Chef-O-Nette Restaurant — Restaurant in Upper Arlington

An awesome nostalgic diner!

I had dinner with a friend who introduced me to this long established restaurant. I was awed by what I stepped into. The first thing you notice when entering is the decor taking you back to the early 60s or so. Old school wood trellised walls, mirrors, stainless steel fixtures, funky patterned carpet, Formica counters and tables, and red pleather seats. In some ways it was very nostalgic and comforting, as my parents took me to many eateries that were decorated similarly when I was boy in the 70s. Overall it was clean and well maintained. The bathrooms were clean and fresh as well.

We seated ourselves at a booth next to the windows and were promptly greeted by the server who provided us each with those tiny 8oz glasses of water. Nice. She asked if we knew what we would like to drink, and my friend suggested the Malt shake. He himself got a vanilla malt (with extra malt) and I opted for a chocolate malt. The server left to give us time to peruse the menu, and within just a few minutes returned with our selections. Holy Moses these were good! I haven't had a malt like this in years. For $2.80! Granted this isn't a giant 32oz gluttonous monstrosity, but a reasonable 12-14oz or so. Perfect for a meal.

My friend ordered a double cheeseburger with bacon, with fries. I myself opted for their cheeseburger platter ($5.70), it came with coleslaw and fries. I opted to do without the sliced onion and tomato that usually comes with it. Extra mayo for the fries as well.

We waited a little under 10 minutes for the food The burger itself was great. Served up hot with comfort food levels of tastiness. The burger was like I remember diner burgers being: a simple patty of beef, cheese, and a plain bun with toppings. The taste was great and it was satisfying.

The fires were crinkle-cut, but had a very good crispiness that is hard to find in that style. The coleslaw was the creamy variety. I like the more course-sliced style myself, but it was good.

Overall, the whole meal was VERY reasonably priced and was very satisfying. The decor was comfortable, relaxed, and quiet. Service was excellent! Friendly, accommodating, and fast. One weird note are the paper placemats. They feature the Chef-o-Nette logo with pictures of a ceiling fan and a window. So oddly charming and I had to comment about them to my friend.

Next time I visit I fully plan to try the Hangover Burger. From what my friend tells me, it does the job, and is made of ham. HAM.

Please keep this in mind: This place makes no pretentious or trendy overtures. You are NOT going to get a snobby chef-inspired concoction of foraged and deconstructed crumbs that was inspired from a trip overseas within a quaint village next to a goat farm. You might get some food that was probably frozen. Some of the menu items may not have changed since it opened way back in the day. That's perfectly OK however. You are going to possibly find one of the best examples of comfort food in the Columbus area. For cheap. You may possibly want to look for more retro mid-century interior decoration after visiting as well.

Fully recommended. I will...

My first patronage of the Chef-O-Nette was in 1979 when my family moved nearby and I’ve been going there ever since (that’s 40 years) at least 10 times per year. I went there so frequently, that, starting in the 5th grade, I would ride up to the drive-thru and order “the usual” which resulted in the purchase of a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate malt. Fast forward 40 years: my mother purchased a Chef-O-Nette tee shirt as a Christmas present and got it 1 size too big. My son and I came in for our monthly lunch where I attempted to exchange the shirt for the correct size. The shirt had never been worn…or even unfolded. However, part of the brand label had been torn. The manager refused the exchange because of this. Keep in mind, we’re talking about the label that is attached by a piece of thread, not the label that is sewn onto the shirt. It’s the first thing a new owner removes upon purchase (if its even there). This shirt could have easily been sold as new (because it is) and nobody would ever even think to off-put by the missing label. They likely would never even notice. This marks a decisive end to my patronage of this restaurant. By any conservative estimate, I’ve spent over $4,000 there (in today’s money). To refuse my very reasonable request for such a pedantic excuse reflects a complete disregard for their customers, especially a long-time regular such as myself. Even if they could not re-sell the shirt, their loss would have been the cost of the shirt...maybe $4? Very poor decision. If this is any reflection of thier customer value, imagine the quality of their...

“Chef-O” to Upper Arlington is similar to all the Tim Horton’s in Canada with regards to customer loyalty. Like “Tim’s” the customer is often a second or third generation customer. Almost as a salute to consistency, Chef-O has kept 90% of the original decor. It was, I believe, a calculated risk that worked I might add as one cannot help but believe they might have stepped through a portal in time rather than the old school door with bells on it:)

Special thanks for Harlen, the owner, who gets to know you on a personal basis and as far as I know is the only restaurant that serves three different flavored coca cola’s. All of them are mixed/created at the store. There is Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, and my...