Used to come here and hoo boy has it tanked. From wild animals inside to mold and rot everywhere, it's not doing well. When you walk in you see a giant black square over the word "Family" in "Full Moon Family Restaurant" as if it's been redacted. Guessing this is because of the low-end gambling they now offer in the back. We tried to get food but the filth on the floor, the collapsing and stained/rotted ceiling, and the patrons near us spending their time to help the wildlife escape the dining area through a boarded up door they forced open turned us off to eating. The server was very nice and very exhausted, complaining that she didn't have the help she needed. I'm baffled how they pass ANY kind of health inspection given the animals inside and the mold and general filthy conditions. Sadly, would not recommend unless you've gotten all your booster shots and feel like having a city wildlife safari adventure. read more

A coworker and I got lunch at FMFR, it really was the opposite of what I thought. Let me get into it! The food was pretty good. I like that there were many options for anyone who had dietary restrictions. I got the Gyro dinner. I have to say it was more than enough. The quality of the gyro was good. I do have to say the pita and the Tziki sauce were okay. The fries were surprisingly good though. Service, hands down for being a smaller mom and pop shop I want to say it was really nice! I like how our waitress was very attentive and checked in on us often given how busy it was at the shop. The atmosphere was like the older diners back in the day. I really miss those and this FMFR really brought that back the memories and being able to see how there were regulars here and how it seemed the staff knew everyone. Overall, I would say Full Moon Family Restaurant it worth a try. I know you will find something on the menu you will enjoy. read more

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Food is delicious and well prepared! Service staff is very friendly and good at what they do! I stop here nearly every time to Come to the Chicagoland area. read more

Food was not very good. "1/2 pound" was not nearly that. Chicken sandwich was frozen chicken strip on a bun, nothing else. And service was awful too. Asked for ranch, never got it. Ambiance was fine, quiet. read more

Large restaurant with plenty of parking and an expansive menu. Prices are very cheap and food comes out hot and in enormous portions with quick service. Decor is alright, about standard for what you'd expect from a family restaurant in the area. Normally this is the recipe for a 5 star review, but the food was so unremarkable -- even for the price -- that I could only give this 2 stars at best. Here were my thoughts on the different items I tried: Bread: Mostly tasteless and lacking in distinct texture. This can be dipped with the bread, but wasn't great as a standalone item. Chicken soup: Fairly flavorless broth with noodles, carrots, and chicken that were all cooked too soft. Cream of potato soup: Wasn't very creamy and there was a lack of extra flavoring elements to give this soup any real flavor. Salad: I like the mix of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers -- though the tomato wasn't very juicy, the cucumber didn't really have any crunch, and the lettuce wasn't really crispy. Given that you get both soup and salad for just $1 extra though, it's hard to complain. Broasted chicken: Fairly crispy, but mostly flavorless. This was cooked a little too much where the meat was a bit tough. Fries: Lightly crispy, went alright with the broasted chicken. Green beans: Cooked to an almost mushy level Country fried steak: Came out very hot but mostly tasteless and the breading wasn't really crispy either. The gravy was a bit thick but hardly had any flavor Mashed potatoes: Was alright with a bit of garlic and butter flavor, but the texture was more like a paste really than what you'd expect from mashed potatoes. Overall, the prices here are cheap and the restaurant is open 24 hours. But the food is very forgettable. I'd rather pay a few more dollars elsewhere for better food. read more

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Best breakfasts and a roasted Chicken around ! Also Maris is an amazing waitress All their meals are good and homemade soups are yummy , stop by. read more

Wow! Don't go here! I saw the mixed reviews and thought maybe it was just because of these unprecedented times we are in so we tried it anyways. The lady helped us was too busy complaining how busy she was, like it was our fault we were there. The other 2 ladies looked like there service was ok. The food was bad, hash browns were burned. The dishes were dirty and the lady picking up the dishes was just throwing them in the bins... now I know why my cup was scratched up and cracked. The bathroom was unattended to as well. Then it was time to pay and get the hell out of there! Why did we even stay, we should have left when we got our coffee. read more

I have been going here for years ever since my dad took me here and I have neve reviewed them, shame on me. I was headed to IL to do my hobby thing and I thought why not stop by because it's been a while. I generally have no issues with the food or service as with today except for the servers arguing about where I was told to sit, someone might be hogging the customers it looks like. The menu is all the Greek phone book options so I'm going to somewhat change it up kind of so I order the gyro and eggs and substitute the fruit for potatoes and get over med eggs with Greek toast. The breakfast specials come with coffee or orange juice so I opted for the OJ. Since I don't usually get fruit instead of potatoes I was impressed because it was a good fruit plate with bananas, grapes, watermelon, green melon, cantaloupe and strawberries which I liked and might do this more often. I ordered the eggs over med since I didn't have the potatoes to suck up the yoke and I got there perfect eggs. The Greek toast was huge and toasted nicely. The gyro meat was just ok and on the dry side that came with one sauce. Overall for a $9.95 breakfast special it was a big breakfast that I took half with me, I keep a cooler in the car on my travels because I never know where I might stop and pick up something. After receiving my check I noticed that the menu price of $9.95 was billed at $10.70, the fruit said no charge so I assumed I was intentionally over charged because the whole menu is on the wall by the register for a reference. read more

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Stopped here on a drive back from Wisconsin to Chicago on vacation. Staff was friendly and prompt and food was good. We orders a kids meal for one of our kids and the waitress asked if they were sharing and we said no. Once the food came we understood the portions were huge! Happily, they also had fruits, watermelon, honey dew and cantaloupe on the plates that weren't mentioned on the menu. All of our meals were good, my husband loved the vegetable soup. read more

I have been a customer for 40+ years. I feel like family, the food is plentiful and delicious; I've never been disappointed. Spiro calls us by name, often sits down a few minutes to chat. I often get a hug hello and his staff is exceptional. There is plenty of seating and a comfortable atmosphere. I can recommend Full Moon and encourage everyone to stop in and enjoy any selection!! My husband and I will continue enjoying the "Full Moon Experience" the rest of our years. Thanks, Spiro.... Tony and Linda. read more

Great food and variety to please everyone! Awesome desserts also! Children's and Seniors menu.

Great diner atmosphere, efficient & friendly service and great food. Lots of choices and significant portions. I very much enjoyed the Greek salad, navy bean soup and fries. Would definitely go back if ever in the area again. read more

Full Moon Diner - Navy bean soup, Greek salad, side of bread - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

My mom and I were coming to the beach for a beach day and we drove over the tracks and the train tracks did immediate damage to my car and my car had to be towed. The owner of the restaurant Nick and his uncle were so helpful and kind to my mother and I. We were trying to do a police report for the damages to my car and we couldn't get one officer out of 4 different ones to do a simple police report to document the damages to my car. Nick with my mom And I and helped us communicate when they did come because we didn't know where we even were since we are not from around here. They were all so caring and kind. The food was so good too. I recommend you go here. You get good hospitality and you are greeted and treated with nothing but kindness from everyone there. Thank you all so much for helping my mom and I during a very stressful moment for us. We are so grateful and thankful for your kindness. Thank you so very much. We will be back to visit next time we are in the area. read more

Hi, Full Moon is a great place to eat at. The food is so fantastic! The service is top of the line as well. A Cute, old school place to eat at & very comfy. My Hubby Gerry & I ordered a roasted turkey meal as we don't eat too much at once. This meal was enough for both of us & I had leftovers! The meal came with a bowl of chicken shell noodle soup which is delicious. Stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy as well. I think a veggie was in there too. Also cranberry sauce in a little cup. Adorable! Everything was great! We were on our way to Gurnee Mills & I am happy we ate at Full Moon. We luv comfort foods alot. I liked seeing a mixture of people too of different ages etc. We are older & It's nice to see a variety of people enjoying such wonderful food. There is plenty of parking too. It is very hard to find good places that still exist like Full Moon. We will stop in again when we are out that way. Thanks for having a nice place to eat at with great food. read more

One of the worst places to eat!! First my husband's coffee came in a coffee cup with lipstick on it my son ordered what was supposed to be lamb but looked like Salisbury steak that was just cooked in the microwave for 2 meals it was over priced especially for how we got served... and at checkout there was mold... would not suggest ‍ read more

Never again !! Stopped on my way out of town. I ordered their signature broasted chicken. After eating two bites it was noticed the chicken was still raw and full of blood. Fast forward two days and I'm diagnosed with Bacterial Colitis E. coli. What was a $40.00 lunch turned into a $2,000 ER visit. Thanks Full Moon! read more

Well I had a craving for breakfast food and as a youth both in adolescence and as an adult I always pass by here every time even when my aunt was living in Zion Illinois and every now and then when I go to Gurnee and when I was a young 20-year-old passing by here I always saw this restaurant but never tried it out cuz it look run down outside. Other than that I anticipated since I was heading out to work and this is nearby to give it a try. It was a decent hole in the wall family owned restaurant. I was in the mood for pancakes and sausage so I would say that the pancakes were pretty good nothing extraordinary as well as the sausage links. I kind of compare this restaurant to an old franchise in Chicago called Golden Nugget restaurants in regards to quality and that whole ambience so I don't really expect much but the same time I wouldn't downplay this restaurant as the worst breakfast place which I've experienced here and outside of the state or Nation. If you pass by 41 a lot between Chicago and up to Waukegan or Zion and have a craving for breakfast food this is a good decent place that's not going to also be too expensive. In regards to their pancakes it's decent their sausage patties are pretty good I ordered a four sausage patties just the right way they cook it not too dry unlike at the cafeteria where I'm going to at work. Other disappointment is that the waitress did not give water and not enough napkins. Then again reason why it's three stars as well but not terrible read more

Full Moon Diner - Front of menu - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

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So there seems to be quite a few negative reviews that have nothing to do with how good a diner this place is. Full-Moon always reminds me of a mix of a corner NYC diner and a truck-stop, but in all the best ways. DO they have any dishes that Michelin will be writing about? Hell no. But they have an extensive menu that can satisfy the entire family for a reasonable rate. The waitresses and owners work like family. I saw someone earlier ding them for "urine in toilets"... Like it is the waitresses job to flush after people? My gosh... sure, they don't have the most up-to-date toilets. Alert the media. Please.... what a yelp "elite" food troll. But i digress... In the end, the food is quite good and they make everything to order. Personally i like their 1950's style dinners or breakfast plates. I've also been going here since 1997 and it has barely changed. A sign they are doing something right! read more

I had breakfast here and was treated like a regular customer who was well known to the staff. They catered to my every need. I was very satisfied with the quality and taste of the meal. read more

Nice family diner. Popular for truckers, but I've seen a wide variety of people come here. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner at any time you want! Can't beat that with the prices and portions as well. I like to come here with family for a lowkey meal. read more

The name of the restaurant drew my pals and I in. We were driving to WI and we had to pull a U-ey to get try this place out. We were sat right away in a comfy booth section. The menu felt endless as you could have b-fast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and whatever else you were feeling. Our server was the BEST!! If you go- I hope you get Helen. She's the nicest lady with patience and a smile! She even let us snap a couple pics of her #model. For some reason, unbeknownst to us, she treated us to 3 free soups. Somehow she guessed I would like the vegetarian one. She's clairvoyant for real. We got the chicken tenders, fries, omelette, and skillet. No complaints but not out of this world. Cheap price. Did it's job. WE LOVE HELEN read more

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Bacon: stone cold French toast: stone cold Toast: tasteless hash browns: look inedible half cooked and half burnt Not that it's a huge heal but the waitress would not let me order off the kids menu, I have a small stomach and don't eat that much so didn't want to order a whole meal that I know I wouldn't finish. But "rules are rules"- no effort to make the customer happy. Also was not a fan of the tiny cups of coffee, $2 a cup and I could drink it in 3 sips ! The two stars is a generous review, honestly my experience here (food wise) was not great. And I didn't come to a restaurant to get a good social experience.....which I also did not get. read more

Full Moon Diner - "hashbrowns" half uncooked half burnt - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

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I've been told for years how wonderful this place is and I finally got to check it out. It's a standard 24/7 diner type place. Dated but pleasant decor. A few lights were out and the booth back across from me was torn but it was clean. Comfy booths and free WiFi. Just ask for the password. I was greeted warmly. Taken care of by Terry. Great, attentive server. Gave me plenty of time to peruse the menu. And came back to check on me once my food came multiple times. Lovely lady! Thanks for taking care of me, Terry!! I ordered the German Breakfast which consisted of choice of bacon, sausage or ham (I think. I chose bacon), eggs whatever way you'd like, toast and jelly (I upgraded to raisin toast. Worth it.), and last but not least, two prefabricated looking but delicious potato pancakes. There was a hint of sour cream and onions IN them. The side of sour cream tasted homemade. The looks of the cakes should not dissuade you from getting them as they were fabulous! Scrambled eggs looked a bit odd, too, but again, delicious. I add cheddar to mine. Sad that they didn't have my favorite Chalula hot sauce for the eggs but they didn't need it. (I like buttery with a hint of heat hot sauce. Not burn your lips off hot sauce. And the buttery goes better with eggs.) Bacon was just the right amount of crispy for me. Just as I asked. All in all, I think I've added another gem to my late night, 24/7 places. I will be back!! read more

Full Moon Diner - German breakfast. Already buttered raisin toast, prefabed potato pancakes with crisp bacon and scrambled eggs. - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

I've been here many times but never wrote a review. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries. Everything was cooked very well, staff was very nice and the restaurant has a great environment! If you like diners you won't be disappointed. read more

Really cute place I had checked out last minute, didn't think anything would be open on Xmas eve,but low and behold came across this nice lil gem of a place!! I'll definitely be visiting them again in the near future!! Great food and just a really down to earth ambiance there!! Ordered the gyro and cheese omelet with hash browns and an o.j. everything was delicious and very plentiful!!I cannot wait to try them out again, soon enough, ciao ciao!! read more

Great food and cute ambiance. I personally love to order the country fried steak and Greek toast!

We've lived in the area and have been eating here for years, but it's becoming absolutely disgusting and not worth the risk! My mom ordered the chopped steak in the photo below. Her meat was already bitten into upon serving. If you test to see if your meat is cooked through, you cut it in half or in some other reasonable fashion. You don't take a bite and serve a piece of meat with a chunk missing. We brought it to the attention of our server and the manager on duty, who not only denied that it was a bite but also told me to pipe down when I expressed my disgust. The owners, Spiro and his wife Sophie, are both really sweet people and they've been in business since the 1970's but there's a seriously broken link in the chain. There are some servers that are OK but they're a rare breed. Maria is one of the good ones! Not quite sure what's going on in that kitchen because often times the guy who cooks is also doing landscaping outside and resealing the parking lot. Think the cooks here have a decent sense of proper food handling and sanitary standards? I don't think so! Sanitation is an issue. We actually saw a waitress dump coffee grounds in the trash and when the plastic basket the filter sits in fell into the garbage, it was picked out of the trash and a fresh pot of coffee was made. The bus stations are also wide out in the open...who wants to eat near the garbage?? The employees that they have for cleaning are more dirty looking than the plates they're clearing away. Please give the woman who cleans an actual apron and not a Hefty bag stuffed in her pants! Want iced tea here? They brew it underneath the counter in large plastic tubs near the garbage cans! There is absolutely no reason for Full Moon to get any praise from Yelp or TripAdvisor. The health department needs to be called before someone gets sick from the food here!! I'm done giving this place my business. Want good diner food? Go to Gojo's or Paragon in Waukegan. Go to Avalon in Gurnee. Go to The Point up near 41 and Milwaukee Ave (breakfast and lunch only). read more

Full Moon Diner - Mouth bite in a chopped steak. Gross! - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Great diner, good food. Decently priced. Great service! Thank you again, we were from out of town

We had "Fried Beer Battered Cod" served with Coleslaw, French Fries, side of fresh corn. Tarter Sauce, Soup or Salad. Food was good, plentiful, & warm. Glass pitcher of ice & water left on the table! Server was friendly, accommodating, & speedy:). Full Moon opened in 1978:). We totally enjoyed our Dining Experience. We will definitely be returning soon! read more

The Eggs Benedict and Meat Skillet the best we have had in years. The service excellent. A step back to the days of a real Greek Diner. Don't forget to grab some exclairs. read more

It's been years since I visited this spot. I used to get the lemon soup but on this visit I came during breakfast hours and had plenty of food to share. My waitress was sweet and made sure that everyone in my dining party had what they needed and checked on us regularly without being a bugaboo. Located about 8 minutes from Great Lakes Naval Base, it's not uncommon to see a few Master Chiefs huddled in a booth talking ish and slurping down coffee. If you are eligible for a military discount, let your cashier know ahead of time so that you can keep a few of your coins in your pocket. This spot has that Mel's diner feel and the seasoned waitresses to give you a hard time when you can't make up your mind...lol Try the broasted chicken if you are here. read more

Full Moon Diner - Corned beef hash, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes with raisin bread - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Real life Kitchen Nightmare! Stay Away If you watched an episode of Kitchen Nightmare, this is what going here was like. We felt so sick after leaving the restaurant and we only tried the food, we could not eat it because the taste of everything was horrible. I should have known after visiting the washroom to wash my hands which left me wanting to run but I was starving. For starters, I got water to drink which I almost spat out the moment I sipped it. It tasted like iron, much like when you bite your lip and it bleeds. The chicken and rice soup was sour and the chicken tasted like it had gone bad, sour and bitter. After 2 spoonfuls, we could not eat it anymore. I ordered the broasted chicken which comes with vegetables before trying anything, and of course, it was just as disgusting. Old purplish meat, the vegetables were sour and very rubbery too. My husband ordered the chopped steak which he could not cut into. That came with mashed and gravy which to no surprise was sour as well as the vegetables. $35 later, we left hungry, disgusted and feeling sick. read more

This is your standard breakfast joint with good food and service. It brings back fond memories for my husband and his time at Great Lakes Naval Base. We were passing through on our way to a wedding in Wisconsin and stopped for breakfast. We were greeted and seated right away. Our waitress was on top of it and very friendly - coffee was never empty and service was fast. I ordered the Greek Island Omellete which was jam packed with feta cheese and a sprinkling of chopped gyro meat. My husband ordered the standard eggs, sausage, home fries and toast and was happy. Great experience and will be sure to stop back next time we are passing through. read more

Full Moon Diner - Greek Island Omelette - American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

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It has been a few years since I ate there. It was a friendly place with good food. Sometimes the owner would be there. They serve Free Thanksgiving Dinner until it runs out. You can park a few semi's there. read more

If I could give zero star and write a review I would've.... Horrible food.. We order strawberry waffles with eggs and sausage and country steak meal. I feel sick to my stomach just trying the food. I didn't even finished my plate I took a couple of bites and I felt sick. Waffle didn't even have strawberries only heavy syrup . Country steak had no taste and burned dripping oil, hash brown had no flavor and taste old and burned. I would never come here again as I write this my stomach is hurting so bad. Btw food was shared with my husband and he didn't even eat it. **Please just go across to Mc Donald's you'll save money and eat something better for less** read more

Classic diner feel. Coffee tasted like an ash tray, Cranberry juice was watered down. country skillet was mushy. Side of corn beef hash was good though. read more

Dirty, dirty, dirty. The cutlery that I was given didn't have a pretense of going through the dishwasher, the owner was walking through with both of his thumbs firmly over most of the top of the "clean" plates, really questionable looking staff. Food was cold. read more

Broasted chicken is great, Friendly environment, courteous service, nice menu choices, good for the price

The owner was horrible and doesn't care about his customer. After getting cold cream of chicken soup and onion skin in my food he was not apologetic or anything. He even told the male server "don't worry about it I know what cook". He had two other cooks with him and didn't wear a mask at all. I would beware of eating here. read more

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I first came here circa 1978, back when route 41 was the way to go or come back from Summerfest to or from Chicago (the actual city not talking about you wannabee surburbanite 708ers who say you're from Chicago but avoid the actual city like we're diseased). I want to start by saying back in those days, when it was perfectly acceptable and expected that truck stops and diners wouldn't serve people like my family (immigrants, not White), these people were friendly, welcoming and especially nice to my mother (Japanese, didn't speak English very well). They were really sweet to my mother, who was refused service in the area often. I'm brown and have a generally bad attitude and I've always been treated well here. I'm saying, ALWAYS. I'm talking about for DECADES. I certainly don't keep coming back for the healthy food, because it absolutely isn't. Typical diner cum truck stop (maybe the other way around) their best meal is high cholesterol high fat no fiber American breakfast served 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And they always call me, honey. You shouldn't expect the annoying Sucralose fake-sweet pseudo-polite scripted pleonasm of a chain place. Some of the waitstaff (heck maybe most of the waitstaff) is well beyond their prime, but so am I. This is an old fashioned truck stop diner and the waitstaff is exactly what you should expect at a place like this, except I want to stress I have NEVER EVER had a racist experience here. This is not the sort of place where you're going to get a hidden up-charge or you're going to be hungry after finishing a full meal. You're much more likely to have indigestion from eating too much. Generous portions. Lots of fat. Bottomless high octane fresh coffee. Fresh baked pies. Ample parking lot and a preference for retired age locals and hardworking Blue Collar types but never any racism. I am A-OK with this The Moon and they have always been A-OK with me. read more

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