If you're looking for classic diner food, you'll find it at Central Diner. This hidden gem is located in downtown St. Pete right on Central Ave. There's interior dining available. I ordered the french toast and sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on white bread. Both of the items tasted good and I'd eat it again. The service was okay. The waitress took my order and I got my food fairly quickly along with the bill. She never checked on me after she dropped off my food and the bill. I wasn't unsure if I had to go up to the front to pay the bill. Paid street parking is available. read more

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On my recent visit to Central Diner... I opted for the cheeseburger due to time constraints. The burger was perfectly cooked--medium, as requested--and included cheese, lettuce, tomato, and crinkle-cut fries. The staff's friendliness and prompt service are consistent highlights, reinforcing why this spot is a go-to for breakfast in St. Petersburg, Florida. Normally, we get breakfast here so I would get this half pound hamburger breakfast along with eggs, but my future gets the waffles here if you want a classic diner this is your choice In essence Central Diner is a staple worth visiting for any breakfast enthusiast. I look forward to returning soon. RATINGS & LOGISTICS: - Atmosphere: 10/10 - Food Quality: 9/10 - Service/Flow: 9/10 - Value: 8/10 - Would Return: Yes. Coming back. read more

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Great little diner in St Pete. Parking was easy but they are all metered @ $1.50 per hour. Menu is your basic diner type food. I had French toast, eggs and bacon and came as ordered. This is a no frills, diner experience. Price is very reasonable so it does not hit the packet book too hard. Service was quick and friendly. All in all, if you are in the area and need a good meal this is the diner for you. read more

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This is your typical, yet amazing greasy spoon dive. The food here is completely the reason you come! The eggs, pancakes, breakfast meats are perfection. The breakfast potatoes are the star of the show. Don't come for fresh air or super friendly wait staff, but do come for the food! read more

Central Diner - Outside- - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

A class spot in a growing downtown city. Central Diner (previously called Central Coffee Shoppe) is a must-go if you're looking for yummy, convenient and inexpensive food. The vibe is laid-back, friendly and easy-going, which is pretty rare to find in the hub that is downtown St. Pete. The service was excellent, it's easy to feel like a burden at restaurants, but our waitress Dawn was exceptionally friendly and thorough with the menu. The omelette I got was fabulous, and the hash potatoes I got were crispy, fresh and salty-deliciousness. read more

Central Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

My easy like a Sunday morning start put my whole routine behind. I workout fasted so it's almost noon, workout is done and I am HANGRY. Not gonna lie, my intention was to hit the cooler looking place across the street, I even got a table. It was LOUD and slow. I looked longingly at the unassuming and easily overlooked Central Diner and dashed over -- no expectations other than fast service to quickly feed my starving soul. And it turned out to be an EXCELLENT decision. It has a true diner vibe, no upscale flash and it's small. Since it was a nice day, I chose to eat outside because I enjoy I all the sights and sounds of Central Ave. I was greeted by my server Megan. I could tell she'd had a busy morning but she was friendly and attentive rivaling service I've received In fine dining establishments. I'm an egg, toast, and grits girlie but this fine morning Megan, through the power of subtle suggestion, persuaded me to try the blueberry pancake a standout surprise. The whole mean was good. The eggs were perfect, runny but not too runny and the grits tasted just like home and the pancake was pure heaven-- fluffy, flavorful, and enough berries so I had a one in every mouthful. Central Diner isn't flashy or fancy but the food is fantastic and budget friendly -- I think my meal was less than $10 - a solid choice and I will go there again. read more

Central Diner - Signage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

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Now Called Central Diner, this place is your typical old fashioned diner. It's been around since the mid 70"s and is filled with mostly locals, so I'm glad I stumbled on it. Great coffee with refills and delicious pancakes. Service was good too. Walking distance from most downtown hotels and definitely not touristy. It has a real 70's diner vibe. read more

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Terrible service. Female servers are very rude and management does seem to care. Been 2 years since I went there. Came back to see if things have changed. Worse than ever. read more

Walked in for coffee yesterday, sat down at the counter for breakfast, discovered the best corn beef hash, served up by Alicia and Megan and their bubbly personalities. Then I came right back here today to do it all over again. Great food and great ambiance without any pomp or uppitiness. Love this place. Go Birds! read more

Food here was great! Awesome hole in the wall spot that nailed food and service and the vibes were nice read more

Everything was perfect! Our server Dawn was friendly and attentive. All of the food tasted like "home". Good coffee and very reasonable prices. read more

Best home cooked breakfast! Staff rocks. Place is cleaning. Chef and helpers rock the eggs. read more

This is your good old fashioned coffee shop. The kind we went to back in the day but you don't see a lot of in downtown St Pete today. Friendly service. Straightforward and simple breakfast menu. Great food...eggs, grits, pancakes, sausage, bacon, biscuits, omelets, etc. They also offer a lunch menu with hamburgers, club sandwiches, salads, patty melts, grilled cheese, etc. Great prices compared to all the places here in St Pete. Small parking lot on side of building and Metered parking along Central Ave. read more

Central Diner - House made corned beef hash! It's good! Come visit this old fashioned diner in the heart of St. Pete - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

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This awesome diner has been a staple in St Pete since the 70's. Not much has changed inside or on their menu. Best omelettes, biscuits and gravy and hash browns. We sat outside and enjoyed the ambiance of the sounds of the city. Skateboards, loud car music and of course e-bikes whizzing by. Great coffee too! Grits fried eggs ham hash browns all fantastic! Happy Mother's Day! read more

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STOP, DON'T WAIST your time! This used to be a local weekly place to go. Now resold several times and the food is cheap quality. Pushing out food to make money to those who visit our city and have never been there. Sad to say cleaner environment is also a consideration. They should only have dogs allowed outside it's ok but inside with such a small area? Better places to enjoy. read more

C'è qualcosa di magico nell'essere in una tavola calda al mattino con un caffè caldo fumante e un panino caldo per la colazione con buona musica in sottofondo. read more

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Now called "Central Diner' this place never fails me: good food out fast and a lively vibe! There is no seating for party's over 4 so keep this in mind. Could do without the person cleaning tables and openly burping though. That was not appreciated. read more

Central Diner - Smokes sausagee with ham and cheese omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Classic diner breakfast food. I can't comment on lunch as no one at the table ordered lunch food. Everyone was happy with what we ordered. I had an omelette with sausage, peppers and onions and Swiss cheese. Very tasty! Thank the lord the eggs were not over cooked! That's the saddest most disappointing experience am I right?! Anyway, it came with potatoes, the thin sliced kind that get all crispy. Yum. Only disappointed for me was the corned beef hash is canned, especially since the top of the menu indicates they only use fresh ingredients. They do add green chilis which spruces it up a notch. Overall breakfast was tasty and enjoyable and great if you want that diner breakfast experience. read more

Central Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

This hole in the wall was delicious! The staff were working super fast and efficiently which indicated this was a good diner. The coffee was delicious which is a must for a breakfast place. Free coffee refills and waiters checked on us frequently which is nice as they were very clearly busy. The food was 10/10 the only slight downside was it was a bit pricy for breakfast but it could be because it is in a major area in St. Pete. Still super worth it to try and will be back again! read more

Central Diner - 2 Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

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No avocado toast here, just great eats with traditional American breakfast stuff. Speedy service, priced right, and excellent made-to-order.

This review is based on a 5 minute experience attempting to eat at this establishment. Of the 95 reviews I've written, this is the 2nd 1 star, by far the worst, and hopefully the last. I just got back from a 4 day wellness retreat last night so was blissfully calm and relaxed. So much so that I walked into this place thinking it was City's Bistro, which is 1 block further down central! Whoops. Had ordered from City's on Yelp so hadn't been inside either storefront and confused the two. Nonetheless, I sat outside and a friendly gentleman sat me and offered me a water. I then noticed that the sidewalk was sloped to the point that I was very uncomfortable so I told him why I wanted to move and check out the inside. I sat at a booth and heard him tell the waitress bringing my water outside that I had moved. She was visibly annoyed, even taking a prayer like moment with her eyes closed to what seemed like center herself before bringing my water over. She looked very annoyed and smacked the water down but I took it with a grain of salt as I can understand how that could be annoying! Another waitress walked over to show me the menu and I told her that I needed a moment to decide if I was going to stay as I noticed staff weren't wearing masks and place was busy so wasn't sure if I wanted to stay. I didn't intend to eat indoors so needed a moment to assess. Ultimately, I told the 2nd waitress I was going to leave and apologized. Left a $1 on the table for the water they had brought me. In hindsight, I could have done this before sitting down but I do not think this 4 minute exchange warranted the extreme response that came next. As I was walking out, waitress #1 yelled angrily "THANKS, NOW THAT YOU'VE TOUCHED EVERYTHING". I popped back in and said you're welcome and I did not touch anything actually. She began walking away screaming about me touching everything. At this point, the zen left my body and I yelled back that I had not touched a thing, that I even left a $1 for the 5 minute inconvenience and if she was so concerned with my touching things, why wasn't she wearing a mask. She then yelled at the top of her lungs that she didn't have to wear a mask, obviously missing the point I was trying to raise. I was shocked by this outburst and tried explaining myself to the gentleman I first encountered as she continued to scream. His response was basically that I can choose to eat there or not but didn't seem surprised, shocked or embarrassed by her outburst (perhaps a bit proud) which was very telling to me about the culture of the establishment. Just from a basic human decency perspective, that attack was quite vicious and while I try to remind myself that we are all fighting our own battles, what surprised me most was that none of the other staff seemed rattled or apologetic. I did ask the gentleman I first encountered for her name which he declined to give me (which I never would have mentioned here btw) but wow what a horrific ordeal for myself and probably the other diners that all stopped and watched the scene unfold. It wasn't until I left and walked down the block a bit that I realized that I walked into Central Coffee Shop and not City's Bistro!!! I ended up walking to City Bistro when the owner greeted me and asked me how I was to which I just broke down crying! I didn't mention the name of the establishment I had this horrific experience at and she didn't ask, she was just kind and comforting, which is exactly what I needed in that moment. Moral of the story - I won't be back. read more

Went here for a late breakfast. I'd say mediocre food - not bad but not crazy good either. I will say their French toast was great! My boyfriend didn't care much for his steak and eggs meal - mostly fat on the steak and a weird cut of meat. The potatoes were not cooked enough and we didn't eat them. The bacon and eggs were just that - hard to mess up. Unfortunately there is no alternative creamers to the half and half so I couldn't get coffee with creamer since I can't have dairy. read more

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Food was delicious, love the old school diner vibe and our server was a sweetheart! Great local downtown restaurant. (Four stars instead of five because the bathroom situation was less than ideal). read more

Well, they had CREED playing.. while I ate CATFISH... What is life ? Life's good. 11/10

Good food very nice service, reasonably priced Some outdoor sidewalk seating fast service read more

Service was above and beyond! The owner came up to the table to ensure our visit was going well. The coffee was refilled several times and the food was inexpensive, fast, and delicious. Highly recommend this spot for your next breakfast sit down read more

Central Diner - Two eggs any style with ham, $6.75 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

The title of this business is a little misleading. My sister and I came in thinking it was a traditional coffee shop, but it was more like an old-fashioned breakfast-only diner. We have a ton of these up in Maryland, so the concept was not lost on me. While only offering one type of coffee according to the menu, it did offer a ton of affordable breakfast options. We came in the middle of the week around 10am and it was pretty packed. The coffee was decent, but the food was quite good. We got a power breakfast sandwich and an everything bagel with cream cheese. The egg options looked great and don't get me started on how much I wanted to order the more southern-style favorites - but calories... Coffee: 3 out of 5 Food: 4 out of 5 Service: 4 out of 5 Overall: 4 out of 5 for me! read more

If I could give you a zero. I would. Whoever heard of a coffee shop with NO HALF & HALF? Then you want to argue with me about Coffee Mate being half & half. No self respecting coffee hound would ever come here. Can't comment on the food. read more

At a time in St. Pete where there are so many trendy restaurants, it's refreshing to have an old school joint serving up good food with great service. Prices are reasonable coffee is acceptable and food is honest. I ordered the corned beef hash with eggs done perfectly and rye toast that was even buttered. Not a great picture but it will do. read more

Central Diner - Corned Beef Hash, Rye Toast and Cheese Grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Thank you for a wonderful breakfast! Clean, pleasant, and inviting! If you plan on coming out to St. Pete', then this is a must go to start the day! read more

Central Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Exactly what a diner should be. Unpretentious, fabulous service, decent coffee, and very consistent food. There's nothing gourmet or trendy about it and that's fine. One of the best breakfast options downtown. read more

This could become a daily ritual, as long as I keep up the miles with my dog. Great traditional diner... the food is good, and the service is friendly and fast! If you've never tried it, I recommend the fried catfish. While it might not be the most traditional diner breakfast (at least it isn't in the NorthEast, where I'm from), it is so good! Highly recommended! read more

Love this hole-in-the-wall local diner. It is perfect. The food is excellent, service prompt and courteous. If you like diners you're going to love going here read more

Food is great, service is fast and friendly. Ambiance is old time 50s diner. I drive across town to have breakfast here

I forgot to take photos because I was so hungry but I got the veggie omelet which was great! My bestie got the biscuits and gravy which he said was a little dry but otherwise tasted great! It's a little expensive for what it is but considering its location, not bad at all. Will def come back. read more

Small space and quite loud, if you don't mind this, but food service was fast and it hit the spot!

Was looking for a local breakfast joint near my hotel in downtown St Pete. Found this spot on Yelp and good thing that they open very early at 6:30am even on a Sunday. Plenty of street parking. Liked the nostalgic diner feel to it. Its not a big place but enough seating inside and also have 3 or 4 tables outside. Staff was very friendly...knew all the locals by name. I ordered French toast w/ sunny side eggs & sausage patties. Not sure about the quality but my meal was served w/ no frills, cooked the way it should be. For less than 10 bucks, this place satisfied my breakfast craving. Again, I'm a big fan of cook to order eggs so this is better than going to BK or MD & eat microwaved egg sandwiches. read more

Central Diner - French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

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Perfectttttt! I didn't want anything fancy or trendy, just good in a casual comfortable environment. This place was exactly what I wanted. Great prices and friendly staff. My omelet was literally everything I wanted and cooked perfect. Loved my grits and basic toast. My boyfriend got an omelet that I saw for maybe five seconds because he ate it all up quickly. Good coffee, great food, definitely a place to recommend. If you like home town diner feels, then go here. Little televisions and Marilyn Monroe decor. I would come back here again anytime. read more

Sunday morning breakfast is often a challenge in any city before 8am. Not so much here. Coffee was good and hot and refilled. Steak and eggs with a side of grits. Steak was rare, the eggs were sunny, and the grits were firm and not runny. I sat outside in the morning sun and thoroughly enjoyed an early breakfast on Sunday morning. Their a lively bunch and never boring if you like to converse over a hot cup of joe. 42 year and they just changed owners. Still great for breakfast! read more

Central Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Don't be fooled. The corned beef hash really isn't homemade. They just doctor it with green peppers and onions.