CHIReview
Fast Track
The West Loop is a new place. It boasts Michelin stars, celebrity chefs, and some of the best restaurants in Chicago. But it didn't used to be like this, and on the edge of it all sits Fast Track, the diner of yesteryear that's indifferent and even dismissive of the changes going on around it.
This diner is part of the old West Loop. The one that’s often getting pushed out in this neighborhood full of hot restaurants, startups, and a giant new Google building. But Fast Track is just far enough outside the main hub to hang onto its small building underneath the L near the Clinton stop, at least for the time being. It’s like a less racist Clint Eastwood in the beginning of Gran Torino - refusing to change its ways while sitting in a rocking chair with a shotgun and a beer.
Fast Track is a quick, cash only, counter seating diner that's open from the crack of dawn to 7 pm. But it’s worth knowing as more people both live and find themselves working in the area. Sometimes we're not in the mood to deal with the dog and pony show in the West Loop, and a quick meal on-the-go is the answer. Skip the usual and played out fast food options and make Fast Track the spot instead.
Grab an Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dog, burger, gyro, or even get a little crazy with some scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast. Whatever you get, know that Fast Track is there to be a friendly and old school reprieve from the craziness around you.