I am always on the hunt for "the diner." These places hold a special place in my heart and stomach. They have to possess a particular vibe and a classic (enough) menu. Shelly's was on the list to try. Upon entering the restaurant in a small shopping center, I am glad to see they have plenty of booth style seating (a diner must have), one of which we are promptly seated at. The place has a good crowd for a weekday afternoon and two people manning the floor and register, one apparently being Shelly. Service was fast and efficient, with a check discreetly dropped at the table towards the end of the meal. The food at Shelly's is hearty, dependable breakfast/lunch diner food. We have a Turkey Dip (a French Dip with turkey instead of roast beef), Steak and Eggs and a biscuit. Coffee was surprisingly decent for a diner and the ice tea was huge. Real roasted turkey was on the sandwich and fries were perfectly crispy. I didn't try the steak, but it got two thumbs up across the table. The biscuit was more pastry-like than I expected and was quite crumbly. I kind of liked it, probably wouldn't go out of my way to have one in the future. Shelly's is definitely in diner rotation for me now, and I am looking forward to trying more of the classics. read more

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When she first opened it was amazing, albeit some of the entrees were "borrowed" from the old Countryside Cafe. However, the last few years it's been going drastically downhill. Numerous people have mentioned seeing bugs but I realize sometimes that happens in restaurants. The coffee used to be really good and lately it has been bitter. The iced tea is so thin it tastes more like water. What bothers me most about this place is the owner is really offended when you have a problem with the food. I went in recently and I ordered the eggs over medium and they came sunny side up. What I mentioned it she looked very annoyed and did not even apologize. I've also seen for myself, as well as heard stories that I'm not going to mention here that are not good about her. Sadly my family and I have one less place to go because the last few times we've been in there it's been anything but satisfactory. We kept trying but we gave up. read more

The staff was super friendly and helpful. They made helpful suggestions. The portions were HUGE. At first, I thought the price for a single pancake with bananas in it was a little excessive until I saw the pancake. It was as big as a large plate and over an inch thick. It tasted delicious. My boys devoured it and kept saying how good it was. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the Bananas Foster French Toast was incredible. I recommend this place! read more

I've been here a couple of times and Shelly's has definitely made it into my regular rotation of weekend breakfast spots. So far, our timing has been good and we haven't had to wait, although once when we were leaving there was a bit of a wait for a table. (That's when you're supposed to say, "I guess we got here at the right time!") The food is delicious, the menu has original items, the portions are big, and the friendly servers keep coming with hot coffee. I love egg dishes and I love that you can any of the egg dishes as an omelet, scramble, or piled on a bed of potatoes. Most recently, I had the taco omelet as a scramble, but so far my favorite has been the "surf" which includes prawns and is smothered in hollandaise sauce. Even though I try to keep it low carb, I always indulge in at least one (big) bite of a warm biscuit. Shelly's has a hometown, comfort food vibe, nothing fancy, and for me, it's the perfect place to drown myself in hot coffee and steaming eggs on a rainy winter morning. read more

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We landed in Seattle early and wanted something local, with a diner vibe and this delivered! The server was SO friendly and helpful. The food was spot on and they have very large portions! The mugs were all different which gave us a very comfy feeling. Highly recommend. read more

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The exact sort of hidden gem that makes Yelp what it is. This place would not stand out from the curb, but once you go in, you find a locally owned small business with a great menu, great service, and great food. We had a table of 6, and everyone got something different. Everyone was happy at the end, so that is always a great testament with the picky eaters in my family. The kids got a mix of pancakes, french toast, eggs, and other things. Everyone had more than they could eat. The portion sizes are gigantic, so be sure you come hungry. The service was prompt and efficient. The parking outside is plentiful and free. The prices are solid. Also, I am pretty sure the owner was serving our table. What more can you ask for?? We had lactose intolerant, gluten free, vegetarian, and low carb people in our group, and everyone was able to find something to enjoy. One of the great hidden finds for 2022 for me. Can't wait to be back! read more

My son ordered the kids french toast with a side of fruit. For the cost, it was really small, and I tried a bite of his french toast and it was super dry. Fruit looked nice and very fresh. So I guess another star for that? Nah. Heres why the bad rating. I ordered the ham and eggs breakfast w/hashbrowns. I immediately dug into the ham and on my first bite, I was a little shocked as it tasted sour. I thought perhaps it was me, so I took another bite. Yup, most definitely sour. 1 more tiny little bite JUST to be sure, and my lord, that ham was 100% spoiled and not safe to consume. By then, I was starving so I scarfed down the hashbrowns and immediately pushed my plate to the side (hence why I tried my son's FT). I mentioned the fact that the ham was extremely sour to the waitress and she responded that she would "notify the kitchen." So the bill arrives, and $50 (including tip) for breakfast just seemed way too high for a place that is extremely dirty (don't look at the booth seats if you go there, you may throw up as badly as I did once I got home). SPEAKING OF THROWING UP, yup, 2 hours later I was Tim Tebowing the toilet and puking my guts up from the spoiled ham. So sure, I lost probably 2lbs from getting poisoned here, but I wasn't seeking to lose weight, and certainly not in that way. Pass. read more

We can in on a Tuesday around 10 am. The waitress wasn't overly nice and seemed to be annoyed that I was asking questions about the menu. When I asked wether she preferred a biscuit or toast she said "it depends on what you want, do you want toast or a biscuit?!" This was our first time coming and we came based of decent reviews on Yelp. The salt and pepper shakers looked like they hadn't been wiped down for weeks and when "warm syrup" was brought to the table the handle was covered in syrup. I had the two egg plate and my daughter had the kids pancake meal. The food is mediocre to say the least. The sausage tasted old and like it was quickly reheated. I really wanted to like this place but the service sucked and the food was even worse. Save your money and visit the pancake chef in Tukwila! Their breakfast has been consistent for decades and their service is fair superior. read more

On my quest for the best Chicken fried steak we had to stop here. Got the chicken fried steak and was no diisapointed. Never was left wanting for more coffee. Not only were my eggs a textbook over easy but the Chicken fried steak was the best I have had in the Seattle area thus far. The gravy was simply amazing, heavy cream instead of milk oh my. Didn't realize until I got home that our server was actually the owner. Great prices and service. read more

Shelly's - Chicken Fried Steak. Eggs over easy. - American Near Me - Burien, Washington

No wait on a Sunday initially had me pretty excited. I was less excited later. The value here is not in price--you'll pay similar prices at most breakfast spots, but Shelley's portion sizes are HUGE. That being said their drinks are pretty cheap. $5 bloody Mary?! $6 Wells! Food came out quickly and service was pretty good. I admit I was a little put off when I asked for more napkins and received exactly ONE. I'm obviously dining with a toddler. Is there a napkin shortage I'm unaware of? I'd come back, but avoid the biscuits! They've got a very strange bitter aftertaste which isn't helped at all by stale butter. The jam is good! I really like that they have options for your eggs, like a scramble vs. a jumble. Check out all those milkshake flavors! read more

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Delicious!! Delicious!! Big portions!! My family and I came here on a whim last weekend On June 1 for brunch. I had the French toast and asked for a side of the banana foster sauce. Oh man! Was that delicious over my french toast. It complimented very well. My daughter had the pancakes and my daughter -in-law had the Egg Sammie. They both stated they were delicious and could not finish. The took the remainder home. We would definitely be back to try other food on the menu. read more

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Definitely a hidden gem. Everything was fresh, flavorful and huge portions. Positives: Atmosphere-We were greeted right away and we given extra time to order. The servers worked well together. The Baja Scramble was with house potatoes and vegan sausage was amazing. The potatoes were seasoned well and the biscuit was light and fluffy. The biscuit was Just a little on the dry side but the taste was good. I ordered the Bananas Foster with egg and sausage. What a great way to use up older bananas while adding a buttery, caramel flavor to hand dipped French toast. I'm glad I tried them. Negatives: Building is a little dated but that comes with time. Coffee was the worst part but food more than made up for it. Thank you for such a wonderful breakfast. I was tempted by the hand scooped milkshakes. Next time. read more

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Cafe from the past- good food & fun staff. Sweet lil gem for Sunday mimosas. If it looks crowded- there's space in the back too. Summer offers outside seating. read more

I've been here before, about 2 years ago. So I know this place is awesome. My prior experience was for a friends BD. And since I lived close by, I thought I'd visit. Why the 3 stars? First and foremost, I know mom and pop shops will always do their best to connect with the community. So I'm not entirely 'upset' at what happened. If anything this is a learning lesson for Shelly's. I was seated at about 0945, or so. Took a bit of time to make a selection, and then set the menu down. Which for me and my understanding, that tells staff a person is ready to order. The waitress, did her best going from table to table... in a not so busy morning. As she does this she peaks from behind my seat and says she will be right with me. Then she stops at a table that was sat after me, by about 6 minutes. Proceeds to chitchat and take their order. While the lady who sat me asked if I had ordered yet: I simply said 'no' I wasn't even asked if everything was ok. Not what I remembered about this place two years ago. read more

Finally made it to Shelly's for breakfast. Other than a slightly undercooked egg and room temperature OJ , it was delicious and an experience. Great staff , great prices, will go back for sure. read more

Some of the best places you'll find are when your go to places aren't open. From the outside it doesn't look like much. Once inside you'll find it looks smaller than you realized. On the plus side they do have outdoor seating. The staff was friendly and constantly making rounds to fill coffee and water. No issues there at all. The menu is great. Take a look seriously. Prices are reasonable for Seattle area. There are options on what kind of food you can get and how to get it. And if the food is as good as what we ate then I can't see how you can go wrong here. I wish I had taken pictures of the meals to show but forgot until almost nothing was left. The only real negative I have is that I wish this place was closer to where I live. But I won't forget this place for when I'm close by. read more

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My family and I have been to Shelly's several times and none have been enjoyable. We will not be going again. Shelly herself works there and is incredibly rude and lacks customer service. The environment is also very dirty, food on the walls, dirty silverware and just an overall dirty feel. I wish it could have been our go to, but definitely better options. Would not recommend. read more

I will never come back this was the last straw here .. been here a few times and it just kept getting worse. From food to the cleanliness just awful now and smells like an old truck stop bathroom. And this grey meat sandwich was disgusting as they tried to lie and say it's dark meat. I said no it's grey and smells like ammonia. I know the difference... I'm a big foodie person and been in the business before. My wife's food was a plate of melted cheese on top of some cold porridge. I'm sorry I had to gut them like a fish. But it's true. Hopefully they can change quickly. read more

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Super good omelets with home fries, amazing service, and such a cute diner space. We had a great breakfast here on the way to the airport and it was fast and efficient but we were still able to linger and bide our time in their comfortable booths. Shelly's is about 10 minutes from the airport and was perfect stop for us! read more

I had Classic Eggs & Benedict with house special potatoes & my girlfriend had the Baja Omelette with hash browns. Got seated right away, ordered really quick, and food came within 15 minutes of ordering. They checked up on us while we were eating, and food was overall a good proportion and delicious. Don't recommend coming here if you are coming here with 8+ people, the place seems small, but very well organized! read more

Shelly's - Classic Eggs & Benedict with house potatoes & baja omelette with hash brown - American Near Me - Burien, Washington

For was great. Service was better than most. Had the taco scramble grits and biscuit. My husband had the lumberjack scramble and biscuit. Definitely breakfast and take home dinner. Tons of food. Cooked perfectly. read more

Not a lot going on here. The CFS was okay but the gravy had a strange twang to it. Noticed it on every bite and that derailed it a bit. The hash browns were crispy like I asked but very oily. Eggs done perfectly at over easy. Maybe try something without the gravy next time. Too bad, I really love CFS. read more

Shelly's - CFS - American Near Me - Burien, Washington

Found cockroaches here and I'm never going back. There was a cockroach crawling on my cup and one on the wall.

Best service I've ever had anywhere hands down! The food here is not just excellent but it's unique...eggplant and eggs?! My boyfriend loves this! I love everything I've ever eaten here. I don't drink but they have the surprise of a full bar in the back. I love this place!! read more

We visited from out of town and were looking for a place near the airport for breakfast before our flight and did we pick the right place. Shelly's is the perfect place for breakfast. Great prices, friendly staff, and great local customers made it a great experience. It was exactly what you want from a local breakfast spot. The food was really good. Some of the best corned beef hash I've ever had. We visit the area often and Shelly's will be out go-to for breakfast before we travel. read more

We decided to try out Shelly's for breakfast on a Saturday morning instead of going to a place we've already been - I feel it was a good choice! The only downside to the experience was that when we got there, the power was out! I'm not sure how long it had been out but it stayed out the whole time we were there. I thought it was pretty cool of them to still stay open even though they had zero power! The place was packed. It's clear that they get a lot of regulars. Even though we showed up and were placed on a list, we were seated in less than five minutes. Service was good from start to finish. I ended up going with my usual Corned Beef Hash but ordered a chocolate chip pancake on the side (hello, pregnancy craving) and my boyfriend got the Biscuits and Gravy with a blueberry pancake on the side (sympathy craving). It took a little longer than usual to get our food out because of the power issue, but we still got it in a reasonable amount of time. I wasn't able to get decaf coffee because they weren't able to brew any, but it wasn't a big deal. My Corned Beef Hash was super tasty! I've had better, but it definitely was still tasty. I like that it was still moist (I HAATE THAT WORD) because I've had it at some places and it comes out like shoe leather. Their hashbrowns are pretty good too - nice and buttery but still crispy! My chocolate chip pancake was HUGE and definitely hit the spot. My boyfriend's Biscuits and Gravy was pretty tasty - definitely a good gravy in my opinion. They messed up on his order a little bit though. They gave him hashbrowns instead of house potatoes and his eggs were a little runny and didn't come with cheese like he had asked. We still have quite a few breakfast places to try in the area, so I'm not sure when we'll be back. But it's definitely a contender for tastiest breakfast in the area for sure! read more

Shelly's - Corned Beef Hash - American Near Me - Burien, Washington

I'm a huge fan of diners and always look forward to trying them wherever I travel. Shelly's seemed to fit the bill but we were just overall disappointed. Walking in was just awkward, the place was so quiet and a bit disheveled. Unfortunately, the coffee wasn't hot and our cups were dirty. The food left a lot to be desired. We ordered a traditional breakfast and the corn beef benedict. The portions were huge, which is a good thing considering the price but the flavor was not all there. My Benedict was drenched in hollandaise and had to go digging for egg, corn beef, and English muffin. The corned beef was great on its own and I really wish I had ordered the corn beef hash. I don't think I'll be returning. I will notate that the service was great, everyone was very friendly and helpful for what it's worth. read more

Fast, attentive service. Food was delicious and a huge portion. Coffee was piping hot. Had the eggs Benedict and they used thinly sliced ham instead of a thick piece of ham. It was absolutely delicious and plenty of hollindase sauce. So happy we went in today! read more

Wow! Fantastic breakfast and service at a pretty good price! I got the country fried steak and it was pretty spectacular. Nothing too fancy, just a properly made and delicious chicken fried steak. The hash browns were crispy, the eggs were fluffy.... can't complain! The waiter was very kind and regularly checked in on us. If I had to complain about anything it would be that the booth cushions no longer had any cushion left in them. But overall I was super impressed. Perfect Normandy Park morning spot! read more

Shelly's - Chicken fried steak and salmon Benedict! - American Near Me - Burien, Washington

Always delish and fast & friendly service! Such a huge menu to choose from for breakfast too

Great little spot for food. Excellent breakfast and service. Big plates of food. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.

Hidden little local gem in a strip mall. Our server was a 1 of a kind of fellow. Super honest, dry sense of humor and on the spot service. Food was a pretty good sized portion and down home kind of food. 2 of us had corn beef hash, 2 of us chicken fried steak and split it. Delicious! read more

Simply put, this is the jam! If you're coming into Burien or want some privacy away from the hub of Burien, this is a MUST stop for any hungry person. Not only are the portions massive, but the quality is insane! I got here at 8 am and by 9, the line was forming out the door. It is so worth the wait. I got the breakfast biscuit sandwich and when I saw the portion I almost had to take left overs. The jam is simply the best and when you get the house potatoes... you'll want to ask the recipe! Seasoned perfectly and crunchy in all the right places. Thanks for an awesome breakfast! We will for sure be back!!! read more

Shelly's - American Near Me - Burien, Washington

Searching for a diner-style breakfast place at which to celebrate my birthday, the twins and I came upon Shelly's - and we'll be back for sure. Our food was perfect - over-easy eggs done just right, perfectly cooked hashbrowns, and crispy bacon. We ordered a waffle to share, and my friends told our server it was my birthday. Our waffle came out of the kitchen plated with a tiny stack of sliced strawberries with a candle on it, and our server (Shelly herself, we think!) led the other patrons in singing the Happy Birthday song to me! Sweet and unexpected and just fun for this old gal and her besties. We loved the vibe and the friendly, relaxed clientele. read more

We love Shelly's just wish it was opened for dinner. The menu has lots of good options and the best bacon in town.

I only went once when they first opened. We had a simple menu question and the woman helping us said she was the owner. We asked about the bananas foster which I normally like but had tried at another Burien establishment we had heard this restaurant was affiliated with and didn't care for it. So I asked if it was the same recipe and instead got a lengthy lecture about how the two restaurants were in no way related whatsoever. It was in a nasty tone and at the end she said but yes it's the same recipe. Um... what? We are our meal, which was "ok" but never went back. Don't need that kinda negativity in my life. read more

We got here and got right in but the place got crowded. The service was great. Always topped the coffee off. The food was good. The ambiance was awesome. Suggest you give this place a try. read more

Been here about 3-4 times. Its related to Huckleberrys nearby which is cool, however service can take some time at Shellys. I'm not a picky eater. I even just finished at the gym. But the sausage patty was overcooked and not tasteful, hashies sucked (and I love hashies). Biscuit was a regret - dry and crumbling (usually go for toast, can't go wrong). I didn't even bother getting a to-go box and I am not the type to waste food. Poor experience, won't be back. Only went because of a nearby appointment. Gave it 2 stars instead of 1 due to previous better food experience but the wait time was definitely a trait. read more

This is a mixed review, I'm not certain i would come again unless a friend was dying to go, then I'd give it a second chance. The guy who sat us seemed to be in a rush & was not very personable. However our waitress at the bar was personable, upbeat & gave a great recommendation (crispy potatoes). The Baja bene eggs were over done, the caramel cappuccino tasted like coffee & creamer so I wasn't pleased. My husband's meal turned out better than mine which is good. Be aware if you're tall & sit at the bar, my knees hit. My advice, give it a try, maybe your luck will be better than mine. read more

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Walking in we didn't feel welcomed. Place was freezing cold. Coffee was old. Service didn't meet the expectations. Felt dirty in the restaurant but we still sat down to eat. This place had high ratings which was why we came all the way here on our way to Tacoma. Food was in large portions which helped get it to two stars. Not planning on coming back unfortunately. I don't usually rate places so low so this may be the first. Sorry. read more