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“Rubbish experience”

Ellen's Stardust Diner
Ranked #753 of 15,099 Restaurants in New York City
Price range: $27 - $36
Cuisines: American, Diner, Deli
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Restaurant details
Good for: Child-friendly
Dining options: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Delivery, Reservations, Takeout
Neighbourhood: Midtown
Description: Ellen's Stardust Diner is a retro 1950s theme restaurant located at 1650 Broadway on the southeast corner of 51st Street in Theater District, Manhattan, New York City. The diner is regarded as one of the best theme restaurants in New York. The 1950s-themed eatery is home to its singing waitstaff known as (”Stardusters”). Ellen’s Stardust Diner has since served as the launching pad for many of its waiters/vocalists who have gone on to success in Broadway musicals and touring companies, domestic & international. Our retro 1950s-themed diner is filled with nostalgic memorabilia including the famous “Miss Subways” gallery honoring the beauty queens of a bygone era.
Reviewed 11 December 2024 via mobile

2 out of 5 rating for this place. Totally overrated here from start to finish. It took over an hour to get a table to start with but we thought it worth it to go in . We got a table and it was really cold inside. The floors were dirty and everywhere was actually dirty looking. The worst of it was the women’s toilets. So dirty and a metal bar hanging from ceiling in peoples faces. The food took ages and drinks came last. The singing was good to hear but they came round each time with a begging bucket for money. We asked to pay the bill and was told off as someone was singing. Don’t bother going as I had terrible tummy ache after the food and kept going to toilet .

Date of visit: December 2024
Thank Dene B
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviews (23,361)
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35 - 39 of 23,361 reviews

Reviewed 10 December 2024 via mobile

Breakfast and we got in immediately because they had a free table for 5 when others had been lining up for a while. Food was good but it’s really the fun talent of the service staff which is unique to this place. It’s nice to support these waiters and waitresses and some go on to be on broadway which is nice to hear. No other place like this place worth seeing.

Date of visit: November 2024
Thank CNWgtnNZ
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 10 December 2024 via mobile

Such a fun venue. We were in line for about 30-45 minutes, but the line moves and the staff is attentive to getting people inside! We really enjoyed the talent, and the waitstaff are very personable. We enjoyed our hamburgers! Recommend coming here and hearing the next generation of Broadway singers!

Date of visit: December 2024
Thank Cindy R
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 December 2024 via mobile

Recommended that we visit this place. We queued for over an hour. Once we got through the door we were shoe-horned into a tiny space sandwiched between other diners. The food was greasy and consisted of the sort of ultra processed snack food you find at a toddler’s birthday party. The ‘entertainment’ was nothing spectacular and unfortunately the overcrowded, conveyor belt nature of the place coupled with (what I am told) were disgusting women’s toilets and a poor food offering left us with a bad taste (and that’s before the indigestion!).
A tourist trap trading on a historic reputation I suspect.
AVOID.
Spectacularly bad!

Date of visit: December 2024
Thank GrandTour25598278674
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 December 2024

We absolutely loved it here. We queued for about an hour. The queue looks longer that it is and it does go quickly! We were greeted really well by all staff members. Lots of happy faces. The food was great and so were the milkshakes! The singing waitresses/waiters are absolutely amazing and had such a great talent. They did such a great job.

Date of visit: December 2024
Thank 650maddis
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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