So here we are 12 years later and we heard the restaurant had been sold. Nothing has changed from what we experienced on our visit on a Friday morning. You still have to wait outside and wait to be called in. Two groups in front of us and we still had wait about 20 minutes before we entered. We sat at the bar and service was friendly but very slow. It appears they complete orders one table at a time and not a mass production line like other establishments. My wife and I still enjoyed our French toast and pancakes. Still not the cleanest establishment and can still use a good renovation. As for my comment last time about the upstairs bathroom, I did not venture upstairs to find out. This is all part of their charm and mystique. The Driftwood will be still there after I am long gone. Don't be in a rush if you come here and remember...Cash only! read more

What a fun place. Stopped for breakfast and it was perfect. Authentic small town diner with good food and friendly staff. I live in the south and the north gets a bad rap for bad attitudes. Have not encountered that yet. read more

Had a girls trip to salem and had a bnb here in Marblehead and needed a Sunday breakfast spot before the days activities. I love to support local spots and i want places to feel like my neighborhood spots. This place hit all the points for me. Local CozyDelicious i had the traditional corned beef and eggs and my friends had the good ole breakfast with the best pumpkin pancakes i ever tasted! We also had their fried dough my grandmother used to make it the same way and did not disappoint. If you are in the area don't sleep on this place! Also have cash on hand you'll need it they don't take cards Our server held it down and was amazing. Thank you for the best time! read more

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Driftwood is the kind of spot you just have to check out when you see how much the locals love it and how long it's been around. It's a no-frills diner that focuses on serving up a fantastic and affordable breakfast. The space is small but charming, with a classic setup of a counter and a few tables that adds to its classic Americana luncheonette vibe. Our server was really nice and attentive, and it seemed like she knew every single customer in the place. Including us! It was such a warm and friendly welcome. I ordered the corned beef hash with over-easy eggs and marble rye toast ($10) and everything was spot on and the eggs were cooked perfectly. My partner got an omelet that was on special and loved it. It's the kind of nostalgic joint that feels like home, and we'd definitely go back next time we're in town. read more

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Our favorite local (and any!) spot Cannot beat the hometown feel, the always on point food and the servers that are like family. Hands down best corned beef hash, eggs, and pancakes around. My very picky toddler gives it a thumbs up! read more

Driftwood - American Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

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Average diner with solid diner breakfast food. Ambiance is classic diner. Marblehead prices. 2 stars, not for the restaurant but for the hypocritical "love is love" mantra of the locals eating there spewing vile disgusting vitriol of our current political administration. Not a very inviting environment for right, certainly, or left leaning ideology thinking people while trying to enjoy a coffee and Sunday breakfast before church. Warning to those who lean right: you may not be welcomed here by locals who espouse "love is love". read more

Best breakfast spot in the Marblehead area! Service is great, they come over with coffee 24/7. The food is excellent love the quality. The place has history on the walls of the excellence Marblehead itself. Totally recommend love it at this spot. Can't believe how astonished I was at how well the ambiance gathers my attention while I was in the restaurant. 10000000/10 read more

Great breakfast with locals in a small and old building near the water. It has some of the best pancakes. Cash only!

If you want a $31 truffle omelette and $17 watered down mimosas...keep going. If you want a great, large portioned diner breakfast in a local atmosphere from fun local staff in a place that is smaller than your living room...here you go! It's going to be busy, but you will start the day happy!! read more

Old school perfection. Cash only but affordable. Go there, you won't regret it. It's not entirely accessible, the restroom is up a steep flight of stairs - but if you're able bodied, it's worth it. read more

Nostalgic place, but long wait, only take cash and the food is just not that good... Service is hit or miss not sure who the owners are but they could make much more effort for the devotion that they have from customers. read more

My wife and I frequent this place quite a bit we like to get there early so we can get a nice parking space next door also it's beautiful to sit out on those park benches and have your breakfast sandwich, coffee and watch all those boats going by read more

Quaint and rustic location near the harbor with ample parking. The menu offers several options and is priced well. If you're looking for that small town experience this is your best bet! read more

Great breakfast spot with quick, friendly service and tasty food options. Located in a fun part of old town Marblehead.

Must go. Get the fried dough and corned beef hash!!! Cash only. Local spot. Delicious breakfast

I woke this morning feeling amazing. It was in the atmosphere I could feel that tension between me and my wife. Eventually we did the usual if you know . Anyway I proceed to go to driftwood this morning. Got a stack a pancakes. Food was great and service was amazing. GOD BLESS!!!!! read more

Excellent food. Fried dough was heaven! Will definitely go back when visiting Marblehead!

The Driftwood is truly a local hole in the wall. It's very small and you just kind of wait outside until you see people leave and then go in to sit at that table. Everyone seems to know the drill. This is about as local as you can get. The prices were so reasonable. You get eggs, toast, and choice of breakfast meat with unlimited coffee for about $7.00. Just dining in such a local place is part of the appeal! My husband had biscuits and gravy. I had pancakes with eggs. All of it was delicious! read more

Driftwood - the entrance to driftwood - American Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

Friendly service. Small local business. Good food. Biscuits and gravy was awesome. Definitely recommend if your in the area.

The atmosphere can best be described as "bait shack," and the prices are unbeatable. That said, you don't go for the coffee. Or, hell, even for the food. You go because it's the Driftwood, and because it stands for everything Marblehead used to stand for: a place where hard-working New Englanders can convene to talk shop over decent food, served with a smile. Just don't call it a greasy spoon. read more

Driftwood - American Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

Hands down the best little place we have been to in the past 12 days, eating out twice a day after different places in and around Marblehead. The lobster roll was way better than the one I had at the muffin top down the road. As said it is cash only, open until 2pm. First time we tried to stop in, it was closed. My daughter had blueberry pancakes and I tried them. Delicious!!!! I I wish we had found this place sooner. It is what I expect and hope to find in smaller seaside towns. Our waitress was sweet, friendly and helpful with local questions. We will be eating there again tomorrow if that tells you anything. I definitely will bookmark it on my mass-coast restaurant list. read more

Good service and a great breakfast. I would definitely come back again. Parking can be difficult sometimes.

The driftwood is over priced over rated. Yes, the location is wonderful, greasy food horrible service. They dis-respect their customers. They should be out of business and will be the locals. Don't go there. I wonder why. read more

Try this place just once and will not be back. My omelette was great and freshly made but my husbands scrambled eggs looked like vomit and made earlier. Place is dirty and old! Mice, who knows. read more

Good food, great prices. Bummed they're cash only but will plan to make this a regular weekend spot.

I've never understood those people who rave about how good the food is here... Sure, it's an interesting place to eat, basically an old fish shack. It has a really cool local vibe... It's cozy and always crowded and full of atmosphere... But honestly, the food itself is just barely average. If there were a place in Marblehead that had a good breakfast, I'd probably go there instead, but this is really the only game in town. read more

I had myself a ham and cheese omelette with marble rye toast for under $8. Fluffy eggs and a scandalous amount of butter. What's not to like? read more

Not my cup of tea! No seriously, I didn't order a cup of tea! This quaint lil shanty features pictures of the mhead good ole boys from the remember when era. On weekends you'll think they're selling Beatles tickets with the lines out the door for a block. Soooo what's the wait for? Uhh... an egg! Yup. The seating arrangement welcomes lots of elbow sex. Hope you like your neighbors! The breakfast is what griswolds cousin Eddie would make ya! "Reeeeal tomato ketchup Eddie?" Greasy but helps the morning belly settle The mhead night life. Drinks are hilarious here too, I ordered an OJ and it came in a robitussin cup. Mmm orange DM. Great if your a tourist who's never seen anything other then a "House of pancakes" or driving home from dropping of last nights what's her name! Goodnight! I mean morning... read more

This restaurant is exactly what one needs to start the day in Marblehead. The staff are ALL friendly and efficient. The food is what one expect from a reasonably priced local gem. It you want over-priced pretentious cuisine-go next store and dump your cash (The Landing). read more

Character it's got, but the food is just OK. It's got a cool spot right at the waterfront, though not with a view. There's a picture inside - "Driftwood Luncheonette", that's the local flavor here with the majority of customers on a weekday were known locals (everyone was referred to by name). The conversations were loads of fun, Mass. seacoast wit abounded. We were not unsatisfied by the breakfast offerings - all of the standards you would expect and very decent. Would we come back? Sure, if we were in the area. Destination? No. But its a good breakfast start for the day before walking around charming Marblehead. read more

Driftwood - a small red building with a flag on the front door - American Near Me - Marblehead, Massachusetts

Home style cooking and friendly service. This little diner is a must to experience in Marblehead.

Set your expectations before you get there. This is swamp Yankee territory. I grew up a 'Header and my great aunt took me there for breakfast back when Phil Clark was still harbormaster. She and "Unkie" lived in the apartments (probably condos now) between the Driftwood and the old "Transportation Company". If you want fancy, give this a miss. If you want to hop in the "wayback machine" and want traditional American comfort food... especially breakfast, this is what you came for. Aside from a few new pictures and decorations, this place hasn't changed in 40 years. One summer, I dinghied over from the Neck about once a week to fall in love with a waitress named Maura. Nothing ever came of that but I took on the place like an old shoe. Familiar and comfortable. Yes... your French toast might include Wonder Bread and the coffee be from Maxwell House but look around at the history on the walls. Listen to the locals talk and you'll hear talk that won't be found on Twitter or Facebook. This is a last vestige of living history. Fishermen and lobstermen talking. Lifelong townies. This is the Marblehead that once was. If you grew up here, this will make sense. If you like time travel, you'll like it too. If not, you probably won't... unless you like cheap. It's a bargain... for Marblehead. I'd recommend going to The Driftwood for the same reason I'm glad that I had meatloaf at Roy's in Amboy, CA (Pop:3... when I was there before it closed in 1996). It's a part of America that once was, still hanging on into the 21st century. Eat the food and drink in the ambiance (especially the toilet at the top of the stairs with ancient plumbing!). No tellin' how long it will remain. Eh-ah. read more

I have lived in Marblehead for over a year now and we finally decided to give the Driftwood a try. Big mistake. Our server was entirely disinterested and nothing close to being polite. We waited 40 minutes for breakfast! Plus the restaurant was not full and the place is tiny! If the food were great I could put up with the above but when the food came I had one and a half pancakes and charred sausage links. We had to flag our waitress several times for coffee refills. Just a really bad experience. With so many other good breakfast spots within a few minutes drive, why put up with this? SKIP IT!! read more

Driftwood is a tiny, hole-in-the-wall, cash only, townie restaurant. The locals squeeze in with a smattering of tourists. It's crowded, you rub elbows with the next table over and you're in for a long wait should your visit be ill-timed. That all said, they make some of the best pancakes I've ever had. And there is fried dough. Breakfast of champions. On this particular visit, I went for two eggs over easy with the hash browns and it didn't disappoint. Plus, the price point would be hard to beat at any of the other offerings around Marblehead. read more

An institution in Marblehead, you literally run into all your neighbors on any given visit, this coming more from observation since I'm not a local here! It's your standard breakfast and lunch fare, done right, simple and good. I went with the superior pancake, which is filled with blueberrys, apples and bananas - so good you don't even need any maple syrup. I hear their omelettes are something else, and the coffee keeps getting refilled at just the right moments. read more

Oh Driftwood, those pancakes with chocolate chips and bananas in them- sure, you look at me all crazy when I call them monkey pancakes like my mom did- but you make them better than my mom did, so I accept the look. Also, your charming old men and polite teenagers, where did you find them?!? What delightful decor! What charming service! What grease and sugar and pure authentic new england happiness! I adore you, oh magnificent classic of a breakfast spot. You're food has filled my heart and my stomach. I salute you! If I had a yacht to sail into marblehead bay, I would still only come there for you, Driftwood. read more

I just got off the phone with my heartbroken mother who has informed me that there is a "seized" sign on the front of the Driftwood. Apparently, they owed taxes. What a shame. I hope this situation is rectified and this special little town gem is re-opened. Being a native Marbleheader, The Driftwood has been our favorite breakfast place for many years. I love and miss the small and cozy dining room where it was never a surprise to know almost everyone who came through the door. The food is not perfect, but since when is homemade comfort food supposed to be? Even better than perfecto, the Driftwood has that old fashioned "grandma's kitchen" taste and atmosphere to it, which tends to be amiss in modern day restaurants. The Driftwood is like the public family town kitchen. Breakfast and lunch are exactly the same as they were when I was a kid. The service is not speedy, but rather informal and hospitable. It's the home of the townies who regularly meet here for breakfast. It's the last of a dying breed of small town informal eating places. Bravo to The Driftwood. read more

Townie central. A Marblehead institution. Red checked tablecloth ambiance. My Mama used to take me there to get a cheeseburger and fries. In the summer, they'd sell soft serve from the side window. Not sure they still do. Decent American-style breakfast and pancakes. Beware: They open early and close early. Breakfast and lunch only. read more

Wonder bread french toast. Artificial sugary maple syrup. Unfriendly waitstaff - too much of an effort to get a highchair for a toddler. Had to flag down other waitresses other than our own for assistance. Undercooked eggs sent back twice. Overpriced for an extremely unimpressive breakfast. Do not waste your sanity or money. read more

Started with iced coffee. Got served caramel colored iced water. Tasteless. Ordered for lunch a turkey club. Served within seven minutes. The turkey was from a roll-not real. The portion was finger sized. The fries were served cold and dry, like nuked before serving. The lunch cost 11.00 including tip. Left hungry and disappointed. One trip only. read more