Southside Diner

I woke up on Sunday morning craving some good breakfast food, and after a quick search on Unilocal,it was an easy decision. I went around 11:30 and took a seat by myself at the counter. I took the advice from another review and got one of the specials — I picked the bacon avocado eggs benedict and it was absolutely amazing! My food came out quickly (so it’s great if you’re dining solo) and my coffee stayed full and hot. I will definitely be back to try another special!

I grew up in the Parma area and come back every so often to visit family. We found Southside Diner over Christmas break when we saw the reviews on Unilocal.We now make it a point to go there for breakfast anytime we’re up that way.
Definitely a unique breakfast experience from anything else in the area. He loves Corned Beef Hash and says this is one of the best he’s ever had. I enjoy the «The Parma» in both an omelette and wrap. Portion sizes are perfect and we’ve had great food both times. There are many things on the menu we’d love to try.
The only downfall to this place is that it’s tiny! Maybe 12 tables tops and it’s not ideal for large groups. There Sis a bar you can sit and eat. Service has been great, especially for it being so busy and not a lot of space to work. We will most definitely be back that next time we’re up that way!

This is a _​great_​small diner with a very traditional feel, complete with décor heavy on steel, white Formica, red vinyl, and white tiles, all of which somehow feels natural as opposed to forced or fake. The diner is kept clean, and it is bright from lights as well as large front windows. License plates on one wall represent all 50 states. (I believe they could use a DC «Taxation Without Representation» one if anyone is heading this way and has an extra one. :-)) Two tvs are on the walls. And as others have said, there’re only around 20 – 30 seats at tables or the lunch counter. The staff is warm and friendly. The food is very good and has great prices, all from a large menu with lots of breakfast, lunch, and probably dinner items. (I was hungry and not focused on the latter, so it didn’t register.) I thought the peppered bacon was particularly excellent.
I hope I have more chances to visit!

I stopped in this place for breakfast one morning. Portions are huge, hot and well done. Service is also excellent and the prices aren’t bad either.

Such a good place. Everything you’d want from a diner… The potatoes are especially good!

Had a FANTASTIC BREAKFAST. EGGS Poached PERFECTLY, Hollandaise Sauce right consistency & seasoned just right.
The Hash was MARVELOUS, spicy, seasoned well, generous portion.
I even ordered one to go.
To compliment & add to my Wonderful Dining Experience was my server.
She was very knowledgeable about the menu & ingredients in specials & rest of menu. She was attentive but did not hover or pester.
A True Professional. She was keeping the front of the House clean & orderly while still maintaining High Service Standards set up by the Owner.
I will Definitely be a Frequent Guest at South Side.

Nondescript spot in corner strip mall. GO HERE ANYWAY!
Food was absolutely SUPERB! Chicken & Waffles were ON POINT, and the breakfast burrito was more than a 13 year old boy could eat in one sitting!
Gals serving were not fake, slow or attituded-​up. Genuine and nice to talk to… where do you get that anymore!
5 star diner.

I’m obsessed with breakfast here. When you go, always get one of the specials, they are fantastic! Portions are good as are the prices. Typical dinner coffee, and you never see the bottom of your mug. The service is always good, v the servers are cute and friendly. The place is small so if you go on a weekend expect s sorry effort for a table. Old fashioned décor is cute too. Great little dinner experience.
The only thing I would change are the televisions, I don’t really like TV’s in places that are meant for good conversations over coffee, but that is just my personal preference :)

Went to check out the place due to the good reviews!.. A bit over priced. but tasty food for sure!!!

We stopped in on our way out of town (because of the good reviews). Quaint and charming place with a reasonable wait for our table (10 min). We both ordered the Western omelet with Italian toast. Food was excellent, wait staff was sweet. Will definitely return next time we’re in CLE.

Delicious, above-​par diner food! Kinda inventive menu too– nothing fancy, but not just the ‘two eggs and bacon’ thing either. That, the friendly service and the pretty great (and magicly always full) classic diner-​coffee made our visit extra enjoyable. Recomended!

We stopped in on a trip to Cleveland after reading the Unilocal reviews (thanks, Unilocal!). It’s diner fare but. .. like, a really good version. You know how sometimes you go to a diner and there’s just enough carelessness that you’re really not happy with the result? Southside is the opposite of that.
I had a patty melt and some home fries. Their home fries were stellar; they reminded me of my dad’s Lyonnaise potatoes. I don’t remember what my husband had, but he also was really happy with his meal; he gave the place his stamp of approval, which doesn’t often happen. (He’s even pickier than I am about restaurants. It’s true.)
Definitely will stop here again next time I’m in the area.

John Paul came to our table to meet us due to being out of towners. Very nice. Clean place. The specials are mouthwatering. I choose the chicken pepper hash and my husband had the Irish Benedict.
Fantastic. We will be back tomorrow before we leave town.

This was a wonderful experience. The waitress was so great and helpful. She was really able to give us advice on the menu. Wide selection of food for reasonable prices. I had the breakfast tacos which were very good. Even though I am not a fan of pineapple on food, it was a tasty addition to the tacos. The home fries were very good, but I would tell them to cook the potatoes well done. I shared a full stack of pancakes which I thought were very good and very large. My mom got the Maple Leaf omelette, she really enjoyed it. This is a great location to get a sit down quick meal. Definitely will be back!

Stopped by for breakfast before heading home on a Sunday. The place can only sit around 20 people, there are some seats at the counter in true diner style.
Unfortunately, the décor is about the only good thing about this restaurant. The food was less than par. My bacon and cheese omelette left a lot to be desired. The bacon was on one side of the omelette and the cheese was on the other. Both the eggs and home fries were very dry. I asked for the hash browns to be well done, but that did not happen.
My nephew ordered a bagel sandwich with sausage. He enjoyed the hash browns but was not impressed with the sandwich.
Even the OJ didn’t taste like a quality OJ. Perhaps if your taste buds never experienced breakfast food other than here you wouldn’t have anything to compare this too. I, however, have. Even the channel on the TV was to some odd station.
This is not a place I would recommend.
Ok, so my family is razzin on me because the waitress was good. So, I changed my rating to 2 stars from only 1.

It doesn’t start out well when it takes 45minutes from order to get your food. The corned beef omlette was very good but the chicken cordon bleu omlette was a letdown. Then factor in the woeful coffee and steep price. I won’t be back.

I went to this place basically on a whim and it seriously paid off! Service was fast and friendly. I told the waitress that I’m a vegetarian (she asked if I like corned beef) and she mentioned a florentine eggs Benedict, which I ended up having. It was DELICIOUS. Those caps are necessary. They added mushrooms and onions (their suggestion– great call) for me and took off the Canadian bacon without issue. The hollandaise sauce was perfection. I can’t wait to discover what other great items they have on their menu!
The diner itself is pretty small, with a counter and around 10 – 12 tables. At first I thought I might feel awkward not being a regular, but the waitress was very kind and I realized I was worried over nothing. Will absolutely be going back :)

I’d consider myself a pretty big diner fan. Formally I’ve been a Whip girl and a diehard Mayfield Eat At Joes fan. Southside has stolen my heart.
From the outside it looks small. From the inside, it’s timy. But even in close quarters you get some space. My boyfriend and I sat at a window bench table built for 2 and had plenty of room to put down coats and my purse and get comfy. During our breakfas, 3 waitress came by with coffee and water and to check on us. All were very friendly. My boyfriend had a cup of coffee which he says tasted a little old but nothing to complain about.
We both ordered the bagel breakfast sandwich with hash browns. It was delicious. Instead of stacking everything on top the plain bagel, it was a 2 egg omelet with America cheese and cut sausage links folded in. I can’t believe I never thought of doing that, it all stayed together so much better. The hash browns were also very good, they were in slices, not strings. Both meals were under $ 10 each.
There were a lot of people there but we had no problem getting a seat and our food was out in no time. Alk together breakfast only took us 45 minutes, and that’s with some time we took to hang out and finish drinks.
Southside, I am yours.

Brother and friend suggested this place for breakfast! This is by far the best breakfast joint I’ve been to in Parma! It’s so delicious!!! This place sure gets busy and sometimes you have to wait to get seated but it is totally worth it!
I would have to say that I am satisfied with the service and food! Service was fast and very attentive! Every single one of these staff members are super friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have. The owner is definitely very outgoing and hard working for he has been there every time I visit.
The Eggs Benedict Florentine is so delicious! All of the ingredients are frech and the hollandaise sauce is legit! Majority of the places I’ve been to in Parma claim their hollandaise sauce is delicious but it just tastes like chicken broth thickened by flour which is definitely disappointing! But this place. they make everything right after you order! The presentation is beautiful just like the flavor of this dish.
I have also tried their gyro which is definitely delicious and feeling. The gyro is just like any gyro but they toss the lamb in the sauce so the taste is consistent with every bite. The only thing that is different from this gyro from other places is that you can taste the freshness of their vegetables and they don’t use as much salt as other places. Definitely excited to try more of their food soon!

This place is one of the reasons I haven’t completely lost faith in humanity. No, really, I’m not delving into hyperbole here, I mean it. I know it’s just a diner, but somehow it manages it be more than that. It’s a tiny little piece of what’s right in this world. It’s a safe haven from road rage, from inconsiderate people, from overpopulation, from all that makes you want to pull a Falling Down on the world.
It’s in Parma and it’s not to be confused with Southside in Tremont. Hell, they couldn’t be at more polar opposite ends of the spectrum on nearly every possible metric. The actual restaurant is quite small, seating somewhere around 30 people, and features a small counter that overlooks the flattop grill that, I’m quite sure, is never without activity.
At its very soul, Southside Diner is all-​American. By this I mean their menu is not only full of burgers and melts but dishes that speak to the immigrant history of Cleveland and its suburbs — hot corned beef, gyros, potato pancakes. But what brought us into Southside Diner for the first time was breakfast, and, judging from most of the other Unilocalers, the same reason for their visits as well.
I love the smell of a diner. That baked in, historic odor that’s a combination of coffee, grease, and bacon. It used to be that there was cigarette smoke mixed in there and I can be honest here, I miss it. I can still remember going with my dad to a diner called The Hutch in Elyria, table-​top Galaga and that smell. It’s embedded into my brain.
The breakfast menu here reads like a who’s who of the sunrise dining crowd — corned beef hash, steak & eggs, biscuits and gravy — they’re all here. Strangely absent, pancakes. That’s right, I couldn’t find ‘em on the menu anywhere. Oh well, no matter. Plenty of other goodies from which to choose.
The bagel sandwich, a tasty combination of soft, whitebread bagel, American cheese, and a perfectly cooked scrambled egg wrapped around three strips of peppered bacon like a toddler’s woobie. Served alongside some of the best griddled home fries I’ve had. You know the kind, bits of crispy crunch interspersed with soft, slightly oily bits of potato. My other half ordered the three-​egg breakfast, same deal. It was all prepared textbook clean. And because the bacon was so good I’ll mention it again. The bacon is thick-​cut, heavily peppered and so good a pig would eat it.
We shared one of their specials — cinnamon crumb cake French toast — and it would be the reason for that grayed-​out star up there. Made from a large coffee cake muffin sliced into 3, dipped in egg, griddled and served dusted with powdered sugar. Tasty but the execution just fell short. The egg had barely penetrated the muffin leaving it just a bit dry. If they had left it to soak longer, if only.
The service was exactly what you’d want. It was friendly, honest, blue collar and exactly what’s missing from nearly every other eating establishment in the state. Our coffees were always topped off, our empty plates removed when necessary, and all done without feeling intrusive. It felt like we were being served by family.
Places like Southside Diner are part of the American landscape for a reason. They’re a vital organ to the system of our country. Sure, we could probably survive without them, kept alive by the predictable pumping of chain stores and cookie-​cutter drive-​throughs, but our quality of life would suffer. Diners like Southside need, no, have to stay around. Do your part as an American and support Southside Diner and places like it. Without us, the machine will win and you’ll be stepping over their bleached bones on your way to McDonald’s.