Four Sisters Owl Diner — Attraction in Lowell

Best breakfast place in Lowell MA

The Four Sisters Owl Diner is a primary resource in my neighborhood at just a short walk - lucky me! I've eaten at the great place for years. I do have to cross either busy Dutton Street or jammed Thorndike Street to get there, and if I arrive for breakfast I can choose a Dutton Street Omelet, a Thorndike Street Omelet ... or omelets named after several other Lowell Streets.

What do I love about The Owl? 1. Delicious, nourishing, authentic home-style food - at a fair price; 2. Friendly service, with a true family & neighbors atmosphere and conversations. 3. The structure itself ... the diner section is a genuine Worcester Lunch Car built (of course) in Worcester, Massachusetts My waitress for breakfast the other day - direct descendant of one of the four sisters. My chef, Dave - the best and always at the grill serving greetings and perfect orders, and loyal to the Merrimack Valley scene. I often sit at the counter (14 seats) near the action at the grill, as Dave is expert.

By the way, I can now pay the bill by credit card, but I leave a cash tip (easier). And there is plenty of parking in a lot across Favod Street from The Owl.

I hope it is ok to quote a selection from a fellow Lowellian (Paul Marion): "Year-in, year-out the Owl holds its own in the city eatery competition. The formula is proven: good food, fair price, friendly service, familiar company, and distinctive setting. The Owl is a highly charged space with the intangible attractive quality that a special place offers. If a community had chakras, then the Owl would be a candidate for such a “force center” in the city. I don’t know if that vibe is sourced in the billions of words spoken within its walls over decades or in the embedded social magnet that keeps pulling people into its sphere. All I know is that you can sense it when you enter. Or maybe it’s just the mixed aroma of coffee...

What a disappointment. As a disclaimer, two chefs had called out, but that is not an excuse for what else ensued. On top of that, we were not told the chefs had called out until we had been waiting for our food for about 45 minutes after ordering.

So to start. We sat at a table, with 5 people. Shortly after we received our drinks we were asked to move for a party of 7 coming in. The table we were seated at after was blowing out very cold air. Nothing was done to fix the situation after I inquired about it.

We order and our server was very accommodating. About ten minutes after we order, the French toast arrives for one of the guests at our table and nothing else. We were told that French toast is on a different grill and that’s why it was first. I’ve been in the restaurant business for about 10 years and you do not bring out food unless you have the rest of the food ready to follow suit very quickly. 45 minutes later after the French toast was delivered we were told that two chefs had called out so it would be a little bit longer. *if two chefs had called out, why is the Owl Diner still fully open? You cannot function appropriately without all chefs.

Our server, trying to diffuse the situation, brought the table a round of water....thanks.

What seemed like hours later, but just over one hour, the rest of the food arrived, or so we thought. Everyone else got their food besides my fiancé. I waited with him for his food for an extra 10 minutes. To top it off, we asked for onion in our home fries and those were left out. Go figure.

Again, I am incredibly disappointed and was begged by the server to give them another chance. Unfortunately, I will not be coming here ever again. The entire restaurant needs help from seating to call out policies to keeping customers happy.

I wish I could say the food was wonderful, but it was below average. I wish the restaurant the best of luck and hope they...

This is a Lowell institution, even a destination for some people. Reviews like this are highly subject to individual tastes since it seems people tend to have strong opinions about what I diner should be. This is definitely an old-school diner in the sense that when you walk in, the exposed short order cook area with mounds of hash and home fries is there to greet you, along with the counter and stools in front of them. There's a lot of atmosphere in that front area. The booths and stools don't seem to have been updated since the 50s, though nothing is torn or shabby. The no longer functioning jukebox at each booth gives it a great vintage feel. If this area doesn't suit you, just continue further to the store where there's the more modern seating area that's approximately double the front area. The food is good, sandard diner fare, meaning there's nothing particularly special about any of it, but it's all solid and predictable. The only exception is the home fries and hash. Both are exceptional. So if you're looking for an old-time diner that would fit right into the 1950s, this is your place. Be forewarned: when you leave, your clothes and body will smell of hash browns until you next laundry and shower. I wouldn't recommend eating here before...