My husband and I have been coming to this establishment every Sunday since we moved to the Albany Park neighborhood 5 years ago. Which is about the time the establishment first opened it doors. Obviously, we like the food. The 2 waitresses and owners, one of which are always on premise and very polite. They will also help you make a discussion if you can't decide between two dishes. Their breakfast/lunch menu is extensive: Breakfast: I would recommend a skillet or one of their daily specials write on the wipe board by the door. Lunch: The gyro platter is delicious and comes loaded with fries. The Greek Chicken is yummy but you need to ask if they have it sometimes it not ready or they have sold out. It's a roasted chicken with a Greek blend of spices. And if you're in the mood for a huge, loaded salad go for the Cobb salad. Loaded with chicken, bacon, avocado and served in a bowl as big as your head. If you eat it all....congratulations. Over the years we have seen this Cafe popularity grow substantial and of course with that comes the line of people. Yes, this establishment is small about 7-8 booths and 6 tables. If you go during the week there will be no wait however like most Chicagoans we like our Sunday breakfast/brunch so yes there will be a little wait. Typical wait time now is about 10-15 minutes. There is no hostess, however someone a waitress or owner will ask you if you want a table or booth and then give you an est. wait time. You can take in the quint atmosphere by the door until your seating is ready. If you decide to stop by go early (before 10am) or after 1pm on a Sunday your wait time will be very minimal or non- existence as we have discovered over the years. While writing this post will only cause more people to flood one of my favorite Chicago cafes, I cannot let this establishment go unrecognized for their great service and food we have received over the last five years. read more

I am always a fan of a place that serves breakfast all day. They have so many choices, it's ridiculous! I had the gypsy skillet, and my boyfriend had the biscuits and gravy. Both dishes were delicious! The portion size is out of this world. My skillet was huge and it was under 5 dollars. My boyfriend had the option to do a full or half plate. He went with the full plate and got 6 biscuits. Again, his dish was about 5 or 6 bucks. It's a small place, and it's not very crowded. We didn't have trouble finding a seat. It's kinda like an old school diner. The service was great, and our waitress was very nice. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and I didn't feel rushed. I would def go there again! It was awesome. read more

I really like this place ! I came here lay weekend for the first time after living in Albany Park for years! & the service here is really good & our food came out pretty fast too even though we came on a Saturday morning for breakfast! Food was great & Service was great read more

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

I'm soo bummed! They changed the sausages and their rye bread, to mimic the "cookie cutter" breakfast establishments, I loved to avoid since finding this place!! Where they used to have LARGE delicious sausages that would seriously be a main draw when talking about this place, in it's place are these skinny pathetic looking links. They also changed the brand of Rye Bread they serve up. It used to be nice thick almost bakery type bread, and now it's these thin little "nothings" they call rye bread. Portions are getting smaller too. Less potatoes, less eggs and puny sausages and toast. I don't know what to say. It's lost the appeal for me. I can walk to the corner at Golden Nugget and get the same breakfasts now. Sorry West River....you had me sold, but now you've lost your individualness and joined every other breakfast establishment. Ohh, and the service is getting slower and slower. I think they need more cooks back there on the weekends...we waited almost 40 minutes for our 4 simple dishes to be cooked and served....and when they came my french toast was raw with it's insides mushy with egg batter...YUCK! By the time they made a new one, I had it wrapped to go.. I wasn't going to wait longer!! For all those reading this review that have only experienced the new sausage and all the new changes....you don't know what you had missed!!! Sure it's still decent and good...but now, it's nothing special like it used to be. read more

Thank you yelp for helping me find a good brunch place! I had some kind of skillet, and my bf had the french toast. They give you a ton of food for the right price. The service was great, my coffee cup was constantly refilled. The menu had a good mix of breakfast and lunch foods which was perfect for my bf who doesn't really like breakfast foods. The atmosphere is nice, small, people coming and going in a way that it is busy on a Saturday morning, but not much of a wait. read more

Starve yourself the night before, just so you can come in the morning and order one of their great breakfast skillet! Seriously, I found this place through yelp when I returned from holiday, and was pleasantly surprised to find such a great spot for breakfast food that wasn't IHOP, and quite affordable. The service was fast and friendly, the food was delicious (I ordered the corned beef hash skillet with rye toast), and the crowds were not so great (we had no wait). I just might make it my Saturday breakfast time home. read more

Some of my favorite memories growing up in the South Suburbs are of heading out to one of the region's countless Greek family restaurants with my dad. West River Cafe is exactly like those places of my youth, bringing the Greek family diner experience to Albany Park. (And of course, I believe one of the owners is from Palos - the West Africa of the Greek restaurateur from which all Chicago diner owners must hail). I know, I know. Four stars for a diner? If I was just rating the food among all restaurants, we would probably be talking three stars. But in the "diner category," I think West River ranks right up there. Most days, I tend to get the skillets. They are huge things, well prepared, with the eggs always coming out how I ordered them (no small thing when the place is packed every weekend). Pancakes are also consistently good and the breakfast special is usually worth checking out as well. As you'd expect in a diner, breakfast is served all day. Lunch is offered as well and the sandwiches are fine, mostly what you'd expect, but fine. One exception is the West River chicken sandwich, grilled chicken, peppers and cheese served in a pita that is quite good. But probably stick to the breakfast side of the menu. The service at West River Cafe sets them apart. It is friendly, fast and they know how to treat regulars (servers knew my name by the third time I went there). Plus, the restaurant is exceptionally clean for a diner and the many windows make it feel very warm and open. If you crave diner food and find yourself in Albany Park, I can't recommend a better one. read more

This is a great little neighborhood breakfast/lunch place. Ask for their wonderful multi-grain bread. It is cozy, clean, the food is great, prices are good, and service is fast. Most entrees are about $9. Love it! Saturdays and Sundays, of course, are very busy. read more

West River Cafe is a nice little spot right off Kedzie. I came here with a larger group with younger kids and they pushed together tables very quickly and were very cheerful. They even made little strawberry shakes for the younger kids in the group, just because and on the house. That was really nice of them. Everyone ordered the breakfast items and seemed to be very happy with their orders. I happened to order a chicken caesar salad and it was HUGE. Very good quality chicken and tasted very good. This is an inexpensive spot to grab brunch. Stop by if you want to be full and still have money left in your pocket. read more

Defiantly not a place for a crowd nor if you have a few little ones, as I experienced on my visit; waitress was getting annoyed. Waitress was in such a rush to take our order which she could easily see that none of us had actually taken a glance at our menus. Food had a great taste ( egg tacos) beans were defiantly a bit stale. Kids pancakes were defiantly a hit with the kids. Food overall was good but service was in need of improvement but maybe it was just one of them days for that particular waitress. Some children also picked up on the waitress disturbance. I would definitely try them again & this time try some coffee ( another negative on the waitress part, didn't bother to ask what we wanted to drink ) read more

West River Cafe - Egg tacos were great with the pico de gallo sauce - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Totally disappointed about carry out ... I was missing food, staff did not help and they blame the Uber driver. Definitely not ordering again. read more

Great diner place that you can easily walk in on a Saturday or Sunday morning for a table with no wait. This is just a few blocks from where my boyfriend lives and he's a frequent visitor, and I've tagged along quite a few times. I can always count on a good meal, fast service, and a good price! Only had breakfast food here but it's all been great! read more

This corner cafe is super low key. They have prompt service and the food comes out before you can blink. Their gyros omelette with feta cheese is terrific. We will be back! read more

West River Cafe - Gyros Omelette with Feta Cheese and Onions. - Diners Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Four days later as my mouth waters to order from the cafe again, and I'm totally disappointed. I got packaged butter, my small Orange juice was not filled to the top, only one syrup for an order of pancakes and French toast, no utensils, no ketchup and my order was not crispy like I ordered before. Now granted it's packed and Sunday afternoon but I rather wait longer for my food then to not get what I ordered. If I wanted fast food made wrong I would of visited a drive through. Two stars because my eggs were okay. If I order again it will have to be during the week since a weekend order is out of the question. read more

Coffee is important to me. A diner can have the bestest foodage, but if the coffee is off, I won't be back. That said, I enjoyed my food and coffee at WRC. It's clean, the waitresses are attentive w/out being in your face, the ingredients appear to be fresh, and the clientele are from all walks of life. I've tried the Reuben, tastes several diffident omelettes and sampled a veggie soup. All good. This is a mom and pop establishment that I hope sticks around for a while. Go here and eat well. read more

Great service and nice staff. Kind of dirty atmosphere, the back of the restaurant wreaked of cigarette smoke. Food was super average for a vegetarian but my bf loved his chicken dish. read more

I love this little cozy diner! They have a little bit of everything on the menu,plus a wall of hot tea choices which I love:)they also have daily specials. read more

Cute little cafe with excellent service! It also has an extensive breakfast and lunch menu so it truly makes it hard to choose because all options are good. We had the skillet and were a bit disappointed that it didn't not come in a cast iron. We also ordered the eggs Benedict and were good. Great spot to go anytime of the day unlike other cafes that make you wait so long. Would go back. read more

Probably my favorite small breakfast restaurant, a little over priced for ham and eggs but it's business done right. They are welcoming and attentive with every one of the guests, not to mention they have delicious meal options from breakfast to lunch. Would definitely recommend it to everyone. read more

This place is about a mile out of my neighborhood, so I tend to forget about it for lunch... Today I remembered and we got there early enough, because they close at 3 p.m. What a great little place! Service was fast and efficient and friendly... Food was very good and fresh. The place is spotless, and the music was nice and low... I had a Cobb salad, it was great my friend had a one of their wraps and said it was very good. Iced tea was good too! Will definitely make this a regular place! read more

We came in on a busy Sunday morning and noticed that there was only one server (no call no show). We weren't in a hurry so we decided to wait. Janice the waitress was killing it. Making sure she tended to all tables and meals were coming out quickly. Meanwhile the serious face behind the register was putting together delivery orders fast enough so that drivers were in and out within minutes. The best was when one of the cooks came out to bring water and menus to a table while Janice was busy. All with a smile. One family left, not wanting to wait, but had they stayed, it would've been worth their while, because my chilaquiles were on point!! This is a testament to how to stay cool under pressure. read more

The waiters were very nice. Food was good, but not amazing. The prices were reasonable. I had a mushroom and spinach omelet and an Avocado Skillet that wasn't on a skillet LOL Definitely go for the omelettes, Benedicts, or ask about the specials! read more

What a cozy little breakfast place. Within walking distance of my home...I love it! Very reasonable prices, many, many options. Service was prompt and easy. They were also happy to accommodate substitutions. Staff was happy, friendly and sweet. read more

I may have gone on an off day, but....sub-par service, corned beef hash from a can, and mediocre bacon.

Sweat pants on! Hair a mess! Cross the street with dumb look on face! I did it all for West River Cafe! Everything here is perfection personified for diner fare. Portions on your plate will usually not be finished because there's so much for you to take home across the street to your hobbit hole! Grumble grumble go the voices in your head. Eat the rest of your Gyro skillet ya ding dong! I'm so happy to come here though and the staff are friendly and know the meaning of re-fill! Oi. Now to lose some weight! read more

Mexican Breakfast burrito was great. Can't go wrong really. Especially with pico de gallo Veggie omelet ordinary but good. Coffee is not great Friendly staff. Comfy and cozy inside. Street parking all around. read more

This place was very simply yet delicious. Me and my husband went on a Sunday morning, no wait, I ordered a pretty simple breakfast eggs, bacon and potatoes with french toast. Portion sizes are very generous! The food was great! Home style cooked meal can't go wrong, my husband had steak and eggs and it was very yummy, not greasy like your standard diner we were very impressed, the staff was super nice and good came fast! read more

This is a great breakfast, brunch, lunch diner spot. Over the past year and a half its been picking up quite a significant amount of business. I think their omelettes are simply fantastic, nice big chunks of sausage cut up into it. Their vegetables, and fruit taste pretty fresh and something must be said for their biscuits and gravy (which I don't normally like). Their eggs florentine dish is superb and is quite a helping if you ask me. Sometimes I do feel like the service is a little slow, even when their not particularly busy, but I wouldn't call it poor because they do get to you it seems just before it gets annoying. It will get really busy on a saturday or sunday morning/early afternoon, so play your odds correctly. For a good spot to hit up in Albany Park during that breakfast to lunch time frame this place is defintily worthy. read more

I just moved to the neighborhood a few days ago, and I've already eaten twice at West River Cafe. It's the ideal diner. They serve breakfast all day, and the food and coffee are aces! I had the avocado skillet with bacon and coffee the first time. The skillet was very tasty and the portion was substantial. My boyfriend had the breakfast tacos with chorizo. We kept stealing bites of each other's food--SO GOOD! The next day, I was still unpacking and didn't want to make food, so I got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and a coffee to go. The sandwich was also excellent. I'm so happy to have such a rock-solid diner just around the corner from me. It's right up there with Cozy Corner in terms of diner awesomeness. read more

Last time I think U gave 5 stars. No more. I saw the waitress when she took my order and gave me the bill. No refills. I got the avocado benediction. Tasted good...but I have never seen such a small English muffin. read more

Came here once, will not be back again. Which is a shame, as I'd love a diner just a few blocks from our house. The food is..well..meh. Which to me is a crime - a diner that can't make good breakfast food? Cramped and divey. Hilltop on California & Foster is better & worth the walk. read more

I've been here a few more times than I have checked in. I have to say the food is good diner food. When I think of a diner, I think breakfast. I've tried other menu items, and it's just those breakfast sausage links that are horrible to me. Great staff, fast service. Closed by 3 pm but good to stop in if you're up early wanting good food. read more

this is our favorite place for weekend breakfast/brunch! Menu is consistent with typical diners but there always has specials that often inspired by Latin American cuisine. The service is super fast and very friendly. We never had any problems with food or service. read more

I'm glad this diner is in my neighborhood. I typically come here for their breakfast. The food is good and not expensive at all. My parents love going here when they visit me. The staff is always friendly. Good recommends: Avocado Benedict(my fav), when offered their 4.99 bone in ham is solid. Pancakes and French toast are also tasty. read more

I used to live two blocks from this place and I miss it!! It's the perfect locale for a hungover carb fest! The breakfasts are huge and cheap! I always used to get the 3 eggs, hash browns and toast for $3.75!! Where else can you get that deal?? The owners are friendly and the place has a family feel. The chicken rice soup is fab too! They are only open until 4 so those late risers might miss out. This place really is great! I'm happy to see that they are getting busier these days as for a while there it seemed like The West River might not make it! read more

Great diner! My boyfriend and I love this place and always head there on a weekend morning. The pancakes are fluffy and the crispy French toast is awesome. The service is super friendly. The prices are average diner prices, definitely a place where you get a good bang for your buck. Definitely try one of the skillets, but come hungry! read more

Not the most awesome diner around, but a solid place to get breakfast. Staff is friendly and service is excellent. Would have gotten another star if my corned beef hash arrived well done, as I asked. read more

Rooster Heaven! We went here for the first time today, and finally have a breakfast place we can call our own. We have been in Albany Park for 7 years but never found a good breakfast place (not a fan of Tre Kroner, too pricer, too much of a wait) and used to head over to Svea's in Andersonville, but this morn read the Yelp reviews and decided to try West River Cafe. Loved our breakfast (simple and quantity - the Montrose special is fabulous and with the French Toast, shareable.) the waitress was personable, helpful and very nice. Kept our coffe cups filled, and it was good coffee. Fairly confident we will become regulars. The lunch menu looks interesting, when we try, will advise! read more

I do not understand why this place is rated so high. First the place is outdated and has a weird odor. I had been looking forward to the food since there are so many good reviews. I ordered the strawberry french toast and my father ordered the skirt steak skillet. Sadly, I took a bite and I was disappointed. The French toast just tasted like the grill. Even with lots of syrup the taste would not go away. I asked my father how his was and he was also disappointed. The steak was dry and had no flavor. The only reason I gave 2 instead of 1 star was because our server was nice. But if it was based off of the food it would barely get a 1. read more