Hidden gem in a shopping center that you wouldn't expect to have. I've been in the area for decades and never knew this place existed. I ordered for pickup and to my surprise, everything was ready (despite the system through here and GH not being accurate at all). Inside, the tables were packed and there was a line. It looked like everyone was eating breakfast around noon still. I ended up getting a Philly Sub and Quesadilla. Everything was fresh and not super greasy or soaked in oil. Highly recommended if you are at the shopping center and want to try something different. UPDATE: Came in here for breakfast on a Saturday and it's packed. Service is quick. Food is better than IHOP. Now I know why there is a line to get in here on the weekend. 4.5 STARS! read more

Van Dorn Diner - Philly Sub - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Cute, old-school local diner! I love the outdoor patio and the interior is a blast from the past. Started off with the Dulce de Leche y Banana French Toast. Really thick and yummy bread, but I think it was more Caramel than Dulce de Leche (if you catch muy drift). Then, we shared the Mexican Breakfast and Traditional Benedict. Really loved the hash browns! Both were flavorful, but a bit pricey for a diner. The hollandaise sauce was an interesting texture... kind of like grits? Never seen that before, but it was pretty tasty. Service was great! Nice place for brunch with friends or family. read more

See all

Water is usually what I start with so let me start to where I went to first. The bathroom for men was nothing special. Nothing that matches my home throne. *4.0 out of 5* for the mens restroom. I was told women was just the same that day. Now regarding the actual restaurant! Walking in felt normal and I noticed nothing that would make me upset. Walking in I am lucky to get the pancake smell take over :) About the spot. It felt like such a breakfast joint for sure. The vibe was great and the bar made it seem like I would go there for a shake when my wife isn't down for a breakfast lunch. *4.2/5* The mirrors made it feel nice and spacious for me. The food was awesome! It was exactly what I wanted from a place like this. The chicken waffle and bacon is what I want. Cooked well. Not to dry. Not to wet. Not burnt. Not undercooked. Not under cooked. Maybe I was lucked. Much better than IHOP. *4.5/5* for Chicken Waffle with bacon. Very happy. The syrup they use went very will with the food they cooked.Overall I like this breakfast house. It ended up to an average 17 per person for my multiple trips. So do as you will with that. read more

See all

I love this local diner! I've been here multiple times and the folx there never disappoints! The food is consistently good, always freshly made and comes out hot. My personal favorites include their Belgian-style waffles and hash browns. The waffles are perfectly crispy and airy and any topping is delicious. The hashbrowns are always hot and crispy, a perfect accompaniment to eggs, bacon, sausage, and usual breakfast foods. The staff here is really nice, friendly, and warm. It really the experience even more special. I always have a bunch of questions about the menu and the servers are always patient and helpful. Lastly, I like that the place is always clean! Sometimes, diners can be divvy or downright dirty, but not Van Dorn Diner. read more

See all

The place has a cool old school diner vibe, good service and decent food. Food is pretty good price for DC area standards. Popeye Benedict was good. I thoroughly enjoyed it and did it think it was too heavy like some Benedicts are. Pancakes were awesome. I've been craving blueberry pancakes and it definitely satisfied that craving. Overall the place is great. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Blueberry Full Stack Popeye Benedict - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Stinging Lack of Respect and Hospitality. I am a retired U.S. Air Force Veteran who has lived and traveled all over the world, from the Orient to Europe and North Africa. In all my travels, I have never encountered the level of stinging rudeness I experienced from the older male manager at this diner. Because I moved to an empty, adjacent table in a nearly vacant dining room to give myself some space while grieving my sister, he became hostile and combative. The floor staff is polite, but the management is aggressively disrespectful. I will never return. read more

Stopped by on Tuesday around 11am. The diner wasn't too packed and we were able to seat ourselves. The inside is cute and looks like a typical diner. The menu is broad and has both breakfast and lunch/dinner options. We both opted for breakfast and got the breakfast burrito and an omelet. My omelet was ok. It was cheesy. The hash browns were dry and lacking flavor. You can tell they came from a bag out of the freezer. My friend enjoyed their burrito but agreed it wasn't anything amazing. Overall, this is overpriced diner food with great attentive service. read more

Van Dorn Diner - The Elvis Omelette with hash browns - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Neighborhood diner, constantly busy, friendly staff, local police having breakfast - love this place! I was looking for a diner the last time I visited VA/DC, somewhere we can go to when I'm in town and found this place on YELP! So glad I did because we've been going ever since. Love the coffee and their pancakes are so fluffy, Steak was cooked perfectly too. Give it a try. read more

See all

A cute spot with an old school diner feel. Good sized portions and friendly staff. Mimosas are delish too! Plenty of parking as well read more

See all

You definitely want to give this place a try if you're looking for diner food. The portions are huge, the food tastes great, and the service is friendly. read more

See all

Great food, great service, comfortable place and reasonable prices!! A hidden gem. I didn't wanna be honest bc I don't want it to get crowded, but they are too deserving, not to praise.. read more

We stopped by Van Dorn Diner for a quick breakfast before grocery shopping and it turned out to be the best decision! We ordered the French Toast Deluxe with scrambled eggs, turkey, and house fries, along with the Van Dorn Deluxe with scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and hash browns. Everything was freshly made, served warm, and tasted absolutely delicious. The portions were perfect, and you could really tell they care about the quality of their food. Definitely coming back again! read more

See all

Always timely! The food is delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned. The staff is consistently helpful, in a good mood, and generating an enjoyable environment. This spot quickly became a top favorite read more

Cute diner with 50's vibes. Food was good, and staff was friendly. I would recommend this place when in Virginia. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Veggie omelet with Swiss cheese, home fries and bacon. In the background, eggs with American cheese with grits - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is the type of diner that I've been looking for in Rockville (miss Woodside Deli!). We are in the Landmark area and were craving for some breakfast. This place sure hit the spot! Looks like a family run place and it's exactly what I had expected and wanted. Will come back here for sure. Typical cheerful diner space and good food. Love the hash browns and my scrapple was cooked perfectly. Our waitress was brisk and the food came out very fast. Come here for your classic diner food and ambiance! read more

Van Dorn Diner - Silver Dollar Pancakes with one egg and bacon - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

I love this place! It was my 1st time here with a friend and my wife. We all loved this place. For the following reasons: 1. It's a cute diner feel, very clean and awesome color scheme. 2. Very friendly staff that appear to work well with each other. 3. Good coffee 4. Solid breakfast with LARGE portions. 5. Laid back and they did not rush us out the door. Now comes the details to back up my claims: (Ugh, I sound like I am back I grad school) 1. Remember those diners back when you were in high school and college. (I am in my 40s). It has that feel on the inside. The typical booths, and counter with the built in stools. It took me back to those times. 2. The staff members were friendly and attentive. Veronica was excellent. I witnessed a visually impaired patron come into the diner. Immediately staff members went over to assist her with seating and ordering. The care and patience they showed here was above and beyond, almost like they were taking care of family. I think.... Adelene, was her server. Just really comforting to see. 3. Coffee was good. It's important for a diner to have good coffee at the right temperature. They have these cool mugs and come around with refills. Very important factor! And unlimited refills. 4. Food was good! I made a lot of requests for my meal, certain things well done other items less cooked. ( I like my eggs over easy and my potatoes well done). Veronica got my order right and it was cooked well. The portions are large. I have breakfast for tomorrow also. 5. We were enjoying ourselves and noticed a wait at the door. But we were not rushed out. We were considerate and wrapped up quicker than normal, but not because we were forced to. I highly recommend this place. We will be back! read more

See all

-Parking Plenty of parking in the shopping center m. Service- I came here with a friend because we're shopping in the area. Once we walked in a server greeted us at the door and sat us down very quickly. Our waiter was Chris, he was amazing any questions that we had he was able to answer effectively. Ambience- The ambience at the diner gave very much diner which I love and they didn't have any TVs. They wanted you to actually talk to the person in front of you or if you were with someone you were able to talk to them which was really great. Food- The food was everything you thought you were getting down to the waffles the wings the platters the everything was great they didn't have a drink menu, but I did get a mimosa with pineapple, which was everything. I will definitely be coming back again. read more

See all

Van Dorn Diner is a great image to have delicious breakfast! They have extended their hours and we love the warm atmosphere and attention that we always get. Love their coffee and comfy vibes! read more

Van Dorn Diner is a cute, little local diner with all the diner stuff you want. The eggs I got and my friend got were perfectly seasoned and the milkshake was delicious. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Florentine Omelette with Home Fries - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Van Dorn Diner is a decent place for breakfast/brunch. We've been here several times now. Typical 50's theme though the menu does have a modern slick design. We have not had dinner here, but they are open till 8pm Thu-Sat. Other than on those days, Van Dorn Diner closes at the typical 3:00pm. The staff is young, very young actually, and sometimes the inexperience shows in the service. But they are respectful. Typical diner fare, but a bit unusual is the avgolemono soup they offer. Usually this soup is pretty good but yesterday it was runny and didn't taste right. I ordered my usual bacon and eggs served with hash browns and toast. The bacon portion was very generous. The hash browns were not bad (it's rare to never that I encounter hash browns I won't eat), though they have a bit of an industrial instant potato Aramark flavor. Toast is a chintzy single piece of room temperature unbuttered browned bread (they do provide a couple packets of butter/oleo and a packet of jelly with the toast). However, JP's well-prepared club sandwich was big and good. read more

Their Classic Hamburger (Double) has ruined me with Wendy's. Will forever in the future just make a trip across the parking lot.

We were visiting friends here and in the mood for traditional American diner food. I had the BLT and it was fantastic with generous portion size. The staff was attentive and the atmosphere was so cute. read more

It's very hard for a diner to impress me as most of the ones I've been to are very basic. This place was no exception. Nothing really special here, eggs, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, potatoes in multiple ways, burgers, salads, that's about it. Servers were great and it is a very casual place with mom and pop vibes. The food here is very average/Ok. Great for a cheap local breakfast craving. read more

Food was ok . Home fries was extremely dry. And I didnt receive what I ordered and had already got back home before checking my food. My mistake. read more

Came here on a whim for breakfast. it was really good. Food came out hot and quick. Nice little diner if you want good breakfast. Portions are huge. Everyone was welcoming and friendly :) read more

Van Dorn Diner - Ham & Cheese Omelette with bacon - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

First time dining at the diner. I ordered cookies and cream waffles and added eggs, sausage, and hash browns on the side. The waffles were really good! It's hard to mess up eggs, sausage, and hash browns, and I'm glad they didn't. The prices are reasonable too, and I'll def be coming back. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

When I came into the diner it was a throwback. The service was great and we enjoyed our meals it was tasty and hot came out at perfect time. Overall would like to try breakfast might come back! read more

See all

There are a handful of diners in the local area and I would not be inclined to recommend Van Dorn Diner. While I appreciate that it is small business and has a quaint atmosphere, the service was only average. More importantly, the food was remedial, bland, and virtually flavorless, everything from the omelets to the fries. I notice that others have also commented about the lack of flavor, so I am glad we are not alone in this viewpoint. read more

Food is consistent, made fresh, good selection/options. They have great service- coffee cups are always filled and the staff is friendly, the tables are clean when you sit down. Ambiance is diner- it's kitschy in a fun way, bright, booth and stool/counter options. It does get loud on the weekends. read more

Food was great, I would say they added way too much sweet peppers to the omelette that I really couldn't taste the chorizo, but it was still good. The biscuits and gravy was good could use a tab bit more gravy to cover the underside of the biscuits. My buddy liked the eggs Benedict. Home fries were great and the waffle was good as well. Definitely will be coming back to try other options. Service was good, and very on point with checking on us regularly. The diner itself felt like an old school diner and had good spacing for the size that it is. It felt great and the booths were very comfortable. read more

See all

Great breakfast diner. Cleans a modern. Fantastic service. Great people. Good vibes. Food is always prepared well and delivered soon after ordering. And the taste is above average on everything I've tried. Love their hash browns. Great crispy bacon. The only minor complaint I have is the coffee. It's a bit on the weak side and has a flavor that is unknown to me. All in all a great place for breakfast! read more

Food: In my opinion, the food was not very impressive. I got "The Sweet & Salty" sandwich with a side of home fries. For my drink I ordered a cookies and cream shake. The sandwich was mediocre. The French toast was bland and the eggs tasted under seasoned. The bacon was past chewy to the point of being tough. Rather than typical cubed home fries, theirs appeared to be shredded (or something similar). Instead of being crispy, they were tough and a bit hard to chew through. The shake was fine, but I definitely wouldn't order it again. There was too much milk which diluted the flavor and after I started drinking it the ice cream began separating from the milk. Not sure whether that is caused by a certain type of ice cream or just not sufficient blending. Service: Our server was very kind and nice. The one thing I will say is that the shakes were not listed on the menu and the server did not mention them. I had to ask if they had them and what kinds, and I would not have known to do this had I not seen pictures of them online. Atmosphere: It seems to be going for a 1950's American diner theme with other areas thrown in. The decor and music is modeled after a traditional 1950's American diner. The breakfast menu also falls in line with the diner theme; however, the lunch menu also features Mediterranean, Mexican, and Italian food which I found a bit random given the rest of the restaurant. While the server was nice and the place has a fun concept, I found the food to be mediocre and would not eat here again. read more

See all

Really enjoyed our visit here! We wanted to venture out of Springfield and this place had pretty good reviews. So we went on June 19 holiday so I think it was a little busier and maybe the staff didn't anticipate it. That was fine. We waited about seven or eight minutes to sit down. I like their menu waffles, pancakes, eggs,, etc. They offer hashbrowns or home fries. Everything was very good. My husband enjoyed the waffle. The only negative was the hashbrowns. They were maybe a little less crispy than I'd like. But overall enjoyed the coffee and the service and would go back! Also prices were very reasonable! read more

Van Dorn Diner - Biscuits & Sausage Gravy - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

I checked this place out a few days ago for a quick breakfast. I was greeted and seated immediately upon walking in. The server was extremely friendly and made some great recommendations. I opted for the Dulce de leche French toast, scrambled eggs with cheese, and bacon. The food came out extremely quickly and was tasty. The food was a bit pricier than I expected for a diner , but the quality of the food was well worth it. Definitely recommend for a quick bite! read more

Van Dorn Diner - Dulce de Leche y Banana FT - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Tiny diner really trying to get 1950s vibes with the decor. Pancakes were top tier, supper fluffy. Big portions on the entrees. Eggs completely covered the corned beef hash. Home fries were better than the hash browns. County gravy was underwhelming. read more

See all

I stopped into Van Dorn Diner earlier this morning to check them out for breakfast. I liked the vibe...it was giving a 1950s type of vibe with the decor. The hostess was very accommodating to the seating that I requested and I truly appreciate that. My server was pleasant and fast on her feet. My breakfast came out pretty quickly too. I ended up ordering their Breakfast Burrito with Homefries on the side. The Burrito was good but just ordinary good, if you know what I mean. There was a good amount of the ingredients in the burrito (they didn't skimp) and all the ingredients tasted good. It just didn't wow me. It came with Salsa and Sour Cream, but maybe if they would have added a special sauce it would have been better. But it's still a decent choice if you like Breakfast Burritos. I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. Their Homefries were a no-go for me...mostly because of the onions they cut up in it. The onions were not cooked in the slightest bit. So, you had these chunks of crunchy raw onions chillin in the homefries and there was a good amount of them in there too. To me personally, it kinda messed up my homefries. I had to try to avoid them as I ate because there were so many, and it was messing up the flavor of the homefries. So, that gets a 5 out of 10. Overall, I'd still give them a 8 out of 10 because the customer service was a 10 out of 10 but the food took them down two notches. I'd definitely give them another try though and get a different menu item. If it happens to be breakfast when I come back again, I'll be sure to politely ask if I could have no onions in my homefries. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Mirrored view of Van Dorn Diner's Dining Room - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Truly one of the last diners around. The place is cozy and family owned. We were so happy we beat the morning rush and were seated right away. The wait staff were so attentive. The restaurant offers the typical morning breakfast platters, eggs with protein and potatoes, as well as fresh pancakes. My eggs over medium were cooked perfectly and my husband enjoyed his scrapple. My daughter was so happy they had shredded hash browns. It is surprisingly how hard it is to fine the "shredded" kind. Lately only IHOP carries them. Most restaurants have potato cubes or home fries but my daughter's favorite is the shredded style. The bottom is super crispy and the top side is nice soft potato. I wish the restaurant was located closer to us because then we would go more often. read more

We love the Van Dorn diner! Food is awesome, it's not just a cute themed place. A little noisy and echoey, so if you have hearing issues choose your spot carefully or sit on the patio. Love the blueberry pancakes, patty melt, omelette with chorizo, jalapeños and cheddar. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Make me act so funny, wanna spend my money, make me feel real loose like a long neck goose! - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We've been coming here for several years now. Today we had a wonderful late breakfast. We enjoyed a couple omelets, short stack of pancakes, and hash browns. We really like coming here, listening to the oldies tunes they play and looking at the pictures and art work of musical artists from the 50s and 60s. As usual the service is very good. read more

Van Dorn Diner - Veggie Omelette, Western Omelette, Short Stack - Diners Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Fun diner with good food and very fast service! I went here with a friend and got the breakfast burrito which consisted of potatoes, chorizo, and eggs. The food came out very quick and was tasty! Overall a good experience! read more