Breakfast Prepared Before Your Eyes in Hyde Park
Eat morning plates where Chicago locals, students and politicians have crossed paths for decades.
🍳 A Cafeteria With History
At Valois Restaurant, the cafeteria service line puts breakfast preparation right in front of you, with hashes, eggs and traditional diner lunches among the classic American comfort fare served here. Take your plate into the bustling room and settle into a Hyde Park routine that has outlasted generations.
French Canadian William Valois founded the place, and its story in the neighborhood reaches back to 1921. It stands among the oldest cafeterias of its kind in the country, carrying a piece of restaurant history into an ordinary morning meal.
Locals, students and politicians have crossed paths here over the decades. Barack Obama is the most notable name in that mix, a reminder of how many different Chicago lives have met over these morning plates. Valois is open Monday through Sunday from 6 AM to 3 PM at 1518 E 53rd St.
