Ideal Diner

Don’t expect first come first served seating, its not going to happen. Go where you get respect from other patrons and the staff.

Ideal Diner: Where special people feel normal and normal people feel special.
And isn’t that the truth! My partner and I LOVE this place, breakfast and lunch. In fact I’m placing a to go order with them for lunch right now as I type this!
Thank you Ideal Diner, THANK YOU

My favorite place to dine in Nordeast/​perhaps MN! I have been coming here with my dad since I was seven and it’s just an awesome hole in the wall diner that has hardly changed one bit in my 23 years of getting food here. They have a fantastic menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner which is very affordable. Come to think of it, I have never gotten anything other than their Workin Man’s breakfast… I live in Seattle now but I always find time to come in and get some breakfast! If you want breakfast, then you need to get there before 7:30am-8am otherwise you will be stuck in the back waiting for seats to open up as there are only 14 seats but trust me, it’s worth the wait. Nothing fancy but just like the sign in the diner says «Where regular people feel special and special people feel regular» It’s fun to watch the chef cook your food right in front of you. Great for all ages! It’s funny because no matter where I am at, if I am out at any restaurant for breakfast, I find I always end up comparing that breakfast to the Ideal Diners Workin Man’s and I have yet to find a place that makes a better breakfast. Such a memorable and special place that will always stay with me :)

I think I’m generously giving Ideal four stars based on flavor (the quintessential diner experience– very yummy!) and price (can’t get much better than a meal under $ 9) but for my actual review I am actually going to detail the service of the wait staff which must be addressed!
Early on a Sunday I ordered a working man, coffee and two piece French toast to go. The server over the phone quoted me about a 15 – 20 minute wait to pick up to which I obliged. Upon arrival I walked through the door to view a very small single countered diner-​love the nostalgia and simplicity of it all! After being greeted by the cook (great) I looked around to see where the «pick up» area was. I didn’t see any indication of a designated place so I waited patiently as I made contact with the only server in the space. After standing for several minutes (to hopefully indicate clearly that I was not sitting to dine in) I again made contact with the server who was just standing there and enjoying herself while talking to a regular. She clearly saw me and I saw the order sitting on the counter ready to go (growing colder by the minute) and finally I asked the cook if there was someone who could please help me. The server finally wrapped up what sounded to be the details of her birthday plans for the weekend and came over to help me but I was notably irritated.
Tip to all of our beloved «Nordeast» stables in the area from a somewhat northeast newbie (lived here on and off for 10 years): «Absolutely, 100% continue to love on your regulars. I get it, they have a relationship with you and your shops that we most likely will never achieve. But within that same understanding, and breath– do NOT forget that new customers also matter and WANT to also support your local business!»
That said I’m big on service so chances are that I’ll give you a couple of times to make it up and after that if I still feel unwelcomed I’ll simply slip off and find another local joint that does welcome me and my paycheck.

Found this diner on Unilocal,great place no tables only the counter… place was packed good food, made fresh while we watched, enjoyed the staff, very friendly and welcome… even chatted with the owners mom, she was there eating. Worth the visit next time I’ll have breakfast for lunch.

I love this place. I went went last week after being away from the neighborhood for 10 years. Felt like home.
Best burger in town. It’s not 7 tons of beef on a bun, it’s a perfect greasy-​spoon restaurant burger. If you haven’t gone, go now. Get hash browns as the side. Thank me later.

I brought my 5 yr old daughter and her friend to Ideal diner, it was far from Ideal. I ordered the corn beef hash as recommended by a regular patron sitting next to me. When I recieved my order the hash and hash-​browns were soooo dry and over cooked as well as my eggs I couldn’t even eat them. I took a few bites of each item and had to pound water just to swallow. No one asked if everything was ok eventhough they were only a few feet away. They were not busy by any means. My daughter and her friend only wanted toast. Needless to say I paid $ 15 for toast and my uneaten breakfast. I still gave a 20% tip even though service was sub-​par to say the least. I also sat with an empty $ 2.50 cup of coffee for most my meal. I DO NOT RECOMMEND! I will not go back.

Absolutely love this spot! Great prices, clean atmosphere, and the best damn breakfast food this side of the Mississippi.
Tips: Know what you want. This place gets busy and they hate people who are indecisive. Know how you want you eggs, and whether you want white, white, or rye… if you call ahead and don’t know these things. They will ask you to call back.

Excellent place for breakfast.
Tiny place, often a short wait.
Food prepared fresh in front of you. Pricing very reasonable. Quality always. Never need to ask for more coffee.

Ideal is a VERY (read: slightly smaller than Al’s) small diner in NE. As far as breakfast goes, nothing about this place was… bad, per se. The food was ok and my girlfriend found a bug in her water, which definitely turned her off to this place unfortunately.
Personally I thought the country fried steak and eggs were cooked very nicely. The staff is speedy and really wants turnover on the seats to get more customers in as people were standing behind the seats like at Al’s. Not a bad spot… but there are far better.

There are hole in the wall places, and then there are really hole in the wall places. Ideal fits the «really» aspect perfectly. It’s a lot like Al’s in Dinkytown, walk past and blink, and you’ve missed it. It’s also about the same size, so keep that in mind. Much like Al’s, this isn’t fancy dining. This is «I need something greasy to soak up a hangover, or create a bowel movement» kind of breakfast. Lower your standards a bit.
However, on a Sunday afternoon, we decided some greasy spoon was needed, and ventured to Ideal. There is a parking lot, and street side parking, so fret not. All counter seating here, so, hopefully you’re not sat down next to someone too big, or smelly.
Service was solid the entire time. Coffee cup was refilled, waters refilled, and the requested condiments were supplied without having to ask a second time (even before ordering).
I opted for the Buddy breakfast sandwich, think egg McMuffin but not toxic to your guts, and a plate of french toast. She ordered a short stack and a «working man» breakfast — two eggs, hash, bacon and toast.
Food is cooked right in front of you on a flat top, so it comes out quick.
Everything was tasty. The buddy was a great little bastard I devoured with no remorse… and in fact, didn’t even let the woman have a bite of it. Hash was fried up nicely, given some solid crispiness. Bacon was thick and well done. Eggs were done well and over easy as requested. French toast was powdered and cooked perfectly. Cakes were tasty, but, not cooked long enough and a bit on the doughy side. That is the only gripe. All of that food was under $ 25, and for solid, good sized proportions.
As you’re sitting there, look to the far upper left and notice a cooler. Ask what pies they have for the day. You’ll thank me later.
All in all, a solid hole in the wall that doesn’t offer and thrills, just a solid breakfast.

Great breakfast. Home made style breakfast and cook in front of you. I order working man, they use quality ingredient. Is small and you seat in a bar style. But great place for a breakfast.

Love this place!
So teeny yet so effective. I went last Thursday afternoon, about 1:30. I think we had just caught the tail end of lunch hour, because we did have to wait 15 minutes or so to get seats at the counter. The wait was worth it.
I had an awesome reuben sandwich that was toasted to perfection, and the price was very reasonable! 2 adults had a great lunch and our bill came to be about $ 17. Not bad at all!

Oh my god. I don’t know anyone could give this place less than 5 stars!
I had breakfast here this morning, for the first time. It’s a hidden gem of a greasy spoon in NE. I had the Nordeast omelette (steak, mushrooms, onions with cheddar & swiss cheese). It was fantastic! My date had the «Polish Man», and I tried some of his polish sausage. It was probably the best I’ve had in a LONG time.
In the end, a delicious, homestyle breakfast for $ 9-​$ 12 (Including coffee). I will definitely be coming back, and bringing friends!

I love this place! The crispy hash browns, affordable price and great service is what keeps calling me back.

Ideal diner is the epitome of a hometown, neighborhood diner. Nothing beats greasy breakfast, reasonable prices… and Kim!
My husband is a regular to Ideal and frequently orders the buddy breakfast sandwich & coffee/​OJ for $ 5! I tag along on the weekends. We live close, so enjoy walking there in the mornings, posting up at the bar and grabbing a paper to read. Our last visit, we ended up sitting next to Kim’s mom and another regular patron who informed us he had been coming to Ideal for 40 years… never once has his wife come with (more for us, I guess!?).
Our regular order consists of two buddy breakfast sandwiches, and a short stack to share. The sandwiches are amazing. Add some hot sauce and they are PERFECT. The pancakes are sweet, light and oh-​so-​yummy. Seriously, hubs and I devour the cakes, practically competing for who can eat the last bite.
#mouthiswateringthinkingaboutthem

Great place, greasy spoon ma n’ pa type of place. Delicious food with great service. I had eggs benedict and it was flawless and my girl friend’s country fried steak was the star and so tender you could cut it with the fork. Generous portions. It’s a tiny place with just over a dozen seats so you may have to wait if it is busy-​but it’s worth it.

I wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. If you have never been here, drop what you are doing and GO NOW!
My man and I go once a week and have tried many things on their menu (we have only gone for breakfast).
Kim is AMAZING! She is always so friendly and remembers our order now that we have picked our faves off the menu an rarely stray away.
Guaranteed goodness: veggie omelet, bacon cheddar omelet, breakfast buddy, pancakes (we have tried pancakes EVERYWHERE within a 30 mile radius and this place has THE BEST!!!). The coffee is great as well. Plus THE PRICES! Can’t go wrong when two people can get a delicious and filling breakfast plus top and beverages for under $ 20!
Overall, this place is amazing. The employees are friendly, the customers are awesome, this is definately the best spot for breakfast in the NE area and maybe wen in Minneapolis!

«A place where regular people feel special and special people feel regular.»
Awesome diner! Great breakfast. Crispy hash browns and awesome pancakes. Menu also has lunch and dinner foods but I’ve only been for breakfast. No idea what took me so long to get over here.

I have Fridays off from work, and it’s seeming to become a tradition to get breakfast at some local joint on Friday mornings. This week was the Ideal Diner.
I went with three friends, and despite the diner’s teeny-​tiny size, we were accommodated. Besides the 12 or so counter seats, there’s 8 seats along the window where we hung out, drank some coffee, and put our orders in until some spots at the counter opened up.
This place is exactly what you’d expect from a diner: small, lots of regulars, classic food. The crowd was older on a Friday morning, but they weren’t put off by a bunch of 20-​somethings intruding on their space. The best part: the food is CHEAP. I could become a regular at this place if for no other reason than that.
I ordered the Nordeast omelet (steak, onions, mushrooms, cheese). Delicious, but I’d ask them to go easy on the cheese next time. I tried my friend’s hash browns which weren’t as crispy as I tend to like.
I’ll have to go back again to have a piece of apple pie that was staring me down from across the counter.