Food was good, as expected and higher quality than a traditional diner. Fresh cut fries, fresh ingredients overall, quality bread/rolls. Service was quick and helpful. Small, but no wait...more seating than you might expect from the outside. Ample parking. read more

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Went around 12 on a Sunday, there wasn't a wait though it was busy. There is a parking lot but it shared with the restaurant next door so not a lot of spots. The person I was with ordered a Cafe Freddo, there wasn't much of a description besides coffee but they were willing to try. They were not a fan of it, they usually drink regular coffee or fraps so it could just be the type. They ordered Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes and bacon. They expected the double to mean the batter had chocolate in it too, though there were just chocolate chips inside and chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Overall, they were fine, not the best but not the worst. The bacon was fine, a bit more cooked than we like, but good flavor. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which is one of my favorite breakfast item which came with home fries. With the Benedict there wasn't a lot hollandaise, which I do like a lot of. I asked for extra and was told there would be an additional 1$ charge. The issue here is the Eggs Benedict was already $17.95 which is about $3 more than the average Eggs Benedict in WNY. Overall, the hollandaise was good, just not a lot of it. The home fries were also good as they were crispy the way I like it. The feel of the diner is pretty neat, it's very retro inside and offers a different space to eat compared to typical restaurants. Overall, we would recommend Lake Effect Diner if you're into the diner experience as a one time visit. The food is fine, but not worth the higher prices. There are several other breakfast spots in WNY which are better priced and have better food. I talked with a few other peope after the visit and they all agreed in this sentiment. read more

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Not for us. I was so excited to come here, but left really disappointed. Sitting inside of an authentic dining car is awesome, and the staff was friendly, however the food did not live up to Guy's interpretation of this diner. My utensils were dirty and our bagels were so stale and dried out that it was difficult to bite into them. The pancakes are really large, but are very dense and not fluffy at all. The prices were also high, $17 +/- each for entrees, which should deliver a quality breakfast! So sad it wasn't what we expected. read more

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We were seated immediately, although it was a holiday morning, and very busy everywhere. Our drinks came quickly: Two fresh orange juices that were tart enough to belie "from concentrate" status. The lox platter on a toasted bagel was amazing, but my husband's classic quiche was very cold in the middle. It took more than 15 minutes to get it back. I was nearly done with my breakfast by the time his arrived. Our waitress was energetic and kept checking on us; the bathrooms are very clean, and the people-watching is excellent: It's a downtown cross-section of people. If wheelchair access is needed, the ramp is in the rear of the restaurant, at the back of the parking lot. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Freshly squeezed orange juice - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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We were seated immediately. Although the counter doesn't have coat hangers. Service was good, nothing to complain Food came out a bit slow but that was fine. There was a lot of food. The prices are a bit on the higher side in my opinion but the portion was huge My french toast had a few pieces of blueberries. I wish they added more. But the toast was good read more

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We went here because it had been on Diners, DriveIn's, & Dive's. It is small but wasn't crowded when we went at 1:30pm on Thursday. Our waitress was happy & informative. They have different drinks I got a crème soda-yummy & my husband got a Mexican coke which was just a regular Coke made in Mexico. Anyway service was great food was excellent except for my friend's fish that was undercooked. She ate what she could & didn't want to return it. The smash burgers the guys got were fantastic. My husband got a bowl of chili that he said was spicy good!! My pulled pork with egg was great but I asked for the bbq sauce on the side & thank goodness I did because it was spicy I used mayo. All in all a good place to try. read more

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Great food and service. Delicious milkshakes! My grandchildren love it! Two for one milkshakes on Wednesday.

Delicious and friendly! Their seafood cakes are awesome and the sauce has a hot tangy bite that is the perfect complement. Their eggs Benedict was awesome - love the bread texture. If you are bougie get the Eggs Chesapeake - yum!! read more

Lake Effect Diner - Eggs Chesapeake - poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, seafood cakes - YES!!! - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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The food here is fantastic. I had the Tempura Haddock fish fry. It was a nice tasty and light batter. I liked the Mac salad and coleslaw. Also had a cup of French onion soup. The whole meal was great. Hubby had straight hand cut fries with a broiled Cajun haddock. He was happy. He can't eat coleslaw or Mac salad due to allergies so they substituted roasted cauliflower. Service was good. It's not a big restaurant but it wasn't over crowded. They do let you rsvp. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Tempura Haddock fish fry - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Wow...terrible food. Burger was over cooked..french fries were soggy. My sister ordered a humus wrap. It had no humus on it. She questioned it..the waitress said it was on the bottom, and it wasn't. She said she would bring a side of it and lo and behold they had to run to the restaurant next door because they were out. Have never been lied to in a restaurant..would never go back. And over priced to boot! Strong odor of mildew Save your money..don't go there. read more

Cute diner but the service was not good. Servers were not friendly and seemed annoyed at every juncture to the point that we felt uncomfortable being here. We asked for a booth but were told that because we were just a party of 2 that we needed to sit at the counter. This seemed strange since other tables had 2 people and they sat other tables with just 2 people at booths after us. With 3 open tables we asked for a 3rd time to move to a booth and they "allowed" us to sit at a table. The experience was very strange. My husband really liked his sandwich but my breakfast was luke warm and coffee which was more than $3 was not very good. No splenda here which is super odd these days. I really struggle with tipping at a place like this. Food is so expensive for what you get. read more

I was apprehensive about stopping here because the reviews weren't that great. Their reviews on Google were a little better so we took a chance because my husband doesn't eat pork and most places didn't have any turkey options- so the turkey sausage got us here. Well he ordered but they were out of turkey sausage the waitress was so sweet and accommodating and they did a side of grilled chicken for him which was done really well and surprisingly tasty! Our food was SOOOOO good! I'm so mad I didn't take pictures! The potatoes/home fries were to perfection and my favorite! The French toast was a close second. My belly is SO full and SO happy! The pic is my food that was leftover that I will eat in the morning before our early flight. read more

Lake Effect Diner - My leftovers of my absolutely DELICIOUS meal! Canadian bacon, scrambled eggs and AMAZING French toast. - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Service was really good, even on a busy Sunday morning. The Red eye gravy and ham was phenomenal and a good sized portion. The home fries are worth the visit on their own. read more

Food was good. I got the 3,3,3 with the French toast. Waitress was nice and timely. Cost not too bad.

has bad food they gave a pancake with a whole stick of butter on it I could barely eat it without throwing up. It took 2 hours to get our food because they never put our food order in. Service sucks. Didn't even get a discount and we got charged for an extra coffee we didn't order and they never showed up with our bacon. 1 star don't recommend. read more

Service was great, waitress kept checking on our coffee etc. my French toast was delicious and so were the home fries. Coffee was good and they did have plant based milk! read more

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Went for a late lunch. Cute diner with a wide selection We had great service too (we didn't get her name unfortunately, but she was very good). Very attentive and polite I got the tuna melt. A bit too fishy but other than that really good flavor. Everyone I was will enjoyed it too I also got a milkshake Our waitress made it and it was so good!!! Highly recommend it. If you're in the neighborhood and need a solid meal quick, this is the place for you. read more

We stopped here the morning after a wedding reception and everything hit the spot! Between four of us, we had coffee, orange juice, eggs, omelets, home fries, toast (that looked like homemade bread), homemade sausage patties, and the fluffiest pancakes ever. The entire staff was helpful and kind. There was surprisingly no wait but a definite steady stream. A place we would check out again for lunch! read more

Wicked awesome retro diner. Gorgeous neon sign on the outside and cute booths on the inside. Loved the breakfast sandwich and pancakes. Had the 2 for 1 milkshakes as well. Would definitely come back! read more

Ordered souvlaki breakfast, eggs over easy were done right,chicken was tender and tasty, potatoes cold, toast placed on the same plate as breakfast, causing the toast to be soggy (I mean almost wet) I think toast should always be on its own little plate to keep the potatoes from making toast soggy read more

Great food and friendly service. The griddled mac cheese is epic! And they have a parking lot so easy in and out stop.

Great service. Large portions. Food was great. Had the all American. 2 eggs, toast, home fries (a little dry) 2 turkey sausage patties and coffee $23 with to read more

"Guy Fieri ate here". This is their most recent claim to fame, but Lake Effect Diner has been satisfying hungry Western New Yorkers for as long as I can remember! We had a really huge serving of potato pancakes Florentine ($14) which had potato pancake, pea meal ham, spinach & delicious lemony hollandaise. Alas, the potatoes lacked flavor and had a very unusual fibrous texture, making the plentiful leftovers inedible). Our lox special was delicious, just like being in NYC. The fruit cup was so impressive that it deserves special mention...this was FRESH FRUIT...AND LOTS OF IT! The fruit cup was included with the lox special & was FRESH CUT pears, strawberries, apples, blueberries, oranges and grapes . Absolutely the crowning glory of our dining experience. Come as you are, super casual & good grub! read more

Lake Effect Diner - Potato pancakes Florentine foreground, AMAZING side dish/ fruit cup, background - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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This is my first time going to this diner. I always pass by there when I used to go to UB but never tried it. A date with my bf on memorials day. It is a cute little diner. Very causal. The staffs greeted us a warm and friendly smile. The day was hot so they left one of the doors open for some breeze to come in. I ordered the house cured ham and red eye gravy with home fries, toast, and 3 eggs. The portion size was pretty big was too. I love ham so there was a good portion on it. It was just a little salty for me. My boyfriend ordered the cured country corn beef harsh. It was a nice mix of green peppers, home fries, and other veggies. I felt like there was not enough protein. Other than that, everything else was good. A little pricey but definitely worth a try. Will come back to give lunch a try one day :) read more

Lake Effect Diner - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

First time horrible experience. First off....this was out choice to sit out on their patio....never again. There was beer splashed all over the railing and parking lot and patio area and being early in the morning there were hornets all over the place. Now if I was the owner or manager, I'd be out there with a hose everyday morning cleaning that area off. BUT that wasn't the case. Took more than 40min to get our food and about the same time to get a refill of our coffee. When the food came we were then swarmed by even more bees. Ended up taking maybe 4 bites then got our food to go and left. Worst experience ever. But then again we chose to eat on the patio and will never do that again if we go back. Management needs to pull their heads out of their asses and do something about this problem. With the wait and cleanliness of their place. read more

Adorable diner with great service and classic dishes. Absolutely loved the decor. Super retro!

My friend and i went here for brunch on a Saturday and was seated right away. Usually it's tough to get a table anywhere around lunch on the weekends so it was a nice surprise! The restaurant was very cozy and the perfect temperature. We were seated in a cute window seat that had shower curtain type dividers, I'm assuming due to the new health regulations. Either way, it was nice having a little privacy at our table in an otherwise small restaurant. We ordered mimosas with fresh squeezed orange juice and split a side order of french toast. The french toast came with powdered sugar, whipped cream and this delicious walnut butter that was so sweet that it didn't need syrup! I got the eggs Benedict and my friend got the eggs Chesapeake, both with dairy free hollandaise which was surprisingly delicious. The side potatoes weren't as crispy as I'm used to but they were seasoned well and in a huge portion. I wasn't a huge fan of the type of meat on the eggs Benedict but it was served over thick brioche bread that gave a different spin to the usual English muffin. Our server was very helpful in pointing out menu favorites and checked on us often. They had an interesting menu too, you took a picture of the code and the menu popped up on your phone. Smart, considering everything is having to be sanitizer after each table and this saves that step. As far as seating, they had some outdoor seating as well and a ton of parking spots in their lot and on the street. We'll definitely be back to try some of their lunch items! read more

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Went here today for the first time because I got out of work in time (they close at 3)!! Greeted immediately, the food was piping hot! I also ordered an appetizer it was very delicious!! I created my own Omelette, it was one of the best I ever had!! I couldn't even finish it bc it was so big!! Great service and great atmosphere! Go see for yourself! read more

Lake Effect Diner - BYO Omelette!! - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

.I have to admit it's been several years since I ate at Lake affect diner. I do remember vividly how great the fried chicken was with mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. We ate there right after Diners, Drive-in and dives did his show so the place was kind of busy but the staff is awesome highly recommend read more

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Went there for breakfast food came out cold . They took it back came out cold again . This was my first time here ,then they remade it . Was like warm . Not a great start for a first visit . read more

Visited in late July 2021 - and the restaurant was open for breakfast. Not sure why it appears closed on some websites. More of an experience/ambiance less of a decent breakfast. I have to agree with my fellow reviewers before me (and potentially after me) that Lake Effect is an overpriced breakfast for the actually quality of food. I realize that at one point in time this diner may have been all the rage, I mean Guy from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives visited, but I'm not impressed. The saving grace for this breakfast was the seasoning on the breakfast potatoes and the fresh sausage. Everything else was typical breakfast quality that you might find at a Dennys or Perkins. We also waited a decent amount of time for our food from the time we ordered. I would consider myself a bit of a breakfast snob, so take my review for what it's worth to you. It's breakfast, hard to screw up, but I simply wasn't impressed. read more

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Delicious food, great atmosphere!!! Cold drinks are refreshing, and location is easy to get to with public transportation. read more

Service was so so- food was not worth the calories. Ordered 2 eggs with cheese -cheese was an after thought and non existent. Husband ordered the lake effect platter and received a cold pancake. He asked the server for no whipped cream when he received his replacement pancake- couldn't believe that he again got whipped cream with his pancake. Won't be back. read more

I didn't understand why this place got such low ratings until I visited. From the Yelp pictures, the food seemed really good, so I couldn't really tell how bad the service was. Well, long story short, the service here definitely isn't the best. Husband and I went on a Saturday morning (around 9) because we were told it gets super busy from 9:30. We were seated almost immediately upon our arrival and were given water. We ordered two coffees and waited to look at the menus. We ordered a Chicken souvlaki omelette and steak omelette. It took about 20 minutes for the food to come out. While we were waiting, no one checked in on us about coffee or water refills. Even after the food came (which wasn't bad), the server didn't come to check in on us. :/ What's worse was when we were given our check. The manager(?) came to give us the check, but had a pretty rude and indifferent attitude. The total bill also came down to $48 including tip and all, which is SOOOOOOOO overpriced for breakfast. Doubt we'll be coming back. read more

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After 4-5 visits to Lake Effect, I don't think I will ever be back here ever again. After all my visits, the overall rating is a 2/5. I love breakfast food and it doesn't taste that great here. There are many other places with great breakfast food around Lake Effect but I would avoid this place for several reasons. I have photos of food that looks delicious, but I would end up feeling so sick because of the high level of carbs. I also never usually feel sick after somewhere else! The service almost every time I've been here has been poor. The most recent time I've been here, it took 15 minutes to get the check and then another 10 minutes to be cashed out. There was one person working on a Friday morning, which makes no sense to me why they don't have more staff on hand. The food is expensive. For what you get and pay for, I don't believe the value of your dollar is worth it. You almost always end up with way too much food that you will end up taking some home, but then that creates a lot of styrofoam waste in our landfills. As a restaurant that distributes styrofoam as their to-go packaging, they're also not environmentally friendly. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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My bf and I watch diners, drive ins, and dives way too much and try to visit as many of the restaurants he's been to as we can so obviously we had to try this one and it does not disappoint!! The place is super tiny, which is wasn't expecting, but it made it feel like a true drive in. But the food was out of this world. It was seriously so delicious, every single bite! The turkey sausage was homemade and some of the best sausage I've ever had and the French toast was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside because they use baguettes to make it. I really recommend coming here any time of day. You can get breakfast for dinner or the other way, which is also awesome!!! It is a little expensive, all the food here was 50 so it's a little more than I'm used to from a diner, but I would definitely go back. read more

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I have been here many times and always leave very satisfied. Sometimes if I'm in the neighborhood, I'll just stop in to pick up a milkshake. So good! Came in the other day for lunch and were sat in a back booth; perfect for people watching and watching the action in the kitchen. Today the waitress was a little spacy, (forgot to serve our soft drinks), but she wasn't cooking for us. When our lunch arrived, it was picture perfect. The taste and freshness of everything, as well as the fresh-cut fries was terrific. Will be back because their menu is huge, as are the servings. Should definitely visit for home cooking in a cute diner car. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Smoked turkey wrap - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Breakfast is to be considered the Most Important Meal of the day (keeps you active to go through the rest of the whole day). Come here and you can get Hearty 3 Square Meals a Day, plus the thickest Milkshakes you could ever slurp on. 16 years of serving the Public and 9 since Guy Fieri came on Diner's Drive Ins and Dives, 3 or 4 Blocks from the University of Buffalo. When I was attending classes at D'Avolio and my Dad was running a bit late at work I walked down (less than a 25 minute walk). I walked in and sat myself at the Booth area, looking around at the small area and one thing that caught my Eye was the Guy Fieri logo embedded in the Wall right by the Pass where the food goes out of the Kitchen. Since I came in on a Tuesday they have buy one, get one free on Milkshakes. These things were super thick (like almost cement like) hard for me to sip, I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter milkshake which had a luxurious Decadence to it. I had their Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with Fries & Coleslaw and it was topped with a Fried Egg. The Pork was melt in your mouth tender, the Egg Yolk was slightly Runny, The fried while crispy were a bit overseasoned and the Coleslaw was light and Refreshing. My "Free" milkshake was a Loganberry one, super thick as the last one and Cloyingly Sweet. My 2nd visit was with my Grandma and we stopped here for a small Lunch but there was nothing small about it. My Grandma got the Stuffed Florentine Potato Pancakes that had Peameal (Canadian) Bacon, Eggs & Spinach crammed between 2 Savory Pancakes that were bigger than my Hands. That portion alone would feed my Grandma for over a Week. I got myself the Eggs Chesapeake, Poached Eggs and housemade Crab Cakes on Toasted Baguettes topped with Hollandaise and a good sized pile of Homefries on the Side. Like all poached eggs I've had in the past, the yolk just oozed all over the place, the Crab Cakes with its crispy edges and soft interior had me excited as I went to take a bite but had me taken aback as there were some good size chunks of White Onion throughout the Cake. Homefries had a light hint of Spice that caught me at the End with a few of the pieces that were slightly Al Dente. My 3rd visit was with my Father after a checkup at UB Dental, my previous server Jenna recognized me straight away and sat us. I told dad about my first time in here and about the Pulled Pork Sandwich I had he was on Board straight away and ordered, only thing was that his French Fries weren't as Salty as mine were when I ordered it. I got myself a stack of Buttermilk Pancakes topped with a Blueberry Sauce that it was so heavy that it occupied the emptiness in my Stomach for most of the Day. What happens when you walk through here with an empty Stomach, you leave with a Full Gut (due to the Portions). That is the effect of this Diner !!! read more

A cute restaurant that gives you the old-school diner feel. They serve breakfast and lunch all day long, as well as dinner options later in the day. I ordered the BTL and it was pretty good. The bread, tomatoes, and lettuce was fresh and filled the sandwich. The bacon was a bit overdone and too crunchy. Since it was thicker bacon, it was almost too tough to chew and there was no juices left in the bacon meat. They added mayo to the sandwich as a great add of flavor. The dish also comes with fries. They give you a healthy serving of fresh cut fries. They are just a little bit crisp, like I prefer, and nicely seasoned with salt and pepper. If you come here, expect service to be a little bit slower and just relax with the people you came with instead of rushing to eat and leave. read more

Lake Effect Diner - BTL - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Let me preface this review by saying I haven't been back to Lake Effect Diner since 2016!The aesthetic of the diner is extremely nostalgic, from the decor to the booths and the counter. I've came here for breakfast and dinner in the past and have had mixed experiences. Last night we revisited Lake Effect for a classic breakfast for dinner since they serve breakfast all day. We were seated promptly by a kind waitress who brought us over waters, menus and their specials. At first glance, I noticed that the menu options have gone up in price since my last visit and extra charges have been added to different items. I appreciate they'll sub egg whites! We both ordered the Stack from Scratch pancakes - plain and chocolate strawberry. It was a little pricey for three pancakes (Regular - $9, chocolate strawberry - $12). We waited quite a bit for our food, but were able to catch up and order a strawberry milkshake. The milkshake came in a plastic Pepsi glass and had real strawberry chunks in it - super cool- after all it's a staple diner item. It was good, great consistency! When our pancakes arrived to our table, we got regular table syrup. The syrup was definitely watered down or had something added to it (I've bought Dollar Tree syrup with a thicker consistency). Our pancakes looked delicious! We snapped a few pics and had a few bites. As someone who is sensitive to other foods- I noticed immediately that my pancakes tasted like onion/meat potentially from the grill not being cleaned after past use. The pancakes are more of a bitter taste, potentially made with sour cream, and were buttery greasy. It was hard to eat the whole stack. I felt a little sick after eating them and only got through maybe half the stack before feeling nauseous. Later that night I did end up getting sick (did not eat anything else) from the pancakes. In the past, I've ordered their wraps and chicken wings which are yummy and subpar. This is the first time I've ordered a disappointing breakfast. read more

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