Lou Mitchell’s

Lou Mitchell’s is a diner at 565 W Jackson Blvd in the West Loop, directly across from Union Station and at the Clinton Blue Line stop. The restaurant has been in business since 1923 and sits at the start of Route 66, which explains the signs out front. The kitchen cooks breakfast and lunch: skillet omelets, pancakes, burgers and a house coffee, and the staff hand donut holes to customers waiting in line.

What to know

• The diner was founded in 1923.
• Donut holes and Milk Duds at the door have been a tradition since 1958.
• Travelers catching an early Metra or Amtrak train tend to eat here first.
• Route 66 signage marks the corner because the highway’s eastern start is here.
• The Sunday line moves faster than expected because the dining room is big.