This diner is delightful! My husband and I ordered burgers there, and they were delicious, cooked just right, and flavorful. The atmosphere is really cool, too, if you like the whole diner vibe. We were waited on promptly and served our food quickly. While we were there, the manager showed up and you could tell that he cared about the place as he did tell the wait staff to take care of some janitorial duties. It showed me that he truly liked his job and wanted his customers to have a great experience. The prices are good, consistent or even a bit better than comparable diners, and we liked the Greek Flair. I had backlava for dessert, and it was pretty good, although not quite as good as the burger. Overall, for the money, the value is great! Recommended. read more

Super friendly staff, great service, delicious food. If you are looking for tasty and simple diner food as well as a great atmosphere, this is the place to go. I stopped in just by chance and was completely satisfied with my experience. read more

Great breakfast. Open at 6:00am thank goodness. Sometimes you just need a good greasy spoon. Friendly staff, always a pleasure to visit.

Service was quick and the food was delicious! Always a fail-safe when I can't figure out where to go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Pretty cool atmosphere. Kinda greasy, but that's to be expected. Selection of pastries is low. Not that clean. Service is sub par. read more

The State Diner - Spinach omelett - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My son and I hadn't been here for a long time so thought we would stop by for breakfast. While the service was good and our food came quickly, we were both disappointed. My omelet was way overcooked, and the texture was not good. Half burned cold toast with margarine. The side of potatoes was luke warm and burned in some spots and mushy in others, sprinkled with garlic powder. Our muffins were grilled on one side and frozen on the other. $4.50 for a glass of orange juice. Our total bill for a breakfast for two was over $50.00 with tip. We won't be returning. Definitely not the place it used to be! Sad! read more

Cute place with friendly service. Those grilled onions in the omelettes are fire. Go for the biscuit.

Expensive waiting time is ridiculous even after you're seated , food doesn't taste good not worth it

I wish this place didn't exist so I wasn't suckered into going there on a night when I'm leaving The Westy or Felicia's. I've been there probably 5 or 6 times unfortunately. One time, I asked for cheese in my omelet and they forgot it. I told my server, she took it back, they slapped a piece of cheese on it and gave it back. Maybe it's just me, but half of the reason I would get an omelet is to enjoy the melty cheese inside, not the barely soft piece of cheese thrown on top. I don't like to waste food so I didn't send it back, again, but I was not pleased. I'm also not sure what is in that giant oil can they use to cook on the flat top, but eggs not disguised with cheese and veggies taste FUNKY. Don't dare order anything cooked on the flat top if you're a vegetarian like eggs, french toast, pancakes, a grilled cheese. I've sat at the counter and watched the crazy mix of meat and non-meat that occurs on that. I'm not even a vegetarian and I was a little grossed out. I honestly don't know if there is anything actually worth getting at the State. They have a great location, and based on all the positive reviews, it seems that most people just have insanely low standards. I understand that they are not promoting gourmet fare, but they are not cheap either. If you're going to charge me $2 for adding peppers to my omelet, make sure you melt the cheese first. I could probably buy 2 whole peppers for that amount of money. So if you are drunk on State street or don't care about what you're putting in your mouth, this place might not be so bad after all. On a bittersweet note, the main grill cook at night, a woman I think her name is Mary, is AWESOME. She is one badass lady and I love watching her cook. However, most of the other staff, in my experience, makes me feel super unwelcome. I know working at a 24 hour joint can be exhausting, but I'm a good tipper, so don't treat me like a dog. Just throwing food and water at me is not all I'm looking for. read more

Was in Ithaca visiting my son and went here on a busy Sunday morning. It was very crowded when we arrived, but we were seated within the time we were told the wait would be - which a lot of places can't get right. Unfortunately, that was the high point. We waited 35 minutes to get our food, and my wife's eggs were hard - not soft like she asked. When the waitress had them red-done, she felt compelled to tell my wife that the first plste was cooked properly (it wasn't) but "the cook re-did them anyway." My omlet was cold. So - I don't think we'll be back. read more

The food is very good when it's late at night and you're starving. Nothing special about the place, and avoid the front benches no matter what they tell you, always look in the back with the REAL booths or sit at the bar. read more

this place has a pretty good breakfast but the lunch/dinner is just ok. i really liked their pancakes. i've been going to a lot of diners lately and State Diner is in my top 3 pancakes. the french toast is good too but i wish they used better bread. the sausage gravy and biscuits are ok but nothing too special. the scrambled eggs are pretty good here, nice and fluffy, and the bacon here is great, probably some of the best bacon i've been served at a diner. they cook it to order on a flat top to order instead of pre-cooking a lot of it and then reheating it. the home fries were a little disappointing thiough. now onto lunch/dinner. i tried their texas hot and wasn't too impressed. the hot dog wasn't really too flavorful and it was a big mess, i had to eat it with a fork and knife. the chilli on it wasn't traditional texas hot style chilli sauce, but rather traditional beef/bean/tomato chilli, which was good but it seemed out of place. the fried chicken is the same i've had in other diners before except this time it seemed a little dry, it must have spent an extra minute in the fryer or something. the fries are decent, but they get a lot better when you order them with gravy and cheese. the mashed potatoes didn't really do much for me, and neither did the burger i tried. this place has a very classic diner vibe and the service as always been good. i dunno that i'd go back for lunch or dinner but i will definitely return for breakfast. oh and i almost forgot, the baklava is pretty good here too! 3.5 out of 5 read more

Fantastic breakfast this morning at The State Diner - what a wonderful/authentic experience all around. The woman who took care of us was a real pro - coffee and breakfasts were all anyone could ask for. The diner has been here since the late 1930s and is up to date and vintage at the same time. This will be a regular stop for us any time we are in town to visit our daughter at Ithaca College! Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy a great meal at this terrific place if you are in the area! read more

I loved this place. It is what it is, but a staple in Ithaca.

I just got back from the State for the first time and I'll sum up what happened: We waited 10 minutes to get our first cup of coffee. It was at least 85 in the diner. I saw them taking the leftover coffee from the carafe and mix it with the new brew. The diner looked dirty. The staff looked dirty. It smelled bad in the diner. There were lots of screaming kids. After 40 minutes, we didn't get a single refill on our coffee and our food never came. We left money on the table and walked out. This place is gross and the service is terrible. Go 3 blocks away to Starbucks for breakfast instead. read more

Food is ok for the affordable price. But about 50 percent of the time I have an Error in my order. Usually something like forgetting bacon on my grilled cheese. I currently order here though ithaca to go, but looks like ill be switching to seamless and targeting other restaurants. read more

Open for breakfast Easter Sunday, most everything else closed. Good food, decent service, old school diner. Street parking slightly challenging. read more

Granted, it was 11 am on a Sunday, so we had to wait. And I know this is weird to say, but the flip-down seats (in the front of the diner) were uber-uncomfortable. It's almost worth going with more than 4 people so you can sit in the regular diner seating in the back. I don't mind waiting when it's crazy-busy, but at least give me comfortable seating. The food was good. But I've had better. And since when does a Greek omelet not have spinach? We will continue our search for a good diner in Ithaca. read more

Food was great, the online menu seems as if it hasn't been updated as some of the items are not on the menu in the diner. I wouldn't recommend coming here on the weekends as that seems to be the time when everyone else does. Took me about an hour to get my food, but when it came it was above average. Overall the food was ok and if you enjoy the classic diner feel this is the place to go. The waiters we welcoming and had manners unlike some diners I've been to. read more

We find the State Street to have consistantly good "diner food" and consistanty good service. My husband and I will often go there when we want to go out to eat, as we have 2 kids under 3 and we know that the service will be fast and friendly. Unlike many other restaurants that appear "family friendly," the servers at this place really seem to understand that parents with small kids want to in and out quickly. We usually get breakfast fare, like pancakes and such. read more

The worst place to eat in Ithaca, and maybe the entire state, possibly the nation. I've been to 20 of the 50 states, eaten at a lot of diners from coast to coast and the State Diner has the worst food of any of them I have ever sampled. Seriously. The waitress was great actually, almost apologetic in the service that the food we were given was probably no better than prison food. Example: the omelettes are made from powdered eggs and are the thinnest, blandest pieces of garbage i've ever seen. The order was for a broccoli and cheese omelette with probably 2 gratings of cheese in there and soggy, (frozen) broccoli... for $7? Absolutely atrocious. I ordered a cheese burger and home fries. Again, the worst burger I've had in many a time. It was dripping grease, had no flavor, and the bun was about twice as big as the limp, wretched piece of carpet that was being passed off as a pattie. The decor of the place is like that of the NYC subway without the graffiti. Chewing gum was on the floor, tiled walls and harsh florescent light give it the appearance of a public toilet. The floor was covered in old food like toast crusts, stepped on fries, crumbs and general crap that I usually see on the floors of buses. For what it's worth, this is easily the worst place in Ithaca to eat in terms of food quality, but one of the better ones in terms of service. But for the love of all you hold dear, don't pollute your body with this filth. I didn't go in a busy time either, there was only another table of 3 in there when we went in so it isn't like they were rushed off their feet trying to get out the orders. If Hal's is open, go there instead. read more

We went here for breakfast. It didn't have a good selection. We were both looking forward to having biscuits; Grisha wanted biscuits and gravy. However, we had to choose either pancakes, french toast, or eggs. The food was decent, but unremarkable. Breakfast is Lindsey's favorite meal to eat out, and was surprised at how expensive the food was for the lack of options compared with other diners she has visited. We won't be back unless it is for lunch or dinner to try a milkshake or burger. read more

I usually do not go online to leave reviews, but today I am making an exception. I am not going to comment on the servers, or their service - they are doing the best they can with what they are given. I will, however, comment on the pricing and how deceiving the menu is. Let's take, for example, a breakfast sandwich which is listed for ~$7. Imagine my surprise when I get the bill and everything à la carte. The price is for the egg. $7... for an egg. On the menu, under the "egg" category, it says "with home fries and toast. Nope, extra for that even though it says "with." Also, chocolate chip pancakes alone, especially these, are NOT worth $12. A big strike one. Let's also talk about the quality of said food. I tried to brush past the mimic home fries and asked for them to be crispy. I'm not a cook, but I know there is a difference between "crispy" and "dumped into the hellfire of the fifth circle of hell." I say fifth because some bits didn't resemble charcoal. Strike two. Like I said before - I don't like to be that person, but in this case I felt people deserved fair warning. Go to Sunset, instead, and save some money and get a huge increase in food quality. Also, they don't hide charges on their menu. read more

$4.69 for 1 egg on roll? Manhattan is half that. Asked for ketchup so they made me put it on. Embarrassing for a town diner. The counter/register people are also thieves - looked on their menu and it's listed as $2.69. read more

This place is amazing the service is amazing I love the food of course like most eggs they need a little flavoring but me and my family often had issues ordering correctly and the waiters didn't seem irritated at all we where all craving a breakfast and this worked perfectly. read more

Great food, nice service, and the overall atmosphere is very relaxing and puts you in the perfect mood for the day. No matter what you order, it is almost garuanteed you will be satisfied. And the coffee is just as good. Would recommend. read more

Perfect hash and poached!!! Great spot. Everything you'd expect, executed perfectly. And that's cuz the staff takes pride in their work. Very refreshing. (I live in LA where staff work begrudgingly and under half steam because they're "actors"...ugh) If you want a show with your meal, 11am on a weekend the place is poppin'. Sit at the counter and watch 3 short order cooks, side by each, fighting to stay out of the weeds! Fantastic. I even ate dinner here and was surprised to get all the delicious "Manhattan Greek Diner" flavors that I love. read more

This place serves its purpose. Its open 24 hours and the short order cook is always on top of her game remembering like 20 orders at once, and the food is exactly what you would expect at a diner. Its also nice that it is walkable from the bars on the commons. I like ordering just a couple of eggs over easy and some toast, so simple, yet quite tasty. That said don't expect amazing food or anything, its just classic diner food done right. read more

We rolled into Ithaca to check out Cornell, and were quite hungry after a 4-hr drive. The diner was the only "sure open" choice after 11 pm on a Tuesday night. A quick drive through darkened and quiet streets brought us to the bright neon sign of the State Diner. The place was very quiet - only two patrons. What do you expect on a summer night? We picked a booth, and plopped down [with difficulty, given the relatively narrow booths with folding seats (!) and 5'8" and 6'2" frames we represent]. The environment is a typical "grease spoon", without the chrome, mirrors and rotating dessert showcases of the overdone diners. A well-used counter, where many-a-patron enjoyed a quick omelet, sandwich or a cup of coffee with a piece of pie. It's a neighborhood dive that is a reliable stand-by at any hour of the day or night. But, I guess, since the school year is out and it's pretty slow, the service was also quite slow... It took a while for the waitress to come take our order [though we did get drinks served quickly by another employee]. Eventually, when the waitress showed up, we ordered berry pancakes with eggs over-easy & bacon, and a side Caesar salad. The pancake order was huge: three BIG, plate-size pancakes, not the kind you get at IHOP. That with eggs & bacon was cooked very quickly, but then sat on the counter, waiting for the waitress to carry it to the booth. I was THISCLOSE to just getting up and taking the food myself! Caesar was a challenge - they did not have croutons! Again, the slow season... No worries, can do without croutons. But utensils and basic condiments, delivered with the food, would be nice. Slooooooow season... The pancakes were too "flour"y, and salad had too much dressing. Bacon, though, was cooked just right. Bottom line - this is a place to hop in when nothing else is open; when you don't care about service efficiency, and you need just reliable grub to fill your empty stomach. And that's why diners like this prosper in college towns. read more

Not bad overall......if your a big guy such as myself the booths and stools are a tight fit.

Its a diner. They serve pretty classic diner fare. So why the 3 stars if I'm getting what I expect? I ordered raspberry pancakes and got two blueberries and no raspberries just a whole lot of raspberry flavoring in my tough pancakes. Seriously, the stuff from boxes is lighter and fluffier. Oh, and did I mention the bacon that was undercooked? Thank goodness my beau ate the half that looked like it hadn't touched the griddle. He enjoyed his meal and walked away with a shrug. My beau's father and brother were with us and they thouroughly enjoyed their meals but I think most 14 yo boys are going to enjoy getting away with a slice blueberry pie for breakfast (here's to hoping his mom never reads this review! If you do, he had OJ and one of my pancakes to round out the meal!) Beau's dad loved the meal - eggs, toast, bacon and coffee. Again, simple and classic fare. Going back? My beau's dad definitely would in a heartbeat. Me? Probably not for breakfast but if I do, maybe I'll try the waffles or french toast. read more

Great, friendly place! Open for 24 hours a day and re-modeled after a fire accident. Glad it's back up.

It was a busy day when I came in, the servers were running around and I was on my work break. I asked for a BLT, and once my BLT arrived I took a bite out of it and there was NO TOMATO. Such a bummer, most diners are disappearing around Ithaca. I just wish there were better ones read more

Do not go here. If you do do not get the French toast or go at a time they are not busy. My daughter and I ate here at 10am (a very busy time for them apparently). I ordered French toast. I received three burnt soggy patties of bread. I appreciate the fact that they didn't try to hide the burntness I guess. Then I took a bite and it was ice cold. I waited 10 minutes to say something then decided to just suck it up and eat it. After that I was enjoying my second cup of hot coffee and the waitress approaches us and basically asked if I could get a go cup because she needed the table. At least my daughters food was ok. read more

We had a great breakfast here on our way out of town. The mere fact that we were able to be seated, and were served our food in the amount of time it would take to get a table in another restaurant, I give this spot 4 stars. Efficient and friendly, just the way a good diner should be. Wish we had stopped in sooner. read more

Pros: The servers all seem to be very nice. Very attentive in refilling coffee and water. Cons: For one undercooked, soggy waffle, two eggs, three slices of very thin bacon, and three slices of what was more like warm bread than toast slathered with butter it was over $17. It wouldn't be worth $17 for that amount of food if it were excellent, and it wasn't close. I believe the waffle mix is from a premixed batter. That means the only thing that needs to be done besides pouring it in the waffle iron is leaving it in there for long enough. This is a task untrained people manage to handle at continental breakfasts across this nation everyday with minimal supervision, yet the staff at a restaurant could not. For the price it isn't worth finding out how they do with more complex items on the menu. read more

I like this place when I'm looking for a diner type meal. It's close to my workplace, which makes it my first diner choice most of the time. The wait staff is always efficient, and the food is usually pretty good. read more

I stopped going here awhile back. After it reopened after the fire, the prices went way up....for the quality and portions, the price is not worth it. Why pay almost ten bucks for a mediocre burger and fries when one can go to Ithaca Beer Company or the Ale house for a great burger for almost the same price? The State Diner would be decent if the food was priced accordingly.... read more

Awful service, awful food. We walked in, were greeted with hostility. Sat down, and found that the tables and chairs were dustier than an attic. Our food took 45 minutes to make and was terrible. read more

I've had breakfast at The State Diner probably once a month over the past two years and have not had a bad meal or experience. The food is always excellent and the service is great. Ownership has worked hard at improving since the re-build and it has really evolved into what a modern diner should be. read more