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

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

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

This place has that cozy warm feeling when you walk in like you're walking into family's house. You're greeted right away from the matriarch of the family who could bus every table by herself if she wanted to. This women greeted everybody & gave them all the warm goodbye. I watched as she set napkin and utensils on every clean table ,all while still greeting the customers around her making sure everybody was okay. The staff here is very friendly and they have one heck of a team leader. Now onto the food..... I haven't tried any lunch yet I'm always in here for breakfast they have a lot to choose from on the menu. For breakfast you could get anything from homemade hash to omelettes, the home fries are great, the bacon is phenomenal and they make some good pancakes. Today I had to eat pretty light,so I asked for an omelet with cheddar cheese and spinach. It was stuffed with spinach just how I like it. The home fries were great nice and crunchy on the outside soft on the inside.The egg wasn't thick rather on the thin side ,so I didn't like that ,but it was good. I saw somebody with pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream on top I think I'm going to get that next time. read more

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The closest thing to home cooking you will find in the area. In fact it's probably better. The staff is great. They treat you like a family member. They will know your name after a couple of visits and always make you feel important. They boast a great variety of food on their menu and have fantastic daily specials. You will do yourself a disservice if you don't check out this gem. read more

YUMMY. Got the cinnamon swirl pancakes that were absolutely delicious. Very homey and would definitely visit again. Peak diner food with lots of options. read more

Dad's used to be excellent both for the quality of the food and the service, but the last two times I have been there there has been a decline. The first time we had bad service I didn't think much of it because it was one time. We just went again and our server was totally absent. Never checked on us and we had to ask for our coffees and for refills. Our food was not cooked properly (undercooked pancakes and rotten avocado) and we had no option to get it corrected because our server didn't stop by to check. Our check came to over $30 for two people for breakfast and we left hungry. 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

Don't let the line to get in intimidate you, it is well worth a little wait. Breakfast is always outstanding! From Eggs to Pancakes you will have it your way!! read more

Alright now that I've recovered from my Dad's Restaurant pancake coma, I ready to write this review. FOOD: Seriously though if you're looking for legit pancakes Dad's is the place. I ordered the 2x2x2 (2 pancakes 2 eggs 2 meat) because my eyes are bigger than my stomach. The pancakes are roughly the size of a UFO. Approximately. It seems they make it with a bit of cornmeal which makes them thicker, heartier, and a tad sweeter. None of that half fluffy half gummy texture you find at other breakfast spots. Lots of bloobs in my blueberry cakes which is super important. My boyfriend ordered an omelet which came stuffed and a side of home fries and toast (thick!). Coffee was delicious. The waitress even offered a pumpkin spice brew. I passed because I'm probably the only suburban chick in CT that isn't obsessed with pumpkin. Gimme that diner dark roast! :) SERVICE: The staff was pleasant and quick. It was a Sunday morning at peak breakfast time. The entry was a tad crowded but things got moving pretty good. The staff was really on top of everything and friendly. Coffee refills were on point. Food came out fast with no problems. It was homey without being cliquey or divey, a tough balance for most. Will definitely be back but I'll be smart and maybe just eat the 1x1x1. ;) read more

Dad's Restaurant - That thickness tho - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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I don't get the hype. We went to Dad's for breakfast because we had to run some errands in Wallingford and saw that they had a deal available on Groupon. We got there and realized this is one of those "wait outside" type of places. On a cold rainy day, I was not excited about this. It was 10 minutes before we got inside out of the cold, 20 minutes total before we got seated. Half an hour after ordering before our food arrived, which seems excessive. It's a diner, they should have a better system to get food out quickly, even when it's busy. I would describe our entire meal as "fine". Definitely not worth the 50 minute total wait time. Had I gotten the food in 10 minutes, maybe I'd have been more impressed. The pancake was fine, sparse on the bananas. You can see in the picture below - 8 small, thin slices of banana do not make a banana pancake, in my opinion, especially when they charge a premium to add them. The corned beef hash was tough and chewy, I'm guessing it was overcooked? The eggs benedict that my husband ordered were fine, the homefries were gross - greasy and bland. It was hard getting coffee refills. One waitress even leaned up on the wall behind us and asked "is it 1:00 yet?" I get that you're tired, but when we're sitting here with no food and empty coffee mugs, I sort of don't want to hear it. Go in back and complain to your co-workers, not to me. I guess maybe it's a local phenomenon and maybe I just don't get it. But I wouldn't go back, even with a Groupon. The food was so-so, the wait was unbearable given the quality of the food and there are just so many other great breakfast choices closer to my house. If I find myself in Wallingford at breakfast time again, I'd probably choose IHOP over Dad's. read more

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1st Timers to Dad's Restaurant in Wallingford this morning. My wife ordered the Banana bread French Toast (w/ a side of bacon) off the Special's menu. I went with the Hungarian pancakes w/ a side of sausage. Meals came out after a short wait, right away, I noticed I did not receive what I had ordered. Hungarian pancakes are thin (and that was the description on the menu also), what was in front of me were "normal size" pancakes rolled up with cinnamon inside. We had a few things to do this morning after breakfast, so I wasn't going to quibble about this mistake. The pancakes themselves were OK tasting (hey, anything with copious amounts of cinnamon inside is going to taste alright no matter what). My wife thought her Banana bread French Toast was decent tasting. But it lacked the eggy flavor she likes in French Toast though. Also, the portion size was small. Our total bill was over $28, a bit high for what we received this morning. I do have to say, all of the staff was extremely friendly, I read other Yelp reports saying that the staff was rude, but that was not our experience at all this morning. I see a lot of 5 Star reviews for Dad's Restaurant AND a lot of 1 & 2 Star reviews. Honestly, we feel it's a middle-of-the-road, average breakfast spot. read more

Dad's Restaurant - Banana bread French Toast, at Dad's Restaurant in Wallingford, CT. - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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My boyfriend and I went here for the first time over the weekend. I had the bacon scramble with home fries and fruit. It was all very good. I asked for fruit instead of toast and the only disappointment was that they served a variety of fruit in a bowl as small as a dish for dips. The waitress was nice enough to give me the fruit instead of toast though because she says they usually don't do that... As for my boyfriend, he had the omelette filled with meats. He liked it because it was big chunks of meat. What he didn't like was that the omelette was just eggs and inside all the meat, it wasn't mixed in together. We also shared chocolate chip pancakes that were very delicious!!! One other thing...the prices are a little high. For the two of us with our meal it came to $40 before tip. read more

Dad's Restaurant - Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon scramble & meat lovers omelette. - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

It's your average american breakfast diner. Nothing special but it's not a bad thing. The food was great (I got the bacon egg and cheese) and the staff was attentive! read more

I am an out of town-er from So Cal. Teaching classes at State Police forensics. Asked where the best place for breakfast near my hotel. 3 answered Dad's. Had a great shaved rib-eye steak and cheese omelette with potatoes and rye toast. Really tasty with great prices! read more

Dad's Restaurant - Steak and cheese omelette. Sorry if you don't like ketchup - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Small hometown feel. Went for a late breakfast with my mom. Fair prices and old fashioned

My breakfast at Dad's this early Halloween morning was as good tasting, filling and satisfying as always. Today I opted for a ham, provolone, and mushroom STUFFED omelet, with 'taters, and a side of their always deliciously sage seasoned Ver'-Mont sausage. (Emphasis on the first syllable in Vermont LOL). Their "Dad's toast" is always my option too, even with the small up-charge. It's worth it! A cup of reasonably stout coffee along with a nice, tall, ice cold glass of grapefruit juice, rounded out my breakfast. Thanks Dad's! Terrific as always! read more

Dad's Restaurant - Ham, provolone, & mushroom omelet, Vermont sausage, Dad's toast, grapefruit juice, & coffee. BREAKFAST OF FAT GUYS! - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Phenomenal place! Stopped by to get a gift card for my daughter who lives locally and stayed for a delicious breakfast. A cheese omlet, homefries and raisin toast never tasted so good! Excellent service with quick food delivery in a relaxed atmosphere that is very charming. The staff and whole vibe is very friendly. When we walked in the person behind the counter, the waitress the cooks the cashier each gave a friendly welcome. Perfect place with high volume that they keep moving with ease. Great place! read more

The pancakes are HUGE, like larger than your face big. They are also some of the fluffiest pancakes I've ever eaten and want more in my face. Restaurant is on the tiny side but your table will be filled with yumminess. read more

Came here for brunch/breakfast this past weekend. We were seated after a pretty short wait (kind of surprised it wasn't a line out the door on a Sunday morning, but when we left it started getting busier). Menu was pretty sufficient though they didn't have any egg-on-a-bagel sandwich combos which is usually my go to for having breakfast out. (I could have ordered eggs with an additional side of a bagel but I also don't like making things complicated at a new location). Our food came out pretty quickly. My uncle-in-law ordered one of those 3-fer plates (french toast, sausage, and eggs) and was able to get the day's special french toast instead of the standard for no extra charge which was pretty cool. Overall I was happy with my breakfast (just got scrambled eggs, toast, and home fries). Prices were super reasonable (mine was $5 or $6??). Very convenient, has a parking lot. I'll probably be back for breakfast in the future if other people want to join. read more

I stopped here after an early morning hike in Sleeping Giant to grab a breakfast sandwich. They were taking orders over text and walking the food out to the vehicles with gloves and masks. They also had a nice tent set up with some coffee for folks as well. The breakfast sandwich was served on a hard roll with cheese and your choice of meat. The bacon was really good quality and not too fatty. They also put a lot of cheese on their sandwiches. Overall I'd recommend visiting for a good breakfast. read more

Dad's Restaurant - Tent with coffee - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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Love Dads never had I had a bad morsel, seem to end up there for breakfast out. Love the waffles, omelettes, real nice people read more

I go to dad's at least once a week. The food is incredible and the prices are so good. I truly can't get enough!

Was here in January and it was great! Today inedible raw pancakes, which they addressed, but the food was not as good as it has been. Please fix we love coming here, when we visit family in Wallingford. We are from Jersey, home of the diner! The prices are high and we are from Jersey! $7 for a small plate of corned beef hash $5 for cup of strawberries read more

Dirty! I say at the counter and watched flies play in the giant butter bucket on the counter under the kitchen pass through. I tried to eat my meal but I lost my appetite So gross read more

I love this place. Friendly staff and friendly owner, delicious food! One of the best breakfast joints in all of CT. Highly recommended. If you haven't experienced a breakfast at DAD'S, then you haven't started living yet. Start living and go there. Anyone who complains about this cute little eatery does not understand life. There is absolutely nothing to complain about. 10/10 and that's the highest rating I've ever given anything. I usually rate places 9/10 to leave room for improvement but dad's doesn't need to improve, they have already perfected it. read more

Got the food delivered and all I can say is bland and boring. I got French toast with eggs and bacon. It's nearly impossible to mess up eggs and bacon. The French toast was my problem. It barely had any flavor and it had pieces of egg on it...blah. Not sure if it was because the griddle wasn't hot enough so the egg seeped all over. But these are rookie mistakes that people make in their own kitchen. You don't pay for things like this. Please save your time and money and go to Rick's down the street. Hi Christine, Thanks for the apology. I considered calling, however, based on the sarcastic/condescending responses I've seen you give to less than stellar reviews of your establishment, it seemed like calling would have been a waste of my time. Business reviews help diners make informed decisions on where they should/shouldn't eat. What may be a "waste of time" to you, may save someone from throwing away their hard earned money. Perhaps, consider responding genuinely next time. That way, you don't chase away prospective customers with your attitude. read more

Very cute, old school diner that I found thanks to Yelp! My husband and I want to try a locally owned place in every town in CT. We choose places based on yelp reviews,and this is our Wallingford pick. Luckily, this place is close enough to come back to for breakfast on the weekends. Plus, very easy to find. Not too far off the exit of the Wilbur Cross. They are only open for breakfast/lunch. They do serve their breakfast all day though which is a plus. At a diner atmosphere like Dad's my to go to us usually breakfast. I usually start w/ something pretty basic, and go from there. I ordered the 2X2X2 which came w/ choice of eggs, bread and meat. I went w/ over easy eggs, french toast and sausage. My husband ordered the western omelette and a side of fruit. His usual to go to. My meal was very good. The french toast had so much flavor that I barely had to use any syrup which was great. The eggs were cooked perfectly too. Just the perfect amount of runnyness (not a real word, but I'm assuming you will get the drift :) ) for the yolk. My husband mentioned his omelette was good, and he would absolutely get it again. The fruit cup although small and a little pricey did have a great variety of fruit in it. Watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew. Not bad for a little local place. Although the staff seemed friendly, our server was quite busy and only stopped by our table to take our order and to drop off our check.(why i have a 3 star rating) We had to ask for a refill and napkins from the hostess/cashier. Our waitress went by our table plenty of times too. Never asked how our meal was, etc. Basic things you would expect your server to do. However, from being a former server sometimes I'm a little more understanding that most. She never stopped moving from the time we arrived to the time we left. it does appear though that the whole staff works together, which I like. They do have good teamwork. We only live about 10-15 mins away from here - so I know we'll be back though. :) read more

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Many gluten free choices. My food was delicious. My waitress was celiac, super helpful in making recommendations. Some of the best GF pancakes I've ever had. And the chef came out of the kitchen so I could compliment her. It's a very small and very busy family type restaurant. Worth the wait. read more

Awesome Everytime I eat here..and that's years now lobve the cashier I think she's been there since day one read more

Dad's Restaurant - For years it amazing and worth the wait very efficient delicious line that's heading out the door it moves fast - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

One of the BEST breakfast places I have ever been and I have lived in NJ NY and now CT. The cinnamon pancakes are the biggest and most fabulous things I have seen. The bacon has a smoked flavor , the corned beef hash is homemade and can tell. The omelette s are to die for. 10 out of 10 for me. Started coming here when I was pregnant my husband thought it would be a cute joke since he was becoming a dad and we have not ventured anywhere since. Small and quant spot. Love love love read more

This place is a favorite for many people in Wallingford but as a lover of breakfast - especially eggs - this place is fine but not exceptional. It's a perfectly good place to meet people and the service is quick. I had the bacon scramble and would get that again. The homefries are okay but not crispy. read more

I took my 2 year old daughter fall clothes shopping and anytime I'm in town I HAVE to have lunch at Dad's! I still love the chicken salad on the favorites menu, and my daughter had chicken fingers and loved them! Aside from the great food and friendly waitresses, it means the world to me that Chrissy (the owner) always comes over to say hello to me and the kids. My Mom used to take us to the a specific restaurant growing up for the same reasons I go to Dad's, and the owner and waitstaff watched us grow up - it always felt like our special place. I love that my kids have that at Dad's; they both love it there and feel special that Chrissy knows their names! Keep it up Chrissy & staff! read more

Dad's Restaurant - Zoey enjoying her chicken fingers and fries! A fun Mommy-Zoey date day! - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Don't go here unless you're a regular. I waited for five minutes to be seated. After they seated two people who we're waiting for two more, they told me they would not seat me until my full party was here. They proceeded to take care of the customers who came in behind me. I left and will never go back. I'm huge on customer service and they did not have any. read more

First time in this diner and boy, we were lucky for having selected this joint. One of the best breakfast ever especially their classic pan cakes. Truly brought back great memories from my childhood. Such a homely place. A1 food, Top class service and not at all pricey. Cheers guys for an awesome job. read more

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

I've only been here once, but I know I'll be back. The food was simply delicious and the portion was big. The price is right, and the service is great. The staff was very friendly and welcoming :) read more

Dad's Restaurant - Chicken Salad Sandwich - Diners Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

A great place for breakfast! The staff is wonderful and very helpful with the menu. I pressed scrambled eggs and we had pancakes. You definitely get big portions here. The food is absolutely delicious. We will be back very soon read more

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

All the up to Connecticut from Florida. Always looking for something with a local flavor... found it here and then some! Service... excellent. Speed out of kitchen...even better. Quality of food.... Lights out good! Highly recommend this gem! Gotta try the home made corned beef hash.... Wow!!!!! read more