Jack L.
Yelp
First, here is an overview. This is the quintessential breakfast diner in town. The food is great, the service is excellent and the atmosphere is nice. My food was a mixed bag, I didn't love my hashbrowns but my sausage was the best sausage I've ever had. The service is really great, there's always a line out the door but they seat you fast and don't forget about you. The ambiance is quaint, it's no five star restaurant - you'll feel at home. It's nice but dated. Now onto the full review.
The ambiance - it's fine. Look I get it, it's a diner that's been around a long time, it gets the job done. It's a bit like Grandma's house, you don't even need to wear jeans if you don't want to (please wear some pants though). My big complaint is actually that the ceilings are really low - family actually had to duck in places to not bang there head. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine and clean.
The service - the best you'll find in a breakfast place id wager. Every single breakfast place in Phoenix has an hour long wait for some reason with the same amount of people as Darbi's has on any given day. Meanwhile, Darbi's is quick as hell. If you aren't ready, you're missed - good! Sick of waiting around for the whole morning to get breakfast. They get you in fast and your server is ready to go right away. I only had slow service once on just my coffee because the dishwasher was full, I had to wait a whopping 5 mins longer ughhh (that's sarcasm if you hadn't guessed)!! Overall, excellent, no mistakes and good service, you might even get your coffee from the owner herself!
The food - good but could be improved. I like crispy hash browns and I did not get them. That's preferential but I usually get that at other restaurants. The sausage I had was easily the best I've ever had anywhere, perfect skin, a nice crack on the bite and great texture for taste. My pancakes were doughy enough but still plenty firm. The syrup was excellent. I also got scrambled eggs and they were over done but pretty much everywhere I go for breakfast is the same. I was plenty happy with my food though.
If you are in Show Low and want breakfast, don't bother else where. This is the home town feel with the right stuff and a better breakfast than most places I've been.