Pete’s Open Kitchen

I live in the area and used to go here for my hangover fix. It was a typical satisfying greasy spoon… until it changed ownership.
It’s cleaner now but that’s he only positive thing I can say about it.
This morning I ordered breakfast asked for them to remove the meat because I don’t eat pork. What I got was two eggs with mashed potatoes (wtf) with gravy drowning it. Seriously, mashed potatoes and eggs for breakfast??? Pass. Will not be going back.

I feel obligated to update my review after giving this place 4 stars a while back. The place changed ownership & now it’s ran by a Chinese family (or it seems). I went in around 2pm to get lunch; the Chinese woman was the only one there so she was handling both cash and cooking. When I was waiting for the order, I saw the woman using her bare hands to pick up the patty & putting it into the deep fryer without washing her hands. I gave her a benefit of doubt & ate the lunch anyway, only to get sick later that night. I won’t be returning & you shouldn’t eat from here either — avoid.

It’s a street diner. Better than most in the Corktown area.
Super friendly, always great vibe in the place. Good coffee.
it’s old, dumpy, has a very kitsch atmosphere, almost like something out of a 1940’s movie (except the radio plays 60’s music, seriously).
The food is like Mom makes, it’s not stellar, incredible, OMG you need to Tweet this right now” kind of food. It’s «feel-​good» food that fills your belly and warms your heart with Pete and his wife. If you’re looking for that hip, cultural place to take your friends and impress them at how «Downtown» you are, this isn’t the place. If you want really good, fresh-​cooked food that is priced right, fast to the table or takeout, and friendly service… Pete’s is a great option.

This greasy spoon is pretty sketchy but the food’s good. I would never order here if the kitchen wasn’t «open» for all to see what’s goin’ on back there. The front of house is old and falling apart, stuck in some old dirty looking timewarp, but the grilled cheese and bacon sarnies are yum! And the best part is I can watch the old farts makin’ it and they’re clean and right on point.

As I do with most important life decisions, I turn to Matt M for advice. A while back I found myself in need of help, and turned to Matty and asked: «Where do I get a good lunch around here?» He furrowed his brow under his cooler-​than-​yours glasses and replied, «Pete’s Open Kitchen! Cheap homemade goodness. Yummm.»
I carried this wisdom with me for a few months before I made the plunge into this small, dingy looking mom and pop shop. Well shit. This place is great. Always listen to Matt M… unless you’re arguing with him. Then he’s dead wrong and needs to get a grip.
Pete’s offers a soup and lunch special daily for very reasonable prices! I had a bite of Matt’s lasagna and salad once and it was tasty. Today I had a gyro and the meat was tender and oniony and and the wrap soaked up the magical Greek sauce divinely. Under $ 4 for the darn thing and it was one of the best lunches I’ve had in a long, long while. Their chalkboard has burgers and sandwiches that they make hot and fresh for you listed clearly, running between $ 2 – 5 in price. We’re talking serious bargains here, people.
Why not 5 stars? I guess I just don’t want to mislead the public. This is still a bit of a dirty block and I wouldn’t want to sit in and eat. But this mom and pop op is unreal for take out.
PEPPER POINTS for the sign on their pop fridge that reads «In God we trust. Everyone else pays cash.»

I’m so glad I discovered this place. This is your lunch place. Right across the street from my house and the perfect little diner I have been missing. Great for lunch, brekkie or afternoon snacks.
The menu is pretty broad, sandwiches, greek salad, burgers, lasagna, you name it and it is at a perfect lunchtime price (well under $ 10). Exactly what a lunch meal should cost and you’ll be super full afterwards. $ 6.95 for a huge slice of lasagna, greek salad and a bun (plus the bun is a cute little hamburger bun with some butter on it).
Perfect for a hangover meal or everyday lunch. I will be back very soon.

Nearly the same quality that you can achieve at home if you used only the ingredients you happened to have on hand and if you had to cook while hungover.

Lunch I find to be one of the most important meals of the day. While breakfast sets pace for the rest of the day and dinner is always the largest meal with more to it, I have noticed that lunch is perfect for splitting the day up and for networking with business associates. While some people prefer a quick healthy lunch, I am more partial to the greasy spoon type restaurants. They are usually quicker, have more personable service, better prices, and more variety. Pete’s Open Kitchen is no exception to that!
When I first started working less than half a block away, I had a tendency to walk the 10 or so minutes to Subway or one of the other chain restaurants closer to Parliament Street. I tried Pete’s a few weeks after starting when I just needed something fast because it was a busy day. Since then, I have not made the trek up the street because I found the food to be better tasting and it is literally right across the street. The trio that run the place are a riot and they are always making one wise crack or another at each other. John, the guy that will greet you when you walk in, is a very upbeat and funny man that will always make you laugh no matter how rough a day you are having.
I am a meat guy, so normally I will have a banquet burger or chicken fingers with fries well done (the only way fries should ever be). On special days they have a pork souvlaki dinner which is pretty damn good which comes with pork, rice (which tastes really good and is made in corning-​ware with spices, not just steamed rice), salad and a dinner roll. My partner also swears by the spinach wrap which I have recommended to other vegetarians and they have loved it.
So if you are in the area and need a quick bite (breakfast or lunch), I suggest you stop in to Pete’s Open Kitchen where you will find when you are grabbing a drink from the fridge, «In God we trust, other’s pay cash!»