great service and great food will definitely go again next time we're here on vacation

Such a fun place to eat! Seated rather quickly, it was the tail end of breakfast on a Saturday morning. Coffee is quite lovely! It's so smooth and velvety. The Supreme Skillet was absolutely perfect! Add gravy. Bacon cooked just right too! Everything was just fantastic! It's like an old diner, either a juke box, claw machine, bright lighting, terrific food and excellent service! I really need to make this a regular spot for us! read more

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In the year since we moved to Altoona, this is our favorite place. The staff are consistent and friendly and quick to bus tables. They are calm when it gets crazy and seem to always be smiling. I've had the chili burger, steak sandwich a few times, the hot ham and cheese, and the tenderloin. Their seasoned fries are so hot and crispy. There are daily specials, and the food is made in-house as opposed to microwaved pre-made food. I believe the owner is named Mark. He cashes people out and cooks. He's very passionate about his business and has every reason to be. We love supporting this business and highly recommend it! read more

This has become one of several go-to places for breakfast for us. We've been there three or four times now. Today I had the Sausage skillet, my wife had French Toast. One thing I look for is does the sausage gravy need pepper? Most places make a blander gravy. This is perfectly fine with no help at all. They have amazing hash browns, nice and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Another pet peeve, they put enough butter on the toast, so many places don't. The French Toast was nicely sweet, with a bit of crunch on the edges, like good toasted bread should. The staff are always wonderful. Fun and chatty and efficient. This is as good of a breakfast place as any of the others in town that are considered to be "the best". It is well worth your time to head out there and give it a try! We're going to try lunch when we have time. read more

Been going here for years but this experience was rough. This has always been average but it is breakfast and not fast food. Today, they didn't have chicken fried steak even though it is all over their menu. Our waitress never brought coffee refills. Our eggs were not over easy but a little closer to over hard. What I ordered was misunderstood and the food came out slow. I am not ruling out coming back but surprised by the whole experience. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

Stopped on a chilly day for lunch. Best waitress ever--Grace! I had a big tenderloin & upgraded to onion rings. Took 1/2 home. It was a typical tenderloin. Onion rings were good. Husband had a chili dog. He got the single thank goodness! It was huge. Chili was ok. Fries were tasty! Worth a stop & beats a chain. Saw a boy eating pancakes with his dad & they followed up with milkshakes!! That looked good. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - Tenderloin with onion rings & extra onion - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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Really cute establishment. Got a Graziano Italian Grinder Sandwich, and it was good. Could use more sauce, but it was decent. The fries were hot, well seasoned and delicious too. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - Graziano Italian Grinder Sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

I enjoy patronizing a business who has teenagers waiting on tables. They are always efficient and friendly. Our weekend breakfasts are always good. Nice quiet atmosphere read more

It was bad owner or manager very rude and said I didn't know what I was talking about even though I'm a chef food was bland at best do not recommend read more

I was in between a 2 and a 3 for this place. We used to go here at their old location and enjoyed it. Not sure what has changed, but the flavor was lacking. Everything looks very tasty, but it seems seasoning was missing in most of what we ate. I leaned towards the 3 star because the service was friendly and prompt. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - Menu - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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The food was terrible owner was rude and kind of a dick and we got our drinks and then about 3 minutes later we got our food so it was cheap put together and two seasoned it looks like it was microwaved read more

My fiancé and I read great reviews about this place and wanted to try a new local restaurant out. It amazes me how many good reviews there are to date. I ordered a chili burger and my fiancé ordered a pork tenderloin. The burger was very disappointing. It did not taste like meat. McDonald's cheeseburgers taste better than what I had. The pork tenderloin, was chewy and tasted like "dog food" according to my fiancé. We are not trying to be jerks, it was just so bad. We had two bites and had to be done. We ended up asking for boxes and throwing it in the dumpster when getting home. Both of our stomachs were bubbling after eating here. The staff was so friendly and the ambiance was good. Again, we don't mean to be jerks, everyone here was quick to take our orders, food came out fast and hot, and the waitress was on top of it all. I hope they had an off day and our food was just not good for the day vs it tasting like this all the time. Extremely processed. I'm sorry, we will not be returning. read more

This was such a wonderful experience! The tenderloin sandwich and seasoned fries were crunchy, delicious and deservedly their signature specialty. Mila (our server) was friendly, helpful and attentive, with a smile and a great attitude. My friends and I will make a point in the future to return here when in the area. Definitely worth the trip!!! read more

I'm so glad we checked Yelp while in the area looking for a small spot to eat breakfast. Had a great meal and a nice quite experienced here. Great customer service and nice clean bathrooms. I would recommend giving this local business a try. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - For those with a sweet tooth that doesnt want the normal McDonalds. - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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What a great place with awesome food. The servers were young and attentive. Unlike what someone else said the service was fine. The food was good at the right price. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - Graziano sausage sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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This was one of the worst restaurants I've ever been to. The food was definitely defrosted and microwaved. I ordered open faced sandwich. The gravy had no flavor. The ambiance wasn't nice. All open like a school cafeteria, broken down seats. A hodgepodge of decor. The one good thing was the service. When I made requests or pointed out mistakes made to my order, they attempted to correct it. But I'd rather do a fast food drive thru. This was such a disappointment and I was shocked because this restaurant seemed to be such an institute of Altoona, they've been around for so long. I can't imagine how. read more

The Sugar Shack has been around forever, however I have never been to this new location since it moved years ago. I remember when they used to have car shows and people on skates. I get love shack stuck in my head every time someone mentions this place. We were out running errands and decided to hit up this greasy spoon for breakfast. I am glad we did. The service was fast. We were seated right away. The waitress you could tell had been doing this forever cause she was right there with waters and asking what we needed. We just needed something to keep us moving for the day. I ordered a smother hash brown plate with a side of a scrambled egg. Hubby ordered this bowl of deliciousness. Country potatoes, country gravy, bacon, egg. It was a bacon skillet all piled in together and smother in cheese. My hash brown was crispy just the way I liked it and he really enjoyed his skillet with English muffin. Right when we got our food, a familiar face found us and we chatted for a bit. After they took their leave the waitress came over and asked if our food needed reheated due to the long talk we had just had and had not yet touched our food. That was way cool of her. We declined but that was awesome customer service to do that and notice. I really like their breakfast. We might come back some time soon to try other items, but very pleased with the whole experience. read more

I've only been here twice but the food and service was great both times! The fries, burgers, and malts are so good! The burgers are also huge and a great value for what you're paying. The owner is a great guy from what I've seen as well. He's always walking around talking to customers and has been very friendly. He has been closing the restaurant from 2-4 because of covid-19 to give his staff a break and to have a chance to sanitize the restaurant half way through the day. We didn't know about the restaurant being closed and stopped by during that window since we were in the area. It was locked and we were deciding where to go instead when the owner opened the door and asked if we were hungry. He offered to let us in as long as we were okay with him being our server and cook since the rest of the staff was gone right now. The food and service was awesome and we were so thankful for him doing that for us. This is going to be our go-to stop whenever we're in the area now. Definitely recommend giving them a try! read more

Nice place, great service. Manager came and checked on us. Good price for the food special of the day. Pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes, green bean and white gravy. read more

Great lil spot. Family friendly. Hometown feel. Clean. Very good stop. Head off the beaten path when you're in Altoona and make this a stop! read more

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Great spot for ice cream with friends and family!!! The service is fast and friendly along with a great atmosphere. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

If you want to eat in, it's fine... but don't expect to place a take out order... I has a great experience the last time I was there so thought. I'd call in and order, and pick it up and take it home... so I called and was immediately asked to wait.... 15 minutes later she never came back and no one else picked up the phone... I could hear them talking and laughing and joking around, and tried to get their attention, so I finally just drove there... and tried calling back.... they only have one line, and the phone was off the hook so NO ONE could call in... there's 6 customers all at the same table so it wasn't busy ...I finally got one girls attention and told her I had wanted to place an order and had driven there during the 15 minutes I was left hanging on the phone... There was no apology or attempt on her part to rectify the situation... so I let her know I was driving to one of the competitors that actually take care is customers... The owner is a nice guy, but obviously wasn't there.. I drove to JJs ice cream and sandwiches got the same order I intended to order there, for less money... Sorry but I won't be back read more

I came to the Sugar Shack with my son, wife and mom. The Sugar Shack is a great place to eat. I didn't know what to think before coming here, other than outside the place reminds me of a hardware store. Albeit, the inside atmosphere definitely resembles a classic diner. I ordered a cheeseburger at the Sugar Shack; I always like to try a cheeseburger ($4.29 excluding fries) at just about any diner I end up at. My wife ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with veggies, and my mom had the shrimp basket. I thought the cheeseburger was fresh, juicy, and had a great taste. Later my wife ordered a ice cream sundae with fudge, although the fudge was not hot, but rather it was like chocolate syrup. The sundae also came with crushed peanuts. I thought the sundae was very good. Overall, the staff was very friendly, the service was good, fairly priced, and in my opinion, the food was excellent. Me and my wife both agreed to come back, just for ice cream, and breakfast sometime as well. The manger mentioned all of their breakfast items were under $7.85 and come with a drink. If you're in Altoona, you love diners, or you just want to eat cheap one morning/afternoon/night, definitely check out the Sugar Shack. read more

Sugar Shack Diner - The inside of Sugar Shack. Definitely has a diner appeal. - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

I dig the sugar shack! Food is great and the ice cream is wonderful! Service lacked a bit but otherwise I would definitely come here again!

Very tasty foods and ice cream. The fries are amazing. Very reasonable--bill was less than going to McDonald's!!

Just as there "must always be a Stark in Winterfell," there must also always be a Sugar Shack in Altoona. Seriously, this place has been here for my entire life. It's got staying power in the community. Not just because the locals regard it as much a part of the community as the City Hall or the Library, but because in 38 years, the food quality hasn't declined. I'm pretty loyal to Brickstreet Market in Bondurant, but I have to be honest when I say that the tenderloin at the Sugar Shack was every bit as good as the tenderloin at Brickstreet. If you're looking for an Altoona original, you should absolutely revisit and fall in love with the Sugar Shack again. read more

We have visited the new location a couple of times and each time the food was hot and delicious! We enjoy having a meal and shakes at Sugar Shack and will be back!!! read more

Not open for breakfast on sundays lights were on and unlocked but they said they wasn't open for breakfast at 8 am

I'm from out of state & was visiting family for thanksgiving. We needed a place to eat after going to the Jolly Holiday Lights & found. We decided to go to the Sugar Shack because of the tenderloin sandwiches. It was delicious!! Definitely a must have. Great family place to eat. read more

Lots of options on the menu. We elected to try 2 items marked as new. I had the Italian Grinder and fries. The Grinder meat had great flavor. It was served on a hoagie bun, which was NOT toasted, so it caused the bun to get rather soggy. I personally ate half of it with the bun, then ate the rest with my fork and no bun. The fries were good, fairly standard. My husband and the Gyro platter with fries and cole slaw. Lots of sauce on the Gyro. Slaw had excellent flavor. We both had ice tea. Portions were pretty average and service was great. A nice little meal for $23. read more

Great little 50's diner/ice cream/shake shop. Burgers,fries and shakes were really good. The staff is very young (perfect high school Summer job) and they do their best to keep up with the orders. If you are one of those impatient or complaining types, move it along. You will urk the locals/parents of the kids working there. My family of 3 were in and out of there in less than an hours time in a fully packed house. Very pleased and WILL be going back. read more

I like local joints esp ones with ice cream. Tenderloin was not great and ice cream was so so. I will probably be back just not in a hurry

I always enjoy trying local eateries and this one caught my eye when driving by. The decor is an old school looking diner theme. I've only been here once and it was a few months back. I believe this is an order your food at the counter place and they bring you your food. Food was good and so was the shake. Staff is friendly. I would try this place again to see what else they offer. read more

WOW! That is all I can say. First, the prices are amazing for what you get. My whole family was able to eat AND we're taking home 3 portions for lunch!!! That is very abnormal for a place serving breakfast. If you have two young kids, you can buy one kids meal and split it! I didn't realize how big the kids portions would be or else I would have done that. Lol. Great service, great prices, amazing food. I'm just sad I have found this place a week before we move out of town. !! Biscuits N Gravy, Breakfast Burrito, Denver Omelet, and Eggs N Bacon are what we had and all delicious! read more

Sugar Shack Diner - We buy meals to feed our family of four and THIS IS OUR LEFTOVERS! Wow!! Talk about large portions for low prices! - Burgers Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

Way over priced! Food was not good. We were so excited for it to reopen but was greatly disappointed when we went. Will never go back!

Went in for lunch, they weren't too busy. All the servers look like they're high school kids and perform as you'd expect. A little pushy, rude, appeared put out when we asked any questions. Food was just okay, Steak n Shake food is way better. Workers preparing food were also not wearing gloves. Normally this bothers me enough to prevent me from eating but we didn't notice until we were leaving. Also, the next day our 7 year old got very ill. After a doctor visit he tested positive for E. Coli, with the strand coming from food. Now perhaps he got it from somewhere else, but this place and my home are the only places he ate the day before his illness began. He had a cheeseburger and fries here, just something to keep in mind. read more

My first visit today, that was recommended from a friend. The food was Fantastic!! And the service was perfect. I love this Diner!! I will be back often for sure. Friendly owner that makes sure your visit is everything you expected and more. read more

Love going to Sugar Shack, especially on Tuesday nights for "car night". Sad when they had to close the old location but glad they reopened in a new spot. I've been hooked on their Cheese Frenchee but was thrilled to see they were making Rarebit Burgers. Their shakes and malts are well made and generous. I've never had a bad meal there, but these are my personal favorites. The owner, Mark, is truly a hands on owner, checking on his customers. The new store is bright, clean and cheerful. If you're looking for a true burger joint/ malt shop/ home town diner, this is the place. read more

My wife and I received a coupon for one free shake when we moved to Altoona. The coupon had no expiration date. Recently, we went in to redeem the coupon and we were told by the owner he would not accept it because the coupon was made by the previous owner. When you purchase a business, you purchase both the assets and liabilities of the business. It'd be like telling the bank you are not going to make a monthly payment because the liability was made under the previous owner. Ignoring that fact, you'd think he'd want to make us happy since we were first time customers. Either the Sugar Shack is super strapped for cash, or the owner has no good business sense. We'll never be going there again. read more

delicious food, came on a sunday morning and wasn't to busy. highly recommend for breakfast.