Bakin' & Eggs

We went out to breakfast this morning at Bakin' & Eggs at 3120 N. Lincoln in Lakeview.  This is the second time we've dined there.  The first time we went for brunch on Mother's Day and the place was slammed but this morning it was much quieter.  We chose today because I wanted to go out for breakfast one last time before school starts and also because on Thursdays kids eat free.  I was a little concerned that the place would be swarmed with parents and little kids but it really wasn't that busy at all.  We got there at about 8:30 and we were easily seated.  There were only a few other tables taken and they were all adults so I was automatically concerned that my kids were going to drive everyone nuts.  Around the time we were getting ready to leave, 9:30-ish, the restaurant started to fill up with kids who were thankfully much louder than my kids.  Bakin' & Eggs is open from 7 to 3, serves breakfast all day, and starts serving lunch at 11. 

Even though Thursday seems to be dedicated to attracting kids and their parents, I don't think the wait staff were really "kid people".  They do give kids a little chalkboard and chalk to color on while they wait for their meals, which my daughters loved.  The food came pretty quickly on Thursday when there weren't that many people but took awhile when we were there on Mother's Day.

The menu is pretty good for adults.  They have a a good selection of frittatas, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes.  They also offer five different kinds of bacon.  I ordered a frittata and it was quite good.  It came with potatoes that I really enjoyed, toast, and my choice of one of the kinds of bacon or sausage.  I think the kids menu is kind of skimpy.  Only two choices are offered for breakfast - a pancake or a breakfast burrito and only like three choices for lunch.  Seems like they could have offered kids a couple more options.  Kids breakfast meals come with teeny tiny cups of fruit.  Somehow, even though the kids meals were free we still ended up spending over $20 for breakfast.  FYI free breakfast for kids does not include their drinks or any add ons such as the scrambled eggs I got for my daughter. 

One of the things I like most about this restaurant is how large it is.  Most breakfast places are so tiny that you can barely get your kids inside let alone all their stuff.  At Bakin' & Eggs there is plenty of room to park your stroller.  When we were there when it was really busy, we had to wait awhile and we didn't feel crammed at all even though there were a lot of people waiting.  Part of the reason there is extra room is that one side of the restaurant is dedicated to a bakery/coffee shop where you can get cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods plus coffee and tea drinks to go.  We haven't tried anything from this section yet but it all looks really good.  If you can't walk, there is generally plenty of metered parking in front of the restaurants. 

One other item I wanted to mentioned is that you pay your bill at the cash register in the coffee shop/bakery section.  Our waiter was quite clear about where we were supposed to pay but I hate when you eat at a restaurant and you are not certain where you are supposed to pay.  The only problem with this check out set up is that it forces you to go to the bakery section with your kids where they will inevitably beg for a cupcake.