Hadn't been here in a long time! This is an oldie but goodie, a Burlington staple! You definitely get that diner appeal. The fried pickles are very good. Crispy. Briny. Tasty. Wasn't too crowded today. Sometimes this place can be packed. The parking lot is usually pretty full though. I ordered my favorite meal. Honestly I am not sure if I've eaten anything else. The Dirty Dig Basket. What is this you ask? Beef hot dog with chili, cheese, slaw and a slice of bacon. Yes. Bacon. And it's served with fries. I get chili and cheese on those too! Pro tip: those fries are hot like lava. Let them cool a bit. While they are cooling drizzle some ranch on them. Yyyeeeaaahhh! Trust me! My colleague had the bacon cheese burger. The burger diameter almost equal to the bun. She quipped "this is a good burger" read more

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I didn't know what to try for lunch on this day but I'm glad I stopped in. I love the old school music they play here, like an old fashioned diner-following the theme. My shrimp salad was full of crispy hot shrimp and fresh vegetables. My waiter was very nice and did not skimp on the dressing and crackers. He also made my Arnold Palmer just the way I liked it. read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - Shrimp salad w ranch - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

The service was very good. The manager jumped in because they were so busy. The food was very good. We enjoyed the chicken pie and the double d burger. Both tasted like they were homemade. We were very impressed. A must visit when you are in Burlington NC. Just sayin read more

Food was good, portions are what they should be, not what is served in most places. Would come back when in the area

Excellent chicken dishes! Great menu with wonderful friendly staff. Diners are hard to find but this one is worth a try!

Great diner atmosphere .. coffee was sooo good .. chicken tenders are the best I've ever had ! Onion rings, okra, fries , all excellent! Waitress was friendly and attentive We'll be back ! read more

I have visited this diner from time to time since 2001. On our way back home from being out of town I suggested it to my husband, I was feeling nostalgic. The food was outstanding as I remember it! I had the grilled chicken salad with the homemade blue cheese dressing. My husband and son had spaghetti and chicken fried chicken. They said it was delicious. We sat at the counter which was also fun! Our waitress was really sweet. Will definitely be going back hopefully sooner than later. read more

me and my wife decided to go there for dinner since they moved from Mebane and ordered take out. one the order took too long to come out and when we got home the order was wrong. I asked for only bacon and cheese and the loaded my burger with lettuce, tomatoes and onions which I didn't ask for, barely gave us fries. overall experience was not good. do better before you lose customers read more

Food was good but the portion sizes have gotten ridiculous! You still feel hungry when you leave. Chicken breast very small and the mashed potatoes they give you now you hardly get any. We were told you get bottomless fries and when we asked for more someone else said they don't do that anymore. Its sad cause you use to get more on your plate. Not worth the $$ the pic looks like more than it actually is. read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - a plate of food with green beans and a sandwich - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

Broccoli cheddar soup not soup too thick seems like they served me a can of cream of broccoli. Do not recommend unless you like cream of broccoli 0/10. Couldn't rate 0 stars read more

We did a carryout meal and were expecting a decent chicken tender, but instead, I got 3 nuggets! These were barely an excuse for a nuggett. I went in and spoke with the carryout employee who agreed that the chicken tenders were quite small so she spoke to her manager who came out and proceeded to say those were normal and that's what I get. If you want a decent size meal, you might need to order 4 meals! This meal is the equivalent of a small childs meal. The manager needs instruction on customer service. read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - Food - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

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Ordered the hamburger steak with fries & house salad with ranch dressing. Salad was good; ranch dressing was watery. Fries were good. Hamburger steak had no seasoning on it. Tasted like a piece of leather. I should have known something was not right when the waitress asked if I needed any steak sauce. I will not be ordering the hamburger steak if I ever go back. read more

As far as diners go, Blue Ribbon is top notch. From the old-timey atmosphere, like bolted-down bar stools and aproned, smiling staff; to the sizzling patties of a hot hamburger, it's an absolute delight. The fried pickles and fried cheese curds are my favorite. read more

Great little diner with great service and friendly staff. They had a line waiting but it was very quick til we were sat. Awesome little find. read more

Full disclosure: I worked here for several years as a high school/college student so this spot will always hold a special place in my heart! Blue Ribbon isn't what you typically think of when you hear the word "diner". They don't serve breakfast and they're not open late, but they do have a (decorative) jukebox and classic checkered-floors with retro counters and bar stools. The employees are always helpful and friendly, and the owners pop in often to show love to the many regulars. Working here was my first introduction to small, local businesses and I've been hooked ever since. Speaking of hooked... everyone in Burlington knows about their Applejack (aka Apple-Crack) Sauce, the most heavenly honey mustard substitute in the world. When I moved across the country, I admittedly begged my family to ship it out to me on dry ice. One can dream. I have dipped literally everything on the menu in Applejack and can promise you it all tastes great. As a southern girl, Blue Ribbon provides tastes of home: sweet tea, fried chicken, fried okra, chicken pot pie, meatloaf, mac n' cheese, cornbread muffins (get it at lunch while it's still fresh!), hot dogs, burgers, milkshakes, peach cobbler... the list goes on. Did I mention they also serve Endless Fries!? If you're in Burlington (or Mebane!) looking for a family-friendly, affordable and local spot, Blue Ribbon Diner is it. read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - Applejack (the best!) - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

Good food for a long time and really great milkshakes to accompany meal! Hard to beat!!

Family of 4 ate for $42 before tip. Food portion to cost is good. Flavor and seasoning good. Clean place with 50's motif. Good solid place for a good meal. read more

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Always forget sauces even when asked, called to speak with manager, some Joke named John answered and wanted to tell me my sauces don't come with the order, when I explained I asked 3 times for them, and he's being ignorant, he wanted to hang up. Absolute worse service. Do not go. Go to the one in mebane. It may be better. Burlington staff is struggling. Not to mention, went 2 weeks ago and they completely screwed my order up with my whole family there. Didn't even get my food until my whole family was done eating. They decided to make me still pay for my food and give me a 15$ coupon. Food is one thing, disrespect is another. Screw you john at south church st blue ribbon read more

Friendly service, pretty mediocre diner food. I love a good diner, but sadly I think this one is just okay. I went for lunch with a group of 5 today and only one of us was super happy with the food. The positives: - our waiter was incredibly attentive, accommodating, and friendly. Judging by the smiles and pleasantries we got as we were entering and leaving, I'd say the staff leaves a good impression. - the decor is really cute and fitting and they have jukebox like every good diner should. It's a good size restaurant with plenty of booths and tables that accommodate larger groups. - the menu has a lot of variety, from burgers, chicken, seafood platters, salads, to blue plate specials like country fried steak. The desserts sounded great, especially the pies, so if I were to return I'd definitely try a slice. - my family member said the fried grouper was excellent. - prices are really good! - clean women's restroom with plenty of stalls. - plenty of parking. The negatives: - no breakfast! How can you call yourself a diner without serving breakfast? - the fried food wasn't fried particularly well, so the cheese curds, crinkle cut french fries, and shrimp we ordered all lacked the crunch you typically get from frying. They could have benefited from hotter oil. Speaking of oil, these items were really greasy because of not being fried well. - the portion of the cheese curds was laughable. And the curds themselves were tiny, too, but the cheese was at least tasty. - the shrimp that is served are really small. I wouldn't mind that if the menu had specified popcorn shrimp, but I was expecting the shrimp to be more substantial. read more

Went there for dinner, had eaten here before, ordered the steak special with mashed potatoes, it took a while to get the food, our waitress was 1 of 2 that I saw so I understand that it takes longer being short staffed, after we got our food it was so bad I literally took one bite from the steak and one from the potatoes, luckily we were close to the bathroom, I got sick almost instantly, when we were checked on I didn't say anything about the food hoping the waitress would notice and ask. Nope.... Spent the next 30 mins in and out of the bathroom... unfortunately I have tried to call a couple times and no one answers the phone... the food was worse than a frozen dinner from the grocery store. Hate going places where nobody cares about what they are doing... read more

My husband & I tried this restaurant again. Heard they had cleaned up their act. They have removed the blinds which needed to be. Everything else appeared the same. We sat at the counter, it was 7:00 in the evening. And I overheard the wait staff (not our waitress) exclaim she had already completed her break down for the night. I'm guessing that meant she was ready to get outta there at closing time. My husband ordered a burger & potato salad. I ordered the chicken in a basket with chili cheese fries ( my old time favorite) and was very pleasantly surprised that they had gotten new fries!! FINALLY! These were much better! Everything was very good & our young waitress was very pleasant, sweet & accommodating. I noticed the prices had increased, which I know with the pandemic most restaurants have. But the chicken strip basket was about $8.00 chili & cheese was extra. So about $10. for 3 chicken strips & fries with chili & cheese added. The husbands burger & side was $10 also. The restroom was clean & stocked with the essentials. I'm giving a 3 stars because of a waiter that had long shaggy hair. No hair net, only a ball cap, which didn't do anything for the hair hanging down. Don't know if this is a lack of management on the nighttime staff, hadn't seen that during the day shift. But we hope to be back regularly again. read more

Great food. Good portions. Awesome service! I have enjoyed Blue Ribbon since I was a kid. The chicken Parmesan is amazing!

I lived in town when this place was built many moons ago and it was great. Decided to drop in today with my son and sad to see it has dropped in quality considerably. Bugers were cooked to the brink of ash, fries were cold and limp and the onion rings were cold and soggy. On the plus side the waitress was friendly, the place was emaculate in cleanliness so at least they got that going for them. In afterthought should of went to Skid's down the road. Sorry Andy read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

My wife and I were looking for a place to eat on Independence Day as we traveled to Greensboro for an event. We always check out any place with the word "diner" in the name, and we weren't disappointed here. My burger was really good, and my wife's shrimp salad (yes, fried shrimp on a bed of lettuce, tomato, and cheese) was great--better than you might expect. And our server was polite, professional, and prompt. The only criticism (and it's not much of one) is that I firmly believe that, if you call yourself a diner, you should serve breakfast all day (or at least in the morning). No breakfast here, but our lunch was still well worth the stop. read more

I've been coming to the Blue Ribbon Diner since I was little. Their famous Apple Jack Sauce is by far the BEST sauce around!! I literally could eat it on just about anything, it's that good! Sometimes I will buy a pint of it to use at home. Their chicken tenders are great, their grilled chicken is great, veggies are pretty good. Their portions are definitely on the small side but it's probably the portion sizes we SHOULD be eating. I got takeout tonight and we live 30 minutes away. Everything was great except next time I should ask for the side salad in a separate container so it's not put in the same container with hot food. Not a good combination. I have celiac disease and HAVE to avoid gluten. I get grilled chicken, apple Jack sauce and veggies or salad and I've never had a problem with gluten. So I would definitely recommend for a few gluten free options. read more

I have been there many times the food is excellent, Lisa was our server the first time we went, she is friendly, efficient and very informative about the area ( we are new to this area) we've been back many times all the servers are very nice & friendly it's a good family place & I thank them for the hospitality read more

This is one of those places that tries too hard to be retro - it is way too shiny, way too much glass, way too little old school wear and tear. The food is decent - burgers, dogs, usual sandwiches, some plates, spaghetti, and fish, and salads. All are decent, none are spectacular. But the milkshakes are spectacular - thick, very rich, you could even use a spoon on it. read more

The server was very polite, our food was very good and hot. We truly enjoyed ourselves and will return. read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - Grilled chicken with AppleJack sauce, mashed potatoes & gravy, pinto beans & sweet tea w/ lemon - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

The other day was my first time there and it was a nice change of pace from fast food lunches. The prices are not bad but my waitress seemed a bit on the pushy side. I had Chicken Fried Chicken and I had not ate my cornbread muffins and she was like you need to eat them they are the best. Well, I ate them but they were not awesome but rather average. read more

Walked in today for a late lunch. Maybe 4 tables were full. 2 waitresses & 1 waiter walked right by us without any acknowledgement of our existence. We stood there 6 minutes just waiting to be acknowledged before walking out the door not to ever return again! I understand being short staffed but a "hey how are you, we will be right with you" goes a long way. Especially on a Sunday afternoon at 3pm when hardly anyone is in the restaurant. Will never return again! read more

Excellent vegetables. Good proportions for the price. They were very busy but the take out pick up in your car was very efficient.

Great little diner with super friendly folks. I even bought a coffee mug as a souvenir! Try their grilled chicken salad, one of the best I've had. And don't forget the sweet potato pie! I'll be back! read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - a plate of chicken salad - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

We were out in Burlington for the day and my husband wanted a chicken fried steak. We were told this was the place to go. On a positive note he thought it was good. The fried pickles were okay my food was not. I just got a simple hamburger and it looked like it was still raw. I could not eat it. I did eat the fries and they were alright. The ranch dressing was watered down a lot. This is a place that will not get a second visit. High note our waitress was nice other than that its not a good place to eat. read more

We went today for the hot dogs! They were great !!! I've ordered a dog for over 25 years!!!!

Frozen burgers that are over cooked. Cheap fries, overpriced. What happened to this place? Good news is the server was very friendly. Eating out is becoming a luxury so I don't believe I will be paying these prices for this quality. read more

I think the Blue Ribbon Diner has some pretty good food. They have good burgers and their Apple Jack sauce is fantastic. The AJ sauce is versatile - put it on your salad or dip your fries in it! You also get unlimited fries with your order. They have fantastic milkshakes too, but I really dig the Haw River Mud dessert, which is plenty for 2 - 3 people. It's basically just a warm brownie covered in chocolate syrup served with ice cream, but man it's delicious. It's also the only place I know of that serves a burger and fries covered in gravy (knife and fork burger). The layout of the restaurant is pretty neat - kind of what I picture a 50's diner to look like. Every time I've been I've been seated quickly and my server was polite. read more

Consistently good food. Great milkshakes. Strawberry cobbler. Excellent wait staff. Great for kids to senior citizens. Try their fried pickles. Our family visits at least 3 times a month. read more

Blue Ribbon Diner - Inside Blue Ribbon - Diners Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

I had a bacon cheeseburger with crinkle cut fries. The menu has lots of options. The Sunday special is chicken pie. I kept seeing it come out of the kitchen and it looked fabulous. The diner looked a lot like and old diner. read more

While Blue Ribbon Diner won't knock your socks off by any means, I think its really one of the better places to eat in Burlington. With a 1950's style diner theme, they offer a range of solid menu items. Their spaghetti (which they advertise as being in high demand and sell the sauce by the pint) is good served with a salad and garlic toast. They also have tasty chicken dishes, hot dogs and fish sandwiches. Probably one thing overlooked is their variety of vegetables. They offer a vegetable plate which includes your choice of three (choosing from mashed potatoes, fried okra, pinto beans, green beans, cabbage, etc.). The milkshakes look tasty (I've only had the gingerbread holiday one, which was like having Christmas in your mouth), but I need to have more tastes to make a definitive ruling. Bottom Line: If you want an old fashioned, casual spot that will please a variety of tastes, Blue Ribbon is a good choice. And in Burlington you can't do too much better. Give it a try. read more

I went there for lunch to get a break from the office. I was wanting a non-fast food burger and my search led me here. FOOD: Though a diner, the menu is certainly more varied than your typical short-order cook variety. Along with your basic hamburger and chicken sandwiches, you'll see salmon burgers, chicken parm and grouper tenders sandwichs. Appetizers include such comfort foods as cheddar fries and onion rings but also "Dog Bites" - a basket of mini hot dogs. The salad list offers both salmon and shrimp versions above and beyond your typical grilled chicken or dinner salad. There is a standing Blue Plate special for all seven days AND a unique daily special. After you throw in their Black Angus steaks and what they identify as their "signature marinade" used on all chicken dishes called AppleJack you end up with non-mainstream diner food-wise. I ordered the Ancho Chipolte Burger basket with Pepper Jack cheese. Fries come with most baskets but you can also go with a choice from one of about 10 veggies. I picked a side salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The burger was pretty tasty as the black Angus meat was full of flavor. It was served hot and the bun was warm and soft. I'll say that I was expecting a little spiciness from the ancho/chipolte combo but it was not spicy at all...kinda bummed about that. The salad was about average though I appreciate the healthy amount of fresh, ripe tomatoes and the dressing was good too. They also several beer and wine choices but they are all the bland, boring brands you see everywhere. 3 stars for Food - it was tasty and without faults but the ancho chipolte was a little underwhelming. SERVICE: My server, Morgan, was great. She greeted me right away when I first walked in, sat me an took my drink order politely. She seemed to know the menu well and was friendly and efficient in handling my order and checking on me. No complaints. 4 stars for Service. VALUE: My burger and salad was $6.99. You can spend that much at one of the fast food joints for something they poop out of a machine. Most menu items are in the $6 to $8 range with the steaks a couple of bucks more. All in all I'd say the prices are about average and maybe a bit better in some cases - 3 stars for Value. ATMOSPHERE: OK, so it feels a little a bit like its right out of Hollywood's "American Graffiti" but its neat and clean even if it is a lot of red, white and chrome. I see some think its too much or trying to be something its not but I'm cool with it. It's more than fine for a quick, casual meal alone or with some friends/fam. The restroom was clean and up to date too. 3 stars for Atmosphere. Overall, I'm happy I drove the extra distance for something different. The burger was strong on Angus but not so much on the chipolte. Service was very good and the place is clean and well kept. I'm sure I'll head back because the AppleJack chicken options sound interesting. Food: 7/10; Service: 8/10; Value: 6/10; Atmosphere: 7/10 read more