Bungalow Diner in Colchester

A good meal for all my family on our first visit here. Food prices are fair and portions generous. Thank you to both Amy and Livvy who served us and made our young children welcome.

The food here was good value and tasted great. The steak burrito was particularly delicious and it was nice to see so much of the meal made from scratch such as the guacamole. The staff were welcoming and friendly. We would definitely visit again.

Absolutely fantabulous! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a place! A really creative menu with some mad delicious creations. Having eaten our fill I was hit with a mega blessing at the til, absolutely bargainous! All this for just that much! Our server Nick was a true gentleman, sadly a dying breed in today’s service industry. Thank you The Bungalow Diner for some bangin tucka, some bangin tunes, a cracker of an experience. We leave truly stuffed with mahooosive grins on our boat races 😘👍🏽 10/10 from two very satisfied customers 🙏🏼❤️

Not good, breakfast too expensive, not even Heinz ketchup, an American diner really, staff were great 👍

Couldn't go in as they don't allow you to take your dog in the diner.

Ok, I enjoyed my beans on toast but my brother and cousins didn’t like their english breakfast. My cousin claimed there was a piece of eggshell in hers. The waiters we nice and the decorations were good

Look forward to going back shame its so far away from me

Visited a couple times. Service not good, not very welcoming. Thought first time was a blip as service good o that occasion and food not awful but not great either, but second time was worse. Staff uninterested, food was super greasy. Toast was just warm bread, not toasted and when we asked for it to be toasted again they were not impressed. Really disappointing. Won’t be going back, staff need to cheer up and use less oil/grease. It’s a convenient location but won’t go again. Went further along A12 to Hall Farm Cafe, so much better for breakfast!

Came in as one of our party wanted to have a go at the Breakfast Eating Challenge. They were very accommodating and allowed us to partake without booking (we did call an hour in advance). Upon arrival, the restaurant vibe was super cute; very retro American Diner with great music playing. We were quickly sat and given all of the rules & regs for the challenge. Unfortunately, this is where the good comments end - the food itself (for everyone) was sub-par. Very bland Mac N Cheese, dry burgers and poor quality. The fries were fine but everything was super greasy and oily. I raised an issue regarding the Mac n Cheese to a waitress, as it was absolutely awful and couldn’t even be eaten. We were told she ‘couldn’t do anything about it’ because she wasn’t the owner. We were given it back in a takeaway box and that was it. Overall, a poor experience due to the food quality and the lack of friendless from staff. Wouldn’t return unless the menu was revamped.

Visited a couple times. Service not good, not very welcoming. Thought first time was a blip, but second time was the same. Staff uninterested, food was super greasy. Toast was just warm bread, not toasted and when we asked for it to be toasted again they were not impressed. Really disappointing. Won’t be going back, staff need to cheer up and use less oil/grease.

Ordered a Burger with fries,and a milkshake. The fries were very thin,and the milkshake was a mass of cheap whipped cream with very little milkshake. Someone else on my table ordered onion rings with their burger and didn’t eat them because they tasted odd. I tried them and they definitely tasted funny. But the burgers were good.

Haven’t been for a while but what a welcome in our return. Service as usual excellent but Jenna went above and beyond and can’t wait to come back again

I’m not really one to get involved with reviews unless I’ve been really happy with my experience. Came in with my parents husband and oldest son who I haven’t seen for a while. Only happened upon you as the lights were off at the front and we wasn’t sure you were open but fortunately for us we did. The lovely blonde lady that served upon us was so welcoming and funny. Tell her this review is from the “no cheese” 🚫🧀🎬 family 😂 Food was all great and not overly expensive either for good amount. Very pleasant couple of hours had and shall be back

Great value and service, warm plates would be nice. Will go back recommend a visit.

Been twice now and both times had some exceptionally tasty food, the Beef Burrito was delicious as well as the Cajun chicken being mouthwatering. Will definitely be making another visit soon Update Went again yesterday 20/10/24, we ordered a couple of burgers and some pancakes to share and was a delicious as usual, honestly can't fault this place for the quality of the food, the value for money or how friendly the staff is

Mind blowing milkshakes perfect fried breakfast. Friendly staff

Staff are friendly from the second you approach them all the way to exit point thank you for all being so kind I can’t thank you enough.

Breakfast/ brunch with a friend and his daughter, food great as usual, reasonably priced, but 2nd round of drinks seemed to take forever. Good other than that

This one star rating is not a reflection of the food but is regarding the hygiene standards or rather lack of . Whilst sitting and waiting for my food to come out , I witnessed the male waiter with black hair rolling up tissues and inserting them up his nostril. He was clearly suffering from a cold and I witnessed him remove these tissues and proceed to put his finger up his nose. I was sat with my young daughter who was hungry and looking forward to her food and so i was not in a position to get up and leave . Had I been on my own or with another adult I would have immediately left the restaurant. I am utterly disgusted.

Excellent food, great atmosphere and 50's, 60's music on the jukebox.

Amazing food, the steak was perfect.

Me and my girlfriend had a weekend away and decided to go here on our first night. I have to say the food was really good. We both had burgers and they were really well cooked, nice and big as well. We had some drinks and we also got an alcoholic milkshake. As children brought up on 60’s and 70’s music we loved the music choice on offer. Massive jukebox was playing some crackers.

Stopped here recently. Good breakfast and nice coffee. A bit of a wait but the food was nice when it arrived. Plenty of parking too.

Warming atmosphere and food was amazing. Staff were lovely and very friendly and welcoming.

I had the absolute best service from the staff this evening, definitely in my top 5 of all time best service. I travel for work, so I get to experience many different establishments and I can say hand on heart that the welcoming vibes and conversation from the blonde lady (apologies, I didn't catch their name) made me feel right at home, genuinely you have a superstar on your hands there and I think you need to give them all the plaudits that they deserve. The food was great. I had the Beef Burrito and Chips, with a Chocolate Fudge Cake for pudding and it was all served in a timely manner and tasted amazing. The value for money here is wonderful. I'd recommend anyone in the area (especially looking at you Marks Tey Hotel guests) to give it a go and see for yourself how great the place is. Yours sincerely, the hairdresser!

I was on a short break with the family staying at the Marks Tey hotel across the road. I'm so glad we found this place, and we ate here multiple times for breakfast and dinner. The service was lovely, fabulous milkshakes and the food was great. It kept us coming back, and we will definitely visit again if we are ever in the area again. Well behaved dogs are welcome, in the outside patio area. There is lots of free parking

Taste of America it wasn’t more like taste of used cooking oil. Food was tasteless and processed, buffalo wings were dry with no spice, burrito was just a wrap filled with slop and the chips tasted like they had been cooked in old oil. To round it off the drinks glasses smelt of damp dog where they had been dried with dirty cloths. Floors were slippery with grease and tables dirty. Sorry but this is nothing like an American diner.

I came in today for lunch with my friend, the food was great and cooked perfectly and it was delightful! The blonde waitress who served us was truly amazing, she was so friendly and welcoming. Honestly couldn't of asked for better service, hats off to her! We will definitely be back! 5 stars all round. 😁

I hate putting negative anything but today unfortunately was disappointing the food was really good. However the waitress was unnecessarily sarcastic and rude. We received our meals before our drinks we reminded them of the drinks that had clearly been forgotten to be told in a sarcastic manner that they can only make one drink at a time. But somehow we managed to get 6 meals before 3 milkshakes a coffee and 2 cokes. The comment was not needed and we were simply reminding them. If they were really busy we would have appreciated the delay but it had gone fairly quiet and we could see our drinks wasn’t being made. We all felt we wasn’t very welcome and maybe the waiters were having a bad day because not one smiled or seemed like they wanted to be there and that let down such a nice place.

Had a family meal here today and this place has got so much better than it was a few years ago. Everyone loved their food, the service was great and the prices were reasonable - definitely will be back!

I only gave it one out of five because I couldn’t go any lower. My partner and I called in this dreadful establishment today (21 Sep).. we weren’t greeted on arrival and luckily spotted the tablet device to register our visit, then took a seat. The greasy haired chap who had been masquerading as a greeter, breezed past us to go for a chat with his colleague, completely ignoring us. We had not at this stage even been offered a menu. So we sat and waited. . . And waited. There were two gentlemen in the venue who by the looks of things had been served their food. Another couple with a young family had also entered at the same time as us. I would estimate that there were around 20 other empty tables, however, another waitress was fixated on placing napkins on each of them. And we still didn’t have a menu or any other attention from anyone. So we helped ourselves to menus from the greeter’s podium, strategically placed near the door. At this point the greasy haired chap, the napkin waitress and the chef were heavily involved in a jolly conversation behind the counter. We still had not been approached, greeted, or asked if we would like a drink. My partner quizzically asked “what do you fancy?” I replied “going somewhere else”. This venue is utterly appalling. Do not visit. Ever.

Amazing food, friendly staff who were extremely accommodating to our 1 year old. Stopped off on the way home from Stansted Airport, to charge at the Tesla supercharger to be delighted with the best burger and hot dog we've had in a long while. We look forward to our return and will be making this part of our holiday ritual.

Good, very welcoming, friendly good food

It's excellent. Just come and eat here, stop avoiding the inevitable. It's fantastic, it's great value, the food is amazing every time, the service is exemplary, and I come here every time I'm nearby. So stop avoiding it and come soon. You won't be disappointed... Unless you're a woke twat who knows nothing about anything.

Drove past on my daughter's birthday, she really wanted to go back to see the cars (there were vintage cars outside on the csr park) It was coming up to closing time, didn't see any parking signs. Stopped for 7mins so she could quickly look at the cars. We don't live in the country. £60 for the privilege. Maybe put a parking barrier up or better signage, robbers. Better still if you advertise that cars meet up, say don't park in the car park!!!

Great food, was told they had new chef so was asked how was our breakfast. It was excellent. Staff were so fr

Stopped in for milkshakes and now got a £60 fine for parking there for 10mins Shocking...... be careful you have been warned!!!

Friendly and courteous staff and great value for money. It’s worth your time just for the milkshakes alone! Very nice and well made. Will be back

Visited on a quiet day and had their breakfast. Slightly disappointed at the size but everything was well cooked and eggs were runny.

I only came here for a drink so can’t comment on the food although people I was with did order food and it looked really good. There is plenty of food choice on the menu too. Staff were friendly and although it was busy they didn’t appear rushed or stressed. I will come back again. MAKE SURE YOU ENTER YOUR VEHICLE REG AT THE TILL OTHERWISE YOU WILL GET A TICKET! This is due to the car park being monitored by a third party and not the diner themselves.

Clean, well kept. Friendly staff. Great food & milkshakes.

Great American themed diner . I've been to car meets here too always great food and good atmosphere

Great friendly service and breakfast was cooked lovely. Really enjoyed.

Brilliant place to visit. Excellent food and service was quick. Will definitely be returning. Just remember to go straight in and put your registration in their iPad or you will get a ticket.

Great Food, Great Atmosphere and very reasonably priced

Breakfast was lovely, the seating was a little worn and could do with a refresh but nice on the whole

Excellent food and service, our regular go to for a quick and tasty meal

Excellent place for breakfast also has a large car park

Have been here a few times. They have realy stepped up their game. Food is well cooked and well presented, staff are friendly and prices are very reasonable. Drinks prices are also very good! Will be returning.

Excellent food. Plenty of choice. Reasonable prices. Staff very friendly plenty of free parking. Have car meets in car park every so often great idea.

Been here on 3 occasions and always have a great meal. Good atmosphere, staff always friendly and helpful. Nice little find, just off the A12.

Though I was the only customer at the time, the staff were very nice and thoughtful about my lactose dietary requirements. A couple of customers came in shortly after and were served very well too, from my observations. The mocktails are delicious! I had a great chicken wrap and salad too 😋 I'd eat here again

Great little dinner, well worth the drive.

Great food, it's nice to go somewhere where the food is different from everywhere else.

Stopped by @BungalowDiner on a whim thanks to a little works delay and wow, so glad I did! 🙌 Excellent service, great parking ♿️, and good prices. 🍔 Had a burger so juicy it didn't need a single condiment—seriously! Fries were crispy and fluffy perfection. 😋 Definitely heading back soon! #FoodieFinds #BurgerHeaven #MustTry

Went for breakfast food was good and very good price too Service was good 👍 👌

First time for breakfast on a Saturday, and it was busy. 1st breakfasts were not hot so asked for them to be be heated up, but they insisted on recooking and replacement was hot and tasty as it usually is. A good value breakfast venue.

We love this place. Great atmosphere, lovely food and lots of it. The staff are very friendly and helpful. My husband is coeliac and nothing is too much trouble. They know what this means and always cook his food separately. They even asked us to check ingredients on 1 item as they were not sure. So reassuring to know.

Had the full English was tasty plus enough food to keep me going, only downside (for me) is the Americano that comes with the food ,didn't like it at all ,I'm not a coffee snob and could probably of asked for milk to soften it up . All in all, top stuff from a great place. Will return for more of the same

What a gem!! I have found my new breakfast diner! I ordered the waffle breakfast and omg! Full of flavours and everything was so fresh absolutely perfect!. Also got a cheeky milkshake! Delicious! Thanks for a awesome service!

Came here recently and was quite disappointed with the food, the hot dog was okay but the chips were nothing special and the mac n cheese looks like it had come from a tin due to the residue at the top. Also wasn’t charged correctly.

The place isn't as good as it was a few years back but everything can be turned around , found staff quite blunt and unwelcoming,

Second visit, was even better than our first visit! Food and service was brill and such great value for money. See you again soon!

Agree with other reviews, food was average with cheap ingredients. Service average.

Had a pancake breakfast with bacon and extra scrambled eggs. And a coffee. Food nice, coffee was okay

Good quality food. Reasonably priced. We are happy to recommend this restaurant 😊

There is a little gem in Mark's Tey, The Bungalow Diner. The food is excellent at a very good price and it is a great place to spend an hour or two. The American Diner experience with great music, booths and bright colours. The evening meals are particularly tasty. The atmosphere would be 5 stars if there were more people around.

Great service and great food so tasty 😋

I like this place a lot. Good for a proper breakfast! Vegan and vegetarian options too for those so inclined (believe also a gluten free option is also available if not listed)

The food was very good and large portions, I recommend it

Nice place, ideal for breakfast on a bike run

Great stop off for lunch. Convenient location off the A12 with free parking. Excellent value, tasty food in good portions with friendly, prompt service. Glad we stumbled across it.

Very clean and tidy great and helpful service 👍🏻

Came here again tonight and it was amazing as always, never had a bad experience, all the waiting staff are amazing, polite and always chatty. Jenna was serving us tonight and has served us previously on other nights as well. She's such a lovely lady always checking in making sure we were okay.

Foods always good, the lotus biscoff shake is amazing! And the staff are friendly.

Very good , exactly what you would expect and a bit more. Really generous portion size, great staff…. really nice waiter. I had the American hot dog was really good Nathan the Detroit burger and it best him ….. massive !! Overall worth a visit !! The owner Mash is a good guy

Was our first visit so wasn't sure what to expect. We went for the classic burger and fries with coleslaw on the side and a chocolate milkshake and a beer for drinks. We both thought the food was great and brilliant value for money. Yes, there was a bit of a wait for the drinks as people have pointed out but this didn't bother us as we weren't in a hurry and prefer this to feeling rushed. Ladies at front of house were friendly and polite so we will be back to give it another go soon.

Very friendly staff and great food 😊

I've been working in the area for the last few months, and our team has eaten here more than back home. Never an issue with the food, always spot on. Also, service is amazing and friendly. Jenna made me the best bubble tea I've ever had in my life! Highly recommend. If you've not tried here, do it!

The food was average at best. I had the big breakfast, which was made with cheap ingredients I felt, mushy beans & cheap overcooked sausages. My milkshake looked ok but wasn’t that flavoursome in my opinion. I might try again in the future and see if anything has changed.

Had a nice bacon roll and coffee. There was a few of us and they were very accommodating.

Lovely breakfast and reasonably priced. We will definitely be back.

The whole vibe of the place was so happy, very American 50s which is what I love. Staff were nice and the food was amazing. The breakfast burger (don’t know if that’s the name) was incredible and so delicious. When I go there again, I am 100% going to get it. The milkshakes were so nice too, I had the mint chocolate chip and at first it looked brown so I thought they had mixed it up, but it was the mintiest taste ever, they definitely did not mix it up.

Very enjoyable visit and value for money ... Will be returning

Great place our granddaughter loved it when they bought her birthday cake out and the lights went out great atmosphere thanks

Don’t drive past - Stop and enjoy the great service and food. We were made welcome and the service was attentive and prompt without being over powering. The menu has a classic theme and we went for the cheese burger with egg and bacon, american hotdog, which all arrived hot. We also had banana and strawberry thick shakes which were freshly made with ice cream and fruit, and if wanted they were topped off with cream. The whole meal was good quality, tasty and reasonably priced. Plenty of parking on site which was free, as long as you enter your car reg in the Diner, as it’s a private carpark with charges if you don’t. But the staff do tell you before you sit down. We will be eating there again 👍🏼

We had a really nice meal here and would happily recommend the place to anyone. The staff were very friendly and attentive to our needs.

Fantastic meal, great service especially from the guy and girl working on the Saturday night, very attentive, helpful and all round great service

Always heard good things. Was out and about to decide to give it a go for breakfast. Quick and great service. The menus look good and my breakfast was delicious. 10/10

Our first time at the diner, had booked a table in advance but on arrival this wasn’t acknowledged and we were told to sit anywhere. Gentleman who showed us to our seats came back and cleaned our table for us. Waited for someone to take our order for around 10 mins then got uk to try and order at the bar but were told it was table service and to sit down and they’d be with us. Ordered drinks and food. Drinks took nearly 40 mins to arrive, (three milkshakes and a beer) Tables next to us left dirty, line of dirty glasses and cups by the till where not properly cleared and people walking out after waiting for their drinks and food and then not arriving. Food arrived after 50 mins, one Detroit burger, two kids chicken bites and a Philly cheesesteak wrap all so drenched in orange grease that they were nearly inedible. The wrap fell apart due to the grease and the interior was chewy. Fries unfortunately tasted of old oil and not much else. No check back while we were eating and the majority of the food and all the fries were left. Waiters clearly didn’t care in the slightest

Fab diner. Brilliant decor and 50s/ 60s music set the mood. The menu is varied with good vegetarian options. The drinks menu is among the best we’ve seen. Service was excellent. We’ll be back!

Impossibly nice food and service

Quite simply the place has well and truly gone downhill. Used to be a regular here. We waited the best part of 40mins to get our breakfast and others were served before us. Quality of food is way below average. What’s going on? This place used to be amazing.

Very poor had children with us was waiting an hour for few pizzas and burritos when they finally come the pizzas were not cooked properly the cheese wasn't melted and wasn't very busy at all cost me nearly £100 pound trust me avoid this place the Swan just down the road is better value .

It was freezing inside and 8 of us had to leave as the food just never came. There was an issue with the gas. Neither was the staffs fault but that’s the only rating I can give based on the experience.

Our first visit and not a good first impression. Upon entering a sign tells you to register your number plate on the pad by the till (at the back of the restaurant). Received no acknowledgement that we were present. Had to ask if it was ok to sit down. A table was cleaned and we duly sat, then we waited and waited to be served. Had to get someone’s attention and ask if we could place our order. Again we waited… food eventually arrived. Sausages and hash browns over cooked. Eggs hard, beans had a skin on them. Mushrooms cremated. Toast cold. No check back to make sure everything was ok. The diner was not busy, but people were standing at the service counter waiting to pay whilst staff chatted. Some serious customer service training needed. It was not evident that anyone was supervising.

Our group were the only ones in there from halfway through meal but it was a week day evening. Have been on a Sunday before and it was packed with a lively busy atmosphere. Food was well presented and tasty. Service was very quick as you would expect being quiet.

Oh boy. Stopped here for breakfast with a friend before a day out. What can I tell you about the food? It's alright - pretty standard fare. Nothing special. They ask you to fill in your vehicle's details on the I-pad device on the counter as it's a private car park. I did exactly as I was asked. 4 days later, I got a ticket for £100 - £60 if paid in 14 days. Thankfully I was able to contest this, and it's taken nearly 7 weeks for them to cancel it. A disgraceful experience. Certainly not somewhere that I will return to.

This place was recommended by a co-worker if mine who goes there regularly so I decided to give it a go. Been there twice, not impressed with the dead slow service, not even busy when we went both times, food took about 20 to 30 minutes to arrive, like, seriously? Fair enough if the place was packed but it wasn't in fact we were the only eat in customers when we went, table of 2! Loved the interior tho, very American indeed and loved the music, shame about the service and the food ain't cheap either. Nice diner, but service need big improvement.

Lovely diner on the outskirts of Colchester. Good value, lovely staff & tasty food