Stav's Diner

Stav’s has been on my list for a while. It gets busy here, I’ve been by twice where was a line out the door! But early Sunday morning seems to be the sweet spot. On the advice of other reviewers, O had both the crispy hash browns and the challah French toast. Both are excellent choices. I skipped butter on the toast: it was decadent enough already. The rest of my breakfast was pretty standard diner fare, delivered without pretension, as ordered. And isn’t that what we really want from a place like Stav’s? Overall service is quite fast, friendly but efficient.

Update: My second time visiting Stav’s Diner and the food was amazing. Not a long wait this time around as I did not go during peak hours. I’d recommend the french toast and hash browns. Stav’s was a nice dinner. I can tell it was very popular as the food was amazing and the service was excellent. The only problem I found to be was that it was so small it too forever to get in and once seated I felt cramped. That was the only con. Every thing else was amazing. The food and the service were top notch. Some of the best french toast I’ve ever had and if you love crunchy hash browns then this is the place to go. I would just recommend you not go during peak hours as it can get a bit hectic and a little tight.

I love this place! First of all, they remember faces! They are so very nice and friendly it’s almost like going to see family! The play list is top tier, there are plenty of times, I was caught dancing in my seat via video, while devouring some French toast. 😂.. They have turkey sausages which I highly enjoy as breakfast meat… The French toast is AMAZING! You won’t believe it, until you try it… Try not to close your eyes on the first bite! Lmao! I dare you!! The service is refreshing, plenty of laughs and smiles!! Thank you for a continuous amazing experience!

05/16/25- Well, my second visit was just as good as the first. Homemade Chili, and a Tuna salad sandwich! Fresh, homemade, and delicious!! If you want a truly good deli experience, Stav's is a must! It was my first and absolutely not my last visit to Stav's diner. Spotless, great service, walking in you feel immediately welcome by the owner/chef and Charlie (everyone that works there will say hello) their weekend waitress. Starting off with excellent service, very good, and "hot" coffee. My first try was their BLT egg sandwich, with hashbrowns. Both are plated hot, fresh, and very good. Breakfast and lunch menu all day. Can't wait to go back and try additional items on the menu. Small diner, so be prepared to wait, but worth it! Warm and friendly!

A hidden gem with some of the best food items you'll have! Pancakes were divine, eggs cooked perfectly, the BLTE Bacon lettuce, tomato, egg sandwich unbelievable!!! Fun to sit right at the bar and watch them cook all this delicious food .Can't wait to come back again!!

I just received the worst service from the host. He literally sat me so close to ppl as I was by myself my phone rings as I am having my phone conversation he ask me to turn my phone down which wasn’t loud and as if the whole restaurant isn’t having conversations with their party’s. I order a hot chocolate and a water as I was seated but couldn’t get someone to take my order for food understanding it’s getting pretty busy but was skipped to place an order. I respectfully decided to pay for my hot chocolate that I didn’t drink and leave the restaurant as I am leaving he says a smart ass remark “good she was too loud”. Respectfully black ppl they don’t like us do not support

My son and his wife took us for breakfast at one of their favorite diners, Stav’s. It was great. The vibe was so friendly. The food was great! My daughter-in-law offered her go-to order and I agreed. The corned beef hash was fabulous. Eggs were perfectly cooked as not to be rubbery. Bacon crispy without being burned. What a jewel. (Very clean, too!)

Everything a great diner should be. Timeless menu, daily specials, friendly staff, fresh coffee, plenty of regular customers and generally fast service. Without hesitation I can recommend French Toast, the Bagel Breakfast Sandwich, the Feta and Spinach Omelette and the best Hash Browns known to mankind.

Old school diner ambiance near the CMH airport. Always elbow to elbow in there so practice a little patience because the food and service are certainly worth it. btw...I think Stav works the grill.

I am a fan. First time here was a week ago Saturday for an early (8:30) breakfast with a friend. It was already busy, but we were pointed to 2 counter stools. The owner/manager (not sure) was great at seating people as soon as they walked in. It is small, with several tables for 2 or 4, along with counter space. We did have to wait a bit too long for coffee and for our orders to be taken. The food made up for it. I love that they serve turkey sausage, so I had that with my French toast and eggs. It was a good meal. I look forward to returning.

A true hole-in-the-wall diner. If you want some good greasy breakfast or lunch food? You've come to the right place. We were sat quickly on a Saturday morning, but did wait quite some time for anyone to bring us water or take our order. However, I will take an average service experience for some good food. There is nothing I love more for breakfast than a good Greek omelette with gyro meat. It was a lot of food and I would definitely come back to try other items off the menu.

Excellent service great food prices are pretty fare great environment just not open in the evening

Stav is still pushing out great Diner food. We popped in at 1245 on a Saturday (they close at 130pm) and it was packed. Ten minutes after we were seated there was a line out the door. Lots of staff but Stav was on the grill solo. It did take a bit for food prep, but no matter. Huge menu. Drop by when you are in 43209.

Wasted an hour and a half to still not be able to eat today. Arrived at 1130am. One two top ahead of us on the servers wait list. 15 min wait time. After waiting inside we're told to wait in our cars. Watched a two top who arrived after us get seated so we got back out of our car in case they forgot us. Server I think then realized the mistake when she called us by the wrong party name and our name was already crossed off on the list. Sat at counter. Ordered. Had to leave because they hadn't even started cooking our order by 1245pm and we had an appt at 1pm downtown. Food looked really good but never got to try it. Would recommend investing in a texting app as it does not seem like a paper list works to seat people in order with such a small restaurant.

What an adorable little diner! Little is the key word, but it still meets its purpose with friendly service and great food! Parking is a challenge but there are some available spots in the back. We highly recommend and we will go back!

Stav's has to be my absolute favorite breakfast spot in town. The people are amazing . The food is more than amazing. I can truly say I never had a bad meal here. All the food is made to order. Today I had the Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich with a side order of hash browns with onions. Which was 10/10. I also enjoy the pancakes so I got a short stack on the side. Which was phenomenal. I got a chance to talk with the cook Pete who was funny and very attentive. The waitress all made sure I had what I needed for my late breakfast. They all serve you with a smile. The restaurant is always clean and just an overall great dining experience. If you have tried this hidden gym in the city! Look no further and find sometime to go!!! Definitely a 10/10 experience food and service!

We had breakfast at Stav's Diner this morning. I had a western omelette with hash browns, rye toast, and coffee. My wife enjoyed two eggs, hash browns, crispy bacon, and challah toast. Our meal was delicious! The friendly, attentive staff at Stav's never disappoint. What a great way to start a Friday!

Foof is amazing. Parking and seating less so.. You may have to park behind the restaurant. There are counter seats.

Amazing food and great folks. Not only did we have an amazing diner breakfast as a family, we were pointed to some great local attractions. Would surely repeat the experience whenever given a chance!

My friend and I went to Stav's for a late lunch to avoid the crowds. I've been meaning to try it for a while. Be warned that the parking lot is tiny and difficult to get in and out of. The restaurant is tiny too. There are stools at the counter and about 6 tables for 2 along the wall. It is so small that they can reach across the aisle from behind the counter to hand plates to the tables. Don't worry there are servers who will take your order and deliver it to the table. The menu is bigger than the restaurant. Breakfast and lunch options are available thru-out their regular hours. I had a florentine omelet with crispy hash browns and rye toast. The omelet was perfectly cooked and soooo tasty. The potatoes were crispy as I asked for. The toast was hot and perfectly brown. The food was well presented. Butter and jelly were available on the table. Service was prompt and the server checked with us without us having to ask. My friend loved her soup and omelet. The bill for both meals was about $22. The portions were huge, the place is very clean, lots of friendly conversations among the staff and customers. The restroom is small but clean. We will be back here often.

Stav's Diner will never let you down in terms of food quality. However I was very disappointed on my 11/1 visit. We sat at a small table for 2 and ordered quite a few breakfast items. Everything was delicious. However when we asked for a check, we were told to go to the register to settle our bill. It was an old register and one of the owners just rang in charges and told us the bill was $49.19. However when I asked for a printout since I wanted to expense it, he said he rang up the charge wrong and gave us back $7 cash. I still advised I needed a bill and he spent a long time rummaging through receipts and then based on what we had, he printed another older style receipt that doesn't show food items but only dollar amount. This time it came to $37.89. Bottom line is that the food is good but I didn't feel comfortable that I was being charged accurately. And when you don't give customers receipts so they can validate what they are being charged, it's easy to be overcharged. My suggestion is to continue to support small businesses like Stav's because the food is great but make sure you see a bill before paying and don't just assume that the number they throw out at you is correct. Stav's...I think it's about time to upgrade your register and provide customers with receipts. ****Just an honest review from an honest customer.

Shotgun design cafe. One long counter, multiple small two person tables behind against the wall. First coffee was warm but all refills after were adequately hot. All employees were polite and the food was decent. Western omelette was good, but, grilled on oil! They did have real butter! Small parking lot, especially if pulling a small trailer.

Amazing food! Great hospitality. It may be a wait for Services on busy days dining only! pretty small but it's well worth it!

Cute little breakfast or lunch place to go in Bexley. Friendly staff and food was delicious. Be sure to try their Challah bread. Can't wait to go back and try some of the lunch offerings.

Meaning to come here for awhile, but as usual, it's out of my way. And we had swung by once before on a Saturday morning and it was crazy busy. Yesterday I saw a horrible review of it by somebody who didn't even go inside, and I was very close by today, so of course I had to stop in and see. This is exactly what I want a diner to be. When I got there at 8:30 on a weekday morning, it was about half full. Which meant there were five or six customers. It's small, and the weekends are going to be nuts. But there were plenty of seats at tables and the counter for me. The owner was cooking, and complimented my shirt, and had a cool T-shirt on himself. The waitress, (I guess she was, though she was busy working behind the counter) was also friendly. I was a little worried that it might take a while to get my food because I had an appointment coming up, but my stuff was on the grill almost as soon as I ordered it, and was ready a short while later. In and out in under half an hour. And that's just because I took my time eating. I got biscuits and gravy because of course I did. Whenever they are on the menu, I need to try them. I think it was canned gravy, but it was pretty decent. Good sturdy biscuit, fluffy, but dense enough to hold up to gravy. I also got two eggs over medium, and they were cooked perfectly. Somebody else ordered fried bologna sandwiches while I was there, and they looked amazing. This is real diner food, done the right way. With a staff who are like family, work together well, crack jokes with the regulars, and even the newbies. There was a steady flow of carry out orders while I was there. There's an extensive menu of all sorts of breakfast and lunch items. The place was super clean, even the bathroom. Good music playing softly. I will still avoid it at peak times, just because I don't like people. But as a diner, as a breakfast place, as a local treasure, it is amazing.

Simple neighborhood diner. Old style flat grill. Very small. Very friendly spot filled with mostly regulars. Food was good. Would come back.

Went here for breakfast based on a recommendation from a family member. It was busy in a Sunday morning but they got us in fairly quickly. It is a smaller diner with 2 person tables and then seating along the counter. Service was very friendly and food was really great! Ordered food and it came quickly and the cooks were like a well oiled machine. It was truly interesting to watch them work so smoothly. I would definitely recommend this place!

Best food and best service. You can tell they truly love feeding people and wanting their patrons to have a great experience.

This is one of the top diners in Columbus and highly overlooked. You'll find it in a small strip mall on the Eastern edge of Bexley, and it's a pretty small spot, so you may have to wait for a table. On the plus side, the turnover for meals is quick there, because the staff is super efficient while also super friendly! I've mostly had sandwiches here, and the club and burger are fantastic, but the real start for me is the Reuben. It's a simple sandwich, but the corned beef, sauerkraut, and dressing are so good, I could probably eat that every day. The onion rings are delicious too. They're super crispy and have a nice bite, but I do think they could offer a few more rings for the side. A lot of diners on the central and western side of town get a lot of hype, but there's quite a few excellent ones on the East side, and Stav's is one of them. If you find yourself over this way, it's worth stopping in. Also, the parking out front isn't great, but they have another parking lot in the back!

The food was amazing. The staff is very extra nice. It is busy though. The wait was worth it!!!!

I enjoy talking to the staff at Stav's and the food is always excellent. Get there early if you want a seat. Watching Stav is like watching a maestro cook your breakfast.

We just had an amazing breakfast! Challah French Toast, S.O.S. (Chipped beef gravy over toast) and a corned beef omelet. The place is small, but cozy. Everybody was friendly and you could tell a lot of regulars frequented the place. Highly recommend!

Always great food and a great experience. My son and I enjoyed breakfast here today. Great customer service. A nice atmosphere.

This place is very small, only one cook, so you will wait much longer than you expected so I hope you're not in a rush. However, the food was delicious and the service was great too. Just make sure you're not in a hurry, not your typical diner.

Delicious diner we were able to try out for the first time today! In a strip mall in Bexley, we just had the yummiest breakfast and I'll say the BEST challah french toast I've ever had. I would most definitely return and order the BELT and french toast. My table mates also enjoyed their food. The only complaint I heard was that the Greek salad only had iceberg lettuce rather than a mix or some dark greens mixed in with the iceberg. The toppings of feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives were generous and the house made taziki was superb! Definitely a fan!

Yesterday morning I reviewed breakfast places on Yelp to find a good spot. This places had high reviews so we decided to check it out. I'm really glad we did. The coffee wasn't great at all but the food was absolutely fantastic and it came out fairly quickly after we ordered it. This place is small and incredibly cramped. (The employee sat us right at the counter and we were smushed between one girl and a four-top RIGHT behind us.) I would take off a full star because of that but there were too many positives. Great service and food. The staff were friendly and kind. My companion had biscuits and gravy. Be really enjoyed it. I ordered a western omelette. I paid an extra $1.00 to substitute challah bread for their three choices, which were white, wheat or rye. I really enjoyed the challah bread and my western omelette. The omelette came with hash browns, which I was a fan of. Too many places only offer potatoes and not hash browns. I'm a super big fan of this place and if I find myself back in Columbus, I'll definitely be returning here!

The service is always amazing. The waitresses are always so friendly and inviting. The food...I really enjoy their breakfast. They really do a great job here

Can't say enough good things about this little gem in Bexley. It is a fantastic place to come for either breakfast or lunch. On this visit I ordered the gyro omelet and it was so good I kept eating it long after I was full. The hash browns were perfectly crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. It is a small place so you might have a wait, but it will be worth it.

UPDATE: Returned today after two and a half years and had the blueberry pancakes. They were absolutely scrumptious (if a little on the small side).

We love Stavs and go every time we are in the area. My son loves the stacker. I always switch it up and try something new. And it's all been great

I'm not sure how to write this review. Local divey diner. Food was fine, service was fine, ambiance was fine. Two adults two grade school aged children. We each ordered a breakfast on the menu. When it came time to settle the bill, we split the check in two. My meal on one check and one adult and two kids on the second check. My bill for for breakfast and water was $17 including tip The second bill came out $65 including tip! Neither of us was given a copy of the check; the bill was rung up and calculated at the register by someone (not our server) based on what was handwritten on a scratch pad by our server. We were in a hurry to get to an appt at the OU Med Center so we paid and went on our way. But as soon as we pulled away we were discussing the bills and neither mine nor theirs added up. I had an $11 sandwich and water. How does one get to $17? I'm a 20% tipper and the math doesn't add up. The other three had $10 breakfast plates with an apple juice, an orange juice, and water. How does one get to $65 including tip? I make no accusations, but something's not right here. Did I get the out of towner special treatment because I was wearing my Chicago shirt?

Best diner food in town. Can't eat eggs pancakes sausage and gravy and the hash brown potatoes. And the coffee is fantastic. Oh in the service is fantastic. Great customer service

This was my first time at Stav's, and I will most definitely be back! We had to wait a little bit to get seated, but the food and experience was well worth the wait! I cannnot wait to come back here again!

Great food Terrific prices One of the best Ruben's in the area Not pretentious just delicious

Such a great traditional dinner, very clean and efficient. Had a busy crowd on Saturday but expected for great diners!!! Got pancakes and an omelette and great quality of food. Lots of parking around which is helpful to walk off some of the filling food. Limited seating so there can be wait times but I recommend to call and see first.

Love this place! We have stopped here in the past when we fly into Columbus. Sitting at the bar watching the owner doing his magic on the cooktop! This trip our group enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes, regular buttermilk pancakes, eggs and bacon , Western Omelette and the absolutely delicious hash browns!! By far the best I've had! The staff is super friendly and attentive!

The food was delicious the space is clean and friendly and inviting and the service was amazing. So glad we made this stop while we're were in town for Sonic Temple

Party of 2 on a busy Saturday morning. Wow! These are tight quarters, but all seats can witness the action behind the counter. The waitresses worked like a well-oiled machine. Drinks delivered, orders placed, and condiments selected for us. An experience not to be missed. The food was an exceptional display of diner breakfast. Absolutely loved this place!!

Perfect little diner. The staff was helpful in getting us seated. The food was great and the prices are very reasonable.

The wife and I have been wanting to hit this joint up but it's usually really busy. Now I know why. The breakfast is amazing and the owner/cook is puttin it down in a major way. The French toast is the best Ive ever had lest just start there. My wife got the western omelette and it was executed perfectly. Even the coffee was excellent. Best breakfast in town hands down!!

The ultimate diner experience: classic breakfasts, strong coffee, and a long counter to watch it all. A throwback to another era, in the best sense of old-school diners. Check it out!

Consistently great service and food! I have a tough time trying anything new because I love the gyro omelette so much! I've also had the bologna w/ Swiss omelette - fantastic!! Add some crispy corned beef hash, and that's a huge W in the win column! Scott, Kate, Pete - all rock stars! You can't go wrong besides not coming here - 5-star all the way!

Each borough of Columbus has their own "go to" places. Bexley has Stav's Diner. Behind the facade of a strip mall, there is a a small diner that has to be experienced. Not only do you get one of the best diners in Columbus, you also get a show ( i suggest you get a counter seat.). This is one of those places that the waitresses will reach over, around, besides, to grab something and put their free hand on your shoulder or back , saying "excuse me honey" and with that, they make you feel at home. This is not, however, you want to spend hours at. It's small, and treasures like this need to be shared. Highly recommend this place!

Small but good home cooked food. The omelets are good and filling. The service is good.

I hadn't been here since Frank's closed, but boy do Stav and his team bring it! Great burger, friendly conversation, and quick service. Glad I'm back working in the area so I can make this a regular stop!

Quintessential throwback diner. Locally owned small business in an eclectic strip mall that deserves your support. It's a solid breakfast menu. Fun to watch the cooks on the line making your food. Convenient East Broad St. location. Park in the back if the front lot is full.

What a gem. Always busy, always happy to see us and the food is on point! Love it here. The quintessential neighborhood greasy spoon.