Passable service, sticky tables. The food was not good enough or not enough of it to make up for the prices & service. It's about a mile from work, on my way home, & I love breakfast foods for dinner. I won't go back. read more

I love a good greasy spoon but this place is actually greasy as in lacking in the cleanliness department. We've dubbed it the sticky diner if that's any indication. Literally everything at the table was caked in sticky something, table, s&p shakers, napkin holder...everything. The coffee was tasteless, brown water essentially. We kept it simple for fear of how the kitchen looked if this was the state of the dining room so the food itself wasn't awful but then again how can you ruin eggs? The hash browns were too squishy and underdone, other than that it was just meh. It's ok if you're in a pinch, but other than that it is grungy not in a hip way and bland. Won't be making this our regular or even occasional breakfast spot sorry Tommy. read more

Only been here for breakfast Fast good service Lots of sausage Home fries excellent!!! Free WiFi read more

They have delicious grits, hash browns, pancakes! Their grits reminds us of the grits we used to eat at the restaurant Silverfork that closed up years ago!! read more

My boyfriend and I's favorite breakfast spot! Love the food and the employees are very sweet. We come here all the time. To go order was ready in just 10 minutes!! read more

Tommy's Cafe - Biscuits and gravy with bacon, country fried steak with eggs and an English muffin - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

So I have been going to Tommy's for close to 20 years. I regularly went for lunch when I worked in the area. Years later when I met my now wife we both realized we had been going there for years however she for breakfast and I for lunch. Tommy's food has never been top shelf and the prices have always been a little higher than one would expect for a greasy spoon truck stop style diner. But it has always been just good enough to return. Over the past few years the quality had really started taking a dive. I was served spoiled orange juice. The coffee became fairly undrinkable (thank god for the Starbucks that opened across the street). The bathrooms have always been a thing of horror. But the wait staff was always friendly and fast. The kitchen would give fast food joints a run for here money. And every order was correct and every plate at the table came out piping hot and together. So when my wife and I heard that the restaurant was under new ownership we thought; wow we must check it out. We wondered what new menu items there would be? Would the coffee be drinkable? Would the bathrooms be usable? Would there be new decor? We were in for a bit of a shock. The menu was the same aside from a few prices being crossed out with a pen and a new higher price tag scribbled in. The Coffee was the same lukewarm swill. The bathrooms the same horror show. And as for the food. I am not sure how you can find a way to not only make the food worse (completely bland and cold) but how does bacon come to the table ice cold on one plate and hot on another. All three plates came out to the table separately. I almost finished my breakfast by the time my father in-law had just received his. This was the longest wait for breakfast outside of when we tried to eat at Jude's Old Town and had to leave after an hour of waiting for our food. The servers seemed constantly confused as to what food was at what table in spite of giant stick-on numbers being added to every table. The service here has honestly never been so slow. It really saddens me to write this review. Today a place that I have fond memories of is no longer a place that I will be eating at ever again. I can get far better food for less cost that is faster and cooked properly just minutes away at of all places IHOP. Although I will most likely start going to Stone House up the road or down to Mitzel's in Kent. R.I.P Tommy's you will be missed :( read more

Went here about a week ago, I always drove past it but never really recognized it was there.. The place and everything was very old school, pretty cold and not as clean as I thought it would be. I decided to take my mom, grandma & son for breakfast, to try this place out instead of IHOP all the time. The food... You get what you order nothing special, lacked of flavor & the cooks are Vietnamese which I thought was kind of weird. I felt like everything was over priced but I guess you can say you get your money's worth portion wise. I asked for 3 coffees and apple juice, coffee was gross, tasted like they brewed a new batch on top of an old one, so it came out almost warm! Disgusting! I didn't want to be too difficult about that.. Honestly I felt like I could cook a better meal at home & I can't believe I'm saying this but Denny's might be better.. At the end I ended up paying 50$ for eggs Benedict, a SENIOR omelette (which my mom & grandma shared) & my sons french toast that pretty much taste like scramble eggs with cinnamon for 6$?! Not coming back.. Service was great though, my waitress was super sweet & was good at refilling the coffees that we we're trying to get rid of .. Lol which is why they get two stars for service! read more

Tommy's Cafe - Eggs Benedict... - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

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Great food. One of my favorite low key breakfast spots. I love their country fried steak.

A cozy feeling establishment, and the best waitress I have ever met. Tommy's is very good place to get quality food, but is is 5 stars because of the wait staff. Christina (in particular) makes me and my family feel so welcomed and at home every single time we come, and we visit quite often. 10/10 my favorite place to go. read more

I found this place a few years ago and have made Tommy's my regular breakfast place. I guess it's time for me to give it a review :). I'm a big fan of locally owned establishments. Tommy's isn't going to be one of those nice updated places but they do offer great service and good food. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and this place serves a very good breakfast with a very hefty portion. Definitely enough to hold you for the rest of your day. Food is good , price is right and service is always great! read more

Tommy's Cafe - 11 oz NY steak with eggs, hash brown n toast for $11.99 - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

Very much a greasy spoon, and I would award this place at least a 3 if it were cheaper, but since it really isn't that cheap it doesn't deserve more. Not really that bad, but for me - and everyone else at the table, pretty mediocre. Passable option if you want an all-day breakfast and right in the area. read more

This place is close to my house and they open early so it's great for early risers who need to get to work. The food is yummy and at a fair price. I had the Steak and Eggs with Home Fries. The home fries aren't just reheated potato that are seasoned, they are cooked to perfection! So crispy on the outside and fluffy in the inside. They're cooked with bell peppers and onion so they're bursting with flavor. Yum! The food is good and I was feeling so full afterwards. Definitely will be a returning costumer. One thing that needs improvement is the slow service. I was there early for breakfast and it was a slow morning, there weren't many people there but the service was still slow. I was a little disappointed at that. read more

Tommy's Cafe - Breakfast: Steak and Eggs - 8oz New York with Home Fries - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

Traveling for business I always like to hit a greasy spoon for local breakfast. It is dated, which is okay, but once inside kind of dark and dingy. The bathroom feels a little on the dirty side, one pretty weak light that might burn out at a moment's notice. Back in the dining room two fish tanks, why? One has no fish, the other only half full of water and extra large fish in it, makes me want to save them. And they appear dirty. A baffle in front of the door, but when it opens still blasted with cold air. I get some coffee, at least I think it's coffee. In a coffee, shmoffee world, in the coffiest, shmoffiest place, you could do a little better because I couldn't taste a thing. But it was hot and plenty of it. Got biscuits and gravy with an egg. It was okay, but lacking a little flavor. All done the bill was in the 13 dollar range. I expect a little better at that price point. Have to say that the service was nice. The table was clean, but everything else wasn't, like the dust hanging off the lamp over the table, and on and on it goes. From the other reviews I guess lunch and dinner might be better. I'm out! read more

I've been to Tommy's before. But this last visit... It was an awakening. Do you hear the angels singing? I do. I hear them. They sing for me because I got the French Toast. MY GOD, the French Toast. After ordering a coffee, I looked through the menu. I liked this part of that combo but not that part, and I liked that part of that combo but not this part... so I said screw it and just ordered a la carte. Fairly quickly, my meal consisting of French Toast, 2 eggs scrambled, and cottage cheese, came out to me. (Meanwhile, the waitress was ALL OVER the coffee staying full...) The first thing I smelled was the dusting of cinnamon and sugar on the melty butter that covered the top of the perfectly cooked French Toast. It had the perfect amount of crispness to the edges, wasn't soggy in the middle... Man, I didn't even need one of the two syrup packages they gave me. It was that excellent on its own. The eggs... were real eggs. No egg mixture poured from a carton here. And the cottage cheese? Well, I guess you could mess up cottage cheese, but it was just fine. Probably full-fat, but I'm okay with that. Their water was good, but I was too preoccupied with my coffee to drink more than half of my glass. They also have a salad bar that I (HUGE) failed to look at as I walked by. I am a fan of salad bars, so I will have to come back to check it out, as other Yelpers have commented that it's pretty good. Personal Bonus: It smells like my grandma's kitchen at her old house my sister and I would visit every summer. Sing on, sweet angels, sing on. I shall return. read more

Tommy's Cafe - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

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I was quite disappointed in my meal here... A lot of people were raving about this place for a good breakfast,but I did not see anything too good on here. I ordered something super plain, because I didn't see anything worth a try. I had waffles and some ham. As you can see, I wasn't too adventurous w the food, because there wasn't anything to explore on the menu. I didn't see any corned beef hash on there. The biscuits and gravy are never my favorite, but this explains why. It's like a dark diner w American breakfasts I imagined from the 80's. Not my breakfast or lunch stop. A lot of elderly people come here, it's so cute. BTW, can anyone tell me why they always say "Mahalo" when I'm in here? haha read more

Tommy's Cafe - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

Have driven by this place for last 30+ years and have never stopped here to eat. I was pleasantly surprised. Little one had French toast (excellent) and bacon (just ok). Hubby had a sausage, mushroom and cheese omelet that was HUGE and very tasty. I had the corned beef hash with 2 poached eggs (nice option). The corned beef hash was like the kind out of a can - but what can I say - I liked it. Price was excellent - breakfast for 3 with drinks, tax and tip was $30! Our waitress was excellent. Only downfall was bathrooms and the place could be cleaner (little one wanted to know what was coating the lights - dust....). read more

The food here is very underwhelming and under seasoned I hated every bite I took. It's actually said how much this place sucks

Great little local diner located near the Renton airport. Didn't have a lot of time in town so decided to stop here because of local recommendation. Great as soon as we walked in by the host and immediately was served water and menus. Ordered a shrimp and cheese omelet and home fries. The omelet was filled with a great amount of shrimp, No complaints there. Definitely a place to check out if you are in the area and Short on time. read more

Tommy's Cafe - Shrimp and cheese omelette - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

One of favorite go to places in Renton. It looks like a regular American diner and serves regular diner food. My favorite is definitely the Eggs Benny with corn beef hash. They serve large servings and the prices are definitely a great deal. read more

Parking: 3 Food quality: 5 Service: 5 Price: 4 Value: 4.5 Atmosphere: 3.5 Food selection/variety: 5 Overall thoughts: I would eat here again, but wouldn't go out my way to do so. The food was amazing, I had the basic breakfast with sausage, and a Belgium waffle. The waffle was probably my favorite part; it was perfectly crispy, sweet, and big. The meal portions were very large, which compensated for the higher-than-low prices. The portions were about a third more than what you'd receive at a Denny's. The staff was really friendly and fun to talk to, and was eager to service our table when needed. I only had 2 cups of coffee but my cup was never low . The restaurant itself was quite off putting, it seemed to lack regular maintenance. A lot of the carpets were old and worn, as well as the benches and cushions. The dirty fish tank wasn't a pretty site. The bathrooms were eerie and had me feeling like I was in an Irish pub. All and all, the restaurant was clean, though. I had no issues with the cleanliness of the silverware, plates, and food. Other thoughts: The menu lacked presentation, there were far too many ads on the booth tables. read more

Food is delicious. Service is mixed, and it doesn't seem to correlate with how busy they are at the time. I've gone at different days and different hours. The tiny coffee cups don't help. I wish they would use large cups or leave a carafe at the table, to take pressure off the wait staff. But the staff is always friendly, and the food is delicious and in generous portions and priced great, so I'll be back again and again. read more

Best pancakes in town hands down! Love their breakfast. Can't wait to get off keto next year so I can have just a bite of one of those pancakes! Definitely recommend! read more

This has been a long time local Renton Cafe that is family owned. There is plenty of parking along the restaurant, and it is self seating once you're in. The decor inside is a bit outdated, but it reminds me of a mom and pops type place (which it is), but I do think the interior could be updated a little. There are plenty of booths and tables. The servers are great, and have super nice attitudes in the morning. Once we were seated, we got our menus and glasses of water immediately. I really wanted something more hearty and filling due to an eventful night prior. I ordered the chicken fried steak that came with hash browns, two eggs your way, and toast. The food came out very quickly and we dug into our dishes instantly. My eggs were delicious. I ordered them scrambled, so it's not hard to mess that up. The hash browns were under seasoned, but that's okay. That's what salt and pepper shakers are for! My toast was okay. It looked a little over done, but they were still eaten. I just wished the butter on the toast was put to the side or something. The chicken fried steak itself was actually quite tasty. The country gravy was decent. It was a bit more runnier than expected. Normally the gravy is more thick. Overall, I give this experience 3.5 stars if I could, but I don't believe it's not a solid 4. Would I return to Tommy's Cafe? Sure! Maybe the next time will be for lunch! read more

Best French toast of my existence. This place has yet to disappoint, and I have had breakfast here about five times. Super fast service, amazing Belgian waffles. This place makes my tummy happy read more

A surprisingly great diner meal! We went for breakfast on a Sunday and it was no wait for us! It doesn't look like it from the outside but the food was good. The atmosphere is very homey. It's definitely a hole in the wall. French toast and country fried steak were good choices. Home fries were the best!! read more

I've been going to Tommy's for more than half my life 20+years. We used to skip school and hang out there. I would take my Grandma there frequently for breakfast or lunch. My Mom and I went a couple of months ago and were confused when we pulled up to park around the "lunch rush" time of day. There was maybe 2 cars and we heard crickets when we walked in. We didn't receive a greeting and direction to sit anywhere. Honestly the first thought that came to mind was, are they getting robbed??? Thankfully that was not the case. Unfortunately we stood there while wondering what was happening for about 2 or 3 min and finally decided to sit down. There was a few people wandering around in the back, in the kitchen area but we did not recognize anyone. A server came around a couple minutes later. I've never seen this place so empty. I was in shock. I asked her if she was new, she told me yes and that Tommy retired. I asked where everyone went. She wasn't sure. It's definitely a different feel and the food and service are not what you would expected from going somewhere for that long. I would say go with no expectations of what it used to be. If the service wasn't so exceptional before maybe this place wouldn't have done so well. The new people we encountered were not as attentive and did not make us feel that welcoming feeling we used to get in there. Service we received was not great. We watched someone else walk in an waiting several minutes before anyone came over. I hope they figure out they need to step it up. Great service is what keeps people coming back. The food was different but good no complaints. read more

This place is filthy. I feel dirtier going to wash my hands in their bathroom than if I didn't do so at all. Food is passable meaning it's edible, but nothing to write home about. This place is packed for breakfast because it's literally the only option in miles around besides IHOP which is also packed We need something better! read more

I have always loved Tommy's. It's a place you go when you want comfort food or a great breakfast. Today when my husband and I went for breakfast you could feel the whole vibe was off. No-one greeted us and after we sat down no-one brought us menus. Finally after about 15 minutes I got up and got menus for myself and husband and the women sitting behind us. We finally ordered and our food came and it was okay. my husband usually orders the mess. However it didnt have all the ingredients listed in the menu. The women then behind us asked for silverware several times. Finally my husband got up and got it for her. We could tell it was under new management so I looked online and Tommy's is. Again the food was okay. Just not the usual warm greetings and good service. Definitely a few thinga they could work on. read more

Oh, Tommy, you shouldn't have. No really. We went for dinner, maybe that was the problem. Our service was bizzare, our food was just okay. There's something weird here, I can't explain it but I'll say we haven't been back since our first visit because I don't want to know. read more

It seems like Tommy's Cafe has seen better days: the place is well-worn and a little dingy, the entire dining room slants to one side a bit like a listing (or sinking?) ship, and it's been nearly empty each time I've stopped by for breakfast (at 9-ish am). None of this really matters as far as I'm concerned, however. When I stop in I'm just looking for a decent breakfast, and they do have that. In my opinion, dining at Tommy's is nothing to get too excited about. It's a classic 'greasy spoon' American diner located right next to the busy Rainier Ave. in Renton, WA. This restaurant's location just happens to make it a convenient place to stop when I'm working in the area, and it's a lot better than any of the fast food crap on every other street corner in the area. Prices are reasonable (most breakfast entrees are in the $7-$12 range, food is OK, the coffee kind of sucks, service is quick and efficient. So far, the entrees I've tried are "The Margrett": biscuits & gravy with bacon or sausage and hash browns or home fries ($8.75) and "The Mess": ham, sausage, green pepper, onion, hash browns, eggs, cheese, with toast ($9.75). Each one was filling and tasty enough; certainly did the job! All in all Tommy's Cafe is a mixed bag that equals "A-OK"... but not much better. read more

This is the local diner of Renton that you can pass by without a second thought, miss the sign leading to it, and think that it's just another "nothing for me" business behind trees. On the contrary, it's a restaurant. And a decent one at that. I ignored Tommy's for a couple years since I'd moved to Washington unaware that inside was a family-owned establishment focused on homestyle meals and keeping your coffee full. You can find anyone and everyone here. Those looking for a meal after church or looking to fuel up before the big game. Families eat here. Couples eat here. The atmosphere inside is very impartial to a society known for letting you know how they feel about you. At Tommy's, it's all left at the door. I'm not sure I've ever been to a restaurant that felt more like a small town having their meal in the common area cafeteria. Don't get me wrong, I don't know anyone. Like, any of them. But somehow, this one shot dream of a family restaurant pulls off familial familiarity. Oh, the food is good too. Serving portions will fill you. Or should. If they don't, seek surgery. Or gum. Or ask for more toast, I don't know. Either way, it'll at least taste good on the way down. Now, I've had things from the sirloin steak and egg combo to the taco omelette. One of those you can walk away from and not need to search engine the nearest bathroom within 30 minutes or less. You will find some "different" menu items. And you'll try them. And they'll surprise you. I believe that's Tommy's other big draw: they can surprise you. This morning I had the 8oz sirloin, homefries (basically potatoes o'brien but with thicker potatoes), wheat toast, and cheese eggs. All I'm missing now is Welch's grape. Saw what I did there? Cause umm... Cause Biggie said, "...have a t-bone steak, cheese eggs and Welc-" You know what, whatever. It was orange juice anyway. Before the meal they bring out any accoutrements needed beforehand and that's kind of how you know it's about to arrive. Nice lil tell-tale sign. So food arrives. Looks good. Smells good. Real eggs. Not the powdered stuff. Not the stuff that wishes it was eggs. Not the liquid bottle feggs. Nope, real eggs. With cheddar cheese. Potatoes are thoroughly cooked with nary a crunchy bite to be had unless you are accompanying said bite with some of the bell peppers. Steak, cooked medium well, had enough seasoning to not need steak sauce but I mean, come on... sometimes you have to add steak sauce. And there's room left on the flavor palette for that. The toast is four pieces cut in halves from two slices. They come with two small packages of usually grape and/or strawberry jam. Not jelly. Jam. With the orange juice at least tasting like they hired a kid to stand in a corner and squeeze out the citrus fruit to his heart's content, I was sold on the fact that I was having a pretty good meal. Add that family style service they're known for and you have yourself a place called Tommy's. An experience better than cold oatmeal in the office break room. read more

I am horrified to find that in almost two years this is the only real time that Yelp has let me down. We were misinformed that this place was actually decent. 3 and 1/2 Stars? Delusional! I went here a few days ago with my boyfriend because I had a hankerin' for home fried potatoes. So I got homefries, eggs and a pancake. He got biscuits and gravy. THE BREAKDOWN: The eggs were over cooked. The pancakes were obviously from a box mix. I am guesing Aunt Jemima. The syrup comes individual plastic containers similar to jam - apparently it is too much work to put Mrs. Butterworth in a pourable syrup pitcher. Homefries were mediocre. Orange juice was Minute Maid. He, who is in fact a garbage disposal, couldn't even finish his meal. The gravy which was a sad meat-dripping & flour gravy was undercooked and lumpy. The biscuits were more accurately English Muffins. It looked unbelievabley unappealing and apparently tasted even worse. Half of it was left on the plate. Service left something to be desired. Prices are high for the SLOP that you get. Oh, yeah, and the green alge filled fish tank really adds to the atmosphere. I think that alone explains the quality and comfortability of décor. read more

Not sure what happened to Tommy's. Wait Staff all new, kitchen staff all new. Not one order on time or correct and had to beg for coffee refills. Tried to deliver our food to another table then instead of asking us, threw it out! Now waiting over an hour and still no food. Hope this is not the new norm. read more

Wanted to find a little mom and pop style café, this place did not disappoint. Ordered The Mess and it was very good. Lanaya appeared to be the only server in the whole place and she was attentive and quick. read more

I really hate doing this, but I have to. I want to preface this by saying I've had breakfast here a few times and it's been GREAT. Really good. BREAKFAST HERE IS GOOD. That being said, a friend and I made a late night stop to Tommy's for dinner, desperately needing a place to eat after being on the road all day. We figured diner style dinner would be fine, since we'd both had lovely breakfast here many times in the past. I ordered fish and chips, and my cohort ordered chicken parm over spaghetti. What happened next was nothing short of horrifying. When the waitress laid down my basket, a weird smell overcame both of us. It literally smelled like a fishmongers back room, mixed with a sort of ammonia smell. She then brought out my friends plate, and we both looked down, then looked at each other with disdain. The "fish and chips" looked EXACTLY like that awful cardboard breaded frozen fish filets you get at the grocery store. I took a bite and found out that I was probably right. They were not battered, they were truly an identical match to Gorton's fishsticks in filet form. Horrible. They reeked. My buddys chicken parm was even worse. He got what appeared to be an orange, limp chicken breast on PLAIN pasta. No butter, no sauce. What they gave him was a small spoonful of some orangy looking pasta sauce with a slice of processed mozzarella cheese. Like the kind out of plastic wrap. We each took one bite and absolutely had to leave. We immediately walked up to the cashier to pay, even though we hadn't touched but a bite. We were both so embarrassed and almost sickened, as neither of us had ever walked out of a restaurant before. The waitress saw our disdain and didn't charge us. We thought that very nice of her and apologized profusely, stating we could not eat what they gave us. I'm so sad now. Ever since that, I haven't even been able to go back for breakfast. Whenever I think of the way the food looked and smelled, I feel sick. If you do go, NEVER go for anything other than breakfast. I'm thinking they may have different cooks during that time, because it was like night and day. read more

Boom!!! I did it! Made it here before they closed... they close at 8pm... I got the chicken fried steak with a baked potato. And the salad bar.... the potato salad was taste. It was rather slow so I got my food fast! :-) the chicken fried stead was nice and hot and was still tender from the fry'er. I will definitely come back for more. It's kind of hard to see even tho it's right on Rainier ave S. Need better lighting out side so no one trips and falls. read more

Tommy's Cafe - American Near Me - Renton, Washington

Pro - the serve food. Prices arenlow in comparison to other local options. Cons - Walked out prior to ordering. Filthy. Scrapped gross oily film off table top. Floor slippery with grease. Everything coated in grease film. Should not be open, could not pass a health department inspection. read more

Ok this place not so great!!! NO REALLY!!!! The place could sure use a good cleaning and some major updating. The food was not really that good either.. I had the biscuits and gravy not impressed at all..I DONT RECOMEND eating anything from this place with gravy.. wife was not even that impressed and all she had was eggs bacon and hashbrowns. So with all that said please understand I heart the crap out of some grease spoon joints but this place just falls way below any standards I might have on all levels. And I love the hole in the wall stuff in the international district so what does that say about this place???? I really don't under stand all the positive reviews of this place??? read more

Tommy's is pure magic! Before a recent excursion to Ikea, the boy and I knew it would be wise to refuel first. He wanted breakfast; I wanted a sandwich. Enter Tommy's Cafe. Even though it was the afternoon, he got his bacon wish and my cheese sammy fantasy came true. With giant sodas and plenty of interesting ads on the tables to tide us over, the food seemed to come out in no time. And when I bit into that grilled cheese, it was heaven (though not fancy heaven). After that, we were ready to face the hell that is Ikea. read more

These types of café remind me of Denny's or IHOP every time I step foot into one with their booth seating and tables in the middle. This place looks quite old from the outside and could use a remodeling on the inside too as the tables and chairs have quite a few years on them. We were greeted quickly at the door and told to sit anywhere which was nice since they had many seats to choose from. The restaurant was kept pretty clean and was busy throughout the entire lunch time. They have a complete menu from breakfast, lunch and dinner to choose from. I'm not sure if you can order breakfast at dinner time, but I didn't see any time limitations on the menu. I had ordered The Messy which was eggs, sausage, ham and a couple other items all cooked together in a big messy pile. It was interesting and tasty with all the flavors combined. I think I enjoyed the toast the most that day as it was buttered perfectly and tasted terrific with some jam on top. Good friendly service and the waitress was nice in coming around to fill our coffee and water cups. Price wise this place is a bit more expensive than what you would get from Denny's or IHOP for not much better food. read more