We love this dive!! Came in for lunch and sat at the counter. The sweet woman Alex (?) took our order. I had a hot dog all the way ( should've added sauerkraut and relish) a clam fry with onion rings, a cheeseburger, foot long and a large fry. DEFINITELY get the fries, they're fresh cut and cooked perfectly. The place is old and dated but the food and the service keep bringing people in. They take credit cards but there's a cash discount. Cant wait to return. read more

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Mike's is a trip in time back to the days when you'd sit at a Woolworth's lunch counter and watch your egg cream mixed in front of you. In this case it's the flat top where you can see various items sizzling away (mostly breakfast foods even though I was there at 3 in the afternoon) with an oddly bucolic view of Erie Blvd out the window with a struggling used car lot in front of a wooded hillside across the street, The food? It was fine though a bit more costly than in grandpa's day. I had onion rings, cole slaw and a dog and all were good examples of the form. Liked it that the sauerkraut spent a minute sizzling on the grill before serving and had flecks of pepper from its neighbors on the griddle. There is also a secret item not on the menu, a foot long hot dog. Oh, and if you forget your phone no worries. They have two pay phone booths! read more

Cool old fashioned hot dog spot. Very friendly and welcoming staff. Hot dog with everything; average dog Hamburger: good but skimpy on the meat Fries: the star of the show. Perfect hand cut fries ! Gravy: excellent Nostalgia: top notch Prices: great read more

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What I love about First Prize Mike's is that it's exactly what you think it is. There was no false advertising. It has a basic diner menu with a focus on their award winning frankfurters and toppings. I also liked that the breakfast menu lasts all day. I'm personally the type of person who could eat breakfast for every meal, so this is a plus. Since this was my first time I ordered two hotdogs "all the way" with their signature meat sauce and other toppings. I also got a side of curly fries and a drink. The server was really great because she accidentally brought me onion rings instead of fries and then offered to get the fries and gave me the onion rings on the house. I took her up on the offer and ended up loving the onion rings even more than the fries! Great service here, friendly staff and speedy to boot. The only reason I wouldn't give five stars is that the place is really run down and could use a little TLC. As a Schenectady mainstay I do still recommend a giving First Prize Mike's a try. read more

Classic greasy spoon diner counter. Simple, unhealthy, tasty. Service is friendly enough and fast enough. Everything seems clean enough (I know it might not look it at first glance, but I saw employees wiping things down with cleaner basically whenever they weren't helping a customer or cooking). Good fries, good dogs, great meat sauce. Is it 4 star in the sense that it's an incredible dining experience worth going out of your way for? No, but if I were a local I would eat here pretty regularly and be very happy to do so. read more

Good ole standard chili dogs from the OG greasy spoon in Schenectady. Always consistent and a unique experience.

An Erie Blvd Schenectady icon for decades, we went for lunch with our teen grandsons. The loaded hot dogs were good. Much better than Hot dog Charlie's they decided. I can't say whether they are better than those served at Newest Lunch which has the reputation as being the best in the area since I have not been there in many years. The meat sauce is exactly as I remember it from past visits. Very good. Raw onions and mustard complete the winning taste profile. The rolls are warmed which adds to the good taste and complements the other textures. They made a good steak sandwich says Grandpa. The onion rings were good not great. The fries were better. My grandsons liked this retro style diner with no frills. They liked sitting at the stools and eating at the counter watching the energetic cook prepare the food. The server was friendly and attentive. Service was efficient. They handle takeout orders and in house customers with experience. Physical space could use another update. I did not like seeing cleaning supplies near the entry door. But HEY a cleaner place is always good! read more

We went for breakfast. Food was quick, tasty and inexpensive. The servers were super nice. It's a local dive and, if you go with the right attitude, you'll love it. If you go expecting a traditional breakfast place (eg no fancy coffee or tea options) you'll be disappointed. PS LOVED George the local dog. read more

First Prize Mike's - George the local dog. - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Love they breakfast you get a nice size of breakfast. Been going there over 10 years . Keep up the good job.

Just had breakfast, and passed by the famous Mike's hot dog, the people there were so friendly, since I wasn't hungry, so I ordered only one hot dog, and they were happy that we came with a big smile. The hot dog were so delicious, finest hot dog as they said! read more

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I love this place. Very friendly waitress. Food was yummy. Next time I think I'll get a giant plate of the home fries. So good. It's very retro. Never tried the hot dogs but would love to. read more

I was there for breakfast and this shit stank and the lady seemed like she was high . But I think it wasn't the worst food.

The place was packed when we went inside. The menu is pretty limited. We ordered a large fry and 2 hot dogs. We did not get the meat sauce but was given a sample, which I was good with a little spice kick. The staff was friendly and knowledge. The hot dogs were ok and the fries were hot. I would go back but would choose other places to eat first. read more

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This is a staple!!! If you're a weiner lover you must stop at Mikes!! I think their breakfast good is highly underrated too. Its super old fashion vibes which I love, and their homemade meat sauce is delicious. read more

Good basic food.Great toppings on hotdog. Friendly service and great old atmosphere. Old Diner vibe.

OMG. I haven't been there in 20 years as they have been there forever. I got breakfast today. OMG. Two eggs amazing coffee and the best rye bread I have tasted in years. My hat is off to them and will come back soon! read more

Tried this Schenectady staple today. We'll definitely come back again. Great service, cheeseburgers, and fries.

Today I visited this restaurant for the first time in over 5 years, since moving out of town. Aside from the newer outside sign (the previous one being destroyed in a storm), not much has changed here but the prices. This place badly needs a good inner renovation. At nearly $20 for a (still very small) steak sandwich (with an upcharge for cheese, even though I got no peppers or sauce on mine), a "large" order of mediocre french fries, and a large soda that wasn't filled to the top of the cup (and wasn't even brought to me until I'd almost finished my entire meal). The sandwich did taste the way I remember it, but it isn't worth what they're charging for it now. I'm also knocking off a few stars because they are cash only (they didn't used to be), and their ATM didn't work. Pretty dismal ending to a fairly mediocre meal, which will almost certainly be the last time I'll eat here, at least for another 5 years. read more

Comfort food without the comfort. If you're a fan of the popular video game franchise, "Fallout." Then you'd give this place 5/5! But I'm giving a 1/5 But real talk. The interior of this place looks like it was resulting aftermath of a nuclear fallout. But I'm assuming that wasn't the intended effect. It really is just a: messy, stereotypical, low tier diner. You got the usual diner food: hotdogs, fries, burgers, and fish filets. Oh and tap water, hope you like tap water, with no ice. I'd say the fish filet was the best on the menu with a 5/10 in flavor. But, why would you eat a fish filet here, when you could drive an extra 10 minutes to Ted's Fish Fry? The other items on the menu were, pretty bad. Fries are undercooked, that's just sad and pathetic. They're fries, all you need to do is keep them in the deepfryer for a set time. It's a perfected science. The burger was small and had no flavor, it's literally just a generic frozen burger. And lastly, the reason you came here, the hotdogs. They sucked. They are easily the worst part of this place, and that's an achievement because the fries were literally undercooked. By definition they should be the worst part, but because at least with fries, you had to cut a potato and do work, they get a pass. Making a hotdog takes no effort and you even managed to mess that up. But more more to the point, this restaurant has a giant hotdog statue proudly situated outside. The hotdogs were your generic garbage quality "Great Value" brand 24pack you'd get at Walmart. You should be selling them for 25 cents a hotdog not $1.99. That's insane pricing for a damn hot dog. You'd make more money if you had hotdog eating contest and maybe after, you could afford to reupholster your seats, re-tile your floors, and buy some quality ingredients. Because your entire restaurant, is cheap. The people who like this place, are grossly biased towards it. Because they grew up with this place, when their taste buds were first being exposed to the world of food outside their home. Either that or they have no sense of taste or value or standards. If you think I'm being harsh, try it out for yourself. They also don't take debit/credit cards because being inconvenient to the customer is the cherry on top, to this mediocrity sundae. read more

Been going here for years. It's still good but just not the way it used to be. No call ahead ordering because the phone never works. Prices much higher like everything these days read more

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I really dig this place. It's an old Schenectady staple and the fact that its been open for over 70 years is impressive. The staff is genuinely friendly, and not that "fake friendly" you get because a modern business is afraid of a bad review. It's kind of refreshing. The environment inside has that old school vibe that takes you back in time, but not too far back. And the food is not only cheap, but actually better than what you would expect from a local greasy spoon. In fact, I specifically get the occasional craving for their hand cut fries, their little double cheeseburger, and the fantastic breakfast they serve. From reading other people's reviews, some people really dislike whatever changes were made to the hotdog meat sauce. Personally, I don't think it merits an overall low score, because it's a single element of a main dish. So it just comes across as unnecessary bashing and makes the reviewer look petty. But then again, I really dislike meat sauces in general. So what do I know? In any case, I'll be regularly enjoying Mike's food (without meat sauce) for as long as they stay open. =) read more

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I'm posting this for my friend Frank drives a meat truck route out of the Bronx. When he's near Schenectady, he stops at Mike's for breakfast. He orders "eggs over on roll, side home fries". Frank especially appreciates the old school way the griddle is set up, so that you can see the food being cooked. Next time he's up there he plans to try a hot dog. He could literally go anywhere and is actually pretty particular, so bravo Mike's - keep on doing what you do so well! read more

First Prize Mike's - That magical griddle - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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I ordered 2 dogs all the way. This includes their special meat sauce, hot mustard and onions. Really good. The freshe hand-cut fries were fantastic. The service was great, staff was so nice. read more

I love places like Mike's that are so old they are part of the city. The hot dogs with onions, yellow mustard and meat sauce are A+! The hamburgers are frozen patties - I'd avoid them, just sort of basic frozen burger. Fries are fresh cut and cooked fresh. Very good. read more

What a friendly local place. We were passing through and wanted to stop for a hotdog. We can never resist stopping to try a new hotdog place. What made our personal experience enjoyable was our server. I believe her name was Sandy or Beverly. My apologies for not remembering. She was so lovely and attentive. Food was good! We had hotdogs and fries. Kind of wishing I tried the shakes! They looked delicious. read more

Total disappointment, swearing cook ! Place had food under counter eggshells , hotdog rolls etc . Used to stop here and look forward to it ! read more

First Prize Mike's - Food under counter - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Great local place for an early breakfast! Friendly service and fresh, made to order food.

If it was Nike's, it'd sell shoes. If it was Bikes, it'd sell Harley Davidsons. And if it were Hikes, then it would sell... video games. But it's Mike's, also known as First Prize Mikes. WHAT TO GET: Hot Dogs WHAT NOT TO GET: Cold Dogs, Lukewarm Dogs, Unspecified Temperature Dogs I tried plenty of hot dogs across NY state, and the standard is on a soft sugary (ew) bun with chili sauce, onions and mustard slathered all over it. Some are better than others, and some are simply delicious. Of the basic standard ones, Mike's has one of the best. Significantly better than Newest Lunch and many others. It's up there with Coney Island of Scranton PA, and the better ones in Buffalo such as Abbott Hots and Zorba's. It's a step below Heid's of Syracuse though. I don't tend to get along too well with men named Mike, but I certainly like their hot dogs. And the best night to come here is Open Mike's Night. read more

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Located by the RR bridge (north of Union St), Mike's is a hidden gem which has been serving tasty grilled hot dogs with meat sauce for over 50 years. The inside is like a greasy spoon diner with the grill area behind a very long formica lunch counter with stool seating and a few tables along the painted cement brick wall. I also enjoy the burgers with fried onions and ketchup and the fresh cut fries too! Mike's also serves up steak sandwiches, sausage burgers, chicken sandwiches, fish frys, onion rings, cold drinks, and ice cream. The Breakfast menu is served 5AM-11AM and offers pancakes, waffles French toast, eggs, egss Benedict, omelets, and homefries. They offer a daily breakfast special for $5.29: 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 3 bacon or sausages and coffee. Overall, great tasty "artery clogging" grub at very reasonable prices. read more

First Prize Mike's - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Mikes is an old establishment, counter service luncheonette type place that has been around forever. Standard hotdogs, hamburgers, hand cut fries onion rings but nothing really to write home about. The place is showing it's age and just comes across as tired and unfortunately, at times, unclean- don't hand me a ketchup bottle that's smeared with ketchup- and fix the torn counter seats as soon as they tear- no one wants to see that- Still 2 dogs with meat sauce, fries and a coke were 11 bucks- not bad these days. read more

It wasn't my traditional feeding time so this was a mere snack. So the sausage burger and steak sandwich will wait until next time. The plain hot dog was decent, not something that would make me take an Amtrak from New York to Schenectady. But the "all the way" version with meat sauce, onions and mustard was action-packed. The fries were quite fresh. read more

First Prize Mike's - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Used to be one of my go to spots. Their meat sauce was the best and different from all the other hot dog joints in the area, but lately, the meat sauce is sooo spicy. The prices have also sky rocketed. read more

It's a fact - when in Schenectady, cannot drive by Mike's without stopping for a hotdog.

I had to try this diner since it has been around for quite sometime and is part of the heritage of this region.. it's a classic retro diner mainly known for hotdogs and burgers.. nothing special about it just has its regular customers... the restaurant itself could be a little bit cleaner .. and mmmm I was a bit skeptical about food storage because my hotdog had dry American cheese on it .. I also received one less hotdog because my order was late?! Even though I placed the order 45min prior to closing .. read more

First Prize Mike's - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Although it appeared as cool, old-school place from the outside, the interior was horrible. Seats were old, counter was disgusting, and food was cold. Meat sauce looked like vomit, and staff was odd. One worker kept staring at me when I was eating. Whole place felt eerie read more

Old school counter style restaurant serving all meals. Visited for dinner and went with what they're known for: hot dogs. They have a homemade meat sauce (think chili) that has a little spice to it and is delicious. Service is quick and the kitchen is open so you can watch the magic happen. Prices are absolutely reasonable. Don't skip out on the milkshakes either! read more

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My good friend Michelle yelped for me about first prize Mike's and everything she said is true. Can't wait till Wednesday if I get the Albany run. Looking forward to eggs potatoes and slip a burger in on it Frank from the bronx read more

You cannot go wrong when you order the hotdogs meat sauce Mustard and bury the onions!

Mike's Hot Dogs have been in business for over 50 years and I've had never been here. I finally decided it was time to give it a try. I ordered two hot dogs with mustard and meat sauce with fries and onion rings. First, the dogs were very good, but not the best I've had. They were flavorful and juicy, but I didn't love the meat sauce. It was a bit too spicy for my taste. The bun was tasty, but it was not toasted. Next, the fries were very good. They were fresh, flavorful, and crispy. They were very enjoyable. The best part was the onion rings. The rings were light, crispy, and the onion was fresh. Also, the price was very cheap, the whole meal was around $10. Mike's Hot Dogs may not have the best dogs, but the food is worth it for the price. read more

First Prize Mike's - Hot dogs with mustard and meat sauce - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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There could not be a better place to define the term americana! The food is down to earth yummy! And the people working there could not be more friendly! This is the kind of place where you were glad you came. It's been here for a long time and it is just such a gem! It was recently struck by a tree in a violent thunderstorm but thankfully did not sustain too much damage and stayed open the same day. The only thing damaged was the iconic sign on the roof which was fixed by the time I got there. I cannot recommend a place higher than this read more

First Prize Mike's - American Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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