Pretty mediocre food for a diner and a bit pricey. Had breakfast there today, homefries did not taste like they were made from fresh potatoes, more like potatoes left in the refrigerator too long then covered with garlic powder and paprika. Friendly staff. read more

Florentine Omelette: Filling omelette with a side of potatoes and wheat bread sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Not too costly and prepped quickly and thoroughly. Dining: Cozy, not so loud seating area and good service. read more

Food was just ok. I'm sure in Ithaca there are a few other places I'd try before going back here. Hubby had gyro and had very little meat. I had a turkey wrap. Everything was mediocre. read more

This was actually our second attempt at getting breakfast on a Saturday morning. The first place was a major failure. Well from now on this will be our first choice!!! From the moment we walked in the door we were kindly greeted and seated quickly. Our server was attentive and very accommodating to the needs of our young children. But to top everything off the food was great! The State Diner is everything we wanted in a Diner!! read more

Great customer service! The staff is awesome. However.... A $60 breakfast for two? It's eggs everyone, that's mind blowing. You can get the same quality food and customer service at other diners in town. read more

Always great food and service. Don't stress if you have to wait to be seated. The they'll get you in and act like they're not even busy.

Throwback. Old School. Great diner. Went to try Sunset Grill, but came across State Diner. Food was good, but Toni, our waitress, was fantastic; maybe the best thing about State Diner. Also, they played great tunes. Must be packed when students are back. Solid and fun place! read more

The State Diner - The counter - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Great spot in town to grab a greasy omelette or some pancakes or something in the morning, perfect hangover cure. Parking isn't usually an issue (street parking is free on holidays and weekends) and there's usually lots of tables around brunch on the weekend. Service is very efficient, and there's no reason to complain about the food. Friends of mine seem to prefer Lincoln St, but honestly it's much easier to get in here and the food is just as good in my opinion. read more

Solid diner with good food and a great staff. If you are in the area and are in the mood for diner food, this is a great place.

This was always a staple place to go, and many happy memories. Unfortunately probably our last visit. This is a $22 steak covered in a special sauce that you just get without even asking. It's A-1. The gravy is flavorless. Guys - just serve the steak - the customer can add to it. On the positive side they didn't charge us for the steak (thank you) and the chili is delicious and the service was good. read more

The State Diner - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

The State Diner is an absolutely adorable diner in the Commons! When you walk in, it is decorated to look like a classic American retro-style diner. It also looks like you are on the inside of a train car which is super unique. The chairs are also really cute flip-down chairs (kind of funny but slightly impractical). So I went for brunch yesterday and got the fried egg sandwich with a buttered roll, sausage, and American cheese. Guys, let me tell you... this was so good. The sausage patty was more like a burger patty than a typical breakfast sausage patty, but I definitely think this made it more flavorful. In addition, the roll was buttery, toasty, and so crispy, making it the perfect vessel for the rest of the sandwich. I will say I tried some of my friend's home fries and there weren't my favorite. I wished they were more crispy with individual chunks, but instead they were really mushy. Overall, The State Diner serves up some really yummy breakfast sandwiches that are worth the visit! read more

The State Diner - Veggie Omelette with Home Fries - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I'm not sure what's with the mediocre reviews here... PERFECT place for my picky family of five to stop on a long ride back to the east coast. Sidebar... ***Yelp pet peeve*** why complain about pricing?!? You have the ability to view the menu (AND PRICES) BEFORE you sit down to order your food... if too pricey... then order accordingly! This is a small town place that needs to ride out the ups and downs of a college town economy... so I'm fine w the prices.... esp bc the food, service, speed and location were all perfect!! We had waffles, chicken noodle soup (yum), chicken souvlaki (absolutely perfect), buffalo chicken wrap, chicken fingers and salad... dressing was even home made. Need a nice place to stop for a picky family or otherwise... definitely give it a try!! read more

I just stopped by for a quick meal while vacation in the area. I was craving a hearty meat lovers omelet and they made a tasty one. I was in and out in under 20 minutes. The food was good and the service was friendly. Overall, it was a great breakfast stop for myself. read more

Yum! Had a good late breakfast with waffles, eggs, bacon, the works. Nice waitress! The place looks like a diner you'd see in a movie.

Solid breakfast food. Service when we went was impeccable. Shout out to the wait staff. It was like she could read our minds. Only four stars because the home fries could use a bit more seasoning and onions etc. Overall a nice classic diner with good breakfast. Ill be back. read more

This place is surprisingly large once you enter. The staff is friendly. If you sit at the front booths, you will find seats that fold up, but are still comfortable. We went for breakfast and we left satisfied. My meatlover omelet was stuffed. Couldn't ask for more to start our day. read more

The State Diner - Meatlover omelet - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Very accommodating server. I just loved the Greek salad with xtra feta. Also, I was reminded of my WAAL-FM days as they had nothing but 70's hits playing in the background. Some diners are dirtier than others, this place was nice and clean! read more

A classic diner! A classic blue collar diner in Ithaca, The State Diner is a great place to go for a classic diner breakfast. If you sit in the front booths you are greeted by fold-down seats and you can watch the mound of home-fries cooking on the grill. Great home-made biscuits. And, as a bonus, this being a college town it does not get crowded on week-ends until the late morning. It is in relatively close proximity to the race course and boat houses for the Cornell and Ithaca crews. read more

The State Diner - Omelette. - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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We dropped in late on a cold morning while visiting to grab some food as we were craving breakfast and coffee. I had been talking about how awesome the state diner used to be when I lived in Ithaca. 24 hour service!? Can't be beat. I don't think it is anymore though. That wasn't the disappointing part though. Neither was the food if I'm going to be 1oo% honest. The food was still really good. As was the coffee. The disappointing part was the $45.oo check (before tip) for pancakes and waffles with eggs and two coffees. They charge for extra condiments. Literally I've never been in a place that does this to the extent that the state diner does. I'm not sure where we went wrong as an economy when a waffle is 8.oo, á la carte. I would suggest Lincoln Street Diner, if you're looking for a good diner breakfast that doesn't make you feel like you should've had some lobster hidden somewhere in your food. read more

Place was awful. Black bean burger was a greasy mess. Pancakes that said they come with maple syrup came with a package of Kraft syrup. Tacky and lack luster service. read more

I was in a right state when I ate here. A state of shock, a state of panic, a new york state of mind, call it what you want to. It was after a concert in Ithaca and I was with a female friend. We sought out a place to eat, and after being unimpressed by Shortstop, we ventured here for a late night sit down just before closing. We shared a meal because we'd already eaten. Ham Dinner, or something thereabouts. It was perfectly pleasing, hot, juicy, tasted homemade. It wasn't the best food we'd ever had, but it also wasn't the worst and it hit the spot. The service was particularly bad and unfriendly and left a bad taste in our mouths, whereas the food did not. Had we received more friendly service, I'm sure I could have added an extra star. I do like the food here though. read more

Since reopening the ambiance of this place has improved. The fold down seats, the layout, the basic staff uniform are all the same. The booths were reupholstered in grey, the ceiling is now red with chrome accents, there are new pendant light fixtures, and the women's bathroom is very nice now compared to before. The menu seems to be similar and still offers a lot of variety. I think the burgers are better than before. Today I ordered a gyro platter (see my photo) and my friend ordered a buffalo chicken wrap with fries. My gyro pita was great but my salad had too much dressing for my taste (so next time I'll order it on the side). My friend's wrap was good but the fries were less than desirable (not extremely hot, they could have been more golden). My coffee was just great for what it was (diner coffee). read more

The State Diner - Gyro platter - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This is a really solid diner with good food, hearty portions, and great service. My only complaint is that it's a little bit pricy. I can see paying $19 for chicken and waffles, but not at a place like this. read more

Maybe it's a Northeast thing (I've never been to Ithaca before), but staff here seriously made me sad. I kid you not - did not see a single smile during my entire meal...not from staff NOR from patrons. One of the bus boys asked my dad if he was Chinese because he thought my mom looked like the oriental women he had "encountered" during his stay in Asia. Please don't compare my mom to one of your past ladies of the night. Subconscious racism kind of kills my appetite. Gyro was cold and flavorless even after I asked for and slathered extra tzatziki sauce on it. Milkshake was watery and had chunks of ice in it, portion was also TINY for the price. Brother said his burger wasn't even as good as McDonalds. Moms coffee was watered down and lukewarm. Underwhelming food + lack of sweet waitresses toting hot coffee refills = not a real diner in my book. :( I feel bad for Cornell students if this is their restaurant selection... Tldr; this place is Johnny Rocket's depressed PTSD-stricken second cousin twice removed. Avoid. read more

The State Diner - Underwhelming gyro smothered in extra tzatziki sauce - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I consider myself a bit of a diner aficionado (see my "Breakfast places" list), so I thought a break from Collegetown Bagels was in order. This iconic diner has been in business since 1934. It's ancient booths, mirrored walls and hurried staff give it an authentic vibe. We arrived around 9:20 on a Sunday morning, and it was very busy, but we got a table right away. Our server was friendly and prompt, as was the "coffee guy". My friend ordered the pancakes with scrambled eggs, and said the pancakes were a good vehicle for the "table syrup". I had a broccoli/cheddar omelet, homefries and whole wheat toast. The omelet was blah (and pretty greasy), the potatoes were good, as were the 3 slices of thin toast (although it was slathered in a little more butter than I would have liked). Next time I'll just get eggs, over easy. NB - the raspberry (see photo) and grape "spreads" contained a large amount of pectin and were actually difficult to spread. read more

The State Diner - Would've taken more pics if I knew there weren't any. - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Unassuming, delicious food, with a nostalgic sensibility. The State Diner delivers on what you would expect out of a typical American diner. (10/15/16) Food 4/5 | Atmosphere 3/5 | Service 5/5 | Value 3/5 Pros: good variety of food, great service, friendly staff Cons: some meals have more value than others, price matches quality of food but not atmosphere ---- Food 4/5: (Tuna Melt w/ Fries $10, Souvlaki w/ feta cheese $9) I ordered the Tuna Melt on rye bread with fries, and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I always order the tuna option when I eat sandwiches, and let me tell you, this tuna melt was one of the best I've ever had. The rye bread (with hints of dill) was perfectly toasted with butter. The tuna salad itself was a perfect consistency-- not too dry, not too wet. The thick cut of swiss cheese with the pickle on the side made the dish complete. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; well seasoned. My partner ordered the Souvlaki with feta ($1 extra) and no tomatoes. The pork was well-cooked and seasoned-- not overly salty as some souvlakis can be. There was a good sauce to meat ratio, but there was too much lettuce on top. The pita bread was soft yet had the firm chewy texture one would expect from a good souvlaki. The tzatziki sauce itself was creamy with the right amount of garlic and spices. Combined with the sprinkling of feta cheese on top, the dish struck the right balance between tart and creamy. Atmosphere 3/5 The booth seats can be a little uncomfortable, as they flip up, but are playful and adds a rough charm to the place. The music can be a little loud, and depending on your partiality to the style of the music itself, can get a bit much. However, it's still a great atmosphere if you like classic Americana diners. The place feels like a nostalgic timepiece of the past but renovated to accommodate modern needs. Ultimately, it's a place to "hang out" but not "go out." Service 5/5 Attentive and friendly staff. Provided refills without prompting. Asked how we were going mid-way. Provided us the check without having to call, and proactively asked if we wanted to split or pay the check together. Upon leaving, we were given a friendly and genuine "have a great day." Overall, we were impressed by the attentiveness of the service staff. Value 3/5 Some items have greater value and are more filling than others (the tuna melt with fries + pickle at $10 vs. just souvlaki w/ feta cheese $9), but ultimately the prices are fair. I would recommend getting dishes that include a side. read more

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Worst diner ever. Extremely bad coffee which almost tasted like water (even a freshly brewed pot). Omelettes and home fries, sandwiches, burgers were pretty tasteless. Over and above that, waitress was extremely rude. I go to diners on a daily basis and I recommend not going to this diner. We specially drove from Binghamton NY to get dissatisfied on a Friday evening (11.2.2018). There are other diners in the area and please visit them over this. I wouldn't give even a single star to this if I had that option. read more

Food was fair.. waitress obviously had other things on her feeble mind.. and prices were absurd...health department should have a look as well.. stay away unless you enjoy punishment for being a customer read more

Lovely and cute. Ordered the Florentine Omelet and it was perfect. Toast was deliciously buttered. Everything was nice, socially distanced, and quiet. read more

After riding a bus for five hours and arriving in Ithaca at an ungodly hour, I was super hungry and Yelp showed me this was the only sit-down option available. The interior was warm and bright and just like a traditional mom and pop diner. It was like taking a step back in time, and quaint. The waitress, a college student, was remarkably nice and engaged my party in small talk and seemed genuinely interested in learning more about us and our trip. The best part was how surprisingly delicious the breakfast was. With only three stars on Yelp, I was expecting just to satisfy my hunger, but nothing to actually taste any good. The food arrived quickly and far surpassed IHOP, Denny's, and any other diner I had tried in San Diego, California. The food was very flavorful, and I especially like the the rye toast with butter - not soggy at all. As another reviewer said, this is not farm-to-table cuisine. It's conventional food, but done right. If I go to Ithaca again I will return to State Diner for breakfast. read more

The State Diner - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Piece of History, renovated to meet todays needs. Great spot, best Diner we have ever been to. Service on point, courtesy and professional. Thanks Stavropoulos Family. read more

The State Diner - Family breakfast Livin the american life. - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

From the moment we walked in, this was a great experience. Our waitress was so sweet and the service was so fast and efficient. She was around frequently for coffee refills and was nice. We ordered the two eggs any style with sausage. The food was served perfectly and flavorful. The sausage patty was homemade and delicious. We also got the blueberry pancakes which were very large but classic diner pancakes. Overall great spot in Ithaca for breakfast! read more

Came here on a Friday morning around 830am. Wasn't busy at all. I ordered an egg white omelette with many different veggies, but i revived only spinach and broccoli inside. It had a very oily taste to it. I also ordered sweet fries, but was not impressed. They were Very fried and crunchy, I prefer mine less fried. I would be willing to give this place another chance, but overall was not too impressed. read more

The State Diner - Egg white omelette - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Taste: 3 Service: 5 Value: 1 Presentation: 2 Overall: 2.7 rounded up to 3 Hi and welcome to another episode of javing it with Javier. Let's see what we are javing today. My friends and I stopped by a small town while travelling to Ithaca for the long weekend to grab some food. Let's dive right into the review. My friends and I split several dishes. We tried the chicken and waffles, their famous sausage, and their biscuits and gravy. Starting off with the chicken and waffles, the chicken was very crispy in contrast with the very soft waffle. There was less chicken than I had expected though. The sausage was mediocre and it was small too. Probably my least favourite part. The biscuits and gravy were a new try for me but the white gravy was way too salty for my tastes. All in all, everything was average and nothing really stood out to me. On the other hand, their staff are very friendly and made sure we had our waters topped up and new utensils when we needed them. We also had a nice chat with her which was very pleasant. Good thing we split the food, as everything was pretty expensive. The chicken and waffles was $20, the sausage which I could finish in 3 bites was $7 and the biscuit was around $15. I felt like it wasn't particularly filling even after sharing 3 dishes. Overall, my experience here was OK. I didn't get to try too many places in the area so there was not much to compare to. And that's it for today's episode of javing it with Javier. And remember food is life! read more

It is small but very nice inside. The staff is very sweet. The food is great there. Everyone looks like they are enjoying.

Had the Steak and Eggs. This place is great. Very old school diner. Honestly, the streak was cooked better than half the steak houses.

This place is truly and honestly the best diner food I've had in upstate New York. First of all the place is huge and there is plenty of room even for a large group of 10 like us to sit near each other. Place is clean and smells delicious! When we first looked at the menu sure we noticed the prices were a bit on the high side but we figured it must be for good reason. I ordered the Cajun burger and Man was it great! Juicy and a bit of spice to it. It was a really really good burger for a diner. My wife ordered a regular burger and that did not stop the cook to make it just as amazing. To top it all off the service was unbelievable. Granted it was not as packed but that did not stop out waiter from checking up on us non stop! Truly a great place in a already great town! Thank you Guys for the great food! read more

The State Diner - Diners Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I wish I could give them a 0. I ordered a steak and eggs and I only got potatoes and toast. They forgot to give me my steak and worse part is that its not the first time. Please don't order anything online. Terrible! read more

Put our names in, was told it would be 20 minutes. Checked back in after 20 minutes, was told we were next, comes back 10 minutes later and was told there were 3 people ahead of us. Very unorganized. Food is greasy and bad. Took forever to come, spent almost 2 hours for the whole bad experience. read more

Cold coffee should have been a sign. After telling us the burner was off didn't offer new hot cup. Omelette looked delicious but feta cheese was saltier than anything I've ever had in my life. Partially frozen spinach inside to boot. Lovely staff however. Couldn't pay me to return. read more