If you think this is the best beef on weck in WNY, you've clearly never left Batavia. This is the epitome of blue-collar greasy spoon. You even leave smelling like grease and onions. In fact this place is so bare bones and dare I say dirty and old with a small menu that it really more resembles a food cart that stays put. Here's the thing about greasy spoon eateries, they're only nostalgic if the food is good. If the food sucks, then what's the point in eating there?! I ordered a beef on weck and fries with gravy. The fries were crinkle cut, fried to a light golden, and covered in very tasty beef gravy. They were the hit of the order. The beef on weck was really, well... Awful. The roll was covered in caraway seeds but had no salt on it. Odd, I don't think that's a traditional kimmelweck... I like that they grilled the bun. Can't go wrong with extra grease can ya'? The beef was ridiculously tough and dry and basically choked me with every bite I took. I was so over it, I ended up taking the majority of the beef out of the roll and dipped what was left of my sammy in the leftover gravy from my fries to cut the dryness. My mom had a cheeseburger that was just a thin pre-made patty. She said it was nothing special and that she prefers the McDonald's McDouble. Yikes. I'm super disappointed in the food reviews since everyone rated this place so highly. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I've had several MUCH better beef on wecks over the years that this joint just couldn't measure up. Either way, now that I've been here to scope it out, I would never come back. Dunzo! read more

The dumpiest, diviest, awesomest diner ever. Yes, as one reviewer noted, the beef on wick roll was missing the traditional chunks of kosher salt but still, I could not bring myself to deduct a star. The beef was razor thin, piled high, quite fresh and the horseradish nostril-singeing. As we ate, the off duty waitress told a story about a customer who was banned by his wife because he had a crush on her and an octogenarian in a Korean War baseball cap stared at my wife like he'd just seen a ghost. Fellow reviewer Will D is quite correct, if you hate this place you hate America. read more

Pretty disappointed. My waitress didnt come up once after dropping off food to ask how everything was and if she would've she would have know that it was not. My entire plate was still completely not touched when I left. Ive been here before and its always been good. But today food was absolutely disgusting. I will never be going there again after this experience. read more

Best beef on weck and fries with gravy anywhere!! This place oozes character. A hamburger joint that has stood the test of time. If you want free wifi and cloth napkins to go with your Brie Cheese cheeseburger, go elsewhere. Oh, bring cash. No credit or checks. read more

Have enjoyed going here since I was young and I still love it. Perfect little stop for a quick bite to eat whether you're looking for breakfast lunch or dinner. Small place with a huge personality! read more

The polka dot is the best place to get a beef on weck people complain but I got to tell you it's the best place to go, it's got the best food quick and it's reasonable the people are friendly and if your looking for a white collar stuffed shirt type place please do not come in they are not them kind of people here and bring cash they don't take checks they don't take cards and bring a smile because they love smiles well at least I do and I am customer. read more

Pok-A-Dot - Kat and I are here now - American Near Me - Batavia, New York

Had been wanting to try for awhile due to the popularity with everyone locally. Upon first look, it is your typical "greasy spoon" type place, with an old school diner feel. Atmosphere is old and underwhelming. The staff were friendly but we waited a bit for our food. I ordered the chicken fingers and they were just OK, tasting like they definitely were frozen and just popped into a fryer. Overall, just OK experience. read more

The BEST beef on weck and peppers and eggs in Western NY!! read more

Pok-A-Dot - American Near Me - Batavia, New York

I've been going here since I was very little and very little had changed, including the staff. Now that I live out of state we come here every time we're back in town. Typical greasy spoon. Burgers, his, etc. But they are best known for their Beef on Weck and fries with gravy. They never fail to disappoint. The rolls are toasted on the griddle, the fries are crispy and the gravy is perfect. read more

Crazy looking place on the outside. Nothing to be a afraid of on the inside. Pretty old and worn inside - like most of the patrons I met - but food was fast and cheap and predictable. Glad I stopped. Not many places like this left in the world. read more

Love this place. Always go at least a couple times when we visit my husband's home town. I love to sit at the counter. The ladies who work there are incredible. Making everything from eggs Benedict to a fried bologna sandwich all while greeting customers and throwing out a wisecrack here or there. My favs are beef on weck, white hots and egg and pepper sandwiches. So so good and a true great greasy spoon experience! read more

Always wanted to ty this place and had high hopes but the place is dirty looking cooks not wearing gloves and everything tasted like it came from a can very disappointed read more

Great family eatery! Great beef on wick and a real classic joint. Dirty and run down but is made up for by the food. Also, this is a great little historical place, being in Batavia for a while. read more

This is the last of a dying breed...a dive that serves quick good food for a good price. You will have to fight the regulars to get a seat, but once you do, order a milkshake and a beef on weck, get some gravy for the fries and enjoy. Go, this is a part of Americana that is disappearing. read more

It's a greasy spoon diner that epitomizes the local flavor of Batavia. A favorite of author John Gardner ( Grendel), this place has a lot of history and nostalgia in Batavia. Great beef on weck, gravy fries and milkshakes. Anyone who is willing to take a shot when passing through should. You either love it or you hate but you'll surely never forget it. Also mentioned in the award winning book The Sunlight Dialogues by John Gardner. read more

Second time coming here. Ordered the Beef on wreck ... The meat was so tough and chewy. I've had gum less chewier. Absolutely one of the worst restaurants I've been to in my 2 months living in Batavia. It's amazing this dirty greasy scoop is still open and actually busy. My taste buds must not be working? read more

Greasy Spoon for sure. Not the place to frequent if you're on a diet. It is a very casual place. Come in, grab a seat, read what you want off of the hand written posterboard, and sit back and watch your waitress cook it. Yes you read right! There is no cook. The ladies make everything right there behind the counter. I love a delicious greasy breakfast from here any time! It is cash only. There is a single person dumpy bathroom in the back, but try to go before you come. read more

When you come to Batavia in my family you go to 2 places. Oliver's and The Polka Dot. At least 4 generations of our family have eaten here. We always get the beef on wick. It is tender, juicy and requires at least 3 napkins. Just the way a good hot sandwich should be. The people are nice and the price is great. read more

Fast paced diner where fast cooking & fast table turn over is their only priority. Our server was annoyed that I asked for a menu, rolled her eyes & pointed to a chalk board menu behind the counter. The food was poor quality with the exception of the beef on weck. My sons cheeseburger was small, thin & "cold raw" in the middle. My coffee smelled & tasted burned. All food was served on small flimsy paper plates. When we left we were forced to walk through a cloud of cigarette smoking employees in the parking lot; one of which was screaming vulgarities into her cell phone. read more

Best Beef on Weck in NY. Ask for a bowl of the juice to dip it in. I always come here when I'm in either Rochester or Buffalo. My wife grew up in the area. Once I tried this place. None other will do. read more

Delicious hot dogs and friendly service. We ordered our Zweigle white hots cooked well done, and they were cooked perfectly to order. It's nice to have a place that grills them well, and Pok-A-Dot is the best kind of small diner - one that does only a few things, but it does them very well. You can't go wrong here. read more

Made famous - to some - by Batavia native John Gardner's reference to it in _The Sunlight Dialogs_, where he misspells it (I believe) the Polka-Dot. It is what it is, and has been - tiny, greasy, a counter and some tables, and a bathroom I had a hard time squeezing into when pregnant, inching behind the grill to get there. Sure, I'll go back. And, seriously, *cash only*. That almost bit my friend and me hard, as we scrambled for a the very few bucks necessary. read more

The Pok-A-Dot is a highly unique establishment... In many ways it's more like a club than a typical restaurant and has survived decades because of the almost cult-like devotion of its regulars. Although certainly not the right choice if you are looking for an upscale dining experience, if you want good western NY fare at very reasonable prices, plus some insight into the culture of Batavia, NY, you can't really do any better. It's mostly a burger/sandwich and fries type place, but I've never had anything there that wasn't very tasty. They do make a mean beef-on-weck and also usually have white hots, which anyone who hasn't had one needs to try. The only caveat is that when you visit the Po-A-Dot, the people who are there EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THEIR LIVES may look at you twice because they definitely know who is local and who is not. It's also really tiny and pretty busy, so you are better going there in small groups. read more

Best lil diner you'll ever find! The white hots, cheese burgs, pepper & egg sandwiches, and the infamous Beef on Weck are all to die for!! Don't be shy, stop in and get you Dot on!!!! read more

Wow what a lil Amazing place,so glad we tried this spot we had the best beef on wick Ever and that hot pepper egg sandwich Omg loved it Can't wait to return Such friendly place with Great service Those gals made our day read more

Let me start out by saying I'm a transplanted WNY guy who moved to the city. Not a local from Batavia, and yes there were a few local regulars in the place. They knew we "weren't from around here" but they were friendly and welcoming. OK so some reviewers call this place a dump. No kidding! If you had to go inside to realize that you're obviously not very observant. If you're not a person who enjoys a good meal in a great dive keep driving. Went here with 4 of my adult kids after a big family wedding reception the night before. All hung over, all hungry. I think we ordered about 1 of everything. It was all great. Admittedly the beef on weck was not amazing, but it was real good. Omelets were great, burgers were old school small, moist and flavorful - perfect. White hots were great on toasted buns. The servers were great, 3 ladies working with a flat top and fryers in about 20 sq feet. It was almost ballet. And they obviously love the place. I think they probably served 40 meals in the 30 minutes we were there. If you don't like the place maybe you could chill a little. It's not fancy, or pretentious, its just good, straight forward diner food at an amazingly low price served by wonderful servers in a place that seemed to welcome everybody, even a city boy in a fancy car with 4 hung over college kids. My only complaint is that we don't have a place like this near my home in Maryland. I've been back a few times and with each visit I enjoy the place and the people more. read more

I was very disappointed when i walked in to the place and the lady didn't like that i brought my kids! so much for it being a place for children. She look at us the the other lady at the grill and said oh great kids like 3 times. My 21 yr old niece and I look at each other and just walked out. When we called to talk to a management the lady who answered the phone was not very nice either. I will never go back though not sure how there food was. I guess I never will. read more

Great Cheap Breakfast food. Small Hole in the Wall Diner, don't come for the ambience, but if your hungry for some bacon and eggs, look no more. read more

So back when I was in the single digits and then some, my dad and I would visit almost weekly, I would get a hamburger and fries, from what I can remember it was awesome!!! Sometimes I would get the beef and wick, yet again amazing. Well I'm over half a century old and just received a shirt from the Pok-a-dot restaurant from my folks who visited relatives while in that area. They live in Virginia and I in Florida, however there is one place on my list of destinations the next time I am back in my old stomping grounds, yeap, the ol' Pok-a-dot!! Hope it's still cooking when I get there.... Jim Wiedrich read more

waitress was wearing only one glove to make my lunch. that was the had she used to pick up her change on the counter... also the same gloved hand she picked up dirty dishes from another customer. then she came back to making my sandwich... call me crazy but that is disgusting...won't be going back there again... bet they don't have a sign in the bathroom telling employees to wash there hands!! lol read more

The roast beef sandwich was nothing thrilling if anything the omlettes and onion rings looked good.

This place has THE BEST chili dogs EVER!!! My Dad is at the VA so everytime we visit we get on over to Polk-A-Dots for two chili dogs each. They have a homemade chili that is incredible! Don't forget the frosty mugs of rootbeer. And everytime we're there we chat with the employee and other diners. It is a great old-fashion place and we love it.! Don't miss Polk-A-Dots when you're in Batavia. read more