I was blown away by the kitschy decor inside this charming little retro diner and transported straight into the 50's. Think neon lights, red vinyl chrome chairs, Elvis busts and a whole lotta turquoise. Pure nostalgia at its finest. One milkshake, two straws please! Speaking of, when I visited the milkshake of the month was cherry coke and the food special was the Bing Crosby BLT so they really do stay true to theme. I only had ice cream (Salty Caramel) and fries here, so I can't fully speak to the food but what I did have was delicious. I saw nothing but hardworking, friendly and fun-loving staff during my visit and will definitely be back to try their breakfast the next time I'm in town. Restrooms are also labeled for "Guys, Dolls & Family" so that's super cute. Give this adorable little place a try! read more

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Just had a great little breakfast at Elsie's diner... My eggs were perfectly poached, I was able to sub in beans for home fries which I think were also homemade, breakfast came with sausages that are normally labelled farmer sausages with an up charge but that's just their regular breakfast sausage And two thick slices of Texas toast... It put me in a very happy place! top that off with friendly service and you have a real winner! Thank you Elsie's Zeke read more

Food is great (for the most part, today the scrambled eggs were this weird rubber texture, my husband's omelette was fine though!), but overall good prices and excellent portions. Service can be a bit on the slower side. Neat little diner that looks like a 50's establishment. read more

Terrible food Terrible service Awkward servers Dirty bathrooms Establishments is being sold so maybe none cares anymore. Ugh. read more

Elsie's Diner - No chicken - Diners Near Me - Owen Sound, Ontario

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We stopped here on the way back from Tobermory. The atmosphere is great with 50's memorabilia. My kids were fascinated by the old school rotary phone. We ordered the James Dean burger and a turkey burger. We felt that the meat seemed to be dry. So, we didn't enjoy it much. read more

Had the biggest most filling burger at Elsie's Diner in Owen Sound on the way back to Oliphant for a holiday. They made me a cherry Coke with maraschino cherry syrup which rocked. BTW their deep fried pickles are also amazing! Food was so good and filling we only had chips and wine and pie for dinner. Service was absolutely the best and we ate outside on picnic tables covered in their huge menu. Perfect way to start a holiday away! read more

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This place is the cutest!!! The decor inside takes you back to a retro diner and it is amazing the entire operations is family run. Food portions are HUGE and very faired priced. 10/10 would recommend it to anyone that is driving by! read more

Elsie's Diner - Elsie's breakfast with the milkshake of the month (chocolate + strawberry) - Diners Near Me - Owen Sound, Ontario

Impressed with the hospitality and attention to maintain social distancing. Food was hot, quality milkshake. Bit of a shame the decor is inside, but wont hold that against them :-) read more

A great 50's Diner with music and a true 50's decor to really take you back. They say there was no "fast food" on the 50's so prep time is a little longer than some may desire but it's definitely worth the wait. There is a sign on the wall that was purchased by the Diner and they were featured on HGTV's "Buy It, Fix It, Sell It" in 2014 (http://www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=66322) read more

Elsie's Diner - Great 50's atmosphere. - Diners Near Me - Owen Sound, Ontario

Didn't know what to expect for a quick lunch with the wife and toddler... but this place exceeded out expectations. Good tunes, great food, cherry Coke shake that was recommended hit the spot! read more

I have mixed feelings about Elsie's. Our appetizer was great, probably the best deep fried cheese I've ever had, hot and melty in a tortilla chip crust, I highly recommend them. All the orders around us looked good, club sandwiches that filled a platter, tasty burgers, plates full of fish and chips. We were actually worried we wouldn't be able to finish our meal. Then our dinner arrived. At the waitress' recommendation we ordered the special, a salsa-topped chicken breast with loaded baked potato. I have never seen a chicken breast so small, it was the size of a chicken thigh, if that. I really can't stress how small the chicken breast was. I would have been embarrassed to serve that. The loaded baked potato was indeed loaded, no complaints there. We both ordered dessert, I had blueberry pie which was warmish/cold (not quite reheated), flat, with a cardboard crust, I'm assuming storebought. My companion and a brownie sundae that was quite good and enough for two people. So there you go, everyone else's food looked great, the appetizer was amazing, the entree was a joke, and the desserts were a mixed bag. I'm willing to give Elsie's another chance, but I'd say don't stray from the menu basics. read more

This is my kind of diner. Huge provocative sign easily seen from the highway boasting about the authentic 50s diner experience caught my eye on the drive up to cottage country past Owen Sound. I wanted to go back and try a burger and fries, but I only had a chance to eat breakfast there. After reading the other review for Elsie's, I had high hopes and I was not disappointed. I ordered the Big Bopper breakfast which was everything (minus pancakes). Three pieces of meat: plump tasty sausages nicely charred on the outside and not greasy, 3 pieces of striped bacon, 3 large eggs, a healthy portion of peameal bacon thick and juicy like a mini steak, a pile of home fries with a generous amount of caramelized onions, and 6 pieces of good ole white bread toast. After my second wind, I finished it all off except for the striped bacon which I gave away. Then on the way out I ordered a delicious vanilla milkshake to top it all off. But what made me give the fifth star? Right outside the door, on the other side of the parking lot was the entrance to a dream of a trail. Part of the famous Bruce Trail system, this park on the edge of Owen Sound is large enough to get lost in (GPS helps) and has a waterfall in it! What an amazing resource to have close enough and compliments the diner food by making it easy to hike off the extra calories. Simply awesome! read more

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A friend told me about this Diner and from the description I just had to drop in. Had the Big Bopper breakfast and was amazed when it was put in front of me. Three slices of toast, 2 pieces of REAL ham (from on the bone ham), 3 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, HOMEMADE hashbrowns and 2 sausages that appeared to be handmade and were delicious. As if the food wasn't enough to make you want to come back every morning, the cleanliness, friendly service and decor would definately bring you back. This has all the accoutements of a real 50's diner and the memorabilia will astound you. You will be missing a great treat if you don't visit this diner at least once and it is assured that you will want to return once you have tasted the food. read more

Stopped in on my way back from Tobermory and had a great dinner for a family of five. Everyone found something on the menu they liked. Food was good, hot and desserts were enjoyed by all. A weird plus is the drive-in next door reminded everyone of Pop`s Diner from Riverdale - pretty darn cool! read more

This place could have so much potential. It was extremely clean and the 50's decor gives it a "fun" look. The service was prompt and friendly (in the begining) unfortunately the food was a huge let down. I ordered Eggs Benedict. I specifically asked if they use a hollandaise sauce and was told they did. Well, they don't. I doubt there was a single egg yolk or scrap of butter anywhere in that bland generic tasteless sauce. The eggs were the one shining point of the plate. The were nicely cooked. The home-fries were plain boiled potatoes throw on the flat top for a few minutes. They were cold. I'm talking about room temperature -wonder how long they were sitting out cold and are they even safe to eat- They were topped with some fried onions but aside from the few onions on top they were completely devoid of any seasoning. Not even a little salt and pepper. The waitress did ask how my meal was. I told her the sauce wasn't hollandaise and she told me the kitchen said it was and then turned and left before I could comment on the rest of the meal. I wonder if the kitchen even know what happens in the front?? Until I hear of an improvement in the food from someone I know I won't bother going back. They have so much going for them here if they could get the food right. read more

Elsie's Diner - Alleged Eggs Benedict. The pale tasteless sauce as as bad as the cold tasteless potatoes - Diners Near Me - Owen Sound, Ontario

Fish and chips was ordered. Changed the chips to a poutine. Tons of gravy barely any cheese. asked for a one piece portion wouldn't give me one portion even though I ordered before, two piece was only option and super soggy. Quality has definately gone down hill. read more

Loved it here! My friends and I came for dinner after spending the day at Sauble Beach. Food didn't take long and their apple crumble is too delicious! Highly recommend Elsie's :) read more

Really disappointing. The restaurant itself looks amazing, but the service is mediocre, and the food is awful. We visited last winter for the first time and the two of us who ordered the hot turkey sandwich ended up with food poisoning. read more

This 50's inspired diner was amazing, from the decor to the food. Being celiac, it's so hard to find a decent breakfast place that includes foods like waffles etc. Well at Elsie's they have it all; gf pancakes/waffles/toast, eggs and bacon and all that. I had the pancakes and they were amazing! It was $8 for 4 pancakes and I could only finish 2 because they were so big! From the great food to the great service, I would suggest this to everyone to try. read more

Far from light 'n fluffy, the pancakes are dense and rubbery from spending too long in a steam tray. Two out of two meals served at room temperature when they should have been 'hot off the griddle'. Elsie's Diner... give her a miss and drive on by. read more

Disappointing missed potential. The theme, decor and cleanliness are great, the service personable, but really bad food. So sad, the place has so much potential! We were going for a hike nearby and were really looking forward to starting the day with a hearty homemade breakfast. Neither of us could finish what we were served. My partner's eggs benny came with the wrong side and instead of bringing the proper side, they took his plate away and returned 5 minutes later with the proper side (undercooked) and totally cold eggs benny. They served him stone cold eggs benedict because the kitchen got the side wrong. The hollandaise was clearly made from powder. My breakfast was supposed to come with an extra egg, which was missed. Sausages were super greasy, not well cooked, and absolutely cold (room temp), as though taken from a tray of precooked unheated sausages. Is that even safe? I was looking forward to the homefries figuring an old school diner would have kickass home fries. Not. They were boiled potatoes that obviously only touched the flat top for a minute (they were hardly browned even though I asked for them well done), and not cooked WITH the onions, but only topped with a few strands of caramelized onions -- and both were super greasy. Like *really* greasy. Inedible greasy. And completely unseasoned to boot. No paprika, not even S&P. The only okay things about our breakfast were my eggs and toast. Coffee was also mediocre. We didn't get a chance to give our feedback to the server who witnessed our dismay at our cold food, and saw our mostly uneaten meals, she came and went so quickly (and didn't ask how our meals were, before or after). We paid with the hostess and since no one asked how we enjoyed our meal we figured no one cared so we'd just vote with our dollar instead and never go back. We've often found that when no one asks about meals and when tables are cleared as hurriedly as possible, it's because they're so used to people complaining about the food, they've just stopped asking. Shame. So much potential. read more

Love coming here to this 50's diner , been a few times now ... Best burgers in the area hands down !!!

Heard about this diner locally with its 50s theme. Went there and the service was good. The food was pretty basic but the interior design made the place. If your looking for a neat themed spot with alright food. This is it. I heard the shakes were good also. Not sure if I'll ever go back, but alright experience. read more

This is a 1950's nostalgia diner which is reasonably authentic. The walls and shelves are adorned with period pieces and 50's music is piped in via satellite radio. The menu is decent with numerous comfort food choices and the prices are quite affordable if you are eating out on a budget. I had the southern fried chicken which, while a tad overdone, was still good. My lady had the fish and chips which she found to be excellent. Our 14 year old girl had the hot turkey sandwich and our 11 year old boy had a burger. They declared the food to be awesome. This restaurant is down the road from one of Ontario's sole surviving drive in theatres. It is on the outskirts of the west side of town and is convenient for attending if you are on your way to or back from Sauble Beach. A great overall experience. We shall return. read more

Sorry, I cannot rave about this diner. Décor is amazing though! Was greeted by a hostess who was too busy to seat us. We waited until she was finished doing something behind the counter. Had the worst grilled cheese ever...they advertise fresh cut fries...wait those fries were previously frozen. tish tish Too bad the food doesn't match the décor it could be great! read more

service was really awful didn't even bother to serve us after awkwardly standing by the counter for 15 mins.

A great concept, a 50"s diner full of interesting décor and comfy seating, but that is about the only thing I liked about it. My husband had the big bopper breakfast and could barely eat it. He said the sausage was like a lump of lard and the ham although it was real ham and not from a roll was dry and inedible, like cardboard. As for the staff, although friendly and personable, they needed to slow down and pay attention to details. We where seated at a table without silver ware, given coffee orders taken, at which time I asked for silverware, well we continued to wait while our coffee cooled and we couldn't drink it without a spoon to add sugar and stir. I had to ask another waitress as she walked by, finally got silverware, then food delivered. I had pancakes and no syrup or butter it eat with it. Had to get staffs attention which took awhile. Syrup was slapped on the table as she walked by but no butter. Don't think we will ever go back. Disappointing experience. read more

Love the 50s theme...but sadly second time around the food was not what I hoped for. This time I had the wings...I love wings. I made sure that they were not breaded and they were not. They were said to be gluten free. I was told they would be 20 minutes. .no problem. I requested hot and was told their hot was very hot so great medium please. When I did get them they were swimming in sauce like ribs. I was not expecting that and therefore did not enjoy my wings. When I told the server they had far too much sauce she responded...oh sorry about that and proceeded to answer the phone. Will I go back again? Maybe I really do want to support local busines. Disappointed again read more

We visited Elsie's 3 times for breakfast during it's first month in business. All visits were the same...a great experience. We did hear mixed reviews from other people and even second hand poor reports mostly related to wait times but we don't get worked up about a new place working it's way through teething pains. The food was delicious and generous portions. The surroundings are pleasantly distracting and not overdone in the '50s motif. The restaurant decor and vibe stands apart in this area so can't help but draw a fun seeking crowd if they can deliver consistency. It just feels like it's been a favourite forever and will remain so. We continue to go back and are not disappointed. read more

We stopped in on our way home from sauble beach, I had seen the reviews before we headed out that way - so defintately wanted to try it. The atmosphere is so great, definatly 50's esque. The service was exceptional, very prompt wait-staff, bang on with bringing everything in a timely manner. I ordered the hot turkey sandwich and it brought me back to my childhood, tasted just like mom used to make. Great variety for picky kids like my son who devoured his grilled cheese. We will definatly be making this an annual stop when we are in the area! Great music too! read more

We ate here today for the first time. Food was greatI had a cheese omelet with potatoes and toast. Hubby had pancakes and sausages ( loved them wants to know where you get them ) Service was great though decor was very nice. Staff was very friendly read more

Had supper with my wife, mother and daughter the other night. 1 hamburger, 2 chicken burgers and 1 chicken Parmesan. All were delicious, great decor. I would recommend going to Elsie's Diner. read more

My friend and I went yesterday for lunch and I was Very disappointed with the food. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. Unfortunately it tasted horrible because the meatballs had no taste and were dry. I also didn't like the sauce there was a lot of cut up veggies (which are great) but they took over the sauce. On a positive note extremely friendly staff and nice clean place! read more

Very cute decor. I ordered the eggs Benedict breakfast. It arrived with twice as much hollandaise as was needed. Potatoes were red skinned, boiled then lightly blended with pre-cooked soggy fried onions. Too bad. I really missed that nice crunchy outside you get when you actually fry the potatoes with the onions. I know a lot of places prepare food ahead then just throw it together on the plate to save time. I was hoping for a more home-cooked taste. The overkill of hollandaise made the English Muffins soggy underneath the peameal bacon which was under-done. Almost tasted like it too was pre-cooked then microwaved. The poached eggs were done right with a nice creamy middle. The two servers were really hustling as the place was busy for a Tuesday morning. I got coffee after about 5 mins sitting at my table unnoticed. I didn't get cream. I got up and served myself. Based on the way the meal was prepared it'd guess there was only one person in the kitchen. This place has potential and is oh so close to being great. If they added more staff and took more time preparing the food in an authentic homestyle manner it would elevate the food greatly. I believe that people don't mind waiting a bit longer for amazing food. read more