First time here after many recommendations. Sara our server was great. Very friendly and helpful, all while training a new person. The Cuban Omelet was a lot, but it was incredible. The home fries were also great. The price, the service and the food was all great. I'll definitely be back here. read more

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

I would give this place six stars if I could. Everything we ordered was out of this world! (Pun intended.) I got the macheca (?) and I am going to struggle to order anything else. It was amazing! And do not bother with any bread but the Cuban bread. I had never heard of Cuban bread before but there's no going back now. We ordered a loaf to take home. Living in a city means that people expect you to have great restaurant recommendations but I never know what to say. Now I do! read more

Such a busy place to go on a Saturday ! I've been hearing about this diner for months now but hadn't gotten the chance to check it out until now. One of my friends grew up in Hilliard and said it used to be a post office and a dance studio that she grew up going to. The diner has its own parking lot, but there's ample parallel nearby as well. When I came in as a group of 3, the wait was 20-25 minutes when we were there at 10am. There were a few groups also waiting and more who still kept coming. It's a popular place for families and high schoolers! I didn't see many young adults like myself. Hilliard is mostly families though. The space is small. Two rooms to seat everyone but they accommodate big groups though. I saw a ton of high schoolers that may have been a group of 10-15 that they were able to fit into a space. The decor is quirky. So many clocks, fish, and other random things that they used to spruce up the place. With colorful walls and such, you definitely can tell the vibe is Cuban. It's cute! They do a Cuban spin on American diner food which I loved! The menu isn't large at all. They've got specials too, which our waitress really sold me on. I ordered the pork hash! It was shredded pork with a delicious tomato-based sauce, potatoes, cheese, eggs, and toast. I didn't want the peppers and onions. My friend ordered 2 eggs, toast, home fries, and bacon. The toast is thick! So she had a hard time finishing the toast and home fries. I think it was too many carbs for her stomach. My other friend got coffee and chilaquiles. It was a huge bowl of black beans, chorizo (which is $1.50 to add), eggs, some kind of tomato-based sauce, corn, cheese, and tortilla chips underneath and on the side. We all enjoyed the food a lot and the service was great! They were trying to go as fast as they can as they were busy. I can't imagine how tiring it must've been but they all had smiles on their faces. Most people don't linger too long here since there are always so many people waiting. I eat slowly though so we probably spent a bit more time than other patrons. I'd love to come back again! read more

See all

Father's day lunch. NEVER AGAIN. it's was bad. very bad. dirty. old water cups. fuzzy clocks on the wall. fuzzy light fixture at the front door. It takes a lot for me to dislike a place. Can't be dirty and have bad food. maybe I should have gotten breakfast. Bad steak burrito. Bad super salted rice. hard black beans. Too much cilantro used. read more

Your taste buds will be begging for you to return to this place as their angel hair pasta was like if it was made by the hands of angels

Starliner Diner is a small establishment with dividers between tables and tables blocked off to maintain social distancing. My husband is not very verbose. Yet he exclaimed "Wow! This is really good" with every bite of chili. The chili itself was favorable scoring a 3 on a scale of 10 for spiciness. But the best part was the layer of crumbled jalapeno cornbread topped with a layer of melted cheese and a sprinkle of green onion. He highly recommends the chili. I had the vegetable burrito. There was an explosion of fresh veggies in the big burrito topped with a rojo sauce. We started our meal with the plantains appetizer served with a creama/salsa mixture. I was excited about the plantains and they did not disappoint. We were browsing their menu last night and discovered we could make a reservation using open table. So easy! This is a hidden gem in downtown old Hilliard read more

This is such a cool little brunch spot. It's what I'd probably consider a "dive", which is most certainly a complement! Good vibes, cool decor, lovely service and great food! What more could a girl want!? Don't pass on the Cuban French toast bites and don't forget to check out the daily specials! Also to note, I do plan on returning to have some casual drinks as well, since the bar side looked super neat as well. read more

Starliner Diner - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

We were swayed by all the good yelp reviews. First of all, it was so dirty. There was stuff on the floor, empty butter containers on tables people were being seated at, straw wrappers all over the floor, and the syrup bottle was so filthy that we didn't want to even use it. Our waitress must have been having an off day because she never smiled or answered our questions. The Cuban French toast was good. They were out of the sweet potato tamales which was what I want. Overall, there are much much better places to go in the surrounding area read more

Great Cuban food on the menu, and the staff is very friendly. Full bar for mimosas or bloody Mary's in the morning or whatever at night. Great place to have breakfast or dinner and unwind. read more

Excellent! Eclectic diner with some awesome art and deco. Hands down the best Chili Relleno ever. The Cuban style roast pork was excellent as well. Will absolutely come back. read more

See all

Such a bummer. Starliner used to be a solid go-to. It is slipping badly. Heard rumors of new owners...not sure if that's good or bad. Last three times there the food has been really disappointing. Dried out chicken, Pizza Bread veggie sandwich was basically a pile of onions and a few peppers on dough. The cuban sandwich is pretty much served on a hot dog bun with seriously dried out pork on it. We've been here a LOT over the last five years...won't be going back any time soon. Service is hit and miss anymore too. the bartenders are great, the hostesses couldn't give a crap if you're there or not. such a bummer read more

My boyfriend and I went to Starliner Diner on New Years Day to enjoy some breakfast. I had looked at Yelp beforehand to find a high-rated restaurant to try. I saw the Cuban French Toast and knew I had to try it. I got it with a side of home fries. My boyfriend got the typical scrambled eggs with Cuban toast, sausage and home fries. I immediately liked my meal, but was surprised at how crunchy and greasy the french toast was. The fruit on top was okay, I only really liked the pineapple. The melon was cut wrong and there was some rind left on there. The potatoes were super crunchy and soft on the inside, and I enjoyed them a fair bit. My boyfriend really did not like his meal. He told me that his eggs tasted like iHop's, where they put buttermilk into the eggs. He felt sick after eating there, but enjoyed some of my french toast. He really wanted to go back and try more of the dinner menu another time, but he's worried that it won't be up to par like his breakfast. The service was good and our waitress was really nice, but it felt like our food took forever to come out. I would like to come back and give it another chance. read more

That was pretty fantastic for what, from the outside, looked like an extremely ordinary, uninteresting place! Apparently they had to relocate a few years ago but were able to preserve and move one interior wall, and then recreate another interior wall-- so all kinds of charm that's not evident from the exterior. And the Cuban french toast bites-- woah. Fried a bit too hard for me, but if you like crunch bites of french toast, they're a delicious experience. The chilaquiles were best described as a substantial portion, quite straightforward but with evident quality. Friends enjoyed both the pancakes and the breakfast burrito, unsure if I would have heard more raves or if everyone was too busy eating??? Service was excellent, although a few niggling things prevent a higher rating. Most were minor, but I will recite the puzzling one-- my hot tea, plus the subsequent refills of hot water-- were definitely not hot. By the third refill they'd finally managed a hot one, which is good? But either way, just a bit odd of a failing considering how surprisingly good a place they were otherwise! read more

Service was ehhhh but food was good. A great local feeling, with decorations to discuss.

Food was outstanding. I eat a vegan diet and was able to get sides of rice, beans and salsa to make a delicious meal. My husband ordered a sandwich and said it was really good. Service was excellent. read more

This is the best place for a special twist and kick to your food. If you are anything like myself, I like to be sweating when I indulge in my food. I have always enjoyed how different food I am able to order here, compared to all of Columbus. You genuinely cannot get anything like this. I will always be back and take all friends and family here. read more

Cool eclectic decorations, a very affordable menu, and a good vibe! The waiters were friendly and are allowed to dress in a more casual style, adding to the atmosphere. read more

We went out of our way to come here for a Saturday brunch because of the good reviews - we were sooo disappointed. The one redeeming quality was that the servers were nice. The food was awful. Breakfast Burrito (bowl) - this was really bad. The sauce on top was almost insulting. It tasted like they opened up a Can of tomato paste and poured it over the food. The eggs were overcooked. The ingredients just tasted so low quality.The home fries were crispy so that was good, but the flavoring of the rest of the meal was not good. The Southwest Veggie Salad - my boyfriend got this and added shrimp- it looked a LOT better than it tasted. There were only a few pieces of shrimp and they were overcooked. The green sauce was not good. The salad was basically stir fry thrown over top of lettuce. The one redeeming quality was the seasoning. We went into this place excited and really looking forward to the good things we heard. The quality overall was very poor. There's too much good food in Columbus to come here. read more

Starliner Diner - Breakfast Burrito Bowl - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

See all

This place is a unique place and food is very good. We went 9/29 went middle of the afternoon They were out of the first item I want but what I ordered was great read more

I don't have much to comment on for this place other than the only reason going there was for the breakfast burrito. I had heard from more than one person that it was a must try. Being a breakfast burrito savant, I had to make the trip. First things first, one of my biggest gripes when getting burritos at non Mexican restaurants is that the tortilla tends to be a close cousin to what you would get buying a mission tortilla. Is it a tortilla? Sure. But it sure doesn't taste authentic. Not the case here. Their tortilla was authentic tasting and had the good elasticity (meaning it can be folded with a large amount of filling and not break or tear) and chew you expect from it. The ingredients aren't what you would typically expect in a breakfast burrito, but they mesh really well. As someone who loves the potato as a key ingredient in any breakfast burrito worth its salt, I tossed in the roasted potatoes that came with the burrito as well. I am not someone who likes "smothered burritos" but I wanted to taste it as designed, so I had them put the sauce inside instead of on top, which was a solid choice and highly recommend it you like eating it like a normal burrito by hand like I do. What are you waiting for? Go get one! read more

This is absolutely some of the best food that I have tried in the Columbus area! It's my favorite. Their food is always fresh with good portions for the price we pay. I've been over 5 times and tried many different things and have never been disappointed. My favorite by far is the chili. It comes with a spice to it and it also comes with some cornbread that enhances the taste exponentially. I could eat their chili everyday, all day. I would highly recommend it. Just a bowl would be enough to keep the average person full. read more

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

See all

Love having such a cool ethnic restaurant with such great options and original flavors in the area! We need more of this! Starliner is five stars! read more

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

See all

Nice family owned feel. Vice nice people and helpful. Easy parking. Great prices. Fodd is a great flavor. Looking forward to coming back. read more

See all

breakfast was incredible for sure better than just a regular breakfast. Sure the food takes a little bit but that's why it's so good. You got a wait for the delicious food from Starliner diner. Would recommend if come in near the Columbus area not just breakfast either I've heard that the dinner or lunch is pretty good. read more

Was looking for brunch in Hilliard & decided to try this place out. Pretty good food. I knew before arriving that I wanted to try the Cuban French Toast. It did not disappoint!! The French toast is cut into cubes & deep fried- tastes like something from the ohio state fair! Nostalgic! Also tried the crab cakes because it's hard for me to resist a good crab cake. Would've never thought I'd likean egg over medium, salsa & black bean combination. The crab cakes were a little small & got a bit lost but honestly the combination was delicious. One of those things that you didn't know you needed to try until you did! read more

See all

I believe Starliner Diner is the best restaurant in Hilliard. It's easy to achieve since most of the others are chains. This is shockingly good for those expecting some grungy diner. It has lots of choices for lots of tastes. There's even lots for vegetarians. I had the tortilla soup and the vegetable burrito this time. It has lots of interesting selections among the usual stuff. The menu has a Cuban influence. It was not too expensive considering how good the food was. The soup was about $3 and the vegetable burrito was about $9. It was a really big burrito. The new location was still much the same. It still has the wall with all the clocks. They have a few new items on the menu. I was happy to see the new location of Starliner Diner was just as good. It has the same menu with a few new items. The atmosphere is the best of any restaurant in Hilliard since it's not a chain like most of them. read more

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

Food was disappointing and pretty expensive for what we got. Not sure we will be back. Went on a Saturday night.

We love this place! The food, the Bloody Mary's, all delicious! Cute place in Downtown Hilliard

I have lived fairly close to Starliner Diner for 2+ years and (regrettably) only recently discovered what I have been truly missing out on all these years. On the surface, Starliner Diner appears to be a standard diner/restaurant. But it stands head and shoulders above most diner experiences I've had. I've only been for breakfast/brunch, but they are open for lunch and dinner as well. The food at Starliner Diner is both typical diner food and an array of unique Mexican specialities. Don't forget to check out the specials that seem to swap out monthly. My first visit there I had pork dish with veggies, covered in an egg and delicious spices. It was served with their Cuban bread - which is an ABSOLUTE must. The portions are generous, so you may have your dinner all set as well! Starliner Diner has a main dining room with plenty of booths and tables to manage the steady flow of diners that come through. They also have a bar seating area, which serves the full menu, and an outdoor patio, which is dog friendly (a nice perk that sometimes seems hard to come by). To say that the decor is eclectic is an understatement. Fun knick knacks, an array of lights and clocks cover the walls. But the main highlight is the space mural in the main dining room space. Overall, the service is friendly, the space is unique, and the food is top notch. Depending on the time of day you go, you may be waiting a bit, but it's totally worth it. read more

Starliner Diner - Cuban Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

Would give it less if possible. We arrived at 10am and were told we would get a text when it was time to get seated -they forgot us and we had to go to the counter after 40+ minutes When we were seated we wait another 20 minutes to get drinks. We had to go to the front to ask for a server to get drinks... When they finally did arrive, the waitress asked my partner and I what we want, I said I would take a water and left to get us both water when my partner hadn't even answered. Awful place and will not recommend read more

I tried other things! I got the crab cake special at brunch this past Sunday. Amazing. My fiancee got the blueberry banana pancake special and we exchanged a couple bites of our meals. The pancakes were solid, and fairly priced. The crabcakes were stellar. At only $13 they were a steal. 2 LARGE cakes, each with an egg your way, one with a verde salsa and one with a roja salsa, all on a bed of black beans. I also had a coffee and a beer, it was super bowl Sunday; don't judge my choices. It is worth mentioning how good the coffee at Starliner is. $2.50 for unlimited coffee and $4 for the Rhinegeist Truth. $5.50 for my fiancee's mimosa; I think all are fairly priced here especially for the quality and the service. read more

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

See all

A local gem and my favorite Hilliard breakfast spot for many years! My dad and I started visiting the diner 20+ years ago at their old location, and it quickly became our regular spot. We moved away and hadn't been around for many years, but recently made it back to their new location. Still as fantastic as ever! Banana pancakes, the Starliner Burrito with chorizo, and the breakfast quesadilla are just a few of my favorites. And don't skip out on the Cuban toast!! In addition to the fantastic food, the art and trinkets that cover the walls create a fun and whimsical aesthetic! We love to play "I Spy" with my young siblings whenever we stop in, to pass the time until food arrives. read more

Happened upon this place while visiting Dublin for the first time. My husband enjoyed the Chili and Chopped Salad, and I had the Spinach Quiche which all were excellent choices. Bloody Mary was a delicious addition to my meal. read more

Wow! How have I lived in Columbus all of my life and missed this awesome, eclectic restaurant? I was greeted by a very friendly Hostess who was glad to fill me in on the daily specials. I then had the owner come up to me and with much passion and excitement, share the story about this diner! As she explained the change in buildings and how they painstakingly transferred everything from the old restaurant to the new; her eyes sparkled more and she got more excited! This is a family business that has watched families stay faithful to them for years and they return the commitment! Food choices were abundant and the size and taste of everything I had was incredible! My servers name was Lillian and she was super friendly, gave great recommendations and went out of her way to make my first experience a great one! I will be back with many more friends to follow! You've got to try this jam out! read more

See all

Before you eat here, check out the Franklin County Public Health Inspection from April 10, 2024 -- Nine (9!) Critical Safety Violations. The most any restaurant in Franklin County has had in the last 30 days is seven. Wish I had seen that before I went to eat this last Friday. I have had diarrhea and nausea since, and a fever that peaked at 103.7. This could have killed a person with a weaker system. Eat here at your own risk. read more

I had the Impossible Burger and it puts the Impossible Whopper to shame! Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and avocado with a little mayo and cooked to perfection! The sweet potato fries were delicious, not thin cut but not steak fries either. The service was top notch and the ambiance was Dinerriffic! read more

A local treasure, located in downtown Hilliard, Ohio. Great patio, dog friendly. We love everything! Favs: cornmeal crusted catfish, the grilled pizza bread salad, which I order without bread for the mouthwatering grilled veggies. For comfort food, I recommend the cornbread chicken pot pie. Creamy sauce, loads of chicken and veggies, light but tasty cornbread crust. A great place to go with friends and family or go solo with a book and relax with a glass of good wine. Artsy, casual and FUN! read more

Always a great spot for dinner dine-in and do a good job with take out. Recommend the Cajun Jambalaya with shrimp. A dinner you'll have enough for lunch the next day read more

Starliner diner is one of the few places that I love going to eat and could just sit all day, never feel rushed, and the menu is always full of great options. The plantains are sweet and crispy, the salsa that comes with it is absolutely amazing! I've never had a bad item on the menu yet! read more

This place was fabulous! I wish I lived closer so I could try more items on the menu... there were so many amazing looking dishes. This diner really had something unique- all the comforts of a traditional American diner with a Cuban twist. The diner itself is charming with its eclectic decor. The menu is diverse. The staff is super friendly and helpful. A+ from me! read more