You know that phrase, "Eat sh*t, Feel like sh*t"? This is the place. Absolutely the worst Chicago greasy spoon I've eaten in. To call this place a dive is an insult to other dives. We need a new phrase to describe this hellhole of crappy, unappetizing food. The shakes aren't real ice cream or even mixed. They're nothing more than cheap fro-yo mixed into a cup. The gyros meat isn't sliced off--it's scrapped off with an electric shaver so the meat looks like it's chipped. They consider a gyros sandwich a little pile of shredded meat, a few cut up pieces of onion, a sliver of tomato and a dollop of Tzatziki sauce thrown onto a pita. I took a photo to show how bad it was--it tasted even worse. The fries were bland as hell. Nasty, overpriced food and a gritty interior. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this place unless you're desperate. read more

Mister J's - THIS was worth $12.50??? - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this place but y'all better start cleaning! what the hell! at least 3 dozen tiny gnats flying around.

Restaurant review Delicious grease joint! If you are craving burgers, gyros, or hot dogs stop by Mister J for your quick fix. Burgers made fresh to order with loads of topping with a friendly helping of fries. If you like beef, the triple cheese burger or the dagwood special hits the spot! The food is as good if not better than portillo's. The only downside is that the staff is not that friendly. This is a great place for quick and relatively cheap eat! Pro: burgers are cooked fresh on the spot, combo meal prices are reasonable. Opens to late hours. Free refills on fountain drinks Cons: CASH only, no credit card. Unfriendly staff. No bathroom! Hidden gem: Dagwood special 1/2 lb burger with fries only 5.99, 10% discount to moody and loyola students. read more

Mister J's - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loved Mister J's. There is nothing quite like the Dagwood Special! Excellent fries. Always a treat when visiting Chicago.

Over thirteen years since my first yelp review for Mister J's and at least 30 years from my first experience with their "char-grill" burgers and chicken. They're still the best, and probably one of the only few remaining, "char-grill" burger joints, still around in the Chicagoland area.  What a treat!!! Hopefully, they will remain for many more years and generations, to come!! get the "Dagwood Special." read more

Overpriced with Great Service Gyro was not good/not done well enough Cheese for the fries were lumpy Place had a weird Odor. read more

Food is always good. Chicago favorite Been coming here for years. Everything is good. Great selection read more

Great hotdog and fries! Kind staff that catered to my subs. Very considerate. I will gladly be back!

I have to say...the french fries here are PERFECTLY cooked in fresh oil with the right amount of crunch! The hot dog is nicely done Chicago Style as well-with the slices of pickle instead of a spear which is an interesting version. Hemingway 6 word review of the Hot Dog: Chicago style without a pickle spear! The burger, while cooked on-site when you order is what you might have had at school lunch growing up in middle or high school...beef...well a bit strange...however it was nicely dressed. (Would not order the burger again). Staff is hardworking and polite. read more

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I used to live just a few blocks from "Dawg and Burger". I ate here waaaayyyyyy too much in the 90s! Today I was back in Chicago, so I had to eat here again. Back in the day, Mr. "J's" would often have a line from the counter to the front door, sometimes out the door! When you walked in, there were hand-drawn pictures of the meal deals in frames along the wall... #1 was a hamburger, fries and a drink... #4 was a fish sammich, fries and a drink... and so on. The guy working the close end of the counter would yell "Who's next?", and people would shout out what # special they wanted and the cook would start cooking the hamburger, hotdog, fish patty, Italian sausage, whatever. The fry guy never stopped cooking fries, and when a basket was done he would THROW them through the air, up against the sheet of glass that was part of the counter where the other cooks would finish making the sandwiches and along which the customers shuffled as they moved towards the register. The fries fell into a big stainless steel tray with hot lights over it. Somehow all this nutty chaos worked, and Dawg and Burger used to put out some pretty good street food at a good price! Used to. Today the place had 3 people in it. The glass wall where the fries flew is gone and worst of all the food isn't very good. And the prices are DOUBLE what they were in the 90s! My fish sammich, fries and a Coke was $9 and change!...and it just didn't taste very good. I hate it when old favorites turn bad. There used to be a few "Dawg and Burgers" around Chicago, this is the last one. It may as well be gone too. read more

Mister J's - I USED to like the fish sammiches here. Not anymore! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love this place. No frills and great, fairly priced options. Great place to grab a quick bite!

I went there recently and noticed only a few people there. The kitchen was right behind them so you get a good idea of when your food is ready. They have a lot of greasy options to choose from and I got, of course, the Tenders. They came with fries but no drink for a total of $10.49. The service was pretty poor as they acted like low paid employees who only cared enough about work not to get fired. The tenders didn't take too long to come out and had a surprisingly decent taste. It wasn't as greasy as I thought it would be and even the french fries were a bit better than par. They were, however, a lot thinner than appreciated, as the picture should reveal. Every single tender I received was as thin as the picture shows. Also, there were only 3 thin tenders and two tiny additional leftover nuggets. The taste, to be fair, was actually good quality with a great balance of breading and soft chicken (as little amount of chicken there was). Combined with the lack of happy service and the decent quality of the tenders, I would choose Chick-Fil-A just one block south for better chicken or even McDonald's buttermilk tenders instead in the same area. Otherwise, if you wanna give it a go, it probably wouldn't be the worst experience. They were saved by the taste of the tenders and not much else. read more

Mister J's - Mister J's Chicken Tenders and Fries combo - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been going to Mr J's since spring 1986 and by far it's one of the best places for burgers and hotdogs and the Italian combination is the bomb. read more

Hands down some of the best burgers and fries you'll have. The place hasn't changed for years because it doesn't need to. It's everything you could ask for when you're just craving a simple juicy burger with some salty fries. Get everything on it and dive in for a meal the won't break the bank read more

My son and I were so excited to go to Mr J's after moving my granddaughter to her dorm at Roosevelt. It had been quite a few years since we'd been there, but we could still taste the amazing chicken sandwiches from there. SURPRISE, it was nothing like we remembered them to be. First of all, we always ordered our sandwiches on french bread (which used to be Gonnella). The bread is no longer Gonnella, which totally changed the support and taste the sandwich needed. The chicken breast are still grilled but they are not as big as they used to be as well. The prices certainly skyrocketed, but come on, 2 chicken sandwiches, 1order fries and 1 pop - ALMOST $24. It's chicken for Christ's sake!!!!!! NO LONGER VISITING THIS PLACE AND EVERYONE I KNOW WHO USED TO VISIT WILL KNOW ABOUT MY MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!!!! read more

Needed a Chicago dawg- hit the spot. Unassuming, but perfect if you need a quick, cheap hotdog. Vienna beef.

This is a solid middle of the road late night dawg. It wasn't spectacular and it wasn't the worst experience. I ordered a #2 vienna and a polish dog. As a late night, after the bar.. I'll take it. However, I have to issues. The tomato & cucumber slices are too thin for my liking. The positive is that they stay open late. Seating is limited. I'll come back if it's late and I'm close. read more

Mister J's - delicious! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This small spot has been here forever, and remains on point. A great chili cheese dog with fries is but one cheap eats you can get here. Seats at tables and the window. Came here as a graduate student at Loyola years ago, and after all these years, still coming back. read more

Mister J's - Chili cheese dog (w/raw onions) and fries = Yummytown - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The is a glorified grease joint of which there are many within a 6 block radius in any direction you happen to frequent. I stopped coming here regularly a few years ago because I thought that late at night there was something to be desired about the management of the place, that its dirty late at night and the dudes behind the counter make fun of people who are eating or in line when they speak in Spanish to each other. I went in again last week like at 11 to get a diet coke to see if this still going on. It still is. I would also question the sanitary habits of the staff late at night.. I will leave it at that. I wont come here even to get bottled water. Your money is well spent elsewhere. read more

Anyone giving this less than 5 stars is lame. It's the only late night spot this part of Gold Coast. It's a savior. Cheap, real fast food

DUDE, I went here after getting my haircut at Alfredos and was sorely disappointed. And it was double sad because we share the same name. The food is alright at best and the prices aren't cheap at all. Where are the poppy seed buns?? Fries are mediocre and lack that crispy hot outside and gooey inside, instead they're more like a biscuit. Now the kicker, as I was walking back from the place I developed a bad stomach ache and then the most immense urge to use the bathroom. I literally was sweating as I clenched and huddled to the nearest stall, to barely make it in time for the explosion that followed. Sincere apologies for the imagery. Never again. read more

I came here looking for some good food. My friend ordered a triple cheeseburger meal and I got the chicken wing meal. First of all, I couldn't even find a plain order of chicken wings on the menu. The two guys working in the front looked at each other like they didn't know when I asked them if I could only get wings and they said yeah. When the order got rung up, they charged $1 for each wing. I might as well spend the extra $2 for a drink and fries! I got $7-8 for 5 small pieces of chicken wings, fries and a drink. For that amount of money, I could have gotten better tasting wings WITH SAUCE at buffalo wild wings! I could have gotten a big Mac meal at McDonald's across the street! My friend didn't like her triple cheeseburger at all. She had an appetite when we walked in, but she lost it as soon as she took her first bite. Disappointing. Better off getting food at McDonald's. How sad is that. read more

You know that food is probably not good when you come in pretty wasted and you still think the food doesn't taste right. Came in around 1:30 this past Sunday night for some cheap eats to get me home after a night of Blue Tequilas from Blue Agave. But the fries were blah and the mozzarella sticks weren't good, and I had to actually ask for a side of marinara. You know you are in trouble when!! But, one star for being open and one for the fast service...at least I didn't have to wait long to find out this food is bad. read more

Nice enough people but the food is lackluster. Fortunately, it's priced accordingly. Probably two-and-a-half stars, but I wouldn't go as high as three. read more

Just came back here for the first time in about 20 years, when my brother used to live in the neighborhood. The menu looked exactly the same, and they still have the Dagwood special, which seems a little smaller after 20 years. Also, tried the Italian beef, which was decent but not great. Prices also seemed a little higher than what I would expect, but still seems like a decent place to get some of the Chicago classics. read more

Loved this little spot for a late night meal after Lolla! The two cooks were on it and killed it on the grill. We ordered the Philly cheesesteak, a burger and a Polish. Burger was aight but the Polish was goodt & philly was good. Fries were fresh and crispy. Would recommend. read more

One of the best chicken sandwiches in Chicago! Always good service! I will drive from Southside to Northside! Love this place! read more

Family owned business so they are so nice a friendly. Loved the Chicago dog!

Had a few things from here; Dagwood burger Polish sausage Deep fried chicken breast sandwich The burger was quite bland in comparison to what I tasted at other places like Max's on Adams. The polish sausage and the chicken sandwich was quite good, however. read more

Mister J's - Mister J - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The hot dogs were not good here. Mainly came in here because of my quest for the best. The fries were fine though and I've had A LOT of fries in this city. But hot dog... soft bun, average peppers, hella lot of mustard, and maybe some relish? There's a 5$ minimum on card orders fyi. read more

Having just come off a trip to the Big Apple and craving a real Chicago dog, I used my trusty yelp app to point me in the right direction. The exterior of this place is unassuming, and probably a place I would have passed by had I not been keeping my eyes peeled. I was pleasantly surprised by the clean interior and the fact that there was plenty of seating. I ordered the hot dog with everything on it. The quality is solid and the preparation time was lickety split. All of the fixin's were on point, although I would have liked celery salt, instead of just the little packets of salt and pepper. There are fountain drinks and bottled drinks, although no cans. I probably wouldn't make a special trip here, but this is a great option for the area. Fries looked yummy as well. read more

Great food. Cash only. They have great burgers and specials. Staff seem cool. I usually just get in and get out though haha

The food is good for what it is... I've had a Gyro and a polish from here both were tasty. I like how they grill the polish and the Gyro is a little on the small side but it's good. Overall my greasy ,unhealthy ,artery clogging needs were met. The fries are just ok nothing special your regular frozen fries. My issue is the service. The employees and the owner are rude. They don't greet you. They don't say thank-you. Dry as hell. They will stare at you tho..smh read more

This place used to be awesome! It used to have a friendly staff with super great prices combined with good food. In the past few years and most recently, this restaurant has raised their prices tremendously while food quality has gone down. The associates behind the counter (possibly the owner with his 12 year old son ringing you up) look miserable. No smiles, hellos, or good customer service. Sorry Mr. J's, but if you guys don't step your game up soon I can't see anyone returning! There are way too many other good spots to eat in downtown Chicago! read more

Mister J's - Some specials that they have - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There's no science cooking up a vienna beef hot dog, steamed dog and bun is all it takes but this place must not know the concept! Ordered 2 hotdogs and I got 2 lukewarm dogs with hard buns that felt like they were left out for a week! If they can't get this right I am scared to think about the other stuff they serve here..my advice just go to Mcdonalds right on the corner! read more

Expensive as all hell and the Italian beef tasted like I was eating a wet gym sock.......

Very delicious and fresh food. I just didn't wish they gave me a plate with a hole due to hot oil. read more

Mister J's - Chicken Tenders - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fries are very good. Help is friendly. Food was okay, about as expected. Prices seemed a little high, especially if you're not ordering a "special". Hot dog was prepared nicely, through the garden and no ketchup! Chicken sandwich was on a hoagie and belongs on a hamburger bun. I'd probably get the two hot dog and fries special and split it next time. Restaurant is amazingly clean. read more

Dropped in to pay the old place a visit today and ventured for a numba 8 special breaded chicken sandwich and topped it off with a milkshake. Never ventured into the breaded chicken sandwich but I saw them pull out some chicken, drop it in some flour and pop it in the deep fryer, not some frozen pre-made crap. It took awhile for food, but that is because they know how to make it. Got my sandwich and it had several pieces of chicken and it the sandwich was so kindly cut in half for me. There was so much chicken the meat did not fit in the bun! The milkshake was thick as always and there were so many fries I couldn't finish. I looooove Mista J's!!! read more

So is it odd that I've decided to write a review based on eating one hot dog grabbed on the go? Aaron S. and I were walking back to the red line after doing some shopping at the Water Tower place on Saturday and He paused in front of Mister J's and said "Wanna hot dog?" I happily took him up on the offer because since we watched the episode of Monk where they had to go into a hot dog factory, I have been having a taste for one, but just kept stopping myself because I've been trying to avoid junk food. (How twisted am I the episode involved saying "meat" and i still wanted a dammed hot dog after watching it?") Anyway, being a Chicago born person, I'm kinda picky about my hot dogs. This hot dog was juicy and flavorful (veinna beef anyone?) and didn't taste like it had been steaming for five hours like they are at a lot of places.They even use that neon green relish, and tiny sport peppers, so I was happy. My one tiny tiny gripe is that they over topped it, but in the hot dog world over topping is less evil than under topping. You know what I mean...the toppings should be just so....not too much not too little. If I'm in need of a hot dog and am in this area I wouldn't hesitate to hit up Mister J's again, Yum. read more