Get the chocolate chip pancakes! You won't regret it! Good vibes, good food, space for big groups - a true diner experience

This has been our go to place since my kids moved to Middletown, but tonight (August 12, 2026) we were disappointed. Our server lacked communication and she did not seem to want to be there. We ordered two portions of chicken wings, but only one came out. I was delighted because they tasted old and reheated. I ordered a bacon burger medium rare, but it came out well done. The roll was dry and stale. The burger was advertised as 6 oz., but there is no way it was that size. It lacked quality and taste. My wife ordered the Chicken alla Greco without peppers and onions, but of course, the server forgot to mention this detail and the chef had to make it again, so it came out after the rest of the meals. In the future, we will pass on the Athenian. read more

A very typical diner in all respects, however, according to my dining companion the steak from the steak and eggs was overcooked, under seasoned and really fatty. My omelette with turkey sausage was okay. The breakfast potatoes were all Undercooked and under seasoned. The service was great and it was generally clean inside. However, I would not go rushing back. read more

Not typically a fan of diners, but it was one of those Sundays we were in the mood for some comfort food. They delivered with the ribs, chicken, and dont let the presentation of the sweet potato fool you, it was tasty. Service was okay, did not refill waters. There was quite a few people inside, but not overly loud. read more

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The place seemed very clean, staff was friendly, and the food/ coffee was very good! If you're in the area, give it a try. read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Corned beef hash, eggs, toast( #11) - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Stopped here for food after being at the dealership for hours lol. It was a decent spot for an average meal. We got the gyro sandwiches and they were alright. Nothing special but good enough for a casual meal. It's not on the top of my list to return, but I'm not against a second visit if it was convenient. read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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My .folks and I came in for a quick brunch recently and we're very disappointed with the service and food quality. Simple egg sandwiches came dry and over cooked. Server was not very friendly and seemed too busy to refill coffe. As a family who has visited this establishment for generations, lately we have noticed a marked change and have decided to try other places to eat read more

Amazing food and service every time. Go here regularly and it's always the best! Highly recommend.

Meh!... I met my brother here for breakfast today. The menu was quite extensive as it is a full-fledged Diner. I chose the club sandwich and washed it down with coffee coffee was good, the sandwich was fair at best the amount of Turkey was huge but it had a funky flavor to it as if it was approaching the end of its shelf life. The bacon was on the sparse side of things. The onion rings were good. There aren't many breakfast joints in Middletown. I surmise they have a captive audience. Enough said. read more

Got here at 23:35 on a Sunday with the intention of ordering a quick eggs Benedict and being out. Left my house in the snow with shorts on (not their issue but let's set the mood). I walk in the (unlocked) front doors at 23:34 to the smell of bleach and the manager telling me the kitchen is closed. Fantastic. Don't want to take customers until midnight? Change your hours fr. Won't be back. Avoid. read more

Typical diner. Booth seats are shabby and worn. Food is average. Eggs were perfectly cooked but corned beef hash was from a can.

Stopped for an early lunch today. I ordered a chef's salad and my wife ordered a bacon, egg and cheese on a hard roll. My salad had cut rolls of meats and cheese. This proved to be inedible because it was so dry. Terrible for $16! How do you screwup a chef's salad? My wife's sandwich had a lot of bacon but almost no egg. They also forgot to add the cheese which I'm sure we paid for . Won't be back for sure... read more

I have been here at least 3 times while in town and each time was AMAZING!! Each time I got breakfast, and they serve it so well here! The BEST eggs, pancakes, French toast (thick!), Canadian bacon, sausage, bacon, pancakes, and toast all done to perfection!! I really wish I lived nearby so I could come by weekly! Service is good too! LOVE IT! read more

ok , this is our second time here. Adundant proportions of delicious food quickly made to order by friendly staff in clean modern diner environment. We now have made this our favorite diner / place for delicious family food day or night. Nothing disappointing for our large party of 6 each time. read more

Classic diner. Great place for a casual breakfast or meal in general. I like to come at night to get cake with friends because the slices are huge. I liked the strawberry cake; my friend got the German chocolate and it was too dry. The kielbasa and egg sandwich was simple but enjoyable. Same with the hot chocolate. The service was also friendly. read more

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I have been here many a times over many years and almost always make a point to stop by for a bite when in the area; definitely a fixture in Middletown. Plenty of parking, extensive menu with wonderful Greek dishes and specialties and all day breakfast! There is something for everyone, including lots of desserts and baked items. I came on a weekday evening and ordered the moussaka. This included a salad and some lovely fresh bread and butter. The portions were generous and I ended up talking half of my meal home to eat the next day. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and leftovers and found it to be reasonably priced. The restaurant is very clean, well organized and cheery. I would recommend a stop in. read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Mousakka - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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After 25 years in Middletown, I finally got to visit this place while waiting for tires. I had an almond cookies and several cups of fresh coffee. People kept coming through the door. The service was kind and friendly. This is the epitome of Greek Diners. Lots of rich deserts and a full menu of just about anyhing you may want. Lots of parking available. read more

I simply can't drink their coffee there it's bitter and it makes me sick every single time. The desserts taste like they have a palm oil consistency whipped cream. I've never been happy with dinners there (low quality food) but breakfast isn't bad. I did once order pancakes with fresh fruit on it and they gave me a bunch of soggy thawed frozen fruit. I don't know I guess some people don't know what fresh fruit is? Or maybe they didn't have it but didn't bother to communicate with me about it and thought I wouldn't notice? Ugh. Oh, yeah....guys at the register appear put out by having to deal with customers. read more

Many years we usually stop in here and enjoy an excellent breakfast. Today was the first time we had lunch in a while. Our server was extremely friendly and helpful and looked out for us. We had chicken salad sandwich and a cheeseburger. My pal enjoyed the chicken salad sandwich and I felt the burger could have been a little better. White American cheese doesn't really cut it for me on a burger, yellow American or cheddar makes it happen. And a little bit more char steps it up too. Fix that and the burger would be top notch. Clean place, typical happy diner environment and fair prices. I know they work hard here as diners are rapidly becoming scarce nowadays and we hope The Athenian will continue to be around for time to come. read more

I am new to Middletown, originally from Bridgeport/Stratford area. My favorite food would be Chicken Orzo Soup, and buffalo chicken tenders. I love the dessert, but its fresh to where it becomes stale from being kept in the fridge too long. Service is okay from SOME Waitresses. I'm guessing it depends on the day honestly. The AMBIANCE is great, very comforting! **some entrees are a bit overpriced, some are worth the price** read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Chicken Orzo Soup Original Pancakes Scrambled Eggs w/ American Cheese Homestyle HashBrown - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Ordered the avocado salad and added a veggie burger. It was balanced meal. Very filling but not heavy.

Gave my vegetarian mother meat TWICE and refused a refund. My parent, LOVE it here. They go often. My mom ordered eggplant. Firstly they brought out chicken so she sent it back and asked it to be remade. When they brought it back out, she started eating it confidently. A few seconds later ran to the bathroom to throw it up. It was VEAL!!! After sending it back a second time they gave her the correct eggplant to go, since dinner was over and we had to leave. When discussing the bill, management refused to give compensation because, "It was the waitresses fault, but she eventually got it right, so why do you need a refund?" For an AWFUL EXPERIENCE!!!!!!! She ended up with less food in her stomach than when she got there!! I'm furious thinking about it over again. My parents are peaceful people and didn't argue further, but I think they were insanely UNPROFESSIONAL and showed a LACK OF CARE for their LOYAL CUSTOMERS. read more

My husband, mother, and I were passing through the area on the way home from RI and were hoping to hit up a diner on the way back to PA. I saw the Athenian Diner on the side of the road, turned in, and am SO glad I did! The food was terrific (we all got breakfast entrees), coffee was fresh, the service was fast, and the coffee kept coming. It's a friendly, inviting atmosphere for families and friends, and I highly recommend this diner. If I ever have to do another vacation in RI, I'd definitely stop here for our 5-star breakfast again on the way back. read more

Chicken piccata. (Capers and artichoke hearts). Very good but it's supposed to be lemon butter sauce and this tasted like chef used wine sauce by mistake. Can't go wrong with any of the Athenian Diner (shiny diners) sauté specials. read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Chicken piccata. (Capers and artichoke hearts). - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

My family and I have been going here for years now since about 2016. Service is always very prompt and friendly. They are conscious of nut allergies and make me feel very comfortable dining there. Breakfast places can be difficult for me with nuts and peanut butter. But I love it here and they make me feel safe to eat! Atmosphere is very retro diner which is how most diners appear. I always get hash browns and pancakes and the quality is very consistent. Whether we come in the morning, middle of the day or the evening I have always had the same experience. I even brought my parents here who love frequenting unique diners across the country and they loved it. read more

It's a nice Diner. Food is always great. Choices are good. Every day choices are changed so you can have whatever you need most of the days and it was a great service. read more

Service was great. Atmosphere is typical diners. Turkey club good. Caesar salad wasn't. No flavor in watery dressing. I'll be back, no worries. read more

A rating of even one star is very generous, I feel. My husband and I have just moved to the area. The first thing we noticed is that the menu is massive. I'm always suspicious when there's too many options in a restaurant, because then it means they don't really specialize in any one thing that they do very well! My husband ordered the roast beef, and I ordered the moussaka, figuring that it had to be good since it's a Greek diner. Man was I wrong! The presentation of the plates wasn't appealing at all. You could see, and then confirm with the taste, that this food had definitely come from Chef Mike... microwave! 3 bites in and I literally couldn't make myself eat anymore. Of course the waiter (who was exhausted as he seemed to be the only one in a large area) came back and asked how everything was and we told him truthfully it's not good at all. He offered us a free dessert and we accepted a slice of cheesecake. That was this place's saving grace. I don't know where the cheesecake came from, but it's a miracle if it's from the same place. It was a moist and creamy slice of cheesecake that melts in your mouth. Conclusion: I would and will not be coming back here again unless I want to order the cheesecake to bring home. Super disappointing. I hope the rest of the eateries in this town are better. read more

TL;DR - Lunch for a party of three took 1 hour and 22 minutes. Wait staff didn't know the soup of the day. Management took no action when informed of our long wait and poor experience. The details... We arrived at the Athenian Diner at 11:30 am on a Sunday with a party of 3. While ordering our waitress, Sharon, was unaware of the soups of the day and had to go and check. After ordering, we waited 30 minutes for delivery of even an appetizer. We completed the appetizer and were still waiting for the meal 30 minutes after that. Toward the end of that wait, I was looking out for her to explain that we would need to get going if they could not deliver anything within the next 10 minutes. Instead, she did not appear until the food was delivered. When it was delivered, there was no explanation or apology. In fact, she said nothing and just set the plates down and left. On the topic of plates, our lunch plates were just added to those already on the table from the appetizer. 10 minutes later and our table was still crowded with plates. Already upset at the delay, I requested from a manager that the appetizer plates be bused for us, and to provide a few additional napkins. Next, we asked our waitress for refills of water. That took another 15 minutes. At the conclusion of our lunch, I spoke with 2 managers, explained our dismal experience, and asked if anything could be done in terms of a discount. They both acted baffled, like deer caught in headlights, then declined without asking any questions or talking with our waitress. I am not even confident that I was speaking with a manager. Handling dissatisfied customers is a routine process for a manager, not a pop quiz surprise. I would have expected a manager to ask questions, educate themselves on the incident, and a token offer of some compensation for a poor experience. Our check was a total of $68. Even a modest discount of 15% would have left us feeling better about our experience and costed them only $10. Instead, with their refusal to correct the situation, I handed their manager $70, told her to keep the change, and left. Google Timeline informed me that we departed at 12:52 pm, 1 hour and 22 minutes after entering the restaurant. Customers are not a priority at the Athenian Diner of Middletown, not for the staff, nor for the management. read more

It was the only place opened on Thanksgiving day in the area. A bit of Greek thing going in decos and all, food was plain American. Kids loved the food. We were happy to get food on Thanksgiving Day! The next day we're leaving, so we didn't prepare anything, didn't worry at all. We drove around quite a big circle in CT, not a single place we could find to eat. Athenian Diner was the only place we could eat.. read more

Fish and Chips under done. Iced tea mostly water no tea flavor. Bread was for the birds. Slaw was the best part of the meal. Service was good considering the place was busy for lunch. Maybe they just hada bad day! read more

Great food. So many good choices. Had an excellent dinner with our club. Great place to ghost out meetings. Plenty of room for everyone. Highly recommend! read more

"Sun Setting on Green Meadows" The Eggs Benedict Florentine looks like a Sun setting on green meadows and the flavors are as bright as the sun. Athenian Diner is a half way point when my wife and I go to my cousin's house in Niantic. We always stop here for breakfast on our way there. There is only one item on the menu that I want because it is the best I've ever had anywhere. It's the eggs benedict florentine. The bed of spinach is finely chopped and layered with a lot of flavor. I believe they mix feta cheese in with the spinach and the bright flavor of lemon enhances the silky smooth hollandaise sauce perfectly. We haven't been to Athenian since last year and we made our usual stop on our way to Niantic on the Fourth of July. I felt fireworks going off in my mouth from my favorite dish at the Athenian Diner. read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Athenian Diner Eggs Benedict Florentine - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

This is almost always a good experience. Very high quality food for a diner, servers are consistently very good and thorough. Large portions, high quality dinners, great omelets and pancakes. Some more side options would be good though. So many meals come with fries, I've asked them to consider offering tater tots or homemade chips but they don't change. Prices have crept up a good amount too. Overall though, this is one of the best diners around. read more

Horrible food. Order was completely wrong. French Fries were raw. We would have complained but we never saw our waitress. We've tried this place three times-- and it's never been good. Three strikes and you're out! read more

Amazing food!! when ever I am in Middletown this place never seems to fail me outstanding for breakfast lunch and dinner only bad thing was a used fork read more

Athenian Diner Restaurant - Pasta - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Tonight I tried there Scrod Scampi special, my waiter, Jose, is top notch and has never steered me wrong in his suggestions. Again he hit it out of the park with this recommendation. The scrod scampi can be served over rice or pasta, he stated that one of his customers loves it over broccoli and asked if I would like it over broccoli instead of rice or pasta. I have been to many seafood restaurants and never for once thought a diner could serve up fish better than a seafood restaurant, the fish was cooked to perfection, light moist and flaky, not overcooked at all, the top was browned under the broiler, and the scampi sauce was well balanced, a nice buttery sauce with the right amount of garlic with just a light lemon taste. read more

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Food is good or just okay. Prices are a bit high but I guess it's like that most places. The servers are great. I tried take out twice but not great. read more

Good food. Good service. Excellent variety of options. Great coffee too. Dessert case will make you swoon. read more

It's truly hit or miss here with Athenian Diner II. The service is always good. spotless dining area and a classic diner feel. Breakfast is always your best bet . ive had some truly poorly cooked burgers of late when i stop in, and always ask for a different kind of cheese like cheddar. you can tell the American cheese comes out of a pack. the sauce is terribly sweet so unless you like that avoid the "Italian " portion of the menu. and the French onion soup is a reflection of the low price. always a good hand dipped shake and the fries and rings are always perfect. i had desert here once just stopping in for coffee and a slice of something with my wife and it was not fresh. AT ALL. i have by no means tried their entire menu, its huge. but as i said its hit or miss for a $30 plus dollar lunch for two. Always free refills on coffee and soda. read more