Smyrna Diner
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
8 reviews for Smyrna Diner
8 reviews in English
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Review from Morton F.
New Castle, DE
1/21/2012 1 photo
This diner is right by exit 114 on Route 1 but access is a bit to the north on US-13. Parking seemed adequate but may be tight if the diner is full.
I was there for a geocaching lunch event so we were in a big group. Even so, I have no idea why it was nearly half an hour before someone came around to take our orders. They could've certainly gotten the food started sooner.
I ordered a BLT. I caught the server trying to upsell me to fries without disclosing that it is extra cost. While it is probably not much, in my mind, this is a big no-no.
I thought the BLT was pretty good. Of course, it is a pretty simple dish so it may not be representative of the rest of their cooking. Still, this at least was good.
When we received the check, we noticed that they had automatically added a 20% gratuity to the total. This is awfully presumptuous of them.
In summary, I like the food but the service pulls the overall experience back down to so-so. -
Review from Matt R.
Smyrna, DE
4/3/2012
A few friends and I went here for breakfast a little while ago. I ordered a ham & cheese omelette with breakfast potatoes. The omelette was unremarkable in its composition, and was fairly tasty; the potatoes, however, were soggy-laden with grease. As we left, I found that my clothes smelled like the smoke produced by overheating cheap canola oil - we had to wash the jacket to eliminate the stench. Our service was pleasant and prompt. It's a decent place for an inexpensive meal, and a mainstay of Smyrna and "lower slower" Delaware. In other words: expect to see more than a few pickup trucks in the parking lot and men in marshland camo in the booths.
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Review from Edward I.
3/28/2009
Its a new building, just a few months old, from what I understand, the original building burned down back in 2003. Due to it's popularity a lot of the locals go to it and sometimes in groups, I was there during a hunter's club meeting of 30-40 people. They're not open 24/7 like most diners I know. Located at the end of S Cory Lane, to get here you'll have to take exit 114 off Route 1 and it'll be on your right, but you'll need to go an extra 100 yards into the Waffle House side and drive back into it.
There's a lot of parking but tough during weekends. The food is alright, but a little bland. Example would be the pasta sauce with light sauce. We had to return a deep fried chicken because it wasn't fully cooked (it was probably frozen when deep fried and not thawed out before being cooked). I'll need to revisit again soon to see if it'll get better. -
Review from Lorraine L.
Brooklyn, NY
7/31/2011
The breakfast was good, the place was very clean and the service was great. Our waitress was mindful of the fact we had a toddler and a 7 year-old so she ensured they had their breakfasts as soon as possible. It certainly wasn't high end gourmet, but it was solid basic diner breakfast fare at a good price.
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Review from Andrea T.
8/30/2009
My Mom and I stopped in on our way down to the beach. We had passed our normal joint. For two breakfasts it was quite cheap...13 bucks.
However, my grits were lumpy, our eggs over easy were cooked poorly, my mother's wheat toast was the whitest wheat we've ever seen!, and the biscuit was bland.
Again we needed sustenance for the road, but maybe we should have gone to waffle house or wawa? -
Review from Ben G.
Los Angeles, CA
7/21/2011
A good old time diner with a nice new building. I've been here a couple times before they were in their new building. Standard diner fair done well, not great. If you don't feel like driving to Middletown or Dover, it's a good place to get your diner fix.
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Review from Missy M.
Wilmington, DE
8/12/2010
How can I consider myself a Delawarean when I haven't reviewed the Smyrna Diner?
It is a pillar of Delaware. It is no longer in the old trailer down the road. It is in a brand new location near the waffle house.
The long and short of it: It is a diner.
What are my expectations when I go into a diner? The older generation hanging out, waitresses who'll call me, "doll" and "hun," and the typical menu of breakfast, club sandwiches, platters and shakes.
What I love most about it? Zero pretentiousness wrapped up in a down home blanket of comfort.
I've gone there for years and my favorites remain the same: French toast and scrapple or pigs in a blanket. The pigs are HUGE.
Outsiders will see it as an ordinary diner. Most Delaware folks will remember it as a place to run into the Governor on a Saturday morning. I've sat in a booth over an hour after the dishes were cleared just chatting with a friend over coffee. I was never rushed out the door.
Negative note: It is like most diners during high traffic times. Don't expect a lot of attention from your wait staff. This frustrates many who go out for the purpose of being waited on in the first place. I also witnessed an older waitress scolding my waitress right in front of us. She told her she was acting lazy and needed to stop disappearing. I'm sure the scolding had merit...I just wished she did it in the back room. -
Review from Robert D.
Rehoboth Beach, DE
3/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's a good diner.
