It is 2 minutes from my apartment, and I always take a break like 2-3 months, then come here hoping for better food. And I get a stomach ache and leave disappointed. Point being, AVOID this place at ALL COSTS. Canned anything is not good. I saw the rubber steak too. How do you even consume that? This is worst than fast food. It really deserves no stars, but seeing as that is not an option, I gave it 1.
Review Source:Solid old school diner/greasey spoon. Â Omelets are great, if you prefer the american diner variety, they are the fluffy baked french ones (I don't like the baked ones). Â They also have really good quality Ham of the Bone. Â I would be remiss if failed to mention their soups, usually available for a late breakfast, and always high caliber, you can't beat their traditional weekend favorite Greek Style Cream of Chicken Rice. Â Their lunch menu is available early, with a variety of tasty gut busting options. Â
This is a classic neighborhood diner, not some flash in the pan yuppie destination hang out. Â Good food, reasonable prices, and consistent service.
I had high hopes for this place, but it didn't live up to expectations.
I was recently at Big Top for breakfast on a Sunday morning, and it was super crowded. For one thing, the restaurant itself isn't very large, which may have been why it felt so crowded. There was about a five minute wait to be seated, which wasn't bad.
I just really didn't care for the food here. I had ordered an omelet, and my eggs were way overcooked. I had also asked repeatedly for a large water, but never got one. That rinky-dink water glass just wasn't enough, and they only refilled it once.
Our server was OK, but she sort of complained a lot about the bus boys since none of them ever brought me that water - even though she could have easily gotten it herself.
Overall, I just wasn't impressed. There are way better breakfast joints in this city.
Best reuben sandwich in the city, very consistent. The julienne salad with the homemade garlic dressing is absolutely mouth-watering. The dinners are complete with entree, soup, and salad, and are a great value. Very nice ice cream novelties/sundaes are also a nice treat.
Exactly what you expect from a local diner, average comfort food and quick, friendly, and attentive service.
i love that this place is local, great on price's, gives you a good portion of food, open 24/7 (except sundays), and always has the news paper on the side
i come to this place after a long night out to put sum grub in the belly.
love friendly diners like these you can tell IHOP to take a hike, GoldenNugget to hit the road, & Dennys to suck a toe they can not compare to Big Tops food, prices, parking, & portions of food.
Went here after a late night out and to be honest that's probably the only time I'd consider going to a place like this. Â Not that it's bad, it's just a pretty average diner. Â
Food came pretty quick and our waitress was always around, so no complaints with service. Â Oh and the fries were pretty good. Â
TL;DR
-24 Hour
-Average Diner
-Pretty good fries
If you are looking for gourmet then you need to keep on going. If you are looking for a great diner with great food then this is your place.
I usually find myself in the Big Top for breakfast. Their menu has a wide selection but is still small enough to know that there will not be a question about the quality. A low key friendly attitude greets you from the moment you open the door. The counter has an old school cash register that makes me wonder how long this place has really been around. Oranges and Yellows reflect this as well.
They offer all of the standards, omelets, corn beef hash, steak and eggs, and enough types of toast to keep you busy for a while. Nice little dive in North Chicago.
"Big Slop at Big Top" is what many used to call it (and some still do), yet I referred to it as the "circus restaurant" for my 3 year old nephew who all of a sudden became interested in eating something amidst a crabby spell. Â No matter what you call it, in reality it is simply a 24/7 old-school diner. Â It's menu is suspiciously lengthy but so far everything I have tried there was decent. Â This place is almost always bustling, even at night, and it does attract the older crowd and not so much the younger Denny's crowd. Â Which is great, because the younger Denny's crowd is trash. Â The owner is very nice and gracious with candy when we leave. Â This place is not the best by far, but it IS superior to IHOP, Denny's, and the like. Â Try the soup!!
Review Source:This place reminds me of the places I went to with my parents as a kid. This could be because the decor likely hasn't changed in 20+ years, or it could be the comfortable atmosphere, friendly staff and tasty food.
It IS a diner, so don't be shocked when oh-my-god it tastes like diner food! Definitely preferable to a Golden Nugget any day, and I've never found it to be very greasy. We normally have breakfast here, but on the few occasions when we've had dinner it  has been tasty but on the heavier side.
My bf and I are regulars there, and we really appreciate the fact that our favorite waitresses (Treanne and Donna) always know what we're ordering and how we like it. Both ladies are so friendly and cheerful, and I think we come there for them just as much as for the food.
Good place to go when you want to get to the point. Â Food is "okay" at best. Never amazing. One waitress who works during the night is super nice. She gives you that "mom" sort of feel.
But there are plenty other waitresses that it's pretty apparent they don't want to be there.
Anyway. Food is decent, but never botched. I can't tell you how many times I'll go to an Ihop or Golden Nugget and get ruined pancakes, burnt hash browns, etc.
This place has pretty flavorful soup. Never too salty. Depending on what you get, they MAY place a bread basket on your table. Â
Ice cream creations are a nice option available for dessert, but not anything creative or inspired. Not super tasty. Just okay.
Pretty much, you'll come here when you're hungry and don't want grease/fast food. Come here when everything else is closed. Â Prices are fine. They have a very wide selection of food--- although that makes me skeptical too (makin both gyros and pastas and pancakes.. i'm more a fan of places that do really well with each component on the menu-- not just throws everything in there just cuz they can.)
Still. It's a little bit quieter and since it's a private place, you won't run into as many crowds of noisy teenagers who are out past curfew. Â The owner is kind but quiet. Â In short.... not a place I'd go out of my way for, but also not a place that has nasty food.
It's worth noting that I have never dined here at a decent hour or while even remotely sober.
The food is better than I expected. Service is always friendly and good, and it's pretty cheap for what you get. Definitely better than Denny's if you're looking for somewhere that's open 24 hours.
HERE'S HOW THEY ENRAGED ME
Big Top has a huge sign that says OPEN 24 HOURS and then a much smaller addendum that reads "until 9pm on Sundays". This is wrong on so many levels, especially when you are craving a veggie skillet at 3am and are counting on it being open. You can't have it both ways. They lose a star for this.
To parents, of young children -
While I can't explain exactly why, Â The Big Top is just the ideal place to allow your young'uns their very first experience with ordering food themselves at a restaurant.
That's what I did some years ago with mine. Â It was easy and even comfortable thing for them to do, reading from the menu, gave them a little sense of power or at least control.
They have window booths there and that's probably where you all should sit down for this.
It certainly doesn't hurt the food brought to their wide and hungry eyes will prove a delicious experience.
I love mom and pop diners. Â Nobody will ever sway my opinion that they are not hands down the best place for breakfast. Â What the Big Top has going for it is it's open 24 hours and the character of it's name and appearance. Â The downside is this place is filthy. Â The only time I've eaten here I'm guessing the floors hadn't been mopped yet for the month. Â The food is mediocre at best for a mom and pop joint. Â I didn't get food poisoning as I feared, but in the future I'd take breakfast at a Golden Nugget over the Big Top if I had to make a choice.
Review Source:24 hours. Good coffee. Ok, you've covered the requirements.
Excellent soup. Friendly waitresses. Crayons if I ask for them (even if I'm 22 and clearly intoxicated). Now we're getting somewhere.
Nothing spectacular about the food, other than the soup (which I'm pretty sure has crack in it, no other way to explain soup that good). Friendly waitresses. A parking lot. Good stuff.
Outstanding breakfasts and efficient, attentive service make this a spot to try if you're in the area. They're open 24 hours and the prices are very reasonable. This is your classic 1960's-era pancake house/diner, though the place is very clean and is well kept up. The owner runs things from behind the cash register and is a really nice guy.
Oh, I want props for avoiding the urge to make the clown and circus puns that other Yelpers seemed to not be able to resist!
Ok, should I really review this place? You people know I don't "clown" around on my reviews of joints like this. Vell, let me just say I used to nickname this place "Big Slop" at the time, but that time vas like 20 years ago vhen I vould frequent it vith my "Fang"mily. (See, I am THAT old!) However, if I go back there in the present time and vant a greasy burger and fries at midnight after a trip to the casino then I'll update my review of Big Slo...er Top. *grins*
Review Source:I love good old fashioned mom and pop diners like this one! Â Let's do what we can to keep them alive otherwise another annoying "man" chain will pop up, or worse yet, the 10,000 frickin' condo complex will rear it's ugly head.
Big Top is open 24 hours which is very cool when  you need a nice, warm place to hang out and enjoy some good comfort food.  One of my faves would be the turkey dinner.  Great white meat turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a vegetable (also comes with soup or salad) for about $9.  The breakfast deals and large selection of sandwiches are great.  Super nice staff.
The name and sign may sound "circus like," but when it comes to quality food at great prices, they don't clown around. Â They have great daily specials that include soup, salad & bread. Â A landmark in Jefferson Park. Â I also highly recommend the omlettes. Â A classic American diner!
Review Source:
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