I need to give a bit of background on this, because this restaurant almost made me not want to move into the neighborhood.
How wrong I was!
My uncle took me here when I was a youngin', oh so many years ago. The food was beyond greasy. A stool was missing. Being the obstinate child that I was, I asked. His response? This is Yelp, so I'll keep it PC.
That said, this Irving Park location gave me the willies a bit until, yes, I ventured there as an adult. It's amazing how a visit to a notable grill like this many years later (15) can change your opinion.
This is possibly the greatest diner I've been to so far (as young as I am in my adult years). This place doesn't have ambiance, it is ambiance. The hamburger? Greasy as ever? Good when sober? Yes. Good after imbibing the libations? I cannot say from experience (although I wonder if the Long Room crowd ventures across the street after it closes).
The word "amazing" is used way too often!  Expand your vocabulary people!  Nothing about Diner Grill is amazing and it doesn't strive to be amazing.  It is good, cheap and fast.  No one should go here expecting "the best  _________ ever!"  If you do, you are an idiot. Â
I don't get the Slinger like most people because I don't like my food looking like it....ya know. Â I also don't like eating stuff that is basically the same mushy texture in every layer of every bite. Â Some people love it and more power to them. Â I just can't understand how some people eat more than one Slinger in a sitting.
I usually get a burger and an egg sandwich with easy mayo and cheese. Â The grill cooks have always been cool and easy going and they make your food fast. Â I would avoid anything with sausage because I don't think it tastes very good. Â Heed the advice of other reviewers, avoid late night Fri/Sat. Â The drunk idiots flock to this place after the bars close and they are just THE worst. Â I'm all for a good time with your buddies but it's a little much.
Let me preface this by saying that I normally dislike unreasonable haters for any business on Yelp.
This is my first review, which goes to show that I'm extremely taken by my experience at this establishment.
There isn't much to argue about the food- it's good.
That being said, I am more than disgusted with the way that my s/o and I were treated last night. I don't go into any restaurant, more or less a diner, expecting star treatment. But as the only "minority" (non-Caucasian) customers, we were definitely receiving the lower end of the stick. The same quality of service was not shown to us as others, and there were definitely much less-sober, belligerent diners eating around us. We had to request things that other people would just receive, were ignored when we asked questions (can I have some water, please?) and were deliberately charged the wrong amount when we asked for the check.
I felt completely disrespected by both workers at this place and am never going to go back. There are too many other good places to eat where this sort of treatment is not seen.
This place rules. Â Great vibe with diner food actually done properly.
I like the double bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and a fried egg on it, along with some hash browns. Â The patties are frozen but still juicy, and the hash browns are amazing.
Don't get the fries. Â They're frozen and completely forgettable. Â The hash browns are crispy and delicious.
The bacon and egg sandwich on toast is great too; they fry the eggs over the bacon, which keeps the whole thing together when you eat it.
If I lived anywhere nearby, I'd go 3x a week. Â So many diners manage to mess up such seemingly simple food that this place really is a diamond in the rough.
Avoid late at night at all costs. Â SO ANNOYING.
Do go any other time. Â One of a few places where you can get a good breakfast or brunch in Lakeview and not have to wait in line because five Land Rovers full of 4 kids just got dropped off.
Despite what other folks say this place actually does have good breakfast and diner food. Â It may look like a shack from the outside but this place is cleaner and safer to eat in than The Golden Nugget or the Lincoln Restaurant. Â It's always clean, the staff is really nice, and I've never gotten sick eating here. Â Also, they actually know how to cook eggs here.
It's funny because the same cooks/guys who work there always seem to be there. Â Plus side is they always remember you. Â Nice guys.
Diner Grill is a basic, authentic counter diner with good food.
I'm mad at myself for giving this place less than five stars. But then again, I wrote my initial review in 2007. And in 2007 I was young and stupid.
I have since seen the error of my ways: The Dinner/Diner Grill is a five-star establishment.
Where else are you rewarded with a certificate printed on a 1995 dot matrix printer for consuming upwards of 1500 calories at once?
Where else will you get a pancake in the shape of a dick if you tell the cooks that it's your birthday?
Where else will the cook perform a fake marriage ceremony because you and your friend are drunk and decide that your shared love of the Diner/Dinner Grill is enough to bond you two for life?
Where else does the fucking name of the place change depending on which side of the sign you look at? (One side says "Diner Grill" - the other says "Dinner Grill.")
Nowhere.
There is only Zuul/the Diner/Dinner Grill.
This place is pure awesomeness. Â Whether you're drunk or sober, usually drunk, this place has amazing food.
Sure everyone has had their famous "Slinger" but I can truly say I devoured the entire thing including the two pieces of toast given with it. Was I drunk? You could say that or you could say this thing is just DELICIOUS!
This place is like a throwback to my college days. Classic diner food, open 24 hours, and located right across the street from a bar (the Long Room)! I came late on Thursday and loved the camaraderie amongst (happy/young/buzzed/drunk) patrons here. It wasn't rowdy, just fun.
My burger was $2.40. This is a diner burger with a thin patty. It sort of reminded me of a glorified McD's burger which I don't have too much pride to admit there are certain moments when I can REALLY appreciate a burger like this. I like to believe most people have a special place deep within their soul that recognizes food like this has it's own time and place to be savored.
The man behind the counter seems happy to be working and accommodated requests at ease and with a smile (including the grown man who requested a tall glass of cold milk to go with his pancakes. Cute.)
This place is exactly what it says it is "Diner Grill". The good 'ol flat top grill diner. If anyone knows anything about flat top grill diners, they will know these places are very receptive to the regulars/locals and the blue collar crowd. If you're not privy to some grease, you know to put some meat on those bones, then you are not setting realistic expectations when entering this place.
Don't expect being coddled here, this isn't a Denny's. If you're used to those off the beaten path diners that are ubiquitous with road trips and most southern diners, then welcome home!
The best way to grade a diner (or any chef for that matter) like this is to ask them to make eggs. Have them make sunny side up, over easy, over medium, and over hard. You can do this at one sitting or multiple trips. In my experience, my eggs in each instance have come out perfectly, so here's to a perfect score.
Wow. The Diner Grill is more then a neighborhood diner...more then a late night greasy spoon..the Diner Grill is an experience.
My first experience eating at the diner occurred on a Saturday night after a Charlie Sheen drinking binge. Hungry and incapable of making rational decisions, I stumbled into the diner. After constructing a playlist on the Juke Box (selections included everything from Animal Collective to Prince), I proceeded to the counter where I was greeted by Kenny.
Kenny is an older gentleman who seems to live in the Diner. Watching Kenny cook is like watching an audition for the Royal Ballet. Everything is so effortless and fluid. In one swift motion, fries are tossed into the deep fryer, a pork chop is laid upon the griddle, and eggs are cracked, shells tossed.
So I asked Kenny for an egg sandwich. I then proceeded to lay my head upon the counter and moan in drunken agony. Kenny interrupted me to ask if I wanted cheese on my sandwich. I replied with some long, exaggerated story about my love of dairy products. After hearing my response, he winked and finished up my dish. I actually don't recall eating the sandwich. I think most of it ended up in my hair, on my lap, and on the counter.
THE POINT IS, the Diner served me well in my time of need. Thanks to Kenny (and the egg sandwich) I awoke at 7am that morning, ran 10 miles, and wrote a novel.
So the next time, you find yourself painfully drunk, questionably hungry, and somewhat lost...stop in the Diner..you won't be disappointed.
Go here when it's late. Go here when your drunk. Be respectful.
It's an amazing little place that never closes. The operation is run by a one man spectacular, who handles all the of the orders right in front of your dazzled eyes. The food is cheap and delicious.
When you're unsuccessful at finding someone to take home. Diner Grill will fill the void with a good time and good food.
She said she had to go find her friends. I got breakfast, then I chased it with a burger. And I didn't have to wrap anything up. I might be in love with this place.
Diners are my thing. I had heard about this place because of a particular item: the Slinger. This is a plate of hash browns with two cheeseburger patties, two fried eggs, all smothered with chili. Bread and butter is also included. The Slinger will set you back $10 but everything else is pretty reasonably priced. Any other meal probably won't cost you more than $10. Menu is fairly extensive too. Service is super fast.
The inside is pretty small. You eat at the counter which seats about 15 people. They cook everything right in front of you. If you really wanted to, you could probably reach out and touch the kitchen. Two cooks are usually working and they're pretty friendly with everyone. It makes for a nice little atmosphere because everyone can chat with one another. I'd definitely come back in the future.
Want to know how to avoid a raging hangover? Â Eat something before you go to bed, drink some water and walk home instead of taking a cab. Â The first two are old standards but trust, the walking is what will save you. Â
Diner Grill fills the "eat something" requirement of hangover prevention. Â They're always open, will have a plate of eggs and hash browns mere minutes after you order it and won't cost you much more than a couple of beers. Â Can you really ask for more at 3 a.m.? Â I know I can't.
Ps, you're welcome about the tip to walk home. Â Try it, you can thank me later.
I have to give the late-night chef credit where credit is due. He's a very real type of guy. Walking in, he was watching the cubs game and the grill rearing and ready to go.
There are clearly regulars at his place. So head up.
The food was fine, it was nothing to write home about. It was standard diner fare and just fine by me.
What really piqued my interest was my bill. You see the old-school board with the prices, but my bill was significantly higher than I anticipated. I'm pretty good at mental math and it just did not make any sense.
That being said be sure to look for the large air duct that makes the back end of the place sound like you sitting next to a loud furnace, the speed of food preparation, and the creepy neighbors that stare out the window relentlessly at passers-by. Enjoy!
I laughed when I read some of the reviews about the food in this place. First off.... Realize you're about to embark on a culinary journey that takes place in a trailer!!!!!! If you're expecting edible roses and foie gras then you've come to the wrong spot.
Yes.... They pick up your raw beef patty, wipe their hands on their stank apron then touch your pickles. I wouldn't have it any other way. News flash.... When the line is around the corner and there is 15 orders hanging the cook is not going to spend a minute washing up his grubbers. This is at ANY establishment. Just because you can see the kitchen doesn't make it worse then others.... Just means you have never worked in a real kitchen before.
Decent food at a decent price being served around the clock. If you don't like the sanitation practices do me a favor and make the line shorter!!!!
This is diner food! Don't expect more or less.  Decent burgers, great breakfast, a show!  There is something about watching  someone cook up 15 orders at once that blows me away and keeps me coming back. Always open and a great stop after having some beers at the Ten Cat or The Longroom.  The guys cooking are always friendly and you never know if a dance party may ensue when the jukebox is on.  Good chili to that goes even better with fries.  I have yet to try the infamous Slinger, but I have seen it prepared and it looks like ambrosia.  Hyperbole, maybe.
So don't go here and expect something mind-blowing. Â This is simple food cooked correctly and served fast and fresh.
I'm hanging out with Team Pigout last night, and it's time for some after hours eats. Â One of our members just got off work and it's another member's birthday, so we couldn't settle for just nearby Maxwell St. Â No, what I wanted was something legendary I heard about separately from two different friends - the slinger.
For my Illini peepz, I consider it the city's version of Merry Ann's stack: hash browns, onions, cheeseburger, eggs, toast...and the whole thing is drowned in chili. Â Not the same as sausage gravy, but quite delicious nonetheless. Â Happily earned my certificate of completion last night.
Also, because it was my friend's birthday, they made her a special birthday treat: a giant pancake penis, with a scoop of ice cream at the tip. Â Might've been inappropriate to some...but those losers don't come to Diner Grill at 3am. Â Us and the whole diner were laughing our asses off - I think we had more fun here than we would have if we tried to find another bar at that hour! Â Good stuff, DG!
The Diner Grill = the best way to avoid further late-night drinking and offset some of the damage already done.
It's 3am on a Sat night (or Sunday morning), and we have worst intentions of continuing to imbibe at the Green Mill. But someone's hungry... REALLY hungry. And as the driver, he holds the reigns to our after-hours fate. He's wondering where he can get a burger. Not a burrito, oh no... boy wants his burger.
Me: McDonald's!
D: NO!
Me: I think there's some Mexican joint that also serves burgers 'round the corner from Green Mill!
D: No, you're just making that up!
Me: Ok. Probably.
We end up finding the Diner Grill and all 14 counter stools are filled with what appears to be standard-issue raucous frat boys. There's a wait, and some of these intoxicated customers are hanging out outside the door. Pass! We make a detour to the ledge along the window behind the counter stools and improvise by jumping up (well, one of us couldn't make it up but she's a petite thing) and ordering burgers and corned beef hash. We devour our burgers there, without a counter, without chairs.
Totally a smart move. 'Cause we don't wait!
Me: Hmmm. This burger smells funny!
D: Um, it's called grease.
It was indeed a pretty greasy burger... but really rather good. And it thwarted further tomfoolery uptown at the Mill. $2 burgers that save you from yourself? Priceless.
Impromptu Chicago Institution Visit Mission: Diner Grill!
I may have gone here last night (morning?) at 2am.
Yes, I realize it was/is a Tuesday.
No, I wasn't  blitzed out of my mind. Not even a little bit, actually.
But, they ARE open, so it IS fair game.
The cooks wear white hats, and watch the Sox game highlights.
They never close? Never.
Possibly I ordered a "Garbage Omelette."
--consists of basically all of their toppings at DG + eggs.
I ate all of it.
Potentially I could've considered a "slinger."
I will come back on a week I haven't eaten, it's only $8.50!?
(PS. The "slinger" has its own Wiki entry, it's legit).
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSlinger&s=f0fa27313e351c86095c82787c906245c66133e6bc7d6bd7b1a2b92011af3f3b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a>
Diner Grill is cheaper than McDonald's.
AND.
Best diner Diet Coke I've EVER had.
(I'm a purist, straight up)
My diner expedition=success, even SOBER.
So, next time...a little more booze, perhaps a slinger. Let's do this.
70+ reviews for this place? Â Chicagoans must be pretty hard up to visit a diner, because I'm not sure what the fuss is all about. Â
The burgers are alright, if a little undersized. Â Get the triple if you're hungry, the double if you had a late lunch, and the single if you're on a diet. Â The bacon is a fine addition to it, nice and crispy. Â The fries are pretty average. Â
I went to Diner Grill several times before even trying what it's known for, the Slinger. Â The Slinger, made for the late evening meal, is an enormous plate of hash browns, grilled onions, two cheeseburger patties, and two eggs over easy, all completely enshrouded with a few ladles of chili. Â I, unlike most other patrons, attacked the Slinger while completely sober. Â It's not even that bad, but they need to use a better chili. Â You are getting chili in nearly every bite of the Slinger, so this is crucial. Â
Service has been fine each time I've been. Â There's only been one guy working, but he doesn't even break a sweat cooking ten different meals on the grill at once. Â
I don't think the food at Diner Grill is good enough to warrant the ratings it's picked up here, but it's worth at least one trip just for the experience, whether you're gearing up for a night of hard drinking, in the middle of one, or coming off one the night before.
Diner Grill......
its 24 hours......
their cheese burger is hot, tasty and cheap (sorry Carol K)...........
The Slinger is sure to fill you up!
Cash only.......
Great when you are driving home after a LONG night in Wicker Park.....
I always seem to find a parking spot out front....
Order, eat......outta there..........and I'm outta here.
PEACE!
I
Its 4:30 am. Walk into Diner Grill - Demand a Mickey Mouse Pancake.
The cooks will snicker and  create a masterpiece of their own. A penis shaped pancake with a complementry scoop of Ice Cream at the tip.
And for the Ladies who like to dance on counters- as long as you ask the cooks- and play a "pop lock and drop it" - its a-okay. The ceiling is a little low but you still do it.
The place is great when you need something fill you up after a night of heavy drinking. Not sure what the food tastes like when you are sober- but its great everytime I go.
When I first looked at this place I thought complete shit hole, but after stumbling in after a drunken evening and sitting down enjoying a SLINGER, I thought maaaan, this place isn't half bad.
The Slinger is a mixture of eggs, cheese, hash browns, two sausage patties, chilli and chilli beans. Thinking about it and then looking at it will make you walk out of the place, because the dish really looks like someone puked it on your plate. If you can finish the concoction you recieve a certificate (I myself am a 3-time winner of the slinger certificate and won twice in head to head competition).
Not a whole lot of sitting space, but usually not that crowded on some nights. The grillmen are funny and friendly and they really make you feel welcome.
The bathroom is a different story! If you can avoid using it, please do at all costs.
All in all, this is a pretty good place to visit after a late, wild night of serious drinking and partying
I refer to this place as "the Dinner Diner Grill" as the sign facing Irving Park says, "Diner Grill" while the sign facing Marshfield says, "Dinner Grill." I'd like to think that when ordering a sign, the owner either wasn't sure what to call the place or perhaps wasn't sure how to spell the choice he wanted. Not wanting to waste his time on such a decision, he said, "Aw fuck it, have it say both!" and then left the room to drink a case of beer and watch the Bears.
The internet jukebox in the corner and the weekend post-bar crowd are the only things that detract from the authentic seediness of the joint. Otherwise you really get the feeling that this place hasn't changed much since it opened. As a matter a fact, I don't think Kenny - the paper-hatted, burger-slinging, fry-cook extraordinaire - has so much as changed his shirt since then.
The fryer recently went up in flames so for the time being all orders of fries are replaced with hash browns. Your meal, which will be greasy and delicious, will be served on a paper plate and ready for you before you know it. You will pay with cash and if you come in enough, Kenny may pour you a free shot from a $7 bottle of whiskey he keeps under the counter. You will drink this out of a styrofoam cup.
You know that Edward Hopper painting "Nighthawks" (you do, do a Google image search). Take that exact image and make everything a little seedier, the patrons more disheveled, the walls a little dingier and the ambiance a touch grungier. The Diner Grill is a place where unshaven bears of men come to wreck havoc on their stomachs and laugh in the face of obesity.
I anxiously await the day when I'm tanked enough to order and devour "The Slinger". I've got just the place for the certificate on my fridge. Though it will be the pride in my heart that will last forever.
This is a good place to go if... you enjoy going to places where eating 1500 calories in a single sitting is rewarded with a piece of paper.
I beg of you not to tell my boyfriend that I gave Diner Grill 3 stars. Please! He worships this place and still has his first "Slinger Completion" certificate. When we came in with a group of hungry drunken Rugby players, I was eager to see what the hoopla was about. Having stuck to my annual "Sober October" ritual, I was completely coherent and hungry for some good diner style grub.
The space is T-I-N-Y with only a few seats at the counter. Get there during peak bar hours, and you'll be greeted with a nice wait. I usually have no problem waiting to be seated, but at 3am, my patience wears thin! Sadly, the food didn't live up to the hype. I LOVE greasy spoons, but the food was so so. I had a burger. It was ok. I wish they served fries, but the hash browns had a nice flavor. Those 3 sentences are the most I can muster about my meal. Naturally, the rest of my group ordered Slingers and woofed them down like they were in an eating contest. As the plates were cleared one was bragging at the speed of consumption vs my boyfriend's boast of taking down the dish with an additional side of bacon.
In the end it became painfully obvious that the appeal of Diner Grill was being able to get the nasties goopiest meal possible to kill the drunken munchies in a North Side institution. We had a good time during our short (eat and get out - people are waiting for your seat!) visit, and the Touch Tunes machine made for some great singalongs to some horrible songs. Based on atmosphere alone, Diner Grill might get the nod on another night in another month. However, that night, sober Alexis spent her time in Diner Grill wishing she'd gone to a few blocks over to (the still delicious without drinking) Wrigleyville's Dog.
One thing that really bothered me was despite the friendly well oiled service, the man assisting the cook was also handling the money. Call me a germaphobe, but I dislike seeing someone count money before they put food on my plate. Would I have been this perceptive if I were drunk? Probably not. Will I let myself return after drinking? Most Definitely. Â Singing Celine Dion at the top of my lungs while eating a greasy mess of slop always sounds good after putting back a few.
They should have pocketed the fire insurance proceeds, and sold the place off to a developer. I went today for its first day open since the fire.
Exorbitant prices for the same slime as before. Before part of the charm of the slime food was that it wasn't too expensive. Now, Â you can get far better food almost anywhere else for the same prices, or less.
Every time I eat here- I get diarrhea. Â So why do I keep coming back?
I'll tell you why.
Because it's good. Â It's very, VERY good.
I have a refridgerator covered in 'I Ate The Slinger' certificates and it's open at all hours of the day and night(The Diner, not my fridge). Â
Although they are currently undergoing some remodeling, I intend to stock up on Immodium b/c I can't wait to go back again.
I love you Diner Grill. Â Don't ever leave me.
OK, it is time to set the record straight. Yes, the Slinger is a sight to behold, and an adventure to eat (or is the adventure after you eat it?). I've got my certificate and earned every bit of it. And from all the reviews, the Slinger is well known and has earned its due. However, to me the real prize of the Diner Grill is an item that I've not seen listed on the menu board. Several years ago when Rich was still the cook, I was contemplating aloud what I should eat to help soak up my evening's bender (no Slinger on this fateful night).
Me: "Hmm, a bacon cheeseburger sure sounds good. But the garbage omelet is always really good too. Eggs always hit the spot at this hour."
Rich: "Why don't you just have both?"
Me: "Really? I can do that??"
Rich: "Sure. These Irish guys (points to end of counter) do it all the time"
So I offer for your consideration what Rich recommended to me on that fateful night - the bacon double cheeseburger with fried egg. Now it is not unusual to find establishments that will put an egg on your burger. I've sampled them all over. However, there is something special about the Diner's take on this that sets it apart. Perhaps it is the grease. Maybe it is how the fried egg is never overdone and the yolk pours all over the burger. The pickles are a nice touch. Certainly the bacon helps. As do the thin burger patties that allow me to go for full artery clogging action by making it a double. I'm pretty sure "Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys was playing that night/morning also.
I don't know why the concept seemed so unusual to me on that particular night, but that is all I've ordered ever since. And while I give it 5 stars, don't be fooled - it is a diner. In a trailer. This is not Spiaggia. I do wish the crappy jukeboxes that were on the counter were still there instead of the new fancy one on the far wall. But aside from that, the Diner Grill remains a standout, quintessential late night diner food.
Thank you Rich.
Diner Grill is greater than six black steads pulling a chariot made of human corpses and skeletons being driven across the plains of Hades by a 9 foot demon with a flaming sword in one hand and a case of Old Style in the other. Â Go there and eat and be awesome.
Say hi to Miguel and tell em Dirt sent ya.
I follow yelp reviews: If it is recommended by either Oscar the Death Cat or Max Power I'm heading out at warp-speed and will never be disappointed.
This was a lot of fun. It was dinner and theater my friend...
The cook was filled with witty one-liners and hearty banter, the food so gloriously greasy I should've scheduled an angioplasty yesterday and despite my rather conspicuous yuppie-dink-ness- I felt charmed.
That's CHARMED, not wasted. Hence, why I was not brave enough to face the Slinger (despite colorful description and recommendations) . Some day.... until then, ask about the album- yes the album filled with photos of the Slinger-conquerers. You won't be sorry- in fact, you will be forced to laugh!
The first time I came in here, I needed bacon, and lots of it. My three orders of delicious, greasy bacon were ready very quickly, and they were so cheap! I was sold, and now I come in here frequently for double cheeseburgers, corned beef hash, slingers, and hash browns.
The slinger is intimidating, but if you get it without chili, it's actually really good. If you finish one, you get a certificate!
Also, my roommate refers to the cuisine here as "meef." I don't think you get any better than that.
The Slinger and my toilet are not friends. Â I had to try it. Â It's not bad but its not great. Â
The place is old school cool. Â Haven't had it in a while since I'm a fat guy waiting to happen. Â The Diner's got the typical "give you a heart attack" menu items. Â Above all else the place definitely has character.
Bottom Line: Â If I'm in the area, boozin, late night, and got the munchies, this is where i'm headed.
One of my favorite diners of all time. I have been here many times, and everything I've had has been nothing but the Tastiest of the Tasty. Late night is when this joint is hoppin', and you might have a brief wait while you ponder all those tequila shots you did that night.
The cheeseburgers are one of my faves--make sure you get a double; the single just isn't the same. Hash browns are the best, order them with onions and cheese.
For fun, have a look at the photo albums. One of these days, I'll win me one of those Slinger certificates.
Could not be more of a greasy spoon unless the building itself was actually shaped like a spoon, covered in lard. Â
I have tried the slider and I must say: it is an experience that stays with you long after you have finished. Â Some good memories and some bad but no regrets.
THE place to go when its late at night, you are on the verge of bedspins, and only a greasy meal can bring you back.
I just saw my first Slinger today. Â Wow. Â It disgusts me how they fit that much food onto one plate, in one sloppy mess, and still make it come out delicious. Â The three other guys with me all struggled across the finish line and had stomach aches as we walked back to the car.
If you finish a slinger, they give you a certificate.
Sometimes known around the hood as Decapitation Diner, since in '89 one of the cooks was decapitated by a hoodlum. Now take a good look at that ham on the bone sitting on the counter....
I love a place where the only vegetable to be found is in the ketchup bottle and they make no apologies for it. Â Oh yea, they do have some of the whitest lettuce I've ever seen for BLTs.
There is no place greasier this side of town. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you've been slamming them back all night you probably aren't worried about your clogged arteries anyway. Try the slinger if you dare. There is nothing to sop up a tummy full of alcohol like one of these plates.
The ambience is what is special here. There is a smoking section (the last three out of twelve stools at the counter) and the cooks are almost always entertaining. Diner Grill becomes an old man counter in the daytime and  when the bars close it is usually packed with a younger set.
Diner Grill is dining like your grandpa did after he fixed a dozen toilets in the neighborhood. Burgers and eggs and flapjacks done the way they used to be made before we gave a damn about our bodies.
OK, what others have said is true- this is a great late-night, soak up the booze in your gut spot. Â I've been going there a long time, and not much has changed- thank God!
Things to do at the Diner Grill:
1. Â Order a slinger- Don't read on if you want to be suprised at the recipe... Â Otherwise, take a plate, cover with hashbrowns, top with three cheeseburger patties, top those with three fried eggs, top that all with a big scoop of chili. Â Complete and ask for your certificate to prove it!
2. Â If Marty the grill cook still works there- ask to see his baby picture- you won't regret it.
3. Â Make friends- everybody there is in the same boat as you, quit being so uptight and learn something!
4. Â Avoid any secret hot-sauce they may make availible to you- it'll hurt the next day coming out more than it will going in...
5. Avoid getting run over if you have to cross Irvg Pk while drunk in the middle of the night!
This place epitomizes the word 'diner.' Â It's a simple yet wonderful set-up: one counter, one menu, and one working counter top jukebox. Â On the first visit, we played 'Rhinestone Cowboy,' which induced a few crazy looks from the regulars. Â I've behaved myself since.
The Grill is open 24/7, but the place really starts bumping after the bars close. Â If you're craving CHEAP, greasy food that you can chow down on without feeling guilty, come here. Â The burgers are only $1.75, and they toast the buns! Â
I watched someone actually finish a Slinger (an inexplicable concoction) on Saturday night, which was an impressive feat, and now my boyfriend wants the challenge. Â I think I'll avoid his bathroom for 24 hours afterwards. Â Speaking of bathrooms, don't go in the one here. Â As divey as the grill looks like from the counter seats, it's much worse in the loo. Â But that's what makes this place so damn cool.
Bottom line: come here and feel like a true local at this classy Chicago establishment.
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