It took me years to get into Stella’s Diner, which is just off Hiawatha Blvd near Carousel Mall. It’s not that I didn’t want to go. It’s that I’m the type of person that sometimes has to be convinced that it’s worth waiting a long time to get into a place. What finally did it for me was my wife telling me that they made grits pretty well. True, I can make my own grits, but sometimes you just want someone else to do it for you.

When you first walk into Stella’s you notice Betty Boop. She’s everywhere, in many different incarnations. Dolls, stickers, cartoons, statues… if it’s Betty Boop, it’s there. I’ve always been a big fan of Betty Boop myself, so that was something I fully enjoyed.

What I didn’t enjoy was the wait time. I’ve been to Stella’s 3 times now, and the shortest wait time I’ve had was 15 minutes. I’ve wondered if they have those kinds of crowds during all the times they’re open. They open every day at 5AM, but on Mondays and Tuesdays they close at 2:30, every other day 9PM. That’s somewhat different for a diner, closing early like that, but diners can do whatever they wish with their time I suppose.

Overall I’d have to say that the food is pretty good. Then again, it’s hard to find places that make bad breakfast food, and that’s all I’ve had at Stella’s to this point. And I don’t eat weird breakfast food; omelets, English muffins… that’s pretty much it for most restaurants, although if I go to IHOP I always have pancakes and if I go to Julie’s Diner I always have the bacon waffle; that story is for another time. The grits are pretty good I must admit, though I’m going on a limb and saying I think mine are still better. lol The waitresses are really nice, and you get your food really fast as well.

Stella’s obviously does good business, and their prices are reasonable. I only hope they can sustain for the long haul with prices that good. That’s now another place fairly close to home where I know I can get a quality breakfast at a good price. However, if I want quick…