A true diamond in the rough. Decades of experience in creating a space unique enough to represent who they are. A testament to the honored tradition of a "Main Street Diner" . A menu vast enough to welcome the out of towner and satisfy the pallets of the local brigade. A visit will not disappoint as the food is down home and done right ! read more

Hovey's Diner - Custom Omelet ham cheese green peppers and onions, hash browns bacon and white toast - Diners Near Me - Olney, Illinois

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As advertised. Service was good as was the food. Wife said it was the best omelet she's ever eaten, and she's had a few:)

My husband and I were passing through here on the way home from the eclipse, looking for lunch. I always look for diners in small towns, because I believe more often than not they will serve good, home cooked comfort food. Which is just what you need before a long ride home. Hovey's perfectly fit that description and did not disappoint. There was plenty of room in the restaurant, but we opted to sit at the window so we could take in the sight of the main street. There was a fairly steady influx of people coming in for lunch, so service was a little slow but nothing outrageous. My husband ordered the Country Fried Steak which came with two large pieces, accompanied by small bowls of mashed potatoes, coleslaw and gravy. Everything was very good, especially the coleslaw. My husband is a self-proclaimed coleslaw connoisseur, and he thought Hovey's was the best he's had in a while. He's also not a big fan of gravy, but thought theirs was a great compliment to the steak, being rich and creamy and not overly seasoned. I decided to try the breaded Five Alarm Chicken sandwich, and thought that was delicious. The chicken was crispy and flavorful, and the pepper jack cheese, hot sauce and jalapenos were the perfect way to round it all out. Overall a savory sandwich with a nice kick. If you stop in for a bite, head next door after your meal to visit Chilly Willy's. Both places are a nice way to spend your stop in Olney. read more

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Nice family restaurant. Great diner vibe. Variety menu selection and reminds me on traditional values. Waitstaff greeted and was kind. read more

Hovey's Diner - Diners Near Me - Olney, Illinois

We are from Chicago and came to visit Olney for the eclips. We just stopped in at 12, and they were busy, but the foh staff was smooth. The staff was nice, and the food did take some time (which we were told and completely understood). My chicken sandwich hit the spot, and my daughter's waffles were also delicious. The place is definitely family run and seems loved. We still haven't seen white squirrels in the wild yet, so we will be back, and this place will be a spot to hit. read more

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Wonderful place t eat service is very good has a great atmosphere wait staff is quick and efficient

I had the Philly cheese steak omelette with crispy hashbrowns and english muffin. Delicious! Great service!!!

The chili was good. The Patty Melt by itself is $7.79 and it was not a large sandwich at all. It was okay. My bill had a "Credit Card Fee" on it and I was not asked if I was paying by card. In fact, I had cash. The service was okay. With that price for a small sandwich, I don't know if I need to ever come back. read more

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Great place to get breakfast In Olney. I wasn't a fan of the brisket but everything else was great. Great service and great conversation with fellow patrons. read more

Hovey's used to be the kind of 'Happy Day's retro place we all loved. Anytime you walked in (especially if you were home for a visit) you were guaranteed to bump into an old friend or somebody's Mother and Dad. I especially loved the big long communal table in the center where you could share town news with the locals. But hold on. All of that has changed. Now, hovey's isn't owned by anyone of that last name any longer, and the place is spotlessly clean. It seems kitschy now instead of small town retro. It could almost be a chain restaurant, and that in itself is disappointing too. Most missed is the taste of the chili, the fried 'shrooms, and the proper sized big Murt's and Big Mike's. You can't get a Diet Rite either. So, the new and improved Hovey's is okay if you want a burger and a coke, but the truth is, Mickey D's is cheaper and tastier. Part of visiting Hovey's was the place, and now that's gone, so I guess I'll just have to visit that in my memories. read more

Great burgers, chili, breakfast, daily specials. Their fried chicken on Sunday and I believe also on Friday nights is delicious! An Olney, Illinois institution! read more

Good service, good food, warm environment. This place has a friendly atmosphere with a old time cafe feel. Love it.

Absolutely perfect All-American diner. Incredibly friendly staff, quick service, delicious food and an overall wonderful experience!!

Had lunch here one afternoon and breakfast the next morning. Overall, a good little cafe/restaurant to get a hot meal and mix with the locals. Lunch time was a standard cheeseburger and fries, nothing special, but both were hot and tasty. Breakfast was bacon and eggs with home fries and an english muffin. Again, good and simple fare. Listening to the local guys, about 10 of them, talk about squirrels, raccoons, and other critters was pretty entertaining (before they moved on to the next topic). The looney toon below, worried about Covid/ChinaFlu, needs to just stay in her basement if she is so afraid. Condiments are out on the table and not hidden like in some places who are hypocrites when it comes to the 'pandemic'. read more

The new owners walked around and just stared at everyone like some kind of creeps. They didn't offer to help the staff. I was also told that when they get pissed at an employee, they cut their hours and force the employee to quit. Horrible experience. I won't be going back there ever again. The previous owners did a wonderful job managing and running the restaurant. They actually cared about their customers and employees. The new owners need to get their shit together. They really don't have any business owning a restaurant. read more

This place has been an icon for as long as I can remember. With new additions and old traditions...and truth be told, diners are the way to go when it comes to the true heart of the midwestern lIfestyle. Today decided to get some lunch with my child before I have to take him to school for the afternoon. Service is the reason the score is so low...I am a server so I must hold other servers to a higher standard. Was ignored when we sat in by any of the workers...actually had to yell to get her attention, and it's lunch time, it's not like they don't have people in it. Service is such a thing for me because I am an amazing tipper and I want what I'm paying for...someone to wait on me for once. I get that being a server isn't for everyone but for goodness sake...Hovey's, you want rocking servers?? Let me get ahold of them and you will have the best wait staff in the land!! read more

Very comfortable and relaxing home town place to be, service is excellent with a great variety of foods. Would highly recommend Hovey's. read more

Love going here for breakfast or lunch with my significant other or family. The Blts, Omelettes, Chillie Cheese fries, and chocolate chip pancakes are things I would suggest. Prices are really good. read more

We came from Texas to Olney to visit our aunt and really enjoyed our breakfast. The place brought back so many memories! The food was excellent and the staff was fantastic ! read more

EXCELLENT.. They have a salad with walnuts, mandarin oranges, cranraisins, etc and it's awesome.. And if you are super hungry get the fish. It's the best I have ever eaten and there's a lot f it... Loved our waitress each time we were there also.. read more

I grew up in Olney and we used to eat at Hovey's during lunch when I was in Jr High...plus many, many times through the years. Last week I went back for my 40th high school reunion and had to stop in and see if it was as good as I remembered. It was great. I have to say their hamburger is one of the best I have had anywhere! read more

Just tried the new smoked BBQ menu at Hoveys today and what an awesome meal!!! Not only a great value, but the quality of the BBQ was fantastic. Great job Hoveys. read more

Family went in on a Sunday around 11, place was starting to fill up. That being said we were waited on promptly and food was served in a timely manner. I had the special, which that day was 2 pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, a roll and a drink all for $7.75..talk about a steal. My wife had the bacon cheeseburger and waffle fries and she said it was good, it looked amazing. My son had the kids hamburger and fries and also enjoyed his meal...I tried a few fries and they were delicious. read more

Very Nice staff, Food was so good that I come back every time I visit here! Those gumballs at the front Are really good for kids and other people! Just wish more people would take carry out to help out local businesses!! read more

I don't know why people are hating on this place? It's an adorable diner in a small town with nice people and good diner food. I had a grilled cheese and a vanilla coke, made special for me since it's not on the menu. Nice. My husband had a salad and mozzarella sticks (we like to call this little kid food, but whatever, it's tasty and often the only veggie option on small town or diner menus). We also sampled the cauliflower cheddar bites, a nice change from the usual broccoli bites. They came with a horseradish sauce that was amazing. $20 for a full meal. You can't beat that! And the server was so nice to give us one of their signature Hovey's white squirrel post cards since we were only in town to see the white squirrels and get lunch. I'm glad I didn't pay attention to the other reviews. Adorable place with red vinyl chairs and a 1950s vibe. read more

Good food. Good service. Great hometown atmosphere. If you want a hometown diner, this is the place. We were traveling through and recommended by the hotel ;). read more

We have a group of guys that visit the are several times a year to hunt or fish. Being a small town, the eating options ate limited, but this place used to be a consistent bright spot. The last couple of years though, it seems as though the quality of food has consistently gone down, so much so that we have stopped going here. The service though has always been friendly and good, no complaints there. They do have good malts as well, but the rest can be passed over. read more

Love this place! We are new to town and found this great local fifties style diner. The food is very good and prices are so reasonable it makes you want to keep coming back. The employees are friendly and provide great service even when it is crowded. I recommend the Big Mike burger or the Beef Manhattan special. It's one of our top places to eat in town. read more

Food was good but service was definitely lacking. It appeared the young ladies that were supposed to serving tables were more interested in sitting around chatting with one another than taking care of customers. I'd probably go back for the food but don't expect much in terms of service. I've been two times recently and had the same issue both times. read more

Memories! Great new addition to accommodate larger groups. Great diner with home made grub and malts/shakes/flavored soda. read more

Hovey's Diner - Diners Near Me - Olney, Illinois

Hovey's was just purchased by new owners, and although the food is still delicious, it's overpriced, and the portion sizes are lacking from what they used to be. To summarize, more $$$ less food. You can't walk out of Hovey's without spending 25$ on two people. I'm not a huge fan anymore. read more

Best place every. Old town dinner. It's a blast back in time. I lovvvvvvvveeeeeeeee it here.

We used to have and stop in for a big murt as i am not a fan of cole slaw. But seems last time we stopped in the birger was not quite as good. Stopped in today and from the looks and taste of the burger it is feonzen. Hope the chili is stoll ok read more

Talk about nostalgia! This place is an original. Atmosphere like a 50's diner. Usually get s flavored soda like vanilla diet Coke. Great chili. read more