The character of the place says hip escape from the regular day. Your tastebuds will be rewarded by the quisine.

I love this place. You have to try the plantain appetizer.....fantastic! It doesn't look like much on the outside, but she has it where it counts... taste. read more

A local favorite, always good!! Some of my favorite dishes are the breakfast burrito and Cuban French toast. The pizza bread salad is a great lunch and you can't go there without trying the plantains with their salsa dressing! read more

Starliner Diner - Cuban French toast and breakfast burrito - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

Been over ten years since I was last at the old location. Stopped in here for a quick lunch. Waitress was super friendly and knowledgeable. Made recommendation on popular dishes and specials. Food came out hot and was sooo tasty and fresh. The freshness of the ingredients and authentic preparation shines though. The attention to flavor details made the dish. Service was speedy all around from the kitchen to the wait staff ensuring our glasses were always full. A must try if you are in the area. read more

My wife and I went for lunch on Labor Day, and the place was packed. After receiving my food, I knew why. We only had to wait about 15 minutes or so for a table, which was great, considering the number of people who were there. I had a crab quesadilla, and my wife had a vegetable quesadilla. We shared fried plantains. The food was really very tasty, and the portion sizes were great. I was completely stuffed, and my wife wound up taking part of hers home. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. I rarely ever go to Hilliard since I live in German Village, but we decided to make a little excursion out of the center of the city since we had the day. I'm glad we did. Their dinner menu looked very nice, so we'll probably be back at some point to try it out. They had several other items on the breakfast and lunch menus that looked good, so we might be back several more times. The restaurant itself has a rather "fun" feel to it -- it has eclectic decorations on the walls, a somewhat Tex-Mex feel that doesn't quite reach what you get in the Southwest, and a bit of a retro diner feel mixed in. It's definitely not a quiet restaurant, so expect to speak up and possibly to speak over a yelling child at the next table. But don't avoid this place because of that -- it's a great little restaurant, and I look forward to visiting again. read more

It might have been an off day for the restaurant , but it was my first time at Starliner Diner. Our waitress seemed to be having an off day, not very friendly. The food, while ok, took almost an hour to be served. We witnessed a few tables actually leave because the kitchen was so slow. The restaurant wasn't that busy for 9am on Father's Day. Funky atmosphere. I had the huevos rancheros, which should not have taken an hour for 2 sunny side up eggs, enchilada sauce and warned tortillas with a side of crispy potatoes and sausage. read more

The place is cozy and servers are friendly. Ordered the Canjun jambalaya with shrimp. There is good amount of food in the bowl with a piece of white bread. The sauce is good but wish it could be a little bit spicy. I did put in the Tabasco sauce and it makes the food more favorable. However I think the dish has too much black bean not enough rice. Will come back again and try other things on menu read more

Starliner Diner - Canjun jambalaya - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

I was in town with my husband. I had a few hours to waste, while he worked. I walked around Main Street, which had nothing of interest. I stumbled upon this little gem. The vibe is relaxed, very colorful and cozy. The wait staff is friendly and very helpful. The food is yummy! I wasn't sure what to expect with a Cuban diner. I was pleasantly surprised! read more

See all

Great restaurant. Cute and v good service. Food is interesting diner food with a Cuban twist. Will definitely be back.

Cuban/Caribbean cuisine is reasonably priced and full of flavor. If you like a little bit of spice, try the jambalaya. Tasty as can be and just enough spicy flavor to enjoy but doesn't overwhelm the dish. read more

I grew up in Hilliard so I've always been familiar with the old location of Starliner, but I must admit I often forget about it because I don't often make it out that way. This past weekend I met the parents for dinner (Starliner is one of their faves!) and had a great experience in the new spot! I am super thrilled with all of the new varieties of ethnic restaurants that Have been popping up around Columbus the last several years. I must say that Starliner was ahead of the curve on this and their quality has been maintained. I ordered the roasted vegetable which came with beans and rice. It was delicious! The bread is a perfect addition to the meal. I have yet to try the breakfast here, but my parents swear it's better than dinner, so I will make sure to update my review when I make it over for breakfast! read more

Starliner has been a staple in Hilliard for a long time and we have lived here long enough to see it move to its new location. You can always count on great food here. My only wish would be for a healthier option or two. Finding the healthier options that also taste amazing--that's all it would take for five stars for me. read more

The plantains are my FAVORITE! A great spot to go for breakfast, lunch, or happy hour. They have a nice patio out front. We like taking out of town guests here! read more

Always charming and always a good value. Love the plantains. My kiddo says they make the best grilled cheese of his "whole life"!

Went for a spur of the moment dinner tonight. They have a interesting variety--Cuban food with typical diner food. We just got a few apps to try some things out. The black bean nachos were very good and very large--def enough food to share with 2 or 4 people. The plantains were also good and had the perfect texture, crispy but still soft. They were sweet though--couldn't eat a lot of them. Friendly service and cute, quaint restaurant on the inside. read more

Starliner Diner - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

See all

Love this place! Been going for years! Cuban chicken is incredible! Also I recommend the Vegetable pizza bread salad! With smoked chilli sauce on the side, to put on the salad! read more

Absolutely. Hands down. My favorite breakfast place. EVER! I don't think I've had anything here that I didn't like. My go-to's are the Cuban French Toast, Blueberry Banana Pancakes, and the Azteca burrito. Om-nom nom! The bloody mary's are fantastic! I'm not much of a plantains guy, but those who I have been there with say they are awesome. I've only been here a few times for dinner and I would give the dinner menu 3.5 stars. Really solid food. But as good as the breakfast is, I have to give this place 5 stars. Expect a wait on the weekends, possibly up to 30 minutes to an hour. yeah, everyone else thinks it's awesome too. read more

We had a great time at starliner on Saturday , they accommodated our party with no problem and even helped find s house key that was lost in the trash !! Ubove and beyond !! Thank you !! read more

We alway stop in for food @ Starliner diner when traveling through Columbus, Ohio. This past Saturday we stop in for lunch, food did not taste that great read more

I truly wanted to love this place. I really did. I had eaten here about 10 years ago and remember thinking it was okay. I decided to come back after hearing so many positive reviews. I brought my two children with me this time. We got there around 11 am and had to wait about 20 min. (That's expected for a Saturday.) When we were seated it was 11:22am. We waited almost 15 minutes to be greeted by a server. That was AFTER I went to the host stand and politely asked if we had a server? The girl who ended up being our server was nice, but it was unsettling that she kept walking past us (beforehand) and having time to chat with coworkers by the coffee station. At this point I'm still thinking, "No biggie. First world problems. Let's enjoy a nice brunch." We immediately placed our entire order when she came to ask us about drinks. We placed our order at 11:37. We ordered 1 Cuban French toast, 1 pancake, kids grilled cheese and a side of sweet potato fries. During our time waiting on our food I had to flag down another server for a coffee refill. After about 25 minutes our server told us we were just waiting on the pancake. When we finally got our food it was 12:07. By the time all the food came the only thing hot was the pancake. Everything else was cold. Unfortunately, the Cuban French toast was not so great. I only had about 4 chunks that were "French toast" like. All the other chunks were the crust of the bread. When cooked they turned out like croutons. That's basically what my brunch consisted of... a bowl of croutons with some fruit on top. The fastest service we received was when our server (who never gave us her name) brought the check and took my card. I understand this is a staple in Hilliard and adored by the community. Unfortunately our experience was so unpleasant we will not be returning to this establishment. read more

Sunday morning, somewhat busy, 20 min wait. Three orders of pancakes took 1:10min to get to table. Their "special" of cuban french toast was cold upon arrival. Got 1 order of bacon, had ordered 2. Place need to shut down or find a way to get better help. Much better chain places to go to in town. read more

Wonder Service I Love it .. All the best .. Kudos to the team .. Appreciate it.. Will Visit soon

The food is fantastic! Server was exceptional. Recommendations be my the server were spot on. Would definitely visit again.

Amazing food! The Cuban nachos are delicious to start, and I loved the Pizza Cubana. Great outdoor seating.

When I think of Hilliard this is one of the restaurants I think of, pretty much a staple. Went here for my fathers birthday, haven't been since the previous owner sold it. Grew up coming here when I was a kid, was friends with owners son. The manager Ronnie has been there for twenty years, he will do his best to give you the best experience he can. The food is amazing and is incomparable to Louie's grille, not just when it comes to food, bust customer service and management as well. You have to try the banana pancakes and the Cuban bread, but when it comes to anything breakfast you really can't beat it. Haven't been here for dinner in forever and will definitely be back soon to give it a try. read more

First time and would definitely return. Great service the food was plentiful and very tasty. I had the Adobe chicken and black beans and rice was fantastic!!!! read more

Do yourself a favor and do not go to Starliner with more than four people. We totally screwed this up, and it almost ruined our whole experience. Let me explain... At 10 am I did call-ahead seating for five people at 11:15 am. The guy on the phone said it'd be no problem. Fast forward to 11:15 am. My friends and I arrived and saw a massive line out the door. But we did call-ahead seating, so no big deal, right? Wrong. The host told us we were next in line for "the big table". And then we waited almost an hour. We even saw every person from that line go ahead of us. The host finally told us that there was a big group who was sitting around chit chatting even though they had been finished eating for a while. At this point, I was furious that the staff didn't: A) find a tactful way of getting that group out the door or B) coming up with an alternative solution - like putting an extra chair at a table for four - which is what they finally did after our hour wait. But even with all that bitching, I'm still giving Starliner four stars. The food really is that good. Among the five of us, we tried almost everything on the breakfast menu. And everyone was beyond pleased with their meal. A couple of must-tries include the breakfast burrito and the plantains. Oh, and our food came out really quickly once we had ordered. I really did love this hole in the wall place - I just learned my lesson about groups. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch yesterday. I hesitated to pay $10.00 for lunch, but I suppose I typically end up spending the same amount at a chain like Noodles, so this is a great alternative in my mind. I had the lunch combo, a special on the handwritten menu. I was not disappointed. It came with a mini burrito and a couple pieces of quesadilla, it was served with the rice and beans. The rice and beans were tender, flavorful and delicious. I prefer black beans to re-fried, so I was impressed. The burrito and quesadilla were full of powerful and delicious flavors. Their brisket was tender, which is really difficult to do in my opinion. I'm pretty picky about brisket! The quesadilla had chicken AND bacon, and every piece of bacon was like a crispy surprise. Yes, I just said that. I would love to come back and try dinner, but as a lunch spot, it's at least four stars. read more

I finally succumbed to my curiosity and headed over to Starliner Diner for lunch one fine Friday afternoon. Initial reaction upon arriving at SD: This CAN'T be the place. I didn't realize that the phrase 'hole in the wall' was taken to the extreme. My lunch buddy, Gravity, and I were seated promptly; he was quick to comment on the uniqueness of the place in general. Booth seating was uncomfortable. Or rather it was uncomfortable because I had to share a booth seat with a man from the table behind me who seemed to have forgotten to take his morning dose of Ritalin. Onto the food. Both of us ended up getting the Cuban sandwich. Yay conservative eating! The sandwich was pressed beyond belief and sodden from having soaked up all the meat juices. Mmmm... The aftertaste of marinated pork and ham combined still lingered in my mouth hours later. Then came the plantains that accompanied the sandwich. Golden yellow, sugar-coated, oil-dripping... but oh-so-friggin-scrumptious! As a health conscious eater, I was already calculating the extra time I would have to spend at the gym later that afternoon. For ten measly pieces of those suckas? Totally worth it. SD is quite loud and boisterous which added to the overall bustling atmosphere. Waiters were really friendly and efficient... and overworked; I could see the beads of sweat collecting on our server's forehead. Poor fella. Lunch hours were only halfway over. From the Floribbean music playing in the background to the colorful, mismatched decor, anything goes inside SD. The eclectic collection of clocks was aesthetically pleasing, but I honestly can't say the same about the fugly paper mache spaceship something or another on the ceiling. And, lastly, the infamous (and indescribable) space themed mural which spanned the entire dining wall. To quote Gravity: "Whoever painted that was high on LSD." read more

Starliner Diner - Starliner Diner - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

This place is always amazing !! Always a great experience. I love family restaurants and they never disappoint me See you soon read more

Um, I think I've overstayed my welcome, but will be back soon. My husband & I wear out restaurants like a favorite pair of shoes... When we made our move to the inner-suburbs, we became regulars at Starliner. But it's been awhile so now I can reminisce & reflect on the best & worst. Best (& best bang for your buck): -Huevos Rancheros: 2 eggs any style, corn tortillas stuffed with jack cheese and cilantro, smothered with spicy ranchero sauce & served with home fries or black beans for $8.50 -Mexican Chorizo Omelette: Chorizo, peppers, onion, garlic, jack cheese, cilantro for $8.75 The Chorizo Burritto is a nice substitute for the omelette if you go that route. Chiles Rellenos: Serving size 2, is hearty & taste-bud kickin'. The Sweet Potato & Corn Tamales are oh so good. But my favorite by far is the Plantain Appetizer With "Ranch Dressing" or so they say...The dressing is a yogurty-sweet salsa with a spectacularly-spicy-hot-kick. If you have an intolerable sweet tooth, the Cuban French Toast(s) are just deep fried nuggets of joy. The Jalepeno Cornbread & homemade Cuban Toast are staples. And if you can even prononce it, their Special: "Mouchacca" (spelling?). Ask your server about the dish. My husband swears by it. Worst: Avoid the typical Saturday 11am/11:30am brunch crowd & the Sunday post-church crowd & you will avoid headaches in an overcrowded 'waiting' room & long lines. read more

I had lived in Hilliard for years and never once stopped in to see what this place was all about. The mural on the side of the building always caught my eye, but for some reason or another, I just never made it inside. Well, I found myself back in Hilliard and decided to venture in with my Son this past Saturday. As soon as our server handed me the hand written chef special card I was in love. Working in restaurant management I appreciated the authentic impression of "Hey, we are not here to make fancy menus, and advertisements. We are here to create great food that speaks for itself, order something off this card- I dare you." So we did! If offered, I never turn down a Chef Special. We ordered the Crab Stuffed Chicken Special, with extra beans and rice (My sons favorite!) I was hesitant ordering the chicken, out of fear of the dreaded dry chicken you find in so many restaurants these days, however I was not disappointed. From my first bite I knew I found my new favorite dinner spot. Juicy, full of flavor, perfect texture, perfect seasoning, served with nice helpings of beans and rice, and a nice slice of bread with butter, I couldn't even finish my meal. My son loved his beans and rice so much he started coming after mine! My server was nice considering the crazy two year old that was destroying her sugar caddy, and the price for the quality and portion size was more than fair! Compliments to the chef again and again. We will be back, over and over and over again! read more

I heard what other people were saying about Starliner Diner and I still thought it just wasn't going to be for me. But guys, I was so wrong! Starliner Diner is for all mankind! First off, this place is adorable. It's little, but not stifling small. Also, they have CALL AHEAD SEATING, which is amazing. I was nervous because I had heard it got crowded on weekends, so we called ahead. And they asked us what time we thought we would be there! It was almost like an on-the-spot reservation, which I thought was awesome customer service. Speaking of customer service, I've been here a couple times now and have had awesome service both times, despite the busy-ness. Let's talk about the food too, because you need to get the plantains appetizer. I had no idea that I loved plantains until I had them at Starliner and I still think they do them better than most places (now that I get them more often). Their brunch is awesome and I kiiiind of think you can't go wrong no matter what you order. Also, if you get the banana pancakes, they will add chocolate chips if you ask them too and it will be delish. They will also be as big as your head, so don't order 3 and the plantain appetizer unless you are THAT hungry. Your friend Christiana is looking out for you here! Learn from my delicious mistakes! read more

Cajun chicken melt was the blandest sandwich I've ever eaten. It had no flavor and considering it was called Cajun. The cheese was tasteless, the chicken was tasteless and if there was any green onion mayo on it, I don't know where it went. The sweet potato fries need some sort of sauce. They are cut big and have no crunch and a stick to your mouth texture. I'm disappointed. I had breakfast there one time and had to send it all back because it was cold when it came to the table. Occasionally, I'm on that side of town so I'll give it one more try. Seriously spice up the Cajun chicken melt. read more

The only reason I will give it 2 stars is that it does bring traffic to the sleepy town of Hilliard. But the owner is very proud to be absent and the loss of the head chef has really impacted the food quality. High school and college kids run the place now, and it's a cluster no matter what time you show up. The restaurant is dirty. I mean - all the nice decorations are covered in years of dust. The carpet is ..... well nasty. With all that money being raked in, can they afford to at least make the place just a little nicer? There are some dishes that are done well, others should be avoided. Stick to Plantains, Chile Rellenos, the Breakfast Burrito and the Cuban French Toast. That's about it. Food is not consistent, you may get a good meal or a bad meal but for the price you pay you don't want to gamble! Especially after you waited 45 minutes to sit in a cramped booth! We pretty much take our hard earned dollars someplace else. It's a "kitschy" place that may excite first timer's. That's about all this restaurant has going for itself these days! read more

The first time we ate here, I would have given it four stars, I think. We had the Cuban sandwiches and plantains, which . . . by themselves, either would have been great, but together, it was a bit too sweet-on-sweet. (It didn't help that I also ordered their sweet potato fries, which were not thin and crispy and salty like I've had at other places but thicker and also very sweet.) Still, the service was good and the food was good. So we went back. The next time, I had Azteca Enchiladas. It was one of the daily specials and it was delish with a side of rice and refried beans. The enchiladas were really special; not sad ones you'd get at a crappy Tex-Mex place but cooked to perfection and well-seasoned. My husband got crab cakes, which he made me try and which I actually didn't mind despite my aversion to seafood (probably would have loved them if I liked crab). About halfway through our meal, he looked at me with all seriousness and said, "I think this is my favorite restaurant." My husband is generally not a going-out-to-eat kind of guy, so this pronouncement was huge. I got a little emotional. I can't wait to try their breakfast. It's definitely a new favorite. read more

I'm an adventurous eater, but even I was suspicious about this place. From the outside, it's dodgy. The Diner sits in the shadow of a silo and in the midst of factories and it took five minutes for me to decide to go in. To this day, it's one of my favorite places to take people who visit Columbus. The decor is odd: Lots of clocks, lots of space themes, and a few murals. It's a hodgepodge of "this looks interesting!" but it sort of works. In spite of the decorations, the food, however, is stellar. (Don't hate.) I often get the fried plantains because they and the salsa* that comes with them are absolutely amazing. Slightly crispy, well caramelized, and ooey-gooey in the center, it's easy to think about filling up on these babies! For entrees, I usually get the Cajun Chicken Melt, but the last time I had it I was unimpressed, mostly because of my seething jealousy for my dining partner's Roast Pork with tortillas dinner. He was kind enough to allow me an excruciatingly small bite, and that taste of perfection completely ruined the rest of my meal. That Roast Pork tortilla concoction was AMAZING. Definitely get it! I negotiated an exchange of my sweet potato fries (also delicious) for a few more bites of the pork, but the damage was done--I was lusting over someone else's dinner. Don't get me wrong, the sandwiches are wonderful, but now every time I think of this place, I see that roasted pork, feel the crunch of those peppers, and taste the tang of the red onions. And then I'm jealous all over again. Like I said, I love taking people here. It's has just the right combination of weird and delicious! * Term used loosely. It's a weird whitish mixture of dubious origin. I love it. read more

Delicious. The creole macaroni was very flavorful. The jambalaya was really good too. Will be back soon.

I'm still trying really hard to understand this place, but it's not happening. I took a chance, and dragged my tired butt out of bed on Saturday morning in hopes of giving Starliner another try and hoping that their breakfast was what my life had been missing. I'm just not getting the hype of it all. Yes, the decor is kind of cool and kitschy and the service has drastically improved from my last visit, but Decor can't compensate for food. I decided on the Breakfast Quesadilla hoping it be something a little extraordinary with some love mixed in, but my heart was broken and possibly, my arteries a little more clogged. The Quesadilla had minimal taste, it was more a focus on, quantity than actual quality. Starliner has this infatuation with overly 'cheesing' everything to death, and not with a nice traditional Queso Blanco.... No, it's on the level of the Cheese your broke ass picks up at the grocery store that says 'Cheese like product' and you wince and put it down. It's a oily and cheap-ass cheese. Once again, I left feeling physically sick. I don't claim to be no cheese connoisseur, but at least use better quality stuff if you're claiming ethnic food! Come on, ya'll! The husband ordered the same, and disappointingly agreed. The potatoes were unfortunately the only this that had some what of a flavor, but that was only after I hot-sauced them death. Sorry, ya'll. I can't budge. The two stars are standing firm. If you're going to argue with me that Starliner is the shit, then send me some recommendations, because clearly, I'm striking out. read more

One of my families favorite restaurants. The Creole macaroni is amazing! Unique decor. Friendly, mom and pop place! read more