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    Ernesto's Diner

    4.2 (34 reviews)
    InexpensiveDiners
    Open 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Ernesto's Diner Photos

    ERNESTO'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ernesto's Diner

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    Highly recommend the food and fantastic service here at Ernesto's.
    Sandi W.

    Looking for quick food, at a reasonable price? Would you like a great atmosphere to enjoy a meal? Family friendly and great food. Thank you for an enjoyable meal. We will be back!

    Update menu-summer 2020
    J C.

    Oh man, I couldn't get this delicious and flavorful food in my mouth fast enough. Had the chicken scampi, I could eat it every day. So yummy. Staff is husband and wife, I believe. Nice, friendly people serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Prices are pretty cheap. Interior is quaint, clean, cozy. I definitely want to go back and try every dish. Would definitely recommend.

    a plate of french toast and a glass of orange juice
    Ramiro B.

    We liked this place so much that we came twice for breakfast while in the area!! Ernesto was very kind and accommodating. I am from Costa Rica so many of the options were like comfort food for me. There are plenty of vegetarian options.

    Ernesto's Salad featuring a heaping helping of Tzatziki sauce on top of gyro meat.
    Rachel D.

    Ernesto's Diner has extremely delicious food! My family and I happened upon it whilst driving through and needed a bite to eat. My sister and I highly recommend Ernesto's Salad and my nephew absolutely loved his dish, too (which I believe was a steak fajita). Every single item we ate was flavorful, from the crispy French fries to the vegetarian quesadilla. On Ernesto's salad, all vegetables were so fresh, gyro meat was the perfect flavor, and tzatziki sauce was sublime. We even came back the next evening on our way back home, and I got Ernesto's Salad again!

    Steak Fajita
    Sofia B.

    Food was delicious! Truly authentic Mexican food with Mexican cooks! I didn't know if I was in New York or in Mexico. This place is a must if you eat to try the true flavors of Mexico and Central America.

    Seafood burrito
    Kevin B.

    I've had Mexican food in Mexico and SanDiego and i'm telling you this seafood burrito was one of the best Burritos I've ever had. The shrimp and scallops were cooked to perfection and the sautéed onions and peppers just melted. I had to immediately write this review before I even finished my meal. It's worth your time trust me.

    tables and chairs in a restaurant

    Ernesto is a JEM. Always smiling and making people happy. This is a classic Mexican restaurant but also has a little bit of everything on the menu. The homemade salsa and chips you are greater with is amazing. The iced tea jug is a giant Mrs butterworth plastic job and it is ice cold. Love this place. The food was so well prepared and presented. Tasted spectacular and we had so much fun.

    The food is so great and there options for everyone's taste. The best part is, no matter what you're in the mood for... it's  ALL good!
    Jeremy G.

    So Amazing! The food options are plentiful and every option is tasty! Definitely make it a point to stop by Ernesto's when in Owego!

    Loving those chicken fingers!
    Taylor P.

    Delicious diner food, nice friendly service, and great prices! If you enjoy diners, this is a great one. Not too many people know about it yet, so you better check it out before the crowd finds it. Oh and they have free wifi!

    Carol L.

    What a cozy little diner! We stopped here after we did the morning show at WEBO radio for our Coffee Shop on Front Street . We love supporting local small business. Ernesto's is Very clean and comfortable. The decor is retro, pretty unchanged from the Old Owego Diner which I remember as a young girl. The breakfast food is tasty with generous portions. Accommodating service and a friendly hello from Ernesto himself cooking in the back!

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    2 years ago

    Excellent. Fresh and well made food. Very friendly staff. The fajitas are especially wonderful.

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    Ask the Community - Ernesto's Diner

    Review Highlights - Ernesto's Diner

    I've had Mexican food in Mexico and SanDiego and i'm telling you this seafood burrito was one of the best Burritos I've ever had.

    $24 Seafood Burrito

    Read more highlights

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    The Cellar Restaurant - Cold chicken, cold mashed, cool beans..

    The Cellar Restaurant

    3.6(111 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Excellent meal !! A tad noisy. January 2026…read moreThe Great: The food was excellent. Best meal I've had in some time. All agreed our shared mushroom crepe appetizer was delicious. My wife and I had the pork loin special (don't recall exact name). Probably the tastiest pork I've ever had! Really!! The sides were just as yummy. We both agreed it was a seriously good meal. Other couple had Ciopinno and seafood czarina. They both loved them and shared a taste with the table. Have to agree, they were fabulous. Our waitress was timely, attentive, and friendly! No issues at all. Due to impending snow storm, they reduced prices on entrees and drinks. A nice bonus. The Good: Beer selection was pretty good. My request was tapped out, but it turned out, the replacement was even better. A delicious nut brown ale. Wines were also very good albeit a tad pricey. The price special mentioned above helped. Overall bill was on the high side partly due to the drinks and slightly higher prices for the non-special meals - even with the price breaks. Needs work. We were two couples. Sat near the maître d' podium. The inside door of the foyer kept sticking open. Had to get up to close several times as it was about 5 degrees outside. Not a huge issue but should not have been an issue at all. Slightly more annoying was the noise level. The restaurant was full and very noisy. It was a bit challenging to have a conversation at our location. It eventually quieted down and all was well. Definitely something that needs improvement though. I gave it 5 stars due to the excellent meal and service. Considered dropping one star for the noise and price, but the meal was so good, I just couldn't do it. Looking forward to going back.

    We had high expectations maybe because we live in DC, maybe because we saw the menu options, or…read morepossibly because the Christmas decor and overall ambiance was beautiful. Either way, the experience just wasn't what we expected. We were seated immediately and given menus. I was in love with all the seafood options, but my husband and I were craving steak. I ordered a crème brûlée martini that was fabulous. We also decided on the Cajun calamari appetizer. The calamari was plated with a plastic cup containing the dipping sauce. I hate to say this, but if you want to keep up a semblance of fine dining , black plastic cups shouldn't be a thing. We were on the fence about the calamari. Some pieces were soggy, but the flavor used in the breading was great. We finished and saw the decorative lettuce swimming in grease. Our Caesar salads were wonderful. When we got our steaks we were underwhelmed. The infamous black plastic cup was back and although I asked for extra butter and sour cream, that didn't happen. Both steaks were cooked to the temperature ordered but bland. I suppose we should have paid extra for the flavor add-ons. Sadly we had no salt/pepper so we took it from the empty table next to us. We ran out of water during the entree so we scrapped any idea of asking about dessert. We got the $127 check that included one drink, one appetizer, two small salads, and two entrees. Overall a 3-star experience, and for the price, that's polite. Could we have sent items back...yes. I truly felt that subpar calamari and bland steaks were not getting any better with a second try and they would still come out with a lackluster plastic cup in the wake. The service was decent. The waitresses were pleasant. Although we visit Owego regularly, I doubt our time will be well served coming back. We wanted to love this place but it didn't happen for us.

    Photos
    The Cellar Restaurant - Come check out the full bar and enjoy the ambiance!

    Come check out the full bar and enjoy the ambiance!

    The Cellar Restaurant - The Seafood Czarina

    The Seafood Czarina

    The Cellar Restaurant - Check out our rotating craft beers!

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    Check out our rotating craft beers!

    Ernesto's Diner - diners - Updated May 2026

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