I don't understand the great reviews. I ordered a salad, one with chicken. Shouldn't be tough to grill some chicken and chop some lettuce. What I got was precooked chicken out of a bag and slimy lettuce that had turned black and gooey from a bag. They also gave me a dinner roll...(wait for it)...in a bag! The bag had gotten condensation inside and part of the roll was soggy the other part was a brick. The salad dressing was some chemical that I am not familiar with in gel form. I was so hungry I could have eaten an elephant, but after 2 bites I left that "salad" behind. The waitress was a cranky, rude, disinterested woman who didn't even bother to get me a water. She was not concerned as to why I asked for the check without touching my food product. I left and ate lunch somewhere else. As I was walking out I saw them put my bagged roll back in a bucket to be served to some other poor unsuspecting soul.
(1)
Briana T.
Awesome breakfast place! My boyfriend and I used to go there every Sunday morning for breakfast. Food is great (seriously, *everything* is delicious!), reasonably priced, and the owners are just so cute! Definitely try it out if you're in the neighborhood.
(5)
Cassie C.
This was one of the best meals I have had in awhile. There is indoor booth or bar seating, as well as a small patio. There was no wait and the food came out within 15 minutes. The 2x2x2 what I decided on and it was just great. The portions are bigger than I expected and couldn't finish all of my pancakes. We also shared a plate of hash browns since my boyfriend can't eat breakfast without them. The bill for both of us was $22 and worth every dollar. Make sure you try the crepes too! Whenever I need a crepe fix this will be the place I come to get it. One order of the banana and nutella crepe is about $9 not bad. Street parking is pretty hard around here, so if you can ride your bike you should!
(5)
Melissa K.
Lucky find. We were just stopping off the highway for gas, and this place happened to be right across the street, and great Yelp reviews, so we gave it a try. The intersection is a little bit of a pain, but that's not a big deal. I love the service! Well, I just love the older couple who own it. They were so personable and chatty that they made the whole experience that much more pleasant and old-school feeling. The food was really yummy too. No complaints there. I'm glad we stumbled upon this place!
(5)
Lexie V.
It is places like this that made me move back to Chicago from LA. Everyone was so friendly and outgoing. There was much more of a community feel here than what I had settled for in LA. This was a nice first stop since being back in Chicago. The food was great, and there was lot of it. My boyfriend raved about the corned beef hash and eggs and my omlette was exactly what I had been craving. The coffee was exceptional. We sat with our laptops and used the internet since we don't have it in our new apartment yet. The woman working at the front made sure we had outlets and we were able to connect to the WiFi. She was so sweet! We're definitely going to make this our new 'go to' breakfast spot.
(5)
Jennie B.
I wanted to like it - the staff were lovely! But the food...I am just not sure. What they called corned beef hash was more like ...ham and onions. Their crepes were kind of hard. The fruit cup was nice, the coffee was good - I won't go back because there are so many other great breakfast places in the city, but maybe other items on their menu are better.
(2)
K L.
Cornerstone Cafe is a great place for breakfast and my husband and I go here fairly often. Everything that I have had has been consistently good, if not great. I particularly like the toasted pecan waffle and the breakfast on a croissant. Service is usually fine - nothing special, but always adequate. This place gets fairly busy (at least on Sunday mornings) and is family-friendly. Prices aren't outrageous and you get large portions for your money.
(4)
Jill W.
Have been coming here for YEARS. Love breakfast food and this place doesn't disappoint. Excellent customer service. I recommend the vegetarian eggs benedict. AWESOME
(5)
Katie R.
goodness gracious. since eating here yesterday for breakfast my stomach has not been quite right, and i can't decide if it's because of cornerstone or because i took excedrin on a stomach full of greasy hash browns and pancakes. all i can say is that my pancakes tasted like HAM. at least one of them did. and, there was a small piece of ham stuck to it, as well. wtf? i thought it was a fluke, so i tossed it to the side instead of bringing it up to the waitress.. turns out every bite was a hamcake bite, which i wouldn't care to experience again.
(2)
Jack P.
There is nothing I enjoy more than a place of business that feels like a party. That's what it was like on a Saturday morning at The Cornerstone Cafe. Filled with happy customers and the friendliest crew. In a bright and inviting space. As for the other elements of a great diner: No waiting in line outside in January-check Strong, hot java, brought to you quickly with your own carafe-check A white-haired guy with a perpetual smile on his face-check Servers who are enthusiastic about the food-check Solid breakfast offerings with some unique choices-check Really good bread for your toasting pleasure-check Corned beef hash that's not like a salt lick-check Big, fluffy omelets-check Cholula sur la table-check The three of us breakfast musketeers ordered a Portabella/goat cheese/pancetta omelet, the Corned Beef Hash, and a Veggie Eggs Benedict. These all turned out to be excellent choices. I am more enthusiastic about the Cornerstone than I thought I'd be. I can only speak for breakfast, but I'm guessing their other offerings would be just as up-to-snuff. Prices are reasonable. $12-15.00 per person with tax and tip. Great value, fun service and dishes clearly made with luvin' fresh ingredients.
(5)
Big D.
The croissant sandwiches are good. The steak was bland and dry.
(3)
Colleen C.
Today, this is the perfect spot for me...with an hour to kill, an empty stomach and work to catch up on, Cornerstone Cafe was a godsend. First my breakfast was pretty damn good. As an official omelette inspector, I can tell you that the Denver is top notch. It appears to have approximately one dozen eggs in it...and I could not finish it, despite my best attempt. The toast comes with homemade jams in little bowls, nice touch. Coffee is lovely (then again I could drink tar in the morning and probably find it acceptable), and they leave the carafe at your table...brownie points. My server was sweet and beautiful...as were most of the people in the place. Free wifi, good vibe, busy brunch/lunch crowd on the weekends. I will definitely come back during the week...their menu offers a bit more than the average diner...I need to try the crepes.
(5)
ashley m.
Cute lil breakfast nook with the feel of a corner diner -great omelettes & hash-browns. I had spinach & mushroom w/ cheese omlete & sat at the mini bar area. Loved it, the staff, pople & most importantly the food
(5)
Dave S.
What a gem, every time I come in the food and service are great! The prices a very low for such great food. I had the chile today and it was a quality meal for under $8.00, how can you beat that?
(5)
Jeffrey C.
False advertising. Menu does not in any way shape or form equal to what you are served. Breakfast - Corned Beef hash and scrambled eggs. I love how they lovingly describe how carefully prepared their home style corned beef hash is... In reality it's pre-processed bagged shredded potato mush shaped into 'hash brown' slivers, sparsely mixed with a few shards of corned beef, barely warmed (not heated), and uninspiringly tossed underneath some scrambled eggs that tasted as if they were 'prepared' in the latest food-service technology ooze that comes in 55 gal drums from your local pep boys warehouse club program. My partner ordered the Chopped Chicken salad- Wow... pre-cooked pre-processed pre-cut bagged 'chicken' chunks tossed about over bagged 'salad', with bleu cheese crumbles and a hardboiled egg. AND!!!!!! (but wait there's more...) A DINNER ROLL IN A SEALED BAG. First thing I thought when I saw the roll (which had condensation moisture throughout the inside of it's neat little pre-sealed sack) was, holy shit, am I on a plane eating horridly spoiled food that pretends to not be spoiled because it is hermetically sealed? NO! and goddamit, I dont even get to go anywhere.... other than to Indigestion Island- matter of fact, if anything, The Cornerstone is simply a BAD trip to a world of poorly presented, pre cooked 'products' that come with serious indigestion for a finish. Check it out too, when the pre-sacked sealed roll didn't get consumed, it was recycled back into the bin from which it came, to appear AGAIN on a plate near you! HOLY SHIT! Lastly, coffee has come a long way - so much so, that truly bad coffee is sort of a thing of the past - now there are varying qualities of coffee, but in general, unless you are at a place that serves the shit that's been in the bottom of the pot for 2 days on the warmer, it is difficult to find unacceptable coffee------ EERRRRTTTTT!!! the coffee here is terrible. Oh how nice, they give me my own mini hotel carafe filled with this burnt mildew-tasting watery crap, so I can control just how much of this I want! and for $2.50 ta-boot.... I'm thinking that the high rating here is based on people's needs for ANY FOOD to cure their miserable hangover. I didn't come here for artsy fartsy hipster concoctions- I did not come in with very high expectations at all, and let me tell you, seriously underwhelming was about all I could muster for this place. Despite it's cleaned up facade and newly painted interior and now with sidewalk dining, it is even more insulting than when it was the greasy spoon diner joint from 20 years go. At least 20 years ago, you knew what to expect, and the menu read straightforward without the deluxe verbage.
(1)
Jamie J.
I can't say enough about my first experience here. I am looking forward to going back because I enjoyed my breakfast and service so much. It started off by not having to wait, but definitely would wait to get a table here. The service really stood out. We had a server who treated us like we were at her own home. It was the small little touches that she did to personalize the experience. I had the vegetarian omelet which was amazing. The hash browns were standard, but I am okay with that. I like the openness of the restaurant which again made you feel like you were dining in someone's home. I look forward to going back and trying something new. They have a large menu which can be overwhelming, but definitely something for anyone. Great service, friendly and attentive staff and just really good food!!
(5)
Rhonda G.
I always pass this place while on the diversey bus and the place definitely seemed pretty popular. Met a couple of girlfriends here before a Sunday afternoon movie for brunch. It's kind of on the small side but we had no trouble scoring a table. The owners are posted at the front and they seem to keep things moving pretty quickly. The Food: Traditional breakfast options with a few special items thrown in. I stuck to the typical items because this place was new to me and I didn't want to risk a screw up. Coffee is never left empty and that was definitely a plus on this lovely Sunday morning. The pancakes here are awesome! Trust me. I don't give that honor out easily. Eggs cooked just right and actually offering turkey sausage is a huge plus in my book! Overall, just a cool little neighborhood spot to get some darn good grub without breaking the bank.
(4)
Marie H.
This is the BEST breakfast place on the north side. Its like walking into your mom's kitchen and getting to order what ever you want - and all of it is amazing! A warm and cozy little refuge, this is no greasy spoon. The waitstaff and the owners are always friendly and timely and make you feel very welcome. Lots of warm booths along the walls and a breakfast bar in the middle make this clean, bright space a great fit no matter what your mood is. I haven't had anything that I am not totally thrilled with. Some of the highlights are 1. Biscuits and Gravy - a-maze-ing 2. Flight of Waffles - wonderful for the indecisive 3. Delightful Crepes- nutella, bananas, strawberries, yum 4. Corned Beef Hash - it's like hash from heaven 5. Fresh OJ - nuff said Just get in there - it cures everything from the hangover to the pregnant starving-hungry-but-don't-wanna-eat-anythings. You can send me a thank you card later.
(5)
Jill J.
Breakfast is the most intimate meal you can eat with someone.... take her to a great little place with great food if you're not cooking at home. I don't do pancakes, but I've stolen a few bites of my dates here and I think i might start doing pancakes. Very busy in the 9-11 hour on Saturday/Sunday, but worth the wait.
(4)
Rob R.
If Cornerstone was within walking distance from my home I would be a regular. And I don't mean "Sunday brunch" regular. I mean, 3 or 4 times a week breakfast-lunch-and/or-dinner regular. This diner-like quasi-cafe location sets the expectation that you're catering to a different clientele. Fortunately for my palate, the menu surprises and delights its guests. From crepes to feta burgers, this place earns a 5-star rating. And I didn't even mention the amazing Lavazza coffee... is there an extra credit 6-star option? Ultimately, I'm saddened that I don't live closer to enjoy Cornerstone on a more regular basis. But I am not deterred from making the trip several times a month.
(5)
James M.
Our go to place for great breakfast. Great for kids and service is always reliable. Seating at counter is nice option when there is a wait for table. B & G and pancakes are stellar.
(5)
Marc R.
Great place for fresh food! This place at the corner of Western and Elston is a gem. We went for breakfast on Sunday afternoon and it was packed so we sat at the bar. The food was great and everything was fresh. It was the sort of place where they actually care about things going out the way they should without going into snotty a-la-carte gourmet with it. We had omelets. I had the Mediterranean and my girlfriend and her friend had the veggie versions. I had mine with eggbeaters and they had the regular eggs. The toast came out with real pats of fresh butter on the side, and the pancakes were a nice short stack (substitute for toast). The coffee was good (we had the drip) and they bring a nice little insulated carafe. This place is super busy on the weekend and I think it might be a 40-60 minute wait from 11-3 on Weekends, but it was worth it. Pros: fresh everything, and some great salads and sandwiches served by a staff that seems to care. Espresso machine coffee if you want it.. Still feels like a Chicago diner. Cons: A bit more expensive than most diners for regular breakfast ($10 per person with coffee, no OJ, or other extras). No parking lot and the whole area is metered (thanks mayor!). Small interior.
(4)
N Y.
The food here was nothing to rave about and the service was terrible. I walked in by myself on a Tuesday at 10:30am and when I sat at a booth I was asked if I could please choose a smaller table since it was just me. I declined their request to move since the place wasn't even at half capacity (tons of open tables for groups of any size). After my meal I was told that it is their policy not to let individual diners sit at a booth during lunch hours (starting at 10:30?). On top of this rude encounter there was a misc. charge on my bill because I chose goat cheese to put in my veggie omelet--the menu says 'choose any cheese'. When I remarked about both of these things upon paying, I was vehemently told that I was wrong and a bad customer. No need to go back there when there are so many better places with better food, better service, and better locations all over the city.
(1)
Kara D.
Delicious omelets, big portions and good coffee - all you need for a good breakfast that's not too greasy! On top of that the service was friendly and helpful, and prices were decent.
(5)
Brook E.
Cornerstone Cafe is probably one of the best breakfast diners I've been to in Chicago. It still has that diner vibe and prices, but it has better food than most. I've eaten off of the various different areas of the menu, including the crepes, waffles, pancakes, benedicts, and omelettes. Everything is delicious. Be careful about ordering any additional sides, as the entrees usually have more than enough food for even the hungriest of appetites. The omelets in particular are huge. If you're in the mood for something sweet, order the banana bread french toast--you won't regret it! This place is also pretty kid-friendly, and has fun activity menus and packets to keep the kids busy.
(5)
Jessica G.
MMMMMMM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM! I don't know what they put in their pancakes, but it might as well be crack because I. AM. ADDICTED! It's a small, cozy diner with limited seating, but I've never had a long wait, even on weekend mornings when the line at IHOP would be out the door. Friendly waitresses, good coffee, cheap and delicious breakfast - I'm in love!
(5)
Dylan N.
Solid diner food. The omelettes and hash are the best.
(4)
Margot B.
My boyfriend and I love this place! They have a pretty extensive breakfast/lunch menu with tons of options for everyone, whether you want something a little healthier like a whole wheat wrap or salad, or you are in the mood to splurge on something like pancakes, waffles, or eggs benedict. They have classic breakfast and lunch items as well, and everything seems to made-to-order from fresh ingredients that haven't been sitting around all day (ehhemmm...Orange...barf!). They ave pretty much every standard breakfast item, nothing is completely grease-covered--It's somewhere between a classic diner and a cafe style restaurant. The coffee is hot and fresh, and you get your own pitcher thingy of it, so you don't have to constantly wait for refills. The food has been delicious both times we've been and the cooks are pretty fast (5-10 minutes, depending on what you order). It's also very reasonably priced ($7-$10/ plate) and you get a lot of food (I've had to get boxes for leftovers both times). Oh and they always have specials, which we have never gotten, but they always sound really good. The service has been fast, friendly, and everyone that works there is very accommodating from the hostess to the busser. The servers really seem to have some good teamwork going on as well; they help each other out, which is nice to see (I think they pool tips). They are fast with the check, but we have never felt rushed (some breakfast places want to get you in and out as fast as possible so they can turn the tables). They keep the place pretty clean, the environment is bright and pleasant, and they even have outdoor seating surrounded by flowers during the warmer months. It does get really busy, but we have still been seated within ten minutes both times we've gone. It's a bit of a walk from a train stop (maybe 15 minutes?), but if you drive, it's really easy to find parking, and you could easily catch the Western bus. It's not a super fancy brunch spot, but for a nice, casual breakfast or lunch, this is definitely one of our favorite places in the city.
(5)
amanda A.
loved it! everything was great. the food, the coffee, the service! the little old man (i'm guessing owner) who was very worked up that i had food and my husband didn't have his yet. it was really sweet. :-)
(4)
Thongsy S.
This place serves very fresh foods for incredibly cheap! I wish the cafe was open past 4pm but I'll take what I can get. The staff are pretty friendly and I love that it's a family owned restaurant. Since I found out about this place, I have been back practically every other weekend.
(5)
Sohni S.
Hands down my favorite breakfast in Chicago. I have been to all the kitchy places with themes and high prices and waits outside the door, but if you want tasty all american style REAL breakfast, come to this cozy, cute, and clean diner :-) I have been here several times and always enjoy sitting at the counter watching the Bears game on the flat screen up top. The coffee is good, the pancakes are the BEST in the city (very buttery and fluffy), and the eggs benedict to die for. I love that it's a mom & pop place and you can always expect to see the mom working the register, and even the 'pop' cleaning dishes in the back. Sometimes their kids come in with the grand kids and you feel like you are at your grandparents place. Love the casual feel after being tired of having to be 'dressed up' for brunch places in the city. It's hands down my favorite pancake place with a cozy diner atmosphere minus the greasy spoon feel. LOVE Cornerstone!
Breakfast is always great here. I have never seen a breakfast sandwich this big! The croissant is on steroids and i think they have 6 eggs in that thing (I may be eggzaggerating.) and a choice of sausage, Bacon, or Ham and cheese with really good hash browns. I have enjoyed the coffee also, top notch! The waiting staff is always prompt and courteous.
(4)
Lisa D.
So so good- no frills restaurant but everyone is super friendly, including the owner who was working the register. I had the French Toast with Strawberries - eggs came with sweet watermelon piece. Bacon side was $3.25 - for four pieces I guess that's ok but they weren't bacon to like write home about. Otherwise will definitely will be returning!
(5)
Angela B.
Cornerstone NEVER disappoints!! I have been frequenting this cafe for a couple years now and have never had a bad meal. The owners are always in the building and working, always pleasant and treat you like family. Everything is great here, but their breakfast is especially good. A great selection and the food is always fresh. Their french toast is my favorite but my boyfriend loves their pancakes. I've also had lunch here several times and have ZERO complaints. This is hands down one of the best diners in the city. I truly wish they were open for dinner!
(5)
Alex O.
Not only are the eggz here to die for, the costumer server and the cozyness are top notch. The coffee is better then most places, i would even drink it black with alittle sugar.
(5)
Shahzad A.
We had the neutella crepe, guere cheese and asparagus omelet which were both really good. This is the only place I have been where you get to substitute side for French toast for free. The food was good but I really didn't love the place much. The restaurant had bees and I saw a fruit fly which was not acceptable. The service was excellent. I think some uplift and no bees will do wonders for the place!
(3)
Samantha P.
Incredible breakfast/brunch place. Small restaurant but our table of 5 got seated quickly. The food was absolutely delicious and a lot of food for the price. Very friendly service.
(5)
Emily M.
We came here on a Thursday morning and there were only a handful of other patrons so we immediately got a seat & served drinks. We ordered biscuits & gravy and strawberry crepes, each with additional sides. The kitchen was a bit late with our sides so we were nearly finished eating our actual plates when they arrived but honestly, it didn't bother us the least bit. It was quiet and had that hometown diner feel so I think we just fell into the lull of the atmosphere rather than get impatient. We were surprised how good the food was though.. The portions were great taking into account the price and the gravy was amazing. By the time we got our 2nd round of coffee and the waitress dropped the check off the place was really starting to fill up so we left a little sooner to free up space.
(4)
Laura B.
I would not go back. I ordered the strawberry French toast and "hard scrambled" eggs. The French toast was average, and the eggs were awful. It's not just that they were too soft, but there was something about their flavor that was a complete turn-off. And while the staff was friendly, the waitress wasn't attentive after delivering the food. In fact, soon after she left the check on my table and never came back. The location was also too noisy for my taste due to the convergence of Western, Diversey, and another main street right in front of the entrance.
(2)
Kathy T.
Best breakfast for the best price! I love the corned beef hash. It also comes with a side of pancakes! I wish they would deliver since I live close by. One of my favorite breakfast place in town.
(5)
Evie H.
Cornerstone Cafe has everything I want in a sort of All-American diner kind of way. I've been a few times and have tried several of their brunch items. They have one of the best deals around for some of their entree items. I mean, an omelette, hashbrowns, and a side of pancakes for $9-10? Not bad at all. I love that their savory omelettes aren't over the top salty or packed with too many ingredients. It's pretty much your basic two or three items neatly folded into the eggs. Hash browns are also simple and not oily at all. In general, everything that I've had here are very classic brunch dishes without any extra surprises. It's like your basic colored Christmas lights. On weekends when I don't feel like waiting an hour at trendier brunch locations, Cornerstone Cafe really hits the spot. I appreciate that they do simplicity right. A couple of my favorites: Corned beef hash, Spinach and mushroom omelette, Stuffed strawberry french toast! Tip: come on a warm day and sit outside. It's so fun to eat outside on a busy street.
(4)
paige h.
My husband and I went here a few weeks ago and loved it! It's very tiny so try not to go during a rush period. However the selection is great, the food was amazing and loved the fresh juice they serve! The prices aren't bad either. For sure one of the better brunch places in the city!
(4)
Naomi L.
My friend got completely trashed the night before and of course I need breakfast this morning. Maybe if I was hung over my review might of been a bit different. The reason I came to this place was because I was on Western Avenue. Well I also looked up breakfast on Yelp. When I got here the place was pretty much busy and I sat at the bar (well looks like one). Just by looking at the yelp reviews and how busy it was I was convinced that this place would be great. Boy was I wrong! I sat myself and at least four servers looked at me for what 10 minutes before somebody stopped by and asked me what I would like to drink. By that time I was already highly pissed off. How can you just look at somebody that is obviously a customer and not ask them if they have been helped? I don't understand that and I need to understand why I wasn't asked if I was helped. Another 10 minutes go by and finally a waitress comes and asked me what I would like to order. I placed an order for eggs Benedict and green tea. Now listen folks this is a breakfast place and breakfast is prepared very very fast. I was waiting for my eggs Benedict for 20 minutes. The question again is; why did it take 20 minutes for my food to be in front of me? I have all these questions but nobody can answer them. When my food came it was cold and when I say cold I mean room temperature. My eggs turned into over hard. My hash browns where just cold. Yes the place was busy but it's a breakfast place, you are preparing the same items for eight hours. Why is my food cold? Now my server is a whole other story. I mean you working for tips and why did you just ignore me the whole time? Why didn't you check on me to make sure I was okay? What's wrong with you? I mean don't you want money? I am a needy customer ask me a question, ask me if I'm okay. I tried to get her attention like five times by saying excuse me over and over but she kept passing me. I don't understand service these days! The reason this place is getting a two star is because my food was not up to par. I would totally understand if this is a restaurant that has to serve different types of foods but the only thing they serve is breakfast. The owner or manager of the place: lady with short gray hair looked at me the entire time and ignored me. I think if my food wasn't cold it and the service was up to par I think my review would have been different. First impressions are everything and I am not impressed.
(2)
Jesus G.
Cool place for breakfast. Truly enjoy their breakfast food (since that's all I've had) but they also serve lunch food. Their omelettes are huge (4 eggs) plus they have a wide variety of them (anything from vegetarian omelettes to all meat). Their coffee is also great and they just leave a small pot at your table so you can serve yourself. The only downside is that this place is pretty small so would not work great for a large party. It also gets very crowded fast so you must be there early or else walk over to Golden Nugget! lol
(4)
Ben A.
This is the Cheers of breakfast restaurants in Chicago. First, the food. Good, solid breakfast food. I haven't branched out too much, but I usually get the bacon and eggs (sunny side up) with white buttered toast and hash browns and it always hits the spot. I also can't seem to help myself from doing a half-order of the biscuits and gravy which is always a good choice. The food is good and hearty. There are fancier breakfasts to be had in Chicago, but for a good simple breakfast, this is still really hard to beat. I also have to speak to the service and the experience of dining there. Paul and Tish (the owners) seem to know all of the regulars there by name. Paul often sits at the bar and converses with the patrons. Great guy. His wife, Tish, is a wonderful woman as well and the connection they have built with their customers makes you understand why people keep coming back to this place. The rest of their staff has been great as well in the many times I've been there. One of the intangibles though, which makes this place so special is that the customers themselves add to the experience of dining there. The focal point of the restaurant is a triangular bar where everyone is facing each other, and I remember early on while dining, being struck by the friendliness of the fellow diners. In a big city, its rare to find a place where everyone is so friendly. A lot of the people there know each other and are happy to talk to a stranger. It's a place where you can go to dine alone and still be assured of some great company. Keep up the good work Cornerstone, I'll keep coming back.
(5)
Bobi '.
Great food, friendly staff and great ambiance. I love their eggs, they have to be the best in the city. They are super creamy and delicious!! My kids love their pancakes. Every time we are there the owners are there. It's great to see that they are successful and doing well. They all work so hard and they totally deserve to keep succeeding! If you want good food, good coffee and a comfortable place to eat then this is it! Parking can be tough at times but no big deal the walk is worth it.
(5)
Daniella A.
All the food was delicious (I've tried the waffle flight, the biscuits & gravy, the caesar wrap & the caesar salad so far) but the milkshake was a gift from the gods themselves! I got half chocolate & half vanilla and it was DELICIOUS.
(5)
David W.
great place to sneak in for a quick breakfast. however often a long line on weekend mornings so have some patience. they push the food out quick and the servers are super friendly. a neighborhood joint - support it!
(4)
Kristiena S.
I love this place. The owners are always present and working, which is refreshing in a city full of chains and restauranteurs. Their food - I haven't had anything I did not like here. Seriously. Another big dining-out peeve of mine is the lack of coffee refills. At Cornerstone, they just give you a carafe. A beautiful carafe full of coffee so you are able to keep your cup at a nice, comfortably warm temperature. This place is charming and inviting with pretty decent food. I love that they have an always-full candy dish at the register. Even when full, who doesn't love a bite-sized candy bar?!
(4)
Sue A.
I stopped at the Cornerstone Cafe at 1:30 pm on a Wednesday. The place was about one third full. All the two tops were taken, but there were plenty of other tables open and their four tops are not large. I was by myself. The hostess took one look at me and told me that I had to wait for a table! She also offered the seating at the counter. Why should I have to wait for a table when there were so many available? I was so taken aback that I didn't know what to say. That was so mean. I sat at the counter. The seats are so high that my feet dangled like Edith Ann. I'm not a short person. I had to put my purse on the floor and rest my feet on it. I was still very uncomfortable. They serve coffee in personal carafes which I thought was a great idea as I wouldn't have to flag down a waitress, until the carafe ran dry. It held two cups. Unfortunately, without having to refill coffee, the wait staff didn't seem to think they needed to check on their customers and I sat unattended, making due with water. It's a real shame as their corned beef hash was out of this world. Sorry, but I will not be back.
(1)
Neesa D.
Service was nice, food was okay, nothing really special.
(3)
David C.
Impressed. Not mind blown, but impressed. The unassuming corner of Western and Diversey houses this charming brunch place. You know it is a serious breakfast place when it is only open 7AM to 4PM everyday. I had the Greek Omelette and added bacon. Not only were all the ingredients fresh, but they added the bacon into the 4 eggs seamlessly. Plus you get a generous serving of hasbrowns, and pancakes all for less than $10? Wow. My only critique/suggestion would be to ask for the hashbrowns to be "well-done" since they were a little soggy for my liking. I will definitely be rolling over to Cornerstone to satiate those pesky hangovers or if I am hankerin' for some french toast.
(4)
Michey G.
I absolutely love Cornerstone! (an understatement by the way.) I usually go here with my friend Roy, who was the one that introduced to this lovely place. We come here and feel home. The food is phenomenal. The service awesome. The prices are reasonable. Waking up and hearing : "Let's have breakfast at Cornerstone." Brings a smile to my face. Yes, it's that good. You won't be disappointed from anything you eat there. Breakfast or lunch. Great for everyone who loves bacon too.
(5)
Hannah H.
My friends and I tried this place out for a breakfast get-together. I had the 'Bacon and Eggs,' which came with 2 eggs, any style you liked, and 3 strips of bacon - a very simple, no-nonsense dish with the eggs cooked well and the side of bacon. The buttermilk pancakes were okay, but a little dry, and the syrup was way too thick. My friend had the Southwestern Omelet, and she seemed to like it, too, with the red peppers and the chorizo. Service was a little slow as most seemed to be enchanted by the TV. A decent breakfast place off of Western. +simple breakfast fare
Great little breakfast diner. It isn't one of those new fancy get in line for 30 mins to have a "creation" made for breakfast but the hashbrowns and croissant sandwich was very good and the staff and owners couldn't be nicer. give it a try
(4)
Mo H.
Go here every weekend for breakfast. The food is great! Quality, classic breakfast fare served fast and hot. The staff is always super nice and on point. And the owners couldn't be more wonderful. I love to support quality local small businesses and this place is one of the best! Go there for breakfast or lunch!
(5)
Frida A.
I went there for the first time with a group of 5 people. The breakfast selection is really great! It's a small place and we were sitting in the only table with enough space for 5 people so I wouldn't recommend it for groups larger than 4 people. They have 4 tables outside, it was raining on the day that I went so we weren't able to sit outside, that add to the appeal. The only reason why I gave it 4 stars is because of the limited seating for large groups but the food was great and the ambiance is very warm and welcoming. It's super accessible via public transportation as there is a bus stop right in front.
(4)
Amanda Z.
Went here today with my girls for brunch and ordered the chocolate and banana crepes and it was awesome!! My friends ordered milkshake and they were the best I've ever tasted. Talked to the waitress about it who said they didn't put any weird ingredients. Like the strawberry milkshake only gets it's flavor from fresh strawberries. Cute and friendly cafe with a familiar vibe. Recommend it to everyone!!
(5)
Monica R.
I honestly don't understand why people wait outside in the cold for this place. It's always packed for some reason. If you have the misfortune of sitting at the bar, the waitress probably won't even be able to properly serve you (and in my case she'll get your order wrong entirely because it's impossible to hear in this place). None of the food that we were served was particularly tasty. The omelettes weren't mixed very well- the cheese was situated in one end of the omelette only. The hash browns were so-so. They do bring you your own coffee carafe. But I'm pretty sure this is something they'd HAVE to do because with the way service moves around here you'd never get your coffee refilled without it. Seriously, instead of waiting in line here just go to the golden nugget across the street.
(2)
Veronica H.
The restaurant is too small to accomodate a large group. There isn't a parking lot. You have to rely on street parking. I ordered the smoke gouda omelet. It sounded good but the flavors didn't really go together. The hash browns lacked flavor. The French toast was really good. The meal also came with a cranberry muffin that was absolutely delicious. Our seat was terrible. We sat by the front door and every time the door opened there was a gust of cold. There really isn't anywhere for people to wait so they were right next to our table. Overall it was an ok experience but we will not be back.
(3)
Jordan V.
Pancakes were bomb af and the smoked Gouda omelette was dope. Quant as hell and and the hot chocolate killed it
(4)
Thom W.
I like pancakes. I really like pancakes. I mean, if pancakes were sentient, I'd be on trial for war crimes against pancake-kind and pancacide for sure. That said, I've rarely had a pancake stand out. There are bad pancakes, and there are cheap pancakes, but rarely do any stand out in quality. These were awesome pancakes. I didn't even order them. They were that good. I risked life and limb repeatedly as I assaulted my food-territorial girlfriends plate. I left less one limb, but with a full belly. The meatball sub was decent.
(5)
Joy M.
The food is great, the staff is excellent. The outdoor seating is very small, but you could also call it cozy. Surprisingly, I've always had good luck with street parking.
(5)
Alysa R.
For me, going out to a restaurant is an entire experience that includes food, customer service, and the ambiance of the place. Whether it's a burger joint or a fancy restaurant, if the food is good but the people are jerks I definitely won't go back. This falls into the "people are jerks" category. Food is subpar. Just regular breakfast food. Nothing special. Definitely won't be going back.
(1)
M H.
Pretty darn good and (thankfully) not at all trendy. Have only had one of their omelets and the vegetarian eggs benedict--with sweet potato fries instead of hash browns--and both were quite tasty. The staff is also pleasant as well as helpful. I'm a picky diner, too!
(4)
Mary T.
For years I've seen my Yelp friends shower attention on this place in their reviews. I've always thought about trying it, but to be honest, dealing with the craziness of the intersection has always deterred me. As such, my go to diner breakfast usually means Nookie's, Golden Apple and the like. Have I been missing out. We were fortunate to arrive at that tail end of the brunch hour and not have to wait for a table. The footprint is kind of odd given that it's on the corner of a 6-way intersection and there's not really anywhere to wait (less than ideal in winter). Aside from the huge menu with so many tings that sounded delicious, the next thing I noticed was the attentive and friendly service. I'm not entirely sure who our server was, all of them popped by to check on us regularly, filling up drinks, bringing food, clearing plates and just checking in. It wasn't overbearing or annoying either. I opted to go for a lunch plate, the tuna melt with a side of hash browns. He went with the steak and eggs, which is served with hash browns AND french toast. You best be hungry if you're ordering this. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Hash browns are an essential part of breakfast and brunch for me; a place that does them exceptionally will win me over and Cornerstone did. The potatoes were so rich and buttery, I devoured every last bite. The tuna melt was exceptional too; the english muffin was one of the largest I've seen. If future meals are as good as this, I can see an upgrade to 5 stars in Cornerstone's future. That shouldn't be hard since it's a large menu with something for everyone - sweet, savory, meaty and meatless.
(4)
Bex F.
Winner winner. Why do I feel like such a loser though? Because we've driven by this place for years and years and never stopped in and eventually just didn't "see" it anymore. Losers. What a shame. We could've been eating great food all this time. And we made the blasphemous foul mistake of eating at Golden Nugget one day when we could have eaten here. What idiots. Everything is fresh, everything is hand made, home made, and many items are made by the owner herself. See, we're jerks! My dearest says it's the best eggs benedict he's ever had. I tried the chicken salad one day and wow, yep, super great, loved it. Even took the leftovers home and actually ate it which rarely happens. I had the pancakes another time and maybe because it was so insanely busy, they didn't knock my socks off, but I suspect anything on this menu is rock star. Unfortunate location for a parking attempt but if you bus it, you're ahead of the game. But we're dumb, and drive, and drove by for years before realizing the terrible folly of our ways. See ya there!
(5)
Katrina D.
I always envisioned my life going something like this: graduate college, get a cute apartment in the city, sip mimosas at brunch with my friends at a cute little cafe. Almost all those things happened this weekend, minus the mimosas. I couldn't handle a mimosa that morning. After staying at my friend's apartment the night before we walked to Cornerstone Cafe for brunch. Not being much a breakfast food person (I know, sue me), I was able to find a ton of lunch items on the menu and settled with tomato soup and french fries. I am obsessed with the tomato soup. It had just the right amount of creaminess to it. The fries took a lot longer to come out than they should have but I saw and heard our waitress (she was super cute) ask for them several times, so it's not like she wasn't trying. Both of my friends enjoyed their meals: strawberry crepes and hash browns and the veggie scrambler and a cup of cream of chicken soup. Next time I'm in town and I stay in Avondale, we're getting breakfast/brunch at Cornerstone Cafe!
(4)
Matt G.
4.5 stars???? Really? Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I asked a few questions before I did. Do you really make the hash every day and it's not out of a can? Are the grits good and are they not instant? I got 2 eggs over medium with hash brown shredded potatoes and small diced corned beef. That was the hash and eggs. That SUCKS! That's not hash. The grits were watery, clumpy nearly instant grits. I couldn't even eat them they were that gross. Somehow the place is full. I think we need to have fewer drinks on Saturday night so that the bar is raised on the Sunday breakfast. My son (5 yrs old) asked why we didn't eat at the pancake place across the street. I was asking myself the same question.
(2)
Chan K.
I love this place! They have a cute patio in the front with lots of plants - you would hardly know you were sitting right on busy Western Ave! I had some fish sliders, and while they weren't the best fish sliders ever they quenched my craving for fish. On a second visit I ordered soup and sandwich combo for lunch. Creamy broccoli soup was fresh and delicious and the bacon in my blt was crispy to my liking. Service was very friendly!
(4)
Brett F.
Per usual, I'm the last to get on the Yelp bandwagon. Why do great things always tend to elude me? Cornerstone is not only in my neighborhood but has been reviewed by no less than 20 of my pals dating back to 2010. Yet my first visit was last week. Amazing. Better late than never, though! Loved my steak 'n egg brunch at Cornerstone. Loved the way they listened and made my hash browns extra crispy. Loved my toast. And its homemade jam accompaniment. Loved the owners and their genuine passion for the business. We watched Sunday Bears football with the owner guy and the owner gal complimented me on how 'smart' my outfit was. Ahhhh! Compliments get you everywhere, dahhhhling! Just a great, family owned place, serving awesome diner style breakfast. Yum.
(4)
Cynthia G.
2nd time eating here! Ate waffles twice, different kinds.. The owner is such a sweet man. The food is great & not over priced. I think I will take my hubby there tomorrow for breakfast.
(4)
Melissa M.
This place is great. The food is delicious and the wait is not long.
(5)
Mike M.
Love this place. You can tell a good restaurant right away by the clientele. Busy, mellow, friendly. The owner is there. No pretense. Good good. Can't say enough!
(5)
Eugene C.
Service superb, attentive friendly but not intrusive. Excellent strong coffee served with heavy cream. Scrambled eggs perfectly done, moist and fluffy, great hash browns. French toast as regular toast alternative was thick moist and delicious. I give five stars because of certainly outstanding breakfast at very reasonable cost. Outstanding value.
(5)
Julio V.
Anyone ever wanted to rub me out can find me on weekends at this joint. Their food is freshly made and is always very good. Prices are reasonable and well worth the quantity of food they give you. Staff is also wonderful. GAINED My BUSINESS!!
(4)
Ryan K.
Solid breakfast joint with friendly staff. It's a no frills old school diner type of place and sometimes that's what I want in place of a pretentious brunch spot cramming in as many hipsters as they can. Yes, there are big booths where you can relax and not listen to the girl next to you talk about her regretful night. Anyway, if I'm being honest, this place had me at do you want toast or pancakes with your omelette. And the fat kid said let there be pancakes!
(4)
Michael G.
Cornerstone does all the basics just above the Golden place just a hop skip away from it. I grew up in Cicero amongst the Beloved Steak N Egger, and Golden Nugget sometimes seems like a bad version of them...if that helps. But their pancakes were solid for being ordinary, but didn't include a separate plate for them. I'm not the biggest fan of full on crossing mingling of syrup to my eggs and sausage (I got a basic breakfast, 2x2x2 I believe). They had a flurry of people come in, and literally having the corner booth, they were still attentive. They, where "Nice People go to Eat Good Food" (I'll never forget that) lived up to half of their name, bc their food was pretty standard. I guess if you're into that, for around 20 buckaroos, go for it! Great atmosphere, but I am spoiled by Bongo and Publican breakfast to the point where you've gotta impress a bit to get a 4-5 with me. But stay nice!!!
(3)
Joanne C.
We went here bright and early on a Sunday morning before the branch crowd. This was the second time we went and I was looking forward to it because the first was was great. However I was disappointed this time. There wasn't a lot of people yet and but our server was spending more time making herself an ice coffee than attending any tables. The food was still good but my corn beef hash was not as good as the first time I had it. Also, we saw the food being ready by the kitchen for about 10 mins before our server realized it and finally brought them to us. I don't think I will return for a third time.
(2)
Daura A.
I understand the charming old fashion dinning American experience, but the quality of the food is mediocre. The service, however, is great!
(2)
M K.
Very good restaurant. Good atmosphere, as well. I'm a breakfast omelet eater and I've eaten them all over Chicago. I'm born and raised in Chicago. I have to say they have as good an omelet or better than any I've had in all my life. What puts them over the top is the goat cheese. Very few restaurants have goat cheese and they have it. I love goat cheese, as well as their omelets. I recommend them!
(5)
Bernice R.
Hello overly generous size to price ratio! Nice to meet you! The Cornerstone Cafe is a great bang for your buck and more importantly, deliciousness for your stomach! For my tasty breakfast, I had a large glass of tomato juice, the corned beef hash skillet, and a short stack! Pure bliss. I don't usually get tomato juice but I saw about 3 people order it while I perused the menu and decided to get it. And you know what, no regrets! I should have gotten the brand that they used... oh well. Anyway, the corned beef hash is none like I've ever tasted! True to many reviews, it was SO good! As were the scrambled eggs and the potato hash that accompanied the dish. Lastly, my table split my short stack because I didn't want it to go to waste.... Holy fluffy pancakes Batman, they were awesome! Overall, my table was happily full and had great reviews for their cinnamon raisin french toast and smoked gouda omelet! I can't wait to go back to this cheerfully yellow painted cafe and try more classic breakfast dishes!
(4)
Delia V.
Love their southwest omelette & French toast. The strawberry banana & Nutella crepes are amazing!!! My hubby loves their home style oatmeal. The service is pretty good. Sometimes when it gets busy the servers take a while, but I've never had any real problems so I keep going back even with the usual 10-15 min wait time. Update: the Denver omelette is also absolutely delicious with cheddar cheese. The cheese oozes out as you cut into it!! Yum!
(4)
Andy C.
I got lucky and saw the tables on the sidewalk outside. The place looked very inviting and didn't disappoint me. Good prices, great food, generous portions, and no frills. I would definitely come back next time I'm in Chicago!!
(5)
Rebekah S.
We were looking for a quick in and out breakfast spot while running errands a few Saturdays ago and stumbled across this gem via Yelp app. Such a cute diner vibe, we were immediately seated and were able to order within minutes. I ordered the Mediterranean Omelet and my bf got the Cinnamon Raisin French Toast and side of hashbrowns. Our food came out right away, hot and yummy! We split our plates and ended up taking just a bit home. We were there around 11 am on a Saturday, but I can definitely see why there's said to be a wait out the door earlier in the day!
(5)
Marjorie F.
My friend Emily was in town from Stockholm and had a bad craving for American pancakes. We had errands to run at Target so I used my handy dandy Yelp app to locate the nearest breakfast spot. I was surprised to see how close this was to Target. When we entered this quaint little diner, we were greeted with the delicious fragrance of breakfast --- freshly brewed pot of coffee, pancakes and bacon on the griddle. Yummmm... Needless to say, I couldn't wait! I ordered the corned beef hash and eggs, side of pancakes (of course). I was not disappointed. Out came the freshly chopped corned beef, home made buttery hash potatoes, overeasy eggs, and fluffy pancakes. So yummy! My friend Emily picked the Cinnamon Raisin French Toast. It looked deelish. She thought so! Service was quick and friendly. They even left me my very own carafe of coffee. Dangerous! This is my new go to breakfast place - especially for my marathon errand days.
(4)
Boris M.
Nice-looking from the outside (important if you want to beautify a city), friendly staff, fresh orange and grapefruit juices, tasty biscuits and sausage gravy, and power outlets. I have absolutely no complain. And the wife is very happy about her not-salty-nor-oily scramble eggs and tasty French toast! We'd happily return here in the future.
(5)
Justin S.
Although the food tasted good and is a pretty good value , I found a piece of metal shaving in my pancake, the coffee cups where also dirty, the staff is friendly but they made no effort to compensate me
(1)
K C.
Rich flavors, deliciousness, I had the red velvet pancakes! Yummmmmmm the place was clean, it wasn't too busy. I wondered why the service wasn't more attentive but who knows what was going on what I could not see... If i remember to stop here i will but I can't see going out of my way for the place. I visited because I went to repair my window at Fernando's up on Western a short walk up the block.
(4)
Jose B.
Jeez, I feel bad for eating here every other day and not leaving a review yet! This place is a gem right down the street from my job. LOVE their breakfast on the weekends and their lunch menu during the week. Everything is great! My favorite is their awesome take on the corn beef hash. As long as their doors are open I will be a customer!!!!!
(5)
Desiree H.
I was visiting a friend in Chicago and unfortunately this place didn't have vegan or gluten free options. So that's the only reason I gave it two stars!
(2)
Mary T.
Why the long line? The food here is just fair, but the service stinks. I had an omelette which I watched sit up on the shelf waiting to be delivered to my seat for way too long. After a long wait, expect not to hear the person sitting next to you, it is so loud in this place. The owner I think is an older woman who looks on the edge of a nervous breakdown, whizzed by inquiring about the food, but did not stay to get feedback. It is overpriced, over-rated. I use Yelp to find the right places, but this place made me want to sign up and share the negative experience.
(1)
Misty S.
Great place for a breakfast! They have Lavazza coffee, which is pretty good. They also have fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juices if you're into that. The place is usually packed, but I haven't had to wait for a table when I came here for brunch. The inside is modern, yet it feels like an old cozy diner. The food here is good and they offer tons of items on the menu including corned beef hash, omelettes, waffles, French toasts, crepes, pancakes, eggs benedicts, sandwiches, and much more. They have a small outside seating area, but I always find it too loud and windy to want to sit outside. It is located right on the corner of Western and Elston, and I must have driven by this intersection a hundred times and never noticed this cafe sitting there. Street parking is easy on Western.
(5)
Jennifer P.
Amazing food! Had the Eggs Benedict the best ever... Husband had the corn beef hash and loved it! Definitely a must stop next trip to Chicago!!!
(5)
Carlos A.
Love this place. Third time I visit was today and I'm so happy and pleased with their prompt service. The chicken salad sandwich is soo good. I had it with a side of sweet potatoes fries and chicken soup. Like the other times before, food was great and very consistent. Also super super affordable. I'll be back for more lunch. :)
(5)
Sara L.
This place is amazing. Their pancakes are the best pancakes I have ever had. The waitress was so amazing that she actually read our minds. Everyone was very supportive when I ordered both breakfast and lunch at the same time. I felt super comfortable having pancakes with my sandwich. Even if you don't like pancakes, get a pancake. You're welcome.
(5)
Patrick S.
Ignored for twenty minutes before we walked out and went to Golden Nugget across the street, where we were immediately sat and served.
(1)
Coley M.
The breakfast is amazing and not over priced one bit. Waitstaff was very nice. If your in the neighborhood and hungry check this place out!
(5)
Vina O.
Came in around 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon and we were seated immediately. Nice! I ordered the corned beef hash with pancakes while my husband ordered a burger special. I forgot the name of it, but it was topped with a fried egg. The corned beef hash is not your ordinary hash, it's like thin strips of corned beef mixed in a bed of shredded potatoes and your choice of 2 eggs on top. It was decent, but I had to add some ketchup and hot sauce to really extract more flavor from it. The pancakes, however, are DELICIOUS! Perfectly light and fluffy and a great texture overall. My husband enjoyed his burger and sweet potato fries. I personally thought the sweet potato fries were a bit oily and limp, but that's because so many places serve amazing sweet potato fries and I've gotten picky with my fries. Overall, a decent brunch place with courteous staff and reasonable prices. I'd come back if I were in the area, but I'd probably want to try out other places first.
(3)
D T.
This place is in my new hood, and cute. I went simple with poached eggs, ham, hash browns and pancakes. The pancakes were ridiculous. I want to eat them everyday, but next time I will not make the mistake of passing on the red velvet pancakes. There is no way those aren't the best things on the planet.
(4)
Priscilla R.
This place is great. Good coffee, good food and friendly staff. I enjoy coming here for breakfast.
(4)
Aaron H.
Pretty good prices and some great food. Staff was nice and quick. You get free candy when you leave, too!
(5)
Crystal H.
This is one of my all time favorite breakfast spots. The food is so amazing is hard to explain. I never eat eggs alone but these are so good. My favorite is breakfast on a croissant and the two by two by two plate.
(5)
Scott F.
Great food as always!
(4)
Arlene L.
Cute, comfortable, and cozy atmosphere. Really nice waiters and I loved the pancakes!
(5)
Violet T.
I went on a Tuesday afternoon around 1:30 and it was really busy. It's a small diner with table seating around the perimeter and a large bar in the middle with seating. I was really excited to eat here since reading the reviews. It didn't take long to get a seat. They were having a lunch special for a soup and either half a sandwich or half salad. I ordered the chili and the chicken Cobb panini. My friend ordered the Mediterranean chicken wrap. After a short wait, my food arrived. The waitress acknowledged my foodless friend and told her her wrap was "coming right up". After what felt like an hour but more realistically 7 minute wait, and countless remarks of how not right it is to not serve both us at the same time, I stared down the waitress. When she finally noticed us, she said "oh" and turned to get my friends food that was sitting on the counter witing to get delivered. I was not impressed with the chili. I noticed they crossed off the chili after serving gem so I figured I for the bottom of the pot. It really tastes as if it came from a can. My panini was not really a panini, really more like a sandwich with grilled bread. My friend enjoyed her sandwich. Overall, I was not impressed, actually I was pretty disappointed. Maybe they specialize in breakfast and for that I will try them again, but never again for lunch.
(3)
Nicole B.
Chicken enchilada soup was awesome, eggs Benedict was great, biscuits and gravy were ok, a little too much gravy. The fruit bowl was a pleasant mixture. Overall I had a great brunch. The soup though.... So good.
(5)
Jacob K.
Owned my a beautiful elderly couple who pour their heart and soul in this amazing eatery. Great coffee drinks! Awesome vegan burger!
(5)
Emily K.
I've been coming to this place for years and have gotten to know Tish and Paul (the owners). I call Paul my "city dad" because he's always checking in on me, he's met my parents and he gives my husband a hard time whenever he sees him. Perfect! Best restaurant coffee in the city. Yep, I'm claiming it. My favorite foods are the egg white veggie omelet and the French toast. My husband's favorite is their chili. My mom's in love with the veggie burger. Yummo. And the owners want feedback on the food. They regularly request it from patrons. Oh, and if you want to get to know the staff or the owners, sit at the counter rather than in the booth. The only thing that could possibly make this spot better would be adding bloody marys and mimosas to the menu.
(5)
David H.
My Experience Here was good, I took my girlfriend here, and we fell in love with the place it's a small little place but it taste good. I highly recommend this place. I suggest the French Toast or The Cafe Crepes.
(5)
Patrick L.
Nice place, good selection, good prices, friendly staff. Parking along the street can be a little iffy but that's not really their fault, just be prepared to look around a bit or better yet, take public transportation. Plenty of menu options wether you just want a good hearty meal or want to put together a more health conscious one!
(4)
Errol S.
Once again I had a delightful meal at The Cornerstone Cafe. A cozy cafe with great ownership and staff (always a friendly atmosphere. The food is always fresh and tasty. .After trying just about everything on the menu, and being more than satisfied, I said to Paul "the owner", you should have breakfast burrito's on the menu. Paul said, "we can make those --- just order what you want to fill it". Today I ordered the "veggie scrambler with bacon" inside the burrito, and I must say that it was most likely the best breakfast burrito I've ever had. I say putt'em on the menu. Two thumbs up and five stars!
(5)
Abdullah A.
Lovely atmosphere. Delicious pancakes and the corned beef hash was great too. They do the hash browns separate from the corned beef which made it even better. Lots of food too. We were able to split our eggs and hash and get a couple fruit cups and call it a brunch. Highly recommend. Oh and the wait wasn't bad either. We got right in.
(5)
Angelo B.
I have never really been fully disappointed with this place, meaning at one time or another the service was pretty slow or the food quality was a less than I expect it to be. That said, most times I have been happy with both service and food so I wont count those times against them. I found the food can be hit or miss depending on what you get. My sister one time got the strawberry milkshake that I tried and it was fantastic. I really enjoy the Belgium waffles which I highly recommend adding the ice cream. The omelettes didn't look appetizing when brought out to me but they did taste good. Breakfast on a croissant was good but they buttered the croissant (which they are pretty buttery themselves) which made them too greasy for me to eat with my hand so I used a fork and knife. I think small things like this (presentation of omelette and over greasy croissant) that can lower food quality, but not enough to make me turn away. I would probably give it 3.5 stars if I could but I guess Ill round up to 4 because I do like this place overall. Staff is friendly, adequately priced , and food, while generally good, could be better in quality.
(4)
Joann H.
Ok I went to this little joint with my BFF. First, it is so aesthetically pleasing to the eye. yellow walls, cute booths and chairs, and the cute counter. So nice of a set up. Coffee was on point, nice and strong. Smoked Gouda omelet was tasty. Pancakes...Whoa! light fluffy and tasty as well! Service.....Meh, I 've had better. Don't get me wrong,, our waitress was nice but made me and the bff feel a bit rushed while eating our food. It was an intro , no middle "how's everthing?" which was a bit off putting when finally we get the "anything else I can get here?" and setting down our check. I asked my friend (as she had a better view of the entrance) if people were waiting in line, she said there was no one waiting to be seated. KInd of bummed me out. (sniff sniff). At any rate, overall good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get here. It's uber close to me so maybe Ill try them another time and see how their crepes taste.
(3)
Michael K.
the Yelp Guidelines say 5 stars = "Whoohoo! As good as it gets!".. that's this place. As least that i've found in chicago, and it's competitive with the best i've found in other major cities. I've been here at least 10 times, and each time have had a fantastic experience. The place has a great ambiance, the food is marvelous, and the owners are fun to watch as they go about checking out (i.e. taking payments etc), and talking with customers. My 9 month old baby girl had her first pancakes here, and I honestly can't imagine a better place for it. The pancakes taste like cake. Which when you think about it makes sense. pan cake. duh. But when was the last time you had pancakes that actually made you as happy as eating cake? Go here. and if there's a line (sometimes there is), wait. Oh, their waffles and corned beef hash are also great. real fresh squeezed OJ, and thick, perfect bacon. I'll drink and eat any OJ and bacon, because there aren't any better things than those ... but this place does them both right (a rarity in chicago unfortunately).
(5)
Leslie B.
Great brunch! Had wanted to try this place after finding it on Yelp and saw how everyone raves about it. The inside of the restaurant is simply decorated, we only had to wait 5 minutes at prime brunch time which was awesome. Our waitress approached us right away and we ordered coffee, which was nothing special. I went with the Gouda omelet which included bacon, tomato, avocado and (obviously) gouda. It was massive, incredibly flavorful, and full of fresh ingredients. My boyfriend got the Portobello omelet with bacon which was also tasty, but the goat cheese was pretty overpowering. We both enjoyed the hash browns that came with our meals and he also enjoyed the pancakes. Unlike many brunch places, Cornerstone actually charges a reasonable fee for such a hefty breakfast. Their omelets were between $8-10, a few dollars less than the typical omelet. Cornerstone Cafe is a no frills breakfast place that's definitely worth a try!
(4)
Nichole M.
A cute little breakfast and lunch spot. I wish I had been here on a day when it was warm out so we could have sat outside, but a cool crisp morning will do. This cafe is pretty small, so you may have to wait a little bit to be seated on a busy weekend morning. The soups are very good, I had the cream of chicken and my mom had the tomato basil. Both were delicious. We had breakfast dishes as well. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the greasy eggs. The eggs had no flavor at all just dripping with butter or some sort of grease. The hashbrowns and bacon were pretty standard. My mom had the homemade corned beef hash and she liked it a lot. Other people around me had scrambles that looked really good. I may try one of those on my next trip. Nice little restaurant with good soups and decent breakfast dishes.
(4)
Kim G.
Service was really good. Stopped here on our way back to the airport. I had the portbello mushroom omlette...this was so good. Came with hasbrowns, and toast or pancakes. Really really good. Looks like it was family owned.
(5)
Monika N.
While visiting a friend in Chicago this weekend we were introduced to CornerStone Cafe and I may never be the same. The deceivingly small restaurant had a short wait when we arrived but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they moved people in and out pretty quickly. The service was great but the star of the show was the food. We were there for brunch and opted to share a Gouda omelet and the red velvet pancakes. Both were amazingly delicious. The omelet is especially huge and they don't skimp on filling. And the prices can't be beat.
(5)
Loretta D.
Some of the best French toast I've had, and a large fluffy well-filled spinach feta omelet Got seated, served and out quickly with friendly attention A great way to start our day
(5)
Gerry H.
An unassuming joint, at which I assumed we would be waiting for a long time to be seated. Well, as an idiot high school math teacher once told me; when you assume, you make an ass of you and me. I'm good at that...we were seated immediately. I liked the service. Everyone from the classy elderly hostess to the busboys (and everyone down the line) was friendly, upbeat, and pretty efficient. I've had better omelets, and better hash browns-the ones here were decent, but nothing to rave about. I ordered the smoked gouda omelet, and was hard pressed to detect any smokey or gouda-y flavor. And the hash browns were a little undercooked. But the coffee is very good, and I don't think I've had a finer piece of wheat toast-toasted to perfection with a marvelous application of sweet butter.
(3)
Rhonda P.
Standard diner: Breakfast all day (check) Decent lunch options (check) Free refills (double check) I wasn't overly impressed with the hard hash browns that shredded the back of my throat. However, the pancakes were fluffy and the bf liked his mini burgers. Its right down the block from the movie theater so its a great lazy Sunday option of cheap brunch and a flick.
(3)
Mironda R.
This place gives you bang for your buck with service to match despite how busy it is. You can tell they have regulars and have been around for a while by the nature of the conversations the patrons were having with the owners and staff. I was greeted by the owner and opted to sit at the "counter" since I was a party of 1. I was acknowledged immediately (yes x2!). I opted for the turkey sausage scrambler. Talk about a heap of food? While I was not thrilled with my dish, it was not bad. The pancakes were fantastic, and I can tell this place deserves a take 2 and I need to double down and find the butter, cream, and sugar in my next dish. Enjoyed the experience and look forward to going back!
(4)
Jade N.
This has become our go to breakfast place. The food is great, the service is wonderful, and it just feels like a nice, family owned place. I almost didn't want to write a review to for selfish reasons to not share this place with others. But really, this place is awesome!
(5)
Diana R.
Great breakfast food.
(5)
Dan B.
I can't say enough they treat you like family. We've been to the cafe more than 20 Times, The food is constantly excellent.
(5)
Brian R.
I finally had a chance to stop by and see what this cute little corner cafe had to offer. Boy, I was NOT disappointed. Of course, it was the weekend so it was very. But the wait for my partner and I was not very long. It is fairly small inside, but they really utilize this space for customers. The staff here is very friendly. Okay, now on to the food and such. They serve Lavazza Coffee, which is a big plus for me. I ended up order an omelet with sun dried tomatoes, basil and ricotta cheese. This was such a fantastic tasting omelet. And get this, they grow the basil on the premises! Actually you can see it as you walk in the door off to the side. The overall experience was wonderful. Even though the place was jammed back, I well so at ease and comfortable there. Will definitely be hitting this spot more often.
(4)
Mahsa T.
Sunday morning brunch, off the beaten path, easy street parking, 10-minute wait for a table, excellent service. Food is solid 4-stars. I was expecting something more, something better based on all the reviews, but Cornerstone didn't make me hear a choir sing in the background. It's a diner, on the corner, family-friendly and cozy (small), that serves classic brunch. It was good but ordinary. The turkey sausage scrambler was the most delicious out of the dishes that we shared. The veggie omelette was good but needed some seasoning. The banana bread French toast (special of the day) was also good but a bit dry. Great hash browns and pancakes. The orange juice was fresh, coffee was nice and strong and the carafe on the table made for easy refills. I liked the woman manager (perhaps owner)--she ran a tight ship and made sure everything in the restaurant was running smoothly. Our waitress was wonderful. Do check out Cornerstone if you're in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't say that you should go out of your way for it.
(4)
Emily P.
Great place. Southern and homey... Love the atmosphere and the unique middle of the room breakfast bar/lunch counter. The food was good and hot and coffee was delicious. The servers were all young attractive blondes, I thought this was kind of curious since there were 5 of them and they all matched this description. The grits were a nice addition to the menu. And the eggs were some of the fluffiest I've ever had.
(5)
Kelsey K.
I can't believe I've never reviewed Cornerstone! How can this be?!?! It is the perfect spot if you're looking for a no-frills, good, hearty meal. They don't have any pomp nor circumstance, but what they do, they do well. We go there for brunch as we've found that to be their sweet spot, but they are open for lunch as well. The prices are very reasonable and the service is always great. Tish and her staff will see to it that the restaurant is always open, regardless of how bad the weather is, and that you enjoy your experience here. The pancakes, waffles, and benedicts are all great, so try them all. The only criticism that I have is that their crab benedicts are too dang big and their egg whites aren't great. I never thought I'd say this, but they're a little too fluffy. Maybe it's not that they're fluffy, maybe it's that they were fluffy and then coked for a little too long which made them rubbery?? Other than that, brunch here is all good!
(4)
Ravi M.
Solid place, nice people, quick service. We got the strawberry crepes, the Southwestern omelette, and 2 "large" (which are really just 8 oz.) OJs. The crepes were pretty light and tasty, as the strawberry preserve was sweet and just the right touch. The Southwestern omelette featured chorizo and a mixture of veggies and was well done. It was definitely an above average omelette. The hash browns were your standard hash browns. Despite the contingent of folks waiting near the entrance and the visually long line, we were seated within 10 minutes. I could tell a lot of the people there were regulars - the owners were calling them by their first names. In short, a solid bet for Chicago breakfast/brunch/lunch. The menu is fairly exhaustive, street parking is not too bad, and its a friendly environment.
(4)
Sonia Z.
Cornerstone is a great casual diner with exceptional coffee, corned beef hash and pancakes. Their omelettes are super light and fluffy too. The servers are friendly and it is nice to frequent a place where you see the owners on a regular basis.
(5)
Daniel C.
Cornerstone Cafe is one of my favorite neighborhood diners. I have only ever had the breakfast items, so I'm not sure how the lunch items are. They look okay, but nothing that really made me take notice. Cornerstone does simple things really well. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, pecan waffles, omelets - everything is cooked to your specifications and doesn't take more than maybe 10 minutes to come out. Everyone is very friendly and I love the old school family atmosphere - the people who own the place are there all the time, serving food and bussing tables along with the employees. There is tons of street parking and it is super convenient if you are waiting for your car to get worked on by Joe's Expert Auto or any of the other mechanics along Elston.
Ordered the Smoked Gouda Omelette today. It was AMAZING! Very tasty and DEELISH! The hashbrowns were good, but im not a fan of hashbrowns period. We placed an order for pickup and food was ready in 5 minutes. I'll be back fo sho! :)
(5)
Juliana R.
From reading the reviews it gets pretty crowded on weekends so we stopped in on a Thursday morning for breakfast. We sat right away, service was quick and great! I had their waffle and it was delicious! The only downfall was my bf and I ordered a side of hash browns each and they were pretty under cooked. We let our server know, she offered to take it back to have it cooked more but we were ready to leave so she actually took it off our bill. Other than that everything was great and cant wait to come back!
(4)
Amber B.
While looking for a not-so-busy and on the cheaper-side Sunday brunch place today, my husband and I decided to try out Cornerstone Cafe. We'd driven past hundreds of times and it always looks busy, which we figured was a great sign. We were seated promptly, our service was quick and friendly. Unfortunately, our food left me with a meh feeling. My husband had the "homemade" corned beef hash with scrambled eggs, with a side of pancakes. The eggs were perfectly fluffy and light, as were the pancakes. However, the hash was underdone and lacking seasoning. I ordered the crab cake eggs benedict with a side of well-done hashbrowns. My crab cakes were underdone as well, and only one of my poached eggs was runny in the middle. Bummer! The hollandaise was fine, as was the spinach and the (mostly done) hash browns, but the whole meal was just OK. Overall, quick, reasonably priced and friendly. Good for parties of 4 or less. Nice patio option. Go there for an omelet or some pancakes and you'll be happy. But I think it is possible that their menu is just too large to make everything perfect. Such is the curse of the diner, I suppose. Would I go back? Not likely, there are much yummier places in Logan Square and Bucktown, but the service and staff were great.
(3)
Tom D.
Been going to Cornerstone for years, can't say enough good things about it. Tish and Paul get to know and remember you, the pancakes, coffee and omelets are the best I've had in the city, and the location ain't bad either. Love this place and do my best to take people there when they just want a damn good breakfast.
(5)
Jim M.
Perfect.Breakfast.Cafe. I usually don't waste my time reviewing places with more than a hundred or so reviews because an accurate composite has already been established. I'm making an exception here because Cornerstone was so damn good. It might be the perfect breakfast spot. Reasonable, cute, well kept, friendly and delicious. The six corner, asymmetrical space is clean and unique. I've always loved the six corner/ angle street buildings in this city. As I eat I enjoy being reminded that I'm not in a strip mall. The center of the cafe contains a great triangular counter with maybe twenty stools. There is also outdoor seating if you don't mind the Western Avenue bus stop. The coffee is strong, dark and well brewed. I don't take cream but I'm pretty sure the little pitcher was actually cold half and half. The omelets were large and fantastic- the portabella with pancetta, sun dried tomato and goat cheese might be the best omelet I've ever eaten. The orange marmalade didn't come out of a little plastic container with a peel away cover and I used every bit contained in the ramekin even though I didn't intend to. All this for the cost of a yellow signed, 24 hour, chain family restaurant. Man I loved this place.
(5)
Tiffany T.
I was pretty satisfied when I came to cornerstone for brunch upon a close friends rave reviews of this place. Their cinnamon swirl French toast special was delicious! Love their coffee and the fact they leave a pot at the table for you to refill on your own. Freshly squeezed orange juice is always the right way to go too. I will be back for more.
(4)
D M.
The best corned beef hash I've had in chicago
(5)
Aimee M.
Small and cozy little cafe/diner. They really make use of their space--and it can feel claustrophobic on busy mornings. And if you're dining solo on a busy day, don't even think of sitting in a booth, they will make you move to the counter to allow for bigger parties to snag the booth. For breakfast they offer the staples--eggs, pancakes, french toast, scramblers and eggs benny. I opted for the roasted red pepper and feta eggs benedict. The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollendaise was deliciously thick and rich. There wasn't much feta, but the roasted red pepper gave a nice twist to an old stand by. The hubs got asked for the southwestern omelet to be made into a scrambler instead and they were happy to oblige. The dish was really tasty and prepared very well. Lots of chorizo, tomato and onions. The other half of our group got the corned beef hash--it was nice sized portion especially when it gets paired with a side of buttermilk pancakes. Coffee is a little weak, but piping hot. Not much in decor--kind of muted and worn. Smiley helpful service. Nice spot.
(3)
Brian F.
Strangely designed place with a HUGE communal table in the middle. I guess they were trying to take advantage of the triangular shape of the building. The food and coffee were great and I look forward to having more meals here. My biggest gripe was my food has almost no seasoning. Not a big deal though.
(4)
Holly O.
Thank you Yelp, for helping me make a great breakfast choice. I had a combination of friends to work into a brunch plan, so I did a map search and picked a highly rated Yelp place equidistant of all the people involved... and got Cornerstone! SUPER lovely experience. Amidst a busy Sunday morning, they seated our party of 6 people plus a baby quite quickly. I really appreciated that the owner lady was chill about a few of our guests arriving late - she was fine to seat the partial group of us. Our server Bonnie was really nice - I always ask servers a lot of questions and she handled me well :) Everyone got food they were happy with - and they let us split our checks which they certainly didn't have to do. Also, lots of times I feel sick after eating at a diner, and I didn't after eating at Cornerstone! Wonderful. Orange juice is fresh squeezed - awesome. I got an omelette with asparagus & French Gruyère cheese that was yummy, I think topped with hollandaise? Also, a side of pancakes that they let me add bananas, too - thank you! I swapped the hashbrowns for tomatoes, which also made me really happy. Great price point - great lots of things. And I owe it all to Yelp for helping me find it :)
(4)
Emily D.
Tried this place because I was in the area and saw the good yelp reviews. My experience was not as impressive. Service: Very good Food: Had the omelette's with the smoked gouda...couldn't even taste or see much cheese and was disappointed because that's why I ordered it. They were also pretty chimpsy with the hashbrowns. I've been to lots of breakfast joints and was surprised by the serving of the potatoes. It wasn't alarmingly small, but I was surprised and made immediate note of it when they delivered the food. The pancakes were very good. Price: Reasonable My friend had something with crab cakes and wasn't overly impressed. It was def. not an impressive breakfast. I probably can't judge on this one experience, but I wont be checking them out again. There are much better places to go for breakfast in Chicago!
(2)
Erica A.
For a brunch place, this is tops in my book. Food is great, especially the omlettes and the pancakes! Yum! I highly recommend. I did go here once for lunch and had a salad with chicken. It was awful. Stick to brunch / breakfast!
(4)
Julio V.
Great breakfast food at a reasonable price. Biscuits and gravy are my guilty pleasure!
(5)
Davor T.
Was walking around looking for a place to eat. I walked into this cafe and it was just great! Super nice waitress and I must say gourmet omelets were the best I had since France! I also met the owners who were surprised that I saw what they food looks like before ( they didn't know of yelp) entering the cafe. I highly recommend this place
(5)
Carly O.
Good strong coffee, pleasant service, insanely fast food prep, high backed chairs for the counter...Yes. While it was packed, we were able to grab a seat at the counter and were eating within 10 minutes. This is a nice upgrade from your average Golden Nugget or IHOP. The hostess, while seeming a little stressed from the crowd, was extremely nice and thanked us sincerely for opting for the counter versus waiting for a table. If you're looking for a place to have an omelet before a trip to Target or a matinee at the Regal, definitely go to Cornerstone. Don't let the appearance of an insane wait scare you away. They'll get you in, seated, with a hot breakfast in no time.
(4)
Rag C.
They have a nice seating area. Loved the waffles they made. Definitely a place to check out for brunches.
(5)
Tom D.
Pleasant cafe where owners are present. Staff is attentive and friendly. I had the chicken salad sandwich, it was fresh, plentiful, and delicious. I will be back.
(5)
donna g.
Love this local spot. Fresh food, friendly service, lots of Chicago friendly atmosphere. I shall return and return....,
(5)
Sarah H.
Loved it! Metered parking but relatively available. The food was good..nice sized portions and really reasonably priced. Nothing fancy about the place and the wait staff is great. Free Wi-Fi!! This place is what every diner should be. Simple....delicious.....convenient. :)
(5)
Anna M.
I went again just like I said I would. I had the smoked salmon omelette and my daughter had the three mini-burgers with sweet potato fries. The smoked salmon omelette was a nice change from the usual chorizo con huevos/denver omelette fair. It had scallions mixed in and was wrapped around delicious cream cheese. Pretty good although the coffee wasn't as awesome as it normally is probably because it was near to closing time. My daughter scarfed up the three mini-burgers and the sweet potato fries were a tasty and healthy alternative to the usual french fries. We will go again and I'll keep you posted.
(4)
Paula L.
I've been here many times with my husband and today I'm meeting a friend here for lunch so I'm a huge fan. I'm taking 1 star away because of last week's dining experience. I don't know what was going on in the kitchen, but the owner (I'm assuming she was the owner) was yelling at the short order cook. Maybe he was new, but she found something wrong with everything he made. She threw pancakes in the garbage because "they are too big." Can pancakes be too big??? I'm all for top quality food, but do your customers have to see you treat your staff that way. The atomsphere was ruined that day.
(4)
Kathleen A.
Holy hell! I used to pass this place countless times. I can't believe I slept on it so long when I lived in the Chi. After a long night of drinking nothing beats a good ol' breakfast of eggs and bacon. This place sure delivered on that along with crispy hashbrowns and a side of pancakes. The bacon was extra crispy too-just the way I like it! All this for a whopping $6.50. And the coffee is strong and amazing, too. I'll definitely keep this on the Logan Square radar.
(4)
Chris H.
Great family restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Huge omelets and tasty biscuits and gravy. You really can't go wrong here.
(5)
Ashley L.
Really people? Complaining about parking? About the decor? Cmon. You're in the city-- parking is bitch no matter where you are. And the decor? It's a diner! We're not at the Four Seasons. This place was awesome. We waited about 10 mins for our table & it was well worth it. Super cozy, comfortable. Food was out really fast. Can't get much better than that.
(5)
Annie W.
I love this li'l place! The crepes with marscapone are so delicious - perfectly sweet and buttery. Very good service. Cute, home-y decor and very clean environment. Great use of a very small space to provide enough seating for many, but not squished or uncomfortable. Will return!
(4)
Lakhi S.
Smoked Salmon with Cream cheese omelet andthe delight crepe to top it off!
(4)
John M.
Great food at diner prices. This place serves all of the classics with love and quality ingredients without getting full of themselves by charging high prices. Coffee was excellent. Chicken sandwich with avocado and bacon was the best dish we had. Owner told me that the chicken was of premium quality and you could tell. Also, owner was very nice and could tell she cared. Service was prompt, but nothing special. Would definitely go back, especially before a matinee show at Regal North.
(4)
Ted W.
I'm a guy that LOVES breakfast and I'm always looking for amazing bfast. Cornerstone Cafe is a very unassuming little place. From the outside and inside you wouldn't think it's anything special. But when you take a bite into the food you get why the reviews are high on Yelp. I had a vegetarian omelet with a side of pancakes. Been done at many restaurants, but most don't taste this good. I think they use real butter in all of their cooking instead of the fake stuff which might help. The pancakes were REALLY tasty and fluffy and the omelet was delicious. I went with 3 other people and they all loved their food, too. Service was solid. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. Other Tips: -We parked in the Home Goods lot a half a block away. Other than that I believe there is only street parking which is scarce. -It's small on the inside so plan accordingly.
(4)
Jelena Z.
Oh my my. On a morning in which I'd rather eat my breakfast (alone) in bed, the promise of girlie gossip and hot brekkie lured me into the cold. Coffee? Gooood. My omelet? Fluffy and baked to golden perfection. Add a side of toast, hashbrowns, and pancakes and we've achieved nirvana. Service was good, especially considering she let us linger past our expiration date. And the homemade jams are a nice touch, yes. Best of all, Cornerstone Cafe is reasonable. An $8 omelet that includes pancakes? Sandwiches for $6? You know, because in this economy... I took two buses each way for Cornerstone and I would do it again. That's love, isn't it? Oh, and here we have another BYO gem. Bellinis, anyone?
(4)
Karen Anne B.
A friend and I were searching for a quick bite and trying to avoid some of the nearby chain restaurants on a recent Sunday morning. We were surprised and happy to find that they had a couple open tables. I opted for something pretty basic - two scrambled eggs with hash browns and toast, and she had a panini with fries. My eggs came quick and were tasty. Sadly her ham panini tasted good but wasn't quite as heated through as it should have been. I liked the diner type atmosphere without being cheezy. I definitely want to give this place another visit, and hopefully try something a little more interesting.
(4)
Brenna O.
If you're sick of the wait at other brunch places and you want simple and good food, come to Cornerstone Cafe. This place is unpretentious (almost to a fault) and if you don't mind rubbing elbows with the people next to you then you can get a great meal for an affordable price. The service is usually quick, and I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes even on the weekends. (I guess it would also depend on the time of day) Love their standard food like pancakes and scrambled eggs, and you can mix and match to get the perfect combination you want. And you don't feel like you're paying for the chef to try some experimental brunch food on you with some crazy balsamic reduction or whatever. Nothing fancy here!
(4)
Stacey H.
If you are looking for a kid friendly, great breakfast experience, you have come to the right spot! Cornerstone has become like Cheers for us....we walk in and are greeted by the entire restaurant staff. (they all come over and say hello and know our names) From the toys and kids menus, to the quick turnaround on food (the food comes out in less than 5 minutes usually), this place is the perfect spot for antsy kids. Not to mention the AMAZING food! The pancakes are great, and the corned beef hash is my favorite in the city! This is our go to place for breakfast in the city!
Good friends, good food, cozy location. What could be better? When Mandi G. told me that cops hang out here, I knew it had to be good. In my experience, cops generally know where to grab some grub. So with a raging hangover, off we went to nurse our aching heads and bellies at Cornerstone Cafe. On a Friday morning, we grabbed a table very easily, were set up with a carafe of piping hot coffee and an extensive menu of breakfast treats. I cannot resist a good omelet, so I ordered the Southwestern omelet, which was chock-full of Monteray Jack cheese, peppers, onions, tomatoes and chorizo. Add a side of hash browns and your choice of toast or pancakes (I actually got both toast and pancakes) and you have yourself a meal hearty enough to keep your belly full the rest of the day! Our server was speedy (thanks for the refills on the homemade jam and coffee!) and there were no problems using multiple credit cards to pay the check. I'm headed back, for sure! This place is a great find for classic, no nonsense, diner style brunch at really cheap prices. And even though there no cops in sight this time around, I'm still convinced their presence is a telltale sign of food Nirvana.
(4)
Jen N.
This restaurant is a great choice for breakfast or lunch, quality food and much better than some of the greasy spoons around. They give you a carafe of coffee so you don't have to wait for re-fills. They offer pancakes instead of toast if you prefer. There are several really good sandwiches, and the servers and owner are all very friendly. I go here all the time and always get great, fresh food with fantastic service. Some of my and my friends favorites: Huge omlettes cooked right and not burnt, french toast, portabella mushroom sandwich, chicken and avocado sandwich, fresh corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, tuna melt, fresh squeezed orange juice, and salads. They also have some sweets.
(5)
Bert K.
The Food is good! The waitress meh! But the lady who owns and operated the front desk is so nice!!!!! worth going just for her!
(5)
Andy M.
The Cornerstone Cafe is a wonderful little diner on the Northwest side. My Chorizo Omelet was wonderful. Not only are the servers easy on the eyes, but they did a great job with our orders and making sure we had enough Java. It looked like the place was packed with locals which is always a good sign. If I'm ever in the area, I will be sure to stop in again.
(4)
Katarina X.
I wanted waffles, boyfriend wanted bacon, the Baby Beagle wanted attention... And it was gloriously sunny. The outdoor tables allowed Baby Beagle to be the official greeter/vacuum/mascot right under the table right at the entrance gate! He ignored his water in favor of making sure the ground stayed spotless. The servers started offering to buy him from us... no sale... if not for that side order of bacon, Baby Beagle might have moved himself into the kitchen, Health Department be d@mned! The friendliness and genuine warmth added to the feel of home. Service is glowingly personable and I felt so comfortable. My boyfriend enjoyed his savory breakfast, I loved my sweet and creamy banana chocolate-chip waffle. Coffee is fantastic, they are not at all stingy with the creamer and they all work as a team to make sure you never have even a half-full cup dwindling cool. This will become a fast summer favorite as it is affordable, outside, a comfortable stroll from my front door (giving Boyfriend and I another reason to order pancakes next time with more bacon- ha!)
(4)
Jenna S.
When Orbit Room didn't open until 11 on Sunday, we decided to try this little spot at Western and Diversey. I am pretty satisfied with the experience that we had at Cornerstone. The restaurant is a small, cozy little space with a nice 'bar' island thingy in the middle. The service was friendly and prompt - our server was super nice and she was very attentive. We didn't have to wait to get a seat at the counter, and I think I preferred sitting there because it added to our 'diner' experience. The food was pretty good. I just got eggs over easy with bacon, hash browns and toast. The eggs were a bit overdone but tasted yummy. The bacon could have been a bit crisper but meh, no big deal. All in all, I thought it was just like any other breakfast place I've ever been. The quality of the food was high and it was tasty. Nothing overly exceptional, just good food. I think I need to go back and try something different. Their specialty seems to be the Corned Beef Hash. My boyfriend's step-dad said it was really good - he actually said it rivaled his favorite Corned Beef Hash that he gets at a breakfast place in Michigan. That must be pretty good. Parking was easy on Sunday morning, but there is no lot and just a few street spots. I'd say parking might be uber difficult on a normal day because Western and Diversey is a really busy intersection.
(3)
Matt M.
True to my word, I returned with the little lady. This place again - did not disappoint.
(5)
Aesha W.
Yummy! Birthday breakfast, and I've heard good things about Cornerstone, so we headed out around noon. (LATE birthday breakfast.) I was thinking it might be a while since the place is so tiny, but we were seated within ten minutes. They earned a point right off the bat because they have a bacon omelet; I'm used to having to keep my fingers crossed a place will substitute bacon in a denver omelet. The omelet was great, as was the orange juice. I have never known anyone to have a particular way they like their bread buttered, but now I know that I do... and he was pretty cheery about the fact that they did it right. Who'd have thought? When we were leaving, an older man sitting at the counter mouthed me a thank you. I thought that was pretty nice. I may have to drag my ass out of bed early to stop in here before work sometime, but I know I'll be back.
(5)
Jean C.
This place rules. This no frills cafe has good food at reasonable prices. We have been here a couple times and have gotten extremely good service. This past time I ordered the eggs Benedict and it was good. The hollandaise sauce could have been a tad richer but overall a very solid benny. One great thing about this place is with your eggs or omelet you can order French toast as your toast. Greatest idea ever?! I think so! It seems that an older couple runs the show. They are very friendly and greet loyal customers at the table by name. There is something to be said about going to a restaurant and having that welcoming feeling. It doesn't seem like you are at a restaurant but more like their home. I am such a huge fan of this place that I wouldn't mind coming every weekend for breakfast. The servers are friendly and the food is just too good to pass up!
(4)
Rachel L.
This is a solid little diner with lots of brunch options. A handful of tables outside when the weather is nice, and plenty of tables, booths, and counter space inside. It can get pretty crowded on the weekends but I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so. They serve pretty typical diner menu with a few interesting additions, and a few daily specials. Food is well prepared and portions are generous. Also, they leave an insulated carafe of coffee at your table so you never have to worry about your cup being empty. Prices are reasonable in comparison to other brunch options in the area, but probably a bit more than your typical diner.
(4)
Carolynne M.
Andy and I managed to have dual car problems that needed to be addressed immediately Saturday morning. While we waited we decided to have breakfast. Cornerstone was right there and the obvious choice. I ordered a veggie burger which was gigantic and came with a massive amount of sweet potato fries. The burger was fresh and filling, but slightly bland. I wasted most of the fries because of the size of the burger. The coffee was great though, and I appreciated the pot they left you so you didnt have to wait for the server to refill the cup. I would go back if I was in the area, probably not to make a special trip.
(3)
Armando R.
My complaint is not about the food, it's actually pretty good, but about the service. I work in the area, so I've been coming here for a little over three years now. I've even taken my family here even though it is out of the way. I hadn't eaten lunch here in awhile, so I decided to revisit it today. I go online to check out the menu an order to panini which is quoted on their website for $7.50. I call into order and the quoto me $8.75. Without realizing the price discrepency, I hang up the phone and start walking over. Halfway there I realize that the tax on that sandwhich was pretty hefty. When I get there, I ask the owner (who is always up front) why there was a price difference from online to what they are charging me. She states that the site is old and that the person in charge is no longer employeed by them. Not only that, but supposedly they don't even have access to the website. She then tells me that she'll charge me the price that was quoted online. Cool. Right? I then proceed to tell her that I was quoted $8.75 over the phone and thought that was odd. What she said next made me not want to ever come here again. Owner: "Oh, you were quoted $8.75 over the phone?" Me: "Yeah, I thought it was kind of odd." Ownere: "Well I don't think I shoud give you the cheaper price if that's what you were quoted. Why didn't you say something then?" I was left speechless. All she saw was my disgusted face and crooked eye. I was about to walk out when she defeatedly said (with attitude), "I'll charge you the $7.50. It's only $0.45"...as in...why the hell are you complaining?" It's the principle. Take control of/update your website and you won't have this issue.
(1)
Mark W.
Came with a few friends for a nice Saturday brunch. Cornerstone felt like a trendy little diner with a very clean and comfortable vibe. We didn't wait for a table, but it was quite busy. I'm a big fan of biscuts and gravy, and luckily for me this was a new item on their menu. It was everything i expected it to be. Nothing to write home about, but still very good and filling. I also enjoyed some sausage links. Everything about this place seems great. If you are looking for a diner int he area and dont want a dirty rat infested outdated diner, then this is your place. You will pay a bit of a premium for it though. Two orders of biscuts and gravy, one grilled cheese with cottage cheese, two (count 'em two sausage links), an order of hashbrowns and three cups of coffee: $33. I was a bit shocked it was this much. I couldnt complain though, as we ordered without inquiring about the prices. I'd go back. Oh, our waterboy couldnt have been older than maybe 13. lol. Im gonna go ahead and assume this is a family owned establishment, which is another plus for me.
(4)
Andrea C.
my boyfriend and i found this place when we realized we were ravenous on a shopping binge on clybourn...that was about 2 years ago...before panera, before the chipotle... and we've been back many times since. cornerstone cafe is a delicious, cozy, well priced breakfast treat in logan square. when we found it, we thought we had found a hidden gem, but due to the massive amount of yelp reviews, i think it's probably to the contrary. regardless, if you want some great breakfast fare and happen to be in logan square, cornerstone cafe is a fabulous choice!
(4)
Vincent T.
A charming, small-town cafe in the middle of one of the more stark and urban six-corner intersections in Chicago, Cornerstone is easily missed or intentionally avoided (it appears to be a logistic nightmare to contemplate parking anywhere near the place). Parking isn't actually all that difficult - at least I've not had a problem in any of the dozen times I've gone there. The food is excellent - notably the eggs benedicts and pancakes - and the services is well above average. The managers/owners (?) who man the cash register are attentive and caring - they REALLY want to know if you found your meal satisfactory. Situated as it is between a gas station, a gyros hut, a CVS, a hapkido school and a Golden Whatsitz, Cornerstone may not score points on location, but it's well worth a visit. Note: on heavy brunch days, expect a wait. In my experience (with a party of 2), I never waited longer than 20 minutes.
(4)
Carol J.
As someone who doesn't really love brekkie, this place has won me over. I have a friend who swears by this place and has graciously shown me the light in regards to the importance of breakfast. The place is in a random location, with lots and lots of street parking, a tiny little outdoor cafe (seats a dozen, maybe) and a warm and friendly casual place with a big triangular counter. Service is really sweet and the server actually remembered what kind of soup I loved from my last visit. For real, Puts those broads at the Pancake House (where I've gone for 20 years and order the same thing everytime) to shame! Panini are fantastic, fries are good, breakfast sausage is some of the best I've ever had, has browns are crispy shreds cooked to perfection. Not a fan of eggs in any shape or form but the silver dollar pancakes are actually made from crack. Delish. The friendly vibe of the independent ownership really makes this place special.
(4)
Gloria E.
I would have given this place 5 stars, but the waitress was super rude. she is a short Caucasian with short blonde hair. I wish I would had asked her name so I.could speak to the owners. She never brought menus and we had to get her to take our order. When we flagged her down she said "what happen"? WTF?? Seriously. She rudely took our order. She slammed our drinks and straws. Everyone that came in atleast 10 minutes after us got there orders first. She never asked if we wanted anything and just brought our check. She rolled her eyes at her whole surrounding. I really felt like telling her off. The owners should really get rid of this lady. Now...the older lady at the cashier was super nice. The older man standing by the kitchen smiled at everyone. The hispanic bus boy was very nice and made sure our cup was always filled with water. He is actually the one who gave us the menu. The other 2 waitress seemed very sweet and actually helped us by bringing things we asked for. One asked if we wanted a refill twice even though it wasnt her table. The food was 5 stars. We had cinnamon french toast (out of this world). We also had coffee and it was very hot and good. The red velvet pancake were devine. The steak and eggs was very good and the panckakes were nice and fluffy. Hash browns were good as well. Absolutely no complaints about the food. I would come again beause of the delicious food but I think this specific waitress couldnt handle a super busy New Years Day rush and she should find another job.
(4)
Dana A.
This place has so many options for breakfast and lunch! How can you go wrong. Two things I love wraps and a good honey mustard. I had the California wrap with no bacon and instead of mayo, which I'm not the biggest fan of. I asked for honey mustard on the side. Holy Yum! The honey mustard was soo amazingness! The wrap was perfect lunch for that day and the rest for lunch the next day! You get options for sides I had the fruit, though I wouldn't be surprised if the sweet potato fries were yummy! For sure going back, right near xsport so great after workout food! My boyfriend had the chicken salad sandwich which he loved! The waitress was really attentive and the owner was super sweet! We will for sure be back!
(5)
Andrew F.
Stopped in for breakfast on Sunday morning. Service was great and the food was decent. They have a very unique menu that has a lot of options that your normal breakfast place would not. The panakes are also awesome. One star gets knocked off though becuase my hashbrowns were still cold when the food came.
(4)
Amy C.
This was a darling little place. Their kids' menu was small but they offered my son a really cool and unique toy to take home. It was really cute and much more engaging than the regular crayons, which they also offered. My son's pancakes were absolutely gorgeous and he ate everything! The adult menu was really unique. You get a ton of food for an amazing price and to top it off? They really do have great coffee. A very enjoyable place for both adults and kids.
(4)
Jackie C.
Solid diner with an especially great crab cake benedict. Always easy to get a table for two and they've got a nice little outdoor patio when it's warm. Ample street parking on Elston if you're driving. I've had small issues with inconsistency, like my hashbrowns being undercooked, but they've happily fixed any problems quickly. This is a great place for an easy, casual, inexpensive brunch, and would be especially good to hit up before heading to a movie at the Regal off Western.
(4)
David R.
Thank you to Albert L for recommending the corned beef hash. Delicious. This place had no line at 10:30 on a beautiful Sunday morning. Inside has cute decor and diner furniture. We sat outside at a nice shaded table, the only drawback of which was the noise from the Diversey/Elston/Western intersection. The service was fine and prices seemed very reasonable: the corned beef has was only $7.95. My breakfast companions both liked their dishes (apple cinnamon crepes and some sort of breakfast burrito). The OJ was really sweet for some reason. I liked their maple syrup too.
(4)
tintin x.
This is a great breakfast restaurant, the food is excellent, the service is too, and the owners are there and very attentive. A friend took me there, then I took my family, and now we consider it a best choice for breakfast out, even though it's a good 20 min drive. Seriously, even the coffee is better than other places. Reasonably priced and worth it. As others have said, it's full of regulars and that's nice too.
(5)
Joe M.
Breakfast is the eternal return of the everyday. It must be both familiar and eccentric, both broad and precise. It would be mathematically possible to eat a different breakfast every morning of your life, simply by changing the elemental combinations - egg, grain, fruits, juice, meat - or by running through the permutations through the various styles - sunny-side up, runny, burnt, crispy, smothered, covered, buttered, dry, with syrup, without, with cheese, scratch that cheese. But it must be acknowledged that breakfast is a devotional act, built both on the bedrock of routine - yes, you like two eggs over-easy, rye toast, Canadian bacon, hash browns extra crisp - and the expectation of surprise - sure, you'll try the world-famous red-eye gravy with that. Breakfast comes in two larger forms. The breakfast you make at home, with care but not fuss, and the breakfast you eat out, having made breakfast a destination to the beginning of your day (and on those particularly late nights, an end). At the Cornerstone Cafe, that's exactly what you get. A meal as simple as pancakes and scrambled eggs prepared in a manner worthy of the highest praise. Even the French toast holds a certain class and understated elegance that makes you appreciate that quality, precision and skill can indeed go into a meal that could be prepared yourself in just a few minutes. Furnished in a simplistic, homey manner that is reminiscent of an idealized diner you've never actually been to - while you wouldn't expect anything else in a place so ripe with such a cozy and pleasant ambiance, it goes without saying that the waitresses are sweet as pie. While you're at it, try the pie. It's as sweet as them. This is a good place to go if... you are looking for a breakfast that is more than a simple comfort ritual but also a culinary invitation to a new day.
(5)
Andrea R.
After picking up Kevin N, of Austin Yelp fame, from the airport I was looking for a good lunch spot just right off the highway and Colleen C suggested Cornerstone Cafe. And as always, she led us in the right direction! Yum, yum, yummmmmmm..... Their tuna melt was calling my name, but when I asked my waitress if there was a lot of mayo in their tuna (mayo and I are NOT friends) she hesitated. I took this as a bad sign and ordered their veggie omelet instead. The very fluffy omelet was bigger than my head and even I (aka: Miss Piggy) couldn't eat it all. It also came with hashbrowns, 2 slices of toast, and a tiny little muffin...basically enough food to feed a family of 4! And it was all delicious and cheap! They also have my 2 favorite things: free wifi and sweet potato fries. I didn't try either of them during this visit, but I'll be back with my computer and ready for some sweet potato goodness!
(4)
Zerlina S.
We Like this place.
(4)
Travis W.
Great little find and this place is incredibly reliable as everything is good. All the standard breakfast items are high quality. Try the homemade banana nut bread French toast if they have it - rich but delicious!
(4)
Diana L.
Very cute small place for breakfast/lunch. Had brunch here and it was very good. Portions were large and prices are very reasonable. Lunch looked good as well - will need to try that next time. I will definitely be back!
(4)
Donald M.
I'm from CA and there's this one place out there that has the best corned beef hash. So on my last day of my trip, I wanted to maximize my time in Chicago and decided to start my day here after seeing the 4 1/2 stars on Yelp and the number of people raving about the corned beef hash. I was actually in the area a couple of days before getting a hot towel shave at Pete's Barbershop just down the block on Diversey and so when i got back i was pleasantly surprise that i was literally just there a couple days ago. but enough of my travels lets get to the food!!! The Corned-Beef Hash was one of the most popular things mentioned on Yelp so i decided to order that along with a cup of coffee. The hash doesn't come close to my favorite corned-beef hash out in CA, but I did enjoy it. The first thing that caught my eye was that instead of using mashed fried potatoes they used stringed hashed browns (interesting, but not a big fan) and basically mixed it with corned beef. I don't think they let it sit on the griddle by it self as there was no crust on the bottom and all the corned beef and potatoes never really crusted together. The over easy fried egg was okay, but probably came out closer to over medium than over easy. i do love the fact that you get good chunks of corned beef so you know you're eating the real thing. The watermelon and tiny little cranberry muffin was a nice touch. And i most definitely approve any place that allows you to choose pancakes over toast. Although i must say, the pancakes was bit light for me. It didn't have the nice medium brown color, but nonetheless the syrup slid right off the top of the pancake and to the side of the plate as any good pancake should do. The service was friendly, the waitress checked in with me pretty regular and since she gave me a whole pitcher of coffee i didn't really need a whole lot after the food came out. It was an enjoyable start to my last day in Chicago and if i'm ever getting a shave at Pete's Barbershop again, i will most def make a stop at Cornerstone Cafe before walking over to Pete's.
(4)
P W.
Five stars because it's a charming "Mom and Pop" place with very good food and even better espresso drinks. The place is a warm and comfortable family owned business where the owners know the names of many of the customers.
(5)
Jerry B.
Nice clean neighborhood un-hipster diner. Like the middle counter. Had Belgian Waffle with lots of big strawberries and Sweet Basil omelette. Both were very good. Side pancakes a little doughy. Good coffee. Fast, friendly service. Easy metered street parking. Would go back.
(4)
Paul A.
Came to this place because I was dragged, kicking and screaming :) To be honest, these cafe places really are not my style. I'm sure those that have gone to this cafe love it, or those that know of it probably appreciate it - but it was smaller than I thought it would be. As for the food, it's your typical cafe style food. They specialize in breakfast and early lunch as they end up closing midday. It's family-run from what I understand, so that is cool!
(3)
Kimberly P.
We eat here a few times a month and absolutely love it! The service is fast and the food is excellent. It doesn't get any better than that. The owners are so nice and welcoming and the decor is charming. One of the best breakfasts in Chicago!!
(5)
Steven J.
My freaking bananas! My friend and I came here (for the first time 'cause I wanted something different) instead of IHOP, like everyone else who thinks of going to IHOP should. What made this brunch amazeballs: Florentine Crab Eggs Benedict. One bite of that and I put a bite in my friends mouth and she gushed over it too. You have to eat this dish with all the layers, so cut neatly. It's a toasted English muffin, sauteed spinach, perfect crab cake, and yolk-ooozing poached egg topped with literally the perfect amount of hollandaise sauce, just enough to taste in every bite . I did not leave a trace of any benedict. This was served with a side of has browns, not crispy enough and bland (season it yourself) and this MINIature cherry muffin, which I didn't understand because it wasn't on the menu...I thought it was supposed to be a palate cleanser but w.e, random. Walker Bros.' crab cake benedict's got nothin on Cornerstone. There was no skimping on quality or quantity with the crab cake. Also ordered the Pure Belgian Waffle. Crispy (the crispiest waffle I ever had, yet it was still golden brown) on the out, fluffy and chewy on the in! Slather some whipped butter on it, fill each square with maple syrup, and eat the whole thing. My friend got the bananas and chocolate chip waffle with a scoop of Oberweis vanilla ice cream (that didn't melt quickly) Our dishes were beautifully plated and it looked even better sitting outside on their street patio, which is so French and summer. 1 complaint(s): Waitress didn't offer us to sit outside. The inside looks like a lodge (ew). I had to ask if she didn't mind which she probably did 'cause maybe they don't want to work harder to go in and out. Annoyed the hell out of me. OFFER OUTSIDE SEATING IF IT'S NICE OUTSIDE AND YOU GOT OUTSIDE SEATING! Then when she refilled my water for the second time it tasted like a dishwasher. There was no ice in it either. Give this joint a go if you're bored of IHOP and Golden Nugget, and whatever "bleh" breakfast place you've been going to.
(5)
June K.
Amazing food. Everything I have gotten there has been great. The staff is awesome, friendly and cheerful. It is usually pretty busy, but I have never waited more than five minutes. And it is worth the wait!
(5)
Michael H.
I'm up in Northern Wisconsin alot and they REALLY know how to cook a mean breakfast up there... I've tried ALL these breakfast joints from The Hipster $13 egg concoctions to the Dumpy Diners. Finally I found a Great Breakfast Joint and it's close to home!! Start out, COFFFFFFEEE! Best damn coffee in town, they give you some baked goods to get the ball rolling. Great Pancakes, Omelettes, Hash Browns!! Everything is done right here! I think its an older couple from the east coast that owns it and they do it right!! Smaller place, gets PACKED on the weekends!! NO KIDS ALLOWED!!
(4)
Wendy G.
Yum! Had lunch here while waiting for my car to have work done (down the block). Sat outside on the lovely patio and had a great lunch. I ordered a panini and my friend had a burger. We were both happy with our food - especially the sweet potato fries. The reasons it's not 5-star: coffee was only so-so, and our server sort of forgot about us..
(4)
Amanda Z.
Let's get out the ol' brunch checklist, shall we? --Coffee. CHECK. Carafe on the table and real cream. Perfect. I never went thirsty. --Good eggy options. CHECK. My veggie omelet was enormous and veggie-riffic (feta cheese as an option always makes me smile.) --Price. CHECK. I was able to feed my bottomless pit little sis for $5 (Two eggs, hash browns and a short stack. Awesome.) --Service. CHECK. We got our food ridiculously fast, and our server was just sweet as pie. --Carbs on the side. CHECK. English muffins in the house, yo. And they asked me if I wanted butter on my muffin. Oh, and jam? They put that on the side in cute little bowls. Adorable. (Doesn't take much more than a little feta and a cute presentation to make me happy, clearly.) All in all, just what I need to kick-start my day. Amanda C. brunch-approved.
(5)
Rafael C.
A few Yelpers mentioned good times here at CC and with good reasons. I think I made about 4 or 5 visits because I'm hooked on about everything I get from here. Their coffee tastes good and they leave the carafe on the table. I wished more places do this but I do appreciate this place for leaving me a pot to use at my leisure. The egg dishes I had here were all good. I like that they are not stingy with the eggs and they had a good taste to them. Most of the egg dishes come with pancakes but you can sub in French toast too if you ask. As for sweets, their pancakes are really good but I like their French toast the most. Originally, I had issues with the portion size of their French toast but I found a fix for that. I simply ask to upgrade to an additional piece and they just charge a little extra for it. Keep in mind their prices are really inexpensive so there are many ways to get an affordable meal here. The service has always been great on all my visits. The staff is always nice and they make sure you are taken care of.
This could be one of the best french toast ventures I have ever made and for only $6. The OJ is really sweet and the service is great! I recommend the Denver Omelet as well which comes with a side of pancakes. Love Cornerstone!!!!
(5)
Noah B.
Thank you Cornerstone. My girlfriend's dad hates everything I've ever fed him. He's like a fickle baby, but not at Cornerstone. When he tasted the coffee and pancackes, his ears and moustache perked up like kitten. It was amazing. Finally he has enjoyed something in Chicago. I love you Cornerstone. Also, I feel like this place doesn't get the credit it deserves. Many yelpers will not give a five star rating to a breakfast place if it doesn't serve something with "braised" or "reduction" in the menu description. Everything on their menu is done extremely well. I'm never disappointed by anything the've ever laid in front of me. They deserve the highest rating for being the best "simple" breakfast place in Chicago.
(5)
Ryan W.
I had a friend that was visiting near here and based on the reviews I thought it would be a great place to take him. The place is way smaller than I expected, but they make efficient use of the space they have available. Don't be surprised if you're sitting very close to another table though. The food is excellent though, and my omelette was cooked to perfection. It also came with pancakes and hash browns which made it a pretty heavy meal if you attempt to eat it all. My wife also got the sweet potato fries with her meal and thought they were amazing.
(5)
Lindsay R.
pretty great food; huge portions and good prices; nice atmosphere; friendly staff; quick and tasty... about as good as it gets, folks
(5)
Robert S.
What a wonderful find for this area which seems to only get better. This is a great little diner serving breakfast and lunch. Fabulous, inexpensive food served by a family who honestly cares about cleanliness and convenience.
(4)
Mandi G.
Dog friendly outside. Fluffiest pancakes EVER! Go brunch your heart out.
(5)
Temi C.
Thanks to Anne Marie J., I've found my new favorite brunch spot. This place makes me never want to go anywhere else (besides Tweet). I had the killer corned beef hash skillet with pancakes. They top crispy hashbrowns with tiny shreds of corned beef. Very tasty. The pancakes were a little reminiscent of McDonald's, but nevertheless good. A bunch of people around us ordered omelettes that looked phenomenol. We also ordered the chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries. The salad was sooo good! It was made with chunks of all white meat, celery, cranberries, and pecans. The sweet potato fries were super crispy. Cornerstone is a no-nonsense value for your money kind of place. The bill for the corned beef hash skillet, chicken salad sandwich, and soup was $23. Me likey.
(5)
Tina B.
I needed to have a very quick early breakfast and they did exactly that. I actually didn't even care that much about eating, but the cheese eggs...oh man, those cheesy scrambled eggs....mmmmm.....I think the key is that they use more cheese than egg - which is great. And the prices weren't horrible.
(4)
Meghan O.
If you've never been here before, I don't wanna hear the lame excuse as to why not. I am a bfast fan, I dabble in coffee (read: coffee is my mood, cream is my charm). From the wait staff to the slice of orange atop my hash, from the fresh flowers to the actual* mom and pop (I'm assuming this one). This place is good eats. They def don't skimp on ingredients (quality/quantity) and seem to do one helluva business and there's very good reason. If there is a wait, no need to worry they will sit you quick and it seems even the customers are considerate of others waiting-wishing to dine... Catch a movie, get some lunch, you won't leave disappointed.
(5)
Anne Marie J.
They charred the patty melt (we didn't ask for that!) so the burger tasted burnt. My silver dollar pancakes were a perfect shape and served with delicious syrup but there was something missing about it - was the batter off? We're def going to keep coming back b/c we've had such great experiences here. Maybe it's b/c we got our food to go and we normally eat at the restaurant???
(3)
Sam R.
Been going here for some years now for breakfast...even ran into some relatives there this morning. Anyhow, today I ate with my two boys...food was good as usual (really good breakfast by the way). The register lady (I believe is perhaps the owner as she has been there for years) is typically not very friendly...and today she tipped the hat. After paying for our meal, I asked the waitress for a refill on one of my sons drinks (he ate one of the kids meals). The waitress brought me back a refill with a new bill for that drink ($1.50 or so). I never noticed that they weren't free refills before. Upon going to register handing over check and a $10 bill, I asked "I thought drinks came with refills don't they?" She asked what was the drink as she took my check and money. I said it was a kids meal apple juice. She stopped, looked up at me direct, and said in a very excited rude manner "where in the world do they give free refills anymore, ok maybe some places give you a coke refill but." To which I said "ok, ok, just asking a question." She replied "sorry, but no one gives refills now a days." So that's it for me, will never go back...good food, but done with her, and she is always there everyday. I wasn't expecting a freebee as I had already handed her the money...was just asking a simple question. Again food is good, and waitresses are nice, and I still left ours a good tip today ($5 on a $24 bill)...but there are plenty other places just as good and/or better. If she is in fact the owner, I would suggest hiring a friendly manager and staying home...if she is hired help, I wish the owner good luck. I'll come back when she is gone....
(1)
James V.
This is probably the best spot in the area for an awesome breakfast for just a few bucks. And I dare you to eat all of it! Everything comes with the works. The staff is really nice, and surprisingly fast for as packed as it gets in there. You'll definitely find me here a few mornings a month.
(4)
Smart C.
Rock solid! Cornerstone Cafe is consistently a really good breakfast place. Eggs, crepes, ham, hash browns the way I like them; cooked, crispy, and not greasy. Very good coffee, too. It's a never-miss kind of place, food is always prepped and served fast, and it's always hot and tasty. No disappointments, always hits the spot.
(4)
Caitlin G.
Stuck on an island in the midst of the choppy traffic of Diversey, Western and Elston, the Cornerstone Cafe appears a bit like a mirage. Perhaps you're in a Sunday morning haze, or you've been jilted by long waits at other breakfast joints. Either way, you're here at the Cornerstone, and good news: You're in good hands. The service here is fantastic--sweet waitresses and fantastic owners who swing by to make sure all is well. And while the food isn't as cheap as the diner atmosphere might suggest, it's delicious. I'm particularly crazy over the southwestern omelet and chocolate chip pancakes. The boyfriend prefers the spinach and feta omelet and Greek salad. The seating can be a bit tight, so just be prepared that your meal may be affected by your nearby dining companions. But hey, what can you do? i like to pretend it's Europe, and I'm simply so chic for sitting so near the crazy older couple talking about soup. Ooh la la! Make it a point to come here and check it out--even on a morning when you have been jilted by other local restaurants. You'll be happy you did!
(5)
Jessie B.
I love this place. I started going here with a girlfriend of mine in the last couple of weeks. We tired of the same ol' same ol'. So we stepped up our game & wanted to check out Cornerstone Cafe! I'm glad we did. Because the food here is great. I'm a bit of a breakfast snob. Eggs should not be runny. Corned beef hash should be fresh. Toast cannot be stale. You get the picture. This place blows my mind. No really. Their corned beef hash is made with REAL corned beef. Do you know how rare that is? Also the biscuits & gravy make me want to drool. However--get the half order. The whole order will make your friend have to help you roll out of the place. Great service & great food. What a combo.
(4)
Kathleen C.
Cornerstone Cafe is still good although has worn off some since my first few visits. I still think it is the cutest and cleanest diner and anyone would be lucky to eat here compared to a Golden Something,
(3)
Casey S.
I really really like this place. Service is great - I'm always greeted right after I sit down and the food comes out super duper fast. We usually come for breakfast and it's always been great. I usually get one of their huge omelettes - very tasty and I love the multigrain Alpha bread they use for their toast. Recently we came for lunch - I had the Grilled Cobb Panini and the BF got the Roast Beef ciabatta. My panini was really great and the sweet potato fries that came with were awesome - really crispy and perfectly salted. I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for something tasty, simple and fast.
(4)
Marco C.
It's was delicious! I have never before had a more fluffy, more succulent pancake! Can pancakes even be succulent??? The Cajun Scrambler was to die for! Very pleasant cafe and staff.
(5)
joe f.
Went there for breakfast it was small crowded and noisy no parking! Had to walk over to the place, There was no sign saying to wait to be seated so me and my wife saw a booth and were about to get served coffee when a woman I assume is the owner said( I'm sorry but that booth is reserved ). Well instead of arguing about the fact that there is no sign and nobody at the door I took the high road and me and my wife got up. She kept saying sorry like it was her catch phrase .well 5 minutes later we get a table . mind you this place is a hole in the wall diner.10 minutes later the waitress brings coffee takes the order 10 minutes later she comes back to ask me what I ordered cause she can't read her own writing.so now we are 25 minutes into breakfast and all we have is coffee .30 minutes later are order arrives. I ordered the portabello omelet it was good and the hash browns but my bacon was cold and while eating my eggs my toast showed up 5 minutes later.my wife ordered the corn beef hash she said it was ok her side order of pancakes were cold. And while there I kept hearing that older woman apologizing to people mmm here is my advice post a sign so people wait to be seated!! Let the busboy offer coffee when he brings the water!! get someone to expedite the orders a middle man between the cooks and wait staff to keep things going smoothly and well help with quality standards hot food is supposed to be HOT!! PEOPLE!! And if it were me and I had you get up like that I would at least comp that coffee off the bill show me you are really sorry with action not words.this place has the potential of being a great place but they really need to do better in the front and back of the house.I worked in the best restaurants in Chicago so I know my way around kitchen and dining area and can see what this place need. I won't be going back but I hope they read this and make some changes it will make there ok place into a great place.
(1)
Hanna A.
4 on Food, but 3.5 of mixup of food. Cute place, very old school- not a fancy decor so if trying to impress a new hot date on your morning after, I wouldn't necessarily recommned this place. Very kid friendly. My boyfriend and I got the Southwestern omelettes which I would say was quite delicious, however he ordered his with egg whites- they messed it up(we heard the waitress to the kitchen) I felt bad for her because it wasn't her fault. The service is EXCELLENT. Really our waitress was awesome and very apologetic that they had to re-make omelette, hence wait. These omelettes are huge, so if you don't have a ginormous appetite, split it! Really I could only eat half...okay more 3/4ths... I also really like that they give you your own coffee pot- all places should do this. I would go again but not be running out the door to do so...
(4)
Shayna N.
Sunday morning at 11:30am there was no wait for three and even a few extra booths open. I'm not sure if it's just the randomness of the area or the fact that it was easter Sunday, but i'm not complaining. I had the Breakfast (eggs, bacon and cheese) on a Croissant Sandwich for $6.95. It came with a side of hash browns and and was delicious. My boyfriend had the waffle with strawberry (yum!) and my other friend had a veggie omlete which also looked delicious (but i didn't try). Service was prompt and attentive. They don't have any booze here, but still nauseous from the night before, i wasn't looking for any more to drink. Great value and good food and no wait is enough to make this breakfast spot a staple.
(4)
Ji K.
My friend and I "settled" on Cornerstone last Sunday because the two other breakfast spots we wanted to eat at were too crowded and we were in a bit of a hurry. Thank goodness for those circumstances because even though you think you're settling, you eventually realize that you're way better off. We adored Cornerstone. Everything about it was perfect-- from the cozy (and authentic!) neighborhood feel to the wonderful service to the delicious corned beef hash, the delicious eggs benedict, the delicious cinnamon raisin french toast (ahh!), the delicious jams, and the delicious coffee. Do you get the hint? There was nothing bougie about this place. It is pure comfort and great food. I think we've found our favorite breakfast spot. I'm just hoping you all won't believe me so the word won't get out . . .
(5)
Bob C.
went there with my son last Sunday afternoon, had the blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon. Better than most breakfast places in the suburbs. Coffee was great and service friendly. Prices reasonable. Will return.
(4)
M A.
I'm actually sad I moved out of the neighborhood, because I loved Cornerstone. Fluffy eggs, french toast, and some really great eggs benedict, plus free wifi? Sold. I used to go all the time and the service was always great. From the outside it looks like your basic brunch diner, but it's got a little more class than your average greasy spoon and charm to spare. And it's fairly cheap! My only gripe is that it closes so early! I could eat breakfast all day. I love a place I can get a good meal and hang out for a while with a coffee, and the hours definitely had me going for the more bar-type places when I didn't get my day started early enough.
(4)
Joyee L.
Yet again, I am forced to post a negative review, against what seems to be an extremely positive customer base. I didn't find anything inspiring about this place really. The orange juice was fine. I ordered the vegetarian omelet, and it tasted bland and was kind of runny. My boyfriend ordered bacon and eggs. He wasn't that impressed with his food either. For the price we paid, we could have just gone to IHOP and gotten the same food for cheaper.
(2)
Alayna H.
I live right down the street from this place and always thought it was just a coffee shop. So one day I ate my breakfast at home, grabbed my book and sauntered over to Cornerstone for a cup of coffee...it's a breakfast joint, oops! Anyhow, I ordered a bowl of oatmeal because I felt bad getting just coffee, and made the decision to come back at a later date for a real breakfast. Brought some family here and we all loved the place. VERY friendly service, the food came quickly, and it was all delicious. Only complaint is I got the crepes thinking they came with nutella (it did say "hazelnut chocolate spread"), and they just had regular chocolate sauce...I was very disappointed. Anyhow, the rest of the wonderful food I've gotten there has caused me to forget this unfortunate mishap...really lucky to have a place like this within walking distance of my apt.
(4)
Emily D.
We pulled up to Cornerstone and were a bit disappointed. Where's the catchy font? The facade of coolness that one looks for in a brunch spot? Yes, we're aesthetic like that. But, we soldiered on, after getting a parking spot RIGHT in the front (that's enough to put any hungry patron in a good mood). The Bears game was on, we got a great booth and admired the diversity of the patrons. Elderly couples, young couples and friends and kids. Whooping cough kids, but kids nonetheless. And then came the pancakes. Seriously, I know pancakes. I think these are some of the best I've ever had. And the hash browns, which were just frozen really, were cooked to be crisp which is precisely what you want. The sausage was great, coffee delightful and the camaraderie we experienced with other customers was so fun. . . go Bears. I think we will be back.
(4)
Marlon M.
By far my favorite breakfast spot in Chicagoland. When I lived in the area, this was my first choice for breakfast grub - and now that I live in Oak Park, I still plan to make regular treks back. The friendly atmosphere is awesome (the owners are so personable) and the portions are large (great value!). My favorite is the scrambled eggs. They're so fluffy and buttery... If you live in the area, you must stop by!
(5)
maggie f.
We went for a very "romantic" valentines breakfast! It's an adorable place, great food (i could have shared it with 3 friends there was soooo much!!) and incredibly nice service. When you need some "home cooking" and aren't looking for some fusion breakfast place, stop here. I will be back, many times!
(4)
Brian m.
This is what every breakfast / brunch spot in Chicago should strive to be. Everything is made from scratch and declicious. Service is friendly and fast. Great prices too. Average bill for 2 always hovers around the $20 mark. Overall, probably the best breakfast joint I've ever been to. Dont be afraid to try anything on the menu, EVERYTHING there is the bomb. (my GF and I have basically tried the whole menu) Only negative thing I can say about this place is that it gets quite crowded on weekends...but good luck finding a good bruch spot in the city that isn't
(5)
julie q.
I've been going to this place since they opened their doors. I go back so much that i think the owner recognizes my face - and she and her husband are awesome. This place has the best food for a great price. Everything i get is always awesome...and they have such a great selection. Crab Cakes benedict - hands down best in the city. Cobb Panini - an absolute fave...i crave it. Their wraps are amazing and the corned beef hash is real corned beef hash...not out of the can. I have never been dissapointed here. Love it!!!!!!!
(5)
Alex J.
I love Cornerstone! Let me count the ways.... 1. Great food 2. Great food 3. Great menu...breakfast and lunch...quality ingredients and almost everything is home made 4. fresh flowers on the table everytime you go 5. the owners are there and are very friendly 6. neighborhood feel 7. booths!!! 8. prices are very reasonable 9. fast service! in and out for breakfast even during the rush! 10. corned beef hash is AMAZING!
(5)
Carmella M.
This place is 300 xs better since the 2 yrs ago I was here they have completetly remodeled the whole inside however Small, no parking except for street and thats a bear to find. menu has a good variety of choice's price was ok service was good. BYOB is a plus I guess...Dont know I had breakfast over all I will probably go back if on my way but wont go out of my way to return
(3)
Tony M.
Great place worth the money corn beef hash is great they use real vienna corn beef pancakes are really good also worth checking it out
(5)
Jennifer C.
This is a cozy little cafe on the hectic intersection of Elson/Diversey/Western. We tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and we've been back several times since then! The wraps are delicious and the breakfast items are yum. My coworkers usually order the sandwiches and they look fresh and tasty. This is typical American comfort food at its finest. The prices are good too, a lunch here will run you $5 to $8. You will need to do street parking here, but we've never had a problem finding street parking on a weekday at lunchtime. But, you'll probably need to deal with crossing at least one of those crazy busy streets.
(4)
Scott H.
Food: decent, nothing special, though a wide selection of bfast items - hamburgers, soup, omelets, eggs Benedict... Service: fast, good, not so good on recommendations "everything is great"...really, everything? You dont have a favorite? Decor: homey...kind of like a diner, casual Would I go back?: nope, there are plenty of other places I'd like to try first Price: average for bfast for two Details on the meal we had: Coffee - nice bc of the carafe, the coffee itself was average. Eggs Bene - lacked enough special sauce, english muffin could have been toasted more, pretty average Hash Browns - decent, looked like the frozen variety Spicy/Mexican omelet - good, could have been spicier S&JNov08
(3)
Tom B.
This cafe is my number one stop for breakfast during the week. I'm pleased with the caliber of the food and have only encountered one waitress that ever rubbed me the wrong way in almost 2 years. Highlights that I stand behind are their egg dishes, the corned beef hash as well as buttermilk blueberry pancakes. If you like Hollandaise, please be sure to ask for some on the side. When I have a taste for lunch, I prefer the BLT club with cheddar cheese and avocado added for good measure. In addition to fries, you can also have cottage cheese or sweet potato fries. Parking can be a bit tough on the weekends. (This fact has a lot to do with the martial arts school that is located next door to the restaurant.) My rule of thumb is try to arrive before 9:00 and you'll usually find a seat., not to mention the mini-muffins that they make in limited quantities each morning.
(5)
Jennifer Y.
I'm from NJ -- the land of diners. My friends and I use to drive around and go "diner hopping". So naturally, I gravitate towards diner food ... This place was pretty delicious. I had the corned beef hash and it was all gone within 20 minutes (I think I was also really hungry). It also came with pancakes which I devoured rather rapidly too. I actually think this was the only full meal of my day ... all for about $10. Not bad. I also love love love the atmosphere. It's cozy and warm and bright. When I was finished with my food, I just wanted to sit with my tea and hang out for a bit. Ahhhhhhh, too bad life doesn't work that way. This place is diner-ish but not a full blown diner. It's waaaay too cute.
(4)
Nat K.
One of my all-time favorite brunch places. This place has great food and a very pleasant ambience: very open, spacious yet cozy, and sunny. They do really amazing eggs florentine and the french toast is excellent, too. They serve a lot of different kinds of tea. I've occasionally made complicated or unreasonable requests of their waitstaff and they always came through for me. Like most classy breakfast restaurants, they put a little too much effort into their hash browns for my liking (I prefer the slap-dash approach of a hole-in-the-wall diner), but that's my only complaint.
(5)
Peter H.
been here twice, had two pretty solid experiences. first time i got corned beef hash, was very good, made from scratch. went here over the weekend and sat outside and had two eggs with bacon and hash browns, all pretty solid diner food. we dabbled in a plate of crepes to tickle our sweet tooth. the coffee is diner coffee, it is what it is. very friendly staff. the tables out front are kinda slanted and stuffed in there, and the inside can be a bit cramped too, tables close together, etc. but it's convenient, and it's tasty.
(4)
Ivy H.
My new favorite Diner. We are always greeted at the door with a smile by the owner. She tells us we can sit at any of the sunny inviting booths. It is always clean, warm, and friendly. The service is quick. The food is fresh. The bathrooms are clean. A great value for the money. Has good energy. When the owners aren't busy, they'll be found sitting at the counter discussing election results with regulars, or joking with their employees. It is a very comfortable, neighborly, family atmosphere. I'd love to start every day here watching the construction workers, families, and students come and go. They also happen to have the best pancakes in the city. Perfectly golden, moist, and spongy with no yucky Bisquick flavor. Mmmmm. Pancakes.
(5)
Agnes F.
yay for yelpers for bringing me here absolutely loved breakfast at cornerstone, great coffee, friendly service, delicious omelettes (i had smoked gouda and fiance had the southern) and pancakes the atmostphere is cozy and you feel that you know everyone there even if its your first time
(4)
chad n.
I went for tuesday lunch and had a delicious chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries. Service was fast, accurate, friendly, and they constantly kept my water full. Yay. I like the free wifi, but it did cut out for a few minutes two different times during the 2 hours i sat there.
(4)
Sandy H.
After driving by this intersection time and again, I finally decided to check out this cozy cafe on a snowy Sunday. And I'm glad I did! It was delicious, service was great, and the price was right. My only regret is taking awhile to finally check it out. But now that I have, I'll definitely be back for more! The Space Small, but doesn't feel crowded inside. There's a central area for diner counter seating and tables/booths along the perimeter. High ceilings and ample natural light make the space feel spacious and light. The Food Predictably delightful. I had a basic breakfast: Two eggs, bacon, hash browns and a two pancakes. Eggs were a little runny for my over-medium order, but better to err on the side of runny. The pancakes were fluffy, pillowy. I passed on the butter and went straight for the syrup. It was a nice change from some of the denser, flatter pancakes I often come across. The hash browns were good, consistent. It's hard to mess up potatoes, aside from undercooking them. But I should make mention that breakfast is better when potatoes are hash and not home. And last, but not least....the BACON. Thick cut, three (maybe four?) slices were cooked to perfection: Crisp and chewy, not brittle. Good, consistent, comforting food. It's simple. And wonderful. The Service I got seated right away. The dining room was pretty full, but a party had just left and I arrived just in time. There's not much of a waiting area, so if it gets to be a long wait and it's a cold or wet day out, I don't know where the put people. Service was prompt and friendly. No complaints. The Extras The host stand has a candy dish. Good candy like Twix and Midnight Musketeer nibbles.
(5)
Mike P.
You know what kind of food this place serves, because you've been to a greasy spoon before. However, Cornerstone may be the cleanest diner in Chicago. Service was fast and polite. They give you your own coffee pot. Nice outside area as well. I'd definitely go back.
(4)
Amanda M.
Best omelets I have ever had! Hash browns are just as amazing as well - and such a great price! If you want a big hearty breakfast with a lot of choices, this is the place for you!
(5)
Sarah J.
Holy mother of breakfast! This is my new favorite breakfast place after I ordered the apple stuffed french toast. It make me swoon with how great it was and the price was modest, too. The fresh squeezed orange juice did not have pulp which was a bonus for my husband who is a food texture freak. The service was AWESOME. The manager/owner(?) greeted everyone, many people by name. We will definitely be going back.
(5)
Jodi R.
How do you ruin breakfast? Over cook poached eggs. Not sure how something so simple can give the kitchen a problem. I've been here twice and won't be returning. Hash browns must be out of a package. Basic shredded potatoes that have a school lunch room quality about them. Turkey sandwich lacked flavor. French fries were unpleasant. Servers on both ocasions were OK. Owner was pleasant. I don't understand what all the rave reviews are about. This a breakfast spot that cannot correctly cook eggs.
(2)
Channyn W.
OMFG! Danny Gokey was totally eating breakfast across the room. How can this be? Is American Idol really live? What is going on?!? As I scooped the most delicious scrambled eggs ever into my mouth, conspiracy theories flooded my mind. Maybe Idol is completely planned out. Maybe everyone, not just Paula, has a writer. Maybe Simon is secretly in love with Ryan Seacrest. Oh wait, I think that one may be true. So, not wanting to make Danny uneasy, I surreptitiously studied him over the edge of my golden, fluffy, syrupy fork full of pancake. As I stifled a moan of pure porn-like pleasure with the crunchy sound of perfectly crisp bacon, I wondered if Danny was perhaps channeling another Mariah Carey ballad as he indulged in a generous plate of ham and eggs. No matter, I still had a few bites of pancake-y goodness to finish while I tried to come up with a way to politely approach him. Alas, somehow my food disappeared, and I could only think of telling Danny to say hello to Adam Lambert for me. What the hell was in those eggs?
(4)
Esther Y.
There were four of us meeting up for brunch and after calling around, this seemed like the least crowded. Sure enough, when we got there, our two friends were already seated and we were rearin' to go. Service was fine, the servers were nice, they seemed to all kind of work so you could ask anyone for anything and they were very helpful. Two of us got the special (corned beef hash skillet with pancakes on the side) one person got the french toast, and one person got the waffle with chocolate chips and bananas. Everyone finished there plate. Literally. Everything, gone. It was good. I mean, it's nothing super awesome, but it's solid. It's good breakfast food, fast, and pretty cheap. Isn't that what everyone looks for?
(4)
Paul B.
I have to disclose that I am a bit biased as this is my parents restaurant.
(5)
Brian M.
One of the best breakfast spots in the area. The ham and cheese omelette, my usual, is amazing here, the fluffiest most delicious omelette I've had. I think it might be the only thing I've ever ordered here, but it's sooooooooooooo good I couldn't order something else. The pancakes and hash browns are also pretty good. They do takeout too if you wake up too late and don't want to wait 30 minutes for a table. This is a tight restaurant and parking is limited, I've ordered takeout a few times and they always have it ready and waiting when I arrive so I'm in and out in less the 5 minutes.
(5)
Kevin N.
I half expected to see Mel emerge from the shadows at the Cornerstone Cafe, where the cafe/diner fare is for real, and Flo doesn't have to chomp her gum in her ear to drive the point home. The food does that just fine. Restaurants, if you're listening, there's a whole underbelly of us out here who absolutely adore spots that serve extended breakfast, and if you're like me and coming in off of the red eye from Texas, my breakfast was more than just tasty and cool, it was a downright lifesaver. Thanks to Colleen C. and Andrea W. for showing me the ropes and leading me to a place where the very best meals remind you of one important truth: with good eats, almost any place, anywhere, feels just like home.
(4)
Jonathan C.
I'm gonna go ahead and give it a five for now. Maybe I will run across something someday that warrents a lower score, but for now, a five. I live pretty close by, so I can't believe that I waited until recently to try it out. Very charming inside, they have papers and a nice counter space for single diners and nice booths and tables for the rest. The nice friendly owners and regulars (local flavor) keep the local diner vibe to the place. The place is small, but has a nice outdoor seating area and is very clean and just... well, comfortable. I had the Corned Beef hash was very very impressed. Not from a can, it was real scratch made corned beef + hash browns. Excellent. For $8, you get a gargantuan skillet of CBH topped with two eggs any style and the choice of pancakes (!) or toast. Of course I got the pancakes, while I did miss having toast to go along with the hearty corned beef, those pancakes were good... Not the super gargantuan type, but tasty nonetheless. I couldn't finish, so thats a good breakfast. Ever see those places on "Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives" and think, hey I wish I had a place like that by me. Well it turns out I do! I'll be back to try the rest of the menu, updates to follow.
(5)
Katie P.
Cornerstone makes a good breakfast. It's not a knock your socks off kind of place but it's a good and simple breakfast. The allure of this place is the staff and owners. They are truly delightful. I also love the thermos of coffee they give the table. Yay! I love that I can top my own coffee off when it's low instead of waiting ages for someone to swing by with a pot. The ingredients they use are always good and fresh. I have never been disappointed here. If you're driving know that it can be quite difficult to find parking at certain times. All-in-all it's an excellent fortification for getting you ready for a day of errands in the area... because you'll need it!
(4)
David P.
This place is perhaps one of the best old school diners I have ever been to. They had everything I always want in a diner and more: chocolate shake, cheeseburger, fries, chili, and they even have real iced coffee! All delicious as well. The waitress was awesome and put up with our hungoverness. The bill for 4 people who ordered a massive amount of food was ridiculously cheap. I'll be going there every time I go to Chicago from now on.
(5)
Patrick E.
Great food, service and prices. Their egg dishes are huge! Two eggs looks more like four!
(5)
Ray K.
Great omelettes, multigrain toast option, fresh jam, good service, and clean. Would definitely recommend and go back myself...want to try the corned beef hash and biscuits n gravy....
(4)
Stephanie P.
Cornerstone Cafe is consistently great. My boyfriend and I go there for breakfast about once a month and we always have a terrific meal. The staff is friendly and service is wonderful. The portions are hearty and delicious. I never come away hungry or disappointed. Three cheers for Cornerstone Cafe!
(5)
Jamie J.
Mmmm. As I write this, the 2x2x2 (2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 bacon strips) is working its way through my belly. The maple syrup is real, not flavored corn syrup, and like someone said, they must put cream in their scrambled eggs. Freakin' awesome. Beware their omelets; unless you are a bear they will do you in. But they actually make decent leftovers. I love that the older owner guy is usually there. In fact, all their staff is great. This past time I was served by the Polish waitress. As my friends will tell you, I am a sucker for Polish ladies. Yes, baby, I'd like my toast buttered. And I wouldn't complain if you gave me your number, along with it.
(4)
E N.
Wonderful service, great food, great prices. It gets crowded and is not that big, so you might have to wait if you go during peak times. But it's definitely worth it.
(5)
Andrew W.
Cajun egg scramble was unique and delicious. Place is a little small, and therefore it was very crowded, but rightfully so, the food is great.
(4)
Mike D.
Cornerstone is an all around great breakfast joint. I've never been disappointed in their food or service. The staff is attentive, friendly, and quick. The food is consistently good. Can't really ask for much more than that!
(4)
Erika G.
Pleasant enough interior, clean and inviting. Just a bit on the . . . mediocre side. I liked the dirty greasy spoon that was in this space before. Remodeling takes away all the goodness sometimes.
(2)
dan l.
Another real-deal old school place with excellent breakfast... Has become one of my regular breakfast spots...
(4)
Aaron S.
Amazingly cozy for being at the corner of Elston & Western, and much more pleasant inside than it looks from outside We were a little confused by the wording of the menu, but yes, with your breakfast dishes, you can get hash browns AND pancakes--more responsible people than we would have shared something, but we piggishly ate a breakfast entree each. Also, they do one of the best "Southwest" omelettes I've had anywhere, with fresh jalapenos and good chorizo. The service is pretty great as well. The waitresses are very quick to attend to your needs and the owners help out when needed as well. Can't complain about any aspect of the breakfast experience here--just wish it were closer to the crib!
(4)
Brad C.
Thank you Yelp! Would of never thought to check this place out without all the great reviews it has gotten. The finance and I went here on Saturday before running some errands. It was a little after 10 when we got there and didn't have any trouble getting a table, there were also seats open at the counter. When you get coffee they basically give you your own pot which is great, no waiting for a refill. I had the veggie omelet with goat cheese (WOW!) and a side of pancakes. If a place offers a side of pancakes instead of toast its hard not to get them. Pancakes rocked! Too bad I was too full to eat them all. My finance got the croissant sandwich, the butter taste of the croissant was so good. Cornerstone Cafe is high on my breakfast / brunch places.
(4)
Emi C.
I miss Cornerstone Cafe so much!!!! Me and my husband often visited there for breakfast after our night shifts. Everything on the menu were SO delicious! I really enjoyed their foods every time I visited there. Good foods with friendly owners and waitresses! I miss everything there!! I am sure I will be there again!! I am not that far from there!
(5)
Jackie B.
I've been here maybe 10 times over the past 3 years and loved it every single time. The mom 'n' pop owners are always there, mingling with the regulars (which most people are) and making small talk with new customers. The place is so cute and cozy and always impeccably clean. Although it's always bustling when we go, it's never too noisy (never have to overhear other people's conversations). They specialize in breakfast and lunch type items and everything we've ever had has been superior quality, large portions, and presentation is always top notch. The OJ and coffee are super fresh and noteworthy. The price is right too. I really can't say enough good things about Cornerstone Cafe. We are moving out of the neighborhood in a month and I'm really sad to not have this place nearby.
(5)
Annie H.
Clean restaurant, BIG DISHES, great service! What more could you ask for? I ordered the veggie omelet with cheddar cheese and I was amazed how many veggies you actually get! Most places can be sort of skimpy when it comes to fresh veggies, but not here! I also had the pancakes and they were seriously delicious! I couldn't have asked for a better brunch on a Sunday and even with the brunch rush hour wait, it was so worth it! I will be back, don't be surprised if it's every weekend.
(5)
Dan C.
The Cornerstone Cafe was a very pleasant surprise. My girlfriend and I were walking around and just decided to stop in to check it out. I never heard about this place before so it was completely on a whim. First off, we had no idea that they closed early, despite that, we were welcomed in and greatly very warmly. The service there was great, every person that stopped by the table was very pleasant and we never had an empty glass of water. The people there were also very nice. I was a little lost, and the waitress immediately started asking people for advice for us. Within a snap someone was very willing to help us out. Nice staff attracts good guest is my guess. I had the Feta, Spinach and Mushroom omelet, and I have to say this was one of the best omelets I have ever had. My girlfriend had the pulled-pork sandwich and that was delicious as well. Great service, good food, not much more I could ask four. The prices were very reasonable, so I definitely recommend checking it out. Happy Eatings!
(5)
L P.
Yelp never disappoints! This joint has smack yourself in the face fantastic omelets. So fluffy you could cry. Good coffee too. The hashbrowns were cooked to hard, but with that omelet, who cares!?
(4)
Sarah S.
I almost hate to write a review because I don't want to have to wait for a table, but this place is SO AWESOME I just have to. My sister and I were on our way to Golden Nugget last Saturday morning when we saw this place and decided it looked much cuter and more welcoming. I am so happy we did! It was the most mouthwatering, delicious breakfast I have ever had (and I wasn't even hungover at the time so it must have been good). The eggs were amazingly fluffy and I could taste just enough real butter without it being overwhelming or greasy. The bacon was thick and flavorful, yet cooked to perfection. The pancakes, however, were the crowning achievement of my brunch experience - there are no words to describe how they melt in your mouth. Our waitress Adriana was such a sweetheart, and the owners are the cutest couple ever! I will be back as often as I can!
(5)
Laura Y.
I drove past Cornerstone Cafe for years on my way to work, but didn't live in the neighborhood. I had (have) a hard time venturing away from my neighborhood since 1. I don't like to drive, 2. I never have money for parking, 3. The first two reasons. And plus I was a Golden Nugget Girl. But when we moved farther south I found myself with no Golden Nugget nearby, since the one on Western/Elston is dark and dingy and the parking lot only holds 4 cars. Enter into Cornerstone Cafe. It is an anti-hipster hipster's dream. No long waits, no servers wearing non-prescription glasses, no attitude. Everyone in the place, including the manager, is terrific. And the food is fresh and tasty. For more of this review, go to: chicagotablefortwoandaha…
(5)
Aurore L.
A 3.5. I had a basic bacon-cheese omelet this morning - not in the mood for anything fancy and it's not the right place to be fancy anyway - and it was good, lots of gooey cheese and a very fluffy omelet. I appreciated the fact that they offered me a selection of jam in little saucers, it's much cuter this way!! Reuben had his eternal cornedbeef hash...which in the end I guess makes him sort of a specialist and declared that it was one of the best he had. Home made. Makes a huge difference I would say but who am I to talk? I hate it. A nice little place.
(3)
Elle N.
This place is in no way "hip" or "cool", but it is decent food, reasonably priced, open super early & the servers are always nice. I've only been there for breakfast so I can't speak for any of their other meals. That said, their omelets are great!
(3)
Norma C.
My favorite breakfast place. The service is the best, but also the sweet owners (Paul and Peggy) who are always there to say hi. The food is your basic breakfast/brunch line up, but it is good. They have their own specialties like the cinnamon swirl banana and strawberry french toast and their homemade marmalade.
(5)
Sam C.
My roommate and I were pressed for breakfast one morning earlier this week, and we decided, instead of waiting for the bakery on the corner to open up, we'd head over to the Cornerstone Cafe, whom we called and discovered opened early. (One Star) There wasn't any problems parking since the meters there start at eight and it was 6:45 in the morning. (Two Star) While the name on the awning says 'cafe,' the place definitely has that diner feel. The booths are that 50s/60s vinyl and hard plastic (tasteful) that go well with the 50s style stools at the counter. OH! The counter, isn't the traditional barrier between the kitchen and the main floor of the restaurant. The counter is triangular, placed in the middle of the main floor. It fits so well in this oddly shaped building that it had to get a mention. And I agree with everyone else, it is probably the cleanest 'diner' I've ever seen. (Three Star) My roommate and I sat down in a booth and were served promptly. A very important part of our meal since we were both pressed for time. Our food was great (I ordered the french toast and he ordered the pigs in a blanket), and well worth their moderate price tags (I think the prices are less than major chain, but more than a diner in Backwater, USA.) (Four Star) Now the last thing that I'm sure everyone will disagree with, the Fifth Star. THERE WERE REAL FLOWERS IN THE VASE ON OUR TABLE!
(5)
Tim Y.
I wanted to order breakfast but settled on an excellent wrap (the Southwestern) that satiated my appetite and gave me some ideas for making my own wraps at home. Others at my table had good looking crepes done right, without being filled with mascarpone or whipped cream, and corned beef hash that filled me with envy. Next time I know what I'm getting. Service was decent; a few things took extra time. Fortunately, with good company, there's little rush to leave.
(4)
Hugh B.
This is a diamond in the rough. Go there early on a weekend morning and you can walk right in. They put a pot of coffee on your table and you can order the fluffiest omelets you've ever seen. I swear I think they whip the eggs with whole cream before cooking them. The omelets are as big as your head. I am not a devotee of pancakes, but my BF says they are the best he has had in the City.
(4)
Jessica M.
This is probably the best diner I've ever eaten at. Not just in Chicago, but anywhere. It's clean (which should go without saying but is often a quality lacking in diners) and extremely cute as they've preserved the vintage center island layout of the restaurant that was there formerly. The staff is very friendly and tries very hard to please. The menu offers a nice variety of comfort food and the food is delicious and great quality for the price. My cinnamon apple crepes were homemade all the way, no Golden Nugget-style pie filling. Just wanted to add that I can confirm the incredible-ness of the chicken salad.
(5)
Blah B.
It's official I love this place!! They have the best waffles in town and the service is awesome. My eldest loves the 2x2x2 and my youngest always gets the pancakes. I especially love chatting with the owner he's so sweet and kind to my son's and I!
(5)
Jen H.
Recently tried the Cornerstone for breakfast after having passed by it no less than 100 times. Parking was a bit of an issue (the meter system on Elston was laid out strangely). I had a breakfast croissant sandwich which definitely put my usual Burger King crossanwich to shame. The croissant was huge and buttery and topped with bacon, egg and cheese. This massive coronary 'wich also came with breakfast potatoes and a mini muffin. Yum! All for under $10, definitely a steal. I think the only downside to our experience was that Cornerstone was busy, and as fast eaters (we don't tend to sit and linger for more than 30 minutes), we still felt felt very rushed to vacate our seats for a waiting family.
(4)
Edie J.
I was wondering around it the cold and rain, desperate to get out of it, almost enough to go to Potbelly, and stumbled across this locally owned cafe. The staff were very sweet and kind, the place was very cozy and a nice refuge from the rain. I ate my french toast and read the paper. Simple things in life, the people that worked there struck up a conversation with me . . . I enjoyed my time there and would definitely go again with a friend.
(4)
Donna S.
this is a cute little breakfast spot. thee eggs were fluffy, french toast was awesome, the food was a+. next time i will have to try the crepes!
(4)
Sam M.
Damned good. I got corned beef has and over medium eggs. Great tradional breakfast.
(4)
Richie N.
Amazing breakfast place. The strawberry crepes were great as well as the turkey sausage scramber. Very filling and very easy on your wallet.
(5)
Brenda V.
Cute, great fast service and wonderful food.. breakfast is served all day although they close at 3pm and parking can be a drag.
(4)
A W.
This place is AWESOME. Everything tastes great, the corned beef hash, bisquits and gravy (homemade), pancakes, salmon omelet with cream cheese, all DELICIOUS. You never have to wait too long either. Everyone is friendly and the prices are reasonable.
(5)
Araceli M.
My new favorite breakfast place..... The most amazing crab cake benedict I have ever had! Perfect yummy coffee! thin delicious pancakes (and i am not really a pancake fan, but these are good!). outdoor seating : )
(5)
spring break j.
Stopped into the Cornerstone Cafe before a day of running errands, and was impressed at first sight. Quiet little diner, at 10 AM, thankfully without any b.s kitch or theme. The service was polite, smiley, and overall good. The 'breakfast on a croissant' was delicious, the eggs were cooked perfectly. Corned beef hash was lean, not salty, and addicting. It was also nice to have a pot of coffee on our table for the morning start up. Last, the place was impeccably almost unbelievably clean.
(4)
David B.
Best pancakes in Chicago, hands down. Best Chicken Salad Sandwich you will find anywhere. The Cornerstone Cafe is terrific.
(5)
Mary Z.
Cornerstone Cafe is fantastic! I had the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich, which was delicious. The accompanying fruit cup was the best fruit cup I've ever had at a restaurant. Not the usual rock hard honeydew melon and mushy cantaloupe. The Cornerstone Cafe fruit cup is mostly strawberries, plus raspberries, blackberries, perfect cantaloupe and pineapple. When we told the waitress that we really liked it, she said with pride, "Thanks! I made the fruit cups myself this morning!" My boyfriend had 2 eggs over easy with hash browns and pancakes. The pancakes are to die for -- fluffy, buttery, absolutely delicious! The one small negative -- his over-easy eggs were overcooked. But, when we told the waitress, she replaced them with perfect eggs immediately. The cafe itself has a really cozy, quaint atmosphere. As we told the owner on our way out, we will definitely be back. This is our new favorite breakfast/lunch cafe!
(4)
Lindsay R.
I work down the street and stopped in today for a quick lunch and was pleasantly welcomed and seated. We brought our own wine and love that there was no corking fee. We had a wonderful server that was very quick to place our order. The food was good, but the sweet potato fries were AMAZING! I will be returning to this crazy intersection in Bucktown with another bottle of wine for lunch.
(4)
Craig N.
My favorite place for breakfast. Great people and consistently good food. Not pretentious and Free Wifi.. What more can you ask for?
(5)
Mark A.
This place is great! They are located in the middle of a major intersection, yet it has this quiet, small town diner ambiance to it. The food is great, especially the Crab-Cakes Benedict, the staff is super friendly and the wait is never long. I highly recommend trying this place if you haven't already.
(4)
Serious C.
I had the bacon and eggs, which was good. I wish they had biscuits and gravy as a regular side. About a 10 minute wait at noon on the Sunday I went.
(3)
Geoffrey B.
My breakfast this morning was extremely enjoyable. The service, food and atmosphere really come together at Cornerstone. Best of all it isn't terribly busy.
I am debating between 3 and 4 stars, but my mushroom spinach omelet was a lil runny and my mushrooms weren't too great... the omelet actually had a little bit of a funny color for egg. BUT the pancakes... mmmm. The omelets come with hash browns and either toast or pancakes. Definitely do the pancakes! Not sure what makes them so delicious, but I imagine it had to do with a lot of butter. The hashbrowns too were delicious, traditional, nothing fancy, but tasty. I really liked the outdoor seating too, which is what really brought me here. It's a step above typical diner food (abet with diner prices), but the food itself didn't blow me over. I'll probably come back for the pancakes and some outdoor seating in the summer. Pancakes... mmmmm.
(3)
Sarah Rylee F.
adorable place. great food. super comfortable.my eggs were a little soft for me but I should have mentioned that i like them cooked more then most people. I have and will continue to recommend people to go here.
(4)
Andrew J.
This place was excellent! After helping my brother move to a questionable neighborhood, my parents and I were ready for some comfort food. We ended up here, basically because it was easy to park a truck on Western. After a very short wait, four of us were seated comfortably in the back corner perusing a very complete menu. Everything we ordered was delicious and reasonably priced. Cozy, good prices and delicious food!
(4)
Nana H.
I came here while waiting for my car to be serviced at Joe's Auto Service down the street and had a really good sandwich. Turkey on croissant with peppers, and blue cheese with Sweet potato fries. I've been here only once before and had a unmemorable brunch, but the sandwich was so good, I tried to get my friends here for Brunch on Sunday. Failed because they close at 3 on Sundays. Free wifi!!
(3)
Bobbi W.
Best eggs benedict hands down in the city. I have tried many places and this is it. You can get it 7 days a week and it is always amazing! Great prices and great portions. If eggs benedict is not your thing then try the waffle or the absolutely delicious pancakes. The feta and spinach omelets are awesome too. The owners are great and every time we go here it always feels like home, it just tastes better!!
(5)
Jesse L.
The Cornerstone is a solid brunch spot in the Logan Square area. The service really stood out, they were incredibly fast, and we didn't feel rushed. The food is just OK, pretty typical cafe/dinner type of breakfast, but sometimes that's just what one is looking for. I definitely recommend, just don't go in thinking you will be blow away.
(3)
Dre B.
I'm so happy that I found this place - it's now one of my favourite breakfast spots in the city. The atmosphere is cheery and cozy, and the service is excellent. I ordered the Cajun scramble (comes with hash browns and pancakes), which was absolutely delicious and should have been enough food for 3 meals - although it was so good that I ate almost every last bite. They leave a coffee pot at your table, which I always appreciate since then I don't have to wait for the waitress to refill me. The price was more than right; the same amount of food would have cost the same at the Golden Nugget across the street, but obviously the quality was incomparable! I would go back for every weekend breakfast if I could.
(5)
Lorie B.
As I waited for my mirror to be fixed next door, I stopped in for coffee to pass the time. I sat at the counter and was reading a book. As I was enjoying the FULL CARAFE of coffee (!), the gentleman that owned the little cafe stopped and talked to me. (I must have looked lonely.) I admit, I did not eat and I was clearly the only one NOT enjoying a huge meal. (next time, I won't eat before I leave the house!) I liked the fact that the clientele was very mixed- large families with lots of kids, scenester groups, kids with blue and black hair- all here and all stuffing their faces. Great homey feeling and sense of pride- you can tell by the way the owners interacted with the customers. It was like going to grandma and grandpa's house. "Make the kids take a piece of candy on the way out," was repeated every time someone went up to pay. I'm not a kid, but you better believe I took a piece of candy!
(5)
Gee J.
Solid breakfast spot. Fluffy, baked omelettes well done. Crepes use fresh (sugared) strawberries. Coffee is middling. Counter spot is great for looksies. Salsa is jarred, nothing dynamite. But yet it is my favorite spot to read the paper and get something when enjoying weekend errands. located at the triangle corner of western, elston, diversey... I'll take it over the Golden Nugget across the street. Free wifi
(3)
Thomas M.
Great little cafe. Good variety on the breakfast menu. Definitely a step up from your average cafe, and not greasy at all. Coffee was good and served in a carafe on the table. Room was very clean and nicely decorated. In a cool building extending up to the 6-way intersection. Nice friendly atmosphere. You could definitely tell that there was a local crowd that comes in every day or every weekend.
(4)
Kara H.
what a nice suprise. I was expecting a standard diner - but cornerstone cafe is quaint and cozy. the service was excellent. we had to wait a few minutes for a table but were seated at the counter and offered coffee and a menu to look at in the mean time. we watched a lot of "regulars" come in who were greeted by first name, asked how their week was, etc. I thought that was charming. and the food was AWESOME. I think we found our new brunch spot!
(4)
Zachary M.
I've been going here for a few years for the late breakfast on the weekend. I'm a big breakfast person and this is one of my favorite places. Prices are good, coffee is good (though a bit overpriced), and the staff is very nice. Plus the the old lady and man who work here are cute. I assume they own the place but not quite sure. Prices are pretty reasonable and there seems to be a lot of regulars who go here. The only drawbacks are as follows: - the scramble eggs tend to be a bit too fluffy for me. Some people like them, some don't. I used to like them but have since switched over to sunny side up eggs. It was a major transition in my life. - Its a small place and you sometimes have a bit of a wait. Usually no more than 20 or 30 minutes though. Overall a pretty good place with a nice atmosphere.
(4)
Ella R.
And I have been, especially since I've started drinking coffee again, which is quite good at the Cornerstone and comes plentiful in generously sized individual carafes.
(5)
katie k.
how in the world does this place have 4 stars? I would rather go to the golden nugget or anywhere for that matter. I feel awful giving such a terrible review, but I wonder how places like this stay open. do that many people not know what good food tastes like? I ordered the 2x2x2...over medium eggs which were more like over hard, pancakes that were falling apart and mushy, and sausage patties that I actually sent back and traded for the less offensive bacon. It was all awful. The only thing going for them is that the coffee was decent and they leave a small carafe on the table. I will NEVER be back there again, and am disappointed that people with such a lack of passion for food go into such a business.
(1)
Cesar V.
This placed opened up near where we live, decided to give it a try for breakfast. I was expecting a low-end mom and pop kind of place. I was wrong. Super-friendly server, fresh ingredients, even the coffee was excellent. I had scrambled eggs and pancakes - both were so light and fluffy, like eating a cloud. Seriously, we eat breakfast out a lot and this place is just great. Nothing over the top, though they do have crepes, just your standard breakfast food but done right.
(5)
Karen L.
My husband and I took our Bucktown living son here yesterday for lunch. My son and I both had the California Cobb sandwich which I initially was going to order, then did so upon the recommendation of the waitress. Both my son and I feel we would definitely come back for this large sandwich which was an excellent value and made with real turkey. We opted for the fresh side salad, bigger than at most chains and shared each other's poppy seed and raspberry vinigarette dressing. My husband had the beef sandwich and he wasn't as vocal in his approval, but he's not a foodie. Our service was excellent. We'd definitely return when we come to the city and want a reasonably priced meal.
(5)
Roberto F.
Pretty damn good breakfast. I go by this place all the time but I was unable to stop by and grab a bite. To say the least I enjoyed my breakfast here. I thought the pancakes were just awesome and the coffee was fresh and very tasty. My wife had the omelet and that was great to. The people were very friendly and the old couple that works the front were just to nice to be true. It really only loses points for the amount of space there is as soon as you walk in. It can get a bit crowed but the wait for us was not long at all. I hope to come back here soon.
(4)
Eliot J.
i don't really see what's so special about this place. yes, the food is fine, but it's not noteworthy. it's the same generic fare at any diner. yes, the place is... clean, but i would hardly say it's 'cozy.' if anything, it's barely spacious enough for all the tables. people are friendly, but it's really not worth going to unless you live right in that area - and then only for the convenient locale. nothing special.
(2)
bj f.
there's a vibe in this place that is so comfortable. first, a sweet welcome from a genuinely nice older woman that makes you feel you're being invited into her kitchen for a bite. add to that a willing to please waitress with a hint of an accent, booths and decor that seem throwbacks to an easier time, where the emphasis was on good food, not fashion. then there's the food: yummy french toast to satisfy a sweet tooth, fluffy egg white omelets, corned beef hash made with real pieces of corned beef, not the dog food variety, and o.k. coffee, with a personal pot to do refills as needed. and one of my pet peeves in chicago is single serve plastic cased jam in general, and if it's grape, that's even worse. when i visited seattle, i couldn't stop raving about the jam served in crockery at every breakfast place we visited. so now i've finally found a place that serves my jam needs, with two difft. flavors offered up in bowls. thank you, cornerstone, for indulging my a-r ways.(or does it have a hyphen?)
(4)
Jonathan A.
A nice place to have breakfast. We were about to go to the Golden Nugget across the street, before we looked this place up. I'd been by it a million times but never knew what it was. It's your typical diner, but it's nicer, cleaner, friendlier, has more of a small town feel when you walk in. The woman owner really accommodated us with the table since we had a baby stroller with us, and it was busy. I was a little worried about that since it's such a small place, but everyone in the place had a generally friendly disposition. The food was generous, and the pancakes were about the best I've had. I got the feeling that this place and it's owners are very well liked, and I can see why. The only curious thing was that we ordered chocolate malts and the waitress was confused and had to ask the manager if they had those. But it was clearly printed on the windows of the restaurant "MALTS" "SHAKES". I was really close to giving 4 stars, but honestly, for breakfast food, it was just better than your average diner breakfast, which I prefer to fancy trendy "brunch" spots anyday. The pancakes were great. It was priced very well, about $5-6 for eggs sausage hashbrowns, and pancakes. I'll come again, but if the wait ever gets to be too long, the Golden Nugget is across the street.
(3)
Erica K.
Had breakfast here with the boyfriend and it was really great. The service was fast and attentive and the atmosphere was very friendly. I will go back for sure! (the hot chocolate is awesome, btw!)
(4)
maeve P.
This place makes a great breakfast and lunch. So tasty! Went here a few months back and had a great experience. It was pretty packed but we were able to get a table and the food was delicious. Our server was really nice too. i had a croissant sandwich. mmmm - so good. Tried the fiance's pancakes and they rocked. Totally going back again. Wish I was there right now...
(5)
Carolina P.
This is my all time favorite breakfast place! The cinnamon french toast is amazing! So is the crab eggs benedict. The waitstaff is nice and friendly. And you don't have to wait long for your food. I still haven't had their lunch but I'm betting on it being amazing too.
(5)
Larisa S.
Visit once a week. Decent cappuccinos. Love the strawberry crepes, blueberry pancakes, the smoked salmon omelette and the panini sandwiches. The service is pleasant and owners are super sweet. My favorite rainy day neighborhood place.
(5)
Hayden J.
I can't believe it took me this long to check out this restaurant, especially since I live in the neighborhood. Perhaps it has to do something with the location, which is at a pretty busy intersection. However, don't let that deter you as long as it has me. I haven't had breakfast here yet, but I can concur with the Chicken Salad recommendation. The BEST that I have had in the city! And the portions are HUGE. And sweet potato fries! What are you waiting for???
(5)
Brett K.
Best breakfast I found in the city so far. I recommend going with their daily specials, the smoked salmon omlette was great. Mouth-gasmic hangover cures are produced here.
(5)
Erica M.
Good breakfast food. My eggs were intimidating and much more than the two scrambled eggs I thought I'd be getting. The pancakes weren't as light and fluffy as I like them. But the food hit the spot.
(4)
Rob R.
If you're a desperate public transit fanatic on your way between Logan Square and West Pilsen or Rogers Park, this is a perfect place to stop for breakfast or lunch. The simple breakfast items (eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon) are absolutely top notch, options are endless (belgian waffles, crepes, etc.) and the service is friendly. Quality control is ensured by the hostess, who has supersonic hearing and will take note of your meal commentary from across the room.
(4)
Jeanette R.
The breakfast here is amaaaazing. Not to mention the restaurant itself is decorated super cute with little flower vases on the tables. The wait staff/owners/managers are super friendly. I would recommend the Denver omelet...yum!
(5)
Kayla S.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to give this 4 stars or five. I really love Cornerstone... but it's kinda intimidating to say hands down this is the best there is. I love that you get to seat yourself. We usually pick a booth by the window so that we can people watch while we eat and they also have a few tables and chairs outside when the weather's nice. the service is pretty good. My fiance and I are usually pretty engaging with our servers wherever we go and it makes for a good dining experience when the server can reciprocate naturally. Now. The food. Or more specifically, the pancakes. If you come with your appetite, be of strong will because when you smell a plate of those pancakes passing you will want to tackle the server and eat them right out of her hands. They smell THAT good. And when you eat them, they just melt in your mouth. Not too thick, not too thin, not too doughy they get the pancake just right every time. Their omelets are perfect. Not overstuffed but not under-stuffed. Everything tastes SUPER fresh and delicious. I also like that you can see the kitchen. And the lady at the front who usually settles your check at the door is super sweet. Great cozy little atmosphere. Especially on a sunny morning!
(4)
Kevin J.
Cornerstone is one of the best restaurants in the neighborhood especially for breakfast. I haven't been there for any other meal. However, I have been to Cornerstone numerous times for breakfast/brunch/breakfast for lunch, depending on when the previous night ended. Favorites of mine are the strawberry pancakes and cinnamon apple waffles. Service has always been on point. Prices are slightly higher than some competitors but you are also getting a higher quality meal and service. The outdoor seating is great too. I love coming to Cornerstone on weekend mornings during the summer for breakfast. The closest available street parking is usually on the Elston side.
(5)
Stacy S.
Good parking, cheap over all, and not your typical greasy spoon diner. It is actually pretty good. The people are friendly. The space is intimate. I would have to say that the food is good and that is why it is 4 starts. It doesn't blow me away, but it totally worth re-visiting over and over. The portions are pretty big too, which is nice when you are hungry!
(4)
Tiff B.
Very good breakfast! And you can't beat the price. I got a full breakfast with great service for $8. It's also very family friendly. There were lots of young families there for brunch but no screaming or kids running around like little terrors. Great neighborhood spot.
(5)
Colleen B.
This is a great/classic little diner. Undeniably large portions, very tasty food, friendly service, great atmosphere... it took us a while to get over this place and try it out, but it has been a staple of the weekend routine ever since. Everything I've had has been very good and exactly what I wanted. love.
(5)
Edmund W.
woah this place is awesome. i had a salmon and cream cheese omelet with green onion and my buddy had the steak and eggs. The proportions where very generous and surprisingly high quality. There is a very close neighborhood feel to the place and the proprietors are involved with the customers. It's a cool place.
(4)
Victor P.
This place has great breakfast and an extensive menu with just about any breakfast food you could want. The omelet's are huge and I strongly recommend anything that comes with the pancakes, they are delicious. Also, the coffee is excellent.
(5)
sarah s.
Rockin' good spot. The bistro croissant so yummy. Sweet potato fries!!! Pancakes to die for. Tho the cole slaw listed on the menu is misleading--there is none to be had. Sometimes a little slow as it can get quite crowded. But worth the wait.
(4)
Lezah G.
I agree with everything said before me. I like that the parking is easy. Portions are big. Food is good. Service is nice. They told me they are working on a whole grain pancake that tastes good and it will be on the menu soon!
(4)
Steve R.
Maybe I need to revisit this place judging from the other reviews. The time we ate there it was average in every conceivable way. Average food, average service, average prices. I didn't see anything that really set it apart, though it wasn't bad by any stretch. However, they didn't have a patio when I went there and that's been known to sway my opinion.
(3)
J M.
This is my favorite diner in the city. Why? Simple, they have the freshest eggs and sausage of any breakfast spot in the area. The service is generally great, the owners are friendly and welcoming and the food is second to none.
(5)
Jen T.
Love this place! Can't wait to eat there at their outdoor seating in the summer. Owners are super friendly and rest of staff is great! Food is very good and nicely priced. Cleanest bathroom ever! Has a down home feeling.
(5)
Jaime S.
We have been going to Cornerstone for about 3 years. We stumbled upon this place by accident but the service, food, and cleanliness kept us coming back. It is very busy on the weekends, but they never disappoint. We usually go for breakfast, the breakfasts are simple but tasty. It's also a good bang for your buck.
(5)
Marianne P.
A great blend of new, fun food and local neighborhood cafe.
(5)
Angel K.
I'm a regular here and I love this place. The coffee is fantastic, and you get your own little pot at your table. The pancakes and omelettes are really good, and my husband always gets the corned beef hash skillet because he loves it. The only downside is that this place is getting really popular and the seating is limited. We try to go at off times to ensure a table.
(4)
Elizabeth P.
Went here based on solid Yelp reviews and we weren't disappointed. Tasty food, friendly service, very good coffee, and our check was within a few bucks of what we spend at Golden Apple or other diners in the city. I like a place that gives you the option of pancakes instead of toast at no extra charge. Thought the hashbrowns were very good - moist but still crispy in spots. I had the veggie egg scramble and my husband had the greek omelet - both tasted very good and were chock full of fresh veggies - and the food came out super fast. Parking is on the street but was easy to find on Elston. Our son is 2 and we found it very kid friendly (they gave us crayons and activity books) - the six corners spot is perfect for a kid who loves to watch cars and trucks go by!. We were there early on a Saturday and had no wait, but I can imagine later in the day it would fill up pretty fast - they have a large counter but not a huge amount of tables compared to other diners. Atmosphere is very bright and cheery. We will definitely be back.
(5)
riddhi j.
Service is great, staff are friendly and food is decent and well=priced. Nothing over the top, just your standard breakfast fare, but each time we go, we are treated like old customers (only been there 3 Xs) and food fills a hole for a decent price. Recommend.
(4)
David M.
Good food, good price, great service, friendly owner. Worth checking out.
(4)
sean j.
really happy to make this my first review on yelp. i have always used yelp but never found time to make a profile, that being said, stoked to make this my first. my girlfriend and i used to live in logan square and loved to go to cornerstone for breakfast., now we live way up in edgewater and still make the trip regularly., for good reason. no matter how packed, wait is always short., the owner and his wife are always milling around with the regulars but never let their focus stray from their duties. in the summer extra seating available outdoors. i have never once had bad service at cornerstone, waitresses are killer, coffee carafe at the at the table is a huge hit w me., cuz when im eating in the am i have to have lots of coffee and hate to keep asking. food is good, standard fare., eggs benedict stand out and as well as the bacon and the pancakes. bottom line- comfortable, little wait (even when packed), good reasonably priced food and great service. has been a staple since we've lived here and will continue to be.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No Good for Working : Yes
Melinda V.
I don't understand the great reviews. I ordered a salad, one with chicken. Shouldn't be tough to grill some chicken and chop some lettuce. What I got was precooked chicken out of a bag and slimy lettuce that had turned black and gooey from a bag. They also gave me a dinner roll...(wait for it)...in a bag! The bag had gotten condensation inside and part of the roll was soggy the other part was a brick. The salad dressing was some chemical that I am not familiar with in gel form. I was so hungry I could have eaten an elephant, but after 2 bites I left that "salad" behind. The waitress was a cranky, rude, disinterested woman who didn't even bother to get me a water. She was not concerned as to why I asked for the check without touching my food product. I left and ate lunch somewhere else. As I was walking out I saw them put my bagged roll back in a bucket to be served to some other poor unsuspecting soul.
(1)Briana T.
Awesome breakfast place! My boyfriend and I used to go there every Sunday morning for breakfast. Food is great (seriously, *everything* is delicious!), reasonably priced, and the owners are just so cute! Definitely try it out if you're in the neighborhood.
(5)Cassie C.
This was one of the best meals I have had in awhile. There is indoor booth or bar seating, as well as a small patio. There was no wait and the food came out within 15 minutes. The 2x2x2 what I decided on and it was just great. The portions are bigger than I expected and couldn't finish all of my pancakes. We also shared a plate of hash browns since my boyfriend can't eat breakfast without them. The bill for both of us was $22 and worth every dollar. Make sure you try the crepes too! Whenever I need a crepe fix this will be the place I come to get it. One order of the banana and nutella crepe is about $9 not bad. Street parking is pretty hard around here, so if you can ride your bike you should!
(5)Melissa K.
Lucky find. We were just stopping off the highway for gas, and this place happened to be right across the street, and great Yelp reviews, so we gave it a try. The intersection is a little bit of a pain, but that's not a big deal. I love the service! Well, I just love the older couple who own it. They were so personable and chatty that they made the whole experience that much more pleasant and old-school feeling. The food was really yummy too. No complaints there. I'm glad we stumbled upon this place!
(5)Lexie V.
It is places like this that made me move back to Chicago from LA. Everyone was so friendly and outgoing. There was much more of a community feel here than what I had settled for in LA. This was a nice first stop since being back in Chicago. The food was great, and there was lot of it. My boyfriend raved about the corned beef hash and eggs and my omlette was exactly what I had been craving. The coffee was exceptional. We sat with our laptops and used the internet since we don't have it in our new apartment yet. The woman working at the front made sure we had outlets and we were able to connect to the WiFi. She was so sweet! We're definitely going to make this our new 'go to' breakfast spot.
(5)Jennie B.
I wanted to like it - the staff were lovely! But the food...I am just not sure. What they called corned beef hash was more like ...ham and onions. Their crepes were kind of hard. The fruit cup was nice, the coffee was good - I won't go back because there are so many other great breakfast places in the city, but maybe other items on their menu are better.
(2)K L.
Cornerstone Cafe is a great place for breakfast and my husband and I go here fairly often. Everything that I have had has been consistently good, if not great. I particularly like the toasted pecan waffle and the breakfast on a croissant. Service is usually fine - nothing special, but always adequate. This place gets fairly busy (at least on Sunday mornings) and is family-friendly. Prices aren't outrageous and you get large portions for your money.
(4)Jill W.
Have been coming here for YEARS. Love breakfast food and this place doesn't disappoint. Excellent customer service. I recommend the vegetarian eggs benedict. AWESOME
(5)Katie R.
goodness gracious. since eating here yesterday for breakfast my stomach has not been quite right, and i can't decide if it's because of cornerstone or because i took excedrin on a stomach full of greasy hash browns and pancakes. all i can say is that my pancakes tasted like HAM. at least one of them did. and, there was a small piece of ham stuck to it, as well. wtf? i thought it was a fluke, so i tossed it to the side instead of bringing it up to the waitress.. turns out every bite was a hamcake bite, which i wouldn't care to experience again.
(2)Jack P.
There is nothing I enjoy more than a place of business that feels like a party. That's what it was like on a Saturday morning at The Cornerstone Cafe. Filled with happy customers and the friendliest crew. In a bright and inviting space. As for the other elements of a great diner: No waiting in line outside in January-check Strong, hot java, brought to you quickly with your own carafe-check A white-haired guy with a perpetual smile on his face-check Servers who are enthusiastic about the food-check Solid breakfast offerings with some unique choices-check Really good bread for your toasting pleasure-check Corned beef hash that's not like a salt lick-check Big, fluffy omelets-check Cholula sur la table-check The three of us breakfast musketeers ordered a Portabella/goat cheese/pancetta omelet, the Corned Beef Hash, and a Veggie Eggs Benedict. These all turned out to be excellent choices. I am more enthusiastic about the Cornerstone than I thought I'd be. I can only speak for breakfast, but I'm guessing their other offerings would be just as up-to-snuff. Prices are reasonable. $12-15.00 per person with tax and tip. Great value, fun service and dishes clearly made with luvin' fresh ingredients.
(5)Big D.
The croissant sandwiches are good. The steak was bland and dry.
(3)Colleen C.
Today, this is the perfect spot for me...with an hour to kill, an empty stomach and work to catch up on, Cornerstone Cafe was a godsend. First my breakfast was pretty damn good. As an official omelette inspector, I can tell you that the Denver is top notch. It appears to have approximately one dozen eggs in it...and I could not finish it, despite my best attempt. The toast comes with homemade jams in little bowls, nice touch. Coffee is lovely (then again I could drink tar in the morning and probably find it acceptable), and they leave the carafe at your table...brownie points. My server was sweet and beautiful...as were most of the people in the place. Free wifi, good vibe, busy brunch/lunch crowd on the weekends. I will definitely come back during the week...their menu offers a bit more than the average diner...I need to try the crepes.
(5)ashley m.
Cute lil breakfast nook with the feel of a corner diner -great omelettes & hash-browns. I had spinach & mushroom w/ cheese omlete & sat at the mini bar area. Loved it, the staff, pople & most importantly the food
(5)Dave S.
What a gem, every time I come in the food and service are great! The prices a very low for such great food. I had the chile today and it was a quality meal for under $8.00, how can you beat that?
(5)Jeffrey C.
False advertising. Menu does not in any way shape or form equal to what you are served. Breakfast - Corned Beef hash and scrambled eggs. I love how they lovingly describe how carefully prepared their home style corned beef hash is... In reality it's pre-processed bagged shredded potato mush shaped into 'hash brown' slivers, sparsely mixed with a few shards of corned beef, barely warmed (not heated), and uninspiringly tossed underneath some scrambled eggs that tasted as if they were 'prepared' in the latest food-service technology ooze that comes in 55 gal drums from your local pep boys warehouse club program. My partner ordered the Chopped Chicken salad- Wow... pre-cooked pre-processed pre-cut bagged 'chicken' chunks tossed about over bagged 'salad', with bleu cheese crumbles and a hardboiled egg. AND!!!!!! (but wait there's more...) A DINNER ROLL IN A SEALED BAG. First thing I thought when I saw the roll (which had condensation moisture throughout the inside of it's neat little pre-sealed sack) was, holy shit, am I on a plane eating horridly spoiled food that pretends to not be spoiled because it is hermetically sealed? NO! and goddamit, I dont even get to go anywhere.... other than to Indigestion Island- matter of fact, if anything, The Cornerstone is simply a BAD trip to a world of poorly presented, pre cooked 'products' that come with serious indigestion for a finish. Check it out too, when the pre-sacked sealed roll didn't get consumed, it was recycled back into the bin from which it came, to appear AGAIN on a plate near you! HOLY SHIT! Lastly, coffee has come a long way - so much so, that truly bad coffee is sort of a thing of the past - now there are varying qualities of coffee, but in general, unless you are at a place that serves the shit that's been in the bottom of the pot for 2 days on the warmer, it is difficult to find unacceptable coffee------ EERRRRTTTTT!!! the coffee here is terrible. Oh how nice, they give me my own mini hotel carafe filled with this burnt mildew-tasting watery crap, so I can control just how much of this I want! and for $2.50 ta-boot.... I'm thinking that the high rating here is based on people's needs for ANY FOOD to cure their miserable hangover. I didn't come here for artsy fartsy hipster concoctions- I did not come in with very high expectations at all, and let me tell you, seriously underwhelming was about all I could muster for this place. Despite it's cleaned up facade and newly painted interior and now with sidewalk dining, it is even more insulting than when it was the greasy spoon diner joint from 20 years go. At least 20 years ago, you knew what to expect, and the menu read straightforward without the deluxe verbage.
(1)Jamie J.
I can't say enough about my first experience here. I am looking forward to going back because I enjoyed my breakfast and service so much. It started off by not having to wait, but definitely would wait to get a table here. The service really stood out. We had a server who treated us like we were at her own home. It was the small little touches that she did to personalize the experience. I had the vegetarian omelet which was amazing. The hash browns were standard, but I am okay with that. I like the openness of the restaurant which again made you feel like you were dining in someone's home. I look forward to going back and trying something new. They have a large menu which can be overwhelming, but definitely something for anyone. Great service, friendly and attentive staff and just really good food!!
(5)Rhonda G.
I always pass this place while on the diversey bus and the place definitely seemed pretty popular. Met a couple of girlfriends here before a Sunday afternoon movie for brunch. It's kind of on the small side but we had no trouble scoring a table. The owners are posted at the front and they seem to keep things moving pretty quickly. The Food: Traditional breakfast options with a few special items thrown in. I stuck to the typical items because this place was new to me and I didn't want to risk a screw up. Coffee is never left empty and that was definitely a plus on this lovely Sunday morning. The pancakes here are awesome! Trust me. I don't give that honor out easily. Eggs cooked just right and actually offering turkey sausage is a huge plus in my book! Overall, just a cool little neighborhood spot to get some darn good grub without breaking the bank.
(4)Marie H.
This is the BEST breakfast place on the north side. Its like walking into your mom's kitchen and getting to order what ever you want - and all of it is amazing! A warm and cozy little refuge, this is no greasy spoon. The waitstaff and the owners are always friendly and timely and make you feel very welcome. Lots of warm booths along the walls and a breakfast bar in the middle make this clean, bright space a great fit no matter what your mood is. I haven't had anything that I am not totally thrilled with. Some of the highlights are 1. Biscuits and Gravy - a-maze-ing 2. Flight of Waffles - wonderful for the indecisive 3. Delightful Crepes- nutella, bananas, strawberries, yum 4. Corned Beef Hash - it's like hash from heaven 5. Fresh OJ - nuff said Just get in there - it cures everything from the hangover to the pregnant starving-hungry-but-don't-wanna-eat-anythings. You can send me a thank you card later.
(5)Jill J.
Breakfast is the most intimate meal you can eat with someone.... take her to a great little place with great food if you're not cooking at home. I don't do pancakes, but I've stolen a few bites of my dates here and I think i might start doing pancakes. Very busy in the 9-11 hour on Saturday/Sunday, but worth the wait.
(4)Rob R.
If Cornerstone was within walking distance from my home I would be a regular. And I don't mean "Sunday brunch" regular. I mean, 3 or 4 times a week breakfast-lunch-and/or-dinner regular. This diner-like quasi-cafe location sets the expectation that you're catering to a different clientele. Fortunately for my palate, the menu surprises and delights its guests. From crepes to feta burgers, this place earns a 5-star rating. And I didn't even mention the amazing Lavazza coffee... is there an extra credit 6-star option? Ultimately, I'm saddened that I don't live closer to enjoy Cornerstone on a more regular basis. But I am not deterred from making the trip several times a month.
(5)James M.
Our go to place for great breakfast. Great for kids and service is always reliable. Seating at counter is nice option when there is a wait for table. B & G and pancakes are stellar.
(5)Marc R.
Great place for fresh food! This place at the corner of Western and Elston is a gem. We went for breakfast on Sunday afternoon and it was packed so we sat at the bar. The food was great and everything was fresh. It was the sort of place where they actually care about things going out the way they should without going into snotty a-la-carte gourmet with it. We had omelets. I had the Mediterranean and my girlfriend and her friend had the veggie versions. I had mine with eggbeaters and they had the regular eggs. The toast came out with real pats of fresh butter on the side, and the pancakes were a nice short stack (substitute for toast). The coffee was good (we had the drip) and they bring a nice little insulated carafe. This place is super busy on the weekend and I think it might be a 40-60 minute wait from 11-3 on Weekends, but it was worth it. Pros: fresh everything, and some great salads and sandwiches served by a staff that seems to care. Espresso machine coffee if you want it.. Still feels like a Chicago diner. Cons: A bit more expensive than most diners for regular breakfast ($10 per person with coffee, no OJ, or other extras). No parking lot and the whole area is metered (thanks mayor!). Small interior.
(4)N Y.
The food here was nothing to rave about and the service was terrible. I walked in by myself on a Tuesday at 10:30am and when I sat at a booth I was asked if I could please choose a smaller table since it was just me. I declined their request to move since the place wasn't even at half capacity (tons of open tables for groups of any size). After my meal I was told that it is their policy not to let individual diners sit at a booth during lunch hours (starting at 10:30?). On top of this rude encounter there was a misc. charge on my bill because I chose goat cheese to put in my veggie omelet--the menu says 'choose any cheese'. When I remarked about both of these things upon paying, I was vehemently told that I was wrong and a bad customer. No need to go back there when there are so many better places with better food, better service, and better locations all over the city.
(1)Kara D.
Delicious omelets, big portions and good coffee - all you need for a good breakfast that's not too greasy! On top of that the service was friendly and helpful, and prices were decent.
(5)Brook E.
Cornerstone Cafe is probably one of the best breakfast diners I've been to in Chicago. It still has that diner vibe and prices, but it has better food than most. I've eaten off of the various different areas of the menu, including the crepes, waffles, pancakes, benedicts, and omelettes. Everything is delicious. Be careful about ordering any additional sides, as the entrees usually have more than enough food for even the hungriest of appetites. The omelets in particular are huge. If you're in the mood for something sweet, order the banana bread french toast--you won't regret it! This place is also pretty kid-friendly, and has fun activity menus and packets to keep the kids busy.
(5)Jessica G.
MMMMMMM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM! I don't know what they put in their pancakes, but it might as well be crack because I. AM. ADDICTED! It's a small, cozy diner with limited seating, but I've never had a long wait, even on weekend mornings when the line at IHOP would be out the door. Friendly waitresses, good coffee, cheap and delicious breakfast - I'm in love!
(5)Dylan N.
Solid diner food. The omelettes and hash are the best.
(4)Margot B.
My boyfriend and I love this place! They have a pretty extensive breakfast/lunch menu with tons of options for everyone, whether you want something a little healthier like a whole wheat wrap or salad, or you are in the mood to splurge on something like pancakes, waffles, or eggs benedict. They have classic breakfast and lunch items as well, and everything seems to made-to-order from fresh ingredients that haven't been sitting around all day (ehhemmm...Orange...barf!). They ave pretty much every standard breakfast item, nothing is completely grease-covered--It's somewhere between a classic diner and a cafe style restaurant. The coffee is hot and fresh, and you get your own pitcher thingy of it, so you don't have to constantly wait for refills. The food has been delicious both times we've been and the cooks are pretty fast (5-10 minutes, depending on what you order). It's also very reasonably priced ($7-$10/ plate) and you get a lot of food (I've had to get boxes for leftovers both times). Oh and they always have specials, which we have never gotten, but they always sound really good. The service has been fast, friendly, and everyone that works there is very accommodating from the hostess to the busser. The servers really seem to have some good teamwork going on as well; they help each other out, which is nice to see (I think they pool tips). They are fast with the check, but we have never felt rushed (some breakfast places want to get you in and out as fast as possible so they can turn the tables). They keep the place pretty clean, the environment is bright and pleasant, and they even have outdoor seating surrounded by flowers during the warmer months. It does get really busy, but we have still been seated within ten minutes both times we've gone. It's a bit of a walk from a train stop (maybe 15 minutes?), but if you drive, it's really easy to find parking, and you could easily catch the Western bus. It's not a super fancy brunch spot, but for a nice, casual breakfast or lunch, this is definitely one of our favorite places in the city.
(5)amanda A.
loved it! everything was great. the food, the coffee, the service! the little old man (i'm guessing owner) who was very worked up that i had food and my husband didn't have his yet. it was really sweet. :-)
(4)Thongsy S.
This place serves very fresh foods for incredibly cheap! I wish the cafe was open past 4pm but I'll take what I can get. The staff are pretty friendly and I love that it's a family owned restaurant. Since I found out about this place, I have been back practically every other weekend.
(5)Sohni S.
Hands down my favorite breakfast in Chicago. I have been to all the kitchy places with themes and high prices and waits outside the door, but if you want tasty all american style REAL breakfast, come to this cozy, cute, and clean diner :-) I have been here several times and always enjoy sitting at the counter watching the Bears game on the flat screen up top. The coffee is good, the pancakes are the BEST in the city (very buttery and fluffy), and the eggs benedict to die for. I love that it's a mom & pop place and you can always expect to see the mom working the register, and even the 'pop' cleaning dishes in the back. Sometimes their kids come in with the grand kids and you feel like you are at your grandparents place. Love the casual feel after being tired of having to be 'dressed up' for brunch places in the city. It's hands down my favorite pancake place with a cozy diner atmosphere minus the greasy spoon feel. LOVE Cornerstone!
(5)Kristina P.
I probably won't come back. Coffee and food were subpar. My fiance and I came for breakfast before an early movie. First turn off was that the creamer had a film on top. You could see the dust particles. Then my fiancés corned beef hash (which is one of our favs) was dry and the portion size of meat to potatoes was disappointing. My omelette was okay but nothing spectacular. In fact, the avocados were somewhat spoiled. Service was pretty okay. Did we leave throwing up or demanding a refund? No. But I do not have high expectations and would recommend this place.
(2)Martin P.
Breakfast is always great here. I have never seen a breakfast sandwich this big! The croissant is on steroids and i think they have 6 eggs in that thing (I may be eggzaggerating.) and a choice of sausage, Bacon, or Ham and cheese with really good hash browns. I have enjoyed the coffee also, top notch! The waiting staff is always prompt and courteous.
(4)Lisa D.
So so good- no frills restaurant but everyone is super friendly, including the owner who was working the register. I had the French Toast with Strawberries - eggs came with sweet watermelon piece. Bacon side was $3.25 - for four pieces I guess that's ok but they weren't bacon to like write home about. Otherwise will definitely will be returning!
(5)Angela B.
Cornerstone NEVER disappoints!! I have been frequenting this cafe for a couple years now and have never had a bad meal. The owners are always in the building and working, always pleasant and treat you like family. Everything is great here, but their breakfast is especially good. A great selection and the food is always fresh. Their french toast is my favorite but my boyfriend loves their pancakes. I've also had lunch here several times and have ZERO complaints. This is hands down one of the best diners in the city. I truly wish they were open for dinner!
(5)Alex O.
Not only are the eggz here to die for, the costumer server and the cozyness are top notch. The coffee is better then most places, i would even drink it black with alittle sugar.
(5)Shahzad A.
We had the neutella crepe, guere cheese and asparagus omelet which were both really good. This is the only place I have been where you get to substitute side for French toast for free. The food was good but I really didn't love the place much. The restaurant had bees and I saw a fruit fly which was not acceptable. The service was excellent. I think some uplift and no bees will do wonders for the place!
(3)Samantha P.
Incredible breakfast/brunch place. Small restaurant but our table of 5 got seated quickly. The food was absolutely delicious and a lot of food for the price. Very friendly service.
(5)Emily M.
We came here on a Thursday morning and there were only a handful of other patrons so we immediately got a seat & served drinks. We ordered biscuits & gravy and strawberry crepes, each with additional sides. The kitchen was a bit late with our sides so we were nearly finished eating our actual plates when they arrived but honestly, it didn't bother us the least bit. It was quiet and had that hometown diner feel so I think we just fell into the lull of the atmosphere rather than get impatient. We were surprised how good the food was though.. The portions were great taking into account the price and the gravy was amazing. By the time we got our 2nd round of coffee and the waitress dropped the check off the place was really starting to fill up so we left a little sooner to free up space.
(4)Laura B.
I would not go back. I ordered the strawberry French toast and "hard scrambled" eggs. The French toast was average, and the eggs were awful. It's not just that they were too soft, but there was something about their flavor that was a complete turn-off. And while the staff was friendly, the waitress wasn't attentive after delivering the food. In fact, soon after she left the check on my table and never came back. The location was also too noisy for my taste due to the convergence of Western, Diversey, and another main street right in front of the entrance.
(2)Kathy T.
Best breakfast for the best price! I love the corned beef hash. It also comes with a side of pancakes! I wish they would deliver since I live close by. One of my favorite breakfast place in town.
(5)Evie H.
Cornerstone Cafe has everything I want in a sort of All-American diner kind of way. I've been a few times and have tried several of their brunch items. They have one of the best deals around for some of their entree items. I mean, an omelette, hashbrowns, and a side of pancakes for $9-10? Not bad at all. I love that their savory omelettes aren't over the top salty or packed with too many ingredients. It's pretty much your basic two or three items neatly folded into the eggs. Hash browns are also simple and not oily at all. In general, everything that I've had here are very classic brunch dishes without any extra surprises. It's like your basic colored Christmas lights. On weekends when I don't feel like waiting an hour at trendier brunch locations, Cornerstone Cafe really hits the spot. I appreciate that they do simplicity right. A couple of my favorites: Corned beef hash, Spinach and mushroom omelette, Stuffed strawberry french toast! Tip: come on a warm day and sit outside. It's so fun to eat outside on a busy street.
(4)paige h.
My husband and I went here a few weeks ago and loved it! It's very tiny so try not to go during a rush period. However the selection is great, the food was amazing and loved the fresh juice they serve! The prices aren't bad either. For sure one of the better brunch places in the city!
(4)Naomi L.
My friend got completely trashed the night before and of course I need breakfast this morning. Maybe if I was hung over my review might of been a bit different. The reason I came to this place was because I was on Western Avenue. Well I also looked up breakfast on Yelp. When I got here the place was pretty much busy and I sat at the bar (well looks like one). Just by looking at the yelp reviews and how busy it was I was convinced that this place would be great. Boy was I wrong! I sat myself and at least four servers looked at me for what 10 minutes before somebody stopped by and asked me what I would like to drink. By that time I was already highly pissed off. How can you just look at somebody that is obviously a customer and not ask them if they have been helped? I don't understand that and I need to understand why I wasn't asked if I was helped. Another 10 minutes go by and finally a waitress comes and asked me what I would like to order. I placed an order for eggs Benedict and green tea. Now listen folks this is a breakfast place and breakfast is prepared very very fast. I was waiting for my eggs Benedict for 20 minutes. The question again is; why did it take 20 minutes for my food to be in front of me? I have all these questions but nobody can answer them. When my food came it was cold and when I say cold I mean room temperature. My eggs turned into over hard. My hash browns where just cold. Yes the place was busy but it's a breakfast place, you are preparing the same items for eight hours. Why is my food cold? Now my server is a whole other story. I mean you working for tips and why did you just ignore me the whole time? Why didn't you check on me to make sure I was okay? What's wrong with you? I mean don't you want money? I am a needy customer ask me a question, ask me if I'm okay. I tried to get her attention like five times by saying excuse me over and over but she kept passing me. I don't understand service these days! The reason this place is getting a two star is because my food was not up to par. I would totally understand if this is a restaurant that has to serve different types of foods but the only thing they serve is breakfast. The owner or manager of the place: lady with short gray hair looked at me the entire time and ignored me. I think if my food wasn't cold it and the service was up to par I think my review would have been different. First impressions are everything and I am not impressed.
(2)Jesus G.
Cool place for breakfast. Truly enjoy their breakfast food (since that's all I've had) but they also serve lunch food. Their omelettes are huge (4 eggs) plus they have a wide variety of them (anything from vegetarian omelettes to all meat). Their coffee is also great and they just leave a small pot at your table so you can serve yourself. The only downside is that this place is pretty small so would not work great for a large party. It also gets very crowded fast so you must be there early or else walk over to Golden Nugget! lol
(4)Ben A.
This is the Cheers of breakfast restaurants in Chicago. First, the food. Good, solid breakfast food. I haven't branched out too much, but I usually get the bacon and eggs (sunny side up) with white buttered toast and hash browns and it always hits the spot. I also can't seem to help myself from doing a half-order of the biscuits and gravy which is always a good choice. The food is good and hearty. There are fancier breakfasts to be had in Chicago, but for a good simple breakfast, this is still really hard to beat. I also have to speak to the service and the experience of dining there. Paul and Tish (the owners) seem to know all of the regulars there by name. Paul often sits at the bar and converses with the patrons. Great guy. His wife, Tish, is a wonderful woman as well and the connection they have built with their customers makes you understand why people keep coming back to this place. The rest of their staff has been great as well in the many times I've been there. One of the intangibles though, which makes this place so special is that the customers themselves add to the experience of dining there. The focal point of the restaurant is a triangular bar where everyone is facing each other, and I remember early on while dining, being struck by the friendliness of the fellow diners. In a big city, its rare to find a place where everyone is so friendly. A lot of the people there know each other and are happy to talk to a stranger. It's a place where you can go to dine alone and still be assured of some great company. Keep up the good work Cornerstone, I'll keep coming back.
(5)Bobi '.
Great food, friendly staff and great ambiance. I love their eggs, they have to be the best in the city. They are super creamy and delicious!! My kids love their pancakes. Every time we are there the owners are there. It's great to see that they are successful and doing well. They all work so hard and they totally deserve to keep succeeding! If you want good food, good coffee and a comfortable place to eat then this is it! Parking can be tough at times but no big deal the walk is worth it.
(5)Daniella A.
All the food was delicious (I've tried the waffle flight, the biscuits & gravy, the caesar wrap & the caesar salad so far) but the milkshake was a gift from the gods themselves! I got half chocolate & half vanilla and it was DELICIOUS.
(5)David W.
great place to sneak in for a quick breakfast. however often a long line on weekend mornings so have some patience. they push the food out quick and the servers are super friendly. a neighborhood joint - support it!
(4)Kristiena S.
I love this place. The owners are always present and working, which is refreshing in a city full of chains and restauranteurs. Their food - I haven't had anything I did not like here. Seriously. Another big dining-out peeve of mine is the lack of coffee refills. At Cornerstone, they just give you a carafe. A beautiful carafe full of coffee so you are able to keep your cup at a nice, comfortably warm temperature. This place is charming and inviting with pretty decent food. I love that they have an always-full candy dish at the register. Even when full, who doesn't love a bite-sized candy bar?!
(4)Sue A.
I stopped at the Cornerstone Cafe at 1:30 pm on a Wednesday. The place was about one third full. All the two tops were taken, but there were plenty of other tables open and their four tops are not large. I was by myself. The hostess took one look at me and told me that I had to wait for a table! She also offered the seating at the counter. Why should I have to wait for a table when there were so many available? I was so taken aback that I didn't know what to say. That was so mean. I sat at the counter. The seats are so high that my feet dangled like Edith Ann. I'm not a short person. I had to put my purse on the floor and rest my feet on it. I was still very uncomfortable. They serve coffee in personal carafes which I thought was a great idea as I wouldn't have to flag down a waitress, until the carafe ran dry. It held two cups. Unfortunately, without having to refill coffee, the wait staff didn't seem to think they needed to check on their customers and I sat unattended, making due with water. It's a real shame as their corned beef hash was out of this world. Sorry, but I will not be back.
(1)Neesa D.
Service was nice, food was okay, nothing really special.
(3)David C.
Impressed. Not mind blown, but impressed. The unassuming corner of Western and Diversey houses this charming brunch place. You know it is a serious breakfast place when it is only open 7AM to 4PM everyday. I had the Greek Omelette and added bacon. Not only were all the ingredients fresh, but they added the bacon into the 4 eggs seamlessly. Plus you get a generous serving of hasbrowns, and pancakes all for less than $10? Wow. My only critique/suggestion would be to ask for the hashbrowns to be "well-done" since they were a little soggy for my liking. I will definitely be rolling over to Cornerstone to satiate those pesky hangovers or if I am hankerin' for some french toast.
(4)Michey G.
I absolutely love Cornerstone! (an understatement by the way.) I usually go here with my friend Roy, who was the one that introduced to this lovely place. We come here and feel home. The food is phenomenal. The service awesome. The prices are reasonable. Waking up and hearing : "Let's have breakfast at Cornerstone." Brings a smile to my face. Yes, it's that good. You won't be disappointed from anything you eat there. Breakfast or lunch. Great for everyone who loves bacon too.
(5)Hannah H.
My friends and I tried this place out for a breakfast get-together. I had the 'Bacon and Eggs,' which came with 2 eggs, any style you liked, and 3 strips of bacon - a very simple, no-nonsense dish with the eggs cooked well and the side of bacon. The buttermilk pancakes were okay, but a little dry, and the syrup was way too thick. My friend had the Southwestern Omelet, and she seemed to like it, too, with the red peppers and the chorizo. Service was a little slow as most seemed to be enchanted by the TV. A decent breakfast place off of Western. +simple breakfast fare
(3)Andrea H.
Fiancé and I recently moved up the street and we stopped in here during our first full weekend hoping to have a new 'go to' neighborhood brunch spot. We went pretty early on Saturday (8:30 or so) and there was no wait. You seat yourself (more or less) after being gestured to a wall by the server across the room. Service was fair (3.5 star), they seemed personable to the regulars around us, but I feel like we got about 3 minutes of face time. Food came out fairly quickly. I ordered my coffee (a must!) and they brought out a small carafe for the table - a definite plus in my book! Unfortunately, the food was just okay. I ordered an omelette, which was on par with most diner type establishments. Hashbrown side was good. Fiancé's scrambled eggs were wet, to the point of being inedible. He's not keen on returning, but given proximity, we'll probably give Cornerstone another chance.
(3)Kyle P.
Great little breakfast diner. It isn't one of those new fancy get in line for 30 mins to have a "creation" made for breakfast but the hashbrowns and croissant sandwich was very good and the staff and owners couldn't be nicer. give it a try
(4)Mo H.
Go here every weekend for breakfast. The food is great! Quality, classic breakfast fare served fast and hot. The staff is always super nice and on point. And the owners couldn't be more wonderful. I love to support quality local small businesses and this place is one of the best! Go there for breakfast or lunch!
(5)Frida A.
I went there for the first time with a group of 5 people. The breakfast selection is really great! It's a small place and we were sitting in the only table with enough space for 5 people so I wouldn't recommend it for groups larger than 4 people. They have 4 tables outside, it was raining on the day that I went so we weren't able to sit outside, that add to the appeal. The only reason why I gave it 4 stars is because of the limited seating for large groups but the food was great and the ambiance is very warm and welcoming. It's super accessible via public transportation as there is a bus stop right in front.
(4)Amanda Z.
Went here today with my girls for brunch and ordered the chocolate and banana crepes and it was awesome!! My friends ordered milkshake and they were the best I've ever tasted. Talked to the waitress about it who said they didn't put any weird ingredients. Like the strawberry milkshake only gets it's flavor from fresh strawberries. Cute and friendly cafe with a familiar vibe. Recommend it to everyone!!
(5)Monica R.
I honestly don't understand why people wait outside in the cold for this place. It's always packed for some reason. If you have the misfortune of sitting at the bar, the waitress probably won't even be able to properly serve you (and in my case she'll get your order wrong entirely because it's impossible to hear in this place). None of the food that we were served was particularly tasty. The omelettes weren't mixed very well- the cheese was situated in one end of the omelette only. The hash browns were so-so. They do bring you your own coffee carafe. But I'm pretty sure this is something they'd HAVE to do because with the way service moves around here you'd never get your coffee refilled without it. Seriously, instead of waiting in line here just go to the golden nugget across the street.
(2)Veronica H.
The restaurant is too small to accomodate a large group. There isn't a parking lot. You have to rely on street parking. I ordered the smoke gouda omelet. It sounded good but the flavors didn't really go together. The hash browns lacked flavor. The French toast was really good. The meal also came with a cranberry muffin that was absolutely delicious. Our seat was terrible. We sat by the front door and every time the door opened there was a gust of cold. There really isn't anywhere for people to wait so they were right next to our table. Overall it was an ok experience but we will not be back.
(3)Jordan V.
Pancakes were bomb af and the smoked Gouda omelette was dope. Quant as hell and and the hot chocolate killed it
(4)Thom W.
I like pancakes. I really like pancakes. I mean, if pancakes were sentient, I'd be on trial for war crimes against pancake-kind and pancacide for sure. That said, I've rarely had a pancake stand out. There are bad pancakes, and there are cheap pancakes, but rarely do any stand out in quality. These were awesome pancakes. I didn't even order them. They were that good. I risked life and limb repeatedly as I assaulted my food-territorial girlfriends plate. I left less one limb, but with a full belly. The meatball sub was decent.
(5)Joy M.
The food is great, the staff is excellent. The outdoor seating is very small, but you could also call it cozy. Surprisingly, I've always had good luck with street parking.
(5)Alysa R.
For me, going out to a restaurant is an entire experience that includes food, customer service, and the ambiance of the place. Whether it's a burger joint or a fancy restaurant, if the food is good but the people are jerks I definitely won't go back. This falls into the "people are jerks" category. Food is subpar. Just regular breakfast food. Nothing special. Definitely won't be going back.
(1)M H.
Pretty darn good and (thankfully) not at all trendy. Have only had one of their omelets and the vegetarian eggs benedict--with sweet potato fries instead of hash browns--and both were quite tasty. The staff is also pleasant as well as helpful. I'm a picky diner, too!
(4)Mary T.
For years I've seen my Yelp friends shower attention on this place in their reviews. I've always thought about trying it, but to be honest, dealing with the craziness of the intersection has always deterred me. As such, my go to diner breakfast usually means Nookie's, Golden Apple and the like. Have I been missing out. We were fortunate to arrive at that tail end of the brunch hour and not have to wait for a table. The footprint is kind of odd given that it's on the corner of a 6-way intersection and there's not really anywhere to wait (less than ideal in winter). Aside from the huge menu with so many tings that sounded delicious, the next thing I noticed was the attentive and friendly service. I'm not entirely sure who our server was, all of them popped by to check on us regularly, filling up drinks, bringing food, clearing plates and just checking in. It wasn't overbearing or annoying either. I opted to go for a lunch plate, the tuna melt with a side of hash browns. He went with the steak and eggs, which is served with hash browns AND french toast. You best be hungry if you're ordering this. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Hash browns are an essential part of breakfast and brunch for me; a place that does them exceptionally will win me over and Cornerstone did. The potatoes were so rich and buttery, I devoured every last bite. The tuna melt was exceptional too; the english muffin was one of the largest I've seen. If future meals are as good as this, I can see an upgrade to 5 stars in Cornerstone's future. That shouldn't be hard since it's a large menu with something for everyone - sweet, savory, meaty and meatless.
(4)Bex F.
Winner winner. Why do I feel like such a loser though? Because we've driven by this place for years and years and never stopped in and eventually just didn't "see" it anymore. Losers. What a shame. We could've been eating great food all this time. And we made the blasphemous foul mistake of eating at Golden Nugget one day when we could have eaten here. What idiots. Everything is fresh, everything is hand made, home made, and many items are made by the owner herself. See, we're jerks! My dearest says it's the best eggs benedict he's ever had. I tried the chicken salad one day and wow, yep, super great, loved it. Even took the leftovers home and actually ate it which rarely happens. I had the pancakes another time and maybe because it was so insanely busy, they didn't knock my socks off, but I suspect anything on this menu is rock star. Unfortunate location for a parking attempt but if you bus it, you're ahead of the game. But we're dumb, and drive, and drove by for years before realizing the terrible folly of our ways. See ya there!
(5)Katrina D.
I always envisioned my life going something like this: graduate college, get a cute apartment in the city, sip mimosas at brunch with my friends at a cute little cafe. Almost all those things happened this weekend, minus the mimosas. I couldn't handle a mimosa that morning. After staying at my friend's apartment the night before we walked to Cornerstone Cafe for brunch. Not being much a breakfast food person (I know, sue me), I was able to find a ton of lunch items on the menu and settled with tomato soup and french fries. I am obsessed with the tomato soup. It had just the right amount of creaminess to it. The fries took a lot longer to come out than they should have but I saw and heard our waitress (she was super cute) ask for them several times, so it's not like she wasn't trying. Both of my friends enjoyed their meals: strawberry crepes and hash browns and the veggie scrambler and a cup of cream of chicken soup. Next time I'm in town and I stay in Avondale, we're getting breakfast/brunch at Cornerstone Cafe!
(4)Matt G.
4.5 stars???? Really? Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I asked a few questions before I did. Do you really make the hash every day and it's not out of a can? Are the grits good and are they not instant? I got 2 eggs over medium with hash brown shredded potatoes and small diced corned beef. That was the hash and eggs. That SUCKS! That's not hash. The grits were watery, clumpy nearly instant grits. I couldn't even eat them they were that gross. Somehow the place is full. I think we need to have fewer drinks on Saturday night so that the bar is raised on the Sunday breakfast. My son (5 yrs old) asked why we didn't eat at the pancake place across the street. I was asking myself the same question.
(2)Chan K.
I love this place! They have a cute patio in the front with lots of plants - you would hardly know you were sitting right on busy Western Ave! I had some fish sliders, and while they weren't the best fish sliders ever they quenched my craving for fish. On a second visit I ordered soup and sandwich combo for lunch. Creamy broccoli soup was fresh and delicious and the bacon in my blt was crispy to my liking. Service was very friendly!
(4)Brett F.
Per usual, I'm the last to get on the Yelp bandwagon. Why do great things always tend to elude me? Cornerstone is not only in my neighborhood but has been reviewed by no less than 20 of my pals dating back to 2010. Yet my first visit was last week. Amazing. Better late than never, though! Loved my steak 'n egg brunch at Cornerstone. Loved the way they listened and made my hash browns extra crispy. Loved my toast. And its homemade jam accompaniment. Loved the owners and their genuine passion for the business. We watched Sunday Bears football with the owner guy and the owner gal complimented me on how 'smart' my outfit was. Ahhhh! Compliments get you everywhere, dahhhhling! Just a great, family owned place, serving awesome diner style breakfast. Yum.
(4)Cynthia G.
2nd time eating here! Ate waffles twice, different kinds.. The owner is such a sweet man. The food is great & not over priced. I think I will take my hubby there tomorrow for breakfast.
(4)Melissa M.
This place is great. The food is delicious and the wait is not long.
(5)Mike M.
Love this place. You can tell a good restaurant right away by the clientele. Busy, mellow, friendly. The owner is there. No pretense. Good good. Can't say enough!
(5)Eugene C.
Service superb, attentive friendly but not intrusive. Excellent strong coffee served with heavy cream. Scrambled eggs perfectly done, moist and fluffy, great hash browns. French toast as regular toast alternative was thick moist and delicious. I give five stars because of certainly outstanding breakfast at very reasonable cost. Outstanding value.
(5)Julio V.
Anyone ever wanted to rub me out can find me on weekends at this joint. Their food is freshly made and is always very good. Prices are reasonable and well worth the quantity of food they give you. Staff is also wonderful. GAINED My BUSINESS!!
(4)Ryan K.
Solid breakfast joint with friendly staff. It's a no frills old school diner type of place and sometimes that's what I want in place of a pretentious brunch spot cramming in as many hipsters as they can. Yes, there are big booths where you can relax and not listen to the girl next to you talk about her regretful night. Anyway, if I'm being honest, this place had me at do you want toast or pancakes with your omelette. And the fat kid said let there be pancakes!
(4)Michael G.
Cornerstone does all the basics just above the Golden place just a hop skip away from it. I grew up in Cicero amongst the Beloved Steak N Egger, and Golden Nugget sometimes seems like a bad version of them...if that helps. But their pancakes were solid for being ordinary, but didn't include a separate plate for them. I'm not the biggest fan of full on crossing mingling of syrup to my eggs and sausage (I got a basic breakfast, 2x2x2 I believe). They had a flurry of people come in, and literally having the corner booth, they were still attentive. They, where "Nice People go to Eat Good Food" (I'll never forget that) lived up to half of their name, bc their food was pretty standard. I guess if you're into that, for around 20 buckaroos, go for it! Great atmosphere, but I am spoiled by Bongo and Publican breakfast to the point where you've gotta impress a bit to get a 4-5 with me. But stay nice!!!
(3)Joanne C.
We went here bright and early on a Sunday morning before the branch crowd. This was the second time we went and I was looking forward to it because the first was was great. However I was disappointed this time. There wasn't a lot of people yet and but our server was spending more time making herself an ice coffee than attending any tables. The food was still good but my corn beef hash was not as good as the first time I had it. Also, we saw the food being ready by the kitchen for about 10 mins before our server realized it and finally brought them to us. I don't think I will return for a third time.
(2)Daura A.
I understand the charming old fashion dinning American experience, but the quality of the food is mediocre. The service, however, is great!
(2)M K.
Very good restaurant. Good atmosphere, as well. I'm a breakfast omelet eater and I've eaten them all over Chicago. I'm born and raised in Chicago. I have to say they have as good an omelet or better than any I've had in all my life. What puts them over the top is the goat cheese. Very few restaurants have goat cheese and they have it. I love goat cheese, as well as their omelets. I recommend them!
(5)Bernice R.
Hello overly generous size to price ratio! Nice to meet you! The Cornerstone Cafe is a great bang for your buck and more importantly, deliciousness for your stomach! For my tasty breakfast, I had a large glass of tomato juice, the corned beef hash skillet, and a short stack! Pure bliss. I don't usually get tomato juice but I saw about 3 people order it while I perused the menu and decided to get it. And you know what, no regrets! I should have gotten the brand that they used... oh well. Anyway, the corned beef hash is none like I've ever tasted! True to many reviews, it was SO good! As were the scrambled eggs and the potato hash that accompanied the dish. Lastly, my table split my short stack because I didn't want it to go to waste.... Holy fluffy pancakes Batman, they were awesome! Overall, my table was happily full and had great reviews for their cinnamon raisin french toast and smoked gouda omelet! I can't wait to go back to this cheerfully yellow painted cafe and try more classic breakfast dishes!
(4)Delia V.
Love their southwest omelette & French toast. The strawberry banana & Nutella crepes are amazing!!! My hubby loves their home style oatmeal. The service is pretty good. Sometimes when it gets busy the servers take a while, but I've never had any real problems so I keep going back even with the usual 10-15 min wait time. Update: the Denver omelette is also absolutely delicious with cheddar cheese. The cheese oozes out as you cut into it!! Yum!
(4)Andy C.
I got lucky and saw the tables on the sidewalk outside. The place looked very inviting and didn't disappoint me. Good prices, great food, generous portions, and no frills. I would definitely come back next time I'm in Chicago!!
(5)Rebekah S.
We were looking for a quick in and out breakfast spot while running errands a few Saturdays ago and stumbled across this gem via Yelp app. Such a cute diner vibe, we were immediately seated and were able to order within minutes. I ordered the Mediterranean Omelet and my bf got the Cinnamon Raisin French Toast and side of hashbrowns. Our food came out right away, hot and yummy! We split our plates and ended up taking just a bit home. We were there around 11 am on a Saturday, but I can definitely see why there's said to be a wait out the door earlier in the day!
(5)Marjorie F.
My friend Emily was in town from Stockholm and had a bad craving for American pancakes. We had errands to run at Target so I used my handy dandy Yelp app to locate the nearest breakfast spot. I was surprised to see how close this was to Target. When we entered this quaint little diner, we were greeted with the delicious fragrance of breakfast --- freshly brewed pot of coffee, pancakes and bacon on the griddle. Yummmm... Needless to say, I couldn't wait! I ordered the corned beef hash and eggs, side of pancakes (of course). I was not disappointed. Out came the freshly chopped corned beef, home made buttery hash potatoes, overeasy eggs, and fluffy pancakes. So yummy! My friend Emily picked the Cinnamon Raisin French Toast. It looked deelish. She thought so! Service was quick and friendly. They even left me my very own carafe of coffee. Dangerous! This is my new go to breakfast place - especially for my marathon errand days.
(4)Boris M.
Nice-looking from the outside (important if you want to beautify a city), friendly staff, fresh orange and grapefruit juices, tasty biscuits and sausage gravy, and power outlets. I have absolutely no complain. And the wife is very happy about her not-salty-nor-oily scramble eggs and tasty French toast! We'd happily return here in the future.
(5)Justin S.
Although the food tasted good and is a pretty good value , I found a piece of metal shaving in my pancake, the coffee cups where also dirty, the staff is friendly but they made no effort to compensate me
(1)K C.
Rich flavors, deliciousness, I had the red velvet pancakes! Yummmmmmm the place was clean, it wasn't too busy. I wondered why the service wasn't more attentive but who knows what was going on what I could not see... If i remember to stop here i will but I can't see going out of my way for the place. I visited because I went to repair my window at Fernando's up on Western a short walk up the block.
(4)Jose B.
Jeez, I feel bad for eating here every other day and not leaving a review yet! This place is a gem right down the street from my job. LOVE their breakfast on the weekends and their lunch menu during the week. Everything is great! My favorite is their awesome take on the corn beef hash. As long as their doors are open I will be a customer!!!!!
(5)Desiree H.
I was visiting a friend in Chicago and unfortunately this place didn't have vegan or gluten free options. So that's the only reason I gave it two stars!
(2)Mary T.
Why the long line? The food here is just fair, but the service stinks. I had an omelette which I watched sit up on the shelf waiting to be delivered to my seat for way too long. After a long wait, expect not to hear the person sitting next to you, it is so loud in this place. The owner I think is an older woman who looks on the edge of a nervous breakdown, whizzed by inquiring about the food, but did not stay to get feedback. It is overpriced, over-rated. I use Yelp to find the right places, but this place made me want to sign up and share the negative experience.
(1)Misty S.
Great place for a breakfast! They have Lavazza coffee, which is pretty good. They also have fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juices if you're into that. The place is usually packed, but I haven't had to wait for a table when I came here for brunch. The inside is modern, yet it feels like an old cozy diner. The food here is good and they offer tons of items on the menu including corned beef hash, omelettes, waffles, French toasts, crepes, pancakes, eggs benedicts, sandwiches, and much more. They have a small outside seating area, but I always find it too loud and windy to want to sit outside. It is located right on the corner of Western and Elston, and I must have driven by this intersection a hundred times and never noticed this cafe sitting there. Street parking is easy on Western.
(5)Jennifer P.
Amazing food! Had the Eggs Benedict the best ever... Husband had the corn beef hash and loved it! Definitely a must stop next trip to Chicago!!!
(5)Carlos A.
Love this place. Third time I visit was today and I'm so happy and pleased with their prompt service. The chicken salad sandwich is soo good. I had it with a side of sweet potatoes fries and chicken soup. Like the other times before, food was great and very consistent. Also super super affordable. I'll be back for more lunch. :)
(5)Sara L.
This place is amazing. Their pancakes are the best pancakes I have ever had. The waitress was so amazing that she actually read our minds. Everyone was very supportive when I ordered both breakfast and lunch at the same time. I felt super comfortable having pancakes with my sandwich. Even if you don't like pancakes, get a pancake. You're welcome.
(5)Patrick S.
Ignored for twenty minutes before we walked out and went to Golden Nugget across the street, where we were immediately sat and served.
(1)Coley M.
The breakfast is amazing and not over priced one bit. Waitstaff was very nice. If your in the neighborhood and hungry check this place out!
(5)Vina O.
Came in around 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon and we were seated immediately. Nice! I ordered the corned beef hash with pancakes while my husband ordered a burger special. I forgot the name of it, but it was topped with a fried egg. The corned beef hash is not your ordinary hash, it's like thin strips of corned beef mixed in a bed of shredded potatoes and your choice of 2 eggs on top. It was decent, but I had to add some ketchup and hot sauce to really extract more flavor from it. The pancakes, however, are DELICIOUS! Perfectly light and fluffy and a great texture overall. My husband enjoyed his burger and sweet potato fries. I personally thought the sweet potato fries were a bit oily and limp, but that's because so many places serve amazing sweet potato fries and I've gotten picky with my fries. Overall, a decent brunch place with courteous staff and reasonable prices. I'd come back if I were in the area, but I'd probably want to try out other places first.
(3)D T.
This place is in my new hood, and cute. I went simple with poached eggs, ham, hash browns and pancakes. The pancakes were ridiculous. I want to eat them everyday, but next time I will not make the mistake of passing on the red velvet pancakes. There is no way those aren't the best things on the planet.
(4)Priscilla R.
This place is great. Good coffee, good food and friendly staff. I enjoy coming here for breakfast.
(4)Aaron H.
Pretty good prices and some great food. Staff was nice and quick. You get free candy when you leave, too!
(5)Crystal H.
This is one of my all time favorite breakfast spots. The food is so amazing is hard to explain. I never eat eggs alone but these are so good. My favorite is breakfast on a croissant and the two by two by two plate.
(5)Scott F.
Great food as always!
(4)Arlene L.
Cute, comfortable, and cozy atmosphere. Really nice waiters and I loved the pancakes!
(5)Violet T.
I went on a Tuesday afternoon around 1:30 and it was really busy. It's a small diner with table seating around the perimeter and a large bar in the middle with seating. I was really excited to eat here since reading the reviews. It didn't take long to get a seat. They were having a lunch special for a soup and either half a sandwich or half salad. I ordered the chili and the chicken Cobb panini. My friend ordered the Mediterranean chicken wrap. After a short wait, my food arrived. The waitress acknowledged my foodless friend and told her her wrap was "coming right up". After what felt like an hour but more realistically 7 minute wait, and countless remarks of how not right it is to not serve both us at the same time, I stared down the waitress. When she finally noticed us, she said "oh" and turned to get my friends food that was sitting on the counter witing to get delivered. I was not impressed with the chili. I noticed they crossed off the chili after serving gem so I figured I for the bottom of the pot. It really tastes as if it came from a can. My panini was not really a panini, really more like a sandwich with grilled bread. My friend enjoyed her sandwich. Overall, I was not impressed, actually I was pretty disappointed. Maybe they specialize in breakfast and for that I will try them again, but never again for lunch.
(3)Nicole B.
Chicken enchilada soup was awesome, eggs Benedict was great, biscuits and gravy were ok, a little too much gravy. The fruit bowl was a pleasant mixture. Overall I had a great brunch. The soup though.... So good.
(5)Jacob K.
Owned my a beautiful elderly couple who pour their heart and soul in this amazing eatery. Great coffee drinks! Awesome vegan burger!
(5)Emily K.
I've been coming to this place for years and have gotten to know Tish and Paul (the owners). I call Paul my "city dad" because he's always checking in on me, he's met my parents and he gives my husband a hard time whenever he sees him. Perfect! Best restaurant coffee in the city. Yep, I'm claiming it. My favorite foods are the egg white veggie omelet and the French toast. My husband's favorite is their chili. My mom's in love with the veggie burger. Yummo. And the owners want feedback on the food. They regularly request it from patrons. Oh, and if you want to get to know the staff or the owners, sit at the counter rather than in the booth. The only thing that could possibly make this spot better would be adding bloody marys and mimosas to the menu.
(5)David H.
My Experience Here was good, I took my girlfriend here, and we fell in love with the place it's a small little place but it taste good. I highly recommend this place. I suggest the French Toast or The Cafe Crepes.
(5)Patrick L.
Nice place, good selection, good prices, friendly staff. Parking along the street can be a little iffy but that's not really their fault, just be prepared to look around a bit or better yet, take public transportation. Plenty of menu options wether you just want a good hearty meal or want to put together a more health conscious one!
(4)Errol S.
Once again I had a delightful meal at The Cornerstone Cafe. A cozy cafe with great ownership and staff (always a friendly atmosphere. The food is always fresh and tasty. .After trying just about everything on the menu, and being more than satisfied, I said to Paul "the owner", you should have breakfast burrito's on the menu. Paul said, "we can make those --- just order what you want to fill it". Today I ordered the "veggie scrambler with bacon" inside the burrito, and I must say that it was most likely the best breakfast burrito I've ever had. I say putt'em on the menu. Two thumbs up and five stars!
(5)Abdullah A.
Lovely atmosphere. Delicious pancakes and the corned beef hash was great too. They do the hash browns separate from the corned beef which made it even better. Lots of food too. We were able to split our eggs and hash and get a couple fruit cups and call it a brunch. Highly recommend. Oh and the wait wasn't bad either. We got right in.
(5)Angelo B.
I have never really been fully disappointed with this place, meaning at one time or another the service was pretty slow or the food quality was a less than I expect it to be. That said, most times I have been happy with both service and food so I wont count those times against them. I found the food can be hit or miss depending on what you get. My sister one time got the strawberry milkshake that I tried and it was fantastic. I really enjoy the Belgium waffles which I highly recommend adding the ice cream. The omelettes didn't look appetizing when brought out to me but they did taste good. Breakfast on a croissant was good but they buttered the croissant (which they are pretty buttery themselves) which made them too greasy for me to eat with my hand so I used a fork and knife. I think small things like this (presentation of omelette and over greasy croissant) that can lower food quality, but not enough to make me turn away. I would probably give it 3.5 stars if I could but I guess Ill round up to 4 because I do like this place overall. Staff is friendly, adequately priced , and food, while generally good, could be better in quality.
(4)Joann H.
Ok I went to this little joint with my BFF. First, it is so aesthetically pleasing to the eye. yellow walls, cute booths and chairs, and the cute counter. So nice of a set up. Coffee was on point, nice and strong. Smoked Gouda omelet was tasty. Pancakes...Whoa! light fluffy and tasty as well! Service.....Meh, I 've had better. Don't get me wrong,, our waitress was nice but made me and the bff feel a bit rushed while eating our food. It was an intro , no middle "how's everthing?" which was a bit off putting when finally we get the "anything else I can get here?" and setting down our check. I asked my friend (as she had a better view of the entrance) if people were waiting in line, she said there was no one waiting to be seated. KInd of bummed me out. (sniff sniff). At any rate, overall good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get here. It's uber close to me so maybe Ill try them another time and see how their crepes taste.
(3)Michael K.
the Yelp Guidelines say 5 stars = "Whoohoo! As good as it gets!".. that's this place. As least that i've found in chicago, and it's competitive with the best i've found in other major cities. I've been here at least 10 times, and each time have had a fantastic experience. The place has a great ambiance, the food is marvelous, and the owners are fun to watch as they go about checking out (i.e. taking payments etc), and talking with customers. My 9 month old baby girl had her first pancakes here, and I honestly can't imagine a better place for it. The pancakes taste like cake. Which when you think about it makes sense. pan cake. duh. But when was the last time you had pancakes that actually made you as happy as eating cake? Go here. and if there's a line (sometimes there is), wait. Oh, their waffles and corned beef hash are also great. real fresh squeezed OJ, and thick, perfect bacon. I'll drink and eat any OJ and bacon, because there aren't any better things than those ... but this place does them both right (a rarity in chicago unfortunately).
(5)Leslie B.
Great brunch! Had wanted to try this place after finding it on Yelp and saw how everyone raves about it. The inside of the restaurant is simply decorated, we only had to wait 5 minutes at prime brunch time which was awesome. Our waitress approached us right away and we ordered coffee, which was nothing special. I went with the Gouda omelet which included bacon, tomato, avocado and (obviously) gouda. It was massive, incredibly flavorful, and full of fresh ingredients. My boyfriend got the Portobello omelet with bacon which was also tasty, but the goat cheese was pretty overpowering. We both enjoyed the hash browns that came with our meals and he also enjoyed the pancakes. Unlike many brunch places, Cornerstone actually charges a reasonable fee for such a hefty breakfast. Their omelets were between $8-10, a few dollars less than the typical omelet. Cornerstone Cafe is a no frills breakfast place that's definitely worth a try!
(4)Nichole M.
A cute little breakfast and lunch spot. I wish I had been here on a day when it was warm out so we could have sat outside, but a cool crisp morning will do. This cafe is pretty small, so you may have to wait a little bit to be seated on a busy weekend morning. The soups are very good, I had the cream of chicken and my mom had the tomato basil. Both were delicious. We had breakfast dishes as well. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the greasy eggs. The eggs had no flavor at all just dripping with butter or some sort of grease. The hashbrowns and bacon were pretty standard. My mom had the homemade corned beef hash and she liked it a lot. Other people around me had scrambles that looked really good. I may try one of those on my next trip. Nice little restaurant with good soups and decent breakfast dishes.
(4)Kim G.
Service was really good. Stopped here on our way back to the airport. I had the portbello mushroom omlette...this was so good. Came with hasbrowns, and toast or pancakes. Really really good. Looks like it was family owned.
(5)Monika N.
While visiting a friend in Chicago this weekend we were introduced to CornerStone Cafe and I may never be the same. The deceivingly small restaurant had a short wait when we arrived but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they moved people in and out pretty quickly. The service was great but the star of the show was the food. We were there for brunch and opted to share a Gouda omelet and the red velvet pancakes. Both were amazingly delicious. The omelet is especially huge and they don't skimp on filling. And the prices can't be beat.
(5)Loretta D.
Some of the best French toast I've had, and a large fluffy well-filled spinach feta omelet Got seated, served and out quickly with friendly attention A great way to start our day
(5)Gerry H.
An unassuming joint, at which I assumed we would be waiting for a long time to be seated. Well, as an idiot high school math teacher once told me; when you assume, you make an ass of you and me. I'm good at that...we were seated immediately. I liked the service. Everyone from the classy elderly hostess to the busboys (and everyone down the line) was friendly, upbeat, and pretty efficient. I've had better omelets, and better hash browns-the ones here were decent, but nothing to rave about. I ordered the smoked gouda omelet, and was hard pressed to detect any smokey or gouda-y flavor. And the hash browns were a little undercooked. But the coffee is very good, and I don't think I've had a finer piece of wheat toast-toasted to perfection with a marvelous application of sweet butter.
(3)Rhonda P.
Standard diner: Breakfast all day (check) Decent lunch options (check) Free refills (double check) I wasn't overly impressed with the hard hash browns that shredded the back of my throat. However, the pancakes were fluffy and the bf liked his mini burgers. Its right down the block from the movie theater so its a great lazy Sunday option of cheap brunch and a flick.
(3)Mironda R.
This place gives you bang for your buck with service to match despite how busy it is. You can tell they have regulars and have been around for a while by the nature of the conversations the patrons were having with the owners and staff. I was greeted by the owner and opted to sit at the "counter" since I was a party of 1. I was acknowledged immediately (yes x2!). I opted for the turkey sausage scrambler. Talk about a heap of food? While I was not thrilled with my dish, it was not bad. The pancakes were fantastic, and I can tell this place deserves a take 2 and I need to double down and find the butter, cream, and sugar in my next dish. Enjoyed the experience and look forward to going back!
(4)Jade N.
This has become our go to breakfast place. The food is great, the service is wonderful, and it just feels like a nice, family owned place. I almost didn't want to write a review to for selfish reasons to not share this place with others. But really, this place is awesome!
(5)Diana R.
Great breakfast food.
(5)Dan B.
I can't say enough they treat you like family. We've been to the cafe more than 20 Times, The food is constantly excellent.
(5)Brian R.
I finally had a chance to stop by and see what this cute little corner cafe had to offer. Boy, I was NOT disappointed. Of course, it was the weekend so it was very. But the wait for my partner and I was not very long. It is fairly small inside, but they really utilize this space for customers. The staff here is very friendly. Okay, now on to the food and such. They serve Lavazza Coffee, which is a big plus for me. I ended up order an omelet with sun dried tomatoes, basil and ricotta cheese. This was such a fantastic tasting omelet. And get this, they grow the basil on the premises! Actually you can see it as you walk in the door off to the side. The overall experience was wonderful. Even though the place was jammed back, I well so at ease and comfortable there. Will definitely be hitting this spot more often.
(4)Mahsa T.
Sunday morning brunch, off the beaten path, easy street parking, 10-minute wait for a table, excellent service. Food is solid 4-stars. I was expecting something more, something better based on all the reviews, but Cornerstone didn't make me hear a choir sing in the background. It's a diner, on the corner, family-friendly and cozy (small), that serves classic brunch. It was good but ordinary. The turkey sausage scrambler was the most delicious out of the dishes that we shared. The veggie omelette was good but needed some seasoning. The banana bread French toast (special of the day) was also good but a bit dry. Great hash browns and pancakes. The orange juice was fresh, coffee was nice and strong and the carafe on the table made for easy refills. I liked the woman manager (perhaps owner)--she ran a tight ship and made sure everything in the restaurant was running smoothly. Our waitress was wonderful. Do check out Cornerstone if you're in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't say that you should go out of your way for it.
(4)Emily P.
Great place. Southern and homey... Love the atmosphere and the unique middle of the room breakfast bar/lunch counter. The food was good and hot and coffee was delicious. The servers were all young attractive blondes, I thought this was kind of curious since there were 5 of them and they all matched this description. The grits were a nice addition to the menu. And the eggs were some of the fluffiest I've ever had.
(5)Kelsey K.
I can't believe I've never reviewed Cornerstone! How can this be?!?! It is the perfect spot if you're looking for a no-frills, good, hearty meal. They don't have any pomp nor circumstance, but what they do, they do well. We go there for brunch as we've found that to be their sweet spot, but they are open for lunch as well. The prices are very reasonable and the service is always great. Tish and her staff will see to it that the restaurant is always open, regardless of how bad the weather is, and that you enjoy your experience here. The pancakes, waffles, and benedicts are all great, so try them all. The only criticism that I have is that their crab benedicts are too dang big and their egg whites aren't great. I never thought I'd say this, but they're a little too fluffy. Maybe it's not that they're fluffy, maybe it's that they were fluffy and then coked for a little too long which made them rubbery?? Other than that, brunch here is all good!
(4)Ravi M.
Solid place, nice people, quick service. We got the strawberry crepes, the Southwestern omelette, and 2 "large" (which are really just 8 oz.) OJs. The crepes were pretty light and tasty, as the strawberry preserve was sweet and just the right touch. The Southwestern omelette featured chorizo and a mixture of veggies and was well done. It was definitely an above average omelette. The hash browns were your standard hash browns. Despite the contingent of folks waiting near the entrance and the visually long line, we were seated within 10 minutes. I could tell a lot of the people there were regulars - the owners were calling them by their first names. In short, a solid bet for Chicago breakfast/brunch/lunch. The menu is fairly exhaustive, street parking is not too bad, and its a friendly environment.
(4)Sonia Z.
Cornerstone is a great casual diner with exceptional coffee, corned beef hash and pancakes. Their omelettes are super light and fluffy too. The servers are friendly and it is nice to frequent a place where you see the owners on a regular basis.
(5)Daniel C.
Cornerstone Cafe is one of my favorite neighborhood diners. I have only ever had the breakfast items, so I'm not sure how the lunch items are. They look okay, but nothing that really made me take notice. Cornerstone does simple things really well. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, pecan waffles, omelets - everything is cooked to your specifications and doesn't take more than maybe 10 minutes to come out. Everyone is very friendly and I love the old school family atmosphere - the people who own the place are there all the time, serving food and bussing tables along with the employees. There is tons of street parking and it is super convenient if you are waiting for your car to get worked on by Joe's Expert Auto or any of the other mechanics along Elston.
(4)Melanie S.
Nice little breakfast spot. The service is unfailingly friendly, the prices are quite reasonable, and the menu has all the usual breakfast suspects, as well as a few unexpected surprises. We had the corned beef hash with poached eggs, scrambled eggs with bacon, side of pancakes, hash browns, fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee, so I'd say we had a fair representation of the menu. Eggs: both the poached and scrambled were perfectly cooked. The scrambled eggs were so light and fluffy, almost like a soufflé. Corned beef hash: it fell a little short. Instead of a more traditional hash, this was diced corned beef and onions served over hash browns. I prefer it all cooked together. Would likely skip this in the future. Bacon - standard, ho-hum bacon. Supposedly applewood smoked, but it wasn't thick-cut or anything extraordinary. Hash browns - I prefer them much crispier. Pancakes - a little tough and chewy, and tasted vaguely of malt. Coffee was nice and strong, and they kept it comin'. Orange juice was sweet and cold, no complaints there. I liked this place, love the decor and the fact that it has a dog-friendly patio, but based on the reviews, I was just expecting more. Still, it was pleasant, the food was fine and the server was fantastic, and let's face it, it beats the hell out of the Golden Nugget across the street.
(3)Karmin A.
Ordered the Smoked Gouda Omelette today. It was AMAZING! Very tasty and DEELISH! The hashbrowns were good, but im not a fan of hashbrowns period. We placed an order for pickup and food was ready in 5 minutes. I'll be back fo sho! :)
(5)Juliana R.
From reading the reviews it gets pretty crowded on weekends so we stopped in on a Thursday morning for breakfast. We sat right away, service was quick and great! I had their waffle and it was delicious! The only downfall was my bf and I ordered a side of hash browns each and they were pretty under cooked. We let our server know, she offered to take it back to have it cooked more but we were ready to leave so she actually took it off our bill. Other than that everything was great and cant wait to come back!
(4)Amber B.
While looking for a not-so-busy and on the cheaper-side Sunday brunch place today, my husband and I decided to try out Cornerstone Cafe. We'd driven past hundreds of times and it always looks busy, which we figured was a great sign. We were seated promptly, our service was quick and friendly. Unfortunately, our food left me with a meh feeling. My husband had the "homemade" corned beef hash with scrambled eggs, with a side of pancakes. The eggs were perfectly fluffy and light, as were the pancakes. However, the hash was underdone and lacking seasoning. I ordered the crab cake eggs benedict with a side of well-done hashbrowns. My crab cakes were underdone as well, and only one of my poached eggs was runny in the middle. Bummer! The hollandaise was fine, as was the spinach and the (mostly done) hash browns, but the whole meal was just OK. Overall, quick, reasonably priced and friendly. Good for parties of 4 or less. Nice patio option. Go there for an omelet or some pancakes and you'll be happy. But I think it is possible that their menu is just too large to make everything perfect. Such is the curse of the diner, I suppose. Would I go back? Not likely, there are much yummier places in Logan Square and Bucktown, but the service and staff were great.
(3)Tom D.
Been going to Cornerstone for years, can't say enough good things about it. Tish and Paul get to know and remember you, the pancakes, coffee and omelets are the best I've had in the city, and the location ain't bad either. Love this place and do my best to take people there when they just want a damn good breakfast.
(5)Jim M.
Perfect.Breakfast.Cafe. I usually don't waste my time reviewing places with more than a hundred or so reviews because an accurate composite has already been established. I'm making an exception here because Cornerstone was so damn good. It might be the perfect breakfast spot. Reasonable, cute, well kept, friendly and delicious. The six corner, asymmetrical space is clean and unique. I've always loved the six corner/ angle street buildings in this city. As I eat I enjoy being reminded that I'm not in a strip mall. The center of the cafe contains a great triangular counter with maybe twenty stools. There is also outdoor seating if you don't mind the Western Avenue bus stop. The coffee is strong, dark and well brewed. I don't take cream but I'm pretty sure the little pitcher was actually cold half and half. The omelets were large and fantastic- the portabella with pancetta, sun dried tomato and goat cheese might be the best omelet I've ever eaten. The orange marmalade didn't come out of a little plastic container with a peel away cover and I used every bit contained in the ramekin even though I didn't intend to. All this for the cost of a yellow signed, 24 hour, chain family restaurant. Man I loved this place.
(5)Tiffany T.
I was pretty satisfied when I came to cornerstone for brunch upon a close friends rave reviews of this place. Their cinnamon swirl French toast special was delicious! Love their coffee and the fact they leave a pot at the table for you to refill on your own. Freshly squeezed orange juice is always the right way to go too. I will be back for more.
(4)D M.
The best corned beef hash I've had in chicago
(5)Aimee M.
Small and cozy little cafe/diner. They really make use of their space--and it can feel claustrophobic on busy mornings. And if you're dining solo on a busy day, don't even think of sitting in a booth, they will make you move to the counter to allow for bigger parties to snag the booth. For breakfast they offer the staples--eggs, pancakes, french toast, scramblers and eggs benny. I opted for the roasted red pepper and feta eggs benedict. The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollendaise was deliciously thick and rich. There wasn't much feta, but the roasted red pepper gave a nice twist to an old stand by. The hubs got asked for the southwestern omelet to be made into a scrambler instead and they were happy to oblige. The dish was really tasty and prepared very well. Lots of chorizo, tomato and onions. The other half of our group got the corned beef hash--it was nice sized portion especially when it gets paired with a side of buttermilk pancakes. Coffee is a little weak, but piping hot. Not much in decor--kind of muted and worn. Smiley helpful service. Nice spot.
(3)Brian F.
Strangely designed place with a HUGE communal table in the middle. I guess they were trying to take advantage of the triangular shape of the building. The food and coffee were great and I look forward to having more meals here. My biggest gripe was my food has almost no seasoning. Not a big deal though.
(4)Holly O.
Thank you Yelp, for helping me make a great breakfast choice. I had a combination of friends to work into a brunch plan, so I did a map search and picked a highly rated Yelp place equidistant of all the people involved... and got Cornerstone! SUPER lovely experience. Amidst a busy Sunday morning, they seated our party of 6 people plus a baby quite quickly. I really appreciated that the owner lady was chill about a few of our guests arriving late - she was fine to seat the partial group of us. Our server Bonnie was really nice - I always ask servers a lot of questions and she handled me well :) Everyone got food they were happy with - and they let us split our checks which they certainly didn't have to do. Also, lots of times I feel sick after eating at a diner, and I didn't after eating at Cornerstone! Wonderful. Orange juice is fresh squeezed - awesome. I got an omelette with asparagus & French Gruyère cheese that was yummy, I think topped with hollandaise? Also, a side of pancakes that they let me add bananas, too - thank you! I swapped the hashbrowns for tomatoes, which also made me really happy. Great price point - great lots of things. And I owe it all to Yelp for helping me find it :)
(4)Emily D.
Tried this place because I was in the area and saw the good yelp reviews. My experience was not as impressive. Service: Very good Food: Had the omelette's with the smoked gouda...couldn't even taste or see much cheese and was disappointed because that's why I ordered it. They were also pretty chimpsy with the hashbrowns. I've been to lots of breakfast joints and was surprised by the serving of the potatoes. It wasn't alarmingly small, but I was surprised and made immediate note of it when they delivered the food. The pancakes were very good. Price: Reasonable My friend had something with crab cakes and wasn't overly impressed. It was def. not an impressive breakfast. I probably can't judge on this one experience, but I wont be checking them out again. There are much better places to go for breakfast in Chicago!
(2)Erica A.
For a brunch place, this is tops in my book. Food is great, especially the omlettes and the pancakes! Yum! I highly recommend. I did go here once for lunch and had a salad with chicken. It was awful. Stick to brunch / breakfast!
(4)Julio V.
Great breakfast food at a reasonable price. Biscuits and gravy are my guilty pleasure!
(5)Davor T.
Was walking around looking for a place to eat. I walked into this cafe and it was just great! Super nice waitress and I must say gourmet omelets were the best I had since France! I also met the owners who were surprised that I saw what they food looks like before ( they didn't know of yelp) entering the cafe. I highly recommend this place
(5)Carly O.
Good strong coffee, pleasant service, insanely fast food prep, high backed chairs for the counter...Yes. While it was packed, we were able to grab a seat at the counter and were eating within 10 minutes. This is a nice upgrade from your average Golden Nugget or IHOP. The hostess, while seeming a little stressed from the crowd, was extremely nice and thanked us sincerely for opting for the counter versus waiting for a table. If you're looking for a place to have an omelet before a trip to Target or a matinee at the Regal, definitely go to Cornerstone. Don't let the appearance of an insane wait scare you away. They'll get you in, seated, with a hot breakfast in no time.
(4)Rag C.
They have a nice seating area. Loved the waffles they made. Definitely a place to check out for brunches.
(5)Tom D.
Pleasant cafe where owners are present. Staff is attentive and friendly. I had the chicken salad sandwich, it was fresh, plentiful, and delicious. I will be back.
(5)donna g.
Love this local spot. Fresh food, friendly service, lots of Chicago friendly atmosphere. I shall return and return....,
(5)Sarah H.
Loved it! Metered parking but relatively available. The food was good..nice sized portions and really reasonably priced. Nothing fancy about the place and the wait staff is great. Free Wi-Fi!! This place is what every diner should be. Simple....delicious.....convenient. :)
(5)Anna M.
I went again just like I said I would. I had the smoked salmon omelette and my daughter had the three mini-burgers with sweet potato fries. The smoked salmon omelette was a nice change from the usual chorizo con huevos/denver omelette fair. It had scallions mixed in and was wrapped around delicious cream cheese. Pretty good although the coffee wasn't as awesome as it normally is probably because it was near to closing time. My daughter scarfed up the three mini-burgers and the sweet potato fries were a tasty and healthy alternative to the usual french fries. We will go again and I'll keep you posted.
(4)Paula L.
I've been here many times with my husband and today I'm meeting a friend here for lunch so I'm a huge fan. I'm taking 1 star away because of last week's dining experience. I don't know what was going on in the kitchen, but the owner (I'm assuming she was the owner) was yelling at the short order cook. Maybe he was new, but she found something wrong with everything he made. She threw pancakes in the garbage because "they are too big." Can pancakes be too big??? I'm all for top quality food, but do your customers have to see you treat your staff that way. The atomsphere was ruined that day.
(4)Kathleen A.
Holy hell! I used to pass this place countless times. I can't believe I slept on it so long when I lived in the Chi. After a long night of drinking nothing beats a good ol' breakfast of eggs and bacon. This place sure delivered on that along with crispy hashbrowns and a side of pancakes. The bacon was extra crispy too-just the way I like it! All this for a whopping $6.50. And the coffee is strong and amazing, too. I'll definitely keep this on the Logan Square radar.
(4)Chris H.
Great family restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Huge omelets and tasty biscuits and gravy. You really can't go wrong here.
(5)Ashley L.
Really people? Complaining about parking? About the decor? Cmon. You're in the city-- parking is bitch no matter where you are. And the decor? It's a diner! We're not at the Four Seasons. This place was awesome. We waited about 10 mins for our table & it was well worth it. Super cozy, comfortable. Food was out really fast. Can't get much better than that.
(5)Annie W.
I love this li'l place! The crepes with marscapone are so delicious - perfectly sweet and buttery. Very good service. Cute, home-y decor and very clean environment. Great use of a very small space to provide enough seating for many, but not squished or uncomfortable. Will return!
(4)Lakhi S.
Smoked Salmon with Cream cheese omelet andthe delight crepe to top it off!
(4)John M.
Great food at diner prices. This place serves all of the classics with love and quality ingredients without getting full of themselves by charging high prices. Coffee was excellent. Chicken sandwich with avocado and bacon was the best dish we had. Owner told me that the chicken was of premium quality and you could tell. Also, owner was very nice and could tell she cared. Service was prompt, but nothing special. Would definitely go back, especially before a matinee show at Regal North.
(4)Ted W.
I'm a guy that LOVES breakfast and I'm always looking for amazing bfast. Cornerstone Cafe is a very unassuming little place. From the outside and inside you wouldn't think it's anything special. But when you take a bite into the food you get why the reviews are high on Yelp. I had a vegetarian omelet with a side of pancakes. Been done at many restaurants, but most don't taste this good. I think they use real butter in all of their cooking instead of the fake stuff which might help. The pancakes were REALLY tasty and fluffy and the omelet was delicious. I went with 3 other people and they all loved their food, too. Service was solid. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. Other Tips: -We parked in the Home Goods lot a half a block away. Other than that I believe there is only street parking which is scarce. -It's small on the inside so plan accordingly.
(4)Jelena Z.
Oh my my. On a morning in which I'd rather eat my breakfast (alone) in bed, the promise of girlie gossip and hot brekkie lured me into the cold. Coffee? Gooood. My omelet? Fluffy and baked to golden perfection. Add a side of toast, hashbrowns, and pancakes and we've achieved nirvana. Service was good, especially considering she let us linger past our expiration date. And the homemade jams are a nice touch, yes. Best of all, Cornerstone Cafe is reasonable. An $8 omelet that includes pancakes? Sandwiches for $6? You know, because in this economy... I took two buses each way for Cornerstone and I would do it again. That's love, isn't it? Oh, and here we have another BYO gem. Bellinis, anyone?
(4)Karen Anne B.
A friend and I were searching for a quick bite and trying to avoid some of the nearby chain restaurants on a recent Sunday morning. We were surprised and happy to find that they had a couple open tables. I opted for something pretty basic - two scrambled eggs with hash browns and toast, and she had a panini with fries. My eggs came quick and were tasty. Sadly her ham panini tasted good but wasn't quite as heated through as it should have been. I liked the diner type atmosphere without being cheezy. I definitely want to give this place another visit, and hopefully try something a little more interesting.
(4)Brenna O.
If you're sick of the wait at other brunch places and you want simple and good food, come to Cornerstone Cafe. This place is unpretentious (almost to a fault) and if you don't mind rubbing elbows with the people next to you then you can get a great meal for an affordable price. The service is usually quick, and I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes even on the weekends. (I guess it would also depend on the time of day) Love their standard food like pancakes and scrambled eggs, and you can mix and match to get the perfect combination you want. And you don't feel like you're paying for the chef to try some experimental brunch food on you with some crazy balsamic reduction or whatever. Nothing fancy here!
(4)Stacey H.
If you are looking for a kid friendly, great breakfast experience, you have come to the right spot! Cornerstone has become like Cheers for us....we walk in and are greeted by the entire restaurant staff. (they all come over and say hello and know our names) From the toys and kids menus, to the quick turnaround on food (the food comes out in less than 5 minutes usually), this place is the perfect spot for antsy kids. Not to mention the AMAZING food! The pancakes are great, and the corned beef hash is my favorite in the city! This is our go to place for breakfast in the city!
(5)Michael D.
The Cornerstone Café is one of my favorite diners for breakfast and is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. This restaurant serves a wide variety of fare, including eggs, omelets, waffles, benedicts, crepes, salads, panini, burgers, wraps, traditional sandwiches, soups and chili. It also offers daily specials. The food is always well prepared, fresh, and delicious. The waitresses are attentive and provide excellent service. However, the highlight of this restaurant is the friendliness of the owners Trish and Paul who always seem to be on-site overseeing the operation. They are extremely personable and invariably welcome their customers like friends and neighbors, thereby creating a very inviting ambiance. You assuredly will not be disappointed.
(5)Angie M.
Good friends, good food, cozy location. What could be better? When Mandi G. told me that cops hang out here, I knew it had to be good. In my experience, cops generally know where to grab some grub. So with a raging hangover, off we went to nurse our aching heads and bellies at Cornerstone Cafe. On a Friday morning, we grabbed a table very easily, were set up with a carafe of piping hot coffee and an extensive menu of breakfast treats. I cannot resist a good omelet, so I ordered the Southwestern omelet, which was chock-full of Monteray Jack cheese, peppers, onions, tomatoes and chorizo. Add a side of hash browns and your choice of toast or pancakes (I actually got both toast and pancakes) and you have yourself a meal hearty enough to keep your belly full the rest of the day! Our server was speedy (thanks for the refills on the homemade jam and coffee!) and there were no problems using multiple credit cards to pay the check. I'm headed back, for sure! This place is a great find for classic, no nonsense, diner style brunch at really cheap prices. And even though there no cops in sight this time around, I'm still convinced their presence is a telltale sign of food Nirvana.
(4)Jen N.
This restaurant is a great choice for breakfast or lunch, quality food and much better than some of the greasy spoons around. They give you a carafe of coffee so you don't have to wait for re-fills. They offer pancakes instead of toast if you prefer. There are several really good sandwiches, and the servers and owner are all very friendly. I go here all the time and always get great, fresh food with fantastic service. Some of my and my friends favorites: Huge omlettes cooked right and not burnt, french toast, portabella mushroom sandwich, chicken and avocado sandwich, fresh corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, tuna melt, fresh squeezed orange juice, and salads. They also have some sweets.
(5)Bert K.
The Food is good! The waitress meh! But the lady who owns and operated the front desk is so nice!!!!! worth going just for her!
(5)Andy M.
The Cornerstone Cafe is a wonderful little diner on the Northwest side. My Chorizo Omelet was wonderful. Not only are the servers easy on the eyes, but they did a great job with our orders and making sure we had enough Java. It looked like the place was packed with locals which is always a good sign. If I'm ever in the area, I will be sure to stop in again.
(4)Katarina X.
I wanted waffles, boyfriend wanted bacon, the Baby Beagle wanted attention... And it was gloriously sunny. The outdoor tables allowed Baby Beagle to be the official greeter/vacuum/mascot right under the table right at the entrance gate! He ignored his water in favor of making sure the ground stayed spotless. The servers started offering to buy him from us... no sale... if not for that side order of bacon, Baby Beagle might have moved himself into the kitchen, Health Department be d@mned! The friendliness and genuine warmth added to the feel of home. Service is glowingly personable and I felt so comfortable. My boyfriend enjoyed his savory breakfast, I loved my sweet and creamy banana chocolate-chip waffle. Coffee is fantastic, they are not at all stingy with the creamer and they all work as a team to make sure you never have even a half-full cup dwindling cool. This will become a fast summer favorite as it is affordable, outside, a comfortable stroll from my front door (giving Boyfriend and I another reason to order pancakes next time with more bacon- ha!)
(4)Jenna S.
When Orbit Room didn't open until 11 on Sunday, we decided to try this little spot at Western and Diversey. I am pretty satisfied with the experience that we had at Cornerstone. The restaurant is a small, cozy little space with a nice 'bar' island thingy in the middle. The service was friendly and prompt - our server was super nice and she was very attentive. We didn't have to wait to get a seat at the counter, and I think I preferred sitting there because it added to our 'diner' experience. The food was pretty good. I just got eggs over easy with bacon, hash browns and toast. The eggs were a bit overdone but tasted yummy. The bacon could have been a bit crisper but meh, no big deal. All in all, I thought it was just like any other breakfast place I've ever been. The quality of the food was high and it was tasty. Nothing overly exceptional, just good food. I think I need to go back and try something different. Their specialty seems to be the Corned Beef Hash. My boyfriend's step-dad said it was really good - he actually said it rivaled his favorite Corned Beef Hash that he gets at a breakfast place in Michigan. That must be pretty good. Parking was easy on Sunday morning, but there is no lot and just a few street spots. I'd say parking might be uber difficult on a normal day because Western and Diversey is a really busy intersection.
(3)Matt M.
True to my word, I returned with the little lady. This place again - did not disappoint.
(5)Aesha W.
Yummy! Birthday breakfast, and I've heard good things about Cornerstone, so we headed out around noon. (LATE birthday breakfast.) I was thinking it might be a while since the place is so tiny, but we were seated within ten minutes. They earned a point right off the bat because they have a bacon omelet; I'm used to having to keep my fingers crossed a place will substitute bacon in a denver omelet. The omelet was great, as was the orange juice. I have never known anyone to have a particular way they like their bread buttered, but now I know that I do... and he was pretty cheery about the fact that they did it right. Who'd have thought? When we were leaving, an older man sitting at the counter mouthed me a thank you. I thought that was pretty nice. I may have to drag my ass out of bed early to stop in here before work sometime, but I know I'll be back.
(5)Jean C.
This place rules. This no frills cafe has good food at reasonable prices. We have been here a couple times and have gotten extremely good service. This past time I ordered the eggs Benedict and it was good. The hollandaise sauce could have been a tad richer but overall a very solid benny. One great thing about this place is with your eggs or omelet you can order French toast as your toast. Greatest idea ever?! I think so! It seems that an older couple runs the show. They are very friendly and greet loyal customers at the table by name. There is something to be said about going to a restaurant and having that welcoming feeling. It doesn't seem like you are at a restaurant but more like their home. I am such a huge fan of this place that I wouldn't mind coming every weekend for breakfast. The servers are friendly and the food is just too good to pass up!
(4)Rachel L.
This is a solid little diner with lots of brunch options. A handful of tables outside when the weather is nice, and plenty of tables, booths, and counter space inside. It can get pretty crowded on the weekends but I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so. They serve pretty typical diner menu with a few interesting additions, and a few daily specials. Food is well prepared and portions are generous. Also, they leave an insulated carafe of coffee at your table so you never have to worry about your cup being empty. Prices are reasonable in comparison to other brunch options in the area, but probably a bit more than your typical diner.
(4)Carolynne M.
Andy and I managed to have dual car problems that needed to be addressed immediately Saturday morning. While we waited we decided to have breakfast. Cornerstone was right there and the obvious choice. I ordered a veggie burger which was gigantic and came with a massive amount of sweet potato fries. The burger was fresh and filling, but slightly bland. I wasted most of the fries because of the size of the burger. The coffee was great though, and I appreciated the pot they left you so you didnt have to wait for the server to refill the cup. I would go back if I was in the area, probably not to make a special trip.
(3)Armando R.
My complaint is not about the food, it's actually pretty good, but about the service. I work in the area, so I've been coming here for a little over three years now. I've even taken my family here even though it is out of the way. I hadn't eaten lunch here in awhile, so I decided to revisit it today. I go online to check out the menu an order to panini which is quoted on their website for $7.50. I call into order and the quoto me $8.75. Without realizing the price discrepency, I hang up the phone and start walking over. Halfway there I realize that the tax on that sandwhich was pretty hefty. When I get there, I ask the owner (who is always up front) why there was a price difference from online to what they are charging me. She states that the site is old and that the person in charge is no longer employeed by them. Not only that, but supposedly they don't even have access to the website. She then tells me that she'll charge me the price that was quoted online. Cool. Right? I then proceed to tell her that I was quoted $8.75 over the phone and thought that was odd. What she said next made me not want to ever come here again. Owner: "Oh, you were quoted $8.75 over the phone?" Me: "Yeah, I thought it was kind of odd." Ownere: "Well I don't think I shoud give you the cheaper price if that's what you were quoted. Why didn't you say something then?" I was left speechless. All she saw was my disgusted face and crooked eye. I was about to walk out when she defeatedly said (with attitude), "I'll charge you the $7.50. It's only $0.45"...as in...why the hell are you complaining?" It's the principle. Take control of/update your website and you won't have this issue.
(1)Mark W.
Came with a few friends for a nice Saturday brunch. Cornerstone felt like a trendy little diner with a very clean and comfortable vibe. We didn't wait for a table, but it was quite busy. I'm a big fan of biscuts and gravy, and luckily for me this was a new item on their menu. It was everything i expected it to be. Nothing to write home about, but still very good and filling. I also enjoyed some sausage links. Everything about this place seems great. If you are looking for a diner int he area and dont want a dirty rat infested outdated diner, then this is your place. You will pay a bit of a premium for it though. Two orders of biscuts and gravy, one grilled cheese with cottage cheese, two (count 'em two sausage links), an order of hashbrowns and three cups of coffee: $33. I was a bit shocked it was this much. I couldnt complain though, as we ordered without inquiring about the prices. I'd go back. Oh, our waterboy couldnt have been older than maybe 13. lol. Im gonna go ahead and assume this is a family owned establishment, which is another plus for me.
(4)Andrea C.
my boyfriend and i found this place when we realized we were ravenous on a shopping binge on clybourn...that was about 2 years ago...before panera, before the chipotle... and we've been back many times since. cornerstone cafe is a delicious, cozy, well priced breakfast treat in logan square. when we found it, we thought we had found a hidden gem, but due to the massive amount of yelp reviews, i think it's probably to the contrary. regardless, if you want some great breakfast fare and happen to be in logan square, cornerstone cafe is a fabulous choice!
(4)Vincent T.
A charming, small-town cafe in the middle of one of the more stark and urban six-corner intersections in Chicago, Cornerstone is easily missed or intentionally avoided (it appears to be a logistic nightmare to contemplate parking anywhere near the place). Parking isn't actually all that difficult - at least I've not had a problem in any of the dozen times I've gone there. The food is excellent - notably the eggs benedicts and pancakes - and the services is well above average. The managers/owners (?) who man the cash register are attentive and caring - they REALLY want to know if you found your meal satisfactory. Situated as it is between a gas station, a gyros hut, a CVS, a hapkido school and a Golden Whatsitz, Cornerstone may not score points on location, but it's well worth a visit. Note: on heavy brunch days, expect a wait. In my experience (with a party of 2), I never waited longer than 20 minutes.
(4)Carol J.
As someone who doesn't really love brekkie, this place has won me over. I have a friend who swears by this place and has graciously shown me the light in regards to the importance of breakfast. The place is in a random location, with lots and lots of street parking, a tiny little outdoor cafe (seats a dozen, maybe) and a warm and friendly casual place with a big triangular counter. Service is really sweet and the server actually remembered what kind of soup I loved from my last visit. For real, Puts those broads at the Pancake House (where I've gone for 20 years and order the same thing everytime) to shame! Panini are fantastic, fries are good, breakfast sausage is some of the best I've ever had, has browns are crispy shreds cooked to perfection. Not a fan of eggs in any shape or form but the silver dollar pancakes are actually made from crack. Delish. The friendly vibe of the independent ownership really makes this place special.
(4)Gloria E.
I would have given this place 5 stars, but the waitress was super rude. she is a short Caucasian with short blonde hair. I wish I would had asked her name so I.could speak to the owners. She never brought menus and we had to get her to take our order. When we flagged her down she said "what happen"? WTF?? Seriously. She rudely took our order. She slammed our drinks and straws. Everyone that came in atleast 10 minutes after us got there orders first. She never asked if we wanted anything and just brought our check. She rolled her eyes at her whole surrounding. I really felt like telling her off. The owners should really get rid of this lady. Now...the older lady at the cashier was super nice. The older man standing by the kitchen smiled at everyone. The hispanic bus boy was very nice and made sure our cup was always filled with water. He is actually the one who gave us the menu. The other 2 waitress seemed very sweet and actually helped us by bringing things we asked for. One asked if we wanted a refill twice even though it wasnt her table. The food was 5 stars. We had cinnamon french toast (out of this world). We also had coffee and it was very hot and good. The red velvet pancake were devine. The steak and eggs was very good and the panckakes were nice and fluffy. Hash browns were good as well. Absolutely no complaints about the food. I would come again beause of the delicious food but I think this specific waitress couldnt handle a super busy New Years Day rush and she should find another job.
(4)Dana A.
This place has so many options for breakfast and lunch! How can you go wrong. Two things I love wraps and a good honey mustard. I had the California wrap with no bacon and instead of mayo, which I'm not the biggest fan of. I asked for honey mustard on the side. Holy Yum! The honey mustard was soo amazingness! The wrap was perfect lunch for that day and the rest for lunch the next day! You get options for sides I had the fruit, though I wouldn't be surprised if the sweet potato fries were yummy! For sure going back, right near xsport so great after workout food! My boyfriend had the chicken salad sandwich which he loved! The waitress was really attentive and the owner was super sweet! We will for sure be back!
(5)Andrew F.
Stopped in for breakfast on Sunday morning. Service was great and the food was decent. They have a very unique menu that has a lot of options that your normal breakfast place would not. The panakes are also awesome. One star gets knocked off though becuase my hashbrowns were still cold when the food came.
(4)Amy C.
This was a darling little place. Their kids' menu was small but they offered my son a really cool and unique toy to take home. It was really cute and much more engaging than the regular crayons, which they also offered. My son's pancakes were absolutely gorgeous and he ate everything! The adult menu was really unique. You get a ton of food for an amazing price and to top it off? They really do have great coffee. A very enjoyable place for both adults and kids.
(4)Jackie C.
Solid diner with an especially great crab cake benedict. Always easy to get a table for two and they've got a nice little outdoor patio when it's warm. Ample street parking on Elston if you're driving. I've had small issues with inconsistency, like my hashbrowns being undercooked, but they've happily fixed any problems quickly. This is a great place for an easy, casual, inexpensive brunch, and would be especially good to hit up before heading to a movie at the Regal off Western.
(4)David R.
Thank you to Albert L for recommending the corned beef hash. Delicious. This place had no line at 10:30 on a beautiful Sunday morning. Inside has cute decor and diner furniture. We sat outside at a nice shaded table, the only drawback of which was the noise from the Diversey/Elston/Western intersection. The service was fine and prices seemed very reasonable: the corned beef has was only $7.95. My breakfast companions both liked their dishes (apple cinnamon crepes and some sort of breakfast burrito). The OJ was really sweet for some reason. I liked their maple syrup too.
(4)tintin x.
This is a great breakfast restaurant, the food is excellent, the service is too, and the owners are there and very attentive. A friend took me there, then I took my family, and now we consider it a best choice for breakfast out, even though it's a good 20 min drive. Seriously, even the coffee is better than other places. Reasonably priced and worth it. As others have said, it's full of regulars and that's nice too.
(5)Joe M.
Breakfast is the eternal return of the everyday. It must be both familiar and eccentric, both broad and precise. It would be mathematically possible to eat a different breakfast every morning of your life, simply by changing the elemental combinations - egg, grain, fruits, juice, meat - or by running through the permutations through the various styles - sunny-side up, runny, burnt, crispy, smothered, covered, buttered, dry, with syrup, without, with cheese, scratch that cheese. But it must be acknowledged that breakfast is a devotional act, built both on the bedrock of routine - yes, you like two eggs over-easy, rye toast, Canadian bacon, hash browns extra crisp - and the expectation of surprise - sure, you'll try the world-famous red-eye gravy with that. Breakfast comes in two larger forms. The breakfast you make at home, with care but not fuss, and the breakfast you eat out, having made breakfast a destination to the beginning of your day (and on those particularly late nights, an end). At the Cornerstone Cafe, that's exactly what you get. A meal as simple as pancakes and scrambled eggs prepared in a manner worthy of the highest praise. Even the French toast holds a certain class and understated elegance that makes you appreciate that quality, precision and skill can indeed go into a meal that could be prepared yourself in just a few minutes. Furnished in a simplistic, homey manner that is reminiscent of an idealized diner you've never actually been to - while you wouldn't expect anything else in a place so ripe with such a cozy and pleasant ambiance, it goes without saying that the waitresses are sweet as pie. While you're at it, try the pie. It's as sweet as them. This is a good place to go if... you are looking for a breakfast that is more than a simple comfort ritual but also a culinary invitation to a new day.
(5)Andrea R.
After picking up Kevin N, of Austin Yelp fame, from the airport I was looking for a good lunch spot just right off the highway and Colleen C suggested Cornerstone Cafe. And as always, she led us in the right direction! Yum, yum, yummmmmmm..... Their tuna melt was calling my name, but when I asked my waitress if there was a lot of mayo in their tuna (mayo and I are NOT friends) she hesitated. I took this as a bad sign and ordered their veggie omelet instead. The very fluffy omelet was bigger than my head and even I (aka: Miss Piggy) couldn't eat it all. It also came with hashbrowns, 2 slices of toast, and a tiny little muffin...basically enough food to feed a family of 4! And it was all delicious and cheap! They also have my 2 favorite things: free wifi and sweet potato fries. I didn't try either of them during this visit, but I'll be back with my computer and ready for some sweet potato goodness!
(4)Zerlina S.
We Like this place.
(4)Travis W.
Great little find and this place is incredibly reliable as everything is good. All the standard breakfast items are high quality. Try the homemade banana nut bread French toast if they have it - rich but delicious!
(4)Diana L.
Very cute small place for breakfast/lunch. Had brunch here and it was very good. Portions were large and prices are very reasonable. Lunch looked good as well - will need to try that next time. I will definitely be back!
(4)Donald M.
I'm from CA and there's this one place out there that has the best corned beef hash. So on my last day of my trip, I wanted to maximize my time in Chicago and decided to start my day here after seeing the 4 1/2 stars on Yelp and the number of people raving about the corned beef hash. I was actually in the area a couple of days before getting a hot towel shave at Pete's Barbershop just down the block on Diversey and so when i got back i was pleasantly surprise that i was literally just there a couple days ago. but enough of my travels lets get to the food!!! The Corned-Beef Hash was one of the most popular things mentioned on Yelp so i decided to order that along with a cup of coffee. The hash doesn't come close to my favorite corned-beef hash out in CA, but I did enjoy it. The first thing that caught my eye was that instead of using mashed fried potatoes they used stringed hashed browns (interesting, but not a big fan) and basically mixed it with corned beef. I don't think they let it sit on the griddle by it self as there was no crust on the bottom and all the corned beef and potatoes never really crusted together. The over easy fried egg was okay, but probably came out closer to over medium than over easy. i do love the fact that you get good chunks of corned beef so you know you're eating the real thing. The watermelon and tiny little cranberry muffin was a nice touch. And i most definitely approve any place that allows you to choose pancakes over toast. Although i must say, the pancakes was bit light for me. It didn't have the nice medium brown color, but nonetheless the syrup slid right off the top of the pancake and to the side of the plate as any good pancake should do. The service was friendly, the waitress checked in with me pretty regular and since she gave me a whole pitcher of coffee i didn't really need a whole lot after the food came out. It was an enjoyable start to my last day in Chicago and if i'm ever getting a shave at Pete's Barbershop again, i will most def make a stop at Cornerstone Cafe before walking over to Pete's.
(4)P W.
Five stars because it's a charming "Mom and Pop" place with very good food and even better espresso drinks. The place is a warm and comfortable family owned business where the owners know the names of many of the customers.
(5)Jerry B.
Nice clean neighborhood un-hipster diner. Like the middle counter. Had Belgian Waffle with lots of big strawberries and Sweet Basil omelette. Both were very good. Side pancakes a little doughy. Good coffee. Fast, friendly service. Easy metered street parking. Would go back.
(4)Paul A.
Came to this place because I was dragged, kicking and screaming :) To be honest, these cafe places really are not my style. I'm sure those that have gone to this cafe love it, or those that know of it probably appreciate it - but it was smaller than I thought it would be. As for the food, it's your typical cafe style food. They specialize in breakfast and early lunch as they end up closing midday. It's family-run from what I understand, so that is cool!
(3)Kimberly P.
We eat here a few times a month and absolutely love it! The service is fast and the food is excellent. It doesn't get any better than that. The owners are so nice and welcoming and the decor is charming. One of the best breakfasts in Chicago!!
(5)Steven J.
My freaking bananas! My friend and I came here (for the first time 'cause I wanted something different) instead of IHOP, like everyone else who thinks of going to IHOP should. What made this brunch amazeballs: Florentine Crab Eggs Benedict. One bite of that and I put a bite in my friends mouth and she gushed over it too. You have to eat this dish with all the layers, so cut neatly. It's a toasted English muffin, sauteed spinach, perfect crab cake, and yolk-ooozing poached egg topped with literally the perfect amount of hollandaise sauce, just enough to taste in every bite . I did not leave a trace of any benedict. This was served with a side of has browns, not crispy enough and bland (season it yourself) and this MINIature cherry muffin, which I didn't understand because it wasn't on the menu...I thought it was supposed to be a palate cleanser but w.e, random. Walker Bros.' crab cake benedict's got nothin on Cornerstone. There was no skimping on quality or quantity with the crab cake. Also ordered the Pure Belgian Waffle. Crispy (the crispiest waffle I ever had, yet it was still golden brown) on the out, fluffy and chewy on the in! Slather some whipped butter on it, fill each square with maple syrup, and eat the whole thing. My friend got the bananas and chocolate chip waffle with a scoop of Oberweis vanilla ice cream (that didn't melt quickly) Our dishes were beautifully plated and it looked even better sitting outside on their street patio, which is so French and summer. 1 complaint(s): Waitress didn't offer us to sit outside. The inside looks like a lodge (ew). I had to ask if she didn't mind which she probably did 'cause maybe they don't want to work harder to go in and out. Annoyed the hell out of me. OFFER OUTSIDE SEATING IF IT'S NICE OUTSIDE AND YOU GOT OUTSIDE SEATING! Then when she refilled my water for the second time it tasted like a dishwasher. There was no ice in it either. Give this joint a go if you're bored of IHOP and Golden Nugget, and whatever "bleh" breakfast place you've been going to.
(5)June K.
Amazing food. Everything I have gotten there has been great. The staff is awesome, friendly and cheerful. It is usually pretty busy, but I have never waited more than five minutes. And it is worth the wait!
(5)Michael H.
I'm up in Northern Wisconsin alot and they REALLY know how to cook a mean breakfast up there... I've tried ALL these breakfast joints from The Hipster $13 egg concoctions to the Dumpy Diners. Finally I found a Great Breakfast Joint and it's close to home!! Start out, COFFFFFFEEE! Best damn coffee in town, they give you some baked goods to get the ball rolling. Great Pancakes, Omelettes, Hash Browns!! Everything is done right here! I think its an older couple from the east coast that owns it and they do it right!! Smaller place, gets PACKED on the weekends!! NO KIDS ALLOWED!!
(4)Wendy G.
Yum! Had lunch here while waiting for my car to have work done (down the block). Sat outside on the lovely patio and had a great lunch. I ordered a panini and my friend had a burger. We were both happy with our food - especially the sweet potato fries. The reasons it's not 5-star: coffee was only so-so, and our server sort of forgot about us..
(4)Amanda Z.
Let's get out the ol' brunch checklist, shall we? --Coffee. CHECK. Carafe on the table and real cream. Perfect. I never went thirsty. --Good eggy options. CHECK. My veggie omelet was enormous and veggie-riffic (feta cheese as an option always makes me smile.) --Price. CHECK. I was able to feed my bottomless pit little sis for $5 (Two eggs, hash browns and a short stack. Awesome.) --Service. CHECK. We got our food ridiculously fast, and our server was just sweet as pie. --Carbs on the side. CHECK. English muffins in the house, yo. And they asked me if I wanted butter on my muffin. Oh, and jam? They put that on the side in cute little bowls. Adorable. (Doesn't take much more than a little feta and a cute presentation to make me happy, clearly.) All in all, just what I need to kick-start my day. Amanda C. brunch-approved.
(5)Rafael C.
A few Yelpers mentioned good times here at CC and with good reasons. I think I made about 4 or 5 visits because I'm hooked on about everything I get from here. Their coffee tastes good and they leave the carafe on the table. I wished more places do this but I do appreciate this place for leaving me a pot to use at my leisure. The egg dishes I had here were all good. I like that they are not stingy with the eggs and they had a good taste to them. Most of the egg dishes come with pancakes but you can sub in French toast too if you ask. As for sweets, their pancakes are really good but I like their French toast the most. Originally, I had issues with the portion size of their French toast but I found a fix for that. I simply ask to upgrade to an additional piece and they just charge a little extra for it. Keep in mind their prices are really inexpensive so there are many ways to get an affordable meal here. The service has always been great on all my visits. The staff is always nice and they make sure you are taken care of.
(5)Sarah L.
I drive past this cute little diner when I make a trip over to Logan Square a few times a month. I finally stopped on this past weekend for lunch. The Cornerstone Café was bustling on a beautiful afternoon! We scored one of the last tables in the restaurant. The people sitting around us were having brunch. Their scrambles and pancakes look amazing, I will be back to sample some breakfast fare! I had the Southwest wrap with fruit. Cornerstone has sweet potato fries! It was hard to pass those up but I had to be good. You can sub fries for cottage cheese or fruit. The fruit cup is $1 extra but it's worth it! You get pineapple, blackberries, strawberries, red grapes and cantaloupe. My wrap was very good! It was on a spinach tortilla stuffed with chicken, bacon, avocado, shredded cheese, salsa, and lettuce. They give you extra salsa for dipping. My husband had the Cobb Panini and he really enjoyed his. His sandwich was over stuffed with blue cheese. The service at Cornerstone is fast and friendly. Their prices are very reasonable and you get a decent amount of food. I can't wait to go back to try their breakfast next time!
(4)Andre W.
This could be one of the best french toast ventures I have ever made and for only $6. The OJ is really sweet and the service is great! I recommend the Denver Omelet as well which comes with a side of pancakes. Love Cornerstone!!!!
(5)Noah B.
Thank you Cornerstone. My girlfriend's dad hates everything I've ever fed him. He's like a fickle baby, but not at Cornerstone. When he tasted the coffee and pancackes, his ears and moustache perked up like kitten. It was amazing. Finally he has enjoyed something in Chicago. I love you Cornerstone. Also, I feel like this place doesn't get the credit it deserves. Many yelpers will not give a five star rating to a breakfast place if it doesn't serve something with "braised" or "reduction" in the menu description. Everything on their menu is done extremely well. I'm never disappointed by anything the've ever laid in front of me. They deserve the highest rating for being the best "simple" breakfast place in Chicago.
(5)Ryan W.
I had a friend that was visiting near here and based on the reviews I thought it would be a great place to take him. The place is way smaller than I expected, but they make efficient use of the space they have available. Don't be surprised if you're sitting very close to another table though. The food is excellent though, and my omelette was cooked to perfection. It also came with pancakes and hash browns which made it a pretty heavy meal if you attempt to eat it all. My wife also got the sweet potato fries with her meal and thought they were amazing.
(5)Lindsay R.
pretty great food; huge portions and good prices; nice atmosphere; friendly staff; quick and tasty... about as good as it gets, folks
(5)Robert S.
What a wonderful find for this area which seems to only get better. This is a great little diner serving breakfast and lunch. Fabulous, inexpensive food served by a family who honestly cares about cleanliness and convenience.
(4)Mandi G.
Dog friendly outside. Fluffiest pancakes EVER! Go brunch your heart out.
(5)Temi C.
Thanks to Anne Marie J., I've found my new favorite brunch spot. This place makes me never want to go anywhere else (besides Tweet). I had the killer corned beef hash skillet with pancakes. They top crispy hashbrowns with tiny shreds of corned beef. Very tasty. The pancakes were a little reminiscent of McDonald's, but nevertheless good. A bunch of people around us ordered omelettes that looked phenomenol. We also ordered the chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries. The salad was sooo good! It was made with chunks of all white meat, celery, cranberries, and pecans. The sweet potato fries were super crispy. Cornerstone is a no-nonsense value for your money kind of place. The bill for the corned beef hash skillet, chicken salad sandwich, and soup was $23. Me likey.
(5)Tina B.
I needed to have a very quick early breakfast and they did exactly that. I actually didn't even care that much about eating, but the cheese eggs...oh man, those cheesy scrambled eggs....mmmmm.....I think the key is that they use more cheese than egg - which is great. And the prices weren't horrible.
(4)Meghan O.
If you've never been here before, I don't wanna hear the lame excuse as to why not. I am a bfast fan, I dabble in coffee (read: coffee is my mood, cream is my charm). From the wait staff to the slice of orange atop my hash, from the fresh flowers to the actual* mom and pop (I'm assuming this one). This place is good eats. They def don't skimp on ingredients (quality/quantity) and seem to do one helluva business and there's very good reason. If there is a wait, no need to worry they will sit you quick and it seems even the customers are considerate of others waiting-wishing to dine... Catch a movie, get some lunch, you won't leave disappointed.
(5)Anne Marie J.
They charred the patty melt (we didn't ask for that!) so the burger tasted burnt. My silver dollar pancakes were a perfect shape and served with delicious syrup but there was something missing about it - was the batter off? We're def going to keep coming back b/c we've had such great experiences here. Maybe it's b/c we got our food to go and we normally eat at the restaurant???
(3)Sam R.
Been going here for some years now for breakfast...even ran into some relatives there this morning. Anyhow, today I ate with my two boys...food was good as usual (really good breakfast by the way). The register lady (I believe is perhaps the owner as she has been there for years) is typically not very friendly...and today she tipped the hat. After paying for our meal, I asked the waitress for a refill on one of my sons drinks (he ate one of the kids meals). The waitress brought me back a refill with a new bill for that drink ($1.50 or so). I never noticed that they weren't free refills before. Upon going to register handing over check and a $10 bill, I asked "I thought drinks came with refills don't they?" She asked what was the drink as she took my check and money. I said it was a kids meal apple juice. She stopped, looked up at me direct, and said in a very excited rude manner "where in the world do they give free refills anymore, ok maybe some places give you a coke refill but." To which I said "ok, ok, just asking a question." She replied "sorry, but no one gives refills now a days." So that's it for me, will never go back...good food, but done with her, and she is always there everyday. I wasn't expecting a freebee as I had already handed her the money...was just asking a simple question. Again food is good, and waitresses are nice, and I still left ours a good tip today ($5 on a $24 bill)...but there are plenty other places just as good and/or better. If she is in fact the owner, I would suggest hiring a friendly manager and staying home...if she is hired help, I wish the owner good luck. I'll come back when she is gone....
(1)James V.
This is probably the best spot in the area for an awesome breakfast for just a few bucks. And I dare you to eat all of it! Everything comes with the works. The staff is really nice, and surprisingly fast for as packed as it gets in there. You'll definitely find me here a few mornings a month.
(4)Smart C.
Rock solid! Cornerstone Cafe is consistently a really good breakfast place. Eggs, crepes, ham, hash browns the way I like them; cooked, crispy, and not greasy. Very good coffee, too. It's a never-miss kind of place, food is always prepped and served fast, and it's always hot and tasty. No disappointments, always hits the spot.
(4)Caitlin G.
Stuck on an island in the midst of the choppy traffic of Diversey, Western and Elston, the Cornerstone Cafe appears a bit like a mirage. Perhaps you're in a Sunday morning haze, or you've been jilted by long waits at other breakfast joints. Either way, you're here at the Cornerstone, and good news: You're in good hands. The service here is fantastic--sweet waitresses and fantastic owners who swing by to make sure all is well. And while the food isn't as cheap as the diner atmosphere might suggest, it's delicious. I'm particularly crazy over the southwestern omelet and chocolate chip pancakes. The boyfriend prefers the spinach and feta omelet and Greek salad. The seating can be a bit tight, so just be prepared that your meal may be affected by your nearby dining companions. But hey, what can you do? i like to pretend it's Europe, and I'm simply so chic for sitting so near the crazy older couple talking about soup. Ooh la la! Make it a point to come here and check it out--even on a morning when you have been jilted by other local restaurants. You'll be happy you did!
(5)Jessie B.
I love this place. I started going here with a girlfriend of mine in the last couple of weeks. We tired of the same ol' same ol'. So we stepped up our game & wanted to check out Cornerstone Cafe! I'm glad we did. Because the food here is great. I'm a bit of a breakfast snob. Eggs should not be runny. Corned beef hash should be fresh. Toast cannot be stale. You get the picture. This place blows my mind. No really. Their corned beef hash is made with REAL corned beef. Do you know how rare that is? Also the biscuits & gravy make me want to drool. However--get the half order. The whole order will make your friend have to help you roll out of the place. Great service & great food. What a combo.
(4)Kathleen C.
Cornerstone Cafe is still good although has worn off some since my first few visits. I still think it is the cutest and cleanest diner and anyone would be lucky to eat here compared to a Golden Something,
(3)Casey S.
I really really like this place. Service is great - I'm always greeted right after I sit down and the food comes out super duper fast. We usually come for breakfast and it's always been great. I usually get one of their huge omelettes - very tasty and I love the multigrain Alpha bread they use for their toast. Recently we came for lunch - I had the Grilled Cobb Panini and the BF got the Roast Beef ciabatta. My panini was really great and the sweet potato fries that came with were awesome - really crispy and perfectly salted. I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for something tasty, simple and fast.
(4)Marco C.
It's was delicious! I have never before had a more fluffy, more succulent pancake! Can pancakes even be succulent??? The Cajun Scrambler was to die for! Very pleasant cafe and staff.
(5)joe f.
Went there for breakfast it was small crowded and noisy no parking! Had to walk over to the place, There was no sign saying to wait to be seated so me and my wife saw a booth and were about to get served coffee when a woman I assume is the owner said( I'm sorry but that booth is reserved ). Well instead of arguing about the fact that there is no sign and nobody at the door I took the high road and me and my wife got up. She kept saying sorry like it was her catch phrase .well 5 minutes later we get a table . mind you this place is a hole in the wall diner.10 minutes later the waitress brings coffee takes the order 10 minutes later she comes back to ask me what I ordered cause she can't read her own writing.so now we are 25 minutes into breakfast and all we have is coffee .30 minutes later are order arrives. I ordered the portabello omelet it was good and the hash browns but my bacon was cold and while eating my eggs my toast showed up 5 minutes later.my wife ordered the corn beef hash she said it was ok her side order of pancakes were cold. And while there I kept hearing that older woman apologizing to people mmm here is my advice post a sign so people wait to be seated!! Let the busboy offer coffee when he brings the water!! get someone to expedite the orders a middle man between the cooks and wait staff to keep things going smoothly and well help with quality standards hot food is supposed to be HOT!! PEOPLE!! And if it were me and I had you get up like that I would at least comp that coffee off the bill show me you are really sorry with action not words.this place has the potential of being a great place but they really need to do better in the front and back of the house.I worked in the best restaurants in Chicago so I know my way around kitchen and dining area and can see what this place need. I won't be going back but I hope they read this and make some changes it will make there ok place into a great place.
(1)Hanna A.
4 on Food, but 3.5 of mixup of food. Cute place, very old school- not a fancy decor so if trying to impress a new hot date on your morning after, I wouldn't necessarily recommned this place. Very kid friendly. My boyfriend and I got the Southwestern omelettes which I would say was quite delicious, however he ordered his with egg whites- they messed it up(we heard the waitress to the kitchen) I felt bad for her because it wasn't her fault. The service is EXCELLENT. Really our waitress was awesome and very apologetic that they had to re-make omelette, hence wait. These omelettes are huge, so if you don't have a ginormous appetite, split it! Really I could only eat half...okay more 3/4ths... I also really like that they give you your own coffee pot- all places should do this. I would go again but not be running out the door to do so...
(4)Shayna N.
Sunday morning at 11:30am there was no wait for three and even a few extra booths open. I'm not sure if it's just the randomness of the area or the fact that it was easter Sunday, but i'm not complaining. I had the Breakfast (eggs, bacon and cheese) on a Croissant Sandwich for $6.95. It came with a side of hash browns and and was delicious. My boyfriend had the waffle with strawberry (yum!) and my other friend had a veggie omlete which also looked delicious (but i didn't try). Service was prompt and attentive. They don't have any booze here, but still nauseous from the night before, i wasn't looking for any more to drink. Great value and good food and no wait is enough to make this breakfast spot a staple.
(4)Ji K.
My friend and I "settled" on Cornerstone last Sunday because the two other breakfast spots we wanted to eat at were too crowded and we were in a bit of a hurry. Thank goodness for those circumstances because even though you think you're settling, you eventually realize that you're way better off. We adored Cornerstone. Everything about it was perfect-- from the cozy (and authentic!) neighborhood feel to the wonderful service to the delicious corned beef hash, the delicious eggs benedict, the delicious cinnamon raisin french toast (ahh!), the delicious jams, and the delicious coffee. Do you get the hint? There was nothing bougie about this place. It is pure comfort and great food. I think we've found our favorite breakfast spot. I'm just hoping you all won't believe me so the word won't get out . . .
(5)Bob C.
went there with my son last Sunday afternoon, had the blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon. Better than most breakfast places in the suburbs. Coffee was great and service friendly. Prices reasonable. Will return.
(4)M A.
I'm actually sad I moved out of the neighborhood, because I loved Cornerstone. Fluffy eggs, french toast, and some really great eggs benedict, plus free wifi? Sold. I used to go all the time and the service was always great. From the outside it looks like your basic brunch diner, but it's got a little more class than your average greasy spoon and charm to spare. And it's fairly cheap! My only gripe is that it closes so early! I could eat breakfast all day. I love a place I can get a good meal and hang out for a while with a coffee, and the hours definitely had me going for the more bar-type places when I didn't get my day started early enough.
(4)Joyee L.
Yet again, I am forced to post a negative review, against what seems to be an extremely positive customer base. I didn't find anything inspiring about this place really. The orange juice was fine. I ordered the vegetarian omelet, and it tasted bland and was kind of runny. My boyfriend ordered bacon and eggs. He wasn't that impressed with his food either. For the price we paid, we could have just gone to IHOP and gotten the same food for cheaper.
(2)Alayna H.
I live right down the street from this place and always thought it was just a coffee shop. So one day I ate my breakfast at home, grabbed my book and sauntered over to Cornerstone for a cup of coffee...it's a breakfast joint, oops! Anyhow, I ordered a bowl of oatmeal because I felt bad getting just coffee, and made the decision to come back at a later date for a real breakfast. Brought some family here and we all loved the place. VERY friendly service, the food came quickly, and it was all delicious. Only complaint is I got the crepes thinking they came with nutella (it did say "hazelnut chocolate spread"), and they just had regular chocolate sauce...I was very disappointed. Anyhow, the rest of the wonderful food I've gotten there has caused me to forget this unfortunate mishap...really lucky to have a place like this within walking distance of my apt.
(4)Emily D.
We pulled up to Cornerstone and were a bit disappointed. Where's the catchy font? The facade of coolness that one looks for in a brunch spot? Yes, we're aesthetic like that. But, we soldiered on, after getting a parking spot RIGHT in the front (that's enough to put any hungry patron in a good mood). The Bears game was on, we got a great booth and admired the diversity of the patrons. Elderly couples, young couples and friends and kids. Whooping cough kids, but kids nonetheless. And then came the pancakes. Seriously, I know pancakes. I think these are some of the best I've ever had. And the hash browns, which were just frozen really, were cooked to be crisp which is precisely what you want. The sausage was great, coffee delightful and the camaraderie we experienced with other customers was so fun. . . go Bears. I think we will be back.
(4)Marlon M.
By far my favorite breakfast spot in Chicagoland. When I lived in the area, this was my first choice for breakfast grub - and now that I live in Oak Park, I still plan to make regular treks back. The friendly atmosphere is awesome (the owners are so personable) and the portions are large (great value!). My favorite is the scrambled eggs. They're so fluffy and buttery... If you live in the area, you must stop by!
(5)maggie f.
We went for a very "romantic" valentines breakfast! It's an adorable place, great food (i could have shared it with 3 friends there was soooo much!!) and incredibly nice service. When you need some "home cooking" and aren't looking for some fusion breakfast place, stop here. I will be back, many times!
(4)Brian m.
This is what every breakfast / brunch spot in Chicago should strive to be. Everything is made from scratch and declicious. Service is friendly and fast. Great prices too. Average bill for 2 always hovers around the $20 mark. Overall, probably the best breakfast joint I've ever been to. Dont be afraid to try anything on the menu, EVERYTHING there is the bomb. (my GF and I have basically tried the whole menu) Only negative thing I can say about this place is that it gets quite crowded on weekends...but good luck finding a good bruch spot in the city that isn't
(5)julie q.
I've been going to this place since they opened their doors. I go back so much that i think the owner recognizes my face - and she and her husband are awesome. This place has the best food for a great price. Everything i get is always awesome...and they have such a great selection. Crab Cakes benedict - hands down best in the city. Cobb Panini - an absolute fave...i crave it. Their wraps are amazing and the corned beef hash is real corned beef hash...not out of the can. I have never been dissapointed here. Love it!!!!!!!
(5)Alex J.
I love Cornerstone! Let me count the ways.... 1. Great food 2. Great food 3. Great menu...breakfast and lunch...quality ingredients and almost everything is home made 4. fresh flowers on the table everytime you go 5. the owners are there and are very friendly 6. neighborhood feel 7. booths!!! 8. prices are very reasonable 9. fast service! in and out for breakfast even during the rush! 10. corned beef hash is AMAZING!
(5)Carmella M.
This place is 300 xs better since the 2 yrs ago I was here they have completetly remodeled the whole inside however Small, no parking except for street and thats a bear to find. menu has a good variety of choice's price was ok service was good. BYOB is a plus I guess...Dont know I had breakfast over all I will probably go back if on my way but wont go out of my way to return
(3)Tony M.
Great place worth the money corn beef hash is great they use real vienna corn beef pancakes are really good also worth checking it out
(5)Jennifer C.
This is a cozy little cafe on the hectic intersection of Elson/Diversey/Western. We tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and we've been back several times since then! The wraps are delicious and the breakfast items are yum. My coworkers usually order the sandwiches and they look fresh and tasty. This is typical American comfort food at its finest. The prices are good too, a lunch here will run you $5 to $8. You will need to do street parking here, but we've never had a problem finding street parking on a weekday at lunchtime. But, you'll probably need to deal with crossing at least one of those crazy busy streets.
(4)Scott H.
Food: decent, nothing special, though a wide selection of bfast items - hamburgers, soup, omelets, eggs Benedict... Service: fast, good, not so good on recommendations "everything is great"...really, everything? You dont have a favorite? Decor: homey...kind of like a diner, casual Would I go back?: nope, there are plenty of other places I'd like to try first Price: average for bfast for two Details on the meal we had: Coffee - nice bc of the carafe, the coffee itself was average. Eggs Bene - lacked enough special sauce, english muffin could have been toasted more, pretty average Hash Browns - decent, looked like the frozen variety Spicy/Mexican omelet - good, could have been spicier S&JNov08
(3)Tom B.
This cafe is my number one stop for breakfast during the week. I'm pleased with the caliber of the food and have only encountered one waitress that ever rubbed me the wrong way in almost 2 years. Highlights that I stand behind are their egg dishes, the corned beef hash as well as buttermilk blueberry pancakes. If you like Hollandaise, please be sure to ask for some on the side. When I have a taste for lunch, I prefer the BLT club with cheddar cheese and avocado added for good measure. In addition to fries, you can also have cottage cheese or sweet potato fries. Parking can be a bit tough on the weekends. (This fact has a lot to do with the martial arts school that is located next door to the restaurant.) My rule of thumb is try to arrive before 9:00 and you'll usually find a seat., not to mention the mini-muffins that they make in limited quantities each morning.
(5)Jennifer Y.
I'm from NJ -- the land of diners. My friends and I use to drive around and go "diner hopping". So naturally, I gravitate towards diner food ... This place was pretty delicious. I had the corned beef hash and it was all gone within 20 minutes (I think I was also really hungry). It also came with pancakes which I devoured rather rapidly too. I actually think this was the only full meal of my day ... all for about $10. Not bad. I also love love love the atmosphere. It's cozy and warm and bright. When I was finished with my food, I just wanted to sit with my tea and hang out for a bit. Ahhhhhhh, too bad life doesn't work that way. This place is diner-ish but not a full blown diner. It's waaaay too cute.
(4)Nat K.
One of my all-time favorite brunch places. This place has great food and a very pleasant ambience: very open, spacious yet cozy, and sunny. They do really amazing eggs florentine and the french toast is excellent, too. They serve a lot of different kinds of tea. I've occasionally made complicated or unreasonable requests of their waitstaff and they always came through for me. Like most classy breakfast restaurants, they put a little too much effort into their hash browns for my liking (I prefer the slap-dash approach of a hole-in-the-wall diner), but that's my only complaint.
(5)Peter H.
been here twice, had two pretty solid experiences. first time i got corned beef hash, was very good, made from scratch. went here over the weekend and sat outside and had two eggs with bacon and hash browns, all pretty solid diner food. we dabbled in a plate of crepes to tickle our sweet tooth. the coffee is diner coffee, it is what it is. very friendly staff. the tables out front are kinda slanted and stuffed in there, and the inside can be a bit cramped too, tables close together, etc. but it's convenient, and it's tasty.
(4)Ivy H.
My new favorite Diner. We are always greeted at the door with a smile by the owner. She tells us we can sit at any of the sunny inviting booths. It is always clean, warm, and friendly. The service is quick. The food is fresh. The bathrooms are clean. A great value for the money. Has good energy. When the owners aren't busy, they'll be found sitting at the counter discussing election results with regulars, or joking with their employees. It is a very comfortable, neighborly, family atmosphere. I'd love to start every day here watching the construction workers, families, and students come and go. They also happen to have the best pancakes in the city. Perfectly golden, moist, and spongy with no yucky Bisquick flavor. Mmmmm. Pancakes.
(5)Agnes F.
yay for yelpers for bringing me here absolutely loved breakfast at cornerstone, great coffee, friendly service, delicious omelettes (i had smoked gouda and fiance had the southern) and pancakes the atmostphere is cozy and you feel that you know everyone there even if its your first time
(4)chad n.
I went for tuesday lunch and had a delicious chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries. Service was fast, accurate, friendly, and they constantly kept my water full. Yay. I like the free wifi, but it did cut out for a few minutes two different times during the 2 hours i sat there.
(4)Sandy H.
After driving by this intersection time and again, I finally decided to check out this cozy cafe on a snowy Sunday. And I'm glad I did! It was delicious, service was great, and the price was right. My only regret is taking awhile to finally check it out. But now that I have, I'll definitely be back for more! The Space Small, but doesn't feel crowded inside. There's a central area for diner counter seating and tables/booths along the perimeter. High ceilings and ample natural light make the space feel spacious and light. The Food Predictably delightful. I had a basic breakfast: Two eggs, bacon, hash browns and a two pancakes. Eggs were a little runny for my over-medium order, but better to err on the side of runny. The pancakes were fluffy, pillowy. I passed on the butter and went straight for the syrup. It was a nice change from some of the denser, flatter pancakes I often come across. The hash browns were good, consistent. It's hard to mess up potatoes, aside from undercooking them. But I should make mention that breakfast is better when potatoes are hash and not home. And last, but not least....the BACON. Thick cut, three (maybe four?) slices were cooked to perfection: Crisp and chewy, not brittle. Good, consistent, comforting food. It's simple. And wonderful. The Service I got seated right away. The dining room was pretty full, but a party had just left and I arrived just in time. There's not much of a waiting area, so if it gets to be a long wait and it's a cold or wet day out, I don't know where the put people. Service was prompt and friendly. No complaints. The Extras The host stand has a candy dish. Good candy like Twix and Midnight Musketeer nibbles.
(5)Mike P.
You know what kind of food this place serves, because you've been to a greasy spoon before. However, Cornerstone may be the cleanest diner in Chicago. Service was fast and polite. They give you your own coffee pot. Nice outside area as well. I'd definitely go back.
(4)Amanda M.
Best omelets I have ever had! Hash browns are just as amazing as well - and such a great price! If you want a big hearty breakfast with a lot of choices, this is the place for you!
(5)Sarah J.
Holy mother of breakfast! This is my new favorite breakfast place after I ordered the apple stuffed french toast. It make me swoon with how great it was and the price was modest, too. The fresh squeezed orange juice did not have pulp which was a bonus for my husband who is a food texture freak. The service was AWESOME. The manager/owner(?) greeted everyone, many people by name. We will definitely be going back.
(5)Jodi R.
How do you ruin breakfast? Over cook poached eggs. Not sure how something so simple can give the kitchen a problem. I've been here twice and won't be returning. Hash browns must be out of a package. Basic shredded potatoes that have a school lunch room quality about them. Turkey sandwich lacked flavor. French fries were unpleasant. Servers on both ocasions were OK. Owner was pleasant. I don't understand what all the rave reviews are about. This a breakfast spot that cannot correctly cook eggs.
(2)Channyn W.
OMFG! Danny Gokey was totally eating breakfast across the room. How can this be? Is American Idol really live? What is going on?!? As I scooped the most delicious scrambled eggs ever into my mouth, conspiracy theories flooded my mind. Maybe Idol is completely planned out. Maybe everyone, not just Paula, has a writer. Maybe Simon is secretly in love with Ryan Seacrest. Oh wait, I think that one may be true. So, not wanting to make Danny uneasy, I surreptitiously studied him over the edge of my golden, fluffy, syrupy fork full of pancake. As I stifled a moan of pure porn-like pleasure with the crunchy sound of perfectly crisp bacon, I wondered if Danny was perhaps channeling another Mariah Carey ballad as he indulged in a generous plate of ham and eggs. No matter, I still had a few bites of pancake-y goodness to finish while I tried to come up with a way to politely approach him. Alas, somehow my food disappeared, and I could only think of telling Danny to say hello to Adam Lambert for me. What the hell was in those eggs?
(4)Esther Y.
There were four of us meeting up for brunch and after calling around, this seemed like the least crowded. Sure enough, when we got there, our two friends were already seated and we were rearin' to go. Service was fine, the servers were nice, they seemed to all kind of work so you could ask anyone for anything and they were very helpful. Two of us got the special (corned beef hash skillet with pancakes on the side) one person got the french toast, and one person got the waffle with chocolate chips and bananas. Everyone finished there plate. Literally. Everything, gone. It was good. I mean, it's nothing super awesome, but it's solid. It's good breakfast food, fast, and pretty cheap. Isn't that what everyone looks for?
(4)Paul B.
I have to disclose that I am a bit biased as this is my parents restaurant.
(5)Brian M.
One of the best breakfast spots in the area. The ham and cheese omelette, my usual, is amazing here, the fluffiest most delicious omelette I've had. I think it might be the only thing I've ever ordered here, but it's sooooooooooooo good I couldn't order something else. The pancakes and hash browns are also pretty good. They do takeout too if you wake up too late and don't want to wait 30 minutes for a table. This is a tight restaurant and parking is limited, I've ordered takeout a few times and they always have it ready and waiting when I arrive so I'm in and out in less the 5 minutes.
(5)Kevin N.
I half expected to see Mel emerge from the shadows at the Cornerstone Cafe, where the cafe/diner fare is for real, and Flo doesn't have to chomp her gum in her ear to drive the point home. The food does that just fine. Restaurants, if you're listening, there's a whole underbelly of us out here who absolutely adore spots that serve extended breakfast, and if you're like me and coming in off of the red eye from Texas, my breakfast was more than just tasty and cool, it was a downright lifesaver. Thanks to Colleen C. and Andrea W. for showing me the ropes and leading me to a place where the very best meals remind you of one important truth: with good eats, almost any place, anywhere, feels just like home.
(4)Jonathan C.
I'm gonna go ahead and give it a five for now. Maybe I will run across something someday that warrents a lower score, but for now, a five. I live pretty close by, so I can't believe that I waited until recently to try it out. Very charming inside, they have papers and a nice counter space for single diners and nice booths and tables for the rest. The nice friendly owners and regulars (local flavor) keep the local diner vibe to the place. The place is small, but has a nice outdoor seating area and is very clean and just... well, comfortable. I had the Corned Beef hash was very very impressed. Not from a can, it was real scratch made corned beef + hash browns. Excellent. For $8, you get a gargantuan skillet of CBH topped with two eggs any style and the choice of pancakes (!) or toast. Of course I got the pancakes, while I did miss having toast to go along with the hearty corned beef, those pancakes were good... Not the super gargantuan type, but tasty nonetheless. I couldn't finish, so thats a good breakfast. Ever see those places on "Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives" and think, hey I wish I had a place like that by me. Well it turns out I do! I'll be back to try the rest of the menu, updates to follow.
(5)Katie P.
Cornerstone makes a good breakfast. It's not a knock your socks off kind of place but it's a good and simple breakfast. The allure of this place is the staff and owners. They are truly delightful. I also love the thermos of coffee they give the table. Yay! I love that I can top my own coffee off when it's low instead of waiting ages for someone to swing by with a pot. The ingredients they use are always good and fresh. I have never been disappointed here. If you're driving know that it can be quite difficult to find parking at certain times. All-in-all it's an excellent fortification for getting you ready for a day of errands in the area... because you'll need it!
(4)David P.
This place is perhaps one of the best old school diners I have ever been to. They had everything I always want in a diner and more: chocolate shake, cheeseburger, fries, chili, and they even have real iced coffee! All delicious as well. The waitress was awesome and put up with our hungoverness. The bill for 4 people who ordered a massive amount of food was ridiculously cheap. I'll be going there every time I go to Chicago from now on.
(5)Patrick E.
Great food, service and prices. Their egg dishes are huge! Two eggs looks more like four!
(5)Ray K.
Great omelettes, multigrain toast option, fresh jam, good service, and clean. Would definitely recommend and go back myself...want to try the corned beef hash and biscuits n gravy....
(4)Stephanie P.
Cornerstone Cafe is consistently great. My boyfriend and I go there for breakfast about once a month and we always have a terrific meal. The staff is friendly and service is wonderful. The portions are hearty and delicious. I never come away hungry or disappointed. Three cheers for Cornerstone Cafe!
(5)Jamie J.
Mmmm. As I write this, the 2x2x2 (2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 bacon strips) is working its way through my belly. The maple syrup is real, not flavored corn syrup, and like someone said, they must put cream in their scrambled eggs. Freakin' awesome. Beware their omelets; unless you are a bear they will do you in. But they actually make decent leftovers. I love that the older owner guy is usually there. In fact, all their staff is great. This past time I was served by the Polish waitress. As my friends will tell you, I am a sucker for Polish ladies. Yes, baby, I'd like my toast buttered. And I wouldn't complain if you gave me your number, along with it.
(4)E N.
Wonderful service, great food, great prices. It gets crowded and is not that big, so you might have to wait if you go during peak times. But it's definitely worth it.
(5)Andrew W.
Cajun egg scramble was unique and delicious. Place is a little small, and therefore it was very crowded, but rightfully so, the food is great.
(4)Mike D.
Cornerstone is an all around great breakfast joint. I've never been disappointed in their food or service. The staff is attentive, friendly, and quick. The food is consistently good. Can't really ask for much more than that!
(4)Erika G.
Pleasant enough interior, clean and inviting. Just a bit on the . . . mediocre side. I liked the dirty greasy spoon that was in this space before. Remodeling takes away all the goodness sometimes.
(2)dan l.
Another real-deal old school place with excellent breakfast... Has become one of my regular breakfast spots...
(4)Aaron S.
Amazingly cozy for being at the corner of Elston & Western, and much more pleasant inside than it looks from outside We were a little confused by the wording of the menu, but yes, with your breakfast dishes, you can get hash browns AND pancakes--more responsible people than we would have shared something, but we piggishly ate a breakfast entree each. Also, they do one of the best "Southwest" omelettes I've had anywhere, with fresh jalapenos and good chorizo. The service is pretty great as well. The waitresses are very quick to attend to your needs and the owners help out when needed as well. Can't complain about any aspect of the breakfast experience here--just wish it were closer to the crib!
(4)Brad C.
Thank you Yelp! Would of never thought to check this place out without all the great reviews it has gotten. The finance and I went here on Saturday before running some errands. It was a little after 10 when we got there and didn't have any trouble getting a table, there were also seats open at the counter. When you get coffee they basically give you your own pot which is great, no waiting for a refill. I had the veggie omelet with goat cheese (WOW!) and a side of pancakes. If a place offers a side of pancakes instead of toast its hard not to get them. Pancakes rocked! Too bad I was too full to eat them all. My finance got the croissant sandwich, the butter taste of the croissant was so good. Cornerstone Cafe is high on my breakfast / brunch places.
(4)Emi C.
I miss Cornerstone Cafe so much!!!! Me and my husband often visited there for breakfast after our night shifts. Everything on the menu were SO delicious! I really enjoyed their foods every time I visited there. Good foods with friendly owners and waitresses! I miss everything there!! I am sure I will be there again!! I am not that far from there!
(5)Jackie B.
I've been here maybe 10 times over the past 3 years and loved it every single time. The mom 'n' pop owners are always there, mingling with the regulars (which most people are) and making small talk with new customers. The place is so cute and cozy and always impeccably clean. Although it's always bustling when we go, it's never too noisy (never have to overhear other people's conversations). They specialize in breakfast and lunch type items and everything we've ever had has been superior quality, large portions, and presentation is always top notch. The OJ and coffee are super fresh and noteworthy. The price is right too. I really can't say enough good things about Cornerstone Cafe. We are moving out of the neighborhood in a month and I'm really sad to not have this place nearby.
(5)Annie H.
Clean restaurant, BIG DISHES, great service! What more could you ask for? I ordered the veggie omelet with cheddar cheese and I was amazed how many veggies you actually get! Most places can be sort of skimpy when it comes to fresh veggies, but not here! I also had the pancakes and they were seriously delicious! I couldn't have asked for a better brunch on a Sunday and even with the brunch rush hour wait, it was so worth it! I will be back, don't be surprised if it's every weekend.
(5)Dan C.
The Cornerstone Cafe was a very pleasant surprise. My girlfriend and I were walking around and just decided to stop in to check it out. I never heard about this place before so it was completely on a whim. First off, we had no idea that they closed early, despite that, we were welcomed in and greatly very warmly. The service there was great, every person that stopped by the table was very pleasant and we never had an empty glass of water. The people there were also very nice. I was a little lost, and the waitress immediately started asking people for advice for us. Within a snap someone was very willing to help us out. Nice staff attracts good guest is my guess. I had the Feta, Spinach and Mushroom omelet, and I have to say this was one of the best omelets I have ever had. My girlfriend had the pulled-pork sandwich and that was delicious as well. Great service, good food, not much more I could ask four. The prices were very reasonable, so I definitely recommend checking it out. Happy Eatings!
(5)L P.
Yelp never disappoints! This joint has smack yourself in the face fantastic omelets. So fluffy you could cry. Good coffee too. The hashbrowns were cooked to hard, but with that omelet, who cares!?
(4)Sarah S.
I almost hate to write a review because I don't want to have to wait for a table, but this place is SO AWESOME I just have to. My sister and I were on our way to Golden Nugget last Saturday morning when we saw this place and decided it looked much cuter and more welcoming. I am so happy we did! It was the most mouthwatering, delicious breakfast I have ever had (and I wasn't even hungover at the time so it must have been good). The eggs were amazingly fluffy and I could taste just enough real butter without it being overwhelming or greasy. The bacon was thick and flavorful, yet cooked to perfection. The pancakes, however, were the crowning achievement of my brunch experience - there are no words to describe how they melt in your mouth. Our waitress Adriana was such a sweetheart, and the owners are the cutest couple ever! I will be back as often as I can!
(5)Laura Y.
I drove past Cornerstone Cafe for years on my way to work, but didn't live in the neighborhood. I had (have) a hard time venturing away from my neighborhood since 1. I don't like to drive, 2. I never have money for parking, 3. The first two reasons. And plus I was a Golden Nugget Girl. But when we moved farther south I found myself with no Golden Nugget nearby, since the one on Western/Elston is dark and dingy and the parking lot only holds 4 cars. Enter into Cornerstone Cafe. It is an anti-hipster hipster's dream. No long waits, no servers wearing non-prescription glasses, no attitude. Everyone in the place, including the manager, is terrific. And the food is fresh and tasty. For more of this review, go to: chicagotablefortwoandaha…
(5)Aurore L.
A 3.5. I had a basic bacon-cheese omelet this morning - not in the mood for anything fancy and it's not the right place to be fancy anyway - and it was good, lots of gooey cheese and a very fluffy omelet. I appreciated the fact that they offered me a selection of jam in little saucers, it's much cuter this way!! Reuben had his eternal cornedbeef hash...which in the end I guess makes him sort of a specialist and declared that it was one of the best he had. Home made. Makes a huge difference I would say but who am I to talk? I hate it. A nice little place.
(3)Elle N.
This place is in no way "hip" or "cool", but it is decent food, reasonably priced, open super early & the servers are always nice. I've only been there for breakfast so I can't speak for any of their other meals. That said, their omelets are great!
(3)Norma C.
My favorite breakfast place. The service is the best, but also the sweet owners (Paul and Peggy) who are always there to say hi. The food is your basic breakfast/brunch line up, but it is good. They have their own specialties like the cinnamon swirl banana and strawberry french toast and their homemade marmalade.
(5)Sam C.
My roommate and I were pressed for breakfast one morning earlier this week, and we decided, instead of waiting for the bakery on the corner to open up, we'd head over to the Cornerstone Cafe, whom we called and discovered opened early. (One Star) There wasn't any problems parking since the meters there start at eight and it was 6:45 in the morning. (Two Star) While the name on the awning says 'cafe,' the place definitely has that diner feel. The booths are that 50s/60s vinyl and hard plastic (tasteful) that go well with the 50s style stools at the counter. OH! The counter, isn't the traditional barrier between the kitchen and the main floor of the restaurant. The counter is triangular, placed in the middle of the main floor. It fits so well in this oddly shaped building that it had to get a mention. And I agree with everyone else, it is probably the cleanest 'diner' I've ever seen. (Three Star) My roommate and I sat down in a booth and were served promptly. A very important part of our meal since we were both pressed for time. Our food was great (I ordered the french toast and he ordered the pigs in a blanket), and well worth their moderate price tags (I think the prices are less than major chain, but more than a diner in Backwater, USA.) (Four Star) Now the last thing that I'm sure everyone will disagree with, the Fifth Star. THERE WERE REAL FLOWERS IN THE VASE ON OUR TABLE!
(5)Tim Y.
I wanted to order breakfast but settled on an excellent wrap (the Southwestern) that satiated my appetite and gave me some ideas for making my own wraps at home. Others at my table had good looking crepes done right, without being filled with mascarpone or whipped cream, and corned beef hash that filled me with envy. Next time I know what I'm getting. Service was decent; a few things took extra time. Fortunately, with good company, there's little rush to leave.
(4)Hugh B.
This is a diamond in the rough. Go there early on a weekend morning and you can walk right in. They put a pot of coffee on your table and you can order the fluffiest omelets you've ever seen. I swear I think they whip the eggs with whole cream before cooking them. The omelets are as big as your head. I am not a devotee of pancakes, but my BF says they are the best he has had in the City.
(4)Jessica M.
This is probably the best diner I've ever eaten at. Not just in Chicago, but anywhere. It's clean (which should go without saying but is often a quality lacking in diners) and extremely cute as they've preserved the vintage center island layout of the restaurant that was there formerly. The staff is very friendly and tries very hard to please. The menu offers a nice variety of comfort food and the food is delicious and great quality for the price. My cinnamon apple crepes were homemade all the way, no Golden Nugget-style pie filling. Just wanted to add that I can confirm the incredible-ness of the chicken salad.
(5)Blah B.
It's official I love this place!! They have the best waffles in town and the service is awesome. My eldest loves the 2x2x2 and my youngest always gets the pancakes. I especially love chatting with the owner he's so sweet and kind to my son's and I!
(5)Jen H.
Recently tried the Cornerstone for breakfast after having passed by it no less than 100 times. Parking was a bit of an issue (the meter system on Elston was laid out strangely). I had a breakfast croissant sandwich which definitely put my usual Burger King crossanwich to shame. The croissant was huge and buttery and topped with bacon, egg and cheese. This massive coronary 'wich also came with breakfast potatoes and a mini muffin. Yum! All for under $10, definitely a steal. I think the only downside to our experience was that Cornerstone was busy, and as fast eaters (we don't tend to sit and linger for more than 30 minutes), we still felt felt very rushed to vacate our seats for a waiting family.
(4)Edie J.
I was wondering around it the cold and rain, desperate to get out of it, almost enough to go to Potbelly, and stumbled across this locally owned cafe. The staff were very sweet and kind, the place was very cozy and a nice refuge from the rain. I ate my french toast and read the paper. Simple things in life, the people that worked there struck up a conversation with me . . . I enjoyed my time there and would definitely go again with a friend.
(4)Donna S.
this is a cute little breakfast spot. thee eggs were fluffy, french toast was awesome, the food was a+. next time i will have to try the crepes!
(4)Sam M.
Damned good. I got corned beef has and over medium eggs. Great tradional breakfast.
(4)Richie N.
Amazing breakfast place. The strawberry crepes were great as well as the turkey sausage scramber. Very filling and very easy on your wallet.
(5)Brenda V.
Cute, great fast service and wonderful food.. breakfast is served all day although they close at 3pm and parking can be a drag.
(4)A W.
This place is AWESOME. Everything tastes great, the corned beef hash, bisquits and gravy (homemade), pancakes, salmon omelet with cream cheese, all DELICIOUS. You never have to wait too long either. Everyone is friendly and the prices are reasonable.
(5)Araceli M.
My new favorite breakfast place..... The most amazing crab cake benedict I have ever had! Perfect yummy coffee! thin delicious pancakes (and i am not really a pancake fan, but these are good!). outdoor seating : )
(5)spring break j.
Stopped into the Cornerstone Cafe before a day of running errands, and was impressed at first sight. Quiet little diner, at 10 AM, thankfully without any b.s kitch or theme. The service was polite, smiley, and overall good. The 'breakfast on a croissant' was delicious, the eggs were cooked perfectly. Corned beef hash was lean, not salty, and addicting. It was also nice to have a pot of coffee on our table for the morning start up. Last, the place was impeccably almost unbelievably clean.
(4)David B.
Best pancakes in Chicago, hands down. Best Chicken Salad Sandwich you will find anywhere. The Cornerstone Cafe is terrific.
(5)Mary Z.
Cornerstone Cafe is fantastic! I had the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich, which was delicious. The accompanying fruit cup was the best fruit cup I've ever had at a restaurant. Not the usual rock hard honeydew melon and mushy cantaloupe. The Cornerstone Cafe fruit cup is mostly strawberries, plus raspberries, blackberries, perfect cantaloupe and pineapple. When we told the waitress that we really liked it, she said with pride, "Thanks! I made the fruit cups myself this morning!" My boyfriend had 2 eggs over easy with hash browns and pancakes. The pancakes are to die for -- fluffy, buttery, absolutely delicious! The one small negative -- his over-easy eggs were overcooked. But, when we told the waitress, she replaced them with perfect eggs immediately. The cafe itself has a really cozy, quaint atmosphere. As we told the owner on our way out, we will definitely be back. This is our new favorite breakfast/lunch cafe!
(4)Lindsay R.
I work down the street and stopped in today for a quick lunch and was pleasantly welcomed and seated. We brought our own wine and love that there was no corking fee. We had a wonderful server that was very quick to place our order. The food was good, but the sweet potato fries were AMAZING! I will be returning to this crazy intersection in Bucktown with another bottle of wine for lunch.
(4)Craig N.
My favorite place for breakfast. Great people and consistently good food. Not pretentious and Free Wifi.. What more can you ask for?
(5)Mark A.
This place is great! They are located in the middle of a major intersection, yet it has this quiet, small town diner ambiance to it. The food is great, especially the Crab-Cakes Benedict, the staff is super friendly and the wait is never long. I highly recommend trying this place if you haven't already.
(4)Serious C.
I had the bacon and eggs, which was good. I wish they had biscuits and gravy as a regular side. About a 10 minute wait at noon on the Sunday I went.
(3)Geoffrey B.
My breakfast this morning was extremely enjoyable. The service, food and atmosphere really come together at Cornerstone. Best of all it isn't terribly busy.
(5)Angelina E.
This is my husband and I's fave place in the city to grab lunch. I usually like to try néw places and new dishes on the menu when I go out to eat... But with cornerstone, I just can't resist the sweet potato fries and chicken salad sandwich in a crossiant... Every time! It's the perfect filling, delicious meal. The restaurant has a small town feel to it and is the kind of place that us truly a family diner, unusual for the city. People that I've brought here have had everything from omelettes to salads to the mini burgers to the wraps to the pancakes and have always been super happy with their food! Great soups too and you'll never leave hungry. Lastly, they give you a piece of chocolate on the way out... The perfect end to a perfect meal!
(5)Robin W.
I am debating between 3 and 4 stars, but my mushroom spinach omelet was a lil runny and my mushrooms weren't too great... the omelet actually had a little bit of a funny color for egg. BUT the pancakes... mmmm. The omelets come with hash browns and either toast or pancakes. Definitely do the pancakes! Not sure what makes them so delicious, but I imagine it had to do with a lot of butter. The hashbrowns too were delicious, traditional, nothing fancy, but tasty. I really liked the outdoor seating too, which is what really brought me here. It's a step above typical diner food (abet with diner prices), but the food itself didn't blow me over. I'll probably come back for the pancakes and some outdoor seating in the summer. Pancakes... mmmmm.
(3)Sarah Rylee F.
adorable place. great food. super comfortable.my eggs were a little soft for me but I should have mentioned that i like them cooked more then most people. I have and will continue to recommend people to go here.
(4)Andrew J.
This place was excellent! After helping my brother move to a questionable neighborhood, my parents and I were ready for some comfort food. We ended up here, basically because it was easy to park a truck on Western. After a very short wait, four of us were seated comfortably in the back corner perusing a very complete menu. Everything we ordered was delicious and reasonably priced. Cozy, good prices and delicious food!
(4)Nana H.
I came here while waiting for my car to be serviced at Joe's Auto Service down the street and had a really good sandwich. Turkey on croissant with peppers, and blue cheese with Sweet potato fries. I've been here only once before and had a unmemorable brunch, but the sandwich was so good, I tried to get my friends here for Brunch on Sunday. Failed because they close at 3 on Sundays. Free wifi!!
(3)Bobbi W.
Best eggs benedict hands down in the city. I have tried many places and this is it. You can get it 7 days a week and it is always amazing! Great prices and great portions. If eggs benedict is not your thing then try the waffle or the absolutely delicious pancakes. The feta and spinach omelets are awesome too. The owners are great and every time we go here it always feels like home, it just tastes better!!
(5)Jesse L.
The Cornerstone is a solid brunch spot in the Logan Square area. The service really stood out, they were incredibly fast, and we didn't feel rushed. The food is just OK, pretty typical cafe/dinner type of breakfast, but sometimes that's just what one is looking for. I definitely recommend, just don't go in thinking you will be blow away.
(3)Dre B.
I'm so happy that I found this place - it's now one of my favourite breakfast spots in the city. The atmosphere is cheery and cozy, and the service is excellent. I ordered the Cajun scramble (comes with hash browns and pancakes), which was absolutely delicious and should have been enough food for 3 meals - although it was so good that I ate almost every last bite. They leave a coffee pot at your table, which I always appreciate since then I don't have to wait for the waitress to refill me. The price was more than right; the same amount of food would have cost the same at the Golden Nugget across the street, but obviously the quality was incomparable! I would go back for every weekend breakfast if I could.
(5)Lorie B.
As I waited for my mirror to be fixed next door, I stopped in for coffee to pass the time. I sat at the counter and was reading a book. As I was enjoying the FULL CARAFE of coffee (!), the gentleman that owned the little cafe stopped and talked to me. (I must have looked lonely.) I admit, I did not eat and I was clearly the only one NOT enjoying a huge meal. (next time, I won't eat before I leave the house!) I liked the fact that the clientele was very mixed- large families with lots of kids, scenester groups, kids with blue and black hair- all here and all stuffing their faces. Great homey feeling and sense of pride- you can tell by the way the owners interacted with the customers. It was like going to grandma and grandpa's house. "Make the kids take a piece of candy on the way out," was repeated every time someone went up to pay. I'm not a kid, but you better believe I took a piece of candy!
(5)Gee J.
Solid breakfast spot. Fluffy, baked omelettes well done. Crepes use fresh (sugared) strawberries. Coffee is middling. Counter spot is great for looksies. Salsa is jarred, nothing dynamite. But yet it is my favorite spot to read the paper and get something when enjoying weekend errands. located at the triangle corner of western, elston, diversey... I'll take it over the Golden Nugget across the street. Free wifi
(3)Thomas M.
Great little cafe. Good variety on the breakfast menu. Definitely a step up from your average cafe, and not greasy at all. Coffee was good and served in a carafe on the table. Room was very clean and nicely decorated. In a cool building extending up to the 6-way intersection. Nice friendly atmosphere. You could definitely tell that there was a local crowd that comes in every day or every weekend.
(4)Kara H.
what a nice suprise. I was expecting a standard diner - but cornerstone cafe is quaint and cozy. the service was excellent. we had to wait a few minutes for a table but were seated at the counter and offered coffee and a menu to look at in the mean time. we watched a lot of "regulars" come in who were greeted by first name, asked how their week was, etc. I thought that was charming. and the food was AWESOME. I think we found our new brunch spot!
(4)Zachary M.
I've been going here for a few years for the late breakfast on the weekend. I'm a big breakfast person and this is one of my favorite places. Prices are good, coffee is good (though a bit overpriced), and the staff is very nice. Plus the the old lady and man who work here are cute. I assume they own the place but not quite sure. Prices are pretty reasonable and there seems to be a lot of regulars who go here. The only drawbacks are as follows: - the scramble eggs tend to be a bit too fluffy for me. Some people like them, some don't. I used to like them but have since switched over to sunny side up eggs. It was a major transition in my life. - Its a small place and you sometimes have a bit of a wait. Usually no more than 20 or 30 minutes though. Overall a pretty good place with a nice atmosphere.
(4)Ella R.
And I have been, especially since I've started drinking coffee again, which is quite good at the Cornerstone and comes plentiful in generously sized individual carafes.
(5)katie k.
how in the world does this place have 4 stars? I would rather go to the golden nugget or anywhere for that matter. I feel awful giving such a terrible review, but I wonder how places like this stay open. do that many people not know what good food tastes like? I ordered the 2x2x2...over medium eggs which were more like over hard, pancakes that were falling apart and mushy, and sausage patties that I actually sent back and traded for the less offensive bacon. It was all awful. The only thing going for them is that the coffee was decent and they leave a small carafe on the table. I will NEVER be back there again, and am disappointed that people with such a lack of passion for food go into such a business.
(1)Cesar V.
This placed opened up near where we live, decided to give it a try for breakfast. I was expecting a low-end mom and pop kind of place. I was wrong. Super-friendly server, fresh ingredients, even the coffee was excellent. I had scrambled eggs and pancakes - both were so light and fluffy, like eating a cloud. Seriously, we eat breakfast out a lot and this place is just great. Nothing over the top, though they do have crepes, just your standard breakfast food but done right.
(5)Karen L.
My husband and I took our Bucktown living son here yesterday for lunch. My son and I both had the California Cobb sandwich which I initially was going to order, then did so upon the recommendation of the waitress. Both my son and I feel we would definitely come back for this large sandwich which was an excellent value and made with real turkey. We opted for the fresh side salad, bigger than at most chains and shared each other's poppy seed and raspberry vinigarette dressing. My husband had the beef sandwich and he wasn't as vocal in his approval, but he's not a foodie. Our service was excellent. We'd definitely return when we come to the city and want a reasonably priced meal.
(5)Roberto F.
Pretty damn good breakfast. I go by this place all the time but I was unable to stop by and grab a bite. To say the least I enjoyed my breakfast here. I thought the pancakes were just awesome and the coffee was fresh and very tasty. My wife had the omelet and that was great to. The people were very friendly and the old couple that works the front were just to nice to be true. It really only loses points for the amount of space there is as soon as you walk in. It can get a bit crowed but the wait for us was not long at all. I hope to come back here soon.
(4)Eliot J.
i don't really see what's so special about this place. yes, the food is fine, but it's not noteworthy. it's the same generic fare at any diner. yes, the place is... clean, but i would hardly say it's 'cozy.' if anything, it's barely spacious enough for all the tables. people are friendly, but it's really not worth going to unless you live right in that area - and then only for the convenient locale. nothing special.
(2)bj f.
there's a vibe in this place that is so comfortable. first, a sweet welcome from a genuinely nice older woman that makes you feel you're being invited into her kitchen for a bite. add to that a willing to please waitress with a hint of an accent, booths and decor that seem throwbacks to an easier time, where the emphasis was on good food, not fashion. then there's the food: yummy french toast to satisfy a sweet tooth, fluffy egg white omelets, corned beef hash made with real pieces of corned beef, not the dog food variety, and o.k. coffee, with a personal pot to do refills as needed. and one of my pet peeves in chicago is single serve plastic cased jam in general, and if it's grape, that's even worse. when i visited seattle, i couldn't stop raving about the jam served in crockery at every breakfast place we visited. so now i've finally found a place that serves my jam needs, with two difft. flavors offered up in bowls. thank you, cornerstone, for indulging my a-r ways.(or does it have a hyphen?)
(4)Jonathan A.
A nice place to have breakfast. We were about to go to the Golden Nugget across the street, before we looked this place up. I'd been by it a million times but never knew what it was. It's your typical diner, but it's nicer, cleaner, friendlier, has more of a small town feel when you walk in. The woman owner really accommodated us with the table since we had a baby stroller with us, and it was busy. I was a little worried about that since it's such a small place, but everyone in the place had a generally friendly disposition. The food was generous, and the pancakes were about the best I've had. I got the feeling that this place and it's owners are very well liked, and I can see why. The only curious thing was that we ordered chocolate malts and the waitress was confused and had to ask the manager if they had those. But it was clearly printed on the windows of the restaurant "MALTS" "SHAKES". I was really close to giving 4 stars, but honestly, for breakfast food, it was just better than your average diner breakfast, which I prefer to fancy trendy "brunch" spots anyday. The pancakes were great. It was priced very well, about $5-6 for eggs sausage hashbrowns, and pancakes. I'll come again, but if the wait ever gets to be too long, the Golden Nugget is across the street.
(3)Erica K.
Had breakfast here with the boyfriend and it was really great. The service was fast and attentive and the atmosphere was very friendly. I will go back for sure! (the hot chocolate is awesome, btw!)
(4)maeve P.
This place makes a great breakfast and lunch. So tasty! Went here a few months back and had a great experience. It was pretty packed but we were able to get a table and the food was delicious. Our server was really nice too. i had a croissant sandwich. mmmm - so good. Tried the fiance's pancakes and they rocked. Totally going back again. Wish I was there right now...
(5)Carolina P.
This is my all time favorite breakfast place! The cinnamon french toast is amazing! So is the crab eggs benedict. The waitstaff is nice and friendly. And you don't have to wait long for your food. I still haven't had their lunch but I'm betting on it being amazing too.
(5)Larisa S.
Visit once a week. Decent cappuccinos. Love the strawberry crepes, blueberry pancakes, the smoked salmon omelette and the panini sandwiches. The service is pleasant and owners are super sweet. My favorite rainy day neighborhood place.
(5)Hayden J.
I can't believe it took me this long to check out this restaurant, especially since I live in the neighborhood. Perhaps it has to do something with the location, which is at a pretty busy intersection. However, don't let that deter you as long as it has me. I haven't had breakfast here yet, but I can concur with the Chicken Salad recommendation. The BEST that I have had in the city! And the portions are HUGE. And sweet potato fries! What are you waiting for???
(5)Brett K.
Best breakfast I found in the city so far. I recommend going with their daily specials, the smoked salmon omlette was great. Mouth-gasmic hangover cures are produced here.
(5)Erica M.
Good breakfast food. My eggs were intimidating and much more than the two scrambled eggs I thought I'd be getting. The pancakes weren't as light and fluffy as I like them. But the food hit the spot.
(4)Rob R.
If you're a desperate public transit fanatic on your way between Logan Square and West Pilsen or Rogers Park, this is a perfect place to stop for breakfast or lunch. The simple breakfast items (eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon) are absolutely top notch, options are endless (belgian waffles, crepes, etc.) and the service is friendly. Quality control is ensured by the hostess, who has supersonic hearing and will take note of your meal commentary from across the room.
(4)Jeanette R.
The breakfast here is amaaaazing. Not to mention the restaurant itself is decorated super cute with little flower vases on the tables. The wait staff/owners/managers are super friendly. I would recommend the Denver omelet...yum!
(5)Kayla S.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to give this 4 stars or five. I really love Cornerstone... but it's kinda intimidating to say hands down this is the best there is. I love that you get to seat yourself. We usually pick a booth by the window so that we can people watch while we eat and they also have a few tables and chairs outside when the weather's nice. the service is pretty good. My fiance and I are usually pretty engaging with our servers wherever we go and it makes for a good dining experience when the server can reciprocate naturally. Now. The food. Or more specifically, the pancakes. If you come with your appetite, be of strong will because when you smell a plate of those pancakes passing you will want to tackle the server and eat them right out of her hands. They smell THAT good. And when you eat them, they just melt in your mouth. Not too thick, not too thin, not too doughy they get the pancake just right every time. Their omelets are perfect. Not overstuffed but not under-stuffed. Everything tastes SUPER fresh and delicious. I also like that you can see the kitchen. And the lady at the front who usually settles your check at the door is super sweet. Great cozy little atmosphere. Especially on a sunny morning!
(4)Kevin J.
Cornerstone is one of the best restaurants in the neighborhood especially for breakfast. I haven't been there for any other meal. However, I have been to Cornerstone numerous times for breakfast/brunch/breakfast for lunch, depending on when the previous night ended. Favorites of mine are the strawberry pancakes and cinnamon apple waffles. Service has always been on point. Prices are slightly higher than some competitors but you are also getting a higher quality meal and service. The outdoor seating is great too. I love coming to Cornerstone on weekend mornings during the summer for breakfast. The closest available street parking is usually on the Elston side.
(5)Stacy S.
Good parking, cheap over all, and not your typical greasy spoon diner. It is actually pretty good. The people are friendly. The space is intimate. I would have to say that the food is good and that is why it is 4 starts. It doesn't blow me away, but it totally worth re-visiting over and over. The portions are pretty big too, which is nice when you are hungry!
(4)Tiff B.
Very good breakfast! And you can't beat the price. I got a full breakfast with great service for $8. It's also very family friendly. There were lots of young families there for brunch but no screaming or kids running around like little terrors. Great neighborhood spot.
(5)Colleen B.
This is a great/classic little diner. Undeniably large portions, very tasty food, friendly service, great atmosphere... it took us a while to get over this place and try it out, but it has been a staple of the weekend routine ever since. Everything I've had has been very good and exactly what I wanted. love.
(5)Edmund W.
woah this place is awesome. i had a salmon and cream cheese omelet with green onion and my buddy had the steak and eggs. The proportions where very generous and surprisingly high quality. There is a very close neighborhood feel to the place and the proprietors are involved with the customers. It's a cool place.
(4)Victor P.
This place has great breakfast and an extensive menu with just about any breakfast food you could want. The omelet's are huge and I strongly recommend anything that comes with the pancakes, they are delicious. Also, the coffee is excellent.
(5)sarah s.
Rockin' good spot. The bistro croissant so yummy. Sweet potato fries!!! Pancakes to die for. Tho the cole slaw listed on the menu is misleading--there is none to be had. Sometimes a little slow as it can get quite crowded. But worth the wait.
(4)Lezah G.
I agree with everything said before me. I like that the parking is easy. Portions are big. Food is good. Service is nice. They told me they are working on a whole grain pancake that tastes good and it will be on the menu soon!
(4)Steve R.
Maybe I need to revisit this place judging from the other reviews. The time we ate there it was average in every conceivable way. Average food, average service, average prices. I didn't see anything that really set it apart, though it wasn't bad by any stretch. However, they didn't have a patio when I went there and that's been known to sway my opinion.
(3)J M.
This is my favorite diner in the city. Why? Simple, they have the freshest eggs and sausage of any breakfast spot in the area. The service is generally great, the owners are friendly and welcoming and the food is second to none.
(5)Jen T.
Love this place! Can't wait to eat there at their outdoor seating in the summer. Owners are super friendly and rest of staff is great! Food is very good and nicely priced. Cleanest bathroom ever! Has a down home feeling.
(5)Jaime S.
We have been going to Cornerstone for about 3 years. We stumbled upon this place by accident but the service, food, and cleanliness kept us coming back. It is very busy on the weekends, but they never disappoint. We usually go for breakfast, the breakfasts are simple but tasty. It's also a good bang for your buck.
(5)Marianne P.
A great blend of new, fun food and local neighborhood cafe.
(5)Angel K.
I'm a regular here and I love this place. The coffee is fantastic, and you get your own little pot at your table. The pancakes and omelettes are really good, and my husband always gets the corned beef hash skillet because he loves it. The only downside is that this place is getting really popular and the seating is limited. We try to go at off times to ensure a table.
(4)Elizabeth P.
Went here based on solid Yelp reviews and we weren't disappointed. Tasty food, friendly service, very good coffee, and our check was within a few bucks of what we spend at Golden Apple or other diners in the city. I like a place that gives you the option of pancakes instead of toast at no extra charge. Thought the hashbrowns were very good - moist but still crispy in spots. I had the veggie egg scramble and my husband had the greek omelet - both tasted very good and were chock full of fresh veggies - and the food came out super fast. Parking is on the street but was easy to find on Elston. Our son is 2 and we found it very kid friendly (they gave us crayons and activity books) - the six corners spot is perfect for a kid who loves to watch cars and trucks go by!. We were there early on a Saturday and had no wait, but I can imagine later in the day it would fill up pretty fast - they have a large counter but not a huge amount of tables compared to other diners. Atmosphere is very bright and cheery. We will definitely be back.
(5)riddhi j.
Service is great, staff are friendly and food is decent and well=priced. Nothing over the top, just your standard breakfast fare, but each time we go, we are treated like old customers (only been there 3 Xs) and food fills a hole for a decent price. Recommend.
(4)David M.
Good food, good price, great service, friendly owner. Worth checking out.
(4)sean j.
really happy to make this my first review on yelp. i have always used yelp but never found time to make a profile, that being said, stoked to make this my first. my girlfriend and i used to live in logan square and loved to go to cornerstone for breakfast., now we live way up in edgewater and still make the trip regularly., for good reason. no matter how packed, wait is always short., the owner and his wife are always milling around with the regulars but never let their focus stray from their duties. in the summer extra seating available outdoors. i have never once had bad service at cornerstone, waitresses are killer, coffee carafe at the at the table is a huge hit w me., cuz when im eating in the am i have to have lots of coffee and hate to keep asking. food is good, standard fare., eggs benedict stand out and as well as the bacon and the pancakes. bottom line- comfortable, little wait (even when packed), good reasonably priced food and great service. has been a staple since we've lived here and will continue to be.
(5)