Dad's Diner — Restaurant in Anacortes

The service is wonderful, very polite staff with an upbeat attitude. They go out of their way to make your experience great.

The atmosphere is very homey. Lovely pictures and collections abound to the point you forget you're waiting for food. Plus, in my personal opinion, they choose wonderful music.

The food is where we had the first issues. In our order, we had the Dad's Plate, the Korean Street Toast, and the Kid's Pancakes.

From best to worst:

The Korean Street Toast was phenomenal. Served with a side of JoJo's, everything was wonderful. The taste is something that's different enough from conventional diner food that you'll have a unique experience but same enough that even the least adventurous taste buds will be happy. The JoJo's were cooked perfectly with just enough seasoning to make them a delight.

The Dad's Plate was definitely great. The eggs were cooked perfectly to the over easy request, the potatoes were done with only a few burnt bits (but what can you expect from home style breakfast potatoes?) The biscuit paired with the sweet jam was a wonderful choice. The sausage was, in our opinion, under seasoned. Extra peppery, which is unique, but missing out on the other seasonings you're used to with a breakfast sausage.

The kid's pancakes were where the most disappointment came from. Most likely cooked at too high of a temperature for miniature pancakes, they were slightly burnt on the outside while raw in the middle. The waitress who served us that day was kind enough to comp us for the food, so we didn't have to pay for it.

Would recommend to...

I'll tell you what... From the in house ground beef and bacon, to the ingenious nuances on simple things like french fries that take it to another level, you'll be hard pressed to find another restaurant like this one. Fletch and Dave, the founders and owners, are down-to-earth, hard working, quality guys. They serve and prep. food right alongside their staff. They're not above serving. While Dave is busy whipping up a tasty dish for you and your company, Fletch takes the time to say hi and answer any of your questions with humble sincerity. I love the "dad's" pictures all over the walls. My kids always come in staring at all the maps, globes, pictures and more that make this place fascinating and fun for kids, and enjoyable for adults. And if you're anything for biscuits and gravy, then look no further. I've never met someone who could put to the test the kind of down-home-cooking I grew up with, but these guys do it. From fresh burgers, to seasonal greens and fresh catch around the P.N.W., from their buttermilk pancakes to their hashes and so much more, I guarantee you'll love it. Not only will you enjoy it, if you ever swing through the area again, or live somewhere near by, you'll be sure to come again. If I had the money, I'd eat there every day. They're reasonably priced and they are masters of their craft. I can't say enough. They know me by name, and they know what I like before I even order it! If you go, tell'm Jake (the guy who loves their biscuits and gravy)...

Super good food with friendly people. Just watch out for add-on’s and ask if it comes with entree price point because just because they give you “English muffin” as the bread option, it’s extra $ (but they don’t tell you) instead of getting the biscuit or toast. It would’ve been appreciated to be told “these bread options come with selection but if you’d like an English muffin with jam that will be an additional $” and the same with any meat options that don’t come with the entree but what they give you options for ) and DON’T get “A la carte”. Two pancakes were $17 and 3 sausages were $24. What I expected would’ve been $60 ended up being over $100(with tip). The food was all delicious, I just would’ve liked to know if it was SO much more getting things separate than just ordering another adult-sized entree to split for my kiddos (2 and 4 year olds) One of 16-19 dollars would’ve filled them both up with left-overs. Or even getting them both separate kids menu items. Since getting things “A la carte” was actually mentioned by the staff, I thought this might be more cost effective to get exactly what would be eaten. I just don’t want people to feel that I’m attacking the staff or food quality. This is just for the family that may not have a lot of extra money and just want to know that they’re making a stupid choice by ordering separately when they’re going to pay...