Avalon Drug Co And Diner

September 2, 2023 UPDATE: Great people. Great food. ________________________ A favorite breakfast and casual lunch spot. If you are looking for white table cloth French cuisine or just a moderately elevated culinary experience, this is not the place for you. Solid, old school diner food with some unique specialties that are awesome (Chicken Fried Steak Omelette, Big Breakfast, Drugstore Hamburger, Club Sandwich with Honey Mustard Dressing, Patty Melt, Chicken Fried Steak, etc...). Everything good except for the biscuits which are more of a bready texture rather than flaky and fluffy like a biscuit should be. It's just the way they make them here. They make up for it with the incredible service and rest of the food offerings, including their hashbrowns and bacon which are really great, AT THIS LOCATION. Again, it's just the way they make the biscuits at the River Oaks location. Everything else is awesome. Overall, great service, but sometimes with a slight dash of Hedwig Village location attitude and unnecessary drama due to personnel from the Hedwig Village location bringing their "work" ethic and unprofessional behavior to River Oaks. Very unfair to the excellent staff at River Oaks Avalon Diner. But it is amusing to us and our network of family and friends throughout Houston, all who know about the SIGNIFICANT differences in locations first hand. 😂😂😂😂😂 Food always hot AT THIS LOCATION. Cudos to the unsung heroes in the back preparing tasty old school favorites to several generations of Houstonians. And cudos to the wait staff who do not let hot food sit idle at the pass, delivering to the customers quickly. The waitstaff NEVER stops AT THIS LOCATION.. They HUSTLE. They work very hard taking care of their customers. It's impressive and noteworthy. And it is appreciated. Retro feel. Bigger than original tiny space in the old drug store in River Oaks back in the good old days. Can be crowded here but they have a first-come-first-serve system that works pretty well and the wait time is surprisingly short. Just part of the charm and the Avalon Diner River Oaks experience. This particular location has MUCH BETTER service than the Hedwig Village location. NOTICABLE. Food does not sit up at the pass for a long time at River Oaks Avalon like it does at Hedwig Village Avalon. Attributable 100% to management and waitstaff. First and foremost, the people AT THIS LOCATION make the difference. Incredible people. BOTTOM LINE: The folks AT THIS LOCATION really deliver. Recommend: The Chicken Fried Steak Omelette, The Big Breakfast, Original Eggs Benedict, Classic Club Sandwich with Crinkle Fries and Honey Mustard dip, Drugstore Hamburger, Patty Melt, BLT and the Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich. Not recommended: Biscuits. But you be the judge, for personal tastes vary. Enjoy!

The service was quick and efficient. A little too quick as the waitress tried to take a plate away from us before we were done eating. That was the only weird thing that we experienced. The food was good and there was a lot of it. The atmosphere was busy and you definitely see a lot of return customers here eating and meeting friends to chit chat. All & all, it was comfortable and fast.

If I could rate Avalon Diner higher than 5 stars I would!! Originally the Avalon was a 1930’s drug store. I appreciate they have kept the same style theme and have chosen to hang pictures of the ordinal drug store on the walls. We have eaten all over the city during our visit. From high end steakhouses to local places such as the Avalon Diner. They gave us the best food and service all week! We went back twice so far and probably will go back a third time before we leave Houston. Everything is homemade and your taste buds will thank you for dining here! Their chili is quite possibly the best I have ever had! Their homemade biscuits….wow!! The chicken fried steak is tender and their cream gravy is so yummy!! I could go on and on about this place. You have try this spot and I know you won’t regret it.

Avalon Diner is my favorite diner in Houston. This little historical eatery oozes a bygone era that has all but disappeared; at least in the big cities. The atmosphere offers simple tables, booths, and a bar. It is nothing fancy, and that is just how I like it. It's cozy and full of local conversationalists. There are several people on staff who have worked here for decades! There is something to be said about that. Breakfast is available all-day-long, and it can get a little busy on Sundays with the church crowd. After lunch, check out the amazing antique mall sitting directly east on Westheimer and other eclectic shops in the area.