5th Avenue Cafe — Restaurant in Phoenix

Came in on a Saturday morning around 11:00. It was not busy at all and there was a lot of staff working. They had balloons up with a "3" balloon and staff were wearing 3rd anniversary shirts. I was told to sit wherever I wanted to.

I was promptly brought a menu and offered a beverage. I ordered the Top of the Morning omelet with hashbrowns and a biscuit. Before ordering the biscuit, I asked whether they were good/ recommended and the waitress told me they were good.

The food was prepared quickly but nothing was hot - just warm. Ceiling fans were set to high which made my lukewarm food cold faster. The cheese in the omelet was unmelted (which you can see in the picture) so the eggs were never hot enough to melt the cheese once added. Generous with the turkey sausage in omelet, generous with avocado on top. It was okay - I added Tabasco. The hashbrowns were greasy but okay. The biscuit was awful/inedible. It was obviously microwaved to warm and hard on the bottom, spongy on the top.  No coffee refills were offered and I had to ask for a refill twice in the hour I was there.

When I was done, I sat with everything packed up and ready to go for at least 15 minutes while I was ignored by my waitress while she wrapped silverware.

They had live music which was an unexpected treat. The Christmas tree is still up in the corner.

All patrons (except me apparently) were asked to spin a prize wheel at checkout. My waitress made me stand there for at least 5 minutes while she looked around, did something on the computer while I stood there waiting to pay and escape. She finally turned around to ask whether I was "ready" even though I was standing there with my bill and credit card on the counter the entire time. FYI - They charge a 3.5% fee for using a credit card.

I've been here twice in the 14 years I've worked at the hospital. Meh. I should have gone to...

it's shameful that i can only select five stars because this place is a ten star diner. let's begin with the atmosphere. perfect place for breakfast or lunch. i miss the days when it was full and you could hear the white noise of the customers and the clatter of plates and silverware, perfect diner noise.

i have been going to the diner with my friends for over 10 years and it's the only place i miss. i've been going (until recently) for take away but circumstances have not allowed that for a bit now. may i recommend the pot roast special (on thursdays) and get extra green beans, yes i said it. they are remarkable. best green beans on earth. bet your kids will love them too. there is nothing on the menu i haven't tried at least once and there is nothing that isn't just what you would want it to be. the food is terrific, as it should be of course.

but the best part of fif, (as we call it) are the absolutely beautiful people that run and work there. a lot of places say "it's like they're family" in this case it's the truth. they are genuinely wonderful and make EVERY meal there like sitting at your family's home. they are always doing their best to make sure your meal is as good as it can be. ALWAYS!!! i love these folks.

so i know this is lengthy, and my apologies for that, but i assure you that there is not another place that i have been that is as wonderful as fif. as i said earlier, it's the ONLY place i miss since the world went upside down.

please do yourself a favor and take someone you love to this great place and they will not disappoint you. you will feel the genuine appreciation they have for ALL their customers. and terrific eats as well.

be safe and take care all! and my very best to earl and dawn and miss krista and EVERYONE that works there to make so many folks happy. KNOW how much you are ALL appreciated. i miss y'all but i will...

What an utter disappointment!

I visited here for the first time this morning for a late breakfast with my wife. I ordered the corned beef hash meal with scrambled eggs and English muffin, from the "house specialty" section of the breakfast menu.

The corned beef hash was an embarrassment. If it wasn't from a can, it looked and tasted like it was, and they didn't even try to hide it by adding some chopped onions or bell peppers or something. The eggs were rubbery. I would normally put jam on an English muffin and maybe a little ketchup on my eggs, but the only non-HFCS condiment on the table was Tabasco. The coffee wasn't terrible, so I guess that's a positive.

The coup de grace was when the bill arrived and there was a mystery 3.5% surcharge. I asked the server, who said it was for using a debit or credit card. I never said I was going pay by card. I wonder how many customers, planning to leave cash on the table and assuming their server totaled the bill correctly, pay the card surcharge with cash because they didn't notice it. I asked if the surcharge was clearly printed on the menu, and she said it was. To verify, I grabbed a menu on the way back from the restroom. There was no mention anywhere of a surcharge. There was also no mention of a surcharge on the front door where several credit card logos were proudly displayed. I don't necessarily object to the practice of charging more to card users, but the lack of disclosure is deceptive.

I see that my wife left a five-star review five years ago. I suspect a lot has changed since then, which is a shame. The location is great, situated across the street from one of Arizona's largest employers, and the ambiance is quite pleasant. It may still be an okay place for a cup of coffee and a slice or two of toast, but keep expectations low.

For my part, I don't...