Kellie A.
Yelp
I've been going to Starling Diner for more than a decade. When I have out of town guests, Starling is where I've taken them for a lovely breakfast. The food has always been great, as has the service. While I'm not what one would be considered a regular, I have brought a good deal of business their way over the years, and have suggested Starling Diner to several of my friends.
So, why the one start review? I've always brought my dog with me, and we've always sat on the patio. Today I showed up with my dog, and was told dogs aren't allowed, even on the patio. I asked "Since when?", and was told they'd had "an incident". I was not given details about what happened, so I can only surmise that someone who had a poorly trained dog either bit someone or got into a kerfuffle with another dog.
I'm a former restaurant manager. Some of the restaurants I've managed allowed dogs on their patio dining area. While we did have the occasional issue with a poorly behaved dog, the responsibility fell to the owner for any damages or injuries incurred, and we simply let the owner know that while they were welcome to come back, it would have to be without their dog. Perhaps California laws have changed in recent years, but as far as I knew several years ago, the restaurant was not liable for what a guest's dog did: the owner was. Ban the dog who caused the problem, not all dogs. Sorry Starling Diner, you've lost a customer, and I won't be sending anyone else your way. My trained and very well behaved dog will go to The Attic or Ubuntu from now on. I'll miss your French toast the most.