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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
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Was in Chicago last week for a capoeira event. Didn't even know about this place and I was just tagging along with a Profesor from New York who swore that Valois is the best breakfast place. He said that it's fast, hot, and filling, and honestly when you go to capoeira events, you're literally working out hour after hour and most of the time we don't eat until the end of the day.
The place is cafeteria style. Big menu on the walls. You better know what you want because these people do not take shit. I was simple and ordered a fried egg sandwich with sausage, cheese and egg and hashbrowns on the side. My friends ordered the French toast with eggs, sausage and bacon. As soon as the words left our mouths a bunch of chefs just started assembling and cooking our food and as soon as we made our way to the register they were quick with tuning us up and getting our orders ready. It was really really fast. This place runs like a well oiled machine and if Obama used to eat here everyday then it must be good.
We then drove to U of Chicago were we all tore into our breakfast and the food was HOT. I have a crazy Asian mouth where I can eat fried chicken straight out of the fryer and I had to blow on my potatoes a few times. The hashbrowns were so buttery, perfect ratio of salt, soft and crisp edges. The egg sandwich was alright. Not bad, but not LEGENDARY, but even then good meal. My friends were beyond full and couldn't finish their French Toast, but they loved everything else.
So coming back there in the morning!
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2.5 stars... is that blasphemous?
But yeah.. I was really unimpressed. The only thing impressive about this place was how fast they like put out my order!
The great thing about this restaurant is the PRICE! I had like a stack of french toast (way too greasy!) and sausage links for under five dollars! aMAZing! ALso they serve breakfast way past breakfast time yay.
BUt yeah, I prefer mellow yellow next door or original pancake house in hyde park.
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Great! More "cheap" than moderate, without being a stunning bargain.
Feels like a neighborhood place, nice solid flavorful american food.
A good value in underserved Hyde Park, with pleasant staff, (unusual for Hyde Park).
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I came here with a friend for breakfast, the morning after Obama won his Nobel Prize. Food was excellent, service was fast, and great prices. What more can you ask for?
And don't forget that Valois makes the best patty melt. On caraway rye.
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Valois makes the best French toast. In the world. Period.
In fact, THERE IS NO OTHER FRENCH TOAST.
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Today was my 1st time visitig this breakfast joint and I will definitely be going back. I went to Mellow Yellow intially but didn't care for the service or atmosphere so I left and went to Valois and was happy I did, prices are more reasonable and the portions are great!
People thought this was:
Valois is excellent at what it is good at. Good quantities, excellent speed of service and unparalleled people watching.
Its good wholesome, stick to your stomach, filling food. But its about the people. Its the kind of place you can go to and see other Hyde Parkers you haven't seen in years. It was the kind of place you could go to and see Barack Obama, before he decided to move out east. It is a place that Stud Turkel liked to frequent. You will see all type of people there, young, old, well off, scraping by, students, professors, locals. . . And it is so busy that is you don't see any people worth watching wait five minutes and some one interest is sure to sit down.
In many respects its what Chicago and the country should be, one big melting pot.
I know some people are sad about the upgrade, but one nice addition is the flat-screen TV (they obtained it for their Obama Inauguration celebration). It often seems to be tuned into CNN, with the sound down and closed-captioning on.
Am not a fan of the burgers, because a) there's no fries available, and b) it comes with a HUGE mound of grilled onions - which are, is fact, quite yummy, but personally makes me incredibly tummy-sick. Advanced warning about the onions would be nice. If you are a fan of burgers served in this style, by all means this is definitely your burger. It is a very good burger, but it is not "my" burger.
Some items are hit-or-miss for me. I would enjoy the mac and cheese better if it had chewy crusty cheezy goodness on top - it's almost too creamy, and the noodles aren't al dente and very steam-table-y. But, hell, it's cafeteria food, and the portions are H-U-G-E.
I had already known about the amazing cheap wonderful breakfasts - hey look, real eggs, not eggs from a carton! French Toast cooked to order with cheap fake maple syrup, yo. And real butter - all right!
There are sodas in cans available, you just have to ask. And it comes with a glass with ice.
A really nice surprise was the rice pudding. I cannot tell if it is from scratch or from a mix, but who cares?
If the ATM is down (again!), go across the street to the main Hyde Park Bank location - there are 2 ATMs in the front lobby. It is across the street from where the Hollywood Video (just recently closed) used to be.
Note on Panhandlers, because it must be said:
Now that Hollywood Video is closed, there seem to be less panhandlers at that corner, and there's less of a feeling of "running the gauntlet" past people asking for spare change, or your food.
I hate to sound like a judgemental jackass, but I loathe being asked for food or spare change in da HP. It's always the same 12 people, chronic panhandlers, and I've been here 10 years now. For example, I have seen the "Have a Dollar You Can Spare?" lady working the same 2 blocks since 1999, no lie.
This is especially annoying since I'm now unemployed and in the middle of looking for a new gig.
I have no empathy for Career Panhandlers - new students be warned, you're pretty much being suckered on 53rd Street, and 57th.
Be nice to Streetwise vendors with the laminated badge, tho - they're legit. :-)
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My husband and I decided have breakfast here on Sunday due to the reviews posted on Yelp. Here are my thoughts.
Parking was easy and the drive along LSD was beautiful.
Service was quick (cafeteria style), portions were decent, and the prices are ok.
I ordered the Denver omelette and hash browns and it was ok. I'm not a big fan of american cheese so my omelette wasn't as good as it could be. I guess I got spoiled when other brunch places let you choose what kind of cheese you want in your omelette. The hash browns were round slices of potatoes with some crispy pieces, which I really liked. I did have to add my own salt and pepper cuz it was bland but I'd rather add my own seasonings vs. having a really salty or peppery dish - so that wasn't a big deal.
I forgot what my husband ordered but it wasn't anything memorable.
It's cheaper than other establishments I've been to but I don't think I'd go back there unless it was convenient for me.
I loved the breakfast that I had there. I've only been once but had every intention of going back - just dont live in the neighborhood anymore.
Like another reviewer said: you better know what you want as soon as you get to the front of the line or you're gonna look like an idiot - and you'll piss peeps off!!
The time I went there was no difficulty in finding a table despite the flood of people, though I cant imagine that's always the case.
Overall, great breakfast (I had eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc) and bustling atmosphere.
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There are two main types of patrons at Valois: the regulars and the haters. I've batted for both teams (get your mind out of the gutter).
The first time I tried Valois in 2003, it looked like a hospital cafeteria at night: eerily quiet, sterile, dead to the world. I stopped in randomly for a quick dinner. My meal consisted of some sort of boney fish (cod / tilapia) rice and beans...lackluster enough that I didn't return for another two years.
Then I discovered the error of my ways. Silly me. You don't go to Valois for lunch or dinner. You go for brunch. The establishment is hopping on weekend mornings, more resembling a rambunctious school cafeteria, replete with children and laughter. It is as greasy and good as they say, with thawed sweet strawberries in high fructose corn syrup (not fresh fruit, please, where do you think you are, a hotel?) for your french toast, eggs, biscuits, sausage, bacon, grits and syrupy love... you know, the works.
Just like Salonica, it's cheap enough that they ask you pay with cash only. Be quick about it - this place is an institution. You're eating by their rules. If you don't like it, go to OPH on 51st. The regulars will thank you for freeing up a table.
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Valois is an institution. The sociology book "Slim's Table" is about this fine establishment. Somehow, it took me almost 2 years of living in Hyde Park to make it here.
I typically don't go for eggs, but their omelettes looked delicious so I had a broccoli and cheese (which came with hash browns), OJ, cornbread, and coffee. I was shocked at how good the coffee is- it's DELICIOUS. Order the coffee, even if you're a coffee snob like me.
My omelette wasn't greasy, actually, it was perfect. I put some of the hot sauce from the table on my hash browns and omelette, and admittedly couldn't stop eating even after I was full. A nice bus-girl came by and gave us some water, and we sat back to watch a decent cross section of the neighborhood get in line.
The line moves fast, so don't be afraid of its length. HP/Kenwood/Woodlawn are such diverse neighborhoods that it's really fun to see everyone pile in here on a Saturday.
Apart from what I ordered- try the waffles with blueberry sauce. Another fine option. And don't be like me and wait so long to come here.
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I ate here all the time when I was a UofC undergrad, and it was awesome! Keep in mind that I graduated in 1989 and haven't been back since early nineties, so my info is a wee bit old %-)
The chicken pot pie is the best I've ever had. Anywhere. Ever.
I just needed to say that.
Obama know whats up cause this place is great. I lived around the corner from this place in 97-98 and would eat breakfast here pretty often. Food is good and greasy, company was interesting and the kitchen was fun to watch when ordering.
Ah the Valois...
Cleaner, larger than when I lived in Hyde Park during the mid 1980's, but the food and people watching remain killer. Top items: Omelettes, Bacon, Biscuits, Pot Pies, Burgers. The only thing I avoid is overcooked steam table veggies.
I wish I had something as good in Michigan.
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I would probably go as far as 4.5 but I did not want to round up.
Park in the lot to the East. You have to pay and stick a receipt on your window. The day we were there it was not taking cash but credit cards only. I stuck my card in and then selected "3 hours for the time limit. A lot of people seemed to be having trouble and there was a long line.
I liked the whole atmosphere. You have to wait in line if you go for breakfast on a Sunday. You also have to know what you want by the time you get to the front of the line. Almost as soon as you spit out what you want it is on your tray.
As many others have said the prices are extremely reasonable. We got a variety of food so I will review some of them.
French Toast - Excellent
Denver Omelette - Just ok. It seemed like something. It just lacked a little flavor.
Pancakes - Good but not great
Ham off the bone - This was outstanding
Bacon - Excellent
Biscuits - I thought these had some good flavor but I prefer something with a softer middle.
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Such a diverse place both due to the clientele and the food served. Where can you go and get a veggie egg white omelet, garlic spinach, apple pie, chicken and mashed potatoes, hot roast beef sandwich, pancakes and that is just the tip of it folks
This place really is a great place whether you want brunch, lunch or early dinner....and for less than 6 bucks a meal.
Hyde Park doesn't have too many options so this was such a treat. Plus it's about two blocks from the Hyde Park/53rd Street Metra Stop. Just about a 15 minute ride from Millennium Station at Michigan and Randolph so seriously easily get there.
This was such a great change of pace from the scene up North especially with all the families in down town while the kids are on Christmas Break, toting their American Girl shopping bags, waiting in line at Cheese Cake Factory. Boooorrrrring. For the fare of a Metra ticket, you can go down to Hyde Park and have lunch/brunch at Valois.
It has been said before: Cafeteria type restaurant sans the hair nets and ice cream scoopers for the mashed potatoes a la hot lunch in middle school.
We had sampled a range of food from the egg white omelet, HUGE cheeseburger, roast beef sandwich, and stack of pancakes. Everyone loved their meals. We even had two kids with us who also ate everything up and these were some massive portions.
Ooooh and the day we were here, they had these free coffee travel mugs when you got coffee. So fun.
After brunch you can hit up the Borders down the street to burn off the comfort food served at Valois.
This place is really not to be missed.
People thought this was:
Valois is a Hyde Park staple, but its not because of their feng shui. Its because people like their food ( like i like my women ) Hot, fast, and cheap. Valois definitely delivers on this daily.
Their cafeteria breakfast is better than most breakfast where you have to wait 40 mins for your food. Large servings are always a plus.
My favorite dinner there is the Chicken & Rice with gravy. You get a half of chicken and full plate of rice and gravy, corn, and a biscuit for $6.00
Really important restaurant to those suffering from the current recession.
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This place is great for getting a good amount of breakfast food for cheap!
FOOD: Delicious. They have eveything in the realm of Breakfast and Brunch and Lunch and a daily special. Large servings, and it's fast.
DRINK: Pop, Coffee, Milk, Tea, etc.
ATMOSPHERE: This place is a diner. I had lunch with my fiance when I was on break from work. Its the typical business/ college crowd. Everyone gets in and out. Not really a place to hang, just to refuel. I used to get coffee here in the morning and lunch every now and then when I was working on Hyde Park band across the street. There are always cops in this place. All day in and out cops. I have even seen the horse cops leave their horse tied up on the street to go inside.
If i am in the area, I might go back. As you may read in other reviews, you better know what you want when you get up there or they will just call the next in line.
You gotta love this place..well you don't have to do anything but I really like Valois! It's a cafe style restaurant and you can't beat this place for speed, good food, and a nice variety of it.
Word of advice:
Better know what you want within 2.5 secs from entering the door or you'll be balled out by the Breakfast Nazi at the beginning of the service line.
Plenty of metered parking in a good-size lot behind the block where Valois sits.
Avoid feeding the seagulls and the beggars.
People thought this was:
ive only had breakfast food from this spot. Cheese grits, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage etc.. pretty good & pretty damn cheap! Ive had their lil breakfast sweet bread, biscuit thing & it was not tasty... actually nasty as hell, so def dont get that. Also, the last time I ate there I saw a roach crawling next to the register & that threw me off a bit .
tip: u better have ur order ready & grab ur tray b4 u even attempt to place your order
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Super fast service. Cafeteria feel.
Oh hell yes! The hangover king of Hyde Park! Serves breakfast until 4PM, which is about an hour after I typically get up and go "fuck, is Valois still serving breakfast? let's GO!"
Make sure you get a biscuit, they're phenomenal. And huge.
Don't look at the cooks not wearing gloves. Just don't.
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I never knew what was supposed to be so great about a cafeteria, but this place is really pretty good. They give you a lot of food for your money so it's also a good value.
The best part is the people watching. My girlfriend and I stopped in on day for lunch and spent an hour just amusing ourselves with the parade of characters who wandered in and out.
Good reubens!
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Mmmmm I love Valois. I can get breakfast til 4pm everyday and if you go in there enough like I do, they start to know your order.
Also the coffee is good.
Prices reasonable. I get cheese eggs, grits, and turkey sausage for under $6.
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I love Valois like a family member. We've known each other a long, long time. I know its strengths and acknowledge its weaknesses. My love for this restaurant will never, ever die.
I adore: french toast, hash browns, eggs over hard on an english muffin.
I avoid: scrambled eggs and omelets (a little wetter than I prefer, plus they use american cheese in their omelets which I don't like). Pancakes can be a bit dry. Fruit topping on pancakes or french toast is not fresh fruit.
I love the ritual of this place. Waiting in line, being greeted, recognized and called "sweetheart" by the old Greek guys who run the place, placing my order and scooting my tray down the line with full faith that my completed order will land on my tray before I reach the cashier at the other end. The "toast or biscuits?" lady. The "something to drink?" lady. The fact that even though the restaurant is always packed I never have trouble finding a table or feel rushed to leave after eating. The tiny waters that magically appear on the table moments after sitting down.
They only take cash. The staff can be a little touchy if you don't know the routine-- make sure to take a tray, and be ready to state your order when you get up to the front of the line and a Greek guy in a paper hat shouts "NEXT!". Prepare to get hooked on this place-- I wake up on Sundays craving it now. The salt, the grease, the atmosphere-- there's nothing else like it.
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It's an institution, yes, but I suspect it's not for the food at all. Every time I went here I was just awed. I suspect if you looked up 'efficient' in the dictionary you would find a charming picture of the cooks at Valois.
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Yum!
Grits, eggs, biscuits, oh my!
It's a cafeteria, don't expect any bells and whistles. Just good food, cheap prices and bring cash because of course that's all they accept!
I only went for breakfast so I can not vouch for any of their other meals.
This place is the bomb. Seriously. I love everything I have ever had here. My favorites are the spinach pies and roast beef sandwiches but everything is great. Hot and fresh. They have this bread you can get too - I don't know what it is - like a cross between white bread and a biscuit. Awesome. I have to drive out from the northwest side to get here (about an hour drive) but it's always worth it.
My mom has a tremor and bad arthritis and without her ever asking someone always pops out and carries her food to her table.
Interesting factoid about this place: I read an article in the Tribune about how many of the most groundbreaking sociological studies ever conducted at UofC took place at Valois. Apparently many of the older participants liked to take researchers from UofC to Valois while they were interviewed.
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Another key Hyde Park/UChicago experience. The entire community comes out and enjoys greasy food together. I actually wouldn't say that the food is that remarkable or even particularly good, but it is a wonderful atmosphere - what Chicago is all about. From Nobel Prize winners to blue-collar types, we all dig in.
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BEST BREAKFAST EVER! Way better then Temple Cafe. Though I have to admit they don't know diddley about biscuits. The ham off the bone is the bomb. If your on a diet don't show up. If you require a napkin , waitstaff, and you don't have cash don't bother. But if you want really good food like your best friends grandma made who just moved in from a farm in Wisconsin bring your own napkin and appetite.
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I grew up in Hyde Park, and Valois has been a consistent neighborhood institution - perfectly salty and greasy breakfast food (I generally stick to stuff on the griddle), and tasty delicious Reuben sandwiches in the late afternoon are the only things I have ordered here for the last 15 years, and I am always satisfied. And it's CHEAP - you can fill up for half of the day for $5-6 bucks.
That said, my one complaint is the coffee - how can a breakfast place have bad coffee?
Finally, this is definitely a good place to people-watch; there is an interesting mix of retirees, cops, students, and families in here on any given day. It's one of those places where if it's crowded people will ask to share tables. It's also a place where they remember regulars...As a former regular who pops in once a year during the holidays, I can testify that there is nothing like a crabby Greek man reaching across the counter, pinching your cheeks and screaming "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!" before you have had your morning coffee.
Anyway, go for the eggs and ham off-the-bone, and stay for the local gossip.
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aww, I miss this place so much. They french toast is great, the eggs are great... the atmosphere is really unique and neighborhood-y. And the price is right! When I go back to Hyde Park, I hope to have time to come back!
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Greasy sandwiches and scary set up. I do not understand why people rave about this place. The food is mediocre at best and the facility is just scary. It resembles the prison cafeterias you see in movies.
I've lived in Hyde park for a long time and never really understood why the local people like this place.
I've never eaten breakfast here and may be that is why I don't appreciate the place. But, my lunch was horrible and dripping with grease.
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Valois is a fast paced cafeteria style restaurant that doesn't really allow new visitors to "See Their Food" before they order. You can tell this is a true local haunt cuz customers are expected to decide and move quickly once they hit the food ordering area.
So during my first visit, I was left to just scanning the menu on the wall and made an abrupt decision of getting simple over medium Eggs, Sausage and Hash Browns. While definitely not regrettable, once we moved down along the line, I finally saw their offerings and fell in love with this lone Chicken Pot Pie in a brown stone bowl with a huge muffin top style pie crust. Even though I pretty much convinced everyone behind the counter that I am a fat ass, I could not resist and ordered it anyway despite that they were already cooking a full breakfast for me on the grill.
All the items above came out to $9.58. Not only is this place cheap, the food is solid and trusty. Especially for super night owls who party all night long, they open at 5:30am.
P.S. If you like your French Toast ghetto style like me, as in ones that taste more like eggs than bread, Valois IS the place TO BE.
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This place rocks! It's SO CHEAP and SO GOOD!! I love breakfast, so Valois is definitely on my good side. It's also REALLY fast. It's a cafeteria style breakfast joint and it opens at 5:30 AM. Last week I went here FOUR TIMES!!!! You can eat with just $4.01 That'll get you an order of french toast with a side of bacon and a cup of coffee. The coffee is pretty good here too. I like the atmosphere. It's laid back, but clean and relaxing. If you look up they have a cool scene that caves into the ceiling. You're in and out quickly unless you want to relax after your meal, and you might need to.
AND they're open on Thanksgiving!!! Woot!! You can get your breakfast on Thanksgiving!
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This place is a great sociological phenomenon in an of itself (read Slim's Table by Mitchell Duneier, and you'll see what I mean). Whether you are black or white, a U of C professor or a working class African-American, this is a cafeteria that brings every race, class and gender together under one roof to enjoy great eats at a cheap price.
This establishment has been located in the heart of Hyde Park since the early 60's, and has always provided quality food at a great price. It's an amazing atmosphere, as you see different people from all walks of life enter into this restaurant, and suddenly begin chatting with one another. It's a friendly, clean atmosphere, and is the only place I know of in Chicago where I can get a FULL chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for $5.75. You read that right, $5.75!!!
The two Greek brothers that have run this place or at least 25 years are still working as short-order cooks behind the counter and run the line with "Soup Nazi"-like precision.
This place is a Hyde Park staple, a south side favorite, and a historic Chicago gem. Harold Washington ate here frequently, so did former White Sox owner Bill Veeck. If it was good for them, than it's definitely good for you! Come "see your food", eat and enjoy!
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Valois has a the best french toast ever and it's convenient that breakfast doesn't end until 4pm.
It's Cafeteria style and the cooks usually try to rush you to decide on a meal because the lines are usually long. So, I would suggest standing to the side to look at the menu before walking up to them saying, "Uh..."
Another dish that's good is the Short Ribs of Beef. I've been eating that since I was young and it's still the same goodness.
The crowd there is diverse and random, so you never know who you'll run into.
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Four years of college at the U of C and I never once set foot inside this place. Man, I even lived right down the street. I guess I was never one for breakfast back in those days. It's a damn shame, too. As a born-again cafeteria lover, Valois ranks among the best.
In town for my 5-year college reunion, I decided to give Valois a try for a not-so-early breakfast with my fraternity brother, Ben. The kind man behind the counter fixed me a veggie omelet and hash browns in about two minutes. They're not kidding, you really do get to see your food.
I can almost guarantee that I'll be back here for breakfast the next time I'm in Hyde Park.
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I've always been kind of scared to try this place, and I'm not sure why - probably the stress of not knowing the system that seem to be in place for ordering. Now that we live a block away, we decided to finally give the place a try.
It is a cafeteria style place - though not like the southern-style cafeterias I'm used to in GA. You place your order with a guy at the start of the counter, grab a tray, and start sliding down the line to the register. By the time you reach the cashier, you've gotten your eggs, potatoes, meat, coffee and toast all for around $4.50 - awesome! this is easy!
The seating is large and usually packed. The bus boys are very quick and helpful. The turnover is incredibly varied: most people will eat, drink their coffee and leave; however there is a large group of loveable old HP guys that take over a corner for a few hours.
Give this place a try. The place is clean, food and coffee are good, and the price is amazing.
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Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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