It was affordable. 3 people with tip $40. The fries were soggy (undercooked), the burger, patty melt, and kids chicken strips (you can tell they were pre-frozen) were decent. The bathrooms need work, alot of chipped paint. read more

Stopped here for breakfast recently. It was our first visit. Staff was friendly and attentive. Had a veggie omelette, hash browns and wheat toast. Although presentation showed yummy and a nice size portion. Dish turned out to be misleading. Omelette was a tad bit scorched and bland. Hash browns and wheat toast was cold. Thankful that tobasco sauce was on the table waiting. Friends had breakfast bowls and had no real comment. We do plan to go back. Perhaps experience will be better. read more

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Such great food, friendly service, and very family friendly. I love getting all day breakfast while my family gets dinner.

Like they say it's all about first impressions. The hostess that was seating us apparently got an attitude when we told her that we didn't want to sit in the corner and requested a different table. Very rude. The chicken soup was very good. Unfortunately there was a long bone in the soup. Someone obviously missed that. Glad I found it! The fried chicken was very bland. No seasoning. It came hot but hubby said his was dry. Green beans were canned. Ice cream for dessert was good. Server was very nice and efficient. Reviews indicate that it's a great spot for breakfast. It's a definite never again for us. read more

We have been patrons of this restaurant for over 10 years. They have the restaurant business figured out and nothing has changed in all of that time. Large menu with good specials, great soups and homemade pies, and the food always comes out extremely fast and very fresh/hot. I've had so many things on the menu and I've never had something I didn't like. Some menu items I like better than others, but that's of course to be expected. Service is fantastic and the place is always clean with clean restrooms. Excellent! read more

Went with my Brother, his son and my children. Wanted to have a good home cooked meal. Look no further, HiWay Restaurant. As soon as we walked in, the hostess asked us how many? I told her six, she asked for a few seconds to prep our table. I told her take a few more. We were seated almost immediately. Our Waitress ( I didn't catch her name), handed out our menus and asked if we wanted any drinks along with the water, which she was going to bring out to us shortly; we ordered 3 coffees, 2 unsweetened iced teas and 1 diet soda. She came back which we reviewed the menu and were impressed with all the tasty options. We ordered the following: 2 Hot Turkey, mashed potatoes covered in gravy, a side of cream of Chicken Soup with Rice. One BLT deluxe meal sans tomato's. 2 Travelers Hamburgers with Fries. 1 Taco Salad. Portions were not light and a few of us asked for doggie bags. We had no room for dessert! Ambiance had a warm comfortable feel. Looking forward to stopping by again when we're in Ottawa. Cheers, Mangia & Nazdrowie! read more

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At about 3:15 today we came here, food and atmosphere was good. Hostess was very hostile and rude.

Stopped in on 5-21-24 during a cross-country motorcycle trip and was met by the nicest staff and a great breakfast. The pancakes were light and fluffy, the OJ was fresh and the coffee hit the spot. The restaurant was very clean as well. Don't know if I'll be back through Ottawa, but if I am I'll be sure to stop in! read more

Went for the first time today. Our server was nice and friendly and the place was clean. I ordered a burger and baked potato. Potato was just warm, not hot. The burger was blah. Hubby had the lasagna, huge portions. He said it was good. The worst part was the older lady at the register. We went to pay our bill and she was not friendly at all, really quite rude. Really killed the whole experience for us. I was going to say something to her but I kept my mouth shut. If she doesn't like her job or people, she needs to find something else! read more

We stopped in for breakfast while in Ottawa and it didn't disappoint. I ordered the multigrain pancakes with a side of bacon. The pancakes were light and fluffy almost making it hard to believe they were multigrain. The bacon was more crispy than I like but it didn't stop me from eating it all. The table next to us was a group of seniors gathering to catch up and the table next to them was a high school football team. When the locals make a restaurant their place to congregate you know it has to be good! read more

Good food great service created a desert just for us amazing people A great go to have a great menu read more

Have eaten here several times. Always good service and good food at a reasonable price. Nice clean place to eat.

Service can be a hit or miss. Food wasn't the greatest, had an order of hash browns that were undercooked sent it back and they sent it back to me still raw and cold. Been here about 5 times in 5 years but each time there is always a bad experience I have had when I'm here. read more

Beware! This establishment charges a fee when you pay with a credit card! My guest and I ordered the chicken noodle soup and they were good. I ordered the veal open faced sandwich and it was good. My guest ordered a patty melt and it was ok. If you are looking to step back in time and experience a vintage dinner this is your place. read more

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Hot food. Friendly service. Happy customers. Enough room for our big family and we always get seated.

I've been here a couple times now and what I can say is the the food is average for a diner. I had a plate with ground beef topped with mushrooms, green peppers, and onions. It was very bland and over cooked on the toppings. The beef didn't have much flavor to it and it was all swimming in the juices of the veggies, which was more like a broth. I wouldn't order it again. I didn't get a chance to eat the dessert because there were no dairy free options other than jello. Which brings up the fact that many items looked good but there was dairy of some sort on most of them. Cheese being a big part of that. People aske me "why don't you just ask for no cheese"? I reply with "if they charge you to add cheese, why don't they deduct for removing the cheese." I vote with my dollar and my words. Eateries need to start accepting that many people do not or can not eat dairy. I do want to say that my server was wonderful and patient with me...all three times I've been there. Customer service is just as important as good food. read more

Excellent food and service! Just happened onto this place on the way to Starved Rock State Park

The service was very good. Our waitress was super nice. The food was very good. Good servings and the price was reasonable. This is a typical home style family restaurant setting. read more

Our favorite family restaurant always great service and good food. Love their catfish dinner.

Really good breakfast restaurant! Really busy but they turn tables really quick. Great service and breakfast! I don't have any feedback on lunch & dinner. read more

I enjoyed a huge plate of sliced turkey over toast with mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce and a cup of soup for $6-something! A slice of pie added $1.75 only. My child's pancake meal with one sausage and one bacon was $3-something and came with a scoop of ice cream. The prices are so cheap and the quantity is gut busting. My food was well-seasoned and well made. It's not super gourmet, but it's comfort food served with a smile. Great place with ample parking and comfy seating. Most meals include soup, bread and a dessert at the end. read more

One of our favorite lunch stops. I love me a burger, and theirs is wonderful! Great menu, and always pleasant personable wait staff.

They were quite overpriced for two egg breakfast only in the child's venue is quite expensive as well I went with my family of three and ended up spending $40 for breakfast I don't think that's very cheap for a little mom and pop local store I tried to #shoplocal and ended up spending more money then I would have normally read more

HiWay Restaurant - Happy anniversary at the restaurant - Diners Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

I was driving through the area, and stopped in for lunch. I had the soup of the day which was recommended by the waitress and it was very good. I also decided to have their name sake sandwich "HiWay Steak sandwich" Although very bountiful, I was surprised that it was made with deli roast beef heated on the griddle. Although the name said steak, I guess I should have looked at the description that said 'slices of roast beef'. Not what I was expecting for the sandwich named after the restaurant. read more

Portions are generous but food is mediocre at best. Hubby had the meatloaf/chicken combo. Baked chicken was dry dry dry dry. Meat loaf had "good flavor". I had the mediterranean salmon olives, tomatoes, garlic, feta. The piece of salmon was huge. The portion of feta on the salmon was copious. Unfortunately the salmon was over cooked and dry, dry, dry, The salmon had absolutely no garlic flavor whatsoever. Rice pilaf had no flavor. Hubby's french fries were not hot. Cold food ticks me off. I ate a lot of cold meals raising my kids. I do not want cold food. I will not go back if a place has cold food. At this point tasty is a bonus. Service was lacking. We were there early. They had like 4 tables. Took forever to get the soup. Server came once to ask how food was and if we need refills. We waited forever to get our check. We will probably go back but I think this place is best for breakfast only. It is hard to mess up eggs. It can be done but it is difficult to mess up eggs, pancakes, bacon etc. read more

This place is worse than being in between your moms legs. Coffee was burnt. Carrots smelt like my ex girlfriend. Fish tasted worse than her. Bread rolls tasted like bottom shelf 9 month old soggy sour dough. Only good thing was the zesty brand saltine crackers. Save yourselves and your friends and family and keep them away. Gave the talapio fettuccine pasta to a stray raccoon and he took one lick of it and went into cardiac arrest and died. If you have any in-laws you want to get rid of this is a great place to go because they won't make it out alive. read more

This place is the home town greasy spoon. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit! But seriously it's good food good service. It's a nice spot to sit back and enjoy yourself. It's got that local good ol diner feel. read more

Delish plentiful portions open face hot turkey w cranberry on the side. It was cold out today and I needed a stick to the ribs meal. Its hard to mess up this dish but some places do. Not the Hi Way they know how to feed this hungry girl..real Turkey too ! read more

HiWay Restaurant - Hot Turkey sandwhich delish and plenty of food - Diners Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

We stopped here because it was one of the only places with a dining-in option for dinner on a Tuesday night. Fortunately, we were pleased with the food and service. We both got full meals for less than we sometimes pay for one meal. Both of us got a form of pasta and we both agreed that their sauce was great. The menu is extensive. You should have no trouble finding something that you would like. Our waitress Lisa was amazing. read more

We just happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to stop in and eat. All the waitresses were nice and friendly and the food and prices....Great read more

This place is awesome! Great food, great service and great prices. The vegetable soup is fantastic! We had breakfast and lunch here. We will be returning. read more

My girlfriend and I were very satisfied with our experience. Our waitress was very kind and was very helpful. I ordered the Chicken Florentine which came with a salad, garlic bread, and a desert. The food did not take long to come out. The salad was your typical salad but I was still happy with it because it had green peppers. The garlic bread was a little bland but the Chicken Florentine was excellent. The portions were big and I didn't even have room for my dessert. My girlfriend ordered a vegetable skillet and a baked potato and she was also happy and full by the end. I've worked in restaurants most of my life and this diner is one of my favorites. I plan on visiting again in the future. read more

Great place to take the family. We have been going for years now. Fast and friendly service, and a budget friendly place to enjoy good food.

There's something about those diners with the vinyl booths that just speak to me on a spiritual level. I mean the atmosphere is just so Dineresque chic. In all of its tacky goodness I only sampled the coffee which was what you would expect at an establishment called the HiWay Restaurant. It did take me back in time to the Truck Stop in Princeton, IL wherein many nights where had smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee and having fries to share. I'd go back to the Hi-Way but really only for the nostalgia. Or maybe to sample a Monte Cristo. Because every diner should have a Monte Cristo. read more

I have been there for breakfast many times, and it is a great breakfast restaurant! The other night though we went there for dinner and I had one of their daily dinner specials. For (I think) an additional $1.99 you can upgrade to have your dinner include, Soup AND salad, and dessert! Then I was pleasantly shocked to find out for an additional DIME, yes .10 you can add a glass of wine! While the glass of wine was definitely small, it was only a DIME! :) So for less than $9.00, I had a bread basket, soup, salad, a full entree, with a glass of wine, and peppermint ice cream for dessert!!! It was a great deal! read more

My husband and I went here for lunch while visiting the Starved Rock area. I had the grilled chicken salad. It was iceberg lettuce with veggies and a small breast of chicken cut up on top. Average at best. They could have used a better base than iceberg. The salad was supposed to come with a roll but the server didn't bring one. My husband had eggs and sausage. After biting into and eating half a sausage, he and I noticed that it seemed to not be cooked all the way through. It took the server a long time to return so he could ask for a replacement. She was not concerned AT ALL about serving up raw meat. I hope my husband doesn't get sick! Overall, this placer has horrible service and disgusting food! If you are not a townie regular, don't expect good service. read more

The highway has been touch and go with me, I can not rave about the lunch and dinners I have had out there, but breakfast on the other hand has been consistent for me. This is reinforced by the crowds they have at breakfast both early in the morning and after church. Even though they have high traffic the servers never try to rush you out, if you want to read the paper and just drink coffee that is just fine with them which is a very nice touch. read more

Decent food horrible service. No refills never once came back to the table. Enjoy your 17 cent tip

Great place to eat! Food was delicious! We went when it was packed, and I was afraid we would have to wait. It took about minutes! I would and could go here forever! Highly recommended! read more

We are a family of 5 we ate here last night. At first we were leery because there was only one car in the parking lot. The food was great, there were lots of great choices for both kids and adults. The portion sizes were very good as well Every one in town should be eating here. We would have gone again tonight but we wanted to try something different. We have been in the Chicago area since Sat night and my brother said this has been his favorite restaurant so far!!! read more