This place is a true local hidden gem. I have passed this place hundreds of times and I finally told myself I was going to check it out. Let me tell you, every time I passed this place, I was missing out. This breakfast spot brings me back to the good ole days when my grandparents and I would get breakfast together - this place is comforting and is the perfect disconnect from this crazy world. They have some of the most delicious pancakes I've ever had, especially the Cinnamon Swirl, they are a must try! Amazing loaded home fries and omelettes, all at a great price. Don't pass this place so many times like me and give it a try! read more

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Decided to stop here for brunch, and I'd say that they're pretty great. Waitress was kind, and like the other reviews say, I could agree that the staff all works together here. I'm not sure if it was the owner, but she came around about 3 times to refill coffee, very attentive. Our waitress came around to check up often as well. I ordered the 2x2x2 Meal, I chose Over Medium Eggs with Pork Bacon, delicious. I ended up upgrading from French Toast to Texas-Style French Toast. I 'd recommend to stick with their OG style French Toast. Considering the bread I upgraded to being a thicker style, it seems like they did not dip the bread long enough in the mix since the middle was very dry. It felt welcoming and overall I enjoyed my experience! read more

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Very expensive. Breakfast for 3 of us was $60 and we didn't order anything outlandish.

Was there Mother's Day weekend. Very crowded but still good service and good food. Always great selection of specials read more

Solid Breakfast place in Wallingford Great Food and Value Staff is very friendly Great New England Breakfast Vermont Sausage read more

Walked in the place was crowded and busy, but it was organized. If you know what I mean, the food was delicious. My husband had the pancakes. Oh my God he did fall in love with them, so did I and I had the corned beef hash with the Eggies yes I would go back and the coffee is excellent too and they're very very nice in there. read more

Had to do an update after todays late breakfast, first of all I thought they were open till 2 and we arrived at 12:32 to see that they close at 1, but they still took us in, so appreciated. I had the Thanksgiving omelet special, and I don't say this lightly it is among the BEST things I have ever eaten! Cheesy, turkey, eggs, cranberry, stuffing, mashed, all in one delicious mixture on my plate in my belly! With great home fries (perfectly crisped) and an English muffin. Omg I would eat this every weekend! read more

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Best home fries around! Very friendly. The boss lady is pretty nice too; always smiling. I always feel right at home.

Every time I go to Dads they give me a reason to like them more. The service is always fast and courteous. You feel like you've been invited to a friend's house for a meal. You're surround by everything that's that reminds you of being welcome read more

Local legend and amazing service and food! You won't be disappointed and while parking is busy it's worth the wait since your whole party must be present in order to be seated. They provide adequate seating for all parties and even in the warmer months will have outdoor seating under a canopy but that may have changed since 2020, but overall would recommend for breakfast and lunch! Chrissy and her crew have a great location and easy to find! read more

Service was great, prices excellent, serving size generous. I really was excited to try the place based on the reviews but I think we went wrong in ordering lunch instead of breakfast. I ordered a turkey sandwich with fries and the person I was with ordered tuna sandwich with fries. They each came with Cole slaw. We each agreed that the sandwiches had no taste. Very bland. The fries had the taste of oil that needs to be changed. And the Cole slaw was edible but way too soggy. There were lots of really tasty looking breakfast dishes and I am intending on returning to give the pancakes a try just to see if I'm missing out on some hidden magic. Response: my turkey sandwich came as you make it-with turkey, cheese, tomato, and mayo? /grilled I didn't complain to the waitress or manager because this issue wasn't about spoiled product or improper cooking. It was about lack of creativity or competence in the kitchen/menu creation. Or, products that just lack great taste. And that's what reviews are supposed to be about. Complaining wasn't going to get me a tomato with flavor or turkey with less water content. read more

Service is the best around, they are very attentive when you are dining there. Multiple waitresses so they keep an eye on you. Portions are large, so order accordingly. My favorite breakfast- Western Omelet with morning glory muffin. Go for it!! read more

Great place!!....i always from time to time or every other weekend go with my. Cousin to this place and I always get there steak egg and cheese it's really good...this picture was me eating a chocolate chip pancakes it was really good 3 stacks it was at the point I bring it home...I'll typically finish the food at the place but this one wasn't the case haha...great food great atmosphere and Chrissy and staff are great and it's like cheers "were everybody knows your name" read more

Very delicious food, fairly priced, the staff was very helpful and very polite. The place was packed, which is a good thing, usually means that it's very good. Always wanted to go there, glad I finally did will be back and will recommend to others. read more

Dad's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Everything was delicious- glad we found this spot heading north. Love the servers who help each other out read more

Dad's is my favorite breakfast spot when I'm in the neighborhood. It's fast friendly service with lots of breakfast options that I love. I'm recommending you visit if you're nearby. read more

Dad's Restaurant - My friend Jim C. when we had breakfast at Dad's June 2018. Reposted 10/15/23 - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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So amazing everything they make is mouthwatering and delicious. Highly recommend best breakfast spot

Just a simple, no frills spot for breakfast! Great pancakes, corned beef hash, and breakfast sandwiches. We were really impressed at how well the kitchen and servers handled the high volume of customers. They're definitely a well-oiled machine here! read more

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Had breakfast there for the first time last week. My husband and I both had omelets with home fries. The omelets were so good and the home fries were delicious! The service was exceptional! We will definitely be going back there! read more

Small space but big taste. Food is delicious and prices are fair. Staff are friendly. The setting is casual.

My wife and I came to this restaurant for breakfast and I have to say the food was excellent! While the food is top notch, I must say the waitress Amy was even better! Between the food and Amy, I will definitely be coming back! I highly recommend. read more

A once great breakfast spot which has gone downhill. My eggs were so runny that the egg whites weren't cooked. They put on way too much hollandaise sauce in hopes I wouldn't notice. The meal was inedible, The waitress never came by to check on me and the meal was left uneaten. A real shame. read more

I had the breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese, perfect size for breakfast and was great. Prices are good, wait staff was excellent.

Food is always delish! Service is quick! It's a busy family orientated location that I like. Ambiance is a diner with a bunch of families loving the food! read more

First time there. Everything was delicious. Plus, the staff were nice and helpful. A bit loud when crowded but definitely worth it for the great food. read more

The breakfasts at dads are always delicious. The restaurant is always busy during weekend breakfast hours. I ordered the pumpkin cinnamon swirl pan kale off the specials menu. They always have a good variety of options on the specials menu. The pancake was sweet with the swirl topping but the flavor of pumpkin was not overpowered by the sweetness. I don't typically order a sweet breakfast item but I was definitely not at all disappointed. The restaurant is lively and filled with families enjoying their Saturday morning meal. Only downfall is because the place is so good and staff always kind you sometimes wait for a seat or parking spot but even that never seems to be too long. read more

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So 7 years ago my husband and I "tripped" over this place on our regular trip from Philly to Massachusetts. We now stay in the middle just to have breakfast here. While the cranberry pancakes still rock, today I had the apple brown sugar ones and WOW! The food is fabulous and the service amazing - a must try! read more

I've lived in Wallingford for years and years but have never been to Dad's. Then, on my very last days before I moved out of state, I said why not. After eating here, I heavily regret never setting foot in this place. Prices for the meals are affordable and everything is so hearty and filling. Why pay a few bucks more at Colony Diner down the street when you can eat at a cozy restaurant like Dad's. The staff are wicked friendly and will accommodate your foodie needs. Every time I stop back home, you better bet I'll be coming back here! COVID-19 restrictions: all customers must wear a mask, staff wear masks and gloves, social distancing enforced, hand sanitizer provided inside and outside. read more

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Looking for a new place to have breakfast I decided to try Dad's. Wow what a great first impression. I ordered a three egg cheese omelette with bacon that came with home fries. This omelette was huge, and I can't even imagine how many strips of bacon was in it. Let's just say it was packed. The bacon was cut up making the omelette easy to cut with a fork.The home fries were nice, and crispy with plenty of favor. I also like that I had a choice of raisin bread toast. The service was fast, friendly, and attentive. Every server who walked by me said "hello"or "good morning". I will definitely be returning because I can't wait to try some other items in the menu. read more

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One place I miss since moving out of Connecticut is Dad's Restaurant. This place just knows how to do breakfast, from big fluffy pancakes to good size low price breakfast plates. Dad's is the undisputed king of breakfast in central Connecticut (Sorry Ricks on 5, you got beat out). I came here yesterday with a friend and even with the large crowd of people we were able to snag a table in only a couple of minutes and start looking over the menu. The menu here consists of all the breakfast classics such as pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, and all the others you would come to expect from a place like this. I ended up ordering a classic breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and wheat toast. My breakfast cost a little over $4, tasted delicious, and filled me up all at the same time. That is what you call a top notch breakfast! Overall, Dad's Restaurant May just be one of my favourite breakfast joints period. If you want a hearty breakfast at a reasonable price, hit up Wallingford for Dad's! read more

Dad's Restaurant - This is what I call a breakfast. - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Stopped by Dad's for lunch and it was delicious. I got the Turkey Club sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the Thanksgiving on a hard roll. The fries are hot and crispy . The staff at Dad's are friendly and helpful! read more

Dad's Restaurant - Turkey Club sandwich with French fries and Cole slaw - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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We were looking for some breakfast, and stumbled upon Dad's. Service is friendly and knowledgeable. I had an omelet with goat cheese and mushrooms, home fries, and a gluten free English muffin (they had THREE gluten free toast options!). All was delicious. Ny husband had the harvest omelet with home fries. He loved it, I thought it was a little sweet! To each their own, I guess! read more

My bf is Meridan ride or die kinda guy and he'd been talking about this place for months before we finally went. According to him, he used to be more of a Rick's fan (similar place just down the street), but in the last few years, he and his family have come to prefer Dad's. Which ultimately means, I'm the first chick he's brought there HEYOOO This is an adorable breakfast and lunch spot, that has the look and feel of a family owned diner, with a much more creative menu. I had the special scramble which was bacon, Swiss cheese, spinach and mushroom, plus added avocado. Scramble was good! Nothing amazing perhaps, but nothing bad. I would have preferred some of the cheese to be mixed in with the scramble, instead of just melted on top. I had the fruit and rye toast as my sides, which were also good. That being said, I did try my bfs home fries and Dad's toast (Italian white loaf bread) - both of these were AMAZING. Which ultimately is a good sign because we all should judge brekkie places based on their home fries. We also decided to split a short stack of the special stuffed French toast, which was carrot cake flavor. Incredible! So delicious, the stuffing was a sweet cream cheese. I also appreciated that this is the kinda place where someone is always walking around refilling coffees - it gives it a real homey feel. All in all, good to delicious breakfast experience. Would recommend and hope to come back! read more

Best breakfast place around...complete with crowd & wait for a table. Staff is dynamic & affable. Prices are reasonable. My usual is the Corned Beef Hash & Cheddar Omelette. There is always a specials menu board with ~ 8-10 innovative options. read more

This place is excellent!!! Great food, price is right and the service tops it off. I would recommend trying it out.

We haven't had a good New England breakfast since the last time we visited CT in 2019. Thanks for the good eats! My peanut loved the kids breakfast ate it all! One pancake, one sausage, and one scrambled egg. I had poached eggs and hash with the crusty Italian bread. It was all good! Service was great and the place was very clean. Thank you from SC read more

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Stopped in for breakfast while car shopping. Busy as anything sat at the counter. The waitstaff work as an organized form of chaos. But all the food comes out hot and quick a rarity in todays restaurant world. I was not disappointed. read more

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Great food and amazing service! We stopped in for the first after a 5K for breakfast. Love this place and we will be back!! It's busy so get here early on the weekend to get a seat. read more

My family and I love to order out for breakfast and eat in one morning on most weekends. For years we went to a couple other places that were our favorites (no names out of respect), but one day we tried Dad's and never looked back! The food is plentiful for the price and soooo yummy! Best in Wallingford by far! My 6-year-olds swap between the chocolate chip pancakes and the cinnamon swirl (my fav!), and as both an eggs benedict and corned beef hash lover I'm obsessed with their hash benedict! The eggs are always runny the way I like. I read a review mentioning onions in the hash, and on the contrary to what this pwrson said I love the flavor the onions add. I was also shocked to see a few people not like the home fries because honestly they are DELICIOUS. My biggest complaint at most OTHER diners is that the homefries are bland, and as someone who usually eats her whole plate, home fries are still most commonly not finished...BUT NOT HERE! I stuff myself every time by eating them ALL! Even my daughters who don't like potatoes love them. Try them cheesy too sometime! Lastly, I love some of their specialty muffins. The pumpkin one I had this morning was awesome (it does contain nuts for those who need to know), but my favorite (and I've only seen it once ) was their lemon lavender. I can't speak to service as we never eat in person and always order take out, though. In conclusion: Go to Dads! My kids know it by name and yours will too! read more

One of my favorite places to get breakfast in the area. The food is always great and the staff is nice. I never have to wait longer than 15mins for my food. The prices are very reasonable. read more