Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant & Bakery
Milk Dud’s, Orange, Prune
Coffee
Banana Meltaway Pancakes
French Toast
Apple and Cheese Omelet with Potatoes and Greek Toast
Vanilla Donut
Cinnamon Sugar Donut
Almond Coffee Cake
A part of the Chicago dining scene since 1923 I was honestly surprised I’d not made it to Lou Mitchell’s sooner when I began perusing breakfast options in the Near West Side, but with my sister and her fiancé along for the ride on an early Sunday morning a visit long overdue was finally made. Proudly located at the beginning of Route 66 and unexpectedly large yet classic in every way from the smiling hostess offering up donut holes and Milk Duds as you enter to the beaten up booths filled with hungry Chicagoans even prior to 7am it was with good fortune that we arrived when we did, scoring both free parking plus one of the last open 4-tops, and with effusively friendly service predominating orders were placed; baked goods arriving within 5 minutes, plates in 15, and seemingly 20 coffee refills during our hour long stay. Every bit a diner and not meant to be mistaken for something upscale most of the food at Lou Mitchell’s was passable at a good price – the pancakes loaded with bananas and excellent with Lou’s house blend syrup, the enormous Americana omelet with top notch pan roasted apples and aged cheddar plus “3 or 4” eggs for a mere $8.95, and the still warm donuts the standout of the morning in terms of their delicacy – the vanilla particularly impressive and nearly on par with Doughnut Vault for best yeasted doughnut in town.
