Top Spots for Steak & Eggs in Chicago
Steak and eggs is as quintessential for brunch as pancakes, omelettes, and waffles. The protein-packed combo can be tricky to pull off right, though, so it takes a well-oiled kitchen with a refined breakfast or brunch program to execute it properly and deliciously. When that steak craving hits in the morning, these are the spots you should go to:
Valois: This uber old-school cafeteria-style restaurant in Hyde Park has been slinging steak and eggs and other all-American staples for decades. It recently spiked in popularity due to President Obama's vocal adoration of the restaurant, which is easy to understand once you set foot inside this place. More so than almost any other restaurant in the city, Valois feels preserved in time, like a homey time capsule filled with tasty and affordable food all day long. Swing by for breakfast for one of their most popular items, the steak & eggs. The huge slab of steak is succulent and well seasoned, and the eggs come whatever way you choose, along with some superlative spuds. I'd suggest over-easy or sunny-side up to maintain some of that oozy yolk for a makeshift sauce.
Uncle Mike's Place: While not necessarily as old as Valois, Uncle Mike's Place is an institution in and of itself in West Town. The American/Filipino restaurant is famed for its breakfast, featuring comfort foods from both cultures. One of the most popular dishes is the skirt steak breakfast, which is a marinated cut of meat served with two eggs any style, garlic fried rice, and a bowl of fresh lugao, a Filipino porridge.
Red Door: From Filipino to Korean, steak and eggs adapt a different Asian accent at Red Door. The Bucktown restaurant opts for bulgogi-glazed hanger steak for its meat, served with house kimchi and scrambled eggs at brunch.
Longman & Eagle: Then there's the Irish version found at this Logan Square hot spot. The "Irish Steak Breakfast" is a burly platter of Painted Hills strip loin combined with blood sausage, potato boxty, creme fraiche, and a sunny-side egg. It's unabashedly meaty, hearty, and deeply satisfying.
Beatrix: On the weekend brunch menu at this all-day River North favorite, steak and eggs gets some uncommon assists from chimichurri and shishito peppers. The steak gets dressed with the herbal, acidic South American sauce, plated alongside eggs, golden hash browns, and some grilled shishito peppers for an added dose of smoke and mild heat.
Tweet: In Uptown, another popular brunch spot draws inspiration from local artists for its take on steak and eggs. The dish is found on the "Artist Favorites" section of the menu, featuring dishes inspired by the likes of Tony Fitzpatrick. It's a six-ounce piece of marinated and grilled skirt steak served with two eggs, potatoes, toast, and either a fruit cup of compote. Good pick, Tony.
Nellcote: Grilled strip steak is the cut of choice at Nellcote, where steak and eggs gets a refined update. The kitchen at this chic European-inspired restaurant augments the steak with roasted heirloom tomato, bearnaise sauce, and a soft scrambled hen egg.
- Matt Kirouac