Giving the Hilltop a bad review would be like running up to an arthritic old lady and shoving her then stealing her walker. Hilltop does not have the best food. It is very old school Greek-owned, Chicago diner-style fare. I will say that the minestrone soup used to be very good, and probably still is, but I have not tried it for a while. The waitresses are hard working, as are the bus boys. The restaurant is clean and so are the bathrooms. The counter seating is reminiscent of days gone by. If you are a hipster or looking for some "experience" then please, do not eat at Hilltop. Neither patron or staff wants you here. This is a neighborhood joint built for neighborhood folks. Now shuddup and enjoy your dessert cup that came w/your dinner and don't even attempt to complain about the fake blue cheese dressing on the dinner salads. read more

Back in grade school, every Friday afternoon my family and my best friend's family would go here. We always shared a chocolate milkshake with fries to dip in, and occasionally had some pie on the side. This is one of those restaurants that even if I never go back, I'll always hold fond memories of it and assume (hope) it will never be any other way. If there was ever a restaurant I could go to and feel like it was my second home, like I could go in and say "I'll have the usual," this is the place. read more

Overpriced!! This place is horrible they charged me extra for a.crossiant but stated on the menu "any bread "?! They gave me a dry turkey sandwich forgot the mayo... $12.00 for this crap!! No more of my money! read more

Hilltop - Dry cheap $12!! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

As an enthusiastic of diners, 24 hour restaurants, and greasy spoons, it is with great reluctance I damn Hilltop to only two stars. The menu provides extremely limited options - -no fruit to speak of, no cheddar cheese, no turkey burgers, no Splenda. Meals themselves, while generous in portion, land firmly between tasteless and inedible. Staff and service are very friendly. However, we waited for what seemed like an eternity for a simple cola refill while our waitress could be seen lounging against the backwall acheiving nothing. Hilltop seems to be doing just fine by relying on the bevy of patrons from the hospital next door for whom bland food is their own personal ambrosia, so good for them. I myself am not anxious to return soon or ever. read more

We're new to the Budlong Woods/Lincoln Square area and we were so psyched to try this place out. We were not disappointed. The food is standard diner fare - think club sandwiches, open faced turkey and the like - and it is all extremely well prepared! The turkey is real breast meat - as in thick cut and juicy - and the gravy was fresh and not at all too salty (a real feat since most diners could attract deer and other game with their salt lick style food). With our new home located less than a mile away, I suspect that we will become fixtures in this place. Much like totally random (and kind of awesome) cigarette display behind the cash register. read more

Coming here was never really a pleasure for me before. It wasn't in my neighborhood so every time I was there it was connected to some sort of hospital visit (The restaurant is catty-whopsis from Swedish Covenant.) Even so, it's as good as or better than most Hot Brown Food restaurants, so when we were thinking about where to go for breakfast this morning, it made sense to suggest Hilltop in spite of unhappy associations. The food here is good, honest fare. Nothing fancy, just your Hot Brown Food made at a solid level of competence, a clean, neat physical space (including the bathrooms) and a friendly, experienced staff. How much more do you want from a place where you can get an egg, four slices of good, smoky bacon, a big pile of fried potatoes, and two slices of toast for less than $5? read more

The Hilltop has been our nearest "comfort food" place since we moved to North Park in the 90's. It's under new management now - it was always clean, but has been further spiffed up. They have had the great good fortune to hire Susie, a 20 year favorite from the old Lincoln Restaurant that closed at the end of 2013 -- ask for her and you'll get service by a pro. The new management is very friendly and eager to please. They have a nicely decked out party room in the back AND their cakes/pastries are made by the new owner himself, so it's already a step up. In short: good food, good prices, good people = how could you do any better? read more

In a word, meh. If I could give 2 1/2 starts I would. I've dinned here a few times and nothing has wowed me, nothing has terribly disappointed me but some things could have been better. Good: -Service: The waitresses have always been attentive. -Selection: They have a good selection of American breakfast fare including the all important corned beef hash. For me a must have. - Potatos: Their potatos are solid. Crispy and plenty of them. Bad: - Coffee: Their coffee is watered down and near flavorless - Syrup: Their syrup is a mass brand pancake syrup. That means it's made from corn syrup and not maple. That's a minus in my book. - Omelet: The spinach omelet I had seemed a little flat for a dinner omelet and there was something off about the flavor. I will go there again for the service and because the location is close to me. But if I find a greasy spoon with better coffee near by they may lose me. read more

Pancakes were dry. Eggs were soggy. Spinach pie came with no sauce. Service was pretty bad. But good ambiance. Hopefully it's a better experience for other people. read more

Came here cause I had to kill some time waiting to pick up my mom from Swedish Covenant. Wish I had just went to Dunkin' Donuts down Foster. Ordered a skilliet with over-easy eggs and yikes get one over-easy egg and one gelatin mess. Bacon was undercooked, looked like they use packaged cheese slices...just a mess. Waitress was somewhat rude off the bat. I don't know if she was having a bad day but her attitude rubbed off on me. She got nicer when she brought the check of course. Absolutely will NEVER eat here again, and will make sure none of my friends do either. read more

Hilltop - This was my "over easy" egg. It took on a whole new life form. NEVER AGAIN. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went there today and ordered out instead of going home to cook. I bought A gyro plate which I had fries included. Previously I had ordered food and the fries were undercooked. You can tell when food is undercooked. So I gave them another try today. I went home to eat and my fries were undercooked again!!! The gyro meat was good but the bread was soggy and the lettuce for the salad that was given was red meaning it was old. So I had enough. I called to speak to the manager who was VERY rude to me saying that he has such a good cook and acted like I don't know what I'm talking about. I've been in this industry for over 10 years and my Husband owns a restaurant. I would never treat my customers or speak to them the way he did to me. When all I had was a complaint, I did not need more fries, all I want was an apology for it to not only happen once but twice. So I recommend eating else where and not at this poor old diner who doesn't care about their customers what so ever. Lucky I could not put ZERO stars. read more

The rolls that came with the soup was stale. The turkey and gravy was bland. The cake I ordered was stale and old tasting. The waitress gave me someone else's check. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time or money. read more

I went there after working an overnight shift. It was quiet and comfortable. I ordered a coffee and a sausage breakfast sandwich with a side of bacon. The food was good. The server was nice and attentive. She offered me more coffee several times and I got refilled twice like most other diners do. When I got my bill, the sandwich was $5.50, $4.50 for a side of bacon, (2) coffee charges for $2.25 a piece, $4.50 total. This is the only breakfast joint I've been to that does not give you coffee refills. After including a tip, I payed $17 and change for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. OVERLY PRICED!!!!! I'll never be back to this joint!!!! read more

If you're looking for some type of face bar brunch location go east about 10 blocks. You can stand in line at one of the joints on Clark while I enjoy my meal. What it is: honest food. Comfort food. What it isn't: a restaurant that would be associated with words like "fusion", "molecular gastronomy" or "diet" Hot tip! They sell their chicken noodle soup in to go containers. Perfect remedy for a cold. read more

3.5 stars This is a pretty chilling diner across Swedish Covenant Hospital. They have all the common diner dishes including all day breakfast menu. I should say the dish quality is adequate for such diner, but the price is very reasonable. Servers are attentive, and ambience is pretty warm, too. read more

This is pretty much the perfect place for a hangover. It's not the most amazing food in the world, but it sure hits the spot when you need some hot comfort food. Today, the soups of the day were Cream of Chicken & Rice and French Onion. Simple and perfect with the basket of breads and crackers. I really like the dinner options, they all hover around $10-12, and come with coffee/tea, soup, salad, potato, veg, and a dessert. Which honestly is too much food for my hangover craving of mashed potatoes; but I'm really looking forward to finishing up my leftovers, so that's just fine. The way the place is decorated makes me feel like I'm in my grandma's house in 1991. I'm sure that the waitresses were all somewhere around my grandma's age, actually. They were brisk and polite and kept my coffee cup full - and that's all I ask from a diner. AND I'm super glad that they accept credit cards now. Yay. read more

This place is kind of an old school diner/restaurant. It looks family owned, and it looks like lots of locals go here. I'm pretty sure the owner was working the register the day I went in. Service: The services was good and quick. My server was friendly and helpful. Food: The food is not amazing, but it's not bad. I enjoyed my burger, fries and soup. I overheard the server ask someone about diet restrictions. So they are willing to assist those gluten free people or folks with special dietary needs. Price: The prices are amazing for the amount of food you get! I had bread, butter, soup, burger, fries, etc. all for around $6 if I remember correctly. I was in shock! That's basically unheard of in Chicago! I would go back if I were ever in the area. read more

Going to start off by saying that many people have given this place bad reviews but it has changed a lot. Cute little diner! Great place to grab some brunch. Very quiet and simple. I ordered the pancakes last time I came which were so great! This time I ordered the vegetarian omelet which was also so good. Only thing bad to say is that the coffee is a little weak haha. It's great service, they're always checking up on their customers. The food is always what you ask for but the prices are always so great. I came here with my father and brother and we all ordered something and the total came out to about $28.00! Really recommend this place. read more

Hilltop - Strawberry pancakes! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My 50th review! Yes, this place needs a facelift. Yes, they might used canned vegetables and salad from a bag. Your waitress may be like your grandmother and treats you with love. Welcome to the Hilltop. I have been coming here on and off for the past seven years. You cannot beat the prices ($10-$15 for a complete dinner!), and the staff knows you by name. They seem to honestly like their jobs - major plus. The Hilltop is a place you can just depend on. At times, fine dining or going to the trendy place won't do. You just want a good meatloaf and a friendly staff. This is the place to go to for just that. P.S. They are closed on Mondays. read more

The last time I was there a customer had to be taken by ambulance. Very convenient that it's accross the street from a hospital. This place is depressing, it has the same ambiance and lighting as the Dominick's on Lincoln a few blocks up. They seem to rely on a clientele of senior citizens. They seem to make everything mild and flavorless for this loyal group of patrons. It's only edible for breakfast and even then, the lack of maple syrup bothers me. I wish they had skillets or just better hash browns. Maybe I'm just angry because the only time I've been here it's because my 1st choice was crowded. read more

I was visiting Shipshewana for the flea market we looked up some restaurants to go to in hilltop with a smile diner that was recommended we went into the restaurant and stood at the front desk waiting to be seated two waitresses and two owners just walked on passes caring food and drinks to everybody the customers looked at us like we're crazy the waitresses look at us like we're crazy after five minutes they go seek yourself we go ahead and sit down we have a waitress come eventually and take our drink order and are feeling better she was very nice and pleasant we had a smile the other waitress looked like she had resting bitch face she was rude she was not even kind to her other customers we are watching read more

Typical Chicago diner. If you are looking for well executed staple diner food at reasonable prices, this is not a bad local option. Service is pleasant. Close to Swedish Covenant Hospital making an acceptable option if you need to be at the hospital. read more

This place used to be so good and the management here is awful I went there today and they don't clean under the tables like they used to and they make everyone go to the back and the food is tasteless it's awful they rarely had feta cheese in my omelette and my daughter ordered fries and they were hard not melt in your mouth delicious read more

Great service, prices, pancakes are great, ole skillet is tasty, good coffee. I come here often :) read more

So there I was at the hospital for some bloodwork. I had to fast before the test, and had gotten up late, so I was HUNGRY. I'd noticed Hilltop on the corner on my way in, and what had caught my eye was the Mediterranean food signs. The staff was very helpful and friendly, even when I asked for something off menu. (I wanted a shwarma salad.) Prices seemed a little high, until I saw the generous portions. (I got 2 meals out of my salad!). While I was there this older gentleman, who'd been eating his meal, got up and started to sing to the restaurant patrons. Good voice, and I think he composed the songs himself. The waitress said he is a regular who just does it for fun, with the owners' permission. So I got dinner and a show! Who knew? read more

Since the new owners took over couple years I barely even dine here anymore. But the other day my husband and myself happened to be in the area and figured we try it out, and we definitely regret it. First we we noticed the waitress cleaning a different table after customers had left and she kept the glasses of water on the side and just moved them to a new table for new customers without cleaning the cups or removing the water that the previous customers had. me and my husband were in complete shock we had never seen this before. Second we had ordered soup and bread when it came to the table we were given 2 stale rolls that were hard as a rock and also a half eaten cracker in the wrapper as well. Third not to mention the service is horrible. Our waitress checked on our table maybe once in 1 hour. Not only is this restaurant un sanitary, the food and prices suck. Plenty of other good diners in the area. read more

I LIKE IT! I LIKE IT! I LIKE IT! Had dinner there on Sat. Feb 22, it was a great evening. I was a presenter that evening with the CollegeofComplexes.org and enjoyed everything about the evening. Susan was a great host and the meeting room was soooooooo nice. I'm a breakfast person and I had a great steak and eggs spread, diner style but classed up just a little to make you feel special and at the same diner prices. You know that all diners have those desserts staring at you when you walk in the door and I did not blink, I ordered two. Good people. Good food. Don't care what you say, I'm going back for a late breakfast this weekend. read more

Overpriced!!! I normally get the Malibu chicken, but this was very dry, hard, and more bread then chicken and I wasted $12 bucks for this crap, she got my order wrong...i could have had a big mac read more

Hilltop - hard, dry breast, more bread than meat - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent food, food is very fresh and delicious. Service is a hit of miss, you can get horrible service from some of the servers there. Jena is the best waitress I find at this place, I try to ask for her whenever I am there. read more

Food was tasty, service was very fast. I ordered an omelette with pancakes on the side, & it was typical of Chicago diner food. Omelette had fresh veggies, pancakes were fluffy, & they had freshly squeezed OJ. I read reviews before coming here after my doctor appointment (it is right across the street from Swedish Covenant) & some people were so harsh on this place! It's not trying to be a fancy or hip place, it is what it is: an outdated Chicago Greek family-owned diner. I had a nice quiet breakfast here. If that is what you are looking for, I'd recommend this place. read more

The Hilltop may be a little old-fashioned, but they're my favorite diner. It's not the closest to my home, but I still prefer it over any others. The service is good, the hash browns are great, and the prices are pretty good. You can be in and out, quickly and easily, especially in the early morning - maybe 6:30ish - and the waitresses are always friendly. The only real problem I have is that they're closed on Mondays, and if I could give 4 1/2 stars, I would have. read more

I was there with my niece one evening. The food and service was good. When I was there, there were only a few customers. The price is pretty decent. read more

New management, great cooking and pastries. Greek flare with a family restaurant style also has brought back the meeting room for special events and rental. Have still not been able to find a problem with anything on the menu. Total rehab of inside and painted murals on walls and ceiling a true work of art a must see stop. read more

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This place was the first time I walked away from a meal. I got the roast chicken with stuffing. After waiting 40 minutes for my food (and I was literally the only person in the restaurant) I was presented with a burned half chicken on top of a yellow soupy mess. I was crazy hungry and figured I would just eat it, but it was just horrible. After two bites I put it down. I paid for the salad and soda, after the manager had determined that I had not eaten enough to be charged. Was completely bummed. Was hoping for better after reading the previous reviews. read more

Hilltop - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Things I love about the Hilltop Restaurant. *The Portions are huge, you don't get jipped at the Hilltop. If you order a entree, you will have enough left over for two lunches. *I'm the youngest person in the room by at least 20 years. This place is like a Lawrence Welk, fan club convention. You could call the Hilltop, God's waiting room. *I first dined at the Hilltop in the Mid 80's and it hasn't changed a bit, if you are into the Retro scene, you will love this place. The decor is literally unchanged. The food is good, it's what you would find in most diners in Chicago, but there is something about the place that makes you want to come back again and again. It's like that old, comfortable pair of shoes that you can't bring yourself to throw out. The Bottom Line on the Hilltop is: It's a wonderful place to enjoy a decent meal. You can take your time, enjoy a nice conversation and relax like they used to back in the day. It's a pleasant experience. read more

My husband and I went in to get breakfast after my doctors appointment and everything seemed fine. The problem happened when our food arrived. The waitress dropped my husband's food on him when it arrived. I requested a new plate since the food had fallen on him and the table. Well she came back and it was the same food on a different plate. I went up to the register and told the owner and she assured me it was new food (which only took 1 minute to remake!?) yet you could see the black lint from his shirt on the yellow broken omelet. I asked for a to go box and was given a tiny container for a huge plate of the gyro plater I had ordered. When I got home I noticed a big blond hair on my gyro meat and I have black hair. So disappointed read more

Wow the old owners knew what they where doing this place has gone.down hill and has over priced food that has no taste no flavor so disgusting I.will never come back read more

This place is an old classic. The food is OK, but the PRICES are very very good. It's no gourmet delight but for the money, you'll be satisfied. It's the sort of place that you can go to on a fast food budget and have a sit-down meal. I had a gyros and it was very good. The fries were good but could have been crispier. We also had the Chicken Kiev which was OK, not great. The SOUP was very good, likely the best thing. We had beef barley and it had big chunks of beef, very good. The chicken noodle soup is very good too. We had carrot cake for dessert and it was VERY GOOD. Don't go here as a destination but if you're in the area by the Swedish Covenant Hospital, it's a good choice. They have free parking just west of the place in the Church lot, except when services are happening. The menu is very large, very... and breakfast is served all day. read more

New owner ....terrible food! Bland soup, dried out chicken and bad attitudes. Will never be back. Felt sorry for the waitress who knew this place was a horrible place to eat, hoping she finds a better place to work. Will not honor entertainment book coupon BEWARE! read more

Their coffee is alright, but honestly, I can't review them on their food well (because I left before I could try it.) Because: I came in here for valentines day for a nice dinner. I was greeted by a man at a PODIUM with a MICROPHONE spewing conspiracy theories in front of a large crowd that was eager to listen (and/or argue.) Now, I respect anyone's opinion, but having someone spew theories of "Sandy Hook never happened, and 9/11 was a lie" and "there were 'crisis actors' that were paid '$22,000,000' to pretend that Sandy Hook or 9/11 'actually happened, and were sent to another country under a witness protection program to pretend that they were dead." This is absolutely something that SHOULD NOT BE SPEWED in a place that claims to be a "FAMILY DINER." My boyfriend and I left because we felt so uncomfortable with listening to this, and I do not plan on visiting this place ever again. read more