I wish there was a way to put a negative on the number of stars. Seems to be a great atmosphere for most and maybe it's just us, but took an hour after we sat down to get food, appetizer came out after our entrees, wasn't even offered a refill on my drink. Asked for a manager and got the other waitress to come over and try and justify the service. I think it is the only time in my life I have left ZERO for a tip. read more

Waiting an hour for our lunch. Food came out and then our started afterwards. Little backwards for sure. No one came and checked on us after our food came out. Absolute horrible service even from both the managers on duty were clueless. For a place that has tv exposure you would think it would be good but guess not. Sooner where I wish we would not have come at all read more

Shame on you, Lake Effect Diner! On Saturday, May 14th, we stopped at Lake Effect Diner on our way home from an activity downtown. In the past it has been our go to place for good food, although there is often quite a wait, and we have recommended it many times to friends and out of Towner's. The restaurant was not as busy as usual which we took as a good sign. I ordered a Rueben and my husband ordered a Cuban. Our waitress was (throughout the entire stay) very uninterested in us or attending to us. After our food finally arrived, a wait of nearly 30 mins., I had a few bites of my Rueben. It was incredibly full of sauerkraut and so I started to see if there was meat in there at all. What I found was shocking and turned my stomach. There was what I assumed to be corned beef, but the meat was gray.... VERY GRAY, all throughout. After trying to signal our waitress for 10 mins., I moved my plate to the edge of the table and she finally came over. I showed her my sandwich, told her I wasn't paying for it and she took the plate away. She never got the manager or owner, she never apologized, she just took it and left. After about 10-15 mins., she finally brought the bill and did note that my sandwich was taken off. Is this the best you can do? Oh, and I took the time to write to the diner since their receipt says WE LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK. Must be they love the GOOD feedback only. If you choose to eat there, don't take it for granted that your meat is fresh....grey is not the color you want to see when you are eating!! read more

Walked in on Friday at around 3pm when it was nearly dead. Sat down for around 10 minutes before anyone asked if we wanted a drink. Waited another 10 minutes before walking out because no one ever came back. Never going back again, not willing to pay extra menu for overpriced good options because it was on triple D as well. read more

Been there a several times, great food, friendly owner and staff. Definitely a legit diner for those that love diners, I love diners.

If you're a regular morning customer that wants to be highly disappointed, then come here at night. There's definitely a different cook. Not only are the potatoes that come with the omelets different from morning to night but the food comes out so lackadaisical. Burnt toast, runny egg whites. It also took almost 30 minutes to receive our food. The people that came in after us received their food in 10-15 minutes. We've been coming here for over a year and will never return at night. read more

We saw this on Diners and Drives and felt on our way home from upstate New York we would try it out. I had breakfast, the bacon was solid and tasty (not like paper) The homefries are so so, the portions are good to. Sophi got Mac and Cheese and a wrap, the wrap was basic but she enjoyed the Mac and Cheese. (not sure if it was homemade) Overall the place was fairly clean and the menu was unique for what we have here in Canada. It's worth a try for sure, the staff was also friendly and accommodating. read more

Warning: This is a milkshake only review. I brought an out of towner here for a cute milkshake date. The atmosphere is pretty charming since it's an authentic and renovated diner car. The milkshakes were quite good, but as others said, a little small. I appreciated all the flavors and the "low fat" milk and ice cream options. The service was interesting. Our waitress was nice and attentive, but there were some quirky parts about it. I asked the her what her favorite milkshake flavors were (okay, maybe that's an annoying question, but I always like to ask what server's favorite items are). She appeared to channel Benjamin Buford Blue (aka "Bubba" from Forrest Gump) and rattled off a long list of favorites..."well, I like the cherry chocolate, chocolate banana, peanut butter chocolate, strawberry chocolate, banana split..." Not too helpful in making my decision, but it was nice of her to humor me. We also heard our server, another server, and the manager discuss a rude client who had complained via email to the manager. I didn't mind overhearing this (call me nosy or just plain fascinated by people), but it's definitely not appropriate to discuss an argument with a customer on the floor in front of other customers...especially in a tiny dining car. The shocker was that the manager (who was reprimanding her for her behavior) was also engaging in this behavior. Like I said, it didn't bother me (and the customer as described by the server sounded like a real jerk anyways), but it's probably something they should refrain from doing in the future. I will come back, especially on a Tuesday when it's 2-for-1 milkshakes! read more

Super awesome diner food -- but the milkshakes are like whoa. We stop in here on a regular basis just for the milkshakes.

I love this place for a nice early breakfast. You have GOT to try the Egga Benedict.... it comes cooked perfectly atop sugared maple peameal bacon and english muffins. Add the perfect home fries in there and BAM. So satisfying and delicious. read more

This place is very hit or miss. I love their desire to use a lot of locally sourced ingredients, including hormone free meats from local farmers, but that doesn't automatically make all of their food good or worth the high prices. The good: The ambience is great, of course. For those who don't know, it's housed in a genuine 50's trailer diner, mounted on a foundation with an addition on the back. It's super cute and has a fun hang out vibe. The chili - amazingly thick and hearty and better than my mom's (this is saying something) topped with cheddar, sour cream and red onion. A meal in itself and it CAN be ordered as an included side with a dinner (a whole bowl, not a cup - few places do this). The fried chicken - local, hormone free, and I believe free range (you CAN taste the difference in this dish) in an amazing crispy breading "stung" with honey as the menu states. Some of the best fried chicken in town. Comes with two sides (see above chili suggestion as one!). $14 is a bit steep but it's a huge portion and the sides are big. Also, this type of chicken at the market is not cheap. Grilled cheese - available with a variety of thick-sliced deli cheeses, regular or pea meal bacon and/or ham, tomatoes optional, on white, wheat or a few other styles (Italian, sourdough, potato? Can't remember). This is a big, hearty sandwich. I think the price is steep though (around $5 for a basic sandwich when many places charge $3). The fish dinners are also super tasty, large and come a variety of ways. House made soups in general are good, breakfasts are decent but cheaper (that is just as good) is available elsewhere. The bad: Service is VERY hit or miss. This is a typical near-college joint that hires lots of young, hip waitresses - sometimes hip in a good way (friendly, artsy, cute clothes to eyeball - okay, so I really like fashion, sue me), sometimes hip in an "I'm too cool to give you good service" way. I even had one waitress flat out insult me by saying she couldn't believe I was close to her age (my friend & I were swapping licenses to laugh at the photos and she nosed in). Mind you she had Kim Kardashian raccoon make up and a voice like a helium-addict, which didn't really endear her to me to begin with. I don't care if I look like Jabba the Hut, you don't insult a customer and expect a tip, especially when your overall performance was p+ss poor to begin with. I'd also like to add *sniffles* that I get carded going into rated R movies. If they are busy, forget getting in and out - always understaffed for rushes. The veggie burger - I almost puked when I bit into this. It was completely raw in the middle and the consistency of oatmeal. When I brought up the burger to the waitress she informed me it's "always like that" and she usually wants to tell customers not to order it but can't (wtf?). Nice. No offer to take it off the check or make me another either, so I just scraped it off and ate the roll with the toppings and bbq. The owner (I think? Manager maybe?) was in earshot and did nothing. The meh: The potato pancakes - not as awesome to me as everyone says. Usually too smooshy with no crisp on the outside. Also a lot more $$ than other places. The prices in general - I see some mark up for quality ingredients over an average diner, but a lot of the stuff is way more than it should be, especially the TINY milkshakes, which are delicious but $4+ a pop for a glass smaller than what most places give you for tap water and NO refills. It didn't used to be like this - they used to mix you up a big shake in the traditional metal container and bring you a glass, giving you 2 or 3 glasses of shake minimum. No mas This is a "special treat" diner to me, as it costs as much for dinner, a dessert and a shake as I would spend at much fancier places. I also hate on them for no longer being open 24 hours despite their sign still saying they are (and occasionally closing whenever - if they are slow at night sometimes they just close up before the hours they claim to be open). read more

Amazing!! We've gone to plenty of fancy restaurants in Buffalo - but for a diner the food here surpasses all!! The wait is a little long but to our surprise was worth the wait!! As a family we went on Good Friday and had plenty of choices and the food was incredible! The next day we asked ourselves where to next - we decided to go back again for brunch and had another wonderful experience! My husband rarely does this he thanked the chefs for our great experiences! The staff was delightful!! This is a must do! We will be back in May for some more!! read more

Took my parents here based on my husbands recommendation. Next time, I will definitely get breakfast as I think that's what they're known for. I had the smoked turkey club and it was huge! The fries are amazing. Nice and fresh. My dad got the beef on weck and he really enjoyed it. My mom got the Rachel because she couldn't pick so that wasn't the best judge on her food. They make almost everything fresh which is awesome. However, the reason for 4 stars is because of the ridiculously slow service. Had it been busy we would've understood. It was on diners, drive-ins and dives. We will definitely go back and I would recommend this place to visitors! read more

We saw the great reviews and decided to try Lake Effect before the Alice Cooper concert. The sun heated up the place and sweltering heat had us sweating. AC would have been nice but we were the only people inside. We ordered our local favorite Beef on Weck and were prepared for greatness. I don't know if the cook forgot how to prepare the sandwich but the beef was cold! We asked the waitress if it is usually served cold, she apologized and asked if we wanted to send the back. Being on a schedule we said no. I only ate half and sent the cold, rare, beefy concoction across the table. The French fries saved me from ordering food elsewhere but I still could not eat them all. If we ever go back we hope that breakfast is better. read more

Awesome. Always is. Top notch service, unique menu...and as we like to call it...a diner with healthy options.

I usually never dine in here and today reminded me why. My 3 friends and I ordered our food, waited about 15 minutes before they brought out ONE of our orders. Then about another 10 minutes go by when I asked how much longer would our food take and I was given the excuse of "Everything is made from scratch so it's taking some time but will be out soon." My friend was able to finish his food and we still waited even more time before our food finally came out. I paid $23 for an omelette, home fries and a loganberry. I was not even given a free refill for how long I had to wait for my food. I will not be coming back to this restaurant. The price of my food did not equate to the service my friends and I received. And quite frankly, the taste didn't equate to the price either. read more

HOLY PORTION SIZE...MY G/F AND I do the Diners Drive in and Dives tour so we hit this special spot right in the middle of a lake effect snow squall! I did breakfast for dinner. A great coffee supports the ample breakfast omelette and the cook time was perfect! It IS a busy place, the service was good but the wait time a little slow...be patient...it was worth it! I want to go back and try some more of their menu but it is a nostalgic quality nosh! read more

I fell for Guy Fieri's shenanigans - Lake Effect has an interesting concept bringing back the old school diner car. Traditional in that sense but their portions are smaller than expected from a diner. Their "famous" Italian Haddock is wildly overrated - fish w/ bruschetta topping tastes exactly as ou would expect which was not anything special. The griddled mac&cheese again, sounds good but my taste buds were uninterested. $14 out of my pocket that I'd like back though I might be down to try something else on the menu another time. read more

Went in because they advertise Gluten Free and it looks cute. Waste of time, they offer one Gluten Free item that they serve with a large helping of regular garlic bread thrown on top. Waitress didn't understand why we were unhappy even after we explained that once gluten (regular bread/pasta/flour) has touched gluten free food it is contaminated. The other food we ordered came to the table loaded with onions that were not in the description on the menu. I would have picked something different if they had been listed. Ordered 2 meals ate 0. Asked to speak to manager who we watched sneak out the door to avoid us. Service was horrible, food was inedible. Will not return. read more

In the quest for the best breakfast there was Lake Effect Diner. It's the quintessential diner that you picture in your head. They've been featured on Food Network on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I sometimes drive by on my way home and have been wanting to go for a while. I had the eggs Chesapeake. This was two poached eggs on top of crab cakes, covered in hollandaise all resting on toasted baguettes. Everything about this meal screams happiness. The eggs weren't soggy as poached eggs sometimes can be, and the hollandaise was bright and lemony. Those crab cakes were the best I've found in Buffalo so far; perfectly crisp filled with so much crab and no fishy taste or smell. I'm a native Floridian and that's one of the few things I miss about home is fresh seafood. The crab cakes themselves were very generous in portion size, I don't think I've ever experience that much crab cake. Needless to say I ate the whole thing... Probably not a good idea but who cares. The meal comes with a side serving of roasted potatoes, and if there's one thing I know about myself it's that I love potatoes with breakfast. This was one of the few times I didn't touch the potatoes because the eggs Chesapeake were that good. Prices seemed extremely reasonable. My meal was only $14. I would've expected a lot less on the plate for the price. The inside of the dinner was fun, lots of pastel colors on every surface. And the eat at counter stretches the lengthy of the restaurant. It was fairly quiet the night we visited but we also went at 8 PM on a Tuesday so I wouldn't expect a large crowd. I'll be going back and especially on Tuesday because they run a special on 2-4-1 milkshakes. I've got my eye on the PB&J milkshake! read more

Meatlof bomber was good. Fries were pretty good too. A tad pricey and crowded. Staff was not overly friendly and took too long to seat our party of three. We stood in front of the door for several minutes before we were even acknowledged. read more

Went there for the first time to try the poutine. It was great, just a little bit too salty. I think it was because the fries were already salted and seasoned and then adding gravy and cheese over-powered it. It was a little skimpy on the gravy but I just asked for an extra side of it and they brought it right out. I definitely want to go back! :D read more

Great service, great food. I've lived in the heights for a few years now and every time I get food here its always delicious. Some burgers are grown locally which is great. read more

Have had problems with service here before...but other than that its good comfortable diner food...nothing unique

Best Breakfast place in the city. Might be a tad pricier than some other places, but it puts them to shame, really. Quality ingredients, friendly service, and giant bottomless cups of coffee. It is not greasy, and no matter how much I eat, I don't feel too bad afterward. Have had: broccoli, chedder and onion omelette; also the same with bacon; short and tall stacks of pancakes; blueberry pancakes; hash breakfast with eggs and home fries. Home fries are perfect, pancakes taste like donuts (one is perfect for a side), and they bring Frank's out to the table without even thinking about it. Make sure to request real maple syrup; it's a bit extra, but worth it. In short, Lake Effect is a truly great Buffalo breakfast eatery. I haven't tried it for anything else, but I assume it's good for more than breakfast, as well. read more

Just came back from our daughters graduation from Buff State and ate here.This place is incredible -the breakfasts are huge portions and the best tasting and freshest food. Try the Blizzard Breakfast and get 2 of the most mouth watering and unique sausage patties-3 eggs-3 large strips of bacon-home fries- 3 pieces of toast and 1 large pancake(the pancake would feed most). Dont bother the with the calorie count! Our hostess Jackie was"Buffalo cute and sweet " and pleasant as heck! The old style classic original diner is a pleasure to sit in and enjoy the decor. Check out Food Channel`s Guy Fierri visit pictures. We also tried blueberry pancakes and an omlete and not 1 thing was anything less than SUPER. This is THE PLACE for breakfast in Buffalo! read more

I am currently sitting in lake effect waiting for my bill. Waiting seems to be the only thing we've been doing since we got here over an hour and a half ago. We had a not so pleasant server ask what we wanted to drink and received a cup of coffee. Thank god we got that one when she asked because we didn't see her again at our table for refills until we got our meals. 50 minutes to make an omelette and French toast seems a bit ridiculous. I asked for coffee when she delivered the food and you would think I asked for $100. We have been customers here for years but this experience has ended that relationship. The eye rolling from the waitresses behind the counter really needs to end, no one likes a catty wait staff. It's not cute. read more

Sitting across the way at the Steer, i noticed the Lake Effect's logo is really weird if you look at it too long. Is the skirt even covering anything up?? HURP! Not a fan of the fries. There's too many good places in this area to stop here, except occasionally...3-4 years read more

I'm a downstater, a Long Islander, and we love a good diner. Therefore when I moved here I was sad to see that they weren't as big of a staple up here. In looking for a breakfast joint I came upon this place and was definitely not let down. Inside has the old retro diner feel. It's small and cozy. We had a combo of breakfast and lunch.... and a milkshake.... which was delicious. The hashbrowns have a rosemary seasoning which makes them so much different than your local breakfast joint. The potato pancakes were comfort food delight. And the Buffalo chicken wrap was pretty damn good. Safe to say-- with the variety of milkshakes alone-- I will be visiting this place again and again! read more

This place is perfect. The eggs come from a farm ten miles away. All the beef and pork is butchered on site.. this results in the first bacon I've ever believed to trump cracker barrel bacon. That cute tattooed waitress always has a big smile when she tops off your coffee. Amazing chili and I'm a fan of the turkey club. I just did a job around the corner and my crew ate there almost every day for two weeks. Oh and their pemeal bacon in the Benedict is banging.... that Jodi g and Kate g lady watch to much television and now they think there food critics like a couple of four year olds at a princes party. Their reviews inspired me to join yelp and rite their statements. I'm not very tech savvy so this was a real pain in the tush but worth it. And give Sergio a high five for me! read more

Best breakfast around!!! Eggs Benedict to die for, amazing potato pancakes, & fresh orange juice. Staff is always friendly, they seat you as quick as they can. Love the atmosphere. Will be back soon :) read more

I went here with a friend who, as we were walking into the diner said, "The Travel Channel was here! It's got to be good!" Great, raise my expectations before I sit down and eat. The waitstaff, all while looking like they had just gotten done with a shift at Hooters, didn't seem overly anxious to seat our party of two. The waitress we did get however was very friendly and willing to answer our questions about the menu. I got the pulled pork sandwich, which was good, except they slapped a peice of American Cheese on it and it was luke warm. Yuck. Weirdly enough, the sandwich I ordered came with nasty Cole Slaw (something I don't eat) but refused to allow me to swap it out for fries. So I had to buy a bowl of fries. In a diner, I'm a firm believer in fries as sides. It was a bit pricey for what I got, but it was okay. I'm not sure I'll be going back. read more

Here again today at the wonderful, best, diner of all time. This is one of those converted stainless steel train dining cars of days gone by. But the real treat is the food. Today it was the Reuben. This is the best Reuben anywhere, and yes, I have had them in NYC. Including at those Jewish style delis where they pile the meat skyscraper high. But the point in Reuben is balance, the corned beef the Swiss, the sauerkraut, the 1000 island, all in perfect balance and grilled to melty gooey perfection. Yes, it's true, if you come during the busy hours you will have to wait. I have come In a group of 6 and had to wait nearly an hour during those busy times, but it's worth it. Come by at 2 and you can be seated right away, even in that large group. Also to order: the potato pancakes. Delish. If you're not into that, the eggs, hash, pancakes and omelettes are all terrific. So are the salads for the dieters in your group. If you read my reviews you know I keep a foodie log and am a big fan of diners. Well, this is it. #1 of over 50 diners I have been to. read more

Went for a late lunch. I have been dying for a good tuna melt. And I have to say, this was the best one. The tuna was creamy and well seasoned with celery and pepper, the bread was grilled to a lovely golden brown, and the cheese ooey gooey. So why only 2 stars? Well, we were ignored for several minutes before being waited on. But once seated our server was very nice. My husband had lemon pepper fish with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes (he just has surgery and is on soft foods!). The dinner tasted like it was made by Mrs. Paul and Stouffers. Not bad, but not yummy. The biggest problem...the bathrooms. Don said the men's room was a mess and the door didn't close. The Women's room is run down, the toilet looks 50 years old, as does the tiling. The garbage was overflowing, the paper towlels were out. One can't help wondering what the kitchen looks like? read more

Great food. Huge portions we had eggs Benedict, smoked turkey hash, pancakes and a similar dish to eggs Benedict w crab cakes. Everything was Great! read more

The food was awesome but the service was SUPER SLOW! We were at the restaurant for two hours when there was only three tables of two people at each table with three waitresses working..... read more

I went here recently with a classmate. The food was decent and it is very close to UB South Campus. It's a diner so I just ordered a sandwich with a side salad. I love Cuban sandwiches. They up charge you for replacing the fries with a salad, so I guess they are against healthier choices. Also steer clear of the soda pop, I ordered a diet and got some weird tasting off-brand that was just terrible. And yes . . . I know diet tastes different from regular. I love diet soda. read more

I like the healthy alternatives offered here. Try the breakfast quiche! Where I like the food here and the manager is friendly and professional, most everyone knows to avoid this establishment for breakfast unless one wants to wait for awhile to be seated. I highly recommend take out for breakfast. We ordered our food and picked it up within 20 minutes. read more

Had breakfast several times & keep coming back because the food is always fresh, hot & delicious. Each time I went here I tried a different dish I have yet to be disappointed. Morning manager is friendly and meets the needs of his customers. I highly recommend the cured ham breakfast special! read more

Management is very hostile an they didn't have want I wanted that was on menu. Also, the menu is basic.