I come here for lunch or brunch 5-6 times a year. It's close to my work, for lunches, but it's gets pretty busy so we don't come here tooo often, I usually opt for brunch on Sat or Sun, which can also get crowded, but usually not hard to get seated if it's just 2-3 people. Definitely opt for their apricot pastry - it's worth the extra 25 cents or whatever. I have gotten several different omelettes there - they have a good variety of ingredients, I've always loved them. I've also ordered a few different salads as well as their portabella burger which is heaven. Their pumpkin soup is amazing. Okay, pretty much everything is amazing. The staff are always friendly and funny. The seating can be a little tight, and sometimes you are pretty close to the people next to you and it's hard to hear when conversing. But it's a great place, with a fun artsy atmosphere. And their recent remodeling has made the place a bit more spacious. 5 stars! read more

I've eaten here a few times and find it pretty.... average? I do have to commend them on their portabella mushroom sandwich. The sauce they put on there is SO good! Vegetarians would appreciate this. Another time I came and got the eggplant sandwich... ick. The sweet potato fries are kind of soggy and the cornbread is kind of subpar. I do love the crazy weird decorations though! Also, the staff has always been nice, even when they are packed. read more

First, they won't seat you unless every member of your party is present, no matter how many people are crammed into their tiny waiting area while plenty of tables sit empty and waiting in the dining area. Several reviewers mentioned the rudeness of the waitstaff. The reviews might be exaggerated, but they're certainly not wrong. The hostess seemed bothered that I was there, and our waitress wasn't exactly cold, but she wasn't very helpful either. She was smiling, but all questioned were answered with as few words as possible as she left as quickly as possible. I had the tandoori chicken salad, which was good and bad. The chicken was tasty, but calling it "tandoori" is a bit of a stretch. It's nothing like traditional tandoori and is instead covered in a tomato/apricot chutney that is very sweet; there's hardly a need for dressing. The bad thing about the salad greens are sandwiched between hot chicken and a super hot plate, so they never stood a chance. Super wilted. The best thing they offer is the hibiscus tea which is tart and sweet without being sweetened with sugar. As I understand it, though, it's only on the menu in the spring/summer. read more

YUM. I went there for the second time this weekend. I love the decor in this place... I want to take everything and use it to decorate my apartment. I had the "Omelette No. 1" with avocado, artichokes, goat cheese, and tomato sauce. It was delicious, and I highly recommend the "apricot cheese flakey," definitely worth the extra 25 cents. The gingered fruit wasn't as exciting as the bold, underlined text in the menu made it out to be, though. The cream soda is amazing. read more

This is my favorite breakfast place ever. My family has been going there for years and do not plan on stopping any time soon. When you walk in the door, be prepared to be bombarded with a lot of tacky but kind of fun art. The walls are covered with it, and the ceilings look like they were attacked with huge aluminum spit balls. For breakfast I alternate between two meals. The apple ricotta blintzes are amazing, but you have to get apple cider syrup for the full effect! My absolute favorite is the scramble with bacon, cheddar, and avocado (they have lots of options for ingredients...you can pick any three). The apricot cheese flakey is a MUST, whether it comes with your breakfast or you order one on the side. Take it to go if you are too full after breakfast! Trust me, you will want it later! I have never actually eaten lunch or dinner at the restaurant but often order carry out for dinner. The tuna melt is on cornbread and is topped with melted cheddar, diced tomatoes, and avocado. It's different than any tuna melt I've had else where...the cornbread and avocado make it what it is! You can't go wrong with the sweet potato fries as the side. YUM! read more

OMG! I ate here today for Lunch as I was in the area taking a class......and it was hidden a bit, and was curious to see what it was about. With the name *Lucky Platter* i was expecting an Asian joint....u know like Poo Poo Platter but this one is **LUCKY*** =] So this place looks like a mom and pop place...it was cute. When I entered it was PACKED! I mean I was worried I wasn't going to be able to have time to eat here.... but magically, we got sat very quickly!! The waiter came very quickly, and i picked the Mexican Omelet.... and I mean, I love Omelets so I expect them to be the same everywhere else.... but MAN OH MAN!!! This omelet was INSANELY GOOD!!!!!!!! The chorizo with the black beans and cheese with AVOCADO for a filling was orgasmic!!! My classmate had the Florentine Benedict, and I tried a bite for curiosity...and OMG ALSO AMAZING!!!!!!!!! it was different! Poached egg, with spinach, ham, and instead of toasted bread, it was TOASTED CORN BREAD!!! SOOO FREAKING DELICIOUS!!! I definitely recommend this place... its super far from where i live but if i am ever in the area, I know where I will go EAT!! read more

I stopped by here with some time to kill and found it to be a great spot to hang out and grab an easy lunch while i waited to meet a friend. The restaurant is very pleasant and quaint and I found the staff to be very friendly and they seemed to have great repour with the locals. read more

My roommate introduced me to this wonderful restaurant for brunch on a Sunday morning. It has a college-artsy feel with the aluminum balls on the ceiling, a large fake fish above the door, and a baseball pinball game hung on the wall. Friendly wait staff with good food! Although the crowd was mostly suburban folks (some with children), there were college students, rich hippie types, and a sprinkling of Rogers Parkers like my roommate and me. The portions were hearty but not obnoxiously large. My only regret is that they don't offer their homemade chai tea in the summer -- why? I would love to try it, maybe iced? I had a fantastic Mexican omelet with chorizo, black beans and avocado. (I'm a closet vegefisharian, but I just had to try this!) The potatoes that came with the omelet were excellent -- not overseasoned, not mushy or greasy. I decided not to get the flakey and opted instead for homemade wheat bread which was also good. My roommate did get the flakey, which is like a homemade danish except all the jelly stuff is inside, and said it was excellent. A welcome escape from Heartland Cafe, which is very close to where I live but has gone downhill a little bit, especially in the service area. I will still go to Heartland, but they could take a lesson from Lucky Platter in both food and service. If you're planning to go to brunch on Sundays in particular, go early -- it really gets busy after 10:30am, but they don't kick people out of their table or booth if they wish to linger over their coffee. Tables are cozy but not too closely spaced together. It's a small to medium-sized restaurant -- small enough to feel cozy and intimate, but not so small that it becomes quaint or cramped. I will definitely go back to Lucky Platter! read more

I've been there three times now, each less satisfying than the one before. We were hurried after we were served....or so it seemed. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. My son likes to roam a little bit and we try to keep him contained as best we can. The staff wasn't digging the "kids being kids" thing. The food - it's adequate. The ammenities though -- this is where improvements are needed most. The coffee is only tolerable, but tipping me to a thumbs down is that they only have Sweet-N-Low. Nothing cries "we're cheap" more than Sweet-N-Low exclusivity. No Splenda. No Equal. Most places spoil customers with a Pot-Pourri (sp??) of blue, yellow and pink. But Lucky Platter, in true Evanston Idealist fashion, is all pinko. Also, for goodness sake, how am I supposed to spread butter that's straight out of the freezer. C'Mon !!! read more

Weak food, weak service, weird decor. If you live here, there are better options. While there are some good things on the menu, we are talking a few isolated things. Overall bland food and waiters that are slow and inattentive. I put in as much effort in this review, as Lucky Platter did in my experience there. read more

Not so lucky platter. We came around 230pm and they refused to serve eggs, since their breakfast ends at 2pm. So, we ordered a few sandwiches. Food tasted good, but side portion size is way too small. Ordered sweet potato fries for my side of $14 chicken sandwich and got about 10 fries. When asked waiter if it's normal or maybe they accidentally dropped half of my fries on the way to my table, he said it was the correct portion. Manager happened to drop off some more food for us, so I asked again and he basically said "it is what it is, deal with it" (not in those exact words, but you get the idea). Now, if this was my restaurant, no matter if the client was right or not, I would have brought out more fries to keep the client happy. I would not bother arguing with client over a few fries with a $50 lunch order. But, this is not my restaurant. Although, whoever it belongs to, just lost a customer. read more

The Lucky Platter - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Perfect spot for a last minute Mother's day brunch since it's a wait instead of reservations. We ordered heuvos rancheros, raisin French toast with a cornflake crust, fried green tomato Benedict, avocado omelette, lemon ricotta pancakes and regular pancakes. Also ordered the French 77 cocktail. Everything except the lemon ricotta pancakes (no sign of ricotta or lemon flavor) and raisin French Toast (crunchy but dry and flavorless) were excellent and way above any other breakfast spot I have been to. The Mexican themed dishes are really well flavored. Loved the retro decor and our waiter was excellent. Pros: outstanding diner/casual spot with great flavors, a warm inviting feel and yummy cocktails. Cons: Some sweet items were a bit dry. Bottom line: Will return again, it's a great find for brunch or a casual dinner. read more

Food was average at best. Eggs were undercooked for my Cajun Scramble, tortillas were not prepared appropriately for the Huevos Rancheros. Chorizo tasted more like ground beef. No jelly for toast. Food came out very quick, under 10 minutes. Service was very casual. No offer on beverage refills throughout the meal. Check was dropped before the table was bussed. Place was very busy however, they must be doing something right to keep the seats filled. Maybe it was just a one off experience, would probably give it a shot at redemption in the future. read more

this place has been a godsend during a very strange summer. thank you for the delicious food and drinks, it's all been impeccable. every cent I've spent has been worth it and I will continue to order from you guys. thanks for all you do! read more

My favorite place for brunch food, hands down. The decor takes a little getting used to but look past that and you get a delicious meal. I love the salads and their chicken pot pie is the epitome of comfort food. My kids love Platter because they have a home made cream soda, which isn't too bad. They also have a nice selection for kids foods so I'd say that it's a very family friendly restaurant. Although the service is not always 100% (or 75% for that matter) I enjoy the food and my family loves the Platter, as well. read more

Visited Chicago for the holiday and met up with a buddy of mine that I used to work with when I lived in town. My lady, brothers, and friend decided to have brunch at the Lucky Platter - he has been, but it was the first time for all of us. Cute place - lots of funky decor and friendly people working, "post hippy" is a great way to describe it for sure. Veggie friendly for those of you who avoid flesh, but plenty of animals for those who prefer the beast. I have to agree with others who have commented on the cinnamon glazed bacon - and I don't generally touch the stuff - it's the jam. Two great tastes that taste great together. We had a couple of versions of the eggs benedict (grilled veggie and crabcake), and I had the huevos rancheros, as I have to try them in every town I visit now (my favorite are still found at Meadowlark Dayton, OH - represent). They were good, and I cleaned my plate, but I'd like a little more imagination re: the sauce. Overall a cute place with pretty good food and pretty good service that I'd love to try again next time I'm in town. Officially a 3.5 star review at this time - Nice. read more

My husband and I used to go to lucky platter 3-5 times a week. However, this past year, everything about it has gone downhill very fast. We decided to give it one last try, and we will never go back after a very disgusting meal. He got: turkey meatball linguine. He mentioned that he seemed to have lost the taste for turkey. I tried it and it was mushy inside and undercooked. I ordered a California burger- well done. I cut into it to discover it was very pink inside so I sent it back. After receiving it back (same burger), another cut revealed still very pink! I told the manager who took it away and apologized. I received it a 3rd time and it was STILL pink! And oddly, there was only about a 4th of the burger left on a very mushy bun. Keep in mind I had only cut it open to see if it was well done! We laughed about that! But it was honestly so disgusting to even look at and nowhere near done. Other times we have gone this year, we have received meals with missing ingredients and undercooked food. So this was certainly one of many unfortunate times. Not sure what's up with the news owners, but I wish you all better luck! read more

Don't go here with a kid. Was sat and waited as other tables sat after us were helped. I had a hungry toddler and no attention came our way. So rude and they lost a customer read more

We went out on a limb and decided to try this place and I am so glad we did! When we walked in, the first thing I noticed were the aluminum foil balls glued to the ceiling. Ok, weird. As I looked around, the rest of the decor was just as weird. I was a little worried. I shouldn't have been. The food was great! I had the Mexican omelet (yum!) and my husband had the smoked turkey hash. Both dishes were excellent, though I preferred mine. :) I will definitely be back! read more

My friend took me here the day my boyfriend broke up with me. I didn't want to go. I looked like crap. I cried throughout breakfast. So why would I give this place 4 stars? Three words people: Cinnamon Glazed Bacon. There reall isn't more to say. Everything was great, from what I can remember and taste (it was a bad break up, cut a girl some slack) but the cinnamon glazed bacon sealed the deal. Oh, and they have fantastic homemade cream soda. Done, and done! read more

This is what I imagine America tastes like. The Lucky Platter isn't a place you'd likely plan as destination, but it's a remarkably okay-ish place for that evening or morning when you don't feel like cooking but want the same net result. You won't be disappointed, you'll probably come back, but only the worst kind of addict will Instagram their plate here. And that's okay. I'm glad places like the Lucky Platter are around. Sometimes you just want to some coleslaw and cornbread with a pile of hot fried chicken on a bed of slung mashed potatoes, without any pressure to document the experience. It's not supposed to be nice: it just feels good. For breakfast, get the huevos rancheros with some chorizo. read more

Yeah, totally not bad. I went for Saturday brunch with Karen G. and got the diced turkey hash. It had a ton of mozzarella, so if that's your thing then you'll be pleased. The raisin scone that came with was delectable as well. Karen got omelet #1. It has artichoke hearts, avocado, goat cheese, and roasted tomato sauce. She liked it, and said that it has a good liquidy consistency from the tomato sauce that makes it better than a standard "dry" omelet. However, the breakfast potatoes were a little flavorless. It was a cute place, and we got lucky with parking right outside. I'd say give it a go if you're in Evanston around brunchtime. You won't be disappointed. read more

We went on a Saturday morning (11:30 or so). The wait was short, the decor kitschy and cute. The food was excellent. The service.....not so much. It took forever to get our order taken, we only got refills when we asked, my toast came out a good 10 minutes after the rest of my meal (and so did the bacon, and it was sans the 3rd piece we ordered). The way I looked at it she was just saving us tip $. But the food was awesome. The sourdough pancakes were really, really good....the burger was good and cooked to order, the cinnamon glazed bacon was heaven itself, and the cajun scramble was pretty tasty. All in all, I would go back. read more

This place was great! Our server Oscar was awesome, very attentive and had us laughing. Crab cake Benedict and Bloody Mary was awesome! Highly recommend read more

Big ol' MEH. The decor is pretty fun. They reused a lot of materials and made fun animal shaped items and other little kitschy items. And they decorated the ceiling tiles with foil balls. Fun. Our waiter was very inattentive - I would like to say it's because they were busy, but I saw the other waiters going by and visiting other tables pretty often. I ordered a mojito - and I don't know why I tend to do this, because this place did not scream 'hey, good mojitos will come from here'... so skip it. For my meal, I ordered the large house salad (which comes with lots of fruit - raisins and apples!) with an orange vinagrette. The salad itself was good... dressing I think I just made the wrong pick. I also had a side of mac and cheese. Now I don't know about you, but for me, the quintissential mac and cheese is creamy and cheesy and tasty. This lacked all three items. Big disappointment. But yum, cornbread! It comes with almost every meal that is ordered, and comes in cute little cubes - tasty for sure. I like that they offered this as opposed to the usual bread basket that you get. The service isn't what makes this place meh to me... I just wasn't impressed with my food. I would give them two stars, but my parents, who ordered a lucky burger, and a bbq chicken sandwich, were both very pleased with their meals. Since I'm a vegetarian and cannot speak to that, I'll give LP another star for that. read more

Four stars...for the cornbread!!! It was divine. I hesitate to write a review about the food because I didn't really order what I wanted. Thanks to Yelp, I had perused the menu before hand and decided on the crab cakes benedict...and being a Southern Girl, I wanted to try their Fried Green Tomatoes. Well the FGT are brought to the table...covered in green onion. Am horribly allergic so I had to send them back. Sigh. This started the dialogue, re: crab cakes and I learned they too contained onion. Since my friend's food was ready...and we were both starving, I quickly ordered an omellette. It was good...just not what I had a taste for. My friend had the Turkey Hash and he liked it. It looked a little odd to me...am addicted to the chicken hash at RL the Ralph Lauren restaurant. He also had the French Toast...which he totally loved. All in all, seems like a cool place....the burgers looked divine!! read more

The Lucky Platter restaurant serves excellent, moderately priced food for breakfast, lunch, and diner and offers daily specials. The restaurant has a comfortable atmosphere with a novel and amusing décor. My wife and I have eaten many times at the Lucky Platter, mostly for breakfast. The food has always been fresh and delicious. Two of our favorites are the "Omelette No. 1" (filled with artichokes hearts, avocado and goat cheese) and the "Florentine" Benedict" (served on toasted cornbread topped with the usual ingredients plus sautéed spinach. Mouthwatering! Oh, if you go for breakfast make sure you include an apricot flakey with your meal. It's made on the premises and is light, crusty, buttery, and delectable. The overall service is usually good, although at times it can be slow and inattentive, especially when the restaurant is busy. On our most recent Sunday morning visit the service was excellent. One minor irritation is that this restaurant has a policy that won't allow seating unless the entire party is present. On the same recent visit, my wife entered the restaurant while I parked our car. Even though there were many open tables (unusual for a Sunday morning), my wife was refused seating until I got there. Now, I can understand adhering to this policy when the restaurant is busy, but it doesn't make for good customer relations when it isn't. Still and all, I highly recommend the Lucky Platter because the food is so good. I give it a rating of between four and one half and five stars. read more

This is the best place to eat in Evanston. The food is to die for albeit a bit difficult to describe. Think of the food as a cross between diner, experimental and comfort food all with the love of mom's home-cooked deliciousness. You can never go wrong with a Lucky burger, steak salad, or tandoori chicken salad. Also, their specials are called "specials" for a reason so don't be afraid to try them. Be sure to save room for dessert because whether it's the banana cream pie or pumpkin pie, Lucky knows what's up when it comes to sweets. Not to mention, the atmosphere is one-of-a-kind. The decor is quirky and the venue is small which lends itself to a fun, intimate feel. YOU HAVE TO GO! read more

The Lucky Platter is a cute little spot that serves up a solid meal. I've been here for breakfast and lunch. I honestly couldn't tell you what I had on either visit but the one thing that does stand out to me is the apricot flakey. No issues with service upon either visit. Are there better spots to dine in Evanston? Sure. But if you're just looking for a no frills place to sit down and grab a bite, Lucky Platter will suit your needs just fine. read more

The service was not all that good but not really bad. The food on the other hand is amazing. Not many dishes are quite what you expect. The flavor and those little things that make the dishes great are what I like here. You would never guess from reading the menu. This is real comfort food. The tomato bisque soup was the best I have ever had. Other than the kinda halfhearted service, the only downside is on the vegetarian options. There is a sandwich and an entry, typically. Both amazing but I thought there would be more options. read more

I've been going to his restaurant for the last 13 years that I've lived here and it's seriously underrated. Food: Brunch is solid, but I'm basically ruined on all brunch because blue's egg in Milwaukee exists. Dinner or lunch is my favorite, the Caribbean pumpkin soup and tomato bisque are 4 and 5 stars, respectively. Their pot pie is insanely good and my #1 pick. I usually split two things with whomever I'm dining with and one of those things is usually their tuna melt. It's served on cornbread and comes with tomatoes and avocados. I always get an apricot cheese flakey if I'm there before they sell out. They once had a seasonal egg nog flan and I still dream of it. Cocktails are amazing here too, they have a full bar and inventive bartenders. The frothy egg nog cocktail I had during the holidays once was so good and not something you'd expect from a diner. Bloody Marys are just so-so. Good beer selection though. *Be warned, if there are no tables, kids can't sit at the bar with you to eat. Maybe it's just because I'm from Wisconsin, but I thought this was strange. Is this a law here I'm unaware of lol?! read more

Lucky Platter you have won us over ! This is our weekly staple restaurant. The fresh corn bread and causal atmosphere keeps us coming back. We love the burgers, The Pot pie , acorn squash, Buttermilk fried chicken and everything else on the menu. We never go home with a doggie bag because no food is wasted. They have a great beer and wine selection too. read more

Fine place for a casual sit-down breakfast/brunch. The flakeys are pretty good. Egg scrambles were fine, nothing spectactular.

I've never had a bad meal here and it's extremely reasonable for such well prepared food. I wanted to wait until I'd had breakfast before I reviewed and it's taken me forever but I finally made it! Everything on the dinner menu is amazing. I had the juevos rancheros w/ chorizo for breakfast, which is a dish open to wide interpretation. They did a great job with it -- delicious, fluffy eggs and an array of ingredients joined with a few tortillas. I had to fork up a significant amount off the plate afterward, having only gotten three tiny tortillas, but that's okay, I wasn't worried about appearances in the company of family :) Definitely will be going back to try a few other things on the breakfast menu! read more

Well, isn't this probably the weirdest place I've been to in a bit. The food is pretty good here, good variety and comes fairly fast from the kitchen. The menu itself is definitely a bit small on choices. Meanwhile, the place has crazy things from floor to ceiling. I do mean *ceiling*. All sorts of artwork and old collectibles are placed in and outside of the restaurant. Waitstaff were polite. I had the patty melt and my girl had the portabella sandwich along with sweet potato fries. We finished off with a bananas foster which was good. Basically, we carb loaded to high heaven, had a greatly unhealthy but good meal, and carb-crashed about 3 hours later, but it was well worth it. read more

While I was staying with some friends in Evanston, they suggested this breakfast/diner that was essentially located around the corner from them. It was fairly standard New American breakfast fare. I ordered the tofu scramble, which was hearty, tasty, but not mind-blowing. My friend ordered the crab cake egg benedict which looked pretty good. The atmosphere is definitely post-hippie with tattooed waitresses and painted walls. There were quite a lot of people who were there on New Years Day, and pretty packed with a lot of people from the surrounding area. It seemed like a popular place. If I lived in that neighborhood, I'd probably frequent it for a tasty breakfast. read more

BACONNNNNN. I forgot what else I ordered here, but I do remember the bacon! Thick cut bacon is the bomb dot com forreals. You probably already know by now -- I have an intense and passionate love for all things brunch. I tend to go for the savory, so that is exactly what I did here. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros with Homemade chorizo. Wait, what? Homemade chorizo? I love you, chorizo. Even moreso when you're homemade. It's a little pricey ($10 for one breakfast dish is quite hefty), but I am never able to finish an entire entree anyway...so it's more like $5 now for the first half, and then $5 later for the second half that I will most likely take home for a snack or meal the next day (which did happen). read more

Nice Place! My friend and I went for lunch today and the food was So Flavorful! I have never been here before and I'm so glad we were here! We shared the mushroom quesadilla and each had a salad- mine was the chicken tandoori, and then she had the Gouda burger and I had the Portobello Mushroom sandwich. Each item was colorful and each bite was Yummy! I took some food home and I know I'll be eating with a smile tonight-- the service was good as Well! read more

Went there and grabbed a coffee,& got the huevos rancheros. It was good, decent portion and coffee was good also! Service was great also! I wish it came with more tortillas lol but it's really not that big of a deal! I will be back. read more

The Lucky Platter - Huevos rancheros - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I hate to hit someone when they're down-- but I don't like to be cheated either. Don't get me wrong-- this place has the best key lime pie this side of Florida-- that's why I ordered it. I got oh -so- courteous curbside delivery and I was grateful-- UNTIL I got home and opened a container with one FOURTH of a slice of pie-- COVERED with whipped cream --(as if the cream would give me a sudden case of blindness) I went into SHOCK! Transparency here- this has NEVER happened to me before. I called and told them and I was very conciliatory-- to no avail. They said -- just try us again. No thanks. read more