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Ocala's Downtown Diner

4.4 (238 reviews)
Open 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Ocala's Downtown Diner Photos

Business Info

OCALA'S DOWNTOWN DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Ocala's Downtown Diner

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Guy and Elaine at the Ocala downtown diner
Guy H.

Corina was our server and what a joy it was to be served by her. She is warm and friendly and I think a PERFECT example of how to treat people. This was our first visit but it won't be our last...you just gained two new regulars. Corina made us feel like we were family. She was very helpful and yet not intrusive at all. She zipped around watching everyone and made certain everyone received a smile and a kind word. We walked in a bit apprehensive...we walked out thrilled....and did I mention that my waffle platter was awesome as was my wife's 3 egg omelette....you have to give this place a go...just do it! And thank you again Corina for making our day and for being so professional..... Guy and Elaine of Ocala Florida

Service from the server was great but whoever was in charge or the owner is not a good person. I just wanted two hot dogs. I was told it was $5 for an extra hot dog. They bring me out one bun with two hot dogs on it (don't really see how that got confused but whatever) and I asked for a bun and got one, but after looking at my bill they charged me $3 for the bun. I wouldn't have even left this review if whoever was in charge would've came out and talked to me but they hid in the back the whole time the sweet server was trying to explain. They even told her to charge me extra for it. Do with this info what you will, but this tells me all I need to know about who's ever in charge of that place!

Half of a Sweet GA Burger
Robert B.

Great, friendly service! Great small time diner atmosphere! Lots of options for vegans, gluten free folk, and meat eaters. My wife and I came with or meat eating son and in laws. Everyone found something delicious and creative! I had the slaw burger with a beyond burger and a gluten free bun. The waitress pointed out that the gluten free bun had dairy in it, which we don't mind, as I am vegan for health mostly. My wife had the GA burger which was delusions, and my son had the chili cheese fries without cheese and chili on the side. No problem with all of these special requests!

Menu
Andrea H.

You know you're in the right place when you walk inside almost every table is taken and everyone looks at you and knows you're not local. Staff was so friendly. We were seated immediately and the smell of freshly made pancakes and waffles was overwhelming. Coffee was excellent and breakfast was even better. Thick Belgian Waffles with eggs, bacon and topped with blueberries. So good, I wasn't leaving anything on the plate. Classic diner with plenty of choices. Also offers a large selection of vegan and gluten free.

Juicy Lucy delicious
Jay G.

Great service the place was packed Lisa was a great server . Coffee delicious Juicy Lucy done just right Also paid $9 to pay it forward to our hero's

Wall decor
Noel E.

Was told by my chiropractor across the street that the food is Very Good! She was right on, what we call a Hidden Gem, coffee was nice and hot and fresh and service on point!

Juicy Lucy Burger
Anne L.

It was pouring rain when I ran into the Ocala Downtown Diner at 1:55 pm on a Sunday afternoon. I quickly realized that they close at 2 pm on Sunday and when I apologized to the waitress and told her I would leave, she assured me that it was no problem and I believed her to be sincere. I even offered to take my order to go but she told me to relax and enjoy. Enjoy I did.... I got an unusual burger called the Juicy Lucy. This burger was cooked to order and topped with Sauerkraut, Pickles, Juicy Sauce & Swiss Cheese ...it was really good! While my burger and fries were very good I have to say that the staff there was exceptional. They were all busy trying to clean and close up but they could not have been nicer or more welcoming. Good food, good ambiance, good service/staff = 5 stars for me.

Counter.
Peter B.

It's certainly not fancy, but the food is great, the service is fantastic and the prices are reasonable. My wife found this place on Yelp, saw the high ratings and so we went for it. I'm glad we did. Our breakfast was delicious. Next we are in Ocala, we will eat here again.

Hearty breakfast with pancakes.
David J.

Very old-time diner style, very friendly staff. Going for something a little different, we drove into downtown to give the Ocala's Downtown Diner a try. We both had the hearty breakfast: eggs, potatoes, toast, choice of meat and one had pancakes, one had biscuit/gravy. Not bad at all. Very quick service at 10 am. Not too crowded. II can see where parking could get tricky if it was slammed, but there were a few customers who walked up, so maybe not so bad.

Outside
Yelah J.

Loved the vibe of this diner! My boyfriend is vegan and gluten free. Finding restaurants that he can have options other than French fries is a challenging task. "Vegan or not. This is your spot". Service was great. Food came out fast. I got chicken Philly steak. My boyfriend got vegan gluten free breakfast burrito. My 14 year old son got cheeseburger, Fries, eggs, bacon, French toast. Everyone thought everything was delicious! Will be back again!

Cheese on eggs

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Photo of Tim F.
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18 days ago

Amazingly wonderful service, so friendly and warm and sincere! Amazingly fresh tasting food cooked perfectly. Such a great surprise!

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

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1 month ago

It was so good we all got cheese steaks and let me tell you if you where from upstate jersey or York or even Pa you'll feel right at home.

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8 months ago

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9 months ago

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2 months ago

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28 days ago

Lunch was great! Service and atmosphere was awesome! Very Retro! Enjoyed it very much.

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4 months ago

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11 months ago

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5 months ago

We were passing through town and decided to give this place a try. The staff was friendly and the food was tasty. Great diner!

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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5 months ago

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3 months ago

Love supporting locally owned businesses. They had a great small town vibe. Fast service. Great food!

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

Stumbled onto this little gem in Downtown Ocala. Staff were amazing and the food was delicious. Good variety for all types of diets.

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1 year ago

Great for good Ol' southern breakfast. Can't beat it. Always a good place on a Saturday morning.

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3 years ago

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8 months ago

Amazing food amazing ppl omg the food delicious too bad we don't have anything like this in Houston nothing comes close

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Brooklyn's Backyard

Brooklyn's Backyard

4.3
(534 reviews)
1.6 mi
$$

We showed up tonight to celebrate my birthday (today), my hubby's (Monday) and our daughter in…read morelaw's (this past Thursday). Couldn't think of a better place to eat, drink and be merry at! Tonight was "trivia night", which, while we didn't play, we did enjoy trying to guess the answers. Our grand daughter's face was a big "O" of amazement when realizing the upper tables were enjoying roasting their marshmallows at their table...when she was told they were making s'mores...she went nuts! She's so excited to get tableside s'mores! My wings were even better than they were last time since there was an addition of seasonings sprinkled on them along with the dill pickles, but unfortunately, our cheeseburger pizza suffered from not having enough mustard and ketchup base to it, the tomatoes were enormous chunks and so were red onions. It made it very difficult to eat without things falling all over your clothing since they were such huge chunks on top of the tiny pieces of pizza. My husband got the steak bomb sub, son got a pepperoni Stromboli, daughter in law got the Sharon's Brie burger, grand daughter the child's cheeseburger and fries. Our apps were the garlic knots, mild wings (10) and fried cheese curds with sriracha ranch dipping sauce. Everything was okay, except that it took forever for everything to come out, compared to our first visit. Even our s'mores seemed to take forever. The quickest part of the whole visit was the bill . The fella that waited on us the first time was on point. Not saying that the young lady waiting on us was rude or anything, but I think she was trying to do too many things at once and some things just fell by the wayside. Last visit we came in on a Saturday as well, but perhaps some people are just better at multitasking? I don't know. This time, our bill was over $200 with tip, but we still brought home food again. Not a lot compared to the last time, only 2 little pickle wings (I still can't get enough of those darn things!) and maybe 4 slices of pizza. My husband's loaded tots weren't to his liking, so there's something even for the dog tomorrow We may stay away for awhile and see if they manage to work out some kinks. If anything, the best rule is consistency. If the food preparation is not consistent every time you go to eat there, there's a problem. There should be NO deviation just because someone else is cooking it. All recipes should be the same. Twice we've ordered the same items and they've been different. I still recommend this place for great vibes, cocktails, food and the tableside s'mores. There's just nowhere else like it!

I was in the area with a friend and his daughter. We visited Silver Springs and were ready for…read morelunch. His daughter said she wanted a burger and we found this spot. There are a few tables outside, right by the door. There are signs that make it clear they are non smoking tables. We decided to eat inside, were seated right away and our server came quickly. She told us what some of the popular burgers were and we made our selections based on that. I had the Jamaican burger cooked medium. This burger was cooked perfectly, had good flavor, was topped with a sweet and spicy jerk sauce. It was everything that I expected. My friend had the Brie burger and his daughter had the smash burger and they both said those burgers were very good as well. Our server was attentive to our needs throughout our meal. I would definitely go back again.

Photos
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior

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Interior
Diner On The Square

Diner On The Square

4.5
(14 reviews)
0.5 mi

The food is great; the service is excellent and the prices are reasonable. My family and a group…read moreof friends frequently go there on Sundays after church.

After an early church service, my wife and I were looking for breakfast options and Diner on the…read moreSquare popped up with good reviews. We figured, why not try it and enjoy the town square as well. Well...this place is not really located on the square...not even square adjacent. More like two blocks away from the square. I suppose Diner Two Blocks from the Square would be a mouthful. In any case, we were surprised to see how roomy the place was and quite busy on a Sunday morning. We were seated promptly and perused the menu. We ordered some coffee before placing our breakfast orders. We both ordered an omelet with my wife opting for the Tennessee Pride Sausage and cheese with fried potatoes and a biscuit. I ordered the Hickory Smoked Bacon and Cheese omelet with fried potatoes and wheat toast. Coffee was good and our friendly server, who told us this placed used to be Richard's Place that opened in 1984 before becoming Diner on the Square 6 years ago, was on it with refills. We both liked omelets...my wife liked the sausage and I liked the crispy bacon. Our server who has been working here for 36 years told my wife the biscuits are freshly made and my wife liked their biscuits. We both thought the potatoes were just OK and benefited from added salt and pepper...and some pieces were a bit underdone. All in all, a good breakfast place that regular diners seem to patronize as some of them knew and were known by our server. Breakfast for 2 came out to just under $36 with tip.

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Inside seating
Inside seating
Tennessee Pride Sausage and Cheese Omelet
Tennessee Pride Sausage and Cheese Omelet
Diner On The Square

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Golden Spoon Diner

Golden Spoon Diner

3.5
(92 reviews)
5.7 mi

On our ongoing search for breakfast joints after our early Sunday morning church service, my wife…read moreand I have sampled a long list of restaurants in Ocala but have yet to check out Golden Spoon. We've seen Golden Spoon before when we ate at Milano's next door (very good Italian joint, BTW) but thought, with a name like that, it must be some Chinese place. Lo and behold, it's like a mom and pop diner. When we walked in we were surprised at how spacious it is inside. We were seated in a booth with seat cushions showing some wear and tear but comfy nonetheless. We were presented the menu and my wife ordered coffee as we perused our options. My wife ordered the Southern Eggs (2 eggs over sausage patties on grilled biscuits with gravy) with hash browns and I tried their Mama's biscuits (2 over medium eggs over fried chicken on biscuits and gravy) with house potatoes. I was intrigued by the eggs over fried chicken and our server said it's one of their more popular offerings. When our orders arrived, we realized we wouldn't be able to finish them. Those portions were quite generous! My wife liked the flavors and appreciated the toasted biscuits that stood up to the gravy. She also thought the gravy was flavorful. She wished the hash browns were crispier though. My dish was good. The eggs were cooked to my liking and the fried chicken was tender. I also wished the house potatoes were crisped up a bit but it had decent flavors. Generous portions and good value! Service was a bit spotty at times with our server disappearing for a spell. All in all, we liked the experience and will likely be back. Breakfast for 2 with tip came out to $38. We paid cash to avoid the 4% surcharge for credit card usage.

Service was outstanding! We ordered the Philly cheesesteak sandwich and the gyro, and both were…read moreabsolutely delicious. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. It was not very busy during our visit, but our waitress, I believe her name was Katie, was extremely attentive, professional, and friendly. Thank you, Katie! I have to say, this was the best cheesesteak I've had in Florida and trust me, I've had authentic Philly cheesesteaks up north. Of course, nothing compares exactly to the original, but this was seriously impressive and incredibly satisfying. The gyro was also delicious. Maybe it could have been heated just a bit more, but honestly, it was still so good that I happily enjoyed every bite exactly as it was served. The light music in the background created a very relaxing and family friendly atmosphere. This is definitely a place that would make for a great outing with family and friends. Best of luck to the entire Golden Spoon team. We will absolutely be coming back again, and next time we'll be bringing family and friends with us. Great job everyone!

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Dining Room
Dining Room
Golden Spoon Diner
Golden Spoon Diner

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Todd and Shelly's Farm Fresh Restaurant

Todd and Shelly's Farm Fresh Restaurant

4.0
(113 reviews)
2.1 mi
$$

We needed a place to hang out while my cat got serviced…read more I found them via Yelp and took the chance. Their door advertises these hotcakes that are 1"thick. So what the heck , we ordered a 2 stack of Pineapple uoside down cake, and those were simply a woek of art. I irdered a summer salad with chicken ,fresh fruit, etc and it was soo good! So much flavor in every bite. My husband had a Huge burger. Service was awesome, food was amazing we will be back

Don't follow the directions on Yelp--this restaurant is located at the end of the strip mall, not…read morein the middle. The dining room is large and open with plenty of seating, including both tables and booths. Service was a little slow, but with only two servers working, it was understandable. They serve Coke products, which is always a plus for me. I appreciated being able to order the turkey club without any sides since I don't eat large portions. If you're hungry, the sandwiches normally come with two sides. I also ordered the French toast ($7.56) with no extras. It comes topped with powdered sugar, but I opted out. It was served on a small plate with no room for anything else. The French toast was made with standard bread and egg batter--nothing fancy, but it was prepared well and tasted good. The turkey club was substantial and satisfying. I would have preferred it cut into quarters like a traditional club sandwich, and the ingredients should have extended closer to the edges of the bread rather than being centered. It also could have used a bit more turkey. That said, the sandwich was juicy, flavorful, and tasted exactly like a turkey club should. Overall, a solid meal with generous portions, plenty of seating, and a comfortable atmosphere.

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Todd and Shelly's Farm Fresh Restaurant
Side of Bacon - Hot Cakes Breakfast
Side of Bacon - Hot Cakes Breakfast
Full liquor license

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Full liquor license
Northgate Diner

Northgate Diner

4.2
(57 reviews)
3.1 mi
$

Continuing with our effort to try out different breakfast joints after church service on Sunday…read moremornings, I suggested Northgate Diner to my wife after expanding our search north of our church. Northgate wasn't on her list of restaurants to try out but we were intrigued by the positive reviews. From the outside, Northgate was showing its age. The menu indicated they opened in 2002 and it probably needs some updating...including the prices on the menu. The parking lot was quite full...a great sign! Our first impressions were that service was friendly and there seemed to be quite a lot of regulars who dine here as we heard a lot of conversations indicating familiarity. We were told to sit anywhere and we chose a booth. My wife and I ordered coffee and water to start out...their coffee mugs are quite big and they are attentive with refills. I ordered the Western Omelet with home fries and wheat toast and my wife ordered the Farmer's Omelet with tater tots and wheat toast. Breakfast was good with generous portions...both of us took home leftovers which was still good the next morning. All in all, a very good breakfast place (they also serve lunch) that we would likely return to. We thought the value was there. Lunch for 2 less tip was just over $30. They have a surcharge for credit card payments.

Fantastic : starting with our server, Jamie, who made his feel at home the second we sit down and…read morecontinued, didn't tell the last minute when we left. The food was excellent my partner had a breakfast, and I had the chicken with cheese and mushrooms, and it was absolutely delicious. There was a wait which simply proved that it was cooked in the kitchen and didn't come out of a bag shipped from Afghanistan. Defrost didn't thrown on the plate. The atmosphere in the restaurant is just absolutely amazing. It takes you back to the days when cafés were cafés. The relics on the wall are not the ones you find made in Japan and shipped in for decor. The real handmade type relics or hand-painted. The place is very patriotic and just a pleasure to be there. Everyone in the place seem so friendly that even though it was our first visit, we felt like it was home. I would recommend this establishment to absolutely anybody traveling through the area. I know it won't be my last trip. In fact, I'd say it will be my first of many.

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Northgate Diner
Farmer's Omelet
Farmer's Omelet
Somewhat outdated menu with current prices not reflected accurately.

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Somewhat outdated menu with current prices not reflected accurately.

Ocala's Downtown Diner - diners - Updated July 2026

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