I live nearby and frequent this place quite often.
I love their food, but they don't quite have the staff to serve it. Â Sometimes I hang out at the register for a good 10 minutes just to be waited on to get a cup of coffee. Â I'm always acknowledged by some focused staffer meticulously slicing apples for a previous customer's side order, but then just awkwardly stand at the register taking a peek at the time every couple of minutes . Â
They usually have two people staffed, one's always in the back, strictly scheduled to bang pans together, emerging only for quick "hi"s before 'venturing back to the kitchen cave. Â Then the other is the sole ruler of the kingdom of food and drinks, too much responsibility in my book, especially if they're new.
Like others have mentioned, portions are small, but scrumptious and fresh. Â There are always some patrons, but never too busy to score a seat and wait for that deliciousness.
In general, too expensive -- and at least one problem with deceptive signage.
The menu on the wall says that most breakfast entrées "include a bottomless cup of coffee or tea."
Well, there was an old song in the 1970s, during the Watergate era, about Nixon's dishonest cronies. And one of the lines was, "And just what we say isn't quite what we mean!"
When I ordered scrambled eggs and potatoes for $7.99, I asked for the coffee. The employee said, "Oh, we have to change that sign, it's confusing. That means that if you buy some coffee, it will be free refills."
But it doesn't say that, it says breakfast dishes include a bottomless cup of coffee.
I normally don't split hairs, but everything here is so costly anyway, I will split hairs.
The eggs were good, though.
The friendly service and the coffee, are the best part of this place. My breakfast burrito was average. The cinnamon roll was great. I would like to give this place 5 stars just for the name. All I could think of is the rabbit from Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail the whole time and that brought a smile to may face.
Review Source:I thank the nasty rain for bringing me to the Growling Rabbit for brunch. My friend and I originally planned on walking down to Pillars, but didn't feel like trekking the 3-4 blocks in the pouring rain. I suggested we try the Growling Rabbit because it was so much closer and I figured they'd at least have some breakfast pastries to go with our coffee.
Not only did they have pastries, but they had a full menu! My friend got a bacon cheddar quiche with a side salad, and I ended up getting the breakfast burrito. All in all the food was pretty tasty. My coffee was meh (should've gotten a latte instead, I think), but my friend enjoyed her decaf.
The service was pleasant, but not really prompt (got our food before our coffee...weird), and the space was cute and not crowded.
If I lived where my friend does I would likely frequent this place, but I don't, so I won't. That being said, if you live in Rogers Park and want to support a local business, check it out.
I was pretty excited when I drove by some months ago and saw the signs that the G.R. was going to be opening.
I finally had a chance to stop in.
The place was almost to capacity on a late Sunday morning. Â Music was not blaring.
Good signs.
The staff behind the counter was involved in a personal conversation as I was waiting in line. Â Okay, no line, just myself and one other person.
I order a cup of coffee.
Almost $4.00 later and the woman place and iced-coffee on the table.
I explained I had not ordered an iced coffee.  Many apologies and she came back about two full minutes later with a hot coffee.  The two minutes was spent in discussion with another woman about whether or not she overcharged me (I had not asked) and how she could refund  $ .57 on a debit card (again, I had not asked for a refund).
The coffee was just okay.
The service was. . .confusing.
And the wifi password was something like: parmesanencrustedtuna
Weird.
Let me start by saying that I love the food and drinks here and the staff is friendly. So why only two stars? Because the place is consistently under staffed. The last couple of times I have been there I have had to wait at least 15 minutes to get a to go drink because they only had 1 or 2 people working the entire restaurant. This past weekend, I waited in line for 15 minutes just to find out that they ran out of Chai. I would totally give this place 4 stars if they had service even half as good as Metropolis, Common Cup, Starbucks, or any of the other coffee stores in Rogers Park. Hopefully it will get better.
Review Source:I (and the Growling Rabbit) have been in the area longer now and some of the luster has worn off. Â It's still a solid place to do work while grabbing a cup of coffee (and certainly better than the nearby Starbucks). Â But I'd say the coffee is average but cheap, the food tasty and healthy but undersized, the baked goods subpar, and the decor is ok but feels a little barren. Â A solid place, but certainly nothing extraordinary.
Review Source:I have been waiting to try The Growling Rabbit for a month now. I moved into the neighborhood a month ago & quickly looked for a close coffee shop. Though Starbucks is a usual stop for me, I figured since moving from the suburbs, I needed to branch out a bit and take in the local coffee scene.
The Growling Rabbit is set in a garden unit on the southeast corner of Lunt and Sheridan. With neon green walls and pictures of rabbits and bunnies, you'd think it wouldn't be very zen, but the atmosphere offers a lot. The music late 80s, 90s and early 2000s is easily heard, but not obnoxious. There were enough people to make you feel comfortable and not like the only Joe in the house, but not too many to feel over-crowded. The ambiance is exactly what I feel Rogers Park is about... a little quirky, with a lot of character, a nice variety, and nice people.
The line was short and moved fairly quickly. I say fairly quickly because I am one of those Americans who hate to wait, but I took it in stride because I know life isn't always about rushing. I waited in line for less than three minutes.
I ordered the Green Mango Tea, in house and one of their Cinnamon rolls, because I had heard a lot about the rolls.
I immediately received the roll of my choice and headed to the window seat with four comfy, ottoman-like chairs. The arista very kindly brought me my tea pot and tea cup.
Yum! Both the tea and the cinnamon roll were delicious. I had to cut myself off at half the cinnamon roll because it was that big. The roll is served cold, but the taste and freshness are evident. The icing has to be my favorite!
The tea was great as well. The tea is loose tea in a bag and brought out in a personal tea pot.
I can't wait to come back and try their dinner!
Not only is the food delicious, but the staff is really friendly, knowledgeable and willing to help you make choices if you ask.
I've had their mac n cheese (it's good but not my fav... I should have opted for the mac n cheese plus extra gobbledy gook), sloppy lentil joe (AMAZING!! my fav) parfaits (dangerously delicious) cupcakes (they're a little more dense than I like, but lots of people obsess over them) and their quinoa salad (really flavorful! I ask them to heat it up because cold quinoa is weird to me...)
Love this place! I just moved into the neighborhood and was so pleased to find this place just a stone's throw away. It's got everything I need from a staple coffee shop, especially in the summer.
Solid iced coffee, pleasant iced tea, homemade bagels, plenty of table space, shaded outdoor seating, free WiFi, fun interior, and awesome cinnamon rolls (slathered in cream cheese frosting) on weekends. It's the little things, too: they have rarely skimped me on the cream cheese that I get with my everything bagel, and the friendly service is a welcome relief from that certain blasé coffee shop affect that you find in places with louder music and a perhaps edgier vibe.
They maybe need to figure out their service flow a bit better; it's not a place to just quick grab a coffee and muffin on your way to catching the bus, or if you're otherwise in a hurry. But perfect for a study session, or a leisurely coffee date with a friend.
I really did not expect to like this place.
I am more of a Corner Bakery girl but The Growling Rabbit proved to be as delicious if not more.
I enjoyed the egg, spinach and bacon sandwich on a french toast and Wow it was good.
Not only was the service really nice but to my surprise the food came out really quickly and I did not have to wait long to dig in.
The outdoor sitting was also a plus.
I can't wait to come back and maybe try some of their sweets.
I did come back for lunch and the food was decent and not significantly overpriced, but no bargain either. Â I doubt I'd go out of my way to eat here again. Â The owner did respond to my previous post, but as someone that worked in the restaurant business for 10 years I'm even more convinced that he has no clue what running a coffee shop is supposed to be about. Â In the morning, people want coffee on their way to work (if you work a day job you're already on the road, train, bus, bike by 7:30. Logically, you'll have no business between 7:30 and 8:30 - you've missed your window. Â And by the way it should not take 10 minutes to get a copy of black coffee - ever.
Being closed on Monday is a norm, but closing because your staff is overworked is crazy. Â I've watched them, they're not in a hurry to do anything.
I joined yelp today just to give this review!! Â They have their friends come on and give good reviews so be warned. Â The lady owner is rude and worse at customer service than her workers.
Every time I come into this place the service is always slow. Â It sucks cause they have really good cupcakes. Â Today however, I came in and they purposefully gave me the wrong wifi password. Â I think they thought I was a part of the hair salon next door. Â I don't know but I asked them three times what the password was and they gave me farmer market special. Â I asked one of the customers that came in after me what password they gave her and she said it was farmer market medley. Â ???????
I closed my computer went to a different girl and she said farmer market special again.  I went to the customer to ask what the wifi was again with a crew member standing there and all of a sudden the crew member said oh yea I meant medley.   No you didn't !!!  You told and the other crew member said farmer market special with conviction; now you telling me that  it was the password last week.  I was there last week it was Happy Birthday!!  I don't know how to explain it other than a case of  I caught you in a fucking lie.  I dont know who you are confusing me with but you fucked up.
The Food is sub par. Â Just because something is vegan or wheat free doesn't mean it has to tastes like shit. Â The coffee is not really good. Â Their hours of operation is suspect . Â Their bake goods are but by the time you go through everything else you don't want to chance trying anything else especially when you've paid money for sub-par below average shitty ass food. Â
If you're hungry go to pillars cafe or the Ethiopian cafe on Pratt and Sheridan; or go to common cup on Morse and Greenview.  Its worth it to walk two more blocks south  I promise.
Meh. I thought this would be awesome, and I like the food options. I don't think it's overpriced, but the reading on the menu vs how it comes out are not quite up to par.
This is the first time in a while I've been somewhat underwhelmed by a place I eat at. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't near great. I mean the egg muffin ideas sound cool, until you realize it is exactly that - they basically made an egg into the shape of a muffin via a muffin tin. So I'm fine with that and the flavor was decent but it was a bit watery - maybe due to how the muffin tin thing works?
Again, not the end of the world - but then we get to the gazpacho, which to me tasted like the tomato mix when you get a bruschetta. Which also isn't the biggest deal, but then you get to even the side of potatoes where they were basically burnt. Then same the vegan slaw, which was like a balsamic on kale. It didn't taste very good. I'm not going to get into "how a slaw should be made" because there are a variety of ways. This wasn't one of the better ones.
So I had high hopes, and ended up with a meh to the point that there are better places to go for breakfast such as dixie kitchen. This is the first time in a long time I've had the wife say "let's not give it a 2nd chance".
Maybe the bakery portion does a lot better than the meals? The baked stuff looked pretty enticing honestly, and I noticed that even the bill was charged under the name of the bakery - so I'm assuming that may be the primary business?
Verdict: not worth checking out.
For the most part, I do really like the Growling Rabbit. They have plenty of vegan options--both for lunch and within their baked good case including a lentil Sloppy Joe, a chickpea salad, vegan slaw, and quinoa salad. The baked goods have been a bit hit or miss... I didn't think the wheat-free/vegan chocolate chip cookies were anything special and frankly prefer my own homemade ones. I've had one vegan cupcake (I think PB chocolate) and remember really enjoying that and I have made it an almost weekly tradition to stop in for one of their wheat free/vegan oatmeal cream pies. The prices are a bit steep but not outrageously so and I think perfectly in line with a small, local business.
My biggest complaint--as with many others on here, is that their hours are a little strange (8:30-9 Tue-Sun). They used to open at 8, which I loved because I had just enough time to run in and grab a coffee on my way to work. Alas...
UPDATE: Â Still terrible. Â Baked goods are still way overpriced, dried out, and nothing special. Â Again, I still think that Dominick's or Jewel's bakery does a better job than this joint which is a shame and isn't saying much. Had so many expectations- they've been given time to sort things out and well, apparently they don't listen very well. Â Then again I see a lot of positive reviews for their baked goods so maybe stake, dried out, and expensive appeal to some? Â If that is what you want, you'll feel right at home here.
Review Source:It's okay. That's the best I can say about it. The food is overpriced, especially for the amount you receive. The pastries are again, okay as I've never had anything in my 7 or so visits that's made me think otherwise. They keep drawing me in because I live on the same block, and want it to be so much better than it is. The hours are kind of goofy too. I've never seen a coffee shop/bakery open later than 7 AM. As a result they loose my potential business every morning as I walk to the red line. I agree with the reviewer who thought the interior color was annoying. They could have at least used a flat paint so that it not so shiny and limey at the same time. Small point, I know but its sort of a cumulative experience that's led to my review so I guess it relates.
On a positive, its got great windows and the staff I've spoken with have been very kind and professional.
I have a dwarf bunny (who is actually quite feisty) so the name of this cafe really caught my eye. So cute. The coffee and the cookie was just fine. No complaints. And really, should there be? It's a cup of coffee and a cookie. Reading some of the other reviews for this place, I guess it can be. For those slightly less self-entitled, you should do just fine here. And I like the green on the walls. Really catches your eye from the street.
Review Source:This is my go-to coffee shop. The food is great and I love their brand of coffee (which they get shipped from Minneapolis I believe). This place is comfortable, non pretentious and affordable. I like the fact that I get to support a small business owner trying to do right by the community and support their family. There are other coffee shops in the neighborhood- the old neighborhood stand-by which is full of attitude and over priced, as well as a new glitzy & sprawling number which I detest. I wouldn't consider going back to either now that I've found the Rabbit.
Review Source:Came here with a friend to while away a couple hours and grab a bite to eat before dinner. Â Have to say that their Hippie Hummus Wrap not only wins for the creative name, but also for the balsamic vinaigrette that tied everything together - spot on. Â They also have phenomenal pastries. Â So win-win-win. Bonus points for the crazy rabbit pictures scattered around the cafe
Review Source:Don't waste your time. I ordered a cookie..it was burnt..I told the OWNER about it and he said they were fine, "made yesterday". If you're running a bake shop, things should be made fresh, no?
Also..as an interior designer..the color drives me absolutely INSANE. A green like that is a color that causes agility. Every time I run by the place I cringe a bit.
I went to The Growling Rabbit/Sweet Atilla's cafe for the first time last week, and I have to say I love the name's background (the owner owns two rabbits who literally growl); however, the food is way overpriced and simply not good at all. I got the sandwich with apple bits in it as well as a side of bean soup. Both were cold, bland, and extremely small portions for the price I paid. I was still hungry afterward.
I will probably return to try out other portions of their menu, such as their coffee selection, but for a sandwich and soup lunch kind of day, I probably will not.
Update to my update to my original review.
I have finally tried the food!
Today, after getting my brows threaded at the lovely new salon Shiva, across the street, I ordered the meatloaf sandwich with a quinoa salad side & a chocolate peanut butter cupcake. I couldn't resist the cupcake - I should have.
The meatloaf sandwich was out of bounds (as guy fieri says). It was like really, truly good, down-home, warming, only-your-grandma-can-make-this, good. The meatloaf was thick and warm on toasted white bread with a really awesome horseradish cream sauce - the spice of this was PERFECT with the meatloaf! I was very impressed. This makes me have really really high hopes for their other hot foods like carnitas with black beans or their pot roast or chicken.
The quinoa salad on the side was totally bland and flavorless however. I mean beyond bland to the point where there was no actual flavor in it what so ever. Oh well, get fruit or chips instead.
The biggest disappointment however was the cupcake. Their cupcakes look great, in fact all their baked goods look fantastic but this was pretty much just bad. The cake itself was dry and no more chocolatey or impressive than boxed cake mix. There was some sort of chocolate filling inside that was totally hard (due to it being chilled I suspect) that fell out of the cupcake as I was eating it. Worse yet this chocolate bit tasted awful and tasted nothing like chocolate! It was so bizarre, I threw it out with the wrapper. The frosting was the only thing good about the cupcake and even that wasn't that good. It was peanut butter-y and creamy but still not that exciting. Oh well, I don't need to be eating cupcakes anyway so I guess I'm glad this wasn't the best thing I've ever had so I can easily resist it in the future.
Again the staff is really friendly and the place is fun and clean. I am very happy they seem to do their hot foods well - this could be a nice option after work on nights where I don't feel like cooking but I want something that tastes homemade!
After going to the Growling Rabbit mulitple times now for BYOB dinner, I have to once again say it was awesome. Â Not only is the food delicious and excellently served, the corner window table super cozy and fun to sit in. Â I'm really impressed with the variety of the menu and the quality of the food. Â I especially like the slaw, the mac and cheese, the salads, and the sandwiches. Â Ok, fine, I like the whole menu. Â Nice job!
Review Source:Great food and very welcoming atmosphere.
For a previous reviewer to complain about bringing coffee in to a place that serves coffee and bringing your own food is inconsiderate. Next time you go to the movies walk in with your own popcorn and soda and see how far you get.
The pot roast and meat loaf are amazing!! Red velvet cake was fantastic as well!!
I loved the old place that used to be here, so when I saw a new place in the location I was pumped! So close to my apartment, and I love the below-street level cafe. Â I get sort of mixed vibes from here. Â I've gone maybe four times now, and I do see improvement but I don't know...
The first time my boyfriend and I discovered it was open so we went in. Â He got coffee and I got a hot apple cider. Â I asked to have caramel in it, and the girl was really nice and told me to let her know how it turned out. Â We got a Nutella kangaroo and it was pretty good, but nothing insane. Â There was some lady - I assume the manager - running around loudly complaining that the staff wasn't working fast enough and just generally adding some serious negative feng shui. Â I mean, maybe it was PMS, but it made me feel pretty bad for the employees. Â
Second time the two of us went to hit the books. Â Another good experience, the boss lady wasn't there. Â I ordered a veggie wrap (veggies unspecified) - and I guess it's my bad for not asking, but yikes, there were beets in the wrap! Okay, I hate beets, they're super gross IMHO, but I mean who ever heard of a veggie wrap with beets!! /endrant/ I don't hate on them for that.
Went again to study alone, ordered. Went back up after a couple hours to order something else, and the manger rang me up. Â They do this (smart) thing where you can have an open tab if you're there after a certain amount of time. Â A girl asked me if i wanted to the last time I was there, and the manager asked me this time. Â I attempted to make small talk about how that's a smart idea with her and she looked me straight in the eye and didn't respond, and when I said something else, she interrupted me to tell me to sign the receipt!
So I mean. Â I love to location, and the food and drinks are good (get the prairie passion tea it's amazing!). Â All the employees I've dealt with have been really nice, but this one lady is just really giving off some bad vibes! I always like to give a place a few chances with employees because I work in retail so god knows I have my bad days - but seriously this could seriously hinder my patronage. Â
PS - I was there last night again and there were two ladies that came in and were just chatting/catching up at a table and didn't order anything (my customer service mind was annoyed), but one of the girls came up and asked if they were ready to order - they nicely responded they weren't going to, they were just catching up - and the girl actually didn't mind, and was like "well thanks for being honest!" So I gave them points for that...
They do have a full menu, but I agree with another review. Not ideal cafe hours.
Sigh
This place is a bright spot (literally) in a fairly dull neighborhood. Â No, the interior decorations aren't much to be desired. Â No, you can't bring in your own coffee cup (who does that?!). Â Yes, I guess their hours are considered "weird" (even though Kopi in Andersonville has the same morning hours). Â But the service is wonderful. Â The woman behind the counter made suggestions based on my crazy craving for chocolate. Â It's quiet. Â Unassuming. Â And friendly. Â In this day and age, that's about all I'm looking for (especially in Rogers Park). Â OH, and the scone I had was pretty mind blowing. Â
Support small businesses and check this place out.
I am completely shocked at this review below where a person thought it was acceptable to bring in a Starbucks coffee cup to an independently run coffee shop! Also, why would you pack a lunch and bring it with you to a cafe that serves food? Seems pretty nonsensical to me, and hopefully to any other person who favors logic over ridiculousness.
That being said, I live in the neighborhood and go to the Growling Rabbit about 3 times a week to partake in vegan yummy things and tasty coffee. The owners are super friendly and always make it a point to greet me when I come in so I feel like a regular :)
Admittedly, the service can be a little slow, but they're still figuring things out and the food is definitely worth the wait, their breakfast burrito in particular is great. It's a chill environment so if you need to get some work done, this is a good place to do it. Also, they frequent the farmer's market and their ingredients are really fresh, which I appreciate. I haven't done the BYOB dinner thing, but I'm sure my husband and I will try it out soon enough.
I'm definitely rooting for this place and you should be too.
I've been going past this place for the past few weeks and was glad to see a newly minted business under way. I remember the last place at this location which seemed pretty hip and laid back. I was kind of hoping for a similar experience. Not happening.
Looking at the reviews of the Growling Rabbit, I thought, would not do it any justice if I didn't at least see for myself why their reviews were rated so low.
I only ordered a cookie, asked the woman behind the counter if she could re-fill my Starbucks cup with hot water, found a comfortable seat and got to work. Everything seemed to be going pretty nicely; the music was not loud; place was not crowded; the woman behind the counter seemed pretty nice when I made my order and the customers seemed to get their orders, on the few occasions that I happened to notice, in a timely manner. Â
I had been sitting at my spot for a little over an hour and was on the phone with my fiancée when one of the staff (one of the owners, I think) rudely interrupted my conversation and told me that I could not drink my tea in the café because I had a Starbucks coffee cup. She explained that she didn't want to have her competition in her café. Ok. I could understand that, but why have a sign posted, which was sitting in front of both of us, that said BYOB? In a condescending tone she informed me that BYOB was bring your own beer. To me BYOB can connote several meanings of the word. Because this was a café that served coffee, tea, pastries and other food I assumed it meant bring your own beverage. She told me that they do indeed serve beer, but in addition to the beer they also have various teas, foods, blah, blah. I asked her if it was Ok to continue drinking my tea. Clearly annoyed, she told me I could but went off to get one of their cups to cover the Starbucks cup. WOW! OK. Nooo problem.
I had a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches stashed in my bag and thought I'd better find out if the same rule applies with outside food. Sure enough, no outside food either. She explained, once again in that condescending tone, that (in reference to the food) it could be a liability issue, per the insurance, if someone got sick (eating their own food) in her establishment. No worries, I responded as I then proceeded to pack my shit and hit the bricks. There was no sign that said no outside food allowed.
At this point I was consciously aware of several customers watching and listening to the circumstances unfolding. It was crucial for me, rather than respond with further questions, to let others see the contradiction. Â You can bring your own beer (I've never heard of anyone getting sick from drinking beer--wait, I take that back. You can drink till you puke) but not your own food. How could that be a liability issue if someone brought their own food and got sick from eating THEIR OWN FOOD in your establishment?
Just to be clear, I understand that this is not the same as say, going to a fancy restaurant that caters to BYOB and you attempt to bring your own food. Of course, that would be tacky as hell and you'd look like a dumb-ass. But this is a café that has WIFI, offers coffee as well as tea, pastries and other food, and where customers are not waited on--it's not on the same level as a restaurant. Nor should it be. I would think that's the message they ultimately want to establish with their customers: Nice atmosphere with a little bit of more than what the average café has to offer. But nevertheless, the part about the insurance was either a contradiction of enormous proportions or bullshit. I really couldn't tell the difference, so if it smelled like shit it probably was. Â
Aside from the BYOB and food issues, the way she handled the situation was enough for me to not want to come there again. I didn't like her attitude and I didn't like the fact that I had been sitting for the better part of an hour or more with my Starbucks cup of tea in plain sight, getting confronted like that. In fact, after ordering my cookie I asked the woman behind the counter if I could have my (Starbucks) cup re-filled with hot water for my tea which she did without so much as blinking an eye. Clearly a disconnect between management and staff.
Don't get me wrong, every establishment has the right to decide what store policies best fit the values of the business. If I knew upfront that I could not bring an outside drink I would have had no problem with that. In fact, I really didn't have a problem with her bringing the issue to my attention. It was the way in which it was done that was the killer.
In the end, for me it's always about the customer experience and customer service. In this case, with the Growling Rabbit, they are missing the mark on several points.
That brief run-in with the management and the name: GROWLING RABBIT...Well, there's a no-brainer for you. And that's what I walk away with.
Lots of potential, but it still feels like they're working things out here. Cute name and cute menu items, but the space itself seems underutilized. It's on the corner, so the big windows let in a lot of natural light, and walls are bright, but the rest of decor is just blah. Not somewhere that would come to mind when wanting to meet a friend for a cup of coffee or sit with a book for a couple chapters.
I tried the house mac and cheese and the "Nutella kangaroo." The employee that helped me was friendly, and she told me that the mac and cheese came with a "side." I believe she gave me three choices, and, pleasantly surprised, I went with the "orzo salad." (Stay with me. I'm using quotes here for a reason, not just to be pretentious). When I got my food, I thought they had forgotten to give me the orzo salad, but I dug around and found that it was there, but the "side" was actually the size of a tiny sauce ramekin. I shouldn't be too upset by this considering I didn't know it came with a side to begin with, but I don't really think you should call something a "side" when I can dump it in my mouth and be done with it in three chews and one swallow.
The mac and cheese was okay. The Nutella kangaroo, which I was pretty excited about (I get Rebecca Black-status excited for pretty much anything with Nutella), was a disappointment. It was on the dry side, pretty much tasted like a cornbread muffin with some streaks of Nutella throughout.
Maybe I'll give it another try in a few months, or if I see some Yelpers raving about some other bakery item.
So far, not impressed.
Went in at 7:40 and it seemed like they were still trying to organize for the day. I waited 10 minutes to order a cup of coffee, as the one person at the counter dealt with each customer individually. Perhaps this will get better as they get more experience?
The coffee was no more better or worse than a cup of decent gas station coffee. I like gas station coffee. I do! But there's no reason I should be paying $2.50 for a cup of it at a local coffee shop.
I may go back to try some of the pastries. I did want to order one, as it looked like they had small and large sizes of everything, from muffins to scones (which is a pretty cool idea)...but I ran out of time waiting for just a coffee.
It's probably still early to review this place. I went there again today for a second time and got their strata. It was very good. The farmer's market peach was probably the best peach I've had in a long time, and I can't complain too much about their coffee. The decor is coming together, too, and they seem to be adding magazines to the mix.
With that said, the barista was a little disorganized today, but again, this place is just starting to find its legs, so that's not a big deal. It's a shame the place isn't a little bigger, but hey, you work with the space you got. I don't know if I'd make this a regular writing place, though. Today, with all the babies, mommies, and strollers, it seemed too much like a daycare for my taste.
I have been a customer of Sweet Atilla's for over a year so when I heard they were opening a cafe in my neighborhood I was so excited. We stopped in the second day they were open and got some baked goods and coffee. As I expected the baked good were D-Lish!! Be aware that everything is baked fresh so the selection at the end of the day won't be as abundant as early.
This past Sunday I stopped in for breakfast. I had a hard time deciding abut finally settled on the egg white strata, SO SO GOOD!!. They gave me a side of the Quinoa which was also delightful. Â While I ate my son played with the toys in the kids corner and watched the dogs walk by.
The huge mug of coffee was delicious, I love my coffee strong but not bitter and this was perfect.
I am looking forward to going in for lunch and dinner in the near future, and this will now be part of my Sunday morning ritual :)
This may end up being a very good place, but right now, they have some kinks to work out.
We stopped by in the mid-afternoon. I was ravenous. We each had a medium roast coffee, which was good. I saw a few baked goods while we were waiting our turn and thought to myself, gee, there aren't very many. But again, it was mid-afternoon, so the morning supply had probably dwindled.
The young lady behind the counter seemed to be very confused and disorganized. There were only 4 people in line, including us, and no one was bitching or moaning. But she was bustling around like the place was getting slammed. I wanted real food, not just a treat, and she couldn't tell me what they had. The man in line in front of me said, they have two sandwiches, one vegetarian, one not. Oh okay. The employee made no comment.
I ordered the vegetarian sandwich and a cup of the house coffee. The sandwich was wrapped in plastic, so it looked like it had been made earlier in the day. (I may be wrong on this. The quality of the bread made me think that it had been sitting around for a bit, though.) The sandwich was soft mozzarella, with some sort of green leafy thing, tomato, a paste, on a very thick roll. The roll was hard to eat; it was very dense and chewy. If you wear dentures, stay away from this. Chewing this bread was difficult.
The sandwich was nothing special. I was hungry enough to chew the veneer off the table, so I ended up eating the whole thing. The veneer might have been easier to eat than that bread. I could do just fine for the rest of my life, if I never ate a sandwich like this again. It was a big nothing, just filler. With the coffee, my bill was $10.43. You stand at the counter to order, and you bus your own table, and it still cost over $10.00. No, thank you.
At first I put 3 stars on this review. After re-reading this, I realize that the Growling Rabbit really deserves only 2 stars. If there were no where else to go, and I was really hungry again, I might be convinced to give this place another try. Maybe they're just having growing pains, and they'll improve in the future. In the meantime, there are an awful lot of places to eat in Chicago that are better than this. What a shame.
Okay, so I just moved into the neighborhood and was thrilled to see that this place was opening (I'm a HUUUUUGE fan of brunch and breakfast foods!)
I finally went in for a nibble this morning. I got a medium iced coffee which was a little light, potato leek bacon quiche and a lemon ginger scone.
To start off, I just want to say that I want this place to ROCK! because I like to see small businesses succeed and this particular one is so convenient.
Now, that being said, I'm glad that this is a soft open because I saw a couple things I hope will improve.
1. I had my quiche heated and it wasn't heated all the way through thereby leaving a soggy crust. The fresh blueberries that came with it were great for the most part except for the 1 rotten one that I found. That wasn't very appetizing.
2. The lemon ginger scone was more lemon then ginger but it was still pretty good. Â If you're used to flaky, puffy, super buttery (a la Starbucks) scones, you won't like this one but I think this is more true to a scone than the others. I'd get it again.
These are such minor fixes that I hope they will be addressed and then it will be a place that I'll recommend to all my food loving friends!
Can't wait for brunch!
I have been waiting for this place to open for months! I ran past it everyday. I finally went in there this week and was eager to welcome them to the area and try their goods. It was later on in the day , maybe around 6pm. They didn't have much in the case but they did have some peanut butter cookies, my girlfriend and I each got one. I was a little shocked at the price $1.60 each for a little cookie. The min we got out the door we couldn't wait to try the cookies. We each took a bite and looked at each other, the cookies we a little burnt and we could couldn't taste any peanut butter. We were both really disappointed. We went back in and e owner told us he had had them the day before and they were fine. The day before? He eneded up giving us back our money. I am not giving up on this place and after reading what others had to say, I hope my experience was a fluke.
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