My boyfriend and I stopped here for breakfast last Sunday on our drive to Carlsbad. We wanted a quick, no fuss breakfast and this diner looked like a good bet.
Our server and busser were both very nice, but service was super slow and orders were messed up. We were in a hurry, so it is my fault for not giving them a chance to correct the mistake (I specifically asked for no cheese on my home fries), but we were in a rush, so I just ate it. We also did not get coffee until we asked multiple times. Once we got our coffee, the refills were plentiful. I like that they offer flavored creamers.
The food was just okay. However, it's cheap, which make the just okay more acceptable.
The theming is weird. They need to do a remodel, especially with the neon stars and odd posters. It has a 50's/60's theme, but it either needs more or needs to be more subtle. It feels like it's in the middle and looks funny. I liked that the booths had celebrity names. We sat in John Wayne.
I'm not likely to return, but I think this place has potential to be a good coffee shop.
Please visit my blog for more reviews and musings.
We went here last Sunday for breakfast. After i left the restaurant and was home i discovered they charged my debit card multiple times. Â I called and asked for a manager and there was apparently no manager on duty.odd. So i leave my phone number and ask nicely for a prompt reply. Three days later i await a phone call. Whether this was unhonesty or a mistake, i don't know, but waiting days to call and resolve this problem they created is very unprofessional. I will not return.
Review Source:We had lunch here yesterday. Â My wife had soup and a sirloin steak, I ordered a "Dutch Treat" sandwich which was a ham, jack cheese creation.
The soup was a soup, instead of what now has become almost a gravy, the steak was flavorful but tough, but the fries were great. Â
The problem with my sandwich was matching the name "Dutch" with a sandwich having jack cheese. Â We compromised on a ham sandwich. Â Again, the steak fries were very good.
The place was just about empty. Â The waitress was young and pleasant. All-in all, nothing special.
Thought I would be spontaneous and bring my significant other to this establishment.. Why did I not check Yelp first!?
The rude service was almost surreal.. My girlfriend's omelet concerned her with a funny taste, and my burger was nothing special..
At least we didn't user their bathroom.
This place really needs to be rescued!
I was at Tommy's yesterday around noon. I started off with the California supreme sandwich and my husband had the pastrami sandwich with chili cheese fries. Both the best sandwiches I have had in a while. The chili on those fries were amazing. Great atmosphere, all the old posters of my favorite stars from when I was young. The only issue with our whole experience was the service. Our server was obviously over working in a restaurant which is understandable considering her age. It was no excuse for the horrible service and rude condescending behavior. We heard her yelling at a table from across the room denying them service. It was just about the worst thing I have seen a server do and I have been in the industry for years. Being an owner of my own restaurant I would not tolerate that kind of behavior. Although the service was not great our last trip to Tommy's we have greatly enjoyed past experiences.
Review Source:Service was less than adequate, as it took a long time to seat us. Waitress kept forgetting the silverware. Steak and eggs, well remember this: don't order NY steak from diners expecting them to be cooked as ordered. The cooks don't care. I asked for well done hash browns. Came out hardly crispy. Wifey got cobb salad. Looked awful, and I knew she was not happy as the veggies were not fresh. Do yourself a favor, you're better off eating somewhere else.
Review Source:For years I've driven past the Tommy's sign on the way from OC to San Diego. Â I always thought, "I've gotta try that place someday."
So, I hopped down to San Clemente on Sunday morning to hit the farmer's market and get some not-my-usual-place breakfast.
As I drove down El Camino Real at 9:45 a.m., I noticed that many of the local places had very long wait times with lines out the door.
I was surprised (and a little suspicious) when I was able to get a great parking spot at Tommy's and there was absolutely no wait time. Â Still, I decided that I'd looked at the Tommy's sign for years and today was the day I was going to try it.
I was nearly alone in the place. Â It was prime time on Sunday morning and no more than 6 tables were occupied. Â I looked at the decor and thought, "Wow! Â Cheesy and tacky." Â With the Beatles and Marilyn Monroe posters, I think it's trying to be like Hard Rock Cafe or Johnny Rockets but EPIC FAIL. Â
The service was prompt and friendly. Â The food arrived in a timely way. Â There was nothing especially good about the food. Â The English Muffin was really tough but crumbly though.
Before I hit the road I decided to use the restroom. Â YIKES! Â YIKES! Â YIKES! Â It's old, filthy, and dirty. Â It stank like a septic tank. Â Very thin white paint barely covered the grafitti scribbled on the doors of the bathroom stalls.
I was very sorry that I hadn't hit the bathroom before eating. Â I wondered, "If that's the way one of their public spaces looks, what does the kitchen look like?"
More than the extremely bad food...I feel bad for this place! There was no lively feel to it at all, even when some people DID start to come in.
Please do yourself a favor and do not come here... PLEASE! I'm afraid there was something weird in my dish that I don't want to know about. I don't know how they could've gone wrong with eggs and potatoes but god... it was badddddd =/
Nothing good about this place.
My girlfriend and I drive many weekends past the giant Tommy's sign on our way between San Diego and Los Angeles. We finally decided to make the stop on a Sunday evening.
As soon as we walked in something seemed wrong. Nobody to great us, and we weren't sure what to do. Finally a lady came and seemed confused as to where to seat us. Many of the empty tables were dirty. My girlfriend went to use the restroom and walked out with a horrified look on here face. She said it was extremely filthy and water was splashed all over all the contertops.
We finally had our order taken. Chili Verde Omelette and Sausage and Eggs.
While waiting we noticed one couple walk out before their food arrived. Not a good sign. Almost 30 minutes later the owner came up and asked what we had ordered.
She said it would be right up. Another 20 minutes went by and finally the food arrived. The only problem was it was the wrong order.
So another 10 minutes goes by and our food arrives.
The toast that came with my eggs was the worst toast I have ever had. It was so old it tasted like crumbling cardboard. The rest of the food was nothing above average.
We had to ask for our check after waiting 15 minutes after completing the meal. The waitress asked "how was everything"?. Honestly I told her it was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had.
She meekly apologized and said that they were not used to having so many customers on a Sunday evening and weren't prepared. I told her "there are only about 8 tables filled right now". She said "well, we are used to only having three or so filled on a Sunday evening".
Nothing else was said or done to try and make things better.
This place sucks and the owners appear to be cutting corners to stay in business. Steer clear of Tommy's and you will do yourself a big favor.
I enjoyed Tommy's because it was a different experience. It was like going back in time and living in a world that will never exist again. Surrounded by original waitresses and really vintage furniture, autographed photos of celebrities, and license plates from all over hung on the walls. I am trying to remember as much as possible. I had my first gyro here. I enjoyed the food very much but the experience was priceless.
Review Source:The 2-star response says it perfectly, "Meh. I've experienced better"
Count me with the "it used to be better" crowd. Â I used to go here before and after the makeover (the makeover was some time ago now). Â One reviewer said the owner has changed and maybe that explains it.
It's just not anything to get excited over. Â Beef dip sandwich was Denny's level at best. Â 2-stars might be tough, but then again I drove off not thinking about making a return trip.
Horrible, went with a group of seven all ordered steak, came back and informed us 25 minutes later that they only had 3 steaks. Â Not sure why it took them so long to inform us since we were the only customers in the place. Â I ordered my steak a medium, and recieved it well done. Â The waitress had a problem with returning it since there weren't any left..................at one point she told us to make ourselves at home and feel free to get our own drinks cause sometimes she gets caught up in other areas of the restaurant.......horrible service in additioin to horrible food.
Review Source:Amazing! We always drive by and see their huge sign but have never stopped in until today... Damn I'm glad we did! The decor is awesome, the service was awesome, and our food was awesome! We had the most friendly waitress Dina who was super helpful and sweet- but best of all she knew the menu like the back of her hand! She suggested the CA turkey sandwich and it was sooooo good. My better half ordered the tuna melt on rye which was also great, but my favorite was their soup of the day - albondigas. Yummm!!
Review Source:We used to LOOOOVE Tommy's. Â It has new owners now, we do not love Tommy's anymore. Â Today we stopped in and ordered the Gyro's plate $9.99 and dinner salad $3.99. Â They get 1 star because the ranch still tastes the same as it used to (reminds me of grade school- weird I know but I like it).
The gyro's I can only compare to really thin "Steak-Um's" about as thick as two pieces of Construction paper stuck together. Yellow Rice was not bad and green beans with stewed tomatoes. Â Is it just me, but who eats green beans with gyros?? Â Where's my fresh onion and fresh tomato's? Oh and they give you ONE pita (cut into 4 pieces). Â We asked for another Pita and were not told that there would be an additional charge or what the charge would be. Â Imagine our surprise at the $3.45 charge for ONE PITA!!! How much is it for a BAG of pitas?? Â I hope for $3.45 we got a Saffron pita.
The salad was lettuce, 2 slices of tom and 2 slices of cucumber- no croutons- nothing else. A $0.99 salad at Wendy's would be better and you would get croutons at Wendy's. Â
The place is really looking run down. Â The tiles on the floor with writing are scuffing off , there was duct tape used to mend the ripped seat in the booth we were in, the area near the kitchen looks to be under construction with raw drywall.
Take your money elsewhere. Â I miss the old Tommy's.
Worst place ever we got there at 7 and left at 9pm for a quick stop for dinner. Ordered tuna melt , waters and soup and salad. Owner got into a argument with bus boy we think but dishes were breaking and yelling profanities! Waitress charged us for good we did not order and proceeded to tell us she could not take it off the bill! WHAT? I could say so much more like one of the waitresses used the restroom and did NOT wash her hands after EEeWWwW
Review Source:This place is a dinner style food place that lost its touch. The food I ordered was rubbery and looked like it was made few days ago, not fresh at all. It was pricey for the service they provide.
When you step in the place you see, how it declines it self, because there were one girl serving for the entire Restaurant and needless to say that I had to wait soo long to get my food and leave.
All of the reviews except for two are over 6 months old. This place has changed owners and the food has changed with it! I had a really good pastrami sandwich that came with above average chili fries. Everyone else in my group really enjoyed their food as well. So don't let the other poor outdated reviews sway you from this place. It's good! Our server was nice as and accommodating as well.
Review Source:The exterior looks like a low-buck old school diner, but the interior is a suped-up 50s diner feel. Â The wait staff was fairly young, all dressed up to play the 50s roll, which made it feel more like they were trying rather than being a run-down diner.
They are one of few restaurants that offer fried chicken on the menu, which was freshly fried with a nice crispy coating. Â While most of the menu is quite basic diner-like, the interesting thing is that the veggies that came with my dinner were FRESH veggies, not frozen, so I appreciate the effort.
Tommy's or Dennys? Â I'm not sure. Â But its pretty close to the same thing. Â
Except for the diarrhea, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference if it wasn't for the 50's shit on the wall. Â
Every time I eat here I get the shits! WTF??? Â MSG's or what? Â
Yeah it's pretty cool to eat here cuz' its a nostalgic diner and all, but you better have a bottle of anti-shit meds. on hand.
Despite the diarreah, we keep coming back. Â This place is very clean and the staff is nice. 2 starz
Tommy's is one of our SC "go to" restaurants when we want to eat local. Tommy's has a huge menu, so it is a good spot when you aren't sure what you want or one person wants dinner & one wants a burger (or, vegetarian). We usually have decent food & decent service but the other night we had the absolute worst service we have ever had anywhere by a waitress. She was dressed like the Black Dahlia. She ignored my husband for a drink order, forgot our salads & then ignored my husband again when he would have ordered another drink. In between, there were other less annoying oversights. We will give Tommy's a rest, for now. They weren't even busy!
Review Source:I live within walking distance of Tommy's, so I really wanted to like it. I'm sad to say I didn't. Â If I were extremely hungry and everywhere else was closed, I'd probably go back. Â But with all the good restaurants in San Clemente, I probably won't.
I'm all about the food quality, and the food I got from Tommy's was mediocre at best. Â The owners are apparently Greek (this according to our waitress) so they've begun offering Greek food. Â I got a gyro, hoping it would be good. Â I was disappointed. Â
My girlfriend got a more standard dish (a chicken sandwich) and was similarly underwhelmed. The food is just not that great.
No review of Tommy's would be complete without at least a cursory mention of its interior decor, and here's where the word "depressing" pops to mind. Â "Hokey" runs a close second.
It's sort of a fifties diner/ hollywood memorabilia mishmash; '57 Chevy-shaped booths, life-sized statues of dead pop icons (the usual suspects, including Marylin and Elvis), lots of signed celebrity photographs... Â you know the drill. Â But it's not the overweening attempt to embrace pop-culture-gone-by that is depressing; it's that everything is so faded and shabby and cluttered that you feel exhausted no matter where you look.
One upside of our experience: the waitress was a very sweet 20ish woman who provided great service.
AWEFUL PLACE TO EAT - STAY AWAY !!!!
Bad food and very Funky - Â Jul 3, 2009
We have been going there off and on for 20 years. The food has gotten much worse over the years and the place is very cheezy.
The fact that it is often nearly empty says it all. Try canned green beans for a vegetable ??? ... Give me a break !!
Also it is WAY TOO expensive for what you get.
Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else !
Not to be confused with Tommy's chili burger shacks, this place is along the coast, and a great stop-off place for a burger and fries if you are enjoying a drive past the ocean. This place is rustic, decorated with Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, and Betty Boop memorabilia. The food is good, the service friendly. I had the pastrami sandwich with chili fries. It looked exactly like the menu photograph.
Review Source:Solid 3.5 stars, erring on the side of positive caution here because our server was just about the most patient and sweet gal in south Orange County :)
In what can only be described as nostalgic kitsch decor on LSD, the interior of Tommy's is truly a sight to behold. Â Of the three-dimensional art proffered there are Elvises (Elvii?), Marilyns, Blues Brothers and Betty Boops, oh my! Â The wall is adorned with various publicity photos of some of Hollywood's finest (including a pre-politico Governator) as well as some thought-provoking military snapshots (me: "what movie is this from, I can't see their faces that well" my brother: "it's a movie called The First Gulf War"). Â Each booth (save ours... Â oh well) comes with a mini-flat screen tv (eh? random) as well as the name of a distinctive Hollywood icon (Charles Bronson and Spider Man immediately come to mind from what I can recall). Â The booths are made of that standard diner pleather, and there is just random memorabilia as far as the spinning eye can see.
The food itself was eh, okay. Â Nothing to sing home about, except maybe the awesomely large portions. Â Brother ordered chicken fried steak and eggs, eggs overmedium, hash browns well done, and biscuits with gravy. Â Steak needed juuust a bit more salt but you could still taste the meat which made it excellent. Â Everything else on his plate was done perfectly. Â I got the fish and chips with clam chowder, and I could definitely come back to this joint for their hangover-saving chowdah. Â Thick, creamy, clammy, yummy. Â Fish was battered to a nice fresh crisp but again, the entire dish just needed a *tiny* pinch of salt.
Our server, she seriously is what makes this place -- really unpretentious kindness that is rarely exuded out of your own mother these days, let alone a complete stranger. Â As we pored over the menu for what seemed to be at least 10 minutes longer than most people would, she cheerily and generously waited for us to make a friggin' decision. Â When we did she was extremely sweet and helpful. Â I can't tell you how far that kind of attitude goes in my book.
Definitely worth checking out once, the food isn't anything to write Zagat about but it is extremely satisfying in between last night's and tonight's parties. Â The aesthetic value of this place just cannot be beat, and you'll definitely be walking outta here with a pseudo-food coma-slash-movie-star-old school-induced smile on your face.
Tommy's is good, if you can appreciate the Elvis + Good-Old day Hollywood atmosphere with a big stomach. Â Not only at the diner area, you can also see the owner's appreciation to the 50's at bathroom. Â
Food is BIG. Â When we were there (3/22/'08), my friend barely finished a half of the sandwich plate, which was tasty. Â I had a Greek lasagna (I do not remember the name...) and that was REALLY good. Â The service is quick and friendly. Â The girl who served our table was super sweet. : ) Â I should have asked her name... Â well, I have a reason to go back.
"The crowd went crazy as Tommy hit the stage."
" Who?" Â Yes.
(You'd have to be almost as old as the waitresses to get that)*
50's style Cal-eclectic, in-your-face kitsch with a life-size Elvis, Marilyn, James Dean...you get the picture. Pictures? Sure, a thousand b&w dead or dying movie stars line the walls just above a row of recent USMC gyrenes posing with guns and ammo, some of whom will never get to see their photos on this wall. War is hell.
These waitresses are the very same girls your mom told you to avoid. You know, the ones that started smoking behind the HS gym, dropped out, had kids and now serve tables till the end. Sometimes, mom is right. Well, they may be 50 and look 70 but behind their raspy throats, itching for another cigarette, is a sweetness that keeps us coming back, were service the only reason to return. But it's not. The food is the star here, not the plaster Elvis or Betty Boop.
We only go here after surfing so it's either breakfast or lunch and my surfing friends won't tolerate anything that comes in petite (except me, of course, hehe). Save the reduction sauces and demitasses  for the Hollywood crowd, we're here to scarf as much good food as possible and be able to afford it. Tommy's scores there. It ain't The Ivy in LA, kids. It's a can't-miss-the-freeway-sign-diner that serves up proletarian chow with a Greek twist to truckers, bikers, the retired, Marines and surfers so it better work. If it didn't, it'd have gone the way of James Dean a long time ago...no matter how life-like his plaster image appears.
Oh, and if you're looking, you won't find one photo of Tim Robbins, Jane Fonda or Sean Penn on these walls. Camp Pendleton USMC is just too fucking close for that to ever happen...
*"Tommy, a Rock Opera" by the Who (an old g-g-generation rocker told me that, one who didn't die before getting old)
Tommy's is a little scary. Â Big statues of Betty Boop, Marilyn, and the Blues Brothers adorn their dining room. Â That is a little creepy. Â I think they are going for a 50s vibe. Â They do succeed as the waitresses are all about 60+. Â But they are super nice and give you good service. Â One even took my sons pacifier and insisted on going and washing it off when he dropped it. Â And they all oohed and ahhed over him which is a plus star in my book.
We went for breakfast and it was tasty and fresh and HUGE. Â Big huge plates of food. Â My hubby and I split a plate and it was more than enough. Â Coffee flowed freely and was tasty. Â I recommend this as a fast, friendly and family style diner.
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