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Stella's Diner

4.0 (913 reviews)
ModerateDiners, American
Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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STELLA'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Stella's Diner

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Reviews With Photos

Spinach Spinwheels
Sabrina C.

If you're looking for a true Chicago neighborhood gem, Stella's Diner in Lakeview is it. Walking in, you immediately feel the history and warmth of a family owned spot that's been around since the 60s. The staff treats you like you've been coming there forever and they're friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. The menu is exactly what you want in a diner: classic breakfast served all day, plus comfort food favorites that taste homemade. I also love that they offer lighter, healthier options, so you don't have to feel guilty if you're not in full "diner mode." Prices are super reasonable for the portions you get, especially in the city. Whether you're stopping in for a quick coffee and eggs, a big family meal, or grabbing takeout through delivery, the quality is always consistent. Stella's has that rare mix of nostalgia and neighborhood charm........ Definitely a must if you're in Lakeview East and want a taste of Chicago comfort.

Scrambled Eggs and Toast
Lydia W.

Always a good time here!! Just wanted to add some more pics of food from my last visit in.

Berry french toast
Megan K.

My go-to diner in lakeview! They have everything a diner can offer, and they don't use too much grease in their cooking. The ingredients are always fresh and their menu can accommodate many different tastes. It is always busy, but with the attentive service a table will usually open within 20 minutes of arrival. Sometimes it does take a while for someone to pour us water after sitting down as it does get so busy, but the food is amazing and it is a nice local spot.

Spinach Spinwheels
Jazmine P.

Good food, great service! They had all the components of a good local diner. a full menu with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, drinks, apps, desserts, and malts/shakes! YUM!!! The diner was nicely decorated and felt very homey, family business for sure.

Sarah P.

Very traditional diner. Was pretty busy for a Sunday morning but the skillet I got came out fast, was delicious and I finished the whole plate! Service was kind. This was a classic experience and would come again.

French Toast
Diana M.

A nice simple diner with fast service. My friend and I didn't have to wait at all when we came in on Saturday for brunch. Their French toast combo was solid and I have no complaints here!

Dean Q.

Closer to 3.5 stars than 3 but nonetheless felt like pretty typical diner fare. Prices are pretty competitive and I did really enjoy the bustling ambiance here. I ordered the country style Benedict and my wife got the spinach/feta omelette. The Benny was okay; eggs were a bit overdone so not as runny as I would like. The sausage gravy was watery and overall didn't really impart a ton of flavor. Which is a shame because the hash browns are basically devoid of seasoning. The best part was definitely the generous helping of country style ham, which had great texture and brought the smokiness and savoriness this dish needed. I tried the omelette but also felt pretty meh about it; had to jazz it up with a lot of hot sauce. I would probably come back and try some other items but paying your bill also annoyed us as you pay on a Square reader so you don't get a physical copy of your bill till after. We didn't know there was a service charge and then the tip was calculated post-tax and post-service charge so the total ended up being inconceivably high for two entrees and coffee. I might come back to try the egg skillets but otherwise would rather try other diners.

Buffalo Chicken Salad (Grilled Chicken)
Nate T.

I love Stella's. I used to eat here on a weekly basis when I lived nearby. The service is always top notch, the food is delicious and the restaurant's atmosphere is great. Today I stopped in for lunch and got the buffalo chicken salad. It was served within 10 minutes and had a very generous helping of chicken. The others in my party got breakfast dishes (one omelette and the other scrambled eggs) and the portions were huge and looked delicious. Additionally, the waitress came by several times to ensure our waters were full and ask if we needed anything. Overall, great dining experience. I can't recommend Stella's highly enough.

Shayan P.

High quality ingredients, delicious, good dining experience, kind waiters, and welcoming atmosphere.

Smoked Lox and Onion Omelet
Kayla D.

Stella's is your classic American diner in the heart of Chicago. The service was fast, efficient, and attentive. Great bang for your buck! The food was great and large portions were served. The server offered us an iced coffee to go - a rarity these days. Overall, very satisfied with the quality of food and service - we will absolutely be coming back.

Christina H.

Stella's Diner truly screams old school diner. I went there this morning for the first time and thought it was a great breakfast experience. The service was incredible and attentive. The food is your typical breakfast skillet- nothing ground breaking but still delicious. Portion sizes were also pretty good. I wish Yelp allowed 0.5 ratings because I'd give them a 3.5/5 because they were good but nothing about it stood out to where I'd go again. Would still recommend checking them out if you're in the lakeview east area!

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9 years ago

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10 years ago

Great menu with a lot of options including breakfast served all day. Service is pretty good too. Milkshakes are delicious!

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10 years ago

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15 years ago

Decent diner food and excellent desserts. The service was nice but far too slow.

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14 years ago

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13 years ago

This place is a sure bet, every time. Great, friendly staff, dependable, standard diner fare, and great prices for the neighborhood.

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13 years ago

Great breakfast food. Good oatmeal with fruit and great diner coffee. How can you not like Stella's?

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13 years ago

This is your standard breakfast, good and reasonable price. Had the gypsy skillet and was decent

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

Awesome lunch my gf I have at least twice a month. French onion soup is to die for!

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

It's diner food. I have my favorites. Not fancy. Very friendly family owners and staff usually awesome. The diva cake is yummie.

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12 years ago

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

Great local diner! I had one of their salads there and it was great! Prompt service but we were not rushed!

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8 years ago

Food was so so table was dirty water had things floating in it cool place to look at pictures

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DryHop Brewers

DryHop Brewers

4.0
(922 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

On my first visit, I had an excellent, relaxed outdoor dining experience. The single smash burger…read morewith bacon and lemon aioli was really, really good. Beer was great and Bethany, my server, was wonderful. I felt welcome as a single diner, which isn't always the case at some restaurants. My second visit was a little less wonderful. I sat inside, had a different server on a busy night and felt unappreciated, to be honest. The pace was frenetic with servers and bussers rushing around throughout the restaurant. My server was OK, but I don't think she cared one way or another about my experience as a patron and it showed. Servers really can make a big difference in dining experiences. I know that it's not an easy job, but something to think about for any servers reading reviews. FYI - the reserved signs on the outdoor tables simply mean that you need to see the hostess. The tables are not actually reserved. They really should use different wording because I almost kept walking, thinking that all the outside tables were taken.

What a cute little brewery! They have a handful of beers, with a good variety (i.e. 75% are *not*…read moreIPAs). Plus, I think it's fantastic that their menu describes the flavor notes! The prices are extremely reasonable, with most 10oz pours costing ~$5-6. The flight of the 'core' (shall we say) six is $20... not bad at all if you ask me. I ordered 10oz of the Liquid Baguette, as the menu described, Earthy, Crisp, and Refreshing. While not my favorite beer on the planet, it was very respectable for a craft brew. DryHop also has a proper food menu, with mostly American classics with some a little more out there options, like the Kangaroo Steak Frites or the Hunter Stew (I don't recall what kind of meat, but not exactly something readily available at Jewel's. The cup was a large enough portion, even made me wonder if I was given a bowl by mistake. The broth was rich and savory, with an ample amount of protein. While a little more meat and smaller pieces of potatoes would have been welcome, this is more personal preference than a critique. Something which was less than fantastic was the service. I felt it was inattentive and a little slow, especially given the brewery was only moderately busy at the time. Maybe I am becoming an impatient, old curmudgeon, or maybe there's some truth to my observation, you be the judge. Final verdict: I think DryHop would classify as a micro-brewery. In that regard, they have a solid selection and good variety. To have something for the beer to wash down there's a solid food menu. While beers and grub are of a high standard, the service leaves something to be desired.

Photos
Vibe
Vibe
Cheese Cauliflower and Curds
Cheese Cauliflower and Curds
Seltzer

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Seltzer
Felix Modern American Dining

Felix Modern American Dining

4.4
(51 reviews)
0.5 mi
$$
LGBTQ friendly
Locally owned & operated

The food was absolutely fantastic here! We went here for Mother's Day and got a little bit of…read moreeverything to share. All the food was prepared carefully, tasted amazing, and looked spectacular. The service was top notch since they were bringing out the food so quickly and were always asking to make sure we had everything we needed. They even cut up the cake we brought and made sure all the entrees were cut up if needed. The ambiance was very simple and modern. I liked how there was a decent amount of seating and the setting was a mix of casual and fancy. Would definitely come back again!

To celebrate the holidays, we recently tried Felix for the first time with friends. They are big…read morefans of Bites Asian Kitchen + Bar--located a few doors north--the Bites owners also happen to be the owners of Felix. You enter through a front room with a long bar before moving into the main dining area, which is lined with large windows. Warm wood paneling and colorful graphics give the space an inviting, energetic feel. Our server was excellent--friendly and attentive--and both the owner and a manager stopped by during the evening to check in, which was appreciated. Felix has an extensive cocktail menu, and servers were busy delivering trays of beautiful drinks throughout the night. I ordered the Windy City Sunset mocktail, while my husband chose the Smokey Old Fashioned. Both were very good. The food, however, was more of a mixed bag. We started with the meatballs for the table; unfortunately, they were overcooked and hard, and even the marinara sauce couldn't save them from being dry and unappetizing. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, which was delicious and generously sized--easily enough for two meals. My husband ordered the chicken Parmesan with a side of pasta and found the chicken somewhat dry. Our friends ordered a pasta dish to share, though they didn't eat much of it while tending to their very well-behaved six-month-old. While the bar and dining room are attractive, the bathroom was a major disappointment--dirty and unkempt, especially considering it was early in the evening (around 6 p.m.), not late enough to excuse the condition. The owners and staff are genuinely kind, and the menu shows a lot of promise. At the moment, though, the food doesn't quite live up to what they're serving at Bites. I hope Felix can work out some of the inconsistencies and find success--it certainly has the potential. I would like to give Felix 3.5-stars, but Yelp does not accommodate this option.

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Felix Modern American Dining
Bruchetta
Bruchetta
Felix Modern American Dining

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Wilde Bar & Restaurant

Wilde Bar & Restaurant

3.9
(1.4k reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

The service was quick and friendly! Tons of seating, both moody and library-esque inside with a bar…read moreand outside that is dog-friendly. They also have a jar of dog treats and water available for pups! Overall, the food was tasty! Nothing particularly amazing, although my mom did say the toffee coffee pie was her favorite dessert she'd had in a long time (and she just came back from France/Belgium). I thought the apple pie was tasty and unique, with a thinner crust than typical pie.

Back for round 2 and Wilde was even better than I remembered! We visited near St. Patrick's Day, so…read morethings were even more festive and busy than usual. Every time I visit, the decor never ceases to impress. It's classy but unpretentious and you can tell folks are there to have a good time. We arrived at about 8:30pm on a Saturday and it was packed. Luckily, we were able to snag seats at a bar before a table opened up around 9pm. A note that they don't take reservations (but I kind of wish they did!), so this isn't the place to go if you're in a rush. They had a special seasonal menu going for the holiday, and we started with the reuben hush puppies. While they were more like croquettes, they were extra crispy, cheesy, and juicy with the most delicious thousand island dressing. I wish they would offer this year round! For mains, we ordered the corned beef and buddha bowl. I really liked the horseradish aioli that came with the beef- while the meat could've been more tender, it had a great flavor overall. The cabbage actually tasted pickled and the carrots sweet; non-traditional, but tasty! The buddha bowl had a very wide range of veggies and perfectly cooked rice. I could drink that spicy peanut sauce. I appreciated how large the portions were, which definitely softened the price as we left with plenty of leftovers. All in all, we had a great experience- if you haven't checked Wilde out, I highly recommend doing so!

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Fireplace Seating-2023
Fireplace Seating-2023
Reuben hush puppies
Reuben hush puppies
Wilde Bar & Restaurant

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Drew's on Halsted

Drew's on Halsted

4.0
(694 reviews)
0.3 mi
$$

Our visit to Drew's was on a Sunday evening so the vibe was very subdued and may not reflect what…read moreit is like on a hopping Saturday night. The butternut squash ravioli were enjoyably sweet with both pumpkin and apple pie notes. The pasta was firm, maybe a little gummy but enjoyable. The BBQ chicken pizza was extraordinary. I've literally never had such an indulgent yet thin and crispy pizza. The cheese was so luscious it reminded me of a béchamel sauce and the presentation was very sharp. We eagerly ate every crumb. I'm sure this place has a lot of loyal customers who appreciate the relaxed vibe and wide ranging menu.

Let me start with this, if you can, request Rob as your server. Bar none, he absolutely made our…read moreexperience top notch. Super helpful, charming, attentive-I would come back just to sit again in his section. We were out and about on a Saturday afternoon and stopped in for brunch. They do have a bottomless mimosa special but since we had to drive back to Wisconsin, we opted for a single cocktail. Drew's has a full bar and a great cocktail menu. I oped for the Old Fashioned and it didn't disappoint-perfectly boozy. Just like their cocktail menu, their food menu is also extensive. We ordered the garden omelet and the crabcake benedict. Both delivered and came out piping hot-definitely deserving of the high review. But I will be honest, even if the food didn't deliver, I still would be rating this as 5 stars all because of Rob!

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Drew's on Halsted
Keylime Pie
Keylime Pie
Cherry Pie - I wish it were a hair sweeter

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Cherry Pie - I wish it were a hair sweeter

Stella's Diner - diners - Updated July 2026

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