Works-North Loop

This place is (was) great. Real Vienna hot dogs and gyros (off the spit, not pre-​packaged slices) and breakfast is good and reasonable.
I did notice that this morning they were closed (201 Clark food court).
Anyone know why they shut this location down?

Great quick breakfast sandwiches. Good bread, good sausage. Cooked to order. Shocker — real eggs, not liquid yellow goo.
Yucky food court, yup. Worth exploring anyhow, yup!

Great hot dogs, friendly and fast service, and reasonable prices. This is definitely one of my Loop lunch options. There are many options in this strange food court, but The Works is one of the best. Sometimes you just need a hot dog… and I go to The Works for that. They make homemade chips here, which also look pretty good.

I needed to find cheap and quick breakfast for my father and his friends before a boat tour. While there is a McDonald’s literally 20 feet away (across the hall), I encouraged my father to order here. They can get McDonald’s anywhere, and it’s nice to support a local business. Everyone, except me, ordered the breakfast sandwich which is nothing more than toasted bread, egg, cheese and choice of meat. It’s less than $ 4 each. I had eggs and pancakes, and the pancakes were fluffy and filling. The food here is not gourmet by any means, but like I said, it’s cheap and fast. The cashier/​owner/​manager was friendly enough. The Works is also conveniently located near the Clark/​Lake Street CTA. The closest entrance is located on the east side of Clark Street, just north of McDonald’s, inside an old food court.

The fluffy pancakes special is cooked well enough for someone to take a short walk back to the office and actually enjoy them while hot and moist!
That’s one good mark of someone knowing how to grill! It’s fun to walk by their large, streetside window daily and watch the cooks doing their thing… but what really won me over and made me go in to order was an event they catered for us.
The Works delivered a huge pan of pancakes, which sat in a conference room for a while along with pans of eggs and other breakfast meats. I expected them to taste like little round discs of plastic by that time because who the hell can deliver pancakes and have them remain edible at that point? The Works did.
Although they stuck together a tiny bit, the pancakes were some of the best I’ve had from a Chicago area greasy spoon. They use a tasty batter.
I’ve since bought breakfast a few more times (yay for offering turkey bacon!). They offer one of the largest turkey burgers I’ve had at a place like this and the meat is very moist. I’d recommend having them toast the bun though and perhaps add a bit of black pepper to kick it up a level.
They’re friendly guys.

In the food court where food courts go to die, the Works is a bright, greasy spot of happiness. I come here for a hangover cure grilled cheese and fries or hot dogs. They’re great for a quick fix even with a line. I like the staff too. There’s always nice and don’t seem put out by your presence (as most fast food employees are in the area). For those greasy needs in the Loop, The Works fits the bill.

If ur looking for inexpensive greasy lunch food, gyros, burgers, etc. then this is the place. I recommend the homemade potato chips instead of fries.

I work across the street, and I eat breakfast here about 3 to 4 times a week. It is cheap and it sure beats the hell out of Mick-​E-​deez. They have great b-​fast sammys and omlets. They also have a great lunch. Greasy-​but-​good

Hey clowns, if you’re going to run a «free gyros» promo, make sure that you have enough of the stuff that you’re giving away on hand. Instead, you have a stupid, hand written sign that says «no more gyros». During the lunch hour. In the Loop. For free. Stupid.
Nice job idiots, now you can be certain that I will not return your restaurant and I will make sure to avoid anyone selling the Kronos brand (who gave away the «free» gyros).

I’ve worked within a block of this place for the 15 or so years it’s been open, so I owe at least 10 pounds of my overweightness to The Works. They’re pretty good… not phenomenal, but pretty good. WHY is it so difficult to get a really good Italian Beef sandwich in the Loop (theirs is bland). Great BLT’s (make sure you specify toasted, cuz they’re not if you don’t), very good burgers and gyros. Breakfast sammiches are yummy. Skip the fries, by the time you get back to the office they’re dry and tasteless. Typical loop prices, so quit bitchin’ or walk a couple miles if it bothers you that much. They close at like 3, so don’t try after work.

A deflated pizza puff should NOT cost $ 3.15 without tax! Welcome to the Loop, can I take your order of neighborhood inflation with a side of city food tax?
The Works is located in a dim little food court in what I think is a condo. Oddly, within the food court, The Works is located across from another food vendor that also serves greasy fare, and their pizza puff is also pricey. Oy. And like other downtown vendors, The Works has a tired little sign of lawyer jokes attached to their wall by the soda fountain.
I do give props to The Works for offering greasy burgers, subs, shrimp baskets and uh… pancakes and other breakfast food.

Quicktake: Greasy food to go, Chicago staples included.
The Works has a wide menu with breakfast and lunch fare. It far exceeds a similar type of food stand in the 201 N. Clark food court in both quality and speed /​service. Featuring a full menu of steak, eggs, omelets, for breakfast, I haven’t tried the breakfast menu, but I would if I was starving.
The lunch menu features Chicago staples such as Italian beef and pizza puffs. I have ordered burgers, cheese steaks, and chicken sandwiches here and have not yet been disappointed. The fries are big steak fry cuts, so maybe it is a better idea to stop in McDo to grab a side of fries.
Drawbacks to here include that it is in a food court, the line can get obnoxiously long between the noon hour which can leave seven or eight people waiting in line even after they’ve ordered. Best bet is to grab food at 11:30 or 1:00pm, but overall I do find they tend to be slightly overpriced — such is the cost of eating greasy downtown.

Menu involved pretty much everything that can be tossed on a griddle or deep fried. Prices were pretty reasonable, considering the neighborhood. Food came up relatively quickly and very, very hot. Taste? Meh, sure.
Might be a good idea for a cheap, quick, greasy lunch break, but I wasn’t really a fan.

I used to work right down the street, and this was my favorite spot when I needed a little greasy pick-​me-​up. The turkey burger is amazing. Add a side of fries to that and you have yourself one artery-​clogging meal that will keep you full for days.
The service was always quick and friendly. I never really waited more than 5 – 10 minutes for me food, which was definitely a plus because my boss would morph into a scary beast if I was away from my desk for more than 15 minutes. I don’t miss the job, but I definitely miss my midweek grease-​filled lunch breaks at The Works.

Do not be afraid of this place. I know it is in the «food court from hell,» as Bill M. so eloquently put it, but their grub is worth the trip through all 7 layers. When you’re itching for a not-​so-​healthy lunch this is the place. Everything on the menu is cooked fresh to order and leaves you saying that it was worth the extra calories and that loopy food-​coma feeling.

Good place to go around the loop if you are in the mood for some grease during the work week. I am a fan of the burgers, pizza puff, and breakfast sandwiches.

Sometimes a girl needs a little greasy food, and thank heavens for the Works! The food is great (especially the breakfast items) and quickly prepared. The prices are so affordable.

You want a hot dog with «the works», right? This place is on the edge of the «food court from hell», which has a captive and depressing atmosphere on two levels (better to take it to go). Order typical fast food favorites like gyros, burgers, fries, and Italian beef. If you have an iron stomach in the morning, try pancakes or French toast.