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    Maid-Rite

    4.6 (41 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Maid-Rite Photos

    MAID-RITE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Maid-Rite

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    Fluffy omelets with toast
    Patti C.

    Great place to grab a breakfast or lunch . Friendly service with everything handmade makes this tiny diner charming. Countertop stools and old fashioned flair with a touch of home cooking gives you a hearty breakfast at a reasonable price. Light fluffy omelets and "made rite meat" are tasty . The service is fantastic with friendly help. A real hidden gem although it is a chain, this one is a joy

    Simple two eggs and two toasts
    Matthew K.

    Giving this 5 stars because it's exactly what you want in a diner. Food not exquisitely gourmet or anything but exactly what you would want Ina diner and the home made jam was really tasty. Servers were the best. Such great people. Chatted to them for a while and both chef and server just great humans. Perfect ambiance for sitting belly up to the counter and having a morning get up and go breakfast.

    Inside
    Shelley C.

    Gotta love the GPS that guided us to this location. I was actually asking for info on how to get to the city. Ending at this tiny little mecca was a super bonus! I guess this little treasure is the center of town, or Karma felt we should show up here. Either way, it was worth it to sit on a bar stool in cramped quarters, order a sumptuous burger and fries, then watch the waitress craft an excellent butterscotch milk shake. Loose meat burgers are something super old school. NuWay in Wichita, KS is the only other loose meat burger I have ever had the pleasure of eating at and it was established years ago, too! This loose meat is akin to eating a sloppy Joe, but with less slop. Oh, who am I kidding? It is a delightfully tasty mess on a bun, not too greasy, but enough that you need to buy stock in napkins before it's over! The fries doubled as edible chopsticks for all the meat that fell off the bun, by no means shorting the bun any meat! There is something special about a loose meat burger. No matter how you hold it, you WILL lose some into the basket! The butterscotch shake was sweet, tasty, delicious, filling, cold... I could go on and on with description. One thing for sure was that we were full when we left. It's no wonder they have been around for so long. Keep on doing it the same way and you won't go wrong. If you are reading this, figure out how to go eat there!

    One of the oldies but goodies!
    Jerry M.

    This Grand Dame of Diners has been open in downtown Cedar Falls since 1947. Maid-Rite was founded in 1926 in Muscatine, Iowa, by Fred Angell. A butcher by trade, Angell created a recipe for his loose-meat sandwich that a friend said was made right. He opened his Maid-Rite restaurant in Muscatine, the first fast food restaurant. Angell offered car-hop service at his second restaurant, a concept copied by White Castle and A&W not long after. Angell sold four franchises by 1930, which are still in operation. Several of the original Maid-Rite stores are extant and are historical landmarks - the Maid-Rite in Springfield, Illinois offered the first drive-through window. While this particular restaurant is not on the National Registry of Historic Places, it is certainly a local landmark. A throw back to diners before the days of portion control, rigid menus and cartoon mascots, this restaurant serves up Maid-Rite sandwiches the same it was done 65 years ago. A classic Coca-Cola button sign on the roof belies the fact that the restaurant pours Pepsi products, but it's still a great vintage sign. The building also sports neon signage, another great throwback to earlier times. While the diner is showing it's age, it is clean and maintained. If you're looking for a fancy dining experience with uniformed wait staff, silverware, china and linen napkins, you're in the wrong place. On the other hand, if you would like a great sandwich, don't want to spend a lot of money and relish a dining adventure, come'on over to Maid-Rite in Cedar Falls!

    Menu
    Kayla B.

    This place is absolutely adorable, and a definite throw-back to when food was made before your eyes, small businesses were the norm, and customer/service interaction was just standard. Loved eating here. STUFF TO KNOW: -They serve breakfast until 11AM. -They have daily specials - and all of the prices are super inexpensive. -They can make food to-go or sit-down. -The only seating is a single bar with bar stools that runs down the entire length of the building. Depending on how busy they are, you might end up sitting right next to someone else. -The parking lot doesn't really accommodate too many cars. You should be prepared to park on the street - luckily, Cedar Falls has free downtown parking, so it's not a big deal. -They DO take credit cards. -This location is located downtown off one of the side streets of Main Street. It's very easy to find. Pros: -You can watch them make your food - and nothing is already pre-cooked to serve to you. While some of the food (mini donuts, etc.) comes in giant freezer bags that they take it from, you can watch as they pull out the bun from a bag of 8 buns, put a slice of cheese on it, add all of the toppings, and add the hamburger meat right onto the buns. It's amazing just to watch food be made right in front of your eyes. -Food is very, very inexpensive. I had a bag of chips, a refillable soda, and a Maid-Rite for $5.50. Not too shabby! Our waitress even asked if we wanted a soda fill-up with a lid to go after we'd paid our check (free of charge!) -Staff is amazing. You get nice, personalized attention with great care. It has that "home diner" type of feel to it. You can tell there are regulars here, as the staff gets into conversations or helps someone solve a crossword puzzle. Our cups never got low, she handled everything promptly, and checked in regularly. -Maid-Rite tasted good - though not insanely filling. I'd probably want to get two Maid-Rites next time around - or it seemed that the Mega-Rite was a pretty popular option. Bag of chip options were standard Frito-Lay product options. They serve Pepsi products on fountain. -Has an amazing old-school feel. It has the red/white color scheme everywhere, the "diner" type of food storage, hand-written checks, a pie display case, and more. It just feels so comfortable and well-loved. Cons: -The ONLY con I can think of is that Maid-Rite needs to throw a bit of extra love and care into building upkeep. You can see the surfaces that the employees are cooking on - and they're immaculately clean. However, non-food surfaces could use love. The cabinet's white paint is chipping, and the fabric on the stools is breaking. It's minor things like that that bring the presentation a bit down. -Parking is not-so-great. I tried to park in their lot - I probably won't do that again. Another car blocked me in, and it just wasn't too fun to get out of. (It was pointed out to me that this place's parking lot was probably designed when cars and buildings looked way different downtown, and that's probably true.) -Space is a bit limited. You have room to walk up to the bar, but that's about it. it's definitely a very compact arrangement. There's enough space between the bar stools to not feel TOO uncomfortable if you sit next to a stranger, though. (The woman next to me was doing a crossword puzzle, and I never felt like I was in her way.)

    Restaurant exterior

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    It's a nice old fashioned type of place with the best maid rite sandwiches in the cedar valley.

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Very cool little diner! Limited seats at counter only. Loose meat sandwich was very good. Service was excellent.

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    2 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Excellent menu with many choices. Reasonably priced and fast service. Punch cards too!

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    3 years ago

    Great sandwiches, and I think the owner piles extra on to keep you happy. Will try her pie next time. Longest counter I've ever seen.

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Love this place! Old time home town diner! Great food great people! Enjoy some pie while your here!

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I love this place, it's cute and cheap and it's a great summer spot to take a date or a friend. Tastes good too!

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I love and will always love this place. Fast service but not too fast. The atmosphere equals the menu. Always a joy.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Great daily specials and of course Maid-Rite sandwiches. Plus they have great sides such as their homemade potato salad.

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