Lake Effect Diner

We went there on a Friday afternoon 1ish, not rush hour, the diner is almost empty. However, it took an hour for us to get our lunch special… Isn’t lunch special supposed to be faster?!
And the food was just so so, not worth the waiting.
Not going back again, and not gonna recommend the place to anyone.

I was craving a standard diner style eggs and homefries plate. But, being already after 2:00 pm, several other options were ruled out. That’s when I opened my Unilocal app to see what I had bookmarked to-​try. Lake Effect Diner, perfect. I had them bookmarked for the griddled mac and cheese but I was pretty sure they’d be able to accommodate my late breakfast craving as well.
As it turns out, this was great time to check this place out. There were only a few other people there when I arrived. I received a friendly welcome and took a seat at the counter. Their menu is pretty huge, so even though I thought I knew what I wanted, I took a few minutes to peruse it. The entire menu, breakfast, lunch, and dinner is all available any time. I ended up going with the Potato Pancakes Stuffed Florentine. That sounded really interesting and proved to be a great idea.
I was thrilled to discover that they offer fresh squeezed orange juice. A big THANK YOU to everyone here that included that in their reviews or I might have missed out.
They have pretty much anything else you could possibly want to drink here as well including an espresso machine, regular coffee, tea, juices, soda, beer, wine, and 25 different flavors of milkshakes. I’ll be back soon to try one of those.

I’ve only been here for breakfast so can only speak to that food type, but everything has been so good! They don’t charge extra for egg White omelets like almost everyone else does, and the rye bread is so good and even better with the homemade jam. It’s a small place, so get there early, love the nostalgia in the decorations.

Buffalo, New York —
«Lake Effect Diner» breakfast was okay …
What this vintage diner lacked in service & staff personalties (except the grill-​master), it made up for in neighborhood location, food presentation, fair pricing, and customer interaction
not the place if in a hurry, but otherwise give it a try …
off-​street parking is a plus too …
«Run-​A-​Way Bill» was here!
06.10.16 & 06.13.16

Food was amazing service was great and my apple cinnamon pancakes were under priced that’s how good they are. I would come here over any restaurant any day of the week!!!

Sat at the counter in true diner fashion! Extra crispy fried chicken was worth the wait! I recommend the grilled mac n cheese as a side dish. They offer gluten free chicken as well. Love this place!

Walked in on Friday at around 3pm when it was nearly dead. Sat down for around 10 minutes before anyone asked if we wanted a drink. Waited another 10 minutes before walking out because no one ever came back. Never going back again, not willing to pay extra menu for overpriced good options because it was on triple D as well.

I dropped in at noon with my boyfriend and I can honestly say it has some of the best diner food I’ve gotten as long as you don’t mind the wait. Definitely a place I would make a routine trip to especially since there are so few good places to eat in Buffalo.
FOOD: I get my usual sunny side up eggs with sausages, home fries, and buttered white toast. The eggs could have been cooked for a bit longer. But the sausages were homemade and tasted a lot like Jack Link beef jerky. They give you this homemade tobacco sauce that is really unique and went well with my home fries. I asked for a freshly squeezed orange juice that was actually freshly squeezed My boyfriend got three eggs with this corn beef with potato and pepper. He got this homemade strawberry jam that was really amazing. Overall the food was exquisite for a diner and the portions were very generous.
SERVICE: The service is pretty slow because there is limited seating and almost always a line. There is also seating outside that they cater to. It can get pretty hectic but as long as you ask, they try their best to accommodate you as soon as possible. The staff was really friendly despite the busyness. Not the type of place for a quick bite, more of a family/​friend gathering.

I love breakfast foods, so after eating here I was definitely a happy camper!
FUN FACTS: So apparently this place was featured on Food Network on «Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives.» And the diner is still an original from 1952!
FOOD: I got the western omelette with ham, cheese, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. It also came with home fries and toast. I absolutely loved my omelette. I mean I almost always love omelettes. But this was so well done and so cheesy! And I’m also so happy cause the peppers and onions were fully cooked and delicious. The home fries were also wonderfully seasoned and so yummy. And for $ 10, the portions were very satisfying, and definitely worth it. My dad ordered the turkey with all the fixings and had no complaints!
SERVICE: So slow. This was the one part of the experience that wasn’t great. The food took well over half an hour, even though there one only one other table there. And when we finally asked for the check, that took a long time too. We ended up just bringing the check up to the cashier to pay, since it took so long.
OTHER: There’s a parking lot here so you don’t have to worry about street parking/​walking. There’s also a tv inside, so we watched election updates while we ate.

It’s rare I give a place 5 stars but this place deserves it. The food is amazing both in taste and presentation. The staff is friendly and they have this amazing orange juice machine that automatically cuts and squeezes 8 oranges to make your glass of fresh squeezed orange juice! I. literally want to try almost everything on their menu.
I highly recommend orange juice, Chesapeake Bay eggs, meatloaf bomber sandwhich, meatloaf dinner, griddles Mac n cheese

My companion and I placed stopped in for take-​out, but ended staying to eat at the counter. The food smells coming off the griddle convinced us.
I ordered the Vegan Wrap open (listed on the menu: VEGAN WRAP– Vegan Burger, Garbanzo Bean Hummus, Cucumber, Tomato, Carrot, Onion, Lettuce and Balsamic Vinaigrette). Our server kindly accommodated my request to have it open (without the wrap), no dressing. I also ordered a side of potato pancakes for a minimal upcharge. My companion ordered the meatloaf and had a choice of two sides. He ordered a Caesar salad and the Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes without the gravy.
The companion’s Caesar salad was nicer than expected from a diner. The romaine was crisp — no wilted pieces. My potato pancakes arrived with his salad. They were enormous and crisp perfection! The applesauce and sour cream accompaniments seemed teeny in comparison. Definitely more food than a side but delicious. One got packed to go, and I shared the other.
My Open Vegan (wrap-​less) burger was homemade, sitting atop a huge mound of fresh veggies and topped with creamy hummus. The burger was moist and made in-​house. It was one of the best I’ve had locally, and served with Sam’s pita. My companion enjoyed his brown sugar glazed meatloaf but would have preferred it less sweet. He said his choice of the garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes balanced it out though.
The companion ordered a shake (over 26 flavors) to go because we kept watching them being made. While almond milk (plain and chocolate) is available, there is only regular ice cream or yoghurt to chose from.
Our bill was about $ 56 not including tip. The food is prepared to order, so expect a moderate wait especially if busy!

Went to Lake Effect around 7:30 on a Friday night. It was completely dead in there. Not sure if it’s more popular during breakfast hours or late night but we were one of two couples in the restaurant during this time.
It has the classic diner feel. Long counter with individual stools and booths. I ordered the classic chicken noodle soup and a side of griddled mac and cheese. My accompaniment ordered the smoked ham with red eye gravy dinner.
My soup had great flavor but was quite oily. Also it was all dark meat chicken which looked gross in the soup. There was only about four noodles in the soup. But it really had good flavor.
The mac and cheese was good but I don’t love mac and cheese to begin with. The crusty layer of cheese was the best part. Next time I would ask for it extra «griddled» so it’s more crispy.
My accompaniment said the ham was good but there was hardly on the plate for $ 18. I tried it and thought it was good. It was cut so thin though and I like it a little thicker when it’s off the bone. The gravy was very thin and oily. I never had red eye gravy before but from what I read it is supposed to have more flavor than what Lake Effect’s had. This was featured on Diner, Drive In, & Dives with Guy Fieri on Food Network. But that was years ago…
We both had a milkshake as well. I had the Banana Split milkshake and he had the Oreo Mint. Both were good. $ 6 each.
Our service was terrible which is why I brought it down even another star. Again, there was two couples in the restaurant and two waiters. Ours was just not happy to be there and came to our table once for a drink refill. We were done eating for at least 15 minutes and she didn’t come over until I basically eyed her over.
All in all, the food was ok. Service was bad. But I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt that she had a bad day. Could’ve been a better price. I’d rather go to the Olympic in Kenmore. This wasn’t worth $ 47.

One of our fave diners in Buffalo! Cool 50s style décor in a boxcar. Small and unassuming with a very diverse, interesting menu. They serve breakfast AND dinner all day too! We’ve eaten here several times and tried many of the menu items and have never been disappointed. This morning I had the quiche pie (yummy and super cute with an awesome side cup of fruit)… The hubby had some kind of peameal bacon with hollandaise sauce and eggs sandwiched between a couple of potato pancakes… Impressive! The wait staff has always been consistently friendly and efficient too. If you like diner style food, you really should try it!

The food:
The in-​house cured and smoked ham with red eye gravy was amazing. I also enjoyed the griddle mac & cheese. I highly recommend that everyone that visits this place give it a try. I also tried the Oktoberfest milkshake. This combination was a little bit strange but it wasn’t bad.
The service:
The service was just as good as any other diner. I found it very helpful that the staff knew the menu very well and could even tell me what dishes were featured on diners drive-​ins and dives. I also saw the manager being a team player by pitching in and helping out with wiping off tables.
The atmosphere:
50s diner style.
Would I come back?
I would definitely come back for the mac & cheese and smoked ham. I give this place four stars because everything is made in house and is exceptionally good for a diner. This is by far one of the best diners I’ve ever been to. Everything tasted home made. It was like mom is back in the kitchen cooking.

A road trip to the northeast isn’t complete without hitting up a couple Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives establishments. Our pick for this particular trip was the cute little Lake Effect Diner in Buffalo, NY.
The service was pretty decent — we were seated quickly in the boxcar style diner, and given a few pointers on what a first-​timer should order.
I opted for crab cakes and a southwest omelet, my partner went with a steak sandwich.
The crab cakes were delectable. Freshly made and topped with a spicy garlic aioli just how I like them. The omelet was also amazing! They smoke their own meat at this diner, and it shows in the tender, smoky ham nestled in the cheesy egg goodness. The house made chili sauce offered made a great accompaniment to the home fries as well. My partner wasn’t as thrilled with the steak sandwich. A little dry, a little bland — but he definitely enjoyed the warm fresh squeezed orange juice on the side.
We absolutely enjoyed our trip to another one of Guy’s stops, and highly recommend the Lake Effect!

I’ve been to lake effect diner multiple times, each time was pretty consistent. I most recent went last week for early breakfast with a friend after work. I ordered the quiche was very delicious. My friend ordered the 3−3−3 which is 3 pancakes, eggs, and a meat. We also ordered 2 mimosas to go with our breakfast.
To be honest, I wished I had ordered the 3−3−3 instead of the quiche. It looked and smelled so delicious and was a better portion than the quiche. The one thing preventing me from giving them 4 stars is that they do NOT include prices of the alcoholic beverages on their menu. When we asked the waitress for the price, she said it was like $ 5, however when our bill came it was actually $ 8 a piece (not a big deal but a waitress should know the price of menu items).
All in all a positive experience. Worth coming to try out since it was featured on Food Network’s DDD at one point.

I’ve had both wonderful and meh experience’s at Lake Effect. The service is either fabulous or spotty and the food is either wonderful or slightly messed up.
One Visit:
The crab cake appetizer is (yeah at a diner) really good. The brushetta in the center of the crab cake plate was great by itself. Crab cakes were well seasoned and crispy on the outside. Yum. Banana milkshake was really good. The beef on weck with poutine on top and grilled mac and cheese special is seriously delicious and decadent. The poutine was actually really good, real cheese curds, well seasoned gravy, excellent fries. Beef was proper medium. Even the basics like a grilled ham and cheese were really well executed with quality ingredients and an obvious attention to taste.
Our waiter was really wonderful too and took great care of us. Very attentive and helpful.
Another Visit:
Over cooked blueberry pancakes that were difficult to cut through. Bottom side was tough and unappetizing. Under cooked home-​fries. Toast with several charcoaled burnt corners. (I wouldn’t have served that in my home.) Negligent service from our waitress and lack of timely coffee refills.
Overall: This place has good ingredients but inconsistent execution and when there are either too many or too few customers the wait staff tend to get lost. Even when the food is bad it’s better than most diner experiences so I think it’s worth a shot. Food can be pricey here but they do locally source some things and make large portions. Parking can be difficult if they’re busy.

I have always wanted to visit this place because of its cool looks. I love old fashion boxed car diners.
Despite the restaurant settings from the 50s, the old posters hanging on the wall, the funny part is, they use a tablet to take your order, a perfect example of a fusion of the old and new.
I ordered a 3−3 – 3(beacon, egg, pancakes). And they came in 2 huge plates. Serving size is huge! And it was only $ 8.
We got there just a little before noon before the crowd. The restaurant was packed and people had to wait for a table. I would have loved this place more if I could stay longer after my meal. Overall, this place is fantastic.

I am increasing the rating — after I wrote the review (below) the service improved greatly. I’ve been back three times and each time our food was very good and service was quick and polite. It’s a sign of a great business that takes criticism constructively and makes necessary changes.
Today marked my 4^th experience here in 6 months
Entirely
Food is 4 stars. Service is something else
I really want to like this place. The food is great, and I’m willing to pay a premium for higher quality ingredients, but the service makes me want to tear my hair out.
The only great dining experience I’ve had here was when I sat at the counter. The homemade hash was delicious, the food came quickly. I had a friendly conversation with another diner. Lovely breakfast
But back to the service. The manager of this place just doesn’t understand restaurant flow. I feel like he’s working for his own tips, because he doesn’t appear to be supporting his wait staff at all.
This space is not large. Any wait staff walking past any table should be picking up empties, refilling coffee, running credit cards etc. it doesn’t happen here. It’s like the manager has his tickets and the server has theirs and the customer is at the mercy of a clear lack of communication.

I had a pretty troubling incident today, and I figure it’s worth knocking a star off of my review. We’d had a very nice brunch, with poutine and a Reuben sandwich, which were both quite excellent. We hadn’t been lingering very long, just finishing our coffee, when they sat a party of 4 next to us, and then the manager said fairly loudly «and then when these people are out of here, we’ll seat you 4.»
We looked at each other and the guy continued, «yeah that means you.» So we vacated our seats. I felt it was pretty rude, and it made us both pretty angry, spoiling a perfectly good brunch. I understand that this place is close to UB, but we’re not all college students.