One of my favorite breakfast spots on the weekend! The staff is very welcoming and very quick! A decent sized mom and pop shop! They have cozy booth seats when you first enter the restaurant and in the back is more tables for small groups or couples. I'm obsessed with their skillets! You honestly can't go wrong with anyone you choose. My top 3 would be "Joe h special, the panhandler, and el presidents." Joe h special- consist of corned beef, green peppers (I usually switch for broccoli), sautéed onions and tomatoes with mix of cheeses on top of hash browns with egg your way and your choice of toast or pancake for 12.95. You can't beat that?! It's very flavorful, and has nice crunch from the hash browns. You will be full from this, I usually have leftovers. The panhandler is a go to if you want steak, eggs, and sautéed onions! If you are feeling frisky and want some heat, go for the el presidente- this has ground beef, jalapeño, and sautéed onions with the usual blended cheeses, hash browns and choice of egg, plus toast/pancake! You definitely get your "bang for your buck" here! Plus they serve alcohol so your traditional mimosa or blood Mary if you are feeling that brunch atmosphere! read more

One of my top Breakfast options in Chicago. The skillets are very large and enough to have for breakfast the next day. Biscuits and Gravy are too good not to add in on the side. Sometimes a wait if you go when the church lets out next door but WORTH THE WAIT. read more

This is an amazing diner with great service and fun atmosphere! Love the wait staff and the menu is extensive. They customize everything. It's awesome. Highly recommend! read more

#120in2020 . Looking to expand my culinary horizons by visiting 120 different restaurants, coffee shops, bars or other eateries in 2020. Here is my latest visit! Stopped here in New Year's Day! Very crowded as is to be expected at prime brunch hours and limited options on 1/1/2020. This place was a classic diner and was true to form. No list to put your name on, no pagers. Just come in and tell the hostess how many and magically she remembers and keeps it all correct. We got seated and served as soon as it was possible. Server was very friendly and pretty calm considering the chaos on that day. Never flinched. They have an expansive menu and all of your faves. Bloodys, Mimosas and more were bragged about bit we did not partake. Lots around us did- so that's saying something. Food was great. Came out exactly as ordered. I ordered an omelet with corned beef hash which was amazing. Solid omelet that was large but not overwhelming. I walked away satisfied but not over stuffed. They were on top of the water and table. Pay at the front. This goes on the go-to/recco list. read more

Super cute little neighborhood diner!! Service was amazing. She noticed that we were from out of town so after eating she gave us recommendations for other cool places to eat around the neighborhood and places to check out. If you're checking this place out don't look any further than the skillet page. Probably 30 different skillets and each looks better than the last. read more

Sam & George's - Check out the skillet menu!!!!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Casual, affordable and yummy comfort food. There are so many choices on the menu. The skillets are big enough for two and there are lots of options. Servers are friendly, we got seated at about 10am with no wait on a Saturday morning, so that's a win in my book. Overall a great place for a casual brunch where everyone will find something to enjoy! read more

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I just want to say thank you so much for taking my cranky baby out of my arms this morning, walking around and showing him the kitchen, and keeping him entertained so that my husband and I could have a peaceful breakfast before he rushed back to work. It meant the world to me and I'm just so appreciative of people like you! - Lincoln's mommy read more

Sam & George's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My fiancé loves this place because he has been coming here for years. I however didn't like the service. As soon as we walked in you have two older ladies yell out "If you want to sit outside you go outside" "If you want to sit inside you stand by the red chair". I did not like their attitude so we left. read more

Paid $16 for chicken & waffles. Naturally expected real fried chicken. Came with "chicken tenders" from a frozen bag like you'd get at a grocery store. What a complete rip off and a waste. read more

Sam & George's - Chicken & waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our group of 6 was originally headed to a nearby restaurant, but after being told it would be a 3-hour wait, we decided we were simply too hungry to wait that long. So off to S&G we went. Despite being a somewhat large group on a Saturday morning while the restaurant was busy, our wait was only about twenty minutes. The restaurant has two sections, a small one up front with booths, and a larger section towards the back with larger tables. This is where our group sat. The menu is HUGE. It lists literally everything you could ever dream of. Even things you didn't think were on the menu...probably actually are. For example, I had my heart set on eating biscuits and gravy for breakfast. At first glance, I thought this was not on the menu. A further look into their egg skillets page, however, let me know that one of their skillets, The Country Skillet, would give me exactly what I wanted. I ordered this, along with a mimosa. My food did not disappoint. A skillet with eggs, hash browns, country fried steak, accompanied by a side of biscuits smothered in gravy. A generous portion that I unfortunately could not finish. Despite the many menu choices, I would probably have to order this again just based on how much I enjoyed it. My only complaint about this place would be the service. It's not great. Our server was nice enough to bring coloring books for the two kids in our party, but seemed a bit irritated and rushed. I understand that it was a busy morning, but we ordered pretty quickly and the irritability seemed unnecessary. For example, when my husband ordered the same thing as me but with an edit, and very clearly stated it as such, she felt the need to correct him by snapping back "So...NOT the same thing." Just a bit rude. read more

What a fantastic family restaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. We actually ate here two days in a row! The first day we were here for lunch. I had the mushroom burger with steak cut fries and homemade chicken noodle soup. Everything was delicious! Great flavor, generous portions. My husband had the club sandwich made with a burger. He too enjoyed his. The next day we took our son here for an early dinner. He had the spaghetti with meat sauce. Again, a large portion and he said it filled him up! My husband had the open faced turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. He said the turkey was tender and delicious. I had the pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and sweet corn. It was delicious and again all the portions are beyond generous. This is a fantastic place for a great family meal, or out with friends. I wish they would stay open past 6pm. Not sure if that was due to COVID or what, but it would be nice to come in for dinner at 6 or 7 pm. Regardless, we will be regular's when we are in the area which is often. read more

Yum! I ordered take out for the first time and it was delicious! One of the best parts about this place was the staff. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend take out, especially during the restaurant closures. read more

I wish I can give S&G 6 stars, this is by far the best breakfast place in the city! The food here is fresh and taste amazing. The staff are friendly and very welcoming. Try the breakfast burrito you will not be disappointed. Thank you S&G for having such a great local breakfast place, great location and friendly staff! William read more

Best diner in the area, period. This place has never not hit the spot, even when we got takeout during COVID.

The place has a reputation for great skillets. They were, I would say, acceptable and not necessarily fantastic. My peeve with the site is that it lacks good welcoming and hospitality. It also seemed very chaotic and disorganized. We have to wait more than 10 minutes for a waiter to take our order. If you come, don't expect a midwestern way of service. This will be rough. read more

I've visited here twice now, once in June and now in July. The food is Ok to good, depending on what you order. The chopped steak is good. The soups are good. Salad, very nice. Breakfast was .... meh but it was diner food. Certainly better than Ann Sather, another "popular" breakfast place in the area. However .... I have now found the worst example of customer service on the whole planet. I believe he's the owner. He has white hair and a burry little moustache. During the 65 minutes I was there this week, he *continually* chastised his staff over minor matters. He was very rude to a customer about the doneness of a steak or something he ordered. He moped about the place and generally cast his negative voodoo vibes all over the restaurant. I could not believe how he addressed his staff .... Very rude! This individual needs to retire or go away or something. He made me feel so uncomfortable that I left before I was finished eating. I had indigestion, not from the food, but from his shit-ass attitude. read more

In the age of avocado toasts and fried eggs on pizza, S&G's is a refreshing welcome and much needed option. It was about 10:30am Sunday and the place was packed. Luckily, for a group of two, we waited just a few minutes. I didn't know right away, but the "Wait to be seated" line is towards the middle, just past the initial cashier area. Our server was lovely and helpful, explaining things to us as it was our first time. She regularly stopped by. Our orders took quite awhile to come out, but she always gave us updates and apologized for the wait. While they do have somewhat of a classic large breakfast menu, they do specialize on skillets. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sean's Favorite while boo also enjoyed the Star Spangled skillet. Our side of biscuits and gravy was also solid. Coffee was on the weaker side. Tables are also very close to each other, but I didn't mind as it kinda adds to the charm of these popular hustle & bustle establishments. The gentleman at the register who I presume to be the owner, was delightful and charming. Overall, Sam & George's is exactly what I want for breakfast - classic consistent breakfast in a warm family friendly atmosphere. read more

This place is horrid. A fellow gastronome and myself headed here this morning with high hopes, based on the Yelp rating. One of our favorite places, Bakin and Eggs, is just a few doors down, but we decided to pass in favor of a new adventure. Boy, were we disappointed. The food was sub-par, something you might expect at a Denny's or Ram's horn. I don't understand what all of the buzz is about. The only thing that was exciting was the kitschy decor - local teams plaques hung on the wall and random art scattered about. So, we agreed it was ok, and would probably settle on rating this eatery a 2 or 3 on Yelp. Until we went to the front to pay. Yikes. Well, the itemized bill said .50 next to potatoes well done and I asked what the extra charge was for. They told me it was probably for the sourdough bread I ordered (is there really a valid reason for an upcharge on 2 slices of sourdough over two slices of white or rye? REALLY?) My friend said, okay, well you should tell people that when they order. The owner came over and snarled that it was written on the menu. We explained that we read it pretty thoroughly and did not notice and suggested waitresses might mention that there is an upcharge whenever someone orders something that requires one - just a friendly piece of advice; feedback from a customer. Well, that didn't go over so well. The owner started yelling us and telling us we should eat somewhere else then, including some obscenities. He also went on a tangent saying that we had four dollar drinks from Starbucks in our hands, so we could probably handle paying the fifty cents and that fifty cents is not a lot of money. Thank god he didn't notice her Louis Vuitton bag. My friend responded that we might next time, but that it wasn't about the money, it was just the principle and that we couldn't understand why he was so upset about our suggestion. He then screamed, "Please don't come here ever again". Whoa - what an idiot. Oh, and by the way, it cost just as much money to eat at this dump as it would have to go to Bakin and Eggs or Bongo Room or somewhere else delicious. read more

Ended up locating this spot because our original breakfast spot had a 2 hour or longer wait. So glad we did. Seating was quick. Server came by quickly. And the food was delivered fast. The server helped me place my "strange" omelette request. Food was delicious. And the bill was reasonable. I will definitely be back and I've already told someone about the spot. read more

Omg the service is freaking amazing here. Friendly staff and host. I spilled water and they ran over and cleaned it all up in 10 seconds! So impressed. the food is also awesome. Exactly what you want from a dine read more

Sam & George's - Porky Pig Skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food - pretty good. Service - pretty good. Covid protocols - bad. Very crowded. And the workers were handling food and cutting fruit without gloves on. Gross! Decor - looks like everything is probably exactly the same as it was when it was first established (as in, old school, not updated). read more

Wait staff is very nice and attentive. Steak Skillet was ok. Next time I'd omit the Kraft cheese they put on top. So gross. I also do not suggest the corned beef. Looked like grounded up dog food. Wouldn't stomach it. read more

Sam & George's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were tired and hungry . . .two of the three things that make me a "not so nice person" (in case you are wondering-the third thing is cold) but that wasn't an issue on this Summer's day, so the real "gremlin" in me did not come through. But food was in order and as we looked up and down the street, S & G's came into view. "A diner! Yay! We shall feast for little money". . . .or so we thought. As we pushed open the door of this corner establishment and heard and saw the bustle and din of a diner my heart leapt. Food and drink were only minutes away. We quickly seated ourselves by the window and perused the menu. I could hear the cooks shouting out to their regulars encouraging people to order this or that before they ran out of it that day (probably should have listened to them). Now after looking at the reviews on Yelp- I probably should have gone with breakfast but it was lunch I was craving so I stayed focused on that part of the menu. I ordered a turkey club sandwich with tots and a bowl of potato soup and my friend had the chili and a patty melt with fries. Still sounds good to me but the execution on a few of the items needed a little work. While my sandwich was good (and tots rule any day!) my soup was just okay- hot but tasting more like green peppers than anything else. My friend didn't fare as well, however. He had asked for his chili to be topped with cheese and onions and when it came- not only was the chili not hot- the cheese was a slice of American cheese laid across the top! Never saw that before. And of course it never melted as the chili wasn't hot. And his patty melt? Came on white bread. A patty melt is only a patty melt when it comes on a nice rye in my book. Very odd for a diner of this type. And to make it worse- his fries were old and cold. Usually diners nail the basics! Service was quick (thank heaven as I needed FOOD!) parking was a breeze on this stretch of Lincoln and the ambiance of the place, while a little 1980's was clean. Check out the bathrooms-as nice as they come. The downside- it was a little pricey for a diner. We ended up spending almost $40 on lunch. Guess it might have been worth it if all the food had been great. The good news? The gremlin in me was sated regardless and we were able to continue on our day without it rearing it's ugly head again. And for that I'm sure my friend thanks S & G diner! read more

We ended up here because there was a 90-minute line at Batter and Berries down the street, and our friends noticed it had four stars on Yelp and were willing to give it a try. I think they were disappointed: This is a diner, not a foodie paradise, and instead of sweet potato waffle with boutique fried chicken, they serve french toast and breakfast skillets. The most creative they get is that the skillets come with things like chorizo and salsa and you can get french toast made out of raisin bread. But you know what? The service was unfussy, fast, and accommodating. They let us move to an outside table even after we'd gotten coffee and water inside, they came by frequently to refresh coffee and water, and they were very friendly. Most importantly, this is the kind of place that you can walk in and be seated immediately for brunch at 11:25 a.m. on a summer Sunday morning in Lincoln Park. For all of that, I think they're worth four stars after all. Sometimes the best brunch is the one you can have without waiting in line for hours. read more

We went on a Sunday late morning so it was very busy. Because of this, the service was a little slow but not horrible. The food was great - I got the breakfast burrito which was a huge portion. Everyone was satisfied with the meal! read more

Excellent service and eats! Recommend breakfast eats. Seemingly a Lakeview neighborhood institution. Would eat there again!

I stopped at S&G's before a facial appointment on a weekday morning. I absolutely love these types of diners: homey, and full of regulars that seem to know all the details about the daily lives of the workers and vice versa. I ordered the Star Spangled Skillet and opted for a biscuit instead of toast (because why not?!) I really enjoyed the skillet! My only complaint was that the potatoes underneath were not seasoned at all. I hate adding salt to my dish after all of the ingredients blend together because IMO it alters the dish to taste like nothing but salt. Had the hashbrowns been adequately salted before wedding the peppers, onions, tomatoes, italian sausage, and mozzarella, the dish would have been perfect. The biscuit was definitely not made from scratch, but it got the job done. I was not blown away by the food here but I was not underwhelmed. Overall a decent experience that served its purpose. read more

Sam & George's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I came here to try their famous skillets. I had the 'Porky Pig' which was a skillet full of hash browns, sauteed onions, mushrooms, sliced sausage links, melted cheddar cheese, and two eggs (any style) on top. It was a generous portion - the skillet was very generous in portion and came out hot hot hot. The food was very simple and very straightforward - shredded hash browns, I liked the sauteed onions and the sliced mushrooms; the sausages were good, and I liked the abundance of the melted cheese on top. Adding ketchup and hot sauce gives it an extra kick. The staff is friendly, and the place itself is very busy; very cute place! +'Porky Pig' skillet +friendly staff read more

I have to say, I was originally sad that there weren't more options for 5am on a Sunday, but I found Sam & George's on yelp and I'm glad I did. After a 4:30am arrival from the airport after 11 hours of flying, we were hungry...quite hungry and also tired. We were going to go to our tried and true breakfast spot, but it was unfortunately...closed that early. So, we stopped in here and were greeted warmly and got to pick a nice little booth to sit in. I had the avocado skillet with a bagel. WOW. It was delicious, fresh, and not greasy (like many diner skillets). It was also huge, so I managed to take half home for lunch. Prices are reasonable. Quick and friendly coffee refills with great staff and delicious food! I will definitely be back! read more

This is one of my favorite breakfast spots in lake view! The service is nothing short of super, the ladies that run this establishment are hard core. Most important of all, no one in Chicago can sling a skillet like S&G's. Those suckers are so filling I can only ever consume roughly half, which makes for a well-received two meal outing. The skillet selection as well is unmatched, covering every single base from full-on-veg to honky tonk chicken tendie hash to gyro niblets and all the way home to the big daddy pork belly brouhaha, for a home run! This ain't no Denny's, but they sure do load 'em up and hit grand slam after grand slam. read more

For whatever reason, I never get here as often as I used to. But S&G always did have great skillets, and decent service for the most part. Too bad it isn't open during late night hours, since I'd pick them over Golden Apple(kitty corner away) anyday. It'd sure be darn nice if I could convince my (difficult to convince) circle of friends to at least put S&G into the rotation every so infrequently, instead of rotating back to some of the meh places they pick like Burgundy. *sigh* read more

We arrived at 12:00 on Sunday as a party of 2. We got seated within a few minutes. It took about 10 minutes to place and order. It took 40 minutes to get 2 eggs, sausage and toast. When it arrived, the eggs weren't cooked and the sausage was dried to a crisp. We will not ever return. read more

Yelp milestone: review #300! Usually I trust the reviews and order the menu item that everyone says to order. I went in with the plan to order the skillet, and goshdarnit - I shoulda stuck with it. I saw a corned beef omelet on the menu and it reminded me of this creation that I had in Vegas with a giant thing of corned beef smothered in swiss cheese with eggs on the side. It was by far the most earth shattering breakfast I ever consumed and actually was far too rich to consume something like that upon waking up from a hangover, but come on, it's Vegas! I got that vision in my head and wanted to re-live it all over again. Sadly, this was nothing like that. When I walked in, I was convinced that I wasn't in the right restaurant. For such a successful restaurant, I would think they would have remodeled at least once since the 70's but I guess they want to stick with the original charm. The owner was a bit brusk with us due to the fact it was so overwhelmingly busy, but he wasn't brusk in a mean way - just in a hurried way. We were seated and immediately poured a couple glasses of water, while we looked over the menu. It took a few minutes for the waitress to come over to us, but we were both able to decide what we wanted. My mom opted for the eggs benedict and I went with the freshly squeezed OJ, Greek toast (upon Yelp recommendations) and the corned beef and swiss omelet. Our food was out rather quickly, so we were pleasantly surprised. The OJ was fabulous in the way that the freshly squeezed sort always is, albeit a little sweet. I devoured it rather quickly and found myself wishing I would have savored it. The greek toast was also really good. I normally find myself not eating the bread, but I ate all of theirs. I liked the hashbrowns a lot, as they were half crispy and half soft. My mother on the otherhand hated them as she prefers hers "extra crispy." The omelet was way overcooked and almost that rubbery texture that eggs can get. While corned beef normally adds an over-saltyness that I'm quite fond of, this variety didn't add much salt to it. Supposedly there was swiss on it, but I couldn't taste any. For our breakfasts, it was only $23 plus tip. I thought this was a great value for two huge breakfasts that filled me up till dinner. Next time I will return and get one of those skillets. The people next to us ordered them and they looked wonderful! read more

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I m in Chicago on business. Never been to Wrigleyville so I Yelped this place for breakfast. Took train and a short walk to get there. Easy to find. Everyone is very friendly and it appeared like all the employees knew every single customer. Felt like an episode of Cheers. I sat at the bar, asked for a recommendation and was pointed towards the skittle selection. There is literally like 50 skillet dishes. I picked the pork belly one. Something named Porky's Dad, I think. I was shocked at how big it was when it came out. Could have split one between two people. Pork belly was aplenty and tender and flavorful. I highly recommend the skillets. It came with toast and I got the rye bread because I love rye bread. I ate all the toast and about 75% of the skillet. Way too much food (that's a good thing). The owner is an active part of the business. As I was leaving, he and my waitress gave me directions to Wrigley Field and wished me luck with the hurricane (I'm from Charlotte which was getting pounded by Hurricane Florence). read more

White lady at the front with crusty eyelashes was blantly rude and clearly cannot handle working at a restaurant. 0 customer service.

Sam & George's is a welcoming neighborhood diner, with typical breakfast and lunch items. They have decent service, and the place has a welcoming atmosphere. I love the classic look of S&G's: on the corner with windows around both sides. It's not unlike the corner restaurant/bar in the painting Nighthawk: people seem close to each other's even though they may be perfect strangers. The food is pretty good too, but nothing outstanding. The sandwiches are solid, and the egg dishes looked hot, fresh, and delicious, though I didn't try it off my friend's plate. I would recommend S&G's for a local place to chat. The service is not great but not terrible, and same for the food. But, I wouldn't go out of your way to come here for food/ambiance. read more

Sam & George's - Avacado BLT - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Breakfast was delicious! They also did a great job with COVID. They cleaner every menu after use. They also used paper table cloth and threw it out after use. read more

Everyone in this place was super friendly. Not sure if it was due to the fact I was with regulars or just that they really are that nice. It might be blashphamy, but I almost prefer the place across the street. Walked in about 9 on new years day. Our server Yvonne was absolutely the best!!! Also, being the day after NYE I was shocked to find everyone so damn chipper. I ordered the greek skillet. It was good, but it was nothing to write home about. I ordered my eggs with the yolk runny and the whites cooked. What I got was runny yolks and whites. Luckily, the heat from the skillet helped cooked the eggs a bit more. I took only a few bites and took it to go so I could nuke it in the microwave. Everyone else loved their food and it took it down. I was the only one with a full plate. The coffee guy is on point. You've barely taken a sip and he's right there to fill up your cup. read more

Perfect diner breakfast spot. Hardworking staff Gigantic skillets read more

FIVE STARS FOR SERVICE. The coffee gets refilled like the beers at an indian casino. Our coffee must have been attended to by four separate waitresses. The customer truly seems to come first at Sam & George's. The skillets are what to look for. They have about 30 of them, each with an interesting name, which makes me think they're smart restaurateurs. Also smart were the carafes of water on every table, which is a huge plus. Our waitress was witty, friendly and attentive. The gentlemen who appeared to be in charge personally greeted every person that walked in the door and thanked each and every person who walked out. I am telling you, the service at this breakfast joint was impressive. There are a lot of $25-entrée places downtown that could learn a thing or two from Sam & George. read more

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