Grouchy's Diner — Restaurant in Bellingham

My husband already left a review about our unfortunate experience but I am still mad so I am leaving one too. We came here yesterday not realizing Diamond Jim's had changed hands. For those who don't want to read my long review I'll just cut to the chase and say, THIS IS NOT DIAMOND JIM'S and I can't imagine why Jim let his business name go with this business, after many years of having a great reputation and being many peoples' favorite breakfast place. We used to consider this the best place in B'ham to go for breakfast, boy were we disappointed to come back after not being there for a while. A drink menu was plunked down first, which we don't drink but asked for coffee and cream. We're used to strong coffee especially at breakfast places...this was very weak and the cream even looked watered down. Then looking at the menu it was half the size, not what we expected, and NO CHICKEN FRIED STEAK which is what my husband specifically was looking forward to. That was a bad omen but it was later in the day and we hadn't made a Plan B. So he made do and ordered an omelette EXTRA CHEESE NO PEPPERS. I wasn't super hungry so got two eggs over NOT RUNNY with potatoes sub a biscuit for toast. When we get our food, my eggs are runny :-( My husband's omelette has PEPPERS. He shows the waitress. She says they can remake it it will only take a few minutes. Ends up admitting it was her mistake, but in a very lackadaisical "oh well my bad" kind of way. So he waits a good 10 minutes, picking at his potatoes with gravy which are now getting cold and I've already finished my breakfast by the time his omelette appears, no peppers but PRACTICALLY NO CHEESE. As far as mine, like I said my eggs were runny but I didn't want to wait to have them remade so I ate them anyway, the pile of potatoes was tiny and had a nice crisp but basically NO FLAVOR, had to douse them with salt and pepper. The biscuit which I believe I paid extra for, was dry and crumbly (again, ordered it based on what I remembered from before, only to be gravely disappointed)and I had to ask and wait (while it got cold) to get butter for it...Meanwhile drinking dishwater coffee with watered down cream. For this honor we paid 50 dollars, which I am not mean enough to leave zero tip but definitely left a much smaller tip than I would normally ever leave at a restaurant, and left feeling like I'd been robbed. I know the restaurant business is tough, but seriously people, going out to eat is expensive and some people (like me)save it for a special treat because we can't afford to throw down 50 or 100 bucks every day or week. But if I feel like I had a nice experience, or anybody even gives a s* and tries to make it right, then I don't mind. This honestly just didn't feel like anyone even cared if it was a horribly disappointing experience. But my biggest complaint is that THIS IS NOT DIAMOND JIM'S, but because it has the name, and the FORMER excellent Google rating, people are getting suckered into coming here. Just change the name to something else, so that unsuspecting former customers don't feel tricked into going to a place that is nothing like it was. I guess before I ever go out anywhere again I'll have to research and read every possible online source to make sure this isn't going to happen, but honestly if it's going to be that much trouble just to go out to eat, I probably will just stay home. Oh yeah, and also the music was loud, annoying and weird, and then it would keep cutting off and switching to different stuff, which just made it more annoying and added to the unwelcoming ambience. So there ya go. Save your money and go...

My visit today was on the first day the menu for the new owner was printed and out. Ham, eggs and hash browns were great. There are subtle prices shifts that have somewhat elevated the price of some items. If you chose toast it is one price, but if you choose a biscuit there is an add-on. Generally the price increases are not out of line in today's rising market. The menu is much pared down from the old owner. This also is most likely necessary operate a restaurant in today's world. The new jams are limited to Boysenberry and marmalade only. Lucky for me I like Boysenberry. The saddest thing for me is the disappearance of one of the last real country fried steaks in Whatcom County. Almost every other Country fried steak in reasonable distance is "chopped and formed". "Chopped and formed" in any restaurant is generally not worth ordering. Also in the narrowing of the menu some of the items such as grits have disappeared making this restaurant no longer stand out from the many others in the county. They have now placed themselves in direct competition with at least 10 other establishments, some with better parking, all roughly the same menus. The staff is excellent and I wish them well but my guess is I will probably get over there about 50% less than before the change.

About four weeks later, I had the eggs Benedict. The amount of hollandaise sauce has significantly diminished. They have also changed their hashbrowns, and they are like a mixture of mashed potatoes and hashbrowns. Well overdone. This does not bode well. Unfortunately, I am going to have to change my favorite breakfast spot. It is no longer the diamond Jim’s I knew.

Several months have now gone by Since the above review and I decided to try this restaurant one more time. I am sorry to say that the food quality has descended severely since the last time I was in. The sausage was absolutely tasteless and the gravy was bland and made with the same sausage. The hashbrowns were burned and covered up with the bland gravy. All in all it was the worst breakfast I’ve had in a restaurant in many years. I am very sad. in a very short time this is become one of the worst breakfast spots in Whatcom County. Ask yourself why you are suddenly able to get a parking place when for years there were...

UPDATE UPDATE: Since last update when Little Cheerful first took over, things on the service side have gone significantly downhill. Its seems service before was so good because owner was likely always there and there was career servers who knew what they were doing. Like I just went to Cascade pizza and the lady serving us was LEGIT, so refreshing. Anyway, this seems to be a case of while the owner is away the mice will play. Blasting music from the kitchen, as in, DMX, etc. Sorry DJs, this isnt the cheerful, we are not dining downtown on purpose, dont send us your leftover waitstaff and downtown atmosphere. MOST important: When a new customer walks through the door, every and anyone with in ear shot should greet them and give them an update on how long they will be standing there before being helped, as in, "Welcome in! I will be right there." or "Welcome in! The hostess will be right there, looks like she is clearing a table." As a career server myself, I could not believe how many people walked by us with zero eye contact or greeting, it is insane. I have been eating here since I was 19 years old, thats 30 years. I hate to see such good food go to waste, cause it really is a great place to eat.

Update: Little Cheerful-Diamond Jim’s is the mashup we all needed! Pancakes: not as big, but fing amazing. They could be a little bigger to help all of us with the transition…🤪 Mugs: Fun! New Jam and Sauce: wow. Hash browns: yes yes yes, I hate downtown, now I get cheerful cheesy hash at DJs

I have been eating breakfast here off and on for the last 20 years. Little hint, if you want the best this place has to offer, go to work late and take your wife to breakfast on a weekday. Nobody beats the 2-2-2 menu for value. TIP: try this with their monster pancakes. Spread Butter and 2 tubs of berry jam, sprinkle with sugar, drizzle 2 half and halfs, roll up and...