Good selection and atmosphere. Just wish they had mimosas!
(4)
Kara J.
The food is really good and I love the coffee, but the service has been iffy a couple of times.
(4)
Raymond R.
Great food but it can very busy....great service.
(4)
James M.
Very good food and service, would certainly recommend. The servings are large and the staff was friendly
(5)
Karla U.
I have visited this place a couple of times and still lacks great servers. Every time I visit I always get waitressed by the same woman that never smiles and has a nasty attitude. You can't miss her. I visited two days ago and she walked away from our table while taking an order. She never came back to take the rest of our table's order until 30 mins later. She was too busy speaking to a couple that was sitting next to us the whole time. I had to tell the kitchen manager our order to complete as well as order things we needed because we were not properly accommodated. When I explained my visit to the manager his excuse was that she was busy..... :(
(3)
Michele V.
I was so disappointed. I ordered the veggie omelette. First off it was dry. I never thought an omelette could be described as dry, but that's exactly how mine was. The vegetables were not sauteed before being added so they were hard. The hashbrowns were OK, but very bland and my toast was cold. My boyfriend had the huevos rancheros which he said was good, but nothing special. I didn't even eat half of my meal. We were sitting waiting for the check when the manager walked over to ask if we needed a box. He didn't ask us how everything was or even introduce himself. We didn't know you had to pay at the counter so when my boyfriend tried to hand the money to the waiter and the waiter said "Can you do it? I'm busy and have the whole room to wait on." we were done with giving this place a chance. Bad food, bad service, only positive is that it is very nice inside. We will definitely never go back.
(2)
Stephanie L.
Portillos has a breakfast place?!?!!?????!!!! Yes...yes, they do. It's a cute little space. Menu is monstrous. They have tons of breakfast, brunch, & lunch choices for all of your desires. Our server was really cool. On too of the game. Thumbs up! The food was standard...good, not knock your socks off. Overall, I would stop back if I was in the area.
(4)
Sandi K.
I am writing this review to response to the era after dick portillos sold his legacy to a private equity firm. There have been big changes and I don't like it. Just tried ordering my favs and they removed the following from the menu: - no tiramisu pancakes - no Mediterriean croissant - no short stack of pancakes I won't come here anymore since it's just like every other breakfast place. Save your money. This is what happens when white collar people aren't in touch with their customers.
(2)
James K.
Waited over 30 mins to get our food and there was only 3 of us. What made it worse it only took the couple next to us only about 10 mins to get theirs. When we got our food it was ok. 2 of us ordered skillets and they were very bland and one of the hashbrowns were cold. The house made hollandaise sauce tasted a little like gravy. Was more brownish than yellow. If you like gravy that's fine but I prefer mine a little more buttery. The eggs benedict tasted off cause of it. Was my 1st time here cause it was close but my last time. Will look for a new place for breakfast.
(2)
Jenine T.
Great service and great food will get you 5 stars from me. I now understand why this place has such a long line on the weekends, this being my first time here makes me realize how busy they must be because this place is pretty big and seats a lot of people.. And there's still a wait. Came here on a Monday and the pancakes were expected, delicious. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros which was their version and take on it and I was surprised at how good it was. It wasn't overdone, cooked well, and simple. Tasted great, we ordered the gourmet pancake and it was worth it but for me I still like Southern Belle by Joliet better. The prices vs the portions are more reasonable than here but this place is also good and has a good ambiance. Very efficient staff.
(5)
William B.
Each visit to this location is as awesome as the next. The hostess is very polite and seats quickly, the waitresses are on their game, with personality, service, and putting up with my group's foolishness. I had the Greek Omelet on my last visit..... Now I've placed this order at many places and I'm never impressed. The eggs are always flavorless, and the only bite you get is the sparse crumb of feta. Not here! The eggs, spinach, and tomatoes were actually all seasoned, complimenting the liberal adornment of feta. They got this dish right! And their Iced Mocha, not the best I've had, but certainly the best I've had from a restaurant, by far.
(5)
D B.
Still trying to figure out what happened. SLOWWWWWW service. On a Wednesday morning? Our apple juice came out minutes before our food. We had to ask twice for apple juice after waiting with just water. The two tables next to us were sat after and received food before. My food came out and was mostly undercooked (eggs ordered over medium, and came out over easy, runny with white yolk. Hash was barely luke warm). Waitress stopped by to check on us once or twice. Advise taking brunch elsewhere.
(2)
Rich S.
My kids, wife and I have been dining at Honey Jam 1-2 times a week almost since it opened. The staff is wonderful and feel like family to us. That's what makes this review so hard. Since the change in ownership in August, the food quality has gone down, and down, and down. I would compare it now to an iHop with a nicer interior. They have changed everything from their toast, silver dollar pancakes, turkey sausage ... all NOT better! This morning may have been the final straw ... they changed their Pumpkin Waffle!! It was smaller, didn't taste the same, and was served with much less topping! We feel like we are breaking up with a long relationship, but we have tried Eggs, Inc now a few times and the food is MUCH better. We went to Honey Jam one last time this morning and had our usual experience to what we have had over the last few months ... The staff was WONDERFUL and the food was TERRIBLE! RIP Honey Jam.
(1)
Molly S.
Went here today for breakfast.. It was my first time. I was extremely disappointed in the service and my meal. We called ahead and made a reservation for two. We arrive and were seated right away, which was very nice. The place wasn't too busy but it seemed like for a larger group there was a wait. Once at our table we looked over the menu to see what to order. We waited over ten minutes without anyone coming by to even get our drink order. My bf had to flag down someone to ask for our waitress, and then that took another five minutes. She was nice, took our order and then came back with our coffee. We ordered the countryside skillet.. Our waitress brought our food and asked if we needed anything else. I asked for a water. We started to eat, was so disappointed. My hash browns were greasy and soggy. When we were done eating a gentleman came and took our dishes. That was the only part of eating here which was pleasant. I never did get my water and she took forever for the check. My bf had been here numerous times, and even said that this was the worst experience he had ever had.
(1)
Lindsay C.
The best food and pretty good service. The atmosphere is always nice and the turn around is fast so we usually get seated pretty quickly. Also, they have wonderful coffee!!!
(5)
Lauren P.
This is a very good breakfast establishment. The restaurant gives off good vibes. Brunch food was not out of the ordinary but was not bad either. Its A-OK.
(3)
Dario B.
This place is super amazing to put it lightly!! The service, the staff, and especially the food are phenomenal. Sheri our server was amazing and attentive to all our needs. I come out here from des plaines to see one of my friends and the trip is totally worth it. I wish they had mimosas so then I can bring more people here with me. I strongly recommend this place. I would totally come every Sunday for unlimited mimosas. Come on honey Jam make it happen for our Sunday funday!
(5)
Ray S.
First time visiting in my hometown Jan 7th, 2015 around 1:45pm. Went there with a friend. Upon waking in I was instantly pleased with the atmosphere. Very cabin-like. Warm and dark furnishing, a fireplace, dark oak wood. Just nice feeling overall. Plenty of seating too. I was given a table instantly and had a waiter serve us drinks a few minutes after. My waiter was 'Adam,' he was helpful in helping us choose our items. I got the Classic scrambled eggs with no meat and pancakes. And my friend got the Denver-style omelet. It came, with a good serving size of eggs, perhaps 2 eggs, hash browns and 2 pancakes. DELICIOUS! The waiter had a good eye when our water was running low refilled. My meal only costed me $5.50 and with tax $6.05 and with a tip $7.30. Good food and nice restaurant. I will definitely visit here again. Located right next to the Portillos on Route 53/Boughton Rd.
(5)
Bryan B.
The breakfast restaurant category is a crowded one. Here's where Honey-Jam stands out: Solid and consistent execution (no surprise since they used to be part of the Portillo family of restaurants) Exhaustive menu. Maybe too large. Intelligent coffee Nice, warm ambience with wood tones and lighting Tip: on the weekend, get there before 9am or you WILL wait in line
(3)
Pulga T.
I'm basing this 3 star review on only one visit. I don't know if I will go again, maybe if in the area. It wasn't anything that stood out to me. My husband & and I got skillets. To be honest I can't remb which one mine was but I do remb the coffee was good. Place gets packed on weekends not worth the wait. I think this place gets all his hype bc it's partnered up with portillos. I maybe wrong but its just ok. The place is def nice clean, bathrooms clean. Staff is very friendly and attentive. No complaints there.
(3)
PJ C.
Dreadful, awful experience. Just absolute bad service from beginning to end. Telling us it will take 5 minutes for a table, and being seated 20 minutes later, should have been our first red flag (and encouraged us to leave). They were out of my first two choices, so to make it easy on them, I ordered toast and hash browns. They forgot the toast (yes, apparently that was an order too difficult to fulfill) and the hash browns were so raw that I can't imagine they ever got "browned." No one seemed to care about anything, or have even a tiny sense of urgency about the diners. I can't imagine this place will last long with this kind of attitude and service.
(1)
Cathy R.
This is our go-to place for breakfast after church on special occasions like Easter, Mother's Day, etc. Everything we have ever ordered has been great quality food-wise, but drink-wise - personally I'm not a fan of the coffee...or maybe it was the cream that was going bad? Who knows. My husband ordered green tea for his drink one time, and it smelled/tasted like seaweed from the ocean. - bleh. I would stick to juice or water, but when it comes to the breakfast menu items, it's hard to go wrong with anything. As a side note, my husband ordered a salad the last time we were there, and found a piece of plastic in the bowl. We simply reported it to the waitress, and she profusely apologized and comped the meal, which shows the great service they provide. See you guys again most likely on Father's Day!
(4)
Michael P.
I never knew that Portillos did breakfast. When i try a new breakfast spot like go simple. If you cant get the basics right then thats a problem. Today I ordered simple steak and eggs, and cheese blintzes. The steak and eggs consisted of two eggs scrambled, steak (medium), hashbrowns and two pancakes. The egg were decent, a little too wet, but still soft and custardy. The steak was not so great. It was seasoned well, but it was cooked unusually. It was pink in the middle but dry like it was welldone. The ends were tough, almost like someone pressed it on the grill and sqeezed all the juices out. The hashbrowns were just ok, they kind of reminded me of Denny's. The pancakes were not good at all. They were crusted and dry on top (over cooked), dense (too much flour in batter) and arrived cold. The cheese blintzes were not bad. The crepes were eggy and light. The cheese filling was soft and creamy, lightly sweet. The only problem was they used way too much cinnamon, but other than that, they were good. The highlight of the meal was fresh orange juice. Overall I would say this meal was just ok, it had more lows than highs. Frankly I expected better from a Portillo's branded restaurant. The meal with drinks cost just over $30. For that much, I have been to many places that cost half as much and were twice as good. I gave 3 stars because of taste, but they really deserve 2.5 for the other issues.
(3)
Andrew W.
Not sure what all the fuss is about. Someone made another Egglectic but just made it 100 times the size. Not too many healthy choices on the kid's menu. The side of fruit was pitiful. Was that A grape? Ohh pineapple...A piece! We asked for egg yolks for our infant and they came slathered in butter. DRIPPING with butter. Yeah good idea. Pay registers are poorly placed in entrance traffic pattern so small children are being trampled and lost all over the place. Won't be returning and it's sad that so many people support giant corporate fat cows like Portillos' and Friday's and Applebee's when the ma n' pa shops are trying to offer us healthy food from local providers made fresh with fresh ingredients. Won't be returning as it's just not our style at all and we went to meet a friend who "loves" HJC. We'll pick the place next time. If you made it to here in my review and are fuming because you love Portillo's and Applebee's and Friday's, rest assured that HJC will not let you down. You will get good service, large portions, flavorful food (lots of butter and salt and cream and sugar where applicable) at an affordable price.
(2)
Sandra D.
Wonderful customer service. Big portions. Reasonably priced. The food is delicious. Out family was visiting from France and we decided to bring them to this establishment for a nice breakfast. It was our first visit here and we were impressed. Will definitely return!
(5)
Ronald L.
So so, I would never wait in line for this mediocre food, Portillos should be ashamed of this place. The server was the only nice thing here. They were training a hostess, not trying to pick on her, but I am surprised she can find the front door, because even with a cheat sheet, she could not find the tables. This was not some teenage girl, this is a woman in her 40's. Since my review, I have come under attack by private messages from their staff. Very inappropriate to respond that way. Fix your restaurant, it's not me that's malfunctioning
(1)
Kimi T.
I have been wanting to try this place for a while. While the food was reasonably priced, I was highly disappointed with the portion sizes. For a place known for it's breakfast options, the pancakes were just awful. The service is also sub-par compared to other restaurant options. My guest and I waited over 15 minutes for our cups of coffee. We decided we would not be returning.
(2)
Brad W.
Food is still good but we're starting to see some quality cuts from the new ownership. No more true fresh squeezed orange juice! Monkey bread was also different but not bad. We could live with that but not the OJ. Not worth driving out of our way anymore.
(3)
Martinique W.
The server said the new owners are trying to run this place into the ground, and they are succeeding. Long wait for bad food. Servers who could care less about the restaurant because they already know they are out of a job soon.
(1)
Stephen S.
I have two comments to share. I used to like stopping here a couple of times per week because the breakfast and atmosphere by the fireplace is awesome. They had wifi access up until a month or two ago....now they say something is wrong with it. I enjoy catching up on things while I eat but can't do that here anymore. There are plenty of breakfast places that do have wifi for customers, so today is my last visit here to Honey Jam Cafe.
(4)
Rose L.
last time we were there it was great but today was bad service and bad food. I ordered a veggie skillet and it was cold and didn't have a lot of veggies and the onions were grilled like on a hamburger thrown across the top. I sent it back and the second wasn't much better except it was a little hotter. When I told the manager she said she was glad I know from past visits that their food is usually better. I was not offered any compensation. I won't be back
(1)
Maggie C.
Had good service on a busy Sunday. I Ordered the biscuit and gravy with my eggs scrambled with cheese. It was good, but my eggs turned out to be more like an omelet with too much cheese. My boyfriend got the breakfast burrito and it came with hash browns. It was very bland...even adding tobasco sauce didn't help. Also, the coffee that I get here is very weak. I don't know if it's worth waiting 30 mins to eat here again.
(3)
Kimberly C.
Today was my first visit and the experience was very pleasant. The wait was only 10 mins which I didn't mind since my company had not arrived yet. It was a beautiful morning so I just waited outside. Before I knew it my pager went off and I was greeted by a smiling hostess. The dining room was darker than other places. It was nice but better suited for dinner time. My waitress greeted me quickly with menus and my coffee with french vanilla cream was on the way. I usually order simple dishes when visiting a restaurant the first time. I had the 2 eggs breakfast over medium with pancakes, hash browns and Cherrywood smoked bacon. Pretty easy to make and it was absolutely delish!! The pancakes were the best I've had in a restaurant. The hash browns cooked perfect for me - not too crunchy or soft. The bacon was the best... nice smokey flavor and cooked just right. The eggs were good too. My dinning partner had waffles, scrambled eggs with cheese and a large OJ. The bill was cents under $30 for both. I don't mind paying more for good food and experience. It's part of the Portillo's chain so I expected it. The one thing I didn't like was the location. The cafe is behind or next to Portillo's. So, the aisle I parked in filled up with the overflow from the Portillo's drive through. I had to wait until the line went down before I could leave. Minus one star for location. Lesson learned. I will be back!
(4)
Sonia W.
Taffy apple stuffed French toast? A breakfast burger with bacon, egg and a charbroiled burger? Freshly squeezed orange juice? All this and more is what you'll find at Honey Jam Cafe, a Portillo venture. Come here. You won't regret it!!!
(5)
Jo R.
On Sunday afternoon, I was pleased to be seated immediately in a lovely room at Honey Jam Cafe. The walls had an amber tone and were adorned with stained glass artwork. Star lights hung from the the ceiling. Very classy dining area with a cozy feel. We sat down, ordered coffee, and were served promptly. The coffee was quite good and the pot was left on the table for self-service. I appreciated that touch, as I am often mildly irritated by overzealous waiters. It was nice to be able to pour the coffee--which somehow stayed hot--at leisure. Since Honey Jam Cafe is a breakfast destination, I ordered a breakfast item: the chocolate chip pancakes. The presentation was beautiful: three large pancakes stacked atop each other; chocolate drizzled in stripes across the stack. Beneath the pancakes I discovered a layer of thick chocolate, adding to the decadence. They did skimp on the whipped cream, I thought. It came in a dollop on the side. Frankly, I hoped for more. I don't care to be health conscious when I dine out; might as well live it up (the end is coming anyway, right?). Also, the menu stated chocolate chips were mixed into the pancake batter. However, this chocolate detective did not see traces in her pancakes. My guests were not impressed with their meals. One ordered the chicken harvest wrap and said it was bland. The other ordered the corned beef hash skillet and said it was nothing special. Overall, we found Honey Jam average. I would dine there again perhaps, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it.
(3)
Christina F.
We ate here last Saturday around 9:15am. I was worried with the packed parking lot and the line already forming in the sitting area that I wasn't going to eat for a while. Luckily, they sat us right away since there were only two of us. Unlucky that we got sat kind of in an awkward place. Our server was beyond wonderful and sweet. Our food was good and it came out in a reasonable amount of time. This place is a little more expensive than other places but you get your moneys worth with the portion size. I had to box up half my breakfast because I was so full. My husband was able to get the rest of his coffee carafe to go which was nice. The interior is clean. It's noisy with so many patrons, but that's expected. Parking is ok except when there's snow on the ground and people decide to make their own spots.
(4)
Sarah R.
I went here with the parents. I got the chocolate chip waffles they were delish. The hashbrowns were good as well. My parents got eggs and sausage and bacon. They said the bacon was chewy. I would definitely go back for the waffles. The atmosphere is cute. It is a pretty big place. They close early at 2pm.
(3)
Señora K.
Our favorite breakfast spot when we are in town. Great variety from waffles, Dutch babies, Omelets ... You will have a hard time deciding! Relaxing atmosphere ~ though we always come early on a weekday. I am sure it's a different story at other times/days. Give it a try!
(4)
Laura H.
This is my family's "go to" restaurant for breakfast. Fabulous food! I only wish the wait wasn't so long to get in.
(5)
Matt W.
I changed my review from 2 stars to 3. I've had a better experience a second time.
(3)
Jennifer N.
I couldn't really decide whether I wanted to give it a 3 or 4 star rating, but we've had pretty good service and enjoyed the food each and every time we've been here, so I'm going with 4 stars. This place gives you a lot of food. A LOT of food. I don't understand why people call this pricey for what it is; when I visited with my brother and cousin, the three of us ordered four entrees and coffee and paid $50 for three people. We even took food home. That's quite a lot of value for just under $17 each. Oh, and the food was excellent! On my recent visit, I ordered the Julian's Benedict and split the Bananas Foster crêpes. Both were fantastic and just perfect. My brother ordered the chorizo & eggs and my cousin ordered waffles with strawberries and bananas. Both my brother and my cousin were pretty satisfied as well. The chorizo & eggs was really good and the waffles were huge! I couldn't believe how big the entrees were. It was plenty of food - probably more than they needed to serve. I think it's a great value. The server was really funny. Maybe a little weird, but really funny. She did try very hard even though she wasn't the fastest server; that's okay, she didn't make any big mistakes and always refilled our coffee and water promptly. I like this place and I'm really glad there is one in Bolingbrook. It's a perfect family place and Bolingbrook is where my family is at, so it's ideal. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Michelle H.
For the last three months or so, we now have been coming in here on at least a biweekly basis. I'm very happy they got over their grand-opening shortcomings from the first few times we came here. I really am a fan of this place now, for both breakfast and lunch options. No service glitches at all anymore. Every server we have waiting on us has been pleasant, informative, and spot on! I would like to give a special shout-out to Justin, though. We have him often as a server, and let's just say to watch this guy work a crowded section of the restaurant is amazing. He's quick, nice, and overly efficient. This guy deserves an award or something. Like I said, we have been coming in quite often, so here's a little list of my personal do's and dont's of the Honey Jam Cafe: Do skip the steak and eggs. For $14, I expected a pretty huge meal, and one that tastes pretty good as well. The steak is Angus, but I'm still not impressed. They cook it to order, but it is a small, under seasoned, plain piece of meat. One thing I do like, is they will happily substitute out my potatoes for some cottage cheese. Do get the crepes. I'm not sure about the fruit filled crepes, but the plain crepes are excellent. Pair them with a side of Applewood smoked bacon for a great breakfast dish. The bacon is good, although sometimes a bit overcooked. Do skip the chorizo and eggs. I like the authentic style Mexican breakfast, but this falls rather short. First off, their chorizo lacks any of the signature orange colored grease, which makes the sausage's flavor. It is rather dry and tasteless. Served with nearly plain white rice and soupy black beans, this will never be one of my favorite dishes here. For lunch, do get the 1/2 sandwich with soup or salad. I like the California wrap. It is a veggie tortilla with sliced turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and 1,000 Island dressing. It comes with fries, and be sure to ask for a side of southwest ranch dressing to dip the fries in. So much better than plain catsup any day! For the soup, I really enjoy the thick and tasty Chicken Tortilla soup.
(4)
Twylla S.
We were quite pleased with our experience when we came here. The interior is beautiful and the waitstaff is attentive. We were most excited that they brewed intelligentsia coffee since we rarely have the opportunity for good coffee when we go out for breakfast. Although the menu said no substitutes we were still able to make one small one to keep our breakfast a little healthier. Everything was cooked right and warm when it arrived to our table. Though I feel you can rarely go wrong with a breakfast joint there are times when you can go extra right... I think Honey Jam leans a little extra towards the good side with their delicious coffee and fair prices.
(4)
Aerial M.
Decent spot. Our waitress was uninviting and quick with us. You ask for napkins and she would run off before you could ask for anything else. I ordered the ham and mushroom skillet. It was very filling and delicious. The pancakes that came with them though, were horrendous! Super dry and powdery. The lemonade had a syrupy aftertaste but thankfully the water was clean and refreshing.
(3)
Grant P.
It's always nice to see a manager at a restaurant willing to help out instead of merely standing around giving orders to their staff. This morning Robin, the manager, asked me how everything was. And when I told her that my hash browns were cold she immediately remedied that by bringing me a heaping plate full of delicious steaming hash browns twice as large as the side that originally came with my entree. Potatoes make me happy. Double potatoes make me twice as happy. My wife and I are frequent visitors to Honey Jam. Everything is always perfect. The food, the service, the prices, we couldn't be happier. So on the rare occasion when my potatoes are cold, it doesn't really bother me. It happens, and believe me if I were the one cooking my breakfast I'd be lucky to have hot potatoes half of the time. I also noticed that there seemed to be more empty tables than usual. Someone commented that they might be a little short staffed. I applaud Robin once again for not stretching her staff too thin and keeping their high quality of service for all her customers. Thanks Honey Jam, and thanks Robin!
(5)
Jennifer M.
Honey Jam, thank you for being so scrumptious and having such adorable ambiance that makes one feel like they've entered the setting of a happy Christmas movie. Can I just say: yum and double yum. We've eaten here twice now, both breakfast and lunch. Totally impressed with the selection. Highly recommend the Eggs Benedict and Bananas Foster French Toast. My boyfriend said best Reuben he's ever had.
(5)
Andrew P.
Not bad. About on par with other breakfast places in the area, although with fancier decor and a longer wait. First time there today: many people waiting inside and outside, was told there would be a 20-minute wait, but it ended up being more like 40 minutes. We were seated next to a fairly large group that was wrapping up to leave, and they sure were taking their sweet time and loitering around, which makes me suspect that THEY were (at least partly) the reason that the wait was longer than expected. I wish people weren't so self-centered and ignorant, and I know it's difficult for the restaurant to ask them to leave in cases like this. Once we were seated the service was pretty fast and efficient. Food was not bad at all, but not out-of-this-world. Prices are fair too. Would I return if there was a wait? Probably not. If there wasn't a wait? Absolutely.
(3)
Ms. K D.
Best breakfast place around. The service is fast and friendly. There is always someone to host and seat you. On weekends there is a wait but it's because the food is worth it. You can also call ahead and reserve your spot in line. My sweetie and I have come here several times for breakfast on the weekends. The portions are large and many times we order the Tuscan Omelet (our favorite) and split it and leave satisfied. The pancakes are really good. I've also ordered the Chopped Salad and it is delicious! Recommend it!
(5)
Joseph P.
This place is better than a lot of the breakfast places in the area. It seems to be a very modern place to eat and the food is pretty good. Nothing wrong with the service and this is the place I prefer to eat at in Bolingbrook when I am there in the mornings.
(4)
Cathy M.
Visited the one in Downers Grove and found the food to be delicious and the service even better. They had brought me the wrong order and could not have been more apologetic and not only comped my meal but gave me a substitute order AND sent me home with my original order. Talk about service recovery!! So it was with that experience that I brought a friend to Bolingbrook closer to where we live. We waited 15 minutes before our server came by. Never asked if we wanted coffee or water. I asked for juice and a glass of ice. Took a while to get our drinks but no ice. That took another while to get. A runner brought our waffles and French toast, but no butter or syrup. That took another while. Never saw the waitress again until she dropped off the check. We went for the food and it was great. The service was disappointing.
(3)
Carrie S.
This is a pretty decent breakfast place. The interior is all woody and amber-toned, like honey! Jam? Cafe. I liked it, but there was nothing that really stood out. The service was awesome, the food is what you expect. There was a barber shop in the same strip mall that had a donk parked in front of it. Now THAT was a sweet honey jam. Cafe.
(3)
Gerry H.
Overwhelmingly Underimpressed is about as diplomatically as I can describe our lunch visit today. It starts with the weird baroque decor, the dim lighting, and the ice cold draft; I would ascribe a more country living style to the name Honey Jam. I'd brighten things up a bit, and I'd turn off the G-D A/C-It is November 1st, after all! (trust me, we asked for the heat to be turned on and apparently only Dick Portillo can do that). And while I'm sure that most of the gals out there would describe our waiter as "Hot", he should perhaps reinvent himself as a stripper or a runway model, cuz he ain't much of a waiter. We waited forever for drink straws and coffee creamer, and my wife eventually went to the front counter for the creamer. Same story for the pancake syrup. Remember kids, it's the little things..... And the food was uninspired, at best. I went with the Tuscan omelet and found it to be a rather gooey, bland mess. My wife thought the same of her Egg Beaters Tuscan Omelet. My daughter did enjoy her scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and sausage links. Butterfield's is exponentially better.
(2)
Ben B.
kind of pricey for what it is. I have no complaints with the quality of the food, but it took a very long time. We were seated in a party room, which seemed to be all tables with a crying baby and us. My gf insists it was her orange and red mohawk, but I don't think the little highschooler seating us cared one way or another about her haircut. My meal was fine. Her meal was not, even after the 2nd try. They'd delivered the completely wrong meal, and then brought a 2nd one that had one of the ingredients still in it she'd asked to have omitted. (tomatoes, maybe?). At that point we were both so hungry and we didn't want to wait 10 more minutes to get a 3rd attempt at her dish. The high ceilings with painted metal made the whole place an echo chamber, and the service was uber-slow. I won't be back, I've got plenty of other places to try.
(1)
Kelvin M.
I have been eating at this location from the very first day they opened. Over the years, the consistency has become non existent. Saturday September 6 2014, my entire order was messed up. I called once I got to work and the corporate office sent me out a $20.00 certificate to replace the order. I called the store back after I couldn't find the certificate and was told that Portillo's no longer owned the restaurant and to call Portillo's corporate office to see if they'll re send another one out and if I couldn't get help, to call the restaurant back and they would take care of it in house. Portillo's corporate office called me back today and said that they couldn't re send another certificate out because they no longer owned the restaurant. I called Honey Jam back and spoke to a male manager in which he stated he couldn't help me and they had no way to track my order or replace the certificate. It's a shame that I paid over $20.00 for a meal that was not eaten by anyone in my family. I will never patronize any honey jam location again...................
(1)
Kevin C.
Absolutely delicious!! My Wife, myself and my folks were in Chicago for a family gathering and we went Sunday morning to Honey-Jam Cafe. My wife and Mom had been there Saturday afternoon for lunch and raved about it. We arrived at 1030 and my wife made reservations for 4. We were so happy she did as the place had a line going out the door. We were seated at 1104 in the back party-room. Marla was our server and she did an absolutely fabulous job. My wife ordered the French Toast and my Mom and Dad ordered omelettes. I had the 2 eggs, sausage and hash browns along with a side of Corn Beef Hash. At the end of breakfast, no plate was empty as the meal fit the bill. The next time we are back in Chicago/Bolingbrook, this will be our place of choice.
(4)
Jason R.
This place is very relaxing and easy on the eyes. It's a fuzz more than I usually spend on breakfast, but it's worth it for the chilled back environment. One complaint is that I'm an idiot. I've been there twice, and waited for a refill of my coffee only to realize (twice) that they leave you with a pot on your table to refill at your leisure. I am not a smart man. One really kick ass part about this place is they will give you a (complimentary) cup of coffee for the road.
(5)
LOIS B.
I've been waiting for this place to open. The competition just north on Route 53 has closed (no surprise there), so they should do just fine. We visited at lunch which made parking (on a rainy day) a slight hassle because of its close proximity to its sister restaurant. There was a very brief wait, but not anything unreasonable. We were led to a table in a very busy traffic pattern, the hostess could tell we were not happy and moved us to another location, at a corner which was even worse. Finally we were offered a booth in a more private room which was much better. But, as I looked around, there really were no tables in the larger rooms, that did not have people rushing past, people being led past you to get to other tables, or just a lot of commotion. There were a few minor kinks which will probably work themselves out. Portions were generous and there certainly is something for everyone on the menu. The register to pay is located in a strange area, and yet again, accessible by weaving your way through tables. Just a suggestion, leave a carafe of water on the table.
(3)
April E.
It would be 5 stars. Great food but every time my husband picks an order up to go they never get it right.
(4)
C S.
I haven't wrote a bad review yet but honey jam made me do it. I went in on a Saturday morning. I get it weekends are busy. The hostess was nice she knew it was busy so she took our drink orders. We had a table of 20 next to us so we knew to order quick. We got in at 9:15 and placed our order right away when our server first came at 9:18 am. So 9:30 rolled around nothing. 9:40 rolled around nothing. No communication from the server. Once 9:55 hit with not one word from our server we had to just walk out. I get it your busy but at least say something to your guests. I never had to wait 40 mins for breakfast anywhere else even when they are packed. If someone would've talked to us we would've stayed but service wasn't there today. I love portillos but no honey jam for me anymore. I would've reviewed the food but we didn't get the chance to taste it.
(1)
Liz K.
This place is huge...room after room. It really does not look like a breakfast place...it is very nicely decor and dark. Nicest breakfast restaurant I have ever seen. The coffee was delish and I really loved that they had all types of flavored creme. Food was decent..much nicer plating them most places. I loved their eggs and toast. The only thing that made it not as a great experience is the tight parking and that it took foreeevver to get our food...and not only that but it took forver to get our food ordered..and it was during the week so it wasn't that busy. Overall I think this is a breakfast place to go and check out but not a place to be a regular at.
(3)
Avanti H.
yes definitely at the top of the list of breakfast spots for me .
(5)
Christopher H.
Just got back home after having breakfast there. Called ahead to ask them to start an apple pancake so it would ready when I got there or at least close. It was burned around the edges, in many spots it was black. Obvious to me was that it was overcooked. Asked them to take it back, bring me heuvos rancheros instead. This dish was average and too earthy for my tastes, but I ate it. They credited me the amount of $9.95 for the apple pancake, but charged me for the huevos. I checked out and was asked by the cashier how everything tasted. I told her the pancake was burnt. She said sorry. A manager type then came by and asked how was everything. I told her the same. She said sorry. I think they should have comped the Huevos or frozen apple pancake I took home, but they did not.
(2)
Maureen E.
After having spent 2 years trying to go here (the wait is ALWAYS long), we finally got in, and I can understand why. I love that they put a giant carafe of coffee on your table, and when I mentioned the need for a low-cholesterol item, the server and the manager actually calculated the percentages for me (pancakes @ 2%) for the various breakfast items. And the pancakes were perfectly yummy. Upon leaving, they offer each customer a to-go cup of coffee, tea, or water. I definitely want to return.
I went with 21 people and only called ahead a hour to have call ahead reservations. I called to see if they had room to seat us. they said yes come on in and took our name. This was a Sunday at 10:00. We waited maybe 25 minutes but got two large tables that I new we would split up. The waitress gave us all separate checks. Our food was Wonderful. Meaning nothing wrong at all. Everyone loved there food. They have a large menu to choice from. If you can't find something on the menu you do have a problem yourself. they will serve lunch at this time also as half us got breakfast and half got lunch. NO PROBLEMS. I asked the waitress to please add the tip and she said we don't do that hear. I could not of had a more pleasant dining experience any place. If each of us could tell one person the word would spread what a great please and experience we had. We will be back. NOT once or twice but alot
(5)
John S.
I had been to the Honey Jam Cafe in Downers Grove a couple of times before, but this was the first visit to the restaurant in Bolingbrook. It did not disappoint. The lunch meals -- wife: Pumpkin Waffle with cheesecake topping daughter: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Simple Turkey Club 1/2 Sandwich mother: Italian Wedding Soup and Chicken Harvest 1/2 Wrap me: BBQ Chicken Tortilla Salad My mother did not like the soup (I did not know she had tried Italian Wedding Soup before and had not liked it). Other than that little blip, everything else was excellent. We were seated immediately in a space that was convenient for my mom, who walks with a cane. The service was exactly what one would want it to be -- friendly, fast, accurate. The food was excellent. Drink refills were frequent. The prices are reasonable. If I lived in the area I would be a regular customer. Great job!
Portillos owned breakfast restaurant? Dont mind if I do. Holy moly. The food is amazing and the fresh squeezed orange juice is wonderful. The service was delightful. I really cant see going wrong with anything on the menu. I had a veggie omelet and my husband had the Crazy Monkey Waffle which was pretty much peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips. Ya, just imagine.
(4)
Ashley W.
I'm glad I didn't look at all the negative Yelp reviews before going, because I probably wouldn't have ever made it here, and then I would've been missing out! I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. We were greeted with a warm welcome from a woman who was likely the manager. She promptly sat us, and shortly after, we were greeted by the nicest server (Dani was her name, I believe). Because it was our first time there, she pointed out some of her favorites, ALL of which sounded SO good! One of the skillets she recommended was the Countryside skillet which had ham, sausage, bacon, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. This was the skillet I ended up ordering and it was SO so good. And it was huge! I finished about 1/3 of it, and ate one of the two pancakes it came with (you can do toast instead of pancakes), and was completely stuffed! Yeah, their prices are slightly on the higher side, however, I brought more than half of my breakfast home, so I don't feel like it's really worth complaining about. All in all, I was impressed and will definitely be back. Great food, friendly attentive service, and the restaurant is CLEAN. No complaints here!
(5)
Melanie C.
I have gone once, and that was enough for me. I don't have children, and don't understand why I had to get sat in a party room full of crying children. I know I look young, but I didn't really need to hear the screaming kids. Our waitress seemed a bit frazzled by the whole situation. The sever ice was VERY slow. When I finally did get my food, it was wrong. I sent it back, only for it to come back out again wrong! I was too hungry to send it back for a second time, so I ate a few bites of my sub par skillet, paid my bill and left.
(1)
Christine S.
Easter Sunday 2014 8:00 am decided to stop there for a good breakfast for 3 adults...walked in and no waiting, it was early!...not alot of people there yet...our service was fine BUT the food was disgusting...weve been before for breakfast and had not issues, youd think for Easter they would be on their game!!! Eggs were suppose to be over easy and the whites were still runny...I had the Julian and the english muffin was as if it had been soaked in water...Truly a big disappinointment for a nice Easter breakfast...prices were an average of 9.99 for a smallish portion, so you would for breakfast especially expect it to be good, right? I complained to our waitress about the english muffin and she brought me another one just toasted...by this time every one else was already done eating...We now will not be returning to Honey-Jam Cafe.....not worth the trip....
(1)
D. S.
Love this place! Our server was excellent, the food was quick and very delicious. We did order the monkey bread wihich takes 15 minutes but it was worth it, so yummy. Everyone was really happy with their food. We had eggs, ham, sausage, omlets, French toast, pancakes and waffles; each was very delecisious.
(4)
Sue M.
Not feeling the love. It's ok and that's it. I have probably been there 6-8 times since it opened and it never wows me. Just went for breakfast and I got the holly French toast (lol!) and it was ok. I don't like the interior--very dark and a lot of stained glass. It feels like winter all year round. I would like to see some natural light, please! The best thing going for this place is the Intelligensia coffee.
(3)
Rosann F.
They should call this the "Honey Badger Cafe" (not everyone will get that!) Drove here from Channahon for breakfast/lunch today thinking it would be as good as the other Portillos restaurants. Sadly this was not the case. We arrived around 1pm so there was no wait. The hostess was excited to seat us next to the fireplace but it wasn't lit. Our server, Marla, was prompt and attentive. Always had a smile throughout our meal. My fiance and I both ordered Diet Cokes but, I'm still scratching my head as to what she served us because it wasn't Diet Coke. Our server promptly brought us Iced Tea which was good. The silverware was dirty; I'm talking chunks of leftover food on it. That will make you lose your appetitie real fast. I ordered eggs, corned beef hash, hash browns, pancakes and a side of bacon. The eggs were ok (really, how can you screw up eggs?) the hashbrowns were overcooked and the pancakes were FAR from "light and fluffy". They were more like flat and pasty. Someone commented earlier that they served "gourmet pancakes". Can someone explain to me what gourmet pancakes are because these weren't even in the same universe as gourmet. I've had better pancakes at Denny's. The best part of my meal was the bacon,which was way overpriced. $3.50 for three pieces of bacon!My fiance ordered the Huevos Rancheros which were just ok. Overall, the service was good but the food was not. Dick needs to stick to what he knows best; burgers and dogs.
(2)
Sara D.
Honey Jam Cafe had a lot to prove to me when I dined here on Sunday. I already have two favorite local breakfast spots: Pancake Cafe in Naperville and Eggs, Inc in Bolingbrook. The name drew us in....honey, jam, this place must be awesome. Well, it was just ok. I had a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and bf had an omelette. The sandwich was a bit dry, but the bread was good (sourdough). The restaurant itself is decorated nice, but it was very crowded, loud, and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic. Not how I like to spend my Sunday morning. In essence, I feel lukewarm about the restaurant. While I am not opposed to going back again, I will most likely stick to my regular breakfast joints.
(3)
K M.
Love this restaurant! I've never had a bad meal here. The monkey bread is absolutely amazing!! Great service. Friendly staff. Nice ambiance in the restaurant. I especially love the fire in the fireplace in the winter.
(4)
Utica G.
My brother and I went to Honey Jam for breakfast on his last day in town. I had never been to the restaurant before, and I won't be going back. The food was OK, but the customer service from the management (Stephanie) was horrible. My brother and I had ordered a fruit bowls (not "fruit plates"). The fruit came served in bowls so, naturally, we THOUGHT we had received what we had ordered. It wasn't until we received the bill for fruit plates priced at almost $9 each that we has realized that the waitress had made a mistake. We brought it to the attention of Stephanie, the manager. She asked whether we had sent the order back. I told her that we hadn't sent the order back because we thought that we had received the item we had ordered, which was about half the price of the "fruit plate". Since it was our first time dining at the restaurant, we didn't know the difference, especially since it had been served in a bowl. Stephanie made the price adjustment on one of the fruit orders, but informed us that she couldn't do so for the other fruit order because we had not sent the order back. We hadn't sent the order back because we thought we had received what we had ordered, until the bill arrived! She even behaved as though she was doing us a HUGE favor by making the adjustment on ONE of the orders! Her attitude sucked, and I refuse to spend my money at Honey Jam ever again! I receive much better customer service at Portillo's...
(2)
Dave S.
Everything here is alright. I really can't complain about my breakfast as it hit the spot. The prices were a little bit higher than typical places like this that I frequent. IT was not enough for me to get my panties in a bunch. The restaurant was not very crowded at all and it took a VERY long time for us to receive our food. The restaurant looks rather nice and is rather comfortable. I left here with a resounding eh rerunning around in my head. Everything was solid here but there was nothing that made me feel like I had to return. I probably will return as everything was pretty decent.
(3)
Jeff N.
AWFUL. They decor is about the only thing that was positive about this place. After waiting for 30 minutes to sit down (not unreasonable considering it was a Sunday brunch). We ordered our coffee and food. Coffee was excellent and came out in a timely fashion. 45 minutes AFTER ordering, I asked our waitress to check on the food. 5 minutes later it came out luke warm. It looked appetizing and it tasted so-so but this is BREAKFAST AND IT TOOK 50 minutes to get to the table!! Yes it is Sunday brunch and their busiest time, but that is no excuse. You are cooking eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and pancakes. It should never take 50 minutes to get your breakfast. On top of that, the manager, Robin came to our table and clarified for us that the "kitchen was busy." There was never a sense of urgency and it never felt that she was all that concerned with the situation. Most managers of restuarants will emphatically state their concern and apologize to the nth degree, not make up an excuse that the kitchen is busy. It's a breakfast joint, the kitchen is SUPPOSED to be busy. Most people eat breakfast from 8:30am to 12pm on SUNDAYS. Expect your restaurant to be busy and prepare for it. Sorry for my mini tirade. However, Robin seemed incompetent to run this restaurant which is sad because Dick Portillo has put together such great establishments. I will also mention that we had to request business cards/contact information on two separate occassions until Patty from corporate finally stopped by to offer 50% off our meal. Note to Patty from corporate, this was THE worst customer service I have ever experienced. It took you 15 minutes to stop by our table after we requested to speak to a manager. Customer service and product quality is how businesses succeed. Right now Honey-Jam is failing at 1 and the other is just ok. There are plenty of other breakfast/lunch places in the Naperville/Bolingbrook dont waste your time (1 hr 45min to be exact) going to eat at Honey Jam.
(1)
Meg S.
I wanna give it 2 1/2 starts this time, but just seem to wanna give this place the benefit of the doubt... even though it continues to disappoint. Nothing about this place is special... maybe I'm not ordering the right thing?? And the service still left something to be desired. We didn't even get refills on our coffee.
(3)
Sarah S.
Owned by portillos, this place tries to hide that it's a chain, but the serving size prepackaged creamers on the tables give them away. The restaurant layout was cramped, but service was ok. It was waaaay too dark, I ddidnt like going from it being 10 am to a building that made you feel like you should be ordering dinner. The food was decent, thick slices of bacon, they didnt skimp on the feta,real cheddar or my hashbrowns...next time I think I'm gonna try sweet instead of savory
(3)
Kelly G.
Excellent staff! Very knowledgeable and friendly! Food was delicious!
(4)
Jeanne L.
Julian's Benedict: AMAZING! A vegetarian version of eggs benedict, but it's so hearty with the thick tomatoes, portobello mushrooms and artichokes. Definitely will get this again! Their hollandaise sauce is out of this word too; BF and I get eggs benedict at most breakfast places we go, and Honey Jam's hollandaise sauce is the best we've had. Countryside Skillet: Pretty good too, but I won't get it again, as it's not amazing. Atmosphere: The restaurant itself is quite large, and I will say it was a bit louder than I would have liked (I think this is more an insulation issue, with their high ceilings and hard building materials everywhere, the sound just bounces around and around). But it's very roomy and getting a table was very quick at 12pm.
(4)
Jennifer Q.
I really like this place but, like one of the other reviewers, I was torn between 3 or 4 stars. I think the food is great and have never been disappointed by the quality of food. However, the wait can be kinda long, although that really should be expected on a weekend morning, but I have had some not so great service and some great service. It can be kinda slow at times and, as someone else experienced, after our food has arrived, we have had to wait for the syrup a number of times. The last time, the table next to us actually offered us their syrup because they didn't even have their food yet but were brought syrup. Overall, the food and many, many options do make-up for the occasional service issues that come with a bust breakfast place.
(4)
Steve C.
The restaurant was not even half full, but it took 7 minutes to get a server to come around. 15 minutes to get water and coffee after that. Never offered condiments, server never checked if we needed anything. Food was bland and disappointing for those of us at the table that got their food. My food didn't come, server didn't even apologize after admitting she didn't put it in the order. We waited, my pregnant wife barely touched her meal waiting for my dish to come. When it came, my medium steak was bloody & raw. Server's attitude was pretty blah again. So our parents ate, my food eventually came (server was in no rush to get it out - saw her meandering around the counter right after we asked) but we had to leave anyway so no breakfast for me. Some guy came out and stared at us without introducing himself - no clue who he was? Cook maybe? Asking if he could do anything, so I guess that was nice that someone eventually cared a little. Either way 2/4 of us didn't get to eat here so we won't be back. Too bad, we recently moved to the area, have tons of family & friends nearby and would have loved to have a new regular spot for the crowd to visit.
(1)
Nicole S.
My husband and I LOVE this place and it's our favorite place to get breakfast. Their call ahead service is very helpful especially on busy weekends. They have fresh squeezed OJ, the bacon and pancakes are divine, and the eggs and hash browns are great! I definitely recommend them. Even my out-of-town friends are Hooked on Honey Jam! Great place!
great food for brunch and accomodating to our large group, however I understand they wanted to bring all the food out at once but we waited WAYYYYY too long!
(4)
Kara J.
The food is really good and I love the coffee, but the service has been iffy a couple of times.
(4)
A. B.
Good selection and atmosphere. Just wish they had mimosas!
(4)
Bunny P.
'ello! Well. I went to HJC a few months back and it was okay. Went on a holiday... since the owner owns the entire strip, they opened an empty spot next door, since the wait was so long. There was coffee, telly for the kids and tables to sit at, so while you wait for the pager go off... you have something to do. [doubt they do that all the time, but not too sure.] Breakfast is definitely their strong suit. I had gotten a waffle and it was good! Sweet and fluffy with a nice crunch. My mom got a pick 2, a wrap and a southwestern soup... it was so so.. we actually got food poisoning from that wrap, which we thankfully didn't finish. [I say we because she had a bite, took it home and when she left... I had a bite as well . that's the last time I steal a bite. ...well. i won't steal anything from THEM out of my fridge.] Yeah the food poisoning was a lot of a turn off for us. When one of my girlfriends come back in town, I'll go with her, just to see how that goes. [P.S. They close at 2:30 ish so... hop to it and get there early!!]
(2)
Raymond R.
Great food but it can very busy....great service.
(4)
Scott C.
Food great. Service exponential "meh"... Inexplicably, there are so many things that the Portillo's Restaurant Group does right that I'm stunned, simply STUNNED that they have a tough time with this one. Maybe it's the breakfast / lunch concept and in full disclosure, I have not frequented the other Honey Jam's in their system (including the one in Lombard). If it comes off the griddle, it's going to be pretty solid. Eggs...they don't do as well. But gosh darn it, you've got to get to the table, bring it all together (my hash browns didn't arrive until after we finished our meal) and the sense of urgency attached to cranking out covers as breakfast places are want to do just wasn't there. We've been twice and while very good friends of ours have it pegged as their top stop, we just can't give it that kind of kudos.
(2)
Lisa C.
This is a wonderful restaurant. My friends & I live in Park Ridge & Schaumburg but whenever we come to Bolinbgrook we always make it a point ot stop at this restaurant. The food is always delicious. The wait staff is always curtious & on the ball about refilling drinks & clearing the table. It is always a pleasure to come here.
(5)
Jimmy V.
A one star is to generous for this place.Wait time is horrible. Nothing special about this place. We waited over half hr for our order. The lady took our Oder an forgot about us I had to flag her down. My brother order a skillet and they actually forget TO COOK his food. Will never go bk there.
(1)
Darlene B.
Nice atmosphere, good food, but service was slow even at 1:30 near closing time and there weren't that many customers.
(3)
Josh F.
Great breakfast! We had a great meal and the orange juice was fresh!
(5)
Jin Joo L.
Me and my bf love this place!!!! We've been there almost every week for brunch. The chicken tortilla soup is awesome! So is the Greek Wedding Soup but I still like the chicken better. We've tried... the Julian Benedict, the Vegetable Omelette (reg eggs. they have egg white option!), the Tuscan Omelette, Banana Foster Crepes, Country skillet, Monterey Omelette, Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast, Banana Bread French Toast, and fresh tomato juice. THe hash browns are awesome and so is the side of pancakes or marble rye toast! I normally hate hash browns unless they're Mc Donald's but these are perfect, not overdone, not too crispy. They need one of these around Schaumburg or Chicago!
(5)
Bruce T.
One of the best places in the area for waffles and crapes. The Very Berry waffle is my favorite with the Bananas Foster a close second. Good coffee (they leave the pot on the table so you never run out) and offer free to-go cups at the end of the meal. Who else does that? Plenty of staff even on a busy Sunday morning.
(5)
Rodney R.
I was not impressed. Frankly, the food was as it should be considering that it is overpriced for breakfast fare. Although I have to say they seem somewhat stingy with portions. I had actually finished my coffee and water quite sometime before flagging someone down with a pot of coffee for a refill. I was amazed at how slow the service was during off hours. The Geneva location is nice but really didn't set itself above any of the other restaurants in town.
(2)
Jessica K.
Meh, this wouldn't be my first, second or even third choice for brunch again. Its OK. This place is run by Portillo's group and is located right behind the Portillos'. I admittedly was lured in by the potential of this place to be as awesome as Portillo's. Its not. Its a large place, but we still had to wait 30-40 min on a Sunday morning for a table for two. We waited outside since the place was crammed with people at the hostess stand. The decor is ....interesting... kind of like what my mom would have ideally picked for decor in the 1980's... large, slightly gaudy victorian/baroque looking. And its dark, which does not help me wake up in the morning, no matter how much coffee. Not really what you would expect given the more fun lively atmosphere of Portillo's. Anyhow, onto the food. OK, but not memorable. Plenty of it, way too much, which is about where the similarity to Portillos' ends. Nothing bad, just not great, not Portillos' great which is really what I was secretly hoping for. Ill stick to the cheese fries and Italian beef next door.
(2)
Rich P.
Let's just start off by saying this was the worst service I have had in many years. We got seated and then waited for over 10 minutes before our waitress greeted us to take drink orders. Then we waited another 10 plus minutes to place our food order. Our drinks did not arrive until after our ouur food arrived. Food was average at best, my club wrap had very rare cooked bacon in it (gross) and the fries were cold, I was going to send it back but waitress was nowhere to be found so I just picked off the undercooked bacon and salvaged what I could of the wrap. Another one of my friends ordered a mediteranian croissant which was slightly stale. I will usually give a place a second chance but things were so bad here I will probably not. Hey Dick, stick to dogs, I can get better service and quality at a Dennys than I did at your Bolingbrook Honey Jam Cafe.
(2)
Susan M.
This is an excellent upscale breakfast place. It is also open for lunch, but it's their breakfast dishes that really shine. Gourmet pancackes, french toast - yummy yummy yummy!!! Egg skillets are excellent as well. A definite downer was their raisin toast - soooo good until the very last time we were there. Used to be more like coffee cake; now merely raisin toast. That was a disappointment. If you go after 9:00 on a Saturday or Sunday, expect a wait.
(4)
Martin K.
Great food, great service. A little expensive but worth trying. The Apple Pancake was the boys favorite. Well be back!!
(4)
Susan S.
Horrible. Went at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday, and the wait was over half an hour just to sit down. We ordered pretty promptly, and it took us until nearly 12:30 to receive our order. Food is okay, waitress was fine, but NOT WORTH THE WAIT!
(1)
Nicole M.
Went here for the first time for a late lunch on a Monday. Place was not crowded and we were seated immediately. The greeter/cashier was very friendly. Our server came over very quickly to get our drink order and brought the drinks very quickly. It took her slightly longer to come back and take our lunch orders. The food seemed to take a little longer than it should to get to the table but it tasted really good when it did. I ordered a veggie, egg-white scrambler with hashbrowns and toast. The food portion was a very good size. My friend enjoyed his sandwich and was impressed that the waitress brought his soda refill without his having to ask. The ambiance I thought was quaint, country chic, but my friend thought it was a little dark.
(3)
Sheila M.
I simply hate to post reviews such as this, especially when Portillos being the "sister" restaurant is so great with their service and customer satisfaction. This would only reflect the organization of the manager. My husband and I went there one week ago with our 15 month granddaughter. We are breakfast restaurant people! We were so excited to try the new place out, however after 1 hour of being seated yet no food, we left! Two other parties who were seated after us, happily received their food. When we inquired about our order, one of the waiters said I don't know. When we announced that we were leaving, the manager offered us coupons towards our next visit. I couldn't see that the coupons would be of any use. We will not return. We are fans of Eggs, Inc. Cafe, great service, great food, reasonably priced and healthy choices are on the menu. For those of you who think Honey Jam Cafe is wonderful, try out Eggs, Inc. Cafe on Weber Road, next to Caribou Coffee. It is great, you will know when you arrive as the parking lot is always full! We have been there 4 times now and never waited past 10 minutes and they do know you and your order status! What a concept. I would only give Honey Jam Cafe a try when they announce that they have replaced the Manager and Hostess! Shouldn't be long, at least sooner then getting your order!
(1)
Robin C.
If it's connected to Portillo's, you know it will be good. A number of us have been getting together for the past 5 months for breakfast at Honey Jam. We have not been disappointed. The food is excellent (especially the breakfast burrito) and the prices are very good. While I'm not really a breakfast person, I look forward to these gatherings for the fun and for the food. Our servers have always been good and attentive. We have not waited long for food and are usually there when the restaurant is quite busy. We have been greeted cordially and promptly upon entering and thanked when leaving. And that is why it is our breakfast "spot."
(5)
James M.
Very good food and service, would certainly recommend. The servings are large and the staff was friendly
(5)
Michele V.
I was so disappointed. I ordered the veggie omelette. First off it was dry. I never thought an omelette could be described as dry, but that's exactly how mine was. The vegetables were not sauteed before being added so they were hard. The hashbrowns were OK, but very bland and my toast was cold. My boyfriend had the huevos rancheros which he said was good, but nothing special. I didn't even eat half of my meal. We were sitting waiting for the check when the manager walked over to ask if we needed a box. He didn't ask us how everything was or even introduce himself. We didn't know you had to pay at the counter so when my boyfriend tried to hand the money to the waiter and the waiter said "Can you do it? I'm busy and have the whole room to wait on." we were done with giving this place a chance. Bad food, bad service, only positive is that it is very nice inside. We will definitely never go back.
(2)
Stephanie L.
Portillos has a breakfast place?!?!!?????!!!! Yes...yes, they do. It's a cute little space. Menu is monstrous. They have tons of breakfast, brunch, & lunch choices for all of your desires. Our server was really cool. On too of the game. Thumbs up! The food was standard...good, not knock your socks off. Overall, I would stop back if I was in the area.
(4)
Sandi K.
I am writing this review to response to the era after dick portillos sold his legacy to a private equity firm. There have been big changes and I don't like it. Just tried ordering my favs and they removed the following from the menu: - no tiramisu pancakes - no Mediterriean croissant - no short stack of pancakes I won't come here anymore since it's just like every other breakfast place. Save your money. This is what happens when white collar people aren't in touch with their customers.
(2)
James K.
Waited over 30 mins to get our food and there was only 3 of us. What made it worse it only took the couple next to us only about 10 mins to get theirs. When we got our food it was ok. 2 of us ordered skillets and they were very bland and one of the hashbrowns were cold. The house made hollandaise sauce tasted a little like gravy. Was more brownish than yellow. If you like gravy that's fine but I prefer mine a little more buttery. The eggs benedict tasted off cause of it. Was my 1st time here cause it was close but my last time. Will look for a new place for breakfast.
(2)
Jenine T.
Great service and great food will get you 5 stars from me. I now understand why this place has such a long line on the weekends, this being my first time here makes me realize how busy they must be because this place is pretty big and seats a lot of people.. And there's still a wait. Came here on a Monday and the pancakes were expected, delicious. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros which was their version and take on it and I was surprised at how good it was. It wasn't overdone, cooked well, and simple. Tasted great, we ordered the gourmet pancake and it was worth it but for me I still like Southern Belle by Joliet better. The prices vs the portions are more reasonable than here but this place is also good and has a good ambiance. Very efficient staff.
(5)
Karla U.
I have visited this place a couple of times and still lacks great servers. Every time I visit I always get waitressed by the same woman that never smiles and has a nasty attitude. You can't miss her. I visited two days ago and she walked away from our table while taking an order. She never came back to take the rest of our table's order until 30 mins later. She was too busy speaking to a couple that was sitting next to us the whole time. I had to tell the kitchen manager our order to complete as well as order things we needed because we were not properly accommodated. When I explained my visit to the manager his excuse was that she was busy..... :(
(3)
William B.
Each visit to this location is as awesome as the next. The hostess is very polite and seats quickly, the waitresses are on their game, with personality, service, and putting up with my group's foolishness. I had the Greek Omelet on my last visit..... Now I've placed this order at many places and I'm never impressed. The eggs are always flavorless, and the only bite you get is the sparse crumb of feta. Not here! The eggs, spinach, and tomatoes were actually all seasoned, complimenting the liberal adornment of feta. They got this dish right! And their Iced Mocha, not the best I've had, but certainly the best I've had from a restaurant, by far.
(5)
D B.
Still trying to figure out what happened. SLOWWWWWW service. On a Wednesday morning? Our apple juice came out minutes before our food. We had to ask twice for apple juice after waiting with just water. The two tables next to us were sat after and received food before. My food came out and was mostly undercooked (eggs ordered over medium, and came out over easy, runny with white yolk. Hash was barely luke warm). Waitress stopped by to check on us once or twice. Advise taking brunch elsewhere.
(2)
Rich S.
My kids, wife and I have been dining at Honey Jam 1-2 times a week almost since it opened. The staff is wonderful and feel like family to us. That's what makes this review so hard. Since the change in ownership in August, the food quality has gone down, and down, and down. I would compare it now to an iHop with a nicer interior. They have changed everything from their toast, silver dollar pancakes, turkey sausage ... all NOT better! This morning may have been the final straw ... they changed their Pumpkin Waffle!! It was smaller, didn't taste the same, and was served with much less topping! We feel like we are breaking up with a long relationship, but we have tried Eggs, Inc now a few times and the food is MUCH better. We went to Honey Jam one last time this morning and had our usual experience to what we have had over the last few months ... The staff was WONDERFUL and the food was TERRIBLE! RIP Honey Jam.
(1)
PJ C.
Dreadful, awful experience. Just absolute bad service from beginning to end. Telling us it will take 5 minutes for a table, and being seated 20 minutes later, should have been our first red flag (and encouraged us to leave). They were out of my first two choices, so to make it easy on them, I ordered toast and hash browns. They forgot the toast (yes, apparently that was an order too difficult to fulfill) and the hash browns were so raw that I can't imagine they ever got "browned." No one seemed to care about anything, or have even a tiny sense of urgency about the diners. I can't imagine this place will last long with this kind of attitude and service.
(1)
Molly S.
Went here today for breakfast.. It was my first time. I was extremely disappointed in the service and my meal. We called ahead and made a reservation for two. We arrive and were seated right away, which was very nice. The place wasn't too busy but it seemed like for a larger group there was a wait. Once at our table we looked over the menu to see what to order. We waited over ten minutes without anyone coming by to even get our drink order. My bf had to flag down someone to ask for our waitress, and then that took another five minutes. She was nice, took our order and then came back with our coffee. We ordered the countryside skillet.. Our waitress brought our food and asked if we needed anything else. I asked for a water. We started to eat, was so disappointed. My hash browns were greasy and soggy. When we were done eating a gentleman came and took our dishes. That was the only part of eating here which was pleasant. I never did get my water and she took forever for the check. My bf had been here numerous times, and even said that this was the worst experience he had ever had.
(1)
Lauren P.
This is a very good breakfast establishment. The restaurant gives off good vibes. Brunch food was not out of the ordinary but was not bad either. Its A-OK.
(3)
Dario B.
This place is super amazing to put it lightly!! The service, the staff, and especially the food are phenomenal. Sheri our server was amazing and attentive to all our needs. I come out here from des plaines to see one of my friends and the trip is totally worth it. I wish they had mimosas so then I can bring more people here with me. I strongly recommend this place. I would totally come every Sunday for unlimited mimosas. Come on honey Jam make it happen for our Sunday funday!
(5)
Ray S.
First time visiting in my hometown Jan 7th, 2015 around 1:45pm. Went there with a friend. Upon waking in I was instantly pleased with the atmosphere. Very cabin-like. Warm and dark furnishing, a fireplace, dark oak wood. Just nice feeling overall. Plenty of seating too. I was given a table instantly and had a waiter serve us drinks a few minutes after. My waiter was 'Adam,' he was helpful in helping us choose our items. I got the Classic scrambled eggs with no meat and pancakes. And my friend got the Denver-style omelet. It came, with a good serving size of eggs, perhaps 2 eggs, hash browns and 2 pancakes. DELICIOUS! The waiter had a good eye when our water was running low refilled. My meal only costed me $5.50 and with tax $6.05 and with a tip $7.30. Good food and nice restaurant. I will definitely visit here again. Located right next to the Portillos on Route 53/Boughton Rd.
(5)
Lindsay C.
The best food and pretty good service. The atmosphere is always nice and the turn around is fast so we usually get seated pretty quickly. Also, they have wonderful coffee!!!
(5)
Bryan B.
The breakfast restaurant category is a crowded one. Here's where Honey-Jam stands out: Solid and consistent execution (no surprise since they used to be part of the Portillo family of restaurants) Exhaustive menu. Maybe too large. Intelligent coffee Nice, warm ambience with wood tones and lighting Tip: on the weekend, get there before 9am or you WILL wait in line
(3)
Pulga T.
I'm basing this 3 star review on only one visit. I don't know if I will go again, maybe if in the area. It wasn't anything that stood out to me. My husband & and I got skillets. To be honest I can't remb which one mine was but I do remb the coffee was good. Place gets packed on weekends not worth the wait. I think this place gets all his hype bc it's partnered up with portillos. I maybe wrong but its just ok. The place is def nice clean, bathrooms clean. Staff is very friendly and attentive. No complaints there.
(3)
Cathy R.
This is our go-to place for breakfast after church on special occasions like Easter, Mother's Day, etc. Everything we have ever ordered has been great quality food-wise, but drink-wise - personally I'm not a fan of the coffee...or maybe it was the cream that was going bad? Who knows. My husband ordered green tea for his drink one time, and it smelled/tasted like seaweed from the ocean. - bleh. I would stick to juice or water, but when it comes to the breakfast menu items, it's hard to go wrong with anything. As a side note, my husband ordered a salad the last time we were there, and found a piece of plastic in the bowl. We simply reported it to the waitress, and she profusely apologized and comped the meal, which shows the great service they provide. See you guys again most likely on Father's Day!
(4)
Michael P.
I never knew that Portillos did breakfast. When i try a new breakfast spot like go simple. If you cant get the basics right then thats a problem. Today I ordered simple steak and eggs, and cheese blintzes. The steak and eggs consisted of two eggs scrambled, steak (medium), hashbrowns and two pancakes. The egg were decent, a little too wet, but still soft and custardy. The steak was not so great. It was seasoned well, but it was cooked unusually. It was pink in the middle but dry like it was welldone. The ends were tough, almost like someone pressed it on the grill and sqeezed all the juices out. The hashbrowns were just ok, they kind of reminded me of Denny's. The pancakes were not good at all. They were crusted and dry on top (over cooked), dense (too much flour in batter) and arrived cold. The cheese blintzes were not bad. The crepes were eggy and light. The cheese filling was soft and creamy, lightly sweet. The only problem was they used way too much cinnamon, but other than that, they were good. The highlight of the meal was fresh orange juice. Overall I would say this meal was just ok, it had more lows than highs. Frankly I expected better from a Portillo's branded restaurant. The meal with drinks cost just over $30. For that much, I have been to many places that cost half as much and were twice as good. I gave 3 stars because of taste, but they really deserve 2.5 for the other issues.
(3)
Stephen S.
I have two comments to share. I used to like stopping here a couple of times per week because the breakfast and atmosphere by the fireplace is awesome. They had wifi access up until a month or two ago....now they say something is wrong with it. I enjoy catching up on things while I eat but can't do that here anymore. There are plenty of breakfast places that do have wifi for customers, so today is my last visit here to Honey Jam Cafe.
(4)
Andrew W.
Not sure what all the fuss is about. Someone made another Egglectic but just made it 100 times the size. Not too many healthy choices on the kid's menu. The side of fruit was pitiful. Was that A grape? Ohh pineapple...A piece! We asked for egg yolks for our infant and they came slathered in butter. DRIPPING with butter. Yeah good idea. Pay registers are poorly placed in entrance traffic pattern so small children are being trampled and lost all over the place. Won't be returning and it's sad that so many people support giant corporate fat cows like Portillos' and Friday's and Applebee's when the ma n' pa shops are trying to offer us healthy food from local providers made fresh with fresh ingredients. Won't be returning as it's just not our style at all and we went to meet a friend who "loves" HJC. We'll pick the place next time. If you made it to here in my review and are fuming because you love Portillo's and Applebee's and Friday's, rest assured that HJC will not let you down. You will get good service, large portions, flavorful food (lots of butter and salt and cream and sugar where applicable) at an affordable price.
(2)
Sandra D.
Wonderful customer service. Big portions. Reasonably priced. The food is delicious. Out family was visiting from France and we decided to bring them to this establishment for a nice breakfast. It was our first visit here and we were impressed. Will definitely return!
(5)
Ronald L.
So so, I would never wait in line for this mediocre food, Portillos should be ashamed of this place. The server was the only nice thing here. They were training a hostess, not trying to pick on her, but I am surprised she can find the front door, because even with a cheat sheet, she could not find the tables. This was not some teenage girl, this is a woman in her 40's. Since my review, I have come under attack by private messages from their staff. Very inappropriate to respond that way. Fix your restaurant, it's not me that's malfunctioning
(1)
Kimi T.
I have been wanting to try this place for a while. While the food was reasonably priced, I was highly disappointed with the portion sizes. For a place known for it's breakfast options, the pancakes were just awful. The service is also sub-par compared to other restaurant options. My guest and I waited over 15 minutes for our cups of coffee. We decided we would not be returning.
(2)
Martinique W.
The server said the new owners are trying to run this place into the ground, and they are succeeding. Long wait for bad food. Servers who could care less about the restaurant because they already know they are out of a job soon.
(1)
Brad W.
Food is still good but we're starting to see some quality cuts from the new ownership. No more true fresh squeezed orange juice! Monkey bread was also different but not bad. We could live with that but not the OJ. Not worth driving out of our way anymore.
(3)
Kimberly C.
Today was my first visit and the experience was very pleasant. The wait was only 10 mins which I didn't mind since my company had not arrived yet. It was a beautiful morning so I just waited outside. Before I knew it my pager went off and I was greeted by a smiling hostess. The dining room was darker than other places. It was nice but better suited for dinner time. My waitress greeted me quickly with menus and my coffee with french vanilla cream was on the way. I usually order simple dishes when visiting a restaurant the first time. I had the 2 eggs breakfast over medium with pancakes, hash browns and Cherrywood smoked bacon. Pretty easy to make and it was absolutely delish!! The pancakes were the best I've had in a restaurant. The hash browns cooked perfect for me - not too crunchy or soft. The bacon was the best... nice smokey flavor and cooked just right. The eggs were good too. My dinning partner had waffles, scrambled eggs with cheese and a large OJ. The bill was cents under $30 for both. I don't mind paying more for good food and experience. It's part of the Portillo's chain so I expected it. The one thing I didn't like was the location. The cafe is behind or next to Portillo's. So, the aisle I parked in filled up with the overflow from the Portillo's drive through. I had to wait until the line went down before I could leave. Minus one star for location. Lesson learned. I will be back!
(4)
Jo R.
On Sunday afternoon, I was pleased to be seated immediately in a lovely room at Honey Jam Cafe. The walls had an amber tone and were adorned with stained glass artwork. Star lights hung from the the ceiling. Very classy dining area with a cozy feel. We sat down, ordered coffee, and were served promptly. The coffee was quite good and the pot was left on the table for self-service. I appreciated that touch, as I am often mildly irritated by overzealous waiters. It was nice to be able to pour the coffee--which somehow stayed hot--at leisure. Since Honey Jam Cafe is a breakfast destination, I ordered a breakfast item: the chocolate chip pancakes. The presentation was beautiful: three large pancakes stacked atop each other; chocolate drizzled in stripes across the stack. Beneath the pancakes I discovered a layer of thick chocolate, adding to the decadence. They did skimp on the whipped cream, I thought. It came in a dollop on the side. Frankly, I hoped for more. I don't care to be health conscious when I dine out; might as well live it up (the end is coming anyway, right?). Also, the menu stated chocolate chips were mixed into the pancake batter. However, this chocolate detective did not see traces in her pancakes. My guests were not impressed with their meals. One ordered the chicken harvest wrap and said it was bland. The other ordered the corned beef hash skillet and said it was nothing special. Overall, we found Honey Jam average. I would dine there again perhaps, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it.
(3)
Sonia W.
Taffy apple stuffed French toast? A breakfast burger with bacon, egg and a charbroiled burger? Freshly squeezed orange juice? All this and more is what you'll find at Honey Jam Cafe, a Portillo venture. Come here. You won't regret it!!!
(5)
Christina F.
We ate here last Saturday around 9:15am. I was worried with the packed parking lot and the line already forming in the sitting area that I wasn't going to eat for a while. Luckily, they sat us right away since there were only two of us. Unlucky that we got sat kind of in an awkward place. Our server was beyond wonderful and sweet. Our food was good and it came out in a reasonable amount of time. This place is a little more expensive than other places but you get your moneys worth with the portion size. I had to box up half my breakfast because I was so full. My husband was able to get the rest of his coffee carafe to go which was nice. The interior is clean. It's noisy with so many patrons, but that's expected. Parking is ok except when there's snow on the ground and people decide to make their own spots.
(4)
Sarah R.
I went here with the parents. I got the chocolate chip waffles they were delish. The hashbrowns were good as well. My parents got eggs and sausage and bacon. They said the bacon was chewy. I would definitely go back for the waffles. The atmosphere is cute. It is a pretty big place. They close early at 2pm.
(3)
Señora K.
Our favorite breakfast spot when we are in town. Great variety from waffles, Dutch babies, Omelets ... You will have a hard time deciding! Relaxing atmosphere ~ though we always come early on a weekday. I am sure it's a different story at other times/days. Give it a try!
(4)
Laura H.
This is my family's "go to" restaurant for breakfast. Fabulous food! I only wish the wait wasn't so long to get in.
(5)
Rose L.
last time we were there it was great but today was bad service and bad food. I ordered a veggie skillet and it was cold and didn't have a lot of veggies and the onions were grilled like on a hamburger thrown across the top. I sent it back and the second wasn't much better except it was a little hotter. When I told the manager she said she was glad I know from past visits that their food is usually better. I was not offered any compensation. I won't be back
(1)
Jennifer M.
Honey Jam, thank you for being so scrumptious and having such adorable ambiance that makes one feel like they've entered the setting of a happy Christmas movie. Can I just say: yum and double yum. We've eaten here twice now, both breakfast and lunch. Totally impressed with the selection. Highly recommend the Eggs Benedict and Bananas Foster French Toast. My boyfriend said best Reuben he's ever had.
(5)
Melanie C.
I have gone once, and that was enough for me. I don't have children, and don't understand why I had to get sat in a party room full of crying children. I know I look young, but I didn't really need to hear the screaming kids. Our waitress seemed a bit frazzled by the whole situation. The sever ice was VERY slow. When I finally did get my food, it was wrong. I sent it back, only for it to come back out again wrong! I was too hungry to send it back for a second time, so I ate a few bites of my sub par skillet, paid my bill and left.
(1)
Michelle H.
For the last three months or so, we now have been coming in here on at least a biweekly basis. I'm very happy they got over their grand-opening shortcomings from the first few times we came here. I really am a fan of this place now, for both breakfast and lunch options. No service glitches at all anymore. Every server we have waiting on us has been pleasant, informative, and spot on! I would like to give a special shout-out to Justin, though. We have him often as a server, and let's just say to watch this guy work a crowded section of the restaurant is amazing. He's quick, nice, and overly efficient. This guy deserves an award or something. Like I said, we have been coming in quite often, so here's a little list of my personal do's and dont's of the Honey Jam Cafe: Do skip the steak and eggs. For $14, I expected a pretty huge meal, and one that tastes pretty good as well. The steak is Angus, but I'm still not impressed. They cook it to order, but it is a small, under seasoned, plain piece of meat. One thing I do like, is they will happily substitute out my potatoes for some cottage cheese. Do get the crepes. I'm not sure about the fruit filled crepes, but the plain crepes are excellent. Pair them with a side of Applewood smoked bacon for a great breakfast dish. The bacon is good, although sometimes a bit overcooked. Do skip the chorizo and eggs. I like the authentic style Mexican breakfast, but this falls rather short. First off, their chorizo lacks any of the signature orange colored grease, which makes the sausage's flavor. It is rather dry and tasteless. Served with nearly plain white rice and soupy black beans, this will never be one of my favorite dishes here. For lunch, do get the 1/2 sandwich with soup or salad. I like the California wrap. It is a veggie tortilla with sliced turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and 1,000 Island dressing. It comes with fries, and be sure to ask for a side of southwest ranch dressing to dip the fries in. So much better than plain catsup any day! For the soup, I really enjoy the thick and tasty Chicken Tortilla soup.
(4)
Twylla S.
We were quite pleased with our experience when we came here. The interior is beautiful and the waitstaff is attentive. We were most excited that they brewed intelligentsia coffee since we rarely have the opportunity for good coffee when we go out for breakfast. Although the menu said no substitutes we were still able to make one small one to keep our breakfast a little healthier. Everything was cooked right and warm when it arrived to our table. Though I feel you can rarely go wrong with a breakfast joint there are times when you can go extra right... I think Honey Jam leans a little extra towards the good side with their delicious coffee and fair prices.
(4)
Aerial M.
Decent spot. Our waitress was uninviting and quick with us. You ask for napkins and she would run off before you could ask for anything else. I ordered the ham and mushroom skillet. It was very filling and delicious. The pancakes that came with them though, were horrendous! Super dry and powdery. The lemonade had a syrupy aftertaste but thankfully the water was clean and refreshing.
(3)
Jennifer N.
I couldn't really decide whether I wanted to give it a 3 or 4 star rating, but we've had pretty good service and enjoyed the food each and every time we've been here, so I'm going with 4 stars. This place gives you a lot of food. A LOT of food. I don't understand why people call this pricey for what it is; when I visited with my brother and cousin, the three of us ordered four entrees and coffee and paid $50 for three people. We even took food home. That's quite a lot of value for just under $17 each. Oh, and the food was excellent! On my recent visit, I ordered the Julian's Benedict and split the Bananas Foster crêpes. Both were fantastic and just perfect. My brother ordered the chorizo & eggs and my cousin ordered waffles with strawberries and bananas. Both my brother and my cousin were pretty satisfied as well. The chorizo & eggs was really good and the waffles were huge! I couldn't believe how big the entrees were. It was plenty of food - probably more than they needed to serve. I think it's a great value. The server was really funny. Maybe a little weird, but really funny. She did try very hard even though she wasn't the fastest server; that's okay, she didn't make any big mistakes and always refilled our coffee and water promptly. I like this place and I'm really glad there is one in Bolingbrook. It's a perfect family place and Bolingbrook is where my family is at, so it's ideal. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Maggie C.
Had good service on a busy Sunday. I Ordered the biscuit and gravy with my eggs scrambled with cheese. It was good, but my eggs turned out to be more like an omelet with too much cheese. My boyfriend got the breakfast burrito and it came with hash browns. It was very bland...even adding tobasco sauce didn't help. Also, the coffee that I get here is very weak. I don't know if it's worth waiting 30 mins to eat here again.
(3)
Matt W.
I changed my review from 2 stars to 3. I've had a better experience a second time.
(3)
Grant P.
It's always nice to see a manager at a restaurant willing to help out instead of merely standing around giving orders to their staff. This morning Robin, the manager, asked me how everything was. And when I told her that my hash browns were cold she immediately remedied that by bringing me a heaping plate full of delicious steaming hash browns twice as large as the side that originally came with my entree. Potatoes make me happy. Double potatoes make me twice as happy. My wife and I are frequent visitors to Honey Jam. Everything is always perfect. The food, the service, the prices, we couldn't be happier. So on the rare occasion when my potatoes are cold, it doesn't really bother me. It happens, and believe me if I were the one cooking my breakfast I'd be lucky to have hot potatoes half of the time. I also noticed that there seemed to be more empty tables than usual. Someone commented that they might be a little short staffed. I applaud Robin once again for not stretching her staff too thin and keeping their high quality of service for all her customers. Thanks Honey Jam, and thanks Robin!
(5)
Andrew P.
Not bad. About on par with other breakfast places in the area, although with fancier decor and a longer wait. First time there today: many people waiting inside and outside, was told there would be a 20-minute wait, but it ended up being more like 40 minutes. We were seated next to a fairly large group that was wrapping up to leave, and they sure were taking their sweet time and loitering around, which makes me suspect that THEY were (at least partly) the reason that the wait was longer than expected. I wish people weren't so self-centered and ignorant, and I know it's difficult for the restaurant to ask them to leave in cases like this. Once we were seated the service was pretty fast and efficient. Food was not bad at all, but not out-of-this-world. Prices are fair too. Would I return if there was a wait? Probably not. If there wasn't a wait? Absolutely.
(3)
Ms. K D.
Best breakfast place around. The service is fast and friendly. There is always someone to host and seat you. On weekends there is a wait but it's because the food is worth it. You can also call ahead and reserve your spot in line. My sweetie and I have come here several times for breakfast on the weekends. The portions are large and many times we order the Tuscan Omelet (our favorite) and split it and leave satisfied. The pancakes are really good. I've also ordered the Chopped Salad and it is delicious! Recommend it!
(5)
Joseph P.
This place is better than a lot of the breakfast places in the area. It seems to be a very modern place to eat and the food is pretty good. Nothing wrong with the service and this is the place I prefer to eat at in Bolingbrook when I am there in the mornings.
(4)
Cathy M.
Visited the one in Downers Grove and found the food to be delicious and the service even better. They had brought me the wrong order and could not have been more apologetic and not only comped my meal but gave me a substitute order AND sent me home with my original order. Talk about service recovery!! So it was with that experience that I brought a friend to Bolingbrook closer to where we live. We waited 15 minutes before our server came by. Never asked if we wanted coffee or water. I asked for juice and a glass of ice. Took a while to get our drinks but no ice. That took another while to get. A runner brought our waffles and French toast, but no butter or syrup. That took another while. Never saw the waitress again until she dropped off the check. We went for the food and it was great. The service was disappointing.
(3)
Carrie S.
This is a pretty decent breakfast place. The interior is all woody and amber-toned, like honey! Jam? Cafe. I liked it, but there was nothing that really stood out. The service was awesome, the food is what you expect. There was a barber shop in the same strip mall that had a donk parked in front of it. Now THAT was a sweet honey jam. Cafe.
(3)
Gerry H.
Overwhelmingly Underimpressed is about as diplomatically as I can describe our lunch visit today. It starts with the weird baroque decor, the dim lighting, and the ice cold draft; I would ascribe a more country living style to the name Honey Jam. I'd brighten things up a bit, and I'd turn off the G-D A/C-It is November 1st, after all! (trust me, we asked for the heat to be turned on and apparently only Dick Portillo can do that). And while I'm sure that most of the gals out there would describe our waiter as "Hot", he should perhaps reinvent himself as a stripper or a runway model, cuz he ain't much of a waiter. We waited forever for drink straws and coffee creamer, and my wife eventually went to the front counter for the creamer. Same story for the pancake syrup. Remember kids, it's the little things..... And the food was uninspired, at best. I went with the Tuscan omelet and found it to be a rather gooey, bland mess. My wife thought the same of her Egg Beaters Tuscan Omelet. My daughter did enjoy her scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and sausage links. Butterfield's is exponentially better.
(2)
Ben B.
kind of pricey for what it is. I have no complaints with the quality of the food, but it took a very long time. We were seated in a party room, which seemed to be all tables with a crying baby and us. My gf insists it was her orange and red mohawk, but I don't think the little highschooler seating us cared one way or another about her haircut. My meal was fine. Her meal was not, even after the 2nd try. They'd delivered the completely wrong meal, and then brought a 2nd one that had one of the ingredients still in it she'd asked to have omitted. (tomatoes, maybe?). At that point we were both so hungry and we didn't want to wait 10 more minutes to get a 3rd attempt at her dish. The high ceilings with painted metal made the whole place an echo chamber, and the service was uber-slow. I won't be back, I've got plenty of other places to try.
(1)
Kelvin M.
I have been eating at this location from the very first day they opened. Over the years, the consistency has become non existent. Saturday September 6 2014, my entire order was messed up. I called once I got to work and the corporate office sent me out a $20.00 certificate to replace the order. I called the store back after I couldn't find the certificate and was told that Portillo's no longer owned the restaurant and to call Portillo's corporate office to see if they'll re send another one out and if I couldn't get help, to call the restaurant back and they would take care of it in house. Portillo's corporate office called me back today and said that they couldn't re send another certificate out because they no longer owned the restaurant. I called Honey Jam back and spoke to a male manager in which he stated he couldn't help me and they had no way to track my order or replace the certificate. It's a shame that I paid over $20.00 for a meal that was not eaten by anyone in my family. I will never patronize any honey jam location again...................
(1)
Kelly G.
Excellent staff! Very knowledgeable and friendly! Food was delicious!
(4)
Kevin C.
Absolutely delicious!! My Wife, myself and my folks were in Chicago for a family gathering and we went Sunday morning to Honey-Jam Cafe. My wife and Mom had been there Saturday afternoon for lunch and raved about it. We arrived at 1030 and my wife made reservations for 4. We were so happy she did as the place had a line going out the door. We were seated at 1104 in the back party-room. Marla was our server and she did an absolutely fabulous job. My wife ordered the French Toast and my Mom and Dad ordered omelettes. I had the 2 eggs, sausage and hash browns along with a side of Corn Beef Hash. At the end of breakfast, no plate was empty as the meal fit the bill. The next time we are back in Chicago/Bolingbrook, this will be our place of choice.
(4)
LOIS B.
I've been waiting for this place to open. The competition just north on Route 53 has closed (no surprise there), so they should do just fine. We visited at lunch which made parking (on a rainy day) a slight hassle because of its close proximity to its sister restaurant. There was a very brief wait, but not anything unreasonable. We were led to a table in a very busy traffic pattern, the hostess could tell we were not happy and moved us to another location, at a corner which was even worse. Finally we were offered a booth in a more private room which was much better. But, as I looked around, there really were no tables in the larger rooms, that did not have people rushing past, people being led past you to get to other tables, or just a lot of commotion. There were a few minor kinks which will probably work themselves out. Portions were generous and there certainly is something for everyone on the menu. The register to pay is located in a strange area, and yet again, accessible by weaving your way through tables. Just a suggestion, leave a carafe of water on the table.
(3)
Jason R.
This place is very relaxing and easy on the eyes. It's a fuzz more than I usually spend on breakfast, but it's worth it for the chilled back environment. One complaint is that I'm an idiot. I've been there twice, and waited for a refill of my coffee only to realize (twice) that they leave you with a pot on your table to refill at your leisure. I am not a smart man. One really kick ass part about this place is they will give you a (complimentary) cup of coffee for the road.
(5)
April E.
It would be 5 stars. Great food but every time my husband picks an order up to go they never get it right.
(4)
Liz K.
This place is huge...room after room. It really does not look like a breakfast place...it is very nicely decor and dark. Nicest breakfast restaurant I have ever seen. The coffee was delish and I really loved that they had all types of flavored creme. Food was decent..much nicer plating them most places. I loved their eggs and toast. The only thing that made it not as a great experience is the tight parking and that it took foreeevver to get our food...and not only that but it took forver to get our food ordered..and it was during the week so it wasn't that busy. Overall I think this is a breakfast place to go and check out but not a place to be a regular at.
(3)
C S.
I haven't wrote a bad review yet but honey jam made me do it. I went in on a Saturday morning. I get it weekends are busy. The hostess was nice she knew it was busy so she took our drink orders. We had a table of 20 next to us so we knew to order quick. We got in at 9:15 and placed our order right away when our server first came at 9:18 am. So 9:30 rolled around nothing. 9:40 rolled around nothing. No communication from the server. Once 9:55 hit with not one word from our server we had to just walk out. I get it your busy but at least say something to your guests. I never had to wait 40 mins for breakfast anywhere else even when they are packed. If someone would've talked to us we would've stayed but service wasn't there today. I love portillos but no honey jam for me anymore. I would've reviewed the food but we didn't get the chance to taste it.
(1)
Avanti H.
yes definitely at the top of the list of breakfast spots for me .
(5)
Christopher H.
Just got back home after having breakfast there. Called ahead to ask them to start an apple pancake so it would ready when I got there or at least close. It was burned around the edges, in many spots it was black. Obvious to me was that it was overcooked. Asked them to take it back, bring me heuvos rancheros instead. This dish was average and too earthy for my tastes, but I ate it. They credited me the amount of $9.95 for the apple pancake, but charged me for the huevos. I checked out and was asked by the cashier how everything tasted. I told her the pancake was burnt. She said sorry. A manager type then came by and asked how was everything. I told her the same. She said sorry. I think they should have comped the Huevos or frozen apple pancake I took home, but they did not.
I went with 21 people and only called ahead a hour to have call ahead reservations. I called to see if they had room to seat us. they said yes come on in and took our name. This was a Sunday at 10:00. We waited maybe 25 minutes but got two large tables that I new we would split up. The waitress gave us all separate checks. Our food was Wonderful. Meaning nothing wrong at all. Everyone loved there food. They have a large menu to choice from. If you can't find something on the menu you do have a problem yourself. they will serve lunch at this time also as half us got breakfast and half got lunch. NO PROBLEMS. I asked the waitress to please add the tip and she said we don't do that hear. I could not of had a more pleasant dining experience any place. If each of us could tell one person the word would spread what a great please and experience we had. We will be back. NOT once or twice but alot
(5)
John S.
I had been to the Honey Jam Cafe in Downers Grove a couple of times before, but this was the first visit to the restaurant in Bolingbrook. It did not disappoint. The lunch meals -- wife: Pumpkin Waffle with cheesecake topping daughter: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Simple Turkey Club 1/2 Sandwich mother: Italian Wedding Soup and Chicken Harvest 1/2 Wrap me: BBQ Chicken Tortilla Salad My mother did not like the soup (I did not know she had tried Italian Wedding Soup before and had not liked it). Other than that little blip, everything else was excellent. We were seated immediately in a space that was convenient for my mom, who walks with a cane. The service was exactly what one would want it to be -- friendly, fast, accurate. The food was excellent. Drink refills were frequent. The prices are reasonable. If I lived in the area I would be a regular customer. Great job!
(5)
Kristen S.
Portillos owned breakfast restaurant? Dont mind if I do. Holy moly. The food is amazing and the fresh squeezed orange juice is wonderful. The service was delightful. I really cant see going wrong with anything on the menu. I had a veggie omelet and my husband had the Crazy Monkey Waffle which was pretty much peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips. Ya, just imagine.
(4)
Ashley W.
I'm glad I didn't look at all the negative Yelp reviews before going, because I probably wouldn't have ever made it here, and then I would've been missing out! I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. We were greeted with a warm welcome from a woman who was likely the manager. She promptly sat us, and shortly after, we were greeted by the nicest server (Dani was her name, I believe). Because it was our first time there, she pointed out some of her favorites, ALL of which sounded SO good! One of the skillets she recommended was the Countryside skillet which had ham, sausage, bacon, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. This was the skillet I ended up ordering and it was SO so good. And it was huge! I finished about 1/3 of it, and ate one of the two pancakes it came with (you can do toast instead of pancakes), and was completely stuffed! Yeah, their prices are slightly on the higher side, however, I brought more than half of my breakfast home, so I don't feel like it's really worth complaining about. All in all, I was impressed and will definitely be back. Great food, friendly attentive service, and the restaurant is CLEAN. No complaints here!
Easter Sunday 2014 8:00 am decided to stop there for a good breakfast for 3 adults...walked in and no waiting, it was early!...not alot of people there yet...our service was fine BUT the food was disgusting...weve been before for breakfast and had not issues, youd think for Easter they would be on their game!!! Eggs were suppose to be over easy and the whites were still runny...I had the Julian and the english muffin was as if it had been soaked in water...Truly a big disappinointment for a nice Easter breakfast...prices were an average of 9.99 for a smallish portion, so you would for breakfast especially expect it to be good, right? I complained to our waitress about the english muffin and she brought me another one just toasted...by this time every one else was already done eating...We now will not be returning to Honey-Jam Cafe.....not worth the trip....
(1)
D. S.
Love this place! Our server was excellent, the food was quick and very delicious. We did order the monkey bread wihich takes 15 minutes but it was worth it, so yummy. Everyone was really happy with their food. We had eggs, ham, sausage, omlets, French toast, pancakes and waffles; each was very delecisious.
(4)
Sue M.
Not feeling the love. It's ok and that's it. I have probably been there 6-8 times since it opened and it never wows me. Just went for breakfast and I got the holly French toast (lol!) and it was ok. I don't like the interior--very dark and a lot of stained glass. It feels like winter all year round. I would like to see some natural light, please! The best thing going for this place is the Intelligensia coffee.
(3)
Meg S.
I wanna give it 2 1/2 starts this time, but just seem to wanna give this place the benefit of the doubt... even though it continues to disappoint. Nothing about this place is special... maybe I'm not ordering the right thing?? And the service still left something to be desired. We didn't even get refills on our coffee.
(3)
Sarah S.
Owned by portillos, this place tries to hide that it's a chain, but the serving size prepackaged creamers on the tables give them away. The restaurant layout was cramped, but service was ok. It was waaaay too dark, I ddidnt like going from it being 10 am to a building that made you feel like you should be ordering dinner. The food was decent, thick slices of bacon, they didnt skimp on the feta,real cheddar or my hashbrowns...next time I think I'm gonna try sweet instead of savory
(3)
Rosann F.
They should call this the "Honey Badger Cafe" (not everyone will get that!) Drove here from Channahon for breakfast/lunch today thinking it would be as good as the other Portillos restaurants. Sadly this was not the case. We arrived around 1pm so there was no wait. The hostess was excited to seat us next to the fireplace but it wasn't lit. Our server, Marla, was prompt and attentive. Always had a smile throughout our meal. My fiance and I both ordered Diet Cokes but, I'm still scratching my head as to what she served us because it wasn't Diet Coke. Our server promptly brought us Iced Tea which was good. The silverware was dirty; I'm talking chunks of leftover food on it. That will make you lose your appetitie real fast. I ordered eggs, corned beef hash, hash browns, pancakes and a side of bacon. The eggs were ok (really, how can you screw up eggs?) the hashbrowns were overcooked and the pancakes were FAR from "light and fluffy". They were more like flat and pasty. Someone commented earlier that they served "gourmet pancakes". Can someone explain to me what gourmet pancakes are because these weren't even in the same universe as gourmet. I've had better pancakes at Denny's. The best part of my meal was the bacon,which was way overpriced. $3.50 for three pieces of bacon!My fiance ordered the Huevos Rancheros which were just ok. Overall, the service was good but the food was not. Dick needs to stick to what he knows best; burgers and dogs.
(2)
Sara D.
Honey Jam Cafe had a lot to prove to me when I dined here on Sunday. I already have two favorite local breakfast spots: Pancake Cafe in Naperville and Eggs, Inc in Bolingbrook. The name drew us in....honey, jam, this place must be awesome. Well, it was just ok. I had a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and bf had an omelette. The sandwich was a bit dry, but the bread was good (sourdough). The restaurant itself is decorated nice, but it was very crowded, loud, and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic. Not how I like to spend my Sunday morning. In essence, I feel lukewarm about the restaurant. While I am not opposed to going back again, I will most likely stick to my regular breakfast joints.
(3)
K M.
Love this restaurant! I've never had a bad meal here. The monkey bread is absolutely amazing!! Great service. Friendly staff. Nice ambiance in the restaurant. I especially love the fire in the fireplace in the winter.
(4)
Jeff N.
AWFUL. They decor is about the only thing that was positive about this place. After waiting for 30 minutes to sit down (not unreasonable considering it was a Sunday brunch). We ordered our coffee and food. Coffee was excellent and came out in a timely fashion. 45 minutes AFTER ordering, I asked our waitress to check on the food. 5 minutes later it came out luke warm. It looked appetizing and it tasted so-so but this is BREAKFAST AND IT TOOK 50 minutes to get to the table!! Yes it is Sunday brunch and their busiest time, but that is no excuse. You are cooking eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and pancakes. It should never take 50 minutes to get your breakfast. On top of that, the manager, Robin came to our table and clarified for us that the "kitchen was busy." There was never a sense of urgency and it never felt that she was all that concerned with the situation. Most managers of restuarants will emphatically state their concern and apologize to the nth degree, not make up an excuse that the kitchen is busy. It's a breakfast joint, the kitchen is SUPPOSED to be busy. Most people eat breakfast from 8:30am to 12pm on SUNDAYS. Expect your restaurant to be busy and prepare for it. Sorry for my mini tirade. However, Robin seemed incompetent to run this restaurant which is sad because Dick Portillo has put together such great establishments. I will also mention that we had to request business cards/contact information on two separate occassions until Patty from corporate finally stopped by to offer 50% off our meal. Note to Patty from corporate, this was THE worst customer service I have ever experienced. It took you 15 minutes to stop by our table after we requested to speak to a manager. Customer service and product quality is how businesses succeed. Right now Honey-Jam is failing at 1 and the other is just ok. There are plenty of other breakfast/lunch places in the Naperville/Bolingbrook dont waste your time (1 hr 45min to be exact) going to eat at Honey Jam.
(1)
Utica G.
My brother and I went to Honey Jam for breakfast on his last day in town. I had never been to the restaurant before, and I won't be going back. The food was OK, but the customer service from the management (Stephanie) was horrible. My brother and I had ordered a fruit bowls (not "fruit plates"). The fruit came served in bowls so, naturally, we THOUGHT we had received what we had ordered. It wasn't until we received the bill for fruit plates priced at almost $9 each that we has realized that the waitress had made a mistake. We brought it to the attention of Stephanie, the manager. She asked whether we had sent the order back. I told her that we hadn't sent the order back because we thought that we had received the item we had ordered, which was about half the price of the "fruit plate". Since it was our first time dining at the restaurant, we didn't know the difference, especially since it had been served in a bowl. Stephanie made the price adjustment on one of the fruit orders, but informed us that she couldn't do so for the other fruit order because we had not sent the order back. We hadn't sent the order back because we thought we had received what we had ordered, until the bill arrived! She even behaved as though she was doing us a HUGE favor by making the adjustment on ONE of the orders! Her attitude sucked, and I refuse to spend my money at Honey Jam ever again! I receive much better customer service at Portillo's...
(2)
Jeanne L.
Julian's Benedict: AMAZING! A vegetarian version of eggs benedict, but it's so hearty with the thick tomatoes, portobello mushrooms and artichokes. Definitely will get this again! Their hollandaise sauce is out of this word too; BF and I get eggs benedict at most breakfast places we go, and Honey Jam's hollandaise sauce is the best we've had. Countryside Skillet: Pretty good too, but I won't get it again, as it's not amazing. Atmosphere: The restaurant itself is quite large, and I will say it was a bit louder than I would have liked (I think this is more an insulation issue, with their high ceilings and hard building materials everywhere, the sound just bounces around and around). But it's very roomy and getting a table was very quick at 12pm.
(4)
Jennifer Q.
I really like this place but, like one of the other reviewers, I was torn between 3 or 4 stars. I think the food is great and have never been disappointed by the quality of food. However, the wait can be kinda long, although that really should be expected on a weekend morning, but I have had some not so great service and some great service. It can be kinda slow at times and, as someone else experienced, after our food has arrived, we have had to wait for the syrup a number of times. The last time, the table next to us actually offered us their syrup because they didn't even have their food yet but were brought syrup. Overall, the food and many, many options do make-up for the occasional service issues that come with a bust breakfast place.
(4)
Nicole S.
My husband and I LOVE this place and it's our favorite place to get breakfast. Their call ahead service is very helpful especially on busy weekends. They have fresh squeezed OJ, the bacon and pancakes are divine, and the eggs and hash browns are great! I definitely recommend them. Even my out-of-town friends are Hooked on Honey Jam! Great place!
(5)
Dave S.
Everything here is alright. I really can't complain about my breakfast as it hit the spot. The prices were a little bit higher than typical places like this that I frequent. IT was not enough for me to get my panties in a bunch. The restaurant was not very crowded at all and it took a VERY long time for us to receive our food. The restaurant looks rather nice and is rather comfortable. I left here with a resounding eh rerunning around in my head. Everything was solid here but there was nothing that made me feel like I had to return. I probably will return as everything was pretty decent.
(3)
Rodney R.
I was not impressed. Frankly, the food was as it should be considering that it is overpriced for breakfast fare. Although I have to say they seem somewhat stingy with portions. I had actually finished my coffee and water quite sometime before flagging someone down with a pot of coffee for a refill. I was amazed at how slow the service was during off hours. The Geneva location is nice but really didn't set itself above any of the other restaurants in town.
(2)
Steve C.
The restaurant was not even half full, but it took 7 minutes to get a server to come around. 15 minutes to get water and coffee after that. Never offered condiments, server never checked if we needed anything. Food was bland and disappointing for those of us at the table that got their food. My food didn't come, server didn't even apologize after admitting she didn't put it in the order. We waited, my pregnant wife barely touched her meal waiting for my dish to come. When it came, my medium steak was bloody & raw. Server's attitude was pretty blah again. So our parents ate, my food eventually came (server was in no rush to get it out - saw her meandering around the counter right after we asked) but we had to leave anyway so no breakfast for me. Some guy came out and stared at us without introducing himself - no clue who he was? Cook maybe? Asking if he could do anything, so I guess that was nice that someone eventually cared a little. Either way 2/4 of us didn't get to eat here so we won't be back. Too bad, we recently moved to the area, have tons of family & friends nearby and would have loved to have a new regular spot for the crowd to visit.
(1)
Maureen E.
After having spent 2 years trying to go here (the wait is ALWAYS long), we finally got in, and I can understand why. I love that they put a giant carafe of coffee on your table, and when I mentioned the need for a low-cholesterol item, the server and the manager actually calculated the percentages for me (pancakes @ 2%) for the various breakfast items. And the pancakes were perfectly yummy. Upon leaving, they offer each customer a to-go cup of coffee, tea, or water. I definitely want to return.
great food for brunch and accomodating to our large group, however I understand they wanted to bring all the food out at once but we waited WAYYYYY too long!
(4)
Bunny P.
'ello! Well. I went to HJC a few months back and it was okay. Went on a holiday... since the owner owns the entire strip, they opened an empty spot next door, since the wait was so long. There was coffee, telly for the kids and tables to sit at, so while you wait for the pager go off... you have something to do. [doubt they do that all the time, but not too sure.] Breakfast is definitely their strong suit. I had gotten a waffle and it was good! Sweet and fluffy with a nice crunch. My mom got a pick 2, a wrap and a southwestern soup... it was so so.. we actually got food poisoning from that wrap, which we thankfully didn't finish. [I say we because she had a bite, took it home and when she left... I had a bite as well . that's the last time I steal a bite. ...well. i won't steal anything from THEM out of my fridge.] Yeah the food poisoning was a lot of a turn off for us. When one of my girlfriends come back in town, I'll go with her, just to see how that goes. [P.S. They close at 2:30 ish so... hop to it and get there early!!]
(2)
Scott C.
Food great. Service exponential "meh"... Inexplicably, there are so many things that the Portillo's Restaurant Group does right that I'm stunned, simply STUNNED that they have a tough time with this one. Maybe it's the breakfast / lunch concept and in full disclosure, I have not frequented the other Honey Jam's in their system (including the one in Lombard). If it comes off the griddle, it's going to be pretty solid. Eggs...they don't do as well. But gosh darn it, you've got to get to the table, bring it all together (my hash browns didn't arrive until after we finished our meal) and the sense of urgency attached to cranking out covers as breakfast places are want to do just wasn't there. We've been twice and while very good friends of ours have it pegged as their top stop, we just can't give it that kind of kudos.
(2)
Lisa C.
This is a wonderful restaurant. My friends & I live in Park Ridge & Schaumburg but whenever we come to Bolinbgrook we always make it a point ot stop at this restaurant. The food is always delicious. The wait staff is always curtious & on the ball about refilling drinks & clearing the table. It is always a pleasure to come here.
(5)
Jimmy V.
A one star is to generous for this place.Wait time is horrible. Nothing special about this place. We waited over half hr for our order. The lady took our Oder an forgot about us I had to flag her down. My brother order a skillet and they actually forget TO COOK his food. Will never go bk there.
(1)
Darlene B.
Nice atmosphere, good food, but service was slow even at 1:30 near closing time and there weren't that many customers.
(3)
Josh F.
Great breakfast! We had a great meal and the orange juice was fresh!
(5)
Jin Joo L.
Me and my bf love this place!!!! We've been there almost every week for brunch. The chicken tortilla soup is awesome! So is the Greek Wedding Soup but I still like the chicken better. We've tried... the Julian Benedict, the Vegetable Omelette (reg eggs. they have egg white option!), the Tuscan Omelette, Banana Foster Crepes, Country skillet, Monterey Omelette, Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast, Banana Bread French Toast, and fresh tomato juice. THe hash browns are awesome and so is the side of pancakes or marble rye toast! I normally hate hash browns unless they're Mc Donald's but these are perfect, not overdone, not too crispy. They need one of these around Schaumburg or Chicago!
(5)
Bruce T.
One of the best places in the area for waffles and crapes. The Very Berry waffle is my favorite with the Bananas Foster a close second. Good coffee (they leave the pot on the table so you never run out) and offer free to-go cups at the end of the meal. Who else does that? Plenty of staff even on a busy Sunday morning.
(5)
Rich P.
Let's just start off by saying this was the worst service I have had in many years. We got seated and then waited for over 10 minutes before our waitress greeted us to take drink orders. Then we waited another 10 plus minutes to place our food order. Our drinks did not arrive until after our ouur food arrived. Food was average at best, my club wrap had very rare cooked bacon in it (gross) and the fries were cold, I was going to send it back but waitress was nowhere to be found so I just picked off the undercooked bacon and salvaged what I could of the wrap. Another one of my friends ordered a mediteranian croissant which was slightly stale. I will usually give a place a second chance but things were so bad here I will probably not. Hey Dick, stick to dogs, I can get better service and quality at a Dennys than I did at your Bolingbrook Honey Jam Cafe.
(2)
Jessica K.
Meh, this wouldn't be my first, second or even third choice for brunch again. Its OK. This place is run by Portillo's group and is located right behind the Portillos'. I admittedly was lured in by the potential of this place to be as awesome as Portillo's. Its not. Its a large place, but we still had to wait 30-40 min on a Sunday morning for a table for two. We waited outside since the place was crammed with people at the hostess stand. The decor is ....interesting... kind of like what my mom would have ideally picked for decor in the 1980's... large, slightly gaudy victorian/baroque looking. And its dark, which does not help me wake up in the morning, no matter how much coffee. Not really what you would expect given the more fun lively atmosphere of Portillo's. Anyhow, onto the food. OK, but not memorable. Plenty of it, way too much, which is about where the similarity to Portillos' ends. Nothing bad, just not great, not Portillos' great which is really what I was secretly hoping for. Ill stick to the cheese fries and Italian beef next door.
(2)
Susan M.
This is an excellent upscale breakfast place. It is also open for lunch, but it's their breakfast dishes that really shine. Gourmet pancackes, french toast - yummy yummy yummy!!! Egg skillets are excellent as well. A definite downer was their raisin toast - soooo good until the very last time we were there. Used to be more like coffee cake; now merely raisin toast. That was a disappointment. If you go after 9:00 on a Saturday or Sunday, expect a wait.
(4)
Martin K.
Great food, great service. A little expensive but worth trying. The Apple Pancake was the boys favorite. Well be back!!
(4)
Susan S.
Horrible. Went at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday, and the wait was over half an hour just to sit down. We ordered pretty promptly, and it took us until nearly 12:30 to receive our order. Food is okay, waitress was fine, but NOT WORTH THE WAIT!
(1)
Nicole M.
Went here for the first time for a late lunch on a Monday. Place was not crowded and we were seated immediately. The greeter/cashier was very friendly. Our server came over very quickly to get our drink order and brought the drinks very quickly. It took her slightly longer to come back and take our lunch orders. The food seemed to take a little longer than it should to get to the table but it tasted really good when it did. I ordered a veggie, egg-white scrambler with hashbrowns and toast. The food portion was a very good size. My friend enjoyed his sandwich and was impressed that the waitress brought his soda refill without his having to ask. The ambiance I thought was quaint, country chic, but my friend thought it was a little dark.
(3)
Sheila M.
I simply hate to post reviews such as this, especially when Portillos being the "sister" restaurant is so great with their service and customer satisfaction. This would only reflect the organization of the manager. My husband and I went there one week ago with our 15 month granddaughter. We are breakfast restaurant people! We were so excited to try the new place out, however after 1 hour of being seated yet no food, we left! Two other parties who were seated after us, happily received their food. When we inquired about our order, one of the waiters said I don't know. When we announced that we were leaving, the manager offered us coupons towards our next visit. I couldn't see that the coupons would be of any use. We will not return. We are fans of Eggs, Inc. Cafe, great service, great food, reasonably priced and healthy choices are on the menu. For those of you who think Honey Jam Cafe is wonderful, try out Eggs, Inc. Cafe on Weber Road, next to Caribou Coffee. It is great, you will know when you arrive as the parking lot is always full! We have been there 4 times now and never waited past 10 minutes and they do know you and your order status! What a concept. I would only give Honey Jam Cafe a try when they announce that they have replaced the Manager and Hostess! Shouldn't be long, at least sooner then getting your order!
(1)
Robin C.
If it's connected to Portillo's, you know it will be good. A number of us have been getting together for the past 5 months for breakfast at Honey Jam. We have not been disappointed. The food is excellent (especially the breakfast burrito) and the prices are very good. While I'm not really a breakfast person, I look forward to these gatherings for the fun and for the food. Our servers have always been good and attentive. We have not waited long for food and are usually there when the restaurant is quite busy. We have been greeted cordially and promptly upon entering and thanked when leaving. And that is why it is our breakfast "spot."
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
A. B.
Good selection and atmosphere. Just wish they had mimosas!
(4)Kara J.
The food is really good and I love the coffee, but the service has been iffy a couple of times.
(4)Raymond R.
Great food but it can very busy....great service.
(4)James M.
Very good food and service, would certainly recommend. The servings are large and the staff was friendly
(5)Karla U.
I have visited this place a couple of times and still lacks great servers. Every time I visit I always get waitressed by the same woman that never smiles and has a nasty attitude. You can't miss her. I visited two days ago and she walked away from our table while taking an order. She never came back to take the rest of our table's order until 30 mins later. She was too busy speaking to a couple that was sitting next to us the whole time. I had to tell the kitchen manager our order to complete as well as order things we needed because we were not properly accommodated. When I explained my visit to the manager his excuse was that she was busy..... :(
(3)Michele V.
I was so disappointed. I ordered the veggie omelette. First off it was dry. I never thought an omelette could be described as dry, but that's exactly how mine was. The vegetables were not sauteed before being added so they were hard. The hashbrowns were OK, but very bland and my toast was cold. My boyfriend had the huevos rancheros which he said was good, but nothing special. I didn't even eat half of my meal. We were sitting waiting for the check when the manager walked over to ask if we needed a box. He didn't ask us how everything was or even introduce himself. We didn't know you had to pay at the counter so when my boyfriend tried to hand the money to the waiter and the waiter said "Can you do it? I'm busy and have the whole room to wait on." we were done with giving this place a chance. Bad food, bad service, only positive is that it is very nice inside. We will definitely never go back.
(2)Stephanie L.
Portillos has a breakfast place?!?!!?????!!!! Yes...yes, they do. It's a cute little space. Menu is monstrous. They have tons of breakfast, brunch, & lunch choices for all of your desires. Our server was really cool. On too of the game. Thumbs up! The food was standard...good, not knock your socks off. Overall, I would stop back if I was in the area.
(4)Sandi K.
I am writing this review to response to the era after dick portillos sold his legacy to a private equity firm. There have been big changes and I don't like it. Just tried ordering my favs and they removed the following from the menu: - no tiramisu pancakes - no Mediterriean croissant - no short stack of pancakes I won't come here anymore since it's just like every other breakfast place. Save your money. This is what happens when white collar people aren't in touch with their customers.
(2)James K.
Waited over 30 mins to get our food and there was only 3 of us. What made it worse it only took the couple next to us only about 10 mins to get theirs. When we got our food it was ok. 2 of us ordered skillets and they were very bland and one of the hashbrowns were cold. The house made hollandaise sauce tasted a little like gravy. Was more brownish than yellow. If you like gravy that's fine but I prefer mine a little more buttery. The eggs benedict tasted off cause of it. Was my 1st time here cause it was close but my last time. Will look for a new place for breakfast.
(2)Jenine T.
Great service and great food will get you 5 stars from me. I now understand why this place has such a long line on the weekends, this being my first time here makes me realize how busy they must be because this place is pretty big and seats a lot of people.. And there's still a wait. Came here on a Monday and the pancakes were expected, delicious. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros which was their version and take on it and I was surprised at how good it was. It wasn't overdone, cooked well, and simple. Tasted great, we ordered the gourmet pancake and it was worth it but for me I still like Southern Belle by Joliet better. The prices vs the portions are more reasonable than here but this place is also good and has a good ambiance. Very efficient staff.
(5)William B.
Each visit to this location is as awesome as the next. The hostess is very polite and seats quickly, the waitresses are on their game, with personality, service, and putting up with my group's foolishness. I had the Greek Omelet on my last visit..... Now I've placed this order at many places and I'm never impressed. The eggs are always flavorless, and the only bite you get is the sparse crumb of feta. Not here! The eggs, spinach, and tomatoes were actually all seasoned, complimenting the liberal adornment of feta. They got this dish right! And their Iced Mocha, not the best I've had, but certainly the best I've had from a restaurant, by far.
(5)D B.
Still trying to figure out what happened. SLOWWWWWW service. On a Wednesday morning? Our apple juice came out minutes before our food. We had to ask twice for apple juice after waiting with just water. The two tables next to us were sat after and received food before. My food came out and was mostly undercooked (eggs ordered over medium, and came out over easy, runny with white yolk. Hash was barely luke warm). Waitress stopped by to check on us once or twice. Advise taking brunch elsewhere.
(2)Rich S.
My kids, wife and I have been dining at Honey Jam 1-2 times a week almost since it opened. The staff is wonderful and feel like family to us. That's what makes this review so hard. Since the change in ownership in August, the food quality has gone down, and down, and down. I would compare it now to an iHop with a nicer interior. They have changed everything from their toast, silver dollar pancakes, turkey sausage ... all NOT better! This morning may have been the final straw ... they changed their Pumpkin Waffle!! It was smaller, didn't taste the same, and was served with much less topping! We feel like we are breaking up with a long relationship, but we have tried Eggs, Inc now a few times and the food is MUCH better. We went to Honey Jam one last time this morning and had our usual experience to what we have had over the last few months ... The staff was WONDERFUL and the food was TERRIBLE! RIP Honey Jam.
(1)Molly S.
Went here today for breakfast.. It was my first time. I was extremely disappointed in the service and my meal. We called ahead and made a reservation for two. We arrive and were seated right away, which was very nice. The place wasn't too busy but it seemed like for a larger group there was a wait. Once at our table we looked over the menu to see what to order. We waited over ten minutes without anyone coming by to even get our drink order. My bf had to flag down someone to ask for our waitress, and then that took another five minutes. She was nice, took our order and then came back with our coffee. We ordered the countryside skillet.. Our waitress brought our food and asked if we needed anything else. I asked for a water. We started to eat, was so disappointed. My hash browns were greasy and soggy. When we were done eating a gentleman came and took our dishes. That was the only part of eating here which was pleasant. I never did get my water and she took forever for the check. My bf had been here numerous times, and even said that this was the worst experience he had ever had.
(1)Lindsay C.
The best food and pretty good service. The atmosphere is always nice and the turn around is fast so we usually get seated pretty quickly. Also, they have wonderful coffee!!!
(5)Lauren P.
This is a very good breakfast establishment. The restaurant gives off good vibes. Brunch food was not out of the ordinary but was not bad either. Its A-OK.
(3)Dario B.
This place is super amazing to put it lightly!! The service, the staff, and especially the food are phenomenal. Sheri our server was amazing and attentive to all our needs. I come out here from des plaines to see one of my friends and the trip is totally worth it. I wish they had mimosas so then I can bring more people here with me. I strongly recommend this place. I would totally come every Sunday for unlimited mimosas. Come on honey Jam make it happen for our Sunday funday!
(5)Ray S.
First time visiting in my hometown Jan 7th, 2015 around 1:45pm. Went there with a friend. Upon waking in I was instantly pleased with the atmosphere. Very cabin-like. Warm and dark furnishing, a fireplace, dark oak wood. Just nice feeling overall. Plenty of seating too. I was given a table instantly and had a waiter serve us drinks a few minutes after. My waiter was 'Adam,' he was helpful in helping us choose our items. I got the Classic scrambled eggs with no meat and pancakes. And my friend got the Denver-style omelet. It came, with a good serving size of eggs, perhaps 2 eggs, hash browns and 2 pancakes. DELICIOUS! The waiter had a good eye when our water was running low refilled. My meal only costed me $5.50 and with tax $6.05 and with a tip $7.30. Good food and nice restaurant. I will definitely visit here again. Located right next to the Portillos on Route 53/Boughton Rd.
(5)Bryan B.
The breakfast restaurant category is a crowded one. Here's where Honey-Jam stands out: Solid and consistent execution (no surprise since they used to be part of the Portillo family of restaurants) Exhaustive menu. Maybe too large. Intelligent coffee Nice, warm ambience with wood tones and lighting Tip: on the weekend, get there before 9am or you WILL wait in line
(3)Pulga T.
I'm basing this 3 star review on only one visit. I don't know if I will go again, maybe if in the area. It wasn't anything that stood out to me. My husband & and I got skillets. To be honest I can't remb which one mine was but I do remb the coffee was good. Place gets packed on weekends not worth the wait. I think this place gets all his hype bc it's partnered up with portillos. I maybe wrong but its just ok. The place is def nice clean, bathrooms clean. Staff is very friendly and attentive. No complaints there.
(3)PJ C.
Dreadful, awful experience. Just absolute bad service from beginning to end. Telling us it will take 5 minutes for a table, and being seated 20 minutes later, should have been our first red flag (and encouraged us to leave). They were out of my first two choices, so to make it easy on them, I ordered toast and hash browns. They forgot the toast (yes, apparently that was an order too difficult to fulfill) and the hash browns were so raw that I can't imagine they ever got "browned." No one seemed to care about anything, or have even a tiny sense of urgency about the diners. I can't imagine this place will last long with this kind of attitude and service.
(1)Cathy R.
This is our go-to place for breakfast after church on special occasions like Easter, Mother's Day, etc. Everything we have ever ordered has been great quality food-wise, but drink-wise - personally I'm not a fan of the coffee...or maybe it was the cream that was going bad? Who knows. My husband ordered green tea for his drink one time, and it smelled/tasted like seaweed from the ocean. - bleh. I would stick to juice or water, but when it comes to the breakfast menu items, it's hard to go wrong with anything. As a side note, my husband ordered a salad the last time we were there, and found a piece of plastic in the bowl. We simply reported it to the waitress, and she profusely apologized and comped the meal, which shows the great service they provide. See you guys again most likely on Father's Day!
(4)Michael P.
I never knew that Portillos did breakfast. When i try a new breakfast spot like go simple. If you cant get the basics right then thats a problem. Today I ordered simple steak and eggs, and cheese blintzes. The steak and eggs consisted of two eggs scrambled, steak (medium), hashbrowns and two pancakes. The egg were decent, a little too wet, but still soft and custardy. The steak was not so great. It was seasoned well, but it was cooked unusually. It was pink in the middle but dry like it was welldone. The ends were tough, almost like someone pressed it on the grill and sqeezed all the juices out. The hashbrowns were just ok, they kind of reminded me of Denny's. The pancakes were not good at all. They were crusted and dry on top (over cooked), dense (too much flour in batter) and arrived cold. The cheese blintzes were not bad. The crepes were eggy and light. The cheese filling was soft and creamy, lightly sweet. The only problem was they used way too much cinnamon, but other than that, they were good. The highlight of the meal was fresh orange juice. Overall I would say this meal was just ok, it had more lows than highs. Frankly I expected better from a Portillo's branded restaurant. The meal with drinks cost just over $30. For that much, I have been to many places that cost half as much and were twice as good. I gave 3 stars because of taste, but they really deserve 2.5 for the other issues.
(3)Andrew W.
Not sure what all the fuss is about. Someone made another Egglectic but just made it 100 times the size. Not too many healthy choices on the kid's menu. The side of fruit was pitiful. Was that A grape? Ohh pineapple...A piece! We asked for egg yolks for our infant and they came slathered in butter. DRIPPING with butter. Yeah good idea. Pay registers are poorly placed in entrance traffic pattern so small children are being trampled and lost all over the place. Won't be returning and it's sad that so many people support giant corporate fat cows like Portillos' and Friday's and Applebee's when the ma n' pa shops are trying to offer us healthy food from local providers made fresh with fresh ingredients. Won't be returning as it's just not our style at all and we went to meet a friend who "loves" HJC. We'll pick the place next time. If you made it to here in my review and are fuming because you love Portillo's and Applebee's and Friday's, rest assured that HJC will not let you down. You will get good service, large portions, flavorful food (lots of butter and salt and cream and sugar where applicable) at an affordable price.
(2)Sandra D.
Wonderful customer service. Big portions. Reasonably priced. The food is delicious. Out family was visiting from France and we decided to bring them to this establishment for a nice breakfast. It was our first visit here and we were impressed. Will definitely return!
(5)Ronald L.
So so, I would never wait in line for this mediocre food, Portillos should be ashamed of this place. The server was the only nice thing here. They were training a hostess, not trying to pick on her, but I am surprised she can find the front door, because even with a cheat sheet, she could not find the tables. This was not some teenage girl, this is a woman in her 40's. Since my review, I have come under attack by private messages from their staff. Very inappropriate to respond that way. Fix your restaurant, it's not me that's malfunctioning
(1)Kimi T.
I have been wanting to try this place for a while. While the food was reasonably priced, I was highly disappointed with the portion sizes. For a place known for it's breakfast options, the pancakes were just awful. The service is also sub-par compared to other restaurant options. My guest and I waited over 15 minutes for our cups of coffee. We decided we would not be returning.
(2)Brad W.
Food is still good but we're starting to see some quality cuts from the new ownership. No more true fresh squeezed orange juice! Monkey bread was also different but not bad. We could live with that but not the OJ. Not worth driving out of our way anymore.
(3)Martinique W.
The server said the new owners are trying to run this place into the ground, and they are succeeding. Long wait for bad food. Servers who could care less about the restaurant because they already know they are out of a job soon.
(1)Stephen S.
I have two comments to share. I used to like stopping here a couple of times per week because the breakfast and atmosphere by the fireplace is awesome. They had wifi access up until a month or two ago....now they say something is wrong with it. I enjoy catching up on things while I eat but can't do that here anymore. There are plenty of breakfast places that do have wifi for customers, so today is my last visit here to Honey Jam Cafe.
(4)Rose L.
last time we were there it was great but today was bad service and bad food. I ordered a veggie skillet and it was cold and didn't have a lot of veggies and the onions were grilled like on a hamburger thrown across the top. I sent it back and the second wasn't much better except it was a little hotter. When I told the manager she said she was glad I know from past visits that their food is usually better. I was not offered any compensation. I won't be back
(1)Maggie C.
Had good service on a busy Sunday. I Ordered the biscuit and gravy with my eggs scrambled with cheese. It was good, but my eggs turned out to be more like an omelet with too much cheese. My boyfriend got the breakfast burrito and it came with hash browns. It was very bland...even adding tobasco sauce didn't help. Also, the coffee that I get here is very weak. I don't know if it's worth waiting 30 mins to eat here again.
(3)Kimberly C.
Today was my first visit and the experience was very pleasant. The wait was only 10 mins which I didn't mind since my company had not arrived yet. It was a beautiful morning so I just waited outside. Before I knew it my pager went off and I was greeted by a smiling hostess. The dining room was darker than other places. It was nice but better suited for dinner time. My waitress greeted me quickly with menus and my coffee with french vanilla cream was on the way. I usually order simple dishes when visiting a restaurant the first time. I had the 2 eggs breakfast over medium with pancakes, hash browns and Cherrywood smoked bacon. Pretty easy to make and it was absolutely delish!! The pancakes were the best I've had in a restaurant. The hash browns cooked perfect for me - not too crunchy or soft. The bacon was the best... nice smokey flavor and cooked just right. The eggs were good too. My dinning partner had waffles, scrambled eggs with cheese and a large OJ. The bill was cents under $30 for both. I don't mind paying more for good food and experience. It's part of the Portillo's chain so I expected it. The one thing I didn't like was the location. The cafe is behind or next to Portillo's. So, the aisle I parked in filled up with the overflow from the Portillo's drive through. I had to wait until the line went down before I could leave. Minus one star for location. Lesson learned. I will be back!
(4)Sonia W.
Taffy apple stuffed French toast? A breakfast burger with bacon, egg and a charbroiled burger? Freshly squeezed orange juice? All this and more is what you'll find at Honey Jam Cafe, a Portillo venture. Come here. You won't regret it!!!
(5)Jo R.
On Sunday afternoon, I was pleased to be seated immediately in a lovely room at Honey Jam Cafe. The walls had an amber tone and were adorned with stained glass artwork. Star lights hung from the the ceiling. Very classy dining area with a cozy feel. We sat down, ordered coffee, and were served promptly. The coffee was quite good and the pot was left on the table for self-service. I appreciated that touch, as I am often mildly irritated by overzealous waiters. It was nice to be able to pour the coffee--which somehow stayed hot--at leisure. Since Honey Jam Cafe is a breakfast destination, I ordered a breakfast item: the chocolate chip pancakes. The presentation was beautiful: three large pancakes stacked atop each other; chocolate drizzled in stripes across the stack. Beneath the pancakes I discovered a layer of thick chocolate, adding to the decadence. They did skimp on the whipped cream, I thought. It came in a dollop on the side. Frankly, I hoped for more. I don't care to be health conscious when I dine out; might as well live it up (the end is coming anyway, right?). Also, the menu stated chocolate chips were mixed into the pancake batter. However, this chocolate detective did not see traces in her pancakes. My guests were not impressed with their meals. One ordered the chicken harvest wrap and said it was bland. The other ordered the corned beef hash skillet and said it was nothing special. Overall, we found Honey Jam average. I would dine there again perhaps, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it.
(3)Christina F.
We ate here last Saturday around 9:15am. I was worried with the packed parking lot and the line already forming in the sitting area that I wasn't going to eat for a while. Luckily, they sat us right away since there were only two of us. Unlucky that we got sat kind of in an awkward place. Our server was beyond wonderful and sweet. Our food was good and it came out in a reasonable amount of time. This place is a little more expensive than other places but you get your moneys worth with the portion size. I had to box up half my breakfast because I was so full. My husband was able to get the rest of his coffee carafe to go which was nice. The interior is clean. It's noisy with so many patrons, but that's expected. Parking is ok except when there's snow on the ground and people decide to make their own spots.
(4)Sarah R.
I went here with the parents. I got the chocolate chip waffles they were delish. The hashbrowns were good as well. My parents got eggs and sausage and bacon. They said the bacon was chewy. I would definitely go back for the waffles. The atmosphere is cute. It is a pretty big place. They close early at 2pm.
(3)Señora K.
Our favorite breakfast spot when we are in town. Great variety from waffles, Dutch babies, Omelets ... You will have a hard time deciding! Relaxing atmosphere ~ though we always come early on a weekday. I am sure it's a different story at other times/days. Give it a try!
(4)Laura H.
This is my family's "go to" restaurant for breakfast. Fabulous food! I only wish the wait wasn't so long to get in.
(5)Matt W.
I changed my review from 2 stars to 3. I've had a better experience a second time.
(3)Jennifer N.
I couldn't really decide whether I wanted to give it a 3 or 4 star rating, but we've had pretty good service and enjoyed the food each and every time we've been here, so I'm going with 4 stars. This place gives you a lot of food. A LOT of food. I don't understand why people call this pricey for what it is; when I visited with my brother and cousin, the three of us ordered four entrees and coffee and paid $50 for three people. We even took food home. That's quite a lot of value for just under $17 each. Oh, and the food was excellent! On my recent visit, I ordered the Julian's Benedict and split the Bananas Foster crêpes. Both were fantastic and just perfect. My brother ordered the chorizo & eggs and my cousin ordered waffles with strawberries and bananas. Both my brother and my cousin were pretty satisfied as well. The chorizo & eggs was really good and the waffles were huge! I couldn't believe how big the entrees were. It was plenty of food - probably more than they needed to serve. I think it's a great value. The server was really funny. Maybe a little weird, but really funny. She did try very hard even though she wasn't the fastest server; that's okay, she didn't make any big mistakes and always refilled our coffee and water promptly. I like this place and I'm really glad there is one in Bolingbrook. It's a perfect family place and Bolingbrook is where my family is at, so it's ideal. I will definitely be back.
(4)Michelle H.
For the last three months or so, we now have been coming in here on at least a biweekly basis. I'm very happy they got over their grand-opening shortcomings from the first few times we came here. I really am a fan of this place now, for both breakfast and lunch options. No service glitches at all anymore. Every server we have waiting on us has been pleasant, informative, and spot on! I would like to give a special shout-out to Justin, though. We have him often as a server, and let's just say to watch this guy work a crowded section of the restaurant is amazing. He's quick, nice, and overly efficient. This guy deserves an award or something. Like I said, we have been coming in quite often, so here's a little list of my personal do's and dont's of the Honey Jam Cafe: Do skip the steak and eggs. For $14, I expected a pretty huge meal, and one that tastes pretty good as well. The steak is Angus, but I'm still not impressed. They cook it to order, but it is a small, under seasoned, plain piece of meat. One thing I do like, is they will happily substitute out my potatoes for some cottage cheese. Do get the crepes. I'm not sure about the fruit filled crepes, but the plain crepes are excellent. Pair them with a side of Applewood smoked bacon for a great breakfast dish. The bacon is good, although sometimes a bit overcooked. Do skip the chorizo and eggs. I like the authentic style Mexican breakfast, but this falls rather short. First off, their chorizo lacks any of the signature orange colored grease, which makes the sausage's flavor. It is rather dry and tasteless. Served with nearly plain white rice and soupy black beans, this will never be one of my favorite dishes here. For lunch, do get the 1/2 sandwich with soup or salad. I like the California wrap. It is a veggie tortilla with sliced turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and 1,000 Island dressing. It comes with fries, and be sure to ask for a side of southwest ranch dressing to dip the fries in. So much better than plain catsup any day! For the soup, I really enjoy the thick and tasty Chicken Tortilla soup.
(4)Twylla S.
We were quite pleased with our experience when we came here. The interior is beautiful and the waitstaff is attentive. We were most excited that they brewed intelligentsia coffee since we rarely have the opportunity for good coffee when we go out for breakfast. Although the menu said no substitutes we were still able to make one small one to keep our breakfast a little healthier. Everything was cooked right and warm when it arrived to our table. Though I feel you can rarely go wrong with a breakfast joint there are times when you can go extra right... I think Honey Jam leans a little extra towards the good side with their delicious coffee and fair prices.
(4)Aerial M.
Decent spot. Our waitress was uninviting and quick with us. You ask for napkins and she would run off before you could ask for anything else. I ordered the ham and mushroom skillet. It was very filling and delicious. The pancakes that came with them though, were horrendous! Super dry and powdery. The lemonade had a syrupy aftertaste but thankfully the water was clean and refreshing.
(3)Grant P.
It's always nice to see a manager at a restaurant willing to help out instead of merely standing around giving orders to their staff. This morning Robin, the manager, asked me how everything was. And when I told her that my hash browns were cold she immediately remedied that by bringing me a heaping plate full of delicious steaming hash browns twice as large as the side that originally came with my entree. Potatoes make me happy. Double potatoes make me twice as happy. My wife and I are frequent visitors to Honey Jam. Everything is always perfect. The food, the service, the prices, we couldn't be happier. So on the rare occasion when my potatoes are cold, it doesn't really bother me. It happens, and believe me if I were the one cooking my breakfast I'd be lucky to have hot potatoes half of the time. I also noticed that there seemed to be more empty tables than usual. Someone commented that they might be a little short staffed. I applaud Robin once again for not stretching her staff too thin and keeping their high quality of service for all her customers. Thanks Honey Jam, and thanks Robin!
(5)Jennifer M.
Honey Jam, thank you for being so scrumptious and having such adorable ambiance that makes one feel like they've entered the setting of a happy Christmas movie. Can I just say: yum and double yum. We've eaten here twice now, both breakfast and lunch. Totally impressed with the selection. Highly recommend the Eggs Benedict and Bananas Foster French Toast. My boyfriend said best Reuben he's ever had.
(5)Andrew P.
Not bad. About on par with other breakfast places in the area, although with fancier decor and a longer wait. First time there today: many people waiting inside and outside, was told there would be a 20-minute wait, but it ended up being more like 40 minutes. We were seated next to a fairly large group that was wrapping up to leave, and they sure were taking their sweet time and loitering around, which makes me suspect that THEY were (at least partly) the reason that the wait was longer than expected. I wish people weren't so self-centered and ignorant, and I know it's difficult for the restaurant to ask them to leave in cases like this. Once we were seated the service was pretty fast and efficient. Food was not bad at all, but not out-of-this-world. Prices are fair too. Would I return if there was a wait? Probably not. If there wasn't a wait? Absolutely.
(3)Ms. K D.
Best breakfast place around. The service is fast and friendly. There is always someone to host and seat you. On weekends there is a wait but it's because the food is worth it. You can also call ahead and reserve your spot in line. My sweetie and I have come here several times for breakfast on the weekends. The portions are large and many times we order the Tuscan Omelet (our favorite) and split it and leave satisfied. The pancakes are really good. I've also ordered the Chopped Salad and it is delicious! Recommend it!
(5)Joseph P.
This place is better than a lot of the breakfast places in the area. It seems to be a very modern place to eat and the food is pretty good. Nothing wrong with the service and this is the place I prefer to eat at in Bolingbrook when I am there in the mornings.
(4)Cathy M.
Visited the one in Downers Grove and found the food to be delicious and the service even better. They had brought me the wrong order and could not have been more apologetic and not only comped my meal but gave me a substitute order AND sent me home with my original order. Talk about service recovery!! So it was with that experience that I brought a friend to Bolingbrook closer to where we live. We waited 15 minutes before our server came by. Never asked if we wanted coffee or water. I asked for juice and a glass of ice. Took a while to get our drinks but no ice. That took another while to get. A runner brought our waffles and French toast, but no butter or syrup. That took another while. Never saw the waitress again until she dropped off the check. We went for the food and it was great. The service was disappointing.
(3)Carrie S.
This is a pretty decent breakfast place. The interior is all woody and amber-toned, like honey! Jam? Cafe. I liked it, but there was nothing that really stood out. The service was awesome, the food is what you expect. There was a barber shop in the same strip mall that had a donk parked in front of it. Now THAT was a sweet honey jam. Cafe.
(3)Gerry H.
Overwhelmingly Underimpressed is about as diplomatically as I can describe our lunch visit today. It starts with the weird baroque decor, the dim lighting, and the ice cold draft; I would ascribe a more country living style to the name Honey Jam. I'd brighten things up a bit, and I'd turn off the G-D A/C-It is November 1st, after all! (trust me, we asked for the heat to be turned on and apparently only Dick Portillo can do that). And while I'm sure that most of the gals out there would describe our waiter as "Hot", he should perhaps reinvent himself as a stripper or a runway model, cuz he ain't much of a waiter. We waited forever for drink straws and coffee creamer, and my wife eventually went to the front counter for the creamer. Same story for the pancake syrup. Remember kids, it's the little things..... And the food was uninspired, at best. I went with the Tuscan omelet and found it to be a rather gooey, bland mess. My wife thought the same of her Egg Beaters Tuscan Omelet. My daughter did enjoy her scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and sausage links. Butterfield's is exponentially better.
(2)Ben B.
kind of pricey for what it is. I have no complaints with the quality of the food, but it took a very long time. We were seated in a party room, which seemed to be all tables with a crying baby and us. My gf insists it was her orange and red mohawk, but I don't think the little highschooler seating us cared one way or another about her haircut. My meal was fine. Her meal was not, even after the 2nd try. They'd delivered the completely wrong meal, and then brought a 2nd one that had one of the ingredients still in it she'd asked to have omitted. (tomatoes, maybe?). At that point we were both so hungry and we didn't want to wait 10 more minutes to get a 3rd attempt at her dish. The high ceilings with painted metal made the whole place an echo chamber, and the service was uber-slow. I won't be back, I've got plenty of other places to try.
(1)Kelvin M.
I have been eating at this location from the very first day they opened. Over the years, the consistency has become non existent. Saturday September 6 2014, my entire order was messed up. I called once I got to work and the corporate office sent me out a $20.00 certificate to replace the order. I called the store back after I couldn't find the certificate and was told that Portillo's no longer owned the restaurant and to call Portillo's corporate office to see if they'll re send another one out and if I couldn't get help, to call the restaurant back and they would take care of it in house. Portillo's corporate office called me back today and said that they couldn't re send another certificate out because they no longer owned the restaurant. I called Honey Jam back and spoke to a male manager in which he stated he couldn't help me and they had no way to track my order or replace the certificate. It's a shame that I paid over $20.00 for a meal that was not eaten by anyone in my family. I will never patronize any honey jam location again...................
(1)Kevin C.
Absolutely delicious!! My Wife, myself and my folks were in Chicago for a family gathering and we went Sunday morning to Honey-Jam Cafe. My wife and Mom had been there Saturday afternoon for lunch and raved about it. We arrived at 1030 and my wife made reservations for 4. We were so happy she did as the place had a line going out the door. We were seated at 1104 in the back party-room. Marla was our server and she did an absolutely fabulous job. My wife ordered the French Toast and my Mom and Dad ordered omelettes. I had the 2 eggs, sausage and hash browns along with a side of Corn Beef Hash. At the end of breakfast, no plate was empty as the meal fit the bill. The next time we are back in Chicago/Bolingbrook, this will be our place of choice.
(4)Jason R.
This place is very relaxing and easy on the eyes. It's a fuzz more than I usually spend on breakfast, but it's worth it for the chilled back environment. One complaint is that I'm an idiot. I've been there twice, and waited for a refill of my coffee only to realize (twice) that they leave you with a pot on your table to refill at your leisure. I am not a smart man. One really kick ass part about this place is they will give you a (complimentary) cup of coffee for the road.
(5)LOIS B.
I've been waiting for this place to open. The competition just north on Route 53 has closed (no surprise there), so they should do just fine. We visited at lunch which made parking (on a rainy day) a slight hassle because of its close proximity to its sister restaurant. There was a very brief wait, but not anything unreasonable. We were led to a table in a very busy traffic pattern, the hostess could tell we were not happy and moved us to another location, at a corner which was even worse. Finally we were offered a booth in a more private room which was much better. But, as I looked around, there really were no tables in the larger rooms, that did not have people rushing past, people being led past you to get to other tables, or just a lot of commotion. There were a few minor kinks which will probably work themselves out. Portions were generous and there certainly is something for everyone on the menu. The register to pay is located in a strange area, and yet again, accessible by weaving your way through tables. Just a suggestion, leave a carafe of water on the table.
(3)April E.
It would be 5 stars. Great food but every time my husband picks an order up to go they never get it right.
(4)C S.
I haven't wrote a bad review yet but honey jam made me do it. I went in on a Saturday morning. I get it weekends are busy. The hostess was nice she knew it was busy so she took our drink orders. We had a table of 20 next to us so we knew to order quick. We got in at 9:15 and placed our order right away when our server first came at 9:18 am. So 9:30 rolled around nothing. 9:40 rolled around nothing. No communication from the server. Once 9:55 hit with not one word from our server we had to just walk out. I get it your busy but at least say something to your guests. I never had to wait 40 mins for breakfast anywhere else even when they are packed. If someone would've talked to us we would've stayed but service wasn't there today. I love portillos but no honey jam for me anymore. I would've reviewed the food but we didn't get the chance to taste it.
(1)Liz K.
This place is huge...room after room. It really does not look like a breakfast place...it is very nicely decor and dark. Nicest breakfast restaurant I have ever seen. The coffee was delish and I really loved that they had all types of flavored creme. Food was decent..much nicer plating them most places. I loved their eggs and toast. The only thing that made it not as a great experience is the tight parking and that it took foreeevver to get our food...and not only that but it took forver to get our food ordered..and it was during the week so it wasn't that busy. Overall I think this is a breakfast place to go and check out but not a place to be a regular at.
(3)Avanti H.
yes definitely at the top of the list of breakfast spots for me .
(5)Christopher H.
Just got back home after having breakfast there. Called ahead to ask them to start an apple pancake so it would ready when I got there or at least close. It was burned around the edges, in many spots it was black. Obvious to me was that it was overcooked. Asked them to take it back, bring me heuvos rancheros instead. This dish was average and too earthy for my tastes, but I ate it. They credited me the amount of $9.95 for the apple pancake, but charged me for the huevos. I checked out and was asked by the cashier how everything tasted. I told her the pancake was burnt. She said sorry. A manager type then came by and asked how was everything. I told her the same. She said sorry. I think they should have comped the Huevos or frozen apple pancake I took home, but they did not.
(2)Maureen E.
After having spent 2 years trying to go here (the wait is ALWAYS long), we finally got in, and I can understand why. I love that they put a giant carafe of coffee on your table, and when I mentioned the need for a low-cholesterol item, the server and the manager actually calculated the percentages for me (pancakes @ 2%) for the various breakfast items. And the pancakes were perfectly yummy. Upon leaving, they offer each customer a to-go cup of coffee, tea, or water. I definitely want to return.
(4)Sade C.
I was excited about the opening of Honey Jam Cafe -- it's right down the street from me & I love breakfast food. My mom & I went today around 11 a.m. There were roughly 15 other people waiting, but the waiting area is larger than most & there was plenty of seating. A flat-screen TV displayed a slide show of different menu items, which I found helpful & unique. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before being seated. Our server was friendly & polite. My mom ordered the Mediterranean Croissant (sautéed baby spinach, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, & crispy bacon), & I got the Bacon Waffle. Her sandwich looked really tasty, MINUS the huge hunk of feta cheese. We both expected feta crumbles, but the cheese was a large slice, about half an inch thick. She didn't eat the cheese, but said the croissant was very fresh & she enjoyed it overall. My waffle was tasty as well. The menu said the bacon would be mixed throughout the batter, but the bacon pieces were actually on top of the waffle. Regardless, the combination of savory & sweet is a good thing. I see in Sheila M.'s review that she had terrible service, but it looks like Honey Jam Cafe has gotten its act together since then. Our food only took between 10-15 minutes to arrive. I'll definitely be back.
(3)dianna C.
I went with 21 people and only called ahead a hour to have call ahead reservations. I called to see if they had room to seat us. they said yes come on in and took our name. This was a Sunday at 10:00. We waited maybe 25 minutes but got two large tables that I new we would split up. The waitress gave us all separate checks. Our food was Wonderful. Meaning nothing wrong at all. Everyone loved there food. They have a large menu to choice from. If you can't find something on the menu you do have a problem yourself. they will serve lunch at this time also as half us got breakfast and half got lunch. NO PROBLEMS. I asked the waitress to please add the tip and she said we don't do that hear. I could not of had a more pleasant dining experience any place. If each of us could tell one person the word would spread what a great please and experience we had. We will be back. NOT once or twice but alot
(5)John S.
I had been to the Honey Jam Cafe in Downers Grove a couple of times before, but this was the first visit to the restaurant in Bolingbrook. It did not disappoint. The lunch meals -- wife: Pumpkin Waffle with cheesecake topping daughter: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Simple Turkey Club 1/2 Sandwich mother: Italian Wedding Soup and Chicken Harvest 1/2 Wrap me: BBQ Chicken Tortilla Salad My mother did not like the soup (I did not know she had tried Italian Wedding Soup before and had not liked it). Other than that little blip, everything else was excellent. We were seated immediately in a space that was convenient for my mom, who walks with a cane. The service was exactly what one would want it to be -- friendly, fast, accurate. The food was excellent. Drink refills were frequent. The prices are reasonable. If I lived in the area I would be a regular customer. Great job!
(5)Stephen P.
Good food and great service at a Saturday Brunch ~ 11:00 a.m. in Bolingbrook on Broughton. Since most of the lower reviews speak to that, I'll comment 1st on it. No waiting for a table for two, and the waitress checked back at least five times after taking our order. They do take reservations, The manager checked in as well. Spinach crepe was very good, vegetarian scramble was good. They have the Dutch Baby baked pancake on the menu, but it is a 25 minute prep. They have a call ahead service for it, so next visit I will give it a try. Décor is casual/upscale, broken up into several areas, fairly quiet. A wide mix of customers from families to senior couples. Prices are moderate to high for breakfast, but in line for the quality level of the establishment.
(4)Kristen S.
Portillos owned breakfast restaurant? Dont mind if I do. Holy moly. The food is amazing and the fresh squeezed orange juice is wonderful. The service was delightful. I really cant see going wrong with anything on the menu. I had a veggie omelet and my husband had the Crazy Monkey Waffle which was pretty much peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips. Ya, just imagine.
(4)Ashley W.
I'm glad I didn't look at all the negative Yelp reviews before going, because I probably wouldn't have ever made it here, and then I would've been missing out! I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. We were greeted with a warm welcome from a woman who was likely the manager. She promptly sat us, and shortly after, we were greeted by the nicest server (Dani was her name, I believe). Because it was our first time there, she pointed out some of her favorites, ALL of which sounded SO good! One of the skillets she recommended was the Countryside skillet which had ham, sausage, bacon, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. This was the skillet I ended up ordering and it was SO so good. And it was huge! I finished about 1/3 of it, and ate one of the two pancakes it came with (you can do toast instead of pancakes), and was completely stuffed! Yeah, their prices are slightly on the higher side, however, I brought more than half of my breakfast home, so I don't feel like it's really worth complaining about. All in all, I was impressed and will definitely be back. Great food, friendly attentive service, and the restaurant is CLEAN. No complaints here!
(5)Melanie C.
I have gone once, and that was enough for me. I don't have children, and don't understand why I had to get sat in a party room full of crying children. I know I look young, but I didn't really need to hear the screaming kids. Our waitress seemed a bit frazzled by the whole situation. The sever ice was VERY slow. When I finally did get my food, it was wrong. I sent it back, only for it to come back out again wrong! I was too hungry to send it back for a second time, so I ate a few bites of my sub par skillet, paid my bill and left.
(1)Christine S.
Easter Sunday 2014 8:00 am decided to stop there for a good breakfast for 3 adults...walked in and no waiting, it was early!...not alot of people there yet...our service was fine BUT the food was disgusting...weve been before for breakfast and had not issues, youd think for Easter they would be on their game!!! Eggs were suppose to be over easy and the whites were still runny...I had the Julian and the english muffin was as if it had been soaked in water...Truly a big disappinointment for a nice Easter breakfast...prices were an average of 9.99 for a smallish portion, so you would for breakfast especially expect it to be good, right? I complained to our waitress about the english muffin and she brought me another one just toasted...by this time every one else was already done eating...We now will not be returning to Honey-Jam Cafe.....not worth the trip....
(1)D. S.
Love this place! Our server was excellent, the food was quick and very delicious. We did order the monkey bread wihich takes 15 minutes but it was worth it, so yummy. Everyone was really happy with their food. We had eggs, ham, sausage, omlets, French toast, pancakes and waffles; each was very delecisious.
(4)Sue M.
Not feeling the love. It's ok and that's it. I have probably been there 6-8 times since it opened and it never wows me. Just went for breakfast and I got the holly French toast (lol!) and it was ok. I don't like the interior--very dark and a lot of stained glass. It feels like winter all year round. I would like to see some natural light, please! The best thing going for this place is the Intelligensia coffee.
(3)Rosann F.
They should call this the "Honey Badger Cafe" (not everyone will get that!) Drove here from Channahon for breakfast/lunch today thinking it would be as good as the other Portillos restaurants. Sadly this was not the case. We arrived around 1pm so there was no wait. The hostess was excited to seat us next to the fireplace but it wasn't lit. Our server, Marla, was prompt and attentive. Always had a smile throughout our meal. My fiance and I both ordered Diet Cokes but, I'm still scratching my head as to what she served us because it wasn't Diet Coke. Our server promptly brought us Iced Tea which was good. The silverware was dirty; I'm talking chunks of leftover food on it. That will make you lose your appetitie real fast. I ordered eggs, corned beef hash, hash browns, pancakes and a side of bacon. The eggs were ok (really, how can you screw up eggs?) the hashbrowns were overcooked and the pancakes were FAR from "light and fluffy". They were more like flat and pasty. Someone commented earlier that they served "gourmet pancakes". Can someone explain to me what gourmet pancakes are because these weren't even in the same universe as gourmet. I've had better pancakes at Denny's. The best part of my meal was the bacon,which was way overpriced. $3.50 for three pieces of bacon!My fiance ordered the Huevos Rancheros which were just ok. Overall, the service was good but the food was not. Dick needs to stick to what he knows best; burgers and dogs.
(2)Sara D.
Honey Jam Cafe had a lot to prove to me when I dined here on Sunday. I already have two favorite local breakfast spots: Pancake Cafe in Naperville and Eggs, Inc in Bolingbrook. The name drew us in....honey, jam, this place must be awesome. Well, it was just ok. I had a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and bf had an omelette. The sandwich was a bit dry, but the bread was good (sourdough). The restaurant itself is decorated nice, but it was very crowded, loud, and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic. Not how I like to spend my Sunday morning. In essence, I feel lukewarm about the restaurant. While I am not opposed to going back again, I will most likely stick to my regular breakfast joints.
(3)K M.
Love this restaurant! I've never had a bad meal here. The monkey bread is absolutely amazing!! Great service. Friendly staff. Nice ambiance in the restaurant. I especially love the fire in the fireplace in the winter.
(4)Utica G.
My brother and I went to Honey Jam for breakfast on his last day in town. I had never been to the restaurant before, and I won't be going back. The food was OK, but the customer service from the management (Stephanie) was horrible. My brother and I had ordered a fruit bowls (not "fruit plates"). The fruit came served in bowls so, naturally, we THOUGHT we had received what we had ordered. It wasn't until we received the bill for fruit plates priced at almost $9 each that we has realized that the waitress had made a mistake. We brought it to the attention of Stephanie, the manager. She asked whether we had sent the order back. I told her that we hadn't sent the order back because we thought that we had received the item we had ordered, which was about half the price of the "fruit plate". Since it was our first time dining at the restaurant, we didn't know the difference, especially since it had been served in a bowl. Stephanie made the price adjustment on one of the fruit orders, but informed us that she couldn't do so for the other fruit order because we had not sent the order back. We hadn't sent the order back because we thought we had received what we had ordered, until the bill arrived! She even behaved as though she was doing us a HUGE favor by making the adjustment on ONE of the orders! Her attitude sucked, and I refuse to spend my money at Honey Jam ever again! I receive much better customer service at Portillo's...
(2)Dave S.
Everything here is alright. I really can't complain about my breakfast as it hit the spot. The prices were a little bit higher than typical places like this that I frequent. IT was not enough for me to get my panties in a bunch. The restaurant was not very crowded at all and it took a VERY long time for us to receive our food. The restaurant looks rather nice and is rather comfortable. I left here with a resounding eh rerunning around in my head. Everything was solid here but there was nothing that made me feel like I had to return. I probably will return as everything was pretty decent.
(3)Jeff N.
AWFUL. They decor is about the only thing that was positive about this place. After waiting for 30 minutes to sit down (not unreasonable considering it was a Sunday brunch). We ordered our coffee and food. Coffee was excellent and came out in a timely fashion. 45 minutes AFTER ordering, I asked our waitress to check on the food. 5 minutes later it came out luke warm. It looked appetizing and it tasted so-so but this is BREAKFAST AND IT TOOK 50 minutes to get to the table!! Yes it is Sunday brunch and their busiest time, but that is no excuse. You are cooking eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and pancakes. It should never take 50 minutes to get your breakfast. On top of that, the manager, Robin came to our table and clarified for us that the "kitchen was busy." There was never a sense of urgency and it never felt that she was all that concerned with the situation. Most managers of restuarants will emphatically state their concern and apologize to the nth degree, not make up an excuse that the kitchen is busy. It's a breakfast joint, the kitchen is SUPPOSED to be busy. Most people eat breakfast from 8:30am to 12pm on SUNDAYS. Expect your restaurant to be busy and prepare for it. Sorry for my mini tirade. However, Robin seemed incompetent to run this restaurant which is sad because Dick Portillo has put together such great establishments. I will also mention that we had to request business cards/contact information on two separate occassions until Patty from corporate finally stopped by to offer 50% off our meal. Note to Patty from corporate, this was THE worst customer service I have ever experienced. It took you 15 minutes to stop by our table after we requested to speak to a manager. Customer service and product quality is how businesses succeed. Right now Honey-Jam is failing at 1 and the other is just ok. There are plenty of other breakfast/lunch places in the Naperville/Bolingbrook dont waste your time (1 hr 45min to be exact) going to eat at Honey Jam.
(1)Meg S.
I wanna give it 2 1/2 starts this time, but just seem to wanna give this place the benefit of the doubt... even though it continues to disappoint. Nothing about this place is special... maybe I'm not ordering the right thing?? And the service still left something to be desired. We didn't even get refills on our coffee.
(3)Sarah S.
Owned by portillos, this place tries to hide that it's a chain, but the serving size prepackaged creamers on the tables give them away. The restaurant layout was cramped, but service was ok. It was waaaay too dark, I ddidnt like going from it being 10 am to a building that made you feel like you should be ordering dinner. The food was decent, thick slices of bacon, they didnt skimp on the feta,real cheddar or my hashbrowns...next time I think I'm gonna try sweet instead of savory
(3)Kelly G.
Excellent staff! Very knowledgeable and friendly! Food was delicious!
(4)Jeanne L.
Julian's Benedict: AMAZING! A vegetarian version of eggs benedict, but it's so hearty with the thick tomatoes, portobello mushrooms and artichokes. Definitely will get this again! Their hollandaise sauce is out of this word too; BF and I get eggs benedict at most breakfast places we go, and Honey Jam's hollandaise sauce is the best we've had. Countryside Skillet: Pretty good too, but I won't get it again, as it's not amazing. Atmosphere: The restaurant itself is quite large, and I will say it was a bit louder than I would have liked (I think this is more an insulation issue, with their high ceilings and hard building materials everywhere, the sound just bounces around and around). But it's very roomy and getting a table was very quick at 12pm.
(4)Jennifer Q.
I really like this place but, like one of the other reviewers, I was torn between 3 or 4 stars. I think the food is great and have never been disappointed by the quality of food. However, the wait can be kinda long, although that really should be expected on a weekend morning, but I have had some not so great service and some great service. It can be kinda slow at times and, as someone else experienced, after our food has arrived, we have had to wait for the syrup a number of times. The last time, the table next to us actually offered us their syrup because they didn't even have their food yet but were brought syrup. Overall, the food and many, many options do make-up for the occasional service issues that come with a bust breakfast place.
(4)Steve C.
The restaurant was not even half full, but it took 7 minutes to get a server to come around. 15 minutes to get water and coffee after that. Never offered condiments, server never checked if we needed anything. Food was bland and disappointing for those of us at the table that got their food. My food didn't come, server didn't even apologize after admitting she didn't put it in the order. We waited, my pregnant wife barely touched her meal waiting for my dish to come. When it came, my medium steak was bloody & raw. Server's attitude was pretty blah again. So our parents ate, my food eventually came (server was in no rush to get it out - saw her meandering around the counter right after we asked) but we had to leave anyway so no breakfast for me. Some guy came out and stared at us without introducing himself - no clue who he was? Cook maybe? Asking if he could do anything, so I guess that was nice that someone eventually cared a little. Either way 2/4 of us didn't get to eat here so we won't be back. Too bad, we recently moved to the area, have tons of family & friends nearby and would have loved to have a new regular spot for the crowd to visit.
(1)Nicole S.
My husband and I LOVE this place and it's our favorite place to get breakfast. Their call ahead service is very helpful especially on busy weekends. They have fresh squeezed OJ, the bacon and pancakes are divine, and the eggs and hash browns are great! I definitely recommend them. Even my out-of-town friends are Hooked on Honey Jam! Great place!
(5)JJ C.
I was going to get an Italian beef from Portillo and then I saw this Honey Jam Cafe and decided to give a try. I am glad I did. I ordered the "Julian's Benedict" A toasted English muffin topped with sautéed baby spinach, artichoke hearts, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, two medium poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. It's really good. I am not a breakfast person. But I will go back if I am near there.
(4)Nida A B.
great food for brunch and accomodating to our large group, however I understand they wanted to bring all the food out at once but we waited WAYYYYY too long!
(4)Kara J.
The food is really good and I love the coffee, but the service has been iffy a couple of times.
(4)A. B.
Good selection and atmosphere. Just wish they had mimosas!
(4)Bunny P.
'ello! Well. I went to HJC a few months back and it was okay. Went on a holiday... since the owner owns the entire strip, they opened an empty spot next door, since the wait was so long. There was coffee, telly for the kids and tables to sit at, so while you wait for the pager go off... you have something to do. [doubt they do that all the time, but not too sure.] Breakfast is definitely their strong suit. I had gotten a waffle and it was good! Sweet and fluffy with a nice crunch. My mom got a pick 2, a wrap and a southwestern soup... it was so so.. we actually got food poisoning from that wrap, which we thankfully didn't finish. [I say we because she had a bite, took it home and when she left... I had a bite as well . that's the last time I steal a bite. ...well. i won't steal anything from THEM out of my fridge.] Yeah the food poisoning was a lot of a turn off for us. When one of my girlfriends come back in town, I'll go with her, just to see how that goes. [P.S. They close at 2:30 ish so... hop to it and get there early!!]
(2)Raymond R.
Great food but it can very busy....great service.
(4)Scott C.
Food great. Service exponential "meh"... Inexplicably, there are so many things that the Portillo's Restaurant Group does right that I'm stunned, simply STUNNED that they have a tough time with this one. Maybe it's the breakfast / lunch concept and in full disclosure, I have not frequented the other Honey Jam's in their system (including the one in Lombard). If it comes off the griddle, it's going to be pretty solid. Eggs...they don't do as well. But gosh darn it, you've got to get to the table, bring it all together (my hash browns didn't arrive until after we finished our meal) and the sense of urgency attached to cranking out covers as breakfast places are want to do just wasn't there. We've been twice and while very good friends of ours have it pegged as their top stop, we just can't give it that kind of kudos.
(2)Lisa C.
This is a wonderful restaurant. My friends & I live in Park Ridge & Schaumburg but whenever we come to Bolinbgrook we always make it a point ot stop at this restaurant. The food is always delicious. The wait staff is always curtious & on the ball about refilling drinks & clearing the table. It is always a pleasure to come here.
(5)Jimmy V.
A one star is to generous for this place.Wait time is horrible. Nothing special about this place. We waited over half hr for our order. The lady took our Oder an forgot about us I had to flag her down. My brother order a skillet and they actually forget TO COOK his food. Will never go bk there.
(1)Darlene B.
Nice atmosphere, good food, but service was slow even at 1:30 near closing time and there weren't that many customers.
(3)Josh F.
Great breakfast! We had a great meal and the orange juice was fresh!
(5)Jin Joo L.
Me and my bf love this place!!!! We've been there almost every week for brunch. The chicken tortilla soup is awesome! So is the Greek Wedding Soup but I still like the chicken better. We've tried... the Julian Benedict, the Vegetable Omelette (reg eggs. they have egg white option!), the Tuscan Omelette, Banana Foster Crepes, Country skillet, Monterey Omelette, Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast, Banana Bread French Toast, and fresh tomato juice. THe hash browns are awesome and so is the side of pancakes or marble rye toast! I normally hate hash browns unless they're Mc Donald's but these are perfect, not overdone, not too crispy. They need one of these around Schaumburg or Chicago!
(5)Bruce T.
One of the best places in the area for waffles and crapes. The Very Berry waffle is my favorite with the Bananas Foster a close second. Good coffee (they leave the pot on the table so you never run out) and offer free to-go cups at the end of the meal. Who else does that? Plenty of staff even on a busy Sunday morning.
(5)Rodney R.
I was not impressed. Frankly, the food was as it should be considering that it is overpriced for breakfast fare. Although I have to say they seem somewhat stingy with portions. I had actually finished my coffee and water quite sometime before flagging someone down with a pot of coffee for a refill. I was amazed at how slow the service was during off hours. The Geneva location is nice but really didn't set itself above any of the other restaurants in town.
(2)Jessica K.
Meh, this wouldn't be my first, second or even third choice for brunch again. Its OK. This place is run by Portillo's group and is located right behind the Portillos'. I admittedly was lured in by the potential of this place to be as awesome as Portillo's. Its not. Its a large place, but we still had to wait 30-40 min on a Sunday morning for a table for two. We waited outside since the place was crammed with people at the hostess stand. The decor is ....interesting... kind of like what my mom would have ideally picked for decor in the 1980's... large, slightly gaudy victorian/baroque looking. And its dark, which does not help me wake up in the morning, no matter how much coffee. Not really what you would expect given the more fun lively atmosphere of Portillo's. Anyhow, onto the food. OK, but not memorable. Plenty of it, way too much, which is about where the similarity to Portillos' ends. Nothing bad, just not great, not Portillos' great which is really what I was secretly hoping for. Ill stick to the cheese fries and Italian beef next door.
(2)Rich P.
Let's just start off by saying this was the worst service I have had in many years. We got seated and then waited for over 10 minutes before our waitress greeted us to take drink orders. Then we waited another 10 plus minutes to place our food order. Our drinks did not arrive until after our ouur food arrived. Food was average at best, my club wrap had very rare cooked bacon in it (gross) and the fries were cold, I was going to send it back but waitress was nowhere to be found so I just picked off the undercooked bacon and salvaged what I could of the wrap. Another one of my friends ordered a mediteranian croissant which was slightly stale. I will usually give a place a second chance but things were so bad here I will probably not. Hey Dick, stick to dogs, I can get better service and quality at a Dennys than I did at your Bolingbrook Honey Jam Cafe.
(2)Susan M.
This is an excellent upscale breakfast place. It is also open for lunch, but it's their breakfast dishes that really shine. Gourmet pancackes, french toast - yummy yummy yummy!!! Egg skillets are excellent as well. A definite downer was their raisin toast - soooo good until the very last time we were there. Used to be more like coffee cake; now merely raisin toast. That was a disappointment. If you go after 9:00 on a Saturday or Sunday, expect a wait.
(4)Martin K.
Great food, great service. A little expensive but worth trying. The Apple Pancake was the boys favorite. Well be back!!
(4)Susan S.
Horrible. Went at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday, and the wait was over half an hour just to sit down. We ordered pretty promptly, and it took us until nearly 12:30 to receive our order. Food is okay, waitress was fine, but NOT WORTH THE WAIT!
(1)Nicole M.
Went here for the first time for a late lunch on a Monday. Place was not crowded and we were seated immediately. The greeter/cashier was very friendly. Our server came over very quickly to get our drink order and brought the drinks very quickly. It took her slightly longer to come back and take our lunch orders. The food seemed to take a little longer than it should to get to the table but it tasted really good when it did. I ordered a veggie, egg-white scrambler with hashbrowns and toast. The food portion was a very good size. My friend enjoyed his sandwich and was impressed that the waitress brought his soda refill without his having to ask. The ambiance I thought was quaint, country chic, but my friend thought it was a little dark.
(3)Sheila M.
I simply hate to post reviews such as this, especially when Portillos being the "sister" restaurant is so great with their service and customer satisfaction. This would only reflect the organization of the manager. My husband and I went there one week ago with our 15 month granddaughter. We are breakfast restaurant people! We were so excited to try the new place out, however after 1 hour of being seated yet no food, we left! Two other parties who were seated after us, happily received their food. When we inquired about our order, one of the waiters said I don't know. When we announced that we were leaving, the manager offered us coupons towards our next visit. I couldn't see that the coupons would be of any use. We will not return. We are fans of Eggs, Inc. Cafe, great service, great food, reasonably priced and healthy choices are on the menu. For those of you who think Honey Jam Cafe is wonderful, try out Eggs, Inc. Cafe on Weber Road, next to Caribou Coffee. It is great, you will know when you arrive as the parking lot is always full! We have been there 4 times now and never waited past 10 minutes and they do know you and your order status! What a concept. I would only give Honey Jam Cafe a try when they announce that they have replaced the Manager and Hostess! Shouldn't be long, at least sooner then getting your order!
(1)Robin C.
If it's connected to Portillo's, you know it will be good. A number of us have been getting together for the past 5 months for breakfast at Honey Jam. We have not been disappointed. The food is excellent (especially the breakfast burrito) and the prices are very good. While I'm not really a breakfast person, I look forward to these gatherings for the fun and for the food. Our servers have always been good and attentive. We have not waited long for food and are usually there when the restaurant is quite busy. We have been greeted cordially and promptly upon entering and thanked when leaving. And that is why it is our breakfast "spot."
(5)James M.
Very good food and service, would certainly recommend. The servings are large and the staff was friendly
(5)Michele V.
I was so disappointed. I ordered the veggie omelette. First off it was dry. I never thought an omelette could be described as dry, but that's exactly how mine was. The vegetables were not sauteed before being added so they were hard. The hashbrowns were OK, but very bland and my toast was cold. My boyfriend had the huevos rancheros which he said was good, but nothing special. I didn't even eat half of my meal. We were sitting waiting for the check when the manager walked over to ask if we needed a box. He didn't ask us how everything was or even introduce himself. We didn't know you had to pay at the counter so when my boyfriend tried to hand the money to the waiter and the waiter said "Can you do it? I'm busy and have the whole room to wait on." we were done with giving this place a chance. Bad food, bad service, only positive is that it is very nice inside. We will definitely never go back.
(2)Stephanie L.
Portillos has a breakfast place?!?!!?????!!!! Yes...yes, they do. It's a cute little space. Menu is monstrous. They have tons of breakfast, brunch, & lunch choices for all of your desires. Our server was really cool. On too of the game. Thumbs up! The food was standard...good, not knock your socks off. Overall, I would stop back if I was in the area.
(4)Sandi K.
I am writing this review to response to the era after dick portillos sold his legacy to a private equity firm. There have been big changes and I don't like it. Just tried ordering my favs and they removed the following from the menu: - no tiramisu pancakes - no Mediterriean croissant - no short stack of pancakes I won't come here anymore since it's just like every other breakfast place. Save your money. This is what happens when white collar people aren't in touch with their customers.
(2)James K.
Waited over 30 mins to get our food and there was only 3 of us. What made it worse it only took the couple next to us only about 10 mins to get theirs. When we got our food it was ok. 2 of us ordered skillets and they were very bland and one of the hashbrowns were cold. The house made hollandaise sauce tasted a little like gravy. Was more brownish than yellow. If you like gravy that's fine but I prefer mine a little more buttery. The eggs benedict tasted off cause of it. Was my 1st time here cause it was close but my last time. Will look for a new place for breakfast.
(2)Jenine T.
Great service and great food will get you 5 stars from me. I now understand why this place has such a long line on the weekends, this being my first time here makes me realize how busy they must be because this place is pretty big and seats a lot of people.. And there's still a wait. Came here on a Monday and the pancakes were expected, delicious. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros which was their version and take on it and I was surprised at how good it was. It wasn't overdone, cooked well, and simple. Tasted great, we ordered the gourmet pancake and it was worth it but for me I still like Southern Belle by Joliet better. The prices vs the portions are more reasonable than here but this place is also good and has a good ambiance. Very efficient staff.
(5)Karla U.
I have visited this place a couple of times and still lacks great servers. Every time I visit I always get waitressed by the same woman that never smiles and has a nasty attitude. You can't miss her. I visited two days ago and she walked away from our table while taking an order. She never came back to take the rest of our table's order until 30 mins later. She was too busy speaking to a couple that was sitting next to us the whole time. I had to tell the kitchen manager our order to complete as well as order things we needed because we were not properly accommodated. When I explained my visit to the manager his excuse was that she was busy..... :(
(3)William B.
Each visit to this location is as awesome as the next. The hostess is very polite and seats quickly, the waitresses are on their game, with personality, service, and putting up with my group's foolishness. I had the Greek Omelet on my last visit..... Now I've placed this order at many places and I'm never impressed. The eggs are always flavorless, and the only bite you get is the sparse crumb of feta. Not here! The eggs, spinach, and tomatoes were actually all seasoned, complimenting the liberal adornment of feta. They got this dish right! And their Iced Mocha, not the best I've had, but certainly the best I've had from a restaurant, by far.
(5)D B.
Still trying to figure out what happened. SLOWWWWWW service. On a Wednesday morning? Our apple juice came out minutes before our food. We had to ask twice for apple juice after waiting with just water. The two tables next to us were sat after and received food before. My food came out and was mostly undercooked (eggs ordered over medium, and came out over easy, runny with white yolk. Hash was barely luke warm). Waitress stopped by to check on us once or twice. Advise taking brunch elsewhere.
(2)Rich S.
My kids, wife and I have been dining at Honey Jam 1-2 times a week almost since it opened. The staff is wonderful and feel like family to us. That's what makes this review so hard. Since the change in ownership in August, the food quality has gone down, and down, and down. I would compare it now to an iHop with a nicer interior. They have changed everything from their toast, silver dollar pancakes, turkey sausage ... all NOT better! This morning may have been the final straw ... they changed their Pumpkin Waffle!! It was smaller, didn't taste the same, and was served with much less topping! We feel like we are breaking up with a long relationship, but we have tried Eggs, Inc now a few times and the food is MUCH better. We went to Honey Jam one last time this morning and had our usual experience to what we have had over the last few months ... The staff was WONDERFUL and the food was TERRIBLE! RIP Honey Jam.
(1)PJ C.
Dreadful, awful experience. Just absolute bad service from beginning to end. Telling us it will take 5 minutes for a table, and being seated 20 minutes later, should have been our first red flag (and encouraged us to leave). They were out of my first two choices, so to make it easy on them, I ordered toast and hash browns. They forgot the toast (yes, apparently that was an order too difficult to fulfill) and the hash browns were so raw that I can't imagine they ever got "browned." No one seemed to care about anything, or have even a tiny sense of urgency about the diners. I can't imagine this place will last long with this kind of attitude and service.
(1)Molly S.
Went here today for breakfast.. It was my first time. I was extremely disappointed in the service and my meal. We called ahead and made a reservation for two. We arrive and were seated right away, which was very nice. The place wasn't too busy but it seemed like for a larger group there was a wait. Once at our table we looked over the menu to see what to order. We waited over ten minutes without anyone coming by to even get our drink order. My bf had to flag down someone to ask for our waitress, and then that took another five minutes. She was nice, took our order and then came back with our coffee. We ordered the countryside skillet.. Our waitress brought our food and asked if we needed anything else. I asked for a water. We started to eat, was so disappointed. My hash browns were greasy and soggy. When we were done eating a gentleman came and took our dishes. That was the only part of eating here which was pleasant. I never did get my water and she took forever for the check. My bf had been here numerous times, and even said that this was the worst experience he had ever had.
(1)Lauren P.
This is a very good breakfast establishment. The restaurant gives off good vibes. Brunch food was not out of the ordinary but was not bad either. Its A-OK.
(3)Dario B.
This place is super amazing to put it lightly!! The service, the staff, and especially the food are phenomenal. Sheri our server was amazing and attentive to all our needs. I come out here from des plaines to see one of my friends and the trip is totally worth it. I wish they had mimosas so then I can bring more people here with me. I strongly recommend this place. I would totally come every Sunday for unlimited mimosas. Come on honey Jam make it happen for our Sunday funday!
(5)Ray S.
First time visiting in my hometown Jan 7th, 2015 around 1:45pm. Went there with a friend. Upon waking in I was instantly pleased with the atmosphere. Very cabin-like. Warm and dark furnishing, a fireplace, dark oak wood. Just nice feeling overall. Plenty of seating too. I was given a table instantly and had a waiter serve us drinks a few minutes after. My waiter was 'Adam,' he was helpful in helping us choose our items. I got the Classic scrambled eggs with no meat and pancakes. And my friend got the Denver-style omelet. It came, with a good serving size of eggs, perhaps 2 eggs, hash browns and 2 pancakes. DELICIOUS! The waiter had a good eye when our water was running low refilled. My meal only costed me $5.50 and with tax $6.05 and with a tip $7.30. Good food and nice restaurant. I will definitely visit here again. Located right next to the Portillos on Route 53/Boughton Rd.
(5)Lindsay C.
The best food and pretty good service. The atmosphere is always nice and the turn around is fast so we usually get seated pretty quickly. Also, they have wonderful coffee!!!
(5)Bryan B.
The breakfast restaurant category is a crowded one. Here's where Honey-Jam stands out: Solid and consistent execution (no surprise since they used to be part of the Portillo family of restaurants) Exhaustive menu. Maybe too large. Intelligent coffee Nice, warm ambience with wood tones and lighting Tip: on the weekend, get there before 9am or you WILL wait in line
(3)Pulga T.
I'm basing this 3 star review on only one visit. I don't know if I will go again, maybe if in the area. It wasn't anything that stood out to me. My husband & and I got skillets. To be honest I can't remb which one mine was but I do remb the coffee was good. Place gets packed on weekends not worth the wait. I think this place gets all his hype bc it's partnered up with portillos. I maybe wrong but its just ok. The place is def nice clean, bathrooms clean. Staff is very friendly and attentive. No complaints there.
(3)Cathy R.
This is our go-to place for breakfast after church on special occasions like Easter, Mother's Day, etc. Everything we have ever ordered has been great quality food-wise, but drink-wise - personally I'm not a fan of the coffee...or maybe it was the cream that was going bad? Who knows. My husband ordered green tea for his drink one time, and it smelled/tasted like seaweed from the ocean. - bleh. I would stick to juice or water, but when it comes to the breakfast menu items, it's hard to go wrong with anything. As a side note, my husband ordered a salad the last time we were there, and found a piece of plastic in the bowl. We simply reported it to the waitress, and she profusely apologized and comped the meal, which shows the great service they provide. See you guys again most likely on Father's Day!
(4)Michael P.
I never knew that Portillos did breakfast. When i try a new breakfast spot like go simple. If you cant get the basics right then thats a problem. Today I ordered simple steak and eggs, and cheese blintzes. The steak and eggs consisted of two eggs scrambled, steak (medium), hashbrowns and two pancakes. The egg were decent, a little too wet, but still soft and custardy. The steak was not so great. It was seasoned well, but it was cooked unusually. It was pink in the middle but dry like it was welldone. The ends were tough, almost like someone pressed it on the grill and sqeezed all the juices out. The hashbrowns were just ok, they kind of reminded me of Denny's. The pancakes were not good at all. They were crusted and dry on top (over cooked), dense (too much flour in batter) and arrived cold. The cheese blintzes were not bad. The crepes were eggy and light. The cheese filling was soft and creamy, lightly sweet. The only problem was they used way too much cinnamon, but other than that, they were good. The highlight of the meal was fresh orange juice. Overall I would say this meal was just ok, it had more lows than highs. Frankly I expected better from a Portillo's branded restaurant. The meal with drinks cost just over $30. For that much, I have been to many places that cost half as much and were twice as good. I gave 3 stars because of taste, but they really deserve 2.5 for the other issues.
(3)Stephen S.
I have two comments to share. I used to like stopping here a couple of times per week because the breakfast and atmosphere by the fireplace is awesome. They had wifi access up until a month or two ago....now they say something is wrong with it. I enjoy catching up on things while I eat but can't do that here anymore. There are plenty of breakfast places that do have wifi for customers, so today is my last visit here to Honey Jam Cafe.
(4)Andrew W.
Not sure what all the fuss is about. Someone made another Egglectic but just made it 100 times the size. Not too many healthy choices on the kid's menu. The side of fruit was pitiful. Was that A grape? Ohh pineapple...A piece! We asked for egg yolks for our infant and they came slathered in butter. DRIPPING with butter. Yeah good idea. Pay registers are poorly placed in entrance traffic pattern so small children are being trampled and lost all over the place. Won't be returning and it's sad that so many people support giant corporate fat cows like Portillos' and Friday's and Applebee's when the ma n' pa shops are trying to offer us healthy food from local providers made fresh with fresh ingredients. Won't be returning as it's just not our style at all and we went to meet a friend who "loves" HJC. We'll pick the place next time. If you made it to here in my review and are fuming because you love Portillo's and Applebee's and Friday's, rest assured that HJC will not let you down. You will get good service, large portions, flavorful food (lots of butter and salt and cream and sugar where applicable) at an affordable price.
(2)Sandra D.
Wonderful customer service. Big portions. Reasonably priced. The food is delicious. Out family was visiting from France and we decided to bring them to this establishment for a nice breakfast. It was our first visit here and we were impressed. Will definitely return!
(5)Ronald L.
So so, I would never wait in line for this mediocre food, Portillos should be ashamed of this place. The server was the only nice thing here. They were training a hostess, not trying to pick on her, but I am surprised she can find the front door, because even with a cheat sheet, she could not find the tables. This was not some teenage girl, this is a woman in her 40's. Since my review, I have come under attack by private messages from their staff. Very inappropriate to respond that way. Fix your restaurant, it's not me that's malfunctioning
(1)Kimi T.
I have been wanting to try this place for a while. While the food was reasonably priced, I was highly disappointed with the portion sizes. For a place known for it's breakfast options, the pancakes were just awful. The service is also sub-par compared to other restaurant options. My guest and I waited over 15 minutes for our cups of coffee. We decided we would not be returning.
(2)Martinique W.
The server said the new owners are trying to run this place into the ground, and they are succeeding. Long wait for bad food. Servers who could care less about the restaurant because they already know they are out of a job soon.
(1)Brad W.
Food is still good but we're starting to see some quality cuts from the new ownership. No more true fresh squeezed orange juice! Monkey bread was also different but not bad. We could live with that but not the OJ. Not worth driving out of our way anymore.
(3)Kimberly C.
Today was my first visit and the experience was very pleasant. The wait was only 10 mins which I didn't mind since my company had not arrived yet. It was a beautiful morning so I just waited outside. Before I knew it my pager went off and I was greeted by a smiling hostess. The dining room was darker than other places. It was nice but better suited for dinner time. My waitress greeted me quickly with menus and my coffee with french vanilla cream was on the way. I usually order simple dishes when visiting a restaurant the first time. I had the 2 eggs breakfast over medium with pancakes, hash browns and Cherrywood smoked bacon. Pretty easy to make and it was absolutely delish!! The pancakes were the best I've had in a restaurant. The hash browns cooked perfect for me - not too crunchy or soft. The bacon was the best... nice smokey flavor and cooked just right. The eggs were good too. My dinning partner had waffles, scrambled eggs with cheese and a large OJ. The bill was cents under $30 for both. I don't mind paying more for good food and experience. It's part of the Portillo's chain so I expected it. The one thing I didn't like was the location. The cafe is behind or next to Portillo's. So, the aisle I parked in filled up with the overflow from the Portillo's drive through. I had to wait until the line went down before I could leave. Minus one star for location. Lesson learned. I will be back!
(4)Jo R.
On Sunday afternoon, I was pleased to be seated immediately in a lovely room at Honey Jam Cafe. The walls had an amber tone and were adorned with stained glass artwork. Star lights hung from the the ceiling. Very classy dining area with a cozy feel. We sat down, ordered coffee, and were served promptly. The coffee was quite good and the pot was left on the table for self-service. I appreciated that touch, as I am often mildly irritated by overzealous waiters. It was nice to be able to pour the coffee--which somehow stayed hot--at leisure. Since Honey Jam Cafe is a breakfast destination, I ordered a breakfast item: the chocolate chip pancakes. The presentation was beautiful: three large pancakes stacked atop each other; chocolate drizzled in stripes across the stack. Beneath the pancakes I discovered a layer of thick chocolate, adding to the decadence. They did skimp on the whipped cream, I thought. It came in a dollop on the side. Frankly, I hoped for more. I don't care to be health conscious when I dine out; might as well live it up (the end is coming anyway, right?). Also, the menu stated chocolate chips were mixed into the pancake batter. However, this chocolate detective did not see traces in her pancakes. My guests were not impressed with their meals. One ordered the chicken harvest wrap and said it was bland. The other ordered the corned beef hash skillet and said it was nothing special. Overall, we found Honey Jam average. I would dine there again perhaps, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it.
(3)Sonia W.
Taffy apple stuffed French toast? A breakfast burger with bacon, egg and a charbroiled burger? Freshly squeezed orange juice? All this and more is what you'll find at Honey Jam Cafe, a Portillo venture. Come here. You won't regret it!!!
(5)Christina F.
We ate here last Saturday around 9:15am. I was worried with the packed parking lot and the line already forming in the sitting area that I wasn't going to eat for a while. Luckily, they sat us right away since there were only two of us. Unlucky that we got sat kind of in an awkward place. Our server was beyond wonderful and sweet. Our food was good and it came out in a reasonable amount of time. This place is a little more expensive than other places but you get your moneys worth with the portion size. I had to box up half my breakfast because I was so full. My husband was able to get the rest of his coffee carafe to go which was nice. The interior is clean. It's noisy with so many patrons, but that's expected. Parking is ok except when there's snow on the ground and people decide to make their own spots.
(4)Sarah R.
I went here with the parents. I got the chocolate chip waffles they were delish. The hashbrowns were good as well. My parents got eggs and sausage and bacon. They said the bacon was chewy. I would definitely go back for the waffles. The atmosphere is cute. It is a pretty big place. They close early at 2pm.
(3)Señora K.
Our favorite breakfast spot when we are in town. Great variety from waffles, Dutch babies, Omelets ... You will have a hard time deciding! Relaxing atmosphere ~ though we always come early on a weekday. I am sure it's a different story at other times/days. Give it a try!
(4)Laura H.
This is my family's "go to" restaurant for breakfast. Fabulous food! I only wish the wait wasn't so long to get in.
(5)Rose L.
last time we were there it was great but today was bad service and bad food. I ordered a veggie skillet and it was cold and didn't have a lot of veggies and the onions were grilled like on a hamburger thrown across the top. I sent it back and the second wasn't much better except it was a little hotter. When I told the manager she said she was glad I know from past visits that their food is usually better. I was not offered any compensation. I won't be back
(1)Jennifer M.
Honey Jam, thank you for being so scrumptious and having such adorable ambiance that makes one feel like they've entered the setting of a happy Christmas movie. Can I just say: yum and double yum. We've eaten here twice now, both breakfast and lunch. Totally impressed with the selection. Highly recommend the Eggs Benedict and Bananas Foster French Toast. My boyfriend said best Reuben he's ever had.
(5)Melanie C.
I have gone once, and that was enough for me. I don't have children, and don't understand why I had to get sat in a party room full of crying children. I know I look young, but I didn't really need to hear the screaming kids. Our waitress seemed a bit frazzled by the whole situation. The sever ice was VERY slow. When I finally did get my food, it was wrong. I sent it back, only for it to come back out again wrong! I was too hungry to send it back for a second time, so I ate a few bites of my sub par skillet, paid my bill and left.
(1)Michelle H.
For the last three months or so, we now have been coming in here on at least a biweekly basis. I'm very happy they got over their grand-opening shortcomings from the first few times we came here. I really am a fan of this place now, for both breakfast and lunch options. No service glitches at all anymore. Every server we have waiting on us has been pleasant, informative, and spot on! I would like to give a special shout-out to Justin, though. We have him often as a server, and let's just say to watch this guy work a crowded section of the restaurant is amazing. He's quick, nice, and overly efficient. This guy deserves an award or something. Like I said, we have been coming in quite often, so here's a little list of my personal do's and dont's of the Honey Jam Cafe: Do skip the steak and eggs. For $14, I expected a pretty huge meal, and one that tastes pretty good as well. The steak is Angus, but I'm still not impressed. They cook it to order, but it is a small, under seasoned, plain piece of meat. One thing I do like, is they will happily substitute out my potatoes for some cottage cheese. Do get the crepes. I'm not sure about the fruit filled crepes, but the plain crepes are excellent. Pair them with a side of Applewood smoked bacon for a great breakfast dish. The bacon is good, although sometimes a bit overcooked. Do skip the chorizo and eggs. I like the authentic style Mexican breakfast, but this falls rather short. First off, their chorizo lacks any of the signature orange colored grease, which makes the sausage's flavor. It is rather dry and tasteless. Served with nearly plain white rice and soupy black beans, this will never be one of my favorite dishes here. For lunch, do get the 1/2 sandwich with soup or salad. I like the California wrap. It is a veggie tortilla with sliced turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and 1,000 Island dressing. It comes with fries, and be sure to ask for a side of southwest ranch dressing to dip the fries in. So much better than plain catsup any day! For the soup, I really enjoy the thick and tasty Chicken Tortilla soup.
(4)Twylla S.
We were quite pleased with our experience when we came here. The interior is beautiful and the waitstaff is attentive. We were most excited that they brewed intelligentsia coffee since we rarely have the opportunity for good coffee when we go out for breakfast. Although the menu said no substitutes we were still able to make one small one to keep our breakfast a little healthier. Everything was cooked right and warm when it arrived to our table. Though I feel you can rarely go wrong with a breakfast joint there are times when you can go extra right... I think Honey Jam leans a little extra towards the good side with their delicious coffee and fair prices.
(4)Aerial M.
Decent spot. Our waitress was uninviting and quick with us. You ask for napkins and she would run off before you could ask for anything else. I ordered the ham and mushroom skillet. It was very filling and delicious. The pancakes that came with them though, were horrendous! Super dry and powdery. The lemonade had a syrupy aftertaste but thankfully the water was clean and refreshing.
(3)Jennifer N.
I couldn't really decide whether I wanted to give it a 3 or 4 star rating, but we've had pretty good service and enjoyed the food each and every time we've been here, so I'm going with 4 stars. This place gives you a lot of food. A LOT of food. I don't understand why people call this pricey for what it is; when I visited with my brother and cousin, the three of us ordered four entrees and coffee and paid $50 for three people. We even took food home. That's quite a lot of value for just under $17 each. Oh, and the food was excellent! On my recent visit, I ordered the Julian's Benedict and split the Bananas Foster crêpes. Both were fantastic and just perfect. My brother ordered the chorizo & eggs and my cousin ordered waffles with strawberries and bananas. Both my brother and my cousin were pretty satisfied as well. The chorizo & eggs was really good and the waffles were huge! I couldn't believe how big the entrees were. It was plenty of food - probably more than they needed to serve. I think it's a great value. The server was really funny. Maybe a little weird, but really funny. She did try very hard even though she wasn't the fastest server; that's okay, she didn't make any big mistakes and always refilled our coffee and water promptly. I like this place and I'm really glad there is one in Bolingbrook. It's a perfect family place and Bolingbrook is where my family is at, so it's ideal. I will definitely be back.
(4)Maggie C.
Had good service on a busy Sunday. I Ordered the biscuit and gravy with my eggs scrambled with cheese. It was good, but my eggs turned out to be more like an omelet with too much cheese. My boyfriend got the breakfast burrito and it came with hash browns. It was very bland...even adding tobasco sauce didn't help. Also, the coffee that I get here is very weak. I don't know if it's worth waiting 30 mins to eat here again.
(3)Matt W.
I changed my review from 2 stars to 3. I've had a better experience a second time.
(3)Grant P.
It's always nice to see a manager at a restaurant willing to help out instead of merely standing around giving orders to their staff. This morning Robin, the manager, asked me how everything was. And when I told her that my hash browns were cold she immediately remedied that by bringing me a heaping plate full of delicious steaming hash browns twice as large as the side that originally came with my entree. Potatoes make me happy. Double potatoes make me twice as happy. My wife and I are frequent visitors to Honey Jam. Everything is always perfect. The food, the service, the prices, we couldn't be happier. So on the rare occasion when my potatoes are cold, it doesn't really bother me. It happens, and believe me if I were the one cooking my breakfast I'd be lucky to have hot potatoes half of the time. I also noticed that there seemed to be more empty tables than usual. Someone commented that they might be a little short staffed. I applaud Robin once again for not stretching her staff too thin and keeping their high quality of service for all her customers. Thanks Honey Jam, and thanks Robin!
(5)Andrew P.
Not bad. About on par with other breakfast places in the area, although with fancier decor and a longer wait. First time there today: many people waiting inside and outside, was told there would be a 20-minute wait, but it ended up being more like 40 minutes. We were seated next to a fairly large group that was wrapping up to leave, and they sure were taking their sweet time and loitering around, which makes me suspect that THEY were (at least partly) the reason that the wait was longer than expected. I wish people weren't so self-centered and ignorant, and I know it's difficult for the restaurant to ask them to leave in cases like this. Once we were seated the service was pretty fast and efficient. Food was not bad at all, but not out-of-this-world. Prices are fair too. Would I return if there was a wait? Probably not. If there wasn't a wait? Absolutely.
(3)Ms. K D.
Best breakfast place around. The service is fast and friendly. There is always someone to host and seat you. On weekends there is a wait but it's because the food is worth it. You can also call ahead and reserve your spot in line. My sweetie and I have come here several times for breakfast on the weekends. The portions are large and many times we order the Tuscan Omelet (our favorite) and split it and leave satisfied. The pancakes are really good. I've also ordered the Chopped Salad and it is delicious! Recommend it!
(5)Joseph P.
This place is better than a lot of the breakfast places in the area. It seems to be a very modern place to eat and the food is pretty good. Nothing wrong with the service and this is the place I prefer to eat at in Bolingbrook when I am there in the mornings.
(4)Cathy M.
Visited the one in Downers Grove and found the food to be delicious and the service even better. They had brought me the wrong order and could not have been more apologetic and not only comped my meal but gave me a substitute order AND sent me home with my original order. Talk about service recovery!! So it was with that experience that I brought a friend to Bolingbrook closer to where we live. We waited 15 minutes before our server came by. Never asked if we wanted coffee or water. I asked for juice and a glass of ice. Took a while to get our drinks but no ice. That took another while to get. A runner brought our waffles and French toast, but no butter or syrup. That took another while. Never saw the waitress again until she dropped off the check. We went for the food and it was great. The service was disappointing.
(3)Carrie S.
This is a pretty decent breakfast place. The interior is all woody and amber-toned, like honey! Jam? Cafe. I liked it, but there was nothing that really stood out. The service was awesome, the food is what you expect. There was a barber shop in the same strip mall that had a donk parked in front of it. Now THAT was a sweet honey jam. Cafe.
(3)Gerry H.
Overwhelmingly Underimpressed is about as diplomatically as I can describe our lunch visit today. It starts with the weird baroque decor, the dim lighting, and the ice cold draft; I would ascribe a more country living style to the name Honey Jam. I'd brighten things up a bit, and I'd turn off the G-D A/C-It is November 1st, after all! (trust me, we asked for the heat to be turned on and apparently only Dick Portillo can do that). And while I'm sure that most of the gals out there would describe our waiter as "Hot", he should perhaps reinvent himself as a stripper or a runway model, cuz he ain't much of a waiter. We waited forever for drink straws and coffee creamer, and my wife eventually went to the front counter for the creamer. Same story for the pancake syrup. Remember kids, it's the little things..... And the food was uninspired, at best. I went with the Tuscan omelet and found it to be a rather gooey, bland mess. My wife thought the same of her Egg Beaters Tuscan Omelet. My daughter did enjoy her scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and sausage links. Butterfield's is exponentially better.
(2)Ben B.
kind of pricey for what it is. I have no complaints with the quality of the food, but it took a very long time. We were seated in a party room, which seemed to be all tables with a crying baby and us. My gf insists it was her orange and red mohawk, but I don't think the little highschooler seating us cared one way or another about her haircut. My meal was fine. Her meal was not, even after the 2nd try. They'd delivered the completely wrong meal, and then brought a 2nd one that had one of the ingredients still in it she'd asked to have omitted. (tomatoes, maybe?). At that point we were both so hungry and we didn't want to wait 10 more minutes to get a 3rd attempt at her dish. The high ceilings with painted metal made the whole place an echo chamber, and the service was uber-slow. I won't be back, I've got plenty of other places to try.
(1)Kelvin M.
I have been eating at this location from the very first day they opened. Over the years, the consistency has become non existent. Saturday September 6 2014, my entire order was messed up. I called once I got to work and the corporate office sent me out a $20.00 certificate to replace the order. I called the store back after I couldn't find the certificate and was told that Portillo's no longer owned the restaurant and to call Portillo's corporate office to see if they'll re send another one out and if I couldn't get help, to call the restaurant back and they would take care of it in house. Portillo's corporate office called me back today and said that they couldn't re send another certificate out because they no longer owned the restaurant. I called Honey Jam back and spoke to a male manager in which he stated he couldn't help me and they had no way to track my order or replace the certificate. It's a shame that I paid over $20.00 for a meal that was not eaten by anyone in my family. I will never patronize any honey jam location again...................
(1)Kelly G.
Excellent staff! Very knowledgeable and friendly! Food was delicious!
(4)Kevin C.
Absolutely delicious!! My Wife, myself and my folks were in Chicago for a family gathering and we went Sunday morning to Honey-Jam Cafe. My wife and Mom had been there Saturday afternoon for lunch and raved about it. We arrived at 1030 and my wife made reservations for 4. We were so happy she did as the place had a line going out the door. We were seated at 1104 in the back party-room. Marla was our server and she did an absolutely fabulous job. My wife ordered the French Toast and my Mom and Dad ordered omelettes. I had the 2 eggs, sausage and hash browns along with a side of Corn Beef Hash. At the end of breakfast, no plate was empty as the meal fit the bill. The next time we are back in Chicago/Bolingbrook, this will be our place of choice.
(4)LOIS B.
I've been waiting for this place to open. The competition just north on Route 53 has closed (no surprise there), so they should do just fine. We visited at lunch which made parking (on a rainy day) a slight hassle because of its close proximity to its sister restaurant. There was a very brief wait, but not anything unreasonable. We were led to a table in a very busy traffic pattern, the hostess could tell we were not happy and moved us to another location, at a corner which was even worse. Finally we were offered a booth in a more private room which was much better. But, as I looked around, there really were no tables in the larger rooms, that did not have people rushing past, people being led past you to get to other tables, or just a lot of commotion. There were a few minor kinks which will probably work themselves out. Portions were generous and there certainly is something for everyone on the menu. The register to pay is located in a strange area, and yet again, accessible by weaving your way through tables. Just a suggestion, leave a carafe of water on the table.
(3)Jason R.
This place is very relaxing and easy on the eyes. It's a fuzz more than I usually spend on breakfast, but it's worth it for the chilled back environment. One complaint is that I'm an idiot. I've been there twice, and waited for a refill of my coffee only to realize (twice) that they leave you with a pot on your table to refill at your leisure. I am not a smart man. One really kick ass part about this place is they will give you a (complimentary) cup of coffee for the road.
(5)April E.
It would be 5 stars. Great food but every time my husband picks an order up to go they never get it right.
(4)Liz K.
This place is huge...room after room. It really does not look like a breakfast place...it is very nicely decor and dark. Nicest breakfast restaurant I have ever seen. The coffee was delish and I really loved that they had all types of flavored creme. Food was decent..much nicer plating them most places. I loved their eggs and toast. The only thing that made it not as a great experience is the tight parking and that it took foreeevver to get our food...and not only that but it took forver to get our food ordered..and it was during the week so it wasn't that busy. Overall I think this is a breakfast place to go and check out but not a place to be a regular at.
(3)C S.
I haven't wrote a bad review yet but honey jam made me do it. I went in on a Saturday morning. I get it weekends are busy. The hostess was nice she knew it was busy so she took our drink orders. We had a table of 20 next to us so we knew to order quick. We got in at 9:15 and placed our order right away when our server first came at 9:18 am. So 9:30 rolled around nothing. 9:40 rolled around nothing. No communication from the server. Once 9:55 hit with not one word from our server we had to just walk out. I get it your busy but at least say something to your guests. I never had to wait 40 mins for breakfast anywhere else even when they are packed. If someone would've talked to us we would've stayed but service wasn't there today. I love portillos but no honey jam for me anymore. I would've reviewed the food but we didn't get the chance to taste it.
(1)Avanti H.
yes definitely at the top of the list of breakfast spots for me .
(5)Christopher H.
Just got back home after having breakfast there. Called ahead to ask them to start an apple pancake so it would ready when I got there or at least close. It was burned around the edges, in many spots it was black. Obvious to me was that it was overcooked. Asked them to take it back, bring me heuvos rancheros instead. This dish was average and too earthy for my tastes, but I ate it. They credited me the amount of $9.95 for the apple pancake, but charged me for the huevos. I checked out and was asked by the cashier how everything tasted. I told her the pancake was burnt. She said sorry. A manager type then came by and asked how was everything. I told her the same. She said sorry. I think they should have comped the Huevos or frozen apple pancake I took home, but they did not.
(2)Sade C.
I was excited about the opening of Honey Jam Cafe -- it's right down the street from me & I love breakfast food. My mom & I went today around 11 a.m. There were roughly 15 other people waiting, but the waiting area is larger than most & there was plenty of seating. A flat-screen TV displayed a slide show of different menu items, which I found helpful & unique. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before being seated. Our server was friendly & polite. My mom ordered the Mediterranean Croissant (sautéed baby spinach, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, & crispy bacon), & I got the Bacon Waffle. Her sandwich looked really tasty, MINUS the huge hunk of feta cheese. We both expected feta crumbles, but the cheese was a large slice, about half an inch thick. She didn't eat the cheese, but said the croissant was very fresh & she enjoyed it overall. My waffle was tasty as well. The menu said the bacon would be mixed throughout the batter, but the bacon pieces were actually on top of the waffle. Regardless, the combination of savory & sweet is a good thing. I see in Sheila M.'s review that she had terrible service, but it looks like Honey Jam Cafe has gotten its act together since then. Our food only took between 10-15 minutes to arrive. I'll definitely be back.
(3)dianna C.
I went with 21 people and only called ahead a hour to have call ahead reservations. I called to see if they had room to seat us. they said yes come on in and took our name. This was a Sunday at 10:00. We waited maybe 25 minutes but got two large tables that I new we would split up. The waitress gave us all separate checks. Our food was Wonderful. Meaning nothing wrong at all. Everyone loved there food. They have a large menu to choice from. If you can't find something on the menu you do have a problem yourself. they will serve lunch at this time also as half us got breakfast and half got lunch. NO PROBLEMS. I asked the waitress to please add the tip and she said we don't do that hear. I could not of had a more pleasant dining experience any place. If each of us could tell one person the word would spread what a great please and experience we had. We will be back. NOT once or twice but alot
(5)John S.
I had been to the Honey Jam Cafe in Downers Grove a couple of times before, but this was the first visit to the restaurant in Bolingbrook. It did not disappoint. The lunch meals -- wife: Pumpkin Waffle with cheesecake topping daughter: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Simple Turkey Club 1/2 Sandwich mother: Italian Wedding Soup and Chicken Harvest 1/2 Wrap me: BBQ Chicken Tortilla Salad My mother did not like the soup (I did not know she had tried Italian Wedding Soup before and had not liked it). Other than that little blip, everything else was excellent. We were seated immediately in a space that was convenient for my mom, who walks with a cane. The service was exactly what one would want it to be -- friendly, fast, accurate. The food was excellent. Drink refills were frequent. The prices are reasonable. If I lived in the area I would be a regular customer. Great job!
(5)Kristen S.
Portillos owned breakfast restaurant? Dont mind if I do. Holy moly. The food is amazing and the fresh squeezed orange juice is wonderful. The service was delightful. I really cant see going wrong with anything on the menu. I had a veggie omelet and my husband had the Crazy Monkey Waffle which was pretty much peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips. Ya, just imagine.
(4)Ashley W.
I'm glad I didn't look at all the negative Yelp reviews before going, because I probably wouldn't have ever made it here, and then I would've been missing out! I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. We were greeted with a warm welcome from a woman who was likely the manager. She promptly sat us, and shortly after, we were greeted by the nicest server (Dani was her name, I believe). Because it was our first time there, she pointed out some of her favorites, ALL of which sounded SO good! One of the skillets she recommended was the Countryside skillet which had ham, sausage, bacon, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. This was the skillet I ended up ordering and it was SO so good. And it was huge! I finished about 1/3 of it, and ate one of the two pancakes it came with (you can do toast instead of pancakes), and was completely stuffed! Yeah, their prices are slightly on the higher side, however, I brought more than half of my breakfast home, so I don't feel like it's really worth complaining about. All in all, I was impressed and will definitely be back. Great food, friendly attentive service, and the restaurant is CLEAN. No complaints here!
(5)Stephen P.
Good food and great service at a Saturday Brunch ~ 11:00 a.m. in Bolingbrook on Broughton. Since most of the lower reviews speak to that, I'll comment 1st on it. No waiting for a table for two, and the waitress checked back at least five times after taking our order. They do take reservations, The manager checked in as well. Spinach crepe was very good, vegetarian scramble was good. They have the Dutch Baby baked pancake on the menu, but it is a 25 minute prep. They have a call ahead service for it, so next visit I will give it a try. Décor is casual/upscale, broken up into several areas, fairly quiet. A wide mix of customers from families to senior couples. Prices are moderate to high for breakfast, but in line for the quality level of the establishment.
(4)Christine S.
Easter Sunday 2014 8:00 am decided to stop there for a good breakfast for 3 adults...walked in and no waiting, it was early!...not alot of people there yet...our service was fine BUT the food was disgusting...weve been before for breakfast and had not issues, youd think for Easter they would be on their game!!! Eggs were suppose to be over easy and the whites were still runny...I had the Julian and the english muffin was as if it had been soaked in water...Truly a big disappinointment for a nice Easter breakfast...prices were an average of 9.99 for a smallish portion, so you would for breakfast especially expect it to be good, right? I complained to our waitress about the english muffin and she brought me another one just toasted...by this time every one else was already done eating...We now will not be returning to Honey-Jam Cafe.....not worth the trip....
(1)D. S.
Love this place! Our server was excellent, the food was quick and very delicious. We did order the monkey bread wihich takes 15 minutes but it was worth it, so yummy. Everyone was really happy with their food. We had eggs, ham, sausage, omlets, French toast, pancakes and waffles; each was very delecisious.
(4)Sue M.
Not feeling the love. It's ok and that's it. I have probably been there 6-8 times since it opened and it never wows me. Just went for breakfast and I got the holly French toast (lol!) and it was ok. I don't like the interior--very dark and a lot of stained glass. It feels like winter all year round. I would like to see some natural light, please! The best thing going for this place is the Intelligensia coffee.
(3)Meg S.
I wanna give it 2 1/2 starts this time, but just seem to wanna give this place the benefit of the doubt... even though it continues to disappoint. Nothing about this place is special... maybe I'm not ordering the right thing?? And the service still left something to be desired. We didn't even get refills on our coffee.
(3)Sarah S.
Owned by portillos, this place tries to hide that it's a chain, but the serving size prepackaged creamers on the tables give them away. The restaurant layout was cramped, but service was ok. It was waaaay too dark, I ddidnt like going from it being 10 am to a building that made you feel like you should be ordering dinner. The food was decent, thick slices of bacon, they didnt skimp on the feta,real cheddar or my hashbrowns...next time I think I'm gonna try sweet instead of savory
(3)Rosann F.
They should call this the "Honey Badger Cafe" (not everyone will get that!) Drove here from Channahon for breakfast/lunch today thinking it would be as good as the other Portillos restaurants. Sadly this was not the case. We arrived around 1pm so there was no wait. The hostess was excited to seat us next to the fireplace but it wasn't lit. Our server, Marla, was prompt and attentive. Always had a smile throughout our meal. My fiance and I both ordered Diet Cokes but, I'm still scratching my head as to what she served us because it wasn't Diet Coke. Our server promptly brought us Iced Tea which was good. The silverware was dirty; I'm talking chunks of leftover food on it. That will make you lose your appetitie real fast. I ordered eggs, corned beef hash, hash browns, pancakes and a side of bacon. The eggs were ok (really, how can you screw up eggs?) the hashbrowns were overcooked and the pancakes were FAR from "light and fluffy". They were more like flat and pasty. Someone commented earlier that they served "gourmet pancakes". Can someone explain to me what gourmet pancakes are because these weren't even in the same universe as gourmet. I've had better pancakes at Denny's. The best part of my meal was the bacon,which was way overpriced. $3.50 for three pieces of bacon!My fiance ordered the Huevos Rancheros which were just ok. Overall, the service was good but the food was not. Dick needs to stick to what he knows best; burgers and dogs.
(2)Sara D.
Honey Jam Cafe had a lot to prove to me when I dined here on Sunday. I already have two favorite local breakfast spots: Pancake Cafe in Naperville and Eggs, Inc in Bolingbrook. The name drew us in....honey, jam, this place must be awesome. Well, it was just ok. I had a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and bf had an omelette. The sandwich was a bit dry, but the bread was good (sourdough). The restaurant itself is decorated nice, but it was very crowded, loud, and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic. Not how I like to spend my Sunday morning. In essence, I feel lukewarm about the restaurant. While I am not opposed to going back again, I will most likely stick to my regular breakfast joints.
(3)K M.
Love this restaurant! I've never had a bad meal here. The monkey bread is absolutely amazing!! Great service. Friendly staff. Nice ambiance in the restaurant. I especially love the fire in the fireplace in the winter.
(4)Jeff N.
AWFUL. They decor is about the only thing that was positive about this place. After waiting for 30 minutes to sit down (not unreasonable considering it was a Sunday brunch). We ordered our coffee and food. Coffee was excellent and came out in a timely fashion. 45 minutes AFTER ordering, I asked our waitress to check on the food. 5 minutes later it came out luke warm. It looked appetizing and it tasted so-so but this is BREAKFAST AND IT TOOK 50 minutes to get to the table!! Yes it is Sunday brunch and their busiest time, but that is no excuse. You are cooking eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and pancakes. It should never take 50 minutes to get your breakfast. On top of that, the manager, Robin came to our table and clarified for us that the "kitchen was busy." There was never a sense of urgency and it never felt that she was all that concerned with the situation. Most managers of restuarants will emphatically state their concern and apologize to the nth degree, not make up an excuse that the kitchen is busy. It's a breakfast joint, the kitchen is SUPPOSED to be busy. Most people eat breakfast from 8:30am to 12pm on SUNDAYS. Expect your restaurant to be busy and prepare for it. Sorry for my mini tirade. However, Robin seemed incompetent to run this restaurant which is sad because Dick Portillo has put together such great establishments. I will also mention that we had to request business cards/contact information on two separate occassions until Patty from corporate finally stopped by to offer 50% off our meal. Note to Patty from corporate, this was THE worst customer service I have ever experienced. It took you 15 minutes to stop by our table after we requested to speak to a manager. Customer service and product quality is how businesses succeed. Right now Honey-Jam is failing at 1 and the other is just ok. There are plenty of other breakfast/lunch places in the Naperville/Bolingbrook dont waste your time (1 hr 45min to be exact) going to eat at Honey Jam.
(1)Utica G.
My brother and I went to Honey Jam for breakfast on his last day in town. I had never been to the restaurant before, and I won't be going back. The food was OK, but the customer service from the management (Stephanie) was horrible. My brother and I had ordered a fruit bowls (not "fruit plates"). The fruit came served in bowls so, naturally, we THOUGHT we had received what we had ordered. It wasn't until we received the bill for fruit plates priced at almost $9 each that we has realized that the waitress had made a mistake. We brought it to the attention of Stephanie, the manager. She asked whether we had sent the order back. I told her that we hadn't sent the order back because we thought that we had received the item we had ordered, which was about half the price of the "fruit plate". Since it was our first time dining at the restaurant, we didn't know the difference, especially since it had been served in a bowl. Stephanie made the price adjustment on one of the fruit orders, but informed us that she couldn't do so for the other fruit order because we had not sent the order back. We hadn't sent the order back because we thought we had received what we had ordered, until the bill arrived! She even behaved as though she was doing us a HUGE favor by making the adjustment on ONE of the orders! Her attitude sucked, and I refuse to spend my money at Honey Jam ever again! I receive much better customer service at Portillo's...
(2)Jeanne L.
Julian's Benedict: AMAZING! A vegetarian version of eggs benedict, but it's so hearty with the thick tomatoes, portobello mushrooms and artichokes. Definitely will get this again! Their hollandaise sauce is out of this word too; BF and I get eggs benedict at most breakfast places we go, and Honey Jam's hollandaise sauce is the best we've had. Countryside Skillet: Pretty good too, but I won't get it again, as it's not amazing. Atmosphere: The restaurant itself is quite large, and I will say it was a bit louder than I would have liked (I think this is more an insulation issue, with their high ceilings and hard building materials everywhere, the sound just bounces around and around). But it's very roomy and getting a table was very quick at 12pm.
(4)Jennifer Q.
I really like this place but, like one of the other reviewers, I was torn between 3 or 4 stars. I think the food is great and have never been disappointed by the quality of food. However, the wait can be kinda long, although that really should be expected on a weekend morning, but I have had some not so great service and some great service. It can be kinda slow at times and, as someone else experienced, after our food has arrived, we have had to wait for the syrup a number of times. The last time, the table next to us actually offered us their syrup because they didn't even have their food yet but were brought syrup. Overall, the food and many, many options do make-up for the occasional service issues that come with a bust breakfast place.
(4)Nicole S.
My husband and I LOVE this place and it's our favorite place to get breakfast. Their call ahead service is very helpful especially on busy weekends. They have fresh squeezed OJ, the bacon and pancakes are divine, and the eggs and hash browns are great! I definitely recommend them. Even my out-of-town friends are Hooked on Honey Jam! Great place!
(5)Dave S.
Everything here is alright. I really can't complain about my breakfast as it hit the spot. The prices were a little bit higher than typical places like this that I frequent. IT was not enough for me to get my panties in a bunch. The restaurant was not very crowded at all and it took a VERY long time for us to receive our food. The restaurant looks rather nice and is rather comfortable. I left here with a resounding eh rerunning around in my head. Everything was solid here but there was nothing that made me feel like I had to return. I probably will return as everything was pretty decent.
(3)Rodney R.
I was not impressed. Frankly, the food was as it should be considering that it is overpriced for breakfast fare. Although I have to say they seem somewhat stingy with portions. I had actually finished my coffee and water quite sometime before flagging someone down with a pot of coffee for a refill. I was amazed at how slow the service was during off hours. The Geneva location is nice but really didn't set itself above any of the other restaurants in town.
(2)Steve C.
The restaurant was not even half full, but it took 7 minutes to get a server to come around. 15 minutes to get water and coffee after that. Never offered condiments, server never checked if we needed anything. Food was bland and disappointing for those of us at the table that got their food. My food didn't come, server didn't even apologize after admitting she didn't put it in the order. We waited, my pregnant wife barely touched her meal waiting for my dish to come. When it came, my medium steak was bloody & raw. Server's attitude was pretty blah again. So our parents ate, my food eventually came (server was in no rush to get it out - saw her meandering around the counter right after we asked) but we had to leave anyway so no breakfast for me. Some guy came out and stared at us without introducing himself - no clue who he was? Cook maybe? Asking if he could do anything, so I guess that was nice that someone eventually cared a little. Either way 2/4 of us didn't get to eat here so we won't be back. Too bad, we recently moved to the area, have tons of family & friends nearby and would have loved to have a new regular spot for the crowd to visit.
(1)Maureen E.
After having spent 2 years trying to go here (the wait is ALWAYS long), we finally got in, and I can understand why. I love that they put a giant carafe of coffee on your table, and when I mentioned the need for a low-cholesterol item, the server and the manager actually calculated the percentages for me (pancakes @ 2%) for the various breakfast items. And the pancakes were perfectly yummy. Upon leaving, they offer each customer a to-go cup of coffee, tea, or water. I definitely want to return.
(4)JJ C.
I was going to get an Italian beef from Portillo and then I saw this Honey Jam Cafe and decided to give a try. I am glad I did. I ordered the "Julian's Benedict" A toasted English muffin topped with sautéed baby spinach, artichoke hearts, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, two medium poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. It's really good. I am not a breakfast person. But I will go back if I am near there.
(4)Nida A B.
great food for brunch and accomodating to our large group, however I understand they wanted to bring all the food out at once but we waited WAYYYYY too long!
(4)Bunny P.
'ello! Well. I went to HJC a few months back and it was okay. Went on a holiday... since the owner owns the entire strip, they opened an empty spot next door, since the wait was so long. There was coffee, telly for the kids and tables to sit at, so while you wait for the pager go off... you have something to do. [doubt they do that all the time, but not too sure.] Breakfast is definitely their strong suit. I had gotten a waffle and it was good! Sweet and fluffy with a nice crunch. My mom got a pick 2, a wrap and a southwestern soup... it was so so.. we actually got food poisoning from that wrap, which we thankfully didn't finish. [I say we because she had a bite, took it home and when she left... I had a bite as well . that's the last time I steal a bite. ...well. i won't steal anything from THEM out of my fridge.] Yeah the food poisoning was a lot of a turn off for us. When one of my girlfriends come back in town, I'll go with her, just to see how that goes. [P.S. They close at 2:30 ish so... hop to it and get there early!!]
(2)Scott C.
Food great. Service exponential "meh"... Inexplicably, there are so many things that the Portillo's Restaurant Group does right that I'm stunned, simply STUNNED that they have a tough time with this one. Maybe it's the breakfast / lunch concept and in full disclosure, I have not frequented the other Honey Jam's in their system (including the one in Lombard). If it comes off the griddle, it's going to be pretty solid. Eggs...they don't do as well. But gosh darn it, you've got to get to the table, bring it all together (my hash browns didn't arrive until after we finished our meal) and the sense of urgency attached to cranking out covers as breakfast places are want to do just wasn't there. We've been twice and while very good friends of ours have it pegged as their top stop, we just can't give it that kind of kudos.
(2)Lisa C.
This is a wonderful restaurant. My friends & I live in Park Ridge & Schaumburg but whenever we come to Bolinbgrook we always make it a point ot stop at this restaurant. The food is always delicious. The wait staff is always curtious & on the ball about refilling drinks & clearing the table. It is always a pleasure to come here.
(5)Jimmy V.
A one star is to generous for this place.Wait time is horrible. Nothing special about this place. We waited over half hr for our order. The lady took our Oder an forgot about us I had to flag her down. My brother order a skillet and they actually forget TO COOK his food. Will never go bk there.
(1)Darlene B.
Nice atmosphere, good food, but service was slow even at 1:30 near closing time and there weren't that many customers.
(3)Josh F.
Great breakfast! We had a great meal and the orange juice was fresh!
(5)Jin Joo L.
Me and my bf love this place!!!! We've been there almost every week for brunch. The chicken tortilla soup is awesome! So is the Greek Wedding Soup but I still like the chicken better. We've tried... the Julian Benedict, the Vegetable Omelette (reg eggs. they have egg white option!), the Tuscan Omelette, Banana Foster Crepes, Country skillet, Monterey Omelette, Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast, Banana Bread French Toast, and fresh tomato juice. THe hash browns are awesome and so is the side of pancakes or marble rye toast! I normally hate hash browns unless they're Mc Donald's but these are perfect, not overdone, not too crispy. They need one of these around Schaumburg or Chicago!
(5)Bruce T.
One of the best places in the area for waffles and crapes. The Very Berry waffle is my favorite with the Bananas Foster a close second. Good coffee (they leave the pot on the table so you never run out) and offer free to-go cups at the end of the meal. Who else does that? Plenty of staff even on a busy Sunday morning.
(5)Rich P.
Let's just start off by saying this was the worst service I have had in many years. We got seated and then waited for over 10 minutes before our waitress greeted us to take drink orders. Then we waited another 10 plus minutes to place our food order. Our drinks did not arrive until after our ouur food arrived. Food was average at best, my club wrap had very rare cooked bacon in it (gross) and the fries were cold, I was going to send it back but waitress was nowhere to be found so I just picked off the undercooked bacon and salvaged what I could of the wrap. Another one of my friends ordered a mediteranian croissant which was slightly stale. I will usually give a place a second chance but things were so bad here I will probably not. Hey Dick, stick to dogs, I can get better service and quality at a Dennys than I did at your Bolingbrook Honey Jam Cafe.
(2)Jessica K.
Meh, this wouldn't be my first, second or even third choice for brunch again. Its OK. This place is run by Portillo's group and is located right behind the Portillos'. I admittedly was lured in by the potential of this place to be as awesome as Portillo's. Its not. Its a large place, but we still had to wait 30-40 min on a Sunday morning for a table for two. We waited outside since the place was crammed with people at the hostess stand. The decor is ....interesting... kind of like what my mom would have ideally picked for decor in the 1980's... large, slightly gaudy victorian/baroque looking. And its dark, which does not help me wake up in the morning, no matter how much coffee. Not really what you would expect given the more fun lively atmosphere of Portillo's. Anyhow, onto the food. OK, but not memorable. Plenty of it, way too much, which is about where the similarity to Portillos' ends. Nothing bad, just not great, not Portillos' great which is really what I was secretly hoping for. Ill stick to the cheese fries and Italian beef next door.
(2)Susan M.
This is an excellent upscale breakfast place. It is also open for lunch, but it's their breakfast dishes that really shine. Gourmet pancackes, french toast - yummy yummy yummy!!! Egg skillets are excellent as well. A definite downer was their raisin toast - soooo good until the very last time we were there. Used to be more like coffee cake; now merely raisin toast. That was a disappointment. If you go after 9:00 on a Saturday or Sunday, expect a wait.
(4)Martin K.
Great food, great service. A little expensive but worth trying. The Apple Pancake was the boys favorite. Well be back!!
(4)Susan S.
Horrible. Went at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday, and the wait was over half an hour just to sit down. We ordered pretty promptly, and it took us until nearly 12:30 to receive our order. Food is okay, waitress was fine, but NOT WORTH THE WAIT!
(1)Nicole M.
Went here for the first time for a late lunch on a Monday. Place was not crowded and we were seated immediately. The greeter/cashier was very friendly. Our server came over very quickly to get our drink order and brought the drinks very quickly. It took her slightly longer to come back and take our lunch orders. The food seemed to take a little longer than it should to get to the table but it tasted really good when it did. I ordered a veggie, egg-white scrambler with hashbrowns and toast. The food portion was a very good size. My friend enjoyed his sandwich and was impressed that the waitress brought his soda refill without his having to ask. The ambiance I thought was quaint, country chic, but my friend thought it was a little dark.
(3)Sheila M.
I simply hate to post reviews such as this, especially when Portillos being the "sister" restaurant is so great with their service and customer satisfaction. This would only reflect the organization of the manager. My husband and I went there one week ago with our 15 month granddaughter. We are breakfast restaurant people! We were so excited to try the new place out, however after 1 hour of being seated yet no food, we left! Two other parties who were seated after us, happily received their food. When we inquired about our order, one of the waiters said I don't know. When we announced that we were leaving, the manager offered us coupons towards our next visit. I couldn't see that the coupons would be of any use. We will not return. We are fans of Eggs, Inc. Cafe, great service, great food, reasonably priced and healthy choices are on the menu. For those of you who think Honey Jam Cafe is wonderful, try out Eggs, Inc. Cafe on Weber Road, next to Caribou Coffee. It is great, you will know when you arrive as the parking lot is always full! We have been there 4 times now and never waited past 10 minutes and they do know you and your order status! What a concept. I would only give Honey Jam Cafe a try when they announce that they have replaced the Manager and Hostess! Shouldn't be long, at least sooner then getting your order!
(1)Robin C.
If it's connected to Portillo's, you know it will be good. A number of us have been getting together for the past 5 months for breakfast at Honey Jam. We have not been disappointed. The food is excellent (especially the breakfast burrito) and the prices are very good. While I'm not really a breakfast person, I look forward to these gatherings for the fun and for the food. Our servers have always been good and attentive. We have not waited long for food and are usually there when the restaurant is quite busy. We have been greeted cordially and promptly upon entering and thanked when leaving. And that is why it is our breakfast "spot."
(5)