Business & Tech
Norman’s Grill: New to Town, This All-American Diner is a Work in Progress
Patty melt, anyone? You can get it here. Milk shakes and tasty embellishments are still on the way.
Cheerful and cozy but just getting started, Norman’s Grill on Castro Valley Boulevard is a work in progress.
It’s a cafeteria-style establishment, where you place your order at the counter and pay before you eat. The all-American diner began offering no-frills breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week just three months ago.
While the service is smiley and polite, the standard fare served here should be brought up a notch to meet local culinary standards.
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On the Menu
The menu currently offers traditional breakfasts from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., consisting of buttermilk pancakes; eggs with sausage, bacon, or ham; omelets of many types, including Denver, vegetarian, ham and cheese, mushroom and cheese, bacon and cheese, turkey, tomato and Swiss, and combinations of the above.
Find out what's happening in Castro Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The lunch and dinner menu served from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. lists mixed greens salads, burgers with trimmings and fries, and sandwiches, among them chicken, turkey, prime rib, and grilled ham and cheese. All come with fries.
Salisbury steak, chicken, meat loaf or beef liver with onions are garnished with mashed potatoes smothered with mushroom sauce and vegetables du jour, such as broccoli, carrots and cauliflower.
The portions are large, but the execution is uneven. While thin beef liver slices might be nicely grilled through and tender, a meatloaf can be raw-pink inside, and carrots undercooked and tough. According to the owner, who has 40 years of experience in the restaurant business and owns other food establishments elsewhere, improvements are on their way.
On the Dessert Menu
House-made desserts are tapioca, chocolate pudding, carrot cake and banana nut cake with ice cream. Milk shakes are on the way.
No alcohol is served at this family-oriented restaurant. The choice of drinks includes excellent fresh-squeezed orange juice, canned sodas, coffee, tea, iced tea and lemonade.
To-go orders are offered “hot and on time” if you call in advance at 510-733-6300. Norman’s Grill is at 3638 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley.
