Lula Cafe: The Alternative Brunch

Lula Café
2537 N Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60647

With Memorial Day about a week away, you may be asking yourself, “Hey… Why do people say ‘Happy Memorial Day!’ when it’s a day of remembrance?” That’s a very good question and I don’t have an answer for that. But, you may also ask, “What’s a good place for brunch in Logan Square for this day of remembrance?” Now, I could easily send you to one of the many brunch spots in the area. While they are all fine and good, they can be a little heavy. What is the alternative?


Lula Café is your alternative to what many think of as a traditional brunch. Sitting right off the square, this restaurant offers an alternative and eclectic atmosphere to match the slightly alternative feel to this menu. Lots of the knick nacks hanging on the wall and windows could very well have been garbage picked. Some many find it to be charming while some of us see it as clutter. For the size of the space, they really try to pack lots of people in. In such cumbersome seating, smaller groups are recommended given that you will already be crammed closely to a girl with an asymmetrical hair cut and a Belle & Sebastian t-shirt and her aspiring DJ boyfriend.

While they do provide many of your standard brunch dishes, they usually add a twist to it. For example, this meat-scarce menu has a dish made up of eggs with smoked salmon scrambled in and some dill and cream cheese on the side or pancakes served with butterscotch syrup. Staying vegetarian friendly, there are plenty of different tofu dishes on their brunch menu. On the lighter side, their brunch menu offers oatmeals, granolas and french toasts. All of which come with many different types of berries and change seasonally. If you want to take your brunch away from breakfast and more towards lunch, I recommend their shiitaki mushroom and spinach quesadilla with fontina cheese. Very tasty, even meat eaters would agree.

For a drink, they offer a Bloody Mary that feels a little over priced for such a small glass. Their mix has a strong wasabi burn to it and a very thin texture. If you don’t like your Bloody Mary to be chunky, then you may be a fan of this one. Otherwise, they are one of the few brunch places in Logan Square that offer a Bellini on their menu. For those who don’t know, a Bellini is champagne and peach puree and peach juice.

While I am always a champion of traditional brunches with a heavier menu, but every so often it is nice to dabble in the lighter, alternative brunch side.


Getting down to Brass Tax:

Date place? Yes.
Friend Hang out? No.
Recommended dish: shiitaki mushroom and spinach quesadilla
Recommended drink: Bellini
Price Range (2 People): +/- $30