When family says, this is the place to go, you make sure to stop in for a meal. This is a cute, old school vibe, affordable, get bang-for-you-buck, kinda place. Definitely a great Southern Illinois restaurant and staple in this small town for a long time. We were told the biscuits and gravy was a must. So, for the first time, I gave it a try. I love biscuits but usually plain or with butter and jam. I am hit or miss with gravy and prefer it on potatoes. But this time.....I ordered them as is! Biscuits smothered in gravy and it was delicious! A recommendation I was more than happy with. Other food items were good to. We left happy and satisfied. Solid service as well. read more

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Very good food and coffee. The service was friendly and quick. I liked the ambiance of the diner

Biscuts and gracy were delicious, but I got a veggie omelet. It was the worst omelet I've ever had in my life and im not a picky person. The mushroom and onion tasted so burnt and the toppings were only in the very middle. Ohh 98$ for 3 adults and 2 kids!!!! Will not go back. read more

While on the road, we stopped here for breakfast. It is an old style bar diner, they also have a dining area. We sat at the bar, where our friendly server quickly assisted us. I had a veggie omelet as my meal-the dish comes with a side of complimentary biscuits and gravy, home fries, sweet tea or coffee, and toast. The food was fantastic and filling. read more

Mary Lou's has been in a staple in Carbondale and for SIU students for years. There are few places in the area that I think compete for breakfast of lunch. Mary Lou's is a bit of a throwback. There is counter service and then a small dinning area. It reminds me of a cafe from movies in the 1950s. It isn't a fancy place, and I've definitely referred to it as a "dive" in the past in the best possible context. The service is polite and fast, the prices are very reasonable, the portions are large, and the quality is high. The last time we were in was right around lunch so our table ordered a mixture of lunch and breakfast items. My kids got pancakes that were huge and fluffy. My dad got an omelette with a side of bacon and biscuits and gravy. My wife got a burger and fries while I got a steak sandwich. Everything was outstanding and the prices were unbeatable. I would highly recommend Mary Lou's grill to anyone looking for a bite to eat. read more

I was in the area to attend a wedding and a small group of us went out to get breakfast on a very cold morning in November. The place was packed even for the early time of the day on a Saturday so we had to wait for about 10-15 minutes. Immediately on entering you could smell smoke from oil burning and food being cooked and they did not seem to have the best ventilation as it was pretty over powering. There seemed to be a lot of locals as the lady at the register seemed to be taking her time talking to each one of the. Being from the east coast I guess I need to work on my patience, but that was definitely one observation that stood out. The place has two sections and we were taken to the other side to be seated. Our waitress seemed pretty inexperienced as she took our order a few times and then served us food without any utensils at the table. It was a few rounds before we got everything. The biscuits were the best part, but other than that it was very ordinary breakfast with hardly any flavor. read more

We met our fiend here for breakfast on the way to a golf event. Parking is across the street in the public lot. It was my first time trying Mary Lou's. It has a diner vibe, with seating at tables or the bar. We sat at the bar and received quick service. They are famous for their biscuits and gravy and almost every meal on the menu offers them. I do not like biscuits and gravy so I can't give you my personal review, but everyone else scraped their plates, so they must be pretty good! My traditional breakfast items, eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast were all good! We will be back! read more

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Mary Lou's is a staple in Southern Illinois! Great food. They give you biscuits and gravy with every meal!

Service was good, but the food is poor to fair. Year after year. There are better places to eat breakfast in the Dale...where the food is actually good. read more

Love this place. Mary Lou's is everything that's right with the world. Huge dining counter. Mind your manners, they will tell You where to sit. Breakfast is awesome. The half order of biscuits & gravy; outstanding. The bacon is off the charts and the service is outstanding. Wish there was a Mary Lou's at home. A Carbondale treasure. read more

Very Friendly fast service. Across the street from railroad museum. Ice Tea was very good unsweetened had Chicken & Dumplings and Tea. $8.50. read more

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Breakfast is amazing. Best in Carbondale. Been eating there since 1974. Recommend the biscuits and gravy.

The food was freshly prepared and delicious. Very enjoyable experience. I'll go back there as soon as I can.

It's been 2 years since I ate here. I am still thinking about the biscuits and gravy. They were the best I've ever had!! Nothing else compares. Unfortunately, I live 6 hours away. read more

Never a disappointment with Mary Lou's. The food is hot and fresh and the service is great!

Great ambiance! We had a bit of a wait but the food was well worth the wait. The staff was friendly and the food was hot and tasted great!

Food was generous and delicious. Great service. The atmosphere reminded me of diners from the past! Highly recommend!!

A well-known local breakfast place with great food and service, but I personally like to order off the lunch menu and get one of the best burgers in town! read more

Everything was great. We had breakfast. The service was friendly. Just like I remember when I was in college!!

Mary Lou's is a throwback kind of diner. The walls are pre-fab wood paneling. Nearly every inch of the wall is covered with photos of odd bands and members of Mary Lou's clientele. Reminded me of the kind of place Uncle Jesse would take Bo and Luke for breakfast before a long day of evading Roscoe P. Coltrane. I had a half order of the biscuits and gravy and they were good. Not amazing or anything, but solid. The real reason to go to Mary Lou's is to check out all those awesome framed pictures of human beings from a bygone era. Once upon a time, people really had mustaches like that. And they allowed themselves to be photographed that way. read more

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I wish I didn't live 4 hours away! This place is awesome. My son and I popped in before a SIU visit this morning and we loved it all. The food was so great. They give you a free biscuit and gravy appetizer, people....how can you be upset with this joint?! I never saw the bottom of my coffee cup. And my kid didn't even take a breath while eating...that's how happy he was with his breakfast. We met Marilynn and heard about how she cheered on the Salukis basketball team the night before at a game. This place is the real deal. If you do just one thing while in town, it better be to come visit these nice folks! read more

Mary Lou's Grill - Ham and cheese omelette. Simple and delicious. - Sandwiches Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

This is one of my favorite places for breakfast. I've been coming here once or twice a month for the last 3 or 4 years. The service is top notch, and they'll keep your coffee full until you say "stop." I usually get the one egg breakfast. It comes WITH a meat ( sausage, ham, or bacon) hashbrowns, one egg any way, and toast. But that's not all, you also get a small order of biscuits and gravy and coffee at no additIonal charge. THATS INSANE. All for less than $10. There is no better bang for the buck. read more

Great meal and quick service- and have enough leftover for dinner tonight. So good! Glad we saw this place- read more

Mary Lou's Grill - Turkey and dressing and beef pot pie. So good! - Sandwiches Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Diner food hits the spot unlike anything else. Professional servers and cooks here, doing everything right. Everything we got was fresh and delicious. Nothing but a positive experience, I would recommend to anyone. I'll always be stopping here when I'm in the area! read more

If you want some homemade biscuits and gravy then this is the place to go. Been coming here since 2017, and has been my go to for breakfast ever since. Staff is always friendly and gives a nice mom and pop restaurant feel. I recommend sitting at the bar but it's really up to you on if you want to sit on a diner stool or in regular chairs. read more

The food is great and filling! My sister said her pancakes were the best she's ever had. The employees are very kind.

1st Timers and WOW! Absolutely 1 of the 2 best Biscuits and Gravy I have had, the entire meal was tasty, service was solid, everyone was friendlt. Really, really enjoyed our breakfast! read more

A Carbondale tradition. Service is friendly and food is good. I go there for breakfast and it's what you want for breakfast. Character is the name of the game when you go to Mary Lou's. read more

I've went here for years and gotten the same thing lol I love biscuits and gravy and I always get an egg on top. They talked me into the pretty legs I personally would have wanted extra gravy but still really good! Plus I'm all about local and that they are!! read more

Mary Lou's Grill - I do love love biscuits and gravy and they are one of the best!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

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This place is no frills, and I really appreciate that. That said--the prices are about 20% higher than other no frills places I've been--in more expensive areas of the country too, like New England. The biscuits and gravy are pretty good (I will admit I prefer Longbranch's, though! And no indigestion afterwards with theirs;)). The waitresses seemed understaffed and stressed, and I did order a side of homefries that took an additional 10 minutes after my biscuits and gravy came to show up--bummer, since I enjoy dipping my potatoes in hot gravy. I would pass this place over in favor of Longbranch of Harbaugh's for breakfast. read more

Mary Lou's is what you think of when you think small-town breakfast diner. Every breakfast comes with biscuits and gravy which is a favorite of mine and everyone in my family. I love the crisp bacon they serve and usually gets eggs and the potatoes. The service is good and friendly. The prices are very good. I've never sat at the counter, but it's always full of people chatting with each other and the cooks. The decor is nostalgic with old family photos and basic diner type tables and chairs. Nothing fancy, just old-fashioned goodness. If you're in town to visit, you've got to try Mary Lou's. read more

A truly iconic restaurant with legendary B&Gs. There is no caramel lattes or tuna bowls, they serve the classics . If you take a girl here and she loves it, wife material. If she hates , run as fast as you can. Any people who rank other diners in the Southern Illinois area higher than this icon are sad individuals who have been confused by modernity and the honor-less mimetic structures of our time. Mary Lous is simple , does 1 thing great (B&Gs ), and offers all Salukis , both past and present , the medical treatment they need after a long night at PKs. Through covid , riots , and all, Long Live Mary Lous, our queen and majesty! read more

My goto place for a great breakfast. Great service. Super friendly staff. I usually order the standard eggs n sausage combo thing.

Cash only no-frills breakfast spot. The menu is small and fairly straightforward for a breakfast diner. Service is blunt and fast. Their biscuits and gravy are usually what draw us here (plus we also live super close by). The biscuits are very soft, and the gravy is creamy and mild (more cream based than sausage in it). Note the hash browns are actually home fries (cut up potato pieces). I've found this is a fascinating Midwest phenomenon where home fries are often called hash browns, but for me, a hash brown lover, it is quite a let down to see chunks of potato instead of a lovely thin layer of fried shreds of potato (rosti style). read more

Every Carbondale native that returns to visit makes it a PRIORITY to have breakfast at Mary Lou's!! Food is DELICIOUS, helpings HUMONGOUS and the HOSPITALITY is Amazing!! Now that I've finally moved back, it's a regular staple for my family!! read more

Met with a few colleagues for planning talking lunch. Plenty of tasty food for good price with quick good service. I would say the only bad thing about it is if you don't come early the parking lot across the street fills up quickly. And the place was absolutely packed for lunch. This place is a 50 year plus staple of Carbondale. And they recently remodeled and upgraded. It's worth it to spend a few minutes perusing all the newspaper articles of the history of the place. I got the turkey dinner which was turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes cranberry all kinds of good stuff for $7 We made the mistake of not ordering dessert first and they were sold out on the pies . And get their gravy on everything read more

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Wow what a disappointment. We waited 10 minutes just to get coffee. Never did get water we asked for twice. Food was very bland nothing special. My girlfriend could produce better on a camping stove! I had French Toast and some mystery meat the waitress claimed was sausage but tasted of nothing and probably could have passed as a burger as well. French toast just made with regular wheat bread. My girlfriend had an Omelet that was made with sliced cheese! We won't be back. Harbaugh's Cafe at the other end of the strip leaps and bounds better. read more

It's the breakfast staple in Carbondale! If you haven't been you are missing out. Biscuits and gravy come along with most of the menu to keep you happy while you wait on a delish omelet maybe! read more

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I used to live in an apartment on top of mary lou's. Awesome place to live except the smell of grease every morning on drunkin hangovers was enough to make me puke sometimes. The food really isnt all that great but it is what you would expect from a greasy spoon cafe. Perfect for hangovers and the amount of food you get is HUGE! If you order eggs before 11am you get a plate of biscuits and gravy(the best item on the menu) for free! The cooks and wait staff are super friendly and remind me of a cool aunt. The awesome pictures on the wall of friends, bands, regulars, famous people from the 70's and 80's is really cool. I really do miss this place, More so living above it than the food. But i will not miss having to use my shirt sleeve to open the door because the door handle to walk outside was so friggin greasy. read more

I gotta say mediocre at best. We were visiting our daughter for family weekend and our son joined us as we'll. This is our second time here and I still can't change my opinion of both times we came here for breakfast. The biscuits and gravy appetizer before breakfast was a nice little touch. Biscuits were good but the gravy was bland, lacking sausage crumbles. The omelets were scrambled eggs fried flat, cooked on both sides then a slice of American cheese (probably Kraft singles) with a scoop of ham then folded. Very un imaginative. Everything else was basic breakfast. Cash only, probably from all the bad credit from students. Long lines at the front which I don't get the attraction. I guess the big thing about this place is the burgers. Maybe we'll try next time were there.....we'll see how desperate we get. read more