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Willy and Grace Diner

4.6 (36 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

Willy and Grace Diner Photos

WILLY AND GRACE DINER ATMOSPHERE

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Corned beef with American potatoes and eggs
Johannes P.

Let me start off by saying the friendliest of the staff is second to none. The food came out hot and fast and was absolutely amazing. The original dinner design was a step back into history and brought a little nostalgia for a time when things seemed a little more peaceful. Thank you for the opportunity to experience the love and friendship. Keep doing what you are doing it is beautiful

Great food and service. Charming ambiance of a 50s diner. Had a great breakfast of eggs, sausage and American potatoes served by a friendly charming waitress. The value was great. Lots of great food for a fair price. There is parking available across the street at the lot of Walnut Speakeasy. Well worth the visit and we plan on returning.

'Good enough'
J P P.

Mom & Pop joint with a warehouse appeal... Lacking decor but plenty of gray paint, the place could use a splash of excitement! A colorful mural of Spaghetti & Meatballs shining on the wall just might do this place wonders! A basic breakfast blends right in. A few Sunny-Side eggs and a mound of American Potatoes gets it done. Perk it up with some grilled onion and chopped Jalapeno and put some 'zing' on your plate. 'Good enough'...

Chicken soup
Felicia K.

Eggs were on point. Again I'm very picky with my eggs. No brown spots and cooked perfectly. Country fried steak was delicious the gravy on top was very flavorful. My wife had the steak and eggs she enjoyed it her only comment was just a touch more seasoning. Service was fast and helpful. You can tell they have a lot of regulars as the server knew just about everyone who walked in the door. Two older men who seem to come here a lot were too darn cute and seemed like family to the staff. The inside has a truck stop feel to it but definitely older diner feel and that's right up our alley. We will be back and give them a second try. Oh yes the chicken soup was perfect. I'm a soup freak!!

Huevos Rancheros
Melissa M.

Stopped in here again today to try something new! Huevos Rancheros! Woot! Another perfect meal. The place was packed, but I got a little table in the back of the restaurant and had amazing service again. I'm off tomorrow so I am planning another meal! I'm going to try and remember to take pics! Great place, casual dining, family oriented

Butter bowl!
Peter T.

Breakfast perfection. This location was formerly Lark and Owl, and before that, Kendalls Kountry Kitchen. I last visited when it was the latter, in 2014. The good news? The chef thru all those years is now the owner and has plastered his own name on the front. Bravo. Congrats. Best wishes for years of success. A lengthy menu offers breakfast and lunch choices, plus daily specials. Open 7A-2P. I went with the country fried steak and eggs, which, as is the Chicago custom, came with three eggs, gravy, potatoes (choice of American fries or hash browns) and your choice of pancakes or toast (white, wheat, rye, Greek). As is also the Chicago custom, a heaping bowl of butter graced the table along with other condiments. Eggs were done as ordered, steak was flavorful and a large ladle of sausage gravy adorned it. I like Greek toast (similar to "Texas") for it's bulk. Coffee is great and service was superb. I try and support local businesses like Willy's. You should too.

Busy Sunday
Mark D.

First time back for us under the new name. I had been coming often enough when it was Lark and Owl and the restaurant was always good. Under the new name we got in on a Sunday morning. It's a small restaurant and this time it was full, very nice to see. Plenty of wait staff so the service was excellent. Willy and Grace has a very full breakfast menu and the food did not disappoint. Omelettes, biscuits & gravy and the eggs Benedict were all very good. Five stars

Avocado Toast with poached eggs, spinach and feta cheese.

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1 month ago

Food is delicious every time! Fast friendly service and reasonable prices. Would highly recommend.

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1 month ago

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10 months ago

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5 months ago

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1 year ago

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3 months ago

It's great service and the food is so delicious and tasty no matter how busy they are the customer service is great !!!

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4 months ago

The food, the service, absolutely everything is amazing, such a warm cozy spot, we love it here! Our go to weekend breakfast spot

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 months ago

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3 years ago

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Wilfredo G.

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1 year ago

Friendly / Delicious / Old School Diner. What more can you ask for. The menu is huge and the portions are even larger.

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3 years ago

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Wilfredo G.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Nice little diner warm and friendly. Food is very comforting with good selections. Service staff is great and friendly!!

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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Wilfredo G.

Thank you for your very kind review Kim! We appreciate you!

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Best in town. Homemade food, everything fresh. Love the girl, very respectful and friendly

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Amazing breakfast! Very friendly service and welcoming atmosphere! Highly recommend Willy and Grace's for breakfast.

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3 years ago

Great atmosphere the staff was very attentive and professional, the pancakes were delicious , highly recommend.

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Wilfredo G.

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3 years ago

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Ask the Community - Willy and Grace Diner

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At first glance it seemed not busy at all but inside there was a couple people so that's a good…read moresign. Sat down right away and got to ordering. I got the vanilla iced latte decaf and i'd give it 7/10, the flavoring was a little off but was still enjoyable. Food wise we got french toast 5/10, bacon 7/10 and a bruschetta wrap 7/10 there was a lot of the balsamic, fries 10/10. French toast just didn't have much flavor and it seemed like just a cinnamon slice of bread. Wasn't giving much french toast vibes like with a brioche piece of bread. I'd give this place another try though as I really love the inside and our server made sure everything was taken care of.

I had breakfast here on a Wednesday and Saturday morning. Both times were peaceful, quiet, and…read morerelaxing. I enjoyed the service and my order was ready in a fair amount of time. I first had the veggie bliss omelette and the berry bliss pancakes. The omelette was satisfying and the berry bliss pancakes stood out on their own. The fruit and sweet glaze did not require any additional syrup and made for some delicious pancakes. I liked the barbacoa skillet the second time around. I think the meat could have had a little more seasoning , but the side of sour cream and picante sauce helped bring more flavor to the skillet. This time I had plain pancakes and they were no were as good as the berry bliss! Triple Berry is a solid breakfast spot for some good eats.

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Mockingbird has been an East Dundee fixture for a few years now, and it's now better than ever. It…read moreused to be a tight squeeze, with very limited indoor space, but they've now more than doubled their space and increased some of their food menu. I've been there many times, pre-renovation, and now twice since renovation. One of the things I like most is that the owner so clearly loves what she's doing and is almost always there, interacting with customers and bringing cheer and warmth. The place feels--especially in the summer time--like sitting on a European street. The food is always tasty (the deviled eggs especially), the drinks are creative. I could use a slightly wider cocktail list that incorporates varying base spirits and experiments a bit more, but what they serve up is good.

Cute restaurant in East Dundee with a very open space. Its bar takes up most of the indoor space,…read moreand covered seating outside in downtown East Dundee. The menu isn't overwhelming which is nice. They have a variety of plates but not enough of a choice to make you look for days. We ordered cocktails, which were nice and strong, but also refreshing. The open air made it feel like we were in a vacation resort. Our server was polite and would go and check about anything we had questions about. Real top notch fella. We started with raw oysters which were good. I ordered the gnudi (gnocchi) with red sauce and beef short rib (server's recommendations). My spouse had the lab chops. We both loved our meals. The presentation and flavors were all there. I think it's a nice place to go to on occasions because it's a bit more expensive than I expected, but the flavors and meals made it worth the cost. Staff was great, space was clean and airy, food was great.

Photos
New interior
New interior
Website photo of Wood-Fired Hanger Steak. Not sure if this is accurate photo, didn't match mine or description
Website photo of Wood-Fired Hanger Steak. Not sure if this is accurate photo, didn't match mine or description
Interior

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Interior
Sweet Berry Cafe

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We had not been here in awhile and it's one of my wife's favorite breakfast spots. I was never all…read morethat crazy about it because of their breakfast potatoes. If you have read my reviews I judge all breakfast restaurants by their hash browns. I don't know when it happened or what made them change but you now get to choose between the 2 breakfast potatoes or hash browns!!!!!!!! Happy Day, this changes everything for me and warrants a new review. Again it's a really nice place, the seating is really well spaced, I always feel that I have some privacy and personal space. Everyone is always friendly and the service is excellent. This time my wife got the Portabenny which is just what it sounds like 2 portabella mushroom caps as the base of a benedict. It came with some fresh asparagus and my wife really enjoyed it. She also really appreciates the fruit side that you can get, they actually cut fruit themselves and you can choose what you want. I got the southern skillet, poblano peppers, onion, andouille sausage, fried chicken, cheese and turkey sausage gravy. Very good, very large, I only ate half and had breakfast for the next day. I don't get pancakes very often, but I did today and they really have great pancakes. The food is very good, they have a great variety, I really appreciate that they try and bring some uniqueness to their menu, and now that they have hash browns, that may be our new go to spot.

Came to SB Cafe in Elgin on a Wednesday afternoon. The restaurant was clean and the service was…read morefriendly. I was seated quickly and I ordered a garden skillet with a choice of pancakes. The skillet-less skillet with over medium eggs came out rather fast. I liked the food and everything was enjoyed. Nothing stood out or was over the top. I had plain pancakes so I could evaluate them without being distracted by extra toppings. The pancakes were alright and toppings would probably punch them up. I think this can be a nice stop for a solid breakfast.

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Buttermilk Pancakes
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The Graceful Ordinary

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My son took me here for my birthday this past April and what a dining experience it was!…read moreFirst off, the ambience was extremely elegant and upscale. The preparation of our entrees was beautiful and the service was excellent. I highly recommend, especially for a special occasion.

Firstly, anyone saying the food doesn't taste good or they leave hungry is smokin crack ..... also,…read moresounds like you probably would of enjoyed a buffet instead. This place is incredible... the food is to die for. It's the first place I've been to and did not feel like bloated or so full to where I was sick because the portions were perfect. Nothing here fell short, in fact it's the first place in the burbs where the food wasn't overly salted or fried in some type of oil. Everything tasted fresh. The flavors were busting up in my mouth every bite I took, even down to snowball fight drink we had. I highly, highly recommend the bread cheese appetizer- this was something super unique to me as I've only had grilled up cheese one other time in Brazil, Queijo Coalho.... There was a beautiful twist on this cheese- crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory and the honey and tabbouleh were such a great finish to this dish. Pair this with the fresh bread and it was chefs kiss! We had the beer braised short rib and seabass- two completely different flavored entres that we absolutely perfect. The short rib you literally can't go wrong with- melted in my mouth with every bite - and hats off the the chef who cooked the onions so perfect to actually be able to taste them instead of just carmelizing or salting them! I would call this your typical Midwest comfort dish. The seabass was much different the salad was tangy with the lentils being rich- add a nice cooked crispy top seabass and you got yourself a unique dish of flavors that will have you thinking what's in it after hours! But the star of the show was dessert of course - OMFG - s'mores ice cream sunday ....... I died and went to heaven literally. I have never tasted ice cream that mimicked everything I've ever wanted my ice cream to taste like. It was the perfect temperature (trust me a lot of restaurants it's either rock hard or melted) this was epic. Creamy, almost pudding like and being able to taste every note was wild to me. The graham cracker - yes the freaking graham cracker was the best one I've ever tasted in my life. Clearly I've never had a graham cracker without preservatives before. The chocolate syrup .... Jeeze let me tell if I could swim in it I would.... The service was friendly, prompt and right on time. The server knew all the cues and timing of all the food to come out. She checked in everytime we got something to make sure everything was just right... you can tell she takes her job seriously but also knows how to interact with people - something a lot of servers lack these days so we really appreciated the service. As for the atmosphere- this place blows a lot of the chi city restaurants out of the water. The organic feel but fancy! Oh, and I can actually talk and hear myself think without blasting music over my head. We will be back ... but honestly please change nothing here- everything you're doing here is fantastic!

Photos
Dining room
Dining room
Avacado toast
Avacado toast
The Fox River just outside the restaurant

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The Fox River just outside the restaurant

Willy and Grace Diner - diners - Updated June 2026

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