My 2nd visit. Every bit as good as the first time. Only problem is even when you sit in the non smoking section, you can still smell the smoke. This puts it down the list for me. Also they only take cash which is a bit inconvenient. Very noisy too. Screaming babies etc! Good food though. read more

Firekeepers is on Native American territory so smoking is allowed in one area. The recent remodeling made it so it is no longer necessary to walk thru the smoking section on your way to your table if you are a non-smoker, as I am. The odor coming from the smoking section is not too bad, but you will smell it on your clothes when you get home. We have been going for the Friday night buffet where you get all you can eat for $16.95. The centerpiece of the buffet is a prime rib serving station where you can get your money's worth from that alone. Other dishes rotate every week, but there is always some sort of pasta, chicken, seafood, and pork. There is a salad section with limited dressing choices, a few vegetable dishes and desserts. The handicapped entrance is in the rear and is usually full (with a lot of people who I suspect do not need handicap parking). I'm looking forward to trying the weekend breakfast buffet one of these days. read more

Plenty of not good food :( I got the skillets pictured. The home fries were boiled and soggy. The bread was soggy. My son barely touched his food. The waitress was sweet but she dropped the food off and wasn't seen again. I never got a refill of coffee. We couldn't get water or hot sauce as no one came anywhere near our table. We left our full plates and had to seek out how to pay after a long wait. When I paid my check, the woman was on the phone and never spoke to me. read more

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An old diner for locals and Native Americans from the local reservation. It's a great family atmosphere. Everyone knows each other. People are laughing, catching up. There's two sections, smoking and non smoking. Everyone sits in the smoking section. That's the heart of the diner. I ordered a Bison Burger. It was delicious. Ordered it medium well (recommended). A great experience. read more

We visit about twice a month for lunch. The food is very good and reasonably priced. The Native American decor is a nice touch. My only issue (hence only 4 stars) is that it is always cold I assume that is because of the ventilation for the smoking area. It makes for a good reason to have some of their homemade soup. Always delicious! read more

I ate there for the first time Sunday and ordered the buffalo chicken pizza. IT WAS SO GOOD! fresh from the oven on a thin crust oozing with cheese. Wasn't overly spicy but delicious. Hubby ate every bite of his hot turkey/gravy sandwich and daughter's nuggets/fries were fresh from the fryer. I'll be back-its not a fancy place but the food was pretty good. read more

Last several times I have gone, great service and good food. Nothing fancy, simple and delicious. Highly recommend fried fish on Friday, all you can eat prime rib buffet on Saturday, or breakfast buffet Sunday. Can't go wrong with any option. Prime rib buffet has lots of options, other than prime rib, as does the breakfast buffet. Cash only. Smoking and non smoking sections, can't smell smoke from the non smoking sections. Bottom line: give it a go! read more

Walked in to see Rachel Ray playing on the T V and to find a clean ,homey and spacious Resturant. I wanted a scrambled egg sandwich . I had to order ala cate from "sides". 2 eggs scrambled 'fluffy' and a grilled hard roll. Waited almost 25 mins and sorry now I didn't take a photo. I GOT EGG SCRAMBLED ON THE THE GRILL THEN VERY FINELY CHOPPED BY THE SPATULA, AND A GRILLED HAMBURGER BUN . NOW REMEMBER "RACHAEL RAY" WAS PLAYING ON THE T V. THE WHOLE TIME. TOO BAD THE COOK COULDNT SEE IT. Basic Scrambled eggs is a test for most brkfst cooks to be hired. A Kaiser Roll is the most common 'Hard' Roll, NOT a Hamburger roll. read more

My family has gone for the Friday Prime Rib Buffet at least once a month since January. At first, the food outweighed the service. Food excellent, service was a tad iffy. Since then, they've found more staff, and the service has been excellent! Even last night when they had a packed house, with more waiting outside! A couple of suggestions, (if they read the reviews) A seat or bench in the hall by the Handicap entrance. Hubby has trouble breathing, and one of the patrons very nicely found a free chair for him to sit on. Have a Hostess that keeps track of folks waiting, or things needing done. Seemed to have the manager, waitress, and busperson stumbling over each other trying to keep the patrons happy. All trying to get a new plate for the patrons to get more buffet at the same time. Was fun to watch...sort of. read more

Traveling a long ways and decided to stop here for breakfast due the its proximity to the highway. Cozy, nice people, food came out in less then 15 minutes and it was all gone in less then 5. For sure will be stopping here on our way back! read more

Service is terrible. Slow. People walking around like their dog just died! Can't say how the food tastes because we haven't seen it yet. Been waiting for 45 min for breakfast. Plus the smell of smoking from the smoking area is bad!! Would not suffer this place again...... read more

While traveling on the road home from Niagara visit with a family who are very picky, I discovered this establishment on Yelp. When we first arrived pleasantly surprised from what we were expecting for a place off the highway. Bright airy large restaurant with numerous selections on the menu. From delicious fresh cup of cream of asparagus soup(wish I had gotten bowl) grilled cheese on sour dough, hot turkey sandwich platter with so much turkey sliced on the thicker side, huge burgers with the best French fries ever (not greasy at all) and the turkey club on sour dough which was enough for 2. Everything was fresh, delicious and plentiful. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Prices were very reasonable, too. We could see that it was frequented by locals which is another good sign. A visit to restroom upon arrival was, to me, an indication of how clean the rest of the place is, was very clean and neat. Wish restaurant was closer to my home in Philadelphia cause I would surely be a regular. read more

If I could give this place a zero, I would. The building has been recently remodeled and looks pretty nice from the outside so we decided to give it a try for lunch on a Friday. The interior looks nice, but as soon as you walk in the door, you are greeted by cigarette smoke. We should have walked out then but we decided to give it a try. There are two sections of the restaurant, Smoking and Non-Smoking. The non-smoking section was about 50% full but judging from the smell wafting out of the smoking section, it must have been packed in there or everyone in there was a chain smoker. I'm going to cut right to the chase... we ordered our food and then waited for over an hour for it and it never came. A manager came over to ask how things were and he said he would take care of it. 15 minutes later, still no food. So we left. The table next to us was waiting for 45 minutes and they were also getting ready to leave. As we were leaving, an order was being delivered to a table by the door and it was quite clear from the customers reactions that the order was screwed up. So if you like to smell cigarette smoke while you eat and like to wait a long time for diner food, this place is for you. Otherwise STAY AWAY! read more

Nice little hole in the wall place in what I guess is Indian Nation territory off Nedrow exit on 81. Have passed by about 40 times on way home from Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. Had open face turkey and mashed. Both very good and prices are reasonable. Now I finally have a place southbound 81 to stop if I cannot wait for Binghamton! read more

I only ate breakfast here. But it was delicious, and ridiculously cheap. Very friendly staff. Fast service. Plus you can smoke here. I'll definitely be back. read more

This place was recently renovated and has both a smoking and non smoking section. There's no divider so at times the smokiness wafts over. It's not clear when you walk in if you should seat yourself or wait for a server. Food was good and offered at a reasonable price. I enjoyed the mushroom soup and salad with turkey and ham. Server and receptionist didn't seem genuinely interested to serve me, I felt like a bit of an inconvenience even though it was a slow part of the day. A few staff hung around at main eating counter watching TV since it was slow. Somehow the experience felt more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. It was not made clear anywhere that they only accept cash. They do offer an ATM on site. There's ample and convenient parking here. read more

My parents have been here for breakfast and raved about how good the food was. We were out and about having a family day and decided to stop for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We waited an hour and a half for our food and the only time we saw the waitress was to take our order. After the wait 3 out of the 4 orders were incorrect!! At that point we said forget it and left. Not some place I'll be returning to. read more

Great comfort food, nice wait staff. And we can smoke because it's on Native American land. :o)

I have never had a bad meal here or bad service. I love going here whenever I can. The food taste great and the meal size is perfect for the price. I would tell anyone if your in Nedrow take the time to stop in and have a great meal. They even have a smoking section for all the smokers out there. read more

Great restaurant. Had huge roast beef sandwich with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. Delicious! Way more than I could eat for $7.95. Service was good, restaurant very clean, did not smell smoke and I m hyper sensitive to it. Next table had large buffalo chicken salads with lots of cucumbers and tomatoes. They looked delicious. read more

I often drive by this restaurant, nothing 5 star, nothing 2 star either, I usually eat here for breakfast. I must say the egg and cheese omelet gets an automatic 10/10. At MOST 5 years ago, The Firekeepers Diner was getting old, so they made a new build the new build is how it looks today. But out of the 164 ( and counting ) It makes sense to give this place a solid 4 stars. read more

I gotta give this place some credit with all the bad reviews I've read. Yes this place used to suck, But within the last year they have stepped up their game 200%. The remodel is remarkable, Hired more servers & cooks & staff. Sometimes you wait a bit sometimes you don't. been very quick lately.(depends on how busy)The food has been excellent, portions more than you can handles & prices are fair and a plus there is NO TAX. The buffet was very good & everything I'v tried from breakfast to to fish to steaks have all been to my liking. My wife is very picky and would never eat there, Now it is one of our favorite places to eat. unlike most restaurants they must have taken criticism seriously and strive to improve. It's a diner with good food and good prices nothing more. read more

Last trip they have sections smoking and it does not work. It smells like a ash tray . You could give the food away and I would not come back. read more

My husband and i decided to try them out today and what a great experience. The restaurant is clean and the waitress was great. Food was good and the prices were also. I would definitely stop if you get the chance. We will be back. Thank you!! AND IT'S my 50th birthday so a great way to start my day read more

Great food, awsome milshakes. Great prices. Sometimes you have to wait a little for the food sometimes. So if your on a lunch break an hour lunch might not be enough time read more

Having been a newcomer to the restaurant I was satisfied how clean the establishment had been kept. We had great service in the beginning then as it seemed to pick up more customers is when slowly the waitress(s) stopped coming to see if we had needed anything else. The food was quite good though both my fiancee and I had agreed upon was that the home fries could have used a bit more flavor. read more

We were shopping at destiny USA and even with all the "gourmet" choices there we felt the need to drive a little south for some real home cooking. Simple comfort food is complimented nicely with a friendly staff. The odd thing about this place is that everyone seems to be in a good mood and it is contagious. Very affordable and family oriented. Thank you for another great visit. read more

Great family restaurant. Located just off of I-81 - convenient on and off. Looks as if it was recently remodeled and they did a great job. Food is excellent, plentiful and prices are great. The restaurant is located within the Onondaga Nation and does not collect sales taxes! Only drawback is cash only. Firekeepers roasts their own turkey (instead of that crappy turkey roll found at most places). Turkey is fresh and the portions are plentiful. Great breakfast, lunch or dinner. Best of all - the homemade pies are simply fabulous. Apple, strawberry/rhubarb, mixed berry, blueberry, blackberry and others. We go out of our way now to stop there. BTW the name is derived from the fact that the Onondaga tribe are the Fire Keepers of the central flame of the Iroquois League. read more

Very simple diner style food with plenty of options and friendly service. A reliable place on this side of town. The decor is very pretty (seriously check out the river rock sinks in the bathrooms) and the vibe is relaxed and casual. We always return for a laid back lunch. read more

I stopped on my travel across country and came in with my service dog. I explained to the waitress that this is my service dog. She said that the owner/manager wanted to see the paperwork. I told her it was against the law to ask a disabled person with a service dog for documentation and the waitress yelled it in front of the restaurant to the manager. I did not feel welcome as a person with a disability so I got my order to go. Not a very open, friendly place. Have not had any problems in any hotels or other restaurants while traveling across the U.S. read more

The wait. My God the wait. Good food. Great price. But the wait will keep me from returning.

Everything was good. Nourishing soup. Great pie. Attractive building - well built with obvious pride. Cheerful staff. A welcome break from the highway and from the plastic fast food joints you usually find. read more

This well known establishment just reopened and is a great place to eat all your favorite diner foods as well as getting excellent service...try the weekly buffet... everything made fresh daily...love the sandwiches and salads! Paula H. read more

Excellent little place. Good food, good service, good environment. On the weekends they have a really nice buffet.

Service was good, I had the patty melt, flavor was good but there was good but the burger really only covered half of the bread, they could have made it thinner and used the same amount of meat. My husband had a hamburger which he liked. Beware they only take cash, no credit cards, they do however have an ATM which of course charges you over $2.00 to use. My one complaint is it was very loud. read more

My husband and I were driving back to NYC from Toronto and we were looking for gas and a bathroom. We turned off near the restaurant and settled (we thought) for finding a bathroom. We ended up buying wings and fries and they were some of the best wings we've ever had! The fries were great too. The staff was super friendly and it was all around a very pleasant respite from a frozen night on the road. If we're ever passing through again we will definitely stop by for those delicious wings. read more

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, just like a real family diner! I haven't had a burger that good in a long time and the club sandwich was fantastic, made with real breast of turkey. I will be back with my husband, a chef himself. He enjoyed the experience as much as I did. read more

Took my mother-in-law on Saturday for breakfast. Food was good but the waitress was miserable. She came and asked what we wanted to drink. When we said "decafe" she put a scowl on her face and walked before I could ask for cream and Splenda. My sister had to get up and go to the counter and ask another waitress for the cream and Splenda so we could enjoy a hot cup of coffee. We each told her what we wanted and she was snippy asking each of us about how we wanted our eggs prepared. After she took my order, I told her that I would need something to go. After sighing and rolling her eyes she wrote down that order. When she finally brought our breakfast she handed me the to go order on a hot plate and I burned my hand. I told her this was to go and she said in a snarky tone, "well I guess I'll have to get you a to go container". She just drop the container on the table and never put the food in the container like must good waitresses would. She never stopped back at the table to see if we needed more coffee or anything else. We tried to get butter and jam for a biscuit but she and the cashier just kept ignoring us. No way to treat customers. Will never go there again. read more

If you want BAD SERVICE this is the place for you. If not find somewhere else because the waitress there is worse than people working in McDonald's and I would rather eat poop than their food. Utterly disgusted by the quality of food and service. GO ELSEWHERE! THIS PLACE SUCKS! read more

Trying to support local non-chain businesses, we went to this diner/restaurant after a long (years) absence. After waiting 14 minutes to be waited on the server said "drinks" (not hi, or welcome, etc) She then disappeared, to return a speedy 12 minutes later with coffee and apple juice. She set a speed record leaving the table, returning to the other room. All the waitresses seem to have decided to stay away from customers, clustering around the counter side of the room while chatting or checking phones.Another 6 minutes later she came back to ask "buffet or menus?" Menus only took about 4 minutes. I asked 2 servers where the restrooms were. None answered but a nice older gentleman (customer) showed me where to go. All in all our food arrived 48 minutes after we ordered - the bacon was dry, tasteless, I could barely find any egg in my 3 egg veggie omelet, the broccoli was raw, there was pumpkin-orange melted stuff in the center that I doubt was the provolone I had requested and the greasy potatoes tasted like they were fried in 2 week old oil. Maybe it would have been better if it was hot ? Never again. read more