smith street diner

full but not impossible. we went after a morning soccer game before returning to raleigh. i used urbanspoon and tripadvisor to choose the place and this was the consensus. perfect. no-frills but well served, it was full and the parking was filled with cars, but a well organised whiteboard gets you seated in some 10 minutes for a group of 4. thefoodis what you expect in this kind of diner, great potatoes and huge pancakes, extraordinary biscuits with superb orange juice. the place for a homely brunch in greensboro. very nice people.

consistent comfort food. we visit greensboro a few times a year, and always eat at smith street diner. we wandered in one day when our sons were in middle school, and after we ate they aptly named it "the giant biscuit place." our latest visit was for dinner. we had a chicken breast biscuit, and a fried fish sandwich. the chicken biscuit was so big my husband had to eat it open-faced with a knife and fork. he got some jelly and finished the biscuit as dessert. my fish sandwich was a "special", and was served on a fresh bun with slaw and a slice of red onion. we shared a dish of mac and cheese for a side. all of it was delicious. there's nothing fancy about this place, but thefoodis really good in a homey diner atmosphere.

thefoodwas awesome. i created my own omelette and it was the best i have ever had. the biscuits were a little dry, service was pleasant but sparse. the seating was good until it started to pick up and it got a little crowded. overall the experience was good and i definitely recommend the omelettes.

great food, breakfast or lunch. there are times when i am guilty of not appreciating the greensboro restaurant environment, or at the very least, not giving the proper respect to the gems of that scene - gems like this busy, funky little diner with pictures of lexington barbecue pigs on the walls, which serves (with pleasant efficiency) excellent comfortfoodmorning, noon, and night, and does so at most reasonable prices. shame on me!

i love big biscuits as much as anyone, and breakfast has always been a recognized and appreciated staple of this place, but their sandwiches (hot or cold), salads, burgers, soups & chili, and their daily plate specials are also excellent - and especially with the mon - fri specials, the portion size makes the value here undeniable to even the most casual observer.

the fried chicken special on thursdays ($8.50) is half a chicken, 4 pieces (guess nobody counts the neck or back as pieces) with 2 sides and bread. the chicken is well crusted, seems more pan fried than deep fat fried, seasoned a little differently than most in the area, and there is plenty of it..

the chicken fried steak is awesome - tender, with a nice, outside crust, and great tasting milk gravy. i've had better only a very few times, and those were intexas.

our choice of sides (fried okra & collards) were super, and also very plentiful - largest serving of fried okra i've encountered not in my momma's house. the cornbread is nice, moist, slightly on the sweet side. the mashed potatoes and the pintos were ok, but not quite in the same league as the okra and collards. the dinner roll was also excellent, not you typical roll, loaded with flavor.

love the service approach - you have a "primary" server, but everybody who walks by seems to check on your status and your needs - got refills from 2 servers other than the one who took our order - so cool, and so appreciated. hard not to find something you would like here. can't wait to come back - their version of huevos rancheros up next.


-----23 jul, 2011-----

great breakfast spot, and more. this little place, which is actually located on battleground avenue, has a local reputation as a breakfast hot spot (and it is), but it also serves up some nice lunch choices as well - all the while staying a little under the radar - maybe location? biscuitville type hours?

as many know, this place serves huge biscuits - largest i've seen that weren't on a billboard - but not just big, flaky, soft, and tasty. egg plates, omelets, pancakes, pork tenderloin or country ham biscuit at about $3, and 2 biscuits and gravy at $3.95 9s a full meal. tried the smoked salmon, not my favorite. home fries are excellent.

lunch items include the usual selection of salads, sandwiches with a nice burger. plates vary daily, but usually include cs steak (nice), spigahetti, meatloaf, fried flounder, and chicken pot pie - all good choices. the have pork barbecue from time to time, but i'd pass - if they don't cook the barbecue there, don't eat it there. daily lunch plates run about $6 - with sandwiches about the same, a little pricey.

they serve breakfast all day on sat & sun, and they close at 2:30 daily. it can get quite busy at peak breakfast times on week ends, with lines, and service can get a little slow. best to come early, and come hungery. parking is basically on the street, and can get a little sporty.

as far as diners go, i'd say smith street diner is good. expect large portions, notably their biscuits, though i would suggest trying their cornbread, which i thought was good. the fried chicken and corned beef hash i had were both fine but won't be drawing me back for more. i honestly don't understand the hype around smith street diner, but contrary to that, i think if you *do* enjoy diners you will be perfectly happy with thefoodand atmosphere. pretty much the quintessential greasy spoon. if you haven't been and love diners, give it a shot, but i personally wouldn't suggest standing in line for a seat.

amazing greasy spoon.foodwas great (i had the gumbo and a slice of cornbread), atmosphere was cozy, and the prices were obscenely low. if you're looking for comfortfoodthat doesn't break the wallet (i'm looking at you, college students) this would be my first suggestion with a bullet.

thefoodwas delicious! i had the homemade hash and my partner had the chicken biscuit sandwich....i'll be getting that next time! the hash was amazing but the chicken biscuit was awesome!

best breakfast...ever!. smith street is a tiny place, but thefoodcertainly speaks volumes! i love going there! if you're looking for a great place to have breakfast, and you're in greensboro, this is the place!

love this place!!!! i live a few blocks away and i love waking up late on a saturday and walking there for breakfast. there can be a wait but the tables turn over quickly. the only real draw back is if you have a party of more than 4... they don't have any seating to accommodate. i really like the waitresses there. most of them have worked there for years, which says something about the people who own the place... they must take care of their staff. the place is always packed but that doesn't stop thefoodfrom coming out really quickly. love it!

nice little southern breakfast place. when searching for a country style breakfast place to take some friends visiting from out of town everything i read led me to smith street diner and i can't say anyone was dissapointed. thefoodwas quality, though eggs and bacon are not easy to screw up. the biscuits were large as advertised though mine was a little hard as i prefer a softer biscuit but it was still tasty none the less. the server was exactly what i expected, rushed and busy but offered the southern hospitality that i was looking for.foodwas average price for what it was, maybe a little on the high side and the place was small and cramped but fulfulled expectations none the less. i'd go back but it is not a must visit when entertaining guests in my opinion.

greatfoodfor breakfast and lunch. biscuits, gravy, soups, cornbread and house-smoked salmon are incredible. every question from the staff was accompanied by a smile and every question to the staff was answered with a smile. great food, great service!

huge biscuits. we took our out of town friends here for breakfast and we all were very pleased. the biscuits were humongous! all thefoodwas great, perfect for sunday brunch

great breakfast! thefoodand the service were the best! highly recommended.

just excellent!!. i've eaten (only breakfast) here about 10 times or so, and now go there virtually every time i visit greensboro (several times a year). the service is excellent and thefoodis as well. their biscuits are gargantuan, so don't ever order two of them. i recommend it without reservation. the lunch specials i've seen written on the boards on the wall look good too. will ultimately try it for lunch, i'm sure.

biscuits? gumbo? eggs? of course. we just had a wonderful meal at smith street diner!! with a group of teenage girls we were looking for no wait (on a friday night!), a variety of choices (breakfast, dinner, etc.), and, of course, great tasting food. we found it all at smith street diner. there was comfortfoodserved by a most attentive, personable, and generous employee despite the fact that our party of seven arrived 30 minutes before closing. the girls are already planning a return trip. make sure you stop by and have one of their bountiful biscuits.