Plein Air Cafe & Eatery

Chicken poblano sandwich was delicious! The baguette was crunchy and flavorful, and the chicken was marinated in a delicious creamy sauce and paired nicely with the manchego. The side salad was also so refreshing with a vinaigrette dressing! A cute coffee shop with lots of outdoor seating! The service was a bit slow... but maybe because my sandwich had to be heated up? My friends who got cold sandwiches got their food very quickly.

Their coffee and lattes are solid, and at a fair price. I think my biggest issue with this place is that their food is pretty mediocre at a price where I'm expecting something decent. For instance, $5 for a croissant or beignet. Or $15 for a breakfast burrito.It can get pretty crowded here during the weekend, with a huge line to show for it. Their patio is pretty great when the weather cooperates.

Ambiance:- when this place is busy, which is pretty much all the time ;) it gets loud inside from all the people speaking. I overheard people studying for their bio final, and thought I would never be able to study having to speak so loudly to get my partner to hear me. But.... The outside is where it's at! They have a beautiful outdoor area with tons of seating options. Today, I chose to sit at the communal long table with the planter in the middle. When it's nice out, I will always sit here.Staff:- the staff here are nice and go out of their way to help you. I asked one of the good runners a question that he didn't know the answer to, and I said that's okay, don't worry about it, I'll check when I go back inside. Little did I know, he found someone inside that came out and answered my question. Now that's "Disney quality" customer service! (When you don't know the answer to something, you find out for the customer)Food:I was craving soup, so I called ahead and asked what the soup of the day was. I was told chicken with rice. I asked the person on the phone if they liked it, to which they responded that they did. I then asked if I could order it for pickup over the phone and they said I'd have to use one of the online ordering systems because they don't do phone orders. Instead, I just walked over and ordered in person. Unfortunately, it fortunately (depending on how you look at it), coming in to order led me to spend more than I had intended- haha.I ordered the chicken and rice soup of the day ($5.95) as well as the Avocado and tomato salad ($11.95).The chicken soup was tasty. It had just the right amount of veggies and chicken to broth ratio. And it came with three small slices of baguette.The avocado and tomato salad is an arugula base (my favorite kind of green), and in addition to perfectly ripened avocados and tomatoes, has cotija cheese sprinkled on top and a cilantro dressing. The only let down was the cilantro dressing. I expected something vinegary and more cilantro flavored, but this was sweet. That was definitely not what I had in mind, but I know better now and will ask if the dressings are sweet or not in the future for other salads. Apart from the surprise sweetness, the arugula was wonderfully fresh, without any wilting! So, long story short, I would not get the salad again, unless I got a different dressing, but I would get the soup. And while I was seated, I saw several other things I want to try in the future... specifically their sandwiches. Those baguettes look so good! Also, the question I had asked was what came on the goat cheese sandwich because online said paprika and I was like it can't just be paprika and goat cheese. I think it was an autocorrect because the staff told me it's peppers! Hahaha. That is something I actually make at home all the time! Roasted red peppers, with goat cheese, and arugula on a baguette. So, that is something I will try in the future!

Stumbled upon this place when we were looking for a place to get some brunch before going to the science museum on a Sunday morning. It's nestled right on UChicago's campus. There's indoor seating and so much outdoor seating as well. Food was delicious- I got the homemade biscuit sandwich which had the fluffiest biscuit I've probably ever had. My friend got the chorizo burrito which was also good and flavorful. I wish they would've given me some more home fries on the side but other than that no complaints. All of their baked goods looked amazing as well.

The food was delicious with portions to fill you up. Ambiance is basic university chic. What I didn't like was the unfriendly cashier which could have been solved with a smile and a thank you. The food runners were outstanding. Getting a second cup of coffee can be problematic if there is a long line of guests ordering food and drinks. Would I go back, for sure.

Happy my kids brought me here for breakfast. Lots of good options. Small space but clean and streamlined. Happy they had matcha lattes. Service was good and my kids' chorizo burritos were delicious. Only negative was the mushroom & Gruyère quiche - zero taste and was over cooked. So skip that. Will definitely have to try other items.

I want to share this while it is fresh on my mind. I have been there 6 times. I like the ambiance. Today they are playing 90s hip hop inside (and I am dancing in my seat, rapping in my head). I am actually surprised at the music selection because the patrons are of mixed age groups. I am, however, disappointed that they don't warm up their pastries, the don't carry lemon for your tea, and above all...they don't have public wifi. On a college campus, are you serious?

This place has amazing beans and make a fantastic espresso shot, even when they are busy. Event the cold brew was great here. I spent all day on the campus and had to come here twice because of how good the coffee was.

I found this little gem after my tour of the FLW museum. Order inside and take a seat. Felt righteous with my amazing salad after required Chicago must haves. Early summer the weather was perfect for sitting outside and relaxing a bit in the pretty grounds.

Plein Air Cafe is a hot spot at the center of UChicago's campus. It's located in the same building as Seminary Co-op (great bookstore) and right next to the Frank Lloyd Wright house, which you can view from their patio! They have a fairly small indoor cafe and a large outdoor patio. If you go at rush hour (lunch) there will most likely be a line and it will be pretty crowded with students working inside. The line wasn't too bad, and I was still able to find a seat on their patio despite how busy it was. They have a full bar, lots of wines, beers, and lattes. Breakfast is served til noon on weekdays and lunch starts at 11 am. I got the goat cheese and roasted pepper sandwich, which came with a nice little side salad. I liked the flavors of the sandwich and appreciated that there were multiple vegetarian options. Great place to work remotely, as the patio has plenty of shade and there is a lot of seating!