I think I've been to every breakfast place in Manchester or pretty close to it. The Gathering Diner is hands down the best in Town. The restaurant is spotless clean, the staff are prompt and friendly, and the food is always hot, fresh and delicious. The owner takes a great deal of pride in the food that he serves, striving to make sure you're happy and full. This morning I had the Biscuits & Gravy special, and it was amazing. I'm usually very hesitant to order Biscuits & Gravy out anywhere because I have pretty high standards for that dish. Many restaurants use subpar or canned ingredients and just fail miserably at their attempt to make it properly. Since I've always had good meals here, I figured I would try it. Not only was I not disappointed, but I was rather surprised at the deliciousness of it. There was not one single flavor that overwhelmed another, after I swallowed the first bite was when the flavor really hit home. This dish was so good that I had to ask the owner if he used fresh ingredients and was informed that Mike The Owner makes everything from scratch. I told him this dish needs to be on the menu as a regular breakfast choice. (I'll be looking for it) I know that Mike is a new owner of this restaurant, and I have to say that he's done an outstanding job of turning this place into the best breakfast spot in town. With a beautifully updated interior and excellent food, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. read more

Really enjoyed our visit! I had the Philadelphia omelet. The filling was delicious, though the egg itself was a little light on seasoning for my taste. Small thing, but worth mentioning! The homefries were great and perfectly crispy! And the toast was phenomenal, genuinely one of those simple things done really well. My boyfriend got The Big Breakfast and loved it overall. His one critique was that the butter was a bit heavy handed, pooling on the plate, but it didn't take away from how good he thought the meal was. read more

The Gathering Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

What a great surprise to find a good breakfast place so close to home. I'd been to the location where The Gathering is, at the intersection of Hartford Road & McKee Street, many years ago when it was another restaurant that served a very mediocre breakfast. I'd avoided it ever since. My husband tried The Gathering (which has been around since 2010 according to the owner) a few weeks ago, and told me we had to go back - the restaurant is clean & welcoming. And serves a good breakfast. Decent coffee. Very good service. All at a very reasonable cost. I had a cheese omelette, 3 eggs, lots of cheese, served with toast & very good potatoes. My husband had his new favorite - breakfast sandwich with 2 eggs on a Portuguese roll. Served with potatoes (he substituted corned beef hash for an up charge this time). I think the Hash is the usual canned, however, it was grilled nice & crispy. Note that there is a senior citizen discount of 10% on Wednesdays. Nice. The Gathering is only open for breakfast (open until 1:00). We will be back for sure! read more

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Surprisingly decent breakfast fare, affordable compared to the other breakfast spot. Came here because there's a lot of places I have yet to trek to. Came here before, remembered their food was generic but decent. Decided to try them again and see how they are. It's a completely revamped space since last I went. Very open and lots of seating. My server was nice and kept the coffee topped off. I ordered one of their omelette, forget which one though. Food came out fairly quickly, I took pics and dug in. The omelette reminds me of the once stellar breakfast space in the same plaza. Thin egg omelette a filled with toppings. Like an egg burrito but breakfast themed. The bread was fresh but not toasted enough, and the home fries were crispy but also seasoned well. It's a good breakfast, nothing too fancy but good and not too pricey. read more

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This was one of the most "3 Star" experiences I've had in a while. Everything was "fine". Nothing was great. Nothing was bad. The establishment was clean, the servers were friendly, but the decor was very generic and the food was all super average. My wife got an omelet that she wasn't at all impressed by. I got the "veggie mess", which was looked and tasted like a poorly made omelet. Again, nothing was bad. But with plenty of other options nearby that have items worth writing home about, we see no reason to come back here anytime soon. Our food took a long time to come out considering how simple the order was, but it seemed like a bit of a busy time slot, so that can be forgiven. read more

Stopped in for breakfast and were greeted immediately and invited to sit where we'd like. Seating is a combination of booths, table, and counter space. Our server delivered menus as soon as we sat down and took our drink order. Menu is extensive offering omelettes, eggs your way, eggs Benedict (a good variety), waffles, etc. pretty anything you could want for breakfast. We ordered two poached eggs, English muffin, bacon and home fries, Irish Benedict with home fries, bacon, and English muffin. Our entrees arrived quickly and all of the eggs were cooked perfectly, nice and runny. Bacon on both dishes was nice and crispy and the potatoes had a nice crunch to them. The hash was good and tasty and was a good addition to the dish. Service was excellent with our server making sure we had everything we needed. read more

The Gathering Diner - Irish Benedict, home fries, bacon, English muffin - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

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I ate here today because many other breakfast spots were closed for Easter. There were wall to wall people at 11 am. Fortunately, all the crew pulled together and took care of all the patrons kindly and switfly. My eggs benedict benedict was great. I was able to make my bus connection with a few minutes to spare. I will go back to try their French toast - my fav. read more

The Gathering Diner - Beautiful rainbow- Wow - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

Let me start my review with this...truly a hidden gem at its best! The location looks like a bodega type shopping in one of the borough's in NY. Park: very large lot with spots behind and on the side, though it could use a good blacktop job it is part of the hidden thing. In the same plaza is a diner that just doesn't feel like a diner. Decor: clean floors and walls with limited pictures to no have sensory overload. Staff: I had Meg, she was on point through the meal but not over the top...just right! Ask for her when you are in! Food: very well prepared, dare I say compared to other diners that use high heat and give the omelette a brown look, this place cooks at a low temp and it shows in the quality of the presentation and taste. See pictures Price: again compared to other diners locally, they were four dollars cheaper on the build your own omelette. That is a significant cost savings per meal per person! Overall: I found my new go to diner, the hidden gem called Gathering Diner read more

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Definitely top breakfast spot in the area! The service is great even when busy. The food is delicious and prices are great too.

I got the Irish Egg Benedict. The hash was overdone, the potatoes were overdone. The eggs were underdone. Not going back. The worst was it cost 18 dollars and I hardly ate any of it. read more

You need to come to the Gathering at least once a week to have their breakfast. The staff is awesome, the food is delicious and George is the best cook on the planet ! read more

Told 25 minute wait for 2. Waited 40. Many after us given longer wait time. Many empty booths - never saw any food get served. Hopefully one off problems but disappointing. 11:30 on Sunday 11/16. read more

Had Breakfast Food was very tasty and fresh Service was very friendly and quick Restaurant was clean and inviting. read more

Decent food, a little pricey, and whatever you do, don't bring your kids. Took the day off on a Tuesday so I can take the kids to their doctor and dentist appointments (already in for a horrible day), and I thought it would be great to take the kids to a local diner. Certainly had a more older people feel to it, I certainly wouldn't describe it as "kid-friendly." Food is pretty much a la carte. Your kid wants a pancake? That's $7. Want meat with that? Additional $3 to $4. Oh, did you want something to wash it down with? Another $3. Good thing they didn't want eggs! So to feed my 7 and 9 year old was about $14 each. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, and the Hollandaise sauce was pretty good. The reason I didn't score The Gathering less is because everything we got was pretty decent. The pancake is pretty big - the daughter only ate half of the pancake and ham steak (so more food for me). Not knocking the place, but simply put, you get more bang for your buck anywhere else. Worth a visit, but my kids and my wallet would have been happier at Denny's or IHOP. read more

The Gathering Diner - Eggs Benedict, pancakes, ham steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

As soon as you walk in you notice how clean it is. We were greeted right away by the waitress. Very relaxed atmosphere. Food was ample size and taste was good. Waitress was friendly and attentive to our needs. Price was comparable to other breakfast spots. When you check in you get a $2 off coupon. Good visit. Will return. read more

The Gathering Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

Food is very good, especially the pancakes. High quality pancakes and huge! In addition, I had eggs Benedict with home fries and corned beef hash, also very good. Highly recommend this place! read more

Rude wait staff. A bit surprised by this place, I came back to my hometown Manchester and thought I'd come in and have some breakfast At the Gathering Diner. It seemed Like a favorite , lots of locals and older people inside.it was a fine meal, just the service by the older woman waitress. just so rude and quick. It really wasnt busy. read more

Every breakfast we've enjoyed has been awesome ! Great food and great service ! Consistently great food every time for breakfast!

Could not have chosen a better establishment to have breakfast at. Entire staff was very pleasant and provided excellent service. Food choices were outstanding with portion sizes to please! Most definitely will return for another visit. read more

Over priced went to a couple of functions where they had provided the food. Some may like it some will dislike it. It's all in what you expect. read more

Ordered food for delivery today. I ordered eggs Benedict and my English muffin was burnt, tasted charred, potatoes were under cooked and burnt, 2nd time I've ordered the same meal and have been disappointed. Save your taste buds and money. Cosmic omelet next door is the way to go but unfortunately there is no delivery read more

The Gathering Diner - a sandwich and potato wedges - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

This vibe is definitely Diner. Staff is friendly and engaging with everyone. The breakfast food is average. The American Omelette- when the skin is see through on the omelette then there isn't enough egg!!! The cost is bearable - I don't like if you get a Waffle, French Toast or Pancake ALL sides are ala carte. $$$$ I would return but NOT on a regular basis. read more

The Gathering Diner - an omelet, potatoes and toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

Fulfills its promise: it's a classic diner! Clean and well-maintained if not ultra-modern (no graffiti in the bathroom, wow!). Our service was friendly, and the food was very good by diner standards. We split an omelet and the server did a great job of dividing it in the kitchen. It arrived quickly and was nice and hot. We were here on Tuesday morning and there was local radio playing gently and it became obvious that there are quite a few local regulars. I would definitely come again! read more

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The food and utensils were very unhygienic, there was multiple pieces of hair in our hot chocolate, and also in the omelette. We had to wait for about 10 minutes to get seated, even with empty seats. The ambience of the restaurant was okay, the tables were small for a diner. I am not returning again. read more

Ok, we went here after another nearby place was backed up, and we didn't expect much from this unassuming place. What a pleasant surprise! The server we had , Shannon, we friendly, knowledgeable and moved like lightning. There were two others, one lady basically cleared the tables and the other guy, presumably did basically nothing helpful, even when it was very busy, that's the reason for only 4 stars. The food was good, reasonably priced and appropriate portioned. We will return again when in the area and not even bother with the other busy place across the parking lot! read more

The Gathering: Where The Cast Of Cheers Has Their Hangover Brunch It's the characters (and damn fine food prep) that make this house a home, and a destination for stellar diner fare in greater Hartford. In what can only be described as the mute love child of a barn, a bar, a strip mall and your grandparents' house, the oddly cozy space slings hearty plates that lack imagination... and that's about all. The "Our Favorite" is brown and crisped hash, two perfectly poached eggs and peppery home fries. The nine-grain toast was a little black around the edges, not that I had a chance to sample it after fighting my way through the substantial portions of meaty, starchy excellence. Her blueberry pancakes had a tang of either excessive buttermilk or maybe a pinch heavy in cream of tartar, but the initial wowza actually melts away to a refreshingly different flapjack experience. Prices are on point. Needless to say, the servers self-deprecate for a smile ("The wheat toast is multigrain. Figured you wouldn't mind - you've already got a nutty waitress") and know half the house by name. That's worth a warm fuzzy, alright. read more

The Gathering Diner - Our Favorite - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

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Worst customer service ever! Food is just average, nothing extra ordinary! In fact I have had better breakfast with much better customer service elsewhere. We were group of 4. We were waiting for to be seated, which is okay. But the issue was the way we were treated the entire waiting period. They acted like we are invisible! No greetings or any type of welcome gesture! Finally the lady who was managing seating arrangements arrived, and was acting like she is a boss lady with all the power in her hand to treat people however she wants! We had to ask for coffee and water 3 times. Coffee arrived without cream and stirrer. After asking multiple times we gave up. We got up and got our own stuff. Home fries is nothing to die for! French toast was really bad. It was dry! We all ordered 2 fresh egg breakfast deal. Food was either average or below average. Overall Not a good experience. I will not go there again. This was my first time anyway. read more

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I have always wanted to try this place and finally made I here for breakfast. A very good breakfast joint. Love the colors, decor and the energy this place has. The staff were friendly and courteous, even though our waitress seem to have forgotten us for some time after we got seated :) The menu is elaborate and has some good options for Benedict's. The prices seem to be nominal when compared to other breakfast joints. I ordered for the Blue Bayou and my partner had the Irish egg Benedict. The home fries were very good and had a good flavor. I also ordered for a side of the hash and it was ok. My dish, the Blue Bayou was very good with spinach and bacon and blue cheese. I am definitely a fan of this place, good experience. read more

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We come here fairly often and the food and service is always good. Sunday (Mother's Day) we went for breakfast and got right in. No wait! But for some unknown reason, we were charged an extra dollar for the mushrooms in my ham, cheese and mushroom omelet. Even the waitress couldn't explain it. She said the owner was standing next to her when she rang up our tab and told her to put that extra charge on our bill. What's up with that? On the plus side, she then gave us a (senior?) discount and off came the dollar. read more

This was a great little breakfast place. We came based on Yelp reviews and weren't disappointed. Small seating area but at 9 AM on Sunday our party of three was able to get a table. The owner (I think) was very present and friendly--there seemed to be a lot of regulars that she greeted. My omelet was large and the bread was great. It came buttered but I needed dry so it was replaced immediately. Our waitress was very friendly. The meal was a tad pricey (each add in item in the omelet was $1.25) but we all agreed it was worth it. Tasty potatoes, too! read more

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Nice little gem. Great breakfast! Not greasy!! I didn't leave there smelling like I've been standing next to a flat top fryer! I will definitely go back. read more

I generally go here for their grain pancake. Not a lot of places have this concept. Blueberry harvest grain and nut pancake is my favorite. I also like the Irish egg Benedict. This place has a customers but I never had to wait. Cosmic omelette, which is a legendary breakfast place is right opposite this place. Waitress were always polite and witty. I like eating here once a while. read more

The Gathering Diner - Irish egg Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

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Guys, The Gathering has some SERIOUSLY amazing diner fare. This is a must try for breakfast. We chose this little breakfast spot based on Yelp reviews and my Yelp fam was so on point. My little cousin and I arrived around 10am, and there was ample parking. This place is not very appealing from the outside, but once you are inside, it is a charming diner vibe. We were seated immediately and within minutes had fresh, delicious coffee in front of us while we decided what to order. I ordered four eggs over easy, which came with potatoes and home fries. My cousin got a single (GIANT) harvest nut chocolate chip pancake, and a side of two scrambled eggs. Both egg orders were impeccably cooked. The scrambled eggs were super fluffy, and my over easy order had fried whites and beautifully runny yolks. The potatoes were a smaller cut, slightly greasy, deliciously seasoned variety, and were fantastic. The wheat toast was thicker cut and sopped up butter fabulously. I tried a bite of my cousin's pancake and holy christmas, do NOT leave The Gathering without trying their pancakes. The nut and grain batter was incredible, and the addition of chocolate chips, smothered in butter, was basically heaven. Oh, and with all that food and two coffees, the bill was only $21. So good. This is absolutely my favorite new local breakfast place, and I highly encourage you to make it yours as well! read more

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The first time I was here, i was fairly impressed by the food. It was old fashioned, meals are made to order. However as everyone else has mentioned, the prices are fairly steep for breakfast food. The second time was a disaster. Sue was our waitress and she messed two big things up. First, we did not want cheese in the omelette. Second, my friend is a vegetarian and specified that she did not want meat in the irish eggs benedict. Naturally, the omelette came with cheese and the vegetarian got meat. Sue has THE WORST memory ever. We also had to ask her several times to get things like hot sauce, a box for my pancakes. After this terrible experience, I would not return to this place again. The total bill for 4 breakfast items and 2 OJs came out to $60. That is ridiculous. Next time I will hike out to west hartford to that tiny diner for some delicious and fairly priced food. Pancakes: -I recommend the blueberry nutrigrain, its made pretty well -One starts at $6. $8 for two cakes Omelettes: -Starts at $9, additional toppings are $1.25 -These are rolled up omelettes, meaning the egg is a large pancake, cheese and toppings are sprinkled in and then rolled up. I would say this was ok, not what I expected from an omelette where toppings are embedded into the egg Irish Eggs Benedict: - $10 - Um wth is this corned beef hash? It is hella soggy and not crispy at all. It looked and tasted like slop beef with some potatoes in between. Gross. The poached eggs were made well, but its an egg...... The Mess: -$10 -Cant really mess this up, scrambled eggs with toppings. I would recommend this if you had to pick something. OJ: -$3.25 -Im sorry, but I can buy a whole container of tropicana with that price. read more

Cute breakfast spot! I visited The Gathering with my boyfriend and his parents and ordered an egg white omelet with broccoli, tomato and cheddar, along with a single blueberry pancake. First of all, I love places that list single pancakes on their menu because they're always HUGE and you only need one anyway. Coffee was great, homefries were amazing, service was efficient and friendly. My boyfriend's omelet was the real star of the meal - the blue Bayou with baby spinach, bacon, tomatoes & smokey bleu cheese, but his parents' Irish eggs Benedict were also fantastic. All in all, basic, tasty, inexpensive breakfast food. Another Manchester win. read more

I wanted to treat myself for breakfast, so I drove to the other side of Manchester and decided to check out The Gathering. With the 'Free Coffee" thanks for Yelp APP, and an amazing Steak Omelet , I was in heaven after taking that first bite. The think steak, which was very plentiful, melted cheese and other veggies, was probably the BEST omelet I have tasted in a long long time. With a down to earth family atmosphere and staff, this is the place to go for breakfast! You are always welcomed here..and definitely puts you in a good mood to start your day!!!! Please enjoy. Exit 2, Keeney Street Exit off of 384!!!! read more

Our first visit today was based on the many 4 and 5 star reviews. We can happily confirm the home fries are to die for - add onions to make them even better! The New Orleans omelet was terrific and the poached eggs - "made by George" - are the best, "by George"! My wife says, "They were just like Gramma used to make". Don't think twice about The Gathering - just go and experience the wonderfully pleasant and attentive wait staff and the truly awesome food. This place is clean and neat - including the bathroom. What a real gem of a place! read more

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This place is so average... It's so poorly lit and dingy. The service is so slow It's pricy for a breakfast place of its category. Well lotta ppl like their home fries.. I didn't particularly care for it at all...nothing wrong with the food but I don't have nething good to say about it either. read more

My bf and I went here yesterday morning for brunch looking at the reviews I told myself might as well try since it's close to my house. We waited around 30mins just to be seated its doesnt look packed at all and there were just one group ahead of us when we came in nobody seems to bother or assure us that they know we're waiting people were just coming in in front of us and sitting down on tables when it states clearly in the sign "pls wait to be seated" but ofcourse some of the waitress just didnt really care so when a lady came in and asks if there's available seats for 6 and the waitress said yes and just go to the table I got irritated, so I asked again if there's available for 2 and one of the lady says oh just wait to be seated I was just gonna leave and forget about it but the other nice waitress called me and finally seated us. The menu is simple not cheap but enough. Omelet was banging, I had the denver omelet stuffed really good with overflowing cheese. The toast is also good. Food is good service is a little off but hey maybe It was just wrong timing. Try this place out go on weekdays when it's not packed. read more

The Gathering Diner - Steakilicious omelet! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Central Manchester, Connecticut

We love to support small mom and pop shops so we have the gathering a shot.. Fantastic breakfast and top notch service the lady at the front is super sweet and always checking on refills. Please give them a shot you won't be disappointed!! read more