Golden Nugget Pancake House

Over the years, this has been one of my favorite places to go to for good comfort food. Trust me the stories that I have from here after late nights or early mornings are hilarious! I just love that they are consistently good with their items and it has been that way since I’ve been going for about the last 20 years. Recently, I got to try their Apple pancakes, and I have to brag about those. It’s their pancakes with this apple compote on top and it is so good! It’s sweet enough where you don’t need any additional syrup if you don’t want it because it’s so balanced, but my son and I added some. We love them! I honestly think that golden nugget has some of the best pancakes in the city in general. Nobody can make those edges crispy like they do lol

If you're a diner-head, you'll love the Golden Nug. We go all the time and it's our go-to diner when we have people visiting or staying with us who seem like they need a short stack. They have a huge menu for breakfast and lunch, but I usually stick to the breakfasty stuff. I've tried the biscuits and gravy, different omelettes and scrambles, all kinds of their specialty pancakes and french toast, and everything is yummy and just exactly what you want from a diner. On like a cold wintery morning you really can't beat it. I recommend on the weekends going a little early because it gets pretty busy and there can be a wait. But usually even the wait goes quickly because they get the food out so fast.

Came to Golden Nugget yesterday and was greeted right away and seated. I would give the food and service 10 out of 10! The server’s name was Linda. She was outstanding. My husband and I own two restaurants and we even tried to convince the server to come join us at our locations. I would highly recommend the omelettes. They are fabulous and worth every penny!

Great to still have a diner type restaurant in the neighborhood. Good wholesome food. Honest prices.

I live right across the street from the golden nugget pancake house and always have wondered how it is. The service was amazing they treated my niece really well and make sure my niece and I were taken care of. I will recommend the French toast and the waffles with fruit! You won’t be disappointed by giving the golden nugget a try!

So this isn’t bad. It is just a little pricy. There are some diners in the area that are a bit cheaper. Also, I think they have too many things on the menu. The food wasn’t bad but it wasn’t exceptional either. I did like the atmosphere of the place and the decor but I don’t think I would go back. Overall, I’m happy I tried it as I’ve been curious but it isn’t a place I would go back to.

0 stars if I could I wouldn't step foot back in this building if the meal were free and they paid me for my time. This used to be a place where my family felt welcome, but those days are dead. The experience was an absolute train wreck from the moment the "food" hit the table. We were served "baked" potatoes that were a shriveled, leathery, microwaved mess. They weren't just bad; they were insulting. How did that leave the kitchen? As a server you would address this issue to the cooks before it went to the table, clearly. The moment we politely informed the waitress that the potatoes were inedible, the hospitality vanished instantly. The service didn't just "slip"—it became hostile. Suddenly, we were disregarded. I was being policed like a child and told I’d be charged for a third refills. It is a pathetic state of affairs when a "family" restaurant starts nickel-and-diming loyal guests over a splash of soda because they can’t handle honest feedback about their failing kitchen. To top off the "leathery" theme of the night, the steak was a total workout for the jaw—chewy, low-grade, and poorly prepared. To the owner: You are trading your reputation for the price of a cheap food, Microwaved "Baked" Potato and a few cents of syrup. You’ve lost the "family" heart of this business, and you’ve officially lost us. To everyone else: Keep driving. There are plenty of places that still know how to use an oven and treat their guests with basic human decency. This isn't one of them.

Hot, fresh, delicious food, every single time. What really makes Golden Nugget the best is their friendly staff. Even when it's very busy, the staff is kind, patient, and hustles to meet your requests! The pancakes are my favorite food on the menu, but everything is delicious.

Hot, fresh, delicious food, every single time. What really makes Golden Nugget the best is their friendly staff. Even when it's very busy, the staff is kind, patient, and hustles to meet your requests! The pancakes are my favorite food on the menu, but everything is delicious.

June is about to end so I'm going to mark the transition into July with a review or few, including an update to my six-year-old screed of this family favorite of mine on the North Side. My most recent and first post-pandemic visit to Golden Nugget about three weeks ago came 2,194 days since I lobbed uncharacteristic criticisms about the eatery. At the time in 2017, I was a bit tired from my flight from Houston Hobby to Midway so what I ate back then was seemingly meh to me. It may please the cadre of you who thoroughly read my posts that I fell in love with GN again. My cousins, who actually grew up across the street, brought me here for a farewell breakfast in which I helped myself to a delicious, nicely cooked steak accompanied by a generous amount of scrambled eggs and hash browns. The meal may sound simple, but it did hit the spot for me. The Ravenswood neighborhood of which the place calls home has changed a lot, but it was great to return here and revive a dormant family tradition of ours.

Great service and good. I don't usually seek out to eat breakfast. Nonetheless, this place has great breakfast options. Very tasty. Good environment too.

Food is good and service friendly and would rate four stars. Unfriendly customer policies caused me to reduce ratings to two stars. 1- one of few restaurants in Chicago area charging a credit card surcharge. (To their credit well posted on site, but no where on Internet.) Restaurants should reflect menu prices that cover their costs and the profit margin they want, and not add surcharges to hide costs. Consumers need to be vocal about this. 2- asked to substitute fruit for meat and was told not possible. 3- charged $2 for extra side of sour cream, less than an ounce! (I did get manager to remove. )

Food was good (as usual). Portions were satisfying. Service is always friendly and food is served quickly. My main issue is how inflation ambas brought the prices WELL ABOVE the dining experience. $45 is a steep ticket for breakfast fare.

Food was great and there is so much food for your order. Slower service so don't come if you're in a rush but when you order food it comes out quickly. Nice place to grab breakfast though with great food.

Ordered a Patty Melt the corner of the bread had mold a few sliver of burnt onion. The French fries were cold and dry. Also ordered some corned beef hash and chunky potatoes. Do not be deceived by the picture, you don't even receive a fourth of that. The chunky potatoes are just some French fries cut into cubes with no seasoning. They have such a wide range of food items. I thought I would be ordering from here for a while. Second time and last time. Cost too much to have to throw it away. That dark corner was mold.

Food is still good, ambiance is still standard pancake house, service was very much as it should be. The prices of definitely risen quite a bit, though. Coffee and soft drinks were $3.99. Mexican skillet was 16.99. I don't know if it's the neighborhood or just the general rising cost of food. Women's bathroom was clean, and had a sanitizer dispenser in the door handle. Some parking is available.

The food is just plain bad. Hash browns have no flavor. Scrambled eggs taste like butter and nothing else. Will not be returning. And I'm sorry, but if you're a breakfast place that can't do scrambled eggs or hash browns, you have failed.

Breakfast was hot. Tasty. Coffee was just diner coffee. Garden salad with croutons was decent

I ordered the two pancakes two eggs * sausage * bacon breakfast and it was perfectly made well! A simple breakfast but delicious! The pancakes were very fluffy and bacon crisp. The savory sausage drenched in maple syrup added flavor to my breakfast plate. Let's not forget about the Coffee!!!! A big WOW!! They even shared to me the coffee brand but I forgot (I had 3 refills :) :/ Anyhow... it can get crowded on weekends but wait is not too long. I still think of that coffee.... Yum. Lastly... the staff was superb and hardworking! Very friendly atmosphere and great seating arrangements for families * couples * and going solo at the counter! The menu has a variety of omelets too! Thank you!

I just spent nearly $30. on 2 cold eggs, over easy, 2 bacon slices and 2 blueberry pancakes with coffee. $30.! Their prices have gone way up but the food quality and taste is just average. You'd think with that price that the coffee would be amazing but it was just "meh." We waited way too long for the meal to arrive. After eating, we waited too long for the checks. We finally went up to the cash register only to have the waitress pull out a hand calculator and come up with these exorbitant prices! My $17.99 meal turned into almost $30. with tax and tip!?! The atmosphere wasn't anything special and the layout felt cramped and crowded. Don't waste your time and money here, it's not worth it.

We have picked up food and dined in and had good experiences both times. The Turkey BLT club is great for lunch, and the omelette, breakfast tacos, and steak have been good breakfast choices. When we dined in, the service was good and our food came out quickly. There's definitely a diner vibe and it's homey with signs all around.

I order breakfast this morning, when i say the ENTIRE ORDER OF FOOD WAS HORRIBLE. I see all these 5 stars i can't seem to get that quality of food, Hash browns burnt, Eggs or whatever those were tasted strange, don't know if they were reheated or what and the breakfast sausages were dried out. I guess when you order from a food app you pay more and get the worst quality of food.

Everything was great except for my senior citizen self having to walk down three flights to get my bag!

Our favorite breakfast spot. Been coming for over 30 yrs and consistent, super friendly service and GREAT quality comfort food. Love everything they serve from their oatmeal to there double decker burgers and meatloaf dinners....yum

I would give Golden Nugget a 3.5 but without anything setting it apart from other similar spots, I went with a 3. It's important to set the correct expectations when you come here. It's a 24-hour diner with 24-hour diner ambiance and food. It's pretty similar to other spots like this in the city: Hollywood Grill, Golden Apple, etc. A highlight was definitely the friendly and quick service. We never needed to ask for more water or coffee. My girlfriend went with the Chicken Fried Chicken and I went with the Farmer's Smoked Sausage Skillet. The fried chicken and biscuits were okay - nothing amazing but she ended up finishing the leftovers! While I liked my skillet, it was a bit heavy on the sausage and light on the cheese and seasoning. We both got our eggs over easy and they were made perfectly! The coffee was pretty good and always hot. Overall, Golden Nugget is exactly what you might expect from a diner: huge menu, friendly service, and solidly decent food. Nothing to write home about but it'll definitely do the job.

The perfect place to scratch your diner itch. Amazing breakfast food all day, incredible shakes, and so much more on the menu I haven't gotten a chance to try yet. Can't recommend enough if you're looking for a local IHOP/Waffle house situation. Very fun late night, too!

Do not patronize the diner or use uber eats. I paid $50 and gave instructions to call my friend (I live in CA) who is disabled upon arrival. The standard instruction is meet at the door. No one called and the Diner says not their issue and contact uber. There is no phone and live chat say sorry, no refund, cannot call you and they cannot take my # to have someone call. This is terrible on Thanksgiving the driver stole the food and uber and restaurant will not refund. I will dispute on credit card. But on this holiday, this is really sad. What makes this worse, is that my friends relatives did nothing and he has no food today. Very pathetic service. I dare uber or the restaurant to reply and explain why they have no "Heart"

Seriously $4.00 for a simple cup of coffee??!!!????? I'll never come back here again!!! Not worth it in my opinion!!!

I love this place so much. The food is good, cute vintage vibes, service is friendly and fast, but the absolute best part of it all? The GOSSIP. The staff gossips in the front counter freely and I love getting in micro doses of drama each visit. Also, whoever Michael is, the staff is feeling bad and sorry for you, but honestly I'm getting bad vibes from you. Maybe whatever happened to you was to teach you a lesson or two :)

Fire flame, the biggest tastiest omelet I ever ate and this is coming from a south sider. Our waitress was a young lady yet a seasoned vet in the serving game: an industry super star, beautiful inside and out--Miss Tania. Ten out of ten recommend, hangover cure, much positive vibes. Dope coffee mugs also

If you decide to come to this golden nugget don't expect them to greet you, to want to take your order, or to even get a menu. The host Melissa had the worst attitude not only towards me and my partner but to the gentlemen that came in after us. Steer clear from this place, go to ihop instead.

Super great service by our waiter Bulmaro!!! Very nice guy. Attended us very well and the food was good.

The customer service and atmosphere are great here, it's just the food. It's terrible. Over the years the quality just continues to drop and drop. I'll miss this place but I'm not ordering food here anymore.

Food was decent but service was horrible over charged for the food and they don't tell you that gratuity is already added to your bill if it's over 5 ppl so you end up double tipping for horrible customer service. Managers not good at resolving issues I wouldn't recommend this place personally

We came here for dinner around 7 pm, and it was pretty empty. I've always passed this place and finally got to try it with my family. Not sure what I was expecting with the menu, but I was a little disappointed. The general choices were burgers, pancakes, pasta, and omelette. I had a hard time choosing my meal because everything looked unhealthy. I ended up going with the veggie omelette. If there weren't omelettes on the menu, I probably would've gone with the soup (chicken noodle, cream of broccoli). Everything else looked too heavy. The omelette itself was huge. Not as many veggies I would've wanted. Hash browns and mashed potatoes were excellent. The mashed potato came with my dad's meal, and it was the kind that had the potato skin mixed in. There's a senior (55+ yo) special section in the menu. My dad was able to get free coffee with the purchase of an entree. Our meal was pretty expensive for 4 people. The portions were huge though. I recommend splitting a meal with someone.

$$ Open 24 hours Last time we order steak mediam rare not mediam well party of 3 2 finish they breakfast but 1 need wait for the server mistake

They always get the breakfast items right here in the evening - the french toast is the perfect mix of crisp outside, fluffy inside. Plus it has the real Chicago diner atmosphere, since it is, well, a real Chicago diner.

If you're looking for a true diner style breakfast look no further. The staff is friendly like a neighbor you actually want to see and the variety of breakfast items that all taste phenomenal will keep you coming back for more. Parking lot tends to get packed quick but street parking isn't super difficult either.

Golden Nugget is more than just a pancake house. They have some of the biggest biscuits topped off with delicious gravy. They were so good! This is a new favorite of mine for breakfast while in the Chicago area. The service was attentive and very friendly. They treat their customers right!

No frills breakfast joint. I ordered takeaway from here trying 2 different dishes. First i tried the 4 cheese toast. It was two large pieces of french toast with a cheese sweet filling and topped with icing and fruit. The fruit cake pretty wilted as a mixture of very bad strawberries and blueberries. Honestly it tasted super good and the French toast was really rich, but the status of the fruit was a bit off putting. I also tried the biscuits and gravy. They did not arrive as warm as I had hoped but that happens with delivery. The biscuits were smothered in a gravy sauce. Nothing outstanding or extra special about them. Next time I will skip that and try something else. They have a giant menu full of everything for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can get pancakes, sandwhiches, fajitas, and more!

Golden Nugget Pancake House is my go to place in Ravenswood. I will talk about the elephant in the review, the food is fore-sure on the pricier side but oh so worth it. My fiance and I have easily spent $30 to $40 one a meal for two people which I normally wouldn't spend on breakfast but the meals are so large that it is typically a minimum of two meals for me. Golden Nugget is massive inside. You will not have any issues finding a seat no matter the size of your group. I have been to the restaurant a few times and I have yet to see the restaurant halfway full. Golden Nugget is what you would expect a popular breakfast joint to look and feel like. They have booths for days. If you are like me and cannot pass up a booth you will love this place. The waitstaff is very friendly and they move quickly. I do not think we have waited more than 15 minutes for our food from the time we placed the order. I personally love to get the country fried steak. They do not hold back on the gravy and the portions are beyond what I could ever finish in one sitting. I love it! The food is always flavorful which is a common problem I have found with diners that I have visited. I love Golden Nugget because it is always good food and good times.

The wife and I met friends here for lunch and were mostly pleased. The service was good and there is a parking lot. I also like that there was no wait for breakfast at 11:00 on a Saturday. I hate few things more than being invited to meet people for brunch and being forced to wait 45 minutes for a table. Golden Nugget has good regular breakfast food. I ordered the Wild West Omelette . It was good, but requires either salt or hot sauce. The side of hash browns was not good. It tasted like pretty much nothing and looks like alfalfa sprouts in my photo. The pancakes were delicious. Next time I am here, I will probably order just the pancakes. The wife ordered spinach and cheese Omelette and found it acceptable, but a lot of salt was required.

The food here is always delicious I get the Cornbeef Hash Omelette. It's perfect from here those items are usually sold separately but as an omelette it's so much more delicious. So if your in the area stop in the food is great and the delivery is always Hot And Fresh.

The best biscuits and gravy in the city!!!! Also love the chicken and waffles, soups and hash browns. Delicious sit down or delivery!

I've never had a bad delivery from here. Food arrives on time and extremely hot from the kitchen to my door. High recommend.

Nice go to breakfast spot in Chicago. Prices are decent and the food is good. One thing I would definitely recommend are the pancakes. They are very good! Came on a Sunday morning at around 10 AM and were seated immediately which was a plus. I would recommend this spot if you are in the area.

This place is exactly what you expect it to be. If Golden Corral and iHop had a lovechild that ran away from home at a young age and struggled to support themselves, this would be it. And lucky for most people, that's exactly what we look for in a 24/7 breakfast serving palace such as this. The eggs were wonderful, the hash browns were delish, and that steak was bomb. The coffee was above average (for a place like this) and the service was delightful. Loved it. They've got a huge menu and I'm honestly convinced that it's all pretty tasty. I'll be back. Or maybe not. But probably. I've got a spot in my heart for dive-y breakfast diners with good coffee. Definitely check it out, y'all.

SOLID breakfast option. I've passed by a million times before actually dining, and I'm mad at myself for not going sooner. They have a massive menu. In some cases, this can be bad, but here it really works. You can get whatever you are craving. I got a Denver skillet which really surprised me because it was incredibly flavorful and cheesy. My bf got a corned beef hash which he loved, and it came with pancakes which were fluffy and delicious. This place does breakfast right- coffee is always full, service is attentive, and meals come out quickly. I give 5 stars because it exceeded my expectations, was a great price, and left me happy and full!!

Despite the expressions of doubt and uncertainty that are expressed any time I mention the Golden Nugget, I have never had a bad experience at any location. You can satisfy almost any craving in a cost effective manner. You may not feel so good afterwards, but that's not the point.

This is a neighborhood pancake house I have been coming to for years. The staff is always nice and friendly and the food is very consistent.

When it comes to Breakfast food and good service I'm super picky this is why this is the only Golden Nugget I go to. Hands down best service in town. Our usual server Coco is amazing at what she does, she always greets us with a huge smile and remembers our usual order to the T. The best waffles in town and their veggie omelette is delicious. Looking for good food and great service? Look no further!

Still one of those best kept secrets. Ordered blueberry pancakes, the way I like them; blueberries baked inside, not on top. My pancakes, eggs and hash browns were piping hot.

Food was a little cold upon arrival but overall yummy! We got French toast which is always a good choice from the Golden Nugget and eggs with hash brown. All was eaten. They even included the joke we asked for pictured! We ordered with grubhub so I think it was a grubhub driver but...The driver was not nice(facial expression showed pure anger) and didn't say a word even after I said something to him and thanked him...weirddd

This 24-hour diner called to me as I made my way home at 11:30 and as i was contemplating eating my shoe. This place has a menu that has it all. If you can't find something to satisfy your cravings here, I'll send you that shoe. EVERYTHING looked and sounded good, partially because I was starving and also due to the skill of the advertising firm that prepared their menus. Last night, I had this ENORMOUS chili bacon cheese burger. This morning, I'm BACK for the Corned beef hash omelet. This is a literal gastronomic tour-de-force, a culminate weapon-of-mass-destruction that fed me into submission. It was half as big as my head for Christ sake!!! CLEARLY a local favorite and now one of mine. Thanks, Chicago!

Gave them another shot on the price. last time I got French toast.....let's go basic. 2 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, toast, coffee. simple easy standard breakfast, right? $14.95 BEFORE tip. after tip $17.00!!! that is highway robbery!!! I just got bacon and eggs AT GOLDEN NUGGET!!! wasn't like I ate at some downtown café! this place is ICED!!

Hardy. Tasty. Generous portions. Friendly, fast, efficient, no frills service. Highly recommend the HUUUGE-n-CHEESY Wild West Omelette (bacon, ham, onions, tomatoes, 4 large eggs, choice of cheese) with a side of crispy Chunky Breakfast Potatoes. There are healthier options on the menu, but I mean, WHY?! Great old school, neighborhood diner, with vinyl booths and non-frou-frou coffee with plenty of refills. Don't even think about ordering a mocha latte frappuccino here. Breakfast All Day. Dinner All Day. Desserts: Cakes, Pies, Cheesecake, Ice Cream Sundae, 3-Scoop Milkshakes. I really appreciate the simplicity of offering only 3 basic milkshake flavors (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) plus Oreo. WUT?! Kiddie Menu. Parking lot. Bike racks by the train station. Bike lane on Lawrence. I've been coming to The Nug for almost 30 years, but finally decided to write a 5-Star review because of our server Tania. Highly recommend sitting in her section in one of the booths along the Lawrence-side wall, closer to the parking lot. Tania is THE BEST!

If you love a greasy spoon breakfast Golden Nugget fits the bill, but don't expect a tiny price tag at this place. It's actually pretty expensive for a meal that makes you feel like you need to take a shower afterwards. Omelets, benedicts, and other morning staples fill the menu, but if a place has "pancake" in the title you probably want to order those. Especially when they've got them of the pumpkin variety. Whatever you order, it'll come with a smile as the folks who work here are pretty happy and friendly to customers. Overall you'll be satisfied with the Golden Nugget whether it's the morning after a night out or even on the night out. (open 24hrs) It's not going knock your socks off, but it definitely does the trick when you need it to.

This place was absolute garbage! First off, walking into the front door was rancid! The waitress was not friendly by far, the food was completely FLAVORLESS. I was looking forward to my first visit here since moving to the city but it was a major let down. On top of all that paid $60 for three people, ridiculous. Best thing I had was hot chocolate!!