The Best Diners in Detroit

R Diner

★★★★☆ 4 (128) • $

"A solid 4, 4-1/2 if there were 1/2 stars! Let me start with this: DON'T keep driving on by cuz it looks like a small Lil diner. It's got lots of booth space on the inside. And we all love the booth, right?BUT the real reason to stop is the GOOD FOOD!And the smiling happy friendly wait staff makes for an enjoyable meal all around.It was our first time here. But they're batting 1000 on the appetizers. I highly recommend the batter dipped LARGE mushrooms.My mushroom Swiss burger was good. But my wife's pot roast sandwich was GREAT. Super flavorful. I'm not going to tell you the secret...you'll have to come and find out for yourself."

Six Star Family Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (67) • $$

"The food was excellent! The inside is clean. I felt a bit unwelcome there,it's how all the waitresses that were standing at the area where the bar stools are starred at me when I came in at 7am. They later spoke but my waitress was dry and straight to the point she didn't even give me time to look at the menu good. This was my first time there I had a doctors appointment near and I was wasting time until they opened at 8. Because that omelette was fire imma go back maybe they need to get use to seeing my face lol. Overall it's like a hole in the wall serving up good stuff and I know they have been around forever! Oh them hash browns wasn't that great too crunchy! That's a western omelette"

Jay Jay's Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.9 (238) • $$

"The food is really good here (I loved the lobster bisque & my friend loved her truffle fries), we liked our drinks and the restaurant is decorated nicely but the vibe here is strange. It's like they are trying to be trendy while also being a family restaurant. The customers were rude when I was there and it didn't help that the tables are way too close together. I think I need to try this place during the week and update my review but for now I will give jay jay's a 3/5."

Nick's Country Oven Family Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (104) • $

"A solid place for breakfast, we come here about once a month. It's your classic diner style with booths around the perimeter and tables in the middle. The waitresses call you hon' and chat with you. The prices are reasonable and the food is good. Nothing gourmet, just solid eggs any style you want them, pancakes, hash browns and the like. I've recently discovered their homemade corned beef hash, my new favorite. Not like the overly salted canned stuff, this has large chunks of corned beef, crispy fried hashbrowns and onions. What's not to like? Coffee is good and always being refilled, creamer is the little containers, but at least it's cream and not 'non-dairy creamer'. Can't speak about lunch or dinner, but if you want a solid, not fancy breakfast, you can't go wrong with Nick's."

Walnut Bar

★★★★☆ 3.6 (15) • $

"I stopped in here with some friends for dinner and drinks. We didn't feel like cooking or cleaning, and wanted to sit down and enjoy some ambiance. This place provided that for us. A comfy little bar and grill with a couple pool tables. Seems like the best spot to gather with some friends, and grab a bite to eat as well as some liquid courage. As I was looking over the menu, I couldn't stop looking at the Reuben. And I've been on a Reuben kick lately, so I had to see what this one was about. Let me tell you, this sandwich as DELICIOUS. I don't like how other restaurants have sliced corned beef on the sandwich, making it like a warmed up cold cut. That's something I can make at home or get at Arby's. This sandwich had pulled corned beef on it. That's just how I make them. This has to be the best Reuben I've had at a restaurant. I can't recommend this spot and dish enough."

Jerry's Coney Island

★★★★☆ 4.4 (30) • $

"It's a Coney island. A pretty good one but the same menu and food as much the world over. This one gets the extra star for the fast thoughtful courteous staff and for being mom's favorite. I had a Mexican omelette with some great chili. Mom had raspberry French toast but they wrote MOM in whipped cream. Nice touch"

Great Lakes Eatery & Pub

★★★☆☆ 3 (169) • $$

"On July 12, 2024 we had a wedding rehearsal dinner here. We had a total of 35 people and were in a back room just for our party. Everything was great! The staff did a wonderful job taking and bringing our orders on a very timely basis. They were friendly and efficient. Our food was also very good. I first met the manager, Todd, in December 2023 when I was in town from Arizona. During the months beforehand I emailed Todd numerous times and he responded quickly every time. No complaints."

Leo's Country Oven

★★★★☆ 3.5 (109) • $

"My first time here, and I realized this was where my (late) best friends wife worked! She wasn't working yesterday evening when me and my husband and 1 year old tornado came in, she just had his funeral the day before so she was off a few days, but I can't believe I didn't come in sooner! I'm not a diner frequenter usually. I'm just such a picky eater that we end up arguing and I don't like what I've ordered, bag it up, and he eats it for left overs. Everything sounds good on the menu, but this time I asked our waitress what is the top 3 ordered/best items. So the dinners all come with soup, salad, entree, and jello or rice pudding. Great deal for the price if you ask me! So we both got salads with their homemade ranch, with added cucumber, red onion, and chick peas, and cups of chicken lemon rice. Everything was great! I shared my food with my 1 y/o daughter and she LOVED IT ALL! For entree we chose meatloaf for him, and I chose a big beef chopped sirloin patty. Both came with choice of potato and we chose mashed and mixed veggies, but there's many veg and potato choices. My sirloin comes with red or brown sauce and I didn't know what I'd like so she was kind enough to bring out a cup of each. Red has vegetables and tomato based and usually goes on your rice, brown is like a brown mushroom gravy with lots of mushrooms and was excellent on the meat. Everything came out piping hot and fresh, and please the pickiest of eaters! Then dessert I didn't think I could make it! Me and my daughter got jello's with whip topping, and he got rice pudding... Both excellent again. The waitresses were wonderful, helping worth my fussy little one because she had just come from the Dr and was throwing everything so they gave her crayons and papers and even played for a while to distract her so I could get a bite in lol! The drink were always filled, plates were removed accordingly, and everyone was friendly and helpful. We will DEFINITELY BE BACK! And you can't beat all this for the price ANYWHERE! I wish I took pics but the little one had me extremely busy! They also kindly boxed everything up for me so I could eat it later."

Charlie’s Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (176) • $$

"One of my favorite little gems in St Clair Shores! Over the years I've tried so many options of the menu -- all of which have been delicious. The portions here are large so be prepared to get a to go box to enjoy lunch the next day!The strawberry chicken salad is HEAVENLY! Huge portion and the chicken is grilled to perfection every time. Ingredients are always fresh and never soggy (which sometimes can happen with to go orders)I recently came for breakfast with my family and we all loved everything we got! The stuffed french toast was a crowd pleaser for my boyfriend and I. My sister and I also enjoyed the pigs in a blanket (again, huge portion! We could've easily shared!)Service is great and everything runs smoothly here! Stop in to this SCS gem today!"

Nona's Diner

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (37) • $

"Great place!! Awesome breakfast. Great service. Will be back. Best omelets downriver."

Newburgh Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (33) • $

"I popped in here for a nice meal with my homie and I must say, YOU WILL BE FED! The delicious portions are huge and the food always comes out nice and tasty. I am not a drinker, so I don't know about this "correlation" between breakfast foods and fixing hangovers WINK WINK - but if this correlation exists, this is the best spot. The omelets are superb - Thick, tasty, and cooked well. The Hash Browns are SWAG!!! Lots of meat and nice buttery toast. mmmmmmPrices are solid, but not as solid as the service. This is a great place to get lunch or Breakfast while waiting for a script to be filled next door at the local CVS. This is the Breakfast place Westland Needs - Big Portions at not so big prices and delicious. If you are a Blue Collar MFer like I am, this is the spot. You'll get great service, great prices, and a leftover box to eat later unless you have the appitite of Braun Stowman. ROARRRR!"

Earl's Diner

★★★★☆ 3.6 (41)

"Stopped here on a whim, not sure what to expect. The servers were friendly and efficient. I had two eggs over light with rye toast. It was cooked to perfection. My husband had the eggs Benedict with hash browns. He ate every bite! The coffee was fresh and plentiful. This place is the kind of local gem you hope to find while traveling. Good food, good service, reasonable prices."

American Coney Island

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (511) • $

"Wow!!! So yummy! I was visiting Detroit for the weekend for a family party and my sister's coworker recommended American Coney Island. The waiter was so attentive and funny and super helpful. He told us what's the most popular and recommended what a first-timer should get. We all got the Coney Island Hot Dog and we got 2 chili cheese fries to share. The chili on the hot dog and fries was so darn good! I wanted more! The decor is so nice inside with pictures of the family. It seems like a diner / fun old school place to eat. So much history too. Keep up the amazing work!"

Senate Coney Island & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (206) • $

"If You want to step back to a time when you went to the local Coney Island and enjoyed the comfort food you loved as a kid or teenager when things were simple then this is the place for you. I've been to lots of Coney Island franchises but the do it right here. I can't explain it but I felt happy from beginning to end. Great service, great food and great location. The place was clean and they do decorations for each season which is a nice touch. I had the BLT and French fries this last time. It was so good and healthy portions didn't hurt my feelings. The manager walked around and visited each table. He was friendly and you could tell he was interested in the customers happiness with the dining experience. I'm happy to recommend you give them your business and you'll enjoy the service and delicious comfort food."

L George's Coney Island

★★★☆☆ 3 (52) • $

"Excellent chicken salad. Seasoned to perfection. Chili cheese fries were great too. Can't beat cheap eats and good service."

Ram's Horn - Fraser

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (62) • $

"We were in the area for a real estate closing and planned to grab lunch at another place we found on Yelp. But when we arrived it looked deserted; that's when we noticed that they're closed on Tuesdays, a little unusual as many places close on Mondays if they are off one day a week. It was properly noted on Yelp so...my fault. Checking Yelp for an alternative, I found this Ram's Horn just a short distance away and still not too far from the closing office.It has been a number of years since we last visited a Ram's Horn restaurant and we remembered that they had reasonable prices and good portions of a variety of dishes. It's tucked away such that we drove past it and had to navigate our way back around through construction but finally figured it out. Upon entering we were met with a friendly greeting, seated immediately, and given menus while our drink orders were taken.Since it has been a while and we chose this location at the last minute we needed to study the menu for a few minutes before we decided. My wife being the healthy eater chose a Grilled Veggie Pita Wrap and instead of Fries subbed for a cup of Chicken Noodle Soup. I decided to try the Ram's Horn Club with Fries (I realized too late that I could have also switched to soup, salad, etc) and added a cup of Split Pea Soup.The soups came out almost immediately and they were hot hot hot...and good. We both liked the Split Pea best; the Chicken Noodle was a bit saltier. The Grilled Veggie Wrap was very nice and tasty with some Honey Mustard sauce on the side. The Ram's Horn Club was also very good; it was basically a BLT with generous slices of Turkey added. The Turkey was a bit dry as real turkey often is but still worth it. The Fries were served hot with crispy outside and soft inside and I'm glad I ordered them, even though I was struggling to finish everything.Overall this was a great alternative choice for us with friendly service (thanks Linda), reasonable prices, decent portions, and tasty food. They do have a few tables for outside dining while the weather still permits. All this and they even offer senior and veterans discounts! Oh, and they also managed to offer all this and clean restrooms, too!"

Telegraph Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (22) • $

"I have 5 star for the service and presentation of the food. To me it's a hole in the wall type place it's clean but I need them to clean the window ledges they are very dusty and people sit near that. My first time here o ordered simple stuff o just needed a little something to carry on with my day so I ordered a small bowl of chicken noodle soup and a Gyro sandwich. The soup was just ok the Gyro wasn't good they had three very thin sliced Cesar of gyro it's not the kind off the spit it's gotta a bitter taste and too salty I ate half of it because I was hungry and wasn't about to waste my money it's 6.95 for that. They have good service AND I'm sure the other food taste better I saw someone with an omelet that was huge and falling off the plate I should have went with that. The menu is decent and enough to select from its sort of Coney Islandish in there drove by for years never stopped until now . Looks like a lot regulars come in waitresses was using first names as people walk in. They practicing social distance and you can dine in. I wouldn't order the Gyro unless you want little meat or ask them to double the meat other than that you just eating a onion and tomato pita sandwich ‍"

GJ's Diner

★★★★☆ 4 (48) • $

"This gets a 5 star because it is a diner and I didn't expect much, but it delivered. Grilled veggie omelet was delicious, pita was fresh and server was attentive.Plus the prices were low!"

Gus' Mt. Clemens Coney Island

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (61) • $

"Any decent sized Michigan city (well, southern Michigan at least) needs a trademark Coney Island and Gus' Mt. Clemens Coney Island does an admirable job in Bath City. (The story behind that moniker is for another review, as is the mystery of why the Chesterfield Township Gus' has no geographical designation in it's name.) I've never been in this Coney when it's packed, so I can't speak to service at peak times but I've never had an issue during slow to moderate business. I bet it's fun people watching during lunch, what with Gus' spot right across the street from the courthouse and city offices. GMCCI cooks up a tasty Burger and breakfast served all day. The Coneys are Coneys. It's the type of dish that almost never rises to greatness, but is also pretty hard to completely f*ck up. At any rate, I'll take Duly's down in southwest Detroit for the win but the Gus Coney is solid. The fish and chips were pretty meh when I tried them. Behind it's perch on the maybe the only block in Macomb County that almost feels urban, for me the distinctive trait of Gus is the fanboy fantastic decor. On the pale salmony orange walls you'll find Marvel and DC paintings galore, and all for sale! There's a smattering of Star Wars and a single Night King holding it down for Game of Thrones, too, as well as 3 or 4 random pieces of sports memorabilia, but it's mainly Superhero City in this Coney. It's one artist who painted the bulk of it, too, and sorry I didn't take down his name, but for what Yelp pays us writers waddaya want? They could use more X-Men and Wolverine specifically, but maybe some Coney eaters bought a bunch of it up. Beyond that, though, there's an impressive array of characters, major and minor, some of whom even have dedicated sections. How can you not smile at a hand cut Deadpool wearing a sombrero head up on the wall? One last thing, you can enter or exit from either side of the building just like American and Lafayette Coney Islands downtown in the D. And there's a borderline vulgar anthropomorphic Coney on the outside by the back door."

Athenian

★★★★☆ 3.8 (188) • $

"Wow has it been 11 years now that I have been coming to this place. I stop coming here during Covid. There have been a lot of changes since then especially with new staff and they close a little bit early. But still their breakfast is one of the best in selection that I have tried. I do recommend the burgers and the grill cheese. Look out for their selection of deserts they have a pretty good selection too. The vibes here among the owner and staff has shears been good. That is all. Chief Ships sink because they take on water don't take on water for those that want to sink you."

Menka's Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (33) • $

"Little diner with outdated dining area but to be honest I like the feel of it !! Our waitress wasn't the friendliest BUT the food was WONDERFUL !!! They only take cash and are closed a couple days a week (I think Mon-Tues but not 100% positive .. definitely will go again :)"

Omega Hawg & Dawg Deli

★★★★☆ 3.9 (71) • $

"I found myself looking for a Detroit diner experience and found it here! Big omelettes for a reasonable price! Our waitress was very nice as well. If you're looking for a place to have diner coffee and a huge plate of eggs and fried potatoes, then this is one great spot to try!"

Rocky's Family Dining

★★★★☆ 3.6 (118) • $

"Always a good experience, though they do charge a bit too much for takeout cabbage soup. It's great, but it's also the food of the poor. It shouldn't cost that much."

Brayz Hamburgers

★★★★☆ 3.6 (102) • $

"Sometimes you just want a good ole grease burger and they didn't disappoint everywhere I go if I see one of these places usually they sit on the corners of the street and the buildings are somewhat similar you know that they are a grease burger spot. The service was great friendly people and fast they also have the walk up window which I love with that good ole heater at the top for the winter and dine in is also available if you grew up with these burger joints in your neighborhood you know exactly what I'm talking about"

Magdaleno Ristorante

★★★★☆ 4.1 (156) • $$

"The price is a little high, but it's delicious and we always enjoy dining here. The service is great and we love the environment. Everyone is always friendly and a great experience."

Stateside Deli & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (113) • $$

"They make an amazing club sandwich and use quality ingredients. My go to sandwich whenever I visit."

Mark's Midtown Coney Island Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (89) • $

"We went here today and I got the Western Omelette (I asked for hash browns inside and outside) with wheat toast. It was super good!! I also loved their coffee! The service was good and fast. My one complaint was my menu was very dirty. It even prompted me to use hand sanitizer before eating after I looked through it. It's possible the person at the table before us got it dirty so it could be a fluke but if the restaurant sees this, this might be a good reminder to make sure you wipe down your menus each day."

Golden Greek

★★★★☆ 4.1 (68) • $

"Food was good and cooked well. This is the first time we've been here. It is a Sunday and we didn't have a problem getting seated. It's by the dog park we take our dog to. Will be back."

Whistle Stop Diner

★★★★☆ 3.9 (189) • $$

"Awesome service and great food! This is a rather small restaurant so it can get full really quick. I had a burger with bacon and avocado, it just didn't add any "wow" factor to me. I am definitely going to return because I saw some other dishes I'd like to taste. If you like to feel like you're at home, this is the place."

Frank's Diner

★★★★☆ 3.7 (53) • $

"Ok I think I found my neighborhood breakfast spot - I normally stay in Redford but had to travel in the 6 mile area; now this place is less than a mile away. I didn't try the breakfast special but there food is pretty good; a little pricy compared to the place I used to try but it's closer. The food didn't take a long at all; I was actually only ordering take out instead of dining in. Next time I think i want to - I was laughing while sitting waiting on my food because every diner have those group of guys which are the "MORNING GUYS". I was secretly laughing at their conversation - I enjoy people watching and I think this place would be nice. Waitress was very friendly and willing to answer my questions. Just for the other omelette people - THE FOOD IS FOLDED INSIDE the omelette and not scrambled together.Happy Eating!!!"

Don Taco Bar and Grill

★★★★☆ 3.6 (140) • $$

"We had a really good experience here and were pleased with our food. It was near to where we were staying, and was really accessible."

TV's Deli & Diner

★★★★☆ 4 (260) • $$

"No photos of food but everything we had was great old fashioned delicious diner food! The Rueben sandwich was a hit with its buttery toast and wet corned beef. The Michigan cherry salad had so many walnuts and cherries topped with blue cheese and chicken! But the best part of our dining experience was Jessica! Our server who was by far the most amazing server I have ever had. We walked in as a group of families, probably about 30 of us total. We got seated right away, and she went to work first on drinks then food. Not one single thing came out wrong! Everyone's family food came out together, and there wasn't much time at all in between each round of food coming out. She handled the kids with respect and patience and was able to get everyone accommodated! We wouldn't hesitate to go back if ever in the area!"

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken

★★★★☆ 3.9 (260) • $

"November 30, 2022Review #421 So every year in November for the past 3 years and sometimes in Summer when I visit a family member for her party's in Plymouth, she clucks and clucks to insist on ordering for dinner "Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken!" They offer counter takeout and delivery plus Catering For Parties!Menu: leeschickenplymouth.comHours: 7 Days A Week 8:00 AM - 9:00 PMThe Menu Boards are very easy to read and offer many variety of combos plus fresh sides too when deciding what to choose. You can order chicken pieces in many quantites and chicken tenders.The Famous Recipe gives their chicken a fluffy, crispy and honey dipped taste! Comfort Food plus Tasty & Finger Licking Delicious.This Tasty business is located on Ann Arbor Rd W and you can't miss their LARGE Sign and welcoming little house front. Pleasant employees working hard especially on the weekends to fulfill pre-orders or walk in orders too.Their parking lot is small so be patient when picking up orders especially on the weekends around dinner time when it's very busy.It was 4pm when I drove to pick up Lee's to help my family member with her order on Saturday 11-26, for her Thanksgiving Dinner. I arrived five minutes before and only one customer was ahead of Me. Timing was perfect and Her order tray of chicken was ready too!History: Lee Cummings and Harold Omer first opened in 1966. Lee introduced his Famous Recipe chicken after spending several years working with his uncle Colonel Sanders at Kentucky Fried Chicken. True story and quoted at www.leesfamousrecipe.com Lee's is currently celebrating 56 years of Famous Chicken!If you live in Plymouth lucky you. If you are visiting in Plymouth try Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, You'll be clucking Happy You Did!"

Sunny's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (56) • $

"Sunny's has been around for years and is a forever favorite... It's small, locally owned, no-frills / super casual, but consistent, dependable, and has a variety of menu options for all to enjoy. I don't really order anything other than a fluffy egg white omelette because it's my favorite and no one does it better than Sunny's. I like mine with spinach, mushrooms and feta + tomato and/or carrots on the side as well as pita bread. Service is super attentive. Coffee is hot. I will be back on my future visits to Michigan for sure!"

Mack Avenue Grille

★★★★☆ 3.6 (113) • $$

"Great service. Good food options. Good tasting food.very customer focused and accommodating any request."