Been going to Jeri's for years...I have always had a good experience there, until recently. Â I went in planning on getting the biscuits and gravy as I always do...on the table there was an advertisement for "the mop", it sounded interesting and I decided to order it. Â There was a time cutoff on this dish...they were still serving biscuits and gravy, so I figured it would be no problem to order this. Â The waitress did not seem to have any problem with it and proceeded to take my order. Â When she delivered the order to the cook, he said it could not be done (in a very rude tone). Â The rest of the items in the mop besides the biscuits and gravy were pretty basic things (hash browns, fried bologna, etc.) Â This experience made me never want to go back there, very disappointed.
Review Source:This place was horrific.
i came here on new year's eve after going out in the city. it was around 3 in the morning and busy so i wasn't expecting the most amazing food or service i've ever had, but they had a total of 3 people working, with one waitress for the whole diner.
first we grabbed a table that hadn't been cleaned off because it was really busy and wanted to get it fast. we were there looking at the menu and the trash from the previous table for about 10 min before the waitress came over to take our order. she finally cleared off the table when we asked her to, not on her own. she went around the table and asked us what we wanted, 2 of my friends ordered the biscuits and gravy.
she left and didn't come back for about 20 min with some of our food which came out all at different times. my friend got her sandwich, i got my omelette, but the two people who ordered biscuits and gravy didn't get anything and she just walked away. we also didn't get any drinks/coffee that we ordered. we finally got one of the cooks' attention after another 10 min of waiting and asked about the biscuits and gravy. He told us that he only had one order and the biscuits were cooking. my friend got frustrated and just said to cancel his and bring the other order to the table. finally she got her biscuits and gravy which she said was disgusting and clearly from canned biscuits and the gravy was cold.
about 10 min after that, the cook came back and plopped the other order of biscuits and gravy on the table, but we said no and that we didn't want it since we had cancelled the order and since it was apparently horrible anyway.
i asked him if we could get some water for the table, he came back and literally brought one cup for the whole table.
i was so annoyed and just wanted to leave. we tried to get the waitress' attention for almost 10 min to get our check and i was ready to just walk out. finally she came back and told us that she couldn't find our check so we had to re-order so she could write it down again. finally we just paid and left and i will never go here again that's for sure.
I'm surprised how polarized the reviews for this place are - I thought it was a solid diner with friendly people and decent-but-not-incredible prices. Â I had the eggs w/ fried bologna and it was prepared just as I ordered it . Â The hashbrowns were average but filling. Â The coffee was piping hot and the butter that came with the toast was hard and cold from being well refrigerated - yes!
Review Source:We have been eating here for over 10 years however we have now found that they are serving Paper thin hashbrowns, outside red and black paint choices do not make me think "Hey, that looks like a good place to get a burger!". Our order had to be sent back three times to be corrected. Will try them in another year or so.
Review Source:Diner for interesting neighborhood folk, older. Lots of odd characters.
I had an egg with hash browns. Not bad, just normal stuff.
The BBQ beef sandwich was DISGUSTING. It smelled like dish water and they basically microwaved it out. Only managed to eat 2 bites.
Key lime pie--very sweet, but good, decent.
Cheap, open all day. But don't come expecting a neighborhood gem with surprisingly good food or something.
This place delivered exactly what it promised.
Came here for greasy diner breakfast and got fried bologna, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and a side of toast (aka a "Jailhouse Special") for five bucks. Add a short stack of pancakes and a Denver omelette and the whole meal came to 18.75. And we couldn't even finish it!
Nothing here reinvents the wheel, but it was cheap, fast, and simple. The service was crazy fast, it had just enough sassy charm, and I got exactly what I was looking for.
If you think you want to come in here - you do. People like us have been coming here since the '50s.
Best old school dinner in Chicago, home made soups that fancy restaurants in the hood, couldn't stand up too. Some dishes are bad enough to keep health concerning  yuppies far away...but for me..it's the mashed taters that have my free will...it was here that I wrote on a napkin...
KNUCKLE BABIES on the floor..
YOUR FUTURE nevermore..
This place is the real deal. They've been there since the mid 50's. The place rocks!! They're open 24/7 and though they have their fair share of characters that frequent the place, the food, service and prices are great. the wait staff is courteous, the food is of good quality, and the prices are more than reasonable!! I only wish I lived closer!!
Review Source:Had to try it at least once having it close by all these years. Plus I love a good biscuits and gravy and so I had to try theirs which was supposedly good.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my experience and will never come back because the place seemed very dirty to me. My silverware was dirty, the side of the booth I sat on was sticky and dirty. The floors looked like they needed a good mopping. Just dirty.
Also the service wasn't that great. They never refilled our waters at all. Not good.
My biscuits and gravy was just 'ok.' I've definitely had better, and maybe my review of the food is biased because of the dirty impression of my surroundings. Definitely don't recommend, and wish I had spent my hard earned money somewhere else.
Too the other reviewers who called this place "Clean" , i assume they were probably drunk when they dined here and didn't notice. o_O
I think this places deserves more credit. Â I came through the door at 5:30 am after a full night of drinking and had a great dining experience.
The place is clean and the food is great. Â I ordered over easy eggs with bacon and hash browns and licked the plate clean. Â Everything was perfect. Â
My friend got a grilled cheese with fries and a bowl of potato soup and she loved her meal as well. Â
We both walked out satisfied and said we would def go back again. Â Really liked this place.
The biscuits and gravy was disgusting-- canned, refrigerated biscuits that they pre-baked and slapped on a plate in a mountain of canned, reheated gravy.
The cheese omelette was okay-- pretty sure they made it.
As for the coffee, I don't know if they used shitty coffee beans or burned corn kernels, but it was disgusting.
If you're expecting a delightful hole-in-the-wall, forget the delightful.
Pros: very cheap, staff was pleasant.
This is the last of the true diners. Â The prices are really fair, the food's good, and the layout of the diner is like nothing you'll ever see again. Â Â
  My hubby and I have had quite a few meals here and the more the staff see you, the friendlier they get.  The food has never been bad, as I've been wise enough to stick to your basic breakfasts, sides, and sandwiches.  The coffee's hot, dark, and does the job. Their fried bologna sandwiches are phenomenal,  and they're homemade soups are worth buying by the quart. Â
  I've yet to try dessert because I'm usually so damn full just from the meal.  And we've never paid a bill over $20.  I'm moving out of state in a month and plan to eat here at least once a week till I leave.  And whenever I come back to visit The Chi, my first stop will always be at Jeri's.
It's3am and I am whacked, stumbling home from a solid night of drinking in Lincoln Square. Â Decide to shoot down Montrose & Western for some late night food. Â Usually I stumble in Garcia's.....but sometimes I need a change of pace!
JERI'S GRILL is the place to be!
It's an OLD SCHOOL diner! Â Now would I come here sober for lunch or dinner? Â Probably NOT, but at 3am when I need food........I'm here! Â
now at 3am, you'll see fellow drunks who came from drinking but you also notice funny/odd characters at the counter who just need a good bath! Â Funny stuff!
oh and ANNIE is the best waitress, thanks sweetie!!
Yeah buddy!!!!!!!!!!
The negative reviews for this place are pretty hilarious. Some people just don't get it. It's a diner guys. Remember diners? Moments like these make me wish more people like my dad yelped instead of the disproportionate amount of vegans on this site.
The other reviews give you a great idea of this place, so I'll be short and sweet. Delicious pancakes! I think there's crack in that syrup cuz I'm addicted. Amazingly juicy corn beef sandwich. Fantastic cookies & cream milk shake. Good soup. Great prices. Great service. Skip the potato pancake.
Memories, memories, memories. Â The food is really nothing special and not worth talking about. Â Your average diner food, basically.
The ambience and feel of this place is just classic though. Â It's a dying breed sort of place. Â These places used to litter the city, now they are few and far between. Â This is the sort of place your dad used to sit and read "The Chicago Daily News."
My parents used to take me in here, many years ago, so I've literally been going there for 20 years. Â My dad used to run his business a block away so he frequented it, and upon my descending to the earth, the gift was bequeathed to me.
Also, this is the only place in the city, to date, that can get over hard eggs right. Â THEY GET THEM RIGHT!!!
Also, it's cheap as fuck, and excellent hangover food.
Jesus, you've GOT to be kidding me. How can this place be in business?
1 star because it's a good-looking place. Really cute decor, some place I'd take friends (if they didn't have taste buds).
You'd think with "BISCUITS AND GRAVY" written on the exterior, they would actually be decent. I couldn't choke down this cold, flavor-less "gravy" dripped on these hard dinner rolls (not even real biscuits) if I tried.
Liked Jeri's Grill a lot. I will definitely be going back. I had the hot Italian giardiniera omelet with swiss, which came with hash browns and rye toast all for $6.20. Delicious with a very reasonable price. The omelet had the right ratios of giardiniera fixins and went wonderfully with the egg and swiss. I may even have to have it again some time.
I went with a couple of friends and the bf. The friends got an order of biscuits and gravy. The gravy was spicy, which I liked! Biscuits were nothing spectacular but if you like biscuits and gravy, you're gonna like it, trust me. The bf got a burger, which he enjoyed. Nobody had a complaint.
One thing I want to try is their chili mac plate special. Sounds dineriffic and yummy to me! Also, gotta try that "best soup in town". The ones that were up on the board sounded good.
All in all, Jeri's is a clean corner diner that has tasty food for good prices. I can see why they seem to have a lot of regulars. I will be back and I will take some pictures of the food!
This is a diner about as "un-done" as it can get.
The key here is...don't come with any high expectations other than to save a few bucks and get really full fast.
This diner will do it's job by getting you full and offering a very low budget meal. Â Very simple.
My main complaint here is THE COFFEE. Â I normally love diner coffee, but this is really the worst. Â It is about 20Xs way TOO STRONG. Â Makes Starbucks coffee like chamomile tea. Â It is 'BITTER" strong, you have to add a 1/2 cup of half and half to lighten it. Â When I asked the waitress about it she explained that there is no fixing it as it is on some type of pre-set maker. Â Whatever.
My main compliment here are the SOUPS. Â Apparently, they are all home made daily. Â I've tasted the split pea and vegetable and both are comforting and EXCELLENT.
This is a place if you are starting your day way too late and you still need breakfast - great for a quick and casual and no expectation breakfast other than to GET FULL.
The Meatloaf special also is very hearty and - again - comforting.
ONE particular waitress is very friendly and considerate, she has lighter brown shorter layered hair and I don't see her quite as often, but she is thoughtful and very good. Â The others are not above average but usually tolerable and just basically do their job.
Who OWNS this place???? Mystery to me - bathroom is scary.
Prices are fair and - again - you WILL get full on a very fair price.
Based on the previous good reviews, and proximity to my home I really  wanted this place to live up to my expectations of being a classic, hole-in-the-wall, greasy spoon. I wasn't expecting much, just decent food, decent service, in a "hard to find nowadays" atmosphere.
My plan was to go here on my day off, drink endless cups of coffee and order some classically delicious American fare. Turns out, Nothing about the place or the service made me feel like "this is a place to hang out for a while".
As a young woman, dining alone, I just felt uncomfortable. Like, a "you don't belong here" vibe coming from the staff and the other patrons. People staring, men giggling, not cool. Would they have reacted like that if I came in alone but was a dude? Doubt it. While I was there a young woman in shorts came in (also alone) and the waitress audibly commented to the cook if he "Betcha like her shorts??". Seriously?
Basically, the food was ok, the coffee tasted like soap, the waitress made me feel like she was offended by my presence (which I realize is sort of a diner waitress's MO) but overall just not the fun/relaxed/friendly diner experience I was looking for.
Maybe it's me?? Next time I will go to Ravenswood Grill, or down the road on Lincoln to S&G Restaurant where the food is better, and the company ain't so bristly.
Too bad.
We went there for breakfast this past Sunday - as the other reviews state - old school diner type place that has been around for eons with few changes. Walking in, I said to my girlfriend "this will either be awesome, or terrible."
So, old school greasy spoon - nostalgic environment, great speedy service and the like. Apart from a member of staff who kept whistling a "tune" at 90 decibels...but no problem.
The prices are great, but...in my one and only experience there, you pay for what you get. Coffee was good, hash browns were fine...a decent size plate of potatoes, unseasoned - not a big deal, we added salt and pepper. They might have been unseasoned as some people can't have salt, so totally get it.
We both ordered biscuits and gravy and it came within 2 minutes - no exaggeration. The biscuits were large, but came from one of those refrigerated rolls you buy at the grocery store - and not a very good one.
The gelatinous, wall paper paste of sausage gravy likewise was clearly not homemade. It was obviously from a can, and jiggled on the plate like Jell-O.
My biggest issue...this very odd, cloyingly sweet after taste after each bite of the biscuits and gravy. I am not saying they put sugar in it, I know they didn't....this was a very odd taste, almost as though something in the gravy had gone off and was no longer safe for consumption. It certainly didn't create a gag reflex or anything, but as I ate, my mind was really screaming that something was wrong...I stopped eating about 1/3 of the way through.
I hate judging a place based on one visit, or one dish...even assuming the food wasn't contaminated or something, what really disappointed me was the pronounced lack of pride or passion that came through in the B&G...the message was clear - "we buy in all of our product for this dish in pre-made form and we simply do not care! Quantity and speed are what we care about and not quality."
I can't in good consciousness go back for a second try...I feel like I was very lucky not to get food poisoning, because something wasn't right with the B&G...something biologically rotting...and I just didn't get the feeling that anyone cared about the quality of the food they were producing.
I must say .... I must say .... well, I must say that Jeri's Grill is one cool, old school diner. It met all my expectations for exactly what I thought it might be.
The interior was kitchy kool, the walls were bedecked with old time movie star photos and posters. There were cute little signs like "a free napkin with every purchase". Gotta love it. There was good music on the jukebox and a pain reliever dispenser in the corner. I don't know if it is functional, but considering the place is open 24 hours a day, I expect many people in need of hangover relief would appreciate such a machine.
Christopher went with the breakfast food plan and got the corned beef hash and eggs. It was good, and filling. I decided to try the meatloaf. I have a very bad habit in my quest for good meatloaf of being sorely disappointed, but not here. The meatloaf had a nice flavor and a good texture. The mashed taters and gravy were fine as well. Ok, the green beans came from a can, but who cares, as the meatloaf was good!!! My meal also came with a cup of soup. They had 3 home made soups to choose from. I picked the beefaroni soup and was not at all disappointed. Totally home made and totally delicious.
I brought the meat loaf and soup home to mom for her lunch and she pronounced it the best restaurant meatloaf she ever had. Â I must say ... I must say ... I am happy and impressed. Jeri's Grill, you have 3 new fans.
Jeri's is always true to form.
Orange plastic booths, stools at the bar, friendly but salty staff, and a fascinating smattering of hungry people who don't need anything fancy. Â If you enjoy throwbacks in your diner, such as posters of Marilyn and a jukebox, you will like the scene.
It can feel a little halfway-housey sometimes, but that's really just part of the charm. Â Your coffee will be refilled, your food will be simple and satisfying, and you'll have some good people watching to boot. Â In addition to the colorful clientele, the window view out onto Welles Park is quite lovely.
Jeri's fits the bill for brunch, random hungry times, and the nourishment that is sometimes necessary late-night. Â It's always open, which is very convenient. Â It's cash only, which is less convenient.
For some reason it cracks me up that they don't have any cheese but American. Â I repeat: This is NOT a fancy diner. Â The Italian beef, however, is my favorite in the city. Â
I wouldn't recommend Jeri's for a first date or dinner with the parents, but if you find yourself hungry and in close proximity, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. Â Pop right in there and feed yourself.
This is  a real diner.  Not one of those theme diners for tourists, or those diner-turned-family restaurant.  This is the sort of place where you wonder how they can afford to keep running at these prices.  That isn't to say the food uses high end ingredients.  It's pretty much what you can buy down the street at Aldi or Jewel -- but cooked up nicely. Â
Of the all the diners in the hood, this is my favorite. Â It's a small space with a small menu, but everything about it is embued with bygone era authenticity.
Try the fried chicken sandwich.
A massive portion of great biscuits and gravy, fresh off-the-bone ham, open 24 hours a day and they gently wake you rather than throw you out if you fall asleep at the counter... I love this place. Â I don't mind in the least if occasionally the patrons look like they ought to be sleeping on the red line rather than paying for breakfast and reading a paper.
The place is just plain good and cheap. Â I like either of those descriptions when seeking a new place but when I find them together I'm home. Â The picture I uploaded is the biscuits and gravy with two eggs over easy- $6.75. Â The portion was huge. Â Now I can seriously throw down and that breakfast ended me, in a good way. Â Also as a biscuits and gravy guy who evalutes not just on volume, I was ecstatic. Â Thick but light. Â A little sweet. Â Plenty of sausage and not at all greasy. Â That's my jam!
The time before that I went with the ham, two eggs, hashbrowns and toast- $5.50 I think. Â They actually made the hashbrowns crispy like I asked and the huge portion of ham was fantastic.
It's been awhile since that time I fell asleep at Jeri's after getting drunk at Mayfest but I just had breakfast there a few days ago and it was still perfect. Â I'm sure drunk and sleeping at the counter I looked like I needed a nap on the El. Â The city is more than a few trendy neighborhoods. Â Get out and take a whiff!
My hubby and I affectionately refer to this place as Ham on the Bone, due to the prominently displayed sign out front advertising...well...the Ham on the Bone. Â Didn't even realize it was called Jeri's Grill for about a year.
We go to Jeri's when we're feeling too cheap to go to the Golden Angel--prices are at least two bucks cheaper per plate and the food that we eat there (diner classics, mostly--eggs, breakfast meat, hash browns, French toast) are just as good and greasy and delicious as any you'd find anywhere.
They have real butter for the toast, and decent coffee, and some bad/good trailer park classics like fried bologna and eggs. Â Service is universally friendly whether you're sitting there bright eyed and freshly scrubbed at 11 AM on a Sunday or drunk as hell at 4 AM on a Friday night. Â Really, what more could you want in a diner?
This is a typical 24 hour diner. Â Decent coffee, and horribly tacky decor. Â So you have to give it props for fitting in with the typical delightful 24 hour diner feel. Â
Tonight there were gruff men bobbing their heads to the jukebox's "Highway to Hell." Â I enjoyed this immensely.
The waitress was nice and didn't give me too much flack for asking for egg whites and light butter. Â Yeah yeah... but it's the little things that count. Â
I ordered the giardineria omelette with hash browns and wheat toast. Â The omelette was okay, but as giardineria will be, quite salty. Â
Hashbrowns were delightful.
Very basic, but a good late night go-to.
I was up super early on a Saturday helping a buddy of mine. Â We popped into Jeri's for a quick breakfast and the eating was good albeit greasy.
I ordered my usual - 2 eggs scrambled, hash browns, sausage, toast and OJ. Â I know it's hard to mess w/ this order so that's why I order it. Â It's straight up goodness.
Everything tasted great. Â There was a layer of grease over everything. Â The hash browns were big, chunky and didn't resemble anything from a fast food chain or a school cafeteria. Â That's a big +1 from me.
Quick and easy breakfast. Â Cash only.
At 3 o'clock Saturday morning, for no apparent reason, I was at Jeri's Grill, the super-sketchy diner across the park from my apartment. I walk past it daily and vowed to go there someday.
After deciding what to eat -- a patty melt for him, a stack of pancakes for me -- my dining companion handed me a dollar and told me to go to town on the jukebox. ("Don't spend it all in one place, kid.")
The first song I picked was Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly." I picked the other two songs, and when I sat back down, we looked over to the grill and saw the grizzled old frycook wearing a threadbare Tom Petty concert T-shirt.
And he was dancing.
The pancakes just tasted better after that.
I have discovered the "Prevention of a Hangover!!!"
Go to Jeri's between 3-5 a.m. after you're done partaking...
(just suggested, they're open 24 hours)
Order the Biscuits and Gravy.
Split a Denver Omelet with a friend.
Eat ALL the hash browns on your plate, dipping some in the gravy.
Do not expect any other cheese but American (they don't have it)
Drink about 4 glasses of water.
Do NOT use their washroom unless absolutely necessary.
Pay only in cash, they don't take plastic.
Take two "Tums" before falling asleep.
VOILA!!! Awake feeling a "touch" of queasy, but no hangover!!!!
Finding ourselves 30 minutes early for a nearby appointment, my son and I wandered in. Cool Juke box. Friendly, fast service; lots of interesting "oldies" pix on the wall, e.g., Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, etc, all provided good grist for the father-son discussion mill while eating rather little of the disappointingly slimy veggie omelette and ham and cheese omelette that we ordered. Cheap? Yes. "Good"? Depends on one's expectations.
As we were paying the bill, my son asked the waitress, loudly: "What'd you guys do? Move the Diner Grill over here and give it another name?"
He's got it about right.
I'm torn.  On one hand, I love the jukebox, cheap prices, 24 hours, and that it's  not a chain.  On the other hand, the gravy is horrible and all the food is from the Aldi one block over.  Something about getting charged more than a dollar  for hot water and a packet of oatmeal irritates me.  As does paying $5 or whatever for Aldi's 39-cent crappy biscuits instead of the 79 or 99-cent tasty ones. (Clearly I know my Aldi.)  And ugh, did I mention how gross the gravy is?  It's bad.
Luckily they're open 24 hours, because I sure wouldn't be drunk enough to want to go during regular business hours.
An amazing diner - like being transported down south.
Super friendly staff and line cook, good service, really greasy (in a totally good way) food. Â The staff treats you like you've been going there forever, and if I stay in this neighborhood for the rest of my life, I'll probably keep going to Jeri's Grill.
They've even got pretty decent coffee! Â Whoda thunk?!
There was a time, back in my past, when I ate ham. Â Having found religion, I no longer do so, but when I did, I really enjoyed Jeri's. Â They have ham on the bone every Sunday for breakfast, and it makes the best ham, egg & cheese sandwiches you could ever dream of eating. Â
Now that I don't eat ham, the place has absolutely nothing for me. Â They don't have any vegetables besides canned mushrooms, green peppers, and onions, and just eggs and cheese is kinda boring.
So to recap: Â if you like ham, you've found your hog heaven. Â If you're looking for vegetables, don't even bother stopping here.
I think I like this place because it reminds me of mornings with my grandpa and "the old man gang" back in my hometown. Â I've only had breakfast, but it was good (not great), but I was full and happy. Â
My favorite part of the place is the jukebox! Â It has a wonderful selection. Â
Avoid the restrooms - they are frightening.
Don't come to Jeri's asking for egg whites or turkey bacon. Please don't. The menu boasts that everything is cooked in butter. And they mean it.
Conversation with waitress:
Me: "I'd like the cheese omelette, what type of cheese do you have"
Waitress: "American"
Me: "Just American?"
Waitress: "Just American"
Me: "Ok, American it is" (Is American even real cheese? YUK!)
Soon-to-be-bf also orders omelette
Waitress: "What type of bread?"
Soon to be bf : "What do you have"
Waitress  "White, wheat, rye, English muffin..."
Me : "I'm sorry, Â you have 5 types of bread and only one type of cheese, AND it's AMERICAN ?"
Waitress: "That's right"
Great.
Jeri's has been here F-O-R-E-V-E-R, is open 24 hours and food is quick and greasy.
My biggest concern is that the soon-to-be-bf loves it and he and I will probably be having breakfast here every weekend.
You're not eating at Jeri's if you want a 4 star meal. Hell, you're probably not eating there if you're a clean-freak or some kind of germophobe. But if you love the authentic, greasy spoon, $5 gets you breakfast and coffee and there's enough left over for a tip, "ham on the bone" types of places.... this is a gold mine.
High Points:
It's open 24 hours -- I would guess 45% of my time here has come between 1a.m. and 5 a.m.
The Jukebox OWNS -- that's right, I nominate this as one of the best/weirdest jukeboxes in town. It's all Patsy Cline, Johnny cash and random stuff in between.
The food is good(enough) --- yeah, you will have a heart attack someday if you eat every meal here. But so what? You weren't going to live forever anyway...
Low Points:
The bathroom looks like the kind of place heroin addicts and diseased cats go to die. You'll want to hold it.
It's becoming a little popular with the young professional/former Big Ten booze hounds that have taken over the neighborhood east of Western -- They're everywhere, but the waitstaff doesn't take shit. So don't f-around with them.
Bottom line is this place rules. There are pictures of Elvis and James Dean on the walls, bacon & eggs on your plate, and Johnny Cash on the jukebox. Life is good.