Tony's Diner — Restaurant in Minneapolis

(EDIT) Response to manager: I’ve read your most recent health inspection report, which anyone can search for online. The inspector notes the same problems I did of employees not switching gloves between tasks and wet wiping cloths left on the counters. Additionally, I found that your restaurant has issues with mice droppings, no prep sink (you don’t wash your vegetables), and, importantly, no certified food protection manager on site (which confirms my suspicions that the personnel aren’t certified). You claim I had eaten most of my food but I had only eaten one of three chicken tenders, one fry, and one bite of toast. You know that because you saw my plate. Wish I had taken a picture before I threw the food away. Again, I did not ask for a refund and do not care to dine there again so your gift certificate offer did not do anything for me. As for your assertion that you guys have been in business in the Dinkytown area for 20+ years, maybe it’s because the transient nature of a college campus means you guys always have a revolving door of new customers, and thus, you don’t have an incentive to improve your food or business practices. I really don’t have a definitive answer, though. All I know is that nobody goes to Tony’s as their first choice, and often, people don’t return after their first visit.

(Also, I never said your fries were salty? They aren’t? They just taste like dirty rag water and not fresh.)

For those reading the review below, please note that my primary concerns are 1. the lack of sanitary food practices at this establishment, 2. the poor value of the food, and 3. the manager’s poor response to my feedback, in which I did not even demand a refund. I would encourage those who are curious to go and check out the place for yourself—wouldn’t recommend buying anything, though.

(ORIGINAL) I always have a very bad experience at Tony’s Diner and today was the last straw. I went with a big group of people and ordered the chicken tender basket. $15.25 + tax + tip (paid before sitting down because it’s counter service) = over $18 for 3 chicken tenders that look like that came from a value pack of Tyson’s frozen chicken tenders, a half plate of fries that tasted dirty (you’ll see why in a second), and a flimsy piece of toast. I’ve worked food service before, have multiple family members with ServSafe certification, etc. so I know what’s right and what’s wrong and I can tell you 100% multiple food safety violations are being committed at Tony’s Diner. They use the same rag to wipe their food prep areas and the dining tables and chairs (!!) and then leave that rag sitting out on a random countertop until grabbing it again to wipe out their frying pan to use it to cook people’s food. People will handle the register and then directly touch your food. I saw someone rearrange a piece of toast on a plate, lick their fingers, and then continue cooking. Most egregious of all (in my opinion) is the fact that they put receipt paper directly ON every order to keep track of it, so if you’re eating here you’re definitely consuming lots of carcinogens (which aren’t completely avoidable, but not going to Tony’s Diner sounds like a fine start). I tried talking to the manager, not even for a refund, just to express my concerns, and all he seemed concerned with was making sure I knew I couldn’t get a refund. He asked if I really didn’t think I was getting $18 worth of food, and if I thought I could really do better elsewhere. To which I say, Raising Cane’s a block away has a 3-finger combo for $9.89, Shuang Cheng across the street has a lunch combo that gets you a full serving of one of their entrees, chicken fried rice, wontons, and a full pot of tea for $10.25, etc. This is a college campus. Cheap-ish food is abundant. Good food is easy to find. Tony’s Diner is neither, and they should really be getting closed down for health violations. Also, I can definitively say most students I’ve talked to dislike Tony’s Diner, so I’m really not sure what all these positive...

Verrrrry average diner food. Just absolutely middle of the road, just ok food. I shared a meal there with my partner and we ordered tons of traditional diner staples such as pancakes, hash browns, toast, chicken tenders and fries, and mozzarella sticks. I thought the price was pretty reasonable for a small buisness diner, the food like I said though, was just ok. Nothing special but it was probably what you might expect from a college diner. The guy who served us and cooked our food seemed kind and speedy so I appreciate that. The place was really empty when we went and we were also served on disposable silverware and plates which is a bit odd for a restaurant but oh well. I imagine this place would hit hard if it was open 24/7 for college students to enjoy as late night diner food after the bar-scene in dinkytown but it’s only open until 9pm. I probably wouldn’t go back again but I didn’t have a bad experience. Just deeply...

Really disappointing food, service, and atmosphere here. As soon as you walk into Tony’s Diner, you get a big whiff of stale food and grime, layered with the smell of bleach. Cooking areas are not well kept. Everything is served on disposable plates and there is minimal-to-bad service. I guess Tony is trying to cut down on operational costs at the expense of the environment and customer experience. Some dishes come out really fast and some come out really slow, even if you’re in the same party. Nobody in our party finished over half their food. The half we choked down we managed to do so with a heavy dose of hot sauce and salt to cover the taste. Value is meh for any breakfast place, and outrageously bad for the quality of food you get at Tony’s. I walk by here every day; it’s not a surprise...