Albany Park residents longing for fresh, homemade cooking need no longer travel back to their humble abodes in the country; they just have to walk to couple of blocks to West River Cafe, a warm, homey diner specializing in big heaping meals for breakfast.

Located in a dusty-looking brick building, the cafe may not glimmer with modern sleekness, but instead lures the customer in with its weather-vane logo on the window, which unconsciously implies that the diner serves up as hearty of a breakfast as they serve on a farmstead.

Devout fans of the eggs Benedict will be delighted to find not just the original dish, but also the avocado and Florentine variations (with spinach instead of ham). Those in a particularly frisky mood can feast on one of West River's waffle creations: strawberry, apple-cinnamon, pecan or blueberry or a stack of chocolate chip pancakes. Skillets, omelets and the healthy corner (featuring dishes with poached eggs, English muffins and cottage cheese) round out the breakfast portion of the menu.

Once lunchtime rolls in, West River starts serving up salads, soups, entrees and sandwiches (including one intriguing dish called tuna volcano).

Located across the street from a BP gas station and a Walgreens, the cafe oozes with authenticity and character by contrast alone. Maury Povich scolds an out-of-control teen on the TV, while kids fill their hands with Skittles from an old dispenser before returning to their lime-green booth. All things considered, it might be the least pretentious spot in the city.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Andy Seifert