Great, affordable, late night dining

For years, my friends and I settled for mediocre restaurants like Waffle House for our midnight meal needs, but I never felt completely satisfied.

After going to Glass City Café once, I knew this would be my spot.

The first thing I noticed when I entered was the fantastic atmosphere.

The diner is small and cozy, with fun posters and trinkets decorating the place.

The spirited T-shirts and a vintage Toledo map make it evident Toledo pride is alive and strong there.

During the daylight hours, the Glass City Café seems to be less laid back; it's more of a place where business people go for lunch, as opposed to the college crowd that normally populates the late night scene.

The quality of Glass City Café's food is excellent. Since I became a weekly regular, I have eaten almost everything offered on the menu. Some of my personal favorites are their corned beef Reuben and pulled pork sandwiches. The food they serve is not fancy, but it is delicious and filling.

Besides the normal dishes, there are a number of great items offered that aren't even on the menu. The most famous is the "Haymaker," which consists of a biscuit, home fries, two eggs, two maple sausage patties, two slices of bacon, cheese and a large amount of sausage gravy on top. The "Haymaker" is just as excessive as it sounds, but after a night of bar-hopping, it is exactly what is needed.

Not only is the food good, but the prices are really affordable.

The average meal is in the $5 to $8 range; however, the bill can get a bit more expensive after seeing their list of tempting desserts.

Luckily, the desserts only cost a couple of dollars each, so you can afford to treat yourself. I heavily recommend the pistachio ice cream cake.

As if all this wasn't enough, the service is truly outstanding.

They are very efficient, and after only going there a couple of times, the staff already knew my friends and me by name — even after a shift change.  

There may be restaurants cheaper or fancier, but there's no place I would rather be at the end of a fun Friday night. Glass City Café is honestly one of my favorite restaurants in Toledo.

The Glass City Café is located on 1107 Jackson Street in Downtown Toledo.