Charlene's Diner — Restaurant in Griswold

I have been to Charlene's three times at least and it is your basic local diner. They have very large portions of food. Which is average in taste. Your basic morning diner menu with eggs, bacon, sausage etc... I do want to say that I was impressed with the steak which I expected to be chewy but it was very good and cooked to perfection which is very difficult to do with an inferior piece of meat; I give kudos to the chef for that. The atmosphere is Coca-Cola memorabilia and the overall impression is that the restaurant is old. Not necessarily unclean but old with a slightly musty smell. The staff are very kind and courteous however, I will not be going back. I saw something this last time that turned my stomach. It was very crowded and I sat in the back near the kitchen swinging doors. I had just finished my meal when a woman pushing a cart of food came through the swinging door. The door banged into the cart and food spilled off the plate on to the cart. To my horror I watched her scoop up the food off the cart and put it back on the plate with no gloves. The food was then served to the unsuspecting customer. I made it a point to then look in the kitchen every time the door was opened; I didn't see anyone wearing gloves. That's why I always go three times to a place before giving a review. Remember though, this is a locals place and the staff are very kind. Many people won't mind gloveless staff as they consider the staff like extended family; there is a bit of a trade off. You can listen to customers telling the staff their weekly problems. I on the other hand need to give my honest opinion and I just...

My friend & I went here to get food & chat, and I'm SO GLAD we did! Neither of us had ever been, but we're not disappointed. Like most of the other reviewers, I have nothing but good things to say! The food was excellent (blueberry crepes were heaven!). Hash browns were the best I've had! Friend & I each got a egg muffin sandwich - mine with sausage & cheese, so good! - with the crepes to share, and loved it all. Coffee was great, as well. Waitress was a sweetheart, & you could tell as she went around speaking to everyone that there were regulars, as well as newcomers like ourselves, yet she made everyone feel at home & treated them all like old pals. The diner truly has a retro atmosphere, as well as theme. Coke memorabilia is everywhere (even a giant Coke bottle cutout in the bathroom!)! My friend & I ended up staying pretty long, and chatting till near closing, but we never felt pushed to leave.

Only teeny slight negative I could say is parking can be a bit tricky. If you don't catch the hidden lot, you drive by, and it can be difficult to go back. There is street parking, though. But even this is kinda nitpicking. Great place, & will...

People rave about this place and I was excited to go for my first time. Went for breakfast. The best part of my breakfast was the toast.The OJ was good too. Over easy eggs, to me, doesn't mean uncooked white of the eggs. I was happy to hear that there was a choice to have onions or not in the Home fries. I love onions. Clearly the onions are cooked on the side. That is ok but I didn't like the large amount of butter/grease/fat that came with it. Good thing we weren't in a hurry because it took an hour to get our food. We were hungry and watching the clock. Also had 2 children with us (Maybe some crayons to keep them busy?) We did have to wait a reasonably short time to get a table. When you have to wait, even a short time, you notice the people around you waiting also. We saw people that came in after us get their food before us. It was at least another 15 minutes before we got our food after that. The staff was friendly and kind. I won't be someone who raves...