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    The State Diner

    3.3 (182 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    THE STATE DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The State Diner

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    DeAnna T.

    Running late to work and ordered breakfast. It arrived hot and ready to be eaten. The bacon and eggs were great. I like my home fries a little crispy, but I was hungry and ate them all. Quick service, tasty food.

    Spanakopita
    Laura H.

    Wow I absolutely suggest the cheese fries with gravy! Whoa that was fantastic & I wanted more cause they were so good! I also got a chilli cheese dog & that chili was terrific. My friend got the Spanakopita with a Greek salad and she said it was delicious as well. The dressing tasted fresh & homemade as well as the salad. The unsweetened tea was great & the server was really on point & my glass never went empty! So that's a plus. Definitely an old fashion diner but worth the stop if you're in the area enjoying the beautiful waterfalls!

    Mediterranean Omelette
    Alana K.

    I went here with my friends for brunch on a Sunday morning. We arrived at about 11:30am, and there was a 30 minute wait. We waited outside the front door and the hostess came out to call our name when a table was ready. The weather was good, but I probably wouldn't stick around if we'd had to wait out in the cold. I had the Mediterranean omelette, which had gyro meat, feta, onions, and tomatoes. It was served with toast and home fries. It was good and a substantial portion. Typical diner fare, in my book. The service was better than I expected; the hosts and waitstaff were all very nice. Would give it 3.5 stars if possible.

    Alexandra B.

    We arrived 9:30ish on a Saturday morning and luckily were seated right away. Our server was great. Breakfast was very good. As I looked over the bill, I was surprised to see that we spent $10 on two glasses of apple juice. Seems a bit steep to me but maybe there was a bad crop across the Apple industry lol. The diner booths had jump seats which I never saw before which added to the old charm.

    State Street Diner.
    Carol T.

    State Street Diner. A cool old diner on State street, offers egg breakfast and coffee at 8am Mon- Friday along with other diner menu items. Less costly than some other local places and makes you feel like you are still in the 1960s.

    Greek Salad

    This place has a retro diner vibe. You can definitely get a solid burger or sandwich from here. They seemed to be pretty busy around lunch time. A couple orders at our table were slightly off, but they were happy to remake the dish due to an allergen. The service was excellent overall. I would recommend getting something with a Greek twist since the original owners were Greek.

    Billy T.

    Came here for lunch and was surprised to get pretty authentic diner vibes in the middle of Ithaca, New York. I'd say my experience was alright, but nothing special. I got the biscuits and sausage gravy, which came out to ten dollars. As a whole, prices here are pretty high on average and something that definitely hold this place back from being somewhere that is above average and a place I'd come back to. My food was average. Service was fast and effective, on the other hand. My server was super prompt in getting our orders in and food came quickly. Water was refilled quickly, so I can't hold anything back there. Overall, this place is pretty mid - food is alright, prices are a bit high. Probably won't be back but you won't die if you eat here. If you want a diner experience, you can get it here but it's not some wonderful one.

    Don W.

    An unplanned lunch stop in Ithaca found us in close proximity to The State Diner. As soon as we walked in off the street smiles spread across our faces. From the outside, it looked conventional. Another urban storefront restaurant. Once inside we found ourselves standing in a diner right out of the 40s or 50s. The sign directed us to find any seat and the fold down seats at the tables aling the front windows were convenient and comfortable. We were immediately greeted by our waitstaff who brought menus and drinks in a flash. Our sandwiches came quickly. We had a triple deck turkey club and a Reuben sandwich. My turkey was made with a generous heap of turkey, freshly cut from a breast, beautifuly crisp bacon, American cheese, fresh lettuce, and mayo, on toasted white bread. My companion enjoyed a delicious Reuben made in the standard fashion, and was very generous in size. She said it was delicious. The service was excellent and attentive The atmosphere was a treat, and everything including the restroom was fastidiously clean. I highly recommend The State Diner. They serve all day breakfast, and the lunch menu has something for everyone, including vegans and those who prefer gluten free fare. I apologize for my exterior pic not being good enough to post, but as you drive past you will not miss the bright red building.

    Hash browns
    LaDreena W.

    We were looking for a place that was still serving breakfast and came here because there were limited options and my husband said he'd had a good meal here before. I had a veggie omelette that was good; the potatoes they came with it were awful: oily, overcooked and flavorless. My kids had pancakes and when I tasted theirs I thought it was a box mix. My husband enjoyed his Greek burger and chili fries but commented that the pita was cold. There was an old knife underneath the seat that hadn't picked up before we were seated, so it made me question the overall cleanliness. The final straw was that the staff got into an argument and were yelling and cursing; then our server walked out. As in left, mid shift, and did not return.

    Blueberry Pancakes

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    1 year ago

    Great food great service. Me and my wife enjoyed it very much and our kid loved the waffles. I recommend this place to any new customers

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    9 months ago

    The food was classic diner fare and the service was impeccable. Really, what more could you ask for from a diner!

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    1 year ago

    Excellent diner food. Great atmosphere. Superb service. A definite stop if you're visiting Ithaca NY.

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    3 years ago

    the interior is like a real American cafe, the food was delicious. I liked everything very much

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    3 years ago

    Solid diner in the Ithaca area. Better than Sunset grill in my opinion. Burger, shake, & waffles were okay.

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    Lincoln Street Diner

    Lincoln Street Diner

    4.1
    (155 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $

    Lincoln Street Diner (LSD) is a small but homey diner that's in a fairly residential area, which I…read morethink is really cool. Don't come here with a big party, as the largest table seats four people and there are probably about 25 seats in the whole restaurant. I came with a group of 8, and we were separated into three tables. The food was really good. I ordered an omelet and didn't quite expect what they handed me, but it was super good (it was more like a scramble than a traditional omelet). Omelets can sometimes be really bland, but LSD did a great job of making sure that the food was seasoned well. No complaints about pricing/service either - it was all super fair. Lastly, it gets busy, so be ready to wait!

    This place was unexpected! In the middle of a neighborhood full of houses... Bam! Diner! This place…read morehas just enough parking around it for the number of seats available. The inside looks like a typical small diner. It's small, having some counter seats and like 6 tables, but it's busy with a steady stream of people eating and at least 2 people waiting to be seated! There's one lady who runs around and waits on all the tables. She deserves some sort of super hero waitress award. The food was top notch diner breakfast... Nothing fancy, but it really hit the spot. The coffee was fresh and strong and hot. It was a perfect fuel for a day of hiking and exploring.

    Photos
    Restaurant area
    Restaurant area
    Mug
    Mug
    Outside photo of diner

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    Outside photo of diner
    Angelhearts Donuts

    Angelhearts Donuts

    4.5
    (75 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Vegan but still really yummy!…read more Honestly loved their donuts and biscuit- on par with normal donuts/biscuits! The filling of the boston cream donut taste like a vanilla snack pack pudding which I personally don't mind but still prefer non-vegan boston cream donut filling. Jelly and vanilla sprinkles were both yummy- no complaints! My favorite was the apple cider donut- the perfect crisp exterior and soft cakey moist interior. These were also warm! We also tried the Western which has vegan egg cheese and bacon on their house-made biscuit. Biscuit was delicious! I don't personally love vegan cheese, but rather enjoyed the smokey flavor of the bacon. Overall, I would definitely return, but would pass on the boston cream and get more of the apple cider donuts! I would probably also get another break fast sandwich.

    This is what I would consider a hidden gem in Ithaca because I've driven by it a hundred times and…read moredidn't even know it. My friends and I came here for 2 reasons. 1. I'm lactose intolerant and 2. 1 of us is vegetarian. This place checks all the boxes and we both can order without having to worry about anything. They also have wheat free options which is another plus. I got the breakfast wrap and it was probably one of the best wraps I've ever had. Definitely stepped out of my comfort zone trying it because I've only had the cheese on it but none of the other ingredients. I also got the strawberry mango smoothie with oat milk and it was the perfect match to my wrap. My friends had already eaten here and were raving about how good the cheese fries were and how I could actually eat them and they really were so good! Over all it was such a great experience and I love the diner vibes. The parking is a little iffy because it's in the same area of Dominos so it's a little limited but there's a parking garage around the corner and street parking is always an option. I have a new favorite place to eat where I can order and enjoy what I'm eating in peace.

    Photos
    Vegan as f*ck
    Vegan as f*ck
    Donuts
    Donuts
    Philly cheesesteak and breakfast fries

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    Philly cheesesteak and breakfast fries
    Sunset Grill

    Sunset Grill

    3.5
    (144 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Breakfast here was amazing! My group had the eggs Benedict's and got French fries which were yummy,…read morethick and fluffy. Definitely recommend the French fries over the home fries. The omelettes were yummy can't go wrong with that. The Bloody Mary's were a good size and tasted good, nice flavor to them. Recommend coming here is even though it looks a little run down and rusty tables outside. Ps: outside the tables are rusty and run down and a bunch of honeybees outside so heads up. They have little cups of jam/ butter on the rail for them- if you are allergic stay inside. But nice breakfast for a fine price. Water cups are old little plastic cups that are clear/ yellow and look run down.

    I stopped by Sunset Grill while venturing down to the southern tip of Ithaca for some clay…read morewheelthrowing. The location is a bit of a trek if you're without a car (especially in the winter), which probably explains why it wasn't too crowded when I got there. But the people who were there were super friendly and helpful, which made the experience that much better! I went for the Saturday Special Steak, which was around $20, and it did not disappoint. I chose the "petite" steak (because the King and Queen sizes sounded like a bit much for me), but even the petite was massive. I couldn't finish most of it, but I was definitely full. The portions are no joke. Overall, the food was great, the portions were generous, and the staff made it a really pleasant stop. If you're in the area or just looking for a hearty meal, definitely worth the visit!

    Photos
    Sunset Grill
    1+1+1 1 egg, 1 pancake and 1 bacon
    1+1+1 1 egg, 1 pancake and 1 bacon
    Sunset Grill

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    MIX Kitchen & Bar

    MIX Kitchen & Bar

    4.3
    (489 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner at MIX, and all with varying levels of enjoyment. My recent…read morebrunch experience included ordering a Where the West Begins omelette, which includes "Braised short rib, butternut squash, red onion jam, spinach, smoked gouda". I wasn't sure how to feel about butternut squash with everything else (I'm not necessarily a huge squash fan - but I'm trying to learn to enjoy it), but the omelette was decent... it's the other side on my plate that looked less than appetizing. The biscuit was still covered in flour (and who wants to bite down on a clump of flour?), the cheddar hashbrown casserole lacked in flavor, and the brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal just... wasn't doin' it for me. Other recent experiences have been similar... there's usually one item on the plate that's flavorful or imventive (sometimes a main dish, sometimes a side), and the other parts of the plate are lacking. In reality, I think MIX is suffering a bit from rising food costs and inconsistency in their service and offerings. They've also changed the style of their menu from the original tapas-style to now being more typical entree options. Again... they've lost some of their innovative, experimental approach. In terms of ambiance, it really depends. I've been here for a work event and, because of the number of people, it was SO LOUD... they had also done a buffet offering for the event. As you can imagine, the food from the buffet was lacking, but that's often what happens when you're more mass producing your food (and it's left in a chafing dish, trying to be kept warm). On the other hand, I've been here for a dinner on a random night and was able to enjoy one of their Thai noodle bowls (and split some other apps with friends). The reality is that experiences at MIX are... well... a mix. Whether service, menu offerings, etc., I've found MIX's recent inconsistencies to be a disappointment. Will probably only visit in the future if it's suggested by others.

    we made a resy for 5 for a wednesday night dinner, not crowded at all and our server was the most…read moredarling lady. she checked on us many times and would call us "love" after she would take our orders or give us more water. it was very nice and homey. we came here initially because in the past it's been a tapas place and we were looking forward to sharing small plates. unfortunately they changed their menu so they mostly do individual entrees now with a plethora of options from spaghetti to steak to burgers to thai noodles (lots of options) thai mussel bowl - 3/5 mussels a little ocean-y fishy tasting and the thai sauce a little liquidy brazilian cheesy bread gluten free 4/5 - yum appetizers delicious crunchy with cheese inside. the red dipping sauce was just tomato sauce a little strange but not bad osco bucco 3/5 - a little salty but a solid pork shoulder. the gnocci was also fried which was interesting italian sub with house salad 4/5 - good solid sub, i could only finish half and ate my entire side salad which had nice breaded croutons (not the dense thick ones) red clam linguine 4/5 - not bad, only about 4 clams but some more inside the pasta penne alla vodka 3.5/5 - a solid pasta nothing special

    Photos
    Hawaiian ahi poke
    Hawaiian ahi poke
    Purple sticky rice dumpling
    Purple sticky rice dumpling
    Duck quesadilla

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    Duck quesadilla
    Ithaca Bakery

    Ithaca Bakery

    3.7
    (523 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    I had a good experience here for the most part! I went twice during my trip. I enjoyed the gluten…read morefree toast and bagels and got an egg and cheese one day, and a scallion cream cheese and cucumber the next. The coffee is also delicious and didn't even need a flavor added. The man taking our orders the first day was also incredibly kind and you could tell he just enjoyed his job, or at least was happy to be there. There's also a mini shop here basically. There's fresh bread and prepackaged meals here like Shepards pie and fruits and veggies. There also was plenty of cute merch and I left with two designs. Two things that I didn't like. Ordering was a bit chaotic. There are labeled areas that show where to order what, but if it's your first time in it can feel overwhelming and you might be wandering a bit figuring it out. I wish it could all be ordered at one spot, not like it's a food hall. I understand that this probably does work the best for them though and is most likely pretty easy for ordering if you're a local. Lastly, I had an issue with a woman working the second day. They have a big menu and I was looking at it above her head while ordering. She was fine while I was talking, but stopped me when I went to walk away. She said "You know, you really need to face people while you're talking to them." What! So awkward and weird. That's the main reason I took one star off because it caused me not to go back again. Very rude and felt like a mini lecture for no reason.

    We're not local but we've visted before and really enjoyed the stop. Being in the area, frequenting…read morethe State Theatre, and listening to good music we needed morning refreshments and immediately thought "Baked in Ithaca". This visit we got coffee, breakfast sandwiches and various baked goods. The restaurant was busy and hopping with activity on a Sunday morning around 9AM. The parking lot was full but there was street parking around the business. There was also plenty of seating for us to find some room to eat in comfort. You order food at one counter but you pay at the other counter? All food is delivered to the "pay" counter. Service was fast, even with the crowd, the breakfast sandwiches were delicious, the coffee was dark (which we love) and the baked goods didn't last long. We got a cinnamon coffee cake and a loaf of bread that were huge hits. "Baked in Ithaca" - what a slogan!

    Photos
    Ithaca Bakery
    Steak & Eggs with hash brown.
    Steak & Eggs with hash brown.
    Cute mug I got today!

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    Cute mug I got today!
    Cafe Dewitt

    Cafe Dewitt

    3.7
    (151 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Located in the middle of the DeWitt Mall, the cafe features uneven flooring, a bathroom key on a…read moresoup laddle, fish tanks with goldfish and guppies, yes, quite good food. They have a handful of staff and what looks like a tiny kitchen. Even so, they are very warm and welcoming. Since the Carriage House on Stewart Avenue has been long closed, I decided to get the cafe's French Toast. It came out nice and hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and a side of maple syrup and butter. The crisp exterior gave way to a moist fluffy eggy interior. Much yum. Bonus points: they can also offer French toast in a gluten free variation. My wife opted for the Potato Pile, which was a plate with a pile of potatoes, dressed, along with their homemade kimchi, and eggs. The potatoes were great. The cafe partners with local farms to serve up great produce.

    To say we were disappointed is an understatement. Firstly, we waited an hour and a half to sit at a…read moretable. This wouldn't have been a problem if we hadn't been sat at a 2 top (with 3 people) that had been open for 30 minutes prior to us being sat. It also wouldn't have been a problem if the food was good. Our table ordered the 2 omelettes (the kimchi and a build your own), the wich-wich sandwich, and the french toast. The sandwich bread wasn't toasted, which just made it a very soggy meal. The french toast was raw, cut so thick it wasn't surprising that the inside of each slice was soggy with uncooked egg. The rosemary potatoes were... fine; obviously pre-cooked and just reheated because they were not remotely crispy or particularly fresh tasting. The real gripe was with the kimchi omelette. It was fine going down, not overly flavorful despite having a very flavorful ingredient. However, it was not fine on the way up. And trust, it came back up. Spent the rest of the day sick and throwing up. The only highlight was the coffee; the brown sugar and spice latte was great, would return for that and only that. Would not recommend, actually would recommend any of the other breakfast places in Ithaca over Dewitt's.

    Photos
    Cafe Dewitt
    Cafe Dewitt
    Cafe Dewitt
    Rachel

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    Rachel
    The Rook

    The Rook

    4.2
    (183 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Delicious is the first word that comes to mind! The food was fresh, original, and so yummy! A great…read moreplace for a date, a family dinner, meeting with friends, or even for a business lunch/dinner. Inside is small so make sure you get ahead of the crowd, orherwise you may have a wait time due to limited seating. They do have outdoor seating available during the warmer days as well. Dont let the smaller venue deter you. The food is well worth the wait! You can tell everything is made fresh and unique for something different to try opposed to your normal salads, starters, and entrees you can get everywhere else! The have a bar, along with an expansive wine list! So wine lovers, this is your place! This is a bit of a pricier stop, but worth every penny! My friend and I enjoyed everything! She had the mac and cheese and recommends it without a doubt. The service was wonderful. Everyone is so friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. They are great for recommending favorites whether it is food or wine recs. Our server was amazing, and I wish I remembered her name as she was incredibly patient with my friend and I. We hadn't seen each other in a long while so we took forever to figure out what we wanted to eat, and once done eating, they were more than okay with us ordering a couple more glasses of wine to stay and chat longer. I will absolutely be back and hopefully to enjoy the outdoor seating on a nice day.

    Unique mac and cheese and good gnocchi!…read more I am debating giving the rook 3 or 4 stars... I was not a fan of the salmon mousse... far too salty and I wish it was paired with crisped bread or at least something other than Ritz crackers. I did, however, enjoy the presentation and taste of the macaroni au gratin. The square shape is very unique and I liked the cheese sauce. The lamb w gnocchi was also quite good. Pillowy and soft. The lamb was cooked well. Overall, I would maybe return. I enjoyed the macaroni au gratin as well as the lamb w gnocchi!

    Photos
    Making cavatelli
    Making cavatelli
    Schnitzel, a tad dry with rubbery re-heated tasting spaetzle.
    Schnitzel, a tad dry with rubbery re-heated tasting spaetzle.
    Aperitif/digestif anyone???

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    Aperitif/digestif anyone???

    The State Diner - diners - Updated June 2026

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