An unassuming looking diner with a great menu, friendly atmosphere and great cooking. We stopped in for breakfast/brunch at the end of our weekend in Philly. Although the diner itself is an extension of the Reading Terminal Market (as opposed to a separate establishment), it still feels very self-contained, and the staff's friendliness contributes to the feeling. We each got two eggs (over easy) with grits and home fries, one with bacon, the other with turkey sausage. On the side, we each got a single Pumpkin Flapjack, since we are so close to Thanksgiving at that point. The pumpkin flapjacks are delicious, the eggs and grits well prepared as well. Overall, a very satisfying dining experience. And a good place for breakfast on the go. And everyone is on the go to shop in this huge marketplace. read more

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Amazing biscuits! It is rare to find such a good biscuit up north, but they have figured it out! We got a large catering order and this made the potatoes sort of lose their crisp. Overall, great breakfast spot with must-try biscuits. read more

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Sad breakfast, friendly service. I ordered the poached eggs with bacon and biscuit. Eggs poached perfectly. The bacon looked sad as if it was sitting around. Biscuit ok, crumbly, nice and big. The corned beef hash looked sad, old and gray. Coffee good served in big mugs. read more

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I was all excited to read about this place and the Virginia roots. As for breakfast meats... they bring it. That said.... The biscuit was rough. Not fluffy all the way through, very dense, no brown on top, no butter on the side, taste of sawdust. For a spot with biscuits so heavily emphasized on the menu... I wish I'd gotten toast. I would've done way better at a Hardee's. Service was friendly so I appreciate that but god those biscuits... geez. read more

Don't even try eating here. I got the food poisoning ended up in hospital. Worst service in town. Just run away from this place.

They offer affordable breakfast but most of it never arrives. 2 items were missing the first time but it wasn't too bad so we tried again. We ordered 5 things and only received 2. One of the items contained hair inside the food. Do not recommend. read more

The service was good but I was lied to about the southern egg omelet and was served pork , they told me it was turkey The biscuits were burnt read more

Coming from the "land of diners", New Jersey, I was looking for something to grab egg whites at and sit down, for cheap pricing. Right down the block from my hotel, I decided to go on in. The market is packed. Seating at a booth wasn't an option so I sat up at the counter. I sat between a couple, and a single guy. One was a local, and the couple was in town for the art show I was going to. So a good conversation was had. The food was decent. Cooked the way I ordered it. Waitress was good, even though I had been talking for so long, she thought that I was done eating LOL! read more

Absolutely amazing breakfast. I got the cheesesteak omelette and it was probably the best omelette I have ever had. Yep I said it, amazing. Service was good and worth the wait. This place is a must. read more

This place sells "Eat More Scrapple" t-shirts that have the scrapple recipe and history on the back. That alone merits multiple stars. I bought one for my West Coast friends who don't believe I actually eat the stuff. Breakfast is the best option here. The scrapple was actually not my favorite; believe it or not, not all scrapples are equal and I prefer mine to be spicier. But breakfast was pretty good and portions are big (if you're into that). read more

Down Home Diner is a diner inside of the Reading Terminal Market. I loved it! I ate at the counter, which gave me a good nostalgia feel. The food was delicious, I ordered the Crab Benedict. The crab cake was excellent, full of crab meat! And if you had seen my profile, you would know that eggs Benedict would be in my ultimate meal. So, I place where eggs are poached PERFECTLY gets extra points, or stars, with me! Coffee was great, and served in a large mug. Service was fantastic. Solid 5 stars in my book. And again, I only care about the food in my reviews. read more

FYI: They have a door that leads directly to them located under the bridge with all the rainbow lights if you don't wanna wander around reading terminal trying to look for them. WHAT I GOT: Scram bowl PROS: loved all the components of my dish, especially the potatoes and sausage bits. Everything was cooked pretty well and nothing was over or under done. It honestly tasted like a nice deconstructed breakfast burrito without and all the added sauces/condiments. But I squirted a bit of ketchup on there to give it an added tang. The portion size wasn't super big either so it was pretty manageable to eat all in one go. CONS: It's diner food man. I don't know why I was expecting things so be like nicely seasoned but they weren't. Things were either bland or faired more on the salty side. Thank goodness for the ketchup. It actually gave the bowl some flavor. The portion sizes are also not your typical diner portion sizes. I mean yes, they're bigger than what you would get in some other philly restaurants but for the price you pay and the fact that they call themselves a diner, I'm expecting these portion sizes to be twice the size of my head. Also, they barely had menu options. Again, not what you would expect from some place that calls themselves a diner. read more

We ended up here after coming to Reading Terminal Market on a Sunday, not realizing that virtually everything Amish -and a good percentage of other stalls- were closed. Tourist mistake. It was fine - good sized portions for reasonable prices, and friendly but somewhat neglectful service. The food was ok but other than the sausage patties and the rhubarb jam that came with the biscuits, it's nothing special. Although the kid at the table next to us had some pretty spectacular looking pancakes topped with a pile of bacon - perhaps that's the way to go. read more

The service was horrific the food is mediocre and I had hair in my food and they were super rude after I waited for 25 minutes to even order, when there was zero line. they also claim to have the best Philly cheesesteak since 1927 and I looked it up and They opened in 1951 and two. That junk was terrible go to a mom and Pop store in a random town and Philadelphia if you want a cheesesteak. read more

My daughter and I came here for breakfast on a Saturday morning. I rate it a "10" for the music and a "2" for the food. Home-fries are not supposed to be cut that large and tasteless...come on! I mean the whole breakfast was pretty tasteless...from the the omelette that I ordered down to the pancakes my daughter enjoyed or didn't enjoy. Servers were great, nice atmosphere but the cook either needs some cooking skills or the owner needs a course in how to make a tasty, down home breakfast. Hopefully one day the food will match the music and the atmosphere...get to work guys! Cool servers tho:o) read more

Be Careful!!! Yesterday my son and I went to have breakfast at the Down Home Diner in the Reading Terminal. It was his first time there. Not mine. And it was for Father's Day. WHAT A DISASTER! We both ordered the Fried fish and eggs. It comes with cheesy grits. Ok, when I start eating the fish I said something tastes funny, this fish is off. So I mixed the cheese up in my grits, salted my eggs and continued to try to eat. This time I put a little hot sauce on the fish to see if I could make it taste better. Now granted I was just there the week before, ordered the same thing and the fish was fine. Maybe it was the same batch of fish from last week. Idk. But the fish was bad..... I called over the waitress, Angie and she took both plates back. By now my stomach is upset and I have to go to the bathroom fast. She brings over the bill because we didn't want anything else. To my surprise they had charge me for the grits and the eggs that were also on the plate and sent back. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I kept the receipt just in case I got sick. I really didn't mind paying for the coffee and the side of scrapple but the eggs and grits were on the platter and sent back with the fish. UNBELIEVABLE! I'm a gracious tipper. But that there, was her tip. I told her that I was not going to tip for bad food and food that I was charged for as a side to a platter, that was sent back also. Angie's response was that, I didn't make the food. Well Angie you work there, the food should have never been served to anyone and you decided to charge me for food that was returned on a platter item. So eat it!!! Just like I did. Don't get the fish platter at the Down Home Diner at Reading Terminal!!! There will be NO NEXT TIME, JASON M. It's not worth getting sick. I felt bad all day. read more

Down Home Diner - Receipt - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We saw the crowd and sat down before checking reviews. That was a mistake. The apple cinnamon french toast was dry and the potatoes were unevenly cooked. If you are reading this review don't be fooled by the crowd. Go somewhere else! read more

Down Home Diner - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Five of us went to Sunday breakfast here. We got there before the crowd. On yelp it says they open at 8; on their door it says they open at 9; and they actually open at 7! Fun busy place. Good for families. Nice staff. Everyone enjoyed their breakfast-fruit cup with each meal is a nice touch. Bacon was amazing -even their turkey bacon is good. The homemade strawberry jam is a must. Try to eat just one serving. The only thing that was sub par were the cheesy grits; and I should know better than to order grits up north! Nice experience. Would certainly go back. P.S. bacon is really good. read more

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I had to stop in foe their scrapple fries! I'm from Florida but raised by a momma that loved scrapple! It was yummy and the little bit of apple butter was just right! read more

Down Home Diner - Apple pie - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Good food and Reading Terminal is such a special place, but man the service we got here was really terrible. We ordered pancakes and an omelet and it took like 30 minutes to get our food. 3 people who sat after us and who ordered after us were served before us. And they screwed up my wife's order, and to their credit fully replaced her order with what she wanted. read more

Surprised at the low reviews! I had a pleasant experience here, and will definitely be back again. Especially since Sunday brunch spots in Philly are few and far between (we checked green eggs - busy, bud and Marilyn's - busy, smoking betty's - doesn't take walk ins??, Hiros - closed?) Yes, the food isn't high end, trendy food, but it's no frills and hearty for a good price. Prompt, friendly service too! They also take credit cards unlike other places. Standouts include corn beef hash (best I've ever had in Philly), and their strawberry jam (stewed strawberries, none of that smuckers generic stuff). Other notes: it's reading, so it will get busy. We were lucky enough to grab some bar seats, but it will get busy on the weekends. read more

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What a pleasant surprise. I was wandering around Reading Market wondering what to eat since the Dutch are closed on Sunday. Suddenly I caught a glimpse of some delicious looking home cooked food on the platter of a Patron. I took the first available stool and began perusing the menu. I wanted it all. To my delight, my waiter let me choose items to build my own platter: a pumpkin pancake, one egg over medium, and bacon. The pancake melted on my tongue. The coffee was wonderful. The other patrons friendly and the wait staff attentive. It's almost like being at Grandma's house. If I lived in Philly, I'd eat here often. read more

Down Home Diner - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philly cheese steak is good, and filling. The crab cakes are very interesting as they are grilled like the cheese steak, have plenty of crab, and some unusual spices to make them rather unique tasting in a good way. The seating at the counter on the stools is nostalgic, fun. The bathroom is built as a room that is in the middle of the dining area, surrounded by tables. You can hear conversations at the tables all around you while inside the bathroom. Made me glad we sat at the counter at the stools far away... as sound is a two way street! Waitress was good, helpful, polite, friendly. It is in a tourist area so you are paying higher prices than you might expect. It wasn't horrible like Las Vegas strip prices though. Over all, a pleasant experience in a market diner. Just make sure you sit "on" the stools vs "near" the stool. read more

I've been coming here for quite sometime now and have always returned. Their food is standard and by no means gourmet, but their name has the word diner in it so that should be a hint. I've never had a bad meal here. The salads are quite large, and all the food tastes fresh. There's something for everyone; I mean, it's a diner so how couldn't there be? The only bad thing about this place is the slow service (sometimes), but that is because they are constantly bombarded with hungry tourists, the after church crowds on weekends and sometimes annoyed locals who just want a quick, cheap bite at the counter. read more

In town for a conference a couple of weeks ago and this was the first pick of people who were familiar with the area. We had a great breakfast and I only wished I'd made it back for lunch. I had the corned beef hash with over medium eggs. Very different from my other experiences but turned out I loved every bite. Being in vacation mode when she asked if I wanted a short stack how could I resist!?!? I went with the buttermilk version and I'll have to say some of the best pancakes I've had in a while. Just the right thickness and texture. All this with a d cent cup of coffee made my first morning in Philly a great start. read more

Down Home Diner - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I never got to try the pancakes. I went to this restaurant on April 30th at 11:10 am to enjoy a cup of coffee while I completed my assignments for the day. I was seated, brought my cup of coffee, then continued to put my headphones in and work while I let my coffee cool. My waitress Grace then asked me if I would like anything else at the moment. Where I then replied with "Not right now, but I do plan on getting breakfast once I am done with my coffee". She replied with an okay and left me to do my work. I then placed an order for a cup of hot water for my friend that plays the guitar outside of the establishment. I left my table to bring her the cup of coffee, then returned to my seat being investigated by the staff. I asked Grace and the other employee if there was an issue and received the response of "No, just trying to figure out where you went". Confused by the response, I sat back down to continue drinking my coffee. A kind waiter then came and refilled my cup. Grace then brought me my receipt at 11:49pm. Confused as to why I would pay this early, I payed per her request. She then proceeded to remove my menu from the table. 5 minutes later I was then approached by Grace who notified me that I then had 5 minutes to finish my coffee before she was going to have to ask me to leave due to how busy the restaurant was. I reminded her that I was going to order food, where she then responded with "really? You're going to order food?" and dismissed her initial claim by saying "forget it, you can stay". During this time the surrounding tables were cleared by the working employees. I was then greeted by the owner of the restaurant at 12:20, Jason. Where he notified me that he was going to have to ask me to find somewhere else to sit because of the fast-paced nature of the restaurant and that I was taking too long to finish my coffee. Being that I was a paying customer who had not been in the restaurant for more than an hour, with the intention to still order breakfast, Coffee still hot. I was so confused as to why me- A quiet girl in the back of the restaurant was being asked to leave for drinking my coffee at my pace, while there were multiple tables around me that were present from the duration of the time that I arrived. I replied to his request by stating that if he wants me to leave, he will need to kick me out as his request is unethical and biased. Jason then informed me that I was now trespassing in his restaurant, and then proceeded to call 5 security guards to escort me off of the premises. I, Brianna Cadet, am a senior philosophy major graduating with Honors from Temple University this May with the intention to attend Medical school in 2024. On April 30th, I was kicked out of this establishment for sitting quietly and "taking too long to drink my coffee". This experience can be defined as an event of racial discrimination and bias, for while the owner has openly admitted that there is no set time limit for how long a Patron can take to enjoy their meal. I was the only table singled out and removed from the premises at that time. Racial bias: a probable cause because the owner of the restaurant assumed that I did not know my rights as a consumer. I could have been a restaurant critic, ceo, but I AM a valued member of the community who is loved and is well-known. I don't know of any establishment that has had a patron removed by security and accused of trespassing for drinking a coffee, studying, and minding their own business. Therefore, This is a story that will not go unheard as the owner of this establishment has violated my civil rights. read more

Charming waitstaff, solid sandwiches, and a 10/10 scrapple-fries-with-apple-butter situation, I would go back just for more of those.

No one should ever be kicked out if they are not being disruptive, if they are not dangering others, and if they are a paying customer. It is disgusting that this establishment would kick a college student out when she paid for her coffee, was doing work and had been there for less than an hour. There were other tables open but they claimed she needed to leave because it was busy and she was "taking too long to drink her coffee" when she hadn't been there an hour yet and was doing her work. Do better. read more

The food is good. Not great, but very good, especially breakfast. Prices are quite reasonable, given the area. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!! The service is all but nonexistent. Twice we went there. Twice we waited ages just to be greeted. Twice we waited in limbo for both drinks and refills. Twice we waited endlessly for our food to arrive. And twice we languished as we waited to even have the chance to ask for the check. The place is consistently underfilled. There shall be no thrice for us. What shall we tell the God of the Down Home Diner the next time hunger calls? "...not today." read more

This place was a great find within the Reading Terminal Market. I am not sure if it's local or a franchise bit it has a local eatery feel. I had the Philly Cheese Steak Scrapple. It was pretty good. The homefries were nice and crispy and the toast had a home made cherry jam. So good. PLUS I forgot my wallet and told the server that I would even leave my laptop back as collateral while I went back to my hotel to get it. Her response, "No worries. I trust you". Enough said. read more

Down Home Diner - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nice spot with reasonable prices and convenient seating at Reading market. The food was standard/average. Great service though!

The diner is in a cool place in the Reading market. The service is pretty good and they pour a good cup of coffee. I had the corn beef hash with a biscuit. The hash was ok it does not have potatoes in it, the corn beef was very fresh and that was a plus. In the future I would find somewhere else to eat. read more

Food was great and service was quick. Angie was super helpful and attentive. The vibe was chill

I the best cheesesteak in RTM. It is in the smaller side but that's fine. The apple butter with scrapple is insanely good too. They call it scrapple fries but it's just regular scrapple cut smaller before it's cooked. read more

When I arrive back in Philly, I have to food shop of course so usually my first stop is the Reading Terminal Market where I load up on fruits, veggies, and other staples. Often then my first meal out is also in the Reading Terminal Market and this time I stopped by the Down Home Diner inside the Market. This establishment has been here forever or I have no memory of the Reading Terminal Market without it. It's not fancy - even by diner standards - but it is popular and serves up some hearty dishes. This time I opted for their Brunswick Stew. The origins of this traditional stew are often debated but I wasn't there to debate where the first Brunswick stew came from ... just to eat it. With the addition of a little hot sauce, it hit the spot. read more

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As I walked around Reading Terminal Market I was looking for somewhere that was kind of tucked away away from the flow of traffic. This place had a bar style seating and also booth style seating. For my first time here and I chose to sit at the bar and my waitress came over quickly. The price for my food was very reasonable (I spent under $10) and my hunger was very satisfied afterwards. I would add that my mac and cheese was the better side dish in comparison to the broccoli side dish. read more

Down Home Diner - Honey Garlic Chicken Breast - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Super nice wait staff (Kaitlynn was awesome). I tried the scrapple. Different, but something new for me. She got a good laugh with me watching this southerner try it for the first time. I had the crispy chicken sandwich. Had a perfectly fried breast, pickles, honey and bacon jam. I might just come back and have another before I leave. It was that good! I'm a little confused about why the reviews are so low. read more

Down Home Diner - Nice clean little diner inside the hustle and bustle of the market. - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We were desperately searching for a place to grab breakfast in Philly on a Sunday morning and Down Home Diner had the shortest wait. It's one of the restaurants in Reading Terminal. They have everything you would want for an average American breakfast plus more. One of my friends really enjoyed their salmon and spinach omelette. I had bacon and eggs. It was average (definitely not bad, but nothing to rave about). I would definitely recommend this place for someone that needs a quick bite with solid options. read more

Down Home Diner - Salmon & Spinach Omelette - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Pluses: Colette and Sherry, our servers on two successive days, were wonderful, as were the broiled salmon, poached eggs over scrapple, biscuits and homemade strawberry jam and chocolate chip pancakes. Negatives: The mouse I saw scurrying on the restaurant floor at the end of our evening visit; the fact we arrived at 820pm prior to a 9pm closing and were told they were closed; the broiled salmon was supposed to come with potato and broccoli but only came with potato. On a busy holiday Saturday morning we were briefly served -- and left with -- someone else's order by mistake before those two dishes were taken away. read more

The cheesesteak was good and the fries were well seasoned. The potato salad was different and very tasty. The fried fish was extremely bland, like not even a dash of salt to be found on it. The coffee was SO weak, it literally looked like hot tea. read more