Grandma J’s Local Kitchen

Waited 2 hours for food. Their excuse was everything is freshly made. From someone who works in the food industry, not a very good excuse. I say, if you want to play in the big leagues, step up your game!

We’ve had some good experiences here, which is why I’m not giving it one star. After about a 15 minute wait we were seated, but then were asked to share our table with other customers who hadn’t been waiting as long. Our food took almost 50 minutes, when it finally came it was horrible. The biscuits and Gravy wasn’t even gravy, just greasy meat on top. The kale in my the works was burnt and chewy, and whatever it was seasoned with was horrible. We couldn’t get anyone’s attention and no one ever came back to check on us. Then after pushing our plates to the side, it took another 30 minutes to get our check. The coffee is good. But needless to say we won’t be going back.

I would love to give this place a 3.5. I really liked the small, cozy, funky vibe and the laid back atmosphere. The chicken my bf ordered was wonderful but the waffle fritters came in pancake form today, which wasn’t as impressive. I had the french toast which wasn’t very flavorful. If I ever came back, I would make sure I didn’t have anything to do after because the wait for the food was extremely long.

Simply: good food, good service, good people, if u want to have a perfect breakfast just try this guys.

Hands down best breakfast joint in the city! My girlfriend and I absolutely love this place. You have to come here, especially in the summer when the patio is open. The food is to die for… The mimosa tray will knock your socks off (has three separate types of juices to mix n fresh fruit)… And the service, along with the owner Layla, couldn’t be any nicer and prompt.
Don’t miss out!

Nice little place, had The Works and was happy with the food, very friendly waiter and cozy environment. Would definitely recommend and will be back!

This was one of the best brunches I’ve had in a long, long time. I had «The Works» and my boyfriend had the breakfast sandwich. It was incredibly tasty and came with a side of fried apples. I knew I was full but I couldn’t stop eating. It was so refreshing to try something a little different. I saw what looked like an entire chicken stacked on somebody’s plate for the chicken and waffles, and I can’t wait to try that next. Keep up the good work!
— minus a star for cold-​ass coffee, and being cash only

This is a very lovely restaurant. The food was delicious and the staff was very kind. I would highly recommend it to any one.

So here’s why I’m only giving two stars. The food here is really good and fresh. I’ve tried the biz and gravy, the works, the mushroom toast, and the grilled cheese. All were very tasty and filling. But after this morning I don’t think we’ll be back.
We got seated immediately and the wait staff was attentive. It took 3 times asking for a virgin bloody mary to get it, but when it finally arrived it was really good.
First things first, the couple directly to my left got seated with water and they served her a glass of water with a piece of chewed up gum in the wrapper in the bottom of the glass. Lovely.
We order right away and then sit there… and sit there… and sit there… and sit there. In the meantime, I saw the main chef leave and saw three tables with no food whatsoever. After about 25 minutes, the kids behind me got their french toast. The parents were still waiting. The table behind them, the kid had gotten their food and finished… the parents were still waiting. The couple to the side of me had been sitting there for 15 minutes prior to when we got there (overheard their conversation)…So, they still had no food after almost 45 minutes of being there? A dude walks in, high fives the waitstaff and the other chef (main chef still gone), sits down at the bar, and within 8 minutes has his breakfast sandwich. Finally, the main chef comes in with a bag of cilantro about 30 minutes after us being there. The parents behind us finally get their breakfast sandwich, the parents behind them finally get their fried chicken, the couple who’s been there for 50 mins now still has no food and the couple sitting next to us who got there 10 minutes after us has their food. Uhhhhhh, what the what??? So my husbo goes and talks to the owner and apparently the owner interrupts him mid sentence and says she’s aware of what’s going on. He’s like, «what’s going on?» Then she realizes she cut him off before he had said anything and then gets an attitude when he tells her about the gum situation and the food situation. She then tells him she’s been there the whole time (false…she walked in after us being there for about 20 minutes) and says its under control. By this time, we’re starving and go to Handlebar where we get seated, get our order, clean dishes, and great tasting food all within 15 minutes.
Grandma J’s — I really wanted to love you but after this morning, I’m really disappointed. I don’t know if it was a fluke, but it was too bad to be back.

Heard some rumors that this place was goin to close! Thought I would sneak in a review.
This here is a tiny joint, heavy on hipster soul, pleasant servers, and a weekend brunch menu that is worth the trip.
Over a conversation of southern cooking you get a wonderfully spruced up Waffle House like menu. Nice balance between arteriosclerosis inducing and foodie friendly.
Nice touch giving us the option to wait inside with a beverage. I can see where being so nice had cost you in overhead. I do hope they remain open and maybe revamp the menu for more work week clientele?
Bonne chance, as they say!

Great hidden gem in Logan Square/​Humboldt Park. I can only attest to the brunch menu, but I’ve tried most of their dishes and have enjoyed everything they offer. My top picks are the chicken and waffles, the Morning Sandwich, and their biscuits and gravy. The staff and owner are wonderful and are extremely friendly and attentive. Definitely a must for those who live in this hood.

This place is a 3.5 star for me.
So I ordered The Works for brunch and it arrived in about 20 minutes or so.
The good– the bacon was absolutely fantastic. Right texture, right flavour. The grilled tomato was also very tasty. Service was great and staff friendly. Manager was apologetic with the small quality glitch that I encountered (see below).
The ok– the two poached eggs had different consistency, one was great, one was a bit overcooked. Hollandaise sauce was ok.
The needs improvement– the potato hash needed were somewhat bland. But the big turnoff was pieces of greasy char showing up in the bowl. Grill wasn’t properly scraped enough.
Last but not least, coffee was way too flat for my taste…

Came on a Monday morning to avoid the long wait. Food was superb, ordered the chicken sandwich– was warned in advance that food might take a while because everything wasted from scratch. Loved hearing that, too many places are pumping food out of the kitchen without TLC. Johnny attended to us and did a great job hosting.

Arrived here at 1pm, it’s now 3 (closing time) and we have yet to be served. I’ve been here before, and they do have great food; however the wait time after you order is inexcusable.

Save for the waffle fritters, which were an unmitigated disaster of desert conditions, I’m excited to come back and hit Grandma J’s again. The biscuits and gravy, fried chicken and breakfast sammie were all great, and I didn’t even think to bring champagne since this place is BYO so I had to wash it all down with water… I won’t make that mistake again. The servers are borderline too friendly; if you bring friends here from NYC, DC or other Northeast locations where being friendly is NOT normal, expect them to be shocked by the behavior of the friendly servers and staff.
Very kid-​friendly, right down to a host of toys and games that my 18-​month-​old used to keep herself busy. Boosters and high chairs to accommodate a range of kid options.
Also, one note – during my visit last weekend, there were only three parties in the restaurant when we ordered… and our food took almost 30 minutes to bring out. The menus will warn you about this as well, but try not to come here ravenous or you will pay the price as you wait for your food to come out! Seating here is fairly small, so I would skip bringing a group here larger than four people, especially on weekends.

Prepare to wait (not for a table but for your food)! This is a place good for catching up with old friends, because you’ll have to wait a long time for your food. Cash ONLY. Very hot inside with a lot of flies. No A/​C and door open. It adds to the charm of the place. Suppose to feel like you’re at Grandma’s which I respect.
Food:
The Works: Pretty good.
Fried Green Tomato Benedict: Not bad.
Overall, the food wasn’t bad but also not mind blowing enough for me to come back and wait an hour for. Also it’s not cheap. I do respect what they’re trying to do with the whole chill and enjoy your company vibe.

What can I say here that hasn’t already been said? The work that is being done in this little kitchen is among the best in the city, especially in the ever important byob brunch space.
This is the kind of place that could literally charge double, and you would still be happy. But they don’t, and that is the other half of the charm here. There’s something just so inviting about a local joint, with real people running it, turning out top level food.
Owner Layla is always there with a smile of some kind, and along with her warm staff, they make you feel more like neighbors and friends than customers.
The Fried Chicken and Waffle Fritters might not only be the best brunch dish in the city, but maybe even the best fried chicken. The breakfast poutine, biscuits and well… everything else is just on point.
If you want to go someplace for brunch without a side of pretentiousness, then get your ass to Grandma J’s!

Great place in Humbolt Park. Incentive dishes with ingredients that you’ll feel good about eating. Local farms, grass fed meats, etc. plus great offerings like kombucha drinks for a bit of a twist.
We had «the works» breakfast plate which was a mix of veggies, cheese, bacon, and poached eggs in a bowl. Home run. Very tastey and filling. We also the Chilaquiles with a poached egg. Was a little dry fore but I didn’t like the flavor and the eggs were perfectly done.
Not as much for kids as we would of liked for breakfast but it wasn’t horrible either (the chef made us a special pancake with a waffle batter).
Two other things of note:
1 it’s BYOB. Bring your vodka and they’ll give u a home made Bloody Mary mix.
2 cash only.
Would come back to try more since I liked this joint.

Still love this place. While there was a 30 – 40 minute wait this morning and no room inside to wait, the hostess offered us coffee while we were outside. Not a super cold day, but chilly enough where hot coffee was appreciated.
Decided to try something new today. Went with The Works and it was amazing. Poached eggs with kale, cheddar cheese, potato hash, hollandaise sauce, a tomato and bacon. I loved it and it was so filling.
They’ve also acquired an ATM and two tables that replaced a coach and coffee table seating since my last visit.

This place is a mecca for delicious food.
We went on my bday brunch. I have been stalking it on Unilocal for awhile now. It did not disappoint.
Fried pickles… a bit soggy, but still good
B&G…might be the best I have ever had. I am salivating thinking of them right now
Fried chick sand… yummy! Crispy chick with tender and juicy meat. Some of the best bread I have had.
The Works… it just worked. Amazingness
The staff are some of the nicest people. I was shocked by the hospitality here.
Super cute homey, place.
Go, eat, this place cant be beat.