Dash of Salt and Pepper Diner

This is a laid-back diner that’s perfect for a hearty breakfast or a late-night bite. The menu is full of comforting favorites like eggs, burgers, and sandwiches, all served in generous portions. The service is quick and friendly, and the atmosphere has that cozy, no-frills feel. It’s a dependable spot when you just want good food without any fuss.

This spot is a neighborhood favorite for classic diner food. The menu is packed with hearty breakfast plates, sandwiches, and comfort dishes that hit the spot any time of day. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the service is always welcoming. It’s a cozy place to grab a satisfying meal without any fuss.

Unexpectedly good price for the food you get! Salsas, salsas everywhere, love it you can pick all you want and try them. Also they have toys for kids that you need while waiting for your food when it gets busy The food is really good, particularly the steak and eggs in sandwich. The brunch weekend line can get biggie, so need to be patient since there were no reservations available. This is another nice spot at Lincoln Park, and close to Oz Park, also in case other places are booked. Service is great!

A diner truly worthy of 5 stars. The French toast, eggs, and hash browns were all amazing. Service was top notch, and the prices are surprisingly fair considering it’s in a big city. I went back a second time during my trip, just to have the French toast again.

Brandy S served us and was SOO amazing and personable!! She recommended the yummiest sauce too which is the Thai Sweet chili sauce, so yummy 10/10.

I don’t usually eat meat burgers just chicken but this one was soo good! Very well cooked and juicy. I also got a pop tart and it was hot and fresh! I got an iced coffee with hazelnut creamer and my server gave me more creamer throughout my visit so sweet! I’d def would come back!

The absolute BEST diner breakfast/brunch/lunch spot in Lincoln Park and potentially all of Chicago. Great menu selection with prices suited for Gen Z or millennials nursing a hangover. Waitress is always full of personality and a bit of banter and is on top of the tables needs at all times. I went for the full irish and my wife did the spinach feta mushroom skillet. Obligatory everything bagel for the table that ended up really just being my wife’s bagel to devour (kudos to me for being a selfless gentleman always putting her wants and needs first in our partnership). Amazing meal and great outdoor seating set up in the heart of LP.

Stopped in here for the first time today. Officially my new favorite breakfast spot. The servers are awesome, food was amazing, and atmosphere was the cherry on top. Once the place died down a bit we were able to have a convo with our server - Liz. Liz told us the story of how this location of Dash of Salt & Pepper opened - truly incredible and you love to hear it. Old school neighborhood diner feel with delicious food. Like seriously delicious food. Soup of the day was to die for, ill be craving it in the days to come for sure. Green line omelette was delish.. the pancakes were dangerous. Oh and if you are a hot sauce lover... there is a hot sauce wall (I am a hot sauce lover!) If you have never been here I highly recommend it - Say hi to Liz & Wendy! Keep up the awesome work <3

This is the best diner of all time. The service is incredible, the food comes out quick, hot, and delicious.

If you want fast service, good energy, and consistency. Go to Salt and Pepper. This neighborhood diner is exactly what you're looking for. I go for the basics and when you can say that a place has great scrambled eggs that's when you know. It feels like your grandma just whipped you up a full course breakfast 10/10 definitely try it out. It IS kinda small so if you go on a Sunday at 9:30am don't be all pissed off that the "service was slow" because it's not. Likely you're just comically impatient and it was a morning rush.

So glad I found the best hash browns and corned beef hash in Chicago for breakfast. Lots of other breakfast combos which are always tasty and hot. Good coffee, too! Pozole or chicken noodle soup are also two of my favorites and often order them with my breakfast. EXCELLENT service with a smile and they are always on top of their game! Will go back to try some of their sandwiches and chili.

Went to brunch on Sunday am and while packed, the wait for the three of us was painless. Had the Classic Breakfast and the always amazing Dark Matter Coffee. What a combo!!! It was SO good, after my friends checked out of the Airbnb down the block, I came back solo the next day for breakfast again! This time I had the Crosstown Classic Breakfast Sammich!! Nice! Not sure if this gem is related to the old Salt & Pepper Diner from back in the day, but what great service, servers and atmosphere! Next time I'm in town, I will be back!

I came here two days in a row and that pretty much speaks for itself when it comes to this adorable diner. It's conveniently located right by Oz Park, making it the perfect spot to hit after a morning spent in the park. The interior is bright and distinctively decorated, with street sign decor and bold colors that create a fun vibe. The staff was very attentive and quick to take our orders. The menu features a great selection of breakfast and lunch options, and I opted for the Midwest Skillet. Honestly, it might be the perfect skillet for me, packed with all my favorites--sausage, bacon, ham, peppers, mushrooms, and cheese. The hash browns were crispy to perfection, and the portion size left me completely satisfied. I'll definitely be back! I'm excited to try something else from their menu.

My partner and I stopped in for brunch after a long run around Lincoln Park and we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious (and reasonably priced) our meal was! We ended up gettin corn beef hash and eggs + one of their chef special breakfast sandos (in a wrap)... Both were filling and cooked perfectly. Also they had a ginormous hot sauce wall... Need I say more! Service was quick, organized, and friendly. It also had a classic local diner feel to it. Again, the hot sauce wall was such a fantastic touch! (And would def bring me back again)

This is a solid neighborhood breakfast place...great place for your basics eggs, omelette, breakfast sandwiches. The food is elevated by high quality ingredients. The service is fast and nice and, at least while I was there, came with a healthy servicing of friendly banter. I like the old Lincoln Park "real" ambiance too. Oh and...excellent, strong diner coffee in a hefty mug.

They say you get what you pay for...the food is amazing and the plates are served full. You can see that everyone works together and that's what makes a great business.

While the food was enjoyable, the server was comically unhelpful. We asked if there was Cholula and rather than offering to grab us some, she pointed to the wall of sauces and rudely stated "they're over there", then shortly after correcting to "help yourself". It came off as anything but welcoming. While placing down food, she knocked down one of our glasses (which, granted, happens...) but there was no apology upon the glass shattering and splashing water all over the belongings of the guests next to us. Given this service, as well as a waiting a long time for the bill, 20% gratuity was an unreasonable addition.

4.5. These folks have the system down pat. Hyper-efficient service team. The kitchen is fully competent and is the king of the potato; the french fries and the hash browns are _exceptionally_ good. The burgers also get very high marks. If only the coffee was a bit better and the eggs were a bit more inspired this place would be perfection.

What a gem. This place has a comfortable, neighborhood diner vibe with a fun (and clean!) hot sauce wall. The food was amazing - fresh and delicious. The sourdough toast tasted artisanal and the pancakes were delightfully flavored in a thin style. Service was slow, but comfortable feeling on the week-day morning we went but is probably hopping on weekends. Looking forward to going back with the kids.

Just a heads up, this place is not kid friendly. Went here with my family last year while visiting Chicago, waitress yelled at my toddlers instead of speaking with me or my husband. She didn't like that they were playing with ketchup bottles. So best to go only with other adults. Food was solid, but the service was incredibly rude.

What a great breakfast place in Lincoln Park! It gets really busy on the weekends. You have to stand in line at the front and wait for a table to open. You pay your bill at the counter after you finish your meal. Our waitress Brandy was awesome! She's quick and gets everything done so fast. She's efficient and welcoming. We sat at the counter with the barstools and it was cool to see the open kitchen. I also love the decor inside bc it's decked with Chicago stuff and street signs! The pancakes that come on the side is really good here and it's thinner. We got a free cupcake since the restaurant was celebrating its anniversary!

Walked by this place quite a few times and decided to have girl brunch here. The inside is like a very casual diner with Chicago focused theme. There are cute outdoor seatings too, but beware of the bees during the warmer months, there's A LOT of them. The service was a little interesting, the waiter insisted we cannot sit down until the entire party has arrived, but the restaurant was only half full. The food was decent and the portions are large! I particularly liked their omelette a and hash browns.

So good!! I can't say enough good things about this place - the service, food, coffee, ambience were all great. The brisket corned beef hash was amazing!

Huge variety of breakfast items. Very cute dine. Great music too! Staff was awesome. Friendly & fun. Made us feel at home. Biscuits were delicious. Must visit if in Lincoln park area

Cramped hip place for breakfast and brunch. Dash Of Salt And Pepper is one of the most popular places to eat in the mornings in Lincoln Park judging by how crowded it can get. It can be hard getting a table inside, but there's also counter seating or you can go on the patio. Actually it's not quite as small as it appears, because it's just crowded which makes it seem like it. The menu has breakfast stuff like omelets, and for lunch there's salads and sandwiches. Ate here late in the morning so we could get some of the breakfast and lunch items. It had a pretty big crowd inside and on the patio. They had seating at the counter inside so luckily there was no waiting. As for the lunch menu, it seems most of the stuff is sandwiches of some kind. The Second City is the one for vegetarians. It's about $11 and comes with a side, and I got it with chips. On the sandwich was avocado, Dijon mustard, roasted red peppers, red onions, and spinach. Good flavors but it still could have used something extra. Maybe hot sauce. So now I need to tell you about the hot sauce, as in the tons of bottles along the walls. Get some bottles of your choice. Just put them back when you're finished though. Has a lot to choose from. The hot sauce goes good on the eggs and pretty much anything it seems. Of course there's also salt and pepper. There's surely enough of the seasonings to use. Forget about just the salt and pepper and put on something hot. It has shit tons of hot sauce to spice up breakfast and lunch. The menu has a pretty good variety.

The food at Dash of Salt and Pepper was decent. The ambiance was good but the service sucked. For a Sunday brunch diner meal, this place was super slow (about 75 min from being sat to food on the table) with inattentive service. The time delay might have felt less annoying if the waitress bothered to stop by more than once between ordering and food delivery. The auto 20% gratuity felt like a double slap in the face.

This was my first time going to Chicago and my friend and I came here for breakfast! The inside of the restaurant is pretty colorful and it feels fun! Service was super fast and we were seated right away. There was outdoor (with an umbrella) and indoor seating, my friend and I got seated inside. We got seated and given water and menus. We ordered within 5-8 minutes and got our food roughly 10 minutes after that. The food was not bad I really liked the scramble that I got, for me I like my hash browns on the more burnt side for that extra crisp, which was delivered here on their scramble. There was a good portion of vegetables and hash browns underneath the eggs, every potion had a little bit of everything. For me, I wish that the flavors were more bold. I did have to dunk lots of hot sauce onto my scramble to give it a nice kick. I would say if you like bold flavors maybe try something else on the menu. After we finished our food, you pay up front and they have to go boxes for you to take your food home if you chose to do so! Overall, the service was very fast and servers were attentive, they refilled our water many times. There was never a time where our water cups were empty! Same goes for coffee if you order it, they come around frequently to fill up your coffee! I would come back here 100% but I would chose to order something else that has a bit more of a kick in its spiciness.

Great food and great service! Bustling diner with big flavor. Only a few big tables, I'd say it's best for smaller groups. They were super busy on a Saturday morning, yet managed to get us seated quickly. The Oreo pancakes, croissant sandwich, sourdough toast, hash browns... we ordered a lot and it was all good. Highly recommend for a classic diner breakfast.

The search for the best diner in town is finally over! Meet Dash of Salt and Pepper, your new favorite brunch spot! I am officially giving S&P an R.R. (Renee's Recommendation). A bold statement, I know, but I stand by my yelp and here's why: *Food: packed with flavor, fresh quality, big portions. *Service: if you're friendly they're friendly. If you're not friendly, you're not going to have a good time. Pretty simple right? I've seen people argue with the host for the most craziest things like the wait (on a Sunday at noon which is going to be busy, duh). I love how they don't put up with the ridiculous that some people bring sometimes. *Women Owned! Yes sisters! The diner is owned by Brandy & Chassity who have decades of experience in the restaurant industry. Talk about inspirational! Our top faves are the country fried steak, classic breakfast (which comes with toast or pancakes AND hash browns, grits, or cup of fruit), pink line omelette, croissant-which, & the BLT to name just a few. Big portions, happy bellies!

My husband and I were bumming around the area with no real plan for the day, and we opted to do lunch at Dash. I have to first mention that, per the exterior, we did not expect the interior to be as spacious as it was. It is designed so neat, with the best Chicago vibes. The menu items are titled with Chicago-themed names, which I adored. I opted for the CTA Classic, which is a grilled Cheese with Tomato and Avocado. Cute, right? Adding to the allure, for fans of hot sauce, is a wide assortment of hot sauces on a rack, which the server directed us to when serving our plates. Everyone we interacted with was just spectacular. I really enjoyed seeing the regular stream of seemingly regulars picking up to-go orders. I will be there again, and I'd highly recommend this place to take out-of-town guests. We were seated inside, but had a nice view of the outside seating. The area is dog-friendly, which is nice. The prices were as palatable as the food, so if you're on the fence, for sure give Dash a try!

2/5 for service. 3.5/5 for food. I've walked by this place dozens of times and finally decided to try it out when a friend was in town. Given it was diner food, we figured it would be a relatively quick stop, minus any waiting for a table as people have mentioned in other reviews. We came around 10:45am on a Sunday. It was a beautiful day so we wanted to sit inside. There isn't a stand outside so we went inside first. The lady said we needed to go stand outside for that seating. We waited probably 10 minutes for a table - not bad. But we waited another 15 or so minutes to order..and people that sat down after us ordered BEFORE us. Not cool. It took FOREVER for our food to come out - enough time to wonder what was going on. Food was okay. I got the Popeyes omelet with fruit, half order of French toast, and an extra side of bacon. The omelet was supposed to come with spinach and feta. I don't usually eat a ton of cheese because it doesn't sit well with me but feta I am generally good with. Well it definitely wasn't feta that they used - as you can see from the pic, that's not feta cheese. Lots of spinach which I appreciated but given the dish had 2 fillings, would be nice if they asked me if I still wanted it if they were going to use a different cheese. French toast was burnt. I only ate one piece. Bacon was done as asked (crispy). My friend said her avocado toast was good. Person at the register didn't even say hi and wasn't very friendly when we went to pay. I think our experience would have been better, at least with service, if we sat inside, as the server inside seemed to be much more on top of things than what was going on outside. Really disappointed with our experience after hearing so many great things about this place.

A great hole in the wall diner. Really fresh ingredients and I really loved everything. Able to walk in on a Saturday morning and get seated immediately, which was a huge bonus.

Had a fantastic lunch yesterday! food is great diner food. But the staff is the best and kindest staff we've ever met!! Someone in our party started to feel faint (soon after we arrived). the whole team there was so caring and helpful and made sure she was ok. They went above and beyond and treated her like she was their own daughter!

Good local, classic diner in the neighborhood. No reservations, but haven't had to wait too long for a table, you just need your full party there. Food is nothing crazy, but classic diner breakfast food is what it reminds me of. My favorite so far has been the breakfast burrito - simple & light, but have been with people that like omelets & French toast. So nice to have an easy drop in breakfast spot close by!

The food is very good, great burger and the fries are just as good. Service did seem a tad slow, waited about 10 minutes before anyone came to take our order. But it was also a crowded Saturday when we were there. Will definitely be back, perhaps during a less busy time and hope for quicker service.

In town for a three day wknd hit this place twice for breakfast. Can't miss! here's a pic of my fav sauces and my BYOT sunrise. Everyone got something different each day and loved it! Grits, B&G, the pancakes are thin and wonderful. Good vibes , seriously - BYOB from the CVS nearby

I went here around noon on a Sunday and was able to get a table for 2 only after about a 10-15 min wait. The decor inside is entertaining to check out while you wait. They have a wall of sauces in the back, and they even have a puzzle of the menu which as a puzzle fan, gave this place brownie points in my heart. Food was solid (I got the breakfast burrito) and the prices are extremely reasonable, especially for the area. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting some good diner food.

What a great diner. Food was delicious, and the service was great. Work crew was very welcoming. Will definitely be back soon.

The food was delicious I got the paramedic with a side of fries and it was everything I could've asked for. The ambiance and location is also great, it is right across from Oz park and they have a calm patio area.

We typically order our breakfast form Cornerstone Cafe. They were not taking orders so we once again tried a Dash of Salt and Pepper. Once again, they messed up our order. Last time I let it go. This time I am not and I'll tell you why. I KNOW they read our order's special requests because they charged for the addition of onions. They took out the cheese like I requested but left the green onions in the skillet. I have called the place probably thirty times. I give up. My fiancé was finished with his breakfast and I still haven't been able to reach them. This breakfast was over $50.00 and it is sitting in my trash can. Seems fitting for a trash restaurant that doesn't answer the phone, charges for every request and then doesn't comply with the request. They just charge for them. Cornerstone is a vastly better breakfast option. They're worth the wait: once you try Cornerstone, you will not be disappointed!!! Edit- don't feel sorry for Dash of Salt and Pepper. They had a chance to correct this directly with me when I called for over thirty minutes. They could have corrected the order with Uber Eats. They could have also complied with the special requests. They charged for them so I know they read them. Anywhere but here would be my choice. The top choice obviously would be Cornerstone. We shouldn't have settled for this mistake riddled, trash heap.

Excellent service, high quality food, perfect diner ambience. I ordered the Lincoln skillet with the pistachio salsa and would again. It was fall so the pumpkin pancakes were a nice touch. Can't wait to eat there again when I visit DePaul

Excellent breakfast, coffee, and service! It's our favorite breakfast spot in the area.

Brandy was terrific and we enjoyed the meal as well. Also, 80s radio as background music, another plus.

Great breakfast spot, friendly service. Had a quick brunch meeting here and the server was super accommodating. Food was awesome.

This place is class act. I had the tuna melt and my partner had the strawberry pancakes, both delicious. During our dine, the lights on the street went out due to scheduled work. The team was so generous and told us our meal was on the house. We will definitely be back to order double the food and to enjoy the positive atmosphere!

Truly one of the best diners I've been to. Certainly the best in Lincoln Park. Portions are huge, relatively affordable price, great diner vibe and the staff is super friendly and responsive. The hash's and omelettes are so delicious and the pancakes are a great side treat as well. I always leave super full after eating here. Again- one id the best diners I've ever been to!

Awesome breakfast/brunch/lunch spot. Fantastic service staff. Good portion size, fun energy. Definitely worth checking out, we will be back when we visit again.

I wanted a vegetarian option for a skillet. They turned the green lantern into a skillet for me which was fantastic. Fresh spinach, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese with hash browns and your choice of eggs. The coffee was good and hot. Lots of creamer options. The service was great. Lots of seating and cool original art to purchase. Definitely will come back.

My wife and I come to Dash every time we visit our daughter who is in school. The food is top quality diner food. The cooks on the griddle are pros. Portions generous and you don't have to ask for a coffee refill. Last but not least, the service is hilariously great. Our server is a jokester and some may not get the jokes but we do and she's worth a visit just on her own.

Great price for milk shakes in the city. Long line but quickly seated us. Menu has a lot of options!

Banana bread French toast was delicious. I had a bit of an accident getting ketchup all over me and my shirt. Brandy not only gave me a new Dash od Salt and Pepper shirt to change into, she really took care of me as a server. Everyone was willing to help clean me up. Delicious food and even better service and hospitality at Dash if Salt and Pepper. You can't go wrong here!

After a romp through nearby Oz Park, my love and I popped into Dash of Salt and Pepper for Saturday brunch / lunch. Based on the look of the building on a triangular lot, I figured the interior would be on the smaller side. However the interior was surprisingly spacious, and indeed we were seated at a table immediately after entering. The place is decorated with Chicago-themed signs, and there is even a colorful wall of hot sauces should your taste buds tolerate such condiments. The menu also features dishes with Chicago references, such as my love's CTA Classic, a grilled cheese sandwich with cheddar cheese, tomato, and avocado. I went with breakfast rather than lunch by choosing two eggs (scrambled) paired with brisket corned beef hash. I did like the bold flavor of the brisket, though it was a bit over seasoned (too much salt and pepper?). The sides I chose (crunchy hash browns and pancakes with syrup) were tasty and it all made for a very filling meal. The service was spot on all the way around, as the staff efficiently managed all the customers. There is also a decent amount of outdoor seating should you wish to go that way. Dash over to Dash of Salt and Pepper for a fine diner meal.

Awesome food. Excellent service. Been eating at restaurants in Chicago my whole life and this was the best breakfast I've ever had. Highly recommend.

this shit was GOOD! every aspect of my dining experience was perfect here. the interior and the atmosphere is cozy, and i felt right at home! the inside was so intricately decorated, i loved looking at every little piece of decor they had displayed. i came here for one purpose. and that was to eat some biscuits and gravy. i don't know why biscuits and gravy are such a rare menu item in Chicago, so when I see somewhere that has biscuits and gravy, i run in that direction. the biscuits and gravy were sooooo good. almost licked the plate clean. i also got a creamsicle shake that i had to hold myself back from sucking down in the first 10 seconds. another one of my most favorite things in this world is banana bread. the banana bread french toast was sooooooooooo good. on top of that, service was phenomenal. the waitresses were super sweet and very personal. prices are actually super reasonable as well! our total bill was way wayyy cheaper than I expected it would be. i will definitely be back!!!!!!

Excellent, classic breakfast. The service was quick and friendly. We enjoyed everything - eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, pancakes, biscuits and d gravy and Dark Matter coffee.

Great food. Classic dinner breakfast done really well. Best corned beef hash in town. Good, friendly service. Want to try their lunch menu.

Food is amazing!! Great service and patio. Brandy, one of the owners, is very personable and had some great stories for us. Will definitely be back!