What a classic diner! The food was great and the decor/ambience was real warm and "homey". The service was friendly and prompt. There's plenty of parking and the location is easy to reach just east of downtown Johnson City. This place is a great taste of traditional small town America and that's a huge compliment. read more

Pennyman's Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

Best biscuits and gravy. Real nice pancake's friendly yet somewhat slow service. My wife really liked her burger. read more

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I've loved this place for years. Hard to believe that I haven't reviewed it before. Best burger in town, in a town full of really good burgers. The inside is spruced up these days, and the parking lot is usually full of work trucks. Takeout is fast and service is always prompt and usually cheerful. The menu is "diner-meets-Appalachian-bistro" and reasonably priced. Nathan's hot dogs, all the breakfast things, soup beans & cornbread, chicken fried & Salisbury steaks, fried bologna sandwiches, and the next thing in my hitlist (if I can ever NOT get a burger here) is the pork tenderloin sandwich. read more

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It's as you would expect from a hole-in-the-wall diner, a no-frills place to eat with affordable, food. I came to Johnson City for a work trip and took my coworkers out for lunch. Pennyman's was one of the closest places to eat near the job site. The menu has many choices for breakfast and lunch but after our waiter gave us our drinks, he informed us that the fryer was down, so nothing fried could be served. I settled on a mushroom & swiss burger, a side of hash browns, and baked apples. While the waiter was prompt, our food took a long time and we came here thinking we could get our food pretty quick. When it eventually came, I was pleasantly pleased. The hash browns were exactly how I would make them at home, crispy yet soft in the middle. The mushroom and Swiss was pretty tasty but there was a ton of mayo on it. The baked apples were sweet with tender and not "too soft" (overcooked apples). Overall it was a good meal but I'm not sure if I'd come back here unless I was really craving it. Think non-commercialized Waffle House. read more

The free Thanksgiving dinner was excellent, I will definitely have to go back there and eat 1 day

We went to this place while in town visiting ETSU. We decided to give it a try based on its Google and Yelp reviews. OMG - very pleased is an understatement! This place was great in every way! Deliciousness - food, service, atmosphere, and pricing! read more

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My mother always said if you can't say anything good don't say anything at all. Enough said.

Food is always good,service is too.They work hard and it's a family run business that's who we need to support.5 star.Five star for sure

This little place has the best food! The cheeseburger is great! The salads are amazing and fresh. The cheesesteak was amazing. The loaded fries... yum. We've been there 2 times, once for breakfast and once for lunch. Can't wait to go back again. Service is great as well. read more

Good home cooked breakfast that does not cost an arm and leg . Good omelet and biscuits and gravy . Coffee is kept full . Nice staff

Yummy food home cooked at its best. Service was great. Philly cheesesteak was stuffed full with sliced beef. She just keeps saying "Delicious ". Bacon cheeseburger was excellent. Made with hand made patties. Must be at least a half pound. We'll be back. Great price for what you get. read more

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This is the proverbial diner that every town needs. Diner breakfast food is spot on! When they are open there is almost always a bit of a wait because people love it. Decor is dated, you know, the way diners "focus on their food, not their decor" kind of style. read more

A little diner with the BEST breakfast I've ever had! It's small and family owned. The service was great. Don't miss this one!

Food was really good here! Super generous portions, friendly service and fair prices. Not the prettiest from outside but felt warm and clean in. Seems to be a family run operation. Hope the best for them . Checked it out while passing through. read more

Simple comfort food, just like I grew up on in west central IL. My wife and I love Pennyman's for breakfast. Always great service and food!

Hole in the wall places like this are the best. Might be a little cramped inside and it may be busy, but the breakfast is worth the wait. Biscuits are great and everyone enjoyed their food at a price that won't break the bank. Food comes out pipping hot so you know it's fresh. Will definitely stop back the next time I'm in town. read more

The best breakfast in Johnson City!!! Great food & the owners are dear to my !!! the atmosphere!! Great food at a great price!!

So I love breakfast, their is not much you can do to mess my breakfast vibes unless you have to wait like 35 minutes to get your food. We got seated in like 3 minutes placed our order in the next 2 minutes; things were looking good and then waited 35 mins to get our food. Not enough staff in the kitchen? The food was ok nothing out of this world. It was breakfast. read more

We were traveling through the area and wanted a non chain place for breakfast. Food was okay, we had hotcakes, sandwiches and an omelette. Food was hot. Atmosphere definitely could use some work. Other patrons stared at us the entire time. read more

This is a great little dinner, doesn't look like anything on the outside but don't be deterred! The staff is friendly and the food is good. Nothing crazy but it's basic and good and like a typical diner. The diner has been updated some, seems like new booths. There is a little bit of a wait on the food but it's worth it. They are currently have a corner of the diner closed off only due to an accident by someone but it is in the process of being fixed. So don't be deterred I'm sure it will be fixed soon. Otherwise food was great, hashbrowns were excellent. Definitely will go back! read more

Yet another discovery... and the first impression is... a good one. All in all this seems to be an old locally owned spot fixing good to really good food at reasonable prices - what more could you want? Except maybe that they were open past 3pm... I'll be back either way. The place was very busy at about 10:45 am Friday morning. It's an older building and interior which looks to have been "rode hard and put up wet" more than a few times. Located across street from a sign reading "Girls, girls, girls", I wasn't sure what to expect. After getting inside and eating, several words come to mind: breakfast, lunch, dive, good (all meant with positive tone). I ate the breakfast and I'd call it above average. Although the biscuit wasn't made in-house it was good. I wanted sausage gravy which theirs was not, but they happily offered to crumble some over top which got me the fix I was looking for. I asked for crispy bacon and I got excellently prepared really good crispy bacon. I asked for eggs over medium well and that's what I got too! Grits in a bowl were a good portion- a little on the watery side but flavor was fine. The coffee was coffee. Not Starbucks, but hot, good coffee. The comment I heard from the other side of the table about the hamburger (which had BBQ sauce and onion rings on it among other things) was that it was "pretty good"... and coming from who said it, that means "above average". read more

Pennyman's Diner - Breakfast of grits, eggs, crispy bacon, biscuit and gravy with sausage crumbles on top. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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Cute little spot! Decided to eat breakfast and was not disappointed. Our server was very nice and attentive. In our party we got the kitchen sink omelet, the bathroom sink omelet ( 1/2 portion of toppings of the kitchen sink), breakfast club sandwich, and two orders of the scattered hash browns. Everything was delicious! We really enjoyed the scattered hash browns that have chili and jalapeños on it and if you like spicy, try it! read more

Pennyman's Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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The food is delicious. The place is falling apart because the sweet owner is overwhelmed. We like to help support local businesses. The kitchen sink omelette and the bathroom sink omelette are delicious. read more

This place is quintessential America. We were driving back from SC to DC, and decided we come on through Johnson City. My sister and I have a (wonderful) habit of seeking out little diners that are full of personality. We were not disappointed in this place. There's not much to it, y'all. But that being said, it serves good food and it serves it fast. The coffee was on point too, which is a prerequisite for an awesome diner. Like most diners, our breakfast was a steal of a deal. I think we made out with only $13. Our waitress was pleasant and the decorations were quaint. Also, if you're into this sort of thing -- you definitely feel like a local going to Penny Man's. We went extremely early in the morning and by the time we left, the place was packed with salt of the earth people. I'd recommend stopping by the next time you're in Johnson City -- supporting local business feels good! read more

Pennyman's Diner - Western omelette and hash browns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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Penny Man's has no curb appeal, but the adage "don't judge a book by its' cover" applies here. Sure, the booths are sagging and adorned with duct tape, and the hot pink walls-with-teal trim may damage your vision, but at least the tape is color-matched to the upholstery! My breakfast was decent, though the over-easy eggs arrived over-medium. Bacon was thin but crispy (as I prefer it) and the optional bowl of grits was swimming in better. Fresh orange juice amd whole wheat toast rounded out my meal; under $5 total, minus tip. If you want a good, simple breakfast this is a good place. read more

Pennyman's Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

This is a family/friends oriented diner which is not trying to do anything other than providing great food with great service in a not fancy and unpretentious environment. It will be busy but worth the wait. read more

Been coming here since move to Johnson City this is a mom and pop dive in a good way old Bld seasoned inside plenty locals who come here regularly which is a good sign they do breakfast and lunch old school I always get the breakfast sandwich perfect every time my family too have not been disappointed the service is always friendly the prices good I highly recommend read more

Went here while on vacation. This kind of place is normally right down our alley but overall I was disappointed. The food was decent and the menu was pretty complete. The coffee was weak and mediocre. They also serve Pepsi persons products instead of Coke. The most disappointing part of the whole experience is I did not eat my tattoo e looking biscuits because they didn't have ANY butter to put on them (they only have margarine) read more

This is horrible! 27 dollars for 2 cheese burgers, 2 ff and 2 medium cokes, I will post this everyday because that is just sickening

Best home style southern breakfast around! Fast and friendly service in a casual and family friendly environment. Great prices too!

Listen up --- this is the type of Diner that will only really appeal to diner purists!! I define that as people that are looking for a true dinner expereince not a pre-packaged one. Diners that don't make any excuses about what they are and most of the owners / employees have been around for a while and enjoy seeing the same faces and knowing your order. Also that the menu is what they want it to be - not influenced by new trends - just stick to your ribs food and patron or local area favorites. You will find all this and more at Penny Man's Diner. The area is on the border of sketchy now but they have been there for a long time and I am sure that it was once a nicer area. The building is basic but the interior is very clean even tho it is dated. But anyone that loves diners knows it is about the people and the food and Penny Man's has both. Everything is on the hearty portion side - they are open from 7am - 3PM so just breakfast anytime or lunch bordering on diner portions. Much of the menu consists of homemade recipes and special prepared meats which are reflected in the specials. You can even find a fried boloney sandwich which I bet for most they have not seen in a while or never heard of. As you would expect the biscuits and gravy are really good and they have a hand full of hearty breakfast sandwiches .. much bigger then you will find in the fast food line but not much more expensive. As I started this review - this place is not for everyone -- but for those that can truly appreciate a part of history that is not that easy to find anymore. If this is you .. give it a try. I gave it 5 stars for being authentic .. not perfect but a place that I truly enjoy and can apprecatie. read more

Large portions, typical diner food. We had pancakes, bacon, omlet, French toast, and gravy. Some of the food was delicious, some was just Ok. But we will come back. read more

Great people, friendly and the way country breakfast should be! read more

Pennyman's Diner - Great old time country breakfast! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

Modest setting, but very friendly people and delicious food. Country breakfast done just right. Bcc read more

This is the definition of a "greasy spoon". The seats are uncomfortable, the decor is absolutely hideous. Even their menus have advertising on them which is just tacky. The food took too long to get both times I ate here. That said, it's hard to screw up an omelette. The food was good, so they get three stars for that. read more

My friends and I have been going to Penny Mans at least once a month for brunch and it doesn't disappoint. The waitresses are always so nice and our food usually comes out within 10-15 minutes. read more

Pennyman's Diner - Veggie Omelet with mushrooms and a side of bacon subbed for the bread. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

This is an old, simple diner with good home cooking. Although we absolutely loved the dining in the downtown area, the breakfast options on a weekday were limited. That's how we found Penny Man's. I gave four stars to Penny Man's Diner because of the good home cooked breakfast that we received. Part of what makes it so cool, is the atmosphere. The decor is dated, it has no curb appeal, and the booths are sagging w/duct tape. Just lettin' ya know! It seems to be a local place that's been in the family for a long time. It was busy with customers the whole time we were there! It's good home cooking and the waitress was so sweet and welcoming! read more

Pennyman's Diner - Down home breakfast made just the way I like! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

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Really friendly and efficient service, delicious homestyle cooking and atmosphere. Definitely a new favorite. read more

Pennyman's Diner - Breakfast Club Sandwich - BLT on the bottom, sausage egg and cheese on top. Best breakfast sandwich I've EVER had! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Johnson City, Tennessee

I love eating here. The food is fantastic and everyone is very friendly. Nice family atmosphere. I highly recommend it.

This place gets 5 stars from me because it perfectly nailed what it was trying to be, a simple, old school country diner with simple decor, good family run service and darn good comfort southern style diner food. Although the place is old with dated Decor and yes even some duct tape on the old small booth seats it was spotless clean and great food and EXACTLY what I expected, they don't try to pretend to be a modern place, totally cool though. I got 2 eggs over medium (that were ACTUALLY cooked over medium) with fried bologna and hash browns that were a little well done LIKE I ASKED for, my dad got the western omelet and he said it was great, low price, quick service, great food and would highly recommend, just make sure you understand it's an old school poor mans diner, AWESOME read more