Denny's — Restaurant in Carol Stream

Stopped in about 7:45 pm on Dec 23, 2023 - it had been YEARS since I had been to this location. Probably not somewhere I would rush to come back.

Place was DEAD when we arrived - there might have been 7 customers total inside - our table of 2, another table of 3, and 1-2 stragglers elsewhere. As noted, it wasn't terribly late (7:45-ish) and aside some drizzle, weather was fairly decent for this time of year (upper 40's) and it was a Sat night. Christmas season yes, but only 3 miles East on Gary Ave. both Texas Roadhouse and Cooper's Hawk restaurants were BOOMING with cars. Point being - somebody's doing/offering something better to get people in their doors, as years ago, this Denny's used to be mobbed. Covid is pretty much over, and as stated - it wasn't bitter cold or inclement weather or 2am.

Service was pretty lackluster. When we came in, the host/manager told us to just "pick wherever we wanted to sit". Ok cool. Our server was nice, but very slow - and he probably was the only server in the restaurant. Again there were not that many people. We asked for a few extra minutes (initially) to place our order, and he didn't come back for about 20 minutes.

Food prices in general seemed very high, and "jacked". A regular Grand-Slam is now about 11.99 (remember the days when it was 7.99, 5.99, 3.99, and even 1.99??), and you get LESS. It used to be 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 bacon, and 2 sausage links. Now it's 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, 1 bacon, 1 sausage.

Everything tasted good - but as stated - the prices are all jacked and at this rate (Denny's used to be known as a bargain place), you probably could go to any other restaurant and pay about the same, or even a bit less for your average dinner plate.

Probably wouldn't come back except for some rare circumstance. Nothing was terrible by any means, but there was nothing here that would entice me to come back anytime soon. The dead-ness of a once lively location spoke volumes even before...

I have traveled much of the world in my years. I have seen good things, great things, horrible things. I have studied under brilliant professors and sought wisdom from nameless gurus. I've learned much, but one thing above all else. One Denny's is the same as every other. But, alas, today, I stand corrected. This Denny's was different. Gloriously different. Met at the door with a smile by Jason. Sat without fanfare in a table big enough for many more than my party had brought. Perhaps he understood I had the appetite of six people and gave me a table to match. Maybe it was just the closest table to the door? We may never know. The service was as it should be. Consistent attention promptly meeting our needs. He didn't bother us any more than was necessary to remind me I wanted desert. Baked caramel apple crisp. Oh my. I would have come for that alone. Baked to perfection. He even brought two spoons so I could share with my friend. How adorable. However, one spoon in each hand I devoured the desert by myself. Only my respect for the establishment and decorum prevented me from licking the bowl like the beast I was. Soft yet crispy apples baked into a cobbler like dish. Drizzled with caramel sauce. Then, I can only assume, drizzled with more caramel. Then blessed by an angel before being dolloped by a scoop of delicious vanilla ice cream and presented to me like an emperor. It didn't stand a chance against my face hole. The only way I could have felt more like an apex predator at that moment was if they had served it with a fork instead of a spoon. There isn't enough joy in the world for me to believe that something so good is available at every Denny's. So I must acknowledge that this one is unique, and I have finally found what I have been searching for all this time.

Oh, the nachos...

Walked in and the greeter was nice and I was impressed with how nice the place looked. She said they remodeled a couple of years ago. Not good after that... our waitress looked, and acted like she didn't want to be there, not nice or pleasant at all. There were 3 people in the place and our order took a half hour... a half hour for a simple breakfast plate. My bacon was flatter than a pancake, no taste (fake as can be!) the sausage had very little taste as well. (Stop using generic garbage!) At least the pancakes were good. My wife ordered and the waitress said it comes with hashbrowns or fruit. She said she wanted the fruit. My wife also ordered coffee, and with only 3 people in the place and walking by us many times, not once did she ask if we wanted more coffee. I had to say my wife would like more coffee when she bought us our food. She never came over to say how is everything or said nothing to us at all. When we got the bill there was an extra charge of a dollar for the fruit. I mentioned it to her, and she said that there's an extra charge for that. She never said that when my wife ordered. She said what she said as I mentioned earlier (it comes with). So, she took it to the mgr. and the took the extra charge off. We go to pay at the register and the mgr. rolls his eyes at us and said nothing. That's how we feel about this denny's... the service, and food are NOTHING!! Sorry to bother you with wanting to give you our business! (Oh, and it's very sad and ridiculous to charge customers $2.50 for an order of toast!!!!! 2 pieces of bread.... $2.50!!!!!) I'm not stupid and of course I did not order the toast! I can see why there was only 3 people in your restaurant! And I can see why some other denny's have closed down. You will be next, if you...