This is by far the worst service I have had in recent memory. The server was extremely rude. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing after I asked her to repeat something or after asking a simple question. She brought the food out and about 2 minutes after brought us the check, then about 10 minutes later demanded that we pay it because she was leaving soon. Then as we were eating she asked if we wanted carry-out boxes for our food (I repeat, she did this while we were eating). As if that wasn't bad enough, as we ate the entire wait-staff stood around watching us eat because they were about to close. I understand how it could be frustrating to have lingering customers around closing-time, but if it's a problem either don't let us in or tell us politely. I don't mind rushing through my meal if I know that I came in just in time to get served, but don't go out of your way to make me so uncomfortable that I want to leave. It really was a god awful experience, so much so that I will never eat there again.
(1)
Mary L.
I used to go this restaurant a lot, but it seemed to slip so I didn't go for a while. I just went back after my husband and son recommended it and It was great. Maybe they changed managers or owners. the service was wonderful and the food was super. Very reasonably priced and a lot of food for the money. Totally will go back soon.
(4)
John F.
The pancakes here are very good, though nothing like those in Walker Bros. category. Omelettes and egg dishes tend to be very dry and not all that tasty. Non-breakfast menu is mediocre. Okay place, but not worth a destination trip.
(3)
a w.
Great place for a nice meal with the family. This place is always filled with people, but nevertheless, the service is always quick, fast, and freindly. The food is pretty good too -- mostly american fare -- and the portions are big and prices are reasonable.
(4)
Iris F.
Love it! Try the skillets or croissants dishes, I enjoy these type of diners.
(5)
Nancy S.
I'm staying next door at a hotel and this has become my go to place for delicious soups and the Athenian chicken kabob. Be careful, the portions are huge but the flavors are divine! The decor is a little dated but that just adds to the "diner feel" and if the food is delicious it doesn't bother me. The waitresses are so friendly they make you feel like family and go above and beyond your expectations to ensure a pleasant experience! Thank you Sanders!
(5)
Sara R.
I thought the food here was very typical "diner food". The service was not great, but that could have been a one time thing, since I only went here once. I went here with 4 others, and one of our orders was way off and they seemed indifferent when we brought it to their attention. This place seems to be a big hit with the AARP crowd.
(2)
Edwin L.
yoh, I've been here with friends and the fam on many occasions, and Sander's has been pretty good to us. Foodwise - Their menu is good for any mealtime, whether you want breakfast (pancakes, waffles, omelettes), lunch (sandwiches, burgers, omelettes), or dinner (steak, chicken, omelettes)! Everything is tasty and is like comfort food to me. Also, their generous portions leave you feeling more than satisfied with the meal. Atmospherewise - I'm 19, meanwhile most customers around me are well over 60. That being said, it is by no means exciting. However, it's a peaceful and warm environment that I genuinely enjoy dining in. Customer Service - I dunno anything about rudeness... A lot of waitresses there are either really nice and funny or hella sassy, but in the good way! Anyway, I never had a negative interaction with the staff there, but I guess it depends on our individual moods haha. Conclusion: Huge portions of tasty comfort food, warm and cozy environment, and sassy waitresses to tie it all together and remind you that this shit ain't free agagagagaga. I'll come back here for as long as it's open~
(5)
Tavi J.
Service here was great! They make you feel right at home. The crowd is older and it reminded me of an updated ihop. I got the veggie omelet with ham (Okay so the veggie omelet had the ingredients I wanted sans the meat...I know sounds weird). It came with hash browns that were dry and flavorless. It also came with pancakes. I got the banana and they were fluffy and delicious. If I'm ever out this way again I would come back, but there are seriously so many better brunch spots in the city.
(3)
Erick H.
Im an easy grader. But this has got to be the worst restaurant in the world. I went with my family for breakfast. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come. And our food was cold when we got it! Staff are showing no remorse over serving us cold food. They tasted bland! We almost used up all the salt and pepper on our table! My baby who eats virtually anything, would take a bite and spit it out right away! Dont be deceived by the heavy traffic of hungry eaters thinking this must be a good placed to be flocked by a lot of unsuspecting victims! Stay away from this place!
(1)
Tison H.
This place was awesome! Lots to choose from and huge portions! Service was fast and friendly! We are definitely coming back!!
(4)
Joani O.
My family and I have been going to Sander's since the early 90s, mostly for breakfast, although they are practically 24 hours (5 am to midnight, every day), and serve for all meals. They are a Greek diner with is a family owned business, and the menu is quite extensive. You can get traditional Greek dishes, as well as standard American meals (ribs, chops, burgers, sandwiches, huge salads, etc!), and one of my favorite aspects are the multiple soups each day. On Sundays they have an amazing cream of chicken rice (delicious!) and every day they have matzo ball and kreplach (my personal favorite) to cater to the heavy Jewish population in the area, as well as 2-3 additional ones. You can order your meal a la carte, or as a complete dinner with soup, salad, a beverage and dessert. They have a pastry case if you're into desserts! The breakfasts are the traditional offerings; pancakes, waffles, eggs, skillets, wonderful crepes, and amazing omelettes! Huge, and fluffy...served with gash browns, or you can substitute fresh fruit. If it's lunch or dinner sometimes I order soup and salad, but I've been through much of the menu and enjoy their crisper sandwiches and the chicken de jonge special that they offer regularly. (Think shrimp, but it's chicken.) There is something for everyone here, and only once or twice have I had something on the menu that I didn't care for. We always ask for "Bubbles" the waitress (her name is Debbie), but you're sure to get good service no matter who you get. If not, ask for Frank, the owner, or Jimmy, his son!
(4)
Heather M.
Big portions, friendly waitstaff, good prices and sooooooo delish. Everything I've had here has been exceptionally good. The chicken eggs Benedict was nothing like I've had before. Fried chicken breast atop a crunchy English muffin, with a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
(5)
Caroline D.
This is a great, no-frills, breakfast-all-day diner and I love the crap out of it. For the first four trips I got the same thing every time: Greek skillet with pancakes. Their hashbrowns are the thin-sliced kind, not shreds, which is sad because I can get down with some shreds. But they're good and taste more like real potatoes. The pancakes are a miracle. Today I changed it up and got a spinach and feta omelet and, yes, it was pretty great. Good service, always hopping at lunchtime, obviously a regular clientele. It's a very homey joint.
(4)
Luis G.
Great place to come eat. Prices are reasonable. Only down fall is parking the lot gets so packed sometimes you have to wait. There great with kids highly recommend!
(4)
Amanda C.
Came here at random after a shopping spree at Ross. My friend said she passed there a million times and had wanted to go in but never had the chance. I'm glad we did. The hostess was super friendly and danced my son all the way to the both. They had a mini dance party and then we sat. Our waitress came by right away and offered us coffee. She was great the whole time. No complaints here. Prices here are great! I had a coffee and 2 eggs with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a mexican skillet minus the chorizo. We maxed both. Food was good!!!! Not to mention it flew out of the kitchen. I think the bill was like $16 for both of us. That's pretty decent if you ask me.
(4)
Sonia B.
OK, if you are big on service...do not go here. The food was pretty good, but the service was horrible. I went in for breakfast with a friend of mine who has a baby. We were seated and before a minute even passed 3 different people came up to us and told us we couldn't leave the baby's car seat on the floor. We completely understood why and had no objection, but explained we were just taking off our jackets, the baby needed to be changed in the bathroom, and we would then put the baby in the booth. My friend and I were planning on splitting a couple of items, but didn't even have a chance to look at the menu as my friend felt pressured to go change/feed the baby right away so she could put the seat in the booth. Mind you, it hadn't even been a couple minutes since we arrived. So, friend and baby returned...we ordered coffee, juice, a breakfast wrap, and some pancakes. The breakfast wrap was good. If I were ever to return, I would get it again. I don't plan on it though. Baby cried for a short minute...nothing too crazy. And mind you we were NOT in a high end restaurant or anything...and NO ONE in the restaurant was looking except our server and the lady at the front who may have been the owner. They both came by with very condescending attitudes/comments. My friend went back to the bathroom, to avoid any issues. When she came back to the table, she asked if she could have a refill on her coffee since it got cold and the server looked at her like she was crazy. Seriously?! We weren't enjoying the experience much and decided it was time to go and we went up to pay and the owner(?) gasped when I asked her to split the payment w/ two credit cards. I'm not joking...straight up gasped out loud and then said..."well, you tell me what half of $25.46 is!" I looked at her because I thought she was joking and she wasn't. I was dumbfounded by the rudeness! I am now wishing I didn't give a 20% tip...ugh! Everyone there was rude. So disappointing. I love supporting local diners and family owned establishments...wanted to like this place...but, there are so many other places I would rather spend my money.
(2)
Chris C.
Had the ruben it was to much meat and not enough of bread. Beyond messy couldn't enjoy it at all the bread tore apart and the sandwich was so hot it took 10minutes to cool off. Service was excellent but food was over priced
(2)
Michael D.
Rather breakfast of dinner food is always delicious! Love the atmosphere, great service!
(5)
Peter O.
Let's say you like the familiarity of generic food in an '80s Greek diner atmosphere of shiny polymered golden oak, gold veined mirror wall tiles, mauve pleather booths and blaring televisions, and appreciate sometimes friendly, old-style waitresses with teased, bouffanted hair. Well, Sanders will do you just right. It's another one of those suburbany diners where everything is fine, okay, nothing special, good enough. Certainly not a destination. Not worth a long wait seated in their vestibule on weekends, either. ~Peter O. and S.
(3)
Margaret A.
I like this place and the service is always good. The breakfasts are delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys a delicious meal.
(4)
Alan S.
I am giving 5 stars to Sanders because its the place I have gone with family and friends for over 18 years. Basically, you could stereotype Sanders to be the American Greek diner from the 1980s like someone made a remark on the establishment in yelp. However, I like to say the place is clean and food fresh. You also have parking and access for people who are handicapped. You will see elderly people but others from all ages and ethnic groups come and dine. They have a good breakfast menu with many selections like omelettes, combos, french toast and also a good selection of salads/soup. You will also see a dinner menu with food ranging from steak, chicken, duck, and fish. They really give you alot of food. However only one complaint I am going 2 say regards the wait staff service. In the past, they had prompt waitresses but in the recent years. The waitresses had been negligent in service. I dont know why? They had hired these romanian women and not sure on their frustration with a new culture or the job. The receptionist also a romanian, pretty looking, always spaces out and not focus her attention to the customers. She would be reading some paper or checking up on her smartphone every minute or so. At times, she would stare at you from across the room with a blank look on her face. Other times you could see her leave her post at the front cashier and sit down eating the food while checking up her smartphone. Afterwards you will see the manager take up front duty at the front desk. As for the waitresses , they are always busy and never give their attention. Recently they got some new people and it was a major improvement.
(5)
Hannah H.
Sander's has been around since 1984. My husband and I came here to try out their breakfast. They have a limited menu, which was nice for an indecisive person like me! I had the Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs combo, which came with hash brown potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. My husband had the biscuits and gravy, and it was amazing to see how generous the restaurant was in terms of the portion! My steak was very juicy and well-cooked, but I wasn't a fan of their side of potatoes as they were just too bland and mushy for me. My husband wasn't a fan of the gravy as it was too coagulated, and the biscuits themselves were very salty. Service was friendly, and I'm glad I was able to check this place out! +Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs +forget the potatoes
(3)
Magdalena D.
#NAME?
(2)
Hector A.
One Word "OMELET"!!!!!!! Pick the things you like and put it on their fluffy magical omelet and you will only be able to say "WOW"!!!!! Service is great. The restaurant is clean. The staff is friendly. Parking is usually pretty good. Some day I will make it to one of the deserts they have on display. REMEMBER: OMELET, you will not be disappointed
(5)
Narciso C.
Extremely busy on Weekends, but Sanders provided warm welcome and above all courteous and attentive service. My family and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast on Sunday afternoon. Sanders serves breakfast all day and the portions are ginormous! The menu also included wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a robust Greek taste and flavor. There was plenty to choose from, and all reasonably priced. I will make this a regular for my family and a must for big breakfasts. Recommend the omelets, the Greek Feta omelet was huge and tasty. Kids will enjoy the pancakes or French toast, and there are plenty of breakfast meats to choose from: Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, and regular bacon to name few. Fresh squeezed OJ was icing on top.
(5)
Bonnie Z.
Watch out for the potato salad. Tasted warm and strange. Pushed it aside. Proceeded to vomit only the potato salad. Refused to pay the bill. Manager was annoyed. Never apologized. Never inquired how I felt. Scratch Sanders off my list.
(1)
Diane G.
On Sat. night my daughter and I wanted a quick inexpensive cozy little place to eat. I looked up the reviews and thought it sounded hopeful. The experience was awful. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, clang clang we could hear every plate served. The food that we ordered was terrible !! My daughter ordered fried scallops and I could have just went to Cosco and bought a bag. She wouldn't eat it. My dinner was also yucky. I ordered one of the specials--short ribs. I should have asked how it was prepared because when I looked at it, I couldn't eat it and the waitress kindly took it back. My second choice was a hot turkey and the turkey looked old with a gray color to it. I didn't want to ask again so I sucked up and ate it---YUCK ! Maybe we would have been better off going there for breakfast but we have marked this place as a NEVER.
(1)
Pete V.
The only word I can describe this place is "average." This is your typical average Greek American diner. The place need a make over, the service is average and the food is average. The menu is probably the same from the 90s. I think IHOP menu is more interesting.
(3)
Gary B.
As one who has waited on his fair share of tables I can spot the slow roll. A slow roll is when a server has been slammed and it is their attempt to not have a table get up and leave only to be immediately sat again. We were sooooo slow rolled today and I had things that needed to be done. Adding up a check isn't calculus so what the significant delay couldn't be determined. The food was ok, I had the asparagus soup which was good but needed salt. I had the American skillet which is corn beef hash on top of some dry potatoes. I don't liver near here so coming back won't be an option anyway but I certainly have had better.
(2)
Stephen M.
I've eaten here three times. The first time I was wearing a bright yellow jacket and an older woman handed me her keys for valet. Memorable, but I don't remember the meal that night. We've gone twice since then. Each time we came for breakfast (served any time) and we are glad we did. Omelets were chosen each time. Walker Brothers offers the same items, but on omelets, I'll go with Sanders. The reason? They are both baked and have a firm, fluffy texture. The balance is off at WB--at least the Santa Fe is--too much cheese. (Some might say what?!?, but yes too much). The balance at Sanders is better. (This was not a direct comparison. I had cheddar, mushroom and jalapeno). This is a fountain/diner restaurant and you expect some bit of character from the host and waitresses. They have opinions, are zealous in making sure you get your order the way you want and keep you happy. (You know. How's the bacon hun?). The sides are pleasing as well. The pancakes are a meal in themselves and the browned potatoes are breakfast staple extraordinaire.
(4)
Deborah G.
Keep driving! This place is scary bad!! Half the food was overly microwaved and we all know what happens there! The meatloaf and veal(???) cutlet were awful with a brown slop poured over it ! The skirt steak (21.00) was a big tasteless slab of meat thrown on a plate . Hint to chef , try marinating, the onion rings were good though. The really only bright spot were the milkshakes and the sweet waitress! She did a stellar job of taking care of an overly large last minute crowd! 5 stars for her!
(1)
Nektaria R.
Good for late night. Your typical diner. Lots of food for OK prices. It was the place to go after a full day of shopping for baby stuff. I had the lox, it was so good and they even found an alternative bread for me since I didn't want the white bagel. I've had their breakfast items, the daily specials, burgers, a variety of meals since I've been here a million time. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Parking can be a pain and trying to get back out onto Touhy heading east can be a nightmare. Oh well, I haven't had an accident or a ticket yet, so it'll be OK to deal with once in a while especially when hunger strikes and it's late night.
(4)
Steve S.
Great home cooked meal. The egg white omelette are the best in town the size of a football
(4)
Doug R.
I would only go here if Jack's across the street was closed, and even then Idk if I'd go here. Mediocre at best. Food just OK. Prices average. Nothing overly special here. Go to Jack's if they're open, otherwise, try to find somewhere else.
(2)
Justin S.
The food/service/friendliness all excellent. Never a bad visit and I've been coming here for years. They really pack the tables in, so there's hardly any room to move around when they're crowded but other than that, c'est si bon
(5)
Gab F.
Never again is all I can say. How utterly rude can some people be? My family has been coming here for years and we have had a bad server here and there but this one did Sanders in. If I could give zero stars, I WOULD! We were sat down and within the minute of sitting down the server was At our table asking if we know what we "want"... We tell her not yet. Obviously. Finally we order, wasn't a difficult order...like at all. 1. She didn't ask what kind of juice my mom wanted or if she even wanted juice (that came with her meal) 2. Confused two orders, when corrected, snatched plate from table and walked away, came back and just gave them to us like it was a problem. 3. Forgot the hash browns my mom ordered. Now here's where it got messy... When I stood up to mention the hash browns... She starts walking towards me with this SHITTY LITTLE SMILE like if I was bothering her convo with the damn owner. When I tell her she ALSO forgot my mothers hash brown she does a "hah ok" and turns away to go get them.. Well. You ghetto rat, you just made me want to speak my mind. I continue to walk with her towards the owner who was awaiting my complaint because apparently she had already been talking shit about me and my family... He continuously asks what we ordered and what's the problem. WELL THE FOODS NOT THE PROBLEM, it's your fucking waitress, and if you and her hadn't been up each other's ass flirting with one another, you would probably notice what a lousy job she had been doing! All he tells me is "I'll talk to her". Right, you'll just continue to talk shit about "Mexicans" like you had already been doing prior to me approaching you both. News flash douche, half of your staff is Latino so check yourself. He didn't even come to our table to apologize! We def weren't looking for a comped meal sweetheart, how unfortunate that you can't even take two seconds to come to our table and say sorry and maybe send a new waitress.., she didn't even come back to our table. We got up and went and asked for our bill. The hostess, bless her heart, did all the apologizing. Smh. Our bill was $36.40... We left $37... Those 60 cents weren't even earned. Never again Sanders Never again...
(1)
Lee A.
I really enjoy coming here for breakfast I always order the same thing Meat Lover's Skillets with two fried eggs medium. Sometimes it's too cheesy but always taste good. I am happy with the food and service.
(4)
Alex M.
This is our go to spot every Sunday. We have been coming here for a few years and have not found a better breakfast place. The staff is very friendly, fast, and efficient. It is also nice to see that this is a family owned restaurant. The plate I always select is the Mexican Skillet, which is very tasteful. Unlike other restaurants I have been to they use fresh Jalapeño peppers which brings out the flavor more. The Chorizo sausage is not greasy and does not over power the skillet. I have scrambled eggs with it and top it off with Tabasco sauce for a awesome meal that gets me through the day. Sundays are busy days I recommend coming in earlier. If the lot is full you park in the Holiday Inn parking lot as well.
(5)
Mike K.
CONSISTENTLY GREAT FOOD. We like Bubbles--she is our favorite waitress. We always order the baked egg white veggie omelet with Swiss cheese. It is always excellent. A few of the morning waitresses are not exactly warm and friendly but all in all a very solid 4 stars.
(4)
Pam D.
Your basic diner / deli kind of place. The food was ok, but nothing special. I had a Michigan omelet, which was filled with apple and cheddar cheese. It sounded so good and tasted bland. I don't get it. Christopher had a Denver omelet which was pretty good. The portions were large. I ended up bringing much of my food home. This place seems reasonably popular and has been around forever. I don't have much more to say about it. I didn't hate it, but it will not be high on my revisit list.
(3)
Christina G.
I came here with a large group on a Wednesday evening for dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Luckily, we had made reservations because when we got there, all but a few tables were full. Out large, twelve person table wasn't ready when we got there, but it was available shortly thereafter. The staff are beyond helpful. They got our orders 100% correct, and we always asking if there was anything they could do for us. Our server was wonderful and very sweet. The issue was more with the food. It was pretty average, nothing special. From the looks of the place, i thought the food wood be delicious, but I was not blown away. Most of our group ordered burgers, but I had a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and the grilled cheese was fine, but again, nothing special. The prices were very reasonable though. I didn't try it, but they offer breakfast all day. They get extra points for that. Quick couple tips: 1. The parking lot is rather small, but the hostess told me they rent parking space from the hotel next door, so you can park there. 2. You can only enter the restaurant parking lot if you are headed west on Touhy or north on Niles Center Road.
(3)
Kelley S.
I've eaten 2 dinners and 3 breakfasts here. All dining experiences have been positive and flavorful. Their beet salad is delicious, their cobb salad is great, their reuben is HUGE and delicious. You have to eat that baby with a fork because there's no way you are picking it up. Their breakfasts are pretty standard, but quick and good for reasonable prices. The one thing we didn't particularly enjoy was the chicken breakfast skillet. It was the blandest thing we have ordered, but still a large portion and not bad, just not good. If you are a soup fan, ask about their daily soup selections when you stop in! They have some of the best, unique soups I have ever seen at any restaurant and each one I've had has been excellent. A note on the staff, they are what you would expect in a diner such as this... middle aged women that seem to have been there forever. With that comes a variety of personalities. I've had some very friendly and funny staff that provided exemplary service. I've also had some ladies that seemed to be going through the motions and watching the clock. Not terrible service, but nothing noteworthy either. There is also a few fabulous men whose job it is to bring waters and overall monitor all tables for beverages, clearing plates etc. They are super-efficient! Regardless of who I got as a server the food was always prepared and delivered in a timely manner which is really why I go there anyhow.
(4)
Sean L.
If you can't find something to eat here that you love I don't know what is wrong with you. The sandwiches are enormous, and fresh, and the cream of chicken soup is the best I've ever had anywhere.
(5)
Michelle K.
They have great sandwiches and cream of chicken rice soup on Sundays!! Simply delish!! Juanita is the sweetest server.
(5)
Gio L.
It is a diner; not Stella's, nevertheless a meal after a long flight and not too many choices. I have been here before and will be back again.
(3)
Rom R.
After being a regular for some time, it seems the last several months it is going downhill. Busboys not refilling beverages regularly, waitresses seem bothered to do so. Rolls wrapped in plastic, a good thing, but many have tasted day old lately, probably because not as busy as of late and remain an extra day. Seemingly new crew of waitresses over the past several months, service is ok, but waitresses there now act as if doing you a favor--nothing is gracious to you anymore . Need to fix some things, or regulars will find elsewhere to go. Serving soup not filled to where bowl should be filled, so waitress won't spill carrying it? C'mon we are paying for a bowl not a 3/4 bowl, scared to say anything to waitresses, they may do something to rest of your food.... eh can do better, just may have to drive a little, but seemingly feeling worth it as of late.
(1)
Frank A.
Super busy intersection on Touhy. Parking lot is a pain in the rear. The worst is having to circle around looking for a spot during busy hour. Typical diner food that can be a little bland but this is really a good breakfast spot. What you see is what you get here. I used to hit this spot on Sundays while reading the paper. It's alright, but nothing really outstanding or bad either...
(3)
Derek G.
Sanders Restaurant is a nice north-side breakfast option. If you are looking for a place free of senior citizens, void of no nonsense wait staff, and ample parking, perhaps this is not the place for you. However, if you were looking for a place that has great coffee, numerous menu options and reasonable prices, I would highly recommend Sanders. On a side note, do not get discouraged by the parking lot full of cars. The Marriot Hotel allows Sanders to park in their lot, so feel free to park there if the Sander's lot is full...which normally is the case.
(4)
Teri D.
I eat here when i stay at the excellent Holiday Inn next door and eat dinner several times and breakfast every day of the one week a month I am in Chicago. The dinner cooks here need to learn how to cook chicken until it is thoroughly done. Even after specifically requesting well-done chicken, it was raw by the bone with an overpowering amount of oregano. Go with the pork chops instead. The breakfast cooks are much better and Donna or Bubbles will take excellent care of you! Go for the homemade rice pudding (which is as good as my grandma used to make) rather than the desserts that are brought in and served WELL PAST when they are dried out and stale.
(3)
Jay K.
Just got back from having a great baked Denver omelet. If the rest of the menu is as good as the omelet I may have to up my rating. The potatoes were so-so but the toast was hot and the service was good.
(4)
Steve O.
Even on Mothers Day The service was excellent!
(5)
James L.
This old Greek diner with surly waitresses sits in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It has a lot of Jewish stuff on the menu, like lox. The baked goods (pies) seem to be from some grocery store or Sams, but the breakfasts are filling, cheap, and decent. Slices of honeydew accompany every breakfast platter. That's a very nice touch. But the only reason to eat here is if you happen to be in Skokie or Niles.
(3)
Darren F.
another dine in restaurant with mostly older generation people there.. i ordered a steak skillet and i think it was horrible.. a lot of the steak was chewy.. it was oily and even their egg whites taste bad.. should of never substitute the egg with their egg whites.. anyways.. there was some guy next to us that ordered a apple filling pancake that was huge.. and i mean HUGE! our waitress told us that it takes around 45 min to make if we ever want it.. might give that a try next time.. maybe...
(1)
Natalie S.
Jack's (across the street) used to be my favorite breakfast place in the area. Then I realized they kinda suck. Sander's is definitely better. I love their skillets. Other things I have had there were not as great but their skillets are always hot and fresh. The reason I didn't give it my usual "I go here often and like it a lot" 4 star review is because the service here is REALLY inconsistant. A few times we've been here and ask for easy things... like eggs over medium... and ended up with them scrambled. Another time we asked specifically for a cheese substiution that wasn't granted and the waitress just shrugged. She's great. I've always spied their glorious looking cakes and pies in that revolving glass case but never sampled them. Wonder if they're delicious...
(3)
Kimberly C.
Service was average. Good food for the price. Just passing through on our way to Michigan.
(4)
J. Loren H.
Delicious lox and bagels! That's what I get whenever I go there. I love Sander's. It's mine and my sister-in-law's go-to restaurant when we wanna go out, not spend a ton, and have delicious food. The servers there are all nice. This place is like any of your typical greek-owned diners, minus the shitsy service and the bad teeth. (actually, I take that back, I saw one lady with some rotters...) The server we had last time was awesome. My 10 month old niece was with us, and the server kept interacting with her, which impressed me. I think it's rude when a server ignores a child. Anyway, if you're looking for a full menu, daily specials, delicious soup, good service, and a comfortable place to sit, eat here, you'll love it. Oh, and there are half booth/half tables for fatties like me. Woo!
(5)
Kara T.
My husband and I frequent Sanders. We don't really branch out from the sandwiches or breakfast menu, but I did get a salad once and it was great. Typical good diner food, but the staff is what really sets this place apart. We've been coming here for about 4 years now, maybe once every other week or so, and the owner, his son, most of the hostesses and the waitstaff know us (and now our 2 year old) by name whenever we visit--it is such a great feeling. Plus, the food is consistently good and we know that when we go, we will leave happy and full. This will be our go-to place for years to come!
(4)
Tiffany G.
Famous last words: "How can anybody screw up a pancake?" How, indeed. By definition, what is a blueberry pancake to YOU? One would assume it is a pancake, studded with, presumably, real blueberries. Even at the lowliest truck-stop one can find such a specimen... But not at Sanders. Are blueberry pancakes supposed to: a) be doused with an entire CAN of high-fructose corn syrup-stewed blueberries? b) be about 2 inches thick, have a hard outer-crust impenetrable by a fork and knife, and then literally break apart in layers while trying to do so? c) stick to the roof of your mouth like wall paper paste? d) leave a synthetic taste in your mouth even two subsequent cups of bad coffee cannot mask? e) be served with even more synthetic "maple-flavored" syrup? Final question: Is bacon supposed to be shades of green and black? And this, from an establishment that coins itself a "pancake house." They should be shot.
(1)
Shirley K.
First time visit this past Sunday. Ordered salami omelet. The entree came with hash browns and choice of toast, pancakes or french toast. I had the pancakes with mine and my friend had the french toast. My friend thought the entire meal was delicious. I, too, thought the omelet was exceptionally good as were the pancakes. However the hash browns were really thinly sliced fried potatoes. That was an acceptable substitution for me but the potatoes were not cooked through. They were on the hard side. My waitress and bus boy were very attentive. The man serving as hostess really is the reason my rating is not four stars. He was extremely rude.
(3)
Billy G.
Club Sandwich w/ bowl of Matzo ball soup. That is all I have to say.
(5)
Richard M.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a Jewish diner/deli you have found it. The portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Think shared meals!! Service is always prompt and very helpful.
(4)
Katrina M.
Fast & friendly service. Reasonable prices. Plentiful portions. No frills diner food, yet my stuffed french toast was unusually overstuffed.. which I love!
(4)
Jacob J.
Decent diner food, better than Golden Nugget. My last visit, dining within a group of four people, they'd forgotten my meal completely. Then when I asked about it, it became this whole situation of pointing the finger on whether I did or didn't order. Still that was just a matter of a crappy waitress. Of the two diners in this shopping area, they are the best. Blah.
(3)
An P.
I want a skillet! I want a skillet! I want a skillet! Whenever I go to a new diner that I have never ever been to before, I must have the skillet. In my view, the skillet demonstrates a chef's ability to fry, saute, melt, poach, and texturize. In essence, the skillet shows the chef's overall cooking ability more so than any other breakfast food! It was around 7:00pm on a Wednesday night and I hiked out to Skokie with a buddy to a meeting and had about an hour to kill. Despite being jam packed, we got a table with no wait. Families were eating, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, cops, coworkers and all the like were gathered at Sanders to grab a bite to eat. You'd think you were eating at Denny's or something it was so crowded. I popped open the menu and wondered if Sanders was a Greek joint. With the amount of food on the menu it really must have been. From borscht to steak sandwiches to corn beef hash to steaks and pastas it seemed like page after page of quality food. It was hard to resist ordering anything else, but being a skillet lover I dug into a meat lover's skillet without much more hesitation. PS If you can't poach eggs, why make the skillet? The food came in quick order and I got plenty of meats on my skillet and was satisfied with the degree of crispiness as well as my poacherrific eggs on big toast. While Sanders is too far of a hike for me, it is still the cat's meow in terms of skilled skillets. Chalk it up on the list, it's legit!
(4)
Jean C.
I just found out today that I'm invisible. No seriously, I found this out because the hostess looked straight through me (and my friends) both on the way in and on the way out. Actually for a moment when we were leaving, I thought she was smiling at us, acknowledging us because y'know, we were leaving the money on the front desk, but it turned out that she was smiling at people in line, people she knew. And as for us? Well... invisible. She did manage to find our money, though, so that was good. Apart from being invisible to the hostess, I have to say that the rest of the staff was really quite nice. We had a lovely, friendly waitress, and the bus staff was fantastic! The food... not so much. Corned beef hash, billed as the best in the city, looked and tasted like canned. Sausages had an odd flavor, and blueberry pancakes weren't pancakes with blueberries in the batter, they were plain old buttermilk pancakes with a lot of blueberry compote poured over the top. The eggs benny were pretty average and the hollandaise was so-so. The freshly squeezed OJ was really the best thing I had. The place seemed clean and it was busy. I had the impression that there were a lot of regulars. But honestly, I doubt I'll ever have much of a pressing desire to go back. ETA: Let me be completely clear about something. This would have been a solid three-star review but for the utter indifference of the hostess, who had oodles of charm and lots of smiles for people she knew, but who couldn't be arsed to even acknowledge us beyond leading us to a table and putting our money in the cash register.
(2)
Dave S.
This place struck me as odd. Every time we drive by here this place is packed! I don;t ever recall an exception. We were thinking that this place had to be pretty good to have a crowd like this at all times. We decided to stop in one evening for dinner and I deemed myself lucky to be able to get the last open table in the restaurant. I was thinking score one for us! I reviewed the menu and I was impressed with the selection and prices. The prices were low for a reason, which I am about to get into. My wife and I decided to get creative. One of us would order a breaded cod dinner and the other would order a macaroni and cheese dinner and we would have a little buffet all to ourselves. The soup was decent. It was the best part of the meal. The dinner rolls were all individually wrapped and were quite a pain in the you know what to unwrap to try and eat. Our entrees arrived and it was SO disappointing. Everything was rather bland and very unimpressive. I could have easily made this type of meal at home (probably better). The prices were cheap but we did get what we paid for. I must give credit where credit is due. Our server Mandy was awesome. She was friendly, helpful, sincere and on top of her game. Her waiting on us was probably the highlight of the meal. I am thinking that we might give this place another shot for breakfast. It looks like that is more of their specialty!
(2)
Miriam B.
Love this place!. My husband and I have dined here twice. For breakfast and today for dinner. Amazing service!. So attentive!. Great portions at good prices!.
(5)
Liza K.
Food poisoning
(1)
Patricia L.
If pancake houses had heights, Sanders would be average with IHOP a little above and Walker Brothers towering over the other 2. PROS -gigantic, BAKED omelets that are delish and cost about $6 that comes with pancakes or toast and hash browns -cheaper than IHOP -my 1st visit here our waitress was AMAZING, like the super-attentive kind that didn't believe in glasses half empty (literally, she re-filled our coffee cups up like nobody's business) -great choice of skillets...(whether you're an omnivore or veggie queen) and 3 different eggs benedict CONS -stingy with ingredients in omelets...they also charge you $0.50 more for every other ingredient you'd like on it -as my own grandma put it, it smells like "old people" -my 2nd visit here the waitress was horrible...she didn't even notice there was bright pink lipstick left on one of the coffee cups she served us -they use canned strawberries in their crepes...WHACK Really is a toss up. Just pray that you get the awesome waitress
(2)
Brittany K.
I LOVE this restaurant. Girlfriend and I are regulars here - when we lived two minutes away we tended to go at least once a week. Unfortunately we now live about 40mins away but still can't stop ourselves from visiting at least a few times a month. Their portions are huge, the selection is large, the food is always hot and delicious. I usually stick with the breakfast foods but their salads, soups and wraps are pretty good too. Staff is generally friendly, helpful and able to add/subtract/modify dishes without issue (yes, I am that one annoying customer who can't possibly eat mushrooms or hashbrowns but can you please sub cottage cheese and add asparagus??) They're also very inexpensive, and pretty quick too. If the place is crowded (as it tends to be on Sunday mornings with the after-church crowd) there is pretty much always seating at the counter available. Really I don't have any issues with this place. It is pure good. Must try!
(5)
April P.
food here is great, classic. Service with Bubbles (yes that's her name) is fast and a delight had the zucchini, mushroom and tomato omlet! Yummmmmy. Tasty, fluffy and great serving. Bf had the pecan belgian waffle. Had pecans throughout as well as on top of waffle. Sooo good not a disappointment. Would go back
(5)
Dan D.
You want a killer huge German pancake?! (Like really guys, this is a whopper of a german pancake... enough for at least 3 meals for myself). How about some kick-butt skillets? Oh... I know what you are craving! You want some pie. Well folks, at this old-school family-style restaurant, you can have it all. This has long been an institution of the northside/suburb Chicago. Good food. Great service. Prices could be lower... but hey, sometimes its just nice to be in a family joint. :-)
(4)
Liz M.
I have a longtime love affair with All-American, usually Greek owned, coffee-shop diners. They usually have the best homemade soups. The biggest bread baskets. The yummiest omelettes. The largest fresh salads. The hottest fresh coffee. The biggest bang for your buck dinner specials. The most experienced, nicest waitresses. The most decadent desserts rotating around in a glass cabinet. And the most loyal bunch of senior citizen diners ever. Well Sanders is exactly one of "those kind" of diners.
(3)
Sue K.
The service is excellent - the waitresses/hosts/bus boys are attentive and kind. The food, though..caters to their crowd, which is the elderly. What does this mean? That the food is bland and the prices are reasonable.
(2)
Nancy H.
Your standard American breakfast for a reasonable price. An average omelette costs $7 and includes hash browns, your choice of toast or pancakes, and a piece of fruit! Lots of regulars, old-timers, and local families that dine here, and the parking lot is probably too small for such a popular place.
(4)
meran m.
The staff was very nice. The tables are comfortable. It's open late so you can grab a bite after a show. The soup is decent and so are the fries. That's pretty much where it ends for me. Taste does not seem to be a high priority there. The hamburger appears to be a pre-frozen, dense, unseasoned patty. The salad is iceberg. The plastic-encased rolls tell you that practicality trumps an interest in quality. I don't know what my friends see in this place, other than it is open at night, but I am going to hunt down another late night restaurant in the area to suggest for next time. My suggestion to the owners: You have a nice facility there, but you'd be better off limiting your extensive menu to items you can do well.
(2)
Rahman U.
This was the worst meal I've had in years, no joke. 1 star is probably too generous. I somehow overlooked several red flags warning me about this place. When we first walked in it looked like Bingo night at a retirement home. I honestly think we were the youngest customers by a good 40 years. The first thing that got me was when the waitress brought out the bread which was all individually wrapped in plastic. Uhh, ok, wonder when this was made. I ended up ordering the eggplant chicken parmesan, two dishes I've seen served separately but never together. I like them both, so this has got to turn out well right? For my vegetable I got to choose between beets and peas....wait a minute, am I on Punk'd? People still serve peas?? My choice of soup was between chicken noodle and matzo ball. "Tell me, what's matzo ball soup again?" I asked. "Oh you don't want that it's nasty" says the waitress. Well alrightythen. A good half an hour later when the meal actually arrived I tried my food and was immediately turned off. It had a layer of cheese followed by the eggplant, then the chicken, and a layer of spaghetti o's on the very bottom. The eggplant appeared to be old and slimy and coated in something that had the consistency of a pancake. Apparently they didn't get the memo. The chicken wasn't lucky enough to battered in anything and was just plain bland and overcooked. I had to put salt and pepper on it and I never add salt to ANYTHING. I don't think I even finished half of my food. "You guys need some boxes?" asked our waiter. She can't be serious. "Nah, I think we're done here." I'm not sure if your taste buds start to go the older you get because the senior citizens thought this stuff was delicious. As for the under 70 crowd, I'd stay away, this food is gross.
(1)
Aria S.
I was really disappointed with Sanders. My family and I came for breakfast. It looks like your typical diner, with the same atmosphere you see at most of these breakfast/lunch places. There are two reasons I wasn't impressed with Sanders. First, our waitress was slow and forgetful. She brought out different parts of our meal at different times. I ordered eggs but didn't get my toast. My mother ordered eggs as well but didn't get her bacon until we asked at least 3 times for it. The food wasn't up to par either. Small portions of hashbrowns and soggy bacon. Gross. I really think there are much better breakfast places in the area.
(2)
Dave S.
It's called the American. Corned beef hash skillet with American cheese and basted eggs. I don't really need to say anything else about this place... but I guess I should. I have only been here for breakfast and only on weekends. Sanders is always crowded but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat. Service is typical of a diner; sometimes excellent and sometimes just good enough. Regardless of the speed of service the staff is incredibly friendly and polite. They make you feel like they're serving you food in their own home made in their own kitchen. Unlike other diners, Sanders individually wraps the bread they bring out to your table whenever you order something other than breakfast. This is a bonus since you never know what snot-nosed kid was playing Booger Man with that roll before you sat down. They have a rotating glass case of pies and cakes of which I have never tried. They look absolutely fantastic and delicious... but cake just doens't seem like a good way to finish off breakfast. Coffee hot and drinkable. Food hot and DELICIOUS!! Served quickly and friendly and accurately. Sanders is a fantastic place to get your breakfast on! Mmmmmm... bacon.
(4)
Kristina K.
Open late and offers a wide selection of diner food. Great breakfast items and decent lunch and dinner selections. The fries are boring. The service is hit and miss.
(3)
Mary Z.
Sanders Restaurant is great. The food is always top notch and the service is great. Even when their busy they take the time to be sure service is still top priority. Give Sanders a try and I'm sure you will be going back again and again. Sanders Team - Keep up the great work!!!!
(5)
Alexandra B.
Horrible food. Crepes over done. Pancakes under cooked. My sons mac and cheese came from a box and it was also over done... at the end of the day I give it a 1. The hostess and server were very sweet, but I left without eating and had my meal taken off.
(1)
John W.
Pancakes were good. Big omelette. Hash browns were very average.
(3)
David L.
Great place. A real diner to get a cup of coffee and a meal with friends or family. I'm writing because of the egg white omelet, WOW As fluffy and delicious as a food that is healthy can be. Always feel welcome.
(5)
jarret c.
Fantastic Spanish Omelet! Went with a group of friends and was completely satisfied. Excellent service and great food! We would go back for sure. Sanders always will come back for that omelet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)
Deanna S.
Ordered carryout. Service was ok, but what I ordered was inedible. Both me and my friend threw out what we ordered. We ordered two orders of blueberry pancakes, and instead of there being blueberries all throughout the pancakes, there was just a huge stack of plain pancakes with a giant pile of warm blueberry pie filling poured on top! It wasn't at all what I had envisioned, but I gave it a try anyway. The blueberries were literally canned pie filling. They left a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. I scraped off the filling and tried to just eat the pancakes, but I didn't like those either. I like nice moist pancakes and these just didn't do it for me at all. My friend ate about three bites of hers and threw hers out as well. This was a major disappointment. Maybe others would like this style of blueberry pancakes but it was a disgusting mess for me and a waste of money. :-(
(2)
A C.
I hate to do this to Sander's - this place used to be my favorite weekly place for eating alone, or with friends; that is, until I got severe food poisoning here. I normally eat their chicken parmesan entree, with soup and salad. This one time, after I ate it, within 2 hours of eating it, I was violently throwing up, and had diarrhea for 5 days. That's right, 5 days. I wouldn't stop until I went to the doctor and they prescribed me with some antibiotics, and told to drink gatorade. I had to call the local health department....the people there were equally shocked at what had happened there, since they also frequent this diner. After the health dept did their investigation, I was told that their kitchen sinks did not have liquid or bar soaps available for staff to wash their hands, their soup was below required temperatures. Hmmm, I wonder what caused my illness. Could it have been undercooked food, or unclean/dirty hands touching the food? Who knows. But I do know that I will not be going back, EVER.
(1)
Juanita G.
This place is definitely for the Buick and Cadillac set. I guess everyone else that's a little younger is either at Corner Bakery or Chili's down the street. I love this place when I'm in the neighborhood and would like having crepes. Their breakfasts are superior to Jack's. They are tied in the soup and rolls category. I tend to like dinner specials at Jack's instead. Sanders' meals are very good and they have a huge menu. I'm just a little weirded out but somehow comforted by the individually saran wrapped rolls. Their waitresses are older and not always very friendly.
(5)
Pamela P.
This place is the best. We're regulars here every Saturday morning, despite living 30 minutes away. Everyone is friendly, warm and inviting. The food is delicious. Never a bad experience! Highly recommended!
(5)
Chris C.
Really like this place. While it doesn't have Frui-shi like Orange or other cutting edge items (which are definitely cool & good), it does have very good quality "American Diner / Restaurant" food. I can appreciate both, which is why I like this place. Pros: Quality breakfasts, meats, sausages, eggs, omlettes. Good sandwiches. Everything tastes very good, but you don't feel like you just ate at the greasy spoon. Eggs, sausage, bacon all taste "fresh" and - get this - you can actually taste the flavors instead of just grease. My service has been very good, although due to the usual line-out-the-door at this place, I think that other Yelper's comments make sense. Verdict: Old school & definitely recommended.
(4)
Amanda P.
Edit to add more info, because Sander's has become my regular place to meet up with my dad and stepmom for breakfast since I wrote this review. In the Diner competition between Sander's and Jack's (kitty-corner and down the street a little bit), Sander's wins hands down. One of the things that impresses me the most about this place is that despite the fact that they've been around forever and could easily rest on their laurels, they're constantly updating their menu to include contemporary touches. Thus, Sander's will never turn into an "old man" diner, the way What's Cookin' and Whistler's so definitely have. In fact, the last time I was there, I had portobello mushroom eggs benedict with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto hollandaise sauce. Totally yummy. The omlettes are super fluffy and light, probably baked in the oven. My husband and I are also huge fans of the cherry kijafa crepes, with black cherries and sweet, dark cherry sauce. Pancakes are good, but like other reviewers said, not in the league of Walker Brothers. This is just a good, dependable diner with an extremely varied menu.
(4)
Amanda O.
I was somewhat surprised by some of the negative reviews posted. For example one Yelp!er wrote that the hostess was rude. My experience last night involved nothing but the friendliess of hostesses. I felt like she had been seeing come to the establishment for years when in reality last night was the first time I'd ever been there. Granted I didn't dine in. I got my food to go. But still very friendly! The food was so yummy. I got the "Le Crossiant" which was ham, turkey, cheese and hollandaise sauce. The meat was thick cut and the ham so juicy and flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was somewhat sweet and the crossiant, I'm told, is purchased by a local bakery. It came with fries (I agree with a previous review that they are somewhat boring) and lettuce, tomatoe and pickle. I also got a side of Matzo Ball soup. It came in a rather large soup cup and I was amazed they would give that much soup as a to-go side. Then I realized that there was only one matzo ball in the cup. But it took up the WHOLE cup and that's why the cup was soooo large! It was very comforting soup. My friend got some sort of mexi-skillet. He seemed satisfied with it although it looked generic for a diner and he doused it in hot sauce. All in all I will be going back to Sanders if not for dine in experience then definately for my to-go needs :)
(4)
George K.
The service here sucks. I went eating here and they left a Discovery Channel special on snakes while we were eating. Doesn't really make the food any more appetizing and considering that their quality of food is sub par, they really did not do themselves a favor. Stay away from here.
(1)
Betty P.
still going there. still love it
(5)
Joanne E.
Confession, when I'm not at Dixie Kitchen (Evanston) for breakfast, this is where I hang out. The Denver Omelette is fabulous. My husband and I have rarely had to wait, not even on weekends, and we have always found the service very efficient (and effective) and the wait staff very nice. Update 5/27/08: We had two rather miserable experiences here about a year ago. Unfortunately, they occurred two Saturday's in a row, and we have not been back since. Both experiences involved extremely dirty booths (the garbage on the floor was obviously filth that had built up for some time) and wait staff that seemed to be fighting with bus boys to the extent that we felt extremely uncomfortable. I don't think we'll ever be back.
(1)
Mary C.
A busy restaurant is a good restaurant. You'll never find this place empty. They have fantastic breakfast food served all day. If you're jonesing for some dinner try their Greek specialties. They are always wonderful. Portions here are huge, so you'll never leave hungry. You'll also never have an empty coffee cup because service is on the ball and friendly. Only negative is the hostess treated us like we were invisible. We should not have to wait to be seated so she can finish her conversation with another employee. Customers come first, especially when you see someone is handicapped (as was the case this time with my grandmother). If it wasn't for that misstep, they would have gotten 5 stars.
(4)
Joe F.
My family and I have been going to Sander's for over five years. We usually go there for dinner, and know a few of the waitresses very well. As soon as you sit down, you are given a variety basket of bread. In general, the menu is very traditional, and meals are reasonably priced. The food itself is rather mediocre, but still filling. I have only had one problem with a waitress, whom I think no longer works there. Nevertheless, the staff there is very welcoming and warm. This is a great place to grab lunch in Skokie if you need a good warm meal, and do not want to spend a lot of money.
(4)
Karen H.
Some of the best soups in the area! Love the Sweet and Sour Cabbage and the Lentil! And their omlettes are GREAT! Try the Apple and Cheddar...and add in cinnamon. Very tasty!!!! Service is friendly and quick...
(3)
Michelle R.
they service is good. parking sucks
(3)
Y V.
This traditional pancake house/restaurant is very popular with families (and senior citizens!) in Skokie. We went here on a Sunday for breakfast. I had the ham and cheddar omelet, with hash browns and pancakes. He had the skirt steak, eggs, and Greek toast. Both portions were huge and the food was delicious. They have a big menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Ann Y.
I love the crepe's at Sander's and the waitress will even bring us a TON of whipped cream- yummy. They also will make bannana crepes even though they aren't on the menu. The soups are good and the menu is diverse. This is your typical greek-owned family restaraunt and I have always had a decent experience here.
(4)
Mike K.
The food was Ok, but go elsewhere if you expect a Thank You from the hostess after you've paid the bill. She must be the owners daughter, the atitude is unwarranted for a greasy spoon.
(2)
a w.
Great place for a nice meal with the family. This place is always filled with people, but nevertheless, the service is always quick, fast, and freindly. The food is pretty good too -- mostly american fare -- and the portions are big and prices are reasonable.
(4)
Iris F.
Love it! Try the skillets or croissants dishes, I enjoy these type of diners.
(5)
Mary L.
I used to go this restaurant a lot, but it seemed to slip so I didn't go for a while. I just went back after my husband and son recommended it and It was great. Maybe they changed managers or owners. the service was wonderful and the food was super. Very reasonably priced and a lot of food for the money. Totally will go back soon.
(4)
John F.
The pancakes here are very good, though nothing like those in Walker Bros. category. Omelettes and egg dishes tend to be very dry and not all that tasty. Non-breakfast menu is mediocre. Okay place, but not worth a destination trip.
(3)
Anum A.
This place is a good restaurant to get a really hearty meal at. They have great tasting food here. But it is always crowded which is not good. If you go here you are going to have to wait and you can expect slow service. But the food is really good, so that always makes me happy.
(4)
Jamila H.
This is by far the worst service I have had in recent memory. The server was extremely rude. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing after I asked her to repeat something or after asking a simple question. She brought the food out and about 2 minutes after brought us the check, then about 10 minutes later demanded that we pay it because she was leaving soon. Then as we were eating she asked if we wanted carry-out boxes for our food (I repeat, she did this while we were eating). As if that wasn't bad enough, as we ate the entire wait-staff stood around watching us eat because they were about to close. I understand how it could be frustrating to have lingering customers around closing-time, but if it's a problem either don't let us in or tell us politely. I don't mind rushing through my meal if I know that I came in just in time to get served, but don't go out of your way to make me so uncomfortable that I want to leave. It really was a god awful experience, so much so that I will never eat there again.
(1)
Stephen M.
I've eaten here three times. The first time I was wearing a bright yellow jacket and an older woman handed me her keys for valet. Memorable, but I don't remember the meal that night. We've gone twice since then. Each time we came for breakfast (served any time) and we are glad we did. Omelets were chosen each time. Walker Brothers offers the same items, but on omelets, I'll go with Sanders. The reason? They are both baked and have a firm, fluffy texture. The balance is off at WB--at least the Santa Fe is--too much cheese. (Some might say what?!?, but yes too much). The balance at Sanders is better. (This was not a direct comparison. I had cheddar, mushroom and jalapeno). This is a fountain/diner restaurant and you expect some bit of character from the host and waitresses. They have opinions, are zealous in making sure you get your order the way you want and keep you happy. (You know. How's the bacon hun?). The sides are pleasing as well. The pancakes are a meal in themselves and the browned potatoes are breakfast staple extraordinaire.
(4)
Deborah G.
Keep driving! This place is scary bad!! Half the food was overly microwaved and we all know what happens there! The meatloaf and veal(???) cutlet were awful with a brown slop poured over it ! The skirt steak (21.00) was a big tasteless slab of meat thrown on a plate . Hint to chef , try marinating, the onion rings were good though. The really only bright spot were the milkshakes and the sweet waitress! She did a stellar job of taking care of an overly large last minute crowd! 5 stars for her!
(1)
Nektaria R.
Good for late night. Your typical diner. Lots of food for OK prices. It was the place to go after a full day of shopping for baby stuff. I had the lox, it was so good and they even found an alternative bread for me since I didn't want the white bagel. I've had their breakfast items, the daily specials, burgers, a variety of meals since I've been here a million time. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Parking can be a pain and trying to get back out onto Touhy heading east can be a nightmare. Oh well, I haven't had an accident or a ticket yet, so it'll be OK to deal with once in a while especially when hunger strikes and it's late night.
(4)
Steve S.
Great home cooked meal. The egg white omelette are the best in town the size of a football
(4)
Doug R.
I would only go here if Jack's across the street was closed, and even then Idk if I'd go here. Mediocre at best. Food just OK. Prices average. Nothing overly special here. Go to Jack's if they're open, otherwise, try to find somewhere else.
(2)
Justin S.
The food/service/friendliness all excellent. Never a bad visit and I've been coming here for years. They really pack the tables in, so there's hardly any room to move around when they're crowded but other than that, c'est si bon
(5)
Gab F.
Never again is all I can say. How utterly rude can some people be? My family has been coming here for years and we have had a bad server here and there but this one did Sanders in. If I could give zero stars, I WOULD! We were sat down and within the minute of sitting down the server was At our table asking if we know what we "want"... We tell her not yet. Obviously. Finally we order, wasn't a difficult order...like at all. 1. She didn't ask what kind of juice my mom wanted or if she even wanted juice (that came with her meal) 2. Confused two orders, when corrected, snatched plate from table and walked away, came back and just gave them to us like it was a problem. 3. Forgot the hash browns my mom ordered. Now here's where it got messy... When I stood up to mention the hash browns... She starts walking towards me with this SHITTY LITTLE SMILE like if I was bothering her convo with the damn owner. When I tell her she ALSO forgot my mothers hash brown she does a "hah ok" and turns away to go get them.. Well. You ghetto rat, you just made me want to speak my mind. I continue to walk with her towards the owner who was awaiting my complaint because apparently she had already been talking shit about me and my family... He continuously asks what we ordered and what's the problem. WELL THE FOODS NOT THE PROBLEM, it's your fucking waitress, and if you and her hadn't been up each other's ass flirting with one another, you would probably notice what a lousy job she had been doing! All he tells me is "I'll talk to her". Right, you'll just continue to talk shit about "Mexicans" like you had already been doing prior to me approaching you both. News flash douche, half of your staff is Latino so check yourself. He didn't even come to our table to apologize! We def weren't looking for a comped meal sweetheart, how unfortunate that you can't even take two seconds to come to our table and say sorry and maybe send a new waitress.., she didn't even come back to our table. We got up and went and asked for our bill. The hostess, bless her heart, did all the apologizing. Smh. Our bill was $36.40... We left $37... Those 60 cents weren't even earned. Never again Sanders Never again...
(1)
Lee A.
I really enjoy coming here for breakfast I always order the same thing Meat Lover's Skillets with two fried eggs medium. Sometimes it's too cheesy but always taste good. I am happy with the food and service.
(4)
Alex M.
This is our go to spot every Sunday. We have been coming here for a few years and have not found a better breakfast place. The staff is very friendly, fast, and efficient. It is also nice to see that this is a family owned restaurant. The plate I always select is the Mexican Skillet, which is very tasteful. Unlike other restaurants I have been to they use fresh Jalapeño peppers which brings out the flavor more. The Chorizo sausage is not greasy and does not over power the skillet. I have scrambled eggs with it and top it off with Tabasco sauce for a awesome meal that gets me through the day. Sundays are busy days I recommend coming in earlier. If the lot is full you park in the Holiday Inn parking lot as well.
(5)
Mike K.
CONSISTENTLY GREAT FOOD. We like Bubbles--she is our favorite waitress. We always order the baked egg white veggie omelet with Swiss cheese. It is always excellent. A few of the morning waitresses are not exactly warm and friendly but all in all a very solid 4 stars.
(4)
Pam D.
Your basic diner / deli kind of place. The food was ok, but nothing special. I had a Michigan omelet, which was filled with apple and cheddar cheese. It sounded so good and tasted bland. I don't get it. Christopher had a Denver omelet which was pretty good. The portions were large. I ended up bringing much of my food home. This place seems reasonably popular and has been around forever. I don't have much more to say about it. I didn't hate it, but it will not be high on my revisit list.
(3)
Christina G.
I came here with a large group on a Wednesday evening for dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Luckily, we had made reservations because when we got there, all but a few tables were full. Out large, twelve person table wasn't ready when we got there, but it was available shortly thereafter. The staff are beyond helpful. They got our orders 100% correct, and we always asking if there was anything they could do for us. Our server was wonderful and very sweet. The issue was more with the food. It was pretty average, nothing special. From the looks of the place, i thought the food wood be delicious, but I was not blown away. Most of our group ordered burgers, but I had a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and the grilled cheese was fine, but again, nothing special. The prices were very reasonable though. I didn't try it, but they offer breakfast all day. They get extra points for that. Quick couple tips: 1. The parking lot is rather small, but the hostess told me they rent parking space from the hotel next door, so you can park there. 2. You can only enter the restaurant parking lot if you are headed west on Touhy or north on Niles Center Road.
(3)
Kelley S.
I've eaten 2 dinners and 3 breakfasts here. All dining experiences have been positive and flavorful. Their beet salad is delicious, their cobb salad is great, their reuben is HUGE and delicious. You have to eat that baby with a fork because there's no way you are picking it up. Their breakfasts are pretty standard, but quick and good for reasonable prices. The one thing we didn't particularly enjoy was the chicken breakfast skillet. It was the blandest thing we have ordered, but still a large portion and not bad, just not good. If you are a soup fan, ask about their daily soup selections when you stop in! They have some of the best, unique soups I have ever seen at any restaurant and each one I've had has been excellent. A note on the staff, they are what you would expect in a diner such as this... middle aged women that seem to have been there forever. With that comes a variety of personalities. I've had some very friendly and funny staff that provided exemplary service. I've also had some ladies that seemed to be going through the motions and watching the clock. Not terrible service, but nothing noteworthy either. There is also a few fabulous men whose job it is to bring waters and overall monitor all tables for beverages, clearing plates etc. They are super-efficient! Regardless of who I got as a server the food was always prepared and delivered in a timely manner which is really why I go there anyhow.
(4)
Sean L.
If you can't find something to eat here that you love I don't know what is wrong with you. The sandwiches are enormous, and fresh, and the cream of chicken soup is the best I've ever had anywhere.
(5)
Michelle K.
They have great sandwiches and cream of chicken rice soup on Sundays!! Simply delish!! Juanita is the sweetest server.
(5)
Gio L.
It is a diner; not Stella's, nevertheless a meal after a long flight and not too many choices. I have been here before and will be back again.
(3)
Rom R.
After being a regular for some time, it seems the last several months it is going downhill. Busboys not refilling beverages regularly, waitresses seem bothered to do so. Rolls wrapped in plastic, a good thing, but many have tasted day old lately, probably because not as busy as of late and remain an extra day. Seemingly new crew of waitresses over the past several months, service is ok, but waitresses there now act as if doing you a favor--nothing is gracious to you anymore . Need to fix some things, or regulars will find elsewhere to go. Serving soup not filled to where bowl should be filled, so waitress won't spill carrying it? C'mon we are paying for a bowl not a 3/4 bowl, scared to say anything to waitresses, they may do something to rest of your food.... eh can do better, just may have to drive a little, but seemingly feeling worth it as of late.
(1)
Frank A.
Super busy intersection on Touhy. Parking lot is a pain in the rear. The worst is having to circle around looking for a spot during busy hour. Typical diner food that can be a little bland but this is really a good breakfast spot. What you see is what you get here. I used to hit this spot on Sundays while reading the paper. It's alright, but nothing really outstanding or bad either...
(3)
Derek G.
Sanders Restaurant is a nice north-side breakfast option. If you are looking for a place free of senior citizens, void of no nonsense wait staff, and ample parking, perhaps this is not the place for you. However, if you were looking for a place that has great coffee, numerous menu options and reasonable prices, I would highly recommend Sanders. On a side note, do not get discouraged by the parking lot full of cars. The Marriot Hotel allows Sanders to park in their lot, so feel free to park there if the Sander's lot is full...which normally is the case.
(4)
Teri D.
I eat here when i stay at the excellent Holiday Inn next door and eat dinner several times and breakfast every day of the one week a month I am in Chicago. The dinner cooks here need to learn how to cook chicken until it is thoroughly done. Even after specifically requesting well-done chicken, it was raw by the bone with an overpowering amount of oregano. Go with the pork chops instead. The breakfast cooks are much better and Donna or Bubbles will take excellent care of you! Go for the homemade rice pudding (which is as good as my grandma used to make) rather than the desserts that are brought in and served WELL PAST when they are dried out and stale.
(3)
Jay K.
Just got back from having a great baked Denver omelet. If the rest of the menu is as good as the omelet I may have to up my rating. The potatoes were so-so but the toast was hot and the service was good.
(4)
Steve O.
Even on Mothers Day The service was excellent!
(5)
Darren F.
another dine in restaurant with mostly older generation people there.. i ordered a steak skillet and i think it was horrible.. a lot of the steak was chewy.. it was oily and even their egg whites taste bad.. should of never substitute the egg with their egg whites.. anyways.. there was some guy next to us that ordered a apple filling pancake that was huge.. and i mean HUGE! our waitress told us that it takes around 45 min to make if we ever want it.. might give that a try next time.. maybe...
(1)
James L.
This old Greek diner with surly waitresses sits in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It has a lot of Jewish stuff on the menu, like lox. The baked goods (pies) seem to be from some grocery store or Sams, but the breakfasts are filling, cheap, and decent. Slices of honeydew accompany every breakfast platter. That's a very nice touch. But the only reason to eat here is if you happen to be in Skokie or Niles.
(3)
Natalie S.
Jack's (across the street) used to be my favorite breakfast place in the area. Then I realized they kinda suck. Sander's is definitely better. I love their skillets. Other things I have had there were not as great but their skillets are always hot and fresh. The reason I didn't give it my usual "I go here often and like it a lot" 4 star review is because the service here is REALLY inconsistant. A few times we've been here and ask for easy things... like eggs over medium... and ended up with them scrambled. Another time we asked specifically for a cheese substiution that wasn't granted and the waitress just shrugged. She's great. I've always spied their glorious looking cakes and pies in that revolving glass case but never sampled them. Wonder if they're delicious...
(3)
Kimberly C.
Service was average. Good food for the price. Just passing through on our way to Michigan.
(4)
J. Loren H.
Delicious lox and bagels! That's what I get whenever I go there. I love Sander's. It's mine and my sister-in-law's go-to restaurant when we wanna go out, not spend a ton, and have delicious food. The servers there are all nice. This place is like any of your typical greek-owned diners, minus the shitsy service and the bad teeth. (actually, I take that back, I saw one lady with some rotters...) The server we had last time was awesome. My 10 month old niece was with us, and the server kept interacting with her, which impressed me. I think it's rude when a server ignores a child. Anyway, if you're looking for a full menu, daily specials, delicious soup, good service, and a comfortable place to sit, eat here, you'll love it. Oh, and there are half booth/half tables for fatties like me. Woo!
(5)
Mike K.
The food was Ok, but go elsewhere if you expect a Thank You from the hostess after you've paid the bill. She must be the owners daughter, the atitude is unwarranted for a greasy spoon.
(2)
a w.
Great place for a nice meal with the family. This place is always filled with people, but nevertheless, the service is always quick, fast, and freindly. The food is pretty good too -- mostly american fare -- and the portions are big and prices are reasonable.
(4)
Tiffany G.
Famous last words: "How can anybody screw up a pancake?" How, indeed. By definition, what is a blueberry pancake to YOU? One would assume it is a pancake, studded with, presumably, real blueberries. Even at the lowliest truck-stop one can find such a specimen... But not at Sanders. Are blueberry pancakes supposed to: a) be doused with an entire CAN of high-fructose corn syrup-stewed blueberries? b) be about 2 inches thick, have a hard outer-crust impenetrable by a fork and knife, and then literally break apart in layers while trying to do so? c) stick to the roof of your mouth like wall paper paste? d) leave a synthetic taste in your mouth even two subsequent cups of bad coffee cannot mask? e) be served with even more synthetic "maple-flavored" syrup? Final question: Is bacon supposed to be shades of green and black? And this, from an establishment that coins itself a "pancake house." They should be shot.
(1)
Shirley K.
First time visit this past Sunday. Ordered salami omelet. The entree came with hash browns and choice of toast, pancakes or french toast. I had the pancakes with mine and my friend had the french toast. My friend thought the entire meal was delicious. I, too, thought the omelet was exceptionally good as were the pancakes. However the hash browns were really thinly sliced fried potatoes. That was an acceptable substitution for me but the potatoes were not cooked through. They were on the hard side. My waitress and bus boy were very attentive. The man serving as hostess really is the reason my rating is not four stars. He was extremely rude.
(3)
Billy G.
Club Sandwich w/ bowl of Matzo ball soup. That is all I have to say.
(5)
Richard M.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a Jewish diner/deli you have found it. The portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Think shared meals!! Service is always prompt and very helpful.
(4)
Katrina M.
Fast & friendly service. Reasonable prices. Plentiful portions. No frills diner food, yet my stuffed french toast was unusually overstuffed.. which I love!
(4)
Jacob J.
Decent diner food, better than Golden Nugget. My last visit, dining within a group of four people, they'd forgotten my meal completely. Then when I asked about it, it became this whole situation of pointing the finger on whether I did or didn't order. Still that was just a matter of a crappy waitress. Of the two diners in this shopping area, they are the best. Blah.
(3)
Mary L.
I used to go this restaurant a lot, but it seemed to slip so I didn't go for a while. I just went back after my husband and son recommended it and It was great. Maybe they changed managers or owners. the service was wonderful and the food was super. Very reasonably priced and a lot of food for the money. Totally will go back soon.
(4)
John F.
The pancakes here are very good, though nothing like those in Walker Bros. category. Omelettes and egg dishes tend to be very dry and not all that tasty. Non-breakfast menu is mediocre. Okay place, but not worth a destination trip.
(3)
An P.
I want a skillet! I want a skillet! I want a skillet! Whenever I go to a new diner that I have never ever been to before, I must have the skillet. In my view, the skillet demonstrates a chef's ability to fry, saute, melt, poach, and texturize. In essence, the skillet shows the chef's overall cooking ability more so than any other breakfast food! It was around 7:00pm on a Wednesday night and I hiked out to Skokie with a buddy to a meeting and had about an hour to kill. Despite being jam packed, we got a table with no wait. Families were eating, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, cops, coworkers and all the like were gathered at Sanders to grab a bite to eat. You'd think you were eating at Denny's or something it was so crowded. I popped open the menu and wondered if Sanders was a Greek joint. With the amount of food on the menu it really must have been. From borscht to steak sandwiches to corn beef hash to steaks and pastas it seemed like page after page of quality food. It was hard to resist ordering anything else, but being a skillet lover I dug into a meat lover's skillet without much more hesitation. PS If you can't poach eggs, why make the skillet? The food came in quick order and I got plenty of meats on my skillet and was satisfied with the degree of crispiness as well as my poacherrific eggs on big toast. While Sanders is too far of a hike for me, it is still the cat's meow in terms of skilled skillets. Chalk it up on the list, it's legit!
(4)
Jean C.
I just found out today that I'm invisible. No seriously, I found this out because the hostess looked straight through me (and my friends) both on the way in and on the way out. Actually for a moment when we were leaving, I thought she was smiling at us, acknowledging us because y'know, we were leaving the money on the front desk, but it turned out that she was smiling at people in line, people she knew. And as for us? Well... invisible. She did manage to find our money, though, so that was good. Apart from being invisible to the hostess, I have to say that the rest of the staff was really quite nice. We had a lovely, friendly waitress, and the bus staff was fantastic! The food... not so much. Corned beef hash, billed as the best in the city, looked and tasted like canned. Sausages had an odd flavor, and blueberry pancakes weren't pancakes with blueberries in the batter, they were plain old buttermilk pancakes with a lot of blueberry compote poured over the top. The eggs benny were pretty average and the hollandaise was so-so. The freshly squeezed OJ was really the best thing I had. The place seemed clean and it was busy. I had the impression that there were a lot of regulars. But honestly, I doubt I'll ever have much of a pressing desire to go back. ETA: Let me be completely clear about something. This would have been a solid three-star review but for the utter indifference of the hostess, who had oodles of charm and lots of smiles for people she knew, but who couldn't be arsed to even acknowledge us beyond leading us to a table and putting our money in the cash register.
(2)
Dave S.
This place struck me as odd. Every time we drive by here this place is packed! I don;t ever recall an exception. We were thinking that this place had to be pretty good to have a crowd like this at all times. We decided to stop in one evening for dinner and I deemed myself lucky to be able to get the last open table in the restaurant. I was thinking score one for us! I reviewed the menu and I was impressed with the selection and prices. The prices were low for a reason, which I am about to get into. My wife and I decided to get creative. One of us would order a breaded cod dinner and the other would order a macaroni and cheese dinner and we would have a little buffet all to ourselves. The soup was decent. It was the best part of the meal. The dinner rolls were all individually wrapped and were quite a pain in the you know what to unwrap to try and eat. Our entrees arrived and it was SO disappointing. Everything was rather bland and very unimpressive. I could have easily made this type of meal at home (probably better). The prices were cheap but we did get what we paid for. I must give credit where credit is due. Our server Mandy was awesome. She was friendly, helpful, sincere and on top of her game. Her waiting on us was probably the highlight of the meal. I am thinking that we might give this place another shot for breakfast. It looks like that is more of their specialty!
(2)
Miriam B.
Love this place!. My husband and I have dined here twice. For breakfast and today for dinner. Amazing service!. So attentive!. Great portions at good prices!.
(5)
Liza K.
Food poisoning
(1)
Patricia L.
If pancake houses had heights, Sanders would be average with IHOP a little above and Walker Brothers towering over the other 2. PROS -gigantic, BAKED omelets that are delish and cost about $6 that comes with pancakes or toast and hash browns -cheaper than IHOP -my 1st visit here our waitress was AMAZING, like the super-attentive kind that didn't believe in glasses half empty (literally, she re-filled our coffee cups up like nobody's business) -great choice of skillets...(whether you're an omnivore or veggie queen) and 3 different eggs benedict CONS -stingy with ingredients in omelets...they also charge you $0.50 more for every other ingredient you'd like on it -as my own grandma put it, it smells like "old people" -my 2nd visit here the waitress was horrible...she didn't even notice there was bright pink lipstick left on one of the coffee cups she served us -they use canned strawberries in their crepes...WHACK Really is a toss up. Just pray that you get the awesome waitress
(2)
Kara T.
My husband and I frequent Sanders. We don't really branch out from the sandwiches or breakfast menu, but I did get a salad once and it was great. Typical good diner food, but the staff is what really sets this place apart. We've been coming here for about 4 years now, maybe once every other week or so, and the owner, his son, most of the hostesses and the waitstaff know us (and now our 2 year old) by name whenever we visit--it is such a great feeling. Plus, the food is consistently good and we know that when we go, we will leave happy and full. This will be our go-to place for years to come!
(4)
Iris F.
Love it! Try the skillets or croissants dishes, I enjoy these type of diners.
(5)
James L.
This old Greek diner with surly waitresses sits in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It has a lot of Jewish stuff on the menu, like lox. The baked goods (pies) seem to be from some grocery store or Sams, but the breakfasts are filling, cheap, and decent. Slices of honeydew accompany every breakfast platter. That's a very nice touch. But the only reason to eat here is if you happen to be in Skokie or Niles.
(3)
Natalie S.
Jack's (across the street) used to be my favorite breakfast place in the area. Then I realized they kinda suck. Sander's is definitely better. I love their skillets. Other things I have had there were not as great but their skillets are always hot and fresh. The reason I didn't give it my usual "I go here often and like it a lot" 4 star review is because the service here is REALLY inconsistant. A few times we've been here and ask for easy things... like eggs over medium... and ended up with them scrambled. Another time we asked specifically for a cheese substiution that wasn't granted and the waitress just shrugged. She's great. I've always spied their glorious looking cakes and pies in that revolving glass case but never sampled them. Wonder if they're delicious...
(3)
Nancy S.
I'm staying next door at a hotel and this has become my go to place for delicious soups and the Athenian chicken kabob. Be careful, the portions are huge but the flavors are divine! The decor is a little dated but that just adds to the "diner feel" and if the food is delicious it doesn't bother me. The waitresses are so friendly they make you feel like family and go above and beyond your expectations to ensure a pleasant experience! Thank you Sanders!
(5)
Sara R.
I thought the food here was very typical "diner food". The service was not great, but that could have been a one time thing, since I only went here once. I went here with 4 others, and one of our orders was way off and they seemed indifferent when we brought it to their attention. This place seems to be a big hit with the AARP crowd.
(2)
Edwin L.
yoh, I've been here with friends and the fam on many occasions, and Sander's has been pretty good to us. Foodwise - Their menu is good for any mealtime, whether you want breakfast (pancakes, waffles, omelettes), lunch (sandwiches, burgers, omelettes), or dinner (steak, chicken, omelettes)! Everything is tasty and is like comfort food to me. Also, their generous portions leave you feeling more than satisfied with the meal. Atmospherewise - I'm 19, meanwhile most customers around me are well over 60. That being said, it is by no means exciting. However, it's a peaceful and warm environment that I genuinely enjoy dining in. Customer Service - I dunno anything about rudeness... A lot of waitresses there are either really nice and funny or hella sassy, but in the good way! Anyway, I never had a negative interaction with the staff there, but I guess it depends on our individual moods haha. Conclusion: Huge portions of tasty comfort food, warm and cozy environment, and sassy waitresses to tie it all together and remind you that this shit ain't free agagagagaga. I'll come back here for as long as it's open~
(5)
Tavi J.
Service here was great! They make you feel right at home. The crowd is older and it reminded me of an updated ihop. I got the veggie omelet with ham (Okay so the veggie omelet had the ingredients I wanted sans the meat...I know sounds weird). It came with hash browns that were dry and flavorless. It also came with pancakes. I got the banana and they were fluffy and delicious. If I'm ever out this way again I would come back, but there are seriously so many better brunch spots in the city.
(3)
Erick H.
Im an easy grader. But this has got to be the worst restaurant in the world. I went with my family for breakfast. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come. And our food was cold when we got it! Staff are showing no remorse over serving us cold food. They tasted bland! We almost used up all the salt and pepper on our table! My baby who eats virtually anything, would take a bite and spit it out right away! Dont be deceived by the heavy traffic of hungry eaters thinking this must be a good placed to be flocked by a lot of unsuspecting victims! Stay away from this place!
(1)
Tison H.
This place was awesome! Lots to choose from and huge portions! Service was fast and friendly! We are definitely coming back!!
(4)
Joani O.
My family and I have been going to Sander's since the early 90s, mostly for breakfast, although they are practically 24 hours (5 am to midnight, every day), and serve for all meals. They are a Greek diner with is a family owned business, and the menu is quite extensive. You can get traditional Greek dishes, as well as standard American meals (ribs, chops, burgers, sandwiches, huge salads, etc!), and one of my favorite aspects are the multiple soups each day. On Sundays they have an amazing cream of chicken rice (delicious!) and every day they have matzo ball and kreplach (my personal favorite) to cater to the heavy Jewish population in the area, as well as 2-3 additional ones. You can order your meal a la carte, or as a complete dinner with soup, salad, a beverage and dessert. They have a pastry case if you're into desserts! The breakfasts are the traditional offerings; pancakes, waffles, eggs, skillets, wonderful crepes, and amazing omelettes! Huge, and fluffy...served with gash browns, or you can substitute fresh fruit. If it's lunch or dinner sometimes I order soup and salad, but I've been through much of the menu and enjoy their crisper sandwiches and the chicken de jonge special that they offer regularly. (Think shrimp, but it's chicken.) There is something for everyone here, and only once or twice have I had something on the menu that I didn't care for. We always ask for "Bubbles" the waitress (her name is Debbie), but you're sure to get good service no matter who you get. If not, ask for Frank, the owner, or Jimmy, his son!
(4)
Heather M.
Big portions, friendly waitstaff, good prices and sooooooo delish. Everything I've had here has been exceptionally good. The chicken eggs Benedict was nothing like I've had before. Fried chicken breast atop a crunchy English muffin, with a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
(5)
Caroline D.
This is a great, no-frills, breakfast-all-day diner and I love the crap out of it. For the first four trips I got the same thing every time: Greek skillet with pancakes. Their hashbrowns are the thin-sliced kind, not shreds, which is sad because I can get down with some shreds. But they're good and taste more like real potatoes. The pancakes are a miracle. Today I changed it up and got a spinach and feta omelet and, yes, it was pretty great. Good service, always hopping at lunchtime, obviously a regular clientele. It's a very homey joint.
(4)
Luis G.
Great place to come eat. Prices are reasonable. Only down fall is parking the lot gets so packed sometimes you have to wait. There great with kids highly recommend!
(4)
Amanda C.
Came here at random after a shopping spree at Ross. My friend said she passed there a million times and had wanted to go in but never had the chance. I'm glad we did. The hostess was super friendly and danced my son all the way to the both. They had a mini dance party and then we sat. Our waitress came by right away and offered us coffee. She was great the whole time. No complaints here. Prices here are great! I had a coffee and 2 eggs with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a mexican skillet minus the chorizo. We maxed both. Food was good!!!! Not to mention it flew out of the kitchen. I think the bill was like $16 for both of us. That's pretty decent if you ask me.
(4)
Sonia B.
OK, if you are big on service...do not go here. The food was pretty good, but the service was horrible. I went in for breakfast with a friend of mine who has a baby. We were seated and before a minute even passed 3 different people came up to us and told us we couldn't leave the baby's car seat on the floor. We completely understood why and had no objection, but explained we were just taking off our jackets, the baby needed to be changed in the bathroom, and we would then put the baby in the booth. My friend and I were planning on splitting a couple of items, but didn't even have a chance to look at the menu as my friend felt pressured to go change/feed the baby right away so she could put the seat in the booth. Mind you, it hadn't even been a couple minutes since we arrived. So, friend and baby returned...we ordered coffee, juice, a breakfast wrap, and some pancakes. The breakfast wrap was good. If I were ever to return, I would get it again. I don't plan on it though. Baby cried for a short minute...nothing too crazy. And mind you we were NOT in a high end restaurant or anything...and NO ONE in the restaurant was looking except our server and the lady at the front who may have been the owner. They both came by with very condescending attitudes/comments. My friend went back to the bathroom, to avoid any issues. When she came back to the table, she asked if she could have a refill on her coffee since it got cold and the server looked at her like she was crazy. Seriously?! We weren't enjoying the experience much and decided it was time to go and we went up to pay and the owner(?) gasped when I asked her to split the payment w/ two credit cards. I'm not joking...straight up gasped out loud and then said..."well, you tell me what half of $25.46 is!" I looked at her because I thought she was joking and she wasn't. I was dumbfounded by the rudeness! I am now wishing I didn't give a 20% tip...ugh! Everyone there was rude. So disappointing. I love supporting local diners and family owned establishments...wanted to like this place...but, there are so many other places I would rather spend my money.
(2)
Chris C.
Had the ruben it was to much meat and not enough of bread. Beyond messy couldn't enjoy it at all the bread tore apart and the sandwich was so hot it took 10minutes to cool off. Service was excellent but food was over priced
(2)
Michael D.
Rather breakfast of dinner food is always delicious! Love the atmosphere, great service!
(5)
Peter O.
Let's say you like the familiarity of generic food in an '80s Greek diner atmosphere of shiny polymered golden oak, gold veined mirror wall tiles, mauve pleather booths and blaring televisions, and appreciate sometimes friendly, old-style waitresses with teased, bouffanted hair. Well, Sanders will do you just right. It's another one of those suburbany diners where everything is fine, okay, nothing special, good enough. Certainly not a destination. Not worth a long wait seated in their vestibule on weekends, either. ~Peter O. and S.
(3)
Alan S.
I am giving 5 stars to Sanders because its the place I have gone with family and friends for over 18 years. Basically, you could stereotype Sanders to be the American Greek diner from the 1980s like someone made a remark on the establishment in yelp. However, I like to say the place is clean and food fresh. You also have parking and access for people who are handicapped. You will see elderly people but others from all ages and ethnic groups come and dine. They have a good breakfast menu with many selections like omelettes, combos, french toast and also a good selection of salads/soup. You will also see a dinner menu with food ranging from steak, chicken, duck, and fish. They really give you alot of food. However only one complaint I am going 2 say regards the wait staff service. In the past, they had prompt waitresses but in the recent years. The waitresses had been negligent in service. I dont know why? They had hired these romanian women and not sure on their frustration with a new culture or the job. The receptionist also a romanian, pretty looking, always spaces out and not focus her attention to the customers. She would be reading some paper or checking up on her smartphone every minute or so. At times, she would stare at you from across the room with a blank look on her face. Other times you could see her leave her post at the front cashier and sit down eating the food while checking up her smartphone. Afterwards you will see the manager take up front duty at the front desk. As for the waitresses , they are always busy and never give their attention. Recently they got some new people and it was a major improvement.
(5)
Hannah H.
Sander's has been around since 1984. My husband and I came here to try out their breakfast. They have a limited menu, which was nice for an indecisive person like me! I had the Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs combo, which came with hash brown potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. My husband had the biscuits and gravy, and it was amazing to see how generous the restaurant was in terms of the portion! My steak was very juicy and well-cooked, but I wasn't a fan of their side of potatoes as they were just too bland and mushy for me. My husband wasn't a fan of the gravy as it was too coagulated, and the biscuits themselves were very salty. Service was friendly, and I'm glad I was able to check this place out! +Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs +forget the potatoes
(3)
Magdalena D.
#NAME?
(2)
Hector A.
One Word "OMELET"!!!!!!! Pick the things you like and put it on their fluffy magical omelet and you will only be able to say "WOW"!!!!! Service is great. The restaurant is clean. The staff is friendly. Parking is usually pretty good. Some day I will make it to one of the deserts they have on display. REMEMBER: OMELET, you will not be disappointed
(5)
Narciso C.
Extremely busy on Weekends, but Sanders provided warm welcome and above all courteous and attentive service. My family and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast on Sunday afternoon. Sanders serves breakfast all day and the portions are ginormous! The menu also included wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a robust Greek taste and flavor. There was plenty to choose from, and all reasonably priced. I will make this a regular for my family and a must for big breakfasts. Recommend the omelets, the Greek Feta omelet was huge and tasty. Kids will enjoy the pancakes or French toast, and there are plenty of breakfast meats to choose from: Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, and regular bacon to name few. Fresh squeezed OJ was icing on top.
(5)
Bonnie Z.
Watch out for the potato salad. Tasted warm and strange. Pushed it aside. Proceeded to vomit only the potato salad. Refused to pay the bill. Manager was annoyed. Never apologized. Never inquired how I felt. Scratch Sanders off my list.
(1)
Diane G.
On Sat. night my daughter and I wanted a quick inexpensive cozy little place to eat. I looked up the reviews and thought it sounded hopeful. The experience was awful. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, clang clang we could hear every plate served. The food that we ordered was terrible !! My daughter ordered fried scallops and I could have just went to Cosco and bought a bag. She wouldn't eat it. My dinner was also yucky. I ordered one of the specials--short ribs. I should have asked how it was prepared because when I looked at it, I couldn't eat it and the waitress kindly took it back. My second choice was a hot turkey and the turkey looked old with a gray color to it. I didn't want to ask again so I sucked up and ate it---YUCK ! Maybe we would have been better off going there for breakfast but we have marked this place as a NEVER.
(1)
Pete V.
The only word I can describe this place is "average." This is your typical average Greek American diner. The place need a make over, the service is average and the food is average. The menu is probably the same from the 90s. I think IHOP menu is more interesting.
(3)
Gary B.
As one who has waited on his fair share of tables I can spot the slow roll. A slow roll is when a server has been slammed and it is their attempt to not have a table get up and leave only to be immediately sat again. We were sooooo slow rolled today and I had things that needed to be done. Adding up a check isn't calculus so what the significant delay couldn't be determined. The food was ok, I had the asparagus soup which was good but needed salt. I had the American skillet which is corn beef hash on top of some dry potatoes. I don't liver near here so coming back won't be an option anyway but I certainly have had better.
(2)
Brittany K.
I LOVE this restaurant. Girlfriend and I are regulars here - when we lived two minutes away we tended to go at least once a week. Unfortunately we now live about 40mins away but still can't stop ourselves from visiting at least a few times a month. Their portions are huge, the selection is large, the food is always hot and delicious. I usually stick with the breakfast foods but their salads, soups and wraps are pretty good too. Staff is generally friendly, helpful and able to add/subtract/modify dishes without issue (yes, I am that one annoying customer who can't possibly eat mushrooms or hashbrowns but can you please sub cottage cheese and add asparagus??) They're also very inexpensive, and pretty quick too. If the place is crowded (as it tends to be on Sunday mornings with the after-church crowd) there is pretty much always seating at the counter available. Really I don't have any issues with this place. It is pure good. Must try!
(5)
April P.
food here is great, classic. Service with Bubbles (yes that's her name) is fast and a delight had the zucchini, mushroom and tomato omlet! Yummmmmy. Tasty, fluffy and great serving. Bf had the pecan belgian waffle. Had pecans throughout as well as on top of waffle. Sooo good not a disappointment. Would go back
(5)
Dan D.
You want a killer huge German pancake?! (Like really guys, this is a whopper of a german pancake... enough for at least 3 meals for myself). How about some kick-butt skillets? Oh... I know what you are craving! You want some pie. Well folks, at this old-school family-style restaurant, you can have it all. This has long been an institution of the northside/suburb Chicago. Good food. Great service. Prices could be lower... but hey, sometimes its just nice to be in a family joint. :-)
(4)
Liz M.
I have a longtime love affair with All-American, usually Greek owned, coffee-shop diners. They usually have the best homemade soups. The biggest bread baskets. The yummiest omelettes. The largest fresh salads. The hottest fresh coffee. The biggest bang for your buck dinner specials. The most experienced, nicest waitresses. The most decadent desserts rotating around in a glass cabinet. And the most loyal bunch of senior citizen diners ever. Well Sanders is exactly one of "those kind" of diners.
(3)
Sue K.
The service is excellent - the waitresses/hosts/bus boys are attentive and kind. The food, though..caters to their crowd, which is the elderly. What does this mean? That the food is bland and the prices are reasonable.
(2)
Nancy H.
Your standard American breakfast for a reasonable price. An average omelette costs $7 and includes hash browns, your choice of toast or pancakes, and a piece of fruit! Lots of regulars, old-timers, and local families that dine here, and the parking lot is probably too small for such a popular place.
(4)
meran m.
The staff was very nice. The tables are comfortable. It's open late so you can grab a bite after a show. The soup is decent and so are the fries. That's pretty much where it ends for me. Taste does not seem to be a high priority there. The hamburger appears to be a pre-frozen, dense, unseasoned patty. The salad is iceberg. The plastic-encased rolls tell you that practicality trumps an interest in quality. I don't know what my friends see in this place, other than it is open at night, but I am going to hunt down another late night restaurant in the area to suggest for next time. My suggestion to the owners: You have a nice facility there, but you'd be better off limiting your extensive menu to items you can do well.
(2)
Rahman U.
This was the worst meal I've had in years, no joke. 1 star is probably too generous. I somehow overlooked several red flags warning me about this place. When we first walked in it looked like Bingo night at a retirement home. I honestly think we were the youngest customers by a good 40 years. The first thing that got me was when the waitress brought out the bread which was all individually wrapped in plastic. Uhh, ok, wonder when this was made. I ended up ordering the eggplant chicken parmesan, two dishes I've seen served separately but never together. I like them both, so this has got to turn out well right? For my vegetable I got to choose between beets and peas....wait a minute, am I on Punk'd? People still serve peas?? My choice of soup was between chicken noodle and matzo ball. "Tell me, what's matzo ball soup again?" I asked. "Oh you don't want that it's nasty" says the waitress. Well alrightythen. A good half an hour later when the meal actually arrived I tried my food and was immediately turned off. It had a layer of cheese followed by the eggplant, then the chicken, and a layer of spaghetti o's on the very bottom. The eggplant appeared to be old and slimy and coated in something that had the consistency of a pancake. Apparently they didn't get the memo. The chicken wasn't lucky enough to battered in anything and was just plain bland and overcooked. I had to put salt and pepper on it and I never add salt to ANYTHING. I don't think I even finished half of my food. "You guys need some boxes?" asked our waiter. She can't be serious. "Nah, I think we're done here." I'm not sure if your taste buds start to go the older you get because the senior citizens thought this stuff was delicious. As for the under 70 crowd, I'd stay away, this food is gross.
(1)
Aria S.
I was really disappointed with Sanders. My family and I came for breakfast. It looks like your typical diner, with the same atmosphere you see at most of these breakfast/lunch places. There are two reasons I wasn't impressed with Sanders. First, our waitress was slow and forgetful. She brought out different parts of our meal at different times. I ordered eggs but didn't get my toast. My mother ordered eggs as well but didn't get her bacon until we asked at least 3 times for it. The food wasn't up to par either. Small portions of hashbrowns and soggy bacon. Gross. I really think there are much better breakfast places in the area.
(2)
Dave S.
It's called the American. Corned beef hash skillet with American cheese and basted eggs. I don't really need to say anything else about this place... but I guess I should. I have only been here for breakfast and only on weekends. Sanders is always crowded but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat. Service is typical of a diner; sometimes excellent and sometimes just good enough. Regardless of the speed of service the staff is incredibly friendly and polite. They make you feel like they're serving you food in their own home made in their own kitchen. Unlike other diners, Sanders individually wraps the bread they bring out to your table whenever you order something other than breakfast. This is a bonus since you never know what snot-nosed kid was playing Booger Man with that roll before you sat down. They have a rotating glass case of pies and cakes of which I have never tried. They look absolutely fantastic and delicious... but cake just doens't seem like a good way to finish off breakfast. Coffee hot and drinkable. Food hot and DELICIOUS!! Served quickly and friendly and accurately. Sanders is a fantastic place to get your breakfast on! Mmmmmm... bacon.
(4)
Kristina K.
Open late and offers a wide selection of diner food. Great breakfast items and decent lunch and dinner selections. The fries are boring. The service is hit and miss.
(3)
Mary Z.
Sanders Restaurant is great. The food is always top notch and the service is great. Even when their busy they take the time to be sure service is still top priority. Give Sanders a try and I'm sure you will be going back again and again. Sanders Team - Keep up the great work!!!!
(5)
Alexandra B.
Horrible food. Crepes over done. Pancakes under cooked. My sons mac and cheese came from a box and it was also over done... at the end of the day I give it a 1. The hostess and server were very sweet, but I left without eating and had my meal taken off.
(1)
John W.
Pancakes were good. Big omelette. Hash browns were very average.
(3)
David L.
Great place. A real diner to get a cup of coffee and a meal with friends or family. I'm writing because of the egg white omelet, WOW As fluffy and delicious as a food that is healthy can be. Always feel welcome.
(5)
jarret c.
Fantastic Spanish Omelet! Went with a group of friends and was completely satisfied. Excellent service and great food! We would go back for sure. Sanders always will come back for that omelet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)
A C.
I hate to do this to Sander's - this place used to be my favorite weekly place for eating alone, or with friends; that is, until I got severe food poisoning here. I normally eat their chicken parmesan entree, with soup and salad. This one time, after I ate it, within 2 hours of eating it, I was violently throwing up, and had diarrhea for 5 days. That's right, 5 days. I wouldn't stop until I went to the doctor and they prescribed me with some antibiotics, and told to drink gatorade. I had to call the local health department....the people there were equally shocked at what had happened there, since they also frequent this diner. After the health dept did their investigation, I was told that their kitchen sinks did not have liquid or bar soaps available for staff to wash their hands, their soup was below required temperatures. Hmmm, I wonder what caused my illness. Could it have been undercooked food, or unclean/dirty hands touching the food? Who knows. But I do know that I will not be going back, EVER.
(1)
Deanna S.
Ordered carryout. Service was ok, but what I ordered was inedible. Both me and my friend threw out what we ordered. We ordered two orders of blueberry pancakes, and instead of there being blueberries all throughout the pancakes, there was just a huge stack of plain pancakes with a giant pile of warm blueberry pie filling poured on top! It wasn't at all what I had envisioned, but I gave it a try anyway. The blueberries were literally canned pie filling. They left a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. I scraped off the filling and tried to just eat the pancakes, but I didn't like those either. I like nice moist pancakes and these just didn't do it for me at all. My friend ate about three bites of hers and threw hers out as well. This was a major disappointment. Maybe others would like this style of blueberry pancakes but it was a disgusting mess for me and a waste of money. :-(
(2)
Juanita G.
This place is definitely for the Buick and Cadillac set. I guess everyone else that's a little younger is either at Corner Bakery or Chili's down the street. I love this place when I'm in the neighborhood and would like having crepes. Their breakfasts are superior to Jack's. They are tied in the soup and rolls category. I tend to like dinner specials at Jack's instead. Sanders' meals are very good and they have a huge menu. I'm just a little weirded out but somehow comforted by the individually saran wrapped rolls. Their waitresses are older and not always very friendly.
(5)
Pamela P.
This place is the best. We're regulars here every Saturday morning, despite living 30 minutes away. Everyone is friendly, warm and inviting. The food is delicious. Never a bad experience! Highly recommended!
(5)
Chris C.
Really like this place. While it doesn't have Frui-shi like Orange or other cutting edge items (which are definitely cool & good), it does have very good quality "American Diner / Restaurant" food. I can appreciate both, which is why I like this place. Pros: Quality breakfasts, meats, sausages, eggs, omlettes. Good sandwiches. Everything tastes very good, but you don't feel like you just ate at the greasy spoon. Eggs, sausage, bacon all taste "fresh" and - get this - you can actually taste the flavors instead of just grease. My service has been very good, although due to the usual line-out-the-door at this place, I think that other Yelper's comments make sense. Verdict: Old school & definitely recommended.
(4)
Amanda P.
Edit to add more info, because Sander's has become my regular place to meet up with my dad and stepmom for breakfast since I wrote this review. In the Diner competition between Sander's and Jack's (kitty-corner and down the street a little bit), Sander's wins hands down. One of the things that impresses me the most about this place is that despite the fact that they've been around forever and could easily rest on their laurels, they're constantly updating their menu to include contemporary touches. Thus, Sander's will never turn into an "old man" diner, the way What's Cookin' and Whistler's so definitely have. In fact, the last time I was there, I had portobello mushroom eggs benedict with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto hollandaise sauce. Totally yummy. The omlettes are super fluffy and light, probably baked in the oven. My husband and I are also huge fans of the cherry kijafa crepes, with black cherries and sweet, dark cherry sauce. Pancakes are good, but like other reviewers said, not in the league of Walker Brothers. This is just a good, dependable diner with an extremely varied menu.
(4)
Amanda O.
I was somewhat surprised by some of the negative reviews posted. For example one Yelp!er wrote that the hostess was rude. My experience last night involved nothing but the friendliess of hostesses. I felt like she had been seeing come to the establishment for years when in reality last night was the first time I'd ever been there. Granted I didn't dine in. I got my food to go. But still very friendly! The food was so yummy. I got the "Le Crossiant" which was ham, turkey, cheese and hollandaise sauce. The meat was thick cut and the ham so juicy and flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was somewhat sweet and the crossiant, I'm told, is purchased by a local bakery. It came with fries (I agree with a previous review that they are somewhat boring) and lettuce, tomatoe and pickle. I also got a side of Matzo Ball soup. It came in a rather large soup cup and I was amazed they would give that much soup as a to-go side. Then I realized that there was only one matzo ball in the cup. But it took up the WHOLE cup and that's why the cup was soooo large! It was very comforting soup. My friend got some sort of mexi-skillet. He seemed satisfied with it although it looked generic for a diner and he doused it in hot sauce. All in all I will be going back to Sanders if not for dine in experience then definately for my to-go needs :)
(4)
George K.
The service here sucks. I went eating here and they left a Discovery Channel special on snakes while we were eating. Doesn't really make the food any more appetizing and considering that their quality of food is sub par, they really did not do themselves a favor. Stay away from here.
(1)
Betty P.
still going there. still love it
(5)
Joanne E.
Confession, when I'm not at Dixie Kitchen (Evanston) for breakfast, this is where I hang out. The Denver Omelette is fabulous. My husband and I have rarely had to wait, not even on weekends, and we have always found the service very efficient (and effective) and the wait staff very nice. Update 5/27/08: We had two rather miserable experiences here about a year ago. Unfortunately, they occurred two Saturday's in a row, and we have not been back since. Both experiences involved extremely dirty booths (the garbage on the floor was obviously filth that had built up for some time) and wait staff that seemed to be fighting with bus boys to the extent that we felt extremely uncomfortable. I don't think we'll ever be back.
(1)
Mary C.
A busy restaurant is a good restaurant. You'll never find this place empty. They have fantastic breakfast food served all day. If you're jonesing for some dinner try their Greek specialties. They are always wonderful. Portions here are huge, so you'll never leave hungry. You'll also never have an empty coffee cup because service is on the ball and friendly. Only negative is the hostess treated us like we were invisible. We should not have to wait to be seated so she can finish her conversation with another employee. Customers come first, especially when you see someone is handicapped (as was the case this time with my grandmother). If it wasn't for that misstep, they would have gotten 5 stars.
(4)
Joe F.
My family and I have been going to Sander's for over five years. We usually go there for dinner, and know a few of the waitresses very well. As soon as you sit down, you are given a variety basket of bread. In general, the menu is very traditional, and meals are reasonably priced. The food itself is rather mediocre, but still filling. I have only had one problem with a waitress, whom I think no longer works there. Nevertheless, the staff there is very welcoming and warm. This is a great place to grab lunch in Skokie if you need a good warm meal, and do not want to spend a lot of money.
(4)
Karen H.
Some of the best soups in the area! Love the Sweet and Sour Cabbage and the Lentil! And their omlettes are GREAT! Try the Apple and Cheddar...and add in cinnamon. Very tasty!!!! Service is friendly and quick...
(3)
Michelle R.
they service is good. parking sucks
(3)
Y V.
This traditional pancake house/restaurant is very popular with families (and senior citizens!) in Skokie. We went here on a Sunday for breakfast. I had the ham and cheddar omelet, with hash browns and pancakes. He had the skirt steak, eggs, and Greek toast. Both portions were huge and the food was delicious. They have a big menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Ann Y.
I love the crepe's at Sander's and the waitress will even bring us a TON of whipped cream- yummy. They also will make bannana crepes even though they aren't on the menu. The soups are good and the menu is diverse. This is your typical greek-owned family restaraunt and I have always had a decent experience here.
(4)
Anum A.
This place is a good restaurant to get a really hearty meal at. They have great tasting food here. But it is always crowded which is not good. If you go here you are going to have to wait and you can expect slow service. But the food is really good, so that always makes me happy.
(4)
Jamila H.
This is by far the worst service I have had in recent memory. The server was extremely rude. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing after I asked her to repeat something or after asking a simple question. She brought the food out and about 2 minutes after brought us the check, then about 10 minutes later demanded that we pay it because she was leaving soon. Then as we were eating she asked if we wanted carry-out boxes for our food (I repeat, she did this while we were eating). As if that wasn't bad enough, as we ate the entire wait-staff stood around watching us eat because they were about to close. I understand how it could be frustrating to have lingering customers around closing-time, but if it's a problem either don't let us in or tell us politely. I don't mind rushing through my meal if I know that I came in just in time to get served, but don't go out of your way to make me so uncomfortable that I want to leave. It really was a god awful experience, so much so that I will never eat there again.
(1)
Kimberly C.
Service was average. Good food for the price. Just passing through on our way to Michigan.
(4)
J. Loren H.
Delicious lox and bagels! That's what I get whenever I go there. I love Sander's. It's mine and my sister-in-law's go-to restaurant when we wanna go out, not spend a ton, and have delicious food. The servers there are all nice. This place is like any of your typical greek-owned diners, minus the shitsy service and the bad teeth. (actually, I take that back, I saw one lady with some rotters...) The server we had last time was awesome. My 10 month old niece was with us, and the server kept interacting with her, which impressed me. I think it's rude when a server ignores a child. Anyway, if you're looking for a full menu, daily specials, delicious soup, good service, and a comfortable place to sit, eat here, you'll love it. Oh, and there are half booth/half tables for fatties like me. Woo!
(5)
Caroline D.
This is a great, no-frills, breakfast-all-day diner and I love the crap out of it. For the first four trips I got the same thing every time: Greek skillet with pancakes. Their hashbrowns are the thin-sliced kind, not shreds, which is sad because I can get down with some shreds. But they're good and taste more like real potatoes. The pancakes are a miracle. Today I changed it up and got a spinach and feta omelet and, yes, it was pretty great. Good service, always hopping at lunchtime, obviously a regular clientele. It's a very homey joint.
(4)
Jay K.
Just got back from having a great baked Denver omelet. If the rest of the menu is as good as the omelet I may have to up my rating. The potatoes were so-so but the toast was hot and the service was good.
(4)
Steve O.
Even on Mothers Day The service was excellent!
(5)
Kara T.
My husband and I frequent Sanders. We don't really branch out from the sandwiches or breakfast menu, but I did get a salad once and it was great. Typical good diner food, but the staff is what really sets this place apart. We've been coming here for about 4 years now, maybe once every other week or so, and the owner, his son, most of the hostesses and the waitstaff know us (and now our 2 year old) by name whenever we visit--it is such a great feeling. Plus, the food is consistently good and we know that when we go, we will leave happy and full. This will be our go-to place for years to come!
(4)
Luis G.
Great place to come eat. Prices are reasonable. Only down fall is parking the lot gets so packed sometimes you have to wait. There great with kids highly recommend!
(4)
Peter O.
Let's say you like the familiarity of generic food in an '80s Greek diner atmosphere of shiny polymered golden oak, gold veined mirror wall tiles, mauve pleather booths and blaring televisions, and appreciate sometimes friendly, old-style waitresses with teased, bouffanted hair. Well, Sanders will do you just right. It's another one of those suburbany diners where everything is fine, okay, nothing special, good enough. Certainly not a destination. Not worth a long wait seated in their vestibule on weekends, either. ~Peter O. and S.
(3)
Darren F.
another dine in restaurant with mostly older generation people there.. i ordered a steak skillet and i think it was horrible.. a lot of the steak was chewy.. it was oily and even their egg whites taste bad.. should of never substitute the egg with their egg whites.. anyways.. there was some guy next to us that ordered a apple filling pancake that was huge.. and i mean HUGE! our waitress told us that it takes around 45 min to make if we ever want it.. might give that a try next time.. maybe...
(1)
Teri D.
I eat here when i stay at the excellent Holiday Inn next door and eat dinner several times and breakfast every day of the one week a month I am in Chicago. The dinner cooks here need to learn how to cook chicken until it is thoroughly done. Even after specifically requesting well-done chicken, it was raw by the bone with an overpowering amount of oregano. Go with the pork chops instead. The breakfast cooks are much better and Donna or Bubbles will take excellent care of you! Go for the homemade rice pudding (which is as good as my grandma used to make) rather than the desserts that are brought in and served WELL PAST when they are dried out and stale.
(3)
Nancy S.
I'm staying next door at a hotel and this has become my go to place for delicious soups and the Athenian chicken kabob. Be careful, the portions are huge but the flavors are divine! The decor is a little dated but that just adds to the "diner feel" and if the food is delicious it doesn't bother me. The waitresses are so friendly they make you feel like family and go above and beyond your expectations to ensure a pleasant experience! Thank you Sanders!
(5)
Sara R.
I thought the food here was very typical "diner food". The service was not great, but that could have been a one time thing, since I only went here once. I went here with 4 others, and one of our orders was way off and they seemed indifferent when we brought it to their attention. This place seems to be a big hit with the AARP crowd.
(2)
Sonia B.
OK, if you are big on service...do not go here. The food was pretty good, but the service was horrible. I went in for breakfast with a friend of mine who has a baby. We were seated and before a minute even passed 3 different people came up to us and told us we couldn't leave the baby's car seat on the floor. We completely understood why and had no objection, but explained we were just taking off our jackets, the baby needed to be changed in the bathroom, and we would then put the baby in the booth. My friend and I were planning on splitting a couple of items, but didn't even have a chance to look at the menu as my friend felt pressured to go change/feed the baby right away so she could put the seat in the booth. Mind you, it hadn't even been a couple minutes since we arrived. So, friend and baby returned...we ordered coffee, juice, a breakfast wrap, and some pancakes. The breakfast wrap was good. If I were ever to return, I would get it again. I don't plan on it though. Baby cried for a short minute...nothing too crazy. And mind you we were NOT in a high end restaurant or anything...and NO ONE in the restaurant was looking except our server and the lady at the front who may have been the owner. They both came by with very condescending attitudes/comments. My friend went back to the bathroom, to avoid any issues. When she came back to the table, she asked if she could have a refill on her coffee since it got cold and the server looked at her like she was crazy. Seriously?! We weren't enjoying the experience much and decided it was time to go and we went up to pay and the owner(?) gasped when I asked her to split the payment w/ two credit cards. I'm not joking...straight up gasped out loud and then said..."well, you tell me what half of $25.46 is!" I looked at her because I thought she was joking and she wasn't. I was dumbfounded by the rudeness! I am now wishing I didn't give a 20% tip...ugh! Everyone there was rude. So disappointing. I love supporting local diners and family owned establishments...wanted to like this place...but, there are so many other places I would rather spend my money.
(2)
Chris C.
Had the ruben it was to much meat and not enough of bread. Beyond messy couldn't enjoy it at all the bread tore apart and the sandwich was so hot it took 10minutes to cool off. Service was excellent but food was over priced
(2)
Michael D.
Rather breakfast of dinner food is always delicious! Love the atmosphere, great service!
(5)
Erick H.
Im an easy grader. But this has got to be the worst restaurant in the world. I went with my family for breakfast. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come. And our food was cold when we got it! Staff are showing no remorse over serving us cold food. They tasted bland! We almost used up all the salt and pepper on our table! My baby who eats virtually anything, would take a bite and spit it out right away! Dont be deceived by the heavy traffic of hungry eaters thinking this must be a good placed to be flocked by a lot of unsuspecting victims! Stay away from this place!
(1)
Tison H.
This place was awesome! Lots to choose from and huge portions! Service was fast and friendly! We are definitely coming back!!
(4)
Alan S.
I am giving 5 stars to Sanders because its the place I have gone with family and friends for over 18 years. Basically, you could stereotype Sanders to be the American Greek diner from the 1980s like someone made a remark on the establishment in yelp. However, I like to say the place is clean and food fresh. You also have parking and access for people who are handicapped. You will see elderly people but others from all ages and ethnic groups come and dine. They have a good breakfast menu with many selections like omelettes, combos, french toast and also a good selection of salads/soup. You will also see a dinner menu with food ranging from steak, chicken, duck, and fish. They really give you alot of food. However only one complaint I am going 2 say regards the wait staff service. In the past, they had prompt waitresses but in the recent years. The waitresses had been negligent in service. I dont know why? They had hired these romanian women and not sure on their frustration with a new culture or the job. The receptionist also a romanian, pretty looking, always spaces out and not focus her attention to the customers. She would be reading some paper or checking up on her smartphone every minute or so. At times, she would stare at you from across the room with a blank look on her face. Other times you could see her leave her post at the front cashier and sit down eating the food while checking up her smartphone. Afterwards you will see the manager take up front duty at the front desk. As for the waitresses , they are always busy and never give their attention. Recently they got some new people and it was a major improvement.
(5)
Hannah H.
Sander's has been around since 1984. My husband and I came here to try out their breakfast. They have a limited menu, which was nice for an indecisive person like me! I had the Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs combo, which came with hash brown potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. My husband had the biscuits and gravy, and it was amazing to see how generous the restaurant was in terms of the portion! My steak was very juicy and well-cooked, but I wasn't a fan of their side of potatoes as they were just too bland and mushy for me. My husband wasn't a fan of the gravy as it was too coagulated, and the biscuits themselves were very salty. Service was friendly, and I'm glad I was able to check this place out! +Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs +forget the potatoes
(3)
Magdalena D.
#NAME?
(2)
Hector A.
One Word "OMELET"!!!!!!! Pick the things you like and put it on their fluffy magical omelet and you will only be able to say "WOW"!!!!! Service is great. The restaurant is clean. The staff is friendly. Parking is usually pretty good. Some day I will make it to one of the deserts they have on display. REMEMBER: OMELET, you will not be disappointed
(5)
Narciso C.
Extremely busy on Weekends, but Sanders provided warm welcome and above all courteous and attentive service. My family and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast on Sunday afternoon. Sanders serves breakfast all day and the portions are ginormous! The menu also included wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a robust Greek taste and flavor. There was plenty to choose from, and all reasonably priced. I will make this a regular for my family and a must for big breakfasts. Recommend the omelets, the Greek Feta omelet was huge and tasty. Kids will enjoy the pancakes or French toast, and there are plenty of breakfast meats to choose from: Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, and regular bacon to name few. Fresh squeezed OJ was icing on top.
(5)
Bonnie Z.
Watch out for the potato salad. Tasted warm and strange. Pushed it aside. Proceeded to vomit only the potato salad. Refused to pay the bill. Manager was annoyed. Never apologized. Never inquired how I felt. Scratch Sanders off my list.
(1)
Diane G.
On Sat. night my daughter and I wanted a quick inexpensive cozy little place to eat. I looked up the reviews and thought it sounded hopeful. The experience was awful. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, clang clang we could hear every plate served. The food that we ordered was terrible !! My daughter ordered fried scallops and I could have just went to Cosco and bought a bag. She wouldn't eat it. My dinner was also yucky. I ordered one of the specials--short ribs. I should have asked how it was prepared because when I looked at it, I couldn't eat it and the waitress kindly took it back. My second choice was a hot turkey and the turkey looked old with a gray color to it. I didn't want to ask again so I sucked up and ate it---YUCK ! Maybe we would have been better off going there for breakfast but we have marked this place as a NEVER.
(1)
Pete V.
The only word I can describe this place is "average." This is your typical average Greek American diner. The place need a make over, the service is average and the food is average. The menu is probably the same from the 90s. I think IHOP menu is more interesting.
(3)
Gary B.
As one who has waited on his fair share of tables I can spot the slow roll. A slow roll is when a server has been slammed and it is their attempt to not have a table get up and leave only to be immediately sat again. We were sooooo slow rolled today and I had things that needed to be done. Adding up a check isn't calculus so what the significant delay couldn't be determined. The food was ok, I had the asparagus soup which was good but needed salt. I had the American skillet which is corn beef hash on top of some dry potatoes. I don't liver near here so coming back won't be an option anyway but I certainly have had better.
(2)
Stephen M.
I've eaten here three times. The first time I was wearing a bright yellow jacket and an older woman handed me her keys for valet. Memorable, but I don't remember the meal that night. We've gone twice since then. Each time we came for breakfast (served any time) and we are glad we did. Omelets were chosen each time. Walker Brothers offers the same items, but on omelets, I'll go with Sanders. The reason? They are both baked and have a firm, fluffy texture. The balance is off at WB--at least the Santa Fe is--too much cheese. (Some might say what?!?, but yes too much). The balance at Sanders is better. (This was not a direct comparison. I had cheddar, mushroom and jalapeno). This is a fountain/diner restaurant and you expect some bit of character from the host and waitresses. They have opinions, are zealous in making sure you get your order the way you want and keep you happy. (You know. How's the bacon hun?). The sides are pleasing as well. The pancakes are a meal in themselves and the browned potatoes are breakfast staple extraordinaire.
(4)
Deborah G.
Keep driving! This place is scary bad!! Half the food was overly microwaved and we all know what happens there! The meatloaf and veal(???) cutlet were awful with a brown slop poured over it ! The skirt steak (21.00) was a big tasteless slab of meat thrown on a plate . Hint to chef , try marinating, the onion rings were good though. The really only bright spot were the milkshakes and the sweet waitress! She did a stellar job of taking care of an overly large last minute crowd! 5 stars for her!
(1)
Nektaria R.
Good for late night. Your typical diner. Lots of food for OK prices. It was the place to go after a full day of shopping for baby stuff. I had the lox, it was so good and they even found an alternative bread for me since I didn't want the white bagel. I've had their breakfast items, the daily specials, burgers, a variety of meals since I've been here a million time. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Parking can be a pain and trying to get back out onto Touhy heading east can be a nightmare. Oh well, I haven't had an accident or a ticket yet, so it'll be OK to deal with once in a while especially when hunger strikes and it's late night.
(4)
Steve S.
Great home cooked meal. The egg white omelette are the best in town the size of a football
(4)
Doug R.
I would only go here if Jack's across the street was closed, and even then Idk if I'd go here. Mediocre at best. Food just OK. Prices average. Nothing overly special here. Go to Jack's if they're open, otherwise, try to find somewhere else.
(2)
Justin S.
The food/service/friendliness all excellent. Never a bad visit and I've been coming here for years. They really pack the tables in, so there's hardly any room to move around when they're crowded but other than that, c'est si bon
(5)
Christina G.
I came here with a large group on a Wednesday evening for dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Luckily, we had made reservations because when we got there, all but a few tables were full. Out large, twelve person table wasn't ready when we got there, but it was available shortly thereafter. The staff are beyond helpful. They got our orders 100% correct, and we always asking if there was anything they could do for us. Our server was wonderful and very sweet. The issue was more with the food. It was pretty average, nothing special. From the looks of the place, i thought the food wood be delicious, but I was not blown away. Most of our group ordered burgers, but I had a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and the grilled cheese was fine, but again, nothing special. The prices were very reasonable though. I didn't try it, but they offer breakfast all day. They get extra points for that. Quick couple tips: 1. The parking lot is rather small, but the hostess told me they rent parking space from the hotel next door, so you can park there. 2. You can only enter the restaurant parking lot if you are headed west on Touhy or north on Niles Center Road.
(3)
Derek G.
Sanders Restaurant is a nice north-side breakfast option. If you are looking for a place free of senior citizens, void of no nonsense wait staff, and ample parking, perhaps this is not the place for you. However, if you were looking for a place that has great coffee, numerous menu options and reasonable prices, I would highly recommend Sanders. On a side note, do not get discouraged by the parking lot full of cars. The Marriot Hotel allows Sanders to park in their lot, so feel free to park there if the Sander's lot is full...which normally is the case.
(4)
Kelley S.
I've eaten 2 dinners and 3 breakfasts here. All dining experiences have been positive and flavorful. Their beet salad is delicious, their cobb salad is great, their reuben is HUGE and delicious. You have to eat that baby with a fork because there's no way you are picking it up. Their breakfasts are pretty standard, but quick and good for reasonable prices. The one thing we didn't particularly enjoy was the chicken breakfast skillet. It was the blandest thing we have ordered, but still a large portion and not bad, just not good. If you are a soup fan, ask about their daily soup selections when you stop in! They have some of the best, unique soups I have ever seen at any restaurant and each one I've had has been excellent. A note on the staff, they are what you would expect in a diner such as this... middle aged women that seem to have been there forever. With that comes a variety of personalities. I've had some very friendly and funny staff that provided exemplary service. I've also had some ladies that seemed to be going through the motions and watching the clock. Not terrible service, but nothing noteworthy either. There is also a few fabulous men whose job it is to bring waters and overall monitor all tables for beverages, clearing plates etc. They are super-efficient! Regardless of who I got as a server the food was always prepared and delivered in a timely manner which is really why I go there anyhow.
(4)
Sean L.
If you can't find something to eat here that you love I don't know what is wrong with you. The sandwiches are enormous, and fresh, and the cream of chicken soup is the best I've ever had anywhere.
(5)
Michelle K.
They have great sandwiches and cream of chicken rice soup on Sundays!! Simply delish!! Juanita is the sweetest server.
(5)
Gio L.
It is a diner; not Stella's, nevertheless a meal after a long flight and not too many choices. I have been here before and will be back again.
(3)
Rom R.
After being a regular for some time, it seems the last several months it is going downhill. Busboys not refilling beverages regularly, waitresses seem bothered to do so. Rolls wrapped in plastic, a good thing, but many have tasted day old lately, probably because not as busy as of late and remain an extra day. Seemingly new crew of waitresses over the past several months, service is ok, but waitresses there now act as if doing you a favor--nothing is gracious to you anymore . Need to fix some things, or regulars will find elsewhere to go. Serving soup not filled to where bowl should be filled, so waitress won't spill carrying it? C'mon we are paying for a bowl not a 3/4 bowl, scared to say anything to waitresses, they may do something to rest of your food.... eh can do better, just may have to drive a little, but seemingly feeling worth it as of late.
(1)
Frank A.
Super busy intersection on Touhy. Parking lot is a pain in the rear. The worst is having to circle around looking for a spot during busy hour. Typical diner food that can be a little bland but this is really a good breakfast spot. What you see is what you get here. I used to hit this spot on Sundays while reading the paper. It's alright, but nothing really outstanding or bad either...
(3)
Tiffany G.
Famous last words: "How can anybody screw up a pancake?" How, indeed. By definition, what is a blueberry pancake to YOU? One would assume it is a pancake, studded with, presumably, real blueberries. Even at the lowliest truck-stop one can find such a specimen... But not at Sanders. Are blueberry pancakes supposed to: a) be doused with an entire CAN of high-fructose corn syrup-stewed blueberries? b) be about 2 inches thick, have a hard outer-crust impenetrable by a fork and knife, and then literally break apart in layers while trying to do so? c) stick to the roof of your mouth like wall paper paste? d) leave a synthetic taste in your mouth even two subsequent cups of bad coffee cannot mask? e) be served with even more synthetic "maple-flavored" syrup? Final question: Is bacon supposed to be shades of green and black? And this, from an establishment that coins itself a "pancake house." They should be shot.
(1)
Shirley K.
First time visit this past Sunday. Ordered salami omelet. The entree came with hash browns and choice of toast, pancakes or french toast. I had the pancakes with mine and my friend had the french toast. My friend thought the entire meal was delicious. I, too, thought the omelet was exceptionally good as were the pancakes. However the hash browns were really thinly sliced fried potatoes. That was an acceptable substitution for me but the potatoes were not cooked through. They were on the hard side. My waitress and bus boy were very attentive. The man serving as hostess really is the reason my rating is not four stars. He was extremely rude.
(3)
Billy G.
Club Sandwich w/ bowl of Matzo ball soup. That is all I have to say.
(5)
Richard M.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a Jewish diner/deli you have found it. The portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Think shared meals!! Service is always prompt and very helpful.
(4)
Katrina M.
Fast & friendly service. Reasonable prices. Plentiful portions. No frills diner food, yet my stuffed french toast was unusually overstuffed.. which I love!
(4)
Jacob J.
Decent diner food, better than Golden Nugget. My last visit, dining within a group of four people, they'd forgotten my meal completely. Then when I asked about it, it became this whole situation of pointing the finger on whether I did or didn't order. Still that was just a matter of a crappy waitress. Of the two diners in this shopping area, they are the best. Blah.
(3)
An P.
I want a skillet! I want a skillet! I want a skillet! Whenever I go to a new diner that I have never ever been to before, I must have the skillet. In my view, the skillet demonstrates a chef's ability to fry, saute, melt, poach, and texturize. In essence, the skillet shows the chef's overall cooking ability more so than any other breakfast food! It was around 7:00pm on a Wednesday night and I hiked out to Skokie with a buddy to a meeting and had about an hour to kill. Despite being jam packed, we got a table with no wait. Families were eating, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, cops, coworkers and all the like were gathered at Sanders to grab a bite to eat. You'd think you were eating at Denny's or something it was so crowded. I popped open the menu and wondered if Sanders was a Greek joint. With the amount of food on the menu it really must have been. From borscht to steak sandwiches to corn beef hash to steaks and pastas it seemed like page after page of quality food. It was hard to resist ordering anything else, but being a skillet lover I dug into a meat lover's skillet without much more hesitation. PS If you can't poach eggs, why make the skillet? The food came in quick order and I got plenty of meats on my skillet and was satisfied with the degree of crispiness as well as my poacherrific eggs on big toast. While Sanders is too far of a hike for me, it is still the cat's meow in terms of skilled skillets. Chalk it up on the list, it's legit!
(4)
Jean C.
I just found out today that I'm invisible. No seriously, I found this out because the hostess looked straight through me (and my friends) both on the way in and on the way out. Actually for a moment when we were leaving, I thought she was smiling at us, acknowledging us because y'know, we were leaving the money on the front desk, but it turned out that she was smiling at people in line, people she knew. And as for us? Well... invisible. She did manage to find our money, though, so that was good. Apart from being invisible to the hostess, I have to say that the rest of the staff was really quite nice. We had a lovely, friendly waitress, and the bus staff was fantastic! The food... not so much. Corned beef hash, billed as the best in the city, looked and tasted like canned. Sausages had an odd flavor, and blueberry pancakes weren't pancakes with blueberries in the batter, they were plain old buttermilk pancakes with a lot of blueberry compote poured over the top. The eggs benny were pretty average and the hollandaise was so-so. The freshly squeezed OJ was really the best thing I had. The place seemed clean and it was busy. I had the impression that there were a lot of regulars. But honestly, I doubt I'll ever have much of a pressing desire to go back. ETA: Let me be completely clear about something. This would have been a solid three-star review but for the utter indifference of the hostess, who had oodles of charm and lots of smiles for people she knew, but who couldn't be arsed to even acknowledge us beyond leading us to a table and putting our money in the cash register.
(2)
Dave S.
This place struck me as odd. Every time we drive by here this place is packed! I don;t ever recall an exception. We were thinking that this place had to be pretty good to have a crowd like this at all times. We decided to stop in one evening for dinner and I deemed myself lucky to be able to get the last open table in the restaurant. I was thinking score one for us! I reviewed the menu and I was impressed with the selection and prices. The prices were low for a reason, which I am about to get into. My wife and I decided to get creative. One of us would order a breaded cod dinner and the other would order a macaroni and cheese dinner and we would have a little buffet all to ourselves. The soup was decent. It was the best part of the meal. The dinner rolls were all individually wrapped and were quite a pain in the you know what to unwrap to try and eat. Our entrees arrived and it was SO disappointing. Everything was rather bland and very unimpressive. I could have easily made this type of meal at home (probably better). The prices were cheap but we did get what we paid for. I must give credit where credit is due. Our server Mandy was awesome. She was friendly, helpful, sincere and on top of her game. Her waiting on us was probably the highlight of the meal. I am thinking that we might give this place another shot for breakfast. It looks like that is more of their specialty!
(2)
Miriam B.
Love this place!. My husband and I have dined here twice. For breakfast and today for dinner. Amazing service!. So attentive!. Great portions at good prices!.
(5)
Liza K.
Food poisoning
(1)
Patricia L.
If pancake houses had heights, Sanders would be average with IHOP a little above and Walker Brothers towering over the other 2. PROS -gigantic, BAKED omelets that are delish and cost about $6 that comes with pancakes or toast and hash browns -cheaper than IHOP -my 1st visit here our waitress was AMAZING, like the super-attentive kind that didn't believe in glasses half empty (literally, she re-filled our coffee cups up like nobody's business) -great choice of skillets...(whether you're an omnivore or veggie queen) and 3 different eggs benedict CONS -stingy with ingredients in omelets...they also charge you $0.50 more for every other ingredient you'd like on it -as my own grandma put it, it smells like "old people" -my 2nd visit here the waitress was horrible...she didn't even notice there was bright pink lipstick left on one of the coffee cups she served us -they use canned strawberries in their crepes...WHACK Really is a toss up. Just pray that you get the awesome waitress
(2)
Brittany K.
I LOVE this restaurant. Girlfriend and I are regulars here - when we lived two minutes away we tended to go at least once a week. Unfortunately we now live about 40mins away but still can't stop ourselves from visiting at least a few times a month. Their portions are huge, the selection is large, the food is always hot and delicious. I usually stick with the breakfast foods but their salads, soups and wraps are pretty good too. Staff is generally friendly, helpful and able to add/subtract/modify dishes without issue (yes, I am that one annoying customer who can't possibly eat mushrooms or hashbrowns but can you please sub cottage cheese and add asparagus??) They're also very inexpensive, and pretty quick too. If the place is crowded (as it tends to be on Sunday mornings with the after-church crowd) there is pretty much always seating at the counter available. Really I don't have any issues with this place. It is pure good. Must try!
(5)
April P.
food here is great, classic. Service with Bubbles (yes that's her name) is fast and a delight had the zucchini, mushroom and tomato omlet! Yummmmmy. Tasty, fluffy and great serving. Bf had the pecan belgian waffle. Had pecans throughout as well as on top of waffle. Sooo good not a disappointment. Would go back
(5)
Dan D.
You want a killer huge German pancake?! (Like really guys, this is a whopper of a german pancake... enough for at least 3 meals for myself). How about some kick-butt skillets? Oh... I know what you are craving! You want some pie. Well folks, at this old-school family-style restaurant, you can have it all. This has long been an institution of the northside/suburb Chicago. Good food. Great service. Prices could be lower... but hey, sometimes its just nice to be in a family joint. :-)
(4)
Liz M.
I have a longtime love affair with All-American, usually Greek owned, coffee-shop diners. They usually have the best homemade soups. The biggest bread baskets. The yummiest omelettes. The largest fresh salads. The hottest fresh coffee. The biggest bang for your buck dinner specials. The most experienced, nicest waitresses. The most decadent desserts rotating around in a glass cabinet. And the most loyal bunch of senior citizen diners ever. Well Sanders is exactly one of "those kind" of diners.
(3)
Sue K.
The service is excellent - the waitresses/hosts/bus boys are attentive and kind. The food, though..caters to their crowd, which is the elderly. What does this mean? That the food is bland and the prices are reasonable.
(2)
Nancy H.
Your standard American breakfast for a reasonable price. An average omelette costs $7 and includes hash browns, your choice of toast or pancakes, and a piece of fruit! Lots of regulars, old-timers, and local families that dine here, and the parking lot is probably too small for such a popular place.
(4)
meran m.
The staff was very nice. The tables are comfortable. It's open late so you can grab a bite after a show. The soup is decent and so are the fries. That's pretty much where it ends for me. Taste does not seem to be a high priority there. The hamburger appears to be a pre-frozen, dense, unseasoned patty. The salad is iceberg. The plastic-encased rolls tell you that practicality trumps an interest in quality. I don't know what my friends see in this place, other than it is open at night, but I am going to hunt down another late night restaurant in the area to suggest for next time. My suggestion to the owners: You have a nice facility there, but you'd be better off limiting your extensive menu to items you can do well.
(2)
Kristina K.
Open late and offers a wide selection of diner food. Great breakfast items and decent lunch and dinner selections. The fries are boring. The service is hit and miss.
(3)
Mary Z.
Sanders Restaurant is great. The food is always top notch and the service is great. Even when their busy they take the time to be sure service is still top priority. Give Sanders a try and I'm sure you will be going back again and again. Sanders Team - Keep up the great work!!!!
(5)
Alexandra B.
Horrible food. Crepes over done. Pancakes under cooked. My sons mac and cheese came from a box and it was also over done... at the end of the day I give it a 1. The hostess and server were very sweet, but I left without eating and had my meal taken off.
(1)
John W.
Pancakes were good. Big omelette. Hash browns were very average.
(3)
David L.
Great place. A real diner to get a cup of coffee and a meal with friends or family. I'm writing because of the egg white omelet, WOW As fluffy and delicious as a food that is healthy can be. Always feel welcome.
(5)
Rahman U.
This was the worst meal I've had in years, no joke. 1 star is probably too generous. I somehow overlooked several red flags warning me about this place. When we first walked in it looked like Bingo night at a retirement home. I honestly think we were the youngest customers by a good 40 years. The first thing that got me was when the waitress brought out the bread which was all individually wrapped in plastic. Uhh, ok, wonder when this was made. I ended up ordering the eggplant chicken parmesan, two dishes I've seen served separately but never together. I like them both, so this has got to turn out well right? For my vegetable I got to choose between beets and peas....wait a minute, am I on Punk'd? People still serve peas?? My choice of soup was between chicken noodle and matzo ball. "Tell me, what's matzo ball soup again?" I asked. "Oh you don't want that it's nasty" says the waitress. Well alrightythen. A good half an hour later when the meal actually arrived I tried my food and was immediately turned off. It had a layer of cheese followed by the eggplant, then the chicken, and a layer of spaghetti o's on the very bottom. The eggplant appeared to be old and slimy and coated in something that had the consistency of a pancake. Apparently they didn't get the memo. The chicken wasn't lucky enough to battered in anything and was just plain bland and overcooked. I had to put salt and pepper on it and I never add salt to ANYTHING. I don't think I even finished half of my food. "You guys need some boxes?" asked our waiter. She can't be serious. "Nah, I think we're done here." I'm not sure if your taste buds start to go the older you get because the senior citizens thought this stuff was delicious. As for the under 70 crowd, I'd stay away, this food is gross.
(1)
Aria S.
I was really disappointed with Sanders. My family and I came for breakfast. It looks like your typical diner, with the same atmosphere you see at most of these breakfast/lunch places. There are two reasons I wasn't impressed with Sanders. First, our waitress was slow and forgetful. She brought out different parts of our meal at different times. I ordered eggs but didn't get my toast. My mother ordered eggs as well but didn't get her bacon until we asked at least 3 times for it. The food wasn't up to par either. Small portions of hashbrowns and soggy bacon. Gross. I really think there are much better breakfast places in the area.
(2)
Dave S.
It's called the American. Corned beef hash skillet with American cheese and basted eggs. I don't really need to say anything else about this place... but I guess I should. I have only been here for breakfast and only on weekends. Sanders is always crowded but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat. Service is typical of a diner; sometimes excellent and sometimes just good enough. Regardless of the speed of service the staff is incredibly friendly and polite. They make you feel like they're serving you food in their own home made in their own kitchen. Unlike other diners, Sanders individually wraps the bread they bring out to your table whenever you order something other than breakfast. This is a bonus since you never know what snot-nosed kid was playing Booger Man with that roll before you sat down. They have a rotating glass case of pies and cakes of which I have never tried. They look absolutely fantastic and delicious... but cake just doens't seem like a good way to finish off breakfast. Coffee hot and drinkable. Food hot and DELICIOUS!! Served quickly and friendly and accurately. Sanders is a fantastic place to get your breakfast on! Mmmmmm... bacon.
(4)
Edwin L.
yoh, I've been here with friends and the fam on many occasions, and Sander's has been pretty good to us. Foodwise - Their menu is good for any mealtime, whether you want breakfast (pancakes, waffles, omelettes), lunch (sandwiches, burgers, omelettes), or dinner (steak, chicken, omelettes)! Everything is tasty and is like comfort food to me. Also, their generous portions leave you feeling more than satisfied with the meal. Atmospherewise - I'm 19, meanwhile most customers around me are well over 60. That being said, it is by no means exciting. However, it's a peaceful and warm environment that I genuinely enjoy dining in. Customer Service - I dunno anything about rudeness... A lot of waitresses there are either really nice and funny or hella sassy, but in the good way! Anyway, I never had a negative interaction with the staff there, but I guess it depends on our individual moods haha. Conclusion: Huge portions of tasty comfort food, warm and cozy environment, and sassy waitresses to tie it all together and remind you that this shit ain't free agagagagaga. I'll come back here for as long as it's open~
(5)
Tavi J.
Service here was great! They make you feel right at home. The crowd is older and it reminded me of an updated ihop. I got the veggie omelet with ham (Okay so the veggie omelet had the ingredients I wanted sans the meat...I know sounds weird). It came with hash browns that were dry and flavorless. It also came with pancakes. I got the banana and they were fluffy and delicious. If I'm ever out this way again I would come back, but there are seriously so many better brunch spots in the city.
(3)
Joani O.
My family and I have been going to Sander's since the early 90s, mostly for breakfast, although they are practically 24 hours (5 am to midnight, every day), and serve for all meals. They are a Greek diner with is a family owned business, and the menu is quite extensive. You can get traditional Greek dishes, as well as standard American meals (ribs, chops, burgers, sandwiches, huge salads, etc!), and one of my favorite aspects are the multiple soups each day. On Sundays they have an amazing cream of chicken rice (delicious!) and every day they have matzo ball and kreplach (my personal favorite) to cater to the heavy Jewish population in the area, as well as 2-3 additional ones. You can order your meal a la carte, or as a complete dinner with soup, salad, a beverage and dessert. They have a pastry case if you're into desserts! The breakfasts are the traditional offerings; pancakes, waffles, eggs, skillets, wonderful crepes, and amazing omelettes! Huge, and fluffy...served with gash browns, or you can substitute fresh fruit. If it's lunch or dinner sometimes I order soup and salad, but I've been through much of the menu and enjoy their crisper sandwiches and the chicken de jonge special that they offer regularly. (Think shrimp, but it's chicken.) There is something for everyone here, and only once or twice have I had something on the menu that I didn't care for. We always ask for "Bubbles" the waitress (her name is Debbie), but you're sure to get good service no matter who you get. If not, ask for Frank, the owner, or Jimmy, his son!
(4)
Heather M.
Big portions, friendly waitstaff, good prices and sooooooo delish. Everything I've had here has been exceptionally good. The chicken eggs Benedict was nothing like I've had before. Fried chicken breast atop a crunchy English muffin, with a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
(5)
Joanne E.
Confession, when I'm not at Dixie Kitchen (Evanston) for breakfast, this is where I hang out. The Denver Omelette is fabulous. My husband and I have rarely had to wait, not even on weekends, and we have always found the service very efficient (and effective) and the wait staff very nice. Update 5/27/08: We had two rather miserable experiences here about a year ago. Unfortunately, they occurred two Saturday's in a row, and we have not been back since. Both experiences involved extremely dirty booths (the garbage on the floor was obviously filth that had built up for some time) and wait staff that seemed to be fighting with bus boys to the extent that we felt extremely uncomfortable. I don't think we'll ever be back.
(1)
Mary C.
A busy restaurant is a good restaurant. You'll never find this place empty. They have fantastic breakfast food served all day. If you're jonesing for some dinner try their Greek specialties. They are always wonderful. Portions here are huge, so you'll never leave hungry. You'll also never have an empty coffee cup because service is on the ball and friendly. Only negative is the hostess treated us like we were invisible. We should not have to wait to be seated so she can finish her conversation with another employee. Customers come first, especially when you see someone is handicapped (as was the case this time with my grandmother). If it wasn't for that misstep, they would have gotten 5 stars.
(4)
Joe F.
My family and I have been going to Sander's for over five years. We usually go there for dinner, and know a few of the waitresses very well. As soon as you sit down, you are given a variety basket of bread. In general, the menu is very traditional, and meals are reasonably priced. The food itself is rather mediocre, but still filling. I have only had one problem with a waitress, whom I think no longer works there. Nevertheless, the staff there is very welcoming and warm. This is a great place to grab lunch in Skokie if you need a good warm meal, and do not want to spend a lot of money.
(4)
Karen H.
Some of the best soups in the area! Love the Sweet and Sour Cabbage and the Lentil! And their omlettes are GREAT! Try the Apple and Cheddar...and add in cinnamon. Very tasty!!!! Service is friendly and quick...
(3)
Michelle R.
they service is good. parking sucks
(3)
Y V.
This traditional pancake house/restaurant is very popular with families (and senior citizens!) in Skokie. We went here on a Sunday for breakfast. I had the ham and cheddar omelet, with hash browns and pancakes. He had the skirt steak, eggs, and Greek toast. Both portions were huge and the food was delicious. They have a big menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Ann Y.
I love the crepe's at Sander's and the waitress will even bring us a TON of whipped cream- yummy. They also will make bannana crepes even though they aren't on the menu. The soups are good and the menu is diverse. This is your typical greek-owned family restaraunt and I have always had a decent experience here.
(4)
Amanda P.
Edit to add more info, because Sander's has become my regular place to meet up with my dad and stepmom for breakfast since I wrote this review. In the Diner competition between Sander's and Jack's (kitty-corner and down the street a little bit), Sander's wins hands down. One of the things that impresses me the most about this place is that despite the fact that they've been around forever and could easily rest on their laurels, they're constantly updating their menu to include contemporary touches. Thus, Sander's will never turn into an "old man" diner, the way What's Cookin' and Whistler's so definitely have. In fact, the last time I was there, I had portobello mushroom eggs benedict with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto hollandaise sauce. Totally yummy. The omlettes are super fluffy and light, probably baked in the oven. My husband and I are also huge fans of the cherry kijafa crepes, with black cherries and sweet, dark cherry sauce. Pancakes are good, but like other reviewers said, not in the league of Walker Brothers. This is just a good, dependable diner with an extremely varied menu.
(4)
Amanda O.
I was somewhat surprised by some of the negative reviews posted. For example one Yelp!er wrote that the hostess was rude. My experience last night involved nothing but the friendliess of hostesses. I felt like she had been seeing come to the establishment for years when in reality last night was the first time I'd ever been there. Granted I didn't dine in. I got my food to go. But still very friendly! The food was so yummy. I got the "Le Crossiant" which was ham, turkey, cheese and hollandaise sauce. The meat was thick cut and the ham so juicy and flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was somewhat sweet and the crossiant, I'm told, is purchased by a local bakery. It came with fries (I agree with a previous review that they are somewhat boring) and lettuce, tomatoe and pickle. I also got a side of Matzo Ball soup. It came in a rather large soup cup and I was amazed they would give that much soup as a to-go side. Then I realized that there was only one matzo ball in the cup. But it took up the WHOLE cup and that's why the cup was soooo large! It was very comforting soup. My friend got some sort of mexi-skillet. He seemed satisfied with it although it looked generic for a diner and he doused it in hot sauce. All in all I will be going back to Sanders if not for dine in experience then definately for my to-go needs :)
(4)
George K.
The service here sucks. I went eating here and they left a Discovery Channel special on snakes while we were eating. Doesn't really make the food any more appetizing and considering that their quality of food is sub par, they really did not do themselves a favor. Stay away from here.
(1)
Betty P.
still going there. still love it
(5)
Chris C.
Really like this place. While it doesn't have Frui-shi like Orange or other cutting edge items (which are definitely cool & good), it does have very good quality "American Diner / Restaurant" food. I can appreciate both, which is why I like this place. Pros: Quality breakfasts, meats, sausages, eggs, omlettes. Good sandwiches. Everything tastes very good, but you don't feel like you just ate at the greasy spoon. Eggs, sausage, bacon all taste "fresh" and - get this - you can actually taste the flavors instead of just grease. My service has been very good, although due to the usual line-out-the-door at this place, I think that other Yelper's comments make sense. Verdict: Old school & definitely recommended.
(4)
Gab F.
Never again is all I can say. How utterly rude can some people be? My family has been coming here for years and we have had a bad server here and there but this one did Sanders in. If I could give zero stars, I WOULD! We were sat down and within the minute of sitting down the server was At our table asking if we know what we "want"... We tell her not yet. Obviously. Finally we order, wasn't a difficult order...like at all. 1. She didn't ask what kind of juice my mom wanted or if she even wanted juice (that came with her meal) 2. Confused two orders, when corrected, snatched plate from table and walked away, came back and just gave them to us like it was a problem. 3. Forgot the hash browns my mom ordered. Now here's where it got messy... When I stood up to mention the hash browns... She starts walking towards me with this SHITTY LITTLE SMILE like if I was bothering her convo with the damn owner. When I tell her she ALSO forgot my mothers hash brown she does a "hah ok" and turns away to go get them.. Well. You ghetto rat, you just made me want to speak my mind. I continue to walk with her towards the owner who was awaiting my complaint because apparently she had already been talking shit about me and my family... He continuously asks what we ordered and what's the problem. WELL THE FOODS NOT THE PROBLEM, it's your fucking waitress, and if you and her hadn't been up each other's ass flirting with one another, you would probably notice what a lousy job she had been doing! All he tells me is "I'll talk to her". Right, you'll just continue to talk shit about "Mexicans" like you had already been doing prior to me approaching you both. News flash douche, half of your staff is Latino so check yourself. He didn't even come to our table to apologize! We def weren't looking for a comped meal sweetheart, how unfortunate that you can't even take two seconds to come to our table and say sorry and maybe send a new waitress.., she didn't even come back to our table. We got up and went and asked for our bill. The hostess, bless her heart, did all the apologizing. Smh. Our bill was $36.40... We left $37... Those 60 cents weren't even earned. Never again Sanders Never again...
(1)
Lee A.
I really enjoy coming here for breakfast I always order the same thing Meat Lover's Skillets with two fried eggs medium. Sometimes it's too cheesy but always taste good. I am happy with the food and service.
(4)
Alex M.
This is our go to spot every Sunday. We have been coming here for a few years and have not found a better breakfast place. The staff is very friendly, fast, and efficient. It is also nice to see that this is a family owned restaurant. The plate I always select is the Mexican Skillet, which is very tasteful. Unlike other restaurants I have been to they use fresh Jalapeño peppers which brings out the flavor more. The Chorizo sausage is not greasy and does not over power the skillet. I have scrambled eggs with it and top it off with Tabasco sauce for a awesome meal that gets me through the day. Sundays are busy days I recommend coming in earlier. If the lot is full you park in the Holiday Inn parking lot as well.
(5)
Mike K.
CONSISTENTLY GREAT FOOD. We like Bubbles--she is our favorite waitress. We always order the baked egg white veggie omelet with Swiss cheese. It is always excellent. A few of the morning waitresses are not exactly warm and friendly but all in all a very solid 4 stars.
(4)
A C.
I hate to do this to Sander's - this place used to be my favorite weekly place for eating alone, or with friends; that is, until I got severe food poisoning here. I normally eat their chicken parmesan entree, with soup and salad. This one time, after I ate it, within 2 hours of eating it, I was violently throwing up, and had diarrhea for 5 days. That's right, 5 days. I wouldn't stop until I went to the doctor and they prescribed me with some antibiotics, and told to drink gatorade. I had to call the local health department....the people there were equally shocked at what had happened there, since they also frequent this diner. After the health dept did their investigation, I was told that their kitchen sinks did not have liquid or bar soaps available for staff to wash their hands, their soup was below required temperatures. Hmmm, I wonder what caused my illness. Could it have been undercooked food, or unclean/dirty hands touching the food? Who knows. But I do know that I will not be going back, EVER.
(1)
Deanna S.
Ordered carryout. Service was ok, but what I ordered was inedible. Both me and my friend threw out what we ordered. We ordered two orders of blueberry pancakes, and instead of there being blueberries all throughout the pancakes, there was just a huge stack of plain pancakes with a giant pile of warm blueberry pie filling poured on top! It wasn't at all what I had envisioned, but I gave it a try anyway. The blueberries were literally canned pie filling. They left a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. I scraped off the filling and tried to just eat the pancakes, but I didn't like those either. I like nice moist pancakes and these just didn't do it for me at all. My friend ate about three bites of hers and threw hers out as well. This was a major disappointment. Maybe others would like this style of blueberry pancakes but it was a disgusting mess for me and a waste of money. :-(
(2)
Juanita G.
This place is definitely for the Buick and Cadillac set. I guess everyone else that's a little younger is either at Corner Bakery or Chili's down the street. I love this place when I'm in the neighborhood and would like having crepes. Their breakfasts are superior to Jack's. They are tied in the soup and rolls category. I tend to like dinner specials at Jack's instead. Sanders' meals are very good and they have a huge menu. I'm just a little weirded out but somehow comforted by the individually saran wrapped rolls. Their waitresses are older and not always very friendly.
(5)
Pamela P.
This place is the best. We're regulars here every Saturday morning, despite living 30 minutes away. Everyone is friendly, warm and inviting. The food is delicious. Never a bad experience! Highly recommended!
(5)
Anum A.
This place is a good restaurant to get a really hearty meal at. They have great tasting food here. But it is always crowded which is not good. If you go here you are going to have to wait and you can expect slow service. But the food is really good, so that always makes me happy.
(4)
jarret c.
Fantastic Spanish Omelet! Went with a group of friends and was completely satisfied. Excellent service and great food! We would go back for sure. Sanders always will come back for that omelet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)
Mike K.
The food was Ok, but go elsewhere if you expect a Thank You from the hostess after you've paid the bill. She must be the owners daughter, the atitude is unwarranted for a greasy spoon.
(2)
Amanda C.
Came here at random after a shopping spree at Ross. My friend said she passed there a million times and had wanted to go in but never had the chance. I'm glad we did. The hostess was super friendly and danced my son all the way to the both. They had a mini dance party and then we sat. Our waitress came by right away and offered us coffee. She was great the whole time. No complaints here. Prices here are great! I had a coffee and 2 eggs with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a mexican skillet minus the chorizo. We maxed both. Food was good!!!! Not to mention it flew out of the kitchen. I think the bill was like $16 for both of us. That's pretty decent if you ask me.
(4)
Pam D.
Your basic diner / deli kind of place. The food was ok, but nothing special. I had a Michigan omelet, which was filled with apple and cheddar cheese. It sounded so good and tasted bland. I don't get it. Christopher had a Denver omelet which was pretty good. The portions were large. I ended up bringing much of my food home. This place seems reasonably popular and has been around forever. I don't have much more to say about it. I didn't hate it, but it will not be high on my revisit list.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jamila H.
This is by far the worst service I have had in recent memory. The server was extremely rude. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing after I asked her to repeat something or after asking a simple question. She brought the food out and about 2 minutes after brought us the check, then about 10 minutes later demanded that we pay it because she was leaving soon. Then as we were eating she asked if we wanted carry-out boxes for our food (I repeat, she did this while we were eating). As if that wasn't bad enough, as we ate the entire wait-staff stood around watching us eat because they were about to close. I understand how it could be frustrating to have lingering customers around closing-time, but if it's a problem either don't let us in or tell us politely. I don't mind rushing through my meal if I know that I came in just in time to get served, but don't go out of your way to make me so uncomfortable that I want to leave. It really was a god awful experience, so much so that I will never eat there again.
(1)Mary L.
I used to go this restaurant a lot, but it seemed to slip so I didn't go for a while. I just went back after my husband and son recommended it and It was great. Maybe they changed managers or owners. the service was wonderful and the food was super. Very reasonably priced and a lot of food for the money. Totally will go back soon.
(4)John F.
The pancakes here are very good, though nothing like those in Walker Bros. category. Omelettes and egg dishes tend to be very dry and not all that tasty. Non-breakfast menu is mediocre. Okay place, but not worth a destination trip.
(3)a w.
Great place for a nice meal with the family. This place is always filled with people, but nevertheless, the service is always quick, fast, and freindly. The food is pretty good too -- mostly american fare -- and the portions are big and prices are reasonable.
(4)Iris F.
Love it! Try the skillets or croissants dishes, I enjoy these type of diners.
(5)Nancy S.
I'm staying next door at a hotel and this has become my go to place for delicious soups and the Athenian chicken kabob. Be careful, the portions are huge but the flavors are divine! The decor is a little dated but that just adds to the "diner feel" and if the food is delicious it doesn't bother me. The waitresses are so friendly they make you feel like family and go above and beyond your expectations to ensure a pleasant experience! Thank you Sanders!
(5)Sara R.
I thought the food here was very typical "diner food". The service was not great, but that could have been a one time thing, since I only went here once. I went here with 4 others, and one of our orders was way off and they seemed indifferent when we brought it to their attention. This place seems to be a big hit with the AARP crowd.
(2)Edwin L.
yoh, I've been here with friends and the fam on many occasions, and Sander's has been pretty good to us. Foodwise - Their menu is good for any mealtime, whether you want breakfast (pancakes, waffles, omelettes), lunch (sandwiches, burgers, omelettes), or dinner (steak, chicken, omelettes)! Everything is tasty and is like comfort food to me. Also, their generous portions leave you feeling more than satisfied with the meal. Atmospherewise - I'm 19, meanwhile most customers around me are well over 60. That being said, it is by no means exciting. However, it's a peaceful and warm environment that I genuinely enjoy dining in. Customer Service - I dunno anything about rudeness... A lot of waitresses there are either really nice and funny or hella sassy, but in the good way! Anyway, I never had a negative interaction with the staff there, but I guess it depends on our individual moods haha. Conclusion: Huge portions of tasty comfort food, warm and cozy environment, and sassy waitresses to tie it all together and remind you that this shit ain't free agagagagaga. I'll come back here for as long as it's open~
(5)Tavi J.
Service here was great! They make you feel right at home. The crowd is older and it reminded me of an updated ihop. I got the veggie omelet with ham (Okay so the veggie omelet had the ingredients I wanted sans the meat...I know sounds weird). It came with hash browns that were dry and flavorless. It also came with pancakes. I got the banana and they were fluffy and delicious. If I'm ever out this way again I would come back, but there are seriously so many better brunch spots in the city.
(3)Erick H.
Im an easy grader. But this has got to be the worst restaurant in the world. I went with my family for breakfast. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come. And our food was cold when we got it! Staff are showing no remorse over serving us cold food. They tasted bland! We almost used up all the salt and pepper on our table! My baby who eats virtually anything, would take a bite and spit it out right away! Dont be deceived by the heavy traffic of hungry eaters thinking this must be a good placed to be flocked by a lot of unsuspecting victims! Stay away from this place!
(1)Tison H.
This place was awesome! Lots to choose from and huge portions! Service was fast and friendly! We are definitely coming back!!
(4)Joani O.
My family and I have been going to Sander's since the early 90s, mostly for breakfast, although they are practically 24 hours (5 am to midnight, every day), and serve for all meals. They are a Greek diner with is a family owned business, and the menu is quite extensive. You can get traditional Greek dishes, as well as standard American meals (ribs, chops, burgers, sandwiches, huge salads, etc!), and one of my favorite aspects are the multiple soups each day. On Sundays they have an amazing cream of chicken rice (delicious!) and every day they have matzo ball and kreplach (my personal favorite) to cater to the heavy Jewish population in the area, as well as 2-3 additional ones. You can order your meal a la carte, or as a complete dinner with soup, salad, a beverage and dessert. They have a pastry case if you're into desserts! The breakfasts are the traditional offerings; pancakes, waffles, eggs, skillets, wonderful crepes, and amazing omelettes! Huge, and fluffy...served with gash browns, or you can substitute fresh fruit. If it's lunch or dinner sometimes I order soup and salad, but I've been through much of the menu and enjoy their crisper sandwiches and the chicken de jonge special that they offer regularly. (Think shrimp, but it's chicken.) There is something for everyone here, and only once or twice have I had something on the menu that I didn't care for. We always ask for "Bubbles" the waitress (her name is Debbie), but you're sure to get good service no matter who you get. If not, ask for Frank, the owner, or Jimmy, his son!
(4)Heather M.
Big portions, friendly waitstaff, good prices and sooooooo delish. Everything I've had here has been exceptionally good. The chicken eggs Benedict was nothing like I've had before. Fried chicken breast atop a crunchy English muffin, with a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
(5)Caroline D.
This is a great, no-frills, breakfast-all-day diner and I love the crap out of it. For the first four trips I got the same thing every time: Greek skillet with pancakes. Their hashbrowns are the thin-sliced kind, not shreds, which is sad because I can get down with some shreds. But they're good and taste more like real potatoes. The pancakes are a miracle. Today I changed it up and got a spinach and feta omelet and, yes, it was pretty great. Good service, always hopping at lunchtime, obviously a regular clientele. It's a very homey joint.
(4)Luis G.
Great place to come eat. Prices are reasonable. Only down fall is parking the lot gets so packed sometimes you have to wait. There great with kids highly recommend!
(4)Amanda C.
Came here at random after a shopping spree at Ross. My friend said she passed there a million times and had wanted to go in but never had the chance. I'm glad we did. The hostess was super friendly and danced my son all the way to the both. They had a mini dance party and then we sat. Our waitress came by right away and offered us coffee. She was great the whole time. No complaints here. Prices here are great! I had a coffee and 2 eggs with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a mexican skillet minus the chorizo. We maxed both. Food was good!!!! Not to mention it flew out of the kitchen. I think the bill was like $16 for both of us. That's pretty decent if you ask me.
(4)Sonia B.
OK, if you are big on service...do not go here. The food was pretty good, but the service was horrible. I went in for breakfast with a friend of mine who has a baby. We were seated and before a minute even passed 3 different people came up to us and told us we couldn't leave the baby's car seat on the floor. We completely understood why and had no objection, but explained we were just taking off our jackets, the baby needed to be changed in the bathroom, and we would then put the baby in the booth. My friend and I were planning on splitting a couple of items, but didn't even have a chance to look at the menu as my friend felt pressured to go change/feed the baby right away so she could put the seat in the booth. Mind you, it hadn't even been a couple minutes since we arrived. So, friend and baby returned...we ordered coffee, juice, a breakfast wrap, and some pancakes. The breakfast wrap was good. If I were ever to return, I would get it again. I don't plan on it though. Baby cried for a short minute...nothing too crazy. And mind you we were NOT in a high end restaurant or anything...and NO ONE in the restaurant was looking except our server and the lady at the front who may have been the owner. They both came by with very condescending attitudes/comments. My friend went back to the bathroom, to avoid any issues. When she came back to the table, she asked if she could have a refill on her coffee since it got cold and the server looked at her like she was crazy. Seriously?! We weren't enjoying the experience much and decided it was time to go and we went up to pay and the owner(?) gasped when I asked her to split the payment w/ two credit cards. I'm not joking...straight up gasped out loud and then said..."well, you tell me what half of $25.46 is!" I looked at her because I thought she was joking and she wasn't. I was dumbfounded by the rudeness! I am now wishing I didn't give a 20% tip...ugh! Everyone there was rude. So disappointing. I love supporting local diners and family owned establishments...wanted to like this place...but, there are so many other places I would rather spend my money.
(2)Chris C.
Had the ruben it was to much meat and not enough of bread. Beyond messy couldn't enjoy it at all the bread tore apart and the sandwich was so hot it took 10minutes to cool off. Service was excellent but food was over priced
(2)Michael D.
Rather breakfast of dinner food is always delicious! Love the atmosphere, great service!
(5)Peter O.
Let's say you like the familiarity of generic food in an '80s Greek diner atmosphere of shiny polymered golden oak, gold veined mirror wall tiles, mauve pleather booths and blaring televisions, and appreciate sometimes friendly, old-style waitresses with teased, bouffanted hair. Well, Sanders will do you just right. It's another one of those suburbany diners where everything is fine, okay, nothing special, good enough. Certainly not a destination. Not worth a long wait seated in their vestibule on weekends, either. ~Peter O. and S.
(3)Margaret A.
I like this place and the service is always good. The breakfasts are delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys a delicious meal.
(4)Alan S.
I am giving 5 stars to Sanders because its the place I have gone with family and friends for over 18 years. Basically, you could stereotype Sanders to be the American Greek diner from the 1980s like someone made a remark on the establishment in yelp. However, I like to say the place is clean and food fresh. You also have parking and access for people who are handicapped. You will see elderly people but others from all ages and ethnic groups come and dine. They have a good breakfast menu with many selections like omelettes, combos, french toast and also a good selection of salads/soup. You will also see a dinner menu with food ranging from steak, chicken, duck, and fish. They really give you alot of food. However only one complaint I am going 2 say regards the wait staff service. In the past, they had prompt waitresses but in the recent years. The waitresses had been negligent in service. I dont know why? They had hired these romanian women and not sure on their frustration with a new culture or the job. The receptionist also a romanian, pretty looking, always spaces out and not focus her attention to the customers. She would be reading some paper or checking up on her smartphone every minute or so. At times, she would stare at you from across the room with a blank look on her face. Other times you could see her leave her post at the front cashier and sit down eating the food while checking up her smartphone. Afterwards you will see the manager take up front duty at the front desk. As for the waitresses , they are always busy and never give their attention. Recently they got some new people and it was a major improvement.
(5)Hannah H.
Sander's has been around since 1984. My husband and I came here to try out their breakfast. They have a limited menu, which was nice for an indecisive person like me! I had the Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs combo, which came with hash brown potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. My husband had the biscuits and gravy, and it was amazing to see how generous the restaurant was in terms of the portion! My steak was very juicy and well-cooked, but I wasn't a fan of their side of potatoes as they were just too bland and mushy for me. My husband wasn't a fan of the gravy as it was too coagulated, and the biscuits themselves were very salty. Service was friendly, and I'm glad I was able to check this place out! +Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs +forget the potatoes
(3)Magdalena D.
#NAME?
(2)Hector A.
One Word "OMELET"!!!!!!! Pick the things you like and put it on their fluffy magical omelet and you will only be able to say "WOW"!!!!! Service is great. The restaurant is clean. The staff is friendly. Parking is usually pretty good. Some day I will make it to one of the deserts they have on display. REMEMBER: OMELET, you will not be disappointed
(5)Narciso C.
Extremely busy on Weekends, but Sanders provided warm welcome and above all courteous and attentive service. My family and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast on Sunday afternoon. Sanders serves breakfast all day and the portions are ginormous! The menu also included wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a robust Greek taste and flavor. There was plenty to choose from, and all reasonably priced. I will make this a regular for my family and a must for big breakfasts. Recommend the omelets, the Greek Feta omelet was huge and tasty. Kids will enjoy the pancakes or French toast, and there are plenty of breakfast meats to choose from: Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, and regular bacon to name few. Fresh squeezed OJ was icing on top.
(5)Bonnie Z.
Watch out for the potato salad. Tasted warm and strange. Pushed it aside. Proceeded to vomit only the potato salad. Refused to pay the bill. Manager was annoyed. Never apologized. Never inquired how I felt. Scratch Sanders off my list.
(1)Diane G.
On Sat. night my daughter and I wanted a quick inexpensive cozy little place to eat. I looked up the reviews and thought it sounded hopeful. The experience was awful. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, clang clang we could hear every plate served. The food that we ordered was terrible !! My daughter ordered fried scallops and I could have just went to Cosco and bought a bag. She wouldn't eat it. My dinner was also yucky. I ordered one of the specials--short ribs. I should have asked how it was prepared because when I looked at it, I couldn't eat it and the waitress kindly took it back. My second choice was a hot turkey and the turkey looked old with a gray color to it. I didn't want to ask again so I sucked up and ate it---YUCK ! Maybe we would have been better off going there for breakfast but we have marked this place as a NEVER.
(1)Pete V.
The only word I can describe this place is "average." This is your typical average Greek American diner. The place need a make over, the service is average and the food is average. The menu is probably the same from the 90s. I think IHOP menu is more interesting.
(3)Gary B.
As one who has waited on his fair share of tables I can spot the slow roll. A slow roll is when a server has been slammed and it is their attempt to not have a table get up and leave only to be immediately sat again. We were sooooo slow rolled today and I had things that needed to be done. Adding up a check isn't calculus so what the significant delay couldn't be determined. The food was ok, I had the asparagus soup which was good but needed salt. I had the American skillet which is corn beef hash on top of some dry potatoes. I don't liver near here so coming back won't be an option anyway but I certainly have had better.
(2)Stephen M.
I've eaten here three times. The first time I was wearing a bright yellow jacket and an older woman handed me her keys for valet. Memorable, but I don't remember the meal that night. We've gone twice since then. Each time we came for breakfast (served any time) and we are glad we did. Omelets were chosen each time. Walker Brothers offers the same items, but on omelets, I'll go with Sanders. The reason? They are both baked and have a firm, fluffy texture. The balance is off at WB--at least the Santa Fe is--too much cheese. (Some might say what?!?, but yes too much). The balance at Sanders is better. (This was not a direct comparison. I had cheddar, mushroom and jalapeno). This is a fountain/diner restaurant and you expect some bit of character from the host and waitresses. They have opinions, are zealous in making sure you get your order the way you want and keep you happy. (You know. How's the bacon hun?). The sides are pleasing as well. The pancakes are a meal in themselves and the browned potatoes are breakfast staple extraordinaire.
(4)Deborah G.
Keep driving! This place is scary bad!! Half the food was overly microwaved and we all know what happens there! The meatloaf and veal(???) cutlet were awful with a brown slop poured over it ! The skirt steak (21.00) was a big tasteless slab of meat thrown on a plate . Hint to chef , try marinating, the onion rings were good though. The really only bright spot were the milkshakes and the sweet waitress! She did a stellar job of taking care of an overly large last minute crowd! 5 stars for her!
(1)Nektaria R.
Good for late night. Your typical diner. Lots of food for OK prices. It was the place to go after a full day of shopping for baby stuff. I had the lox, it was so good and they even found an alternative bread for me since I didn't want the white bagel. I've had their breakfast items, the daily specials, burgers, a variety of meals since I've been here a million time. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Parking can be a pain and trying to get back out onto Touhy heading east can be a nightmare. Oh well, I haven't had an accident or a ticket yet, so it'll be OK to deal with once in a while especially when hunger strikes and it's late night.
(4)Steve S.
Great home cooked meal. The egg white omelette are the best in town the size of a football
(4)Doug R.
I would only go here if Jack's across the street was closed, and even then Idk if I'd go here. Mediocre at best. Food just OK. Prices average. Nothing overly special here. Go to Jack's if they're open, otherwise, try to find somewhere else.
(2)Justin S.
The food/service/friendliness all excellent. Never a bad visit and I've been coming here for years. They really pack the tables in, so there's hardly any room to move around when they're crowded but other than that, c'est si bon
(5)Gab F.
Never again is all I can say. How utterly rude can some people be? My family has been coming here for years and we have had a bad server here and there but this one did Sanders in. If I could give zero stars, I WOULD! We were sat down and within the minute of sitting down the server was At our table asking if we know what we "want"... We tell her not yet. Obviously. Finally we order, wasn't a difficult order...like at all. 1. She didn't ask what kind of juice my mom wanted or if she even wanted juice (that came with her meal) 2. Confused two orders, when corrected, snatched plate from table and walked away, came back and just gave them to us like it was a problem. 3. Forgot the hash browns my mom ordered. Now here's where it got messy... When I stood up to mention the hash browns... She starts walking towards me with this SHITTY LITTLE SMILE like if I was bothering her convo with the damn owner. When I tell her she ALSO forgot my mothers hash brown she does a "hah ok" and turns away to go get them.. Well. You ghetto rat, you just made me want to speak my mind. I continue to walk with her towards the owner who was awaiting my complaint because apparently she had already been talking shit about me and my family... He continuously asks what we ordered and what's the problem. WELL THE FOODS NOT THE PROBLEM, it's your fucking waitress, and if you and her hadn't been up each other's ass flirting with one another, you would probably notice what a lousy job she had been doing! All he tells me is "I'll talk to her". Right, you'll just continue to talk shit about "Mexicans" like you had already been doing prior to me approaching you both. News flash douche, half of your staff is Latino so check yourself. He didn't even come to our table to apologize! We def weren't looking for a comped meal sweetheart, how unfortunate that you can't even take two seconds to come to our table and say sorry and maybe send a new waitress.., she didn't even come back to our table. We got up and went and asked for our bill. The hostess, bless her heart, did all the apologizing. Smh. Our bill was $36.40... We left $37... Those 60 cents weren't even earned. Never again Sanders Never again...
(1)Lee A.
I really enjoy coming here for breakfast I always order the same thing Meat Lover's Skillets with two fried eggs medium. Sometimes it's too cheesy but always taste good. I am happy with the food and service.
(4)Alex M.
This is our go to spot every Sunday. We have been coming here for a few years and have not found a better breakfast place. The staff is very friendly, fast, and efficient. It is also nice to see that this is a family owned restaurant. The plate I always select is the Mexican Skillet, which is very tasteful. Unlike other restaurants I have been to they use fresh Jalapeño peppers which brings out the flavor more. The Chorizo sausage is not greasy and does not over power the skillet. I have scrambled eggs with it and top it off with Tabasco sauce for a awesome meal that gets me through the day. Sundays are busy days I recommend coming in earlier. If the lot is full you park in the Holiday Inn parking lot as well.
(5)Mike K.
CONSISTENTLY GREAT FOOD. We like Bubbles--she is our favorite waitress. We always order the baked egg white veggie omelet with Swiss cheese. It is always excellent. A few of the morning waitresses are not exactly warm and friendly but all in all a very solid 4 stars.
(4)Pam D.
Your basic diner / deli kind of place. The food was ok, but nothing special. I had a Michigan omelet, which was filled with apple and cheddar cheese. It sounded so good and tasted bland. I don't get it. Christopher had a Denver omelet which was pretty good. The portions were large. I ended up bringing much of my food home. This place seems reasonably popular and has been around forever. I don't have much more to say about it. I didn't hate it, but it will not be high on my revisit list.
(3)Christina G.
I came here with a large group on a Wednesday evening for dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Luckily, we had made reservations because when we got there, all but a few tables were full. Out large, twelve person table wasn't ready when we got there, but it was available shortly thereafter. The staff are beyond helpful. They got our orders 100% correct, and we always asking if there was anything they could do for us. Our server was wonderful and very sweet. The issue was more with the food. It was pretty average, nothing special. From the looks of the place, i thought the food wood be delicious, but I was not blown away. Most of our group ordered burgers, but I had a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and the grilled cheese was fine, but again, nothing special. The prices were very reasonable though. I didn't try it, but they offer breakfast all day. They get extra points for that. Quick couple tips: 1. The parking lot is rather small, but the hostess told me they rent parking space from the hotel next door, so you can park there. 2. You can only enter the restaurant parking lot if you are headed west on Touhy or north on Niles Center Road.
(3)Kelley S.
I've eaten 2 dinners and 3 breakfasts here. All dining experiences have been positive and flavorful. Their beet salad is delicious, their cobb salad is great, their reuben is HUGE and delicious. You have to eat that baby with a fork because there's no way you are picking it up. Their breakfasts are pretty standard, but quick and good for reasonable prices. The one thing we didn't particularly enjoy was the chicken breakfast skillet. It was the blandest thing we have ordered, but still a large portion and not bad, just not good. If you are a soup fan, ask about their daily soup selections when you stop in! They have some of the best, unique soups I have ever seen at any restaurant and each one I've had has been excellent. A note on the staff, they are what you would expect in a diner such as this... middle aged women that seem to have been there forever. With that comes a variety of personalities. I've had some very friendly and funny staff that provided exemplary service. I've also had some ladies that seemed to be going through the motions and watching the clock. Not terrible service, but nothing noteworthy either. There is also a few fabulous men whose job it is to bring waters and overall monitor all tables for beverages, clearing plates etc. They are super-efficient! Regardless of who I got as a server the food was always prepared and delivered in a timely manner which is really why I go there anyhow.
(4)Sean L.
If you can't find something to eat here that you love I don't know what is wrong with you. The sandwiches are enormous, and fresh, and the cream of chicken soup is the best I've ever had anywhere.
(5)Michelle K.
They have great sandwiches and cream of chicken rice soup on Sundays!! Simply delish!! Juanita is the sweetest server.
(5)Gio L.
It is a diner; not Stella's, nevertheless a meal after a long flight and not too many choices. I have been here before and will be back again.
(3)Rom R.
After being a regular for some time, it seems the last several months it is going downhill. Busboys not refilling beverages regularly, waitresses seem bothered to do so. Rolls wrapped in plastic, a good thing, but many have tasted day old lately, probably because not as busy as of late and remain an extra day. Seemingly new crew of waitresses over the past several months, service is ok, but waitresses there now act as if doing you a favor--nothing is gracious to you anymore . Need to fix some things, or regulars will find elsewhere to go. Serving soup not filled to where bowl should be filled, so waitress won't spill carrying it? C'mon we are paying for a bowl not a 3/4 bowl, scared to say anything to waitresses, they may do something to rest of your food.... eh can do better, just may have to drive a little, but seemingly feeling worth it as of late.
(1)Frank A.
Super busy intersection on Touhy. Parking lot is a pain in the rear. The worst is having to circle around looking for a spot during busy hour. Typical diner food that can be a little bland but this is really a good breakfast spot. What you see is what you get here. I used to hit this spot on Sundays while reading the paper. It's alright, but nothing really outstanding or bad either...
(3)Derek G.
Sanders Restaurant is a nice north-side breakfast option. If you are looking for a place free of senior citizens, void of no nonsense wait staff, and ample parking, perhaps this is not the place for you. However, if you were looking for a place that has great coffee, numerous menu options and reasonable prices, I would highly recommend Sanders. On a side note, do not get discouraged by the parking lot full of cars. The Marriot Hotel allows Sanders to park in their lot, so feel free to park there if the Sander's lot is full...which normally is the case.
(4)Teri D.
I eat here when i stay at the excellent Holiday Inn next door and eat dinner several times and breakfast every day of the one week a month I am in Chicago. The dinner cooks here need to learn how to cook chicken until it is thoroughly done. Even after specifically requesting well-done chicken, it was raw by the bone with an overpowering amount of oregano. Go with the pork chops instead. The breakfast cooks are much better and Donna or Bubbles will take excellent care of you! Go for the homemade rice pudding (which is as good as my grandma used to make) rather than the desserts that are brought in and served WELL PAST when they are dried out and stale.
(3)Jay K.
Just got back from having a great baked Denver omelet. If the rest of the menu is as good as the omelet I may have to up my rating. The potatoes were so-so but the toast was hot and the service was good.
(4)Steve O.
Even on Mothers Day The service was excellent!
(5)James L.
This old Greek diner with surly waitresses sits in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It has a lot of Jewish stuff on the menu, like lox. The baked goods (pies) seem to be from some grocery store or Sams, but the breakfasts are filling, cheap, and decent. Slices of honeydew accompany every breakfast platter. That's a very nice touch. But the only reason to eat here is if you happen to be in Skokie or Niles.
(3)Darren F.
another dine in restaurant with mostly older generation people there.. i ordered a steak skillet and i think it was horrible.. a lot of the steak was chewy.. it was oily and even their egg whites taste bad.. should of never substitute the egg with their egg whites.. anyways.. there was some guy next to us that ordered a apple filling pancake that was huge.. and i mean HUGE! our waitress told us that it takes around 45 min to make if we ever want it.. might give that a try next time.. maybe...
(1)Natalie S.
Jack's (across the street) used to be my favorite breakfast place in the area. Then I realized they kinda suck. Sander's is definitely better. I love their skillets. Other things I have had there were not as great but their skillets are always hot and fresh. The reason I didn't give it my usual "I go here often and like it a lot" 4 star review is because the service here is REALLY inconsistant. A few times we've been here and ask for easy things... like eggs over medium... and ended up with them scrambled. Another time we asked specifically for a cheese substiution that wasn't granted and the waitress just shrugged. She's great. I've always spied their glorious looking cakes and pies in that revolving glass case but never sampled them. Wonder if they're delicious...
(3)Kimberly C.
Service was average. Good food for the price. Just passing through on our way to Michigan.
(4)J. Loren H.
Delicious lox and bagels! That's what I get whenever I go there. I love Sander's. It's mine and my sister-in-law's go-to restaurant when we wanna go out, not spend a ton, and have delicious food. The servers there are all nice. This place is like any of your typical greek-owned diners, minus the shitsy service and the bad teeth. (actually, I take that back, I saw one lady with some rotters...) The server we had last time was awesome. My 10 month old niece was with us, and the server kept interacting with her, which impressed me. I think it's rude when a server ignores a child. Anyway, if you're looking for a full menu, daily specials, delicious soup, good service, and a comfortable place to sit, eat here, you'll love it. Oh, and there are half booth/half tables for fatties like me. Woo!
(5)Kara T.
My husband and I frequent Sanders. We don't really branch out from the sandwiches or breakfast menu, but I did get a salad once and it was great. Typical good diner food, but the staff is what really sets this place apart. We've been coming here for about 4 years now, maybe once every other week or so, and the owner, his son, most of the hostesses and the waitstaff know us (and now our 2 year old) by name whenever we visit--it is such a great feeling. Plus, the food is consistently good and we know that when we go, we will leave happy and full. This will be our go-to place for years to come!
(4)Tiffany G.
Famous last words: "How can anybody screw up a pancake?" How, indeed. By definition, what is a blueberry pancake to YOU? One would assume it is a pancake, studded with, presumably, real blueberries. Even at the lowliest truck-stop one can find such a specimen... But not at Sanders. Are blueberry pancakes supposed to: a) be doused with an entire CAN of high-fructose corn syrup-stewed blueberries? b) be about 2 inches thick, have a hard outer-crust impenetrable by a fork and knife, and then literally break apart in layers while trying to do so? c) stick to the roof of your mouth like wall paper paste? d) leave a synthetic taste in your mouth even two subsequent cups of bad coffee cannot mask? e) be served with even more synthetic "maple-flavored" syrup? Final question: Is bacon supposed to be shades of green and black? And this, from an establishment that coins itself a "pancake house." They should be shot.
(1)Shirley K.
First time visit this past Sunday. Ordered salami omelet. The entree came with hash browns and choice of toast, pancakes or french toast. I had the pancakes with mine and my friend had the french toast. My friend thought the entire meal was delicious. I, too, thought the omelet was exceptionally good as were the pancakes. However the hash browns were really thinly sliced fried potatoes. That was an acceptable substitution for me but the potatoes were not cooked through. They were on the hard side. My waitress and bus boy were very attentive. The man serving as hostess really is the reason my rating is not four stars. He was extremely rude.
(3)Billy G.
Club Sandwich w/ bowl of Matzo ball soup. That is all I have to say.
(5)Richard M.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a Jewish diner/deli you have found it. The portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Think shared meals!! Service is always prompt and very helpful.
(4)Katrina M.
Fast & friendly service. Reasonable prices. Plentiful portions. No frills diner food, yet my stuffed french toast was unusually overstuffed.. which I love!
(4)Jacob J.
Decent diner food, better than Golden Nugget. My last visit, dining within a group of four people, they'd forgotten my meal completely. Then when I asked about it, it became this whole situation of pointing the finger on whether I did or didn't order. Still that was just a matter of a crappy waitress. Of the two diners in this shopping area, they are the best. Blah.
(3)An P.
I want a skillet! I want a skillet! I want a skillet! Whenever I go to a new diner that I have never ever been to before, I must have the skillet. In my view, the skillet demonstrates a chef's ability to fry, saute, melt, poach, and texturize. In essence, the skillet shows the chef's overall cooking ability more so than any other breakfast food! It was around 7:00pm on a Wednesday night and I hiked out to Skokie with a buddy to a meeting and had about an hour to kill. Despite being jam packed, we got a table with no wait. Families were eating, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, cops, coworkers and all the like were gathered at Sanders to grab a bite to eat. You'd think you were eating at Denny's or something it was so crowded. I popped open the menu and wondered if Sanders was a Greek joint. With the amount of food on the menu it really must have been. From borscht to steak sandwiches to corn beef hash to steaks and pastas it seemed like page after page of quality food. It was hard to resist ordering anything else, but being a skillet lover I dug into a meat lover's skillet without much more hesitation. PS If you can't poach eggs, why make the skillet? The food came in quick order and I got plenty of meats on my skillet and was satisfied with the degree of crispiness as well as my poacherrific eggs on big toast. While Sanders is too far of a hike for me, it is still the cat's meow in terms of skilled skillets. Chalk it up on the list, it's legit!
(4)Jean C.
I just found out today that I'm invisible. No seriously, I found this out because the hostess looked straight through me (and my friends) both on the way in and on the way out. Actually for a moment when we were leaving, I thought she was smiling at us, acknowledging us because y'know, we were leaving the money on the front desk, but it turned out that she was smiling at people in line, people she knew. And as for us? Well... invisible. She did manage to find our money, though, so that was good. Apart from being invisible to the hostess, I have to say that the rest of the staff was really quite nice. We had a lovely, friendly waitress, and the bus staff was fantastic! The food... not so much. Corned beef hash, billed as the best in the city, looked and tasted like canned. Sausages had an odd flavor, and blueberry pancakes weren't pancakes with blueberries in the batter, they were plain old buttermilk pancakes with a lot of blueberry compote poured over the top. The eggs benny were pretty average and the hollandaise was so-so. The freshly squeezed OJ was really the best thing I had. The place seemed clean and it was busy. I had the impression that there were a lot of regulars. But honestly, I doubt I'll ever have much of a pressing desire to go back. ETA: Let me be completely clear about something. This would have been a solid three-star review but for the utter indifference of the hostess, who had oodles of charm and lots of smiles for people she knew, but who couldn't be arsed to even acknowledge us beyond leading us to a table and putting our money in the cash register.
(2)Dave S.
This place struck me as odd. Every time we drive by here this place is packed! I don;t ever recall an exception. We were thinking that this place had to be pretty good to have a crowd like this at all times. We decided to stop in one evening for dinner and I deemed myself lucky to be able to get the last open table in the restaurant. I was thinking score one for us! I reviewed the menu and I was impressed with the selection and prices. The prices were low for a reason, which I am about to get into. My wife and I decided to get creative. One of us would order a breaded cod dinner and the other would order a macaroni and cheese dinner and we would have a little buffet all to ourselves. The soup was decent. It was the best part of the meal. The dinner rolls were all individually wrapped and were quite a pain in the you know what to unwrap to try and eat. Our entrees arrived and it was SO disappointing. Everything was rather bland and very unimpressive. I could have easily made this type of meal at home (probably better). The prices were cheap but we did get what we paid for. I must give credit where credit is due. Our server Mandy was awesome. She was friendly, helpful, sincere and on top of her game. Her waiting on us was probably the highlight of the meal. I am thinking that we might give this place another shot for breakfast. It looks like that is more of their specialty!
(2)Miriam B.
Love this place!. My husband and I have dined here twice. For breakfast and today for dinner. Amazing service!. So attentive!. Great portions at good prices!.
(5)Liza K.
Food poisoning
(1)Patricia L.
If pancake houses had heights, Sanders would be average with IHOP a little above and Walker Brothers towering over the other 2. PROS -gigantic, BAKED omelets that are delish and cost about $6 that comes with pancakes or toast and hash browns -cheaper than IHOP -my 1st visit here our waitress was AMAZING, like the super-attentive kind that didn't believe in glasses half empty (literally, she re-filled our coffee cups up like nobody's business) -great choice of skillets...(whether you're an omnivore or veggie queen) and 3 different eggs benedict CONS -stingy with ingredients in omelets...they also charge you $0.50 more for every other ingredient you'd like on it -as my own grandma put it, it smells like "old people" -my 2nd visit here the waitress was horrible...she didn't even notice there was bright pink lipstick left on one of the coffee cups she served us -they use canned strawberries in their crepes...WHACK Really is a toss up. Just pray that you get the awesome waitress
(2)Brittany K.
I LOVE this restaurant. Girlfriend and I are regulars here - when we lived two minutes away we tended to go at least once a week. Unfortunately we now live about 40mins away but still can't stop ourselves from visiting at least a few times a month. Their portions are huge, the selection is large, the food is always hot and delicious. I usually stick with the breakfast foods but their salads, soups and wraps are pretty good too. Staff is generally friendly, helpful and able to add/subtract/modify dishes without issue (yes, I am that one annoying customer who can't possibly eat mushrooms or hashbrowns but can you please sub cottage cheese and add asparagus??) They're also very inexpensive, and pretty quick too. If the place is crowded (as it tends to be on Sunday mornings with the after-church crowd) there is pretty much always seating at the counter available. Really I don't have any issues with this place. It is pure good. Must try!
(5)April P.
food here is great, classic. Service with Bubbles (yes that's her name) is fast and a delight had the zucchini, mushroom and tomato omlet! Yummmmmy. Tasty, fluffy and great serving. Bf had the pecan belgian waffle. Had pecans throughout as well as on top of waffle. Sooo good not a disappointment. Would go back
(5)Dan D.
You want a killer huge German pancake?! (Like really guys, this is a whopper of a german pancake... enough for at least 3 meals for myself). How about some kick-butt skillets? Oh... I know what you are craving! You want some pie. Well folks, at this old-school family-style restaurant, you can have it all. This has long been an institution of the northside/suburb Chicago. Good food. Great service. Prices could be lower... but hey, sometimes its just nice to be in a family joint. :-)
(4)Liz M.
I have a longtime love affair with All-American, usually Greek owned, coffee-shop diners. They usually have the best homemade soups. The biggest bread baskets. The yummiest omelettes. The largest fresh salads. The hottest fresh coffee. The biggest bang for your buck dinner specials. The most experienced, nicest waitresses. The most decadent desserts rotating around in a glass cabinet. And the most loyal bunch of senior citizen diners ever. Well Sanders is exactly one of "those kind" of diners.
(3)Sue K.
The service is excellent - the waitresses/hosts/bus boys are attentive and kind. The food, though..caters to their crowd, which is the elderly. What does this mean? That the food is bland and the prices are reasonable.
(2)Nancy H.
Your standard American breakfast for a reasonable price. An average omelette costs $7 and includes hash browns, your choice of toast or pancakes, and a piece of fruit! Lots of regulars, old-timers, and local families that dine here, and the parking lot is probably too small for such a popular place.
(4)meran m.
The staff was very nice. The tables are comfortable. It's open late so you can grab a bite after a show. The soup is decent and so are the fries. That's pretty much where it ends for me. Taste does not seem to be a high priority there. The hamburger appears to be a pre-frozen, dense, unseasoned patty. The salad is iceberg. The plastic-encased rolls tell you that practicality trumps an interest in quality. I don't know what my friends see in this place, other than it is open at night, but I am going to hunt down another late night restaurant in the area to suggest for next time. My suggestion to the owners: You have a nice facility there, but you'd be better off limiting your extensive menu to items you can do well.
(2)Rahman U.
This was the worst meal I've had in years, no joke. 1 star is probably too generous. I somehow overlooked several red flags warning me about this place. When we first walked in it looked like Bingo night at a retirement home. I honestly think we were the youngest customers by a good 40 years. The first thing that got me was when the waitress brought out the bread which was all individually wrapped in plastic. Uhh, ok, wonder when this was made. I ended up ordering the eggplant chicken parmesan, two dishes I've seen served separately but never together. I like them both, so this has got to turn out well right? For my vegetable I got to choose between beets and peas....wait a minute, am I on Punk'd? People still serve peas?? My choice of soup was between chicken noodle and matzo ball. "Tell me, what's matzo ball soup again?" I asked. "Oh you don't want that it's nasty" says the waitress. Well alrightythen. A good half an hour later when the meal actually arrived I tried my food and was immediately turned off. It had a layer of cheese followed by the eggplant, then the chicken, and a layer of spaghetti o's on the very bottom. The eggplant appeared to be old and slimy and coated in something that had the consistency of a pancake. Apparently they didn't get the memo. The chicken wasn't lucky enough to battered in anything and was just plain bland and overcooked. I had to put salt and pepper on it and I never add salt to ANYTHING. I don't think I even finished half of my food. "You guys need some boxes?" asked our waiter. She can't be serious. "Nah, I think we're done here." I'm not sure if your taste buds start to go the older you get because the senior citizens thought this stuff was delicious. As for the under 70 crowd, I'd stay away, this food is gross.
(1)Aria S.
I was really disappointed with Sanders. My family and I came for breakfast. It looks like your typical diner, with the same atmosphere you see at most of these breakfast/lunch places. There are two reasons I wasn't impressed with Sanders. First, our waitress was slow and forgetful. She brought out different parts of our meal at different times. I ordered eggs but didn't get my toast. My mother ordered eggs as well but didn't get her bacon until we asked at least 3 times for it. The food wasn't up to par either. Small portions of hashbrowns and soggy bacon. Gross. I really think there are much better breakfast places in the area.
(2)Dave S.
It's called the American. Corned beef hash skillet with American cheese and basted eggs. I don't really need to say anything else about this place... but I guess I should. I have only been here for breakfast and only on weekends. Sanders is always crowded but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat. Service is typical of a diner; sometimes excellent and sometimes just good enough. Regardless of the speed of service the staff is incredibly friendly and polite. They make you feel like they're serving you food in their own home made in their own kitchen. Unlike other diners, Sanders individually wraps the bread they bring out to your table whenever you order something other than breakfast. This is a bonus since you never know what snot-nosed kid was playing Booger Man with that roll before you sat down. They have a rotating glass case of pies and cakes of which I have never tried. They look absolutely fantastic and delicious... but cake just doens't seem like a good way to finish off breakfast. Coffee hot and drinkable. Food hot and DELICIOUS!! Served quickly and friendly and accurately. Sanders is a fantastic place to get your breakfast on! Mmmmmm... bacon.
(4)Kristina K.
Open late and offers a wide selection of diner food. Great breakfast items and decent lunch and dinner selections. The fries are boring. The service is hit and miss.
(3)Mary Z.
Sanders Restaurant is great. The food is always top notch and the service is great. Even when their busy they take the time to be sure service is still top priority. Give Sanders a try and I'm sure you will be going back again and again. Sanders Team - Keep up the great work!!!!
(5)Alexandra B.
Horrible food. Crepes over done. Pancakes under cooked. My sons mac and cheese came from a box and it was also over done... at the end of the day I give it a 1. The hostess and server were very sweet, but I left without eating and had my meal taken off.
(1)John W.
Pancakes were good. Big omelette. Hash browns were very average.
(3)David L.
Great place. A real diner to get a cup of coffee and a meal with friends or family. I'm writing because of the egg white omelet, WOW As fluffy and delicious as a food that is healthy can be. Always feel welcome.
(5)jarret c.
Fantastic Spanish Omelet! Went with a group of friends and was completely satisfied. Excellent service and great food! We would go back for sure. Sanders always will come back for that omelet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Deanna S.
Ordered carryout. Service was ok, but what I ordered was inedible. Both me and my friend threw out what we ordered. We ordered two orders of blueberry pancakes, and instead of there being blueberries all throughout the pancakes, there was just a huge stack of plain pancakes with a giant pile of warm blueberry pie filling poured on top! It wasn't at all what I had envisioned, but I gave it a try anyway. The blueberries were literally canned pie filling. They left a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. I scraped off the filling and tried to just eat the pancakes, but I didn't like those either. I like nice moist pancakes and these just didn't do it for me at all. My friend ate about three bites of hers and threw hers out as well. This was a major disappointment. Maybe others would like this style of blueberry pancakes but it was a disgusting mess for me and a waste of money. :-(
(2)A C.
I hate to do this to Sander's - this place used to be my favorite weekly place for eating alone, or with friends; that is, until I got severe food poisoning here. I normally eat their chicken parmesan entree, with soup and salad. This one time, after I ate it, within 2 hours of eating it, I was violently throwing up, and had diarrhea for 5 days. That's right, 5 days. I wouldn't stop until I went to the doctor and they prescribed me with some antibiotics, and told to drink gatorade. I had to call the local health department....the people there were equally shocked at what had happened there, since they also frequent this diner. After the health dept did their investigation, I was told that their kitchen sinks did not have liquid or bar soaps available for staff to wash their hands, their soup was below required temperatures. Hmmm, I wonder what caused my illness. Could it have been undercooked food, or unclean/dirty hands touching the food? Who knows. But I do know that I will not be going back, EVER.
(1)Juanita G.
This place is definitely for the Buick and Cadillac set. I guess everyone else that's a little younger is either at Corner Bakery or Chili's down the street. I love this place when I'm in the neighborhood and would like having crepes. Their breakfasts are superior to Jack's. They are tied in the soup and rolls category. I tend to like dinner specials at Jack's instead. Sanders' meals are very good and they have a huge menu. I'm just a little weirded out but somehow comforted by the individually saran wrapped rolls. Their waitresses are older and not always very friendly.
(5)Pamela P.
This place is the best. We're regulars here every Saturday morning, despite living 30 minutes away. Everyone is friendly, warm and inviting. The food is delicious. Never a bad experience! Highly recommended!
(5)Chris C.
Really like this place. While it doesn't have Frui-shi like Orange or other cutting edge items (which are definitely cool & good), it does have very good quality "American Diner / Restaurant" food. I can appreciate both, which is why I like this place. Pros: Quality breakfasts, meats, sausages, eggs, omlettes. Good sandwiches. Everything tastes very good, but you don't feel like you just ate at the greasy spoon. Eggs, sausage, bacon all taste "fresh" and - get this - you can actually taste the flavors instead of just grease. My service has been very good, although due to the usual line-out-the-door at this place, I think that other Yelper's comments make sense. Verdict: Old school & definitely recommended.
(4)Amanda P.
Edit to add more info, because Sander's has become my regular place to meet up with my dad and stepmom for breakfast since I wrote this review. In the Diner competition between Sander's and Jack's (kitty-corner and down the street a little bit), Sander's wins hands down. One of the things that impresses me the most about this place is that despite the fact that they've been around forever and could easily rest on their laurels, they're constantly updating their menu to include contemporary touches. Thus, Sander's will never turn into an "old man" diner, the way What's Cookin' and Whistler's so definitely have. In fact, the last time I was there, I had portobello mushroom eggs benedict with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto hollandaise sauce. Totally yummy. The omlettes are super fluffy and light, probably baked in the oven. My husband and I are also huge fans of the cherry kijafa crepes, with black cherries and sweet, dark cherry sauce. Pancakes are good, but like other reviewers said, not in the league of Walker Brothers. This is just a good, dependable diner with an extremely varied menu.
(4)Amanda O.
I was somewhat surprised by some of the negative reviews posted. For example one Yelp!er wrote that the hostess was rude. My experience last night involved nothing but the friendliess of hostesses. I felt like she had been seeing come to the establishment for years when in reality last night was the first time I'd ever been there. Granted I didn't dine in. I got my food to go. But still very friendly! The food was so yummy. I got the "Le Crossiant" which was ham, turkey, cheese and hollandaise sauce. The meat was thick cut and the ham so juicy and flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was somewhat sweet and the crossiant, I'm told, is purchased by a local bakery. It came with fries (I agree with a previous review that they are somewhat boring) and lettuce, tomatoe and pickle. I also got a side of Matzo Ball soup. It came in a rather large soup cup and I was amazed they would give that much soup as a to-go side. Then I realized that there was only one matzo ball in the cup. But it took up the WHOLE cup and that's why the cup was soooo large! It was very comforting soup. My friend got some sort of mexi-skillet. He seemed satisfied with it although it looked generic for a diner and he doused it in hot sauce. All in all I will be going back to Sanders if not for dine in experience then definately for my to-go needs :)
(4)George K.
The service here sucks. I went eating here and they left a Discovery Channel special on snakes while we were eating. Doesn't really make the food any more appetizing and considering that their quality of food is sub par, they really did not do themselves a favor. Stay away from here.
(1)Betty P.
still going there. still love it
(5)Joanne E.
Confession, when I'm not at Dixie Kitchen (Evanston) for breakfast, this is where I hang out. The Denver Omelette is fabulous. My husband and I have rarely had to wait, not even on weekends, and we have always found the service very efficient (and effective) and the wait staff very nice. Update 5/27/08: We had two rather miserable experiences here about a year ago. Unfortunately, they occurred two Saturday's in a row, and we have not been back since. Both experiences involved extremely dirty booths (the garbage on the floor was obviously filth that had built up for some time) and wait staff that seemed to be fighting with bus boys to the extent that we felt extremely uncomfortable. I don't think we'll ever be back.
(1)Mary C.
A busy restaurant is a good restaurant. You'll never find this place empty. They have fantastic breakfast food served all day. If you're jonesing for some dinner try their Greek specialties. They are always wonderful. Portions here are huge, so you'll never leave hungry. You'll also never have an empty coffee cup because service is on the ball and friendly. Only negative is the hostess treated us like we were invisible. We should not have to wait to be seated so she can finish her conversation with another employee. Customers come first, especially when you see someone is handicapped (as was the case this time with my grandmother). If it wasn't for that misstep, they would have gotten 5 stars.
(4)Joe F.
My family and I have been going to Sander's for over five years. We usually go there for dinner, and know a few of the waitresses very well. As soon as you sit down, you are given a variety basket of bread. In general, the menu is very traditional, and meals are reasonably priced. The food itself is rather mediocre, but still filling. I have only had one problem with a waitress, whom I think no longer works there. Nevertheless, the staff there is very welcoming and warm. This is a great place to grab lunch in Skokie if you need a good warm meal, and do not want to spend a lot of money.
(4)Karen H.
Some of the best soups in the area! Love the Sweet and Sour Cabbage and the Lentil! And their omlettes are GREAT! Try the Apple and Cheddar...and add in cinnamon. Very tasty!!!! Service is friendly and quick...
(3)Michelle R.
they service is good. parking sucks
(3)Y V.
This traditional pancake house/restaurant is very popular with families (and senior citizens!) in Skokie. We went here on a Sunday for breakfast. I had the ham and cheddar omelet, with hash browns and pancakes. He had the skirt steak, eggs, and Greek toast. Both portions were huge and the food was delicious. They have a big menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Ann Y.
I love the crepe's at Sander's and the waitress will even bring us a TON of whipped cream- yummy. They also will make bannana crepes even though they aren't on the menu. The soups are good and the menu is diverse. This is your typical greek-owned family restaraunt and I have always had a decent experience here.
(4)Mike K.
The food was Ok, but go elsewhere if you expect a Thank You from the hostess after you've paid the bill. She must be the owners daughter, the atitude is unwarranted for a greasy spoon.
(2)a w.
Great place for a nice meal with the family. This place is always filled with people, but nevertheless, the service is always quick, fast, and freindly. The food is pretty good too -- mostly american fare -- and the portions are big and prices are reasonable.
(4)Iris F.
Love it! Try the skillets or croissants dishes, I enjoy these type of diners.
(5)Mary L.
I used to go this restaurant a lot, but it seemed to slip so I didn't go for a while. I just went back after my husband and son recommended it and It was great. Maybe they changed managers or owners. the service was wonderful and the food was super. Very reasonably priced and a lot of food for the money. Totally will go back soon.
(4)John F.
The pancakes here are very good, though nothing like those in Walker Bros. category. Omelettes and egg dishes tend to be very dry and not all that tasty. Non-breakfast menu is mediocre. Okay place, but not worth a destination trip.
(3)Anum A.
This place is a good restaurant to get a really hearty meal at. They have great tasting food here. But it is always crowded which is not good. If you go here you are going to have to wait and you can expect slow service. But the food is really good, so that always makes me happy.
(4)Jamila H.
This is by far the worst service I have had in recent memory. The server was extremely rude. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing after I asked her to repeat something or after asking a simple question. She brought the food out and about 2 minutes after brought us the check, then about 10 minutes later demanded that we pay it because she was leaving soon. Then as we were eating she asked if we wanted carry-out boxes for our food (I repeat, she did this while we were eating). As if that wasn't bad enough, as we ate the entire wait-staff stood around watching us eat because they were about to close. I understand how it could be frustrating to have lingering customers around closing-time, but if it's a problem either don't let us in or tell us politely. I don't mind rushing through my meal if I know that I came in just in time to get served, but don't go out of your way to make me so uncomfortable that I want to leave. It really was a god awful experience, so much so that I will never eat there again.
(1)Stephen M.
I've eaten here three times. The first time I was wearing a bright yellow jacket and an older woman handed me her keys for valet. Memorable, but I don't remember the meal that night. We've gone twice since then. Each time we came for breakfast (served any time) and we are glad we did. Omelets were chosen each time. Walker Brothers offers the same items, but on omelets, I'll go with Sanders. The reason? They are both baked and have a firm, fluffy texture. The balance is off at WB--at least the Santa Fe is--too much cheese. (Some might say what?!?, but yes too much). The balance at Sanders is better. (This was not a direct comparison. I had cheddar, mushroom and jalapeno). This is a fountain/diner restaurant and you expect some bit of character from the host and waitresses. They have opinions, are zealous in making sure you get your order the way you want and keep you happy. (You know. How's the bacon hun?). The sides are pleasing as well. The pancakes are a meal in themselves and the browned potatoes are breakfast staple extraordinaire.
(4)Deborah G.
Keep driving! This place is scary bad!! Half the food was overly microwaved and we all know what happens there! The meatloaf and veal(???) cutlet were awful with a brown slop poured over it ! The skirt steak (21.00) was a big tasteless slab of meat thrown on a plate . Hint to chef , try marinating, the onion rings were good though. The really only bright spot were the milkshakes and the sweet waitress! She did a stellar job of taking care of an overly large last minute crowd! 5 stars for her!
(1)Nektaria R.
Good for late night. Your typical diner. Lots of food for OK prices. It was the place to go after a full day of shopping for baby stuff. I had the lox, it was so good and they even found an alternative bread for me since I didn't want the white bagel. I've had their breakfast items, the daily specials, burgers, a variety of meals since I've been here a million time. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Parking can be a pain and trying to get back out onto Touhy heading east can be a nightmare. Oh well, I haven't had an accident or a ticket yet, so it'll be OK to deal with once in a while especially when hunger strikes and it's late night.
(4)Steve S.
Great home cooked meal. The egg white omelette are the best in town the size of a football
(4)Doug R.
I would only go here if Jack's across the street was closed, and even then Idk if I'd go here. Mediocre at best. Food just OK. Prices average. Nothing overly special here. Go to Jack's if they're open, otherwise, try to find somewhere else.
(2)Justin S.
The food/service/friendliness all excellent. Never a bad visit and I've been coming here for years. They really pack the tables in, so there's hardly any room to move around when they're crowded but other than that, c'est si bon
(5)Gab F.
Never again is all I can say. How utterly rude can some people be? My family has been coming here for years and we have had a bad server here and there but this one did Sanders in. If I could give zero stars, I WOULD! We were sat down and within the minute of sitting down the server was At our table asking if we know what we "want"... We tell her not yet. Obviously. Finally we order, wasn't a difficult order...like at all. 1. She didn't ask what kind of juice my mom wanted or if she even wanted juice (that came with her meal) 2. Confused two orders, when corrected, snatched plate from table and walked away, came back and just gave them to us like it was a problem. 3. Forgot the hash browns my mom ordered. Now here's where it got messy... When I stood up to mention the hash browns... She starts walking towards me with this SHITTY LITTLE SMILE like if I was bothering her convo with the damn owner. When I tell her she ALSO forgot my mothers hash brown she does a "hah ok" and turns away to go get them.. Well. You ghetto rat, you just made me want to speak my mind. I continue to walk with her towards the owner who was awaiting my complaint because apparently she had already been talking shit about me and my family... He continuously asks what we ordered and what's the problem. WELL THE FOODS NOT THE PROBLEM, it's your fucking waitress, and if you and her hadn't been up each other's ass flirting with one another, you would probably notice what a lousy job she had been doing! All he tells me is "I'll talk to her". Right, you'll just continue to talk shit about "Mexicans" like you had already been doing prior to me approaching you both. News flash douche, half of your staff is Latino so check yourself. He didn't even come to our table to apologize! We def weren't looking for a comped meal sweetheart, how unfortunate that you can't even take two seconds to come to our table and say sorry and maybe send a new waitress.., she didn't even come back to our table. We got up and went and asked for our bill. The hostess, bless her heart, did all the apologizing. Smh. Our bill was $36.40... We left $37... Those 60 cents weren't even earned. Never again Sanders Never again...
(1)Lee A.
I really enjoy coming here for breakfast I always order the same thing Meat Lover's Skillets with two fried eggs medium. Sometimes it's too cheesy but always taste good. I am happy with the food and service.
(4)Alex M.
This is our go to spot every Sunday. We have been coming here for a few years and have not found a better breakfast place. The staff is very friendly, fast, and efficient. It is also nice to see that this is a family owned restaurant. The plate I always select is the Mexican Skillet, which is very tasteful. Unlike other restaurants I have been to they use fresh Jalapeño peppers which brings out the flavor more. The Chorizo sausage is not greasy and does not over power the skillet. I have scrambled eggs with it and top it off with Tabasco sauce for a awesome meal that gets me through the day. Sundays are busy days I recommend coming in earlier. If the lot is full you park in the Holiday Inn parking lot as well.
(5)Mike K.
CONSISTENTLY GREAT FOOD. We like Bubbles--she is our favorite waitress. We always order the baked egg white veggie omelet with Swiss cheese. It is always excellent. A few of the morning waitresses are not exactly warm and friendly but all in all a very solid 4 stars.
(4)Pam D.
Your basic diner / deli kind of place. The food was ok, but nothing special. I had a Michigan omelet, which was filled with apple and cheddar cheese. It sounded so good and tasted bland. I don't get it. Christopher had a Denver omelet which was pretty good. The portions were large. I ended up bringing much of my food home. This place seems reasonably popular and has been around forever. I don't have much more to say about it. I didn't hate it, but it will not be high on my revisit list.
(3)Christina G.
I came here with a large group on a Wednesday evening for dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Luckily, we had made reservations because when we got there, all but a few tables were full. Out large, twelve person table wasn't ready when we got there, but it was available shortly thereafter. The staff are beyond helpful. They got our orders 100% correct, and we always asking if there was anything they could do for us. Our server was wonderful and very sweet. The issue was more with the food. It was pretty average, nothing special. From the looks of the place, i thought the food wood be delicious, but I was not blown away. Most of our group ordered burgers, but I had a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and the grilled cheese was fine, but again, nothing special. The prices were very reasonable though. I didn't try it, but they offer breakfast all day. They get extra points for that. Quick couple tips: 1. The parking lot is rather small, but the hostess told me they rent parking space from the hotel next door, so you can park there. 2. You can only enter the restaurant parking lot if you are headed west on Touhy or north on Niles Center Road.
(3)Kelley S.
I've eaten 2 dinners and 3 breakfasts here. All dining experiences have been positive and flavorful. Their beet salad is delicious, their cobb salad is great, their reuben is HUGE and delicious. You have to eat that baby with a fork because there's no way you are picking it up. Their breakfasts are pretty standard, but quick and good for reasonable prices. The one thing we didn't particularly enjoy was the chicken breakfast skillet. It was the blandest thing we have ordered, but still a large portion and not bad, just not good. If you are a soup fan, ask about their daily soup selections when you stop in! They have some of the best, unique soups I have ever seen at any restaurant and each one I've had has been excellent. A note on the staff, they are what you would expect in a diner such as this... middle aged women that seem to have been there forever. With that comes a variety of personalities. I've had some very friendly and funny staff that provided exemplary service. I've also had some ladies that seemed to be going through the motions and watching the clock. Not terrible service, but nothing noteworthy either. There is also a few fabulous men whose job it is to bring waters and overall monitor all tables for beverages, clearing plates etc. They are super-efficient! Regardless of who I got as a server the food was always prepared and delivered in a timely manner which is really why I go there anyhow.
(4)Sean L.
If you can't find something to eat here that you love I don't know what is wrong with you. The sandwiches are enormous, and fresh, and the cream of chicken soup is the best I've ever had anywhere.
(5)Michelle K.
They have great sandwiches and cream of chicken rice soup on Sundays!! Simply delish!! Juanita is the sweetest server.
(5)Gio L.
It is a diner; not Stella's, nevertheless a meal after a long flight and not too many choices. I have been here before and will be back again.
(3)Rom R.
After being a regular for some time, it seems the last several months it is going downhill. Busboys not refilling beverages regularly, waitresses seem bothered to do so. Rolls wrapped in plastic, a good thing, but many have tasted day old lately, probably because not as busy as of late and remain an extra day. Seemingly new crew of waitresses over the past several months, service is ok, but waitresses there now act as if doing you a favor--nothing is gracious to you anymore . Need to fix some things, or regulars will find elsewhere to go. Serving soup not filled to where bowl should be filled, so waitress won't spill carrying it? C'mon we are paying for a bowl not a 3/4 bowl, scared to say anything to waitresses, they may do something to rest of your food.... eh can do better, just may have to drive a little, but seemingly feeling worth it as of late.
(1)Frank A.
Super busy intersection on Touhy. Parking lot is a pain in the rear. The worst is having to circle around looking for a spot during busy hour. Typical diner food that can be a little bland but this is really a good breakfast spot. What you see is what you get here. I used to hit this spot on Sundays while reading the paper. It's alright, but nothing really outstanding or bad either...
(3)Derek G.
Sanders Restaurant is a nice north-side breakfast option. If you are looking for a place free of senior citizens, void of no nonsense wait staff, and ample parking, perhaps this is not the place for you. However, if you were looking for a place that has great coffee, numerous menu options and reasonable prices, I would highly recommend Sanders. On a side note, do not get discouraged by the parking lot full of cars. The Marriot Hotel allows Sanders to park in their lot, so feel free to park there if the Sander's lot is full...which normally is the case.
(4)Teri D.
I eat here when i stay at the excellent Holiday Inn next door and eat dinner several times and breakfast every day of the one week a month I am in Chicago. The dinner cooks here need to learn how to cook chicken until it is thoroughly done. Even after specifically requesting well-done chicken, it was raw by the bone with an overpowering amount of oregano. Go with the pork chops instead. The breakfast cooks are much better and Donna or Bubbles will take excellent care of you! Go for the homemade rice pudding (which is as good as my grandma used to make) rather than the desserts that are brought in and served WELL PAST when they are dried out and stale.
(3)Jay K.
Just got back from having a great baked Denver omelet. If the rest of the menu is as good as the omelet I may have to up my rating. The potatoes were so-so but the toast was hot and the service was good.
(4)Steve O.
Even on Mothers Day The service was excellent!
(5)Darren F.
another dine in restaurant with mostly older generation people there.. i ordered a steak skillet and i think it was horrible.. a lot of the steak was chewy.. it was oily and even their egg whites taste bad.. should of never substitute the egg with their egg whites.. anyways.. there was some guy next to us that ordered a apple filling pancake that was huge.. and i mean HUGE! our waitress told us that it takes around 45 min to make if we ever want it.. might give that a try next time.. maybe...
(1)James L.
This old Greek diner with surly waitresses sits in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It has a lot of Jewish stuff on the menu, like lox. The baked goods (pies) seem to be from some grocery store or Sams, but the breakfasts are filling, cheap, and decent. Slices of honeydew accompany every breakfast platter. That's a very nice touch. But the only reason to eat here is if you happen to be in Skokie or Niles.
(3)Natalie S.
Jack's (across the street) used to be my favorite breakfast place in the area. Then I realized they kinda suck. Sander's is definitely better. I love their skillets. Other things I have had there were not as great but their skillets are always hot and fresh. The reason I didn't give it my usual "I go here often and like it a lot" 4 star review is because the service here is REALLY inconsistant. A few times we've been here and ask for easy things... like eggs over medium... and ended up with them scrambled. Another time we asked specifically for a cheese substiution that wasn't granted and the waitress just shrugged. She's great. I've always spied their glorious looking cakes and pies in that revolving glass case but never sampled them. Wonder if they're delicious...
(3)Kimberly C.
Service was average. Good food for the price. Just passing through on our way to Michigan.
(4)J. Loren H.
Delicious lox and bagels! That's what I get whenever I go there. I love Sander's. It's mine and my sister-in-law's go-to restaurant when we wanna go out, not spend a ton, and have delicious food. The servers there are all nice. This place is like any of your typical greek-owned diners, minus the shitsy service and the bad teeth. (actually, I take that back, I saw one lady with some rotters...) The server we had last time was awesome. My 10 month old niece was with us, and the server kept interacting with her, which impressed me. I think it's rude when a server ignores a child. Anyway, if you're looking for a full menu, daily specials, delicious soup, good service, and a comfortable place to sit, eat here, you'll love it. Oh, and there are half booth/half tables for fatties like me. Woo!
(5)Mike K.
The food was Ok, but go elsewhere if you expect a Thank You from the hostess after you've paid the bill. She must be the owners daughter, the atitude is unwarranted for a greasy spoon.
(2)a w.
Great place for a nice meal with the family. This place is always filled with people, but nevertheless, the service is always quick, fast, and freindly. The food is pretty good too -- mostly american fare -- and the portions are big and prices are reasonable.
(4)Tiffany G.
Famous last words: "How can anybody screw up a pancake?" How, indeed. By definition, what is a blueberry pancake to YOU? One would assume it is a pancake, studded with, presumably, real blueberries. Even at the lowliest truck-stop one can find such a specimen... But not at Sanders. Are blueberry pancakes supposed to: a) be doused with an entire CAN of high-fructose corn syrup-stewed blueberries? b) be about 2 inches thick, have a hard outer-crust impenetrable by a fork and knife, and then literally break apart in layers while trying to do so? c) stick to the roof of your mouth like wall paper paste? d) leave a synthetic taste in your mouth even two subsequent cups of bad coffee cannot mask? e) be served with even more synthetic "maple-flavored" syrup? Final question: Is bacon supposed to be shades of green and black? And this, from an establishment that coins itself a "pancake house." They should be shot.
(1)Shirley K.
First time visit this past Sunday. Ordered salami omelet. The entree came with hash browns and choice of toast, pancakes or french toast. I had the pancakes with mine and my friend had the french toast. My friend thought the entire meal was delicious. I, too, thought the omelet was exceptionally good as were the pancakes. However the hash browns were really thinly sliced fried potatoes. That was an acceptable substitution for me but the potatoes were not cooked through. They were on the hard side. My waitress and bus boy were very attentive. The man serving as hostess really is the reason my rating is not four stars. He was extremely rude.
(3)Billy G.
Club Sandwich w/ bowl of Matzo ball soup. That is all I have to say.
(5)Richard M.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a Jewish diner/deli you have found it. The portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Think shared meals!! Service is always prompt and very helpful.
(4)Katrina M.
Fast & friendly service. Reasonable prices. Plentiful portions. No frills diner food, yet my stuffed french toast was unusually overstuffed.. which I love!
(4)Jacob J.
Decent diner food, better than Golden Nugget. My last visit, dining within a group of four people, they'd forgotten my meal completely. Then when I asked about it, it became this whole situation of pointing the finger on whether I did or didn't order. Still that was just a matter of a crappy waitress. Of the two diners in this shopping area, they are the best. Blah.
(3)Mary L.
I used to go this restaurant a lot, but it seemed to slip so I didn't go for a while. I just went back after my husband and son recommended it and It was great. Maybe they changed managers or owners. the service was wonderful and the food was super. Very reasonably priced and a lot of food for the money. Totally will go back soon.
(4)John F.
The pancakes here are very good, though nothing like those in Walker Bros. category. Omelettes and egg dishes tend to be very dry and not all that tasty. Non-breakfast menu is mediocre. Okay place, but not worth a destination trip.
(3)An P.
I want a skillet! I want a skillet! I want a skillet! Whenever I go to a new diner that I have never ever been to before, I must have the skillet. In my view, the skillet demonstrates a chef's ability to fry, saute, melt, poach, and texturize. In essence, the skillet shows the chef's overall cooking ability more so than any other breakfast food! It was around 7:00pm on a Wednesday night and I hiked out to Skokie with a buddy to a meeting and had about an hour to kill. Despite being jam packed, we got a table with no wait. Families were eating, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, cops, coworkers and all the like were gathered at Sanders to grab a bite to eat. You'd think you were eating at Denny's or something it was so crowded. I popped open the menu and wondered if Sanders was a Greek joint. With the amount of food on the menu it really must have been. From borscht to steak sandwiches to corn beef hash to steaks and pastas it seemed like page after page of quality food. It was hard to resist ordering anything else, but being a skillet lover I dug into a meat lover's skillet without much more hesitation. PS If you can't poach eggs, why make the skillet? The food came in quick order and I got plenty of meats on my skillet and was satisfied with the degree of crispiness as well as my poacherrific eggs on big toast. While Sanders is too far of a hike for me, it is still the cat's meow in terms of skilled skillets. Chalk it up on the list, it's legit!
(4)Jean C.
I just found out today that I'm invisible. No seriously, I found this out because the hostess looked straight through me (and my friends) both on the way in and on the way out. Actually for a moment when we were leaving, I thought she was smiling at us, acknowledging us because y'know, we were leaving the money on the front desk, but it turned out that she was smiling at people in line, people she knew. And as for us? Well... invisible. She did manage to find our money, though, so that was good. Apart from being invisible to the hostess, I have to say that the rest of the staff was really quite nice. We had a lovely, friendly waitress, and the bus staff was fantastic! The food... not so much. Corned beef hash, billed as the best in the city, looked and tasted like canned. Sausages had an odd flavor, and blueberry pancakes weren't pancakes with blueberries in the batter, they were plain old buttermilk pancakes with a lot of blueberry compote poured over the top. The eggs benny were pretty average and the hollandaise was so-so. The freshly squeezed OJ was really the best thing I had. The place seemed clean and it was busy. I had the impression that there were a lot of regulars. But honestly, I doubt I'll ever have much of a pressing desire to go back. ETA: Let me be completely clear about something. This would have been a solid three-star review but for the utter indifference of the hostess, who had oodles of charm and lots of smiles for people she knew, but who couldn't be arsed to even acknowledge us beyond leading us to a table and putting our money in the cash register.
(2)Dave S.
This place struck me as odd. Every time we drive by here this place is packed! I don;t ever recall an exception. We were thinking that this place had to be pretty good to have a crowd like this at all times. We decided to stop in one evening for dinner and I deemed myself lucky to be able to get the last open table in the restaurant. I was thinking score one for us! I reviewed the menu and I was impressed with the selection and prices. The prices were low for a reason, which I am about to get into. My wife and I decided to get creative. One of us would order a breaded cod dinner and the other would order a macaroni and cheese dinner and we would have a little buffet all to ourselves. The soup was decent. It was the best part of the meal. The dinner rolls were all individually wrapped and were quite a pain in the you know what to unwrap to try and eat. Our entrees arrived and it was SO disappointing. Everything was rather bland and very unimpressive. I could have easily made this type of meal at home (probably better). The prices were cheap but we did get what we paid for. I must give credit where credit is due. Our server Mandy was awesome. She was friendly, helpful, sincere and on top of her game. Her waiting on us was probably the highlight of the meal. I am thinking that we might give this place another shot for breakfast. It looks like that is more of their specialty!
(2)Miriam B.
Love this place!. My husband and I have dined here twice. For breakfast and today for dinner. Amazing service!. So attentive!. Great portions at good prices!.
(5)Liza K.
Food poisoning
(1)Patricia L.
If pancake houses had heights, Sanders would be average with IHOP a little above and Walker Brothers towering over the other 2. PROS -gigantic, BAKED omelets that are delish and cost about $6 that comes with pancakes or toast and hash browns -cheaper than IHOP -my 1st visit here our waitress was AMAZING, like the super-attentive kind that didn't believe in glasses half empty (literally, she re-filled our coffee cups up like nobody's business) -great choice of skillets...(whether you're an omnivore or veggie queen) and 3 different eggs benedict CONS -stingy with ingredients in omelets...they also charge you $0.50 more for every other ingredient you'd like on it -as my own grandma put it, it smells like "old people" -my 2nd visit here the waitress was horrible...she didn't even notice there was bright pink lipstick left on one of the coffee cups she served us -they use canned strawberries in their crepes...WHACK Really is a toss up. Just pray that you get the awesome waitress
(2)Kara T.
My husband and I frequent Sanders. We don't really branch out from the sandwiches or breakfast menu, but I did get a salad once and it was great. Typical good diner food, but the staff is what really sets this place apart. We've been coming here for about 4 years now, maybe once every other week or so, and the owner, his son, most of the hostesses and the waitstaff know us (and now our 2 year old) by name whenever we visit--it is such a great feeling. Plus, the food is consistently good and we know that when we go, we will leave happy and full. This will be our go-to place for years to come!
(4)Iris F.
Love it! Try the skillets or croissants dishes, I enjoy these type of diners.
(5)James L.
This old Greek diner with surly waitresses sits in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It has a lot of Jewish stuff on the menu, like lox. The baked goods (pies) seem to be from some grocery store or Sams, but the breakfasts are filling, cheap, and decent. Slices of honeydew accompany every breakfast platter. That's a very nice touch. But the only reason to eat here is if you happen to be in Skokie or Niles.
(3)Natalie S.
Jack's (across the street) used to be my favorite breakfast place in the area. Then I realized they kinda suck. Sander's is definitely better. I love their skillets. Other things I have had there were not as great but their skillets are always hot and fresh. The reason I didn't give it my usual "I go here often and like it a lot" 4 star review is because the service here is REALLY inconsistant. A few times we've been here and ask for easy things... like eggs over medium... and ended up with them scrambled. Another time we asked specifically for a cheese substiution that wasn't granted and the waitress just shrugged. She's great. I've always spied their glorious looking cakes and pies in that revolving glass case but never sampled them. Wonder if they're delicious...
(3)Nancy S.
I'm staying next door at a hotel and this has become my go to place for delicious soups and the Athenian chicken kabob. Be careful, the portions are huge but the flavors are divine! The decor is a little dated but that just adds to the "diner feel" and if the food is delicious it doesn't bother me. The waitresses are so friendly they make you feel like family and go above and beyond your expectations to ensure a pleasant experience! Thank you Sanders!
(5)Sara R.
I thought the food here was very typical "diner food". The service was not great, but that could have been a one time thing, since I only went here once. I went here with 4 others, and one of our orders was way off and they seemed indifferent when we brought it to their attention. This place seems to be a big hit with the AARP crowd.
(2)Edwin L.
yoh, I've been here with friends and the fam on many occasions, and Sander's has been pretty good to us. Foodwise - Their menu is good for any mealtime, whether you want breakfast (pancakes, waffles, omelettes), lunch (sandwiches, burgers, omelettes), or dinner (steak, chicken, omelettes)! Everything is tasty and is like comfort food to me. Also, their generous portions leave you feeling more than satisfied with the meal. Atmospherewise - I'm 19, meanwhile most customers around me are well over 60. That being said, it is by no means exciting. However, it's a peaceful and warm environment that I genuinely enjoy dining in. Customer Service - I dunno anything about rudeness... A lot of waitresses there are either really nice and funny or hella sassy, but in the good way! Anyway, I never had a negative interaction with the staff there, but I guess it depends on our individual moods haha. Conclusion: Huge portions of tasty comfort food, warm and cozy environment, and sassy waitresses to tie it all together and remind you that this shit ain't free agagagagaga. I'll come back here for as long as it's open~
(5)Tavi J.
Service here was great! They make you feel right at home. The crowd is older and it reminded me of an updated ihop. I got the veggie omelet with ham (Okay so the veggie omelet had the ingredients I wanted sans the meat...I know sounds weird). It came with hash browns that were dry and flavorless. It also came with pancakes. I got the banana and they were fluffy and delicious. If I'm ever out this way again I would come back, but there are seriously so many better brunch spots in the city.
(3)Erick H.
Im an easy grader. But this has got to be the worst restaurant in the world. I went with my family for breakfast. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come. And our food was cold when we got it! Staff are showing no remorse over serving us cold food. They tasted bland! We almost used up all the salt and pepper on our table! My baby who eats virtually anything, would take a bite and spit it out right away! Dont be deceived by the heavy traffic of hungry eaters thinking this must be a good placed to be flocked by a lot of unsuspecting victims! Stay away from this place!
(1)Tison H.
This place was awesome! Lots to choose from and huge portions! Service was fast and friendly! We are definitely coming back!!
(4)Joani O.
My family and I have been going to Sander's since the early 90s, mostly for breakfast, although they are practically 24 hours (5 am to midnight, every day), and serve for all meals. They are a Greek diner with is a family owned business, and the menu is quite extensive. You can get traditional Greek dishes, as well as standard American meals (ribs, chops, burgers, sandwiches, huge salads, etc!), and one of my favorite aspects are the multiple soups each day. On Sundays they have an amazing cream of chicken rice (delicious!) and every day they have matzo ball and kreplach (my personal favorite) to cater to the heavy Jewish population in the area, as well as 2-3 additional ones. You can order your meal a la carte, or as a complete dinner with soup, salad, a beverage and dessert. They have a pastry case if you're into desserts! The breakfasts are the traditional offerings; pancakes, waffles, eggs, skillets, wonderful crepes, and amazing omelettes! Huge, and fluffy...served with gash browns, or you can substitute fresh fruit. If it's lunch or dinner sometimes I order soup and salad, but I've been through much of the menu and enjoy their crisper sandwiches and the chicken de jonge special that they offer regularly. (Think shrimp, but it's chicken.) There is something for everyone here, and only once or twice have I had something on the menu that I didn't care for. We always ask for "Bubbles" the waitress (her name is Debbie), but you're sure to get good service no matter who you get. If not, ask for Frank, the owner, or Jimmy, his son!
(4)Heather M.
Big portions, friendly waitstaff, good prices and sooooooo delish. Everything I've had here has been exceptionally good. The chicken eggs Benedict was nothing like I've had before. Fried chicken breast atop a crunchy English muffin, with a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
(5)Caroline D.
This is a great, no-frills, breakfast-all-day diner and I love the crap out of it. For the first four trips I got the same thing every time: Greek skillet with pancakes. Their hashbrowns are the thin-sliced kind, not shreds, which is sad because I can get down with some shreds. But they're good and taste more like real potatoes. The pancakes are a miracle. Today I changed it up and got a spinach and feta omelet and, yes, it was pretty great. Good service, always hopping at lunchtime, obviously a regular clientele. It's a very homey joint.
(4)Luis G.
Great place to come eat. Prices are reasonable. Only down fall is parking the lot gets so packed sometimes you have to wait. There great with kids highly recommend!
(4)Amanda C.
Came here at random after a shopping spree at Ross. My friend said she passed there a million times and had wanted to go in but never had the chance. I'm glad we did. The hostess was super friendly and danced my son all the way to the both. They had a mini dance party and then we sat. Our waitress came by right away and offered us coffee. She was great the whole time. No complaints here. Prices here are great! I had a coffee and 2 eggs with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a mexican skillet minus the chorizo. We maxed both. Food was good!!!! Not to mention it flew out of the kitchen. I think the bill was like $16 for both of us. That's pretty decent if you ask me.
(4)Sonia B.
OK, if you are big on service...do not go here. The food was pretty good, but the service was horrible. I went in for breakfast with a friend of mine who has a baby. We were seated and before a minute even passed 3 different people came up to us and told us we couldn't leave the baby's car seat on the floor. We completely understood why and had no objection, but explained we were just taking off our jackets, the baby needed to be changed in the bathroom, and we would then put the baby in the booth. My friend and I were planning on splitting a couple of items, but didn't even have a chance to look at the menu as my friend felt pressured to go change/feed the baby right away so she could put the seat in the booth. Mind you, it hadn't even been a couple minutes since we arrived. So, friend and baby returned...we ordered coffee, juice, a breakfast wrap, and some pancakes. The breakfast wrap was good. If I were ever to return, I would get it again. I don't plan on it though. Baby cried for a short minute...nothing too crazy. And mind you we were NOT in a high end restaurant or anything...and NO ONE in the restaurant was looking except our server and the lady at the front who may have been the owner. They both came by with very condescending attitudes/comments. My friend went back to the bathroom, to avoid any issues. When she came back to the table, she asked if she could have a refill on her coffee since it got cold and the server looked at her like she was crazy. Seriously?! We weren't enjoying the experience much and decided it was time to go and we went up to pay and the owner(?) gasped when I asked her to split the payment w/ two credit cards. I'm not joking...straight up gasped out loud and then said..."well, you tell me what half of $25.46 is!" I looked at her because I thought she was joking and she wasn't. I was dumbfounded by the rudeness! I am now wishing I didn't give a 20% tip...ugh! Everyone there was rude. So disappointing. I love supporting local diners and family owned establishments...wanted to like this place...but, there are so many other places I would rather spend my money.
(2)Chris C.
Had the ruben it was to much meat and not enough of bread. Beyond messy couldn't enjoy it at all the bread tore apart and the sandwich was so hot it took 10minutes to cool off. Service was excellent but food was over priced
(2)Michael D.
Rather breakfast of dinner food is always delicious! Love the atmosphere, great service!
(5)Peter O.
Let's say you like the familiarity of generic food in an '80s Greek diner atmosphere of shiny polymered golden oak, gold veined mirror wall tiles, mauve pleather booths and blaring televisions, and appreciate sometimes friendly, old-style waitresses with teased, bouffanted hair. Well, Sanders will do you just right. It's another one of those suburbany diners where everything is fine, okay, nothing special, good enough. Certainly not a destination. Not worth a long wait seated in their vestibule on weekends, either. ~Peter O. and S.
(3)Alan S.
I am giving 5 stars to Sanders because its the place I have gone with family and friends for over 18 years. Basically, you could stereotype Sanders to be the American Greek diner from the 1980s like someone made a remark on the establishment in yelp. However, I like to say the place is clean and food fresh. You also have parking and access for people who are handicapped. You will see elderly people but others from all ages and ethnic groups come and dine. They have a good breakfast menu with many selections like omelettes, combos, french toast and also a good selection of salads/soup. You will also see a dinner menu with food ranging from steak, chicken, duck, and fish. They really give you alot of food. However only one complaint I am going 2 say regards the wait staff service. In the past, they had prompt waitresses but in the recent years. The waitresses had been negligent in service. I dont know why? They had hired these romanian women and not sure on their frustration with a new culture or the job. The receptionist also a romanian, pretty looking, always spaces out and not focus her attention to the customers. She would be reading some paper or checking up on her smartphone every minute or so. At times, she would stare at you from across the room with a blank look on her face. Other times you could see her leave her post at the front cashier and sit down eating the food while checking up her smartphone. Afterwards you will see the manager take up front duty at the front desk. As for the waitresses , they are always busy and never give their attention. Recently they got some new people and it was a major improvement.
(5)Hannah H.
Sander's has been around since 1984. My husband and I came here to try out their breakfast. They have a limited menu, which was nice for an indecisive person like me! I had the Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs combo, which came with hash brown potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. My husband had the biscuits and gravy, and it was amazing to see how generous the restaurant was in terms of the portion! My steak was very juicy and well-cooked, but I wasn't a fan of their side of potatoes as they were just too bland and mushy for me. My husband wasn't a fan of the gravy as it was too coagulated, and the biscuits themselves were very salty. Service was friendly, and I'm glad I was able to check this place out! +Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs +forget the potatoes
(3)Magdalena D.
#NAME?
(2)Hector A.
One Word "OMELET"!!!!!!! Pick the things you like and put it on their fluffy magical omelet and you will only be able to say "WOW"!!!!! Service is great. The restaurant is clean. The staff is friendly. Parking is usually pretty good. Some day I will make it to one of the deserts they have on display. REMEMBER: OMELET, you will not be disappointed
(5)Narciso C.
Extremely busy on Weekends, but Sanders provided warm welcome and above all courteous and attentive service. My family and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast on Sunday afternoon. Sanders serves breakfast all day and the portions are ginormous! The menu also included wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a robust Greek taste and flavor. There was plenty to choose from, and all reasonably priced. I will make this a regular for my family and a must for big breakfasts. Recommend the omelets, the Greek Feta omelet was huge and tasty. Kids will enjoy the pancakes or French toast, and there are plenty of breakfast meats to choose from: Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, and regular bacon to name few. Fresh squeezed OJ was icing on top.
(5)Bonnie Z.
Watch out for the potato salad. Tasted warm and strange. Pushed it aside. Proceeded to vomit only the potato salad. Refused to pay the bill. Manager was annoyed. Never apologized. Never inquired how I felt. Scratch Sanders off my list.
(1)Diane G.
On Sat. night my daughter and I wanted a quick inexpensive cozy little place to eat. I looked up the reviews and thought it sounded hopeful. The experience was awful. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, clang clang we could hear every plate served. The food that we ordered was terrible !! My daughter ordered fried scallops and I could have just went to Cosco and bought a bag. She wouldn't eat it. My dinner was also yucky. I ordered one of the specials--short ribs. I should have asked how it was prepared because when I looked at it, I couldn't eat it and the waitress kindly took it back. My second choice was a hot turkey and the turkey looked old with a gray color to it. I didn't want to ask again so I sucked up and ate it---YUCK ! Maybe we would have been better off going there for breakfast but we have marked this place as a NEVER.
(1)Pete V.
The only word I can describe this place is "average." This is your typical average Greek American diner. The place need a make over, the service is average and the food is average. The menu is probably the same from the 90s. I think IHOP menu is more interesting.
(3)Gary B.
As one who has waited on his fair share of tables I can spot the slow roll. A slow roll is when a server has been slammed and it is their attempt to not have a table get up and leave only to be immediately sat again. We were sooooo slow rolled today and I had things that needed to be done. Adding up a check isn't calculus so what the significant delay couldn't be determined. The food was ok, I had the asparagus soup which was good but needed salt. I had the American skillet which is corn beef hash on top of some dry potatoes. I don't liver near here so coming back won't be an option anyway but I certainly have had better.
(2)Brittany K.
I LOVE this restaurant. Girlfriend and I are regulars here - when we lived two minutes away we tended to go at least once a week. Unfortunately we now live about 40mins away but still can't stop ourselves from visiting at least a few times a month. Their portions are huge, the selection is large, the food is always hot and delicious. I usually stick with the breakfast foods but their salads, soups and wraps are pretty good too. Staff is generally friendly, helpful and able to add/subtract/modify dishes without issue (yes, I am that one annoying customer who can't possibly eat mushrooms or hashbrowns but can you please sub cottage cheese and add asparagus??) They're also very inexpensive, and pretty quick too. If the place is crowded (as it tends to be on Sunday mornings with the after-church crowd) there is pretty much always seating at the counter available. Really I don't have any issues with this place. It is pure good. Must try!
(5)April P.
food here is great, classic. Service with Bubbles (yes that's her name) is fast and a delight had the zucchini, mushroom and tomato omlet! Yummmmmy. Tasty, fluffy and great serving. Bf had the pecan belgian waffle. Had pecans throughout as well as on top of waffle. Sooo good not a disappointment. Would go back
(5)Dan D.
You want a killer huge German pancake?! (Like really guys, this is a whopper of a german pancake... enough for at least 3 meals for myself). How about some kick-butt skillets? Oh... I know what you are craving! You want some pie. Well folks, at this old-school family-style restaurant, you can have it all. This has long been an institution of the northside/suburb Chicago. Good food. Great service. Prices could be lower... but hey, sometimes its just nice to be in a family joint. :-)
(4)Liz M.
I have a longtime love affair with All-American, usually Greek owned, coffee-shop diners. They usually have the best homemade soups. The biggest bread baskets. The yummiest omelettes. The largest fresh salads. The hottest fresh coffee. The biggest bang for your buck dinner specials. The most experienced, nicest waitresses. The most decadent desserts rotating around in a glass cabinet. And the most loyal bunch of senior citizen diners ever. Well Sanders is exactly one of "those kind" of diners.
(3)Sue K.
The service is excellent - the waitresses/hosts/bus boys are attentive and kind. The food, though..caters to their crowd, which is the elderly. What does this mean? That the food is bland and the prices are reasonable.
(2)Nancy H.
Your standard American breakfast for a reasonable price. An average omelette costs $7 and includes hash browns, your choice of toast or pancakes, and a piece of fruit! Lots of regulars, old-timers, and local families that dine here, and the parking lot is probably too small for such a popular place.
(4)meran m.
The staff was very nice. The tables are comfortable. It's open late so you can grab a bite after a show. The soup is decent and so are the fries. That's pretty much where it ends for me. Taste does not seem to be a high priority there. The hamburger appears to be a pre-frozen, dense, unseasoned patty. The salad is iceberg. The plastic-encased rolls tell you that practicality trumps an interest in quality. I don't know what my friends see in this place, other than it is open at night, but I am going to hunt down another late night restaurant in the area to suggest for next time. My suggestion to the owners: You have a nice facility there, but you'd be better off limiting your extensive menu to items you can do well.
(2)Rahman U.
This was the worst meal I've had in years, no joke. 1 star is probably too generous. I somehow overlooked several red flags warning me about this place. When we first walked in it looked like Bingo night at a retirement home. I honestly think we were the youngest customers by a good 40 years. The first thing that got me was when the waitress brought out the bread which was all individually wrapped in plastic. Uhh, ok, wonder when this was made. I ended up ordering the eggplant chicken parmesan, two dishes I've seen served separately but never together. I like them both, so this has got to turn out well right? For my vegetable I got to choose between beets and peas....wait a minute, am I on Punk'd? People still serve peas?? My choice of soup was between chicken noodle and matzo ball. "Tell me, what's matzo ball soup again?" I asked. "Oh you don't want that it's nasty" says the waitress. Well alrightythen. A good half an hour later when the meal actually arrived I tried my food and was immediately turned off. It had a layer of cheese followed by the eggplant, then the chicken, and a layer of spaghetti o's on the very bottom. The eggplant appeared to be old and slimy and coated in something that had the consistency of a pancake. Apparently they didn't get the memo. The chicken wasn't lucky enough to battered in anything and was just plain bland and overcooked. I had to put salt and pepper on it and I never add salt to ANYTHING. I don't think I even finished half of my food. "You guys need some boxes?" asked our waiter. She can't be serious. "Nah, I think we're done here." I'm not sure if your taste buds start to go the older you get because the senior citizens thought this stuff was delicious. As for the under 70 crowd, I'd stay away, this food is gross.
(1)Aria S.
I was really disappointed with Sanders. My family and I came for breakfast. It looks like your typical diner, with the same atmosphere you see at most of these breakfast/lunch places. There are two reasons I wasn't impressed with Sanders. First, our waitress was slow and forgetful. She brought out different parts of our meal at different times. I ordered eggs but didn't get my toast. My mother ordered eggs as well but didn't get her bacon until we asked at least 3 times for it. The food wasn't up to par either. Small portions of hashbrowns and soggy bacon. Gross. I really think there are much better breakfast places in the area.
(2)Dave S.
It's called the American. Corned beef hash skillet with American cheese and basted eggs. I don't really need to say anything else about this place... but I guess I should. I have only been here for breakfast and only on weekends. Sanders is always crowded but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat. Service is typical of a diner; sometimes excellent and sometimes just good enough. Regardless of the speed of service the staff is incredibly friendly and polite. They make you feel like they're serving you food in their own home made in their own kitchen. Unlike other diners, Sanders individually wraps the bread they bring out to your table whenever you order something other than breakfast. This is a bonus since you never know what snot-nosed kid was playing Booger Man with that roll before you sat down. They have a rotating glass case of pies and cakes of which I have never tried. They look absolutely fantastic and delicious... but cake just doens't seem like a good way to finish off breakfast. Coffee hot and drinkable. Food hot and DELICIOUS!! Served quickly and friendly and accurately. Sanders is a fantastic place to get your breakfast on! Mmmmmm... bacon.
(4)Kristina K.
Open late and offers a wide selection of diner food. Great breakfast items and decent lunch and dinner selections. The fries are boring. The service is hit and miss.
(3)Mary Z.
Sanders Restaurant is great. The food is always top notch and the service is great. Even when their busy they take the time to be sure service is still top priority. Give Sanders a try and I'm sure you will be going back again and again. Sanders Team - Keep up the great work!!!!
(5)Alexandra B.
Horrible food. Crepes over done. Pancakes under cooked. My sons mac and cheese came from a box and it was also over done... at the end of the day I give it a 1. The hostess and server were very sweet, but I left without eating and had my meal taken off.
(1)John W.
Pancakes were good. Big omelette. Hash browns were very average.
(3)David L.
Great place. A real diner to get a cup of coffee and a meal with friends or family. I'm writing because of the egg white omelet, WOW As fluffy and delicious as a food that is healthy can be. Always feel welcome.
(5)jarret c.
Fantastic Spanish Omelet! Went with a group of friends and was completely satisfied. Excellent service and great food! We would go back for sure. Sanders always will come back for that omelet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)A C.
I hate to do this to Sander's - this place used to be my favorite weekly place for eating alone, or with friends; that is, until I got severe food poisoning here. I normally eat their chicken parmesan entree, with soup and salad. This one time, after I ate it, within 2 hours of eating it, I was violently throwing up, and had diarrhea for 5 days. That's right, 5 days. I wouldn't stop until I went to the doctor and they prescribed me with some antibiotics, and told to drink gatorade. I had to call the local health department....the people there were equally shocked at what had happened there, since they also frequent this diner. After the health dept did their investigation, I was told that their kitchen sinks did not have liquid or bar soaps available for staff to wash their hands, their soup was below required temperatures. Hmmm, I wonder what caused my illness. Could it have been undercooked food, or unclean/dirty hands touching the food? Who knows. But I do know that I will not be going back, EVER.
(1)Deanna S.
Ordered carryout. Service was ok, but what I ordered was inedible. Both me and my friend threw out what we ordered. We ordered two orders of blueberry pancakes, and instead of there being blueberries all throughout the pancakes, there was just a huge stack of plain pancakes with a giant pile of warm blueberry pie filling poured on top! It wasn't at all what I had envisioned, but I gave it a try anyway. The blueberries were literally canned pie filling. They left a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. I scraped off the filling and tried to just eat the pancakes, but I didn't like those either. I like nice moist pancakes and these just didn't do it for me at all. My friend ate about three bites of hers and threw hers out as well. This was a major disappointment. Maybe others would like this style of blueberry pancakes but it was a disgusting mess for me and a waste of money. :-(
(2)Juanita G.
This place is definitely for the Buick and Cadillac set. I guess everyone else that's a little younger is either at Corner Bakery or Chili's down the street. I love this place when I'm in the neighborhood and would like having crepes. Their breakfasts are superior to Jack's. They are tied in the soup and rolls category. I tend to like dinner specials at Jack's instead. Sanders' meals are very good and they have a huge menu. I'm just a little weirded out but somehow comforted by the individually saran wrapped rolls. Their waitresses are older and not always very friendly.
(5)Pamela P.
This place is the best. We're regulars here every Saturday morning, despite living 30 minutes away. Everyone is friendly, warm and inviting. The food is delicious. Never a bad experience! Highly recommended!
(5)Chris C.
Really like this place. While it doesn't have Frui-shi like Orange or other cutting edge items (which are definitely cool & good), it does have very good quality "American Diner / Restaurant" food. I can appreciate both, which is why I like this place. Pros: Quality breakfasts, meats, sausages, eggs, omlettes. Good sandwiches. Everything tastes very good, but you don't feel like you just ate at the greasy spoon. Eggs, sausage, bacon all taste "fresh" and - get this - you can actually taste the flavors instead of just grease. My service has been very good, although due to the usual line-out-the-door at this place, I think that other Yelper's comments make sense. Verdict: Old school & definitely recommended.
(4)Amanda P.
Edit to add more info, because Sander's has become my regular place to meet up with my dad and stepmom for breakfast since I wrote this review. In the Diner competition between Sander's and Jack's (kitty-corner and down the street a little bit), Sander's wins hands down. One of the things that impresses me the most about this place is that despite the fact that they've been around forever and could easily rest on their laurels, they're constantly updating their menu to include contemporary touches. Thus, Sander's will never turn into an "old man" diner, the way What's Cookin' and Whistler's so definitely have. In fact, the last time I was there, I had portobello mushroom eggs benedict with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto hollandaise sauce. Totally yummy. The omlettes are super fluffy and light, probably baked in the oven. My husband and I are also huge fans of the cherry kijafa crepes, with black cherries and sweet, dark cherry sauce. Pancakes are good, but like other reviewers said, not in the league of Walker Brothers. This is just a good, dependable diner with an extremely varied menu.
(4)Amanda O.
I was somewhat surprised by some of the negative reviews posted. For example one Yelp!er wrote that the hostess was rude. My experience last night involved nothing but the friendliess of hostesses. I felt like she had been seeing come to the establishment for years when in reality last night was the first time I'd ever been there. Granted I didn't dine in. I got my food to go. But still very friendly! The food was so yummy. I got the "Le Crossiant" which was ham, turkey, cheese and hollandaise sauce. The meat was thick cut and the ham so juicy and flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was somewhat sweet and the crossiant, I'm told, is purchased by a local bakery. It came with fries (I agree with a previous review that they are somewhat boring) and lettuce, tomatoe and pickle. I also got a side of Matzo Ball soup. It came in a rather large soup cup and I was amazed they would give that much soup as a to-go side. Then I realized that there was only one matzo ball in the cup. But it took up the WHOLE cup and that's why the cup was soooo large! It was very comforting soup. My friend got some sort of mexi-skillet. He seemed satisfied with it although it looked generic for a diner and he doused it in hot sauce. All in all I will be going back to Sanders if not for dine in experience then definately for my to-go needs :)
(4)George K.
The service here sucks. I went eating here and they left a Discovery Channel special on snakes while we were eating. Doesn't really make the food any more appetizing and considering that their quality of food is sub par, they really did not do themselves a favor. Stay away from here.
(1)Betty P.
still going there. still love it
(5)Joanne E.
Confession, when I'm not at Dixie Kitchen (Evanston) for breakfast, this is where I hang out. The Denver Omelette is fabulous. My husband and I have rarely had to wait, not even on weekends, and we have always found the service very efficient (and effective) and the wait staff very nice. Update 5/27/08: We had two rather miserable experiences here about a year ago. Unfortunately, they occurred two Saturday's in a row, and we have not been back since. Both experiences involved extremely dirty booths (the garbage on the floor was obviously filth that had built up for some time) and wait staff that seemed to be fighting with bus boys to the extent that we felt extremely uncomfortable. I don't think we'll ever be back.
(1)Mary C.
A busy restaurant is a good restaurant. You'll never find this place empty. They have fantastic breakfast food served all day. If you're jonesing for some dinner try their Greek specialties. They are always wonderful. Portions here are huge, so you'll never leave hungry. You'll also never have an empty coffee cup because service is on the ball and friendly. Only negative is the hostess treated us like we were invisible. We should not have to wait to be seated so she can finish her conversation with another employee. Customers come first, especially when you see someone is handicapped (as was the case this time with my grandmother). If it wasn't for that misstep, they would have gotten 5 stars.
(4)Joe F.
My family and I have been going to Sander's for over five years. We usually go there for dinner, and know a few of the waitresses very well. As soon as you sit down, you are given a variety basket of bread. In general, the menu is very traditional, and meals are reasonably priced. The food itself is rather mediocre, but still filling. I have only had one problem with a waitress, whom I think no longer works there. Nevertheless, the staff there is very welcoming and warm. This is a great place to grab lunch in Skokie if you need a good warm meal, and do not want to spend a lot of money.
(4)Karen H.
Some of the best soups in the area! Love the Sweet and Sour Cabbage and the Lentil! And their omlettes are GREAT! Try the Apple and Cheddar...and add in cinnamon. Very tasty!!!! Service is friendly and quick...
(3)Michelle R.
they service is good. parking sucks
(3)Y V.
This traditional pancake house/restaurant is very popular with families (and senior citizens!) in Skokie. We went here on a Sunday for breakfast. I had the ham and cheddar omelet, with hash browns and pancakes. He had the skirt steak, eggs, and Greek toast. Both portions were huge and the food was delicious. They have a big menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Ann Y.
I love the crepe's at Sander's and the waitress will even bring us a TON of whipped cream- yummy. They also will make bannana crepes even though they aren't on the menu. The soups are good and the menu is diverse. This is your typical greek-owned family restaraunt and I have always had a decent experience here.
(4)Anum A.
This place is a good restaurant to get a really hearty meal at. They have great tasting food here. But it is always crowded which is not good. If you go here you are going to have to wait and you can expect slow service. But the food is really good, so that always makes me happy.
(4)Jamila H.
This is by far the worst service I have had in recent memory. The server was extremely rude. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing after I asked her to repeat something or after asking a simple question. She brought the food out and about 2 minutes after brought us the check, then about 10 minutes later demanded that we pay it because she was leaving soon. Then as we were eating she asked if we wanted carry-out boxes for our food (I repeat, she did this while we were eating). As if that wasn't bad enough, as we ate the entire wait-staff stood around watching us eat because they were about to close. I understand how it could be frustrating to have lingering customers around closing-time, but if it's a problem either don't let us in or tell us politely. I don't mind rushing through my meal if I know that I came in just in time to get served, but don't go out of your way to make me so uncomfortable that I want to leave. It really was a god awful experience, so much so that I will never eat there again.
(1)Kimberly C.
Service was average. Good food for the price. Just passing through on our way to Michigan.
(4)J. Loren H.
Delicious lox and bagels! That's what I get whenever I go there. I love Sander's. It's mine and my sister-in-law's go-to restaurant when we wanna go out, not spend a ton, and have delicious food. The servers there are all nice. This place is like any of your typical greek-owned diners, minus the shitsy service and the bad teeth. (actually, I take that back, I saw one lady with some rotters...) The server we had last time was awesome. My 10 month old niece was with us, and the server kept interacting with her, which impressed me. I think it's rude when a server ignores a child. Anyway, if you're looking for a full menu, daily specials, delicious soup, good service, and a comfortable place to sit, eat here, you'll love it. Oh, and there are half booth/half tables for fatties like me. Woo!
(5)Caroline D.
This is a great, no-frills, breakfast-all-day diner and I love the crap out of it. For the first four trips I got the same thing every time: Greek skillet with pancakes. Their hashbrowns are the thin-sliced kind, not shreds, which is sad because I can get down with some shreds. But they're good and taste more like real potatoes. The pancakes are a miracle. Today I changed it up and got a spinach and feta omelet and, yes, it was pretty great. Good service, always hopping at lunchtime, obviously a regular clientele. It's a very homey joint.
(4)Jay K.
Just got back from having a great baked Denver omelet. If the rest of the menu is as good as the omelet I may have to up my rating. The potatoes were so-so but the toast was hot and the service was good.
(4)Steve O.
Even on Mothers Day The service was excellent!
(5)Kara T.
My husband and I frequent Sanders. We don't really branch out from the sandwiches or breakfast menu, but I did get a salad once and it was great. Typical good diner food, but the staff is what really sets this place apart. We've been coming here for about 4 years now, maybe once every other week or so, and the owner, his son, most of the hostesses and the waitstaff know us (and now our 2 year old) by name whenever we visit--it is such a great feeling. Plus, the food is consistently good and we know that when we go, we will leave happy and full. This will be our go-to place for years to come!
(4)Luis G.
Great place to come eat. Prices are reasonable. Only down fall is parking the lot gets so packed sometimes you have to wait. There great with kids highly recommend!
(4)Peter O.
Let's say you like the familiarity of generic food in an '80s Greek diner atmosphere of shiny polymered golden oak, gold veined mirror wall tiles, mauve pleather booths and blaring televisions, and appreciate sometimes friendly, old-style waitresses with teased, bouffanted hair. Well, Sanders will do you just right. It's another one of those suburbany diners where everything is fine, okay, nothing special, good enough. Certainly not a destination. Not worth a long wait seated in their vestibule on weekends, either. ~Peter O. and S.
(3)Darren F.
another dine in restaurant with mostly older generation people there.. i ordered a steak skillet and i think it was horrible.. a lot of the steak was chewy.. it was oily and even their egg whites taste bad.. should of never substitute the egg with their egg whites.. anyways.. there was some guy next to us that ordered a apple filling pancake that was huge.. and i mean HUGE! our waitress told us that it takes around 45 min to make if we ever want it.. might give that a try next time.. maybe...
(1)Teri D.
I eat here when i stay at the excellent Holiday Inn next door and eat dinner several times and breakfast every day of the one week a month I am in Chicago. The dinner cooks here need to learn how to cook chicken until it is thoroughly done. Even after specifically requesting well-done chicken, it was raw by the bone with an overpowering amount of oregano. Go with the pork chops instead. The breakfast cooks are much better and Donna or Bubbles will take excellent care of you! Go for the homemade rice pudding (which is as good as my grandma used to make) rather than the desserts that are brought in and served WELL PAST when they are dried out and stale.
(3)Nancy S.
I'm staying next door at a hotel and this has become my go to place for delicious soups and the Athenian chicken kabob. Be careful, the portions are huge but the flavors are divine! The decor is a little dated but that just adds to the "diner feel" and if the food is delicious it doesn't bother me. The waitresses are so friendly they make you feel like family and go above and beyond your expectations to ensure a pleasant experience! Thank you Sanders!
(5)Sara R.
I thought the food here was very typical "diner food". The service was not great, but that could have been a one time thing, since I only went here once. I went here with 4 others, and one of our orders was way off and they seemed indifferent when we brought it to their attention. This place seems to be a big hit with the AARP crowd.
(2)Sonia B.
OK, if you are big on service...do not go here. The food was pretty good, but the service was horrible. I went in for breakfast with a friend of mine who has a baby. We were seated and before a minute even passed 3 different people came up to us and told us we couldn't leave the baby's car seat on the floor. We completely understood why and had no objection, but explained we were just taking off our jackets, the baby needed to be changed in the bathroom, and we would then put the baby in the booth. My friend and I were planning on splitting a couple of items, but didn't even have a chance to look at the menu as my friend felt pressured to go change/feed the baby right away so she could put the seat in the booth. Mind you, it hadn't even been a couple minutes since we arrived. So, friend and baby returned...we ordered coffee, juice, a breakfast wrap, and some pancakes. The breakfast wrap was good. If I were ever to return, I would get it again. I don't plan on it though. Baby cried for a short minute...nothing too crazy. And mind you we were NOT in a high end restaurant or anything...and NO ONE in the restaurant was looking except our server and the lady at the front who may have been the owner. They both came by with very condescending attitudes/comments. My friend went back to the bathroom, to avoid any issues. When she came back to the table, she asked if she could have a refill on her coffee since it got cold and the server looked at her like she was crazy. Seriously?! We weren't enjoying the experience much and decided it was time to go and we went up to pay and the owner(?) gasped when I asked her to split the payment w/ two credit cards. I'm not joking...straight up gasped out loud and then said..."well, you tell me what half of $25.46 is!" I looked at her because I thought she was joking and she wasn't. I was dumbfounded by the rudeness! I am now wishing I didn't give a 20% tip...ugh! Everyone there was rude. So disappointing. I love supporting local diners and family owned establishments...wanted to like this place...but, there are so many other places I would rather spend my money.
(2)Chris C.
Had the ruben it was to much meat and not enough of bread. Beyond messy couldn't enjoy it at all the bread tore apart and the sandwich was so hot it took 10minutes to cool off. Service was excellent but food was over priced
(2)Michael D.
Rather breakfast of dinner food is always delicious! Love the atmosphere, great service!
(5)Erick H.
Im an easy grader. But this has got to be the worst restaurant in the world. I went with my family for breakfast. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come. And our food was cold when we got it! Staff are showing no remorse over serving us cold food. They tasted bland! We almost used up all the salt and pepper on our table! My baby who eats virtually anything, would take a bite and spit it out right away! Dont be deceived by the heavy traffic of hungry eaters thinking this must be a good placed to be flocked by a lot of unsuspecting victims! Stay away from this place!
(1)Tison H.
This place was awesome! Lots to choose from and huge portions! Service was fast and friendly! We are definitely coming back!!
(4)Alan S.
I am giving 5 stars to Sanders because its the place I have gone with family and friends for over 18 years. Basically, you could stereotype Sanders to be the American Greek diner from the 1980s like someone made a remark on the establishment in yelp. However, I like to say the place is clean and food fresh. You also have parking and access for people who are handicapped. You will see elderly people but others from all ages and ethnic groups come and dine. They have a good breakfast menu with many selections like omelettes, combos, french toast and also a good selection of salads/soup. You will also see a dinner menu with food ranging from steak, chicken, duck, and fish. They really give you alot of food. However only one complaint I am going 2 say regards the wait staff service. In the past, they had prompt waitresses but in the recent years. The waitresses had been negligent in service. I dont know why? They had hired these romanian women and not sure on their frustration with a new culture or the job. The receptionist also a romanian, pretty looking, always spaces out and not focus her attention to the customers. She would be reading some paper or checking up on her smartphone every minute or so. At times, she would stare at you from across the room with a blank look on her face. Other times you could see her leave her post at the front cashier and sit down eating the food while checking up her smartphone. Afterwards you will see the manager take up front duty at the front desk. As for the waitresses , they are always busy and never give their attention. Recently they got some new people and it was a major improvement.
(5)Hannah H.
Sander's has been around since 1984. My husband and I came here to try out their breakfast. They have a limited menu, which was nice for an indecisive person like me! I had the Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs combo, which came with hash brown potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. My husband had the biscuits and gravy, and it was amazing to see how generous the restaurant was in terms of the portion! My steak was very juicy and well-cooked, but I wasn't a fan of their side of potatoes as they were just too bland and mushy for me. My husband wasn't a fan of the gravy as it was too coagulated, and the biscuits themselves were very salty. Service was friendly, and I'm glad I was able to check this place out! +Skirt Steak & 2 Country Fresh Eggs +forget the potatoes
(3)Magdalena D.
#NAME?
(2)Hector A.
One Word "OMELET"!!!!!!! Pick the things you like and put it on their fluffy magical omelet and you will only be able to say "WOW"!!!!! Service is great. The restaurant is clean. The staff is friendly. Parking is usually pretty good. Some day I will make it to one of the deserts they have on display. REMEMBER: OMELET, you will not be disappointed
(5)Narciso C.
Extremely busy on Weekends, but Sanders provided warm welcome and above all courteous and attentive service. My family and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast on Sunday afternoon. Sanders serves breakfast all day and the portions are ginormous! The menu also included wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a robust Greek taste and flavor. There was plenty to choose from, and all reasonably priced. I will make this a regular for my family and a must for big breakfasts. Recommend the omelets, the Greek Feta omelet was huge and tasty. Kids will enjoy the pancakes or French toast, and there are plenty of breakfast meats to choose from: Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, and regular bacon to name few. Fresh squeezed OJ was icing on top.
(5)Bonnie Z.
Watch out for the potato salad. Tasted warm and strange. Pushed it aside. Proceeded to vomit only the potato salad. Refused to pay the bill. Manager was annoyed. Never apologized. Never inquired how I felt. Scratch Sanders off my list.
(1)Diane G.
On Sat. night my daughter and I wanted a quick inexpensive cozy little place to eat. I looked up the reviews and thought it sounded hopeful. The experience was awful. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, clang clang we could hear every plate served. The food that we ordered was terrible !! My daughter ordered fried scallops and I could have just went to Cosco and bought a bag. She wouldn't eat it. My dinner was also yucky. I ordered one of the specials--short ribs. I should have asked how it was prepared because when I looked at it, I couldn't eat it and the waitress kindly took it back. My second choice was a hot turkey and the turkey looked old with a gray color to it. I didn't want to ask again so I sucked up and ate it---YUCK ! Maybe we would have been better off going there for breakfast but we have marked this place as a NEVER.
(1)Pete V.
The only word I can describe this place is "average." This is your typical average Greek American diner. The place need a make over, the service is average and the food is average. The menu is probably the same from the 90s. I think IHOP menu is more interesting.
(3)Gary B.
As one who has waited on his fair share of tables I can spot the slow roll. A slow roll is when a server has been slammed and it is their attempt to not have a table get up and leave only to be immediately sat again. We were sooooo slow rolled today and I had things that needed to be done. Adding up a check isn't calculus so what the significant delay couldn't be determined. The food was ok, I had the asparagus soup which was good but needed salt. I had the American skillet which is corn beef hash on top of some dry potatoes. I don't liver near here so coming back won't be an option anyway but I certainly have had better.
(2)Stephen M.
I've eaten here three times. The first time I was wearing a bright yellow jacket and an older woman handed me her keys for valet. Memorable, but I don't remember the meal that night. We've gone twice since then. Each time we came for breakfast (served any time) and we are glad we did. Omelets were chosen each time. Walker Brothers offers the same items, but on omelets, I'll go with Sanders. The reason? They are both baked and have a firm, fluffy texture. The balance is off at WB--at least the Santa Fe is--too much cheese. (Some might say what?!?, but yes too much). The balance at Sanders is better. (This was not a direct comparison. I had cheddar, mushroom and jalapeno). This is a fountain/diner restaurant and you expect some bit of character from the host and waitresses. They have opinions, are zealous in making sure you get your order the way you want and keep you happy. (You know. How's the bacon hun?). The sides are pleasing as well. The pancakes are a meal in themselves and the browned potatoes are breakfast staple extraordinaire.
(4)Deborah G.
Keep driving! This place is scary bad!! Half the food was overly microwaved and we all know what happens there! The meatloaf and veal(???) cutlet were awful with a brown slop poured over it ! The skirt steak (21.00) was a big tasteless slab of meat thrown on a plate . Hint to chef , try marinating, the onion rings were good though. The really only bright spot were the milkshakes and the sweet waitress! She did a stellar job of taking care of an overly large last minute crowd! 5 stars for her!
(1)Nektaria R.
Good for late night. Your typical diner. Lots of food for OK prices. It was the place to go after a full day of shopping for baby stuff. I had the lox, it was so good and they even found an alternative bread for me since I didn't want the white bagel. I've had their breakfast items, the daily specials, burgers, a variety of meals since I've been here a million time. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Parking can be a pain and trying to get back out onto Touhy heading east can be a nightmare. Oh well, I haven't had an accident or a ticket yet, so it'll be OK to deal with once in a while especially when hunger strikes and it's late night.
(4)Steve S.
Great home cooked meal. The egg white omelette are the best in town the size of a football
(4)Doug R.
I would only go here if Jack's across the street was closed, and even then Idk if I'd go here. Mediocre at best. Food just OK. Prices average. Nothing overly special here. Go to Jack's if they're open, otherwise, try to find somewhere else.
(2)Justin S.
The food/service/friendliness all excellent. Never a bad visit and I've been coming here for years. They really pack the tables in, so there's hardly any room to move around when they're crowded but other than that, c'est si bon
(5)Christina G.
I came here with a large group on a Wednesday evening for dinner at 6pm on a Wednesday. Luckily, we had made reservations because when we got there, all but a few tables were full. Out large, twelve person table wasn't ready when we got there, but it was available shortly thereafter. The staff are beyond helpful. They got our orders 100% correct, and we always asking if there was anything they could do for us. Our server was wonderful and very sweet. The issue was more with the food. It was pretty average, nothing special. From the looks of the place, i thought the food wood be delicious, but I was not blown away. Most of our group ordered burgers, but I had a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The fries were good and the grilled cheese was fine, but again, nothing special. The prices were very reasonable though. I didn't try it, but they offer breakfast all day. They get extra points for that. Quick couple tips: 1. The parking lot is rather small, but the hostess told me they rent parking space from the hotel next door, so you can park there. 2. You can only enter the restaurant parking lot if you are headed west on Touhy or north on Niles Center Road.
(3)Derek G.
Sanders Restaurant is a nice north-side breakfast option. If you are looking for a place free of senior citizens, void of no nonsense wait staff, and ample parking, perhaps this is not the place for you. However, if you were looking for a place that has great coffee, numerous menu options and reasonable prices, I would highly recommend Sanders. On a side note, do not get discouraged by the parking lot full of cars. The Marriot Hotel allows Sanders to park in their lot, so feel free to park there if the Sander's lot is full...which normally is the case.
(4)Kelley S.
I've eaten 2 dinners and 3 breakfasts here. All dining experiences have been positive and flavorful. Their beet salad is delicious, their cobb salad is great, their reuben is HUGE and delicious. You have to eat that baby with a fork because there's no way you are picking it up. Their breakfasts are pretty standard, but quick and good for reasonable prices. The one thing we didn't particularly enjoy was the chicken breakfast skillet. It was the blandest thing we have ordered, but still a large portion and not bad, just not good. If you are a soup fan, ask about their daily soup selections when you stop in! They have some of the best, unique soups I have ever seen at any restaurant and each one I've had has been excellent. A note on the staff, they are what you would expect in a diner such as this... middle aged women that seem to have been there forever. With that comes a variety of personalities. I've had some very friendly and funny staff that provided exemplary service. I've also had some ladies that seemed to be going through the motions and watching the clock. Not terrible service, but nothing noteworthy either. There is also a few fabulous men whose job it is to bring waters and overall monitor all tables for beverages, clearing plates etc. They are super-efficient! Regardless of who I got as a server the food was always prepared and delivered in a timely manner which is really why I go there anyhow.
(4)Sean L.
If you can't find something to eat here that you love I don't know what is wrong with you. The sandwiches are enormous, and fresh, and the cream of chicken soup is the best I've ever had anywhere.
(5)Michelle K.
They have great sandwiches and cream of chicken rice soup on Sundays!! Simply delish!! Juanita is the sweetest server.
(5)Gio L.
It is a diner; not Stella's, nevertheless a meal after a long flight and not too many choices. I have been here before and will be back again.
(3)Rom R.
After being a regular for some time, it seems the last several months it is going downhill. Busboys not refilling beverages regularly, waitresses seem bothered to do so. Rolls wrapped in plastic, a good thing, but many have tasted day old lately, probably because not as busy as of late and remain an extra day. Seemingly new crew of waitresses over the past several months, service is ok, but waitresses there now act as if doing you a favor--nothing is gracious to you anymore . Need to fix some things, or regulars will find elsewhere to go. Serving soup not filled to where bowl should be filled, so waitress won't spill carrying it? C'mon we are paying for a bowl not a 3/4 bowl, scared to say anything to waitresses, they may do something to rest of your food.... eh can do better, just may have to drive a little, but seemingly feeling worth it as of late.
(1)Frank A.
Super busy intersection on Touhy. Parking lot is a pain in the rear. The worst is having to circle around looking for a spot during busy hour. Typical diner food that can be a little bland but this is really a good breakfast spot. What you see is what you get here. I used to hit this spot on Sundays while reading the paper. It's alright, but nothing really outstanding or bad either...
(3)Tiffany G.
Famous last words: "How can anybody screw up a pancake?" How, indeed. By definition, what is a blueberry pancake to YOU? One would assume it is a pancake, studded with, presumably, real blueberries. Even at the lowliest truck-stop one can find such a specimen... But not at Sanders. Are blueberry pancakes supposed to: a) be doused with an entire CAN of high-fructose corn syrup-stewed blueberries? b) be about 2 inches thick, have a hard outer-crust impenetrable by a fork and knife, and then literally break apart in layers while trying to do so? c) stick to the roof of your mouth like wall paper paste? d) leave a synthetic taste in your mouth even two subsequent cups of bad coffee cannot mask? e) be served with even more synthetic "maple-flavored" syrup? Final question: Is bacon supposed to be shades of green and black? And this, from an establishment that coins itself a "pancake house." They should be shot.
(1)Shirley K.
First time visit this past Sunday. Ordered salami omelet. The entree came with hash browns and choice of toast, pancakes or french toast. I had the pancakes with mine and my friend had the french toast. My friend thought the entire meal was delicious. I, too, thought the omelet was exceptionally good as were the pancakes. However the hash browns were really thinly sliced fried potatoes. That was an acceptable substitution for me but the potatoes were not cooked through. They were on the hard side. My waitress and bus boy were very attentive. The man serving as hostess really is the reason my rating is not four stars. He was extremely rude.
(3)Billy G.
Club Sandwich w/ bowl of Matzo ball soup. That is all I have to say.
(5)Richard M.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a Jewish diner/deli you have found it. The portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Think shared meals!! Service is always prompt and very helpful.
(4)Katrina M.
Fast & friendly service. Reasonable prices. Plentiful portions. No frills diner food, yet my stuffed french toast was unusually overstuffed.. which I love!
(4)Jacob J.
Decent diner food, better than Golden Nugget. My last visit, dining within a group of four people, they'd forgotten my meal completely. Then when I asked about it, it became this whole situation of pointing the finger on whether I did or didn't order. Still that was just a matter of a crappy waitress. Of the two diners in this shopping area, they are the best. Blah.
(3)An P.
I want a skillet! I want a skillet! I want a skillet! Whenever I go to a new diner that I have never ever been to before, I must have the skillet. In my view, the skillet demonstrates a chef's ability to fry, saute, melt, poach, and texturize. In essence, the skillet shows the chef's overall cooking ability more so than any other breakfast food! It was around 7:00pm on a Wednesday night and I hiked out to Skokie with a buddy to a meeting and had about an hour to kill. Despite being jam packed, we got a table with no wait. Families were eating, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, cops, coworkers and all the like were gathered at Sanders to grab a bite to eat. You'd think you were eating at Denny's or something it was so crowded. I popped open the menu and wondered if Sanders was a Greek joint. With the amount of food on the menu it really must have been. From borscht to steak sandwiches to corn beef hash to steaks and pastas it seemed like page after page of quality food. It was hard to resist ordering anything else, but being a skillet lover I dug into a meat lover's skillet without much more hesitation. PS If you can't poach eggs, why make the skillet? The food came in quick order and I got plenty of meats on my skillet and was satisfied with the degree of crispiness as well as my poacherrific eggs on big toast. While Sanders is too far of a hike for me, it is still the cat's meow in terms of skilled skillets. Chalk it up on the list, it's legit!
(4)Jean C.
I just found out today that I'm invisible. No seriously, I found this out because the hostess looked straight through me (and my friends) both on the way in and on the way out. Actually for a moment when we were leaving, I thought she was smiling at us, acknowledging us because y'know, we were leaving the money on the front desk, but it turned out that she was smiling at people in line, people she knew. And as for us? Well... invisible. She did manage to find our money, though, so that was good. Apart from being invisible to the hostess, I have to say that the rest of the staff was really quite nice. We had a lovely, friendly waitress, and the bus staff was fantastic! The food... not so much. Corned beef hash, billed as the best in the city, looked and tasted like canned. Sausages had an odd flavor, and blueberry pancakes weren't pancakes with blueberries in the batter, they were plain old buttermilk pancakes with a lot of blueberry compote poured over the top. The eggs benny were pretty average and the hollandaise was so-so. The freshly squeezed OJ was really the best thing I had. The place seemed clean and it was busy. I had the impression that there were a lot of regulars. But honestly, I doubt I'll ever have much of a pressing desire to go back. ETA: Let me be completely clear about something. This would have been a solid three-star review but for the utter indifference of the hostess, who had oodles of charm and lots of smiles for people she knew, but who couldn't be arsed to even acknowledge us beyond leading us to a table and putting our money in the cash register.
(2)Dave S.
This place struck me as odd. Every time we drive by here this place is packed! I don;t ever recall an exception. We were thinking that this place had to be pretty good to have a crowd like this at all times. We decided to stop in one evening for dinner and I deemed myself lucky to be able to get the last open table in the restaurant. I was thinking score one for us! I reviewed the menu and I was impressed with the selection and prices. The prices were low for a reason, which I am about to get into. My wife and I decided to get creative. One of us would order a breaded cod dinner and the other would order a macaroni and cheese dinner and we would have a little buffet all to ourselves. The soup was decent. It was the best part of the meal. The dinner rolls were all individually wrapped and were quite a pain in the you know what to unwrap to try and eat. Our entrees arrived and it was SO disappointing. Everything was rather bland and very unimpressive. I could have easily made this type of meal at home (probably better). The prices were cheap but we did get what we paid for. I must give credit where credit is due. Our server Mandy was awesome. She was friendly, helpful, sincere and on top of her game. Her waiting on us was probably the highlight of the meal. I am thinking that we might give this place another shot for breakfast. It looks like that is more of their specialty!
(2)Miriam B.
Love this place!. My husband and I have dined here twice. For breakfast and today for dinner. Amazing service!. So attentive!. Great portions at good prices!.
(5)Liza K.
Food poisoning
(1)Patricia L.
If pancake houses had heights, Sanders would be average with IHOP a little above and Walker Brothers towering over the other 2. PROS -gigantic, BAKED omelets that are delish and cost about $6 that comes with pancakes or toast and hash browns -cheaper than IHOP -my 1st visit here our waitress was AMAZING, like the super-attentive kind that didn't believe in glasses half empty (literally, she re-filled our coffee cups up like nobody's business) -great choice of skillets...(whether you're an omnivore or veggie queen) and 3 different eggs benedict CONS -stingy with ingredients in omelets...they also charge you $0.50 more for every other ingredient you'd like on it -as my own grandma put it, it smells like "old people" -my 2nd visit here the waitress was horrible...she didn't even notice there was bright pink lipstick left on one of the coffee cups she served us -they use canned strawberries in their crepes...WHACK Really is a toss up. Just pray that you get the awesome waitress
(2)Brittany K.
I LOVE this restaurant. Girlfriend and I are regulars here - when we lived two minutes away we tended to go at least once a week. Unfortunately we now live about 40mins away but still can't stop ourselves from visiting at least a few times a month. Their portions are huge, the selection is large, the food is always hot and delicious. I usually stick with the breakfast foods but their salads, soups and wraps are pretty good too. Staff is generally friendly, helpful and able to add/subtract/modify dishes without issue (yes, I am that one annoying customer who can't possibly eat mushrooms or hashbrowns but can you please sub cottage cheese and add asparagus??) They're also very inexpensive, and pretty quick too. If the place is crowded (as it tends to be on Sunday mornings with the after-church crowd) there is pretty much always seating at the counter available. Really I don't have any issues with this place. It is pure good. Must try!
(5)April P.
food here is great, classic. Service with Bubbles (yes that's her name) is fast and a delight had the zucchini, mushroom and tomato omlet! Yummmmmy. Tasty, fluffy and great serving. Bf had the pecan belgian waffle. Had pecans throughout as well as on top of waffle. Sooo good not a disappointment. Would go back
(5)Dan D.
You want a killer huge German pancake?! (Like really guys, this is a whopper of a german pancake... enough for at least 3 meals for myself). How about some kick-butt skillets? Oh... I know what you are craving! You want some pie. Well folks, at this old-school family-style restaurant, you can have it all. This has long been an institution of the northside/suburb Chicago. Good food. Great service. Prices could be lower... but hey, sometimes its just nice to be in a family joint. :-)
(4)Liz M.
I have a longtime love affair with All-American, usually Greek owned, coffee-shop diners. They usually have the best homemade soups. The biggest bread baskets. The yummiest omelettes. The largest fresh salads. The hottest fresh coffee. The biggest bang for your buck dinner specials. The most experienced, nicest waitresses. The most decadent desserts rotating around in a glass cabinet. And the most loyal bunch of senior citizen diners ever. Well Sanders is exactly one of "those kind" of diners.
(3)Sue K.
The service is excellent - the waitresses/hosts/bus boys are attentive and kind. The food, though..caters to their crowd, which is the elderly. What does this mean? That the food is bland and the prices are reasonable.
(2)Nancy H.
Your standard American breakfast for a reasonable price. An average omelette costs $7 and includes hash browns, your choice of toast or pancakes, and a piece of fruit! Lots of regulars, old-timers, and local families that dine here, and the parking lot is probably too small for such a popular place.
(4)meran m.
The staff was very nice. The tables are comfortable. It's open late so you can grab a bite after a show. The soup is decent and so are the fries. That's pretty much where it ends for me. Taste does not seem to be a high priority there. The hamburger appears to be a pre-frozen, dense, unseasoned patty. The salad is iceberg. The plastic-encased rolls tell you that practicality trumps an interest in quality. I don't know what my friends see in this place, other than it is open at night, but I am going to hunt down another late night restaurant in the area to suggest for next time. My suggestion to the owners: You have a nice facility there, but you'd be better off limiting your extensive menu to items you can do well.
(2)Kristina K.
Open late and offers a wide selection of diner food. Great breakfast items and decent lunch and dinner selections. The fries are boring. The service is hit and miss.
(3)Mary Z.
Sanders Restaurant is great. The food is always top notch and the service is great. Even when their busy they take the time to be sure service is still top priority. Give Sanders a try and I'm sure you will be going back again and again. Sanders Team - Keep up the great work!!!!
(5)Alexandra B.
Horrible food. Crepes over done. Pancakes under cooked. My sons mac and cheese came from a box and it was also over done... at the end of the day I give it a 1. The hostess and server were very sweet, but I left without eating and had my meal taken off.
(1)John W.
Pancakes were good. Big omelette. Hash browns were very average.
(3)David L.
Great place. A real diner to get a cup of coffee and a meal with friends or family. I'm writing because of the egg white omelet, WOW As fluffy and delicious as a food that is healthy can be. Always feel welcome.
(5)Rahman U.
This was the worst meal I've had in years, no joke. 1 star is probably too generous. I somehow overlooked several red flags warning me about this place. When we first walked in it looked like Bingo night at a retirement home. I honestly think we were the youngest customers by a good 40 years. The first thing that got me was when the waitress brought out the bread which was all individually wrapped in plastic. Uhh, ok, wonder when this was made. I ended up ordering the eggplant chicken parmesan, two dishes I've seen served separately but never together. I like them both, so this has got to turn out well right? For my vegetable I got to choose between beets and peas....wait a minute, am I on Punk'd? People still serve peas?? My choice of soup was between chicken noodle and matzo ball. "Tell me, what's matzo ball soup again?" I asked. "Oh you don't want that it's nasty" says the waitress. Well alrightythen. A good half an hour later when the meal actually arrived I tried my food and was immediately turned off. It had a layer of cheese followed by the eggplant, then the chicken, and a layer of spaghetti o's on the very bottom. The eggplant appeared to be old and slimy and coated in something that had the consistency of a pancake. Apparently they didn't get the memo. The chicken wasn't lucky enough to battered in anything and was just plain bland and overcooked. I had to put salt and pepper on it and I never add salt to ANYTHING. I don't think I even finished half of my food. "You guys need some boxes?" asked our waiter. She can't be serious. "Nah, I think we're done here." I'm not sure if your taste buds start to go the older you get because the senior citizens thought this stuff was delicious. As for the under 70 crowd, I'd stay away, this food is gross.
(1)Aria S.
I was really disappointed with Sanders. My family and I came for breakfast. It looks like your typical diner, with the same atmosphere you see at most of these breakfast/lunch places. There are two reasons I wasn't impressed with Sanders. First, our waitress was slow and forgetful. She brought out different parts of our meal at different times. I ordered eggs but didn't get my toast. My mother ordered eggs as well but didn't get her bacon until we asked at least 3 times for it. The food wasn't up to par either. Small portions of hashbrowns and soggy bacon. Gross. I really think there are much better breakfast places in the area.
(2)Dave S.
It's called the American. Corned beef hash skillet with American cheese and basted eggs. I don't really need to say anything else about this place... but I guess I should. I have only been here for breakfast and only on weekends. Sanders is always crowded but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat. Service is typical of a diner; sometimes excellent and sometimes just good enough. Regardless of the speed of service the staff is incredibly friendly and polite. They make you feel like they're serving you food in their own home made in their own kitchen. Unlike other diners, Sanders individually wraps the bread they bring out to your table whenever you order something other than breakfast. This is a bonus since you never know what snot-nosed kid was playing Booger Man with that roll before you sat down. They have a rotating glass case of pies and cakes of which I have never tried. They look absolutely fantastic and delicious... but cake just doens't seem like a good way to finish off breakfast. Coffee hot and drinkable. Food hot and DELICIOUS!! Served quickly and friendly and accurately. Sanders is a fantastic place to get your breakfast on! Mmmmmm... bacon.
(4)Edwin L.
yoh, I've been here with friends and the fam on many occasions, and Sander's has been pretty good to us. Foodwise - Their menu is good for any mealtime, whether you want breakfast (pancakes, waffles, omelettes), lunch (sandwiches, burgers, omelettes), or dinner (steak, chicken, omelettes)! Everything is tasty and is like comfort food to me. Also, their generous portions leave you feeling more than satisfied with the meal. Atmospherewise - I'm 19, meanwhile most customers around me are well over 60. That being said, it is by no means exciting. However, it's a peaceful and warm environment that I genuinely enjoy dining in. Customer Service - I dunno anything about rudeness... A lot of waitresses there are either really nice and funny or hella sassy, but in the good way! Anyway, I never had a negative interaction with the staff there, but I guess it depends on our individual moods haha. Conclusion: Huge portions of tasty comfort food, warm and cozy environment, and sassy waitresses to tie it all together and remind you that this shit ain't free agagagagaga. I'll come back here for as long as it's open~
(5)Tavi J.
Service here was great! They make you feel right at home. The crowd is older and it reminded me of an updated ihop. I got the veggie omelet with ham (Okay so the veggie omelet had the ingredients I wanted sans the meat...I know sounds weird). It came with hash browns that were dry and flavorless. It also came with pancakes. I got the banana and they were fluffy and delicious. If I'm ever out this way again I would come back, but there are seriously so many better brunch spots in the city.
(3)Joani O.
My family and I have been going to Sander's since the early 90s, mostly for breakfast, although they are practically 24 hours (5 am to midnight, every day), and serve for all meals. They are a Greek diner with is a family owned business, and the menu is quite extensive. You can get traditional Greek dishes, as well as standard American meals (ribs, chops, burgers, sandwiches, huge salads, etc!), and one of my favorite aspects are the multiple soups each day. On Sundays they have an amazing cream of chicken rice (delicious!) and every day they have matzo ball and kreplach (my personal favorite) to cater to the heavy Jewish population in the area, as well as 2-3 additional ones. You can order your meal a la carte, or as a complete dinner with soup, salad, a beverage and dessert. They have a pastry case if you're into desserts! The breakfasts are the traditional offerings; pancakes, waffles, eggs, skillets, wonderful crepes, and amazing omelettes! Huge, and fluffy...served with gash browns, or you can substitute fresh fruit. If it's lunch or dinner sometimes I order soup and salad, but I've been through much of the menu and enjoy their crisper sandwiches and the chicken de jonge special that they offer regularly. (Think shrimp, but it's chicken.) There is something for everyone here, and only once or twice have I had something on the menu that I didn't care for. We always ask for "Bubbles" the waitress (her name is Debbie), but you're sure to get good service no matter who you get. If not, ask for Frank, the owner, or Jimmy, his son!
(4)Heather M.
Big portions, friendly waitstaff, good prices and sooooooo delish. Everything I've had here has been exceptionally good. The chicken eggs Benedict was nothing like I've had before. Fried chicken breast atop a crunchy English muffin, with a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
(5)Joanne E.
Confession, when I'm not at Dixie Kitchen (Evanston) for breakfast, this is where I hang out. The Denver Omelette is fabulous. My husband and I have rarely had to wait, not even on weekends, and we have always found the service very efficient (and effective) and the wait staff very nice. Update 5/27/08: We had two rather miserable experiences here about a year ago. Unfortunately, they occurred two Saturday's in a row, and we have not been back since. Both experiences involved extremely dirty booths (the garbage on the floor was obviously filth that had built up for some time) and wait staff that seemed to be fighting with bus boys to the extent that we felt extremely uncomfortable. I don't think we'll ever be back.
(1)Mary C.
A busy restaurant is a good restaurant. You'll never find this place empty. They have fantastic breakfast food served all day. If you're jonesing for some dinner try their Greek specialties. They are always wonderful. Portions here are huge, so you'll never leave hungry. You'll also never have an empty coffee cup because service is on the ball and friendly. Only negative is the hostess treated us like we were invisible. We should not have to wait to be seated so she can finish her conversation with another employee. Customers come first, especially when you see someone is handicapped (as was the case this time with my grandmother). If it wasn't for that misstep, they would have gotten 5 stars.
(4)Joe F.
My family and I have been going to Sander's for over five years. We usually go there for dinner, and know a few of the waitresses very well. As soon as you sit down, you are given a variety basket of bread. In general, the menu is very traditional, and meals are reasonably priced. The food itself is rather mediocre, but still filling. I have only had one problem with a waitress, whom I think no longer works there. Nevertheless, the staff there is very welcoming and warm. This is a great place to grab lunch in Skokie if you need a good warm meal, and do not want to spend a lot of money.
(4)Karen H.
Some of the best soups in the area! Love the Sweet and Sour Cabbage and the Lentil! And their omlettes are GREAT! Try the Apple and Cheddar...and add in cinnamon. Very tasty!!!! Service is friendly and quick...
(3)Michelle R.
they service is good. parking sucks
(3)Y V.
This traditional pancake house/restaurant is very popular with families (and senior citizens!) in Skokie. We went here on a Sunday for breakfast. I had the ham and cheddar omelet, with hash browns and pancakes. He had the skirt steak, eggs, and Greek toast. Both portions were huge and the food was delicious. They have a big menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Ann Y.
I love the crepe's at Sander's and the waitress will even bring us a TON of whipped cream- yummy. They also will make bannana crepes even though they aren't on the menu. The soups are good and the menu is diverse. This is your typical greek-owned family restaraunt and I have always had a decent experience here.
(4)Amanda P.
Edit to add more info, because Sander's has become my regular place to meet up with my dad and stepmom for breakfast since I wrote this review. In the Diner competition between Sander's and Jack's (kitty-corner and down the street a little bit), Sander's wins hands down. One of the things that impresses me the most about this place is that despite the fact that they've been around forever and could easily rest on their laurels, they're constantly updating their menu to include contemporary touches. Thus, Sander's will never turn into an "old man" diner, the way What's Cookin' and Whistler's so definitely have. In fact, the last time I was there, I had portobello mushroom eggs benedict with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto hollandaise sauce. Totally yummy. The omlettes are super fluffy and light, probably baked in the oven. My husband and I are also huge fans of the cherry kijafa crepes, with black cherries and sweet, dark cherry sauce. Pancakes are good, but like other reviewers said, not in the league of Walker Brothers. This is just a good, dependable diner with an extremely varied menu.
(4)Amanda O.
I was somewhat surprised by some of the negative reviews posted. For example one Yelp!er wrote that the hostess was rude. My experience last night involved nothing but the friendliess of hostesses. I felt like she had been seeing come to the establishment for years when in reality last night was the first time I'd ever been there. Granted I didn't dine in. I got my food to go. But still very friendly! The food was so yummy. I got the "Le Crossiant" which was ham, turkey, cheese and hollandaise sauce. The meat was thick cut and the ham so juicy and flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was somewhat sweet and the crossiant, I'm told, is purchased by a local bakery. It came with fries (I agree with a previous review that they are somewhat boring) and lettuce, tomatoe and pickle. I also got a side of Matzo Ball soup. It came in a rather large soup cup and I was amazed they would give that much soup as a to-go side. Then I realized that there was only one matzo ball in the cup. But it took up the WHOLE cup and that's why the cup was soooo large! It was very comforting soup. My friend got some sort of mexi-skillet. He seemed satisfied with it although it looked generic for a diner and he doused it in hot sauce. All in all I will be going back to Sanders if not for dine in experience then definately for my to-go needs :)
(4)George K.
The service here sucks. I went eating here and they left a Discovery Channel special on snakes while we were eating. Doesn't really make the food any more appetizing and considering that their quality of food is sub par, they really did not do themselves a favor. Stay away from here.
(1)Betty P.
still going there. still love it
(5)Chris C.
Really like this place. While it doesn't have Frui-shi like Orange or other cutting edge items (which are definitely cool & good), it does have very good quality "American Diner / Restaurant" food. I can appreciate both, which is why I like this place. Pros: Quality breakfasts, meats, sausages, eggs, omlettes. Good sandwiches. Everything tastes very good, but you don't feel like you just ate at the greasy spoon. Eggs, sausage, bacon all taste "fresh" and - get this - you can actually taste the flavors instead of just grease. My service has been very good, although due to the usual line-out-the-door at this place, I think that other Yelper's comments make sense. Verdict: Old school & definitely recommended.
(4)Gab F.
Never again is all I can say. How utterly rude can some people be? My family has been coming here for years and we have had a bad server here and there but this one did Sanders in. If I could give zero stars, I WOULD! We were sat down and within the minute of sitting down the server was At our table asking if we know what we "want"... We tell her not yet. Obviously. Finally we order, wasn't a difficult order...like at all. 1. She didn't ask what kind of juice my mom wanted or if she even wanted juice (that came with her meal) 2. Confused two orders, when corrected, snatched plate from table and walked away, came back and just gave them to us like it was a problem. 3. Forgot the hash browns my mom ordered. Now here's where it got messy... When I stood up to mention the hash browns... She starts walking towards me with this SHITTY LITTLE SMILE like if I was bothering her convo with the damn owner. When I tell her she ALSO forgot my mothers hash brown she does a "hah ok" and turns away to go get them.. Well. You ghetto rat, you just made me want to speak my mind. I continue to walk with her towards the owner who was awaiting my complaint because apparently she had already been talking shit about me and my family... He continuously asks what we ordered and what's the problem. WELL THE FOODS NOT THE PROBLEM, it's your fucking waitress, and if you and her hadn't been up each other's ass flirting with one another, you would probably notice what a lousy job she had been doing! All he tells me is "I'll talk to her". Right, you'll just continue to talk shit about "Mexicans" like you had already been doing prior to me approaching you both. News flash douche, half of your staff is Latino so check yourself. He didn't even come to our table to apologize! We def weren't looking for a comped meal sweetheart, how unfortunate that you can't even take two seconds to come to our table and say sorry and maybe send a new waitress.., she didn't even come back to our table. We got up and went and asked for our bill. The hostess, bless her heart, did all the apologizing. Smh. Our bill was $36.40... We left $37... Those 60 cents weren't even earned. Never again Sanders Never again...
(1)Lee A.
I really enjoy coming here for breakfast I always order the same thing Meat Lover's Skillets with two fried eggs medium. Sometimes it's too cheesy but always taste good. I am happy with the food and service.
(4)Alex M.
This is our go to spot every Sunday. We have been coming here for a few years and have not found a better breakfast place. The staff is very friendly, fast, and efficient. It is also nice to see that this is a family owned restaurant. The plate I always select is the Mexican Skillet, which is very tasteful. Unlike other restaurants I have been to they use fresh Jalapeño peppers which brings out the flavor more. The Chorizo sausage is not greasy and does not over power the skillet. I have scrambled eggs with it and top it off with Tabasco sauce for a awesome meal that gets me through the day. Sundays are busy days I recommend coming in earlier. If the lot is full you park in the Holiday Inn parking lot as well.
(5)Mike K.
CONSISTENTLY GREAT FOOD. We like Bubbles--she is our favorite waitress. We always order the baked egg white veggie omelet with Swiss cheese. It is always excellent. A few of the morning waitresses are not exactly warm and friendly but all in all a very solid 4 stars.
(4)A C.
I hate to do this to Sander's - this place used to be my favorite weekly place for eating alone, or with friends; that is, until I got severe food poisoning here. I normally eat their chicken parmesan entree, with soup and salad. This one time, after I ate it, within 2 hours of eating it, I was violently throwing up, and had diarrhea for 5 days. That's right, 5 days. I wouldn't stop until I went to the doctor and they prescribed me with some antibiotics, and told to drink gatorade. I had to call the local health department....the people there were equally shocked at what had happened there, since they also frequent this diner. After the health dept did their investigation, I was told that their kitchen sinks did not have liquid or bar soaps available for staff to wash their hands, their soup was below required temperatures. Hmmm, I wonder what caused my illness. Could it have been undercooked food, or unclean/dirty hands touching the food? Who knows. But I do know that I will not be going back, EVER.
(1)Deanna S.
Ordered carryout. Service was ok, but what I ordered was inedible. Both me and my friend threw out what we ordered. We ordered two orders of blueberry pancakes, and instead of there being blueberries all throughout the pancakes, there was just a huge stack of plain pancakes with a giant pile of warm blueberry pie filling poured on top! It wasn't at all what I had envisioned, but I gave it a try anyway. The blueberries were literally canned pie filling. They left a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. I scraped off the filling and tried to just eat the pancakes, but I didn't like those either. I like nice moist pancakes and these just didn't do it for me at all. My friend ate about three bites of hers and threw hers out as well. This was a major disappointment. Maybe others would like this style of blueberry pancakes but it was a disgusting mess for me and a waste of money. :-(
(2)Juanita G.
This place is definitely for the Buick and Cadillac set. I guess everyone else that's a little younger is either at Corner Bakery or Chili's down the street. I love this place when I'm in the neighborhood and would like having crepes. Their breakfasts are superior to Jack's. They are tied in the soup and rolls category. I tend to like dinner specials at Jack's instead. Sanders' meals are very good and they have a huge menu. I'm just a little weirded out but somehow comforted by the individually saran wrapped rolls. Their waitresses are older and not always very friendly.
(5)Pamela P.
This place is the best. We're regulars here every Saturday morning, despite living 30 minutes away. Everyone is friendly, warm and inviting. The food is delicious. Never a bad experience! Highly recommended!
(5)Anum A.
This place is a good restaurant to get a really hearty meal at. They have great tasting food here. But it is always crowded which is not good. If you go here you are going to have to wait and you can expect slow service. But the food is really good, so that always makes me happy.
(4)jarret c.
Fantastic Spanish Omelet! Went with a group of friends and was completely satisfied. Excellent service and great food! We would go back for sure. Sanders always will come back for that omelet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Mike K.
The food was Ok, but go elsewhere if you expect a Thank You from the hostess after you've paid the bill. She must be the owners daughter, the atitude is unwarranted for a greasy spoon.
(2)Amanda C.
Came here at random after a shopping spree at Ross. My friend said she passed there a million times and had wanted to go in but never had the chance. I'm glad we did. The hostess was super friendly and danced my son all the way to the both. They had a mini dance party and then we sat. Our waitress came by right away and offered us coffee. She was great the whole time. No complaints here. Prices here are great! I had a coffee and 2 eggs with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a mexican skillet minus the chorizo. We maxed both. Food was good!!!! Not to mention it flew out of the kitchen. I think the bill was like $16 for both of us. That's pretty decent if you ask me.
(4)Pam D.
Your basic diner / deli kind of place. The food was ok, but nothing special. I had a Michigan omelet, which was filled with apple and cheddar cheese. It sounded so good and tasted bland. I don't get it. Christopher had a Denver omelet which was pretty good. The portions were large. I ended up bringing much of my food home. This place seems reasonably popular and has been around forever. I don't have much more to say about it. I didn't hate it, but it will not be high on my revisit list.
(3)