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Daley's Restaurant

Super GemWoodlawn · American Community-sourced, unverified
📍 6257 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

An Irish ironworker named John Daley opened this storefront in 1892 to feed the crews building both the rail lines and the World's Columbian Exposition — a restaurant born, literally, to serve the workers building the city around it.

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Muhammad Ali used to eat here before and after gym sessions, and the fried chicken and waffles are still the order a century-plus of regulars have defaulted to.

Greek immigrants Tom Kyros and Paul Emmanuel bought it in 1918 and kept the name; a bank failure wiped them out mid-remodel in 1932, and they rebuilt anyway, reopening as 'New Daley's' in 1937. The Kyros/Emmanuel family — current owner Mike Zar is Tom Kyros's great-nephew — has run it ever since, through a 2019 move directly across the street after 127 years in the original spot.

Muhammad Ali used to stop in before and after gym sessions. The menu's a classic Southern-leaning diner spread now: catfish, cornbread dressing, black-eyed peas, club sandwiches, and the fried chicken and waffles regulars default to.

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Specials at Daley's Restaurant

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Hours

Mon-Sun7AM-5PM
🥡 Takeout unconfirmed 📞 (773) 643-6670

Amenities & accessibility

❔Takeout: unverified
❔Wheelchair access: unverified

Location

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