The Executive Diner

Cute little Diner in the heart of Alexandria. The food was delicious. Service was a bit slow but our waitress was friendly. Definitely worth a try. The breakfast burrito was great! Kid friendly, lots of options for different tastes, clean & friendly atmosphere.

Warning: Avoid the Executive Diner ***** attention please read!!*********Don’t eat at the Executive Diner. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, paid over $20, and got the nastiest meatballs imaginable. They were dry, tasted bad, and the meat was unrecognizable. I’ve attached pictures. I had to spit them out. Honestly, I wouldn’t even feed this to a starving dog.

Visited on 01/16/2025 for breakfast. A classic themed, jazz music playing diner with great service and great food. It is very reasonably priced for the portions given. Everything on the packed menu looked good to eat, and my only regret is not having the stomach capacity to order more.

This diner is a great spot for breakfast and is so cute inside! All of the food was tasty, but the potatoes were a highlight! Service was excellent and they even offered a to-go coffee as I was getting ready to leave.

Food is always tasty here. Service can be a little slow tho. Friendly. Nice diner with good quality food. Good variety choices on the menu.

A nice diner with a decent size parking lot! You can sit indoors or outside on their patio. The patio is great on a nice day. But if it’s warm out, like the day I visited there was no breeze. Our server was friendly. It took some time for our meals to come out because they were short staff that day. Over all the food was good. Great presentation. The food was fresh and hot. Update December 2022: Food and service is still great. Their French toast is fried and taste similar to a funnel cake. The berries were sweet. If you’re counting calories it’s probably not for you and it’s best when eaten hot.

I don't normally start off with the negatives but I was so disappointed with the waffle that I can't not talk about it. First of all, the "loaded" waffle is a scam. There were like 4 thin slices of bananas, three slices of strawberry and some blueberry. Secondly, the waffle was dense, doughy and just not worth it. The home fries were on the drier side too. Liked the salmon eggs benedict and a vegetarian pasta dish. Also the latte that I ordered had perhaps a drop of coffee with hot milk. I don't want to give a lower rating because some of the items were good but I got the feeling that this place might be a hit or a miss. I would rate it about 2.5/5

This restaurant is a gem. The atmosphere is very pleasant, there's never a wait, and the wait staff is very friendly. They offer a good variety of dishes to choose from, they serve breakfast all day, and the food reminds you of home cooked meals. A great value for your money!

Love the Executive Diner. We probably do dinner here once a week in the summer! I usually get the Gyro.

Was in Alexandria running errands waiting for one of the big box stores to open and decided to have breakfast. Parking lot was small but we had arrived fairly early on a Sunday morning so we were able to snag a spot. We were greeted and seated right away. We placed our order and it came out rather quick. I got the country fried steak and eggs breakfast; husband got the corned beef hash and eggs and we both opted for home fries tho fruit and grits were options. The country fried steak breakfast was good. The gravy had a great flavor and the breading for the chicken wasn't your typical breaded batter; it was a tempura batter. This was the first time I had it prepared that way and I wasn't mad at it tho I do prefer the traditional method. My home fries were also not made with your usual russet potato; they were made with red potatoes..again not what I was expecting. Some of them were slightly undercooked and lacked seasoning. My husband's potatoes in contrast were the total opposite. His potatoes were cooked thoroughly and had great flavor. He tasted my potatoes and exclaimed how they were nothing like his. Same exact dish, two very different executions. I concluded that the corned beef hash that sat on his potatoes must have contributed to the flavor. My eggs were cooked exactly how I asked, scrambled soft. Not many places get them right for me, but they were perfect! We also ordered an entree of french toast to share and it was ok. I honestly wanted pancakes but unless you get the executive breakfast platter, or order a single pancake for nearly five bucks, pancakes aren't offered. As for the French toast, I should have opted for this as a side (or not at all). But, unfortunately, unless you get the full size, you don't get the berries and whipped cream that comes with a full size serving (waitress made that very clear) and it needs those accompaniments to give it umph. Otherwise it is just deep fried bread and I feel like the bread was lacking. It wasn't challah or brioche even..it appeared to be plain white bread and whatever custard they used didn't appear to include any sweet nor spicy notes like cinnamon or nutmeg, because again, the syrup, whipped cream and berries gave the french toast its flavor. To have this as a side, you'd just be tasting deep fried toast with syrup (if that's what you like on your french toast). I actually would skip on getting this altogether honestly. All in all I would come back to try other dishes. The restaurant vibes were cool and the lighting was perfect; not too bright, not too dim. The service was okay as well, but not extraordinary. Wait staff were pleasant enough.

Food is really good and worth 4 or 5 stars especially given the price. Also has a great setting with views of the footsteps of old town. Sadly the reason this isn't a 4 or 5 star review is the service. Our waiters (yes multiple because we had to flag down another just to order) attended to us maybe once every 15-20 minutes at most. It was ah hour long experience just to order a water, then food, then the check. I'd come back if I knew the service was on-time

Decent diner, I was just too hungover to enjoy it. Omelettes were great and their sausage was just what I needed. Their fountain coke revived me and was perfectly carbonated. Great spot to pop in and have some breakfast.

This is a hidden gem. It's a small place with good food. The service is excellent! Enjoyed our holiday get together!

Executive is a fallback option of ours for brunch or dinner when nothing else around seems right for the moment. We've been coming here for a long long time. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. Service has improved the past year or two. Before, service could be hit or miss. Executive Diner is good about letting you make substitutions. One of my favorite items is the grilled cheese with bacon sandwich. I do have them hold the tomatoes, because those are a bit much on the sandwich. I enjoy breakfast here, they have especially good bacon. However I'm not a fan of their home fries, which are hefty chunks of sliced potato with a few pieces of red and bell pepper. The good news is that the home fries do not automatically come with breakfast, you can get fruit or grits instead. And instead of toast, you can get a biscuit. There is one item I deem "not recommended" and that is their side garlic bread. I see the garlic and some oregano, but all I taste is some seasoning I've never had before and it tastes like somebody ground up flower petals and seasoned the bread with it. Just awful! Final thought: I'm not sure how that kooky layout of the men's room came to be.

Came on Monday 7/29 after our original breakfast choice was closed. It was around 1130-12pm and the restaurant was fairly empty. We were seated immediately but it took some time to be waited on. Not even so much as a "someone will be with you shortly" or anything similar. Due to this delay we were ready to order once our waiter did arrive since we had time to go over the menu. We ordered: Shrimp and grits - 9/10 - the grits weren't cooked all the way so there were some bits in it but overall the dish was good. The sauce had great flavor and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. Grilled cheese added bacon- my friends dish - said it was decent enough as it's hard to mess up a classic. Once we got our food, similar to my last experience, our waitress just disappeared. I mean we literally didn't know where she was for about 30mins, even after we'd eaten our food and were ready to leave we couldn't find her. I don't understand how you disappear from people, especially after getting their meals without a check in or anything. I won't come back just off that alone, something about that level of inattentiveness is off putting for me. Food will be decent but service seems to be lacking here.

Went here yesterday and honestly a solid experience. Server was knowledgeable. I didn't like that I had to ask for my food after I saw at least two people who ordered after me receive theirs but our food still came out hot so no real complaints. Manager even assisted with the table. Adequate parking and reasonable prices.

Diner me baby! Love, love trying new places. Especially ones that people rave about. This place is located right next to a church so I anticipated it being packed but we got a table with no wait. I ordered the chicken and waffle. I love a light waffle but this one was heavy, although good! The egg was made perfect. My friend got the smoked salmon Benedict which looked amazing. Coffee was so good! Definitely a cool little diner. I'm sure I'll return!

We came on the first snowy day of the season and it was worth it. Parking was plentiful, service was awesome and food was really goood. We both ordered the executive breakfast with different sides and everything was yummy. I'm looking forward to going back again.

Great menu. We had some speed of service concerns but the experience was good. I had the wedge salad and a cup of clam chowder. The chowder was incredible! I didn't realize the wedge was grilled. Not a huge fan of translucent wilted romaine. It was supposed to be served with blue cheese dressing but I was served some chipotle each. It was ok. Server was mostly absent as we had to ask and wait for most things. The diner atmosphere is cool.

The Executive Diner is sort of a "not cheap knockoff " diner. The ambiance is one of a thinly veiled mid- range restaurant or a corporate lunchroom : high ceiling, tall windows, wood laminate floors. The staff were very nice, but again lacked the "diner waitress" affect. I had to ask for coffee--anywhere else it would have been offered right away! what diner does that? the food was very good and prepared to order.

It was okay, not much flavor, but we all had breakfast...probably won't be back, fruit was not ripe and terrible.

Diner food but pricey and without the taste. Would not return at all. Waffles had a taste- could have been too much baking powder idk. And heavy weird texture. Steak was chewy chewy chewy . No kids menu for breakfast which doesn't make sense. Kids drinks came in a tall glass cup ‍. Don't bother unless no other options and just need food to fill belly . Waiter was friendly . Oh and syrup , salt pepper shakers were dirty. Don't even want to use .

This place did not disappoint for a breakfast date. Generous portions, flavorful food, attentive service and festive atmosphere. Would recommend and come here again.

I've been to this diner more times than I can count, so this review is not on a specific day but a summary of overall experiences. This is a solid choice in the area for a variety of dishes from crab dip to pancakes! The prices are extremely decent, especially if you compare to some of the other eateries in the area. They have something for everyone-- those who want something lighter can opt for a salad and there's even option for the hardiest of eaters. The last two times I've been there, I had a breakfast bowl that has burnt ends, eggs, potatoes, cheese, absolutely delicious! Think it was a special. Check out their changing seasonal / special menu. Service is fast and typical diner fashion!

Service, food was great! A nicer dennys with good options and yummy food. Great safe and quick pick

We came here to eat. Our server Danelsy V act like she did not want to wait on us she act like she didn't want to be there either. The breakfast was terrible I ordered corn beef and egg did not know the corn beef comes with onions and green peppers but our server never explained it. My husband had the executive platter he did not like none of it. Danelsy. V never came back to check on us once bad service The food and service were awful. When we ask about our check she shove me the machine I drop it on the table I sign it but put no tip because I give cash tip. She never got tip because she just walk away. So she didn't get tip. Need a better server next time. Servers don't introduce themselves or nothing they just wait on you never come back to check on you they just want a tip and they happy.but will did not tip she walk off. The service AWFUL

Had a great time here! The food was awesome and the service was a little lackadaisical. Which i was a little surprised being though as the place wasn't full yet with it being Easter. But I would come back and they had some really great options! But some of the waitress staff has got to do a little better with checking on their patrons. I waited a very long time just to get my check and I asked several other employees for my waitress or if I could just get my check . I Actually had to wait until she came to take another patrons order just to get my check so I could leave. I'm not saying the whole staff is like this but my waitress was that's my only complaint.

Ate here with my husband and 2 kids yesterday evening. The food was excellent and the place was very clean - esp the bathrooms. My son picked this place, as they serve breakfast all day and that's his favorite. I personally had a shrimp po boy, which was also excellent. Great location and excellent service, as well!

Such a neighborhood favorite. Breakfast items are all consistent and good, esp the seafood omelette. My kids love the mozzarella sticks and wings, and carryout is super easy. 10/10

First time here, not disappointed. Meatloaf one entree:three 1/2 inch slices, side brown gravy with mashed potatoes and seasoned veggies. Enough for seconds, took half home. I ordered the chicken pasta from front of menu "specials ". Both came with salad. Waitress was friendly and prompted with drinks. Manager I believe served us our salads n meal. 2 pretty nice salads, home made dressings , 2 entrees and drinks for $45. Enjoyed the jazz music in background. We'll maintained, clean place.

Come here all the time! Everything on the menu is FIRE- executive platter for breakfast and the burger for lunch/dinner with a blueberry mojito. Staff is super friendly, always fast. Executive has never failed me- top notch whenever we come to eat there

I've driven past this spot for years. So, when I wanted breakfast/an early lunch, we decided to give it a shot. I thought the food was pretty decent. I had the chicken and waffles. The taste was okay, and the chicken was super-crispy. I liked it for what it was. Now the bad would be our server. She came by, took our order, and we never saw her again. We saw her in the distance wandering around, but she was oblivious to us and the other tables around us. First, her section should not include outside and inside sections...secondly, someone might have been able to do it, but not her. She never came back after taking our order. We were out of beverages. The table next to us literally told her they needed silverware, and she never returned to give it to them. (They got it themselves). We gave up on the dream of asking for hot sauce or beverage refills...then eventually of her returning with our check so we could actually pay and leave. Another waitress had to take our payment. It could have been decent...but she should not be a waitress as she had no clue and just wandered around off in the distance neglecting all of her tables. The food was okay, but the service was horrific.

This was a great diner! Food was good and fresh. Prices were on point and staff was super friendly. Drove out to Virginia for the day and had our three year old with us. Its family friendly and def a spot wed come back to if ever in the area again.

The experience is unique ethnic tribute to the American Diner experience! The service was all on point! Like a machine! The food was good but some parts were lacking soul! I had chicken and waffles! The waffles were great and very tender! The chicken was breast tenders x four ! It was lacking seasoning: salt ! The sausage gravy was a small quantity! I could had more ! I added an egg over easy ! Excellent! I feel this is all manufactured cookbook cooking! Freak omelette was good! They were able to do some request such as a grate fruit mimosa! But when I asked them to place the egg over the chicken and waffles, that became an issue! Still great! This was a good find !

Fast service! Yummy pancakes and a huge menu! They have something for everyone. We ordered a stack of pancakes for the table which was definitely the way to go. Each of us was able to have one pancake before our entrees came out. (Comes with three) I had a Benedict which was so delicious. The hollandaise was plentiful yet not overpowering. I couldn't believe how well run the kitchen seemed to be!

Classless, and lazy service today. I came in for a quiet breakfast. Placed my order, and patiently waited. Just as my items arrived, I adjusted my seating, and realized my sweatshirt was stuck to the table. I peeled it off. The server who brought my food, was not the server that took my order. As he placed my plate down, I said, " my shirt was stuck to the table, "I need a cloth or something to clean it (table). I surveyed my food as he left to get what I would be a cleaning cloth to wipe table down properly. Sidebar, bacon arrived super dry, no butter on my waffle, and the waitress specifically asked how I wanted my waffle, she suggested fruit, I declined and said just butter. The other server returns with a crumbled napkin that I guess he dabbed with water and handed it to me. My thoughts were where was the damn cloth to actually wipe the entire table and its edges off? Isn't this part of their job as servers? So I requested for my original server, they both seemed unconcerned and slow about correcting this sloppy situation. So I grabbed what items I could, to move my seating to the front counter bar table. Some of my hot tea spilled, and I placed that back on the table realizing I'm a not a server, and they are trained to do this. Disgusted by this point, I left. I did not get to eat. What a waste of my valuable time. I used to enjoy dining here, but they have declined with their service. I don't recommend this place, unless you check off the list the things you look for before placing your order to eat. I will be taking my Sunday service business elsewhere.

absolutely spectacular breakfast, we got the sausage gravy and biscuits and the chicken and waffles, both were great. staff was quick and friendly, glad we stopped by on a whim while traveling from Ohio to DC. we will be back!

The omelet was pretty big, but had way too many mix-ins with it. It comes with asparagus, onions, spinach and mushrooms. I didn't have mushrooms in mine, and I added cheese. It was way too much cheddar cheese, I had to take some out and put it to a side. Because of the excessive amount of fix-ins, I got to the point the dish wasn't enjoyable anymore. The mixed fruit was great and fresh, loved it! I also had toast with my dish, the toast wasn't very warm and I wasn't given butter or jam for it. The server was okay, he checked on us maybe 2x which is fine and not a complaint. I had decaf coffee for my drink, it was okay not the best. My second time dinning at this establishment. I enjoy the ambiance, prices, service, and wide range of the menu.

This used to be an amazing spot, however this was the last time we'll be coming. The service wasn't great, the bacon was poor, and my waffle was so bad I had to send it back. The French toast was actual not bad.

The food is always consistently excellent. I'm always pleasantly surprised at the gourmet level of the cooking. I ordered a veggie omelette for. Breakfast and chef had diced fresh crisp asparagus and spinach, etc. So delicious. We love eating there, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Never disappointed.

Executive Diner looks nice from the outside but it's really nothing more than another generic diner. Came here with my parents as a belated-birthday celebration for my dad, and we were really hoping for a noteworthy experience since we had passed by the restaurant so many times on the way to other places. We had no issue parking, so that was a good start. However, everything from that point on was decidedly average: uninspiring service, average food, and honestly not great prices considering what you're getting for them. This place felt more like an urban attempt to capture the feeling of a traditional roadside diner, but stripping it of the delicious food and personable service. I should be clear: this place was not bad. Indeed, it did not do anything particularly poorly, but rather it did everything in a fairly forgettable way. If you've ever been to Silver Diner, you know what I mean by this: you leave full but fairly confident that you could have done better if you had looked over your options more thoroughly. If you're in the area and want a true diner experience, try Barnside Diner instead (though sadly their hours make them hard to visit, another victim of Covid). Overall: 2.5 stars ----- Pros: - Food was decent but completely forgotten by the time you hit the parking lot. - Plenty of parking. Cons: - Barely anything worth remembering here, service included, which is really where a diner needs to shine. - Prices are high for the quality of what you get.

The food was amazing and the prices were fair. It's a really cool conversion of office space. Faves: Pancakes French Toast Bacon Biscuits Chicken Tenders and Fries! The service was suuuuuper fast. High-end diner experience.

This place is great!!!! Dropped our daughter off at Amtrak and it's just down the street so it was a good spot to have some dinner before her train. Portions there are gigantic on everything.... And wow it's good. We also had the friend Mac and Cheese bites.... It's a meal unto itself!

It's a nicer diner with delicious and large portions. Need I say more? Seafood omelette was tasty, the shrimp and grits were delicious.

My egg white omelette was surprisingly fluffy & the veggies were fresh. My husband said his grits were creamy. His French toast was good, but he mostly raved about the sweetness of the strawberries covering his French toast. Overall, good service, casual atmosphere and delicious food. I would highly recommend and would visit again.

Haven't been back in a decade. Good spot for breakfast. Very busy on Saturday morning. I had chicken fried steak with sunny side eggs and grits. Service was frenetic but we were a large group. Another added bonus is sufficient parking even at the edge of southern old town.

This place had been bookmarked for a while but not sure there is anything remarkable about it. It was easy to get to (walking distance from our hotel) but the food was just okay. I had the shrimp and grits and should have stuck with diner food.

The French toast martini is soo good! The waffle is also very fluffy. The sausage and biscuits are a bit underwhelming flavor wise, but I liked how cheesy it was an the chicken sausage was good. The home fries/hash browns were very well seasoned.

The drinks were good. Nothing to write home about. Service was nice. No wait for a Friday morning. Fast service too. If you want something that seems reliable and you don't feel like trying then this is a good place to go

Fantastic!!! Better come hungry if for breakfast. Wait staff were amazing as well. Very clean in the dining and restroom areas. Highly recommend this diner.

Order the chicken fried steak. They do it very, very well here. And the gravy is scrumptious, scratch made We also had French toast. Good! Good coffee and decent service.

I frequent this spot whenever I'm in town. Service has always been good, both dine-in and takeout. Food's good... nothing super fancy, but good! Their breakfast is filling for sure... The waffles are pretty good! I've also gotten their fish and chips, which is plenty for 2 meals. Ambience is cute, especially when the weather is good for outdoor seating.

Had two experiences here. Both times the food was amazing. Love the classics and always amazing sweet potato fries! First time we sat inside and the customer service was impeccable. The second time we came back we were seated outside under the headlamp which made the environment warm and cozy even though there was snow outside, but since we were sat outside our waitress completely forgot about us. No water refills, no check in, we didn't exist. Even when I went inside to ask for more water with the cups she gave me eye contact and ignored me. Not sure what happened there. We even had to ask another waitress for boxes and to pay our bill. She did however come to see how much tip she got so it's not like she left. That experience kind of killed it for us. But I would go again just never sit outside.

I went here with my friend after testing drive cars. We were so into our conversations that I forgot to take photos and she has been here numerous of times. & I see why! The food was great I had wings and fries and she had crab dip! Still good even though it was basic lol plus I'm a fry girl and if the fries aren't fried correctly they definitely get sent back! Them wings had sooo much flavors and the sauce was great! The dip was great as well that came with bread that I didn't care for. Our server was great and very attentive to our needs. She made sure my refills were great and our water was always filled. I really love this place and can't wait to take the family back!

Wanted to update my review since we've been a few more times. Let me start by saying breakfast is where it's at. We came for dinner and it was a big MISS. However, I'm not going to dock a star because they do breakfast really well. This past weekend- Mother's Day- it was crazy. At one point the wait was over an hour. We made it in and got seated with 30 minutes despite the rush. Our waitress was so great and sweet despite how busy she was. She stayed attentive and even brought our daughter a Shirley temple when she fussed about our grown up drinks with fruit! Lol My husband and I both had the platter and there was so much food and all made excellent. There was way more than 2 eggs on the plate. The French toast is so crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy in the middle. The berries are a nice touch and it was yummy without syrup. The maple sausage and home fries are also awesome. The drinks were great and service was amazing. This is def our fav brunch spot still!

Menu offers a lot of dishes for breakfast for a fair price. I ordered the Belgian waffles which came with fruits and powdered sugar, the bananas were delicious! Service was quick, food came within 10 minutes and restaurant was very clean and calm.

Our problem was mainly our server as I noticed other tables had much better service. We had to ask for coffee refills each time, she never asked if everything was good, didn't offer to take any plates away and we had to ask for a to-go box three times. The topper was she asked if we wanted change from $40.00 for a $30.00 tab. Ny wife had the executive breakfast which she did like. I had a plain waffle that tasted like uncooked dough. Two bites and left the rest.