American diner in Brighton and Hove

Ate dinner here yesterday and thought it was great. Food was good and not overly expensive; lovely menu; fun environment; and some of the friendliest waiting staff I’ve ever experienced. Don’t be put off by the seafront location, it’s much better than many other such establishments in Brighton in my opinion and well worth a visit.

For the last few months it has not allowed me to book a table via my Android smart phone and also over the last few months when I've phoned up all a get is a message saying we are not currently taking bookings over the phone please book via our website (on which booking doesn't work). What's going on JB's Diner?

We’ve been coming to this diner for many years however I was very disappointed on my last visit. Our waitress was incredibly room & was seen to be making remarks about other customers as well as staff! We waited 1hr for waffles to then be told the reason they haven’t come out is because the chef couldn’t make them…, we were given no information from our original waitress either.. Very disappointing

Kids love it and the atmosphere is authentic, with 50s & 60s music. Waitresses lovely but not on roller skates. Food authentic-i.e. not that great and heavy on the bread, beef and chips.

Milkshakes are really nice big portioned ribs

Absolutely loved everything about it food was amazing, staff were excellent, atmosphere and music was great

Huge tasty portions, friendly staff and an inviting relaxed atmosphere. Retro, vintage-pop!

Great ambience in the American diner. Very nice, courteous service. Burger, hot dog with carne chili and milkshake (huge) are highly recommended.

Love the decor, fun place to visit. Burger was great and ice tea was also really yummy! Staff were super polite! Would go there again :)

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Every time I have been here I have never been disappointed. The food/drinks/desserts and staff are fantastic! Janet you are amzing! We have been served by you twice and both times you have been absolutely fabulous. You listen and give the best advice if we don’t know what we want 😂 Janet is caring, approachable and does everything with a smile! Thank you for making our experience even better x

Came here because of the good reviews but not sure why so many good reviews felt like a tourist trap. Very average. Ordered the haloumi Salad which doesn’t even come with any dressing despite it being a main meal. So it’s basically a dry salad with not even any vinaigrette or oil. Virgin mojito awful too and tasteless and sour. Wings were nice. Waffles came out as pancakes and we weren’t told that they changed them. Milkshake was not great. Service was good though

It was my son's birthday and he chose this venue as I used to take him there when he was younger. The place was empty which was a shame as the food was good apart from osric's sausage being cold, but they came and brought him a hot one. The staff were cordial, the check came to £152.00, plus nineteen pounds gratuity, for five people, with four milkshakes which had two servings, to hamburger and fries, my son had the all you can eat steak platter, I had pulled pork and Stephen had pulled beef, very satisfying proportions. And a service with a small and so banter, so I was pleased. It is very clean and I love the decor, and music and you can watch tom and jerry cartoons while you eat.

Nice place but toilets are absolutely disgusting

Good American food and good price

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and the best pancakes I’ve ever had!! Definitely recommend! Didn’t bring my kids this time but it’s very child friendly with play area to keep them entertained.

Breakfast till 11:45 Huge portions and very yummy plus a big selection of choices. We can recommend this place

The AMAZING blueberry cheesecake cured my depression, the rest of the food was great but a bit forgettable... Will go again anyways They also have arcade games for free and a children area!

Great atmosphere!! Staff are really friendly and the diner is decorated in such a cool way. Food is yummy and reasonably priced Good vegan alternatives too

We walked miles and couldn't find anywhere that took our fancy to eat....THEN!!!!OMG....we saw this place over the street and all I can say is AMAZING...everything about it is fabulous, as soon as we walked in the music and feel of the place was just right...the staff are attentive but not in ur face...the food so fresh and tasty....I will be returning as soon as I can and bring as many as I can with me....I was bought to tears a few time though as the music brought back many memories of my mom singing ...who I just lost in may 24 , but for the first time those tears were happy ones , and the touch of the words in my mug st me off again ...so thanku for another memory to save .

Good vibe. Lovely staff. Food is good.

Wow, my first experience in an American diner! Amazing, really nice atmosphere and overall experience Felt like i was in a movie Best milkshake I've ever had!!!

Dined here a few times now! Absolutely love it can't wait to go back next time we're in Brighton

Food is great, service was amazing great music great vibe 👌 great for family or a nice day with friends definitely recommend here prices a little high but it's american they usually are.

The food was amazing but the potion is insanely much haha! We couldn't finish our meal that we had to pack away and had the rest as second meal another day. The cauliflower bites were super delicious and fantastic, I really love it! The scampis were super fresh too, really appreciative whenever I get to have some fresh and juicy seafood. The decorations in the restaurant are very nice, loads loads of American culture from the old times, I had a great time there. The waiter who served us was fantastic too, he brings amazingly professional service with super friendly smile on his face. Super grateful for it. Will definitely come back again!

The diner itself looks amazing and the service was good. The food let it down tremendously. I'm not sure if you can see it but one of my wings came destroyed, with hardly any meat attached to it. The actual wings themselves came out lukewarm and very dry. There was no mixture of drum and flat wings, we only got drums. My partner did not like his hotdog and they didn't add the bacon he ordered. The best part of the meal were the chips. We also felt ill after eating here. Additionally, we got a Pina Colada each and they just tasted watered down. Overall, would not return. Would have been a 1* if the atmosphere and service wasn't as good.

Great little spot for good food, great decor alot of time and effort into menu too

AVOID!! I would have given this diner a 5 star, considering the employees were lovely and the atmosphere was great, but when i received my classic chicken burger and tried it, at first it was great but something wasnt right, and it started to turn very sour in my mouth. I realised it was the breadcrumbs on the chicken… the bun, sauce, chicken itself was amazing but the breadcrumbs were quite foul. Im unsure as to why more people havent complained about it. The waitress did offer me 50% off my burger quite reluctantly… she didnt seem happy that i was unhappy with it. Im the kind of person that loves a burger and always gets burgers, but unfortunately i had to send it back… the milkshake on the other hand was heavenly and the sharing platter was a good 4.5/5. My girlfriends burger was also, RAW. My gf was full so took her burger home.. bit into it and found a bone alongside a sea of pink. This restaurant shouldnt be open. Do not come here!!!!

Horrible food, we ordered steak with chips and fried cheese sticks. first we ordered medium rare steak, steak with chips and deep-fried cheese sticks. At first we ordered medium steak, but received well done. we asked for a new steak to be made, and they brought us a medium steak, they brought it to us on a small plate which made it inconvenient to cut it, and also without the sauce and eggs that should be present when serving this dish. We asked for eggs and sauce, but the sauce was disgusting and tasteless, as well as the steak. Fried cheese sticks were okay, but the sauce they came with was also tasteless. Maybe it’s just my problem, but I ordered a cocktail to which, at my request, they added a third shot, but I didn’t feel any taste of alcohol, it was more like lemonade. the service was good, the waiters were very nice, but the food was terrible. message to the waiters: I’m very sorry for you, please look for a job in a better place.❤️

The sharing platter was pretty good, and milkshake amazing - good value too. Servers were great and the atmosphere inside was incredible (not so much looks on the outside though) - it would've been a 5* review if it ended here. The problem was the chicken burger... it was raw. I'm fuming I didn't eat it at the resturant as I would've complained and would definitely not have paid £45- didnt realise the portion sizes were huge, ate too much so I took it home. When I did finally try it at home a few hours later, after 3 or so bites the texture wasn't right, spat it out and saw that bit was translucent, I check the burger fully and found that it was only half cooked. I forced myself to vomit and now I'm hoping I haven't got food poisoning from this place. Sent them a full email about this and hoping to hear back from them soon.

A wonderful dinning experience, accompanied with kind staff and delicious food! A must visit! From my milkshake to the ‘cowboy’ waffle for my main, I was WOWed by the presentation and the taste. The servers were friendly and fast with my order. 10/10 happily recommend.

Great place, amazing milkshakes. Order them in, and you get a double milkshake as they give you the hand spun container as well as the glass

Wonderful 50s themed diner, the milkshakes are phenomenal and the Tom and Jerry playing on the TVs are charming!

Love the food and service here. I have to come here every time I'm in town.

This place is a real gem ! It feels like stepping into a 1950s diner in LA - the attention to details is amazing! I had eyes bigger than my stomach so I order the betty boop waffles 10/10 and a milkshake 10/10 but the portions were true to american portions so I couldn’t finish my milkshake .

Food fantastic, but my friend has to remind them about the drink he ordered. Music was just a little too loud

We just had a late lunch here and it was really nice, the burgers we had both meat & vegan were v big & the portions are a great size, the service was both friendly & quick. Will be coming back next time I'm in Brighton

Don’t go here even if by force. Greasy and poor quality frozen food.

Love this place. It's quite inconspicuous from the outside, but inside, it is a TARDIS of excellence! A fabulous American style diner, filled with paraphernalia to keep you looking at the walls, and ceiling for ages! The food is great, as is the service. I just wish we'd found it before our final day in Brighton. Great to see that's in an independent business too 🤩😍

Was a bit dubious when we first arrived as not a great deal of kerb appeal. Once inside, this changed dramatically and was greatly surprised how fab it was! Staff was friendly and the food was well portioned and tasty. The milkshakes are great!

Simply everything I didn't expect All staff in synced and service at top notch. Food is amazing light and morish Lovely time Recommended who have greece or west side story memories.

Came here for lunch. We were waiting to be seated for some time, actually saw a waitress tell another waitress to come help us. Got seated, ordered drinks. Drinks came 10 mins later and we ordered food. Some 30 mins later I suggested that we pay for the drinks and leave as we weren't told the wait would be so long, but my son didn't want to leave plus we were seeing diners who came in after us getting their food before us! When the food did arrive I had genuinely lost my appetite. The surf& turf was a small strip of steak, 5 pieces of scampi 3 massive onion rings and chips. The dish should have been called onion rings & chips, but then they couldn't charge 24 pounds for that. I waited for my son to eat & then paid the bill. Left no tip, our experience wasn't worth what I paid, so why pay even more on top? A truly terrible waste of time

A diner like this could not function in the states with how much violence we have, it’s fine food but I waited an hour for food in a half empty restaurant. Not impressed

my burger wasn't cooked properly and only seen it at the end and it's made me feel sick told waitress all she said is she's sorry so i asked to see someone and she said she will give me 20% off haha my child wouldn't eat there meal after i complained avoid this place service is shocking aswell

Lovely seafront view, great food for a reasonable price. Really lovely service and a fun vibe. The fried egg was on top of the burger - an interesting placement choice: a challenge to eat but really tasty 🍳

This is a cute diner, you can really see the effort to create the atmosphere and the staff were very attentive and friendly. Loads of options for vegans, even a vegan milkshake! I was so excited they gave me the excess of the milkshake too. The food is very filling so be prepared to eat a lot.

Visited JB’s Diner over the weekend whilst on a day trip to Brighton. I really fancied pancakes so that’s what drove me to go inside.as it was after breakfast time they were only due to be serving waffles but the waitress very nicely went and asked the kitchen if they could do me some pancakes and they said yes!! They were defo worth the wait. I’ve never had pancakes anywhere that tasted so good. The service was amazing, the staff were nice and polite and I would defo recommend to anyone in the Brighton area. When I’m back down I will defo be going back for the breakfast.

Our waitress Hasna was absolutely amazing! She truly did her best to accommodate our needs as well as the chef! Thank you for the experience we’ll defo be back when we visit Brighton! Love from the two Londoner ladies x

Disappointing. Waited 50 minutes for only 2 of the children's meals to arrive, waited a further 10 minutes and 1 burger meal arrived, waited a further 8 minutes 1 burger meal and 1 children's meal arrived. We were all eating at different times. One child's meal was cold along with one of the burger meals. The Burgers need to be cooked a bit more. Such a shame as the food was tasty once you add the condiments. The staff were friendly and polite. However it would have been nice if the meals all arrived at the same time as there were plenty of staff. Might return, hoping it's better next time round.

JB's Diner is an absolute gem in Brighton. The food is superb, the portion size is truly American and the atmosphere is fantastic. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Young lady that first took our order and drinks was lovely it went down hill from then on. Ordered chicken burger and the jack Daniels burger and onion rings to share. After 20 mins someone put onion rings on our table and said your food will be out soon. The onion rings were cold 10 minutes later the burgers followed. The fries were cold on the chicken burger like they had been thrown on from either returned food or just old fries. The jack Daniels burger was smothered in the sauce so bad my partner could not pick up the bun is was so wet. No one acknowledged us again and when I asked for the bill the older lady did not even ask how it was. Extremely disappointed would not recommend

Very quiet on a Monday when visited but great atmosphere non the less. Been here a few times and the food is always great. The American memorabilia is very interesting too.

Visited the diner 18th April with my daughter's and granddaughter came to Brighton to celebrate my youngest daughters birthday great place great service great food having lost my mother in law four years ago she passed away to Elvis can't help falling in love my daughter had ordered a mocha and after she had finished it inside the empty cup were the lyrics to to the song maybe coincidence but gave gave comfort to my daughter who was celebrating will be back in the near future

I visited here a few years ago and still dream of that milkshake & hamburger, writing this review now as returning this summer, i repeat there is no better milkshake than JB’s and all the extra you receive in the metal container as well as the glass, WOW cant wait!

Came here with a group. The food was really good. Everyone who got food enjoyed each of their meals I got the Burger (not a very creative choice) it was really nice. I think that the Burger was a bit greasy. I think it could be a personal preference or could have just been an unlucky case where mine was more greasy. Other than that everything was good. The food, atmosphere, staff. Definitely worth a trip with family. It seems like a family orientated place which is nice. There are things for the little ones to do.

Best milkshake I’ve ever had! Boy’s loved the place, free 90’s gaming including mortal combat!

Every time I come down from London I have to stop here and get food or a milkshake. Last time I tried the pancakes which were excellent and a huge portion. I shared an oreo milkshake which was also delicious! This trip I got the brownie milkshake and my friend got the strawberry milkshake. I love that they give you the extra from the milkshake container PLUS the actual glass milkshake. 2 portions for 1! As an American, I give it the American seal of approval ;)

Great location, very good food (I suggest berry pancakes). However the portions are quite large. Bonus point: the diner looks very similar to Pop's.

We always enjoy this diner. The chilli big dog is so tasty. Massive vanilla milkshake. Service is very efficient 👍

Such a nice place to eat out or have breakfast, they make such good food and have such lovely people here. Got the new updated breakfast menu attached.

A great place to have food with a funky atmosphere! I was recommended to have breakfast here and it did not disappoint.

Food looked better than it tasted. Place looks cool but flat atmosphere. Good music.

Had a really good meal ,staff lovely, atmosphere good

Got moaned at as walking in the door on a wet and windy day by another customer, thanks mate...I can't help the weather and you sitting by the door! It was a nice meal with good portion size. As a family we had o mixture of different dishes which were all very nice. It was quiet when we went in so the atmosphere was missing. Made better by the music and all the interesting bits and bobs around the walls. My only gripe was that it is a bit on the expensive side. It cost me the best part of £200 for drinks and a meal each for five of us!

Great choice, food was fun and delicious, and the service was spot on. What's not to enjoy?

Nice service food is good enough and it's location convenient. Pity they don't do all day breakfast.

Lovely food, delicious milkshakes and friendly service. Very much enjoyed our visit

We stopped here for breakfast (served untill 11:45am) with two of us having the American breakfast, and two having the English breakfast- both were really good, with good quality sausages and streaky bacon. The milkshakes we saw going past our table looked really good as well. As you'd expect, the restaurant is fully of American items and memorabilia, there's some great music playing in the background, and they even have a couple of old arcade machines to play.

If you’re going here for the food then don’t. I had a Burger with fries, Nachos and Chocolate Milkshake. Everything was bland and tasted of nothing, especially the Chocolate Milkshake which tasted of watered down Nesquik. My partner had a hotdog and the meat was hard and bland. Staff are attentive and it looks the part like an American Diner but food is disgusting.

Had a great breakfast here this morning. We all had a hangover so needed something filling. We had the English breakfasts and American breakfasts. I had a fresh orange juice which was nice but a tad pricey at £4.95. The smoothy was delicious. The food was fresh and well cooked. Special shout out to the sausages. They were good quality. Often a point of let down in other breakfasts but not here. Our server was polite and efficient and looked after us well. Great atmosphere through the theming. Plenty of nostalgic American diner bits and pieces and even have a couple of arcade games for kids (or adults). Music was also great. I would go again.

Has this place been taken over by new owners? Visit here pretty much once a month with my niece who loves it, and have been for a good 5 years maybe even longer, visited on the weekend and things just seemed different! Has the menu been reduced? There didn’t seem to be a lot to choose from, and the portion sizes.. wow we use to comment on how JB’s portion sizes where decent, but I had about 10 chips with my scampi, portion sizes have got smaller, whilst the prices have stayed the same. everyone from our group noticed how the food was warm but not piping hot. Left disappointed, And to be honest all said we wouldn’t go back again, which is a shame as we use to love this place . Hope Jbs sort it out.

Went in today for a meal with my daughter for her birthday and all meals ordered at same time but bought out at different times and the menu never stated that two of the meals came with chillis on which is a dietary restriction and a good allergy safety issue my food was cold there was really very little in concern from the staff over the issues and for the price we paid thrilled is not what I'd say I am far from it and safe to say I won't be going back

Oil , dirty, the blue cheese was watery wings was the worst I ever had was tasteless, onion rings was horrible I think you need to step up your hospitality and only one waitress was on the floor attending never again even if is free not what I was expecting on my birthday 😪

I love this Diner , we go every time we visit Brighton , The food is excellent and the milk shakes the best snci mean the best , I have tried to replicate at home and nit even some close. The only down side to this visit is there was actual bone in my burger which thank the lord I did not bite down to hard on or I would have broken a tooth. I reported this to the kitchen and simply was told by the surver they said "its part of the process of a fresh burger" . So burger eaters beware.

American waitress was really rude and sarcastic, really bad experience

Stopped in for milkshakes, VIP shakes are like a meal on there own, absolutely delicious! Best shakes around 😋

Been a few times to JB’s, but yesterday blew the lid of previous visits a while ago! Had 3 little ones during half term madness and spent most of our afternoon there! Honestly, if you’re looking for something to do with your kiddos during half term I highly recommend you try this place! The toy section for them is just fab and my 2 year old niece was in heaven, toys are kept absolutely pristine and there’s even free play arcade machines for my two older boys! Food was lovely, shakes were super yummy and the staff and service was the best I’ve had in a while, they were so lovely to the children too! Highly recommend and we are already planning our next visit!

great diner with really interesting decor, food is yummy , portions massive

This is a must visit place! The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is reasonably priced and delicious as well as serving good beer. We had crushed avocado with chilli and lime on toast with poached eggs. Popped in one eveing Stayed for several hours drinking beer sitting at the front window watching all the different characters of Brighton mosey on by. If an authentic American diner is what your looking you have just found it. Would definitely recommend and will be returning on our next visit

I love this place! Food, service, price for value, location, and atmosphere all 100 percent. Sat in window watching Brighton go by for hours with some pints of proper beer. Will be coming back again and again.

We had to wait quite a while, but it was worth it. 6 People deep wait on the milkshakes. Shows its nice. Like most places they need more staff.

In Amerikaanse sferen heerlijk eten.

Great diner with friendly and attentive staff. Had buttermilk waffles with southern fried chicken and bacon and loved nearly all of it(only complaint was the garnish on the dish, really didn't like it, but that may be me). Milkshake comes in a glass with a mixer full on the side, which could almost be a meal in itself. This place is a must visit on every trip we have to Brighton.

Presentatuon not totally bad but food greasy, tasteless and overpriced

Was served inedible chicken bites for the kids, after waiting nearly 15 minutes for the kids dinners after the adult meals were brought iut, they said sorry for the delay! Clearly rushed them as they weren’t cooked, staff didn’t deal with and was still made to pay even though one staff member ripped up the chicken with her bare hands in front of us to say it was fine. Even when it was squishy and blood in it. Didn’t get the childrens package either, which was a meal, drink and dessert, we were ignored so we paid and left, I’ve sent 3 emails to this company and had no response. Have reported to the relevant department of food and they have already acknowledged the email and will be investigating. £98.02 really not well spent, keep away from here it’s a joke. Used to be great from what I’ve heard since the visit but apparently I’m not the first one to be served uncooked meat. Wish I’d of known before. Read all reviews before you make a decision.

Love the American feel. Makes want to go to America again!😂❤️

Great Food, Great Service Great Location. Worth a visit before going to a gig at the Brighton Centre

Really cozy cool american diner! First one i’ve been to that really gets the atmosphere right. Food was good and big portions for the price. Would go again was great

Great food friendly helpful staff

First time coming. Really enjoyed it

Not a great experience at all we will avoid going there again as very expensive for 2 basic dishes. The food was rushed and came out raw both dishes one dinner came out 10 minutes before the other the drinks were so flat even after being re made very disappointing as it was a special treat for my daughters birthday

We've wanted to try JBs out for a long time now. It's a nice place to take the kids for a family dinner. Lots of decor for them to look at but no table activities. The food was really tasty and authentic minus the size of fries portions. If the servers dressed on theme, there was a more lively atmosphere and the service was better it would get to 5*. I ordered a burger and it arrived covered in a sauce that wasn't listed on the menu and that I didn't like. The menu is a little inconsistent in the level of descriptions it provides. They took it away, clearly washed the meat and threw it back on the grill (it was overdone around the edges), replaced the bun and re-served on the same plate...there was a little evidence of the sauce remaining and unfortunately my cheese was no longer included. I didn't want to send it back a second time but with allergies and intolerances prevalent these days I think this should have been handled better. The cheesecake I had was divine (see photo). Would go again sometime but won't be rushing back.

We try and visit every time we come to Brighton, which is only once or twice a year. On this visit, I had the American Breakfast. Pancakes, Sausages, Bacon and Maple Syrup. As I can't eat egg, they gave me extra bacon. My husband had the Bacon French Toast We both had a lovely, strong, and delicious Christmas themed cocktail to drink. The Frosty the Snowman - Vodka, Blue Curaçao, Lime, Pineapple Juice, and Coconut on the rim of the glass.

Always a Great choice, food is good and the staff are very friendly, kids always answer 'JB's' when I ask where for lunch. Nachos are well worth the money, just don't order too much after them.

Lovely Diner on seafront. Not cheap but good portions and tasty. Quirky place with plenty to look at. Vanilla milkshake is amazing! Staff were attentive and friendly. Would recommend.

The staff was so friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and fresh. Loved it so much I'm coming back there for breakfast again!

Still the best milkshakes in the city.

Food was great, authenticly decorated retro diner. Toilets were clean and photo worthy!

Really tasty American diner style place to eat. We had a hot dog and a pulled pork melt and an oreo shake. Everything was delicious and authentic. The indoor atmosphere was almost over the top. Nice Christmas decor also.

Great food, service and atmosphere. The only downside is a little maintenance is required to bring it up to expectations - an entrance door that you can open would be a good start, some worn out floor tiles & seating all detract from the overall experience...a little heating on a cold blustery winters day wouldn't have gone unwelcome either. That aside, a good place to eat at a reasonable price.

Love this place have been twice this year and I live in Norfolk !!! Best milkshakes ever. 😍