Quarrier Diner — Restaurant in Charleston

Quarrier Diner is a popular restaurant and diner on Quarrier Street in the historic downtown area of Charleston, West Virginia.

Although the first Quarier Diner was opened in the current location in 1932 in a traditional metal railway car, a second metal diner was added next door in 1936. The current Art Deco building was opened in 1947. The building has been designated as a historic landmark in Charleston.

If you want a breakfast or lunch, you’ll be taken back in time with much of its original 1950s décor and counter with round stools.

I had eaten at this diner years ago when Charleston was a booming city with many pedestrians, many more businesses, and fewer parking lots. In the old days, there were several quality department stores that have all been permanently closed. It's a good sign that this restaurant has been reopened, so future generations will enjoy a bit of old Charleston.

The menu includes a variety of sandwiches and breakfasts (served all day). I had a BLT recently, which had a whopping eight slices of crispy bacon on fresh bread and lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. My friend who invited me ordered a steak sandwich, and others ordered eggs benedict. I glanced at their food and noted that the poached eggs appeared overly cooked and not runny.

My next meal was a corned beef sandwich, which was very filling and delicious, and the French fries were excellent. I ordered a large ice tea specifying a few ice cubes and a slice of lemon. Our large table of six people was to the left of the main entrance as you enter.

Business hours are from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM seven days a week. Reservations are not necessary, but you may want to call ahead to reserve if you have six or more people.

The place is delightfully air-conditioned, and the seats are comfortable. Credit, debit cards, and cash are all accepted.

The place is not wheelchair accessible as you must walk up six steps. No alcoholic drinks are sold at the Quarrier Diner. On the day I had lunch, our service was a bit slow, as the two waitresses and waiter were rushed.

Downstairs, there is a swanky but somewhat overpriced bar called The ROQ. Apparently, it is popular on nights and weekends, and it has limited food or snacks. There may be a $10 cover charge per person some weekend evenings if live music is performed.

Nevertheless, the Quarrier Dinner is the main reason most people visit this location.

For many years, the downstairs had a popular bar called The Tap Room, with the main entrance at the back of the building, but the bar closed...

A popular local food critic raced about the new Quarrier Diner. I understand great reviews for a new business helps drive traffic but I believe honest reviews help them improve so that those customers become repeat customers.

We went in for lunch on a Saturday. We went a little late hoping to avoid any lunch rush. When we got there, they were full. We waited for a table but took places at the counter when they opened up. I took the full house as a good sign. I figured if they're that busy, it must be good.

The first thing I noticed was the service was lacking. Very little communication and no one was smiling. We were a party of 3. When someone finally took our order, she took them one person at a time. Take an order, walk to the pos and put it in, then come back and take the next one. Odd and inefficient.

While waiting for our food, I noticed almost none of the tables in that packed house had food. They were almost all still waiting. The kitchen is visible to the dining area and the cooks were spending a lot of time standing around and one spent most of the time we were there scrolling on his phone. We watched servers walk past plates of food that were waiting to go out over and over again. We ended up waiting just over an hour for our order to come out. During that time, no one came to check on us, ask us if we need anything, or explain/apologize for the delay.

The food that finally arrived was okay but disappointing. My wife had the breakfast burger which was good but was too much bun for the filling. Our friend had a burger which she said the same thing about. I had the bubble waffle with scrabbled egg and sausage. That was the worst fish of the three. Bubble waffles are typically rolled and served as a cone with fillings inside or with the other items on top such as how chicken and waffles are usually served. This one came out with just the waffle on one plate, the eggs and sausage on another and a side of syrup. The waffle was not bad but less fluffy than I expected. The sausage was good but the eggs were overcooked and under seasoned. The worst part of that dish was the bland and unappealing presentation. Just a few pieces of fruit on that plain waffle would have made it much more appetizing.

It's clear that the packed house was due to slow service, not great food. Historically, I've loved the Quarrier Diner and I hope this new iteration...

This restaurant is not capable of having a large party or event. I planned to have my rehearsal dinner here the night before my wedding. About 50-55 guests with a pasta bar. Met with the owner multiple times- 1 yr prior, 6 months prior, 3 months, 1 month, 2 weeks and frequent this spot a lot for brunch. We were basically forgotten!!! About two hours before the event (after my fiancé dropped some things off) I got a call from the owner and had to basically give him all the information over again. Time, guest number, food being served, etc.

When we got there (which was 30 min late) the food was still not ready, the alcohol was not up in the private bar and guests had to go two floors down to get beer. No water nor plates. We ended up eating on plastic plates and using plastic utensils.

What truly embarrasses and disappoints me is the fact that the owner had an attitude with my family and friends when they would request things like plates or pitchers of water. I had some out of town guests coming in later and he even called them out for coming late and told them there was no food left. This was supposed to be a celebration and help him get business and it was extremely stressful and rude. Main reason why I will never come to this establishment again. I warn others about having an event here to just be sure to follow up every single day...