This delightful little neighborhood joint is filled to the gills with an oddball assortment of bric-a-brac and kitsch. Think Grandma's cluttered kitchen. There's stuff everywhere you look. The menu is surprisingly large and varied. Prices seem a bit steep for diner food, but everything we tasted was high quality and well prepared. Portions are generous. Pauline's is great for groups; we dined with several friends and our server gladly separated the checks. I ordered whole wheat pancakes (not too many places offer 'healthy' griddle cakes) and my Missus had eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy; she raved about the latter. Other standouts included s'mores pancakes, omelets, steak & eggs, and a grilled chicken sandwich. We enjoyed fast, efficient and friendly service. The patio in front is very inviting. While searching for the cute little restroom hidden around a corner in the back, I nearly walked into the freezer by mistake! read more

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Whenever I don't want to make breakfast we head out to Paulines for a delicious breakfast and great service. The owner is awesome and so is everyone that works there from the servers to the kitchen staff. Its always packed solid on the weekends but, its so worth the wait. The place is decorated inside with all kinds of memorabilia and its such fun to look at everything before getting your order. The food is amazing whatever you order is served with care and lots of food. Always take home leftovers. I highly recommend this location for a family breakfast and lunch read more

Pauline's an all original mom and pop sitdown restaurant. Twice now i been here for breakfast or lunch and it's always been a hit. The food menu is phenomenal can't go wrong from your basic coffee, pancakes, omelettes and egg benedict options. The service was excellent seated right away for a group of 4 and not busy but picked up as lunchtime came around. Ambiance very mellow and chill it has the feeling of sitting down and having a meal at mom's place. read more

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I was going to a fast food place for breakfast but my stomach wanted BREAKFAST! So I headed to Pauline's instead. I love this place. It has so many little knick knacks that catches your eye. You find yourself looking around every corner to see. The booths are cozy. I was greeted and was told to sit anywhere. I looked over the menu and decided to try the Lumberjack Special. Steak, potatoes, 3 eggs and toast. The coffee is a bottomless cup and my mug was never empty. I received my food and WOW! It should have come with a warning, "Do not eat if you have any plans for the day, because you will need a nap afterwards." The steak was tender and seasoned well, the potatoes are crisp and creamy with lots of onion and bell pepper. I like my eggs over easy and they were perfection, to dip my toast in. I will definitely come back. read more

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It wasn't bad, so much as incredibly mediocre. I should start by saying the staff is fantastic. Friendly, helpful, and quick to refill your mug with some (bland) coffee. Everyone is great and cheerful. The food. Well, it's ginormous, I'll say that. It's just . . . tasteless and dry. But there's a whole lot of it, more than you can finish. Why does anyone need a FIVE EGG omelette? You don't. The "short stack" of pancakes - usually thought of as a small add on, was three enormous pancakes. And the BF mentioned that they were not only quite . . . mediocre, but *salty*. What? The "famous Pauline's potatoes" are a desultory affair, with a few overcooked red and green peppers thrown in. The eggs are dry and overcooked. MEDIOCRE. Actually, the food would need to improve to be merely mediocre. The bacon was okay, if a bit dry. The syrup container, stuck to the plastic tablecloth. This place used to jam back in the day, and the patio outside in summer is still fun - I just wish the food was better. The interior, I feel, must be mentioned. If you are in any way averse to clutter, kitsch, or extreme *country* interiors, avoid. A ton of stuff haphazardly attached to the walls, mounted badly and crookedly. No apparent plan for a coherent design. Random signs. Weird stuff on the walls - a dustpan. Some sort of warning about giving cows injections? A drop ceiling with all the HVAC and electrical stuff below and visible? The lights at the tables on one side are way too low if you're tall at all. One of the booths, we couldn't stand to sit in, it was so cramped (and we're not particularly large people). I feel like there's a lot of dust in this place, needs the interior blasted out, scrubbed down and reorganized. I likely won't go back anytime soon *sigh*. read more

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I love this place. It's warm and welcoming, and the service is excellent; someone is always available to pour you more coffee, etc. Pauline's looks like it's been there forever--not quite forever, but almost 30 years. I like the knick-knacks, collectibles, etc. I ordered Biscuits and Gravy; they are perfect and a nice portion. My friend ordered the Corned Beef Hash with breakfast potatoes and two eggs in any style. It's off the beaten path, so finding a parking spot should be fine. read more

Came here for breakfast on a weekday. It didn't look like much upon walking in but was surprisingly homey and a bit strange inside. There're a bunch of trinkets scattered around and art on the walls. Lights were off when we entered the second room which was even more weird. We received our food and I was surprised at how good it was. The corned beef hash was nice because it wasn't fatty or salty and the eggs were cooked correctly. The chocolate pancakes, which my friend had, were amazing but way too rich for the main course. Coffee was pretty good as well. Waiter was attentive and friendly. read more

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Best biscuits and gravy with an egg your way yum!! Very nice and quiet kind of like a southern restaurant

Recently had lunch at Paulines. This cute neighborhood spot is quite adorable! Service is great, menu has lots of options, prices are pretty high for a Grandma's kitchen. Ordered the Rueben sandwich which came with grannies potatoes and soup. Soup and potatoes were very good, The corned beef on the sandwich had a bad smell and color- I only had the soup and potatoes- left the sandwich- Server was great! may go back just to try some pancakes. read more

Pauline's - corned beef-bad color and smell - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great place I go every time I'm in town, service and ambiance is wonderful and the food is excellent with huge portions

My husband and I are regulars at Pauline's - the food is delicious (I swear by the bread pudding French toast - it's fabulous), the decor is so cute - vintage eclectic which we love (perfect blend of nostalgic and homey), the service is wonderful, and the prices are great for the amount of food. We always have leftovers. I'm baffled by the bad reviews. I highly recommend. read more

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Sorry, server was weird and kept asking what we wanted but didn't listen to the answer. Gave a vegetarian bacon when we said no. Made odd comments and faces. The place was packed with junk. A big guy that worked there kept commenting on the girls and was trying to zip her coat. Don't touch other people's kids. Food was tasteless. read more

This is my second time at Pauline's and it did not at all meet my expectations based on the last time I was here. Staff was nice, but not attentive, I wonder if this was because we sat outside this time? But it wasn't too busy and they could have checked in every now and then. Food was pretty mediocre, the sauce for the bread pudding was too tart, the eggs were runny for 'over medium' and the potatoes were pretty soggy. We have been here before and enjoyed it for what it is, but this time was different. The environment is nice and welcoming, I do like how friendly the staff is, but I left disappointed this time. read more

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What a delicious breakfast spot! My boyfriends is from Chicago so we were in town for Thanksgiving weekend and he took me here after our workout. The perfect way to refuel! I ordered the smoked salmon omelette with crispy potato hash and an English muffin. The omelette was huge- I could only eat about half. It was filled was tasty salmon and feta cheese- yum! My boyfriend ordered French Toast and it was equally delicious and enough to share. I highly recommend this cute diner style neighborhood gem. read more

Pauline's - French Toast - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a cute spot! You boy just turned 35 on April 4, and my homie Kitty wanted to take me out for Brunch, so we checked out Pauline's. The day was beautiful and warm, so we sat outside. Service was swift, and we had two waitresses because one of them was training. I loved the team effort, and I appreciated the woman who was training. I believe her name was Donna asking for help instead of doing something wrong and paying for it later. The interiors are cute and have a super 60s diner vibe right up my alley. This was also my first-day eating meat after two weeks, so I was excited. I got the Steak and eggs with Texas toast. And it was delicious. It came with a side of potatoes, and I ate every last bite. Everything was cooked well. Kitty got pancakes and eggs with a side of sausage, which she also enjoyed Tried her pancakes, which were light and fluffy. We washed everything down with coffee. Overall it was a great experience, and I would love to come back again. 3 1/2 stars read more

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I recently visited Pauline, hoping for a nice breakfast out with my wife but unfortunately, the experience was marred by terrible customer service. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a host who barely acknowledged us, leaving us standing at the entrance for several minutes before someone bothered to seat us. The restaurant wasn't even that busy, which made the lack of attention all the more perplexing. Once seated, we waited for almost 20 minutes. During this time, we noticed that the servers were chatting among themselves at the bar, completely ignoring the tables. Two customers came in after us and a waiter came and greeted them right away offering them coffee and water. While my wife and I just sits there barely anyone even giving us eye contact. Not even a "I'll be right with you." My wife and just got up and left and went to another restaurant to have our breakfast. We never saw a manager to address our concerns, which only added to the disappointment. A little professionalism, attention to detail, and courtesy would have gone a long way. I won't be returning to Pualine anytime soon. The poor customer service completely overshadowed what could have been a pleasant meal. read more

Food was not very good. I ordered a veggie omelette. The only thing I liked about it was the Pauline potatoes. Service wasn't good. A patron sitting next to me struggled to get the table she was sitting at to get balanced with no offer of assistance from the servers who just stared at her. Ambience was okay but we sat outside and there were no umbrellas or protection from the sun. Unfortunately I will not be returning although I've heard they have great pancakes. read more

They are right down the street from me and I love it! Whenever I have family or friends come and visit me I always take them here! They are always nice even in the morning when people aren't so sometimes always nice! My boyfriend always orders the spaghetti with meatballs no matter what meal it is and it is really good. They are always being courteous and checking in on their customers. I always see a line outside and it is worth it. read more

Stopped in on a Saturday morning because the reviews made it seem like the kind of place we would like. We were right -- we loved it! Great dive vibe, but very clean. Food was excellent and the servings were so large, we got three more breakfasts out of the leftovers. I got the Denver omelette, subbing sausage for the ham and it was delicious, with big chunks of freshly diced onions and peppers and plenty of sausage. Speaking of peppers and onions, those are also a feature of the fantastic potatoes that come as a side with most of their savory dishes. But the cherry on top was the staff. These folks all seemed to genuinely enjoy working there and at least four separate people had personal conversations with us. We'll absolutely be back and we wish it was closer to Lakeview so we could do so frequently! read more

I have been to Pauline's a few times in the past few years. I went about a month ago and the service has fallen short. That said, the food was still good and the value is still high for what you get. I got the veggie omelet... a bit oily but still delicious. There are no bells and whistles at this place, and it feels old school (which I enjoy sometimes). Now if they could get a bit better service, that would gain another star. read more

Why is this place still so popular? My eggs Benedict was terrible. They baste (not poach) their eggs, use giant slabs of country ham (not Canadian bacon) and the white gravy they called hollandaise was just embarrassing. Even the house potatoes were a slop of weird seasoning, onions and peppers when they could have been simple hash browns. Someone needs to send them a cook book read more

So disappointing. I've been to Pauline's many times and understand an off day....However, the service was horrible, the place was dirty, the bathroom clogged but when the server was told she just asked why someone went in and walked away. We were there an hour and a half. My food came in 15 minutes, my friend's 30 minutes later, and my other friend's food came 10 minutes after that. When we complained we were made to feel like we did something wrong. I've been in the service industry for many years and that's just not how you keep customers coming back. Food also not that great. Bummer, I won't be going back. read more

I've lived nearby for a few years now and have never stopped in until this past weekend. I love the kitschy decorations and art that is everywhere. When we arrived we thought we may have to wait for a table but to our surprise we were able to be sat immediately which was nice for a Sunday brunch day! We got the French bread pudding and corned beef hash with a side of bacon. I've never had bread pudding before and it was really good! The cranberry sauce in combination with syrup that they give you is perfect. Also their homemade whipped cream was so good and flavorful. Additionally, if you are a bacon lover their bacon will not disappoint, it was perfect! read more

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Nestled right in the Ravenswood neighborhood, surrounded by residential homes and the bustle of urban dwelling with strollers and dogs passing, Pauline's is right around the corner from me and I have been meaning to stop by forever! With friends in from out of town and a sunny day last weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to try out Pauline's for brunch. We got there around 10:00 on a Saturday and were able to grab a patio seat - which was just darling. Our timing was perfect as a line started forming around 10:30. Huge menu with large portions. Everything we ordered was delightful. If you are looking for a casual, not white linen tablecloth, and laid-back dining experience - I completely recommend Pauline's for its unique location and great food. read more

I have been coming to Pauline's for years. They have been a neighborhood staple. The last couple of times I've been there I have noticed the place is not being kept up. The walls in the both area are covered with splattered food. They could take a second and wipe the walls. As soon as my food gets to the table the flies start swarming me. It's winter there shouldn't be flies. The place has gotten kinda dirty. Not sure I will be going back. read more

French toast is fire - fluffy on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside with fresh strawberries and amazing homemade whipped cream. The French bread pudding is a great sweet treat to share with the table. Service was friendly and speedy - we never saw the bottom of our coffee mugs. read more

Pauline's - French Bread Pudding - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We stopped here Saturday morning out of the blue for breakfast since we were in the neighborhood and we were pleasantly surprised. The service was . . very good and pleasant. The food absolutely delicious and large portions. I had the Eggs and Pancake special which I enjoyed. They also have a good cup of coffee and keep coming around to refill your cup. I will definitely be back. read more

Food was yummy, server was great ...however the place was over run with small fruit flies/gnats! Literally swatting them away from our plates while trying to eat. Mentioned to waitress and she said they are aware of the problem and the owner was not there. The problem was in bathroom as well. Pauline's, please get it under control, it's annoying and gross. read more

Pauline's - Fly on wall above table - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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For a breakfast lunch locale, this longstanding neighborhood restaurant provides kitsch/character, kindness, and cuisine! Great reasonable ample breakfasts, superb coffee, attention to detail and small touches, and attentive people-oriented service. We need more places like Pauline's! read more

Pauline's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pauline's has nice fun ambiance and great food. It's a good breakfast and lunch place. The food is always done well. Sometimes the food can be a little slow to come out so I wouldn't go if you are in a hurry. But if you like sipping coffee and talking it's a great place. read more

Love this place - it's warm, homey, and inviting - it doesn't attempt to be trendy. If you like authentic vintage then this is the place. Service is always gracious and attentive - your coffee cup is always full. Love the food. Portions are large and the menu extensive. Never had a bad meal. The home made corn beef hash is my favorite. They understand the term "well done". Plenty of parking on Ravenswood. Nice outdoor seating area on Balmoral. No loud music. Nice to hear for a change. The route to the bathroom is through the kitchen so I guess it also includes a tour. read more

Doesn't look like much, but when you enter, it feels like your stepping back in time. The omelettes can be shared with homemade O'Brien hash browns. The pancakes are fluffy, my favorite were the pumpkin pancakes. Great breakfast spot on Ravenswood and Balmoral read more

Pauline's - Breakfast spot since the 1950's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very homey restaurant, staff was very kind and food came out quick. I didn't like their waffle or their french toast. Steak and eggs were pretty good. The place needs a good deep clean tho, and a good mopping. Also the syrup was not that great, kind of wattery. read more

The heart of Balmoral, Pauline's is still going strong after decades of service! Their corner front restaurant is as unique as ever with their accoutrement decorum covering the walls and leading out into their new patio seating. As entertaining as the visuals are, their high quality meals continue to get bigger and better than ever! I gorged on an omelette the size of my face stuffed with fresh vegetables and goat cheese, chasing it back with the freshest of squeezed orange juice. Can't wait to go back for another dish! Enjoy! read more

Pauline's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had brunch here Easter Sunday with a good friend/ex coworker. We sat outside as the weather was perfect. Sunny, breezy & 65. This place has a family owned feel, which I love. Our servers were very pleasant & kept refilling our coffee & water regularly. I ordered the "Old Favorite" omelette with egg whites. It was like a western omelette, with a few more veggies added. It came with breakfast potatoes & wheat toast. All the ingredients were very fresh tasting. The potatoes were very tasty as well with a nice crisp on the edges. My friend had the French toast with a side of potatoes. He said both were very delicious. Overall high marks for Pauline's. Great food, great service & fab outdoor seating. I hope to come back for round 2 at Pauline's! read more

TRUE HORROR STORY not related to Halloween. My 1st bad experience @ Pauline's was after ordering, waited about 20 minutes, the waiter never, never came back to my table at all, not one time, not even to bring my check! My second bad episode was in Aug, I ordered pancakes that had a piece of bacon on them, had waited 27 minutes, I'm a vegetarian, hurt, disappointed, & sad. My last & final, I ordered cheesecake stuff waffles and waited about 20-25 minutes for my food, when I received my food the waffles were not even hot let alone warm, the butter would not melt, and the waffles looked and tasted old, and crumbled when I broke off a piece, they looked like leftover waffles. I explained to the waiter, he informed me they are not made to order, they are pre-made very early in the mornings and put in the cooler till ordered. I was in disbelief over this, so disappointed, hungry, and angry. I'm done no more chances for Pauline"s. Moved back to the area, trying to support small neighborhood businesses & this is what I got. not good Pauline's, this restaurant is not deserving of any stars but cannot post without it. read more

Cozy neighborhood brunch place without eye-gouging prices. Delicious reuben served with addictive, crunchy fries. This has been a repeat order for us :) Yummy lentil soup. Omelette was well-sized and came with seasoned potatoes. Pass on the bread pudding French toast. Too heavy and dense. Ordered corned beef hash well done, not bad, but I like mine with a caramelized crisp so it's a pass. Fiance has been here twice, I've been here once. Curious to try their fresh juices and other menu items next time :) read more

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It's been a couple years since dining at this establishment. It's not good .corn beef hash was lackluster, no flavor no SALT didn't taste like corn beef hash at all. I'd rather eat the stuff out of a can from the grocery. I've really never been impressed with Pauline's potatoes again no seasoning . I ordered three eggs sunny side up no salt or pepper on eggs and the whites were kinda slimy wanted a runny yolk but cooked whites. My dining mate ordered a veggie omelette again the filling was bland not flavor no seasoning everything tasted the same . Also it seemed like it was a two egg omelette the egg layer was micro thin and food was not really hot when arriving at table . His side of bacon was good and that's about it again potatoes meh. Service ??? Well our plates came out but waited at least 8 minutes till toast and muffin arrived . The table had no cream for coffee, and no extra napkins . When coffee was refilled it wasn't really hot . Bathroom had no towels to dry hands after washing ( makes me wonder what employees do ? Also bathroom needs updated and not used as a storage area ) To be honest was very disappointed in the whole experience. Meh I won't be going back for breakfast and I'm leery about what the lunch menu has to offer . Ambience is great with all the kitschy stuff but again makes me wonder how clean the place is . Restaurant Impossible needs to come in and fix this neighborhood stable a fix up . 2 stars at the most read more

The changed. VERY Small portion sizes with covid up charge. My friend a petite female had to order a second omelet because she was not full. She weighs like 100 pounds. She ordered a second omelet.... Also, they were short staffed so I won't comment on the service. read more

I was at Pauline's for breakfast, and ordered an omelette. After a few bites, I pulled hair from my food. It clearly was not mine. The kitchen staff does not wear hairnets or hair coverings, and we saw one of them vaping while preparing food. Pauline's comped my meal, but was otherwise unphased by the incident. This place is absolutely disgusting, and I do not recommend it. read more