Valois Restaurant is a beloved Hyde Park cafeteria dishing up timeless American comfort food since 1921, complete with a president-approved menu and cash-only charm.
"You may have already heard of Valois because of President Obama—it’s famous for being one of his favorite spots in Hyde Park. But another thing that makes this place unique is the fact that it’s an old-school cafeteria that's been around since 1921, complete with old-school cafeteria food (like hamburger steak), plastic trays, and people who will yell at you if you move too slowly through the line. Just remember that it’s cash only." - nick allen, john ringor, adrian kane
"You may have heard of Valois because of President Obama—it’s famous for being one of his favorite spots in Hyde Park. There’s even a sign letting you know what he likes to order. But what really makes this place unique is the fact that it’s an old-school cafeteria, complete with old-school cafeteria food (like baked chicken), plastic trays, and people who will yell at you if you move too slowly through the line. Breakfast—think eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes—is our favorite thing to eat here. Just remember that it’s cash only. Food Rundown photo credit: Kim Kovacik Breakfast Platter There’s an Obama’s favorites section of the menu, and that’s where you’ll find the platter of two eggs, hashbrowns, and sausage. Everything is cooked nicely, and the thick hashbrowns make it a very filling plate of food for just under $10. photo credit: Adrian Kane Pancakes Perfectly serviceable diner-style pancakes. The pancakes are made-to-order, and are reasonably moist. The biggest drawback is the fake-maple institutional-tasting syrup it comes with, so we suggest buttering generously. Biscuits These very dry biscuits are the only real miss on the breakfast menu. Go ahead and skip." - Adrian Kane
"Year Opened: 1921 What To Get: Pancakes, biscuits and gravy, meatloaf The Old-School Factor: You may have heard of Valois because of President Obama—it’s famous for being one of his favorite spots in Hyde Park. But what really makes this place unique is the fact that it’s a cafeteria, complete with plastic trays and people who will yell at you if you move too slowly through the line. " - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"If you didn’t already know about it, you may have heard of Valois because of President Obama—it’s famous for being one of his favorite spots in Hyde Park. There’s even a sign letting you know what he likes to order. But what really makes this place unique is the fact that it’s an old-school cafeteria, complete with old-school cafeteria food (like meatloaf), plastic trays, and people who will yell at you if you move too slowly through the line. Breakfast—like eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes—is our favorite thing to eat here. Just remember that it’s cash only." - adrian kane
"If you didn’t already know about it, you may have heard of Valois because of President Obama—it’s famous for being one of his favorite spots in Hyde Park. There’s even a sign letting you know what he likes to order. But what really makes this place unique is the fact that it’s an old-school cafeteria, complete with plastic trays and people who will yell at you if you move too slowly through the line. And breakfast—with things like eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes—is our favorite thing to eat here. Just remember that it’s cash only." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
