Today I went to the Gem for breakfast with my wife and mother. They were busy as usual, service was ok but the food was NOT right. As soon as I walked out the door I started to throw up my food. Then about an hour later, my wife and mom got sick too... I've never had a problem there BUT after that experience, we will NEVER step foot in that place again. Just an awful experience... Beware read more

This place is awesome. Cool set up and design with good food. The original fretatta is my go to menu item. Cheesy, meaty, and filling. Prior to moving to Upstate New York, pepperoni as a breakfast item seemed odd, but it seems as if this regional trend is one that'll stay, and that's because it is so damn good. read more

Went here for brunch with my fiancé around noon on a Saturday. The place was busy, but not super packed like that other diner on Wolf Street. I had the Kielbasa-Cheddar omelet with hash browns (the omelet was delicious, but the hash browns could have been crispier) and my fiance had eggs and french toast (the french toast was tasty! I'm not usually a fan but I liked it here). I liked how they had Saturday specials - seemed like a deal. This place has everything I want out of a diner: cute retro decor, a standard diner menu that's reasonably priced, large portions, and an ice cream parlor with killer-looking pies and milkshakes. Plus, ample parking and smaller crowds than that other diner on Wolf Street. We'll definitely be back to try their milkshakes! read more

This place has a very cute, "old-timey" diner feel to it, but they don't commit to the experience. The staff seems overworked and there doesn't seem to be any sense of community. It has more of a chain restaurant feeling to it, which was a total bummer. I've read a lot of hype about this place in local papers and blogs, but I honestly don't see the appeal. The owner seems to be pretty self indulgent and it seems as if he's just shoveling money into the nice facade, which sucks because this place has the potential to be really cool. read more

This place rocks for quick, quality food. There's one waitress that remembered I wasn't feeling well the last time I was in. It was months earlier! This is the quintessential small dinner experience. Good service, good food and decent prices. They often have a line at the door during rush hours, so if you are looking for something fast at noon you shouldn't bank on this place. They turn the tables over as fast as possible, but it's so popular that you might wait. I've had the omelettes before without any disappointment. My husband rotates his order and has never complained. He's a bit picky too about quality. If you are in syracuse, or driving thru, stop by for a bite... You won't be disappointed. read more

We love The Gem Diner!! Everyone is happy to seat you, serve you and chat with you. We enjoy the food every time from simple breakfast to a good ol' bacon, egg and cheese on a roll. Clean, bright, tvs, good coffee, great service...we love it all!! Shout out to Ms Renee, who is there on the weekends serving with a big smile. Thank you, guys! read more

This place is clean and cute and obviously popular (there's always a wait during peak breakfast and dinner times) but I found the food to be lacking. I ordered the first item on the menu, Eggs Benedict. These were possibly the least appetizing eggs Benedict I've ever had. That's not to say they treated bad, they just didn't taste like much at all. The eggs were overcooked and the hollandaise sauce had no flavor. Even the ham was almost flavorless. My son ordered the strawberry banana pancakes and said they were delicious, so perhaps if I go there again, I'll have to try them instead. read more

I enjoy the Gem, but came here once again because Stella's (my first choice) had a very long wait. I ordered breakfast, the Light Special; two eggs, choice of meat and a pancake. Huge amount of food for a "light" special. Plenty of coffee and tasty food. I was seated in the "patio", whose decorations consist of framed movie star photos and the largest, most bizarre hand painted mural I've ever seen. Only a few of the individuals portrayed are identifiable. I must have spent the entire breakfast staring, in amazement at the wall. Must be seen to be believed. For obvious reasons, the mural isn't signed, LOL! read more

My wife ordered a hot turkey sandwich and a soda. I had the chicken and biscuit special with soup and a salad. 1) Never got the soup - had to tell waitress. 2( Salad came then everything else. They were faster than McDonalds. 3) the chicken and dumplings had an odd taste. There was something in it I did not like. I sent it back and ordered the hot Turkey sandwich since I was eating my wife's fries and gravy. Tasted fine. The owner came over to the table. Asked what the problem was. Explained the problem and told him I did not like it because it had a funny taste. It was not the gravy. He said the gravy is the same on the hot turkey. I don't want to throw out another dinner. Told him I would not have anything then. He walked away. He obviously is a jerk who does not care about his customers satisfactions or needs. I will never return again because of his bad attitude. read more

I was disappointed for my lunch visit. It was busy and we didnt have to wait too long for a booth to open- maybe 10 mintues. My boyfirend and I both order burgers- his way the blue cheese burger and mine was the shroom with bacon burger. I order the cup of chilli bc i have never had the chilli there before. Our waitress was nice and kept a eye on us as we were waiting for our food- it was busy so we expected a wait for our food to be served. The cup of chilli came out and it was good i would get it again....but not the burgers. Our waitress asked how we would like out burgers cook and we both said medium. They both were cooked to well. My bacon was just about burnt. We did like the crinkled fries. We ate our burgers bc they would of had to totally cook new one's and it just wasnt worth the wait again. I will try The Gem Diner again but i wont ever order the burgers again. read more

Had a pretty damn good chicken fried steak here for 7 bucks. Service was great, and the diner is super clean. read more

The Gem Diner - Diners Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Truly a "gem" of a diner. The blueberry multi-grain pancakes are heavenly. The eggs over easy were cooked correctly. The coffee wasn't amazing but at least it wasn't bitter. The "middleweight" is a solid breakfast option. So is the chicken fried steak and the western omelet. Solid diner option and good dive. Nice stop off the interstate. read more

The Gem Diner - The sign - Diners Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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I've been hearing about this place for a while now,especially about the amazing breakfast they serve. When my girlfriend and I walked in we were greeted by the friendly staff. The first thing you may notice is old school diner feel which I loved. The Gem was clean as can be and we didn't wait long to be seated. Our waitress was kind just like the rest of the staff we came into contact with. When you open the menu there a lot of different breakfast choices that all sounded delicious. My girlfriend chose stuffed French toast while I got the meat lovers frittata covered in chili. Now obviously this is not the most health conscious dish but you know full well what you are ordering so do not complain. The menu also had dishes like Eggs Benedict, pan cakes,chicken fried steak and many others. The lunch and dinner menus also sounded delicious with a large variety of items such as burgers, hot and cold sandwiches,chicken wings,and a countless variety of dessert items and I would love to go back to try more of The Gems food. Now I feel I should talk specifically about the frittata I had. It contained ham,pepperoni.2 types of sausage,potatoes,and I had the option of covering it in chili. It was amazing. The potatoes and egg was perfect and having all that meat was amazing. I chose the full portion over the half portion and let me tell you it was enough to feed 2 or maybe even 3 people. This was a great experience and I'll definitely be back. read more

The Gem Diner - Diners Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Lisa is an amazing server! She was attentive, and went out of her way to ensure we had a great time. My Mom and I had a lovely lunch yesterday. Thank you for being so sweet, Lisa! Looking forward to coming back for sweet potato fries! The menu is large! Something for everyone. Hoping they offer matzoh ball soup or split pea soon! read more

I have been making The Gem a stop for breakfasts on the weekends. It is clean the service is wonderful and food is good. So many times when there is more than 4 of us we have found the service at other places lacking...not here they seem to even look forward to us showing up!! The only down side is parking can be tricky during prime hours.... read more

The Gem Diner - Diners Near Me - Syracuse, New York

The service at the diner is great but I was upset with the selection. They did not serve the blood of Ramones enemies or even have it in stock. This is unacceptable and not how the king deserves to be honored. read more

This place is really fun and the music takes me back to my own youth. It's a busy place, but we have never been disappointed or waited long to be served. The food is very good, comfort food. I usually get a panini and my husband gets sides (baked potato and salad or something like that). The portions are huge and we always leave with leftovers. Their desert options are wonderful, so save room! My favorite it their banana cream pie and my husband loves their blueberry pie. We go here regularly. read more

Great meal !!, hearty portions, very courteous and attentive staff. The menu has a wide variety of options the atmosphere is really laid back ... first time in this establishment but definitely will be returning. And best of all it is very reasonably priced.... read more

On May 19, 2019 Sunday morning. This is a normal stop for Sunday breakfast. I ask for a meat lover omelet cook soft not hard. My omelet came out hard and my potatoes was cold. I explain to the waitress about my breakfast and the waitress told me they can't cook a soft omelet. So I ask for a soft scramble egg with meat inside. The waitress brought me out my breakfast and this was the nasty looking eggs ever.. this is the worst breakfast .. This use to be a good place to eat. The waitress was too busy with her Dunkin Donuts ice coffee and her donut instead of her customers. Didn't know the Gem restaurant sells Dunkin Donuts . Never eat here again . read more

Love the gem, good food/ portions and friendly wait staff! The wait will be long on the weekends so I recommend getting there early if you want breakfast on a Saturday read more

Good service and lunch - fish sandwiches were good sized and tasty. Fries were a bit on the cold side and sweet potato fries were a little undercooked. It's a great place to go - price is right and the desserts look amazing. read more

The Gem Diner - Pix of logo from shirt for sale in diner. - Diners Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Most of the time the food is very good and the service is great. I've had a few meals that were daily specials and I must have hit the end of it because they were soggy and over cooked. But the owner always takes care of this,I guess I'm not sure why the cooks even serve it at this point as I'm sure most people would want it. Imo it's I've off the better dinner in syracuse these days, really cleaned the place up and overall it worth the trip read more

Love the food. This place is very busy and there may be a wait to get a table. I love the buffalo chicken sandwich. Ordering for pick up ahead of time is the way to go if you are pressed for time! read more

I don't know what some people are complaining about. The food is spectacular and I actually enjoyed it more than Stella's. I got the heavyweight breakfast special which consisted of two eggs, two sausage patties, three pancakes, homefries and toast. All that food only cost me 9 bucks and what makes it even more impressive is that the pancakes were so gargantuan that I couldn't even eat them so now I have breakfast for tomorrow too. Did I mention that my eggs and homefries were cooked perfectly? Overall, I was extremely impressed and I'm not easily impressed. The decor was clean and fun and the food was great. I will be back. read more

Alot of people seem to like this place. This was my first time here. Prices are good but the food is not. Chocolate milkshake taste like Wendy's shakes.which I find them to not be real shakes. Open faced Reuben was ok. Staff is inattentive. Food is nothing special. Nice set up inside. Food does not taste fresh. read more

At here this morning. The crowd moved in and out quick. My wife and I did not wait long to be seated at a table around the back side of the diner. I was surprised at how clean this place was since being here last over 20 years ago when it was a true greasy spoon. I ordered an omelet w the toast and hash browns and a cup of coffee. My bride ordered a cup of cream of wheat, an omelet, homefries, rye toast and coffee. The inlets were quite bland. Definitely needed some hot sauce. The rye toast and coffee were fine and the hash browns were good. My wife barely ate anything. Didn't like it at all. 9 bucks for her omelet and she couldn't eat it because it had no flavor. Although the coffee was good, the table did not have a setup of non sugar sweetners. We had to continually request more spends w each refill; that was annoying. The waitress was great. She was sweet and attentive. My rating is a 3, but I could do a 2.5. I will go back because I wonder if the burgers are better than they used to be? read more

The atmosphere is great, and I've never had bad food in all my visits. I also love that the owner is there and always interacting with guest. read more

My favorite breakfast joint. Classic diner ambience. Ive never had to wait long for seat, even on the busiest weekend, and the service is excellent. I always see the owner there, which shows he truly cares. The food is very good and consistent, regardless how busy they are. The also have great homemade corn beef hash, which is quite hard to find. A true gem. read more

Great owners, good portion size , diner decor, service is good energetic atmosphere not very relaxing but it isnt meant to be. Never had a bad meal here read more

Recommended by a relative, portions are huge and deliscious! Service was attentive and peices were affordable especially considering the size of portions (I could only eat half of my Frettata which was a half portion itswlf). read more

Real old fashioned diner with excellent food, portions, service, atmosphere and prices. One of our favorite places when we're in Syracuse. Jim L. read more

The first time I've been here in 20 years - Place was busy as expected for a Sunday and the wait was only 10 minutes. It was nicely decorated and more importantly clean! Our waitress was pleasant and attentive. Both my husband and I ordered veggie omelets , one with hash browns the other with home fries. I also had cream of wheat. Good came 15 minutes later with coffee being served in between. Coffee was quite good. My omelette was okay, no flavor- pretty bland and a "flat omelette " not like the omelettes I've had at other diners for sure. I left 90% of it ... which my husband didn't like because they were $9.00 . Home fries were good, cream of wheat instant- definitely would not get again. I definitely would not comeback and order omelettes. I may come back and try their burgers- hopefully they will be better! read more

We come here often with our kids and get breakfast. We like the homefries, omlete, waffle and the pancakes are huge! We love the feeling of the old school diner. Sometimes the staff can be rude, and sometimes we are afraid to ask for what we need because of that. read more

NY Strip for breakfast? Sure, thank you. I'll have a cold beer also. Love this place. So does the family!

Went for breakfast although they have a full menu for lunch and dinner. Breakfast was good. Priced right and very filling, no need to have lunch. Typical diner atmosphere. Clean and hospitable. read more

Step back in time and enjoy this wonderful little diner where the food is outstanding and the atmosphere and service is stellar. Loved it. Had the open Rueben and it was huge and delicious. Fries were perfect. Priced moderately to great for the amount of food that is served. Loved the feeling of the place and our waitress was busy but gave us outstanding service. Will absolutely recommend and be a return customer myself. read more

Went again to the gem diner a week ago. This time had the fish special. It tasted as good as it looked. Huge portion. Love the 50s vibe of the place. Questions were answered and accomendations made. Will have to go try their breakfast soon. read more

I think this just became my new favorite breakfast spot in Syracuse! Walking up to the building you could smell the delicious diner fare! The layout had a very old school feel with bar seats and "pie display", and you can tell all the regulars were there on a nice Sunday morning. We got seats fairly quickly even though it was busy. As soon as we sat down, our waitress came to ask us what we wanted to drink. Everyone always says this, but the coffee was very fresh and it got even better after 2 to 3 cups haha! I ordered "the heavyweight" - 2 eggs, toast, home fries, choice of meat, and 3 pancakes @ $10.95, you really cannot beat that. I am from California, you'd be lucky to get a short stack of pancakes for 10.95. Anyway, got ham steak as my meat option, chocolate chip pancakes, and eggs over easy. Eggs were superbly done. That yolk was just perfect and I was dipping that warm buttered toast all in there. Wow getting hungry just writing about it! That plate of amazing food had no chance I was done in minutes (I am a very fast eater). I am also a self proclaimed pancake connoisseur! Those pancakes were spectacular! It was fluffy cake like texture and just so slightly sweet which is what I like! And it definitely was not overdone on the chocolate chips! It was perfect! Absolutely no need for syrup in my opinion. Oh man I definitely left feeling so satisfied! This is my first yelp review, ever! And gem diner gets it! You know that's something! read more

This is our place to go when we get out of work And just need something to eat whether it be breakfast or dinner we have always been very happy with the service the food and the cleanliness of this place. The waitresses are top-notch friendly attentive we look forward to coming back it doesn't get much better . read more

Since I walked into the Gem Diner almost six years ago, I have been nothing but impressed. Always great food with exceptional service. 10/10 would recommend the dessert!! read more