Long wait to get in and guess that makes it more popular and trendy. Service and food okay and talent exceptional. They pass around a bucket for donations for the staff to pursue their dreams...why not skip that awkward move and add a bigger mandatory tip. The restaurant and washrooms could really do with a good cleaning.

Ellen's Stardust Diner is the place to go for a most pleasant dining experience. The breakfast was good, but the best part is the waiters and waitresses who sing for you while your eat. Our waitress, Lauren, is the star of the group. She has a fantastic voice, and she is also a great waitress. The Stardust is better than a dinner theatre!

Went to this place this evening as a family of four. I was really looking forward to it, and was hoping for a good time. Our nine year old son didn’t feel the same and as he always does will watch his own thing on my phone which he has done since we got to New York. Tonight sat in Ellen’s a man and his family sat behind us and he complained to the manager about our son having my phone on. The manager was over heard saying he would sort it and came over asking if he had plugs for the phone which we didn’t. The manager then asked if the volume could be turned down as it was competing with the singing!! Really!!! You could not hear a thing over the singing, one they were singing that loud, two staff who were not performing were stood by us singing, three people were talking and four people were singing!!!! It was chaos! I swapped places so not to offend the entertainment guru any further! He was that much of an avid fan he was in and out of the diner like a cuckoo! That matter aside the first thing we noticed, it wasn’t clean. The sauce bottle was caked with old sauce on the top, paper from the straws were stuffed down the side of the table. Our sons glass was chipped and the floor was filthy and the tables had seen better days. When we where stood outside queuing the manager came outside giving a grand speech which included the tables having had a deep clean, Er no they hadn’t! The food was ok nothing to get excited about. That’s all part of it, distracted from the mediocre food by the entertainment in the hope you won’t notice! The entertainment, wasn’t expecting Broadway so wasn’t disappointed, some of the singers were good and could probably do better than somewhere else other than this diner. The begging bucket, it’s similar to busking but not on the street. We got our bill, with a twenty per gratuity. We decided not to pay as we did not enjoy the food also the service is provided by many different people and not just the singer who is assigned to your table! As we were leaving we were told that we had not paid enough money. We explained that we had paid for the food and pointed out the gratuity was optional. We were then told that we would have to speak to the manager to have it removed from the bill and provide him with an explanation why. Ok then, but we never got to speak to him!! We told her the gratuity was optional to which she said optional was a bad way to describe it!! Ok how should it be described! You are bullied into providing a tip no matter if you liked the food/service!! We were also told the gratuity is added for you so you don’t have to work it out!!! There are no options of how much to pay, it’s twenty per cent only! I think Ellen’s as a business needs to be looked at one for hygiene and two for the financial side of things as there should be no pressure on customers. See for yourselves, everyone has their opinions but be aware of the financial implications and the mediocre food. Oh and don’t forget your plugs! Without the minor incident of the phone I would have still provided the same review. Take notice of other reviews regarding the food and tips. If you are easily pleased or easily distracted this is the place to be!

We went for breakfast had to queue for about 10-15 minutes but wasn't an issue! Inside you are close together with the person next to you. The breakfast choice you have is good we had the breakfast burrito and the omelette which come with tatter tots (insane, best part of the breakfast)!
The people that sing have the most incredible voices and its different being sung to at breakfast! They are very talented.
My only issue is that they added the gratuity to the bill which to me i think is really cheeky and makes me not want to give it, as although the staff are talented (ask for money towards that in the bucket) the service is just ok. If your visiting NY i would recommend if its something you've never done but better value and tasting is available.

In my first trip to NYC I saw this place and I received the sensation to be in the 50´s!!! If You like the burguers or american food don´t let this place in your schedule!!!