We like the outside dining area complete with fans and heaters for the winter. The food never disappoints. The fruity waffle is a family favorite as well as the eggs Benedict. read more

As much as I come here I still can't get eggs without shells. Enjoy coming back to the village's location. Friendly atmosphere good service. Usually good food just don't get eggs. read more

Dropped off my son at UF wanted breakfast joint. T his was great choice. Had 25 minute wait on a Sunday morning which was not bad. Waitress was the nicest so points there. I got Yo Hala on the square bananas with brown sugar and cream cheese on huge slice of bread simply said WINNER. My wife got egg Benedict with fried green tomatoes yolk could have been a little more runny but they were so accommodating to a food allergy of hers no points lost and she ate all of it. Finally our son got the Belgian waffle and bacon and did not talk while eating so that was a winner as well. Coffee good and bathrooms clean. We will be back for Gator games and now we have a breakfast spot when we do. read more

See all

Took my boys to one of our favorite places for brunch. My son order the protein breakfast. Grits was watery. He was served 20 mins before our order came. My corn beef hash was terrible very dry no flavor. Poached eggs severed on the side instead of on the hash. Cold. My eye toast had no butter. Looks like I need to find another breakfast restaurant! Very disappointed. read more

Metro Diner - Corn beef hash! - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Alway busy, always good food. My mom wants me to take her there every time she comes to Gainesville

Just ordered carry-out, didn't dine in. The Meatloaf plate was totally awesome! Gave me super-vicious farts the next morning, but it was so worth it! read more

Since writing my last review I have come 3-4 times. I love it. I have tried many things on the menu, and it has become one of my go-to stops. I mainly go for breakfast or brunch, and it is worth it! I prefer to sit outside, as it gets very loud and busy inside - some don't mind, but I like outside better. The service is always on point, and has gotten much better than my first visit or two. The coffee is always strong and has great flavor. The waffles are great - they have amazing flavored butter, the biscuits and gravy is also very good (not as good as the Top, but close) and I recently tried the breakfast burrito, and it was surprisingly good! Like Yum. If you don't mind the noise, it is also super cool to sit on the bar and watch the food being made, pretty awesome stuff! Overall this place keeps rising up my list. Service and food and ambience, they have the full package! read more

See all

In town visiting and we were told to try Metro. It was so good we came back the next morning for breakfast. The chicken biscuits are fantastic. read more

I had breakfast at Metro Diner today, it was great. I ordered the sausage gravy on biscuit ( comes with 2 eggs and had brown All cooked perfectly, eggs over easy, hash browns crispy and biscuits were fluffy and covered with a really good sausage gravy ( lots of sausage chunks and a nice gravy. Service was excellent, attentive to my coffee etc, Always a good experience read more

We were here once and it was ok but not great . So we tried again and it was little less then ok. Hush brown cold in middle. U can taste the oil every time u try to eat it. All plate was off. I want over easy egg and nothing easy on that :) Its busy but kitchen slow and then they r behind and it reflect the food. Table dirty even if they clean it for us. French toast over sweet. Sometimes less is more. read more

To start the service was good and I got my food in a reasonable time but there is where the good ends I ordered the Chicken Tenders with fries and cole slaw with creole mustard on the side. The chicken tenders were not tender they were so over cooked that I had to use a knife to cut them they were also dry and the so called creole mustard was not very good either I've had better mustard from supermarkets. Now we come to the cole slaw tasteless and bland and the fries as well plus they were greasy. I used to come to the Metro Diner when they first opened it had a better feel to it than it did today and certainly better food, this location has been going downhill with their food very quickly I will not be recommending this location to anyone except to tell them to not bother to eat there. read more

When I go for breakfast it's beyond amazing. But at around 4pm, it was awful. We walked in and were seated and then nobody acknowledged or came back with water or anything. We couldn't even make eye contact with any of the employees. They were all too busy standing around doing who-knows-what. It didn't seem like any table service was happening for anybody. :( read more

Food decent, vibe awesome! A real diner, with the real delicious greasy food in a hipster environment. I think I had the wrong thing--a grilled cheese/turkey sandwich, where the turkey was lackluster compared to the awesome sourdough bread and cheese. My mom ordered the turkey burger and LOVED it. Honestly, the Metro's breakfast is really where it seems to shine. I'm coming back for waffles and will probably have my mind blown. And the vote is in on the waffle:A+! Even Better, service this time was even better than last! A definite treasure for this hungry grad student. read more

Metro Diner - Light, buttery waffles--heaven! - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Metro Diner captivates exactly what you should expect when you waltz your way into an American breakfast-for-breakfast/lunch/dinner. From its classy exterior and interior, to its warm and welcoming staff, Metro does it right down here. Our waiter, Chad, lived up to his name every single minute we were at Metro with his outgoing personality and quick but subtle actions (if someone at Metro sees this, seriously, give this man a raise!!) my brother had been at a location in Georgia previously and requested an old menu item that was unfortunately removed a year ago, but Chad had the amazing chefs create a knockoff version of a waffle with their delicious mac and cheese and scrumptious steak tips. I ordered the Holy Davoli; a divine hamburger composed of two grilled cheese sandwiches squishing a delicious burger patty with all the fix-ins. Although it sounds appalling; it was.. interesting! The crunch of the sourdough with the fresh, gooeyness of the American cheese and the moist beef forced me to devour the whole thing. Metro Diner is one hundred percent a go-to chain! Greeted with a smile and great character with outstanding food creates a customer for life. read more

I haven't tried something here that I haven't liked. Service can be lacking when they're busy. Sometimes there's a decent wait, but it's worth it. They serve you monstrous portions that are slightly pricier than other gainesville restaurants. Honestly, I'd rather have smaller portions that were cheaper because I never finish my plate but the quality of their food is good. So far I've tried the breakfast pie, biscuits and gravy, and pot roast. Their breakfast potatoes are the best. read more

Metro Diner - Pot roast meal - hearty portion. - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

I work in the plaza and always come and grab food cause I always happen to work in the morning when I'm most hungry! Everyone is always so polite and the food is exquisite it's a busy environment but those servers know how to run around and avoid all the dumb customers in the way . I hope you guys keep getting good business and better customers read more

The menu is chalk full of delicious items to choose from for your dining pleasure. The manager & staff are always on top of their game. You can't ask for better service. The location at 34th St Plaza on 34th St in Gainesville, FL has plenty of parking to boot. Definely give them a try. You won't be disappointed. read more

We love this place! They are always crazy busy on Saturdays for brunch but the service is still good. They have a whole gluten free menu (I have an allergy) which is amazing. The servers are informed on GF as well. I've gotten the omelette and the club sandwich, both of which were offered with GF bread/toast. My fiancé loves the eggs Benedict (not GF but looks amazing). We come here every time we are in town for a game and will be back! read more

Metro Diner - Eggs Benedict with fried chicken - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This was our second time coming. came here at 9 on a sunday for breakfast, though there was a lot of people here we were sat pretty quickly. The wait was a little longer than usual but it's expected at a busy place like this, still it's nothing too crazy. Service was excellent they were very nice. read more

We LOVE this place!! Before COVID I would bring my infant baby there for Daddy Daughter breakfast every Monday morning. COVID hit and we couldn't go there for over a year. When we finally did come back, they remembered all of us like we were family and the food was just as good as ever. read more

Amazing management and staff! Started off very rocky with being skipped over/deleted from the wait list, but after our situation was brought to their attention (just drove 5 hours and still have more than 2 to go - picked this restaurant from Yelp before we left home because of the ratings!), they immediately cleaned a table for us and gave us one of the best servers I've ever encountered. Explained the menu to us, made some suggestions and then expedited our food so we could get back on the road. Co-partner was very accommodating and unnecessarily comped our meal. I'm thinking our server is going to be thrilled with the $17.00 tip (only charged for my ice tea). Absolutely delicious food too! Lol. Will probably stop again on Thursday for breakfast on our way back home. The co-partner promised that he would "finish strong" and totally fulfilled his promise. You guys rock! read more

Bougie brunch while dressed to the nines? Okay, this isn't your place. But waking up late on a Saturday with few urgent plans, no desire to get dressed up, trussed up or otherwise out of your sweats. That on top of just the general and acceptable human desire for just a good time, great company and the best diner brunch food? Please, you can't do much better than Metro Diner. In short, the Metro Diner is a diner breakfast/brunch done right. That is, without ALL of the grease, okay maybe a little, but all the love, cheesy grits and local taste/feel/sass you could want. The wait on weekends is almost always anywhere from 15-45 minutes, if you can get in however, this place is great and service is normally very quick! From their omelets, coffee, spicy fried chicken and waffles, Metro Diner is delicious. There are only a few locations that I'm aware of in Florida but each one really feels like a local joint, service is always kind and quick which is more than we can say for other places, . Note that this IS a diner style restaurant so there's not a ton of privacy (tables are kinda jammed in) and as it's always packed on the weekends, the noise levels can get pretty high. All this said, for a casual Saturday or Sunday in sweats and a hoodie joined with friends and no other urgent plans, Metro is a practically perfect option. read more

I was in Gainesville to have a doctors appointment at Shands Hospital. I had a friend come with me and we looked at Yelp to fine a great place to eat. It was late because we drove from Georgia. They were very welcoming to us and friendly. I want to give a shout out to our waitress Mayra G, she was awasome. She helped us all the food choices and told us what everything was. We ordered different things so we could taste more things. It was all so good and I was as full as a tick on a dog...LOL I posted pictures of all the food. This place was a great find and I will be back. They have so much more that I want to try. read more

See all

Plain and simply... Incredible! The chicken and waffles were the best I've had... and the fact that I went there THEN found out it was on Triple D (normally I seek out Triple D spots... this time it was a surprise) was another + Great spot... you'll enjoy this Diner! read more

Metro Diner - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Breakfast for dinner is something I grew up on, and if you were robbed of a childhood then be thankful places like Metro Diner can come in to save the day. While I'll admit a VERY soft spot for the competing, born-and-bred local spot right next door, I thankfully put my bias in time-out because, oh my, what an impact has this spot made on my weekends. The Space Just a few lights north of Archer Rd right off of 34th Street you will find Metro Diner loud and proud in an otherwise muted plaza that, in my opinion, needed a hot-shot spot like this to breathe life back into the area. Because of the plaza's ample parking for the slew of off-the-wall businesses you can find there, not even peak brunch times on Saturday morning will have you on the Asphalt Safari Hunt looking for a space. I can't be sure why the execs chose to build here because, personally, there seem like many, many, MANY more "attractive" areas of town to slip an award-winning brunch-y biz into. Also the huevos rancheros on this team to build directly next door to a restaurant with a near-identical customer base... Anyway, there's indoor and ample outdoor seating to maintain even an unruly amount of patrons, so that's fantastic. I've opted to dine inside each visit because no one reminded Florida that its November so the sun's still baking everything. When they're busy the layout of the place (you can see over the counter to the entire griddle top), added to the in-and-out pace, make it fairly loud. Stools facing the kitchen allow for single-diners to hop in and out with a cool view, while a majority of the place is dedicated to tables/booths. The Service Superb. Stellar. Rocket-fueled, even. The owners of this brand know how to hire, they know how to train, and they know how to manage. I've been thrice as of now, twice with outstanding service and once with almost TOO good of service (I'm friendly but gimme a cup of Joe before you come full throttle is all). Management stays on the floor with a radio earpiece to calmly sweep through checking for available tables so that all servers are load-balanced and dirty spots are quickly turned over for incoming guests. It's borderline mesmerizing how well they handle the sheer volume of people even during the opening weekend. You might be off-put by the phrasing, but trust that they're as personable as they are efficient which means you can feel relaxed without the service feeling the same way. A perfect example is a service who makes steady refill pitstops while simultaneously opening up a quick convo about the Gator game that day. If this doesn't change they'll continue to keep me coming in the doors for certain. The Food Metro Diner carries the reputation of a well-established Jacksonville name that branched out into numerous other areas, as well as garnered publicity from the OG installments, and now has adventurously landed in The Swamp. Feel free to read about the TV appearance and awards independently, as my goal is to place the commentary solely in the context of my trips. - Veggie Burger (B): A tad messy to eat, but the flavor is solid and the price/portion are fair - Breakfast Pie (B+): Great portion and a savory, filling way to kick off the day. Wasn't stoked that mine had a stray piece of bacon in it as a vegetarian though - Yo Hala On The Square *Apple Cinnamon Edition* (A): Decadent, yet careful not to be overly sweet. Bread was fluffy and the blend of cream cheese and apple slices melded into one warm, heavenly bite - Blue Chips (B): Heap of fresh, crispy wavy chips drizzled in balsamic, blue cheese crumbles, and a light blue cheese sauce drizzle. Rich, but easily shareable appetizer PRO TIP - Ask for a half serving of the Yo Hala if you want to explore without totally committing to a dessert-y breakfast. Final Thoughts For vegetarians the breakfast menu will meet your needs, but they might take a note that their competition (for Gainesville) is catering much more to veggie-heads than they presently do (especially considering shared cooking space with meats). The prices run a tad high for some items, but that is because the portions are gut-busting. Rotating specials are a refreshing touch that will catch everyone's eyes on return visits. Overall I'll have Metro Diner in my breakfast rotation but the menu/pricing limits them being the tippity-top of my list for now. read more

See all

I am a huge critic for breakfast/brunch places but this place really impressed me. Their service was top-notch. My waitress was attentive, quick, and was very kind and especially helpful when I had difficulty choosing a dish. The wait time to get a seat was also not bad at all and my food was served quickly as well. Okay onto the food. I ordered the Creamed Beef Chips on hash browns. It was spectacular. Their gravy is delicious. I added egg and ketchup thinking I might need it to add to the hash browns but I honestly didn't. It was so good on its own. I also tried some of my friend's chicken & waffles which the place is famous for. The chicken was cooked so well and was soft. It was delicious of course too and they add hot sauce to their syrup. The portions are huge so expect to take a lot of leftovers home. I think their portions are really good for its price too. Less than $10 and I got a plate that was bigger than my head and neck. To conclude, I highly recommend this place. The ambiance is casual and is reminiscent of a true American diner. It is definitely a popping and crowded place but it's not claustrophobic at all. The food is great with many different options and creative dishes. I can't wait for the next time I go. read more

See all

I haven't been here in a few years so things might have changed but I quite enjoyed here. I found nice food with reasonable prices and good sized portions. I'd say it's worth stopping by. read more

Everyone has their favorite breakfast spot, and people become very attached to their spot. Perhaps their gang or friend group meets there when they are together after a big night out, or they go there to see friendly familiar faces before work, whatever your pattern is, it is likely that you go to the same breakfast place almost every time you go out to breakfast, and seldom try a new one in your home town. I am the same way, and I would never have tripped into this happening place in a strip mall that I have ignored ever since Florida Bookstore II closed a few years ago, but this place has been reviewed by so many Yelp elites, that I just had make room for a second breakfast and check it out. Metro Diner is kinda cool, and happenin'. At peak breakfast times, it is loud, and there is often a wait. The menu is diverse and intimidating in some ways, and they serve you a massive amount of food - these people really do not understand portion control. They also have interesting specials that pull you away from the regular menu. I had the fried green tomato benedict of the specials board, and it was off the chart. All these things are great things for a diner. The strongest part of the Metro Diner experience is the service, very solid service, even in crazy peak hours. The first time we went there our waiter was Scott. He provided excellent service, and better than that, when we came back a week or so later to see how will Metro handled lunch, and he remembered us. Go Scott! What do we love most in a business? We love being loved and remembered. Or trip to Metro Diner was a reminder to "make new friends, but keep the old." We still have our favorite breakfast spot, but Metro Diner was very strong. Great service, huge portions, kinda cool, and happening; if you are looking for a new haunt or want to find a alternative to your regular spot, I recommend you try Metro Diner for yourself. read more

See all

Nice and cozy dinner. Great breakfast options. Service is outstanding and prices are reasonable. They serve full menu all day. read more

Metro Diner - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Well now there's two places in this plaza that serve exceptional breakfast! Metro Diner is a family owned restaurant that first began in Jacksonville, Fl with locations now popping up throughout Florida (Gainesville and Orlando). Pictures of Guy Fieri visiting the original Metro Diner are all over the wall, so you know they're on to something here. The wait was around 10-15 minutes for me and my boyfriend, and then another 15-20 for our food to come out. There are so many options on their menu that's it's hard to choose. I ordered the shrimp and grits and he ordered their signature chicken and waffles. VERY LARGE PORTIONS and it is so delicious! Our waitress was super friendly and our cups stayed full during our visit. You definitely get what you paid for. Overall very good experience for a newly opened restaurant. I will be coming back to try more! read more

Metro Diner - Chicken and waffles - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

So I came for the soft opening night. The dinner was free but we were encouraged to give a $10 donation, which went to Tyler's Hope, so it was great to know that Metro Diner was being so generous. When we got there, we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated, despite he fact that they were busy, so that was great. We sat inside, and the decor was very traditional diner style, it did feel a little cramped but it wasn't too bad. Service was great, our waitress was very nice and explained all of the dishes, and everyone there was very attentive and welcoming. As for the food, it's traditional American diner food, and the portions were huge! And despite it being very busy, the food came in a timely manner. It was 5 of us at the table, and we all ordered something different. I got the shrimp and grits, and it was alright, not the best shrimp and grits I've ever had but it was okay. We shared an appetizer which consisted of their house chips and a cheese dip with bacon, which was alright, too. If you're into the greasy spoon kind of food then you'd probably enjoy it more, I feel like for diner food it wasn't outstanding but it was okay. My friends got onion rings and fries for their side, and it seemed like they were probably frozen and packaged, not made in house. I tried some of my friend's chicken and waffles, and it was okay. Again, it seems like the waffle was probably frozen, but the strawberry butter it was served with was very good. Overall, I was pleased with the service at Metro Diner, but was a bit overwhelmed with the food. It's not the best diner food I've ever had, but beats other places by having a variable selection. read more

See all

Back of house employees don't wear masks. Servers and front of house are going by protocols but cooks are not. The cooks are the ones who have the most contact with our food. They meed some supervisors read more

See all

1. If there's a line, get in it and wait. 2. If you are eating breakfast order the fried chicken and waffles. 3. If you are eating lunch or dinner order the fried chicken platter. 4. Try not to cry at the table. That's all you need to know. read more

See all

Metro Diner is one restaurant that offers some of the best variety for breakfast. I enjoy variety and I enjoy breakfast, so it's a great option to bring a group that may have different preferences from savory to sweet. I've been to this location twice, and although it's not my number one choice for a morning meal, I wouldn't mind returning again. Chicken and waffles: For my first visit, I jumped on the bandwagon by trying out the Chicken and Waffles. Before they bring out your dish, they "put together" a hot/spicy syrup to dip with your waffles. I really don't see it as an original gimmick cause it's just typical hot sauce and syrup mixed together. I don't usually say no to trying things, so I tried it and to no surprise, I didn't see anything to enjoy about it. My waffles were good though and I actually really enjoyed the strawberry butter that came on top. It wasn't too sweet and I think it was a great addition to the dish (and probably my favorite thing about it). The chicken was served fresh and crispy, but I wasn't convinced to become a favorite. The grease kept constantly dripping down my hands and I don't think that's necessarily a positive sign of a dish. It made me feel really messy. American omlette: I had this dish at my second visit and I really liked it! All of the veggies were cooked really well and the onions added a really nice sweetness. The steak was cut in small enough pieces so that it was easy to eat with just a fork. Omlettes might be my go-to thing to order when I come here! My side of hashbrowns, though, is another reason why I'm not convinced to make this place a favorite. They were swimming in the oil they were cooked in. I don't think they were seasoned at all because even though they were crispy on top, the bottom that was soaked in oil didn't make me want to finish them. Service: My first visit had really friendly, energetic, and just a bit slow service. During my most recent visit, my waiter was almost curt. Overall, it didn't give me a reason to write a negative review. I'm happy that Gainesville has another addition to its list of breakfast restaurants, but I'm just not sure if it makes my list. read more

The Metro Diner is hands down my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. I went there for the first time yesterday and it was SO GOOD that I went back again today (my waistline thanks me-- not, but my taste buds do)! The first time I went, I had the corned beef hash with poached eggs. AMAZING. It was the best corned beef hash I've ever had, and I've had a lot. The corned beef was made in house and it was delicious and not overly salty. Poached eggs are so easy to screw up and overcook or break, but these eggs were perfectly runny. My dad had the Charleston Shrimp and Grits. Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start with this dish. The grit cakes were outstanding-- beautifully creamy on the inside, delightfully crispy on the outside. The cream sauce that was on top was straight up addicting. I don't even know what they put in it, but I couldn't stop eating it. It had an incredible smoky flavor-- maybe from the andouille? Today, I went back for a second time to try their speciality-- the Yo Hala on the Square (stuffed French toast with berry compote). This did not disappoint. It was so delicious, I don't even know how to describe it. One really impressive thing is that I expected it to be a sugar bomb, and it wasn't at all. There was a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Just incredible. Even though the portion was more than enough for 2 meals, I still got a side of corned beef hash because it's so good. My dad had the New Orleans Shrimp and Grits today (a special-- tomato based instead of cream). He really liked it but preferred the Charleston style that's on the regular menu. The menu has a ton of variety and the portions are huge for the price. Each plate is pretty much 2 full meals for $7-15 depending on the dish. The service here is outstanding. All the waitstaff and hosts are incredibly efficient, accommodating, and so SO nice. Forget feeling like a local-- you feel like family here (if you were to treat your family like royalty). Between the service and the amazing food, eating here just makes me happy. Isn't that how every dining experience should be? Keep up the amazing work Metro Diner! We'll be back the next time we're in town! read more

See all

Came here for dinner with a friend. It was my first time visiting any Metro Diner, not just the GNV location. As a vegetarian, I was pleased to see that there were several items I could get here (some sandwiches and salads, plus their all-day breakfast menu), which is more than can be said for many other "diners." I opted for the veggie burger with a side of tabouli. They also offer a roasted veggie baguette. It was hard to choose between the two; they both sounded interesting. The burger was huge and gorgeous; it almost looked like real beef. It was made of black beans, zucchini, squash, carrots, and red onion, and I *believe* the waitress said it was made in-house or like a house recipe or something but I can't remember. It doesn't matter, because it was delicious and one of the tastiest veggie burgers I've had. The tabouli was also very good and a nice alternative to French fries. And all that for under $10. I was impressed. Metro won't replace some of my GNV favorites, but it's a good option to have around and the food and portions are great for the price. read more

Metro Diner - Veggie burger with cheese - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Famous for the open kitchen and huge portions metro deli is an old style deli bringing in a new wave of food. Health-nuts beware, this is not the place for you. Huge heavenly fluffy omelets filled with any and all the goodness one could desire. Their potatoes are out of this world good, both the hash browns/or breakfast pots. The lunch and dinner options are also awesome and have a southern theme. Anything from shrimp and grits to meatloaf or just a club Sammie. Metro is a chain so you will find it across North Florida. However I have yet to find a location I haven't enjoyed. Bring your own champagne for brunch at no charge! read more

Metro Diner - Club Sammie and piled on French fries. - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Went to have breakfast with my son here and absolutely loved the place. We sat at the bar because the place was packed but I can see why. Our waitress was so sweet and simply fantastic. I had the bacon egg and cheese biscuit and it was absolutely perfect along with the poundcake French toast, which was amazing. I didn't have the eggs Benedict but I did see it being made in front of me a few times and it looked delicious. Definitely recommending this place and coming back! read more

Metro Diner - Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit. - Diners Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

The salsa comes from a jar. I couldn't eat my omelet with chunky, jar sauce on it. It ruined the omelet.

If you're a wannabe foodie like me, you go here because the 4 men in your life want to go -- not because you know you'll experience a culinary treasure. To that end, don't expect a ton of healthy or gourmet options here, but there are some things you can order and still stick to your diet! (Burger, grilled Mahi or chicken with a salad & homemade dressing) And those of you that are familiar with my past reviews know that a fresh salad and homemade dressings are the key to my heart With all that said, I have to say that this chain diner is superbly run. Standard diner fare, and the food comes out fast. Staff is kind, going over the top to please. Manager runs throughout the restaurant keeping customers happy. And the Fantastic Four men in my life loved their food. Guess we'll be back! read more