I look at the clock. It's 2:15 a.m…read more This is a dangerous time to be hungry. You're no longer choosing where to eat. You're finding out what society is willing to feed you. I'm still learning Chicago and its suburbs, so I spend about 15 minutes on Maps and kept consulting ChatGPT on where to eat. To my surprise nothing worthy was suggested. I reluctantly drive to my usual spot, which I won't name because they've done nothing wrong and don't deserve to be involved in this story. I walk in. Look at the menu. Get ready to order. Then something inside me says, "No." I walk back out. Now I'm sitting in my car at 2:30 in the morning like a divorced man outside a casino, staring at Google Maps one last time. Then I see it. Johnnie's Grill. 17 minutes away. I've never been there. Immediately, I start thinking about every Johnnie I've ever met. Do Johnnies know how to cook? Is Johnnie still alive? Is there even a Johnnie? Maybe Johnnie sold the place in 1987 and some guy named Steve has been benefiting from his reputation ever since. Most importantly: can Johnnie be trusted with my hunger? While entertaining these bullshit scenarios, I somehow arrive. As I'm getting out of the car, four young guys are walking out. Perfect. I need intelligence from the field. I ask, "What's good to get here, guys?" One of them looks at me and says: "Everything, bruh. Anything you get is gonna be fire." That's all I needed to hear. I walk inside and meet Julie, who is genuinely one of the warmest people you could hope to encounter at this ungodly hour. She patiently walks me through the menu while I study it like I'm choosing a mortgage. Eventually, I order the Big Boy. And goddamn it, the boys were right. The Big Boy was delicious. Nothing fancy. Nothing pretentious. Nobody back there is reducing a balsamic glaze or explaining where the cow went to college. It's just a damn good burger. Oddly enough, it reminded me of the burgers my parents make at home, which might sound like an insult to a restaurant, but I mean it as one of the highest compliments I can give. It tasted familiar. Like somebody actually made you food instead of assembling a product. At 2:15 in the morning, I thought Chicago had abandoned me. Johnnie had not. I don't know who Johnnie is. I don't know if Johnnie is alive. I don't even know if Johnnie has ever stepped foot inside Johnnie's Grill. But Johnnie, wherever you are: I'll be back.

This spot is consistent! Great that is! Ole stool! Dont come here for frills.but if you want good…read moreol skool cooking? Good service and a full belly, this is the spot! The diner is small but does what is needed. I think its brighter since the last time. They have slots in the front but the counter is expansive and a few tables and chairs... This ain't the place you come and ask if they have maple syrup!!! Yea....i did that......and the looks i got.......oh my goodness.....made my day. Lololololol! My gurl said really??? Snob! Lolololol hilarious #dinerslove #greasenspoon #olschool #holenthewall #

We ordered a lechon jibarito and churrasco mofongo. Initially we wanted the mofongo relleno de…read morechurrasco chef's special, but they didn't have any of the chef's specials as the chef was not in today, so our server suggested to us the regular version as an alternative, which he assured us would taste mostly the same, just not with the meat stuffed inside the mofongo. The jibarito was very unique, from the plantain buns to the burger-like American cheese, tomato, and shredded lettuce. The lechon was well-seasoned and tender. The churrasco mofongo was very tasty. The skirt steak was cooked perfectly medium rare; it was loosely. but not fully, cut into strips. The monfongo was great with the soup.

I'm a big fan of the original Jibaritos y Más on Fullerton, so I was genuinely excited to be in the…read moreBelmont neighborhood and finally give this location a try. Unfortunately, I left really disappointed. I ordered an alcapurria, pescado frito, a pastel, and a jibarito with rice. The alcapurria came out first and was so hard I could barely even cut into it. Since it was lunchtime, I wasn't expecting something that seemed like it had been sitting around, but beyond the texture, it was also really lacking in flavor. I figured maybe it was just an off item or an off morning, so I was still excited when the pescado frito and pastel came out. Unfortunately, those were disappointing too. Everything just lacked the flavor, sazon, and that feeling of food being cooked with love that I'm used to when eating Puerto Rican food. The jibarito was mediocre and didn't have much meat, and the rice was dry with large clumps that weren't even separated. I really wanted to love this location because I've had such good experiences at the Fullerton restaurant, but the quality and flavor just weren't comparable. Based on this visit, I wouldn't come back to the Belmont location. I'l stick with the original on Fullerton.

Greetings my Foodzies, recently we tried out a restaurant called Pops Place at 8418 w Grand Ave…read more River Grove. It a small spot tucked away I a little strip mall at Grand Ave and Thatcher. There's a table and window seats for fine in, the young man who took our order was very friendly and polite. We ordered a steak sandwich with fries and a combo (beef and sausage) the steak sandwich was decent size it just needed a more seasoning, the fries were crinkle cut frozen fries (we prefer fresh cut) and needed to be a crispier. The combo was tasty and good size. I give this restaurant 4 stars nice little spot. Try it out and let me know what you think. Ciao, Ciao for now.

This is the kind of place that chops your gyro meat into small tiny pieces becuase they have no…read moreidea about what a real good gyro is supposed to be and to add on the fact probably zero skills with the knife. Not to mention they give you nothing but the bitter white chunks of the lettuce in your side salad. Makes me absolutly disgusted when you pay out your ass for complete carelessness behind the scenes.

I can't say enough good things about Squabs Gyros! I needed a last-minute catering order with less…read morethan 24 hours' notice, and they absolutely came through for me. I ordered two half trays each of their Greek potatoes and Greek rice, along with pita and tzatziki sauce. Everything was ready right on time and tasted incredibly fresh. The Greek potatoes were moist, tender, and packed with flavor, and the rice was fluffy and delicious. Most importantly, everyone loved the food. My only regret was ordering half trays instead of full trays because it disappeared fast! Fantastic food, great service, and they really helped me out in a pinch. Easy 5 stars. I'll definitely be going back to Squabs Gyros!

I ordered dinner for delivery, but unfortunately the order was delivered to the wrong house. I…read morecontacted the restaurant and spoke with the manager, who immediately apologized and looked into what had happened. He quickly confirmed that the driver had delivered the order to the wrong address. Not only was he professional and sincere in his apology, but he also went above and beyond by offering to remake the entire order and personally deliver it to my home. That level of customer service is rare and truly appreciated. The food was great, but the outstanding customer service is what really earned my loyalty. I will definitely be a repeat customer and highly recommend this restaurant!

Very tasty food, very authentic. But they only had one guy trying to cover the entire dining room,…read morewhich was quite busy. He was also hosting. I almost walked out before I even sat down. The arepa was great though!

I think this place is new, although the sign says "since 2029". I think this was a Five Guys…read morepre-Covid. Anyway, the lobby has really nice furniture and walked in to hear people speaking the same quick Venezuelan Spanish that mi padrastro speaks, so I figured I was in for good food! Service was friendly and the prices were quite reasonable. The empanadas were large and crispy. The filling was subtly flavored, which is very Venezuelan - NO SPICE! I was a bit disappointed with the service however. I order a pastelita and finished both empanadas needles it came out. I asked the waitress to cancel it. The food I had was good, but I don't appreciate having to cancel a dish because it's taking too long.

Food is usually pretty good, but for some reason this location always disappoints! And to top it…read moreoff, I found a hair in my torta

Place is trahh Cutting corners…read more Cheaping out on the portions Expensive burrito with 1 oz of steak

Stopped by Schwings and honestly... everything was on point…read more The shrimp was absolutely delicious -- perfectly cooked and full of flavor. You can tell they care about quality here. The fresh-cut fries were a standout too... crispy, hot, and exactly how fries should be. We also tried the stuffed artichoke and that was next level. Packed with flavor and cooked just right -- easily one of the best I've had. If you're looking for great food that's done right, Schwings is definitely worth checking out. I'll be back for sure.

Skip this place. Recently moved to the area and had been passing by. We should've went to another…read morechicken and seafood restaurant. Upon entering, the place was dead with only one customer eating. Marcy took our order and she was not the kindest person. The food came out fresh after we waited for over 15 minutes, but was nothing special. Very greasy and lacked flavor. She was unprofessional on the phone talking to Uber Eats and it made the meal uncomfortable on top of the tacky and random marine animal decor and poor choice of music playing in the TV. Their restaurant is lacking severely in taste and hospitality. I patiently waited to request for sauces that she forgot to give and she made it seem like I was intruding and interrupting her. She looked over at our table with a rude look and was displeased to give us the ranch that is included in the combo meal. The cole slaw is shredded to pieces and has no bite, the catfish was undercooked and too soft, the shrimps still had shells under the batter, and the chicken wings were small. Everything was extremely oily. They are charging extra for hot sauce, but it literally is just Louisiana hot sauce in a tiny dipping cup. Our total for two meals was $33. You're better off going to another chicken and seafood restaurant for a better deal and price. I was going to do a food vlog at this place, but they are not worth the time wasted to edit and spotlight.

Always drive by and finally decided to stop by, I had the huarache and it was fantastic. The agua…read morefresa made of cucumber and limon was also delicious (not overly sweet) and refreshing.

Very disappointed in this place I notice they where hiring cook maybe that's why the food wasn't…read moregood we order a mole with Chicken and a huarache of steak the flavor was really bad I read the reviews and it had good review that's why I'm disappointed