I feel torn over Clarke's. Â I love diners and breakfast places and there was some to love about this place and other things that could really be improved on. Â
Food was pretty good - I loved the pancakes on the side and its definitely an enormous portion of food you get with the breakfast items. Â
My two complaints - the omelet was awful. Â It looked amazingly fluffy so I thought it would be delish, but they must add something to make it fluffy because the egg had little to no flavor and a very, very strange texture. Â It was so strange! Â
The service is lacking. I don't want to complain too much because it has that mom and pop feel to it which I love... but asking me how everything is and me being able to find you if I need something is really important. Â Our server was missing for over 20 mins and we really wanted the check, so kind of annoying.
I'll definitely go back and try a different breakfast item since the majority of the meal was fine.
I'm really surprised at the not so great reviews on here but my experience at Clarke's was fantastic. I had the regular waffles with maple syrup and cheese north shore potatoes and both were delicious especially the waffles. We got our coffee and  pitchers with lemon water refilled very quickly without asking. It was kinda loud in there but the northwestern game was on so it was to be expected.
Review Source:Clarke's is better than Denny's and IHop without a doubt, but the quality of the food isn't exactly stellar. Â I'm not a big fan of peasant potatoes, so I never end up finishing the skillet dishes. Â Again, Clarke's doesn't have the best food, but if you're looking for a hearty meal while catching up with your friend, then Clarke's would be the place in Evanston. Â One thing that I do enjoy from Clarke's is the freshly squeezed OJ. Â For those healthy eaters, Clarke's has an egg-white veggie omelet option, so that may be a plus.
Review Source:Clarke's... it's an odd place because I really can't see anything particularly special about the food/ambiance/decor/service here. But I always find myself coming back. And I think it's because there's nothing like oversized portions for a decent price (yay for poor college students), and having to hobble back to my apartment after eating enough for two people.
I usually go with their savory dishes, like their skillet eggs or omelettes. One of my favorites is the South of the Border skillet eggs. And I love how most of their savory dishes comes with a side of pancakes.. so when you get sick of salty, you can switch over to the sweet. Or vice versa.
For everything I can get at Clarke's I'd probably just get better elsewhere.
After my last experience where bf and I ate the worst burgers of our lives here, we probably will never come back here ever again. In fact, will probably go next door to BK. Previously, due to its proximity to campus, this was an occasionally frequented spot for comfort food. But the place always smells like it's been cleaned with an old, moldy mop - like cleaner with a hint of mold, neither of which are pleasant smells for a dining establishment, let alone combined.
Their breakfast food selection is pretty comprehensive, though nothing spectacularly delicious or homey and comforting. The portions are generous but if the food's not good, why go?
If I'm craving breakfast foods, there are much better restaurants within a couple of blocks. If I'm in the area, there's other foods to eat. For late night, BK is probably more dependable.
After partying way to hard in the city and staying the night to see the IA / Northwestern game, we needed some food. We walked in here, and liked what we saw. The service was pretty poor- we had to wait a long time (the restaurant was pretty slow at the time) and the servers had the personality of my shoe. (Was it because we were wearing Iowa gear?) HOWEVER- We ordered the Mexican-style Scramble (don't remember the actual name) and the Cinnamon Roll pancakes. We split both in half and shared. The Scramble was AMAZING. The pancakes were pretty good- I loved the concept and the flavor, but the cake itself was a little tough, and not your standard fluffy pancake. (I had to use a knife to cut them- shouldn't have to do that) But the scramble definitely made our hangovers subside.
Review Source:Came here with some old college buddies for Sunday breakfast (we just beat out the brunch rush for family weekend).
Definitely brought back happy memories of Saturday night dinners in college when most of us would still order breakfast food, even at 8PM. Their pancakes and syrup are still fluffy and scrumptious, and their egg skillets border on way too much food. Add a mug of their bottomless Kona coffee, and you can't get much better for breakfast (Walker Brothers in Wilmette gives Clarke's a run for their money though). Their Mexican food is also surprisingly good.
In a year when Merle's went bust and Al's Italian beef got replaced, I'm glad to see an Evanston institution is still standing =)
I know I have two favorite experiences at Clarkes:
Getting their Charlie Brown Sundaes late night (good mother of god just uttering those words makes me want to go there right now and order much to the chagrin of the fat)
and
reading my favorite book while eating a Micromini for breakfast in the morning.
Obviously, this is not Pierrot Gourmet of the Peninsula Hotel, but there's something good about being able to have experiences like the above and not have to pay much AT ALL...
One thing they could work on however, is make the potato hash for the micromini less saltier and less smushier...Ill leave that project up to their cooks.
I've only had the pleasure of visiting Clarke's Diner on one occasion, and overall it was a pleasant but not overwhelmingly amazing experience. I had the Hollywood Skillet (if memory serves me correctly?) with a side of pancakes, all of which was pretty darn good. Had to slather on a good bit of hot sauce though, but that's just how I like it. Gotta spice things up a bit! I loved that the skillet was chocked full of veggies and feta cheese. Pretty much had me sold on that alone. Feta is ALWAYS betta'.
I like that Clarke's has a cool, vintage coffee shop/diner vibe, and doesn't try to pass itself off as something it's not. No real big frills, just simple and clean diner ambiance. Nuttin' fancy shmancy. It has good and relatively quick service. And seeing as its on the Northwestern campus, I have no doubt it's a huge hit with the college crowd.
If I were in the area again around the breakfast/brunch hour, I wouldn't mind hitting up Clarke's for a second go around to see what other tasty delectables they have to offer.
My crew rolled into this joint late in the morning after a night of serious liver exercising. We wanted breakfast like nothing else. Clarke's delivered. I ordered a simple egg and potatoes. Someone had the corned beef hash. Everybody was very happy. They even allow substituting of pancakes for toast, which is awesome.
I will go back here each time I am in Evanston. Good food, good times, friendly folk.
Why do people insist on charging $10 for eggs? For a place that feels completely like a greasy spoon (and is often greasy in general) they charge way more than I think could be expected.
The food is of decent quality and everyone I know says the milkshakes are great...if you're willing to fork over the $5+.
Unless it's late, try your luck elsewhere.
The food is fine for the sort of late night diner fare that is offered, but my experience from last night has taken it off my list of places to eat late at.
We ordered the chicken tenders and they came out literally raw, with the insides looking like an uncooked thanksgiving turkey. When we asked the server to please take them back and exchange them for some that were cooked through, he proceeded to tell us that the "chickens were down" and that we should pick something else from the menu. We were a little confused, but we decided to go for the pita chips and spinach dip instead.
The rest of the meal was ok, and the waffle fries that we also ordered were pretty good, but when it came time for the bill to arrive, we noticed that we were charged for the substitute chips and dip. Considering that the raw chicken could have made us very ill, we did not feel that we should have been charged for the pita, which we brought up to the server. He kept arguing with us, saying that we were wrong and that he would not remove the charge and that "it was not fair". After a few minutes of arguing he finally relented, but the raw food and the poor customer service are reasons that I will not be returning.
Very underwhelming. Usually enjoy better food but this outing deserves a 1-star rating. I patronized Clarke's with my favorite girl around 10pm tonight. Given the lack of other food options in Evanston after 10pm, Clarke's really corners the market of college students trying to enjoy cheap late-night food.
The service was sub-par, not unlike other visits here. It took quite some time between being seated and our waiter coming over, and again between check and accepting my debit card. The waiter is friendly yet uninterested, all at the same time.
The food. I ordered the classic skillet with sausage...I don't usually like to be that guy, but I had to send it back when the sausage was cold. The sausage lacked any charring or skillet characteristics, leaving me the impression that it is simply heated up in a microwave(?) or something fast-food like. The potatoes underneath were overdone and inconsistent, some so burned that it became too laborious for me to finish.
My favorite girl ordered the Hollywood omelette which was supposed to include avocados. Unfortunately, no avocado could be found. Compared to the mushrooms and tomatoes, avocados are more expensive, so it's understandable in some aspects. Her potatoes were also very unsatisfactory for the same reasons. She even complained that the omelette was too circular, but I think at that point, she was just fed up for other reasons.
Will we ever come back here? Probably. Will we ever willingly come back here if other food options are available? Never have and never will.
My roommate and I came here to watch my friend go on a food binge. He was super hungry, and I don't know what he was thinking because he got a pizza, and then also ordered an omelet (which came with a side of potatoes AND pancakes). I think he also got a slice of cheesecake for dessert or something like that.
Anyways, we ended up helping him eat his food because we felt bad watching the poor kid struggle :( The food is just okay, but I really like how they serve their full menu even at 11PM
I'm not a semi-regular like I was in the late 90s and early 00s, but I've visited this Clarke's location twice in the last year, and I'm convinced that they have the best breakfast in Evanston.
In fact, I am willing to aver that their "Yee-Haw!" (aka Denver) omelet plus steak fries (Northshore potatoes are weak, yo) and English muffin is one of the best breakfasts anywhere.
The service is likely to be hit or miss. Â Based on the sum of my previous experiences, I would have declared it subpar; based on my last visit alone, I would have said "atrocious." Â But thankfully, yesterday's server K.T. single-handedly redeemed my estimation of their service potential.
So...order the Yee-Haw!, swap out the Northshore potatoes for steak fries, and ask to sit in K.T.'s section. Â Stay in that sweet spot and you can't go wrong.
The food here is inexplicably mediocre. It's the sort of place you go to once, then swear you'll never to go again. And then, months or maybe years later, you go back, having forgotten your last experience. And, of course, you are summarily underwhelmed, and the cycle starts over.
But there is a photo of a guy on the menu who must be my doppelganger.
Really, three stars average?
I would have considered giving it two stars, except that it's not even up to "Meh, I've experienced better" standards. Â EVERYTHING else in Evanston is better.
The food is a 2.5. Â Pancakes are no better than at IHOP - tough and overmixed. Â Not so bad that syrup doesn't fix that, but that doesn't earn them any points. Â Chili looked like tomato sauce, smelled like tomato sauce, and tasted like canned tomato sauce. Â Yummy. Â Corned beef hash was pathetic on meat to potato ratio, and was cooked to crispy. Â Corned beef hash should be meaty and soft, with enough chew to stand up to the yolky goodness oozing over it. Â This was just...sad.
The real problem here is the management, though. Â The booth we sat at was covered in sticky, and the seats were covered in crumbs. Â Service is slow. Â We didn't get asked if we would like anything to drink. Â They were out of both coke and root beer. Â We had to ask for things like syrup. Â Waiters don't come back very often. Â They rarely even get in range of where you can flag them down. Â Our check took forever to get. Â These are all basic things that any well-run restaurant will take care of. Â
Seriously, I will take any other place in Evanston.
When I saw that Clarke's of Evanston had a three-star average on Yelp, I became very indignant and vowed to write a solid four-star review gushing about my many positive dining experiences here while I was an undergrad at NU. Then I thought about the actual meals and realized, "Uh, crap. They're right."
Clarke's isn't memorable because of the food - it's satisfying comfort food that gets the job done - but because of the situations that led me there time and time again.
Waking up late on lazy Sundays with my roommate... "Let's go to Clarke's!"
Meeting my "big sis" for the first time when I joined my sorority... "Let's go to Clarke's!"
Giving one of my best friends from high school a tour of Evanston... "Let's go to Clarke's!"
This place is a comfy, friendly standby for NU students. And while the brunch isn't as satisfying as Dixie Kitchen's or Le Peep's, the memories of sliding into a booth at Clarke's, feeling hungover and wearing your pajama bottoms and rehashing the events of last night while you inhale some scrambled eggs, are what make this place great.
There just is something comforting about diners like this that have survived the influx of trendy, chain-like restaurants that have taken over the breakfast industry. Â
My experience at Clarke's is exactly what I would expect from a place like this. Â It has all your basics menu options - nothing particularly revolutionary. Â However, sometimes you just want some eggs cooked the same way they were twenty years ago. Â Sometimes you don't want to have to read lengthy descriptions of the executive chef's latest creation just to make a selection. Â And that is exactly what Clarke's gives you. Â The simple classics and a few extras, that you can rely on.
My only real complaint is that the service wasn't as attentive as it should have been. Â There are not many tables but for some reason, our server was frequently missing. Â It wasn't terrible and eventually we'd be able to track him down for whatever we needed. Â But I just kind of think that in a small place such as that, a missing server sticks out.
Not impressed. Â Not at all. I had chicken noodle soup and it was really salty. Like really salty. I had a half turkey sandwich that was not bad.
My husband had a chicken salad sandwich and he was not impressed. Â I tasted his sandwich and it was sweet. Yuck.
Service was good.
Â
I will not be back to Clarke's.
I was familiar with Clarke's from their Belmont location, which was down the street from my first big-girl job after college. Â After chronic disappointments from the breakfast + Evanston equation, I was hopeful that Clarke's would pull through. Â If the four stars above haven't ruined the surprise, go ahead and read on.
I couldn't decide between my two standbys: spinach omelet and blueberry pancakes, so I got both. Â They let me order the omelet and sneak the blueberry pancakes in instead of regular pancakes as one of my sides. Â That's the type of kindness that you don't forget, or at least the type you document in a review to remind yourself about later. Â Anyway, the omelet was 1) huge and 2) a close relative of the kind at Walker Bros. Â That is to say, baked. Â The pancakes were good but came with butter packets instead of real butter pats. Â
In addition to a side of pancakes, my omelet came with what are called "Northshore potatoes." Â I will assume that this moniker is a coincidence and not a commentary on people from the North Shore being identical, white and square. Â At any rate, i liked them and thought they were cute.
My lady friend, who is Polish, opted for the Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam. Â She insisted that I try some, and that jam really made up for the time she insisted that I try vodka all night. Â I am beginning to trust her again. Â Â
Logistically, the dining is casual, comfortable but close. Â My friend and I stealthily moved some of our table accessories to the next table to free up some room on ours. Â The service is fine, and there was no wait at 10:30 on a summer Saturday. Â I imagine it's much busier when NU's in session.
Â
This is probably where I will spend my Evanston breakfast dollars in the future. Â Keep it up, Clarke's.
Can't believe this place isn't at all what it used to be - the nachos were totally not macho and they charge extra for any ingredients like onions!!! They never ever used to!
The french toast came out cold and as if it was prepared and reheated. The quesadilla was very okay too.
I miss the Clarke's of yore - the one where I spent a good bit of my college years! :=(
It is rather unfortunate that this cute little diner has gone downhill throughout the years. Â This specific location is much worse than it's Belmont Ave. counterpart. Â The hours are convenient, as they are open late, and their menu is extensive. Â You will also find some healthy (er) items as well. Â However, the prices having gone up don't help this place get a 5 star rating.
The service? Â Sub par. Â I get better service at Denny's, and that's pretty bad. Â The waiter often forgets to check in on you, leaving you forgotten. Â They do not bring out ketchup, utensils, etc, leaving you to steal them away from another table. Â
The food? Â It's ..."Meh" ...hence, the 2 star rating. Â I ordered a fresh squeezed OJ which was actually watered down. Â Yes...they gave me OJ with water. Â My California Turkery Burger looked like it was made by one of those trucks with the rollers that flatten the road...it was super thin and bland. Â My friends salad had a bug in it. Â Yes...a small bug...hence, their kitchen staff must not be too clean/attentive. Â
Their skillets are quite good for the most part though, but the lack of cleanliness and good service here does not really make me want to go back. Â There are much better options around this area.
This place was a hungover, Sunday morning staple for me as a Northwestern student and I was never disappointed. The food is always good and it's a cozy place to re-hash the previous week with some good friends. When it's warm enough I always sit outside.
I almost always get an omelet with potatoes and it's yuuuuuuuummmmyyyyy! But sometimes I'd change it up and I was always happy with the food. It's not gourmet but it gets the job done! They've re-decorated since I was living in Evanston and now it looks more like a Clarke's. I always go back when I visit and it takes me back to my good ol' college years.
After countless visits at any and all hour(s) of the day or night, I can only conclude that Clarke's is just one of those unbeatable standbys.
I can't remember the last time that I was here and didn't order their Tuna Meltdown. Â Served on an enormous split English muffin, loaded with two mounds of basic, serviceable tuna salad, then covered in gooey melted cheese of my choice and two strips of crispy bacon, it's quite impossible to go wrong with ordering this dish. Â When paired up with Clarke's simple Northshore potatoes, this is a breakfast/brunch meal from my fondest memories... and perhaps the very reason I continue to have an abiding adoration for brunching.
On game days, I highly recommend rolling in before 0900 hours, because anytime after that will net you excessively long wait times.
This place doesn't even deserve an honorable review. I was there twice, once when I got stranded in Evanston and once when I was there for a week to photograph a wedding.
The first time I can barely remember, but the impression I had was not positive. The second visit was worse. I was excited when I walked in and the menu had the caption "Oh my, you should eat!" on it. But that was the extent of anything positive I can say about this place.
The food expensive and terrible. The service was awful; so awful, in fact, that we could have slipped out un-noticed and not even paid.
Don't waste your time or money at this horrible place -- unless you have no other options -- but when you're in Evanston, you do.
Dear Clarke's,
I have been visiting you a lot since I am a lazy Northwestern student. I still give you three stars because your service is still "meh." But I cannot stay away from your skillets once I set foot inside your door. Especially your South of the Border Skillet. It's greasy and has an unnecessary amount of potatoes, but it is synonymous with "eating my feelings." I refuse to bump you up to four stars, but I cannot refuse your greasy skillets anymore. I'm back on campus, and I once again realize how much I've missed them. Good job...ish.
Fondly?
Melissa
Boy, I used to love it here. Â Highlights are the skillet eggs (SO MUCH FOOD), lowlights are the Eggs Florentine (soggy and bland) and the nachos, which are just about the worst nachos I've ever had. Â Burgers are meh. Â Corned beef hash is better at Le Peep because they crazy oversalt it here, but sometimes there's just no point in resisting. Â
The Kona coffee is decent. Â Waitstaff generally attentive. Â Location perfect for lazy nights. Â Also, it was great that it was open late (2am on weekends)! Â Eventually I settled into getting the "Un Uno One" (one egg, a heap of potatoes, toast) and switching out the toast for pancakes, which sometimes they let you do for free. Â A hefty meal for under $4; unheard of!
Notice my past tense, though? Â Since the redecoration a few months ago (they took out the glass wall shared with JK Sweets next door and added a flatscreen TV...), Clarke's has been a disappointment. Â Not only has it lost some of its '50s kitsch-appeal because of the updated decor, they also raised their prices on basically everything. Â $10 for skillet eggs now? Â What?
Maybe this is just me growing out of typical "college" life (of which Clarke's is a staple for many Northwestern kids). Â Either way. Â It was always fun to come here with friends and chow down in a comfy booth seat, but the mediocre food isn't worth the price anymore. Â If you have access to a car, get yourself to Walker Bros and enjoy some unspeakably amazing breakfast for the same price!
I actually really enjoy their omelets, very light and fluffy, different than any other omelets that I've had. Altough the egg-white omelet can be a  hit or miss sometimes. When they are made well, they are perfectly tasty and presents a healthy alternative to the regular omelet, but sometimes they come undercooked with liquid whites and oil oozing out...yuck!
Overall, acceptable food with decent portion and price.
A few years back when I was in college, my roommate and I would go here every Sunday morning for brunch. He would get the tuna melt and I would get the meat and cheese omelet. Delicious. We would even deal with the 15-30 minute wait.
Fast forward to this year and this place is never busy anymore. The service is awkward at times and the food quality is pretty atrocious. Their tomato soup (which I used to love) is now served barely warm. On another occasion, a sandwich I ordered came out so over-salted that I had to send it back. I think that was the first time I have ever sent anything back to a kitchen. If you're craving food from here, I'd recommend going to the one on Belmont. They actually do get customers and their food is much better prepared.
Three and a half, maybe.
Another one of those places that I just wish I could love, because the location is sweet, the menu extensive, and the 50s theme goes well with everything.
But then the food is just so severely mediocre. It's all a bit bland: The caesar dressing tastes like it's from the can, the veggie chili is watered (or tomatoed?) down, the fries taste like cardboard, their cold veggie sandwich could use some hummus between the cucumbers and the plain bread, and it just generally lacks some spice/love/sauce.
We do keep returning regardless, trying new dishes and certainly never leaving hungry!, but it's never spectacular.
Also, well-meaning but slightly overattentive waiters (yes, I'm still eating this, no, nothing else please, yes, everything's fine, yes, it's great, thanks, yes, thank you, no, thank you, just the check please).
I don't know why we didn't try this place sooner. Maybe because it looks rundown, maybe because of bad Yelp reviews.
I don't know, but I think it is a shame. Sometimes we are hungry for pancakes after 2pm, and Clarke's would have satisfied that hunger just fine!
The food is fairly typical diner food -- burgers, eggs, fries, and pancakes, etc. But this is a plus, not a minus. As much as I like fancy, expensive food, I grew up with diners all around me, and sometimes I am just in a mood for chicken fingers and a cola. This is a great place for comfort foods.
I grew up eating here in high school, brings back a lot of great memories :) Â I love the menu because you can get anything basically anything you want and the food is pretty good. Â
I love their potato skin app, buckwheat panckes and their chicken stir-fry. Â I think they have great fries! Â What I don't like are their north shore potatoes. Â I don't know, there's something about it that I can't stand. Â Maybe not enough flavor? Â No idea...
The prices are reasonable and I usually would spend about $10 total. Â This place is very busy since Northwestern is right here so it's filled with college kids. Â But when I'm home, I try to visit this place.
This place seems okay. I absolutely hate Evanston and everything it stands for, but I was up there and was hungry. Cue: Clark's.
The service was slow, but drink refills were aplenty, so I was fine. I was told to order the southwest BBQ chicken salad. Being a veggie, I ordered it without chicken, and actually it was pretty good. BBQ and ranch together at last...who would have thought? You win this time, Evanston.
This place was open until 2am yesterday (Saturday night) hence my late night visit - figured that it'd be healthier than Burger King's review. Â It's usually open until Midnight throughout the week.
Anyway, food is pretty average and decent here. Â They've got good skillets and omelettes. Â Last night, I was craving some steak and eggs and it came out exactly how I wanted it - which is nice. Â Service was pretty friendly and quick about the orders. Â It wasn't too packed or crowded for 1am on a Saturday/Sunday night.
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