White Palace Grill has been open every single day since 1939. Not most days. Every day. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, around the clock, for going on 87 years. It appeared in Season 2, Episode 10 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “Open 24/7,” aired January 13, 2008 — and Guy Fieri found what owner George Liakopoulos describes as an urban oasis: a place where a 3:00 AM diner means veal parmesan and short rib dinners, not just eggs and toast. The White Palace has served three owners in nearly nine decades, which is itself a remarkable kind of consistency. Liakopoulos purchased it at the end of the millennium from near-original owner Arthur Bookman, who had run it for more than half a century before retiring. It has since earned a cameo in the final season of The Bear, filmed on location at the South Loop diner in early 2026.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: White Palace Grill
City: Chicago, Illinois
Cuisine: Classic Diner Fare
DDD Season: 2
DDD Episode: 10
Episode Title: Open 24/7
Original Air Date: January 13, 2008
Address: 1159 S. Canal St., Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312-939-7167
Website: https://www.whitepalacegrill.com/
Status: Open 24/7
About White Palace Grill
The South Loop location on Canal Street has been the address since 1939. Once known for its unobstructed view of the Chicago skyline thanks to an undeveloped railroad lot to the north, the White Palace now sits surrounded by the corporate development that came with UIC’s expansion and the South Loop’s residential conversion. But the regulars are still there. A 73-year-old veteran who ate at the White Palace as a teenager before shipping off to Vietnam still has breakfast there twice a week. A 91-year-old regular still makes the trip from Rogers Park for the portions and the quality. That kind of loyalty takes decades to earn and is impossible to fake.
George Liakopoulos insists on a menu that’s 99 percent scratch-made despite the 24/7 operation. The films Backdraft and Mad Dog and Glory both filmed scenes at White Palace in the early 1990s. Guy Fieri’s DDD episode and The Bear’s final season appearance bracket nearly two decades of national recognition. The place keeps earning it.
What to Eat at White Palace Grill
The Veal Parmesan is what Guy called “the real deal” on camera — the dish that captures why a Chicago diner has been running 24 hours a day for 87 years. The Short Rib Dinner is the other headliner from the DDD episode, served Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Homemade Biscuits and Gravy were the breakfast highlight. The Housemade Meatloaf is the dinner special most regulars recommend for a first visit, alongside the Chicken Fried Steak with sausage gravy. Breakfast is served all day, every day, at any hour — which is the entire point.
Plan Your Visit
White Palace Grill is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No reservations needed. Just show up.
Address: 1159 S. Canal St., Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312-939-7167
Website: https://www.whitepalacegrill.com/
Status: Open 24/7
Flavortown Approved
A Chicago 24-hour diner run deserves a full Triple D companion. Stream Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Amazon to catch the White Palace episode, and pick up More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for 60 more stops worth mapping out on your next road trip.
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White Palace Grill appeared in Season 2, Episode 10 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Open 24/7,” originally aired January 13, 2008.