I tried a Carnegie Diner in NY a few years ago, so it was cool to see that one opened in VA. The restaurant was very bright and spacious inside, with a classic American vibe. I was intrigued by the pastrami sandwich options on the menu and really appreciated that gluten free bread was an option, so I had to try it! I was not disappointed at all. The sandwich was hefty - packed with meat, and flavorful. I'm not sure I liked the pile of salad that comes on the side - it's a lot to finish for one person and seems a bit wasteful. The service was good, but the sandwiches did take a bit longer than expected to come out. That might not be the case for other dishes though. I would certainly visit again! read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Holy Pastrami Sandwich - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

We've been to both Carnegie Diners in Midtown Manhattan and like them very much, so we wanted to try the Carnegie Diner in Vienna. But driving by on weekends, and seeing the crowds bursting out the door, we deferred visiting the Vienna Carnegie Diner. Instead, on our first time, we came midday on a weekday and there weren't that many people and we were seated immediately. Overall, service was fine, though a bit in disarray because we had two different servers ask if we were ready to order. We both ordered the very good Chicken Salad sandwich. It's huge and really makes for two meals. It comes with very decent fries and an excellent side salad that has been drizzled with two different tasty dressings. We saw lentil soup on the menu, and if it's like the lentil soup at the Carnegie Diners in NYC, I highly recommend it. We absolutely will be back. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Carnegie Diner - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Entrees are between $15 and $25. Appetizers are not much cheaper. My spouse ordered simple pesto pasta. That's what she ordered. What she received was Sunrise Retirement Home Basil pasta. It was bland and flavorless, lonely and sad. The pesto appeared to be powdered basil mixed with strong olive oil. Sliced cherry tomatoes accompanied the dish for reasons unknown. The nearest roasted pine nuts in this pesto were still on a shelf at the grocery store. I, however, ordered the bowl of chili. As it appears in a photo in the menu. I did not receive a bowl. I received an espresso sized cup of chili for $15.95. And lots of tortilla chips. In all honesty this appetizer should be called "a plate of tortilla chips with a spritzer of chili on the side. Last but not least...there were no $5 dollar shakes on this menu but there was $5 for a bottomless cup of coffee. Too expensive for lunch. Too expensive for dinner. Too expensive for breakfast. Service was fantastic. The wait staff there is the best in the area. read more

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This is the type of place you dine with your friends. The food options are endless; and there is plenty of seating and parking . They have breakfast all day so that's what I ordered, an omelette. It was ok; but the mozzarella cheese was tasteless. The service was great. The place boasts of a connection to the NY deli, but I don't think so. The decor has its own flair, bright, cheerful, but not NY Carnegie style. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Omelette powerhouse and hash browns. - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Carnegie Diner was fantastic!!!! The portions are huge and they serve breakfast all day. Great NYC theme and ambience We enjoyed the onion rings appetizer, protein sunshine omelette with hash browns and salad, crispy chicken sandwich with fries, avocado toast, and oreo cake. Their mocktails are delicious and refreshing. They have a 24 layer chocolate cake which rotates in the display - I will definitely order in the future! They have tons of cakes, pies, and cookies too. Great local spot for families and friends to hang out. read more

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The 2nd attempt to try Carnegie Diner. My husband and I walked and waited 20ish minutes after being waitlisted on Sunday morning a quarter after 10. The ambiance was warm and bright but the noise level was definitely loud. The server was nice but quite busy with larger groups. Food was wonderful. We enjoyed every bite of it. The only downside is their parking. It is hit or miss to find a parking spot since it is located as a part of small plaza. read more

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The restaurant was super clean, modern looking (almost reminds me of like an upscale Silver Diner). Wait staff were friendly and the music choices were pretty chill. The food came out within a good amount of time. We ordered the onion rings appetizer, the Peter's Special, and the Reuben Sandwich (not pictured). The appetizer came out within 10 minutes piping hot and crispy. The sauce was sweet, but there are table condiments if the signature sauce isn't your thing. My Peter's Special was surprisingly 3 sliders of half pastrami and half corned beef with a balsamic dressed salad, some pickles, and sauerkraut. I didn't know it was going to be 3 sandwiches but the portions of the over all meal was plenty to take home, flavorful, and fresh. read more

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I thought I already did a review because last year's Christmas breakfast was here also which is why we came back this year. Is there really anything more to say than that? Ok, I'll say more. First the staff was welcoming with their greeting and seemed to be happy to be at work on Christmas day. I and so very grateful of that because we would not had anywhere to eat. I mean, we could've went home because we were doing a staycation but the food wouldn't have been as good. Don't get me wrong, I can cook but sometimes it tastes so much better when someone else cooks. And when they do it well, it makes it all the better. The fam favorite seems to be the freshly squeezed OJ however they weren't excited as much as they were the last time they had it. Not sure if something was different or if the newness wore off. The portions are pretty huge so don't be ashamed if you need a to-go container. You should be prepared to take a nap after eating a whole meal (breakfast) because that is exactly what we did (again). I have only had their breakfast (and their chocolate cake last year) so that is all I am referring to. I didn't have the cake this year because I was super full from breakfast and it took me days to finish that chocolate cake last time. This will probably be our Christmas tradition (when we're in the area) going forward. Oh, there a few things that are obvious. 1. It's a diner. 2. It's a Carnegie Hall theme. Depending on who your server is, they may have some fun facts to share about both the diner and Carnegie Hall. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Symphony Breakfast ('25) - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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My pancakes were overcooked. I can't trust a place that overcooks pancakes. The onion rings were good but congealed pretty quick. You can tell they're pushing food out but the quality should matter. The pastrami was good with the sauerkraut but it was pretty average and overpriced. The service was excellent and the ambiance is highly maintained. I just wish the food/prices were better read more

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The service was spectacular. Our coffee and sodas were never empty. Our waiter was personable and very conscious of my allergies. The pastrami burger was out of this world. They have gluten free buns, but limited gluten free breakfast options. I love the decor. It's very New York style deli with a bunch of vinyl records on the wall. Great spot for brunch! Would highly recommend. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Apple Pie Pancakes - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

I remember when they first opened couple years ago and lines were out the door. Not the case anymore so finally had a chance you try them out. Got there around 5:30 so wasn't too crowded and was seated right away. Our waiter was actually the bartender which I think is why the service was a bit slow. We started with the calamari which my husband felt it was fried hard. I actually like it crunchier but he felt it was over fried. And it took a while for it to even come out. I ordered a Reuben and hubby ordered the grilled pork chop. It also took a while before my sandwich came out then another 15 mins before my husband's pork chop came out. Reuben was good but hardly any sauerkraut. Hubby said the pork chop was overcooked and dry. We ordered a hamburger to go for our son and that even took a long time. We paid extra for an upgrade on the fries; got home and the fries were plain and my son said the burger was not good. I emailed corporate to ask about getting a credit for the upcharge I paid and never received a response back. Needless to say we will not be going back read more

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Food was good but not worth the price at all. Besides the host, service was really bad. The wrong orders were sent out and it took 10 minutes to get a waitor's attention. We were a party of 6, so it's customary to tip (and we love to do so because we have family members who work in food service) but since the gratuity was automatic it was as if the waitors knew they didn't have to take care of us. In short, food was average but because service was bad the bill felt unfair. If you're in the area for breakfast/brunch you're better off somewhere else. read more

It really does look like your going to Carnegie Hall! I really love how bright Carnegie Diner & Cafe is because of all the windows.. they have a local Pumpkin fall decor in the back left and front doorway which is one of the most prettiest designs I've seen this Fall 2025. They are doing this to support a local fundraising and to entice customers to dine in. I was amazed how spacious the interior is and there's at least 10+ bar stools to eat here at the wine bar. They have an amazing options of food choices with a 8+ menu that has beautiful image samples on the left side pages of their laminated spiral notebook. I will definitely come back here to eat for dinner, maybe bring my entire family since they have a huge comfy yet mid century modern booth community wall sitting area that seats at least up to 25+ people! Everything is clean, organized, and very spacious which I love very much! They were featured on Fox 5 year or two ago and I finally decided to stop by this morning for breakfast. They also have ample dessert choices that includes cakes, bread, and cupcake choices! A must try diner & cafe read more

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Came for a Sunday brunch without a reservation and they had no issue fitting us. It was pretty busy, but not insane. I went with the avocado toast and got a side of the wagyu pastrami. The avocado toast was quite good- the salad it came with and the toast itself had a lot going on. The pastrami, on the other hand, was a few pieces of meat for $10. Otherwise, service was okay. The servers required multiple reminders for many requests but ended up getting them done. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Wagyu Pastrami - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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We tried to walk in on a Sunday afternoon around 130 and we're told it was a one hour wait so please make sure you make a reservation. The hostess was very rude. We were finally seated, and our waiter barely gave us the time of day. We had to ask other waiters for things we needed. Food wise the portions are very big. We can never finish what we order. I got the southern sandwich and it was massive but a little dry. I really enjoyed the coleslaw and the fries. We ordered the chili nachos to start, but those were a little lack luster. We were celebrating a birthday and got a free cupcake. The chocolate cake also looked divine. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Huge The Southern - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

It's a diner with glossy atmospherics. You cash go very wrong with diners, but this will get you what a diner needs and covers that well enough. It is simple enough in its approach as to be acceptable to the picky eater crew or those who need to entertain out of towners. Admittedly the breakfast and bunch menu is a bit nicer than some of the other selections, which happens with any menu. Still, for the region it's a place to have on a limited rotation for select food styles. Although I think given its competition in the region they'll have to really step up the menu and work with some chefs on maybe some improvements to make people want to come back time and time again. It's a tough food market here and this one has the character -- being usually crowded, but needs to finish it up on the food next. read more

I came here Saturday morning with my family for my mom's birthday. Overall we all enjoyed our food and had a great time. We had a reservation at 11 but weren't seated till almost 11:30 because the host said our whole party had to be present to be seated and our table wasn't ready. My dad and brother were outside looking for parking for quite awhile. The shopping centers parking lot is quite small so if you have a reservation make sure to come early to give yourself plenty of time to look for parking. We all ordered breakfast meals and all enjoyed them. Everything tasted fresh. My family's favorite was the French toast. The only downside to our time there was the noise level in the restaurant. I guess because it's a small building and it was extremely busy, it was so loud. We had to kind of yell at each other from across the table to hear one another. Our waitress said only the weekends are loud like this and the weekdays are really quiet. We all said we wanted to come back on a weekday to try their dinner items next time. Looking forward to try this restaurant again! read more

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If you plan on coming here during the weekend make a reservation. We had a reservation so we were seated quickly but it was PACKED. Lots of people waiting around and it was a little chaotic. My Benedict was fine but nothing to write home about. I also tried my fiancés French toast but it was just okay but the berries were very fresh. I would potentially return to try their cakes because they looked really good! read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - French toast - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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We were in the Fairfax area and getting hungry late in the evening, so we searched for nearby places to eat. Carnegie Diner popped up, it was just a few miles away, so we decided to give it a try. We arrived around 9:15 PM (they close at 10), but that wasn't an issue at all. We were actually the only table there at the time. The inside was clean, bright, and smaller than expected, but still a nice, welcoming space. The menu is large and features mostly New York-style dishes, which makes sense since that's where they're based. I ordered the cheeseburger topped with pastrami, which came with fries and a small salad, it was a big burger and really flavorful. Others in our group tried the Reuben with pastrami, the buffalo chicken sandwich, and the most unique item of the night: a burger with fried mac and cheese buns. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. The dessert display looked amazing, but we didn't have a chance to try anything this time. Overall, a great find, excellent service, tasty food, and a solid late-night option. read more

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The parking lot never lies: Carnegie diner is ALWAYS packed! Pastrami Hot Dogs Breakfast (steak and eggs, eggs benedict). I'm not a dessert guy but the desserts are amazing. I gain weight just looking at their selection of cakes and pies haha (orange cake my favorite). Back room can be a little loud. Big recommend. read more

Ehhh... it was Ok. I think there was a lot of initial hype because it's a famous institution in New York, but I doubt I will go back. To be fair, I went for dinner so maybe breakfast is where this place really shines, but everything we had was... meh... My husbands Rueben was ok, not bad, not great and my burger was perfectly average, so yeah - with so many other choices in the area, I probably won't be returning. Might be your thing if you are into over the milkshakes - I am not so I can't comment but the pictures looked crazy good read more

This place was bustling even at 8am! Pancakes were fluffy and huge! French toast was delicious and hash browns were crispy. They serve everything with real maple syrup and a fruit cup. The mimosas were also great with the fresh squeezed orange juice. It gets busy here on the weekends so I would definitely try to make a reservation before coming to help get you seated sooner. read more

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I have sampled the cuisine a few times. The atmosphere is inviting and the wait staff are always very friendly. Of the various items I've tasted, at the top is the Pastrami Sandwich. The meat is quite tender and very flavorful. My only concern is the price ... of which everything seems to be too high. For example, the Pastrami Sandwich at the time of this review was $24. Then you add a beverage and tip and you are over $30 ... for a sandwich and a drink??? read more

Carnegie Diner is a family-friendly, casual eatery in Vienna, Virginia, offering a wide menu that includes classic diner fare, breakfast dishes, sandwiches, burgers, and vegan options, along with a variety of coffees and desserts. We tried the Southern chicken with waffles and cranberries, which was delicious and served in generous portions. The eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, however, could be better in quality, as the hash browns took up half the plate, making it feel more like a carb-heavy meal rather than a healthy choice. The coffee was disappointing--too acidic and bitter--and the service was slow, despite the restaurant not being busy. read more

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Carnegie Diner & Cafe is a good restaurant with a diner style menu. The food is good, but not great in flavor. Their portions are very stout and so goes the price. They are not inexpensive; you are paying for portions. The atmosphere is unique. It's a blend between a few different styles that don't smoothly go together. Restaurant and bathrooms are clean. My table asked for different silverware a couple of times as the initial ones we were given had food residue still on forks and knives. While the food is ok due to portion size and ok flavor, the lackluster attitude by the service staff takes away from the experience when we were there. We had three different wait staff serve our table and they all projected a fake smiles to our table and all the other tables around us. They wiped their fake smiles off as soon as they turned around to walk away and they didn't hide it. They're a solid 3-star rating for ok flavor and portion of food with clean restaurant and bathrooms with lackluster wait staff attitudes and a very clunky atmosphere. I'd meet friends there again if they wanted to go, but I would find other diners around to go to before I went back to Carnegie. read more

We came here as a family and group of 7... We were promptly seated, but we did have reservations. Our server was great, very helpful and attentive. Their menu is quite big, with lots of sandwiches and brunch items. We each started with their fresh squeeze orange juice, which was really good. Their coffee is quite nice as well. Next was the entrées and those were all huge! Their sandwiches are really big, especially the club. I tried their Pastrami with egg sandwich (the Egg-Strami Sandwich) - so very good! The pastrami was moist, had a nice smoke to it, but very tender and flavorful! Would definitely return!! read more

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I have recently been on the hunt for the DMV's best chocolate piece of cake. I've tried my fair share of chocolate cakes from the normal Cheesecake Factory and Ted's bulletin but Carnegie definitely takes it up a notch. When I first saw a picture, I was completely sold. The customer service was great. There is a lady who helped to get the cake out the showcase window. She put on gloves before handling the cake and cut me two great slices to go. This was the best piece of cake I've had in a very long time. It's dense, rich, and has multiple servings. As of right now, this stands as the best chocolate cake I've ever had. I look forward to going back. read more

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The waitress was very good. However, they brought the wrong order (pancakes instead of the tropical waffle) out for me and my husband's Eggs Benedict were undercooked and runny and the English Muffins were burned black. The waitress took our food back and it took a long time for my correct order to come out. I attribute all this to the kitchen so I don't blame her. My husband and I shared my waffle and they took the Eggs Benedict off the bill. Also, the ac in the main dining area was way too cold so moved to the side room which was much better. read more

Bad food. I'm surprised how their location is still open. From a basic grilled cheese to artichoke dip and pasta everything tasted horrible. Decor also very bright lights and tacky with plastic flowers. Save your money and go to any other local authentic spots. Not all restaurants that claim are in few more locations are same but are managed by different management and chefs. Waste of time and money. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Smelly artichoke dip - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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The interior is very modern and trendy, not what you would expect for your typical diner. The service was off from the start. No utensils on the table or even after the food came out. It took about 10 minutes for the server to come to take our order. Once the food did come out, everything was lukewarm except the omlette, which was very overcooked. At almost $20 for a very plain omelette, I was very disappointed. On top of that, the other sandwich we ordered (Reuben pastrimi) had a measly mini cup of saurkraut on the side, no cheese, no sauce. When asking the person who brought the food, he said "thats how the sandwich is." Overall, terrible service, forgettable food and disorganized all in all. I would not come back. read more

A fun addition to the area! The menu is excellent and almost overwhelming- tons of different options for basically anything you could want. I was a huge fan of the pancake menu, with probably 10 different kinds of pancakes. Our server told us the Nutella, banana, and strawberry pancakes are one of the most popular picks; my dining companion got those and they were excellent. I got the peanut butter and bacon pancakes, which were also really good and very fun. I appreciated that most of their menu options are pretty reasonable- mimosas are only $5! We didn't get to try the chocolate cake, but it is one of the stars of the show for sure- love that it has its own rotating fridge on the countertop. Even though it was bustling, our server was friendly and attentive, and food came out quickly. Our only real complaint was that it is LOUD inside, especially in the room to the left when you enter. My companion and I had to lean in the entire meal to hear each other and even doing that, we were basically yelling. It did make us think twice about whether we'd want to come back. read more

So I had really low expectations for this place but MAN I was very happy how things turned out. I loved Grilled Chicken Sandwich I think the best one I have ever gotten was from here. The vibes were dope and my wife and I can't wait to come back again :) read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Seating - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

This was our first visit to the diner. We met friends who recommended the Peter's Special--half pastrami and half corned beef on rye. The sandwich was good and also quite large. (A pound of meat!) The corned beef was not rubbery like some can be. The four of us shared an order of onion rings that were also tastey. We had reservations at 1:00 and did not have to wait long to be seated. Service was fine. I would not go out of my way to eat here, but I'd go again if we were in the area. read more

The people here are not friendly unless you look old and rich. They have stank faces and don't greet you when you walk in. I ordered a lentil soup and a key lime pie to go, probably the worlds smallest pie that's probably been sitting there for days. Cost $9+.. instant regret, oh well :/ wife wanted something sweet Even cheesecake factory's giant cakes arent that expensive. Waited 30 mins for a soup that they brought out for dine-in... they took it back in for another 10 mins for them to bring back out. Ridiculous. Look at this almost $10 slice that was only 3-4 bites read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Tiny pie only 3-4 bites cost almost $10 - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

This place was quite good I had a 18 oz pastrami on rye it was delicious everybody loved it in our party the wait staff was amazing it had a very nice atmosphere especially being able to sit and watch people walk by I loved it! 8.7 out of 10 it was kinda pricey tho for the 9 of us $250 but that's what I would expect in Times Square read more

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Dined on a weekday, Service was prompt. Food quality was fair to poor: Greasy omelet, cold french fries, and fruit in fruit cup was not fresh. On previous visits omelet and hash browns were greasy and salad greens limp. Coffee, toast, and chocolate cake are good. Weekday ambiance is quiet and pleasant. Weekends noisy and it takes awhile to place order and receive food. read more

I really want to give this place 4 stars for the service and steak, but the food just wasn't it for me. The steak was surprisingly cooked to perfection at medium rare! It was juicy and soft to eat, just needed salt and pepper. The hash brown was weird, tasting like it was baked in the same pan as pastries. There was barely a crunch to it. The fries were yummy, crispy and soft at the same time. The milkshake is only good for show: the chocolate cake was comparable to a grocery store's without the extra sweetness. The milkshake itself was meh with the ice cream they used. They do have a lot of tasty sounding food here, but I would skip the desserts. read more

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Presentation was two thumbs up but sadly to report, the quality of the food was quite the opposite. Came here due to a viral food review video and left disappointed. Chicken & waffles: chicken seasoning was nice but the meat was dry and overcooked. Waffles were too flimsy because the edges were not crispy. Steak & eggs: First time in life I had to add table salt to steak. I can be picky about salty food but the steak was so bland. Hash browns needed more seasoning too, and needed to be more crispy. Blueberry pancakes: The pancakes were so dry, even with the jam and maple syrup. Mimosa: This was the only item I have nothing to critique about. And for $5 each, makes it even better. Overall, I was expecting more, to say the least. I really wanted to like this place. The interior is spacious and I appreciated the cozy Carnegie-esque vibe. I would come back to give it another chance, but keeping in mind that they prepare food on the bland/safe side. read more

Carnegie Diner & Cafe - Diners Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Carnegie is a very overrated diner which is super sad because I love diners, and we need more in the area. I've dined in and have had takeout out from here a few times and each time have been just ok and honestly kinda underwhelming. I love all kinds of pancakes, but something about their pancakes just doesn't taste that great. Their breakfast platter with eggs/sausage/hash browns are just ok too. They don't taste that great, more so just mediocre. Their hot latte was fine, nothing special. All in all, the food is ok, but what makes it overrated is the expensive prices for so-so food. Not sure where all the hype is coming from, but I definitely always leave here disappointed and not satisfied. The service is fine, pretty standard. The ambiance is pretty loud and sometimes there kids are running around. Very lively atmosphere. Parking can be a challenge. read more

Food was great, service was great, and the ambiance is very clean/ trendy. Will definitely be returning. There was a 1.5 hour wait when I came but it was worth the wait. Totally worth trying out. read more

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