Shirley’s Family Diner
5600 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville, MD, 21228
Shirley’s Family Diner Menu
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Address :
5600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD, 21228 - Phone (410) 788-9270
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Michelle B.
After moving up here from TN, we found ourselves wondering if there was a salt shortage in this town. Then we came here...and thank-you-lawd, they actually season the food here! Nothing fancy here. Just nice people and solid food for a good price. I had sausage and biscuits with sausage gravy. Next time I am coming back and trying some the amazing sounding pancakes. For a Southerner, unseasoned food is a sin. This place has been saved.
(4)Kitty R.
We just ate at Shirley's for the first time and it was AMAZING! The food was perfectly-cooked, hot, and full of flavor. Our server, Charles, gave us friendly service and brought our food out quickly. He was wonderful at navigating the menu and helping us find the perfect combo to suit our tastes. Definitely ask for him when you get here! :)
(5)Tricia S.
You know how you keep riding by a place, and riding by, and riding by, and then finally you say to yourself "I'm going to go in there."? Well that's how this happened. So we go in and its not crowded someone is leaving, another couple was there, and then my husband and I walk in. Our waiter comes and greets us. He is very friendly. We are given menus which have a lot of options to order which makes it hard to order. I decide to go with the cat fish fingers for an appetizer and that was a very good decision. During the time that we were there my phone rang several times and our waiter Charles was so patient. He kept coming back and checking in making sure that we had everything. We chatted a bit and when we're ready to order everything went smoothly. My husband got the Salisbury steak with onions and gravy. I stayed on the safe side and just got chicken wings. According to my husband the Salisbury steak was delicious. My wings are ok as well. Did I mention that I waiter Charles was a very good waiter? As many of you know this used to be the old IHOP building and the inside is still the same even the seats. I would have given this experience 5 stars however when you sit in the seat its like you just sink! The springs in the seats have sprung! The inside definitely needs a makeover but the food is good or at least what we had and we had good customer service. So all in all this was a great experience we will be going back.
(4)Kamilah B.
This is the most unprofessional, ghetto, filthy establishment! It is unbelievable that a place like this can thrive. The staff yell, cuss and bring their children to work. The menu is similar to IHOP. Meanwhile the place was packed! Unbelievable. I agree w/ the other 1 star reviews.
(1)Michael D.
This place is just plain nasty. The few times I've been here there was always a problem. They were either out of what we ordered or in one case, the cheesecake had gone ultra moldy and our waiter proceeded to bring it out and show us, then ask, "you probably don't want this, right?" Who does that?! This run down dump just needs to close.
(1)Larissa J.
I am usually a huge fan of diners, drive-ins and dives but this place left me with a weird taste in my mouth - literally... I like the fact that they took an old I-hop and made it into their own restaurant but I am not a fan of the overly greasy food - and the service from my server was sub par but the other server in the restaurant was bubbly and hospitable so it really depends on the server. Overall, the food was on the flavorless side, the decor was on the 60's side and the smell was on the rancid side so I will not be heading back.
(1)Lucia G.
The breakfast was good. Had the meat lovers breakfast which included pancakes, eggs, ham, bacon, sausage and hash browns. All good. If you've ever eaten at ihop... It's pretty much the same.
(3)Kevin K.
Very sick after eating here! Smoke filled room from the kitchen. Overpriced and staff was rude and very uninviting. Cramped seating oh I could go on but why. Definitely not a 4 star or even 2 in our book.
(1)Rob N.
Shirley's is a dive-tastic diner in an old IHOP building. Go ahead, walk past the defunct and half-wrecked payphone outside, and past the sign in the entry warning that any funny business will result in a call to Johnny Law. Settle into an old vinyl seat below the record albums stapled and screwed to the wall. And bring an appetite. Our server was friendly and helpful, assisting us with navigating the dense menu. Stick to the diner standards, and you'll be fine. The fried chicken is pretty damned tasty - crispy and moist, even if it could stand a little more seasoning. Fortunately, hot sauce is readily provided. I'd have killed to have some cooked greens instead of the canned green-beans I had to substitute for the cole slaw that was 86'd. The fries were crispy and grease-free, too. Entrees come with soup/salad, a starch, and a veg. Prices are fair, and the smaller kitchen seems to pay better attention to the food than the diner-factory that is the Double-T. Sure, it's a total dive. But a dive with good chicken.
(4)Emily L.
Shirley's is a dive. But it's a great dive, and it's a great place to have diner breakfast food all day long (even better than the unnamed establishmenTT up the road.) I love that it used to be a chain, but someone bought it out and is making a go of it independently. The food has improved; the cleanliness is about the same, but you get what you pay for, and you aren't paying much! The menu is extensive; I've never tried anything more adventurous than breakfast standards, but I've always enjoyed my choices. On this last visit, I had banana-pecan pancakes with fresh banana and whipped cream, perfect eggs over easy, crispy hash browns and bacon. Everything came exactly as I had ordered it, within ten minutes of ordering. Three cheers for diner food! My other favorite is potato pancakes, which are tiny, crispy, flavorful and served with plenty of sour cream. Yes, they were probably frozen. Who cares? It's a diner. The staff and clientele are the most colorful characters you can imagine -- you could sit in there for a day and have the beginnings of five different novels. There's usually one family with a bunch of little kids, a couple of blue-collar workers coming off the night shift, and a few like us who just didn't feel like cooking breakfast. Relax and don't be too prissy to let yourself enjoy it!
(3)Thomas O.
I literally just got here and service wise, it's not so great! You know the feeling when you meet someone of the same race and they automatically think it's okay "it's cool" to talk to you (in my case THE BLACK WAY) with no respect or regards to the customer, like you know what you ordering cuz? What? I am not your cousin just because we are the same race and then go to the next customer and act all professional! What in the world! But anyways I guess it's baltimore so that makes it "OK".... If you have some money and want to get good food I suggest you go somewhere a little upscale and en joy yourself and your food.. Just my thought
(1)Jamal J.
Great service. Food came to my wife and I in a flash. I ordered the strawberry shortcake pancakes, my wife ordered the banana nut crunch pancakes. We also got two sides of scrambled eggs, and two sides of bacon. The sides of eggs were good for the most part, didn't like that they were a little watery but still cheesy and delicious. The bacon was nice and crunch with a great amount if bacon on the plate. They still had their Christmas decorations up which I food cool. We noticed the cool snow flakes hanging down along with Christmas lights. The waitress was very informative about the menu and even saved us more money by turning our orders into a combo meal without telling us. When going through the menu we realized that there were a lot to choose from. We have been there before but ordered their famous fried chicken salad. Everything in the menu was really affordable and gave us a tough time deciding what to get. The food was most definitely filling. Great portion size, we were too full to get up lol. This is a great place to eat a nice breakfast for an affordable price. If this could go for restaurant of the year they have my vote.
(5)Victoria S.
I normally love dive-diner type breakfast joints but I was not impressed with this one. The cleanliness of this place was sub-par which I normally can look past if they put a good greasy breakfast in my belly. I ordered just two eggs and sausage and sweet potato fries (yeah, i'm weird). Everything was tasteless. My boyfriend ordered the french toast which was pretty bland too. It seems hard to screw up breakfast food like that, but I was very unimpressed. The hunt will be on for another breakfast place in the area!
(1)Sam K.
I wish I could give this place more than one star. I really wanted to like this place. I have childhood memories of when it was IHOP and I loved it. The owners of this place may as well shove a turd through my mail slot for the way I was treated here. I think it was, because, dare I say I was the wrong color. I hate thinking that, but the waitress barely said one word, took order and only saw her again when she said two words "Check now?" Felt very rushed and unwanted. Food was frozen and microwaved. Saw a couple of African American families getting talked to nicely and socializing. So that reinforces my feeling that they are kinda racist. I miss the blueberry blintzes at IHOP and the nice servers. Please close this abomination to diners and bring back IHOP!
(1)Virgil C.
Shirlies is a place you go to relax eat and not feel overly obligated to be fancy. There is nothing about the decor that makes you want to take a bunch of selfies but the food is pretty good and the service is always friendly I go mostly at night and the guy there Charles is always a delight. Me and my girlfriend have become regulars and are always greeted with a smile and a laugh. It has a very old homey feel and will leave you full and fat
(4)Eric K.
Great diner. Charley was our server and was excellent. We had breakfast for dinner and it was comparable to other area diners. The pancakes were delicious. Price was very reasonable.
(4)Katherine W.
I am seriously surprised at how highly this place is rated. It's ok diner food, yes, but there literally is nothing fresh on that menu. Fruit? No. Something without syrup? Nope. Bagels that didn't come in a bag? Sorry. If you want a waffle smothered in syrup (and--probably this place's best asset--a syrup bottle that's not sticky and gross), this place has you covered. If you want fresh fruit with your breakfast, Shirley's is not the place to find it. Also, I agree with Patricia's "dirty and worn" and thought that the staff, while friendly, were not actually all that impressive.
(2)Saurabh G.
If you know me, you already also know how much I crave pancakes after an evening of alcohol consumption. As luck would have it, I am also unable to ever find an IHOP on my way back from Baltimore to Fairfax, VA. The GPS probably needs updates, because after skipping over the first 4-5 results on it, I am always led to Shirley's when I try finding an IHOP. Now, this place deserves 5 stars because it has brought many a smiles on my face. Shirley's did not exist until a little while ago. It used to be an IHOP franchise (explains the GPS), and still has the trademark layout and building design left behind by the famous chain. In fact, the first time I went here, I thought I was drunk enough to imagine an alternate universe where all the IHOPs had been renamed to Shirley's. I should probably stop mentioning the chain's name now. The food is good. The pancakes are notorious for hitting just the right spot, and the service is awesome, but then I have always had the pleasure of being served by the one lady who probably knows what I am going to order every time. Don't let the surroundings scare you. It seems to be a pretty safe area. Of course, given the choice of killing you or stealing all the pancakes, I am pretty sure a criminal wouldn't waste his time on you just to lay his hands on your empty wallet (drinks in Baltimore and pancakes here). I was asking the server one night about the history of the diner, and she mentioned how she actually enjoys working for the new owner(s) more than the previous ones. That alone makes the diner worth 5 stars just in the name of supporting local businesses that treat their employees well. My suggestion - come straight here for pancakes the next time you get drinks in Baltimore.
(5)Michael S.
This was my second time here and the food is awesome. The outside looks like the typical local spot. But once you taste the food you know it's anything but typical. The breakfast food got the most praise from both groups I went with. The first time there were 8 in the party and tonight 4. I seriously recommend that you go here. The crowd late night is a little loud but this time we went at about 9 and it was empty, since they close at 11 tonight.
(4)Jane H.
Ordered biscuits & gravy, two eggs over-easy and hash browns. I am not generally a big fan of hash brown but Shirley's is especially tasty. I find most to be wet and/or oily. The hash brown were grated thin and were almost light and fluffy (if there can be a description like that for hash browns). The coffee was average, and they don't carry Tabasco. They use Pete's. The staff was attentive and nice. I will definitely return.
(4)sarah b.
good diner food,but filthy waiters.
(4)Michele W.
Make sure that you come here armed with a huge appetite. I had one of the specials. A strawberry cheesecake pancake concoction. Delicate pancakes with a creamy cheesecake filling in between layers topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It could have been even better if the strawberries were fresh and not thawed out frozen but, despite that it was very tasty. Remarkably it also came w/2 eggs any style, shredded crispy hash browns, and a choice of bacon or sausage. My honey had funnel cakes topped with an apple pie filling and whipped cream and all the other elements that I had. The funnel cakes were fluffy and crispy and not greasy. It could have also benefitted by fresh fruit. Obviously you get a lot of food for the money. Most of these large breakfasts were for around $8. The service was friendly and efficient. If you don't mind a divey atmosphere but, appreciate great diner style food give this place a try. FYI: don't come here when you are counting calories so that you can enjoy all of the yumminess.
(3).Hon H.
Simply do not understand all the great reviews of Shirley's. First of all, the place is dirty and very worn. The "decor" is old album jackets and LP's stapled to the grease splattered walls. I guess you could also call the signs warning people not to congregate, carry weapons, fight, smoke, etc. "decor" too if you chose. We ordered breakfast, and I chose scrambled eggs and grits instead of the side of pancakes. The eggs came on a plate. Just eggs. No salt, pepper, seasoning or even a slide of toast or piece of parsley. I fared better with the grits, which were buttery and salty - delicious! The one star is for the friendly and efficient service.
(1)Rachel K.
This place is definitely a dive diner. We have eaten Sunday breakfast here at least once every 2 months due to the fair prices and location close to our house. The food hits the spot when you are in the mood for greasy diner breakfast! The servers are usually very friendly and always spirited in their football gear! I usually order the country skillet bowl. Today my pancake order was wrong, but the server quickly took them back to the kitchen and was back within 5 min with the corrected order. My biscuit definitely tasted like it had been frozen for some time. The rest of the food was delicious as was the unlimited coffee. Due to the small size it creates an intimate feel and there's always someone interesting dining next to you. I am able to look past the run down appearing outside due to the atmosphere inside.
(3)H.R. N.
Say there, this was an IHOP before, wasn't it? Now it's Aunt Shirley's diner. Okay, I added the Auntie part, but that's because if your name is Shirley, you really should be an Aunt. And you should be able to cook! Well, Aunt Shirley can cook. Not only does she make the stuff that IHOP has--ahem, ahem--but other stuff, too. The chicken and waffles is decent. And the service is superb. Good job, Aunt Shirley.
(4)Martha G.
Lots to chose from. Fast and friendly service.
(5)Eva W.
Sorry to say, but I hear this is closed now. Guess we'll be going to the Double T instead. ---------------------------------------------- This used to be a so-so IHOP, but now it's a diner. Now the smiling face of a woman (presumably, Shirley herself) watches over the building. Funky but fun with burgers, breakfast all day, African-American specialties like chicken and waffles, but don't be intimidated--folks who are so white they glow in the dark (like my friends and I) will love their food, particularly the homemade potato chips served with sandwiches. Wait staff are friendly (we've had a weary waitress sit down at an empty seat at our table to take our orders, much to our delight), fast, and helpful. Also, they are open all weekend, so you can get a bite to eat after the bars close. Unlike the Double-T up the road, it's never been crowded when we've gone in, which is a shame because it's decent food and the staff is eager to please. If you go, drag a chip into some ketchup, and think of me. There's a site you can go to where you can print out discount coupons for selected restaurants. I don't want to name it here, because Yelp might have a policy against mentioning similar sites, but it's worth researching it because they offer a substantial coupon offer for this restaurant, if you order over $35. Unless you are a championship-class eater, that may be hard to do, so bring friends to split the savings.
(5)