Upon entering Toast, you're greeted by two things: a wall of vintage toasters and a gaggle of people waiting for a table. On any given Sunday, Lincoln Park's post-Saturday night crowd gathers in this tiny breakfast-and-lunch joint to eat pancakes, drink coffee, and—no surprise here—have some toast.

A handful of tables are cozily spaced throughout the room, which gets thinner as you go further back, and the conversations at those tables make the whole space rather loud. A few seats are available at the small counter as well, but the line regularly stretches out the door as people wait to get their hands on some brunch.

So is it worth the hour-plus wait? If you're looking for something titled "pancake orgy," it sure is. Plenty of tasty breakfast sweets pop off the menu, making it hard to decide which to get—the lemon-poppy pancakes, which are more like three big, flat muffins, are a nice treat.

If you'd rather go for something savory, egg and omelet options are available (as well as lunch, if you're not into the whole "most-important-meal" thing). Fancy ingredients make a lot of traditional items that much better, like the truffle Hollandaise on the eggs Benedict. You may get hungry while waiting and watching the plates coming out to other tables, but once you do have your mascarpone-filled "French Toast orgy," you'll be happy and full all day.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Mac McCormick