A friend and I just had DINNER at the Colonie Diner on Central. The reason for this post is to try and drum up some business for them. Diner was owned by an elderly lady who also owned another diner and she sold both to the new owner whose name is, I think, Moose or something like that. She only ever had the diner open for breakfast. Now the new owner has it open for breakfast lunch and dinner. This is the second time I've eaten there and BOTH TIMES the meal was outstanding. Typical diner food but really really good. Can't understand why, when i went both times, the place was practically empty. Can only assume that people don't KNOW they are open for dinner, just not on Sunday nights. Please people, let's support local businesses. Lets show them some love and go have dinner there some night. I promise you will not be disappointed. read more

Under new ownership and you can tell. The service wasn't great and the food was just ok, some of it anyway. The server came quickly, even before we opened our menus. She came back within a minute and we weren't ready. Then we didn't see her for about ten minutes. When she did come back, she took our orders and I'm not sure we ever saw her again except up by the cashier talking. We ordered two soups and lunch, a Greek salad and chicken quesadillas. Out comes our salad and quesadillas after about ten minutes. I said we didn't get our soup yet. She wasn't our server so she had to go ask. She brought out the lukewarm Manhattan chowder. It was good but could've been hotter. It actually could've had more clams. It was mostly potato. The quesadillas were super greasy and the wrap was weird and grease soaked. It was a thicker wrap. Maybe they deep fried it, not sure, but it wasn't crispy. Grease seeping onto the plate from the wrap (photo included). I took most of it home but more than likely will throw it out. Never asked if we needed more coffee. Disappointing to say the least. read more

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I used to love this place! But the new owners haven't done the place justice. Went for breakfast, home fries were cold. Corn beef was canned crap! Eggs were ok. Hard to screw up eggs! Breakfast sausage tasted like it was boiled. Then deep fried for a few seconds. Server was attentive, but preoccupied with whatever family drama was going on. Fighting with a family member about respect, and going and complaining to the mother ... i assume.. Not the atmosphere you want for breakfast. Most likely will never go back! read more

Stopped here for brunch and the service was very quick and friendly. The space was a bit dark, but the food was good. The home fries were a standout!! read more

Colonie Diner - DIY omelet - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

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PERFECT. Best Greek specialties. Wonderful breakfasts. Coffee is wonderful. Service - the best. Try the breakfast sausages. Greek Benedict is so good - best Hollandaise sauce, poached eggs and gyro. Simply the best diner in my 73 years!! read more

Colonie Diner - Window sign - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

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Try putting all the food in the take out bag. Had to go all the way back so we all had cold food. The girl at the counter had my item she forget right by the register not even under a heater. read more

Colonie Diner has been one of my favorite places for a very long time, and we visit quite often. But after today's experience, we will NEVER be back. I took my family of four out for breakfast. I was really looking forward to the Colonial Breakfast. My boyfriend ordered the Trucker Special. However, all of our plates were cold. The potatoes were boiled, not crispy at all, and completely cold. His eggs were disgusting. I ordered scrambled eggs and requested cheese on top. They forgot the cheese. The waitress kindly sent it back, but when it returned, the cheese wasn't melted. It was like they just threw two slices on top and sent it back out. My stepson's chicken alfredo was cold with stale bread on the side. My daughter's butter had a HAIR in it. Now here we are not one plate but ALL of them were cold. At this point, I was visibly upset and on the verge of tears. Another waitress came over and asked if I was okay. I explained that everything was cold and that I felt bad even sending my eggs back. I also mentioned the hair in my daughter's butter. I asked to have the Trucker Special removed from the bill because it was disgustingly cold and sent back untouched. That's it. We were fully prepared to pay for everything else. The waitress told us "it" would be taken care of. Then the cook came out, asked what was wrong, and suddenly said everything was on them. We insisted multiple times that we wanted to pay, we just didn't want to pay for the one meal that was sent back. They refused and said the entire bill was covered. They gave us togo containers, which we assumed was fine since they insisted. Then, as we were walking out, an indian man behind the counter started SCREAMING at us across the restaurant, accusing us of having the nerve to take three meals without paying. Excuse me?? We NEVER asked for our whole bill to be comped you ASSHOLE. We were READY to pay. We only asked for ONE meal to be removed. The entire situation was humiliating, uncomfortable, and completely unnecessary. We were treated like thieves when we did absolutely nothing wrong. On top of that, this place is DISGUSTING. Sauce smeared all over the walls, Fingerprints everywhere, Dirty floors, A filthy refrigerator behind the counter with dried food stuck to it. I honestly don't understand how the health department hasn't shut this place down. You can also tell the waitresses are walking on eggshells. They tried to do the right thing. They tried to help. And then management turned around and screamed at us for something THEY decided to do. Cold food. Hair in food. Dirty restaurant. Publicly embarrassed by staff. Absolutely unacceptable. Save yourself the money, the stress, and the disrespect. Stay far away from this place. We will never return. read more

Colonie Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

Under new ownership. Food was ok had burger and fries. Wife had an omelette which had barely any sausage in it , home fries were frozen, not homemade. Was in the area and why not try. Next time we will pass. Try another place to eat. Hate to see local places go down hill but new owners you never know until you try. read more

Colonie Diner had amazing service. Very family friendly and the stuff are wonderful very kind, and the food was soo delicious!

Delicious Food is delivered to you with kind, smart, present individuals who listen when you order. (Impeccable) This diner is welcoming, clean and has plenty of support staff. It has its own parking lot and handicap accessible. What's not to enjoy?!? read more

Colonie Diner - Oopsie, I forgot to take a before, yummy Tex Wrap with home fries for breakfast - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

All I can say is this place is GREAT! The food was cooked perfectly and service friendly and efficient. I got two eggs over medium with potatoes (cooked well done) just the way I like them and the sausage was delicious! My sister got eggs Benedict. Generous portions and both had a full belly. Highly recommend, give them a try read more

Colonie Diner - Two eggs over medium with potatoes and sausage and rye toast - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

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Overrated the fries were very greasy, I have to say, the help was very friendly and courteous. I didn't like the fact that I had to pay 4% on my debit card overprice and very little bit of food to go with it. read more

I have been going to Colonie Diner since I was a kid. Aphrodite and her family were always welcoming and sweet. Sadly I CAN NOT say the same for the new owners. They are rude to not only the staff but customers as well. When asked a question regarding bill today I was told I could pay cash of I didn't like it and as I left heard then say then don't come back. Definitely not a way to keep customers. I have given them three chances since taking over. How can you mess up breakfast I thought but the food is greasy and usually cold. Today alone several plates were sent back from tables around us. They treat the staff left from before awful. I have seen the condescending way they are spoken to in-front of customers. Bad food, bad business practices. read more

So sad our favorite breakfast place is no longer. This is the forth time coming since new management took over. Unfortunately it will be the last. The bacon undercooked and my potatoes were raw inside. They did reheat my potatoes but they were still awful. The atmosphere is gone too. So sad we used to love the place read more

Service was terrible. Waited 10 minutes with spilled water all over the table dripping on the floor and my children. Staff was rude and unhelpful. Had to ask 4 times for napkins. Hostess had a terrible attitude as well. read more

New owners. Fired the original Cook. Yelling at the window, food is not the same. I would not recommend.

My husband used to love the place , didn't no it changed hands. Went today and they seemed very disorganized. My juice was warm couldn't drink it. My home fries were hard, not fully cooked couldn't eat them. Not going back! read more

Happy to hear new owner owns Broadway lunch. Bfast was good , service is slow. Poor waitress had her hands full. Short staffed. We will definitely go back to support new owners. One thing I see and it always bothers me is wiping tables with same dirty cloth. Also floor needed cleaning. Let's give them a chance to improve. read more

Good service. Large menu. Always have a good meal here. Burgers are a favorite, and cakes are always a tasty end to a meal

I think they can do better than my visit but I didn't have a good experience. Ordered a Greek omelette with gyro. The omelette was overcooked, browned on both sides and It had some shell left in it. Price point is attractive, just about everything is under $10. Classic diner setup and feel. read more

Colonie Diner - Overcooked Brown omelette - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

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This diner is ancient. They did a facelift many years ago to make the outside look better. However the inside still needs attention. The place needs a good cleaning inside. The service is generally friendly but the diner has very rigid policies about substitutions. For example what I ordered came with a salad. I asked if I could substitute a few French fries instead of the salad - no. Could I get applesauce as a side instead of the mixed vegetables - no. In general the food is just ok. Sometimes hot - sometimes not. There are so many similar diners in relatively close proximity that one would think this one would go out of their way to be something special. Attention to detail is important. For my money Dinertime in Latham is the best in the area. It is worth the extra few minutes drive to go there. read more

All around good food and good people and good prices! Nice place to take the family out to for breakfast or lunch

Having lunch here today since breakfast was so good. The menu was outrageous in range of lunch offerings. Plus two pages of specials. We both ordered French Onion Soup since we are on a quest to find best one in our area. Normally, it is a modest $4.79 but since our $9.99 lunch specials came with soup, there was only a $2.79 up charge. So fair. The soup had very good flavor; however, it was topped with mozzarella cheese which is not as tasty as a combo with Swiss or Camembert. I had the Spinach Pie and Greek Salad special and took some home. Flavorful spinach pie and good salad. Husband ordered the Chicken Parm with Ziti ‍. He liked it. Took some home. In my opinion--there were so many more exciting dishes available on the menu. Save that for an Italian restaurant. Attentive service once again! read more

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Stopped in for breakfast today with steak & eggs on my mind. I walked out thinking that I've had better food in the jungles of Honduras. While the sunny side up eggs were perfectly cooked the steak was 80% fat and gristle and what little meat there was was completely bereft of flavor. With a cup of coffee, a glass of milk and 2 Blueberry muffins to go the bill was $30 and change. All in all I would have rather had the chili they serve on Tuesday's at Green Haven prison. Oh well, live and learn. read more

Colonie Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

This is a diner. You have seen them before in every nick and cranny of the USA. They all look very similar. Some have begun to get creative and offer newer and more exciting options. The Colonie Diner is not one of those. If I were rating the diners on Central in this area Blue Ribbon is #1 by a long shot. Farmer boy is #2. Colonie #3. Lorenzo's #4. My wife and I ordered breakfast. We ordered some of our diner favorites. Everything came out really fast and the service was excellent. They use canned corned beef, no thanks. The breakfast meats were not overly salty which was nice. The bacon was tasty but soggy. The grilled blueberry muffin was wimpy. The Arnold Palmer was weak. The home fries were excellent. Very crispy. They may have other options here that are 4 and 5 stars. If I go out for dinner, Blue Ribbon gets my $ every time. I am not saying I would never eat her again. I should definitely check out lunch at some point. read more

Colonie Diner - Same old, same old, diner. - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

I've been to this diner a few times over the past 4 years and would say that the food is good although nothing special, the location is dated, and the service is average. Breakfast food is breakfast food. They do have great greek salads and the pies and cakes are delicious. Soup is not their forte. I also wouldn't go if you are in a crunch for time as it took a bit to get served. read more

Wonderful Service. The corned beef has brand they use needs to be re-evaluated. It's was pretty bad. read more

Spending a few days in Albany for work, I decided to venture out and try a breakfast place that was not the hotel breakfast. After a brief search, came across the Colonie Diner and thought I would give it a try. Upon arriving on Monday morning around 8:00am, I was the first patron to eat here. The restaurant was very clean, and was offered to sit wherever I'd like. The outer appearance is the classic retro diner look right off Central Avenue, and the inside has the layout of a very open, L shape restaurant with both booths and tables. There are large windows that allow for a lot of natural light into the restaurant. Brownie points. After sitting at my table, I noticed that the sugar, salt, pepper, jellies, etc. were all filled as if I was the first person to ever use any of them. Plus. Let's get to the food. I ordered French toast, home fries and a coffee. All came out really delicious, and glad that I enjoyed this meal. The total bill came to about $11. Reasonably priced. The waitress, Rosita, was very friendly, very well mannered, and had the perfect balance of making sure that I had everything that I needed, without over doing it. Excellent. If I am ever in Albany again, I will definitely come back to this Colonie Diner. I definitely enjoyed my experience. If you are still considering a breakfast spot without spending a fortune, I'd highly recommend the Colonie Diner! read more

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Colonie diner is my favorite diner in the capital region. It's immaculate inside and has a modern design which I like. They also have a huge parking lot which is always a plus. I've had everything from the "Aruba chicken", to breakfast, and everything in between. The French onion soup is my favorite. I also love the spinach, tomato, and feta cheese omelettes. The home fries are my favorite- crispy and fresh. You really can't go wrong with any of the food here. The service is fast & friendly, the foods great, and the owners are friendly as well. Can't ask for more. Ask for Dana- she's the best server! read more

Fast friendly service solid food good qualities...top 2 diners for us in the area. Thank you

Everything a diner should be. Friendly people and family-like atmosphere with lots of selections and good food.

It was okay. The food was plentiful but the location could use some updating. Thankful that we still have diners such as this one.

Just got done with breakfast here. We got seated right away during prime breakfast time on a Sunday. The waitress was very friendly and attentive and our food came very quickly. My spinach, tomato, and feta omelette was cooked well and was very filling. I would come back here again for breakfast or lunch read more

Colonie Diner - Florentine omelette...spinach and feta topped with hollandaise sauce - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

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I stopped here for breakfast on a Monday morning. It was not crowded and I was seated immediately. The waitress was very friendly and service was excellent. I ordered the breakfast special with the hash Browns and sausage. The hash Browns were great. They add onions to their hash Browns which gives a little extra special flavor. They're not mushy and dull like most diners around here. 2 giant sausage links with my over easy eggs, toast, juice and tea made it a great value. I will definitely go back here again and I highly recommend it read more

I've been coming to this restaurant for years and they never disappoint. They have amazing staff an good food! I can say the home fries are not the best, jus not to my liking but everything else is! 10/10 recommend. read more

Work right behind the plaza and ordered lunch to go. Basic omelet(Bacon, mushroom, cheese) and side of hash. Online, omelet was under $6 and hash $3.50. I was billed $16.50. When I returned to ask, the owner said the menu online could not be updated. In the end, my bigger complaint is that a basic omelet(not very good) and a side of hash should not be $16.50. Will not return. read more

Colonie Diner - Building - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

I've always loved the Colonie Diner and I went for breakfast this morning and decided to try the Irish Benedict and it was amazing I would definitely recommend! read more

Colonie Diner - Irish Benedict - SO GOOD - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

We had a lovely visit on a recent evening, where we were treated to decent diner food but utterly outstanding service from our server, Michelle. The kids' portions were huge -- a full-sized hot dog for one, a grown-up sized burger for the other, while we feasted on a reuben (excellent) and moussaka (pretty good, although not as eggplanty as I like). The soup of the day, a bean soup, was very good, possibly even home made. Our salads had noticeably green elements indicating they had ingredients other than iceberg lettuce. The staff were patient with our kids and the food was hot from the kitchen, and we were given a needed to-go container without asking for one and got the check immediately after asking for it. All in all, a well-above average diner visit in this Land O' Diners that is the Capital Region. Warmly recommended. read more

Colonie Diner - Diners Near Me - Albany, New York

For starters, our waitress rushed us to order which was not good for the stress levels. After getting our food, the French toast was not cooked at all. It was wet and soggy and couldn't even take a bite of it without gagging. We were being rushed to finish our food with bombardment of staff watching over us. read more

The diner stays open until 2:00 pm. We ordered around 1:30 pm. They shut the air off at 1:45 pm, they say. By the time we received our food order, I suspect it was well over 75 degrees F inside. Extremely uncomfortable. Who can enjoy their food while sweating? read more