Elly’s Pancake House

Ellys is pretty close to where I live so I figured why not check it out. When we walked in we were not greeted or seated… Confused we just sat ourselves… When menus were brought over they were basically just thrown on the table (still no greeting by any employee). We sat for about 10 minutes before even getting asked for a beverage order. Finally when an employee came over he immediately asked if we were ready to order (still no drinks)… When finally able to order beverages we were also ready to place a food order, but were only given time to order drinks. Another 10 minutes before we were able to order food. Regardless of the time, we finally got a good server– Omar was nice, polite, soft spoken, and attentive. There was one server whom we noticed on the floor who was not only rude to her current tables (whom we were sitting right next to) by mumbling comments and rolling her eyes when was asked for things by her tables (ex: they asked for a togo bag several times and from or server as well… When she finally came over with the bag she proceeded to yell across the floor «yah I know I know I had to go get it okay!?» To her table and other employees whom were reminding her. When her table waved her over she was half way across the room and said «what?» It took her about a min to actually walk up to her table to see what they needed… RUDE)! If we would have had her as a server we would have left.
All that being said it was a bit over priced for the service provided… The food I received was cold upon arrival and was subpar at best. Maybe they were going through a shift change with employees at the time because others after us were being greeted and seated, but If it weren’t for Omar being so kind unlike the other server on the floor at that time I don’t think I would ever dine at Ellys again.

Came here at 5 o’clock in the morning on New Years Eve. It was packed but we were seated almost immediately. Fast service. The turkey sausage was awful and really dry but the pancakes were delicious. Sadly, that’s all I remember.

This diner turns out some solid fare, all the basics you would expect at a diner. Yeah, they have a few specialities, but none of them are really unique. Don’t get me wrong — the food is good, but just not wowing. The staff was a little standoffish to start, but warmed up and turned out to be pretty friendly once you engaged them. The coffee was also good, even the decaf. And I love the fact this place is 24 hours! I wouldn’t hesitate to come back to Elly’s!

I went here for breakfast one morning with two of my friends and was not impressed. I am vegan, and this never seems to be a problem when eating at restaurants in Chicago, a city that is normally relatively vegan friendly.
Upon arrival, I informed our waiter that I was vegan and asked if there were any dishes that he would recommend for me. All he had to say (in a very rude manner) was, «what’s vegan?» Now, I understand that vegans do not make up a very large percentage of the population, but there are quite a few of us in Chicago and I would expect someone who works in the food business to at least be aware of the meaning of the word vegan. After patiently explaining to the waiter that I do not consume any animal products, he said (while wearing a very puzzled expression) «Well uh… We have fruit.»
Going into any restaurant that isn’t typically meant for vegans, I don’t expect a menu as abundant as the non-​vegans around me get to choose from. I do, however, expect at least one or two options more impressive than just fruit and/​or vegetables. I don’t think people realize how easy it is to whip up a batch of vegan pancakes, or throw together some oatmeal with soy milk and a handful of raisins and nuts!
I ended up ordering the fruit, which turned out to be an okay array of fruit, albeit pretty overpriced considering it was just that: fruit. The waiter also brought me a side of cottage cheese and a slice of date nut bread, neither of which I could eat. The cottage cheese for obvious reasons, and the bread I found out was made using eggs.
My friends ordered pancakes, which they said were okay, although while eating we were disturbed by an argument that was taking place at the table next to us between the customers and their waitress. We also had to ask several times for water refills because apparently our waiter was too busy to notice our glasses were empty on several occasions.
I would recommend that Elly’s add at least a couple vegan friendly options to their menu, and I would also recommend that they teach their waiters and waitresses basic manners when interacting with customers. Overall, vegan or not, I would not recommend this restaurant.

Fantastic! Always a crowd pleaser! Lots of variety! Lots of food! Best diner anywhere! Cool atmosphere! Kid-​friendly!

Whoever doesn’t give ellys 5 stars, probably sucks as a person. 24 hour bomb ass diner with bomb service. Just go

In the category of 24-​hour diners, this place is a clear 5 stars. I’m not sure what reference point the other reviews are using. Most reviews seem to criticize Elly’s for not being a gourmet breakfast place – even though it’s not, nor does it try to be.
At Elly’s you get what you hope for from a 24-​hour diner: classic breakfast fare and pretty good service any time of day. Most of the dishes include a ton of food and will fill you up. The omelettes are enormous (5 eggs). The Corned Beef Hash platter is delicious and includes as sides 2 eggs, hash browns, and a short stack of two pancakes or toast. The skillets are also massive and tasty. They serve non-​breakfast items, but I have no idea why anyone would order those.
I’ve easily been there over a dozen times. Each time, the food was comparable to the previous time. The negative anecdotes about food quality (in other reviews) do not accurately represent the overall quality or consistency.
5 stars – will return and recommend to friends.

Had skirt steak, tasted good and cooked to order. Eggs ok, and hash browns tasty. Plenty of seating, close to Lincoln Park and zoo.

The food here is pretty consistent. Nice local breakfast place with delicious pancakes.

So Elly’s is right across from the school I coach at. usually i’m constantly moving, in and out, coming and going, but every once in a while I get a chance to stop in to what’s turning into becoming my favorite (albeit) fancy diner. I first went there for lunch one day, got an outstanding turkey/​bacon club. Customer service was pretty cool. My next appearance was for breakfast before a game, got the make your own skillet and it was amazing! The portions were bigger than any skillet ive ever eaten and it was so damn tasty… definitely on my must do again list!

They know how to poach eggs. That’s an extremely high complement because it seems so simple and yet… so many places can’t do it right. I ordered the potato benedict — hold the hollandaise — yes I’m THAT person. Just don’t like hollandaise. I also got it with hash browns cuz — potatoes, people, potatoes. Needed to do a cross-​check on delicious-​nuss of potato pancakes vs. hash browns. The pancakes win. hands down. No question. So after removing the bacon from the benedict and handing it to hubby, ate my poached eggs on my potato pancakes and lived in heaven for the next hour.

Great venue for conversation over a meal. Friendly service brought me in for breakfast and lunch… You do the math

I love eating at Elly’s all over Chicagoland so much. I’ve eaten here for years and I was first introduced to Elly’s at the Suburban location in Norridge, Il. I’m pretty much addicted to the Chicken Fried Steak that comes with gravy, eggs, toast or pancakes and hash browns.
My meal today was a disappointment because the eggs were terrible. They were scrambled, but tasted old. Either the milk was expired or the eggs were expired or the fridge where they are stored is terribly dirty and the wet items are holding in a dirty odor/​taste.
To clarify, I didn’t get sick, the taste was just bad and it wasn’t due to poor cooking abilities.
I’ll still go back and give them another try because they know what they are doing when it comes to this meal. I recently ordered the same in Texas and it was terrible. They deserve another chance.

Had the Spartan omelette that came with hash browns and pancakes (that I changed to chocolate chip pancakes) it was dericious! The menu has so many breakfast and lunch style options it’s a good place that has options for everyone and it’s open 24÷7− so good for those «late nights socializing»

I love 24 hour diners. I’ve never been to a bad one, and Ellys continued that trend.
Do you know how few places near-​ish to downtown serve breakfast a dinner times? It’s just diners for the most part, and that’s a shame.
ANYWHO. Fluffy pancakes, perfect over easy egg, quality bacon and fresh apple juice for about $ 10 in an adorable space. I’ll be back for sure!

I really don’t enjoy leaving bad reviews and very rarely do so. That being said, I’ve been to Elly’s a handful of times but my last two experiences, both around 8pm, were not very enjoyable. I will say I’ve never had any issues when there for brunch so if you want to try it, I’d recommend going then.
My last visit I ordered eggs. The eggs were cold and looked like they had been reheated in the microwave. The plate was a little warm but that was about it. They were so gross. Then to make matters worse, the guy refilled my water and a fly came out of the jug into my glass. I told him I would like a new water and he grabbed another glass from a nearby table and filled the water from the same jug the fly came out of! A little sketched out by the food and the cleanliness of this place.

Been there twice. Pecan pancakes are great! So fluffy and delicious. The Olé Skillet is amazingly tasty! Definitely recommend it! One of many great places to eat in Chicago!

What a great late night pit stop.
I stumbled in there with a group of friends and we ordered according to the 3AM slosh principle of «the greasier the better».
I started playing a game with one of the ladies at the table. I told her to turn her hands upside down on the table, I placed a full cup of water on each of her hands, and told her to balance them. Everyone at the table pretended to walk away. She pretty quickly spilled the water all over the table. We then tried the prank several more times, which resulted in several more spills.
Now the whole time we were being late-​night idiots, the manager of the restaurant was secretly watching us. Instead of coming over and yelling at us or kicking us out, he walked over with a stone face called over two waiters, they removed the glasses from the table, and then gave each of us a dinosaur kiddy-​cup with a straw.

About 2pm on the Saturday before St. Patricks day, the city was crazy busy, and we were in the mood for brunch… so thankful we decided on Elly’s! Even though it was a little busier, the service was still acceptably prompt and friendly.
The ambiance of Elly’s reminds me of my aunt’s kitchen when I was younger. Mismatched chairs, casual conversations flitting through the air, families and couples and friends seem to fill the joint, and the servers give off the «I may be working here but I’d still love to sit and eat any of the items on the menu» vibe. (Hoping I’m not the only one who knows what I’m talking about.)
And the food. YOU GUYS, the food! I had four pieces of the Thick French Toast, and since I ran a half marathon that morning, I just wanted there to be MORE! Fluffy, flavorful, and they provided just the right amount of syrup to compliment them. The food my friends got also looked delicious, but since I’m kind of a french toast snob in the post-​race afternoon, I have to say that mine was the best.
The only disappointment, and the reason I can’t give Elly’s five stars, is dessert. Overpriced, bad pie (according to my roommate) and a brownie that was FAR too sugary (especially compared with that fantastic french toast…)
That being said, I definitely plan on returning to Elly’s soon for more French Toast… I’m sorry, I just can’t get over how great that stuff was.

Spacious, opens 24 hours and free Wifi.
Great prices and decent portions!
Got the Spartan Omelette (feta cheese, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms) with the pancakes. Pancakes were fluffy– I like them here.
Con: $ 4/​hr meter parking.

Bonne adresse pour le breakfast par contre le service est trop expéditif à peine on est assis qu’on reçoit la note. Mais les plats sont très bons.