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Category: Diners
Neighborhoods: Point Loma, Liberty Station, Loma PortalMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Not as good as HIllcrest, but I love this place! There's nothing better than bitchy waitresses with terrible bee-hive hairdos who sit on you, throw bubble gum and straws at you, and serve up every milkshake you could possibly order! I've tried the peanut butter, banana, and oreo shakes (not all together... yet)- SOOO GOOOD!!!
This has to be the best place for kids- no matter how old they are. I totally recommend their burgers (although I can't stomach their peanut butter burger- I can't even handle mayo on my meat, let alone a peanutty spread). The music, decor, and outfits are perfectly over-the-top. The Corvette Diner is a treat for both locals and out-of-towners. I only give this one 3 stars as it didn't quite live up to my high expectations from the Hillcrest location, and I the food was a bit better at the other location as well. However, it's worth the money overall.
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...
Lesley Gore obviously didn't have her party at Corvette Diner. We took my friend here for her bday and everyone had a blast! The 50's style decor is over-the-top, complete with waitresses running around in poodle skirts, a disco ball and and the tunes of Elvis and Jerry Lee blasting away. Coming into this place, one can't help, but to smile.
A lot of other reviewers were complaining about the food, but come on, guys, this is a DINER! The food (except for milk shakes!) isn't supposed to be top notch gourmet. I'm sure if Danny, Kenickie and the rest of the T-Birds ate here, they'd thing Corvette's sloppy joes were to die for.
-1 star b/c we felt like we were being rushed in the end and the enthusiasm level during the bday song was low running on empty. My friend felt bad enough about turning another year older...don't make this even more depressing than it already is!
A big "Meh. I've experienced better", and that better was in Hillcrest.
Came in with a completely open attitude towards the move, and was immediately greeted with a rather large parking lot with very tiny spaces. Ok, big deal....
....in we go. Wow, the decor is improved (not that it needed improving). Young man went to seat us in the black light room and cutely stated "is this good for you?". NO IT'S NOT GOOD FOR US. He LITERALLY sat us in a birthday party of 5 year olds. Complete with a child in high chair who may have well been sitting with us.
We moved to the bar. Great service up there, great conversation with the bartenders.
Don't like that this is now basically a Chuck E. Cheese. Game room, screaming children, running kids. What's worse (and what I can't stand) is children saddled up to the bar. Is that not a law anymore?
So...unless it's day time and we're going for lunch (work near by), I won't be back.
AND BRING BACK THE GUM!
This is a really fun place to go, the atmosphere is really cool!
its somewhere you should go at least once, but the food is crappy!
For fellow yelpers who do not know the diner...or for those who think they know the diner; please read. I took the time to ask questions from the very friendly management staff and they were more than accomidating to answer my questions.
First: The burgers are not cooked to order. They are all medium-well. Even I know that most places will not cook a burger to order. For those of you who enjoy your burger "moo-ing"...I suggest you find out how many more people get sick from eating a bloody burger, than one that has been cooked through. They are simply watching their butts....I don't see anything wrong with that. If you want a bloody burger, make it yourself at home.
Second: The new diner location is different than the Hillcrest location; but I think that's great. Had any of you visited the old location during the day-time?? What a sad place it was...hardly noone there!! The move to Liberty Station was a great choice...as the whole area is in development...Corvette Diner has ensured that it will be around for years to come by making the move.
Third: For those of you who have complained about wigs, bazooka, and the like...PLEASE READ: They only wear wigs on Friday and Saturday nights (this has been the same since the old location). They have NEVER worn roller-skates. And, if you had been to the old place...ask yourself...can a person really safely carry shakes and food up and down stairs??!!?!? The old location had stairs everywhere! The bazooka gum is gone; but if you ever noticed the nasty gum-wall outside of the old place...OR if you'd ever stepped in a huge wad of the stuff after some unresponsible parent's ankle-biter spit it out....you'd probably be more than glad that sticky mess is gone! I know I am.
In closing...go visit the new location and have an open mind. There are many great things about the new diner....after all....YOUR experience is what YOU make it. If you come in with a negative attitude....not even the happiest of employees can help you.
The new location in Point Loma is beautiful. The Cohns have really done it up. The addition of the… Read more »
This place is really unique, it offers old school charm of a 50s or 60s diner! Be careful though, espeically on the weekends the place is really crowded so try and call ahead of time to avoid long waiting times. Also, parking costs money in this area, but they have their own parking lot, which is cool but I think it is 8 dollars.
All the waiters and waitresses are dressed up in traditional 50s/60s attire, including poodle skirts and bow ties. They also throw straws at you a lot. On occasion, magicians and balloon animal makers come around the table doing tricks and making balloons, expect to tip though.
The food itself is traditional american, includind but not limited to burgers,shakes, and fries. The food is ok, but nothing special at all. Plus the prices are really high. Most people just come here for the atmosphere, which is really fun and energized! They also play old school music all night!
Hey so where were the girls on roller skates? At least that's what a friend promised me. You gotta be in the mood for some entertainment while eating, but that's why you there, right?!
We came on a Saturday evening and of course the place was jammed. Corvette has an extra room in the back where you can send your kids to some arcade action while waiting for a table. The restaurant area has 3 mid-sized rooms with lots of seating in the typical 50's style- somewhat predictable.
The food was alright- I had a large Jalapeno Burger ($10) that came with fries, my friends picked Hula Hoop Onion Rings with sweet Spanish onions ($7), a Sting Ray Sirloin Chili bowl ($6), and a Shrimp Platter ($13) with fried shrimp, fries, and cocktail sauce. The fries were a bit fluffy but the burger beefy and huge. Oh, table service was fast and nice.
They have balloon artists walking around to entertain the kids (don't forget to tip).
So, to sum up: my diner experience was okay, would come back if I'd have to!
Yes, that's right. I'm taking a star away for my visit today. Lunch on a Saturday: no wait...SWEET! Our server was nice enough, but after the food was delivered, she didn't check on us until we were just about done and had been waiting awhile. The water glasses weren't topped off once. That's pretty bad for being slow.
Country fried steak was meh...a little on the chewy side. It needed a bit more tenderizing (or maybe it was just a cheap piece of steak). Seasoning was a bit bland.
My friend got some burger, but was quick to notice that for a 1/2 pound burger, they didn't ask how he wanted it cooked. He said it was ok, but he's definitely had better.
On a positive note, the waffle chili cheese fries hit the spot and the shakes did not disappoint.
Let's hope this loss of a star isn't a trend. It's already lost some of it's charm in the move for sure.
When you've been going to the original Corvette Diner for about 20 years, you expect a lot. Did the… Read more »
Went here on Saturday and by 6pm there was a line out the door. Wow, this place was busy. Lots and lots of kids birthday parties going on and the like. Mostly families dining. This is a good place to bring kids. It's very, very noisy. I felt bad for an older couple sitting in a corner and rolling their eyes with miserable faces. Don't come here for a quiet evening!
We sat in the black light room that adorned peace signs and "Make Love, Not War" posters. The tables were pretty neat, they were heat/cold sensitive so you could press your hand against it and it will leave your handprint in neon green for a few seconds. Our waitress was cute and friendly.
I don't really have anything bad to say about the place, it is what it is. The food was better than I expected. I got a chicken sandwich that came with Swiss and mushrooms and it was actually pretty good. Portions are huge. They have beer and cocktails. A hot fudge sundae for dessert was honestly enough to feed 5 people it was huge! I don't know if I'd come back, but if I had kids it'd be a great and affordable way to spend a night out with them.
To be fair, I should disclose that I never had a chance to experience the OG Corvette Diner in Hillcrest. I suggested it many times over the years but no one wanted to play my reindeer games, apparently, because they said this place was for kids. Now that I have been to the new CD in Point Loma, I feel qualified to say that they lied -- this place is not only for kids.
We went Wednesday night for a friends' charity benefit, which brings me to "Love #1:" They offer a fabulous program for you to hand out flyers for a gathering at their place to benefit any non-profit you may be raising money for. In this case, the Renegade Roller Girls of San Diego had a member moving out of town and a fellow RRG had a boyfriend who is raising money for his upcoming half-marathon for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
Rather than the money from all those roller derby girls and their families and friends going to Corvette Diner's already-deep pockets, they all gathered together and Corvette Diner allowed 15% of the tab (which I'm sure was in the high hundreds, if not topping a grand by the end of the evening) to go to my friend's charity. (While I am not a roller derby girl, I am a friend of the guy raising money for the Crohn's Foundation and therefore we were with the fine ladies of RRGSD for the night.)
Love #2: the kitschy feel of it all. While this is certainly not a place I would be able to tolerate every week, it was really fun to hang out and laugh at the waitresses dancing, kids wide-eyed and tons of cheesy 50's decor. And the corny 50's dj? His name was DJ Tanner (like, Full House!), and whether that was intentional or not, it made us all laugh every time he said his damn name.
Love #3: the simple diner menu with something for everyone (we opted for burgers, but beware the Big Daddy upgrade -- we were laughing when it arrived because it was just. that. huge.)
Love #4: lots of parking, plenty of space to move around (there were tons of people in our group just kind of standing in between tables chatting and taking pics most of the night and there was still room to walk) and very kid-friendly (one of my friends and her husband brought their 5-week old and she was loving all the noise and lights).
And also, a good amount of money for my friend's charity drive! We all win!
So, there you have it -- 4 bright, shining stars. The only thing that could have made this a 5-star night was if the tab was less.
Almost $50 for my husband and I... and we each had one drink and one entree (although he added all kinds of crap to his burger, which of course upped the total)? But still -- $50 for diner food (and no shake!) -- Say what?!
We go waaayyyy back, Corvette Diner and I. I was a milkshake junkie and they were my dealer of choice for many a year.
Over the years we grew apart. Parking in Hillcrest was such a cluster f*ck that it just wasn't worth the hassle.
We went to the new location for my nephew's birthday the other night and it was great.
I must say that the service was fantastic from our waitress "Mabel". She was a hoot!
Food was good, up to their standards, as were the shakes.
The place is still way too loud and echo-y but what can you do.....
My husband loved the Rory burger (has peanut butter in it)!
I had the Kookie burger, it was alright, nothing fantastic, average mushroom and swiss burger, actually the carl's jr. version is better =(
Atmosphere is cool! Fun! Wait staff danced once while we were there, my son loved it! We sat in a black light room where the tables where like hypercolor, heat and cold sensitive! We visited the arcade, it was fun!
Our waitress Pearl was super nice!
Food was alright and overpriced - I guess you pay for the experience!
I don't care what anybody says, Corvette Diner is and probably always will be my favorite restaurant.
Went to the new location in Liberty Station recently, I was VERY skeptical after loving the Hillcrest location for the past 20 years, but they didn't do too bad.
The arcade was fun, well, let me be more specific, the basketball game and the photo booth were fun, the rest of the games were lame.
The black light room is pretty sweet, and as someone mentioned in a review before, it's definitely more organized than the other location. I personally liked the chaos in Hillcrest. All the basic necessities are still there though, oldies music, silly dancing, greasy food, yummy milkshakes, sassy waitresses, and all for a decent price.
I do have a few complaints though,
first of all WHERE THE F WAS THE BAZOOKA? Hello? My favorite part is when they throw all the gum at you with your check! Some of my best childhood memories are of trying to eat like 5 pieces of gum at once just so we could read all the jokes inside.
Second complaint, the waitress's are just not sassy enough anymore! What a bunch of softy's!! We used to get so much ish from them and now you are lucky if you get an eye roll!
Anyway, I guess I will have to get my fix from this new location, but it will NEVER be the same as the original.
Side note: I added the 4th and 5th star are for the old Hillcrest location.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ BEWARE OF THE BAR!!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Feeling like I was in another fabulous episode of "Mad Men", I went up to the bar and ordered an Old Fashioned just like Don Draper would. I gave the cute, sweet kind bartender chick a $20...and got back ten $1 bills???? The drink was fricken $8.95 plus tax!!!!! Plus a $1 tip, that was like an $11 drink.???!!! That's excessive for one shot of bourbon! WTF? This is Point Loma, not Downtown! You've all been warned! Never again!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$
Now that I got that out of my system...
ATMOSPHERE: This is the main reason one comes to the Corvette. Charming 40's 50's 60's decor and memorabilia, swinging music at the perfect volume, and all the staff dressed to match. I'm not sure about the Neon Lit Room, but luckily we sat in the Train Room which was perfect. I still prefer the older Corvette style, which was more "cluttered" with memorablia...the new place is more "organized".
SERVICE: Everyone was superduper friendly...Hostess, Bartenders and Rhonda the Waitress...whom was superduper flirty with me, even with my lovely wife sitting right there.
FOOD: Wide range of American classics, diner food, and desserts. I had the Reuben ($8.99) which was decent, but not as good as one at a good Jewish deli. The fries are much better than the old Corvette Diner's. Dinosaur Wings ($9.99)...four big chunks; spicy and delish! Historically, since the old location, the food has been average
I've been coming here for 10+ years since the old location...come for the Atmosphere, but not necessarily for the food, and especially the ridiculously overpriced drinks!
I haven't been to Corvette Diner in YEARS. Hillcrest was just a little hard for parking so it never was a first choice. Went here during the 2nd week of opening and it was PACKED. Waited about an hour but it was worth the wait. We went with our friends and we basically got the same thing:
4 Milkshakes (all different, and ALL good)
2 Sid's Cowboy Western Burgers
2 Chili Cheese Fries
Each couple split a burger and fries, and there was still food left over. YUM. Sit in the groovy room, it's quite groovy.
They even had a balloon guy and he made my son a Shamu balloon animal. It was the greatest thing ever. HAHA. Didn't expect him to know how but he came up with the most coolest looking balloon whale I have ever seen. I gotta find the picture for it.
Ah, the Corvette Diner. It's been a while. Remember Galaxy Grill in Horton Plaza? (well, when it used to be there). Now that Corvette Diner has moved to Liberty Station, I had to check it out. No hassle on the parking. Well we were there before 5pm and it's now at Liberty Station. Cool! Cool! Nothin' betta to give your workout from Lava Gym (also at Liberty Station) the equilibrium cycle than dinner at Corvettes,right!? We were seated in the trippy black light area. Sweeeet.
So, we started with the "Pickle Me Up At 7" appetizer: pickle spears, house breaded & spiced, served with ranch dippage. Niiiiiice. Some of the best fried pickle slices I've had. Then I got a glass of Egg Creme (a chocolate seltzer, a N.Y. favorite) to feel like I'm in that time era. Waitresses are awesome and funny!
Now it's time to order the grub. Boo had the Buffalo Blues: buffalo sauce, crumbles of blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion. She said it was tasty. My turn...I've missed this burger, time for a reunion. So I got my all time favorite there: THE RORY. As their menu said: "our money back guaranteed to please burger with peanut butter, bacon, lettuce & mayo". Did NOT disappoint! Same, GREAT burger as always. With a money back guarantee, how can you NOT try it, right? We need more joints that do crazy burgers like these. Just like when FatBurger put a fried egg on top of their burgers.
So many other tasty dishes here. We're gonna be back fo' sho! The entertainment was fun. So I guess it's more like 3.75 stars. We're not into kids hollarin' and stuff, but it's all good. The new joint is huge! So you guys and dolls should go visit. Try the Rory...live a little.
I only went to the original restaurant in Hillcrest once. I slightly recall the decor as a 50's diner with some crazy waiters and waitresses shooting straws all over and dancing.
This new location, in my opinion, is so much better! It is definetely larger. There is one room that is neon with blacklight, glowing peace signs, jimi hendrix pictures, and all kinds of other 70s decor. Some people did not like sitting in the glowing room but we loved it. There is a large area for regular restaurant, booth and table seating. I don't recall if the original restaurant had a bar, but this one has a full bar. I had a "twist" martini which was pretty damn strong. My daughter and I shared the giant chicken nuggets, thinking we would have dinner afterwards. We were stuffed! After eating and enjoying the dancing waiters and waitresses, we went into the arcade so I could drop more money, I mean have some fun.
Great experience and a nice area to walk around for sure!
The only thing I love most about this place is the OLDIES environment.
Food is OK, the staff are fun.....a bit too overfriendly, but good service provided. The shakes of off the chain!! Love the music.
Not knowing where to go for lunch, I suggested here and we went since it's in a new location. There's just something missing here. I'm not sure what it is. I really miss those sassy older waitresses. Now, it's full of sassy youngins who look a little silly calling us "boys" and "darling."
Dang, and I ordered the same thing...turkey open faced sandwich. The turkey was moist, could have used more vegetables. Nice mash and gravy. The partner ate Brenda...without her pickles. He said it was good and the fries were plentiful. I ordered the apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Our waitress, "Edna" and that was another thing, such an old fashion name for a young filly. She said it was big, and it was...I shoved most of it in my mouth, but the rest was hard to swallow (just for you Suzanne R)...LOL! I would've shared but the partner had a milk shake with his meal.
It was more like 2.5 stars. There's a new game room adjacent which looked like fun and they also had this day-glow room with black lights. At first they put us in this table near the kitchen and some senior citizens, from my seat I could see right into the kitchen with the cleaning supplies...WTF??!!! But then they put us in this area that had clips of old movies and tv shows playing, although it was a little loud.
I'd go back, but with a huge group of people...maybe my students. It would be crazy fun. Parking is definitely easier, but it looks like the customer demographic has changed.
A friend of mine was moving back east and I agreed to meet her and her 12-year-old daughter here.… Read more »
Love, love, love, love this place. Went here for the first time after we went to Disney on Ice this past weekend.
Went here around 2p on a Saturday. No wait! Sat us in the back where there was TVs all on the wall and black and white all in the room. This was my first time here and only read reviews and my co-worker recommended the place too. The waitresses and waiters are all cool. You cannot be shy if you work here for sure! They loved playing and picking on my daughter. My daughter is a bit shy, but she loved it. My husband and I who are both under 32...LOVED the music! Haha. We were singing to all the songs. The waiters/waitresses danced for us too. It was really cute. The place is loud so if you don't like loud places and maybe being picked on (out of fun) then this place isn't for you!
As for the food...I ordered the Rory burger. Saw that it was recommended here on Yelp. I didn't know it was money back guranteed though if you didn't like it. I didn't really like it!! The peanut butter was chunky which I really don't like. And there was only a little bit of PB and mayo so the sandwich was dry. Burgers are not cooked to order. But a tiny pink doesn't bother me. I think they cook it medium-well. My husband ordered the Philly Cheesesteak. Of course it had some fun name...forgot what it was called. He loved it! It did have a ton of bell peppers, but luckily thats one of his few favorite veggies. My daughter got the kids chicken fingers. It was called ginourmous and they were! Her meal came with 2 strips and they were perfectly seasoned and fried. Crunchy and tasty. She asked if she could get a kids shake for $1.99 and I let her. Figured we might as well taste her shake. She got a chocolate and it was really good! All of our meals came with fries and they gave us a ton. We all loves fries so that was fine with us. We really enjoyed our meal and our visit. Well, my burger could of been better. Next time I want to try several other things. Haha. I think this is a great place to bring kids and families. We are already planning to come back with our best friend family and my parents and sister when she comes into town.
It is a 2.45 star review, actually. I was a huge fan of the previous location, as was most of SD. I understand moving to bigger facilities, and gaining a parking lot. You do tend to lose some soul when that happens. Trust me, it is still wall to wall decorated with the same style of stuff, but it isn't as crowded on the walls so it gives the impression of vastness due to the misuse of negative space. That is ok, they are known for their attitudes and Maltshakes, right?
So, they also added a huge arcade area, the Gamer's Garage. Pretty cool in theory. That would be a good thing if you had a huge birthday party full of kids. We were there on a Monday night, so it was only a little packed, not too busy. We were seated pretty quick, but near the rear where the kitchen enters/exits. Boooo!
We had a decent server, who I thought was a novice because of the simple errors she made throughout the course of the eve. No silverware, even after she served the food, late with the drinks that were just waters cokes and one shake, forgot sides/requests on some orders and we were one of a few tables she had. I mean, I am usually gracious but the food took so long to come out it upped the levels of frustration.
When the food came out, it was the usual. Okay burgers, frozen fries, iceberg salad. But you know, it is officially a diner, so the food is supposed to be that way, regardless of being part of the Cohn restaurant family. The fried pickle appetizer is the highlight of their menu in my opinion. Of course, the shakes are great too and good to share. Our burgers were less salty than the buns. We had the Rory (lacked flavor, even with peanut butter on it), the Kooky (ok with sauteed onions and shrooms), kids' sliders (the best even though plain), and the pickles.
The fun times: they are loud and semi obnoxious here, but in a good way. There is lots of good oldies playing, from the 50's and 60's. They like to dance a lot and sing aloud to the music. They make balloon hats (for a fee). There is a lot of parking, but it is kind of far away from the doors. If you got really high and came here, you should sit in the black light room and eat a lot of fries. Trip out, brother. To be fair, I will totally keep coming back because it is just fun to be there in general. I'll probably stick with apps and shakes, though.
It's a bigger, better Corvette Diner! Only one thing missing... the corvettes. I mean this is a place called "Corvette" Diner and they had one corvette in the main area. Meh, whatever... Hopefully the place gets some more here soon.
Food was typical Corvette Diner food or more so typical "Diner" style food. Still good and priced reasonable. The fried pickles are a must if you like pickles or fried foods. The soda's are even better and I highly recommend the lime soda.
The things that got me liking this place was the creativity of the place. They have several theme rooms and very nicely done. Remember folks this is a "Theme" restaurant, if ya don't like having fun while eating don't go here! They also have an arcade you can play for prizes (similar to a D&B but smaller.
Service is awesome. We had no issues.
Parking is good and bad. Lot's of parking available but it's behind the restaurant... It's not convenient but there is ample parking unlike the Hillcrest location.
I gave 4 stars because there is nothing really that says "Hey, this is Corvette Diner!" on the outside. It's just a plain earthy tone looking building and the parking sucks for disabled folks. 2 Spots out of several hundred spots that get further away fast.
2 hour wait for a party of 10 on a Wed at 6PM...OUCH. As we waited we had some beers at the bar and proceeded to slide the card at the arcade ala Dave n Busters style. No tokens, just load up your cards & slide away. Since we waited so long, they comped us 2 Garbage plates which is the sampler platter. We sat in the 60s theme room which was looked as if was an afterthought in design planning for a 50s theme diner.
Kids will have fun, the wait will be painful, the burgers are OK, but you will have plenty spots to park which is the biggest difference from the Hillcrest site. Also, they carry Effen Black Cherry Vodka.
This place is pretty cool.
The reubens are ok, some parts of it had too much sourkraut, but the shakes are tasty.
Atmosphere is nice, has a nice 50's look, the music isn't too loud. But, I don't think a Guitar Hero machine with Judy Nails on it is 50's.
The best part of this place, the SERVICE. They always have nice smiles on them...=-)
Great for kids.
If this place was still in Hillcrest, I would give it 4 or 5 stars. But the new location blows.
The menu is still the same. I think some of the entrees have been removed, but you still have the burgers, sandwiches and shakes. It is all the tasty stuff you know and love. But the location switch...
First off, if you are looking for a quiet, romantic night out, don't go here. There are kids oozing out of the walls and multiplying. It is pretty loud in there.
Second, if you go on a Saturday night, you will be waiting an hour and a half like we did...only the hostess will tell you that it will only be an hour. When you go up to ask about the wait time, they will tell you five minutes but that translates into "25 minutes." That was truly disappointing.
There is a game room in the back, which was cool because I got to rock the Skee-ball action for a bit. But I was afraid of stepping on loads of kids too, so that did not last long. Plus, it is real easy to blow through $20, so it seems like a trap that the restaurant has to rake in more dough. Plus, how a game room fits in with the 1950s - 1960s theme escapes me.
The decor is cool in a few of the rooms, but really....it does not look like this location has more seats than the Hillcrest location, so I am not sure why the move was necessary. I guess they are appealing to the families now, but why change the formula if it was working?? I went to the Hillcrest place when I was a kid just fine.
If you know and love the food and the sassy waitresses, then go prepared with a wad of cash to play games and to wait. But the old place was working for a lot of people and sometimes, change is not good.
OH....Dee was a great server and she really made the dining experience enjoyable.
I started off the evening being really excited about going to the "new" Corvette Diner. It was my favorite restaurant growing up and was expecting it to be near the same if not better... boy, was I disappointed.
I'll start with the positives: The arcade area is fun, makes waiting for a table entertaining. The fried pickle appetizer was good, not the best I've had, but good. The hostess was very nice. That's it.
We were seated in a large black light room with glowing tables, which cast a shadow of whatever you put on the table, then faded away into the yellow. This was entertaining for about 5 minutes, then just nauseating. There were black light posters all over and it felt like a 1960's teenagers room instead of a 50's diner. We had some guy as our server who spent more time styling his hair for work than taking care of us. 30 minutes with empty water glasses is not cool. He was a terribly bad actor with 50's like phrases with no enthusiasm what so ever that couldn't leave the table fast enough to disappear for long periods of time. And it wasn't even that busy while we were there.
The food is not as good as it used to be and it has nearly doubled in price from the old location. I know time are tough, but $6 for a chocolate shake that's not even that good anymore? I tried the grilled veggie sandwich and the first bite was kind of okay, vegetables pretty bland, but the sauteed mushrooms weren't drained well and by the 3rd bite the bottom piece of bread was turning to mush and falling apart. It took 15 minutes for our server to walk near our table and I flagged him down. The first thing he asked was if I wanted a to go box. I told him no, I couldn't eat it because of said problems. His response was "okay, would you like something else?" I said "no" and he shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I am the last person to send food back, but this was pretty gross. And he didn't even say sorry about that. Nobody at the table finished their dinners because it was "just okay" which included a regular burger, chicken sandwich, veggie burger and chicken fingers.
If you are looking for the flair of the old Hillcrest location, you won't find it here. My impression is that there has been a lot of cost cutting and price raising without holding onto any of the quality they used to have. Gone are the blue plate specials and the chili cheese dog. And the Bazooka Joe bubble gum is gone too! I think that a young kids birthday party would be happy with the place, but the prices are so high it would cost the parents a fortune. I am very sad to say I will never go to the Corvette Diner again.
I came here some years ago, but I have to say, this place was really fun: waitresses that threw straws and bubble gum at us.
I got a burger. And it was good.
I mostly liked the place for it's fun environment and unique service. =)
I am hoping to go back soon and hoping it's still the same.
Loud. Horribly, terribly, ear-numbingly loud. If you want to talk to the people you're eating with, DO NOT come here. I'm not by any means old or some kind of fuddy-duddy, but I am partially deaf, and good lord, it was LOUD there. I couldn't hear my husband, and we were so crammed into one table that I was practically on his lap!
The service was rotten -- we waited over an hour for a table -- and then learned that our table was ready 20 minutes BEFORE they told us about it. Nobody offered us water because our waitress had to get up and do some nutty dance in the aisles. By the time she came back, she had forgotten about the water and was taking our drink orders. We walked out, so I can't testify to the food quality, but there is no way, nohow that I'm ever going back there again!
So two days ago I gave this place a 4 but today I'm giving it a 5! I went to dinner here because my friends were having a fundraiser for the Cancer 3 Day walk and part of the profits are going to that cause. Mable, our waitress, was AWESOME!!! She sat and chatted with us, recommended some awesome drinks and was just totally cool!
Today we had really good food. Usually I've had a lot of the fried stuff but today discovered some healthier choices. The pasta that one friend ordered was so good everyone had entree envy! The root beer float drink is AMAZING!! It's almost like dessert so even though we didn't actually order any, I left happy.
Tonight this place was happening. We were sitting in the 70's room and it was so fun when the staff danced. I kinda wanna work here cause everyone looks happy (or acts happy). I also really like that the new location is much bigger than the place in Hillcrest and that FREE parking is available.
I really liked the Corvette Diner location in Hillcrest but like the new location too. Parking was… Read more »
Short version: Way too expensive for the "new" old-style diner meal.
Long version:
So it was four of us. My son, niece, bf and I had just gone up Cowles Mountain and were STARVING, no FAMISHED! So as a treat for making it up the hill we decided to head to Corvette Diner's new location.
The first plus here is the parking situation, MUCH better than Hillcrest. But that isn't saying a whole lot since finding parking in Hillcrest is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. We get to the new location and they give us a little buzzer letting us know it'd be about 15 minutes. Not a problem. I run to wash my hands in the bathroom and not even 5 minutes later, the buzzer is going off. Cool.
We are seated at the booth that is LITERALLY next to the water station. At least 10 waitresses pass our table without so much as a glance in our direction. We sit at our table at least 10-15 minutes without even an ice chip thrown in our direction. Our four sun-drained, flush, parched, hungry faces don't indicate that we would like service pronto?? Fair enough.
The hostess finally notices we are slowly melting into the tile flooring and asks us if we've been helped. No, ma'am, I tell her, but a few bites of this here menu and I'll be holding up quite nice. She explains that they are in the middle of shift changes and drags a 20-something "Ethel" to assist us. She brings us our drinks with a quickness, which is nice but at this point it's been a good 20 minutes.
The first thing I notice about the menu is that it's smaller than the old one. A lot smaller. Not their prices though. Really? $9 for chili cheese fries? As an appetizer? That's equivalent to a burger. Hmm.... I think in my delirium and confusion about the new menu selection options, or lack thereof, I get entranced with imagining what a burger with peanut butter tastes like. Finally. You see, I have been a patron of Corvette's for well over 15 years. I spent many high school days and beyond celebrating birthdays, including my own, with straws in hair-do's galore always to ponder what the heck a Rory burger tastes like. Since I'm lactose intolerant and the only two things that stick out to me at this point are the Rory and the Blue Cheeseburger, the decision is quite simple: after-effects of lactose intake or not? Rory it is.
It was realldecent compared to the mere idea of pb on a piece of meat.. The smoothness of the peanut butter was a nice substitute for cheese. The fries were alright. The other diners at my table had:
A kid's Mac-n-Cheese w/kid's shake
Philly Cheese steak (that looked really good) w/shake
Brenda burger w/soda
For a total of $50 plus tip.
While the meal was decent, I've had WAY better for much less. The nostalgia was okay but we weren't in a good seating position to watch the I Love Lucy re-runs on the flat screens which kind of sucks.
And, I didn't even entertain the idea of going into the gaming garage after the food bill came. I can imagine I would have spent and additional $50 for two gamer geek kids to fiddle around with their toys in no time.
I certainly won't be going back anytime soon. If ever. Sad because I really enjoyed going there when they were in Hillcrest and my son loves the shakes. But I can make them in my Vita-Mix and pocket the $6 cost of their milkshakes. it's just way too much for way not enough.
This place is a new favorite for me and the Marines I work with. I love the fact that, as a vegetarian, I can actually EAT here! When ordering a burger you can have an angus, turkey, or black bean patty. It's so nice to actually be able to eat a burger with my buddies.
The resteraunt reminds my husband and I of a place back home in Chicago (Ed Debevic's anyone?). The waiters have fake names and make up their own little charecters to play, which makes it a little more fun. Every now and again they will even dance!
There are different areas to eat too. They have the corvette area, which is just a simple soda shop design. Then there is the "Groovey Room" which has black lights with floresent paint on the walls. Then the last room has TV's in the walls that show clips from old movies, tv shows, etc.
And lets not forget the music! Who dosen't love a little Elvis with their potato skins or Temptations with their fried pickles!
Must tries:
Pickle me up at 7 - fried pickles
The Rory burger - as crazy as it sounds, peanut butter, mayo, and bacon is AMAZING! Plus, its garunteed to be a favorite. If not, you get your money back.
*Roasted marshmellow shake - It's not on the menu, but you can get it!
Classic Banana Split - They make it the RIGHT way and it's perfect to split with a buddy.
Egg Cream - very yummy drink! Strange but sooooo good.
I haven't gone into the game room area of the place yet, but it looks like great fun!
I absolutley loathe waiting in line, waiting, period, to get a table and order food. Generally by the time I arrive at a restaurant I'm ready to eat and it never goes over well when I'm told there is a 45 minute wait and kids running around everywhere.
With that being said, if you have to wait for food this is the place to do it. Order a drink, take it into the game room and wait for the buzzer to notify you that your table is ready.
I got to sit in the 60's room, and I liked the black lights and the trippy table tops, where imprints were left behind with everything placed on the surface of the table. I liked the food, but I've had far better philly cheese steaks. But, the atmosphere was cool, the service was good and they have a martini with pop rocks on the rim.
If you want something different from the normal casual restaurant in San Diego come here, if you're expecting mind blowing food and peace and quiet, take the party elsewhere.
Well folks we have a new business location for the old Corvette Diner, Point Loma! That means parking woo woo! The new Corvette Diner is super swank and really BIG.
My niece loves this place, she is 7 and what could be more cool than chicks in puffy skirts when you're 7? I know, milkshakes with sprinkles and whipped cream and cherries on top!
She's been to the old location so we played a trick on her yesterday. We drove to Great Curves which she loves and then we turned at the light on Lytton telling her there was a special surprise. We parked and got out and looked at the gorgeous water, then we proceeded to find the front door.
On the way she see's girls all dressed up and she goes "they look like they work at Corvette Diner!" We couldn't fool her for long though because she can read now. Inside we saw the Corvette, the gorgeous girls in skirts and flowers in their hair and we knew we were home.
We were taken through the rooms to the black light one, and since we all had on white, our shirts were glowing, she thought that was SO COOL. Then we ordered milk shakes, I got the Caramel Torme (ha!) and then we got wet fries (with gravy).
We Canadians are crazy for our fries and gravy, it's a commonly known treat.
I think all in all, Corvette D will only get better. When people open up a new restaurant you have to understand it takes a bit of time to get the kinks out.
As Kat D said, they have been open all of 6 days (as of yesterday when I went). They can't do the do the gum anymore because it's a historical building. And throwing straws was messy and bad for the environment. I can appreciate both of those problems for a business.
But in place of straws and gum, is excellent parking choices, and beautiful floors, and black and white videos of Elvis and Marilyn being CUTE, CUTE-CUTE!
It's possible they can do something fun to replace those 2 things. But I did miss the crazy wigs, please bring back the crazy wigs!!!! And not just for 2 nights on Friday/Sat.
There is an amazing game room, with air hockey and skee ball and other fun video shite too. Check it out. It is great for kids, and the peanut butter burger is Kim's fave.
The menu is pretty much the same; but has a few cool new items, like the garbage plate appetizer. Our server, Mable, was friendly, fun and accomodating.
Call me sentimental, but I miss the old Corvettes in Hillcrest. Not a fan of the 60s room. As a whole, Corvettes has lost it's 1950s authenticity. It looks cheap and feels like another one of the many homogenized joints from the cohn restaurant group.
Food: good
Service: prompt
Price: good
This review is for the new location...
This place is completely soulless now, it honestly lacks the essence of the corvette diner - from the Hillcrest location. No straw throwing, no bazooka, no overly-amorous waitresses, no half car suspended in the wall, no wigs, no honest to god retro hairdos, it appears to have none of the old waitstaff - as I didn't recognize anyone, and now complete with 60s music and decor - which seems out of place. The overall decor is nice, and the submarine room is kinda cool, but honestly it feels more like a red robin, than the corvette diner.
My party described the place as sterile, and I honestly wanted to walk out prior to being seated. Then we were seated - at two seperate tables - for a party of 6. Clearly that sucks. It was the waitresses' first day, and bless her heart, she tried really hard, but wasn't writing things down... so when the food finally came out (after an hour wait) 5 out of 6 orders were messed up. My Uncle never even got the correct thing, and my cousin just decided to eat the wrong burger - rather than wait any longer for a new one.
Personally, my food was terrible. I had the Kookie burger with the black bean patty, with no cheese and no mayo. The entire burger was the same consistency - which amounted to one big pile of mushy stuff. I couldn't even pretend to eat it. But, the fries were good. Most of my party seemed to think the food was acceptable, once the orders got corrected.
Honestly, I will never be coming back to this place, and it makes me sad to lose such a fun place. Thems the breaks, I guess.
In it's new, much, much larger location - it's essentially the same place it was in Hillcrest, just more rooms and way more tables. There's a funky 70's room with black walls, black lights and flourescent stuff on the walls. It's like you're in outer space man. We were seated in the little room shaped like a dining car. The kid's enjoyed the grub - chicken fingers and cheeseburger of course, and we enjoyed that they had alcohol on the menu. A fun place to come when you want to drop a few bucks. It's not on the cheap, so be aware.
Beware of the back room which houses a large chuck e cheese like room with games galore. You will drop a lot of cash quickly with kids around. Who really knows how much you're spending per game. My 8 year old wants his bday here. So you know they've got that contingent hooked.
Honestly, I'm a big fan of Corvettes and loved its old location in HillCrest. I loved the old layout. Well, that's spilt milk now.
The new location was not easy to find. You really, really wanted to go there to find it. Once there, it is a very nice building. The new place has an arcade with very good quality games. The kids liked being able to play the ticket games without having to hold those pesky tickets. They utilize a swipe card system that remembers how much you've spent and how many tickets you've won.
The main dinning area what similar to the old place, but they had a 60's-70's room that just didn't seem to fit.
They don't throw straws or give out Bazooka gum anymore. Oh well, the only thing constant is change.
The food rocked. I had onion rings, meat loaf, and a banana-strawberry shake. The shake was so good that I only had half of it. ??? That's right. Tina stole the mixing cup right from me.
Our waitress was Lucy. She was very good
I will go again.
Pretty cool that there is a arcade in the building to hang out at till you get seated we were seated pretty quick so we didn't get to really enjoy it to much. We got to be in the 'Groovy Room' very interesting. Black lights, glowing tables, 70's garb everywhere. Our server was nice, but hard to get a hold of. We had the deep fried pickles (not something I really cared for), Kookie Burger, Mac n Cheese with fries, quesadillas...all the food was actually pretty good. I would come back. Check it out, very interesting place. You can be as loud as you'd like and no one would care.
***NEW LOCATION***
I visited the new location last night and although the new location is way much bigger and there is plenty of free parking it just didn't feel like Corvette Diner to me. They have added a few new rooms. One is a party room and another is this 60's room with tons of flower power. IT's black and neon paint everywhere. The staff was supper friendly and we were seated very quickly. Our food was good but I did notice a few things missing. They no longer have the Daily Specials and when you are seated they don't toss straws all over the place for you to play around with. The saddest part for me was NO MORE BAZOOKA BUBBLE GUM! Ugh! I was pretty disappointed.
Worst service ever!!! It seems with more space the ditzier they get! I am currently here and have been waiting over 40 mins for a table of two!!! They told us it would be 20 mins!!! The hostess' (yes that's right.. Plural) are avoiding eye contact!!!
After 45 mins we are barely getting seated... And the manager is claiming to pick up a portion of the check. A portion c'mon now!!!
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