It seems these new restaurants should should take a lesson from this old school diner. Because they have everything right from the atmosphere, service to the food the saying goes if it's not broke don't fix it. Walking in you feel you stepped back in time greeted with a smile and the words have a seat wherever you want. The hours are limited to closing at 2pm so Breakfast is served all day. They are well known in the Breaded Pork Tenderloin world so I had to check it out and I will tell you for $8.99 and a cup of soup it didn't disappoint crisp tender and full of flavor read more

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What has happened to Blues Cafe? Hardly recognizable and definitely not memorable. Last time the pies had changed and not for the good...today..Patty melt with no grilled onions and you have to pay 2.99 extra for an order of fries not even a pickle on the plate. Consistency is the staff working their hearts out to keep this place going..Sorry it is sinking and is barely on life support.. read more

Neighbor joint, lots of regulars. Good food and reasonable prices. Restroom could use updating. read more

We were lit this way for a school sport event and I had asked a Facebook pork tenderloin group for recommendations. This was 7 minutes from where we were, so we decided to give it a try. Man, this was amazing. Portions are huge, prices are reasonable and staff and patrons are friendly. We even got the kids to finish a (shared) BEAST breakfast sandwich! We took three slices of pie home (they had to have more than a dozen options). Brunch was $41 and pies another $15. Totally worth it! read more

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Food, service are both excellent with a hometown vibe. Waitresses are very cheerful and always cordial.

Blue's is a nice little neighborhood diner. I recently went for lunch and had a good Frisco melt, and the soup to start was good. A second trip was for breakfast and the cinnamon roll toast was excellent, as were the biscuits and gravy, really every thing! read more

Blue's Cafe - Everything a good representation of breakfast staples - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Very nice little diner. A wide variety of food choices along with some specials, and really reasonable prices. Good coffee and yummy food. Extra charge for breakfast potatoes, so if you don't like them, you save money. Service was very nice also. Can't go wrong with this homie looking place. read more

First timer! Food was pretty decent. Ordered the Chicken fried Chicken and the Meat Lovers Melt. Everything was Fresh And hot! A small diner for a quick bite with in and out services is always a win win for me. Our waitress was friendly also. Seating was decent and pretty much the regulars sworn the place. Check em out! read more

Blue's Cafe - Chicken fried chicken and Meat lovers Melt - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Best biscuits and gravy in the county. Good coffee too. They said it's Columbian so now I use the same at home.

I just moved here from Kentucky and I have been looking for a good place that reminds me of some of the diners back home and I have to say everything from the atmosphere to the little cup of coffee and the kind servers. I have tried many different types of coffees in this state and so far there's taste the best I don't know how they fix it but it's delicious, that and with the meat lovers omelette that I had was the best dinner I have had in a long time read more

Very friendly waitresses, on point for coffee refills. Very good breakfast, I had over medium eggs with bacon, American fries with grilled onions and green bell peppers, and sour dough toast. My girlfriend had eggs over easy, hash browns and the sausage patties with wheat toast. Everything was excellent. We will be back, that was my 1st time there. Awesome place! We went on 12/20/2025 GO BEARS!!! read more

Classic old school diner filled with loyal customers, incredibly friendly servers with food that warms your soul. Been open since 1954. Truly awesome! read more

Everything was fantastic! Service was excellent breakfast was fantastic perfectly cooked and not greasy and the price was very very reasonable will definitely be going back read more

Excellent diner; delicious soup, tasty sausage gravy, and the cinnamon bread toast was amazing. Very fair prices, no doubt why this diner has been around for over 70 years! read more

The food was great I had the egg sunny up. Husband had coconut cream pie With the service being great The restaurant was cute read more

We were heading north on I57 and we found the cafe using Yelp. The cafe was a couple miles off the interstate but well worth the drive. A neat local diner with great food. Krystal our server was very friendly and kept my coffee cup full. You won't be disappointed!!! read more

Greeted with smiling faces, clean surroundings and a very homey feeling. Food and service were top notch. Will make the 45 minute drive again. read more

We traveled all the way from Bloomington, Illinois for Good food and friendly service.

Food: always fresh cooked breakfast. I had the country fried steak and eggs (3), mashed potatoes instead of hash browns, and white toast. Perfect in every way Service: Crystal (and all the ladies) do a wonderful job of keeping you filled and happy Ambiance: nice small town cafe with down home dishes Overall: A+ read more

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Finding a place to eat like Blue's Cafe is the reason why I love Yelp. We would have missed this gem without it. It felt like walking back in time as we entered Blue's Cafe. My husband enjoyed the biscuits and gravy along with eggs. I ordered the BEAST and enjoyed that very much as well. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. read more

We stopped in for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I grew up in the area, but hadn't been back to Blue's in over 20 years. I'm happy to report that it is still great! I had the B.E.A.S.T. (bacon, egg, avocado, swiss, tomato) sandwich. It came with a side of hash browns and was one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've had. Their menu offers something for everyone and it was hard to decide. Our server was on top of things, and all the employees were friendly. Don't skip the pie! Can't go wrong with any of the flavors. read more

Blue's Cafe - Banana cream pie - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Food is great, service perfect, ambience amazing, like in 60's 100% recommended to visit read more

Friendly and delicious! Casual dining, broad menu, GREAT selection of pies! Walked in and was greeted like a local. Glad to have tried this little diner. read more

Blue's Cafe - Pie selection - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

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White fish sandwich terrible. Square piece of fried breaded fish on a bun with no garnish - no tomato-no lettuce- no onion- no pickles. Go somewhere else for a fish sandwich. read more

My only regret is that we didn't save room to try the pie. The only benefit of that fact is that it gives us motivation to make it back again. After a morning walk/hike through the nearby state park, I did a quick Yelp search of nearby restaurants for a lunch spot. My eyes landed on the pictures of the food at Blue's, and we instantly knew it was where we had to go. There is a reason this place has been open since the 1950s. The food is simple and delicious, the prices are downright cheap, and the service is friendly. Even though it was prime brunch time on Mother's Day weekend, we were easily able to find a parking spot in the attached lot and grabbed a prime window booth. While all of the food looked and sounded delicious (including the specials of chocolate chip pancakes and chicken fried steak plates), we couldn't pass on the allure of the triple decker club sandwiches. I went for the classic BLT, and it was PACKED with crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and American cheese. It was also dripping in Mayo, which is exactly how I like my BLTs. Salty, tangy and delicious. The side of crinkle cut fries were hot, fresh, and nostalgic. My husband went with a side of onion rings, and they were hand battered with an almost a tempura-like batter- truly delicious. Next time, we will try the fried cheese curds. Drink refills were easy to come by, and service was friendly and efficient. Ambiance was just what you'd expect for a 1950s diner. And, the price for lunch for two with a generous tip barely hit $30. All in all, you can't go wrong with Blue's. read more

Blue's Cafe - BLT Club sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Hearty,tasty meals at a fair price. Good service. Impressive homemade pies! Vintage diner atmosphere creates a family friendly spot!

What do you do on a cold and rainy winter day? Pig out at Blues Cafe ! Jamie, is an awesome waitress. All food was excellent - chicken fried chicken with eggs & American fries. Eggs, ham, & pancakes. To go :Chocolate, Butterscotch & Coconut Cream pie! Crazy, right! read more

Blue's Cafe - a plate of meat and gravy - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

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It's back. I returned after an absence of several months following its sale by the Chouinard sisters. Love the Very Berry .. order if you get a chance. Also great place for people watching. Local celebrities recently spotted there: sheriff Mike Downey, states attorney Jim Rowe, noted authors Jim Riordan, Andrew Dahlmaine Hi for the food, enjoy the ambience, not only local celebs, but younger people flocking there for its retro appeal. Don't be surprised if you hear that actor Bill Murray was spotted there ( that's all I can say at this time) read more

A very enjoyable lunch, a true relic from the past, so glad we stopped at this wonderful cafe, which I would describe as the real thing. I can't stop thinking about the wonderful butterscotch cream pie that I shared with my friend. She was quite impressed as well. I also very much enjoyed the chicken fried chicken which of course included a very good white gravy floating on excellent mashed potatoes. Our waitress was wonderful, I love the old time diner atmosphere, establishments like this are very hard to find these days, I highly recommend you stop in. (FDV Approved 4.6 - Food, 4.7; Design, 4.5; Value, 4.7). read more

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I can only speak for the pie, and I don't think you can walk out of Blue's without having a slice. When I asked the waitress of a favorite among the customers, her response was, "All of them are a favorite." From what I read in the Yelp reviews, people seem to gravitate toward the "pudding pies", which is why I chose butterscotch. OH MY. THAT CRUST. There is nothing store-bought about it. It's flaky. It's buttery. I'd say I'd like the recipe, but I have a feeling it's a best-kept secret. The filling--butterscotch pudding and whipped cream--were piled on high, but I happily worked through it bite by bite until my plate was empty. It was rich and worth it. I've made a mental note that banana will be the next slice I indulge in. If you're a traveler passing through, you're going to want to take a pie-break at Blue's Cafe before you venture elsewhere. It can't be beat for miles! read more

Blue's Cafe - Butterscotch pie - Cafes Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

We have been coming here for years. Best pie in the country! With the new owners, they have kept the tradition of still having the best pie in the country. Same great flavors and freshness of the pie. We love this place so much for their pies. Save room for the pie!! We can also say the same for the food. New menu with some new items with everything fresh and delicious! Service was excellent. We thought everyone was very friendly. I Hope they stay around forever. thank you! read more

This 1954 gem seems like there may be a newer management team. They were great, staff was aswome with great service. Everything was made to order so keep thar in mind if you are in a rush. I for one think it is totally worth the stop. I had the biscuits and gravy. Which was 3 fresh biscuits. They were top notch. The gravy was light white and thick. It did not have much sausage and was a but light on flavor. The eggs were perfect. The sausage patties were also fresh and amazing. Maybe if I got here earlier I may have gotten better gravy which may have been stewing the sausage. read more

My buddy and I were in town to do some fishing and I saw this place on Yelp with good ratings so we decided to try it. After going there, I can see that the ratings were well-deserved. The food was delicious, portions were good and the service was awesome. We will definitely be back anytime we're in town. read more

My first review of the New Year. I could have sworn I left a review already, after a few visits under my belt, I'm a fan. Same family run business since 1954. Friends from Manteno turned me on to them. I try to make my way down and join them here every so often. Love the small town diner feel. Super friendly staff and owners. Always a great home cooked meal. Get in early for biscuits and gravy. Fish fry is a treat too. Try to save room for homemade pie... or better yet, take some home! read more

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Living example of a cool small town diner. The blueberry pancakes are one of a kind and out of this world. I love the pie, service and the vibe. The wait staff knows many patrons by name and is consistently helpful and friendly. I consider it small town food prepared, cooked and served with love, accuracy and enthusiasm. There are a few great booth seats looking out the window. There is a big corner booth if you need to seat a larger group without putting together tables. The walls are covered with various historical pictures of the area as well as vintage fun signage. read more

Love the food and atmosphere. It's a local mom & pop shop that is a local charm. The people there are personable and great service.

Great place to eat. Good taste homemade. Prices are very reasonable. Everybody is very friendly.

Breakfast and homemade pies are hard to beat . Exceptional service, specials of the day are of value, creative menu, reasonable prices.i drive 45 miles south to get here and it's worth the trip. Strawberry Rhubarb pie in season tastes like Grandma's is hard to beat. I be heading there soon. read more

I like Blues not only for the delicious food but for the history in our community as well. I always order the patty melt because that's my fav. read more

The food is very good and the service. We've always been pleased when we go there. It has a friendly atmosphere.