Tantalizing aromas and long lines were awaiting us as we arrived at Yolk restaurant. Yolk is the creation of the founder, Taki Kastanis, a former [easyazon_link identifier=”1118721551″ locale=”US” tag=”theyum-20″]real estate agent[/easyazon_link] who has deep roots in the restaurant business. There are several Yolk restaurant locations in [easyazon_link identifier=”1465457097″ locale=”US” tag=”theyum-20″]Chicago[/easyazon_link], three in [easyazon_link identifier=”1742201997″ locale=”US” tag=”theyum-20″]Texas[/easyazon_link], two in [easyazon_link identifier=”076275026X” locale=”US” tag=”theyum-20″]Indiana[/easyazon_link], and recently I visited the original [easyazon_link identifier=”B005KBPRIY” locale=”US” tag=”theyum-20″]South Loop Chicago[/easyazon_link] location.
Location: 1120 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Menu: The menu features an extensive assortment of comfort foods and new creative combinations. They make several fresh specialty drinks and serve premium bottomless coffee. No alcohol is served so you can forget about that mimosa. They offer generous portions of omelets, scramblers, crepes, frittatas, and specialty items such as eggs Florentine and red velvet French toast. You can also select from a variety of lunch items, including sandwiches, burgers, soups, wraps, and salads.
Thoughts: This original Yolk South Loop restaurant offers great tasting, innovative food combinations at reasonable prices. Be sure to arrive early because the place is popular and the lines can be long. I recommend downloading the NoWait app to avoid waiting in line.
Yolk has a casual friendly neighborhood vibe with a cheerful bright yellow décor. The restaurant can be noisy with large open rooms and hard floors. Sound bounces around due to the hard surfaces so it can be difficult to hear the people at your table when it gets very busy.
We noticed the food menu is extensive, however not overwhelming once we were seated. If you have children you’ll appreciate the separate kids’ menu.
We were a group of three that morning and we started out ordering several dishes to try. My favorite dishes are:
- Breakfast wrap ($11.50)– scrambled eggs, bacon, green onions, cheddar, on whole wheat flatbread with sides of sour cream, salsa, red seasoned potatoes.
- South of the border Eggs Benedict ($13) – served with a side of [easyazon_link identifier=”B0000DZEV2″ locale=”US” tag=”theyum-20″]chorizo[/easyazon_link], chipotle sauce, and seasoned potatoes.
- Chicken ‘n’ Waffle ($12.50) – a crisp bacon waffle topped with crispy fried boneless chicken breast and sausage gravy.
- Red Velvet French Toast ($12.50) – Deliciously moist red velvet cake surrounded by swirls of cream cheese and topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream
- Cinnamon roll French toast ($11.50) – A large gourmet cinnamon filled with added nutmeg is served in three pieces, hand-dipped in batter and grilled to perfection
- Fresh-squeezed strawberry orange juice
- Fresh brewed raspberry iced tea
All meals included fresh fruit garnish (red grapes, a slice of pineapple, watermelon, and oranges). The food was flavorful, the chicken was moist and the sausage gravy had a tangy and robust taste. The eggs were cooked to perfection and the eggs Benedict was well prepared. The portions are huge so be sure you are very hungry – or plan to share. Every aspect of eating is an exquisite experience from the aroma, flavor, texture, and the satisfaction of eating a well prepared very filling meal. Good selection, unique combinations including several vegetarian dishes.
Price range: Entries range from $11-$14. Drinks range from $2-$3.75.
Additional note: Street parking is several blocks away, it may be easier to arrive in a cab or take public transportation if you don’t want to do a lot of walking.
If you’re looking for a hotel in Chicago, you’ll find recommendations here.
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Author bio: Tracey Ingram is a travel writer, ghostwriter, video photographer, and food and dog lover. She has a lifelong passion for travel, learning languages, and experiencing other cultures. When not focusing on her career in healthcare, Tracy finds herself trying fun things to do in cities worldwide, exploring new restaurants and writing reviews about those experiences. She’s inspired by these passions and created a website/travel blog to share with people who dream about travel and who are planning their next adventure. The ultimate goal is to share her experiences and to encourage everyone to get out, try new things, and enjoy life to the fullest. Over the past 10 years, Tracey has traveled throughout the United States and to over 20+ countries and won’t be stopping anytime soon. She’s a proud member of the ITWPA (International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance). Follow her on Facebook to find out about her upcoming adventures.
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Tracey has a lifelong passion for travel, learning languages, and experiencing other cultures.She also is the author of Accessibility – Disabled World Travels: Safe Senior Travel Made Easier, available on Amazon.com. When not focusing on her career in healthcare and writing books, she finds herself trying fun things to do in cities worldwide, exploring new restaurants, and writing reviews about those experiences.She’s inspired by these passions and created a website/travel blog to share with people who dream about travel and who are planning their next adventure.The ultimate goal is to share her experiences and to encourage everyone to get out, try new things, and enjoy life to the fullest.Over the past 10+ years Tracey has traveled throughout the United States and to over 20+ countries and won’t be stopping anytime soon.She’s a proud member of the ITWPA (International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance).
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