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The Little Diner

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 Vail, 81657

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About

The Little Diner cooks everything in a fully open kitchen in view of the dining room, on the top floor of Concert Hall Plaza at the West Lionshead Plaza bus stop. Brian and Peggy Little, who spent years cooking in Vail Valley hotels, restaurants and private homes, opened it on April 8, 2008, and still own and run it.

It suits skiers who want a proper breakfast before the gondola, families with small children, and anyone who wants eggs Benedict at one in the afternoon. Breakfast is served all day, lunch joins the menu at 11:30 a.m., and the kitchen closes after lunch.

Breakfast from family recipes

The signature is Jim Little's Famous Eggs Benedict, made with the hollandaise the family credits to Brian's father. The Pannekoeken, a Dutch baby or German pancake baked to order, takes about 20 minutes, so order it first. The rest of the menu runs from sweet and savory crepes and blintzes to biscuits and sausage gravy (a meatless peppercorn gravy is available), house corned beef hash, omelets and pork green chili for smothering almost anything.

Lunch

From 11:30 a.m. the lunch menu adds burgers made with grass-fed Angus beef, a Beyond Burger, cheesesteaks and hot pastrami, Cincinnati chili served two-, three- or four-way, and custard milkshakes.

Getting there

There is no parking at the diner. Drivers park in the Lionshead parking structure and take the free westbound in-town shuttle a short ride to the West Lionshead Plaza stop, or walk if staying nearby. The dining room is up a flight of stairs; a ramp from the loading dock on the north side of the bus circle avoids them, and high chairs and booster seats are available.

Seasons and the building's future

The diner is open almost year-round, opening an hour later in the spring and fall mud seasons and occasionally closing for a day or two in May and October. Concert Hall Plaza is due to be torn down starting May 1, 2027. The Littles are crowdfunding to buy space in the replacement building, named The Apogean, so the diner can stay in Lionshead; until then it runs as normal.

Sources: home, about us, hours and directions, breakfast menu, lunch menu. Checked September 23, 2026.

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Company Name
The Little Diner
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Location
616 W Lionshead Cir Ste 204
Vail, 81657

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About The Little Diner

Quick answer: The Little Diner is a restaurant at 616 W Lionshead Cir Ste 204, Vail, CO 81657. Breakfast all day and lunch from 11:30 in Lionshead: Jim Little's eggs Benedict, a baked-to-order Dutch baby and an open kitchen since 2008. As of October 2026 it is on its mud-season schedule, opening at 8 a.m. until mid-November; in winter and summer it opens at 7 a.m., and it closes at 2 p.m. year-round, per its website.

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The Little Diner cooks everything in a fully open kitchen in view of the dining room, on the top floor of Concert Hall Plaza at the West Lionshead Plaza bus stop. Brian and Peggy Little, who spent years cooking in Vail Valley hotels, restaurants and private homes, opened it on April 8, 2008, and still own and run it.

It suits skiers who want a proper breakfast before the gondola, families with small children, and anyone who wants eggs Benedict at one in the afternoon. Breakfast is served all day, lunch joins the menu at 11:30 a.m., and the kitchen closes after lunch.

Breakfast from family recipes

The signature is Jim Little's Famous Eggs Benedict, made with the hollandaise the family credits to Brian's father. The Pannekoeken, a Dutch baby or German pancake baked to order, takes about 20 minutes, so order it first. The rest of the menu runs from sweet and savory crepes and blintzes to biscuits and sausage gravy (a meatless peppercorn gravy is available), house corned beef hash, omelets and pork green chili for smothering almost anything.

Lunch

From 11:30 a.m. the lunch menu adds burgers made with grass-fed Angus beef, a Beyond Burger, cheesesteaks and hot pastrami, Cincinnati chili served two-, three- or four-way, and custard milkshakes.

Getting there

There is no parking at the diner. Drivers park in the Lionshead parking structure and take the free westbound in-town shuttle a short ride to the West Lionshead Plaza stop, or walk if staying nearby. The dining room is up a flight of stairs; a ramp from the loading dock on the north side of the bus circle avoids them, and high chairs and booster seats are available.

Seasons and the building's future

The diner is open almost year-round, opening an hour later in the spring and fall mud seasons and occasionally closing for a day or two in May and October. Concert Hall Plaza is due to be torn down starting May 1, 2027. The Littles are crowdfunding to buy space in the replacement building, named The Apogean, so the diner can stay in Lionshead; until then it runs as normal.

Sources: home, about us, hours and directions, breakfast menu, lunch menu. Checked September 23, 2026.

Diners Breakfast & Brunch Burgers restaurants restaurants/breakfast-brunch restaurants/casual restaurants/family-friendly restaurants/lionshead

Quick Snapshot

Neighborhood: Lionshead
Cuisine: American Diner / Breakfast
Service: Breakfast • Lunch
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Business Hours

Open daily · 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Amenities at The Little Diner

  • Fully open kitchen
  • Counter seating
  • Online waitlist
  • Online ordering for pickup
  • Children's menu
  • Vegetarian dishes
  • Vegan burger
  • Full bar (brunch cocktails, craft beer)
  • High chairs and booster seats
  • Step-free ramp access
  • Gift cards

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Little Diner closing?
Not now, and no closing date has been announced. The diner is open as normal in Lionshead. Its building, Concert Hall Plaza, is scheduled to be torn down starting May 1, 2027, and the owners, Brian and Peggy Little, are crowdfunding (GoFundMe, under the hashtag #saveourbacon) to buy commercial space in the replacement building, to be named The Apogean, so the diner can stay in Lionshead. In the owners' own words, unless they can raise the funds to stay put in the new building the diner would cease to exist, which is why the campaign matters; but May 1, 2027 is the building's teardown date, not a closing date for the diner.
What are the hours at The Little Diner, and do they change by season?
Breakfast and lunch daily until 2 p.m., with last call (last seating) at 1:45 p.m. Opening depends on the season: 7 a.m. in the winter season (roughly mid-November to mid-April, following Vail Mountain's operating dates) and in summer (the first Friday of June to the second Monday in October), and an hour later, at 8 a.m., in the two mud seasons between (late April to early June, and mid-October to mid-November). The diner is open almost year-round, with an occasional closure of a day or two for maintenance in the off-season. Call (970) 476-4279 to confirm on the day, as the restaurant itself suggests.
Can I make a reservation, and how long is the wait?
No. The Little Diner does not take reservations; seating is first come, first served. Join the electronic waitlist online before you arrive (the restaurant uses Waitlist.me; there is also a sign-in kiosk in the entryway), then check in with the host when you get there. Waits for smaller parties usually run about 20 to 30 minutes, even with a line on the busiest days, but peak weekend waits can run much longer, so joining the list early is the move. Takeout follows the same priority: it is usually available only when the waitlist is short.
What should I order at The Little Diner?
Breakfast is served all day, and lunch joins it from 11:30 a.m. Start with the signatures: Jim Little's Famous Eggs Benedict ($21.95), two poached eggs and Canadian bacon on a toasted English muffin under the hollandaise Brian Little's father made famous, and the Pannekoeken ($22.99), a Dutch baby / German pancake baked to order, so allow about 20 minutes and order it first. The rest of the house centre: house corned beef hash with two poached eggs ($20.95), biscuits and sausage gravy ($19.95, with a meatless peppercorn gravy option), omelets ($15.95 to $21.95), and crepes and blintzes ($13.95 to $22.95), all cooked to order in a fully open kitchen. At lunch, the hand-formed grass-fed Angus burgers ($17.95 to $27.95) and Cincinnati chili served two-, three-, or four-way ($16.99 to $18.99). Full menus are at thelittlediner.com.
What do reviews say about The Little Diner?
Reviews are excellent, and the volume is among the largest of any restaurant in Vail. As of October 2026, Google rates the diner 4.7 out of 5 from 1,778 reviews; TripAdvisor rates it 4.7 from 1,223 reviews and ranks it #2 of 89 restaurants in Vail (Travelers' Choice); Yelp rates it 4.6 from 1,060 reviews. Diners praise the eggs Benedict and hollandaise, the Dutch baby, the corned beef hash and crispy hash browns, the counter seats at the open kitchen, and the long-serving staff. The one recurring criticism is the wait at peak times, which is why the restaurant runs an online waitlist (see the reservations answer).
What does a meal cost at The Little Diner?
Breakfast platters run $17.95 to $27.95 (the Benedict is $21.95, the Pannekoeken $22.99, the Two Egg Breakfast $17.95), omelets $15.95 to $21.95, and breakfast sandwiches $11.95 to $18.95; coffee is $4.25. At lunch, burgers start at $17.95 and run to $27.95, sandwiches $17.95 to $24.95, and custard milkshakes are $8 to $9. A cooked breakfast with coffee lands roughly between $20 and $33 per person before tax and tip. Two cautions: the online ordering store prices a few platters about $1 below the printed menu, and a 20% gratuity is added for parties of five or more and for split checks. All major credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are accepted.
Does The Little Diner serve dinner?
Yes, on weekends. Beyond breakfast and lunch, the diner runs Dinner Specials on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m.: salads ($12.95 to $14.95), entrées such as an 8 oz Chophouse sirloin ($26.95), country fried steak ($27.95), pork chops ($24.95), and a Greek gyro ($18.95), a breakfast-for-dinner section (including the Pannekoeken), and soft-serve frozen custard desserts. The dinner menu on the restaurant's site is dated July 2026 and no seasonal end is published, so call (970) 476-4279 to confirm dinner is running before planning an evening visit in the shoulder seasons.
Where is The Little Diner, and where do I park?
At 616 West Lionshead Circle, Suite 204, on the top floor of Concert Hall Plaza at the West Lionshead Plaza bus stop in Lionshead, between the pedestrian bridge and the Vail Marriott, above Lionshead Liquors. There is no parking at the diner: park in the Lionshead public parking structure and take the free westbound in-town shuttle a short ride to the West Lionshead Plaza stop, or walk (about 5 to 7 minutes). The diner lists parking there as free for the first two hours in ski season and free the rest of the year; check Town of Vail rates before you go. The dining room is up a flight of stairs; the step-free route is the handicapped access ramp in the loading dock on the north side of the bus circle.
Is The Little Diner good for kids?
Yes, and there is a proper children's menu: "The Little Menu", for children 10 and under, offers a Little Kid Egg Breakfast ($15.95, one egg any style with toast, a breakfast meat, and hash browns, grits, or a fruit cup) at breakfast, and at lunch a grilled cheese ($14.95) and a Little Kid Burger ($12.95) or Cheeseburger ($14.95) with fries or banana. High chairs, booster seats, and accessible seating are available. The family caveat is the line, not the welcome: join the online waitlist before you arrive, especially on weekend mornings.
Does The Little Diner have vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options?
Vegetarian, yes, properly: a Veggie omelet ($17.95) and Veggie crepe ($17.95), cheese crepes and blintz, biscuits with a meatless peppercorn gravy (the platter is $19.95; the gravy is also a $3.50 side, in a sausage or "vegetarian friendly" version), and avocado or tomato can be substituted for meat in most items. Vegan rests on one labeled item, the Beyond Burger at lunch, described on the menu as a "100% plant based vegan burger" ($18.95). Gluten-free needs the honest version: no dish on the official menus is labeled gluten-free and there is no gluten-free bread or pancake in print, so ignore directory copy that lists "gluten free options" as a house attribute; the menus list wheat among the allergens in use and invite guests to notify staff, so call (970) 476-4279 ahead if gluten is a hard constraint.

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