Pauline's — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Hi. I’m not a person to complain about service or atmosphere as I’ve worked in the service industry but a very unusual, discriminatory experiencing is bringing me to write this review.

I live in the neighborhood and have been to this restaurant a handful of times. Today I stopped in alone, as I usually do, and ordered my food. I am a person that experiences discrimination based on my appearance frequently so I try to approach situations with a little bit of foresight as to how I might get treated.

As I was alone, I had to use the restroom that is located in the back of the restaurant. I left my food on the table along with my bag, as to let the staff know I would be returning from the bathroom and wasn’t leaving the establishment without paying. As I was headed to the back of the restaurant I even talked to staff and let them know I was using the bathroom.

When I returned from the restroom about a minute later, my food has been removed from the table without being boxed up and thrown away, my bag was removed from the table, and new customers were being offered my table. I had a brief interaction with the server and informed him that I had left my bag on the table in order to assure the restaurant I was only going to the restroom. He said something along the lines of “we didn’t know if you had left the restaurant.”

I was then quickly asked to pay for my food that had been discarded and I left the establishment.

I’d like to give everyone involved the benefit of the doubt and just chalk it up to miscommunication but there is really no excuse for any of that to have happened.

My intention with writing this review is to make other people in the neighborhood aware of how you may be treated at this restaurant, especially solely based on your appearance or how others may perceive you.

Disappointing to say the least. I will not be returning to...

This restaurant has been around for a very long time and apparently was a drugstore back in the 50s or something.

The indoors is very charming, Very cute, very much the old-time diner. But this is not some new place which has been made to look old. I think it actually does go that far back.

The neighborhood is very sweet and the outdoor seating was extremely comfortable, with very little traffic noise. The fall day was perfect. Memories are made of this kind of stuff. And my friend Marlena and I had an awesome conversation.

The biscuits and gravy were amazing. It’s mostly a breakfast and lunch place - and closes at three.

The prices seemed fair, for the North Side of Chicago which can be pricey for such a locally famous, popular place.

Gloria, our server, was just attentive enough, without being intrusive. She totally nailed all the details of our order and our carry outs.

I am interested in moving to Mexico - and my friend Marlena had had some wonderful trips to Mexico. Gloria had some very interesting things to say about her native Michoacan...

Food was really good and portions are fairly large. Price was fine, with some items being reasonable and some being way too high for the item (my eggs and potatoes with peppers and onions were 9 but oatmeal was 11).

Now the bad; tables were crammed outside and when we were seated, the table next to us wouldnt shut up about how close we were so we moved tables. Service was fine until we did so. Took 25 minutes for someone to take our order (we were just about to leave). Food took forver to come out, they didnt ask if we wanted refills until we were done with our food. I was getting up to get a box cause the server again disappeared. I ended up leaving to go walk around while my husband spent another 10 minutes trying to find a server so he can pay and leave.

Food was honestly great, but the service was nonexistent. Should not take an hour and 15 minutes to get 2 orders of eggs with potatoes. I will see if it was a fluke and come again but I dont think ill keep coming if the service is...