Came in for breakfast and left with pretty mixed feelings…read more First off, the coffee is genuinely very good--smooth enough that you don't even need cream (though I added some anyway). Instead of sugar packets, they use those classic glass diner-style sugar dispensers, which honestly added a bit of old-school charm. The food had some real highlights. The grits were cooked perfectly--great consistency--and the eggs were solid. The breakfast potatoes stood out the most: well-seasoned and full of flavor. On the downside, the bacon was paper thin, and the toast portions were smaller than expected. Service was a bit off in small but noticeable ways. I wasn't given a separate spoon, so I ended up using the same one for both my coffee and grits, which wasn't ideal--especially when refills came around. The space itself is large, but it feels worn down and underutilized. It looks like they close off sections during slower times, which makes sense but adds to the slightly empty, quiet feel. There's no background music, so the atmosphere is very subdued. Orange juice comes in a standard off-the-shelf bottle, nothing special there. Overall: good coffee and some standout food items, but the ambiance and small service details hold it back from being a truly great spot.

Fast friendly service and good food. I was very pleased with the food. waitress was niceread more

It's like a museum on here w/ all the old decor, instruments & pictures on walls of old…read morecelebrities. They close at 2 so only breakfast/ lunch. The server was nice & polite. Food took a bit to come out considering it was mainly just sandwiches & fries. The prices were a bit high considering fries had to be added & 3/4 burgers came on bread instead of buns, but weren't presented like patty melts. My vegetable soup was pretty bad. 90% broth, 2 potato pieces, 4 green beans & the rest were tiny bits where you couldn't tell what it was, and a little barley too. Very plain & sad for $5. With the prices kinda high for the portions & being very dark/gloomy in there, I am being generous w/ 3 stars.

Words are not enough to say concerning the excellent food and service that we experienced today at…read morebreakfast! You have to have the Redskin fried potatoes and the homemade buttermilk pancake pancakes that are so light they could possibly float off the plate :) Drove in from Florida last night I was looking for a great breakfast place of the following day, today. I'm absolutely phenomenal! To management, don't change a thing.

I really like this place... It's small and the people are very friendly and the food is always…read moregood. I had the New Yorker, which is a corned beef with coleslaw and I also had a bowl of chili. Both were excellent and came out pretty quickly. I really like that as this small diner type field to it, and the decor on the walls is pretty cool as well

A small diner located in the plaza. They have like 10 tables or so. You can dine in or get take…read moreout. Our waitress was very nice and the service was quick. I ordered the Patty Melt and fries. It was very good. Decent size menu. You can get breakfast or lunch. Prices are decent. I will be trying their breakfast next time.

Food is always hot, filling and delicious. I had a bowl of navy bean soup which was delicious!…read more Service is quick and the restaurant is clean and warm (lots of restaurants are not warm).

Met someone for breakfast at this restaurant --we've both been to the North Olmsted location and…read morebeen disappointed so we figured we'd try the one on the west side in between where we both live. I walked into a similar looking restaurant bright light clean inviting. Servers were attentive. We were there from 9 to 11 and taken care of the entire time, we left just before lunch. The food and menu are the same as the other location, but the other location went downhill long ago. The basic difference between the two is this one is a third of the size of the other and parking lot is not big but seemed ample for how many this restaurant has for seating. We will both go back to this location but I know I'm not returning to the north Olstead location, it's no longer my cup of tea.

I've seen this place on TV New away Cleveland. So I wanted to try. We happened to be in the area…read moreand decided to try. We wanted a small bite not too much and this ended up being perfect. On the outside it's a big silver diner. Looks smaller than it is. Inside there is a good amount of seating and it's not small. Parking is right out front. We sat and ordered pretty quick. I got the chicken noodle soup and salad. Kathy got the Greek salad with chicken. We both got the Greek dressing. The chicken noodle was homemade with plenty of big carrots, celery, egg noodles and a bit of chicken. It was good. Could have used a bit more chicken but it was full of veggies and tasted good. Plus it was hot. Love it. Salad came and it was a decent size. Also lots of veggies. It was just enough food. And the price was great under $8. The Greek salad could have been a bit larger. I thought it looked a bit skimpy. But Kathy got a whole chicken breast cut up. She sub's out the gyro meat. Again dressing was homemade and really good. The desserts looked super good but we did not partake. The menu is good with Bfast, lunch, dinners. Everything from burgers, sandwiches, pasta. Lots to choose from and prices are decent. Service was good. She was very attentive. Overall, good experience and good quick lunch. I'd go back.

It was ok. My sandwich was on a croissant and that was good…read more My daughter got the chicken paprikash. It smelled weird. I tasted a dumpling and it was not good. She tried to get me to try the chicken but I didn't want to get sick. It smelled like industrial cleaner. The waitress was nice and my daughter got either the pot roast or roast beef. That was okay she said. The onion rings were excellent and the best part of our meal.

YE Gurl Says: Greasy Spoon Therapy at Big Al's…read more The only way I made it through the first episode of Love Is Blind: Ohio was by reminding myself that I had better things to focus on -- like writing up this review for Big Al's Diner. Tucked between the polished neighborhood staples -- cafés, plant shops, nail salons -- sits a true greasy spoon time capsule. No frills. No aesthetic branding strategy. Just counter seating, booths, and the immediate understanding that when you walk in the door... you're in it. There's no waiting lounge. No curated entry experience. Just breakfast. It feels like stepping into another era -- back when servers wore white coats and diner hats and coffee cups were never empty for long. And let's talk numbers. Even in today's economy, entrées don't cross the $11 mark -- and that includes the double-portion Benedicts in the center of the menu. For those of us who don't eat meat, it's a surprisingly easy compromise spot. Stiff coffee with free refills? $2.50. Orange juice? $2.50. A fully loaded vegetarian cheese omelet -- mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tomato -- with home fries and whole wheat toast? $10.75. While we sat there, talking through life over coffee, it hit me: this meal cost about the same as someone else's single pastry and specialty latte down the street. And I left full. Not trendy-full. Not "small plates" full. Real breakfast full. Sometimes the best things aren't free -- they're just reasonable. Familiar. Nostalgic. The kind of places that don't need reinvention because they already got it right the first time. YE Gurl says: Big Al's is where you go when you want breakfast without a performance. Solid food. Strong coffee. Honest prices. A little slice of yesterday that still holds up today. And honestly? That's better than reality TV drama any morning.

Big Al's feels like the standard for a great breakfast in Cleveland. There's almost always a line,…read moreespecially for weekend breakfast and the menu is filled with breakfast favorites and diner staples. Most often I get a blueberry pancake with either an egg or bacon on the side. It's a lot of food and the prices are all still really affordable imo. It's a basic diner feel. Sometimes, you make new friends if you don't get a booth and you are sitting next to other patrons but it's always comfortable. Service has always been really good especially considering how busy it is. I don't know why I wouldn't go back especially for that blueberry pancake!

I am so glad I chose to go to Cafe Miami versus another place on my last day in Cleveland. The…read moreparking sits to the left of the building. Walking to Cafe Miami was interesting since I'm not a local and it seemed to be a bit odd of a location for a breakfast joint. Opening a screen door to get access to the main door reminded me of the house I grew up in. The interior was...cozy although a bit cluttered. I ordered 3 eggs with gyros & an order of french toast. This was the best breakfast I've tasted. The owner came out and asked me how did I like my food. My look told him he did a superb job. I just wish he was in Dallas.I flew from OH to Dallas with my leftovers. Even after sitting a few hours, it was still good. Highly recommend Cafe Miami!!!

Crazy rude. Whoever opened the door shoo'd me away within seconds. They should change their name…read moreand description that says they are a coffee shop.

So, listen. I love bougie brunch, but if I'm going to breakfast at a diner, I want diner…read morebreakfast. I did not realize the Coffee Pot was here or would have been a lot sooner and a lot more often. There are only about 6 tables and another 6 or so seats at the counter. Coffee from a Bunn pot. The toaster is next to the coffee pot. I think there were 3 total people working - 1 cooking, 1 taking orders and running food, and I'm pretty sure their mom was supervising. The food is made to order, so not fast, but my omelet was delicious and the price was great. Definitely a solid diner!

We have been trying some different breakfast spots lately and this place is fairly nearby. We…read morestopped in later on a Sunday morning. We weren't really greeted as we walked in but a woman said hi as we took a seat. No one else acknowledged us and we didn't realize she worked there because she was just kind of visiting at a table. There were also two other tables being used by young children to play and nap. So, it was a little awkward... Anyway, another woman finally came out from the back and gave us menus and coffee. We had eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and blueberry pancakes. It was fine. It's really standard food that kind of just feels like you went to someone's house for breakfast... including a little burnt edge on the pancakes. I guess this is a neighborhood place but it's not super comfortable or aesthetic. It's fine.