Pretty decent coffee, sandwich, breakfast shop.
I went here on a Saturday for a healthy bite to eat. Â I got the portabello mushroom sandwich. Â It was good, it wasnt anything amazing BUT it was good and only like $6 or something. Â I love that they put sprouts on it. Â Such small things can make me happy.
It looks like they have a great selection of breakfast items and other hearty sandwiches. Â They also have a case of pastries, breads, etc.
I wish I could give zero stars for this place. Â I must say the lady at the front who takes your order is very nice and accommodating, but the person who is in charge of the kitchen is beyond rude. Â I picked up my order and took it out to eat it. Â When I realized the order wasn't right I went back in to explain I had been given the wrong sandwich. Â She fought with me back and forth insisting it was what I ordered. Â Not sure how that goes considering I don't even eat meat and that is what I received. Â Needless to say I finally got what I paid for but it was not without a fight and she made a huge scene in front of many others who were there in the lunchtime rush. Â When I was leaving, someone else was walking in saying too they got something they didn't order. Â Hmmm.....
Review Source:I went to Brett's over lunch one day because I wanted to try something new. It was pretty busy, but I felt they were getting sandwiches out pretty slowly. Everything is open so you can watch them while you're waiting for your food, but I wish I hadn't. Granted I am a vegetarian and it bothered me that they didn't have a designated "meat" and "non-meat" section on their grill, but more than that, they were cross-contaminating like crazy! I think anyone should be concerned when they use the same spatula to flip a raw chicken breast and then flip a piece of toast.
Someone took my food even though everyone is given a ticket with a number so I ended up waiting much longer for my food.
In the end, the sandwich was pretty good (good enough for its price? not sure). I got the pesto special and I liked that everything was homemade and not mass-produced. But the service, wait, and lack of sanitary measures turned me off. There are better sandwich places in River North.
I stopped in for the first time today thanks to my new office location, and so far so good! I only had the tabouleh, but I willingly accepted a bite from a co-workers reuben and it was pretty damn good. Everything seemed fresh and the bread was sufficiently buttery crisp.
The tuna melt, turkey burger and sweet potato fries looked solid too. I feel a little guilty that I'm more excited about the new food options than my pristine window seat at the office, but I can't help my foodie behavior.
The prices are slightly steep, but I don't mind the long wait or the feisty service behind the counter. It's a quaint spot that I'm sure I'll frequent often.
I work right off the Chicago Brown line and I always see Brett's Kitchen. I finally tried it last week and was pleasantly surprised! The only reason for a 4-star rating is because of the phone etiquette when I called to order. The woman answered by saying, "Yeah?" When I said I wanted to place an order for pickup, she responded with, "Yeah what do'ya want?" I felt this was a little rude, especially because I called around 2:00, not during busy lunch hour.
I ordered the Pyrenees Cheese Sandwich with avocado and tabouli. I'll try anything with avocado! I wasn't sure what tabouli was, but it seemed sort of like quinoa. I spent about $7 on the sandwich and sweet potato fries. Both were excellent (although the fries were a bit soggy. Still good, though!)
While I got my lunch to go, the inside of the restaurant was very clean and quaint, set up like a diner. Good to know there's a restaurant near my work that's decently priced with good food!
The prices here are a little steep as others have mentioned.
I've come here for a few things so far. One, the parfait. That is the one awesome thing I've had at Brett's so far. There are two layers of not-too-sweet yogurt, a middle layer of crunchy, fresh granola, and topped with 4-5 fresh berries. It's yummy and delicious, but it costs $4.
I've also gotten the egg sandwich, which really was not worth the $4. The bread doesn't taste buttered or like anything special. And the eggs, although freshly cooked, was dry and didn't have much flavor. I definitely would not be getting that sandwich again. I've also bought a piece of pound cake, which was a huge piece, but way too buttery. But on a huge plus side, everyone there is friendly esp the cashier, and everyone who goes into that place looks happy. I bet their lunch sandwiches taste better.
I've actually never been to Brett's for lunch because I don't work in the area. But I live 3 blocks away and frequent there for breakfast on Saturdays. Â I love it here! Â So quiet and comfortable, and the food is great. It's nothing mind blowing but for the price and what they have it's perfect for a quick cheap breakfast. Lastly their HOMEMADE HOT SAUCE is the best!!!!...try it
Review Source:Debating between 4 and 5 stars, I went all the way because of the quality of the food - top notch. Â Everything is made fresh, right in front of you, with the turkey chili and tuna melt reigning supreme! Â The only possible downside is that it is not the best dine-in location by any means. Â It is rather cramped, especially when it's busy and all the patrons waiting for their to-go food are standing around. Â But, to me, this is offset and overshadowed by the fantastic staff. Â From the time you get to the counter, until handing you your order, the staff are all very friendly. Â Call me biased because I work across the street...but you be the judge.
Pros:
- Food is all fresh and fantastic (best turkey chili around)
- Staff are all very friendly and helpful
- Very reasonable prices (unlike some reviews suggest)
Cons:
- Not a great dine-in place
- Their system (where to stand, where to wait, etc) can be disorderly
I work close to here and it's my favorite lunch spot. I love the grilled chicken on rye! Everything they offer is delicious. Some of the negative reviews complain about the wait time but I don't remember ever having to wait more than 5-10 minutes... the food is made to order, it's not McDonald's by any means so it's not going to be ready in ten seconds (which is a good thing).
It's also not expensive at all! The sandwiches are all in the $4-6 range which is WAY cheaper than surrounding places. This is River North, nothing is dirt cheap here.
Quality ingredients for a great price. Don't believe the haters.
I don't know what the hype is about this place. I've been here twice and both times was not impressed with the food. I'm more unimpressed with the service which is always, slow, rude and overall annoying. Today I came in and tried ordering a French Toast to go and it took almost 20 minutes. I was the only customer along with a red headed girl that may have worked at a different location? She kept going back and forth about hot beverage sleeves and it took FOREVER. UGH, do that on your own time and don't take up mine. I was so annoyed I couldn't wait to get out of there. Once I had a few bites of my French Toast I was more annoyed as it didn't even taste good, there is not enough butter or syrup in the world to make this edible. Luckily, I saw a homeless person and was able to give it to someone in need. I will never go back.
Review Source:Been meaning to try this sandwich shop since I started working down the block.
Had the chicken salad sandwich on a pita - it was perfectly portioned and super fresh. The proportion of mayo to the rest of the sandwich was appropriate: not sloppy or dry.
Everything is made to order, so there's a bit of a wait after you place your order; but obviously it's worth it. So many different kinds of sandwiches, including melts and burgers, breads to choose from, etc.
They make their own baked goods, too - so snag a cookie, brownie, or piece of their breakfast breads in the morning.
There is seating inside, but not a lot - so don't expect to dine-in during your lunch hour.
Some people have complained it's "expensive" - $5-$8 is the cost for a sandwich, $2.25 for a baked good. It's really okay, people. This isn't mystery meat at Subway.
Went here for a late lunch today with the gf for a couple of sandwiches and something for dessert. Â Ended up getting a corned beef sandwich on grilled rye bread with coleslaw and russian dressing. Â Surprisingly it was really better then I had expected. My gf had the turkey club and it was good as well. Â The cookies were above average, had a chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. Â
The staff was very nice, and they didn't charge extra for everything I wanted put on my sandwich which is nice considering what most places end up charging. Â I do not think anything was particularly amazing, but it was all very good, for lack of a better word. Â I will definitely be back here again.
A quick update on Brett's, which has become my number one lunch location in River North.
Here are some insider tips from a regular:
The daily special is always rotating, and the only thing that is set in stone is Thursday, which is always Sloppy Joe day - the best day of the whole week! I go every Thursday, and I love it so much I even created a little song and dance that I sing when I order "It's Sloppy Joe Day Mother Truckas." The staff humors me with this, and even asked for their picture with me, when I came in wearing the "It's Sloppy Joe Day Mother Trucka" t-shirt my co-workers had custom made for my birthday. Â I usually get my Joe with the fries, but occasionally will get it with the coleslaw, and just dump the slaw right on the sandwich, adding a cool, crispy crunch. Â I also have been known to top my Joe with cheddar cheese and a bag of Fritos I snag at Walgreens next door.
If I get the urge for Brett's on a non-Thursday, I usually opt for "the Dago." This non-menu item is the specialty of the line cook Dago (pronounced Dah-go, and hopefully spelled right. I know that this spelling is also how you spell the ethnic slur, which is absolutely NOT what I am going for.) Â it is basically a Mexican chicken sandwich, with a twist. You can also order his breakfast sandwich, which is pretty good too.
Their 1/2 pound cheese burger is currently my favorite hamburger in town (next to Kuma's, which to be fair shouldn't really be compared to a regular burger anyway since it usually has so many unconventional ingredients piled on top!). Â It is just a delicious, no frills, mouth-watering, delicious burger. My boss and I get these about once a month, eat it so fast it's like swallowing it whole, and then go into a beef coma for the rest of the day.
Also, I want to confirm the other reviews - the Banana bread is shockingly good. Very moist and delicious! Well worth it.
The only downside to Brett's is that their close time of 4PM is a bit deceptive. There have been a number of times I've stopped by or called in an order around 3:30 and they've told me their grill is shut down for the day.
Love this place for lunch! I love the cashier lady - she's so fun, and extremely nice.
I had the double quarter pound burger. Definitely hit the spot that day. Juicy and filling! Today, I had the grilled chicken sandwich on french bread - phenom. Just light enough for lunch. The fries are also pretty good too. People recommend the grilled cheese - next time I'm getting me one of those!
River north's lunch spots gets tiring but Brett's kitchen is always a good option! Do it!
Working at 600 West Chicago, my lunch options were wearing me down, so you could imagine how happy I was when some co-workers introduced this place to me. Thank goodness!
I've just been here once but there are so many options that I could see this being a long-lasting friendship. My Mediterranean sandwich and fruit bowl was really good, really fresh, and it didn't take me long to get my food... all very important for an office-break-lunch.
Yes, Brett, I'll be back.
The staff is great at this place. Â I often order black coffee in the mornings and enjoy it!
I ordered a grilled cheese- it wasn't as good as a hamburger would have been (at the same price). Â I do realize that this 3-star review is entirely my fault for ordering such a bullsh*t attempt at a sandwich.
I should have asked for a different cheese on my grilled cheese, perhaps one of the artisan cheeses that they promote would have been better than the standard, blase, cheddar.
If you take anything away from this short review, please do not get cheddar cheese on anything that you'll order.
And I couldn't find a bathroom, isn't a restaurant required to have a bathroom? Â Maybe its not required (?) as they might only have seating for about 15-20 people.
The pulp-heavy fresh-squeezed orange juice here is deeeeelicious! It's $3.50 for a medium-sized plastic cup, but it's worth every penny.
Service is super-sweet, and this is also a very family-friendly place - seems like a rarity out here in River North in the gallery district. Next time I come back, I'm going to take Jelena's advice and try the tuna melt, mmm...
They're only open until 4pm - which threw me off when I'd walk by there after work on my way to the train.
Literally, every day I'd press my face to the window and wonder if it was just vacant or something and the thought NEVER occured to me that there wasn't even a "For Rent" sign in the window so maybe it WASN'T vacant.
Guys, it's not vacant. I'm just retarded and unable to figure out when it's open. S-M-R-T.
Anyway, it's a lovely little sandwich/breakfast/coffee shop that's only open til 4 and makes a damn tasty tuna melt. I paid a little more than I would have liked for said tuna melt (considering a can of tuna at Dominicks tends to be $1, and bread is maybe $2 for a loaf), but I also could have brought my lunch so maybe I should shut up, huh?
In a rush Friday morning, didn't make breakfast, so I'll stop at Brett's Kitchen for some morning fuel.
Usually I just grab a bagel with cream cheese which will only set you back $2.25 which I can handle but this time...
... I'll have an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich with an OJ. Fresh squeezed or bottled? Fresh squeezed (its payday, why not?). That will be $9.00, and I almost felt obligated to tip, so 10 bucks out the door. Yikes!
I will pay the convenience fee because it's literally under the Chicago and Franklin Brown Line stop and on my way to work. Â And don't get me wrong the food is very good and they crank it out in the morning. I've had the turkey club for lunch as well, at $6.75 with no sides; I haven't been back for lunch (maybe because there is a Subway within spitting distance of me).
If price is not an issue then you will find superior home-made food, friendly staff, and they cook on a flat top right in front of you. If you stop in enough they will start to remember your order - if you can afford it (I think the price comes with the territory).
Oh and they have a lot of pre-made sandwiches, muffins, and breakfast fare, etc. if that's for you.
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars but price knocked it down.
I really like Brett's Kitchen. Â The food is really good, the atmosphere is cute and the staff are super friendly. Â It's an adorable little diner.
With that said, there are a few down sides. Â One thing is that they are a little pricey... not crazy, especially given the location, but I always feel like I'm paying 1 or 2 dollars more than I should be. Â
The second thing is that it is REALLY REALLY small. Â From noon - 1 the wait can be moderate and seating very tough to find. Â If they added a little outdoor seating for the spring/summer it would be lovely, but as of right now they do not have outdoor seating. Â
Easy fix for the tight squeeze is to go on slightly off times. Â I've gone at 11:30am or 1:00pm and had no problem finding a table.
I was searching for a place for lunches around the River West area and came across Brett's Kitchen. Â While it's small (about 5 small tables), it's never been a problem for me finding a seat. Â Most lunch goers order their food to go.
I've only had their corned beef sandwich, on rye with mustard and a tabouli salad. Â The corned beef is tastey. Â Not the best I've had (that would be Manny's in South Loop). Â But it is better than average. Â You get a decent amount of meat. Â The tabouli is kinda blah. Â Lots of cracked wheat. Â I prefer mine with much less cracked wheat. Â But it's a filler for those days when I'm starving.
I like the girl who takes your order and works the register. Â She always greet people with an "hola!" and calls me "babe". Â Kinda funny and always catches me off-guard. Â But gives the place a feeling of familiarity, like I've been eating there for ages.
This is a common work lunch option for me. They used to have the best ever reuben sandwich. Piled high w/ meat and kraut w/ a little tub of thousand island on the side. Grilled buttery bread. I can almost feel my heart attacking as I sit here thinking about it.
Then I went back a few weeks ago. Their line system changed (understandable..maybe trying to make it more efficient) but it totally threw me off. Then I got my 'wich and it lacked in meat, wasn't grilled the whole way, and they spread a weak and thin layer of thousand on one side of one slice. The price went up a bit. It was even made by the same dude....maybe he was in a hurry.
Tear, brett's. Tear.
I hope it was just a particularly bad day.
Brett's Kitchen has the best egg sandwich in the city. Â I haven't visited for a couple of years, but for a few years I used to spend many weekends in that neighborhood, and this was a favorite. Â
No Sunday hours, which is a major bummer on those mornings when you want an egg sandwich after Saturday night's carousings.
Now that I work in River North again, I can once more enjoy the delights at Brett's during the lunch rush. Their daily specials are interesting and delish, and include such items as salmon/ tabbouleh wraps and tuna tacos with tomatillo sauce.
The staff is very friendly ("your special is EXTRA special today; look how nice I packed it up for you!") and they always pay attention to special requests (i.e. hold the tomato, sauce on the side, etc.). Â They have a lot of healthy and/or veggie options, which makes it easier to stay on track with my diet. Oh, and they have a KILLER grilled cheese;)
The only down side? They are S-L-O-W and often get orders confused or forget them altogether. Order there, watch them, and make them uncomfortable until you get your meal. I've found it's the best way to avoid serious delays getting back to the office.
5 stars alone for the best tuna melt I have ever met and then unapologetically devoured! Get it on the 9-grain bread and you will thank me later.
Also, the employees here are cool and funny! Â Cute, cafe decor-- love the bowls arranged in rainbow order on the shelves around the perimeter. Â Brett's has a grand total of 7 smallish tables, so lunchtime can be a bit snug. Â But, the cooks are lightning fast! Â I was in and out in 8 minutes.
The menu is scrawled out of the chalkboard which creates the perfect antithesis to the typical downtown work mentality, aka "I'm leaving the office to bring lunch back to my desk". Â The breakfast items and "healthy/vegetarian" options sounded yummy as well.
Thanks Brett's, for making my 8 minutes out of the office that much more enjoyable, and for making the next 15 as I ate my sandwich just heavenly.
Now  that I'm not working in River North anymore, I'm starting to miss Brett. Here's why: two items that made hating my job downright enjoyable: Chorizo & egg sandwich and an almond latte.
It's a little pricey and If you are pressed for time, CALL AHEAD, it gets crazy swamped in there. Tuna Provencal sandwich is great.
I am normally not a sandwich person, but I was coerced to try Brett's for lunch. Â
What a surprise! Â The chicken salad sandwich? Â So yummy. Â Egg Salad? Â The best! Â Very fresh, not a gooey mess with unidentifiable chunks. Â I hear their grill cheese sandwich is superb, I just was afraid to have it for lunch and had to go back to work. Â Next time. Â
They also have breakfast sandwich, soups, salads and burgers. Â If you're in the neighborhood for something quick, check them out!
Based on the accolades of Yelp, I trekked all the way here from my conference one day last week in order to avoid eating at a chain for six meals in a row. The greek chicken sandwich I had was really really good. The chicken was juicy as hell, and the cookie was outa sight.
But what really made it worth the hike in a suit in the midday sun was the people. This place has more character than a panera and a potbelly's put together - the woman who rang me up called me doll, sugar AND honey. Now that's sweet.
I work in a food wasteland. Seriously, I really do.
That, and I am really lazy, and tend to have the eating habits of a pissed off 6 year old.
Brett's has a decent menu, but they totally capitalize on the fact that there is really NOTHING ELSE in the 'hood. I mean come on, 2 bucks for a small container of cottage cheese? 2 bucks for a yogurt? They do have a really great choice of bottled drinks in the back, and Kettle Chips, too.
Also, I found somewhere else in the area to get a bagel and cream cheese, where the price is the same as it is here, but you seriously get 3 times the cream cheese (here you get a single little tub, and it's that weird neufchatel stuff).
The people who work here are super friendly and HILARIOUS. But Woe betide you if you come in during a lunch rush. It gets more packed than a can of sardines.
I'd honestly rather give them my money than Starbucks any day, but to be honest, I like the cookies better at the chain.
I like this place. Â For the sandwiches, I recommend the Reuben and egg salad. Â They have good burgers and fries too. Â And service is fine.
Note: If you get a breakfast sandwich, they charge extra for egg whites only, which I don't really understand, since they're cutting out the yolk.
Fast, affordable, and delicious! Met a few friends here for lunch yesterday and was very impressed with good old Brett's Kitchen.  I had just come from Boot Camp with Jen (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/nQVvfE-6VoEUPLcqJhvZqw">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) and was absolutely starving after Jen kicked my butt on the hills and stairs all morning long! And I came to the right place because my bagel with egg whites & swiss cheese totally hit the spot! Â
The other girls I was with ate every bite of their meals as well! Fellow yelper, Ali A, said her cheddar cheese & chive omelet was unbelievable, while Dana P went all out with bacon, pancakes and eggs. Dana is one of those annoyingly skinny people who can eat bacon & pancakes & doesn't even do boot camp! Sigh. Â Although for those of us who do have to diet it's always fun sneaking bites of Dana's fattening food like the banana bread she also got at Brett's Kitchen yesterday. Â I've had a lot of banana bread in my life (it's one of the only things my mom knows how to make) and Brett's banana bread was among the best!
Although Brett's  Kitchen was delicious I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here because there's nothing truly special about it besides  good food, but I"ll definitely be back when in the area.
If you are indecisive DO NOT GO HERE! They have so many delicious choices, from a simple grilled cheese to a crazy sando with all the fixins! Â Plus soup or chili if you're into that kind of thing. Their veggie special is so good with the sesame sauce, its so fresh and crisp - just what a veggie special should be. Its difficult navigating your way through, but just when you think that you have had enough the cashier always has a big smile and somethng nice to say.
On a side note - their coffee is pretty good too. I have no idea what kind it is, but I like it!
This place is sweet because they serve everything from soup to salad, from lattes to turkey clubs. Their food is top-notch, made with high-quality ingredients and elbow grease.
The folks that work here are cool as well, they're always friendly, courteous and silly. I go here sometimes to "grab-a-sammitch" and have yet to be depressed by my purchase.
Don't go around noon though, hold out for an off-hour eating time... because it'll be far too packed otherwise. I cannot stand being crowded and confused by the seething masses of sammitch-seekers. Another gripe of mine about Brett's is their traffic flow, which is completely related to my distaste with crowds.
The way the line is set up, you order from the beginning of the sammitch counter then proceed backward toward the drinks. The problem with this is that when it is crowded... it gets difficult for the employees to tell who's who and who's been waited on. I often have the problem where someone who came in well after me gets waited on before me because of this traffic flow issue. This is a problem that needs fixing. People should order sammitches at a particular point toward the back of the restaurant. Then they proceed forward and progress toward the cash register, rather than proceeding backward into the restaurant and then having to loop back around to continue onward toward the cash register.
One last note. There is no bourbon here, so beware or come prepared! I do like them enough though, to not subtract a star because of it. They should color themselves lucky. Phaw.
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