The Whistle Stop Cafe - Hillsdale

The prices here are reasonable, with a deluxe burger and fries costing $6.67. While they do give you a generous portion of fries, they have always come out limp and soggy in my experience. The burger itself is decent—I've certainly had worse, but I've also had much better. What bothers me the most is that they don’t accept credit cards. They do have an ATM, but it charges a $3 fee, which brings the total cost of my burger to $9.67. At that price, I know I could go somewhere else with a much better burger and perfectly cooked fries. Additionally, some of the staff aren’t very friendly, especially when it comes to the credit card issue. I can understand their frustration; if I had to repeatedly tell customers that we don't take credit cards, I would feel a bit annoyed at my job too.

I had a somewhat mixed experience at this restaurant. On the positive side, the service was friendly, the prices were quite reasonable, and the atmosphere was definitely unique. However, there were a few drawbacks. The food was merely okay; my brother ordered a spinach omelette that turned out to be soggy, and he suspected it was made with frozen spinach. The main issue, though, was the long wait—our basic breakfast items took an hour to arrive. I also had to ask several times for a coffee refill, and while they did refill my husband's water, my brother’s glass was completely ignored. Overall, due to these issues, I can only give it 2 stars.

Charming, relaxed, uncomplicated, inviting, and community-oriented. Savor your meal while watching college students share meals with their parents and local families cozied up in booths. The staff is constantly busy, contributing to the vibrant ambiance. Take your time, manage your expectations, and you won't be let down. This is Hillsdale, and it truly is wonderful.

This is a small diner located in the historic district of Hillsdale. We visited for breakfast, and it was excellent! We ordered the breakfast sandwich, a simple dish, but they found a way to elevate it from what I typically make at home. We also tried the cinnamon roll pancakes—two was too much because one is enormous and absolutely delicious. A couple of things to note: they strictly enforce a no outside beverages policy, and they only accept cash. However, the prices are low enough that this shouldn’t be an issue. It's definitely a place you should visit, and seeing lots of locals dining here is a good indication of its quality!

Despite the food being good enough to keep me coming back, this last experience was not up to par. The service was very lacking; we waited over 10 minutes just to place our order after we received our drinks. A large group that came in after us managed to order, eat, and leave before we even got our meals. While we were waiting, I took my toddler for a walk down the street and back, and our food still hadn’t arrived. When our meals finally came out, my husband’s dish was cold, and mine was only warm, likely because I was busy tending to the kids. I had ordered a small pancake for my toddler but instead received a large one. My daughter had requested a sausage patty with her meal, but it never arrived. Our waitress only checked on us once, and that was at the end of our meal. Regrettably, I have decided that I won’t be coming back.