Brenda's Diner

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  Great food served hot and fresh. Breakfast all day and prices are really reasonable. Service was good and food arrived fast, but only 1 server to handle the increasing number of customers.  This is a basic no frills diner that is old and in a somewhat remote area. Would definitely return the next time we are passing through.

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  Posted on 10.07.13 Patti H.

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  I came here for 2 meals while i was upstate visiting family.  the first was friday night for the friday fish fry, which i learned is a huge ordeal in upstate new york.  man do they eat dinner early here.  we got there around 7 and were one of the last families to walk in.  I'm not a fish fan, so i was told by my uncle to get the reuben.  It wasn't the biggest sandwich, but the corned beef melted in your mouth, it was delicious.  It came with a side of really creamy coleslaw which is exactly how i like it.  I also split a side of the mac and cheese with my dad. It was some of the best mac and cheese i ever had.  There were definitely a few different cheeses in there and it was so thick and creamy.  Together we barely finished the side, it's so heavy but so damn good.  We came a few days later for breakfast and i wasn't too impressed with it.  Pancakes were very cakey, not light and fluffy and the home fries weren't that great.  My uncle had the stuffed french toast which looked ridiculously good, and so did my cousins waffle so next time i'm gonna have to go with one of those.  As Brian C. said service is kinda slow, but it's rural upstate new york so i just expected that.  It's also really cheap.  Basically everything on the menu is under $10.

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  Posted on 07.17.12 John P.

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  Brenda's is one of our "go to" restaurants, and not just because it's close to home, but because we know the food is good and the prices are reasonable.  Decided to take our son last night, it was chicken strip dinner for him, hubby and I ordered Burger Deluxe and a Rubin.  They had ran out of the Corned Beef and cabbage (must have been a hit) so the hubby opted for the Rubin, which he stated was very good.  The burger was cooked as requested, and service was prompt and personable.  For the 3 of us, the bill was under $30 and we left feeling full.  Brenda's is located in the country, come as you are and save some money.

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  Posted on 03.19.12 Nicole W.

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  The service is very very slow!

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  Posted on 02.19.11 Brian C.

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  "That was really good, right there -- I couldn't have hoped for anything more.  In rural New York." -- my husband.
  
  So we're driving from Syracuse to somewhere past Rochester and we are starving for some good breakfast, quick and easy.  I Yelp and find Brenda's Diner and the Port Byron Diner, neither of which have been reviewed.  After some debate, we pick Brenda's.  After all, she's put her name on it, staking her reputation on it -- let's see what she's got.
  
  Just want to say again that I rate these establishments according to what they are trying to do and how well they are doing it -- not on whether this is the decor I would pick or if it is a fancy restaurant.  
  
  Now, Brenda, I think, just wants to be a good neighbor who provides a tasty meal at an affordable price to her neighbors.  And Brenda is doing a fine job.  If her pancakes were better and if I had the option of buying really maple syrup from her, I'd give her 5 stars, no question.
  
  For example, she offers everyday what she calls the "Economic Stimulus Breakfast": eggs, toast, homefries, and coffee for $2.89.  And once you taste her homefries, you will agree with me that Brenda is nothing less than a patriot.
  
  My husband and I however, did not order that.  We split the eggs and corn beef hash ($5.99) with homefries and toast, and my husband declares it the best hash we've had.  House-made, nice and soft, and flavorful without being too spicy or salty.  The scrambled eggs could have been fluffier, but tasted fresh and were bright yellow.  But really, it was the spiced homefries that made it exceptional for me.  You could really taste the potato, but it had some nice touches, like sesame seed and maybe a chili powder (or paprika?), along with the mix of soft potato with crispy crust texures, that really made my mouth happy.  I have never considered putting sesame seeds on my breakfast potatoes, but you can bet your bottom, stimulus-package dollar I will from now on.
  
  I asked the waitress which was better, their "New Hope Mills" buttermilk pancakes ($1.29 for one) or their French toast ($1.29 for one).   She said, basically, neither and both.  So at first we ordered pancakes, but then I called her back and switched to one of each.  
  
  (Bless her heart, she didn't even seem annoyed, even though the dining room was completely filled and she was the only server.  We are talking about 8 booths, about 4-6 tables, and some counter space.  As a former waitress, I am breaking out in hives just thinking about it, but our server was as cool as a cucumber.)
  
  Quick as can be, our dishes came out, but the pancake took a little longer.  I loved the French toast -- not too eggy, not to bready; soft and custardy in the middle, crisp on the edges.  Lovely.  Sadly, no real maple syrup was to be had.  So my long-suffering husband had to go to the car and get our stash of teeny-tiny bottles of maple syrup, which we carry around for such emergencies.  (We are from Vermont, after all.)
  
  The pancakes were good, but not as good as the French toast.  Naked (without syrup) (the pancakes, not me), it was not bad.  A nice toasty flavor, not floury -- but no tang of buttermilk.  And it had a nice "crust" of crispiness on the lightly-browned outside with a soft inside...but towards the center of the pancake, it turned to mush.  Undercooked.  A few more seconds on the grill and it could have been a truly beautiful pancake.
  
  They also have other diner food, like sandwiches ($3.79 for a BLT, $4.99 for roast beef), hamburgers (starting at about 3 bucks!), pasta (chicken parm for 8.99$), deep friend seafood ($8-15), and pies for 2.99.
  
  I would have loved to have tried one of Brenda's pies, but I was too full.  Next time I have to drive west of Syracuse, I will definitely go the itty bit out of my way to visit Brenda.  The Port Byron Diner may also be a fine establishment, but I will probably never find out...

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  Posted on 09.08.10 Jae L.

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