Joe’s Shelby Street Diner

Reviews

• Rebecca L.

  star star star star star_border 9 June 2026

  I love this place for the atmosphere as much as the food. Styled like a 50s diner, the set up is quaint and cozy. The staff is friendly and fun. There are a crew of regulars that instantly make you feel at home. The food is breakfast and lunch diner fare. I have had several of their sandwiches and each one was generous and tasty. I particularly love their batter dipped onion rings. They come with a side of ranch dressing and it is a large enough to share portion.

• Paul G.

  star star star star star 7 June 2026

  Off the beaten path little diner with really good comfort food. Set in the 50's decor. Staff is very friendly and fast.

• Emily S.

  star star star star star_border 7 June 2026

  We made the quick trip down here from downtown to try someplace new. Once the southside construction is complete it'll be a much easier trip. The food was Diner Delicious and the server was bright and friendly. We really enjoyed the 50s decor and experience and will definitely be back.

• Crystal R.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 1 June 2026

  12/30/18.... 12:48 THIS PLACE IS CLOSED!! Total disappointment. Do not waste your time. Closed!

• Richard P.

  star star star star_border star_border 17 May 2026

  Okay, so today is National Fried Chicken Day.
  
  What does that have to do with Joe's Shelby Street Diner? Not a thing. It kind of explains how I started out heading over to Maxine's Chicken n' Waffles, but I got frustrated by a few folks blocking the turn-in to their inconveniently located restaurant and kept driving down East Street to West Street to a bunch of streets I didn't even really know. Then, I saw Shelby Street and got all nostalgic and headed over to see my first ever apartment.
  
  One block away? Shelby Street Diner.
  
  As I love divey joints and was in the mood for something different, I pulled in. I looked around and realized that they had one accessible parking spot, non-ADA compliant, but no curb cuts on the sidewalk that outlines their 50's retro-styled diner (think Oasis Diner but way dumpier).
  
  I thought about pulling away, but I was hungry and nostalgic and thought maybe the 50's music would brighten my day. So, I parked and assessed the sidewalk to gauge how to get on it. I ultimately decided it was a little too steep to jump the curb. So, I climbed out of my wheelchair - I will note that about the time I hit the door that an employee met me at the door to help out.
  
  Like most diners of this style, and you can really tell from some of the photos, this place had two glass doors to enter and as soon as you enter you arrive at an old school lunch counter style diner with a narrow pathway. They've installed more traditional seating on both ends of the restaurant with booths and tables. The lunch counter, most obviously, is not wheelchair friendly but they do have accessible table options on both ends - the best end for a wheelchair would be left of the entrance.
  
  The menu largely consists of a wide variety of sandwiches. I'd had a burger for lunch and decided to try the Hubcap Tenderloin - a breaded tenderloin that comes with the usual toppings, though I ordered it plain It comes on a toasted, 7" bun with crinkle-cut fries.I believe the price was about $8.50, almost $3 higher than if you ordered it grilled. Weird.
  
  I love toasted buns (Get your minds out of the gutter!) and the crinkle-cut fries are a nice option for the nostalgia of the restaurant. Shelby Street is decorated in quite a bit of 50's decor with a jukebox that offers 50's tunes. I arrived about 4:30pm, so not quite dinner hour. I was the only customer other than an older dude who was an obvious regular. By the time I left, one other couple had arrived.
  
  My entire bill came in at about $12.50 including my usual unsweetened iced tea.
  
  Shelby Street is practically the definition of a dive. The 50's decor is worn and the restaurant is really kind of dirty, but not really in the hygienic sense. It's just a working class joint.
  
  The highlight of the experience was my server, whose name I never caught. She was a hoot. First off, I'm a sucker for being called "sweetie." I admit it. Yes, you're right. I haven't had a date in a long time. Leave me alone.
  
  She was friendly, attentive and forgetful. She forgot what I was drinking when she came back for a refill - I was her ONLY customer. We both laughed about it. Have I mentioned I like being called "sweetie?"
  
  But here's the problem? That tenderloin? It was pretty close to awful. First off, it's not a tenderloin. It's a fritter, a fact confirmed by my friend and fellow Yelper/tenderloin blogger Rick G. It's a decent-sized fritter, but it's a thinned out, fairly bland and dry slab o' faux meat that I couldn't even finish. The fries were much better and help me justify giving a 3-star instead of a 2-star when I toss in the excellent service.
  
  I did get a couple of iced tea refills and was pleasantly surprised to get one to go. Again, the service was excellent.
  
  I really wanted to love Shelby Street Diner. I loved the service, but between having to crawl up a step to enter the place and a tenderloin sandwich that is over-priced and a complete disappoint there's no way on earth I would consider anything but a 2-3 star rating. I always say that service matters to me a lot, so to keep my integrity I'm going to default upward and go with the 3-star while noting that this is definitely only a place I'd consider if I was in the neighborhood and I absolutely would not order the tenderloin again.
  
  Oh, and by the way, if you're going to advertise yourself as a 50's joint it seems a little weird to have U2 and contemporary music playing on the overhead radio. I'm just sayin'.
  
  I will note that most of the meals are lower-priced and it's pretty easy to have a meal under a ten spot here. Just skip the fritter. You can thank me later.