deb's diner is the ballz. open for breakfast, lunch, and late night (sorry dinner crowd), you'll get a great deal on some simple, well cooked food. it's slightly misleading at first look, as the dining car establishment actually says "pilgrim diner" on the front. for diner aficionados, this is a Worcester #725 from 1936. definitely a nice find, and a great place to grab breakfast at breakfast, breakfast for lunch, lunch for lunch, or a late night feast. this is the kind of place you want to bring your dad for an "eye opener" breakfast. sweet, sweet satisfaction. my husband went for the eye opener breakfast for an economical 6 bucks, complete with coffee, fluffy pancake, 5 strips of thick bacon, home fries, toast, and two eggs (ova easy). i opted for a cheeseburger...which is always a good way to assess the quality of a diner. the short order cook, who seemed to know the name of everybody that walked through the door, happily called out to me over the counter. "you want chips or home fries". obviously, home fries. the burger was big, juicy, and perfect. the home fries were crispy, not mushy, and that's the way life should be. i am happy to report that i ate the whole thing, and pilfered a whole bunch of my bigger half's pancake, and toast. dirty debs may very well become a new favorite go to. read more

Deb's Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Fun place. Don't miss this breakfast. Great food, great price. Great service. And the pancakes? As big as my head. And I have a big head. So I give it a solid 5 stars for what it is. Diner dining at its best. read more

The food definitely hit the spot, typical diner menu. The place is pretty small and the waitress was nice.

Deb's is great after a night out at the bars. This was a staple of my early 20s. The food is always hot and fresh and the service is great (especially dealing with drunk kids). read more

I visited this weekend with my husband. It's a small, cozy place with typical diner food. The wait staff was friendly but very, very slow. We waited for about 15 minutes before anyone asked us if we wanted drinks, and our food was up on the counter for a while and cooled off before it was served. The prices are average (about $7 for a veggie omelette). Very cramped, so I wouldn't suggest a big get together. Overall, it was okay but I doubt I'll go back. read more

Deb, herself, is the only down thing about this place. She has her favorites, but can often show poor customer attitude and manners, enough to bring the rating down a star. On the other hand, this is a 1929 diner combining warm wood and a few deco details, and while not kept as nicely as it could, it has its charm. I love diners. The most beautiful one I have been in is the Rosebud in Davis Square, Somerville. Deb has put in some '50s style decorations. kind of missing the point of a 1929 deco diner. Lunch is generally uninspired, but this might be THE best diner breakfast in Salem, and there are many places to go in Salem for breakfast. Deb does buy better than usual products, so for example, the bacon is thicker and meatier and she buys Italian sausage (in addition to good standard sausage). She used to get Portuguese sweet bread for French Toast, but, alas, no more. Now, it's standard Texas toast. Bill, the chef, brings his own interesting twists to breakfast, experimenting and changing them frequently. Some are successful, others less so, but at least you'll find some interesting things here, like cranberry bread French Toast. They offer a variety of fresh and canned or frozen fruit to put in pancakes. And speaking of pancakes, they are HUGE. Not homemade batter, but VERY generous. They do omelettes and breakfast wraps, along with standard meat and eggs breakfasts. Unlike the tasteless home fries found at most other establishments, these are worth eating. They use red bliss potatoes, hand cut, nicely seasoned and stir-fried. My favorite deal is her Deb's breakfast sandwich and coffee. $4.25 gets you a breakfast sandwich with choice of meat (try the bacon!), American cheese and the bottomless cup of coffee. BTW, if you like your coffee strong, forget it. It's typical weak diner coffee, but many people like this style of coffee. You can't have everything, eh? It's not a large establishment and the tables aren't large either. A booth will squeeze 4 people. There is a large counter area, though. Weekends (particularly Sundays) at peak times, there are lines out the door, so prepare to wait unless you're there very early. They now close at 2pm, so you'll have a bit of extra time to get in. I admit I have never tried it late night, but they're only open at night on Friday and Saturday, opening at 11pm. Again, at lunch the food is uninspired, unlike the breakfast. Perhaps they have some interesting things at night. From the staff, I understand they have interesting customers, though. A very different clientele. Tourists who visit Salem typically go to Red's Sandwich Shoppe, located right downtown and which may have the best eggs benedict in town, but their home fries are mealy and tasteless and nothing else for breakfast rises up to the level of what Deb's Diner offers. Deb's is on the outskirts and not on the typical tourist path (at the corner of Boston and Essex Streets), but every bit worth visiting if you're visiting the city. Additional logistical notes, there is both onstreet parking as well as a parking lot in back. They do NOT take reservations. There is no outdoor seating and they don't take credit cards. Some of the info on the front page of the restaurant listing on this site is not correct. read more

Although extremely busy with hungry patrons arriving at the same time, the wait staff were great with communication and service. The cooks sped along making me tired watching them. Fabulous crew that worked energetically and in sync. Thank you for a great breakfast! read more

CRAZY GOOD breakfast food. I've driven my boyfriend half nuts with the number of times I've made him take me here on Sunday mornings! But I don't care, it's worth it (sorry, honey). Their pancakes are gigantic and scrumptious (especially the pumpkin ones they have in the fall), and their Maryland Benedict is to die for. I've never had their lunch/late night food, but I'm sure it's great too. So what are you waiting for? Get in the car and go! Now! You won't regret it. (Well, except maybe if you're short on time - there can be a wait here, given the small size of its dining room. But it's worth it every time, I swear.) read more

Love this place!! This place maybe small but has great food. The caramel apple French toast is the best. Prices are great

Peanut butter and fluff french toast! Where have you been all my life? Amazing breakfast- friendly server. And everything is cooked right in front of you. I think I found my new favorite breakfast spot! read more

Came here last weekend for the first time after hearing a friend rave about this place. Its cute and small. I got half order of nutella french toast. Soooooo yummy. I originally ordered peanut butter and nutella but they forgot the peanut butter. I also asked for a side of bacon and they forgot that too. But its okay I'm not a huge complainer. Friends loved their food. The server was wicked nice. Just a side note their pancakes are huge!!!!! read more

Excellent food and fantastic service!!! Loved my breakfast at this little diner today, and I sat at the counter and watched the cooks & waitresses do their thang!! It's a tiny place, so don't bring a crowd...or call ahead and go @ an off time. The waitress said they're open ALL NIGHT Friday night through Sunday. Oh my...that's gotta be a hoot in the middle of the night with the Salem State kids! lol read more

I must say after going to the diner on Thanksgiving day, I was shocked to see so many people. Sitting behind Chef Ray was absolutly amazing, this chef put so much food out in such short time it was like he was a magician behind the grills. With both myself and my girl in amazment watching him we hoped our food would take longer so we could keep watching him cook!!! Our food was Great after all Chef Ray waited on us and served us both with respect even when he was very, very busy at this time. After yesterdays cooking show we had to come back and try to see this again, and boy we were not dissapointed!! Although we did not have front row, we both sat at the end of the bar just watching Chef Ray doing amazing cooking skills. With both Thanksgiving and friday being so busy , I want to thank Chef Ray for the entertainment and the skills he provides behind the grills. I understand Chef Ray cooks on the weekends with another cook , a must see show!! We will be coming on weekends also. THANK YOU CHEF RAY read more

Bring your belly this place has a huge breakfast

Looking for a good breakfast and decided on Deb's instead of Red's. Great choice! Eggs were cooked perfectly. The one pancake was light, fluffy and large enough for three people. Husband had an Italian sausage omelette which was also excellent. The marble rye was a nice surprise as well. Small and cute, this looks like a picture perfect diner. Great service as well. Don't hesitate to choose Deb's. read more

I really love the homestyle old school food choices here that have a decadent twist and it's such a perfect little diner. Also the regulars are super polite and always make room or share a booth when its crowded. Only downside. Its TINY. You will probably need to wait but not long since the food is fast, hot, and delicious. Hang in there it'll be worth it. read more

Food was okay, service lacked, rude employees, Tyler ignored me I think that he need rest.

Although the service could use some improvement the food is great and the price is right (Although make sure to check your receipt, 3 times i've been there and 3 times they have charged me extra for coffee when its supposed to be included in the 'special' price). Step back into an old school diner atmosphere... I will be back for sure :) read more

We were in town for the Labor Day holiday weekend & found this little gem of a diner. Deb's hospitality is amazing. Although we just met, she treated us like old friends. This comfort food is top notch & easy on your wallet. I'd recommend this place to everyone. read more

Deb's Diner - Awesome breakfast! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Great place for breakfast. Orders take a while when they're busy but it's great food for cheap money.

This diner has some awesome options such as Waffle Supreme, which is waffles with cherries and vanilla ice cream, and Boston Creme french toast. I got the veggie omlette and my grandfather had the everything omlette, both of which were stuffed and the veggies were cooked just right. The staff is very friendly, but if you are a tourist you might not get the same treatment! read more

Edible. That's about the only positive adjective I can muster in regards to the food I was served. As a long time customer of Deb's Diner, I was surprised to discover that ownership had changed hands. And boy was that evident. From the absurd run-on menus, to the bare-essential service, Deb's Diner has most definitely taken a turn for the worse. Arrived at 1:45AM, ordered at 1:50AM, and received our food at 2:18AM. After waiting 28 minutes, one would expect the delay was ensuring the correct food was delivered or that the diner was overrun with drunk guests. WRONGO! Our order was an Italian sausage pepper and onion omelette and a hot Italian sausage, broccoli, and feta omelette, yet that wasn't what was received. On arrival, a kielbasa, pepper, and onion omelette and an Italian sausage, broccoli, and feta omelette was set at our table. Having not want to fuss over a wrong order to avoid waiting an additional 28 minutes for the error to be corrected, we simply took what we were offered. As mentioned before, the omelettes were edible, but the home fries were abysmal. Charcoal remnants of potato were what lay beside our lackluster omelettes. Disappointing does not even put into words what we felt as we exited what was once know throughout Salem as a go-to after hours spot. PS--The chocolate milk was one degree below boiling. read more

Deb's Diner - Burnt-to-a-crisp home fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Awesome little breakfast place. Food was great. I had a cheddar cheese omlette and my fiancée had an omlette with American cheese, onions and ham. She loved hers as I did mine and we split a Man Cake (pancake with sausage in it) which was to die for. The staff moves fast but doesn't rush you out. Very friendly and super attentive with coffee refills. Highly recommended. read more

This place would probably be better suited if it was located on the docks of a major seaport. This 1930's style eatery has blue collar worker written all over it, but the best part of this story is all are welcomed. And welcomed you are, as the staff in the kitchen and out in the front of the house could not be more friendly and pleasant. Now the name on the front door says "The Pilgrim Diner", but inside there are signs indicating it's the Deb's Diner. So for the sake of clarity lets call it DEB'S PILGRIM DINER. The food is superb and the portions are just enough for any hungry sole. I asked for an egg white veggie omelet and when it came to the table, it was my waitress who questioned the cook. "Why does this omelets have a yellow color if it is egg whites"? She yelled out to the cook. The cook came right over with a regular egg omelet to show me the difference and explained how he uses a lite butter mix for flavor in all his egg whites. I love creativity. The omelet was GREAT! Enough said, this place is 4 stars only because I never give out 5 stars to any restaurant. Plenty of parking in the rear of the building. As I was leaving a young couple were arriving with two small children. Like I said, this place is for all comers. read more

I had been here a couple times, then a month ago when the weather got warmer I decided to walk by. The food was so good that I have been going every morning since. The breakfast tastes better than any other place in the area. I'm a huge fan of diners and now I've been so spoiled by Deb's that I'm not sure I can ever go to another diner again. Also the staff is great. They really make you feel welcome and a part of the place rather than just another person in a booth. read more

Divine greasy spoon! Huge traditional menu with lots of unique specials. Early morning crowd is all locals but comfortable atmosphere and the staff is friendly. read more

Great local diner. Friendly people, fast service. Yummy food. I enjoyed the peanut butter and fluff French toast a little too much. Exactly what you would expect for diner food. read more

OMG !!!!! I rarely ever write reviews BUT, this experience was so amazing I could not help myself. All of the food was absolutely amazing. The Boston French toast was TO DIE FOR! You must try it, you will not regret it. I was in salem for a couple days being a tourist.. this was our only dining experience where the service was hospitable. Everywhere else especially in the downtown district, the staff at restaurants were very rude and treated us like annoying tourists. We decided to go to Deb's because we were staying down the road at an Air BnB and on our way out today. I wish we came here every morning we were here. I will make a trip back just for this French toast! read more

This diner is off the charts good. Great staff, very friendly. The chef even ask if we wanted fresh hash browns off the grill he was throwing away. read more

Favorite breakfast spot in town... in large part because the tourists rarely make it that far out, haha. Solid breakfast food at good prices. Staff can be a bit grumpy at times, but who's not grumpy in the morning? (Shh don't tell the tourists though!) read more

I love Deb's. Really, it's just a diner, and they just serve typical diner food. But it's everything a diner should be. Pancakes are giant. Muffins are giant and they'll grill them for you. Everything has a lot of butter in or on it. Prices are very cheap (so you can afford to tip well). The staff are funny and friendly, though often stressed and rushing around. They're busy, give them a break. It's open all night into the morning. I've only ever been there late at night. I think they open around 11pm? It's small; there is not much seating, and I wouldn't recommend going with more than 4 people unless you don't want to all sit together. They take credit cards now, which is nice. I used to come here all the time when I was in high school. A grilled cheese just tastes better in the middle of the night. read more

One of my favorite breakfast places! The pancakes && waffles are amazing! Ive been going religiously every Saturday and Sunday morning for the past four weeks. Just can't get enough. read more

Deb's is a small old-school diner car that has remarkable food and friendly, lively, and efficient staff. There is often a wait to get a seat, but it is worth the wait every time. Greg and Lori have been there many times and never had anything other than exemplary service and excellent food. Today, Greg had the new special of a patty melt on Rye with breakfast potatoes. This is a "healthy" (according to Greg) portion of beef patty on grilled rye with onions, mushrooms and swiss cheese. This sandwich is big enough for two people, but was finished easily by one (oh, the humanity!). The breakfast potatoes were delicious, as always, with the right mix of texture and seasoning delivered by their amazing grill master. Lori had the biscuits and gravy with a grilled homemade blueberry muffin. While the biscuits and gravy were very good, the blueberry muffin was the star of the breakfast. It was enormous, with a great ratio of blueberries and grilled to perfection. This diner has been, and will continue to be, our favorite neighborhood spot. read more

If you look up the word "diner" in the dictionary, you should see a picture of Deb's. I know diner's. This place is the BEST!

My wife and I love this place! This is your typical diner, with great service, and awesome comfort hearty food. The price is also really good. This place can get really packed, so make sure you're here with a few minutes to spare. Street parking is available most of the time, and they take credit cards. read more

Wow I have never been to a place like this before. It had the weirdest bathroom I have ever seen in my life. I had poached eggs and they were perfectly done, and I loved the marble rye bread. The potatoes were disappointing as they were undercooked. My boyfriend had the caramel apple french toast which was also quite delicious. The prices were really cheap too, very good value. I loved the server and the fact that you could see the whole kitchen. I'm pretty sure there were only two people in the whole place, it was tiny! Very cute, typical American feel in my opinion. Definitely stop by if you're in the area! read more

One of my favorite thing to do is when I travel is visit random places to eat, as soon as I walked into the diner I had a warm feeling. The staff was extremely friendly, the place is clean & the food is great! I got a vegetable omelette, must say never seen an omelette that big before! I recommend this place if you're visiting, living or passing through Salem! read more

A rainy Friday morning and my friend and I came upon Deb's Diner - brilliant home fries, kielbasa, eggs over easy - does an April day get any better? This is a five star locale worth a drive, a wait and the price is worth every penny. read more

Went for brunch on a Sunday...later than normal...food and service were both excellent. Can't wait to go back again.

best grilled cheese I have had in a long time. 4 stars for that menu item specifically; I would probably not eat breakfast here as I am not big diner breakfast guy, but the grilled cheese rocked. Admittedly a simple item in theory but surprisingly hard to make well. basic diner menu, diner service; not a lot of room; read more