“ I had been craving their hot beef and was finally on that side of town. Walked in and the waitress immediately said "hot beef" and I said yes and then she wanted to know what I needed to drink. The hot. Beef was delicious and as usual I needed a box for leftovers. ”

“ I expected good food, I did not expect to be entertained. I went for an early breakfast to Mikhael's Restaurant. The building is unpretentious, to say the very least, a concrete block and brick affair that looks like it may have been there forever. It is one of those locations that is easy to drive past. It is on a busy street and sits in a neighborhood location, not surrounded by other retail or restaurant businesses. But it is definitely worth finding! I'll get to the food later. Right now, I want to write of the entirely authentic interior and the one of a kind dynamo of a waitress, Amber. The interior could easily serve as a set for a television show or movie about a diner. It has such an iconic style. Not the kitschy chrome and red leatherette, black and white subway tiled styling that one so often sees in "retro" diners, but a spare, bare bones, scrubbed for decades look that instantly strikes one as authentic and genuine. When I walked in, shortly after they opened at 6:00, I noticed that all of the patrons were older men, a crew of gruff, good natured codgers that could have come straight out of central casting. And then, a millisecond later, I noticed Amber, the blond, cheery, chatty, ultra high energy waitress hustling about the room, tossing a quick word or laughing at a joking comment from one of the regulars. She is a treasure. I have met a lot of diner waitstaff over the years, and it would be hard to count their number. But out of the thousands, Amber stands out like a shining beacon. Her effervescent personality, the obviously caring relationship she has with the regulars, the sparkling, positive energy she brings to the proceedings, all unmatched in my experience. It was a joy to watch her moving briskly from table to table, inquiring about one gentleman's health, asking another of their plans, reminding yet another about an upcoming appt. As I said earlier, I could have been watching a rehearsal for a play entitled "Waitress." I was so enchanted by the performance in front of me I almost forgot about the food. I suppose I should mention the food. It was in keeping with the setting, classic American diner. Omelets, shipwrecks, hash, 'cakes, French toast, steak and eggs... the only departure I noticed was the offering of Greek style eggs and a gyro omelet. I chose a shipwreck (as I so often do), consisting of American fries, sausage, bell pepper, jalapenos, and American cheese. I love shipwrecks, and I loved this one. The potatoes were well crisped, which I consider essential to good American fries. The veg and sausage were well distributed and chopped to what I would call a medium fine consistency, and the American cheese squares were blanketing all with their melty goodness. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the hot sauce, not just "the" hot sauce but "their" hot sauce. Quite often, one will find a house hot sauce that is simply privately labeled Tabasco. That is definitely not the case here. This sauce had a lot of body, with a rich, darkly flavored heat including lots of big pepper flakes. Absolutely yummy, in fact, so good that I asked the ever-present Amber if the sold bottles they do, and I bought one without hesitation. I absolutely adored my visit to this completely genuine, beloved neighborhood eatery, and I would go back even if they stopped serving food. ”

“ The server was fantastic with everyone! I enjoyed my time there. The food was good and the atmosphere was pure Diner! I'll go back to this gem! ”

“ I did not catch the lady's name that was the server she was a very nice young lady too our family of 6 awesome food VERY FRESH we even offered too clean up after ourselfs and she said don't worry about it! We can clear from Des Moines Iowa and was going to a fishing trip too coralville Lake very friendly people and clean!. ”

“ The best breakfast in Cedar Rapids!! The best waitresses, always filled coffee cups and best chef. If you order your egg, for example, sunny side up, it comes perfectly cooked on the bottom and not burned! ”

“ The waitress was awesome The food was great The place looks like a kind of Mom & Pop place. Clean. A little worn in places, great decor, all in all, I'd eat there again ”

“ in town for a baseball trip and needed pregame food. This spot ended up being perfect for some hearty breakfast at a good price. It was a little busy but we were seated and served quickly. Even with the packed room our coffee never got cold. Food was excellent and the price was more than fair. Good place to stop off for some good old breakfast. ”

“ This is my all time favorite place for breakfast. All the food is good but no one does my eggs correctly but Mikaels. The staff is awesome ”