Old Towne Diner

service was incredibly slow. the waitress was courteous and friendly, but she and the cook were the only people working and it showed.
food was ok. there are much better places to eat in the circle, i don’t know how this place survives.

Disappointed. We came here a few months ago and liked it. We just went back yesterday and the service was soooooooo incredibly slooooooow.
I am not usually one to complain about slow service, and our waitress was nice enough, but when I’m waiting 45 mins to spend $ 25 plus tip so my boyfriend and I can eat greasy plain eggs, bacon, and hash browns that I could have made at home, on a Sunday at 2 PM, when the place isn’t even full, it just starts getting frustrating. There was no sense of urgency at all… other people were waiting for their checks to be taken and their waitress would walk past several times before they had to get up and ask at the front. I much prefer the old system where you ordered and paid up front. At least it sped up the process a bit. I also realized the food here is nothing to write home about. There are plenty of better choices in the area.

Not sure what the hype is here, sorry. Couldn’t decide in anything bc nothing really jumped out. Think I ended with a soup? Slow service considering it was empty, I’d pass…

My wife saw this place on Unilocal and suggested we try it out.
5 stars to the crew in front of the house! Excellent customer service! (I own a food truck and that’s what I believe makes or brakes your relationship with a customer.)
5 stars on time of taking out food!
5 stars to crew back of the house crew, food was amazing and I enjoyed how they make almost everything out of scratch, from the fries to the bread! Not many places of this anymore.
They know what they are doing and the ambience is mellow, I enjoy hearing oldies and the decorations also set this place to the right mood.
I will definitely be back for dinner here with the family.
Thanks guys!

I live close by decided to try this place out because of its reviews on Unilocal.This place doesn’t disappoint. This place is a hidden gem right across from Zitos in the Orange circle. It’s easy on the wallet the staff is very nice and friendly. The food is very good and you can’t go wrong eating here. I will be dining again soon.

The service here is laughably bad. There is nothing like listening to one server bitch to another about stupid diners and their irritating kids that leave too small tips, as you stand by awkwardly with your hopefully non irritating kid, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement. And it’s great fun watching her flirt with the hip young artist type while waiting in vain for the box you asked for 10 minutes ago. Or how about ordering Seasoned Fries, only to have a basket of tasteless potato strips tossed on your table and an attitude when you have the nerve to ask where the seasoning is? And forget about any sauce.
This still would have been a two star review had my child not spent the night puking up french fries. How do you mess up fries?
I am all for supporting small local businesses, but at least I know that Ruby’s and Johnny Rocket’s will be grateful for my patronage, not make me feel like I should be grateful for being served.

A nice tucked away 50’s style dinner in old town Orange. Food was good but very greasy. I ordered the burrito chili dog which hit the spot and had to order a side of fries since none of the main dishes come with any sides. The fries tasted a little weird, they were thin cut but didn’t really have any flavor. Maybe they had just been deep fried for too long.
The service is not that great. You have to order up front and then they give you a number and bring you your food. I asked for ketchup but the waitress/​cashier forgot so I had to get up and ask up front for ketchup again which was kind of annoying. Overall I might come back and try their burgers and maybe onion rings.

I’m REALLY confused how this place has so many stars. I guess I can’t trust Unilocal with every review. I was craving a good burger and knew I could go to The Counter or TK Burger, but wanted to try something different and after reading the reviews for this place we figured to give it a try. I give it more than 1 star because I did enjoy the onion rings.
The one cashier was nice, but besides that their service was terrible! There was another girl making malts and she ignored customers waiting in line wanting to order for (and I am not exaggerating) 5 minutes. She didn’t greet them or at least let them know someone would help them soon. The other cashier was running around delivering food. The tables were a disaster. It took way too long for them to bus them and even clean them properly. They left dirty dishes even after «clearing» the table.
Super super super super slow service. There was a sign warning that they don’t make it until you order it and it will take time, but this was ridiculous. I watched one table be delivered food and 10 minutes later another dish went to someone else. The first person was done eating by the time his friend got his food!
Oh and the food. Not redeemable. Like I said, the onion rings were tasty, but the burger was just not good. It was so overcooked I had to peel off the edges so that I wouldn’t be eating charcoal. Oh, and they ran out of french fries by noon on a Saturday! A diner running out of french fries? There is some obvious management issues here and we won’t be returning.

The 4.5 stars on Unilocal is just about how great the diner is (: I rated it as 5 stars for the best service that I’ve gotten in awhile. I came with my boyfriend and really enjoyed the burgers here. The workers genuinely care about how you feel and what you want. They basically check on you every 20 minutes. The food is good and the place is refreshing. A bit difficult to find parking though. And its located in a bit of an alley way but its worth lookong for!

I’ll keep this simple.
Food– fantastic, everything tasted fresh and delicious
Service– very sweet and attentive young girl
Atmosphere– cute, retro, we all enjoyed the little juke box at our booth
Prices– very cheap considering the amount of food got
Only negative I can possibly think of is that it was cold in there.
Needless to say, we liked it a whole lot. It’s like a smaller less expensive Ruby ‘s, (and a million times better than Watson’s) we will definitely be coming here instead, I’ll just bring a sweater next time.

I was really apprehensive about this place being good, I haven’t had many great «diner» experiences, I often find they try to cram too many things on the menu and they don’t really do anything well. That is not the case for Old Towne Diner.
The food was great, I had a chili burger that had incredibly tasty chili. The thing that really surprised me was the fries, the fries were something different… They didn’t look different, they looked like everyone else fries but for some reason theirs had a different texture and taste about them. They were the surprise hit of the lunch!
Portions were very large, you could easily share or take some to go.
The décor was typical diner style and service was friendly. Service is not fast however, it took about 15 minutes to get our food. I don’t mind waiting for good food, I would rather it take longer and be made fresh but a little warning would be nice, just in case you are in a hurry.
I really can’t wait to come back and try more of the menu!

So as soon as my partner and I walk in I fell in love with not only the place but the smell coming from the kitchen. The menu is amazing and the prices are great. We both got the old town special eggs bacon sausage hash browns and toast and every single item was perfect. Will totally be coming back.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a note from the owner of this place after my not so great review regarding the customer service at this location. Al stated that he wanted my husband & I to return & our meal would be on the house just to make things right.
I thought that was AWESOME! I had no idea that the owners would even bother to reach out in such a way. That gesture truly shows that the owner highly values his customers & I TOTALLY APPRECIATE IT!
My husband & I look forward to taking Al up on his offer. :-):-)

The Orange Circle in Old Towne Orange is perhaps one of the best recognized places to find innovative food while being immersed around vintage and bohemian styling in Orange County. Walking down the streets branching out from the roundabout, the local sweets vendor rubs shoulders with a garishly out of place Radio Shack. Haven Gastropub serves up microbrewed libations next to the old breakfast comforts of Kimmie’s Coffee Cup, and squeezed between the narrow alleyways, a nook takes hold adjacent to a small brick bound space for coffee and burgers. This throwback restaurant is Old Towne Diner, the diner you didn’t know you missed.
Deco: 5 stars
If Americana was personified in restaurant form, Old Towne Diner would have all the fixings. Transfixed by the obsessions of Coca-​Cola and steel counters, this diner has the walls framed with Coca-​Cola memorabilia, stainless steel, and red & white booths, complete with 25 cent jukeboxes. Paper towels are dispensed as the wipes of choice for your dining messes, and rotating fans keep the inside breezy on those hot summer days. Walking up to the counter, lights illuminate from the bottom of the glass display showcasing Coca-​Cola glassware, and the desserts are proudly displayed in the dessert counter to the left. Nostalgia fills the air as easily as the aromas of food in this tiny throwback restaurant.
Service: 5 stars
When you are searching for ways to nit pick on the service of a restaurant, that’s a good sign. Walking up to the counter, you’ll be welcomed warmly by the cashiers, who also double as the servers. Looking up at the vast menu of tasty treats, it’d be easy to be overwhelmed and lost. There’s so many choices! Luckily, the workers are not only knowledgeable, but passionate about the food. When you ask for their opinions, they speak the way any food lover does: lavishly. If this doesn’t create anticipation for what you’re getting into, nothing will.
Food: 5 stars
As diners go, burgers, shakes, fries, and hot dogs make the line up of the usual suspects. However, keeping true to the juxtaposition of this diverse area, these items are as innovative as they are classic in their makings. Take the Pixley Street Burger as case in point. This burger involves the staples which make Californian cuisine popular: avocado, chorizo, and green Ortega chilies. Mixing the regional tastes into something as basic as a burger makes this unique food item special. To «1 Up» that, they bake their own buns for their burgers and sandwiches in house, and it is evident in the taste. The buns taste rustic, hearty, and a perfect compliment for the savory flavors of each burger. Add in crisp fries and fresh vegetables and you’ve got a near perfect burger in each bite. Old Towne Diner even creates something they call «fried pickle chips» — pickle slices deep fried and served with your choice of dipping sauce. America loves to deep fry things (Oreos, Twinkies, corn dogs), and luckily the idea transferred over to pickles. This unique side dish is fantastic! They retain the moistness and crisp great pickles have with a savory coating on the outside. Even better, the pickling doesn’t hit you like a mack truck. Instead, it creeps quietly at the end of each bite, a pleasant surprise.
Price: 4 stars
For all the specialties this diner concocts, the pricing is fair enough to feed even the most cash strapped Orange County college student. Burgers hover around the $ 8 mark, with the Old Towne Burger, the simplest burger, being $ 6. You can create your own burger for $ 8, and the sides and drinks fall near the $ 5 mark. With $ 13 in your hand, you can get a filling, quality meal.
Conclusion
This small, but spacious diner truly represents what Old Towne Orange is all about. The atmosphere is pleasantly relaxing, the food is comfortably filling, and even the customers are surprisingly diverse, ranging from the old couple who drink coffee black with their coconut cake to the hipsters ordering veggie burgers and iced tea. Though this place might try it’s best to stay secret, even hiding between buildings, the uniqueness of Old Towne Diner cannot be hidden for the hungry and chatty mouths that gush about this wonderful restaurant.

All things considered, I think Old Towne Diner is worthy of 4.5 stars.
Dawn M. and I have eaten at just about every Orange Circle establishment over the last 2 years. Today, we wanted to try something new and decided on Old Towne Diner after seeing the 4.5 star cumulative rating.
I ordered the Glassell Burger with fruit salad and added an extra side of pasta salad. Dawn M. went with the Chicken Caesar Salad. Our total came out to $ 18, which was great considering the hefty portions.
The Glassell Burger was delicious! The melted cheddar cheese, shoestring onions, and mushrooms went very well together. The burger was thick, juicy, and just about every other related adjective you could think of. The same thing would have probably been $ 14 at Haven and not nearly as good. The fruit and pasta salad were fresh, but pretty standard. Dawn M.‘s Chicken Caesar Salad was tasty as well. Tender (chicken), crisp, and not too salty.
For dessert, we shared a vanilla ice cream cone for $ 1.49. The ice cream was rich and creamy– in other words, it didn’t taste like the cheap kind from CVS.
Service was great. The cashier/​server (Jen, I think) was polite and brought our food out within 5 minutes of ordering. On a side note, this also one of the few places to have glass (not plastic) water cups.
The interior is 1950’s themed. Some might say that it’s a bit tacky, but I think it’s charming in its own way.
The location can be a bit tricky– it’s right across from Zito’s Pizza and adjacent to Growl (in the alley).
Next time I’ll try the BYOB option for $ 7.99.

I might have given Old Towne Diner three stars, but I think it is sort of my civic duty to do my part to bring down their average. This is not a 4.5 star establishment, at least not on the day I visited.
We decided to try something new for a week end breakfast. When I saw that Old Towne Diner was so well rated, I thought we might have a new place to add to the regular rotation.
The restaurant is located off Glassel in a little alleyway. It is behind Jalepenos and next to Zitos for those of you who are familiar with the area. The diner is small. It has four booths and about six or seven tables inside plus room for a few tables outside. When we first arrived, we had to sit outside because there was nothing available inside. The fact that it was busy gave me a good feeling.
Soon after we sat down outside, the server told us a table had opened up inside. We went ahead and took it. It was nice because the sun was right in my eyes at the outside table. We moved into a booth. The booths have the little 25 cent juke box things so you can put some money in and choose your song. My boys liked that.
The breakfast menu is kind of small. They have an eggs, meat, potato, and toast deal that is pretty cheap. I did not go for that. Rather, I decided to build my own omelette with pastrami, onions, and provalone cheese. One of my sons wanted chicken strips, my wife ordered a burger, and my other son just wanted milk. So, we placed our order. So far so good.
My omelette came out first. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. It was a good 10 minutes after the omelette arrived when we received our final dish — the chicken fingers.
Now, if you have any family restaurant savvy whatsoever, you know that kids get bored and cranky at restaurants. Therefore, it is imperative that the kids get food fast. My boys were both climbing all over the place and being obnoxious while my omelette was sitting there getting cold. As soon as the order goes in, start the kids’ food. If an adult dish only takes a short time to cook, start it last. In fact, if I had to wait 10 minutes after my son’s food arrived to get my food, I would not have cared. I can deal with a little wait.
The food was okay. My omelette was well cooked, but it was not very big. The chicken fingers and fries were satisfactory. My wife said her burger was decent but had some odd flavor to it like it was cooked on the grill after something else that left a taste. Hmmm, might want to spiff up that grill a bit.
After we got our food the two servers vanished. Well, actually, I could see them fine, but evidently they could not see us. They could not see my boys getting more and more antsy about being cooped up. They could not see me waving my hand to get the check. They sure as hell could not see the empty glasses on the table.
Finally, my wife walked up to the counter to ask for the bill. If this is standard practice, they need to let people know that they need to get up and go to the counter to find out how much the owe. It was odd and irritating.
Maybe we went on a bad day. It looked like they had some interesting burgers on the menu that might be worth trying. I really don’t think I will ever be back for breakfast again.

For now… I am only basing this review on ambiance since I didn’t get to try any of their food. This is a cute and cozy diner. The location is definitely hidden from the street so looking for this place poses a challenge. But the décor seemed very legit retro. I will definitely come back to try some of their grub to see if it does the same for my taste buds.

I am not a huge «diner» fan to begin with, but if they have good burgers, fries, and shakes, then I don’ t care about the kitschy décor. But sadly, the food here wasn’t that good.
My husband and I both «made our own» burgers and found the hamburger patties to be lacking in flavor. I also experienced a few pieces of gristle in mine — not sure if he did or not. My grilled onions appeared to have just been waved over the grill — they were still pretty raw. And the entire thing was drenched in the sauce I requested. The sweet potato fries were pretty good. My milkshake tasted… a little fake. Not sure if they are using real ice cream or not.
Service was very good — they were very nice and attentive. But with so many other really good dining options around here, I would never come back.

Decided to try this place out for lunch with a co worker. I ordered the Old Town Trolley Spicy Chicken. Yummy! Bread was nice and soft good amount of chicken and just the right amount jalapeños, good chipolte sauce too. My friend ordered the Philly Sandwich and that looked just as good. If your a sweet potato fan you must order their sweet potato fries. We got one order and split it between the two of us and had some left over. We also tried the deep fried pickles and deep fried jalapenos, with a side of ranch and chipolte sauce. Very fresh and hot!
Cute retro dining décor and the staff was very friendly checking on us. If your going to go at lunch time go a little early as the place fills up fast!

This is a retro place w/​stainless steel and small juke boxes on the tables. Burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs are the primary items on the menu.
I ordered the pastrami ($ 7.99) w/​the combo special — fries and a drink — for $ 2 extra. Otherwise the fries are 2.99 alone. I didn’t see a price for sodas.
The sandwich was not good at all. There was not much meat (even less than drunktard Wienerschnitzel’s version), the bread was hard on one end and it wasn’t very large for the price. The fries on the other hand, were crispy and freshly cut. However, I would not pay the full $ 2.99 for the portion. Despite all the foregoing, the service was good. The staff was friendly and the Manager stopped by my table to ask me how the food was (if he only knew!).
This place has an identity crisis — you can build your own burger ala Slaters — but the prices are high in relation to the quality. In addition, I did not see milkshakes on the menu a la Rubys or Woodys. I Iike to support small businesses vs large chains. But unfortunately, I will not return based upon the poor quality of the sandwich.