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    West River Cafe

    3.9 (209 reviews)
    Updated 3 months ago

    West River Cafe Diners Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    WEST RIVER CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - West River Cafe

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    a view of the dining area
    Lulu R.

    Located in Albany Park, another great city diner. Decent place we have been meaning to try out. This place boasts a huge menu. With all your diner faves. We got the Montrose special 2 eggs, 2 sausages, bacon and hash browns. It was decent. The sausage was almost to the point of it being off putting with a taste of rosemary. Hash browns could have been better too. Prices were decent and we plan to give it another shot sometime.

    From the back area looking to the front.
    Julia P.

    We were delightfully surprised by this find in the neighborhood. We were able to be seated right away late on a Sunday morning. The server was attentive and helped us with our selection. Everything came as we requested and was delicious. It was exactly what you'd expect from this kind of breakfast spot. Definitely will be a place we come back to.

    Montrose skillet and delicious coffee.
    Peg P.

    This is a great old fashioned breakfast and lunch place. Been coming here for years and the worst thing I ever had was not bad. Usually I get the Managers Special or the American Skillet. They'll readily substitute cheddar for the American cheese for me. Yesterday I had the Montrose skillet (bacon, sausage, ham, and swiss cheese). It was insanely good. Mexican burrito was also great. It's always too much food. You'll either eat till you want to die, leave some on the plate and regret it later, or split a meal. Those are your options. Live with them. If you don't order the pancakes instead of toast, you're a fool. Wonderful service by the best waitresses and busboy in town. They should get bonus stars for the rooster decor.

    Checking out this local eatery for the first time. Food looks delicious, so it's off to a great start
    Dee A.

    Flavorful eats at favorable prices! Decided to finally check out this local neighborhood cafe and was not disappointed. The french toast was pretty good, but the cheesy eggs stole the show. Looking forward to revisiting to find out what other tasty treasures they have on the menu. :-)

    Spinach and Mushroom Omelette
    Celina G.

    If you're looking for a classic neighborhood diner with quick, good portioned breakfast and reasonably priced- this is the place to be. Ordered the mushroom and spinach omelette which came with hashbrowns and choice of pancakes or toast. It was exactly as expected. Pancakes come in a three stack, believe short stack is also available. I went with my parents and they both enjoyed it. My dad got over easy eggs and they looked perfectlu made!Service was great and coffee was continuously topped off!

    Jacqueline F.

    Cozy little diner. Not too big, not too small. Mom and Pop feel in a good way. Came here for breakfast today and got what I was looking for. Both the hubby and I ordered skillets and for about $10, you get a full plate of your skillet with 3 eggs on top, along with a side of pancakes or toast. Very reasonable prices on their menu. I greatly enjoyed my skillet. I ordered the American Skillet which came with corned beef hash on a bed of hashbrowns. My husband, on the other hand, said his tasted a little burnt. I kinda like my hash browns a little crunchy so I wasn't complaining. It tasted great to me! Their orange juice did taste a little tap water-ish but no big deal. The servers were also really attentive and the service was fast. I'd come here again for breakfast.

    Mayan skillet with toast or pancakes.
    Janice M.

    I usually prefer nonchain restaurants so that it forces me to venture out. Perhaps I should've stuck what was economically familiar. On the plus side, that place gets enough business that my rant later won't put a dent to that business. My daughter enjoyed her meal but she made a face that orange juice instead of apple juice was given to her. The waitress thought it was cute and made my daughter laugh. My coffee was filled up a few times. One of the waitress tipped my coffee to a poibt it spilled and didnt notice because she rushly passed through to fill up my coffee. For Mayan skillet with toast, kids menu of silver dollar pancakes with chocolate chips, 2 strips of bacon and apple juice, and my unlimited coffee: about $28. I should've inquired about my bill because it was broken down with the taxes per meal and an additional tax is what I believe is the tip. Instead I took my change and put in tip on the table because the waitress did engage with my daughter as a customer and that's always a plus to treat my 5 uear old daughter as she is someone to listen to. It's probably one of those days that was randonly off service hence only 4 stars out of 5.

    Dining Area
    Frank R.

    West River Cafe is our favorite neighborhood spot for a delicious breakfast! Everything is priced fairly and the portions are huge. The drip coffee hits the spot but the iced tea is also a great choice! We always have the same waitress, who is lovely and and makes great recommendations. West River is a must in our book!

    Floretine benedict
    Rosa J.

    This was a snowy morning in late February, but Rosa J. and her hubby were still energetic and wanted breakfast. Since traffic everywhere was congested due to the harsh weather condition, we took it slow and headed to West River Cafe. Like many other joints in Albany Park, I passed through this establishment many times while riding the CTA 78 (Montrose) bus. Again, what a discovery! It's located on the corner of Montrose and Kedzie, diagonally across from the Walgreens. The waitress was cool and attentive. We received our coffee immediately upon sitting down. There are many vegetarian-friendly items on the menu. Hubby LOVES avocados, so he picked the avocado Benedict. I'm a "Benedict" junkie, too (the food, not the former Pope), so I had the Florentine Benedict. The items on the menu are priced reasonably, comparable to the "semi-nearby" popular competitions (The Kronor and Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club...even though I would say "The Kronor" is slightly more expensive). However, West River Cafe is one of the a few quality breakfast joints in Albany Park. Both avocado Benedict and florentine Benedict were super on point! The eggs were poached perfectly, and the hollandaise sauce was delicious. Our hash browns had good texture and were cut into a good "bite-size." There's also a TV there, so we could pay attention to the local traffic since it appeared to be ultra-dysfunctional this morning. They do accept credit cards; paid street parking is available on Kedzie. If utilizing public transportation, the CTA 78 (Montrose) drops you off at Montrose and Kedzie; CTA Kedzie Brown line station is a couple of blocks north of West River Cafe. With that being said, I will be certainly be back!

    Texan burger
    Kai E.

    I came here with my Grandpa for brunch and we both agreed that the food was good, not great. The staff was nice and food came out quickly. There is plenty of seating and parking available near the diner. Prices here are decent. Most everything was under $10 and portions were huge. He ordered the veggie omelet which came with hash browns and toast or pancakes. Huge huge omelet which he couldn't finish. Good amount of fillings. I got the Texan burger which had salsa, avocado, and pepper jack cheese. The burger patty was freakin gigantic. As a whole, it tasted really good and has plenty of toppings but it was sooo messy. Anyways, who needs 1/2 a pound of meat on a burger....?! I was disappointed because it didn't taste fresh. Definitely frozen. Fries were okay but not crunchy. Didn't try the coleslaw. If you're looking for a cheap and quick meal, check this place out. It has a super large menu and the food is pretty good overall!

    Avocado Eggs Benedict, delicious
    Liz A.

    I'm a firm believer in adding avocado to just about anything and one of my favorite breakfast items is eggs Benedict. You add avocado to that and I'm in heaven. I no longer needed to glance over the menu once I spotted my avocado eggs benedict. It was served with a good portion of hash browns. Definitely left feeling stuffed. My friends had the manager's special: two eggs, two pancakes, two sausage links served with hash browns, and an order of french toast. They both enjoyed their food and it was decided we'd come back again. The cafe isn't huge but you have your choice of seating from booths, tables and a stool at the counter. The staff were all very friendly and attentive. Was't very busy when we there at 9 this morning but I'm guessing this place fills up after 10. Reasonable prices, quick service, clean, and good food, can't really ask for anything more in a place.

    Montrose Special Combo Meal Breakfast

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    7 years ago

    Been a customer since 2014. Solid place. Clean and friendly. Traditional diner choices. Bring the kids.

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    5 years ago

    Wasn't the best. If you wanna go to a hood breakfast diner try alps off irving. Otherwise don't really recommend

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    Page 2 of 6

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    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.

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    Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House - Pancakes

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    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.

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    Au Cheval

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    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.

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    West River Cafe - diners - Updated May 2026

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