To make breakfast anything more than ordinary takes a special talent. Portion sizes were very generous. The home made hot sauce was better than franks. They serve fresh squeezed orange juice and home made jelly for your toast was the icing on the cake. read more

One of my favorite diners, ever! The shakes are incredible, as is the service, portion-size, location (right on main st.!), and the fact that they have a parking lot, which is a major plus in the city! Also the perfect place to take girls who can't resist checking themselves out in a mirror (the walls are COVERED). They will love it, and you! ;) read more

So this may seem petty but it's a issue of honesty. I ordered the meat lovers omelet and was informed I had to pay extra for cheese. It clearly states on the menu that cheese is included in the base price. I showed the waiter the actual menu stating that and he dismissed my request and charged me extra. He was not polite or friendly. Was dissapointed and most likely will not return as professional dishonesty should not be tolerated. read more

Went here for lunch today. Crowded as always so we sat at the counter. Waitress was sweet and attentive. However, everything we ordered arrived at a snail's pace. A man walked in well after we ordered. Must have been a regular. He was greeted by the manager. His lunch arrived instantly. Well before us. So we waited. Waitress apologized for the long wait as she served our lunch. My friend got The Rachel, said it was awesome. I was not so lucky. I ordered The Crabby Patty, crab cake on a roll. It was barely a 1/2inch thick. Undercooked and cold. If it had crab in it, I could not find it. Way too much roll for that thin patty. Roll was not fresh. I left the entire roll and most of the patty. I probably just ordered the wrong item. I will go there again. Everyone always has good things to say about the joint. read more

I loved the french toast breakfast! Everything on it was so delicious. Will have to replicate this at home some day!

Really disappointing. Server was nice enough, but didn't seem great at juggling the half a dozen tables - coffee got cold whole waiting for milk bc she was also boxing food and ringing up checks. (Other staff were also on duty.) Eggs turned up wrong, the table eventually realized that they had put bacon on the wrong plate and the server hadn't checked to make sure the toast matched the order she'd taken (two different type of bread). They were pleasant about correcting the eggs, but meanwhile the rest of the dish went cold. Bacon was requested well done/crispy but turned up limp and burned. (Not the same thing.) Home fries were greasy and tasteless. Pancakes tasted good but were very dense. Probably won't go back. read more

Very overpriced breakfast food- paying for the "experience" of the vintage diner. If you want vintage go visit your grandparents (or equivalent persons in your life) instead. The syrup must be sugar free because it had no taste which was not a good match with plain pancakes. I was hoping to add flavor with syrup but that wasn't the case. read more

This spot is subpar for the price. Food was okay, price was a lot. Waiters seemed all over the place and stressed. It took 20 minutes after we were done eating before they came back to ask for the check. It then took an additional 10 minutes to come back to grab the card to swipe. I felt bad for the 3 employees. read more

The Turkey sausage is outstanding, and the Greek Omelet is the bomb. Found this place on a trip to Buffalo State University Graduation Weekend. We ate their two days in a row. read more

I went here with my friend because it was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, which he likes to watch. Being that it was a Buffalo classic and from other Yelper's reviews I expected it to be really busy. To avoid a long wait we went around 8am on a weekday and found that there were only 2 other patrons which was good. I got my usual, a vegetable omelette with home fries- the home fries did not have pieces of onion and/or peppers like some do that I like and the dish as a whole was underwhelming. We shared an order of french toast which was okay, nothing special. The butter for the french toast, on the other hand, was maple flavored so that was a nice surprise. My friend got the potato pancake which was very good and was a good portion, I would give that a 4. If it weren't for the potato pancake I would have given the diner a 2. They may have other good things on the menu but it seems like the potato pancake is their thing and the only reason that I would return. read more

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For my first visit the haddock sandwich, milkshakes, and service were great!! The only real negatives were that the bathrooms did not have any changing tables for me to unexpectedly have to change my infant and we were in the back corner next to the bathroom where I had to place my infant's seat into the booth by reaching over the booth itself, leaving her there while I went around trying not to hit the people in the booth next to us- they were sitting a couple of feet from the edge of our booth. Next time, I will remember the close seating arrangements in the back by the bathrooms and the no changing table when/ if I need to bring my infant daughter again. It would be of big help to families if they provided changing tables. read more

I've just came from Lake Effect Diner, got to admit, just had the worst Corn beef and cabbage dinner in my life. They "drizzeled" mustard over not only the corn beef, but over the cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Really. Terrible. You must really really like Webber mustard for that meal. I'll give it a 2, at best. Never again. read more

This place is a recreation of an old 50's diner complete with the awesome milkshakes. Aside from the milkshakes, this place has great American diner food and a really comfortable atmosphere. Helpful waitstaff that are knowledgeable in the dishes they serve and prompt food delivery make for a great experience. If you are in the area and looking for something better than your average Denny's diner fare, give this place a shot; you won't be disappointed. read more

Second time and LAST time visiting this diner. It still has extremely slow service and the food was nothing special; surely not worth the extremely long waiting time for the order in our opinion. read more

Late night spot that has a fun atmosphere and engaging staff. Food that hits the spot any time of day/night. Breakfast options are decent and milkshakes are filling. Prices are budget friendly, which makes sense because it is right in the university district. Enjoy! read more

I just got home from picking up two fish fries. These are probably the worst fish fries I've ever had. They were almost burnt. The beer batter was the worst. Fresh cut fries had no taste. Onion rings were ok, but the coleslaw was not very good. It was almost all carrots. Over priced garbage. Never going back. read more

I've been here several times. Once with a group, once on a date with my hubby, once with some family members and even with just my kids. This is a great place for all occasions. They have a great selection on their menu and I love the old fashioned diner feel. They make their own bread, which makes amazing sandwiches. Overall, a great place to go. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Great food. Old style diner atmosphere. Family friendly or perfect for just hanging out. - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

OMG this place was amazing. It is a throwback dining car-style diner near the South Campus of SUNY Buffalo. It was busy when we arrived and there was a short line but we opted to sit at the counter so we were seated immediately. We had no issues of slow service as other yelper's mention. Now it was time to make a decision on what to order. They had a few specials that sounded great. We ordered the stuffed Florentine potato pancakes and the classic stuffed potato pancakes. The potato pancakes were amazing and it was interesting that in the stuffed Florentine they served it with peameal bacon, true Canadian bacon, not America's ham version. The hollandaise sauce was perfect and it had just the right amount on it. The homemade hot sauce is to die for. Both dishes were huge. We both only ate half so asked for togo boxes. So glad that we have leftovers so we can enjoy the yummy ness all over again. read more

The food was great. service was good the staff really tried to make the issue right. The parking lot is little small. The sausage is a must try. read more

so your lookin for something good to eat and you got ten bucks ? well you won't get much here !! everything was well overpriced , and under cooked , my eggs were runnie and didn't taste fresh at all ! the girl ( waitress) was cute , but dumber than a bag of hammers ... she messed up my order twice so summing up -- overpriced ... bad food , and cute dumb waitress NEED I SAY MORE ? go on hertel .. much better food and easier on your wallet read more

Aside from being a classic diner and Buffalo doesn't have many of these buildings any more: The staff is great. They cook from scratch. The menu covers everything from breakfast to dinner. Oh, yes - and the food is quite good. What's not to like? read more

Lake Effect Diner - Having breakfast. No bologna. - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Spectacular. Seating is limited - this is a vintage diner, after all - but the staff are all friendly and accommodating. The food is all homemade and fresh. Best Hollandaise I've had in years, tangy and rich. Try their homemade hot sauce, too. read more

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Great breakfast experience every time. Portion sizes are more than generous. Food was delicious!

Stopped in for dinner with my wife last Saturday around 6pm. The place was busy but we were able to get a table after a few minutes. The food is fantastic. I did breakfast for dinner and had the apple cinnamon pancakes with their house smoked bacon. My wife had a patty melt. We split a milkshake, which easily serves two. Portions are large but the quality is so good that you find yourself continuing to eat long after you're full. Didn't feel hungry again until the following afternoon. We will be back for sure. read more

Best wings I've had in Buffalo. Stop by for a late, somewhat unhealthy dinner. Lol!!! It was worth every delicious bite. The apple crisp was really good. The cheese cake will not be a repeat order. The souvlaki salad was fantastic. read more

Lake Effect Diner - Chicken fingers with fries. Both were seasoned just right! - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Everything could have been better. The wrap was filled with filler veggies and we had a drink that was horrendous.

Fun, shiny sliver diner with diner stnsats, plus standouts like the griddled mac n cheese. We'll be talking about that for a while. Fried chicken was a lite salty, but all was made better when I asked for a side of honey read more

This place gave us absolutely the worst experience ever. The waiter gave us our food two hours late and he forgot all of our orders and we didn't want to wait another two hours for it so we asked for it to go. I got severe food poisoning from this diner. Do not go there to eat. You will regret it I promise. I threw up and had an upset stomach after eating their grilled cheese and home fries. The waiter had no idea what he was doing. Somebody found a hair in their potatoes and an olive in their home fries that did not belong there. Lastly the waiter forgot to give us utensils with our food and did not check to fill up our waters until asked for more. DO NOT GO read more

Would never darken their doorstop again. My wife and I came on Sunday morning and the hostess told us it would a 10 minute wait, which was fine. So with Covid she took my cell # and we had to wait in our car for a table to clear. Again, no problem. While waiting we saw 4 cars arrive and those people went in and were seated. We never got a call and left after 15 minutes. Covid has a lot of places struggling and I plan to spend my $$ where they take customer service more intently than this dive. read more

Great Breakfast Diner. Homemade bread and jams. Sergio took very good care of us. Portions were more than enough. This will be one of my favorite morning spots. read more

Love the atmosphere, and the clean tables. I found the menu kind of strange with the fish, and crab cakes on the menu. Diner food should be breakfast, pies, sandwiches, etc. Anyways I decided to order the pull pork and crabby patty (only because it reminded me of Spongebob Squarepants). The pull pork sandwich was just perfectly seasoned, and very juicy. However the crabby patty was dry and tasteless. Food was decent, but prices were a little high for my wallet. Breakfast, and smoked meats are highly recommended, they know how to do it right, but stay away from the seafood and mac and cheese, cause that stuff was just nasty. read more

Best corned beef hash in the city. Period. My boyfriend and I often come here for breakfast or late dinners and we have never had a bad culinary experience! I bring out of town company to Lake Effect Diner, too, and they are all charmed by the old school feel of the place. Sometimes the service is a little bit off, especially when the place is busy and they want to rush you out of the restaurant (which is why they only get 4 stars), but I think the food always makes up for it! And, it goes without saying, the milkshakes are out of this world! read more

The Potato pancake was superb! The place was super crowded and it took a while before we were seated. This place is one of those classic looking diner that has very limited seats but has great foods. read more

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

In town for my cousins wedding. Larger group of 7 so we sat outside on the patio. No other complaints about outside besides the amount of bees stalking us. A few would have been ok, but we were constantly having to nicely wave them away while eating. Because of our large group, the wait for food was about 30 min if not more, but service itself was wonderful. Just plan accordingly. The FOOD is so WORTH THE COST AND THE WAIT! I wish we had a location here...I'd go right now! We consider ourselves lucky for finding this gem! read more

Lake Effect Diner - Spinach florentine. - Diners Near Me - Buffalo, New York

The meal was amazing, everything tasted fresh and had an interesting kick to it. But I was even more impressed with service , the gentlemen who served us was genuinely nice and considerate, went out of his way to account for all my food allergies and preferences. This lunch was a highlight of the day, thank you so much!!! read more

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

Rachel sandwich was on point ... Ruben sandwich was great.... Chili was amazing....just right read more

Great food, but some things are definitely better than others! Our absolute favourite thing is their pancakes, which are out of this world. Second best is their homemade breakfast sausage patties - definitely unique. I also appreciate that you can swap-in egg whites at no extra charge in their omelets, which is a game changer. If you are not a fan of Kraft singles, stay away from items with American cheese. One thing we found on our most recent meal at Lake Effect Diner was their hot sauce. Not sure if it is made there but it certainly is delicious. read more

This diner is not the best diner food, but it does the trick. There aren't many choices around main st so this place is a go-to when in the area. They do have a number of vegetarian friendly options and a decent menu variety, but the quality of the food is "ehh". I've had better cheaper food in other places, but if you're in a pinch it's kind of a cool little place to eat at. read more

Came here for lunch today. Sat at the counter. Had a Reuben sandwich with the hand cut french fries. The Ruben was very good. And the hand cut fries heads had salt and pepper which I really like. They were a little undercooked which is always a difficult thing. The burger was average. The chocolate milkshake was very yummy read more

Had thier Beef on a Weck, so good!! Homemade bread and French fries! They make a lot of stuff from scratch...I was admiring everything coming from the kitchen...fried chicken, Mac n cheese, creamed chip beef on toast (shit on a shingle), the extra large pancakes! Everything looked amazing and as good as our lunch. The service was amazing too, and the owner helps too...I love that! Next time I'm in Buffalo I will go back!! read more

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