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    Ocala's Downtown Diner

    4.4 (241 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Ocala's Downtown Diner Photos

    Business Info

    OCALA'S DOWNTOWN DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ocala's Downtown Diner

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    Rachel G.

    Been here a couple of years ago and we had to stop by again. Ordered the veggie omelette and platter waffle with eggs and sausage. Food was super comforting and service was excellent. Shout out to our server, Meg for another wonderful experience! The vibe in this place is always a good time. Employees are so friendly and you can tell they love working together.

    Guy and Elaine at the Ocala downtown diner
    Guy H.

    Corina was our server and what a joy it was to be served by her. She is warm and friendly and I think a PERFECT example of how to treat people. This was our first visit but it won't be our last...you just gained two new regulars. Corina made us feel like we were family. She was very helpful and yet not intrusive at all. She zipped around watching everyone and made certain everyone received a smile and a kind word. We walked in a bit apprehensive...we walked out thrilled....and did I mention that my waffle platter was awesome as was my wife's 3 egg omelette....you have to give this place a go...just do it! And thank you again Corina for making our day and for being so professional..... Guy and Elaine of Ocala Florida

    Half of a Sweet GA Burger
    Robert B.

    Great, friendly service! Great small time diner atmosphere! Lots of options for vegans, gluten free folk, and meat eaters. My wife and I came with or meat eating son and in laws. Everyone found something delicious and creative! I had the slaw burger with a beyond burger and a gluten free bun. The waitress pointed out that the gluten free bun had dairy in it, which we don't mind, as I am vegan for health mostly. My wife had the GA burger which was delusions, and my son had the chili cheese fries without cheese and chili on the side. No problem with all of these special requests!

    Service from the server was great but whoever was in charge or the owner is not a good person. I just wanted two hot dogs. I was told it was $5 for an extra hot dog. They bring me out one bun with two hot dogs on it (don't really see how that got confused but whatever) and I asked for a bun and got one, but after looking at my bill they charged me $3 for the bun. I wouldn't have even left this review if whoever was in charge would've came out and talked to me but they hid in the back the whole time the sweet server was trying to explain. They even told her to charge me extra for it. Do with this info what you will, but this tells me all I need to know about who's ever in charge of that place!

    Menu
    Andrea H.

    You know you're in the right place when you walk inside almost every table is taken and everyone looks at you and knows you're not local. Staff was so friendly. We were seated immediately and the smell of freshly made pancakes and waffles was overwhelming. Coffee was excellent and breakfast was even better. Thick Belgian Waffles with eggs, bacon and topped with blueberries. So good, I wasn't leaving anything on the plate. Classic diner with plenty of choices. Also offers a large selection of vegan and gluten free.

    Juicy Lucy delicious
    Jay G.

    Great service the place was packed Lisa was a great server . Coffee delicious Juicy Lucy done just right Also paid $9 to pay it forward to our hero's

    Juicy Lucy Burger
    Anne L.

    It was pouring rain when I ran into the Ocala Downtown Diner at 1:55 pm on a Sunday afternoon. I quickly realized that they close at 2 pm on Sunday and when I apologized to the waitress and told her I would leave, she assured me that it was no problem and I believed her to be sincere. I even offered to take my order to go but she told me to relax and enjoy. Enjoy I did.... I got an unusual burger called the Juicy Lucy. This burger was cooked to order and topped with Sauerkraut, Pickles, Juicy Sauce & Swiss Cheese ...it was really good! While my burger and fries were very good I have to say that the staff there was exceptional. They were all busy trying to clean and close up but they could not have been nicer or more welcoming. Good food, good ambiance, good service/staff = 5 stars for me.

    Hearty breakfast with pancakes.
    David J.

    Very old-time diner style, very friendly staff. Going for something a little different, we drove into downtown to give the Ocala's Downtown Diner a try. We both had the hearty breakfast: eggs, potatoes, toast, choice of meat and one had pancakes, one had biscuit/gravy. Not bad at all. Very quick service at 10 am. Not too crowded. II can see where parking could get tricky if it was slammed, but there were a few customers who walked up, so maybe not so bad.

    Wall decor
    Noel E.

    Was told by my chiropractor across the street that the food is Very Good! She was right on, what we call a Hidden Gem, coffee was nice and hot and fresh and service on point!

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    3 months ago

    Amazingly wonderful service, so friendly and warm and sincere! Amazingly fresh tasting food cooked perfectly. Such a great surprise!

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    3 months ago

    It was so good we all got cheese steaks and let me tell you if you where from upstate jersey or York or even Pa you'll feel right at home.

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    We were passing through town and decided to give this place a try. The staff was friendly and the food was tasty. Great diner!

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    3 months ago

    Lunch was great! Service and atmosphere was awesome! Very Retro! Enjoyed it very much.

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Love supporting locally owned businesses. They had a great small town vibe. Fast service. Great food!

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    1 year ago

    Stumbled onto this little gem in Downtown Ocala. Staff were amazing and the food was delicious. Good variety for all types of diets.

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    1 year ago

    Great for good Ol' southern breakfast. Can't beat it. Always a good place on a Saturday morning.

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Amazing food amazing ppl omg the food delicious too bad we don't have anything like this in Houston nothing comes close

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Ocala's Downtown Diner

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    District Bar and Kitchen

    4.4(186 reviews)
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    Stopped by District Bar and Kitchen for a late lunch/early dinner on a beautiful spring day…read more The temperature outside was pleasant and so my dining companion and I opted for lunch on their patio. We were on their bottom floor patio (which was lovely) but I did spy that they have a rooftop patio as well (what's not to love?!?). Everything from the food to the cocktails to the service was exemplary. For my cocktail I got their Old Colonel's Smoking Gun which was their twist on an old fashioned and was delightful. For my entree, I got their salmon entree. It's glazed and comes with a size of their crispy brussels and cheesy grits. The brussels were delish and their cheesy grits rank among some of the best I've had with sharp cheddar giving them the perfect flavor kick. The atmosphere was so pleasant. It's definitely the sort of spot you'll feel tempted to linger. Get to it!

    Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we came here on a whim. The restaurant we were trying to visit was…read moreclosed so we headed down the street to check out District Bar and Kitchen. Server recommended the Double Smash Burger a favorite among the locals who frequent, so I went with that and added truffle fries as my side. My wife ordered the brunch special Super French Toast. Both dishes we good but I would say my Burger shined with 5 stars the Super French toast good but average nothing stood out 3 Service was good and we enjoyed ourselves we both recommend you trying this out for yourself as we will be back again to further delve into the depth of the District menu

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    MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes - Overview of the food

    MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes

    3.8(25 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    We had gotten MOOYAH today and I must say I'm highly disappointed once again from this Ocala…read morelocation. We ordered two bacon cheeseburgers one with bacon and added mushrooms and fried onions and one with bacon and mushrooms and NEITHER had what had bacon nor the added mushrooms and fried onion. Pretty sad that they could not get the order straight. I may not be this upset but this isn't the first time that this has happened. We ordered another burger and even though the order was correct the burger was slightly burnt and we had already been annoyed at this point wondering why a company like MOOYAH has such disregard for their customers. We had three orders of fries they were good along with our two sodas and one shake. To be honest I'm not sure that I'm willing to waste anymore money trying this location again. Address: 40 SE Fort King St Ocala Florida 34471 Phone: (352)421-5438 Hours: Friday 11AM-9PM Saturday 11AM-9PM Sunday 11AM-8PM Monday 11AM-9PM Tuesday 11AM-9PM Wednesday 11AM-9PM Thursday 11AM-9PM

    We were traveling through Ocala with our daughter and son-in-law and stopped by Mooyah Burgers for…read moredinner. All I can say is WOW! They are right! It was the best burger I've had in a long time! Here lately the last burgers we've had at different places were so salty that we couldn't finish them. Today this burger at Mooyah was fantastic and cooked just right! I also ordered a vanilla milkshake and it was very good. Everything was nice and clean. Everyone was nice and friendly. * The only negative; parking is terrible! Everything around the area is all paid parking so "may the odds for ever be in your favor" finding a free open spot. I can promise you this; the next time we are in Ocala and looking for a burger we will definitely be coming back to Mooyah.

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    Jaws Jumbo Burgers

    Jaws Jumbo Burgers

    4.5(99 reviews)
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    Hello!!! Not a big reviewer but this place deserves one. And…read morea great one at that. Came here on a Saturday with Wife. It wasn't overly crowded and the decor was pretty cool. Greeted very friendly by the co owner Yolanda. She took our order and explained everything to us as we were first timers. Everything is made fresh so it the time from ordering to receiving our burgers was about the time it would take you to make it at home. The Wife had the single with onion rings and I had the Double Frenzee. Both of us shared the fries and rings. This was our opinion on food: Burgers were well flavored and juicy. Each burger is 5 ounces and is a smash style. The toppings were fresh and were not skimped on. The buns were fresh, soft and big. They needed to be to cover the burgers. The fries and rings were not greasy and fried to a golden brown. The amount of batter on rings was just right. The amounts were just right. I'm a good eater so I destroyed everything including some of wife's rings. Wife only could finish half and brought some rings home for later. Definitely, will be coming back. Both Wife and I workout daily (Weights, Cardio, Circuits). This will definitely be a good cheat meal after a leg day. Craig

    Jaws Jumbo Burgers is a Jaws-themed restaurant that is privately owned and has a a bunch of shark…read morememorabilia and shark themed documentaries playing on screens that you can watch while eating. It's cash only and if you aren't aware this there is an ATM! To me this part if you don't know can be annoying because it can be can be an added cost to the customer. The service is good and the burgers are delicious and made in house daily from 100 percent sirloin ground beef. Each patty is 5 ounces to you can get a single, a double Frenzee, or a triple Megalodon. The triple can come with the 3 5 ounce pattie's,double cheese and bacon. There are different variations with different sauces available as well. You can add the typical toppings and there are sides such as fries, onion rings, and Cole slaw. If you want there are milk shakes lemonade and homemade cookies that the owner Yolanda bakes herself and these I have to say are seriously amazing! I had chocolate chip and oh my so yum! Everything was really great and I will be going back! Address: 3131 SW College Rd Suite 303 Ocala Florida 34474 Phone: (352)304-5080 Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:00 am - 9:00 Jawsjumboburgers.net Wheelchair accessible ***

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    Inside

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    Brooklyn's Backyard - Maybe it's alias is Samuel Adams?

    Brooklyn's Backyard

    4.3(534 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    We showed up tonight to celebrate my birthday (today), my hubby's (Monday) and our daughter in…read morelaw's (this past Thursday). Couldn't think of a better place to eat, drink and be merry at! Tonight was "trivia night", which, while we didn't play, we did enjoy trying to guess the answers. Our grand daughter's face was a big "O" of amazement when realizing the upper tables were enjoying roasting their marshmallows at their table...when she was told they were making s'mores...she went nuts! She's so excited to get tableside s'mores! My wings were even better than they were last time since there was an addition of seasonings sprinkled on them along with the dill pickles, but unfortunately, our cheeseburger pizza suffered from not having enough mustard and ketchup base to it, the tomatoes were enormous chunks and so were red onions. It made it very difficult to eat without things falling all over your clothing since they were such huge chunks on top of the tiny pieces of pizza. My husband got the steak bomb sub, son got a pepperoni Stromboli, daughter in law got the Sharon's Brie burger, grand daughter the child's cheeseburger and fries. Our apps were the garlic knots, mild wings (10) and fried cheese curds with sriracha ranch dipping sauce. Everything was okay, except that it took forever for everything to come out, compared to our first visit. Even our s'mores seemed to take forever. The quickest part of the whole visit was the bill . The fella that waited on us the first time was on point. Not saying that the young lady waiting on us was rude or anything, but I think she was trying to do too many things at once and some things just fell by the wayside. Last visit we came in on a Saturday as well, but perhaps some people are just better at multitasking? I don't know. This time, our bill was over $200 with tip, but we still brought home food again. Not a lot compared to the last time, only 2 little pickle wings (I still can't get enough of those darn things!) and maybe 4 slices of pizza. My husband's loaded tots weren't to his liking, so there's something even for the dog tomorrow We may stay away for awhile and see if they manage to work out some kinks. If anything, the best rule is consistency. If the food preparation is not consistent every time you go to eat there, there's a problem. There should be NO deviation just because someone else is cooking it. All recipes should be the same. Twice we've ordered the same items and they've been different. I still recommend this place for great vibes, cocktails, food and the tableside s'mores. There's just nowhere else like it!

    I was in the area with a friend and his daughter. We visited Silver Springs and were ready for…read morelunch. His daughter said she wanted a burger and we found this spot. There are a few tables outside, right by the door. There are signs that make it clear they are non smoking tables. We decided to eat inside, were seated right away and our server came quickly. She told us what some of the popular burgers were and we made our selections based on that. I had the Jamaican burger cooked medium. This burger was cooked perfectly, had good flavor, was topped with a sweet and spicy jerk sauce. It was everything that I expected. My friend had the Brie burger and his daughter had the smash burger and they both said those burgers were very good as well. Our server was attentive to our needs throughout our meal. I would definitely go back again.

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    Brooklyn's Backyard - Interior

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    Brooklyn's Backyard - Interior

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    Ralph's Burger and Sandwich Shop

    Ralph's Burger and Sandwich Shop

    4.2(26 reviews)
    7.6 mi

    Great burger, though greasy. Had the Ralph's with no changes to it…read more Before I go further, the one nice thing the girl at the counter did was say my order would be brought to me, and it was. I walk with a cane & I had brought my dog. I rather doubt I'll be back. I'd rather go any of the other WEC restaurants where the staff is gracious to the level of Disney gracious. Staff were not at all on par with the rest of WEC, well at least not the blond young woman that waited on me. She did smile upon arrival, but their tone was condescending and obviously an old, plump lady didn't fit her idea of who to be nice to. I ordered quickly, as I came to just try the place out and figured the Ralph's burger was the way to go. I felt all the staff sort of walked around her and gave her a wide berth and frankly all looked nervous. Is there a tyrant there? Layout: is odd! Condiments are on the far right end of the counter, yet the utensils and beverages are on the opposite wall. The girl who took my order said nothing about that. I was surprised to get a burger with no condiments on it. I ordered coffee and they give you a cup and it's self-service, which is perfectly fine, but the tea and coffee were not labeled or if they are, then it's up over 5 feet, I tipped 18%, not my usual 20%*, as it's counter service. I assume that's divided up, as the staff cleaning tables were quick & efficient, as well as pleasant. Maybe blond girl was having a bad day, but if that's the case - don't share it. I was there on June 4th, 2026. Since this is not a chain fast food restaurant and they apparently don't put condiments on the burgers, I think having them on the table would be better. Worst service in Ocala all due to one girl.

    My wife and I decided to try out Ralph's Burger during the Home and Garden show at the WEC. Boy…read morewere we surprised to see this placed packed! In addition to the Home and Garden show, there were horse jumping competitions and apparently some tour groups with their yellow lanyards hanging on their necks. Needless to say, we waited in line a while and had to hunt for tables and chairs. Fortunately, my wife and I "divided and conquered" as she secured a table (which we happily shared with another couple after my wife wiped it off with a wet wipe) and I stood in line to place our orders. I ordered the Southwest Burger ($17) and my wife ordered the Patty Melt ($14.75). Both came with fries. We just had water. The wait was longer than we thought (the place was truly packed). My burger had good flavor but thought the burger patty was a bit overdone for my tastes. My wife liked her patty melt and thought it was full of flavor as well but would've preferred the marble rye to be grilled instead of toasted. All in all, despite the crowd which we thought may have affected their execution a bit, we thought of our experience a positive one. We might consider trying out their breakfast when we decide to head back out to WEC for a Sunday service in their quaint chapel. NOTE: I neglected to take pictures since the long wait left us famished.

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    Ralph's Burger and Sandwich Shop
    Ralph's Burger and Sandwich Shop
    Ralph's Burger and Sandwich Shop

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    Ocala's Downtown Diner - diners - Updated September 2026

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