We went in for breakfast (around 11am). We were seated fairly quickly. There was a little congestion in the entryway making it difficult to know who was waiting on a table and who was waiting to pay. Our waitress was super nice and attentive. Denver omelette was amazing and my fiancé's Mexican skillet was a hit too. Our waitress must have noticed my cat tattoo and drew a cat on our receipt which was a very thoughtful and sweet touch. She was busy but always came back around along asking if we needed anything. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. I will definitely be coming back. Especially since you can get breakfast all day, which is a favorite of mine. read more

The food is mediocre, definitely better places to eat in deklab other than here. The owner is rude to his employees and the silverware on the tables are always dirty or have spots on them. Do not recommend. read more

I visited the Junction with a friend. My friend thought his chicken tenders were not good. I thought that the fried chicken I had was terrible! Their fryer must have been broken or something because the breading on the chicken was not edible because it was overcooked. Even after peeling the breading off, most of the chicken was horribly overcooked. This was not a cheap dinner. I ended up regretting my decision to eat there and I will never go back. read more

I absolutely love the Junction eating Place are usually set up at the bar and usually the person who's working is Michelle. Who by the way is wonderful. The food is fabulous I had chicken and waffles which is on their specials menu. And it's really good. Usually when IGo in there I will get a lemonade, if it's cold out I will usually get a hot chocolate or just go in the water. People are super nice in there, they are absolutely amazing. I love the food the atmosphere. I specially love the train that's above the seating it's just so Vintage in the style Jake it kind of reminds me of the place that I probably would've gone as a kid but I never one here as a kid. Whenever I'm in Dekalb or on campus I will definitely stop by and eat here. Best place to eat in Dekalb. read more

I've been to the Junction a few times and everytime I expect something great and am always left feeling a little empty. The food isn't great, the service isn't great, the atmosphere isn't great. Maybe people love it because there aren't many breakfast places in DeKalb so by comparison it's amazing... All in all an OK place. Don't expect to love the food. read more

So I'm sitting next to the area where the servers pour the sauces and soups. I look over and the waitress pours uneaten soup back into the serving pot, stirs it up and pours a bowl. All the plates were dirty and it was clearly eaten out of. Disgusting. Then the owner picks a cumber with his hands and eats it right out of the tray. He is touching money, menus, and food without washing. Extremely gross. read more

Hard to call this food. The only positive was the waitress who was very nice. What do you expect sitting next to NIU.

As good as it ever was. My first visit back in just over 20 years and it was like no time passed. The Junction skillet is my favorite, full of potatoes, cheese, mushrooms and onions. Served with your choice of toast or pancakes, I recommend the pancakes as they are fluffy and not overly sweet. They also serve a very good cup of coffee. A great family restaurant / diner in the heart of the university community. read more

I love this place. I have been coming her for four years now, and every time my order is made quickly, and to perfection. I've never had a problem, and the staff is extremely friendly. Lynette (sp?) who is one of the servers is a sweetheart and takes care of me every time. I'm sad to move to Madison in a week because I'll be missing this place so much. read more

I can't tell you how many hungover mornings and drunken nights were spent at the Junction - as I attended college at NIU in the early 80's, this restaurant was a fixture on that backdrop of life. I was excited to try it again on a recent trip thru DeKalb - and it was just as good as I drunkenly remembered it from 20 years ago! They were open late, and apparently still are, and serve a great inexpensive breakfast! read more

After being a student at NIU for 4 years and going to the Junction around 10 times I think I can make a fair assessment of the place. The place has an old-timey atmosphere that draws in a variety of customers. The wait staff gets to know the regulars and is always friendly. There is a certain charm about the place that I believe masks the mediocre quality of their food. I am writing this review because after having far too many bad meals, I have decided to never go back to the Junction. The food is overpriced and bland. I've never had a meal there that I thought was high quality or special. The sandwiches are lame and boring. After being persuaded by friends to keep going I finally got sick of the place and refused to go all-together. Recently I wanted to get breakfast someplace and knew that the Junction had a large breakfast menu that I had only tried once before. This was the last chance I gave the restaurant to redeem itself in my eyes. I ordered eggs florentine and received one of the worst breakfasts I had ever had ever. The hollandaise sauce was disgusting, the english muffin was soggy, the tomatoes were flavorless, and the eggs were slimy. There are many good restaurants in Dekalb. If you want a burger go to the Huddle or Fatty's. If you want nice American food go to Hillside. If you want a good breakfast go to Flappy's. Don't bother with the Junction. You will be disappointed. read more

We ordered dinner from here and it was awful. Our food came out so late so they must of miss timed preparing some dishes and waited to bring out the food all at once. As a result the soup was cold, onion rings burnt, fries cold and the hamburger was burnt to a hockey puck. We will definitely not be back. read more

The breakfast isn't good... My friend and I went there on an after-midnight Saturday meet and ordered breakfast. I had the hobo skillet, she had a different skillet. My hobo was extremely dry and small for something listed for 9$. My friend said her pancakes were really spongy and absorbed syrup quickly, didn't taste good either. read more

The Junction is an institution in DeKalb. I had Mickey Mouse pancakes here as a child, milkshakes and curly fries after football games and forensics tournaments in high school. Now, whenever I'm home, I always make sure I come back here for good, old fashioned burgers, and fries, or an early morning skillet. The Junction is a self-proclaimed, unpretentious diner. It does not pretend to be more, and you shouldn't expect more. It does quintessential American diner cuisine which is perfect fare after a night out, or a morning after, or for a lunch with friends. Its prices are moderate, and its night-owl hours make it a great place to sit with friends until all hours of the night, or early morning. Its coffee is pretty bad, but it's also pretty cheap, and quite honestly, sort of adds to its "local diner" charm. It's the sort of place you can walk into and see 5 people you know eating or working there on any given day at any hour; it's a real DeKalb staple. PS--for those who haven't been there before, keep an eye out for the little toy train that goes around a track near the ceiling. It wraps around the seating area in the back! It's a nice tribute to the railroad history of the town, and adds a certain charm to the dining atmosphere. read more

This place sucks. Decor is very dated. Breakfast was terrible. Both my wife and I had upset stomachs shortly after leaving here.

Dirty J... J-Hole... whatever you wanna call it - this was THE place to go and smoke cigarettes til dawn if you went to Sycamore High School (squarest school on earth). The food is actually pretty decent. My dad and I used to go here when I was a kid and eat pisgetti (my mom's cooking blows) and I'd watch the minature train zip around the track above the main dining room. Years later I was telling obscene jokes with my dorky friends and throwing jelly packets at surly college kids. Now it's non-smoking which is a little disconcerting because entering the J-Hole and having a cloud of smoke hanging over you is like going to RJ Grunts and not having to wait for a table. Hey wha happen? Also, it's worth going to this place to see the caricatures of Greek-American family restaurant owners who run this place. We're talking silk shirts, gold chains nested into impressive chest hair, oily coifs... read more

It's better than IHOP and the portions are very generous, but it is definitely a college town restaurant. Service is slightly above average and there isn't really anything to complain about the food, but its basically just a place to go for convenience. For a fantastic breakfast, head to Sycamore. read more

Awesome little diner with greasy food. I love the skillets and drunkenly watching the little train go around overhead.

The Bahramis family are one of the great things to happen to DeKalb, and they own this place. They hire good people, and always treat customers like family. Everyone from DeKalb/ Sycamore ends up here. It's that place you go to BS with your friends and find out what's happening in the community. When I went to school out this way, I truly enjoyed coming here. read more

My "go-to" restaurant for a good post-hangover meal. Consistently good every time I've been there; friendly staff and college student-friendly pricing. Typical Greek diner fare, but delicious. read more

My family are regulars here. They always bring us along for breakfast. It's definitely a good place to hang out and dine with good company.

Now the 5-star rating I gave this place is probably more in relation to other diners I've been to, not necessarily overall. But as diners go - this place is amazing! The food is great, not too greasy. But, I gotta tell you, wherever it is you choose to go to collage, if you've got one of these in town, you are set!! There's a good selection of breakfast foods, perfect size portions (not the gigantic ones like at other places, cuz let's face it, breakfast stuff doesn't keep and reheat that well, so why keep it, or waste it). The diner is family owned, which creates a great atmosphere - the owners are friendly, they remember you if you become a regular. It's family friendly. One thing I really want to mention is the soups. There are two different soups every day and they are made fresh and from scratch every day! None of that canned or frozen stuff! The place is clean, the servers are nice. The prices are cheep; in fact, a cup of soup with bread is probably the cheapest meal in town! The menu is large, so I think there's something for everyone. If you haven't been to "The J" yet, you're missing out!! read more

We ate there today, by recommendation, for the first time, & OMG We will be returning! The server was wonderful, atmosphere is great & food was spectacular! read more

Pretty good family atmosphere. I love eating here, some of their Greek dinners are to die for.they have a great menu selection and the service here is just great.My son lives the train that goes around the restaurant read more

Yummy food, great for a hangover, or when you're just up late and want some chow. I always get a milkshake here because it's delicious. Every waitress I've ever gotten was wonderful, and would often draw a smiley face on my check. Great place to go to hang out with friends! read more

Pretty stAndard family breakfast place. Nothing too outstanding nothing bad though either.

Standard family fare, but I'd your looking for something in the area open after 9 P, this is one of your very few choicea. They are open till at least 2 am 7 days a week. read more

Another trusty standby that has been around forever. Took a chance on the turkey burger and the wife had a chicken fajita skillet. Yes! The turkey burger was actually hand pressed from ground turkey, not a frozen specimen that had been unthawed. The fajita was fresh, full of chicken and veggies and piping hot. When we're back in town for homecoming, we'll be back to the Junction. read more

The Junction has pretty basic food, but I liked that it was open late. I ended up eating there quite a bit because it was convenient. Its really nothing special, but I had some good times there. read more

This place is nothing incredible, but they are open late and it is a relatively inexpensive greasy spoon. When coming don't expect to be blown away by their food items, it is definitely comparable to other diners like Baker's Square and the like. They are very accommodating with larger groups which is always nice to know read more

Enjoy bringing my family here because the ambience is very kid-friendly. The food is good and the price is perfect for our family's budget. Everyone is friendly and they recognize us when we walk through the front door. read more

frequented this place in college. Great breakfast all the time. Open 24 hours. always seating. Great place to read, study or relax

In a college town like DeKalb it doesn't get much better than The Junction. They're open 24/7 serving breakfast and lunch. If you like to eat breakfast after a night of partying this is the place to go. I love the corned beef hash skillet with eggs over medium. The service is good but they are sometimes understaffed. We didn't have to wait long for our food and there were many substitutions and special requests. read more

Consistently great food done the way we like it.

This is your basic restaurant for a college town. American food assortment at great prices. If you're a college student or like to stay up late, this place is great for you! I typically stick to the BLT club and fries because it's simple, fast, and tasty. Great place for friends, meetings, or lunch breaks! read more

The best part of The Junction is....EVERYTHING is MSG FREE! That means....NO MIGRAINES!!! The Junction is "kid friendly" ... "service" is good. And "wait time" for your food is also good! Hungry? Visit The Junction! read more

Menu is way to big to do anything really well. Would suggest reducing the menu size and focus on improving the selections. Reminds me of Frishes Big Boy. read more

I like this place every so often. Good American food. Some of the guys that run it, and seat people are kinda rude if you're not a regular (as in go there every day). The service is good and good prices. read more

Great food and prices, it gives off that all-American restaurant feel. Really awesome atmosphere as well as friendly service. They gave me bacon when I ordered sausage but the bacon was cooked perfectly so I didn't mind. Hash browns could use some work though! read more

One of the best diners I've been to. I left utterly full and I'm a big eater. Breakfast was fast, tasty and a bit creative. Lunch was busy time but my group was taken care of, offered ideas and the price was right! read more