2 stars because the biscuits tasted like chemicals - the bacon, sausage and eggs were good. Hubbs got the banana pancakes which were yummy, and he said he would get them again. All in all not super impressed.
(2)
Kaitlin P.
This place was so fun! I loved the decor and the staff was pretty friendly. We kept a menu after we ordered to read all the interesting factoids on the menu. I ordered the eggs Benedict and my boyfriend ordered the chicken fried steak. I really enjoyed it but the hollandaise sauce didn't really taste like hollandaise sauce. It was just a little off. This is a fun greasy spoon that is worth a try!
(4)
Wendy R.
Perhaps the bacon served here is the standard for what is served in this town, I wouldn't know since this was the only place I ate in this city. The bacon served here seemed to be shoulder cut slices which would be the first and only time to ever have outside of a home! I was beyond impressed when I saw these beautiful slices of bacon on my dish. I can see why my host determined this city would be their next home when they found this gem. Again, I am from the midwest and don't know what the standards are here but I wanted to buy a pound of coffee to take home from here. The coffee reminded me of the quality coffee served at the Chalkboard in Tulsa, OK. I had the eggs benedict & the French toast with coffee. I shouldn't have eaten so much but it was all so good not to. Months later, I think of that valuable lesson I learned from the Stardust Diner to not overeat. They have real jukeboxes and mirror lined walls inside.
(5)
Nathan A.
Rating this for what it is to me. Sunday morning breakfast at a good "greasy spoon" diner. This is a place like I grew up visiting with my dad and grandfather. Breakfast choices are diverse with my favorite definitely being the hobo skillet that others on here recommended. They make old diner style strawberry shakes with the extra in the mixer cup on the side that can easily be shared between two if you want to add a little more unnecessary calories but great taste to your indulgent weekend brunch... Services has always been good when I have visited and there can be a little wait on the weekends but they try to get your seated as soon as they can and there has always been plenty of staff.
(4)
Spencer T.
Stardust Diner sells itself on nostalgia for old diners. They don't seem to be trying very hard to fool us, though, both in terms of the atmosphere and the food. In this chromed establishment, stuffed with more replicas of '50s kitsch than you can shake a plastic lawn flamingo at, the gigantic menu features clumsy references to pre-80s Americana (choose between "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak," the "Ricky Ricardo Patty Melt," or the "Harley Burger"), and the sound system pumps in the overplayed tunes you'd hear on any classic rock station in the country. No attempts at regional specialization appear, either. Sadly, while it wants to imitate the feel of a diner, most of the individual, location-specific traits that you can find in a good, old place are missing. The food, meanwhile, is plain lousy. The menu is lost in space as well as time. I somehow doubt they can really get the hang of Polish Kielbasa, Tex-Mex chili, country chicken-fried steak, Italian lasagna, deli-style sandwiches, Mexican quesadillas, and the list goes on... They need to cut half of it and focus on some local specialties, or at least on the basics. As for my food, I had overcooked eggs, biscuits served with obviously-from-mix gravy, and a massive slab of bland ham reminiscent of what Woody Allen was subjected to in "Annie Hall." I asked about the "country potatoes" and hash browns, and found out that they're both frozen--the former are tossed in the deep fryer, the latter come pre-shredded and are finished on the grill. My friend's burger was soggy and riddled with superfluous shreds of iceberg lettuce. Her pancakes were decent, but not worth writing home about. And I doubt the maple syrup was the real McCoy. We decided to forgo dessert when we saw that the plethora of shakes offered were mostly the product of a number of flavored syrup bottles, rather than a variety of ice cream flavors. Stardust Diner needs to figure out something it can do very well and jettison its halfhearted attempts at other items. Its variety wasn't representative of the historic American melting pot, nor of Northwestern authenticity, but of the contemporary exurban nowhere-land where everything is available and nothing is genuine or made with any kind of extra love or effort. I might have gone a little easier on them if they didn't claim to be something they weren't--a classic in the proud tradition of American diners. Classics don't cut corners. And despite what they would have us believe, there is nothing classic about Stardust Diner.
(1)
Kristina B.
Best country style potatoes I've ever had, we get them with green pepper and onions and its absolute DELISH. Service is always 5 stars but only when the younger crew is there, I'm taking the star off for many times when we came there and it wasn't fully staffed and our server was at best meh. We only tried their breakfast items, pancakes, eggs, biscuits, always tastes good and fresh. Just FYI we tried only veggie options here so don't know how their meat items are. Over all so far our favorite breakfast in Vancouver. Try it!
(4)
Jake P.
Had breakfast at the Stardust with the family today for the first time. Overall, very good food, attentive service and reasonably priced. The host wasn't the most friendly (not rude, just didn't smile much). I had the Country Breakfast which was tasty and plenty to fill the belly. The wife had an Omelet with potatoes. She said the potatoes were great. The kids had pancakes and bacon. They ate everything and loved the meal. Overall, we will return. Will have to try it out for lunch sometime as well.
(4)
Jennifer P.
We drive down 164th often and this diner, fully encapsulated in stainless steel, is hard to miss. Somewhat gimmicky, we saw good reviews on Yelp and had a chance to stop by and try it. Chocolate Milkshake: ice cream had little ice chunks/frost in it. I've had better. Famous Footlong (chili dog with onions and cheese) with onion rings: tasty, but portion size was absolutely massive. I ate half and took the other half, sans soggy bun, home. Would have been completely satisfied with a normal-sized hotdog and a side salad (or some sort of greens; I upgraded my fries to onion rings which apparently makes the cole slaw disappear as well). Fried Chicken with potatoes and gravy on the side: one wing, one thigh, one drumstick, one breast (again, a big portion size). Chicken was nice and crispy on the outside and warm and juicy on the inside. Potatoes were too mashed in my opinion. I prefer mashed potatoes more chunky than smooth (smooth is just too similar to instant potatoes). Their gravy made the potatoes yummy though. Corn bread was fluffy and tasty. Overall, we enjoyed the experience. They have a private lot out back. This place seemed too busy for a party larger than 4-5. The servers were friendly and attentive, but I don't think we need to "experience" it again anytime soon.
(3)
Skye A.
I love the feel of this diner. It's a great place to go if you're craving a malt or milkshake! The servers are so friendly and personable, and the atmosphere is just all around fun. The food isn't the best, but the prices and portions are good.
(4)
Rod S.
Wifey loves this place. It is a 50's city diner motif in an other wise suburban business district. My experiences here have all been favorable and if you like a classic Malt in a classic 50s style place, this works good.
(3)
Stephanie M.
Good breakfast spot. Much better than some of the other divey joints around town that like to boast to have a good breakfast spread. It's a super cute location too!
(3)
Rachael R.
Staff was very friendly! Reasonably priced menu. Food was just ok. Probably won't go back and won't recommend it to others.
(2)
Spence R.
A staple breakfast spot for East Vancouver. Awesome diner feel. Food was pretty good.
(3)
Craig F.
What a great family dinner for our daughters birthday! JD did a great job waiting on us. The food was diner great! Thank you! We will be back!
I've only ever ate breakfast here, and am rarely disappointed. There can be a pretty good line on the weekends (this is usually when we go). If you want a bit of advice, and you detest waiting, you can sit yourself at the counter (just walked by all of the people waiting). Note this will only work for a small party, usually we easily find two seats available. Another piece of advice, if you live in the Vancouver area, is grab a coupon from one of the mailers we regularly get. Now for the food... I am a creature of habit, so when I find something I like, I don't stray far when looking at the menu. The first dish I ever tried here was the chicken fried steak. If you are a connoisseur of chicken fried steak, you will be severely disappointed (it's frozen) and the best part of your meal will either be the gravy or the potatoes. The second and only other item I have ordered is the hobo skillet. This is a work of breakfast art... I recommend asking them for either a side of country gravy or a spoonful on top. My wife is a little different in that she will try all sorts of items. Their French toast, pancakes, specials, etc. are all good. Now for the service and environment... It's a fun 50s diner, but sometimes they can get so busy that their service goes from decent to utterly horrendous. I can't say I've ever had great service here, what do you expect from a bunch of hungover high school kids on a weekend breakfast shift? I can say I have had thoughts of walking out after waiting 30 minutes in a seat without a menu or anything to drink. But that damn hobo skillet keeps me in my seat. All in all don't come on the weekend if you're in a hurry. Otherwise enjoy an amazing diner breakfast.
(4)
Jason M.
Pick any of your three meals and eat here. There is zero disappointment full circle. Good portion size, awesome service, clean, warm and inviting environment. Seriously my favorite place to eat all American food in Vancouver.
(5)
Jason H.
The service here is always great. The food is good. Been here many times and it's been great every time. The menu has a lot of options and cost is about what you'd expect. This place won't leave you in need of a refilled drink. That alone puts them ahead of most their local competitors!
(5)
Josephine S.
This is a real drag, because they have some great food! I was in here last night with some friends around 9pm, and everything was going fine! Until a bunch of young employees, Jessica, and Devon (maybe?) and their friends start talking LOUDLY at the counter. We were sitting by the bathrooms and we could hear them perfectly. They start saying horrible things about LGBT individuals, and laughing at obscene jokes. Nobody put a stop to it, nobody spoke up. Why they thought this was the proper venue or opportunity to discuss such things, I'm not sure. Wholly unprofessional, mean spirited, and bigoted. If that's what this restaurant stands for or condones, then my friends and I want nothing to do with it. Needless to say we won't be back. Shame on these reckless, inconsiderate, rude employees. I hope the managers do something about this. COMPLETELY unacceptable!
(1)
Mary W.
Discovered this place as it was a sit down within walking distance of our hotel. Cute diner. Great music playing in the background. Attentive staff , delicious french dip and perfectly poached eggs! Coming back for dessert (white chocolate creme brulee).
(5)
Marty R.
A coupon in almost every flyer on Wednessday makes this place a great deal on top of the great staff. When this restaurant first opened it was all about the 50's style and less about the food. Fast forward many years later and you now have a very nice family restaurant with low turn over, happy staff and great food for the price. I've seen a few places in town with larger portions BUT none of them have the same consistent quality of the Stardust and I've never left hungry. Yes, I call the place Star Light or the breakfast place on 164th but my wife knows what I mean and she likes the pot roast and shakes that they serve. All in all a inexpensive place where you can take the whole family and everyone will be able to find something they want to try on the huge menu. It's not well suited to large groups (more than 8) as the floor plan is long and narrow.
(4)
Gin B.
Uh, oh! Stardust has new staff...but someone forgot to train them!!! The newbies aren't up to the standards of the usual staff!!!! Kyle likes to "stack" two or three orders & then take them all to the kitchen. So, folks that order later, get their food before others that have been waiting. He's quick to come to the table when you first sit down, asking if you need a moment...ummmm...at least a moment! Then, he's gone for 10 minutes, leaving you to wait and wait and wait. Then there's the kitchen itself...I'm guessing more newbies in there too, as the food doesn't seem to be prepared in the same style...and there's certainly a lot less of it. Fries that used to be great, are now little stubs, over cooked. Maybe the newbies should have to follow a veteran employee until they really understand how things should be done...and to speak up when the kitchen isn't up to par too. Don't just bring it to the table anyway! Look, think! The hostess folks need a little training too. They walk the floor, but they aren't thinking. Seating 6 big guys at a table that should have only 4 or 5 tops, not good! Especially when the place is 3/4 empty (at noon) and there are tables that would work & everyone would be comfortable. Look, think! Anyway, cute as the place might be, I'm not eager to go back...although I've been there many times over the years...I'll not go back until folks are trained!
We had burgers, tots & shakes. They were all very good. We had the coupon from the Clipper coupon magazine for $6 off "dinner". It was dinner time so of course that's the one we took in with us. When it was time to pay, we were informed that burgers were considered "lunch" items so we only got $5 off. It was only a buck, but I felt that was a little sneaky. Since when are burgers only for lunch? If they do that enough, as burgers are a popular item, it saves them money (instead of their customers) but draws people in thinking they get a bigger discount. I agree with other reviewers that they need to pare down the menu. Stick with a few classics and do it well. Service was friendly from clean cut teenagers.
(3)
Sara C.
Was staying in town due to a business trip to Portland and thought this place looked adorable, and it definitely met expectations. The country fried chicken and mashed potatoes were DELICIOUS and the portions were huge. A lot of younger kids working, and they were all very attentive. Definitely a cute stop into yesteryear with top notch food.
(5)
Tony W.
Chef lost the ticket for our order and we ended up having to wait for over 30 minutes before they even started cooking our food. The place is not properly heated so we were freezing by the windows. Not a satisfying place to go for breakfast and definitely not a good way to start off the day.
(2)
Holly J.
love the decorations, love the background music, love the staff neon name tags, l ove the menu choices.. the service was much like what I remember service as a child. I was very impressed with the fluid constant activity of the staff. very clean every where.. not an easy task seeing the constant flow of patrons. these people know how to work and the more I think about the time we spent there the more I smile. excellent place to eat
(5)
Cool Nutz X.
Staff was great. Food was delicious. We ordered the redneck Benedict as well as the Steak and eggs. Everything was top notch and on point. All of the staff was inviting and helpful. Atmosphere was good as well. Definitely a place to visit in Vancouver.
(4)
Marjory B.
Came here for breakfast. I had the hobo skillet; the boyfriend stuck with his usual bacon, sausage, eggs, and a bowl of fruit. Everything came out quickly and looked decent enough. However, mine was a meal worthy of the Army chow hall, with the scrambled eggs tasting like they were right out of the carton (from a mix, not fresh eggs), "home fries" from the freezer straight into the deep fryer, strangely tiny pieces of bacon (kind of like the Hormel brand in the bag at the grocery store), and weirdly soggy BALLS (?) of sausage. BUT I was hungry, and it was edible. Boyfriend ate everything except for the bowl of fruit. "Gross", he said. His eggs-over-medium were the only thing on the table that looked to be freshly prepared. Everything else seemed to have come out of some sort of prepackaging. I've been to some great 50s-themed diners, and this place is just not really authentic. Also, the service is off. Not only did we have 2 different servers, but a different person brought us our check, another person took the card, and yet another person brought the receipt back to us. The server that we had throughout the majority of our meal seemed polite enough but I lost count of how many times she asked a question and then turned around and walked away before I had finished answering her. The place wasn't extraordinarily busy, so I am not sure what the issue was. Breakfast here is not even of Shari's quality (another reviewer claimed it is a half-step up)...I would put it more on a Denny's or IHOP level. Vancouver, you disappoint me with your breakfast/brunch options. I should know better.
(1)
Wayne C.
My wife and I talked about going here for about a year and finally made it for breakfast. I had the chicken fried steak breakfast and it was great! The potatoes were crisp and the steak was delicious too. My wife had the strawberry pancakes which were also good. She mostly ate off my plate though. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. We had been looking for a good diner since we moved here. I think we found it. The price of their food is very affordable too!
(4)
Troy G.
I love the nostalgic atmosphere and the pay-to-play jukeboxes at every table! The staff is mostly made up of younger individuals who are absolutely fantastic! They are hard-working, attentive employees who have a great rapport with repeat customers. I have experienced a few instances of an overcooked hamburger patty, however. The other items on the menu are fantastic, however! I'm definitely a fan of this place!
(4)
Vama H.
Good diner food. Good breakfast options all day. Good chicken noodle soup. Friendly staff and usually fast service. They have easy parking in the back.
(3)
Grant L.
They have really good breakfast, but compared to other breakfast places they don't give you too much for the price.
(4)
Adry G.
I have been here a couple of times. It's a good place at any time of the day, but I have only been here for breakfast. Their service is good, the food was decent and their prices are acceptable. I love their hot cocoa (and the fact that you get a free refill of it!).
(4)
J F.
You never know if you can put a restaurant on your 'favorite places to dine' unless you give it a try. After reading reviews (4 star rating on yelp) and other sources, we decided that although a 'diner' is not where we choose to dine for dinner, we decided to give it a try. The shakes/malts are generous. Beware that they are filling so one order is plenty for two. The strawberry malt had chunks of berries...the banana shake could have used more flavor. The prime rib french dip did not live up to the price ($10.99). The roll was a bit dry and looked more like a larger baguette than a french roll. The bacon burger was fairly good...the smoked bacon was flavorful. We like our fries flavorful, crispy and shouldn't they be golden brown as well? None of these adjectives appeared to be so. We presented a coupon which had a $6 off for dinner and $5 off for breakfast. They took off $5 so don't hand them two coupons. We erred by not cutting out the appropriate one. For the price and quality...Burgerville and Five Guys has them beat. The impressive part of our meal was watching the young servers. They work hard, are very pleasant and seem to enjoy their job.
(2)
Jeremy J.
This place is fun. Cool from the outside and on the inside. Definitely sticks to its diner theme and executes well. I enjoyed my lunch her and would return if I was in the mood for classic diner food with good portion size for the price. My only "issue" with the restaurant is that it is really just your run of the mill diner quality food..about a half step up from Shari's. My better half and I gorged ourselves and split an order of french toast (no frills, average French toast), chicken fried steak (absolutely huge, flavor didn't match the physical size), sunny side up eggs (cooked perfectly), hash browns (nothing out of the ordinary) and a side of biscuits a gravy (steal of a deal for $2.99, big portion but not a very flavorful gravy). Overall, it was a basic American breakfast for a good price (all that for under $20) but the food was not memorable. The best thing we tried was actually after breakfast. We ordered a butterscotch malt and it was phenomenal. Our waiter asked if we wanted to split it and we said sure. They brought us two malts garnished with whipped cream and a whopper instead of one malt with a refill tin. I thought this was particularly good service and I appreciated the extra effort. All in all, 2* food, 4* service, and killer malts and milkshakes...probably the reason I will return.
(3)
Tia M.
Great restaurant with wonderful service! Food is excellent with big portions! We love the old school feel of the place!
(5)
Ursula M.
Great fifties ambiance, long menu, friendly servers. I have had several different things at Stardust, and all were good. Stardust serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and all are good.
(4)
Justin F.
Tried Stardust for the first time today and we will definitely be returning in the future! Excellent diner food, very impressed with the quality. I had a bacon burger and fries, the burger tasted very fresh and looked hand pressed, very good flavor! My wife and daughter both had breakfast and were both impressed with how good it was, lots of food for the price too! Will most definitely be returning. Just as a quick tip there is usually a coupon in the weekly mailer for buy one get one, an excellent deal!!
(4)
Aaron W.
Stepping inside, it really feels like you're taken back in time to some 50's diner. Tons of vintage memorabilia (mostly magazine covers) adorn the wall. Heck, there was some jukebox contraption at the booth my friend and I sat at. I'm honestly not too fond of the interior (call me more of a contemporary, bright ambiance person), but it's not the worst. It stays true to what it wants to be, and that's fine. There's a lot of traditional diner fare to choose from. Blue-starred items are basically Stardust's most popular offerings. Although we arrived around 11:30, my stomach craves breakfast virtually 24/7. Luckily, breakfast is served all day here. I opted for the three-egg Denver omelet ($8.29) with the usual diced ham, cheddar, onions, and green bell peppers. Hash browns and whole wheat toast on the side. I honestly didn't have very high expectations coming in, but everything was pretty good. A hearty portion for yours truly. Pretty generous amounts of ham, onions, and bell peppers, all cooked nicely. I would have liked a bit more cheese here, though. The eggs were cooked well, perhaps just a tad too long in the pan for me. I'm sure it would be fine for just about everyone else. Favorable reviews on the hash browns. Crispy exterior, lightly seasoned, nicely done. Maybe a bit too much butter on my toast, but hell, I ate it anyway. My friend enjoyed his bacon cheeseburger, crinkle fries, and a soda (appears to be unlimited free refills). It sure looked like a quality burger to me, and the hypnotizing bacon made me just want to reach across the table and devour that plate too. Bad panda, no biscuit for you. Stardust runs regular specials and also has a tantalizing dessert menu. And I saw a sugar-free option (Chocolate Mousse Torte) for when I want to gorge on something sweet and not feel so guilty! For a combined $20, two people left with satisfied stomachs. Certainly reasonable. I hope to return and try more menu items!
(4)
Christine E.
We've only been to the diner once but will definitely be going back. We had burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings, one root beer float and one cherry coke. Since we got to WA four months ago we're on the hunt for the best burgers (best pizza, best chinese, best ice cream) and this was the best so far. My only complaint is that the bun disintegrated before the burger was consumed, making it a three-napkin affair. My husband said the root beer wasn't the best. The onion rings were tasty; the fries about standard. But a really good burger can be hard to come by. Next time we visit Stardust Diner we'll try other dishes.....I might be revising the review.
(4)
Amy F.
I wasn't too sure what to expect of this place after reading all the mixed reviews, but our experience was great! Decided to have a late breakfast, so it wasn't too packed when we arrived. We waited about 10 minutes for a table. My daughter loved the crayons and paper to draw with while we waited for our food. Their breakfast was really good and super filling. I was stuffed all day long. We will definitely be returning!
(4)
David D.
Stardust Diner does a fantastic job capturing the 50's style diner. They offer good food (except the fries) at more than reasonably priced options. The staff is friendly and the decor on the walls makes for great conversation during ones visit. Great place for kids or for a low profile date. They also offer a wonderful breakfast menu with thick sliced bacon. I will return
(5)
Erin C.
YUMMY!!! This place has an old school atmosphere with Blue Plate Specials!! Not gimmicky at all, just good home cooking! Club sandwiches, Prime Rib on Saturdays, and breakfast served all day long! This place is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
(5)
Linda C.
We've driven past this place for years and finally decided to give it a try. I was nervous, expecting a greasy spoon and convinced there would be little to no options for vegetarians. Pleasantly surprised! We found a few veggie options on the menu. I chose the Veggie Burger and hubby opted for the Vegetarian Omelet. My burger was generously filled with lettuce and the patty itself, while not overly tasty, was moist. The fries were not too greasy, and I was really pleased to see that the available ketchup was a non-HFCS variety. Very cool! My husband's omelet was light and fluffy, but the best part about his dish were the country potatoes. Oh my, they were great, and not at all greasy like many I've tried. I could have eaten a plate full! I loved the interior, with its Americana decor and classic diner ambience. Sometimes themed restaurants are overdone but this place is tastefully done, giving a nice nod to the era without being overly cheesy. And I can't fault the service from the staff. They were appropriately attentive, friendly, and they kept an eye on drinks that needed refilling throughout the time we were there. Overall, it was an enjoyable lunch. Nice atmosphere, great service, reasonable prices, and the food was decent for what it is - diner fare. We'll likely stop by again in the future.
(4)
Taylor C.
The food was delicious and service was spot on. Very great first impression!
(5)
Sandra C.
Excellent breakfast. Food cooked as requested. Attentive service. Three of of ate for $36 + tip. Very reasonable for the quality.
(4)
Matt T.
Getting ready to cruise in n have another tasty breakfast this morning =) Food is always great tasting as well as good sized, nice chill oldies playing through the jukebox, and the cute tatted waitress brings it out with a smile. Fantastic way to start the day!
(4)
Meagan B.
I have been to Stardust Diner quite a few times and it has never failed to be delicious. Their eggs Benedict is always perfect, it's what I almost always order. If it's your birthday, they will give you a free sundae and it's a true sundae! Great burgers and atmosphere. I think breakfast food is their forte.
(5)
Jenni L.
While I think this place is good overall, my last experience here was a downer. I usually pop in her with a friend for breakfast on the weekend or for dinner before a movie, which is conveniently located right by Cascade 16. I came in here this past Saturday around Noon for a late brunch with a friend and decided to try something new on a whim, as our waitress wanted our order and the place was so packed I figured it would be best just to order asap. I ordered some kind of steak scramble with green peppers, onions, breakfast potatoes and two fried eggs on top. When I got my meal, I was thouroughly disappointed though. The potatoes were sopping in grease to the point that when I lifted them up on my fork, grease pooled on the end of the potato and splashed on my plate in droplettes. I'm never one to send food back so I ate around it, the eggs were fine, but was super grossed out in the end and wished that I hadn't touched any of it. Our server never came back to check on us, and I wish she would have because I was ready to ask for a glass of water after finishing my OJ (which is fresh squeezed and delicious by the way). I'm hoping that this was just a fluke because I've had great food and service here every other time.
(3)
Eric F.
Bottom line this is the best place we've ever been to in Vancouver. Good food, good portions and an excellent, attentive wait staff. A must go!!! Especially for breakfast!
(5)
Janyce R.
Ive had better food and service at Elmer's. The staff was rude and unfriendly. The food wasn't that great and my family and I had an overall bad experience. The only thing nice I can say is that they were prompt at refilling our drinks and it wasn't dirty. I feel like I could have had the same quality food at Denny's. I would expect a diner to be happy and upbeat and this was so not the case.
(2)
Anjelah S.
SoOoOo...you wanna go back in time and get a great meal with friendly service, this place has it. Back to the 1950's... Let's start with the appetizers. Wadda ya want? Onions rings, deep fried Jalapeno pepper's filled with cream cheese, Mozzarella cheese sticks...... How about skip the appetizers and start with something healthy. A soup and salad maybe? Chef, or chicken cobb? Taco salad or dinner salad?. The soups are made fresh daily, so ya never know what is being served until you ask. Moving on to the sandwiches...Rueben, Philly cheese steak, Meatloaf, French dip, Halibut or Chicken tender sand which. Whew.... Maybe your in the mood for a BIG burger. Garlic Mushroom burger with sauteed mushrooms and garlic, seasoned mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Or what about a Boop bop BBQ burger or the Blue moon burger with melted American cheese and 2 strips of apple wood bacon? They even have a Ricky Ricardo Patty melt with sauteed onions. Count your blessings, they even have a veggie burger. What about a home cooked meal? They serve chicken, beef or pork dinners...including all the side favorites like mashed potatoes, veggies, dinner rolls or corn bread. After you have gluttonized yourself....why stop? Add a shake or a root beer float on top of everything. Great food for a nice price. Definitely worth the trip.
(4)
James M.
Great atmosphere and food specials. And without a doubt the best customer service in the industry.
(4)
John E.
This place perplexes me to no end. I have been coming here on and off for many years. Within the narrow, heavily adorned walls I have some of the better and some of my worst dining experiences. Yet, through it all the one thing I can never complain about is the service which is always friendly and pretty fast. One the positive side the portions are generally large, very authentic in that there are no updated recipe changes it's the same now as it would have been in 1955. It is decorated to amuse, not to confuse; above all it is pretty convenient to get to and park at. My last visit there was for dinner with The Wife, The Tax Deduction and the Mother In Law. Everyone had a variety of different items, I had the fried chicken, The Wife had the Liver & Onions, The MiL had a BLT and the Tax Deduction threw us a curve and wanted breakfast-dinner (a common used term in our home) so he opted for the Strawberry Pancake. Usually I get the turkey dinner, which I have to admit is amazing, but for the sake of finally deciding to Yelp this place I went outside my comfort zone, just for you! I have to admit that the coating on the chicken was crisp and thick and tasted quite excellent. My only question is how they find such small chickens? Is there a restaurant chicken supplier that specializes in dwarf chickens? Is there a a pygmy chicken? Did I miss an episode of Little Chickens, Big World? It was four pieces, the thigh and wing were regular sized, it was the drumstick and the breast that seemed a little... scrawny. The famed mashed potatoes were a little stiff and condensed. Their corn bread is always good however. I hate liver and refused to talk to the Wife about it so I can't tell you about that. Other diners seemed very happy with their meals. I can tell you one thing, at the table next to us as we were walking out a couple got their "Chili Size" dinners, and it was freakishly huge! May have to try that next time. The Tax Deduction actually stopped when he saw them and looked at the couple and yelled, quite loudly, "WOW!". Have to admit I almost did the same thing. So, in the end I have to say that the Diner seemed to go through a little slump a while back, but seem to have identified those problems and rid themselves of them. I will be back. Chili Size UYE anyone?
(3)
Teresa V.
We've been here many times over the past few years and haven't had a bad experience yet! The food is good, traditional American diner food. The prices are good particularly since they always have BOGO coupons all over and you can buy certificates through Restaurants.com . The staff is always very attentive and friendly.
(5)
Tim O.
Good food, but the place was SUPER busy even during a time most restaurants are having a lull. This seemed to impact service a bit. :(
(3)
Claudia G.
I love this place for burgers and milkshakes; I've never had anything else (nor plan to). When I'm craving for a good burger this is the only option. I once had an open sandwich and didn't like it at all - it didn't come with any tomatoes or lettuce so it felt pretty dry. I learned from my mistake and now I only have my favorite (the stardust burger) and a seasonal shake. The 'special' burgers are huge. The service is usually prompt and attentive, thanks to the owners keeping a close eye on the restaurant.
(5)
Jena L.
Well put me in a poodle skirt and call me Sandra Dee! This place is charming. Shiny silver diner car, blue plate specials, jukebox at your table, and electronic scrolling name tags on your server. The service has always been top notch, very attentive. You can tell they have a good crew, everyone helps each other out. One day a server dropped a glass, and another server from somewhere in the restaurant hollers, friendly-like, "job opening!" The whole restaurant chuckled, and we've been laughing about it ever since, any time we hear a dish break somewhere. Love it! We've tried a variety of the food, along with the many visiting relatives we've taken there. I can't recall having a bad meal. Maybe one or two average ones. But hey, it's diner food people. I will say I was never impressed by any of their cream pies, and also I would prefer the blueberry pancakes to have the berries inside the cake, not just a compote on top. Picky, picky!
(4)
Andrea H.
The Stardust Diner isn't my kind of place. When I go out for breakfast, I usually want butter and flaky pastries involved. Not to mention meticulously crafted espresso beverages. I have never encountered butter in my egg/potato/meat breakfasts at the Stardust Diner. Lots of vegetable oil, yes, but never butter. The grain on my plate is always toast. And the closest I get to a macchiato is their bottomless coffee (which actually tastes pretty good mated with enough half & half). Still, even if this isn't my type of place, I think it deserves 4 stars. It is definitely Pirate Grrl's cup of grog, and it does a great job of dressing up diner food with a gleaming silver mega-trailer, jukeboxes, and enthusiastic service from the youthful staff. Whenever I go there, the servers are cheerful and efficient and my bottomless cup is seldom less than half full of joe. The price isn't too bad either, if you have a coupon. Pirate Grrl usually manages to pack away an entire adult-sized breakfast along with most of my country potatoes. She especially loves the bacon, which blows my mind, as I think it looks like it should be trimming the floor on a rental house. And Viking Baby thinks that the Stardust Diner is just awesome. Cars going by, lots of shiny things, food, people...almost heaven. And the best part of our trip today? The Kingston Trio, belting out "Everglades" on the jukebox. You don't hear that very often.
(4)
Larry J. H.
I've been there now 3X and rate the stardust diner as excellent for Breakfast ! I stopped in here 3X last summer with a buddy before going out picking [garage sales] And must say this little diner which is styled as a vintage Railcar diner with it's 1950's decor is very good to excellent for Breakfast ! And I must add the 50's music is a great accompanment to one's meal; Although I've never eaten here in the evening I'm sure it's just as good ?" My last visit here I had the chicken fried steak n' eggs w/ Hashbrown and a biscuit and it was bigger than what one usually gets in most restaurants and of course was 'Oh so Delicious !'' And that's my recommendation as far as Breakfast goes ! Also I might add the staff is friendly too and the service excellent ! I had no problems nor complaints so will indeed go there again whenever I find myself in that part of town ?" Larry, La Center Wa 98629. !''
(5)
Leah N.
I had a 2 star breakfast experience and a 4 star lunch experience, so through the miracle of averages......3 stars! Breakfast was low quality diner food. I had a breakfast burrito that was one of the worst I've eaten. My husband ordered a basic bacon and eggs plate, which he thought was fine. The family ended up here again out of desperation when the place we planned on was too packed to find a table. It ended up being a good choice. We each got a different sandwich, and we tried their onion rings, battered fries (yum!) and crinkle fries. Then we all got pie (please stop judging us). It was all pretty tasty this time around. I especially liked the teriyaki burger with the veggie patty, and the banana cream pie. The pie alone will probably suck me back in, because it's super tough to find a good banana cream pie in this city!
(3)
Amy A.
We ate here because we had a Restaurant.com certificate, but overall it was nothing special. The diner itself is very cool, but the food is alright and we have been there on 3 separate occasions...I am not a fan of their milk shakes though.
(2)
Chericka A.
I'm currently laying down in the booth because I'm dying of goodness overload. These are the feasts I look forward to while living on a pretty strict clean diet a majority of the time. But all good diets should be interrupted periodically to indulge and that is what I did. Chicken Fried Steak, people. Chicken Fried Steak! Excellent service! Cutest damn diner I've ever seen. Now they just Martin Sexton's "Diner" blasting through the juke box!
(5)
Kellie F.
This has become our go to spot to eat. Food is delicious and affordable. The stack of onion rings is large and cheap. Breakfast is alway delicious. I always order an open turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, extra gravy, and a soft roll. That's my happy place right there!
(4)
Whitney O.
It has really cool outside curb appeal. It is a long retro silver diner. I think that would draw anyone in. I have always gone in with a coupon. Even with the coupon, the food is overpriced. It is not bad, just average. There is a good assortment as well. I would have to say they have poor service. Our drinks were refilled rarely, but the name tags of the waiters did scroll in neon which was pretty cool. Good food, but overpriced. Overall, I think you are paying for the atmosphere.
(3)
Piper F.
Great breakfast items, the staff is very friendly and attentive. The place is very clean, colorful and retro with a modern twist.
(5)
Sara Q.
Place isn't too bad. I got the Belgium waffle and a side of bacon. Delicious. Thr waffle was nice, light and fluffy. The syrup and butter made the waffle taste sweet and savory. Bacon was nice and thick. Would definitely come here again for the waffle, not the biscuits an gravy though. Yuck! Bf had a footlonh chili dog that he said was better than he expected. He had tots and coleslaw with it. All in all, not too shabby.
(3)
Reverend S.
This place has so much going for it. The food seems fairly standard, not the best, but serviceable. The onion rings were tender and fat and the hamburgers appeared to be hand formed. What I liked about the place was it felt like someone is giving full attention to the experience. The service was cheerful, prompt, and attentive. The interior is perfect. Everything appeared to be squeaky clean, there are juke boxes at every table, and the music collection was a trip down memory lane. As we left, we noticed speakers on the exterior of the building which I felt was just an added sign that someone is trying to think of as many ways as possible to create a fun experience. The waiters had these funny signboard name tags with their names scrolling across in red, and I thought to myself, Someone found, ordered, and programmed all those tags, just another example that the owner or manager is making an effort. The place was packed, but the service was quick. There were lot of young uniformed servers around and they seemed happy and engaged. It's not even like this is a throwback to an era of my youth, but more like a fantasy of what my youth should have been.
(4)
Narongsak H.
The staff here wear digital scrolling marquee name badges!!!! Oh and the food is good too! LoL. The service was excellent!!! I love when the staff is mindful to keep your drinks filled and ask you if everything is fine with your meal. The food is pretty average but that's not why people come here. They come for the service and the atmosphere.
(3)
Milo B.
Visiting Portland and caught a movie at the Regal 16 in Vancouver. Yelped nearby eateries. This place reminds me of the final scene in 2001 Space Odyssey. They got the props and scenery correct, but the food was bland and blue! Should have gone to the Red Robin.
(2)
MaryAnn J.
We have been going here for years. The food is fresh and delicious and everyone that works here is so friendly you feel as if you have known them for a long time. It must be a wonderful place to work as the same personnel work there every time we go in. They always have Buckwheat pancakes (my mom's favorite) even if they aren't listed on the menu. Breakfasts are our favorite! Enjoy ~
(5)
Sherah B.
This is honestly just your run of the mill diner. I didn't think it was anything special. It's housed in a boxcar which is cool. I had the denver omelet which was good, but not outstanding. I also had the hashbrowns, which I loved, but how hard is it to mess up hashbrowns? All in all, decent place to stop in for breakfast.
(3)
JIM L.
I've been coming here off and on since it has opened. The place has great curb appeal. The inside, totally cool, with a lunch counter and a great 50's look. The girls are cute and friendly. Frankly, I've always expected more. The food is OK. No, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong, but nothing remarkable. Well until recently. They have one of the best "Monte Cristo" sandwiches I've had. I search these out. They offer the sandwich with blackberry preserves only. Don't they know a true Cristo has Raspberry preserves. I found if you look sad and get the right waitress, she will find some. They should have fries with the meal. But let me tell you, you give me all 3 + a vanilla shake, I'm fat, dumb and happy. I should raise this to a 4 star, just for the sandwich. Lets see more from this little place.
(3)
Steve L.
Can't believe I've been to The Stardust Diner at least 6 times and have yet to write a review. Let's start by saying, I Love This Place. Reasonable Prices, Good Diner Food. I always try to use the BOGO coupon which comes in the monthly coupons we get in the mail. My most memorable meal has definitely been on St. Patrick's Day. For about $8, we were met with a plate of thinly sliced corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Probably the best tasting plate of corned beef we've had out at a restaurant. In fact we were delighted to go back 2 weeks later and still see it on the specials board. Stardust will run it from St. Patrick's Day for about another 4-5 weeks. I've ordered breakfast a few times and the omelette's are are always large and filled nicely. If you like Chicken Fried Steak, definitely try the Redneck Benedict. Buttermilk Biscuits topped with Chicken Fry and Sausage Gravy. The home fries are pretty good, but the onions/peppers could be cooked a little softer. The prices at Stardust Diner will be the best you can find around. Most breakfast items are in the $8-$9 range and dinner can be had for under $10. Plus when you use the BOGO coupon you save another $4-$7. The service is friendly, however after 6 visits, I have yet to have the Cashier ask me "How was your visit?". I think she is the owner, but not sure why she doesn't ask.
(4)
Danie W.
Always have had excellent, attentive service here. My favorite is their chicken fried steak and eggs. The Redneck Benedict, burgers, fries and pies are all DELICIOUS! It's good ol' fashion diner food. I love the look of the place. Old photo's hang on the walls and it has the look of the 50's w old music playing on the jukebox. Great for breakfast (all day), lunch or dinner.
(4)
Dave R.
Hey one thing you need to think about the rating is, This place is a diner, and with that in mind, the service was great. She was smiling and laughing and keep us feed and watered. The food was tasty and cooked just right. I have been here many times and I love the old time feeling of the place. We will return. Thanks Staff
(4)
TL R.
Food and milkshakes were good. On a side note, we were sitting near the kitchen area and heard one of the servers made a rude comment about our party. Very disappointing end to a meal.
(3)
Isaiah F.
I don't know if it was me but I did not feel the 50's diner vibe like everyone else says there is. The jukebox did not work through out the place. They did have intercom speakers but no music was playing though them! The place was so quiet that I could hear everyone's conversations! I thought a diner like this would have loud music and a blast from the past feel but it didn't. The eggs were good but the pancakes were so box mix taste! I could make better! I don't think this place has the whole old school diner feel just yet. They need minor tweaks to the place.
(2)
Mike S.
First of all, we had a fairly large family group and they made sure we had seating all together and out of the way since it was a louder group. Hearing issues with some of the elderly. The decor in this great 50's style diner was great. It looked like it was back many decades ago but very clean and shiny stainless steel look. The food was good. Not the best food ever but really good diner food. And the portions were very large. Nobody went home hungry for sure. For me it was a good chili burger with home made chili. My wife had their "King Kong chicken fried steak". Now their claim it was the largest chicken fried steak you have ever seen was a little off but this isn't Texas so I can deal with that. But it was a larger than normal portion. We truly enjoyed the food and the experience. Now for those reviews I see about them complaining about the service......I don't get it. But this is our first visit so I can only speak to that. The service was exceptional. I mean to the point where I felt the need to seek out the manager and compliment her on the service. I don't do that. This was a fun place with good food that we are ready to go back and try again anytime we can. And the prices were very fair if not on the cheap side.
(4)
Bea O.
This is a cute 1950's feel diner and seems to be the only one like it in the area. The food is really good here and staff is more than willing to stop and ask you if you need anything, even when they are not even your server. The free wi-fi is great here and they don't mind you sucking down coffee for a bit while you suck down the free wifi. They do pump in the "oldies" to go along with their theme but does get to be a bit too noisy with the music and a full crowd in there but no one seems to mind at all. Great place!
(5)
Mark M.
Great vibe Diner style- excellent breakfast and very reasonable
(5)
Scott W.
Let me clarify that the food gets 5-stars! Best diner food I've had in years, possibly ever. The biscuits & gravy were as delicious as any I've ever had; in fact, everything we ordered for breakfast was delicious and fresh. I would return for the food without hesitation. The service? Not so good. Though the staff is young, fresh-faced, and enthusiastic, they don't seem to be well coordinated. We had empty coffee cups, long after we asked for refills. The food came quickly and that was the last time we saw our actual waitress. After that, we were lucky to get help from other servers and staff walking by our table. This was our first time there, so maybe we hit the place on an off-day, but I can't stress again how delicious the food was. Hopefully, next time, the service will match it.
(3)
Michelle D.
I love this place! The building itself just makes me happy to look at. The retro decor is fantastic and the restaurant is always very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. But most importantly, the food is delicious! I have been here many times and have never been disappointed. I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Cailyn T.
Totally love the service and food! If there ever was any issues they addressed it right away. Defiantly a go to for breakfast!!
(4)
vi a.
I have been here several times, but finally, I had enough of this place. They have poor customer service and their employee need to be more alert. What do I mean? They act as if they don't know which tables they are assisting and they are so slow. Two days ago, we waited ten minutes just for our drinks and the waiter didn't take our order for another ten minutes. All in all we waited too long for everything. WORST part, my burger was bloody red. I told them I need it replaced, so they did, but the waiting time was long as well though. I definitely had a bad experience as well as my companion. I have been a restaurant manager before and I have to say that, stardust diner need to have a better management or else they will end up loosing customers due to many reasons such as the waiting time is too long for anyone to wait when they have other agendas to take care of. The manager shouldn't just be behind the counter, standing, but he or she should definitely assist their employees at all times especially during rush hour. A restaurant is not an office.
(1)
katie e.
My husband, son and myself go here about twice a month. We love it, they always have great coupons and usually for under $20-$25 bucks we can all eat. It's not a fancy rated place, but it's good for some old fashioned food when you just don't feel like cooking. And people who have commented on the service? Really? That's one reason we like it! Even when busy we are always checked on and our drinks are never empty. Everyone is super nice.The french toast is AWESOME. We like that you can get anything from breakfast to a chili burger to a salad. It's a great place for a young family with kids who don't want to kill their budget but enjoy eating out once in a while!
(5)
James T.
30, Sept. 2011 Friday @ 15:30 Haven't come here for a while until today, was very, very disappointed. Service was slow when there was not much diners and what really turn me off was that I have ordered the "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak" which I received already cold. I should have ordered the "Chef Chicken Salad" like my wife did, I may be a lot happier. Oh Well!, they just lost a customer......
(1)
Mike G.
Like other Yelpers, the curb appeal drew me in. Unfortunately, the service and food are not enough to bring me back.
(2)
Julian S.
Stardust is good.... not great. I eat here a lot, because it's local and my experience has never been bad. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars. This is arguably the best place to get breakfast in Vancouver...Which is not really a compliment - Order: The orange juice. It's fresh and tastes awesome All the food is average- nothing is really homemade, local, or organic. No dishes are prepared with the Portland flair. For instance, it's not hard to make a homemade gravy or special spicy sauce that can really push a restaurant visit over the top. So, if you order salsa, expect Pace picante. That being said, they do pretty good premade foods from cisco or restaurant depot or wherever If the owner asked me, I would suggest the following: Make your employees remember the customers. You have the same regulars eating there multiple times a week. IE focus on better customer service. Secondly, add to the menu with some culinary creativity. Copy any decent place in Portland. Keep the 50s vibe, just add some additional options for better prepared food. Go here, if you don't have time to drive to NE
(4)
Henry L.
The Stardust Diner was just A-Ok. The setting is very unique with old style jukebox at the counter and individual booths. The gf got the belgium waffle with bacon on the side. Nothing too special about the waffle, think I could of done just as good. However, the bacon was crispy and thick. For me, I got the foot-long hotdog and to my surprise it wasn't half bad. I usually don't trust diners to make a good hotdog, especially when it's kind of random for a diner to serve hotdogs in the first place. The portion was huge, the hotdog was filled with "homemade chilli". It could of easily filled a regular person, but I'm not normal. Overall, this place is defiantly a good place for some innocent burgers. I can tell their main market is the older generation. I defiantly felt out of place. It was a good environment for the family, but to me it was just another Danny's/Sharis. That Stardust has burst!
(3)
Perry L.
My family and I have eaten here many times. Every meal has been very good! No complaints.
(5)
PJ W.
Wish this place was closer to our home - we have never been disappointed. The service has always been excellent, this time four different people asked me if I wanted drink refills and the first person by usually picks up the empty plates. I try something new every time and each dish has become my favorite. Also, they have a sugarless chocolate dessert that is amazing. Wish it was closer to our home, but it is worth the drive.
(5)
Aaron C.
Great place to go and have a good time and eat some good food. Portions are crazy big for how much you pay. The staff are great at knowing what is good to eat when you cant think of anything that you would want. Owner is usually always there to make sure that your food is good and your having a good time. They just stared making creme brulee that is delicious!!! They are starting to have a great dessert selection. Creme brulee, Cheesecake, Pies, oh my... Would recommend everyone to try this place at least once a week.
(4)
Aaron R.
Pretty good, not great, not awful. Went there for breakfast, and found the portions to be decently sized and very reasonably priced. The service was good, too. The menus have some cool little retro trivia timelines in them, which are kind of interesting to read, and we couldn't resist picking songs on the tableside jukebox. One note: be sure to read the specials boards next to the front entrance and above the counter area, because the servers don't read the specials to you, at least in our case...
(4)
Ace E.
50's Diner w/Amazing food, better than Shari's and cheaper. Great people & the potatoes rock! Had the meat lovers omelette was awesome. Ask for JD if he's working, he's super everything!
(5)
Jason T.
Prime rib French dip is wonderful. I would probably recommend this more as a lunch spot than breakfast. Service was great, food was wonderful and the variety of the menu great.
(4)
Jeanie W.
Have visited this diner a handful of times throughout the years, for breakfast/lunch. Haven't been in awhile, so we decided the other day to go for lunch. Very dissapointed to see that they had changed to Coke products from Pepsi. May not be a big deal to some, but to us it is. And the fact that the whole decor in this place is based on Pepsi-Cola and other old fashioned sodas and blue and white colors, why on earth would they just switch to Coke, and have to paste it over the menu. While their food is decent, and you do get a good portion, I lost my appetite for this place the other day while getting my mail at home. Here it was, one more political flyer, though this one featured the Stardust Diner, and it's owner proudly saying how he supported a certain candidate in a local race due to the reasoning that they supported "small businesses". Now, everyone can have their own beliefs and party affiliations, but just support as an individual. Do not take advantage of the flyer by using it as advertisement. Cause trust me, it put a bad taste in my mouth about this place, and by doing so, this guy just lost a couple customers...
(2)
Lisa H.
This place is modeled after a 1950s roadside rail car diner. It has tons of vintage car advertisements, a jukebox with mini jukeboxes at many of the tables playing old music, and a totally friendly staff. Its not a place I would go with a date, or even out for dinner because its not really my kind of thing, but it was a totally perfect place to take my dad. He loves the 50s/60s and the food was "American." (He complains that I go to too many specialty places and he just wants plain food. ) Anyway, for the price, we received HUGE portions. I had enough for at least two dinners and it was delicious. The milkshakes were really, really good too. Overall, I think its a great place to take picky eaters and the atmosphere was fun for what it is. I think kids would love it too.
(4)
jade s.
it was...... okay. sorry, but that just about sums up the whole experience. I took the kids there for lunch and everything was just like I said... okay. the wait was literally 10 minutes... okay the waitress was, well... okay. the coffee was... okay and the food was, you guessed it, okay. I will probably never go back. because everything in life will never be spectacular, it is just not good to settle for okay
(3)
Elle K.
What they do, they do it well. And it has to say something about a place who keeps their waitstaff even though tips can't be that great. Stereotypical Ma & Pa entrees - main course, veggie and starch. The desserts are REAL and the shakes and malts are REAL!! Been there for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Nothing fancy, but consistently good. Decent prices, decent people, decent food and a bit of fun to boot! A sure thing.
(4)
Greg E.
Typically very good food. Portions are so large that if I finish it I usually dont eat till evening.
(4)
Big S.
Consistently good service and good diner food. It is what it is....diner food. They do it well.
(4)
Rick W.
The 2-star option sums it up for me - meh. A mediocre experience at best. When you read the rest of this review, you might wonder whay I didn't rate it 1 star...I'm not really sure myself. John E, don't bother with the "Harley Burger" aka Chili Size...it's got very little flavor. OK, for starters - on a cold, rainy, dreary day I walked in through the parking lot entrance. The north part of the "diner", off of the parking lot was delightfully warm - so of course they were seating everyone in the cold south end of the building...the end with the dirty tables. While not extremely slow, it took a lot longer than I expected for the waiter to take our order. To totally set the day off right, when the waiter brought two (very cute) teapot/teacup setups to the table, he managed to drop both against each other and the table, breaking both and dumping a few cups of hot water (thank GOD not boiling) onto the table, my sweater and my lap (not to mention leaving a few shards of crockery on me). Apologies were offered, but unbelievably, I had to ask for us to be seated at a different table after ours was wiped down with a slightly grimy towel (where they got a bath towel in a restaurant was another, slightly concerning question). My M.I.L. was reasonably happy with her soup-and sandwich. My wife had a bacon-cheeseburger, considering it an "indicator meal". Her judgment was somewhere between "nothing special" and "I've had better". I had the "Harley Burger" aka the Chili Size mentioned by John E. While the patty is large, it's stacked on both halves of the bun, making it stand a bit high. It was also a bit precarious to cut and shovel, and I finally pulled one of the bun slices out. It's covered (not drenched by any means) in a very bland canned chili. If you like chili, don't bother. If you like spice, be SURE that your table has full bottles of tabasco - it really, really needs some flavor assistance. I asked for onion (you need to request it) and got a few chunks of diced white. Small props to the restaurant for having a condiment rack with 3 flavors of Tabasco sauce on every table! Now, the thing that really "steams" me...after dumping a teapot in my lap, they had the stones to bring me a check without ANY consideration whatsoever. I asked the waiter if he was serious, not comping anything after scalding my crotch - and he had to get the manager - who ultimately only comped *my* sandwich. Not only that, the manager was not aware of the problem until I mentioned it. There should be no question - you dump food (water, whatever) on a customer (1) You let the freakin' manager know! (2) you should be embarrassed to charge them full boat for their meal. This is just a crappy way to run a restaurant. The server should immediately try to make it right, the manager should be told... Will we go back? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The breakfast menu looked interesting. However, I've been to places with better tasting food and much better service. It's not real high on the revisit meter at this time...
(2)
Duane V.
Hadn't been here for a while, so we went in for dinner. We ordered New York steak, and it was cooked to the doneness requested. Food was plentiful, and the vegetables tasted as if they were picked out of the garden. Milkshakes are generous - hand dipped ice cream - and enough left over in the metal container to fill the glass once again. One of our favorite places...
(5)
Mike N.
This is a fun place to eat. Good food, large portions, and attentive staff. The milkshakes are old school, with real ice cream and mixed on an old style blender like the days of the drive ins. They serve food like open faced turkey sandwhiches in gravy, meat loaf, chicken fried steak, hamburgers, and other foods along this line. Great place to eat. Give it a try.
(4)
Lisa L.
I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. I was most impressed by the cute decor, the ease of parking, the decent prices, the enormous portions, the friendly waitress (who was the only one working when we arrived and still never let our cups go empty), and the delicious hash browns. I also loved that they had apple butter for my toast. That is a lot for 3.5 stars, but the omelette was so-so and way oversalted.
(3)
C C.
Don't get the chicken fried steak. There is no steak in it. It is breaded breading, seriously. I didn't eat it. The vegetables were fine. The french fries were undercooked and soggy. The ice tea was good, but sat empty. The service is very slow. It would be a good place to go hang out and order beverages if you are trying to kill time. But if you are looking for a decent meal, go somewhere else. I waited 45 minutes after taking a couple of bites and discovering the breaded breading waiting for my waiter to get the check. Cost: I paid $13 for the breaded breading (chicken fried steak) with inedible french fries and an ice tea. Service: Slow, painfully slow. And they don't care if you like the food or not.
(1)
Kaitlin P.
This place was so fun! I loved the decor and the staff was pretty friendly. We kept a menu after we ordered to read all the interesting factoids on the menu. I ordered the eggs Benedict and my boyfriend ordered the chicken fried steak. I really enjoyed it but the hollandaise sauce didn't really taste like hollandaise sauce. It was just a little off. This is a fun greasy spoon that is worth a try!
(4)
Wendy R.
Perhaps the bacon served here is the standard for what is served in this town, I wouldn't know since this was the only place I ate in this city. The bacon served here seemed to be shoulder cut slices which would be the first and only time to ever have outside of a home! I was beyond impressed when I saw these beautiful slices of bacon on my dish. I can see why my host determined this city would be their next home when they found this gem. Again, I am from the midwest and don't know what the standards are here but I wanted to buy a pound of coffee to take home from here. The coffee reminded me of the quality coffee served at the Chalkboard in Tulsa, OK. I had the eggs benedict & the French toast with coffee. I shouldn't have eaten so much but it was all so good not to. Months later, I think of that valuable lesson I learned from the Stardust Diner to not overeat. They have real jukeboxes and mirror lined walls inside.
(5)
Nathan A.
Rating this for what it is to me. Sunday morning breakfast at a good "greasy spoon" diner. This is a place like I grew up visiting with my dad and grandfather. Breakfast choices are diverse with my favorite definitely being the hobo skillet that others on here recommended. They make old diner style strawberry shakes with the extra in the mixer cup on the side that can easily be shared between two if you want to add a little more unnecessary calories but great taste to your indulgent weekend brunch... Services has always been good when I have visited and there can be a little wait on the weekends but they try to get your seated as soon as they can and there has always been plenty of staff.
(4)
Cat N.
Food was okay. I got the steak omelette with no bell peppers because I hate those! it was just okay, nothing special. Portion was big though. I did like the potato that came with it. My cousin took me here when I was in town and apparently she's a regular here. I don't see why.
(3)
Crystal M.
2 stars because the biscuits tasted like chemicals - the bacon, sausage and eggs were good. Hubbs got the banana pancakes which were yummy, and he said he would get them again. All in all not super impressed.
(2)
Sara C.
Was staying in town due to a business trip to Portland and thought this place looked adorable, and it definitely met expectations. The country fried chicken and mashed potatoes were DELICIOUS and the portions were huge. A lot of younger kids working, and they were all very attentive. Definitely a cute stop into yesteryear with top notch food.
(5)
Tony W.
Chef lost the ticket for our order and we ended up having to wait for over 30 minutes before they even started cooking our food. The place is not properly heated so we were freezing by the windows. Not a satisfying place to go for breakfast and definitely not a good way to start off the day.
(2)
Holly J.
love the decorations, love the background music, love the staff neon name tags, l ove the menu choices.. the service was much like what I remember service as a child. I was very impressed with the fluid constant activity of the staff. very clean every where.. not an easy task seeing the constant flow of patrons. these people know how to work and the more I think about the time we spent there the more I smile. excellent place to eat
(5)
Spencer T.
Stardust Diner sells itself on nostalgia for old diners. They don't seem to be trying very hard to fool us, though, both in terms of the atmosphere and the food. In this chromed establishment, stuffed with more replicas of '50s kitsch than you can shake a plastic lawn flamingo at, the gigantic menu features clumsy references to pre-80s Americana (choose between "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak," the "Ricky Ricardo Patty Melt," or the "Harley Burger"), and the sound system pumps in the overplayed tunes you'd hear on any classic rock station in the country. No attempts at regional specialization appear, either. Sadly, while it wants to imitate the feel of a diner, most of the individual, location-specific traits that you can find in a good, old place are missing. The food, meanwhile, is plain lousy. The menu is lost in space as well as time. I somehow doubt they can really get the hang of Polish Kielbasa, Tex-Mex chili, country chicken-fried steak, Italian lasagna, deli-style sandwiches, Mexican quesadillas, and the list goes on... They need to cut half of it and focus on some local specialties, or at least on the basics. As for my food, I had overcooked eggs, biscuits served with obviously-from-mix gravy, and a massive slab of bland ham reminiscent of what Woody Allen was subjected to in "Annie Hall." I asked about the "country potatoes" and hash browns, and found out that they're both frozen--the former are tossed in the deep fryer, the latter come pre-shredded and are finished on the grill. My friend's burger was soggy and riddled with superfluous shreds of iceberg lettuce. Her pancakes were decent, but not worth writing home about. And I doubt the maple syrup was the real McCoy. We decided to forgo dessert when we saw that the plethora of shakes offered were mostly the product of a number of flavored syrup bottles, rather than a variety of ice cream flavors. Stardust Diner needs to figure out something it can do very well and jettison its halfhearted attempts at other items. Its variety wasn't representative of the historic American melting pot, nor of Northwestern authenticity, but of the contemporary exurban nowhere-land where everything is available and nothing is genuine or made with any kind of extra love or effort. I might have gone a little easier on them if they didn't claim to be something they weren't--a classic in the proud tradition of American diners. Classics don't cut corners. And despite what they would have us believe, there is nothing classic about Stardust Diner.
(1)
Cool Nutz X.
Staff was great. Food was delicious. We ordered the redneck Benedict as well as the Steak and eggs. Everything was top notch and on point. All of the staff was inviting and helpful. Atmosphere was good as well. Definitely a place to visit in Vancouver.
(4)
Matt T.
Getting ready to cruise in n have another tasty breakfast this morning =) Food is always great tasting as well as good sized, nice chill oldies playing through the jukebox, and the cute tatted waitress brings it out with a smile. Fantastic way to start the day!
(4)
Erin C.
YUMMY!!! This place has an old school atmosphere with Blue Plate Specials!! Not gimmicky at all, just good home cooking! Club sandwiches, Prime Rib on Saturdays, and breakfast served all day long! This place is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
(5)
Jennifer P.
We drive down 164th often and this diner, fully encapsulated in stainless steel, is hard to miss. Somewhat gimmicky, we saw good reviews on Yelp and had a chance to stop by and try it. Chocolate Milkshake: ice cream had little ice chunks/frost in it. I've had better. Famous Footlong (chili dog with onions and cheese) with onion rings: tasty, but portion size was absolutely massive. I ate half and took the other half, sans soggy bun, home. Would have been completely satisfied with a normal-sized hotdog and a side salad (or some sort of greens; I upgraded my fries to onion rings which apparently makes the cole slaw disappear as well). Fried Chicken with potatoes and gravy on the side: one wing, one thigh, one drumstick, one breast (again, a big portion size). Chicken was nice and crispy on the outside and warm and juicy on the inside. Potatoes were too mashed in my opinion. I prefer mashed potatoes more chunky than smooth (smooth is just too similar to instant potatoes). Their gravy made the potatoes yummy though. Corn bread was fluffy and tasty. Overall, we enjoyed the experience. They have a private lot out back. This place seemed too busy for a party larger than 4-5. The servers were friendly and attentive, but I don't think we need to "experience" it again anytime soon.
(3)
Skye A.
I love the feel of this diner. It's a great place to go if you're craving a malt or milkshake! The servers are so friendly and personable, and the atmosphere is just all around fun. The food isn't the best, but the prices and portions are good.
(4)
Rod S.
Wifey loves this place. It is a 50's city diner motif in an other wise suburban business district. My experiences here have all been favorable and if you like a classic Malt in a classic 50s style place, this works good.
(3)
Stephanie M.
Good breakfast spot. Much better than some of the other divey joints around town that like to boast to have a good breakfast spread. It's a super cute location too!
(3)
Rachael R.
Staff was very friendly! Reasonably priced menu. Food was just ok. Probably won't go back and won't recommend it to others.
(2)
Spence R.
A staple breakfast spot for East Vancouver. Awesome diner feel. Food was pretty good.
(3)
James M.
Great atmosphere and food specials. And without a doubt the best customer service in the industry.
(4)
Teresa V.
We've been here many times over the past few years and haven't had a bad experience yet! The food is good, traditional American diner food. The prices are good particularly since they always have BOGO coupons all over and you can buy certificates through Restaurants.com . The staff is always very attentive and friendly.
(5)
Tim O.
Good food, but the place was SUPER busy even during a time most restaurants are having a lull. This seemed to impact service a bit. :(
(3)
Michael P.
I've only ever ate breakfast here, and am rarely disappointed. There can be a pretty good line on the weekends (this is usually when we go). If you want a bit of advice, and you detest waiting, you can sit yourself at the counter (just walked by all of the people waiting). Note this will only work for a small party, usually we easily find two seats available. Another piece of advice, if you live in the Vancouver area, is grab a coupon from one of the mailers we regularly get. Now for the food... I am a creature of habit, so when I find something I like, I don't stray far when looking at the menu. The first dish I ever tried here was the chicken fried steak. If you are a connoisseur of chicken fried steak, you will be severely disappointed (it's frozen) and the best part of your meal will either be the gravy or the potatoes. The second and only other item I have ordered is the hobo skillet. This is a work of breakfast art... I recommend asking them for either a side of country gravy or a spoonful on top. My wife is a little different in that she will try all sorts of items. Their French toast, pancakes, specials, etc. are all good. Now for the service and environment... It's a fun 50s diner, but sometimes they can get so busy that their service goes from decent to utterly horrendous. I can't say I've ever had great service here, what do you expect from a bunch of hungover high school kids on a weekend breakfast shift? I can say I have had thoughts of walking out after waiting 30 minutes in a seat without a menu or anything to drink. But that damn hobo skillet keeps me in my seat. All in all don't come on the weekend if you're in a hurry. Otherwise enjoy an amazing diner breakfast.
(4)
Jason M.
Pick any of your three meals and eat here. There is zero disappointment full circle. Good portion size, awesome service, clean, warm and inviting environment. Seriously my favorite place to eat all American food in Vancouver.
(5)
Jason H.
The service here is always great. The food is good. Been here many times and it's been great every time. The menu has a lot of options and cost is about what you'd expect. This place won't leave you in need of a refilled drink. That alone puts them ahead of most their local competitors!
(5)
Kristina B.
Best country style potatoes I've ever had, we get them with green pepper and onions and its absolute DELISH. Service is always 5 stars but only when the younger crew is there, I'm taking the star off for many times when we came there and it wasn't fully staffed and our server was at best meh. We only tried their breakfast items, pancakes, eggs, biscuits, always tastes good and fresh. Just FYI we tried only veggie options here so don't know how their meat items are. Over all so far our favorite breakfast in Vancouver. Try it!
(4)
Mary W.
Discovered this place as it was a sit down within walking distance of our hotel. Cute diner. Great music playing in the background. Attentive staff , delicious french dip and perfectly poached eggs! Coming back for dessert (white chocolate creme brulee).
(5)
Josephine S.
This is a real drag, because they have some great food! I was in here last night with some friends around 9pm, and everything was going fine! Until a bunch of young employees, Jessica, and Devon (maybe?) and their friends start talking LOUDLY at the counter. We were sitting by the bathrooms and we could hear them perfectly. They start saying horrible things about LGBT individuals, and laughing at obscene jokes. Nobody put a stop to it, nobody spoke up. Why they thought this was the proper venue or opportunity to discuss such things, I'm not sure. Wholly unprofessional, mean spirited, and bigoted. If that's what this restaurant stands for or condones, then my friends and I want nothing to do with it. Needless to say we won't be back. Shame on these reckless, inconsiderate, rude employees. I hope the managers do something about this. COMPLETELY unacceptable!
(1)
Jake P.
Had breakfast at the Stardust with the family today for the first time. Overall, very good food, attentive service and reasonably priced. The host wasn't the most friendly (not rude, just didn't smile much). I had the Country Breakfast which was tasty and plenty to fill the belly. The wife had an Omelet with potatoes. She said the potatoes were great. The kids had pancakes and bacon. They ate everything and loved the meal. Overall, we will return. Will have to try it out for lunch sometime as well.
(4)
Craig F.
What a great family dinner for our daughters birthday! JD did a great job waiting on us. The food was diner great! Thank you! We will be back!
A coupon in almost every flyer on Wednessday makes this place a great deal on top of the great staff. When this restaurant first opened it was all about the 50's style and less about the food. Fast forward many years later and you now have a very nice family restaurant with low turn over, happy staff and great food for the price. I've seen a few places in town with larger portions BUT none of them have the same consistent quality of the Stardust and I've never left hungry. Yes, I call the place Star Light or the breakfast place on 164th but my wife knows what I mean and she likes the pot roast and shakes that they serve. All in all a inexpensive place where you can take the whole family and everyone will be able to find something they want to try on the huge menu. It's not well suited to large groups (more than 8) as the floor plan is long and narrow.
(4)
Taylor C.
The food was delicious and service was spot on. Very great first impression!
(5)
Sandra C.
Excellent breakfast. Food cooked as requested. Attentive service. Three of of ate for $36 + tip. Very reasonable for the quality.
(4)
Gin B.
Uh, oh! Stardust has new staff...but someone forgot to train them!!! The newbies aren't up to the standards of the usual staff!!!! Kyle likes to "stack" two or three orders & then take them all to the kitchen. So, folks that order later, get their food before others that have been waiting. He's quick to come to the table when you first sit down, asking if you need a moment...ummmm...at least a moment! Then, he's gone for 10 minutes, leaving you to wait and wait and wait. Then there's the kitchen itself...I'm guessing more newbies in there too, as the food doesn't seem to be prepared in the same style...and there's certainly a lot less of it. Fries that used to be great, are now little stubs, over cooked. Maybe the newbies should have to follow a veteran employee until they really understand how things should be done...and to speak up when the kitchen isn't up to par too. Don't just bring it to the table anyway! Look, think! The hostess folks need a little training too. They walk the floor, but they aren't thinking. Seating 6 big guys at a table that should have only 4 or 5 tops, not good! Especially when the place is 3/4 empty (at noon) and there are tables that would work & everyone would be comfortable. Look, think! Anyway, cute as the place might be, I'm not eager to go back...although I've been there many times over the years...I'll not go back until folks are trained!
We had burgers, tots & shakes. They were all very good. We had the coupon from the Clipper coupon magazine for $6 off "dinner". It was dinner time so of course that's the one we took in with us. When it was time to pay, we were informed that burgers were considered "lunch" items so we only got $5 off. It was only a buck, but I felt that was a little sneaky. Since when are burgers only for lunch? If they do that enough, as burgers are a popular item, it saves them money (instead of their customers) but draws people in thinking they get a bigger discount. I agree with other reviewers that they need to pare down the menu. Stick with a few classics and do it well. Service was friendly from clean cut teenagers.
(3)
Marjory B.
Came here for breakfast. I had the hobo skillet; the boyfriend stuck with his usual bacon, sausage, eggs, and a bowl of fruit. Everything came out quickly and looked decent enough. However, mine was a meal worthy of the Army chow hall, with the scrambled eggs tasting like they were right out of the carton (from a mix, not fresh eggs), "home fries" from the freezer straight into the deep fryer, strangely tiny pieces of bacon (kind of like the Hormel brand in the bag at the grocery store), and weirdly soggy BALLS (?) of sausage. BUT I was hungry, and it was edible. Boyfriend ate everything except for the bowl of fruit. "Gross", he said. His eggs-over-medium were the only thing on the table that looked to be freshly prepared. Everything else seemed to have come out of some sort of prepackaging. I've been to some great 50s-themed diners, and this place is just not really authentic. Also, the service is off. Not only did we have 2 different servers, but a different person brought us our check, another person took the card, and yet another person brought the receipt back to us. The server that we had throughout the majority of our meal seemed polite enough but I lost count of how many times she asked a question and then turned around and walked away before I had finished answering her. The place wasn't extraordinarily busy, so I am not sure what the issue was. Breakfast here is not even of Shari's quality (another reviewer claimed it is a half-step up)...I would put it more on a Denny's or IHOP level. Vancouver, you disappoint me with your breakfast/brunch options. I should know better.
(1)
Wayne C.
My wife and I talked about going here for about a year and finally made it for breakfast. I had the chicken fried steak breakfast and it was great! The potatoes were crisp and the steak was delicious too. My wife had the strawberry pancakes which were also good. She mostly ate off my plate though. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. We had been looking for a good diner since we moved here. I think we found it. The price of their food is very affordable too!
(4)
Troy G.
I love the nostalgic atmosphere and the pay-to-play jukeboxes at every table! The staff is mostly made up of younger individuals who are absolutely fantastic! They are hard-working, attentive employees who have a great rapport with repeat customers. I have experienced a few instances of an overcooked hamburger patty, however. The other items on the menu are fantastic, however! I'm definitely a fan of this place!
(4)
Vama H.
Good diner food. Good breakfast options all day. Good chicken noodle soup. Friendly staff and usually fast service. They have easy parking in the back.
(3)
Grant L.
They have really good breakfast, but compared to other breakfast places they don't give you too much for the price.
(4)
Adry G.
I have been here a couple of times. It's a good place at any time of the day, but I have only been here for breakfast. Their service is good, the food was decent and their prices are acceptable. I love their hot cocoa (and the fact that you get a free refill of it!).
(4)
Jeremy J.
This place is fun. Cool from the outside and on the inside. Definitely sticks to its diner theme and executes well. I enjoyed my lunch her and would return if I was in the mood for classic diner food with good portion size for the price. My only "issue" with the restaurant is that it is really just your run of the mill diner quality food..about a half step up from Shari's. My better half and I gorged ourselves and split an order of french toast (no frills, average French toast), chicken fried steak (absolutely huge, flavor didn't match the physical size), sunny side up eggs (cooked perfectly), hash browns (nothing out of the ordinary) and a side of biscuits a gravy (steal of a deal for $2.99, big portion but not a very flavorful gravy). Overall, it was a basic American breakfast for a good price (all that for under $20) but the food was not memorable. The best thing we tried was actually after breakfast. We ordered a butterscotch malt and it was phenomenal. Our waiter asked if we wanted to split it and we said sure. They brought us two malts garnished with whipped cream and a whopper instead of one malt with a refill tin. I thought this was particularly good service and I appreciated the extra effort. All in all, 2* food, 4* service, and killer malts and milkshakes...probably the reason I will return.
(3)
J F.
You never know if you can put a restaurant on your 'favorite places to dine' unless you give it a try. After reading reviews (4 star rating on yelp) and other sources, we decided that although a 'diner' is not where we choose to dine for dinner, we decided to give it a try. The shakes/malts are generous. Beware that they are filling so one order is plenty for two. The strawberry malt had chunks of berries...the banana shake could have used more flavor. The prime rib french dip did not live up to the price ($10.99). The roll was a bit dry and looked more like a larger baguette than a french roll. The bacon burger was fairly good...the smoked bacon was flavorful. We like our fries flavorful, crispy and shouldn't they be golden brown as well? None of these adjectives appeared to be so. We presented a coupon which had a $6 off for dinner and $5 off for breakfast. They took off $5 so don't hand them two coupons. We erred by not cutting out the appropriate one. For the price and quality...Burgerville and Five Guys has them beat. The impressive part of our meal was watching the young servers. They work hard, are very pleasant and seem to enjoy their job.
(2)
Tia M.
Great restaurant with wonderful service! Food is excellent with big portions! We love the old school feel of the place!
(5)
Ursula M.
Great fifties ambiance, long menu, friendly servers. I have had several different things at Stardust, and all were good. Stardust serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and all are good.
(4)
Justin F.
Tried Stardust for the first time today and we will definitely be returning in the future! Excellent diner food, very impressed with the quality. I had a bacon burger and fries, the burger tasted very fresh and looked hand pressed, very good flavor! My wife and daughter both had breakfast and were both impressed with how good it was, lots of food for the price too! Will most definitely be returning. Just as a quick tip there is usually a coupon in the weekly mailer for buy one get one, an excellent deal!!
(4)
Aaron W.
Stepping inside, it really feels like you're taken back in time to some 50's diner. Tons of vintage memorabilia (mostly magazine covers) adorn the wall. Heck, there was some jukebox contraption at the booth my friend and I sat at. I'm honestly not too fond of the interior (call me more of a contemporary, bright ambiance person), but it's not the worst. It stays true to what it wants to be, and that's fine. There's a lot of traditional diner fare to choose from. Blue-starred items are basically Stardust's most popular offerings. Although we arrived around 11:30, my stomach craves breakfast virtually 24/7. Luckily, breakfast is served all day here. I opted for the three-egg Denver omelet ($8.29) with the usual diced ham, cheddar, onions, and green bell peppers. Hash browns and whole wheat toast on the side. I honestly didn't have very high expectations coming in, but everything was pretty good. A hearty portion for yours truly. Pretty generous amounts of ham, onions, and bell peppers, all cooked nicely. I would have liked a bit more cheese here, though. The eggs were cooked well, perhaps just a tad too long in the pan for me. I'm sure it would be fine for just about everyone else. Favorable reviews on the hash browns. Crispy exterior, lightly seasoned, nicely done. Maybe a bit too much butter on my toast, but hell, I ate it anyway. My friend enjoyed his bacon cheeseburger, crinkle fries, and a soda (appears to be unlimited free refills). It sure looked like a quality burger to me, and the hypnotizing bacon made me just want to reach across the table and devour that plate too. Bad panda, no biscuit for you. Stardust runs regular specials and also has a tantalizing dessert menu. And I saw a sugar-free option (Chocolate Mousse Torte) for when I want to gorge on something sweet and not feel so guilty! For a combined $20, two people left with satisfied stomachs. Certainly reasonable. I hope to return and try more menu items!
(4)
Christine E.
We've only been to the diner once but will definitely be going back. We had burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings, one root beer float and one cherry coke. Since we got to WA four months ago we're on the hunt for the best burgers (best pizza, best chinese, best ice cream) and this was the best so far. My only complaint is that the bun disintegrated before the burger was consumed, making it a three-napkin affair. My husband said the root beer wasn't the best. The onion rings were tasty; the fries about standard. But a really good burger can be hard to come by. Next time we visit Stardust Diner we'll try other dishes.....I might be revising the review.
(4)
Amy F.
I wasn't too sure what to expect of this place after reading all the mixed reviews, but our experience was great! Decided to have a late breakfast, so it wasn't too packed when we arrived. We waited about 10 minutes for a table. My daughter loved the crayons and paper to draw with while we waited for our food. Their breakfast was really good and super filling. I was stuffed all day long. We will definitely be returning!
(4)
David D.
Stardust Diner does a fantastic job capturing the 50's style diner. They offer good food (except the fries) at more than reasonably priced options. The staff is friendly and the decor on the walls makes for great conversation during ones visit. Great place for kids or for a low profile date. They also offer a wonderful breakfast menu with thick sliced bacon. I will return
(5)
Linda C.
We've driven past this place for years and finally decided to give it a try. I was nervous, expecting a greasy spoon and convinced there would be little to no options for vegetarians. Pleasantly surprised! We found a few veggie options on the menu. I chose the Veggie Burger and hubby opted for the Vegetarian Omelet. My burger was generously filled with lettuce and the patty itself, while not overly tasty, was moist. The fries were not too greasy, and I was really pleased to see that the available ketchup was a non-HFCS variety. Very cool! My husband's omelet was light and fluffy, but the best part about his dish were the country potatoes. Oh my, they were great, and not at all greasy like many I've tried. I could have eaten a plate full! I loved the interior, with its Americana decor and classic diner ambience. Sometimes themed restaurants are overdone but this place is tastefully done, giving a nice nod to the era without being overly cheesy. And I can't fault the service from the staff. They were appropriately attentive, friendly, and they kept an eye on drinks that needed refilling throughout the time we were there. Overall, it was an enjoyable lunch. Nice atmosphere, great service, reasonable prices, and the food was decent for what it is - diner fare. We'll likely stop by again in the future.
(4)
Janyce R.
Ive had better food and service at Elmer's. The staff was rude and unfriendly. The food wasn't that great and my family and I had an overall bad experience. The only thing nice I can say is that they were prompt at refilling our drinks and it wasn't dirty. I feel like I could have had the same quality food at Denny's. I would expect a diner to be happy and upbeat and this was so not the case.
(2)
Meagan B.
I have been to Stardust Diner quite a few times and it has never failed to be delicious. Their eggs Benedict is always perfect, it's what I almost always order. If it's your birthday, they will give you a free sundae and it's a true sundae! Great burgers and atmosphere. I think breakfast food is their forte.
(5)
Jenni L.
While I think this place is good overall, my last experience here was a downer. I usually pop in her with a friend for breakfast on the weekend or for dinner before a movie, which is conveniently located right by Cascade 16. I came in here this past Saturday around Noon for a late brunch with a friend and decided to try something new on a whim, as our waitress wanted our order and the place was so packed I figured it would be best just to order asap. I ordered some kind of steak scramble with green peppers, onions, breakfast potatoes and two fried eggs on top. When I got my meal, I was thouroughly disappointed though. The potatoes were sopping in grease to the point that when I lifted them up on my fork, grease pooled on the end of the potato and splashed on my plate in droplettes. I'm never one to send food back so I ate around it, the eggs were fine, but was super grossed out in the end and wished that I hadn't touched any of it. Our server never came back to check on us, and I wish she would have because I was ready to ask for a glass of water after finishing my OJ (which is fresh squeezed and delicious by the way). I'm hoping that this was just a fluke because I've had great food and service here every other time.
(3)
Eric F.
Bottom line this is the best place we've ever been to in Vancouver. Good food, good portions and an excellent, attentive wait staff. A must go!!! Especially for breakfast!
(5)
Anjelah S.
SoOoOo...you wanna go back in time and get a great meal with friendly service, this place has it. Back to the 1950's... Let's start with the appetizers. Wadda ya want? Onions rings, deep fried Jalapeno pepper's filled with cream cheese, Mozzarella cheese sticks...... How about skip the appetizers and start with something healthy. A soup and salad maybe? Chef, or chicken cobb? Taco salad or dinner salad?. The soups are made fresh daily, so ya never know what is being served until you ask. Moving on to the sandwiches...Rueben, Philly cheese steak, Meatloaf, French dip, Halibut or Chicken tender sand which. Whew.... Maybe your in the mood for a BIG burger. Garlic Mushroom burger with sauteed mushrooms and garlic, seasoned mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Or what about a Boop bop BBQ burger or the Blue moon burger with melted American cheese and 2 strips of apple wood bacon? They even have a Ricky Ricardo Patty melt with sauteed onions. Count your blessings, they even have a veggie burger. What about a home cooked meal? They serve chicken, beef or pork dinners...including all the side favorites like mashed potatoes, veggies, dinner rolls or corn bread. After you have gluttonized yourself....why stop? Add a shake or a root beer float on top of everything. Great food for a nice price. Definitely worth the trip.
(4)
John E.
This place perplexes me to no end. I have been coming here on and off for many years. Within the narrow, heavily adorned walls I have some of the better and some of my worst dining experiences. Yet, through it all the one thing I can never complain about is the service which is always friendly and pretty fast. One the positive side the portions are generally large, very authentic in that there are no updated recipe changes it's the same now as it would have been in 1955. It is decorated to amuse, not to confuse; above all it is pretty convenient to get to and park at. My last visit there was for dinner with The Wife, The Tax Deduction and the Mother In Law. Everyone had a variety of different items, I had the fried chicken, The Wife had the Liver & Onions, The MiL had a BLT and the Tax Deduction threw us a curve and wanted breakfast-dinner (a common used term in our home) so he opted for the Strawberry Pancake. Usually I get the turkey dinner, which I have to admit is amazing, but for the sake of finally deciding to Yelp this place I went outside my comfort zone, just for you! I have to admit that the coating on the chicken was crisp and thick and tasted quite excellent. My only question is how they find such small chickens? Is there a restaurant chicken supplier that specializes in dwarf chickens? Is there a a pygmy chicken? Did I miss an episode of Little Chickens, Big World? It was four pieces, the thigh and wing were regular sized, it was the drumstick and the breast that seemed a little... scrawny. The famed mashed potatoes were a little stiff and condensed. Their corn bread is always good however. I hate liver and refused to talk to the Wife about it so I can't tell you about that. Other diners seemed very happy with their meals. I can tell you one thing, at the table next to us as we were walking out a couple got their "Chili Size" dinners, and it was freakishly huge! May have to try that next time. The Tax Deduction actually stopped when he saw them and looked at the couple and yelled, quite loudly, "WOW!". Have to admit I almost did the same thing. So, in the end I have to say that the Diner seemed to go through a little slump a while back, but seem to have identified those problems and rid themselves of them. I will be back. Chili Size UYE anyone?
(3)
Claudia G.
I love this place for burgers and milkshakes; I've never had anything else (nor plan to). When I'm craving for a good burger this is the only option. I once had an open sandwich and didn't like it at all - it didn't come with any tomatoes or lettuce so it felt pretty dry. I learned from my mistake and now I only have my favorite (the stardust burger) and a seasonal shake. The 'special' burgers are huge. The service is usually prompt and attentive, thanks to the owners keeping a close eye on the restaurant.
(5)
Jena L.
Well put me in a poodle skirt and call me Sandra Dee! This place is charming. Shiny silver diner car, blue plate specials, jukebox at your table, and electronic scrolling name tags on your server. The service has always been top notch, very attentive. You can tell they have a good crew, everyone helps each other out. One day a server dropped a glass, and another server from somewhere in the restaurant hollers, friendly-like, "job opening!" The whole restaurant chuckled, and we've been laughing about it ever since, any time we hear a dish break somewhere. Love it! We've tried a variety of the food, along with the many visiting relatives we've taken there. I can't recall having a bad meal. Maybe one or two average ones. But hey, it's diner food people. I will say I was never impressed by any of their cream pies, and also I would prefer the blueberry pancakes to have the berries inside the cake, not just a compote on top. Picky, picky!
(4)
Andrea H.
The Stardust Diner isn't my kind of place. When I go out for breakfast, I usually want butter and flaky pastries involved. Not to mention meticulously crafted espresso beverages. I have never encountered butter in my egg/potato/meat breakfasts at the Stardust Diner. Lots of vegetable oil, yes, but never butter. The grain on my plate is always toast. And the closest I get to a macchiato is their bottomless coffee (which actually tastes pretty good mated with enough half & half). Still, even if this isn't my type of place, I think it deserves 4 stars. It is definitely Pirate Grrl's cup of grog, and it does a great job of dressing up diner food with a gleaming silver mega-trailer, jukeboxes, and enthusiastic service from the youthful staff. Whenever I go there, the servers are cheerful and efficient and my bottomless cup is seldom less than half full of joe. The price isn't too bad either, if you have a coupon. Pirate Grrl usually manages to pack away an entire adult-sized breakfast along with most of my country potatoes. She especially loves the bacon, which blows my mind, as I think it looks like it should be trimming the floor on a rental house. And Viking Baby thinks that the Stardust Diner is just awesome. Cars going by, lots of shiny things, food, people...almost heaven. And the best part of our trip today? The Kingston Trio, belting out "Everglades" on the jukebox. You don't hear that very often.
(4)
Larry J. H.
I've been there now 3X and rate the stardust diner as excellent for Breakfast ! I stopped in here 3X last summer with a buddy before going out picking [garage sales] And must say this little diner which is styled as a vintage Railcar diner with it's 1950's decor is very good to excellent for Breakfast ! And I must add the 50's music is a great accompanment to one's meal; Although I've never eaten here in the evening I'm sure it's just as good ?" My last visit here I had the chicken fried steak n' eggs w/ Hashbrown and a biscuit and it was bigger than what one usually gets in most restaurants and of course was 'Oh so Delicious !'' And that's my recommendation as far as Breakfast goes ! Also I might add the staff is friendly too and the service excellent ! I had no problems nor complaints so will indeed go there again whenever I find myself in that part of town ?" Larry, La Center Wa 98629. !''
(5)
Leah N.
I had a 2 star breakfast experience and a 4 star lunch experience, so through the miracle of averages......3 stars! Breakfast was low quality diner food. I had a breakfast burrito that was one of the worst I've eaten. My husband ordered a basic bacon and eggs plate, which he thought was fine. The family ended up here again out of desperation when the place we planned on was too packed to find a table. It ended up being a good choice. We each got a different sandwich, and we tried their onion rings, battered fries (yum!) and crinkle fries. Then we all got pie (please stop judging us). It was all pretty tasty this time around. I especially liked the teriyaki burger with the veggie patty, and the banana cream pie. The pie alone will probably suck me back in, because it's super tough to find a good banana cream pie in this city!
(3)
Amy A.
We ate here because we had a Restaurant.com certificate, but overall it was nothing special. The diner itself is very cool, but the food is alright and we have been there on 3 separate occasions...I am not a fan of their milk shakes though.
(2)
Chericka A.
I'm currently laying down in the booth because I'm dying of goodness overload. These are the feasts I look forward to while living on a pretty strict clean diet a majority of the time. But all good diets should be interrupted periodically to indulge and that is what I did. Chicken Fried Steak, people. Chicken Fried Steak! Excellent service! Cutest damn diner I've ever seen. Now they just Martin Sexton's "Diner" blasting through the juke box!
(5)
Kellie F.
This has become our go to spot to eat. Food is delicious and affordable. The stack of onion rings is large and cheap. Breakfast is alway delicious. I always order an open turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, extra gravy, and a soft roll. That's my happy place right there!
(4)
Whitney O.
It has really cool outside curb appeal. It is a long retro silver diner. I think that would draw anyone in. I have always gone in with a coupon. Even with the coupon, the food is overpriced. It is not bad, just average. There is a good assortment as well. I would have to say they have poor service. Our drinks were refilled rarely, but the name tags of the waiters did scroll in neon which was pretty cool. Good food, but overpriced. Overall, I think you are paying for the atmosphere.
(3)
Piper F.
Great breakfast items, the staff is very friendly and attentive. The place is very clean, colorful and retro with a modern twist.
(5)
Reverend S.
This place has so much going for it. The food seems fairly standard, not the best, but serviceable. The onion rings were tender and fat and the hamburgers appeared to be hand formed. What I liked about the place was it felt like someone is giving full attention to the experience. The service was cheerful, prompt, and attentive. The interior is perfect. Everything appeared to be squeaky clean, there are juke boxes at every table, and the music collection was a trip down memory lane. As we left, we noticed speakers on the exterior of the building which I felt was just an added sign that someone is trying to think of as many ways as possible to create a fun experience. The waiters had these funny signboard name tags with their names scrolling across in red, and I thought to myself, Someone found, ordered, and programmed all those tags, just another example that the owner or manager is making an effort. The place was packed, but the service was quick. There were lot of young uniformed servers around and they seemed happy and engaged. It's not even like this is a throwback to an era of my youth, but more like a fantasy of what my youth should have been.
(4)
Narongsak H.
The staff here wear digital scrolling marquee name badges!!!! Oh and the food is good too! LoL. The service was excellent!!! I love when the staff is mindful to keep your drinks filled and ask you if everything is fine with your meal. The food is pretty average but that's not why people come here. They come for the service and the atmosphere.
(3)
Milo B.
Visiting Portland and caught a movie at the Regal 16 in Vancouver. Yelped nearby eateries. This place reminds me of the final scene in 2001 Space Odyssey. They got the props and scenery correct, but the food was bland and blue! Should have gone to the Red Robin.
(2)
MaryAnn J.
We have been going here for years. The food is fresh and delicious and everyone that works here is so friendly you feel as if you have known them for a long time. It must be a wonderful place to work as the same personnel work there every time we go in. They always have Buckwheat pancakes (my mom's favorite) even if they aren't listed on the menu. Breakfasts are our favorite! Enjoy ~
(5)
Sara Q.
Place isn't too bad. I got the Belgium waffle and a side of bacon. Delicious. Thr waffle was nice, light and fluffy. The syrup and butter made the waffle taste sweet and savory. Bacon was nice and thick. Would definitely come here again for the waffle, not the biscuits an gravy though. Yuck! Bf had a footlonh chili dog that he said was better than he expected. He had tots and coleslaw with it. All in all, not too shabby.
(3)
Steve L.
Can't believe I've been to The Stardust Diner at least 6 times and have yet to write a review. Let's start by saying, I Love This Place. Reasonable Prices, Good Diner Food. I always try to use the BOGO coupon which comes in the monthly coupons we get in the mail. My most memorable meal has definitely been on St. Patrick's Day. For about $8, we were met with a plate of thinly sliced corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Probably the best tasting plate of corned beef we've had out at a restaurant. In fact we were delighted to go back 2 weeks later and still see it on the specials board. Stardust will run it from St. Patrick's Day for about another 4-5 weeks. I've ordered breakfast a few times and the omelette's are are always large and filled nicely. If you like Chicken Fried Steak, definitely try the Redneck Benedict. Buttermilk Biscuits topped with Chicken Fry and Sausage Gravy. The home fries are pretty good, but the onions/peppers could be cooked a little softer. The prices at Stardust Diner will be the best you can find around. Most breakfast items are in the $8-$9 range and dinner can be had for under $10. Plus when you use the BOGO coupon you save another $4-$7. The service is friendly, however after 6 visits, I have yet to have the Cashier ask me "How was your visit?". I think she is the owner, but not sure why she doesn't ask.
(4)
Dave R.
Hey one thing you need to think about the rating is, This place is a diner, and with that in mind, the service was great. She was smiling and laughing and keep us feed and watered. The food was tasty and cooked just right. I have been here many times and I love the old time feeling of the place. We will return. Thanks Staff
(4)
Danie W.
Always have had excellent, attentive service here. My favorite is their chicken fried steak and eggs. The Redneck Benedict, burgers, fries and pies are all DELICIOUS! It's good ol' fashion diner food. I love the look of the place. Old photo's hang on the walls and it has the look of the 50's w old music playing on the jukebox. Great for breakfast (all day), lunch or dinner.
(4)
TL R.
Food and milkshakes were good. On a side note, we were sitting near the kitchen area and heard one of the servers made a rude comment about our party. Very disappointing end to a meal.
(3)
Isaiah F.
I don't know if it was me but I did not feel the 50's diner vibe like everyone else says there is. The jukebox did not work through out the place. They did have intercom speakers but no music was playing though them! The place was so quiet that I could hear everyone's conversations! I thought a diner like this would have loud music and a blast from the past feel but it didn't. The eggs were good but the pancakes were so box mix taste! I could make better! I don't think this place has the whole old school diner feel just yet. They need minor tweaks to the place.
(2)
Mike S.
First of all, we had a fairly large family group and they made sure we had seating all together and out of the way since it was a louder group. Hearing issues with some of the elderly. The decor in this great 50's style diner was great. It looked like it was back many decades ago but very clean and shiny stainless steel look. The food was good. Not the best food ever but really good diner food. And the portions were very large. Nobody went home hungry for sure. For me it was a good chili burger with home made chili. My wife had their "King Kong chicken fried steak". Now their claim it was the largest chicken fried steak you have ever seen was a little off but this isn't Texas so I can deal with that. But it was a larger than normal portion. We truly enjoyed the food and the experience. Now for those reviews I see about them complaining about the service......I don't get it. But this is our first visit so I can only speak to that. The service was exceptional. I mean to the point where I felt the need to seek out the manager and compliment her on the service. I don't do that. This was a fun place with good food that we are ready to go back and try again anytime we can. And the prices were very fair if not on the cheap side.
(4)
Bea O.
This is a cute 1950's feel diner and seems to be the only one like it in the area. The food is really good here and staff is more than willing to stop and ask you if you need anything, even when they are not even your server. The free wi-fi is great here and they don't mind you sucking down coffee for a bit while you suck down the free wifi. They do pump in the "oldies" to go along with their theme but does get to be a bit too noisy with the music and a full crowd in there but no one seems to mind at all. Great place!
(5)
Mark M.
Great vibe Diner style- excellent breakfast and very reasonable
(5)
Scott W.
Let me clarify that the food gets 5-stars! Best diner food I've had in years, possibly ever. The biscuits & gravy were as delicious as any I've ever had; in fact, everything we ordered for breakfast was delicious and fresh. I would return for the food without hesitation. The service? Not so good. Though the staff is young, fresh-faced, and enthusiastic, they don't seem to be well coordinated. We had empty coffee cups, long after we asked for refills. The food came quickly and that was the last time we saw our actual waitress. After that, we were lucky to get help from other servers and staff walking by our table. This was our first time there, so maybe we hit the place on an off-day, but I can't stress again how delicious the food was. Hopefully, next time, the service will match it.
(3)
Michelle D.
I love this place! The building itself just makes me happy to look at. The retro decor is fantastic and the restaurant is always very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. But most importantly, the food is delicious! I have been here many times and have never been disappointed. I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Cailyn T.
Totally love the service and food! If there ever was any issues they addressed it right away. Defiantly a go to for breakfast!!
(4)
vi a.
I have been here several times, but finally, I had enough of this place. They have poor customer service and their employee need to be more alert. What do I mean? They act as if they don't know which tables they are assisting and they are so slow. Two days ago, we waited ten minutes just for our drinks and the waiter didn't take our order for another ten minutes. All in all we waited too long for everything. WORST part, my burger was bloody red. I told them I need it replaced, so they did, but the waiting time was long as well though. I definitely had a bad experience as well as my companion. I have been a restaurant manager before and I have to say that, stardust diner need to have a better management or else they will end up loosing customers due to many reasons such as the waiting time is too long for anyone to wait when they have other agendas to take care of. The manager shouldn't just be behind the counter, standing, but he or she should definitely assist their employees at all times especially during rush hour. A restaurant is not an office.
(1)
katie e.
My husband, son and myself go here about twice a month. We love it, they always have great coupons and usually for under $20-$25 bucks we can all eat. It's not a fancy rated place, but it's good for some old fashioned food when you just don't feel like cooking. And people who have commented on the service? Really? That's one reason we like it! Even when busy we are always checked on and our drinks are never empty. Everyone is super nice.The french toast is AWESOME. We like that you can get anything from breakfast to a chili burger to a salad. It's a great place for a young family with kids who don't want to kill their budget but enjoy eating out once in a while!
(5)
James T.
30, Sept. 2011 Friday @ 15:30 Haven't come here for a while until today, was very, very disappointed. Service was slow when there was not much diners and what really turn me off was that I have ordered the "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak" which I received already cold. I should have ordered the "Chef Chicken Salad" like my wife did, I may be a lot happier. Oh Well!, they just lost a customer......
(1)
Mike G.
Like other Yelpers, the curb appeal drew me in. Unfortunately, the service and food are not enough to bring me back.
(2)
Julian S.
Stardust is good.... not great. I eat here a lot, because it's local and my experience has never been bad. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars. This is arguably the best place to get breakfast in Vancouver...Which is not really a compliment - Order: The orange juice. It's fresh and tastes awesome All the food is average- nothing is really homemade, local, or organic. No dishes are prepared with the Portland flair. For instance, it's not hard to make a homemade gravy or special spicy sauce that can really push a restaurant visit over the top. So, if you order salsa, expect Pace picante. That being said, they do pretty good premade foods from cisco or restaurant depot or wherever If the owner asked me, I would suggest the following: Make your employees remember the customers. You have the same regulars eating there multiple times a week. IE focus on better customer service. Secondly, add to the menu with some culinary creativity. Copy any decent place in Portland. Keep the 50s vibe, just add some additional options for better prepared food. Go here, if you don't have time to drive to NE
(4)
JIM L.
I've been coming here off and on since it has opened. The place has great curb appeal. The inside, totally cool, with a lunch counter and a great 50's look. The girls are cute and friendly. Frankly, I've always expected more. The food is OK. No, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong, but nothing remarkable. Well until recently. They have one of the best "Monte Cristo" sandwiches I've had. I search these out. They offer the sandwich with blackberry preserves only. Don't they know a true Cristo has Raspberry preserves. I found if you look sad and get the right waitress, she will find some. They should have fries with the meal. But let me tell you, you give me all 3 + a vanilla shake, I'm fat, dumb and happy. I should raise this to a 4 star, just for the sandwich. Lets see more from this little place.
(3)
Sherah B.
This is honestly just your run of the mill diner. I didn't think it was anything special. It's housed in a boxcar which is cool. I had the denver omelet which was good, but not outstanding. I also had the hashbrowns, which I loved, but how hard is it to mess up hashbrowns? All in all, decent place to stop in for breakfast.
(3)
Henry L.
The Stardust Diner was just A-Ok. The setting is very unique with old style jukebox at the counter and individual booths. The gf got the belgium waffle with bacon on the side. Nothing too special about the waffle, think I could of done just as good. However, the bacon was crispy and thick. For me, I got the foot-long hotdog and to my surprise it wasn't half bad. I usually don't trust diners to make a good hotdog, especially when it's kind of random for a diner to serve hotdogs in the first place. The portion was huge, the hotdog was filled with "homemade chilli". It could of easily filled a regular person, but I'm not normal. Overall, this place is defiantly a good place for some innocent burgers. I can tell their main market is the older generation. I defiantly felt out of place. It was a good environment for the family, but to me it was just another Danny's/Sharis. That Stardust has burst!
(3)
Perry L.
My family and I have eaten here many times. Every meal has been very good! No complaints.
(5)
PJ W.
Wish this place was closer to our home - we have never been disappointed. The service has always been excellent, this time four different people asked me if I wanted drink refills and the first person by usually picks up the empty plates. I try something new every time and each dish has become my favorite. Also, they have a sugarless chocolate dessert that is amazing. Wish it was closer to our home, but it is worth the drive.
(5)
Aaron C.
Great place to go and have a good time and eat some good food. Portions are crazy big for how much you pay. The staff are great at knowing what is good to eat when you cant think of anything that you would want. Owner is usually always there to make sure that your food is good and your having a good time. They just stared making creme brulee that is delicious!!! They are starting to have a great dessert selection. Creme brulee, Cheesecake, Pies, oh my... Would recommend everyone to try this place at least once a week.
(4)
Aaron R.
Pretty good, not great, not awful. Went there for breakfast, and found the portions to be decently sized and very reasonably priced. The service was good, too. The menus have some cool little retro trivia timelines in them, which are kind of interesting to read, and we couldn't resist picking songs on the tableside jukebox. One note: be sure to read the specials boards next to the front entrance and above the counter area, because the servers don't read the specials to you, at least in our case...
(4)
Ace E.
50's Diner w/Amazing food, better than Shari's and cheaper. Great people & the potatoes rock! Had the meat lovers omelette was awesome. Ask for JD if he's working, he's super everything!
(5)
Jason T.
Prime rib French dip is wonderful. I would probably recommend this more as a lunch spot than breakfast. Service was great, food was wonderful and the variety of the menu great.
(4)
Jeanie W.
Have visited this diner a handful of times throughout the years, for breakfast/lunch. Haven't been in awhile, so we decided the other day to go for lunch. Very dissapointed to see that they had changed to Coke products from Pepsi. May not be a big deal to some, but to us it is. And the fact that the whole decor in this place is based on Pepsi-Cola and other old fashioned sodas and blue and white colors, why on earth would they just switch to Coke, and have to paste it over the menu. While their food is decent, and you do get a good portion, I lost my appetite for this place the other day while getting my mail at home. Here it was, one more political flyer, though this one featured the Stardust Diner, and it's owner proudly saying how he supported a certain candidate in a local race due to the reasoning that they supported "small businesses". Now, everyone can have their own beliefs and party affiliations, but just support as an individual. Do not take advantage of the flyer by using it as advertisement. Cause trust me, it put a bad taste in my mouth about this place, and by doing so, this guy just lost a couple customers...
(2)
Lisa H.
This place is modeled after a 1950s roadside rail car diner. It has tons of vintage car advertisements, a jukebox with mini jukeboxes at many of the tables playing old music, and a totally friendly staff. Its not a place I would go with a date, or even out for dinner because its not really my kind of thing, but it was a totally perfect place to take my dad. He loves the 50s/60s and the food was "American." (He complains that I go to too many specialty places and he just wants plain food. ) Anyway, for the price, we received HUGE portions. I had enough for at least two dinners and it was delicious. The milkshakes were really, really good too. Overall, I think its a great place to take picky eaters and the atmosphere was fun for what it is. I think kids would love it too.
(4)
jade s.
it was...... okay. sorry, but that just about sums up the whole experience. I took the kids there for lunch and everything was just like I said... okay. the wait was literally 10 minutes... okay the waitress was, well... okay. the coffee was... okay and the food was, you guessed it, okay. I will probably never go back. because everything in life will never be spectacular, it is just not good to settle for okay
(3)
Rick W.
The 2-star option sums it up for me - meh. A mediocre experience at best. When you read the rest of this review, you might wonder whay I didn't rate it 1 star...I'm not really sure myself. John E, don't bother with the "Harley Burger" aka Chili Size...it's got very little flavor. OK, for starters - on a cold, rainy, dreary day I walked in through the parking lot entrance. The north part of the "diner", off of the parking lot was delightfully warm - so of course they were seating everyone in the cold south end of the building...the end with the dirty tables. While not extremely slow, it took a lot longer than I expected for the waiter to take our order. To totally set the day off right, when the waiter brought two (very cute) teapot/teacup setups to the table, he managed to drop both against each other and the table, breaking both and dumping a few cups of hot water (thank GOD not boiling) onto the table, my sweater and my lap (not to mention leaving a few shards of crockery on me). Apologies were offered, but unbelievably, I had to ask for us to be seated at a different table after ours was wiped down with a slightly grimy towel (where they got a bath towel in a restaurant was another, slightly concerning question). My M.I.L. was reasonably happy with her soup-and sandwich. My wife had a bacon-cheeseburger, considering it an "indicator meal". Her judgment was somewhere between "nothing special" and "I've had better". I had the "Harley Burger" aka the Chili Size mentioned by John E. While the patty is large, it's stacked on both halves of the bun, making it stand a bit high. It was also a bit precarious to cut and shovel, and I finally pulled one of the bun slices out. It's covered (not drenched by any means) in a very bland canned chili. If you like chili, don't bother. If you like spice, be SURE that your table has full bottles of tabasco - it really, really needs some flavor assistance. I asked for onion (you need to request it) and got a few chunks of diced white. Small props to the restaurant for having a condiment rack with 3 flavors of Tabasco sauce on every table! Now, the thing that really "steams" me...after dumping a teapot in my lap, they had the stones to bring me a check without ANY consideration whatsoever. I asked the waiter if he was serious, not comping anything after scalding my crotch - and he had to get the manager - who ultimately only comped *my* sandwich. Not only that, the manager was not aware of the problem until I mentioned it. There should be no question - you dump food (water, whatever) on a customer (1) You let the freakin' manager know! (2) you should be embarrassed to charge them full boat for their meal. This is just a crappy way to run a restaurant. The server should immediately try to make it right, the manager should be told... Will we go back? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The breakfast menu looked interesting. However, I've been to places with better tasting food and much better service. It's not real high on the revisit meter at this time...
(2)
Duane V.
Hadn't been here for a while, so we went in for dinner. We ordered New York steak, and it was cooked to the doneness requested. Food was plentiful, and the vegetables tasted as if they were picked out of the garden. Milkshakes are generous - hand dipped ice cream - and enough left over in the metal container to fill the glass once again. One of our favorite places...
(5)
Elle K.
What they do, they do it well. And it has to say something about a place who keeps their waitstaff even though tips can't be that great. Stereotypical Ma & Pa entrees - main course, veggie and starch. The desserts are REAL and the shakes and malts are REAL!! Been there for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Nothing fancy, but consistently good. Decent prices, decent people, decent food and a bit of fun to boot! A sure thing.
(4)
Greg E.
Typically very good food. Portions are so large that if I finish it I usually dont eat till evening.
(4)
Big S.
Consistently good service and good diner food. It is what it is....diner food. They do it well.
(4)
Mike N.
This is a fun place to eat. Good food, large portions, and attentive staff. The milkshakes are old school, with real ice cream and mixed on an old style blender like the days of the drive ins. They serve food like open faced turkey sandwhiches in gravy, meat loaf, chicken fried steak, hamburgers, and other foods along this line. Great place to eat. Give it a try.
(4)
Lisa L.
I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. I was most impressed by the cute decor, the ease of parking, the decent prices, the enormous portions, the friendly waitress (who was the only one working when we arrived and still never let our cups go empty), and the delicious hash browns. I also loved that they had apple butter for my toast. That is a lot for 3.5 stars, but the omelette was so-so and way oversalted.
(3)
C C.
Don't get the chicken fried steak. There is no steak in it. It is breaded breading, seriously. I didn't eat it. The vegetables were fine. The french fries were undercooked and soggy. The ice tea was good, but sat empty. The service is very slow. It would be a good place to go hang out and order beverages if you are trying to kill time. But if you are looking for a decent meal, go somewhere else. I waited 45 minutes after taking a couple of bites and discovering the breaded breading waiting for my waiter to get the check. Cost: I paid $13 for the breaded breading (chicken fried steak) with inedible french fries and an ice tea. Service: Slow, painfully slow. And they don't care if you like the food or not.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Crystal M.
2 stars because the biscuits tasted like chemicals - the bacon, sausage and eggs were good. Hubbs got the banana pancakes which were yummy, and he said he would get them again. All in all not super impressed.
(2)Kaitlin P.
This place was so fun! I loved the decor and the staff was pretty friendly. We kept a menu after we ordered to read all the interesting factoids on the menu. I ordered the eggs Benedict and my boyfriend ordered the chicken fried steak. I really enjoyed it but the hollandaise sauce didn't really taste like hollandaise sauce. It was just a little off. This is a fun greasy spoon that is worth a try!
(4)Wendy R.
Perhaps the bacon served here is the standard for what is served in this town, I wouldn't know since this was the only place I ate in this city. The bacon served here seemed to be shoulder cut slices which would be the first and only time to ever have outside of a home! I was beyond impressed when I saw these beautiful slices of bacon on my dish. I can see why my host determined this city would be their next home when they found this gem. Again, I am from the midwest and don't know what the standards are here but I wanted to buy a pound of coffee to take home from here. The coffee reminded me of the quality coffee served at the Chalkboard in Tulsa, OK. I had the eggs benedict & the French toast with coffee. I shouldn't have eaten so much but it was all so good not to. Months later, I think of that valuable lesson I learned from the Stardust Diner to not overeat. They have real jukeboxes and mirror lined walls inside.
(5)Nathan A.
Rating this for what it is to me. Sunday morning breakfast at a good "greasy spoon" diner. This is a place like I grew up visiting with my dad and grandfather. Breakfast choices are diverse with my favorite definitely being the hobo skillet that others on here recommended. They make old diner style strawberry shakes with the extra in the mixer cup on the side that can easily be shared between two if you want to add a little more unnecessary calories but great taste to your indulgent weekend brunch... Services has always been good when I have visited and there can be a little wait on the weekends but they try to get your seated as soon as they can and there has always been plenty of staff.
(4)Spencer T.
Stardust Diner sells itself on nostalgia for old diners. They don't seem to be trying very hard to fool us, though, both in terms of the atmosphere and the food. In this chromed establishment, stuffed with more replicas of '50s kitsch than you can shake a plastic lawn flamingo at, the gigantic menu features clumsy references to pre-80s Americana (choose between "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak," the "Ricky Ricardo Patty Melt," or the "Harley Burger"), and the sound system pumps in the overplayed tunes you'd hear on any classic rock station in the country. No attempts at regional specialization appear, either. Sadly, while it wants to imitate the feel of a diner, most of the individual, location-specific traits that you can find in a good, old place are missing. The food, meanwhile, is plain lousy. The menu is lost in space as well as time. I somehow doubt they can really get the hang of Polish Kielbasa, Tex-Mex chili, country chicken-fried steak, Italian lasagna, deli-style sandwiches, Mexican quesadillas, and the list goes on... They need to cut half of it and focus on some local specialties, or at least on the basics. As for my food, I had overcooked eggs, biscuits served with obviously-from-mix gravy, and a massive slab of bland ham reminiscent of what Woody Allen was subjected to in "Annie Hall." I asked about the "country potatoes" and hash browns, and found out that they're both frozen--the former are tossed in the deep fryer, the latter come pre-shredded and are finished on the grill. My friend's burger was soggy and riddled with superfluous shreds of iceberg lettuce. Her pancakes were decent, but not worth writing home about. And I doubt the maple syrup was the real McCoy. We decided to forgo dessert when we saw that the plethora of shakes offered were mostly the product of a number of flavored syrup bottles, rather than a variety of ice cream flavors. Stardust Diner needs to figure out something it can do very well and jettison its halfhearted attempts at other items. Its variety wasn't representative of the historic American melting pot, nor of Northwestern authenticity, but of the contemporary exurban nowhere-land where everything is available and nothing is genuine or made with any kind of extra love or effort. I might have gone a little easier on them if they didn't claim to be something they weren't--a classic in the proud tradition of American diners. Classics don't cut corners. And despite what they would have us believe, there is nothing classic about Stardust Diner.
(1)Kristina B.
Best country style potatoes I've ever had, we get them with green pepper and onions and its absolute DELISH. Service is always 5 stars but only when the younger crew is there, I'm taking the star off for many times when we came there and it wasn't fully staffed and our server was at best meh. We only tried their breakfast items, pancakes, eggs, biscuits, always tastes good and fresh. Just FYI we tried only veggie options here so don't know how their meat items are. Over all so far our favorite breakfast in Vancouver. Try it!
(4)Jake P.
Had breakfast at the Stardust with the family today for the first time. Overall, very good food, attentive service and reasonably priced. The host wasn't the most friendly (not rude, just didn't smile much). I had the Country Breakfast which was tasty and plenty to fill the belly. The wife had an Omelet with potatoes. She said the potatoes were great. The kids had pancakes and bacon. They ate everything and loved the meal. Overall, we will return. Will have to try it out for lunch sometime as well.
(4)Jennifer P.
We drive down 164th often and this diner, fully encapsulated in stainless steel, is hard to miss. Somewhat gimmicky, we saw good reviews on Yelp and had a chance to stop by and try it. Chocolate Milkshake: ice cream had little ice chunks/frost in it. I've had better. Famous Footlong (chili dog with onions and cheese) with onion rings: tasty, but portion size was absolutely massive. I ate half and took the other half, sans soggy bun, home. Would have been completely satisfied with a normal-sized hotdog and a side salad (or some sort of greens; I upgraded my fries to onion rings which apparently makes the cole slaw disappear as well). Fried Chicken with potatoes and gravy on the side: one wing, one thigh, one drumstick, one breast (again, a big portion size). Chicken was nice and crispy on the outside and warm and juicy on the inside. Potatoes were too mashed in my opinion. I prefer mashed potatoes more chunky than smooth (smooth is just too similar to instant potatoes). Their gravy made the potatoes yummy though. Corn bread was fluffy and tasty. Overall, we enjoyed the experience. They have a private lot out back. This place seemed too busy for a party larger than 4-5. The servers were friendly and attentive, but I don't think we need to "experience" it again anytime soon.
(3)Skye A.
I love the feel of this diner. It's a great place to go if you're craving a malt or milkshake! The servers are so friendly and personable, and the atmosphere is just all around fun. The food isn't the best, but the prices and portions are good.
(4)Rod S.
Wifey loves this place. It is a 50's city diner motif in an other wise suburban business district. My experiences here have all been favorable and if you like a classic Malt in a classic 50s style place, this works good.
(3)Stephanie M.
Good breakfast spot. Much better than some of the other divey joints around town that like to boast to have a good breakfast spread. It's a super cute location too!
(3)Rachael R.
Staff was very friendly! Reasonably priced menu. Food was just ok. Probably won't go back and won't recommend it to others.
(2)Spence R.
A staple breakfast spot for East Vancouver. Awesome diner feel. Food was pretty good.
(3)Craig F.
What a great family dinner for our daughters birthday! JD did a great job waiting on us. The food was diner great! Thank you! We will be back!
(5)Jenesa U.
If you are looking for some 1950s nostalgia, a standard cup of joe, fast friendly service, and some nap inducing diner quality food visit the Stardust. My fiancé got the chicken fried steak with pancakes. I had the hobo skillet. The good: Friendly and fast service. Our coffee cups were filled if they were more than and inch from topped off. The hobo skillet was bomb and you can't go wrong with the chicken fried steak. The meh: The pancakes were a little too thick and cake-like for my liking. The bad: Nothing. Summary: Perfect for what it is... Delish diner style/quality food.
(4)Michael P.
I've only ever ate breakfast here, and am rarely disappointed. There can be a pretty good line on the weekends (this is usually when we go). If you want a bit of advice, and you detest waiting, you can sit yourself at the counter (just walked by all of the people waiting). Note this will only work for a small party, usually we easily find two seats available. Another piece of advice, if you live in the Vancouver area, is grab a coupon from one of the mailers we regularly get. Now for the food... I am a creature of habit, so when I find something I like, I don't stray far when looking at the menu. The first dish I ever tried here was the chicken fried steak. If you are a connoisseur of chicken fried steak, you will be severely disappointed (it's frozen) and the best part of your meal will either be the gravy or the potatoes. The second and only other item I have ordered is the hobo skillet. This is a work of breakfast art... I recommend asking them for either a side of country gravy or a spoonful on top. My wife is a little different in that she will try all sorts of items. Their French toast, pancakes, specials, etc. are all good. Now for the service and environment... It's a fun 50s diner, but sometimes they can get so busy that their service goes from decent to utterly horrendous. I can't say I've ever had great service here, what do you expect from a bunch of hungover high school kids on a weekend breakfast shift? I can say I have had thoughts of walking out after waiting 30 minutes in a seat without a menu or anything to drink. But that damn hobo skillet keeps me in my seat. All in all don't come on the weekend if you're in a hurry. Otherwise enjoy an amazing diner breakfast.
(4)Jason M.
Pick any of your three meals and eat here. There is zero disappointment full circle. Good portion size, awesome service, clean, warm and inviting environment. Seriously my favorite place to eat all American food in Vancouver.
(5)Jason H.
The service here is always great. The food is good. Been here many times and it's been great every time. The menu has a lot of options and cost is about what you'd expect. This place won't leave you in need of a refilled drink. That alone puts them ahead of most their local competitors!
(5)Josephine S.
This is a real drag, because they have some great food! I was in here last night with some friends around 9pm, and everything was going fine! Until a bunch of young employees, Jessica, and Devon (maybe?) and their friends start talking LOUDLY at the counter. We were sitting by the bathrooms and we could hear them perfectly. They start saying horrible things about LGBT individuals, and laughing at obscene jokes. Nobody put a stop to it, nobody spoke up. Why they thought this was the proper venue or opportunity to discuss such things, I'm not sure. Wholly unprofessional, mean spirited, and bigoted. If that's what this restaurant stands for or condones, then my friends and I want nothing to do with it. Needless to say we won't be back. Shame on these reckless, inconsiderate, rude employees. I hope the managers do something about this. COMPLETELY unacceptable!
(1)Mary W.
Discovered this place as it was a sit down within walking distance of our hotel. Cute diner. Great music playing in the background. Attentive staff , delicious french dip and perfectly poached eggs! Coming back for dessert (white chocolate creme brulee).
(5)Marty R.
A coupon in almost every flyer on Wednessday makes this place a great deal on top of the great staff. When this restaurant first opened it was all about the 50's style and less about the food. Fast forward many years later and you now have a very nice family restaurant with low turn over, happy staff and great food for the price. I've seen a few places in town with larger portions BUT none of them have the same consistent quality of the Stardust and I've never left hungry. Yes, I call the place Star Light or the breakfast place on 164th but my wife knows what I mean and she likes the pot roast and shakes that they serve. All in all a inexpensive place where you can take the whole family and everyone will be able to find something they want to try on the huge menu. It's not well suited to large groups (more than 8) as the floor plan is long and narrow.
(4)Gin B.
Uh, oh! Stardust has new staff...but someone forgot to train them!!! The newbies aren't up to the standards of the usual staff!!!! Kyle likes to "stack" two or three orders & then take them all to the kitchen. So, folks that order later, get their food before others that have been waiting. He's quick to come to the table when you first sit down, asking if you need a moment...ummmm...at least a moment! Then, he's gone for 10 minutes, leaving you to wait and wait and wait. Then there's the kitchen itself...I'm guessing more newbies in there too, as the food doesn't seem to be prepared in the same style...and there's certainly a lot less of it. Fries that used to be great, are now little stubs, over cooked. Maybe the newbies should have to follow a veteran employee until they really understand how things should be done...and to speak up when the kitchen isn't up to par too. Don't just bring it to the table anyway! Look, think! The hostess folks need a little training too. They walk the floor, but they aren't thinking. Seating 6 big guys at a table that should have only 4 or 5 tops, not good! Especially when the place is 3/4 empty (at noon) and there are tables that would work & everyone would be comfortable. Look, think! Anyway, cute as the place might be, I'm not eager to go back...although I've been there many times over the years...I'll not go back until folks are trained!
(2)Keith K.
I came to this 50s style diner with my sister for breakfast. We both love the Americana cafés and neither of us were disappointed. Anyone can make a decent pancake, but a great waffle can be hard to come by. Stardust diner knocked it out of the park! Their waffle, which both my sister and I enjoyed, was light, yet hearty and cooked to perfection. The guy next to us at the bar was enjoying a chicken fried steak topped with some thick ass gravy and looking like it was made in Texas. Our server told us that's one of their biggest sellers there (pun intended). The weekday morning we came, the diner was filled with patrons and almost as many servers, busboys and cooks. Needless to say the service was great, when we needed something they were right there. After finishing our eggs, bacon, waffle combos, we both considered getting a milkshake to go (we had been sitting right in front of the shake machine and seen several made while we were eating), but didn't. Don't get me wrong, the shakes looked great, hand made with real ice cream and all sorts of seasonal flavours. This way we have yet another reason to return.
(5)Penny S.
We had burgers, tots & shakes. They were all very good. We had the coupon from the Clipper coupon magazine for $6 off "dinner". It was dinner time so of course that's the one we took in with us. When it was time to pay, we were informed that burgers were considered "lunch" items so we only got $5 off. It was only a buck, but I felt that was a little sneaky. Since when are burgers only for lunch? If they do that enough, as burgers are a popular item, it saves them money (instead of their customers) but draws people in thinking they get a bigger discount. I agree with other reviewers that they need to pare down the menu. Stick with a few classics and do it well. Service was friendly from clean cut teenagers.
(3)Sara C.
Was staying in town due to a business trip to Portland and thought this place looked adorable, and it definitely met expectations. The country fried chicken and mashed potatoes were DELICIOUS and the portions were huge. A lot of younger kids working, and they were all very attentive. Definitely a cute stop into yesteryear with top notch food.
(5)Tony W.
Chef lost the ticket for our order and we ended up having to wait for over 30 minutes before they even started cooking our food. The place is not properly heated so we were freezing by the windows. Not a satisfying place to go for breakfast and definitely not a good way to start off the day.
(2)Holly J.
love the decorations, love the background music, love the staff neon name tags, l ove the menu choices.. the service was much like what I remember service as a child. I was very impressed with the fluid constant activity of the staff. very clean every where.. not an easy task seeing the constant flow of patrons. these people know how to work and the more I think about the time we spent there the more I smile. excellent place to eat
(5)Cool Nutz X.
Staff was great. Food was delicious. We ordered the redneck Benedict as well as the Steak and eggs. Everything was top notch and on point. All of the staff was inviting and helpful. Atmosphere was good as well. Definitely a place to visit in Vancouver.
(4)Marjory B.
Came here for breakfast. I had the hobo skillet; the boyfriend stuck with his usual bacon, sausage, eggs, and a bowl of fruit. Everything came out quickly and looked decent enough. However, mine was a meal worthy of the Army chow hall, with the scrambled eggs tasting like they were right out of the carton (from a mix, not fresh eggs), "home fries" from the freezer straight into the deep fryer, strangely tiny pieces of bacon (kind of like the Hormel brand in the bag at the grocery store), and weirdly soggy BALLS (?) of sausage. BUT I was hungry, and it was edible. Boyfriend ate everything except for the bowl of fruit. "Gross", he said. His eggs-over-medium were the only thing on the table that looked to be freshly prepared. Everything else seemed to have come out of some sort of prepackaging. I've been to some great 50s-themed diners, and this place is just not really authentic. Also, the service is off. Not only did we have 2 different servers, but a different person brought us our check, another person took the card, and yet another person brought the receipt back to us. The server that we had throughout the majority of our meal seemed polite enough but I lost count of how many times she asked a question and then turned around and walked away before I had finished answering her. The place wasn't extraordinarily busy, so I am not sure what the issue was. Breakfast here is not even of Shari's quality (another reviewer claimed it is a half-step up)...I would put it more on a Denny's or IHOP level. Vancouver, you disappoint me with your breakfast/brunch options. I should know better.
(1)Wayne C.
My wife and I talked about going here for about a year and finally made it for breakfast. I had the chicken fried steak breakfast and it was great! The potatoes were crisp and the steak was delicious too. My wife had the strawberry pancakes which were also good. She mostly ate off my plate though. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. We had been looking for a good diner since we moved here. I think we found it. The price of their food is very affordable too!
(4)Troy G.
I love the nostalgic atmosphere and the pay-to-play jukeboxes at every table! The staff is mostly made up of younger individuals who are absolutely fantastic! They are hard-working, attentive employees who have a great rapport with repeat customers. I have experienced a few instances of an overcooked hamburger patty, however. The other items on the menu are fantastic, however! I'm definitely a fan of this place!
(4)Vama H.
Good diner food. Good breakfast options all day. Good chicken noodle soup. Friendly staff and usually fast service. They have easy parking in the back.
(3)Grant L.
They have really good breakfast, but compared to other breakfast places they don't give you too much for the price.
(4)Adry G.
I have been here a couple of times. It's a good place at any time of the day, but I have only been here for breakfast. Their service is good, the food was decent and their prices are acceptable. I love their hot cocoa (and the fact that you get a free refill of it!).
(4)J F.
You never know if you can put a restaurant on your 'favorite places to dine' unless you give it a try. After reading reviews (4 star rating on yelp) and other sources, we decided that although a 'diner' is not where we choose to dine for dinner, we decided to give it a try. The shakes/malts are generous. Beware that they are filling so one order is plenty for two. The strawberry malt had chunks of berries...the banana shake could have used more flavor. The prime rib french dip did not live up to the price ($10.99). The roll was a bit dry and looked more like a larger baguette than a french roll. The bacon burger was fairly good...the smoked bacon was flavorful. We like our fries flavorful, crispy and shouldn't they be golden brown as well? None of these adjectives appeared to be so. We presented a coupon which had a $6 off for dinner and $5 off for breakfast. They took off $5 so don't hand them two coupons. We erred by not cutting out the appropriate one. For the price and quality...Burgerville and Five Guys has them beat. The impressive part of our meal was watching the young servers. They work hard, are very pleasant and seem to enjoy their job.
(2)Jeremy J.
This place is fun. Cool from the outside and on the inside. Definitely sticks to its diner theme and executes well. I enjoyed my lunch her and would return if I was in the mood for classic diner food with good portion size for the price. My only "issue" with the restaurant is that it is really just your run of the mill diner quality food..about a half step up from Shari's. My better half and I gorged ourselves and split an order of french toast (no frills, average French toast), chicken fried steak (absolutely huge, flavor didn't match the physical size), sunny side up eggs (cooked perfectly), hash browns (nothing out of the ordinary) and a side of biscuits a gravy (steal of a deal for $2.99, big portion but not a very flavorful gravy). Overall, it was a basic American breakfast for a good price (all that for under $20) but the food was not memorable. The best thing we tried was actually after breakfast. We ordered a butterscotch malt and it was phenomenal. Our waiter asked if we wanted to split it and we said sure. They brought us two malts garnished with whipped cream and a whopper instead of one malt with a refill tin. I thought this was particularly good service and I appreciated the extra effort. All in all, 2* food, 4* service, and killer malts and milkshakes...probably the reason I will return.
(3)Tia M.
Great restaurant with wonderful service! Food is excellent with big portions! We love the old school feel of the place!
(5)Ursula M.
Great fifties ambiance, long menu, friendly servers. I have had several different things at Stardust, and all were good. Stardust serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and all are good.
(4)Justin F.
Tried Stardust for the first time today and we will definitely be returning in the future! Excellent diner food, very impressed with the quality. I had a bacon burger and fries, the burger tasted very fresh and looked hand pressed, very good flavor! My wife and daughter both had breakfast and were both impressed with how good it was, lots of food for the price too! Will most definitely be returning. Just as a quick tip there is usually a coupon in the weekly mailer for buy one get one, an excellent deal!!
(4)Aaron W.
Stepping inside, it really feels like you're taken back in time to some 50's diner. Tons of vintage memorabilia (mostly magazine covers) adorn the wall. Heck, there was some jukebox contraption at the booth my friend and I sat at. I'm honestly not too fond of the interior (call me more of a contemporary, bright ambiance person), but it's not the worst. It stays true to what it wants to be, and that's fine. There's a lot of traditional diner fare to choose from. Blue-starred items are basically Stardust's most popular offerings. Although we arrived around 11:30, my stomach craves breakfast virtually 24/7. Luckily, breakfast is served all day here. I opted for the three-egg Denver omelet ($8.29) with the usual diced ham, cheddar, onions, and green bell peppers. Hash browns and whole wheat toast on the side. I honestly didn't have very high expectations coming in, but everything was pretty good. A hearty portion for yours truly. Pretty generous amounts of ham, onions, and bell peppers, all cooked nicely. I would have liked a bit more cheese here, though. The eggs were cooked well, perhaps just a tad too long in the pan for me. I'm sure it would be fine for just about everyone else. Favorable reviews on the hash browns. Crispy exterior, lightly seasoned, nicely done. Maybe a bit too much butter on my toast, but hell, I ate it anyway. My friend enjoyed his bacon cheeseburger, crinkle fries, and a soda (appears to be unlimited free refills). It sure looked like a quality burger to me, and the hypnotizing bacon made me just want to reach across the table and devour that plate too. Bad panda, no biscuit for you. Stardust runs regular specials and also has a tantalizing dessert menu. And I saw a sugar-free option (Chocolate Mousse Torte) for when I want to gorge on something sweet and not feel so guilty! For a combined $20, two people left with satisfied stomachs. Certainly reasonable. I hope to return and try more menu items!
(4)Christine E.
We've only been to the diner once but will definitely be going back. We had burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings, one root beer float and one cherry coke. Since we got to WA four months ago we're on the hunt for the best burgers (best pizza, best chinese, best ice cream) and this was the best so far. My only complaint is that the bun disintegrated before the burger was consumed, making it a three-napkin affair. My husband said the root beer wasn't the best. The onion rings were tasty; the fries about standard. But a really good burger can be hard to come by. Next time we visit Stardust Diner we'll try other dishes.....I might be revising the review.
(4)Amy F.
I wasn't too sure what to expect of this place after reading all the mixed reviews, but our experience was great! Decided to have a late breakfast, so it wasn't too packed when we arrived. We waited about 10 minutes for a table. My daughter loved the crayons and paper to draw with while we waited for our food. Their breakfast was really good and super filling. I was stuffed all day long. We will definitely be returning!
(4)David D.
Stardust Diner does a fantastic job capturing the 50's style diner. They offer good food (except the fries) at more than reasonably priced options. The staff is friendly and the decor on the walls makes for great conversation during ones visit. Great place for kids or for a low profile date. They also offer a wonderful breakfast menu with thick sliced bacon. I will return
(5)Erin C.
YUMMY!!! This place has an old school atmosphere with Blue Plate Specials!! Not gimmicky at all, just good home cooking! Club sandwiches, Prime Rib on Saturdays, and breakfast served all day long! This place is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
(5)Linda C.
We've driven past this place for years and finally decided to give it a try. I was nervous, expecting a greasy spoon and convinced there would be little to no options for vegetarians. Pleasantly surprised! We found a few veggie options on the menu. I chose the Veggie Burger and hubby opted for the Vegetarian Omelet. My burger was generously filled with lettuce and the patty itself, while not overly tasty, was moist. The fries were not too greasy, and I was really pleased to see that the available ketchup was a non-HFCS variety. Very cool! My husband's omelet was light and fluffy, but the best part about his dish were the country potatoes. Oh my, they were great, and not at all greasy like many I've tried. I could have eaten a plate full! I loved the interior, with its Americana decor and classic diner ambience. Sometimes themed restaurants are overdone but this place is tastefully done, giving a nice nod to the era without being overly cheesy. And I can't fault the service from the staff. They were appropriately attentive, friendly, and they kept an eye on drinks that needed refilling throughout the time we were there. Overall, it was an enjoyable lunch. Nice atmosphere, great service, reasonable prices, and the food was decent for what it is - diner fare. We'll likely stop by again in the future.
(4)Taylor C.
The food was delicious and service was spot on. Very great first impression!
(5)Sandra C.
Excellent breakfast. Food cooked as requested. Attentive service. Three of of ate for $36 + tip. Very reasonable for the quality.
(4)Matt T.
Getting ready to cruise in n have another tasty breakfast this morning =) Food is always great tasting as well as good sized, nice chill oldies playing through the jukebox, and the cute tatted waitress brings it out with a smile. Fantastic way to start the day!
(4)Meagan B.
I have been to Stardust Diner quite a few times and it has never failed to be delicious. Their eggs Benedict is always perfect, it's what I almost always order. If it's your birthday, they will give you a free sundae and it's a true sundae! Great burgers and atmosphere. I think breakfast food is their forte.
(5)Jenni L.
While I think this place is good overall, my last experience here was a downer. I usually pop in her with a friend for breakfast on the weekend or for dinner before a movie, which is conveniently located right by Cascade 16. I came in here this past Saturday around Noon for a late brunch with a friend and decided to try something new on a whim, as our waitress wanted our order and the place was so packed I figured it would be best just to order asap. I ordered some kind of steak scramble with green peppers, onions, breakfast potatoes and two fried eggs on top. When I got my meal, I was thouroughly disappointed though. The potatoes were sopping in grease to the point that when I lifted them up on my fork, grease pooled on the end of the potato and splashed on my plate in droplettes. I'm never one to send food back so I ate around it, the eggs were fine, but was super grossed out in the end and wished that I hadn't touched any of it. Our server never came back to check on us, and I wish she would have because I was ready to ask for a glass of water after finishing my OJ (which is fresh squeezed and delicious by the way). I'm hoping that this was just a fluke because I've had great food and service here every other time.
(3)Eric F.
Bottom line this is the best place we've ever been to in Vancouver. Good food, good portions and an excellent, attentive wait staff. A must go!!! Especially for breakfast!
(5)Janyce R.
Ive had better food and service at Elmer's. The staff was rude and unfriendly. The food wasn't that great and my family and I had an overall bad experience. The only thing nice I can say is that they were prompt at refilling our drinks and it wasn't dirty. I feel like I could have had the same quality food at Denny's. I would expect a diner to be happy and upbeat and this was so not the case.
(2)Anjelah S.
SoOoOo...you wanna go back in time and get a great meal with friendly service, this place has it. Back to the 1950's... Let's start with the appetizers. Wadda ya want? Onions rings, deep fried Jalapeno pepper's filled with cream cheese, Mozzarella cheese sticks...... How about skip the appetizers and start with something healthy. A soup and salad maybe? Chef, or chicken cobb? Taco salad or dinner salad?. The soups are made fresh daily, so ya never know what is being served until you ask. Moving on to the sandwiches...Rueben, Philly cheese steak, Meatloaf, French dip, Halibut or Chicken tender sand which. Whew.... Maybe your in the mood for a BIG burger. Garlic Mushroom burger with sauteed mushrooms and garlic, seasoned mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Or what about a Boop bop BBQ burger or the Blue moon burger with melted American cheese and 2 strips of apple wood bacon? They even have a Ricky Ricardo Patty melt with sauteed onions. Count your blessings, they even have a veggie burger. What about a home cooked meal? They serve chicken, beef or pork dinners...including all the side favorites like mashed potatoes, veggies, dinner rolls or corn bread. After you have gluttonized yourself....why stop? Add a shake or a root beer float on top of everything. Great food for a nice price. Definitely worth the trip.
(4)James M.
Great atmosphere and food specials. And without a doubt the best customer service in the industry.
(4)John E.
This place perplexes me to no end. I have been coming here on and off for many years. Within the narrow, heavily adorned walls I have some of the better and some of my worst dining experiences. Yet, through it all the one thing I can never complain about is the service which is always friendly and pretty fast. One the positive side the portions are generally large, very authentic in that there are no updated recipe changes it's the same now as it would have been in 1955. It is decorated to amuse, not to confuse; above all it is pretty convenient to get to and park at. My last visit there was for dinner with The Wife, The Tax Deduction and the Mother In Law. Everyone had a variety of different items, I had the fried chicken, The Wife had the Liver & Onions, The MiL had a BLT and the Tax Deduction threw us a curve and wanted breakfast-dinner (a common used term in our home) so he opted for the Strawberry Pancake. Usually I get the turkey dinner, which I have to admit is amazing, but for the sake of finally deciding to Yelp this place I went outside my comfort zone, just for you! I have to admit that the coating on the chicken was crisp and thick and tasted quite excellent. My only question is how they find such small chickens? Is there a restaurant chicken supplier that specializes in dwarf chickens? Is there a a pygmy chicken? Did I miss an episode of Little Chickens, Big World? It was four pieces, the thigh and wing were regular sized, it was the drumstick and the breast that seemed a little... scrawny. The famed mashed potatoes were a little stiff and condensed. Their corn bread is always good however. I hate liver and refused to talk to the Wife about it so I can't tell you about that. Other diners seemed very happy with their meals. I can tell you one thing, at the table next to us as we were walking out a couple got their "Chili Size" dinners, and it was freakishly huge! May have to try that next time. The Tax Deduction actually stopped when he saw them and looked at the couple and yelled, quite loudly, "WOW!". Have to admit I almost did the same thing. So, in the end I have to say that the Diner seemed to go through a little slump a while back, but seem to have identified those problems and rid themselves of them. I will be back. Chili Size UYE anyone?
(3)Teresa V.
We've been here many times over the past few years and haven't had a bad experience yet! The food is good, traditional American diner food. The prices are good particularly since they always have BOGO coupons all over and you can buy certificates through Restaurants.com . The staff is always very attentive and friendly.
(5)Tim O.
Good food, but the place was SUPER busy even during a time most restaurants are having a lull. This seemed to impact service a bit. :(
(3)Claudia G.
I love this place for burgers and milkshakes; I've never had anything else (nor plan to). When I'm craving for a good burger this is the only option. I once had an open sandwich and didn't like it at all - it didn't come with any tomatoes or lettuce so it felt pretty dry. I learned from my mistake and now I only have my favorite (the stardust burger) and a seasonal shake. The 'special' burgers are huge. The service is usually prompt and attentive, thanks to the owners keeping a close eye on the restaurant.
(5)Jena L.
Well put me in a poodle skirt and call me Sandra Dee! This place is charming. Shiny silver diner car, blue plate specials, jukebox at your table, and electronic scrolling name tags on your server. The service has always been top notch, very attentive. You can tell they have a good crew, everyone helps each other out. One day a server dropped a glass, and another server from somewhere in the restaurant hollers, friendly-like, "job opening!" The whole restaurant chuckled, and we've been laughing about it ever since, any time we hear a dish break somewhere. Love it! We've tried a variety of the food, along with the many visiting relatives we've taken there. I can't recall having a bad meal. Maybe one or two average ones. But hey, it's diner food people. I will say I was never impressed by any of their cream pies, and also I would prefer the blueberry pancakes to have the berries inside the cake, not just a compote on top. Picky, picky!
(4)Andrea H.
The Stardust Diner isn't my kind of place. When I go out for breakfast, I usually want butter and flaky pastries involved. Not to mention meticulously crafted espresso beverages. I have never encountered butter in my egg/potato/meat breakfasts at the Stardust Diner. Lots of vegetable oil, yes, but never butter. The grain on my plate is always toast. And the closest I get to a macchiato is their bottomless coffee (which actually tastes pretty good mated with enough half & half). Still, even if this isn't my type of place, I think it deserves 4 stars. It is definitely Pirate Grrl's cup of grog, and it does a great job of dressing up diner food with a gleaming silver mega-trailer, jukeboxes, and enthusiastic service from the youthful staff. Whenever I go there, the servers are cheerful and efficient and my bottomless cup is seldom less than half full of joe. The price isn't too bad either, if you have a coupon. Pirate Grrl usually manages to pack away an entire adult-sized breakfast along with most of my country potatoes. She especially loves the bacon, which blows my mind, as I think it looks like it should be trimming the floor on a rental house. And Viking Baby thinks that the Stardust Diner is just awesome. Cars going by, lots of shiny things, food, people...almost heaven. And the best part of our trip today? The Kingston Trio, belting out "Everglades" on the jukebox. You don't hear that very often.
(4)Larry J. H.
I've been there now 3X and rate the stardust diner as excellent for Breakfast ! I stopped in here 3X last summer with a buddy before going out picking [garage sales] And must say this little diner which is styled as a vintage Railcar diner with it's 1950's decor is very good to excellent for Breakfast ! And I must add the 50's music is a great accompanment to one's meal; Although I've never eaten here in the evening I'm sure it's just as good ?" My last visit here I had the chicken fried steak n' eggs w/ Hashbrown and a biscuit and it was bigger than what one usually gets in most restaurants and of course was 'Oh so Delicious !'' And that's my recommendation as far as Breakfast goes ! Also I might add the staff is friendly too and the service excellent ! I had no problems nor complaints so will indeed go there again whenever I find myself in that part of town ?" Larry, La Center Wa 98629. !''
(5)Leah N.
I had a 2 star breakfast experience and a 4 star lunch experience, so through the miracle of averages......3 stars! Breakfast was low quality diner food. I had a breakfast burrito that was one of the worst I've eaten. My husband ordered a basic bacon and eggs plate, which he thought was fine. The family ended up here again out of desperation when the place we planned on was too packed to find a table. It ended up being a good choice. We each got a different sandwich, and we tried their onion rings, battered fries (yum!) and crinkle fries. Then we all got pie (please stop judging us). It was all pretty tasty this time around. I especially liked the teriyaki burger with the veggie patty, and the banana cream pie. The pie alone will probably suck me back in, because it's super tough to find a good banana cream pie in this city!
(3)Amy A.
We ate here because we had a Restaurant.com certificate, but overall it was nothing special. The diner itself is very cool, but the food is alright and we have been there on 3 separate occasions...I am not a fan of their milk shakes though.
(2)Chericka A.
I'm currently laying down in the booth because I'm dying of goodness overload. These are the feasts I look forward to while living on a pretty strict clean diet a majority of the time. But all good diets should be interrupted periodically to indulge and that is what I did. Chicken Fried Steak, people. Chicken Fried Steak! Excellent service! Cutest damn diner I've ever seen. Now they just Martin Sexton's "Diner" blasting through the juke box!
(5)Kellie F.
This has become our go to spot to eat. Food is delicious and affordable. The stack of onion rings is large and cheap. Breakfast is alway delicious. I always order an open turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, extra gravy, and a soft roll. That's my happy place right there!
(4)Whitney O.
It has really cool outside curb appeal. It is a long retro silver diner. I think that would draw anyone in. I have always gone in with a coupon. Even with the coupon, the food is overpriced. It is not bad, just average. There is a good assortment as well. I would have to say they have poor service. Our drinks were refilled rarely, but the name tags of the waiters did scroll in neon which was pretty cool. Good food, but overpriced. Overall, I think you are paying for the atmosphere.
(3)Piper F.
Great breakfast items, the staff is very friendly and attentive. The place is very clean, colorful and retro with a modern twist.
(5)Sara Q.
Place isn't too bad. I got the Belgium waffle and a side of bacon. Delicious. Thr waffle was nice, light and fluffy. The syrup and butter made the waffle taste sweet and savory. Bacon was nice and thick. Would definitely come here again for the waffle, not the biscuits an gravy though. Yuck! Bf had a footlonh chili dog that he said was better than he expected. He had tots and coleslaw with it. All in all, not too shabby.
(3)Reverend S.
This place has so much going for it. The food seems fairly standard, not the best, but serviceable. The onion rings were tender and fat and the hamburgers appeared to be hand formed. What I liked about the place was it felt like someone is giving full attention to the experience. The service was cheerful, prompt, and attentive. The interior is perfect. Everything appeared to be squeaky clean, there are juke boxes at every table, and the music collection was a trip down memory lane. As we left, we noticed speakers on the exterior of the building which I felt was just an added sign that someone is trying to think of as many ways as possible to create a fun experience. The waiters had these funny signboard name tags with their names scrolling across in red, and I thought to myself, Someone found, ordered, and programmed all those tags, just another example that the owner or manager is making an effort. The place was packed, but the service was quick. There were lot of young uniformed servers around and they seemed happy and engaged. It's not even like this is a throwback to an era of my youth, but more like a fantasy of what my youth should have been.
(4)Narongsak H.
The staff here wear digital scrolling marquee name badges!!!! Oh and the food is good too! LoL. The service was excellent!!! I love when the staff is mindful to keep your drinks filled and ask you if everything is fine with your meal. The food is pretty average but that's not why people come here. They come for the service and the atmosphere.
(3)Milo B.
Visiting Portland and caught a movie at the Regal 16 in Vancouver. Yelped nearby eateries. This place reminds me of the final scene in 2001 Space Odyssey. They got the props and scenery correct, but the food was bland and blue! Should have gone to the Red Robin.
(2)MaryAnn J.
We have been going here for years. The food is fresh and delicious and everyone that works here is so friendly you feel as if you have known them for a long time. It must be a wonderful place to work as the same personnel work there every time we go in. They always have Buckwheat pancakes (my mom's favorite) even if they aren't listed on the menu. Breakfasts are our favorite! Enjoy ~
(5)Sherah B.
This is honestly just your run of the mill diner. I didn't think it was anything special. It's housed in a boxcar which is cool. I had the denver omelet which was good, but not outstanding. I also had the hashbrowns, which I loved, but how hard is it to mess up hashbrowns? All in all, decent place to stop in for breakfast.
(3)JIM L.
I've been coming here off and on since it has opened. The place has great curb appeal. The inside, totally cool, with a lunch counter and a great 50's look. The girls are cute and friendly. Frankly, I've always expected more. The food is OK. No, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong, but nothing remarkable. Well until recently. They have one of the best "Monte Cristo" sandwiches I've had. I search these out. They offer the sandwich with blackberry preserves only. Don't they know a true Cristo has Raspberry preserves. I found if you look sad and get the right waitress, she will find some. They should have fries with the meal. But let me tell you, you give me all 3 + a vanilla shake, I'm fat, dumb and happy. I should raise this to a 4 star, just for the sandwich. Lets see more from this little place.
(3)Steve L.
Can't believe I've been to The Stardust Diner at least 6 times and have yet to write a review. Let's start by saying, I Love This Place. Reasonable Prices, Good Diner Food. I always try to use the BOGO coupon which comes in the monthly coupons we get in the mail. My most memorable meal has definitely been on St. Patrick's Day. For about $8, we were met with a plate of thinly sliced corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Probably the best tasting plate of corned beef we've had out at a restaurant. In fact we were delighted to go back 2 weeks later and still see it on the specials board. Stardust will run it from St. Patrick's Day for about another 4-5 weeks. I've ordered breakfast a few times and the omelette's are are always large and filled nicely. If you like Chicken Fried Steak, definitely try the Redneck Benedict. Buttermilk Biscuits topped with Chicken Fry and Sausage Gravy. The home fries are pretty good, but the onions/peppers could be cooked a little softer. The prices at Stardust Diner will be the best you can find around. Most breakfast items are in the $8-$9 range and dinner can be had for under $10. Plus when you use the BOGO coupon you save another $4-$7. The service is friendly, however after 6 visits, I have yet to have the Cashier ask me "How was your visit?". I think she is the owner, but not sure why she doesn't ask.
(4)Danie W.
Always have had excellent, attentive service here. My favorite is their chicken fried steak and eggs. The Redneck Benedict, burgers, fries and pies are all DELICIOUS! It's good ol' fashion diner food. I love the look of the place. Old photo's hang on the walls and it has the look of the 50's w old music playing on the jukebox. Great for breakfast (all day), lunch or dinner.
(4)Dave R.
Hey one thing you need to think about the rating is, This place is a diner, and with that in mind, the service was great. She was smiling and laughing and keep us feed and watered. The food was tasty and cooked just right. I have been here many times and I love the old time feeling of the place. We will return. Thanks Staff
(4)TL R.
Food and milkshakes were good. On a side note, we were sitting near the kitchen area and heard one of the servers made a rude comment about our party. Very disappointing end to a meal.
(3)Isaiah F.
I don't know if it was me but I did not feel the 50's diner vibe like everyone else says there is. The jukebox did not work through out the place. They did have intercom speakers but no music was playing though them! The place was so quiet that I could hear everyone's conversations! I thought a diner like this would have loud music and a blast from the past feel but it didn't. The eggs were good but the pancakes were so box mix taste! I could make better! I don't think this place has the whole old school diner feel just yet. They need minor tweaks to the place.
(2)Mike S.
First of all, we had a fairly large family group and they made sure we had seating all together and out of the way since it was a louder group. Hearing issues with some of the elderly. The decor in this great 50's style diner was great. It looked like it was back many decades ago but very clean and shiny stainless steel look. The food was good. Not the best food ever but really good diner food. And the portions were very large. Nobody went home hungry for sure. For me it was a good chili burger with home made chili. My wife had their "King Kong chicken fried steak". Now their claim it was the largest chicken fried steak you have ever seen was a little off but this isn't Texas so I can deal with that. But it was a larger than normal portion. We truly enjoyed the food and the experience. Now for those reviews I see about them complaining about the service......I don't get it. But this is our first visit so I can only speak to that. The service was exceptional. I mean to the point where I felt the need to seek out the manager and compliment her on the service. I don't do that. This was a fun place with good food that we are ready to go back and try again anytime we can. And the prices were very fair if not on the cheap side.
(4)Bea O.
This is a cute 1950's feel diner and seems to be the only one like it in the area. The food is really good here and staff is more than willing to stop and ask you if you need anything, even when they are not even your server. The free wi-fi is great here and they don't mind you sucking down coffee for a bit while you suck down the free wifi. They do pump in the "oldies" to go along with their theme but does get to be a bit too noisy with the music and a full crowd in there but no one seems to mind at all. Great place!
(5)Mark M.
Great vibe Diner style- excellent breakfast and very reasonable
(5)Scott W.
Let me clarify that the food gets 5-stars! Best diner food I've had in years, possibly ever. The biscuits & gravy were as delicious as any I've ever had; in fact, everything we ordered for breakfast was delicious and fresh. I would return for the food without hesitation. The service? Not so good. Though the staff is young, fresh-faced, and enthusiastic, they don't seem to be well coordinated. We had empty coffee cups, long after we asked for refills. The food came quickly and that was the last time we saw our actual waitress. After that, we were lucky to get help from other servers and staff walking by our table. This was our first time there, so maybe we hit the place on an off-day, but I can't stress again how delicious the food was. Hopefully, next time, the service will match it.
(3)Michelle D.
I love this place! The building itself just makes me happy to look at. The retro decor is fantastic and the restaurant is always very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. But most importantly, the food is delicious! I have been here many times and have never been disappointed. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Cailyn T.
Totally love the service and food! If there ever was any issues they addressed it right away. Defiantly a go to for breakfast!!
(4)vi a.
I have been here several times, but finally, I had enough of this place. They have poor customer service and their employee need to be more alert. What do I mean? They act as if they don't know which tables they are assisting and they are so slow. Two days ago, we waited ten minutes just for our drinks and the waiter didn't take our order for another ten minutes. All in all we waited too long for everything. WORST part, my burger was bloody red. I told them I need it replaced, so they did, but the waiting time was long as well though. I definitely had a bad experience as well as my companion. I have been a restaurant manager before and I have to say that, stardust diner need to have a better management or else they will end up loosing customers due to many reasons such as the waiting time is too long for anyone to wait when they have other agendas to take care of. The manager shouldn't just be behind the counter, standing, but he or she should definitely assist their employees at all times especially during rush hour. A restaurant is not an office.
(1)katie e.
My husband, son and myself go here about twice a month. We love it, they always have great coupons and usually for under $20-$25 bucks we can all eat. It's not a fancy rated place, but it's good for some old fashioned food when you just don't feel like cooking. And people who have commented on the service? Really? That's one reason we like it! Even when busy we are always checked on and our drinks are never empty. Everyone is super nice.The french toast is AWESOME. We like that you can get anything from breakfast to a chili burger to a salad. It's a great place for a young family with kids who don't want to kill their budget but enjoy eating out once in a while!
(5)James T.
30, Sept. 2011 Friday @ 15:30 Haven't come here for a while until today, was very, very disappointed. Service was slow when there was not much diners and what really turn me off was that I have ordered the "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak" which I received already cold. I should have ordered the "Chef Chicken Salad" like my wife did, I may be a lot happier. Oh Well!, they just lost a customer......
(1)Mike G.
Like other Yelpers, the curb appeal drew me in. Unfortunately, the service and food are not enough to bring me back.
(2)Julian S.
Stardust is good.... not great. I eat here a lot, because it's local and my experience has never been bad. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars. This is arguably the best place to get breakfast in Vancouver...Which is not really a compliment - Order: The orange juice. It's fresh and tastes awesome All the food is average- nothing is really homemade, local, or organic. No dishes are prepared with the Portland flair. For instance, it's not hard to make a homemade gravy or special spicy sauce that can really push a restaurant visit over the top. So, if you order salsa, expect Pace picante. That being said, they do pretty good premade foods from cisco or restaurant depot or wherever If the owner asked me, I would suggest the following: Make your employees remember the customers. You have the same regulars eating there multiple times a week. IE focus on better customer service. Secondly, add to the menu with some culinary creativity. Copy any decent place in Portland. Keep the 50s vibe, just add some additional options for better prepared food. Go here, if you don't have time to drive to NE
(4)Henry L.
The Stardust Diner was just A-Ok. The setting is very unique with old style jukebox at the counter and individual booths. The gf got the belgium waffle with bacon on the side. Nothing too special about the waffle, think I could of done just as good. However, the bacon was crispy and thick. For me, I got the foot-long hotdog and to my surprise it wasn't half bad. I usually don't trust diners to make a good hotdog, especially when it's kind of random for a diner to serve hotdogs in the first place. The portion was huge, the hotdog was filled with "homemade chilli". It could of easily filled a regular person, but I'm not normal. Overall, this place is defiantly a good place for some innocent burgers. I can tell their main market is the older generation. I defiantly felt out of place. It was a good environment for the family, but to me it was just another Danny's/Sharis. That Stardust has burst!
(3)Perry L.
My family and I have eaten here many times. Every meal has been very good! No complaints.
(5)PJ W.
Wish this place was closer to our home - we have never been disappointed. The service has always been excellent, this time four different people asked me if I wanted drink refills and the first person by usually picks up the empty plates. I try something new every time and each dish has become my favorite. Also, they have a sugarless chocolate dessert that is amazing. Wish it was closer to our home, but it is worth the drive.
(5)Aaron C.
Great place to go and have a good time and eat some good food. Portions are crazy big for how much you pay. The staff are great at knowing what is good to eat when you cant think of anything that you would want. Owner is usually always there to make sure that your food is good and your having a good time. They just stared making creme brulee that is delicious!!! They are starting to have a great dessert selection. Creme brulee, Cheesecake, Pies, oh my... Would recommend everyone to try this place at least once a week.
(4)Aaron R.
Pretty good, not great, not awful. Went there for breakfast, and found the portions to be decently sized and very reasonably priced. The service was good, too. The menus have some cool little retro trivia timelines in them, which are kind of interesting to read, and we couldn't resist picking songs on the tableside jukebox. One note: be sure to read the specials boards next to the front entrance and above the counter area, because the servers don't read the specials to you, at least in our case...
(4)Ace E.
50's Diner w/Amazing food, better than Shari's and cheaper. Great people & the potatoes rock! Had the meat lovers omelette was awesome. Ask for JD if he's working, he's super everything!
(5)Jason T.
Prime rib French dip is wonderful. I would probably recommend this more as a lunch spot than breakfast. Service was great, food was wonderful and the variety of the menu great.
(4)Jeanie W.
Have visited this diner a handful of times throughout the years, for breakfast/lunch. Haven't been in awhile, so we decided the other day to go for lunch. Very dissapointed to see that they had changed to Coke products from Pepsi. May not be a big deal to some, but to us it is. And the fact that the whole decor in this place is based on Pepsi-Cola and other old fashioned sodas and blue and white colors, why on earth would they just switch to Coke, and have to paste it over the menu. While their food is decent, and you do get a good portion, I lost my appetite for this place the other day while getting my mail at home. Here it was, one more political flyer, though this one featured the Stardust Diner, and it's owner proudly saying how he supported a certain candidate in a local race due to the reasoning that they supported "small businesses". Now, everyone can have their own beliefs and party affiliations, but just support as an individual. Do not take advantage of the flyer by using it as advertisement. Cause trust me, it put a bad taste in my mouth about this place, and by doing so, this guy just lost a couple customers...
(2)Lisa H.
This place is modeled after a 1950s roadside rail car diner. It has tons of vintage car advertisements, a jukebox with mini jukeboxes at many of the tables playing old music, and a totally friendly staff. Its not a place I would go with a date, or even out for dinner because its not really my kind of thing, but it was a totally perfect place to take my dad. He loves the 50s/60s and the food was "American." (He complains that I go to too many specialty places and he just wants plain food. ) Anyway, for the price, we received HUGE portions. I had enough for at least two dinners and it was delicious. The milkshakes were really, really good too. Overall, I think its a great place to take picky eaters and the atmosphere was fun for what it is. I think kids would love it too.
(4)jade s.
it was...... okay. sorry, but that just about sums up the whole experience. I took the kids there for lunch and everything was just like I said... okay. the wait was literally 10 minutes... okay the waitress was, well... okay. the coffee was... okay and the food was, you guessed it, okay. I will probably never go back. because everything in life will never be spectacular, it is just not good to settle for okay
(3)Elle K.
What they do, they do it well. And it has to say something about a place who keeps their waitstaff even though tips can't be that great. Stereotypical Ma & Pa entrees - main course, veggie and starch. The desserts are REAL and the shakes and malts are REAL!! Been there for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Nothing fancy, but consistently good. Decent prices, decent people, decent food and a bit of fun to boot! A sure thing.
(4)Greg E.
Typically very good food. Portions are so large that if I finish it I usually dont eat till evening.
(4)Big S.
Consistently good service and good diner food. It is what it is....diner food. They do it well.
(4)Rick W.
The 2-star option sums it up for me - meh. A mediocre experience at best. When you read the rest of this review, you might wonder whay I didn't rate it 1 star...I'm not really sure myself. John E, don't bother with the "Harley Burger" aka Chili Size...it's got very little flavor. OK, for starters - on a cold, rainy, dreary day I walked in through the parking lot entrance. The north part of the "diner", off of the parking lot was delightfully warm - so of course they were seating everyone in the cold south end of the building...the end with the dirty tables. While not extremely slow, it took a lot longer than I expected for the waiter to take our order. To totally set the day off right, when the waiter brought two (very cute) teapot/teacup setups to the table, he managed to drop both against each other and the table, breaking both and dumping a few cups of hot water (thank GOD not boiling) onto the table, my sweater and my lap (not to mention leaving a few shards of crockery on me). Apologies were offered, but unbelievably, I had to ask for us to be seated at a different table after ours was wiped down with a slightly grimy towel (where they got a bath towel in a restaurant was another, slightly concerning question). My M.I.L. was reasonably happy with her soup-and sandwich. My wife had a bacon-cheeseburger, considering it an "indicator meal". Her judgment was somewhere between "nothing special" and "I've had better". I had the "Harley Burger" aka the Chili Size mentioned by John E. While the patty is large, it's stacked on both halves of the bun, making it stand a bit high. It was also a bit precarious to cut and shovel, and I finally pulled one of the bun slices out. It's covered (not drenched by any means) in a very bland canned chili. If you like chili, don't bother. If you like spice, be SURE that your table has full bottles of tabasco - it really, really needs some flavor assistance. I asked for onion (you need to request it) and got a few chunks of diced white. Small props to the restaurant for having a condiment rack with 3 flavors of Tabasco sauce on every table! Now, the thing that really "steams" me...after dumping a teapot in my lap, they had the stones to bring me a check without ANY consideration whatsoever. I asked the waiter if he was serious, not comping anything after scalding my crotch - and he had to get the manager - who ultimately only comped *my* sandwich. Not only that, the manager was not aware of the problem until I mentioned it. There should be no question - you dump food (water, whatever) on a customer (1) You let the freakin' manager know! (2) you should be embarrassed to charge them full boat for their meal. This is just a crappy way to run a restaurant. The server should immediately try to make it right, the manager should be told... Will we go back? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The breakfast menu looked interesting. However, I've been to places with better tasting food and much better service. It's not real high on the revisit meter at this time...
(2)Duane V.
Hadn't been here for a while, so we went in for dinner. We ordered New York steak, and it was cooked to the doneness requested. Food was plentiful, and the vegetables tasted as if they were picked out of the garden. Milkshakes are generous - hand dipped ice cream - and enough left over in the metal container to fill the glass once again. One of our favorite places...
(5)Mike N.
This is a fun place to eat. Good food, large portions, and attentive staff. The milkshakes are old school, with real ice cream and mixed on an old style blender like the days of the drive ins. They serve food like open faced turkey sandwhiches in gravy, meat loaf, chicken fried steak, hamburgers, and other foods along this line. Great place to eat. Give it a try.
(4)Lisa L.
I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. I was most impressed by the cute decor, the ease of parking, the decent prices, the enormous portions, the friendly waitress (who was the only one working when we arrived and still never let our cups go empty), and the delicious hash browns. I also loved that they had apple butter for my toast. That is a lot for 3.5 stars, but the omelette was so-so and way oversalted.
(3)C C.
Don't get the chicken fried steak. There is no steak in it. It is breaded breading, seriously. I didn't eat it. The vegetables were fine. The french fries were undercooked and soggy. The ice tea was good, but sat empty. The service is very slow. It would be a good place to go hang out and order beverages if you are trying to kill time. But if you are looking for a decent meal, go somewhere else. I waited 45 minutes after taking a couple of bites and discovering the breaded breading waiting for my waiter to get the check. Cost: I paid $13 for the breaded breading (chicken fried steak) with inedible french fries and an ice tea. Service: Slow, painfully slow. And they don't care if you like the food or not.
(1)Kaitlin P.
This place was so fun! I loved the decor and the staff was pretty friendly. We kept a menu after we ordered to read all the interesting factoids on the menu. I ordered the eggs Benedict and my boyfriend ordered the chicken fried steak. I really enjoyed it but the hollandaise sauce didn't really taste like hollandaise sauce. It was just a little off. This is a fun greasy spoon that is worth a try!
(4)Wendy R.
Perhaps the bacon served here is the standard for what is served in this town, I wouldn't know since this was the only place I ate in this city. The bacon served here seemed to be shoulder cut slices which would be the first and only time to ever have outside of a home! I was beyond impressed when I saw these beautiful slices of bacon on my dish. I can see why my host determined this city would be their next home when they found this gem. Again, I am from the midwest and don't know what the standards are here but I wanted to buy a pound of coffee to take home from here. The coffee reminded me of the quality coffee served at the Chalkboard in Tulsa, OK. I had the eggs benedict & the French toast with coffee. I shouldn't have eaten so much but it was all so good not to. Months later, I think of that valuable lesson I learned from the Stardust Diner to not overeat. They have real jukeboxes and mirror lined walls inside.
(5)Nathan A.
Rating this for what it is to me. Sunday morning breakfast at a good "greasy spoon" diner. This is a place like I grew up visiting with my dad and grandfather. Breakfast choices are diverse with my favorite definitely being the hobo skillet that others on here recommended. They make old diner style strawberry shakes with the extra in the mixer cup on the side that can easily be shared between two if you want to add a little more unnecessary calories but great taste to your indulgent weekend brunch... Services has always been good when I have visited and there can be a little wait on the weekends but they try to get your seated as soon as they can and there has always been plenty of staff.
(4)Cat N.
Food was okay. I got the steak omelette with no bell peppers because I hate those! it was just okay, nothing special. Portion was big though. I did like the potato that came with it. My cousin took me here when I was in town and apparently she's a regular here. I don't see why.
(3)Crystal M.
2 stars because the biscuits tasted like chemicals - the bacon, sausage and eggs were good. Hubbs got the banana pancakes which were yummy, and he said he would get them again. All in all not super impressed.
(2)Sara C.
Was staying in town due to a business trip to Portland and thought this place looked adorable, and it definitely met expectations. The country fried chicken and mashed potatoes were DELICIOUS and the portions were huge. A lot of younger kids working, and they were all very attentive. Definitely a cute stop into yesteryear with top notch food.
(5)Tony W.
Chef lost the ticket for our order and we ended up having to wait for over 30 minutes before they even started cooking our food. The place is not properly heated so we were freezing by the windows. Not a satisfying place to go for breakfast and definitely not a good way to start off the day.
(2)Holly J.
love the decorations, love the background music, love the staff neon name tags, l ove the menu choices.. the service was much like what I remember service as a child. I was very impressed with the fluid constant activity of the staff. very clean every where.. not an easy task seeing the constant flow of patrons. these people know how to work and the more I think about the time we spent there the more I smile. excellent place to eat
(5)Spencer T.
Stardust Diner sells itself on nostalgia for old diners. They don't seem to be trying very hard to fool us, though, both in terms of the atmosphere and the food. In this chromed establishment, stuffed with more replicas of '50s kitsch than you can shake a plastic lawn flamingo at, the gigantic menu features clumsy references to pre-80s Americana (choose between "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak," the "Ricky Ricardo Patty Melt," or the "Harley Burger"), and the sound system pumps in the overplayed tunes you'd hear on any classic rock station in the country. No attempts at regional specialization appear, either. Sadly, while it wants to imitate the feel of a diner, most of the individual, location-specific traits that you can find in a good, old place are missing. The food, meanwhile, is plain lousy. The menu is lost in space as well as time. I somehow doubt they can really get the hang of Polish Kielbasa, Tex-Mex chili, country chicken-fried steak, Italian lasagna, deli-style sandwiches, Mexican quesadillas, and the list goes on... They need to cut half of it and focus on some local specialties, or at least on the basics. As for my food, I had overcooked eggs, biscuits served with obviously-from-mix gravy, and a massive slab of bland ham reminiscent of what Woody Allen was subjected to in "Annie Hall." I asked about the "country potatoes" and hash browns, and found out that they're both frozen--the former are tossed in the deep fryer, the latter come pre-shredded and are finished on the grill. My friend's burger was soggy and riddled with superfluous shreds of iceberg lettuce. Her pancakes were decent, but not worth writing home about. And I doubt the maple syrup was the real McCoy. We decided to forgo dessert when we saw that the plethora of shakes offered were mostly the product of a number of flavored syrup bottles, rather than a variety of ice cream flavors. Stardust Diner needs to figure out something it can do very well and jettison its halfhearted attempts at other items. Its variety wasn't representative of the historic American melting pot, nor of Northwestern authenticity, but of the contemporary exurban nowhere-land where everything is available and nothing is genuine or made with any kind of extra love or effort. I might have gone a little easier on them if they didn't claim to be something they weren't--a classic in the proud tradition of American diners. Classics don't cut corners. And despite what they would have us believe, there is nothing classic about Stardust Diner.
(1)Cool Nutz X.
Staff was great. Food was delicious. We ordered the redneck Benedict as well as the Steak and eggs. Everything was top notch and on point. All of the staff was inviting and helpful. Atmosphere was good as well. Definitely a place to visit in Vancouver.
(4)Matt T.
Getting ready to cruise in n have another tasty breakfast this morning =) Food is always great tasting as well as good sized, nice chill oldies playing through the jukebox, and the cute tatted waitress brings it out with a smile. Fantastic way to start the day!
(4)Erin C.
YUMMY!!! This place has an old school atmosphere with Blue Plate Specials!! Not gimmicky at all, just good home cooking! Club sandwiches, Prime Rib on Saturdays, and breakfast served all day long! This place is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
(5)Jennifer P.
We drive down 164th often and this diner, fully encapsulated in stainless steel, is hard to miss. Somewhat gimmicky, we saw good reviews on Yelp and had a chance to stop by and try it. Chocolate Milkshake: ice cream had little ice chunks/frost in it. I've had better. Famous Footlong (chili dog with onions and cheese) with onion rings: tasty, but portion size was absolutely massive. I ate half and took the other half, sans soggy bun, home. Would have been completely satisfied with a normal-sized hotdog and a side salad (or some sort of greens; I upgraded my fries to onion rings which apparently makes the cole slaw disappear as well). Fried Chicken with potatoes and gravy on the side: one wing, one thigh, one drumstick, one breast (again, a big portion size). Chicken was nice and crispy on the outside and warm and juicy on the inside. Potatoes were too mashed in my opinion. I prefer mashed potatoes more chunky than smooth (smooth is just too similar to instant potatoes). Their gravy made the potatoes yummy though. Corn bread was fluffy and tasty. Overall, we enjoyed the experience. They have a private lot out back. This place seemed too busy for a party larger than 4-5. The servers were friendly and attentive, but I don't think we need to "experience" it again anytime soon.
(3)Skye A.
I love the feel of this diner. It's a great place to go if you're craving a malt or milkshake! The servers are so friendly and personable, and the atmosphere is just all around fun. The food isn't the best, but the prices and portions are good.
(4)Rod S.
Wifey loves this place. It is a 50's city diner motif in an other wise suburban business district. My experiences here have all been favorable and if you like a classic Malt in a classic 50s style place, this works good.
(3)Stephanie M.
Good breakfast spot. Much better than some of the other divey joints around town that like to boast to have a good breakfast spread. It's a super cute location too!
(3)Rachael R.
Staff was very friendly! Reasonably priced menu. Food was just ok. Probably won't go back and won't recommend it to others.
(2)Spence R.
A staple breakfast spot for East Vancouver. Awesome diner feel. Food was pretty good.
(3)James M.
Great atmosphere and food specials. And without a doubt the best customer service in the industry.
(4)Teresa V.
We've been here many times over the past few years and haven't had a bad experience yet! The food is good, traditional American diner food. The prices are good particularly since they always have BOGO coupons all over and you can buy certificates through Restaurants.com . The staff is always very attentive and friendly.
(5)Tim O.
Good food, but the place was SUPER busy even during a time most restaurants are having a lull. This seemed to impact service a bit. :(
(3)Michael P.
I've only ever ate breakfast here, and am rarely disappointed. There can be a pretty good line on the weekends (this is usually when we go). If you want a bit of advice, and you detest waiting, you can sit yourself at the counter (just walked by all of the people waiting). Note this will only work for a small party, usually we easily find two seats available. Another piece of advice, if you live in the Vancouver area, is grab a coupon from one of the mailers we regularly get. Now for the food... I am a creature of habit, so when I find something I like, I don't stray far when looking at the menu. The first dish I ever tried here was the chicken fried steak. If you are a connoisseur of chicken fried steak, you will be severely disappointed (it's frozen) and the best part of your meal will either be the gravy or the potatoes. The second and only other item I have ordered is the hobo skillet. This is a work of breakfast art... I recommend asking them for either a side of country gravy or a spoonful on top. My wife is a little different in that she will try all sorts of items. Their French toast, pancakes, specials, etc. are all good. Now for the service and environment... It's a fun 50s diner, but sometimes they can get so busy that their service goes from decent to utterly horrendous. I can't say I've ever had great service here, what do you expect from a bunch of hungover high school kids on a weekend breakfast shift? I can say I have had thoughts of walking out after waiting 30 minutes in a seat without a menu or anything to drink. But that damn hobo skillet keeps me in my seat. All in all don't come on the weekend if you're in a hurry. Otherwise enjoy an amazing diner breakfast.
(4)Jason M.
Pick any of your three meals and eat here. There is zero disappointment full circle. Good portion size, awesome service, clean, warm and inviting environment. Seriously my favorite place to eat all American food in Vancouver.
(5)Jason H.
The service here is always great. The food is good. Been here many times and it's been great every time. The menu has a lot of options and cost is about what you'd expect. This place won't leave you in need of a refilled drink. That alone puts them ahead of most their local competitors!
(5)Kristina B.
Best country style potatoes I've ever had, we get them with green pepper and onions and its absolute DELISH. Service is always 5 stars but only when the younger crew is there, I'm taking the star off for many times when we came there and it wasn't fully staffed and our server was at best meh. We only tried their breakfast items, pancakes, eggs, biscuits, always tastes good and fresh. Just FYI we tried only veggie options here so don't know how their meat items are. Over all so far our favorite breakfast in Vancouver. Try it!
(4)Mary W.
Discovered this place as it was a sit down within walking distance of our hotel. Cute diner. Great music playing in the background. Attentive staff , delicious french dip and perfectly poached eggs! Coming back for dessert (white chocolate creme brulee).
(5)Josephine S.
This is a real drag, because they have some great food! I was in here last night with some friends around 9pm, and everything was going fine! Until a bunch of young employees, Jessica, and Devon (maybe?) and their friends start talking LOUDLY at the counter. We were sitting by the bathrooms and we could hear them perfectly. They start saying horrible things about LGBT individuals, and laughing at obscene jokes. Nobody put a stop to it, nobody spoke up. Why they thought this was the proper venue or opportunity to discuss such things, I'm not sure. Wholly unprofessional, mean spirited, and bigoted. If that's what this restaurant stands for or condones, then my friends and I want nothing to do with it. Needless to say we won't be back. Shame on these reckless, inconsiderate, rude employees. I hope the managers do something about this. COMPLETELY unacceptable!
(1)Jake P.
Had breakfast at the Stardust with the family today for the first time. Overall, very good food, attentive service and reasonably priced. The host wasn't the most friendly (not rude, just didn't smile much). I had the Country Breakfast which was tasty and plenty to fill the belly. The wife had an Omelet with potatoes. She said the potatoes were great. The kids had pancakes and bacon. They ate everything and loved the meal. Overall, we will return. Will have to try it out for lunch sometime as well.
(4)Craig F.
What a great family dinner for our daughters birthday! JD did a great job waiting on us. The food was diner great! Thank you! We will be back!
(5)Jenesa U.
If you are looking for some 1950s nostalgia, a standard cup of joe, fast friendly service, and some nap inducing diner quality food visit the Stardust. My fiancé got the chicken fried steak with pancakes. I had the hobo skillet. The good: Friendly and fast service. Our coffee cups were filled if they were more than and inch from topped off. The hobo skillet was bomb and you can't go wrong with the chicken fried steak. The meh: The pancakes were a little too thick and cake-like for my liking. The bad: Nothing. Summary: Perfect for what it is... Delish diner style/quality food.
(4)Marty R.
A coupon in almost every flyer on Wednessday makes this place a great deal on top of the great staff. When this restaurant first opened it was all about the 50's style and less about the food. Fast forward many years later and you now have a very nice family restaurant with low turn over, happy staff and great food for the price. I've seen a few places in town with larger portions BUT none of them have the same consistent quality of the Stardust and I've never left hungry. Yes, I call the place Star Light or the breakfast place on 164th but my wife knows what I mean and she likes the pot roast and shakes that they serve. All in all a inexpensive place where you can take the whole family and everyone will be able to find something they want to try on the huge menu. It's not well suited to large groups (more than 8) as the floor plan is long and narrow.
(4)Taylor C.
The food was delicious and service was spot on. Very great first impression!
(5)Sandra C.
Excellent breakfast. Food cooked as requested. Attentive service. Three of of ate for $36 + tip. Very reasonable for the quality.
(4)Gin B.
Uh, oh! Stardust has new staff...but someone forgot to train them!!! The newbies aren't up to the standards of the usual staff!!!! Kyle likes to "stack" two or three orders & then take them all to the kitchen. So, folks that order later, get their food before others that have been waiting. He's quick to come to the table when you first sit down, asking if you need a moment...ummmm...at least a moment! Then, he's gone for 10 minutes, leaving you to wait and wait and wait. Then there's the kitchen itself...I'm guessing more newbies in there too, as the food doesn't seem to be prepared in the same style...and there's certainly a lot less of it. Fries that used to be great, are now little stubs, over cooked. Maybe the newbies should have to follow a veteran employee until they really understand how things should be done...and to speak up when the kitchen isn't up to par too. Don't just bring it to the table anyway! Look, think! The hostess folks need a little training too. They walk the floor, but they aren't thinking. Seating 6 big guys at a table that should have only 4 or 5 tops, not good! Especially when the place is 3/4 empty (at noon) and there are tables that would work & everyone would be comfortable. Look, think! Anyway, cute as the place might be, I'm not eager to go back...although I've been there many times over the years...I'll not go back until folks are trained!
(2)Keith K.
I came to this 50s style diner with my sister for breakfast. We both love the Americana cafés and neither of us were disappointed. Anyone can make a decent pancake, but a great waffle can be hard to come by. Stardust diner knocked it out of the park! Their waffle, which both my sister and I enjoyed, was light, yet hearty and cooked to perfection. The guy next to us at the bar was enjoying a chicken fried steak topped with some thick ass gravy and looking like it was made in Texas. Our server told us that's one of their biggest sellers there (pun intended). The weekday morning we came, the diner was filled with patrons and almost as many servers, busboys and cooks. Needless to say the service was great, when we needed something they were right there. After finishing our eggs, bacon, waffle combos, we both considered getting a milkshake to go (we had been sitting right in front of the shake machine and seen several made while we were eating), but didn't. Don't get me wrong, the shakes looked great, hand made with real ice cream and all sorts of seasonal flavours. This way we have yet another reason to return.
(5)Penny S.
We had burgers, tots & shakes. They were all very good. We had the coupon from the Clipper coupon magazine for $6 off "dinner". It was dinner time so of course that's the one we took in with us. When it was time to pay, we were informed that burgers were considered "lunch" items so we only got $5 off. It was only a buck, but I felt that was a little sneaky. Since when are burgers only for lunch? If they do that enough, as burgers are a popular item, it saves them money (instead of their customers) but draws people in thinking they get a bigger discount. I agree with other reviewers that they need to pare down the menu. Stick with a few classics and do it well. Service was friendly from clean cut teenagers.
(3)Marjory B.
Came here for breakfast. I had the hobo skillet; the boyfriend stuck with his usual bacon, sausage, eggs, and a bowl of fruit. Everything came out quickly and looked decent enough. However, mine was a meal worthy of the Army chow hall, with the scrambled eggs tasting like they were right out of the carton (from a mix, not fresh eggs), "home fries" from the freezer straight into the deep fryer, strangely tiny pieces of bacon (kind of like the Hormel brand in the bag at the grocery store), and weirdly soggy BALLS (?) of sausage. BUT I was hungry, and it was edible. Boyfriend ate everything except for the bowl of fruit. "Gross", he said. His eggs-over-medium were the only thing on the table that looked to be freshly prepared. Everything else seemed to have come out of some sort of prepackaging. I've been to some great 50s-themed diners, and this place is just not really authentic. Also, the service is off. Not only did we have 2 different servers, but a different person brought us our check, another person took the card, and yet another person brought the receipt back to us. The server that we had throughout the majority of our meal seemed polite enough but I lost count of how many times she asked a question and then turned around and walked away before I had finished answering her. The place wasn't extraordinarily busy, so I am not sure what the issue was. Breakfast here is not even of Shari's quality (another reviewer claimed it is a half-step up)...I would put it more on a Denny's or IHOP level. Vancouver, you disappoint me with your breakfast/brunch options. I should know better.
(1)Wayne C.
My wife and I talked about going here for about a year and finally made it for breakfast. I had the chicken fried steak breakfast and it was great! The potatoes were crisp and the steak was delicious too. My wife had the strawberry pancakes which were also good. She mostly ate off my plate though. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. We had been looking for a good diner since we moved here. I think we found it. The price of their food is very affordable too!
(4)Troy G.
I love the nostalgic atmosphere and the pay-to-play jukeboxes at every table! The staff is mostly made up of younger individuals who are absolutely fantastic! They are hard-working, attentive employees who have a great rapport with repeat customers. I have experienced a few instances of an overcooked hamburger patty, however. The other items on the menu are fantastic, however! I'm definitely a fan of this place!
(4)Vama H.
Good diner food. Good breakfast options all day. Good chicken noodle soup. Friendly staff and usually fast service. They have easy parking in the back.
(3)Grant L.
They have really good breakfast, but compared to other breakfast places they don't give you too much for the price.
(4)Adry G.
I have been here a couple of times. It's a good place at any time of the day, but I have only been here for breakfast. Their service is good, the food was decent and their prices are acceptable. I love their hot cocoa (and the fact that you get a free refill of it!).
(4)Jeremy J.
This place is fun. Cool from the outside and on the inside. Definitely sticks to its diner theme and executes well. I enjoyed my lunch her and would return if I was in the mood for classic diner food with good portion size for the price. My only "issue" with the restaurant is that it is really just your run of the mill diner quality food..about a half step up from Shari's. My better half and I gorged ourselves and split an order of french toast (no frills, average French toast), chicken fried steak (absolutely huge, flavor didn't match the physical size), sunny side up eggs (cooked perfectly), hash browns (nothing out of the ordinary) and a side of biscuits a gravy (steal of a deal for $2.99, big portion but not a very flavorful gravy). Overall, it was a basic American breakfast for a good price (all that for under $20) but the food was not memorable. The best thing we tried was actually after breakfast. We ordered a butterscotch malt and it was phenomenal. Our waiter asked if we wanted to split it and we said sure. They brought us two malts garnished with whipped cream and a whopper instead of one malt with a refill tin. I thought this was particularly good service and I appreciated the extra effort. All in all, 2* food, 4* service, and killer malts and milkshakes...probably the reason I will return.
(3)J F.
You never know if you can put a restaurant on your 'favorite places to dine' unless you give it a try. After reading reviews (4 star rating on yelp) and other sources, we decided that although a 'diner' is not where we choose to dine for dinner, we decided to give it a try. The shakes/malts are generous. Beware that they are filling so one order is plenty for two. The strawberry malt had chunks of berries...the banana shake could have used more flavor. The prime rib french dip did not live up to the price ($10.99). The roll was a bit dry and looked more like a larger baguette than a french roll. The bacon burger was fairly good...the smoked bacon was flavorful. We like our fries flavorful, crispy and shouldn't they be golden brown as well? None of these adjectives appeared to be so. We presented a coupon which had a $6 off for dinner and $5 off for breakfast. They took off $5 so don't hand them two coupons. We erred by not cutting out the appropriate one. For the price and quality...Burgerville and Five Guys has them beat. The impressive part of our meal was watching the young servers. They work hard, are very pleasant and seem to enjoy their job.
(2)Tia M.
Great restaurant with wonderful service! Food is excellent with big portions! We love the old school feel of the place!
(5)Ursula M.
Great fifties ambiance, long menu, friendly servers. I have had several different things at Stardust, and all were good. Stardust serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and all are good.
(4)Justin F.
Tried Stardust for the first time today and we will definitely be returning in the future! Excellent diner food, very impressed with the quality. I had a bacon burger and fries, the burger tasted very fresh and looked hand pressed, very good flavor! My wife and daughter both had breakfast and were both impressed with how good it was, lots of food for the price too! Will most definitely be returning. Just as a quick tip there is usually a coupon in the weekly mailer for buy one get one, an excellent deal!!
(4)Aaron W.
Stepping inside, it really feels like you're taken back in time to some 50's diner. Tons of vintage memorabilia (mostly magazine covers) adorn the wall. Heck, there was some jukebox contraption at the booth my friend and I sat at. I'm honestly not too fond of the interior (call me more of a contemporary, bright ambiance person), but it's not the worst. It stays true to what it wants to be, and that's fine. There's a lot of traditional diner fare to choose from. Blue-starred items are basically Stardust's most popular offerings. Although we arrived around 11:30, my stomach craves breakfast virtually 24/7. Luckily, breakfast is served all day here. I opted for the three-egg Denver omelet ($8.29) with the usual diced ham, cheddar, onions, and green bell peppers. Hash browns and whole wheat toast on the side. I honestly didn't have very high expectations coming in, but everything was pretty good. A hearty portion for yours truly. Pretty generous amounts of ham, onions, and bell peppers, all cooked nicely. I would have liked a bit more cheese here, though. The eggs were cooked well, perhaps just a tad too long in the pan for me. I'm sure it would be fine for just about everyone else. Favorable reviews on the hash browns. Crispy exterior, lightly seasoned, nicely done. Maybe a bit too much butter on my toast, but hell, I ate it anyway. My friend enjoyed his bacon cheeseburger, crinkle fries, and a soda (appears to be unlimited free refills). It sure looked like a quality burger to me, and the hypnotizing bacon made me just want to reach across the table and devour that plate too. Bad panda, no biscuit for you. Stardust runs regular specials and also has a tantalizing dessert menu. And I saw a sugar-free option (Chocolate Mousse Torte) for when I want to gorge on something sweet and not feel so guilty! For a combined $20, two people left with satisfied stomachs. Certainly reasonable. I hope to return and try more menu items!
(4)Christine E.
We've only been to the diner once but will definitely be going back. We had burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings, one root beer float and one cherry coke. Since we got to WA four months ago we're on the hunt for the best burgers (best pizza, best chinese, best ice cream) and this was the best so far. My only complaint is that the bun disintegrated before the burger was consumed, making it a three-napkin affair. My husband said the root beer wasn't the best. The onion rings were tasty; the fries about standard. But a really good burger can be hard to come by. Next time we visit Stardust Diner we'll try other dishes.....I might be revising the review.
(4)Amy F.
I wasn't too sure what to expect of this place after reading all the mixed reviews, but our experience was great! Decided to have a late breakfast, so it wasn't too packed when we arrived. We waited about 10 minutes for a table. My daughter loved the crayons and paper to draw with while we waited for our food. Their breakfast was really good and super filling. I was stuffed all day long. We will definitely be returning!
(4)David D.
Stardust Diner does a fantastic job capturing the 50's style diner. They offer good food (except the fries) at more than reasonably priced options. The staff is friendly and the decor on the walls makes for great conversation during ones visit. Great place for kids or for a low profile date. They also offer a wonderful breakfast menu with thick sliced bacon. I will return
(5)Linda C.
We've driven past this place for years and finally decided to give it a try. I was nervous, expecting a greasy spoon and convinced there would be little to no options for vegetarians. Pleasantly surprised! We found a few veggie options on the menu. I chose the Veggie Burger and hubby opted for the Vegetarian Omelet. My burger was generously filled with lettuce and the patty itself, while not overly tasty, was moist. The fries were not too greasy, and I was really pleased to see that the available ketchup was a non-HFCS variety. Very cool! My husband's omelet was light and fluffy, but the best part about his dish were the country potatoes. Oh my, they were great, and not at all greasy like many I've tried. I could have eaten a plate full! I loved the interior, with its Americana decor and classic diner ambience. Sometimes themed restaurants are overdone but this place is tastefully done, giving a nice nod to the era without being overly cheesy. And I can't fault the service from the staff. They were appropriately attentive, friendly, and they kept an eye on drinks that needed refilling throughout the time we were there. Overall, it was an enjoyable lunch. Nice atmosphere, great service, reasonable prices, and the food was decent for what it is - diner fare. We'll likely stop by again in the future.
(4)Janyce R.
Ive had better food and service at Elmer's. The staff was rude and unfriendly. The food wasn't that great and my family and I had an overall bad experience. The only thing nice I can say is that they were prompt at refilling our drinks and it wasn't dirty. I feel like I could have had the same quality food at Denny's. I would expect a diner to be happy and upbeat and this was so not the case.
(2)Meagan B.
I have been to Stardust Diner quite a few times and it has never failed to be delicious. Their eggs Benedict is always perfect, it's what I almost always order. If it's your birthday, they will give you a free sundae and it's a true sundae! Great burgers and atmosphere. I think breakfast food is their forte.
(5)Jenni L.
While I think this place is good overall, my last experience here was a downer. I usually pop in her with a friend for breakfast on the weekend or for dinner before a movie, which is conveniently located right by Cascade 16. I came in here this past Saturday around Noon for a late brunch with a friend and decided to try something new on a whim, as our waitress wanted our order and the place was so packed I figured it would be best just to order asap. I ordered some kind of steak scramble with green peppers, onions, breakfast potatoes and two fried eggs on top. When I got my meal, I was thouroughly disappointed though. The potatoes were sopping in grease to the point that when I lifted them up on my fork, grease pooled on the end of the potato and splashed on my plate in droplettes. I'm never one to send food back so I ate around it, the eggs were fine, but was super grossed out in the end and wished that I hadn't touched any of it. Our server never came back to check on us, and I wish she would have because I was ready to ask for a glass of water after finishing my OJ (which is fresh squeezed and delicious by the way). I'm hoping that this was just a fluke because I've had great food and service here every other time.
(3)Eric F.
Bottom line this is the best place we've ever been to in Vancouver. Good food, good portions and an excellent, attentive wait staff. A must go!!! Especially for breakfast!
(5)Anjelah S.
SoOoOo...you wanna go back in time and get a great meal with friendly service, this place has it. Back to the 1950's... Let's start with the appetizers. Wadda ya want? Onions rings, deep fried Jalapeno pepper's filled with cream cheese, Mozzarella cheese sticks...... How about skip the appetizers and start with something healthy. A soup and salad maybe? Chef, or chicken cobb? Taco salad or dinner salad?. The soups are made fresh daily, so ya never know what is being served until you ask. Moving on to the sandwiches...Rueben, Philly cheese steak, Meatloaf, French dip, Halibut or Chicken tender sand which. Whew.... Maybe your in the mood for a BIG burger. Garlic Mushroom burger with sauteed mushrooms and garlic, seasoned mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Or what about a Boop bop BBQ burger or the Blue moon burger with melted American cheese and 2 strips of apple wood bacon? They even have a Ricky Ricardo Patty melt with sauteed onions. Count your blessings, they even have a veggie burger. What about a home cooked meal? They serve chicken, beef or pork dinners...including all the side favorites like mashed potatoes, veggies, dinner rolls or corn bread. After you have gluttonized yourself....why stop? Add a shake or a root beer float on top of everything. Great food for a nice price. Definitely worth the trip.
(4)John E.
This place perplexes me to no end. I have been coming here on and off for many years. Within the narrow, heavily adorned walls I have some of the better and some of my worst dining experiences. Yet, through it all the one thing I can never complain about is the service which is always friendly and pretty fast. One the positive side the portions are generally large, very authentic in that there are no updated recipe changes it's the same now as it would have been in 1955. It is decorated to amuse, not to confuse; above all it is pretty convenient to get to and park at. My last visit there was for dinner with The Wife, The Tax Deduction and the Mother In Law. Everyone had a variety of different items, I had the fried chicken, The Wife had the Liver & Onions, The MiL had a BLT and the Tax Deduction threw us a curve and wanted breakfast-dinner (a common used term in our home) so he opted for the Strawberry Pancake. Usually I get the turkey dinner, which I have to admit is amazing, but for the sake of finally deciding to Yelp this place I went outside my comfort zone, just for you! I have to admit that the coating on the chicken was crisp and thick and tasted quite excellent. My only question is how they find such small chickens? Is there a restaurant chicken supplier that specializes in dwarf chickens? Is there a a pygmy chicken? Did I miss an episode of Little Chickens, Big World? It was four pieces, the thigh and wing were regular sized, it was the drumstick and the breast that seemed a little... scrawny. The famed mashed potatoes were a little stiff and condensed. Their corn bread is always good however. I hate liver and refused to talk to the Wife about it so I can't tell you about that. Other diners seemed very happy with their meals. I can tell you one thing, at the table next to us as we were walking out a couple got their "Chili Size" dinners, and it was freakishly huge! May have to try that next time. The Tax Deduction actually stopped when he saw them and looked at the couple and yelled, quite loudly, "WOW!". Have to admit I almost did the same thing. So, in the end I have to say that the Diner seemed to go through a little slump a while back, but seem to have identified those problems and rid themselves of them. I will be back. Chili Size UYE anyone?
(3)Claudia G.
I love this place for burgers and milkshakes; I've never had anything else (nor plan to). When I'm craving for a good burger this is the only option. I once had an open sandwich and didn't like it at all - it didn't come with any tomatoes or lettuce so it felt pretty dry. I learned from my mistake and now I only have my favorite (the stardust burger) and a seasonal shake. The 'special' burgers are huge. The service is usually prompt and attentive, thanks to the owners keeping a close eye on the restaurant.
(5)Jena L.
Well put me in a poodle skirt and call me Sandra Dee! This place is charming. Shiny silver diner car, blue plate specials, jukebox at your table, and electronic scrolling name tags on your server. The service has always been top notch, very attentive. You can tell they have a good crew, everyone helps each other out. One day a server dropped a glass, and another server from somewhere in the restaurant hollers, friendly-like, "job opening!" The whole restaurant chuckled, and we've been laughing about it ever since, any time we hear a dish break somewhere. Love it! We've tried a variety of the food, along with the many visiting relatives we've taken there. I can't recall having a bad meal. Maybe one or two average ones. But hey, it's diner food people. I will say I was never impressed by any of their cream pies, and also I would prefer the blueberry pancakes to have the berries inside the cake, not just a compote on top. Picky, picky!
(4)Andrea H.
The Stardust Diner isn't my kind of place. When I go out for breakfast, I usually want butter and flaky pastries involved. Not to mention meticulously crafted espresso beverages. I have never encountered butter in my egg/potato/meat breakfasts at the Stardust Diner. Lots of vegetable oil, yes, but never butter. The grain on my plate is always toast. And the closest I get to a macchiato is their bottomless coffee (which actually tastes pretty good mated with enough half & half). Still, even if this isn't my type of place, I think it deserves 4 stars. It is definitely Pirate Grrl's cup of grog, and it does a great job of dressing up diner food with a gleaming silver mega-trailer, jukeboxes, and enthusiastic service from the youthful staff. Whenever I go there, the servers are cheerful and efficient and my bottomless cup is seldom less than half full of joe. The price isn't too bad either, if you have a coupon. Pirate Grrl usually manages to pack away an entire adult-sized breakfast along with most of my country potatoes. She especially loves the bacon, which blows my mind, as I think it looks like it should be trimming the floor on a rental house. And Viking Baby thinks that the Stardust Diner is just awesome. Cars going by, lots of shiny things, food, people...almost heaven. And the best part of our trip today? The Kingston Trio, belting out "Everglades" on the jukebox. You don't hear that very often.
(4)Larry J. H.
I've been there now 3X and rate the stardust diner as excellent for Breakfast ! I stopped in here 3X last summer with a buddy before going out picking [garage sales] And must say this little diner which is styled as a vintage Railcar diner with it's 1950's decor is very good to excellent for Breakfast ! And I must add the 50's music is a great accompanment to one's meal; Although I've never eaten here in the evening I'm sure it's just as good ?" My last visit here I had the chicken fried steak n' eggs w/ Hashbrown and a biscuit and it was bigger than what one usually gets in most restaurants and of course was 'Oh so Delicious !'' And that's my recommendation as far as Breakfast goes ! Also I might add the staff is friendly too and the service excellent ! I had no problems nor complaints so will indeed go there again whenever I find myself in that part of town ?" Larry, La Center Wa 98629. !''
(5)Leah N.
I had a 2 star breakfast experience and a 4 star lunch experience, so through the miracle of averages......3 stars! Breakfast was low quality diner food. I had a breakfast burrito that was one of the worst I've eaten. My husband ordered a basic bacon and eggs plate, which he thought was fine. The family ended up here again out of desperation when the place we planned on was too packed to find a table. It ended up being a good choice. We each got a different sandwich, and we tried their onion rings, battered fries (yum!) and crinkle fries. Then we all got pie (please stop judging us). It was all pretty tasty this time around. I especially liked the teriyaki burger with the veggie patty, and the banana cream pie. The pie alone will probably suck me back in, because it's super tough to find a good banana cream pie in this city!
(3)Amy A.
We ate here because we had a Restaurant.com certificate, but overall it was nothing special. The diner itself is very cool, but the food is alright and we have been there on 3 separate occasions...I am not a fan of their milk shakes though.
(2)Chericka A.
I'm currently laying down in the booth because I'm dying of goodness overload. These are the feasts I look forward to while living on a pretty strict clean diet a majority of the time. But all good diets should be interrupted periodically to indulge and that is what I did. Chicken Fried Steak, people. Chicken Fried Steak! Excellent service! Cutest damn diner I've ever seen. Now they just Martin Sexton's "Diner" blasting through the juke box!
(5)Kellie F.
This has become our go to spot to eat. Food is delicious and affordable. The stack of onion rings is large and cheap. Breakfast is alway delicious. I always order an open turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, extra gravy, and a soft roll. That's my happy place right there!
(4)Whitney O.
It has really cool outside curb appeal. It is a long retro silver diner. I think that would draw anyone in. I have always gone in with a coupon. Even with the coupon, the food is overpriced. It is not bad, just average. There is a good assortment as well. I would have to say they have poor service. Our drinks were refilled rarely, but the name tags of the waiters did scroll in neon which was pretty cool. Good food, but overpriced. Overall, I think you are paying for the atmosphere.
(3)Piper F.
Great breakfast items, the staff is very friendly and attentive. The place is very clean, colorful and retro with a modern twist.
(5)Reverend S.
This place has so much going for it. The food seems fairly standard, not the best, but serviceable. The onion rings were tender and fat and the hamburgers appeared to be hand formed. What I liked about the place was it felt like someone is giving full attention to the experience. The service was cheerful, prompt, and attentive. The interior is perfect. Everything appeared to be squeaky clean, there are juke boxes at every table, and the music collection was a trip down memory lane. As we left, we noticed speakers on the exterior of the building which I felt was just an added sign that someone is trying to think of as many ways as possible to create a fun experience. The waiters had these funny signboard name tags with their names scrolling across in red, and I thought to myself, Someone found, ordered, and programmed all those tags, just another example that the owner or manager is making an effort. The place was packed, but the service was quick. There were lot of young uniformed servers around and they seemed happy and engaged. It's not even like this is a throwback to an era of my youth, but more like a fantasy of what my youth should have been.
(4)Narongsak H.
The staff here wear digital scrolling marquee name badges!!!! Oh and the food is good too! LoL. The service was excellent!!! I love when the staff is mindful to keep your drinks filled and ask you if everything is fine with your meal. The food is pretty average but that's not why people come here. They come for the service and the atmosphere.
(3)Milo B.
Visiting Portland and caught a movie at the Regal 16 in Vancouver. Yelped nearby eateries. This place reminds me of the final scene in 2001 Space Odyssey. They got the props and scenery correct, but the food was bland and blue! Should have gone to the Red Robin.
(2)MaryAnn J.
We have been going here for years. The food is fresh and delicious and everyone that works here is so friendly you feel as if you have known them for a long time. It must be a wonderful place to work as the same personnel work there every time we go in. They always have Buckwheat pancakes (my mom's favorite) even if they aren't listed on the menu. Breakfasts are our favorite! Enjoy ~
(5)Sara Q.
Place isn't too bad. I got the Belgium waffle and a side of bacon. Delicious. Thr waffle was nice, light and fluffy. The syrup and butter made the waffle taste sweet and savory. Bacon was nice and thick. Would definitely come here again for the waffle, not the biscuits an gravy though. Yuck! Bf had a footlonh chili dog that he said was better than he expected. He had tots and coleslaw with it. All in all, not too shabby.
(3)Steve L.
Can't believe I've been to The Stardust Diner at least 6 times and have yet to write a review. Let's start by saying, I Love This Place. Reasonable Prices, Good Diner Food. I always try to use the BOGO coupon which comes in the monthly coupons we get in the mail. My most memorable meal has definitely been on St. Patrick's Day. For about $8, we were met with a plate of thinly sliced corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Probably the best tasting plate of corned beef we've had out at a restaurant. In fact we were delighted to go back 2 weeks later and still see it on the specials board. Stardust will run it from St. Patrick's Day for about another 4-5 weeks. I've ordered breakfast a few times and the omelette's are are always large and filled nicely. If you like Chicken Fried Steak, definitely try the Redneck Benedict. Buttermilk Biscuits topped with Chicken Fry and Sausage Gravy. The home fries are pretty good, but the onions/peppers could be cooked a little softer. The prices at Stardust Diner will be the best you can find around. Most breakfast items are in the $8-$9 range and dinner can be had for under $10. Plus when you use the BOGO coupon you save another $4-$7. The service is friendly, however after 6 visits, I have yet to have the Cashier ask me "How was your visit?". I think she is the owner, but not sure why she doesn't ask.
(4)Dave R.
Hey one thing you need to think about the rating is, This place is a diner, and with that in mind, the service was great. She was smiling and laughing and keep us feed and watered. The food was tasty and cooked just right. I have been here many times and I love the old time feeling of the place. We will return. Thanks Staff
(4)Danie W.
Always have had excellent, attentive service here. My favorite is their chicken fried steak and eggs. The Redneck Benedict, burgers, fries and pies are all DELICIOUS! It's good ol' fashion diner food. I love the look of the place. Old photo's hang on the walls and it has the look of the 50's w old music playing on the jukebox. Great for breakfast (all day), lunch or dinner.
(4)TL R.
Food and milkshakes were good. On a side note, we were sitting near the kitchen area and heard one of the servers made a rude comment about our party. Very disappointing end to a meal.
(3)Isaiah F.
I don't know if it was me but I did not feel the 50's diner vibe like everyone else says there is. The jukebox did not work through out the place. They did have intercom speakers but no music was playing though them! The place was so quiet that I could hear everyone's conversations! I thought a diner like this would have loud music and a blast from the past feel but it didn't. The eggs were good but the pancakes were so box mix taste! I could make better! I don't think this place has the whole old school diner feel just yet. They need minor tweaks to the place.
(2)Mike S.
First of all, we had a fairly large family group and they made sure we had seating all together and out of the way since it was a louder group. Hearing issues with some of the elderly. The decor in this great 50's style diner was great. It looked like it was back many decades ago but very clean and shiny stainless steel look. The food was good. Not the best food ever but really good diner food. And the portions were very large. Nobody went home hungry for sure. For me it was a good chili burger with home made chili. My wife had their "King Kong chicken fried steak". Now their claim it was the largest chicken fried steak you have ever seen was a little off but this isn't Texas so I can deal with that. But it was a larger than normal portion. We truly enjoyed the food and the experience. Now for those reviews I see about them complaining about the service......I don't get it. But this is our first visit so I can only speak to that. The service was exceptional. I mean to the point where I felt the need to seek out the manager and compliment her on the service. I don't do that. This was a fun place with good food that we are ready to go back and try again anytime we can. And the prices were very fair if not on the cheap side.
(4)Bea O.
This is a cute 1950's feel diner and seems to be the only one like it in the area. The food is really good here and staff is more than willing to stop and ask you if you need anything, even when they are not even your server. The free wi-fi is great here and they don't mind you sucking down coffee for a bit while you suck down the free wifi. They do pump in the "oldies" to go along with their theme but does get to be a bit too noisy with the music and a full crowd in there but no one seems to mind at all. Great place!
(5)Mark M.
Great vibe Diner style- excellent breakfast and very reasonable
(5)Scott W.
Let me clarify that the food gets 5-stars! Best diner food I've had in years, possibly ever. The biscuits & gravy were as delicious as any I've ever had; in fact, everything we ordered for breakfast was delicious and fresh. I would return for the food without hesitation. The service? Not so good. Though the staff is young, fresh-faced, and enthusiastic, they don't seem to be well coordinated. We had empty coffee cups, long after we asked for refills. The food came quickly and that was the last time we saw our actual waitress. After that, we were lucky to get help from other servers and staff walking by our table. This was our first time there, so maybe we hit the place on an off-day, but I can't stress again how delicious the food was. Hopefully, next time, the service will match it.
(3)Michelle D.
I love this place! The building itself just makes me happy to look at. The retro decor is fantastic and the restaurant is always very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. But most importantly, the food is delicious! I have been here many times and have never been disappointed. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Cailyn T.
Totally love the service and food! If there ever was any issues they addressed it right away. Defiantly a go to for breakfast!!
(4)vi a.
I have been here several times, but finally, I had enough of this place. They have poor customer service and their employee need to be more alert. What do I mean? They act as if they don't know which tables they are assisting and they are so slow. Two days ago, we waited ten minutes just for our drinks and the waiter didn't take our order for another ten minutes. All in all we waited too long for everything. WORST part, my burger was bloody red. I told them I need it replaced, so they did, but the waiting time was long as well though. I definitely had a bad experience as well as my companion. I have been a restaurant manager before and I have to say that, stardust diner need to have a better management or else they will end up loosing customers due to many reasons such as the waiting time is too long for anyone to wait when they have other agendas to take care of. The manager shouldn't just be behind the counter, standing, but he or she should definitely assist their employees at all times especially during rush hour. A restaurant is not an office.
(1)katie e.
My husband, son and myself go here about twice a month. We love it, they always have great coupons and usually for under $20-$25 bucks we can all eat. It's not a fancy rated place, but it's good for some old fashioned food when you just don't feel like cooking. And people who have commented on the service? Really? That's one reason we like it! Even when busy we are always checked on and our drinks are never empty. Everyone is super nice.The french toast is AWESOME. We like that you can get anything from breakfast to a chili burger to a salad. It's a great place for a young family with kids who don't want to kill their budget but enjoy eating out once in a while!
(5)James T.
30, Sept. 2011 Friday @ 15:30 Haven't come here for a while until today, was very, very disappointed. Service was slow when there was not much diners and what really turn me off was that I have ordered the "King Kong's Chicken Fried Steak" which I received already cold. I should have ordered the "Chef Chicken Salad" like my wife did, I may be a lot happier. Oh Well!, they just lost a customer......
(1)Mike G.
Like other Yelpers, the curb appeal drew me in. Unfortunately, the service and food are not enough to bring me back.
(2)Julian S.
Stardust is good.... not great. I eat here a lot, because it's local and my experience has never been bad. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars. This is arguably the best place to get breakfast in Vancouver...Which is not really a compliment - Order: The orange juice. It's fresh and tastes awesome All the food is average- nothing is really homemade, local, or organic. No dishes are prepared with the Portland flair. For instance, it's not hard to make a homemade gravy or special spicy sauce that can really push a restaurant visit over the top. So, if you order salsa, expect Pace picante. That being said, they do pretty good premade foods from cisco or restaurant depot or wherever If the owner asked me, I would suggest the following: Make your employees remember the customers. You have the same regulars eating there multiple times a week. IE focus on better customer service. Secondly, add to the menu with some culinary creativity. Copy any decent place in Portland. Keep the 50s vibe, just add some additional options for better prepared food. Go here, if you don't have time to drive to NE
(4)JIM L.
I've been coming here off and on since it has opened. The place has great curb appeal. The inside, totally cool, with a lunch counter and a great 50's look. The girls are cute and friendly. Frankly, I've always expected more. The food is OK. No, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong, but nothing remarkable. Well until recently. They have one of the best "Monte Cristo" sandwiches I've had. I search these out. They offer the sandwich with blackberry preserves only. Don't they know a true Cristo has Raspberry preserves. I found if you look sad and get the right waitress, she will find some. They should have fries with the meal. But let me tell you, you give me all 3 + a vanilla shake, I'm fat, dumb and happy. I should raise this to a 4 star, just for the sandwich. Lets see more from this little place.
(3)Sherah B.
This is honestly just your run of the mill diner. I didn't think it was anything special. It's housed in a boxcar which is cool. I had the denver omelet which was good, but not outstanding. I also had the hashbrowns, which I loved, but how hard is it to mess up hashbrowns? All in all, decent place to stop in for breakfast.
(3)Henry L.
The Stardust Diner was just A-Ok. The setting is very unique with old style jukebox at the counter and individual booths. The gf got the belgium waffle with bacon on the side. Nothing too special about the waffle, think I could of done just as good. However, the bacon was crispy and thick. For me, I got the foot-long hotdog and to my surprise it wasn't half bad. I usually don't trust diners to make a good hotdog, especially when it's kind of random for a diner to serve hotdogs in the first place. The portion was huge, the hotdog was filled with "homemade chilli". It could of easily filled a regular person, but I'm not normal. Overall, this place is defiantly a good place for some innocent burgers. I can tell their main market is the older generation. I defiantly felt out of place. It was a good environment for the family, but to me it was just another Danny's/Sharis. That Stardust has burst!
(3)Perry L.
My family and I have eaten here many times. Every meal has been very good! No complaints.
(5)PJ W.
Wish this place was closer to our home - we have never been disappointed. The service has always been excellent, this time four different people asked me if I wanted drink refills and the first person by usually picks up the empty plates. I try something new every time and each dish has become my favorite. Also, they have a sugarless chocolate dessert that is amazing. Wish it was closer to our home, but it is worth the drive.
(5)Aaron C.
Great place to go and have a good time and eat some good food. Portions are crazy big for how much you pay. The staff are great at knowing what is good to eat when you cant think of anything that you would want. Owner is usually always there to make sure that your food is good and your having a good time. They just stared making creme brulee that is delicious!!! They are starting to have a great dessert selection. Creme brulee, Cheesecake, Pies, oh my... Would recommend everyone to try this place at least once a week.
(4)Aaron R.
Pretty good, not great, not awful. Went there for breakfast, and found the portions to be decently sized and very reasonably priced. The service was good, too. The menus have some cool little retro trivia timelines in them, which are kind of interesting to read, and we couldn't resist picking songs on the tableside jukebox. One note: be sure to read the specials boards next to the front entrance and above the counter area, because the servers don't read the specials to you, at least in our case...
(4)Ace E.
50's Diner w/Amazing food, better than Shari's and cheaper. Great people & the potatoes rock! Had the meat lovers omelette was awesome. Ask for JD if he's working, he's super everything!
(5)Jason T.
Prime rib French dip is wonderful. I would probably recommend this more as a lunch spot than breakfast. Service was great, food was wonderful and the variety of the menu great.
(4)Jeanie W.
Have visited this diner a handful of times throughout the years, for breakfast/lunch. Haven't been in awhile, so we decided the other day to go for lunch. Very dissapointed to see that they had changed to Coke products from Pepsi. May not be a big deal to some, but to us it is. And the fact that the whole decor in this place is based on Pepsi-Cola and other old fashioned sodas and blue and white colors, why on earth would they just switch to Coke, and have to paste it over the menu. While their food is decent, and you do get a good portion, I lost my appetite for this place the other day while getting my mail at home. Here it was, one more political flyer, though this one featured the Stardust Diner, and it's owner proudly saying how he supported a certain candidate in a local race due to the reasoning that they supported "small businesses". Now, everyone can have their own beliefs and party affiliations, but just support as an individual. Do not take advantage of the flyer by using it as advertisement. Cause trust me, it put a bad taste in my mouth about this place, and by doing so, this guy just lost a couple customers...
(2)Lisa H.
This place is modeled after a 1950s roadside rail car diner. It has tons of vintage car advertisements, a jukebox with mini jukeboxes at many of the tables playing old music, and a totally friendly staff. Its not a place I would go with a date, or even out for dinner because its not really my kind of thing, but it was a totally perfect place to take my dad. He loves the 50s/60s and the food was "American." (He complains that I go to too many specialty places and he just wants plain food. ) Anyway, for the price, we received HUGE portions. I had enough for at least two dinners and it was delicious. The milkshakes were really, really good too. Overall, I think its a great place to take picky eaters and the atmosphere was fun for what it is. I think kids would love it too.
(4)jade s.
it was...... okay. sorry, but that just about sums up the whole experience. I took the kids there for lunch and everything was just like I said... okay. the wait was literally 10 minutes... okay the waitress was, well... okay. the coffee was... okay and the food was, you guessed it, okay. I will probably never go back. because everything in life will never be spectacular, it is just not good to settle for okay
(3)Rick W.
The 2-star option sums it up for me - meh. A mediocre experience at best. When you read the rest of this review, you might wonder whay I didn't rate it 1 star...I'm not really sure myself. John E, don't bother with the "Harley Burger" aka Chili Size...it's got very little flavor. OK, for starters - on a cold, rainy, dreary day I walked in through the parking lot entrance. The north part of the "diner", off of the parking lot was delightfully warm - so of course they were seating everyone in the cold south end of the building...the end with the dirty tables. While not extremely slow, it took a lot longer than I expected for the waiter to take our order. To totally set the day off right, when the waiter brought two (very cute) teapot/teacup setups to the table, he managed to drop both against each other and the table, breaking both and dumping a few cups of hot water (thank GOD not boiling) onto the table, my sweater and my lap (not to mention leaving a few shards of crockery on me). Apologies were offered, but unbelievably, I had to ask for us to be seated at a different table after ours was wiped down with a slightly grimy towel (where they got a bath towel in a restaurant was another, slightly concerning question). My M.I.L. was reasonably happy with her soup-and sandwich. My wife had a bacon-cheeseburger, considering it an "indicator meal". Her judgment was somewhere between "nothing special" and "I've had better". I had the "Harley Burger" aka the Chili Size mentioned by John E. While the patty is large, it's stacked on both halves of the bun, making it stand a bit high. It was also a bit precarious to cut and shovel, and I finally pulled one of the bun slices out. It's covered (not drenched by any means) in a very bland canned chili. If you like chili, don't bother. If you like spice, be SURE that your table has full bottles of tabasco - it really, really needs some flavor assistance. I asked for onion (you need to request it) and got a few chunks of diced white. Small props to the restaurant for having a condiment rack with 3 flavors of Tabasco sauce on every table! Now, the thing that really "steams" me...after dumping a teapot in my lap, they had the stones to bring me a check without ANY consideration whatsoever. I asked the waiter if he was serious, not comping anything after scalding my crotch - and he had to get the manager - who ultimately only comped *my* sandwich. Not only that, the manager was not aware of the problem until I mentioned it. There should be no question - you dump food (water, whatever) on a customer (1) You let the freakin' manager know! (2) you should be embarrassed to charge them full boat for their meal. This is just a crappy way to run a restaurant. The server should immediately try to make it right, the manager should be told... Will we go back? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The breakfast menu looked interesting. However, I've been to places with better tasting food and much better service. It's not real high on the revisit meter at this time...
(2)Duane V.
Hadn't been here for a while, so we went in for dinner. We ordered New York steak, and it was cooked to the doneness requested. Food was plentiful, and the vegetables tasted as if they were picked out of the garden. Milkshakes are generous - hand dipped ice cream - and enough left over in the metal container to fill the glass once again. One of our favorite places...
(5)Elle K.
What they do, they do it well. And it has to say something about a place who keeps their waitstaff even though tips can't be that great. Stereotypical Ma & Pa entrees - main course, veggie and starch. The desserts are REAL and the shakes and malts are REAL!! Been there for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Nothing fancy, but consistently good. Decent prices, decent people, decent food and a bit of fun to boot! A sure thing.
(4)Greg E.
Typically very good food. Portions are so large that if I finish it I usually dont eat till evening.
(4)Big S.
Consistently good service and good diner food. It is what it is....diner food. They do it well.
(4)Mike N.
This is a fun place to eat. Good food, large portions, and attentive staff. The milkshakes are old school, with real ice cream and mixed on an old style blender like the days of the drive ins. They serve food like open faced turkey sandwhiches in gravy, meat loaf, chicken fried steak, hamburgers, and other foods along this line. Great place to eat. Give it a try.
(4)Lisa L.
I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. I was most impressed by the cute decor, the ease of parking, the decent prices, the enormous portions, the friendly waitress (who was the only one working when we arrived and still never let our cups go empty), and the delicious hash browns. I also loved that they had apple butter for my toast. That is a lot for 3.5 stars, but the omelette was so-so and way oversalted.
(3)C C.
Don't get the chicken fried steak. There is no steak in it. It is breaded breading, seriously. I didn't eat it. The vegetables were fine. The french fries were undercooked and soggy. The ice tea was good, but sat empty. The service is very slow. It would be a good place to go hang out and order beverages if you are trying to kill time. But if you are looking for a decent meal, go somewhere else. I waited 45 minutes after taking a couple of bites and discovering the breaded breading waiting for my waiter to get the check. Cost: I paid $13 for the breaded breading (chicken fried steak) with inedible french fries and an ice tea. Service: Slow, painfully slow. And they don't care if you like the food or not.
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