3 Danville Spots Among Best East Bay Diners & Dives: Diablo Magazine

DANVILLE, CA — Danville is a great regional destination for classic, unpretentious, all-American comfort food, according to Diablo Magazine’s new roundup of “East Bay Diners, Dive Bars, and Comfort Food Classics.” The magazine looked around the area for “local restaurants that open early for breakfast, prepare hot lunches and satisfying dinners, and pour you a drink for a reasonable price,” and found three spots in Alamo and Danville. All of these locations are over 75 years old and so old-school that none of them have websites - a sign of longevity and a rock-solid reputation.

For breakfast, the magazine recommended Alamo Café, a classic family-owned diner operating since 1947, for “the best bacon in the Diablo Valley.” Squeeze onto the counter or into one of the four tables to enjoy their classic diner food like blueberry pancakes, bacon, hash browns, omelets, and eggs benedict, which were all praised by TripAdvisor reviewers.

Even though Alamo Café is over 75 years old, it’s actually the youngest Danville/Alamo restaurant on the list. For another storied diner, the magazine recommends Vally Medlyn’s on Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville, which was founded in 1935. In addition to traditional diner food, Vally Medlyn’s offers some eclectic options like the Maui omelette (ham, onions, bell peppers and pineapples), Micky Mouse pancakes, burgers, sandwiches and more. The restaurant also offers outdoor patio seating, and a “casual, cozy, farm kitchen like atmosphere,” according to one Yelp reviewer.

Finally, you know it was coming - Elliott’s Bar, the 117-year-old symbol of downtown Danville. Enjoy shuffleboard, an old-school jukebox, board games, and cold, domestic beers, many for around five dollars. Just make sure you bring cash - there were no credit cards in 1907, and they’re still not accepted today.

“What a find! Great dive bar with great mix of old timers and young crowd. Hang out with the older crowd and you get some great stories,” said one Yelp reviewer.

For more down-home spots around the East Bay, see Diablo Magazine’s full list.

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