2.5-3 stars
I'll always remember Big Al's Diner as my neighborhood diner. However, my most recent experience with the food wasn't superb, and this may be because diners just aren't super friendly for vegetarians (pescetarian, technically.)
(Before I made this life choice, I've enjoyed some of the other selections, including a pretty good corned beef hash and a pretty tasty fried liver dish.)
I was very excited for my order of potato pancakes (sans bacon), but when they arrived, they weren't very crispy, they were very greasy, and they didn't quite look homemade. I'm usually a sucker for anything potato, and the combo of apple sauce and sour cream usually is pretty tasty with potato dishes, but for some reason the mixture just wasn't very appetizing.
My friend ordered a breakfast special (~$3) and another friend ordered the corned beef hash. They both liked theirs. I tried the hash browns and they were very crispy and delicious. One of the pastries was super sweet and not very fresh.