With all the wonderful restaurant choices in Chicago this is not the most likely choice. I will tell you that if you take your children (of any age) once, they will never want to eat anywhere... More

With all the wonderful restaurant choices in Chicago this is not the most likely choice. I will tell you that if you take your children (of any age) once, they will never want to eat anywhere else! The style is 50's diner...complete with plastic booths and Elvis pictures on the walls. The menu follows the theme with burgers, fries, meatloaf and mashed potato dinners and is always very good, but certainly not gourmet. It is the cast of characters that makes this so unique and fun. The wait staff is dressed much like the cast of "Grease" only more so. They do not hesitate to yell at you to "wait behind that line, I'm not ready to seat you yet!" or "you want a vanilla coke? Sicko!" They are known to jump up on the counters and burst into Sha Na Na songs. Our first visit the kids were small and they couldn't believe the waitress was yelling at mom for not cleaning her plate. They loved it! This is a great place to take a lunch break in Chicago. It will keep your kids entertained; you won't leave hungry and best of all it won't break the bank! Ed Debevic's is located at 640 N. Wells St., downtown.
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Ed Debevics does a great job of replicating a 50s diner. They have everything down right to the dot, including the rude and often dismissive service. It is a really fun place to be and the bigger... More

Ed Debevics does a great job of replicating a 50s diner. They have everything down right to the dot, including the rude and often dismissive service. It is a really fun place to be and the bigger group you come with, the more enjoyable place this is. The food is good and pretty much your classic diner food. One thing that brings you back to reality and jolts you back to the fact that you are not in the 50s anymore are their prices. This place is a bit overpriced, but for the fun experience and atmosphere, it is not a bad deal at all.
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You have to be prepared for the attitude you will receive when you come to Ed Debevics. The entire place is supposed to feel like a diner out of the 1950s, but the employees are SUPPOSED to be rude... More

You have to be prepared for the attitude you will receive when you come to Ed Debevics. The entire place is supposed to feel like a diner out of the 1950s, but the employees are SUPPOSED to be rude and obnoxious to you. The food? Well, this is strictly diner, greasy-spoon stuff. In short, it's fantastic. The cheese fries! The burgers! The thick shakes and malts! All of this is great. Watch for the staff to start dancing in the aisles for a certain song that, apparently, they decide upon beforehand. I have been here and been teased upon walking in. I have had the waitress sit down in the booth next to me to take an order and complain about her day. The DJ plays a great mix of music and, well, quite honestly, this place is just a lot of fun. There is one right downtown and there is one way out in Deerfield. The Deerfield one is just as much fun and you can often find a seat faster.
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I haven't been in a year or so but when I last visited this restaurant with a group of friends we had so much fun! Just reading the menu was entertainment enough, but at one point some of the staff... More

I haven't been in a year or so but when I last visited this restaurant with a group of friends we had so much fun! Just reading the menu was entertainment enough, but at one point some of the staff jumped up on the counter and started to sing ... it was seriously funny. The food was actually better than I thought - I figured on paying a lot for the entertainment and not much else, but was pleasantly surprised.
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I love their cherry cokes they make from scratch. I plan on visiting there when we Head to Chicago soon. The food is pretty good too. The menu's are kinda funny.

I love their cherry cokes they make from scratch. I plan on visiting there when we Head to Chicago soon. The food is pretty good too. The menu's are kinda funny.
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This whole restaurant is based on a campy 1950s diner theme, which is great for tourists who love to be entertained and aren't interested in finding the latest greatest ethnic restaurant that you... More

This whole restaurant is based on a campy 1950s diner theme, which is great for tourists who love to be entertained and aren't interested in finding the latest greatest ethnic restaurant that you would normally be dining at. That said, it can be fun, and it's a great place to take kids who are fussy eaters. The food is standard diner fare: burgers, shakes, etc. For my money, I'd take Johnny Rocket's over Ed Debevic's, but as they say, it is a Chicago institution. Highlight for most folks: rude waiters and waitresses (all acting of course). For me, it's too put on. Yet whenever I take out-of-towners there, they seem to love it. Go figure.
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I love, love, love this place. The concept is really neat. They serve typical diner food and play nostalgic music. The best part about it is the wait staff. They are almost actors and actresses.... More

I love, love, love this place. The concept is really neat. They serve typical diner food and play nostalgic music. The best part about it is the wait staff. They are almost actors and actresses. They will be really rude and or really funny to you just to get a rise out of you. It is fun to not tell the person that you are taking that it is a joke and watch their reaction. They dance and play games and give the patrons a great time! The food is good too. It is not expensive, so it is good for families. The best thing on the menu in my opinion are the cheese burgers, chili cheese fries, and for dessert, the worlds smallest ice cream sundae. It is literally the size of an shot glass but the taste is amazing. Since the food portions are so big, it is perfect for someone who wants something sweet but doesn't have the room for a whole dessert. Next time you are in Chicagoland, put this place on your must see list.
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This is a fun place to eat. It's a 50's style diner and the waitresses act rude – but it's all an act and you go there purposefully to be treated like that. It's kind of a strange concept – who... More

This is a fun place to eat. It's a 50's style diner and the waitresses act rude – but it's all an act and you go there purposefully to be treated like that. It's kind of a strange concept – who wants to go somewhere where they are treated rudely? But it's all in good fun and that's the key. I've never seen this place less than packed, so be prepared to wait a while for your food. The food is average, but the atmosphere makes up for everything – the rude act is supposed to be funny, not insulting.
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Eating at this restaurant, you will find yourself confused as to what is serious and what is not. Their slogan, 'Good Food, Fresh Service,' sums up the experience. The servers are like actors... More

Eating at this restaurant, you will find yourself confused as to what is serious and what is not. Their slogan, 'Good Food, Fresh Service,' sums up the experience. The servers are like actors trying to be half-way rude. Ordering a salad, they might say, 'What are you, a rabbit or something?'. The food is actually pretty good, but you're coming for the experience. It's not exactly a classy place, but it can be fun.
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They can be nasty and rude, but they also can be funny and clever. Overall it is campy and over the top. Most of the servers are actors as well or trying to break into acting. I guess they practice... More

They can be nasty and rude, but they also can be funny and clever. Overall it is campy and over the top. Most of the servers are actors as well or trying to break into acting. I guess they practice their craft at their "day job" waiting tables. The food is just fair and of course a little overpriced, but you are indirectly paying for your entertainment. It's definetly not for everyone, especially for those that are very shy or ultra private, I'm sure those types won't be back a second time.
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