Dan's Diner — Restaurant in Town of Austerlitz

I stopped in here at around 11:45 am for the first time after reading the article on WGNA on Facebook. I live 20 minutes away and had never stopped in here. First I will say it is a very small building for the business they seemed to be doing. The first thing I noticed was there weren't any tables or booths. The only had the high top bar stools at the front counter and then another section to the right that had a bench with the same kind of seating. So if you are like me and have leg issues, you may want to order your meal to go. The second thing I noticed was that there were signs around about things they had removed from the menu because they could not keep up with the business they had. They had decided to go with a smaller and easier menu that they could successfully get done. The third thing I noticed was that they did not have a bathroom to wash your hands before you eat. The bathroom was outside inside the red barn that you see in the pictures. I then noticed that with the 15 to 20 people inside the diner there were only 2 people working. One was cooking all food, and the other was taking orders, taking payment, cutting prep (fresh potatoes for the fresh made French fries), a little bit of everything. By that time I received a menu and started to look at it. The next thing I noticed was that the largest section of the menu was their fresh squeezed lemonade with about 50 different flavor combinations. At that point I hear the 2 ladies talking about a very large phone order they had just received for 10 of their jumbo hot hot dogs with fries. They were discussing between the two of them about how long they should tell them it would be. A lady that seemed to be a regular was seated beside me and decided to put her opinion in on how that sided order shouldn't be allowed and continued her commentary about things the girls shouldn't do for the order because it was so large the entire time. Right here I will say these two ladies we amazing. Hard working, super friendly, they just kind of agreed with her and continued doing things the right way. Being a retail manager for over 30 years, I will say that I would hire them both in a heart beat. After 10 minutes the one lady came and took my order. I ordered the "Mole Hill", It is a biscuit cut in half topped with a sausage patty, two slices of bacon, sausage gravy, 2 eggs any way you like and topped with a little shredded cheese. They also offered "The mountain" Which is pretty much the same thing except double the portions. With that I ordered a hand spun shake. She went and got the shake for me and was back in about 5 minutes. 45 minutes later my shake was gone and I finally received my order. It was ok but nothing amazing. The bacon is precooked and heated on the grill. It was so hard that I could not cut it with my fork and almost couldn't cut it with my butter knife. It shattered like peanut brittle when I did. I did eat 95% of the meal. It was not amazing by any means but it was passable as I was very hungry. But, a few things I did also notice while I had 45 minutes of wait time. They use fresh ground beef to make their smash burgers. I mean fresh from the one pound chub that you buy at Walmart(Their brand). She was using her gloved hands to squeeze the hamburger out of the tube onto the grill. There was no scale or measurements of any kind. What she felt was good was it. Over all I was highly unimpressed after seeing it having such high reviews. I definitely have been to better diners. The Alexis Diner in North Greenbush/Troy area has this place beat by far...

Drove passed this quaint diner a few times before and always thought it was cute, so I wanted to give it a try. I went in on a Saturday morning with my family of 6. When we entered we were met with absolutely no greeting or recognition. It seemed as though the two female workers were actively trying to ignore us. We then waited for about 10 minutes trying to figure out if it was a self-seating restaurant or if we were supposed to wait for one of the ladies assistance. While waiting we heard various comments from one of the two ladies, under her breath that included: “We should close early” and “I am not cooking” (clearly regarding us wanting to dine at their restaurant). So in response, we approached the lady and asked nicely how this diner worked. In an extremely bitter tone, she responded, “You sit down. I take your order. We bring you the food, (rolled her eyes). Does that work for you??” and proceeded to walk away. This resulted in us leaving and going somewhere else for breakfast. I am not a person who writes reviews (this is my first one), but I just want to let future customers know the experience I had...

​​If you're looking for a reliable, classic dining spot in the area, Dan's Diner is worth a visit. The restaurant successfully maintains a classic, old-school feel, providing a comfortable and recognizable atmosphere that contributes significantly to its charm. ​The overall experience is consistently positive. The menu offers excellent food, delivering on the comforting diner staples you expect, and the staff provides great service, ensuring quick and attentive table service. ​A significant strength is the value; the menu is priced very fairly, offering a great price for the quality and reliable diner experience you receive. Dan's Diner is a highly recommended local visit for anyone seeking quality, value, and straightforward,...