(773) 772-4019

1561 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622 41.909882 -87.676639

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Neighborhoods: Wicker Park, West Side

EARWAXCAFE.COM

Price:

$

Last updated 10.14.11

Category:

Restaurants, Diners, Shopping

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, B.Y.O.B., People Watching, Group Dining, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Eclectic & International, Vegan, Vegetarian

Smoking Permitted:

Section

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Earwax Cafe

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

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…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
The cafe doesn't have a liquor license, so feel free to BYOB.
ambiance
87.5% positive
  1. “The atmosphere was interesting, but not worth the money, especially when Sultan's Market is just down the street.”
  2. “12/03. The new location is great; same impressive decor, with improved seating and kitchen area.”
  3. “Their food was good and the ambiance in awesome, totally unique.”
  4. “seitan ruben was amazing, thier coffee is always fresh and tasy, and ecclectic atmosphere keeps it fun.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “seitan ruben was amazing, thier coffee is always fresh and tasy, and ecclectic atmosphere keeps it fun.”
food quality
74.55999851226807% positive
  1. “Good vegetarian food is hard to find, but the bad vibe of this place just spoils one's appetite.”
  2. “The food was mediocre and overpriced.”
  3. “Great service from the friendly staff, excellent menu suggestions from our just the right amount of attention waiter, could have lived without some of the funky, overloud music but LOVED the fantastic sweet potato & Black Bean Quesadilla”
  4. “The sweet potato & black bean quesadilla with cilantro pesto is surprisingly delicious.”
  5. “They have the best veggie burgers in the neighborhood and you have to try the Jamaican salad with Seitan, it's so so good.”
  6. “Not the best breakfast tofu scramble ive had before, but that is my personal rating of any vegan place with breakfast, so im quite a stickler.”
  7. “The food was bland, it didn't seem clean, and the staff didn't smell very good.”
  8. “visited Earwax about a month or two ago with my boyfriend and had a nice, relaxing meal.”
  9. “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.”
  10. “The yummy food is worth enduring the hipsters”
  11. “Friendly, helpful staff and great food made for great experiences.”
  12. “Unique spot, good food”
  13. “can't really say that I've had a really good meal here, tho.”
  14. “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.”
  15. “Service can be just a little slow(while very freindly), but that is made up for with thier food and selection.”
  16. “But it's still got a great & varied menu, both the food upstairs & the DVD selection downstairs.”
  17. “seitan ruben was amazing, thier coffee is always fresh and tasy, and ecclectic atmosphere keeps it fun.”
  18. “Their food was good and the ambiance in awesome, totally unique.”
  19. “the food, cool interior, nice setup were not worth the long wait, bad attitude, long faces of the waitstaff.”
menu variety
80.0% positive
  1. “There's a great selection of foreign films downstairs with a great organizational system.”
  2. “Service can be just a little slow(while very freindly), but that is made up for with thier food and selection.”
  3. “This is a great little place with a lot of vegetarian options.”
  4. “Great service from the friendly staff, excellent menu suggestions from our just the right amount of attention waiter, could have lived without some of the funky, overloud music but LOVED the fantastic sweet potato & Black Bean Quesadilla”
  5. “But it's still got a great & varied menu, both the food upstairs & the DVD selection downstairs.”
overall
75.0% positive
  1. “This place is located in a really neat neighborhood, great place to walk around and explore.”
  2. “Everyone was nice, just not my kind of place.”
  3. “Not the best breakfast tofu scramble ive had before, but that is my personal rating of any vegan place with breakfast, so im quite a stickler.”
  4. “This is a great little place with a lot of vegetarian options.”
service
90.0% positive
  1. “don't know why people like this place.”
  2. “The staff is always friendly and attentive to myself and other regulars.”
  3. “lot of people really like Earwax, but it has never really impressed me much.”
  4. “Great service from the friendly staff, excellent menu suggestions from our just the right amount of attention waiter, could have lived without some of the funky, overloud music but LOVED the fantastic sweet potato & Black Bean Quesadilla”
  5. “On week ends the cafe fills up with suburbanites and other people of a snotty manor and their bad attitudes overwhelm the otherwise sweet staff of collage kids and struggling artists.”
  6. “and service is great, too.”
  7. “Friendly, helpful staff and great food made for great experiences.”
  8. “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.”
  9. “The food was bland, it didn't seem clean, and the staff didn't smell very good.”
  10. “it turned out to be a good eatery with great service.”
value
52.779998779296875% positive
  1. “The atmosphere was interesting, but not worth the money, especially when Sultan's Market is just down the street.”
  2. “bad waitstaff+so-sofood=ain't worth it”
  3. “The food was mediocre and overpriced.”
  4. “the food, cool interior, nice setup were not worth the long wait, bad attitude, long faces of the waitstaff.”
  5. “The yummy food is worth enduring the hipsters”
  6. “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.”
wait time
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “the food, cool interior, nice setup were not worth the long wait, bad attitude, long faces of the waitstaff.”
  2. “Service can be just a little slow(while very freindly), but that is made up for with thier food and selection.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/18/09

Unique spot, good food

by sunshine1717 at Citysearch

This place is located in a really neat neighborhood, great place to walk around and explore. Their food was good and the ambiance in awesome, totally unique. I'm definitely going back.

  • Pros: Cool neighborhood, good food
3 Star Rating: Average

07/07/08

Colorful, funky setting, good salads

by missmimimao at Citysearch

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
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/01/08

I don't know why people like this place.

by MelAriel at Citysearch

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
2 Star Rating: Below Average

06/08/08

Earwax Cafe is just Okay

by nessamarie76 at Citysearch

I had lunch here, not a big deal.. The food was bland, it didn't seem clean, and the staff didn't smell very good. However, I did have a really good blueberry shake...although I can't remember the name of it...but it was one of the best I've ever had. Everyone was nice, just not my kind of place.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

02/16/08

WORST WAITOR I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. AVOID EARWAX.

by chitownsandy at Citysearch

i went to Earwax today with my friends and it was our first time there. our waitor named Miguel was the WORST waitor i have EVER HAD. he came over to our table and put his leg up on my friends seat. When i asked him how much something would cost if i had it added on to my meal he lazily said "uhh i dont know!" He had the worst attitude. When he delivered my pancakes there was pudding on it and not whip cream. I politely said "Oh is there gelatin in this?" he said "Ugch. wellll you could have asked before you ordered it!" and ran off. I highly doubt he even asked but ran back and said "No gelatin!" When my friend asked for hot chocolate in a to-go cup he brought hot chocolate with tons of whip cream and not in a to-go cup. she politely told him she wanted it in a to-go cup again. he went "Oh yea you wanted it in a to go cup" then he put a cup on the table and left it for us to deal with. because we had to pour it into another cup the toppings/cream were wrecked and it was so messy. i wasnt even sure if this guy was joking or what. Anyways, WORST SERVICE i have ever had. the food was fine OH AND THEY PLAY THE MOST OBNOXIOUS FOREIGN MUSIC. FIRE MIGUEL!

The Details on Earwax Cafe

Place Categories:

  • good vegetarian food
  • always friendly staff
  • great service
  • loved fantastic sweet potato
  • bad attitude
  • loved black bean quesadilla
  • tasy thier coffee
  • great little place
  • varied food upstairs
  • great experience
  • varied menu
  • not really good meal
  • snobby kids
  • not worth atmosphere
  • great spot
  • varied dvd selection downstairs
  • nice setup
  • overpriced food
  • impressive decor
  • nice waiter
  • really like earwax
  • bad slaw
  • great teas
  • excellent menu suggestions
  • worst waitor

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