This place is an absolute gem and worth burning a little gas to get to. The food was outstanding…read moreand the staff somehow managed to be both wildly efficient and genuinely warm, like they actually enjoy being there. I ordered the half garbage plate with sausage and bacon. Pro tip: ask the difference between the half and the whole before you commit. The half comes with three eggs. The whole comes with five. Five. I chose wisely. Oh and don't forget the homemade bread smothered in butter! It's clearly a neighborhood staple. People were greeting each other by name, swapping stories across tables, and operating like they've been meeting there every Saturday since 1974. Thankfully, they extend that same friendliness to random out-of-towners who just wandered in hungry. The vibe is energetic and communal, the kind of place where conversations overlap and nobody seems to mind. It has a modern, eclectic feel, but there's also a subtle time-machine quality to it. Like you stepped into the 1960s, just with better coffee and fewer ashtrays. Perfect blend of nostalgic and now.

This place is super cute because it was an old train car made into a diner. There is so much eye…read morecandy around with funny signs. If you're a snobby person or someone with tons of food allergies don't come here. They are irrelevant in a very good way. I would stick to the basics here. My friend got the cheeseburger with fries and it was perfect. They have fresh meat, no frozen patties. I got the half order of biscuits and gravy with 2 eggs and it was perfect diner style food. The portions are huge so a half order was way more than enough. My friend had the roast beef omelette and I wouldn't recommend it because the beef was in chunks and was full of gristle. However, everything else was terrific. I didn't have the garbage plate because the portion was huge but it's on my list for next time. Maybe I'll split it with someone because you need to come hungry. Prices are very reasonable but it's cash only.

Extra ordinary food. Just wonderful We had homemade soup,…read moreguacamole, and the pancakes all offset the steak... incredible find.

The food sounds really good; and, the menu looks completly full of everything you may be interested…read morein ordering, if you have been traveling, are with family, or a local looking for somewhere new to dine. the value here is good, and the employees are super friendly, the place is nice and clean. I like the music in background too, its quiet here, but it helps muffle the conversations in background. Nice touch! The food in particular: Chicken noodle soup, sparkling broth clearly made, freshly & guacamole & salsas that had a lot of texture, seasoned quality, and wonderful freshness to offer.

Food is 5 star. I highly recommended…read more Price is reasonable too. However the service is awful from Jackie. Not friendly or happy what she do. The only that I didn't like, NO soap in the bathroom. We didn't feel + vibes from her. NO smile, NO eye contact. And she keep on pouring from my behind my coffee w/out asking. But when it's time to pay it's different. Ambiance is good. It good be perfect is the server is pleasant & welcoming.

Small, family owned business. We had a group of 6 and were seared immediately at a circular booth…read more The inside could use an update, and the service was ok, but the food was really good. We ordered a mix of pancakes, French toast, skillets, and traditional American breakfasts. Everything was delicious. We'll definitely be back in the future.

Heard Nolan's has pretty good hamburgers and decent commercial space so we were asked to check the…read moreplace out. Ordered the burger, which was expensive, and a glass of "the house red". The burger was reasonable but the wine was atrocious and bordered on unpalatable. It was cold and oxidized having been opened sometime in the past and stuffed into a refrigerator somewhere. I commented about this to the server and got a shrug and a "Sorry." Add this to the slow service, and generally worn out look of the place, and we're not likely to go back nor schedule our shareholder meeting there. Nice view though!

The food was very good. I had the strip steak with a baked potato and asparagus. Everything was…read moreseasoned well and cooked to perfection. We will definitely be coming back - probably tonight! Update: we did return for another tasty meal...cannot say enough about the quality of the food. However, if you're looking for good service this is not the place for you. Hostess is also the waitstaff. With that said, dining room had just opened by 16 minutes or so and we were the only two people there. We waited a ridiculous amount of time for her to come from the bar area to greet us and have us sit anywhere of our choosing. She doesn't like to write things down but should - she forgot one of our soups out of two. One of the appetizers was sliders and she asked if we needed ketchup and we answered yes...she forgot until the appetizer was gone then came over with two bottles of ketchup! (Mind you there was only 3 sliders). She did apologize but really if you have trouble remembering please write it down. I guess I wouldn't have been upset had the dining room been more than just two people and she was laughing it up with the other staff members.

I had no idea what to expect but hoped for an actual diner... it was! If you are looking for fancy…read morego elsewhere. If you want great food, great service and great prices, check out this awesome hidden gem I discovered with my kid today. I told him that was the definition of a diner and how I grew up.

Average greasy spoon diner. Not good or bad. Exactly what you'd expect…read more Interior was dated and busy, but occupied your attention while waiting on the food. Food and service was fast to almost rushed, but not in an unfriendly way

The food was delicious and classic! I ordered the Special Breakfast Club and it tasted delicious…read more Our waitress was very pleasant and the service was excellent. I love the 80s retro feel of the restaurant! I will be back again!

This place is so cute, my server "Pat" was so sweet. Food came out quick and they had lots of…read moreoptions! Location is nice, the restaurant is cozy. She checked up on us seeing if we needed anything. It was very clean and they had a good amount of seating within the restaurant. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice they had music playing in the background. Definitely will be coming back

Came to Juan's chuck wagon for breakfast with a group of coworkers . They offer plenty of free…read moreparking. When you first walk in, there is a big room (as pictured). It wasn't being used. I think you can rent it out and have a party. The diner area also offered plenty of seating from booths, regular tables and bar seating . Our group of 5 sat at the bar area. They cook most of the food on a flat top right in front of us. It was amazing how fast and efficient. I ordered chilaquiles verdes o rojos with skit steak and rice and beans. I've only had chilaquiles one other time and it wasn't the that good. These were so good so much flavor and chips with still crunchy. Steak wasn't over cooked . Definitely would order again. The rice and beans taste like they were homemade. Service was great from our waitress to the food coming out pretty quick for the size of our party . Highly recommended.

Stopped in today for my favorite breakfast. The parking lot was empty but for a cars. The…read morerestaurant was empty but for a few tables. I had wondered WHY. Ten it dawned on me that it was due to the immigration crack down. Waukegan is largely Hispanic and all the raids have impacted this restaurant and the income of the employees here. I blame Biden for this. His abuse of a wide open boarder has caused the drastic auction by the current President. Food was fantastic!

I've drive by this old schoolhouse a million times, but never stopped in until today. I really…read moreenjoyed my first breakfast at Red School Cafe! There's lots of parking in the gravel lot; several cute planters ring the entrance and outdoor patio. The cafe has several counter seats and maybe 10 tables indoors (there's also a covered outdoor patio with additional seating in warmer months). This is a first-come-first-serve sort of place; when you come in, you wait in line until a table or counter seat opens up. All of the waitstaff was cheerful and helpful and came around with fresh coffee a few times. I had a veggie omelet with a berry cup and sourdough toast. The veggies were cooked nicely with just the right amount of browning and flavor. There were a lot of interesting specials (country meatloaf with eggs and potatoes, for example) and the coffee and ice team were super fresh. We'll be back!

Not sure that I have much to add being that I only stopped by in a desperate search for coffee…read more If this cafe isn't the epitome of small town life, I don't know what is. Legitimately a converted schoolhouse, you get the feel of that as all. As you walk in to the dining room. There is a nice covered porch area for outdoor seating. The waitress was kind and quickly grabbed me a coffee to go. For a diner coffee, I was actually impressed by the palatability and overall just grateful to get some caffeine in me!