I was visiting the Long Beach area and saw great reviews for Starling Diner and also noticed it was featured on DDD (which I'm a total sucker for!). My boyfriend and I went in on a Saturday morning around 9AM and were seated right away. The restaurant filled up really quickly soon after. I love that the diner has more than just coffee to order. I started out with a Honey Steamer with espresso. The honey with the steamed milk and espresso gave it the perfect amount of sweetness. They also sprinkled cinnamon on top which complemented the drink very well. My boyfriend ordered the Blue Crab Cakes with poached eggs. The crab cakes were seasoned well and they weren't fishy at all. The poached egg added richness to the dish and the aioli tied the whole dish together. I ordered their award winning Stuffed French Toast with fresh berries. The french toast is made with a soft baguette which is stuffed with a sweet and creamy mascarpone topped with a creme anglaise, whipped cream, and fresh berries. I thought the french toast was really tasty! It wasn't too sweet and it wasn't too overwhelming with the toppings. The portion is quite large, so I would recommend sharing! Highly recommended! read more

Enjoyed a delicious breakfast las Sunday. Had the scramble with goat cheese. Such a cute place. Service is fast and food is excellent. read more

The food was okay and a little pricey. I had the applewood bacon and cheddar. It was good but the scrambled eggs didn't have that much bacon. The service was awesome though. read more

Starling Diner - Applewood bacon and cheddar - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

First time and it did not disappoint. A total hidden gem. I was looking for a place for Father's Day and I'm glad we did not go the usual "brunch" route with 1 hour waits and tons of people. This place was so cute and located in a nice neighborhood. Found it on Yelp and so glad we stopped by. We will definitely be back. Great food and service read more

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The last time I ate here was about ten years ago, I remember enjoying both the food and the friendly decor and wanted to see if it was still just as good, but unfortunately it a huge disappointment, as $15 for a mediocre plate of french toast, no matter how charming the ambience, really wasn't worth the trip. They might be famous for their stuffed french toast, but I didn't taste anything special about it at all - I could barely taste the marscapone filling, the fresh berries it came with were a smattering of strawberries and nothing more, and the portion size was far too small for such an expensive item. It basically tasted just like a sugar coated bagette, not a delicious french toast. Also the online menu is out of date, so please be aware the prices are currently about 30%+ more at the restaurant. I did like that I came at a good time (about 11am) so it wasn't crowded, and was able to sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous day while reading a book as I ate. The inside is also cosy (or noisy) so if you do decide to eat here at least it's a good looking place to be. The rest of the menu may be wonderful, and you get more value for the price, but I'm still annoyed my underwhelming meal was almost $20 with tip and I left feeling hungry and disappointed. read more

Amazing food and super star service! Seating was quick, the waiter and hosts were polite and attentive. Cmon in, you wont wont regret anything! read more

I've been coming here for about five years now. It's located in a residential area, very quiet. Their service (even with new covid guidelines) and food never disappoint. I've taken friends and family here and I'm loved for it! Their food is worth the price. My go-to is their smoked salmon and bf always gets the seasonal berries stuffed French toast (really popular and recommended for first time visit!) I've also tried peach stuffed French toast and it was phenomenal. It's our go-to breakfast spot when we're up for the drive! read more

Best French Toast I have ate so far. Also their scones were good as well as their Tofu and mix vegetables scramble. Coffee was made fresh and service was outstanding. Definitely our new goto brunch diner. read more

Loved this cute little diner. I ordered the French toast and scones which is what they're known for and it was delicious! The coffee was so yummy too. read more

This was NOT a good experience, but I'm only taking off one star out of the 5 - because it's, for the most part, only 20% the restaurant's fault.... The other 80% is owned by a few guests from the surrounding neighborhood. Just a few, and I know it's not reflective of people in Belmont Heights... These were just special people that needed special attention, to mark their territory. The 20% fault of Starling, is that they don't seem to have a plan in place to deal with people like this. So we never actually got to eat. We were waiting outside with a small crowd of friendly & considerate people, seated alongside outdoor dining guests. It was nice. Then the first family showed up. Two-mom couple and their two sons, meeting up with some other family members. "We walked here." We got it, you're from the neighborhood. Anyway, the two teenage sons are being super animated, and super loud - and when they sit down, they punch each other repeatedly in the legs, to see who can tolerate pain more. Moms think this is a hoot! Because, you know, they're cool with their kids - like best friends instead of actual parents. Then one son gets out his phone & blasts his music. Moms just ignore & keep talking with their other guests. Other people waiting are getting visibly annoyed. So what do the moms do then? They go INSIDE to wait, leaving the two sons to savage everyone else with their obnoxiousness. Oh, wait: It gets better. Two other couples and their kids show up. One husband & wife with two sons, and another with a son & daughter - all elementary age, 8 to 10ish. They're on foot, except for one of the dads, late 40's-ish, on his modified skateboard ("When I designed this skateboard..." - yes, we heard you: You designed it.) - and the kids all on bikes, two of the bikes with BELLS. And we know that because one of the boys would not stop ringing the bell on his. Isn't that nice? The two moms went inside - maybe to talk to other couple from earlier about how great it is that kids just magically raise themselves. The kids stay out with the dads, who engage in loud, dumb conversation about the neighborhood (there's that territory marking again!) and how he designed his skateboard. Yes, again... Who they didn't engage with, is their own kids. The daughter planted herself in front of the door, forcing the servers delivering food to say "excuse me" at least 5 or 6 times before one actually specifically asked the girl to wait somewhere else - which seemingly just annoyed her dad ("just wait here, instead" - poor traumatized girl having to be considerate of others). Oh, note for Starling - get the door fixed. It slams HARD every time it closes, and while that's not the worst thing that happened here, the repeated bangs didn't help. Anyway... All this while two of the boys are shouting & admonishing each other loudly for not being nice to the other, and the third boy riding his bike in the driveway of the house next door, constantly ringing the bell. That neighbor came outside & asked him not to ride in her yard - because, strangely enough, she probably likes to have a Sunday morning without bells ringing in her head. You know what his dad's feedback for him was? He told his son that they could come back later, ring her doorbell, and take off. And as for the dad of other two boys who kept arguing like the annoying twins on that one I Love Lucy episode? He's going to go ride his self-designed skateboard in the middle of Belmont Ave. "Look everybody! I'm still young and cool! Thanks for baby-sitting my kids!" No, none of these were "bad" kids - they weren't doing drugs, they probably have good grades, and they're certainly not criminals. The world is grateful for all those things. But they still wrecked people's morning. One party of 4 got so annoyed, they gave up and left. About 10 minutes later & reading the menu - weighing pros & cons - we also decided it wasn't worth it anymore. We walked back to our car, passed the skateboarding dad, and headed to Blackbird in Cal Heights. (That was a very happy experience, as usual). Before anyone says it's not fair because it's not Starling's fault... Well, it actually IS. The next door neighbor got us thinking about that. Starling has an obligation to be a good neighbor, and take measures to discourage their patrons from being a burden on residents. But even more obvious, they have to do something - like maybe have a regular staff presence outside when it's crowded - to make sure that other guests (both those waiting & those dining) are having a good experience & not being annoyed by a few entitled-attitude people. I hope that some kind of proactive "crowd-management" contingency plan happens. We'd love to come back again one day, and bump this from 4 stars to 5. read more

After living in the LBC for 7 years this was by far my favorite breakfast spot. All the food is fresh and delicious and the servers are great. I recommend the French toast or granola bowl if you are in the mood for something sweet and the classic if you would prefer a more savory dish. The use of fresh baguettes on the French toast and as the regular toast on all the dishes is a great touch. I would recommend going early as the line can get long after 9 am. My only possible complaint would be the price but the quality makes it worth it. Lastly, you have to try the breakfast bruschetta or scones with your coffee, they are both amazing! read more

Starling Diner - Breakfast bruschetta - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

Had a really nice breakfast here. The service was so warm and genuine! I had the crab cakes and my hubby had the tofu scramble. Both were so good!! Their homemade scones are to die for. You have to try them with the butter and lemon curd. We will be back! read more

Starling Diner - Crab cakes and eggs. - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

Best french toast! Possible best I ever had. A baguette stuffed the mascarpone before being made into french toast and piled with whipped cream mmmmm. ONLY thing I would say is to add more fruit to the dish, but that's cause I love fruit and I always munch on all the fruit before I finish the toast...but regardless the french toast is so delish and unique since its san francisco style! The crab cake dish is also really delish and savory. I want to try everything on the menu eventually! Its also such a cute place with such a homey feel to it and has indoor/outdoor seating. So if you're local to long beach and have never eaten here, it is a MUST :) read more

Starling Diner - Berry french toast! Amazing :) - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

My girls and I made it here Saturday morning, lucky for us we got here between waits (we waited maybe 8 min), people waiting after us had to wait 30min++. Like most others the wait for entree took some time, but last time I checked "good food takes time to prepare!" Had the French toast w/ cherries and the Crab cakes. Along with a basket of scones. Everything was spot on delicious!! Can't wait to go back and try the Eggs Benjamin! Definitely a must try place when in Long Beach. Service was slow but I wouldn't blame server, she can't serve what's not cooked? Fun place, little noisy but I have kids so no biggie to me? read more

Starling Diner - Crab Cakes & eggs! - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

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If you haven't you must... The food is great. The service is fantastic. The music is just right. Do yourself a favor and come and enjoy. read more

Starling Diner - This place is the perfect place for a date or conversation with friends. - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

This little gem is tucked right in the middle of the neighborhood at 3rd and Belmont. It has a fantastic throwback feel, yet they have an eye on your health. Loved it! A little on the pricey side, so if you are looking for the grand slam action, Denny's is not going away. read more

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The food is ok. Small portions and very high priced. Better off going to Dennys at least you get your money's worth

This is such a lovely spot to have a delicious meal. I want to come back and try something new off their menu everytime. Their crab cakes are delish. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place! I have never had French toast the way they serve it at this diner. It's not your traditional French toast it's a baguette stuffed with deliciousness that's tasty and soft at the same time. It's my favorite French toast hands down. Try their scrambles too they are amazing! I truly recommend this place but don't burn it though because they'll raise their prices. Lol The mimosas are pretty good too. It's a small diner but it's truly amazing and they have great customer service. read more

Got the salmon crostini and caramel apple French toast. Both were amaaaazing the workers were really friendly too

LOVE! Try the stuffed French toast get a side of bacon. You'll be in heaven. Staff is friendly and courteous even when they are busy. Don't be scared off by the like outside. They work through the crowd quickly and there's a coffee cart at the back you can help yourself to while you wait. read more

This is hands down without a doubt my favorite restaurant in Long Beach. Quite possibly my favorite restaurant anywhere. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. I lived in Long Beach for 5 years and in that time I was lucky enough to find this hidden gem. My fiance at the time (he sadly passed away a couple years ago in an accident) was an Executive Chef who's resume boasted the position of Executive Chef at the Ritz Carlton in Dallas, so he knew what he was talking about. He took me all over the place trying out different restaurants but this was our all time favorite. I'm no food conosour but I LOVE their mascropone stuffed french toast. My fiance, who was the conosour, loved the unique pairings of many of the dishes and greatly appreciated the careful thought that went into each and every recipe. If he taught me anything about cooking/ food it is this: Keep it as fresh and as simple as possible. When you use quality ingredients, the food speaks for itself. You don't need 20 different seasonings to give a dish the best flavor. The dish itself should provide the flavor. Keep it as fresh and as simple as possible. When I think back on all the amazing options at Starling Diner, this is what comes to mind. All of their ingredients are exceptionally fresh and every flavor in a dish is there for a deliberate reason. They would never serve something that is past its prime. For example, sometimes they didn't have fresh berries and the reason for this is that they couldn't find any berries that were of peak ripeness on that particular day. Instead of serving sub-par fruit, they simply didn't have it as an option and I really appreciate that. It speaks volumes about the quality of the food that they do serve as well as the pride the chef takes in his creations. The atmosphere at Starling Diner is another reason to love this place. It's tucked away in a residential area of Belmont Heights. If you blink when driving past it, you could easily miss it. It offers a very charming, casual, and friendly environment. Those who are lucky enough to discover it become loyal customers and if you go there for brunch on the weekend, expect to wait a while. Somehow even waiting for a table is enjoyable there. You have the sun shining on you, everyone is is a good mood, it's a very relaxed place. The staff adds to the friendly and relaxed experience. Before I moved away just after my fiance passed away, I liked to come in for lunch because it brought back such wonderful memories. I shared my sad news with one of the servers and I will never forget her kindness. She had lost someone very close to her as well and only those who have experienced loss to that degree can understand how hard it truly is. She got a book for me that had to do with grief and she kept it at work until she could give it to me when I came in again during one of her shifts. I was so touched and felt a little bit less alone. I'll never forget her kindness and compassion. This was back in 2015, so I doubt she still works there. But it is one of the many reasons why I hold this restaurant so dear to my heart. Go there. I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

Starling Diner - Enjoying an early morning breakfast back in 2015 - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I Was brought here by a local that raved about it. I brought my two children for breakfast. Although the food was excellent, we waited 15 min for their orange juice and 30 min for their scones even after our server asked if we wanted scones first. Not the best thing when you have hungry children and the restaurant was not full. Communication wild have been optimal but there was no explanation of why the delay. read more

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So happy to see wait staff wearing face masks AND face shields and disposable rubber gloves! I've been tentatively trying out eating out again and have been dismayed to see staff at other places not wearing gloves, leaving their face masks at "half-staff" (not covering their noses!), and I am absolutely thrilled that the staff have face shields and feel very comfortable eating here! It protects them AND me! read more

Nice little place, good Bloody Mary, food was very tasty. Bread nice and fresh will definitely come again!

Delicious! We ordered their Apple French toast! This is not your traditional French toasts! They go all out! It's a must try! Cool spot! Great service! read more

Starling Diner - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

This place is SUPER-DUPER Cute!! The food isn't bad either I had The Goat Cheese Scramble with Spinach and My Friends & me all shared the Fresh Peach Stuffed Toast (Seasonal) - Yum!! Wasn't too sweet We had Grrrrreat service as well!! read more

Starling Diner - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I have been coming here for couple yrs now and even through the covid there service and food is still awesome. I will be returning here still in the future. read more

Went to this place w/ a friend after a hike in RPV. We went all the way to long beach for it and omg it was SO WORTH IT!! The food was beyond delicious and that parfait thing, to die for! But what was really to write home about was that honey latte. It was so good!! I cannot wait for an excuse to come back here again and try other things on the menu! read more

I can't wait to go back here for brunch the food was really good, and I like the homey feel and ambience. the staff was very nice as well; the parking wasn't to bad over here which was a plus. read more

Starling Diner - Mocha - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

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We are from Utah and love visiting some old friends in the area. We always make it a priority to stop in for breakfast! Everything we've ordered has been top notch. The staff is so friendly which is always an added bonus. Highly recommend! read more

This place is always tasty! The salmon and eggs plate is my favorite and crab benedict is equally wonderful. Love the vanilla latte as well!

My boyfriend and I came here around noon on a Sunday and were greeted by a hostess who didn't start us off with the best impression. But we had Kori as our server who came to our table very fast despite it being busy. He was so great and super friendly ! We did have to wait a little while for our food, but were offered complimentary scones (thank you Kori) because the kitchen was backed up. Definitely worth the wait though. We shared the SF French toast which we very much enjoyed, along with the Eggs Benjamin (yum) and scrambled eggs that you can decide on what's mixed in with them. Great experience all together thanks to the great service from Kori! read more

Starling Diner - Eggs Benjamin, Stuffed French toast, and scrambled eggs! - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

Amazing food, you can taste the quality in all the ingredients. Spectacular coffee. Amazing atmosphere and absolutely amazing customer service. I've been in the customer service field which might make it harder to please me because I really appreciate good service. I watched all of the servers in this place hustling. So let that also help you choose to give this diner a try because if *I'm* impressed and totally love it, then you definitely will.I don't remember our servers name but he was awesome. Very attentive and made great suggestions. We drove over an hour just to check out this diner and we were not disappointed. My only regret is that we live so far away because this would definitely be my regular hang out spot. Location is very cute but street parking only so you might end up down the block read more

Starling Diner - Stuffed French toast - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I really respect what they've got going on here. What a cute location first of all. It's built into the neighborhood and it's just got that super welcoming feel. I love the creativity and the fun on the menu... you can tell whoever has crafted that menu had a good time with it and has really put some love into it. The food is freaking delicious- I personally love the crabcakes which is what I had today, seriously some of the best crabcakes I've ever had! The basket of scones is kind of a must and you'll see all kinds of tables around you ordering them, so dive in and have fun and get yourself some scones to start off with. The best part is that the service- its quick, attentive and you genuinely feel like you're being taken care of. I cannot give a restaurant enough stars for great customer service. All the way from the hostess to the server to the server assistant, they've got it down. you guys are doing a fantastic job!!!! read more

Starling Diner - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

Love this place . I get the breakfast wrap that comes covered in gravy ! Never seen that at any other breakfast place! It's delicious! Also the breakfast bruschetta! Oh my , it's so good , breakfast dessert really , you can't go wrong with it. I've still got to try their stuffed French toast ! read more

Starling Diner - Breakfast Bundle - New American Near Me - Long Beach, California

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A M A Z I N G !!!! My wife and I tried this restaurant randomly, and everything is incredibly delicious! The salmon appetizer, Soyrizo, Blue Crab cakes, and French toast berries were some of the best I've ever had here in Long Beach hands down. Starling has very happy new supporters in town, we'll be ordering again soon! My best regards to everyone at this establishment, and the delivery svc was great! read more

Kindest staff I've ever interacted with at a restaurant. Immediate service, quality food that is made with care and attention to detail. They even put chocolate sprinkles in my coffee that I didn't even ask for as a sweet little touch. read more

OMG, the quality of food and service is outstanding here! Just went here for breakfast this morning for my birthday around 8:30am and was greeted very enthusiastically by our server Cory. Service: I have to say Cory is a go getter and has a true passion for creating a memorable dining experience. Both him and the support staff ensured that our cucumber water and coffee cups never went below the half way mark- we never had to ask for more which was soooo pleasant. Our food was brought in a timely manner and at the end of the meal Cory offered us some to go cups for coffee- those little touches like that go a long way. Food: Food was incredible! There were two specials available - so me and my bf ordered both to share. One was the Peach Stuffed French Toast and the other a Pork Chorizo Scramble. Both were to die for. Normally pork chorizo can be a bit greasy, but they managed to deliver a not-so-greasy version of it and the scrambled eggs mixed with it were cooked perfectly. The stuffed french toast wasn't overly sweet which was perfect because I was looking for a good breakfast dish and not dessert ;) Price: Price was a little high for a diner (with each of our specials coming to around 15 bucks each), but I think it was well worth it considering the quality of food and service you get- so no complaints there! I will definitely be coming back to try out their other offerings very soon. read more

Terrible service. Our waiter was a young kid with glasses. Couldn't manage 4 tables, and the only good thing about he place is the scones. Which they didn't even have enough of for a basket. Who charges $3 for maple syrup for French toast! And $5 for garage sausage. Definitely will not ever come here again and urge you to stay away as well. Service-0/5 Food- poor 1/5 Prices- 0/5 read more