Everything was made fresh and daily down to their ketchup and mayo. Best white meat fried chicken I've ever had topped with amazing spicy coleslaw. The kale was amazing. Cooked and sautéed so well with a splash of citrus. Their buns, hand made as well, were to die for. read more

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Meh, because things were experimented with for no reason. Such as, adding mint as greens to my fried green tomato sandwich. As someone who cooks often, whole leaves mint tend to get really hard to swallow when consumed in excess. So, mint is a bad contender for burger toppings. Collard greens should be renamed to something-with-lots of-chickpeas. Coz, there were barely any greens, and mostly salty boiled chickpeas. I am all in for creativity, but don't leave me dissatisfied in the name of good ingredients and creative cooking. 1 point for being gratuity free. -1 point for being rude. The hostess was casually rude. Upon asking for table for two, she just walked away, without saying a word such as - 'let me check...'. she went onto talk to one of the waiters. While talking the two of them were checking us out, perhaps measuring us on their coolness scale. Or may be, they don't like regular looking brown people. after discussing us at length, she came back picked up a menu and started walking to the table where she meant to seat us. Woman - tell us if you want us to come along. Don't just start walking assuming I will chase you like a pup. She stood next to a table and kept rolling her eyes, and I finally asked, is that table for us. She was like yeaahhhh. MEH! Bad attitude. read more

Stellar service, unique and delicious beverages, and perfectly seasoned, fresh takes on classic dishes like a breakfast sandwich. Highly recommend. excited to try everything on the menu! read more

Strongly recommended by my sister (due to it's stone's-throw proximity to her apartment) we decided to take a peak into Diner for a little family gathering. Let me tell you, this place was hoppin' and the wait for a party of 5 was less than the time it took to get the bartender's attention. As a fellow Yelper previously stated, a dark and (very) intimate candle-lit "Gastro Diner" is the best way to describe the atmosphere. You say it's loud? I say it has life and energy. You say it's tight? I say it's cozy. I'm a bit on the fence with how to review Diner, however many reviews here are accurate in part. The waitresses do write the menu on the table (now featuring pricing) and although you may not remember every detail from the waitress, trust the chef; he or she knows what they're doing. The flavors are incredible. I had a chicken schnitzel entree and the meatball appetizer, two seemingly simple dishes, but done spectacularly. The veggies and broth that cradled the meatballs are indescribable while the seasoning adds a mild kick. I'll also add that the flour-less chocolate cake was heavenly; smooth, melt-in-your-mouth cacao perfection. The "comment" I have is regarding the pricing to portion ratio. I'm not yelp-bitching, as the food was out of this world and the service was "Brooklyn," however it would price me out from coming back on a normal evening. Hey, if your parents pay your rent, then by all means, make this your regular spot! When I eat, I enjoy eating until I can no longer walk, as my 146 lb physique clearly shows. And when an appetizer of 2 medium-size meatballs is priced at $22 and the chicken schnitzel runs at $26 (accompanied by only some sauteed greens), some patrons start to wonder why. ***HOWEVER,*** a detail some other reviews fail to mention is that Diner is a gratuity-free establishment (as quietly stated on their drink menu). Do I think that each dish should still be priced at $8-12 more than we're used to? No. But just know that the waitresses are making decent money, as the receipt does not even have a line for gratuity. So, should you come here? Go for broke! Just maybe not during rent week. read more

I don't know why I didn't review Diner four months ago when I was actually here. I spent about a week in New York just eating my way through the city and Brooklyn. I've come to NYC for conferences and business a couple times, but never got to explore the great eating culture here, so I made it my goal to come to a few notable spots -- Diner was one of them. I'll be honest: I heard about Diner through Anthony Bourdain: No Reservation (and I'm proud of it). The ambiance: Loud. Hipster. Explicit. It's actually a wonderful place if you can tolerate the brash atmosphere developed by both the personnel and the patrons. If Williamsburg isn't your cup of tea, you'll hate Diner -- it's as easy as that. I quite enjoyed it. The food: I started with some local IPA from New York. It was okay (I was longing for my San Diego-based Stone IPA at that point). I ordered a crispy kale salad with smoked bacon and pine nuts. It was a decent starter, but I felt like I could get this at other places. I followed that up with a roasted bone marrow croque, which was actually a very very nice dish. The richness of the bone barrow was complimented nicely with the overly crunchy piece of toast. If I came again, I'd probably order the burger as everyone around me was eating one, and they all looked damn delicious. The service: What service? I had to keep yelling to get a second beer. My order wasn't taken until 3-4 minutes after I started trying to call a waiter/bartender. If you like good food in a hipster gastropub setting, do come to Diner. Before dinner, consider going to Marlow & Sons a block away for wine and oysters, too. I did and it was a great way to pique my appetite. read more

Diner - Kale Salad - Diners Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Came here on a sunday night, and it was seated right away. The waitstaff was nice. Theres no food menu - its all in the waitress' head. She reeled off all the items on the menu and wrote down the main word on each on the table. Awkward thing is you don't know how much you're spending. Overall the food was good. The mackerel started was great. Very fresh and had lots of bold flavors. The lamb was really fatty, so that was only ok. And the pork shoulder was good, especially the crispy outside. read more

Diner - Pork - Diners Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Had a good experience here. I loved the personal touch from the waiter/waitress. The way they use the table paper to explain the specials was pretty awesome. The food was pretty good but not great. The fluke (I believe braised cod) I ordered came out a little too salty. But I the service easily compensated for the shortcoming. Our waitress came by several time to refill our glasses of wine (probably because we were drinking too fast, heh). read more

A lovely meal of somewhat innovative cuisine prepared perfectly. The grilled corn on the cob was exceptional. Our swordfish which can dry out quickly if not cooked perfectly was cooked as perfect as I have ever had. The swordfish was served over a light plumb sauce with a side of bok choy which almost always I find a bit unappealing as it is normally a bit slimy. This bok choy was cooked fully but was crunchy and delightful. Dessert was a delicious maple flan with shortbread. The shortbread was exceptional and not overly short. It is so nice to walk away from a meal feeling satisfied and not ripped of. Bravo to Diner! read more

I knew before coming here that the menu changes every day except for the staple burger. What I was not prepared for was how few items they were serving, so just an FYI don't expect a large selection of food. Got here on a Tuesday night 9pm, walked inside and no one to greet us for 5 min. The person behind the bar and a few waitresses saw us but didn't think to say "hi, it'll be just a moment" nada.... anyhoot the wait was 15 min. The waitress writes the menu on your table... I can't remember the details of the dishes but here's what they had. Cold cucumber soup Carpaccio A Salad A Fish A chicken 6 ounce steak w/fries ($35 - $39, sorry forgot.) Burger ($14) We ordered the steak & Burger- The burger was really good! juicy and flavorful, the steak was small and tasty (rosemary) not worth the money. The 4 stars is for the burger only. Service is Meh.. Menu was too small for me since I like a selection of dishes but I will def. be back for that burger.. read more

Getting up early SUCKS. But when a place serves breakfast food this good and has a line as long as Diner you getter get your ass up and get there when the doors open! Hello. They serve Stumpton Coffee. Check. They have mimosas. Check. AWESOME seasonal local veggies and fruits e.g. rhubard scones with fresh jam and creme fraiche. Check. Best f'ing biscuits and white gravy this side of the Appalacians and not sure what they put into the vinagrette they put on the mustard greens (I sware it has some kind of animal fat in it) but it is out of this world amazing. A lil pricey as brunch for 2 with out alcoholic bevys + tip can run you about $40, but definitely worth the slurge. read more

How many times can one say they've eaten in a station-wagon turned restaurant? One of the few things that make Diner very unique The place really takes after its name. Very old school diner look & laid back vibe. Their menu is very appealing. The crowd, the night we came in, was pretty diverse...not filled with hipsters (surprisingly view the area) We were seated right away by our friendly waiter who wrote down the menu right on the table. I kinda dig how their kitchen works with whatever is in season or left in the stock. I tasted my first beef heart and tongue here. Very delicious...though a little salty. The greens that accompanied the dish were a great compliment. I loved that they got their toasted bread from Amy's Bread in Upper West side. My Fiance had the chicken, which came very well seasoned and tender. Also they had a good functional bar. Here's to daring and unique dining adventure! read more

Super cute, rusty ol' place. Why is eating in rusty, worn-down places so fun/cool/desired? I bumped into the door, and my friend lectured me on the fact that I have not had a tetanus booster since grade school. Doctors... I'll show you a booster. (I don't even know where I am going with that.) Had brunch here - minimal wait on a Sunday at 11 a.m. The menu has a handful of non-descript breakfast items (omelette, pancakes, country breakfast, cheeseburger, etc.) which the waiter will then describe the menu flavor twists (i.e., type of omelet, type of pancake, etc.) in addition to writing down a few other off-menu specials on the paper tablecloth (of course there'd be paper tablecloths - the place is hip!). The doctor galpal had one of the specials with a housemade split sausage link, sunny side egg perched atop a lovely, warm summer vegetable succotash. I got the country breakfast, a well-rounded spread made up of fried okra (beautifully crisp and fresh), awesome, velvety scrambled eggs, an okay biscuit slathered with raspberry jam and basil butter and one rustic looking sausage patty. I'd put these scrambled eggs in my top three favorite in the city. It's bold, but I'm feelin' it! We also espied Rose Byrne nyukking it up in the corner with her WASPy friends. That's cool. The girl needsta eat! And if anyone could put some meat on those fragile bones, it would be Diner. read more

Every dishes is perfect! Tried frog leg and it is delicious. Desserts are just alright. A place that I want to go again.

Okay, this has been on my list for awhile now, but I heard this place has fell down through the years, but E wanted me to try this place and so we did. We both had America's Boyfriend - sounded better than it tasted. Eh, didn't make me want to order a second one. E didn't like it either, and so E got a Dark & Stormy. It's hard to give this place a true rating, hence no menu, but I want to say if they kept their burger as a staple, they definitely should keep the steak tartare with pine nuts and roast chili pepper as one too. That steak tartare was heavenly and I love it as much as Employee's only version - both equally as good, but they are on a separate wavelength. SO DAMN GOOD!!!!! Strip Steak - eh, a bit tough, nothing extraordinary. Potatoes tasted on the dry side. Salmon - I don't like cooked salmon, because to me, it is just too fishy for me. I like it raw, and the waitress said it would be raw, it would flip on the table because it was so raw and she assured me it was just lightly seared, but only on the skin side. Yeah, they should remove the skin and just sear the skin and then put it back on the fish, because we received the fish that was cooked with a small smidgen of a area that was raw. Yup, fishy, so again, still tasted like any other cooked salmon. Didn't do dessert, but seriously, if they would make that steak tartare all the time, I would come here 7x a week. read more

Place is as Brooklyn as it gets. Old, run down dining car, table cloth menu hand written by waiters. It's a hipster's dream really. That being said, the brunch definitely lives up to the hype. I ordered the gigiantic pan cake, which was good, but nothing special in comparison to some of the pancakes (Sunday in Brooklyn, Chez Ma Tante) floating around Brooklyn now a days. Also had a lentils dish that was interestingly prepared, but kind of tasteless. Been here multiple times and feel like I just ordered wrong this time around. Always willing to come back here with the ever changing menu and the quality of food (usually). read more

Still one of the best burgers in Brooklyn. Good service, great food that is thoughtfully sourced, and a nice location.

I AM SO SAD!!!! I have been going to DINER over the last few years as my "treat" to escape the city and enjoy some good old williamsburg fare. Each time I have been here in the past, the food was spot on. The burgers were always fantastic, same goes for veggies, seafood, and meats. Last night I was over the moon to take my partner to diner- one of my FAVORITE PLACES! We were celebrating renewing our lease and very excited to spend a chunk of change! We had 3 dishes: Baby eggplant appetizer Duck breast NYC strip steak The app was lovely. The eggplants were cooked perfectly and the dish had it all- crunch, umami, texture- YUM!!!!! So far so good! We dont drink, and the bartender was glad to whip us up a few mocktails, which were lovely! Our server was a SWEETHEART! Then things took a turn....Our $45 steak was served medium well , almost well done, when we ordered it medium rare to medium. The duck was cooked the same. All three dishes had TONS of parsley in them! Overkill guys! It was nice with the eggplant, but on the steak it was excessive, and same for the duck. The steak was served with onion rings which were so terribly breaded- it tasted and felt more like a donut with onion inside than it did an onion ring! The duck was served on a bed ove overly salted cold thinly shaved fennel, kholrabi and cucumber- again- loads of parsley (and dill!?!?) and felt like a slaw or condiment. Very creative attempt but a complete fail paired with the duck breast. Both meats were such a huge disappointment. I am the last person to ever insult a chef, as I am a former restaurant chef myself ! So we did not send them back. We took both dishes, half eaten to go with hopes of finding a needy person on the street to give them to. Diner- I don't know who is on the grill these days but- we most certainly won't be coming back after $150 ill spent. read more

Unfortunately, we did not find our first brunch food exceptionally tasty at Diner. The burger was decent, but Little Owl's burger still ranks higher for us. The country breakfast was slightly more enjoyable with the nice scrambled eggs and biscuit (though overwhelmed and soggy from the gravy) - however, the black eyed peas were bland and the greens too bitter to finish eating. The scone and french fries that came with the burger were the most enjoyable parts of the meal for us. Sure, it's neat they write specials on your tabletop paper, but they only write one word for each special and there are over 5 descriptive specials. I don't have a great memory and I'd rather read it on my own on a written menu. It's cool if you're able to sit in the front dining car section for brunch, plus they take credit cards. Arrived slightly before 11am and didn't have to wait. Will probably need to come back to give it a second chance for dinner. read more

Diner - country breakfast ($12) & burger w/ cheese ($14.50) - Diners Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I enjoyed my meal here, but nothing about it was exceptional enough to bring me back. The ambiance is cute. It's an old-school diner-turned-dining-room, plus a small extension in the back with additional seating. This also means it's very cramped; getting to the bathroom means grazing the backs of strangers sitting at the bar as you bob and weave through servers carrying stacks of plates. It's quite literally single-file. The food is pretty good, though the menu is somewhat limited. My meal (beef tongue with lentils and various other things) was tender and quite tasty. The boy's meal was a little more forgettable, some sort of herbed seafood medley I think. Things that bugged me and/or caused me to say "ugh, that's so Brooklyn" despite the fact that I live in Brooklyn: (1) We weren't given a paper menu; instead the server wrote the menu by hand on our paper-covered table. It's not "cute," if that's what they are thinking. We could barely decipher the handwriting and couldn't remember the details of things after he left. This also meant prices were a complete mystery until the bill arrived, which might be problematic for folks on a budget (we had a gift certificate aka CASH MONEY BISSSSHH). Finally, this process seemed to be time-consuming and toilsome for the server, causing some delays in the service. One question: WHY?! (2) They don't take reservations. Sorry, but in a neighborhood with hundreds of great restaurants within steps of this one, I'm not waiting more than 15 minutes for a table, especially not here. read more

Frist off- not a diner. Second- walked in with two friends and asked for a table outside and was told we couldn't sit outside because of rain in the forecast - but people who came in after us were seated outside. Then, while still inexplicably still standing waiting for one of the many open tables the owner was called to put the handwritten and hard to read menu in my hands. At this point I would have walked out but my husband was really hungry so I said we would just be getting him some fries and drinks for the rest of us. Once finally seated we ordered fries for him and coffee and I asked for the wine list. The wine list came so much later I had given up. I don't want to think the bizarrely rude and awkward seating was due to my husband and friend being black - but it sure seemed like white patrons were seated quickly and where they wanted to be. The fries and coffee were fine. read more

Best service I've ever had! Thank you to our gracious waiter Seamus for making this an unforgettable experience. To say I love Diner would be an understatement! read more

Never knew this place even existed!! I'm so happy that my taste buds got to experience this full blown resturant!! I went to Diner for a late brunch early dinner. Love the old style scene that they have going on. It's very cozy and charming for the area that the resturant is located in. One thing I loved about this place is that they don't have a menu-- on the table they place a white parchment sheet where the waiter comes around and writes the menu on it. How cool is that-- Ever day they have a menu menu, you never know what you can get when you go there. I went with a group of 4-- We got to share the french toast with creme fraiche, apple sauce, agave-- it was amazing! Mouth-water Amazing. Then my friend and I got the Chicken sandwich and the grass feed burger sandwich and we cut it in half and shared; so we can have the best of both worlds. The burger was great but I was a little upset since we asked for medium-rare and we got a medium-well done instead-- That's the reason I took 1/2 a star off. THE CHICKEN was OMG! Where have you been all my life. The chicken was so fully of juice and so crispy on the outside-- and soft and tender inside. The topping of the red onions was perfectly cooked. I hope when I go back they will have this on the menu-- it's amazing!!! All the food was amazing. The other 1/2 star that was taken off was because the service wasn't that amazing-- We were all really disappointment-- We waited a long time for water, and he didn't offer desert just brought us the menu. But please go-- it's amazing!! Totally Worth it. read more

Cool atmosphere, not a lot of space to move around or get into your seat. Food changes often (so they told us) so there were no menus, just a quick title for each dish written on the table and a verbal description. It is hard to order if you can't remember everything that was rapidly described. There were also no toddler friendly meal options. The food was definitely unique. read more

I know next to nothing about where to find good restaurants in brooklyn. Call me a snob, call me whatever you want, call it a drawback of living in manhattan but I was lucky to find out about this place when I went with some friends who live in Williamsburg. My friend and his wife had selected this place after dining around various NYC places during restaurant week. We were all looking for something nice, but a little low key as it had been a while since I had gotten to see them and wanted to chat without having to fight over the noise of a busy restaurant. I can only speak for the dinner aspect, but the whole concept here is that the restaurant exists in an old style diner with an emphasis on fresh and a daily changing menu. If you look online you'll see a very very basic/small consistent menu, but the magic is in the specials which I'll get to later. We showed up early, at 6pm and were seated without quickly without a reservation. Took a little bit of time for our server to come by but not long enough where it was annoying. Having worked in restaurants before I tend to be a little bit anal about this kind of thing. As I mentioned previously, the magic is in the specials. Unlike a traditional restaurant where a server rattles off maybe a few dishes and you're left trying to remember what he said, this place does an excellent job of presenting the various dishes. Our server whipped out his pen and carefully wrote down the various salads, apps, and entrees on the paper that was laid out covering the table. In addition to this, he also named a lot of ingredients that went into each dish. By the time he was done I'd say there were well over 12 things on the paper which was pretty impressive. I settled on the black sea bass as I had consumed a late lunch and was looking for something relatively light. My friend ordered the burger medium rare and I can't remember what his wife ordered. All of our dishes were cooked perfectly. His burger was slightly on the rare side, just the way he mentioned he had liked it. My fish was also perfect and went well with the bok choy it was served over. It had been deboned so no need to worry there. After we finished, our plates sat for a considerable amount of time before someone other then our server cleared them. At this point the restaurant was defintely busy, but not overly crowded so I understand how it happened. The only downsides that we really experienced was service that was good but not lights out. Also when writing down the various specials, no price is mentioned so if you're concerned make sure to ask. My fish was $26 dollars which is on par for a nice restaurant, but still would have liked to know before hand. I'd come back here for sure. Also makes a cool little date spot for someone not in the area. read more

Food: I had the burger in medium. My friend told me that it is one of the top five burgers in New York. It was great and the fries are crispy. Service: Awesome, the waitress is very helpful and a fun-loving person. Environment: Neat. I do not recommend going there alone, l felt l am like a fool eating there by myself. The bill comes with a free Williamsburg Bridge postcard. read more

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Went via a suggestion from a friend and so glad we did!! This restored corner diner is a gem. Great atmosphere, libations and even more amazing food. The menu changes daily, so they come and scribble it on the table for you when you sit down. Love that personal touch! The wait staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. It's always nice to know exactly where your food is coming from and how exactly it's being prepared. There's delicious fare for carnivores and vegetarians alike. Can't wait to come back and see what's on the menu that day! read more

Diner - Diners Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was expecting an actual diner but the quality of the food, presentation and menu offer a much more distinct dining experience. The only downfall was that the customer service was horrible for the price we paid. Our bill was easily over 100 for two people and our server never checked on us, our drinks were never brought out and we actually had to ask the bartender inside for our check. Like I said- great food but they could use better servers. read more

First time here was 20 years ago and never realized the significance this establishment would have in the farm-to-table movement. Always fresh and organic ingredients with great daily specials. Staples in the menu include a juicy burger, well seasoned chicken dish, mussels, and hanger steak plate. Recently had lunch and the food was still banging!! Can't wait to return. read more

Before you know anything, know this. The service here is extremely friendly. The bartender TD took great care of us as did the rest of the staff. The vibe is cool. Music is loud. The space is cozy. The food is good, but not as good as the prices would have you think! 2 apps, a main, 2 deserts and a drink each came out to $200. Steep! Cesar salad, pretty damn good! Rabbit rillete, tasty! Flower less chocolate desert, to die for. Can't help but have some buyers remorse over our $80 dollar steak. There was nothing wrong with it, and it was cooked perfect, but the sides were pretty lackluster and the steak itself wasn't anything special. I'd sooner stop by other neighborhood favorites like 5 leaves where I could have a similarly decent meal ( and definitely a better Cut of meat) for half the price. That being said, if you don't mind spending a lil extra coin, this place is definitely A ok. Will come by and try other entrees, besides the steak, and see what's what. I have no doubt this kitchen teams got some skills and I want to find out more. Maybe when I get a pay raise read more

Awesomeness! Went there for lunch. It had been a while since I had been in the neighborhood since I moved to the other coast and I can't remember tasting a better burger in the bay area. Unfortunately, it wasn't my order but I wish I had got it. The meat was really tender and the rest of the stuff that surround the patty was pretty good too. In addition to that the apple salad was solid and the soup I remember was pretty good too... though the burger did eclipse everything else. Oh yeah and the atmosphere is great and the staff eccentric which usually adds to the whole occasion. I don't know, perhaps they stole some tips on making a good burger from Peter Luger's down the street? read more

Diner - non descript outside - Diners Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

WHAT HAPPENED?! My wife and I used to frequent this place because every meal was outstanding - regardless of what we ordered. The staff was sublime. The music always divine. We went a few times over the last three months and were outright flabbergasted. I understand a great staff can't last forever, but the charm of this place has completely evaporated. The menu seemed thrown together last minute. I expected the food quality to be top notch (apparently they have great sources) but the recipes camouflaged any semblance of organic, farm-grown caliber. The wife ordered beef shank over polenta (?) Dare I say: it was like military gruel. I ordered the mackerel with stewed vegetables. Whereas before, you ordered a fish dish, you would get one piece with a carefully selected choice of vegetables that came together perfectly. This was two pieces chucked over what seemed a like left-over microwaved Thanksgiving veggie medley. It's sad. I would love to keep coming back and give all my money to Diner, but after these last few experiences...not really interested. Get it together Diner! read more

Best lunch in Williamsburg hands down. Diner's game is always on and the current chef is amazing. SO FRESH. Love the fried green tomato sandwich with radishes parsley fresh mozzarella, I think they make it and it's perfect, AND aioli. It comes with a beautiful fresh and simple green salad. The wine list is so on point with refreshing difference in every option. read more

Diner - Diners Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

There is really good burger which I truly recommend. Other things were a bit disappointing but the burger made up for it in the end. read more

The prices are on par with a $$$$ restaurant not a $$ restaurant. *Service was slow. *No prices and no menus. *The waitress went hard on the sell for us to share a steak and when we found out the price later were shocked remember this place is rated $$. I know the difference between, good and amazing and for 120 dollars the steak should have been amazing but was reminiscent of something you'd get at a low end cut rate chain . The meal was lackluster but for a couple hundred dollars it should have been amazing! read more

There is a reason why newspapers require food editors to eat someplace 3 times before writing a review. Do not want one bad experience to cloud judgement. Only been here once but it was one of my brothers favorites so judge it is good as he was picky. I only can rate on my experience. Place looks like what it is called with booths and small counter. This is not one of those jersey size diners. This being Williamsburg this is not your blue plate special type of place. I guess you would call it a gastro diner. Place was busy but bring by self got a seat at counter. Then I waited. Ordered just an entree as none of the appetizers spoke to me. Judge change menu regularly as came on long continuous paper. After finishing my second drink started asking where was my food. I had lost track of time. Person next me waited an hour and finally left as needed to be somewhere. When food finally arrived it was okay but after that long a wait expect it to taste like made from scratch while I was seated. My drink was okay and have decent selection of beers. Waiter was nice enough to comp one of my two drinks due to wait. I would rather have 30 minutes of my life back. read more

This was my favorite restaurant in all of NYC and I used to tell anyone who would listen about the classy and easy service from incredibly pleasant people. It used to be that the host and servers would just appear and anticipate whatever you need without being defensive or rude or pushy or overly personal. The second you would look up to look around for a server or host, they would just appear and say "how can I help." All of that atmosphere and ambiance and high caliber service is gone. The last two times I've been here the hostesses have acted like I am at best an inconvenience and in a couple moments, they were outright rude. I'm having trouble paying the same prices without the quality dining experience that used to exist there. read more

Ambience, friendly and knowledgeable waiter, flavorful dishes, all deserve special mention. Very clear that a lot of details were through through by the kitchen ... loved their choice of ginger ale. Aside from not being able to read our waiter's handwriting of the menu, everything was embraceable. read more

Diner, we've had some terrific moments together. It's been so long! I can't stop thinking about all of the good times we had: 2002 - remember the first time we met? I was swooning over your location and the charming way you presented your specials. But I have to admit, I wasn't the most adventurous eater back then and didn't always get it. 2003 - the year of the bloody mary. It was a break-out year for you. This was also the year I was seated next to the service bar every single time I came in. 2004 - 2005 - I spent most Sundays here, working the wait staff, leaving big tips so that I'd always get good service. And after months of work, your whole staff turned over. And there went over a year of my investment. What happened? 2006 - was the year you added Kedgeree to your menu. I was dumbfounded the first time I tried it and couldn't get enough. 2007 - a dark year. No more cinnamon toast and the Kedgeree didn't go over so well so you took it off the menu. I think you were ahead of your time, so don't take it too hard. 2008 - We didn't see a lot of each other. I think we had grown apart and just needed some time to figure things out. 2009 - I had been thinking about you a lot and wanted to see if there was still a spark. I stopped in for a weekday lunch and had a fantastic meal and fantastic service. I'm so glad we were able to work things out. 2010 - I think it's time we get serious and have a baby. read more

"Birthday dinner this Friday!" the email reads, "we've rented out a room at Diner." Wha? I'm thinking to myself, Diner has a room? That you can rent out? For I have been to Diner, and while Diner may be many things, one thing Diner is most definitely NOT is "good for groups". But this party is being thrown by G, one of my most fabulous party-throwing friends, so I know not to ask too many questions. I just hop on the J train and head out to S Wburg like a good party-goer. When we arrive, Diner is, of course, packed. Where could this party possibly be? I don't like spending time finding the answers to questions other people can easily answer for me, so I ask one of the staff, who points me to a door. A door that leads....OUTSIDE. This can't be right! Puzzled and frustrated we turn back in, and then the waitress is there again, saying, no, it IS outside, and she takes us back through the door and up the steps of....an AIRSTREAM. For real, peeps, you can rent a motherfucking Airstream for your private party at Diner. It's been totally retrofitted to seat about 15 plus a little standing room, and comes complete with a wood-burning stove and iPod hookup. Totally cozy and cool. We had our own personal server who was super friendly and nice and brought us whatever we wanted, and who didn't even complain when the banging-on-the-table games started. The food, of course, was excellent. We started with a cocktail hour of sparkling wine and charcuterie plates, during which I think I may have single-handedly eaten an entire pig's worth of proscuitto. Appetizers included a spinach and goat cheese salad, ground beef bruschetta and razor clams, all first rate. And my entree....holy crap. I had the short ribs ragu over polenta, and I honestly think it's one of the best things I've eaten all year. The meat was so tender I wanted to cry, and the polenta so flavorful and buttery...just out of this world. The only sad thing about the Airstream is that it's not air-conditioned, so it's not really realistic to rent it out once the weather becomes more consistently warm--even once it's consistently above 50--with 15 warm bodies in there, it can heat up pretty quickly. But in about 8 months or so when we get that first frost, I'm all about coming up with a reason to have a party. read more

I realized I was dressed like Freddy Krueger but it was too late to change. We were practically running down 1st to get to 59th so we could cross during the NY Marathon. I wasn't going to go back. I'm glad I got to see some of it and I was very inspired and all but I was also freezing and hungry. We got on the F to the J and there we were at Diner. Unfortunately, we had about an hour wait so we went next door for some tea and coffee and waited for our table. Once we were seated in the old train style restaurant, everything went uphill. My broccoli and cheddar omelette was delicious. I tried the scrapple(?), pumpkin salad, griddled bread pudding and the chocolate sandwich. All good. This was all washed down with a large bloody mary that was spicy and tangy and oh so fantastic. I left satiated and ready to tackle Bedford in the cold. What a great day. read more