Earwax Cafe
Chicago, IL 60622-2009
Phone: (773) 772-4019
- Price:
- $
- Cross Street:
- North Avenue
- Directions:
- El: Blue Line to Damen
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 9am-11pm, Fri-Sun 9am-12am
Editorial Review for Earwax Cafe – by J.P. Anderson
The Scene
It's a carnival in here, with Chinese-red walls, freak show banners, colorful globe lights, tables painted like pinwheels and high-backed carousel booths. Indie rental videos, magazines and newspapers are stocked toward the back and downstairs. Service is friendly and unhurried, with a side of Wicker Park languor.
The Food
The multiethnic, mostly vegetarian menu features breakfast, salads and sandwiches, plus coffee, tea, espresso and ice cream drinks. The breakfast burrito earns raves from regulars, and the toasted veggie cheese is hearty and satisfying. The menu tosses carnivores a few bones, too, including a good turkey sandwich with zesty sun-dried tomato pesto. Quesadillas are excellent, cheesy and chunky with tomatoes and scallions, drizzled with tangy cilantro pesto. Those with a sweet tooth will fall for the sweet, toasted flavor of the chocolate-coconut shake.
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User Reviews for Earwax Cafe
07/07/2008 Posted by missmimimao
I visited Earwax about a month or two ago with my boyfriend and had a nice, relaxing meal. The food was good: he had a burger, which tasted alright, and I had a salad, which was fresh and crisp and exactly what I wanted. The meal took a bit longer than a normal lunch, probably because we arrived at their busiest time. We got there around 1 or 2 on a Saturday afternoon, so had to wait about 10 minutes or so. Service also took a while, for ordering, arrival of food, and removal of plates. In all, a satisfying average experience.
Pros: Fun, funky environment and friendly staff
Cons: Not well-equipped for weekend brunch/lunch rush
07/01/2008 Posted by MelAriel
The food was mediocre and overpriced. The seitan was not spiced well (overwhelming in a weird way), the slaw was bad, and the veggies were not great either. The atmosphere was interesting, but not worth the money, especially when Sultan's Market is just down the street. If you want this kind of food, but better, go to Chicago Diner or something. The only star stands for the nice waiter, who we didn't tip enough, because we were so mad about wasting money on the food.
Pros: nice waiter
Cons: everything else
