After driving by the Alva Diner for a couple years, seeing that cute coffee cup sign out front and hearing about how iconic the place is for Alva, we finally stopped for lunch. The parking lot for this place is almost always full. We went in expecting a small, simple, rural diner and that's exactly what it is. It seems to be a magnet for the older generation. My guess would b average age is 75-80yrs old. The outside of the building is in some disrepair and could use attention. Inside is fine - it's a no frills, homey diner. Most tables were full, but it didn't feel congested. Parking is fine - enter through the side door, which could use some cleaning & a coat of paint. Hostess and waitress were awesome! So friendly, patient, welcoming. Seriously - Alva Diner, u have some great employees and it creates a welcoming environment. R waitress' knowledge of the menu was impressive & her goal to please is obvious, even asking if we wanted the bread regular vs toasted, etc. Menu is pretty expansive with a lot of homestyle options. It seems their broasted chicken (fried chicken) is a house favorite. It comes with a potato option (fries or mashed), a roll and the veggie of the day. We did the 1/2 white meat broasted chicken w/mashed potatoes & carrots. It's a lot of food!!! Seriously - 2 huge breasts & 2 wings plus the sides mentioned above. And it was only like $11. I can c why the older people come - it's comfort food that won't break the bank, served by lovely people who don't rush them and they probably even have leftovers for dinner. Also ordered the meatloaf sandwich (came on bread that reminded us of Wonder bread w/a lot of mayo), coleslaw and onion rings. Most sandwiches r only around $8 so thought that was really cheap!
Given the many positives and the 5/5 star staff, how come 2 stars? The food just isn't very good. Yes - it's cheap, there's lots of it & it looks fine, but flavor and freshness is lacking. One of the great things about a rural diner is often the homemade aspect to the meal - homemade rolls, pies, mashed potatoes, etc, like Grandma cooking in the kitchen. That's not the case here. Here the mashed potatoes r instant potatoes, the carrots tasted like they came either frozen or from a can and the food in general lacked seasoning/flavor. It truly reminded me of school lunch. To b fair, the fried chicken did look freshly fried. It just needed some salt and seasoning. The best part of the meal was the coleslaw (thank u for not putting pineapple in it) and the iced tea. Unfortunately I think this will be our last time at the Alva Diner and would not recommend to others if flavor and freshness r important to you. However, there r lots of people who simply want a good amount of food for a cheap price & if that's u, give it a try. read more