Gardiner, Maine --- A-1 Diner" is quite unique .... wooden interior walls, raised up on metal "stilts" to reach street bridge level, & is one of the smaller diners. only had room for desert & selected "Carol's Chocolate Cake" since she was proud enough to put here name on it Unless you are very lucky to get one of the few parking spits on the bridge, parking under bridge is available ... on the expensive side of the diner experience ... #RunAwayBill #DUSATour2016 #Maine-ly #Diner "Run-A-Way Bill" was here! 05.27.16 read more

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What a cute idea...the location is great, the interior adorable and the food is great, but every time I have eaten there, Me and my man have a stomach issue...dont know if its the food or the oils. It always tastes great...but there is something, we cant digest well. read more

Live this place brings you back to the fifties great omelettes! Coffee friendly great views

what a great experience! drove past another place that also serves blueberry pancakes and glad i did. from the map it looked like it is on river but it actually faces the street. food was awesome and has great history. make sure to read the A1 Diner book when you're here. read more

Really authentic retro diner! Great waitress too. We had a burger, which my son said was excellent, greek salad / veggie chili were delish. Only reason not giving 5 stars is breakfast only served til 11am... woulda thought breakfast all day at a typical diner:) Otherwise really good!! read more

I stopped here for the first time and got a burger. It was delicious and the handcut fries were great. I gave it 4 stars because I would have liked a pickle with my plate. Maybe that's petty, but pickles go a long way with me. If you're in the mood for a good burger, this is the spot. read more

I've struggled with this review - I'm giving it 4 stars because some of what they do is fantastic, alright - a lot of what they do is fantastic, however...well, let's start with the good. Cute, clean, good ambiance, good coffee/beer/drink options, lovely desserts, great sandwiches and burgers (Pineland farms i believe), creative dinners, good fried chicken, great fries (and thank goodness they switched to cheese curds for the poutine, now if they could do something about that brown stuff they put on it) but I have yet (and we go there plenty) to have a truly good breakfast. I'm a basic breakfast person but struggle with bad potatoes, undercooked eggs, paying extra for real maple syrup (we live in NE for pete's sake), frozen sausage and sometimes because we are so familiar there - our needs are easily ignored (but not my child, no, she gets lots of attention). And forget weekend brunch specials - I've never had one of those that are right - once the feature ingredient was even left out and the micro greens were slimy! I've tried other places and they are worse, so it is likely we will go back for breakfast at some point but I won't be in a hurry. I'll try to stick to the lunches. read more

Come here if you want to be transported back in time to an old fashion diner. Located on a bridge with just street parking. The place can get packed so be ready to possibly sit at the counter if tables are taken. I came here for breakfast/brunch and enjoyed my experience. The prices of some items seemed high but most are reasonable. They have all you would expect at a diner for breakfast. Pancakes, waffles, French toast, muffins, eggs, bacon and the rest. Bring the family and even the pickiest eater can find some food they enjoy for breakfast. I decided to go with Eggs Benedict with crab meat. It came with two eggs with crab meat underneath on a toasted English muffin with a side of home fires and some greens. The home fries had just enough crisp and salt and the greens were dressed just enough. The main part of the dish had a generous amount of hollandaise sauce with eggs cooked just the way I wanted them and lots of crab meat. This was the first time I have had crab with Eggs Benedict and it definitely won't be the last. The best Eggs Benedict plate I have had to date, where the crab meat elevated the dish to a new level of flavor complexity. The only negative about the experience was it took quite a long time for our order to be taken. Overall an awesome place to eat with an old school diner vibe and friendly folks working here. Look forward to trying here for lunch and dinner sometime. Give this place a try! read more

A1 Diner - Maine Crab Benedict - Diners Near Me - Gardiner, Maine

We've always liked the place.and the food.but lately service hasn't been very good and it's just too pricey for what you get..also alot of weirdos seem to be hanging out there ..last time we visited , there was a guy sitting behind us repeatedly swearing out loud about someone staring at him outside.. I actually had to turn around and give this obviously mentally unstable person the, " one more time and I'll do something look " ..and at the table in front of us another guy started arguing and swearing at his girlfriend... the waitress who obviously saw and heard the same thing just ignored it all... why would I or anyone else want to put up with that while your out with your girlfriend or a family member on a Saturday afternoon...obviously the place has gone downhill....and the staff have no common respect for the place they work or the customers who patronize it... I would of immediately intervened and stopped that type of behavior or thrown them out before ever letting things get to the point of disrupting other customers .. not a word was said or a look of discontent given by the waitress.. if I had not been with my fiancé I would of given her a piece of my mind along with the other rude customers for not doing her job ! Instead we'll go elsewhere and be sure to tell our friends the same another good place gone to shat ! read more

The specials are always outstanding. I recommend the fish tacos. Carol's chocolate cake is out of this world. You must eat here.

This place is always crowded for breakfast and it isn't hard to see why. They have an awesome menu with great vegetarian and healthy options. This is my go-to if I want to have breakfast in Gardiner or Augusta area. read more

Awesome! Doesn't look like much on the outside but the locals know. Food network wasn't kidding.

The is the "Real Deal". The Location is next to a Bridge(it is going to be rebuilt son). The owner was the waitress; was very friendly and Helpful. The food taste fresh and delicious. read more

A1 Diner - Diners Near Me - Gardiner, Maine

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It's been years since I last dined at A1 Diner, long before Yelp. Gardiner is a place that gets bypassed by Interstate travelers hurrying and scurrying north and south. However, it's worth slowing down for, especially for a trip to a historic diner, like the A1. Built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company, Worcester Lunch Car #790 still sits on the location where it first arrived in Gardiner, back in 1946 when it was named Heald's Diner. It's been called a host of other names, but was renamed by the current owners in 1988. The A1 Diner offers classic, American diner fare, with an update, and awareness of 21st century food trends. Having said that this is still classic comfort fare and well worth a visit. I went with the Blue Cheese and Bacon Soup to start with. Creamy, with ample slices of bacon, this was perfect for taking away the chill brought on by the blustery day outside and my walk down the hill where I'd parked. There are a host of specials, and since Fish Tacos were on the board that was an easy choice for me, Mr. Fish Taco. Three tacos, on soft tortillas. The A1 cubes the fish, which was probably cod, and then pan-blackens it. The medley of cilantro, cabbage, tomatoes, etc. was perfectly seasoned, and each taco had a dollop of sour cream. The plate had a red hot pepper sauces drizzled around the edges. For $12.95, this was an ample main course. The A1 has home cooked pies, cookies, and other desserts. I somehow managed to pass. In a town with limited dining options, the A1 is still a solid choice, and worth making a trip for. When in Gardiner, visit downtown, although it can be a little sleepy on weekends. read more

Just recently moved to the area and finally took a walk down to the A1. All I can say is food quality is amazing. My bacon cheeseburger was excellent and side of fries were tasty as well! Also ordered apple crisp which came out piping hot with ice cream on top. Overall, good atmosphere, fresh ingredients, Excellent quality food makes for a good time. read more

A1 Diner - Diners Near Me - Gardiner, Maine

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The first time I ate at the A1 Diner was twenty years ago, long before anybody had dreamed of a TV channel just for food. All that time it's been a local gem. Now that I'm back in Maine I've been stopping by every chance I get. The A1's menu is a mix: impeccable versions of diner standards like hashbrowns, pancakes, burgers, and mac and cheese sit beside more adventurous dishes like bobotie (it's South African), soba noodles served different ways, and a scallop BLT that had my mouth watering on my last visit. Diners aren't known for salad but the A1's side salad is made scrumptious by just the right seasoning in the dressing. The desserts are wonderful. I'm especially fond of the pies but there are cakes, cookies, and a legendary but elusive tapioca pudding that I hope to try some day. The only dishes I haven't absolutely loved in recent visits were the soba (seemed underseasoned, with undercooked vegetables) and the mac and cheese (I've decided that the only way to eat good mac and cheese is to make it yourself at home; nothing else is cheesy enough, although A1's came close). Other than that, everything here is the ideal X. Best of all is the personal touch: regulars are greeted by name and there's a friendly, chatty atmosphere in which you can just as easily strike up a conversation with your neighbor as keep to yourself. As the diner is already famous I don't have to worry about spoiling a well-kept secret, so: everyone who doesn't already know, run to the A1 whenever you're near Gardiner for yummy food with a smile. read more

From the outside this place looks like the classic diner so we gave it a try for lunch. From the traditional old diner car to the worn stools at the counter you feel the nostalgia. But are smiles widened when we took a look at the old menu placard on the wall. This was not traditional diner fare. The menu is really eclectic and varied but also includes traditional diner dishes like meatloaf. I had awesome Korean BBQ sliders!! The service was friendly as attentive. They have some outdoor seating along the sidewalk overlooking the river but we preferred an old wooden booth inside. We would now like to go back for breakfast. read more

This was a stop based on the fact its a diner, a real Wooster Mass made diner. Tiny inside, but the food is good albeit a little pricey. They have mugs you can buy, so I got two. Never know. Gardiner is a cool little town too. read more

A1 Diner - Looking at the counter area of A-1 Diner, 3 Bridge St., Gardiner - Diners Near Me - Gardiner, Maine

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Tasty food well prepared. Onion Rings are awesome! Great service. Interesting specials.

We've tried just about everything on the menu and specials board. All good. Most recently: Basque potato soup, brimming with perfect potatoes, thyme, chopped tomatoes and chorizo, and then curried chicken wrap, excellent, fish tacos, delicious, blackened haddock also delicious. Nice staff, nice old-time atmosphere. Plenty of parking right on the bridge. read more

This is a true gem and a must do when anywhere in this area! We stopped into the A1 Diner on our way up north last week for lunch on my birthday. This quirky old train car sits right on the bridge. Parking is easiest on street right there or in the free public lot under/behind the downtown main street. We couldnt believe how many interesting specials were on the menu that day....but all your diner mainstays are there as well! The sweet potato fries were served with a chitpotle aioli- great start! The bleu cheese meatloaf was amazing and the fish tacos were fresh and tasty! Dont get me started on dessert...You cannot leave without trying something. If you are too full (portion sizes are generous) they are happy to box something to go. The peanut butter pie is the best I've ever had. If you are driving by...go in and grab a slice. Our server was nice, attentive (coffees stayed hot and full), knew both the menu and the specials and didnt hesitate when we asked for recommendations. Cozy atmosphere with a lot of locals, great service and amazing food. Will definitely return next time. Thanks A1! read more

Great service- appreciated the server being attentive and giving personalized recommendations on menu items. Super cute setting in a train car (right?). I had the black bean quesadilla, which was actually a wrap, and had a really nice flavor and spice level. read more

Wow... I drove past this place at least 4 times and didn't even give it a glace. I was taken here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The diner is on the side of the bridge and parking is on the street. From the outside, it is an old train cart but the inside has been converted to a diner. Seating is very limited (I think about six 4-person booths and counter seating) so if you get unlucky, there may be a wait. I was told that anything on their special is delicious so I tried out their Turkey Avocado and Bacon Panini. Let me tell you that I've eaten many paninis in my life and this panini at A1 Diner def makes my top 3 list. I had it on their rye bread and that was the best choice I've made in a while. Service is very quick and friendly (the girl there kind of reminded me of Kristen Wiig lol) and I would def recommend stopping by here to check out this unique restaurant. read more

My family ate here years ago after they were on diners drive ins and dive we were shocked the food sucked my kid hated there burgers order soda and they got cans of coke $2.00 the only thing that was good was the coke because they didn't make it. After that we never went back and never will we had a choice Rebeccas or this place we should of went with our 1st choice.nice rigging on the review won't let you post unless you you pick a star rating I give this place 0stars but to post this ill give it 1star read more

It is a decent diner no doubt. They are still capitalizing on the exposure of being featured on a well known Food-TV program, years ago. It is a great place for locals to eat, but far from anything that should be considered as a destination eatery. The atmosphere is adequate as is the food. I believe the most successful aspect is their marketing effort. read more

I heard about the place on Triple D and had to come. This place had been in my yelp bookmarks since 5/8/09 so during our latest trip to Downeast I demanded that we go there to check it out. Well damn me! We ended up going for weekday breakfast and no offence to A1 but it's a pretty typical diner breakfast menu. I was hoping to be able to savor the curry entrée or the blue cheese meatloaf on the specials board that day. But no I had to settle for steak and eggs... woe is me, such a rough life. So I approached my breakfast with a tiny bit of disappoint me until the plate was put down in front of me. Bliss, 2 perfectly cooked sunny side up eggs, home fries, a juicy steak, and 2 biscuits. The steak was beautifully seasoned and good to a perfect medium rare. Everything was great, but let me tell you that biscuits. Woah... those biscuits. sooo tender, sooo flaky, sooo buttery! There is a bio of the guy who makes the biscuits in their cookbook. I love this guy- he makes a magically delightful biscuit. A1 diner... you had me at biscuit. read more

The A-1 Diner is a unique place with good food, great looking desserts and a a real diner feel. I'd like to give this place 4 stars, but my fish tacos weren't great. I tried my husband's lamb burger and that was delicious - flavorful and juicy. Had we both gotten lamb burgers, I probably would be giving A-1 an additional star. The diner was busy, which meant the service was too. There were only 2 people manning the front of the restaurant and they did a good job trying to keep up. If I was in the area again, I'd stop back, try a dessert and hope it wasn't too busy. read more

After living in Gardiner for years I finally went to the A1 diner for breakfast. I had the orange poppyseed waffle and boy was it delicious! I love the feel of walking into this cozy diner, and being warmly greeted by the employees! read more

A1 Diner - Breakfast! - Diners Near Me - Gardiner, Maine

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This place is not your ordinary diner. The menu is quite extensive and features great local fare. Also they've got a fun selection of local beers. I've had both lunch and breakfast here and been thoroughly impressed. Even the bread is fantastic! Don't hesitate to stop in at this fun local spot. read more

A1 Diner - Baxter stowaway IPA - Diners Near Me - Gardiner, Maine

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We visited the A1 diner 7 years ago when we came to Maine on vacation. We made it a point to return during this vacation, and went twice. This is an old, tiny diner, with just a handful of booths & counter seating; an icon in Gardiner, ME. The first visit was for lunch. I ordered the fried fish sandwich with potato chips and my husband ordered the turkey club sandwich on marbled rye. I am always looking for a decent fish sandwich. A large piece of haddock, covered in a hot, crispy, perfectly seasoned batter, sat on a soft pretzel roll with lettuce & tomato. It was really delicious. And, no matter where we go, my husband orders a Turkey club. This was definitely the best turkey club he has ever ordered. It was a beautiful sandwich, with thick pieces of roast turkey, flavorful bacon, crisp romaine lettuce & ripe tomato. The thick slices of marbled rye impressed me. We couldn't resist dessert, so we enjoyed the lemon pudding cake and blueberry mess for dessert. They went well together! We went for breakfast several days later, enjoying the peanut butter banana French toast and my husband had the big breakfast. Everything was served hot, fresh, and did not disappoint. The service was friendly, but not fawning. On both visits, I left with 2 delicious, genuine, homemade peanut butter cookies and my silly husband bought a postcard. Wish you were in my town, A-1! read more

Really, really wanted to love this place. Atmosphere was awesome, old-timey blues music playing, cool classic trolley car setting. Started with Carrot Ginger soup, which was a bit of a mistake. It would have been much better had it been pureed, but came off watery, with very strong ginger flavor and ground-up carrot bits. Not awful but wishing for something a bit less "sloppy". oh well. Supposed famous biscuits were probably better earlier that day but were cold and way too crumbly. Tried to order the Noodles with Shrimp. Out of shrimp. Got fried chicken which was ok, but quite possibly came out of the freezer, pre-breaded. The handcut fries with gravy were great though. Dining companions got good diner fare. Grilled hot dog and fries were great, along with so-so cole slaw. Macaroni and cheese was above average with creamy white sauce. Side note: good beer and wine selection and white wine we ordered was served in about an 8oz juice glass filled to the brim. quite a bargain. All in all would of course go back, and perhaps stick to diner fare (i.e.sandwiches, meatloaf) or try one of the daily specials (mojito duck or flank steak the night we were there). read more

We were on our way to do a show in Auburn and a member of my cast had heard about A1 on Diners, Dives & Drive Thrus so we decided to find it and have some lunch. So cute! Loved the atmosphere!! Interesting food choices, strange soup called Cullen Skink. We had franks & beans, fried Haddock sandwich, turkey burger etc. everyone loved their food! Then came the amazing desserts; peanut butter whoopie pie, chocolate pudding cake, ginger cheesecake, ginger cake with lemon sauce, Russian creme. Interesting flavors! I felt the prices were reasonable (I'm a New Yorker). They also sell merchandise T shirts, mugs, cook books. We bought mugs & cookbooks. I love my mug, it's solid and a good memory too. The booths were a little small for 4 people to sit in comfortably, we felt cramped but otherwise a great side trip. read more

Really love their breakfast! The power bowl is spicy and so filling. Coffee is always flowing and fresh cream on the table.

It is a quaint old style dinner. Only went there once and that was enough. They had a lot of pretentious Greek food listed, but I opted for normal dinner fair: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas The meatloaf was cold in the center, evidently nuked in a microwaves, but no matter it had the consistency and taste of cardboard. The Fafnir Ballbearing Company in Germany would have paid a fortune for the recipe for the peas. As I left they were using the left over mashed potatoes to patch the cracks in the sidewalk. Enjoy it from the outside as a piece of Americana, but for God's sake do not eat there. read more

Although I have had diner food before I think this may have been the first time I was actually in a legit diner. We came for a late lunch and were the only people in the tiny place. The server was pleasant and helpful even though it took us ages to decide what to get. Everything we ordered from burgers to mac and cheese to meatloaf sandwiches was delicious! A cute place if you want to hit up somewhere from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives or want a meal served with a little extra nostalgia. read more

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The food is excellent and the service was superb. I had the gumbo and would love to try some of the other specials someday. A Diner, Drive-ins and Dives location. read more

Really great service, food was typical dinner food. Not sure the place is structurally sound. Wouldn't be surprised if it just spontaneously falls. For that reason, I'm out. Also not the cleanest restaurant of all time. read more

Always unexpected specials that blow pricy places out of the water. Had Korean BBQ sliders the last time we visited, which is the best dish I've ever had a diner. read more

I gave an extra star for the food. The service needs improvement. We were there on a saturday morning at 830 am and there was 1 waitress. Upon entering the diner we were immediately guided to sit at the bar to wait for a table. We were never asked if we wanted to sit at the bar in which we would. I sat there with 3 other people in my party and observe the waitress. She had 4 tickets to ring up and was manning the register and serving people. After 10 min, I went up to the waitress and ask for menus. My thought is to look at menus while waiting. She said she will be over with them. So we waited and waited. She finally called us to a table and at that point I didnt say a word. We placed our order. My order was wrong and just to get her attention took some time. I politely said this is not my order. She then said yeah it is not because she remembered my order. The second and third person at our table got the reversed order too. They both ordered breakfast burrito. One was with sausage and the other bacon. Once at table it was given to the wrong person. This is the cook fault not the waitress. So again food is good but service needs improvement. read more

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The food was home cook was really good prices as well I recommend A1 a great place to just sit back and relax while looking at the river