Mary Lou's Grill — Restaurant in Carbondale

This place had great reviews so we decided to give it a try while in town visiting family. One of the reasons we chose it was for the burgers and they were out of burgers when we went to order. This can happen but it does lend to our disappointment. The catfish was not very good. It sure didn't seem like fresh made. It was flat, thin, and dark; just weird. The grilled chicken sandwich had great flavor but was very tough. The Italian beef was overly salty and just not tasty. The fries and onion rings were okay.... typical diner sides. The atmosphere was also typical diner, which we expected. Our server made sure to visit us several times and made sure our drinks were full. The food just wasn't good enough to come back. I think the high reviews are from the locals who know the owners and the employees and just love them. This type of support is great. Every town needs this kind of place. We have one in our town and we just love them and support them. This just wasn't the meal we...

I will start with saying that the positive thing about this place was that the staff was friendly. Once I ordered my food it came quickly, but it was not made correctly. I was supposed to have two over medium eggs, one was undercooked one was overcooked. The ham was not as good as it looked. I got wheat toast instead of white toast and only one piece. The coffee was old because it was way too strong. Even the cook said that she thought it was too strong. My potatoes had no taste at all, even after adding salt and pepper. I did not finish my food because it was not worth eating. My waiter never came back to check on me not once. He dropped my ticket off with my food I guess so he didn't have to come back. I'm hoping they just had a bad day. I can't imagine a place that's been open that long is not good. That being said I don't think I'll come back...

This was the first breakfast we've had in Carbondale. As for breakfast restaurants in southern Illinois, this place is now the gold standard.

We tried the breakfast special: Strawberry and cream cheese stuffed French toast. It was delicious. The filling wasn't too little nor too much between two thick slices of Texas toast. The bacon was okay. Our server did a decent job keeping our coffee filled. Coffee or tea was included in your meal, which is nice. Portions are generous. I feel it's definitely worth the price. The interior is shabby without any chic. Simply functional and clean. For two people you're going to pay with tip $30-40. Seems to be a local favorite. We'll be comparing all other breakfast restaurants in the area...