Stopped into downtown staple Pearl Street Diner for breakfast this morning and ended up chatting with the owners. Hopefully we convinced them to consider bringing a satellite location back to 112 State The food definitely did NOT miss for a classic local diner. My coworker said her breakfast sandwich was the best she's had in 2026 Now the downside... if you're driving, parking is minimal to almost nonexistent, and the prices are a little high... but honestly what isn't expensive nowadays? Places like this are part of what gives a city character. Good staples don't die read more

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Awesome diner! The place to be, with tons of local gossip, lore and heaps of food. Great for breakfast and lunch. Sparkling clean. Large portions! Review: 5 read more

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Have had my eye on pearl st diner for a minute now and finally got to try it. I really enjoyed their egg sandwich with sausage on a hard roll and coffee. My partner went for their gyro special, which actually surprised me with how good it was. Solid diner experience, and the food came out super quick! read more

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Every time I come here the staff are so friendly, sweet and/or energetic. Such a cute almost retro style design to the place, and the place is always clean. The last time I had their cluckin chicken sandwich and the sauce was delicious! The spice level wasn't overpowering (my spice tolerance is slightly below average)! And the fries were *chefs kiss* one of my favorite spots to go during my office days! read more

Pearl Street Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

I got the vegetable omelette and oh my gosh that was delicious. it came with these amazing home fries and toast. the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. great environment and amazing food (and wonderful coffee too) all super affordable! i will be back :) read more

Pearl Street Diner - vegetable omelette and a coffee - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

I had a great breakfast here. I stopped in late morning and was quickly sat and offered a coffee. I got a recommendation for their breakfast burrito with corned beef hash inside. It was delicious and filling with a great sauce with just a little kick on the side. Perfect for that weekend hangover or just a good meal to get your day started. read more

Pearl Street Diner - Breakfast Burrito - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

Stopped here when we were traveling through Albany and had a wonderful lunch. The workers were really sweet and the food was nice and fresh. We ordered salads, tuna melt, gyro and panini and they were all delish and the salads were super light and fresh. Would def come back! read more

I had an early lunch break today and decided to try the Pearl Street Diner. When I arrived, there was not a single person in the diner besides the staff and every table and booth were empty. I asked if I could sit in one of the comfortable booths as I was dining alone and had a newspaper to read while I ate. I was told NO..I needed to sit in a very small table in the middle of the room because the "Lunch Crowd" would be arriving soon. I could not believe it and briefly protested but the staff and owner were insistent that I sit in a table that would not be comfortable for me in their empty restauraunt.....needless to say I took my business elsewhere and would encourage others to do the same! If this is the way you treat a solo diner in an empty restaurant, I don't need to support your business....and not surprising when I walked back past the Diner about an hour later the "Lunch Crowd" had yet to appear! read more

We are in town from Philly. We walked past this place last night and it was closed, but I remarked to my husband how clean it looked and we should try it for breakfast. We went in today for lunch and the first thing we noticed besides being a full house was the cleanliness. No sticky diner floors or tables and everything shined! Bathrooms were just as clean!! Big points earned there! We were seated by a nice older gentleman, did not get his name. I ordered a turkey ham club, requesting the bacon well done. Came out as requested and it was fresh tasting. Home made macaroni salad garnished the club and tasted as delish as you'd expect from homemade! My husband ordered the chicken salsa sandwich. It was a large breast and fresh, not a frozen patty. It had pepperjack cheese and the salsa on top was also a house made specialty. He loved it as well. Fries were just how we like them-crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. Not dried up or a greasy, mushy mess. Service was fast-Lucia?- waited on us and was friendly. Later we found out she is the owner. If we are ever back in town this is a place we will definitely visit again!!! We highly recommend read more

Had such a fantastic experience here today. From Lucia in the front of house to Tony in the kitchen to the service and the FOOD! There were six of us and we can be a handful but Lucia was so friendly and kind and generous, and Tony was a gem. From mozz sticks to milk shakes, omelets to grilled cheese, chicken fingers to the Reuben...start to finish...top notch. The restaurant was very clean, including the bathrooms. If I lived in Albany I'd be here all the time. I'll definitely stop by every time I'm in town from now on. (People who are pissed about not getting the seat they want should take a deep breath. One or two people taking up a full booth during their rush is bad business for them. It isn't always about YOU.) #beKIND read more

Lots of tasty stuff on the menu. Good food and service, coffee is always hot and fresh. Great chicken soup.

Absolutely horrible experience. I would never go back again. Server was nice. Really tried to accommodate me. The customer service from Siena the owner. Unacceptable. As I was leaving IN THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY I saw 2 Roach looking rodents by the door. Reason # 2 why I wouldn't return. read more

While I'm on burger reviews, I figure catch up with one that I've been meaning to do. I ate breakfast at Pearl Street Diner, and never got a chance to do review. But, let's just say I was not disappointed. I had jury duty few weeks back, and the only thing to look forward to, was getting to go to Pearl Street Diner at lunch. Not only because the food is great, but the are lightening fast. They made the burger to my preference, and it was great. I ate at the bar and noticed almost every other person ordering the goulash. Seems like I got the wrong dish. Will try it next time, and let you know. read more

Pearl Street Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

What a rip-off! I paid 14 dollars for a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of soup. I will not ever go back to this place.

I'm glad I didn't listen to the reviews! My daughter wanted to eat here and after reading the reviews, I didn't have high expectations. We were seated quickly, even though they were packed and our food came out super fast and was delicious! The place was very clean and the staff were efficient and friendly. I had the Greek salad with chicken and shrimp. It was so delicious by itself, I never even tried the dressing. read more

Pearl Street Diner - Greek salad with chicken and shrimp - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

I've been for breakfast on several occasions. I get steak, scrambled eggs w/ potatoes. The food is delicious, well seasoned, cooked to perfection. read more

I have given this dinner business before and, forvery the most part, always been ok I have always paid the bill and left 18% tip ! But for some reason, today, when I walked in I couldn't use their restroom ! Not sure why ! It's pretty safe to say they won't be getting anymore of my business or a tip of anykind ! Very down hill since an old waitress left read more

Full disclosure I've only eaten here once and it was French Toast but it was delicious! My husband had eggs and really enjoyed them, I know not very sexy, but hey - we're simple people. What I really LOVED was their outstanding customer service! We are disabled (we have dwarfism and all sorts of orthopedic and spine issues) so it's hard for us to do lots of things. When they saw us coming they RAN outside to help us. After a 14 hour spinal surgery it's hard for me to get comfortable so they let me switch tables until I found a comfortable spot! And they were more than happy to do it! When we left our waitress followed us out and made sure we got across the street safely. Outstanding, thank you guys! ‍‍‍‍For other folks interested: this is all flat and accessible. I didn't use the restroom so I cannot comment on that specific accessibility (sorry). Parking is on the street but there is a garage nearby. read more

Great downtown eatery. Fast, friendly service and good food. I had one of the days specials, chicken parmigiana on penne and it was fantastic. read more

The eggs were cooked so much that they were rubbery. Note to future eaters: None of the omelets come with cheese. If you want jelly with your toast, you have to ask yourself. The waitress opened a bag of coffee with her teeth. She carried our glasses out by the rim (where we drink from). The place was mobbed but that's no excuse to lack customer service. Nobody asked how our meal was, we had to ask for our check. We didn't get our waters. Overall bad experience. read more

Pearl Street Diner - The eggs were so over cooked they were rubbery. - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

Short overnight visit to the city and this gem was near the hotel. It was so good that I ate here twice. Staff is polite, efficient and service is quick. Food is good and fresh. read more

Food was good but the loud mouth guy behind the register never shut up and had to hear all their business and the f bomb being dropped here and there! read more

Convenient location for basic diner breakfast. I came here about 2 years ago and it was ok. Good basic breakfast. This time I ordered steak and eggs. Don't. I don't expect a prime grade A steak but my medium rare steak came out almost raw. Probably was slightly frozen when it went on the grill. I didn't complain and ate around the almost raw parts. No option for side of pancakes except full price order. I entered around 1130 am. Only one other regular customer sitting at the counter. I asked to sit in one of 6 empty booths by the window so I could sit In the sun. I was told they expected a lunch rush so I got to sit awkwardly at a table by myself. Two other solo customers come in asking for booths and were told the same. I left and the booths remained open. I don't understand how protective they are of their booths. Whatever. Anyway, it's basic food. Dont order the steak and eggs. read more

Should have checked yelp before we tried this place. Ordered a roast beef and ham & cheese sandwich. The roast beef was veiny and dry. The ham & cheese was very mayonnaise. They didn't have any fancy bread. Just some basic ones from the grocery store. read more

Stopped in for breakfast. They had me at "corn beef hash"!! Ordered three eggs to go with it. Yummy. Really liked their corned beef hash. Not big chunks of corned beef - more like a small burger. I could have had a second order of that. Swapped home fries for sliced tomatoes and added a fruit cup. Everything was good. Lots of working chaps eating there too. Portions were great. Joked with the waitress I was going to re-order (I was nearly serious). I'd eat breakfast there again. No question. Oh, total bill was like $17. I gave a $5 tip. Totally worth it. read more

It's right next to the downtown Hilton literally right next-door amazing omelette and they Homestyle potatoes were fantastic perfectly cooked crunchy just like I like them coffee nice and hot . Lucia is amazing, and yes the Omelette is named after her I believe it's the owners wife read more

Pearl Street Diner - Lucia's omelette. It's a must have... if you don't like this there's something wrong with you, Not the omelette! - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

Good location, good service, but food is not fresh or tasty compared to similar diners. We were in the area, so my friend and and I stopped into the Pearl Street Diner for an early lunch. We were promptly seated. The restaurant is bright and clean. Service was good. Unfortunately, the quality of the food was just not that good. Neither me nor my friend are picky eaters. We also like to eat at diners, so we have a lot of reference points. The food here was below par. My friend did not finish her's because the burger was too greasy, and my food was not fresh. I ate all my food, and even finished up most of her remaining food. Like I said, I'm not that picky. But compared to standard diner food, the quality was just not there. We talked about the Pearl Street diner on our way home and first thought that maybe it was average and deserved three stars. We finally agreed that compared to other local diners it was a little bit below average and was only deserving of two stars. There are many excellent diners in the Capital District, but this is not one of them. read more

It's a good no frills diner. I stopped in on a Wednesday morning around 9 am. The ordering process was quick and friendly. My order of two eggs over easy with bacon, toast and homefries was ready in about 5 minutes. My eggs were cooked well, which can often be hit or miss at a diner. Breakfast and a large cup of orange juice was $8 and change, which was inexpensive. If you're in hurry, takeout is available and it seems to be the popular choice. Suggestions: Skip the coffee here and go to Dunkin, Stagecoach or Starbucks. All three are less than a block away. Grab a look at specials board outside the entrance for the daily breakfast option or the soup of the day. read more

We've reconciled things here and I have been getting gyros again. Although I must say, my favorite is when they have split pea soup on the soup list for the day! It's the best split pea I've ever had and the owner's wife even put me on to croutons in it which is amazing. Yum read more

My office was ordering breakfast from this diner multiple times a week. Mainly because they have decent french toast and waffles. The eggs are always over-cooked. The bacon is usually under-cooked, fatty and chewy. But overall it was mediocre to good most times. Never dealt with the staff, as we just place an order online and have it delivered. Until today. On the phone with a woman who works there, didn't give her name, but she was one of the most rude, ignorant, foul human beings I've ever encountered. Refusing to send an item with our order that was CLEARLY paid for. Becoming belligerent and combative. Zero customer service skills. We requested the order be cancelled and refunded. Refused. We requested the particular item be removed and refunded. Refused yet again. There are many other places in the area with better quality food at a lower price, that is actually served by people who care about customer satisfaction. And these State workers will be bringing their business elsewhere and urging everyone else to do the same. Good luck losing a lot of your core customers. (I do understand some people you just cannot please no matter what you do, but in this instance, we paid for an item/they refused to give it. It isn't rocket science. We weren't being unreasonable in our requests to either give us the item or refund the amount paid. There was no need to get loud and combative over the phone.) read more

Went here yesterday for lunch as it was right behind our hotel. They did not have their hours or menu posted in the window and we got there at 2:30 to find out they close at 3pm. Was a little rushed by the waitress but the food made it worth it. I had the Grilled Chicken Deluxe Sandwich with bacon, swiss cheese & honey mustard. Came with a pickle spear, curly fries & a tiny dollop of cole slaw. Served on a great roll. ($8) My friend had the tuna melt. Well toasted sandwich full of tuna salad. Hers came with regular fries that were a little under done. I think the chef was in a hurry to close the kitchen. ($7) The menu had quite a few sandwiches & salads to choose from. Each salad could be customized with your choice of grilled shrimp or chicken. A guy at a nearby table had the club sandwich & I would definitely get it next time. Looked amazing! Daily specials. The waitress said they only opened 6 months ago & the owner planned on having dinner hours soon. Clean, bright restaurant close to the Capitol. read more

Four of us stopped for breakfast and had one of the worst experiences. You must know to order cheese for your omelette or it comes bone dry with dry over cooked eggs. The breakfast burrito came without hash browns as advertised, and was the same over cooked dry eggs, no cheese, no veggies and about 1 sausage link cut up for the whole thing. If you want salsa and sour cream you must ask for it and get attitude from the server. We ordered a glass of milk and it came half full. Our coffees were never refilled, we had to ask for jelly to put in the barely buttered toast, and we never got our waters. The server came by to take our order and to deliver our food, never asked how anything was, nor did she bring our check. NOW, let's talk about the owner. When I went up to ask for the check and to mention our disappointment, his response was cheese is extra. Ok. I would pay extra if I knew I had to. Didn't seem to care and definitely didn't want to hear about our issues but rather told me how he never has complaints (just read some of the other reviews which I wish we had done before going here), told me it was a Greek diner, which by the way means nothing to me, and tried to justify our bad experience because of the fact that it was Sunday and they were very busy. This man needs a lesson in customer service and that you do not berate the customer in front of an entire diner. He also was running around like a crazy man and we overheard him ask his young help if he was deaf because he apparently hadn't heard whatever the order was that was barked at him. Really? Don't waste your time, money or energy going here but rather walk across the street to get a fresh hot cup of coffee and a wake up wrap at Dunkin' Donuts. You will be much more satisfied and will have a much better customer experience. This would have been zero stars but there is not that option. read more

Pearl Street Diner is a simple, homely diner that whips up your usual breakfast and diner fare ranging from omelets to burgers. We stopped by on a Sunday morning and place was somewhat busy so service was very slow - potentially I went on a day where the diner was short staffed. The food itself is alright. The burger is fairly average and cooked a little more than what you ask for. My friends got the Reuben and the Hungry Man Special, which they felt was alright. Coffee left a bit to be descired as well. read more

Good food with lots of reasonably priced options. I had the meat lovers omelette special, which was good but the price wasn't special. I'd definitely come back again. Clean dining area with onsite management. Definitely better than 3 stars I think. read more

Pearl Street Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

Well not only is there food not something to write home. They also are very rude. I'll never go back if you're visiting Albany I'd avoid it.

Food is alright. I had the Cheeseburger Deluxe. The burger tasted bland but the fries are good. The price is reasonable for the amount of beef inside the burger. ($6.75) The burger comes with a long slice of pickle and a (very) small serving of mac salad. There are not many decent places within a short walking distance in the area so if you really want to eat diner food, this place is okay. If you want a good burger, I suggest going to The Hollow. It's a few dollars more but it's so much better, especially if you get the sweet potato fries. read more

Pearl Street Diner - Cheeseburger Deluxe ($6.75). Comes with fries, slice of pickle, lettuce and tomato in the burger, and a small mac salad. - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

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I would have rated it higher; however, I went in for French Toast around 11am. At that hour I was the only customer. Service was fast, coffee was good and hot. French Toast was barely warm and unimaginative. Price for (2) slices of bread too much. I can't recommend this place. Try the Skinny Pancake up the street you may have better luck. read more

My experience here was very good. It was clean and friendly! The service was excellent. Yes they fully cook the eggs. I added cheese to my Western Omelette because the menu clearly did not list the item. My coffee was very good as well. read more

The Diner has a little bit of everything going for it. Location is perfect from almost any where in Downtown. The De core is really nice and clean. The wait staff are fantastic and fun to be around.. The Food and Drinks are a little costly but the portions are large enough to make up for it. There are daily specials that are always a good choice. This is the only diner in Albany where you can sit, eat and relax and enjoy your meal. I highly recommend taking the clients, the family or anyone else here for breakfast or dinner. read more

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Cute. Homey. Friendly. I felt like a regular on my 1st visit. The food was great. I had the Mediterranean omelette and my husband had the meat omelette. Casey, our waitress, was a doll. She switched around sides to suit us with good cheer. And surprisingly for a diner, the coffee was very good. Eat here. Perfect diner experience. read more

Pearl Street Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York