Alva Country Diner

I came here on May 7^th while on a road trip and ordered an opened faced chopped steak sandwich and got… something. Why does this place has more than 1 star? Even though it looked odd, I still tried it. Took a few bites and couldn’t even finish half of it. I was ver thirsty, but I couldn’t drink water because the white straws were stained brown. My bf did not pour his beer in the glass because it was very dirty. I felt something on floor, under the table, and when I looked under, there were forks and food under it. I used the restroom, which was descent, but on my way back to my table, I slipped and almost fell because of more food on the floor. Service was very under average. Seemed like the place was being ran by high school girls working their very first job ever. I can say I will NEVER come back here and will not be recommending this place to anyone, ever. To say I had a bad experience is an understatement.

If you aren’t from Alva or a redneck, forget trying to get a table, or even attention. Unless you’re a white woman with a Hispanic boyfriend, then you’ll get sidelong glances and sneers. What food I saw on tables looked like canned or frozen crap. And for a cash-​only dive, that’s about right.
Skip this podunk trailer park spot, and grab real grub up the road in Fort Myers. There’s nothing here for us city folk. So… git!

I heard great things about this place from waitstaff at another restaurant. Wish they had told me it was CASH only. I showed up with $ 2 in my pocket, I rarely carry cash. No ATM on site, would have had to go across the road to a gas station to get cash. No thanks. Wish I could. have enjoyed a nice breakfast. Another thing that really turned me off at first, the entrance door is filthy… hasn’t been washed or repainted in years. Was filthy black with hand marks. Don’t the owners see that when they walk in in the morning? GROSS.

CASH ONLY. Came in right before closing and was welcomed in. Roast beef and mashed potatoes were delicious. My friend had the lived and onions and liked it.

Food is excellent, a wider ranging menu than expected. Chairs are super uncomfortable, they clearly don’t have space to let you linger. We had a short (10 min) wait on a Feb Monday night.
Overall, if you want good, down home food with few frills, this is your kind of place.
*This review is from an urban, out of state traveler, if that makes a difference for you.

Breakfast is good and cheap. However, many times the eggs are poorly cooked, meaning browned, crunchy whites. But that’s my only negative for breakfast. Good, well buttered bread. Breakfast taters is yummy:) My husband always loves his omelet and says the grits are perfectly cooked.
We’ve had the broasted chicken for dinner a few times and it’s worth the trip. So very good.
While I appreciate the old fashioned country diner look, this place COULD use a little makeover. Fresh paint on the walls, Moore stylish curtains, a little less stuff on the walls. But it’s cozy and a true redneck joint. Very good! We drive a half hour from the more metro area of Fort Myers to get here. Be warned: CASH ONLY

Southern comfort food!!!
They serve the absolute BEST roast beef I’ve ever eaten. Perfect sweet tea, nice wait staff, and a KILLER peanut butter pie. The only bad thing I have to say is cash only, but it is SOOOO worth a trip to the ATM to eat here. Seriously, best southern comfort food you’ll get in Florida!

Wow, this is my new favorite restaurant! Stopped by after hiking nearby for early dinner on a Saturday night. Place was packed. Adorable, country restaurant. Very cozy. Sweet tea was delicious. Had broasted chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn and cup of beef noodle soup! All were excellent! I think I’m going to be a «regular» at this place! Note: Cash only.

All you can eat fish dinner on friday! Talk about yummy! Also had a burger here and that was yummy as well. Not the best I’ve ever had but good for the price! Nice, small town, home cookin place.

This is one of the best «down home cookin’» type diners you will ever go to. A bit of a grease bomb, but omg we still talk about this place and their delicious broasted chicken. A staple breakfast joint in the area. The pie is NOT to miss. Chocolate peanut butter is sinfully delicious. So if you’re looking for a nice salad or pile of quinoa, look elsewhere, but Alva’s certainly will satisfy your fried, greasy, caloric cravings.

This is the place to go for «Homegrown cookin». Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner… it doesn’t matter! They serve the fattest and BIGGEST pancakes I’ve ever seen! Their Liver and Onions is to die for! And the breasted chicken or «All you can eat» fish is on point! Great and friendly workers and owner! Top place to eat in town! Keep up the good work, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I looooved this place! Service was great! The food excellent … Clean place good ol’ diner atmosphere… My fish sandwich was perfect and my friends burger delicious… Can’t wait to go back with the family!

Certainly not fine dining, but good food @ a good price. Broasted Chicken is excellent. Triple Deck Turkey Club is great…

I’m not sure about some of these reviews. I’ve been coming to this little diner for more than 12 years and have ALWAYS had a good experience. For the last 10 years my buddies and I will mount up on our motorcycles and ride 130 miles from the Miami/​Ft Lauderdale areas no matter the weather at least twice per month. The girls there are always friendly and helpful, the food is always good and more than plenty at a price below what you would expect.

What a great and very filling breakfast! Had breakfast here with some friends on a Saturday morning ride. Been by it many times but this was our first stop. A little bit of a wait, but not long and thankfully we’re were in before they got real busy. Everyone but me got the biscuits n gravy. Half orders. And let me tell you, their plates were full! So if you think you want a full order of biscuits n gravy, you better have room in your toes. I opted for the country fried steak and eggs. Fantastic! Almost ordered pancakes, but since I wasn’t sure how long we’d be riding, wanted something that would stick with me until later in the afternoon. Pancakes don’t usually do that. However, there was a plate delivered to the table next to us as we were leaving, and let me tell you… I think there were only two pancakes on the plate, but it was a big plate that you could barely see as the pancakes dominated the plate. They were huge. And I’m looking forward to having them on our next trip there. With some crispy thick cut bacon!
Cheap eats for the amount of food you get! Be prepared — CASH ONLY.

The food is most certainly country! The portions are huge and the only complaint about the whole place was it is cash only, or at least the last time I went is was.

Cash only and very reasonably priced. Only restaurant in Alva. Food is worthy for any nursing home. Kitchen (observable upon entering) is dirty. If desperate, go ahead and eat here. No idea why it’s as popular as it is.

How do I start to describe this? So, first of all, I’m in Florida. I spent two weeks driving out here on a cross country road trip, by myself, because apparently I like the sound of the voice that keeps telling me to be a crazy bitch that exists in my head.
Ft. Myers is the major town about 17 miles west from Alva, a tiny country town where you look over at the car next to you that has both people smoking with kids in the back and yelling about something in a dialect I can’t discern with most of their teeth missing.
You don’t really see them in the restaurant though, but you do see what I want to call «home grown» people. What the fuck does that even mean? I don’t know. But if any of them overheard my dad and I talking about how Kate Middleton is the peak of human perfection, then I’m sure they’d have no idea what we were talking about.
Anyway I only come here for lunch to get their triple-​decked roast beef and cheese sandwich, which comes with coleslaw and a pickle… and a slice of key lime pie. The crust is shit but the actual pie part is superb and supposedly it’s from mass maker Sysco… goddammit.
I’ve read reviews of this place where it says that the quality has gone down and you’re ripe for food poisoning or something. I haven’t gotten sick yet, and they’re pretty good with their portions if you ask for a little more of something, and it’s cheap enough that you won’t walk away cursing yourself or whomever brought you under your breath.
Get their key lime pie.

Land mark of Alva. Whatever you get make sure you get the sausage gravy on the side.
Wait staff is the best. Fiancé and I love this gem. In and out within 20 minutes. Coffee cups always full all the food is delicious.

So nasty. Slimy table, filthy ketchup bottle, raw hamburger, and an evil look from the cook when we sent our burgers back… which they proceeded to put on the grill with everyone else’s food… health code violation? We ate the french fries and nothing else. So gross. This place used to be good but no more!