29 Diner
| Address: | 10536 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA |
| Phone: | +1 703-352-0029 |
| Site: | 29diner.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 6AM–12AM 6AM–12AM 6AM–12AM 6AM–12AM 6AM–12AM 6AM–12AM 6AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
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David Young
I must have driven past this diner hundreds of times over the last 5 years. Almost every single time, I whisper to myself that I would try it one day. Well today was the day. I dragged one of my friends with me for breakfast to discuss life as we do every other week. One of the reasons why I finally decided to eat here is that I heard that 29 Diner was under new ownership and many issues with the previous iteration of this restaurant have been eliminated or improved. I can attest that not much was wrong with my visit today. First thing I noticed when I walked in was how small the diner is. There is plenty of counter seating and a few small tables. We were greeted by the staff and sat ourselves. We chose a table. It was a bit eclectic because of the various types of stools and chairs, but we were comfortable enough. One thing I would warn about is that the tables are really cramped, so bigger people may want to choose counter seating. The staff was super friendly and made sure we got our orders in and our coffee cups full. They were helpful in helping us decide what to order. I ordered the bacon egg burger with sausage gravy. It was amazing! It was incredibly juicy, flavorful, and filling. I would eat this again. The waitress told me afterwards that they have a similar but bigger burger that consists of a country fried steak during dinner. That is something that I will be looking forward to on my next visit. Overall, it was a very good experience. I would eat here again.
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Katie Hilferty
I used to love this place but now will never go back. My husband and I ordered catering for our daughters baptism party, paid in advance, but when we went to pick up the food, the staff had never been told by the owner about our order. He wasnt even there. We had to wait an hour for the food (with guests already at our house) while the staff made everything. To make it worse, the staff told us they were "not authorized" to give us any kind of refund/discount for the restaurants losing our order, but that the owner would definitely call us to apologize and take care of it. Well, he never called, and when I tried to call him, he didnt pick up the phone and his voice mailbox was full. So we paid full price for a stressful experience with late service. Totally disappointing.
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Greg Gaines
Stopped here with my son on a recent road trip from Washington to Charlottesville - its a classic roadside diner original from 1947. Best "chicken-fried steak" with mashed potatoes and sawmill gravy Ive had in years (and Ive had more than a few!). Dont come here looking for molecular gastronomy - this is classic diner fare: big, meaty burgers, breakfast served all day, and a chunky version of sausage gravy that aficionados will find sublime. Our waitress couldnt have been more helpful, and even brought us out drinks for the road when she noticed we were still out front plotting our GPS course several minutes after leaving. On the way to a lot of places, and just off 66, its worth timing your drive so that youll be passing through Fairfax around mealtime!
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Tony Piccirillo
Probably will not be returning. Food and service was great the last time I ate here - about two years ago. I understand ownership has changed recently. Our server was lousy and unprofessional. My friend and I split the bill and when she came back with the credit card slips she labeled each slip with the words BLACK and GREY. Rather than address us by our names she decided it would be more appropriate color-code us by what we were wearing. It was weird. My names on my credit card if youre too afraid to ask! More importantly - the food was terrible this time around. My fried chicken sandwich was dry. Fries were bland. My friends Belgian waffle looked like a mess. They need a whole new staff to put this place back together.
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Marie Fisher
Visited this morning about 10:30, they have been open 8 days and are still getting their "sea legs". Menu is limited and each entrée seemed huge, so we asked if we could share an entrée. They couldnt have been nicer. Coffee was fresh and any of the staff with a fresh pot was glad to refresh our cups. We ordered the pancakes and eggs, 3 pancakes, 3 eggs and choice of bacon or sausage and an extra plate. Fluffy pancakes, fresh eggs (not some pasteurized blend of yellow) and sausage patties, we cleaned our plates. The place is freshly cleaned and the bathrooms look great, not wheelchair accessible, but it is from the 40s. There are 6 tables and a large counter. I saw pies, so we will be back.
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Sean Byrd
Well it was my first and will be my last visit. The sausage patties were tough like rocks, seemed old and the pancakes were not fully cooked as I still tasted the gooey batter mix in my first bite. Thats pretty gross if you ask me. I could have just went home and cooked me a much better and tastier stack of pancakes or just went across the street to Dennys for a decent 3am meal after coming home from the bars. According to the tone of the other reviews, maybe I just had bad luck with this place and perhaps it either wasnt that cooks night, a newbie working the grill, who knows. At least the people were nice, Ill give it that.
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Steven Hernandez
Been a frequent diner here for years. Mostly go for the BBQ now but the entire menu is nicely done with generous portions and fast, friendly service. I have also used 29 Diner for catering and was extremely pleased with the food (We did a BBQ buffet for around 30 folks) the service (John was amazing!) and the communication throughout the process was flawless. Highly recommend the diner for no fuss good diner food and also for their catering! As a side note is also nice to see businesses actively involved in local causes and schools. The 29 Diner continues its fine tradition of being part of the very fabric of Fairfax City.
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Jff Thchr
This is where me and my family go every sunday. we havent tried a lot on the menu since we have our usuals that we always order. myself, i get the 2 eggs over medium with bacon and a short stack. their bacon is my favorite bacon that ive had in a public restaurant. the staff is extremely hospitable and we cant get enough of the little juke box that sits at every table. overall i would definitely recommend this place to those who want the whole diner environment. nothing fancy, its cash only(they do have an atm within the diner) and you seat yourself. its a confortable place to have a good sunday breakfast.
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Diane Oneill
Ive lived in Fairfax for a long time and used to hit the 29 Diner pretty regularly. It was not fancy but it was cheap and decent enough for us 20-somethings after a night out. After being excited to show it off to my family, I was very disappointed with the new ownership. There was so much opportunity and potential to bring back a Fairfax classic and make it better. Unfortunately, now its just low quality, frozen food products with inexperienced service at high end prices. Huge disappointment and opportunity lost here!
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Nathan S
GREAT ATMOSPHERE! GREAT FOOD! FRIENDLY STAFF! I go to 29 Diner at least once a week. Every time I have been greeted with a warm smile from all of the employees, and I am immediately thanked for coming in. The restaurant is an authentic olde-style American diner. It is a really unique atmosphere that you cant get anywhere else. Also, the food is outstanding. I always order a different menu item and have always been pleased. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a casual get together or a first date.
