We have always wanted to try this iconic cool breakfast spot- probably was not the best idea to go on Good Friday before stations of the cross at OLV. We waited about 5 minutes to be seated, but then over 45 minutes to eat, which seemed longer because the coffee was tasty but weak. The owner Sergio was outstanding! He was attentive and eager to please. They do a lot of things special- homemade jam, real syrup, homemade hot sauce, and delicious potatoes. I'm noticing a trend with my yelp reviews- BREAKFAST! Going back to Carte Blanch for DINNER this week so there's that!:) read more

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It's expensive. The staff can be off putting. The lighting is harsh. But dammit that Food Network dude ate here and the concept is still fun and the food is actually not bad so quit complaining. Pancakes and that vegetarian meatloaf thing get two thumbs up. read more

Has the Lake Effect changed hands? I had always liked its laid back atmosphere, along with its good food and service. But my last visit was not good. Food came to slow. Orange juice was way too warm. The server's (a male) demeanor was initially off-putting, but got a bit better. My experience was a let down. Left me wondering if I should go back. read more

Really cute place on main st. in Buffalo. I got a mimosa to start, made with fresh squeezed oj followed by their quiche with ham, eggs, cheddar and spinach. I got home fries with it, which definitely could have sit on the grill longer. If you order homefries, ask for them crispy. The quiche was good and daniel said the pancakes were good but pretty basic, but they're very thick so they're very filling. I've heard they have great milkshakes so I'll definitely be back to try! read more

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Lively atmosphere, food was good but pricey for a diner. The reason for only three stars was because although the diner was lively, the "background " music was very loud. After asking the staff to lower it, a few minutes later a member of the kitchen staff turned it back up and I was told there is no speaker in the kitchen. Silly as it may sound, it will keep me from going back..... shame the food is good but the assault on my senses due to volume of music will keep me away. read more

Everything's home made, which means everything is delicious. I go here at least 2 times a week with my girlfriend(it's perfect for dates), I can't get enough of it. In short: It's reasonably priced, they have an attentive and welcoming staff, the manager is hilarious and always treats guests as family and the atmosphere is warm and upbeat. They have great cooks, I've never had any of my food under/overcooked. This is easily my favorite place to eat any time of day and I always highly recommend it. read more

It was OK. I ordered the double chocolate chip pancakes and they didn't bake the chips in they threw them on top. There were 8 of us and it took 30 to get seated and 45 minutes to get our food. Waitresses were welcoming. Great atmosphere. read more

We went there on a Friday afternoon 1ish, not rush hour, the diner is almost empty. However, it took an hour for us to get our lunch special... Isn't lunch special supposed to be faster?! And the food was just so so, not worth the waiting. Not going back again, and not gonna recommend the place to anyone. read more

I think Guy Fieri needs his head examined. This place is not good. Came here for 2-for-1 shakes and they were only okay (I got plain chocolate). The thing that turned me off more than anything was how dirty the booths and tables were, how everything smelled and felt like old grease, and how the waitstaff was rude. I mean, really??? I'll never understand why anyone has given this place more than 2 stars... But maybe it's similar to my misunderstanding of Amy's Place, another dining anomaly. I just don't get it... read more

The 3-3-3 bfast was totally good... bomb French toast and fries are hella good. Eggcelent spices on them fries... a brotha coming out of the diner with a strong itis... great food !! read more

This place was just a BIG mistake. I walked in here with my parents and on the wall I was amazed by the numerous awards it had received ( conspiracy probably lol) The service at this place is horrendous. My parents and I saw an a tiny booth and waited about 20 minutes to just get waters. No one was really sure who our server was since he was too busy chatting it with his friends. I ordered an regular omelet and my parents got a tuna and grilled chicken sandwich. They were ALL horrible. The eggs were extremely extremely greasy with oil floating in the plate and the sandwiches tasted like old/stale meat. Never make the mistake of going here. I'd rather just not eat at all. read more

The good news: Lake Effect Diner has been very consistent the last few times I've been. Unfortunately, they've been consistently bad. Underseasoned and/or cold. Two of my biggest food pet peeves. Also, I don't really dig stale fries. Crossing this place off of my list of regulars. read more

Wanted to a new breakfast spot today. Have. Heard good things about the Diner. The Good - Food was good. Wife had the Eggs Chesapeake and she liked it, a little peppery but overall she enjoyed it. I had the 3-3-3 eggs were good, nice twist on French toast. Kids had pancakes and got hot chocolate, more on that later. The Bad - Hot chocolate is $5.00 a cup. If anyone has seen Pulp Fiction and the $5.00 shake. That better be a pretty good f#*kin cup for $5.00, and I tried some it was pretty good. Not the best cup ever, I also can't leave out the fact that my son had a carrot in his. Another disappointment was the fact that I had to ask for more coffee. Not a huge deal, but I'm at a diner "C'MON MAN". The Ugly- For a family of 4, I dropped $70 on breakfast not including tip. I try not to spend that on dinner. I'm still confused, because I thought I had eggs and French toast but the bill said $70. Oh well shame on me..food is good but not for the value. My stomach is still upset over that check. read more

Wow, what a disappointment. I know Lake Effect was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but Restaurant Impossible would be a better fit. We ordered fried chicken and a steak sandwich - in both cases the meat was dry and flavorless. And we waited a long long time for our food. (Note: we were one of three parties in the restaurant.) Poor service, lousy food and a dirty restaurant. read more

I went here with my restaurant group....SERIOUSLY.... an offshoot of the fine dining group that I organize called (cleverly enough) "Cheap Eats". I picked a Tuesday night because it's two-for-one milkshake night and this lady loves a deal. The milkshake was DELICIOUS! I opted for Mint Oreo out of the twenty-five flavors available. REALLY...25! It was made with real ice cream and real milk and mixed up in a real old-fashioned metal cup with an old fashioned shake maker. There were even crushed Oreos sprinkled on top. Not the crumbs that you can buy already crumbled in a box. I think these were actual cookies that were lovingly smashed by hand. The only negative thing about the milkshake was that there wasn't the little bit extra served in the aforementioned metal cup to go along with the glassful, like they used to give you in the "olden days", like when I was a kid. Along with my shake I ordered a burger. I thought it was going to be terrific. The menu made it sound so good ("House Ground, Hormone Free, Local, Fresh Limousine/Black Angus grass and grain fed Ground Beef"). Well, it wasn't terrific. Maybe I'm used to the taste of not quite such a pedigreed ground beef, but this burger tasted a little "funky" to me. Just a little off. Disappointing! The service was good, efficient and friendly. The decor was classic silver diner. Now, if only the burger tasted good...... read more

Wow....what a joke. I had been here once before and knew the service was lacking but we figured we would give it a shot again because we enjoyed the food. I regret going back. Tonight we waited over a 1/2 an hour for our food before the waitress came over to explain the printer broke and our order just went in. Annoying...I get that it wasn't her fault....as a server in the past I'm willing to understand....but what were you doing in the kitchen the whole time running everyone elses food that kept you from realising that ours wasn't coming when we sat well before everyone else you have been delievering food to? When my husband asked what they planned to do to make up for it she said she guessed she could buy our shakes...the shakes were already 2 for 1....so what...you're taking like $5 off the bill when we have already waited a 1/2 hour and you're just starting the food? That's completely unacceptable. It was bad enough how inattentive the service was from the get go, but seriously? What an insult. We wait approx another 15 minutes...which as far as I'm concerned should be more than enough time as our food should have been top priority at this point. When we asked how much longer again it should be still no answer. We ended up leaving with no food. Just pain awful. read more

Pricier than your average diner, but surely worth the surcharge. I've only ever gone here for breakfast, and my favorites are the eggs benedict (possibly the best eggs benny I've ever had) and the stuffed florentine potato pancakes. A buttery baguette is a major eggs benny upgrade over a dry english muffin. The home fries that come with it are top-notch. The florentine potato pancakes are like an eggs benedict minus the bread stuffed between two giant potato pancake with spinach. Really awesome. The mirrors all over the place too often reflect an image of a disheveled hungover guy staring back at me, but I'd say that's my only complaint. read more

The only thing this place has going for it is the decor--a classic, old diner car. Unfortunately, everything else disappoints (including the temperature--freezing!) Our server was bored, unsmiling, and slow. 10 minutes after we ordered, the waitress returned to tell us they were out of steak. 10 minutes? Really? We could see into the kitchen and the two grungy teenaged "chefs" were the same: bored, unsmiling and slow. The food: the roast beef dinner ($14) was the blandest thing I've ever tasted in a restaurant. I'm not exaggerating. It tasted like beefy air. The gravy was non-existent. The mashed potatoes were super-salty and COLD, and the tomato provencale was so, so sad looking (and tasting). The French Dip was boring but not awful, but the side of fries were super salty and COLD (again). I had a burger. It had some flavor but it was tiny and came with no side (not even a pickle). I will not return. read more

What an amazing find on our travels. The portions are huge, fresh, real home made food. Service with amazing flare and laughs. Thank you for an awesome meal !!! read more

Went for lunch today. Ordered a Ruben and fish sandwich at 11:12. Did not get order until 11:55. Lunch was for an hour. So we rushed to half. Fish was heavily coated with beer batter and corned beef on Ruben was fatty. Fries were ok. Others who came in before us served fish dinners and salad a good 10 minutes before us. Did see others had pre-ordered. So if time is an issue pre-order something not on grill. Unfortunately will not return even though it's close to my job. Sorry Lake Effect. read more

Very friendly! Generous portions! We had the fried chicken, very tasty! Stuffing so-so! Well oiled machine! Great atmosphere. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Fried chicken, stuffing, mash taters - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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I am increasing the rating - after I wrote the review (below) the service improved greatly. I've been back three times and each time our food was very good and service was quick and polite. It's a sign of a great business that takes criticism constructively and makes necessary changes. Today marked my 4th experience here in 6 months Entirely Food is 4 stars. Service is something else I really want to like this place. The food is great, and I'm willing to pay a premium for higher quality ingredients, but the service makes me want to tear my hair out. The only great dining experience I've had here was when I sat at the counter. The homemade hash was delicious, the food came quickly. I had a friendly conversation with another diner. Lovely breakfast But back to the service. The manager of this place just doesn't understand restaurant flow. I feel like he's working for his own tips, because he doesn't appear to be supporting his wait staff at all. This space is not large. Any wait staff walking past any table should be picking up empties, refilling coffee, running credit cards etc. it doesn't happen here. It's like the manager has his tickets and the server has theirs and the customer is at the mercy of a clear lack of communication. read more

You are paying to sit in a nostalgic diner and this is what you get; mediocre to sub par food and not so great in cleanliness. If you're a deer you might enjoy the salt lick fries. The falafel wrap had dried out hard chunks of chick peas. There are plenty of other great restaurants/diners in Buffalo that are actually worth paying these prices. I don't enjoy posting this review because I have thoroughly enjoyed past visits. read more

I have been to this place several times. The last time that I was here it was absolutely filthy. My baby had to sit in a highchair covered with a thick layer of grime. At one point I had to reach below the booth to grab a toy that fell on the floor. The sight made me not want to finish my meal. The Eggs Benedict was an abomination- burnt muffin, slimy eggs, and tasteless hollandaise sauce. The home fries were bland and leathery. The orange juice was freshly squeezed but not very good; it tasted like orange seeds. read more

Restaurant is very small but that was kind of expected for a diner. I was very pleased with all the vegetarian entrées. We went there for breakfast and I got the cheese omelette and it did not disappoint. My two sons got the Mickey Mouse pancake and they both loved it. My aunt got the quiche she said it was probably the best she has ever had. read more

Another disappointing Food Network darling. Banana/Pistachio pancakes were listed as including "candied" pistachios. They were simply toasted, not candied at all. Bananas were sprinkled on in a very stingy manner. Bananas are what, 54 cents a pound? I think you could add a few more. Want real maple syrup? That'll cost you $1.75 for maybe an ounce. Griddled macaroni & cheese was really good. That was the highlight. read more

Found this cute diner by accident. Surprised the ratings were only 3.5? I'm not a breakfast fan, but ate one of the best in a long time. Service was spot on, atmosphere is nostalgic of. 50s diner, food was hot and tasty. Their home made bread, cured meats were delicious. Sergio, our server, was out of this world attentive and we would come all the way back from the west coast to dine here again. read more

If you're looking for an authentic 1950's diner car experience, complete with milkshakes prepped to order from fresh ingredients, burgers, fries and the occasional out-of-context Greek entree, you'll love this place.  Tuesdays feature two-for-one milkshakes! read more

This was the best meal my boyfriend and I had on our little weekend getaway and we went to Hutch's on Thursday night. This is food you bite into and your only reaction is to close your eyes, smile, and say "Mmm, God this is good." It leaves you speechless and so excited to share. Whomever is in the kitchen knows what they're doing. The manager was our several coincidentally and he was friendly and had great timing. What was ordered: Eggs Chesapeake, House Smoked Ham with Red Eye Gravy, a pancake (You have to try the damn pancake! Don't eat your potatoes and share the pancake- heavenly), and a side of double Applewood smoked bacon. Nom Nom Nom. read more

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I saw this place on the food network like a year ago and had been dying to try it out. Meatloaf bomber sandwich...effin yummy. It was a little on the cold side but still good nonetheless. And you MUST get the griddled mac and cheese. Past reviewers are not giving this stuff its proper credit. I could...not...stop...stuffing my face with it. I had to take a star off though because the service was lacking. They brought my buddy's mashed potatoes out 10 minutes after his steak came out, and that was after much begging and pleading and flagging down. The most memorable part of our dinner here was the WWE smackdown that was about to take place between the waiter and waitress there. Like,they were so pissed off at each other, and literally took verbal jabs at each other the whole time we were there. Come on guys, no one likes working sunday night but you still gotta act like professionals. jeez read more

Lake Effect is pretty hit or miss. I've been in times where I had some of the best food and others when it was just too greasy. It's fun to see the picture of Guy Fieri on the wall, but that picture also brings in a lot of people, so unless you come in an off time you're likely to have to wait for a table. The service is always good at Lake Effect. That's what keeps me coming back. The owner is almost always there, and he is very attentive to tables, making sure everything is going well. Overall I would say it's worth giving it a try, even it it's just to say that you went there. read more

What a disappointment. Maybe because I spend so much time in NYC and New Jersey, I'm used to a certain kind of diner. We had cheese burgers, how do you go wrong? Asked fir medium, got over cooked and dry, nothing special. Fries, just ok. Roll was just blah. Seemed way over priced for what we got. read more

Not that great! The only thing enjoyable is the Banana Split.... that's all.. on top of the ok food, the pricing is high!!! not worth it at all!! Waste of money! read more

Reading all of the comments I'm in the minority. They must have been having a bad day. French toast bread was rock hard, wasn't soaked enough I think. Coffee was very weak. The poutine pulled pork was delicious. Food took a really long time for a diner and was pretty expensive. Expected a bit more. read more

We headed to Lake Effect Diner on saturday for breakfast, we've been there a few times before and have always been pleased. I ordered the blueberry pancakes which are made from scratch and are delicious! My boyfriend got the Greek omlette which he loved, and I can attest from the scoops that I snuck off his plate t It was another balmy 20 degree day in good ol' Buffalo and the owner was out shoveling the drive way. Although we were a tad critical of hisform, it instantly knocked this review to a 5 Star review. read more

I really like this place, because I feel like I just got out of prom in the 1950s and am wearing my poodle skirt and that is a way that I like to feel. Everyone loves it and so do I - the griddled mac and cheese. I went with my roommate quickly after moving to Buffalo and have returned a total of 5 times so far. The food is good if you order the right thing. So far between myself and guests, the best options have been the mac (obvi), the sausages (made there), the grilled pita with feta, and the tomato provincial. I've been less satisfied by the Beef on Weck (wayyy too salty, almost inedible), and the potato pancakes (thick and dense, more like one giant hashbrown.) That said, I once got the French Dip and it was really good, similar to the Beef on Weck but on a baguette instead of the salty bun. This is a fun place to visit, but stick with the things folks recommend for the best experience! I haven't had trouble with service, but sometimes meal parts do come out at different times - I attributed this to a diner experience, however. Just get the griddled mac. read more

After a lackluster meal a few years ago, I'm happy to report that I've had two excellent dining experiences in the past month at Lake Effect Diner. I like that breakfast is served all day. It's a big and varied menu, but I keep ordering the grilled pita with tomatoes, feta cheese and broccoli. It's more like a sandwich that a usual stuffed pita. I've been the Lake Effect for Sunday brunch (the manager who waited on us at the counter was a gem) and a late dinner last night. read more

Good luck getting seating on the weekend mornings. This place is packed. I wish I could complain about the lack of seating or standing room, but it's a diner car...can't expect much there. My breakfast of Greek Souvlaki omelet was amazingly delicious. If you're in the area, I highly advise stopping at this place. Large glass of orange is $3.50....but it's machine-squeezed right in front of your eyes. I forgot what real orange tasted like. -1 star because the floor was dirty as f@#k. It was disgusting and needs to get replaced. -.5 star because this place gets overrun by hipsters who order milkshakes -.5 star because waitress attitude was lagging Don't order the chicken fingers. I will be back for more breakfast. read more

One star for the being the only classic diner in Buffalo. Second star is for the fresh-squeezed orange juice. Third star is for the wonderful service. The waiting staff was super nice and they were trying to see how many cups of coffee they could give me in one morning. They put a smile on my face. Very nice. I almost want to subtract something though because the food just didn't blow me away at all. Diner food isn't that hard to make tasty. As long as this place has been around, you would think they would have it down. I came to Lake Effect because I heard a few people sing its' praises but apparently they haven't been to a real diner before. If this place wants two more stars, kick it up a notch on your pancakes, maybe offer some different-flavored syrups (blueberry, strawberry) and train your cooking staff to make some killer omelettes. I think that's all this place is lacking but really those are main staples of any good diner. You've already got the wonderful service, nice diner booths and solid diner coffee. Just give me some scrumptious pancakes and omelettes and this will gladly become a regular Saturday-morning place for me and probably countless others. Another diner option is Amy's Place but I wish they would wash their interior. Cracker Barrel is always solid for pancakes and biscuits and gravy but it's a little drive when you live in the city. read more

Diners beware- food poisoning and health code violations. My family and I ate here Easter Sunday and within hours my husband came down with symptoms of food poisoning that he's still suffering from today (2 days later). It may have been the lettuce on the veggie burger or a contaminate spread by the either of the three gloves-LESS cooks. We sat at the counter with the huge window into the kitchen. I should have trusted my gut when I saw the blatant disregard for the health code but now my poor husband is holding his. read more