After running a couple of early morning errands , I headed inside Baldini's casino to have breakfast at the Empire Diner. The Empire Diner is an old-style casino coffee shop and I feel very nostalgic whenever I go there. I approached the hostess' station and waited for a little while to be seated, the cashier was too busy with the paying customers; so a waiter seated me at a nearby booth when he noticed. Miguel the busser took my drink order (diet Pepsi-- yep, felt like a soda for breakfast instead of coffee) and my waitress (unfortunately I couldn't see her name on her name tag) appeared soon after to take my entree order: steak and eggs. After a short time my drink and my food arrived one after the other. The steak and eggs were cooked nicely but a little greasier than usual; it still tasted good and I enjoyed devouring most of it. The service was polite and efficient; overall, I had a positive dining experience. read more

Empire Diner - Steak-and- (over-easy) eggs breakfast plate with hash brown and a side of buttery toast - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

We stopped in here after an event. It wasn't overly busy, but it was also late night. We may have been one of the last groups they let in for the evening. It was a decent layout within the Baldini's Casino. Kind of tucked away in the back corner by escalators. Inside was in the darker side in terms of lighting. Plenty of seating with tables and booths. The menu was extensive and had your typical diner food. All the food came out fairly fast and was good. Our server must have had a long day because she wasn't overly friendly and seemed annoyed by us. Her attitude was kind of a bummer but who knows what her shift was like. I'd only go back here if I was in the area. It wouldn't be something I'd rush back to. read more

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Empire Diner inside Baldini's Casino is a great spot for a good meal. What really stood out was our server, who impressed us by taking and remembering our entire order without writing a single thing down--and everything came out just right. That kind of service really adds to the experience and makes this diner worth visiting. read more

Empire Diner - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

My husband is obsessed with the awful waffle and he said it is good as ever. I loved the $10 steak deal with sides they even included shrimp. Service was fast on a Sunday, they take card and have waiters for drinks and parking is free. I liked the Halloween decor read more

Empire Diner - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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For those who have ever had the OG awful awful at the little nugget, the empire diner brought it back and it's pretty spot on. Do we need a pound of fries with our giant burger? No. But do we enjoy the pound of fries that comes with it? Absolutely. It's definitely a meal for two. Our server was friendly and our food came out quick. Don't judge the diner because it's at the Baldinis, it was definitely busy the whole time we were there. read more

Empire Diner - The awful awful - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Yay! Empire Diner still offers a Senior Menu. There are approximately 10 entries for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Today, I enjoyed the 1/4lb Beef Patty, Scrambled Eggs, Home Fries, and Sourdough Toast--a large portion for under $10. read more

Empire Diner - Senior Breakfast - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Not a bad place to eat. Prices are right and they have specials all the time. My review is for the awful awful. Burger is a little small, the top half of the bun completely fell apart after the first bite so that was disappointing. You do get a ton of fries like the original so that's a plus. The fries were really salty though, I mean really salty. I'm glad they went back to using plastic cups instead of paper cups they were using for a while. Service is usually good. Interior can use some updating but it's not bad. read more

Empire Diner - Awful awful - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

The locally famous AWFUL-AWFUL burger is back & Baldini"s Empire Diner has it. Be hungry before you order one because it comes with what must be 2 pounds of french fries. Their service, always friendly, has become exceptional. The facility is clean & bright. There is still a senior menu for reduced portions & lower prices. read more

Let's start with service. The restaurant was starting to get busy and the waitress was doing her best. Eventually I ordered the steak and shrimp. In fine print on the menu, you can get vegetables and roll, if you ask for them. The order arrived. The butterfly shrimp were good. The baked potato I ordered was good. The steak was the nastiest one I have ever seen. Fat and grizzle was at least half of it. Absolutely horrible! The vegetables that needed to be requested were green beans that were mushy and looked awful. I have come to this diner for over 20 years. This was the worst meal ever! After this horrible experience I will not return. If you're a regular and haven't been back in awhile, go somewhere else to spend your hard earned money! They need help! read more

Be sure to come in the evening when the amazing waiter Lu is on duty ( he's off Tuesday and Wednesday) . Best service ever! Highly recommend the ham and eggs. Oh, and the Awful Awful!!! Amazing! read more

Hard to find this diner being situated in a casino. It was worth the search. Cat, my server, was amazing. Excellent bus support as well by the Spanish gentleman. read more

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Love this restaurant. The hosts and servers are always attentive, friendly and make you feel welcome.The food servings are generous as well as affordable, food is served quickly and is always served hot. Diverse menu, something for everyone. We've been coming here for 10+ years and have never been disappointed. Special thanks to our host, Danny, and our server, Andrea for a lovely meal tonight. read more

The restaurant was clean and inviting. We were seated in the back of the restaurant, near the kitchen, so there wasn't any smell of smoke from the casino. Our server, Andreas, was friendly and attentive. Everyone helped out a lot. The Keno runner was pleasant and patient. The special was Rib-eye and Shrimp. It was excellent. The rib-eye was tender and had a good flavor. This is a great place for locals. read more

Quality/Quantity - We got the following today: Two orders of the NY steak with shrimp specials, one with fries and one with brown rice. Who do you think ordered the one with fries, LOL. I also got a small cup of chicken noodle soup for 99¢ more. It was hearty, but too salty for me. Fresh fish of the day = just okay. Senior fish and chips as my buddy is an even lighter eater than I am. Overall, all the food was okay. But the fried foods, fries and shrimp, were done very well! I would come back just for this. I was torn between ordering this versus the prime rib; the advertisement photo sold me. The food looks much better than it tasted. Atmosphere - Good space, looks larger than it really is with all the mirrors. Booth and table seating. Actually, the booths were fairly large, and could seat 6 comfortably. This place and casino advertise towards locals. Very local focused. Open 7 days a week. Plenty of casino parking. Service - Waiter was good, okay. The bus girl was awesome. She was proactive, checked up on us more often, friendly, etc. Price - $50 + generous tip due to the bus girl. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success. Great job with your deep fryer, but I suggest working on your other recipes... read more

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While visiting Reno for Hot August nights, we happened upon Baldini's Casino. While playing a slot machine, my wife was awarded a free steak & shrimp dinner, so understand that this meal was comp'd. The food came out very fast. I had the sirloin steak & shrimp (free) dinner and my wife ordered prime rib. My steak was on the smallish size, however with the 4 shrimp, it was the perfect portion size. Everything tasted good and my steak was tender. My wife's prime rib was also tender and delicious. The only weird thing is the water had an unusual taste. It wasn't a soapy taste but I cant quite put my finger on what the taste was. It may have been iced tea remnants, I just can't say. We will go back again. read more

Empire Diner - Prime Rib - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Finally got to try the famous Awful Awful burger after so long! The burger lives up to the hype--absolutely delicious. I'd highly recommend checking this place out. The service was great, and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting. read more

Empire Diner - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Over priced to go buffet not impressed with the quality of food and service improve on the price to go order a buffet, please thank you

MAN listen......this was my FIRST TIME EVER COMING TO RENO!!! My boyfriend and I came here for food before hitting the casinos!! The only reason why I'm giving one star is because Tone that works in the grill was a real one and made the experience great!!!! Shoutout to TONE!!!!! Now we decided to go to the empire for ribs and boy was that experience one to write home about. The atmosphere was trash and so was the ribs. Let's not talk about the spoiled smelly coleslaw that could have taken my boyfriend out if he would have eaten it. The fries were warm but was giving either over cooked or undercooked it was weird and un-edible. All in all this place is trash and I wouldn't recommend this to my worse enemies. Definitely an episode of kitchen nightmares in real life. read more

One star. I stood in line waiting for the hostess to seat a line of people. Hostess not to be found. The poor cashier could not help. She had a line to cash out. If you only have a short time to eat, waiting in line for a hostess is not a way to have lunch. So disappointing. The hostess/ manager should be fired! I asked to speak to a casino manager. Waited another 20 minutes. He did not show up. I just left. Wasted my lunch hour. Service was horrible. Julie A read more

Empire Diner - Baldini's....not worth the effort to walk in...especially in a storm! - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Danny and Reese are AMAZING!!! Super kind and welcoming, not to mention the Awful Awul burgers are back and just as good 10/10 read more

Empire Diner - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

My mom and I went here to try our first awful awful burger and it was amazing! It was a huge burger with a TON of fries. The flavor was outstanding! We definitely could have shared it. Our server was Danny and he was awesome!. Even the busser that was on shift was attentive to us and was very friendly. Great experience all around and we will definitely be back next time we're in the area. read more

Empire Diner - Awful awful burger. - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

I'm giving 2 stars because half my order was correct the other half was not. Asked for a grilled cheese with lettuce tomato and onion and ended up with a ham sandwich. Which I couldn't eat due to dietary restrictions. I get hash n eggs all the time and that's always great. They remembered my drink for once so thats a plus. I went 30 minutes before closing and didn't look at it til I got home. Everything I give the benefit of the doubt it always wrong. Gonna have to make it a habit of checking everything before I leave. read more

Empire Diner - Tex mex eggrolls (very good, new item) & ribeye - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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I love coming to Baldini's! I feel like this restaurant is a hidden gem and perfect for anyone who wants a quick meal. The food is cheap, which is perfect if you're on a budget. It's pretty tasty too! I usually get a california club with fries but today I got the fish tacos and they were so yummy! My boyfriend usually gets the veggie skillet. You have an option to have it on top of hash browns or home fried potatoes. read more

Empire Diner - Veggie skillet - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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The service was amazing, very friendly staff. Food came quickly. We also had the mozzarella sticks and they were AMAZING. My boyfriend loved the sandwich and the omelet was one of the best i've have. definitely will be back! :) read more

Empire Diner - clubhouse sandwich - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Always a great place for seniors for dinner. Prices $4-6. Friday nights lots of freebies and always free drinks when you gamble. Good is served quick and hot. Very tasty. read more

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Sad to see what has happened to this establishment. I am a long time Nevadan and have eaten at many many local restaurants (yes even the ones in dive casinos) and have never been treated so poorly. These people should take lessons from other local establishments like maybe the Emerald Isle in Henderson NV. They atleast know how to treat people.... The worst excuse of a restaurant ever!!! It seems odd that this place has any ok to good reviews. They must be either paid for or done by the Casino employees... read more

If only I could give this place a zero stars. I came to try the prime rib special they had advertised. PLEASE DO NOT EAT HERE, at least not the prime rib. The lady tossed a bread plate at me. When I got my entree, I had to let the hostess know it's was cold. I had taken a bite of the prime rib and it tasted like it just came out of the fridge. I had to send it back and get another one. The sides were not good. It came with broccoli and green beans and when I took a bite, it melted into my mouth. It was the grossest consistency. The only thing that was even half decent was the baked potato. Please do yourself a favor and do not let the ad fool you because it sure fooled me. Worst money I've spent on a dinner in a long time. Cost $23 when it really should've maybe cost $8.99. So disappointed. Rail city has better food. read more

I don't usually leave reviews, but I thought my experience was worthy of a review. I had an issue with my meal, but without going into great detail, it wasn't so much the issue, but it was how the issue was handled. My waitress Carolyn was more than kind and eager to resolve my issue. She got the manager Danny involved. He had a great attitude and really handled the situation professionally. He offered me a nice substitution, and that concluded a great eating experience. I'd like to say thank you again for being such a good host and putting the customers' satisfaction first. Great job, I'll be back read more

Service here is fantastic! We found this place a couple of months ago and have been back 5 or 6 times. Lu is a wonderful entertaining waiter and Lavon has kept our glasses full everytime. They have a good senior menu and a wide selection of standard american fare. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. read more

Empire Diner - Ribeye and shrimp - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Prime rib dinner was great. Get it well done. This medium rare fad is the worst thing to ever happen to beef. If you are at a FANCY restaurant then yes, get it medium rare. This is a DINER, not a fancy restaurant, so get your beef well done and stop thinking medium rare is how all meats should come out. I was very happy with my prime rib. It was soft and tasty. The service was what it is. If you need something, wave a worker down and don't be shy. The steak and shrimp was good too. read more

Our server was Alex.She was excellent and had a fantastic personality.Our food was and piping hot Couldn't ask for a more enjoyable dining experience due to our fantastic waitress Alex.Look forward to having her again. Annie read more

Two friends and myself eat at the Empire Dinner once a month. We are very happy with the food and service there. Never had a bad experience and plan to continue to eat there. read more

This is a very average diner restaurant but the food was quite good and the service staff was excellent. The steak and shrimp combination was mixed: The steak was a typical commercial cut, somewhat stringy, thin, but tasty. The shrimp, on the other hand were cooked right and were very good. The meal came with a side of corn niblets, a baked potato and coleslaw and so there was plenty to eat. The BLTA was good but nothing special. The atmosphere was average, subdued lighting, and the restaurant is old but comfortable. The saving grace of this restaurant is the staff. It was obvious that they enjoyed each other's company, they laughed together, and they picked up for each other to take care of customers, and this spirit runs over to the diners. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and we will return as it is convenient and we left feeling good after a late lunch. It's not a gourmet experience but we do recommend Empire Diner in Baldini's Casino. Merritt Weisinger Sparks, NV read more

First of all, you need to know that you have to be 21 years and older to go to the Empire diner because it's located inside the Baldini casino. The food always comes out quickly and is tasty. The staff is very friendly and checked back with several times to make sure everything' was OK. This is not at all fancy so if you're trying to find a place to take your boss or impress a date this may not be it. That said, if you're looking for old-school americana diner, food, this is the place for you. The meals are extremely affordable and very good value for what you get. This is definitely a diamond in the rough. Empire is a locals secret because that it is always busy, especially on weekends. read more

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Its your typical diner. They took chicken off the menu! The only chicken they have now is either breaded and fried or a california chicken sandwich. They used to have a nice chicken teriyaki dinner. WTF!? And now you have to wear your mask until your food arrives! WE WONT BE BACK TILL THIS COVID STUFF IS OVER! read more

Enjoying free steak dinner as being a valued member of the players club :) so good !! read more

Empire Diner - Diners Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

The Empire Diner used to be a great place. Good food and excellent prices. The steak and shrimp was a great deal at $9.99 after Covid lock down. But just recently the price for the steak (which is very thin and sometimes is stringy.) and shrimp skyrocketed up to $15.99. It was a gamble at $9.99 but worth the risk. That steak not worth that inflated price. We are very disappointed. We went there a lot over the years but we are looking for an new place to patronize. read more

Came for the prime rib and it did not disappoint. Seasoned taste and tender. Definitely recommend the prime rib. The mashed potatoes and green beans were also delicious. Appreciate the dinner roll on the side as well. The staff was very pleasant and polite, we were treated very well. Thank you for the great experience. read more

Amazon service, the food was incredible! There vibes were a 10/10 the host and restaurant was great! Prime rib is something you can't miss! Comes with tons of food and the portion is definitely more than you were expecting! read more

Morning breakfast asked for Denver omelet was told sarcastically that Denver was only made as a skillet, told her I did not want a skillet I had to repeat myself and asked for an omelet ham, peppers and onions no cheese. A Denver, WOW. Another time asked for hash browns crispy both sides about 15 min later waitress come back and asked if it was ok to deep fry the hash browns I was like what the hell. Another visit was for dinner ordered a beer was told I had to get my own beer at the bar on the other side of casino then when was finished went to pay was told I needed to chase down my waitress to pay, UNBELIEVABLE read more