Reviews of Meli Cafe (Coffee Shop)

Jose Gomez

First time there and it was very delicious, service is excellent. Definitely love to go back!

Stephanie Ciupka

Great food and juices. Loved the jalapeno bowl and the ginger carrot juice. They also serve alcohol. I almost don't want to leave a review because I don't want people to find out that this place is better than Yolk (and way less busy!). Only complaint is last time the service was quite slow, especially when we first arrived. I watched the pitcher of coffee sit there or be carried to other tables for a long time before it got to me... But other time the service has been fine, so I would definitely still recommend.

Raed Mansour

Upscale all day breakfast and lunch cafe, very attentive staff and bar. Several vegan options like pancakes and scrambled tofu. Outdoor seating is nice, no parking but just a couple minute walk off of the Brown, Pink, Blue, Red, Purple and Orange L at the Harold Washington Library.

Rochelle Petty

The food was really good! I would definitely go back again

Reethu Chowdary Gundavarapu

Good food but not the best I've ever eaten in Chicago. I had a symphony crepe which is not that great as everyone has described it but maybe it's just my taste buds! Too sweet.

Jim Long

Staff are friendly and spot on. Diverse menu with many options. Our family has had a great time on every visit.

Young J

Great place to have brunch. Price and food was OK. Service great too. Their chicken and waffles is more like chicken nuggets and waffles however. Get the omelet instead

Clarence Archibald

Very nice place to eat in downtown Chicago. Best omelette I've ever had. No exaggeration! Service was excellent too.

Mark Asmus

Great food and fruit beverages.

yashaun jones

Whenever I come to Chicago I will definitely stop in for a bite. The people, the food, and the smiles make it worth it.

Edwin Avila

Great breakfast choices.

Alicia Montez

I have to say there were more than a couple bites of food that made my eyes involuntarily closed the taste was that exceptional.

Jamie Castro

Meli Cafe describes their establishment this way: It is "a neighborhood restaurant, cafe, and juice bar where locals meet in Greek Town, River North and Printers Row. Our menu is filled with farm-to-table dishes, hormone and antibiotic free meat, fresh squeezed juice, and legendary homemade marmalade."I have to agree that this is a very nice restaurant with great food, friendly service, large portions and reasonable prices. On the south side of the downtown loop, it was an easy 7 block walk from the hotel we were staying at to the Dearborn St. location (they have 3 locations in Chicago). I see from other reviews that patrons from the next door Blake Hotel also dine here.

Furqan Hadi

Good casual dining experience. Brunch was good.

Jordan Zinn

breakfast tacos , blueberry French toast both fantastic. reasonably priced place. great food. efficient. friendly service. They accommodated our stroller, no problem. Really loved this restaurant!

Sexy Fide

This place is really good with food and service.

Lauren Molby

The food was horrible.. my first time going and we will not be back .. kids chicken was fried hard like the oil needed to be changed or something... French fries looked horrible too .. these pictures make it look ok. But I trust you not we didn't eat much of it. I had the club sandwich and the Turkey was hard barely any meat on it .. they also burnt the toast .. not worth the $30 for two of us.. just saying

Glenn Valentine

Good atmosphere and attentive service...but couple of food items (soup and hash browns) came out cold to our table.

Franz Faigle

That was delicious!

Eugene Kislenko

Visited Meli for breakfast. Good menu, very reasonably priced. Nice and friendly staff.

John

Great breakfast/lunch place to enjoy great food and view. Great customer service.

Ryan Goes

Got the jalapeno bowl and it was seriously incredible. Highly recommend

Lorna Hart

Great food and great service!

Almig 5050

Meli Cafe has always been a great breakfast experience. Occasionally it's busy but you really never wait long. Great food great service. I tried the chicken and waffles, it was outstanding, the chicken was tender and season and the waffle fluffy.

Eboni Swanson

A great place to eat! The staff is attentive, but not overwhelming and the food is delicious! Try the fresh squeezed juices, they're amazing.

Kiela 360

Classy & beautiful place with wonderful sounding menu & fresh juices but didn’t get to taste any of the juices yet. I was sooo underwhelmed with my tofu/veggie scramble dish. NO seasoning whatsoever! I had to put soooo much hot sauce, salt & pepper on it I should have been in the kitchen cooking it myself and ONLY one piece of toast. REALLY??!! I got enough butter for 1/2 piece of toast & enough delicious looking homemade marmalade for 3 pieces of toast. Sadly overall meal was super duper BLAND! My niece’s chicken wrap was bland too. But I’m willing to give it a try again, maybe breakfast will be better...?

Rhoda Elders

Definitely a small place not well known, but worth stopping at when in the area. Looking forward to going back for the chocolate chip pancakes :) Beautiful atmosphere and delightful modern decor.Ordered both hard and soft boil eggs and still shook how the chef made their eggs perfect and yet finished off with a unique taste . This is my last week in Illinois but if I could I would take this restaurant with me.

Andrea Memmer

Fantastic staff, great food and atmosphere and kid friendly!

Lett's Employ America

Party of two waited less than 20 minutes. We sat outside enjoyed the beautiful Chicago sunshine. Service was fast and friendly. The food was delicious, mimosas was right on point. I also took Chicken Noodle Soup for the train ride home. Yum couldn't go wrong. Can't wait to go back!

Mark Emmons

Good food in an energetic setting. Hit the restaurant at it's peak so service was a bit slow, but once order taken food arrived in timely fashion. Good local spot if you're visiting Printers Row in Chicago.

Charlie Wright

This place has excellent vegetarian and vegan options

Jazimen Morgan

Delicious food. This restaurant has something for everyone

Keith Scheer

Good breakfast place with fast table service for a reasonable price. If you judge a restaurant by its coffee quality, Meli gets lower marks. If you dine by the window you see the hustle and bustle of the city. Not bad for people watching. During the week it never seems very busy, which makes it great place to meet for a business breakfast, the sound level low enough to have an engaging conversation. I frequently dine at this place because of value, and get myself a proper cup of coffee elsewhere.

Rochelle Harris

I loved the environment and the customer service just one of the things I ordered was burnt but exchanged with no problem. Will return

Kelly Greene

The absolute worst breakfast experience ever.

Brian Shillair

One of the best breakfasts I've had in Chicago. I had the make- your- own omelette, the kids split the waffle and a side of scrambled eggs. The kids said the breakfast was the best they've had. Also a great atmosphere, professional staff, and a great place to grab breakfast or lunch before a Bears game

Ted Jordan

Service is pretty good and the staff is nice. Have a few vegan selections

Ruslan Petrov

Good place for breakfast. Portions are really big. Food is good but don't expect anything crazy and fancy.

Ann Nielsen

The food was nicely presented, Orange juice tasted fresh squeezed.

Anne Babic

This café has a lovely set up, and I think that the dishes are as tasty as they are fresh. I had a wonderful time here, and I plan to return again soon!

Laura Lee

Very serene atomsphere good food

Megan Melton

Breakfast menu available until 2 pm. Breakfast sandwiches and omelettes are delish. Pancakes are not bad but nothing to write home about. I have been here multiple times.

Carly Bravo

My husband and I love coming here whenever we stop downtown. Fresh delicious food for a great price!

Jennifer Richardson

Any time my family and I go to Chicago, we always make sure that we make time to grab breakfast here. Everything is always super delicious and fresh, including the freshly squeezed juices they offer. They offer a variety from modern menu items to classic breakfast staples. Definitely check them out for your breakfast and brunch needs!

Mark Mc

Quick and a great breakfast place

Zeus Baker

My first time here was today, it was great and the food was good.

Gael Sahid

Food Poisoning? I was first disappointed by the guest service quality on a Sunday evening. It took a couple smiles, an okay, a booth table for first time timers on an empty day, and no questions asked. Very poor guest service. My friend and I decided to take the initiative to request for a better seat until we realized that the waitress didn’t seem helpful at all. While eating we realized that there was a huge piece of eggshell on my friend’s dish. How does a chef miss that????? Despite the conversation of having the dish replaced we continue to receive poor service. We waited a while to see if the waitress or the busboy (whom both seem rather interested in providing better service to three other tables where Caucasian people sat) would notice that our cup of water had been empty for a while. We decided to give up on the waitlist and asked the busboy for more water. As usual we like to ask for water with no ice. Who drinks cold water on a cold night ? Right ? It appeared that the busboy was rather bothered we had ask for no ice and tempered water. Instead we get a “but it has very little ice” to a later two cold cups of cold water with no ice. While waiting for my friend to finish eating my stomach begins to hurt. At this point I am seriously wondering about food poisoning... Later my friend begins to have a stomach ache as well. we decided to pack the rest of our food and leave. Last time we will ever stop at this place. I will be calling the owner to file a complain. Also to verify that their Chicken Chorizo Omelet is legit chicken and not pork being served. The first dish was served with cut chicken pieces and the replacement came with ground meet that did not taste like chicken whatsoever.

Carol Reeves

This place does not deserve positive ratings. The breakfast menu was varied and interesting, but the food was very disappointing, especially since we had read all the favorable ratings. The potatoes tasted like the stale oil they were cooked in. The fruit was obviously left over from the day before. The coffee, served in tiny cups, was watery. Oatmeal was fine but not enough to justify the price. Overall, a very unsatisfying breakfast. I would never complain about the service, but my heart goes out to wait staff who must deliver such abominations.

Ernie Redfern

Service not the best. A menu with a lot of variety so you should find something. Food came out cold. Their restaurant in Greektown is better.

Anna Leverence

I got the chicken and waffles and mocha latte. It was not good. Very bland and not worth the money. It was sweltering inside the restaurant. Very disappointed. The happy hour with wine and dessert was better. Would not recommend for regular food.

Sho Pettaway

Sad face. This place used to have amazing food and an amazing menu. Now it’s just a sad shell of what it used to be. The food is edible but nothing to write home about. There are 5 vegan items on the menu. The hash browns are the precooked frozen dry flavorless kind. The first order was cold so I had send them back. I came when there were very few customers and my pancakes were undercooked dough cakes. I finally got some hot cooked pancakes that were completely void of taste. A pancake should be so good that you can eat it all by itself without syrup. I found myself in drowning these pancakes in syrup and the still tasted like chalk sponge covered with syrup.*Side eye.* If you come ask for extra ketchup and syrup you’re gonna need it.

Bruce Cicone

Nice menu. Good food. Good service.

Paige

It was good. Nothing great. Very quiet when we were here and it was around dinner time.

Kelly Schlitz

Delicious breakfast options, attentive service, and a beautiful space. The portions were generous. I had a two egg breakfast, which was more than filling. My friend ate the chicken and waffles and loved it.

angela c

Nasty hostess. I am staying at at the hotel attached to the building. I walked in to see what their menu was like and asked if they had a printed menu I could take, to which he snarled her lip and said, ” are you dining in?" I told her, not yet. She nastily replied, "no, you'll just have to look it up online." I've read she treats everyone this way and therefore should not have this job, since she hasn't gotten the basics on human interaction. We are still planning on going to eat here since it's still convenient but hoping she won't be there!!!

Robert Morow

Great for a brunch.

Lauren Ransom

Stopped in for lunch, and the cream of broccoli soup was heavenly.

Aaron Velez

Outstanding location for american food. visited on fri i believe. looking forward to coming back with my relatives.

Hector Santiago

Great breakfast food delicious chicken an waffles and amazing breakfast tacos.

C.H. Stevens

Oh my... This place is great! Their smoothies are amazing. The breakfast and brunch is really good. It has a nice bar and a great staff. We did not try dinner but I am sure that is also good!

Ginna B

Amazing food, great service, the avocado toast was absolutely delicious.

DidiNYC

Food was great, but the waiter I had was so-so. At first she was going overboard with all the 'is everything okay' stuff and then when I was pretty cold to it, she went total opposite to borderline ignoring me. I even didn't get a drink menu and had to ask next table if I can see theirs. I'd go there for food and ignore the rest.

namitsui Yashika

I've been to all three Meli Cafes in Chicago, and I absolutely love all of them. The food is fresh and they are super fast. And the people are nice and very welcoming!

Mike Passaretti

Had the jalapeno chorizo breakfast bowl. It was really good. Their homemade peach jam was great as well. Meli is a neighborhood restaurant, cafe, and juice bar where locals meet in Greek Town, River North and Printers Row. Our menu is filled with farm-to-table dishes, hormone and antibiotic free meat, fresh squeezed juice, and legendary homemade marmalade.

Terrence June bug

Great restaurant! I love the gluten free pancakes!!!! The owners are genuinely involved with the customers and their staff which results in excellent service!!

Logan James

Meli Cafe is a fantastic restaurant! The ambiance is elegant and relaxing. Beautiful decor and view of Printers Row. The general manager is so welcoming, the waitresses are so nice, and the bartender knows how to make fantastic martinis! The food is delicious, beautifully plated, and cooked perfectly. I do not often rate restaurants but this is my new personal favorite in downtown Chicago.

Chris Lee

We were there for the first time in Chicago. We ordered Mihi-Mihi sandwich, Jalapeño Bowl, Chicken & Chorizo omelette, Lox on Bagel. We had a great time. I definitely go back again. The

Kaitlin Simpson

I've been here a few times now and the service has been pretty bad everytime we go during a weekday. The juices are great, but not chilled which is odd. The banana bread french toast is Meli's redemption. It is absolutely amazing.

Pitis 86

Gets a solid 5. Very nice place, food and super clean bathrooms!

Ashley Durost

I was a tourist with a food allergy (hehe) so a local coffee shop recommended Meli's. Food was very tasty (pricey) but so worth it. One of the best basic Cups of Joe I've had in a long time! They had a variety of GF options & other diet restricted cuisine. Services was decent too! My only discrepancy was apparently a glass had broken prior (we sat outside so totally understandable being on the street) but it wasn't swept up totally well therefore in the midst of me sitting & moving my feet around a shard of glass impaled the ball of my foot. Had to use their restroom to tweez it out... other than that glass our experience was most likely worth 5 stars! Enjoy when you try it ♡ so GOOD!

Arlene

Always a plus. The chicken and waffles with bacon crumbles and warm syrup is beyond words. Love this place.

Robert Dixon

Great food and service, I visit every time I am in Chicago.

Frank Soeterik

Always had a wonderful breakfast there! Good service and coffee served with a smile!

Sam Abbott

Great atmosphere, great food, great service!

Michael Peterson

Food was exceptional. Staff was friendly, and on top of things. Decor is well thought out and upscale. 9/10 would go again

Nurija Taipovic

Very clean, food was delicious. Very slow service.

Eva Erhardt

The place is modern and bright. The juices are great as well as the service. Me and my friends went and ordered 3 different sweet items. The best one the banana bread French toast. It is a must have. All the food was good the portions were large and the prices were reasonable. Would recommend and I will be back.

T. Townsend

The food here is great! Definitely would recommend. The only issue I have is when I’ve come inside twice and was greeted by the coldest, most condescending hostess. The first incident I had was when I was eating alone and asked the hostess for a booth since that seating is more comfortable for me and also because I had some paperwork I needed to complete. When I do work, I work more comfortably when I have a lot of space. The hostess tried to get me to sit at the bar but I was more comfortable in booth seating and she seemed very irritated that I preferred a booth. I’m not sure why that bothered her so much... It’s just a seat and the restaurant wasn’t that busy at all. The second incident was when I placed an order through Grubhub for pickup. When I arrived, I had asked for a side of syrup for my order and she criticized and questioned me for wanting syrup to go with my order. Not sure why this was an issue with her, she wasn’t the one eating the food. I love the food here, but will probably visit another location or stick to having it delivered. Meeting the hostess twice with an unwelcoming bad attitude was enough to keep me from coming back.

william

OMG..the quality of food, service was superb...We love it and will pass the word. We sat at the Counter and Tiana( sp) whom I believe was also spoke Russian was SOOO kind and excellent Waiter. I find it incredible when I see Owners hiring the wrong people whom interact with customers. She was superb and so sweet and all about " old fashion" customer service. I believe her friend also works behind the Counter whom as superb as well. ON top of this the food quality was Excellent..they hired the right staff here to the point where we will ONLY cater to this place and I can see from the ratings others agree. Thank you Owner for bringing on a great staff. Thank you Chefs' for your top notch quality. Rarely do I give such praise but me and George found our place to go and recommend.

frances bhall

Good eats. Service was ok. Kept having to ask for things like extra napkins. Never got .

Christina C

It's okay if you're starving, I couldn't finish my food... The bartender poured club soda in my old-fashioned. If that didn't set the tone...

allen kohl

Hash browns were cold butter to hard to spread

Samuel Waggoner

Enjoyed this cafe as part of our Blake Hotel stay. Lena was our waitress. Lena and all the staff were extremely attentive and courteous. The food was DELICIOUS! Definitely a small place not well known, but worth stopping at when in the area. Looking forward to going back for the chocolate chip pancakes :) Beautiful atmosphere and delightful modern decor.

Simona Todorova

I came here as a recommendation from then hotel I was staying at. At first I was skeptical, but I’m glad I came! The service was fast, the people were friendly, and the chicken and waffles were fantastic! The chicken comes with a bacon marmalade that’s to die for! It is a little on the sweet side, and the portion is huge (I wasn’t able to finish eating it all). Definitely come here for a cozy breakfast!

T G

Took the family and met with another family for brunch. The space was plentiful and the service was great. My omelette was light and filling, the potatoes were crispy, my kids chocolate pancakes were devoured. My wife's lox and bagel was only ok according to her, hence the four stars. The interior was clean and we found adequate street parking about a block away. Will definitely return to try some different items in the near future!

Emma Henson

American food and the scene here is excellent. i'll return with my friends.

Miguel Angel

Three place is not far from downtown and it's right out of the expressway so it's easy to get to. As for the parking, we parked in the street and didn't pay much for it. When we arrived, right away a lady took us to our table and sat us down. We didn't have reservations and I thought we were going to wait but we didn't. We got water and menuswhile our server stopped by. The menu has plenty of options to choose from. Ordered coffee and breakfast and both were well made and had a good taste. Our server did come around to check on us and was friendly and patient and I appreciated it even more because I know the place got busy as the day progressed. The boss boys were attentive to clean our table and kept the water full. As for the place, it has plenty of natural light due to the large windows facing Congress Avenue. The place has nice modern decor. Still come again.

Charlie Frederich

Nice little brunch place. Good selection, decent drink specials, and a cool atmosphere. Portion sizes were pretty reasonable, too.

Paul K

Good sized portions, good food.

Seth Little

Incredibly average Tex Mex. My cousin Pedro would not approve.

Lina A

Great place, tasty food!

Joel Haus

It was decent food, but definitely overpriced. I'm also not sure why they were playing a get rich through real estate infomercial on the TV right next to us during our brunch.

Kati Middleton

I only had food, so I cannot comment on drinks, but what I ordered (make your own omelet) was fantastic! You can taste the quality ingredients and you definitely can get two portions out of what they give you, so the price is easily worth it. It's typical pricing of places in this neighborhood anyway, so I'd say you get more than what you pay for - highly recommended. I need to go back and try the juices because they smelled really good.

Nika Levi-Setti

A not too hidden treasure! Will come from miles to eat here. Manager is beyond accommodating, food delectable, and staff friendly.

philip woo

clean atmosphere tasty food good service

Tina Sau

Food was excellent. Service could be better. The place is beautiful, a lot of natural light with big windows. We enjoyed a brunch with friends on a Monday morning

Marina Pavon

Wonderful eggs benedicts, Carmel latte and fresh squeezed juice! Great service, music and atmosphere!

Dawn Wallace

Delicious food....good service...large portions at breakfast

Antoineeta Barker

Loved everything. Fresh at its Best!!!

Cherri Herndon

My Boyfriend took me there for Valentine's day, and I was so romantic! Candle lit dinner, with flowers on the table. Our food was great! It was our first time in Chicago.

Anthony Haig

My wife and I were staying in the hotel blake attatched to this restaurant and the staff and food are great. The prices aren't bad at all either.

BEN H

It seems like most of Meli Cafe's customers are people staying at the hotel, but it's a great place for breakfast or brunch no matter where you're staying.

richard kalu

As always, Meli never disappoints. I love the ever-changing specials. The coffee is always on point. The prices are decent overall. Highly recommended for both locals and tourists.

Stephen Huber

Went for brunch which was just okay, especially for the prices. Ordered the Irish Benedict (below) which you can see the eggs were not cooked properly. Our waitress made us a new eggs when we pointed it out which were better, but not great. The southern chicken sandwich tasted good, but the chicken was basically just mini chicken tenders, not a full piece of chicken. Will likely not come back.

Sky Chester

Nice atmosphere regular breakfast

mahad bussuri

Food was great, excellent service, and fair prices. Check them out

Don Juan

No long line ups and great location. The place is cute and lots of breakfast options.

Ryan Daniels

Delicious food and a great atmosphere. The view is nice too.

Tam

Excellent food warm ambiance quick service and friendly staff

Asta Valinskas

Great food and atmosphere, friendly staff

Alan Grabill

Super affordable & delicious Cuban food! If I lived/worked in the area, I'd definitely come here often to eat and try all of their sandwiches. It's great for take-out or for dining in.

Lilly Rivera

I had breakfast here and it was amazing! It’s honestly the perfect portion and very tasty. It was busy when I arrived so it doesn’t seem to be hidden gem. Service was great as well and was completely satisfied with my meal. I had farmers Benedict and it was delicious.

Jonathan Carter

Enjoyed this cafe as part of our Blake Hotel stay. Lena was our waitress. Lena and all the staff were extremely attentive and courteous. The food was DELICIOUS! Definitely a small place not well known, but worth stopping at when in the area. Looking forward to going back for the chocolate chip pancakes :) Beautiful atmosphere and delightful modern decor

Constantine D

breakfast tacos , blueberry French toast both fantastic. reasonably priced place. great food. efficient. friendly service. They accommodated our stroller, no problem. Really loved this restaurant!

John Hardin

Nice place, near immigration office. Many of the wait staff speak Russian, and are very helpful. Food is great, breakfast all day. Can't go wrong

Angela Briggs

Ok, so the Bloody Mary makes my all-time best list and I'm not sure how I have lived this long without their Farmer's Eggs Benedict in my life!

Brian Money

Great breakfast and service

Diane Coulter

Good breakfast attached to the blake hotel.

Chip Needham

Great food. Our server forgot about my coffee, but it came eventually

Ilva Mcbrayer

We stopped for a coffee before my Citizenship Interview 2 weeks ago, and even my husband who does not like coffee, loved his first ever Cappuccino, my Decaf Americano was delish. Nice friendly atmosphere, great service and the Cinnamon roll was fabulous. Very casual and professional. I recomend this place, we will go back next time we visit Chicago.

Jess Colopy

Meli is a great brunch spot downtown- they're really efficient at getting people through but know they don't take reservations so plan accordingly! You can sit in the adjacent hotel lobby and wait though, which is nice. They have delicious fresh orange juice and the prices are pretty on par with a mid-range brunch place in the city. Definitely worth a visit!

Laura Deon

Great food and not too crowded if you go on a weekday. Lamb chops were excellent!

Ahmed Ghoneim

Great food!! Freshly squeezed juices. Would highly recommend for breakfast or brunch

Kimberly Hawthorne

They owner was rude and shouted at me on my Birthday because the food wasn't prepared well. I had a full plate of food and so did my Mother and Aunt. Asked them to take it away. We let him know the omlette was over cooked and looked gross. Just awful. Coffee was like mud and water. Oatmeal just digusting. Couldn't begin to eat it. I will NEVER go back here again. The man treated us poorly I believe because we complained while Black. Jerk. If I come give no Star I would have.

C. O'Connor

Both my friend and I had ordered had beverages that came out at room temperature. Another friend ordered a fresh juice that was also served luke-warm. My food order was a vegetarian Benedict, and although I liked their inventive take on the dish, I was not extremely impressed with the execution. One egg was over cooked (not runny) yet both English muffins were damp and crumbly. I will say that when asked to remedy the drinks, they were happy to oblige, but overall, for the price, I really was not impressed.

Melissa Robinson-Ward

Food is good but our server was poor, very slow at checking on us and. Pricey breakfast for just "ok" service

Judy Canova

Beautiful place. Excellent food. Wonderful service!

David Laufer

Great place to eat. The manager is amazingly helpful and it's the best value on the street for eating. If you're staying at Hotel Blake this is the place to eat on nights in.

Aaron Bolt

UPSET STOMACH! Such a nice place with a very poor service on a Sunday evening. The food was disgusting and my omlet was served with egg shells

Matthew McDevitt

Great vibe and great food. We had breakfast and everything was exceptional

Xavier Gallegos

american food and the setting at this place is excellent. Don't worry if it's busy, it is worth the wait. Service treated us so kindly.

Tokyo Tim

While waiting for my renewed passport, which is conveniently close to the recommended Meli's, we found the cafe to be very nice, even elegant. It appears too upscale to be called a cafe IMHO but the prices were cafe priced for Chicago. We were seated at a very nicely setup table for two with a bench seat on one side and a chair on the other. As soon as we were seated, a staff member brought us water. Soon after our server took our drink orders (brunch time). I ordered hot cocoa as I am not a coffee drinker. My wife had the coffee though. The hot cocoa was quite good and I enjoyed the little biscuit for dunking. The menu had a variety of items I wanted to try from Eggs Benedict to omelets to skillets (called bowls). I settled on a Pancake breakfast with potatoes, bacon, and scrambled eggs which I enjoyed although the pancakes were rather flat and were reminiscent of plain store bought box mix. Despite this extremely minor preference of mine, the staff was very professional. If the potatoes had been hot and the pancakes better, I would have had no reason to keep from providing a 5 star rating. Likewise, should I ever find myself in Chicago again for brunch, I will definitely think of Meli's.

Kylie Harmon

A preferred place for American food. This location is absolutely outstanding. Prices were fair. Feeling here is similar to a place in Columbus I liked.

Jonathon Meyer

We went for breakfast. Great variety, tasty looking menu options, high quality food. Prompt, courteous, professional service! I would return for breakfast again or try lunch or dinner options!

Danail Georgiev

Best Breakfast! So nice place!

Stella Wright

One of my top places for american food. I love this place so much. The bill was decent for the quality. If it wasn't far from my work I would come by more.

Scott Sutter

One of the best breakfasts I've ever had!

Roma Kureiko

Great restaurant. I loved their freshly squeezed juices variety. Every dish that we tried during our visit was tasty and fresh. The service there is outstanding. You can feel that people who work there are deeply caring about their customers. We will definitely be back. Great job and keep it up!!!

adrien chabot

Service was fast and friendly on a Sunday morning. Food was fantastic.

Michael Trampetti

I live close to this location. I eat breakfast out at least twice a week especially on the weekends. When I arrived at 12:15 on Sunday afternoon, it took 10 minutes for one of the two bartenders to even acknowledge me. I observed they were not too busy and seemed to ignore me. Even a friendly, I’ll get right to you would have been fine. I am sitting right in front of them. As for the food, I ordered the pancakes for $11. Three small pancakes came on this very large plate. It gave the illusion I was getting ripped off. Plating is very important. Plus only three small pancakes for the price? This is a very cheap COGS item for a breakfast menu. So I’d highly suggest to the owners to make it seem the customer is getting their money’s worth. I obviously felt as if I didn’t. Because of this, I doubt I’ll return as I feel the restaurant is trying to cut costs and save money. I read through some of the poor reviews and observed the management had not responded to them. This is something they need to take seriously. When I got my check, there was no thank you it was everything ok. It was a simple here’s your check. Lots to improve....

V SIP

Our waitress Anastasia was very pleasant and checked in with us often. The white fish and spinach was delicious. The owner/manager also came to our table and asked if everything was good.

Javier Diaz

I would love to give 5 stars...service was slow this Friday...despite being 8:30am. I wanted breakfast (been here for dinner), I'm not in a hurry...sat down server came and wanted to take my order (I was just seated), "a cup of coffee would be great", I said...7 min..later she fills me up..long story short, I felt being rushed when I got there and after ordering and being served. it took them an eternity to refill and ask if I wanted anything else....maybe it's me but didnt feel appreciated for being a customer...even the waterboy didnt fill my glass of water at all...

Nouf

Food: good not great, we had the club sandwich and lean and mean Price: $$$ Service: quick but not so friendly One negative comment ‼️is the woman who was organizing the food inside the kitchen had no gloves on and her hair was open which disgusted me!

Carolina Carpio

This was a last minute choice that I'm glad I made! The food was excellent as was the service, I would 100% recommend

Raquel Rogers

My girlfriend and I booked a last minute reservation tonight. We were happy to be able to get in and sat about 10 minutes early for our reservation. Unfortunately due to a mix up our meal came out very late, but the staff was extremely apologetic and even provided us with an extra side and dessert on the house! The food was amazing and very filling. We would completely go back again on another occasion!

Stewart Foley

I chose this restaurant based on its very positive ratings. That was dashed by the person who greeted me with an agitated “we don’t open until 7:00” as I stood in the vestibule at 6:56. It’s a beautiful morning here and I wanted to sit outside to which the same person told me that they don’t seat the patio until 8:00 am. That was enough for me — I can’t speak to the food — I didn’t get past the hostess.

chris kuhlmann

Great place to grab breakfast! Delicious biscuits and gravy! Kids loved the french toast. Very clean and an overall great atmosphere. 5 stars!

Shirley Ross

Nice atmosphere, staff friendly, food was good. Even though it was a party of 8 we had ample table space.

Keairer Deramus

Although my waitress was awful, this place was Exceptional!! The food was great and my bus boy was awesome!! Definitely will be returning again.

Jan Lockhart

Had brunch here with a friend and it was absolutely lovely. One of my favorite brunch locations. Food is always great, atmosphere is divine, and the customer service has never failed me. Don't hesitate to come here for a meal.

Fletcher Arellano

Exceptional place to eat some food when in a rush. Their customer service is quick, prices are reasonable, awesome mood. Keep up the good work

Mike Leibovitz

I was here with my girlfriend the other day for breakfast and the food was really good! They have a solid breakfast menu, but what I thought was really cool was there juices and smoothies. The most stand out part though was the service, which was excellent! I will be back.

HappY BoY Michael

Great juice bar. Their menu have plenty of options for all. They have 2 locations too very convenient if you’re visiting downtown Chicago!

Gloria Hoffman

We chose this restaurant because it was close to our hotel. It was much fancier than I expected, very well decorated. We were seated right away at 9:30 on a Friday morning, with few other patrons in the restaurant. I enjoyed a very filling egg bowl, featuring baby red potatoes on the bottom, topped with spinach, cheese, tomatoes, and scrambled eggs. I ate less than half of it, and my husband finished it after finishing his own large plate of pancakes. Coffee and ice water was filled quickly and often. A good, filling breakfast to start a day of sight seeing.

Leland Sweitzer

My daughter and I were in Chicago for a weekend volleyball tourney and decided to stay an extra day to take in some sights. Began our day with breakfast at Meli's, which sadly to say was a poor experience. The biscuits and gravy tasted literally like cardboard. I sat with an empty coffee cup for approx 7-10 minutes after being seated and then waited another 10 minutes to get a refill. If it was busier I'd understand, but there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. If and when I come back to Chicago, i will stay away from Meli's... GINOS EAST across the street was awesome though!

Kara Anderson

Nice breakfast place, kind of on the pricey side but expected for Chicago. I did get fresh juice but it was warm! The food was good and the vegan vegetarian options were great!

Jason Fox

******Update MAY 2019****** *They stopped serving their breakfast potatoes!* In my opinion this was the best part of Meli. In addition they have reduced the size of the omelettes and still charging the same or more. The service seems to being getting less reliable. The portions getting smaller and the prices are going up. It unfortunate that such a great place has become less than ideal. Food regularly comes out cold, service is questionable many times and I have just had excuses from the management. I used to come here every week. I guess I need to go find another place to visit.