Little Goat

This all-day diner from Girl & The Goat (Ever heard of it?), was originally in the West Loop. It’s now in a much smaller space in Lakeview, but the menu is pretty much the same. Including the fact that the “globally inspired diner” food is inconsistent: some things are delicious, others are overly complicated, and everything is pretty expensive.

They do have the diner atmosphere down though. There’s a counter with spinning stools and a laminated menu that says things like “burger shoppe” and “all day breakfast club.” The food that Little Goat excels at are relatively simple combinations. Like the Fat Elvis pancakes (peanut butter, bananas, and maple syrup with bacon), which are light, fluffy, and delicious. The patty melt is sloppy and great, and so is the burger. 

We’re not big fans of any dish where there’s too much happening on the plate. “This Little Piggy” from the breakfast menu has a lot going on: a scallion cheddar biscuit with eggs, Sichuan sausage, blackberries, and a chili garlic chive sauce. Individually those things are OK, but they just don’t taste good together. Same with the Bullseye French toast, which has sweet onion brioche with a soft-cooked egg in the center, fried chicken, strawberries, and BBQ maple syrup. It feels like three different breakfasts fighting each other.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t good reasons to come here. For example, if you really just want breakfast for dinner—or other diner food that’s slightly more creative than what you’ll find at The Golden Nugget—it’ll do. Just avoid anything that sounds too convoluted, because chances are it is.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Sandy Noto

Spanish Omelette

Think of this as Little Goat’s version of chilaquiles. It’s a cheddar omelette, topped with fresh masa chips, sour cream, tomato, and pickled peppers. The chips are thick and crispy, and the omelette is well-prepared.

photo credit: Sandy Noto

Patty Melt

We’re big fans of this sandwich/burger hybrid. The house-baked rye is perfect, and we really like the addition of special sauce and gooey American cheese.

photo credit: Sandy Noto

Bullseye French Toast

If the Fat Elvis waffles taste like a drunk experiment gone right, this French toast is one that went wrong. The brioche is too sweet, we don’t like the combination of strawberries and eggs, or the combination of strawberries and fried chicken, or either of those things topped with a BBQ syrup.

This Little Piggy

There’s a lot going on here, and it doesn’t work out very well. It’s a scallion cheddar biscuit, sunny-side up eggs, Sichuan sausage, blackberries, and a sauce made with garlic, chili, and chives. Taste-wise everything gets muddled, and the sauce is also way too sweet.