Big DDD fan, so where ever we are we look up a place in the area to try out. We just moved to Chicago, and this place became our staple as we didn't want to cook after a long day at work and no food in the apartment. Great specials and hardy meal. read more

I also been coming here for years. I come with my family because it's affordable never had a bad breakfast lunch or dinner. The staff is nice, funny and just good vibes. I get French toast sausage the thing I don't like is that their cups are so damn small perfect for a five-year-old but not for an adult. We request the foam cups like medium size playing and keep asking for refills because they are not free. For lunch I would get Ribeye or meatloaf and for dinner I always get the same thing that open faced turkey oh my god you have to try this turkey with the gravy cranberry the works it is good only thing I would suggest don't serve with white bread serve up rolls. This place has it all for any picky eater. read more

This was my very first stop after leaving Midway on my first visit to Chicago. This was a planned visit, as I always stop at one place from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives when I visit a new city, and I was STOKED about visiting White Palace Grill. I arrived on a Thursday around 10:40am, so it wasn't terribly busy. I sat at the counter near Bubbles, a White Palace regular (and a very sweet man). I received an ice water quickly, but the rest of the service was quite slow. I asked for a recommendation, and the only thing that was recommended was the Greek Chicken, which was the same dish Guy Fieri sampled on the show. I decided to go with that. I finished my soup side, and then waited probably an additional 15-20 minutes before the main dish was brought out. I opted for rolls, which were cold and somewhat stiff, but they had a good flavor. The chicken noodle soup side was recommended to me over the cream of mushroom soup available that day, so I ordered that. It was mostly broth and lacked flavor. They told me it was homemade, but it tasted like Progresso or some other kind of less-than-appetizing canned soup. The side that automatically came with the dish was peas & carrots, which was bland and flavorless - I had to add salt just to make them edible, and even then, they were difficult to stomach. And then, there was the Greek Chicken that I was looking so forward to trying after seeing it fall off the bone, so juicy and tender, when Guy Fieri had it on the show. Unfortunately, I didn't have such a pleasurable experience. The chicken was so dried out that I could hardly eat it, and as a result, it was hard to even get a good feel for the Greek flavor. I wasn't even able to finish it. The only saving grace to the entire meal was the bed of rice that the chicken was laid on - it was perfectly cooked, and though they simply call it rice, it was more of a rice pilaf to me, but it was absolutely delicious! Firm but moist with excellent flavor. Had I opted only for a big bowl of this yummy rice, I would've given my dining experience a solid 4-star rating, but the other stuff left a lot (a WHOLE lot) to be desired. The man who was running the cash register (older man with a mustache) was less than friendly when I asked how far away a landmark was (or maybe that's just how folks are in Chicago), and kind of talked to me like I was stupid for not knowing what side of Chicago it was on (despite me telling him this was my first time in Chicago). The server checked in with me semi-frequently, but didn't keep my glass topped off or take my plates out of the way when I was done (which was inconvenient when sitting at the counter since you don't have a lot of space), and overall didn't have a great personality for service. Worth a visit for the historical value perhaps, and it does have a neat old-diner vibe on the inside, but I don't see myself going back. This is the first time I've ever had a bad dining experience when visiting an establishment featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Guess there's a first time for everything. read more

The food here is delicious and super filling. We had a waitress named Jo and she is an absolute saint she made us feel incredibly welcome and comfortable. Great food, great service, great company wish every breakfast place was as good read more

It's a sad day for Chicago one of our city's best known and long standing eating establishment have fallen from grace. I ordered the liver and onion dinner that came with a naked side salad that consists of ruff chopped lettuce tomato 1 thin slice of tomato and 2 small slices cucumber. No cheese no onions no croutons. The liver was burned and bitter so I sent it back. Upon checking out they tried to charge me 5.49 for the naked salad. The worst part is that the manager/owner wanted to argue with me cause he was eating the burned liver. No apology nothing won't be eating at white palace ever again read more

I ate there tonight for the first time. After hearing that it had been featured on TV, and after seeing the menu, I'd expected better. Way better. The service was OK, but the food was mediocre. Instant mashed potatoes, cheeseburger that was dry, boring fries. Nothing to write home about, that's for sure. There are way better diners to hit in Chicago... I recommend trying those first. read more

pros: -It's a diner -24 hour Breakfast **grub at 4 am is always nice Cons: -gentrification has killed the vibe of this place a.k.a University village. University village doesn't feel like a neighborhood or a village. ugh! come on UIC. -Target and Whole foods are ironically right next to this neighborhood staple. read more

Believe it or not I have NEVER waited long to be seated or served. Many times I can just walk right in and be seated, and I get there very late between 1am-2am on Fridays/Saturdays. I been coming here for the past 7 years or so, after concerts or a night at the bar. Its 24 hours. Still the same cool kitchy Chicago art on the walls. The food is your standard diner fare, but they have recently improved their menu. There is more selection and better quality food. This place is still VERY loud with loads of hungry drunks, but the food and price are well worth it. They even serve Chicken and Waffles now. I was impressed. read more

Pros: +Good Location +Good Portions + On Diners Drive-In's & Dive's Cons: -Shady Practices -Prepayment -No Splitting the Bill -No Warning of Refill Charges -Cleanliness Our waitress approaches our table and asks us if we're ready to order, we hadn't noticed the menus had been tucked behind the condiments so we needed a minute and ordered soft drinks. After she gets back to the table with tiny 10 oz tumblers filled to the brim with ice, she takes our order. An eternity later, watching her eat her soup to completion, she finally gets up to get our food & another set of refills. We get the pleasure of seeing her again 20 minutes later to ask for the things that had been missing from our order & a third round of refills. Finally after a whopping 40 minutes of watching our waitress slather toast with butter using her finger, yes HER FINGER, and handing it to the cooks as we ate, she finally came to us to drop of the bill and walk away without a word. I was feeling another refill, naturally, so upon asking she informs me that she had already charged me for a refill 3 times already and this would be my 4th. My eating buddy declined their refill on lemonade as well. Finally she returns to our table with a bill close to $46 for two $8.99 entrees and soft drinks that surmounted to $46 some how. When approaching the counter to pay, the sullen man at the cash register informed me that they cannot split the bill or charge two cards so I swallowed the $46 and tip. Long story short I don't think I'll be back here again unless they get rid of their questionable business practices, their should be a sign informing guests about no free refills , just like the massive sign that says parties over 5 must prepay after 1am, as well as a sign stating their inability split a bill at that high of a price point. read more

The white palace is awesome top to bottom! Great wait staff, great food, great atmosphere too. I can't say enough good things about this place; definitely worth the stop and nicely priced as well. read more

This is about as old school Chicago as it gets. And I'm a sucker for old school Chicago. A group of friends of mine have a tradition of meeting here at the crack of dawn before the Chicago Cares Servathon every June. Love the cafeteria style venue and breakfast is always good. This is diner food folks-not Michelin stars. This place gets six stars for character. read more

Be prepared to wait for a table in a cluttered area by the washroom. The greeter isn't that friendly and she makes it seem like it's your fault their is no space. My wife ordered the fried tilapia with fries and I ordered the chicken and waffles. My wife liked the food, but I wasn't a big fan. The waitress was nice and she checked up on us. This place is definitely overrated. We will not be going back. read more

The b-fast here is amazing...there is typically a fast moving line and you get seated quickly great @ 2pm on a Saturday. Come get a REAL Chicago breakfast. read more

Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives has lied to us all! My mom, sister and I had gone here excited to get some of this DELICIOUS AMERICAN FOOD. We all got something different. I had the sampler my mom had some melt thing and my sister had the philly. NO ONE enjoyed their food. My onion rings were like little cement rings too. I was embarrassed that I'd dragged my family to this place promising them a great meal. They still won't let me pick the restaurant. read more

My only complaint is that the tables are too small, had we had another person t our table we wouldn't have been able to fit all the plates on it! We both ordered country fried steak and eggs, it came with grits, pancakes, or hash browns plus toast! Even the water was good! read more

For a diner, the food was good for 3am. But on the otherhand is filled with drunks, and then again that is expected for a weekend at that time. Kind of made me feel like we were in a dangerous part of town, walking in and 2 armed full uniformed police officers or security guards standing watch inside the door giving everyone looks. read more

The place was crowded and the service was lacking. They do not split checks. The place was dirty but the food was fine for the price!

This place was jam packed. I couldn't substitute the hash browns for bacon or anything really till I talked her into it. She gave me wet fries that tasted like the potato wasn't cooked. I didn't ask for scramble eggs and got scrambled eggs. The only good thing was the 8 pieces of bacon I got for 8$. This place was terrible. read more

When I ate here back in October 2008, I ordered a Monte Cristo. For some reason I was confusing this another diner (Studio Diner) Guy Fieri visited in San Diego... which came on right before this place on that episode of his show. (which is less than two hours away from me, and have yet to try it) So when I got there Monte Cristo, I thought it was good.. but surprised it didn't look like that place on TV. I will try this place again next time in Chicago. read more

I love pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Think of this spot as a dinner thats perfect for an early morning or late night breakfast joint. I usually get the 2222 breakfast which includes (2 eggs- your way, 2 sausages links, 2 pancakes, and 2 pieces of bacon) I also get a side of sweet blueberries to cover my pancakes. The place is clean, the waitresses are nice and polite so tip well please it's only right. The burger's are good and it's open 24hrs so no matter what time you are hungry feel free to stop by! read more

I've only eaten breakfast here, but for a diner, I think this place is pretty great ... plus, it's the only restaurant that I know of in the area where you can get chicken fried chicken! read more

Honestly, one of my favorite places. But I have zero patience for sitting there and no greeting, no water, nothing for 5 minutes. I realize that's not a long time, but the first 5 minutes tells you how the service will be. I walked out. I'll go back because I love the soup and they are normally great, but tonight, they deserve to be called out. read more

If you are ever in need of good food, great service, and an all around pleasurable experience stop here anytime of day or night. Great place to warm up while waiting for a bus or train. Their service is like being transported back in time, where the waitresses and servers are completely professional, timely and always have a smile. Can't say enough about this place very happy with my experience I plan on making it a regular stop on my trips through chi city read more

White Palace Grill - Classic diner - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sometimes an incredibly busy place with a long wait, and sometimes empty. Open 24 hours 7 days a week! Very wide variety of food with tons of options for sides, entrees and desserts. Some are better than others, so it's really hit or miss. Staff is usually accommodating, but can be overwhelmed by the business. read more

sure this place plays the oldies, has a 50s style diner furniture and is decked out in Chicago propaganda-michael jordan, blues brothers,oprah,harry carrey and everything in between...i found border line tacky i fail to see the "big deal" in this place. The food Yumm yumm! the 1st time i came I had eggs, crispy bacon, and hash browns, thumbs up! at night i just had a cup of soup, TOOOO Yummy--sooo the food is good. i mean there was definitely a sense of community among the black customer's which was refreshing, but i felt like i had crashed a party..if that makes any sense This place was CROWDED, we were sooo lucky to get a booth, i felt like everyone was tripping over each other...which is NOT how i want to feel when im eating.... read more

okay... first of all - how is this university village? anyways, moving on.. so after a lot of poking and prodding by fellow south loopers i gave this place a go - and i was thoroughly dissappointed, i mean, it was your typical boring, crapola food open late diner. absolutely nothing special about this place. you want good breakfast? go to yolk, little branch, or bongo room, all of them just down roosevelt. not worth a trippppp. read more

For divey, greasy spoon style breakfast, this place cannot be beat. I feel like most of the complaints here are that people didn't know what they were getting into. Service is fast and friendly. read more

I just don't get the hype. Had the philly cheese steak- nothing special. For lunch the service was slow and there was empty seats around me

When you walk in and see the waiters eating the food, you know it's going to be a good place. We took the cab ride from Michigan ave to the grill and it was totally worth it. The French toast was the next French toast I have even eaten at a restaurant. I would not recommend the sausage because it seemed a little off but the French toast was worth eating every day. The service was very quick and extremely nice. It was extremely clean for a diner as well and although we didn't get dessert because we were full I would go back for a slice of cream pie in a heartbeat! Also note that you only get 1 free refill on soft drinks. read more

OMG. They sent me a plate of salt. I went here tonight with my brother and his girlfriend thinking that this place would be good because I saw it on TV. Big mistake. I ordered the baked meat loaf and they sent me a salty turd and dirt flavored mashed potatoes. I wouldn't give this mess to my dog. BEWARE OF THE SALT!!!!!!! Oh, but on a positive note the water and the waitress was good!! That's where the one star comes in. read more

This place is great! Service is friendly and can really help you make up your mind. The prices are low and the flavor is high. It was featured and Diners Drive-ins and Dives and for good reason. You can't go wrong!!! read more

Would never, never come back. I used to love this place and their food, but the last time I went, the manager was unbelievably rude. Refused us a seat because of my friends service dog. Then short changed me by a dollar on a drink and when I asked for it back he told me no! he had given it to a waitress who hadn't even served us! Everyone lied to me when I asked for the owners name. When I finally talked to him, he was increasingly belligerent and furious with my complaint. Accused me of lying and trying to frame him in a lawsuit. Then hung up on me. Worst service experience I have ever had anywhere. read more

Unique, authentic dive diner spot - staff is friendly, food is good (lots of options), price is reasonable, interesting history. As classic diner feel as soon as you walk in. read more

I visited this place last night, it was extremely crowded. However, the food was pretty good, and our waiter was pleasant. However, I was confused about the sitting arrangements. I have never been to where they are so strict with the sitting . I literally saw two groups not served, because they didn't have a party of Five. But it was a party of 4, I also heard the staff asking customer to pay for there food, before they receive their food. This place also doesn't accept cash, but they have an ATM. It's an inconvenience, for customers to have to pay for their food and a service fee for the cash to pay for it. I'm hoping this place can make improve so customers are better accommodated. read more

Above average breakfast foods with solid pancakes and waffles. I would go here again.

Greasy spoon diner. Don't expect more and you'll be happy. The waitresses are sometimes moody, the clientel is sometimes random, the food is sometimes good, sometimes ok. But I come back often because it's cheap and easy and close by and always open. Definitely a Chicago institution. read more

Five of us on a Saturday at about 9:30am. Five minute wait. Full but tables turning. The service was outstanding. All the food was very good. Our entrees included the chicken and waffles, the Tex-Mex skillet, bacon &eggs, and French toast with eggs. The chicken and waffles comes with an excellent barbecue sauce on the side, but is only available with chicken strips. I would have liked a choice of chicken pieces. I suppose I could have asked. One of us had been there several times before. The rest of us will definitely go back too. read more

I went alone to White Palace (Roosevelt and Canal) today for breakfast @ 10:45 AM. No one in front of me but had to wait for a table or booth. A couple came in 3 - 5 minutes after me. No one else was behind them. A man also eating alone finished eating and left. I was then told that the booths are for two or more people and he wanted to direct to to the counter. I told him I don't like eating at counters. He told me it was policy. He immediately sat the couple behind me at the booth I had been waiting for. Then again directed me toward the counter. It got a little heated we had a few words and I left. I then called my mom and we went to Ruby's on the west side (Madison and Kedzie) and had a wonderful time. Love the food too. Question: If it was policy shouldn't it be policy for everyone, including the man who was eating alone before me? The breakfast rush time was over. Never going there again. I will not pay to be disrespected. read more

I heard many great things about this place from Food Network enthusiasts, so I felt priveleged to try it out. Knowing that the place was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, I expected something comfort food-ish with a nice, home-cooked quality. Yes, it's cheap...but everything is supremely reminscent of negligently prepared school cafeteria food at best. In that sense, it's not so cheap. I'm fairly certain that most everything we ordered came from either a can or a powdered mix. No clean plates here. read more

Fond, fond memories of late night and random round-the-clock munchies. I'm a sucker for Western-style breakfast and White Palace delivers the goods. Can you say chorizo omelette? *drool* read more