Prairie Joes

Sometimes happiness comes when you least expect it. Consider today; All set for Thai food but the power is off. Plan B. Prairie Joe’s eclectic lunch menu. One of today’s specials was 2 lamb patties on hummus with lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese and pita bread. Delicious is an understatement. All the ingredients paired perfectly with one another. And the best part is the specials change daily. So there is always something new to try. Great place to bring people to if you want to try outside the box so to speak. Cash only. Breakfast and Lunch till 2:30pm.Love this place.

Décor… cute
Food…average
Price…high

True old school diner. Great menu selection and awesome service. Don’t expect white tablecloth treatment or anything close to it. This place is no-​frills but you’re going to get a great meal.

Nothing is more uncomfortable than spending close to ten minutes standing inside the door of café with your baby and two year old waiting for acknowledgement and to be seated when the place is half full.
We were then seated in the window with sun beating down and hot house temperatures. Surrounded by uncleared tables and an aggressive yellow jacket.
Food was solid at probably a 7/​10, nothing special.
Service matching the start, inattentive and lucky to get a refill on what was allegedly Diet Coke.
Pass…

Six words: Delicious lamb patties, speedy service, greasy
This place had been on my list of places to try ever since my friend moved in down the street. The first time I came up to Evanston to visit her, we walked around the neighborhood and saw this place. It was unfortunately closed — the shut down for a few weeks in August — but I knew I had to go back. The décor just screamed «THIS WILL BE AN AMAZING HOMESTYLE DINER.» From the windows I could see the 60s style furniture and all the kitschy decorations. It just looked amazing and I knew I had to return.
Yesterday, I made my return and boy, was I happy. We arrived around 11am and were seated immediately at a cute little table. We were given a menu that had a photocopy of the day’s specials paperclipped to the laminated one-​page (front and back) menu. I loved it.
We ordered coffee and our entrees right away. I went for the two lamb patties with feta, tomatoes, eggs, and potatoes. My friend went for the chorizo and cheese quesadilla. We were served our coffee and less than 5 minutes later, our food was put in front of us. Talk about fast service!
My meal was amazing. The lamb patties were each stacked on a slice of tomatoe, egg, and toast. Between the egg layer (I went with over-​easy for my eggs) was a semi-​melted layer of feta cheese. Every single bite was a little taste of heaven. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the feta was amazing and the egg was amazing. The potatoes were also delicous. I honestly could’ve inhaled this meal in a hot second had my friend not asked to try a piece. I also got to try her meal and that quesadilla was so satisfying. So greasy and cheesy and amazing. I keep using the word amazing because I honestly can’t think of a better word.
Everything was so delicious and amazing and I want to go back right now. Unfortuantely, I am currently working and then when I leave work, I return to my home in Wicker Park, so I can’t really go back there «right now.» But I definitely plan on going back really soon.

Such a great Evanston place. Quirky, inventive and 80% of the time very very good. Some dishes miss a bit, but the ones that are good are GOOD. They have a creative flair that you would expect at some of the yuppy hipster places but his is a down home diner. Today I had eggplant and feta tacos with hummus and a curry slaw. How did they ever think of that? And it was delicious!

My family comes here for brunch, funky and delicious! There is no private room for parties, they have a large variety and great food for vegetarians. If you have a variety of picky eaters this is the place to come. I would not recommend for parties of more the 7 people just because of the space.

5 stars for Ambience, 3.5 stars for food. But the price is right. I love the quirky atmosphere with old weird knick knacks all over the restaurant. Each menu has original odd cartoons on them. Hard to explain the place, you have to see it.
The service is very good and there are plenty of regulars that get extra great service. The food comes up pretty fast.
The menu variety is diverse, with a lot of hand written specials daily and breakfast is their strength. I enjoy anything on the menu with chorizo. The biscuits and gravy are pretty good too.

Very cute old joint on trendy Central st. Find a place to park and enjoy a good breakfast and some quirky scenery and art work. Wide ranging breakfast menu with a lot of Mexican flavor. Get the ‘Green sauce’ on your breakfast choice, it’s great! It reminds me of Colorado and New Mexico sauces. The downside are the potatoes, they are completely flavorless and need salt and green sauce and whatever else you can throw at them.
The current menu is different than the one on their website. Daily specials on a handwritten piece of paper that was nearly illegible. Surely someone there has better handwriting skills. Cash only

Prairie joes has the look of a 50’s diner. I am not sure how long this building has been here, but it looks authentic. I love the old style booths in the main room, along with the classic lunch counter. The actual restaurant is from 1991.
It is a typical Evanston artsy shop, with painting on the wall for sale. I ordered an okies, which is biscuits and gravy topped with two eggs, a side of ham, sausage and grits. It sounds wonderful! But meh. The eggs I got scrambled. They came out dry. The ham was average to slightly below average. The grits were board line cold.
The sausage patty was excellent! The service was also very good. All in all it is a kitschy place that I will try again. Don’t believe the hype on the biscuit and gravy. It was a pass if you are particular.

You can’t get better than Prairie Joe’s for diner food in Evanston (or Chicago for that matter). Unique, eclectic, and worldly meets classic diner food with sincere service from a family owned business.
While a cheeseburger and fries is always good, I recommend trying one of the many specials — anything Mediterranean or Turkish is guaranteed to be insanely delicious. Yesterday I had lamb, egg, and feta quesadillas with sticky rice and curried cabbage. Warmed my soul.
Be patient with the service and go with the flow here. Chill out, get off your cell phone, enjoy your food and the company you’re with, and maybe ask about buying a tiny painting.
I hope this place never closes. And if they do, they better write a cookbook so I can attempt to imitate some of my favorite dishes.
Remember: Cash only! (They are so thoughtful for building that Chase bank across the street just for you)

Total dive and it’s awesome. David got the Ozarkies — ham, sausage, biscuits and gravy, eggs, grits. Glutinous and awesome! Home fries were really good and not greasy. I’d definitely go back. Only 4 stars because it doesn’t take credit cards.

Can’t get much better than this if you’re looking for home-​cooked breakfast a little out of the ordinary. Daily specials highlight Mexican and Creole favorites. This morning, ‘Nawlins was calling my name, so I ordered the Andouille sausage, shrimp and cheese grits with fried eggs and tortillas. OMG! It was absolutely delicious! Friends enjoyed the fried pork (Carnitas), rice and eggs. If you’ve never been, you’re in for a surprise with the eclectic atmosphere (a combination of vintage collectibles and original art). Unfortunately, most of it is not for sale. ‘Like’ their Facebook page for their specials and be sure to get there ASAP for a unique breakfast experience.

Great atmosphere, delicious and creative food, and lovely service. Add to that some cool art for purchase and it’s a home run.
Great homemade corned beef hash, inspired lamb sausage and curry sauce. Got us in and out in less time than most places will have you wait on a Sunday morning.

The atmosphere of this place is very relaxed and friendly. There is art all over the walls, and kids books and games on a bookshelf next to our table.
Our server was super cute. She was busy, but provided great service and was very friendly.
I ordered the «curry poblano chilaquiles» because I love chilaquiles and also interesting flavor combinations, so this jumped out at me. It was not on the regular menu, but on the handwritten piece of paper attached to the menu. These chilaquiles were amazing! The person I was with ordered something from the regular menu, which was good, a regular diner breakfast. But it was my dish that stole the show for sure! The chilaquiles were served with rice, lentils, and a type of coleslaw. All of these had amazing unique, yet complimentary flavors. The whole plate had a Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern mix of flavors, unlike anything I’ve ever had.
I recommend this place for it’s chill, friendly atmosphere and a menu that offers a creative variety.

Great food at a little place that’s very easy to miss.

What a wonderfully unique place this is! I hadn’t been to Prarie Joes since I was 7 with my Dad and I remember it being yummy, but a 7 year old doesn’t really have the best pallet formed, yet.
Since I moved back to Evanston with my boyfriend we have been eager to try, my once beloved childhood place. And it did not disappoint. The Biscuits & Gravy are buttery and delicious! Just like Moms! And the Chorizo & Potato skillet is perfect! Their home fries are amazing, and their ham seems like it was freshly chopped off of the bone, and you just can’t find that anywhere these days.
Prarie Joes is a great breakfast choice! The service is friendly and inviting, and the atmosphere is filled with amazing artwork, and cute knick knacks. I adore this place. Definitely will be back soon.

This is a diner! Customers and staff create a diverse, fun and friendly environment. My daughter and I enjoyed a great lunch with great customer service prior to a Northwestern Women’s basketball game (GEAUX CATS!)
She enjoyed a Greek sandwich with pesto, feta, arugula, fried eggplant with a side carrot salad. I enjoyed a breakfast plate with Mexican beef and eggs. Forks abound both plates as we shared food while enjoying the scenery of art and the artful.
We will definitely put this on our list to visit when in Evanston.
Good fresh food and great experience. (Bring Cash).

Have only been here for breakfast but will keep coming back. Friendly staff and good food is hard to find now a days. Love it! The décor well is eclectic but it fits!
Biscuits and Gravy= Awesome!

Prairie Joe’s is all about ambiance. It’s got the stools at the bar, the tubular metal and vinyl booths, the formica tables. Basically, if you always wanted to eat in that diner from Back to the Future, this is it. Sadly, the food is also pretty authentic, which means no better than Denny’s but twice the price. But it’s definitely worth it for the experience.
Interestingly, while most people associate this kind of diner with breakfast, Prairie Joe’s is probably best for other meals, as their dinner items are much more creative, and during the hot months they always have homemade gazpacho. The place is also filled with original art, which is in a variety of eclectic styles. And the staff are genuinely glad to welcome you. A good place to check out before a shopping trip on the surrounding blocks of Central.