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Some conversation you may overhear while grubbing on your american cheese omelet or tuna melt:
"Give me a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on white. but NO BUTTER. I'm on a diet."
"If it wasn't for Burger King, I'd never eat lettuce."
"I've always wanted to go to Australia"
I don't know why the last one is relevant, but I thought three quotes were more aesthetically effective than two. Anyways, you are seated in old booths under stained glass Coca-Cola lights, or at stools at the counter (in which case prepare to have a long, friendly conversation with the servers), a variety of hot sauces on the table, and truly endless coffee in those old, stone mugs that only bygone diners and your grandparents have. Also, they offer you a newspaper when you sit down. What else do you want?
Delicious sausage and cheese omelets with an offensively large side of hash browns and endless hot coffee has made Standee's my new hangover-cure destination.
A classic diner! The food, for what it is, is damn tasty. While it is a diner and they don't really care about presentation, you can tell the guy working the grill loves what he does and loves food. Plus, the night manager is totally kick ass. You can tell he's seen it all and doesn't care about your bs. But if your polite and don't bust his chops, he'll make sure you coffee cup is never empty and tell a funny story...
The place is pretty much a dump, which isn't bad. I won't deny I dread having to use the toilet there, but not enough to keep me away.
Overall, the place is great. It's perfect visiting anytime but after 2am is the best...
Standee's is a staple in late night diner fare. When I was a student at Loyola (I managed one year there from 2001-02), I ate at Standee's about 5 times. It was always an experience. I always ate there after coming home from western Illinois. It was like a welcome back to Chicago kind of place. It screams local.
But why do people go to Standee's. Is it for the food? No. Is it for great service? No. It is for the experience, and being able to say that you have been to Standee's.
Standee's closed down for a while back in 2002 for health code violations. No suprise. So watch out.
Sometime between 2002 and two weeks ago, Standee's reopened.
I have a friend that lives near there and after a comedy writing jam session, we decided to try out Standee's. Ha. It was hilarious. The vents on their ovens stopped working, the place was completely filled with grease smoke, and the smoke alarm was going off. THEY WERE STILL SERVING PEOPLE. People were still eating calmly like nothing was going on.
The waitstaff is fine. There are always characters hanging out there, both inside and out.
Bottom line: careful about what you ask for while dining here. Bring a can of mace to scare away drunken miscreants outside, and a bottle of tobasco to help out your food.
Was looking for a 24 hour joint in Edgewater or Rogers Park after a late night of studying. This place was open and while it looks like it hasn't been renovated since '74, the waitress was really nice and the place (including the bathrooms) was clean. I had a grilled cheese which hit the spot after working on statistics problems for hours.
Standee's (Granville Red Line stop) is one of those places that attracts you with its nostalgic sign, wrap around counter, and vinyl seats. I first went to this place about six months ago, with a friend, just to have a burger. The burger was pretty darn greasy and good, the service from the extremely nice waitress (an old artist type woman) was beyond excellent, and I can even say that the soup was delicious.
Lois and I have been passing this place a lot on the Red Line recently and have been saying to ourselves, that we will make the early morning trek for breakfast. So we finally did. We were expecting the holy grail of diner breakfast, we were tired, cranky, and hungry, we just wanted some good morning food and coffee. Standee's was spot on in some areas and not so much in others.
When we got there at 10:30 on Sunday morning, the place was pretty busy. In fact, it seemed to be the day that the whole DePaul JV soccer team decided to get breakfast there. Ouch. We waited patiently by the door for 5 minutes for an open seat.
This place seemed right up our alley. Everything is old and looks like it's seen better days but in our experience inattention to little things like decor means really good food. We ordered coffee right away then browsed the menu for a few minutes before deciding what we were going to have for this breakfast/lunch. (Important note: Standee's does not list everything on its menu; check the wall behind the counter for hand-lettered signs describing specials and favorites.)
We ended up ordering, and patiently waiting for our coffee. Lois gets a little cranky when she doesn't have her caffeine fix, and I could tell she was on edge. About 5 minutes later the waitress finally came out with two mugs and filled us up. Phew.
Only a few minutes later, our order came up. I tried something
completely different this time, The Hobo Skillet with the eggs sunny side up. I'm usually a scrambled eggs kinda guy, but I think I'm making the move over to the sunny side. This dish consisted onions, mushrooms, cheese, and sausage, topped on a bed of hash browns, then topped with two pieces of cheese, and two beautiful sunny side eggs on top of that, served with two pieces of toast. The dish was good. Nothing eye popping or mouthwatering... It was "good". One complaint on this, and it's not the foods fault(it was the waitresses fault). I ordered the eggs sunny side up so I could do a little dipping action with the toast. The toast didn't come out with my dish on the first trip, then the waitress forgot about it. And because she was busy, it was hard to flag her down. I got halfway through my skillet, working around the yolks, before she finally saw us trying to grab her
attention. She quickly brought out two pieces of perfect looking golden toast, already brushed on with butter, and I continued to enjoy my meal.
Lois jumped on the chance to order chocolate chip pancakes because, as noted in past posts (see Golden House), she has the palate of a two-year-old and therefore favors breakfasts that look and taste like desserts. A few things to know about the pancakes. First, they are BIG. Lois ordered three because she was really, really hungry but should have ordered two knowing that her eyes are usually bigger than her stomach. Second, unlike most places, Standee's doesn't serve its chocolate chip pancakes with confectioner's sugar or whip cream -- just the usual butter and syrup. With that said, the pancakes were pretty good -- thick and plenty of chips. The side of bacon Lois ordered fell into the "ok" category, a little too fatty and not crisp enough for her taste.
I guess the final verdict on Standee's is that we'll stop by if we're in the neighborhood but it's not good enough to make a special trek (Carol's on Pulaski and Diner Grill on Irving Park fall into that esteemed category). And the total tab was about $25, including tip, which is a little more than we're used to paying for a diner breakfast.
Ah, Standee's. The first place I ate in Chicago. So many memories.
Now, I happen to think that Standee's has tons of charm. I live around the corner, so I love getting up in the morning, putting on some sweats and going down for some chow. Nothing fancy. I think the staff is strange and wonderful. Always something fun to say. The food is fine. Filling. And the price is great for that!
So leave behind your high-falootin' ways. I'll be at Standee's with the real folks.
Standee's is your typical 24 hour hole in the wall greasy gut bomb diner. I usually stick to burgers/fries/grilled cheese and have never been disappointed. Generous portions, decent prices, and plenty of "characters" to keep you company. Service is very good, every time I've been there I've had very attentive, charming waitresses. Definitely best after a long night out or to recover the next morning.
p.s. the bathroom is scary gross
It's hard to miss Standees if you live on the south side of Loyola's campus - its illuminated sign, which is often features two or three burnt out letters, serves as a beacon for hungry night owls. The relatively inexpensive prices of the meals and late hours attract a rather interesting crowd of customers, especially during the school year. If you are hungry and looking for a place to get mediocre food for a cheap price, then you have found the right restaurant.
I first ventured into Standees after coming back from a party with some friends. We did not have much cash on us, and decided to try the restaurant. The restaurant was not very classy, but still had some nostalgic overtones. The only thing that kept us from leaving was the inexpensive menu selection. All the menu items were things you could expect from a middle-class 24-hour diner - burgers, basic sandwiches, breakfast meals, and more - all served around the clock.
I ordered a burger and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was definitely not the best meal I had ever eaten, but given it was under five dollars, I could not have asked for more. My friends ordered the eggs and toast, which also game to under five dollars, and enjoyed their meals. The service was prompt, and the staff was friendly - I could not say to same for some of the patrons at the diner. For that matter, I would advise eating here before 1:30 if you want to avoid sketchy people and inebriated college students - though they are half the fun of Standees ;-).
If you want a classy restaurant with an exotic menu - look elsewhere. Nevertheless, Standees is quality dining establishment that is the manifestation and embodiment of mediocrity.
Not cheap, not great, hit or miss----but if you ain't picky and you need to stuff the ol' pie hole----grab a spoon, close your eyes and let it slide.
There is a waiter there though worth a wink or two. I don't know his name. He's 5-feet-something, with a goatee, and cute, cute, cute.
The chocolate chip pancakes with whip cream are great when they are not dry and/or burned.
The bacon is fantastic if it is not raw and/or charred.
The eggs with cheese can possibly work if you're into the cellophane wrapped slices stuff.
However, and this is a big however-----what I do like about this place----they will (after a night of drinking and reminiscing with your lover) let you argue in peace.
Standees is the text book example of a dive restaurant. It's open 24 hours (major bonus), is convenient to the Red Line and has a fabulous old-timey sign.
The food is good in a greasy spoon/diner sort of way, cheap and the waitresses are good about re-filling coffee. It's also a great locale to enjoy some of the local "flavor" that the Granville area has to offer.
Standee's is everything you could ever want in a total dive.
First of all, it's open all night long, and it's just steps from the Granville el stop. The decor clearly hasn't changed since they opened. The bathroom isn't labeled "men" or "women" but simply "Customers." Oh, and when I last visited, the one toilet was broken.
But the waitress was super nice about it, and super nice about everything else, in fact. She poured me about 8 cups of coffee with a smile on her face every time.
I wish the food were slightly better, but then again if it were anything other than total greasy spoon fare, this place wouldn't be what it is.
What the hell? I've heard good things about this place, but was very disappointed. It's hard for a diner to mess up breakfast, but somehow Standee's managed to do that. The driest bacon I've ever had in my life, it looked like it was sitting out for 2 days.
The bacon tasted like french toast and the french toast tasted like bacon.
Again, what the hell?
Unless rat crap happens to be one of your favorite seasonings. Avoid this place. Honestly the breakfast food tastes okay. But the services is frighteningly bad and the staff is just... bizarre. Other than the breakfast food being okay (minus rat sh**) this place blows.
PS should you choose to brave the rat jungle also beware of the obnoxious college crowd.
This is quite possibly the weirdest place to eat in Chicago.
I swear that once, I saw someone go into the bathroom and never come back out. There's a magic door in there that leads to a never-never land of biscuits and gravy OR safe refuge for vagrants in the 'hood. Either or.
Half the time your food comes out in bits and pieces. First your eggs and then a few minutes later, your muffin. It's rather annoying but I'm comforted by the fact that I know this will never change. There's something to be said for a place that really "is what it is". The delicious biscuits and gravy with eggs and sausage/bacon for under 5 bucks makes up for it. Mush it all together and you will forget that most of the people there look like they are half asleep and there's some dude babbling to himself in the booth behind you.
Also, the only thing on their jukebox are songs that last no less than 10 minutes. Epic biscuits, epic songs.
It's open all night long. The booths are all chomped up and duct-taped back together. Your food will come out at different times (you might get your toast 5 minutes after you order it, then get your eggs 20 minutes later) and it's likely that you'll be solicited.
But...it's Standee's. And worth a trip.
This is great place for meal late at night. The servers are great. The food is tasty. I have liked everything i ordered.
The lack of late night and 24 hour spots and restaurants in Edgewater and Rogers Park disappoints the late night studier in me. So I was happy to find Standee's at 3 A.M. one occasion and thought I might as well venture in.
The place is 'rustic' you could say and has a typical late night diner ambiance. The staff was friendly and were great about re-filling my coffee mug even after multiple cups. The french toast I had was just fine and very cheap, too.
The deal maker for me here is that its open 24 hours, and the walk is just minutes from Loyola. Those cramming for tests and looking for a late night bite should give this place a try!
If you like people watching, cheap food (both in quality and price) and eating in a diner out of a 70's film, Standee's is your place.
I can't say anything about the non-breakfast food, because really, if you're going to eat at Standee's you might as well get breakfast. Their coffee is good, and if Metropolis down the street is closed, then it's your best bet, and pretty much all you can drink for something like $1.50. Also, with the breakfast meals, you have the option of some of the best grits in Chicago. I realize that this isn't saying much, but sometimes a man needs his grits.
If you're eating in, you can sit at the bar (woo) or the booths. I'd recommend the bar just because you get more the experience up there. Plus, for those of you less adventurous, you could watch your food. But really, I've never seen anything happen that caused me to regret coming (foodwise at least. Standee's can't really do anything about some of the Granville Red Line homeless people.)
Also, when you're out all night drinking yourself to death, there's few things better (and open) than topping it off at Standee's. Plus, if you're not an Edgewater...ee? you can pick something up waiting for the Red Line. And if you are, you owe it to yourself to at least visit one of the staple restaurants of the neighborhood.
For the record, I've been here both sober, drunk, and somewhere in between. My review stands for all of those states of mind (well maybe not so much the drunk one, I'd give anything edible 5 stars).
The place has faux wood paneling which makes it seem like it's stuck in time. The place also has some strange characters in it, ranging from parents to the elderly to college kids.
The food is decent, not awful, but decent. What can you expect from a pseudo-diner though? I've never had to experience a wait here, so that's a plus. Their shakes can be a bit watered-down and runny, but they taste decent. I stick with their burgers and fries here, I've never been led astray by them. Or go with pancakes, they've never disappointed. I've heard great things about the biscuits and gravy too. Breakfast seems to be a high point for Standees.
Maybe it's me, but I also feel like the prices have been hiked up in recent times.
This place is open 24/7 which is amazing. The only other places 24/7 nearby are the Dunkin Deli (which you can walk inside) or the McDonald's drive-thru.
Some nights you just need that Standees fix.
Typical dive breakfast place. The food isn't bad, but it's not anything to write home about. Although, ask my boyfriend and he'll tell you their chocolate chip pancakes are amazing. I'll have to go back and try something in the pancake/waffle area.
Service was quick and the server was very nice. The place is obviously a bit dingy, but it's nothing so disgusting that you can't handle it. I would disagree with the people that said it's too dirty to eat in - that was just not true.
Good coffee and abundant refills. You can't beat that, especially when the coffee is about $1 with all the refills you can handle.
The best dive breakfast in the city.
It's unbelievably cheap, so I don't make many actual decisions when ordering; i usually collaborate with a friend and get three or four dishes to share. (Might I suggest the french toast. Delish.)
Also, the wait staff is straight out of a truck stop. Its beautiful.
The food isn't bad. I have a thing for creepy-diners, so I can say with a voice of experience that the menu has more variety than most restaurants of the same style.
The milkshakes are good. The burgers are normal, and the fries satisfy any nagging craving for fried potatoes that you may have. Diner coffee is always a fun thing to have, because crappy or delicious, you'll usually have more. Coffee rating? Standard.
The waitress has been the same every time I've went, and every time she's been really nice.
It's open all day, all night, and they do accept credit/debit cards now. So whenever your creepy diner craving kicks in, stop in and have a bite.
In my experience here the food is not worth the price they charge. Some people may love to "slum it in a cozy diner" but dear god man, the reality of the situation is that the food isn't that great.
And are they still open 24 hours? The only reason why I would ever go in there is because everything else was closed. Once you take away the always open policy this place falls straight into "unnecessary" territory.
Standee's is a small tiny diner that doesn't seem very clean. Well, it probably isn't, so just bring a small container of antibacterial gel with you.
The food is all standard greezy spoon fare, nothing special. It's probably better to get something off of the breakfast menu. The biscuits and gravy are actually very good, some of the best I've had in the city. Better, of course, when there's eggs and ham nestled next to the warm pool of sausage gravy.
Standee's used to be my nightly haunt when I first moved here. Since I didn't have my own place at the time, I squatted with my friends in their small 1-bedroom apartment in Rogers Park. To give them a little privacy at night I would take a stroll down Broadway in the late evening to find a 24-hour diner. The guady neon blazing away on Granville lured me like a moth.
This is no longer the case, but what I loved was the "Smoking Section", which was basically a couple of booths that were a mere foot away from the "No Smoking Section". Now it's all No Smoking, and while I applaud the State of Illinois for passing the law, I also miss being able to (if I should feel like it) going to a diner and enjoying a Pariliament with my cheeseburger and coffee.
This place is great. I had an awesome omelet here at like midnight or so which was awesome. This place is the ideal dive and open 24 hours which is a big bonus. Its a little bit pricey for a greasespoon dinner but they do have good portions and pretty good food. I would come back but i hear it can be pretty hit or miss but that happens with most dives so you take what you can get.
Admittedly, my experience with Standee's came at the tail end of a long, drunk evening traipsing around the north side with some of my high school buddies. While I'd been by the joint many times, and indeed read many of the reviews from my fellow yelpers, circumstance and the need to circumvent hangovers brought us to this so-called "greasy spoon."
I think this term doesn't quite adequately represent the extent of this place's ambience. I'd place my wager on greasy countertops, greasy toilets, and more. But desperate times call for, as they say, desperate measures. I ordered an omelette with hashbrowns and a diet coke. The diet coke didn't taste quiiiiiiiite right but the omelette hit the spot. I ended up taking half of it home (probably thinking this was a great idea at the time). My buddy Berger ordered fried shrimp (which they were out of) and some other ruddy garbage that he wolfed down, and I believe that Adam got pancakes. As far as I know, their meals hit ye olde spot, though Berger was quite disappointed at the lack of fried skrimps.
I can't say much about whether the service was attentive, because I was being rather inattentive to the service. But they have a surprising range of menu items, and if you don't care too much about cleanliness, there's a spot for you at Standee's. Then you can leave with your belly full and ride off into the sunrise.
Dear Standee's,
Just because you are open 24 hours and serve a "diverse" population from prostitutes to drunk college kids, does not mean you can skimp on health regulations.
Signed,
A disgusted (former) drunk college kid
Standing room only, folks...
That's what our waitress said last night when my husband asked what the name, "Standees" meant. Founded back in the sixties by a few Jewish guys, this place was kickin' in it's prime. There were always 2 waitresses and 2 cooks on staff, and the owners guaranteed that the waitresses would each make $100 a night, or they would pay them the difference out of pocket. Now THAT'S incentive. Imagine that, back in the 60's bringing home at LEAST $100 a night back when taxes weren't claiming your limbs and firstborn children. And $100 then was a hell of a lot more than it is now!
Well, that was the mini-Standee's history lesson our waitress gave us. She also said the place has only had 3 ownership changes, the last two of which she'd seen since she'd been working there the past 20 years! The waitstaff was great--friendly, personable, and laid back. We were never rushed to order, pay, or get the hell out by anyone or anything but the "booths are for parties of 2 or more. 1 hour time limit!" sign. I doubt it's enforced as we were there for well over an hour and a half, but then again, we kept ordering stuff, too!
The food was really good, though the prices were a bit higher than I would have expected. Fortunately, you get what you pay for. The portions are perfect, and the quality is great. Not once was I looked at oddly for my odd combo of a mushroom burger with potato pancakes and applesauce with Pepsi and a side of hot sauce. And that burger was amazing! So much better than the $8 I pay at the Plaza Market Bistro in Chase Tower downtown for a frozen "steak" burger with less flavor than a church wafer.
My husband got the corned beef hash skillet. He has this odd affinity where he likes all of his food separated, and his hash browns nearly burnt. They cooked it perfectly! He's a bottomless pit at home, but by the end of our meal, he didn't even want to TOUCH our banana split without nuts. I'm so glad the waitress asked since I'm extremely allergic to nuts. Evidently she's allergic as well and always asks just to be sure!
For just a little over $26, we left fully content with our bellies dragging on the ground. The atmosphere was cozy and fun; there was no crappy music playing in the background encouraging you to hurry up and eat your food to get the hell out. The wooden paneling and the western-ish decor is charming and reminiscent of a previous time, and the old Coca-Cola hanging lamps push you back to the 60's. It's sort of ironic, though, since they serve Pepsi products. The overall look is shabby, but it's fun. The bathrooms were clean, the floors and tables and booths were clean, and it was fun to look out the front windows and gawk at the passers-by.
There's a lot of history in this tiny place, and if you happen to be in the Granville @ Broadway area, I'd highly suggest you check it out.
The Granville Condos going up across the street are a bit distracting, and the El station a few doors East attracts some undesired folk, but don't let it deterr you.
Whenever I stop in, I imagine myself a la pinup in a beige trenchcoat at the side of my mobster husband to pick up a burger and fries "ta go". It rocks. So check it out, ya yella bellied scum!
J/K!
Such a sweet little place. The sign outside says 24 hours, but it's not. However, the cook and waitress there the other day were super nice and stuck around a little longer so we could eat there. The only seating there are four person-booths. (I think there's chairs available if you ask.)
Food is good. I've only had their cheeseburger, which was very good. The fries were okay--very, very hot. I've heard a lot of good things about their omelets too. Prices are average.
Standee's is one of the scariest dives in Edgewater proper. The gawdy flashing half lit sign... the orange drab decor with the faux oak walls and low hanging lights. But that is what makes it appealing. It is a part of the Northeast side's allure and history in many ways. You go there for some late night greasy spoon food. As strange as it sounds... if you live in Edgewater and haven't hit Standee's (especially as a late night patron- even better if your pathetically solo)... can you call yourself a Chicagoan?
The breakfast food is what you want. Go get some pancakes and initiate yourself into Chicago life by a trip to Standees!
I love the sign. Its magnetic. Its wonderful.
The place itself is nice and cozy.
It could be right out of a movie: aging waitress with maternal tendencies, creepy regulars with their bottomless cups of coffee, various neighborhood tourists scoping out the scene....
All-in-all an awesome place.
A true greasy spoon. A dying breed.
Quintessential greasy spoon. Service is reliably slow, even if you're the only one there ( I was), and the waitress is just the sort of person you'd expect to find working in a diner. Open at all hours too, which is totally awesome.
Smells a little smoky. Milkshakes are a wee bit watery.
Do it for the atmosphere.
i have went here four years !
LOL what a great piece of "Americana !" and right in my neighborhood !
five things i love about standees !
1 location location location just up a street from me !
2 that 'motherly ' waitress who is so nice to me
3 the food is great nice portions and good flavors
4 the entertaining 'regulars ' that you see there all the time ( gee i guess that includes ME ! LOL ! )
5 the atmosphere ! you cannot recreate it - it just is ! Americana at it's best !
Great greasy comfort food. It is open all the time, which is great for a student like me.
I found multiple spelling mistakes in their menu.
Standees is the epitome of diner-hood. A tiny joint sitting adjacent to the Granville Red Line station, Standees possesses all of the great attributes of the greasy spoon: tired, yet somehow comforting, decor, delicious, cheese-filled omelets, disarming and friendly service, and low, low prices.
Back when I was a student at Loyola, I visited Standees at least four times a week for breakfast (and let's not mention the many post-bender 3 a.m. visits). Sure, it may have been destructive to my cardiac wellness, but so worth it. Nowadays, I try to visit every few months, and it hasn't changed a bit. And I hope it never does.
I'm so glad Standees is still around. This was one of my all-night hangouts when I was a student at Loyola -- and probably the only one that still exists. (When you drive up Sheridan Road, north of Devon, you'll pass Loyola's Art Department, which is obviously housed in an old Denny's. When I was there it was called Daddy's (save money on signage!), and later, the New Old Place. But I digress.)
Standees was a greasy spoon back then and still is today. It's the kind of place where the waitress calls you "hon," and shouts your order back to the fry cook. "Adam and Eve on a raft, wreck 'em!" The neighborhood is a little dicey, but that's as it should be. And Standees is stumbling distance from the Granville L stop.
Edgewater staple. You must, at least once. If you hate it, never come back. Otherwise, you will be craving the rice and gravy that comes with the scrambled eggs for the rest of your natural life.
Just don't use the bathroom.
The sweetest service you will ever receive, the best biscuits and gravy, and a good newspaper. The coffee is brown water, granted, but everything else is absolutely fantastic, and open 24 hours, plus cheap cheap cheap.
So, this place was WAY better when I was in college. Granted I was usually not sober when I went. So I went back recently and they messed up my order, and the order of the person I was with. I don't think this happens often though.
Food is decent, prices are cheap, but I wouldn't touch much there nor would I use the bathroom. I was once there when the police were trying to coax a cracked out naked man out of the locked bathroom. Funny, but not clean.
Standees is just an incredible dive joint in Chicago. I highly recommend their Standees special omelet. It makes me happy. Just be aware you don't go here if your watching your caloric intake, you go here to get awesome.
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
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Chicago, IL
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