Stan’s Diner & Take Out

Very good soup comes with most lunch specials. No surprises beyond across the menu consistency. Great value.

I have been coming to Stan’s Diner my entire life & it has never disappointed. At first glance you might pass but the quality of food and atmosphere here is way beyond the less appealing outer shell of the diner. The food is always the best and the waitresses are always friendly. Even with the new owners, since Stan’s unfortunate passing, the diner remains the same familiar place I’ve known for years.
Hands down best bacon, ever.

Greasy spoon restaurant with a delicious and affordable breakfast. The décor is old and the staff is hit or miss but a great place to bring the kids. Usually quite busy on weekends for breakfast with a local clientèle but rather large with ample seating.

We walked in after lunch hour — so there were only a handful of people in this surprisingly large restaurant. (My best guess, full-​up it seats 140 people.)
The last update on the décor was probably in the 70’s when pine wainscoting was in fashion. Overall it’s in good repair and reasonably clean — except the chairs which either need to be cleaned (impossible?), replaced or reupholstered, preferably in an easy-​clean vinyl. ;-)
I could smell the fry fat — which makes me think it needs changing. At this point I was a bit doubtful about what we were going to get. However — you never know till you try, right?
Ordered onion rings, club house platter and chicken fingers — all go-​to menu items when we go to a new joint.
Onion rings were thin cut, crispy, and good (and a bit on the greasy side). Club house had actual chicken (not sliced chicken product) and was enjoyable. The chicken fingers were good — better than average for the area. (Everyone wants to serve the bits-​is-​bits formed small, dried out fingers — these were actual chicken and cooked just right so they still had some flavor.) Not the best fingers ever, but best so far in Ottawa that I’ve found. Plum sauce could be better. Ketchup was not Heinz. :-) Fries were greasy and good. Serving sizes were decent and the price was right.
Service was non-​committal and unexceptional.
Probably a great place for an affordable breakfast — so we’ll try that sometime. Seems like they get a lot of regulars from the businesses surrounding their building.
If I were the owner, things I’d look at re-​investing in:
1) New ceiling tiles and HVAC Vent covers.
2) Chair reupholstery to something that can be cleaned
3) A can of air to blow off the silk plants — or better yet, replace them altogether. And if maintaining them is too much work, get rid of them.
4) staff training — don’t let your waitress bitch to the cook about how she has to leave soon etc., I don’t want to hear it.
5) Get rid of the bleached out menu with worn-​off pricing over the kitchen area.
Would I return? Yeah, we’ll try breakfast. The food is fine.
Would I recommend? Hmm… No, don’t think so. Those in the neighborhood know about it already and that’s their audience.

Stopped into Stan’s for the first time to try out their breakfast. This place appears to have been a neighborhood fixture for some time and is definitely a favorite with the locals. The diner is showing it’s age, but the friendly staff and great food make it easy to overlook the dated surroundings. They do a great homestyle breakfast… no deep fried home fries here… we’re talking fresh hand cut and everything cooked to perfection. A superb breakfast at an excellent price.

A dependable, friendly diner that is always worth the trip. Good trucker’s special, hearty man and lots of omelettes and breakfast specials. Good club sandwich with fries too.