Reviews Tempo Cafe (Coffee Shop) in Illinois

Rhoda Elders

Good food: I had the Tempo Club with homemade chicken noodle soup and a fresh side salad, $12.20 including tax. Others in our group had Greek salads or breakfast items (available all day).The staff could have been more welcoming and helpful and the breakfast was delicious.

Meg Webber

This cafe changed my life. No exaggerating.do yourself a favor...GO. The owners are there nearly daily, chefs are incredible and so sensitive to guest's needs/sensitivities, and you get SO MUCH for your order. The wait staff made me want to cry they were so kind and lovely. Breakfast all day (best meal ALWAYS) and the omelettes are so life changing I went back 3 times in 2 days. I cannot wait to go back. Beaaaaautiful, serene atmosphere as well. Best local spot I've hit in Chicago.

Erin RavenSkye

This fast-paced cafe offers omelets and sandwiches that are pricey but on par with the area, so be prepared for shelling out about $20. Portions (of omelet anyway) are enough that there are leftovers, but I found it to be dry, a bit over cooked and sort of flavorless. Perhaps it was just an off day, the waitress did mention the kitchen was backed up, so perhaps my overdone meal was not intentional.

π

The staff was so friendly. Amazing food. Only good late night coffee joint in the city.

Misako Johnson II

The food had no flavor. My grilled chicken only had grill marks, my rice was boiled only with a splash of what looked like red food coloring, the hash browns had zero crisp, the scrambled eggs looked like yellow cotton balls. I appreciate that this place is open 24 hours, but my word, please add some flavor.

Monyetta Hood

I would like to first give my disclaimer. I'm not from chi-town so it could be my southern roots. This place food was so BLAND!!! I got the build your own scrambler and my only saving grace was the chorizo. My friend got the same thing with bacon and NOTHING! No flavor. I will give them an extra star for. Their marmalade cause it was delicious lol.

Mildred Rodriguez

The waitress was rude. When my daughter asked for something she rolled her eyes at her.

safuan ramli

So so..ihop is better

Elaine Barreras

Friendly, fast service and good coffee. They have a great selection of sweet treats too if you're just looking for something quick to snack on!

Lynn Higgins

Helpful and friendly staff. A wide range of food and drinks at reasonable prices. This place is very busy and popular so you could struggle to get a seat if you don't come early or make a reservation. They also offer a take away service. The portions are also a good size.

jerry widner

Love the tempo, dined with a real and true princess great food that with the princess took my heart

Andrea DeAngelis

This place serves diner style foods. We went here for breakfast on a busy Sunday morning and were told there would be a 15-20 minute wait. We left our number with the hostess who said they would text when our table was ready. Sure enough, it only took about 10 minutes for our table! We had the veggie poor mans skillet and a make your own scramble. Service was quick & food was delicious. Great spot!!

Lorraine Dighton

Out of my 5 night stay in Chicago I had breakfast here 4 out of 5 mornings. It was fantastic! Not only was the food so yummy the staff were super friendly and remembered us every day. I fully recommend you visit. Loved it.

Arthur H

Great local place, open 24/7. Super friendly. Stellar omelettes. A local institution for 30 plus years. Classic diner type menu, but stick with the omelettes and you will be happy.

Jacopo Fontana

Good but not the best, service quite slowly, portion are very big!

Ally H

Thought the food was just average for the price. Floors were sticky and our waitress gave us our bill way before we even asked for it, which didn't happen to any tables around us.

Jared Martinez

Good food. Friendly service. Late night. Checked all my boxes.

Philip Hargrave

Affordable upscale downtown Chicago dinning experience. A nice place for a dinner date.

Stephen Vainer

It is just a cozy little place to eat we love it and it's open 24hrs

Jan G

Cheap enough eats at a place that is open 24 hours. Can it get any better?

Sonja Simone

Everytime in visit great late night and the kind ladies who work the front of the house

Chuck Yeaser

Fantastic place to eat in Chicago, great great food, friendly service, and a huge selection to choose from. Full menu 24 hours a day. Try the homemade sweet orange marmalade, it's the best!

Anita Annafi

It's ok when you're in the neighborhood!

Hina Shaikh

service wasn't as great but it was also 2am. fudge cake was a little dry than i'd hoped. other items looked and tasted great. hot chocolate was good! still a great place, great location, accomodating

Gilbert Vargas

great food! Friday service! my cornbeef hash breakfast was cooked to perfection.

Jackie O

I hadn't been here in years and I was excited to go back because I loved this place 20 years ago. Our waitress was so rude and condescending when she took my order. She seemed mad at me for no reason at all and refused to acknowledge me throughout my visit. It was very concerning. It ruined our experience overall. We will not be going back! Ever! Updated*******They still have great, quality food. It seems the server was having a bad day. I am willing to give it another try.

Monica Gober

I had the honor of eating the Veggie Poor Man’s Skillet smh it was a two person meal the veggie and hashbrowns was cooked to perfection I will be ordering again and again actually that meal made my morning thank you Tempo Cafe

Rahul Choudhury

Went here at midnight and it was pretty empty and quiet. Would definitely go again, the next time I'm jetlagged in Chicago with nothing to do in the middle of the night while hungry

Elizabeth Edwardson

Good food and really great and quick service!

Life's Sweet

Ordered the Poor Man skillet and was not disappointed! Perfect for that 2am breakfast craving

Kim Pedersen

We visited this Cafe for a quick breakfast while visiting Chicago. A quick walk from our hotel, which was good. The French toast was the best thing I had there. Eggs were mediocre and the "hashbrowns" were not favorable at all. The service was a little slow and had to ask several times for things, but it could have been an off day, or just a busy one. Not horrible by any means, with better service it could have been four stars.

David Mathews

Easily the best waffle I’ve ever had.

AUGIS TATTOO ART

Nice breakfast spot. Fast service.

Tyrone Agar

Great place to eat very friendly and kind service fast SERVICE and a wide variety of thi gs to eat and drink

Lachlan Priest

The omelette was delicious. I would recommend something smaller though.

Fuji Jasper

Good Food good prices and friendly service

alexa lardieri

My boyfriend and I wanted to grab a quick breakfast before touring Chicago while we were in town for the weekend. This place was your typical diner with a huge menu, great food and fast service. Being from NJ, we love diners and this place definitely satisfied. Our waitress was able to make several dietary accommodations for us and let us substitute certain foods. She was very friendly and attentive and let us know that portions are huuuuge. We were afraid it wouldn't be enough for the two of us and she had an extra egg added, which was so nice. It's good that we only ordered one because it was massive. It was delicious, with mushrooms, cheese, peppers, onions and some others. The size was perfect for the both of us and we finished probably everything but a few bites. If you're looking for some quick, casual, delicious food, definitely stop by.

Chris Edwards

Good food and coffee for a good price.

J D

4.5 stars. Fun place to get together with a group,our bartender was the BEST, we're going to miss her!!! Great visit to Chi-town

brisk weatherly

This Restaurant is Great,I have been going here for years. I've been a customer when they were across the street at the old location. I miss the pictures of all the stars which come in and have a Great time. The Staff is Always Great and full of Life,see you next time at 4am.

J. Carr

Good spot to get food afterhours to help sober up.

Jeff Huett

Visiting the city and found this happy surprise. The banana nut waffle was amazing. Bacon was just ok.

Jasser Alharbi

The pancakes were so damn delicious. This place became one of the best places in making pancakes. Also, the stuff was so friendly and kind. But they need to clean their cutlery. I had to ask for clean cutlery three times.

Dominique Rochon

The waitress was very friendly! The food was ok. The skillet egg dish that I had was good but the pancakes were kinda standard. Good food but nothing to brag about. Price is decent too.

Georgette Jeffries

Love this place! The wait staff is awesome & the food is awesome! I always have to get my pancakes there. You can chill by yourself or with friends. Tempo Cafe is a morning, noon, or night delight in downtown Chicago. On my yum yum list... YES!!

Ashley

This place is awesome would definitely recommend it. Great food, great prices and big life saver for me having to be at work by 5a. Open 24 hrs

Jon Ziemann

Service wasnt great but the food was amazing!

Scott Weiner

Great menu and food, coffee wasnt great. Be careful the egg skillet is huge.

Brent Helwig

A classic diner done in a way only chicago could do it! This was an all night study hall during my college days. They would fill my coffee cup all night long as a poor student. Classic, kind and the location is second to none! Love this part of the city. Best brunch around!

Bernard Co

Tempo, can you please teach an online class to all the other people on how to run a great restaurant? I feel like all the other restaurants could learn a lot from you. Tempo is quite simply the best all night 24/7 restaurant in Chicago and quite possibly, the world. Their food is yummy delicious and always fresh. Their staff is friendly, personable, and efficient at all hours. I love how their omelettes come in a pan with the potatoes--such a classic touch! The restaurant itself is clean, bright, and airy. I can attest that the men's room is likewise. (Unless I am in there, of course) I would eat every meal here if I could. I love the personable waitresses and how I can just read in peace here. Tempo sets the speed and tone for what a Chicago restaurant should be!

Mohamed Elgawhergy

Visited on a Sunday morning, the place was crowded but we were seated within 5 minutes. Food was good and portions were generous. Will come back when in town.

John Cook

Who can eat 5 eggs wow!! Really nice comfort spot!

Faye Comer

Great place to stop for breakfast. Quick service, and a team that looks like they've been doing this for awhile... on point.

David Barker

Great food, great service, great atmosphere

Anthony Tobin

Take out order with multiple unusual requests. Normally at least one will be wrong with other places. Tempo got them all correct. Portions are generous and food tasted good. Omelette was heavy on veggies which I like. All around a good experience.

Michael Graham

Tempo is a solid choice for late night diner foods, delicious sandwiches and breakfast. 5 stars only because I've been quite a few times late night and they've always met or exceeded expectations for food quality and service.

Guilherme Fiad

Great place for a breakfast or brunch. The pancake is the best I've ever had.

Richard Marsili

You can't go wrong at this place. Great food and please of it!

Kenya Peterson

Food was hot and was served fast. It was just not the best. Eggs appeared to egg beaters not real eggs

Phillip Yatooma

Mediocre at best. Waitress brought everything incorrectly and blamed us. Food was not that good, best thing was waffles drowning in syrup.

Anairday HC

Great portions, good selection, good service.

CORIE CURCILLO

Open 24 hours. Huge portions. Recommend sharing.

Rebecca Kombol

Large and delicious portions delivered quickly.

Stephanie M. West

Food was bland and unseasoned. My order was not made as requested. It was missing the onions in the omelette . I don't see the hype about this restaurant. I will not be returning.

Dee

Diner food. Prices reasonable. Service is excellent

Kevin Pustz

Quiet Cafe with a small town feel, plenty of seating and friendly staff. Diner menu that's as extensive as you'd expect. Food was good and a great place to chill.

Susan Schnurrenberger

Very friendly service. Great food. Had the strawberry french toast. Yummie!

carrie campbell

Rosa is great. Best coffee in town. Great place to get breakfast anytime!!! Thanks!

Alpha Max

Friendly service and generous portions. The omlete was okay, I think I'd choose something different next time. Pancakes looked popular and the service was attentive.

Wanda Cano

Great place great service

Jeff Willis

Great food and service at Tempo!

Momof Boys

Great food, large portions, customer service is great

Michael Thew

This place is so so so so so good! My literal GO TO in downtown Chicago. Especially at night. They are 24/7 with a super diverse and delicious menu! Service is fine, and they always decorate really well during the holiday season! Very accommodating for gluten free (I have celiac). You can get GF pancakes, waffles, sandwiches! They also have omelettes and a bunch of sides. A great local find, and I go back probably once a month!

Peter K

Very good fluffy omelette, very good 3 eggs sunny side up served in a frying pan with potatoes that were not greasy, great home made orange peel marmalade. Waitress was very helpful in selecting menu items from a wish description. Would recommend and come again.

Steven

One if my favorite places to go in Chicgao, especially when you can sit outside. Service has always been good. Awesome breakfast food and sandwiches. Great selection of gluten free items. The gluten free pancakes are fantastic. Can be busy sometimes but the wait never seems very long. Would recommend giving this a try.

Lance Sabbag

Wow I ordered late night while at work and when I didn't get my dinner with the meals I ordered you wouldn't believe the response: Sorry we didn't make your food, can you send the driver back? No since the driver already left. And you didn't make it. It was an entree item in the order. Why didn't you make it. Really that's how it's going to be. Poor form Tempo. Just going to call it like it is.

G. Wa.

Nice fresh food. Good price

Eric Ohlson

I was staying at a nearby hotel that doesn't serve breakfast until 7am, which was far too late to get me to my morning meeting. Temp was recommended to me as it was close and open 24/7. The staff were very friendly, the coffee was Illy, the orange marmalade was homemade from golden AWESOMENESS, and the food was tasty, fast and filling.

ahmad rao

Finally, I've found a classy, clean diner in Chicago. Great location on Chestnut. Good for dining alone or groups. Good food: I had the Tempo Club with homemade chicken noodle soup and a fresh side salad, $12.20 including tax. Others in our group had Greek salads or breakfast items (available all day). Our server handled our large group with ease. I'll be back for sure.

Keith Barry

I loved this place, great choice, good value and brilliant service. The staff could have been more welcoming and helpful and the breakfast was delicious. Definitely returning and so glad to have chanced upon this place.

Sara

Meals were delicious and portions were huge. For $10 I got 3 eggs, 4 pieces of turkey sausage, and hashbrowns served in a skillet with 2 pieces of toast on the side. Their homemade marmalade was the best I've ever had! Prices were fair and I'd come back for breakfast next time I'm back in Chicago!

Cordell Johnson

Been around for years one of the best late night spots to get some breakfast or food

Damon Rhodes

Great spot to start the day!

Matthew Kobel

Simply amazing. Everything was awesome, but those were the best breakfast potatoes I've ever had. So fluffy! Will be returning with friends

Jivesh Toor

Great all day and late night diner in the gold coast area. Great food and good service. Just be aware that this is a cash only establishment.

April Cooper

The best breakfast in town. Huge amount of food for the money. Make this a stop during ur visit.

CFI James Parks

great food, quiet atmosphere.

Andrew Cameron

Solid late-night diner with cool atmosphere and great service.

chris lietz

Good service and typical diner options when that's what you are looking for.

Bessy Tam

Awesome servers, great food, yummy portions especially the skillet!

Carol Rowe

Not a bad choice of good available. Tad expensive tho

Valerie Collier

I had the scrambler skillet with wheat toast. Service was slow and the food was cold; not even warm. Coffee was warm and not that great. This used to be a good place to eat but now it’s not. Someone else paid for me so I didn’t lose anything. I will not be going back.

brandon Diericks

Very good pancakes and scramblers. Neat atmosphere.

Lili G.

Big breakfast plates, very good customer service and nice gluten free options

Quinn Gilmore

Always open, good food.

Anama Ko

Delicious with good coffee included. Foresee a wait. It's really worth it though. Had the eggs Florentine and the Reuben.

Holly Sellors

Excellent service and amazing breakfast.

Dan Moffett

This is a 24 hour high class greasy spoon diner. The portions and generous and the food is good. The place can get extremely busy on the weekends.

Robert Garcia

Good for late night breakfast.

Kaprina Marshall

OMG SO DISAPPOINTED

Danny Herron

Nice place to eat a great breakfast. Clean, people are so courteous and polite. Do need to work on keeping tables current with condiments. I have been there twice in two days. Both times "Thumbs up."

Alec Mesa

Came here late at night after a nearby performance. Food was good and staff is very friendly making you feel right at home. Would definitely return.

Parissa Amnes

I am honestly shocked I haven't written a review for Tempo before. We have been going to Tempo at all hours of the day (and night) for the last 8 years. This is THE place to go to if you want a reasonable prices and large meals in the city. My fav is their eggs benedict however their omelets are where it is at. I reco you ask for them to cook their potatoes "well done" so they get more crispy, also their "Greek Toast" is great! The food is standard, always good. Staff is friendly and accomodating for larger groups.

Augie Ray

Crowded for breakfast on weekends. Service is a bit rushed and efficient, but the place is crowded.

Andrew Lindstrom

Great place for brunch food at all hours! Incredibly friendly staff with a homey atmosphere. And with waffles that good its a place I visit regularly.

Andrew Novack

great breakfast joint

Kendall Roberts

The food is okay, but if you have a allergy please make sure to talk to someone who can understand that. My throat almost closed because of the strawberry french toast that got contaminated by bananas.

Kendra Parker

Breakfast was soooooooooo yummy. Orange juice was the best I've had in forever.

Kayed Al-Sukkar

Great pancake taste!

Julie Zaukas

Wonderful menu and wonderful service. Be prepared for a wait but it's worth it.

Noelle Natoli

Absolutely loved it! Great prices and portions! Also amazing gluten free food!!

Bri

I went here on my 21st birthday and it was awful. The server was nice and they were swamped so I'm not mad the food took awhile and the server wasn't by enough, but the table was nasty, there was food particles in our water even and the silverware was dirty. The food wasn't that great either, I got pancakes and it was super rubbery like they were microwaved or something. Also there was such little space to sit every time someone passed I got bumped.

Jimmy Papadopoulos

The best place to go for 24 breakfast (after party) in all of Chicago. Very patient service and portions large enough to slow down hangovers, and the food is prepared quite well. Did I mention, this is the real life version of the Portokalis family restaurant from the big fat Greek wedding. Definitely consider it.

Isabel Seitz

Delicious breakfast, very friendly staff!

Gabor Kukucska

You can never go wrong with their all day breakfast options

Craig N

Great neighborhood casual dinner. Please add some Greek Dishes ie. Mousaka and I will be there daily instead of weekly. I know that you are connected to the great Greek town restaurant Santorini!

Iris Gómez

The food and the environment are very good.

Sabrina Randolph

Great food! And they are open 24 hours! Perfect

Alex Golod

This is pretty good and popular breakfast place in Gold Coast, next to Sofitel, and very close to Northern part of Mag Mile. Generous portIons, reasonable prices, fast and friendly service. The quality of food is good, not awesome, perhaps. Egg dishes and french toast were all good enough.

Jesika Davidson

The skillet meal here was super good. Everything had a ton of flavor and was extremely filling. They have a homemade orange marmalade that was fantastic. Ended up going there for breakfast every day of our trip.

Tam D

Breakfast for dinner. It was fabulous.

Tony C Bond

Early breakfast, sit, eat and enjoy!

Bev Rachal

Hadn't been here in awhile..it was great to see the food was still good! Many interior upgrades since I was last there and the prices didn't go up much! Thumbs up to that! ! Friendly staff...nice atmosphere and good food!!

Melina Tomaras-Collins

The food was amazing and the service was so quick

Rachel Hunter

Average tasting food. The best thing about this place is the service. My waitress was very attentive and the food and coffee came out very fast. However, the restaurant layout is too cramped and I was elbowed and bumped by several different people walking past my table, ruining my experience. I also found the place to be a little untidy, as my orange juice glass had coffee grounds in the bottom and the glass seemed to be unwashed. Probably won’t be coming back for that reason.

Dorothy Desouzaguedes

Finally, I've found a classy, clean diner in Chicago. Great location on Chestnut. Good for dining alone or groups. Good food: I had the Tempo Club with homemade chicken noodle soup and a fresh side salad, $12.20 including tax. Others in our group had Greek salads or breakfast items (available all day). Our server handled our large group with ease. I'll be back for sure.

Charles Walker

I love this place open 24 hours my girl friend did not like customer service

Edgar Puma

It has a good menu. Perfect place if you are hungry anytime. I been here a few times and this time I was "early" 9pm so there wasn't much going on. I had the egg Benedict. It was ok. The potatoes were tasteless. I was served an almost cold coffee. I told them but I guess they didn't care. Probably they focus on their job when they are busy not when they have only 3 more occupied tables. I might go back.

MIA HALL

Food was really good, reminder me of an upscale Dinner!!!

flapjack killa

Lovely place. Just all around great. Good staff and great food

Meka Chan

This was kind of a disappointment. The eggs were flavorless, the bacon was WAY too chewy, and the pancakes were doughy and were falling apart by the layers. The hot chocolate was so watery. I ordered corn beef hash and it smelled of chemicals, or like ammonia or something. It tasted bad too. Using that microwave is not doing y’all ANY justice. 3 whole dishes came out in like 5 minutes, some parts were cold and some parts weren’t. The stuff is clearly not fresh. If you’re reading this, go to any other restaurant downtown and DONT go to this one. This is coming from someone whose taste buds are not dead because I’m still young unlike everyone else in this comment section. If you’re looking for fresh food, this place doesn’t have it.

Dave Duarte Hernandez

One of my favorite places. Been going for years.

Will Antilles

Awesome service food pretty good.

jerome scarborough

Good breakfast spot always nice portions and quick service

Scott Gross

A very good spot to have good eats. Great value for your money

maurice13166

Was good.

Melanie L.

Excellent portion sizes, friendly customer service, food came very quickly. We ordered the morning glory pancakes - large portion of pancakes with generous amount of fruit. Also ordered the poor man’s skillet - also a large portion, very tasty. The onions were a little undercooked so it made for some prettt strong tasting onions but other than that, it was very good.

Tina Alhofy

Great food and open 24 hours

Natasha Holmes

Great staff, good service ! There egg white omelette dare the best !

Carissa Biddle

Awesome place to visit alone or with friends. Very classy and clean with very delicious food and a nice comforting atmosphere.

Edison Orellana

I ordered a skillet which was very bland. There were a lot of eggs on it. The food is typical of a truck stop diner, and isn't appropriate for the associated prices. The food itself was lacking in flavoring. The vegetables in my skillet tasted like they were just cooked with water. The orange juice is $5 a glass which seems a bit outrageous. This is the first and last time I'll visit this diner especially considering that better options like yolk and hashbrowns exist close by for the same price but much better quality. The decor in the restaurant was nice and the staff was very attentive. Update: my left over skillet actually tastes better as week old left overs. How the heck does that work?