Went first time today. Coffee is great! It was very nice and clean. We have breakfast so country omelette, cream chip beef. They deep fry their scrapple. All the food was really good, service was good. Excited to come back to try the seafood pasta. No complaints! I recommend it. read more

I love it here, I've been with my grandma and cousins on different occasions. There was one time where there was dirty in my side salad. But I never really had a problem since. But since covid spread I haven't been able to come back. Hopefully when this is all over you'll be seeing me more. The waitstaff are nice and friendly. My grandma really liked the dishwasher but heard that he had to go back to Africa. He was so sweet miss him lots. read more

Food is north of just ok but the service is great! Couple that with 24-hour service, I have a new late night go-to

Stopped in for breakfast the other morning and was really pleased. I had the blueberry pancakes with a side of sausage. Pancakes were light, tasted great with the perfect amount of blueberries. Sausage was great - not the frozen tiny ones some places served. Friend had eggs, bacon and french toast. Waitress was attentive and delightful. Great experience. read more

Good food, prices and service. I had a pizza steak and it was very good. My companion had a grilled cheese and it was really good, lots of flavor and cooked to perfection. read more

Finally a real diner in Newark! Breakfast was great! We will definitely return for lunch or dinner! Please try Smiley's if your a diner person! Place is spotless staff friendly ! Large portions at reasonable prices! read more

First time eating at this diner. We received a menu in the mail and the prices and dishes seemed appealing. We went on a Saturday morning and it was very busy, but the staff and service was swift and respectful. The food was great, and I was surprised by how quick the food came out, because how busy the diner was. You definitely get plenty of food for your money. No complaints with our experience. We will visit the diner again!! read more

Well I tried this place again just to give it a fair shake. They still give large portions but the food has no taste and I mean no taste all. Everything comes out hot and looking good but its like eating card board. read more

Chose Smiley's over the big chain next door and was really happy. Great staff and food prepared exactly as requested.

After searching around for a quick place to grab a bite to eat on a Sunday around 1pm, we couldn't find a table anywhere so we decided to try here, I love to support local businesses. My friend got the French toast which I tried and it was decent. I got pancakes, however, they were the worst pancakes I ever had, I could make better at home. It tasted like it was straight out of the hungry jack box. Not expecting, a comp for my meal, I told the owner upon check-out how he needs to improve his pancakes, even some suggestions and he just shrugs it off. Now coming from someone who works in the restaurant industry I know any good business offers some sort of comp or replacement. I was turned off by the food and even more so by the owner. Good luck with your business if you keep up that attitude. Any good breakfast place brings out their maple syrup in ramekins, or something appealing, nope not here, good ol' kraft pancake syrup packets for ya. My friend had to ask for cream for his coffee and I had to wait for the waitress to come back for a straw because she never gave me one either for my water. Also- the bus boys stalk you. They literally were on top of my friend as soon as he put his fork down. Creepy. read more

We stopped here while traveling and had the best soup and sandwich. Just what I needed for a cool rainy day. I will seek this place out again. Just awesome! Huge servings!! read more

To be honest, nothing tasted fresh. Maple syrup came in little Kraft individual packets, no iced coffee. Everything just kind of seemed lazily done. The one thing that was great was the service - our waitress was lovely. However that's not enough to come back read more

We wanted to check out this new place in newark. I came in with a party of nine plus my newborn. When i told the person at the register (it seems that he was the manager or owner) how many we were, he made a not welcoming expression making me feel that my party was a burden instead of busines$. I know that they were busy and short in staff, but the leader needs to manage his emotions and reflect a positive attitute at all times.we got to our table and the waiter also mentioned how busy they were...the staff is reflecting the leaders behavior, but other than that she was a good server. I ordered the club turkey sandwich and supreme nachos, the nachos were horrible, the beef felt old and they charged extra, the sandwich was good but beware.. while you are ordering they offer me a lot of things that were $extra and i ended up paying additional fees. At the end another guy came to clean the table while we were talking, we felt kind of rush out of the place and the rush was already over. Ther is nothing special about this place it just another diner. They can make it better if they improve their customer service skills. read more

Let me start by saying, I Love Breakfast! And I'm from Jersey, therefore, my expectations are high. With that being said since I am in Delaware I have learned to taylor my opinions accordingly. The food here is already average but today is was barely that. My food was cold when it arrived and it just was not good. I did not eat much so I left hungry. A cheat meal down the drain. You would do better just going to Denny's. Even though their service is slow the prices are cheaper and you get pretty much the same. The 1 star is for my coffee, I really enjoyed it. read more

I am rating this 4 stars for the hidden gem on the menu- the Rosemary Chicken "Salad." It was delicious! It was a warm healthy and tasty dish, such a nice change from a cold salad. The chicken was flavorfully marinated in rosemary, garlic and lemon and served over warm seasoned broccoli, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers and served alongside cold cucumbers, tomatoes, and a sliced egg. The temperature contrast was appreciated and the suprise single slice of fried, breaded eggplant provided a treat without totally ruining my clean diet. The appetizer of bacon potato skins is a must, but you need to add a few shakes of salt. The chicken cheesesteak was more bread than filling so we wouldn't recommend and the chicken marsala was a bit off, but hey it's a diner. Worth going back for the Rosemary Chicken Salad. read more

What a hidden Gem. This clean and nice Restaurant is tough to see even though it is right on the highway. Always friendly and the service is fast. Had the Veggie omelet and Helen had the same, really enjoyed the meal. Helen had a croissant that they toasted and she would have preferred that it was just heated. Great experience. It is great Diner food. We will be back read more

I ordered the open faced roast beef wirh mashed potatoes. Ordered a Caesar salad and a side of corn. Everything came at the same time and it was cold. Told her to take it ba k and subtract it from my bill I'll eat elsewhere. 3 times now and the place sucks. Go somewhere else to eat. read more

First time trying it out. Wen at lunch time on a Friday with my husband and kids. They were very busy and slightly slow but not a big deal. My husband ordered the chicken salad sandwich and I ordered the cheeseburger club. The chicken salad was fantastic. The cheeseburger club was very good as well. The burger was cooked and seasoned very well and tasted like it was charbroiled as opposed to just on a stove top. Whether that is true or not it was very good!! The fries were good too! Very crispy and well cooked. Will definitely be back. It's so nice to have a diner around that's open 24 hr and has great options. Eager to try their breakfast. read more

This was my first visit, and most likely my last. Our server was nice, but kept rubbing her face while talking to us. My friend was half way through her meal (the seafood special) when she found a hair on her plate. We notified our server and she took the plate away...no apology at all. She came back and asked my friend if she wanted something else, but after seeing the hair, she didn't have much of an appetite. The server said they would discount the meal 50%. In my opinion, the entire meal should've been discounted. The manager never visited the table to apologize. She was sitting at a booth eating and socializing with the servers. I also got the seafood special and thought it was quite bland. I also had no silverware when my food came so I had to get up and take it from another table because I wasn't able to locate our server. There were only about 3 other tables occupied at the time. Slow service, bland food and way overpriced. read more

I have been to several diners. Smiley's Diner makes me rethink diner food. Their food is fresh and tastes like food not a facsimile with flavor. My mother ordered the turkey bacon club sandwich. It looked amazing; fresh tomatoes and green leaf lettuce complementing turkey stacked between toasted bread. The Onion rings were crispy, I tried them. My mother said the bacon was crispy, cooked to perfection. The lettuce was crunchy and fresh. My ova-vegan ( or mostly vegan) needs were met with a delicious veggie omelette with a side of rice (I asked for the accommodation). I like that the veggie omelette doesn't come with cheese unless you request it. An omelette that melted in my mouth with crunchy vegetables is what I enjoyed. When you order food here be prepared to eat. You will not leave here hungry. I have to mention the service; the staff was friendly, efficient, and respectful. They enhanced the dinning experience. read more

We ordered breakfast, took 45 minutes for eggs and home fries. Toast came out black and burnt. Drinks never refilled. Slooowww service.

Large portions & tasty, we couldn't finish it all. My dad had the open faced turkey, said it was tender and moist. Staff is efficient and friendly. read more

Great diner for any time of the day! We love the breakfast menu and the meatloaf dinner is so good! Always need deserts when we are done too. The home made pies and yummy rice pudding are always in a box to take home! Love this place read more

When for breakfast today, our server Jenny was very nice and on point with our service and attentive. Our food came out and it was hot, unlike the way it has been at Cracker Barrel. This is going to be our new place for breakfast, the prices are not bad at all either read more

amazing fast service. food was out 10 minutes after we orderd. large portions and really good.

It was my first time here. Thought I give it a try. Arrived around 9:45pm on a Saturday night. Besides two other couples, it was empty in there. We were seated immediately upon entering. The place appeared to be clean. The staff was very friendly. Our waitress was very nice and attentive. We ordered and received our food in a acceptable amount of time. Our appetizer sampler came out first which consist of 2 mozzarella sticks, 4 wings, a potato skin, 2 jalapeño poppers and 2 chicken fingers. It was ok. After picking over that. My house salad and dinner platter arrived. It was the worst salad I ever had. 3 little cherry tomatoes and 2 slices of cucumber in a bowl of lettuce. My chicken parm platter was huge. But that was the only good thing about it. I thought it was a safe bet. Didn't think you could mess that up. The garlic bread was soggy and flattened why I don't know. And without any garlic flavor whatsoever. My mash potatoes were dry and barely warm. And the gravy was disgusting. The chicken was bland and burnt and covered with tomato sauce and cheese that couldn't be helped with salt or pepper. And my pasta was cold. Needless to say not satisfied with my visit. The manager recognized I wasn't happy with my meal. And removed the chicken parm from my bill. And offered me something else which I appreciated. But respectfully declined. She was very nice, as well as the staff. But whoever was cooking on this night. Needs more practice and or training to put it lightly. Unfortunately there are better diners in the area. So with that said I doubt I'll be returning to this one. Based on "most" of the reviews. I expected more. IJS read more

We're just passing through from out of town but would eat here regularly if we lived here. Food was great, fresh, nice variety in the menu and reasonable prices. Service is very friendly. Recommend! read more

I loved this place! Burger was perfectly cooked and tasted amazing! Fries were perfect! Daughter had chocolate chip pancakes, she loved them. Definitely going back! read more

We were seated promptly for a late Sunday breakfast. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We enjoyed our hearty meals and took home leftovers. I'm anxious it have another meal here. read more

Great food service and I like that there open 24/7 this is the first dinner in the route 273 area in a long time the staff is fast no long waits and it's always busy keep up the great work read more

We stayed at the Motel 6 next door and thought we had walked into Denny's. When we asked the waitress she said Denny's was next door. We decided to stay and boy are we glad we did. Our waitress, Tara, was the sweetest and most attentive young lady. The portions were huge and the food was excellent. If we're ever in Newark again, we'll be sure to visit Smiley's again too. read more

I tried Smileys Diner out for the first time and ordered a Monte Cristo. I called them twice on the phone and specifically asked them if they could use American cheese and they said yes no problem. A Monte Cristo is a deep-fried battered mix of ham turkey Swiss and American cheese. I used to be a professional cook so I'm quite well aware of what a Monte Cristo is. I received a piece of toast with a piece of ham turkey and a piece of Swiss cheese on a piece of toast. This is not a Monte Cristo. Not only that but they forgot the American cheese so I brought it back in and explain to them that I had asked for American cheese and they looked at it and said oh it's on there. I could not believe the restaurant was telling me I was wrong as though I was an idiot. I am so angry for not only the fact that it's actually not a Monte Cristo but that it wasn't made to the way I requested. To be perfectly Frank they will not be receiving my business again. I would like to highly recommend the Metro Diner which is just down the road. I ended up going there and ordering a Monte Cristo and it was exactly the way I Monte Cristo should be made. read more

Very unhappy with this restaurant. Service was bad . First cup of coffee was cold. Asked for a 2nd cup of coffee. Waitress went and started clearing tables took her another 15 min to get it. I never got side of bacon that I was charged for. Wife never got her sausage that was supposed to come with meal. No toilet paper in ladies room. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Can not post without rating at least one star but doesnt deserve a 1/2 of star. read more

This new spot next to Christiana Skating Center is spot-on when searching for a hearty home style breakfast on a chilly morning! It's next door to Denny's and well placed because Denny's was crowded on Sunday morning with a line going out the door. Smiley's was crowded too but a few booths were available and we were so grateful. As far as I'm concerned when it comes to Sunday Brunch, if my eggs come out perfect, it's a thumbs up! And they did and it was! Real butter in my warm toast, I mean, it's Sunday Brunch, gotta have real butter. Perfect crispy on the outside soft on the inside Scrapple and the chicken soup is a Fall treat! Very tasty as I was Nursing a slight cold. Feed a cold.... etc., etc. I forgot to ask for grits and instead got a generous portion of hash browns which were golden and crispy. Coming from Philadelphia, it's a perfect stop off of the I-95 beltway. Quick IN, quick OUT. Enjoy! read more

Went to smiley;s diner in newark de first 2 weeks it open, food was just ok but was impressed with the size of cheese steak wrap, loaded with steak they used a large wrap cut in half, decided to go back last night, and treat my son, he order the same thing, the wrap hardly had any cheese steak in it and it was much smaller, they used a small wrap and cut in half, plus forgot to put ketchup and sweet pepper in it not worth the $9.97 price, plus my other guess chicken quesadilla did not come with any sides, the cole slaw taste like paste.. plus they are always cleaning floor, don't want to see a dirty bucket of mop water while eating, please manager/owner is not friendly and does not greet and ask how the food is in this new diner, if you go beyond second page of menu the prices are well into the $20.00 range for diner food. Metro diner up the street is much better owner is friendly to ever one and makes sure you are happy and you can count on the food to be consistent in size and quality, the only thing good is there open 24 hours but so is Denny who is much cheaper. read more

don't go as a single....you ALWAYS get stuck behind those godawful wall booths so everyone can conveniently forget you....demand a table even tho you take up four seats at least you will be seen to be approached and get decent service. read more