Shirley's Diner

The burger was WONDERFUL! It’s fresh not frozen, and it comes with fresh toppings. The tomato was the same size as the burger and the meat covered the entire bun. The crinkle cut fries were hot and delicious. The service was friendly and quick! Excellent first experience here. 😋 will definitely come back.

I ate here with friends this past Tuesday and it was my first time here. The staff was friendly and it was like everyone knew each other. The food was delicious 😋. I had the pork chops plate with 2 sides and the price was very affordable $12.99. I would definitely recommend Shirley's Diner for everyone to try. I certainly will be returning.

Exactly what I want out of a Calabash style seafood restaurant. Great food, prompt and friendly service, in and out quick as you like. Fried shrimp were amazing and the clam strips were perfectly cooked. Very tender. We'll be back!

Tucked back behind other shops, I wouldn't have known this was there despite having driven past this area several times. Thank you Google Maps search for "diners near me"! Basic tables/chairs and booths, but very clean with friendly staff. My husband and I both ordered their "Belly Buster" cheeseburger. They had a "warning" on the menu to let you know you better be really hungry to order it as a combo (fries & drink). We ordered 1 burger by itself and 1 combo and shared the fries. More than enough food. That cheeseburger was one of the best I've ever had! Thick & juicy with lots of flavor. If you haven't stopped in, you should!

Very simple, tasty, well-prepared food in a casual, warm atmosphere. This restaurant was one of the first in Leland, originally beside Macks, Parker's and Town Pharmacy. Still a family favorite.

What a great little restaurant in the Piggly Wiggly plaza ,Leland. Great staff, awesome food. Had the special, two pork chops,mashed potatoes,green beans and rolls….so good. When in Leland don’t miss this comfort food.

What a great place to eat, if you like home cooking type food this is the place for you. Seafood to southern comfort. Staff was amazing. Absolutely will eat here again!

Driving & hungry, I exited onto ramp into Leland to grab a bite… & found Shirley’s Diner hidden behind the PizzaHut. GREAT FIND! You can tell this clean unassuming diner, truly LOVES their patrons evidenced in their quality, quantity & pre-COVID pricing!!! (THANK U!) Seems so many restaurants hv dropped quality & quantity to all time low, while hiking up prices, not Shirley’s. You will leave so pleased & comforted w/their comfort food, that Shirley’s should be called ‘Your Mama’s Kitchen’. Sweet folks get your warm ‘greeting’ then your comfy ‘eating’ like a country ‘king’. I hv to make up excuses to drive to Leland now, regularly;) ✨Tip: plz tip the owner “Hinton’s Angels” well- this staff has all heart in happily serving you well… ✨💖✨

Pork chops with the fixings - yum...Great folks, good home cooking and reasonable prices....what more could you ask for?

Fantastic.. great food and a great price. I will definitely be back. Shrimp platter and the pork chops were very good.

Shrim and pork chops are fantastic, and fixings are great. Just need to spend some money and update the inside a little bit but food is great and when they have the spots look out they are great.

I drove 30 minutes to eat walked in at 637 pm hours say 7 lady said were done. We take our last order at 645 I said it's only 637 she said too bad. Rude is an understatement. Never again.

Good service, good food, the restaurant could use a good scrub and updating though. It's a local favorite!

If you like home cooking style dinners and are looking for a local hang out, this is your spot. Staff: friendly, explained you seat yourself, went over the menu. Atmosphere: play Christian music, lots of locals chatting, clean, older decor Food: classic meat and two. Amazing hush puppies - light and flavorful. Solid except they have powdered mashed potatoes. The flounder was lightly fried.

The food & service is amazing! I really love their port chops. Never reappointed! My family enjoys the food as well!

Good service, food and timely service. Takeout available as well as curbside. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the menu

I had pork with gravy and it all tasted really good the server were nice the place it self was really clean with a good casual vibe the toilets weren't dirty but I have seen cleaner the only thing that I don't like is the soda selection other then that I would recommend :)

Shirley's has some of the finest food in Leland. And they have some of the nicest staff and employees

Best local fried shrimp and oysters. They have other comfort food dishes but we go there primarily for the fried shrimp. Excellent!

Amazing food and staff! Shirley's does things right and the value is unbeatable! Love this place

I looked for the local spot to eat when I was in Leland, thankfully, I decided to come to this place. They had a very affordable meat loaf special that was extremely tasty. I swapped out for fried okra to complete my delicious lunch. Looking to come back for the great food and service.

As good as it gets in the Leland, Wilmington dining area.we ate at Shirley's 20 years ago while visiting the area. We now live in area and frequent the diner and see it to be as good as remembered if not better. Easy to give the highest rating .

Best pork chops in town! My husband loves them! They have great seafood also. Fried shrimp, oysters, fish...they are all delicious. They have very friendly employees and staff. We've tried other local restaurants-and they were good-but we always come back to Shirley's.

This is an awesome little diner. Working in town for about three weeks and eaten here 3-4 times and every time it has been down home delicious. If you're anywhere nearby stop in and get the pork chop dinner. Best $8 dinner you'll get anywhere. Sides don't matter because they're all delicious. The Lima beans and slaw are perfect. Everything is just delicious. Very nice people and know how to cook. Don't let the shopping center throw you off. This place is some serious good eating. Try it.

My wife and I had dinner at Shirley's Diner and during our meal two African American women entered and sat in a booth! Their service was so slow that it was obvious racism! Since that experience we have never returned and I would not recommend Shirley's to anyone! Additionally, the menu is bound to cardiac arrest!

We went for dinner and Shirley's has good fresh seafood - yes, despite the name seafood is their specialty. I had the fried seafood platter which was good and a good portion. My wife had shrimp that she liked, but would have preferred broiled. She thought fried was a bit greasy. I didn't car for mashed potatoes, should have stuck with fries. Servers were very friendly and I like the atmosphere. Free refills on soda. I'll be back to try the fried oysters.

Shirley's is a staple! A hole-in-the-wall feel restaurant that whips up some finger-licking good food. I've been visiting Shirley's for about a decade, and what keeps me coming back is the friendly staff and consistent food. Typically my buddies and I order a large variety of items off the menu and share. The burgers and the chicken filet are scrumptious, the bbq sandwich is making my mouth water as we speak, and the icing on the cake for me are their hushpuppies! If you are looking for fine dining...you're in the wrong place, but if you want some delicious southern style grub, Shirley's is right up your alley. Btw, all the VERY hungry foodies out there should ask them about the Belly Buster...it is a site to see ;)

All I can say is Shirley's Diner has the best hush puppies! Country Fried Steak was great too.

I have not been dissatisfied with the food from Shirley's. They are reasonable on prices and quick with the orders. Their pork chops dinners are great.

Shirley's makes the best Carolina style seafood dishes I have ever tasted. Their fried oysters are perfect, crispy and not greasy at all. Their flounder is delicious and, unlike in many other restaurants, I have never found a bone in one of their fillets. The hushpuppies at Shirley's are delicious, as is their fried shrimp. My kids love the bellybuster combo cheeseburger meals. The family that owns this restaurant treats their customers like family. The staff is friendly, efficient, and patient with diners who have special requests for the way in which they want their food prepared. I recommend Shirley's to anyone who likes top quality food served in a casual family setting.

Best pork chops I've had in my life! Great service as well. Couldn't take a picture since I gobbled it up way to fast!

The food was good for the price, but it would have been worth paying a little more for higher quality food. The staff was very friendly but felt very informal and not always the most professional if that is what you are looking for. The inside of the restaurant didn't have a great look too it and definitely took away from the experience and the tables seemed to be close together even though it was rather empty. Overall, if you are looking somewhere cheap to have a decent mean this is a great alternative to fast food but if you are expecting a dinner experience you will be disappointed.

First time at Shirley's today. I really enjoyed 1. The country atmosphere 2. The prices 3. The quantity of food and 4. Most importantly the flavor of the food. I will definitely be back. Delicious delicious and more delicious. I am sad to say, however, that I forgot the name of the little spunky waitress that served me. She deserves kudos for how friendly and polite she was. She was managing all the tables, not just hers. This is going to be my new "go to" place to eat.

THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL!!! My husband and I just had a lovely breakfast at Shirley's diner. The staff was extremely accommodating because we came in past breakfast time and still they accommodated us by serving us breakfast anyway. The food was delicious home fries were freshly made. We thank everyone at Shirley's diner for accommodating us with breakfast even though it was lunchtime. Many blessings.

Excellent food and service! we Placed a curbside order and the staff was friendly and it didn't take long to get our food. Had the flounder combo and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes fish!! Our first time eating here but definitely not the last. Will be back soon.

This place is a hidden gem! Tucked away on the side of Piggly Wiggly in Leland.it is no nonsense straight forward good food prepared in a clean friendly simple environment. Run don't walk and try it out.

My husband and I went here for lunch while visiting Compass Pointe. We both ordered "whole flounder " it was so delicious... we didn't need tartar sauce! The green beans and coleslaw and hush puppies were good too! We will be back!

Solid, hot food, for rather cheap! Got an order for takeout so can't really comment on service but the little spot looked pretty busy when I was there. Definitely a good option over here amongst very few options.

Best Pork chops I ever had. The staff is very friendly. The service is very good. The prices are excellent.

I ate there for the first time wed. Loved it ! Tried their famous shrimp burger it was great the shrimp were fried perfect on a huge bun pretty big burger not a prefrozen shrimp patty it was whole shrimp piled high . Definitly have our business .. lynn n greg

Fried Oyster Plate.. Absolutely delicious. Good amount of breading on the oysters and loved the dipping sauce. My husband ordered the Country Fried Steak which was soooo good. I could taste some garlic in the gravy which I loved because it gave it such a good flavor. Service was good too! You could tell it is a home town type of diner so most of the crowd were locals and everyone pretty much knew each other. Great food for a small diner and will come back if passing through in the future.

Shirley's is a neighborhood restaurant on the outskirts of Wilmington. It offers simple, well-cooked, and most importantly delicious comfort food for a very reasonable price. Service has always been super friendly. My favorites are the fried shrimp, the belly buster burger, and all things breakfast! The fresh seafood is definitely worth the drive if you live in the Wilmington area.

Was here for brunch after a soccer game. After reading reviews my expectation may have been too high. They were out of bacon (at 12:30 no less). The pork chop plate was average. Coffee was hot. Would try another place next time I am in town.

Best Southern home cooking in Wilmington or Leland!! The meatloaf and chicken n pastry are some of my favorites!

If you are looking for a genuine diner experience with good old fashioned diner food, this is NOT the place to go. From the looks of the place it is not very sanitary, which I was willing to look past as long as the food selection was good..then came the menu. It was a rather small menu that contained many business advertisements with very few options ,and the only time you can get any breakfast options is on Saturday and Sunday morning. I decided to go with the philly cheese steak (you can always tell a good diner by their burgers and cheesesteaks), I was very disappointed with my choice. The sub was small, very dry and not appetizing at all, in fact I became even angrier as I analyzed everything wrong with the sub from the addition of swiss cheese to the little meat added to it. To top it all off the $7.50 sub did not come with a side of fries so I had to order a side of fries that was over cooked and very salty. My meal after an undeserved tip cost a little over $12.00, for that priced I would have had a better experience at Jersey mike's or Andy's. For those of you who feel that I am biased being from NY and having high expectations ,that is not the case, in fact I did not know what to expect from this place but was willing to try it once, but I will never go here again. I looked around at what others were ordering and the sides looked like processed, straight out of the can green beans, mashed potatoes and overcooked food. I wish I could give this place no stars but 1 star is the lowest I can go. Makes me wonder how this place is still in business.

One word....YUMMY! Wish I could have some good ole southern food right now from here! I recommend the jambalaya (huge shrimps), feels like you just left Louisiana! A hidden gem for sure:)

The cheese burgers are the best in town" .the staff is friendly it behind pizza hut go on down and have some good food

Greasy grey burgers? French fries reheated/fried untill they taste. like wood? Dirty bathrooms and table tops?... But the waitress was kind and apologetic about the food. I'd drive right pass this place because Shirley surely ,Does not taste her food or give a hoot about her diner!

Great little hole in the wall diner! The staff was great and super friendly. The food was really good. I had the flounder sandwich, which was very yummy. You can get whatever you want on your sandwiches, I highly recommend the pickles!!! My husband had the belly buster and no complaints. Our friend have the seafood platter, they loved the hush puppies and the fried clams and crab balls were extremely good. Food was not pricey at all :-)

It's small, and mostly clean. Could pay a little more attention to the smaller details though. Don't like it that they use the water glasses to scoop the ice into them instead of using a separate scoop that does not get dropped back into the ice, but that seems to be typical in most places anymore. Only one waitress used a scoop and placed it back on the counter, so they have one, just choose not to use it. Portions were good. I got the veggie omelet and hubby got the ham and cheese omelet. Both were 3 egg size and had enough filling. Grits were good and a good portion. Hubby said coffee was good with free refills. Someone in another review somewhere mentioned they charge 50 cents for water. I asked the waitress about it because she seemed so surprised when I didn't want anything to drink. She kind of laughed a little then said, that's only if that's all you wanted and they had to put it in a to go cup. I ordered a water and didn't get charged. Hope this helps. There's just not a lot of breakfast options in that area. All in all the food was good. We would go back if we were in Leland again.

Awesome! Great prices, great food and even better service! If you live here- you should definitely make this your breakfast spot. If you're just passing through- do yourself a favor and get a biscuit from here!

Whole flounder special was all bones, worst I have ever had. Flounder plate (2 fillets) was ok but had bones, I'm guessing fillets were cut off of the whole flounder we ordered since it had virtually no meat, just breaking. Only refill was offered when I went to pay 20 minutes later. I will not go back.

The fish and seafood is OK, the side dishes are dismal. They appear to serve canned vegetables (beans, peas, etc) just warmed up (awful) and the mashed potatoes are very lame. Its a shame, as the sides ruin the main item, the seafood and Leland could use a reasonable place near River Road.

The food was tasty, but the fried shrimp and fried flounder were too greasy. I told the server and she said it was because they were fried. I told her that the seafood should be drained on paper towels before serving. She just shrugged her shoulders and left our table. We will NOT be going back. Also, the interior could use a facelift.

I was in Shirly's Diner for the first time on 04/26/16. I reluctantly gave 3 stars. The food is descent but the mashed potatoes were from a box. I didn't feel like it was very much like home cooking. People that say it's the best country cooking they ever had must be city slickers and never had real country food. If they like it, they like it but it is certainly not true country cooking. I ought to know, Chef Jim

Jambalaya was just right with tons of fresh shrimp! Huge portion, definitely going to Shirley's every time I'm in Leland.

Tired of fancy over-priced restaurants? Want something simple, inexpensive and great food? This is it. Been going to Shirley's Diner for many years. Daily specials, as well as a great menu of plates and sandwiches. Always fast service and food is second to none. Wish it was closer!