Standee’s

RIP Standees.
It’s seriously like losing a member of your family.
Probably the cool aunt who’s a little eccentric and untidy, but can cook a breakfast skillet that is beyond compare. This aunt will likely recount to you stories of the good old days for hours over a hot cup of coffee.
And then that aunt dies.
MISS YOU HOBO SKILLET. YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER IN MY HEART (I mean this literally…)

CLOSED??? NOOOOOOOOOO!
Had I know this might happen, I would have been a more devoted patron.
The fellow that served my friends and I a late-​night post-​rehearsal meal was way nice. He made me a turkey reuben (even though it isn’t listed as an option on their extensive menu), and this turkey reuben has made most of its sandwich contemporaries seem unsubstantial and disappointing.
I don’t know how many different ways I can describe my feelings about this turkey reuben without seeming like a creep who wants to marry a sandwich. But… what the hell, I would totally marry that sandwich.
RIP, my love.

Ugh, how the damn heck did I completely miss the old location was gonna permanently close a week ago? I’m still pretty upset I missed hearing the news of it’s closure for more than a week, and later hearing the owner sold the sign! (although I understand why he did, he didn’t want whatever business taking the old space to repaint, cover, or alter the sign, a la the covering of the old Jack Robbins sign at Belmont/​Central) Would’ve made a special last trip to the old one, if the news got to me sooner.
Well, vowing to go to Alexander’s and the underrated Louie’s (Touhy/​California) more this year to make up for this…

Moments after I walked into this place, the waitress smiled and said she’d be right with me. I ventured over to one of the two booths that was open, the 2^nd booth from the bathroom, and waited patiently. Then I waited some more. *drum fingers* Aaaaany minute now …
There she stood at the counter, her back turned to me, chatting up two younger dudes. They seemed to know her, or maybe they were just humoring her. I didn’t care. My eyes were like lasers, burning a hole in the back of her head. I wondered if she forgot about me. It was around this time that I began to notice the urinal cake and stale piss smell … two booths away from the bathroom, remember. Eventually, one of the cooks came out from the shadows, gave me a glass of water, and asked if I’ve seen the menu yet. I diverted my gaze from the waitress’s head for a split-​second, thanked the man, and responded that no, I have not seen the menu. Immediately, the waitress remembered she was employed here and started walking toward me with menu in hand. Too bad the cook already beat her to it.
If the scummy surroundings in this place don’t make you lose your appetite, the menu will do the job. Attention, restaurant owners: If you’re going to have pictures in your menu, do not make them black & white.
The waitress moseyed over to take my order. It doesn’t matter what I got. It’s diner food. You know what it tastes like. Despite what is stated in many other reviews, the grub costs more than diner food should. Speaking of which, the disproportionate number of favorable reviews for this hellhole does nothing more than show me that people don’t know what they’re talking about. Anybody who thinks this is a good diner, in any way that the word «good» can be defined, needs to explore the city. There are plenty of 24-​hr joints with friendly service, cheap, rib-​stickin’ food, grandpa’s basement atmosphere, and staff/​patrons you’ll remember long after you leave, that do not make you feel dirty, ashamed, and confused.

Some conversation you may overhear while grubbing on your american cheese omelet or tuna melt:
«Give me a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on white. but NO BUTTER. I’m on a diet.»
«If it wasn’t for Burger King, I’d never eat lettuce.»
«I’ve always wanted to go to Australia»
I don’t know why the last one is relevant, but I thought three quotes were more aesthetically effective than two. Anyways, you are seated in old booths under stained glass Coca-​Cola lights, or at stools at the counter (in which case prepare to have a long, friendly conversation with the servers), a variety of hot sauces on the table, and truly endless coffee in those old, stone mugs that only bygone diners and your grandparents have. Also, they offer you a newspaper when you sit down. What else do you want?
Delicious sausage and cheese omelets with an offensively large side of hash browns and endless hot coffee has made Standee’s my new hangover-​cure destination.

A classic diner! The food, for what it is, is damn tasty. While it is a diner and they don’t really care about presentation, you can tell the guy working the grill loves what he does and loves food. Plus, the night manager is totally kick ass. You can tell he’s seen it all and doesn’t care about your bs. But if your polite and don’t bust his chops, he’ll make sure you coffee cup is never empty and tell a funny story…
The place is pretty much a dump, which isn’t bad. I won’t deny I dread having to use the toilet there, but not enough to keep me away.
Overall, the place is great. It’s perfect visiting anytime but after 2am is the best…

Standee’s is a staple in late night diner fare. When I was a student at Loyola (I managed one year there from 2001-​02), I ate at Standee’s about 5 times. It was always an experience. I always ate there after coming home from western Illinois. It was like a welcome back to Chicago kind of place. It screams local.
But why do people go to Standee’s. Is it for the food? No. Is it for great service? No. It is for the experience, and being able to say that you have been to Standee’s.
Standee’s closed down for a while back in 2002 for health code violations. No suprise. So watch out.
Sometime between 2002 and two weeks ago, Standee’s reopened.
I have a friend that lives near there and after a comedy writing jam session, we decided to try out Standee’s. Ha. It was hilarious. The vents on their ovens stopped working, the place was completely filled with grease smoke, and the smoke alarm was going off. THEY WERE STILL SERVING PEOPLE. People were still eating calmly like nothing was going on.
The waitstaff is fine. There are always characters hanging out there, both inside and out.
Bottom line: careful about what you ask for while dining here. Bring a can of mace to scare away drunken miscreants outside, and a bottle of tobasco to help out your food.

Ah, Standee’s. The first place I ate in Chicago. So many memories.
Now, I happen to think that Standee’s has tons of charm. I live around the corner, so I love getting up in the morning, putting on some sweats and going down for some chow. Nothing fancy. I think the staff is strange and wonderful. Always something fun to say. The food is fine. Filling. And the price is great for that!
So leave behind your high-​falootin’ ways. I’ll be at Standee’s with the real folks.

What the hell? I’ve heard good things about this place, but was very disappointed. It’s hard for a diner to mess up breakfast, but somehow Standee’s managed to do that. The driest bacon I’ve ever had in my life, it looked like it was sitting out for 2 days.
The bacon tasted like french toast and the french toast tasted like bacon.
Again, what the hell?

Not cheap, not great, hit or miss — -but if you ain’t picky and you need to stuff the ol’ pie hole — -grab a spoon, close your eyes and let it slide.
There is a waiter there though worth a wink or two. I don’t know his name. He’s 5-​feet-​something, with a goatee, and cute, cute, cute.
The chocolate chip pancakes with whip cream are great when they are not dry and/​or burned.
The bacon is fantastic if it is not raw and/​or charred.
The eggs with cheese can possibly work if you’re into the cellophane wrapped slices stuff.
However, and this is a big however — –what I do like about this place — -they will (after a night of drinking and reminiscing with your lover) let you argue in peace.

Standees is the text book example of a dive restaurant. It’s open 24 hours (major bonus), is convenient to the Red Line and has a fabulous old-​timey sign.
The food is good in a greasy spoon/​diner sort of way, cheap and the waitresses are good about re-​filling coffee. It’s also a great locale to enjoy some of the local «flavor» that the Granville area has to offer.

Before I went here a friend described this place to me as David Lynch meets The Waffle House.
And I have to say I got a definite off kilter vibe from the whole place. Greasy spoons don’t get much greasier than this. And it attracts the kind of people who might fit right in in an old Tom Waits song.
The service was friendly, and the food was surprisingly good for a greasy spoon. Biscuits and gravy are usually a good measure of the quality of a restaurant, and I have to say, much to my surprise, the biscuits were fresh and the gravy was full of flavor. If you’re into diners with some real character then check this one out. And it’s open 24 hours. I can only imagine what this place feels like at 3am.

Standee’s is everything you could ever want in a total dive.
First of all, it’s open all night long, and it’s just steps from the Granville el stop. The décor clearly hasn’t changed since they opened. The bathroom isn’t labeled «men» or «women» but simply «Customers.» Oh, and when I last visited, the one toilet was broken.
But the waitress was super nice about it, and super nice about everything else, in fact. She poured me about 8 cups of coffee with a smile on her face every time.
I wish the food were slightly better, but then again if it were anything other than total greasy spoon fare, this place wouldn’t be what it is.

Standee’s is one of the scariest dives in Edgewater proper. The gawdy flashing half lit sign… the orange drab décor with the faux oak walls and low hanging lights. But that is what makes it appealing. It is a part of the Northeast side’s allure and history in many ways. You go there for some late night greasy spoon food. As strange as it sounds… if you live in Edgewater and haven’t hit Standee’s (especially as a late night patron– even better if your pathetically solo)… can you call yourself a Chicagoan?
The breakfast food is what you want. Go get some pancakes and initiate yourself into Chicago life by a trip to Standees!

It’s open all night long. The booths are all chomped up and duct-​taped back together. Your food will come out at different times (you might get your toast 5 minutes after you order it, then get your eggs 20 minutes later) and it’s likely that you’ll be solicited.
But…it’s Standee’s. And worth a trip.

This is quite possibly the weirdest place to eat in Chicago.
I swear that once, I saw someone go into the bathroom and never come back out. There’s a magic door in there that leads to a never-​never land of biscuits and gravy OR safe refuge for vagrants in the ‘hood. Either or.
Half the time your food comes out in bits and pieces. First your eggs and then a few minutes later, your muffin. It’s rather annoying but I’m comforted by the fact that I know this will never change. There’s something to be said for a place that really «is what it is». The delicious biscuits and gravy with eggs and sausage/​bacon for under 5 bucks makes up for it. Mush it all together and you will forget that most of the people there look like they are half asleep and there’s some dude babbling to himself in the booth behind you.
Also, the only thing on their jukebox are songs that last no less than 10 minutes. Epic biscuits, epic songs.

If you like people watching, cheap food (both in quality and price) and eating in a diner out of a 70’s film, Standee’s is your place.
I can’t say anything about the non-​breakfast food, because really, if you’re going to eat at Standee’s you might as well get breakfast. Their coffee is good, and if Metropolis down the street is closed, then it’s your best bet, and pretty much all you can drink for something like $ 1.50. Also, with the breakfast meals, you have the option of some of the best grits in Chicago. I realize that this isn’t saying much, but sometimes a man needs his grits.
If you’re eating in, you can sit at the bar (woo) or the booths. I’d recommend the bar just because you get more the experience up there. Plus, for those of you less adventurous, you could watch your food. But really, I’ve never seen anything happen that caused me to regret coming (foodwise at least. Standee’s can’t really do anything about some of the Granville Red Line homeless people.)
Also, when you’re out all night drinking yourself to death, there’s few things better (and open) than topping it off at Standee’s. Plus, if you’re not an Edgewater… ee? you can pick something up waiting for the Red Line. And if you are, you owe it to yourself to at least visit one of the staple restaurants of the neighborhood.

Typical dive breakfast place. The food isn’t bad, but it’s not anything to write home about. Although, ask my boyfriend and he’ll tell you their chocolate chip pancakes are amazing. I’ll have to go back and try something in the pancake/​waffle area.
Service was quick and the server was very nice. The place is obviously a bit dingy, but it’s nothing so disgusting that you can’t handle it. I would disagree with the people that said it’s too dirty to eat in — that was just not true.
Good coffee and abundant refills. You can’t beat that, especially when the coffee is about $ 1 with all the refills you can handle.

Dear Standee’s,
Just because you are open 24 hours and serve a «diverse» population from prostitutes to drunk college kids, does not mean you can skimp on health regulations.
Signed,
A disgusted (former) drunk college kid

The sign is awesome! But you may walk inside and go, «ewwww, jeeez!»
Never fear! It’s a tiny little greasy spoon, but the bacon is crispy, the pancakes are adequate and they do grits right. Perfect for lunch or brunch.
Dinner might be disapointing so I don’t advise going after 4pm if you’ve never been, unless you’re a student because students will eat anything. Test it for brunch or a quick meal and see if you like it.
Just remember, you’re in Edgewater, and this place is open 24 hours! When you want hot food and everything else is closed, Standees will be ready for you.
Warning: Service can be slow at times because they usually only have one server. If you find yourself waiting a while for a seat, be patient and check out the ancient décor. Plus there’s a juke box and I know you can spare a quarter! Everything’s better with music.