Petro’s Restaurant & Bakery

WARNING, STEER CLEAR OF THIS RESTAURANT LIKE THE PLAGUE, THEY SERVE IMPROPERLY HEATED/​UNFRESH FOOD & I GOT SEVERE FOOD POISONING AS A RESULT. So this is in a busy business district. My first clue that something was amiss was that it was a Friday morning around 8 am and not a soul was in there eating. So I ordered the standard fare egg breakfast, eggs over easy, bacon, potatoes and toast for carry out. No sooner did I pay than the waitress was handing me my good in under three minutes time or less. Made to order? Me thinks not, made to order right from the heat lamp/​probably pulled out of their fridge/​re-​heated/​recycled from the morning before. I asked for buttered white toast, what I ended up getting was soggy white bread not even toasted. The eggs, if that’s what you called them, were hard as a rock, with no yolk, and tepid at best in terms of temperature. Hash browns straight from the frozen food aisle of Aldi with zero taste, at least if a restaurant is using frozen foods don’t use inferior brands. The bacon was hard as s rock and tasted like beef jerky. Within four hours or less I was puking my guts out uncontrollably. And no, I am not pregnant, and no, I wasn’t hung over, food poisoning from improperly heated, old/​recycled food. I have no clue how this restaurant even stays open. Do yourself a favor, go to McDonalds, it’s cheaper, they have a high turnover so the food is fresh, and if you do get food poisoning at least you have some recourse w/​a large corporation vs. this ma and pop place.

Came here on a co-​worker recommendation. Aside from the location, there wasn’t much special about the food. It’s basic diner food for a decent price. The food selections were appealing based on reading the menu, but after receiving the food, it was a mild disappointment.
The service, however, was amazing! There was quick seating and our waitress was attentive without being overbearing.
I ordered the Southwest Chicken Salad and that was the biggest disappointment. It was essentially a «Fresh Express» bag of Salad that you could easily purchase from Jewel topped with 3 fried chicken tenders, drizzled in buffalo sauce. There were 2 cucumber slices and 2 grape tomatoes adorned on the salad as well. The only positive to this salad, was the dressing — which I opted for the House versus the Blue Cheese that came with it. That House-​made vinaigrette was delicious, but could be a little to tangy if you overuse.

Husband and I went for breakfast on a Sat. Huge mistake. We ordered omlettes lightly cooked, specifically said no brown omlettes. One was with fruit, the other home fries. Well husbands omlette was seriously over cooked and inedible. We repeatedly tried to get servers attention and when we finally did, she was nasty. When we complained to the mgmt we were told «yeah, she’s like that». We got undercooked home fries after we pointed out we never got them. As we paid we asked that the uneaten waaaaaay over cooked omlette removed and were told to come back next week and speak to the owner… yeah not going to happen… just won’t go back!

Excellent service!!! The breakfast was perfect hangover food! Cheesy eggs, yummy sausage, hash browns and thick Greek toast. Nice, simple, basic food.

It’s a nice ol’ American diner at the corner of randolph st and la salle. Heard this restaurant has been here for a while. A lot of traditional diner breakfast all day options from the menu. Been here 2x and enjoyed both times. There’s a lot of sitting so even if you go here on a lunch rush, you wouldn’t really have to wait to be sitted.
First visit I went for the fish and chips which came with fries which was ok. A 3 star diner at most, but the additional star was based on my last visit with 2 of my colleagues whom asked me to try the greek chicken which is one of my favorites as well. Rottiserie style chicken with greek rice which has the salty, lightly sour taste to it. Really hits the spot. It came with the soup so I chose the tomato bisque which was light and a good compliment to the main dish which kickstarted my sour palate. That was a nice meal but for $ 15 + tip it’s a bit overpriced. But hey, I’ll still be back.

The server (woman) is amazingly friendly! The pancake breakfast which included eggs was just what te doctor ordered… perfect to start the day. I had walked by this restaurant numerous times and finally made my way inside. To my pleasant surprise, they have a great menu and delicious food. The service is off the charts!

Laura was very friendly and made my day. Quick service and yummy food. I enjoyed the vibe of this place and the food was really great! Come check out. Tell them I sent you!!!

This place is ok. It gets the job done. Serves the purpose of obtaining a decent meal.
Pros: Good location. Friendly staff. No wait. Greeted, seated, and served quickly. Food came out immediately; was fresh and hot. Good menu options; fair prices. Clean, modern interior.
Cons: Food was lacking flavor. Pretty bland. The buttered toast was greasy; almost oily. It was as if the cook squirted melted butter on it. The bacon was really good though. Coffee was bitter and came in a tiny saucer.
I’d come back if I were in pinch and just needed a quick meal.

Wow, this was… not good. We stopped in here for a quick dinner before seeing a show at the Cadillac Palace right across the street. After being seated, we waited 15 minutes before seeing our server and only then because we flagged her down and asked if we could order. As it turned out, there was only ONE waitress working at 6 pm in a diner right across the street from a major theater on a show night. Great planning, Petro’s.
I ordered a patty melt and a Diet Coke and should have seen a red flag when I wasn’t asked how I wanted the burger cooked. Apparently the only option as far as that goes is «lump of charcoal.»
Oh yeah, and that Diet Coke I ordered? It came with the check. One star because the fries weren’t terrible and another because the poor waitress was working her tail off and at one point announced an apology for the slow service to the entire dining room. I hope she threw hot coffee on whatever manager or owner is in charge of scheduling.

Charging $ 12.95 for this horrible burger should be reason enough to go to jail.

I remember Petro’s as a premier greasy spoon as recent as 6 – 7 months ago. The place was so old, it cried for a face-​lift. Well, Petro’s got its wish. Gone is the grime, gone are the faded fabrics and the crummy accouterments. Gone are the ugly pieces that are not vintage. Hello to home cooking in a comfy, clean atmosphere that looks current and not from yesteryear. Hello to friendly waitstaff and tempting, tasty options. Order chicken and your plate arrives with 4 – 5 huge pieces of succulent, moist chicken and bountiful sides. There’s enough to be stuffed for your visit and take home and feed a family of 2 – 3 for dinner. Whether you like your chicken broiled or fried, the ½ of chicken on your plate is going to be one of the better chicken meals you’ve had anywhere, especially for the price.

Not very impressed :-(I was super excited to go and try Petro’s out with my best friend but was really disappointed. I had the cream of chicken and rice soup and a slice of their apple pie. The soup was really sour and did not taste right, and the apple pie was nothing exciting to go back for. The service was pretty good but very rushing which I did not like. Don’t think I will be returning.

Ok, so I went back recently — they were closed for about one week for remodeling. The venue is up to date now. Petro’s doesn’t look so bad now. In fact, I believe the prices are fair now too. I’m not sure if they gave the entire face lift. But I wasn’t so upset the experience this time!

I eat breakfast here often and it’s a very solid diner sort of place. Breakfast and sandwiches are usually pretty good, service is always efficient and friendly. You wouldn’t go here for great dining. If it can come out of a can or jar — it does. But, good «greasy spoon» diner sort of food, well located, with a friendly staff.

Best breackfast I had in years. The staff was super friendly and the place was not that busy. Great place to go.

Went to Petro’s today with my best friend Dan. Place was as top as it gets. Top food, top waitress. Should rename restaurant to ‘Top Restaurant & Bakery’ 100%
Had the corn beef skillet and it was dynamite. Highly recommended.

Want fried chicken for breakfast, like at 8:00AM? They’ll do it for you. Just ask Alicia.
I’d bet this is the only place in the city where you can get 4 pieces of fresh fried chicken cooked to order early in the morning!

Been coming here for 4 years now, and I’ve not had a single bad experience. I don’t know why some reviewers give 2 stars for a restaurant because of where the bathroom is located or the fact that a waitress actually gave an honest answer to a question. Ridiculous.
It’s a fantastic and consistent greasy spoon Greek diner. If you order a typical breakfast (eggs, bacon or ham, toast, etc), you can expect your order in under 3 minutes flat. Not even kidding. In 4 years, my order has never been wrong and never taken more than about 2 – 3 minutes, even when packed during lunch. Coffee never sits empty either.
Granted, sometimes I’ll try a special and think, eh maybe not again. But ultimately, the coffee is great, the waitresses hustle like mad to get everyone taken care of, and the owners take a real personal interest in their customers. I go about once a week, sometimes more. And yes, it’s a landmark in the downtown landscape of Chicago so, like hundreds of bars, restaurants and cafés, the restroom is in the basement. But at least they HAVE a public restroom. That’s more than most places downtown.

I have been here twice… Once for coffee and today lunch (not my choice).
I’m giving 2 stars because the waitress was hysterical! I asked her if the ham and cheese croissant sandwich was good, and her response was… it’s terrible. You gotta love honesty!
My advice is if it’s convenient for a quick coke it’s fine, but otherwise just keep walking!
Oh don’t use the bathroom… It’s in the basement and scary!

The food is typical greasy food fare. I had a gyros sandwich which was just okay, along with some soup. My mom had the same thing and my friend had a burger. I don’t think anyone was wowed by what they had.
Like I said the prices are a little high for just so-​so food. You are really paying for location and convenience if you want to grab something before a show.