar and Swiss cheese and then topped with a personal choice of three eggs. The Morning Glory Special consisted of a trio of fresh strawberries, bananas and blueberries combined with a choice of pancakes, French toast or waffles. My partner chose the pancakes, so his order consisted of one blueberry pancake, one banana pancake and one pancake on top of each other with strawberries on top. Even though the food was good, it definitely lacked that wow factor. However, serving portions were quite generous.

Service was slow but fairly attentive in this Chicago restaurant. While the food lacked any distinct flavor, Tempo Café is a great place to have breakfast. The prices are quite practical considering the size of the portions. Overall, Tempo Café is a safe bet for having breakfast.

What I liked: The reasonable pricing and the generous portions

What I didn’t like: The not so impressive food

Rating: Between Bombastic and Not
Address and Telephone Number:
Tempo Café
6 E Chestnut St
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 943-4373
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