Empire Diner — Restaurant in Town of Oyster Bay

Absolutely stunning diner, the decor was both nostalgic and classy, down to the individual jukeboxes at the tables. (Wonderful sight, incredibly awesome to be able to flip through the selection! They're incredibly well maintained, despite their age.)

As for food, we had ordered the super breakfast, and I personally had a two egg meal, over easy, with home fries and bacon. The yolk ran perfectly, and they took great care not to burn the edges, something that happens often when judging a food establishment for the first time. My date said his meal was amazing as well, and all we took home was toast. (A rarity for me, as I'm a light eater!)

The staff are warm and welcoming, and it's clear they care about their regulars. I instantly felt relaxed and excited to eat since reception, and the ambiance was soothing, hearing the regulars chat and laugh amongst themselves. The staff were also more than understanding about me wishing to finish a coffee I had picked up earlier, and I fully intend to return to try theirs as a thank you. You don't find that hospitality often!

All in all, this was a wonderful experience, both for a date, and I imagine for a family meal as well. My brunch was amazing today, thanks to Arlene, so if she serves your table, you're bound to leave full and happy. I'm dying to bring my parents here for a meal, so I'll let that excitement speak for itself. It's a one of a kind experience, one that I recommend everyone try...

I really wanted to love this place. My boyfriend and I enjoy eating at diners, and after seeing the high reviews, we were excited to try breakfast here. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to our expectations.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict Florentine with home fries. The eggs were great, but the potatoes were a huge letdown. As someone who loves to cook, I know what fresh home fries should taste like—these were clearly leftover baked potatoes from the night before. They were awful.

My boyfriend enjoyed his eggs, and since he’s a coffee fanatic who can easily drink ten cups a day, we assumed he’d love the coffee. However, he didn’t even finish his first cup, which was disappointing, especially since the service was excellent and the staff came by at least four times to offer refills.

I had black tea, and both of us noticed a strange taste in the water—it seemed unfiltered. Anyone familiar with Long Island’s water knows it’s not the best, so that may have been the issue.

Many of the positive reviews seem to focus on lunch and dinner, so maybe that’s where this place shines. Unfortunately, breakfast just didn’t hit the mark for us, and we left...

If you are familiar with New York diners, the Empire Diner is like most all of them. The food is good, the prices are a little bit more expensive then some sandwich shops, but this is not unusual for diners. You certainly will have much more of a selection than you will at places like Denny's or your average sandwich shop. The quality of the food is also much better than you would find in any of these other places. Like with most anything, you get what you pay for. This Diner is clean and the staff is and friendly, especially a waitress named Kristi. If you go in there, I would make it a point to ask for her as I have never had a better dining experience than when she was taking care of my table. This Diner has been here for many years and I would generally choose this place over any of the other choices, if nothing else for the variety and quality...