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    Ruby's Diner

    3.3 (381 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Ruby's Diner Photos

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    RUBY'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Ruby's Diner

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    Chicken strips
    Smitha A.

    We got there right at 12:15, prime lunch time. We waited at "wait to be seated" stand for about 10 mins before anyone even acknowledged us. We ordered the chicken strips plate and a gluten free classic burger with chili cheese fries. The fries were great. Everything else was meh. My daughter did enjoy the buffalo ranch sauce. We asked to sit outside even if it was chilly since the inside was a little smelly.

    Frings
    Tucker W.

    Stopped in at 7:45pm on a Saturday night after outlet shopping. Sat outside by the fire and had super fast service and yummy comfort food. Vibe was perfect for a cozy, comfortable meal with solid classic diner foods

    Fun-loving Nick

    Not only did our food come out fast, hot and delicious -- our server Nick was the bomb! He seated us at the last hour and was still so full of kindness, energy and humor. A great place to eat after a long day of shopping! Say Hi to Nick!

    Butterfinger malt
    Harrison S.

    Came here a couple days ago and the interior was pleasant. The kitchen area was really cool. It is set up like an old airstream trailer. I wish I took a better look around. Service was friendly, a little slow but friendly regardless. Ordered an oldie. The classic burger and a butterfinger malt. Burger was decent, not like remembered it but still decent. The fires were okay, definitely needed at least another 30 second in the fryer, a little soft. The butterfinger malt though... oooof just as I remembered. So delicious!!! It has been a long time since ive been to rubys but I'd come back to this location and give them another go! (Hopefully the fries will be nice and crisp next time)

    Ice cream
    Jessica Z.

    We came in for ice cream the manager assisted us fast, clean amazing service!!! Delicious ice cream. It's a little pricey 599 per scoop but worth it.

    Patty melt with Onion Rings
    Laura P.

    We're from out of state and this was my first experience at a Ruby's and I really enjoyed it. Service was ok - about what you would expect from a "diner" but the food was fantastic and the interior is so cool - I wish I look photos of it, but I might have to go back for a root beer float before we leave town! It's very mid-Century modern and the cooking area is in a hollowed out Airstream. At our table we had a 1/2 tuna melt with a salad, a bacon cheeseburger and a patty melt with onion rings and everything was delicious. The party melt was one of the best I've ever had - tons of onions, gooey cheese and a nice crispy caraway rye. The onion rings were also amazing in a super crispy tempura type batter - there were just too many of them - I couldn't finish!

    Getting the bacon cheeseburger and a Swiss mushroom burger.
    Mike H.

    Service was great, greeted quickly and sat, waiter was quick and attentive, brought water and coffee refills regularly. Food- burgers are ok, I could take it or leave it. Flavor ok. Sweet potato fries. Great! Hot, a little crispy, good flavor. Regular fries were good too. Place was clean, staff friendly, service was fast.

    Menu cover
    Kevin H.

    Ruby's Diner Carlsbad, CA Food: We ordered the Fish & Chips and Seafood Combo, both came with fresh fried cod fillets, served hot I may add. The onion ring served hot also and was delicious. They also serve beer and wine. Service: super service! Ambiance: Old School diner vibe, employee in hats and uniform was great to see.

    Water
    Hannah H.

    yummy food lovely service Ruby's Ruby's yum yum yum yum yum yum yum so lovely!! I love! Very calming very beach but no sand!! yay

    Daniele F.

    Tasty food and quick service in San Clemente during our ball game break. We had cheeseburgers, BLT's, seafood combos, soup, calamari, and shakes!!! Naomi did a good job serving us and we relaxed and talked on the outside patio until we were done. Thanks Ruby's.

    Simple Salad
    Tu-Quyen P.

    One of the few Ruby's Diners left in OC and I'm so glad it's at this beautiful location with plenty of parking and indoor and outdoor seating. Service is super friendly as typical of this chain which I appreciate a lot, and the portion sizes I feel are a bit bigger than I remember, so nice bonus! The turkey sandwich is forever my go-to and it's so good with the sweet potato fries. Perfect for a weekend lunch on a beautiful sunny day.

    Inside
    Ane V.

    One last stop before hitting the road. My SO and I decided to have an early dinner here. The place was not busy. The server let us sit anywhere we wanted. We opted for indoors and a booth. We both ordered burgers. The Ruby with Cheese. It was good, filling, and tasty. The fries were crispy and not overly salty. Our server checked on us in a timely manner. Location is pretty good. Outdoor dining is great if the weather permits.

    Alina S.

    The only good thing on the menu - fried green beans. The service was slow and the only word that comes to mind is lazy. I ordered the BLT since it would be hard to mess that up.. The sourdough was greasy and had a strange taste. There was barely any bacon although it was a BLT.

    The Classic with fries. So delicious!! The two slices of cheese and fresh buns really make this burger the best!!

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    5 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    We are happy you had great time at our place Please come back soon!

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    9 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Great experience and clean and family friendly and nice service. We always come on weekends not long of a wait

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Food and service is and was absolutely great! Like always. We have been coming here for years and still top-notch.

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    7 months ago

    Great place for lunch. Great service, food and ambience Putdoor area is very pleasant and you may see a few pets?

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Absolutely the best burgers around, fries and onion rings too. Great service and it is just like this, all the time

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    9 months ago

    Ordered the grown up grilled cheese... very good. Always clean with fast and friendly service.

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    8 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 months ago

    the workers are just amazing and they are all good at their job so I will give them a good ra

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Amazing service. Very quick and efficient. The food is so delicious. The vibes in here are always amazing as well!!

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    10 months ago

    We love Ruby's! We love the service and the food and atmosphere with the music!! Thank you for always being the best! Vicki & Jennifer

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    Page 2 of 10

    Ruby's Diner Reviews in Other Languages

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    Flights & Irons Urban Kitchen

    Flights & Irons Urban Kitchen

    4.4
    (702 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Wonderful place post hiking. It's casual and has great quality food and service!…read more Our waitress was so kind! I wish I got her name for this post. Thanks for taking care of us! And hats off to the chef.

    I'd give it 3.5 stars, maybe on a different night it would have rounded up. Service was pretty…read moresparse so I rounded down. Every time a server came over we had to flag someone down. We sat for probably 10 minutes before anyone greeted us, it was 3:30pm so it wasn't very busy, maybe 3-4 other tables. Every time someone came after that we had to wave someone down for water refills, never asked anyone if we wanted more drinks from the bar, nothing. Had my father in law asked for more ice tea and they never even started a new pitcher in 15 minutes. It was not busy. The place had a to of gluten free options which is a reason I wanted to try it. My server had no idea what gluten was. For a place that had half the menu marked as gluten free I was really surprised she really had no knowledge of the menu, but she was nice enough to go ask some questions when i pressed a bit that I wasn't vegan, and it was like an allergy. The food was good, portions were large enough and everything was pretty good as far as the food. Not sure why the service was so incredibly patchy and absent when we ate at 3:30 and the place was 2/3 empty. It was pretty good, I may try again but for the price point I think the service can be a little better. Nice...but slow. Definitely need more training on the menu! Mid. Not bad. Not great.

    Photos
    Flights & Irons Urban Kitchen
    Burger (with wedge fries)
    Burger (with wedge fries)
    Chili and Corn Bread

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    Chili and Corn Bread
    The Riders Club Cafe

    The Riders Club Cafe

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    These are the best burgers I've ever had. Everything I could ask for in a burger, and they do it…read moreright, every time. The variety of toppings is also plentiful and perfect to build the burger of your dreams. The best thing though, hands down, their waffle cut sweet potato fries paired with their house ranch. I can't recommend them enough. I love that they both always taste fresh and delicious. I would include a photo, but every time I order them, they are gone in a flash. Service is done with a smile and a friendly energy. As far as ambiance, I'd say it's like a casual beachside kinda joint. (in my opinion anyway, ofc) I've been a loyal diner here for the last 10 years, and I'll keep coming back.

    The Riders Club Cafe is a convenient spot to refuel without feeling rushed. It's much more casual…read morethan a dining restaurant. We were not particularly hungry so we all had our chili hot dog and one kid's meal. My husband had the single cheeseburger. Seriously, the chili hot dog is amazing! It is a must-try item on the menu. The chili was delicious with a perfectly cooked beef hot dog. The sized portion was great too. I also recommend the Rice Crispy Treat and homemade chocolate pudding. They were super good. They've got indoor and also great outdoor seating depending on what is available or your preference. There is also a heater installed on the patio to make the outdoor dining comfortable. However, coastal evenings can turn chilly even in summer so bring a warm jacket or sweater. This will be very helpful to make a significant difference in your comfort.

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    Front counter and grill
    Front counter and grill
    Two Hot Dogs Meal and Fries
    Two Hot Dogs Meal and Fries
    Outside signage.

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    Outside signage.
    GiGi's by The Pier

    GiGi's by The Pier

    4.0
    (945 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Great location!!! Just steps from the beach, great views. Greeted by our host/server. We were…read moreable to choose our table and I chose one with a view of the pier and ocean. The food was good. A few surprises My sister ordered the Cali eggs Benedict the potatoes wee supposed to be smashed, they were halved. The avocado slices looked old due to the dark tone on them, not the normal green. My chilaquiles had black beans, not mentioned in the menu description; great surprise. There was supposed to be sour cream on my chilaquiles and there wasn't any. It would have cut some of the sourness of the chile verde sauce. I chose poached eggs in stead of fried ones. My eggs were over cooked and cold. I am pretty sure they were precooked. I would give them another try, maybe for lunch.

    Service: The service was excellent. The waitress was very…read moreattentive and energetic. Everyone there had a very positive attitude. Which is a big plus. Food: We started off with the coconut shrimp. The coconut shrimp was good. The coconut was crispy and the shrimp was well done for the main dish. I got the Cali Benedict. It was Soooo good. The hollandaise sauce was so tasty. The shrimp was fully seasoned and the potato's were well seasoned and huge. I recommend people getting this dish. Ambiance: The ambiance was great. There wasn't really a lot of people so that was nice. Just kids screaming and cry from time to time.

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    GiGi's by The Pier
    GiGi's by The Pier
    Something delicious

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    Something delicious
    Hapa J's

    Hapa J's

    4.1
    (1.4k reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Was in town for a wedding and decided to give this place a try…read more If I could give more stars I would. Delicious! I've never had a Spam tempura and now that's all I want from now on! The bar area was cute and TV's playing sports games. We were seated quick, our food came just as quick and left with full happy bellies. Will comeback when craving a Spam Musubi and in the area!

    Went here for date night last week- it has a lot more seating inside than I had expected!…read more Good service- 5/5 The ambience - 3.5/5 - the ambience wasn't my favorite, maybe it's a little better in their main restaurant area but we were seated to the left when you walk in and while there are a few booths in that area it was mostly outdoor chairs and tables and sort of odd lighting. Just very very casual and not totally comfortable. Food- 3.4/4 out of 5 - I got the Luau plate and LOVED the chicken!! Everyone else was right- that chicken thigh deserves its own plate. I also really enjoyed the coconut pudding/jello thing that came with it and the sausage link. The pulled pork was just okay, not very well seasoned but not bad. The side of "dressed greens" was just some lettuce without dressing on it, and I thought the macaroni salad was fine. The last thing that really disappointed me were the sautéed veggies :/ they were just soo oily and had no seasoning to them at all. I didn't eat any of them or the un-dressed 'salad'. My husband got the chicken katsu plate, he said the chicken katsu was fine but the fries on the side were cold and not crispy, they were kind of chalky in the mouth and didn't taste fresh. Some parts were definitely a 3/5 but my chicken thigh was so good and the portions are *huge* so I feel like they deserve a 4/5? All in all, I think I'd come back if I wanted to go out with someone but save some money and we'd split one of the plates (the portions really are huge).

    Photos
    DA BIG MIXED PLATE
    DA BIG MIXED PLATE
    Feeling the Aloha at Hapa J's
    Feeling the Aloha at Hapa J's
    OLD SCHOOL MAITAI

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    OLD SCHOOL MAITAI
    SC Cafe

    SC Cafe

    4.5
    (397 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    You sit down hungry, leave full, and consider becoming a regular…read more This is a family owned diner in the truest sense, meaning: The coffee cups are all different, like you're drinking out of a cabinet curated by three generations and one aunt who collects mugs from roadside attractions. Immediately comforting. Felt chosen by the mug--mine was a Hersheys s'mores cup :) My date (who is aight... possibly good... TBD... also over a foot taller than me) confidently interjected when I was reviewing the menu for the nth time: "Anything with the ranchero sauce really good." This comment completely derailed my order decision-making process, but in a way that felt supportive, if not academically rigorous, maybe even data driven. So I ordered something with ranchero sauce. I asked if they had spicy tanchero sauce bc my dish came with mild ranchero sauce, our server with kind eyes asks me "you want salsas on the sides?" I heard angels singing, the clouds parted to let the sun through. I LOVE SALSAS Then he says these magical words "the salsas' spice levels kind of vary daily, depends on the day" :') THEY MAKE SALSAS IN HOUSE?!!! The food is honest. The salsa is abundant. The coffee is good as you try to spy what other c cups are of Would return. Would trust the ranchero sauce again. Would possibly bring the tall man back, height difference not-withstand :) ok. High likelihood

    S.C CAFE @ SAN CLEMENTE…read more Parking can be a little difficult since they only have a very small parking lot with maybe four or five spots available, so most people will probably end up parking on the street. My boyfriend and I got lucky and managed to grab a spot after driving by for a bit. I was really excited to try this place because I love small breakfast diners, and I usually go to Surfin Donuts right across the street, which has some of the best donuts. We came here on a Saturday morning around 10 AM, and the place was busy but still really cozy. There are only a couple tables inside along with some outdoor seating, but luckily we were able to get seated right away without a wait. The staff were also extremely friendly and welcoming. I ordered the biscuits and gravy with two eggs and sausage, while my boyfriend got an omelet with a Mexican-style sauce. Overall, I liked the food, but I do think the biscuits and gravy could've been a little better. The gravy itself was delicious, and the eggs were cooked perfectly, but the biscuits felt a little too dry for my liking. I also thought the sausages were pretty dry and maybe a bit overcooked. The potatoes though were super flavorful and definitely one of my favorite parts of the meal. What really stood out to me was the ambiance. The whole place feels super nostalgic and homey. They even bring out an actual paper check at the end, which made it feel like stepping back into an old-school diner from decades ago. Overall, I'd definitely come back because I loved the atmosphere so much, but next time I'd probably try something sweeter instead of going the savory route.

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    Inside
    Inside
    Gabi burrito
    Gabi burrito
    Cup of Joe

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    Cup of Joe
    Brussels Bistro

    Brussels Bistro

    4.4
    (476 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Always a pleasure coming to eat here. Adele always remembers her customers and treats them well…read more She is on top of the guest list so make sure you make a reservation in advance for the best dining experience. We were able to sit near the big open area and my son had a great time eating and watching people walk by. Amazing food and service every single time.

    Came on a weekend afternoon. Was able to find street parking a block away pretty quickly. Street…read moreparking was not metered and free on Avenida Del Mar. Place was not busy when we arrived. They had a few tables. They originally wanted to seat us inside, but we requested the open window seat. Our waiter tried to sell us wine when we sat down. We ordered the Creamy Chicken with Ratatouille for $29 and Steak Frites with red wine sauce for $34. The Creamy Chicken was really good and fun to eat with the puff pastry. The Ratatouille was alright, we were not a fan. We got the Steak Frites medium and felt like it should've tasted better. We did appreciate that we did taste the red wine. The Belgians fries were hot and crispy. They were quite generous with the salt. The decor was nice. The food was descent. The kept refilling our water without us asking which was nice. We did not like that the waiters kept rushing us to leave at the end when there were plenty of open tables. The place was packed by dinner time when we returned to the area.

    Photos
    Inside decor
    Inside decor
    Lettuce wrapped burger
    Lettuce wrapped burger
    Inside

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    Inside

    Ruby's Diner - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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