Big Dan’s Diner

Dan’s is closed.

Sadly, another restaurant bites the dust. Closed down.

hi everyone thanks for the referral to Big Dans Diner. I went there for dinner and had the blue plate special which was fry chicken with a side of french fries and got some fry chicken to go for my parents with potatoe salad. Great food, you could tell that its homemade the potatoe salad was very good also. thanks again for a great great referral Unilocal fans.

I knew I had to try Big Dan’s after reading the previous three reviews of this place. Decided to visit this Diner for today’s Bicycle Ride to Lathrop.
Big Dan’s is located on the Southern edge of Lathrop in an small Industrial Park… as far South as you can go before things get called Tracy. It’s right on the Frontage Road by I-​5, but I really doubt if Big Dan’s would get it’s share of freeway traffic… it’s just too far out of the way. I suspect the only customers the restaurant would get would be Contractors and Tradesmen from KB Home (right next door,
) and from the Residential Development just West of the restaurant. When I rode up, though, there were about five tables occupied with Diners… But when I left, the restaurant was totally empty.
On the menu today…
Make Your Own Omelet (**** ½ $ 8.50) Each Hearty 4-​Egg Omelet served with your choice of a hefty order of Hash Browns or Home Fries and a side of either Toast or a Pancake. Choice of Ingredients include: Ham, Sausage, Bacon, Cheese, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Onions, Olives, and Linguica (extra $ 0.75). Big Dan’s does not skimp on the Meat! That’s for sure! Chose the Sausage, which was bits of Pork Sausage, Bacon, Cheese (Colby Jack), Mushrooms, and Onions. The Omelet, which was just a tad too oily, covered ²⁄₃ of the 8″ x 6″ heavy oval plate. The Home Fries (*** ½(, were cubes of Potatoes fried with Onions and Bell Peppers, took up the rest of the plate along with the Toast and a Pat of Butter.
Coffee (**** $ 1.50) Coffee comes in a GIGANTIC mug, almost twice the size of most cups /​mugs you’d find at most other Diners. Interesting that a Diner gets an old-​fashioned Sugar dispenser and not the packets of that artificial Sugar.
Made a suggestion to add an Original Joe’s Scramble to the Breakfast menu.
Most of the Breakfast items are at least $ 0.50 less than competing Diners… and most importantly the portions are quite a bit larger. Big Dan’s, very easily, could be 5-​Stars… maybe on my next visit who knows when…
Unless Big Dan’s performs a lot of promotion (billboards, ads, Unilocal,etc), I don’t think word-​of-​mouth is going to cut it for this restaurant in this Economy…
Random thought… Whomever planned Manthey Road, where Manthey crosses Louise, ought to be fired! Manthey Road could be a nice frontage road extending all the way from Lathrop Road almost all the way down to Tracy. But, a person has to actually go around Target and onto Golden Valley Parkway just to get back onto Manthey! Does anyone even use Manthey to get to Tracy?

Can’t complain about the size of the meals. I agree this place needs an item that everyone knows it by. They’re still adding /​dropping items on the menu. I’m sure something will pop up. I’m a hot dog fan and they need to tune theirs up a bit. It wasn’t bad but I would rather have a the steamed bun. The fries were great. I’ve been there with my family four times since they opened. The owner is out going and interested in your thoughts. For the most part the help is enthused and learning. The blue plate special is a nice twist and using customer suggestions doesn’t hurt. A few more sandwich selections would be good. The jury is still out on the hash browns. I hope they make it. They are head and shoulders above the other locals. I’ll report again after my next visit. I hope he has a soft taco day! Good salsa works on fish also.

Sunday breakfast, family of 4.
Service, can’t get any better.
Pancakes-​huge
Waffle-​great
Eggs-​just like we ordered
Hashbrowns– could use a little spice, I like onions in mine.
Bacon-it’s bacon
Chicken fried steak-​good
I think this place needs a hook, I wanted some good corned beef hash but the waitress says, it comes from a can. Next.
That could be it, make corned beef hash on the weekends and special on Monday’s of corned beef sandwich, just something to make them standout.
A good local family business.

Five stars for the best Hand-​formed half pound burger I’ve had in a while. Neat and clean, bright and open, in the old Heidi’s“s deli location, just behind the new Target. Saw some orders coming out as I was waiting for my to go order, looked great, definitely on my to do for breakfast list.