I live downtown, right around the corner from Tempo and it is one of my favorite places to go for brunch or even late at night.
I'm only familiar with their breakfast menu but, so far I'm extremely satisfied with everything I've tried. Their orange juice is fantastic because it is freshly squeezed. Â I recommend ordering one of their skillets and a chocolate shake (yum). Also, a lot of my friends are really fond of their potato wedges. Eventually, I plan on trying items from their lunch and dinner menu.
The food comes in large proportions and I normally have to get a take out box because I could never finish everything. Bread, butter and marmalade are placed on the table while one waits for his or her meal.
Furthermore, the service is great. I made a reservation (I recommend doing that if you're going for brunch because it gets crowded and there are usually lines.) and the hostess even remembered my name when I left. There is an outdoor waiting area now where a TV is suspended.
I did had one bad experience one night when they weren't splitting the checks but at my last visit, my waitress asked my friend and I if we wanted separate checks when we were ready to pay, which was nice. She was also very sweet and occasionally checked if everything was going well throughout our meal. She was really quick on refilling water. Also, when you first get seated, you are asked if you want coffee. Â My friend and I both gave the waiter a large tip because she was that fantastic.
If you're from Chicago, I highly recommend having a meal at Tempo at one point.
Ok, i have been here before couple of times and went on one night after a black tight event .We sat done the table in a busy night ,just to realize my whole dress was covered in oil and whatever else was around the table .The table looked clean on the top except not around the edges .(half ass job done ).
So i was upset and try to tell them and they called on the GM,.So when she came in she try to blame it all an me ,she called me i was annoying customer ,she took my food away from my table and told me she will call the police on me .
No need for that, i couldn't believe,i was treated like this .
This is a big red flag for place like this .Now ,not that i was upset over my expensive dress i was upset over how bad they treated me .I try to talk to the owner but he kept ignoring my calls  ,,i have nothing else to do but to call the business bureau on them .
This is not how you treat a customer ! Lack of professionalism  can ruin fool reputation .Zero stars and only good place for drunk people that they can not see they surroundings .
Everyone I know says Tempo sucks unless it's 3am on Saturday and you're drunk. I tend to disagree. It's not assuming, it's not high-end, and it's not fantastic service. Tempo's got above-average food, reasonable prices, and massive portions! Tempo's got character, and the reuben sandwich is amazing. It lasts at least two meals for me.
If you happen to stop in late at night/early morning on the weekends, it's packed, so be prepared to wait. Just getting take-out can be faster.
They use to be cash only but recently the policy has changed so yay to that :-)
This use to be my go to place in my 20s when I was out late with friends. Sometimes you would see someone "semi famous".
On a Friday or Saturday night (midnight - 2am) this place is packed and the service is generally poor. They want you in an out but on the bright side the food is consistent and they have a fresh juice bar.
I went recently in there after an absence of at least 4-5 years and I must say its hasn't changed much from the tables, chairs decor and even the service.
I'm not at all impressed with this place. They are extremely OVER PRICED. You can get better food for cheaper elsewhere. I get that it's downtown, but with the higher prices the quality should be much better don't you think?
I went in with my son to have a little breakfast. His water based (not milk) hot chocolate was $2.75. Really? They also have no kids menu, so I got 2 eggs which they ran me at $3.50. Explain to me how 3 eggs with meat is $4.50 & 2 eggs alone are 3.50? I mean I'm not cheap but being that my mediocre "blueberry" french toast was $8.95. I expected a good portion of french toast but it was 2, not so thick slices cut into four pieces with a  small amount of fresh blueberries on top. Meh.
I don't know why I expected more from here, but I did.
They have free wifi thus the two stars. The waitress was nice also so I can't knock them for that. It is a restaurant though so HELLO the food is what should shine.
An old school classic. Back in my 20s when I was dipping it low, kicking it at the club--Tempo's was the spot, you know to soak up the alcohol. So, it's only nostalgic when I find myself here again after a 20-something's birthday celebration, it was great.
Now, I'm in my dirty-thirties I can't just eat whatever I want. But I will say the chicken noodle soup hit the spot.
This was my go to spot in college, after a long night at the bars (or library)... Â Price point is right and the service is friendly and quick. Â Serving sizes are large, quality is MEH... typical cafe food. Â I'm not sure if I would ever go sober or during the day since I feel like there are much better options out there, but Tempo has always been there for me... So I will continue to be a patron. Â Even if it's only at night.
Oh and they take cash only, if you haven't already gathered that from the other reviews.
I go here cause the soup is $2.50 for a decent sized take-out bowl with crackers and bread. However, warning, warning, warning....you get what you pay for.
The soup: plenty of chicken in the chicken noodle soup; but the broth is tasteless and without seasoning.
I want recommend it to anyone else; but I do love bargains so I come with co-workers and we get it and sip on it in the office.
Tempo seems to have a good breakfast thingy going on from a lot of the comments I read. Maybe they need to stop selling soup and leave it to the Soup Box.
Do Recommend: the Soup Box, I have not Yelped it yet, but stay tuned, my YelpView coming soon.
2*s for now; until I have breakfast there or food on a late night out.
Montez G. Yelp! that me.
Tempo cafe serves a much needed late night option when the bars close and you need to eat before you crash. its open all night and is similar in menu to Denny's. the food is not great but its ok so no complaints. That it was right next to the hotel was even better. i pretty much stayed with the club sandwich. No complaints and service was ok. Peter
Review Source:We came here since it was the only restaurant that was open after 11pm (we landed pretty late). The food was so disgusting. I started off with a creamy soup which was decent but the steak stir fry was bland and tasted awful. My girlfriend had filet of perch which was so bad she only had the fried shrimp by the fish and she had the worst mashed potatoes (fake, runny instant mashed potatoes). This was a waste of time and money. The waitress didn't seem to be in the best mood either.
Review Source:While I dislike the cash only aspect of this place, their food is good! I have been here for every meal and sometimes in between and have always been satisfied. They have hearty soups, delicious breakfast and occasionally good service.
The service is hit or miss, but overall the wait staff does make a genuine effort to take care of their customers' need. There is sometimes a wait on the weekends, but if you avoid brunching hour you shouldn't have an issue. There is an ATM on site for non-cash carries like myself, but it sometimes out of order. It is 24 hours, so anytime is a good time ( expect of course brunch time)
My friend and I visited Chicago for the first time (from Ottawa and Toronto, respectively) a couple of weekends ago.
And what better way to start off our mini-adventure in the Windy City than with a good hearty breakfast?
When we arrived around 10 a.m., the place was already busy and bustling. But we had no problems getting seated, and service was pretty good.
We both ordered Scramblers - the sizes of which, I'm not sure either of us were prepared for - and hash browns. But the food was fantastic!
Despite being so full that we actually skipped lunch, I have absolutely no complaints. Excellent restaurant.
Arguably the best breakfast I had while in Chicago was at Tempo Cafe. Â I highly recommend ordering the omelets- they are absolutely huge but delicious! Â Even though I not a huge fan of waffles, I highly recommend trying Tempo's- they are little pillows of crispy heaven! Â I also like Tempo's service because they make you truly feel at home, and it is always nice to sit on their patio, especially on warm days. Â Plus, they serve late and have a delicious bakery- what more can you ask for from a neighborhood cafe?
Review Source:My boyfriend and I come here all the time, and we love Tempo Cafe! This is definitely the best 24 hour place around because the food is always delicious and levels above any other food you can find at 2 am. Â Based on the yelp reviews, the very first time we visited I got the cheddar cheese omelet that comes in a frying pan with hashbrowns underneath, and I haven't ever dared to branch out because it's sooo good! Â My boyfriend gets the "La Conga," which is basically a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, but he gets it without tomato because we've had a couple of incidents where the tomatoes weren't exactly ripe. Â The la conga comes with fries and while they aren't super flavorful, I always end up eating them all. Â A couple of times the omelets have been extremely greasy to the point that I felt sick eating it, but that's only been at the late hours of the night on Sundays when they aren't as busy so i assume the chef just isn't as well versed? Â Just to be safe, we avoid going on Sundays now. Â
We went for the first time during daylight hours just last week, and it's a much different crowd and pace, but the food is just as good! Â I appreciate consistency. Â During the day the sandwiches were served with soup, and my omelet came with a choice of bread or english muffin, which we found a little weird since we don't get that at night yet we're paying the same money. Â But either way, when it comes down to it, I absolutely love the skillet omelets at this place, and there is no where else i'd rather go when i'm hungry at 2 am. Â It's around $18 for the two of us, which isn't so bad for all the good food that you get, and as they are cash only, make sure you bring cash.
Like all stories, my story began with drinks with friends...and ended at sunrise with plates of food we ordered simply because someone sitting next to us was eating it and it looked good. Ok, maybe not all stories. But most of the fun ones worth mentioning.
My friend and I, neither familiar with Chicago, had a post-bar craving for milkshakes and pancakes, and of course, went on a Yelp search for the closest diner still open. Sadly, we tried three and all of them were closed. So in lieu of Yelp, we trusted our local cabbie and he took us here, what he claimed was a "hot spot" for breakfast food.
3am at Tempo Cafe is basically like witnessing the walk of shame before the act of shame actually happens. It's packed with girls wearing blood clot-inducing bandage dresses, hobbling in and out on 5" heels, and the guys who will eventually have to piggy back 125 lbs of woman back home. But in between all of this is...*drumroll please*...some killer pancakes/eggs/omelets. Your standard diner food, made that much more delicious by the midnight crawl here.
I love this hot little breakfast place. Every time I have been there has been fairly good service, great food, good portion size and at a typical diner price.
I cant rave enough about their skillets and omelets. As a vegetarian I appreciate the good produce. Their coffee is also good.
Now if you know me YOU know that I truly love Breakfast. Â So, I was surprised when my friend who was in town visiting mentioned Tempo and I had not heard of it. Â Well I made my way down to Tempo and let me tell you if you want to sit on the patio be prepared to W A I T. Â So, we decided to eat inside. Â I love any place that serves regular ole breakfast and they serve it all day. Â So, I have no issues with the food. Â I do think that our server needed to WRITE down our order. Â I mean she forgot quite a few things that we said and I know that it is hip, as you young folks say, to memorize an order but if your memory is a little unstable WRITE it down!! Â
With that said I will definitely go back but if I have that same server I will expect their to be some lapses in memory.
Had a meeting downtown that lasted a little longer than I had anticipated and wanted brunch (versus lunch) somewhere close to where I was (Rush and Peterson area) that wasn't too pricey. Â Came upon this place thanks to Foursquare and decided to check it out. Â
I saw the place and wanted to see if they had a menu outside...woman comes up and asked if she could help me. Â Said I was looking for a table for one. Â Even though the place was crowded there were still a few tables here and there so got seated right away.
Ordered what they call a scrambler which in actuality was a skillet with scrambled eggs....was tasty and not too many potatoes. Â Also got my choice of ingredients in the scrambler so I opted for Canadian Bacon, mushrooms, and American Cheese. Â Oh yea got an English Muffin with it (no extra charge...yay!)
All in all a good place....will definitely go here again as the food is good and plentiful.
This place is great for a quick bite if there isn't a long wait. (usually occurs around breakfast on the weekends).
Good service and You get a lot of food for a good price. I recommend sharing breakfast plates because its a lot for one person. Â They are also great with kids. Provide balloons for them.
Only downside is that they take CASH only. Food is still good tho.
Met a friend at Tempo for brunch this Sunday. Even though it is nearby, I don't go often. However, it is a good option if you are in the mood for a diner-style brunch. Chicago is majorly lacking in good diners, if you ask me.
I am not a big omelette girl (I'm weird and don't like veggies in my eggs in the A.M.) but that seems to be the "go to" option. I went with the three eggs any style/scrambled and was a bit disappointed that they were more omelette-like than scrambled but I'd probably go back nonetheless. Important to note that this is cash only. Also the small orange juice is basically the size of a shot glass so make sure to go with the large.
I hear Tempo Cafe is popular with the locals who live in the area, and after dining here I can understand why! If you want your yummy, classic, tasty homestyle brunch and lunch treats, Tempo is a perfect place to eat! Â Although the menu does feature a lot of old favorites, they also have a lot of twists on old favorites.
Service was quick and done with a smile, and I was VERY happy with my food. it was great! best of all, there was no wait for a table at all! I guess that's the advantage of going over lunch on a weekday.
Cash $$$s only, so bring some crisp bills!
Breakfast on a Wednesday morning at 10am during the holidays - great experience!
AWESOME service: Â They poured me coffee and gave me a bit of fruit to snack on while I waited for my former-boss-and-now-mentor. Â They were great about refilling my coffee constantly even though we stayed for almost 2 hours catching up. Â
VEGGIE POOR MAN'S SKILLET: Â Delicious! Â HUGE portion, and I had to take half of it home, but I got it with scrambled eggs and wheat toast, and it was so full of flavor! Â Definitely woke up my taste buds for the day haha.
There is nothing like a patty melt for breakfast. Â I don't know why in my corner of the world we don't have more places where you can get lunch for breakfast. Â Sometimes, after a night of festivities you want to start the day with a greasy carb overload that doesn't involve eggs and bacon.
This place is good in a pinch. Â It's open 24/7 so it may be a great choice at 4:00 AM when your palate may not be too demanding. Â I had one of the breakfast skillets on the first go around and it was just OK. Â The potential was great - potatoes, cheese, veggies, and scrambled eggs all in a cast iron pan. Â The potato layer was under seasoned and the proportion was too great as compared to the other ingredients. Â Cheese was spotty, as were the vegetables. Â Depending on the line cook, you might score a better preparation.
Second time around, I wasn't taking any chances with breakfast. Â The melt was good - Â juicy patty, melted, gooey cheese, caramelized onions, and nicely buttered and griddled rye bread. Â The super hot and crisp steak fries made the perfect partner. Â It filled the tank and brought a smile of contentment. Â Fine dining? No. Â But choose right and you will leave happy.
So as to stay on top of options during peak cravings, I've recently created a pancake rolodex for my iPhone.
Why? It just doesn't seem as easy to find the kind of moist, tasty pancakes that I prefer. Â Far too many places use bitter tasting batter that's often overcooked in a hurry. And these usually end up tasting like dry, rubbery discs of hot yuck, drowned in sticky stuff... that mayhaps would have dripped from a nearby, unsexy tree.
That's why it's great to have another centrally-located and friendly 24-hour spot like Tempo to chomp on non-pretentious grub. Â
I already know that I can get my pancake on at my neighborhood Stages Restaurant, or certainly at The Works grill near the Clark Street blue line... Eggsperience or maybe even at Yolk (if you order specialty and avoid their standard pancake monstrosity).
It'd been quite a number of years since I'd visited Tempo but decided to drop in on a post Christmas Day Monday morning after parting ways with a visiting friend. Their menu offers a few omelettes and most things seem to be offered in skillet form along with toast.
Since they don't allow you to substitute pancakes (even for an extra charge), I decided to order a short stack, a few scrambled eggs and turkey sausage links a la carte.
As you'll notice in my pics, the $6 pancakes were as wide as the plate... and trust me that they were moist, tasty and had crispy edges.
The prices here are quite reasonable considering that Tempo is smack dab in the middle of the posh Gold Coast area north of downtown. My bill, including a bottomless cup of coffee was around $15. Â I was pleased! (Note that they are cash-only as of this writing.)
Tempo usually has a line streaming out of the front door on weekends and during holidays, so maybe I was lucky this day and had missed the first crush of people. There was still a crowd inside, but a few tables were empty. Â
I love my city!
This is late night dining at its finest...Its not only the food that brings people together after the late night of partying and shindigs but is the atmosphere...
First off, I love the omelets...I have pretty much eaten most of the omelets on the menu. Â Why? Because they truly understand how to make an omelet tasty and good late at night. Â Its nothing like eating somewhere at that time and the food is horrible. Â You already have had a hard night out with your friends with all the debauchery that may have taken place. Â The last thing you need is bad food. Right? Â Nope not here. Â The pancakes are on point and fluffy. Â They don't skimp on the serving so if you are not really hungry you can share it with your date. Â Now look at you getting cozy in that booth with your boo! Â LOVE IT!.
Tempo serves it up fresh and quick. Â The waitstaff is pleasant even at 2 am in the morning...You can't beat that.
Would I be bale to go two and a half stars I would. Â
Tempo's big value for me is that it is open 24x7 and I live two blocks away. Â It is ubiquitous - when Kate and I want some place to go, grab a late-night breakfast, and get some work done it fits the bill.
The food is average and overpriced compared to my other River North breakfast spots (Eggsperence, Orange, Yolk) Â - every item is $10 and worth maybe $6. Also, unless you are drinking water or coffee be prepared to pay for refills. Â The coffee is not great, in many ways this is the first sin of breakfast spots.
The staff is generally friendly and moderately attentive. And the service is nearly always quick. The only other annoyance is they take only cash. Â INCONVENIENT.
All in all if it is Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and you are in the Gold Coast in want of breakfast after 10 pm this is the spot for you. Â If you are looking for a go-to spot for a fab breakfast/brunch... keep looking you will find better.
I'm a breakfast for dinner kind of guy. I don't know what kind of guy that makes me. Oh, wait an AWESOME guy (giving you the "Fonzie point").
Pants and I worked up an appetite after watching others leap and jump through the air (Contemp. dance festival). Yep, that's how we roll. Lucky for us it wasn't busy and there was plenty of tables on the patio for a nice sunny day.
There really isn't much to say about the place, decor is plain and the service is ok, nothing really special but... the food is solid. It's not fancy and it's more then likely to put some meat on your bones. The servings are HUGE! I didn't have to eat for the rest of the weekend. They have all of your standard breakfast items so it's not hard to find something you like. I went with the Poor Man's Skillet -A skillet full of hash browns, bacon, green pepper, onion, first topped with melted American, Mozzarella, cheddar and Swiss then topped with your style of three eggs. Good lord I was struggling to finish and didn't. Pants decided to be crazy and go with the Jamaican- 3 Egg Omelettes with banana, walnut, honey. That shit was good, I almost stole it and yes we both said that it was so good it was "Jamaican me crazy".
Like I said solid and a big meal. Also, bring cash, no credit allowed.
This is a breakfast for a man about to go work a ten hour shift on the farm. It comes in a skillet for Pete's sake! And not a small skillet either. This spot is classic diner food but with tasty options. I've been here now a couple times over the years and Tempe never seems to let me down.
On my most recent visit, we got lucky with cold and rainy weather in the middle of the week which meant that Tempe wasn't very crowded and we actually got a seat without waiting. We first tried the banana pancakes as our appetizer followed by a skillet omelet. Yes, I said a skillet. I got the egg white omelet with ham, cheese, spinach and mushrooms. It was large and definitely in charge. The omelet rests on a bed of hash browns within the skillet. I ate and I ate and I ate and I ate...and guess what this skillet looked like when I was too stuffed to think? It looked like a little bird had poked a hole in it with its beak and took some little bites. It didn't even look like I had eaten anything! PS - every bite was delicious.
The only downfall is that more often than not, there is a line out the door to eat at Tempo. But hey, that's the price you pay for a delicious breakfast to start your day!
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