Location: 731 W. Maxwell St., Chicago, IL 60607
A Quick Word:
All college campuses need a couple of solid breakfast joints for students to flock to either before their mid-term exam, after a long night of drinking, or whenever they get sick of dorm food. Hashbrowns fulfills this need for the UIC students, as well as locals, living on "south campus." This breakfast place features breakfast specialities from each of the ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago as well as spins on some of the typical breakfast foods. From meat filled omelets to huge pancakes, students never leave this place hungry. It is not even close to a perfect rating and closer to just being average at best. The food is expensive for being in a college setting and also everyone needs tons of salt and pepper for their meals. The wait for such a cramped restaurants with OK food is too high most of the time. Check it out if you want to have average breakfast.
What We Ate:
(All pictures are of half eaten meals... I almost forgot to take pictures because we were so hungry.)
The first time I saw this sandwich, my friend was the one that ordered it. I recently went back to Hashbrowns to try it for myself. It is advertised as a scrambled egg sandwiches with other ingredients, but it was more of an omelet with bacon and tomatoes topped with melted cheddar cheese. This egg creation was served on two thick slices of french bread. There were two main problems with this sandwich in my opinion. First of all, it was called a panini, but the bread was only lightly toasted and not crunch at all. Finally, the eggs had next to no salt and no pepper. I ended up eating the sandwich with ketchup and hot sauce, which made it much better. The hashbrowns that came with this meal were regular potatoes and delicious. For being a place called hashbrowns, I was impressed. I have had all the other types and these classic potatoes and the killer hashbrowns are definitely ones to try!
I believe this is one of their famous creations that students come back for time and time again. I am one of the students and I am proud of it. They cover handfuls of tortilla chips with breakfast staples... scrambled eggs, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and sliced jalapeños. I enjoy covering it all in ketchup and eating it with a fork. It is so cheesy that the chips are almost impossible to pick up and eat with hands. The guacamole is nothing special... it lacks some of the typical flavors like cilantro. I do wish they gave a bunch more of the guac rather than me having to eat so much ketchup. The huge plate of nachos is next to impossible to finish, especially when you consider the hashbrowns it comes with.
These sweet potatoes seem to be baked in a casserole dish and then portioned whenever someone orders them. They then put a nice crust but quickly placing the potatoes on the flat top. These are definitely hashbrowns that have a unique flavor that most people aren't familiar with. They are mushier than usual and have a very strong sweet potato flavor... not like the ones you get at Thanksgiving. I definitely enjoy them and suggest them to people if they love sweet potatoes like I do. If not, don't hesitate to substitute them.
The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do order the Killer Hashbrowns (or pay the $1 or $2 to substitute them rather than the normal order with your meal)... it is an amazing hashbrown casserole cooked with lots of cheeses, seasoning, and sour cream. It reminds me of thanksgiving potato casserole. (Sorry for no picture, I will update hopefully soon enough).
- Do try their pancakes. They are served with a vanilla cream and some kind of berry sauce. (sorry not pictured)
- Parking in the Maxwell St. Parking Structure is $2 for a couple hours... prices are better than parking on the street so take advantage.
DON'T:
- Be careful which hashbrowns you choose. I don't recommend the sweet potato hashbrowns unless you really love sweet potatoes. I do, so I always order them.
- Don't forget to tip! A lot of the workers are from UIC and they are trying to work their way through college.
How far would I walk for this food?
A Quick Word:
All college campuses need a couple of solid breakfast joints for students to flock to either before their mid-term exam, after a long night of drinking, or whenever they get sick of dorm food. Hashbrowns fulfills this need for the UIC students, as well as locals, living on "south campus." This breakfast place features breakfast specialities from each of the ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago as well as spins on some of the typical breakfast foods. From meat filled omelets to huge pancakes, students never leave this place hungry. It is not even close to a perfect rating and closer to just being average at best. The food is expensive for being in a college setting and also everyone needs tons of salt and pepper for their meals. The wait for such a cramped restaurants with OK food is too high most of the time. Check it out if you want to have average breakfast.
What We Ate:
(All pictures are of half eaten meals... I almost forgot to take pictures because we were so hungry.)
Egg Panini with Regular Hashbrowns
The first time I saw this sandwich, my friend was the one that ordered it. I recently went back to Hashbrowns to try it for myself. It is advertised as a scrambled egg sandwiches with other ingredients, but it was more of an omelet with bacon and tomatoes topped with melted cheddar cheese. This egg creation was served on two thick slices of french bread. There were two main problems with this sandwich in my opinion. First of all, it was called a panini, but the bread was only lightly toasted and not crunch at all. Finally, the eggs had next to no salt and no pepper. I ended up eating the sandwich with ketchup and hot sauce, which made it much better. The hashbrowns that came with this meal were regular potatoes and delicious. For being a place called hashbrowns, I was impressed. I have had all the other types and these classic potatoes and the killer hashbrowns are definitely ones to try!
Egg Nachos
I believe this is one of their famous creations that students come back for time and time again. I am one of the students and I am proud of it. They cover handfuls of tortilla chips with breakfast staples... scrambled eggs, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and sliced jalapeños. I enjoy covering it all in ketchup and eating it with a fork. It is so cheesy that the chips are almost impossible to pick up and eat with hands. The guacamole is nothing special... it lacks some of the typical flavors like cilantro. I do wish they gave a bunch more of the guac rather than me having to eat so much ketchup. The huge plate of nachos is next to impossible to finish, especially when you consider the hashbrowns it comes with.
Sweet Potato Hashbrowns
These sweet potatoes seem to be baked in a casserole dish and then portioned whenever someone orders them. They then put a nice crust but quickly placing the potatoes on the flat top. These are definitely hashbrowns that have a unique flavor that most people aren't familiar with. They are mushier than usual and have a very strong sweet potato flavor... not like the ones you get at Thanksgiving. I definitely enjoy them and suggest them to people if they love sweet potatoes like I do. If not, don't hesitate to substitute them.
The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do order the Killer Hashbrowns (or pay the $1 or $2 to substitute them rather than the normal order with your meal)... it is an amazing hashbrown casserole cooked with lots of cheeses, seasoning, and sour cream. It reminds me of thanksgiving potato casserole. (Sorry for no picture, I will update hopefully soon enough).
- Do try their pancakes. They are served with a vanilla cream and some kind of berry sauce. (sorry not pictured)
- Parking in the Maxwell St. Parking Structure is $2 for a couple hours... prices are better than parking on the street so take advantage.
DON'T:
- Be careful which hashbrowns you choose. I don't recommend the sweet potato hashbrowns unless you really love sweet potatoes. I do, so I always order them.
- Don't forget to tip! A lot of the workers are from UIC and they are trying to work their way through college.
How far would I walk for this food?
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