Yolk

Location: 1120 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 and multiple other locations.

 

A Quick Word:
Yolk is one of the most well-known breakfast establishments in Chicago.  Throughout the past 7 years I have been in Chicago, I have frequented this restaurant and also watched it expand from one to now several locations all around the city.  I like to consider Yolk one of the "BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK" restaurants.  When you order a meal here, expect to get enough for two or maybe even more.  I can honestly say I have never finished my entire meal here... and I have a pretty big appetite.  When dining in, the atmosphere feels like a really big diner.  The staff is quickly moving, yet still attentive.  They do like quick turn around, but I never felt rushed.  And, ordering take out is just as good.  They don't cheat you on the portion size.  When it comes to breakfast places in the city, I consider this place a staple.  Everyone needs to give it a try and see what they have been missing out on.  All of these great reasons lead me to rate them at 4.5-mile ratings.  Can't wait to be back!

What We Ate:

Yolk 2x2x2x2 Combo

My girlfriend ordered the 2x2x2x2 combo, which I will admit, I thought wouldn't be worth it.  It sounds plain, but was I wrong.  The huge platter comes with 2 eggs (she chose over medium), 2 hickory smoked bacon strips, 2 sausage links, your choice of either 2 pieces of french toast, 2 pancakes, 2 crepes, or half a waffle.  She stuck with the french toast.  Honestly, the breakfast is classic, but it is amazing and extremely filling!  The french toast by itself was a meal, especially with the two slices cut in half making 4 pieces.  Dip those in some honey and it can't be beat.  The bacon is extremely thick cut and cooked to have both a nice crunch, yet a great chew to it.  The sausage links should be described as bratwursts because they are easily 3 times the size of a typical breakfast sausage link.  And with the added benefit of 2 eggs, you really can't complain.  The price of this meal is $8.50, which is unbelievable cheap.  This would have lasted her 2-3 meals, but lucky for me, I got to eat a got portion of it as well.

Tuscan Frittata

Its always a tough decision for me when it comes to omelets/frittatas.  I never know whether to build my own or choose one of their combinations.  This time, I stuck with their Tuscan Frittata.  The ingredients were incredible... scrambled eggs mixed with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, basil,  and red potatoes.  These are all baked together before being topped with goat cheese.  It comes with a side of either pancakes, toast, or an english muffin.  This was definitely the best bang for your buck.  It had two premium ingredients in the chicken and goat cheese.  Both were plentiful and flavorful.  The goat cheese was both creamy and sharp, taking precedence over most of the other ingredients, which I really enjoyed.  The sun-dried tomatoes added a pop in sweetness to the dish.  And, the basil reminded me of pesto.  Great frittata, and huge portion... can't complain about this breakfast!

Banana-Blueberry Crunch Cakes

Whenever you order an omelet or scramble or a few of their other specialty dishes, you get the choice of pancakes, toast, or english muffin.  For $2.99 more, you can upgrade the pancakes to one of their specialty cakes.  I chose the Banana-Blueberry Crunch Cakes.  These were made with a multigrain batter mixed with almond granola and blueberries.  It is then topped with both bananas and honey.  Once again, the size is outrageous.  This side of pancakes was big enough for a meal and came with my actual meal.  The cakes themselves retained the fluffiness despite ordering take out and still had a little crunch from the granola.  The blueberries and bananas were both fresh and a prominent sweetness was established with that honey.  I honestly didn't need to pour any syrup on top.  Great pancakes!

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- I suggest calling ahead to see how long the wait is.  This place gets crazy packed on weekends.
- Whenever we order take out, we call the less busy locations (Ogilvie Train Station).  This is a newer location so the food is ready in about ten minutes as opposed to half an hour.
- Do upgrade your side of pancakes to one of their specialty ones.  It only costs $2.99 more which is a steal when you consider the real price costing about $10.

DON'T:
- Don't drive to the south loop location.  IMPOSSIBLE to park.  They do validate at garage next door but I think it is still about $12.
- I wouldn't come during peak hours unless you don't mind waiting for an hour or so.

How far would I walk for this food?