Ok I gave this place a 4th try and honestly I was never going to set foot in here again...so I ordered the BLT and I must humble myself cause I loved it plus we got Mexican Street Corn. Then we got the grilled Bluebarry Muffin w/vanilla ice cream. Very very good two snaps and a swirl.... read more

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I was thrilled to see that Hudson Diner opened the day we arrived in town for a two-week stay. We have our favorite restaurants here that we visit every trip without fail, but we will always jump at the chance to try a new spot--especially when it's the brainchild of folks who run some of our other favorites in town. It is not surprising, then, that we thoroughly enjoyed our time here and were already planning our return before we had even finished our meal. Hudson Diner is wholesome, quirky, nurturing, fun, and affordable -- certainly a welcome addition to the dining scene! We walked in here at around 8pm on a Saturday night (they don't take reservations, at least at the time of this review). The space was about 2/3 full when we arrived, but about 15-20 minutes into our time here, it had filled up considerably. Hudson Diner took over the space that used to be Grazin' Diner, and while the bones are the same, the energy is noticeably different (read: improved). The menu at Grazin' was giving overpromising and underdelivering whereas Hudson Diner's menu is understated and what you'll receive is fresh, classic, and delicious. I heard from a friend that Hudson Diner was boasting an impressive cocktail menu, so we made that a priority upon arriving. Like the food menu, you'll see a list of well-known classics (i.e., margarita, martini, tom collins) and some lesser known classics (i.e., amaretto sour). Lately I've been more in the mood for the classics rather than that super fancy and intricate stuff, so this was exciting to me. I started with a mezcal margarita because it was a hot day and there's nothing that gets me more in that summery place. They couldn't do it spicy but they at least had salt, and it was delicious. My partner started with a Singapore Sling, which I was pleasantly surprised by (I often find them too sweet but this one was very well-balanced). I then made a hard pivot to a dirty (read: filthy) gin martini, because I am me. This one did not disappoint either! Food-wise, it's still all about the classics. Snacks/chilled apps, a bunch of salads, sandwiches/anything between bread, and mains. Yes, the bread is from Mel the Bakery. We split every as we're known to do, but it's not necessary to do shared plates style here. That said, it's always fun to try everything on the table. Eats, below: Smoked Fish Dip We threw this in at the last minute and the impulsivity paid off. Served with Saltines, which felt correct in this context. It was like very good whitefish salad, delicious and nostalgic. Greek Salad Nothing like a fresh Greek salad on a hot day. I would've liked a few more tomatoes thrown in there, especially at this time of year, but that's personal preference. Overall, a great salad that was very satisfying. Chicken Souvlaki w/ tzatziki, greek salad No frills, no problem. Little else to say about this other than it hit the spot. Chopped Steak w/ peppercorn sauce, onions, peas I was curious what "chopped steak" would be given that I've ever seen something described as such. Perhaps I was thinking it would be something similar to the way steak is served in carne asada? In this case, it was closer to hamburger than steak, the steak being "chopped" to the point of being essentially ground. My partner was surprised, but it was a moment of needing to withstand the surprise of getting something different than what you were expecting, because it was downright delicious. I loved every bit of it. Served with onions rings that we agreed were the perfect ratio of breading to onion, with space in between. Peppercorn sauce was delicious and I wish I could've gotten extra to take home and put on roasted veggies at some other meal. Lastly, I'll just say that the service was excellent. We were checked up on by multiple people throughout the meal, and water glasses were filled in a timely and efficient manner. read more

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We decided on an ultra casual spot for dinner tonight in the Hudson Valley and ended up at the Hudson Diner (717 Warren St.) in Hudson, NY. This location has been a diner for the last 80 years, but has only been operated by the current owners (who also own Mel's Bakery in Hudson, a rather famous establishment moved up to the area from Brooklyn) for the last four months. My single sentence review : "Nostalgic beverage and meal choices, in an upbeat, modernized diner, with super affable staff, at quite reasonable prices." We opted to sit at the counter and were seated immediately. The staff here seems really chill and eager to please. Kendra was our primary server for the evening, though few other people also assisted throughout the meal. My wife ordered a freshly brewed iced tea and for nostalgia purposes I order a Utica Club Lager. For anyone who went to college in upstate NY during the 1970s, when the drinking age was still 18, as we did in Ithaca, you can relive your drinking days with a taste of Utica Club, Miller Lite, or even the much sought after Genesee Cream Ale; the only beer missing was a bottle of Rolling Rock. lol Ah, the memories. While the memories are great the taste has not improved over the last 50 years, so I rather quickly ordered a Manhattan up, which was quite satisfying. I think Kendra appreciated our playfulness and took our orders for dinner. The menu at the Hudson Diner is tight--burgers, a few other sandwiches, a few apps, and three entrees. Their special for the night was another burger. But the place was packed, so obviously they're doing well, probably due to the nostalgic cocktails (e.g., when is the last time you've seen a Singapore Sling on a cocktail menu?) and the quality of the burgers. We are not burger for dinner people, so we cast our dining sights elsewhere. My wife ordered a tuna melt, one of her favs, which came with extra crispy fries, per her request. I ordered the chopped steak medium rare, talk about a nostalgic dish, which came with gravy, peas and onions, and onion rings. We both enjoyed our meals, but were not wowed by the flavors. My chopped steak was perfectly cooked, more on the rare rather than the medium side (which I preferred) and the meat was very flavorful. But the peas and onions, which were clearly frozen, while hot, were not really cooked through and lacked flavor. As for my onion rings . . . I have to admit that I didn't like the dark look of the fry when I first received my plate. However, the fry was crunchy, grease-free and the onions were tender, succulent, and a really good flavor. The gravy which came with the steak was nothing memorable. We both almost finished our meals, spent some time chatting with the staff about the history of this location--it's been a diner for 80 years under many different names--received our bill, paid and said our thanks to Kendra and the staff as we headed out into the night illuminated by a full moon. The Hudson Diner is definitely a fun place to dine and have some old-school cocktails, relax with the background music and probably enjoy a well-made burger. read more

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I loved this place. It is authentic, has the true diner feel, without kitsch or excessive decor. The food was excellent. It's clear they make a big effort to serve traditional diner fare in its best form with high quality ingredients. I had a tuna melt sandwich, my daughter a Caesar salad, both were excellent. I'm a big diner fan; I would go out of my way for this place again. Oh, and the music in the background was perfect. read more

Love this dinner! Our first time in Hudson and we decided to stop in and so glad we did. The staff are super friendly and I love the old school diner vibe with Great music. We had the special burger and the coconut shrimp and both were delicious! Highly recommend for a low key meal while when in town. read more

My wife and I have been looking forward to trying the Hudson Diner, and last night we got our chance. It was so reassuring to see someone do something positive with this iconic space, where Paul Newman ate breakfast in the film Nobody's Fool. When we got there the place was hopping, and we waited quite a while for a table. The new owners have replaced the missing booths which for some reason the previous tenant, Grazin', had removed. (What's a diner without booths?) So we got our booth and ordered dinner. I'll start off with the positives: the hostess and our waiter could not have been kinder and more attentive. The atmosphere, lighting, general ambience is perfect. We were ready for a good experience. Unfortunately, now the negatives: despite being a very nice guy, our waiter put in my wife's dinner order- Caesar salad with chicken - as an appetizer, so it came out way before my dinner, and she was finished with it before my chopped steak with peppercorn sauce and peas was ready. Kind of a rookie mistake. My wife loves a good Caesar salad, but she found this one to be dry, boring, and flavorless. The added chicken was also tasteless. My wife is not a picky diner, and she was hungry when she sat down- but she could not get through her meal, it was so uninteresting. I eventually got my steak, and I will say it was very tasty- I loved the peppercorn sauce- I'm just sorry it was too small, an appetizer size portion, for $26- not a meal. We moved up from Manhattan 25 years ago, and we used to love all the homey, reasonably priced local restaurants that existed in Columbia County then. I guess "progress" means that most every place that opens in Hudson is a hip, overpriced NYC wannabe. Hudson Diner tries to hit the right "diner" notes, but you're not doing it right when your "chopped steak" is the size of a child's hamburger, and your Caesar salad is a sad dry thing. The vibe is great, the personnel very friendly- but this first time around the food was sadly underwhelming. read more

i love this place. it's so easy. the food throughout hudson is great, but we were really missing a casual place like hudson diner. favorites are the chicken fingers and greek salad. perfect for family night read more

I have tried everything on the entree menu and they are all great! They also had a chicken marsala special last weekend that was very good. A new place yet the service is spectacular. None of the "growing" pains I expected. The vibe is friendly and fun. Can't wait for expanded hours. read more