Patty’s Diner

Too bad this place is history now.

Based on recommendations from some friends and other sources, I decided to drive out here to try out their food. Parking can be a little difficult but it’s worth it to come here.
The kitchen area is all open so you can see exactly what’s going on. How much butter, how things are grilled, cleanliness, whatever. Nothing’s hidden so there’s a little more confidence in knowing what you’re getting. The corned beef hash is solid. You can tell it has been chopped up previously and they add enough spice to put it all together that you enjoy everything instead of just the corned beef or hash. Eggs were cooked in butter and they came out over medium, like I requested. Service is stellar as everything is refilled regularly and quick to provide a bill for whenever you want to leave. Too bad it’s a bit far away, but a solid meal if you’re ever out that way!

My in laws live in Skokie, but we live in Evanston, so it’s not that far of a drive from us. My husband found this place and i said ok let’s try it. As soon as we got there it’s much to look at, but the food is amazing, and the people that work there are just so nice and friendly, you almost feel like you are eating at home. I would say that it’s more as a family place, and to tell you the truth i love that so much. The food is great. I had the french toast with ham and my husband had corn beef hash and it was delicious. Also they are giving you these little donuts that are home made and they are delicious. We go back there all the time, it is not expensive at all. Great food, great people. So what more can you possibly want? I would recommend this place to anyoane.

Not much to look at from the street or when you walk in, could use some updating and it’s a little disjointed. That doesn’t bother me at all, it’s comfortable and clean. Bottom line is that it’s some of the best diner food I’ve ever had.
My favorite thing on the menu is the Garbage Potatoes. It’s sort of like a skillet with fried «home fries», some vegetables cooked on the flat top, chopped bacon, sausage and ham off the bone. On top of that a couple slices of American cheese and two eggs cooked to order. I have a tough time ordering anything else. Patty cooks everything well, sometimes too well done for some people, but that’s exactly how I like it.
My wife usually orders the BLT. It’s pretty spectacular as well, served on a homemade bun. All the ingredients are fresh and as I mentioned above, she cooks the bacon well. I love crispy bacon.
The burgers are also very good, also served on a homemade bun. It’s a fresh ground beef patty and it comes with mayo so mention beforehand if you don’t want it that way. Maybe not THE best burger in the city but it’s damned good and inexpensive.
If Patty is in a good mood and not too busy she may make doughnuts and pass them around. I’m not sure if they’re doughnuts or just a piece of fried dough with sugar but they’re excellent either way. Love it when that happens on one of our visits.
On the table is the normal ketchup and mustard, plus Tapatio hot sauce. It just goes great with everything Patty makes.
This place is worth a drive to get to, just call ahead to make sure they’re open. They close pretty early and at times they haven’t been open as early as we’ve been ready to eat in the morning. It’s always been worth the wait though. Cash only as well.

I just had lunch at Patty’s after reading Scott H’s review here on Unilocal «The best diner you’ve driven past a million times and never even noticed». I have lived down the street for over sixteen years and visited Dengeo’s a thousand times and never knew Patty’s was here. I had one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten; cooked exactly the way I like, served with perfectly cooked fries accompanied by Beaver Brand Sweet Hot Mustard. I can’t wait to go back and try biscuits & gravy for breakfast. This place is a jewel.

The best diner you’ve driven past a million times and never even noticed! Stop and see Patty and try anything involving the ham-​off-​the-​bone. Friendly group of regulars always around and bantering happily. Just a fine place to start your day. Try the «old potatoes.»

This little diner is definitely a hole in the wall. It can be found on a small strip mall on Main Ave. However, keep your eyes peeled because the signs are only posted on the window and it’s hard to miss. You can find parking in front.
Upon entering, you will see that this is a totally no frills family owned place. You will be greeted by the charming Kermit the frog who sits upon a stool watching people eat their breakfast. There is a long counter where you can sit on a stool and be served up your breakfast straight from the kitchen. Or you can also sit on the small and somewhat dilapidated tables that are awkwardly split on both sides of the counter.
Alas, as far as the food, my roommate got the pancakes, eggs, wheat toast, and coffee. We were served up some small sweet type of bread that was pretty good. I got the turkey club sandwich.
My roommates pancakes looked like I could have done a better job at making them at home. They weren’t even round. His wheat toast was drenched in butter and he didn’t like his coffee. The bacon was super burnt, and not tasty. Also, the eggs did not look too appetizing either.
My turkey club sandwich was half turkey half ham as they had run out of turkey. The sandwich was served on a homemade bun that was falling apart. The sandwich itself was large and tasty. However, the fries were super burnt to a crisp. The service itself was pretty lacking as well.
Also, please remember to bring your cash, as Patty’s does not accept credit cards/​debit cards. No signs posted warned us about this, and I’m just lucky I had cash that day :(
Perhaps we were here on an off day. However, overall, we were pretty dissapointed we drove to this place from Evanston based on high Unilocal reviews. I don’t think we’ll come back here again.

ETA: I’m sorry to have to tell you all, but Patty’s is closed. I found a thread over on the LTHForum (
) that discusses the closing which apparently took place around New Year’s. Rumor has it that the building’s owner was looking to jump the rent by 50%, and business couldn’t support that. However, there’s also a rumor that the owners will be looking for another spot in the not-​too-​distant future. Let’s hope this is true. If anyone hears anything, please message me.
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I really didn’t want to tell anyone about this place because I don’t want to have to stand in line for a table when I’m in the mood for a great breakfast. But in all fairness I should give Patty’s its props.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a place that’s dripping ambiance, it’s not a meeting place for the young and pretty. This is a no frills family place with a counter and maybe ten tables, white walls and absolutely NO artwork on them. Upscale? Not on your life.
But Patty’s food will make you smile. Try the biscuits and gravy and unless you’re a really heavy eater, get a half order. Trust me on this. Try the old potatoes and the corned beef hash. This is a great place to sit and read your newspaper over a mug of excellent coffee, and no one will bother except to refill your cup.
This is one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it joints. It pays to have a navigator with sharp eyes.

I have a complicated relationship with Patty’s diner. Sometimes, the food is overcooked, and the coffee is off. But those only happen one out of ten times. Have I gotten great customer service every time? No. But when I do, and when the food is on, this place rocks. For a great breakfast, this is the place. Hands down. Now that I live in the city I can’t come here as often, but I’m hoping I will again at some point. Let’s just hope it’s on one of their good days.

I came here often many years ago when it was owned by different folks and called «Morry’s». A few months ago I decided to try it out now as «Patty’s». This is one of the best restaurants you’ll never try — to steal a line from another review.
Everything I’ve had there is delicious. I’m not sure you can go wrong. The ham hash and the corned beef hash are both things that you would have a hard time beating anywhere else. The service is fantastic. I go there at least once a week.
You should go, just don’t take up my spot.

Order the Ham Hash with two eggs.
You will be very happy.

Patty’s Diner is located on the northeast corner Main & Kimball in a corner store front. Long time Skokie residents will remember it as Morrie’s. There’s off-​street parking in front and back. The area is primarily residential with some commercial and industrial nearby.
Patty’s Diner could easily be defined as a neighborhood joint. It’s an odd, little, slightly dilapidated place. It could use some paint and decorating. The layout is a bit off too. There are three «aisles.» The first being the counter, the second being the kitchen and the third being the main dining area. The dining area is narrow and is more like a hallway than a room. It’s just wide enough for a four-​top and offers no visibility to the kitchen or counter.
I sat at a four top with three of my caloric cohorts. The photocopied menu is 2-​sided on letter-​size paper. It was copied upside down, so when you open it, you also have to flip it over (adds to the charm). Today’s special (Thursday) was a sloppy joe, fries or chips and a cup of chicken or navy bean soup.
The sloppy joe sandwich was served open-​faced and was delicious. I ordered the fries, which were narrow cut with skins (pretty good). The chicken soup was served in a coffee mug and was delicious. My cohorts ordered an omelet and a turkey sandwich, which also received good reviews. Our waitress was polite and accommodating.
My bill was $ 9 and I thought it was a good value for the quality and quantity. This was my first visit to Patty’s, but I hope to return to try breakfast and a burger. I arrived at 11:30 AM and left at 1:00 PM. Besides the four of us, there were only seven other customers. It’s a shame because it’s easy to fall in love with Patty’s Diner.
If you’re looking for foo foo, forget it. Otherwise give it a try.

Amazing burgers!!! They are HUGE. Patty cooks them to order and serves them on some kind of homemade bun. They were so big that neither of us could finish ours. The «old» potatoes are seriously delicious, though probably not so good for the old ticker. But what da heck, as if I care.
It was only our second time in the place and Bridgette knew we wanted diet cokes without any prompting from us. Those of you who read my reviews know I am a sucker for personal attention like that.
Next time I am gonna try the garbage omelet and I will report back, but for now we swear by:
corned beef hash
biscuits and gravy
burgers
«old potatoes»
All I can add is YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

So we’ve been there twice and the food was awesome both times. I had the Biscuits and Gravy which were out of this world! My wife had the Garbage omelette which I picked at and was also incredible.
Our second visit was interesting it seems like the more Pat is yelling the better the food tastes! lol. If you visit, you’ll know what I mean!

Love the garbage omelet, I get it every time along with the spiced potatoes. Years ago this joint was called Morrie’s, then he moved out and it became Patties. Morrie’s garbage omelet was bigger but they both taste great. This is another joint I’ve been to dozens of times.
Take out is slooow so go to Sparkies for that.

Really 4.5 stars. Excellent old school breakfast spot with delicious corned beef hash. The featured items are Ham off the bone, and biscuits and gravy. However, being in heavily Jewish Skokie, I stayed away from the pork products. The hash contains a nearly equal proportion of corned beef to potatoes, and is dressed on top with a perfectly cooked pair of eggs. The pancakes were fluffy and delicious. Another special of the house is the «garbage» hash and omelets, containing a wide variety of meats, veggies and cheeses. I will try one of those next time and report back.
The service was excellent. Friendly and prompt, unlike what an earlier review states. Patty’s is an excellent unpretentious breakfast on the North Shore.

Patty and Bridgette are the best diner women ever. Bridgette greets everyone as if they are all her good neighbors, while Patty heats up the grill. They are a great team.
The food and price are perfect.
Décor is lacking, but who cares? As long as the food is great and the people are awesome.

This review is an ode to the best burger you’ll never have.
Why? These guys are about to shut the doors, they are losing their space in June and may or may not reopen. It’s a tragedy. More on that later. In any case, I feel like an ass for not reviewing this place until it was doomed, so let’s get down to business.
My favorite burger in Chicago, hands down, and it’s only SIX BUCKS. Hand formed, juicy patties, charred on the outside, perfectly cooked to order served on a stunning home made bun? Get outta here! I mean, this is the kind of burger that sends juices running down your arm, they mean business with this baby. Yes, please, I’ll have another. Ham, on the bone, served up in some delicious fried hash with their signature «old» potatoes? I could eat this stuff all day. Biscuits and gravy? Hell yes, and they do it right.
Regular patrons belly up to the counter and chat with Patty and Susie (who is beyond adorable, btw, there should be an award for most darling waitress ever just for her) while they sling diner classics. I think there are people who have been eating here every single day for the last 20 years, it’s that kind of a joint. While I was there, Patty herself chatted with all of us about all of the media interest that she has received lately and stated that she was putting them «on hold» while she figured out what her next move was going to be. I mean, this gal actually told Guy Firei and Check Please that they couldn’t film her place since she was losing her lease. In fact, she’s baffled by the whole thing and doesn’t understand WHY anyone wants to put her on tv.
I’ll tell ya why — that freaking burger. Everything is good here, but, I mean it guys, go for the burger. Eat one. Beg her to reopen. Tell your friends and make them go too. This place is too amazing to be gone forever. As Patty put it «It’s kind of funny that I’m getting all this attention after being here for 20 years.» No, Patty, it’s not — you’ve earned it. You and that damn near pornographic it’s so good burger.
An extra star for being such a classic, in every sense of the word. The food, the patrons, Patty and Susie — it’s a gem people, get in there before it’s gone forever.

Definitely one of the best diners I’ve ever been to. It’s got that old-​school diner feel, with a counter area and tables around the back. You can hear your orders being shouted through the kitchen by Patty herself, who is frantically running around so that all her customers are satisfied.
This place shines in the food department. The ham hash I ordered featured fresh, juicy ham mixed with Patty’s special «old potatoes», topped with two eggs over easy. This is how diner food should taste: the ham was succulent, the potatoes were crispy, and the eggs perfectly cooked. Equally impressive were the biscuits and gravy, served with just the right amount of pepper to give the dish a memorable quality.
It’s a crying shame this place is closing next month. Get over there while you can.

I am discounting patty’s one star based solely on its stark walls and complete lack of décor (a strange combination of stuffed animals and cornstalks). oh yeah, and a terrible radio station selection.
that said, patty cooks up some good food. this place is a pretty bare-​bones diner with a small menu and an odd interior, but a fresh cuppa coffee and a tasty breakfast sammich.
I went with a co-​worker for lunch on a tuesday and ordered a sausage, egg and cheese roll. the roll was outstanding, soft and warm and the sausage and egg were perfectly cooked and not too greasy. my co-​worker ordered a hamburger, med-​rare and his was also cooked to perfection. he commented that the meat was extremely fresh as well. we both got a side of the ‘old potatoes’ which were AWESOME! thin and crispy, but not burnt and mixed with a good smattering of onions.
there are some reviews on lth touting the greatness of the ham hash. after tasting patty’s taters, i’m sure i will be back.