Star Restaurant — Restaurant in Hanford

SHORT VERSION: Want a great diner breakfast? If it is a normal breakfast time and you're in Hanford, this is the place to go. Good, fast, affordable.

LONG VERSION: I'm always looking for a good breakfast place and I love authentic hole-in-the-wall diners, so I had to try this well-reviewed breakfast and lunch diner in a worn storefront on an industrial sideroad near the train tracks. It was easy to find, but so weathered and faded that I thought it might have been long-closed. A hand-lwttered piece of poster board outside grumpily announced that no breakfast would be served after 10:45. My watch said it was almost 10:30 (I was at one of those appointments you need to fast for), so I entered expecting a server to tell me I was too late for service. That didn't happen - I was greeted cheerfully and given a breakfast menu without comment or caution.

The interior was in better repair than the facade, but it definitely had that old diner look. Pictures on the walls chart the history of old Hanford, and there is a good mix of wall booths and there were tables up the center of the room. An old counter runs up one side with chairs for solo patrons to line up, as you expect in classic diners. The grill and kitchen are hidden from view in the back though. I chose a table, as I'm a larger guy who doesn't usually fit into fixed seating well.

I ordered the breakfast special and added a biscuit (part of a years-long quest to duplicate a heavenly diner breakfast from decades ago). The prices were half what I expected, especially since I'd seen the pancake a diner near me had. It was larger than the plate!

I had them scramble my eggs and asked for crispy bacon (there was a choice of several breakfast meats). Everything came done exactly right and the bacon was thick and hot off the grill, not heat lamped. Check the photo! The pancake was every bit as large as my neighbor's and there was warmed syrup in a squeeze bottle for me to put on it. Whipped butter came in a little cup, so if you don't want any, it won't need to be cut away from your food. Everything tasted as good as it looked and then some!

The biscuit was good, better than most I've had lately, but it was a little crumbly and came with prepackaged jams. Not bad, well worth the price, but my quest for perfection in that area will need to go on. That very, very minimal quibble is the only negative I have about this experience. This was an amazing and delicious and FILLING breakfast. Yes, I ate the whole pancake, even though it was a challenge - it was very good!

When I finished, checkout was quick, painless, and took my debit card. That's a modern touch I appreciate in my classic diners, since I don't generally carry cash.

Bottom line: I'll be back often. It's been awhile since I've had a place to be a regular, but I think this can be it. Maybe I'll even wait until 10:45 some day so I can try...

I used to love this place so much. It used to be a home away from home. Took today off work to get blood work done. I was feeling dizzy and needed to eat. I was excited about visiting again. I walked in. I was greeted by the busser but not the server. That's ok. She waved at me to let me know she seen me. That's good enough for me. Then 2 guys came in a few minutes after me and she ran to them with coffee, creamer. They literally sat right next to me. She did not acknowledge me at all. She didn't offer anything to drink. Sorry to say I don't do this often. I just walked out. Worst service ever. They need to get the other gal back. I wish I knew the girls name. She used to run the whole floor by herself. This new server is very rude. Please fix this because we...

We had a fantastic experience at Star Restaurant for our recent OSM breakfast meetup. The food was exactly what we needed—those pancakes truly live up to the name hotcakes! But what really made the morning stand out was the service.

Susan, the manager and our main waitress, went above and beyond. She kept the coffee flowing and made sure everyone in our large group was taken care of with genuine warmth and efficiency. Even with a packed room, she handled everything with grace and professionalism.

Everyone at the table was talking about how great the prices are, and several of us are already planning to bring family members from out of town here next time. Five Star really does live up to the name—great food, great value, and even better...