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Alps East Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Diners Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Diners, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
2012 W Irving Park Rd(between Damen Ave & Lincoln Ave)
Chicago, IL 60618
Neighborhood: North Center
(773) 975-0527
- Nearest Transit:
-
Irving Park-brown (Brown Line)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
24 reviews for Alps East Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...breakfast food right around the corner from our apartment." In 6 reviews -
"Hash browns and greek toast were a great addition to the..." In 3 reviews -
"That being said, I love the scrambled eggs here." In 3 reviews
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Liz T.
Chicago, IL
3/13/2012
I love that this place still exists in the city. It's somewhere you can walk in to at 11 am on Sunday morning and be sitting in a booth with a hot cup of coffee in less than 5 minutes.
It holds a special place in my heart as my grandparents used to eat here when they owned a furniture store down the street. But even if it weren't for that, I could come here. You can get good food for a reasonable price and have it served with a smile. Sometimes, that's all you need. -
Review from Racquel D.
Chicago, IL
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've only been here once, and I really liked it! It reminds me of House of Pies back in Houston. There's a lot of stuff to choose from, but I stuck to breakfast food when I went. Food was delicious, prices were reasonable, and the servers were nice and attentive. I will definitely come back here.
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Review from Mike P.
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
While older and not as newly renovated as Alps West, nothing is lost on the food at Alps East, in my opinion. The menu is different that West as well, but the servers are just as friendly. If you find Lincoln's around the corner too crowded for your weekend breakfast, Alps East definitely has your back.
The food here is typical diner food, but it's done right, just the way you want it. My over-medium eggs were actually over-medium. They keep the hot coffee coming and complement you on your cute kids. No extra bells and whistles, just a good breakfast. -
Review from Zach J.
Chicago, IL
12/5/2010
In the grand scheme of things, this is a 3-star restaurant, but in the diner category, it's a solid 4-star. I've had breakfast here a couple of times, and it's always hit the spot. Service has always been good too. Fairly spacious place, so never have had any problems getting a seat, even during busy Sunday mornings.
It may not have the charactor of the Lincoln around the corner, but I feel confident in saying they generally make better breakfast, so for that reason, I'd probably recommend the Alps over the Lincoln if you're more concerned with the food that arrives on your plate. At the end of the day, Alps gets the slight edge over the Lincoln for this fellow. -
Review from Ingrid R.
Chicago, IL
11/6/2010
It was fine. I like diners like I like dive bars. This place was OK and if I was starving and needed food NOW I would go back if I was literally outside the door. However as diners go it doesn't rate very highly in my book.
HOWEVER - the fries were yummy. As perfect as a fry can get. It would get two stars except for the fries. Who doesn't like a good French fry? I wonder if the cook made them perfectly by mistake or if they're always that good. So there's the dilemma - go in for fries and ignore the rest or go somewhere else for an overall better experience.
Buts those fries........ -
Review from Samantha H.
Chicago, IL
4/7/2009
Umm, gross.
We had lunch here recently and thankfully our bill was only 13 bucks because I regretted mostly everything.
I really wanted a sandwich, but there were no veggie options (they had a mushroom or olive burger, but I wasn't in the mood because I had a veggie burger the night before). So I ended up with the grilled cheese, which came with fries and soup. The soup was cream of broccoli and almost had a gelatin consistency, which grossed me out, and it had no flavor whatsoever. The grilled cheese was actually pretty good, but the fries were like wood sticks and also lacked flavor (seriously, some salt would have done the trick, people).
The boy got the chef's salad, which he said sucked. It's kind of hard to screw up a salad, but he only ate like half of it, and he's the kind of person that always finishes a meal.
I had to ask twice for my diet coke and the waitress was kind of scary (sounded like she'd been smoking since she was a fetus).
So one star for the grilled cheese and one star because I'm nice. -
Review from Linda P.
Chicago, IL
7/28/2008
By now you can tell that Da Count and I are diner lovers. And Alps is no exception. Typical dinery interior, much cleaner than most, with huge circular booths that you could fit a family a five in. I particularly enjoyed the booth near the front window with a full view of Irving Park - great for people watching! Bathrooms are spacious and clean and service is friendly.
The food is pretty good. Lunch specials come with soup or salad, dessert and your choice of coffee or hot tea. Soft drinks are an option for a dollar more. I highly recommend getting a salad here, the veggies are chopped up nice, no puddles of water at the bottom of the plate and the dressing is served on the side so you have control over how much you want on your salad. The sandwiches are good too, had a patty melt which was tasty. However if you want fruit as an alternative to fries they do charge extra, which is a bit annoying.
One more thing, this is not the place to come to if you are stumbling home drunk and looking for a greasy repast to soak up the alcohol as they close at 4 pm and sometimes even earlier than that!Listed in: North Roscoe View
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Review from Adam M.
Chicago, IL
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really, all I can say is that this is your typical hole in the wall diner. The waitress was this sweet older lady, and the food was sub par at best. I went after a loooong night of drinking and it was ok afternoon after partying food. I wouldn't seek this place out again, but if I wound up here after a night of partying, I would find something to eat.
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Review from Natalie S.
Chicago, IL
4/22/2008
An admitted diner lover, I ventured to Alps with my two-year-old the other day after being disappointed by The Golden Nugget's recent price increases. $5 for a diner grilled cheese? You better buy some good bread and put some avocado on that thing or there's going to be a fight!
Teno and I were pleasantly surprised by really buttery scrambled eggs, perfectly crispy hash browns and a kid's grilled cheese and fries for under $4. (If I tell you that the fries were also really, really tasty do you promise not to think I'm disgusting for finishing my breakfast and moving in on my kid's plate?)
Our server was really attentive and sweet and we left happy to have found a new spot for our Friday diner lunch date. -
Review from Ellen M.
6/30/2006
My parents were insane for this place but it's never been spectacular. I think my mother is enchanted by the fact that she knows the waitress by name and can say "I'll have my usual." My mom does this every year - she finds god's gift to eggs, toast and coffee and then moves on when the place suddenly "has taken a dive." Newsflash, they always sucked.
Have been forced to have breakfast here several times. If you don't experience it for yourself, don't feel bad. -
Review from Jada B.
9/7/2008
I woke up this morning from a dream about pancakes, and that did it. I had a mission and it was for light buttermilk fluffiness, soaked in butter and drenched in maple syrup. By the time the husband was awake and dressed and ready to go, I decided I needed simple diner pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, lots of coffee, not a fancy brunch place with an hour wait. Alps East served up exactly what I wanted.
Typical diner fare, clean Grandma like decor, very attentive and friendly service and reasonable prices. Nothing to write home about, but definitely enough to Yelp about. I like it.
Beats the pants off that horrific place around the corner with Abe Lincoln's face on the sign that I will not speak of again from this point forward. -
Review from Kristin S.
Chicago, IL
11/5/2008
The first time I came here I was so excited to find such great breakfast food right around the corner from our apartment! I got the Popeye (misspelled on the menu, though) Skillet which was spinach, eggs, feta and tomatoes I believe. Yum!
However, the last time my boyfriend and I went here for breakfast I had one of the worst dining experiences ever. The food, service, EVERYTHING was awful.
My boyfriend ordered oatmeal that looked like it had been sitting in back for days. When he asked for some brown sugar to loosen it up a bit, the waitress rudely slapped down some sugar in the raw about 10 minutes later (I'll get to the service in a second). I ordered the french toast and was aghast when I got three sandwich slices of bread dipped in egg and over cooked to crusty, grossness a few minutes later. I didn't even get syrup from the waitress until 15 minutes after she'd brought the food, so it was cold as well.
So yeah, the service was inexcusable. After waiting too long for everything, we were ready to go and waiting for our check. Our waitress disappeared for 20 minutes and when she came back, started doing side work and filling up sugars. We were both sitting with our coats on and trying to get her attention. Finally, when she came over and rudely reached over to fill our sugar basket, we managed to finally convince her to bring a check. Total, we sat there for 40 minutes before she even looked at us.
I'd like to give a good review because the first time was typical, cheap diner food that was pretty good, but I will never go back after the disaster we faced last time. -
Review from Eddie L.
Manhattan, KS
12/4/2007
Before I ever set foot in Alps East Restaurant, I thought it was closed due to a fire or something. It just had that look to it. Then I actually went there for lunch and realized it usually closes in the late afternoon (for now).
In place of paragraphs, I will publish a free association of concepts that I remember from my last visit:
Soda Fountain.
Glasses on shelves.
Regulars reading newspapers.
Fuzzy TV (appropriate).
Clean.
Soup.
Meat.
Good Service.
Potatoes.
Iceberg Lettuce.
Lunch special comes with dessert.
Check, please.
That wasn't so bad, was it? -
Review from Kristina B.
Chicago, IL
10/26/2006
This place ain't too bad. Me and my gang of friends used to come and eat here, back in the old HS days, after various school and/or weekend functions. The food is priced like any other diner, for the most part (think Golden Nugget). And it's pretty decent, actually.
Me and Miss Melanie V. would always get the Colorado Mountain Croissant (beef with cheese -- either mozerella or swiss -- on a croissant) and THAT sandwich was heaven. Props to the Alps for pulling that one off extremely well. Another friend of mine would get the Monte Cristo from there and said it was really good as well. So try either of those two, and I'm sure you'll be satisfied.
Sidenore: The Monte-Cristo-ordering friend of mine also dropped an entire glass of water all over our table one day. The busboy was very nice and cleaned it up rather quickly.
All in all, this place is about average. While this place isn't my first pick in a restaurant line-up, I'd definately come back and eat here (though moreso for nostalgic reasons). -
Review from Kathleen C.
IL
2/10/2008
This place is great! Went here on a Saturday morning around 10. I wasn't so sure about this place but my BF said it is better than the Lincoln (diner around the corner). Not sure if the food is better but the waitress was quick and nice and our food came out in 5 minutes. AMAZING!
We both ordered egg dishes. My veggie omelette had SO many veggies! Hash browns and greek toast were a great addition to the meal. There was a lot of food on my plate! Considering my hungover state, I figured I would have eaten all of it but I was only able to eat half. The BF got a Big Man which was 2 eggs, 2 pancakes and bacon. Our total was $13 (w/o tip). Woo-hoo!
And although the Lincoln has free parking, we found numerous spots to park on Irving and Damen so it worked out! -
Review from Matt S.
Lisle, IL
7/18/2007
When we first moved to Lincoln Square, one of the things we missed the most was being able to walk down the street to either the Golden Apple or S&G's.
Eventually, we happened upon Alps East, and it has turned out to be a fine replacement, diner-wise, for us. The staff is efficient and somewhat friendly, but, more to the point, the food is good and the prices are reasonable.
Don't expect anything beyond standard diner-fare, and I've only had the breakfast items (the pancakes are pretty good), but if you're looking for an escape from the terrible, terrible Golden Angel, this is the place for you. -
Review from Channyn W.
Chicago, IL
3/12/2009
I do not like eggs. Generally speaking of course since I will eat them - I just don't generally enjoy them. That being said, I love the scrambled eggs here. Maybe they subscribe to the Paula Deen method, aka more butter, but no matter, the eggs are yummy and delicious.
As is the ham. And the potatoes. And the bacon. And the french toast. You get my point. I've only had breakfast here (and yes, they only serve breakfast and lunch), but why bother trying anything else when brekkie is the perfect meal?
Service is 4-star worthy as are the prices - a giant meal for two under $20 bucks = happiness. And more money to spend at Target. Yippee! -
Review from Morgan M.
Chicago, IL
11/24/2009
I like this place, but only because of a few things that I 've come to learn about it.
1. It is a diner, so don't expect anything different: Old men locals who are know by the entire staff, older women working the shifts who call all of their customers "sweety/darlin", small, "homey" type feel to the atmosphere, etc. I have also had good service from the staff, but mainly from the same woman and I like her (not the one with the raspy voice).
2. The omlettes are Greek and fantastic (esp. if you like feta cheese and spinach...mmmmmm) and the potato type hash browns are really good- the only things that are good when it comes to breakfast items and probably food overall there. With the other stuff, expect plain/flavorless diner food that is no different from any other quick diner. I'm actually weary to try this place for lunch/dinner or to try any other breakfast item just in fear that the enjoyment that i have there from their omlettes might fade, lol. So, I am rating this solely for their breakfast.
The coffee is watered down, but once again, it's diner coffee. It gets the job done if you are looking for a morning fix. If you complain and prefer something with a kick and a "name" then start sticking your nose in the air and walk to Starbucks which is down the street. Now, I'm not dissing Starbucks here or the customers. I go there, but I am just referring to the complainers who are too good for anything but a certain coffee brand and let it be known.
The staff is also really sweet, but they have a somewhat quickwitted character type. They could actually come off as rude to some people if you are not used to the types of personality within the diner. The ladies actually remind me of people from my home neighborhood so it feels more like home. It's hard to explain unless you have lived on different sides of the city, but they come off as being different from people who are from the north side. Not that it's a bad thing or anything.
I would say give it a try if you like omlettes. If you are looking for a fancier place, then check out my review for "Orange" (shameless plug for my own reviews, haha!) -
Review from Chris H.
Chicago, IL
3/28/2009 21 Check-ins Here
Service is good everytime I go there (recently about once a week). However the food quality is lacking. I really love a good diner, but I can't find one in North Center. I only go here because the other one is so crappy. I still rather drive down to my other favorites.
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Review from Sue K.
Mundelein, IL
8/28/2010
It's a perfectly good diner.
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Review from Simone G.
Chicago, IL
11/23/2007
I'm definitely starting to becoming an occassional regular here (if that makes sense). I now like the skillets I get here over the one I can get around the corner at the Lincoln. I believe I still like the West River Cafe @ Montrose & Kedzie more. This place is still pretty decent. i don't think you'll be blown away but you, usually, shouldn't walk away dissapointed. I would definitely try it at least once.
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Review from Renato P.
Grayslake, IL
4/20/2008
Do you have one of those places, that your not that thrilled about yet you find yourself going there all the time. That's the Alps to me , The food is alright , the waitresses friendly locals , the ambiance late 70's diner motif. I have probably been there over a hundred times , yet I can't tell you whats good there. I suppose I can praise the place by saying nothing is all that bad there. I've never had bad soup there , or any breakfast dish that wasn't at least decent for that matter. All the common diner sandwiches are fine there , the fries ok , and the dinners I had (when they serve dinner , I'm still not sure what's going on with their hours at this point) were ok as well. I suppose consistent mediocrity will get you 3 stars in my book as long as it's cheap , which the alps is.
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Review from C P.
Chicago, IL
6/3/2009
I love this place. I've been eating there for years. Service has always been pretty good ( Thanks, Diane.) 'Course I always sit in the same small booth and have the same waitress. Over the years things have changed, of course. It's a family business and the family has had its turmoil. Irene retired and left it to her brothers to run. They ran it into the ground. So, she came outa retirement and put it all back together. Get to know 'em and you'll love the place. Lately, I've been a big fan of the open face hot roast beef sandwich with gravy on the fries.
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Review from J P.
Davenport, IA
11/16/2011
good food, decent prices....
