Metro Diner

Excellent experience, great food, great service and reasonably priced. We will be back. We had breakfast.

This was a great local’s place — food done their way right next to Ohio State. Their soup they had when I was there was crispy potato soup– YUM! I could’ve eaten tons of it. I also ordered a 2-​egg scrambled breakfast with added mushrooms, hash browns, and sourdough toast. That was average, what you’d expect, and it hit the spot. Hubby ordered chicken fried steak and fries. What was different was that it was panko coated. The fries were really good too. We’d definitely go back.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner all day. We want for breakfast. Had an attentive server. I had a Benedict and my husband had a breakfast platter. The hash browns were done right; crispy on the outside creamy in the center. We got seated immediately even though we were there on a Sunday morning.

Monday morning while staying over in St. Augustine, I stopped here to get breakfast before running some errands. I think I saw the advertisement that this was where the locals went to eat.
I sat at the bar instead of a table since I was by myself and the waitress was very attentive. I ordered the Bissell breakfast ($ 9.49) and a coffee ($ 1.99). I ordered my eggs over medium and when I got them, one was cooked perfect and one was over cooked as there was no runny yolk at all. The worst part about the eggs and why I’m giving them three stars is because they were covered in that fake butter they use to cook with. Besides tasting horrible it gave me a stomach ache.
I also had bacon, home fries and a short stack of pancakes. There was so much food I was only able to take a couple of bites of the pancakes. The best part of the breakfast was the homemade biscuit they served with it.

Both my wife and I had delicious meals!!! I had the biscuits and gravy and she had the cin, raised, pecan French toast and they were both amazing. We have got to come back here!

I’m a local and finally got around to checking this place out. Underwhelming. I must say I can’t understand what all the hype’s been about, because I found breakfast somewhere between unremarkable and bland. Ordered the corned beef hash with two poached eggs and toast. It’s almost impossible to screw up eggs and toast, so I wasn’t surprised that they were perfectly OK. The hash was another matter. It looked like a loose mixture of diced potatoes and uncooked Alpo. That said, one always takes a risk when ordering hash, as the best crisp versions are hard to find outside of New York. The service was pleasant and efficient.

In St. Augustine there are lots of touristy places, but for those of us that live here and don’t want to get into the downtown hoohah, there are surprisingly fewer choices. The Metro Diner is one of the really good ones.
Top notch service, really clean, and excellent food. I had their own corned beef hash, soft poached eggs, toast, and coffee. It was great!
The manager was around making sure everyone was happy. The Ancient City branch of this local chain is a great option. Easy to recommend the Metro Diner.

My wife and I like food… a lot. So when we travel, our meals are planned in the same manner as our activities; they’re that important to us. Needless to say this was our first time at Metro Diner. I didn’t think it was possible but somehow these guys perfectly executed three of my favorites dishes… corned beef hash, fried chicken, and waffles. Each dish was the best we’ve ever experienced anywhere! Hands down the best breakfast we’ve EVER had… come experience it for yourself!

After visiting Saint Augustine for the day, we made it back to our hotel to rest up for a little while before looking to find something to have dinner that evening. So, the next thing I did was turn to Unilocal to look for places in the area for dinner; it’s what you do. I visited this place on February 27, 2016.
When we made it to the place, the parking lot was already quite busy. This place is located at the end of shopping center. Parking was pretty easy to find. Once we got inside, the place was already quite busy and thought we’d have to wait. However, that was not the case and were seated immediately. Within about a minute or so, the server was at the table welcoming us and asking what we would like to drink. After she came back with the drinks, she asked us if we were ready to order. The menu was quite large, so we weren’t quite ready to order, but at that time, we did order the Charleston cheese dip appetizer. A few minutes later, our server came back with the appetizer and then asked us for our orders. At this point, we were ready to order the main course. I had ordered the hot turkey plate, substituting the veggies for the chili instead.
The Charleston cheese dip was delicious. It was like a cheese fondue with great flavors and taste. I would definitely get this appetizer again on a future visit if I’m in the area again. Shortly after finishing that, the entrees came out. The hot turkey plate was delicious, flavorful and a large portion size. You definitely get your money’s worth and value here. The turkey was hot and tender, just the way I like it. The mashed potatoes were also quite hot and delicious. I could tell by the taste that they are likely mashed in house given the freshness felt in the taste of it. The baguette bread was also freshly made and hot when it came out as well. Overall, this was a great food experience, and probably one of the best experiences I’ve had in long time.
During the meal, the manager was visibly present going around to all the tables. He stopped at our table as well. It was nearly at the end of the meal, so he was asking how things went. Of course I told him how well everything went and also talked about that they have other locations as well. I didn’t even realize this would be a «chain» until after that. During that talk, I was telling him that they need to bring this place up to Virginia Beach. It would fit in very well and would give more of a true diner in the area.
After talking to the manager, our server came back to the table with the check and also a slice of their key lime pie. It wasn’t something I had ordered, so it was a bit of a surprise. It was the manager who had gotten it for us. The key lime pie was actually good, even though I’m not a big fan of that kind of pie.
In the end, it’s hard for me to write a five star review with just one visit. However, this place just blew everything away. Everything was perfect, including top notch service and attention to detail from all of the staff. The server was around multiple times clearing plates when they were empty, refilling drinks as needed, etc. This was all done flawlessly at a time when the place was pretty much at capacity with most tables being occupied. If you are in the Saint Augustine area, this is a must-​do place to check out. I will definitely be back here if I’m down in that area again in the future.

This was my first time eating at Metro Diner. This place always seems to be extremely busy and I’ve heard nothing but good things. The place itself was very crowded when we arrived. We were sat at a table right away. The place is clean and the service was extremely friendly. I ordered the famous chicken and waffles and my wife ordered the nutty waffle. I am a connoisseur of chicken and waffles and these are some of the best. The chicken is lightly breaded and seasoned well. The chicken inside is moist and dripping with juices. The waffle is somewhat crispy and the strawberry butter is surprisingly good. They serve it with a mixture of syrup and hot sauce that’s really tasty. My wife’s waffle was light and full of almonds. The food is very good but diner food is often heavy and full of unhealthy items. I would’t eat here too often because of the unhealthy nature of the food but pencil me in for every few months for my chicken and waffles fix. While this place is hardly a «5 star restaurant «it is as far as diners go.

+ Amazing home-​made, hand-​made food
+ Good plain coffee
+ The best kid’s fare I’ve ever seen! REAL fried chicken breast, NOT pressed!
+ Fruits and veggies were fresh and delicious
— Cajun was not Cajun
— Flavored coffee syrup was harsh
— Seating arrangement made the place really loud
+/​-​Service was hard to get/​missing but when a server was present was quick, polite, and awesome
Overall, the food was fantastic and the experience was average. Will absolutely be back and would highly recommend!
On our way out of St. Augustine after a weekend with family where we didn’t get to try any of the top food spots, I just had to try something to get the taste (and smell!) of Georgie’s out of my memory.
We were seated after a few moments of standing at the front. There was no obvious ‘seat yourself’ or ‘wait to be seated’ sign and the place was empty. We asked for a booth and were seated at the one-​side-​high, one-​side-​low booth which became important later when more customers came in and it was like they were yelling behind me. Might want to raise the other backs. Also, the cushion was almost non-​existent so do not plop yourself down too hard. It hurts. We were hungry and had waited a bit so we were ready to order by the time the I’ll-take-your-drink-but-am-not-actually-your-server server came around.
I went with the meatloaf dinner and coffee, the fiancé got the Cajun shrimp pasta (mainly to compare it to Ed’s), and my daughter got the chicken tenders with a fruit cup. The wait wasn’t too bad. We had enough time to complete the game of dots on the kid’s placemat. While we waited we also had time to take in the super-​cheesy branded stuff and advertising for it. They have shirts, and hats I think, and if you wear them when you eat there you get 10% off.
The coffee was good, but not amazing. Later in the meal, the server asked if I wanted to try the chocolate covered cherry flavored coffee and I gave it a go. The syrup they used was very harsh. I didn’t like it very much. The food, however, was incredible. Just my mashed taters alone deserve 5 stars. Real taters with skins. The grilled zucchini/​squash was so good! Fresh, not greasy, and not boiled/​cooked to hell. Crisp, yet soft, with perfect seasoning. The gravy was fantastic! The meatloaf was great but it was a bit dry. The plate could have used another ladle of gravy. It actually tasted better the next day when it had moistened up in the fridge.
My fiancé’s Cajun shrimp was severely lacking any heat/​spice. This is where the issue with getting server attention comes in because he wanted something to kick it up a notch. His food was cool and mine was almost gone before he grabbed the server’s attention to ask for some heat. She brought back the seasoning the cook supposedly uses in the dish. That stuff was HOT and GOOD and NOT in that dish in any discernible measure. He sprinkled in less than a quarter of a teaspoon and the entire plate went to an 8, at least. I tasted the seasoning and had a dead spot on my tongue for two hours. I can understand why they might hold back the heat for the sake of some customers but they should really ask how hot the customer wants it or just serve it with the seasoning on the side.
The kid’s chicken tenders blew my mind. These weren’t some nasty, frozen, pressed chicken scraps. They were big, juicy, delicious chunks of real chicken, battered with real batter and fried in a real fryer. It made me wish I had ordered the chicken and waffles. The fruit was great with more strawberries than any other fruit. Fantastic!
The bill was as much as Georgie’s Diner, at $ 36, but we got twice as much food that tasted a thousand times better and actually took what we couldn’t eat to-​go.
On our way out some customers were at the front deciding where to sit when they realized our booth was open. The woman screeched like an insane harpy, «THE BOOTH, TAKE THE BOOTH, I WANT THAT BOOTH!» while pointing and hissing at our old booth. We looked back in to see her ‘sprinting’ to the booth and sitting at it, old food plates and trash still there. So uh… yeah, that was interesting and I wanted to share.
I have to assume they either have a team of grandmas from all over the world in the back working the kitchen or the cook has spent his life collecting old, hand-​written recipe cards because that food… straight up from Grandma’s secret card box. The man/​woman/​people need an award (s) for their seasoning and prep across all the dishes. Never have we eaten such well seasoned meals where each part tastes unique. Just make sure ya’ll actually give that seasoning to the customers!
A bit more present service would have put this at 5 stars for me. The server was great, polite, and accommodating but in the end it felt like we were asking the world of her because we had so many things to ask all at once before she disappeared again.

This place is great. Four stars for food but service hands down the best I have experienced in a diner. Polite, attentive, fast service.

We enjoyed our meal very much. The fried chicken was delicious. The burger patty melt and onion rings were fresh tasting. The grilled cheese sandwich and fruit cup for our daughter were so large that she only ate half of it and has lunch for tomorrow. While the food is terrific, what makes this place stand out is the friendly and attentive service.

This is one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had in a restaurant. The cheesiest grits are insanely good. The hash browns are just delightful. The huevos rancheros are the stuff of dreams. The ham steak is just so very right.

Ohhhhhh yeaaaah. MMMM. This place is great! Good food good service we came and ordered that crazy big burger, byob.
Staff is great :)

We tried Metro Diner for a weekday breakfast– all the food was delicious, fresh and served somewhat quickly, about what is to be expected at a restaurant that cooks their food fresh. The atmosphere was relaxed, our server, Alexis was attentive, and good.
My husband and son ordered the breakfast pizzas, they enjoyed them, one of daughters got the biscuits and gravy with a side of grits, another got the famous chicken and waffles… Which was an enormous portion! Seriously, it could have fed three kids! I got the most amazing crab cake benedict. Whew! We will definitely be going back!

Delicious breakfast! I enjoyed fruity waffle and 2 over easy eggs. I was impressed with its crispy hash brown! Good friendly service and the wait was short. I would come back again!

This place is up to standard with all its other locations ! The home cooked meals for lunch and dinner are to die for! The breakfast is worth the wait !!!
There is a reason tv shows have visited this chains other locations! Make sure to bring an appetite as the portions are rather large !!!

Five stars for the chicken and waffles! From reading reviews, I was a little worried that ordering the full portion of chicken and waffles and crabcake eggs benedict would be too much for us, so I suggested getting half portion of chicken waffles. The hubby said no. Boy was I glad we got the full portion because it was the best chicken and waffles! The fried chicken was amazingly crispy and tasted similar to Korean fried chicken. It was served with a spicy sauce that the waitress made by pouring maple syrup and adding a drop of tabasco. Maybe she thought we couldn’t take spicy? I had to add a lot more tabasco for it to actually be spicy, but it was delicious with the fried chicken. The waffles were good and the strawberry butter was out of this world. I need to learn to make strawberry butter or buy it somewhere.
The crabcake eggs benedict was also nice and perfectly cooked. Portion sizes were large but it wasn’t too much food for us. I think that makes us piggys.

It’s a GEM that’s for sure. Come early as there is usually a waiting list, but it is worth the wait. We will be making this a regular spot on our many trips to St. Augustine.
The staff are out of this world. They could not be nicer.
The manager heard it was our 1^st time, he came over to greet us and talk about the menu. After our meal was served the manger stops back by, i had the pound cake french toast which he stated he liked the compote that that accompanied another menu item. He then jumped up and retrieved me a steaming bowl of the compote. Oh my!!! I told him it that should be on the menu it was devine.
I can’t wait to try the lunch and dinner.