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    The Chicago Diner, Lakeview

    4.2 (2.4k reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    THE CHICAGO DINER, LAKEVIEW ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The Chicago Diner, Lakeview

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    COUNTRY FRIED STEAK
    Priyanka C.

    Very hipster ambience with excellent service! I thought the food was average though. The Thai chili wings were my favorite out of what we ordered.

    Carrot Cake
    Mai D.

    All it took was one bite into a buffalo "wing" when I turned to my friend and said: I could totally give up meat. Granted, I was already considering going plant-based for a while, but some of Chicago Diner's dishes is just that delicious enough to make you pause. For appetizers, the Buffalo wings are a must-try and the spicy chicken quesadillas are bomb too. For entrees, the portabella mushroom melt is flavor-packed cheesy goodness. The Reuben is a really solid vegetarian alternative that makes for a novel experience, but of course not the same as the real thing. I'd skip the Asian-inspired dishes - you can find much better dishes elsewhere. Vibes are super welcoming and service is fantastic. Overall, the Chicago Diner is a true icon in the vegetarian/vegan scene that has something for everyone!

    Menu
    Cayden R.

    Listennnnnn, I am a certified vegan food hater ok.. This food was bomb! Poutine was so good, very well done, not too salty and a great vegan cheese! The only thing I would change is the fries were a bit limp and could have been a bit crispier! The vegan buffalo wings were BALLER! They are fried seitan with buffalo sauce and house made vegan ranch (which was also killer) The service was phenomenal, very kind FOH and servers! It's a smaller restaurant but it has great seats and will accommodate larger parties!

    Thai Chili Wings
    Andrew P.

    I have to say that I am pretty impressed with this establishment. This place has always been on my radar since I moved to Chicago over four years ago. I just never got the moment to actually try it out . I finally came here after a doctors appointment with a friend of mine, and we were greeted nicely by the staff. We started off with Thai lime chili wings which were absolutely delicious... the sauce that accompanied it was actually very good. For our entrées, we got each a different sandwich. My friend got the Reuben sandwich and I got the spicy chicken sandwich. Both were very good. Our server kept checking on us and refilling our waters, which was very much appreciated. Overall, I really enjoyed our experience here. It was actually a great place to catch up because of the booth style seating. I would definitely come back in the future!

    Cocoa Mousse Cake
    Ree T.

    This is a must have for vegan and vegetarian friends. This place has a really nice eclectic atmosphere with staff who are super chill with great service. The food however, is too good. You want to keep eating even when you shouldn't. Every thing is so flavorful. I was done eating, full, and contemplating dessert. It turns you into a glutton lol.

    Bahn min
    Amisha R.

    Amazing bahn min sandwich, I will dream about how saucy and delicious it was. The service was cordial, although because of market days it was chaotic so the food took forever. Fun and accepting of all environment, great for families or cozy date nights.

    BBQ Wings w/extra ranch: More like chicken fingrers to me but still tasty!
    Clark S.

    Staying with my friends, who happen to be vegan, I asked them to take me to their favorite restaurants around Chicago. They brought me The Chicago Diner for dinner one night. I enjoyed the old-school, slightly hipster, aesthetic and had a great experience! We arrived around 7:45pm on a Saturday night and were immediately seated at a booth. The inside has an old diner look, with a hipster embellishment with the artwork hanging up. The booth we sat at had wooden benches to sit on, which I thought were uncomfortable, but not enough to ruin the experience. Our waiter was a young, friendly and courteous gentleman. We ordered a starter plate of BBQ wings (breaded seitan strips) with extra ranch. There were plenty for the three of us to share. About 15 minutes later, just as we were finishing the last of the wings, our meals arrived. For dinner, I ordered one of their August 2024 Main Dish Specials, the Chicken Bacon Ranch Club with a side of sweet potato fries. The club consisted of SWAP chicken, house-made seitan bacon, ranch dressing, lettuce, tomato, between a multigrain bun and a pickle spear on the side. This was really good! I know this may not sound appetizing, the chicken tasted like grilled chicken that was left on the grill for an extra minute or two, so it was a little dry, but this still had plenty of flavor. The seitan bacon was tasty and I appreciated the generous amount of ranch and the big, fresh leaves of lettuce and tomato slice. The sweet potato fries were delicious and a nice way to finish my meal. Between the wings and my club with sweet potato fries, I was plenty full. The prices seemed to be pretty standard. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at The Chicago Diner! The staff were friendly, the energy/vibes were happy, easy-going, and the food was delicious. I would not hesitate to come back and try something off their normal menu!

    Onion rings (6), smoked tofu club, chicken fried steak, mushroom risotto; missing: avocado slices and chocolate chip cookie dough shake.
    Erik L.

    Had order delivered by Uber. Missing sliced avocados ($2) and chocolate chip cookie dough shake(large-$10.72). Food was good, but go to the restaurant, they have know clue had to bag for delivery.

    Dining room
    Ed D.

    We wandered in because of the 'diner' sign and the hostess informed us as we sat down that they were vegan and asked if that was OK. We're not vegan but dine with several friends who are and are familiar with basic ingredients. It's been several weeks and after looking at my photos and the online menu, I can't recall exactly what we ordered but everythino was very good. The ambience of the tight dining room is cozy and service was great. We would definitely return if we lived in the area.

    CAJUN BLACK BEAN BURGER
    JL J.

    The Cajun Black Bean Burger is a must try! Hands down, the Chicago Diner black bean burger was the best black bean burger I've ever tried! The fried jalapeño's gives the burger some nice heat. The Creole mustard gives the burger some amazing flavor. I can't wait to order this burger again!!!

    Sujal M.

    I want to start by applauding the mission of the restaurant and the fact their milkshake was good. I think the seitan tasted different, may a little too slimey. Didn't have a lot of flavor. Chili was good, and we had a cozy booth to stay warm on a cold day. My wife had the tofu scramble, which had more flavor including the bacon. So, it was not all the food but my sandwich didn't taste good. Service was fine, and I think that if I had to give a rating out of 10, it's a 6/10. Like it's not bad, but there are better vegan options as far as taste (Kale My Name, Penelope's Vegan Taqueria, Can't Believe It's Not Vegan, etc).

    Pierogi Quesadilla

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    4 months ago

    one of the best veggie places in the city, and the waiter Jesus is the best. He was very kind and attentive

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    Ask the Community - The Chicago Diner, Lakeview

    Do they require reservations?

    No, they're not required, but you might not get in without one, so I'd highly recommend making reservations.

    Is this restaurant BYOB?

    No, they have alcohol on their menu.

    Even busy on Wednesday's?

    It depends on the time I think. I went in the morning on a weekday between breakfast and lunch rush, and there were many open tables!

    Do you guys do anything special for birthdays?

    Yeah, you get a piece of cake with your meal after you tell your server.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Felix Modern American Dining

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    4.4(50 reviews)
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    LGBTQ friendly
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    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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    Wilde Bar & Restaurant

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    3.9(1.4k reviews)
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    Love this place! Great food, great vibes, awesome service. So so so reliable. They're calling it…read morethe chilis of lakeview, and i mean that respectfully!! Love!

    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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    The Chicago Diner, Lakeview - comfortfood - Updated June 2026

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