Metro Diner — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

Disappointing mostly because of the service. The waiter was nice at first until he took our order. He rushed around and never checked up on us, did not allow us to order dessert (as he was never there), never asked how things were, and took forever to bring the tab. He topped off the water only once. He also tried to take my boyfriend's plate with fries still on it without asking if he was done. It was like a seagull snatching your food at the beach... A quick fly by without a word and your food disappears.

A few minutes later, once we were done with the fries the waiter tried to steal, another lady came by to bus the table. This was at least 15 minutes before the waiter finally noticed we were ready to leave. I was irked because we wanted to leave to see the sunset and it was getting very close. If you're going to disappear at least give customers an alternate way to pay themselves so they can leave.

Another thing to note is that I had a coupon and I tried to tell him once he reappeared but he ran away so fast after flying by saying he would get our bill. I called very loudly after him to try to stop him but I have a feeling he heard but was purposely not stopping. He looked annoyed when I told him once he came back. But if he had taken thirty extra seconds to stop and ask us how things were, or even pause to listen to us, he wouldn't have had an issue. Either way we never actually saw a receipt with prices as we were only brought the credit card signature slips. We were unable to check accuracy of the bill. I don't know how much we were charged for the shrimp and grits as there are two prices on the menu but I was told there was "only one size" when ordering. Which one is anyone's guess.

Due to poor service I could see why at 6:30 there were only about 3 or 4 tables occupied. It seems like they're just trying to turn over tables as fast as possible to eliminate work or something. I don't understand it as if we had been able to order dessert, there would have been a bigger tip.

A random thing to mention is that I quickly noticed the booth we were seated at was in disrepair. The seat was broken off from the wall and was eventually going to collapse.

As for the positives, the food was pretty good. I got the shrimp and grits and my boyfriend ordered the chicken tenders. The fried food was so hot we couldn't eat it right away. I would say that the tenders were darker brown than they probably should have been, as in they might have been a few minutes overcooked or the oil already had something burnt in it. The breading was very salty. The fries were good, though.

The shrimp and grits were approaching hot but not hot as if they were freshly prepared. I noticed the grits on top were very runny like a thin soup and as I got to the bottom of the bowl, the "skin" of the pre cooked pan of grits was there. As in it was very thick and congealed. Since I've made cheesy grits myself, I know this is a sign that it's been sitting on a steam table in a pan for quite a while. Nevertheless the flavor was good and the nice plump shrimp was a plus. If I were to go back, which I wouldn't due to the service issues, I would still order it again. So at least there's that.

In conclusion, if you're willing to put up with bad rushed service, it's...

Every time I’m in the area (which is not often) I love going here for their chicken & waffles. I ordered my usual and the chicken was burnt, overcooked and had that old oil taste and was so dry. I tried eating it cuz I was so hungry and hadn’t eaten all day but was like literally choking cuz it was so dry and I kept coughing. I called an employee there over to our table and told him that the food was overcooked and so dry and asked his opinion and he himself said “that look old” … he went and got the manager who came out and she just seemed really annoyed and said that she would have them change out the oil and cook a fresh batch and bring out another plate And she would take it off of my bill, which I proceeded to tell her I don’t mind paying for it, I just want fresh food that’s not old and burnt. I waited another 30 minutes or so and still no food had come out. The same young man that came out before and helped us realize we still hadn’t gotten our food and he went and checked, and the manager looked annoyed again… I was told by another employee there that I was the 3rd person that day To complain about the food being burnt and tasting old, and at that point they had no choice, but to change out the oil! They finally brought out the food and packed it to go… I still tipped the waitress the same amount I would’ve paid for the meal Since they didn’t charge me and also gave that young man a tip To bless him for being so helpful… I live a ways from Saint Pete, and when I got home, I was so hungry that I opened up the food to eat it. I was surprised to find that what they had given me was worse than what I was served at the restaurant!!! It was burnt and dry (please see pictures attached) The Manager was rude and unprofessional And treated me like I was the one that did something wrong??? I want to thank the young man who went above & beyond and showed exceptional customer service and kindness to us. The Manager there could learn something or 2 from this young man. The food was disgusting to say the least. I can promise you I will no longer be dining at...

I’m always a little hesitant to eat out for breakfast since most places tend to disappoint. Being out of town, we decided to try something new and different and I can not say enough good things about this place. From the shirts with cute sayings, to the black and white tile floor, and the visible kitchen the atmosphere is excellent.

We had a very short wait time, especially considering that it’s New Year’s Day and the place was packed. We were also a rather large party, but they moved people through efficiently.

But the best part?! The food. We had the Chicken and Waffles, Croissant French Toast, Cinnamon Apple Pancakes, San Francisco Benedict, and a Kids’ Belgian Waffle. The waffles were light and fluffy, the chicken was moist, crispy, and full flavor. It was paired with a sweet spicy sauce, and the waffles had a strawberry butter that was absolutely decadent. The SF Benedict had an entire avocado and the eggs were perfectly poached. And the French toast? As a baker (who makes croissants every day) I was nervous to try it, but it did not disappoint. It was tender and crispy and full of flavor. I almost forgot the pancakes, they were huge, tender, and had a cinnamon whipped cream on top as well as the butter, the apple flavor was perfect and well balanced with the cinnamon. I will add that we originally came here for the hash browns because I love diner hash browns.m- these were sheer perfection.

If I could give this place 50 stars (or 500 like my kids suggested) I would. This is definitely going to my list of favorites and highly recommended...