Avalon Diner

Great Diner. We come here often and always have a good experience. The food is satisfying, and the staff is consistently friendly. I recommend stopping by for a nice breakfast and enjoying the charming decor.

The food & service is really good here. I had the chicken fried steak and its one of the best that I've had. We will definitely be returning.

First time here and I think this will be our new Sunday morning breakfast spot! Food was amazing, service was fast, & the employees were very friendly & attentive. Ana and Susan were the best servers! She always acknowledged us every time she walked by & made sure we have everything we needed & more! It also very affordable and you get good portions for what you pay.

The best of the best in Houston. I have a diner right by my house but choose to drive 20 minutes to go Avalon. The waitstaff is incredibly nice and quick. Now, to the food….. I find myself craving their food 2x a week! Pancakes 🥞 are so delicious and so are the waffles. The bacon is hearty and never limp and fatty. The milkshakes make you forget diabetes exists. The pricing is also right on point. One of my favorite spots in Houston.

March 4, 2025 Avalon Diner (River Oaks) is a beloved Houston institution. The people there MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. September 2, 2023 UPDATE: Great people. Great food. Great service. ________________________ A favorite breakfast and casual lunch spot. If you are looking for white table cloth French cuisine or just a moderately elevated culinary experience, this is not the place for you. Solid, old school diner food with some unique specialties that are awesome (Chicken Fried Steak Omelette, Big Breakfast, Drugstore Hamburger, Club Sandwich with Honey Mustard Dressing, Patty Melt, Chicken Fried Steak, etc...). Everything good except for the biscuits which are more of a bready texture rather than flaky and fluffy like a biscuit should be. It's just the way they make them here. They make up for it with the incredible service and rest of the food offerings, including their hashbrowns and bacon which are really great, AT THIS LOCATION. Again, it's just the way they make the biscuits at the River Oaks location. Everything else is awesome. Overall, great service, but sometimes with a slight dash of Hedwig Village location attitude and unnecessary drama due to personnel from the Hedwig Village location bringing their "work" ethic and unprofessional behavior to River Oaks. Very unfair to the excellent staff at River Oaks Avalon Diner. But it is amusing to us and our network of family and friends throughout Houston, all who know about the SIGNIFICANT differences in locations first hand. 😂😂😂😂😂 Food always hot AT THIS LOCATION. Cudos to the unsung heroes in the back preparing tasty old school favorites to several generations of Houstonians. And cudos to the wait staff who do not let hot food sit idle at the pass, delivering to the customers quickly. The waitstaff NEVER stops AT THIS LOCATION.. They HUSTLE. They work very hard taking care of their customers. It's impressive and noteworthy. And it is appreciated. Retro feel. Bigger than original tiny space in the old drug store in River Oaks back in the good old days. Can be crowded here but they have a first-come-first-serve system that works pretty well and the wait time is surprisingly short. Just part of the charm and the Avalon Diner River Oaks experience. This particular location has MUCH BETTER service than the Hedwig Village location. NOTICABLE. Food does not sit up at the pass for a long time at River Oaks Avalon like it does at Hedwig Village Avalon. Attributable 100% to management and waitstaff. First and foremost, the people AT THIS LOCATION make the difference. Incredible people. BOTTOM LINE: The folks AT THIS LOCATION really deliver. Recommend: The Chicken Fried Steak Omelette, The Big Breakfast, Original Eggs Benedict, Classic Club Sandwich with Crinkle Fries and Honey Mustard dip, Drugstore Hamburger, Patty Melt, BLT and the Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich. Not recommended: Biscuits. But you be the judge, for personal tastes vary. Enjoy!

Had a GREAT time here. Was looking for a breakfast spot but and ran across this diner by accident but I’m so happy I did. It was packed (Saturday @ 11am) but that’s a great sign and I’m proud to say it did not disappoint. Loved the food, service was incredible (everyone was so nice) and parking was plentiful.

If you want a delicious breakfast, make a stop here and you will always want to come back. They have the most delicious food and it's freshly made! Their milkshakes are even better

I love small diners and thought I would give this a try. However, from the moment I sat down my waiter (small framed, black man) barely gave me the time of day. He didn’t ask if I wanted coffee or anything to drink he threw the menu on the table and walked away. He came back & said you ready? I ordered my food and when it was ready, he threw it on the table and walked away - didn’t say a word. He came back once and filled the water and didn’t ask if I needed anything else. He was very rude & acted like I was an inconvenience to his day. I haven’t seen a waiter this bad in a long time. It’s doubtful I will ever go back only because of his bad attitude. If I could give Zero on service, that’s what I would give him. He needs a new job somewhere else but not with Customer Service or being a server.

Thumbs Up: This is a great diner located near Upper Kirby, River Oaks, and not too far from Montrose. It's definitely the closest diner-style restaurant to Downtown (that serves good food). Thumbs Up: Most of the food I've tried here has been good. I especially enjoy the Corned Beef Hash, and their hash browns are tasty, too. Neutral: There can be a wait for a table, especially on weekends. Thumbs Up: I've also noticed a lot of college jocks dining here on weekends, which adds to the lively atmosphere.

Welcoming and attentive, they embody genuine hospitality that makes you feel like a regular from the first visit. Their friendly demeanor adds to the warm atmosphere, making every interaction a pleasant one. Whether you're stopping by for a quick bite or a leisurely meal with friends and family, this diner offers more than just food--it offers an experience. So, if you find yourself craving great food, ample portions, and a dose of old-school charm, look no further than Avalon Diner

No pics of the food but my grandma and great aunt visited from south Texas. We tried this classic diner and they both loved it. The seating situation was a little over whelming but once we got a table the waitress was fantastic!

Staff are always friendly and upbeat which sets the tone for the meal. Today I had my regular corned beef hash, which was excellent. The Mrs. enjoyed blackened catfish blue plate special.

Best pancakes my husband and I have found in Houston & we've tried all the spots. Service is always decent with sweet waitresses that seem like they've been there forever. Not always the cleanest but it's a diner, take it for what it is. Also love their chicken salad sandwich with curly fries at lunch- yum!

The staff is amazing, the food is amazing, the price is AMAZING! I love this place, so homey! I always recommend!

Went for brunch with two of my friends as we had been wanting a good diner experience and it was just stressful and I did not feel welcome. I honestly left wondering the history of this place as the demographic of the patrons was really white senior citizens When I arrived no one greated me or acknowledged me so I had no idea how to get a table. I asked the Cashier and sat on the bench as told. Next available table, and there were honestly several at that time to choose from, I took and ordered a lemonade while I waited about 10 minutes for my friends to join. The waitress came by just about every minute asking where my friends were. Once my friends joined it felt like we were being rushed to order and give up our table even tho the rush wasn't even a rush and there were several empty tables. Meanwhile there was a large group of boys doing the same thing and I didn't see the waitress bugging them. The food was terrible. No seasoning or flavor at all. It didn't have a comforting diner food feel at all. I got the loaded hash browns, I forget the name, and the veggies were barely cooked and it just felt like it was mixed together and nuked. Not even a spec of salt or pepper at a minimum. Will never return.

Great place for fresh good food . The service is great and quick ambiance chill calm . The place is an old diner from the looks but the food is great no issues with any food there's just not a wow factor for it to be 5 stars . This is a place good for traditional breakfast worth trying out . I will go back and try something else vs breakfast and will update when I do . All the food I seen people ordering looked great and great portions of food .

It feels like you're stepping back in time when you walk in. Old fashioned diner with counter dining available, milkshake mixers, and griddle off the serving area. Wait staff and busser were prompt and friendly and service was top notch. Coffee was good and hot and kept coming. The food was amazing; a good hearty southern breakfast of chicken fried steak and eggs, side biscuit and grits. Everything was good and plentiful (I did order extra gravy) and I finished all the plates. Price was under $20 for a substantial amount of food; I left a large tip. If I'm in Houston again I will return for breakfast.

The service was quick and efficient. A little too quick as the waitress tried to take a plate away from us before we were done eating. That was the only weird thing that we experienced. The food was good and there was a lot of it. The atmosphere was busy and you definitely see a lot of return customers here eating and meeting friends to chit chat. All & all, it was comfortable and fast.

Great neighborhood diner. It's always packed here and the service is friendly and attentive. Food is decent. The shakes are really good. The chicken friend steak is solid. Blueberry pancakes are delicious too.

Homely comfort Texas breakfast food. Friendly service. Food comes out pretty quickly. All of the menu items that I've tried are consistently good. The eggs benedict was well executed; soft egg, creamy hollandasie sauce, although the English muffin was a little tough. The chorizo migas delicious and chicken fried steak was tender. Seating is tight but efficient. There's typically a short wait during normal breakfast times.

I missed old school diners in NYC, so the retro charm of Avalon was an immediate draw for me. They are solid diner with a good amount of breakfast options that keep me coming back. While I wouldn't call them a destination establishment, they are deserve a look whenever one is in the neighborhood. The range of breakfast options is such that I end up going with a different plate each time I'm here. One visit will be chilaquiles with a nice runny egg and tortillas and on other occasions, it'll be corned beef hash with some perfectly soft scrambled eggs. I'm a sucker for hash browns and pleased to report theirs are as greasy as they're indulgent. Don't sleep on the chicken fried steak either, which is one of their more popular options. Aside from the quality food, I've come to appreciate the service as well. Ronnie is the one I look forward to almost always, as he's quick, efficient, kind, and even a little sassy. There is a wait here during peak hours on the weekends but the have plenty of seating for small to mid sized parties. Parking is never an issue and despite the food being casual, it's still consistent. At the end of the day, I feel like their prices are reasonable ($9-12) and the vibe beats out a lot of chain'y spots offering similar options. While I do wish they were open late at night, I guess I have something to look forward to in the mornings.

I must've ordered the wrong thing or these people who left this place 5-star reviews are delusional. The food here was probably the worst diner food I've ever had in my life. Maybe that's because we didn't order breakfast and selected something off the lunch menu instead. I got the Chicken Pot Pie with Mashed Potatoes & Fried Okra. The pot pie was so depressing. It was just a bowl of chicken soup with a soggy pie top. The sides tasted like old leftovers from days ago that were warmed up. I've never been to prison before, but this is how I would imagine prison food tasting. The upside to all this? Our server was awesome. The customer service was great. So we left him a good tip. But I never want to come back here again. I'd rather starve.

Friendly service, affordable pricing, and delish food! Their homemade biscuits are incredible!

Ah, the Avalon Diner in River Oaks, a true gem in the heart of Houston, Texas. Stepping into this place is like stepping into a time machine, with its turquoise walls and classic diner booths reminiscent of Seinfeld. It's an eclectic mix of nostalgia, with a 1940s Coca Cola fridge, a bulky steel ice cream mixer, and an old telephone booth that's become a relic of a bygone era. The clientele is a beautiful representation of the diverse community, with people of all ages coming together to enjoy some classic American fare. I opted for the sliders - thick, juicy mini burgers with American cheese, pickle slices, and onions on grilled mini buns. They were accompanied by a side of delightfully spicy curly fries. My fiancé chose the breakfast sampler with grits, scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes the size of a dinner plate - a delicious way to start the day. But what truly sets Avalon Diner apart is the people. The staff, from the kitchen to the waitresses, work in perfect harmony, exchanging witty banter and laughter while maintaining top-notch service. The seasoned waitresses, with their decades of experience, anticipated our every need before we even realized we wanted something. As we sat there, taking in the atmosphere, we couldn't help but notice the wide range of ages present in the diner. From a group of 90-year-olds enjoying their coffee to a 3-year-old boy and his father sharing a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast, it's a heartwarming scene that captures the essence of the American spirit. So, my friends, if you ever find yourself in Houston, make sure to pay a visit to the Avalon Diner in River Oaks. You'll be treated to generous portions of mouthwatering food, a charming atmosphere, and an experience that'll make you shout, "God Bless America!"

Great coffee, good service, old fashioned breakfast for seniors. They don't add additional salt in the food. The food taste natural and bland.

Classic diner food and experience! Recommend. No reservation so be prepared to wait a bit.

Salt, pepper, crackers, and enough of salad dressing!!! Even if it's not the one you ordered! Always enough dressing!!!! Fixing a good appetizing salad is just as important as any other dish you fix!!! Especially a 15 floor salad!!!! It has the makings, just shy on certain items!!

First time visiting. Won't be back. Ordered the Migas with chorizo. I was enjoying my food until I almost swallowed a piece of plastic. There was a piece of plastic from the chorizo packaging in my food. Told the manager. She apologized, said the would take it off my bill then asked if I wanted something else. I wanted the same order again, because it was good. Got a new order. Ate no issues. When my husband got the bill my food was comped. We were told because I ordered something else she would not take it off. The took off my bacon and my apple juice. We didn't push the issue. Won't be back. I almost choked on a whole piece of plastic.i hope i don't get sick from the plastic being cooked in my food.

I've been going to Avalon for over 5 years. Unfortunately over the course of the past year the restaurant has gone to shit. The management and wait staff is lackadaisical and entitled, except for a few. The restaurant has a solid layer of grease coating it. The food is thrown together quickly and extremely hit or miss. The cooking staff doesn't wear hair nets and often times there is hair in the food. I just got up and left bc our waitress spit all over us when she sat us down and then brought out orange juice that was a dull yellow and tasted like water. The quality control is abysmal and they simply don't respect their customers enough to provide high quality food. It makes me sad but I will not be returning to Avalon.

Great food and sizable portions for a greasy spoon and friendly wait staff! Like walking back in time to a friendly neighborhood diner!

Best diner. Fast, affordable, great food. My go to is the Frito chili pie, even for breakfast.

Avalon Diner is a great, dependable neighborhood spot. When you're looking for a casual breakfast or sandwich on the weekend, there's no better place to look. It's amusing to me that they serve pretty much the same food as House of Pies but with a much more River Oaks clientele. If House of Pies dressed like it just got out of church, it would be Avalon Diner. On the lunch menu, I love the Black N' Bleu. It's a great chicken sandwich with bleu cheese crumbles. It's a diner, so you can expect most of the food to be pretty good. I was less impressed recently with the chilaquiles, but I'm actually going to pin that on seeing the flurry of Yelp pics of their chilaquiles as opposed to actually reading Yelp reviews that endorsed the chilaquiles. Service is great and keeps the drinks flowing. One major call out worthy of removing a star -- the fries here are terrible. They are definitely frozen, and are cooked in some sort of way where the outside crispies up but the inside is mushy and tasteless. At least they've got a great variety of sauces to pair with them. Definitely recommend dropping by if you're a fan of House of Pies but want to mix it up a little.

Tbh no. Diner vibes are definitely there but the food was missing. The biscuits tasted like they were made by aunt jemima's dog. They were almost right but you could just tell something was wrong hence the dog. Great place to go if you want average diner food tho I guess. Sorry to give this review but wanted something more. Peace and blessings

Needed that breakfast fix during lunch hours, Avalon was perfect for it. Food was served quick. Eating healthy too, with egg whites and chicken. I had to come back and add, the environment is great too. Like a blast from the past. A true diner. Love it.

This is a proper Jersey diner restaurant but right here in downtown Houston! I love it!!! I absolutely love Jersey-style diners. We had the corned beef hash and (here's where Texas steps into play) we also had the chilaquiles con chorizo, which were both VERY GOOD! I'll be back for sure to try other items. The service was excellent as well.

Have come here several times because my mom likes the diner experience. Staff is friendly and food is great. Have introduced this diner to friends and they love it.

I have been a customer of Avalon Diner for over fifty years. I was a customer at the original location in the pharmacy. For years and years I have regularly gone to the Avalon. I have a longer history with the Avalon than anyone who works there today. Today may have been the last meal I intend to have at the Avalon. The service and food has gotten so horrible that I cannot think of a good reason to return. I ordered the Wednesday special chopped sirloin patty with broccoli/cheese/rice and the stuffing. It was also tasteless other than the taste of salt. The meat was so tough that it required chewing and chewing and even more chewing. Remarkable for chopped beef. The last bite I took, which was about five bites total was so tough I spit the meal out into a napkin and left. The waitress I had today is someone who was been a waitress for many, many years. When she saw that I was leaving having barely eaten anything on my plate said nothing. The waitress said nothing and clearly did not care.

This is one of the best old-school diners in town. The breakfast is southern comfort and is amazing. Their biscuits are warm and fluffy, their gravy is nice and thick, and their eggs are very tasty. Their breakfast meats are very good and well cured. The staff is amazing. They will welcome you with an open smile and if they identify you as a regular they will remember who you are and what you like to eat. It is a shame that places like this are dying but I'm glad the Avalon diner is going strong. Highly recommend for breakfast.

It was exactly what we were hoping for overall. The ambiance, the service, the hospitality, the menu - it was all on point. The food at my table ranged from good to great. I had the 1938 Original Hamburger with the works plus cheese and bacon and curly fries and it was fantastic! The reviews on the meatloaf, chicken salad sandwich, and chicken strip salad were all very good. The desserts of apple pie, coconut cream, and chocolate mouse were amazing. Look forward to going again!

Took my husband here since he's a sucker for breakfast places. Food was good, I got some french toast and it had a little too much syrup which made it extremely sweet but it was still delicious. The second time my husband took some friends with him and he said the sausage tasted like it had gone bad, he had an upset stomach for the remainder of the day hopefully that was just a one time thing. It's not anything out this world, but definitely worth a try (just be a little cautious about the sausage lol).

As a 20+ year customer - The food was good but the bill was rung up for $5.34 more than my ticket Plus the tip & TAX. Their is nothing that will run me off faster than over billing me. sent a message to them on their page on 8/1/21 and here it is 8/4/31 and no reply. So posted to their page to check their messages, now we wait...

Great diner style place for breakfast. Healthy options available . Excellent service. A neighborhood gem.

Hanging in there after all these years, old town Houston, always a question if there will be room. Go early for the blue plates specials as they run out later. Or go after 1-1:30 pm during the week to avoid the lunch crowd. $1 for pie or cake totally worthwhile (after buying an entree). Disappointed with the apple pie (soggy, tasteless), impressed with the chocolate cream pie. Previously had the meatloaf, tuna melt, both acceptable for the reasonable price. Waitstaff on their game, wave any of them over, they work as a team. Have often enjoyed their breakfasts, hash browns and omelets.

Slightly disappointed this morning. I asked for hard scrambled eggs and I received very soft scrambled. I sent it back and they had scraped those eggs back in a pan and burned them then put them back on top and gave it back to me. My toast was so burned I couldn't eat it either. Alecia my server then made me feel as if it was my fault and I should not have said anything Overall very dissatisfied.

Been driving by this place for years and for some reason never went in. HUGE mistake!!! My girlfriend and I went on a Saturday morning and even though the place was packed the food came out fast and hot. Huge classic diner menu so there should be something for everyone on it. Definitely going back!!

If anyone reads my other reviews. You will see that I very rarely complain about restaurants. You know this place wouldn't have been as bad as it was if I didn't have this one bad experience. Okay so it's located on Westhimer between Kirby and Shephard across from the Avalon Square apartments. Okay when you walk in, it has that open diner feel with the kitchen open to the dining area. And ripped seats in the booths. It's something that I love about a ripped booth that makes me think the food is going to be absolutely delicious. Well I ordered the breakfast platter with a waffle which was and extra charge to substitute a pancake for a waffle which was fine. I asked for my bacon crispy. When they gave it to me it was super burned. Like non edible burned. I wasn't going to say anything because in my mind I felt like I did ask for it crispy. (I used to be a waiter, so I know how annoying picky customers are.) I mentioned it to my friend and asked the waitress for some less burned bacon. She was cool about it and took it back to the kitchen. Do you know this cook took the same pieces of bacon dropped it in the fryer and gave it back to me?? And I know for a fact it was the same pieces of bacon. Because I know how I broke it before. To me that was equally as bad as spitting in someone else's food. I didn't complain to a manager about it because it wasn't about the money. We paid our bill even left a tip. I just wanted to leave that place and never come back.

Place is usually great, but their corned beef hash tastes like cat food and is inedible

This place is a portal to the past. The atmosphere, the people, and the food all remind me of living in a small town in the middle of nowhere. With people reading their news papers, small tv hanging from the ceiling, a coat rack that's serving it's purpose, and wait staff that calls you honey. If you like old timey diner food you'll enjoy this place. It feels like it should be a stand alone establishment.

Avalon provides old school breakfast options. Huge portions but the food was just average. The seating is cramped and the wait time for your food is long. However the staff is extremely friendly.

I had breakfast there, bad waitressing service, incorrect preparation on my meal, the waitress took it back and never replaced it. The place needs a major cleaning, dust build-up dirty ceiling fans and light chains. The worst was the filthy plastic dividers. My food was hot and good except for the incorrect preparation of my hash browns. I had to wait rather lengthy to get coffee and refills. I asked the waitress for more coffee and she tells me "after she goes to cleans a table"......WOW! She was horrible, slow, bad attitude and very much in need of professionalism training.

Food was great, waitress was nice but the skinny girl at the register is rude as hell...didn't have change for a $50 meal and was paying with a $100 which I guess understandable but her smart comments is uncalled for, just smile and say you don't have changed that's all she needs to do, even after I asked for her name, which I couldn't hear, she didn't seem to care and even said you can write that on whatever review you leave....we'll guess what I will

Great breakfast experience. Limited seating but they move tables quickly. Service is on point. Perfect pancakes.

The food was amazing but even if it wasn't I would still be back for the experience! Ronnie took care of us and made us feel like family! We could tell that he had been at Avalon for a long time as he seemed to know every table on a personal level but he blew our minds when he shared he has worked there for THIRTY SEVEN YEARS! We will be back next time we are in Houston, and every time after!

This neighborhood restaurant is a mainstay in River Oaks. It's cozy with a small area of tables for 2 next to the bar. The delicious food is not fancy, but standard menu of breakfast & lunch items. Service is attentive and accommodating. I give this fine restaurant 5*!

This restaurant was recommended to us for breakfast. I would not recommend this for the following reasons 1. The restaurant does not look clean. 2.They serve you very tiny cups of mediocre coffee. 3. The booths are worn down. 4 The food is okay. The plus is that the service is good and efficient. This restaurant seems to be popular on the weekends for breakfast.

Service ok... Nothing above and beyond Food Plain nothing special. Location Worn down could use a face lift. Bottom line If you are hungry this will pass. But there are other better places.

I have been to Avalon a handful of time and I have had an ok experience each time. The food is good diner food but this is not a place you go if you are looking for good service. The lines are not managed, you will get overlooked if you don't look like you belong and you will get terrible service. The servers are not the cleanest and unless you speak up you will be ignored. Today I had a server that completely ignored our table until eventually I had to walk out. I am a former server so I understand that she may have been busy and I was plenty patient. But the service was simply un acceptable. After this experience I would never return.