Had never been so I thought I'd try it out for lunch and I'm glad I did! Now I know where to go for a cheeseburger and fries to quench a craving! There's only three restaurants in town (if you don't count the Perk coffee shop) and the last burger I tried at the Starlite cafe was enough to make me be a vegetarian. I like simple burgers so the KISS (keep it simple ...) was perfect. Soft bun, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and thinly sliced onion with special sauce. It was simply a great burger that was Drive-In style tasty. The loaded style tots that are stuffed with cheese and bacon were large and good too. I can't remember their menu name but I could and will go back for those fatty crispy goodies! Service was great with constant soda refills and the food came out quickly IMO. I like the 50's diner vibe a lot and enjoyed the small town friendly vibe. There is a credit card usage fee so keep that in mind. read more

Well, one person up front! She ran the place like a champ! (18 years old!!!) The shake was delicious (husband), the Bloody Mary was good! The food took a while but it was worth waiting for! Great fry sauce! Great burger (smoking fireball) and my Philly sandwich was delicious! read more

I've had the opportunity to stop in to Mal's a few times this spring on the way through Vale. The food continues to be fresh-cooked and delicious. One lesson I learned while looking through the burger menu is that many are two patties. I was looking for the single patty option and saw the Philly burger, and ordered it. Turns out that it's essentially the burger with a Philly on top of it. That was So Good! I shouldn't have eaten the whole thing but I did. The good: The meal size on the 2-patty options. The meh: Had the philly (not burger) and it was just kinda OK. Tasted like they used Kraft (or knock off) singles for the cheese. Seemed a bit small. The fry portions always seem a bit small. The time it takes to get meals. I assume the timing is just about having one person cook fresh meals and do a lot of other work. Overall cleanliness seems a bit off. The bad: Nothing to report read more

I came across this place on one of my spontaneous road trips. It is a retro diner in the small town of Vale, OR, that looks like it was plucked right out of the fifties, including some of the patrons at the counter. Like most small-town places, the service is big on charm and low on frills, as I usually like it. The fare is what one would expect: burgers and malts, big breakfasts, and fried food. It was all good and well prepared and a nice little pit stop on my travels. The place could use a little remodeling and maybe a streamlined menu, but the food was good and the wait staff were fun to talk to. read more

Perfect stop on our pass through town! Delightful service and experience. Burgers were tasty, and "bar tender's choice" drink was spot on.

I love small town gems when I find them. We were driving east to Boise. It had been a long hot day. We were so tired and hungry. I called ahead and ordered dinner. We had the Viking burger and a club sandwich. Ready and Hot when we got there. Fries were so perfect crispy outside soft inside and fresh. My club was awesome s and my guys Viking burger was excellent. The decor is 50s diner with records on the wall and real ice cream shakes. They even had a couple beers on tap and some alcohol choices. Do stop it's worth it!!! read more

Great little burger joint with lots of unique menu options. We tried 3 different burgers, with French fries and onion rings. Everything was fabulous! The dessert menu looks great but we had no room left in our bellies. Next time! Service was fabulous. One you f gal serving the whole restaurant and she did it with a smile! read more

I enjoyed Mal's Diner. I drove by it initially, but turned around after seeing the limited choices in town. There was nothing bad about the front, it just wasn't screaming to me while I was passing through the small town of Vale, Oregon. I was glad my mom and I stopped by. I ordered the Calf Fries and my mom ordered the Beef Bites. Neither of us knew what we were getting and it was kind of fun. I ordered the Calf Fries because they were at the top of the menu as a "Local Favorite". I tried one and it tasted like an unusual chewy fried meat. It was salty and tasted fine with the fry sauce, so I finished by basket of Calf Fries and Tater Tots (tater tots were cooked/seasoned perfect). I suspected and confirmed they were Rocky Mountain Oysters - but now I can say I've tried them - and not too bad! ;-) My mom's beef bites were fried beef strips, which were cooked slightly too long and had slightly too much batter. That said, the meat had excellent flavor and was of decent grade for a fried bite-size piece. My mom also ordered a side salad. Typical side green salad, with some ordinary veggies with minimal flavor, but also included canned sliced olives. Tasted fine, was just boring. Food was slightly bland and fried a little too long (only a touch). Staff was average - friendly, but never checked back other than initial order and bringing food (wanted a water refill and hot sauce, but it wasn't a huge deal). Very clean and the paint was in good shape. Well decorated, classic small town diner. I would definitely visit again if passing through town and no new places, but wouldn't go out of my way to visit. I enjoyed my visit to Mal's and would rate it about 3.2/5 overall on a 'true' scale. read more

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Came here for breakfast on the road. Cute motif, very vintage. Ordered chicken fried steak. Supposed to come with sausage gravy, but it was plain white gravy. The steak itself was a bit small and over cooked. The eggs were perfectly cooked to order, and the hash browns were nice and crispy. But the MAIN reason I only gave it two stars was because the biscuit that came with the meal was COLD. Even butter, which we had to ask for, didn't help it. Also service was slow and I was never asked if I wanted a refill on my coffee. read more

Mal's Diner - the exterior of the restaurant - American Near Me - Vale, Oregon

This restaurant was a okay. Their food could have been better, and the young teenager working there still had a lot to learn about ethic. As we stood there, I watched her ask questions to things she was already told, I don't know if she needed more guidance because it was her first day and other ladies were just too busy. Then, when she was given instruction and told what she needed to do, she sassed her boss and her boss took it. When we got home to eat our food, the chicken tasted funny, the dressing was left out of my salad, my child's milkshake tasted like coffee instead of the caramel he ordered, and the lids on the milkshake cups didn't fit the cups, so we ended up with a mess of one the shakes. read more

This place saved my life. On my way from Texas to Portland I was fixing to fall off the motorcycle and die. Then like an Oasis of water, AC and shakes this place popped up read more

Mal's Diner - Dave's Philly & a strawberry shake. - American Near Me - Vale, Oregon

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We ordered Mal's Diner for the first time and loved it! The burgers were so good, especially the Bleu Burger. Everything was cooked great and we all enjoyed what we ordered. Highly recommend! read more

Great place. Very nostalgic decor. Felt like I'd stepped back in time. The food was terrific & the staff top notch.

I'm an Air Force veteran, globetrotter, and trained chef, with more than two decades of experience in the restaurant industry. From my beginnings as a short order cook in my grandfather's cafe in the mountains of central Idaho, to the beaches of St. Johns and the Michelin star rated "Stone Terrace" as part of the team who served one of my personal hero's Muhammad Ali. My first trip to Vale, Oregon uncovered for me an absolute gem in Mal's Diner. In the middle of a long road trip and after an even longer night I walked into an immediate throwback to my Grandads 1950's era soda-fountain cafe. The immediate everyone is family atmosphere, down to the stainless-steel dining bar and records on the wall. The ladies who cooked an amazing breakfast greeted me with smiles and an attitude that they had known me for years, and I knew when I gave my name it wouldn't be forgotten. The next day I was served by Emma and, Mic, the cook served me a burger and hand cut fries that was probably the best burger that I have eaten in a half decade. This was not a small burger served in a plastic basket and paper, but a heaping double 1/4 lb. patty with thick sliced bacon and smothered in cheese. I did not come up to breath until I had devoured the entire plate. (With no small urge to lick the plate). After I had regretfully completed my feeding frenzy, I was pleasantly surprised to find other similarities on the menu that i had not seen since I worked my grandfather's flat top grill and filled up my heart as much as an already FULL belly... items like Moose and Elk burger specials, Rocky Mountain Oysters and even more adventurous items such as Kangaroo, Ostrich and even Alligator for the more adventurous diner. Make no mistake, if you are looking to shed a few pounds, you might want to try further afield, but if you are looking for a fully satiated appetite, a completely satisfied pallet, and an atmosphere that invites you back with smiles and a yearning to see what's next and little doubt that they can deliver, then you can do far worse than Mal's Diner. In point of fact, I would dare you to try!!! -Travis G. Hurless read more

Stopped in here on our road trip. Great parking for an rv. The burgers we had were delicious and had burger, bacon, cheese, chicken, ham, and even an egg. We got the boxed sandwiches for our trip and they even had puppy patties and dog ice cream cones for our babies. I would highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone. Thank you for the great dining experience. read more

A very casual, traditional-style diner. My grilled chicken "burger" had shredded lettuce, a tomato slice, pickles and onion on a plain white bun. The fries were the type with little granules on them that cook golden but don't taste that great. The young waitress (high school age?) was efficient and friendly. read more

Mal's Diner - Not sobusy on a gloomy Saturday afternoon. - American Near Me - Vale, Oregon

Ice cream is great. People were friendly. Burger was okay. Breakfast was not. The catsup they had was watery and separating it was a real turnoff. Place has a cute 50's vibe but it just didn't feel clean at all - and the windows were really dirty just didn't feel like they really cared. read more

Mal's dinner is a great place for a bite to eat. We enjoyed our food very much and the atmosphere was great. Even our Great Dane enjoyed her puppy cone. read more

We were so lucky to find this place. Driving through Vale on way to coast saw Mel's and stopped in. Older place,nice inside, was not busy when we stopped. We ordered from the burger menu, gluten free buns, best buns I've had, most places don't GFAF buns and when they do they are crap. We always look for these types of places, most like this one are far better that chain type . Meal was hot, malt cold, service good. It is what you would expect from a good Drive In. read more

Cute little town of Vale,Oregon perfect place for the best burger! Great home town atmosphere, great burger. Keep up the good work and great service! read more

Mal's is alright. It's hit or miss with the wait staff, depending on whose working. I had one girl just stare at me until the other gal finally helped me after 10 minutes. They have decent food, but great milkshakes. It's my go to milkshake place. Also it's very family friendly. read more

Always get delicious food and awesome service. These ladies make ya feel right at home. Never had an unpleasant experience. Keep up the great work! read more

Mediocre in every way. Almost to the point of being just simply gross. Exciting ideas on the menu but poor deliverance. Everything just slightly under par. read more

Great food great atmosphere great staff. Thanks for giving us more choices in our small community

Unfortunately, you can't give negative stars on Yelp, or this would have earned it. We stopped in on our way through town looking for a meal. Everything was disgusting. I got a 20-26 Burger, and the patty was burnt, as was my bacon. My tots were like miniature rocks they'd been in the fryer so long. My daughter got the barnyard sandwich, and while the chicken was done (thank god), her fries were way over fried. My husband got the chicken fried steak breakfast, which was made with a sub par patty and the gravy was so bad, you could taste the flour. I know, because he gave me a bite. His eggs were fried to death (he asked for medium), and his country potatoes were also over fried. The toast was burnt and soggy at the same time. How even do you do that? Also, the cream was bad and curdled in our coffees. We told the waitress, and she kept bringing us the same cream from the container, WHICH WAS BAD. Finally, she listened, and brought milk. "I don't know why that other kept coming out bad." Maybe she thought it was magical portal cream that would pour out fresh and new cream instead of the old stuff. -10/10 Avoid at all costs. Gas station, parasite laden Hot Dogs would have been superior. read more

The best food in town fries and milkshakes are to kill for everything is so delicious there .

Fun atmosphere, fantastic food, amazing and friendly service. Your drink will never be empty, your belly will always be full, and you will have a smile when you leave. read more