This is a big tourist attraction because of its history -- this location dates back to 1923! I went a couple times when I first moved to Chicago over 13 years ago, and was unimpressed. Something changed since then. They must have stopped using so much lard or butter to keep up with increasing health awareness, because the food is much less heavy and greasy, and they offer the omelettes with egg whites only. Not that it's not still a calorie bomb. They still pass out the yummy donut holes, and the ladies still get the milk duds, and now they give free soft serve ice cream cones afterwards. The omelettes aren't as huge as I remember, but they're perfect. And the malted waffles are the best I've had. read more

I have been going here since the 70s. I will avoid the place from now on. The management is like the walking wounded. Service in a half empty restaurant is unacceptable. Food being put in to go boxes by dirty bus boys. Insane and the manager and cashier haven't a clue. And the lunch cost $40 without tip. read more

Terrible coffee, terrible service, and terrible prices. I came in during the afternoon for a cup of coffee to go. I was sent to the back to get coffee where the lady ignored me, even after I rang the bell for service. After I asked for coffee, she waited a few minutes and then called back the girl who showed me to the back to get me a cup of coffee. She apparently made me a large cup and then told me to get a ticket from the original lady who ignored me. When I finally got that ladys attention to ask for a ticket, she said that the lady at the front could ring me up. Of course when I got there, she asked me for a ticket... Total damage? $3.46. For a cup of REGULAR black coffee. oh, and the coffee tastes burnt. Reminds me of 7-11 coffee, but quadruple the price. I'm sure service is better if you sit and eat but this was abysmal. read more

Been here a handful of times and I have never had a bad experience none were great either. We were there this past Sunday and was surprised that there was not a long wait. Hostess was pleasant and seated us in a back booth. Our server approached us and was very nice, took our order and brought us our food. Now I mention that the server was pleasant because none of the others were...not to me, but each other. They were down right nasty and hostile. One male server was yelling (not an exaggeration) at the hostess over a seating arrangement, another female (using the term loosely) was a beast of a woman stomping around the food prep area slamming plates and giving everyone the stink eye mumble. I know the service industry is rough but in my day we did two things, if we didn't like someone we worked with we took it out back, if we no longer liked serving we quit. These servers here need to do one or quite possibly both. Food is ok, hostile servers making customers uneasy not really acceptable. read more

I went here with a big group recently. We may have had 12 people, I think. We did get there early, which is key. I understand there can be long waits to get in, but we got in right away. The service was great. Yvette was our waitress and she was fantastic. I have no idea how she remembered everything, but she did. She didn't get my "Elf" reference to congratulating her for having the best coffee in the world, oh well, but the coffee was actually very good. The food was fantastic. One of my daughters had pancakes with peaches that looked amazing and I had a greek omelet with sausage and feta that rolled my socks up and down. The kids liked that they give out small boxes of Milk Duds as well. I'm not sure if they serve anything but breakfast, but for breakfast food, this place rocks! read more

The most appauling service I have ever had at a restaurant. To start after we were seated it took our waitress 15 mins to take our drink order, yes it was busy fine. She took our order and did not return with anything for 10 min when she brought a tea bag without hot water for my friends tea and said I will be right back with your water. Understandable since it was busy. She took our food order. She did not return for another 10 mins with the hot water after she was reminded and I had ordered an orange juice and my other friend a grapefruit juice. Neither came... 30 mins has passed. Apparently you are supposed to be served stewed prunes and oranges which did not happen til THE END OF THE MEAL. Our food came, my orange juice and my friends grapefruit juice still did not appear. My friend went to the counter because our waitress was MIA and we couldn't get her attention. He ordered our juices again, and when our waitress came to the table to check on us she was like oh you guys didnt order those, which we did, she said to us oh I didn't write it down. Well we ordered it. At the end of the meal we noticed the table beside us who had just ordered got their stewed prunes and orange slice and ours came too, at the end of the meal. My friend who comes to this place often informed us that its supposed to come in the beginning of the meal. The worst part was at the end when we attempted to get our bill, our waitress had forgotten about our table and we went to the front to get our bill. When she noticed us getting ready to leave she began yelling at us and questioning why we went to the front to get the bill, we told her she was being too slow and we had to be at a music festival to which she continued to yell at us that there was a tea not on the bill and a coffee not on the bill. We complained to the manager at the front about the appauling service to which we were not given any sort of discount on our meal or apology only that it was not the first time someone complained about that server. I'm an understanding person, but the fact that the waitress yelled at us in a restaurant full of people after giving us the worst service of our lives was just about the last straw. The food was really good, but definitly not worth the service, and abuse from the staff. read more

Great breakfast spot. Jam packed on weekends. Even with a line up out the door we barely had to wait. Food comes out very quick and was great. The homemade bread they use for toast is amazing. read more

I suppose Lou Mitchell's is a bit of a tourist place, but damn it, I just don't care. Though it seems like the kind of place that's filled with regulars, I wouldn't recommend going on a regular basis, unless you're looking for a heart attack. The eggs are all doubles- i don't even know where you can buy eggs like these- so 2 eggs instantly becomes 4. While I usually opt for wheat toast in an effort to be healthy, the Greek toast is too good to pass up (and there's no point making such an effort here, really. Just enjoy the moment, and repent later). The french toast tastes like the toasted honey buns we used to get at one of our college haunts (if there happen to be any Syracuse alumni here, think Cosmos). But the ultimate, most delicious, awful guilty pleasure, has to be the Signature Fries. A slight nod to the "Midnight Fries" of my youth, only minus the gravy and double the cheese- cheddar and feta. Dear sweet lord. There's always a huge line, but it moves pretty fast and you get fresh made donut holes while you wait. Once seated, the ladies all get a little pack of milk duds (though I was overlooked on my last visit), and if you're lucky, you'll get the world's tiniest serving of ice cream after your meal. Because even though you just ingested 8 eggs, 10 pounds of cheese, and a half a loaf of bread, there's always room for ice cream. Am I wrong? I didn't think so. Oh, and eat your prunes. Don't be a baby. read more

I used to love coming here when I was younger. Whenever I came to Chicago for the day with my Dad we always made this place our first stop. When I recently moved to Chicago I thought I would give this place a try again and was not that excited about it. Maybe it was because I am a bit older and my tastes have changed, but greasy breakfast food just doesn't appeal to me as much as it once did. On the plus side, the bakery items are homemade and every meal ends with some free ice cream. A word of caution, all the eggs are double yolk so when you order 2 eggs you really are getting 4! read more

Great fresh food. The hostess will capture your heart at the entrance. Great and friendly atmosphere.

Such nice people! Food was great, fluffy omelettes, homemade bread, freshly squeezed OJ. Donut holes while you wait.. although you may have to ask. Great family place. Near Union Station. Plus free homemade ice cream for dessert read more

I am fairly new to Chicago and was pleased to find another breakfast place close to my apartment. I went when it was not busy yet the service was very sub-par. I hate having to wait more than 5 minutes for my check once I am ready to leave. My coffee cup was empty more often than not though I must say it was quite tasty. The rye toast was probably the best I've ever had but my omelet was just OK. I'm in no hurry to go back but will probably give it a second chance at some point. read more

I'm giving thus place one star based on the experience. The food is great and so is the atmosphere. Been coming since I was a kid. My last visit we had eaten and had a great breakfast. The waiter brought us the bill. We paid him cash and left a good tip. We exited the restaurant and when about half a block down the manager runs out yelling to us. So we assumed maybe we left something behind and walked back over. She then says we didn't pay our bill! So after some arrogance and a complete embarrassment she found out we did pay and explained her and the waiter have issues and don't communicate well cause of some domestic bullshit. Lou you get 5 stars for the food and atmosphere and 1 for the complete embarrassment and unprofessionalism of your staff and so called manager. I will be back but I will make a pint not to deal with thus set of people specifically. read more

The place is as archaic as the name sounds. It is a hit or miss though. As many times as I have been here it really isn't my favorite. But I always have fun with the servers. I had a stack of pancakes, with a side of hash browns. I finished about 3/4s of them and I got up to go to the restroom. When I came back my food was gone? I told my server that I wasn't finished, but that I would take the check. Dude, she brought out another stack. Are you kidding me. But they covered the whole plate. I had to eat them to be nice. But I couldn't move for the rest of the day. read more

Any place that serves me free donut holes and Milk Duds before my meal is A-OK in my book! Lou Mitchell's reminds me of the greasy spoons in my college town. The waitresses are all really old, and kind of hobble around like they have corns on their feet, it's kind of dirty (well, maybe grungy is the better term), and you get way more greasy food on your plate than you can possibly ingest in one sitting. Patrons get crammed into big, long tables, they only accept cash and you're likely to become new friends with your dining neighbors. The food is just okay. Perhaps I should have tried the breakfast, which is what Lou Mitchell's is famous for, but I had my heart set on a tuna melt. While I appreciate the all-white skipjack tuna upgrade, the tuna salad was pretty blah. No flavor, nothing exciting. It was served with an overwhelmingly large amount of cheese that took over the sandwich. One plus was the utterly delicious, ripe tomato slice on top of my melt. Mmmmm..... The fries were just okay, too. I think they may be been slightly undercooked. As a French fry connoisseur, I've honestly had better fries at Burger King. And you know they rank last on the unofficial fast food fry scale! Maybe I'll stop back in for breakfast someday. read more

I can't believe how many people love lou mitchell's! there are a million better places to go for brunch in this city. i was horrified to see them represented on Top Chef because chicago is so much better than this! Blech! read more

My husband and I are visiting Chicago and decided to try Lou Mitchell's for breakfast this morning because we heard raved reviews. It was a very disappointing experience for us. The restaurant had no system for seating in the patio. There were two people in charge of seating and we told one guy (who passed out the donut holes) that we wanted the patio. He rejected our request and said the patio was for 4 people or more. Immediately after he told us he brought 3 people behind us to the patio. We then asked the other person who was in charge and she told us no such 4-or-more-at-patio rule. She told us to wait since it was full. We waited a few minutes and a table opened up. She told us to go ahead and sit at the table, and we did as told. Then the waitress came and told us we were not supposed to sit there. I told her that the lady inside told us to sit here. She walked to the table next to us and started telling her other customers that we DIDN'T wait in line for the table. She didn't try to find out the fact and had the audacity to accuse us for jumping the line. Of course I heard her, I turned around and fired back that I waited for 15 minutes before I got the table. I gave her a piece of my mind. She still didn't believe me and brought the lady out to confirm. After she found out she was wrong, she didn't apologize or even felt a tad sorry. I was going to stomp off and forget about their breakfast but thought to myself that it had to be good since so many people in line for it. The food came and it was mediocre!! The eggs were over cooked on the outside for an over-easy. I've had better breakfast in my neighborhood in Los Angeles. You can absolutely find a restaurant like this in whichever city you come from. There're other better places to go in Chicago. Don't get fooled by the line, you're just wasting your valuable time especially if you're a visitor. read more

Great location and an old school atmosphere, I wished the food lived up to the expectations. Nothing special about the eggs or pancakes we got and could probably make them at home better than we had there. No flavor and the taste as bland at its best. For the amount spent there, one can easily have a better breakfast someplace else. read more

What to say about Lou Mitchell's...I hate to only give it three stars because the food was good, and it was nice to get the donut holes while waiting in line and the teeny cup of ice cream after breakfast. But I just can't see myself waiting in line for 40 minutes or more for just plain good food again. Perhaps not fair to knock down their stars for the wait alone, but really, I just didn't think it was worth it! Our waiter was very friendly and quick, and when he brought me the wrong dish, brought the correct one back very quickly. Coffee cups were never empty. The hostesses were hard to read though, I know they were just trying to deal with the crowd but making us stand two by two and ordering us around? I don't know, not what I want on a weekend morning (I get ordered around enough at work right?). I felt sort of rushed to leave. When I'm bothering to get up for brunch, I'd rather be leisurely about it and actually be able to hold a conversation The omelettes were big and fluffy (I'd stay away from the apple one I ordered though, it was just bizarre), but really nothing about the food blew me away. Maybe a good weekday place but on the weekend there are many places with similar quality and less of a wait! (If I was going to wait, it would be for the masterpieces at Bongo Room on wabash that there's just no way I could make myself) And definitely would NOT take a group here (although I saw plenty of families and groups)- most of the booths seemed to be on the small side, so you'd probably end up waiting quite a while for a table! (plus you can't put your name in and number in your party- you just wait in line till you get to the front. Maybe it works out overall) read more

Okay - so I'm actually a Lou Mitchell's poser because I've never actually dined there. However, I felt the need to give it a rave review because every time I talk to my 86 (soon to be 87) year old grandfather in San Diego, he asks if I have, since the last time we spoke, gone to Lou Mitchell's. Apparently he had such a fantastic time at this place, and such a great meal, that he still feels the need to check in on it after dining there ONCE almost 5 years ago. So I'm guessing it's good? I trust Grandpa. read more

I recently visited Lou Mitchell's on my wedding day to treat my groomsmen to breakfast before the big day. They would not let me make reservations since it was a Saturday - I was hoping they might make an exception but no such luck. I was told when trying to make a reservation that the wait would be 10-15 min - strike #2. We waited almost 40 min to get seated and then they didnt even sit us together - strike #3. Finally, the food was average, very average. I had 2 eggs, sausage and hashbrowns. I have been there in the past and remembered it being better but maybe my pallet has changed - it was very bland. The only positive and reason for 2 stars was the service once we got seated. There are much better breakfast places in the city. read more

Milk duds, donut holes, orange slices, prunes.....quality of ingredients is second to none. I have been a loyal patron since 1980. Simply the best. read more

A great breakfast with very prompt service and delicious coffee. Eggs always cooked just right. Omelettes are a winner. Can be busy, but worth the wait. read more

I have been here a few times but yesterday was my latest visit and it will still as I remember it, crowded, with fast service, and great food. They have a great dish with 2 eggs made any way you want (they say two but i always end up with 3 or 4 egg yolks...hmmm?), hash browns, toast (my fav is greek bread), and a meat (sausage/bacon/ham), all for about $8. The coffee here is delicious. And any ladies that frequent here get a small box of milk duds (I have no idea why). This place only takes cash so make sure you have some! There is ALWAYS a line when I come and I usually get there around 9:30-10am so early bird really does get the worm! I love when they ring the bell to sing happy birthday to one of the customers. I decided to mix this up and ordered the Belgian waffle with cooked fruit and whipped cream. It was delicious but the cooked fruit made it really soggy. Next time I'll try it w/o the fruit. Oh btw, their eggs scrambled are out of control. They mutate into some super fluffy yellow stuff. I personally didnt like it. I usually get my eggs overeasy here. read more

This is hands down the best diner in Chicago. I probably come here once a month. Their omelettes are amazing, the steak sandwich is the best I've ever had, and their salmon benedict is to die for. They also have coffee that will keep you coming back. Truly an institution. read more

So we've been here before and the food and service were always good. I must say this recent visit was a bit disappointing. I'm not sure what has happened but they don't have the coffee people walking around anymore making sure your cup is never dry and I didn't notice a lot bus boys so the waitresses were pulling triple duty making it not a great experience for people, especially if you have not been there before. It seemed like the food took forever to come (they're usually busy and never took that long before). I hope they get it back together. It would be a shame to have this icon close up shop. read more

It was very busy and somewhat of a small space so plan accordingly. We did find a seat right away but it was at one of the counters. There is a lot of servers all over the place so you won't be waiting for long. We were helped by a few different servers which made it a little confusing but our coffee and water were always full. The coffee was good and worth it. The omelets were fluffy but I added Cholula to my omelet as it was mild in flavor. read more

I have been here once - I liked the food, the service, the ambiance. Everything was great, but then again that is to be expected from a place that is always crowded! Maybe it is time to revisit this place with a bunch of hungry friends... read more

This is probably one of my first reviews. I have given Lou 2 stars because I have eaten there before on many occasions and the food and service is good. Until last week... My husband and I were meeting some friends for breakfast around 9am on a Friday. When we arrived, I walked to the dining area to see if they were already seated. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the lady at the counter feverishly waving me to come back. The restaurant was not crowded at all and most of the people were seated towards the back. I needed to see if our friends were there yet. The lady, long black hair, latin descent, continued to take people at the register and told me she would be right with me after these customers paid their bills and mumbled something to them under her breath. Fine, my husband and I stood there and then she came running to grab her basket of donut holes to offer us one. Um, no, I do not eat from where other people have grabbed, germs!! That's another story all together. She reprimanded me that I was not able to seat myself and I told her that I was just looking for some friends we were meeting. My husband asked her for a booth and she said vehemently, no that it was the rules for the whole party to be there before being seated. My husband who wanted to just sit and chat and order some coffee and, but she stood in our way. Going on and on about the rules of the restaurant, ok lady we heard you but the restaurant is in no way full, and there is not a line in front of us or in back. Let us sit??? When all of a sudden someone comes in from behind and goes to a booth to meet his friend that has been sitting there for God knows how long reading the paper!! are you kidding me?? She stammered something like he must have gotten past me and sat and blah blah blah. We left her talking and told her she lost some pretty loyal customers because of her ignorance. Sorry Lou, we won't be seeing you anytime soon. read more

I want to like this place, but other than the admittedly delicious free bite of soft serve ice cream at the end of the meal, there's nothing to separate this place from any other olde style, greasy spoon diner you might find in any other city. Pancakes are fine. Biscuits and gravy are alright. The syrup good enough. The coffee is bottomless I suppose. The range of fare is diner typical, though. There' s no crazy form of pancake or signature baked good or heart-attack-inducing killer sandwich. You might dismiss those things as gimmicks, but I bring them up in this context because I think they can add to a diner's present, contemporary character. Other than this place's historical connection to Route 66 (and that delicious, delicious final bite of ice cream), there's really nothing remarkable, in any way good or bad, about the fare, the prices, or the service. At the end of the day, I just wouldn't go out of your way to get here. read more

I went here yesterday for lunch. It took 20 minutes of sitting at my table before the waitress came to take our order. Mind you, it was not a rush period yet. Then it took another half hour of waiting before I asked to see the manager. The manager was very rude and told me that they were busy and it was not their problem. I told her that I am a working person who has an hour lunch. It is unacceptable for our waitress to be so unresponsive. I told the manager that we should get a discount on our meal for waiting so long, and she told us no. When I finally received my food, it was cold, but I ate it anyway because I was starving by then. The food was very generic -- what you'd expect of a typical diner. I would never wait in line for this crap! read more

Just a few notes: A. The food was disgusting, runny eggs over cooked scrambles, frozen mush for broccoli. B. Read their health inspection on the City of Chicago board or below where somone posted! C. Lastly, DISGUSTING read more

Tremendous breakfast spot for your Amtrak layover in Chicago. Everything is rich. I usually go for a benny or a hash. Coffee is world class. Nice butter too. read more

Not sure why everyone loves this place but it's just a crappy diner. The food was just ok and overpriced. You're packed in there so tight, you can barely move. I was really uncomfortable and we had to wait in a pretty decent line to get in. Mind you this was sunday and most branch places are packed so I'm not surprised by a line. Can't figure out what the appeal is other than people goin out of habit or because of its "charm" being on Route 66. The place hasn't been updated since it opened I'm sure. Tons of way better brunch spots in Chicago. This isn't some rural town with no other options. read more

Okay. I don't usually write reviews because I don't have time, but I'll make an exception for these folks. This was the worst experience I have ever had in a restaurant. EVER. The food was not worth the price, it took forever to come out, and was mediocre at best. *sigh* To top all that foolishness off, they do not offer coffees to go, even if you've paid for a(n overpriced) coffee at your seat. Also! On my way out, there was a lady sitting at the bar, SCREAMING at three servers. All the waitstaff is older, and it was painful to watch someone yell at a grandma. The lady taking payment at the front informed that that lady was the boss. The Boss? Seriously?! What kind of place treats their employees in such a way? One of the servers was near tears. I tipped my server double what I had originally planned to give her because she has to deal with that nonsense just to make an honest living. No. Just, no. I will not be giving this establishment any more of my business. read more

World famous? Pft. Eggs taste like they are from a powder. Coffee is burnt. Hashbrowns are more like scalloped potatoes (some burnt, others raw). Two small sausage links cost $5. The staff, except for our waitress, is fairly rude. I don't get why people love this place so much. The overall feeling is the food is drastically overpriced, the food cheaply prepared and they don't care. read more

THIS is Chicago's best breakfast venue (sorry, Bongo Room, we're not talking about you here). Of course, it's filled with tourists, but that's how it survived back in the day when the West Loop was a virtual no-man's-land. Remember? Oh, and if you're wondering about the eggs & omelettes: it's all the butter and cream they add in . . . not crack cocaine. read more

They've gotta be in cahoots with a local dentist or doctor who specializes in diabetes care or something. I mean holy hell. I have never had anyone throwing so many free sugary treats at me this early in the morning. When the waitress cruised by to offer us some ice cream, I really wanted to say yes because, well, it's ice cream! But sweet jesus it was like 8:30 am and we were going to 3 museums that day. I was already feeling weighed down with pancakes. Man alive. So as if I were watching myself from outside of my own body, I heard myself telling her - nooooooo, no ice cream for me. Whaaaaaaat? I couldn't even believe it myself. read more

This place knocked my hangover socks right off!! Free donut holes upon entering, super quick service and breakfast as good as mom serves (and some even better). I love this place and will go back every time I'm in Chicago. read more

what is most disappointing is how much I want to like this place. here is the story of my most recent experience: we walk in, get seated. waitress brings water, coffee, takes order, etc. one of our meals comes out wrong. my wife ordered a cheese and mushroom omelet. They gave her a cheese and onion omelet. not the end of the world but figured it would not be terribly hard to make it right. after telling the waitress, there was no apology, just took the plate back. she came back with THE SAME OMELET, but this time it had some mushrooms next to it. Please note, they did not make a new omelet so there are still onions in the omelet and there are no mushrooms in the omelet, just some mushrooms sitting on the side of the plate. Amazing. I tell her this is unacceptable but she explains that the kitchen is closed. we are in a rush so decide to suck it up. 1/2 way through the meal a bus boy comes and grabs at my wife's plate asking if she is done. she was not. none of us were. I was amazed by his boldness, raised my voice, told him to come back later. he tells me they are closing in 10 minutes. hard to imagine this is possible. they didn't take anything off the bill. they did not apologize, they did not do anything that would make someone think they cared. oh, they have really good coffee. have been several times and have never had this bad of an experience. that said, what exactly is so special? if you want special, go to Sweet Maple Cafe on Taylor street. read more