Screamin' Chicken Diner — Restaurant in Gaston

There are times when we accidentally discover amazing places when traveling. Most of them are accidents or risks you take because you have no idea what to expect when you get there.

Screamin' Chicken Diner is one of those places for me. I was staying out in the wine country hills of Hillsboro and I searched for food spots around me that were close by. This one was one of several options. I've always loved diners, so I went here the first time with my 1 year old daughter for breakfast. We had the Eggs Benedict and it was very, very good. I believe those were around $14. But the portions were excellent and they were very tasty.

The next trip (a few days later) I took some of my in-laws and other family and I had. I ordered the prime rib country fried steak. Man oh, man. The portions, again were great and I ended up eating about 2/3 of it, but could have stopped at 1/2. The gravy is incredible. You can share the plate, but the next morning it was just as good.

My final trip today, I again went with my daughter and I had to try the burger and milkshake. I had the burger with ham and egg on it and it was super delicious. They ask how you like yours cooked and the details of what you order. The fries were larger streak fries and good. I do like my fries more crispy, but these were not soggy or too oily, so I appreciated that.

The milkshake was incredible (I got strawberry) and it came in a cold cup with a glass to pour it in. Again, very good portions.

There looks to be one server and one cook, so its a very small place, but they get you your food quickly and fresh.

If you're ever near Gaston, stop by and check this place out. I'll even make the drive (35 minutes) from home when I have company over....

I've never left a low review before, but unfortunately, I had a very disappointing experience here yesterday. I’ve been a loyal customer of this diner for over four years—the food and overall atmosphere have always been great. However, when I came by to drop off a job application yesterday, I was met with an unwelcome response.

As I entered, one of the staff members (an older, shorter woman with grey hair in a bun) gave me a disapproving look from head to toe. I smiled and handed her my application, but instead of a polite acknowledgment, she immediately began criticizing my appearance. She told me she wouldn’t consider hiring me because of my facial piercings—specifically two small ones above my lip—and made several rude remarks such as, “The guests at this diner wouldn’t like looking at all that,” implying that my face was unpleasant to look at.

I was completely caught off guard and started tearing up from the shock. We were the only ones in the diner at the time, which might be why she felt comfortable speaking to me so harshly. I calmly shook her hand, said I understood, and began to leave. As I did, she started yelling at me—perhaps realizing she had come across too aggressively.

It was deeply hurtful to be judged so harshly at first glance. I’m a kind person and a hard worker, and it was upsetting to be dismissed based solely on my appearance. A simple, respectful explanation of a no-piercing policy would have been perfectly acceptable. Instead, I was made to feel ashamed and unwelcome.

I’ve always loved this diner, which makes this experience all the more disheartening. Sadly, I no longer feel comfortable returning—at least not while that staff...

I don't generally give one star. And the one star is only for the sweet waitress (older gal) that was clearly very busy at 1030 on a Sunday morning while the other waitress was sitting in plain view eating and reading the paper during what I would consider peak time for breakfast on a Sunday. I'm unsure why my server couldn't run my credit card herself, but the girl that was eating seemed thoroughly annoyed when she kept getting bothered to help. She could have at least fake smiled or made eye contact with me. You're in the customer service industry! Hate the world all ya want but at least fake it when you're at work. Then when another customer came in and ordered his food, I was a little taken a back by the fact the I had already placed my order and he had his food before me. I get it. It happens. Not really a big deal, it just kinda added to the situation. I don't mind waiting, but when I wait for 20 minutes for two sausage patties and two eggs over easy, I don't expect to see someone get their food first that came in after me. So we get on down the road (my order was to go) and I go to take a bite of my sausage and both myself and the boyfriend couldn't tell if it was sausage or hamburger. Not a drop of flavor. Needless to say, I did not eat it. I can almost guarantee we won't be back. The sweet lady that took my order was trying her very best and doing a very good job, but when her coworker is sitting there doing nothing while the other lady was busy, it looks horrible. No matter what the situation was, perception is everything. She could have expo'd food, or ran it, or at least eaten out of sight. I'm sorry, I was very disappointed in your...