Chet's Diner has seen much better days... In the year after Chet's appeared on New England Chronicle, it was also used in a Hollywood movie scene. But in 2001, James Pantazis, the gregarious outgoing owner and public persona of Chet's passed away. Everyone in the family fed off of Jimmy's exuberance and innate charm. In just a few months, co-owner Bill Pantazis, the lean and strong ball player who took orders and rang up your tab, had a falling out with his sister and mother. He was pushed out on the pretext of his participation in local government. Soon after, Bill's mom, Nancy, had to cut back her schedule because of failing health. You may recall her in the back corner peeling potatoes for untold decades. Jim was the glue that held the family together and generated the camaraderie that made the dive friendly and charming. Without him, only Billie had a chance to preserve the goodwill of customers. He remembered names, knew their quirks and could banter about on any topic, especially politics and sports. These are the qualities that make or break a family owned diner. Perhaps the most toxic factor is the venom dripping from daughter, Ann Fidrych, who has not only shut out Bill, but has taken every measure to write him out of a successful history that he enabled. Sure, there are positive reviews from the likes of Restaurant Guy, Gary Kelley, but Chet's has fallen 80% from the glory of its heyday. They have lost the good faith of regular customers like me. A business associate on the west coast used to ask for breakfast at Chet's whenever he arrived in New England. Shortly after Billy was pushed out, I offered to take him there. Without any prompting from me, he said "Why bother? A pall is hanging over the entire diner. No one acknowledges regulars, no one knows your business, and the smiles are forced." Hoping that this was a temporary situation, I continue to stop by occasionally. Unfortunately, there is no sign of improvement. Chet's is not a fancy place. They focus on the basics. Anyone can prepare good food. But only a few can surround the food with great service and a warm atmosphere that makes you feel part of the family. Chet's was once such a place. Now, a trip to Chet's is akin to visiting a funeral parlor. Some friends have passed on and the others are in no mood to smile and chat. --Charles Prague read more

From my review in the Westborough Patch: I sat with Jessica Fidrych, the high energy 24 year old who is marking the end of her 1st year of Chet's Diner ownership as the restaurant enters its 81st year of operation. Why would someone from Westborough come all the way over to Northborough on a Saturday morning for bacon and eggs? Without hesitation, Jess gestured around the restaurant and said, "It's the Chet's experience, and that's hard to describe. It's a show and a family. You'll be part of the family when you walk in." I can vouch for that. During the 15 minutes of our conversation sitting at a table, Jessica acknowledged customers entering the restaurant 8 times....and gracefully dealt with 6 additional customer interruptions. The restaurant was opened by Chet Warren in 1931, and some short time later was sold to Paul Strassero. On October 10, 1960 the business was purchased by her grandparents, James and Nancy Pantazis. Jess took over ownership last year, making her the third generation. What's been your biggest surprise? "How much work running a business is; I'm an amazing multi-tasker and there's a lot to do cooking and cleaning. Even though I have been in the restaurant business my entire life, I never saw the other side...payroll, quarterly tax filings, keeping the books (and keeping funds available for the inevitable surprises.) My mom (Ann Pantazis) is a big help with the books and cooking on Saturdays." The most popular items on the menu are the hash & eggs and the blueberry pancakes. Jessica is a boisterous personality, one of those people where their personality fills the room. When I first tried Chet's Diner, I asked what a "one time" visitor simply had to have. "The hashish...," was Jess' conspiratorial stage whispered reply. "I'll cook it a little longer just for you, so you'll have crisp hashish." I was a little scared, but what the heck, right? Well, the corned beef hash was really quite excellent, complimented with eggs of my choice (dropped) and toast. Jess tends to call things a little differently, and you'll come to love Pumpersnickel over the more traditional Pumpernickel. Chet's Diner really is a diner, from the Worcester Lunch Cart Company, "The longest one built on site," beams Jessica. Jessica is quick to point out there is a conception all diners had to be on tracks. As with many diners, the original shell has been augmented many times with additions. Yet, there's no mistaking the diner feel. Knowing a good thing, Jess doesn't plan to do any major changes beyond a fresh coat of paint, new tables, and a flat screen television (in the full bar.) I go there every Saturday to enjoy a good breakfast and visit. read more

Chet's is an amazing place to go for breakfast. I used to go before school. My personal favorite meal is a chocolate chip pancake with a side of bacon. The staff is really friendly and the food doesn't take long. I recommend going to this diner. read more

This is what a diner should be. Fast, friendly, darned tasty! Easy to get to, has countertop and tables. The food was great. They had apple pancakes going when we were there. Big tasty apple pancakes, some crispy not greasy hash brown, eggs and italian sausage. I was stuff but it hit the spot. Sadly the hash was sold out on our stop but everything we had was great. The service was fun, friendly and a little bit of sassy. Cash only, stop in here you wont be disappointed if you like diners. read more

I don't know if all the reviews are written by family but this place was completely underwhelming. We went to Chet's at 10:20 on a Friday morning after reading the wonderful reviews here. There were 3 other couples and 3 counter patrons. All but one couple had their food. The coffee was good - but strong. We placed our order - simple breakfast items - eggs and French toast - and then waited 40 minutes for it to arrive. The waitress kept saying, "yours is coming right up". The food finally arrived and again, unimpressive. Eggs were cooked on a dirty grill and sausage links were the size of my pinky and tasted microwaved. The 'maple syrup' was diluted down. My boyfriend received bacon instead of sausage. Yuck! 40 minutes for that? No thank you! In fairness, the bacon was pretty good. We then get the bill and it had no pricing (the menu prices were fairly cheap) - but our 'bill' just had a random total on it which seemed high. I asked for a menu to add it all up and was then told the prices had gone up $0.75 cents because of a 'bacon shortage'! Haha still didn't add up. I don't like waiting 40 minutes on a one horse town for a crappy breakfast. And I definitely don't appreciate funny math. Voted best breakfast because it's the ONLY breakfast! read more

Excellent food, and super friendly staff! Simple menu and the Portions are perfect sized. Had the homemade corn beef hash which was delicious! My wife had a breakfast sandwich on French bread that looked amazing. Nothing was drowning in fake butter, and everything tasted fresh. Definitely worth a visit. read more

If you're looking for the classic diner setting, and good food, this is the place to be. The corned beef hash is worth breaking your diet for. You can never go wrong with a grilled homemade muffin either. Really everything on the menu is delicious and they come up with unique specials. The staff is always upbeat and attentive. Try the bloody mary if you're hungover. read more

Good food. Service was very quick and the entire staff was super nice. Small town feel.

We went to Chet's after reading the reviews and on our way to pick up a christmas tree. Loads of people but we were quickly seated. Super nice waitress and the coffee flowed freely.....where they fell a little short was the long wait for the food (over 30 min) and the pancakes were over cooked, small and wicked dry (think dry crusty). The Egg sandwiches were, however, really great. With the pancakes falling way short of what I would expect in a diner and long wait for the food, I can't honestly give them more than a 3. Try them out, give them a shot, it's a cool diner experience despite the minuses. read more

The corn beef hash was unbelievable!!!! We love the experience and it made our first trip to Mass memorable!!!!

One of my favorite diners! Love going for breakfast. The staff are so friendly and make you feel right at home and like you are one of the family. read more

My husband and I stumbled upon this little place and from the outside I had my doubts, but as we were walking in, another customer smiled at us as if she new something we didn't... And she was right. This place is great! I love the totally down-home atmosphere. It's family owned and they shout at customers by name, everyone greets each other as they walk by... I felt an outsider, but certainly not in a bad way, definitely an experience :) check this place out, I will certainly be back!!! ( and yes food was great too, basic and simple, but filling and yummy!) read more

Nice homey diner! For once, i went to a diner where the portions were just right, and I didn't feel guilty leaving almost my entire meal left over, or worse, pretending to take it home to eat later only to throw it away weeks later because I forgot about it in the fridge. (Yes, I'm a diner connoisseur... sort of... or this has happened to me a million times). I love that it's cozy and clean, and appears to be a family run, local favorite. I ordered a simple breakfast sausage and eggs and cheese sandwich and it hit the spot. The bf ordered an omelette and it was the perfect portion. Can't ask for more. read more

I'm not sure if they're still open, I've stopped by during open hours a bunch of times and they're always closed.

I am very pleased with Chet's. The food was good and not expensive at all. The staff was very friendly and it definitely had that diner atmosphere that so many other diners lack. I will definitely go back again. There are very few places that you can leave only paying 20$ read more

Pretty standard diner food with average tasting food. The staff are friendly and the place is clean. My problem was the white coffee cup with red lipstick from the previous guest. That's pretty gross and poor quality control. read more

Love this place !!!!! Been here twice Their pancakes - better than Ihops Omelets are very good and home fries too I'll definitely be back here a lot more often read more

Chet's is everything you look for in a traditional diner. The food is excellent and the service is friendly and personalized. If you want the fastest breakfast possible, go somewhere else. Everything is made to order, so it takes longer than some places to get your food. But it's worth the wait because the food is top notch. I recommend the homemade corned beef hash. read more

Our usual spot was closed, so we checked out Chet's! The place looks much smaller on the outside, but inside there was plenty of seating! Went on a Monday morning and was surprised about the amount of diners, but the food came fast and was delicious. The coffee was great and refilled quickly. The pricing was reasonable for the servings. I would definitely come back again soon! read more

I found this place by chance, needing a breakfast while traveling. What a GEM! Sat at the counter on Friday morning surrounded by regulars. Didn't see a menu, it seemed like they could make any diner food. Everyone new each other. Watched my hash browns being made.....grating a potato onto the grill. Can't get any fresher than that. For a neighborhood retro diner do not miss this one! read more

This is the real deal! Awesome diner, great food, service, & atmosphere! Prices can't be beat! Must try!!!!

So start with the decor, that's easy since there is none! It is a plain jane no frills diner. Now onto the owner and brains of this cast of characters, Jessica is THE chef, she does it all the olde fashioned way. I had a western omelette, sadly the last few I've had were just plain eggs with the fixings stuffed in the middle. Not here!!!!! The do it right, mix it and add it together and it is a proper omelette, no shortcuts. So Jessica may be a little loud and a focal point of the entire place but she does cook incredibly and her diner is a true throw back. Keep in mind I've only been here once since I live nowhere in the area and was at a work conference. Go here once and you will come back, I can't wait!! She is a charm as is the olde school diner. read more

Great little breakfast place!! Staff are all friendly and the food is very consistently good! Be aware they close at 11am and are not open on Sundays. read more

The service is awful.. Ive been here a few times because they have good hash but im done. I come in the same waitress says sit where you like then it takes atleast 5 minutes for her to give you a menu and shes not busy that i can understand shes just talking to people then finnaly after another 10 minutes you get your coffee and she gets a ton of attitude if your order isnt simple.... Like if you want cream with your coffee... If you want tea instead of cofee if you want your eggs scrambled really unfriendly read more

Awesome food - the Italian sausage omelette was hands down the best I've had! The kid' pancakes were so big we have enough for lunch. Extra cool for someone who grew up in Michigan - place is run by the Mark Fidrych family. We will be back!! read more

Been eyeballing this place for months and finally went and as I predicted food was delicious & fresh, service was great 10/10 would recommend to everyone I know. Best French toast I've ever had in my life read more

Food was extremely good first of all. As far as service, we were greeted inmediatley and sat down within 30 seconds. Everyone was extremely friendly and professional. Extremely inexpensive for the amount of food, will return! read more

I have been looking for a decent diner forever around marlboro. I was finally relieved, this place is a gold mine. Everything delicious, not light on the eggs in their french toast and price was excellent. What really put me over the top was the real maple syrup did not cost extra. Also the fastest and freindliest service around here I have had. read more

Classic diner, excellent home town feel, and food to start your day. Gray people working there and eating there. They treat everyone like family. Food is great service is great. Only negative about the place is cash only and hand written receipts. But if your traveling like me just get a business card and make a receipt for the place on word. This place is the definition of why I always eat local when I travel. You get an experience you can't get anywhere else. If I lived in That area I would eat at Chet's every morning. read more

I went in hoping for a great diner experience, but unfortunately I was disappointed. The hash was undercooked and had a mushy consistency, the eggs were way overdone, and the home fries were nothing to write home about. That is not the reason for my review though. I was really surprised by the rudeness of my server. I don't know if it's a Massachusetts culture thing, but I thought she was very mean! She was sassy when we asked clarifying questions, like even where to pay! We were asking how to give her our money for God's sake. When we were giving her our order, she complained that we all got a water and coffee and that it'd be a lot to carry! I definitely won't go back when I'm visiting Mass again. read more

Excellent place to grab a bite!! The corned beef hash was excellent! Highly suggest this place for all things breakfast

We love Chet's and have been going there for several years. The food is consistently good, prices are very reasonable, and the staff is the best! Your food will be cooked to your liking - just ask! It's about as close to a neighborhood Cheers in a breakfast spot as you're ever going to find. read more

Best breakfast ever! Staff is friendly and serving food hot and fast. I had the veggie omelette, holy shit! Loaded with lots of veggies! Enjoy! read more

Fan-freaking-tastic! This place seems to always be crowded, and it's easy to see why. The people there are loud and friendly, know all the regulars by name and know what they like to order, really has a classic family feel. Just great diner food (and very cheap!) read more

This is an old school breakfast place. The staff is efficient and friendly. Atmosphere is classic, the food fresh and high quality! I will definitely be back when in the area. Highly recommend! read more

i have been eating here for 47 years love the food and i have seen many changes here over the years i know the owners well and i really like them great food but one of the changes they made that i do not like is the breakfast sausage links that they use are the brown and serve type not the nice links that most restaurant's use there otherwise great breakfasts and lastly the home fry's are the real deal but they need to ad a little onion when they are cooking them adds a great deal of flavor and the brand of coffee they use needs to change or they need to use light cream and not what they use now the cream will make the great cup of coffee if they make the changes i have told you about they will be the best food around I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THEY NEED LARGER DISHES THAT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP I REALLY LOVE THE PLACE AND WILL GO THERE TILL THE DOORS ARE LOCKED FOR GOOD AND PLEASE USE CREAM INSTEAD OF MILK FOR THE COFFEE MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFRENCE NEED LARGER PLATES PLEASE read more

My husband and I went here last weekend with our 2 year old. The inside is interesting. As you walk in you go past a long booth where many people sit and enjoy their breakfasts, there is another section which is more dining room oriented, and then adjacent to that it looks like this place might double as a bar in the evening because there is a plot of space that houses what I can only infer is a full bar. While the exterior looks a bit foreboding, the interior is cheery and relatively clean. They have a lot of regulars and the wait staff is very friendly As we walked into this place both customers and wait staff greeted us happily. The waitress came and took our orders which and are food was brought out quite quickly. I have to say that the coffee was really bitter for my taste- but the sausage, egg, and cheese on a toasted bagel was the best I have ever had! I didn't try my daughters pancake breakfast but she seemed to like it a lot. This is a simple place, with a no frills menu, friendly wait staff and customers, and good quality food. read more