Haven't been in a while- but had breakfast on the patio today- had our two dogs in tow- the staff brought a bowl of water over for the dogs and a treat for them..off to a great start. Then coffee right away- we had an omelet and multi gran pancakes both items were A+ and the service was top notch- Will be back again soon, sorry it's been over a year since I was here.. read more

Pauline's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I LOVED THIS DINER SO MUCH! Im from cnada and we came down to visit, by far the best french toast i have ever had. I came here about 1.5 ago, but im h af right now. That day they were serving a cinammon bun french toast, i just cant describe how good it was. Under the glass of the table you can leave a little note or photo or news article clipping. Very cute seeing the past patrons. read more

How many places serve 5 egg omelets? Just for that alone and the generous portions of delicious breakfast dishes, Pauline's has easily become one of my favorite brunch joints. What's more...they have FRESHLY squeezed orange juice. I am a sucker for places that serve fresh OJ...with pulp...and served very chilled... They also have a smoothie selection made to order with fresh fruits and vegetables. During the warmer months, you can even sit outside. The decor inside is very diner like, but very colorful and inviting. I also need to remind bringing a picture of myself to stick under the glass on the tables. The waitress...VERY attentive. My friend ordered hot tea, and she came back every 10 minutes to check on her hot water. I am very impressed indeed! read more

Pauline's - Pauline's Sign - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Three stars based solely on the pancakes (which were large and delicious). The rest of my experience.....not so great. Visited on a Wednesday afternoon, around 12noon. Multiple open tables available outside. I wasn't sure if I needed to go inside to request a table, or wait outside by the service area. While standing outside, several employees passed me by without acknowledgement, so I proceeded to go inside to wait for a host. And wait. And wait and wait. Employees again buzzed by as if I was invisible. So I went back outside and flagged an employee down and asked if a table was open on the patio (there were three available). The employee decided to seat me at the only table without shade. Even though it was a hot day, this was completely understandable as it was a 2-top and the other tables seated 4. The busboy immediately brought a glass of water (in a filthy glass). The server finally arrived after 10 minutes to take my order. I got the 3 eggs and pancake special. She asked if I wanted a beverage. I ordered the mango orange juice, but she said they were out. After finishing my breakfast (pancake and eggs were both excellent), it took her another 10 minutes to come by and deliver the check. As I finished signing my credit card slip, I heard her taking the order of the guest at the next table over. Judging by the server's interaction with this patron, he was a regular. He also ordered a mango-orange juice, which suddenly they were no longer "out of". I was going to question her about this, but at this point I was ready to get out of the sun and heat. read more

Great food n service everytime I visit chicago this is a must and yet another breakfast before I fly back Friday am If ur near make sure u stop by and institution since 90"s,had the French toast dipped on vanilla n orange topped with fresh strawberries n fresh whipped cream the best I've tasted ,fresh squeezed oj Canadian bacon ,everything is great here read more

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You know, if home cooking is what you're looking for, this is your place. Is it fancy? No. Does it have a red carpet and crystal chandeliers? Nope and nope. Do they make yummy home cooked meals? Heck yeah! I've walked past this place a couple of times since I moved to the neighborhood and let me tell you it is not bad at all. It is a an unassuming corner eatery that serves comfort breakfasts, brunches and lunches. We came in, took a little booth at the back and corner. We were promptly and courteously waited on. Coffee was actually good! And with a bottomless deal of $2.45 or so, it is not a bad deal. I had the South American omelette because I was fancying something savory, and this bad boy did not disappoint. I ordered it with sliced tomatoes (comes with potatoes) and wheat toast. My omelette was very satisfying. I enjoyed its flavor --not overpowering, and the fresh sliced jalapeños was a nice touch. All in all a great meal, nice environment, right price and attentive and prompt service. I will definitely come back! read more

We've always had good food here. From the infamous five-egg omelettes to their more-than-generous salads. One thing of note, if your food has onions in it, I would suggest asking "easy on the onions." Sometimes there can be a BIT too many. Service can be a bit slow, especially if it's busy, but that hasn't deterred me from wanting to come here for brunch. Also of note, they are a cash-only restaurant; they do not accept credit cards. read more

Pauline's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is so cute, what one would imagine when thinking of their favorite local breakfast joint. The service was great, and the food came out quickly. mmm... Orange papaya beet juice... I love that they have unique and healthy juice/vegetable combination drinks and smoothies. YuM!! read more

Pauline's - orange papaya beet juice - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place does remind me of a place you would see in an old movie. The classic 50's looking diner serves customers on the increasingly popular Ravenswood Ave. They are at the corner of Rav./Balmoral. Pancakes, hamburgers, fries, coffee and sodas are some of the goodies you can munch on here. read more

Pauline's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So as far as diners go, I really gotta give Pauline's a shout out. For years, this has been a well kept secret with a solid reputation with my friends on the north side. I have come here on several occasions and I go in with a specific mission: solid diner food- in particular, breakfast. So, they "fry up the bacon, serve it up in a pan... and never ever let you forget whose given you the best standard breakfast food around!" :) I will recommend the following: chocolate chip pancakes, orange juice, bacon and some eggs if you have room. Wash it down with some delicious brewed coffee - it is possible that you will be offered a choice of toast on top of all of this. So, my choice is some decent rye toast with butter and jelly. This is a great place for kids and families as well. Their menu really suits most unpretentious tastes! Enjoy! read more

The only reason anyone should go there is because they live within a few blocks. Food is fatty, service is slow (staff ignored us though there were few customers), social distancing is miserable. Though it was a scorching day and our table was without shade, our water had no ice. read more

I have nothing negative to say about this adorable restaurant! The decor is very much like you would see in your grandmas kitchen. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious with large portions. I got the veggie omelette with a side of bacon. My husband got the bacon cheddar pancakes with homemade whipped cream. My sister and her boyfriend both got the eggs benedict. Everything was A-Maz-ing!! They even have apple butter which speaks to my inner child and makes me incredibly happy. Highly recommend going here!! read more

Pauline's - Veggie omelette!! Deliciousness :) - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here with my husband's family and my son. They are usually pretty good with large groups even though the service is a bit confusing. I think we had 3 servers? They have books.at the front to help kids with the wait even though they are sticky. The restaurant is starting to show it's age and seems kind of worn. Maybe a deep cleaning or new flooring could help? The food is the same and portions are large. read more

I'm kind of amazed at so many rave reviews of Pauline's. My wife and I live in the area and had never been here before and were excited to try it with such great reviews. We both left disappointed. Everything was just mediocre. Soggy potatoes, corned beef hash seemed like it was just dumped out of a can and reheated. Nothing to write home about. Service was good. No problems with our server at all, but food was just blah. read more

We finally made it to Pauline's and, well, we now regret not getting there sooner. Perfect, perfect brunch at their outside dining, and the food was just right (and plentiful), and the service was uncompromising, friendly and attentive. The bill was too small, which only made it easier to lean in heavily on the tip, which was the least we could do. I only wish the trolley still stopped there (as is did 75 years ago), but I don't think that's their fault. Go, feel welcomed, relax (they will not rush you), eat well, and show your appreciation. Every neighborhood should have a Pauline's. read more

I was a little reluctant to try Pauline's for lunch, because all I'd known about the place was the advertising for 5-egg omelets, and I think serving an omelet of 5-eggs is ridiculous. No wonder Americans are the fattest on Earth, if that's the sort of thing restaurants are pushing. I found out that, while Pauline's does serve those gargantuan things, they also serve a lot of decent, flavorful food, that comes in reasonable amounts. The advertising turned me off, but the reality made me a fan. I was one of a group of 8 women for lunch. I brought cash for the inevitable ritual "splitting of the bill." To my surprise, the waiter offered us individual checks! A lot of extra work for him and the kitchen, but much easier for us. As someone with 20 years experience in the food service industry, I can tell you that this practice slows service, slows the kitchen, and slows delivery of food. That's why restaurants don't like to do it. But Pauline's does. Even with the individual checks, the food came out in a timely manner, and only came out piecemeal because the waiter delivered all 8 entrees by himself. He had to make multiple trips to the kitchen to do so. The bean soup was well-liked. They had two soups available that day, both of which had chicken stock. Vegetarians, stay away! The group ordered mostly sandwiches -- no 5-egg omelets chosen! I had a veggie burger which came with a variety of delicious veggies on it. I was very pleasantly surprised. Other people had different burgers, a BLT, and chicken salad. No complaints, at all. Pauline's was a pleasant surprise. I would be willing to go again. read more

We ate breakfast here for a week. Really nice food, lots of options, good taste and reasonable price. Waffle with eggs and bacon.Staff mostly friendly. read more

We've been to Pauline's before and experienced slow service. The food was good so that made up for it. We went today, Sunday morning. There were empty tables and people leaving when we arrived. We got to the restaurant at 10:55 am and we're seated immediately. A server took our drink order, delivered the coffee and water, and that was it. No one else spoke to us even though many servers walked past us delivering food and taking orders for other tables who were seated after us. We were near both the door and kitchen so it's not like we were in a corner out of sight. 25 minutes into our visit, when the third table seated after us got food, we left. We might try again because the Banana Bread French Toast is awesome, but it will be awhile. read more

Great service! Everyone there was super pleasant and sweet. I'm giving two star but the staff deserves 5! The food was meh. I ordered the lumberjack special which consists of hash-browns and steak and eggs. It was a steal of a deal but when I got it I saw why. The meat was chopped weird looked like leftover steak. I never add A1 sauce to steaks and I needed this. The eggs were ok and the potatoes were flavorless. I believe if I ordered more of a sweet such as pancakes or French toast last would have been better. The sweet looked good I think the staff compromises for the food read more

I have had this place bookmarked years and I finally got the chance to try them recently. I love the kitchy collection vibe however, the service while fine and acceptable was not quite warm and cheery but it will do. Food wise we had crab egg benedicts and le toast Francis.. The benedicts although fresh and portioned well, heavily lacked flavor. It was very bland and took some salt, hot sauce, and pepper to save it. The french toast was very good and ended up being the star of the meal and their fresh squeezed lemonade was delicious and refreshing. All in all it was a good visit and I plan on revisiting. read more

Pauline's - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

OMG what has happened to this place? Always loved to go here for breakfast when in town. Restaurant is extremely old, looks kind of dirty but the food, service and attitude of employees made it a great place. Went for b-fast yesterday and the pancake and eggs special, so disappointing. Pancakes could not be cut with a fork, literally required a knife, texture similar to cardboard. No customers there on weekday at 8 am. Construction in area has several roads closed so hard to get there. Employee at desk and waitress seemed depressed and surly. Something seriously wrong here, so sad. read more

For breakfast this is one of the best places anyone can check out in this area the food is fresh. The service is not the greatest but it's the perfect place to go to for having a conversation with someone and enjoying a good breakfast. The French toast is something I highly recommend. read more

Pauline's - The only thing in this picture that wasn't excellent was the eggs but everything else tasted amazing. It's definitely a must try. - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Hidden gem in the city! The potatoes are hands down my favorite! Oh and the trifecta pancakes will keep you coming back. read more

Pauline's - Eggs Benedict - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food and great service. I have been ordering the food to go and I love how quickly and nicely packaged it comes. The bean soup is awesome! French bread pudding to die for! Last time I had the Belt Buster and you can expect all that the name says. read more

Great little diner type restaurant to grab a quick weekday breakfast. There were a lot of people with kids and it is definitely kid friendly. The waitstaff was great and totally on top of the coffee refills. The coffee had a strong nutty flavor, but was good. They have all of the basics plus a bunch of interesting choices on the menu for breakfast. The banana bread french toast was delightful. It was sweet and fresh. The pepper bacon eggs benedict was surprising as the sauce had a lot of herbs in it. It all worked together excellently with the salt and peppery bacon. The bacon was diced and plentiful so you could have bacon in every bite. The eggs were perfectly cooked wuth liquid gold yolks that were large enough to cover every bite too. I loved that the benedict was in its own plate/bowl so the sauce and yolk was easy to sop up with the english muffins. Overall a great experience! read more

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Pauline is a Jekyll and Hyde kinda girl. During the week, this is a nice neighborhood joint, all candy colored and checkered curtains. The walls are covered with old-time adverts, the tables are covered with photos of regulars. The food is good and the service is friendly. Locals relax with their morning papers, old friends catch up, moms bring their kids. You wouldn't be surprised to see Floyd and Goober at the next table. On the weekends, though, Pauline turns into one mean bitch. The sweet ethnic servers are gone, replaced by the pros who are there for their tips. Customers are jammed in like commuters on the train to Bergen-Belsen. And treated just as well. You eat what you get, and you will like it! It's all about long lines and table turns. The kitchen churns out orders, and who cares if it's ready? If you have a chance to visit Pauline's during the week, do so. On the weekend, unless you are more patient than I am and willing to put up with some bullshit, skip it. Go to Svea -- it's a smaller menu, but the people are nicer. 4 stars for weekdays, 1 star for weekends. read more

Cool, windy morning. Breakfast with friends. One of them all up and preppy, the one badly hangover. Patio seating. It's noisy. Very much so. They are doing some sort of construction/renovation next door and it's deafening. Not exactly the cozt ambiance I was expecting but oh well....the wind knocks off the vase on the next table. The menu is big, and I decide to go half and half. Scrambled eggs and pancakes with strawberries. Coffee too, of course. I was also in the mood for bacon, but after checking the price and almost choking on it ($4.95!!) I went meatless. Le sad. Food arrives, and it's quite disappointing. Dry, boring, 5 pieces of strawberry on the plate.....it is depressing-looking. The pancakes were some of the worst I had, like, ever. I almost want to cry. This Friday doesn't start well; but I am chit-chatting with friends, spying on the biggest dog of the neighborhood and making fun of the waiter in my head. Not so bad after all. But I could totally do that AND eat good food somewhere else. A no-return. read more

Probably the most uncomfortable place I've ever been. As a Mexican lady with a Black/Puerto Rican boyfriend who both attend DePaul University we've adopted color blindness as most of our classes are predominantly made up of white students. Going into Pauline's has been the only place to make me notice my nationality as my boyfriend and I entered and given the strangest look by the woman seating people: grey hair, bangs, sweaty eyeliner, and glasses. The place was busy so we didn't think much of it. As she attended people who clearly arrived after us my boyfriend moved so that he could stand directly in front of her so she couldn't miss us. STILL she refused to even make eye contact with us. After about 10 minutes of waiting around we decided to leave. Pretty disappointed because we were pretty excited to try this place out. Took our brunch to Home Slice on Webster and Bissell; literally the best food. read more

The food is really good, but just a suggestion.. Please cookswear a hairnet or something! I ordered pancakes and 3 strings of hair came with it. Before you say it was mine...I have black hair and not blonde. The waitress was very nice and had a new order made and did not charge us for my meal. Also some of the chairs need updating! read more

Shhh, I cheated on my diet at Pauline's. Having heard such good things about this place I decided to check it out since it is pretty close to my house, and I was quite hungry. It was a Saturday so it was pretty packed to capacity and service really wasn't great, but it was not terrible either. We were seated pretty quickly. Breakfast is served all day so I went with the South American Omelette. It was so good. Salsa,jalapenos,cheddar cheese, and chorizo(I seriously cheated here considering I don't normally eat pork/beef etc) mixed in with five eggs. Five eggs! I justify the meal by knowing it had veggies in the salsa and the delicious potatoes on the side. My bf ordered the Mexican omelette and was rather pleased also. read more

A plate of hot, nearly-perfect blueberry pancakes can go a long way towards canceling out an otherwise mediocre experience. But not quite all the way. I'd been driving past Pauline's for months and finally the planets aligned and I went in for breakfast. Upon entering, the planets realigned to form an evil clown face, or at least a frowny emoticon. We entered; the hostess(?) seated our party of two in the second room. Outdoor seating was also available but maybe she judged that we were too pale for the June sun; at any rate, she didn't give us the option. She pointed to a two-top along the wall with roughly .4" clearance between the tables in front and back of it. Mmm, cozy! The table itself had been lovingly anointed with water in a haphazard pattern, but not dried. If I had been carrying my protractor, I could have measured the exact tilt of the table, but instead we simply know that it's at the angle where plates slide. The silverware on my side had been unwrapped, presumably for the napkin because they were unused. Our waitress approached and introduced herself, but turned abruptly as if to grab something for wiping down the table. She returned but did nothing to the table, if she even noticed. We requested a couple napkins to take care of it ourselves. She asked if we wanted coffee; I requested hot tea. I usually do this as a knee-jerk reaction to the coffee question, without looking at the menu. Usually it doesn't come back to bite me in the wallet, but this time it was $2.95 for two tea bags (one reg, one decaf) and some hot water. The water was presented in a 10oz. creamer for a mug that was about double the size. Even worse, the menu only lists tea to go, which is $1.50. The food itself was actually decent: aforementioned blueberry pancakes (which were pretty great), good french toast & side of strawberries, and the omelet that was supposed to be easy on the cheese was. Our waitress had, thankfully, asked whether I wanted all the toppings on my pancakes, which I did not. However, she assumed this was the case for the French toast, but you know what happens when you assume....In this case, it means someone doesn't get any syrup. We paid our bill in cash, in keeping with the retro vibe. Although I wasn't even sure whether we paid our server or the hostess, we ended up leaving it on the table because our server simply didn't come back. This made me nervous but at that point I wasn't going to lose sleep over it. I think Pauline's assumes that people have no other options for breakfast. There's really no other explanation for the general sloppiness of our experience. read more

Such a shame, such a shame!! Food, great. Atmosphere, delightful.......service.............sucks so bad it's not even funny. They need to take everyone that works here (including the owner) and take them to etiquette school on how to run a business. I was in there with a group of four people, we were ignored almost the entire time, they didn't bring everything we ordered to the table and yet it was still on the bill. Oh yeah, and it took a half hour just to get the bill at the end, one of the worst mistakes you can make as a server. Trust me, I was a server for almost 3 years. I NEVER complain and am always sympathetic towards servers b/c I was one, but our experience was so bad to the point I thought we were all on MTV's "Boiling Points" (Did I win my $100 yet). When we confronted the owner about it, all he said was "That's the way it is". Well sir, I would rather cut my wang off and throw it in the lake than come back to your establishment. I mean, that's just the way it is. read more

I wanted to give Pauline's another chance before I made a quick decision so I tried it again for breakfast yesterday. I really like the place, when you walk in it looks like you're going on a picnic. The tables have plastic table cloths covered with glass for cleanliness and brightly painted walls with lots of vintage art and pictures. I really like the feel inside when you first walk in. But then you sit down. We got to our table, the waitress (an older woman) came over before we were even sitting down. I was struggling with my coat and couldn't even move my chair back to sit down cuz it's jammed in between the table and the wooden post behind it. So I tried to squeeze in as she's asking me about coffee. I don't drink coffee so she offered fresh-squeezed orange juice. So I ordered a glass. Just after I ordered it I remembered they had fresh papaya juice. She was already on her way back with the pulpy mess so I didn't order it. But I wondered why she wouldn't offer the Papaya juice to me too since that's a little more rare? EVERY breakfast place has orange juice. Come on. Anyhow, she impatiently asks if we're ready to order. We JUST sat down so we said no. She came back about 1 minute later and said, "Ok what do you want to eat?" So we both order quickly as she grabs the menus and walks off without even really acknowledging that we ordered anything. She came back with the food, slammed it down in front of us, and threw napkins on the table half on top of our plates of food. Then we had to switch cuz she put the wrong food in front of the wrong person. No sooner do we take our first bite but she's back with the check. GEEZ! In a hurry to get rid of us or what?! Rude. Rude. Rude. As we're eating and almost ready to get the hell out of there, the owner comes walking down yelling at the bus boy to clean a table. I would've quit right there if I were him. My dad has never even yelled at me that way. Ick. read more

Pauline's is the only breakfast place within walking distance from where I live, so I frequent this restaurant often. Though sometimes I find myself driving or taking the train to somewhere else because frankly Pauline's could be so much better. Even though this is a small no frills breakfast place, which I like, you really don't get what you pay for. They charge $9 for a very BASIC eggs benedict that comes with NO sides. Their omelettes are quite good and come with a side of potatoes, which makes them reasonably priced. The potatoes, however, are a hit and miss. They're usually too mushy and flavorless. Not a fan. In other words, if you want a traditional no-frills breakfast, you can go elsewhere for much more reasonable prices. read more

Cute place, friendly staff but the food is really nothing amazing. Burgers tasted like those frozen patties that you get from Sam's Club. When I was there last I ordered a cheeseburger well my cheese was missing...mentioned that to the server and she apologizes and came back with an American cheese slice on a plate. Oh yeah like that is going to melt on my now cold burger...mmm, yeah sign me up for that tasty treat why dontcha. Sheesh. If you're in the area yeah maybe come check the place out for breakfast as I hear it's tasty but if not...it's totally not work the trek. read more

A-ok breakfast grub in a cute as a button space. The omelet was a bit cold for my liking, but filled with plentiful, if haphazardly chopped , veggies. (Like some others, I'm a bit skeptical there are actually 5 eggs in the omelet.) The accompanying potato/pepper hash was tasty, and my dining companion enjoyed his pancake and coffee. (I'd like to see real maple syrup added as an option.) We went on New Year's day and there was only a 5 minute wait, during which we were given complimentary bloody mary's by the owner, a sharp old cad who wore red and green plaid pants, toted a portable minature oxygen tank, and seemed enthusiastic about serving his customers and life in general. With the sunlight streaming in the window at our front booth, I was also smiling and could see myself plopping down again. read more

Very down home place in Chicago - I don't think they've updated the decor in at least 30 years if not more, but somehow it adds to it's cheesy charm. It gets VERY busy on the weekends, so expect a wait out the door and when you finally do get seated, it will be crowded. They don't seem to rush you once you are seated though. The food is typical brunch food - eggs, pancakes, etc. The orange juice is freshly squeezed and out of this world! I do have to complain about the tea - they just give you a random assortment in one of those old strawberry containers that are usually hit or miss. I know, tea isn't the reason why people go here, but if you're going to charge me $2 a cup, please make it worth my while (and I don't like coffee). read more

Brunch, lunch? They have both. The menu covers all taste buds and the decor is one to be photographed. If you are only meeting one person or even ten people, Pauline's can accommodate your need. Enjoy! read more

Great spot for brunch. Nice outdoor seating. Omelette, potatoes, and toast for under 10 dollars. Good food, good price

Don't expect gourmet from this breakfast diner, but they nail the basics, and that's what I like about it. The staff is no-nonsense and quick and the tables have every jam, butter, creamer and item you need. Service is brisk. It's clear this is a well-loved and successful breakfast diner, and these places survive based on consistency and service. It's on a quiet corner of Balmoral, which makes it even more attractive -- no annoying crowds standing outside waiting to "do brunch." In fact, I have never waited during several visits. read more