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Central Diner

1.9 (277 reviews)
ModerateDiners

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CENTRAL DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Central Diner

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Sanjay G.

Good for quick bite while waiting for flights. It was my first meal in the USA so I remember this. I got down and was waiting for my friend. I ordered one grill chicken sandwich which came with fries. It was too big for me. I was hungry so I ate in like minutes. It was one good sandwich. But after that I did go there for 2-3 times, I am not sure chef has been changed or what, I did not get the same sandwich again. I guess if you don't have an option then you can go there.

Raj S.

Went for a quick bite and coffee .. coffee was good .. mozzarella sticks was average .. fries had very less salt and wasn't that crispy . Hummus dip was good . Was a bit cold though ... they also had a small bar with beer and other stuff .. service was ok .. could have been better .. overall an average experience

Christie A.

What can I say? DEFINITELY "diner" quality food. I ordered the tuna melt but I was expecting it to be open faced like usual with like tomato & lettuce & all of the things that usual tuna melts came with but it didn't. But- it was pretty good without any of that stuff anyway! The fries are really yummy as well. The reason I'm giving it three stars is because 1. The couple next to us didn't seem to happy with their food & 2. My boyfriend's chicken sandwich was so bad he took the chicken out & tried to eat the bread, lettuce & tomato.. But that wasn't really a meal so he stopped & didn't have much of a lunch :( Convenient if you need to pass time, but if you plan on going into security, wait & get something better past security!

Amy K.

I'm not sure why people rate this so low....what are you expectations?!? This is a small diner in the airport!! This place was good for what it is. My chicken quesadilla was delicious! My husband ordered the burger which was cooked to perfection and the fries were awesome. This place is great! It's a decent place if you need to eat at the airport. Are there better places? Sure, but this was convenient after we grabbed our bags and were ready to leave the airport!

the receipt for the restaurant
Brad B.

I've never eaten at a 1* Yelp restaurant before, so I had really low expectations. It's not as bad as I was expecting, but it is what it is, airport food. At the end of the day, $10 chicken fingers and fries isn't that bad.

Valerie W.

Not bad at all for an all night comfort food option. Looong story, but just spent the night stuck in limbo at the airport, and this was a fine (only!!) choice for a place to gather your thoughts, eat some reasonably prepared breakfast food, and recharge your phone. Service was fine, my egg wrap was a bit on the greasy side, and my coffee was freshly made, which you don't always find at 3am. To those who are complaining about the prices (my wrap and home fries were a very reasonable $9.99) airport food is ALWAYS more $$, and for what it's worth, I think this place was actually pretty reasonable. No gourmet deluxe, and probably not my choice for lunch or dinner, but a good enough choice (esp. when there is no other other choice!!) Central Diner is your 3am oasis in a sea of NOTHING at JFK Airport!!

Wings taste pretty much like dry twigs in buffalo sauce
Sallie D.

This is the worst diner I've ever been to in my life... (The absolute worst part is thinking about all the less atrocious food - in comparison - inside the security check point that I can't get to.) I had a couple of hours to spare between a drop off and a pick up at JFK and needed a place to work/charge devices while grabbing a bite. I knew I should have gone to the JetBlue food court the moment I stepped in. Super depressing atmosphere. Everyone looks sad to be stuck eating here. Menu is expensive. Doesn't look all that clean. All the food looks OLD. I would be surprised if McDonald's isn't better tasting than this.. Went through the menu and picked the thing you can least mess up on - buffalo wings. Well...Tastes like twigs in buffalo sauce. Super curious about the reviewers who say the food tastes good - must have been starved for hours on their flights and/or totally drunk. Service is ok. Except at the end when the waiter put a big circle around the part of the check that lists the recommended gratuity amounts. When does doing this ever make me want to tip more? Stay away. Better off getting food from a vending machine.

Heavy duty pancakes
Daniella S.

For an airport eatery and diner the food is pretty good. They will seat you in a comfy booth and you can order little and they won't rush you out. Ayesha was all smiles and killed as she served me my hard boiled eggs and my daughter some awesome pancakes. The lattes are delish. If waiting for a plane and needing a bite in terminal 4 there are not many options. Go for it and have a good time.

Spinach Artichoke dip with chips
Daryl O.

I liked that this place wasn't busy, I walked in & I was seated immediately. There are chargers along the bar areas & at the tables with the coat hooks so if you're on the other side you're SOL. I was looking to get the Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese but after reviewing what it looked like (on Yelp of course) it didn't look too appetizing. Looks like Velveta with cut up pieces of chicken. I had time to kill but not enough to work with that. It was still pretty early in the morning so decided to go with their all day breakfast route & order buttermilk pancakes with bacon. They were actually pretty good. I don't know why I expected the worst but I was happy with my choice. I had plenty of time to sit & relax so I ordered the spinach artichoke dip with chips. They give you a great amount of dip but I probably should have held off on that. The dip was lukewarm & didn't taste very appetizing. They took it back & brought another but it was just about the same. Granted they got a busy & I was just killing time I didn't feel rushed at all.

Ace P.

This was a very basic place that had several "diner" options and was open after midnight when we landed. Don't look for anything fancy - you get what you ask for. The hostess wasn't kind or friendly to us - maybe she was tired, which I understand, but still also rubbed us weirdly. But alas, we didn't come for good service - we came for survival food after a long cross-country flight. And for that as well, we got what we asked for.

Carrots with an order if Hummus
Naiia Abril M.

Terrible food, uninterested staff. Major health risks, look at the rotten carrots I was served with. Food safety dpt needs to pay them a visit!!!

Cory B.

This place is hard for me to review because I really did like my experience here and the times I have been here have not been crowded but the expenses here are way to much for me to give it a 4 stars. First the interior of this place is really nice and properly resembles a 1950's diner. It is open 24/7 and offers breakfast all the time. Music is really pleasant as well and makes this a nice stop for coming off a flight. The food is really good as well. Variety here is really good and for desert they sell Juniors cheesecake. On busy days it can take a while to get your food though so if you see its crowded you might want to avoid it that day. The waitresses and staff here are very friendly and talkative. Again it adds to this places enjoyability. However even with all these things considered because its a airport resturuant they chalk up the prices to ridiculous levels. People who are not familiar with americana diners like this one may not be aware of this either but this loses one of the best charms of 1950's diners... which is the affordable and reasonably priced food. Every 1950's diner I have been too, whether its from upstate new york or New York City has affordable food. This has even been true for locations in NYC which have expensive nearby restaurants. The fact that this place is the exact opposite and has jacked up prices because its in a airport is quite disappointing. Overall everything is fine about this place but the prices on the food is real disappointing for a 1950's establishment.

Breakfast Burrito

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8 years ago

Grossly overpriced, and the service is definitely too slow. I have eaten there a couple of times and I don't believe I will go back.

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7 years ago

Horrible service did even get to eat the food took too long. Understand it's in an airport but an hour and still no food.

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8 years ago

The price points are a bit high. I only got vanilla milkshake and it was okay nothing special.

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Springfield Diner - 2 Eggs Breakfast

Springfield Diner

4.2(62 reviews)
2.7 mi•Rochdale
•$

We just had an incredible breakfast. After traveling internationally all day yesterday, we knew we…read moreneeded to grab a hearty bite prior to our final leg home today. We are so glad we came here. I had their 2 eggs (over well) with home fries (with onions and green peppers) and the pork sausage patty. It came with toast (white with jelly). My breakfast was supreme. The eggs were perfection! My lovely had pancakes. She got 3 good sized pancakes. She added crispy bacon (3 slices). She came hungry but couldn't get around all 3 cakes. I helped. The cakes were grand even without syrup. I've been making cakes for decades and never nail what she ordered. The bacon was excellent. She had hot tea and I had coffee. Their coffee was first class; I had a refill. Our waitress was awesome. Super friendly and helpful. I believe the owners were on premises. They engaged with customers and the staff (always a good sign). If I'm right, one even manned the grill. We Ubered here from the TWA Hotel, which isn't even 15 minutes away. Be sure to hit the right pickup location in your app. We are so glad we came here. We arrived hungry and left full. Highly recommend.

I lived in the neighborhood 30+ years past this diner many times but today I decided to stop and…read moreget a bite to eat. It's very nostalgic staff are very friendly place was clean, which is must, I ordered breakfast which you can order up until 4 pm two eggs over medium with toast, grits and a salmon cake Now I don't need to remind you not everyone can cook grits, LOL When the food arrived hot. It was Delicious. I was intrigued by those entering the establishment who were greeted on a first name basis you could tell they had been been patronizing the place for years and even though it was my first time visiting this establishment, I was greeted with the same warmth and care. I never felt rushed if there is a negative that would be they don't take plastic but other than that if you're looking for a warm pleasant place to eat breakfast because that's all I had, I recommend the place. I'm definitely going back trying either the lunch or dinner menu.

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Springfield Diner - Menu...don't let the handmade signs fool you!

Menu...don't let the handmade signs fool you!

Springfield Diner - 2 egg with cheese, potatoes and turkey links

2 egg with cheese, potatoes and turkey links

Springfield Diner - Eggs over easy, bacon, Home Fries

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Eggs over easy, bacon, Home Fries

Jacob’s Pickles - Fried pickle. So sadly made.

Jacob’s Pickles

2.3(78 reviews)
0.0 mi•JFK Airport

It's airport food, but we had a good meal. I would say service was above expectation. Nadine is the…read morebest! She is hard working, pleasant, and really attentive. Fun spot to stop on your way out of town.

Let's start with the ambiance. Although Terminal 5 at JFK offers few restaurant choices, Jacob's…read morePickles stands out and never disappoints, even when options are limited. The hostess greeted me warmly and allowed me to browse the menu at my leisure without feeling rushed. The seating was spacious, and the self-serve bar area offered plenty of room. The decor and vibe evoked an early 60s charm, though the playlist featuring early 2000s hits was a quirky mismatch, yet, honestly, it grew on me and seemed to add a lively edge to the meal. The menu was straightforward, offering a tempting selection of chicken sandwiches and biscuit dishes. After some thought, I settled on the chicken ranch, it was ready in less than five minutes! The "Porch Sipper" drink was delightful; I ended up ordering a second, as its flavors transported me to open Kentucky fields, sitting on a wraparound porch on a warm summer day, savoring the music and gazing at the blue summer sky. The experience was truly immersive. And I must say, the staff radiated positive energy, they seemed genuinely happy to be there, which makes a difference when dealing with thousands of travelers daily. Jacob's Pickles is definitely a must-visit spot when passing through JFK Terminal 5.

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Jacob’s Pickles - Empty seats at the bar and in restaurant.

Empty seats at the bar and in restaurant.

Jacob’s Pickles - Fried chicken Caesar

Fried chicken Caesar

Jacob’s Pickles - 10+ people waiting just to sit down

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10+ people waiting just to sit down

Central Diner - diners - Updated May 2026

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