I've flown in and eaten here NUMEROUS TIMES. The food is always delicious. It redefines the term "The $100 hamburger". This place is usually packed, but has outdoor seating, which is a great touch. It's usually pretty clean, but sometimes it's so busy the waitresses don't have time to keep up. I've never seen a waitress standing around. They are super friendly and very helpful... The place closes at 3PM so get in early for a bite. Always a good choice.
(5)
Carson T.
Not a very good dining experience. Noisy, crowded atmosphere and when we walking in the hostess sighed and said "okay what do you want in or out." Our waitress was not very friendly either. the busser over filled a coffee mug and just kept pouring all over the table, lol. My aunt found potato skins in her glass. My "homemade corned beef and hash" was mashed potatoes with a couple pieces of corned beef at the bottom. Wondering if they ran out and just gave me the dredges of what was left - so I had toast for breakfast... Which was fine. The eggs Benedict was gritty, gravy was greasy, skillet was bland. I don't have much good to say about this place but giving them an extra starve cause maybe I was just there on a bad day?
(2)
Michelle O.
Only place to really get breakfast in independence. The building is so tiny and there is ALWAYS a long wait- BUT no waiting area. When its nice outside the outdoor seating is great and its fun to watch the airplanes come in and out. The staff is mediocre, they arent the friendliest bunch, the food is decent and for a good price. We have picked up lunch to go here, I wasnt the one who picked up the food so I cant comment on that experience but the lunch menu was delicious!
(3)
Dennis H.
Good place for breakfast. The food is decent and the portions huge. Prices are fair too. Lots of choices and a friendly staff. I'll be back.
(4)
Jeannette S.
My family and I came here, while on vacation. The sandwiches were delicious! Service was amazing. Such a cute little place and to see little private planes land and take off tops off the experience. I would definitely visit again when I come into town
(5)
Jonathan B.
A great breakfast place not fancy and not with great views but great home cooked feel American diner. Great service too. This is the best place for a straight forward breakfast for miles around.
(4)
Katie H.
Not very good service but great food and huge portions. This is my favorite breakfast place in town! Just expect to spend a little longer than usual there.
(4)
Eldridge A.
This cafe is great. It is a good place for a nice breakfast (brunch, and lunch as well!) with some roommates, friends, and family. The dining area is a bit tight, so large parties (6+) will have a hard time finding room on a busy morning. The busiest i've seen the place was on early Saturday and Sunday morning, which is typical for families wanting to eat out at a local joint. Location: Quiet and easy to get to. Well, quiet as long as a plane isn't about to take off right outside of the restaurant. It is located right on Airport road, just pull onto the road, and drive down. You'll see the Starduster Cafe sign in about half a mile on your left. Restaurant: Like I've mentioned, it is a bit tight. But that just adds some charm to the cafe. There is no waiting area, so if it is a busy morning you can expect to wait outside so you are not in the way of customers who need to pay. Once you're sitting down, though, there is enough elbow room between you and your neighboring tables for the waitress to be comfortable standing in between the tables. The restrooms are clean, so you can be comfortable using the restrooms if you need to. The waitresses and pick up table are located in the same room overlooking the dining area so you can expect water and coffee to be topped off when you want it to be. Dining experience: Goodness where do I begin? The food at this cafe is spectacular. But first, let's start off with beverages. Their coffee is delicious and keeps coming throughout your visit. The water tastes clean and is cold. Their soft drinks are your standard soft drink fare and quality. The menu is extensive and is hard to choose from if you are hungry. They are very accommodating of diets and are open to substitutions. I have gotten the mountain man omelette, the corned beef hash, and the mushroom burger. Let's start off with the mountain man omelette. Very delicious and large omelette. If you are hungry the mountain man will be sure to please. However, I was not a fan of the large pieces of garlic in the omelette, so I asked them to mince it for me. The mean comes with country gravy, but I always ask for the gravy on the side. Just my preference. The corned beef hash was one of the best i've had. It did not feel like the canned stuff. It tasted fresh and you can actually get a good taste of the corned beef. It is cooked wonderfully, and goes well with some over easy eggs. The mushroom burger was your standard mushroom burger, so that means it was good. I'm a big mushroom fan, so I was happy to find that they did not skimp out on mushrooms. The toast that came with my breakfast plates was tasted well. I have gotten their hazelnut bread every time, and I have not been disappointed. Overall, a very good experience here every time that I visit. It also helps that this cafe is located within a 10 minute driving distance from my place in Monmouth. 5/5 would recommend
(5)
Karin H.
Have eaten here a number of times in the past, but I don't know that I will be quick to go back again. We went for breakfast on a Saturday morning, knowing that it would likely be busy, but we got in right away. Ordered coffee as we were looking at the menu only to find out that they were out of coffee cups so we would have to wait...that's ok, because the coffee was mediocre at best....should have gotten a soda. I got the Veggie Bleu scramble which was actually pretty good, but my hashbrowns were burnt, like black, burnt. You would think you would notice that when you put them on the plate. It was a beautiful day at the airport, but for the ambiance and a better meal I think next time I will go to The Flight Deck in Salem.
(1)
George H.
When I was there food was good service good but slow if you needed a drink refill or napkins I have had morning meals as well as dinners never afternoon lunch there but on par with what you get around town
(3)
Dave T.
One very rude waitress. The food is good but you will be asked to leave after they have taken your money. Sad.
(1)
M.E. A.
I don't think I've ever seen a dirtier place! Robert Irvine needs to called! Wow! The service was incredibly slow. The one server was nice, the other treated us with distain. Won't be back .
(1)
Mike R.
I think this restaurant was very good. Yes, my tuna melt was $200, but that's because I flew in from the Seattle area. (actual price was $7.50) The service was good, and the food was good. It was fun watching other pilots come in to join our fly-in event. I really like their French fries. Wish I could have eaten more, but due to long flight back, I had to be careful.
(4)
Yasmien H.
Oh yum. First, the food was delish, then then staff was nice, then the planes outside were cool. Sure, they could use a bit of updating... but then it would lose some charm... so no, it's perfect. The "Blue (berry) Pancakes" were so huge and fluffy. Everything was so tasty, I'll be back for sure.
(5)
Jim B.
Great comfort food, loved it. Portions were plentiful, and tasty. Very good customer service. Can't wait to try the bbq ribs!
(5)
Natascha C.
Amazing BBQ. Great prices and huge portions. Love the location too!
(4)
Meggie W.
Starduster Cafe is open from 6 am - 3 pm and located at the Independence airport. It's a relatively small place, so don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit before getting seated. The food at this joint is good. For breakfast they have your standard fare: omelets, hash browns, biscuits and gravy and plenty other things you'd expect at a breakfast place. I got something called the "Bomb Raider", which was home style potatoes with bacon, jalapenos, cheese, salsa and sour cream with your choice of eggs and toast. Really tasty and the portions were big enough that I struggled to finish it. What really makes this place, though, is that the Independence Airport take-off strip is in clear view from the outside dining area. While chowing down on your tasty grub you can watch the planes land and take off. Soon you will find yourself pondering physics, debating which plane paint job is the sweetest, and adding "get airplane license" to your bucket list. We were lucky enough to go on a busy day and saw over 10 departures. My friends, the locals, said you'll usually only witness a few, which would still be worth a trip out to this little cafe as far as I'm concerned.
(4)
Samantha K.
I would honestly rate this place zero stars if I could. We were a group of 5 adults and 1 toddler eating (an infant as well) First off the waitress was incredibly scatterbrained, always forgetting things and just overall running around like a chicken with her head cut off. The worst part was it took over an hour for our food (basic wraps, 1 burger, 1 sandwich and 1 hot dog) and another waitress was completely rude about it. My dad asked for mustard and inquired if they had grey poupon. She snaps back "no just this" and slams the mustard on the table. It really seemed like she did not want us there. Not a good way to be with paying customers. Once we finally got our food, it came in stages. First, a burger and wrap. 5 mins later, another wrap. 10 mins after that the hot dog. Finally my mom just told them to put hers in a box because she had to get my sister back to her car to go to work. So 5 mins after that, hers comes in a box and my husband's sandwich came. By this time most everyone had ate. I didn't eat much though because it simply wasn't good. I had the ALD wrap. The A stands for avocado yet there was none. I'd rename it to the soggy lettuce drenched in honey mustard wrap, because that's all it was with a few pieces of dried, burnt bacon and a couple slices of deli turkey. My mom had the "shrimp" wrap but that was mainly a spinach wrap with 5 shrimp (the baby raw shrimp). My sister was in a hurry so she inhaled her tuna wrap although it had little flavor which she remedied with the Tabasco at the table. My toddler son's hot dog was a giant piece of meat with a completely split hoagie. I wouldn't call it a kids meal in any way. Then my husband's BBQ chicken sandwich was perhaps the worst. Flavorless, messy, giant chunks of uncooked garlic on a soggy, old ciabatta bun. None of this food even looked appealing. I really was just absolutely appalled by every aspect of my experience here and rest assured, it will not be repeated. The kicker was when we got the bill. $55. Absolutely ridiculous especially considering the poor quality. There was nothing redeeming sorry to say and I hope to caution other people from wasting their time and money here. As we were walking back to our car still surprised at how bad everything was, I noticed their stove grates laying out in the sun (almost tripping on them) I couldn't help but laugh because this place really is a complete joke. If you want a cafe lunch in Independence, go to Andy's.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Lunch 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 : Yes Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Daniel K.
I've flown in and eaten here NUMEROUS TIMES. The food is always delicious. It redefines the term "The $100 hamburger". This place is usually packed, but has outdoor seating, which is a great touch. It's usually pretty clean, but sometimes it's so busy the waitresses don't have time to keep up. I've never seen a waitress standing around. They are super friendly and very helpful... The place closes at 3PM so get in early for a bite. Always a good choice.
(5)Carson T.
Not a very good dining experience. Noisy, crowded atmosphere and when we walking in the hostess sighed and said "okay what do you want in or out." Our waitress was not very friendly either. the busser over filled a coffee mug and just kept pouring all over the table, lol. My aunt found potato skins in her glass. My "homemade corned beef and hash" was mashed potatoes with a couple pieces of corned beef at the bottom. Wondering if they ran out and just gave me the dredges of what was left - so I had toast for breakfast... Which was fine. The eggs Benedict was gritty, gravy was greasy, skillet was bland. I don't have much good to say about this place but giving them an extra starve cause maybe I was just there on a bad day?
(2)Michelle O.
Only place to really get breakfast in independence. The building is so tiny and there is ALWAYS a long wait- BUT no waiting area. When its nice outside the outdoor seating is great and its fun to watch the airplanes come in and out. The staff is mediocre, they arent the friendliest bunch, the food is decent and for a good price. We have picked up lunch to go here, I wasnt the one who picked up the food so I cant comment on that experience but the lunch menu was delicious!
(3)Dennis H.
Good place for breakfast. The food is decent and the portions huge. Prices are fair too. Lots of choices and a friendly staff. I'll be back.
(4)Jeannette S.
My family and I came here, while on vacation. The sandwiches were delicious! Service was amazing. Such a cute little place and to see little private planes land and take off tops off the experience. I would definitely visit again when I come into town
(5)Jonathan B.
A great breakfast place not fancy and not with great views but great home cooked feel American diner. Great service too. This is the best place for a straight forward breakfast for miles around.
(4)Katie H.
Not very good service but great food and huge portions. This is my favorite breakfast place in town! Just expect to spend a little longer than usual there.
(4)Eldridge A.
This cafe is great. It is a good place for a nice breakfast (brunch, and lunch as well!) with some roommates, friends, and family. The dining area is a bit tight, so large parties (6+) will have a hard time finding room on a busy morning. The busiest i've seen the place was on early Saturday and Sunday morning, which is typical for families wanting to eat out at a local joint. Location: Quiet and easy to get to. Well, quiet as long as a plane isn't about to take off right outside of the restaurant. It is located right on Airport road, just pull onto the road, and drive down. You'll see the Starduster Cafe sign in about half a mile on your left. Restaurant: Like I've mentioned, it is a bit tight. But that just adds some charm to the cafe. There is no waiting area, so if it is a busy morning you can expect to wait outside so you are not in the way of customers who need to pay. Once you're sitting down, though, there is enough elbow room between you and your neighboring tables for the waitress to be comfortable standing in between the tables. The restrooms are clean, so you can be comfortable using the restrooms if you need to. The waitresses and pick up table are located in the same room overlooking the dining area so you can expect water and coffee to be topped off when you want it to be. Dining experience: Goodness where do I begin? The food at this cafe is spectacular. But first, let's start off with beverages. Their coffee is delicious and keeps coming throughout your visit. The water tastes clean and is cold. Their soft drinks are your standard soft drink fare and quality. The menu is extensive and is hard to choose from if you are hungry. They are very accommodating of diets and are open to substitutions. I have gotten the mountain man omelette, the corned beef hash, and the mushroom burger. Let's start off with the mountain man omelette. Very delicious and large omelette. If you are hungry the mountain man will be sure to please. However, I was not a fan of the large pieces of garlic in the omelette, so I asked them to mince it for me. The mean comes with country gravy, but I always ask for the gravy on the side. Just my preference. The corned beef hash was one of the best i've had. It did not feel like the canned stuff. It tasted fresh and you can actually get a good taste of the corned beef. It is cooked wonderfully, and goes well with some over easy eggs. The mushroom burger was your standard mushroom burger, so that means it was good. I'm a big mushroom fan, so I was happy to find that they did not skimp out on mushrooms. The toast that came with my breakfast plates was tasted well. I have gotten their hazelnut bread every time, and I have not been disappointed. Overall, a very good experience here every time that I visit. It also helps that this cafe is located within a 10 minute driving distance from my place in Monmouth. 5/5 would recommend
(5)Karin H.
Have eaten here a number of times in the past, but I don't know that I will be quick to go back again. We went for breakfast on a Saturday morning, knowing that it would likely be busy, but we got in right away. Ordered coffee as we were looking at the menu only to find out that they were out of coffee cups so we would have to wait...that's ok, because the coffee was mediocre at best....should have gotten a soda. I got the Veggie Bleu scramble which was actually pretty good, but my hashbrowns were burnt, like black, burnt. You would think you would notice that when you put them on the plate. It was a beautiful day at the airport, but for the ambiance and a better meal I think next time I will go to The Flight Deck in Salem.
(1)George H.
When I was there food was good service good but slow if you needed a drink refill or napkins I have had morning meals as well as dinners never afternoon lunch there but on par with what you get around town
(3)Dave T.
One very rude waitress. The food is good but you will be asked to leave after they have taken your money. Sad.
(1)M.E. A.
I don't think I've ever seen a dirtier place! Robert Irvine needs to called! Wow! The service was incredibly slow. The one server was nice, the other treated us with distain. Won't be back .
(1)Mike R.
I think this restaurant was very good. Yes, my tuna melt was $200, but that's because I flew in from the Seattle area. (actual price was $7.50) The service was good, and the food was good. It was fun watching other pilots come in to join our fly-in event. I really like their French fries. Wish I could have eaten more, but due to long flight back, I had to be careful.
(4)Yasmien H.
Oh yum. First, the food was delish, then then staff was nice, then the planes outside were cool. Sure, they could use a bit of updating... but then it would lose some charm... so no, it's perfect. The "Blue (berry) Pancakes" were so huge and fluffy. Everything was so tasty, I'll be back for sure.
(5)Jim B.
Great comfort food, loved it. Portions were plentiful, and tasty. Very good customer service. Can't wait to try the bbq ribs!
(5)Natascha C.
Amazing BBQ. Great prices and huge portions. Love the location too!
(4)Meggie W.
Starduster Cafe is open from 6 am - 3 pm and located at the Independence airport. It's a relatively small place, so don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit before getting seated. The food at this joint is good. For breakfast they have your standard fare: omelets, hash browns, biscuits and gravy and plenty other things you'd expect at a breakfast place. I got something called the "Bomb Raider", which was home style potatoes with bacon, jalapenos, cheese, salsa and sour cream with your choice of eggs and toast. Really tasty and the portions were big enough that I struggled to finish it. What really makes this place, though, is that the Independence Airport take-off strip is in clear view from the outside dining area. While chowing down on your tasty grub you can watch the planes land and take off. Soon you will find yourself pondering physics, debating which plane paint job is the sweetest, and adding "get airplane license" to your bucket list. We were lucky enough to go on a busy day and saw over 10 departures. My friends, the locals, said you'll usually only witness a few, which would still be worth a trip out to this little cafe as far as I'm concerned.
(4)Samantha K.
I would honestly rate this place zero stars if I could. We were a group of 5 adults and 1 toddler eating (an infant as well) First off the waitress was incredibly scatterbrained, always forgetting things and just overall running around like a chicken with her head cut off. The worst part was it took over an hour for our food (basic wraps, 1 burger, 1 sandwich and 1 hot dog) and another waitress was completely rude about it. My dad asked for mustard and inquired if they had grey poupon. She snaps back "no just this" and slams the mustard on the table. It really seemed like she did not want us there. Not a good way to be with paying customers. Once we finally got our food, it came in stages. First, a burger and wrap. 5 mins later, another wrap. 10 mins after that the hot dog. Finally my mom just told them to put hers in a box because she had to get my sister back to her car to go to work. So 5 mins after that, hers comes in a box and my husband's sandwich came. By this time most everyone had ate. I didn't eat much though because it simply wasn't good. I had the ALD wrap. The A stands for avocado yet there was none. I'd rename it to the soggy lettuce drenched in honey mustard wrap, because that's all it was with a few pieces of dried, burnt bacon and a couple slices of deli turkey. My mom had the "shrimp" wrap but that was mainly a spinach wrap with 5 shrimp (the baby raw shrimp). My sister was in a hurry so she inhaled her tuna wrap although it had little flavor which she remedied with the Tabasco at the table. My toddler son's hot dog was a giant piece of meat with a completely split hoagie. I wouldn't call it a kids meal in any way. Then my husband's BBQ chicken sandwich was perhaps the worst. Flavorless, messy, giant chunks of uncooked garlic on a soggy, old ciabatta bun. None of this food even looked appealing. I really was just absolutely appalled by every aspect of my experience here and rest assured, it will not be repeated. The kicker was when we got the bill. $55. Absolutely ridiculous especially considering the poor quality. There was nothing redeeming sorry to say and I hope to caution other people from wasting their time and money here. As we were walking back to our car still surprised at how bad everything was, I noticed their stove grates laying out in the sun (almost tripping on them) I couldn't help but laugh because this place really is a complete joke. If you want a cafe lunch in Independence, go to Andy's.
(1)