Gayle V's Best Ever Grilled Cheese

Love the atmosphere of this place. Live music, and nice staff. I would say the prices are a little iffy especially for portion size. I payed $13 for “The Margarita” grilled cheese. I would’ve wanted for the bread to be a little bigger in size. Was going to order the “little mac” until I saw how small it was. Could compare it to a “pup cup” from Starbucks. Overall good taste for the grilled cheese though.

Amazing. Kelly made it easy to order and the food came out quick. Absolutely, hands down, best grilled cheeses.

Gayle V's advertises themselves as having the best cheese sandwiches ever, and I think they are right! They have many creative and delicious choices, each hand-made. They also have hand-made chips that are wonderful and a selection of bottled sodas including a lemonade soda that was very good. The environment is clean and modern. The even had live music the day I stopped by for lunch. They are on the lower level of the mall outside entrance to the subway.

It's good! I do think the prices are way too high for what they served. The sandwiches were not stuffed up but were still tasty. The lobster is a pass because of quantity per price. The sandwiches were very flat. It felt like they were skimping a bit. The gobbler was so much better but still not filled enough to justify the price. Their soup was unique enough with flavor, but it felt like it lacked something for me. It just did not hit when you dip the sandwich in. The fries was good but nothing to write home about. Now I thought their homemade ketchup was awesome! I know that it is in Chicago loop prices, etc, but it is overpriced. If i pay 15+, I expect it to be filled. It's definitely worth coming back to, just not very often.

I recently visited Gayle V’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese, and it definitely lived up to the name! The restaurant was spotless, and I loved that everything they offered was locally sourced, from drinks and sauces to unique merchandise. The staff, especially the cashiers, were very knowledgeable, helpful, and clearly passionate about the menu. I tried The Classic this time, and it was delicious and very filling. The cheese was cooked to perfection, though I wouldn’t have minded a bit more of it for that extra gooey goodness. Other than that, no complaints here! I’m already looking forward to going back and exploring more of their menu. Each bite was worth it – highly recommend for any grilled cheese lover!

I love the location and the staff is friendly, but the amount of food I got for $22 was kind of pathetic. And the grilled cheese I had was good, but it wasn't the "best grilled cheese I've ever had in my life". I do like how they have live music though. My main downside is just the portion size.

Gayle V’s is a hidden gem for grilled cheese lovers—this place really lives up to the name! I ordered the Classic Grilled Cheese with tomato soup and it was absolute comfort food perfection. The sourdough is fresh and perfectly crispy, and the cheese is gooey without being greasy. The soup was rich, well-seasoned, and perfect for dunking. Spent about $15 total and left super satisfied. The vibe is cozy, and if you’re lucky, you might catch some live music while you eat. Definitely one of the best spots in the city for a legit grilled cheese!

Great lunch atmosphere! I tried the Pulled Porker and lemonade soda and really enjoyed both!

I recently started taking the underground Pedway from the Metra train station and saw this place. I said one day I'm going to try them so on 2/26/24 I paid them a visit. There is an extensive menu with a variety of different grilled cheese to choose from. I decided to get the River Valley - Prairie Pure swiss cheese, smoked onion marmalade and River Valley mushrooms. That had to be the best grilled cheese I've ever had in my life! Definitely a gourmet sandwich with the best and freshest ingredients. I also ordered the seasoned fries which for some reason isn't listed on the menu on the website. They were good as well. I dined in and it was nice and quiet inside the establishment. I'm really looking forward to coming back and deciding which is going to be my next try. Big ups for the website menu having a description and color picture of each food offering. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The place is clean. Grilled Cheeses bring me especially back to my childhood with a nostalgic smile. Wonderful experience! See you soon! A++!

The Best Grilled Cheese as voted by The New York Post, 20 years in a row. I can see why. I happened upon this location located on the B1 level of the Pedway and mall in search of a quick but satisfying lunch spot. I was really surprised by the variety of choices on the menu. Think classic grilled cheese using butterkase cheese on fresh sourdough. (That was grilled to perfection). We also opted for the Classic Mac - it's their classic grilled cheese with a heaping portion of homemade Mac and Cheese. This is why you eat here ... most items were homemade, nothing out of a can as the employees told us. Which brings me to rave about their Loop Soup. It was a generous bowl of their tomato pesto soup paired with cut up pieces of the classic grilled cheese. Excellent separately but a match made in heaven when eaten together. My kids even took their sandwiches to dip into my soup. The soup was semi thick and robust in flavor. Yet not feeling too heavy after consuming. Pesto really makes it "wow". The other sandwich which deserves a mention, the Jake! It's Gouda, ham and apple butter. Man, I wish I thought of this. The apple butter's sweetness pairs so well with the ham. And Gouda makes everything good. Yum. So much food in Chicago but this is totally worth a try. Homemade and fresh are the key words here.

Where's the cheese!? I paid over $17 for a gluten free version of the tomato basil sandwich. I stopped by their stand at the Green City Market and was sorely disappointed with the value for my money.

Good grilled cheese, not sure it was worth the $13 bucks. Good mac and cheese, not worth the shot glass of mac and cheese for the price. Ate in, they forgot to bring me my drink. Ok place but not worth $22 lunch in my opinion.

The food was so yummy. The Staff was super friendly and food came out fast! Definitely recommend!

My Mom and I were shopping downtown recently and wanted to get something to tie us over until dinner. We took the escalator down from inside Macy's Department Store to "The Chicago Pedway" and immediately located Gayle's! I have always seen this establishment at The Lincoln Park Farmers Market with long lines of adults and children hankering for a grilled cheese Sammy! So I knew it must be good! We just ordered the "plain" grilled cheese. I want to go back and try other recipes which include specialty meats, cheeses and artisan mustards. Quick, easy service and they bring it to your table within minutes! Fantastic staff!

Ooey, gooey, and delicious!!!! Gayle's never disappoints! Everything I try, I love! the Abreo is my go to, but so many great options!

Solid grilled cheese joint. Best ever? That might be a stretch... The space itself is somewhat bland and boring - it used to be an Au Bon Pain, I believe. Staff is super friendly and helpful, and while I was dining they had an acoustic guitarist which was kinda awesome (make sure to tip him if you agree) The sandwich itself didn't blow me away. It was decent but lacked butter and greasy crispness on the bread. The amount of cheese and bacon was also on the lighter side. Loved the homemade chips! Good portion and cooked perfectly.

Amazing assortment of grilled cheese sandwiches! All farm fresh ingredients. Employees are friendly and helpful.

So I really liked Gayle V's... but I do think there are things that could be improved upon. The good! The concept is there. This is a high quality grilled cheese place that came from farmers markets and exudes quality and a pretty affordable price point. Everything is a little more than just grilled cheese but it makes it a bit more refined by adding spreads, switching up the types of cheeses, and even adding meats sometimes. The sandwich is very good as well as the service. What can be improved this is the amount of ingredients. The bread to cheese to other ingredient ratio is just not there. The other ingredients really do elevate the grilled cheese and there needs to be more of it, especially at this price point. I do wish this place well and hope they can improve!

wonderful grilled cheese was fast and easy. In addition was low cost. Surprising find in a mall.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup was nothing special. Prices were extremely high for soup and a small grilled cheese. Located in a lower level of the mall made it feels like a basement. Service was nothing special either. I enjoyed the Filberts Chicago soda

After seeing the Gayle's line wrap around the farmers market on weekends, I had to try it at SOAR when they had no line. The staff was friendly, the menu is extensive, and the sandwich was tasty. A little too buttery/oily for my taste, but can't really complain about a grilled cheese that's too comforting. I tried the one with pepperoni and tomato spread and liked it a lot. The bread had good crunch to it and the sandwich was filling.

I was really excited to try this place out while in Chicago and while it was good, it wasn't anything amazing. The tomato pesto soup was pretty good and something new to try, but the grilled cheese was pretty much what I could've made at home. All in all, it's decent if you're craving comfort food, but didn't blow my socks off.

I've been coming to Gayle V's to pick up one of the best ever grilled cheese sandwiches for a few years. Even if six months or a year passes by before having my next one the sandwiches always taste the same. This is a good quality to have for a food place because it means the customers can rely on getting a good sandwich any time of the year with the same great taste and flavor. So if dependability is on the list, we can check that off. Another great quality of Gayle V's grilled cheese sandwiches is the ingredients are fresh and suppliers are local. I had my first grilled cheese sandwich from Gayle V's at the Logan Square Farmer's Market and found her again later at the Streeterville Farmer's Market. But if you miss Gayle V's at both farmer's markets or other ones, you can buy a sandwich at her shop downtown in the Loop. The downtown location is super convenient, and especially convenient for me when I need to take the L Red Line to transfer to the Blue Line. When I transfer between the two lines I stop at Gayle's which is in the lower level shops next to the Starbucks. My go-to is the Classic which is sourdough bread and melted cheese or I get the Pulled Porker, which is slow cooked BBQ pork with a homemade slaw. It's really good--the flavors are mild and not overwhelming. After I eat the Pulled Porker I don't have to eat for several hours--it's a sandwich with staying power or how others say "it sticks to your ribs", which is perfect if you have a long drive ahead of you or a flight.

Trekked across the city to find they are closed on Sunday and did not update their hours.

OMG this place is amazing. The people who work here are so kind and the food is out of this world. Most amazing mac I've ever had and these unique grilled cheeses knock everything you've ever known about grilled cheese out of the water. Absolutely phenomenal.

stone cold mac and cheese no flavor or seasoning, noodles were soggy tiniest grilled cheese i've ever seen- it was fine, also no seasoning, didn't taste like much. these two items also totaled to 22.50

We spent a few days in Chicago for a conference and had an early-ish flight out of O'Hare to head home. We had to catch the train and stopped by Gayle's for breakfast. I wish we had found her place sooner! We were only able to try breakfast, but there were a ton of delicious sounding items on the menu. Our breakfast sandwiches were excellent and Gayle was right, it kept us full most of the day! Her service was great and she was so kind. We will definitely stop by again next time.

Ambiance of the place was great! The staff was very friendly and there was even live music when I went. The grilled cheese however was not the best I've ever had. Grilled cheese was toasted to a crisp and there wasn't even enough cheese inside to give you that satisfying butter like bite that you would expect.

I went to Gale V Best Ever Grilled Cheese for the first time today . The macaroni and cheese was the best I ever had . I also had the Duke , which was delicious. We went there after a field trip , so I had some students that brought their own lunches . the owner was so sweet and told us it was fine to sit in there . She even told my students to get water from their water station if they had nothing to drink . Highly recommended

The grilled cheese sandwiches were amazing! One of them with pepperoni (and tasted exactly like pizza) and their signature grilled - would make you melt! It was yummy. Paired with tomato soup, it was a perfect marriage for a cold winter lunch. Cheers!

Discovered this place in the basement of block 32. Hidden gem! Best grilled cheese and on weekends they offer lobster grilled cheese. Nice selection of drinks and cookies as well. Great option for a quick lunch beyond the crappy fast food national chains that abound around State Street. I will be a regular here. It's steps away from the red line too.

I've just discovered Gayle V's, and if you like grilled cheese, you're going to love this place. With so many options taking grilled cheese to the next level, and some perfect tomato soup along side to dip into. Gayle V's is a must try. Good luck only ordering one!

El precio no vale la pena para lo que es, se ve bien pero el sabor no me gusto para nada.

Oh my goodness, do yourself a favor and check this place out! Their grilled cheeses are absolutely amazing and the little dipper is perfect to dip and not have soup leftover. The staff is also super helpful and really nice!

Ok at best. Got a pepperoni sandwich for $10.50 and my mom got a breakfast #1. We pains over $30 for both. There wasn't lot of people but we still had to wait about 10 min to our food. Food was overpriced for the quality. If it came with soup it would have been worth it.

Picked this off of Uber Eats for lunch yesterday on a whim. I was so impressed! Can't speak on customer service since I wasn't there, but it came packaged nicely. It is clear that each ingredient is chosen carefully and of high quality. Grilled cheese is crispy, deliciously sweet and gooey cheese, I got the Little Italy and loved the pepperoni and tomatoes inside. The tomato soup is SO good- its great to have a non-cream based soup with grilled cheese as balances nicely without feeling too heavy. I especially love the side of it you can get for $2.50 as a dip- haven't seen that before and helps from being wasteful! Will absolutely order again soon.

Haven't been there for awhile but experience was great. The restaurant was homey, unassuming, and not intimidating. It was a bit too warm, great for winter months! Prices we're reasonable; my classic cheese sandwich with tomato soup and home made chips was top notch quality! Most of all both staff present were polite, pleasant, and professional. I signed up for their mailing list too.

This place is aptly named. Our grilled cheese sandwiches were literally the best we've ever had. I ordered the margarita. She ordered the little Italy with a few modifications. My daughter said her sandwich is what heaven tastes like. Gayle and her staff handled the modifications without hesitation. I'd come back here tomorrow and the next day and the next day until I had tried the whole menu. Thanks Gayle!!

Food was so good! The tomato soup was the best and so fresh! I loved it! Not only was the food amazing but the service was incredible. I ordered off Uber eats and was delivered the wrong order. Gayle the owner herself came to deliver the food and tried her hardest to deliver quick so the food stayed fresh. I will definitely be ordering again. Thank you Gayle and staff!

Really fantastic lobster grilled cheese, my favorite thing on the menu! 5/5 Gayle is such a sweetheart really enjoyed getting to chat with her. Tomato soup 4/5 but still great to go with her grilled cheeses! Southport 4.5/5 Great selection of drinks and cookies 5/5

My boss treated me to this place two weeks ago and I was instantly hooked. I went back today, and I got my boyfriend hooked on it. Gayle has us as customers for life, now. I had the pulled pork we both times and it was excellent. My boyfriend had the regular grilled cheese with ham. We split some Mac. It was just incredible-- enough said.

I first heard of Gayle's when I saw them in Daley Plaza at the summer farmers market. Then I saw it listed in Timeout and Chicago Eater as one of the best grilled cheeses in Chicago. Then I finally had a sample at Timeout's grilled cheese meltdown at SPIN last year and found it very good. And now I have finally ordered a sandwich from Gayle's. Just like I remembered it was one of the best grilled cheeses I've had. It compares to the Fat Shallot and CB&J at Hopleaf. Cheesie's is a little more traditional using the Texas toast rather than sourdough or rye. I stepped in and was amazed at their menu. There were probably 10+ sandwiches and I couldn't decide what to order as they all looked amazing. I was craving BBQ so I ordered the Pulled Porker. I thought it was delicious! The meat was tender, flavorful, and there was a good quantity of it. The sauce was sweet and the slaw was crispy. The size of the sandwich was the perfect amount and it wasn't overly rich that makes you sick to your stomach. The employees are very nice and Gayle is usually working, which is cool to chat to the owner. The space is very small with about 4 seats. It's definitely a carryout place and go sit out on Daley Plaza when the sun's out like today. Prices were relative to Loop lunch spots. Pulled pork and lobster were more expensive as they typically are. My only two complaints that I have are it took a while to cook the grilled cheese and the bread was tough. These are minor complaints and are probably due to the cooking methodology. To be fair, the Fat Shallot and CB&J have tough bread as well. Cheesie's is the only place with soft bread. But I will agree that you shouldn't mess up a good thing. I will have to come back and try all of the sandwiches as they looked amazing. And their cheese curds were pretty good too, which Gayle offered me a sample. I definitely recommend trying Gayle's!

Pro: Great grab and go breakfast grilled cheeses, Staff was very nice and made sure my meal was perfect. Cons: Difficult location to get to since it is in the bottom of the mall and price. My sandwich was $14. They seem to range from $7-16 depending on which one you order. Stop by if you are in the area and want something different to eat.

I got the grilled cheese at the Lincoln Park farmers market a few months ago and had totally forgotten about it until someone suggested we go to the storefront today and I had to suggest we go somewhere else. First my sandwich, it was OK not great, I'd expect the best ever grilled cheese to be slightly more cheesy but maybe they were being stingy with the ingredients because I showed up closer to the end of the farmers market IDK. Second, this is the thing that really threw me off, as I was eating my GC on the bench the person running the Gayle V's stand started aggressively yelling at the booth next to theirs to shut up. This was a very shocking interruption to my lunch at the park and I can only imagine how the person at the other stand felt. TLDR The sandwiches are a 3/5 the manager/owner? is hella rude and I can't imagine going to a business run by people who would berate another local business unprovoked.

I had no idea grilled cheese could be such an elevated experience. Everything here is sourced from the Chicago farmer's market, and you can taste the craft in all of it. When working with something as simple as a grilled cheese, quality cheese and bread goes a long way. Flavorful cheese, rich bread, and juicy pork. The addition of apple was unexpected but the sweetness contrasted the savory pork beautifully.

Amazing spot! Got the Sebastian (lobster grilled cheese) on a Friday and was totally satisfied. Would go back again to try some of the other toppings. This place is tucked away in the basement of Block 37 mall and during covid times traffic here is low, so hopefully the business can survive and continue making delicious grilled cheese sandwiches!

Very good grill cheese. I had the Lobster grill cheese which is only served on Saturdays. Really good cheese not too salty or too buttery. Perfect grill cheese sandwich.

I stopped by on Friday for the lobster grilled cheese. Well it wasn't the best ever, but it was pretty good. Most of the grilled cheese's are made with butterkase cheese ( I've never had prior to today). Butterkase is a soft, mild, and buttery cheese. The first thing I noticed and appreciated was the crunchy sourdough bread. The panini press does an excellent job toasting the bread. The sandwich wasn't a greasy sponge and had just enough butter on the outer surfaces. The lobster grilled cheese is made with butterkase. While the cheese was a bit rich for my tasting I still finished it all. The lobster was definitely the highlight and Gayle doesn't skimp on the lobster. I took a peek under and lobster went to the edges of the bread. I probably won't order this sandwich again, but I'd definitely try another menu item. Gayle's serves breakfast sandwiches too.

Yummy! Came here for a quick lunch during work with my friend. It's a small spot in the lower level, with small seating area. Everything looked so good so we decided to split a raspberry jam sandwich and a caramelized onion and ham sandwich. They were not huge but sooo flavorful. Perfect proportion of stuff inside the frilled cheese. And the raspberry jam was so fresh, and homemade style. I will definitely be back.

Oh my gosh Gayle's is open on Saturday's now! Yes! I used to get Gayle's Grilled Cheese whenever I would go to the Green City Market. But I haven't been going lately. I know Gayle's is open during the workweek but I don't work downtown. So walking through the lower level of Block 37 on a Saturday afternoon and seeing Gayle's was open just made my day! Gayle's grilled cheese is the best grilled cheese I've had. Everything I've had has been amazing. This last time I had their buffalo chicken grilled cheese and that was divine. Cheesy with buffalo sauce = the greatest combination ever. Pop into Gayle's! It's delicious! Be warned: this is a takeout place. Technically there's a table but that's where people wait for the food. Grab your sandwich and go explore the city!

Absolutely adorable storefront and great selection of grilled cheese varieties! Gayle is a GEM. She is welcoming and very good about customer engagement, promoting the rewards program right off the bat. Can't wait to come back on my bday for a free grilled cheese! I loved the River Valley mushroom grilled cheese with the mini cup of soup for dipping. What a brilliant idea. Love a place that's unique and simple and customer oriented. You could tell people enjoyed their jobs here. I mean...what adult doesn't love a well done grilled cheese during the work week to feel like a kid again?!

Service was great and staff were friendly and helpful. Love that their ingredients are locally sourced. However, they were pretty pricey for the size we got. Sandwiches were tiny and didn't have much cheese. Tomato soup wasn't as creamy as I had hoped. But giving it a 4 for the service and locally sourced ingredients.

I overheard someone in line ahead of me order the duke (Swiss cheese, ham, and poblano mustard). It sounded really tasty, so I ordered the same thing. It was delicious! I rushed back to my office so the sandwich was still warm and the cheese still gooey; on the other hand, the samples that they offer had been sitting out for a bit so the bread was hard and not as tasty. Ideally, you'd want to eat it there but the restaurant doesn't have much seating. You should expect a slight wait because your sandwich is grilled upon order, but it's definitely worth it.

Pretty surprised by the service we received this morning when we went to Gayles for a breakfast sandwich. We placed our order which was two sandwiches and a water. The woman working the register rang it up and it totaled $32. A few moments later she brings us a cup of tap water, this is strange since I had just paid for a bottled water. I went up to the counter and said excuse me I paid for a water and she said "yeah you get refills on it." I was kind of shocked by the response... $2.25 for a tiny cup of tap water?? So I kept on and said mam I paid for a bottled water, so I'm going to have one. A few minutes later our sandwiches were ready, we open them up and take a few bites and I realized the sauce that was suppose to be on my sandwich wasn't on there. So I approached the counter again... I said "excuse me mam but my sandwich was suppose to have hot sauce on it..." and the woman response "yeah it's on there." So after we go back and forth a little the woman behind her offers me the small cup of sauce. Sorry but I don't get it, why argue over something like that with a customer. Especially after you just tried to take money from me for water. Now I will say that the sandwich was yum but of course over priced for a cheese sandwich! The place is beyond small with only one little table. They also had display food all over the counters and table which I find kind of gross. Anyway, I am not from Chicago so I wouldn't be returning here because I don't live here but I would suggest to find another place to eat if you are considering coming here.

$12 for a breakfast grilled cheese and I wasn't particularly impressed. However it was likely my selection, which include chicken sausage, mushrooms, Swiss, and egg. The chicken sausage was horrible! Dry, bland, and tough. I should have opted for pork. This item should really be eliminated from their menu. However if I didn't select such a terrible protein, the bread was toasted nicely and the flavors weren't bad. I don't see myself coming back but if someone loves grilled cheese this is a decent option but really avoid that damn chicken sausage.

I always walk by this place in the morning on my way to work and see people waiting for breakfast sandwiches. I really want to try one. I went to Gayle's on oneFriday with a few co-workers. I intended to get a lobster grilled cheese seeing as it was Gayle's "Lobster Friday." I wanted bacon though, but bacon and lobster is a weird combo, so instead I went with a bacon + tomato grilled cheese. The sandwich was amazing. Until I went to Gayle's I had yet to find a better grilled cheese than Cheesie's. Now I have two favorite grilled cheese places in the city. If only Gayle's was open on weekends, what an amazing hangover cure it would be.

Came to Chicago for a birthday trip, just happened upon the farmers market and ate an amazing grilled cheese. I've been dreaming about it since! I got the Duke with blueberry mustard and fresh peaches. It honestly doesn't get any better, it was the BEST! Right time, right place!

I love Gayle's! I've had this place bookmarked for a while but they close at 3 every day so it was kind of hard coming here because of my schedule and I'm not usually in the loop area. It's right inside Block 37 and super easy to get to on the red. I think the best day to come here is Friday because they have lobster grilled cheese. The lobster grilled cheese called "The Sebastian" is 15.50. A little expensive but it's definitely worth it! All the sandwiches are made on the spot. You could also call ahead of time to skip the wait. In all I think I waited about 10 minutes for my sandwich? I also ordered on the lighter side $10 which includes a small grilled cheese, small tomato pesto soup, and a few chips. The lighter side is a good option if you want to try everything and it's good to dip the sandwich in the soup. I thought it was so cool that Gayle was actually at the store taking orders! She's really nice! I can't wait to come back here on Friday to get their lobster grilled cheese again! They put a good amount of lobster in it too. I wish it was open a little later, though!! They don't really have a lot of seating room. They only have one table with just a few seats so i'd recommend going to the park outside and eating because you don't want to make the grilled cheese sit around or the cheese won't be so gooey.