Egg Yolk Cafe 100 S. Neltnor Blvd, West Chicago, 60185 (630.231.2370). Omelets $8-$12; Paninis and Wraps $8-$11; Combos $8.99; Sides $2-$4; Skillets $8.79-$10.

The pleasant smell of a morning breakfast is evident when walking in. Slight music plays through the speakers on the ceiling. Customers are warmly greeted at the door with a smile, then seated by the waitress. A quick look around reveals how modern the place looks. The sounds of elderly people talking to each other and kids laughing echoes through the restaurant. Such is the scene of West Chicago’s Egg Yolk Cafe.

As monsoon-like rains pummeled the city on Sunday, September 11, I went with my mom, dad, older sister, nephew and niece to the Egg Yolk Cafe. Walking in around 9:30 a.m. I noticed hanging lights above each table along the side wall, accented by gray cushioned couches near the windows. Wooden chairs were situated in the center of the restaurant around rectangular-shaped tables, each featuring square shape designs in the center. The walls were painted white with a black outline around everything. Fans hung from the ceiling as local news played on the TVs. A big open cut-out on the ceiling created an arch with windows to see outside.

The smell of waffles, eggs and hash brown hit my nose as my family hovered around the hostess’ desk. Faint music played in the background, providing an amusing vibe to the place. We waited around five minutes before being seated, but considering the staff did have to put some tables together so our large group could all fit, the wait time was quite quick.

As we waited for service, I noticed the restaurant’s clientele: a good deal of elderly people and a few families here and there. The server walked up to us, beaming, then took us to our table walking past everyone already seated. Once we all sat down, the waiter, also with a smile, started asking right away for drinks. The waiter was very kind throughout the meal. I noticed he always kept a grin on his face, and seemed to enjoy his job.

The Egg Yolk Cafe is a West Chicago institution, and has been since it opened in August 2011. The restaurant moved into the space once occupied by the long-standing Sandpiper, which closed in 2010.

In fact, what really sets the Egg Yolk Cafe apart from other restaurants in the area is the friendly service. The service my large party received at our table was incredible. The waiter made us laugh as he took our orders, and was very kind, coming to us every 10 minutes or so to ask if we wanted a refill. He made sure we did not need anything else.

Attention to detail is also a thematic at the Egg Yolk Cafe. At the table, the fork, spoon and knife were nicely wrapped by the napkin, while centerpieces were held together with a metal wire basket holder that also included salt, pepper, Tapatío hot sauce, ketchup and different types of sugar in small packages.  

The menu is expansive, and there is something for everyone at this brunch spot.

The orange juice was nicely refreshing and had a lot of pulp which gave it a bitter aftertaste.

The waffles were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The strawberries on top gave the waffles more flavor and an element of something fresh. The waffles were all the more improved by the sweetness of the syrup. 

The hash browns were pleasantly crunchy on the top layer and cooked through on the bottom layer. 

Another member of my party ordered Yolk Combo #2, which consisted of French toast, eggs, bacon and sausage. They said the food was above average, but was not a huge fan of the French toast. The bacon was crunchy, which they disliked, but many people enjoy. The orange juice was unfortunate, since it had too much pulp, but the eggs were cooked well and the sausages were big and juicy.

Another member of my party ordered yolk Neltnor Skillet, which consists of egg, potatoes and ham. They said the food was decent but needed some spicy jalapenos to add a little bit of a kick. The dish was a little dry because of the potatoes and the ham. Instead of scrambled eggs, they would have preferred sunny side up for the yolk to melt on to the food.

Overall, however, the experience at the Egg Yolk Cafe was amazing, and highly recommended. The workers are kind and do their job amazingly well, and are always there for any more refills! All the staff at Egg Yolk Cafe works extremely well together, and always attends to the customer, no matter what situation they are in. Visitors will feel comfortable in the place, even if it is their first time dining there. The restaurant really tries to make breakfast the best it can be for any and every customer’s morning.