Uncle Mike’s Place Menu

  • Salads & Cold Plates
  • Soup & Chili
  • Steak Sandwiches
  • Chicken Sandwiches
  • Deluxe Club Sandwiches
  • Veggie Sandwiches
  • Deli Sandwiches
  • Fish Sandwiches
  • Uncle Mike's Favorites
  • A La Carte

Healthy Meal suggestions for Uncle Mike’s Place

  • Salads & Cold Plates
  • Soup & Chili
  • Steak Sandwiches
  • Chicken Sandwiches
  • Deluxe Club Sandwiches
  • Veggie Sandwiches
  • Deli Sandwiches
  • Fish Sandwiches
  • Uncle Mike's Favorites
  • A La Carte

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Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • K T Y.

    Pretty good. Worth a try. Tocino (pork shoulder ) good but a little over cooked and tough. Longanisa (sausage) was tasty and not as greasy as others I've had. Service was quick and attentive. Quick top offs on coffee.

    (4)
  • Aaron W.

    Best breakfast in Chicago. And I've been everywhere. From the food, the price to the service it's number 1. There's not a close second.

    (5)
  • Monica Z.

    Uncle Mike's is a place we go to for a quick Filipino breakfast and that is it!!! The actual location is not fancy by any means. Very old fashion look, mismatch silverware, not so clean restaurant, staff service is inconsistent and the price for the Filipino food is overpriced compared to other Filipino restaurants. Most Filipino restaurants are in the North side so this place is your only choice if you want to stay close to the loop. I am pretty sure if there were more options, people would not come here for Filipino food because of the look, cleanliness, staff service and price. The actual food on the other hand is pretty good. I love their tocino and longonisa meal. Comes with either meat or you can get a combo, eggs, garlic rice and a tomato/onion/cilantro side. The also give you a free cup of Luga before your meal (My mom's is so much better). FYI - They only service Filipino breakfast on weekends!

    (2)
  • Charlene S.

    If you want your Filipino breakfast fix it'll do. But if you spent the 15-20 minutes to make it yourself you might have a better meal. We've been here a few times and each time has gotten less desirable. The first couple times a nice Filipino woman has come out and chatted. Once even gave us freshly cooked kare kare. On the house. Mmmmm. How hospitable. Like I was at an aunts's house who just keeps feeding me even thought I wasn't hungry anymore. But it was the customer service that won me over. The last time we went for brunch, was promptly seated and ordered. No more baby bangus so got the big one instead. Boo. The rice to fish ratio for the big one was lacking. Boo. My scrambled eggs were undercooked. Runny in the middle. Boo. Especially for a pregnant lady. The sininag mushy. Extra extra boo. It's like they cooked the rice this morning and used it in fried rice. And no champorado like they used to do. The abrupt waiter (the one with the unnaturally brown hair) was not nice. Didn't offer coffee or tea like he did the next table. It was incredibly hot in the restaurant. Uncomfortable. And today the patis-tomato-onion mix did not taste fresh with its soft tomatoes and was super duper saltier than usual. The 'blond' waiter brought over the bill without even checking up on us once and didn't ask if we wanted anything else. We had to get the bangus wrapped and ordered more sininag (hoping it was just the first batch that was mushy. Nope) to be eaten with it later and of course he had to reluctantly adjust the bill. Well, if you didn't jump the gun then maybe you wouldn't have wasted the 4 inches of extra receipt paper. Customer service is key as reflected in my other reviews. So bring back the Tita to redeem yourselves. And mushy rice? That's taboo to Asians. C'mon!!

    (2)
  • Brianna L.

    I went with the steak Philipino ( i may have spelled that wrong..sorry :/ ) breakfast. It came with eggs, garlic rice, soup, a tomato salsa thing, and the steak. I enjoyed the steak it was extremely tender and had a terriyaki flavor (if you don't like terriyaki don't order it) I went with my brother and he hated it!! He doesn't like terriyaki at all I think they should state that next to the meal for first time customers who know nothing about the place. I'd def go back and try other dishes too.

    (3)
  • Aldi J.

    Tocino + Spam = breakfast of champions. At least that's what I thought when I was growing up as a young Filipino. This place makes me feel at home. I'd definitely recommend trying the Filipino breakfasts. It's the only thing I order when I'm there. I love the service here because they'll often throw in some extras like champorado or fresh fruit. They are polite and quick in checking for refills in coffee. They even have spicy spam! Parking is easy. It's not in a crowded area. The interior won't wow you. It feels like an old school diner. It's a great spot to take friends on a weekend over coffee and brunch. Do yourself a favor a give Uncle Mike's a try!

    (5)
  • Dan R.

    Really good Filipino breakfast. Service is quick. The longaniza was delicious. The flavor mixed with the garlic rice and the pico de galo was awesome. That brown thing that comes along with your food (seems like re-fried beans, but it's not) might be an acquired taste, but it was interesting to try. good portion size, good prices, good coffee. The reason I'm giving this place four stars is only because of the space itself. I found it a little crowded, but it is a dinner and I believe this is just my personal preference. I have an eye for aesthetics, and I thought they could improve the layout of the place a little. Clearly they broke some wall to have access to the back room , and the reform is still unfinished, but there were people eating at the back room anyways. But you know what they say - as long as the food is good, why look at the small stuff? Btw I don't know if anyone says that. I just made it up.

    (4)
  • Kyle D.

    I tried this place based on the reviews I read here on Yelp. And, honestly, I wasn't impressed. I went on Saturday (4/20) at around 2:30. The place was busy, but not packed. I talked with the waitress (who was very nice) and decided to order an omlette. When the omlette arrived, it was over-cooked, flat and very dry. The ingredients were also over-cooked and my hashbrowns were burnt to a crisp. My first thought was maybe this is just the way they do things here. But, as I looked around the restaurant and everyone else's hash browns looked like they were cooked to perfection. Now, normally I wouldn't have written a review knowing that was likely an uncommon thing ... but for three things: 1. My hash browns were so over cooked compared to every other order that was served, there was no way the waitress (as nice as she was) could have thought what she was serving to me was right. 2. At no point, during my meal, or when I paid did anyone ask me how my meal was. 3. They have no contact on their website. No way for me to give them feedback. But maybe I'm wrong. I guess we'll see if they do anything to try and make this right.

    (2)
  • Lupe G.

    This place was just featured on Chicago's Best as one of the best steak joints in town. After disappointing me with their selection of Papa Cache's, I was leary of their opinion. Still, I went in search of this place to see whether the hype was worth it...It's good shit!

    (4)
  • Tinna H.

    There's regular breakfast, and then there's Filipino breakfast. Uncle Mike's Place serves both! This was just a quick walk from where we were staying, so before we began our exploring on Sunday, we decided to check it out. A quick glance at the menu for the Filipino breakfast, and I knew that was the menu I would be ordering from. Ryan ordered the Pork Chop plate. I ordered the Tocino [cured pork shoulder] and Longanisa [sweet sausage] plate. Needless to say, it was a LOT of food. We love to share, so the plates were passed across the table several times. Since we were on the road, it was exactly what we needed to get our day started right - hearty breakfasts!

    (4)
  • Betsy T.

    Uncle Mike's Place is a delightful culinary adventure! The Filipino breakfasts here are the bomb. Forget the classic American stuff - order straight from the middle of the menu. If you are a first-timer, try the skirt steak breakfast. Their skirt steak is perfectly cooked, seeping with juices and tender as a baby's bottom. It comes with eggs, fried rice, and a bowl of amazing lugao - a simple but amazing congee with shallots and green onions. I would go just to get a big bowl of the lugao, it is that good. They're also known for their sweet chorizo - or "longanisa" - and pork shoulder breakfasts. Because Uncle Mike himself is always tinkering with the recipes, no two meals are exactly the same. The last time I went, I had some amazing sweet potato pancakes with blueberries, and my skirt steak was paired with an interesting tasty homemade steak sauce. Delicious!

    (5)
  • Cam F.

    Skirt steak. So tender and tasty. Eggs cooked just as requested. Friendly staff. And do try the longanisa sausages. Soooo yummy.

    (5)
  • David R.

    This place was great! I wanted to come here to try food from the Filipino cuisine. It is good to have a friend that is willing to try new foods also! I ordered the Tocino and my friend ordered the corned beef hash! She and I liked the food! We received complimentary chicken noodle soup and chicken legs with rice. The chicken legs were tender and well seasoned. Also the complimentary dessert item was rice and mango; it was good not too sweet. The portions are large; we had to get containers to go. The Tocino was good for breakfast the next morning. I highly recommend this place!

    (4)
  • Eddie S.

    Love this place for a nice hearty brunch/lunch. It doesn't get any better than when a laughably huge platter of food is set before you and you get to chow down on your meat of choice, eggs cooked to your preference, and delicious garlic rice. I love the rice porridge that comes before the main entree too.. sometimes I wish I could order just that! Uncle Mike himself is a really nice guy and is known to just give out free food for you to sample.. he seems to truly just love food and wants to share that with others who will appreciate it. I took off a star because the service is inconsistent and they seem to have quite a few oversights/mistakes when things get busy (which is pretty much every weekend during lunch).

    (4)
  • Lindsay D.

    Absolutely amazing. We just had breakfast at Uncle Mike's and were so impressed with the food. I love the combination of food that comes with the Filipino breakfast dishes. I had the pork shoulder and my boyfriend had the hanger steak breakfast, which he loved. The pork shoulder breakfast comes with garlic fried rice, eggs, an amazing salsa with a delicious vinegar-y flavor (which compliments the other flavors nicely) and a chocolate-y rice pudding-like dessert. The pork shoulder was INCREDIBLE. So tender and moist but crispy on the outside. It is kind of sweet and tangy and a little buttery. When combined with the rice and an egg over medium, the flavors and textures are to-die-for. The service was great, good coffee...wow, just wow. Can't wait to go back.

    (5)
  • nicole m.

    I came here one morning with no expectations (I had no idea it was Filipino fare), and I was so pleasantly surprised. I've never had a breakfast like this before. Mine was perfect. I ordered the pork shoulder with garlic rice. Incredible. My favorite thing was actually the pico de gallo (or something like it) that came with the meal. It wasn't traditional...it had vinegar or something in it that for some reason hit the spot when I poured it over the rice. My friend ordered the steak, which he also loved. We were surprised when they served us a bowl of what appeared to be chocolate rice pudding, although we both agreed it was just...meh. The service could have been a little friendlier (we kinda felt like we were bothering them), but overall worth it fo sho.

    (4)
  • Jeremy N.

    I love this place. It's hard to find the words to even describe the food, you have to just go try it. We have been there a few times and have tried a couple different options, all of which have been amazing. I am addicted to the Longanisa, I swear I could eat pounds of the stuff. The Tocino and Pork Chops are also delicious, and I can't wait to try their marinated steak next time as I've heard it's great. In addition to the eggs and meat options that come with their brunch options, they have garlic rice and also serve this delicious sort of pico de gallo that mixes wonderfully with everything else. They also serve this interesting sort of chocolate rice, which serves as a nice sweet dessert when you're done with everything. Oh and I even forgot about the soup! I forget what it is called but before you get your food they give you this rice-based soup with lemon, it is something that I wouldn't think I would like but you can't pass on it - my wife asked them for another whole bowl of it. And they didn't even charge us for it! Great service, amazing food, and truly something you don't find everywhere in Chicago. This place needs to be on your list of go-to brunch spots!

    (5)
  • mike o.

    Saw this place on chicago's best had to come try it very very good my steak was made perfect

    (4)
  • Ryan L.

    Filipinos are known for their, at times, "voracious" eating habits. I'm just as bad as everyone else. What I miss the most from my childhood was my mom's hearty breakfast dishes. For my parents and generations before them, a solid breakfast was needed for a hard day of work, be it in the fields or whatever industry they were a part of. Now, why do I eat such large-scale breakfasts? No reason, it's just good. My family is from the province of Pampanga, which Anthony Bourdain called "the culinary capital of the Philippines". Needless to say, I've been spoiled like a Hilton heiress when it comes to breakfast. Uncle Mike and the crew do it very well here. I expected the Filipino staples (longanisa, tocino, steak), but was pleasantly surprised at the other options. Bangus (milkfish)? Seriously? And in two sizes - baby, and bigatin, which seeing that word on the menu made me chuckle. I ordered the Hot N' Spicy Spam plate. Never imagined I would ever order spam at a restaurant, but for some reason that dish called to me. Garlic fried rice, eggs, lugao, it's all here! Wow, they offer something Filipinos call "sausauan" which is tomato, onion, and other veggies with fish sauce. Everything was very tasty and impressive. Uncle Mike, thank you for the reminder of what my basement would smell like every weekend morning when I was young. Of course, it'll never replace my wonderful mom's homemade breakfast, but it's pretty damn close.

    (4)
  • Marjorie F.

    A couple of years later and I'm still LOVING this place for Filipino breakfast. The options have expanded to include bangus (Bahng-OOSZ), a marinated deep fried fish, a skirt steak, and pork chop. I know that the fish sounds weird to have first thing in the morning, but it sure is tasty! When it comes to Filipino breakfast, I am a creature of habit. I stuck with the tocino (sweet cured pork) and longanisa (Filipino-style chorizo) combo. It hit the spot as usual. My friend M jokingly mentioned that it was our friend T's birthday. Thinking that no one heard this, we were shocked when the staff came out with chocolate chip pancakes covered in whipped cream and a lit candle, singing Happy Birthday! Uncle Mike's satisfies my craving for Filipino breakfast when I don't have time to drive out to the 'burbs to see my folks. You know I'll be back!

    (4)
  • Kristel S.

    Hands down the best filipino breakfast I've had that my family didn't cook. It beats all the NY joints--Krystals, Ihawan, Perlas, Renes, etc etc. The staff is quick, but friendly and the food is plentiful and delish. Your order comes with a side of champorado, and sometimes, lugaw if you're lucky. Today, they were out of lugaw by 2pm--apparently, it's a hit! Mark B. and I got a side of mashed camote and a small soup that tastes like nilaga, on the house because we showed interest in the food (and I'm sure I looked like I hadn't been fed in days). The camote was a big serving for a side. It was not too sweet and cinammon-y, which I treated as a nice dessert. The soup was a modified nilaga, with more veggies, and the serving was very small--it was only for us to try! I'm sure the hit is the tocino and longanisa combo.. and i was so torn between that and the bangus! Luckily, the staff was sympathetic and allowed me to have a bangus and tocino combo. This combo comes with garlic fried rice, eggs cooked the way you want it, a bit of champorado and unlimited sawsawan! I suggest getting the eggs sunnyside up so you can break it down on the rice. The sawsawan was simply a hodge podge of tomato, onion, cilantro, patis and vinegar.... but ughhhh I could eat just that that over rice any day--SO GOOD!! Will definitely come back!

    (5)
  • Kathleen A.

    Blink and you miss it or you might think it's closed by looking in from the outside but trust you it is far from it. I should call this place Tito Mike's instead. This place serves up some damn good Filipino Breakfast! They have a regular menu but we came for the Filipino goods. Growing up I rarely got to actually eat this kind of food for bfast and probably for a good reason since it would make me a very obese adult. I chose the Tocino/Longanisa platter served with eggs and garlic rice. They also bring out a bowl of arrozcaldo to start things off with. The longanisa although tasty was just a bit too greasy even for my tastes, but the tocino was def the way to go here. The portions are huge and I ended up giving them to my friend who took me. Service friendly, on-point. I am so jealous of you UK Village dwellers that get to eat this deliciousness all the time! If you never had Filipino breakfast before don't waste any more time and get your ass down to Tito Mike's.

    (5)
  • Paul d.

    Let me start off by saying this review is strictly from a Filipino breakfast standpoint. Honestly, if I ever have a tocinolog or bangus craving, I only have one place in mind: Uncle Mike's. The prices are about $12 a plate which is a little more than I am used to for breakfast but the portion size fits the bill. Also, I always go for the combo where you can select from two of the following: tocino, longonisa and/or hot and spicy Spam. To round off the entree it comes with a side of garlic rice and diced tomatoes and onions in vinegar. They even throw in a small bowl of lugao. It is somewhat bland without any of the fixings so don't be afraid to ask for Patis, Realemon or vinegar; they have it. Add in a small or large bangus to share with friends and you are back in Mom's kitchen. I kept one star off because the service can be shotty at times especially if you are in a big group. Regardless this is my go to Filipino breakfast spot for me and out of town guests. (Now if they start offering Champurrado than maybe I'll consider upping to 5 stars.)

    (4)
  • Marlo P.

    Had their Filipino breakfast. Love how they give arroz caldo (or lugaw, rice soup, whatever you want to call it) and fruit salad with your meal. The tocino and the longanisa were good. Edible. The rice was the sh*t. The salsa thing was good too. It's OKAY Filipino food. Longanisa and tocino aren't really a hard thing to find and make in these parts and I think I'd rather make it at home over running over here to eat. The prices were also over the top. I was really amazed at how much the prices were. They were kind of expensive. It's a good place to try. I'm glad I tried it.

    (3)
  • Tim H.

    I think I tried everything on the Filipino breakfast menu. My favorites are the longaniza(sweet anise flavored sausage), tocino, spam. I would pass on these in favor of the favorites mentioned above: -The fish is a cruncy and salty fried dish. Decent. -Skirt steak - decent, but nothing special -Pork chops - dry and nothing special

    (5)
  • Peter R.

    I wanted to write this review while I was still here eating here. I mean technically I could have done it since I had my trusty dusty laptop in the car. I guess I know of this place because a bunch of my friends told me about the Filipino breakfast, but don't get it twisted this place is a full scale diner. I looked at the menu and they got errrythang...from omelette's, to Monte Cristo's to skirt steaks. I plan on coming here often enough that I will have tried out the majority of the menu by this Summer. The prices are fairly cheap considering the quality of the food you get. The place itself is bigger than it seems once you are inside. The Filipino breakfast can be described in one word...LEGENDSOME. That is "legendary" and "awesome" squished together. I had the Tocino breakfast or what we call "tocilog." The other is the Longanisa breakfast which is called "longsilog." I don't have time to explain so please Google it if you desire an explanation. They also have Spam, which is really more of a Hawaiian breakfast staple. They offer Skirt Steak, and Pork Chops under Filipino Breakfast as well. OK, back to my Tocino breakfast...*buuuuuuurrrp* looks like I'm done. Tocino is cured pork, and it was the cure for my man-size hunger. The breakfast comes with eggs, garlic fried rice, toast, a side of tomato, onion, vinegar dip, and a small chocolate rice porridge or "champurrado." I enjoyed every bite of my meal, and I'm already plotting my return trip. In case you are wondering, Uncle Mike is NOT Filipino...he is a Polish guy who married a Filipina lady and was exposed to our awesome breakfast traditions. Thanks Uncle Mike, I feel like part of the family already.

    (5)
  • Kristina B.

    They open super early. 5am. CRAZY! And they're open until 3 so that gives you an opportunity to go for first breakfast, second breakfast and then first lunch. Maybe second lunch if you're quick enough. $11.95 gets you a large plate full of amazing. You heard me. Tocino + Longaniza + Rice + Egg = WHAT?!!?!? YEAAAAHH!!! OKAAAAAYY!!! Lil' Jon knows what's up.

    (5)
  • Luu H.

    Someone tell Lisa Loeb waitress (the one with the dark rim glasses) to message me on twitter iluuluu

    (5)
  • Nancy H.

    I came here for the Filipino breakfast and liked a lot of what I tried. My favorite was actually the "lugao" (rice oatmeal/porridge or congee) - served only on the weekends - which also happens to be free! It is so extremely flavorful because they put garlic, ginger, and fresh lemon juice in it, and when you spoon some fish sauce on top of it and mix it all in, it is the bomb! Other tasty Filipino treats was the "bangus" (grilled dried whole milkfish - beware of bones) and the combination breakfast of "tocino" (similar to Chinese cha-siu, aka sweet bbq pork) and "longanisa" (Filipino sausages). Oh, and they also make a mean spicy Spam that's red! Do they soak it in hot sauce or something? If you haven't noticed, these aren't for you if you're on a diet. These breakfasts range from $9-15 and comes with eggs (your way), garlic fried rice, and something similar to coconut rice pudding. What I didn't like was that it took a while for us to get our food, and the "best marinated skirt steak" might have actually been the worst. First, it was overcooked, and second, did you say it was marinated? Cuz I didn't notice. Since the lugao was the only thing I loved, I probably won't come back because I would rather learn to make it on my own. Lastly, it's not at all pretty in here. Street parking is pretty easy in this area.

    (3)
  • Reuben H.

    So why is it "Filipino" anything when it comes from the Philippines? What the hell is up with the PH-to-F phenomenon? Or is it "fenomenon"? So a while back I got tired of hearing people tell me, whether they even attempted to be nice about it, or more likely- were just very blunt about saying (in a whiny voice) "your reviews suck because they are too long and you must like hearing your own voice and you are full of yourself and you like to write about stuff that has no relevance to the place you are reviewing," and on and on and on... Simple, and quick is the new mantra- so let's just see how long I can keep my streak of this style going. You come here for one of two things (though I hear the skirt steak is pretty amazing too): tocino and longanisa. Both are breakfast items for around $8 and Filipino. Both are porky. Both include rice and a nice tomato and onion based salsa (with fish sauce). Both have a couple of eggs any style you ask for. Tocino is basically the same cut as what we would know as a really thick cut of bacon, but is marinated and turned pink and tastes amazing. Longanisa is a small, yet thick sausage that has an incredible flavor and really is worth driving from anywhere in the metropolitan Chicago area for trying. That's it- just go for those things and you won't feel disappointed. Sorry- won't pheel disappointed.

    (4)
  • A R.

    I came here about 6 years ago and back then it was just classic American food. And actually I was just looking at their online menu and it looks like it hasn't been updated as it's just that--classic American. (they need to change their yelp category too!) Well apparently the owner, Mike, married a Filipina and now they serve Filipino style food (mixed in with classic American). And wow. I was so impressed! They started us off with this garlic grits with sliced lemon and chopped spring onions. So simple but so delicious! We decided to order family style and got the marinated Milkfish. It came with a pico de gallo-like (whatever they call it in the Philipines) side, a brown tapioca like pudding of some sort (confusing as it looks like refried beans!), rice, and two eggs. The portion was huge and we ordered the baby size too! We finished the plate clean. The milkfish was so good! We also ordered the pumpkin pancakes and a side of hashbrowns. I love the way their hashbrowns are very chunky. The pancakes were average but the Milkfish platter stole the show. I will definitely be back here. It's such a hidden gem!

    (4)
  • Breakfast C.

    breakfastrules.blogspot.… Uncle Mike's Place is an understated little ethnic restaurant that serves up good breakfasts with a Filipino flare yet maintains a common Midwestern ethos for anyone scared off by unusual places or dishes. For instance, Brent ordered pancakes and bacon and thought it was pretty good. Breakfast Scout Frank regarded it as one of the "strangest breakfasts we've done" but enjoyed the novelty of having a marinated skirt steak with eggs for breakfast. I'm a Spam fiend, so I loved this place. My Spam breakfast was the bomb and I'm definitely coming back for some other dish from the Filipino breakfast menu. The service was good. The plates, for some reason, were huge. But they made sure to fill the plates with enough breakfast to not make it look ridiculous. The service was good. We're still trying to figure out why we got a basket full of silverware and giant steak knives. Maybe it's a Filipino thing we don't understand. Who knows. It's all good. All in all, Uncle Mike's Place in gets a pretty darn good breakfast rating of 3.5 Brent faces.

    (4)
  • iddells E.

    Returned twice during these past two weeks because I love the champorado and Filipino breakfast...forget the American menu, I don't even open it up. The Filipino food is where it's at! Huge servings.....the kind of meat you choose (longanisa, tocino, hot and spicy spam, skirt steak, or pork chop) is accompanied by a huge heap of garlic fried rice, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of toast and a small bowl of sasawan, which is a chopped tomato/onion/vinegar mixture that's like a condiment. The sasawan was excellent! Oh yeah, and if you're there on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you're served a bowl of chicken lugaw, which is a rice porridge. After your meal, you get some delicious champorado, which is a chunky chocolate rice porridge. I love the champorado, it's like crack to me. I think the reason why I love coming to Uncle Mike's Place is the champorado followed by the Filipino food. Overall, The Filipino breakfast is great and you get a lot for your money!

    (5)
  • Ted C.

    Long Live Filipino Breakfast!!! I have never tasted their main menu only the dishes on the Filipino Breakfast, because it's just so #$)%&@) goood!!! The dish comes with garlic fried rice, two eggs, toast, and choice of sausage, pork shoulder, spam, skirt steak, or pork chop. I had the first three but not the later two (one being that I don't eat beef). The pork shoulder and sausage are truly truly the best Asian flavored meat I have had in Chi town. I am sorry to BBQ King and all these other restaurants in Chinatown and Argyle, but it's just soo much better. The meats are marinated to the perfect amount and the sausage reminded me of my childhood in Taipei and Bangkok. The spam was good as well but spam is and always have been on the salty side for me. So imagine two sunny side up eggs' (my personal preference) broken yolk flowing over the garlic fried rice with either pork shoulder or sausage dipped in the yolk, and did I mentioned the homemade sauce? ( a mixture of fish sauce, vinegar, and more) all mixed into one into your mouth with all the different flavors dancing accordingly energizing different parts of your pallet.... please tell me you are drooling now because I am!!! You think that's it right? just a big plate of rice and meat..... NOPE!!! they have homemade Lugaw, which is Filipino for porridge or congee. Sorry to hate on Chinatown again..... but that bowl of congee reminded me of the streets of Asoke in Bangkok where I used to grab my breakfast during summer vacation... On top of that Uncle Mike is such a genuine man. We contemplated his dishes and the next thing you know he was explaining to us how to make it. Additionally once Uncle Mike learned that we are from Thailand he began to talk about his adventure with sticky rice, and the proper way to make the sticky rice for mango with sticky rice. Fantastic place and I am such a fan that I even wrote to DDD on Food Channel begging them to come!

    (5)
  • Ransel G.

    After only being here a few times, I fell for this place! Don't let looks deceive you! The building has been around for a while so it has a more old-fashioned setting and a smaller eating area in the diner. The weekends can get a little crowded but the wait is well worth it! They serve American breakfast and lunch dishes, but then there's a little secret. It's not so much a secret anymore because there is a chalkboard listing the Filipino dishes that they serve and they serve a BIG portion! Which is good because I love Filipino breakfast food! The staff is so friendly and courteous!

    (4)
  • John H.

    Two Words: Filipino Breakfast!!!!! I may be a bit biased writing this review since I am Filipino, and my taste buds are aligned to crave and want Filipino breakfast everyday. I was recently in town visiting my sister and she took us to brunch at Uncle Mike's Place. When I first learned they have a Filipino breakfast menu I was stoked.... especially since I do not get to eat that kind of breakfast very often anymore. When we first pulled up to it... it's really not much to look at, but all of the bang for your buck is packed into the food. We sat in what seems to be an extension since the decor was very different from the main diner part. Our party was a group of 5 so there was a large table in the back. I had the longanisa, eggs, rice, and it was heaven on earth. Even tried their lugaw, which was very good especially on a cold day. My uncle ordered the fried bangus, which was awesome as well. It was like being transported :) The servers were very friendly, but seemed like they were short and in turn caused a little bit of a slow service. We were on vacation so I didn't really notice it as much, but if you are in a rush I could see you getting a little frustrated if you wanted to be in and out.

    (5)
  • Jennifer E.

    It's a hole in the wall but the food will keep bring you back. So much food in a plate thats bigger than an infant. I wish they were open after 3 pm but you can't have it all :)

    (5)
  • Alan Z.

    Mediocre service. I didn't mind--the food was worth it.

    (5)
  • Nick W.

    Tocino is my favorite, but really... It's all about the garlic fried rice. I get take out regularly there and am never disappointed.

    (5)
  • Marissa G.

    I knew it was a perfect Chicago diner scene the moment we walked in and saw a full counter, four cops having breakfast by the wall, and a priest and his friends by the window talking low in Italian. So what was not so typical for a Chicago diner was Tita Ruby who greeted us at the door (she was having noodle soup at the counter) and took us to our table and took care of us like we were her own kids, coming back home for the weekend for some good homemade cooking. "Do you want extra rice?" "Do you like suka (vinegar) with your bangus?" The only answer? Yes, Tita Ruby! Thanks, TIta Ruby! The food was excellent, and included all the accoutrement of a proper homemade Filipino breakfast meal-- a lugaw starter (ginger and chicken congee), tomato salad made with vinegar and fish sauce, and a side of biko (kind of a coconut rice dessert flavored with brown sugar). Our table was greedy and ordered the tocino, longanisa AND the fried boneless bangus. For Filipino food newbies, you can't go wrong with the longanisa. For those Pinoys craving the tastes of home, get the bangus-- the only other place I've gotten it before is Unimart on the northside, and I often don't want to fry fish in my little apartment, so it was a real treat. The place was packed by the time we left. Business seems to be bustling since the Chicago Tribune article talking about the owner Mike, and it's not just Filipinos! It was a diverse and happy crowd, exactly where you want to be to start your day. Service (other than Tita Ruby) was also attentive-- my coffee cup was never empty. 5 stars!

    (5)
  • Vince N.

    You got to show your Filipino pride. Uncle Mike's is awesome! One of favorite meals as a Filipino is breakfast, and ask any Filipino, we know how to do breakfast right! After a friend mentioned Uncle Mike's, my roommate and I decided to head down to get some traditional mouthwatering Filipino breakfast. WOW! The food made me feel like I was back at my Lola and Lolo's house waking up and enjoying rice, egg, tocino, and longanisa with the rest of my family. I love this place so much!

    (5)
  • Mara N.

    Great Filipino style breakfast, spicy spam with eggs, very nice find. Easy parking but can get busy.

    (5)
  • Jeeheon C.

    So I came to Chicago for a weekend to visit a friend. Throughout the weekend he took us to all sorts of popular restaurants and fancy restaurants. Turns out, the best food I had all trip, and really, since I can remember, was Uncle Mike's on my last day. My god it was amazing. The places are HUGE and the food is just so freaking amazing.

    (5)
  • Sadat A.

    I'm happy to of found my new favorite breakfast spot. The location is great for street parking on Grand. When we first got inside there was a bit of a line, but they got us seated quickly. Our server was super nice and went over the difference from the American and Filipino menus. On this trip I tried the Combo (marinated pork and sausages) and it was delicious. The plate was huge, so big they we all had to make room on the tables for the extra large size plates. I'm happy that I did not order the side of Pumpkin Pancakes (next time), I would've never made it to my car. Back to the combo plate, the eggs were super bright yellow; the rice was perfectly made, and the meats all had amazing flavors. I cant wait until next week to try the American menu. Nice staff, great food, and fun environment.

    (4)
  • Traci T.

    My Filipina friend from out of town suggested this restaurant because she had read the reviews here on yelp. I had passed by it a few times but didn't realize they served filipino breakfast. Was all for it as I had never had it before. My friend recommended the Longanica and thought it was delicious. The garlic fried rice was my favorite. We were seated promptly and the food came out rather quickly. I will definitely come back.

    (4)
  • Caity F.

    Filipino breakfast! I have never had a breakfast like this before - lugao (chicken and rice soup) to start, garlic rice, sweet chorizo, pork shoulder, eggs (over-easy is a must), toast, rice pudding... I think there was more but I can't think of the rest. The rice and meats totally stole the show for me. The sweet chorizo was my favorite and therefore there were no leftovers... womp womp. I decided that the pork shoulder would be great to save to use the leftovers for a fried rice, so I did and it was! To sum it all up: Super casual, perfect type of place to just roll in no matter where you've been or what you look like. Great price for the ENORMOUS amount of food you get. Leftovers! Garlic.

    (3)
  • Emily N.

    I'm hooked. It's to the point that the fella and I are trying to figure out how to marry into the family so that we can go to their holiday dinners. We've decided that cheating on each other for the food is totally acceptable. This place had been on my to do list for a long time. I finally made it there a few months ago, and I've been back as often as humanly possible. Each time I've gone, I get the Filipino breakfast. In fact, I think it's my favorite breakfast in the entire city, now that Ramova is closed *sad face*. Breakfast starts with a bowl of lugaw. It's a garlicky rice porridge with chicken and lemon. I want to eat this every day in the winter, and whenever I'm under the weather. Next comes the main event. Both the tocino (anise cured, thick cut bacon) and the longonisa (anise cured sausage, similar to chorizo) are a sure bet. Besides your choice of meat, breakfast is served with garlicky rice, topped with two eggs your way. I recommend fried so that you can break the yolk and mix it in the rice. Mouthgasm. It also comes with a side of red beans that are almost chocolaty. I know it sounds weird, but it's delicious. There's also a small side of something similar to a pico de gallo, that I steer clear of because they put devil lettuce (cilantro) in it. Add some Intellegentsia coffee and great service to the mix, and you've got a winner in my book. The fella has branched out further through the menu, and everything that he's ordered has also been phenom. Fruit plate is huge, fresh, and cheap. Blueberry pancakes are to die for. He got a spinach, tomato, feta omelet on the last visit that was great. They even treated us to a small dish of their oatmeal which was super thick and creamy, not too sweet, and flavored with cinnamon and real fruit. Perfect cold morning breakfast, for sure. AND IT'S CHEAP! My only problem with Uncle Mike's is how terrible I feel when I leave. Pants unbuttoned, asleep on the couch for at least an hour. It just HURTS SO GOOD!

    (5)
  • Andrea G.

    The service is friendly if not super fast, but the food is great, fast but not too fast and the diner atmosphere is quaint. If you've never had Tocino or Lugau, you must go!

    (4)
  • Romaine I.

    Breakfast so good, it makes you want to punch the dude that invented IHOP right in the dick. My first foray into Filipino breakfast was satisfying as hell. I've always been more of a Steak and Eggs rather than pancake/waffle/french toast type of breakfast guy (read: I require cooked flesh of beast in the morning), so the combo breakfast of pork and more pork (Tocino and Longaniza) was right up my alley. Both are deliciously cured, just the right sweetness. Combine that with the vinegar-y pico de gallo and breath destroying garlic rice, and you have a breakfast of the gods. Only rating 4 stars because the eggs weren't really up to the level of the rest (maybe my fault for getting scrambled), and because the space is a bit cramped inside. And because this place is only open until 3pm. Seriously, if this place was open for late night eats, I would wake up smelling like garlic way, way more

    (4)
  • Bright A.

    OMG!!! One of my all time favorite place to eat!! Yes there is an uncle mike. I don't think you can go wrong with any of their selection of longanisa, tocino, or spam!

    (5)
  • Bhrandon H.

    If you're looking for authentic Filipino food with the option of an American breakfast joint, this is the place to go.

    (4)
  • Holly O.

    Uncle Mike's is hands down, one of the best breakfast/diner experiences I've had. The food is good AND doesn't make me feel sick later. The servers are friendly and the coffee man is ATTENTIVE. :) I'd personally recommend you ask to have your hash browns well done, cuz the default is pretty soft. Also, their sausage patties are better than their links. Finally, if you order toast (AND they have raisin toast by the way - a personal indication of a great b-fast place), you have to ask them to put butter on it, if you want butter on it. Otherwise, they bring you dry toast and it's cooled off by then, to the point that the "cold" butter packets on the table don't melt into it. Also, if you're adventurous they have Filipino breakfast specials - which can be a fun change. ALSO also - if you come for lunch, anyone ordering a lunch in house, gets a free soup - and they make their soup there! I've only been there for lunch once (-it's a breakfast haunt for me), and didn't know about the soup thing - and they gave me a chicken noodle and I was like, "meh - chicken noodle is boring" - but my mom made me try it and it was actually one of the most delicious chicken soups I've ever had. YUM.

    (4)
  • Michelle W.

    So wonderful! So glad I gave this a try! I loved the garlic rice and the breakfast was amazing! Such an ecclectic, enjoyable place. Fast and polite service - everyone was so friendly! I am not experienced with Filipino cuisine, but will definitely be returning to try out the other options on the menu!

    (4)
  • Stephanie T.

    If you're looking for the real deal on Filipino food, this is it. With every Philippine breakfast, you get a side of lugaw, which is a great starter. My favorites are the Bangus and the Tocino platters. I also like the fact that they are actually open when breakfast should be served. Go around the city and you will not find anything open early. Yay for Uncle Mike's!

    (5)
  • Gary E.

    Having just moved into the neighborhood I was super excited to find Uncle Mike's right up the block. After going in to pick up breakfast to go - I was already a regular the next day - greeted by name nonetheless by Ruby who is a doll and handles most of the takeout orders. So far I've stuck to American options for breakfast and lunch - the omelettes and chicken sandwiches are awesome, made to order, fresh and hot! I definitely need to try the Philippine food and I think Ruby is starting to think I'm giving her the business by saying I will try it. 7 days in the neighborhood and I've been here 4 times already...

    (4)
  • Lorena L.

    Love The Manilla Omelette. It comes with garlic rice and a teriyaki sauce. Yummmmm. Side of tocino always delicious. Watch out for the young man waiter....he's not very friendly :/ ...at all.

    (4)
  • Matthew S.

    First, I'll premise this with : I had been out REALLY late the night before. I actually went to this place wearing the same clothes I wore to the outing the night before. It started off innocently enough. I was invited by two dear friends to have a "glass of wine"...which turned into a bottle of wine by myself, with no dinner on my stomach. I ended up konking out at said friends house. Wake up in the morning to a brisk walk with his dog, and coffee at some cute little coffee shop served by a very devoted coffee shop owner. Then the suggestion of breakfast at Uncle Mike's place. I would have driven right past it, its kind of tucked away on Grand. The interior looks like the place had seen its hay day years and years ago - wood paneled walls, and a little serving counter. Then I had to pee, and realized the place extended back really far. I would have loved to see this hidden gem hopping with business. There were about 15 other people inside, besides us. I had the spinach and swiss omlette. Super yum! It was perfect, and so was the bottomless cup of coffee. They kept offering refills on it, as well as the ice water. It was nice to be taken care of. It came with toast and a side of hashbrowns, which were actually pretty good. One of my friends asked for hot sauce, and they actually had a selection for him to choose from. Bonus points! The bill came, and it wasn't that expensive for 3 people. I enjoyed the atmosphere, and the conversation I had while there. It wasn't loud - we left through the front entrance, which I didn't even notice when we arrived, as we came in a side door (as did most people). I'd suggest Uncle Mike's for the perfect hang over breakfast. Not that I had a hangover. Being a virgin and all, I know when I've had enough to drink.

    (4)
  • Alejandro G.

    I used to go there when it first opened up many years ago. My last visit was in 10/2012. Ordered breakfast and was very disappointed. Yes, you're given alot, but what's the point if the potatoes remind me of the mess I get from some of these 24hr greasy spoons? If that's what I wanted, I would've gone there and not pay the high end price for the breakfast I just ordered. And another thing, sunny side eggs mean "Sunny Side" or over easy means just that. I don't want a have fried egg if I didn't order it. The wait staff is good and I noticied that Filipino meals are offered. But if I want a more traditional American classic type breakfast, then please give me what I ordered. I'm not playing the ethnic card here because I'm American-Mexican born in Texas.

    (2)
  • Kris R.

    YUM! i love this place. uncle mike's is the one and only place i recommend for filipino breakfast. it's a casual, laid-back diner, so don't expect fireworks for decor. our meal started off with lugao, a rice porridge, which was fantastic. my family and i all had the combo - loganisa and tocino, with eggs & garlic fried rice. it was amazing. and their cut of meat isn't as fatty as it normally is, which is good - still tasty - but you feel less guilty after. my niece had the spam, which was great, too. yeah, i like spam, WHAT. i also love that it's just right down the street from my 'hood! the best!!!!

    (4)
  • Grace G.

    I've been wanting to go to this place since I am filipino, but haven't had a filipino breakfast in a while. We went in and immediately seated at a comfortably large table for two near the window. THE LAYOUT: The decor had some filipino stuff that looked like they grabbed it out of my grandma's kitchen. The tables were large enough to seat several people, and I didn't feel like it was too crowded even though the place seemed quite busy. THE SERVICE: Service was prompt and efficient, but not as friendly as I would've expected. I may be used to my family saying "ka-in ka-in!" (english translation = eat! eat!) I've been to other filipino restaurants before also that seemed a lot more welcoming, but maybe they were overwhelmed on a busy Sunday. But... SOMETHING WEIRD. So, I came there with a caucasian friend, and I looked at the menu, which seemed lacking to me since I was expecting some filipino food to be on there. He joked, saying "they probably gave us the White menu". I looked around at the other tables with filipino people sitting around, and I was flabbergasted. I asked the waiter "Excuse me, but can I see... the other menu". He seemed reluctant to provide it for us, and handed us the Filipino menu. Then, when my caucasian company ordered his filipino breakfast, the waiter asked, "... with the garlic rice?" in a way that made us feel... different. Maybe they just didn't want to give us culture shock from garlic rice. I also noticed we were given small bowls of lugao with our meal, but everyone else had way bigger bowls. Aside from this, the experience was pleasant. Moving onto THE FOOD. The food was great. Tocino, longanisa, garlic rice, lugao... all good stuff. I do wish the garlic rice had more garlic involved, but it was pretty good. Their champorrado was tasty. That is the brown-colored sweet rice that is usually served for breakfast or as a dessert. A bit pricey for a breakfast for two, but on a lazy Sunday, it's worth the trip. Overall, I like the place, but my tita Aida still cooks the best filipino food.

    (3)
  • Josh N.

    Great service!!! This is a place I will be back too.....

    (5)
  • Vivian Y.

    Yum! excellent place for breakfast - it's in a quieter neighborhood in West Town and relatively easy street parking - No lines - high quality yet simple food. What else can I say? I wish I ordered the filipino breakfast but I didn't see it on the menu and only noticed it was written on the chalkboard as our waitress walked away. Oh well, I guess I'm coming back for that real soon! Instead I ordered the steak and eggs as recommended by my lovely Yelp friends and it didn't disappoint! It was a well seasoned, well trimmed skirt steak with a huge portion of garlicky fried rice (which tasted bland, but was very well scented from the garlic - this is a good thing as I don't like rice that is over powered in flavor) and pan fried eggs. Hubby had the corned beef hash and commented on how good it was (and he can be a tough one to please!). A little expensive, but probably because I ordered steak and eggs which was $13 or $14 buck alone. Everything else was about $10 or less.

    (4)
  • Jay S.

    To me comfort food is breakfast food. Better yet is Filipino breakfast food. Now, there isn't many Filipino place near downtown so its good to see one in the westside of town! The gal pal got the tocino and longanisa combo and I got the skirt steak. The tocino did not disappoint - and I'm not really a fan of tocino in general. The longanisa was good, not the best I've had, but pretty damn good. My skirt steak was done to perfection and tasted even better! The portions were pretty big and by the end of it all I was stuffed and satisfied. To be honest, breakfast is something that is hard to mess up for me. This meal is something to harks back to the childhood days waking up to some sunny-side up eggs, Oscar's Foods longanisa, and some rice before heading out to school. So kudos to Uncle Mike's for bringing me back to those days.

    (4)
  • Howard L.

    About 4.5 stars and a solid and different Filipino breakfast spot. You get a lot of value here - I had the tocino (pork shoulder) and longaniza (sweet chorizo sausage) combo breakfast for $10.95, and it included lugao (Filipino congee), two eggs over garlic rice, and a nice cold dessert of a chocolate-coconut flavored tapioca pudding. It was a delicious and filling breakfast with the tocino tasting like a sweet, fatty version of Chinese char-siu. The lugao was light and delicate, and served with a side of fish sauce added as you like. Wife had the pork chop breakfast but it was a bit dry and disappointing. We also unbeknowingly met Mike and wife Lucie - a friendly couple. As a few of us were waiting at the door for rest of our party, Lucie proactively queried if we needed any help in getting set up, as she was sitting up front eating her own breakfast. I asked her who she was, as I thought I was bothering her, and she seemed like an assertive type customer, but that's when she said she was the owner! Expect a leisurely breakfast, as it was a little slow on the food, and the pace was only thing I thought that kept it from being a 5 star outing, for my breakfast anyway. Others in the party tried the boneless milkfish (bangus), spicy spam, and skirt steak, and all were pretty pleased. The front dining area is small and a bit packed, but there is more room in the rear dining area. They been there for 10 years. Street parking is plentiful and easy in the area also.

    (4)
  • Robyn C.

    If you're craving a Filipino breakfast come to this spot ... Loganiza, tocino, they have it all. If you want more vinegar with garlic, they'll bring it out. The owner made us a special fish dish completely off the menu with your typical Filipino side that you eat the fish with. It has tomatoes, onions and mango... and of course fish sauce!! I generally dislike Filipino food cooked anywhere except my own kitchen or my mom's kitchen, but Uncle Mike's does it right. go here, eat, you'll love it

    (3)
  • Don M.

    Uncle Mikes has over 370 reviews so it is a challenge to add a unique spin. I was visiting Chicago and wanted to try out a local breakfast place. Found Uncle Mike's which has a Filipino flavor. Sounds interesting. At 5:30am I am at the door. What a find! As the other reviews state, huge portions, but the flavors of his Filipino inspired dishes are incredible. Do yourself a favor and get a combo dish. My favorite meat is the Tocino. It is pork which has been marinated then finished on grill. The skirt steak is great. Excellent coffee and service. If you love breakfast places this is one of the best. Mike is a great guy too. Say Hi!

    (5)
  • Neil C.

    For a $35 breakfast this place is not worth it. Went here to try a Filipino style meal, and to support a family-owned local restaurant. The good: - Our waitress was very attentive, she was the best part of the whole experience honestly. - Received complimentary lugao and a pulled pork dish at the start of our meal which was a nice gesture. - Grits were pretty good. The bad: - French toast was completely cold, bacon was awful and cold, bread was cold - One of the guys serving us had a runny bloody nose he kept wiping. Kind of gross when that's the guy bringing you your silverware (with no hand cleaning in between). I understand this isn't his fault, but why is management making him work while sick? - Same server also dropped a fork with food on it on my girlfriend's lap, getting food on her shirt. Once again, I don't blame him, looked like he was sick/worn out and should not have been working. - And to top it all off, the manager (John?) didn't seem to care at all about these issues when brought to his attention, just muttered a quiet apology as he took my money. I wanted to like this place and have a good homestyle Filipino meal, but there's just so many better options in Chicago for a delicious (warm) breakfast.

    (1)
  • Tiffany L.

    This is the only place I know of for Filipino breakfast in the city. Really good in that comfort food kind of way. The breakfast dishes have all the flavors - sweet, salty, spicy, sour. It's just also a really good deal. You know what was weirdly good? That chocolate coconut condensed milk rice pudding they serve with your breakfast (it's not beans you guys, imagine my surprise). Strangely addicting.

    (4)
  • Char Y.

    we came on a sunday morning and waited about 1/2 hour. We ordered longaniza - juicy & sweet! tocino - yum! skirt steak - done just right! really enjoyed the breakfast but not sure it's worth the wait.

    (4)
  • Darren F.

    i hear a lot of my friends come here for breakfast and they all say its very good.. so one day my friend wanted this and took me here.. i had the tocino, garlic rice, eggs and added a side of Longanisa.. it was pretty good.. very flavorful and ofcourse oily lol.. everything was cooked just right.. decent size portion with decent pricing! would come back if i can make time to come this way before their closing time

    (4)
  • Rosa J.

    "Hey young man, have you seen Uncle Mike?" "Well, do I know him?" "You sure do...he's in your neighborhood." "What? Who is he? What does he do?" Uncle Mike's Place is at the corner of Paulina and Grand (accessible via #65 Grand bus), in Ukrainian Village. You can start knocking on his door at 0500 hour on a weekday, or at 0600 hour on a weekend. However, we came in at approximately noon time. Please be aware: always visit Uncle Mike's with a super healthy appetite, because this meal could potentially last you the entire day! The service was swift and friendly. Coffee with unlimited refills, water, and Lugao (Filipino congee) were brought to our table immediately. Some of the popular menu items were the skirt steak, spam, and bangus (milkfish). There was a slight increase on anything featuring steak, but it really wasn't a deal breaker. I, on the other hand, went with the "Tocino," which were wine-cured pork shoulders. The taste resembled with the Chinese cha siu, except it was savory. This reminded me of my childhood home in Taiwan, where lots of street vendors in the night markets sold Taiwanese-style sausages. Daddy J. certainly was fond of his skirt steak. By the way, our entrees were presented using an XL circular plate, with various side dishes (pico de gallo, coconut sweet bean jelly, and garlic rice with eggs of any style). Thus, Uncle Mike's knew how to feed his children! I personally don't think Uncle Mike's is the "cheapest" option in the city: $32 and some change with two (2) breakfast entrees and two (2) large bottomless coffee. Yet you will probably be full until dinner time if you're a normal-appetite individual like myself.

    (4)
  • Julie T.

    This place is a gem! Haven't had Filipino food in so long, Uncle Mike's brought back memories. Had the steak with tocino. The portions were so big and fulfilling. It came with garlic rice and eggs which were amazing. I definitely want to come back and grub some more. The only issue I had was the service. Our waiter rarely checked up on us and we needed assistance! I wanted to order things to go and get our check and she dragged on checking up on us. So as soon as I saw her, I had to wave to get her attention or else she wouldn't have came by. Other than that, the food here is just amazing!

    (4)
  • Meghan B.

    Yunmy breakfast joint and where you are going to get a traditional Filipino breakfast. Wonderful little place that is something different than your run of the mill brunch spot. Get ready to try something different that your taste buds will thank you for later. There aee savory and sweet breakfast options. If you are lucky enough to spot Uncle Mike it is quite a treat!

    (5)
  • Karen V.

    Craving Filipino eats at 5am? Want some longsilog, tocilog, or bangsilog? Off the main path is this joint serving huge(!) plates of Filipino breakfast and they do it right with the sinaag, suka, camatis/toyo (depending on what you order), and champorrado. A bowl of lugao comes with each Filipino breakfast, served while you wait. (Ano ba?!). I was taken aback at first bc every other pin@y restaurant is usually a turo-turo. But this is actually a sitdown, place-your-order, made-to-order cafe. Pop country music seems to be a fav pick of the regulars, whatever keeps this place rolling out the goods is ok with me. Non-pretentious, straightforward, down-home, get your eat on kind of atmosphere. They also have traditional American breakfast, pretty yummy looking as well. I went aswang postal on the bangsilog, I'm not ashamed. Definitely coming back, Terminator style!

    (5)
  • Justin B.

    Note: while I recognize that Uncle Mike's Place does the Filipino breakfast thing as their calling card, today I wanted a traditional American breakfast, so I stuck to the basics. The short stack of buttermilk pancakes and the sausage patty and egg sandwich on a french roll were pretty good; the pancakes were perfectly cooked. The egg sandwich was good, and big, but I'm not sure it stands out in a crowd. The roll was fine and the sausage was also just fine. Solid, but not spectacular. The space is small but very kid-friendly and kitchen speed is very fast, which was much appreciated with a baby-on-the-verge this morning when I walked in (that would be my baby, aged 14 months). My tablemates tried more traditional Filipino offerings and came away with a look that said "average", but I want to try that side of the menu for myself before passing judgment. Also--all plates that I saw brought out from the kitchen were freakin' huge, so try to split meals or prepare to bring a big doggy bag home with you...so much on one plate here!!

    (4)
  • Colleen D.

    Another very disappointing visit. This time I got the tried and true and always amazing steak and egg. I asked for the egg to be over medium and the steak to be medium. Not sure if the steak was undercooked or just a bad piece of meat but I couldn't cut it let alone chew it. The egg was so runny and sunny side up at best. B/f had pork chop....it looked so dry - I tried it and yep looks don't lie. The free soup was the only good thing ...oh and the coffee. The service was actually very good to which is an improvement but for a $40 breakfast that I couldn't even eat....there are other places to go. Sad to say because I've had some very great breakfasts here but it will be a long time before I come back if ever.

    (2)
  • Jeana C.

    Don't have other Filipino breakfast spots to compare to but this place was really good. I got the Tocino (marinated pork shoulder) and Bangus (fish) combo platter. It came with lugao (congee or porridge), 2 sunny side up eggs, garlic fried rice and some chocolate oatmeal dessert. Unbelievable! With the generous portion size, it was all for I think $12. Definitely recommend and will definitely come back. Prepare to eat some heavy breakfast/brunch! Friend had the spam & steak combo with the longanisa?(a sweet sausage) on the side. I had the chance to try all of them but still decided that the bangus and tocino were my favorite! What made my platter 10x better is when I mixed my sunny side up eggs with the garlic rice and added sriracha. DROOL!-- try it!

    (5)
  • Diane W.

    This is the first time I've had Philippine food, so we thought we would try it out. I got a combo meal of sausage and steak skirt. It was a lot of food, but some of it was over cooked and under seasoned. I would recommend the Philippine sausage and pork shoulder

    (3)
  • Michael E.

    So Carol K...as she usually does....never provides a dull moment in the culinary adventures we have in the Windy city. After a night of great food and music....as well as friendship, we head to this little place for brunch on Sunday. To start.....no, they don't serve alcohol, so keep that in mind if you are trying to nurse a hangover...which we didn't have at this time *wink*. We arrived around 10:30am and the place was....well packed....with folks even waiting outside. Thankfully we had friends that arrived early and already had a table so in we went and sat down. As I pursued the menu...which reminds me of the Waffle House menus in the South, I caught out of the corner of my eye a large rack full of Spam......yes Spam....at least 4 varieties. Having never had a Filipino breakfast before I was very excited to try out a traditional "Spam Breakfast" as I think I've only had it like once in my life. The order were made and after some time waiting for our food to arrive the plates came which were twice the size of normal plates....for a moment I thought Carol K was Alice in Wonderland and I was along for the ride....slowly shrinking as my plate grew in size...... Seriously, the eggs and meats....in fact the entire meal was very good. A little spicy here and there and everything good to my liking....and there was garlic...lots of it. All and all a great experience....even if it is to only have it once....it will expand your understanding of how folks in other parts of the world eat........or at the very least.....eat Spam ;^)

    (5)
  • Patrick G.

    Stopped into Uncle Mike's for my 3rd visit and the quality of food, level of service and overall experience has been superbly consistent each time. During this visit, ordered the Filipino Breakfast - medium rare skirt steak, sunny side eggs and garlic rice. Grits or hash browns are the other two side item options, but the rice compliments the dish to my liking. The steak is super tender with great flavors. Mike uses a simple yet effective marinade, consisting of soy sauce and 7-UP and various other spices. The meat is juicy and thankfully avoids being over-chewy, a pitfall of many other skirt steak options at all-too-many breakfast diners around the city. The eggs were cooked perfectly and when mixed into the rice, provide a nice textural contrast to the dish. A touch of black pepper and sriracha hot sauce add a level of heat that only adds to the dish's multi-layers of flavor: savory, salty & sweet. While the portion may be a bit on the larger size (always a good problem), the leftover meat can be reheated and turned into a tasty steak sandwich for lunch or dinner. In terms of service, this place makes you feel like you're actually visiting family, as its name suggests. During each visit, Mike made the rounds to check on food quality and to socialize with regulars and or first time customers. Don't be surprised to get more food than you order, particularly in the form of a complimentary bowl of Lugao, made fresh daily. Or possibly a taste of an off-the-menu item the cooks are working on in the kitchen. In addition to Mike's charm and generous approach, the servers are knowledgable, attentive and round out the overall dining experience. In a world of cut-throat business, minuscule food margins and the turn and burn nature of many food establishments, Uncle Mike's Place is a nice change of pace, that serves phenomenal food. I highly recommend to drop by for a great breakfast/lunch and stick around for the conversation.

    (5)
  • Dustin H.

    5 stars for the garlic rice, 0 stars for the milkfish. The atmosphere is wonderful, with tiled walls featuring flowers and a super friendly staff. Behind the register you'll notice multiple flavors of SPAM in a can, sitting patiently waiting for consumption. The portions of food are HUGE and the quality is high for the price. My friend loved his omelette and my other friend loved her breakfast sandwich, though she was seriously weirded out by the pickles. As for my dish? I think I ordered wrong, and I'll try again. I absolutely LOVED my gigantic portion of garlic rice. It was silky, oily, super garlicky and just delicious. The two over easy eggs soaked beautifully in and honestly that would have been a perfect meal on it's own. The Longanisa and Bangus I ordered with it? I'll pass next time. The sausages were weird and kind of sweet and tangy. Not satisfying at all. And the Bangus... aka milkfish? It was gross. The menu described the fish as "boneless marinated milkfish." The word "marinated" implied something moist, but no it was crazy dry... bordering on leathery and just tasted way way too fishy in the worst way possible. The rice sat with us all for hours. Super rich and dense, we weren't hungry until it was way too late to eat dinner. We'll be back, but there is no question I will never touch the fish or sausages again.

    (3)
  • John D.

    Ate at uncle mikes this morning with my wife we just moved in the area Best pumpkin pancakes ever great staff great service .....Be back tomorrow....john d....

    (5)
  • Mawie T.

    I really don't think the Yelp photos do this place justice because when I checked the website before coming in I thought the portion sizes were going to be completely different. I HAD NO IDEA PLATES WOULD BE WIDER THAN MY BODY. It was amazing. I truly felt like I was in a Filipino restaurant after that. The food is so good and the filipino breakfast tastes just like my mom's cooking. The bangus and longanisa combo breakfast was something I swore by until I had the godly being that was their marinated skirt steak. Perfection. PERFECTION! It is truly heaven on earth. The staff is so friendly and the atmosphere is very cozy. I went 6 times in two weeks. It's my new religion. Also, we shot a film there not too long ago and Uncle Mike was the coolest dude ever! So unbelievably thankful for everything that man and his establishment have done for us. It's incredible. I swear by this restaurant as my go to hangover cure/favorite brunch spot.

    (5)
  • Joe H.

    I'm sure you've heard about the amazing Filipino breakfast from here. Make sure you try their skirt steak definitely one of the best on the city.

    (5)
  • Pierre W.

    I have finally eaten at Uncle Mike's Place!!! I've been trying to get here for a few months!!.. The parking is a challenge. I had the Skirt Steak & Eggs.. The steak was as I expected it to be very tender...tasted good!! The wait staff was attentive. My waitress was kind and polite, and prompt!! My food came to me as soon as it was done I had hash browns with onions with my steak & eggs. The ONLY complaint I'd have is "PARKING"!!!... That's what took me so long to get into the restaurant the first times I tried to visit. Otherwise, it was VERY good. It gets 3 stars because of the parking...did I say there is none?? Good luck finding a parking space..

    (3)
  • Ansley S.

    We wanted to try something new this weekend, and hot damn, am I glad we made the trek for Uncle Mike's. Both of us are Filipino food n00bs, so the experience was definitely a good primer. We ended up with the longanisa combo breakfast with a side of potato pancakes. WOW. First, the pancakes: totally crunchy on the outside, lovely and soft on the inside. Killer with sour cream and apple sauce. Huge plate! Enough for 4 people, at least. The combo: incredible skirt steak with a side of steak sauce, and two fried eggs with rice. We also got champorado (not really worth the calories, though, the chocolate tasted like powder) and lugao (lovely rice/ginger/chicken porridge soup, although a little on the diluted side). We also got some sausage with the combo, and honestly, it was hard to stop eating! The portions are big and satisfying, and the food really is tasty. All in all, the food combo was killer, but we really came there for the atmosphere. Our server (the guy with the tattoos and lovely smile!) was SO nice, attentive, and made us feel right at home. The place is busy, with big families coming in looking for lots of seats. We loved the "diner" feel: free refills on coffee, people bustling around with big trays of food, satisfied little kids and their parents talking happily. A good option if you're looking for a low-key place to enjoy stellar Filipino (and American!) food. Uncle Mike's is a new favorite.

    (4)
  • Nikki C.

    Super friendly staff, we were given souvenir keychains too! Super delicious food with super portions and decent prices! Our food came with a small portion of yummy champorado for dessert (chocolate rice pudding). I honestly don't remember the last time I had champorado, this was so good! Highly recommended!

    (4)
  • Rose O.

    You can never go wrong with the filipino breakfast. Don't bother with the spam as they only give two pieces. Always go with either tocino, longaniza or both!

    (3)
  • Alexandria T.

    I went to Uncle Mike's Place yesterday for brunch with some friends who have been raving about it for months. I had heard only good things via Yelp as well, so I was pretty pumped. When we arrived, it was about 1pm, and our friends were seated all the way in the back. The first thing they said was that they had never sat back there. It literally felt like we were sitting in the kitchen because it was right next to the dishwasher. I've worked in restaurants before and was pretty grossed out by the smell. Not a good way to start off our visit. I ordered the baby bangus with overeasy eggs served with garlic rice. Our meals came out pretty quickly and were served on gigantic plates. The only thing about those plates was that our entrees weren't that large. They took up the whole table unnecessarily. Maybe I'm being a little too nit-picky. Anyway, the food look ok, so I dug in. The eggs and rice were pretty ordinary. I'm not sure I like to eat fish for breakfast, but it was probably the best part about my meal, but was definitely a "baby" sized portion. All in all, I was very disappointed with Uncle Mike's and definitely won't be back.

    (2)
  • Carol K.

    Want some garlic with your breakfast? Well look no further than Uncle Mike's place which is a Filipino breakfast spot where everything comes with garlic, from the creamy rice soup at the start to the fried garlic rice served with most of the traditional Filipino breakfasts. We arrived at 10:30 on a very busy Sunday. Know that this place, since being featured on a local food show, is packed all the time so you will probably have to wait. Now that the weather is turning colder, they are encouraging you to use their side door (facing Grand) as what used to be the main entrance opens directly to the dining area making it freezing in there for the patrons. Lucky for us- our friends had gotten there at 10, secured a table and we were seated immediately. The menu has a mix of Filipino breakfast favorites (including a SPAM breakfast) as well as American classics such as pancakes, omlettes, etc. We ordered a range of foods from the pumpkin pancakes to a custom omelette to a couple of those crazy Filipino breakfasts. When the plates came- the portion sizes were huge! But we must have all been hungry as we cleaned our plates by the end. Service had a few timing issues with our food coming up at different times, we had to repeatedly ask for coffee and the darn door kept opening to let in the cold air which made for a chilly breakfast. But that aside, I think once this business gets back to normal after it's "recent celebrity status" it will be the place that it once was. . . . A great neighborhood place to meet up with friends for some tasty Filipino food served by servers who care.

    (4)
  • Teddy D.

    I can make diner food at home, so your average diner isn't that appealing. But when I saw they had Filipino style breakfast I was in! From the outside you'd probably just walk by it. Nothing special, nothing that says "we have awesome Filipino food!". Luckily we knew better. They do have a menu with standard diner offerings. But the Filipino food is what I'm after. Lugao, tocino, and longanisa combo? Yes yes and yes. Garlic rice, beans. Give me more. The food was awesome. The service, very friendly. I was stuffed, I didn't eat lunch until 3pm and I wasn't even that hungry. The price, I felt for the amount of food I got it was fair, if not cheap. Looking for awesome breakfast on the west side? Look no further.

    (5)
  • JP P.

    Steak and Egg Extraordinaire! BIG portions & BIG flavor all served on a BIGGER plate! Pay attention to the menu here because Uncle Mike strongly suggests what to order with BIG pictures. "I like BIG pictures...You like Big Pictures". There is a reason why everything else on the menu is in very, very "small" print!

    (5)
  • Anthony T.

    You will truly appreciate this place if you have ever had a Filipino parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle make breakfast for you? You get huge portions for the price paid, humble service with a smile, and a warm comfortable atmosphere. I recommend trying one of the traditional Filipino combos but don't worry if you're feeling a little shy. The menu is loaded with delicious American breakfast items if you just want blueberry pancakes made with fresh blueberries. What more could you ask for? Enjoy!

    (5)
  • Jeremy L.

    I am frequently mistaken as Filipino; Uncle Mike's makes part of me wish I actually was. This is one of my favorite brunch places in Chicago because of the food and its fantastic value. Portions are very sizeable and excellent for the price. But I have only had the combos, thus I have no opinion on the rest of the fairly large menu (sandwiches, omelettes, etc) because I'm always too busy stuffing my face with the meats, egg, rice, and lugao. The complementary lugao (rice porridge) bowls vary in quality, some days they seem a little more watery than others, but overall are excellent. The fried garlic bits, green onions, occasional chicken pieces, and rice in a chicken broth garnished with a lemon is really the best way to start any meal on a weekend morning. The garlic rice is also very good. Light and when topped with a couple over-easy (or however you prefer) eggs, is perfect with the various meats. The pork shoulder is excellent. Sweet and savory with a bit of crispy fat. So good. The skirt steak is also quite good, well marinated and flavored. Both the half and full sizes are satisfying/filling and come with A1 sauce. The sausages are also delicious as sausages should be; definitely of the sweet Asian variety though. Don't be expecting the heavy salty punch of European encased meat mash. The combos also come with a small dish of diced tomato and onions that go nicely with everything else on the big plates. The milkfish is a little more disappointing. I've only had it once and it was fairly dry and the flavor non-descript. Service is pretty good. Once, near the end of our meal, we got extra cabbage-borscht-like soup on the house for no discernable reason. I don't think they knew that I am a big fan of soup...but maybe they somehow did. Sometimes the kitchen seems to get pretty busy and the food takes a little longer to come out but I would never call the service here slow. We are usually seated within 15 minutes, even on a busy late Saturday morning. Parking is easy, or the 65 bus drops you off right in front of the restaurant. Place is easy to find. Bar seating and bigger tables in the back are available. Atmosphere is bustling and feels very much like a comfortable hole-in-the-wall I would find in Asia or Los Angeles. 4 stars for great food and even better value.

    (4)
  • Michelle R.

    Service sucked except for the water boy. Just to place our order took 10 min. Food took 20 min to come out. Our waiter was so slow. We had to go find her to ask for our check. So the Bangus was full of bones and the garlic rice was mushy. They didn't give us the free soup either. The eggs weren't cooked well either. How hard is it to cook eggs? On the menu the price of a full skirt steak breakfast was $15.50 but we were charged $16.95. Never going there again.

    (1)
  • David S.

    The best skirt steak in town! Nuff said.

    (5)
  • Kimmie H.

    I am pretty sure this is the one of the only Filipino restaurants in Chicago. You can get Longanisa and Bangus along with American food. They only serve breakfast. The portion is huge!!! (Updated: I gave it 5 stars after talking to the owners. Very nice owners who are generous. Consumer service is great here),

    (5)
  • Marivic C.

    Filipino breakfast at its finest!! In Chicago a must have!! Yummy! And we're from Vegas!! A come back for sure! :)

    (5)
  • Crystal L.

    This is the first time I had Filipino breakfast so I was beyond excited to try this place. The atmosphere is so nice and relaxing. I'm sure it helped that it was bright and sunny morning and we got a window seat - got some tanning done at the same time. Wait staff was very attentive and helpful. They'll offer you arroz caldo to start off with - take it. My boyfriend was a little confused on what it was but it's basically congee. One thing - YOU MUST GET THE TOCINO...and/or the Longaniza...or both. Actually....get both. Even if you're by yourself. They will not disappoint. I do have to admit, this is much heavier than what I'm use to for breakfast food, but surprisingly I didn't feel weighed down at the end of my feast...or even after throughout the day. That's probably what I loved the most! It was not super greased up in oil. If it was, it definitely did not show on the plate.

    (5)
  • Samone H.

    Delicious food with really big servings, and pretty affordable given the portion. It can get a little crowded, but that's because they have fans. They have a lovely variety of asian and american on their brunch menu. I really like the lugao (congee) that pretty much comes with every meal. The service is pretty much always courteous and on point. We probably come here two times every 3 months or so, or whenever the craving hits.

    (4)
  • Vanessa W.

    Awesome place! First time eating Filipino breakfast. Uncle's Mike is so friendly and so chill! Talking to us about traveling and gave us a lot of food! The steak is a must-try!

    (5)
  • Sonia B.

    Uncle Mikes...I've heard so much about it and couldn't wait to finally try the hype. I had the tocino and spam combo and it was good. I always love garlic rice and you can't go wrong with spam. I had lugow (sp?) for the first time and that was REALLY good...it was complimentary w/ our meal! I wasn't really wowed by anything though. It seemed pretty ordinary to me. Would I go back? Sure, if other people I was with wanted to go. Would I crave anything there? Probably not. I think there are other authentic Filipino restaurants that satisfy my palette a bit more. The service was good though. The gal serving us was friendly.

    (3)
  • D. F.

    as a filipino, i was pleasantly surprised about this find. i've lived in the chicago area for 22 years and i never heard of this place until this past weekend. the langonesa (filipino pork sausage) tasted just like how mom used to make! served with a garlic fried rice and two sunny-side up eggs, the servings are big, so you're getting your money's worth for sure. it's true what one person said here - you won't leave hungry!

    (4)
  • Sheryl K.

    Filipino breakfast (aka tapsilog) is what they do best! You get free rice porridge (lugao) before your meals and it is ahhmazinggg! Tastes like my grandma's cooking! For breakfast I ordered the longanisa plate which included garlic fried rice, tomato/onion salsa, egg prepared any way, and champorrado. It's truly a lot of food but I wanted to try their cornbeef hash also...hehe. At the end, I got to meet Uncle Mike himself and rolled myself out with siopao in my hand.

    (5)
  • Leah C.

    a filipino walks into a filipino restaurant... and orders the veggie omelette with hashbrowns :) it was actually pretty good - not crazy buttery like at other diners (i don't use butter when i fry eggs and i don't think anyone should - blech!) all fresh, not canned veggies and it came out fast. i think i confused our server that i refused sinangag and lugaw as my husband and kid ordered and ate up their longanisa and tocino. my kid really loved the lugaw! as you probably guessed, i'm an a-typical fil-am but i was disappointed that jufran wasn't offered! super fast service but get there super early. expect intimate dining - and by that i mean 20 hungry people hovering over your table as they make funny faces at your kid, comment on your food and scream across the restaurant to their manangs in the kitchen with their stomachs grumbling. ah...just like home ;)

    (4)
  • DeAnna K.

    Was visiting from St. Louis and a friend took us for breakfast. Definitely hit the spot! Never really had a Filipino breakfast before, but my mother is Japanese so there were a lot of similarities (like the Spam ) Staff was friendly, atmosphere was cool, and it was just plain satisfying!! Wish we had one in St. Louis...They'd make a killing here.

    (4)
  • Dax R.

    The service here is great. The food tastes homemade and if you are lucky, you will get chicken on the house. Make sure you ask for the Banana ketchup if you are eating a Filipino breakfast! I ordered the Bangus (large fried milk fish) and Tocino. It was awesome and fulfilled my Filipino breakfast cravings!

    (4)
  • Angela B.

    Yum. This place is down-home perfection. I had the tocino/longuisa combination with the garlic fried rice and eggs, chocolate rice pudding, and porridge. My boyfriend had the large fried fish with the same sides I loved (almost)every single morsel. Both the pork products that I had were exceptional (kind of sweet, but not unpleasantly so), as was the garlic fried rice and small dish of pico de gallo type salad that comes with it. I thought he porridge had an awesome taste but something about the look and texture was somewhat off putting to me. I did not like the chocolate rice pudding at all (my boyfriend commented "this is JELLO pudding" and I think he was right). The seating also looked like it was a part of someone's basement (not exactly sleek), but it did add to the effect of feeling like you were having a home cooked meal. I highly recommend trying. I really cannot wait to go back.

    (5)
  • Pam V.

    Best Filipino breakfast ever. Skirt steak, garlic rice, lugao. Worth the drive from the NW suburbs. Can't wait to go back.

    (5)
  • Marissa D.

    Great somewhat traditional Filipino style restaurant. Portions are good and the food was better. The decor was homie and kitchie which I enjoyed.

    (4)
  • Buzz and Poxie C.

    Thank you Uncle Mike's!!!! We always come here craving for the good old Filipino breakfast (garlic rice, served with a variety of meats and fried fish that also comes with fried egg, cooked just the way you like it. Be ready because Filipino breakfast (and their big serving) is so heavy in the tummy which makes you skip lunch. On an early Sunday morning, it's nice that Uncle Mike's is open early so right after church, we can satisfy our cravings. Uncle Mike was there together with only 2 servers. It was busy but the servers were quick. Uncle Mike also helped out a bit. He even gave us hot tea and lugaw (hot, rice chicken congee/soup) while waiting for our meal. Food is always good here no matter what!!!! This is the ONLY Filipino breakfast place that has survived for so many years in downtown Chicago, that's why we continue to patronize it and even bring friends here. So expect it to be a busy place especially on weekends, that's why we always go there earlier (like around after 8am). My favorite here is the tocino (sweet meat) and bangus (fried milk fish) and their pancakes too are so good, it makes me remember the pancakes (which we use to call hotcakes) I've had in the Philippines growing up. Uncle Mike's Filipino dishes mixed with Continental/American breakfast is truly great match! We Filipinos are grateful and appreciate that Uncle Mike's is continuing to serve the community by introducing Filipino breakfast to other people of various ethnicity who would like to try something different. Thank you for welcoming us to your restaurant and for opening up your doors as early as 6am so we can satisfy our cravings which makes us miss our motherland (Philippines) more.

    (5)
  • Selena L.

    I've only had Filipino food a couple of times before this, but I would definitely come back to try the other breakfast options. I got the spam breakfast and it hit the spot. Plentiful street parking which of course is a MAJOR plus.

    (4)
  • Chelsea R.

    SO. GOOD. The Filipino breakfast is amazing - three of us shared the tocino and longanisa breakfasts. Everyone got a bowl of lugao and a side of champurrado; awesome service!!! This is the way breakfast should be done :)

    (5)
  • Thomas T.

    I don't think there's anything I can say about Uncle Mike's Place that hasn't already been said by any other filipino on here. I only go here for filipino breakfast and here's my take. I try and avoid the longganisa because you only get 3 links and I feel like that's not enough compared to some of the other choices, though it is delicious. I've also gotten the skirt steak and tocino. Both are good and you get a lot more bang for your buck. A few times I've had bad service here, there's like extra people not in uniform that help out but sometimes just hang out, not really sure what they're doing. A few times I ended up just sitting there for a n extra 10-15 minutes just waiting for a waiter to come back. Though this last time, they were pretty good with the water refills. Separate people, including 2 different waiters and the bus boy, filled my water throughout my meal so good job there.

    (4)
  • Michelle P.

    Even when it's packed there's great service. Friendly and attentive even while busy Uncle Mike's brings back a piece of the Philippines with it's hearty (and cheap!) dishes. They have American dishes too for those not in the mood for lugaw alongside other traditional fare. I had a longanisa and spam combo that was definitely more than enough to sate a raging appetite. Filipino meals come with lugaw, two eggs and rice and I'm not sure if it's exclusive to combos but it also comes with this nostalgia filled chocolate lugaw too. Definitely stole my heart, I plan to be back often!

    (5)
  • Rai M.

    Yummy tocino! Finally had a chance to try uncle mike's. We ordered tocino and bangus combo & bangus and skirt steak combo and added extra garlic rice because the rice was not enough. I liked their garlic rice and everything that was on my big plate. The service was good even though we got there at 2 pm. The place was still packed. I just hope that our server told us there's some free (lugaw & tea) with our orders.. Still will come back and try their other breakfast choices

    (4)
  • Hector A.

    Filipino breakfast is the way I fly. It's like a 3 course meal. Yeah! For breakfast. You first get this lugao or something like that, it really a chicken with rice thick soup with a piece of lemon. Then your main course eggs, rice, whatever meat or fish you wanted and it comes with a tomato onion type relish with a salty slightly sour flavor that seams to just go perfect with all the meats and fish. The steak is super seasoned which I thought would be overwhelming for breakfast but it's not, and it comes in 2 different sizes. The spicy spam, yes spam, it's great!!!!! Then when you finish that, they show up with a cup or small bowl of Champorado, a choco oatmeal type desert that is not too sweet, but just sweet enough. You have to try this at least once and you be the judge. Since my wife is Filipino, have been to the Philippines a couple of times, and let me tell you, this is way better, but don't tell my mother in law.

    (5)
  • Chuck T.

    Food good. It's a diner. I want to come here all the time. However, every time I come they don't have at least one thing that is on the menu. It's annoying. Today, no bananas for the fruit plate. It's Monday. It's breakfast, already out of bananas? Last week, no potato salad, the previous week, ordered an Avocado salad and they brought it out without avocado. This is an issue.

    (2)
  • Danny M.

    My friend took me here years ago and I have been loving this place ever since. Parking is always really easy to find around here and they even have a parking lot in the back. I mainly come on Sundays and I usually get seated right away. I always get the Longansia and Skirt Steak Combo, which comes with garlic rice and two fried eggs. It also comes with lugao, which is like congee or a rice cereal thing. Unfortunately this is the only thing I get here, but it has always been amazing. The service here is good for the most part.

    (4)
  • Amanda N.

    I just got takeout from Uncle Mike's Place, and I'm so glad I did. I'm half Filipino and since I moved to Chicago from California 3 years ago, I haven't been eating nearly enough Filipino food. (because I'm so lame and don't want to travel to the north side to get it) I've been missing my grandma's home cooking (she never taught me the how to cook!) Today I found myself craving tocino like crazy so I called them up. I had seen their sign outside the restaurant that said they serve Filipino breakfast, so I ordered the tocino breakfast, rode my bike over to pick it up and tore into it as soon as I got back to the office. IT TASTES JUST LIKE GRANDMA'S! The tocino was exactly what I wanted, cooked very well, just like home... and the lugao~ perfection. I am in LOVE. I can't wait to try the longanisa and the bangus! I don't want to eat anywhere else. Hella ono!

    (5)
  • Cheryl I.

    Sooooo much food! As a fellow filipina, I can say this place did things right. Nothing else to say really, aside from delicious and it's traditional food that reminds me of home. When you order, you may end up getting some sort of extra dish that the cook sends out. the couple times I've been here we have had soup (tinola?), and chicken. It was a nice added surprise :) If you're a first timer, you must have the Tocino, if you like fish try the bangus. You won't leave hungry :)

    (4)
  • Jessica W.

    Some of my friends had recommended Uncle Mike's for breakfast, so I decided to stop by this morning for some Filipino food. At 9am they were already pretty busy, but we were seated in their diner-style restaurant immediately. The service was friendly and not too bad of a wait. Before our meal, they brought out a hot cup of lugao that was perfect for the cool weather outside. My longaniza plate included some really tasty chorizo and with the rice, salsa and eggs, I was truly satisfied for most of the day. I was so happy to have checked out this place and would definitely recommend it if you're in the area!

    (4)
  • andy s.

    Simply awesome! Huge portions, great prices and truly authentic Filipino breakfasts. One of the best in town.

    (5)
  • Stefanie B.

    A great spot for Filipino food for lunch for a good price and a ton of food! The Longaniza and skirt steak combo with garlic fried rice was my favorite

    (5)
  • Kimverli H.

    If was my first time checking the place out, and my family and I got there for brunch (party of 6). Right after we walked in, we were greeted rudely by one of the people who manage the place (layer found out his name was John). We were already upset how we were greeted at the restaurant, but what killed our mood was when they tried to squeeze the 6 of us in a small table that can barely accommodate 3-4 people. The servers were working really hard, and instead of John either entertaining the customers or refilling coffee cups, or taking some parts away, he was just standing there most of the time. The customer service was horrible, but thank god we had the sweetest server (Diana). The food is decent, but I didn'thave the authenticity my mom and I were expecting. Food- 3-4 stars Customer service- 2.5 stars

    (3)
  • Jacob A.

    We have visited this restaurant probably over a dozen times and we love it! The food prepared to order. The service is prompt and friends- and they remember our names. Did I mention the food is wonderful? And you van actually meet Uncle Mike...how fun is that! Great food = great experience!

    (5)
  • Melanie V.

    Oh, I'm sorry...what? NO WAIT?! Talk about a Sunday miracle. Ok, so, let's talk about the breakfast. I was torn between the spam, bangus and the longanisa, but ultimately ended up with the longanisa. (Don't knock spam until you've tried it!) I always get the eggs over medium as it blends well with the garlic fried rice. The longanisa and garlic fried rice were perfect. It's also served with this vinegar dipping sauce (perfect to dip the meat in!) and champorado (this delish chocolate rice porridge). Comfort food-esque frealz. All for $10? Nothing makes for a better Sunday than this. They serve up a soup beforehand (arroz caldo, no?) which I devoured. I love that stuff. We were also treated to some longanisa sliders (aka pieces of longanisa on a pretzel bun). If you're not feelin' the Filipino breakfast options, they also have your typical American breakfast stuffs (eggs, bacon, omelets, pancakes) and lunch stuffs (burgers, steak sandwiches, soups). Very diverse menu and very reasonable prices! You can also order things a la carte (like, an egg and a piece of spam. I saw this happen.) if you feel like trying some items, but aren't sure how you'll feel about it. Yum!

    (4)
  • Charles N.

    Coming from LA. The experience at Uncle Mike was exquisitely great! I met uncle mike. Very humble guy and very generous. Staff was awesome as well, nice and friendly. Best experience ever and food was amazing. If you're visiting Chicago. Uncle Mike Place is a must!

    (5)
  • Sarah B.

    This place was really great. Its open early with fresh coffee. I ordered a traditional american breakfast and for the price, it was so much food. Best grits I've ever had. Service was great, I didn't have to ask for any refills, my cup of coffee was always full.

    (4)
  • Christian C.

    Been trying to get here for some time. After a long night of drinking and dancing. We went here for breakfast. The dining room was very Filipino. Only thing missing was a giant spoon and fork on the wall. The food was good I practically inhaled it. Skirt steak was tasty and tender. The soup could of used a little more ginger. And the portion size for the price is definitely a bargain. We will be brining back the kids.

    (5)
  • Jenna I.

    I love this place. I frequently go with my friend Saturdays for lunch. The food is absolutely delicous, portions are quite large and the service is fast and friendly. I usually get the milk fish which is so so good!

    (5)
  • Laura H.

    Don't be scared. No, seriously, stop that. You have to try Uncle Mike's. I'd never had Filipino cuisine before, and they have both that and standard American fare. This is definitely the place to eat outside of your comfort zone if you're new to Filipino food! The lugao (soup with chicken, rice and garlic) is made fresh daily and it's delicious! Tastes like Greek avgolemono soup, but with yummy fried garlic bits on top! Comes with all eat-in meals. Be warned about the Longanisa & Tocino breakfast--it's HUGE! Anise Wine-Cured Sweet Chorizo (not spicy) & Pork Shoulder (similar to Chinese spareribs) with eggs, garlic fried rice and salsa-like mixture with fish sauce and vinegar, and a cocoa sticky rice pudding. (The pudding wasn't standard accompaniment, just a bonus amuse (inter)bouche, and not super sweet.) It was all terrific! For the less adventuresome, the Monte Cristo sandwich was great--griddled to perfection and delightfully melty. The thick-cut slab bacon was tasty and not crazily salty, as bacon goes. (I mean, it's bacon, so it's salty, but the thickness makes it meaty and tasty!) and perfectly cooked--crispy, but not burned. Service was terrific--we never had to ask for coffee or water refills, and at the end of the meal they came around with another amuse (post)bouche of a hot oatmeal/cinnamon/banana/apple dessert! A great time was had by all with what was, for us, quite a culinary adventure!

    (5)
  • Mike L.

    Ate here today w the wife and daughter after watching the Ringling Brothers at the UC. The food was amazing and definitely feeds the crave of a legit Filipino cuisine. Uncle Mike is just awesome. Had the Bangus (milk fish- Fried) and skirt steak combo and I still cant stop thinking about it. Im heading back downtown to the Bears game tomorrow and I think I might just stop by for round 2. Everything about this place was great but meeting Uncle Mike and seeing how authentic his kindness is to his customers set the bar another level. My daughter blessed his hand and was given $5 treating her as though we were apart of their family. ( part of the Filipino Culture especially as we get closer to Christmas) Even though these guys are a bit of a hike for us, I will make sure to frequent this place and make sure that I give him my business. Truly a Gem as everyone has described them. Glad to finally be able to stop by. Salamat po Uncle Mike!

    (5)
  • Emann B.

    As expected, excellent Filipino breakfast. The tocino was tender and salty sweet, perfect over easy eggs, and a generous mound of garlic fried rice. Ang sarap!

    (5)
  • Magdalena D.

    Sorry to crash the party. I found this place on yelp ( like I do every restaurant before I decide on dining there) and wanted to try something different. I LOVE Filipino food but never really had Filipino breakfast so I was excited to try it. When I fist arrived I thought OMG gross It looks dirty and cluttered. One of the waitresses were so filthy, sweaty and sloppy it looked like she was just finishing a 72 hour weekend shift. We sat down anyway and thought, OK its a diner atmosphere, lets wait for the food. The free soup was Ok at first but slimy texture turned me off after my 3rd spoon. My husband I both ordered the special steak. We both like it medium rare and they both came out SUPER OVER COOKED. On top of that the flavors were not great especially with flies around your table. Would not reccomend at all

    (2)
  • Ramona R.

    Been craving a home cooked Filipino breakfast for months! I'm originally from California and moved to NYC a year ago. Home cooking Is missing from my life. So as a birthday gift my guy takes me here to Chicago for the weekend. And my first instinct was- gotta find Filipino food! So found Tito mikes on yelp. To a 8 dollar cab ride here and it was downhill. My guy has never had Filipino breakfast so I was excited to introduce this to him. We get there & sit at the diner stools. Place is sorta packed. So I order the bangus and tocino combo and he gets the skirt steak and tocino combo. Garlic fried rice, egg, tomatoes, vinegar, and champorrado! Wow can we say hella food! Tocino was great. Bangus was fried really well with a lot of flavor. My guys said his skirt steak was a little overdone but the tocino was awesome. The kicker was the Lugao also. It came with the breakfast and with a little lemon and fish saw it was on point. Needless to say this place is awesome. Piece of advice. Get there early or expect to wait for a little. Cheers!

    (5)
  • Jody M.

    Omg this is the best place in Chicago!! The food is soooo good! Im so impressed with uncle mikes! 10 stars for everything!

    (5)
  • Jeremy A.

    So any hard Sunday workout or anytime I want my filipino breakfast fix, I go here! They are the best and a part of a great routine. The servers are all great and sometimes you can catch me speaking Tagalog too. It takes me back to home cooking and fast meals I would get when I was living in the Philippines. I love the family atmosphere too. From the start, you get the arroz con caldo and I ask for patis on the side. I always go with a combination platter with Tocino as the base. You can get the eggs any way you want including egg white. If you aren't into filipino food, come for the atmosphere and they have great breakfast and lunch items. My fiancé got a great looking egg white omelet. Once you get your food it's in a huge plate and you get champorado for dessert. If you haven't tried it, you should. Definitely worth the drive, bike or walk.

    (5)
  • Nate B.

    If you come on Saturday morning, expect a wait. I think we waited a reasonable 15-20 minutes. As far as the food - the portions are large and the longanisa and tocino was really good. Not having tasted Filipino breakfast cuisine, I was a little apprehensive with the never before tried "red" meats, but I was really surprised at how tasty everything was. The soup was really good and had a nice hint of lime. Every different dish was good and had some surprising flavors that weren't expected. Note the garlic rice is really quite garlicky. It will take some work to freshen that breath afterwards. Overall, I would come back for the food and skip the garlic rice. The service was very friendly, but really quite slow. Painfully slow at times. We were off way in the back corner and were somewhat out of our servers view, but we had to wait quite a bit to order and get the check. The ambiance was a bit dirty and dingy. Again we were off in the back off to the side by the fridge and the kitchen, which really gave this place a pretty low brow cafe feel. Which is ok, but overall it was a little run down. All in all, the food is good, the service is friendly, but you will have to put up with a slower meal, and the ambiance being rough around the edges.

    (3)
  • Junior R.

    Here on a Tuesday for an early (6:30am) breakfast. The host/waiter has the personality of a butter knife. Got coffee & the skirt steak & eggs (what they are known for!). If you are expecting quick refills on your empty cup-o-coffee, then this is NOT the place for you. It is safe to assume that maybe if the waiter stayed off of his phone, and paid attention to the fully packed restaurant (just kidding, it was only me inside by myself), I might not have to ask for a refill??!?!? The skirt steak was delicious as expected, kinda priced on the high side. So based on this experience, I will not be visiting again. There are other places close by that might care more about their customers.

    (2)
  • Emese B.

    Great breakfast place ! So many choices... try the fish breakfast, it was very good. So much food for a great price: soup, 3 eggs, garlic rice, veggies & rice pudding for 9 bucks "

    (5)
  • Vina O.

    Filipino breakfast! My people's food! :P Absolutely loved it. It feels like home to me! Granted I can make something similar myself, but frankly I'm too lazy to cook and get all the ingredients since the nearest Filipino grocery store is 15 miles away from me. Uncle Mike's is 3 miles away and I definitely don't mind spending around $10 for some home cookin'! For $10-$15, you start off with a nice, comforting plate of lugao (savory Filipino rice soup). You then receive a plate of garlic rice, two eggs your way, diced tomatoes & herbs in vinegar, and your choice of spam, longanisa (sweet Filipino sausage), tocino (sweet Filipino cured pork), spam, Filipino style steak, or milkfish. I personally like tocino and spam. It's perfect, it's heaven in your mouth! They finish the meal off with yummy champarado (sweet chocolate rice). If you're new to Filipino food and are timid in trying new foods, try out Filipino breakfast at Uncle Mike's first! Then work your way up to the more adventurous stuff later. :P

    (4)
  • Kay J.

    LOVE IT! Its Sunday noon; you are somewhere in the west loop/river north/heck anywhere. Had a late Sat night of fantastic clubbing; Need the energy but don't want to feel bogged down by heavy continue on with the superb sunny afternoon to surf Chicago. What do you do? This is what you do: Get a Divvy bike, and bike it to this fabulously homely filipino breakfast place, located within 2 blocks of two convenient divvy stations! You can seat yourself wherever you like (there's a breakfast bar too). Next, get the lugao into your veins because that is the best breakfast starter you'll ever have experienced. I'm still yummying from today morning!! This was my first filipino breakfast experience, and what was a simple looking place from outside blew my mind and fired my taste buds much effectively than most sophisticated restaurants on Randolph nearby. Order the tocino (wine-cured pork shoulder) If its a bit too sweet for you, there is some hot sauce on the side which goes so darn perfectly with it that you cannot stop eating; 15 minutes later you are full and ready to run a mile, just out of happiness :). Go with some company or without, the food is going to occupy your attention well enough. I'm going there soon enough. The sight of the beautiful and smiling serving staff (one in particular) is so much in contrast to many other breakfast places; if not for the food, I'm going there for that :D.

    (5)
  • Erica L.

    Hubby and I go here only for the Filipino breakfast - so I can't really comment on their other menu offerings. I love how the Filipino items aren't even on the printed or online menus: they are just listed on a chalkboard on the wall. Between the two of us and the friend's we've brought here over the years, we've sampled all of them. We recently had breakfast there yesterday after several months (or maybe even a year!) away. It seems that the portions have definitely gotten smaller. I remember the first time we got the free bowl of lugaw it was a bigger bowl and I was so full that I couldn't finish my main meal. I also thought this batch was more liquidy and watered down than before. When did they start adding lemon too? It's nice they added a "baby" size bagnus (aka milkfish) which was the perfect portion considering you get lugaw and a small bowl of champorado (aka rice porridge) with the meal. My personal favorites in preferential order are bagnus, longganisa, tocino, Spam, porkchop or skirt steak (just because I usually don't eat that big meat for breakfast). The staff is friendly and ambiance warm. The tables remind me of tables in homes back in Manila where I spent some of my childhood. Even the Christmas decorations reminded me of home. I also love the wall of Spam behind the cash register...you know us Filipinos love our Spam!

    (4)
  • Ryne D.

    Hm, I was surprised to see that I gave Uncle Mike three stars originally...probably due to poor service at the time. Since then though, I've had nothing but good experiences. Let's recap: Uncle Mike is not Filipino, but his wife is, and their Filipino breakfasts now take center stage on the Uncle Mike's Place menu. You get your choice of tocino (marinated pork), longganisa (Filipino chorizo), Spam (original or spicy), bangus (fried milkfish), skirt steak or porkchop as your meat, or you can combine them. I say go for Spam and longganisa. You also get eggs and garlic fried rice, some sasawan (vinegar salsa-like condiment) a bowl of soup (lugau - Filipino rice porridge) and champorado (chocolate rice pudding). I haven't had an issue with service at all the last few times I've come, and while I do wish they had other Filipino offerings (just because there aren't that many places in Chicago that do Filipino food), their breakfast is excellent. You also get a good amount of food, perfect for satiating cravings after a long night out. They've definitely upped their game in the past three years, and it shows. It's a bit hard to get to by public transport, but if it were any easier I'd probably be in a hospital now. Good stuff Tito Mike.

    (4)
  • Mary Ann C.

    Yummmm. Found myself on Grand today, so why not indulge in some food from the Phillipines (have been craving since seeing on TV). Service was great and attentive. Parking was easy. The food was GREAT! I loved the tocino (pork shoulder)....wow! This was quite the flavor explosion and indulgence! Also loved the eggs, rice, salsa, and porridge that came with it! Lovely. I will return!

    (4)
  • D O.

    I always get the milkfish and it's always delicious. Service is quick and friendly. Oh, the coffee's good too. Uncle Mike's is a winner

    (5)
  • Lisa H.

    Filipino breakfast? Heck yea! I have been here on a couple of occasions and each time was as great as the first. I have not tried Filipino breakfast anywhere else though (it's because I don't know any other place in the city that serves it), so I do not have anything to compare it to. But this place is amazing and I wouldn't stray too far away. They serve Filipino breakfast, American breakfast, lunch dishes, and anything else that will satisfy morning hungry tummies. If it's your first time here, I recommend you try the longanisa (sausages), spam, or combo breakfast platter. It comes with choice of egg, garlic rice, and champorado (chocolate rice pudding.) The service here is great also because you instantly feel like you are part of the family once you step foot into the restaurant. They are always so nice and great at recommendations. I even had a girl who introduced me to french toast and condensed milk. There are no words to describe how delicious this combo was. Once in a while, they also give complimentary dishes while you are eating. It gives you a chance to try some other dishes they offer. If you are looking for a place to have breakfast/brunch, definitely keep this place in mind.

    (4)
  • Jon E.

    You should visit this place when you're in Chicago. Especially Filipinos. They have traditional Filipino breakfast food. Price is ok.. It gets busy and crowded sometimes. Street parking.

    (5)
  • Lauren C.

    Omg tastes like my father cooking. Very good. I hope everyone tries everything. I enjoy spending time with parents there. Service good location in my childhood neighborhood . good benefit for me.

    (5)
  • Michelle M.

    I was genuinely surprised by this little breakfast spot which appears very small and unassuming on the outside. They have a large space indoors and an extensive breakfast and lunch menu. We tried a club sandwich and a Filipino breakfast special with the skirt steak. Both were excellent. The sandwich had thick sliced turkey and nice, crispy bacon on it. It comes with your choice of two sides. We chose French fries which were crinkle cut and came out piping hot and crispy and the potato salad (which was on the small side but it's not a problem because the sandwich and fries were very generously sized). The skirt steak was fantastic and juicy and seasoned so lovely. The eggs, garlic rice and congee like chicken rice porridge that started the meal were good and interesting to try, however, I appreciate that they also offer that same fantastic steak as a traditional American style version which I'll be sure to try next time. It was packed inside and quite loud. They kept the coffee flowing the entire time as well. Great find.

    (4)
  • Jenny O.

    Oh, man. I love this place. The food tastes like home cooking, and just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I ordered the tocino and eggs over medium with garlic rice. This massive plate of food also comes with this little bowl of chicken congee/broth and chocolate tapioca pudding. Everything was delicious and tasted authentic. Everyone who works there is very kind and friendly as well. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)
  • Kristina S.

    Uncle Mike's a Chicago gem for Filipino breakfast! My husband isn't Filipino but loves the Bangus! I have also tried the pancakes at this place and they are also legit! I will definitely come back.

    (5)
  • Jim L.

    As a Chinese American who eats authentic Chinese meals at home, this place really wasn't that good. Neither my Asian or my American side like the food. One thing is for sure: do NOT getting the Uncle Mike's burger. I'll tell you why. Location: It is located in the middle of no where. It is on the edge of Ukrainian Village and West Side. However, there is tons of free street parking. Price: I ordered the marinated steak combo that was displayed as $15.95. The restaurant charged me $16.95. When I asked why the extra charge, the cashier flipped a sign at the cash register saying "Our beef prices have gone up." I did not care about the extra charge, but just be aware that you will be paying more for beef products. Food: Ordered a marinated steak combo (lugao, 2 eggs, steak, garlic fried rice, chocolate pudding) and a Uncle Mike's burger deluxe (deluxe = comes with 2 sides) (1) The lugao that comes with it is basically congee with green onions, ginger, pork, and a slice of lime. It was not really that good if you compare it to any Chinese congee. (3 out of 5) (2) The steak I ordered was probably overdone since it came out quite black when I asked for medium rare. The steak they use is the thin and long with cross cuts. (3 out of 5) (3) The rice that comes with it is garlic fried rice. They basically put garlic oil and rice together. It tasted bland while I was anticipating something more... flavorful. Still not as good from a Chinese perspective. (2 out of 5) (4) The eggs were OK. (You can't really must up with eggs as a restaurant.) (3 out of 5) (5) I ate a small sample of the chocolate pudding. (Don't like chocolate.) (6) The Uncle Mike's burger was not good at all. They toast regular loaf bread slices. The patty was big, thick, but dry and tasteless. (0 out of 5) -- Disclaimer: This is my first time eating Filipino food so I have no comparables other than Chinese food I eat on a regular basis and other Asian cuisines.

    (3)
  • Jessica Y.

    Simple and reminds me very much of my Filipino breakfast I would get when I was younger living with my parents. The portions are huge and the traditional Filipino breakfast hits the spot! I went at 1pm on a Sunday and there was no wait for a table. I will be back to try the other good stuff! They offer take out too so not a bad idea when it gets busy.

    (4)
  • Greg L.

    Comfort food. Hangover food. Delicious. Filipino breakfast. Uncle Mike's is all of the above. I've been coming here about once a month for the past two years. Always get the Filipino breakfast and switch up the options. My favorite is the longanisa and bangus combo. The arroz caldo is really good and it comes with the breakfast. If it is not crowded they sometimes give you 2! I have also received free fruit at the end of my meal a couple times. I've met the owner and he's giving me multiple key chains and is a nice guy. Highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone. Free parking and just two blocks Chicago and Ashland if you take the CTA.

    (5)
  • Jaime H.

    Uncle Mike's feels like you're at home with your family, with a loving relative bringing you plate after plate of homemade, lovingly-prepared cuisine. Uncle Mike himself piled on additional scoops of garlic-fried rice, and served up endless bowls of lugao and Sinigang. Amazing meal! Order the tocino breakfast if you're unsure of what to order. I guarantee you'll be well taken care of, and walk out SO full and happy!

    (5)
  • Angie M.

    So my friend Ryan L. is Filipino. He tells me that all Filipino people love to eat. They fight over rice, tear up meat like no one's business and seem to have a hollow leg to store extra food. And you know what? After eating breakfast at Uncle Mike's Place I totally believe him. Serious portion sizes. Lots of meat. Garlic fried rice. Total belly buster. I actually went with a more traditional American breakfast of two scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns. The bacon was perfect. It's very crispy (love) and not overly peppery. I also adored the hash browns. They're nothing fancy. Shredded potatoes crisped up on the flatop grill, I'm sure, but they're toasted really well on the outside and are creamy and soft on the inside. A potato lover's fantasy! The prices are super cheap, too. This is a breakfast win for when you want to pack in the food and get down to business.

    (4)
  • Cookie k.

    Great place for an easy breakfast...Filipino style!! Why just four stars...? It's way too small and they need to expand.

    (4)
  • Paul C.

    We were a party of 4 looking to try something new & different. 3 of us did the Filipino breakfast & 1 did traditional American. I don't know anything about Filipino breakfasts, so I will offer that the flavors were fun to try & the presentation was great, but my fish was burned to a crisp & my steak was tough & chewy. My wife's pork chop was similar in quality to my steak, while my friend's spicy spam was pretty good. My daughter had French toast & loved it. As I looked around, most were enjoying their Filipino dishes, but the pancakes & sweet offerings looked like the way to go. Nice neighborhood, plenty of street parking. It's an old diner, so it's long & narrow, nothing to see. Service was fair, staff seemed detached from their jobs.

    (2)
  • Rock A.

    Food was delicious! I had the skirt steak and tocino and I enjoyed them both! My only complaint is they where a little under staffed! I would definitely recommend just plan on not being in a rush.

    (4)
  • Dan P.

    I thought having soup before my was odd, but the soup was delicious and homemade, yum. The food was plentiful and good.

    (4)
  • Lestat V.

    I've been to Uncle Mike's about three times because my wife who is Filipino introduced me to it. The have delicious traditional Filipino breakfast as well as casual American breakfast. My favorite by far is the marinated skirt steak. I don't know what they marinate it in, but it's DELISH! It's quite tender and flavorful without being over seasoned. The service is friendly and warm. It is not a big restaurant and rather narrow. The decor is simple, but nice and clean. The ambience is welcoming and happy. Since I'm not a fan of the five star rating system, I give uncle Mike's place 7 Manny Pacquiaos out of 10.

    (4)
  • Jeff H.

    The Filipino breakfast is the best! Costco-size portions and so delicious. You haven't lived until you've tried their skirt steak. The decor is...hm. Let's call it mid-century, not so modern. Staff is efficient and courteous.

    (5)
  • Arthur M.

    We walked the .2 miles to Uncle Mike's Place. It was a long .2 in ninety degree heat- felt like .3 or longer. The interior was cool in climate and design. Green ceiling, tiled walls, aqua cambro cups. They have half size plastic cambro cups for kids. The laminated menu reminded me of bad diner food, the coffee from Metropolis I don't like and the waiters noticeably lagged after 7 hours of Sunday brunch. Girlfriend ordered the steak and eggs only to be told ten minutes later by a tired waiter that uncle mike had run out of skirt steak. She changed her order to patty melt. The surprise was the food had quality. First we received a lemony garlicky rice porridge called lugao. The waitstaff though understandably hobbled after the bulk of a ninety plus degree shift covered coffee refills and worked as a team. A second server brought mayonnaise for my partner's patty melt. The French fries were hand cut. The potato salad was homemade. My sausages were sweet. My rice was garlicky. My eggs were cooked to perfection- over easy. I think there was fish sauce in the salsa. And despite leaving full I still limped to hoosier mama for a big piece of banana cream pie that I scarfed in its entirety like a sick dog.

    (5)
  • Sovanarath C.

    Great place with great food that is pretty affordable. The location and presentation, however, aren't as nice. I wish there were more colors and windows.

    (4)
  • Kris H.

    I have had Filipino food before, but never breakfast. I loved it! Cool, casual, fast and friendly service. I had sausage and pork with eggs and rice. All was delicious, I will be back!

    (5)
  • Lauren P.

    I'm filipino, and I'm thinking to myself I could make this at home! I can pick this up at Uni-Mart. Why am I here?! I'll tell you why! 5 stars for their champorado man! I've had champorado before but there is just something that they add to give it an awesome twist. Is it vanilla? Is it coconut? I don't know. However, I do know that it is awesome! Their combo dishes are nicely priced I must say because you get Lugo/arroz caldo and Champorado along with your combo. I'm definitely coming back.

    (5)
  • Jolana F.

    I am a sucker for a good dive. And this is now one of my favorites. The hospitality and service were so humble and down to earth. The food was rockin my senses. Filipino breakfast is always a hell yes in my book and Uncle Mikes does it well!

    (5)
  • Cameron H.

    A friend of mine always wanted to take me to a Filipino breakfast place. It just so happened we both were free to go. For some reason, I though this resto was far west on Grand ave. However, not that far when you get off LSD and Grand. Definite plus. If I were driving and didn't know where this place was, I could easily miss it. Hidden Gem.... Being that it was my first experience, our waiter was very helpful. For something different, our waiter brought a soup that was slightly spicy and I believe had tripe in it. It was ok. Then we continued our feast with something that resembled chicken noodle soup. But the noodles were replaced with rice. Very good and comforting. For the main, we both had Tocino and Longaniza. Delicious..... As a slight dessert with our breakfast, our meal came with rice pudding mixed with chocolate. Good. I love these types of breakfasts!

    (4)
  • S.M. C.

    I'm not the ideal yelper as I rarely remember to write reviews after going to a restaurant, but I had to take a moment to write this one. Today was my last day in Chicago after a whirlwind four days of sites and conference sessions (AERA), and I needed some home cookin' aka Filipino breakfast. A short bus ride away from where I was staying in Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park border, Uncle Mike's delivered that down home feel and more. Generous portions are one thing, but I was not prepared for the bonus lugaw (porridge) and champorrado (which reminded me of my mamang's handground tsokolate). The bangus was mmm mmmm good and the tocino just the way I like it (not too sweet with just the right amount of fatty goodness). Of course all served with the requisite garlic fried rice. What can I say, I smell like garlic and I don't care. I feel bad for the person that sits next to me on the flight home. But what won me over was the generous spirit of owner Mike and his awesome crew. My stomach and soul are nourished. Thank you for an awesome ending to my trip.

    (5)
  • Jaime G.

    The Filipinos have a great relative that can cook, and his name is Uncle Mike. This breakfast and lunch place gives a great alt to the typical American breakfast - while still offering the old favs. But the best is the "bangus". Eggs done to order over white rice (of course there's white rice), deep fried white fish called "milkfish", and plantain pudding. A must try. Also good is the same dish with pork chops or chorizo. If you're not feeling adventurous, have the French toast or good old eggs with ham. All decent. And all are started with a egg drop type soup called "lugaw". Also very good. A great bonus for us is that the kitchen sent out a large plate of white rice and beans with pork. Super good with a hint of cinnamon at the end. Very nice treat! And also a must is eating Filipino style, with your feet, I mean hands. :) A little pricier than I would expect but def worth a try. Service is good but don't expect a classy atmosphere...come here for the food only.

    (4)
  • Mark H.

    After all the positive reviews from the yelp community I wanted to try this breakfast joint. Sadly, I'm not a fan. The decor was not dingy chic but really I believe it wasn't clean. The service was average. So was the food... I had their famous breakfast dish I saw printed on a standing banner next to the doorway. Hmm. Now the RICE soup introduction was a nice start. But, the GARLIC RICE breakfast with spam was slightly bearable and plus I think I consumed all my salt intake for the year on that dish. And finally staring at me at the end of the meal was BROWN RICE dessert?! This experience reminded me of my time working as a temp during my freshman spring break years ago at Honey Baked Ham. I couldn't eat ham for over a year after that?!!

    (2)
  • D. L.

    Delicious and cheap breakfast spot. I can't believe I've lived in the neighborhood for two years and just found this place!?! It's in a very unsuspecting building, so don't let that fool you! I had a traditional American breakfast and my little brother a Filipino. All was delicious and about $20! Definitely worth a stop! We snagged a table in about 10 minutes, but minutes after us there was a line down the wall, so come early. We will definitely be back! :-)

    (5)
  • David D.

    Had heard about this place and finally got a chance to go for breakfast. Strolled in on a Wednesday morning surprised to find a pretty full house. A nice piping hot bowl of lugao hit the table as soon as we did. After reviewing the menu I had to order the tocino and steak combo. It was a giant round platter of food that came in a heart beat and it was all outstandingly delicious! Love the family atmosphere and the friendly service. Will definitely have to make it back to try the rest of the menu.

    (4)
  • Terry S.

    great meal.. I had the dkirt steak breakfast very taste, the soup I cant pronounce was delicious.. and the garlic rice was very good... I havent been here in years but it's still good.... The last time i had a monti cristo .. That i like but this time for a change I had the breakfast & no complaints. thumbs up

    (4)
  • Jon M.

    As a Filipino American, it's reputation had met my expectations. As you first walk in, I was taken aback by this nostalgic feeling of walking into my Lola's (grandma's in English) house, because nothing matches decor-wise lol. The place was packed with people of all nationalities. We were seated right away because there were two seats dinner style right in front of us. With a bigger party, you're either waiting inside in a tight area or outside. The place looks small, but don't let that deceive you. The menu works for all people. It's not just Filipino food, but all other types of breakfast foods. But why would you come here if that's the case? Anyway. For first comers, get longanisa combo or tocino combo with sunny side eggs over garlic fried rice. First, you mash up the eggs and rice together. Then put siracha or ketchup or both on top of that, and mix. Add On's on your plate, you'll get vinegar with diced tomatoes. Take a piece of your tocino and dip it in the vinegar, with a small scoop of the rice concoction, and a diced tomato and eat it. It's like sex in the mouth. And right there, you just learned how to eat Filipino food. And you're welcome!

    (5)
  • madooly j.

    AMAZING. Best filipino breakfast I've ever had... and I've been to the Philippines 3 times. I ordered the combo with bangus and tocino and... wow just wow!!! (Also got longanisa too for free!) Bangus was super crispy, tocino was perfectly soft and chewy, and I don't even know where to start with the garlic fried rice. I don't know how uncle mike does it, but the garlic fried rice had the perfect amount of garlic without it being too over powering. My friend also ordered the combo except with steak and bangus...and no disappointment from her! We asked not to have the lugaw just because we thought it would be too much but they insisted we still try. Tasted great! However was too full at this point to have much of it. Price range wasn't too bad for the huge portions they offered. Uncle mike also stopped at our table to introduce himself... such a nice friendly guy! All in all a really good experience and a great way to end our chicago trip. Definitely would come back to this place in the future

    (5)
  • Joey B.

    So good! I had the Tocino Breakfast the pork shoulder was beyond good, tender and tasty. Fried egg off rice and a bowl of fresh Lugao. I'll be back

    (5)
  • Charles C.

    Delicious! Awesome little place for Filipino Brunch. I had the steak/Tocino combo. The portions are huge for reasonable prices. The garlic rice over eggs was amazing. And some Lugao to top it all off. A must go for hungry people craving some Southeast Asian brunch.

    (4)
  • Paul S.

    My brother and sister-in-law introduced me to this place and I've been there several times since. The food was reminiscent of my parents Filipino cooking growing up. The food was very good and delicious. The food stayed true to the Filipino style but they also added an American twist to the food as well, which appeals well to not only Filipinos but also to the general mass. You definitely get your money's worth here. They served healthy portions, but didn't sacrifice on the taste. You'll definitely get a great meal at an affordable price. The service was great. The husband/wife owners are very interactive, checking in with how the food was including the staff. You got the sense of old-school Filipino friendly service and family atmosphere - very comforting and reminded me of whenever we had family parties growing up. Overall, I really enjoy the food and will be going back any chance I get. I only wish they were out in the suburbs where I live.

    (5)
  • Abe R.

    I am jealous that I didn't grow up in a Filipino household after eating the breakfast here because it was slammin'. Honestly, this huge combo filipino meat and egg dish was so flavorful and really satisfying. Not only is it huge, but the flavor is intense for breakfast, which is exactly what I enjoy since I am all about the savory and not the sweet. The Filipino combo I ordered came with 2 types of Filipino meats, two large eggs served over rice(perfect for over soft to let the yolk run through the rice), some pico and a cup of soup which is similar to congee only with more flavor. Needless to say, I ate the entire plate and not only was I extremely satisfied but I was stuffed. All in all, this not so small diner on the outskirts of Ukie Village is a great place to come anytime of the day. The menu is large and the staff is friendly, and with plenty of seating for lunch on a weekend, this place is a gold-mine in a city where waits on the weekend for good breakfast food can become annoying. Enjoy Suckas'!!!

    (5)
  • Kathy S.

    Came here a couple times so far and really enjoyed it. I had filipino breakfast once before so coming from that delicious experience and the positive yelp reviews, I already went in with high hopes on my first visit. I got the tocino and longanisa combo with sunnyside eggs on top of my garlic rice. My friend got the milkfish which was good as well but I really loved my dish, especially the tocino. On my second visit, I got to also try some of the the skirt steak that my husband ordered. He was really impressed, especially since he almost wasn't going to order it, due to the fact that he typically thinks Mexican-style is the best preparation for skirt steaks. It's only been a couple weeks since we've been back but the hubby said that we need to go back again soon!

    (4)
  • Ashley V.

    Was craving some Filipino food and found Uncle Mike's Place through Yelp. Ordered for to-go so I can't speak much for their service. Small place with a homey feel. Pretty extensive classic breakfast items but they are known for their Filipino breakfast items. Parking - street parking isn't hard to find around the area which makes it that much better since lack of parking sort of deters me from going to certain restaurants. Longaniza and Tocino combo - came with garlic fried rice and 2 eggs any style. So delicious and definitely hit the spot! A minor complaint: the Tocino was a little dry. Can't wait to come back here and try more things from their menu!

    (4)
  • Jessica F.

    Go here if you haven't been yet! They are often busy but still give great service and deliver delicious food. Sometimes when it's busy you can still snag a spot at the counter. They give you a bowl of lemony garlicy soup that's really tasty especially while you are waiting for your food. Their skirt steak is to die for, full of flavor and cooked just right. Also we discovered if you order the full skirt steak and tell them you're splitting they will not only split it on two plates but they gave us basically two servings of all the sides, it's a very good deal! Love!

    (5)
  • Brule L.

    Saw it on "Chicago's Best," so had to try the skirt steak and eggs. I was not disappointed. Huge steak was cooked to perfect medium rare, as were the eggs, over easy. Also came with hash browns and toast, and a few sprigs of cilantro to boot. Service was excellent too. Highly recommended.

    (5)
  • Danny W.

    I have an uncle Mike and he's pretty awesome. He let's me crash at his house when I go to Las Vegas, he likes to party, and he let me watch my first rated R movie as a kid. Safe to say I have pretty high hopes for any restaurant that shares his name. Sadly, this Uncle Mike wasn't as excellent. There was dirty dishware and they were out of hash browns and sausage on my visit. I get that it's a greasy spoon, but what type of breakfast place runs out of both hash browns and sausage on a Saturday morning at 11am? I ended up with over easy eggs and white rice which doesn't exactly cure a hangover the same way potatoes do. They may have just had an off day, but they didn't exactly live up to my Uncle Mike expectations.

    (2)
  • Double L.

    By far one of the best breakfast spots I've been to in Chicago. Potentially anywhere. The food was amazing. The staff is super friendly and the coffee is hot and tasty. Definitely will be back, often.

    (5)
  • Allen P.

    After hearing a lot of good things about Uncle Mike's my friend and I decided to check it out. OMG it was soooo goood. SIT AT THE BAR. Uncle Mike was handing us free food because we were right by the kitchen, which i thought was so hospitable and generous of him! It reminded me of being at a a Filipino friend's house. Anyways, I ordered the Spam and Eggs on top of garlic rice. My friend got the steak and we ordered longanisa on the side. Oh man it was so good! Such good breakfast food! The longanisa was sweet, hot, and tender. The steak was juicy and had a lot of flavor. oh man i wanna go back. 5 stars for good food and customer service!

    (5)
  • Sarah S.

    Amazing place! From the outside, it looks like a hole in the wall. But step inside and there is a surprisingly lot of seating. I thought it was just the front seating section but there is a whole 'nother space in the back with tables. Plus about 5 stools at the counter. Service is not overly friendly, except for the lady who owns the place. She is super nice! But man, the food makes up for anything Uncle Mike's may be lacking. We got there about Noon and had to wait quite a long while for a table, leaned against the wall as a long line formed behind us. I think had we got here just a tad earlier, we could have beat the rush. We ended up leaving about 130 and there were some empty tables. So avoid the 1145-130 time slot and you should be able to quickly snag a table. They are only open until 3pm so be sure to not try to come for dinner! Thank you fellow Yelpers for the awesome pictures! I knew exactly what I wanted when I sat down which was the Tocino breakfast. I love me some Filipino food and the food served here is just amazing! The tocino meal comes with two eggs (I got mine over easy so I could spread the egg yolky goodness all over the rice and meat), garlic rice and tocino of course. What is tocino you ask? Cured pork shoulder that is cooked to perfection and tasty beyond belief! Seriously, take a bit of that with some rice and egg on the fork...Holy Jeebus! Heaven on earth! The garlic rice by itself is fantastic, too! The meal came with some eggplant soup which had a good broth but was packed with veggies and as a matter of my taste, I'm not a fan of that. Service was good and prompt but as I stated previously not super friendly or anything. I love the city of Chicago for having amazing food options like a Filipino Brunch joint! And a super delicious one at that! I will be back very soon for more Filipino morning goodness!

    (5)
  • Ron C.

    Forget about breakfast. Our group (The Rebels) went there for lunch. I recommend the braised pork shoulder (platter). it comes with sticky (porridge-like) garlic rice, eggs (poached preferred , in a side dish) creamed corn in a side dish and tomato salad in a side dish. Get the corn and the tomatoes off of your platter. The space is too valuable. Create a valley in the center of the platter between the sticky garlic rice and the pork. Slide the poached eggs onto the center of the platter. Gently poke the eggs with your fork so that the yolk seeps under the rice and the pork. Insert in mouth. I still dream about this place. Regards, Elmer Fuud

    (5)
  • Elma B.

    FRIED SPAM! How something, simple can be so delicious...IDK, but it is. The breakfast here is great, the staff is friendly, and the food comes out fast. There is usually a wait in the mornings on the weekends but it usually moves quick.

    (5)
  • John R.

    Drove down from evanston, waited in line for 30 min, out of food by 1. Didnt get to try the famous steak and never will because we wont be back.

    (1)
  • Phill C.

    What an awesome breakfast! I could eat some Tocino (sweet cured pork shoulder) any day of the week. Thickly sliced and served with a side of eggs over garlic rice, this is definitely one of my new favorite breakfast dishes. A delicious plate of porky garlicky goodness any time of the day. Their Longaniza is also really good, which is a anise & red wine chorizo sausage. Both can be found on their Filipino breakfast menu, written up on the chalkboard. I saw spicy spam on the board, so I'll have to try that next time. They also have a large menu, filled with your standard diner fare such as omelettes, pancakes, and sandwiches. Plus they serve Intelligentsia coffee and have free soup on the weekend. The weekends get pretty crowded up until noon, but by around 1pm you won't have to wait long for a seat. Go hungry, make sure you order some Tocino, and if you're extra hungry get the combo with some Longaniza.

    (5)
  • Maria G.

    My first foray into Filipino food! You heard me, people. My Asian brothers from another mother, yo! As soon as I sat down, I spotted the "sofrito" on a shelf and a huge smile came across my face. I'm half Puerto Rican and this is our gold!!! There are plenty of options on the menu but their specialty here are the "Filipino" breakfast specials. I went with the Tocino and eggs and ordered a side of pancakes for the wee one. Before our meal comes, we are served "lugaw" which is their version of a congee. I've never had either and I'm glad this was my first! Garlicky rice that was creamy and jam packed with flavor. Ok. Our friendly server arrives with what has to be the BIGGEST plate ever. On it are my perfectly over-medium eggs over garlic fried white rice (another big thing in the PR community is a fried egg over rice), a huge serving of tocino, a bowl of something similar to a pico de gallo, and a small bowl of what looked like cocoa crispies! Everything was sooo good (wasn't crazy about the cocoa crispy dish) and I am glad to have found this place! P.S-they serve Intelligentsia coffee here and offer free tea when dining in house.

    (4)
  • Czarina M.

    Lets just say that almost every time we have a chance to set up downtown and may have some time in between our jobs, we try to stop on over and eat at this place! Fast service and friendly ppl! Food is totally awesome! We love our regular waitstaff, Aya!!! She is the best! We don't even have to look at the menu bec she already knows what we are going to order. All she says is. " the regular?" And we will just nod. So cool for someone to remember us ( I think). Anyways totally recommended and great pricing too!

    (5)
  • Jon O.

    I really liked uncle mikes. We went there for the filipino brunch and the place had a line the whole time we were in there. The menu has a lot of very reasonably priced "dinner" style items and then it has the filipino style brunch items which seem to be the main attraction. I had the longanisa and tocino combo and the portion size was pretty huge for what I paid for it. The meal came with a complimentary bowl of lugua which is pretty much filipino oatmeal but made with rice. I'd recommend this place to anyone and I'm hoping I can make it back sometime soon. We went there with 8 people and, with coffees, the whole ticket came out to right at $100. The only downside I would say is that the inside of this place is pretty old and almost looks like they converted some other type of business (from the 50's) into a dinner. That's a pretty small deal though when the prices and food are so excellent.

    (4)
  • Warren M.

    This place is not cheap! Yelp shows a single $. However, it should be $$. When we arrived, all but two tables were occupied. The restaurant is small, but clean. After being seated, we were each given a glass of cold water. Since we were both familiar with Filipino food, it did not take us very long to decide what we were going to order. Perhaps, since the restaurant was full, it seemed our server took a long time in getting to us. When she did arrive with pen and paper in hand to take our order, she never asked what we would care to drink! Usually, in this type of setting, you are offered coffee. We were not, but we ordered some anyway and the refills were far and few between. I ordered a full Skirt Steak Breakfast, which is supposed to be a house special. I saw this dish on a segment of Channel CLTV's "Chicago's Best." The host commented on how large the cut of meat was. The one that I was served couldn't have been more than 6 ounces before it was cooked. Furthermore, my guess is it was marinated by using soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and perhaps a touch of mono-sodium glutamate. There was nothing special about that. The second plate was a small order of Boneless Bangus (Milk Fish). When the fish arrived to our table, it was full of bones. We asked to speak with the manager. The manager apologized and offered to replace the fish with another Boneless Bangus. We accepted his offer. While waiting for the replacement order, we could not help but notice that the manager was speaking with the server who waited on our table. After which, she came to our table to inform us that only the large order of Bangus was boneless. I asked, "Since it is not described that way on the menu, how are we supposed to know this?" She replied by letting me know that the writing of the menu was not her responsibility. Each breakfast plate came with Chicken Arroz Caldo (Chicken Lugao) - but it did not have any chicken in it. It was tasteless and instead of calamansi, they buried a slice of lemon in the bowel. Also, a sizable portion of fried garlic rice was included with our orders. Unfortunately, it was not the best fried garlic rice that I had ever tasted. Two eggs are also included. We ordered one set sunny side up and the other over easy. Both arrived over cooked! We continued to eat our breakfast while waiting for the replacement fish to arrive. When it finally arrived, we asked the server to pack it to go. She did and even offered us the small Bangus that had bones in it free of charge.

    (2)
  • April P.

    Love this place! I've learned that certain cooks here have more garlicky rice than others. And it's damn near impossible to find champarrado with Filipino breakfast. Can't wait to go back to get my fix!

    (5)
  • Bobbie C.

    I really loved this place. I can't wait to go back. The food was good and they are not cheap with the serving size. The menu is Americanized with a splash of Phillipino dishes. I love their shirts! Got Fillipino? The location can be easily missed so be sure to have your eyes open!! Parking is great, you can just find a spot on the street.

    (4)
  • Lulu R.

    Sunday Brunch Fanatics strike again! After all the hype we heard of this place, the hubs and I made the trek to Ukrainian Village to give Uncle Mikes a try. We walk in, the place is cozy, nothing fancy at all. The crowd is mixed for a restaurant that has heavy Filipino influence. We were seated almost immediately in their back room dining area. My boyfriend was happy to see that he can get an American breakfast with his favorite Filipino dish on the side. (Longanisa). I ordered the Bangus (Deep fried Milkfish that is marinated with garlic and vinegar) and Tocino with garlic friend rice and a side of tomatoes and onions). The server brought us out a concoction that the chef made with spaghetti pasta, mungo beans, and tripe-I was not a fan of it. The server didn't even know what to call it. It was totally weird. My boyfriend ordered the Potato pancakes with a side of Longanisa (Cured sweet pork). We waited for what seemed to be a bit "too long" in our book but eventually got our brunch. The tocino was good but I felt like it was too fatty. The bangus was "meh" at best. It was very bone-y. Really nothing worth writing in capital letters for. My boyfriend, on the otherhand had perfectly cooked potato pancakes served with apple sauce and sour cream. His longanisa was delightful. He was kind enough to share his meal success with me. The service was good but It isn't worth the drive. I do love the concept but they need to fine tune somethings before I can go "gaga" over it. I probably would give this place another shot because maybe I cought them on an "off" day.

    (3)
  • Jeanne L.

    Ridiculously good food at a ridiculously good price. Uncle Mike is in it to win it. [[ FOOD ]]: Though this place does have quite the large selection of regular breakfast/brunch items, it is known for its Filipino breakfast. My friends and I ended up sharing our dishes, and trying a little bit of everything - the skirt steak, longaniza, tocino, and bangus. (For newbies, the bones in the bangus fish are totally edible - everything in it is fried to a delicious crisp.) The garlic rice was light and buttery at the same time. Our meal came with free lugao (a rice porridge; the equivalent of this would be "juk" or "congee" in Chinese) which I would have been willing to pay $$ for a big bowl of it. Yum! There was also free hibiscus tea. After getting our freebies and placing our orders, the server walked out with a big plate of pulled pork, and little dishes of cole slaw, fried rice, and beans --- all ON THE HOUSE! Ridiculous. [[ AMBIANCE ]]: A very casual, but clean diner. Lots of street parking in the neighborhood. [[ SERVICE ]]: Our server was friendly and explained everything on the menu to us. Food was brought out quickly, and cleared away quickly. We also got free key chains at the end. WOWZAS. You didn't have to bribe us to love you more, but thanks anyway!!! sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/h…

    (5)
  • Jose B.

    So my wife and i were looking for a good place to get breakfast when she (who is filipino) recommended we try Uncle Mikes. We went over and seeing how busy it is kinda gives you an idea how they are. Food was awesome! Huge portions, I loved everything i ate. Honestly cannot wait to go back! YUM!

    (5)
  • Elizabeth J.

    I have been living in West Side for a few months now and every once in a while, I stop at Uncle Mike's to have breakfast when I get up late. I also like the location because I get free parking along the way and this helps reduce the early morning stress. There is a Filipino influence to the food in the whole place which I like as opposed to the overly traditional all American breakfast. Variety is the spice of life and among others I have a preference for Garlic sausage + garlic fried rice which is sooo delicious and keeps me going long enough to take a late lunch break. Other tasty and refreshing meals I have sampled are the longanisa and skirt steak that is done to perfection resulting in enhanced taste. The service is comparable to the best and I am glad to be living in an area so close that I could even walk to the place if I had to.

    (4)
  • Damaris R.

    Food was good, service was good. Would probably return again.

    (3)
  • Pooja K.

    Saying we just like this place is an understatement...we really really loved it! It was a Saturday morning and the two of us were seated within 10 minutes. my bf got the sausages( forgot what they were called) with garlic rice and sunny side up eggs. I got the french toast.. soo well made and the service was pretty spotty in the beginning , but it improved later. Will definitely return.

    (4)
  • Nicole M.

    I am a sucker for a good breakfast. I got into the city early this morning and met a friend for breakfast at 5am and what a way to start the day. The food is fantastic! I have worked in the city for the last 5 years but I am completely suburban and have to rely on word of mouth to find anything. Best part the place in only 10 minutes from the shop so I can dine here more often. We pulled up at 5:10 (place opens at 5:00,) parking was easy to find and we were greeted with a smile. We were quickly seated and handed the menu, told the specials, and given water. The waitress was very attentive (yes we were the only people in the place.) The chef came out from the kitchen and offered us samples of other foods and was very nice as well. I ordered a simple order of pancakes while my breakfast date ordered the skirt steak, eggs over easy, hash browns, and a side of pancakes. My pancakes were huge and melted in my mouth. One very happy girl!! His steak came out made to order and smelled delicious! An hour and a half later we left happy and with full bellies! I look forward to my next visit with Uncle Mike!

    (5)
  • noel m.

    Great place! Nothing fancy about the location or interior, but the food is fantastic! I love the mix of people and don't mind that the seating arrangement is pretty tight. It makes for a very warm, friendly atmosphere. There can be a little bit of wait on weekends but its not very long. Overall the best place to get Pilipino breakfast. I highly recommend the bangus for breakfast :)

    (4)
  • Adam S.

    This is one of my favorite breakfast places in Chicago. Even after not living in Chicago for a year, if I ever have a chance to eat breakfast while there, this is a top 3 destination, and probably will be for years to come. If you are looking for typical breakfast fare (cakes, meat, potatoes, omellets), they've got you taken care of. They also have what looks like a nice lunch menu, although I've never had anything off of it. I usually come and get one thing, and one thing only: FILIPINO BREAKFAST COMBO They have several kinds, the most common combo is the Tocino (pork shoulder cured with anise and something sweet) and Longanisa (sausages w the same marinade/rub as the tocino). The flavor is incredible. Simply incredible. You get a nice hunk or two of shoulder, w two small sausages. It's clear they are made in the backroom. Add to this garlic flavored rice, two eggs however you want them, a small bowl of chocolate rice/tapioca pudding, and a pre-breakfast bowl of porridge/soup called Lugaw, also made in house. I have nothing else, other than give this place a try. Service has always been good, prices are comparable w everything else around, but its the only place I've ever seen that has Tocino and Longanisa. Do yourself a favor. Get there.

    (4)
  • Gina S.

    I didn't realize it was known for fillipino food until we got there. My mom isn't very adventurous, so.we just got traditional American breakfast. It was okay, nothing spectacular. The room in the front is great, but we sat in the back, which felt kinda dinghy. So...not sure I will be back unless someone is craving fillipino food.

    (3)
  • Wayne H.

    My Filipino friend took me to Uncle Mike's the other day so I could experience my first Filipino breakfast. There isn't much to say about the decor of Uncle Mike's. It has your typical run of the mill diner feel to it. I ordered the Tocino and Longaniza combo and both were absolutely delicious. What really set it off was the garlic rice that it came with. Yum! I pretty much devoured my breakfast in 5 minutes. I tried Lugao too, which was a creamy rice porridge which was okay. I also tried Champorado, which was a chocolate rice pudding which I really didn't care for. Overall, my first Filipino breakfast was a success and I would definitely go back to Uncle Mike's for the Tocino and Longaniza with garlic rice.

    (4)
  • Mary Ann S.

    Ate there again today with two of my friends who have both never eaten filipino breakfast before. They loved it and left really happy. We ate so much that we decided to take a walk around the block to help our stuff selves feel better lol. We also had chocolate chip banana pancakes. They were sooooo good. It's not on the menu but if you ask for it, they'll gladly make it for you. Our server, Iya was a delight. Although busy, she made sure to take good care of us. She's always super sweet whenever I come in. It's good stuff so just go. :)

    (5)
  • Michael W.

    It might not be the most fancy place around but when it comes to consistency they got it down. I have never had a bad meal here ever. It's a great mix of Americana and Filipino. Service is very friendly. I see the owner there most of the time. Great Bangus....Wife swears by it. Us Americans love the Combo's and Uncle Mike's has plenty of them. No skimping on the plates.

    (5)
  • Keith R.

    Awkward! (sing-song voice). This is how I felt when I walked in out of the rain this morning with my wife and my sis-in-law. We parked west of the store front and walked past the side door, because I don't usually think of side doors as entry ways. So we walked into the corner/front door and squeezed past some diners to what I would have assumed to be the host/hostess station. The gentleman manning said station was doing something when I walked up to it, but gave me a hello and a how ya doing. I replied with a cheery "hey, doing all right" and waited for him to retort with a "can I help you?" or a "How many?" I stood there for what felt like a commercial break before he finally said something to me. "How can I help you?" "Um, table of 3?" He looked around the dining room and then says, it's going to be a little bit of a wait. I understand how that's possible, so I say it's fine, and walk back to the far wall to wait for our table. Before I can even settle in on my wait, he's back to tell me there's a table for 2, but is wondering if we don't mind squeezing in. I thought, if it's just going to be a couple of minutes, why would I want to squeeze into a 2-top? I said yes anyway, not knowing that sitting at a table for 2 would mean that I would initially be invisible for a short part of our meal. We were shown to our table and got extra chairs since there was only one there. After we all sat down, we got 2 menus. I deferred them to the ladies. Coffee mugs came, but only 2. My sis-in-law asked for another mug from one of the bussers, who then replied, "A mug of what?" "Just an empty mug, we only have 2" Right after that, our server came and said are you ready to order? i never even got to glance at the menu! I guess it didn't matter because I knew what I wanted, but I just don't like to feel like I'm not in the room. Like I need to ask for my own mug and menu? It was just weird/strange. So the food? It was good! We each ordered something different... Wife - Spicy spam Me - Tocino and Longaniza Sis-in-Law - Bangus (marinated Milkfish) We were eating a bit of a late breakfast so they ran out of Lugao unfortunately. I was looking forward to it. Instead we got 3 bowls of Black eyed pea and pork soup, and while that doesn't have the same effect on my heart, it was satisfactory as a pre-meal for me. It came with rice, and the soup had good smoked flavor from the pork, and was piping hot. Spicy Spam - A staple of all Filipino households, this spam was sliced thick and fried to a crisp. Longaniza and Tocino - 7/10. It was good, it wasn't exceptional, but that's only because I've been eating it all my life and with the exception of uncooked or extremely fatty versions of these cured pork based meats, they're pretty much all the same, The tocino on my plate was well done and lean looking, and since my wife was wavering between the tocino and the spam, I ordered a side of tocino for us to split. The second tocino that came was not the same as what showed up on my plate. the side order had huge HUGE hunks of fat and was not as well done as mine, so I ended up giving her my lean well done Tocino and ate the fatty ass not-so-well done Tocino. That's LOVE. Bangus - One of the best things to happen to fish...Marinated in vinegar and smoked then fried. Sounds digusting, tastes great to Filipinos all over the world! Lucky for me, my sis doesn't like the fatty part of the fish which is THE BEST PART. All of our meals came with garlic fried rice, I just felt like mine wsan't garlicky enough although my wife had garlic taste in her mouth after the meal, so maybe I just have a higher garlic threshold? Overall, I liked what I ate and I would come back to try other things like the famous marinated skirt steak, but I would hope for less awkwardness the next time around.

    (3)
  • Shirley T.

    Holy huge plates! Today was my first visit to Uncle Mike's and I'm happy I live so close. I didn't quite know what to expect since I haven't had Filipino breakfast before but the Longanisa (Sweet sausage) and Tocino (marinated pork shoulder) pictures were enticing (Thanks, yelpers for taking pictures!) The Tocino reminded me of the Chinese BBQ I ate growing up and the sauce ended up being fish sauce which is BOMB! it reminded me of the Vietnamese lemongrass pork chop which makes my mouth water. The portions were huge and satisfying. If you're a weirdo like me and enjoy dinner-ish foods for breakfast, this is your place. Our server was really nice, attentive and helpful. It was really busy but regardless, the staff kept a positive energy up, with the exception of one waitress (not ours). She was really condescending to fellow servers and the cooks who were obviously doing the best to crank out food as quickly as possible. She made rude comments about her coworkers loud enough for other diners to hear. I grew up working in restaurants and know how frustrating it can be to serve let alone serve with a coworker who acted as unprofessionally as her. Overall, this is a unique breakfast joint and the quality of the food is wonderful. Can't wait for my next visit!

    (4)
  • Yvette I.

    I've been to this place a few times now. I use to work right there and even after I didn't work in this area anymore, I still go there, it's that good. There's nothing on the menu that you can go wrong with ordering. The food is awesome, and they fill your plate. It's comfy in there, and the employees are friendly and fast at handing you your order! They are open from 5am -3pm. So it's a day place for sure. Or an early morning place after a all night out of drinking. Just be careful around that area, like anywhere else. the area is a little rough looking, for a female to be walking alone.

    (4)
  • Peter C.

    Sometimes I think I hear Uncle mike laughing in the background because he gets away with charging $10 bucks for rice, egg and sausage or SPAM. Now I would not have a problem with this but he charges cheaper prices for the regular american breakfast at around $7 but come on! rice,eggs and sausage is not expensive, let's see the price come down a couple dollars and I will add an extra star. Plates are huge but portions are regular. Why is there Chinese decorations if this is supposed to be a "Filipino" breakfast place?

    (3)
  • Jenna H.

    The Filipino breakfast options did not look appealing, so I ordered the Classic breakfast, and it was good. Toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and a HUGE side of fruit. The side of fruit is a huge plateful and it's seriously the FRESHEST fruit I've ever received at a restaurant. The fruit was farmers market fresh, not grocery store "fresh" and I was amazed because restaurants always give you that packaged, non-organic type fruit. I also had a pancake, and it was YUMMY. For a place promoting its Filipino breakfast menu, it has some awesome American breakfast foods! Would go back just for the American breakfast food!

    (4)
  • Colleen C.

    I have an Uncle Mike (actually, two) and I like them very much. Therefore, this is definitely starting out on the right foot. Though, frankly it could be called Uncle Crazy's...and I'd still be flippin' for the Filipino breakfast options. Oh, and they have spam. The edible kind. Is that an oxymoron? Who knows. DO thyself a favor next time you are hungover in Ukrainian Village....or anywhere near it. 1. Go to Uncle Mike's. 2. Order off the *Filipino menu on the chalkboard (south wall) 3. Eat 4. Pray (ok, not really...go ahead if you want to, though) 5. Love. I suggest TOCINO that is like a pinkish-sauced meat. It's ridiculously good. Served with rice. If you aren't feeling so adventurous, they do have typical diner fare, and do it quite well. Also, almost everything is served with soup. Yes, soup! Good for souls. Great hangover brekkie, most def. *Easy street parking + free private lot

    (4)
  • Belle L.

    Love Garlic? This is YOUR place. Garlic-y to keep lovers and vampires away. :-) Filipino breakfast is as good as it gets and better! ScoutMob dragged me into Uncle Mike's and now addicted! My only go-to place for Filipino breakfast in the City. The dishes have a clean, healthier taste without sacrificing tradition. Everything about Uncle Mike's Place is a reflection of owner's heritage and variety of work experience. The Chinoy background is reflected on the here and there chinese decor. Pinoy is obviously in the food infused with Hawaiian background (reflected on Spam for breakfast), and a clean preparation of sawsa-wan. Bottomless Intelligensia coffee. Excellent service -- no one is ignored nor forgotten, staff is happy and pleasing, knowledgeable about the dishes that is good enough to be mistaken as 'tunay na pilipino'. Good value for your $: - free house tea - free soup (aka lugaw, a simplier version of congee) for dine-in with roasted garlic - bottomless intelligensia coffee - Filipino breakfast dishes can serve 2 without overeating Longaniza with Tocino, yum! Bangus with 2 kinds of sawsa-wan comes with a surprise of perfectly sweetened champorado. Eating pinoy breakfast with spoon and fork is the only way to go. Ask how to do the sawsa-wan and the spoon/fork combination. It's fun! Para kay Uncle Mike po: Kung gusto mong tulungan ang ating kababayan....palitan po ang intelligentsia sa Batangas Coffee. Baka mas mura pa. Maraming salamat po sa masarap na almusal.

    (5)
  • Kari P.

    So good, excellent service, HUGE portions with reasonable prices.

    (5)
  • Katherine J.

    We came specifically for the Filipino breakfast...absolutely delicious! I'm craving the longanisa and garlic fried rice as I write this. Super friendly staff-when we mentioned it was our first time visiting the waitress brought out more Filipino food for us to try-just because. Definitely will be back!

    (5)
  • Jeanne C.

    Delicious Filipino diner food! I love spam! Gave me great childhood memories. Everything was good here, including the steak and over easy eggs. The food came out very quickly which was nice, since we had a plane to catch. I would definitely come back here again.

    (4)
  • Mix A.

    If you're craving Filipino food, not the place. Very Americanized. Average at best food.

    (2)
  • Krissy H.

    Love their lunch! We order our lunch for pickup a few times a week. Generous portions and reasonable prices.

    (4)
  • joi p.

    OMG, delicious. I love brunch, but I wanted something different than the handful of places that we go to in heavy rotation. I came on here and Yelp totally hooked me up. We started with this yummy chicken and lemon porridge (I think it was called Lugaw), very similar in consistency to congee. Yum! Then these GIANT plates come out with our delicious meats (I had the Tocino (sweet glazed pork shoulder) and my friend had the Longista (sweet grilled sausage) [also apologies if I spell wrong]), a pile of addictive garlic rice with 2 eggs on it, a salty mango salsa and a bowl of a chocolate porridge reminiscent in taste, not texture, to coco wheats. You also get choice of toast. The servers were perfectly friendly and we saw tons of families at tables too. We left full and happy and will DEFINITELY come back to this unassuming corner diner that we have passed a zillion times.

    (5)
  • Kyle H.

    I am giving this diner 4 stars because they are the only place I've seen that serves Filipino tocino, the most delicious meat you will ever have on your breakfast plate. I also ate these delicious teeny tiny potato pancakes that were bite sized and delicious. I also LOVE that they have a variety of hot sauces, as I am incapable of eating breakfast that isn't slathered with hot sauce and get pretty sad when I ask for hot sauce and am handed a bottle of Tabasco (NOT WHAT I WANT). If it weren't for those things, this is a standard 3 star breakfast diner, and there's nothing wrong with that. The world needs diners with greasy breakfast, and Uncle Mike's does it well. The service is friendly but pretty spotty, but judging by this MASSIVE pain in the ass old man I witnessed being waited on, I understand why. Anyone who can put up with an unpleasant old man who constantly tries to get your attention while you're at another table is a patient one, because I don't even work there and I was almost about to jump out of my seat and yell at him to shut up. Some people just really don't understand that they're NOT THE ONLY PERSON THEIR SERVER IS WAITING ON. I will be back many times over. It is within walking distance of my house and is the ultimate in casual, cheap breakfast.

    (4)
  • Demetrio P.

    Came to Uncle Mike's to specifically try the Filipino breakfast items, and we weren't let down! The wife and I ordered the Combo breakfast platter with both Tocino (a marbled sweet marinated pork) and Longanisa (sweet breakfast sausage). It was pretty good. They first gave us for starters Lugaw, a Filipino version of Arroz Caldo or Congee. Wife had the regular chicken one and I had the one with octopus. Had to say, the small chunks of octopus were interesting and tasty. Next, our dishes came out on huge plates filled with our meat, fried garlic rice, eggs, toast, and Filipino Champorado. I was so full at the end of the meal, that I needed a nap ASAP! Will definitely visit Uncle Mikes again when in the neighborhood. In summary, good food, good service, okay prices.

    (4)
  • Ashley S.

    Love the blue berry pancakes!

    (5)
  • Marlo V.

    I, along with several of my friends, were here in Chicago last week for vacation out of California, and one of our destination spots for eats was this place. To be honest, this place doesn't deserve 5 stars.... BUT 6 or more!! The environment was calm nice and quiet with some background music (near closing they switch over to songs in tagalog), and the staff/waitress were kind and polite and so accommodating. What we all had was the Tocino breakfast I think, two eggs, two links of filipino sausage, slices of pork, rice and a bowl of chopped tomatoes and onios, and either patis (fish sauce) or vinegar. I forgot. We really enjoyed it.. and it can take a while to finish eating this plate, or we were just taking our time. Then without expecting we were given a complimentary plate on the house. It was some tasty grazed beef slices, forgive me I forgot what it was called, but it was good. So we're were finishing that up as much as we can and given another complimentary plate of Spam, with rice sprinkled with dried seaweed shreds. And the Spam tasted unique with this hint of spice, and is better than the canned Spam or other Spam that I tasted, for example the Masubi at L & L. So, again we we're finishing that up, and we were at the fullest already. Then given a complimentary plate of camote (sweet potato). I haven't had camote as a dessert that often, but again this was good and tasty. We could not finish everything I still had some pork slices and beef and spam and rice and toast, oh yeah forgot also had toast on the side with our breakfast. So we took the rest home in a box. And later we saw a gentlemen that would appear to be Uncle Mike himself. One of my friends just spoke and had quite long conversation, just talking about anything ordinary like filipino culture and where we were vacationing out of and so on, and if related or anything of that sort. Then we paid/tipped graciously and took a group picture with him. Now, I don't know why given the complimentary meals and dessert (probably because I was Facebooking where I was and taking pics of the food), but we went on a weekday about near the last hour and a half before they close. I'd think we were lucky? I don't know. We're unsure when's the next time we're ever going to be in Chicago IL again, probably not for a while. We went during the freezing time. In conclusion, for you folks traveling to Chicago and that love filipino breakfasts and other food, look no further and eat here. Seriously.

    (5)
  • Derrick T.

    By the way, Uncle Mike has added actual tocino and longanesa to the menu for breakfast. Both quite authentic to standard Filipino breakfast! For those who haven't tried it before, I highly recommend trying tocino... delicious... and the longanesa may be too fatty for those who aren't used to a fairly fatty sausages... but oh so good! Comes with diced tomatos with salt, traditional to authentic breakfast in the Phillippines so I'm told. Take advantage of it while you can, as I'm not sure that it will be a permenant add to the menu, though the waitress assured me it will not be leaving the specials menu any time soon. Yum!

    (5)
  • Risa T.

    The only complaint...food is good! Almost as good as home but Americanized :)

    (4)
  • Tracy L.

    mm mmmmm!! champorado! where have you been all my life! i'm so glad they add it to your plate, it's true filipino breakfast HUGE plates! rice and egg and filipino meats, and they also have american style breakfast too. i need to go here again i'm already hungry just thinking about it

    (4)
  • Ryan N.

    this place is definitely a 4 food-wise, mostly because the tocino + longaniza combo i tried brought me back to my childhood sunday mornings. that's when my mom used to whip up some tocino, longaniza, egg, fried rice and a side of diced tomatoes for breakfast. I grew up on this stuff, so I know the food was legit. sometimes tocino can be tough, but it was tender here. i was also pleasantly surprised my meal came with a cup of lelot, which is a chicken and rice-style porridge (HINT: try it with green onions, fried garlic bits and some lemon). haven't had that in awhile; warmed the soul. my only real issue i guess is price and I kind of feel bad for pointing that out. if people are willing to pay it, good for uncle mike. but tocino and longaniza should not be $12. bangus (fish) shouldn't be $15. spam should not be $9. in fact, when my mom came to visit a couple months ago - the same woman who used to make this stuff for me as kid - I thought it'd be fun to take her here since there aren't many filipino restaurants in our home state. however, when I showed her the menu, she absolutely refused, scoffing at the prices. but price aside, food was good, i like it for saturday mornings.

    (4)
  • April H.

    I'm sorry mom. I'm really sorry to inform you that Uncle Mike makes a better filipino breakfast than you. I regret to inform you that I will be eating @ Uncle Mike's for breakfast from now on. Their tocino...mom...mom..you've been skimping on the pork my whole life. Why? Have you been eating it? Giving it to my sister Lourdes instead? I knew she was your favorite daughter! You'd give me one slice of tocino..... Uncle Mike on the other hand gives me huge portions of that sweet fried pork goodness.A heaping carton of garlic rice. A serving of garlic fried rice that would have fed your whole barrio, province, island. All meant for me! And those yummy eggs. Mom. You have got to understand. Uncle Mike makes it better. But you make better pansit. You do. Hands down, you win the pansit competition. But only because Uncle Mike doesn't make it. Yet.

    (5)
  • Tara M.

    We consider ourselves "breakfast place" aficionados and Uncle Mike's is now tied for first place...in a cross-country competition, mind you! It ranks right up there with Ellis Island in Las Vegas, NV. Uncle Mike's delivers on service, charm, authenticity, atmosphere and of course...the eggs, hash browns, toast and coffee - bottomless - couldn't drink it fast enough. We will be back!

    (4)
  • Mike L.

    Garlic Rice, Tocino, Spam, and eggs.... Best breakfast combo ever! I think that says it all for this review. They should open this place up after hours. Prepare to wait a bit on saturday/sunday mornings.....

    (5)
  • Genelou S.

    I am absolutely in love with this place. I want to make this short, because my first review was extensive, but this place is AMAZING!!! The food is absolutely delicious. Every time i come here I get the Filipino breakfast (the hot and spicy spam to be exact). I have tried each of the other items on the Filipino breakfast because I always happen to go with a lot of family. Every single dish on there is DELICIOUS!! Not only that but the free lugaw and champorado is sooo addicting! It also helps that we got free marinated skirt steak also. The service is also amazing!! This place just has it all!!

    (5)
  • Aurore L.

    First: Uncle Mike's Place kicks Uncle Julio's Hacienda in the pants. Big times. Well - not if you really like margaritas with your breakfast fare but in that case you have more serious problems and it doesn't really matter to you anyway. Ahhhh....do I love my new 'hood. Walking distance from 6 or 7 places to welcome me, all fresh and preppy, to serve me my first meal of the day. And yes, please do not doubt - not even for one second - that I am fresh and preppy when I jump out of bed. That would be rude, and everybody knows it is MY job. Sunday morning - rainy, windy, gray and an escape in the Philippines sound just like what my tour operator ordered. I sit down, look for the Filipino menu on the wall, debating between tocino and longanisa, opt for the first one, and wait - coffee in hand. I survey the decor. Flower tiles reminiscent of a tattoo parlor, a weird wooden sculpture with a bird, a family of penguins - 7 to be exact - just hanging out on the cornice. Beautiful green ceiling, old Chicago style. All the customers are busy with their plates. Our chicken lugaw arrives; very similar to a rice porridge, or to a Chinese congee....delicious. And then......well I exchanged my tocino for the very flavorful longanisa. Garlicky, spicy and slightly sweet - it's my new crack. Tocino is...........an acquired taste I'd say. I was expecting bacon, Mexican style (duh) and it was definitely porky, but also very, very pink and way too sweet for my porky taste buds. On a second take it was not that bad, the texture was interesting but with longanisas at hand reach there was no hesitation. I stole Reuben's plate. And I am not even ashamed of it. That's what wives do, right? I decided that I really liked rice with my eggs and meat, much more so than the usual heavy, oily hashbrowns. Unless they are from Sunrise Cafe. Or a couple of other places. But still - rice is good, peeps. Real good. Especially with garlic and slightly cripsy. Garlic sausage + garlic fried rice = breakfast of champions. Take that, Tiger.

    (4)
  • Andrea K.

    Went back this weekend. I ordered the Philippino combo- langonisa & tapa w/ garlic rice. 2 eggs. It was good. But not as good as I remembered it last time. It seemed like something even I could heat up/cook at home. BF ordered the skirt steak medium rare. Would not recommend. It had no flavor and the sauce it came with was A1 sauce!! I am appalled!!! They gave complimentary small bowls of lugaw. It was good. The place has seemed to lost it's magic on me. Servers are nice, but there needs to be more organization in seating customers and taking care of the tables.

    (3)
  • C R.

    Longanisa, garlic fried rice and over easy eggs.. Always a crowd pleaser. And the kind folks always throw in some complimentary good stuff!

    (5)
  • Brian R.

    What happened to this place? I used to go here with some frequency (over the last 10 yrs) but haven't been in awhile. What a disappointment. The country omelet would be more appropriately called a "skillet" at most other places. It was a large combo of egg, potato and veggies all mashed about and it was bland. The potatoes, which form the basis of this dish (or as the side to most other breakfasts) are bland, undercooked and soggy. Tables don't have ketchup and we were done by the time they brought us some. The blueberry pancake side was awful. The blueberries tasted odd/chemically; the pancakes were doughy and raw. They do not come with butter, I asked for some, but it never came. The toast was served cold and was just barely toasted. The corned beef hash was better than most places, but didn't make up for the disappointment of the rest of the food. For two of us, the tab was $26 - for standard breakfast diner fair this struck me as a bit high. They have specials which are Filipino - maybe this is what others like (frankly they looked gross) - but I would not bother if you are looking for simple cheap diner food.

    (1)
  • Trent M.

    Great greasy spoon off the main strip hidden away on Grand Ave. The only downside I see is that they close at 3pm, other than that the service is good, the food is great, and the price is right. I almost always have the Farmer's Breakfast which fills me up more than you can imagine. Be sure to say hi to Aileen, the cashier, she's the best!

    (4)
  • Dora A.

    On any given day, you will see cops, local politicos, and community leaders having breakfast/lunch. There is nothing fancy about Mike's--just good, no-frills, man-portioned American food. I love their oatmeal--Mike's secret recipe--and soups. Last I knew it was cash-only. Parking is usually easy, too.

    (4)
  • TheLeg G.

    Unpretentious old school diner, but the pumpkin pancakes were gummy and imparted a very unpleasant, and tenacous, aftertaste. Wait staff was very nice, which is always appreciated. Fruit plate overflowed...in a good way.

    (3)
  • Shane H.

    Good food and Great service! I had no idea this place was even there! It is a nice place that is clean and friendly. My coffee cup was never empty (and that says a lot for me). The food was really good with whole grain toast. If you are really adventurous, you will try the FISH, GRITS and CHEESE! I am not that brave.

    (4)
  • Katie C.

    We tried Uncle Mike's Place after a neighbor recommended it. He said the service is much better than Breakfast Club (which is also in our neighborhood). We have been there for breakfast twice and the service was TERRIBLE both times. The first time, they never brought part of our order. The second time, they screwed up my side dishes. We also waited between 30-45 minutes for our food both times. It's not terrible - but there are much better breakfast diners in the area.

    (2)
  • K H.

    I used to drive by this place every day for work and about 6 months later my roommate who went there pretty often took me there. It was great breakfast food the way I like it. I have even had their split pea soup which was the best I have ever had. I love Uncle Mike's!

    (5)
  • Fred M.

    Uncle Mike sure knows how to make a ragtag band of hungover martial artists from Minnesota not only feel welcome but stuffed. The general consensus in our group was that for all of us, this was probably the best dining experience any of us ever experienced, thanks almost single handedly to the awesome hospitality of Tito Mike himself. We rolled into Uncle Mike's at 11 AM to find a packed diner. A waiter immediately informed us that unfortunately there was a 25 minute wait, and that he would put us down for a table, but to just let him know if we changed our mind about waiting. Not being from town, and all of us being physically beat up from the shenanigans the night before, all of us were willing to wait. As we lined up behind the diners on the lunch counter, we noticed Uncle Mike was a one man dynamo: part cook, part manager, part waiter, and part busboy. He was constantly moving about the restaurant from kitchen to tables a whirlwind of energy and motion. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed our group of 5 pouring over menus while standing behind the seated counter patron, and told the waiter, if they're willing why seat them out back, and that he'd bus the table himself. Hungry, and it being a wonderful summer day, all of us eagerly agreed. We were soon led out to a cozy little deck with tables and awnings, decorated with grape vines and flowers hugging the rails. Wonderful seating and scenery on a nice sunny summer day, and we're all amazed that no one else was clamoring to sit outside. Soon our waitress arrived with water, and took our order, and the magic begun. Uncle Mike came out with a plate of fried rice and what seemed to be Paksiw Lechon (a subtely sweet and tangy marinated pulled pork), and bowls of chicken soup. The soup was a hybrid version of awesomeness that I couldnt quite put a name too, but perfect for a hungover stomach. Then the main course arrived, heaping plates of awesomeness. I ordered the Tapa (skirt steak), and it was huge and wonderful. For all the reviews claiming you can get more food cheaper somewhere else, I call shenanigans, because the size of the skirt steak was easily what most other restaurants would give to a family of four, and that family would be stuffed. It came with a nice huge heaping of garlic rice (easily double the serving Ive had at any turo-turo style restuarant) when combined with my over easy eggs on top, I was instantly transported back to childhood. Something often overlooked but key to true Filipino dining, the meal came with a cup of sawsawan (a dipping sauce made with fish sauce, vinegar, and finely chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro) that made every bite of the Tapa even more supercharged with awesomeness. And the coup de grace, was a cup of home made (yep not instant) champorado (a chocolate rice porridge). Yet, the awesomeness didnt stop there. While we were all chompng away Uncle Mike showed up with a plate of pulled pork (with a fusion style Filipino BBQ sauce) sandwiches and coleslaw, and even better a plate full of lumpia shanghai. He then noticed the lugao was missing, and promptly showed up with a cup for each of us. All in all, the amount of food I ate in that one meal was probably more food than I had in the previous two days. Each bite delectably delicious and expertly done. Uncle Mike, it must of slowed down inside, then joined us for beers and chit chat while we ate our brunch, and I gotta say he could do a one man show as the tales of the neighborhood, Chicago, how he started the business kept the five of us enraptured. One of our party asked if he had business cards, and of course he was one upped with free key chains and to go menus. As we're were eating his wife and family popped in and out adding even more charm and hospitality. It truly was like eating at Tito Mike's during fiesta time and not some restaurant. Finally Uncle Mike noticed me polishing off my champorado, and the look on my face must have been one of pure bliss, as he immediately asked his wife to get us champorrado to go, and to make sure we have spoons so we can eat it as a snack on our drive back to MN. But Uncle Mike had one more ace up his sleeve, while he was busily advising us how to start our own restaurant and make it a success, he told his son in law to grab us some tocino and longanisa to take home. Expecting just perhaps a to go portion, out came his son in law with a bucket of what had to be 5 lbs of frozen tocino and longanisa. None of us wanted to leave, and our quick brunch turned into 4 hours of fiesta time with our new beloved Tito Mike. So please people, dont pass a treasure like Tito MIke's place up. The name is no cutesy cliche, he truly treats his customers like they're family, even if they a bunch of strange martial artists from Minnesota. We all wished we could be adopted by Tito Mike and never leave that wonderful gem of a rest

    (5)
  • Kerosan L.

    Went there with the family for brunch, and specifically for the Filipino type of breakfast. We don't have this in the burbs, so I don't mind driving to Chicago for a decent Filipino breakfast. The service was good though we were seated in the back and it was cold! I got the longganisa, garlic rice with an appetizer. It was ok, I was expecting more since I can actually cook those foods at home. But once again, we dont have this type of places in the suburbs. *hint,hint* anybody interested in opening a Filipino style brunch in the NW suburbs? I would probably go back but not too soon...if I cant help it.

    (3)
  • Lora S.

    You must try the Filipino breakfast! My boyfriend and I went to Uncle Mike's Place for the second time today, and it was even better than the first time. We decided to go, because my Mom read about this place in the paper. There was a long article about the Filipino breakfast, which is especially interesting since this is not a Filipino restaurant. This is one of two places in Chicago that I've heard of that serve Filipino breakfast. (If you know more, please let me know) ATMOSPHERE/SERVICE: The first time we went there, it was within a week or two of the article, it was midday on a Sunday, and it was nice out. That plus the delicious food probably explains why the place was PACKED. They have a seat-yourself policy, so if there are no tables you just need to keep an eye out for people getting up and stand somewhere out of the way. We got lucky, and one of the waiters/bus boys (a friendly older guy) made eye contact with us and said he'd watch for a table for us in the back, since we were standing closer to the front and they have a back area with more tables. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful when we could catch her, but the unfortunate part about the place being so busy was that she was covering quite a few tables. Today we went around 9:30 AM, and it was raining, and we had no problem getting a table as soon as we came in. The front area was busy, but there was no one sitting in the back yet. We basically had our own personal waitress. She was super nice and friendly. She (or the kitchen) made one mistake by giving my boyfriend eggs over-easy instead of scrambled with cheese. When we told her, she was apologetic and amended the bill. No big deal. FOOD: I think this is the first place I've been where the food reminded me of being a kid eating a home-cooked meal. I wasn't born in the Philippines, but growing up in a Filipino household, it was always a special treat to wake up Sunday morning to the smell of garlic fried rice, eggs, and longaniza, and that's how I felt walking down the street to Uncle Mike's Place. Both times, I ordered the longaniza (Filipino sausage) Filipino breakfast, and my boyfriend ordered the tocino Filipino breakfast. They both come with garlic fried rice, two eggs however you want them, your choice of toast, and a side of a tomato-onion-vinegar combination. The best way to eat it is to get a big spoonful (or forkful) of rice, egg, longaniza, and tomato-onion-vinegar in one bite. Believe me. You'll love it. Just consider the toast a bonus. Today was especially awesome, because we were each offered a complimentary bowl of lugaw. Yes please! I'm not sure if they're trying to introduce a new dish or if the chef was just in the mood, but I'm not complaining. If you don't know what it is, the easiest way to describe it is probably that it is a Filipino chicken and rice porridge. It's a great dish, because no matter what ethnicity you are, it has a home-cooked familiar taste to it. It was NOT a little teacup of it either. It was a nice bowlful of lugaw. Definitely made my day. My boyfriend liked it, too. PRICE: $7.95 for a huge breakfast?! Amazing! Like I said, it was longaniza, garlic fried rice, two eggs, a side, and toast all for $7.95. Such an awesome value. I know my review is somewhat incomplete, but haven't you ever been to a place where that one special dish was so damn good that you could care less what their other food tasted like? I plan on going back again and again. Maybe I'll try something new next time, but I figure I can get pancakes at any breakfast place. Might as well stick with food that I already know is DELICIOUS. Thank you Uncle Mike's Place! You rock =)

    (5)
  • Krissy M.

    Longanisa & tocino combo with over easy eggs on top garlic rice -- fantastic!

    (5)
  • Eddy C.

    In a city chock full of terrific brunch spots, Uncle Mike's stands out for one reason: its Filipino breakfast menu. If you're like me, you find the average brunch fare to be a bit on the boring side. However at Uncle Mike's, brunch is not just comprised of pancakes and eggs (though those items are on the menu if that's what you're in the mood for). It's all about the Filipino breakfast menu on the chalkboard. I've had the tocino (pork shoulder) , longaniza (Flipino sausage) and the bangus (deep fried milkfish) and all three were delicious, with the tocino receiving extra brownie points for its tasty sweet flavor. Each meal off o the Filipino menu starts off with lugaw, which is more or less like Filipino congee. Topped with scallions and peanuts and containing chunks of chicken, it's warm and delicious goodness that totally hits the spot on a cold wintery day or after a long night of hard drinking. Along with the lugaw, each dish also comes with two eggs, toast, a tomato/onion relish and a heaping pile of rice that's coated with sesame oil. TIP: get your eggs over easy and then bust that yolk all over the rice -- the epitome of sinfully good. Delicious food aside, Uncle Mike's also boasts outstanding service and a warm atmosphere that's more like a small community where people know each other on a first name basis. Uncle Mike himself is often at the restaurant, catching up with his customers and sending out complimentary food to make sure you enjoy your meal. I've yet to leave Uncle Mike's without being absolutely stuffed and carrying doggie bags home for later. In short, Uncle Mike's is a great option you're craving a different yet hearty and delicious brunch. Highly recommended!

    (5)
  • D W.

    I have been here several times during the past few years. But last time, yesterday, I was not impressed. Service is good, and staff is friendly. I also like the atmosphere mostly the east room. I ordered corned beef hash, fried eggs, hash browns, toast, and coffee. I asked for the potatoes and hash to be crispy. All the food was under cooked, and the eggs were a little cooked but almost raw. I pointed this out nicely to our server. Instead of him remaking the food, they did nothing to the hash and potatoes (which came out cold this time), and simply threw the eggs back on the grill instead of remaking them. The toast was also rather hard. Coffee tasted like they use chlorine based soap in their mugs and/or coffee machine. I may have forgiven this except the meal left me with an incredible stomach ache, etc... May go back someday, but not for a long time.

    (2)
  • Jeanette S.

    Filipino breakfast specials were a treat! Coffee cup was ALWAYS full :) Service was pretty quick. Casual environment. Kitchen was a bit noisy. Definitely going again! If u're not curious enough to go the Filipino route, they have lots of other...omlets, pancakes, sandwiches and more. Enjoy!

    (4)
  • Ian V.

    I've been meaning to try this place for a while with their Filipino breakfast, and it was worth a visit, probably repeated visits. After meeting a buddy there we just grabbed a table and were immediately offered coffee, which is a huge plus since I needed it. And the servers were Johnny on the Spot with the refills because they frequently stopped by to enable my caffeine addiction. The decor in the front made it feel like a diner but the back made it seem like I was in a family member's fixed up basement. My friend is a regular there and said I could get a combo of longanisa and tocino; so I got that with garlic rice, over easy eggs, and greek toast (they ran out of wheat and multigrain). You get complimentary soup, I got the lugao, and it was a taste of my childhood with warm rice porridge, chicken (albiet not much) and lemon to add some acid. A great start. The food took longer than I expected, especially for a breakfast place, but when it did it was a huge portion. Lots of tocino and links of longanisa (locally made evidently), good amount of garlic rice topped with my eggs, and a fresh salsa with visible rocks of sea salt. The garlic rice was very flavorful and the eggs were done right. The meat was nice and fatty, which is how it should be and the salty salsa cut the fattiness of the meat just right. My friend gave me some of his skirt steak and that had a great marinade and it was nicely cooked and juicy. Needless to say I finished it all but I probably should have taken a doggie bag since I was ready to burst. I really didn't know what to to with the bread since that's usually not part of a Filipino breakfast, but I ate it anyway since I ate all the garlic rice and had meat left. It was super filling, delicious, and reminiscent of my childhood. It even came with complimentary champorado (chocolate rice pudding sorta thing), but I wish they gave that to us after the entree instead of with it because it became very congealed and cool when I got to it. It was tasty and authentic and I'll probably go again since I have to try the bangus (milkfish) Filipino breakfast, I didn't see that listed. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a hearty breakfast with attentive service. I even met Mike and he seems like a good guy; I was surprised he wasn't Filipino, but he knows his stuff.

    (4)
  • Steph V.

    Very good phillipino restaurant. Did not expect all the sides, or the champurado at the end.

    (3)
  • May S.

    I haven't had a Filipino style breakfast since my Lola went back to the Philippines - this place brought me back to my childhood! My husband, who's half Dutch and Italian, loved it! They started us off with lugaw - which is kind of like a chicken soup (rice, scallions, chicken, ginger). Then I had the longanisa (sweet sausage) and he had the tocino (sweet pork dish). These came with two over easy eggs and garlic rice, a tomato/onion/vinegar sauce, choice of toast, and champorado (kind of like chocolate rice/oatmeal). It was a huge breakfast and it was soo incredibly good. He ate everything on his plate and went for mine! Our waitress was really nice and she was on the ball with coffee and water refills. We also met Uncle Mike's wife and she was so sweet. She even offered me lugaw to take home! Highly recommend this place! You'll love it!

    (5)
  • Johnny T.

    Sorry, John Stamos fans: Uncle Mike kicks Uncle Jesse's @ss from here to the corner. This place is awesome. Any time of day, you can order Filipino breakfast. At a diner. In West Town. Huh? Yes! You know what this means? You do. You should. That means: tocino, baby! Holla! For $7.95, you get a huge helping of tocino (or spam or long...that thing I always misspell), rice, eggs, toast, and onions. It was delicious. The tocino was awesomely flavored, thick and plentiful. Seriously, I had five pieces. I ordered my eggs scrambled and set them on top of my rice and put my mea..tocino on top of that...and topped that with the onions. Every bite was pinoy pleasure. Loved it. What goes best with such a party in your mouth? Fruit punch. Again, holla! But, even as I was getting down with my red dye and artificial flavoring, a gentleman (a cook? manager? I dunno) came by to give me (and every other patron) a glass of freshly made orange/pineapple/mango juice with a lime wedge in it. HOLLA! Seriously, it's as though this place kept striving to top itself with every passing minute. Our waitress was very cool and patient. My Certainly Cool colleague and I were here to meet someone and we kept the waitress waiting to take our order. At no time did she said, suck her teeth, roll her eyes or act exasperated. She was friendly, patient and helpful despite us keeping her from doing her job. Later in the meal, I was so hyped up from my plate of food and GLASSES of fruity beverages, that I knocked over my colleague's drink. It spilled all over the table and floor. Despite me looking youthful, cool and as though I just stepped out of a Missy Elliott video, I felt like an idiot. Our waitress made me feel at ease, told me to stop cleaning and helped get the situation handled (with juice-man acting as backup). Ugh. I lose. But they're winners. Be a winner. Impress your friend. Eat Filipino breakfast at 3 pm. Drink freshly made juice concoctions. I sorta love this place. Hee hee hee. You so craaazy. I think I wanna have yo' baby.

    (5)
  • Alf O.

    Thanks for helping me find this location Yelp. Wow, if you are a foodie, then this is your spot. This was my first go at Philippine food, but I think I might move there after the fantastic meal at UMP! Both the pork shoulder, and skirt steak were dynamite. Go for French in your toast selection, and arrive with a healthy appetite.

    (5)
  • Olivia M.

    I went here because they currently have a promotion on Scout Mob, however they would not validate/redeem the discount. I made the mistake of not asking if we could use the coupon before ordering/eating. The woman in charge said that they weren't getting a percentage that Scout Mob owed them so they no longer use the service. She didn't offer any other kind of discount which was kind of disappointing but it's not the end of the world. However, the food was delicious and the server gave my boyfriend free Filipino soup to take home because he felt bad.

    (3)
  • Jared B.

    Great Food Fast! Very nice employees.

    (5)
  • Hula B.

    we like it. free soup appetizers - yeah! great steak and eggs breakfast really - nothing not to like here.

    (4)
  • Lala S.

    I feel like everyone should have an "Uncle Mike," but of course I don't, so I'll happily adopt Uncle Mike into my family. I've passed this place every M, W, and Friday for the past 2 years on the way to the gym and always wondered what this place was all about. One of my friend's went there last week and posted pics and I just had to check this place out. The whole concept of the diner offering a Filipino breakfast seemed pretty different and we're adventurous people so why the heck not? So we woke up bright and early this morning and made way to Uncle Mike's. Tip: Don't try to open the door at the corner, you'll look like a dummy like I did. Go to the side door. We got in and it looked like there was a line but it was just a large party ahead of us. I was surprised at how big this place was because it looks tiny on the outside. Uncle Mike must be making a killing because it was packed in here! The menu is rather extensive but I had been yearning to try this Filipino breakfast business. I got the Bangus and my bf got the combo (with sausage and pork shoulder). The Bangus was banging. It was very flavorful. The sausage and pork were also very tasty. I actually prefer the sausage here in comparison to the other one's I've tasted from the Filipino grocery stores. It had a much more subtle flavor and wasn't quite as sweet as its counterparts. I also liked that the sausage wasn't electric red like the other ones. The pork shoulder was nice and tender. The garlic rice was pretty good as well. (The meal was also accompanied with some salsa-type concoction, a chocolate tapioca-like pudding and we were started off with a congee of sorts. It started with an L) I have to mention that the pictures posted on here do not give this place justice. The pictures on Yelp appear to be a normal size plate but what they bring you could probably feed a Filipino family of 4. The plate is, no-joke, 16"! It looks like a freaking wall clock. Next time we go, we are going to try their American breakfasts. The plates looked redic! These plates were just as big. Can't wait to go visit Uncle Mike again...

    (4)
  • Mike R.

    Great place! Wonderful atmosphere and good food at reasonable prices. My wife and I had blueberry pancakes and the chorizo breakfast combo - they were both very good. The service is also fantastic - at no point was my coffee cup less than half full, and the food and check arrived promptly.

    (4)
  • Mario B.

    Good food..don't expect good service though. I'll come back because I'm too lazy to cook my own Filipino food.

    (3)
  • Michael S.

    Ok. Well went here after a night of drinking with the sis and got the filipino breakfast. Got the tocino which to be honest is good, but I guess felt very much like what I can have my mom make for me. Their garlic fried rice is good, but not unlike any other I've had. It was a very traditional filipino breakfast, but sorry Uncle Mike. Nothing stood out too much for the food. It does seem like a nice neighborhood place and I did like the service so that is always a plus.

    (4)
  • Birdie H.

    Soooo good and so different! It's nice to have a place with breakfast and lunch that isn't the same ol omelette (however you spell it) and bacon. The Longanisa was amazing. I don't think I've ever tasted such a flavorful breakfast meat, or maybe any kind of meat for that matter. Also, whatever they season/dress the tomato onion mixture with was delicious. The whole meal was awesome. The only thing I could say needs improvement was whoever makes the coffee. Both times they filled me up, my cup had a lot of grounds. But I really didn't care about drinking my coffee after the food came. Plus it didn't taste like the weird bitter diner/hipster coffee which you often find around this neck of the woods, so that was cool. Overall an excellent experience and I'll definitely be back. Thanks Uncle Mike!

    (5)
  • Francis A.

    Amanda G. (the reviewer below) texted me while she was there and told me to go. So I did. And it was awesome. My girlfriend ordered the tocino and longanisa combo. I ordered spicy spam (don't judge). They both came with garlic rice and fried eggs. I'd like to point out that my girlfriend and I eat filipino breakfast on a regular basis. So.. you could say, we know our sh*t when it comes to filipino food. This place is amazing and we'll be going back regularly. You should try it out. Now. Go. They close at 3.

    (4)
  • Ria C.

    Uncle Mike's is ok for brunch. Having recently returned from the Philippines with the bubby, I can't help but be overly critical. The place is a real diner dive, but good clientelle, and an extensive menu. I ordered the Tocino breakfast with garlic rice, fried egg, lugaw, and tea. The lugaw was pretty good and they offer this up to everyone who orders an entree regardless of whether or not you pick the Filipino breakfast. The Tocino came in 2 large pieces, and I'm used to the sticky small tocino pieces-a little crispy, burnt, and just perfectly greasy. Uncle Mike's had flavorful ones, but not close to the best I've had. I'd also like to have gotten more garlic with the rice, which lacked in flavor. If anyone knows of any good Filipino spots in the city to satisfy my cravings, please send me a note. The bubs got the longaniza, and again this was good, but not great. The other couple we came with went with the Club Sandwich, and the Ham and Egg Omelette. Both were satisfied, but not overly thrilled. May come back here for the skirt steak and eggs which a few people around us ordered. It made me jealous.

    (3)
  • Rod O.

    I solely go here for the Filipino Breakfast. I don't know if i'll ever try anything else here because it's such a solid place for Filipino breakfast. The go to dish here is the combo plate with tocino and longonisa. The combo plate comes with garlic fried rice, a fried egg, and salsa. On the weekends they also ask if you want a bowl of lugao. The service here is always friendly and if Uncle Mike is there, he always seems to give out some freebies like fried adobo wings, meat loaf, stuffed cabbage rolls. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone craving Filipino breakfast!

    (4)
  • Ashley J.

    It pains me to write this review because the food at Uncle Mike's is delicious, however the service just left a sour taste in my mouth. I went for brunch on Sunday morning and ordered a short stack of pumpkin pancakes, two sunny side up eggs and an order of longaniza. The server seemed attentive at first, quickly taking our order and checking in on us periodically, but it was when the food arrived that things took a turn for the worse. He proceeded to set our food down in front of us and while I received my longaniza, there were no eggs in sight and worst of all, the pancakes were buttermilk! Picking my battles, I decided to address the pancake issue and politely asked, "Are these pumpkin?" He looks at me square in the faced and says, "Yes." The juevos on this guy! I mean everyone at the table knew it was a bold faced lie. Shocked by his incredulousness and placated by the delightful smell of the pancakes, I decided not to push the issue further. The eggs were never to be seen. Needless to say, I don't think i'll be going back for a long time, if ever. I say to you Uncle Mike's, liar liar pancakes on fire.

    (2)
  • K T.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Went for the first time ever this past weekend. I cannot get enough of the Filipino dishes here. Portions are awesome - some folks say it's too much for one person - but if you're Asian and you love your foods like you should - who cares about portion size! Food is to be eaten! Totally my new place for awesome brunch!

    (5)
  • Kenneth Q.

    I have visited Uncle Mike's Place for brunch on several occasions since moving to Noble Square/E. Ukie/West Town. Yesterday I had a most unfortunate experience at Uncle Mike's and want to share it with the world. Yesterday, mere moments after our food arrived, a party of about 10 loud, obnoxious people came in and sat at a big table next to us. This cackling woman was sitting about 18 inches from my face, and the volume of her voice and cackling was appropriate for a night club. I tried to drop subtle hints by talking REALLY LOUD to Chris, and asking Chris to repeat everything he said. But those efforts yielded zero results. She just persisted, and her noisy children joined in the chorus by screaming and talking loudly. Like mother, like undisciplined urchins. Ugh. So I took my breakfast and moved to an unoccupied table at the far end of the dining room, but I could still hear her cackling and ridiculously loud voice. The only way to escape the noise would have been to move to the next dining room or go outside. ALL that I wanted was to eat my pumpkin pancakes and bacon in peace. Was that too much to ask? It makes me wonder where such people are raised. I would suggest, perhaps, a barn. But that is insulting to animals who inhabit barns. FML. Let me be clear about one thing: our server was great, the pumpkin pancakes were quite good, the bacon was crisp and delicious, and the orange juice tasted fresh-squeezed. This is all about the unfortunate arrival and subsequent behavior of the large party at the next table. I don't know where these kind of people come from, but they keep coming.

    (2)
  • Dan B.

    best breakfast in town! especially if you are looking for an authentic Filipino cuisine. The longaniza is my fave!!!

    (5)
  • Sam d.

    THEY HAVE TOCINO AND LONGANIZA ON THE "MENU"!!!!!! At least they did today. In case you don't know why I used all caps: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo…

    (5)
  • Rina Y.

    I've never had Filipino food before (except for the egg rolls) so was on board when my friend, J, suggested we go for Friday brunch. It's a super casual diner atmosphere so I would have felt comfortable showing up in my pj's. There was no wait so we picked a sun-drenched table and as soon as we sat down our waitress brought us our menus and a large soup bowl of lugao for each of us. Lugao is like a rice porridge with great chicken and lemon flavor - I loved it! And the bowl was pretty big - I would have been happy and full with just a bowl of that! When our waitress came by I asked her what the popular dishes were under the Filipino breakfast category (the menu has plenty of American breakfast foods too) and she said the Loganiza (this delicious sweet chorizo - mmm, now my new fave!) and Tocino (2 slabs of pork shoulder with a bit of a sweet taste). Perfect - there was a combo dish of that! Then the waitress asked how I liked my eggs - the pictures in the menu were over easy so I went with the eggs in the pics. Out comes a HUGE plate of amazing food - good amount of garlic rice with 2 perfectly done over easy eggs, a bowl of sweet rice pudding (??, not sure what it was but tasted just like a Hawaiian dessert called haupia), a small bowl of pico de gallo, 2 tocinos and 2 slabs of loganiza. As you're reading this, it might sound like the most random combo of foods, but everything on the plate just paired so nicely with each other I wanted to be sure I had a little of everything on my plate in each bite. I ate a lot but still had enough leftover for it to be a complete dinner meal the next day. After we paid, someone from the kitchen came out and brought us 2 huge containers of their chicken noodle soup. She explained that since they make the soup fresh every day and they were closing up for the day soon, they were giving it away to all of their customers. I had the soup when I got home and it was delicious and you can tell it was homemade chicken broth with big chunks of white meat chicken, good portion of noodles and fresh herbs. FANTASTIC! We need more brunch places like this - unique and delicious homemade food, good portions, and great service in a unpretentious setting where you can lay back. Will be back!

    (5)
  • Mike Y.

    Uncle Mike's rocks! The first time I came here, we came with one of his nephews and they totally hooked us up! Massive boatloads of tasty filipino breakfast. Toscino, longanisa, their marinated steak, garlic rice. To top it all off, he gave us a huge fruit/ice cream dessert plate! All of the food was really tasty! That was the first time I had ever had toscino before and I have to say, it is one of the tastier pork dishes I have had. Don't be afraid that it is reddish in color, that just means it is ready to fill your stomach with its marinated goodness. I've come back several times afterwards. This family-run diner is full of good people and and the food is just straight up good diner food. Definitely the place to go for your breakfast fix (american diner stuff or filipino breakfast)!

    (5)
  • Jeff O.

    Great food! Bonus chicken drumsticks for appetizers! fast, polite service. Be prepared for a line at times, but they move along well! love.

    (4)
  • Lesley A.

    Immediately west of downtown in the Ukrainian Village, you have to be an IDIOT not to be able to get to Uncle Mike's Place. Uncle Mike's has its own parking lot, ample street parking (without meters!), and the Grand Ave. bus that drops you at its corner (remember, the red line stops at Grand Ave.!) Perusing Uncle Mike's website or regular menu, you will not find the Filipino fare. Upon entering the restaurant, look immediately to your left at the holy chalkboard of Filipino breakfasts: longsilog (Filipino sausage), tocilog (Filipino pork), spamsilog (Spam). The meats all come with garlic rice, eggs, sawsawan kamatis (diced onions and tomatoes in vinegar) and a choice of either lugaw (chicken broth rice porridge with a tinge of green onion and ginger) or tea. PRO-TIP #1: You don't have to limit yourself to one type of meat. I asked for a mixed plate of tocino and longanisa and was charged the standard $7.95. WIN!!! PRO-TIP #2: Watch out for the coffee refills! My friend was charged for full cups of coffee even though his cups were only topped off. I came here with six friends and we were seated at, what seemed at the time, an unreasonably large table in the back room. With seven of us ordering Filipino breakfast, we easily filled the table - and ourselves - with delicious food. The portions are worth their price. I have, however, had better Filipino food (see my other Filipino restaurant reviews). I thought the garlic rice didn't have enough garlic and the tocino was overcooked and somewhat bland. Regardless, you cannot beat how accessible Uncle Mike's is, and how Chicago restaurants are starting to embrace the wonder of Filipino food! I hope Uncle Mike's will expand its Filipino breakfast menu and not make it such a secret. Pupunta na!

    (3)
  • PJ J.

    I tried it twice and sorry, no good. I try to be diplomatic when I write these.... I've had different waitstaff each time and the place was never really busy. You can tell the people are pretty nice...but whoever is in the kitchen lacks the skill set needed to cook professionally and serve actual customers. My order was screwed up both times. This is a place where: *You'll get bread after you finish your breakfast. *Half of the table will get their food and finish before you get yours. *Your waitress will have a conversation with the people next to you and totally ignore you. *Yes, just like the other review says...eggs are never cooked the same way twice. *They will most likely be out of what you want, or not have any sides. Oh! They do have a few Filipino dishes that they pull off and they wont kill you...but they're not worth the money. I got free lugaw last time -a rice porridge....I could've used it as wallpaper paste. Just stay home and cook for yourself...this isn't the spot, unless maybe you've been drinking all night and its the closest place you can crawl over to. Then fine.

    (1)
  • Url R.

    We went on the early side on a Saturday and picked up a table with not problem. The restaurant was probably a third full. Despite this fact, the food took awhile to arrive. I was surprised at this as our orders were not complicated. I got the Filipino breakfast and found the meats (we requested both the Longanuiza and Tocino) to be very good and well sweet, as they should be. The sausage was cooked perfectly with a burnt crispy skin on the outside. The garlic rice was not garlicy enough by most filipino's standards, but it may have been toned down for western tastes.

    (3)
  • Jason U.

    Kinda overpriced for what you get in my opinion, but then again I know the actual costs. Friendly service but very crowded. This may just be a one-timer for me.

    (3)
  • Monica K.

    I was going to preface this review by saying, "Maybe I caught them on a bad day". But based on the other reviews I'm going to say probably not - this place needs to get their act together. We also read a bunch of reviews (the Trib had one recently) and decided to check it out even though we live about 10 miles away from this place. What a waste of time of and money. We showed up at 11:30, and were able to find parking on Grand. We walk in the door and the tables are are filled up, there are a few people standing along the wall. We walk over to the cashier and tell him we'd like a table and he tells us to go find any open table. What?! ok fine, so we wait (only about 5 minutes) and then a table gets up and leaves. As we walk over to the table one of the busboys (complete jerk) tells us to hold on and actually asks a couple that had just walked in if they were looking for a table for two. Whatever, so we sit down and we ask for coffee from our busboy. He flips our cups over...and comes back 10 minutes later with some coffee. I ask for cream, he nods and then walks away and doesn't come back with cream. in his defense maybe he doesn't speak English? Not sure. I tried to flag down another busboy and no response. I actually went up to their little bar area and poured my own cream. Our waitress comes over and takes our order - we get the Filipino breakfast special with the tocino (tastes a lot like BBQ pork) with garlic fried rice and 2 eggs, and a spam/egg sandwich. We then proceed to wait for 45 MINUTES for our food. I'm not joking - it would have been faster to go get deep dish pizza at the busiest Giordano's in the city. This place is utterly ridiculous. The food wasn't even that good - the garlic fried rice was a little bland and not as flavorful as you would expect, the tocino was good but very fatty, and the spam/egg sandwich was something I could have made at home...but oh yeah, in only 2 minutes. If I could give zero stars or even negative stars I would. This is probably hands down the worst experience I've ever had in a "restaurant".

    (1)
  • Sharon R.

    A friend of mine gave me a link to a newspaper article about the place and checked it out the next day for brunch. First impression is ok... it felt like a diner inside... We went to the cashier lady thinking that we needed to get seated but they told us that we can sit wherever. I think it would have been nice if they had a sign or something... The service: - it was good. I pretty much had to keep adding creamer and sugar because they kept refilling my coffee cup. The food: - was ok. I had "The mix" - which is Tocino, Longanisa and it came with garlic fried rice and 2 eggs... not bad for $7.95! but it was just ok. The meat was a little on the burnt side. They give you Lugaw as part of the meal which was nice but my bowl barely had chicken and it didn't have all the ingredients like it's supposed to. Overall rating: - "You get what you pay for" is what I'm giving this one... it's definitely has the diner feeling and affordable... I would recommend it if you're craving Filipino breakfast food any time of the day and don't have time to cook it yourself.

    (3)
  • Sharon B.

    Short and sweet- off the menu Pilipino breakfast!! I was craving longanisa and tocino for weeks after coming here.

    (5)
  • Rico T.

    The place has a grit to it, as do some of the customers. Even so, the majority of them are really kind & courteous. Last time I was there a few weeks back, a guy basically slid his newspaper into the lip of my breakfast platter from across the counter. I thought he was being rude, but he was smiling (with a few missing teeth) and said, "Enjoy that front page...interesting shit." The Filipino food offerings are decent, but nothing like Lola's. All the food here is tasty and even all the more special because of the gritty charm of the patrons.

    (5)
  • Donna C.

    Came here for Filipino breakfast after multiple recommendations. Man, that lugao is awesome... I had two bowls before my meal! Then came the actual breakfast, the combination plate off the chalkboard, which was filled with delicious goodness (tocino, longanisa, GARLIC fried rice, over easy eggs). Apparently, the longanisa we had was "not as good" a batch so the chef served up some "better" ones on the house. We also got a deliciously fresh mango plate which just made the experience that much better. Service was excellent. The meat was a bit sweet for my taste but that's actually how it's supposed to be so that's my fault and not theirs.

    (4)
  • Lily P.

    This place is def bigger than it looks like from the outside. The food is great and simple. I got the omelette that was first on the list with hashbrowns in it. The pancakes looked fluffly, eggs were done well, and the steak strip food that my friends got looked AMAZING. They loved it! They don't have apple juice but apparently all these other juices. The prices are good and its a homey family dinner feeling. I love the raisin toast they had..and also there is Filipino breakfast option.

    (3)
  • amanda g.

    mmm. good. this is a great greasy spoon style place that i'll definitely be frequenting. especially since its only a few blocks from my apartment. they have a huge selection of breakfast and lunch items. and they have an amazing selection of filipino breakfast. max and i had the filipino breakfast combo (tocino and longanisa) and the short stack of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. both were really great. the pancakes weren't anything super special but they were really good diner pancakes. and they definitely hit the spot. the filipino breakfast was just great. the overeasy eggs mixed with the garlic fried rice...mmmmm. and the meat was amazing too. it was also a pretty good value. we got a ton of food. plus coffee for $22. absolutely worth it. the atmosphere isn't anything fancy, but its definitely not too dive-y either. all around a great place for breakfast/brunch/lunch.

    (4)
  • Beata S.

    the place is the best when Mike is around-he is a proud,happy owner of a great establishment-soup for breakfast?why not! Chinese decor or Filipino breakfast?Mike is all inclusive!Indian music on the speakers and Polish/Ukrainian food on the menu-that's as good as it gets for this side of town!

    (4)
  • jamie k.

    Perfect diner experience. Met my grandpa and dad here for brunch last weekend. It was important that the meeting place had "normal food" as my dad put it. Meaning, my grandpa lived on the south side and went to the same diner for 20 years every day for breakfast - eggs and sausage and coffee. The other requirement was that we didn't have to wait long to get in, my grandpas old, yo. It worked out great! Food was as to be expected. To be honest, it's not really my cup of tea, swiss cheese omelette and spinach. Obviously just slices of swiss layered in there. Coffee was kind of weak, in that gas station coffee way. But whatever, again, great place to meet family, no frills, cheap, great service, plenty of parking. I have sneaking suspicion my Grandpa is going to be requesting more rides up to the north side.

    (4)
  • Mary Beth K.

    Uncle Mike's is a trusty brunch spot. Always consistent service and food. We go there when we want a no frills breakfast. No, you're not going to find flavored coffee creamer or fresh squeezed OJ, but you also will never find a wait or an absent server. Their "classic" breakfast is a great deal. It comes with a giant plate of fresh fruit (plenty for two)- plus eggs, breakfast meat and toast. They have english muffins too which I find a big plus. The folks are nice, the coffee is hot, and there's always a chair waiting for you. Good job, Uncle Mike.

    (4)
  • Hanbit Y.

    Who would't like a combination of fried rice, fried eggs and spicy SPAM? for breakfast? well. It was pretty awesome. Your Filipino style breakfast comes with a small bowl of soup of your choice beforehand and a cup of tapioca pudding afterwards. I left the place content and full. To be honest, though, their coffee sucked, but then I didn't go there for coffee, did I? ha! :)

    (4)
  • James S.

    Good change of pace for breakfast! It can be busy so go after the rush...

    (4)
  • Julie A.

    I need to eat here more often - its so silly that I don't! Its a great breakfast place - when I am a little under the weather and need grease in my belly, I go for the bacon and American cheese omelet. I feel like I gained weight just talking about it, but man its good.

    (4)
  • L O.

    GREAT service, great food. It's a simple place, just the way it should be. I know when I walk into a place that is completely over-done, I know I'm about to empty my wallet, so Uncle Mike's rocks in that regard. Today they even gave us a cup of complimentary chicken soup that was out of this world. There were people alone, couples, and groups. Glad we went!

    (5)
  • David G.

    So I've been here at least twice and haven't gotten the Filipino breakfast. Before that, I thought the place was just "ok". Today, however, I decided to be a little gastronomically adventurous and sample some of the Filipino fare. I got the longaniza with garlic rice & 2 eggs over easy. Wow!! The longaniza is a flavorful, sweet sausage made with red wine. The sweetness of this dish was offset nicely by the garlic rice, cilantro and the salsa type stuff (not sure of the name). Yum!

    (4)
  • Carlo B.

    My friend from work first introduced this place to me. She had heard about it from 190 North when they featured places in Chicago that served Filipino food. Uncle Mike's Place features Filipino breakfast dishes. I have already gone twice since first hearing about it You are given a choice of longanisa (filipino breakfast sausage), tocino (cured pork), a combination of the two, and, a recent addition, spam...yes, that's right. Every one of these will come with fried eggs, toast, and garlic fried rice. Lugao is also served before the main dish comes out. Afterwards, you are also given a small bowl of champorado. Essentially, this is a chocolate rice pudding...what I like about it is that they put a dollop of nutella on top which gives it a nice sweet kick! FOOD: Having been raised in a filipino household where both my parents cooked Filipino food on a regular basis, I tend to be a little more critical of other Filipino foods. That being said, I will start by saying that overall I found the food to be fairly decent. You definitely get the feel that this is an authentic Filipino meal. The portions are large, which I like. The first time I went, I had the tocino which I enjoyed. Eaten with the garlic fried rice, it is a symphony of flavors. Which brings me to my next point. The garlic fried rice, when eaten alone, leaves something to be desired. It could use a tad more garlic and salt. Also, texture-wise, it could be just a little more moist. Otherwise, a decent interpretation of the dish. SERVICE: The servers here are friendly and are very accomodating. That is, if you want to make substitutions to your meal, it is done with little hassle and always with an understanding smile. Also, the food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. No complaints here. APPEARANCE: Don't expect a trendy or high-class look to this place. It's a simple neighborhood restaurant and therein lies the charm of Uncle Mike's Place. FINAL THOUGHTS: I am eager to return to Uncle Mike's. If I can pry myself away from the Filipino breakfast plates, I would very much like to try their other selections as I hear that those are good as well. I'd recommend this place to anyone especially if they are looking for a good introduction into the world of Filipino breakfast.

    (4)
  • Jin K.

    Uncle Mike's is breakfast the way breakfast should be. Good portions, taste and variety all priced well. UM's has traditional american breakfast choices as well as a little asian influence too. Breakfast w/ rice, eggs and spam, come on, what could be better? Ok maybe a little tocino or longanisa on the side, too!

    (4)
  • Serg F.

    Their longsilog is probably one of the best in the city, except when my Mom is cooking, but it's still a hangover killer. On a recent visit they were serving lugao!!!

    (4)
  • Nichole C.

    This is Chicago's version of that small hometown diner that people miss when they find themselves at the many golden nuggets and IHOPs around the city. The coffee is totally acceptable, the pancakes are as good as they get, the service is prompt and the Filipino breakfast is pretty awesome. The strangely pink meat (bacon) is slightly glazed, served with garlic rice, eggs, and something like a pico de gallo. It left us waking up and uttering, 'Uncle Mikes' on many weekends since we've first tried it. Good breakfast is good.

    (5)
  • Abby T.

    Totally meh. Mismatched silverware. Cluttered, exposed storage in the back area. Seems a bit dirty also. Maybe it's just the neighborhood? Yes, props for the longanisa (but not so much for the fact that you'll be burping it for the next 6 hours. hehe) and spam. But honestly, after just walking in, I kind of lost my appetite. If Uncle Mike's cleaned up their act a little bit, maybe I'd come back, but for now, I'll stick w/ spam and longanisa at my mom's house. ;-)

    (2)
  • Melody L.

    Simply a diner in Ukrainian village that serves Filipino breakfast...who knew!? We didn't wait too long, however the place was very busy (mother's day + Sunday = omg!). So we were seated at a table for four, but there were only three of us. We were asked to move to a table for two plus a chair off to the side. (We didn't want to say no because it seemed like we had to obey our elders...being Filipino and all). The service was okay. The coffee was bitter. The wait for our food took awhile (kitchen was backed up) however, to pass the time, they had given us chicken adobo on the house. Honestly, after eating that, I didn't have the room for my tocino breakfast. Service was friendly. I would go back if I didn't want to stink up the house cooking tocino or longaniza.

    (3)
  • Will V.

    Pretty solid breakfast place. The marinated skirt steak is awesome if you like steak and eggs for breakfast. I'm not sure about the Filipino selections on the menu, I haven't tried them, but I haven't been disappointed with anything on the menu. On the lunch side, I had a grilled cheese with Swiss and fresh jalapenos that was awesome, and a bacon cheeseburger that was really tasty. The service is good, they keep your coffee cup full.

    (4)
  • Mark S.

    Love the huge Filipino Breakfast. I would give it 5 stars but had a couple of service experiences and once the food was not fully cooked. But, I can't stay away for long. Nine out ten times everything is just great. I think at times they get a little overwhelmed. So be patient if you get them on an off day. Overall it's worth it.

    (4)
  • Kim J.

    We headed here with some friends who were in from out of town, and I have to say, Uncle Mike's made all of our hungover tummies very happy! This is your basic diner - eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, and coffee. Walking in here is a trip - it looks like it came straight out of the 70s with the tiled walls and odd wooden tables. I kept expecting to see carpet on the walls and servers in leisure suits. It cracks me up to read that they've remodeled - I can't imagine what this place looked like before this! The food here was very tasty and cheap. This isn't health food, nor does it try to be. I had the farmer's breakfast, which was a big mashup of potatoes, eggs, veggies, and cheese. Dee-lish! The rest of the table seemed pretty happy with their omelettes too. I'm glad we found a cheap brunch option in the neighborhood.

    (4)
  • Brian R.

    Good breakfast place, not terribly overpriced like most breakfast places seem to be these days. Staff was friendly, food exceeded expectations. Ordered the filipino breakfast, which included sausage (which was unexpectedly sweet but delicious), pork shoulder, eggs over garlic fried rice, salsa, and some sort of chocolate tapioca pudding.

    (4)
  • Erick T.

    I've been hearing about this place from friends of mine and after reading an article in the Tribune, I decided to try it out. We went around 9 in the morning on Sunday thinking it was early enough to beat the rush. It was pretty easy to find parking on the street, especially that early in the morning. The service was a bit on the slow side, but the waitress was definitely courteous whenever she did come by. I did have an issue with the length of time that it took for the food to come out. I've cooked longaniza plenty of times and know that it does take a while for it to cook, but I would have assumed that they would have something that would have been close to being ready. It took nearly 35 minutes for our food to come out! That's pretty long for a breakfast place, especially when you want to get people in and out as quickly as possible. I'm guessing that's why they offer their customers lugau or arrozcaldo before the breakfasts get served. The food was definitely good. My wife liked her tocino and I was a fan of the longaniza. I especially liked the garlic fried rice. The taste wasn't overwhelming, but it definitely had a flavor that complemented the meats. The portions were quite generous in my opinion for $7.95, and the huge bowl of fruit for the American breakfast was a nice touch. My daughter definitely enjoyed that. Would I go back there? Sure. I just wouldn't go when I'm absolutely starving.

    (3)
  • Justin G.

    I wanted to try this place due to the recommendation of my roommate. She told me that they served Filipino breakfast. Being the terrible Filipino I am, I had no idea what that meant, and had to find out. The two menu items in question were the Loganiza and Tocino. I have never had either, and chose the Tocino. Our food came quickly enough, and I was pleased to see a large pile of meat on my plate next to the eggs and garlic fried rice. I have never had garlic fried rice either, and I was surprised at the pungency of it, but I think it worked well with the Tocino, which was carmelised and sweet. I will definitely be back.

    (4)
  • Mitch B.

    Had an excellent omelet here last week. Killer hash browns & toast too!

    (4)
  • H C.

    My whole experience was just okay. I entered thru the front door to find a private party going on and no place to stand or move. I was unsure where to go or how to get a table. Finally someone came up to me and told me there were tables in the back. Ok cool. Got to the back and was a little put off I guess you can say. It just looked messy in the back. Smelled a little funky because our table was next to many containers full of flowers. Service was spotty, it took a bit to get a waitress. Food came out fairly quickly, my turkey club sandwich was really good and my Mom had breakfast with eggs, bacon and hash browns and she said it was good. It took some quite some time to get our check, our waitress just kept walking past us and we couldn't stop her. Finally got the check and I didnt know if we were supposed to pay at a register or pay her. Eventually we just gave up and left the money on the table with the receipt and walked away. As we were leaving we saw the back door and went out that way. Apparently this was the door we were supposed to enter thru because there was a mini sign saying mentioning the private party in front, regular customers in the back. Anyways, I would probably come back, they had a huge menu and the food itself was good an decent priced.

    (3)
  • Illi F.

    I urge everyone to get the filipino breakfast before you die. It is heaven on a plate. I got the filipino breakfast with longaniza, tocino and spam. ON weekends, if you ask nicely, they will give you a side of lugao with calamansi ( a small sour fruit resembling a lime). Cannot say anything bad about this place except that it gets busy, but I dont blame em'. Food is fantastic.

    (5)
  • Lee M.

    What else can i say about Tito (Uncle) Mike's Place that has not been said already. I've gone to Tito Mike's Place several times and it seems each time i go, it gets better. He happens to be one of my good friends uncle and every time i go there, a conversation always sparks up. The food is great, the price is very reasonable, and he hooks it up with so much more extra food. I always leave with a to-go bag and an aching stomach, in a good way of course, from all the food he provides. What i like about this place other than the food and staff, is the location! Its so well off hidden that not a lot of people would even notice or find it. I love finding places like these.

    (5)
  • Michael H.

    Good filipino breakfast on the weekends.

    (4)
  • Hi S.

    Went to uncle Mike's last weekend for specifically for the Filipino breakfast and wound up with A LOT more. Love that it's family owned & run, the unassuming location and the diverse clientele. The Filipino breakfast of eggs, garlic fried rice & longanisa sausage did not disappoint! Moreover, got to try a bunch of other dishes that Uncle Mike sent over just b/c he's such an awesome guy! Everything was really tasty... the potato pancakes w/ apple sauce & sour cream, the marinated beef, rice & spicy black beans and to end, there was a really refreshing lemon ice. Oh, the regular pancakes were good too! Will definitely be back!

    (5)
  • Brent B.

    Had the Bangus breakfast, good, quality food at a cheap price.

    (4)
  • che c.

    It's Okay, not sure what the big hype is, but its JUST OK. Just because there are a few Filipino items on the menu doesn't make it the best place ever. The first time I went here, brought my Flipino parents along and Uncle Mike definitely hooked it up with some stuff that wasn't on the menu. He was really friendly and made us feel at home. He was Tito Mike by the time we left. Been there a couple times after that, never saw Tito Mike again or received the service we did the first time. Garlic fried rice is not crispy enough, not fried enough. Please becareful when you say you want fried rice because one time they came out with chinese fried rice...errr? It is a little expensive for breakfast/lunch.

    (3)
  • Andrew K.

    I didn't think this place was anything special. After being told that their meat delivery did not come that morning (although disappointing, it encouraged me to think that they get fresh meat,) our options were limited. I got the Santa Fe omelet, which was good, as were the home fries...but, if you mess that up then your breakfast license should be revoked. I was looking forward to something different like the fillipino stuff mentioned, but there was none of that. Also, I would have gotten the marinated steak, but I had steak last night. Given the options (read: its a diner) and the quality I would say 4 or 5 stars, but the price doesn't seem to go with it...it ended up being $20 for 2 omelets and 2 waters and for a place like this I expected cheaper.

    (3)
  • Jazz V.

    Uncle Mike's is good. Not great, and probably not worth a trip all the way from the burbs. I had the Filipino breakfast with the tocino, but I also got a chance to try the longanisa as well. They had the red kind of longanisa which is a huge plus in my book. If it were just an American breakfast, I would say the portion size was good. However, I'm used to those large, neverending Filipino portion sizes, and so I felt a little unfulfilled with the size of my plate. I can do with a set amount of eggs and meat, but I felt the garlic fried rice portion did not seem like much. Now if they had a family style Filipino breakfast option, that might change my outlook. Until then, I'm better of making my own breakfast. Their fruit plate, though, was huge, which was a big plus. Our server was friendly and attentive. She kept my coffee cup filled (which, while a good thing, I find annoying because it throws off my cream/sweetener ratio) I am willing to come back to try the marinated skirt steak!

    (3)
  • Leang E.

    I was concerned at first from reading Yelp that people may be appreciating the food here because being hungover just might do that to you, but it's actually pretty good. It was a busy Sunday morning, and I think we hit the lunch hour rush. There was a huge Filipino group of 20 in the other room as well, so we had to wait a good half an hour being seated. Ruby, the hostess was very nice and I know she was stuck in a jam while an older Filipino lady requested the larger table that my group should have had first dibs on since we were up on the list first and waited longer. I understand the importance of respect for elders in our culture, but their smaller group should have had the smaller table. I was a bit frustrated about this because the plates are huge as the portion sizes are as well so we needed the extra real estate for the extra plates that we were acquiring. I was curious about the Filipino menu and breakfast in particular, so I had the Tocino and it was pretty tasty. The prices seem pretty good, and the service here is super friendly and just spectacular. Coffee and Cokes were never empty.

    (4)
  • Marlon E.

    I grew up just north of Uncle Mike's, and this spot's been been a second home to me since leaving Chicago. I've brought my entire family here; Sunday brunch is tradition among my friends. - There's always (street) parking. It does get busy, but I've never had trouble getting a table. - Mom, who's picky about her coffee, always has at least four cups. - Large servings whether at 5:30am or 3:30pm. - The marinated skirt steak is a must. If you're a fan of Filipino Tocino, and its combo, Tocilog, ask for garlic fried rice and eggs. There's some debate over whether you actually get more meat with a half-skirt or a full-skirt (width vs. length), but I always order the full. I was a steak and eggs regular prior to learning of the marinated skirt steak. - My nice and nephew love the pancakes and went nutty over the (large) fruit plate. Finally, you can't go wrong with a place that's been servicing the community for about a century (as I've heard it--a diner since WWII and before that, a general store). It has survived every other diner spot on Grand from Ashland to the Patch, and remains a true working class mom-n-pop establishment.

    (5)
  • L T.

    Holy hot n spicy spam fried rice! The food is awesome, the prices are great, service is friendly, owner is welcoming (though my husband said I added 5 min to our wait for being a Filipina that doesn't speak Tagalog haha)... My kids split half a fruit plate, which was filled with like, real fruit: pineapple, apple slices, strawberries, bananas, watermelon, grapes, cantelope... One had a grilled cheese, the other had breakfast (American style). All the grown-ups had Filipino breakfast. I had to order the hot n spicy spam to get a taste of childhood. The others had the combo, tocino and longaniza... Mmm mmm mmm. Be prepared to eat and be prepared to take home some leftovers!

    (5)
  • Scott H.

    Good breakfast diner with a Filipino twist. The time between ordering and receiving the meal was about 25 minutes. That is the only reason that there was a one star reduction.

    (4)
  • Lauren H.

    My aunt suggested this to me and I just had to try the filipino breakfast since there are not too many around that are great! I really liked this place. They give some complimentary food which is nice! We had the longonisa and tocino and it was very tasty! I would go back if I'm in the area!

    (4)
  • Andy D.

    This place is AMAZING! Wonderful food and people. I strongly recommend the Filipino breakfast. Great value.

    (5)
  • SJ I.

    Love this place. Been going here since my kids were little. Very family friendly. Great food and service. Never disappointed when we come here for breakfast/lunch. They can accommodate large parties if needed in their back dining room. Owners are very friendly and know patrons by name. Again, try it, you'll like it.

    (4)
  • Mimi C.

    I love this place! The Filipino breakfast is something I dream about all year long, the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Add the best fruit plate in the city and this breakfast cannot be surpassed. Family friendly and always a happy atmosphere. Thanks Uncle Mike!!

    (5)
  • Henry S.

    So this is my first Yelp downgrade. Wish i did't have to do it. I had built up a lot of hype to friends who's never been there. So finally, off we went. There was a wait. but that didn't bother anyone, given it was Sunday brunch. After we got seated, and went through the menu, and all knew what we wanted, our waitress hurriedly came by and said 'i'll be right with you'. Minutes passed as we watched her carried out plates after plates to other tables. It must've been 15 or 20 minutes later before she finally had a breather to come get our order. We were all starving by then since we intentionally went later to avoid the crowds. So all were excited waiting for our food. And waited, and waited, and waited. At one point, we were the only people left in that section of the dining room. One of us finally got up and walked over to get someone's attention. So lo and behold, our food have been sitting in the kitchen counter waiting to be picked up. Our waitress was nowhere to be found. None of the other waitresses, nor the cooks, who were milling around at this point, wanted to bring our food to the table. So then it was a few more minutes before we finally got our food. We were so hungry we dug in right away. When the waitress came to 'check in' on us, we asked if there was lugaw. 'Oh, we ran out already'. So why 2 stars? I can understand bad days at a restaurant. But if a server is swamped, perhaps the manager should realize that, and be able to do something about it. Or perhaps, other staff can step in. When we were the only people left in the room, isn't the excuse of being swamped invalid anymore? Our waitress apologized for the delay, but it somehow came off as insincere. After she left the bill, she was nowhere to be found yet again. So anyway, that's my Halloween horror story.

    (2)
  • Charity C.

    Loved, loved, loved this place! I got the Tocino and garlic rice! It was like what my grandma made when I was little! That garlic rice is SO GOOD! Uncle Mike came to our table and talked to us! Can't wait to go back!

    (5)
  • Dominic R.

    This is a hidden goldmine! Come for breakfast and have been coming for years! The service is friendly.....the food is outstanding! I always have the french toast and bacon! Yum! sometimes i go with the Eggs Benedict! Weekends get crowded early so it can be hard to get a table if you come during the busy time! but i recommend on a Sunday morning.....get up and take a drive!! well worth it!

    (5)
  • Francois F.

    Amazing authentic filipino food and great service. We had a party of 20-25 people. They don't take reservations but we talked to the owners wife who knew we had filipinos in town from Vegas, Michigan and other parts of illinois and was able to accommodate us on a busy sunday despite our party coming late. We also got complimentary sides such as lugaw and the food came out hot and delicious. Everyone in the party was very pleased with the food and service. For a party that big none of us felt like we were waiting too long and the value and portions are great and we will definitely be coming back!!!

    (5)
  • Rebecca A.

    I love the fact that they serve Filipino breakfast foods. I've tried every single one of their dishes, including some of their day-of specialties. At this point it's save to say this is my local joint and I consider them family.

    (5)
  • Danny R.

    My girlfriend and I were looking for a new place for breakfast in the wicker park area. A quick yelp search brought up Uncle Mike's. This place is easy to find parking at. We didn't have a problem finding a spot on the street although we did realize they have their own lot too late. It was a sunday morning and it was very crowded but we didn't have to wait for a table. Coffee and water came very quick. The service was very quick and the food was decent. I got the marinated skirt steak and it was very good; nice and juicy. My girlfriend got the veggie omelette and was pleased with it. When we asked for hot sauce she brought sriracha which was a nice surprise. Overall a pleasant experience and we will be returning.

    (3)
  • Megan S.

    This is one of my go to brunch spots. I have always received excellent service and the food is awesome. Definitely try the Filipino breakfast!

    (5)
  • Doug M.

    This is the friendliest place in Chicago! Tita Ruby and Uncle Mike really treat you like Family. You get more food then you can eat and the price is great.WE will definitely eat here every time we go too Chicago!

    (5)
  • Melissa L.

    I don't know why It took me so long to discover this place. I am only 4 blocks away and always in search of diners and cheap breakfast spots. I read about the Filipino breakfast specials and couldn't believe it was so close. I've never seen a diner with Filipino food on the menu (I am Filipino, btw). My husband and I had the corned beef hash and also the garlic fried rice with longaniza. It was amazing! The food is good, the people are very nice, there was no wait (huge plus in Wicker Park area) and they have three different hot sauces to choose from! I will definitely be back here!!

    (4)
  • Megan G.

    mmmmm, delish brunch. Tasty nice thick bacon and HUGE fruit plates!

    (4)
  • Christopher B.

    The marinated skirt steak with eggs and garlic rice where just fantastic i drove 18 miles to try this place out and it was heaven, the staff was nice and the owner came out and gave use a free sample of bread pudding he was making. .

    (5)
  • Jon A.

    Large portions and a good price. This is my favorite hang over spot.

    (4)
  • Jourdan S.

    Awesome staff! Great brunch menu. Beyond that the owners are half Filipino and you can get Filipino home cooking here if you ask. None of which is one the menu. I'm not a connoisseur of Filipino food by any stretch but I like that option.

    (4)
  • Darryl S.

    My sister has been the hype machine for this place ever since she was introduced to it probably like 2-3 years ago. She has been trying to get my family to go here to try to Filipino breakfast the entire time but we live in the burbs while she's in the city. Since my friend and I had time before a wedding yesterday, we decided to grab food with my sister to see what all the hub bub was about. It did not disappoint. THE GOOD: So I hate it when people hype things up to me. I'm the type of person who gets overly excited when someone tries to talk up a movie, a food dish, a restaurant, etc. So my expectations tend to be through the roof and I'm always disappointed (except for one thing, "The Hangover"). This place is pretty damn good. Apparently I have to go with my sister everytime since she's a regular and knows all the ins and outs of what they have. Every entree comes with soup, but through my sister's request, the waitress gave us arroz caldo, a rice soup with chicken, ginger, and garlic. It was good but lacked a lil flavor. Still pretty good for a diner though. I had the marinated skirt steak, eggs, and garlic fried rice while my sister had the tocino, and my friend had the Monte Cristo that they serve with syrup instead of jelly. Tocino was probably the highlight of the meal. Straight up tender and flavorful. Better than what my grandmas used to make since they would char the hell outta it. Steak was great too. Made the way I like it which is medium rare, it pretty much was the entire plate and was only $13. My friend had the Monte Cristo was really good, but I didn't try it. It looked hearty with the amount of ham they put inbetween the 2 pieces of french toast. The service was very attentive. I drink a lot of liquids and probably had like 4 refills for diet coke that our waitress did pretty quick without even having to be asked. The environment was nice and quiet even with it being 2/3rds full. I hate loud places and I actually had a confortable conversation with my sister and could hear the high class comedy stylings of my friend Justin S. THE BAD: The garlic fried rice actually wasn't that good. I've had it better in other places, and it seemed to lack flavor. It pretty much tasted like burnt rice with salt. THE UGLY: There actually isn't an ugly to this. That's how good this place is. Good place, Great food, and hopefully you get a chance to see Uncle Mike because he's pretty cool too.

    (5)
  • Alex Y.

    A great spot for great food by a great owner in Mike. We met Uncle Mike when we first moved to the neighborhood. He kindly pulled up a chair and chatted us up. Very friendly place with extremely tasty food. If you're looking for a place to eat, come grab a seat! I give Uncle Mike's Place five stars. * * * * *

    (5)
  • Paddy d.

    I just achieved gustatory nirvana & glimpsed heaven in a brief postmeal coma...it was glorious....all fueled by a skirtsteak, eggs, & fried rice so good I'm going home to slap my Mama...

    (5)
  • Mimi S.

    The best breakfast in town. I order a fruit plate to share and a Filipino breakfast special tocino or longanisa (both amazing) garlic rice, sunny side up eggs, and an oooh so good tomato onion fish sauce salsa. This beautiful plate is mine to eat and dream about for the following months. Until I come back for another perfect plate of heaven.

    (5)
  • Katie H.

    The West Town portion of Grand Ave. is a little weird. Like constipation... it wants to happen but it just can't. Even though it's no place for a bar crawl, Grand Ave. has joints worth checking out and Uncle Mike's in one of these. Interestingly this little corner joint has ties to the Philippines (one can order a Filipino breakfast) and perhaps also Guam (notice Guamanian license plates affixed to the wall)... in other words, if you're into Spam this is the spot for you. Now I know that hating on spam is like shooting fish in a barrel but allow me to say this - I've gladly eaten multiple portions of Haggis but I'm unashamed to say that the dreaded reconstituted pre-cooked meat product has never crossed my lips. I mean, I'd probably eat it if there were money involved but it definitely falls into my "bizarre regional cuisine" category. Like mint jelly or poutine. Thankfully you can get a good, honest American greaseball breakfast here. Their hashbrowns are part of a well-balanced hangover cure. I was also pleased by the low lighting and the prompt service. Pretty much on par with Sunrise Cafe, not far off, but sometimes you just need a change of scenery. There was a lovely used-car dealership (specializing in defunct CPD cruisers) to look out at while I was enjoying my buttery, multigrain toast. Lovely Grand Ave.

    (4)
  • Rey T.

    Awesome pinoy breakfast here. Excellent environment too and the place is huge. I wish they are open for dinner too. I would recommend to anyone. Best longganisa ever!

    (5)
  • JP C.

    My wife and I went to this restaurant last weekend for brunch and their filipino breakfast was delicious! We will definitely come back to this place when we are back in town to visit! Loves it!

    (4)
  • Marian H.

    Blueberry Pancakes. Oh, and pretty much anything else, too, but if you are feeling particularly decadent, get the blueberry pancakes "for the table." The eggs are always done right (over-medium is a balancing act, and they get it right!), the bacon is just greasy enough and perfectly crispy....I've not been in a while, but I'm due for a return. 'Specially for those blueberry crackcakes. Mmmmmm.....

    (4)
  • Rommel A.

    Very good food with good portions. Price was decent and service was okay. If anything the tables could have been cleaned better and quicker refills on drinks. Other than that i would recommend this place.

    (4)
  • Jayde J.

    The marinated skirt steak is the best!!! I always get the marinated skirt steak and eggs whenever I go there. First of all, the steak is huge and they cook it perfectly. When I asked for my steak to be medium well, they cooked it exactly they way I wanted it. It's a very generous purchase for the price. My friend and I also had the mango-blueberry pancakes and they were seriuosly SO good. There was time when I went there 4 Sundays in a row cuz I couldn't believe how awesome their food was. All you need to get there is the MARINATED SKIRT STEAK AND EGGS! You'll be hooked for life! I just wish they were open for dinner cuz I'm only able to make it out there on the weekends. Extend your hours Uncle Mike.....Please!!

    (5)
  • Cassandre P.

    Here's how last Sunday went: me to boyfriend: Come on, wake up we're going to get brunch boyfriend: what's the point? You always pick a place that sucks me: You know what? I do pick good places but you're really f-ing difficult because you're a picky diva-ass chef and you don't leave the house until 2 and guess what? Most places close at 2 on Sundays! boyfriend: No, I just want good food. It doesn't matter that I'm a chef me: get your f-ing ass out of bed now because I'm starving and you know that I turn into a crazy biatch when I'm not fed. So after searching through Yelp, I stumbled upon the reviews for Uncle Mike's and dragged my boyfriend's ass out of the house to get brunch. I don't know how the wait usually is on the weekends since we walked in pretty late in the afternoon (they're open till 3 on Sundays, score!) but we were able to sit right away. I had a craving for corned beef hash so I ordered that while my man knew he wanted the Filipino breakfast as soon as he walked in and saw the chalkboard. Honestly, my corned beef has was just OK (minus one star) but the Filipino breakfast was AMAZING. When the waitress came over she said to eat the neon pink meat with the vinegar onion dipping sauce because it balances out the flavor. She was definitely right, the meat was delicious by itself but with the sauce it was even better. It also came with garlic fried rice and eggs so it was a large, filling breakfast. I loved Uncle Mike's Place because Brunch was gourmet enough for my snooty chef boyfriend and came with bargain diner prices. I will definitely be going back.

    (4)
  • Rachel V.

    This is THE place for a great Filipino breakfast- for any time of the day! The standard fare of a typical breakfast is also offered. How can you pass up the tocino and longanisa with the garlic fried rice and 2 eggs? Options also include Spam and the marinated skirt steak- which I will have to try another time. The side relish of tomato and onion with vinegar rounds out all the flavors. The bottomless cup of coffee was also really good. For a reasonably priced meal, with generous portions, attentive staff in a casual diner atmosphere go to UNCLE MIKE'S PLACE!

    (5)
  • Philippe F.

    Tis been awhile since I've had a filipino breakfast. So this was a treat. Longa, Tocino and I go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back! Everytime we get together, they never disappoint me. As long as they bring their friends garlic fried rice and sunny side up. Of course garlic fried rice wasn't as strong as last time. Who cares because I drench it all in the chopped veggies and vinegar anyways. Lugau was a nice treat through, and it came with the meal! As with any filipino meal, you eat a lot, and you pay a little. Sure this isn't a 7 days a week filipino breakfast joint......but it sure hits the spot on those hangover weekends....

    (4)
  • Katie G.

    This place is a bit of a dive, but I love their fried garlic rice. I went here fore breakfast and will totally be going back!

    (5)
  • Joshua Q.

    When walking in, I was seated fairly promptly. Also was greeted with a bowl of lugau, which is a type of rice porridge. it was nice to have when it was chilly. what seemed to be the front door had a sign on it asking people to use the other door (this will be significant later). I was with my brother sister-in-law and 2 cousins. Atmosphere: a nice atmosphere, seemed slightly busy but didn't seem chaotic. Food: I had the Steak. I was told to get it and I don't regret it. it was nice and tender. I also tried some of the other dishes like the longaniza and tocino... I grew up eating these great pork products and I have to say that it brought back some fond memories. They also had spam which tasted like... spam. there was a choice on if you would like it "hot to spicy" or plain... unfortunately, no one at the table got it "hot to spice". Service: Service was prompt and nice. Price: Probably more toward the middle price range. Each plate was around 9.99 to 13.99. Overall: I enjoyed it and my family enjoyed it. As of the door with the sign that said to use the other entrance. They left it unlocked, so some guy came in through it and also left through it. slightly annoying when your eating then a cold wind hits you all of a sudden. also annoying, was the fact that he knew there was a sign that said to use the other entrance. my thing is that if you plan on putting up a sign like that, at least lock the door so people don't use it or can't.

    (4)
  • S. H.

    New Review - 12/30/07: BOOOOO! Uncle Mikes sold out and raised their prices big-time! New menus, fancy website and fancy prices. Omlettes are $2.50 more to start... if I want those kinds of prices I'd just hit up Dodo or Milk & Honey. Part of the appeal here was the value - good, cheap breakfast eats and locals. I don't think any true locals will be coming here much anymore... too bad. I guess it was the rising popularity and yuppies like me looking for a deal that drove them over the edge. --------------------------------------------------­--------------------------------------- Great spot, totally local. Off the beaten path of West Town. We found it walking one morning and finally had a chance to head back for breakfast. Took a take-out menu and want to try some lunch one day. Deffinately not a trendy spot like some down the road or on Chicago but that is good; greasy spoon type place with college hungry prices. We both had fresh, big omlettes, coffee and some free soup for $19. That is hard value to find. Def. will become a regular spot for us.

    (2)
  • Jason M.

    Amazing food, and amazing service, one of the BEST breakfast spots i've been too

    (5)
  • Sha A.

    i had breakfst here 3 or 4 times during my short stay in Chicago. its hearty American grub. people who eat at this establishment have been coming here for many many years. it definitely has a family vibe to it. the service is friendly and everyone seems to know each other. i had the cajun chkn sandwich and the skirt steak twice. the portions are huge. people in Chicago love to eat, and portions represent that! my buddy's been coming to Uncle Mike's for years, and they love him here. in fact, my first breakfast was paid by some old Russian lady who won a lottery. she was so cute, i wanted to hug her. the coffee is strong, gets you going after a long nite of partying. they also serve real English black tea from Sri Lanka, how cool can that be? and make sure to order their plate of fresh fruits, that is a must.

    (5)
  • Cindu T.

    This diner is a great find in Uki Village! Food is very flavorful and the serving size is very generous for the small price. I got the chicken pita wrap and it was an Asian style pita with homemade fries. Even though this place has a Filipino breakfast, it is not a Filipino restaurant, as the selection of Filipino food stops at the one breakfast option. The day we went there they had a spread of food out for anyone to take because it was left over from the owners daughter's wedding and they were not charging anyone for their food. That's right, we got free appetizers and a FREE meal! In this economy, that just doesn't happen. Not only was the food good, but the staff was sincere and happy to be there. I will def go back to this spot for a cheap and quick bite to eat!

    (5)
  • Benny T.

    First off they have a giant penguin flag on the front door that looks exactly like the penguin from the "Banana Splits" show so they got that going for them. Ended up here on a Sunday afternoon after going through a laundry list of lame one-named brunch places that sounded crowded and expensive. Wasn't sure what to expect but was surprised at how nice this place was. We had a group of five and were able to sit right away and were waited on immediately. They have a full breakfast and lunch menu, pretty much all the staples of a diner and a few interesting Filipino options as this place seems to be owned by a family Ordered the always reliable breakfast sandwich with bacon on an English muffin and devoured that in about 2.5 seconds but was still hungry. Luckily my friend Jill ordered some neon pink pork sausage which looked a bit like a glow stick but was interestingly tasty. Basically this is place to go if you want to just eat without wondering "How did I spend $29 for breakfast" all day. Uncle Mike's will definitely be put into my breakfast rotation from now on. P.S.-For some reason they were giving away a CD from 1998... Don't ask. Just go there and grab one-while supplies last.

    (4)
  • jack l.

    Try the Philippine Breakfast! You won't be disappointed.

    (4)
  • Yo U.

    Uncle Mike's Place offers decent food served up by some very nice people. I had quite a chat with Mike this morning; he's a great guy. Recommended.

    (4)
  • Edward R.

    Interesting place. Lot's of character that you won't find at Applebee's. Spam? I haven't seen Spam on a menu since Hawaii and you have to try it at least once in your life. The skirt steak is terrific. The service is good. Thanks fellow yelpers, this was a good find.

    (4)
  • Christina H.

    My bf and I looked up new places to eat for breakfast and came across Uncle Mike's. The outside didn't look like much but the food was fantastic! HUGE portions with moderate prices. I can definitely promise that we will go back!

    (4)
  • Erin J.

    Went here for brunch yesterday and we were...full. *shrug* I liked the sort of kitchy decor, the Ricky Martin album playing through the tracks, the apparent locals and family members there for breakfast. That was pretty cool. The service was just okay. When we first got there a busser coming out of the (tiny) kitchen nearly ran us over...tight space, there. Then, after we sat down my companion got coffee right away, but I didn't. Maybe they were just changing the pot. Then the server took our order without writing anything down, which made me wonder if she was going to remember all of it (later, she had messed up on a part of the fruit plate, but apologized and swiftly brought the correct item). Our coffee cups went empty about three times and stayed that way until we gestured for a refill, each time. The food was okay. Within a few minutes of sitting down, the server started bringing out little dishes of some kind of french toast/bread pudding stuff for everyone to try. It was soggy pieces of bread hit with some maple syrup. Mush in the mouth. Nice concept, generous thing to do, but it needs more development. My companion got an omelette, which he said he really liked (and it was HUGE!) but when I asked why he was just picking at it, he said it had too much cheese. "Too much cheese?" What is this? But seriously, there was a MOUND of cheese on top of the omelette. He couldn't taste anything else, he said. I got the tocino with 2 eggs and the garlic basmati rice. I hadn't ever had tocino before; it was like thick-cut bacon, only with more fat. It was also electric hot pink, and tasted like it had been simmered in maple syrup. I think I only got maybe a couple ounces of real meat off what I was served. Maybe you're supposed to eat the fat? Immaterial, as I always trim my meat. Oh, well. The garlic rice was just that: sauteed garlic and rice. The garlic was gone for the most part, meaning, it was bitter and acrid-smelling. It permeated the rice, which just didn't do it for me, texturally. The fruit plate we split was delcious, even with the canned peaches. I happily buttered my toast with the butter tabs provided on the table and then slathered on some cherry jelly (as I don't believe I'd ever had cherry jelly), but upon lifting the slice of toast to my mouth, I discovered that the kitchen had already buttered the bread between the pieces, i.e. on the bottom of the slice I'd just buttered with the stuff from the table. Why have butter on the table if the kitchen butters the bread for you? Oh, well. We went up to pay at the register just before a guy came in the front door for a pick up. My companion stood in front of the lady (proprietress?), bill and card in hard, and she looked at the guy walking over and said, "pick up?" The guy stammered yes, but then gestered to us. The woman flicked her wrist dismissively at us before handing the guy a bag of food and taking his payment. So I guess we didn't matter. Okay. We left full, but not necessarily happy. This place isn't as far as my de facto Sunday morning brunch companion and I have gone for brunch, but I don't think we'll be adding it to the rotation. I had hoped that maybe the Filipino side of the place would have given the menu more character, but in actuality, the Filipino dishes were actually quite few. The slightly high-ish prices for the menu items can be justified with proper execution, which was unfortunately lacking. I was disappointed with how this went down.

    (2)
  • Jessica C.

    yay! now i know where to go for tocino, longaniza and sinangag (garlic-fried rice) when i'm not making it myself (or can't con my mom or friends into making it)! and yes, their tocino and longaniza are authentic; but they're not my favorites. i've had better. however, i must say that a good sawsawan (sauce/condiment) can work wonders for a lackluster Filipino meal. and uncle mike's sauce does just that. his genius concoction of white vinegar, chopped tomatoes, red onions and scallions with a splash of fish sauce (i'm told) elevated my breakfast, invigorated my at-home attempts at sawsawan nirvana, and deepened my ache to return to uncle mike's. yes, it's THAT good. beyond the Filipino fare, uncle mike's marinated steak is also superb--tender and slightly sweet--and the french toast is excellent, golden crisp on the outside, custardy-firm (not mushy!) on the inside. service was attentive and accommodating. my only gripes are the "breakfast syrup"--please, uncle mike, invest in some real maple syrup--and the off-brand condiments. sounds snooty, i know, but i like Heinz and A1. don't mess around with the cheap stuff.

    (4)
  • Ryan P.

    This is our fav Sunday morning diner. The staff is super nice and attentive. I love that neighborhood and I love Uncle Mike's.

    (5)
  • Michelle V.

    Cute little place. Went here for Sunday brunch--great service and awesome food. Our server was amazing--super friendly and refilled our coffee 8 times that I remember. The food was great as well, I mean nothing raving but I'm a sucker for breakfast foods so if it's done right, I'm an automatic fan. Cozy, neighborhood spot.

    (4)
  • shivi d.

    My friends loved it the Filipino breakfast! The Lugao they also said was amazing--a hearty chicken soup. Looked like it could really warm you up on a cold Chicago day. I had a spinach and Swiss omelette. Pretty good. Decent house tea and they had a French bread option instead of the usual bread choices. Lots off food for $10 per person!

    (3)
  • Heidi F.

    This is my new breakfast spot for when I am totally hungover. Like the show three sheets I think I found Chicago's cure for a hangover! Such old school decor I feel like I am in the kitchen of the first house I lived in growing up that had 1970' s shag. Food is good and people are nice. They definately see their share of regulars. Nice to know they are an Equal opportunity employer.

    (3)
  • Gilbert G.

    White guy cooking Filipino breakfast. yes

    (4)
  • Melissa B.

    Pretty tasty. I was feeling pretty crappy (not hung-over, legitimately sick crappy) when we decided to try this place out for breakfast. It was pretty busy for a Saturday around 9:30am. We sat down in the front of the diner. I had the pumpkin pancakes and the bf had the steak and eggs. Both were tasty. Pretty solid diner food. A little pricier than some other greasy spoons...but maybe a little higher quality as well. I liked it, we will return.

    (4)
  • Megan R.

    Friendly service, slightly long wait on a Saturday morning (what place doesn't though). Garlic rice and longaniza was so delicious! I will be back again!

    (5)
  • Kevin T.

    took my girlfriend here to introduce her to the typical filipino breakfast. i must say it did not disappoint. we received a nice big hot bowl of lugao right after we ordered. ohh yeah. then after a short time waiting and listening to the sound of the typical tagalog karaoke music, we got our tocino and longanisa breakfast. holy portions, the plate was huge! garlic rice was great, tocino was made just right.. melts in your mouth and then slaps you in the face reminding you to eat at home more often. longanisa was good, although the kind my mom makes is more fatty and delicious haha. i would say if you're filipino and your parents cook all the time, this is probably close to the same quality as a home-cooked breakfast, but more costly. i was very satisfied by the end of it all and the gf enjoyed it too. you know it's a good start to the day whenever you end your morning with the longanisa burps

    (4)
  • Jed E.

    Uncle Mike's is fantastic. No frills decor, but very friendly servers and consistently great food. I haven't had anything that isn't great, and I've only been for lunch. Breakfast is supposed to be the real draw. And- I can't believe nobody has mentioned this, they serve free soup with any order. It's usually pretty ok too. How can you go wrong with free soup?

    (5)
  • Jen L.

    I love having brunch with friends and the problem is so does everyone else. If you find a decent place, there's almost always an hour wait on weekends. Not this place! Immediate seating, fast friendly service, and good food awaits you here. It's not fancy but it satisfies my taste buds.

    (4)
  • clb k.

    This whips up a great skirt steak and eggs for breakfast! Nice little place I used go when I lived in Chicago.

    (5)
  • Rhea V.

    Four of us went for breakfast. Loved the place and atmosphere. Definitely order the FRUIT PLATTER. Yum - fresh and tasty. Rest of our food was fine just not worth the prices.

    (3)
  • Laura P.

    I love this diner - the service is excellent and the oatmeal is simple and delish. It is not overrun with cell-phoned yupinhimer's either, big plus!

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :5:00 am - 3:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Breakfast, Brunch
    Parking : Street, Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Uncle Mike’s Place

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