Typical Greek restaurant.* Diner coffee is always good, food decent, breakfast always available. Food is usually better if you have some alcohol in your system or you're hungover. *: For those not from the Chicago area, these types of restaurants are usually owned by Greek people, hence the name. Apparently, transplants get confused when I use this term. Go figure. :) read more

I challenge you to find someone in here post-2am that is NOT at least a little bit drunky... try this game with your party, it is fun! I love 24-hour diners. After some New Year's Day imbibing, our group of four was ready for some serious sustenance. Wine had been consumed in generous abundance and the time for some precious grease had finally arrived. Can you believe after 3 years in Chicago I had yet to try the Hollywood Diner? Um, hello! I'm told it's a bit of an institution. The food is okay-- it comes out fast, it's hot and it's greasy. Dare you ask for more at this time of night, er morning? I had a breakfast wrap filled with eggs, cheese and bacon. It was a bit on the bland side but standard breakfast plates were really good. Oh, and try their English muffins... extra buttery deliciousness! Service is above average as compared to similar establishments and the best part of the 'experience'? The primo people-watching. Girls, what happened to your belts? Oh wait, those are skirts?! I hear their soup is really good though I wouldn't know as my man stole my cup (not once, but twice... drunk soup Nazi!). read more

Was up north and there wasn't many places open at 3 am so decided to check out the place. Food was basic nothing spectacular but the service sucked the waitress barely asked to see if we needed anything and gave us a check without asking us if we needed a to go box or anything else I doubt I would go back read more

Hollywood Grill - Turkey sausage skillet with green pepper mushrooms Monterey Jack cheese and over easy eggs - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It pains me to give you only two stars, Hollywood Grill, since we've been friends for so long. I love your comfy booths, tasty pies and endless coffee - which all fit with the homey, hey-day Americana, greasy spoon interiors. As a night owl frequently in search of good, quality comfort food, I'll admit this is one of my favorite neighborhood diners. Plus, it's reasonably priced, open 24-hours and has free parking. But more important, I've always had solid meals and friendly, attentive service there. I liked it so much, I'd hold meetings there if a team member was treating. That is, until today. Had a story meeting with my exec. producer and was embarrassed by the service by a Latina waitress named Esther who was so busy cackling and talking loudly to other staff, she kind of forgot that she'd JUST asked for our order, before turning her head to yell across the counter. I asked her, "Excuse me, didn't you just ask us a question?" It could've gone better after that. But, no. Esther then proceeded to give us attitude, ROLLING HER EYES and ignoring our table. We had to flag her down, literally, for anything. Zero coffee refills. No hot sauce. No dice. At one point, she barked at my friend, a start-up entrepreneur, to "move that menu back,' pointing at menu on the table with a spare finger, even when there was enough room on the table to set down the plate she was holding. Yes, pure class. The guys didn't care because, as they pointed out, they were never coming back. I just wrote: "NO, bad service," on the line for tips on my receipt. I really liked it up till now. Too bad. Owners, take note: It only takes once before you lose a loyal customer. Others, heed this: If you see a stocky waitress who looks like a drag queen from Juarez approach you at the Grill, run like your hair is on fire. read more

Worst ever. Food is worse than I expected, and I didn't expect much because it was a diner. I really honestly only came here because they have parking and I have three kids. I didn't want to walk with them. I wish I hadn't. First, all of the waitresses were outside smoking I think when I came in....not cute. Then when they sat us, the waitress just stared at us. About 4 minutes into her staring contest she asks "what do you want to drink?".......My 4 year old daughter... yes 4... immediately responds "whaddya got?". to witch she points to the menu hidden behind the condiments, and says "It's on the menu. I'll be back in a few." and walks away like Eeyore. What just happened? Needless to say, ordering our food was a similar experience. Food was awful, and the bill was a little high for the experience. read more

I've been here twice now. Once when I was really out of it- the other time I wasn't. Both times I was repulsed by their food. This has to say something about the place. After a long night out, I'll eat mashed potatoes in tartar sauce (done it) and think it's the best thing in the world. The one time I had Hollywood Grill's chilaquiles and I still can't stop gagging at the thought of it. Yesterday night, I ordered a tuna sandwich and I thought I was gonna die afterwords. A lot of time spent on the pot to pay for one bad decision to get a late night snack there. Don't let their flashing lights persuade you into this establishment. Go somewhere- anywhere else. And yes, a tuna sandwich is considered a "snack" in my book. read more

Sooooo, about Hollywood Grill. Call me a food snob, but I like good food and when I'm semi-drunk, most food tastes great - even if its fast food! We'd been at a crazy birthday party all night up in the north burbs and had a friend to drop off before we were going to get some Mexican food (STARVING, mind you). Well, our beloved Jamitos Burritos was closed. No homemade guac and delicious cheese filled, corn tortilla quesadillas. ::sighs:: Well we pass Hollywood Grill all the time and its open twenty-four-7 so we decided to grab it and go. The good: Easy parking, friendly waitstaff, quick service and the place was cleanly! The bad: TERRIBLE, non edible food. Like: lets buy the cheapest ingredients, terrible. Ugh. Details? Well we drove the short 5 minutes back to my bf's apt and were ready to attack our food. My quesadillas were gross. The soft taco was clearly hard as a rock and stuffed with this greasy slimy cheese. It tasted about as good as it looked, salty, greasy and not very edible. I forced myself to eat one of the 4, ate some m&m's and threw the rest out. Oh I also asked for extra guacamole, which all i got was one tiny filled 30ml container and it was obviously out of a bag. You cant take the time to make guacamole? Seriously? Avocado, lime juice and spicy salsa - its pretty simple. As for the boy he got a burrito which he didn't even eat. They put some gravy weirdness on top of the burrito which looked like bubble gum. He immediately threw it in the garbage, ate a banana and went to bed hungry and not a happy camper. Needless to say, we will never be going to Hollywood Grill again. I'd rather drive another 15 minutes and get GOOD drunk food. read more

I love that it's 24 hours first of all. Not nearly enough places in Chicago are 24 hours. I've been here after the bar, to cure a hangover in the morning and one random evening just cause friends and I were still hungry. They actually have good food here. I love their breakfast. French toast is really good! I'm a sucker for French Toast and this always makes me happy! I also love their skirt steak breakfast or dinner. The skirt steak is so juicy and just delicious. I recommend it. Also, good chicken strips! I think I'm updating at the absolute worst time, now I'm hungry!! read more

I was in there for breakfast. The service was horrible. The food was ok. I was in there for 10 minutes before they brought me a cup of coffee and a menu. Then after 35 minutes. I waved down the host to ask if I could get some service. One of the waitresses was flirting with the Fed Ex guy. The 2nd waitress was eating. The 3rd waitress was talking to the 2nd waitress. The 1st waitress came over (you could tell she didn't want to) and said I didn't think you wanted to eat. I didn't know what you were doing. All I heard was that you were here for a meeting. (Isn't that's why you go to a restaurant) I told her why didn't you ask me if I was eating or not instead of ignoring me for 30 minutes. She took my order and then went back to flirting with the Fed Ex guy. After 10 minutes she brought my food. She never came back to my table. The host gave me the receipt. I gave her the money to pay and she said do you want change. I said no that is ok. I left a $2.00 tip. The waitress didn't deserve a tip and either did the host. I will never go back to this restaurant again. I don't recommend them. read more

This place used to be my stomping grounds after singing at Louie's. I always see someone I knew there, of course, drunk as fuck like myself. The food was magical, only because I was toasty as can be. I recall going one night, not blitzed, and the food lost it's magic. The biscuits and gravy lost it's homeyiness. The shake was just ok. And it didn't come with the leftover mixer cup! :( A total essential if you ask me) It's too decorated to be awesome. It's too much trying to be an awesome diner. And at the end of it all, it's not. It's just ok. read more

Geez, guys, get over yourselves! I came here to show some love for one of my favorite old greasy spoons. Clearly most of the reviewers might have more luck at a pretentious Logan Square restaurant that offers truffled everything. Well, that's not Hollywood Grill. It's not fancy, it's not out-of-this-world cuisine, and your servers might *not* act like your best friends. So what? Yes, the prices are a little up there, but it's Wicker Park! Not to mention the décor is adorable. Look, maybe don't take a first date that you're trying to impress here. But if you're hungry at 3 am and need a pancake fix, head on over! I recommend the giant skillets. read more

I was really hoping that this would be my greasy breakfast go to place that I could walk to from my house...sadly, the search continues. Never have I ever put such terrible food into my mouth. I bet that the bag of frozen hash-browns that have been sitting in my freezer for three years would taste better than the ones I just attempted to consume. I knew the eggs Benedict was going to be iffy when it noticed that the hollandaise sauce was a strange shade of pastel yellow. It literally tasted like tangy chalk. The Mexican breakfast was like an egg and salsa soup with some soggy chips added for texture. Describing it again now makes me want to throw up, and I wasn't even the one who ate it. I wish I could throw up and go somewhere else for breakfast. I will say the staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean and the people watching was pretty epic. I hate writing bad reviews, but my stomach made me do it! read more

I was in w the kids. Yes kid friendly. The waitress was attentive and nice. The food a little bland. I had to do a double take for the kid's cheeseburgers - are they nanoburgers? I could barely see the meat. $30 something dollars for 3 burgers, mac n cheese and a sundae. hm. I guess someone's got to pay for the parking space next door. A one in a while dig. read more

It's pretty good for a wasted early morning post-4AM bars breakfast. I can't think of any other time I'd want to come here though. I do sort of enjoy the cross-section of hipsters and gangbanger types that frequent it latenight. Food is average, but there's bigass portions and the coffee is decent which satisfies my 2 primary needs at 4:15 AM on a saturday morning. The waitstaff deserve a medal, as they must put up with a yard of BS from drunks yet have always managed to treat me decently when I come here, and they have always gotten my order right. I don't know what they get paid but it's not enough. read more

Three Stars! Three Stars?!? What the crap is that? Yelp reviews of restaurants should rank restaurants against similar restaurants and the only way I can justify a 3 star rating for Hollywood Grill is if it's being compared to more upscale eateries. As far as diners go, this is top notch. Their menu is enormous. You will have a harder time deciding between multiple things to order than you will finding something you like. And the food is good. Its not the most delicious, well prepared food I've ever eaten, but it's certainly on par with any diner I've ever eaten at and far surpasses most (*cough cough* any Denny's I've ever been to *cough). And you can literally walk in there at any time on any day and be seated in under 15 minutes, out of there in less than 30 from then. Seriously if the guy tells you the wait will be 30 minutes, I have a standing offer of a $1 bet that it will take less than that. Any takers? read more

Alright, I know, technically, this is kind of a dive/diner place but you know what? They do dive/diner really well! Hollywood Grill always seems to be moderately busy, no matter what time of day you go. The food is so-so. It's diner food, you know? But it's not bad! Last night, I had the chicken stir-fry. A little salty, yes. But geez, for $7.99, they brought me this GINORMOUS plate of food plus bread and soup. Where else in the city do you get a deal like that? And my dining companion had a beer with his dinner. That's right; they serve beer, too. Oh, and did I mention the free parking? That they're open 24/7? Their servers are very sweet and fast? I'd have given them 3.5 stars but since 'half star' ratings aren't an option for us, I gladly bump them up to 4 stars purely for their personality and reliability. read more

This is an old-school Chicago kind of place that's slowly transforming from the plain, simple but broad menu of standards to a hipster version of itself. That's probably what it needs to do to survive on such a busy corner, in a neighborhood that's morphing from working class to hipster and rich. The restaurant looks clean and bright. There is a long counter off the entrance, and a row of booths along the window where you can watch careless pedestrians and drivers face off at a busy intersection. As you walk towards the back, you see that the restaurant is laid out in the shape of the letter "L", and there is another area of booths and tables. Menus are kept at each table, so you can start perusing the selections as soon as you sit down. The menu is crazy big, in the style of the classic Greek-owned diner. Although we arrived right around noontime on a weekday, we wanted to have breakfast foods. In this kind of restaurant, breakfast is served all day. We were quickly offered coffee or tea and provided with water and silverware. The waitress took our orders promptly, and we received our food promptly. The only hiccup we had with service was getting our check and paying. We sat for almost 15 minutes before the waitress appeared with the check, which almost made us late for an appointment. My friend ordered scrambled eggs and toast and a hot chocolate, and I had an egg sandwich with cheddar cheese (extra cost - you could choose swiss or American) and bacon. It came with a small side of cole slaw, and I chose fruit instead of hash browns or fries. It was a lot of food. I added some hot sauce to the sandwich, which helped give it a bit of a kick. It wasn't highly spiced at all to begin with, but it was okay. I had to take the fruit with, because I was so full. The eggs and toast my friend ate were just fine. I mean, you have to work pretty hard to screw up that kind of order, don't you? She was full, too. There is a small parking lot in back, and we saw a sign that indicated there's another lot somewhere nearby. But the lot in back is small. There were two large trucks parked nearest the alley entrance to the lot. There were so huge, we couldn't squeeze our little car past them to use an available space that was adjacent to the building. Be aware that someone already in a close-up space could get blocked in. As it was, we found a close parking spot on North Avenue. Of course, we had to pay for that -- what a bummer when we might have parked for free. I hope Hollywood Grill doesn't change much. We need places in Chicago where we can have coffee and an omelette without spending $20. And we need to keep restaurants that aren't following the latest trend by combining odd ingredients, or experimenting with fusion. Sometimes you want a simple, basic, Midwestern meal. At least for now, Hollywood Grill is still a place you can get that. read more

Even the water is nasty! Been there twice. The service was crummy but the food was horrible! all grease no flavor! Perhaps i was too sober unlike most of the patrons in the ungodly hour of the morning i was there. The moral of this story??? If your going to yell and scream with other drunks after the club/bar closes then this is the place for you! Otherwise it a waste. read more

It is what it is, people. Big menu featuring greasy fare served by (usually) cherry staff. Nothing fancy here. Great breakfast food after a night on the town, that's for sure! read more

Don't get the pancakes. They're not bad, per se, but they have a weird, grainy texture. Perhaps the buttermilk pancakes are better. Aside from that, it's probably exactly what you expect from a 24-hour greasy spoon. read more

DRUNKEN REVIEW: Oh my gawd the best food I ever ate! I've never stuffed pancakes this awesome into my face before!! More sausage, more bacon please!! and some other hooting and mumbles and slurrsssss. SOBER REVIEW: wow, never noticed how kinda gross this place is, the food is kinda slimey, my glass tastes funny and now my lips are kinda tingly what the hell is that? Yeah remind me to never come here sober again! the next weekend.... at 4am shouting who's up for some HOLLYWOOD!?!?!?! ME ME ME!! Thank god places like this exist. I'm going with four stars as a very generous middle ground and mainly for the hours they keep and the patience/sanity of their poor late night staff! read more

I want some FRENCH TOAST, this place has awesome french toast, I can't express it more. A great place to come in and eat after a night's worth of drinking. The good: The place was packed, but seats were readily available. The food came fast and was well priced. Of course being typical food you'd want to eat after a bar the food was GREASY! But hey we all have to make our sacrifices to avoid the day after hangover. It has it's own parking lot and is 24 hours, another factor of why it is convenient after the bars. The bad: The things I don't like about this place is, they don't split the check. As in, at all, so everyone better have cash or else there will be a discrepancy of the monetary kind. I suggest eating here if you're in the area. The food won't disappoint! read more

The service is getting worse. I waited 15 minutes for a waitress. They offered no cofee when I she finally came. I walked out and had breafast at Bacon n Eggs on Lincoln. Far better service and food! Hollywood. ..your last impression is how you are judged.Step it up! Next time, I would NOT choose Hollywood. I found somewhere else where service is more consistent. read more

The server/manager/all around certified badass named Becki is the best. Hardworking, super personable and polite. Filled my coffee the second my cup got even kind of empty and checked on us a bunch. Give this lady a raise and a vacation. read more

I've actually never been here after a late night of drinking, but I'm sure the food is just as good (if not better). I've always been happy with the service. The restaurant is a nice looking place and always clean. It's a typical kitsch-filled diner with tons of weird posters and other stuff on the walls. On the weekends, there's usually a wait for a table, but even at the height of the line, getting a table usually never takes more than 20 minutes. The servers are always very friendly and the service is always quick. I've never had a problem with the food, in fact I'd say it's pretty good. It's not my favorite breakfast place ever, but it's close to the highway and Wicker Park. We used to live down the block, so we'd frequent the joint often. They also have great tuna melts, which is one of my favorite dinner options. read more

They remodeled...which has nothing to do with my review rating, but it lost some of it's kitsch in the process...kind of saddened by it, but whatever. It's down a star primarily because the last few times I've found myself here the service has really lacked..not in that I have high expectations and don't realize I'm at a diner kind of way either...but it has lacked in the, we've been forgotten about and they're not busy...refills never offered and even receiving food that we didn't order... It seems to be better when it's busy, when it's slow it's like the waitstaff goes to hell...which you'd expect the opposite, or I would at least. read more

Wow have my tastes changed. My 2 year hiatus ended with a bang last night. I used to beg people to come here. If I was within a 5 mile radius you'd bet this is how I would close out my night. So when a friend suggested Hollywood as our 3 AM breakfast I was sure my usual omelet order would do me right. It did me wrong last night and this morning. This place serves it's purpose for the neighborhood; drunk food 101. Greasy with no flavor. It's the recipe for success. But I'll be moving onto bigger and better things. I guess I won't be seeing you anymore Hollywood... read more

Come here hungry and be ready to have your taste buds full of delight...everything was good...the coffee...the french toast...the burgers...the crepes...the eggs...the bacon...it is a bit pricy but it is a place I would come back to hungry and ready to not be disappointed. read more

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My second home. I could eat a ham and cheese omlette from here every day of my life and then die happy. This is true. Some of the staff already knows me by name and/or face...and also by my parents, who frequent this place almost daily. I think I've only had one bad waitress here in my life, and I believe she's not even there anymore. All other waitresses are super nice and rarely screw up my order. And I do mean rarely. Once, maybe twice every 10 months (I really pinpointed it, didn't I?), and believe me...I come here a LOT! Their lunch/dinner foods are good (depending on what you get; their turkey club is excellent, for example, though it's hard to screw that up). But their breakfast foods are definately their forte. Omlettes and pancakes and waffles, oh my!! All three taste amazing drunk, as well as sober. Hollywood, you are the sunshine of my life...that's why I'll always be around. Stevie knew what he was talking about. :) read more

24 Hours. SKILLETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Hollywood Grill. I love you. The end. read more

Most of the people who've had a bad dining experience just don't seem to know how to "order safe" when they go to a diner. You don't order fish or dinner entrees from a place like this, including tuna, in fact, don't ever order fish at a 24-hr restaurant. Don't order salad, either. Yes, they have everything on the menu, but those items are not going to be good, use discretion. Now, I like Hollywood Grill, but I had to look past the tacky and ugly appearance that initially kept me away. But at 3am, options are limited. Stick to the breakfast menu. Pancakes, had them and they're good, Omlette, good hash browns. Waffles are safe, I am paranoid, and I know waffles are just cooked in a waffle-maker, so they won't be contaminated by a dirty grill (so I order waffles a lot). The service is great, very quick and friendly, and the coffee is good! Remember to order safe! read more

I was very disappointed took a suggestion from Sosh, I can not recommend this diner. Every thing tasted as if it was leftovers. The salad and fruit felt like it had been cut up days before. The cucumbers on his salad were slimy, and the mushrooms were brown. Our Chicken wings were burnt, the corn beef hash was from a can and my English muffin in my eggs Benedict was filled with grease.I took my food home to my dogs. Our waitress Rebecca was spastic, she constantly forgot the things we had asked for, never offered a refill of our drinks. However filled the man behind us coffee 5 times. She gave us the wrong salad dressing, never brought my drink, and the manager had to help her constantly with all of her tables. I think good reviews are from drunk clientele. If you want a good meal don't go here read more

2 stars because some of the servers are very sweet. I like to sit at the bar to get in and out. Last time I was there I found a hair in my food. I ate the fries around it while I waited for my waitress to check in on me. When she finally did she asked if i wanted anything else, I declined. Check came and she charged me for the couple of fries I ate. I wasn't looking for any freebies. Had she checked on me sooner, I probably would have ordered something else, but my girlfriend had already finished her meal. The staff members there are clearly NOT HAPPY at all. As I sit at the counter all I hear is people bitching about their shift and their customers. Sorry Folks. Free parking in this hood is not enough to ever bring me back here. Disgusted with the food and the service. read more

Open 24 hours... Rite off the highway.... Excellent place to eat after a night of drinking.... read more

I pass this all the time on the North Ave. bus coming from the Blue Line, and thought maybe it would be a nice quickie dinner spot. I thoroughly enjoy 24-hour diner-style food, and found this place to be pretty good stuff. I was pleased with the large portions, the good service (and our waitress wasn't hovering over our table so I could actually engage in conversation), and the great prices. I am sure the food is excellent when trashed, but I must say, it is pretty good sober, also. The breakfast menu looked good, but since I rarely eat breakfast food, I went for my usual chicken fingers and crinkle cut fries. Did I say "crinkle cut fries"? You know a restaurant is worth a second visit when they serve crinkle cut fries. Bravo, Hollywood Grill! read more

I'm not Fancy. The greasy spoon is GOLD. One day someone will find me slumped over a dirty table with a french fry clutched in one hand, and mayo smeared all over my smiling dead face and my old jeans stuck to the vinyl seat. I love me some americana trash. I have a special history with Hollywood Grill. Years ago when I first moved here, i lived with a douchebag in Ukranian Village. Loved the 'hood, hated the d-bag, so I escaped often. While wondering down Ashland I found this Gem called Hollywood Grill and had me a great fried chicken sammich. The waitress was a DOLL. She didnt judge a lonely white girl lookin for some grease in the broad daylight. I was so new that I even spent my birthday there. Alone. Sad, huh? Ok, feel bad for me a little bit. Ok, enough. That was years ago, and since then, I've been to Hollywood at all hours of the night to get pancakes and such. Did you know that good late-night pancakes can cloud your judgement enough to take someone home at 4am that you really don't know. Damn, pancakes... Their food is really, really good, and hey, they have a teeny indoor parking lot just south of it on Ashland. Hollywood is the best, and as you've heard... it's the place where dreams come true. read more

Hollywood Grill - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Eh... Hollywood Grill is okay. See, the thing is is that I can get a crappy taco or hot dog at Flash taco or Underdog for way cheaper and still feel as fulfilled. Every time I have opted to drive a way down and eat Hollywood Grill at 5am I regret it. The food is mediocre, mildly expensive (for what it is, of course), and I have to tip! LAMESAUCE! Why not just get the taco or hot dog, people!? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DRUNKEN MINDS!? The servers are nice but come on, people! My broke butt cannot afford tips unless the food is worth it. Don't get the soup... MUY MUY MAL. But it gets 2 stars for staying open 24 hours... Manders enjoys 24 hour establishments that cater to drunk math majors such as myself. read more

You know, at first visit, I thought this place was gross. I thought it even worse than the 24 hour joints in MI (Denny's and Lil' Chef and Texan). I thought the coffee was sub par and the hashbrowns to be atrocious. Well, I recently revisted the HGrill the other day. I decided on the french toast and went with the smaller portion in case of disaster. I was actually pleased. I'm not sure what bread/batter they use, but it's pleasantly sweet. The coffee was a tad better, but still terrible by my standards. My friend says the salads are worth a try. I STILL say the hashbrowns should be passed up. They have a very odd taste to them. The service is sometimes good, and everything is cheap. Just know you're taking a risk. read more

Any of you guys remember the 70s TV show called "Mel's Diner"? I was barely out of diapers when that show was on the air, but this place brings back mental snippets of that show. That's a good thing. Just like the TV show, this place has it's quirky regulars, crabby owner & sassy servers. I LOVE THIS PLACE. For those of you that don't remember Mel's Diner, just come here for the vittles. They're good too. read more

Andie was our server, she was attentive and friendly and genuineky nice. For 2:30 AM unexpected, but again she was an angel. Food was really good, jalapeño poppers had cream cheese and fried mushrooms were real and really flavorful. I had an egg, bacon and swiss sandwich - order your hash browns crispy if you want them browned. We ordered pancakes to share, again really good. Late at night, i still want real food that tastes good. It was 4 of us and we all sincerely enjoyed our breakfasts. Only complaint was one non crispy hash browns. Soup was also tasty, navy bean or chicken noodle. As a former NYer its hard to find a good diner, Hollywood Grill is that place. In NY these are treasured and I hope it is here too!!! read more