John’s Diner

Your standard old-​school breakfast diner. The staff is mostly older but they make sure you’re taken care of. Prices are very reasonable and portions are generous. My friend and I make it our regular spot on Sunday mornings!

My boyfriend and I have been here a total of three times within the last 2 months. The first two times, the food was excellent, service even better. Unfortunately they only accept cash, but that’s never held us back from a genuine home cooked meal.
The third time, however, wasn’t the best experience. The service was prompt, friendly as ever. The food was exceptional. The omlettes were 5 bucks and came with toast. We both added hash browns for $ 1.25. I got coffee and orange juice. He got lemonade and $ 2 stuffed grape leaves (which were the worst we’ve ever had.) They were different, not sour, didn’t taste fresh at all. Anyways, we’ve always loved the exceptionally low prices, especially for the quality of food here. Coffee was awesome and before I could even think about getting another cup, I noticed it was already full. They must have charged us for EVERY refill, including coffee. Because our total was $ 28 and some change. Most of the refills were filled without asking for them. I could barely read the receipt and the prices didn’t seem accurate.
I’ll definitely go back for breakfast again. I’ll stay away from the grape leaves, because hey, it’s a DINER, I can’t really be mad. However, I WILL watch the prices and be cautious about refills. Overall, friendly breakfast spot in Lakewood.

1 star. for 1 word = GROSS
this entire place is filthy. dusty. sticky. & it smells horrible

This was the absolute most disgusting food i ever attempted to eat in my life. I would not feed this food to my dog or a stray one on the verge of death for that matter. The coffee was cold, the water had a stench and an after taste, the soup was cold but i was able to choke it down. The food was rotten! The steak which i didnt expect to be the greatest smelled rotten and tastes sour, the gravy was old lumpy and foul. I have never once went to an establishment order 4 different menu items and everyone take 2 bites get sick to their stomach and not eat. The fact that the waitress took 4 plates not even touched filled with food back and not question was beyond me. We all got sick from our 2 tasting bites and i am probably going to call the health department. I didnt even want to give this place 1 star. I would rather eat the scraps thrown into a dumpster from a gas station then to ever go to this place again

John’s is like stepping back in time … in all the best ways! The food is simple but well-​prepared. The portions are generous. The service is friendly and attentive. And the prices, well, unbelievably easy on your wallet. Case in point: the special breakfast: 2 French toast slices (or pancakes); 2 slices bacon; 2 sausage links; and 2 eggs prepared to order … $ 4.95! I almost feel guilty ordering it. Definitively a unique place with old-​fashioned values.

I always go there on sundays for breakfast, the food is ok the people who works here are very nice, nothing special, just dinner food. Its cheap and convenient, nothing out of the ordinary.

Breakfast wasn’t too good here, bacon kinda in edible, but the people working were really nice, my bf loved his omelette but I just didn’t like mine :(my potatoe hash was so oily I mean like pizza oily. :/

I love this place. Do not walk in expecting to be amazed. I guess you just need to wrap your head around exactly what John’s Diner really is. Yes, there are lipstick stains on the cups from time to time, and yes, much of the menu is crossed out and rewritten in pen. The place is pushing 80 according to review from a newspaper hanging on the wall. You get what you pay for in this case, but it is charming if you are in the right mindset. It’s fun.
DO NOT order dinner food, it will be gross. They serve breakfast all day, and that is what they know how to do.
Also: Their home fries are heavenly. :)

Very small, but delicious food and good price. The owner is a super nice guy. When you get an omelette as big as your head and it’s ~$ 6 you know you have found your breakfast place to be.
This all being said, sometimes service can be a little slow, but nothing too bad.

This is the worst dining experience I’ve ever experienced in all my years.
It is also the weirdest dining experience I have experienced in all my years…
So I’ve driven by quite a few times and it struck me as a place the locals go when they’ve had one too many or maybe a place some of the locals frequent for a weekend hangover cure.
To preface this, I’m under the impression that things were going through a change on this first and last visit here. There were items hand-​written into the menu, the elderly waitress made a comment that the «chef» was new, and the register was brand new to the waitress as well.
So, anyhow, the story:
Two adults and one child (age of 5). Empty diner except one elderly gentleman who showed up while we were there. The establishment was dirty… don’t care. I actually expected it and may have been disappointed had it not been. The waitress needs to retire. She seemed to be struggling stringing sentences together a little. Still, not a big deal.
Let’s order!
So the child of our bunch ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, the adults meals were roast beef and mashed potatoes and gravy as well as swedish meatballs over noodles.
Each meal came with the soup of the day (a creamy spinach soup with whatever those noodles are in wedding soup). I ordered the chili on top of that just to have a taste. The chili was GROSS! Not like a gross like this is too sweet, or too salty, or just not a good recipe… it was GROSS in a way that can only be described as it seemed as though it was so old and re-​used or SOMETHING that it developed a taste of nothing with the consistency of cream of wheat.
The soup of the day came out… again…GROSS!!! Gross for the same reasons except this also had the added pleasure of tasting like they «of the dayified» the soup pot by adding a block of salt. VERY gross. I eat EVERYTHING no matter what. I dd NOT eat this.
Spaghetti comes out. Giant portion for a kid but one can’t complain about that. Sad-​looking but no bog whoop. She enjoyed it… she’s 5.
The roast beef and mashed potatoes come out. Immediately I see those scooped, starchy, obviously flake potatoes… no big whoop. Not my cup of tea but they can;t be that bad. The roast beef, however, looked (and I tasted it) and tasted HORRIBLE! It had a gray tinge to it, had the appearance of a texture closer to pencil shavings (only larger) and there was literally zero moisture left in it at all. Gross but let’s press on.
While that was going on, I heard the waitress speak to the «chef» and explained that the Swedish Meatballs over noodles uses egg noodles and not spaghetti noodles and moreover (she didn’t use that word I assure you) the «sauce» is a brown gravy and not marinara sauce. There was some kind of muttering of acknowledgement and the waitress let me know that there was a problem and that my meal would be out shortly.
The «chef» tried to give me the exact same thing the child across from me had and call it «Swedish Meatballs Over Noodles»!!! Wrap your brain around that! So, after a brief lapse, the plate comes out… unbeknownst to me half my plate had spilled onto the counter during transport and the waitress had used a couple spools to get it back onto my plate before giving it to me. MMMMMMMMM!!! Then I look down. It’s the same meatballs sitting across from me, the same spaghetti noodles (not egg noodles) sitting across from me with the same brown gravy sitting across from me… ok, I’m not a débutante… I’ll tough it out.
I sliced into the first meatball. I took a bite. It was nearly frozen in the center had a salty briny taste from the gravy that also seemed spoiled. It was gross. The very first time in my years I just pushed a plate away and refused to eat it.
The waitress came over shortly after and asked how everything was. I let her know that I will kindly pay for these meals but would not feed these things to a stray dog. I let her know this was the first time I ever said this dining out.
She asked if she could take something off the check? First off, the right thing to do is to just apologize and comp the meal… I wasn’t about to debate what should be taken off, get into a mathematics quiz with someone who seems confused that she is even working at a restaurant (again, no offense but she just needs to stop).
So we all got up and walked toward the register. This is how we found out that the register is new…
So I was charged a little over 20 bucks. I handed the waitress 2−20s and asked if I could just have a 10 back. This was a problem. She could figure out how to open the drawer or use it in any way. She talked to it in disdain and was even starting to have that same kind of demeanor Kathy Bates had in Misery. Losing it to say the least. I felt bad at first but then she started to smack the register each time a button press was unsuccessful… kinda in a way when you first find out your girl is a little bit kinky but you aren’t quite sure what that means.

Everytime I’m in the Cleveland/​Lakewood area I stop here. It gives you an old-​time diner feel with excellent food and service. The prices are great and I always leave filled from the amount of food included. Highly recommend!

Kind of place that makes Lakewood a great place to live. Food decent and service is kind– kept coffee hot and didn’t rush us. Place is like a trip back in time — a classic 80 year old diner with mahogany panels everywhere. It’s shaped so you don’t feel crowded even though it’s long and rectangular. Years ago it was always too smoky but no longer thanks to smoking ban! CASH only.

Old fashioned dinner car. If you are looking for a solid plate of old fashioned belly filler, consider this place!

So my girlfriend and I walked into this… «establishment.» We took a seat at the only available spot on the bar. The employee dynamic was miserable at best. They were arguing with each other in front of the customers, suggesting that they all hate each other. I watched a woman give the customer the wrong change… Probably because their cash register is from the 1920s.
The younger of the three women was yelling into the kitchen «I’m not going to serve fatty bacon. Get your shit together.»
I left before they even had a chance to take my order (which was easily 10 minutes after I sat down).
I will never be coming back again. It looks like it’s not just the chef that needs to get his shit together…

John’s has the most delish corned beef hash in town! Yeah, the coffee mugs have lipstick stains and the forks aren’t the cleanest, but places like these are called «greasy spoons» for a reason. In the words of Bart Simpson, «This ain’t the Ritz.»
Their staff is super friendly. You never need to ask for coffee refills. And they have the best, most yummy coffee creamer! Not hazelnut, Carmel macchiato or anything frou frou. Just a very enjoyable cup ‘o joe!

I love diners. I love breakfast food. I love independently owned ANYTHING. In spite of John’s Diner having all of these ingredients, it proved to be the perfect storm for one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my dining life.
I HATE to have to write this review, but I was so appalled that people like this place I had to protest. It was filthy (I got a coffee mug with hot-​pink lipstick caked on it), outdated, muggy, falling apart, the coffee was weak and the food was cheap — in quality and price. You say no-​frills. I say the setting of a horror movie right before everyone gets murdered. I left with a new desperation to take a shower. I’m so sorry, I wanted to like it.
Save yourself the discomfort and visit the real no-​frills diners of lakewood: The Place to Be and The Coffee Pot.

I thought I’d never get to 500 reviews! Now that I finally have, I thought I’d review one of my favorite types of establishments — a no-​frills diner.
My mom, 2-​year-​old, and I dropped into John’s on a Wednesday at 10:30. I was pleased at how quiet and drowsy it was inside, yet we still got greeted enthusiastically and the waitress tended to us right away. Something tells me that if we were to come in at the same time on a Saturday, it would have been packed, but we would have still been acknowledged and served in an efficient manner. It’s just that type of place and seems to be run really smoothly.
Two things I was surprised about: their corned beef hash is, like, REAL. No crap out of a can (though I will always hold a special place in my heart for that salty gruel). It tasted great and came out fast. The second thing: they have a sign on the table boasting their own root beer made with cane sugar. I hate root beer, but that’s pretty impressive.
My daughter had a short stack of blueberry hotcakes and we had more than half left over because they were huge and hearty. My mom requested that her omelette be made with egg whites only, and they did that with no problem.
The coffee wasn’t AMAZING, but it was better than average, hot, and the refills kept coming. Our waitress was attentive without being intrusive.
Pretty much a great diner experience that I’ll be sure to repeat in the near future!

Ah John’s…this is a good ol’ classic car diner. Much of the inside is original — booths, counter, stools, hat racks, etc. Food is good, standard diner fare. Nothing outstanding but still solid. My friend says their pancakes are the best she’s ever had. I’ve never had them as I’m not much of a pancake eater, but she’s a connoisseur so I’ll take her word for it. As for cleanliness — I’ve definitely eaten in cleaner joints. I’ve never been in the bathroom, not even sure if they have one. Also, I wouldn’t look at the floor if I were you…
The reason John’s gets 4 and not 3, is they have what I call a great ‘diner waitress’. A great diner waitress is somebody who is very efficient, never misses anything, and always keeps your coffee hot. She calls you ‘hun’ or ‘sweetie’ but it somehow isn’t patronizing like it is when other people say it. Don’t know her name and she’s very young but she is great and is always there.
John’s is a classic type place — looks rough on the outside, not too far behind on the inside, but will serve you up a good, hot meal quickly and cheaply. Oh, yeah — CASH ONLY.

I’m sorry to say I only just got to John’s Diner for the first time this weekend.
This is the archetype of a greasy spoon diner. It’s been around forever (apparently at least since the 1930’s), is well worn, a little cramped, dirt cheap, and delicious.
We went for breakfast on a Sunday, and were really happy to find a simple, classic, menu of breakfast fare (with an option of dinner-​served all day). Eggs, meat (including country-​fried steak!), pancakes, gravy, etc. — you know the drill. Sit down, someone will take your order soon, and shortly thereafter it will arrive on some well-​used dishes for you to devour.
A little while later, a bill will arrive on your table and you’ll be surprised at how little your full belly cost.

In the midst of a cozy town is a cozy diner. This is a no frills place. Piles of food flying off the grill straight to the hungry locals.
Hungry? Try the corn beef hash, this mountain of tender beef and potatoes, topped off with a crown of eggs, will fill you up for cheap.
Coffee is hot, service is ornery, food is awesome. One star off for the facilities, they are definitely showing the age, and it bugged me a bit that the air vents were «fuzzy».