27 Best Diners in Chicago

“50th birthday brunch! Great service and great food!“

“My wife and I had a "terrible"y great time this morning for breakfast. Roxy and Ziggy really gave the best experience. The food was great, portions were big, almost as big as the personalities of the staff. They really know how to throw down in this place, napkins, condiments, straws, food, etc. I loved going while they were a little slower to really get the full imersive experience. Thick skin and a big stomach are requirements to enjoy yourself. Truly an experience you need to do at least once. Think Dick's last resort with actual good food. The more you give them the more they give you😉 On a serious note though, they do a great job with allergy awareness, and take it very serious which is a good feeling. P.S. - The window sill pickles are indeed just real pickles someone left there, and not decor, I don't recommend touching them.... but i hope Ziggy had a good afternoon snack🤣🤣“

“10 stars if I could give them! And that’s just for having the Ink Spots record hanging on the wall!

The food was amazing, the service was attentive, and the old school music was like taking a Time Machine into the 1950s. Highly recommended!

The only downside we experienced was sitting directly under the speaker system for the entire diner and it was so loud!“

“The food here is really satisfying. I took some non vegans here and they seemed to enjoy it was well! We got some milkshakes, which were really good. We tried to wings. I wish they were a little smaller, but still good. My sandwich was the best I really loved it. Updated from previous review on 2026-08-23“

“Great service and delicious food;)“

“I loved it. Have been passing by this place since over a decade ago and never had the time. By coincidence I checked it out a few days ago and I ordered a double cheeseburger with onion rings and it was delicious! I also had a chilli which I recommend if you’re into dips! Very good service. Modest prices.“

“Excellent spot for breakfast with healthy (and delicious) options, strong coffee, and courteous and responsive service. Warm diner setting with option to pay online (QR code on check). The avocado toast with side salad was an excellent meal I most recently had - hit the spot to start my day strong.“

“Terrific food, great service and wonderful hospitality! Lucky to have this gem in my neighborhood! PS...dont forget to try the Milkshakes!“

“good food and good service“

“hands down, 1 of our family's favorite go-to spots in the neighborhood. it's smaller, with not a ton of seating, but we've never had to wait too long for a table even as a family of 4. our kiddos (4 & 1) *love* their pancakes (so do we!) and their omelets and skillets are fantastic. service is always warm, welcoming, and speedy - though it doesn't hurt that we are such frequent diners. it's clear from their engagement with others that they have a number of regulars, which isn't surprising given the quality of the food and service.“

“OMG - what a great place! We tried corned beef hash, pulled pork hash, pancakes, and chipped beef. All delicious and for me - best pulled pork ever. Plus super friendly staff and patrons. My new weekly spot“

“Fantastic breakfast, amazing service food was great 👍“

“The best breakfast special in CHICAGO. 3 eggs. 3 Sausages. Huge pancakes. Delicious hash browns. Coffee & Juice. The bill brought tears of joy..NO EXTRA CHARGES..NADA..NONE. $28 INCLUDING TAX. Plus the special was plentiful and delicious.“

“Great service and food!! It was nice, even having to wait 30 minutes for a table. They text you when you're up next, so you can go for a walk in the park and watch the dogs/puppies in the dog park and if you have kids there is a playground nearby in the park, too. They have gluten free options as well. The chicken and waffles were amazing!! Same with the orange juice!“

“The Food was all freshly prepared. Everything is homemade. Even the fries. Our server (not the infamous Cathy, lol) was Excellent.
My wife loved the rice whatever soup. She got a Reuben and fries. I got Chicken Strips and fries. (all white meat w/ no fatty gristle). Also had delicious house made ranch. My only complaint would be that $45 seemed a bit expensive for what we got. However, we both cleaned our plates and left miserably stuffed 🤣
*All in All.... Great Job.!!“

“Words really cannot explain how charming this place is. It is something out of a time machine. The food is absolutely perfect diner fare. The prices cannot be beat. And Helen, the proprietor and chef and everything else, is simply a national treasure. Her story is the American story. If you are even close, you must stop in.“

“Went and had an amazing blt with bacon Mac n cheese!“

“NICE PLACE relax everyone relax me“

“Brilliant breakfast, great service and very friendly staff. Thanks to all the staff, Merry Christmas to you.“

“My husband and I LOVE the versatility of having both a Chinese and Japanese menu to choose from. We’ve been ordering for several years now: we love the food and all staff we’ve spoken to, even the drivers are immensely personable! So refreshing to be able to order a delicious meal and be pleasantly surprised by those who work here!“

“está chingón el pollo.y el arroz .“

“Love they Tacos.... And will always Love them. Been to a lot of different Taco restaurant's but still haven't come across one that better then Bella's. And the Papa who owns the place is so Adorable and super friendly I just Love him Best Steak Tacos Every“

“Bill's Place Restaurant So Many Times Better Than Nasty Places McDonald's And Burger King And Wendy's And Dairy Queen & Wingstop And Burger Baron & White Castle And Popeyes And KFC & MacArthur's And Church's Chicken And Sonic & Portillos And Jack In The Box & Checkers And Rally's And Taco Bell And Chipotle & Del Taco & Chick-fil-A & Jersey Mike's Restaurant And Best Sub Restaurant And Firehouse Subs And Peeples Tacos And Culver's Restaurant And Hardee's Restaurant And Carl Jr's Restaurant & Long John Silvers And Arby's Restaurant & Steak N Shake & Subway Restaurant & Mimi's Restaurant & Lucky Dog Restaurant & Dunkin Donuts & Dark Matter Coffee & Starbucks & Jimmy's Johns Restaurant“

“We got here around 3am, after a Lolla after show. I didn’t catch the waiters name but she was phenomenal! Her attitude to my brother dropping half the water on the table on accident was fantastic. (Sorry abt that) she was genuinely nice and helpful. With it being 3am we were expecting a mediocre experience. But she was lovely! Will come back if in town! Not to mention the food was DELICIOUS!!!!!! 10/10.“

“White Palace Grill on Canal is the absolute best late night diner in the South Loop. Went in for breakfast food way past midnight after being out and immediately grabbed a booth. Ordered a massive plate of steak and eggs, crispy hash browns, and a large black coffee. The whole place has that perfect old school energy that never feels forced. The waitstaff is ridiculously fast and keeps your mug full the entire time.“

“the salad is great my fevorite is the Greek salad“

“Loved Danny the server was amazing!!!“