Flying Saucer

SERVICE SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSS!
And guess what. I serve for a living. And I am very forgiving when it comes to service. I came here on a weekday to eat alone and asked if i could sit at a tiny table because there were very few people there. But the male server rolled his eyes and said ‘ummmmmmm if you HAVE to take up a two top table, then be my guest.’ He couldn’t even be bothered to hide his disdain. So instead I sat at the bar and ordered to-​go, which made the server appalled, visibly. I ordered a coffee for there and watched as he took everyone else’s order at the bar and brought them all coffee before me. I even had to remind him that I ordered one. He huffed and rolled his eyes. And THEN went to the very attractive woman sitting next to me and took her order, flirted a bit and treated her the way he should be treating everyone: with fucking respect.
So you know what i fucking did?! I fucking paid and told him to keep the change and then I watched as he realized I had left him a ten dollar tip. That ten dollars was worth it to see the look on his face. He looked as if he had just swallowed his whole foot! And then he thanked me and said good bye.
Flying Saucer, why do you keep a server on for years who only shows respect when someone flashes them a nice tip? That isn’t how this business works. I’ve worked in Lincoln Park where I have to deal with entitled, sexist bros and high heeled rich white chicks. You are in the heart of humboldt park and the majority of your clientele is probably nerdy weirdos and sometimes maybe entitled white people on the weekends, am i right? So having a veteran server that’s chronically bitter and noticeably annoyed with every single customer doesn’t really make sense. Have him work in a bar in wrigleyville or in a late night vegan diner in lakeview where teenagers that don’t tip hang out. Then maybe he’ll appreciate where he’s at a bit more. You have such a cute spot with eclectic vintage décor and a place like that would be so much nicer with a kinder server. One that smiles and isn’t pissed off at you before you even sit down. Just sayin… I’m available if you’re ready to make that leap! ;)

Little café at the end of my street, and boy are we lucky! Vegan options, old standbys, and my fave which is lox, cream cheese and a bagel. On the California Corridor, which is a gold mine for great places!

I are here last week with my wife. The vintage décor is a great! We were seated quickly and our waiter was very friendly and attentive. I had the biscuits and gravy with eggs and it was easily the best I’ve ever eaten. My wife had the eggs Benedict and she loved the dish. The coffee was great tasting and fresh. I honestly can’t wait to go back.

Met a friend here for breakfast on her recommendation. I could see why. I’d totally frequent this cute little joint for their retro vibes and amazing breakfast burrito alone. The breakfast burrito is huge, and you can veganize it with tofu hash and veggie-​chorizo. Good tunes were playing and service was pleasant. Cash only, and I think they have an ATM inside at the back. It’s obviously a very popular spot, so come early or expect to wait. It’s worth it.

The kale, tofu, sweet potato scramble was incredibly disappointing and way overpriced. The waiter did not come back to check on our table until the bill was dropped off. There are too many really good breakfast places in Chicago to return here. I won’t be back.

Of all the reasons I was glad to land my new apartment, being within an insanely close walking distance from this place is totally one of them. There is a variety of great options, and this is one of those places that will leave you feeling satisfied. I started with the trucker bowl, both before and after I turned vegetarian. It was nice to have a meal that I can say was a before-​after experience that didn’t leave me feeling like I sacrificed anything. In fact, when it comes to this place the only things I’ve ordered thus far is the breakfast bowls. They’re large portions, always tasty, and definitely leave you full.
But four stars. What are the drawbacks? Well, the trucker bowl is my staple, but the food is inconsistent. The ratios are just different, and it’s one of those things I would notice. Less potatoes one time, less gravy another. Also, for a cash only, sit down spot, the prices are a little higher. It’s not that I’m that cheap, and if I want cheap breakfast I’ll make it myself. But of all the spots that I enjoy that are cash only, this is one I feel should update that policy.
Back to positives. The music I’ve never noticed the same thing all the time, and I’ve heard some great tunes. It’s got a fantastic retro-​kitchen feel. And the staff is very on their game. As long as they keep the Baza and trucker bowl, they’ll have me coming back as often as I remember to have some extra cash lying around on the weekends.

We were in the area this weekend and thought we’d grab the opportunity to have breakfast here, but it turned out to be a letdown. I remember this place being much better in the past — higher-​quality food, and more pancake/​waffle selections. The coffee cake was good, but «home fries» were just large chunks of boiled potato finished in a skillet, with no onion or other embellishment, and bacon was cheap and overcooked. I think this may be the result of a slapdash attitude in the kitchen, because every error seemed to point in the direction of laziness: the fruit cup I ordered, for instance, was full of stems, and the orange wedge it came with was sliced at random angles, making it challenging to remove the peel without making a mess. The meal wasn’t inedible, but it was far from anything special. I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here, nor would I consider it a special treat if I were in the area again.
One star bonus because it offers slightly better vegetarian choices than other places around town, although my wife said her trucker bowl with veggie sausage was merely OK.

This place was so bad, it’s laughable. Very few vegan options, but I decided the Tofu Sweet Potato hash was the way to go.
Microwaved, flavorless bits of sweet potato. Cheap deep fried tofu, no flavor. Watery kale. No garlic, no seasoning, no salt, just BLAND. The cook doesn’t know how to cook. I can microwave my own sweet potato for $ 1 and it’d taste better.
My plate came with my choice of side. I got the apples, don’t make my mistake. They sucked. Also microwaved. I don’t get it.
I’ve never had such a bland, inedible plate of food before.
The latte was good. Not good enough to make up for my $ 10 plate of food that I literally took 3 bites of.

DE-​LECTABLE.
The only reason I wouldn’t give this place a 5 is because I am stingy with my stars.
This spot is the equivalent of ‘the girl next door.” Beautiful, down to earth, and you might not notice it at first, but when she takes her glasses of – WOW.
The inside is very quaint, not a lot of seating, so the wait can get decently long. It is well worth it, though. NEVER HAS VEGAN FOOD TASTED SO GOOD– said the avid meat-​eater. And you can also get meat, so YAY variety!
Cash only (but there is also an ATM across the street).
Overall– definitely get here.

Essentially a middle-​of-​the-​road diner which does a nice job of catering to meat-​eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike. A friend and I met up for breakfast at about 10:30 on a Sunday; the restaurant was busy but we were seated immediately. Once seated, our server was always attentive and friendly.
My middling review score lies in the quality of the food. I ordered the biscuits and gravy with the veggie sausage gravy. The food was served after only a short wait but the food left much to be desired. The consistency of the biscuits was inconsistent (some parts were considerably tougher than others), the accompanying scrambled eggs weren’t really very fluffy, and, overall, the food was very lukewarm even when it was first brought to the table.
I really want to like this place and, while I am more than willing to give it another try, the food just didn’t seem all that fresh or well-​prepared. Give them at least one visit; here’s to hoping that my food experience was unordinarily subpar.

great vibe
great music
clean place
we’re from San Francisco so the vibe was just right
we had the sampler and the trucker bowl
not to salty, good flavor
the owner was really sweet and checked on us. the staff were pleasant and attentive
great breakfast place!
the only thing missing was decaf coffee :(

Disappointing vegan fare. Very few vegan options, and not much on the menu can be made vegan. Our waiter was rude when taking our order, and not open to accommodation. Been here twice and both times the food has been overpriced and underwhelming.

Flying Saucer is a great breakfast spot in the neighborhood. Their vegan pancakes are fluffy, sweet and oh so delicious. In fact, I think they’re my favorite vegan pancakes of all time! Their Sweet Potato Hash is great too for when you’re in the mood for something more savory. I also love their Spiced Apples and Steamed Kale with Miso Dressing. Sure, they’re simple sides but they are magical and I do find myself craving them quite often. I do wish they had a few more vegan options, but I suppose when you do it right, there’s no need to add to it. Why mess with perfection? They also make a mean soy cappuccino, which is great for the more blustery months (aka 9 months out of the year). Also, I have never had issues with the service, like some others have cited. Maybe I just managed to go there on their good days or I have just been seated by the nicer servers, but they all seem nice and attentive to me.
My only two complaints about Flying Saucer are 1) It’s cash only. Not the hugest deal in the world and I usually have enough in my wallet to get what I want, but still, it can be a pain. 2) The add ons can be a bit much. Pay extra for maple syrup and margarine for your pancakes? That’s a little silly to me. In the end, I do it and it’s not that much extra. But still, who can have pancakes without maple syrup and margarine?
If I were to make a suggestion to you, gentle readers, it would be this: go on a weekday for breakfast if you can. It will be far less crowded, you’ll get a table right away and service will be speedy and attentive. If that’s not an option, they do allow for carry out which is great for brunch in bed (not that I do that sort of thing).

Love this book in our neighborhood and we’ve been meaning to go back! There was a little bit of a wait of a Sunday so we just say in the waiting area. This place is like a tiny little diner with amazing food. We got to sit at the bar and watch all of the magic happen. My partner got the trucker bowl and it was a bowl of awesomeness. With all of the mixings in there it was for sure a hearty breakfast to have. The food came out and if was piping hot, which again, is a must for me but I’m sure not other people. They were extremely helpful when we were looking for suggestions. Get there early and you’ll be happy you did!

Just left this place. The biscuits were decent and that’s about it. My friend and I ate here, we got checked on once to see what we wanted to order. I left the man $ 28 on a $ 27.30 bill because he sucked. I have worked in the industry and currently work in a kitchen now. My gravy on my biscuits was broken, it wasn’t good food nor experience. I always leave a 20% tip not even counting on the food, but AT LEAST the service. The guy (some British fellow with a mustache and no hair) followed me outside to confront me saying «so you’re leaving me a 70 cent tip?» how unprofessional can you get? You work 7 AM to 3. I work that everyday and I chose to come here on my ONE day off to be treated like shit. Hah. Place is a joke.

Platillos tradicionales con un toque especial que lo hace diferente. La musica esta excelente. Es algo no comercial y rico. Solo aceptan efectivo. Yo disfrute el desayuno — brunch !. Muy artistico y diferente.

No. Just no. Nothing warm or welcoming here. I thought the many Unilocal reviews about the staff’s bad attitudes couldn’t possibly be true, but yes, they are.
Totally blah, lackluster interior. Distant, pretentious, disinterested staff. Warmish, runny food delivered by truly condescending waitstaff. An experience I won’t be repeating. Ever.
If you are a hipster (all others need not enter the sanctum) in need of a shot of pretentious, too-​cool-​to-​be-​pleasant (or even bother to smile) service, by all means come to this overpriced establishment. But the food isn’t worth the prices, there’s zero ambiance and — heck — you can be treated badly for far less money elsewhere.
People, if you’re so unhappy managing this place and working at this place, move on. It’s obvious you’d rather be someplace else. It seems to annoy you to have to work here. Snarking at your customers and providing middling, half-​heated food is not how it’s done in a real business.
We’re still shaking our heads in amazement at how wrong the experience was. So bad it was funny! (btw, We spent the same forty-​five dollars for breakfast at a different place the next day. We were treated well, got tasty, well-​prepared, hot food and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. They earned our return business.)
Yes, we got a great, funny story out of our meal at Flying Saucer, but not the kind that will bring our business back (or any of our friends’ business, either).

I love the vibe of this place! Not a lot of local buisnesses in that area right now. I frequent Norwegian American Hospital for work, and it is the perfect place to get some vegan lunch and work on my computer!
I had the vegan chili when I was there and it was great! I could have done without the corn muffin, but I will be back for sure to check out the taco salad. The neighboring diners both ordered it and it looked amazing!

Im not sure if other peoples gripes are legit about this place.
WE love it. Maybe because its «off the beaten paths» of Humboldt Park… aka, Cali n Division, but I think one review got the server and service totally wrong.
Like today for instance… NY Day. Had we even encountered a Millennial server, we would have been at the wrong place. As far as I can tell, there are no millennials working here.
We were greeted with a warm smile and got a table at 2:30, no prob. Our service was great as usual, no attitude at all. Pretty sure that bad attitude comment came from a millennial hipster reviewer who had complaints about the service.
Every time we go to Flying Saucer we are filled with delicious food, a la, The Trucker Bowl and The Chicken Fried Steak with biscuits and grits. Our coffee cups were never empty and the staff was all very attentive.
Besides not wanting to tell the world of Unilocal that this is the best breakfast place for both meat eaters and Vegans, I want to help get this place closer to being a 4.5 star place.
Don’t bother with this place if you really want a pretentious hoity-​toity brunch, served by a scatterbrained server.

The food was just OK, nothing worth coming back for. Coffee (bottomless) was good.
For me, austere service is acceptable as long as it’s efficient, but this place was just abrasive to the point one might think it was a joke. The staff are a bunch of too cool for school hipster millennials (as am I).
There are too many good places in Chicago to eat to put up with their crap.

Me and my girl friends decided on here because they had something for everyone (meat, veggie, vegan, and everything in between.
So the table ordered the black bean cakes, sweet potato hash, and one of the breakfast bowls. I had the black bean cakes that left me wanting something more. You could tell that everything was fresh, but I had that meh feeling. I would say most everyone at the table had that same expression. The person most satisfied had the breakfast bowl, but commented that it was not an appropriate temperature to have just come out.
What I will say is that the service is excellent. The waiter really knew the menu and helped everyone with 3 kinds of dietary restrictions pick out something. I thought that was VERY impressive. I also like the vibe of simplicity, focus on the food, and comfort place of the restaurant.
Now with all that, I still want an EXCELLENT meal, so I won’t be trekking out this way to come back, but if you live in the area or not too far away, I’d give it a try.
Remember cash only and your entire group must be present before your seated