Charlie Parker's Diner

We decided to try this place based on positive Google reviews. 😍❣️ The restaurant was packed, which was a good sign. Unfortunately, they were out of Country fried steak, part of the reason we personally selected. 😭 I opted for the fisherman’s breakfast with walleye. It was a basic breakfast with eggs, toast, hash browns and two walleye fillets. I requested crispy hashbrowns on both sides, and our waitress suggested deep-fried, it was very good❣️ However, the walleye was overdone. My wife had the breakfast sandwich with bacon, my Daughter opted for the country shoe (country fried steak), and our son-in-law had a breakfast wrap. Aside from the overcooked walleye, our food was good. I would recommend trying. They were accommodating with a great laid back feel and cool atmosphere. Next time I hope they have the Country Fried Steak, that’s my Fav. 😂 ✌🏻🙏🏼💪

This place truly looks like a dive but it is a diamond! Amazing food, quick service, and prices as old school as the building! Free coffee refills (delicious house ground coffee btw) two fulls meals, and tip all for $35! Highly recommend going off the interstate if driving past Springfield on I-55

Solid breakfast option. Service was great and brought stuff to the table promptly. Food came hot and fast. Highly recommend a stop if you’re in the area just to walk back in time and be in an old hanger looking building for breakfast.

Stopped here for breakfast on 10.16.2025 and was served by Amber. The full-sized Breakfast Shoe was Spectacular!! Highly Recommend to anyone traveling through Springfield, Illinois, and I will Definitely come back again.

Amazing place to eat! EVERY SINGLE PLATE that came through the window looked DELICIOUS! And, everything I tasted was absolutely delicious! The staff was very hard working and friendly. Over all one of the best meals I've eaten!

A very popular place with the locals. We had Chicken and Waffle (I forgot to take a picture) and the Breakfast Horseshoe. Breakfast was perfect. The coffee is delicious. I'd return if we lived closer.

DYNAMITE!! This place is like a Time Machine that spews out delicious food. What a throwback joint with all sorts of memorabilia. I stopped by here on my way out of town while traveling back from a conference. The service was incredible and the food was amazing. I ordered the famous Charlie Parker’s pancake and it was scrumptious. Hot and fluffy with warm syrup. The place is worth seeing and if you live here you get to enjoy so much great food as well.

This place is worth the hype. The pancakes are large, but still cooked just right. The bacon was a piece of perfection...not over cooked but nice and crisp.

Hard to find but worth the trouble. Speedy service and great hole I. The wall type place.

Charlie Parkers is a must-stop if you are in Springfield, Illinois. This is a diner off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. My husband and I went on a Sunday afternoon and it was very crowded. It is the home to the famous horseshoe, a magical combination of breakfast foods. I had a folded chocolate chip pancake. The food was amazing, even if the atmosphere left something to be desired.

Cute little diner spot! Super friendly service. Typical diner offerings and they also have giant pancakes, and it's Springfield so also a shoe. Good prices and they serve Pepsi products.

I went I tried I conquered!!! Old school gathering place. Good servers, sat at the bar area. No nonsense. Good recommendation. The pancakes ARE HUGE!!!! OHMYGOODNESS!!! That said. I enjoyed the hash more! Fresh. Really corned beef. My server was excellent! Would I go back. Prolly. Wasn't expensive. Worth the food, where I was.

I've driven by here many times but this is my first time stopping for lunch but it definitely won't be the last! Food is excellent and great service that's a combination you rarely find anywhere now days! I ordered the Hamburger Pony Shoe, a smaller version of their famous Hamburger Horse Shoe. The fries were delicious and cooked perfectly and the cheese sauce was unique and tasty. My Dad order the open face roast beef and he said it was great! There were a lot of people ordering a late breakfast and it looked amazing. If you're looking for a great meal this is the place.

I had high hopes so I think they were having an off day. The horseshoe was alright, I had been told the best. It was not the best. I had the burger one. Service last was great and attentive. Ambiance is excellent and old timer classic rock and roll dinner.

Well this was an experience! People told me to come here for a horseshoe... I went with a pony with scrambled egg, ham and fries with both sauces! Great, except still so much I could not eat it all! Excellent service. Definitely locals are here too!

It was so buss I would 100% recommend going here I got some of them pancakes that are massive and it was very scrumptious. The service was pretty fast ngl but it will always be packed asf in there so just beware of that. Also the ambiance of the restaurant was dope it had some cool ahh decorations.

Yum! Needed to stop here as Guy Fieri featured Charlie Parkers on Diners Drive Ins and Dives in 2007. Springfield IL has a specialty sandwich called the Horseshoe or smaller size Pony. I literally had yogurt for breakfast and we ate here after going to Lincoln Museum and home. I had Ham, 2 eggs and hashbrown horseshoe with cheese and sausage gravy. Normally, I'm not a big eater. I ate a bite of bread and removed them. Everything was really good. Waitress asked where we were from and offered some ideas. Super friendly. Only open until 2 pm so get there soon.

We visited for the first time on a Thursday for lunch. It was pretty full and most people seemed to be having breakfast. The special was sloppy Joe's and we tried that. They were the dlopirst sloppy Joe's I've ever had. No way to pick it up and eat as a sandwich. I used a spoon. The meat was very sweet. It did have a good flavor but I don't think I'd try it again. My wife had fries with hers and liked them. They were hot and fresh. I'd definitely recommend this place, probably stick either breakfast or some type of shoe.

This is the go to for brocation, if you know you know . Always busy but always fast friendly service . I will continue to come smash a giant pancake every brocation . The gravy is legit , cool place

The biscuits and gravy half order was large like a full order, it was good. The chocolate chip pancake was very chocolatey and huge! Only complaint is the water tastes weird. Cute inside and fast service

We had just finished the tour at Ace Sign Museum and when we learned Charlie Parker's, which was on our to eat list while in town, was just down the street so we drove over, less than 5 minutes away. When we pulled into the parking lot, which by the way could use a truckload of stone to fill all the potholes, the building looked like a tiny airplane hanger. It's actually a vintage Quonset Hut from WWII which were used to house people and supplies back then. More info is on their website and the menu. We were lucky to get one of the last tables avail as it was the busy lunch rush. The waitress quickly took our drink orders and gave us the menu, which is Big! My spouse ordered the BLT with potato salad and I got the Slim Kim, which is anything but, also with potato salad. We both enjoyed our meals, the decor, the music, and the service was great!

I wasn't going to get a horseshoe. It was my plan to get something normal and watch someone else get a horseshoe. And then the waitress suggested that they have boxes and so I got a horseshoe. Yes, I was completely swayed by the DDD. It's the only one in Illinois that isn't in the Chicagoland area. I arrived just as they opened and was the second customer through the door at 7am. Greeted and welcomed to the diner, I was seated immediately and presented a menu. A moment later, my waitress was by with coffee and she took my order. A very few minutes later, my breakfast horseshoe arrived. On a base of two pieces of toast, two eggs (I chose mine basted), topped with ham and then smothered in hash browns and topped with half gravy and have cheese sauce. This is a LOT of food and about three quarters of it got scraped into that box and ended up as both lunch later and then breakfast the next day. Not a fancy place but it's interesting and the food is fresh and the service is warm. Thanks, Guy Fieri! [Review 19704 overall - 156 in Illinois - 676 of 2023.]

Great breakfast spot! It's a small busy place but the service and food are great! We were here at about 9.30 on a Sunday morning and they were packed. I had to try the breakfast pony since it's a local dish. I had sausage with hashbrowns with the gravy sausage over biscuits with an over easy egg. Um...yum. It's a lot of food even the pony size dish. I guess if you really want to go big get the horseshoe. My husband had the fisherman breakfast with catfish. He loved it.

very popular eatery and I believe has been on "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives". all the customers, around us seemed to always have smiles on their faces. The food servings are ample and many choices. We came for lunch, but, they serve breakfast all day, i believe. The parking is a bit odd....looks like a mine-field with potholes and gravel...so be careful while parking. There is limited seating, so be prepared to wait. The service is excellent and fun to watch running around keeping everybody happy.

Fun diner. Was super busy but food came out quickly. Staff worked efficiently. Grandsons enjoyed everything. Food was good. Staff friendly.

It is what it is here. Place full of locals, ok service and the food is nothing special. Yes, there is a breakfast horseshoe and yes, the menu has plenty of options but it's nothing worth coming in for. I had the pony sized breakfast shoe with ham, tater tots and half cheese sauce half biscuit gravy but meh. The atmosphere is okay and in an old army hut but again, nothing special. If I wasn't passing through, I wouldn't have made a special trip.

We are told no reservations can be made. Mondays aren't busy table of 6 should not be an issue . Upon arrinv we were told we would have another 6 top before us. We could wait in foyer or in our car. It's 85 degrees out.at 9:50 in the morning. We stayed inside. Shortly to be told to go to the foyer . We were spoke to in a rude manner as if we were a problem not a customer. We waited and found out quickly every time someone entered we were in the way. There was no kind or Friendly greeting . Talked to as if we were in the way! The Foyer was filthy dirty and also very warm and small. We left. Won't return. Who cares about how big pancakes are when you are treated disrespectful.

This restaurant is one of my all-time childhood favorites. The decoration is fabulous and the ambience is great. The service is top-notch. The food is delicious. I haven't even tried it yet and I just know my mouth will be watering. 10/10 10.

Food is always good. Service is fast. Only thing I dislike is the crowded tables. But I'd go back because food is tasty and service is quick. You won't be disappointed‼

It's amazing I love the food and I love how sweet the waitresses are but the kid in there he was kinda annoying but anyways it's amazing and I recommend it

The breakfast Chicken Fried Horseshoe was fantastic. I also tried the Philly Horseshoe and it was also great. Service was great and the place was packed. It was my first visit but I'll be back.

My buddy bragged about this place for years. I'm so happy we had the opportunity to have breakfast @ Charlie Parker's. I wanted to try everything on the menu but on knowledgeable waitress Ti-Ti was so helpful. The best service I've had in a long time.

If you are a breakfast man you will love Charlie parkers.best pancakes I recommend the big stack if you can finish they pay for it love pancakes

Great food, good size servings. Friendly staff who always have a smile even when it is busy.

We've eaten here before and the food is good. Cool atmosphere. We tried to go today about lunch time. The guy said the wait would be 5-15 minutes so we decided to wait -- table for 2. I understand they are popular -- I understand having to wait. That's OK, provided everybody has the same rules! We had been waiting about 10 minutes outside (no place to wait inside!), when a couple pulled in the lot, parked, and walked inside. Figured they were waiting inside somewhere. In a few minutes, we went to check and see how much longer the wait would be. There they sat at a table and the guy tells me there's still 3 parties ahead of us! Huh, guess it's all who you know and not really wait in "line". We left and it will be a really, really long time until we go back....not that they care, I'm sure as there's obviously no shortage of business.

YUM! soooo good! We were a party of six. Everyone was raving about our food! So worth the detour on our way. TT was an AWESOME server! I had the breakfast shoe. I have to tell you, sooo good. I had the "pony" and was a lot of food. Based on that, the horse would feed a horse. Go to Charlie Parker's!!!!

Truly a unique experience and so many customization options for the extensive menu. Super friendly and helpful service and definitely a diner feel and ambiance. Horseshoes 4ever!

We came to Springfield for a concert at the state fair. We wanted to eat a horseshoe since it's a town favorite. We looked at reviews and settled on D'arcys Pint. We got there about 1pm on a Saturday and they had almost an hour wait time to get a seat. So we settled on Charlie Parker's. We were greeted right away and was given a seat even though it too was really crowded. We got our drink orders and then ordered food. I got a hamburger and fries. It was good. Nothing spectacular but a solid good. My date ordered a bang bang chicken horseshoe. He ate it but wasn't overly impressed. The other couple we were with seemed to be happy with their meals. A club sandwich and a fried chicken sandwich. He actually raced about how good and tender the chicken was. Cute decor of funny posters, records and old diner type stuff on the walls. Super nice service but we did wait quite a long time for the food. Floors were awful. Trash all over. I'm hoping this was because of the lunch rush prior to us getting there but the bathroom wasn't in too great of condition either.

Food was good. Should give two pieces of bacon. It was very crowded. Not what I like. Nice setting. Will be back on another day.

Our waitress was awesome, everything came out quickly. The food was just okay, I got an omelette and hash browns with sourdough toast. It wasn't bad but there was nothing spectacular about it. The atmosphere was pretty fun, a little diner with lots of stuff to look at. Overall it was a good place to go for a casual lunch.

I tried the breakfast shoe and enjoyed the coffee also. The coffee cup never went down past the halfway mark and they even refilled my water bottle for the trip home. Listening to the conversation around me, I realized I was surrounded by the locals. What more can you say about how good a place is when the locals eat there.

Great service!!!! Out waitress was so fun and helpful. The food was ok. I got chicken and waffles and the chicken was tenders that didn't have much flavor. You go for the atmosphere. Very large menu!

Food was amazing and service was amazing. Best breakfast I've had in a very long time. Apparently, the horseshoe is a staple in the area and I couldn't image any better than what we were served. We sat at the counter and had the chance to see some of the magic up close. It was nice to watch the crew work as a true team, backing one another up. Recommend 100%. (And get a horseshoe! You won't be disappointed!)

Unfortunately I do not live in Springfield but occasionally when I do drive-through,I love to stop at this place that is well known to the locals. This place does have the provenance of being one of Guy Fieri's triple D spots. I kept my breakfast order fairly simple, but they are quite well known for a few of their dishes which you can read from other reviewer's. If you're going to have breakfast or lunch anywhere in Springfield as a visitor, this is a must visit spot. The bottomless cup of coffee is decent and the food is exceptional in it's own way. Charlie Parkers 700 North St, Springfield, IL 62704 (217) 241-2104 I found it on the Find Diners & Dives App! https://bit.ly/finddinersdives

Like their food, service is always top notch. Awesome diner atmosphere inside a Quonset hut. My favorite breakfast spot in town!

So happy we popped into this gem! We thoroughly enjoyed a mid morning breakfast with very welcoming and attentive service. The ambiance, the food, and all around experience are certainly worth the visit. Highly recommend.

Good for breakfast. If you're looking for a tasty breakfast, here it is. Big portions and decent prices. If I ate there every day my doctor might be unhappy.

Fast service despite being busy. The breakfast horseshoe is very good. I highly recommend it!

Still the best breakfast around! Excellent breakfast every time! Service from Hannah was absolutely outstanding as well. I'll be back whenever I swing thru Central Illinois

We were on our way through and looked up places on DDD and got here right before they closed. They were very nice and helpful even though it was super busy. I got the shoe with ham, and both sauces. They were both good but I liked the gravy more than the cheese. Even though we got it to go, it wasn't soggy and it was too much for one sitting. I recommend on giving this place a shot if you are close.

My wife and I are 50's fanatics and this place hit home for us. Nothing like you would expect. The restaurant is in an old dome building. The house hash was outstanding, biscuits and gravy was on point. We are definitely coming back there is so much more for us to try.

Amazing food and amazing service. The ambiance is exactly what you would hope for coming to a diner on Route 66 and the food will leave you fueled up for a long road trip out west or a long day of exploring the many historic sites within driving distance. We had pancakes, hash browns, bacon, eggs, country fried steak and some of us had all of that (minus the pancakes) in a single plate with gravy and cheese thrown on top for good measure. Five star, I would give six if it was an option. If we are ever back in this part of the country this will be on our list of places to visit again.

What a miraculous find??!! A little bit of research told me this was where you go to eat breakfast. I had no clue that Guy Fieri and his crew had come here years ago. The place was packed, but thankfully they had a single open table....it was a Wednesday morning!!! We asked about Saturdays and the waitress said there's normally an hour wait. I ordered the Classic Pancake Shoe! Good Lord!! Delicious, could only eat about 2/3 of it!! If you're in town, GO!!! Don't eat that hotel breakfast!!

Came in for lunch recently as I had heard lots of good things. From the outside, you could mistake this as a rundown hut, but on the inside it has all the feels of a 50's- 60's style diner (except for the modern country music playing). I ordered the Breakfast Pony with bacon and susage gravy. Bacon was excellent, although could have used a little more. Hashbrowns were solid and perfectly browned and crispy. Gravy wasn't bad and they loaded the plate with it. My friend got the Chili Pony and said the chili was actually really good and well seasoned. Service wasnt the best, but could have been worse. Prices are solid and for the Pony Shoe, food was more than worth the $6.75. Would definitely recommend a stop as Ddd and multiple awards proved why this is a "hidden" gem of Springfield.

The place was packed and had people Lined up out the door! Everyone was served as fast as possible. We had a "to go" order! Not many places will serve lunch at breakfast time but they did! Food was amazing!!!!

One of best breakfast places in North America. Everything is tasty and hot when it comes time you. Prices are reasonable and waitstaff is courteous and friendly.

We were excited to eat at this iconic Route 66 restaurant. The food was below average & in the middle of the meal we saw a mouse under our booth. We let the waitress know and she said she would let her boss know. We saw the mouse again carry away a fry & let her know again. She apologized but I would have thought the manager would have taken off some off our bill, but there was no offer. The floor was filthy and needs a major cleaning. We will not be back.