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Alton, Illinois

• November 17, 2000 - "To Whom It may Concern,
  I was so happy to learn that Denny's was coming to Alton. ÊI liked their food. ÊBeing retired we eat out a lot and Denny's is just two blocks from our house. ÊHow lucky could we be right. ÊWrong.
  On Saturday we went about two o'clock. ÊWe were there about 10 minutes and was seated. ÊWe were seated about 30 minutes before any one recognized us at all. ÊFinally a girl came a took an order said she was going on break and someone else would take care of us. Only they didn't. After another 20 minutes I approached a waitress and told her of our problem. ÊShe then said she would get our food. We then waited another 15 minutes. We ordered off the senior menu that should be easy enough.
  Well, having been a manager of a retail store for years I know the problems with help. So today {Friday Nov. 17} we decided to give it another try. ÊI told the girl when she seated us that we would give it another try. You won't believe this. ÊThey came took are order. IN five minutes they brought us soup. ÊIt took 35 minutes to get the rest of the meal. ÊThen she didn't bring any bread are butter so I called to her and had to wait for it. Then when we got the bill it was all wrong and had to wait for the ticket to be corrected.
  Sorry to say, it was not a good experience. ÊI thought your reputation was much better. Knowing Alton, people will not go if service does't improve. Ê Big Boy's lost their business because of it and you will too."
  - Alice Pace

Aurora, Illinois

• "I wanted to drop a line to say that I used to hang out at a Denny's (outside Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, IL) in my youth (actually, it was second-choice to the Perkins, which later closed and re-opened as a Denny's -- but I digress), and as luck would have it, there I met the girl who will, on Sep. 26, 1998, become my wife. She told a story about how, the night before, she had fallen asleep tipsy at a party and woke up to find that someone had put Doritos in her underwear and an olive in her navel. I snickered, because I had thought of a funny quip to add here. Too embarrassed to speak it aloud, I passed it around the table. Someone (I forget who) finally whispered this in her ear: 'That would make it a vertical taco salad?'
  True love knows no bounds." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Chris Kratsch

• June 7, 2000 - "hi my name is emily and i live in washington state currently, but a couple of years back my friends and i used to hang out at the dennys in aurora, IL constantly. you see in the summer we would chill at the pavillion along the riverwalk in naverville, il, but when it got too cold to be outdoors and hang out, we would go to dennys. it was great to be able to go there just about every night, meet up with friends, and just have coffee, or possibly a sampler with cigarettes. we were a whole bunch of freaks though. like black makeup and metal jewelry. there is this one waiter there, or at least used to be there, we nicknamed Hitler because he had a problem with us tablehopping all the time and kicked us out a lot. He was such a pain, well anyways, that Dennys ruled!"
  - emily

Belleville, Illinois

• "Denny's - 1130 S. Illinois St., Belleville, IL 62221 - 618-277-1360
  This Denny's is the best one I've encountered. The fact that it's five miles from my house doesn't hurt. The actual restaurant is large, the decor is bright and usually very clean. The waiters and waitresses aren't just good, they're great! They know me and my friends by name since we're in there so much, and they always stop to chat with us for a while. The food comes quickly and is hot. Coffee and soda refills occur very frequently. They won't kick you out if you're just sitting there hanging out, either. This is usually due to the fact that it's mostly empty after 11 pm or 12 midnight. No WAY there, either. I think they steer clear of my neck of the woods. This Denny's rules--if you're in the area, stop in and sit there for awhile. Have a nice conversation with a waiter, waitress, or cahsier, order a burger (they make 'em great here) and enjoy the atmosphere." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Mike Rengel

• April 20, 2002 - "I have been a cook at DENNY'S for almost 18 years ,and while I enjoyed you're website immensely, I would like to defend the DENNY'S that I work at. We have fast and freindly service at a very reasonable price, and or food is mighty tasty. I would like to invite you to the the DENNY'S in Belleville Illinois we are located next to the Belle-Clair Fairground's. Please visit us and find out we're not all the same."
  - Ed Hitch

Bloomington, Illinois

• "Located down the street from Illinois State University its a great location. This denny's is where I had the best tasting grand slam ever." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Phil Plencner

• October 26, 2001 - "I work nights in Bloomington, IL, and usually take my lunch around 5 or 6am, and there are very few restaurants open at this time, so the other day me and a coworker decide we would go to Denny's to eat our lunch. We waited forever before being waited on, but finally ordered a supreme omelet(me) and a scramble of some sort (him). They both contained eggs, bacon and sausage, which I think is the reason I am writing this. Because from the time we finished eating, to the time we got back to work(approx. 10min.) we were both sick. I think that I got food poisoning, cause I was sicker than I had been in a long time. I will never go, or refer anyone to Denny's ever again!"
  - Troy Schmid

Bolingbrook, Illinois

• June 11, 2000 - "I can't believe that nobody has yet submitted a review on this fine establishment, one of the more popular Denny's due to it's close proximity to a major interstate in Illinois. I spent many a night in this Denny's in my youth and make the occasional visit just for old times sake. Service varies depending on what staff member you get, but it's generally pretty good. There is a waiter there who has been there quite some time who looks exactly like Montel Williams. There is a waittress who it is believed was a prostitute at one time, though nobody can neither confirm nor deny these allegations. Everyone is either "baby" "honey" or "sweetie." Regardless, she is awesome, as is the Montel look alike. Also once I was there at around 1am or so and the hostess was packing heat, maybe an off duty officer, I don't know. You get your typical Denny's crowd here, ranging from white trash to high school kids to just plain out damn weirdos. Truly a classic Denny's experience. Bolingbrook Denny's fun fact of the day: the building was wired by an electrician who went on to become a murderer."
  - Steve Maks

• February 1, 2002 - "So I reviewed the web site only because I work at the Denny's in Bolingbrook, IL. and I can't help but wonder why? Why do you visit this shit-hole restaurant? Their food is way over priced, the service sucks (including mine), and the big pricks who own this establishment are money hungry ass-holes who care about nothing other than running a 24 hour restaurant (even on Christmas) and making their millions. My low life generalÊmanager is some skank who has 5 kids by 5 different fathers. DISGUSTING!!! I wonder how many diseases that Bitch has.ÊI work 35 hours, go to Devry at night, and raise a daughter on my own, think Denny's cares if I need to call in sick 1 time to take care of my kid who has strep? No I get written up for it, Bastards!! So the next time you visit one of these Denny's ask them why their so cheap that they can't even give their employees a free meal (like McDonalds), yet raise a million dollars for some NAACP museum, O.K."
  - Susanna Burns

Bourbonnais, Illinois

• February 2, 2001 - "Last night 2 friends & myself ate at Denny's. It was TERRIBLE! All 3 dinners where cold. Service was terrible! No wonder that Bakers Square is ALWAYS full & your place has about 5 cars & 10 people. It never has the crowds that other places have. Just drive by it. Is located at Ilinois Rt. 50 & Armour Rd. in Bourbonnais,IL. ,but don't eat there! This is no way to run a busines. Never again,"
  - Vince

Carbondale, Illinois

• "There is a Denny's in Carbondale, IL that my friend Kel and I frequented for a while. There were no WAYs, but there was a funny waiter named Richard. We called him Silly Waiter and always requested to be seated in his section. The staff were normal looking, but there were a couple of other regulars who were pretty scary looking. There was Dead Man, who looked like he had already been mummified, and there was Bernie, who looked and walked *exactly* like the Bernie in Weekend at Bernie's. I went to that Denny's with other people too, but I never saw Dead Man and Bernie unless it was just me and Kel. Oh yeah, and the staff make incredible hot fudge sundaes!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Ann Venezia

• September 26, 2000 - "Hi. Just came across your page by some odd mistake and decided to look around. I actually had the notion to do the same thing, as I am a Denny's addict, but don't have the time and resources for it. However, since you are able to live out the dream, you absolutely must visit the Denny's in Carbondale, IL. I used to work there, and am a recognized regular there as well. All the wait staff (except those hired in the last month) know my order (coffee, a bowl of sugar, seasoned fries, southern slam - eggs scrambled, all bacon). Most of the staff there are great, but the ones to ask for are Tony (if you're there during the late afternoon/early evening), Gary (if you're there late nights on a weekend), or Vera (if you're there late nights on a weeknight). Of course, they may not work there by the time you get in this area, but ask for them anyway. We used to have a WAY by the name of Steve - a busboy, he was. He quit back in Nov. '99 tho. Ah well.
  Also, if you happen to stop in during the week around the time of 6-8 pm, look for a regular by the name of Clarence. He always sits at the counter in the smoking section, decaf only. He looks like Montel the talk show host. He's a very interesting character that you have to meet to truly have a Carbondale Denny's experience.
  If you do happen to make plans to be stopping in at my local Denny's, drop me a line and let me know. I can hook you up with all kinds of free stuff. "
  - Elena

• May 22, 2000 - "1915 W. Sycamore, 618-457-7196 - Myself and my friend Robyn drove for about 40 minutes around midnight to get to this Denny's, as it's the closest one to the crap college town of Cape Girardeau, MO (which has no Denny's). The restaurant itself is rather big, probably since they anticipate large late night crowds from Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale. We were waited on by two different waitresses, and one eventually took our order. Everything was good and brought out quickly, despite the restaurant being kind of crowded. I paid with my check card, and the doofus running the register acted like I had just handed him a dead fish. No WAY here, sadly."
  - Mike Rengel

• January 17, 2001 - "My husband and I are frequent patrons of the Dennys in Carbondale. However, the only reason for this is that the choices are limited. The coffee is pretty good if you can get someone to wait on you. Or if you can find a waiter/waitress that is not trying to make a date with another customer. Most of the time you hear thats not my section, or I been here 2 hours and Im tired I want to go home early. Then if you finally get someone to wait on you and you do order food. You better look and see who is cooking. Most of the cooks are dirty, stinky and look like they haven't had a bath for quite sometime. Now tell me do you really want to eat something cooked by someone who's clothes have more food and stains on them then the floor? Well I guess if you don't mind being ignored or hit on or having your food cooked by dirty people well this is the place to go. Or if you want to hear more problems than a bartender or hairdresser hears come on in. If by chance you get a certain waiter make sure he has had his daily drugs or his mood is so bad you can't stand him as a waiter. Then there are the customers,, your local homeless people, the neighbor hood witch, the casanova preacher, the dirty old men, the local drunks from Freds and finally if you are lucky a few normal people. All in all if you like weird experiences this is the place for them. All this can be found most late nights and early mornings at the carbondale Dennys."
  - Charlie and Sue

Carol Stream, Illinois

• "My girlfriend Kelly and I decided to hit the Denny's closest to our place the other day. There were all of 5 people there and yet it took at least 10 minutes before we saw a waitres. There was classic Denny's decor, but the thing that caught my eye was the abundance of greasy hand prints on all the glass dividers. Our waitress was Maria, and she was friendly enough, but I think she was running another business in the back because we rarely saw her despite the fact that it wasn't busy at all. I had the chicken fried steak, with over easy eggs and lemonade. Kelly had the bacon cheddar burger, lemonade and french silk pie. Overall I would say that the food was good although they really skimped on the gravy. One thing I hate about the Denny's menu though is the perplexing amount of duplicity. I can never quite figure out what price I am going to pay for something! I am usually the type who will make the waitress justify the check against the menu, but I wasn't feeling very mischevious that day and just let her slide...this time." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Don Zouras

Champaign, Illinois

• "Located in some shopping mall down that way, its pretty nice. Seems to be a big studying center for students at University Of Illinois. I've only been there a few times, but every time I have there were people in there reading notes and studying books (and vise versa!). " - written prior to September, 1999
  - Phil Plencner

• "I've eaten at the Champaign-Urbana Denny's several times, but one time that sticks out in my mind is the day I moved into my apartment. We didn't finish moving until 3:00 am (which was pretty sad considering we started at 9:00 am, ridiculously early by my standards) and Denny's was one of the few places still open at that time. Unfortunately, it seems that everyone who had moved that day ALSO decided to pop into Denny's, because there were two waitpersons (both men) serving about fifty people. Our waiter looked like a strung-out Iggy Pop, even if you take into account that Iggy Pop already looks strung-out. An older couple at the table near ours eventually left the restauraunt after waiting for 45 minutes (at least; they were waiting when we showed up) and their food showed up less than 30 seconds after they had left. The look on Iggy's face was one of both hate and desparation; he stared right at me, and I could almost hear him thinking "Kill me, Kill me, Kill me." My roomate and I were there just to talk, so we stayed cool while everyone around us bitched like crazy. We even left a 15% tip, which by our poor college standards was HUGE, especially considering the slow service, but quite frankly, Iggy looked like he needed it. There was no Weird Al as far as I know, but some dude on my floor freshman year looked JUST like Weird Al. He would always talk about how to cheat "the man" by color-photocopying money and using slugs in parking meters and squirting salt-water into vending machines. I'm pretty sure that I ate at Denny's with him once. Does that count? The Champaign-Urbana Denny's is also mentioned in "Get in the Van: Life on the Road with Black Flag" by Henry Rollins, but I don't think he says anything interesting about it." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Michael J Gebis

• June 2, 2000 - "During yet another one of my college visits, Rachael and I were in Champaign looking at UIUC. We weren't impressed with the school or the Denny's. We had to drive really far away to try to find the Denny's, and once we got there and walked in, we were overwhelmed with the smell that was a mix of ammonia and rotting roadkill. We then went to IHOP."
  - Jules

• January 22, 2001 - "I travel in my work in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri. I try and eat my breakfast at Denny's as much as possible. I have visited the Denny's mentioned above twice and both times has been a experience thatÊI would not wish on a person that I don't like. The first time I gave the establishment the benefit of the doubt because they were busy, but the service wasÊnot very good. A menu was slapped in front of me and I waited almost 10 minutes for someone to wait on me. The second time I waited that long just to get the menu and there was no one else in the place. The help was all standing around talking or eating. I had to wait for someone to clean a table off for me to have a place to sit down. Then the exciting part started. I finally had to attract the attention of the waitress and then she came over and took my order. I glanced at my watch as she turned to take my order back to the kitchen. After a twenty minute waitÊI asked another waitress, the first one had taken a station in the other section of the place, about my order. She was gone seven minutes. She came out of the back with a big smile and informed me she has found my order. She placed it in front of me. The bacon had white cold grease on it, the eggs were ice cold and the whole wheat toast could have been used to scrap ice off your car windows. I looked at the plate and told her just to get my bill. I would pay it and they would not have to worry aboutÊme coming back there anymore. She got the manager, who was sitting about five foot from me the whole time this was going on. The manager said not to worry that a newÊbreakfast could be made for me. I informed her thatÊI did not have time to wait for another breakfast as I had appointments to keep. I figured that she would make it right for the lost time, maybe a coupon for use later on. That didn't happen. She did excuse the breakfast bill, but still charged me for my cup of coffee. I went to the Denny's site and expressed my problem and received a reply that the matter would be looked into. After having waited three months I have not received any kind of reply from Denny's Corporate. Needless to say I have not been back to Denny's since. I like Denny's food, but they have the corporate atttitude that my small spending will not break them. They are right, butÊI can eat other places and I am happy and I guess Denny's is too. So if you are ever in Champaign, Illinois on your eat at Denny's deal, I certainly hope you have better luck and service then I did. "
  - John Wooters

Chicago, Illinois

• "There's a Denny's out on Mannheim Road in Chicago that i've been to. Frightful place. No Weird Als that i've seen, but there is a busboy who bears a distressing resemblence to Martin Short. Make eye contact with him and you've made a friend for life. If he asks you if you're in a band, tell him yes. It's much easier that way." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Dr. Derek Robb

Collinsville, Illinois

• "Right off of Interstate 55/70 and Illinois 157--you can see the sign from pretty far away. This is the nicest Denny's in the St. Louis metro-east area by far. It's one of those new ones that's part of a hotel complex. The place is huge--there's tons of seating and even the booths are roomy. There was this strange lighting and lots of "fancy" light fixtures which made it feel like I was eating at some sort of high class Denny's. When my friends and sat down, we discovered that our waiter (Stacy) was a guy who we recognized from the Belleville Denny's just a few miles away. He had been fired a couple of months before, probably because he was a terrible waiter. Thankfully, his service this time was excellent, though he still refuses to write down the orders on paper. He just tries to remember the orders, which doesn't always work. Anyway, the food was actually good, which fit with the "classy" image the place conveyed. While paying my check, I saw this location's WAY. He looked pretty much like WAY, just a lot fatter. I didn't catch his name, but I think he was a waiter or something. This is a great Denny's." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Mike Rengel

Elmhurst, Illinois

• "Myself and my friends tend to frequent the Denny's located on Grand Avenue in Elmhurst, Illinois. Nothing spectacular about this particular Denny's, however, the visits always include moving an article of the Denny's decor. Recently, my friends and I executed our greatest removal. A cold winter's night, and Denny's was a haven from the snowy, bitter cold winter. Upon our entry (not yet intending to remove any articles) a friend noticed the Denny's floor mat rolled up near the doorway. The large (10' x 8') mat was a plush green with a large Denny's logo on the front. As one of us in the group distracted the matradee, I held the door open as another friend hurled the carpet into the snow covered bushes. We proceded to eat and enjoy our stay. As we left the group huddled up and carried the mat to my car (a '76 indigo Ambassador, beauty). My room is now accompanied with a floor covering proudly displaying the Denny's logo!!! Along with a multitude of carafes, silverware, plates, glasses, mugs, ash trays, menus, menus, and many more menus. Or ultimate goal is to retrieve an entire Denny's table setting; table, chairs,and all. Wish us luck!!!!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Anonymous

Fairview Heights, Illinois

• "Denny's - 10820 Lincoln Trail, Fairview Heights, IL 62208 - Tel: 618-397-9344
  It's a clean Denny's, but not one of the best I've been to. The decor is slightly dingy, the restaurant is smaller than most Denny's I've been to, the waiters/waitresses are usually horrible, and the people who hang out there usually aren't very interesting. There's no WAY there, as far as I know. It's the last straw at this less-than-stellar Denny's location. If you're in Fairview Heights, IL, drive the extra 10 miles or so south on Illinois 159 to the Denny's in Belleville. (review below) You'll be glad you did." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Mike Rengel

• August 28, 2004 - "Just a note that as of Monday, August 23rd, 2004, at 1:30pm this Denny's location is no more. Declining sales and an expiring lease led to the closing of this store. I worked there for 5 years as a late-night host before getting my real job, so I'm a bit sad to see it go. If anyone wonders, it was a company owned store, #0841, and opened in March of '75."
  - Patrick McClintick

Glen Ellyn, Illinois

• "The best Denny's in the world is located in Glen Ellyn, IL, on Roosevelt Road. There is no Denny's that has a more shop-worn, look, while still passing government inspection. The clientele is classic Denny's: a bunch of suicidal high-schoolers hang out late and drink coffee and smoke; truck-drivers stop in off Roosevelt road because the next strip joint isn't until you're way down the I-94 in Indiana, and that's two hours away; and glib, blue polyester suited church-men eat heaping doses of moons-over-my-hammy while discussing whether to buy a Sunday-school bus. Stop by sometime and have a veggie melt for me. I've moved to Denny-less land (NYC)." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Kristofer Widholm

• "I was on a plane to Chicago for my (then) girlfriend's family reunion. I had spoken to her parents about suggetions for a place to have dinner, since we were to be engaged prior to the "meeting of the relatives".
  To make a long story short, my flight was four hours late. She was the only one in Chicago who didn't know my plans to propose, so we went to Denny's at 3:00 a.m. and the rest is history.
  Mr. KWIDHOLM's account of the ambience was VERY precise, right down to the suicidal teenagers.
  Oh yeah! Please correct the spelling of Forsyth County, Georgia; it is not ForsythE. The truth is funnier... The county seat is call Cumming!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Robert Rodriguez

• "Well I must say that I got a chuckle reading the reviews on the Denny's in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. I must highly disagree with the reviewers of this Denny's. I think that I would be a great reviewer on this Denny's seeing that I frequent it quite often. In the many hundreds of times I have visited the Glen Ellyn Denny's, I have run across the disgruntled manager, Lee. This man has been there 99% of the times I have come to order my Patty Melt and coffee. We have come to the conclusion that he has a cot in the backroom and comes out of hiding when we step foot on the premises. Lee is recognizable for his limp and receeding hair line, so if you stop by you will most likely see him. Other than the fact you can always hear him yelling at the frequenting patrons ("Please sit down at the table you were seated at or you will be kicked out," "No swearing!" and "If you get up from your table you will have to pay for your drink again!") they have the best waitresses there. There are the infamous, yet quite hysterical, Elaine and Kelly who will go on cigarette runs for you on their breaks and bring you the crappiest, yet somehow oh-so-good, food. So I would have to say that the clientele other than Elaine and Kelly is THE worst there. And I still seem to go there... Oh by the way, I am probably one of the "suicidal" teenagers that go there so maybe I'll see you around :)" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Anonymous

• January 14, 2000 - "Hi I'm an Employee at the Denny's restaurant in Glen Ellyn IL and I just have to say that I've been hanging out at this denny's for 5 years and now i work there because i really have nothing better to do. Duane is a definite WAY. Lethargic Lee left denny's about a year ago to go work at a wendy's. thank god. You are welcome any time to come and visit again and i'll give you more free stuff than you can handle."
  - Laura Gould

• June 2, 2000 - "Roosevelt, Glen Ellyn Illinois - One of my few experiences with this Denny's happened one night after having ventured downtown. We were headed back towards home and just decided to keep driving until we found somewhere to go. Eventually, we happened on this Denny's, finding it to be filled with more of the kinds of people I was used to seeing at the coffee houses and places in Memphis. We spent the evening smoking, drinking coffee, and writing songs about cheeseburgers. It was at this Denny's where we first contemplated doing what it is that you have done by trying to visit as many Denny's as we could."
  - Jules

Gurnee, Illinois

• "Brand spankin' new Denny's that just opened last summer to lots of fanfare. They handed out free Denny's keyrings for the first few days. Especially nice and fancy for a Denny's...Service there seems to have the best sense of humor and are always swift to refill my coffee." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Phil Plencner

• "I'm a waitress at Denny's in Gurnee and you haven't seen anything until you've visited us on a friday night! Not only is our staff wonderful but our customers are quite the characters! At first they tend to scare some people off but once you can look past the hair dye, body piercings, and "gothic" look that they all seem to have they really are a fun group! I would say ninety percent of our late night crowd(past 9:00 p.m.) are every night regulars! We have established a great little Dennys family, even though we are all from separate worlds outside of dennys doors! If you ever get a chance stop by... we would love to be a part of this! " - written prior to September, 1999
  - Donna Broquet

• June 2, 2000 - "There were at least 15 of us. We'd just left the Q101 deal at the Six Flags out there. Hyper we were, yes. Very hyper. Almost all of us were crammed into one of those rounded table and the rest were piled on top of each other in chairs around the rest of us. And we were all trying to eat here. The non-smokers were pissed because everyone else was smoking, but they couldn't get out cause there was no room to move. The worst was trying to talk to people, though. I'm sure everyone knows how that can be, though."
  - Jules

Highland Park, Illinois

• "My name is Kat and I would like to tell you about the way rad Denny's in Highland Park, IL. It's rather immaculate, and actually smells good. (meaning you won't pass out upon entry.) There's this really um, "interesting" waiter there named EDWIN. No, he doesn't look like wierd al but he does, in fact, have potential. Edwin loves to stare off into space while you die of hunger waiting for your food. All you hear when you walk in is, and I quote. "...eeedwin, i neeed my foood....pleaase for the love of Goood eeedwin..."." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Ludwig Scherdel

• "When you get to the Greaster Chicagoland Metropolitan Area, you should definitely visit the Highland Park Denny's, on US41 about 30 miles north of the city. It seems that our tribe's goal is to spend EVERY night in the same Denny's. Court is held in the back section, usually about midnight to one." - written prior to September, 1999
  - JonValonis

Linconshire, Illinois

• "hi I go to the Linconshire, Ill dennys almost every night it is nice plase were every one makes you feel welcome.however last week there was a great injustice done one of there best watters was fired becouse he was arrested. he was in jail for about 24 hours and did not miss any work but they fired him anyway. over all the dennys experance is like the show "cheers" couse everyone knows your name and there is allways some one there with a stupid fact. I must tell you that I might be the one with the stupid fact but not allways." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Anonymous

• December 12, 2000 - "Yo, the great LSD. Place I'd always go to smoke and hang out. Very interesting people come by and pretty much live there. Truly the gem of downtown Lincolnshire. I can remember times long ago when friends of mine showed me what the Gong was. Take the complimentary glass of water, two straws. Put a cigarette in one straw and suck in on the other while cupping your hand over the glass. Everyone get that? Thanks to the beautiful people that work thereÊthat provide me safe haven and great service at 2am when i got a killer case of the munchies. Shout out to Sloz, KC, Shomo, Silverbuds, Dank, Romano, Doug E. Fresh, KolosÊAnna and her sisters Baby A and B,Êall the Young Life alumni, pretty muchÊthe whole class of 99 that went at least onceÊand everyone elseÊthat chills there all night long."
  - Boyd Getz

Melrose Park, Illinois

• June 2, 2000 - "North Ave, Melrose Park Illinois - This has got to be one of the scariest Denny's I've been in in my life. Not only does it seem like no one is working, but you almost always feel like you're the only one there. The smoking and non-smoking sections are on completely opposite sides of the building so you can't see one from the other. The only way you know when someone is in the non-smoking section is if you have to go to the bathroom. It's like going to Denny's and having your coffee and all that and then suddenly realize that the Denny's has gone through whatever portal the plane in the Langoliers went through and no one else can get on and you can't get off. You and 5 other people until you die. And another draw back to this place is that it's across the street one way from the horse track (oh the smell of horse poop) and the other way from Hell, also known as Kiddieland. If you know the area, the place might not seem so bad. But if you work there, you'll wish you could go into that Denny's and disappear forever."
  - Jules

Mokena, Illinois

• "Well, duh, I could've told you Denny's was great YEARS ago. Especially the one in Mokena, Illinois because of Joel the waiter. He was this wacky, funloving guy who kept giving us straws and refills and who said "Go go gadget arm" when he went to pass our cheese sticks to someone sitting at the far end of the booth. Joel tried so hard to please us all! Anyhoo, I did have one bad experience with Lenny's, I mean Denny's- that was when I went there for breakfast before taking the ACTs, had the french toast, and then developed a horrible case of the stomach flu or SOMETHING- right in the middle of taking the ACTs!!! Oh, well, what are you going to do?" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Jaclyn Ferrucci

• "Well all i have to say is that the Mokena Denny's is the best in the world. My Favorite waiter there is joel, but he got fired because he didnt show up like 5 days in a row. Oops. Well if anyone can visit a denny's, you have to go to the one in mokena, Illinois. Its the best place and it has the best coffee around." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Joel Bollero

• April 6, 2002 - "Good morning: I was pleased to read the fine things that your web site had to say about my Denny's located in Mokena, Illinois.
  Yes, I am the proud owner of this establishment and we have been a Denny's franchisee for 10 years now. I noted with a great deal of humor and pride that someone mentioned that they had gotten great service from a waiter named Joel and that Joel had been fired.
  That was news to me, Joel still works for us at our Denny's, he did leave for a time to do his patriotic duty of serving in the United States Army, but he is back now and doing fine. The customers do love him and that is not a surprise to me, you see Joel is my son and I Own this franchised location.
  I noted with a great deal of humor that your many reviews of the more than 1500 Denny's Locations thru out the United States. I also read with great interest your letter from the President of Denny's Mr. Ron Petty, who was a very fine man.
  Mr. Petty left Denny's a few years ago and was replaced by Mr. Romandetti, who has also left Denny's and has become a Denny's franchisee. Shows we have a great brand. Which Mr. Romandetti did a lot to help us achieve
  Since Mr. Romandetti left, we have a new President who's name is Mr. Marcholli, who brings quite a bit to the table. I really think that he is moving in the right direction and soon Denny's will be everything we expect in America's Kitchen table.
  In our Market, our store has received quite a few accolades in the ten years we have been a franchisee. Last year our store was selected over all other restaurants in the State of Illinois (of any brand) as the "Restaurant Neighbor of the Year Award" winner, by the Illinois Restaurant Association.
  Also last year (2001), the Chicago Tribune selected or Denny's as one of the Four Best places in the Chicago Area to get Pancakes.
  Last year, we were selected by the Daily Southtown as one of the "Best Burgers anywhere they were referring to our Double Decker Burger."
  Also, the Chicago Tribune has in prior years named us as one of the Best Places categories. Best Place After Midnight, Best Places for Comfort Food, Best Places for Breakfast, Best Places for a Hot Beverage (Coffee), Best Places for Kids and One of the Best Places for a Cheap Date and coincidently, we recieved a special mention as One of the Best Places to Pop the Question?????????? As such, if you ask your intended to marry you and it makes the paper that you proposed in our Denny's we will buy you your Grand Slam Breakfast!
  With all of the above, why aren't we in Zagat.com???? I hope the readers of your column, stop at our Denny's in Mokena, Illinois and send you an e.mail, if they had a pleasant experience, if not; look for either Joe, Susan, Tamian or Joel Terrell and we will make sure that it is right.
  We enjoy being America's Breakfast Table. We enjoy our customers. And I really loved reading the many comments in your web site.
  I realize that not all guest experiences mentioned in your web site are homeruns, heck; some aren't even bunt singles. You need good people to fill the bases, then you can hit a Grand Slam. Hey at $2.99 that's a deal.
  But the key is good people, remember our servers are human and they have a tough job. Go any where else and get a better meal, with great service by great people all the time, know what; it won't happen. Only at Denny's"
  - Joey Allen Terrell

Moline, Illinois

• June 3, 2000 - "I went to college near this Dennys and it became our hangout place. We went here after bowling, parties, finals...you name it. We got to know the wait staff by name and even had our favorites...especially Jeanette who, after forgetting the pancakes I had ordered, exclaimed "Well, slap me later!" I have so many memories here, including ones involving broken carrafs (water EVERYWHERE), long hours spent talking about crazy things, and tons of other stuff. This Dennys is the one I still consider my "home" Dennys and I always make sure I go there when I am in town. This is one you can't pass up!"
  - Marcy

Mt. Vernon, Illinois

• " The Denny's here in Mt. Vernon, IL is a happening place to go. On Saturday mornings you can get the best breakfast in town, and sit forever to talk. On Tuesday nights I go there with a friend to have dessert and get caught up on all the latest news. On the weekends you can find a wild mixture of groups who stay until all hours to chat and drink coffee, and sometimes even smoke a cigar or two. The waitresses and waiters are the friendliest, except for Ruth, who is really a little on the strange side. She likes to sit with the customers and talk about her tatoos, and personal problems. But she is the only wierd thing about the place. No, there is no WAY, but one of the managers does look a little like Billy Bob Thornton. Uh HUh." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Marilyn Tolley

Normal, Illinois

• "I am writing this from NORMAL Illinois. I would like to inform you of an error in one of your location identifications. The Dennys mentioned as being in Bloomington, IL is in fact not in Bloomington but right here in NORMAL. It is located on Main street at the north end of town and yes it is a few miles down the road from Illinois State University. Bloomington/Normal is considered a twin-city so I understand the mistake, it is a common one made because Bloomington is the larger of the two. Bloomington also has a Dennys. It is located in the south-east area of town on Oakland Av. You could stop at one as you are entering town and one as you leave. " - written prior to September, 1999
  - ROMMEL(the magnificent bastard)

• " It's wonderful to see someone else with the dedication to Denny's that our small group here in Bloomington-Normal, IL has! We have been avid Denny's fans since early high school, and since then, Denny's has become a mecca for other high-school wannabees in our town. Sure, they shun us "geeks" at school, but when all is said and done, they join us at the temple of the yellow diamond.
  Our Denny's here in B-N doesn't have a WAY, but we do have a scary midget that does weird things to his daughter and speaks portugese to the customers." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Ben Reed

• September 26, 1999 - "I am going through withdrawl to my favorite Denny's located on N. Main St. in Normal, IL. I have been away at college for a month, and have not been able to visit. It is the only "real Denny's" in the opinion of all its regulars. In booth 43 many interesting things have taken place, including a blow job. On my boyfriend's and my 1 year anniversary, or good friend who is a server there (and consequently is the one who looks like weird Al) sat us there as a joke. It is the most wonderful place, because like Cheers, everybody knows your name, and you always get drinks and desserts for free. Server's are also very willing to give out nametags. However, just don't go on a night when Joe's managing. Oh, yes, of course the most important part. The other manager's name is Ken Starr."
  - Nell Haynes

• August 13, 2001 - "1615 N. Main, NORMAL, IL 61761 ... Looked to be one of the "mid-period" style Denny's...not brand new but not one of the ancient ones that you come across occasionally. Though I think hey did have the old sign out front. Anyway, the dining area was rather huge, and I was able to get a table pretty quickly despite the fact that I forgot that it was late morning on Father's Day. Service was a little slow (as per usual on Sundays and holidays) but the waitstaff were friendly and the chow was good. No WAY in sight, unfortunately. Nothing much else to say about this Denny's other than that it's a great place to stop to eat on your way up I-55 to Chicago."
  - Mike Rengel

Oak Forest, Illinois

• "Hi, my name is John Brand. I am a waiter at the Denny's in Oak Forest, Illinois. I was wondering if you have been there or were going to be in the area any time soon? We are located about 30 miles south of Chicago. If you are going to be passing through there, please e-mail me at johnnybrando@rocketmail.com I'll hook you up with all the free stuff I can. Good luck with everything. Have fun" - written prior to September, 1999
  - John Brand

Oaklawn, Illinois

• June 2, 2000 - "Cicero Ave, Oaklawn Illinois (out by the Oak Brook Mall) - Once we poor kids discovered that you could get student discounts at the Yorktown movie theater, we were all for it. This Denny's was more often than not our coffee stop after a movie, until that one fateful night when they didn't have coffee, any of the specialty strawberry deserts, most of the other deserts except that peanut butter thing that clamps your mouth shut. Actually, all the could offer us was Chicago tap, break, and napkins. They didn't even have many full sets of silverware. But they had ashtrays, and I guess that's all that really matters. Except for coffee."
  - Jules

Oak Park, Illinois

• "Howdy... My favorite Denny's is in Oak Park, IL on Harlem near Chicago Ave. Always pretty good food and a cheerful staff. There's another one a few miles up near the place I work, but it's a lot creepier...weird wait staff...but the food's okay I guess...." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Dennis Gordon

• June 2, 2000 - "Harlem and Chicago, Oak Park Illinois - I lived in Oak Park for nearly three years and some how, we never found anywhere better to go except Denny's. The one in Oak Park came to be known as a second home for my friend, Rachael, and myself. Unfortunately, they don't stay open 24-hours because of a shooting or something. Omar, my favorite waiter ever at Denny's, was not around the last time I went back up there after school got out. It was a shame. Actually, I didn't know any of the waiters there. But I think the manager is the same. He doesn't look like Weird Al, but the employees do refer to him as Donald Duck because of how he walks and talks. I've only ever had bad service there when I didn't know who was working, and now it doesn't matter because I don't plan on being up there again in the near future."
  - Jules

Orland Park, Illinois

• "I pretty much grew up at the Orland Park Denny's. It was a place where a person could go and feel accepted no matter what. I could wear an old shirt that hadn't been washed in weeks and still get the same great service as anyone else there. I have met some of the most interesting people there at Denny's. There was the rastafarian lesbian who had armpit hair and kept complaining about how her girlfriend was always playing nintendo and would never have sex with her. There was the time I went with my family and had to leave after the chef got drunk and threw up. There's the gay bus boy who is always hitting on me, fingerlady, jaclyn who knows everyone in Chicago, and many more. Where else can you meet such a mix of people? And where else can you eat a mystery pack? There's no place in the world like Denny's." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Dan Gustafson

• " I would like to tell you something about the Denny's in Orland Park, IL. Sorry, no WAYs, but our Denny's has something way better than that: ADA! She's the Ultimate Waitress, having the 5AM till 12PM shift. Don, who drove me to Denny's and to school every morning (yes, we used to have breakfast there EVERY MORNING on school days), and I were there at about 6.20AM by the way. Pretty early, but I had zero hour starting at 7.10 AM. Anyways, in spite of the early time she was always on top of everything. Woo hoo! After a while we even enjoyed having a "favorite spot" that she never had to lead us to anymore because it was simply "ours". Oh, and she always brought us coffee and ice water immediately. It was awesome. Did you know that Denny's changed its policies as far as ice water? They used to serve ice water at any time, for anybody, but now the management told the waitpersons to only serve water when requested. How weird is that? Well, Ada is one of the "old school" waitresses. She still brings water to every table, just because she thinks that's the way it should be. And she told us that she'll go on doing that till someone starts complaining, but I doubt that this is ever gonna happen. Ok, and she told us this thing about a new coffee policy, too. Supposingly they have to brew coffee every 30 minutes because after 30 minutes coffee doesn't have a fresh taste anymore or something. So when you go to Denny's and order a cup of coffee, taste it and then tell the waitperson that you don't think the coffee is freshly brewed, they will brew a whole new thing for you AND you won't have to pay for it. No, I never tried it. I guess I'm too much of a wimp there and I don't like bitching at people. But it sure sounds good, doesn't it? Guess that's it for now. I'll try to scan the pic I have of Ada as soon as I get to that one guy's house who has a scanner. Everybody should see and worship her!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Anonymous

Palatine, Illinois

• "This Denny's is the best as long as you don't go between 6p.m. and 10p.m. when all the teeny boppers are out. Ask for Ryan or Warren--they are the best!!! Leave em a great tip because otherwise they will beat my ass! The GM is a witch so just ignore her! Also talk to Dave our local writer and be prepared for some perverted comment." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Brian T. Aubel

Park Forrest, Illinois

• "I'm writing to tell you that I recently had a bad experience in one of our Denny's restraunts! Even though it was 6 months ago, it has scared my life forever!!! I was on a trip to Chicago, IL for the 1995 Drum Corps International World Champions banquet for the Cavalier Drum and Bugle Corps. Well anyway, a group of us who frequented this one Denny's stopped in to have a late breakfast. It was a Sunday mid-morning, and a little busy. This Denny's is the one on Mannehiem in Park Forrest!
  We all had our lunch, talked for a little bit, and I decided that I could write a check, and everyone could give me the cash, to make the line at the register a little quicker. Noticing that there were NO signs posted either at the front door, at the register, or in the menu, I proceeded to write a check for our meal. The cashier said that they do not accept checks, I asked why since they had no sign, and she said she would get the manager.
  The manager came and said the same thing. That they do not accept checks, and also since it WAS an out-of-state, that they still would not accept the check. Well, I was very furious with this since there were NO signs posted stating the fact that no checks were accepted, I told her that I had no other form of payment and that the check will have to do. She asked if I had any credit cards, I told her that I did not, and when I travel I prefer to write checks for tax purposes. After about 5 minutes of explaining that she "In Rules and Regulations" could not accept my check, I told her that luckily I had some friends and they gave me money.
  I wrote to her District Manager, Deborah Flowers, back in February, and still have not heard anything about it.
  I know this was kind of lengthy, but I thought you should know that there are some real bad Denny's restraunts out there!!!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Gordon "Sluggo" Valentine

Peoria, Illinois

• "Pretty standard Denny's...only been here twice. The interesting thing about this resteraunt is that they pipe the music into the restroom and its REALLY LOUD in there and it echos all about. Its cool!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Phil Plencner

• August 6, 2000 - "I was in Peoria (Illinois) for a wedding, so my friend Ryan and I ate dinner at a Denny's that was down the street from our hotel (it's the one near the Northwoods Mall). The big, illuminated road sign had the new logo, but the logo on the building itself was of the old style. Inside it was one of the old, unrenovated Denny's -- counter up front instead of pushed off to one side. There appeared to only be about two or three people working in the entire place, and we were there about 6 pm. There was this old guy working as a host, and one time he yelled out really loud what sounded like "bagel!" Anyway, the service at this Denny's was atrocious, the decor was kind of interesting, the food was OK, and there was no WAY. I did grab an interesting Denny's artifact while I was there -- something called a Pie Reservation form. You can fill it out and they'll have a pie waiting for you when you need it."
  - Mike Rengel

Rockford, Illinois

• "Remember the big scandals with Denny's personnel being accused of refusing service to certain humans? This restaurant has apparently decided, in an effort to avoid discrimination, to refuse to provide service to anyone. I've never in my life seen waitpersons SO LAZY!!" - written prior to September, 1999
  - Debbie Buzinski

Schiller Park, Illinois

• June 2, 2000 - "River Rd, Schiller Park Illinois - 7am in August 1998. We were beginning out first annual group road trip, camping in the Wisconsin Dells. Just imagine 7 psychotic teenagers awake at 7am in the morning out of their own free will. We were happy because we didn't have to work at Shittyland for the entire weekend and we were going to the Dells. Our waitress was very nice with out rowdiness. I'm not sure how she took the mess that we left, though. The only other customer in the place at that hour was an old guy that looked like he hadn't moved his butt from that stool in 20 years. Eeeek."
  - Jules

Springfield, Illinois

• October 28, 1999 - "I wanted to say that the Denny's on the corner of Wabash Ave. and Veterans Pkwy. is excellent as long as you only order things that don't need to be cooked. I recommend the coffee. I loved Bernard the Waiter. Also, being a young adult, I liked the fact that my friends and I never got hassled when we took up two booths for hours at a time.
  "Denny's on Stevenson Drive SUCKS!! Even the water is bad!! The service staff is the worse I have ever seen and the entire restuarant is filthy. Furthermore, the smoking and non-smoking tables are seperated by only a cloud of smoke being pushed around by the ceiling fans that run at full speed during the winter."
  - Jeff and Valerie

Vernon Hills, Illinois

• "A standard Denny's outside of Hawthorn Center mall. Service is actually fairly slow at this location, and tends to be my least favorite in my area." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Phil Plencner

Waukegan, Illinois

• "This Denny's is in the Lakehurst shopping mall circle. It is newly renovated and has a baskin robin's ice cream stand inside it. My brothers wive use to work as a waitress at this location. I'll ask her if anyone there looked like WAY. " - written prior to September, 1999
  - Phil Plencner

Westmont, Illinois

• "Just though management might like to know that my wife and I ate at the Denny's on Ogden ave. in Westmont, IL today and had a terrible expericence. It boiled down to pathetic service (15 min. for coffee), snippy waitstaff, and some sort of fight brewing in the kitchen. The cook apparenlty walked off and was yelling for all to hear. Most of the customers were quite upset. Food was fine, though." - written prior to September, 1999
  - Anonymous

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