Evanston Grill

I have regularly eaten here for over 25 years. Mr. And Mrs. Lee and Sylus are fixtures in the community. The dumpling soup will help on cold days when you are under the weather and no one else can compete with the ol’ ham and egger.

The true spirit of America is alive within this lovely Mom and Pop’s restaurant. I had the distinct pleasure of dining here for the first time today and was not let down. I walk past this tiny very old school looking establishment all the time and I have been intrigued by the hand made sign for the Bee Bim Bop special as I am a little new to Korean food but I know I enjoy the spicy flavors and great use of vegetables.
I sat down, alone, the only patron in the whole place but was very surprised at how friendly the service was. The owners, a lovely aging korean couple, both made small talk with me and made sure I knew what sauce was what after ordering their highly regarded Bee Bim Bop.
The Bee Bim bop was great. It was filling. It was well balanced and was near divine with the addition of the house made Gojuchang sauce. I will return for this dish in the near future, seems like it would be the perfect hang over cure.
I think what I liked most of this place was how non pretentious and comforting it felt. It felt like true Americana. The glasses were worn and cloudy but not in a dirty fashion but more like the wear and tear of aged plastic glassware your grandma has at her house. The furnishings most likely haven’t changed in decades. If it’s not broken don’t fix it. The owners were lovable and memorable not to mention humble.
The very idea of a Korean couple operating a textbook american diner is a beautiful picture of the melting pot that is American dining. I love their bravery for putting dishes like Bee Bim Bop next to cheeseburgers and fries. It is a wonderful little neighborhood establishment that beacons back to a time before chain restaurants and Starbuck’s took over every city block. A time of where being genuine and true were worth more than a fancy brand or convenience.
Keep doing your thing Evanston Grill!

This was the dirtiest and most disgusting place I’ve ever ate at. My wife and I were both sick after eating here.

Their Bee bim bop is the best in Evanston and the cheapest! I’ve been eating here for a long time. The only bad thing is that they close so early.

Ok so I finally made my way over here after a year of living in downtown Evanston… And I love it! I walked in and upon seeing the old wood paneling walls and old yellow luminescent bulbs hanging from the ceiling, I just knew it was gonna be a good experience. Mrs Lee, as the other locals called her, took several minutes to greet me. And at first I was like «ummm do you see me?» But then when realized how cute and little she is I backed off. She finally took my order:
Bee Beem Bop!
it was so simple and delicious. Rice, julienned carrots, cucumbers and lettuce topped with one fried egg and Korean style beef.
I was satisfied, not not stuffed. The locals,
You can tell, hold a special place in their hearts for Mrs Lee, her husband (the cook), and the establishment itself.
Good times and I’ll be going back soon!

A landmark, iconic neighborhood joint. Those who complain that the place ‘doesn’t know what it wants to be’ kinda miss the point. Mr. Lee has added some Korean dishes to the menu because — get this — he’s from Korea! True, the name might imply a straight-​up American diner, but that doesn’t take away from the beauty of the place…
The Lees have showed up for work six days a week for almost thirty years in a row without pause. Those who’ve had the opportunity to know Mr. Lee can attest that he’s gracious, warm-​hearted and extremely hard-​working man.
Classical music plays, newspapers travel from diner to diner, friends meet serendipitously, and if you’re a fan of spicy food, Mr. Lee will bring you his ‘special sauce’. Beloved by locals, when Mr. Lee finally hangs up his paper chef’s hat there will be many broken hearts. Long live the Lee’s Bi Bim Bop!
(Post Script: My eighty year old mother is driving cross-​country to Chicago with me this summer JUST to have Mr. Lee’s Bi Bim Bop again. How’s that for a review?)

This place is great. The first time we had gotten the egg sandwiches to go. Those were good. But then we actually dined in today. We both got the Bee Beem Bop and it was AMAZING! When in doubt, get the Bee Beem Bop. The staff is friendly.

It took 10 minutes for the guy to take our order, then another 10 just to get coffee. We asked for water, he only brought 1. Not at all friendly. My eggs and hash browns tasted like egg rolls which means they don’t wipe down the grill. The bacon was undercooked. The condiments on the table were so dirty we had to use napkins to pick them up. And don’t look under the table if you don’t want to grossed out. I’ll never go back.

A lot more seating than I had ever imagined. This place caught my eye because when I see «grill» I just expect the traditional American breakfast kind of food. There were signs in the window advertising Korean food. And it looks like it’s run by an adorable Korean couple. So it’s gotta be legit. Sweet.
I have to admit, I would never come here for anything other than the bi bim bap or mandoo soup. The bibimbap is pretty much a bunch of veggies and beef over rice. The only disappointment was there was no sriracha provided. (Lucky for me, I ordered the meal to go and sriracha is a staple in almost every Asian American home.) Mandoo = perfect hangover food.

The food was ok but I went to use the hot sauce and it had mold in it. To say the least I was instantly turned off my the meal.

Yikes, what a strange little place. I thought I was walking into just a normal everyday greasy-​spoon breakfast diner, and I was wrong. Instead I found a joint that doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. Typical American diner? Korean street-​food spot? Something in between?
Companion and I went here because we wanted typical American breakfast fare. The minute I saw the specials and the menu and the owners, my instincts told me to switch gears toward more Asian-​inspired menu options. Other reviews here, plus seeing what other diners ordered, plus my own experience with their standard diner fare, combine to validate that I should have followed those instincts. Pancakes were OK, hamburger was meh, sausage patties were miniature hockey pucks.
Interior was well-​worn and dumpy, even by greasy-​spoon standards, and had a weird institutional smell about it.
Service was a little slow and featured a stereotypical-​Korean lack of superficial pleasantries. As we sat there it became obvious that many of the customers were regulars, often greeted by name as they entered. I suppose it’s no coincidence that many of said regulars ordered the bibambap and that it’s the most highly recommended dish here among those who give the place high marks. Despite my initial low rating, I’ll give this place another go if I’m in the area dealing with Autobarn again and try out their decidedly non-​diner-​like signature dish.

Random and awesome! We had the Bee Beem Bop, dumpling soup and a sandwich. Everything was good and reasonably priced. This is a total hole in the wall, and I mean that in a good way.

Some of these reviews are nuts!!! There are what 4 booths and 10 bar stools in approx 700 sq ft and you expect 5 star service??? For the price and quality of food it’s a great little place, with that being said… Stick with the teriyaki beef and eggs or Bee Beem Bop only…

Cheap home cooked food with some Korean add-​ons. Classical music in the background makes it nice to relax in this mom and pop diner.

BeeBeemBop!!! Yummy! I’ve had the teriyaki omelet too and it was quite yummy! The owners are sweet, and the wife is quite a character! I’ve done take out of the BeeBeemBop too because they can get pretty busy. Quick, delicious food!

Bibimbap with teriyaki beef. Very tasty, and the owners are really nice. I’d go back. It’s not traditional bibimbap (no crispy rice), but it was still good. And it was cheap too

Ok, I’d be vary of food that is supposedly Korean but wants to add the American twist in there just to appeal to the American pallet.
They spell BiBimBap Bee Beem Bap? I guess this must bet their most popular dish but I am disappointed. I feel like I can walk across the street to the jewel losco and get my own ingredients and make a much better bibimbap.
The owners are a cute Korean couple though, so yay for neighborhood friendliness.
If you come here and park at one of the street parkings, especially if you park on the side of autobarn, you are risking your car to be dented. We live right by here and have personally witnesses an accident where an autobarn truck dented a car parallel parked on the street. That is a high price to pay for brunch, try parking at one of the streets behind the restaurant that is more residential and gets far less traffic than the main street of Chicago Ave. well good thing parallel parking is only something like 95 cent?
I wish this place was more authentic because how close we live to it… but sigh I’ll walk up to downtown Evanston afterall.

This place is great!
We came and it was like 10 minutes before closing. Instead of kicking us out, they seated us down and apologize that they are out of rice (since they are supposed to be closed already). I felt bad and ask them if it’s ok if we order. The server was the best, he said it’s cool and again apologized for the rice: o)
I’m big on Asian cuisine and healthy eating, s o I got the oriental chicken soup. That thing was huge and tasted exactly how I imagined it would. My man had the teriyaki beef and he wiped that plate clean (even thou he has very fancy tasters).
We both ate under $ 15 which is another huge plus of this place. If you are looking for something local that doesn’t feed the system, this is a place for you.

This is tiny breakfast joint that happens to serve some Korean food. Their bibimbap (pronounced bee-​beem-​bop hence their spelling) is surprisingly better than so many other places to also include NYC and northern NJ where I grew up. What’s not to love? They give you sizable and affordable portions and extra marinate their bulgogi! I’ve read here that it wasn’t authentic but take it from this Korean that it is and I like that they make it better than my version which is pretty good. My husband gets the bibimbap for his Korean co-​workers who think it’s awesome. I bought my Korean friends here and loved their Mandoo & Dduk Gook (dumpling & rice cake soup).
The other stuff is pretty standard and the owners are nice. Oh, and if you’d rather go for Korean food nearby with more options, Joy Yee’s if not a better option. You’re better off with a Korean restaurant or J.K. Sweets (never been but looks okay).

Get the bibimbop, avoid everything else.
Nice owners, cheap prices, but just stick with the bibimbop.