Restaurant Review – Julius Meinl

I love a new coffee shop! Especially one that has delicious food. This week took me to Julius Meinl, a quaint coffee shop in the heart of Southport Corridor. The cafe has a large outdoor patio, ample indoor seating, and a relaxed vibe. The space is open and has a very easy going atmosphere, perfect for a solo brunch on a Tuesday. I was seated right away, although there were a fair number of tables occupied by families and people working from laptops. The menu is stocked with authentic Austrian cuisine, coffees, and pastries. I knew I had to start with a coffee, so I ordered a mocha while I perused the menu. They have a good number of both breakfast and lunch options. This is always the hardest choice for me! I finally decided on breakfast- everything just sounded too good! I chose the Baked Eggs. There were six different types to choose from. I decided on the eggs with truffled potatoes, wilted kale, bechamel, and parmesan. Each entree comes with a choice of toasted multigrain, sourdough, brioche, or pumpernickel bread and house jam. I chose the brioche! This was fantastic. It was the perfect portion, which can be hard to find when dining by yourself. The truffled potatoes were so tasty and the brioche toast was to die for. I don’t know what type of house jam I had, but I wanted to take a bath in it. It was marvelous. I knew I had to try a pastry, so I chose the Key Lime Torte: key lime mousse, creme brûlée custard, and key lime curd, all on a graham cracker crust. This was to die for. I absolutely love key lime and this did not disappoint. The graham cracker crust was buttery and crisp and the mousse was light and fluffy. I could have eaten three of these! I can’t wait to come back and try more things here. 

Julius Meinl has two locations in Chicago, one at 3601 N Southport and one in Ravenswood at 4115 N Ravenswood. The Southport location is open from 7 am to 8 pm daily. The Ravenswood location is open 7 am to 5 pm Mondays through Fridays and from 8 am to 2 pm Saturdays and Sundays. Find more information here.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO