The Best Old-School Diners in Chicago

The dining car is a dying breed , a token of a bygone age when people liked their solid food filling , simple , and blissfully unknowing of small calorie counts . It ’s a deuced pity , because there are few experience more comforting than sitting in a diner stall , sipping on a cup of burnt umber , and compass into a loom mountain of eggs and core . Thankfully there are some surviving greasy spoons around Chicago , and a tidy sum of the ones that have cope to make it did so because they are just that true . No James Beard Awards here ; just good old - fashioned American preparation .

Svea

tuck into a low old storefront on Clark is the magical , blue - and - amber - bedecked Svea . One of the last vestige of the neck of the woods ’s Swedish influence , Svea is a simple breakfast and dejeuner joint with a mix of classic American diner food for thought and speciality like herring , Swedish sausage , and Vaccinium vitis-idaea compote . The prices are exactly what you want out of a simple diner , and the wall are covered with one-time photos of Sweden and the neighborhood . While there is hatful to recommend , the Viking breakfast is the go - to for first - timer and regulars alike .

Daley’s Restaurant

Some of the other berth here have chronicle , but none of them have 1892 history . And none of them have one of the salutary plate of chicken & waffle in the metropolis . How about some chopped steak with those waffles instead ? saltiness pork and grit for breakfast ? put out pork chopper , ham Rhenish , peach deep-dish pie ? We could just keep listing nutrient , but all you need to know is there is a reasonableness this station is not just a neighborhood basic , but a landmark .

Stella’s

A 50 - year mainstay ( though it ’s gone through a couple names ) , Stella ’s is a Greco-Roman Chicago nook eating house that has managed to survive every change Lakeview has seen since the Korean War . Anyone who has walked by will have caught the gargantuan clenched fist triumphantly grip a ramification and knife over the entrance . Hopefully they have stop in , too . The food is a skillful premix of everything you would expect and a small something surplus , with everything from omelette , pancakes , and roast joker dinners to quesadilla and fettuccine Alfredo . The window front booths are some of the best seating in the hood , and go great with a burger and milkshake .

Palace Grill

If you do n’t already know the Palace Grill when you see its beckoning Ne “ Sandwich Shop ” sign , there is n’t much we can do for you . Take safety from the creep gentrification of the West Loop among the checker board floor , metallic element chairs , and a staggering amount of Blackhawks memorabilia . There is nothing complicated or pretentious about the neat omelet or French toast , which is precisely what you want when you come to a post like this . Yes , your Angus steak burgers and portobello mushroom sandwiches are great , but they are not ripe than this .

Shilas

Cheap , tasty , filling , well-disposed : that is what you are wait for in a diner . Ambiance is optional , although a lack of it almost depend anyway . Shilas has all those thing in jigaboo . This Old Irving neighborhood favorite is a howling monitor of everything that is right with the earth . The frying pan are large and flavorful , the waiting staff will smile and keep your coffee warm . You will rust pancakes . You will pay less than $ 10 ( or scarcely more ) . What more could you possibly want ?

City Cafe

characterless on the exterior , but lively and welcoming on the interior , City Cafe is one of the best breakfast spots on the West Side . The owner is active and friendly , and the whole stave keeps it moving despite the frequently crowded morning flush . The pancakes are reasonably rattling , but the menu is also decked out with some Mexican breakfast specialties to give your first meal of the day a slight more flavor . We all sleep together our sausage or bacon with breakfast , but if you have n’t try some huevos con chorizo , you still have a hatful to learn . All that plus prices that are almost as welcoming as the atmosphere .

Valois

This one is cheating a bite , yes . It is not a diner in the classical sensation , mostly because of the counter - service style . But few places in Chicago are more old - schooling or more in line with what you desire out of a proficient dining compartment : nothing fancy , just skillful food in a friendly neighborhood environment . Valois also has the note of being a favourite for Chicago royalty ; Harold Washington often consume here multiple times per day , and the spot is also a favorite of Hyde Park local Barack Obama . It also provide to students , the elderly , professors , and whoever else just wants a good scale of steak and eggs .

Pittsfield Cafe

The beautiful confines of the historical Pittsfield Building do not injure this berth one bit . While there is a classic diner setup in the storefront , there ’s also “ patio ” seat out in the hall , which provides some somewhat howling indoor survey . It ’s also not bad to have a place in this section of the Loop that is cozy and affordable , without either the tourist hubbub or voguish mannerism . You get to seat at a counter and eat corn beef hash . It ’s distressing that can be such a hard thing to do these days , which is why we need reminders of those simple joys via the Pittsfield Cafe .

Alexander’s Restaurant

All the classics are here in this no - falderol Edgewater organization . It ’s not much to look at , which is catnip for people who sleep with their diner . Experts will not be disappointed . The portion are big , the coffee continue flowing , and you’re able to get a half - pound Warren Earl Burger with soup and fries for eight bucks . If every turning point had a spot like Alexander ’s , this would be a better world .

Diner Grill

There are only booths in this breakfast and burger rejoinder spot on Irving Park , which only adds to the experience of inspire an omelet at 2 am . build in an old runway car back in the ' 30 , the Diner Grill is loose all day , but it is well known as a late - nighttime flash point for the drunk and athirst of Chicago . Two particular menu detail channel a particular reputation : the “ Dick Burger , ” distinguish after former Alinea employee Richard Richardson , and an unholy ( in the best way possible ) pitcher of food hollo " The Slinger , " which is hash Brown , grilled onions , two barbecued Warren E. Burger patties , two over - easy eggs , and cheese , topped with chili . We will just leave it at that .

Yellow Rose Cafe

I am a mark for corned beef hash – it ’s impossible to resist the siren ’s salty , fatty song pass you to the quintessential diner nutrient . Not everyone in Chicago does it , which is hunky-dory , but Yellow Rose does it and does it well , with giving chunks of heart and soul rather of that thin mush that some spot seek to masquerade instead . Way up in the out range of Elston lies the Yellow Rose Cafe , an sheer precious stone of a diner worth whatever it takes you to get there . Even if you do n’t like corned beef , it does just about everything proper , include another theme song cup of tea , farce Gallic toast .

Frances' Deli

A vintage Lincoln Park holdout that has been around since 1938 , Frances ’ is one of the few Jewish restaurants still operating in Chicago . Although the deli name may bedevil some off , Frances is a full - military service sit - down with a wide range of breakfast and sandwich options . The most crucial thing to look for on the menu are the Jewish comforts like corned beef cattle and an excellent matzo nut soup . For true Jewish deli devotee , it also has Dr. Brown soda water . It ’s one of the few place left in Lincoln Park that can make you forget it is 2016 .

Parkview Restaurant Grill

Lord sanctify the Mexican diner . It is a matrimony made in heaven , with the blue bold flavors of our southerly neighbour going perfectly with a photographic plate of eggs or ingurgitate in an omelette . Parkview is a flyspeck little counter topographic point in the heart of Pilsen , and it has a diminutive little menu , but do n’t let that stop you . The Spanish omelette is heaven , and the chilaquiles are crunchy and stack high . And if you are feeling up to it , do n’t let anyone tell you not jump your Clarence Day with coffee and a few tacos .

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