Silver Diner — Restaurant in Reston

THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO TREAT PEOPLE

A very very regrettable experience that started as soon as I stepped into this place. I was offered a sit at the counter when almost all the booths were empty. A lady behind me was taken directly to a booth. I asked for a booth and they hesitantly took me to one.

I ordered for a meal that came looking like someone melted ice into the plate, cold and watery. Waitress said that's how it's made, that the water came from the turkey bacon. Didn't see waitresses again after meal was served and had to ask another staff that walked by later to help me get some help. Waitress returned about 10 minutes later and I mentioned that my meal was missing the toast it should've came with. Waitress mentioned that they didn't "think" that I'd want toast. A very confusing assumption. When it clearly states on the menu that this meal comes with toast.

I asked for toast and an empty plate to transfer my omelet to. Moments later, waitress came back with toast but not the empty plate I asked for. So, I reminded her. 10 minutes later she walked by and I reminded her again. Later, she came with the empty plate.

As famished as I was, I swallowed my disgust and ate much of the cold food. I waited forever to get my bill but no one came around. Went to the counter and asked if I could check out and was told that I had to go back and wait for the waitress. I mentioned it's been a while that I had been waiting. They eventually checked for my tab but couldn't find it in their system. They went looking for the waitress and moments later they came back saying that she deleted my tab from the system so I didn't have to pay, because she thought I did not like the food

This is where everything got really offensive, sad and demoralizing. So you knew that you served me a horrible meal, with despicable service, but instead of offering to make me a better meal, your remedy was to let me eat the bad meal for free? Do I have to worry about what I consumed? What did you see about me that made you think that I wanted free food? How could you be so condescending?

So, I asked to pay for the meal, paid and left.

This has to be the worst dining experience and one I'd never wish for anyone to experience. I don't know why you treated me that way. I could only speculate; only you know the true reason. I looked at the food on other tables and they looked good and were all presented well. So I am sure you know how to do better.

My only advice for the next new visitor is, if you walk into this restaurant and observe that you look different from the crowd, THINK TWICE BEFORE...

Employees couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating of our group's assistance needs but they misunderstood a couple of menu items we requested and got our orders slightly wrong. Some they corrected when it was pointed out; others they couldn't (there was one we didn't figure out until it was half eaten, as we had focused on an unexpected side and only later realized it was a different cut of steak also, and thus an entirely different entree).

Summertime cod and quinoa and roasted veggies (subbed for the default asparagus) were delicious. Avocado toast appetizer was pleasant and plentiful but a little bland (the toast part was just right). Grasshopper shake was a bit too sweet even without the Oreos. Had forgotten how generously sized the shakes were; should have ordered the kiddie size.

Suggestion to the restaurant: don't use those large wide bowl/plates with the high sides. They look great and hold the food well but it's incredibly difficult to rest your knife on the edge without it falling all the way in and sliding so that the handle gets covered with whatever's in the dish. Try it.

Also, please put the nutrition information next to all of the menu items, not just those on the under 600 calorie menu. And let your servers know which prepared sauces/spice mixes, such as Old Bay, might have commonly requested avoidance items in them such as salt.

As for the cute scarecrow decoration out front: that rake has pointy ends facing and very near the sidewalk. Points are just about the height of small children's eyes, should one fall or lurch in that direction. Please put some rubber tips or something over the rake tines if the scarecrow is going to be that close to the walkway. Thanks.

Overall a very pleasant meal and evening; just needs a bit...

We took our grandkids to the Silver Diner 3 times in 2 weeks. Their hot chocolate is great, then I'd say their waffles are next, then the Silver Dollar pancakes. We love the vintage feel to the diner so that's a plus. My wife ordered sausage links 3 times and had to send them back all 3 times, the picture shows that they were over cooked so much that the were wrinkled like prunes and tasted like jerky. The family, 7 of us, all ask for limp bacon and it comes out as tho it's starched! Even when they plated the bacon pieces broke off - also in the pictures. The kids like the hot chocolate milk & waffles so we continue to return. Regarding the wait staff/servers the first one was a trainee & obviously overwhelmed, but everyone has to learn so that was a gimme for the Silver Diner. The next time, the waiter could not seem to follow what we were ordering & had to repeat it several times - we finally just accepted what was delivered to our table. Mind you, the 4 adults have made their living by their ability to communicate clearly and concisely. On to the third visit, she was very pleasant while taking our order & when the 9 year old changed an item on her order, the server did not miss a step. Maybe because the diner is very busy when we arrive and they are possibly understaffed, it took a long time to even get our waters, let alone the rest of the beverages. Never a great thing when a 3 year old is part of the group - fortunately the parents always bring crayons, etc. Next time we will try when they are not so busy or try somewhere else. There were some other issues and discrepancies between servers and what is available and what is not available. I really wish that it was a better...