Have been here for both lunch and breakfast a few weeks ago and the food was pretty good. The first time me and my mom went was for breakfast so that is what I am reviewing at this time. Upon arriving it was busy and we had to wait for around 10-15 minutes before we were seated but this was not really a problem because it was Fourth Of July weekend so I did not mind the wait. The menu is pretty big so it has something for everyone. My mom and I both ordered Skillets. I ordered the Smokey Ranchero and my mom ordered the Special Skillet which was a burger skillet. My Smokey Ranchero was very good it came with Chicken, Bacon, gouda cheese and ranch dressing. My Moms skillet was good too. The reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the bread that came with the skillets was cold. Other than that Exeter family restaurant is a good place for good cheap food. read more

Exeter Family Restaurant - Smokey Ranchero Skillet. - American Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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I came here for my first date with my husband back in 2006 and I loved it, so awesome great food, great prices and fab atmosphere. Roll on 11 years later and the place is so popular, so packed that it actually isn't enjoyable anymore. There are too many people, too much going on and it is too noisy. I really love this place and it would be SO much better if it wasn't such a popular hot-spot. Food is great, but just too noisy for me! - UPDATE: We actually went here again last night because we were talking about it and ended up here, even though this wasn't where we'd planned to go, it looked actually pretty empty last night so we stopped with the kids! The atmosphere was low, it was not as busy as i'd seen it recently and there weren't so many cars in the parking lot. We were served very quickly by a really lovely lady called Ella, who I've actually known for years and didn't realize she worked here. She called us by name, split our kid's order without any worry at all (they're small, they don't eat much) and she was very diligent with our table. They do have a bar area in this diner, which i'd forgotten about, but I have never utilized it - very handy if you want a late night drink or take out pack when everything else is closed. The bill for 3 adults and 2 small children came to just over $30, which was a bit expensive seeing as we only got a couple of sandwiches, grilled cheese, chili and coffees. The guys on the table behind us were playing music, the kids on the table the other side of us weren't too bad and midway through there was a sudden influx of youngsters everywhere and suddenly i'm old! It was alright, they still serve my favorite coated fries and the coffee still comes in my fave kind of cup, which I think you can actually buy on the way out, too - something to grab for a souvenier if you're a visitor like I once was back in the day. The wait staff is nice, there are those grab-a-toy claw machines in the lobby and some teens seemed to be having way too much fun with those, which was actually extremely entertaining, but they weren't bothering anyone, and they were being polite. The only con I can really see about this place are the prices, which are definitely a lot higher than other places we've been so it might be a while before we go back because eating out with a family soon adds up, so unless it is just the hubs and I for coffee, I think we'll have to stick to our regular choice. read more

You seriously can't beat their prices or services. No matter what time of day you go this place is packed, but it doesn't affect the quality or speed of your meal. They have typical diner food like wraps and burgers but daily specials as well. There is a variety of beers on tap snd free wifi too. read more

Their salad bar is great. Fresh bread, nice selection and decent soup. Food is what Diner food should be, If you buy a steak or Italian then you are clueless. read more

Great breakfast, it was cooked they way I like it. My only complaint is our waitress was not very attentive. read more

They raised their prices and charge a $3.10 tip for takeout for 2 people.sucks.will not eat there again.

Went for breakfast the second day of reopening. Althoughthey were short staffed the 2 or 3 waitresses were pleasant and did their best under the new normal. Kitchen was slow getting the food out. I guess they were short staffed also. read more

Went to the restaurant at 1 A.M. on a Monday. This is such a bad time to be working let alone dealing with people and yet our server was fabulous. Our food came out in great time with great quality and she was nothing but helpful and attentive. Definitely will be going back and recommend this place heavily. read more

As longtime Exeter residents we frequent Exeter Family Restaurant as it is a family favorite for us. We enjoy good value in a pleasant family diner atmosphere. The restaurant and menu suit us well for a meal any time of the day or evening. I hope to see you at EFam soon. read more

The food is good the service sucks.Yvonne is not a great waitress. Sat for 20min before we got a drink then had to keep flagging her down for refills and waited for the check. Had to ask her for the check when she walked by the table twice and seen we were done and went and sat down and started wrapping silverware. read more

Went tonight for dinner. Fried flounder was over cooked and dry. Our waiter, George, spent more time talking to the host at the desk than with us. Spent 15 minutes just waiting for our check read more

The credit card system did not work. I understand that happens but the hostess or cashier didn't tell anyone until after customers are the food and wanted to it. Maybe next time you should think and inform your customers and not tell customers they need to give them the credit card information. In this day that is not safe. Also the cashiers are always so rude. Not the wait staff though. The wait staff are always nice. read more

This is one of our favorite diners. The food is consistently good. The breakfasts are very good. They have a very good salad bar with a lot of veggie choices. What makes it though is the staff who are warm and friendly and remember you and your favorite drinks and foods time after time. read more

We were in a hurry today at noon and stopped in and we got great service at the counter and got two breakfast orders . The food came out quick and was great ,our coffee cups were never empty, the employees were pleasant and attentive read more

Went here last weekend, because none of us had eaten and we wanted diner food. I've heard this place was voted best breakfast and best family restaurant and so we wanted to try it out, so we did. It was yummy and it filled the void. It's well lit, spacious, and the wait staff was quite friendly even at 10PM. This place gets 4 stars because it is just better than the average diner. It seems that one can stray from ordering basic diner fare like omelets and burgers without fearing nastiness and actually be pleasantly surprised (as a few in our party had some sweet entrees). Don't compare it to a fine dining restaurant, but in the realm of diners, it really is a shining star. A few bonus points - 1)I love the feeling that I had when I was sitting down and eating, It felt like a true neighborhood diner (I''m from Kenhorst) where I ate, drank, and even conversated with my server on a personal level. 2) The bathroom was the cleanest and most pleasant smelling diner bathroom have ever witnessed in my young adult life. Finally, the mark of any good diner - fresh cole slaw, you know , the kind you'd actually bother eating as opposed to the more common type that, upon sight, you shove aside without a second thought. read more

Tried the turkey avocado wrap and almost vomited. Tried to feed it to my cat and she promptly turned her nose up at it. Don't buy from here unless u r after just the usual greasy burger. Omfg... gag read more

OK so here's the deal: I used to really love this place. They do an amazing breakfast. But I have to tell about one experience last night (5/5/11) that left a horrible taste in my mouth. We went for a late dinner around 11pm, and were being served by a waitress named Pat. The entire time, she was grumpy, dismissive, and unattentive. It took her 7 minutes at one point to actually get a coffee refill and a water that my boyfriend asked for. But just for the benefit of the doubt, we'll put that part aside for the moment. When we received our bills (In her defense, I will say that she had the right of mind to give the four of us separate checks without us having to ask), somewhere a bit after midnight, I noticed that gratuity was included in our bill. We were all somewhat puzzled as to why this was, since we had seen no signs posted stating any sort of policy of gratuity included after midnight or anything. So our natural approach was to ask the two other tables near us. One was a table of four middle-aged folks, and the other was a table of three gentlemen about our age (early to late 20's) who seemed to be regulars. Neither of these tables had gratuity added to their bills. Needless to say, we were angry. I decided we'd give her a chance to explain why she would do this. When we went to check out, I asked, and she couldn't give me a straight answer. She said, "Oh, it's just something we do." I pointed out that the other tables nearby had no gratuities included. She stated, "Management enables us to put gratuity on people's bills for whatever reasons we have." I asked her for the reason. She blurted, "Well, some young folks don't put a tip on." I stated calmly but firmly to her that I have worked in a restaurant, and generally I tip around 30%, that she would have received that despite the terrible service, if it weren't for the fact that she made a superficial judgement about us. She had the gall to say, "Well, you can leave as much as you like, but I'm doing you a favor by only charging you this tip, so you don't HAVE to pay as much." At this point, I was not only angry, but offended. My boyfriend asked to see the manager. There was none on duty, so we asked for a name. She replied, with capitalization to show her rather snarky emphasis, "WELL, we DO have business cards RIGHT by the REGISTER." I picked up a business card, and verbally noted that there was no name on it, so we asked for a name. She replied, "He's the one who runs the Facebook page." We asked for the manager's name again. She replied, "The manager's son, the assistant manager, will be in tomorrow morning." We had to ask A THIRD TIME for the manager's name before she finally spat out, "Michael." She started ringing us up, and still gave us the total for the bill after her added gratuity, as if we wouldn't notice, after we had clearly asked her to remove it and had explained that gratuities are only for a job well done. We pointed this out to her. She then started typing on her calculator slowly for several MINUTES to calculate our bill, when she could have easily just added the amounts listed on the checks after tax and before her forced gratuity. To boot, while she was typing on her calculator, she started calling us names and hurling insults. She said we were being childish, and that no matter how old some people get, they still act like children. My boyfriend leaned over the counter and asserted, "I'm 28 years old. I'm hardly a child." If I hadn't been so angry and struck wordless, I would have said something to the effect of, "Last I knew, calling names was childish, not making a complaint about a paid service poorly executed." The worst part is while she was standing there arguing with us, a gentleman was waiting to pay. I apologized to him on the way out for the wait, but I doubt she did. At no point did this woman offer any semblance of good customer service. She never tried to make it right at all; she never asked what could have made it better; she never offered any apology for her behavior. Even just a simple, diplomatic, "I'm sorry if I made you feel that I discriminated against you, it wasn't my intent," would have been sufficient, but there was no negotiation, concern for our viewpoint, nothing. In any case, I'm sorry to have to report this, because I have been here for breakfast several times, with great food and prices. Most of the waitresses and waiters here are truly nice, gems of people. It's a shame that such a bad egg has to destroy the experience. As long as Pat is working there, I will not visit this diner again. We plan to call the manager this morning, and if need be, file this same complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I do not know why we were discriminated against; I can only assume it had to do with our age, in our 20's, but frankly, any waiter who treats me right off the bat like I won't give a tip, will be right, and any waiter who does an outstanding job, I continue to tip generously. read more

My family loves coming here for breakfast on weekends! Reasonable pricing and great food! My sons are big fans of the chocolate chip pancakes and hot chocolate! It's a family friendly atmosphere and a great place to go when you don't want to cook dinner read more

The food may be great dinner food, but two parties were seated after we arrived so we just walked away. We were a party of two for Sunday brunch; one party of two and another larger party cam while we were waiting and were shown to their tables...no reservations were required. What were they thinking?? read more

Relatively slow service, food was just ok, there was chewed gum on our creamer plate when we sat down. Large milk was $4.27... But it does have a really shiny outside! read more

We went here with a large group after my grandfather's funeral. We had a reservation. I understand that we were a large group and that can make service a real pain. However, with a prix fixe menu that is a choice of three sandwiches and two soups, you would think the restaurant would be able to manage. It might have been the kitchen's fault: the chicken bone in my chicken salad sandwich certainly was. The service was unfriendly, although my family's increasing frustration at the time everything took to come out probably didn't help, as it did take a very long time. Cannot recommend this diner or their food. read more

Very disappointed in this restaurant. The host had a terrible attitude, and very nastily screamed at his mother throughout our entire meal. The food was over cooked, and took an excessive amount of time to get to us. Very disappointing. The women here are working incredibly hard, and the host repeatedly demeaned them the entire time yet played best friends with all the men. read more

Stopped in with the family for late lunch. The house smoked brisket was excellent! The rest of the gang had huge portions - steak, omelet, chicken, and tapioca dessert. Friendly service and low price. read more

Love the salad bar and soups. Even got platter never disappoint. Rated #1 diner by readers choice 2015

I love Exeter Family Restaurant! My husband and I have truly never had a bad meal here and we come about once a month or so. We went today for lunch and everything was great. I had the gorgonzola chicken salad sandwich, which was a Saturday lunch special, and my husband had one of their new wraps. Our 1 year old had their kids meal mac and cheese which of course he always loves. My sandwich was overflowing with fresh spring mix and chicken salad and my husband ended up having to take half of his wrap home because it was so big. One of my favorites there is the Rachel panini. It's like a Reuben but with turkey. It's delicious! Our sever today was great. We have had her before and she is always very lovely. The GM or owner (it is the gentleman who responds to the posts here on Yep) is always there when we go and he always has a smile on his face. Although he has never personally come to our table, he is often at tables chatting up guests and it always seems like he knows everyone. These recent negative reviews honestly make me a little sad. My husband and I have been coming here for about 6 or 7 years. Before we had our little one we used to make plenty of stops here at 1 or 2 am after a night out and now we enjoy coming here for breakfast or lunch with our son. We live in Exeter and aside from fast food and 1 terrible chain restaurant, there isn't much around here. I understand that people have 1 bad experience somewhere and they want to tell everyone. I really think most of these negative reviews are based off of 1 visit but I am basing my review off of the many times I have been here. I think slow service or bad food that people are talking about in their reviews is a rare exception here and not close to the norm. My only suggestion would to maybe have 1 person that is designated to seat guests during your very busy times. The girl who was seating today was also checking people out and she was pretty backed up when we arrived so we did stand and wait for a few minutes. We didn't mind at all but the couple in front of us was elderly and I could tell the gentleman couldn't stand much longer. We love it here. Keep up the good work! We will see you soon! read more

Ok, so maybe it's not the place that I'm headed for dinner but I love a good diner for breakfast and Exeter will do just fine. Decent breakfast food, good variety of menu options, classic diner coffee and a very patient wait staff that never seem to mind if you linger with friends for long periods of time. A go to place for breakfast with my girlfriends. read more

I am re-reviewing this restaurant after my last review was removed for "conflict of interest" despite the fact that neither I nor anyone I know works for Exeter Family Restaurant nor for any restaurant at all. Seemed like an arbitrary decision by Yelp for whatever reason, but since we're not given the opportunity to defend ourselves, I'll just have settle for this. I vacillate between giving this place 5 stars and 1 star. So I'll sorta average it, but begrudgingly. When EFR is good, it is really good, but when it's bad, it's worse than almost any other place I've been. I've had 2 servers tell me to leave because they wanted to be sat again (to the owner's credit, he contacted me and fixed the problem), I've had servers sit and chat with me (love that!). I've had great, speedy, friendly service, and other times I've been left with cold coffee and inedible food with hair in it. When I come with my 10+ family members, we're treated like gold, but when I come by myself (which is often) I'm sometimes treated like a leper. I've had the best Italian Wedding soup ever, and I've had the lumpiest whatever that was. See where I'm going with this? It's the inconsistency. My most recent visit involved a parmigiana dish that doesn't come with spaghetti. The first time I've ever encountered this in my life, and I'm Italian, thank you very much. How do you not serve spaghetti with a parm dish? Okay, okay, fine. At least offer two sides instead of one to make up for the fact that your meatloaf parm (interesting in concept, if not lacking in execution) doesn't come with spaghetti. Again, to his credit, the owner contacted me, but shortly afterwards my review was removed from Yelp, and I can't help but think that the two are connected. Come on, EFR. I really want you to be my *place*. Everywhere I've lived, I've had my *place*. I don't have a *place* now, because I can't trust you. read more

Seriously I can't believe some of the bad reviews. My husband and I are here weekly. I do agree that some waitresses are much friendly than others. I wish I knew that blonde short haired gal that is real sassy. I love her!!! They are always friendly and I love seeing the owners help out. The food is yummy!!! I have never waited 20 minutes to be waited on. Someone is lying. They have the biggest breakfast menu ever. So many choices and you get a lot of food. We will continue to brag about how great this place is. My only thing is that I wish you had potato soup once in awhile. Keep up the great work Michael and staff. :) read more

I came in at 6:00 am with my team . There was one server and she told us to "get a life" and proceeded to complain about us to other costumers cause she was "the only one working" . We left read more

Service was excellent. I gave it two stars because I love sticky buns and scrapple. I am PA Dutch who moved to California so when I come home I am looking for some good old fashioned Dutch food. Not at Exeter! We ordered both the scrapple and sticky buns and they were not good. Fortunately, we did find another restaurant that serves quality Dutch food. read more

This is the best diner in the area! I'm a local girl and this place has been amazing since they opened. They have a great breakfast, amazing lunch and dinner, and late night has a wide selection. Their salad bar is amazing and is a staple of every lunch or dinner I eat there. The service is awesome and friendly! I give this place 5 stars for a reason. read more

I've been here twice. The first visit was great - good food, nice service, good price. So we decided to go back today. I ordered the chicken croquettes which came with a side and the salad bar. The croquettes were terrible! The server took them away & asked if I wanted anything instead. I declined as my husband was finished his meal at that point. What really turned me off is the lack of customer service from the manager. He never came to the table to address our complaint & took the entrée off the check but charged us for the salad - $4.50! I had a small side salad expecting to enjoy my entrée. At the register we asked him about it & he curtly stated I had access to the full salad bar & should have been charged the full salad bar price of $8.50; implying he did us a favor. Really?! read more

The food is usually pretty good. The service is hit or miss. Tonight, it was a miss. The waitress gave us our food, didn't check on us, gave us the check and she never came back. No refills on drinks. No "would you like desert? " it was just meh. read more

Good, solid diner food, perhaps a shade better than average. Had their meatloaf parmigiana - it was exactly as you would expect, with meatloaf slices rather than the usual chicken, veal, or eggplant. Service was pokey but it was a busy Saturday night. Would like to go back and their breakfast a try! read more

My daughter and I are went here for breakfast last week, was totally disappointed, got eggs Benedict, eggs are supposed to be poached, mine were hard boiled, showed waitress, didn't do anything, It would have been awesome if she would tell management or person cooking, wasnt pleased at all!! read more

Good food but bad service. The cashier insulted me after mixing my tab with someone else's. I won't return.

Love this diner. This is where I used to hang out late night, just to sit with friends, drink coffee.. sober up.. eat delicious food. Lots of locals and regulars.. the staff is always super nice. Best cook and hostess!! ;) read more

This place was awesome. We came in alittle after 12pm and sat almost right away. The waitress came to our table and our son said he wanted a pancake. We ended up ordering the kids 2 cheeseburgers.. I was splitting the one with my 2 or 4 year olds. When our food was brought the waitress brought a pancake with for my 2 year old son (for nothing). We thought that was sweet of her! You get a lot of food for your money. We will be back to this place again! read more

Have enjoyed the menu and service for about 5 visits. Went there yesterday. All started out well. Then after I had my soup and salad. Saw the waitress gabbing with the other waitress's. No problem for a while. 17 min later still no sign of her. The table next to me was getting impatient and went to the register for their check. I gave up and did the same. The gentleman at the register treated me with respect and found my take out food and got me a dessert. I will go back. The food is great, but I will make sure I do not sit in the same waitress's area. Maybe she was not having a good day read more

Exeter family is a staple when you are in the Exeter area. The food is always delicious and quality. All staff and servers are personable and attentive. I've been coming here to eat for at least 7 years and have never had a bad experience. A great place to catch up with family and friends. This place is run by great people and the food is delicious. 10 outta 10! read more