Broadway Lights Diner & Cafe — Restaurant in City of Kingston

Kingston

I’ve been coming to this diner in Kingston for a long time, and over the years, it’s become clear to me that there’s something off about the way black patrons are treated. While the food can be decent, the atmosphere and the service leave a lot to be desired—especially when it comes to how black people are treated.

I was there recently and witnessed something that made me question whether my past experiences were just me being overly sensitive. An older Black man, probably in his 70s, came in with his granddaughter. He wasn’t bothering anyone, just playing his numbers like so many people do. But the way the waitress treated him was nothing short of disrespectful. She made a big deal about how he kept going up to the counter to place his lottery numbers, saying, “I’m not going to keep doing this, the lottery’s closed, I’m busy.” The diner wasn’t even busy—there were maybe five people in there, and the attitude was downright nasty.

I was with my mother the second time I visited, and it was the same behavior—hostile and dismissive. To be clear, I’m a Black woman, and I’ve always noticed the difference in the way I’m treated at this diner compared to others. It’s hard not to feel like we’re being singled out, and quite frankly, it’s disheartening.

There’s only so much one can tolerate before realizing this place is long overdue for a boycott. I don’t care how many Black people they have working there; that doesn’t erase the way their customers are treated. It’s a shame, but I can’t support a business that shows such blatant disrespect. It’s time for a change, and I refuse to be part of it any longer.

I hope this review serves as a reminder that we need to hold businesses accountable, and the way they treat their customers—regardless of race—matters. There are too many other great places to support that actually value...

Well, vacationing in New York and driving around to all the different towns, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat, the look of the diner is what drew me to it. This is like a true diner, not a restaurant built to mimic one! Upon entering, you can tell the age of the restaurants, and again, I really enjoyed the aesthetic, you can tell they had a lot of regulars, and they had a lot of phone orders coming in for pick up. They also seem to be locals. Calling in, I could tell by the conversation as our seats were located right next to the phone. we were greeted as we went in, and our server was extremely attentive. The menu is absolutely huge, they offer so much. It was kind of hard to decide because I just wanted to order everything. I myself decided to go with the classic BLT, it did not disappoint. The bacon was thick and cooked perfectly and there was a lot of it, more bacon than anything, and I am not complaining, the lettuce was crisp and fresh, and the tomato was also firm and Fresh. My son ordered the breakfast pancakes. It came in a stack of three, and they were huge. He was very pleased with them. Our youngest ordered a grilled cheese. It was cooked perfectly, and their bread choice was not as thick as a Texas toast, but thicker than a standard loaf slice. One child ordered a classic cheeseburger, he said that it was cooked to a perfect medium, and the vegetables were just as fresh as the ones on my BLT. My wife is vegan and it was really awesome to see that they offered a beyond burger patty, so that is what she ordered, typically places overcook those, but not this place, you can tell that the Chef definitely knew what they were doing, and they executed all of our dishes perfectly. Given The Chance we would definitely return to...

Although I gave gone to Broadway Lights and been somewhat satisfied and may have given them a better review, I am left with a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended) when it comes to their delivery. I suggest they stop delivering and pay attention to their diner instead. I have ordered twice for delivery. First time the food was delivered cold and I had to put it in oven to redo it. A little annoying since they are located right up the street and the food doesn't taste as good reheated. Then Saturday, I decided to give them a second try. I called for a simple hamburger and fries. Was given by the person who answered the phone to the owner. The hamburger and fries was $9.95 which was overpriced to begin with but I had a death in the family, was not up to cooking so was willing to pay it. The owner informed me they had a $15.00 minimum for delivery and a delivery charge of $1.50. If you didn't want to deliver then why make excuses? You did not have those charges on the cold food you delivered me prior to this order. This order would have. brought that order way past $26.00 I will never pay that much for dinner here when there are so many wonderful restaurants in town that have way better food which I did. I ended up with a hot Italian meal delivered from Dibellas Restaurant (not some crappy diner) for $15.00. Needless to say, Broadway Lights will never see me for delivery nor will I ever go to the diner again. I will let everyone know in this large building how they attempted to rip me off...