I went here at around 1pm on a Saturday, and just was incredibly disappointed. Since Apple A Day wasn't open, we decided the Red Hook Diner would do. THEY DON'T SERVE BREAKFAST AFTER NOON.
What is even the point of a diner that does that? Our waitress (es, since they switched out three times, messing up our order and never bringing the drinks we asked for) was rude, the other 2 waitresses were impatient, and sat us in between three babies in the most cramped seats ever.
I am a huge patron of Michael's in Kingston, and Apple a Day and have incredibly low standards, but this was just the worst experience ever. Oh, and they only take cash, which would be fine, if the nearest ATM wasn't a hike.
Best in class if you like the Diner-as-Experience, a real piece of living Americana. I won't quibble about things like slow drink refills when I can spend the time savoring the classic interior. The food was excellent, menu a classic stripped-down American standard, but with the requisite number of comfort-food specials. And, seriously, eight different kinds of fruit pie to choose from for dessert (we opted for strawberry-rhubarb).
Usually if you dine in a registered historic landmark, it's the kind of hoity toity tie-and-three forks place where you have to "put on" as much as the restaurant does. But in the case of the Halfway Diner (aka the Historic Village Diner) you can just enjoy the grub, get called hon, and hope your great-grandchildren will be able to enjoy this place as much as your great-grandparents did.
When I did time in upstate new york (don't get me wrong, it is beautiful up here but equally painful at times) this little diner was a regular stop for me at breakfast, lunch or for an early dinner. Its really old school which I love since when I was a teenager I used to frequent 50's diners. THe food is very good and what they do here they do very well. My personal favorite thing here is breakfast. If its eggs, pancakes, hash that you love. Its all done perfect. There are a few of these gems in the hudson valley and I hope that they are all here to stay.
Review Source:Oh, how I love diners. There are quite a few in upstate New York, but few have maintained themselves as consistently as the Village Diner. Who can't love that awesome spaceship-like exterior? And compared with the 1950s interior, it's the best design choice they ever made. Brilliant. I am a big fan of breakfast at diners, so even if it's lunch/dinner, I still order breakfast. That's how I roll. And let me tell you, the bacon, egg and cheese on a roll from this place is the best I've ever had. There is no comparison. They have excellent shakes (something I also order with breakfast), and a friendly waitstaff. It's also cheap. I like cheap. My one complaint is that they don't take credit or debit cards, cash only. I don't carry cash around with me everywhere, so I sometimes come here and go "OH DAMN! no cash!" and have to run to Stewart's next door and take money out of the ATM. I feel like this is typical. Still the best diner around!
Review Source:Everything is great except two things. First, some waitresses give a free refill on soda and some do not, which is irritating. Second, usually very crowded-- but that's because it is so good and so reasonable. My favorite? Tuna on rye toast with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, mayo and a side of FF onion rings. Yum. My partner always gets the eggs and the bottomless coffee, which does make him a bit manic afterwards...
Review Source:Had breakfast with my son at this diner on the large car show swap meet back in may 2010. Â Service was excellent I love the decor and the food was awesome. Â My five year old son loved his breakfast (french toast sticks and oranges) and still talks about it today. Â Been going to this diner since I was five when we had a summer home in red hook. Â Will be visiting again.
Review Source:It's fitting that there is a real historic dining car in an equally historic place like Red Hook which has been on the map for generations. The exterior is green and white and the interior is just plain charming.
I stopped by one afternoon for a late light lunch ordering a cup of chicken orzo soup and a Pepsi after doing some genealogy work.
The soup was good, the service was fast and friendly and now I can check off of my "to do" list that I ate at a true diner and not just some random greasy spoon with a counter along the side of a highway.
The best place to get Sunday brunch and cheap, quality food in the area. It does get extremely busy (on Sunday mornings, the line is usually way out the door) but the food here is worth it. It's cheap but far better than the generic greasy spoon diner food you may be imagining. My favorite brunch meal was the blueberry belgium waffle (a roommate of mine introduced me to it and I haven't looked back!). They give you a generous amount of fresh blueberries with thick homemade whipped cream. Coffee was great and less than a dollar for all you can drink.
Only con about this place: they only take cash! Luckily, there's a Stewart's next door with an ATM (those damn fees!) but in this day and age, who doesn't take credit/debit?
If you don't know about Village Diner, you should. Â If you're in the mood for diner food, this place can not be beat. Â Breakfast, lunch or dinner...it's all good. Â Extensive menu, great food, friendly staff...this place has it all.
Don't be surprised if they're quite busy mid day...the locals have known this is the spot for as long as I can remember.
If you're upstate and want a good, filling, reasonably priced meal...Village Dinner won't treat you wrong.
This place was always my go-to breakfast/lunch/brunch spot when I was living around this area. They have a great menu, you can get something savory like burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc. Or you can stick to their breakfast menu. They have great salads and awesomely DELICIOUS milkshakes. I always get their eggs over easy with whole wheat toast and roasted potatoes. Their potatoes or soft and flavorful, their coffee is great too. On top of this, the prices are super cheap! Good food, great prices, awesome staff!
Review Source:Legit. Menu is good, food is good.
The diner has daily specials including soups, a salad bar, and is in the cutest silk city diner there ever was, with original countertops and detailing. The diner is pretty small and has booth and counter seating in the original section, and table seating in the small addition. I prefer to sit at the counter or a booth away from the door-- in the winter it can get chilly sitting near the door.
The historic diner has anything you might want to eat, and you'll leave feeling good. For dinner, my date and I always order black bean burger deluxes, and it's a great price for a satisfying meal. Soups are more hit-or-miss, but the mac-and-cheese dinner special is a steal. Frequently busy for breakfast, especially on the weekends, it's because this is the cheapest sit-down breakfast you're ever going to get. Don't expect gourmet or fancy, but come here because service is great, food is tasty, fresh, & cheap, and everyone knows everyone. For a classic small town diner, it's definitely a 5.
This diner looked great from the outside - unfortunately that all that was great about it. After waiting 40 minutes we were served cold food, not as ordered. Waitress took it back to bring back uncooked food. We never did receive what we ordered- food and service horrible- save your $
And your time!
I am really hard pressed to find a good breakfast place in this area. I was expecting great things from this diner, but it just didn't really do it for me. I ordered the "village omelette", which should be the pretty good considering it holds the namesake of the diner. It was okay but it was way overcooked. The potatoes and toast were average. I'd definitely go back in a pinch, you really can't beat the prices. But all-in-all I thought it was just "OK"
Review Source:My roommate and I come here almost every weekend for brunch. We get the same thing every time. Me - eggs over medium, bacon, potatoes, and rye. Her - cinnamon bun and an egg sandwich.
I'm always so satisfied that I've never wanted to try anything else, although they have a huge menu.
Reasonable prices and fast service too.
One of the best spots in Red Hook, fo' sho!
For four years, I came here every month or so while visiting my girlfriend at Bard College. This place is great!
The staff there are no-nonsense, and will get you your food in about 10 minutes max. The prices are great (you can eat well there for about $6-8) and the food was always tasty. About as good as greasy spoons get!
This diner is awesome. A huge menu, low prices, fast and friendly service, and cool retro decor. My better half and I took our toddler there for a very late lunch/early dinner one day while shopping in Red Hook. As usual, he succumbed to the siren song of "Breakfast all day" and I pigged out on a reuben. The little man had eggs, hashbrowns, and toast and wore almost as much of it as he ate.
We were in and out of there in under an hour, which pretty much never happens when we eat in restaurants with our kid. The food was excellent and we had a very good experience all around. And those hash browns were, in a word, fabulous. Can't wait to go back.
Highly recommended.
I love this place, but to be honest sometimes the food is inconsistent. Â Most dishes are fine, a few are great, but sometimes the food is just OK. Â I find the old breakfast standbys such as omelets, egg sandwiches, etc. to be the best choices. Â I've had less luck with specials. Â I also love that they serve hash-browns and not just home-fries, so you get your pick.
Anyway, I recommend this place (especially now that the Ever Ready down in Hyde Park has raised their prices to rip off levels) but take a little care in ordering.
The chicken soup was great, not heavily salted and was extremely fresh. I didn't think the meat loaf was all that mind blowing but pretty good.
The best part of the meal (and by far the unhealthiest) was the apple pie a la mode. This homemade invention of Satan himself was a confectionery addicts delight, it literally took me to a whole new level of "high". I thought I was going to start involuntarily convulsing on the floor from this dessert and I almost went into full-bodied orgasm but the ice cream...wow. That brought me back, it was the right combination, made from the freshest ingredients and I"m still debating whether or not the ice cream was made on the premises, but I can't be sure (they wouldn't give me an answer).
After the meal I walked around for a bit to get that jitteryness out of my body. That pie la mode boy, it will be make you shake rattle and roll alright.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Great diner. Â Great owners. Â The menu is nice and to the point. Â The food is very well prepared, always fresh and the service is blazing fast. Â There is no overpriced issues here, like 99% of the diners in the Hudson Valley. Â
The prices are alright and the food is GOOD. Â What more does a person need? Â You know me and my style. Â I hate diners. Â I love this one. Â The staff is always friendly and attentive to your needs. Â They don't take credit cards and I STILL WON'T take a star off. Â
**BONUS** - You will also be entertained by the lovely campus dwellers of Bard College. Â It's a hangout and it's a free show as well. Â Be. Here. Now.
A wonderfully charming and inexpensive diner in upstate NY. Â One star deducted because they forgot the bacon on my turkey club. Â Is there a worse crime at a diner? Â Maybe cold coffee. Â No worries there, though. Â The coffee was hot and strong. Â Loved the turkey Rueben, too (loaded with sauerkraut). Â Great, crisp, non-greasy fries. Â I think it's a big hangout for kids from Bard College.
Review Source:Cheap as hell and actually good? Thats right! I had a giant turkey/bacon sandwich, curly fries and an eggcream for $7! Plus there are lots of veggie options, which is always nice,
The decor was really cool, and the waitresses were in good spirits, despite the lunch rush and douchey patrons:
waitress: "what do you want to drink?"
douche: "what are YOU drinking?"
A sour face from the waitress and 5 minutes later...
Waitress: "what will you have?"
Douche: "What are YOU having?"
Really dude? Did you not notice how you struck out the first time?
Best. Diner. Ever.
Hands down, the atmosphere is one of the best features of this diner. Located just north of the center of town, the historic village diner is contained within an old fashioned Silk City pre-fab with a small, additional dining room. I've always loved getting a booth, but you can only really count on getting a coveted seat by the window if you come outside of the usual meal times. It's absolutely great for people watching. Or for watching Bardies trying to pull into the parking lot in their new Volvo station wagon (if they're rich) or their 1980's Volvo station wagon (if they're rich and pretending to be poor).
Not only is the atmosphere integral to the proper diner experience; the food should also be at least average, somewhat greasy, and inexpensive. The burgers are decent, especially since it'll only run you $3.50, the fries are usually excellent, and the breakfast foods are great. One of the issues I do have is that pancakes and the like aren't served all day, but why bother when there are so many good sandwiches and other breakfast items available all day? And since everything is so cheap, you don't have to resort to ordering two eggs, potatoes, and toast for a meal just to save a few bucks (something I commonly find myself doing at local diners).
Maybe I shouldn't be quick to call it the best diner ever. I love diners that are open 24 hours and have more booths, but expanding the hours would not be feasible and more seating would just ruin it. So I'll stick with my original assessment.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
