Biscuits and gravy tirade ends with gun charge against man at River North diner, prosecutors say

Patrick White (inset) and Tempo Cafe | CPD; Google

Tempo Cafe, the all-night diner in River North, serves just about anything a hungry man may desire. But they don’t serve biscuits and gravy. And that, it seems, was a problem for Patrick White.

White, 34, is now facing a felony gun charge in connection with an incident that allegedly started when Tempo staffers told him they don’t serve the rib-sticking Southern breakfast staple.

Police were called to the restaurant, 6 East Chestnut, after a man became belligerent and started demanding biscuits and gravy from the waitstaff around 7 a.m. Friday. When they informed him that they don’t serve the dish, he walked across the street and started yelling at passersby, prosecutors said.

But the man returned to the restaurant and started demanding biscuits and gravy again. Hoping to win him over with an alternate meal, the staff provided the man with a copy of their expansive menu, which includes virtually every breakfast option under the sun, including no fewer than 29 listed varieties of five-egg omelets. But not biscuits and gravy.

Unfortunately, as the man sat down to review the possibilities, a restaurant worker saw the butt of a handgun sticking out of his pocket, prosecutors said. The man was asked to leave the restaurant. He complied, and police arrived moments later.

Restaurant staffers explained what had happened and pointed cops toward White, who was about a block away. Officers found a loaded handgun in White’s pocket during a pat-down search, according to a CPD report.

Prosecutors charged White with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. They said he has a license to own a firearm in Indiana, but he’s not licensed to own or carry a gun in Illinois.

Judge Arthur Willis on Saturday set bail at $5,000. White went home by posting a $500 deposit bond that evening.

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com