Exploring Columbus – Delaney’s Diner

My family loves to go to brunch on the weekends. There’s something pretty special about rolling out of bed, throwing on some comfy clothes and heading out for a lazy meal. We are always on the lookout to try new spots and after consulting Yelp, we realized there was a new diner that opened in Westerville, called Delaney’s Diner. (Want more details? Check out their website!)

Delaney’s Diner is located in an unassuming strip mall on the corner of Dempsey and Rt 3 in Westerville. When you walk in, you’re immediately greeted by friendly faces. My family got there at 9:15 and we were surprised that we had beat the rush. We had a short 5-10 minute wait which was fine because as an ex-restaurant manager, I’m endlessly nosy about other restaurants and enjoyed the time to take it all in.

Things that I noticed right away:

The servers were super friendly and not just to their own tables. You could also see them working together to fill up coffee and water on other tables. This is both awesome and rare. 

It appeared the owner (or manager?) was running expo and setting hot food in the window. Occasionally, he’d look up and say “hi” to regulars that were coming and going. The atmosphere felt as if the entire diner was full of regulars.

Delaney’s diner was spotless and I loved the colors on the wall and all the original artwork displayed. On a small table by the front door, there were bottles of a CaJohn’s hot sauce for purchase. This is a local Westerville small batch hot sauce and I loved that it was being featured!

Delaney’s Diner: The food

When I looked over the menu, I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings. It featured breakfast basics, but also some fun items like a breakfast casserole or Conewich?! The lunch menu had a pretty varied list of options as well – everything from a fried bologna sandwich to a cauliflower quinoa veggie burger! Definitely something for everyone.

They didn’t have any fancy flavored coffee or creamers, but the house blend coffee tasted great and we never had to ask for a refill.

We decided to try their namesake “Delaney’s Breakfast” and their basic breakfast which included 2 eggs, hash browns, toast, and choice of breakfast meat. Since my husband tries to avoid gluten, we were delighted that they let us swap out the toast for a bowl of fresh fruit. The fruit portion was generous and we were happy to pay the $1 upcharge. My little one just wanted a side of bacon – which was cooked the way we love it – perfectly crisp.  She also shared the HUGE pancakes that came with the Delaney’s breakfast meal.

We did not order any muffins or cinnamon rolls, but we saw some going out to other tables and they looked really tasty!

The prices here are reasonable and the service is friendly! Please note that it did take awhile to get our food, which is fine for a lazy Saturday morning when it feels good to linger over coffee, but might not work if you have a tight schedule.

We enjoyed trying this spot and would totally come back!