The food was plentiful and delicious! Friendly and clean. I'd give this place a 4 if not for the service-got slow when we needed time to order, then she was slow to refill coffee after she acknowledged that we needed more-no it was not busy. Went there in the middle of the wk. Will give this place another try...later read more

I've come to The Big Skillet for both breakfast and lunch. Is a traditional dinner type restaurant. That have delicious soups and a large variety on their menu. read more

What a surprise! I had written off all eating establishments in this general area but their parking lot continued to be full so I figured it had to be for a reason. I am very glad my friend and I met there for dinner the other night as we've finally found a place near where he lives that we both don't mind eating at. I was surprised they are open for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. They even had 3, yes 3 different kinds of fish fry on Friday! The Walleye was all-you-can-eat, and they also had Perch or Cod (just dinner style, not AYCE) but the Perch or Cod could be prepared egg-batter fried or broiled. Nice! I tried the fried Perch and it was so good! These are not frozen, pre-battered fillets. These were definitely hand battered and fried on the spot. It came with the second-best Mac-n-Cheese I've ever had in a restaurant and TONS of it! OMG, buttery, cheesy, perfect noodle goodness. I quickly asked for a box to prevent myself from gobbling it all up. My dinner also came with soup or salad AND a small dessert (rice pudding, etc.) which you could upgrade to a slice of pie for 99 cents more! My friend had a skillet and his only complaint was the hashbrowns were too "potato-y"...Meaning they didn't have any of the browned crispy parts most of us love. Apparently they recently redecorated inside and it looks quite nice. The service was just "okay." They have quite a big menu and plenty of specials to look over on the menu so we kept telling our server we needed more time. He apparently took "another minute?" quite literally and kept coming back about one a minute to see if we were ready. This went on for five minutes. He also didn't offer me the dessert which came with my dinner, I had to request it. Not sure if that was just him being forgetful or busy or if that is normally the case. Either way we will be coming back. read more

Friendly, fast neighborhood comfort food, small town diner atmosphere full of regulars. I'm a big fan of the breakfast menu, especially the omelets and sweet crepes filled with scrambled eggs & cheese! My favorite is the Popeye. There is always freshly brewed unsweetened ice tea, which I love. This is a great place to get a sandwich, platters come with potatoes and soup or salad with homemade dressing (classic diner food)! Daily specials are available. read more

Good family restaurant. You can't find many of these anymore - so it's nice to be able to go somewhere on a Sunday and get cream of chicken rice soup. Nothing fancy - nothing gourmet - just good old fashioned comfort food. read more

Service was bad from a start. The hostess that sat us was rude and practically slammed the menus on the booth. The booth was wet and dirty and our waitress didn't even greet us. When trying to place our, she told us to wait and left us. The food itself wasn't the best, we ordered the cheesy bagel sandwich and the egg on the bagel was burnt and the hash browns had no flavor. After just receiving the waitress came over and asked if we needed boxes not even asking if everything was ok. The only time she was polite was when she handed us the check. Overall the service was poor, definitely do not recommend. read more

I've been here a few times prior to todays visit and both food and service has always been good. Today however after months of not eating out, I treated my mom for brunch and all I can simply express is disappointment. The food was ok, but the service was horrible! The hostess & waitstaff was brusque and abrasive. The restaurant freezing and when mentioned to staff that it was chilly, instead of offering alternative seating - they said nothing (at all). Partway through our meal I noticed that my chicken was underdone. Called our server to remove it and asked for our check. The owner came to my table and instead of being a gracious host - he aggressively stated that the chicken is a real chicken and could be pink - proceeded with cutting the remaining chicken breast in front of me to prove his point (that it was not underdone) then sharply me asked me if I wanted another one. I said no, thank you & requested my check. When paying I pointed out to the hostess that the bill was off and that the charge for my dish was not there. Without asking or saying anything they only charged 1/2 for that one plate. I stated that I was t looking for a comp or feee meal and insisted they charge me for the order. The owner, again very aggressive & short, said that they only charged me a portion & that was that - it was already billed that way & walked away. I still paid the difference in cash, but at NO point had anyone even apologized for anything at all. Definitely one of the most disappointing dining experiences I've ever had there read more

This is a traditional pancake house. We went for dinner. I had baked mostaccioli, my wife and daughter both had salads. Try the black and blue salad. My youngest daughter had a Mickey Mouse pancake--wonderful presentation with pancakes for eyes and mouth. High quality pancake that will stick to your ribs. What I really loved about this place was the service. Our waitress Lynn was such a ray of sunshine. She helped steer the girls to the menu items they preferred. We all left content and even more enthusiastic about our vacation. I want to start the day there! read more

Big Skillet Restaurant - Tasted as good as it looks - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

It's a diner. Gritty food. The skillets are good just like they market. My wife had the skillet she had no complaints. She loves good. She did say the potatoes were delicious. I will say the portions are huge, but what's the point when the food doesn't taste like you want to keep eating. I was looking for the hot sauce to save the day. I had the Eggs Benedict and they were not a clean flavor. Very very heavy on the sauce. I've had some fabulous Eggs Benedict in the past, not here. The staff was nice and welcoming. Friendly. I appreciate that read more

Used to love this place. Dinner tonight was unacceptable. Lettuce old and brown. Rice pilaf had one green bean, rolls cold and seemed not baked, shrimp was warm at best (we came right home after pickup) and prices much higher. They wanted $8 for 4 extra shrimp. I know prices have gone up, but you can still sell warm food!!! Won't go back read more

Used to go there almost every week before Covid. Just went there three weeks ago and service was not bad. Went there again two weeks ago and the service and food was terrible. This is the very first time I didn't leave a tip for the server in my lifetime. And I'm 65 years old. I told the person taking my payment for the food about my dissatisfaction and it didn't seem to phase him. Not an "I'm sorry" or even a discount on the food. I will never return there again. I'm going to miss the Tuesday night tortilla soup and Friday night fish fry. I have already found a place for Friday night fish fry. Now this place is awesome. Chunky Dog in West Dundee. Awesome food and service. read more

I have made an earlier review and I am making an updated one. I have since been to this restaurant every couple of weeks to see if the food,service or anything has improved. A couple things have, like the waiters are friendlier and but everything else is the same,food still is low quality,decor is still ugly. They have changed their coffee vendor and it isn't as good as the old one was. read more

I had traditional steak (very basic like a dash of salt and pepper), eggs, and toast with a side of rice (thought it was white rice but it was yellow but good). I ate it all. No food left. I will go back if really hungry. read more

Big Skillet Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

We went to this restaurant for the first time. Coffee had an after taste. We had potato pancakes. Very bland tasting. The eggs were good. We were not at all impressed with the food. I think we will Pass on this place in the future. read more

Perfect well rounded diner for any occasion. I indulged in breakfast on my visit this morning and the portions are huge! I had an omelet (perfectly fluffy with the right amount of cheese loaded on the inside), hashbrowns and 2 pancakes that came as a side for less than $6.00. Great value!! The service is incredibly friendly and I have been here many times before and I plan to visit again and again! read more

My wife and I go to this place at least once a month and the food/atmosphere is normally good. This time not so good... My wife ordered the greek omelet with pancakes(to go) and they gave her the gyro omelet. The waitress took the plate and they re-made the omelet. Meanwhile my food is getting cold waiting for her food to arrive. She told me just to start eating and she would just eat half when her order arrived. Well, the correct omelet arrived and it had egg shells in it. She got the attention of the waitress and told her she's going to need 1/2 price off the omelet due to egg shells. The waitress brushed her off by saying "Oh he just made the omelet too fast". The waitress brought the bill and I asked her if the bill was adjusted. She said, "No, the manager/owner would have to do that". So I told her to send the manager/owner over. She went and talked to the manager/owner and he agreed to take half the price of the omelet off the bill, but he never made it over to the table to talk to his customer. We took the bill to the counter and the manager/owner said I heard you got the wrong omelet and the second one had egg shells. He said next time send it back and we'll remake it. I said what? Send it back again... My wife said she didn't want to send back another time because she wanted to eat with me not after me. He continued to say that next time he will not give me half off the omelet on the bill. We would just have to keep sending it back until the order was correct. Needless to say, he just lost a good customer. And on top of that he was quick and rude with us. He abruptly said anything else? I said yes, my wife needs her to go pancakes(which the waitress forgot). lol..We will never visit this place again. There will never be a next time. read more

Have been going to this restraunt for over 20 years and thru all the new owners. Ordered a chopped steak that came out raw in the middle and the guy in charge(Louie) told me he was a cook and thats medium. If i wanted raw food, i would have ordered raw food but i didnt order it that way. Constantly out of food or ice cream and there is a Butera in the same strip mall If you want good food dont eat here! Upon paying which i did pay for the food i didnt eat, I told the owner (George) that he definately lost a customer. read more

Stopped in Sunday night for dinner, i had their mostaccioli. It was great they make their own sauce on top of pasta cooked to the right temperature and you can't go wrong. Can't wait til my next drop in to try their breakfast items. read more

I used to live walking distance from here, and my husband and I would come on the occasional weekend morning for a nice breakfast together. It's a cute place -- very cozy and family oriented. You can tell that the customers are regulars and the waiters enjoy being there. The food is great (I always got a veggie omelet) and comes in large portions with enough to take home! I miss this place. Everyone needs to have a place like this nearby. read more

Been coming here over 4 years going on 5 now. Food is always incredible. Staff is friendly, funny, family oriented. Actually met random people there that I have breakfast with. Good times. read more

Great value. Everything is made fresh. Excellent pork tenderloin. Wonderful breakfasts. Great pancakes. One of our local favorites. They make fresh homemade Fried Chicken. Also pretty good Chili, homemade salad dressings (Very Good Creamy Garlic) and tasty Macaroni and Cheese on Fridays. Highly recommended. read more

Got the steak and eggs, cooked perfectly. Bottomless coffee refilled often so it was always hot. Fruit on the side was fresh and delicious and the price was completely fair. I would recommend this place to anyone near or far because it's worth the trip!! read more

I give it 1 star for today's visit which was like being at a daycare for the employee's kids. The kids were goofing around. Communication between the employees and the kids was on the verge of yelling, and from a distance. Communication at my table was interrupted several times because of this daycare environment. Is this a restaurant or a kids daycare? read more

Wife and I stopped here. I had a Chicken BLT wrap which was quite nice. Wife had a California Omlette. Food was typical diner fare, nothing special but it was good, and fast. Service was great; friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We'll be back for sure read more

Have been coming to this restaurant for a couple years and supported them during COVID. BUT... no more!! Tonight the service was slow and unpleasant, the food was so slow coming out. When my husband got the baked spaghetti there was so much cheese he couldn't taste the meat sauce and didn't get garlic bread. I ordered the egg/bagel sandwich and it was burnt. Couldn't even complain to server she never came back to the table. When we left had to go to George, who usually is pleasant , to get our check and he didn't even show it to us. The prices have risen and the quality has sunk. Never going back. read more

Great food friendly people some of them Get Psychic with the regulars who order the same thing all the time I always ordered diet coke and bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and white toast read more

Just went to breakfast here this morning with my best friend Joseph and i regret it deeply. The hostess was very rude to me as she was seating us and I noticed she was rude to all the other guests as well. Very unpleasant. The waitress we had was also extremely rude to us. The skillet i got was NOT worth the price (17$ for a skillet and a cup of water), and it tasted less than mediocre as well. I was also served some super burnt toast ( the bottom slice was half burnt and half uncooked) and when I politely asked for some more toast (bc mine was annihilated) our waitress gave us a super sassy and rude response before walking away and just ignoring my request. We were polite the entire time and all of the staff was rude to us, minus a busboy. We didnt wait for our toast bc we had seen enough, we just got up to pay by the door. We waited by the register for five minutes waiting to pay for our less than adequate meal while three workers (including the hostess) sat around a couple feet next to us and chatted like we werent there. The icing on the cake was when my friend got tired of waiting and just pulled out cash to cover our meal and dropped it with our bill by the register-- and as we were walking out the door we hear the hostess shout "did they pay for their food?!" I mean honestly we were waiting over five minutes while no one was working the register and the minute we pay on our own and leave-- they decide to come over and see if we paid. Good god this was one of the worst breakfast experiences ive had in a long time. I literally created a yelp account just so I could leave feedback on this. My god. And also why was my skillet 17.54?? That thing was worth 3$ if that. Trash. I wouldnt eat out here again if they started giving food away for free. read more

Big Skillet Restaurant - The toast I was shamelessly served. Disgraceful - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

This place has changed since the covid shutdown. Staff is still very friendly, but food quality has slipped and is very inconsistent. There are places around that are doing a better job coping. Why does busboy not wear a mask? read more

Been here a few times and I really like it! Laid-back atmosphere, food is good and hearty (amazing soups!) and everyone is friendly and attentive. Family friendly place - my son loves it here. Large menu, but not so huge that you don't know what to get though. Restaurant is clean as well. Great place for comfort food! read more

Good value, generally predictable. Breakfast is the winner with other meals a good sound value. Not much homemade but adequate love in processed offerings. read more

Disappointed. This restaurant used to be very good over the years. Now with new owner's since last year it has gone downhill. Both in food(bland)and service (wait staff have a I could care less attitude). I experienced this both at breakfast and lunch. George Arsoniadis is now the operator. George has been around the Elgin area for a long time. But in my experience this restaurant is a failure. read more

Eat here regularly with club. Great places for larger groups. Owner and staff are very friendly. Have always had good service from the wait staff. The food. The food is average to mediocre. 90% of the menu is microwaved from frozen. And you can tell. A great spot to meet friends to catch up over s meal, but the bland food prevents me from giving more than 3 stars. read more

Omg the French onion soup here today is to die for. We have never had a bad meal here. Friendly,fast and great food every time.

I've been ordering here once a week for about a year and a half. Today was an absolute sh*t show. I ordered 2 chicken baskets and a chili. I show up 20 minutes later and my food was no where in sight. There was a very large order that was before mine and crowding the table. I'll give them that but man how unorganized. I spent my entire lunch break waiting for my food! How ridiculous. When I got my food there was no sorry, no your next lunch is on us, no your next visit we'll take 20% off, nothing. I can't believe I didn't even hear a sorry. Also, the menu has increased in price. The chicken basket went from 8.99 to 11.99. That is insane and the big skillet is dead to me now. read more

**UPDATE I am updating this review because the owner contacted me through Yelp and was very polite and professional. I visited Big Skillet for the first time to attend the 80th birthday celebration of my aunt, and there seemed to be a bit of a rush to get us out of the door when we were leaving. I gave it one star because it seemed so rude. In my original review, I said the restaurant has delicious food and top notch waitstaff, and would recommend it still for those reasons. I believe the prior issue has been resolved, and can assume that in the future this would not be an issue for a large party. Members of my family have been going for years and always enjoy coming back! I look forward to being able to eat there again one day. read more

To paraphrase some comedian-- if the place has a menu that's 20 pages long, they must be really good at making everything, right? Well, perhaps not entirely, but I haven't had anything unappealing or bad at Big Skillet-- on the other hand I don't crave Big Skillet either. It's the sort of place that still has a glass case with pudding in it.. Basic stuff that the AARP set loves-- and that's the majority of the clientele. It's the kind of place where you get a bowl of soup....with everything! And it's usually homemade soup and it's decent. I like the pea soup, personally. So don't expect anything fancy or fantastic, but you can't go wrong either. read more

Always friendly service,the cheeseburger in paradise skillet is the best in my book always ordered this and chicken and veggies skillet,never any issues great place to get my breakfast until I moved miss it already read more

The Big Skillet restaurant refused to provide ingredient information to my wife who has a deadly allergy to anchovies. Most people have never noticed but many Italian dressings have anchovies as an ingredient. Understandably, they did not want to drag the large jug of dressing out to the dinning room, however they also refused to even simply take a picture of the ingredient list to show us. When a patron expresses that they have a food allergy the restaurant is required to provide the ingredient list. Instead, the manager explicitly refused to provide the ingredient list. This issue has now been reported to the Illinois Health Department for review. read more

Terrible meal. Fish was the size of a credit card. Owner / manager rude and offered no remedy. Potatoes were boxed and bland. Never again giving one star because I can't give less read more

Big Skillet Restaurant - Tilapia meal for 10.99. Size of credit card. Ridiculous - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

We eat here every other Sunday, six of us. Today I ordered eggs with biscuits and gravy. Eggs over medium. They were grossly undercooked, damn close to raw. They looked like soup. The waitress disappeared until we were packing up to leave (with 2 toddlers). My husband asked her to look at the eggs, and if she would eat them. She said oh no, they're gross. She took them to the manager who wouldn't take them off the check, offered me a new plate instead, as we were at the door with one toddler starting to melt down. Not that I think that it will make a bit of difference to their existance, but we will never ever eat there again. I feel strongly about poor customer service, and this was just horrid. read more