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    Pauline's

    3.4 (422 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Pauline's Photos

    Business Info

    PAULINE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Pauline's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Smokehaus Omlette with potatoes
    Eric E.

    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.

    Carb fest
    Erika G.

    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*.

    Ben J.

    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.

    corned beef-bad color and smell

    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.

    French Bread Pudding

    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.

    French Bread Pudding
    Farah Y.

    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.

    French Toast
    Amy B.

    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.

    Enjoying my meal
    Elgin B.

    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

    French Bread Pudding

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    We split an omelette and the banana bread French toast, and it was excellent. Huge portions so I'm glad we shared

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    8 years ago

    Always a great breakfast. Eaten here many times. In the summers it's a great place to sit outside and bring the pooch.

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    Page 4 of 11

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    Lou Mitchell's - Corned Beef Hash

    Lou Mitchell's

    3.9(1.3k reviews)
    7.2 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    I finally waited in line to try Lou Mitchell's, a true Chicago classic that's been around for…read moreyears, and I can definitely see why it's so popular. One thing that really stood out is that everything is made from scratch, from the bread to the jam, which gives the whole experience a homemade, comforting feel. The portions are very generous, so you're definitely getting your money's worth. On top of that, the service was friendly and impressively quick despite how busy it was. That said, the pancakes personally weren't my favorite. They weren't bad, just not something I'd go back specifically for. Overall, it's a solid spot with great service and quality food. I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu next time.

    It was... outdated. Could use a good remodel. Maybe VINTAGE is a kinder word. And I know they got…read morethe money to do it cuz... my husband ordered a skillet (and upgraded to pancakes) and I got an omelette (which needed to be sent back cuz it was still runny on the inside). We ordered a coffee and a Diet Coke. Our bill was OVER $70. SEVENTY dollars. I always say I believe in paying good money for good food but the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze. And this is on top of the city parking you have to pay to eat there. It's just craziness. I will say that the toast was pretty delicious. The server was nice enough. The bathrooms were downstairs and needed attention.

    Photos
    Lou Mitchell's - Old comics

    Old comics

    Lou Mitchell's - Donut holes

    Donut holes

    Lou Mitchell's - Menu board

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    Menu board

    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House - Pancakes

    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House

    4.1(349 reviews)
    1.1 miUptown
    $

    You want to know what's really cool about Golden House Restaurant and Pancake House? The condition…read moreof the vinyl! I would assume a place where the newest thing since the 1980s is the security camera would have vinyl with more cracks and patina than my trusty old leather jacket! But no, it's in fantastic shape. Especially given that, the vibe in here is awesome! It's like stepping through a time-portal. For food, I ordered an old favorite: Pigs in Blankets. The food came out fast, though, to be fair, there was only one other person dining in at the time. The sausage links were crisp, and the pancakes were lightly sweet and fluffy. All in all, great! While perhaps not enough to summon the Michelin Guide inspectors, it was better than the average greasy spoon. Finally, I really appreciate that the prices are reasonable, and that there is parking! Final verdict: I've had a small handful of spectacular breakfasts. I've also had criminal breakfasts, where two unsalted eggs, two bacon strips, and a tablespoon of potatoes costs $14.95. Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House finds itself in that sweet spot in between - it is neither a spectacular spot (often have prices to boot), nor is it an overpriced, underwhelming greasy spoon that stays in business thanks to regulars who have been coming for decades and don't want anything better.

    Very nostalgic diner! It is a seat yourself situation and cash only. They do have an ATM available…read moreto take out cash if needed. The menu was what you'd expect from a diner. The French toast and pancakes were so flavorful. The hashbrowns left something to be desired. Eggs were a tad overcooked. Bacon was really good! All in all a nice little spot! The staff was very friendly as well.

    Photos
    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House
    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House - 1-1-1-1 Special @ Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House. Chicago, IL  Breakfast Lunch Brunch . UPTOWN Legend . Cool!

    1-1-1-1 Special @ Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House. Chicago, IL Breakfast Lunch Brunch . UPTOWN Legend . Cool!

    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House - Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House. 4744 N Broadway, Chicago, IL  Breakfast Lunch Brunch . UPTOWN Legend . Cool!

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    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House. 4744 N Broadway, Chicago, IL Breakfast Lunch Brunch . UPTOWN Legend . Cool!

    Au Cheval

    Au Cheval

    4.4(9.5k reviews)
    6.7 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    so glad we tried this place! we actually only waited about 15 mins to get seated at the bar on a…read morewednesday night around 7pm. we came here for my boyfriends birthday and we were so happy we chose to celebrate here. the two people that helped us was antonio and issa and they made the experience 10x better. they were very attentive and friendly and just easy to talk to. gave us good recommendations and good vibes. we both really liked our drinks and were happy with the spread the food came out. we got to eat the bone marrow first which also came with this really good sauce it was almost like a meat jam but was so good on the bread and then put some of the bone marrow on for the perfect bite. now the burger, you just have to try it because it really is that good. the sauce in it was so good and it just had a really good flavor. it was just an elevated burger. we got fries as well and we shared the burger so it we were really full after. the server brought out ice cream with a candle and some sort of chocolate sauce too which just made the overall experience. we were really happy with the service and food and it just made my bfs bday that much more special and memorable.

    Despite all the hype, it's really an average smash burger. This is a place that has capitalized on…read moresocial media hype and people wanting to say they've been here and thus are cool and trendy. But it is seriously just a greasy smash burger. Their fries are good, and actually stand out more than the burger. Everything is overpriced. I don't know why people complain about the wait; do some research like a responsible adult. I never just walk into a place and expect to be immediately seated, I call first - like anyone who has some sense. If they tell you the wait is 2 hours and you have 2 hours to kill, there are a bunch of bars in the area where you can have some drinks and an appetizer (and not feel like you're stiffing Au Cheval; they're the ones with the 2 hour wait, what do they expect people to do?) Not much to say about the decor or ambience; it's a typically loud West Loop bar with mostly 20 - 30 somethings all trying to one-up each other with their trendiness that instead makes them all basically clones of each other. It is crowded, and you're a moron if you think any place like this is suitable for your 5 year old. That's not the restaurant's fault - it's not Chuck E Cheese. Often I wish Yelp offered a 1/2 star option, because there are places that are a 4.5 or a 3.5. Not in this case. 3 stars is spot-on.

    Photos
    Au Cheval - The cooks were very attentive!

    The cooks were very attentive!

    Au Cheval - Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

    Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

    Au Cheval - Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

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    Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

    Pauline's - diners - Updated May 2026

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