The service is strange... but the food is amazing. Service is odd, with weird rules and regulations to their menu. But, I'll brush that aside for some delicious food! Love their custom pizzas, good burgers, great tuna melt, nice selection of tasty soups, pretty good salads, and cornbread... with butter and honey. YUM. Side dishes are fun too, and go beyond the usual fries option. I opt for the mac & cheese when I feel like being unhealthy and gingered fruit when I'm being a bit wiser. Gotta love the complimentary Jolly Ranchers too! read more

Oh.my....my tummy's happy again!! Had the Texas Burger w/Butternut Acorn Squash & Chai Tea. Wolfed it down about 10-15min! read more

The Lucky Platter - Texas Burger w/Butternut Acorn Squash = Sooooo yummy!!! I cleaned the plate - yessss I did!! - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Not only is the food delicious, but there are top notch people working there. The general manager, for example. A couple of weeks ago I ordered some dinner to be delivered (or so I thought, I was past the delivery window and in my hurry to place the order didn't notice.) The restaurant was getting ready to close and I received a calll from the G.M., gently asking if I was close to picking up the food. I was stunned as I thought it was on the way. My distraction at placing the order? A couple hours prior, we had received word of a sudden death in the family and my husband and I were still processing the news. I mumbled something to that effect, and this lovely guy told me not to worry, he was going to drive it over to our home himself. He was here in minutes with not only our food but a bottle of wine. He just radiated compassion. As we opened the bag to enjoy another delicious Lucky Platter meal, we found two huge chocolate chip cookies tucked inside as well. Such thoughtful, generous folks. We deeply appreciated the kindness. read more

I wanted to rate them on Grubhub but somehow it wouldn't let me. I have visited the restaurant on occasion and liked their food, but not anything that I would say I need to have on a regular basis. I decided to order delivery Lucky Platter since I was having issues ordering from one of my go-to breakfast places on DoorDash. I chose raisin scone as my side and raisin toast was delivered to me. It wouldn't have been an issue had the restaurant called me to tell me they ran out of scones and asked me what I wanted instead. Oh well, they got their business this time but I wouldn't give them another chance on a delivery order. read more

Cold brisk day in Chicago = soup for lunch. Where to go? aaaaahhh The Lucky Platter. What soup? Pumpkin Spice. YUM. This oup will really do the trick to warm your bones on a cold day in Chicago. Not to mention that the spices will take your mind to warmer places surrounded by crystal blue waters. The sweet potato fries are incredible. thinly cut, which is the key. i've had too many thick cut fries and they just adsorb th oil and get soggy. and while you are eating, pause for a moment and take in the glory that are the weirdest walls i've seen in awhile. read more

"post-Hippie eclectic world cuisine." That's a quote from the Lucky Platter website. I can't say I really have a lot of knowledge of post-Hippie eclectic culture, but if this is true, I'm a fan. The restaurant's decor is strange, but comfortable. Most of the walls are covered with incredibly random artwork, ranging from a 7th grade art fair portrait of JFK to a similarly painted Hugh Downs (Maybe!?!). The ceiling is covered with small foil balls (presumably to keep the aliens from reading our minds) and every table has a floral/bizarre table covering. As I remarked at the time, our waiter had a sort of gay, urban highlander thing going on. It worked for him. I don't think there's anything about the Breakfast menu that's incredibly impressive looking. It isn't filled with fusion-y benedicts or chilaquiles made out of angel hair cut tortillas or the like; it seems relatively standard for a hip spot. Despite that, all of the food was excellent. Future yelper Meg L encouraged me to make my own scramble while she ordered the tofu scramble. My scramble had grilled onions, feta and andouille sausage. Magnifique! For her side, she got the gingered fruit. This was truly something special. I can't even describe it except to say it was a fruit plate with diced red and green onions in a wonderful ginger something that made my soul smile. While the potatoes I had were fine (with cilantro, mmm), the fruit is definitely the recommended side. Lastly, both the Apricot Cheese Flakey and the Scone were delightful. How do you pronounce apricot? She said /ape-ricot/ while I say /app-ricot/. I think her way is weird. Despite the language barrier, she did take me to a really great brunch spot in Evanston, so all is forgiven. read more

Your first impression is that there is/are "artsy" people involved here. That's clearly evident from the quirky sculptural assemblage over the front, and the even more quirky pieces hanging on the walls inside. It's all with a touch of humor (note the colanders turned into overhead light fixtures). But they get down to business when serving you, though depending on when, it can be a bit spotty. Nothing to complain about with the food. None of it will really surprise you. What they offer for lunch and especially breakfast/brunch is homey and dependable; Diner stuff that's hard to get wrong. I've even had a nice meal here well after 4 PM. And the prices are not outrageous for this strip of Evanston. It has always felt warm and cozy inside the Lucky Platter too. Depending on the hour, even though there's plenty of metered street parking, you might be competing for a spot with denizens of the Starbucks almost directly across the street. A convenient source for the latest Reader, the venerable Main News, is just steps west on Chicago Ave. read more

Stopped by here on a weekday that I had off from work. Wanted to take advantage of eating breakfast in a less crowded environment than on the weekend. It was actually more crowded at 7:30am than I expected but we had no problem getting a table. I had the crab cake benedict and I learned that I don't really like hollandaise sauce but the actual crab cake and the cornbread it was served on were good. I also ordered a side of regular bacon because you need bacon for breakfast when dining out. My friend had the cajun scramble and really liked the remoulade sauce. The breakfast potatoes were also big and crunchy. What other reviewers said about the decor is true, the sort of hippy-diner vibe. Everything is laid back and casual which lead to a nice relaxing breakfast. read more

Came by for pick up for lunch. Menu looked most like a reg brunch diner. One thing that stood out was a tandoori chicken sandwich with apricot curry sauce. The sandwich was a little wet n messy but not bad. The side I chose was Mac n cheese which tasted like Kraft you can make at home. They included corn bread which was a nice surprise at first but didn't live up to the excitement. This place was pretty busy despite the mediocre food. I feel sitting in for breakfast/brunch would be a while other experience. As for now there's alot better options in the location, pass... read more

See all

I stopped in for the first time to grab a bite before going to a show. I had the Black Bean Burger (which was really good) and the Thai Braised Kale (which was AMAZING!). I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu! read more

This was my first but, not my last visit to Lucky Platter. Enjoyed a Reuben, and it was very good. Glad I took the walk from laundromat. Ha!! read more

Lucky platter has outpaced Clarkes for weekend diner food in Evanston. Cornbread was served swiftly and was a-ok. Fried green tomatoes were delicious. House salad was good, but I think I picked the wrong dressing. Decor is cute. Servers are friendly. LePeep is a better brunch unfortunately it also closes super-early. Dixie Kitchen has better southern food, but no line and reasonable prices at the Lucky Platter. read more

Hands down my favorite brunch spot in Evanston! The decor is quirky and unpretentious, and everyone is really friendly. If you go for brunch, you have to get the apricot cheese flakey. Paired with a cuppa joe, it's to DIE for! I hear their dinner menu is good, too, but I have yet to try it. read more

Mixed feelings. The first few times I ate here I was very happy with my meal and the service. Loved the breakfast, and either me or my boyfriend would order the Montana Hash with two eggs over easy. Also have had two or three of the omelette options. Consistent, delicious, and the apricot flakey is a nice touch. Reason for 3 stars instead of more: 1. inconsistent service. Sometimes get really friendly waiters, other times get stand-offish people with bad service. One time our plates came out at totally different times, I had both water AND coffee spilled on my pants - and no word of acknowledgment from the server. Odd. 2. Bad dinner experience. Soggy sweet potato fries and a soggy burger roll were not very appealing. This dinner experience came at one of those times the service was a little off, so that didn't help. A friend of mine ordered a salad and it was missing ingredients listed on the menu - just a little strange. I've heard good things about the lunch/dinner menu so maybe we ordered the wrong things but yikes, we were turned off. Mixed feelings! Hence the 3 star rating. Would be less if it weren't for all those tasty breakfast experiences. read more

There is one reason to go to The Lucky Platter: Omelette No. 1. It is an omelette filled with artichokes, avocado, goat cheese, and roasted tomato sauce. It is served with breakfast potatoes and a pastry. My husband and I each order one. I get mine with the raisin scone. He gets his with the apricot cheese flakey. We smile at each other a lot while we eat. Ordinarily, I am one of those people who always wants to add this or substitute that at restaurants, but even I cannot improve on this dish. If you like the above ingredients, order the No. 1. It is perfection on a platter. It makes the wait worth it, and it enables appreciation of the crazy decor. read more

The Lucky Platter is an eclectic, very Evanstonish type restaurant. The art on the walls is a mixture of eccentric and something you'd find at a Salvation Army. I'm not sure I love the decor as it feels "weird-to-be-weird" but it's not a big deal either way. Their menu has a good selection and as long as you're not super picky, you'll find something you'll want to eat. I am a fan of their tuna melt which is on a corn bread and has some nice pieces of tomato on it. Most people I've talked to also are a fan of the tuna melt. Options on the sides are unknown to me because I always get the very good sweet potato fries. Add a bit of honey on top. That's a nice addition. Lucky Platter's biggest problem is its service. You may or may not get seated pretty quickly because it is often busy. I am not going to hold that against them. When I went today I waited 10 minutes before the waitress even took our drink order. We didn't get refills on coffee and getting the bill was quite slow. This isn't the first time I've had sub-par service. Despite the service, I'd still recommend going to Lucky Platter. Their food is good and unique. read more

Had the chicken tandoori salad, and taste-wise, it was great. The avocado chunks, apricot chutney, and tandoori chicken were the perfect combination, bringing life to the greens with the spice, rich creaminess, and sweetness. The problem I had was with the freshness of the vegetables. The cherry tomatoes and romaine lettuce were subpar and below par. The place itself wasn't what I would call the cleanest restaurant either. I definitely wouldn't mind coming, again, to try its mushroom quesadilla or tofu scramble, but I wish the ingredients used were fresher. read more

I love this place! I haven't had a bad meal! The polenta open-faced sandwich was delicious! I also enjoy the salmon and any of their Tandoori dishes. Breakfast here is a must!!!! The cinnamon glazed bacon and apricot flakey are delicious (though a bit heavy for having frequently). read more

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

Wonderful spot for Sunday breakfast. Excellent service. Terrific breakfast specials. Eggs cooked perfectly! Huevos rancheros heavenly. Coffee is a winner too! Everyone feels welcome! Can't beat the climate! Free street parking on Sunday! read more

Eric is the sweetest! Besides the delicious and creative food their customer service is outstanding. I've never had a bad meal! I had a situation with Grubhub and Lucky Platter where the order got a little messed up. Eric was so accommodating and took care of everything. He was apologetic, nice and on it. He sent out another order for me right away and DELIVERED IT HIMSELF. That's the type of management and customer service you cannot find anymore. read more

CLIFF'S NOTES: "A" for effort and originality. "C-" for execution. SETTING - Quirky, strange, antique shop / hippie-esque vibe (minus tie dye). I dug it. SERVICE - Super friendly hippies to accompany the hippie ambiance. Attentive. Prompt enough. Smiles. FOOD - On the low end of par. Menu had slim pickins. Breakdown below: 1) Cheeseburger - Patty was much bigger than 1/3 lb as advertised (which pleased me immensely) but it was severely under seasoned (as in: NOT) and I could taste that the meat wasn't really all that fresh. Came with a grilled slice of white onion (think: disc). Cool idea but not tasty. Sweet potato fries were ok. Needed a pinch of salt (there wasn't any). 2) Green tomato eggs benedict - Eggs poached beautifully. Hollandaise was fine. Tomato "sauce" overwhelmed the taste of dish and it was salty. Not sure that using corn bread as the base was such a great idea, especially with the "sauce". Taste of corn bread was overwhelmed and got soggy quickly. An odd combination overall... 3) Cinnamon bacon - Tasty, I suppose, but definitely overrated, IMHO. The thick slice of bacon was a bit dry but still chewy thanks to the copious amounts of caramelized cinnamon sugar glaze which stuck to my teeth. I can see why people love it - it is bacon after all... PRICES: Reasonable. BUGS ON FLOOR: True story. Witnessed 1 fly and an ant. Nothing sinister like a cockroach or spider. VERDICT: We probably won't be back read more

I came to the Lucky Platter with friends on a Sunday around noon. The place was absolutely packed which really speaks for the food served there considering the competition in Evanston. Although our waiter was somewhat absentminded (a theme amongst the wait-staff) it only provided more time to chit chat, especially about the eclectic decor consisting mostly of metal folk art and odd wall kitsch. I ordered the tuna melt over toasted corn bread and topped with tomato and avocado along with a side of roasted red potatoes. Long story short, by the time the waiter came by to collect our dishes there wasn't a crumb left on my plate. The tuna melt was fantastic and and the fresh tomato and avocado were unusually nice compliments to the warm tuna and cornbread. A true fiesta in my mouth. My pals were also very satisfied with their meals, one with a buffalo chicken sandwich and the other with a unique salad. The prices were very reasonable and our total bill with tip came out to about $40. I will be returning to sample the other dishes on the menu very soon. read more

cinnamon glazed bacon. holy moses. Staff was friendly, food delicious, coffee great - had brunch at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, busy but not swamped. read more

Didn't think eggs and black beans could make a palatable pairing, but the Mexican omelette from Lucky Platter proved me deliciously wrong! The well turned out, well packed Sunday brunch to- go tasted even better by the lakefront, especially with the side of potatoes and carrots too! I substituted the healthy (aka boring) wheat toast for the apricot cheesy flake and loved the sweet close to my great brunch. A 10 minute wait for the food was easily spent browsing the bustling downtown streatch. One of the better 10 buck brunches I've had -- Lucky Platter (and Evanston) gets a thumbs up. read more

Fantastic, lesser-known, breakfast gem in Evanston. I like everything about this place, especially the food. Breakfast is unfailingly delicious and comes with a scone or apricot cheese "flakey". Regardless of what you order for breakfast, I highly recommend the flakeys - they are fantastic. I usually order the Cajun Scramble that's filled with lots of andouille sausage and broccoli with a tasty, spicy, sauce and a side of breakfast potatoes that are steamy and soft - much better than the dried out potatoes that one gets at many lesser breakfast spots. The decor is quirky and fun, consisting of animal sculptures made of scrap metal (like the fish made from an old mailbox) and the amateur paintings with odd facial proportions and expressions. Service has always been prompt, efficient, friendly, and attentive, even during the rare busy times. Because it's on Main Street and a bit removed from downtown Evanston, I've rarely had to wait for a table, even on weekends. One caveat I offer is that I've never eaten lunch or dinner here so my 5-star review applies only to breakfast. read more

This venue punctuates Evanston dining. Quaint yet eclectic, hip but not trendy. The atmosphere is easily likable with its artistically littered walls, not overly bright lighting, and controlled sound. I had the roast beef, black bean soup, and sweet potatoe mash. Reasonably priced and delicious! I didn't feel overly unhealthy eating here either. The service was good although not fantastic. Not a place for a big selection by drink nor food, however, this really focuses On what lucky platter specializes. I recommend lucky platter as an Evanston must. Seriously, try it. read more

Looking for a sit down brunch in Evanston? This is your spot. Decorated with vintage paint by numbers , the space is fun and casual. The food was great, lots of options especially if you enjoy a drink with your brunch. We regret not getting pastry everyone was ordering with their meals. Sounds like a must. The service was a little slow but only because we were at the bar and the place was packed. We will definitely be back for more. read more

This is my favorite go to place! Always fresh and delicious! They have the best salads and their toasted sesame dressing is amazing!

I like this place a lot, all due to their portobello burger. It's topped with roasted red pepper, goat cheese and other goodies. And any place that serves mac and cheese as a side is pretty amazing. Yum Their decor is fun too. read more

I had heard about this place thru friends, described unfavorably--pretentious and rude. Not my experience. The service may have been a bit slow, but totally friendly and accommodating. As far as food, the Fried Green Tomato Benedict was superb. Yummay. Also, I got an order of Cinnamon Glazed Bacon, which was crazy rich. Probably won't get it again but if you love super-sweet heavy bacon, this is the place. I was a little surprised by lack of young people, given it's reputation for being a hipster haven. Maybe because school's out? Anyways, I will come back if I find myself in Evanston again. Oh, and I loved the imaginative decor! read more

This restaurant is a nice mix of quirky art, cozy atmosphere and good food. The walls and ceiling are covered with all kinds of artwork, portraits and old black and white photos. Looks like the sort of thing you would see walking around a local art fair and adds to the feeling that you're walking into your mom's really-really big kitchen. I had the tuna melt which was fantastic. The tuna isn't drowned in mayo and has a perfect mix of fish, chives and celery. The tuna was topped with cheddar, tomato chunks and avocado and served on ?!cornbread?!? Awesome! My friend got the chicken avocado salad which was also good. The chicken and veggies are fresh and the lettuce is legit. Our soup sides were just okay. I've been there when it's busy and can be a bit cramped, but today we went for a later lunch and the service was great. The prices are very reasonable and the portions aren't too big or too small for a mid-day brunch. No bar so if you are craving a bloody steer yourself to another saloon. But if you are in the mood for a tasty affordable brunch I highly recommend. read more

Absolutely my favorite restaurant in Evanston. Every item on the menu has a unique twist that makes it special, delicious, and worth going to Lucky for. All the breakfast items are fantastic, and my favorite sandwich is the tandoori chicken (oh my gosh. Perfection on a bun.) The atmosphere of the restaurant is also really interesting. They have weird, surreal art on the walls, interesting recycled sculptures, and locally-made lighting fixtures and figurines. The menus are kitchy-but-explanatory, and their waitstaff is incredibly nice. If you go there enough, they remember your name. Such a great place! read more

I.Love.This.Restaurant!!!! A beautiful and fun environment. Aaaaaaamazing food. Feels like a great homemade meal. From salads to burgers to tuna melts to quesadillas to soup to hearty entrees to pancakes to skillets to omelettes to APRICOT FLAKEYS. Great cornbread with meal. Fantastic beer and drink selection. Friendly and kind staff. A tiny bit over priced. But I've gone to this restaurant for larger milestone celebrations, small victory dinners, brunch catch up with friends, lunch meetings and solo pick me ups and I've never been really disappointed. read more

We used to be regulars at The Lucky Platter. Haven't dinned there in a couple of years we decided to have dinner for my daughter's 18th birthday Sunday evening . Our server was moody and seemed overwhelmed the entire time. We ordered and the food was particularly bland..all of our dishes and sides lacked flavor and salt (apparently chef was having an odd day also) There was 3 of us but one had no silverware , so I flagged the busboy. At no point did our server Kevin come back to ask how everything was or if we needed anything, and I had to flag him twice to get our soda refills! When he brought them back it seemed he just threw them on the table as if bothered. We weren't even done with our meal and server comes by and puts my check on the table. What if we wanted dessert or to order anything else!???? At that point we decided to go have dessert somewhere else. I saw him busy with a takeout order so I flagged the busboy again to ask for boxes for our leftovers..the server sees me and says "I'm right here what do you want!?" Wow!!! Needless to say we won't be coming back. Horrible attitude and service!!! One star goes for the remodeling. read more

The vibe is great and the interior design is beautiful. The people working there are very kind and contribute to a family environment. The breakfast food is spectacular and I am definitely coming back again. read more

It may be that Lucky Platter's luck has run out. We've liked the homey quirky diner in the past. But something has gone wrong. If a restaurant prints a "Special" it shouldn't be worse than "ordinary" should it? The chilaquiles were a premeditated disaster: grocery grade chips, similar beans, dry texture, and, oh, you forgot the egg? Well, let's drop that on and bring it right back. Greek omelette ingredients were cold and the omelette was somehow tough. The steak salad steak was tender but the chef --they said "new"--similarly didn't see the point of hot off the grill. Did we say slow? Really slow. To their credit, someone stopped by to apologize. Perhaps a crisis management team will be next. read more

I've been here for lunch and breakfast. Food, staff and service are all impecible (you haven't lived until you've had an Apricot Cheese Flakey). Prices aren't unreasonable and the atmosphere is unique. The ONLY exception (and reason for 4 and not 5 stars) is the coffee. So bitter, over brewed, frankly nasty coffee I've ever had. You know it's bad when you have to use salt to cut the bitterness. It's BARELY palatable. Seriously, they need a new machine and/or coffee beans. read more

At first I was scared--big creepy bizzaro tin man statues hang above the front entrance, and other creepy creepsters can be found inside. Whether they be Salvador Dali-like paintings, way too many lined up in a row- or more tin statues or creepy scream-like figurines, they were weird to say the least. But--the food is AMAZING. The pumpkin soup is spicy and good. Pick your own scramble was yum-a-lum, even with eggs whites only. Get the flakey cheese apricot scone thing--unique and fresh, flakey...great mix of fruit and yum. read more

Why does this place get such great reviews?! When I saw it on Check, Please, I was astonished. I've only been here a couple of times but it was terrible. Once, they didn't have any ketchup for my potatoes. (How do you not have ketchup?!) That said, the service sucked. And the last time, I had some kind of corn flake encrusted french toast. Bleck. The inside looks disgusting too. It's like a diner but dirty hipster style. It's cheap overpriced food lacking quality and taste. read more

One of the best brunch places, with pretty, interesting kitschy decor (eg, all the light fixtures are made of old colanders). I LOVE the omlettes here. With an omlette comes sides of potatoes and toast. You can sub the potatoes for ginger fruit but I usually ask to sub ginger fruit for the toast, since I'm allergic to wheat, and most of the time the waiters act like I'm asking them to stand on their heads. wtf. But this fruit is SO good. I don't taste any ginger, but it's got purple onions and parsley which probably sounds unappetizing, but it's delicious. They have combinations that aren't your average ingredients, like putting pesto in an omelette (something I think is long overdue;) I LOVE pesto). My favorite breakfast items are Omelette No. 1 (avocado, artichokes, goat cheese, roasted tomato sauce), and the Tuscan Omelette, and the spiced chai is delicious as far as beverages. You can make your own scramble, and they have 28 different ingredients to choose from! wow. Now that I'm vegan, I can't wait to go back and try their tofu scramble (but it has feta in it...what?! why would you cut out eggs but still have cheese...hmm) read more