Stepping through the doors to the Lunch Box is like stepping back in time to about 1987. The only updates made here are the flat screen tv and the air conditioning. The black and white tile, maroon counter, orange walls, and white metal deli case are all straight outta a different time. The service is fast and friendly and the menu is basic American breakfast stuff. The blueberry pancakes were outstanding and the hash browns were the kind that with a crispy outer layer and an almost mashed potato interior. This is not a fancy restaurant. They serve coffee in paper cups and meals on plastic plates. But it does staples fairly well and you really can't beat the prices. Two breakfast platters and two coffees were about $20. read more

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Sooo Delicious!! Extremely Fresh!! Awesome customer service!! Lunch time Breakfast Will definitely be returning. read more

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I eat here enough to be considered a regular. It's our family's gathering spot. From Way back with my Daddy on Wednesdays to weekends with my cousin. Love this place. Have had a few bumps in the road, but never with the food. It's inexpensive and completely fair. I always leave full and with feeling like my pockets were emptied. read more

Not much on ambiance, but who cares, given the quality of the food and service (both excellent) and friendly service! A must-go if you find yourself in Hampden. I just wish they had longer hours. read more

The Lunch Box is a very small old-timey style diner. That could use a deep cleaning.and smells like roach spray.The lady at the counter appears anxious but nice. The cook (owner maybe) didn't smile much but seemed nice to the customer. The bacon, eggs and home fries breakfast platter was good. read more

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True community diner on the Main Street. Conversation is good and comfortable They were out of chipped beef and Turkey bacon. So know your second choice. Table wasn't cleaned. And place was crowded. Masks were optional. Corned beef hash was good. Not crispy, bit tasty hash browns had excellent onions and a crisp outer section perfectly done. Comfortable place to get breakfast or lunch. Not a destination. read more

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My boyfriend and I's favorite breakfast spot with unbeatable prices, especially in this economy!!!

I really like The Lunch Box in Hampden because it offers diner fare in a downhome dive atmosphere. And, they have a collection of vintage lunchboxes that is definitely worth checking out. I needed breakfast! I got the 2 eggs (over easy) with bacon, hash browns, toast, and coffee for about $10. This was not at all greasy and was really well cooked. I ate every single piece of food that was on my plate. Service is friendly and if you are lucky, you might get to see some regulars. Thank you, Lunch Box, on the Avenue in Hampden! read more

The Lunch Box - Lunch boxes on display at The Lunch Box. I loved the Yellow Submarine lunchbox! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The food was great (prepared by the proprietor), price for two people... PHENOMENAL, and our server Heather was extraordinary! We will go back... frequently! read more

Low cost, good simple food. The staff is very friendly and gives it a great neighborhood dinner vibe

Everytime I've went there it's been so good and they've been so nice. Everyone is so sweet and the food is so good.

The Lunch Box was that local spot in Hampden that I always saw but never cared to go until recently. We wanted to eat at a different place but faced with long wait times we ended up here. The Lunch Box is your classic no-frills American dinner. And when I saw no-frills I really do mean none, menu is super basic but cheap which a plus I guess. Ordered the chocolate chip hot cakes with sausage and scrambled eggs. Service was a little slow and there was quite a bit of waiting to order and then again for our waters and a wait for then the food even though they weren't super busy. Food was decent and for the price you can't really complain but at the same time it wasn't anything special. Portion sizes were decent too which made the meal a decent value overall. Would I come here again though? Ehhh probably not. I wouldn't say this place is bad or horrible but it doesn't really stand out in any way. If you want to spend some money during the weekend on a nice brunch then The Lunch Box wouldn't be the place to go. Pretty much everything they make here is basically what you could make at home. read more

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Quick old fashioned breakfast , don't come for the "ambiance " it's not there , nostalgic yes

THEY WILL RANDOMLY STOP SERVING YOU FOOD. I go to this place often. Normally I grab carry out breakfast. On Wednesday this week I was trying to place an order while driving and had poor service. The call got disconnected before I could complete my order, so I called back. First I got a busy tone. The next call failed because I didn't have service. So I gave up on placing the order and ate something else. I called today (Saturday so 3 days later) to place a similar order and they recognized me (since I order the same thing often) and asked if I placed an order the other day. I told them I tried and failed to put in an order because of cell reception. They said they completed my order but no one showed up (though they never called me back to confirm). I apologized for the technical difficulties and assured them I was near by and ready to pick it up as soon as it's ready. After a brief hold, the nice lady on the phone told me that the owner was refusing to complete my order. I was puzzled and only said "wait what?" Then she hung up on me. I called back and said we got disconnected then she explained that they would not serve me and hung up again. I'm pretty bummed out, this is my favorite breakfast place and I made an honest mistake. 3 days later they still remember me and refuse to serve me. So am I just not allowed to do carry out here? Is there a statute of limitations? Please next time call back to confirm an order if you get disconnected in the middle of a call since you have strict policies to stop serving people. read more

This is a the best breakfast place around here. I'm a big breakfast man and they have my favorites! Biscuits and sausage gravy and the absolute best chipped beef on toast. All homemade and yummy. I love there giant pancakes too! The atmosphere is laid back and crowded and everyone knows your name. The staff are very friendly attentive. In case you couldn't tell I highly suggest you get down and experience it for yourself and let me know if I steered you wrong. PS: if you're in a hurry you better go to a fast food place because you're going to get a home cooked breakfast here! read more

TL;DR: Nope! My boyfriend and I came here looking for a quick lunch and had an overall very mediocre experience. I came in understanding that this was not going to be high-end food, but in exchange I expected cheap prices, good flavors, and fast service. I got the cheap pricing, but not the other two. I opted for the Spanish omelette ($6.45) which came with an omelette with pepper, onion, salsa, as well as home fries and toast (although I opted for an english muffin), while my boyfriend ordered the A-3 (2 eggs, corn beef hash, and toast for $5.65). We also shared onion rings ($2.95). FOOD The omelette was literally just vegetables wrapped in egg with salsa on top. There was no integration of the ingredients whatsoever, and the omelette was severely underseasoned. The home fries were rather soggy and also lacked flavor. Finally, the english muffin was oversaturated (I'm talking swimming) in margarine. It was inedible even after I tried to soak up the margarine with napkins. My boyfriend complained about his toast (which was also drenched in margarine) as well as his too-salty and underflavored corn beef hash. The onion rings were probably my favorite part of the meal but they were a bit too salty. SERVICE Food came out so slowly. We waited for a long time (30-40 minutes) for mediocre food. The restaurant had customers, but it seemed like most people had their food when we walked in, so not sure what the hold up was. Overall verdict: SO many places to eat in Hampden - go elsewhere. read more

This place just opened up in Hampden. It occupies the former Mike's Place location across from Golden West on the Avenue. We stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday and were seated immediately. Nothing fancy about this little place that specializes in breakfast and lunch. It's a straightforward breakfast joint; eggs, home fries, coffee, breakfast meats. I had the eggs, corned beef hash, and home fries. My wife had eggs and bacon. Hearty portions and just what you'd expect; a great breakfast. The thing that set the Lunch Box apart was the prices. About half as much as you are going to spend at Golden West or Cafe Hon. Golden West may have more exotic breakfast options, but The Lunch Box was exactly the same quality as Cafe Hon at about half the price! Definitely recommend! read more

The Lunch Box - Next to Squidfire, across from Golden West on The Avenue. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I hate to hammer this place. I'll start with the positive: Really nice people. My eggs were good. It's really cheap. Now the bad. My ice water tasted awful. Dirty glass? Bad ice maker? I don't know but it was gross. My cream curdled badly in the coffee. And they nicely got me a second but unfortunately the coffee was pretty mediocre. The hash browns were soggy with grease. Employees smoke just outside the door with the door open, and the the smoke comes back in. Some of this may have just been bad luck. I can imagine having a good experience here but unfortunately it didn't happen today. read more

The manager Ki P is one of the coolest people you will meet, that alone is worth the trip to the Lunchbox! Good food and People!

I just got a bacon egg and cheese for under 4 dollars and it was delicious. Brings back memories of growing up my father would make breakfast sandwiches before going out and they were always great and every time I go to lunch box breakfast platter omelet or grill cheese it a home run. read more

Yo Ki Park ... Dude can cook. Make sure you go check out my old list fried Ki park ant the Luch Box. Support your local business.

This place is a very casual and cheap place to get quick food. However, it's not the cleanest place in the world. As soon as we were seated, I was given a dirty fork that still had remains of some dried up egg yolk. Other than that, the food was pretty good. It's not anything gourmet but it'll fix your dirty food cravings. My boyfriend ordered the cheeseburger with fries (their fries taste just like the Popeyes fries!). I ordered the French Toast with two eggs and bacon. The prices are pretty good too. I give two stars even though the food was good. It's pretty dirty in there and you kind of feel dirty after eating too. PS- I read somewhere on the reviews they only take cash. They take cards, just not American express read more

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Had some great hot cakes bacon and eggs. Fast and friendly service. Will come here again. read more

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I'm gonna sound like AOC but I've finally found a place in the area that has a good and real bacon egg and cheese sandwich. None of that carton egg crap that white hipsters wanna charge an egregious amount for. You can actually have your egg made to order and it's seasoned! I don't know why that's so hard for people to do but it's a godsend that I can finally satiate that craving. The bacon is also cooked perfectly and they give you a good amount. Haven't tried anything else but for this alone, it's worth the five stars. Wish there were more true diners in baltimore, especially open late but until then I'll just have to get up early to get my fix read more

My goodness what an awesome breakfast sandwich. We did a quick stop here to get the kids breakfast. We ordered bacon egg and cheese sandwiches for everybody. They we quick in getting us the order. Maybe a 7minute wait. I just tasted one of their sandwiches and it tastes AMAZING!!!!! This place is definitely on my list of return visits for all the right reasons!!!! read more

The Lunch Box - Yummy in her tummy! Bacon egg and cheese sandwich. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This little diner is an illustration of how NOT to run a restaurant. The waitress was incredibly rude and incompetent. Three requests for ketchup resulted in no ketchup but a lot of excuses. I finally got up and grabbed it myself. No coffee refills. The food was very average. Greasy, yes. Tasty, no. The food - except for breakfast - is not fresh cooked. Frozen food, re-heated food that is cold in the middle? Oh no. There are far better places to eat. Unless you like nasty waitresses who can't do their job and serve food that isn't worth much - stay away from this place. read more

Actually 1 and half Stars for the service. My Family and I stopped in here yesterday for Lunch, and my Wife and I were very disappointed with the food here. My Daughter got the Chicken Tenders with Fries, and we got the Reuben's. My Daughter got off easy with her Lunch, whereas we didn't. The Reuben's, if you can call them that, were not the greatest. The Corn Beef, Swiss Cheese, American Cheese, which does not belong on a Reuben, all tasted like they came from the pre-package section of the Supermarket. The Dressing on there did not taste that well also. My Wife didn't even finish half of her sandwich. The Waitress was friendly enough though, but they also do not take Credit/Debit Cards though. You have to get cash from an ATM which is either the 7 Eleven which is just a couple of doors down, or the bank which is a couple of blocks away, which is a hassle to get to. Went to use the restroom, and it was not that clean, neither was the Lunch Box. In the restroom, there was a dirty washcloth on top of the towel dispenser, and so was the roll of toilet paper. The floor was filthy, and was as the dining area. I don't know how they can stay in business with such filth around. My advice for anyone looking for Lunch in this area is to go somewhere else to eat. The food is not that great, and not that clean. Go to either one of the other places in the area to eat, or go down to the Inner Harbor and the area south of there for your Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Do not eat here at all! read more

Just another American diner. Good news was that the Asian server was pretty courteous and quick on her feet. My eggs were requested to be soft-scrambled, which is how I always order my eggs, but it was a little runny and not all of the whites were cooked. Sure, it was "soft", but it wasn't properly done. That's fine, I paid $6 for the whole meal... The coffee was strong and very hot. Definitely a plus and a must for a diner. I ordered sausage links (you get a choice of links or patty) and they were fine. Probably frozen for months and cooked on a flat-top. Greasy and good. And their hashbrowns and toast were good for a diner. Very simple. Nothing fancy at all. Just another $6 meal for a 10AM weekday breakfast. I'd go here if you're in a rush. If you're in the area, try them out for a really cheap diner meal in the middle of 36th St! read more

If you're the soy-milk drinking, gluten-free eating, egg-white requiring type, The Lunch Box is not for you. You should eat at Golden West across the street, where though you will pay more, they will accommodate you beautifully. The Lunch Box is not bad at all but it's just as basic and no-frills as it comes. It is fast old school diner food. There are 8 four-top tables and a small counter with about four seats. Service is fast and they are not willing to make fussy accommodations or substitutions. For example, scrambled eggs with feta was a no-go. They have feta (as evidenced by the Greek omelet on their menu) and they clearly have eggs...but they wouldn't make it. Toast is sometimes stale tasting. My boyfriend loves their simple French toast and cheap coffee, and I'm sure we'll be back because they serve breakfast all day long! read more

Straight across Hampden's 36th street from Golden West Cafe, the Lunch Box is a good dive-y alternative for brunch when I'm not feeling like a half-hour wait for a huge, pricy breakfast with ramekins of guacamole on the side. I dropped in here for the first time on a snow day when I was just looking for something to eat and a warm place to sit, and had a great, simple breakfast (two over-medium eggs, a big slab of hashbrowns, etc, you know the deal). It's super cheap and never crowded, though I wouldn't recommend going with a big group. And if you want more vibe, or a mimosa, you should probably find your way across The Avenue, 'cause this side is not the place for either. read more

In town to visit a friend and she brought me here. Ordered the cheesesteak, & it was good! Tasted even better the next day. Cheap, delicious, greasy food! & Super fast service. It really is no frills, get and go. Also a plus they serve breakfast all day, for those that don't wake up super early! The atmosphere is very relaxed and causal, typical of what may be expected from a diner. A must next time I'm in town. read more

The boyfriend and I were on the way to Philadelphia this morning and decided to stop for breakfast before hitting I-95. We headed for Hampden, originally intending to go to Golden West, but we arrived just a bit too early - they were closed. I originally thought, "ugh, not Cafe Hon", but then the Love of My Life, in a brilliant move, turned around and saw The Lunch Box across the street with its bright, cheery "Open" sign. What the hell, it's breakfast, let's keep it simple. It turns out that we couldn't have made a better choice. The minute we walked in, we knew this was our kind of place - it's unassuming, unpretentious, and delightfully inexpensive. I saw diner-style food and worn (but very clean) tables, not "ambiance" and high prices. It only took me one look at Golden West's menu to see that I'd be paying double digits for a simple omelette - no, thanks. I had the French toast special with eggs and sausage, LoML had the "hotcake" special with more or less the same options, and coffee. Everything was cooked just the way we asked for it; it was simple, delicious, and filling, which is just what was required. It was very obvious that the Lunch Box has its regulars, as a lot of the waitresses seemed to know folks on a first-name basis, and that's great. Service was very good, no complaints here. This little place is a refreshing break from the upscale (which equals expensive) eateries in Hampden. I was telling LoML during breakfast that the Lunch Box is like what Hampden USED to be - inexpensive, cheap, with down-to-earth Baltimore natives who don't like a lot of pretentious, snobbish attitude. In other words, this place made me feel right at home. THIS is the place where the REAL "hons" hang out - hon. We'll definitely be returning for more breakfast, coffee, and Sunpapers. read more

This is one of my favorite places for breakfast food in Hampden, hands down. The Lunch Box offers good service to accompany the breakfast plates and omelets that cost only around $6. I've had many positive experience when ordering take-out as well as dining in. The breakfasts are fresh, fast and tasty. I give them an extra thumbs up for offering sausage patties, which I greatly prefer to most sausage links. Fast coffee and other beverage refills cap off the experience here. Do keep in mind that this is a rather small diner and that their forte is most certainly their breakfast (in my opinion). For a no-frills breakfast at a great price, there is no substitute in Hampden. read more

This place could be so much better...if they would just CLEAN it. Every surface is grimy. The person clearing a table for us barely got the crumbs up, and when handing us silver wear, was holding the wrong end of it. The end that goes into your mouth. After cleaning up the dirty table. Hell. No. I like the no frills vibe, and the food is standard diner stuff. The staff is nice enough. But the blatant refusal to even pretend that they care about cleanliness is just too much for me. I won't go back. read more

Not worth it. Came in for the "no frills breakfast" and it was definitely basic diner food. This place is playing at being a cheap greasy spoon diner, fine, but waiting 45 minutes for pancakes when the restaurant is dead is completely unacceptable. Also, only 1 coffee refill? Give me a break, most places are bottomless cup. The pricing is OK, but this place isn't worth the time or effort. I'd rather just hit up a dunkin. read more

The! Lunch Box is one of the best restaurants for breakfast food. From the potatoes to the meat (soft bacon for me) an eggs (cooked just the way you like). read more

Incredibly slow service, but that's because there's one server for the whole restaurant. The cooks are backed up beyond belief, and it took us over 45 minutes to get out food (with no drink refills during that time). The same was true for all the other patrons. With such long wait times, they should definitely offer more than one free refill on sodas and coffee. The server was way overworked, but she maintained a positive demeanor. The same is not true of the back kitchen staff. They were all grumpy and rude. The restaurant could use a good deep clean, too. Lots of sticky surfaces. They get two stars because the coffee was fresh and the food was delicious!! read more

There is a video circulating from 1/16/2018 of the owner being very racist to what seems like a black male delivery driver who may or may not dropped off the shops groceries in the wrong spot. It's 2018 and this is unacceptable to spew hate comments bc your angry read more

Best place to go for omelets in Hampden. Simple and consistent. The hash brown potatoes are delicious. My husband and I love to sit at the bar and watch the lady cook up everyone's breakfast on the flat grill. Cheap prices and friendly staff. I love the Hampden neighborhood vibe. Just thinking about this place makes me want to go there for breakfast tomorrow. Mmm mmm mmm. read more

The Lunch Box - Watching your breakfast being prepared from the bar adds to the bustling ambiance of The Lunch Box. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I know that this is a dive but I still prefer it to a lot of the other hipster places around for breakfast. The ceiling fan in the kitchen was hanging on by a thread and wobblying for the longest time and the place has no ac which is very noticeable in the summer. it's a no frills korean dinner that employs and is frequented by hamptownies. The omelette and coffee hits the spot! I think it's kind of charming. I prefer the food to overpriced hipster fare and it's fast and quick. read more