Kissner's is a true Defiance staple--the oldest tavern in Ohio still owned by one family--and it shows in the warmth, consistency, and quality they've delivered for 95 years. Whether you're stopping in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late-night munchies, the full-service menu genuinely has something for everyone, from classic omelets to more adventurous options like pork brain. The ambience is part of the charm--it still has that same old flair, giving the space a nostalgic, welcoming feel that reflects its long history without feeling dated. I especially loved the little touches, like the coat and purse holders on the wall--if you blink, you might miss them (they were hidden under garland, lol). I had the Sizzling Boys Steak Hoagie with light onions and mushrooms, plus a side of Cheddar Cheese Curds--all excellent. Halfway through my meal, I couldn't resist stealing my partner's bacon and adding it to my hoagie... OMG, it took the flavor to the next level. Highly recommend that upgrade. Jake went with two French toasts, eggs, bacon, and waffle fries (subbed for home fries) and was just as impressed. The food was delicious across the board, and our waiter--whose name I unfortunately don't remember--was amazing and incredibly attentive. Great service, great food, and a timeless atmosphere--Kissner's absolutely lives up to its reputation. read more

See all

Passing through. Absolutely best food decision make. Just go and enjoy. beautiful Main Street

The food was super basic. Overpriced. Service mediocre. Ordered a Ruben sandwich. Not much corn beef. Why skimp on the sauerkraut? read more

Kissner's - This Ruben sandwich was even skimpy on the sauerkraut. Sad - American Near Me - Defiance, Ohio

Quaint restaurant for that family dinner feel. Multiple menu items to fit the whole family served by well caring staff whom welcome you with great kindness. Food tastes good right from your kitchen, for those that do cook nowadays. A benefit is the other customers whom are just as friendly as neighbors. Step out, give mom a break, grab a lunch, relax and enjoy. read more

It's an OG location for Defiance, great ambiance. Plus if you do business in town it's generally a great place to bump into people with active projects. Of the three of us regulars, one always gets the special, one gets the cheeseburger, one gets the BLT and no one is disappointed. read more

Hands down the best burger I've ever eaten! Juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked -- every bite was amazing. The toppings were fresh and well-balanced, and the bun held everything together without getting soggy. read more

Clean old school ambiance. Service was excellent. Food was amazing. The portions well worth the cost, and cooked to perfect. Fabulous line of dessert options too. We will return. read more

The food was fantastic.... The waitstaff was fantastic.... However the owner is the reason we will never go back there.... He was talking quite loudly to a neighboring table about his thoughts on gender identity in a not so nice way. read more

Good food. Close to where I work. Best Price Computers, LLC highly recommended. Family owned restaurant.

Never had a bad meal here. Above average bar food. Cool atmosphere. Do not expect a five star steak but definitely a good steak above what you pay for read more

Get the full Defiance experience here. Such a beautiful bar to look at and local Ohio service and pride in the town is part of your Kissner's experience. The owners take great pride in their heritage in Defiance and provide the best local food. read more

Stopped for lunch on our way to Ann Arbor. Billy burger was outstanding. Vintage bar vibe.

Great burger made from fresh ground beef from the butcher shop down the street. The fish is also fresh and hand battered in house. And you can't miss the enormous antique hand carved mahogany bar back, pretty impressive! read more

See all

Was passing through town and looking for a local place to grab brunch. This was close to a coffee shop I had a meeting at later, so I decided to stop in. I had a great experience. I sat at the bar with the locals & heard all about the local baseball rivalry. I love places like this with small town character! I ordered the Grand Slam (hash browns, green peppers, onions, cheese, sausage gravy and eggs) because they serve breakfast all day. A huge portion for a great price! This is a great local place to stop if you're looking for some breakfast or a sandwich-- they've also got dinner and a well-stocked bar! I would recommend checking this place out at least once! read more

Kissner's - Grand Slam Breakfast! - American Near Me - Defiance, Ohio

Food and service are great but it isn't easy finding parking or a place to sit when you get inside. Especially around breakfast/lunch time. The bathroom opens right up into the dining room with tables nearby, so that's a downside too..but the food is excellent! read more

Super good food, got a pint of draft blue moon for 1.85$. Waitress was really nice and helpful. Would definitely come back.

Tonight we had the seasonal Tom and Jerry drink that is only during the Christmas season. They have a solid cup of coffee here and an awesome fish sandwich. They're known for their hearty all American breakfasts and typical standard American diet food. I had their prime rib once and would never get it again. You're safe to grab a sandwich or breakfast at a good price. The inside is a historical throw back and it has a good hometown small town feel. Service is usually good. The old bar is beautiful. read more

Forget the movie and the book, Kissner's is the Pride of Defiance. What other restaurant and bar in Defiance, Ohio has been around as long as Kissner's has? None. Walking in the door is taking a step back in history to the early 1900's and unless you are on the east coast, you are not going to find many establishments that have been around for over a century. I use to come here to eat with my grandparents back in the day and not much has changed as the names and the faces may have aged and the bar has stayed the same. I try to make it back here from time to time to relieve this past and fill my belly. No problems with the service. Followed the sign, that has been there since I can remember, and set ourselves down at a four top. The waitress came over fast to greet us and get our drink orders and we placed our orders for food when she brought them out. Food came faster than expected given they weren't swamped and it doesn't take too long for burgers and breakfasts. My burger was cooked perfect and so was the bacon. The lettuce was fresh, the tomato was tasty, the onions were sharp, and my only complaint was it would have better to slightly toast the bun. The order came with a healthy side of fries that probably came from a bag but were golden brown on the outside, fluffy in the middle and with just the right amount of salt. My buddies both got breakfast and didn't have a complaint. I love breakfast and would have gladly eaten any of their left overs but there were none. I should have asked if they would have placed an egg on my burger. While eating our waitress came back to give refills and make sure we were happy with everything she served. I went up to the bar to pay for our meals and was asked by the bartender how everything was which I found to indicate everyone cared that we had a good experience. I don't have to recommend this place to locals because they already know about it, but would highly advise anyone passing through, visiting extended family or at Defiance College to give them a try. read more

Extremely old school diner, both literally in how long it has been here and in terms of the food and feeling - and that comes with the bad and the good. The service is really nice and homely, the decor is outdated but in a kind of positive way, and the food is just kind of fine. It's not bad at all, it's just that it's very much nothing remotely special. I got a cheeseburger and fries and it was mostly bland and with what seemed like the cheapest ingredients they could source (think Great Value, so not bad but the bare minimum of passable and not what you want from a restaurant), however, again, it tasted totally fine. I would not say Kissner's is bad at all, it just doesn't have anything very positive going for it either aside it's history which is admittedly pretty cool yet possibly the reason it's no better than "okay". While I like the historical aspects of it due to it's age and wouldn't want anything else changed, the food should be evolving and it clearly hasn't - possibly this is because of being a small town diner, a place where the clientele will want the same taste they had years ago, in which case I can understand all the high ratings, but for a new visitor it really falls flat because of it tasting like it's still 1950. All that being said, I still do recommend checking it out at least once. read more

Walked in and waited 10 min to be acknowledged. Finally a woman eating at the bar told us we could be seated wherever even tho my mother in law pointed out that the sign clearly said wait. Sat down and another 10 goes by. There were only two other tables full. Finally a woman remembered we were there and brought menus. Ordered our drinks. She spilled milk all over my son's arm and menu. We all ordered our food. Salads came, wrong dressings and then they forgot my husband's. Food came and she forgot a variety of things. I ordered the shrimp and it was mushy. Husband and brother ordered the special fish and it was clearly a frozen fish, not fresh as she had told us. We are from Florida, we know fresh fish....the only thing she was prompt at was the bill which she handed to my mother in law before even clearing plates. My brother left an extra $5 on the already more than generous tip saying maybe she should go to Walgreens and buy some memory pills. Food was not great. Place was super dingy and had that "sticky" feeling to it when you walked in. We are here for a funeral so found something that looked good and was close to downtown. Figured being on a corner block in the heart of downtown we couldn't go wrong but boy were we! Parking is on street. Bathrooms literally open eighth into the dining room, behind my chair to be more precise! read more

Great quality, great prices , great customer service. Support local hometown businesses

Went to for a perch dinner and very disappointed. The perch was left in the deep fryer too long and my fries weren't hot. Seen a waitress wipe her nose and didn't wash her hands afterwards. Gross! read more

Food is amazing but the costumer service could be WAAAY better. You come in to sit dow then have to wait about 10 minutes to get greeted by anyone. You dont get that welcoming feeling you almost feel like an annoyance. read more

We had dinner here with family. Really cool, old historic joint. I had the skewered shrimp with stirfry vegetables, all was very good. My husband had their fried chicken and mashed potatoes. The chicken was excellent, perfectly cooked with buttermilk . Service was really good and quick. We will definitely come back when we are in town. read more

Good beer nice and cozy place. No music. I ordered new york steak and i've asked them to cook it on the grill. But when I receive the food, it was rubberry and the vegetables were overcooked. They cooked the steak on the flat top not on the grill. The condiments were pretty basic. They dont have horse radish ... just like the old reasons.... ohhh we ran out of that just yesterday. read more

Kissner's is a time-capsule of a beautiful frontier Victorian saloon with the most incredible and ornate cherry bar, all pristine, as if untouched for a century. Bizarrely, it is a pretty basic diner. It's like using the Palais Garnier to show some Disney movies to kids. Astonishing! My first impression was that this would be a fine dining experience and I was prepared to pay $20 or more for the meal. Aside from the wild mismatch between the quality of the decor and the sophistication of the food, there's little to say. The food was good and the service was nice. I especially liked the bacon cheese fries which were cooked perfectly, even though there was a bit too much bacon in proportion to the fries. One would compare this kind of food with a place like the nearby Bud's. It's a shame the space is so underutilized and unappreciated by the locals, who universally are amused at how impressed I was at the decor. No place on earth has begged more for a stage and some well-known touring honky tonk, country, or rock acts to pack the place and put that unbelievable bar to work as the saloon it could be and probably once was. It's just so damn impressive, they must be absolutely crazy to put a simple little diner in that package. Kissner's is a huge opportunity for someone who can see past the diner fare and look to make the place the regional landmark it really is. read more

Conveniently located on Main Street, this nicely renovated old bar serves good comfort food at a fair price.

They were understaffed, my waitress was rude, the food wasn't great. I got vegetable soup and it was cold in some parts. My boyfriend got a burger and the buns weren't heated up and soggy. I don't recommend and I won't be coming back read more

I went for the prime rib tonight and I was not impressed. I ordered it Med Rare it was served Med to Med well. The soup of was good but I was really disappointed on the main coarse. The wait staff wasn't that great either . Don't get me wrong I've been there for breakfast once and lunch and no complaints. But the wait staff told me to come back for this entree and I would not order this again. FYI if your going to ask how everything is and was be prepared to handle a negative response occasionally and remedy the situation . read more

We just love Kissner's. We've had their burgers, their salads, the ribs, the fish and they've all been great. Now since it's after Thanksgiving I'm gonna go in and get me a "Tom & Jerry". The best drink ever & don't even ask Karl for the recipe! read more

We have eat at Kissners since the early 60s and have never had a bad meal. The best home fries any where. Then they are the Tom & Jerrys during the Holdays Yum !!! read more

The atmosphere is pleasant as soon as you enter your eyes will be drawn to the big old bar. It truly is eye catching. The wait staff is personable, although the quality of the service is hit or miss. The food is great. It is the best part of the experience as it should be. Breakfast portions are large and filling. I have also had their steak and it was cooked as I asked, and tasted great. read more

Went there for breakfast with friends and ordered biscuits and gravy and home fries. The waitress was nice and the food came out within ten minutes. You also get REALLY BIG portions for low prices. read more

So we are pretty new to town and have heard all the rave of Kissners. Well I just want to say I'm sorry to all the people that think this place has good food. We ordered a slab of ribs, patty melt and a grilled chicken salad. The only thing that was decent was the petty melt and ff. The ribs are not even edible. There the whole Slab in the trash. The salad was right behind it. Was so excited to try this place but was left with total disappointment. Never again! If you think this place is good, you need to travel outside of town once. read more

I have eaten here since I was in high school. Kissers always has great service and friendly staff. The food has always been amazing. I have eaten at several "mom and pop" places and this is by far the best one I've ever eaten at! The prices also haven't changed in the last 10 years! My wife and I make it a point to stop in here at least once every time we come home. They serve breakfast all day and I would say that breakfast is what they do best while everything else is very good, breakfast is the best. read more

Cute corner local bar/restaurant. The woodwork bar takes you back in time, ultra high ceiling, old time wooden floor, high stools at the bar. Surprising there was no background music. My Filet was overly done, but you can't expect much from a bar. My drink was good, the menu had more than you would expect. My first time here, so three stars is all I can muster. Will definitely be making a return trip for the limited offerings in town.This "downtown" has potential if a few more boutique shops decorate with outdoor lighting. Right now it's just a sleepy town waiting to "wake up". read more

My wife and I frequent this place often for breakfast and lunch. Eggs Benedict are my favorite and there aren't many places to order it, and even fewer who make it properly. Fortunately kissners does not have that problem it always comes out perfect. For lunch you can't pass on their cheeseburger, in my words it's an old fashioned grease burger (in the best possible context) they appear to do things the same way they have since they were first opened. Hey why mess with a winning formula? My wife has something different every time we go and has yet to be disappointed. Definitely worth stopping in you won't be disappointed! read more

I mostly stick to breakfast but the omelets are great and home fries terrific. Breakfast is served all day I believe and they also serve alcohol. read more

Went here for a casual dinner with my boyfriend. They have a great bar selection, however I ordered the eggs benedict burger and it was absolutely awful. The bread was soggy, there was no benedict sauce, and it was topped with a fried egg - not even a poached egg which is standard for the sandwich. Moreover, the service was fine, but don't have eggs benedict on the menu when you clearly don't know how to make it. read more

I don't review many places, but I was very happily surprised by my stop here for lunch. I needed wifi and they had it, and I didn't feel like going back out north to b-dubs. The chicken bacon club was awesome. Plump juicy grilled chicken breast, enough bacon cooked just right and fresh lettuce/tomato when one would expect more of a white crunchy mater that would get left on the plate. Even the toast was just right, and obviously from fresh bread. And the home fries! I asked first if they were "real" and the server got a big grin. "Why yes! They cut'm fresh and fry'm to order". So I had them add my peppers and onions, too. There were 4-5 gals working the lunch crowd and were as nice as they could be. As far as the other reviewer complaining about some gristle in his steak, c'mon, dude! You're in Defiance, so don't judge a small business like this on meat when they'd never be able to support a prime menu. read more