Gem City Diner — Restaurant in Millcreek Township

The Super Bowl of Breakfasts

Gem City Dinor: Erie’s Breakfast Super Bowl Champion!

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then Gem City Dinor is basically a life coach making sure you start your day right. This isn’t just the best breakfast in Erie—it’s a borderline religious experience. You’ll walk in hungry and walk out full, caffeinated, and questioning if you should start a fan club for their French Toast.

Let’s talk about the atmosphere. It’s warm, welcoming, and decorated with local art that makes you feel like you’re eating inside an art gallery—except here, the only masterpiece you’re focused on is the food in front of you. The servers? They have a sixth sense when it comes to coffee refills. You’ll never see the bottom of your mug, no matter how hard you try.

And the food? A touchdown every time. Their pancakes are the size of the steering wheel in my Subaru. The French toast? Pure magic. And then there’s my wife’s favorite, the cheeseburger omelet, which is basically breakfast and lunch in one glorious, cheese burger filled bite. Why choose between two meals when you can have both at the same time?

But wait—there’s more. Their weekend specials are always top-tier. Today’s omelet special? A meatball omelet with house-made red sauce and shaved Parmesan. That’s right—meatballs for breakfast. I know they are not the creator of the meatball omelet, but theirs rivals any other served in Erie county.

And let’s not forget the coffee. They get their beans from Millcreek Coffee, right across the street, and let me tell you—it’s the kind of coffee that makes you reconsider every bad cup you’ve ever had. You won’t find a better cup of coffee in Erie unless you’re willing to do some highly illegal things.

Yes, they get busy on weekends, and if you are not there early, you will have a wait, but that’s just proof that everyone in Millcreek already knows—Gem City Dinor is the undisputed breakfast champion. Come hungry, bring stretchy pants, and prepare for the best breakfast...

This was my first and last time visiting this establishment. We waited 40-45 minutes just to be seated after being told it would only be 15-20 which annoyed us as it seemed like regulars took priority in seating as those recognized by name that arrived after us sat far before us. Our server was sloppy, inattentive, and rude. It took her roughly 10 minutes for her to even give us menus after we sat and by menus I mean one paper menu for the entire table to share and then seemed annoyed that every member of the party did not know what to order yet since we had to share a menu. When asked for straws she threw them on the table as she walked by instead of placing them down. It took over 15 minutes for coffee and water refills and she was loudly talking about customers and how upset she was about the number of patrons in the building. Which is absurd because more people means more money. We then waited roughly 45 minutes for our food which is reasonable for the volume of customers but the food was barely warm. The "sausages" were cold yet so overcooked that you could barely cut them the home fries were undercooked and hard the pancakes were super doughy. Nothing about our meals were enjoyable besides the french toast. The server then didn't show us the bill. Instead she simply grabbed the card off the table and charged us, threw the card and receipt on the table and said "the stapled copy is mine" and walked away not even a "have a nice day". Never once during our visit did anyone ask us if we were satisfied. We didn't see a single employee even smile in the nearly 3 hours we spent in the restaurant from start to finish. It seems like everyone is miserable and it shows in their terrible food and service. By the way in order to have more regulars you must treat new people as if they were so in order to obtain their loyalty. Never again will we step...

Gem City Dinor is an absolute must-visit if you're in Erie! From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with a cozy atmosphere that gives you that classic diner vibe, but with a unique twist.  The music is old school and awesome. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, making you feel right at home from the start to finish. Customer first, you want for nothing.  We got to meet Rich and Elaine(owners) awesome people.

Avery, our watress was smiles from start to finish and we wanted for nothing. Good people who made our trip to Erie a memorable one.

The menu offers a wide variety of comfort food, and everything I’ve tried has been amazing.

Their breakfast options are unbeatable — the portions are generous, and the flavors are spot on.  Today I had the Gem City Omellete which is to die for. My wife had the Eggs Benedict also cooked to perfection. I also highly recommend trying one of their daily specials; they’re always creative and packed with flavor.

What truly stands out is the attention to detail. The food is not only delicious but made with care, using fresh, high-quality ingredients and locally sourced where possivle supporting the local community. You can tell that the team takes pride in everything they serve. The prices are also very reasonable, especially considering the portion sizes.

Whether you're a local or just passing through Erie, Gem City Dinor is a hidden gem that shouldn't be missed. They get busy quick so get there early but the good news is the wait was short and worth it

I can't wait to go back and try more...