$40 for breakfast for two is simply outrageous. Two eggs with sausage and a small OJ for one, eggs Benedict and coffee for the other. That's it and it came to $35.00 before the tip. Amazingly, coffee does not come with your breakfast. They charge $2.77 for a cup.The food is nothing outstanding. Service was good but we won't be going back. read more

The BEST of the best!!! I live in the birthplace of diners (NJ) and this one takes the cake!!

Scott (the owner) is a great cook and will cook off the menu. Food us always good and its the best coffee around. read more

Crazy Ottos Empire Diner - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Herkimer, New York

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This is a very good place to stop and eat. We are always looking for an out of the way family restaurant and this has been one of the better places. The food and service was outstanding. The people were very friendly and even though we were out of towners, we felt very welcome. read more

The service was way beyond the call of duty. They may be the kindest and most considerate folks I have ever seen in a restaurant.

I first heard about this diner 3 years ago, I drive a truck OTR, so due to time constraints its been a struggle to make it....but I finally did. Keep in mind, Been waiting 3 years. When I say this was truely one of, if the very Best breakfast of my life. Not only was I lucky enough to get the chance to stop, but Scott the owner, was also runnin the flat top this morning. Im gonna be stoppin here, whenever Im in the area........Hey, customer, really sorry about being late with this load.... if not for the traffic, accident, weather, I would have been on time. The atmosphere, the history, the prices, Scott and the crew, the food....all of it together makes for an awesome experience. Trust me, Ive ate at as many diners as Guy Fieri, Crazy Otto's Empire Diner is soon to be your favorite, guaranteed. Tell em, Trucker Kent, sent you. I had the ham steak, waffle, and eggs.....cooked to perfection. Btw, the coffee, its Great. I only drank a gallon of that. Well, time to hit the big road again. read more

Cool building, inside and out. The "snarky" waitress was adorable and very knowledgeable about the dinner. Enjoyed the food. I had the Train Wreck, which consisted of two of their award winning burger patties on a plate with hash browns and macaroni salad, all covered with their special gravy. It was delicious. My husband had his usual: hot wings and fries. It was very good. We both indulged with dessert, chocolate cake for me and lemon meringue for him...yummy. If we are ever back in the area, we will definitely return. read more

This restaurant is a classic American diner. The food and service are very good. You get the sense that most or all of the food is homemade. They offer sausage gravy and biscuits as an appetizer. I do not recommend them - - not because they are not delicious, but because you will be stuffed and not be able to finish anything else you order with them. Almost every inch of this diner is decorated with license plates, movie posters, and various other bric-a-brac. Seating seems limited, though we have never had a problem getting right in. You want most feel like you're in a different world when you're there. Prices are reasonable. One of my favorite diners, period. read more

Best riggies I've ever had. Wait staff and chef took an active interest in my perception of the wood, and they clearly took pride in their work. I'll be back soon! read more

Classic old diner. Good food at good prices in a clean restaurant. The wait staff knows what they are doing, and if you have a problem, just tell someone and it will be resolved to your satisfaction. read more

We lucked out in finding g Otto's! Very, very good burger and BLT. Friendly service, quintessential diner decor and clientele. If you are passing they in I-90 and in need of a break, stop here instead of the service plaza! read more

I travel around the world on a weekly basis, Crazy Otto's is by far the best diner I have ever eaten in. Food is delicious, large quantities, servers are terrific and Danny is tops. read more

Excellent diner! Lots of Gluten Free option (including bread) and really nice staff! An excellent stop off the thruway.

Thank you Yelpers for helping us find a spot to eat while driving east on the thruway. The breakfasts were especially good.

Amazing menus with amazing food! A little piece of heaven here on earth, complete with wonderful biscuits and gravy for all you Southerners at heart, plus gluten free pancakes to die for!! read more

Received a chef salad with several pieces of expired lettuce and "plastic cheese"-- slices of American cheese flavored product. HOWEVER, when I returned my salad, the proprietor went out of his way, several times, to ensure my satisfaction with my burger. Very impressive customer service, not so great salad. read more

This diner is amazingly priced for such large portions and the food was great. But what really made this a great diner was the service. 10/10 recommend for a casual breakfast/lunch/or dinner. read more

This Diner is funky, clean and friendly. The food was delicious and better than your average diner. They offer gluten free options! Lots of them! And the staff was so upbeat. Definitely worth coming in! read more

Classic, fun diner. Rather than stopping at a Thruway rest stop, we opted for lunch. Good hearty, food, and great staff. So much better than one of the highway chains. A better way to get food on a road trip. read more

Best breakfast on a 2 week trip from Michigan to Maine. Solid service, friendly small town feel. Cool to eat breakfast in a true piece of Americana history. GREAT breakfast meats, well prepared and plentiful portions. Will be a destination on our next trip read more

I'm on a road trip from ma to Ohio and stopped for gas and food. Very easy to find. Cute diner look. Very welcoming staff. Can sit anywhere. Lisa was our waitress and she was absolutely amazing. Very friendly, kind, honest and helpful. Food was good. I had a sausage egg cheese so nothing too special but ny friends hot the eggs benedict and the Half order omelet. Big portions. Great price too. read more

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Passing through on antiquing/ day trip looking for a change of pace and found Crazy Otto's via Yelp. Great fresh food at reasonable prices. Server Kelly very helpful, knowledgeable and attentive. Food came out quickly after order was placed. (Kitchen evidently well organized). Sixty miles from home but definitely will stop back when in the area next! read more

went in for lunch and although the food was good everything on the menu is an upcharge my got a burger for 9 bucks comes with potato chips she asked for fries upcharge 1.45 and you dont get the chips. I had the ruben again chips on the side asked for an order of onion rings as a side 5.50 which turned out to be .50 per ring and no chips read more

One of my regular hangouts. Is always better than the last time you go!! Make sure to get one of their famous bacon cheeseburgers. And for dessert? Look no further than their absolutely amazing homemade shakes. Amazing atmosphere great service reasonably priced. Make sure that you stop here any time you're in Herkimer. read more

I'm a vegetarian. I ordered Crazy Ottos' "Vegetarian Split Pea Soup." after asking if it had meat in it. The waitress assured me it did not. The soup arrived with ham in it. I politely asked the waitress to please remove it and to not charge me, as ham is not vegetarian fare, and we had discussed this. She angrily snapped that she'd do so, but I was never again to return to aptly named Crazy Ottos. Rest assured, I won't. read more

What a terrific surprise this diner is!! I'm giving this place 5 stars because everyone is SO friendly. Oh...the food is delicious! If you leave here hungry, it's your own problem. Come here hungry and be prepared for lots of amazing food to fill your belly:) read more

Not wanting to eat at Turning Stone I decided to yelp places on our way home. That's where I found Crazy Otto's. I'm thinking what's the chances this is the same Otto's as the one in Cali. When we arrived I knew it had to be. We were greeted by a very friendly waitress. When I asked her about the restaurant she said yes that's my parents,she grew up there. I knew we were in for great food and large portions,enough to take home. I had the chicken riggi's with mild Italian sausage. Just the right amount of spice in the sausage, ricotta stuffed riggi's, mushrooms and chicken, with great sauce. I made my way through 1/4 of it, the rest is dinner. My friend went with eggs,waffle,mild Italian sausage (instead of breakfast sausage) and hashbrowns. She said the sausage was awesome, browned just right, the waffle was light,fluffy and very tasty. Eggs over easy and hashbrowns. Also take home for her. Great food, large portions, friendly service. Reminds me of home in Cali. I only live an hour and 45 min away now. I'll be back for Sure! All you traveling past Herkimer,N.Y. definitely need to get off the Thruway and check them out! read more

Great diner,super cool guy owns it... Worth stopping at for sure!

Met my youngest brother for breakfast this morning -he lives in Little Falls, and suggested we go to Otto's Empire Diner. Oh my gosh, great choice! The diner is adorable- in an old train car, the inside a throwback to the old diner days with red topped chrome tables, red booths, old pictures, license plates,etc. Very clean and so pleasant!! Our waitress Betsy was great - very warm and attentive - turns out she used to work with my brother, so they chatted a little about that. We both ordered off of the daily specials Betsy told us about - I had a bacon, avacodo, and cheese omelette, and my brother had the prime rib and egg special. Both breakfasts came with hash browns, and your choice of toast, english muffin, or a biscuit with gravy. The portions are very generous - definitely come here hungry! My omelette was stuffed full of avacodo and bacon, and the hash browns was too big a portion for me to finish. My brother's piece of prime rib was huge, and his breakfast was served on a large platter. Both of us found everything on our plates absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. This was probably the best breakfast I've ever had in any restaurant. Do be aware that the prices are are not as cheap as you often see in a diner, but the quality and quantity of the food as well as the attentiveness and wonderful attitude of the staff make this place well worth the money. Also, they offer a value meal where all the choices are under $7, and there was a good number of choices. This place is a 30 minute drive for me, but I will definitely come back any time I get a chance. read more

Had breakfast for dinner here. There are not a ton of different choices in Herkimer that we could find. Especially ones that are open late. Food is reasonably good - classic diner stuff. Staff is friendly. Fun meal. read more

I eat out 4-5 times a week. I travel from Long Island ro Buffalo weekiy for work and could write a book about restaurants in New York State. Calling this a "Diner" doesn't do it justice. Its breakfast is better than any 5-star restaurant I've had the pleasure of enjoying in Manhattan. Its lunch and dinner are the BEST along the entire NYS Thruway. Its breakfast omelets should pop up when you Google Images for "Breakfast Omelets". They're crazy big and delicious! The staff is almost too accommodating. Your cup is never less than half full. I've eaten at all restaurants at The Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie. The waitstaff at this dinner is just as professional and efficient. If you're at Exit 30 on the Thruway, do yourself a favor and eat here! read more

This is what a diner should be! Breakfast all day, good variety of food (although not a lot of vegetarian options except salads, eggs, etc.), friendly, hard-working staff. Portions are large, so plan to take some home. Specials every day, good burgers and sandwiches, lots of unique (crazy?) combinations. Just looking at all the decor will keep you amused while you eat! read more

What a great place! I had the schnitzel sand which on a pretzel roll. Awesome! Sausage gravy made with bacon instead of sausage was incredible. We could not stop dipping the homemade chips in that. Service was fast and friendly. read more

Great corned beef hash!! They make their own corned beef and it is amazing! Although they have decent diner food, I think it's too pricey for breakfast. Pancakes with a side of sausage, coffee and OJ, set me back nearly 20 bucks (including tax and tip)! read more

What a yummy lunch! I had the tasty chicken a waffles the stormy day I stopped here. I live outside the area, and this was my first time in town in about 30 years...way too long! My mother says that we stopped here years ago, when it was owned by someone else. I was house sitting down the road, checked Yelp, read all the positive reviews and decided to pull on in. The reviews didn't lead me wrong! The owner was there, not sure if his name is actually Otto, or not, but he was jovial and busy with staff, they appeared to be reworking the menu. Lots of laughter from the owners booth added to the overall good vibes of the joint. As I said above, I had the chicken and waffles. The chicken was some of the best I've had, lightly breaded, not heavy at all. The waffle was very nice as well, could have been a tad more crispy, but yum yum! I am trying to convince the family to take a trip out to the diamond mines, for an excuse to go back to Otto's and try something else...or perhaps the chicken and waffles again... read more

Classic Diner. Great atmosphere. Lovely people. We were told it would take 7 minutes to get a table at prime time on Sunday morning and it took 6 minutes. The guy shook our hands on our way out and I've never felt so happy. read more

i found true love: steak and eggs with hash browns, biscuits and gravy. i also died here. r.i.p. me

the staff, the food and the great laid-back atmosphere demonstrates the exact core ideas of what every diner experience should be like; eating at home with food friends. we were pleasantly surprised with how friendly, efficient and welcoming our meal was from start to finish. the owners go above and beyond to extend their "family style" hospitality to every customer. the food was excellent. if you are on a budget, they offer a $6 dollar menu from breakfast to dinner. they serve breakfast all day. we will definitely be there again when we are in the area. read more

Picture a diner out of a movie with a cute snarky waitress and a local named Sparky who comes in for a slice of pie and you pretty much get the idea. Got the hamburger which has garnered some acclaim. It was nicely prepared (cooked to your liking) and dripping with russian dressing all on a toasted bun. Desserts are eh but the ambience makes up for it. Definitely recommend. read more

Great atmosphere with something plastered on every inch of the walls. Engaging wait staff. Small but always busy. Breakfast was perfect. THE diner of diners. Hobo eggs is a massive frittata that can feed a family. Highly recommend. read more