Ok LOOK - 2.99 for grits and I expect some amazing bowl of grits...what did I get you ask. A 6 bite serving...talk about disappointed! So the service is that of most diners...that's ok The coffee is that of most diners...that's mostly ok The food and serving sizes...not like most diners and that isn't ok On the up side, we got sat relatively quickly for a Sunday morning All in all, really there are better places to get breakfast and I wish it wasn't so! I mean what a great location but not the best food unfortunately. read more

Six years as a Philadelphia Resident and this was the first place I "enjoyed" the Philadelphia "delicacy" known as scrapple. For that, I will always remember Down Home Diner. An otherwise boring addition to the RTM, it seems to attract people mostly overwhelmed by the hustle-and-bustle of the market. Anyone looking for a country feel in an otherwise tourist infused market, this is the place to grab a seat and rest while you indulge on your favorite diner fare. read more

So, went here as my sister recommended this place. I ordered a Louisiana Catfish Po'Boy and i got a burnt bun, a fried piece of catfish, some sauce dropped on top of it and that was it. it wasn't even a the right bread! plus i ordered cheese fries and got warm fries with cold cheese sauce. When i complained the waitress had a attitude and i sent my order back since this was not a Louisiana po'boy of any kind. she tried to tell me how they made differently in different locations. right. ok. Anyway, i ended up going to the cheese sandwich spot and got a great sandwich from there.. read more

In the Reading Terminal Market which was right across the street from our hotel; went in one morning because I had had enough of continental breakfasts. Went to the eat in section and let me tell you those hard wooden booth seats are not comfy but they will give you amazing posture as they are so upright!!! Service was good, food was good enough (had the corned beef hash which is how I measure a diner) , and all the coffee I could handle. And the best part is that the prices are very very reasonable. Things are made to order or whatever the cook decided was the flavor of the day like the jam for toast was strawberry and that was it. I don't know if I'd ever try their dinner/lunch meals but I'd go back for breakfast anytime. read more

I came here from California and was at the market. The food was delicious and the service was amazing. The chicken is BOMBtastic I enjoyed the ambience and hospitality here. If I am ever in Philly again I'll be sure to come back read more

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This place is average to gross. They make a big deal about scrapple. It has a description of the scrapple history in their menu and the servers wear shirts promoting pon haus. Anyways, they feature scrappple! So, since they were all in my face about scrapple I decided to give it a shot, just to try it. I am not a fan of scrapple, there is too much of a liver base that exists in the burnt spam looking mush. I understand it is a dutch thing but no likey I gave it 3 stars due to the other entrees they were uhhhh A-OK read more

The portions were big for the price you pay. The servers were fairly friendly and the atmosphere was very laid back. I ate here for breakfast on the last day of my visit. It was very relaxing. read more

I don't know why there are two yelps.. But this spot was so incredible, I wanted to star up the rating.. Clean.. Super friendly.. Fast... Suburb food.. Just delightful all the way around.. Kale salad... Fried fish.. No microwaves or freezers.. Fresh homemade bread pudding... Don't miss out on this read more

Down Home Diner - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We ordered three meals, and none of us could finish them. I gave 2 stars because the food came out quickly, but service was inattentive and food inedible. Potatoes were burnt, eggs ran all over fresh fruit, and pancakes were greasy. The "farm fresh" idea is perfect for a city location, but the "fresh" was not well executed. read more

Down Home Diner - Country Benny (eggs running all over fruit) - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Service positive waitress Karen was super friendly took a bit longer than expected, pumpkin pancakes were yummy, biscuits were dry, location was read more

Had breakfast here for the first time in years. They renovated recently and now have more seating. The scram eggs with meat was above average, but should have been a little larger portion for the cost. The potatoes were ok, but I prefer my hash browns, to be hash browns, not chunks of pan roasted potato - also could have been seasoned better. Our server was ok, but could have been a little more attentive with the coffee top off's. read more

I went here with a relative while we were visiting Philadelphia a few weeks ago. It's located in the Reading Terminal Market (Center City) so there are plenty of stands to explore after breakfast. We both had pancakes, scrambled eggs, and coffee. The coffee was good, nice and hot. The eggs were also very good although it's hard to mess that up. The major issue I had was with the pancakes, which tasted kind of odd. Not that I didn't want to eat them, but something was in the batter that I simply could not pinpoint and believe me, I know my pancakes. It might have been cinnamon, I don't know. They were ok but not great. The place itself is kind of cute but unless you get a booth (which is very hard to do on a weekend morning), the seating is not the best. Since there is a small dining room, they tried to fit in as many tables as possible so I can't really blame them for that. Give it a try, it's not horrible but it's not great. If you want a simple breakfast, it will do. Oh, and for my NJ pals out there, I'm just warning you that there is scrapple on the menu. Since I'm from northern NJ, Taylor ham or pork roll is usually one of our meat choices at diners but not scrapple. I have to admit it has always bothered me to see this on menus because it's not very appetizing, in my opinion. But I know people must like it or else it wouldn't be offered. read more

Dining date Dec 27, 2013 for breakfast. Love the breakfast at this jewel in the city! We always stop for breakfast any time we are in the city. Service is always fast and the food is always good. read more

Gets a bad rep on yelp. Fresh food. Reasonable price. Fun, busy atmosphere. Can be a bit of a wait on the weekends. read more

Down Home Diner - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Good food and great breakfast. It's inside the Reading Terminal Station which so many different places to eat and also shop. It's in Central City Philly and perfect location for everyone. It opens early so if you wants good breakfast this is the place. Prices are good and the food better read more

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Has the catfish the pulled pork and cheese toast and they were all substandard not even worth commenting. Even the fries were oily and cool read more

Down Home Diner - Horrible substandard fare so very sad - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I didn't get a waiter; One waiter acknowledged me but it wasn't their table and I waited after 5 minutes I left saying to a waiter that I have waited but was not served. I don't know what the problem was here as one gets a menu usually as soon as one sits down at a table. read more

It's your typical diner fare. Decent food, reasonably priced, and good service. I stopped in for breakfast during lunch hour with a co-worker. It's close to his office and he likes to go here. We both had breakfast. I had the blueberry pancakes with a side of turkey sausage and coffee. The pancakes were 2 large pancakes stuffed with blueberries. The turkey sausage consisted of 3 small links that were cooked a long time ago. They were dry and the taste was off a bit. Edible yet. The coffee was surprisingly very good. Down Home is located in the Reading Market Terminal and it's a bit loud. Service was very good. I wouldn't hesitate to go back again. read more

First time ordering from there last week on a recommendation and was HIGHLY disappointed. Ordered a BLT on rye w/ cheddar. After waiting 19min and being soooo ready for my sandwich; I could not even eat it. The rye bread was toasted so hard and the bacon cooked to a crispy breakable texture and above all--no cheddar--even w/a discount I was just so disappointed. I had wanted to bring the kids. I'm good~~ read more

This was MUCH needed relief after walking around Philly for around 30 minutes to find something to eat. The place was quaint and had a slew of "southern" style dishes right in the city. I didn't take a picture of the menu but ironically they had collard greens, smothered dishes, and "southern style" baked beans. I was a little cautious of those because it's really easy to mess something like that up (hey, I'm from NC, I have high standards ) . I settled for the crab cake sandwich and fries which were around 12 dollars and the bomb! I was so surprised by the freshness of this sandwich based on the price point. They make the patties fresh and they are full of flavor but aren't as sturdy as a traditional crab cake BUT that doesn't stop its shine. I had with the French fries which were obviously fresh out and piping hot(perfect!). Our server, Francis, seemed to be one of the only people working that evening and he was holding it down and super friendly. Def pop in if you're in the mood for something good, quick, and affordable! read more

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The staff was friendly but service wasn't good. The food wasn't good either, everything was pretty bland. Only one out of the 3 of us finished their meal. The other 2 of us didn't even finish half of our meal. read more

The food was such a disappointment that it gave me a headache. The servings were small, my blueberry pancakes were awful. And my boyfriend's Meat Lover's Scramble was something I can make myself, and so much better. I'm only giving this place the stars because the people were nice and great! read more

After spending the day walking around Penn's Landing and Historic Philly, our group of 4 headed to the Reading Terminal Market to grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately we were not aware of the closing time of the market, which left us tired and hungry with very limited options in the immediate area and rain looming. The Down Home Market was "right there", so we decided to take a chance. First, the staff is very friendly and the inside is clean. Service is prompt but perhaps the cook was having an off-night as the food was average at best. 2 in our party opted to try the "best cheesesteak in Philly" (per their menu), but let's be honest, with Pat's, Geno's and Tony Luke's in town, this cheesesteak didn't compare, average at best. I had the burger - nice portion and very good. The fries that are included with the meal were extremely over-cooked. My wife ordered the turkey club and, while good, her only objection was she wanted the bread toasted slightly dark, it wasn't toasted at all. With so many options available when the market is open, I can't say with confidence that I'd return. read more

I have eaten at this place at least a couple times, going back as an attempt to give it another shot, and another and another, because I don't like to give a bad review based on just one experience. I've worked in the restaurant business for a couple of years and I know that every restaurant can have an "off" day, but this place is just always terrible unfortunately. The food is really quite gross...the most recent time I went there was with a pretty big group and everyone's food was messed up that I was with. My friend's salad had a toothpick in it. My sausage had a piece of metal in it. My friend's burger was meant to be medium came out way past well and was bordering being burnt to a crisp. The bun it came on was literally as hard as a hockey puck, it was like they were just using up old buns from several days before. Besides the food, the service wasn't great either. Our waitress was really rude, it seemed like she was always in a rush and she acted annoyed to be waiting on us. We weren't even a very demanding table (most of us were servers who know what it's like to work in a restaurant) and when we said that there were mistakes about our food, she acted like it was our fault, that we were unnecessarily complaining. Last but not least, the owner of this restaurant is extremely rude and obnoxious. I mean really loud and when he talks it's like he's screaming at you. One time when I went in there he literally screamed at me to greet me, which I think is just unnecessary. I've also seen him yelling at his servers right in the dining room which I think is unprofessional. One time I sat in the back of the dining room and you can hear him screaming in the kitchen from way back there. You know it's him because of his southern drawl (he's from Virginia- Jack McDavid, I'm sure people have heard of him, he used to be on Food Network). Maybe that's why he thinks he can get away with acting like such an obnoxious jerk, because he used to be famous. Well whenever he's on the line cooking, the food comes out bad so in my opinion (and sorry I'm being so honestly harsh) but maybe he's a restaurant has-been. I've retired going to this restaurant. There are much better diners in this city! read more

I've easten at the DHD at least a dozen times over the years. It used to be on my top-5 list of dependable, non-expensive, straightforward places to go for a breakfast on a Sunday morning. After this particular Sunday's breakfast, the DHD is off my list. From the "bar" seating up front, I ordered their unlimited "220 mile" coffee, OJ, chocolate chip-cherry pancakes and thick-cut bacon. I waited 40 minutes for my food. In that 40 minutes, the server came by once to check my coffee, and that's because I slid my empty coffee cup to the front of the tabletop. Even as I ate, the server never again came by to check my coffee. Interesting contrast then came as I are my last bite of food... the server literally had my plate in her hand and she was cleaning up my spot. As for the food, I did taste a cherry in at least two bites of pancake. No chocolate chips at all. They were ok, nothing great (the *best* packcakes I've ever had come from another establishment in Flourtown/Erdenheim, PA - they are UNREAL). My thick-cut bacon? It was nothing more than a small handful of bacon scraps. Really, for my $3 bacon, you give me scraps? C'mon. I did let them know with a note when I left. I left an appropriate tip, too. Oh.. and the nice, older gentlemen who sat next to me waited 40 minutes for an egg 'sammich. You've lost me, Down Home Diner. read more

Food bad, service bad. Ordered a bbq burger with bacon. Received a cold plain over cooked cheese burger with cold fries. Wife ordered corned beef hash; she got a mix of corned and ground beef which was warm as they were cooking the ground beef. Soda had zero carbonation. Staff seemed too worried about closing up (45 min before they were suppose to close) to properly wait on us. Maybe this is better early in the day, but avoid going here for dinner. read more

Great food that came out really fast. Amazing coffee and a friendly wait staff.. amazing grilled muffin!!!! Will def return. read more

Down Home Diner - Breakfast low carb - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food never dissapoints here. Walked to Reading Terminal Market from Broad, visiting a family member. I last went to this mainstay if Reading Terminal nearly 10 years ago and the food was great back then, and it was great again. I tried the Louisiana Po'boy catfish sandwich with fries. The catfish was cooked perfectly, breaded evenly. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and of good quality. The roll seemed to be fresh, and of bakery quality. Seating area was clean and staff was very friendly. Stephanie, our server was very nice and attentive. Down Home Diner, 5 stars for quality of food, great customer service! read more

Cheap, quick and tasty. The coffee is hot. The food was cooked to order. The wait staff are helpful. It's all that you'd expect from a diner at breakfast. It's not high-end or fancy. If you're looking for some feel good, just like I make it at home food, then this is your place. read more

Great food! Very tasty and filling. Also shout out to Jeffrey for the awesome service. :)

Stopped in here for a quick bite of breakfast. Service was awesome and quick. The food was just alright. I got scrambled eggs and hash browns with a biscuit on the side. The breakfast potatoes were really bland and could have used some seasoning. My eggs were a little bit runny, which I know some people enjoy. Their homemade biscuit was pretty good, a little bit dry. read more

Food here was pretty good, the staff was friendly, and we were surprised to get a table during a convention. We weren't blown away by the food, but it's a typical greasy spoon. I got the cheesesteak eggs, which were hearty and yummy. read more

So if you want good simple food that tastes good and reasonably priced then make your way to this diner as it's worth it with the added bonus of being located inside Reading Terminal Market! The waitstaff was pleasant and we even got a chance to chat with one of the owners. I would fave given this 4 stars but had to take 1 off for a mishap we had with one of the pancakes but I'd definitely eat here again! read more

Down Home Diner has extreme comfort food! It is a must try for reading terminal. Crab cakes are on point. Not the best place for a romantic date but it is a good place to take your Grandma! read more

I got the grilled cheese with fries. Th first time I ordered it the cheese was not melted at all. The second time half of it was burnt. Other than that it was okay read more

Perfect eggs, toast and coffee with quick service! Loved it! Great home fries, friendly wait staff and perfectly cooked eggs over medium - all for $7. Added a lot to my day of jury duty. The waitress even gave me more coffee to go read more

The food was not good. The service was sub par. And, the presentation left much to be desired. When asked how my meal was, I expressed those feelings- nothing was done. read more

I had the breakfast dish creamed chipped beef on a raft of today and a side of two scrambled eggs. The food came out incredibly quickly! It tasted great and the service was good too. I would definitely come here again. read more

Down Home Diner - Creamed chipped beef on toast - Diners Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Really disappointing. Came here in 2009 and had delicious buckwheat pancakes paired with great breakfast sides. Everything was delicious. Went back nine years later on 6/7/18 and it was incredibly disappointing to have such an underwhelming experience the 2nd time around. Turns out they no longer serve buckwheat pancakes. No biggie. Problem is, I ordered blueberry pancakes that ended up tasting like they were thrown together with the poorest ingredients and no effort. They were dry, ill tasting, and had an off-putting amount of cinnamon. Sadly, I won't be going back. Sucks because it was my bday and I went there to have a nostalgic breakfast. I should have just tried out Dutch Eating Place (another restaurant inside Reading Terminal). read more

Great service and great food, I had the corn beef hash and a cup of grits. Corn beef hash doesn't get any better! That definitely wasn't canned! Fresh & authentic read more