Simple Café

Wow. Damn that was amazing. I had the grilled veggie, kufta, mozzarella salad. Tasted fresh and delicious! Staff was very polite and attentive. I will definitely be back next time I am in town!

Great place great food and great people.
Friendly staff and the menu is decent. We traveled to this city had so much fun and this place is definitely a plus. Must try.

Great food and atmosphere! This is a great place to bring an out-​of-​towner for lunch.

Friendly, clean, great prices and great service. I had to try the Korean BBQ bowl since so many people mentioned it. Delicious! Great flavor, just the right amount of heat and a very large portion for the money. I certainly will return and I would encourage you to check it out.

Because I grew up near Lake Geneva (name drop!), I already had experience with Simple. When it first opened and I went there, the menu was very small, and nothing on it excited me. When I moved up here and saw there was one here as well, I was a meh about it.
It was my dad’s birthday this past weekend, and he’s on a huge health kick right now, so the only restaurant I could take him to that fit his dietary requirements was Simple. It was busy for a Saturday lunch which was to be expected. We sat at the breakfast bar, however, and everything was fine. Probably better actually, because the acoustics in the building are very strange, and it’s easier to hear yourself at the bar than at a table (the one in Lake Geneva has this problem as well).
The food was AMAZING. I don’t remember the last time I ate an entire meal at a restaurant that wasn’t sushi. I had the designer omelette with spinach, turkey sausage, and goat cheese. My dad and my mom loved their food as well (my mom wouldn’t stop raving about the mushroom sandwich. I can’t remember exactly what it’s called). The service, for being busy, was not bad as far as time goes. Our server was very attentive as well.
It’s too bad I was stubborn about going here again because of my experience at a different one. I should have known they would have expanded their menu. I will definitely be coming here again in the future.

I’ve been here several times as it is a close distance from where I live and I’ve never been disappointed. They’re always busy but that doesn’t affect their service levels at all. I can always count on having my coffee refilled and attention from my server.
The food is delicious. They have the traditional eggs, bacon and toast breakfasts but also switch it up. I recently tried the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl which is their breakfast take on bibimbap. One of my friends lived in Asia for 10 plus years so she is a bit of a snob when it comes to fusion dishes, understandably. I had her try my dish because I’m always curious her thoughts and to my surprise she liked it! I give an extra star for impressing my friend and this dish was very tasty. It had a sweetness which helped offset the spicy kick Korean food is known for. The pork shoulder was delicious-​I personally felt like there could have been more in a serving and the fried egg over was delicious.
My next visit I plan to try something new as this experience was most delicious. Our server Kayla was very attentive without being annoying and was pleasant during our stay. She went above and beyond by my standards and asked if we wanted any coffee to go. We were biking after so I had to decline but was very impressed that she offered (sans bikes I would have gladly said yes).
I definitely recommend this restaurant to visitors and anyone looking for delicious food. I often take my Grampi (he’s 94) here when he’s visiting from out of town because he enjoys the hearty breakfasts and strong coffee.

It’s simple, this little breakfast place is great. They have all kinds of breakfast and brunch food that’s great for 2 people or a large group. The build you own omelet is the best party of the menu. You are able to pick 5 things to add to your eggs and they are delicious! The prices are okay and you could get out of here for less than $ 15. If your in the area, this is a great place to stop in.

I have gone to the simple café in lake geneva, wi. This is their first location prior to opening in milwaukee on the east side. Whenever i am in wisconsin i would visit simple café. I decided what could be wrong with the location in Milwaukee?
Well first off they must make a note to staff to pay attention to detail and survey the restaurant. Our waiter Gorge’ or Jorge’ (horhay) spent a significant amount of time chatting with a table of patrons adjacent from us. The two younger women behind the counter had us wait when they told us the table we eventually sat would be ready… not until they proceeded to finish their conversation? She walks over wipes the table down and then points us to the table? Our party could not help but wonder why this was not done right away versus making us wait 15 minutes. Unacceptable. Probably would not visit the Milwaukee location again. Thing i have noticed about wisconsin in general. Customer service is an afterthought. In Chicago, our restaurants are highly competitive and missteps cost customers.

Food is pretty good but not overly amazing. There are some clever dishes, which is an upside because it allows the food to be unique.
The service was alright and they accommodated us well. It was very busy and they had a full staff.
The atmosphere is ok, nothing special, hard chairs and tables that food sits on before you throw it into your belly.
What this place seems to be missing, maybe a little more flavor in the food. Not sure if its how its prepared or what but it just seemed slightly bland (despite the unique options) and some comfortable chairs, and a proper waiting area. It is busy and there is not really a good place to stand. While waiting, it felt like some employees made us move and some walked around us to get where they needed to go (as we tried to stand somewhere out of the way).
I would probably go back again, to give them another shot but they need some more work to do.

Gah! Just one faster server away from five stars.
Joined my work team here for an 8AM breakfast on a friday. I arrived realizing I’d passed by many times before but for some reason assumed it was a place I wouldn’t be impressed by. Is it the font used for branding?
Luckily, I don’t eat fonts. I eat noms, and this place has all of them. I had the Korean BBQ Bowl; not something I would normally order but I was in a «order the thing I think sounds weird» mood and I am so glad I did. I liked all of the things and it was a surprisingly large amount of food (leftovers for lunch ya’ll). By Sunday I was trying to make my own kimchi. Emphasis on trying.
The coffee kept coming but unfortunately our server did not. The place had about 6 tables sat and I don’t believe he was working all of them; I know someone is a bit too slow when I all of a sudden let out a deep obnoxious sigh and say «Where’s the guy?». BUT, I’m willing to bet this is not the norm and the café is sneaky big so bring your crew!
Next time I’m going for the Apple Crumble French Toast or straight-​up buttermilk pancakes. The baby dining with us (I don’t work with a baby. But my boss has one and shares him every once in awhile.) had the pancake and I tried sneaking a bite but that kid is quick with the screams when he sees your fork approaching. It smelled delicious.
Definitely head here (maybe without a pancake-​loving baby) and try it out! Don’t let the fonts dissuade you.

We had some time to burn before a doctor’s appointment. We wanted to try simple café prior to this time, but we were unsuccessful. So here we go, a Friday morning. It is semi busy but not overwhelming. The space itself is a nice size. The rear of the establishment has the diner part, the kitchen and the bathrooms.
We were confused from the outset. The menus dont have a section that explain what sides that are offered or the cost of them. Also, there is a section that doesn’t have a heading but we had to guess if the items included potatoes? Do they offer a single stack? A short stack? Not a good menu.
We ordered a single stack of pancakes and the apple crisp french toast. We also ordered a side of potatoes and some chicken sausage. The wait time wasn’t that bad. The issue (s) were the following: Take a look at the pictures and ask your self do the chicken sausages look cooked? They weren’t and they were very cold. As a matter of fact all of the food was cold. It was all sent back besides the potatoes they were actually good.
The pancakes were a little to cake like for me as opposed to them being vanilla and fluffy. The french toast wasnt sweet. They give you apple cider and maple syrup… which also wasnt noted on the ineffective menu. We ended up not eating the food besides the potatoes.
Prob wouldnt go back.

I had the Korean breakfast bowl with Kimchee. Forgot the name. I disliked the KIm chee portion but the rest of the dish was quite good.
In the past, I have tried their garden veggie burger, which is very good.
Their potatoes on the side, are excellent.

Simple Café is a wonderful spot for brunch. Prepare for a wait on the weekends, but it is definitely worth it!
The décor isn’t my cup of tea with bright colors and shapes like you would find in a child’s daycare, but the food more than makes up for it. Simple Café has a wide variety of brunch options that are creative and delicious. My boyfriend and I ordered the Pumpkin Pancakes, Korean Breakfast bowl, and the Eggs Benedict with smoked trout. We loved everything! The Pumpkin Pancakes were my personal favorite and is a must when visiting. Beware… if you order the Korean Breakfast bowl don’t expect a traditional Bibimbap, since this is an americanized version with broccoli and brown rice. Still really yummy!

Visiting Simple Café was a last minute choice that completely worked in our favor. We were going to hit another nearby café but it was packed (partly our fault for getting such a late start) and with a hungry 3 year old we couldn’t really wait. Unilocal came to our rescue and pointed out this place was very close by.
I ordered breakfast for myself and Junior and the hubby went with a lunch choice. I picked out the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl with braised pork shoulder, brown rice, mushrooms (I actually had them hold the ‘shrooms), broccoli, baby spinach, marinated soybean sprouts, Swiss chard & kale, sliced radish, green onions, kimchee topped with an over easy egg (I switched that to over hard).
All I can say is YUM. Completely out of my comfort zone for a breakfast choice and I couldn’t have been happier.
Hubby picked the Chipotle Chicken Pot Pie from the lunch menu. Junior had pancakes and sausage from the Children’s Menu. He apparently loved the sausage given how quickly it disappeared.
A big thumbs up to Unilocal for recommending this place.

Order anything with Corn Feiferis and you’ll thank me. Everything else is good, too, im sure but I wont ever waste my time ordering anything else.

The corned beef hash was good but the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl that everyone raves about lives up to the reviews!

GREAT for breakfast and lunch or any combination of the two. Super cute interior, bright colored painted walls, and a deceivingly large inside. The color scheme and décor just screams «happy, healthy, energy!» I came here during the week for brunch and was seated right away. I have been to the Lake Geneva Simple Café, but it’s been a while, so I was impressed when the menu reminded me what a large array of healthy delectable selections there were. There is a whole page of egg dishes!!! Ranging from breakfast tacos, omelets, frittatas, breakfast burrito, and eggs Benedict. I could not resist the mushroom omelet (consisting of three different mushrooms, shallots, and Gruyère cheese). Most of the breakfast dishes are served with Simple potatoes… To die for!
There’s also multiple hashes, homemade granola and yogurt, and syrupy yummy choices as well like French toast and pancakes. There’s also half a page of sandwich/​wrap choices as well as soup and salads.
But let me make clear, these are not your average or standard breakfast/​lunch dishes. Each dish is a unique combination of flavors… Healthy… AND made from locally grown produce. For examples: smoked trout and sweet potato mashed Benedict, chorizo and braised pork belly breakfast burrito, buckwheat carrot pancakes, Vietnamese beef salad… And MORE.
The restaurant slogan is «changing the world one bite at a time» and I couldn’t agree more! I left feeling great, and cannot wait to go back. It’s easy to stay healthy when healthy tastes THIS good!

This place is one of my favorite in the area! Super fresh, innovative and great dishes. I have never been disappointed.

Great little place for breakfast and brunch. Love the menu choices. Too much to choose from. Was hard to decide what I would enjoy the most. I went with the simple mushroom omelette which was fabulous. My husband went with the butternut squash, tofu, kale etc with 2 fried eggs on top. I posted a picture. I tried a spoonful of it and it was delicious, I must say. We are from Los Angeles CA so used to eating great food. I would definitely come back here again when we are back in the Milwaukee area, and have bookmarked it for future trips.

Simple Café is a solid breakfast joint. Actually it’s one of the best spots in MKE to get breakfast. They whip up dishes most wouldn’t make at home which is what I expect when going to eat breakfast. The location is perfect too. They have a large seating area which makes it so the wait, if at all, isn’t long.
We go here pretty regularly and love more than a few items on the menu. The Apple Crumble French Toast and the Andouille Sausage and Grits are amazing!
What I really Love about this place is they are true to their name, simple. Even though some of the omelettes, frittatas, and many other items can be pretty decadent they are fairly simple, full of flavor, and just mmmm good!
Keep it up, you’ve got it figured out!

Amazing food! My first & definitely not last time there! The breakfast tacos were amazing & complimented with perfectly cooked potatoes. The menu is bound to have something for anyone. Healthy options & great quality food! New fav spot for sure!

We went here for brunch on a Saturday. I ordered an Egg Platter, my boyfriend ordered a Simple Burger.
To give some context, I am definitely a classic midwesterner. Burgers, pizza, meat-​and-​potatoes with no regard for ingredients is how I roll. If it’s delicious, just don’t tell me what’s in it and let me keep eating. That’s definitely not in line with the current trend of preference for the organic, foodie options. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just isn’t me.
For that reason, it lost one star. For a brunch place, I was surprised there was only one french toast option, and no pancakes, waffles, etc. There were omelets (including mashed potato omelets– what is that? Mashed potatoes shaped like an omelet?), fritatas, etc. So when I saw a «normal» option of Egg Platter, I jumped at it. Likewise, my boyfriend got the «Simple Burger» which was one of the most basic options, but still included a tomato-​bacon-​jam.
So all of the above is just preference, and not necessarily anything bad about the restaurant.
The waitress was very nice. When my boyfriend asked for BBQ sauce, she let him know it wasn’t «normal» sauce and was more spicy, which was really nice of her to warn us. (He still got it and liked it, but it definitely was spicier and with Asian influence.)
My boyfriend and I were both happy with our meals and portion sizes. He said his tomato-​bacon-​jam was good.
Pros:
We were seated immediately. That was great, especially since I’m used to waiting a while at Mad Rooster, Hotch, Build-​A-​Breakfast, etc.
Everything seems of genuinely good quality. Collectivo coffee, fresh food, etc. The place is nice and clean, etc.
Cons:
This isn’t the place to go for comfort food or a «regular» menu.
If you get soda, they give you a can, which means no refills.
Overall:
It’s a good place, but the menu is a little more «different» than my boyfriend and I prefer.

Simple Café is one of our favorite breakfast/​brunch spots. True to its name, the food is simply fantastic — seasonal, flavorful, and not too heavy! Saturday morning’s experience is another success for Simple Café:
Food = ⁵⁄₅
Service = 4.5 /​5
Ambiance = ⁴⁄₅
Value = 4.5 /​5
Total rating = 4.5 (will round up to 5)
We shared the trout benedict (yum!) and the turkey and brussel hash (another yum!). Our other member had the blackened chicken avocado sandwich, which I did not try but looked fantastic. We all had coffee (Collectivo — yes, please!) and were thrilled with everything. We didn’t get a short stack this time, but sometimes share a short stack of the seasonal pancakes (pumpkin is a winner). It’s a great way to try something sweet without having to commit to it as your entrée. The bill for 3 people (entrée + coffee for each), before tax/​tip, was $ 41. The only thing to remind people is that Simple Café does not serve alcohol, so don’t plan on getting a bloody or mimosa with your meal… and the food is so good, you won’t miss it.

Simply a great brunch spot. It was pretty packed on Sunday around 11:30 when we came in. After a 20 minute wait, we scooped a spot at the bar. I was deterred when I didn’t see a bloody mary on the menu, but it was fine, the food made up for it!
Overall, great diner-​eqsue brunch food. My girlfriend… ehrm…fiancé ordered the sweet potato, quinoa cakes with over easy eggs and chipotle sauce. Really, really solid. I recommend adding some of the corned beef hash on top, made it substantially better.
The service was great, really friendly and pretty quick.
I have a few other brunch spots to try in Milwaukee, but once I get through the list, I’ll come back to Simple Café!

Simple Café, you have won me over so hard. It sounds dramatic to say I had the best breakfast of my life here, but it’s just true. When Rachel F suggested I check this place out before a drive to Madison, I was sold right away. Who doesn’t like a simple, quality breakfast?
I was immediately drawn in by the bright colors of this place, and was able to snag a seat by the front windows. The owner was there and had coffee in front of my face within two minutes, and I dove right into the menu. There were so many things that looked good to me, but the Seasonal Harvest Frittata is what caught my eye. Summer squash, overnight oven roasted tomatoes, caramelized onion, red pepper, swiss chard and kale, zucchini, avocado, goat cheese, and salsa? How do you say no to that? You don’t. I ordered a side of bacon as well, because, well… bacon.
Holy cow you guys, this frittata was one for the books — the ingredients were so fresh and well-​seasoned, and I wasn’t even prepared for the side of fried potatoes that were served next to it (sorry diet.) The goat cheese and salsa were the perfect toppings, and never before have I been so satisfied by a breakfast dish.
When I asked the owner if I could sit and work for another 30 minutes or so, he said I «could sit there anytime.» How nice is that?
I will 100% be coming back here in October when I’m in Milwaukee again. I might try to order something different, but the frittata has my heart. Thanks for a wonderful start to my morning, Simple Café!

This place is a heck of a lot bigger than I thought it would be.
The menus is fairly large and so are the potions.
The coffee however was terrible even though it did come with house made almond milk. I’ll drink that by the glass.
I had a breakfast burrito that I straight murdered and the olé lady couldn’t finish her gigantic sandwich.
The place has a decent vibe and id stop by again to try something else on the menu.
Give it a go.

Great food always delicious.
I’ve been here a few times and haven’t given it a review so decided to do that today.
If you do decide to come here just expect there to be a little wait but not all the time

VERY solid spot for a quick brunch on a weekend in Milwaukee. I’d recommend getting one of the hash/​scramble dishes. I went with the sweet potato hash but substituted the tofu with pork.
The atmosphere is very casual, with a mixed and diverse crowd (age, gender, dress, etc.)

As my first brunch in Milwaukee, I’d say I’m off to a pretty good start. The wait was about 20 minutes, initially they were going to make us wait another 10 but we insisted we didn’t mind a 4 top as a table of 5. We were seated and ready to go!
I ordered the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl! Yumm-​O!
I loved texture the chewiness of the brown rice, moderately tender BBQ pork, sprouts, mushrooms and oozy fried egg on top with kimchee. It set my morning off!
My girlfriend ordered the corned beef hash. It was ALMOST as good as the hash at General Muir in ATL. So close! Nice flavor and very tender. Scrambled eggs were boring but suitable.
The venue is cute and colorful and it appears all the food is locally sourced. Simple!

I cannot believe I haven’t written a review for Simple yet. It’s hard to pinpoint why it’s one of my favorite places to get brunch in the city, but I always find myself suggesting we go there.
Maybe it’s because of the welcoming décor. It’s so colorful and bright inside, which is refreshing because I’m usually there in the morning. There are pots and pans hanging from the bar and fresh flowers on each table, which makes it feel homey. The service is usually quick and friendly, which is exactly what I want during brunch.
Not to mention the food is delicious, and they’re always putting something new and seasonal on their menu. An autumn favorite of mine was the carrot buckwheat pancakes, and a recent spring favorite was the smoked trout and goat cheese omelette. Almost everything hovers right around $ 10, so I like to be adventurous and try something new every time I go. I have yet to try the famed Korean BBQ bowl, but it’s on my list.
Hmm…other good things: They serve local coffee. They have really good toast. The mushroom omelette has several different kinds of mushrooms in it and it’s amazin’. You don’t have to eat jam out of a plastic, unrefrigerated packet.
I like it here.

If there were one restaurant I will miss the most from Milwaukee it would be Simple Café. They have so many breakfast options… I can’t help but order multiple dishes every time I come here.
One of their specialties is the Korean BBQ bowl– at first it may seem like an odd choice for breakfast, but try it and you will understand the magic everyone raves about. The Korean BBQ bowl may look innocent and light with all the fresh, bright vegetables, but do not be fooled. However, if you’re like me you’ll also be tempted to order a short stack of pancakes as well and because everything is so good you will finish it all. This is acceptable. I ordered the pumpkin pancakes, which may be a seasonal item, and they were amazing. The sugary pumpkin topping was perfect– there’s no need for butter or maple syrup even.
Another favorite has to be the corned beef hash– this place definitely has the best I’ve ever had. Thick chunks of lean corned beef drenched in the runny yolk of an over easy egg… don’t mind the foodrotica.
Even though this place is a 5 star heaven on Farwell, I’ve been here multiple times on the weekend and always have been able to get a table right away.

Had my first visit yesteday. Unilocalers gave the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl ($ 9.95) the most praise, so I went with it.
The bowl was large and generously filled with brown rice mixed with pieces of Korean BBQ braised pork shoulder, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, marinated soybean sprouts, Swiss chard and kale, then topped with sliced radish, green onions, and an over easy egg.
The pork was tender and had a good flavor, but there wasn’t much of it. The over easy egg was a bit over done, so there wasn’t much yolk to spread around and enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
Overall, the flavor profile was overly salty and there was a spicy heat coming from somewhere, I assume whatever they created as the BBQ sauce. So all I really tasted was a spicy and salt rice and veggie dish. I expected more balance and more braised pork, but the I felt the price was good value for the portion, overall.
The service was ok. Our server forgot my friend’s coffee, so it arrived with her meal. She checked on us once a minute or two after the bowls arrived, then not again for what felt like 10 minutes after I finished my bowl.
She was friendly and kept a smile the enitre time, so that was good to see, considering it was near the end of her shift and she had to get to her other job.
I see the appeal of this place for the healthier diners. I like healthy food too, but I want it to taste good. I will go back some day to try the chorizo breakfast burrito or corned beef hash or kalbi tacos.

The name is Simple, and it couldn’t have been more simple indeed. On Sunday morning, we were a party of five, and it turns out that Simple keeps a few large tables for larger groups, rather than making you wait for two tables next to each other to finish their breakfast at the same time. We were seated almost immediately. I felt a little sorry for the couples still waiting; on the other hand, most seemed in good spirits, perhaps in an afterglow of a romantic Saturday evening.
Our server, Jorge, was soon at our table, and was there as often as needed to make sure that our food was tasty (it was) and that our waters and coffees remained full, cool and warm. And they don’t take chances on the coffee: I too don’t like to risk getting a bad taste in my mouth, first thing in the late morning. They pour Colectivo, that fine, black, liquid gold coffee (not Texas tea – Jed move away from there!).
The tasty food that I had… Well, I hate to toot my own horn, but I played a big role in its success. I chose the spinach, caramelized onions and fontina for my «designer» omelet, and the chef stitched it together perfectly such that a Parisian model could have walked it through fashion week and gotten more sniffs than gazes. I’m not sure if they have Fashion Week in Seoul, but my friends certainly liked the Korean breakfast bowl. The kids with us loved the apple French toast, which their mother’s taste test informed her was not overly sweet. Then again, who trusts either a mother or a child to review sweetness in food? The mother may be politically motivated by dietary beliefs; the kids’ palates likely remain fussily «simple.»
Ah yes, the perfect name for a brunch place that kids like too.

HOW HAVE I NOT BEEN HERE BEFORE?!
I live right down the street, and have walked by this place nearly every day.
No more.
After getting into an argument about where to go for brunch with a friend, we decided to just both go to the nearest place that was open.
Walking by, Simple seems like it may be a small café, but once I walked in, I was surprised to see just how far it stretches back and how many people can dine in there!
The deceptive brick exterior doesn’t do justice for how warm, friendly, and bright Simple is. On a rainy day, it immediately makes you feel comfortable and at home, even though it will probably be packed with people.
We had a bit of a wait, but after looking at the menu, we were more than willing to wait. There were so many different options that I couldn’t even BEGIN to narrow things down.
The range of flavors range from sweet to savory, in a variety of options, with such wide ingredients that it no matter what you’re in the mood for, you’ll find something that will hit that exact flavor you’re craving.
As a veggie lover, eventually I decided on the Seasonal Harvest Fritatta… and it was delicious. I hardly ever finish my plate (I love leftovers and small meals), but I did not leave a single morsel left. I almost ordered another one to go, but I would have just eaten it as soon as I got home.
The locations is great as well, located on Farwell, right between North and Brady, with ample parking in front or behind.
This is my new brunch/​comfort food spot.
In fact, it’s Saturday, and about to open, so I think I’m going to head there right now.