Kline's Restaurant — Restaurant in Maryland

I grew up in this small town and during a recent visit opted for a taste of nostalgia, so to speak. What a mistake. I check Yelp everywhere I go, but it didn't occur to me to check this place's reviews seeing as apparently I've been here before. After all, I came here as a kid, so it must be good, right? Nope.

I ordered "The Ultimate" which is $9.50 for two eggs, two pancakes, 3 strips of bacon, home fries and an order of toast. I wasn't feeling that hungry, but I like to try what appear to be signature dishes on the menu, and with a name like Ultimate, it certainly must be amazing.

Where do I start?

The home fries: the most disgusting thing I've ever put in my mouth; I had to stop at a convenience store to purchase a pack of gum just to get the horrible taste out of my mouth. I tried covering them in ketchup in a useless attempt to ingest the energy I'd need for the hike I was about to take, but ultimately was unable to have a second bite.

The pancakes: undercooked and wet, had 1 bite

The bacon: perfect, the only thing I enjoyed, which is saying a lot since I normally don't eat bacon, but when I asked for sausage instead I was told "The Ultimate" does not allow substitutions

The eggs: overcooked, but ate them anyway

The toast: smothered in butter, ate it anyway, since I wanted the carbs

The coffee: burnt like it had been sitting for days; how disappointing they can't even serve a mediocre cup of coffee!

The waitress was nice enough, but when she carried away the entire plate of food she had dropped off only a few minutes before, she didn't make a single comment when she noticed I ate almost nothing. She didn't ask whether I enjoyed my meal, perhaps since it was obvious I hadn't, nor did she ask if she could get me something else instead.

Big...

I visit the Cumberland area several times per year but had yet to dine at Klines so I decided to try it out. When you walk in the front entrance, you have to turn right in the vestibule and open a second door to enter the dining area.

The first view upon walking through that second door is of a counter setup such as what one would see in a diner with stools.

The dining areas with traditional tables and booths are located in separate rooms beyond the counter area.

The atmosphere was casual and it appeared that the restaurant is popular with locals as several customers were seated at the counter area and were conversing with one another and with the staff.

A reversable sign upon entering the dining area can display 'please seat yourself' or 'please wait to be seated'

The seat yourself' option was displayed upon my arrival so I selected a table within view of the counter area.

I was greeted within a couple minutes of seating and was offered a menu and asked for my drink selection. My drink was brought within a minute ( glass of ice water) The server also mentioned the daily specials available in addition to the menu items. I ordered chicken rice soup and baked haddock with baked potato, roll and dish of applesauce.

The soup was brought first and dinner was brought within 10 minutes.

The meal was quite good and I ordered a slice of what looked to be homemade pie....lemon meringue...which was good as well.

To sum up, I liked my dining experience at Klines, liked the casual "Mom and Pop" local restaurant feel, the service was prompt and friendly and I shall return on future visits...

Kline's Restaurant in Cumberland, Maryland, stands as a local fixture cherished by its community for seven decades. Their resilience post-pandemic is certainly commendable and speaks volumes about their significance.

Having experienced breakfast spots across North America, I employ the biscuits and gravy as my litmus test—a window into a chef's baking skills and mastery of foundational sauces. However, Kline's fell short in this regard. The gravy, while ample in meat, lacked proper seasoning and texture, resembling a soup rather than a well-crafted sauce. It left me pondering if it had been reheated hastily.

My order of soft scrambled eggs, usually an homage to a chef's finesse, arrived disappointingly overcooked, exhibiting undesired browning. Even a taste of my child's pancakes revealed a lackluster execution, where even the typical ready-made mix couldn't salvage the flavor, despite generous butter and syrup.

While affordability may be a draw, sacrificing quality seems inevitable. Despite my inclination for fairness, I struggled to identify redeeming qualities. Perhaps the lunch or dinner menu holds promise, yet execution remains a central concern. Until this aspect is addressed, my confidence in their culinary prowess...