We went to Gail's Carriage Inn for a birthday breakfast and it was such a great choice! We arrived around 10am on a Sunday and it was not too crowded, which made it even more enjoyable and relaxed. The food was fantastic. The steak was incredibly tender and cooked perfectly, and the portions were generous, definitely worth it. You will not leave hungry! Everything tasted fresh and satisfying. There's ample parking, which is always a plus, and the restrooms were clean and well maintained. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the birthday feel special without being over the top or embarrassing a teenager lol. Overall, a solid spot for breakfast or brunch in Des Plaines. We'll absolutely be back! read more

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4 stars for Gail's Carriage Inn. I had a pretty good experience at this American diner. It's easy to miss from the outside in a crowded plaza market on busy Elmhurst Road, but I am glad that I stopped here. We ordered the Corn Beef Hash Omelette and the Buscuits & Gravy, both were pretty good. The portions were also pretty generous, and came with a variety of sides included like fresh fruit and homemade banana bread - very tasty. Our waitress was good. I also enjoyed the old country style American decor inside and the breakfast bar seating. Did not like that they charge a credit card fee and pass it on to customers, but overall it was a fine experience, I'd probably go back, but with cash. read more

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The food was good but quite pricey for the location. I had breakfast there today and the waitress was inattentive considering it wasn't very busy at all. I asked twice for a Dt Coke but eventually walked up to the counter to get my drink. read more

Picked up a delivery for a skillet and it was great! The staff is always so kind and attentive whether you are eating in or picking up. My omelette was packaged well and tasted delicious. Highly recommend if you are passing through town. read more

Everyone knows how much I love Gail's and EVERY person in it! Today was way special, Nikki actually put my name on the Hanky Panky - her own recipe she shares. It's comfort food that is beyond delicious. It's basically a 'cheesy sloppy joe' on sourdough toast! read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Hanky Panky with Nikki & Karen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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Awesome breakfast spot! They have something called a spud omelet. It is very unique and cool! Have to get the banana bread! Yummy! Was recommended to come here as it is their favorite breakfast restaurant. Food was great! read more

Food good but very expensive for my Mt Prospect i mean it isn't down town,, management I don't know if they know.whose running the place Any one can pay you and make a schedule,I called there to make a pick up order it was 1:50. I'm the afternoon and the woman that answered the phone said we're closed everyone left I asked her name she said barbra she really needs customer training,so she hung up on me, never.hang up on the people you make your money from! FACT they haven't remodeled the past since I was there 10.yts more ,needs to be updated to bring in a younger crowd .but it is what.it is I heard through someone that worked there their not making money cuz the feed the waitress that's been there the longest quite sad but they stay so don't complain. The older man in the front is very.pushy. Word of mouth goes a long way..they could use a couple strong severs on the weekends read more

The food was plentiful and delicious, service wasn't so good the server didn't seem like she wanted to be there that day

We have been to Gail's numerous times and every time, it is excellent! The service is always so kind and courteous, and speedy. The food is always great, fresh & hot with large portions. Colleen is often our waitress, and she is always amazing and on top of it. She's always busy, but never fails to check in on you and make sure you have everything you need. read more

Stopped in for breakfast with an old friend that's been going there for years. Food was fast and good your mom and Pop type breakfast diner with a typical breakfast seating layout it was decently busy, but the waitress made sure she checked on us often. read more

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Oh god am I full. That was my bad. I kept eating long after I should have stopped. We once ordered delivery from this place when we were in a hotel room for months. The food was good too, but today we visited the restaurant for the first time and it blew us away. My son the picky eater said their crepes are his favorite anywhere and he did a number on them. I had a pulled pork skillet from the specials menu. It had new potatoes, onion, mushroom, red pepper and bbq sauce with eggs on top. It had great proportions and it kept me eating. The pancakes that came with it were really good too. My wife enjoyed the cranberry bundt cake french toast. It had a fresh cranberry relish on top that I loved. It came with eggs, bacon and sausage too! The prices here were really great for what you get. Good coffee, good service. All around, a great experience. Can't wait to come back! read more

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Food is delish and a bang for your buck. Never leave hungry! Service is great. We love Gail's! read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Gail's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

As I entered this restaurant I felt like I was dining at an aged facility. As we were seated, we were given the worse seat in the building. The booth's seat was taped up. My mom called me "nice nasty" because of behavior when it comes to being neat. I asked for another table because I would not sit comfortably. My wife ordered hot chocolate, so they brought hot chocolate and hot tea. the tea bag looks as if it was soaked in water and sun dried, inside the bag. We ordered pumpkin pancakes and turkey sausage. Which tasted really good. A spud and quesadillas. I was told that the quesadillas were fresh. I'll give this place a 2 1/2 star. read more

You know, we're really being as electic as we can be, given the overwhelming preponderance of pancake houses in the midwest. So, when we saw "home of the original spud omelette", we felt we simply HAD to try. In a somewhat woebegotten part of Des Plaines, Gail's Carriage Inn has a "days gone by" look that looked almost rustic (for a diner, isn't that the point?). The parking lot has cracks and crevices, but it's functional - we parked, looked at the menu online again, and decided we HAD to try. Ok - we walked in, saw heaps of fresh-made mini-loaves of banana bread on the front counter, and were immediately seated in a booth whose springs have seen better days (the vinyl, mercifully, still had its druthers but the springs....oh my god. The springs..... seating in the booth wasn't necessarily comfortable. That is the ONLY reason for a 1 pt deduction on my review score. I did a quick bathroom run, and seeing blue sinks and tile really took me back to the 50's or 60's. Not always a good thing, but - you get the idea. But let's chat a bit about ambiance - snowflake decorations hung from the ceiling, the furnishings were prior to the 1970's, and cute little porcelain chicken figurines featured in our booth/window area. All in all? Very charming if not as comfy a spot as I'd like to have sat in. We were quickly brought coffee, and hub-hub ordered the original spud omelette (essentially a cheese omelette with hash browns cooked around it - needless it say, it's unique and that's what got us in the door! I ordered an asparagus and jack cheese egg dish with potatoes and rye toast. My god. Talk about yummy. The flavor? Yes. Worthy of another visit. The toast? Had a great toasty flavor with moisture - perfect. And even better? The prices were VERY reasonable. Yeah! Hubby loved his original spud omelette, which came with a piece of warmed up banana bread (which I, of course, had to try). I quickly determined my dad would approve (as he LOVES his homemade banana bread) and tried the original spud omelette - bravo, Gail. Something unique, flavorful, and awesome in the breakfast arena! In short- we WILL return. Good on you, Gail's Carriage Inn! read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - a breakfast of eggs, potatoes, toast, and toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Delicious, uniquely. Come try one of the original spud omelets. We also shared blueberry crepes Best sweet & savory Clean, friendly, delicious! read more

Oh my god, yes. Just yes. Now, I'm not a fancy food kind of girl, so this place was perfect for me. We were visiting Chicago and found this place for breakfast. Looks like a place that's been here awhile, is popular with the locals, and serves down home diner food. The menu is quite extensive, which can be overwhelming. Thankfully, our server showed up and asked if we were ready to order before I had a chance to get too deep into the menu rabbit hole. I got the Down Home skillet, and it was so freaking good. Huge portion (plenty for breakfast leftovers!) and it came out in less than 5 minutes. I chose the banana bread as the side; it wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad. My husband got the Original spuds omelet and licked the plate (ok not really, people were looking). I had to dip into that goodness, I couldn't resist. It's an omelet with hash browns on the outside. Who would've thought? Lawd, it was so good. He had the pancakes for his side. Everything here was outstanding- food, service, diner atmosphere, prices. I'd make a trip to Chicago just to eat here again. read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Down Home Skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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Amazing diner place; we have been going for almost a decade. One of our favorite brunch place!

Their gentleman's spud was fantastic. A coating of crunchy shredded hash browns covers the omelet, giving it a distinctive look. The omelet has freshly cut onions, green peppers, and mushrooms along with well-seasoned steak. There is flavorful, gooey cheese in every bite because the cheese is well distributed. read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Gentlemans Spud Omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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Food is amazing! We tried their famous spud omelette and it was out of this world... Enough for 2+ leftovers to go. We also had the roasted chicken with potatoes and other side and it was probably the best roasted chicken I've ever had! Very highly recommend this place. Nice atmosphere friendly people and terrific homestyle food. read more

The food wasn't tasty and or oily. The service left much to be desired as well, our waitress never checked on us to see if the food was to our liking. I initially asked for ketchup (that was forgotten because a side conversation with a fellow waitress was more important) and had to signal for the fellow waitress to notice me and then received the requested ketchup. A total time waster establishment and the quality of food was horrible tasting, zero seasoning on the table and in the food. The bacon was overcooked, the hash browns extra oily and the eggs required those medium not runny and got them overcooked and dried out. Nothing moist about them. Overall experience wasn't great, service wasn't great and will never visit again. Wish I could give zero stars. read more

The waitress was very unfriendly. Never checked on us after food came. We wanted water, but never had the opportunity to ask her for any. She walked past the table, saw the empty coffee cup on the edge of the table, waiting for more coffee and she just walked away and never came back. The meat spud was subpar. The ham had no taste. Bacon was tough. For 15.95 the 2 spuds were not worth it. Mine was ultimate with crab meat.it was ok. The male host and bus boy were great! Nice Halloween decor. read more

It's really sad how this old favorite or mine, has gone way downhill. I understand that prices have increased immensely, but not only have they increased prices unbelievably, but the portions have DECREASED! I also understood when they added the so called "COVID" fee, but, they kept on charging it when most other places had stopped. I watched the staff clean up tables and booths with the COVID fee and without. It was just the same procedure. I'm really disappointed. This was my go to place for years and years. I've brought friends, referred people to dine there, I'm sad to say no longer. I used to visit once a week at least. The big change isn't acceptable. read more

Egg scramble (Knock Knock Joke) and pancakes Friendly fast service and old school environment read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Egg scramble (Knock Knock Joke) and pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Such a cute diner. I really love diner's. So glad this one is around here. They were super friendly and clean. I really like the All Meat Together Spud. WOW never seen anything like it before and it was delicious. Can't wait to come back and try more food. read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Best omelettes EVER!!!!!! seriously delish topped with hashbrowns. It is a hidden gem

So delicious! We were getting some work done on our Airstream and had time to kill. Random find and so good! Spud omelettes were so good and leftovers heated up just as good. And the banana bread is on point! read more

What the heck happened to this place ? The food was mediocre at best . & our sever acted like she was doing us a favor serving us .& it's a big restaurant & the hostess was sitting everyone so close . Not interested but I got to hear the loud conversation going on at the next table . But I learned a lot about people I didn't know . read more

Gails Carriage Inn was a great breakfast spot. The food is delicious and they are reasonably priced. All of the staff that works there are so friendly and most of them have been there for YEARS. They have a large breakfast and lunch menu but you can never go wrong with the classics. Only downside is their parking lot is a bit torn up. read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Got a delivery from here. I got smoked sausage, over easy eggs, Gail's potatoes, & pancakes. My girl got turkey sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese, Gail's potatoes, & toast. Meals arrived hot and fresh. My girls meal looked and tasted great! Good cheesy eggs, good turkey sausage. She enjoyed. My meal was ok too, but, I wasn't super impressed. Mine had a lot more onions. It was more like a skillet than a 2 egg meal with different items. The sausage was small cut up pieces. Wasn't my favorite sausage. My over easy eggs were really one over easy and one over hard. The yolk must have broke upon flipping and ended up cooking through. Should have been remade, not sent out as it was. Overall, it was still a-ok, so, 3 stars. read more

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Great service, they were very accommodating to our party of 10 with four very young children. The food was plentiful and exactly what We needed. Overall a relaxing and delicious meal. read more

I'll eat breakfast any time of day. And I try to grab brekkie when I'm traveling, just to try and eat locally. Checked the reviews and was so glad to see it was nearby. I sat at the bar and was thrilled to watch the staff while I enjoyed my amazing breakfast. They affectionately teased each other while working together like a well-oiled machine. Gail knew just about everyone at the bar and they seemed to know each other as well. That speaks volumes for a restaurant when you have that kind of loyalty. My Gobble Spud was everything that I want when eating breakfast. Grated potatoes with the perfect amount of crispiness, meat, eggs and cheese with green onions that still had a bit of crunch in them. The game changer?? A slice of grilled banana bread. Ima start grilling my banana bread from now on. It brought tears to my eyes. Not kidding. Gail, you spoke my food language fluently today. I'll def be back. read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Gobble till you wobble Spud - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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Tip for their fluffy German or Dutch Baby: must add lemon and powder sugar. Big hype. Taste like fluffy lemon cake. read more

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incredible food and service! the spud omelette is delicious and highly recommended. the meat you in the middle spu omelette is my go to.

Breakfast was great portions were hearty and served fast and staff is very friendly and courteous. Would recommend dining early gets busy! Menu selections are endless crepes are their best attraction for breakfast. read more

Great place for the apple pecan pancake, call it in before leaving home because it takes about 40 minutes to bake but is oh so good. You may have had this at Walker Brothers (Wilmette) or Annie's Pancakes (Skokie) but sorry, this place makes it bigger and better! Old school ambiance and plenty of established diners - which means this place has created a long standing following. So if you ever find yourself in DesPlaines, early in the morning - stop by for an awesome breakfast. Note: the steak skillet had a bit too many potatoes and could have used a little more steak. read more

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It was good. I had the "We'll Meat in the Middle" Spud Omelette, side of banana bread. I don't think I would get it again, but it wasn't bad. The negatives of the dish: cut up sausage links, "omelette" mushy scrambled eggs lump and inconsistent hash brown cook. The positive of the dish: crispy bacon pieces, ham, and the crispier parts of the hash browns were really good. Coffee was really good, but kind of off putting that they put a spoon in the coffee when served. Service was unremarkable either way. Decor was fine, though could use some repair on benches (patched with red duct tape). Didn't really bother me, just a matter of taking pride in the establishment; if I was the owner, I wouldn't want that to be one of the first things a customer saw when they walked in. Will definitely be back though to try other menu items. read more

I dream of this place. Seriously. As an out-of-towner, I come to the area to visit friends a few times a year, and I ALWAYS ask, can we go to Gail's? Please?!? And of course my friends need their arms twisted (NOT), since this place is a fav with the locals. This restaurant is a down-home, home-cookin', best breakfast for your buck kind of place. Despite the busy atmosphere, the servers are attentive and friendly. The food is delicious and portions will more than fill you up! Gail's Carriage Inn is hands down my favorite spot for brunch and breakfast. Order ahead and get the wonderful Dutch Baby... Savor every delightful bite of the crepes... Just come on in and dive head first into bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast (oh, the perfectly cooked bacon!!!)... You'll be glad you did. Laura, I think I need to visit. Can we go to Gail's? Please?!?! read more

First time here I just love diners nice people huge portions great service and I will be back again read more

Gail's Carriage Inn - Omelette with potatoes and pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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the server was rude and disrespectful we tried to get her to come to our table she turned her back to us as she was taking our order she was looking at the ceiling once we received our order she did not come back to our table read more

I like their food but due to preferences they do put a lot of potatoes! Never said it was a bad thing but they do fill your plate up with yummy food! They're also very neighbor friendly read more