Earwax Cafe

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kristen0218

Joined 7 years ago

The yummy food is worth enduring the hipsters. It's Wicker Park, so hipsters abound. But it's still got a great & varied menu, both the food upstairs & the DVD selection downstairs. I'm not a vegetarian, but I love the vegetarian entrees at Earwax. The sweet potato & black bean quesadilla with cilantro pesto is surprisingly delicious. The teas are great too, if a little pricy. There's a great selection of foreign films downstairs with a great organizational system. Yes, the guys who work there are total movie geeks & can be a little snobby, but they know what they're talking about.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Wicker Park cafe serves vegetarian fare to budget-conscious hipsters in a colorful, circus-y setting.. 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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scubasteveaz

Joined 10 years ago

Excellent Experience. First visit was 9/02, most recent 12/03. The new location is great; same impressive decor, with improved seating and kitchen area. So good went twice on a two day trip to Chi-town. Friendly, helpful staff and great food made for great experiences. Would HIGHLY recommend.

Doesn't Recommend

wallac44

Joined 10 years ago

uhhh.... Although it is pretty cool that they have a movie rental establishment connected to the restaurant it does not make up for the attitude of the people behind the food counters. The guys upstairs are really cool (which makes me think there are different hiring managers for the restaurant and the movie place) but the kids below are nasty and snobby. The food is not worth the money it costs (or the wait to get it) and I am most confident that I will never return. It is too bad, too- because if it weren't for the staff the place would be okay....

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CoffeeMonger

Joined 11 years ago

Great Place for Regulars. I'm a regular at Earwax Cafe and I love it there. The staff is always friendly and attentive to myself and other regulars. 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. My advice: don't be a jerk and they'll treat you well.

Doesn't Recommend

abelle79

Joined 11 years ago

bad waitstaff+so-sofood=ain't worth it. the food, cool interior, nice setup were not worth the long wait, bad attitude, long faces of the waitstaff. Good vegetarian food is hard to find, but the bad vibe of this place just spoils one's appetite.