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On another thread,



On that advice, I dragged Mrs. JiLS out of bed early this Saturday morning to head up to Edgebrook for breakfast. Edgebrook Coffee Shop and Diner, for those not already in the know, is a tiny (20 seats) and funky little spot run very well by a team of incongruously young folks this blustery Saturday morning. After a brief wait for seats to clear, Mrs. JiLS and I were at first put off by the long and seemingly inordinate delay in getting service (extraordinary even considering the very high traffic). It got to a point where I was starting to make ironic "must be a place where they love the regulars" jokes to the Mrs., and the server blew past us at least a dozen times over a period of 10 minutes before I finally got her (embarrassed) attention -- seems she thought we were "with" the two teenage boys who had walked in right in front of us. I was struck comical and didn't have the heart to ask if she thought we were the boys' friends or their parents. The "boss" (or at least the oldest guy working the counter), noticing our plight, made a couple of genuinely funny and disarming jokes that defused what could have been an unpleasant situation ("We'll be with you in another hour!" and "Welcome to the place where waiting half a day for eggs is both conceivable and routine!"), and soon all was well.

Anyway, once that was settled we had one heck of a breakfast. This included the visual food porn of watching others' meals; meals that will likely bring me back to Edgebrook Diner & Coffee Shop. Steve maybe can confirm this, but the corned beef hash looked amazingly good. A Belgian waffle with a Polish sausage on the side was a Pan-European vision of beauty. But I was there on business, namely the business of trying the biscuits and gravy touted by SteveZ. And I was not disappointed. This was a stellar representation of that dish. At least the gravy part, that is. The biscuits were competent but really just good enough to serve as a gravy substrate. Of course, maybe there's an argument to be made for this approach; using the best quality biscuits under a load of sausage gravy arguably is like using a Grand Cru Bordeaux to make wine coolers. But it was the gravy that was the highlight here and really spoke to my inner Hoosier. This was the first B&G gravy I've had in the Chicago area that actually had some spice and flavor to it. Unlike the anemic milk and flour with a speck of pepper served at so many diners hereabouts, Edgebrook serves a real country gravy, plenty of spice, very rich and extremely satisfying. I also ordered a side of scrambled eggs (my usual mix-in with B&G), which curiously came in the form of a folded omelette; but "eggs are eggs," so they say, and these were good enough, especially under that luscious gravy. Mrs. JiLS had a Gypsy, served over very good hash browns and with a couple of strips of beautifully crisp bacon. Coffee was good diner coffee.

This was really a stellar diner breakfast, despite the little service blip at the beginning. I can't help comparing this to places like, e.g., Hotspot that serve basically similar quality food, maybe a couple of quirky extensions on the routine, but add a bit too much fuss and cost considerably (like 50%) more. And as much as I admire the mushroom B&G at Hotspot, it's not the real deal they are serving at Edgebrook Diner/Coffee House.

I've edited this post to include the following link to a column on Edgebrook Diner (Coffee Shop, whatever it's called!) from the Trib: Trib Column by Kogan

Jim,

I must have just missed you. I was there at around 9:30 yesterday morning. The "oldest guy working the counter" was probably Dimitri, the owner. Usually it is Dimitri who is manning the grill and the lovely Cristina (his wife), queen of the diner, who is taking the orders. Today, Cristina was not there and instead two young high school aged girls were taking the orders (one of which showed me a picture of herself wearing her prom queen tiara). That could explain the service gaffes. I'm glad you liked the Edgebrook Diner.

P.S. The CBH is quite good and is of the chunky homemade variety, but after ordering it once, I usually stick with either the B&G or an outstanding chorizo omelette, which are Saturday specials.

_________________
Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

In my best Homer Simpson voice....Mmmmmm...Biscuits and Gravy

Edgebrook Diner Biscuits and Gravy.

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

Steve -- Sorry we missed you. If Dimitri is about 30 years old (or looks pretty young for his age), then that was Dimitri cracking the egg jokes. It was a good time, great meal and I know I'll be back.

JiLS,

Dimitri is slightly hidden by his very pretty wife Christina, he's wearing a red bandanna.


Edgebrook Diner is one of my favorite spots for breakfast, in fact that's where we are going this morning for breakfast. Me, I'm going to have three over easy with bacon, sausage and hash browns, crisp, w/giardiniera and onions.

Edgebrook Diner


Enjoy,
Gary

Edgebrook Diner
6322 N Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
773-792-1433

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

At 10am on a Sunday morning, those pictures could be considered "cruel and unusual punishment." The fried eggs with their crispy edges made me gasp. That place looks fantastic.

We did go to Edgebrook Diner for breakfast, was kind of hoping to run into Steve Z or JiLS, but no such luck. Went with friends staying over from out of town and they simply loved the place.

I had two over easy with rye toast and very crisp hash browns with onion and giardiniera.


John had an omelet with hash browns.


Our better half's went with steak and eggs.


Lots of friendly conversation between the customers and Dimitri, who was there this morning, along with a youthful, efficient staff.

Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

Much has been said about the Biscuits and Gravy and Hash Browns at the Edgebrook Diner.

I will gladly concur with the hash browns but want also add that the smoked ham is also top notch. It is finished on the grill and is crisp and juicy, and not overly salty. (Seen with 2 eggs over easy, which were perfectly rendered, eggs over easy.)



The waffles are the puffiest I have ever seen. Have a crisp crust and a nice malty tang. Seen here with strawberries and whip cream.





And the pancakes were good, too. Warm, but not over powering vanilla and buttermilk flavor. (These are the pancakes included with the egg dishes. I could not capture a picture before they were attached by the Pancake Monster)

Does anyone remember the hours?

Edgebrook Coffee Shop and Diner
6322 N Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
773-792-1433
M-F 6:30am to 3pm
Saturday 6:30am to 2pm
Sunday 7:30-12:30

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

....

_________________
Ed Fisher
my chicago food photos

RIP LTH.

Repaired - I've relocated the photos. They have settled in nicely and are welcoming visitors.

Sorry about that. Stupid blogger.

Inspired by this thread, my husband & I had breakfast here this morning for the first time. It won't be the last. Our food was good, but I think the main reason we'll return was the fantastic & friendly service. Christine works the room so well that even though it was our first visit we were made to feel like regulars. We got there at about 10:15 a.m. and there was a line of people waiting for seats. It took about 15 min. to get from the door to a seat. We were offered coffee almost immediately. Dimitri came by to welcome us and apologize for the wait. One of the waitresses would periodically stroll by offering those waiting free samples of pumpkin bread. When we sat, Christine thanked us for waiting and our orders were taken quickly. I had the "hobo" - hash browns, veggies, and melted american cheese topped with 2 eggs your way. Whole wheat toast on the side. My husband ordered one of the daily specials - a chorizo omelet with hashbrowns and toast. We were very satisfied with both items. Include 2 cups of coffee, an orange juice and a V-8 and the whole bill came to about $15. Such a deal! Adding to the already fun vibe in the place, Christine was decked out in full vampire costume for Halloween - fangs and all. Some of the other waitresses were in costume too. The kids in the place seemed to be having a great time.

I made my first trip to Edgebrook Diner early Saturday afternoon with a friend who'd never visited either, for a late breakfast. It was about 1:00, and 1/2 the seats at the counter were occupied. I ordered the 2x2x2 breakfast (2 eggs, 2 pancakes and 2 sausage or bacon). My friend ordered the same thing. After finishing the breakfast I wondered to myself, "So what's the big deal?"

My scrambled eggs were served Mexican style (the cook was Mexican, as was the dishwasher and the little boy running around and playing behind the counter). In Mexico it's not easy to find scrambled eggs like we're accustomed to here in the USA, and the cooks there (and at Edgebrook) beat the egg a little in a bowl and pour it on the griddle or in a small frying pan and let it form like an omelet. It's something that's always annoyed me. And it annoyed me this time. The sausage links were pre-cooked earlier in the day (or maybe purchased that way?), and kept in a container off to the side at room temperature, and placed on the griddle to re-heat. Mine were luke-warm on the inside and I didn't appreciate that. The two pancakes were large, and tasty.

The two high school girls working as waitress didn’t appear to be experienced. Given the size of the place, I thought one waitress would have been sufficient. I watched as a couple of customers commented that items they'd ordered never arrived - the girls had forgotten.

Maybe the place serves good biscuits and gravy, and that's reason enough for someone wanting that to visit the restaurant. But for me, I thought the trip a waste of my time and money.

Bill - I know that if a restaurant is serving until 2:00, then walking in at 1:00 should not mean you will get an inferior meal. BUT ... you did walk into the place for "breakfast" at 1:00 in the afternoon. Again, not to excuse, but merely to explain: They open at 6:30 a.m. They have about 20 seats. Let's say the average diner takes 30 minutes, that means 40 meals served at the counter per hour. Then there are the takouts, which let's just say total 5 per hour. That's 45 meals per hour, times 6.5 hours they had been open when you walked in -- or 292 meals served before you got there. And let's also keep in mind the staff probably got there between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. to open up the place. So, having already put in what most 9-to-5'ers would consider a full day's work, and with two or more hours to go (one with customers, the rest to clean up), the sleep-deprived staff of Edgebrook served meals numbers 293 and 294 in less than stellar fashion. No, it is not an excuse; the management is to blame for overworking the staff (or using the high school girls, about whose waitstaffing skills I share your complaints), and the customers are harmed by this poor management decision, etc. I admit it all in advance! But still ... it's just a tiny, little diner. Moreover, as you suggest in your post, Edgebrook is known for offering certain items (like the B&G) that make it stand out. My suggestion to you: Go back at 8:00 a.m. next Saturday, and if you ask for scrambled eggs, specify "soft," and I'll wager you'll get them the way you like. And try the B&G; it really is all that.

_________________
JiLS

Jim, sorry, but I'm not buying your excuses for the restaurant. Breakfast in the diner is served anytime of the day. If someone doesn't know how to scramble eggs - even at 1 p.m. (and after having similar orders all morning) - , well . . . maybe they should be shown the door. The man, nice as he was, should be trained to do the job.

The container my sausage links were taken from contained about 75-100 others - all pre-cooked. If I want pre-cooked I'll have breakfast at McDonalds. I saw nothing about the place that spoke “diner” to me.

As for the waitress girls - well, they were too busy gossiping with one another - with their backs turned from the customers - and they just didn't care too much about the customers. I don't care how long they were working, there didn't seem to be anyone in charge.

Not only did the cook botch my eggs, IMO, he was similarly challenged when he prepared the hamburger ordered by the man sitting next to me.

Maybe the place had an all-around bad day yesterday and I’m over-reacting. However, my "gut" tells me this is a place that shouldn't be recommended to others.

Even though I expressly stated that I was not making excuses, but merely offering an explanation of a bad situation. Read my post.



I said as much; it's no excuse, and the management's fault, really, if their crew can't take the heat. But as I suggested, they probably would cook your eggs differently if you asked. If you went back, asked for eggs cooked light and fluffy, and still got the same egg hockey puck, then I'd say you are right and I am wrong.



Just plain "yuck." You should've mentioned this little detail in your original post.



That's what it sounds like to me. Normally, the owners are right there, running the show. Apparently not yesterday afternoon.



I think they had at least a bad afternoon yesterday. I'd say give them the benefit of the doubt, based on the many positive experiences I and others have had there over the years, although recognizing the possibility of a downhill slide.

_________________
JiLS

I don't think anyone should have to ask for scrambled eggs to be "light and fluffy." That's pretty much the definition of good scrambled eggs. Or maybe, "light and creamy."

Now omelets, you have to ask what kind they make. Because to some, an omelet is a light pancake of egg, rolled around a filling, and to others it's a frittata with the filling mixed in and the egg left to set.

But scrambled eggs are not, by default, hockey pucks.

_________________
LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

Except, apparently, in Mexico (as reported by Bill) and at the Edgebrook Diner yesterday afternoon.

_________________
JiLS

We went to Edgebrook based on reviews on LTH, and our experience was rather poor. I know that how the taste of food can differ from one person to another, which is why I rarely comment on food, but rather on service.


We waited 20 minutes for a couple of seats, and were seated at 12 Noon. The first of our food came 20 minutes later. There was a floor show to keep us amused. It was a High School girl, trying to make a milk shake, for the youngster sitting next to me. It took her a bit over 20 minutes. She said the ice cream was too hard to scoop, and that it would be a few minutes while the ice cream defrosted. She left the tub of icecream sitting on the counter, while she talked to the High School boy who was our waiter.

I had BandS, which I did not care for, and my wife had bacon, eggs, and pancakes. 20 minutes? We asked the young man, 4 times for my wifes toast and bacon. Sunnyside eggs, without toast, does not make it. The bacon arrived just about the time she finished her eggs. The toast arrived after the bill..

We left there scratching our heads. How could this place come so highly recomended. At the time I posted my thoughts, I got jumped on, and excused were made.

Sorry, you can not excuse a restaurant for poor service, and badly preped food, especially, eggs, bacon, and toast.

Which is why I expressly did not excuse, but rather attempted to explain why Bill (and now, apparently you and anybody else straying into this once highly-regarded place) received such awful service. Am I the only person alive who still gets the difference between explaining a shortcoming and offering an excuse for it? Well, here is the difference: You can explain how some awful thing may have happened while still condemning that occurrence (and its perpetrator) as unforgivable, even though understandable. A factual explanation, versus a normative evaluation. My recommendation to Bill was to go back and demand better service. Anyway, short story long, it looks like the management has just given up on the place. This is sad, because it was very good, at least when I visited. I thought perhaps it was a one-time thing. But apparently not. If they cannot do it right, they should not do it at all.

_________________
JiLS

HI,

I went with a friend to Edgebrook Diner for the first time last Sunday around 9:30 AM. Just as I was about the enter, a family of 3 walked ahead and got 3 chairs together. While there were two empty spots available, they were clear across the room from each other. We patiently waited 15 minutes until there were some departures.

During the time I was there, there was one young lady taking orders and serving plus several Mexican cooks. The family who arrived with us got their coffee and drinks, while the Dad got his biscuits and gravy immediately. Later I realized biscuits and gravy were his appetizer because he received a fully loaded eggs and everything else breakfast along with his wife and daughter. About 10 minutes after we were finally seated, the family who arrived with us had left.

I ordered the special of corned beef hash, once getting assurances it was freshly made and not from a can. The corned beef came with hashbrowns, two eggs and your choice of toast or pancakes. I opted for rye toast and my friend for pancakes. I recall JiLS liking the biscuits and gravy, though my memory suggested he liked the gravy more than the biscuit. I included a side order of sausage gravy with my order. When our meal arrived, there was a few minutes lag on the pancakes. While this might annoy someone else, this was fine given my friend's preference to eat pancakes last.

I very much liked the corned beef hash with cubes of corned beef, potatoes, green peppers and onions. I also liked the sausage gravy which I used on my hash browns. By the time we finished eating around 10:15 more than half the seats were available. The staff was openly stating their disbelief at the lull in their flow of customers.

While I am respectful there are long time regulars to Edgebrook Diner, whose claims to their rituals I am not about to challenge. It is a very small restaurant which needs a lot of turnover to keep it economically afloat. We quietly counted at least 5 seats of people lingering reading their newspaper in no particular hurry with people waiting. In their same place, I always feel I need to leave as a favor to the establishment to keep their turnover.

This is a really nice little diner from another place and time. While I will never reach regular status, I will certainly enjoy occasional visits into the future.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Just returned from my very pleasing first trip to Edgebrook Diner. As I mentioned to a friend, I'm not sure I've ever been out of flour, milk, and eggs at the same time, and normally discovering this late on a Friday night would send me scrambling to the nearest 24-hour supermarket. But a quick check of the CTA Trip Planner showed that the Peterson bus around the corner would get me to the Edgebrook within half an hour, and it seemed like all the stars were aligned.

Got there just about high noon, a few folks ahead of me; I amused myself by cooing over a few babies (who fortunately seemed equally amused) until my turn for a seat came around 12:15. Biscuits and gravy was still on the blackboard, so all the stars were staying in place for me.

I leaned over the counter as I ordered and whispered conspiratorially to the blonde teenager taking my order, "You know how I really like them? I don't know if you can do this. But two eggs over easy right on top is really amazing." She repeated the order to make sure she'd be giving me just what I wanted (which is a menu option at Jeri's Grill, my other Church of Biscuits and Gravy) and put in the order. (I'd added hash browns as well, just wanted them straight off the griddle the first time.)

Took no time at all for the plates to arrive. The hash browns were ideal, a good-sized portion with a crisp brown crust hiding the treasure underneath. But (while I know this will discredit me a bit in the eyes of many B&G lovers here) I have to rank the biscuits and gravy just a notch under Jeri's Grill. Edgebrook's gravy, while still very good, was a bit thinner and less rich, a bit watery, and the taste seemed mostly peppery to me, while Jeri's has a more well-rounded savory flavor. (The downside of Jeri's gravy is that it can be floury at times -- I think this is why the eggs over easy on top works so well there, as once the yolks break they help make that occasionally floury taste much less noticeable.) Still, the biscuits were top-notch, about as light and fluffy as I've ever had. Again, still a very good plate, worth trying there again to see if today might have been a bit off, but right now they're a close second for me.

Service, I have to say, was perfect; I gather the two teenage girls are probably those mentioned above, but they were prompt and attentive (I never once drained my cup of coffee, as they always noticed when there was only one sip left) and, as I noted, handled my unusual request just fine. As I was sopping up the last of my gravy, one let me know my total was $7.85; I put down a $10 and left my change there. I left at about 12:35, just an hour after I'd first gotten on the bus; if I'd gone to the tony brunch spots in Andersonville just around the corner, I might still be waiting for a seat, certainly still waiting for my food.

I have an unrelated question about that area -- the Peterson bus went down a stretch of Sauganash I haven't seen since the late '90s, when a girlfriend and I used to love a little coffee shop tucked into the neighborhood, Buzz Cup. I understand it's long gone, but is anything else of note in that space, does anyone know?

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your pleasant Edgebrook Diner experience, it's one of my favorite places for breakfast. Like any small diner, especially as they just opened another diner, there can be some minor ups and downs, but overall Edgebrook is one of the greats.

Far as Buzz Cup, as you say long gone. For a while that space was an ice cream shop, then empty, currently it's a Montessori school.

Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

My experiences at Edgebrook Diner have been closer to those of Bob S. and Cathy2 than to Bill's, noted above. Perfection in hash browns and eggs over easy, prompt attentive service, and that intangiable something-- a welcoming neighborhood-joint vibe. After I had been there for about 15 minutes, I felt like I had grown up in the area and was chatting with old friends. Maybe this vibe is what put me in the camp of Edgebrook-lovers, and perhaps objectivity is hard to come by under the pressure of those crispy hashbrowns!

I wonder if people on the board are aware that the owners have been getting the new place in Wilmette going lately. They were both there cooking and running the show on my three recent visits. (I have to say that I was disappointed that the corned beef hash at Mrs. D.'s was not homemade on the day I ordered it.) Perhaps growing pains can account for a less tightly managed operation at Edgebrook in recent days. In any case, Edgebrook Diner and Mrs. D.'s are on my list of places that I feel especially comfortable and well-fed.

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Man : I can't understand how a poet like you can eat that stuff.
T. S. Eliot: Ah, but you're not a poet.

Well it had been a little while since I'd been to Edgebrook since my recommended intake of eggs and breakfast meats is now far below where I'd like it to be but I stopped off yesterday (Saturday) around 8 AM for breakfast. Service was great (as it typically has been for me - "bad" service is having to motion for a coffee refill rather than be asked) and people - on both sides of the counter - were friendly and welcoming. Went for the corned beef hash special with 2 eggs over medium, hash browns and pancakes. Eggs were done exactly as I like them - over medium to me means that the yolks are still in a liquid state but thick enough that they move slowly like molasses; it's almost always too runny or too hard when I order this at most places but here it was "just right". CB Hash was tasty with large-ish pieces of CB; people that want a more cubed/minced uniform mix of CB Hash might not like this version as much but both varieties work for me.

After reading some of the recent posts here I was initially alarmed when I didn't see Pedro manning the grill but subsequently learned that he had recently had a new addition to the family and was spending some time at home. The 'substitute' staff did a fine job in his absence and, assuming I can keep my HDL/LDL numbers in the right range, I look forward to my next visit and maybe that tasty chorizo omelet that's frequently on the blackboard specials.

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Objects in mirror appear to be losing.

A friend and I took a field trip to Edgebrook Diner on Wednesday, mostly motivated by the photographs of eggs in this thread. I like eggs over easy, she likes them over medium, and the place that can differentiate between the two is a rare jewel. Most places we've tried can't do eggs over medium at all, and some can't even seem to manage eggs over easy!

I won't go into too much detail, but the eggs were perfect, and there was a marked difference between easy and medium. Since man does not live on eggs alone, we tried many other things: the pancakes were thin and tasty, the waffle was light and crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside, the bacon was that happy intersection of crisp and chewy, and the service was pleasant and quick. We also got to see a local celebrity, Lin Brehmer from WXRT, who is obviously a regular there.

As a plus, afterwards our clothes didn't reek of grilled food as so often occurs after dining in a counter-across-from-a-grill type of place--not sure whether this is due to superior ventilation, or to the fact that on a Wednesday morning it wasn't super busy. There are definitely diners out there where even on a slow day, to merely walk briskly through will taint your outerwear for the rest of your day, so this was a nice change.

This was a long trek for us--even if we hadn't gotten lost after an ill-advised attempt at a short-cut--but well worth it. I'll definitely be visiting again soon.

_________________
Anthony Bourdain on Barack Obama: "He's from Chicago, so he knows what good food is."

LTH,

Four of us went for a late morning breakfast at Edgebrook Diner on Sunday. Dimitri was manning the grill, three highschool age waitstaff bustling, well, ok, two were bustling, one was lallygagging , and a friendly, jovial, interactive crowd was talking, joking, and enjoying plates of picture perfect breakfast.

Two added bonuses, just as we sat down Steve Z walked in and Dimitri mistakenly added corned beef hash to my three over easy, sausage, crisp hash browns w/onions and giardiniera. I offered to exchange, but as Dimitri said "on the house" I 'suffered' through.

Three over easy, sausage, corned beef hash, crisp hash browns w/giardiniera and onion


Two over easy, crisp hash browns, corn beef hash


Very enjoyable breakfast, from all standpoints.

Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

Glad to see someone else who likes their eggs with some texture! What is it with places that poach eggs in butter and pass them off as fried? Anyway, I have roots in Northern Kentucky, can't wait to see if the biscuits & gravy pass muster as you say...

Depending on whether you are a "glass half empty" or "glass half full" kinda person, you can prepare for mild disappointment or a pleasant surprise with Edgebrook's B&G. Gravy is very good, and would definitely pass muster. Biscuits are a bit tough and tend to stay in the warmer a lot longer than they ought to. This may be the result of low turnover; maybe try getting there during the first 30 minutes they are open and you'll get them fresh from the oven (something I've never done). I'm sure that you, like I, know and appreciate the fact that good biscuits start to fade rapidly within a half hour out of the oven and just can't survive any attempts to preserve them past that natural half-life.

_________________
JiLS