Sher Main Grill

You certainly won’t be surprised by anything, but it meets expectations for a small breakfast joint. It’s cheap and served wicked fast. It’s a bit greasy by nature, but it’s all well made in my view. I’d recommend it for anyone who’s a fan of diner type breakfast as I am.

Ate here this morning for the first time. Decent food, fast service, no loud music, fair-​to-​low prices. It ain’t the Ritz, but what’s not to like? I just moved into the neighborhood and will probably be coming here for breakfast on a regular basis. It’s right out of the Fabulous Fifties!

Let’s be clear: the pancakes are merely okay, the bacon is ultra-​thin and turns to powder in your mouth, and the coffee is weak, more like coffee-​flavored water; so why 4-​stars? Because it’s utterly charming, that’s why.
I’ve only been once, but I can tell nothing’s changed for years. This place exists in another time: it was pretty full when I arrived, and I enjoyed people watching, but I only saw one person with a digital device out. If it’s in your neighborhood, you could very well be a regular. If it’s not, there’s probably a better place near you.
The short order cooks keep it moving at the griddle, which is visible, and kind of fun to watch. I had my food within a few minutes of ordering, and thought that was pretty fast, but while I was seated at the counter, someone called and put in their order on the way in: that’s clearly a pro move. While the coffee was weak, they did keep it coming. Lots of families, but also lots of people eating alone. No music, no bs, just adequate food, served up fast, in a friendly and cozy environment environment.

This is your typical breakfast diner. Its an old place, just slightly grimy but the food is cheap and orders come out quick. Its near the crazy house so youll most likely end up running into one of their wandering tenants.

Offers breakfast all day and very nice pricing. Neighborhood spot with a good cook. This neighborhood is like the old time neighbors, before high rises and high rents. Easy street parking with quarters or use your phone. Independent businesses can make it here if we support them. Buy local.

Excellent food, always pleasant and prompt service, and a homey dinner feel that’s hard to find these days. The corned beef hash is fantastic.

If this place opens at 6am it’s only place I know that keeps lights off and doors still locked at 630 on a regular Wednesday

Found 3 separate hairs in my food. They didn’t seem to care much and made it seem that it happens pretty often.

There are not too many Sher-​Main Restaurants left any more, and that’s too bad. To be sure, this restaurant, situated on Main Street, near Sherman, in Evantson, is from another era. It is, if I may use the analogy, like the «Cheers» of neighborhood eateries.
Having come in on Saturday, June 20, I took a spot at the counter, where I soon started talking to some «regulars,» including one gentleman who told me he had been coming to Sher-​Main, since 1969. Also, sitting a couple seats away, was a truly wonderful lady who I had recently met – she too, was a regular.
Now, no only will you find a sense of family, here, but the food is DARN GOOD, too! Whether you want a hearty breakfast, or a very tasty lunch, or an early dinner, you will not be disappointed with Sher-Main’s varied menu. And what’s more, the prices are quite reasonable, with generous portions.
And then there’s Ted, one of the owners of this establishment. This guy is the epitome of HOSPITALITY. He always goes out of his way to make you feel at home. And that my dear readers, is no small feat. For, in today’s «rush-​rush» world, where good customer service is so very hard to find, Ted proves that it still exists. And, in addition, that same welcome mat is also on display with any of the guys who prepare the food – not only do they do a heck of a good job with everything they cook, but they too, know how to treat customers.
In sum, you can’t go wrong with the Sher-​Main. Whether you just want a cup of java, breakfast, lunch, or an early dinner, I would encourage you to stop in. And if you do, I think you will soon see, as I have, that you «lucked out,» because Sher-​Main is far more than a coffee shop. In fact, Sher-​Main spells a very healthy dose of HOSPITALITY, a sincere desire to please all the customers, and GOOD food, to boot. Just enjoy your visit, and know this: I have only been there a few times, but I can honestly, and happily say, «I’m hooked!»

My previous review of Sher-​Main still holds pretty much true as far as the food goes. Unfortunately, some of their morning crew seem to have developed a «we don’t really depend on customers» mindset. We came in this morning for our customary Sunday breakfast (which we’ve done for a *long* time) and instead of being greeted within a couple of minutes with coffee, water, etc., we *sat there* for over twelve minutes without anyone coming to the table.
If this was a large, busy chain restaurant that had two servers call in sick unexpectedly, I might possibly call this an unfortunate situation. But with a total of three customers in the house, not noticing another occupied table for twelve minutes is inexcusable. We ended up walking out, at which time one of the guys finally said «Go sit down, I’ll get you some coffee». Too late.
I’m yanking a star because the staff here have been doing their thing for years and years and their servers know their stuff. But sitting twelve minutes waiting for someone? anyone? to come to the table elicits a big WTF? from us, and neither of us is particularly inclined to try our luck again on Sunday mornings.

No frills diner! Good portion sizes (not too big or too small), friendly and fast service…

Simple little place with pretty decent food. There’s a lot of good restaurants in Evanston which makes it harder for ones like these to stand out. However, its advantage is it isn’t really nearby many of the other ones as it is not located right in the heart of downtown. It kinda easy to miss as you drive by as the place isn’t big but the food and the prices are good.

This joint is no frills, not fancy (go down the street to Lucky Platter for artsy) and inexpensive greasy food.
Probably one of the best places to eat a hangover away without breaking the bank.
Living less than a mile from here, this is my go-​to-​spot when I want some cheap ass breakfast food.
What’s there to complain about? It’s an old joint!

Good food. Good price. Its definitely a local place … I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

You certainly don’t come here for the décor or ambiance. Shar-​Main Grill is the kind of place that time forgot. It is about as nondescript as it gets, both on the outside and the inside. What it does have is character. The place is filled with the most diverse crowd of regulars you could ever imagine and from all walks of life. The menu is very straightforward and expected for a diner/​grill establishment with no surprises or things that make you go «Wow, that sounds interesting!» But what it does have is solid, quality food that actually tastes pretty damn good. The pancakes have a sweet vanilla flavor in them that make you want to keep going back for more. The French fries, while slightly soggy, have a very yummy flavor profile to them that also make you want more and more. The coffee is good and strong and the wait staff is very friendly.
The bathrooms are a little gross and the place feels like it needs a cleaning and maybe a fresh coat of paint, but overall, it’s a solid place to go for a down and dirty breakfast with no muss and no fuss. And sometimes, that’s all you really want on a weekend morning. Grab a newspaper, get a coffee, order yourself some grub. enjoy in peace and quiet while your body slowly feels like its becoming human again.

Awesome find!

My husband and I were so excited to try this place after the good reviews but were very disappointed. He said the sausage was good, but that was the only high point of our meal. For the same price, we could have gone elsewhere and gotten considerably better food.

2 stars.
Kinda unremarkable.
Nothing stellar about this joint — AT ALL.
Not ‘greasy’, though.
Not as ‘cheap’ as other reviews might suggest, either. Kinda pricey, actually.
Spent $ 11 for a sub-​par omelet, sub-​par, sub-​cooked hash, a delicious english muffin, and a super-​thin, runny, milkshake.
I never once saw anyone wash their hands. But, I did see ‘Emma’, lady at the counter, pick up someones bread with her hands… right after she had taken payment from another customer. Yuck.
Don’t sit at the bar — you can see into the kitchen. It’s worse than Waffle House — and they are open ²⁴⁄₇ — at least I can use that as an excuse.
I’m sure other restaurants have greater health infractions, but these I witnessed with my own four eyes!
The staff seemed personable enough. But, I don’t think I’ll go back.
Cash only.

My current roommate told me about this little gem around the corner from our apartment, and I’m glad she did. I have a soft spot for greasy spoon diners that serve me brunch. My college roommate does to, so she came up to Evanston and we had a brunch date last week here.
For $ 3.95/person, we each had 2 full pieces of toast, one egg of our style choice, and hashbrowns (see photo). It doesn’t get much better than that. It was just what I had been craving, and it was easier than going out and buying the ingredients myself.
The ambiance is nothing to write home about, but that’s to be expected in a diner, and it’s what I wanted. A few booths, a counter where there were several people seated, and then my friend and I grabbed a two person table. The waiter was prompt with refilling our water, service was quick but not rushed, and the food was great.
I really wish I had been able to get here earlier. I move out of my apartment next week and will be gone all summer and living somewhere else next year. I’m going to try to come back at least once before I go… maybe make my dad and brother come here before/​after they help me move my stuff out of my apartment.
And my roommate is right. Thus far, these are the best hashbrowns I’ve had in Evanston.

This place is fairly legit. The prices are right on, and they only accept cash. It’s in our regular breakfast rotation with Ted’s Snack Shop and Golden Olympic.
The homemade hot sauce people rave about isn’t really very good IMO, but they have others like tapatio. The menu and the staff are very Mexican, which is awesome because I like spice in my food and the meals are hearty. Instead of toast, you can get a muffin or even tortillas, which is pretty cool — on our visit today I took hashed browns and parts of my omelette and crammed them in tortillas with hot sauce. Instant breakfast tacos, hell yeah! We always order a short stack for our little baby and she loves the pancakes — so do we — they’re delicious and fluffy.
I’d like to try their lunch, but c’mon, any place that does breakfast this well shouldn’t even bother with lunch.