Tillie’s Diner

In the old days [20 years ago and more] this was one of my favorite places. Good food, if nothing particularly fancy; low prices; huge portions; friendly and fast servers; best of all, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Over the years it became much more average. The last owner didn’t seem to have his heart in it, although the servers were still great and the food still pretty good. The atmosphere was what it was, very basic diner on a cold dreary streetcorner.
Alameda’s three main breakfast place have traditionally had fervent fans, with an almost religious loyalty and rivalry. I was one of the few agnostics who liked all three and was a longtime regular at two [Tillie’s and Jim’s]. We lost something special when a major plumbing leak caused the demise of this local institution.
I’m not sure why so many posters since the closure seemed to be under the impression that Tillie’s was coming back, From the day they went out of business, they made it clear that there was little chance of a return. After many months, the place finally is being readied for a new tenant. Rumor has it that it’ll be a French or at least French-​themed place, possibly a coffee and pastry sort of bistro. Whatever it is, I’ll be there to check it out the day it opens.

* Note: I haven’t eaten here yet. Please read on to learn more.
So having longed for this place to be open so we (my gf & I) can try it for the last 10 months upon moving here from out of state (to literally 5 blocks down the street from ‘em), you can imagine my sadness at the sight of it seeming to be perpetually «closed indefinitely.»
… All of that changed yesterday when I happened to catch a glimpse of some maintenance looking dudes standing outside next to a work truck — –near an open backdoor of the restaurant ! I just had to stop & ask what they knew…
They said a PLACE TO DRINK COFFEE AND EAT FOOD is opening in a month or two!!! (Their English was limited but I’m pretty sure I understand what they meant!)
Can it be that Tillie’s will finally return, so soon?! You don’t know how excited I am for the corner of Webster & Santa Clara to no longer look deserted, empty, bleak… etc…
Plus I’m super stoked to have another Alameda diner option! I’ve heard good things about this place so I’m hoping to not be let down. AND SO NEAR MY PLACE! WOO-​HOO! It’ll be an extra special treat having the epic Tillie’s open again walking distance from home (as opposed to some random new diner opening up).
Since I haven’t tried this restaurant yet, I will return after they open (or whatever food/​drink establishment opens there) and update or redo this review. The current 5 stars are just out of excitement to try them. I’m glad it pulled their average up from 2.5 stars to 3, too… Looks a little better wouldn’t you say? :)
Here’s to Tillie’s reopening!!! My fingers are crossed…

My cold black heart breaks a little every time I walk past Tillie’s closed storefront. I’m hoping a miracle will happen and I’ll be reunited with their banana nut waffles and french toast soon. Til then I’ll have to settle for daydreaming about me and a giant plate of waffles running towards each other in slow-​motion through a field of daisies. *sigh*

Most of the people on here don’t know what the F they are talking about! This place ROCKS (I guess the fact that I know some of the waitstaff helps). Always had a bottomless cup of coffee (Sorry Hilda!!), and the waffles in the morning are GOOD!!!
Unfortunately, this place has temporarily gone out of buisiness for «renovations», but I don’t think it is going to open up again — which is a SHAME. Alameda will be missing something if this place closes down.

Yes, like others have said, it’s kind of a dump. But that’s not a problem. What would you expect form a local diner.
The food is good and you don’t normally have to wait too long to get seated.
I’ve been 3 – 4 times and will go back.
My dad went with me once and enjoyed it as well.
All the Raiders memorabilia on the walls is kind of cool.

Sadly, Tillies is now closed. I hope someone buys it up and retro-​renovates but keeps the waffles!
I am not usually a waffle person, but I heartily recommend the belgian waffle, with the warm maple syrup with a touch of molasses mixed in. The only egg dish I’d recommend is the «joes special» with chicken. Other dishes I’ve tried aren’t worth it, but these two are worth going back for!

It’s a dive! so, you may love it and you may hate it. Me? I was unimpressed. If you want that cheapy Fear and Loathing type of experience with overpriced and yes, mediocre food this is your place. I was expecting a hayward diner feel where everybody knows your name and yah, you’re always glad you came. here, no one was glad, and it looked like everyone was a newbie – takin’ a chance on this old ass diner with ancient seat cushions to boot.
If you’re not in for the experience, the food was less than par. If I’m paying about $ 10 bucks for a burger, you better give me more than KOIT and well worn seats. For those who’d like to venture over to Tillie’s try the Reuben and nothing else.

Tillie’s Diner has a great location, on the corner of Broadway and Santa Clara, it’s pretty accessible. The diner is what it is, an old diner. The boothes were comfy but not a chic or trendy place. That’s what I like about this spot.
Instead of eating a «normal» dinner, I opted to have some breakfast food instead. I tried their denver omlette with hashbrowns. The omlette was a hearty one and the hashbrowns were very crispy on the top and tender underneath. The omlette hit the spot and I ended up finishing the whole darn thing.
My friend had a burger and it looked pretty good. I can’t wait to go next time and try something different.

Oh man, this is a solid diner. Who can’t love a diner that hasn’t changed since the time it was built and has servers with a ‘tude? That’s the charm! If you want a fast breakfast, go through a drive-​thru.
Scrambled eggs are a chopped-​up-​omelet styled egg, and wonderful. Taste like eggs, not butter. Bacon can really only be un-​improved upon from it’s original state; since Tillie’s doesn’t do it wrong, they do it right.
I don’t really know what makes toast good, but I’m willing to say that this is the best wheat toast I’ve had anywhere. It just was. PLUS! A full selection of jams/​jellies, and clean, working condiment containers. Mmm!

Well unlike the other fools on here I friggin’ LOVE this joint. It’s a dive diner. The waitresses can be rude, the customers can be rude and the food can be rude. That’s EXACTLY what makes this place AWESOME. The coffee here sucks — you wouldn’t want bottomless cups.
My kids love it, my girlfriend hates it. Used to live across the street from the place and went there all the time. Got to know the bitchy waitresses and could care less about service so long as my greasy spoon was friggin’ greasy.
The food is just as good as any diner in Alameda. I mean c’mon, it’s friggin’ eggs, biskets and sausage folks?! What the hell, go to Denny’s or something if you’re looking for *good* food. True, it’s a crappy little diner. That’s just the point folks.

YOU SUCK!!!
You suck so much! I hate you!
You made me look like an idiot because I took my girlfriend to you for breakfast before work. Your food is shitty and insanely priced for how shitty it is.
AND THEN
You have the nerve to charge my girlfriend three times for her meal!
Advice to everyone. This place is to be avoided.

The food is average to just below average. I had eggs, sausage, and biscuits. The sausage was perfect, the rest I would not go out of my way for.
The service is bad, to below average. I got one cup of coffee with one refill. The bill came as the first plate was being set down. If you like the sort of divey-​diner that ignores ya, this is the place.
I will walk down the way for a bite. Tillie’s is easily ignorable.

This place is a block down from my dentist, so one Saturday morning, after much drilling and screaming at the dentist, I decided to eat something while waiting for the bus to go back to downtown SF. I’m on a mission to hunt for the perfect meat sauce spaghetti and garlic bread, and I FOUND IT THERE!!! REALLY delicious meat sauce spaghetti + garlic bread. Best I’ve never had so far.
I can only say one thing, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t wait to go back to the dentist!!!
:D

I can’t speak for the food in this place. Maybe it’s exquisite. Judging from the other reviews, I doubt it, but I’ll never know.
That’s because my girlfriend and I stopped in at 3:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. The restaurant was completely empty. Not one customer. We chose a booth next to the window and sat down. The waitress hurried over and reproachfully told us we couldn’t sit there.
«Why?»
“Because you don’t have five people in your group.” She rudely tapped a little sign that stated the seating rules. Then she added, «it looks like you only have two people, am I wrong?»
We were dumbfounded. I gazed across a cavernous, lonely interior. The dulcet sounds of Kenny G. «Are you expecting a 4 o’clock rush or something, ‘cuz it doesn’t look like any large parties are scrambling for this booth.»
«Those are the rules.»
«Okey dokey. Bye Bye.»

Question: how is it possible to combine greasiness with absolutely no taste whatsoever? Isn’t grease, or fat, what usually gives food its delicious flavor?
I personally don’t know how it’s done, but Tillie’s has managed to somehow produce food that’s so greasy you’re queasy after eating it – but then present that same food with almost no flavor. There are some things on the menu that are ok, mostly their fries and burgers. But neither hubby nor I enjoyed their chili (loaded with cheese and onions, but totally lacking in TASTE), and I definitely regretted my decision to try their reuben sandwich recently (ack, just tasteless).
There are many better places in Alameda, so skip this one unless you’re dying for a greasy spoon diner experience, which is just what this restaurant serves up.

Sometimes you forget how much of a small town Alameda really is. I had to drop my car off at a shop on Webster which required me to walk 3 miles home. I had to stop for breakfast.
I walked in an 1^st noticed the 8 highschool kids in the corner booth all cutting 1^st period. I also noticed the old folks having a big morning out. There was the homeless guy sipping his coffee for hours on end. I noticed the waitress who had been rode hard and put to bed wet. The other one who just has a nice smile and no English skills. The cooks who are illegal. The guy who works down the street and just orders straight from the cook.
Special #3 French toast, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, english muffin and a small oj. $ 12.80. Suddenly I realize I’m still in the Bay Area.
Food was average. Place was just gross.

I hate to say that in recent years, my opinion of Tillie’s has gone down dramatically, but it was the bomb when I was younger.
Their food is pretty average… nothing exactly stands out. Their staff is incredibly friendly and there are a ton of regulars, which is always nice to see. They’re a humble place, so if they should get something wrong they’ll fix it immediately.
However, the interior leaves something to be desired. Like, a renovation. It doesn’t necessarily need an updated look, but just a little more sparkle. The booths are really small and there’s not nearly enough seating on a busy weekend morning. The inside is looking tired and in need of a face lift.
It’s a great alternative to Jim’s or Olé’s over on Park Street (neither of which I consider all that special anyway) and, my favorite feature, serves Cream of Wheat the way I like it (just the right thickness).

Tillie’s, I salute you as a place clearly comfortable with being the local greasy-​spoon. You’re the proverbial unshaven slob in the white t-​shirt, slouched in the LaZBoy with a can of Bud. If ever a restaurant deserved a state waiver to retain a smoking section, it would be you.
Tillies serves good patty melts, tuna melts, burgers, and fries still dripping in oil. The philosophy on cooking with butter and oil here is that if a little is good, a lot must be better.
Other Unilocalers mercilessly trash this place, and some of the horror stories might make you think twice. But I’ve been here several times, and apart from the occasional crowd and surly service, it’s consistently hit the mark. Consider this an alternative perspective from a non-​local, non-​regular, who hasn’t had a bad meal here (yet).

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Alameda residents/​natives, it’s their heartfelt sense of island community. They really like to support their local businesses and feel pretty strongly about their restaurants!
I found myself on bustling Webster Avenue on a late Sunday morning, waiting in a long line to get into Tillie’s. My expectations were great because every single customer looked like locals and regulars.
As far as diners go, this place had «typical» diner fare (breakfast combinations, home fries, hash browns, burgers, pies, shakes, etc.) & «typical» vinyl booths. I have to say — I really wasn’t too disappointed with my meal and the rest of my party was pretty satisfied with theirs (our breakfast plates were scraped clean). And the prices are great for the hearty portions.
But, the service was horrendous, painfully sluggish (incomprehensible bus boys asking us questions, repeating our drink orders to us incorrectly. Disclaimer: I am incredibly patient when it comes to handling language barriers but if you can’t remember our beverage order, hey, here’s a tip, write it down instead of serving incorrect drinks) & ultimately, just inefficient and not friendly or diner-​warm service at all.
Five stars for feeding my hard-​working brother-​in-​law on many early weekend mornings. But minus three whole stars for not yet figuring out how to serve up simple meals fast & friendly.

Tillie’s is located on the Sleepy side of Sunday morning Alameda. In Alameda, at noon, there will be huge lines at Olé’s and Jim’s Diner.
This place is a great breakfast place to go to if you need an American style breakfast that’s not Denny’s.
The service is so-​so. When the coffee cup’s empty, it’s not filled right away.
That being said, the waffles are very good here, the interior is warm and comfortable, and, if you do not want to wait, the diner area normally has seating.
It’s an excellent back up place to go to for breakfast. It just isn’t spectacular breakfast.
It’s slightly better than Denny’s or IHOP in that it’s suprisingly not all that greasy. That actually impressed me.
I’d go here again if I was desperate for breakfast and did not want to wait but wanted something beyond «Mc-​somethingoranother.»
Costs very reasonable. You can get out of this place feeling hearty for less than $ 10.