I was visiting from New York and wanted to take my son and his family out for ice cream sundaes. I didn't want some gourmet ice cream store where I had to pay a fortune. I searched online for a place where I could get nice big sundaes or ice cream sodas like we used to have 25 years ago when we would go out after a cub scout event. I really had a hard time finding a place. Amphora was great! I had a typical old fashioned banana split, and my granddaughter had a s'mores sundae. The price was reasonable and Amphora isn't some crowded chain. The place is comfortable, attractive, and has a classic old time vibe. The waiter was efficient, polite, and professional. I will definitely return the next time I am in Virginia. read more

I've now been to the Amphora in Herndon twice. Both times they handled our rather large group with perfect aplomb, even when we had to change seating locations as more people arrived unexpectedly. Sound quality was good: despite the large number of people, it was fairly easy to hear conversations. My meals were good and the service was prompt without being intrusive. Parking is easy and free. Prices are reasonable, especially for a place so close to major cities. I will happily return. read more

After we flew into DC, it was about 1 am and we were in desperate need of a sit-down restaurant, considering all the airport fast food we'd been eating all day. My Pop's knows the area a bit and suggested Amphora's, since it's 24 hours. Driving up, it's adorable. Total 50's-diner look. When you walk in, adorable (at least I think so..I'm a sucker for the diner look..not the cheesy 80's idea of the 50's diner, but a real 50's lookin' diner). They have a bakery case full of gorgeous cakes and pastries! I mean, really tasty looking. Now, I really wanted to like this place a lot better than 3 stars. We all got a variety of foods: breakfast, gyro, salmon. And it was all good. I was surprised how fresh the salmon was! I know it was late, but there honestly weren't that many customers dining and the service was REALLY slow. Friendly, but slow. Would I return? Yes. I've heard this place is hit or miss, and it was late night. I definitely need to try one of their cakes! They also have a full bar. read more

We love the food it's great and they have alot of choices and a large menu. Some of the items on their menu are a little pricey and the service is not that great. Overall it's a great resturant and we love it. read more

Extensive menu selection-something for everybody! Everyone at our table was satisfied completely. We took advantage of drink and food specials and were not disappointed at all! Great food and excellent service! I will definitely be back! read more

Excellent food and good service. Servings are large and filling. I ordered ground lamb kabobs and they came with rice and vegetables. The meat was nice and juicy, perfectly seasoned and cooked, not dry at all. Restaurant got a bit noisy at the end of our meal because of a large group with many kids. Will go again. read more

I love this place! I frequent this place for both personal and business reasons and in both instances, I am always pleased with the food and the service. The owner goes out of his way to ensure a pleasant dining experience for his guests. When planning business functions the presentation and serving staff are always impeccable. I would definitely recommend this place to colleagues. read more

Herndon's Diner Deluxe, part of Amphora, is like a favorite relative: you can count on it to always be welcoming, with delicious food, well-prepared, and at moderate prices. Breakfasts are wonderful, and daily specials featuring meat, fish, and poultry are terrific as well. They often include starters and sides, and are an excellent value. The Greek influence is unmistakable, and, very important, a manager--a family (owner) member--is always on the premises to ensure that things run smoothly--and they do. read more

Pardon the long review, but I encourage any long-time customers to read below. I've been a patron of Amphora since childhood and, regrettably, will no longer be a customer and will no longer recommend the diner to visiting friends and family due to the last several visits. Following my first poor experience, I voiced my observations to the customer service email address and was pleased with the professional and timely response. I would have addressed my complaints to a manager during the first visit, but none were to be found. The customer service representative who emailed me offered a gift card and, not ready to dismiss a local favorite restaurant, I obliged and returned today. I refrained from reviewing the first visit until today, when we experienced an equally unfavorable visit. I'm never inclined to provide negative feedback for one or even several negative aspects of a dining experience, but after two visits that were thoroughly unpleasant in terms of food and service, feel it prudent to do so. During the first visit, we ordered the spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer. It was, quite literally, a bowl of melted provolone with no discernible traces of artichoke. The spinach could be found as nothing more than flecks of green scattered throughout. The massive amount of melted cheese created a thick layer of grease on top. After a minute or two, the dish cooled and the cheese hardened, at which point it required a utensil to cut. I ordered the Mexican steak and cheese as an entree and, while not bad, it was forgettable. The steak and sauteed onions lacked seasoning, as did the fries. I wouldn't order the dish again, but it was by no means worth providing negative feedback (had it not been coupled with today's visit). The table behind us during the first visit had an incorrect order delivered and, although not a big deal, was berated by the server who accused them of unnecessarily asking for complex substitutions, which created the incorrect order. Granted, most customers are typically wrong, but the situation was handled very poorly and was very awkward for all around. Upon leaving, the register area was mobbed with waiting customers, despite empty tables near where we were seated. The employee checking customers out was (understandably) overwhelmed with customers attempting to pay, and the whole front of house was a jumbled mix of exiting and waiting customers. No managers were supporting staff to clear the area. We were optimistic for today's lunch but found it equally as bad. Our server was a delightful older lady who worked incredibly hard to keep up with her tables. Unfortunately, the entire right half of the restaurant had, as best I could tell, only two servers. The left half of the restaurant was virtually empty and had a number of staff casually standing around. Our server was at a near-jog during our entire visit, but that number of tables is simply unreasonable for a single server. We ordered coffee, which was as good as it always is, but unfortunately never got a refill because the servers were overwhelmed on that side of the restaurant. At this point, I noted a manager standing near the bakery counter, who at no point during our visit made any efforts to support staff or walk the floor to check on tables. The entire time, the few servers in the area frantically tried to keep up with orders and refills. I ordered a side salad with my turkey reuben, but it never came. I imagine the salad order was lost in the confusion. The sandwich was tasty, but the service was very poor, and not for lack of effort on our server's part. The lack of managerial support and involvement is painfully obvious in the food and service and it's making for uncomfortable dining experiences. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for staff. read more

I first ate at Amphora in 1993, I find the service, food quality and attitude of the employees at Amphora to be excellent. The restaurant is always clean and neat. If I could change anything it would be the salsa; theirs is overcooked and contains celery, both of which ruin the bright flavor of traditional Mexican salsa. read more

Good to have a full service diner 24 - 7. Great food professional staff, no kids withuout a clue. Dress as you want.

I love Amphora's food. usually it comes out very fast! I'v never waited more then 15 minutes. so if you want to eat something quick and don't want to spend much money this place is the best. but don't expect a good service. we were there on St Patrick"s night it was around 1am I have no idea what was happend and I don't want to know. I mean I came to the restaurant to eat but everybody in the restaurant could hear how the manager was screaming on one of the servers with no reason. He was so mean and used such a crap words to her. If I were she I would leave this place right the way. we were so embarrassing to hear that. he was doing that right infront of everybody. how they can run the busines if the don't know what hospitality is. read more

The chef produces constant winners. Salmon florentine with diced wilted spinach, tomatoes & onions. I felt like licking the plate. It came with a medley of bite-sized squash, string beans, julieened carrots, I hate vegetables and I ate it up. The cherry pie is my walkaway favorite. read more

minimal service, we were happy to get diner food at a diner. no BS. i like it.

This is not my first choice for noms in Herndon, but it's sometimes the only choice (say, after 10pm on a Wednesday). The food, in my experience, looks better than it tastes. The one exception is the fried zucchini with tzatziki sauce. SO GOOD. The tzatziki sauce is homemade, fresh every morning and the zucchini is perfect thickness. The only reasons I give it three stars. Without these, a solid 1.5-2. The desserts are a let down, the menu is too big and leads me to think they should cut out some things and focus on stronger dishes, and the service is inconsistent. Not a terrible place and I can see glimpses of why others love it so, but unfortunately, I do not have the same warm fuzzies toward Amphora. read more

My husband took me here this morning for brunch. The 15 minute wait turned into a 35 to 40 minute wait which was OK it's Valentine's Day so we expected it... The server was clearly overwhelmed we waited 15 minutes to order my coffee went dry... He ordered the Tex-Mex scramble and I ordered the Southwest chorizo eggs Benedict but asked to have my eggs scrambled instead of poached. The description said the chorizo Benedict would have a spicy sauce on top it was just the hollandaise sauce with a side of salsa no spice whatsoever I was highly disappointed. And when the dish was brought out the eggs were poached... (My husband was halfway done with his meal before the correct order was brought out.) I took one bite of the chorizo Benedict and it was nothing near my anticipation from the description... Sadly I was disappointed we had an hour and a half wait for a brunch that was mediocre to unacceptable it was average at best and the server never asked why I didn't touch any of the food which brings me to my point the service was just way underpar... read more

This is a fantastic restuarant. I was met with first class service. I was greeted by the hostess, manager, and director of operations. Very friendly bunch. I had the Amphora Mixed Grill. All of my needs were met. Excellent Price. read more

I simply can't overstate the awesomeness of this restaurant! The atmosphere is so perfect- it's reminiscent of old-style diners with the large breakfast bar and comfy booths. The menu is diverse and I've never been disappointed with my food. The cakes and cookies are absolutely fantastic- I've never found any I liked better. Especially the Chunky Chocolate Mousse cake. The servers are always very nice and attentive. Worth a visit any time of the day. read more

If you're a fan of the original Amphora in Vienna, you'll like the Herndon "diner" even better. The interior is tasteful and peaceful, and the booths are big enough for my two young boys to jump around a little and not make too much of a scene. The food is great, the service is exceedingly friendly (if perhaps a bit leisurely) and the prices are right. My boys LOVED the kids menu food (a rare enough occurrence) and the managers brought out free cookies for them after our meal. All in all, you really can't ask for more. read more

Usually Amphora is our go to breakfast place. Today I ordered oatmeal because I am on a strict diet. I was told the oatmeal is Pre-packaged and contained brown sugar. Really....what restaurant does that. You can't even make real oatmeal. No gluten free options on the menu. read more

I used to love Amphora's! We were regulars here until my friends and I got food poisoning. Huge, diverse menu and open 24 hours is a dream come true! Enjoy it while you can. read more

Went there a last week for brunch and although the food was wonderful, service not so much. My friends and I felt rushed. Our waitress stood nearly 2 feet away from the table eyeballing to see if were done with our meals so she could hurry to give us the check. It made the experience a little uncomfortable. read more

Came to this diner for a meeting with old friends. I was very surprised with their happy hour selection, they have great italian wines(wines for 2.50) cant get much better than that Our server was very helpful and knowledgeable about the wine and food. The food was delicious, I personally had a lamb stew(kapama) that was to die for. I will be going back for some of the amazing desert. I highly recomend this diner. read more

I haven't been to Amphora in a long time but I couldn't resist going since I was in the area. I am moving back to Herndon so I will be going a lot more now! This place is still as great as I remember. The food is amazing and plentiful and the service is good. Nothing much has changed about it since I was last there 2 years ago, same cozy booth, easy music, friendly service and wait staff. The only new to Amphora was (besides new wait staff) was the manager. To be honest, I was not expecting her to be so friendly or courteous (from other restaurants experiences) but she was. She approached us twice. Once when we first sat down to make sure our server came to us and a second time when we were half way through our delicious meal. She even asked my 4 year old how she liked her meal and if it was yummy in her tummy? My daughter said yes! No-one has ever really bothered to ask my daughter before and I appreciated it deeply. It made my daughter feel important. She never approached us after (I think she didn't want to bother us) but she was always around just in case. And she made sure our server knew we needed refills. My server was amazing! I could tell she was new but she was always there and on top of our needs. The manager said good-bye to us as we left, asked us one last time how things were and made sure to talk to my daughter again! She even played with her about her NEW Pink shoes. For all of you Amphora lovers (like me)... if you are ever there and have a problem (which is highly unlikely) ask for Rhonda. She will make sure to help you and she will make it a pleasant meal for you! Amphora I will be back! read more

I love this restaurant! My husband and I enjoy going to restaurants most often for breakfast and dinner. For me, the Amphora is the perfect spot for a great breakfast. We enjoy the process of choosing where to go then choosing what to eat, then savoring the meal. At the Amphora the selection is large and from where I'm seated pretty darn good. We find in their Herndon location the service is always friendly and helpful. Maybe it's the attitude we take in with us but in our experience this is what we find. We had friends visit recently who on a past trip over a year ago we introduced them to the Amphora. It was a special occasion for their visit this time so we decided for our last breakfast together we would offer a few selections at Town Center in Reston. They, remembering our last visit to Amphora, asked if we would take them back. We were delighted because we love the breakfast selection. While looking at the menu, my friend mentioned on our last trip we had the Green Eggs and Ham. A fun name and a good choice. I had forgotten. These eggs have pesto with a good amount of ham and just the right amount of onion finished with parmesan cheese. Delicious!!! It comes with yummy potatoes and your choice of bread. The coffee too is good.I have to stop at 2 cups but the waitress offered more to my husband time and again. Hubby loves his coffee. Hubby had the Zorba omelet. Nothing was left of that. All our Green Eggs and Ham was gone as well. Our other hubby was still working on his large thick slice of ham with 2 fried eggs. Finally, he too cleaned his plate. All done. We are of the generation that we were taught to clean our plates. Ours were cleaned more because the food was so very good. So, our friends were satisfied again which made us feel especially pleased. This is the message I wish to share. Don't expect perfection every visit to most restaurants. If you go enough to one place you will befriend a special waiter/waitress who will help enhance your experience. What I especially like about the Amphora is that it feels like a family welcoming you to dine with them in an atmosphere that is friendly and comfortable. By oneself. With friends. With family. Thank you Amphora family! read more

you know the saying you eat with your eyes.. i ordered an omelet and it did not look appetizing.

Large options...like the breakfast .... menu is huge....only like Herndon location...some of the wait staff come be a lot friendlier

Like this place. The last time we were here, the owner (I think) notices we were waiting on service and came over himself. Food is good and there are a huge number of options to choose from, far more than any other place that has "Diner" in its name. Desserts are excellent as well. Highly recommend for food, courteousness, cleanliness and good service. read more

This has been a long-time favorite for us for Saturday night dinners and has always been a great experience. Recently we arranged to use Amphora's reserved dining room for a retirement dinner, and the support we got from the manager and the whole staff was nothing short of fabulous. Our number of guests kept changing day-by-day and even hour-by-hour, and they accommodated the changes quickly and easily. We had close to 80 people, and the service was very efficient and friendly. I heard a number of comments about how well they were doing, especially given how many of us there were. And as always, the food was top quality with a wide selection. Highly recommended! read more

Would have gotten at least three stars but as I was leaving I went to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, guy walks out of the stalls and out, withOUT washing his hands. Almost certain he works in the kitchen. read more

I hate lousy service and coupled with food that truly is not fit for human consumption, as well as management that is rude, crude and shockingly ill mannered, I would never eat here again. Nor would I ever tell anyone to go and eat here. If you decide to venture there, do not eat the steak of any sort. I've eaten here 3 times over the last 2 months, and take out once. Take out was better than eating in. The servers are surly and inattentive. When I see a server that is not glad that you are at their table, and they don't smile, I know there's an issue with management. When I order food that's incorrectly prepared, send it back, and it still isn't right, and then I ask for the manager and he argues with me about what my expectations are about, asks me what I want him to do, and when I say take it off the check, and he snatches away my food off of the table, leaving me with nothing, I will never go back there. And...this was not in the early am, it was 3PM. PS-the desserts look good, but are revolting in taste. Who wants to eat poorly made fondant topping?~ read more

a typical Ihop seen, not too bad for a late night stop by. food quietly not that great.

I ate here for Thanksgiving this year with my mother and a few friends. The Thanksgiving menu was excellent and made it hard to decide. I ended up choosing the prime rib - which was different than any prime rib I had previously eaten due to the herbed gravy, but still good. read more

I didn't really want to go to this diner. But I needed a drink and a late evening dinner and didn't want to drive to Reston so my friend dragged me there. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a week night so it wasn't too busy. Salad was very tasty I loved the decor -- very chic and clean. The menu has a ton of options. They have a great wine list and bar. Bottles of wine were half off on a Tuesday. Can't lose. I went a second time -- this time around 1 a.m. same great food -- had texas toast -- and service. We asked for Alex again as he was a great waiter the first time. No complaints. read more

Food and service were great by our waiter. However, we were a party of 10 for brunch on a Sunday and my cousin (he is late 40's) went to the restroom. He came back and told us the manager was in there with him, and the manager did not wash his hands. YUCK. I was served by the manager too. I will not be going back so soon. I called Amphora and have discussed with owner. I've been promised a coupon. Still waiting. read more

Been coming here about 1-2 times a month over the last year...usually for an evening dinner or very late night. The food is still very tasty, but portion sizes have decreased while prices have risen. The saddest thing is that now the wait staff is VERY slow about everything. Went Sat night and it was maybe 10% filled. Waited 10-12 mins for the waiter to come take our drink order...then waited for him to return and take our food order. He didn't check up on us and was painfully slow with getting us the check. It was so bad that he lost out on us ordering dessert "to go" at the table and we ordered our desserts separately at the cashier just to get out of there quicker. read more

I came here for breakfast at about 5 AM, awesome service! I had the biscuits and gravy with homemade biscuits. The potatoes had a great crunch on the top layer. I will be back tomorrow read more

My friend and I went to Amphora today on Elden Street during our lunch hour. They have a very EXTENSIVE menu. I finally selected their sirlon steak sandwich that supposidly has a garlic balsamic glaze. The glaze is what made my decision for me...who doesnt love garlic and balsamic? The only problem was when the steak arrived there was no glaze to be found....or any seasoning for that matter. It was a horrible piece of meat slapped onto a baguette that had 3x more bread than meat (when will cooks learn there is a certain meat to bun ration). The 'steak' was dry, overcooked and tasteless. We spent 10 minutes waiting for the waiter that never came back without our request to tell him my sandwich sucked. I told him it was tasteless and he said that is how steak tastes and offered to get me some A-1. Well obviously he has only had steak at Ampora if he thinks steaks are tasteless and tough, personally I have had some wonderful steaks that didnt require A-1 to swallow them. I pointed out there was none of the glaze stated on the menu and he told me it was for the salad - I asked what salad? He went to get a menu so I could point out to him that the meat was indeed supposed to be glazed. He offered to get me something else off the menu and I ask for just a burger because it was getting late - 15 minutes later no burger and I had to ask for my order to go since our lunch hour was over. Major disappointment. The burger was just OK. I asked for medium and it was more a mid-rare. Don't think I will be going back anytime in the near future if at all. read more

Three of us came here at 11 at night, after picking up from a very delayed flight at Dulles. We all had breakfast items. No complaints at all. read more

I'm giving a slight update since the management did contact me to apologize for the service.