Parkside Cafe

How this place managed to get 4 stars blows my mind.
First off, the service was awful. Its a seat-​yourself, however you will sit and wait 5 minutes before someone moseys over and asks what you want to drink/​eat.
We decided to go with the buffet, first mistake. It was empty. After a few tries I managed to find a plate that wasn’t dirty, grabbed the last piece of bacon and got some biscuits and gravy. Mediocre.
10 – 15 minutes later the rest of the buffet filled up… which means 5 palm sized pancakes and french toast were placed in the, former Friches, buffet bin.
Then to top this experience off, when we went to pay, I had to leave my boyfriend with the check because the area by the cash register smelled so foul that I was getting nauseous.
I will give this place 1 star because I did not get food poisoning… yet.
Also, my chocolate milk was 3 dollars.3 dollars?

Serving size makes it worth the visit. I don’t recall how/​why we stopped by but it was a great visit. The server was attentive and polite. We had a lot of questions about how the pancakes were made and whether breakfast and lunch dishes were mix well; our server was nice and answered everything. The Ham & Swiss sandwich was great. The Chicken Wing Basket was fine. The interior looks a little outdated but it was still a good experience.

Throwing them a rare review for lunch/​dinner, though this is clearly a well loved breakfast/​brunch spot! I went here for the first time recently after having to get blood drawn — the full no eating for 12 hours testing and being miserable thing. As someone that loves food (obviously) and is used to eating a bunch of small meals every 2 hours, this was miserable. When I drug myself in to parkside café, halfdead and barely conscious I didn’t want to have to think about what I wanted to eat, no ordering and waiting for me. I got the soup and salad bar, and I went to town.
The salad bar is great! They have good fresh veggie options, with plenty of spinach, and the two women working kept it restocked for me despite being one of very few customers. Very friendly staff, one of whom recommended I try the chicken noodle soup, since it is home made. That was the absolute perfect suggestion. The soup was LOADED with chicken, in a way you wouldn’t expect from most places that sell you a single cup, let alone somewhere offering all you can eat. The broth was rich and hearty, with it’s own flavor (not just the salty watery crap you get from cheap soups), fully developed from multiple vegetables — the usual carrot. onion/​celery. I would have loved for it to have a bit more of the carrots and celery for color, but the flavor was undeniable, and the noodles were there in the right ratios — not too much to make you need a fork to eat it. THe other soup of the day tomato vegetable, was thick and hearty as well, but not nearly as delicious. Large chunks of potatoes provided the starch, and it tasted good enough, but it lacked the richness and body of the chicken noodle.
The salad bar also had some excellent home made salads and coleslaws, the italian in particular was not drug down by overbearing italian dressing, but lightly dressed instead. While the coleslaw was a little too sweet, I enjoyed a little bit of it on the side with my multiple trips to get mounds of veggies.
Most importantly though, Parkside’s salad bar had TURKEY on the bar. THat is so rare anymore! As someone who doesn’t eat any pork I have often just assumed salad bars to be essentially vegetarian options for me, best case they’ll have hard boiled eggs. Not so here (although they have hardboiled eggs too)! This bar has bacon and ham as well if you still dine on the swine, but as someone who abstains I was absolutely thrilled to find some white meat.
So yeah, it’s a little run down, the neighborhood isn’t amazing, but you’re not eating lunch on the corner at 3am, so who cares? It’s damn good food, at a damn good price, and I’m damn well going back.
Edit: Went here for brunch buffet with a huge group of 12 hungry fighters. We kept them working the whole time, but they couldn’t have been more polite and awesome. Food would hit the bar and instantly disappear, but they kept it coming. Brunch bar is everything you’ve heard — biscuits are to die for, bacon is extra crispy, sauteed veggies are delicious, goetta is greasy, you are in heaven. Greasy, carb and sugar overload, heaven.

Hidden gem. Doesn’t try to make breakfast fancy. An amazing value for what you get. Omelettes and pancakes are great.

Food was excellent for the price. Old friches décor was okay but the ambience was a bit off. Worth the trip. Will be back.

I walked up here from Fisher-​Griffin while they worked on my car (see my review on them).
I arrive about 8:45 and there was only one table taken. Usually not a good sign. The place is seat-​yourself so I took a booth by a window. The waitress came over quickly and gave me a menu. She also brought my coffee. Unfortunately the coffee was a little cold which was strange. She came back after I had checked the menu and took my order; two pancakes, two eggs (scrambled) and sausage. Then I waited.
It took a bit longer than I expected since the other table had already gotten their food. But eventually it came (and I really wasn’t in a hurry). The portions were of decent size and actually tasted good. The sausage were two patties, slightly spicy and the eggs were cooked well. The pancakes seemed a little different. The did not come apart well and I had to tear them apart but they tasted pretty awesome. Overall, I thought the food quality good.
The waitress came over a couple times to check on me and refill my coffee (which was hot that time) and she was pleasant.
Overall, the place seems a bit laid back. The food was pretty good and the price was under $ 9 for what I ordered. Can’t beat that.
Besides the slow service and a bit of limited menu it was a good experience. I’d have to try again before recommending it to someone.

I actually heard about this place from Unilocal.I decided to try it out the very next day. I am so glad that I did! What a gem located in East Walnut Hills.
First of all the staff, they are the nicest servers I have had a chance to mingle with. You seat your self and then they come and greet you! I love it!!! They do have a breakfast buffet on Saturday & Sundays, but I have not tried it yet. I prefer to have a plate from the menu with some coffee. The coffee is really good, not too strong and not too mellow.
I have had the half serving sausage gravy & biscuits with a side of bacon. It was so tasty and filling. My other half has gotten the Parkside Breakfast and what a huge amount of food he got! Everything was tasty, I would recommend getting the tater tots instead of the parkside potatoes. Please check out this gem. You will not be disappointed at all.

I am utterly confused about this place. Everyone seems to love it, and yet we had such an terrible experience. I truly do not get it.
We were planning a Saturday trip to a local gallery in the area and figured we’d grab a quick bite for breakfast/​brunch. I personally love little hole-​in-​the-​wall diners so this place looked like it fit the bill perfectly, and with a four star Unilocal rating, I did not think we could go wrong. The biggest problem I have with the restaurant though is that if you’re going to serve breakfast, you absolutely must know how to cook eggs!
We both decided against the breakfast buffet (because it looked a little tired) and opted for ordering off their regular menu. He got scrabbled eggs, bacon, and tater tots, and I got the Eggs Benedict. The second our meal showed up, I knew we’d made a mistake. My Eggs Benedict was basically an untoasted English Muffin with ham and then topped with two eggs that had been cooked beyond hard boiled with no seasoning. The hollandaise sauce was separating and almost looked like it was curdling. I took one bite and was done. His scrambled eggs were also severely overcooked and unseasoned. The amazing thing is that the restaurant seemed to have someone checking the food as it was coming out of the kitchen to make sure it was good to serve. Not clear to me how my meal in particular got past that guy. I should have taken a picture. It looked horrifically unappetizing.
Perhaps someone can explain to me what I’m missing, but just be warned, I personally do not understand how this place has a four star rating on Unilocal

This little gem in the middle of a worn down part of Walnut Hills is well worth the trip!
We went for breakfast/​brunch and it was all I could have ever dreamed of!
There was a breakfast bar but we went right for the main menu to get a good feel for the staples. I got an omelet and my date got the pancakes. The omelet was perfectly stuffed with all sorts of breakfast meats and cheese and the eggs were perfectly fluffy! The pancakes received rave reviews as well!
The service was fast and friendly! The coffee was hot and plentiful. Parking is easy in the lot. It even looked like they had a drive through!
Best of all since it is in an old Frisch’s they still have the Frisch’s crushed ice!!!
I’m going back to check out the lunch offerings soon!

From the exterior, it looks as though Parkside was once a Frisch’s. In fact, the buffets are still set up the same and there was crushed ice, too. All pluses.
Alas, Parkside also had its own charm and its own take on breakfast and lunch options. I went to Parkside with some friends before a Bengals game and, while they all got the $ 7.99 breakfast buffet (served from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays), I wanted to order off the menu. I saw Eggs Benedict were an option and I simply couldn’t resist. That was, until I saw that tater tots were on the buffet! And here I thought getting French fries with my meal was going to be good. They were, but TOTS! Next time. (There will be one.)

I’m surprised that this place has so many positive reviews.
Summary of my experience on a Sunday with friends (all first timers):
CONS
Questionable Sanitation
1. waiter was dirty — think he always wiped his hands on his shirt but never washed his shirt + dried boogers were crusted around his nose
2. my friend and I ordered tea — her mug had lipstick stains on it, mine had a ring in the mug
3. we all order glass of waters, all with complimentary questionable large floating particles (eg mines was old grits) we did not continue to drink the water
PROS
1. cheap
2. ok food (except the questionable potatoes)
3. good, quick service
OVERALL: I would not return unless they had a bar rescue or a makeover

Close to Eden park, got done walking the dog and was surprised by this good breakfast joint. Food came quick, service was good, food was okay and cheap.

Went for a classic breakfast– I had the Parkside Breakfast — 2 eggs, choice of meat, potatoes, and toast with jam. Eggs cooked perfectly over easy, but the sausage was a little greasier than I might have liked (and no links, just patties, what do you expect though!)
Boyfriend got stuffed French toast– no complaints except that they put a big ball of butter on there which was a little too much for him. Their sides are slightly expensive compared to the rest of their menu.
Overall, a decent place where you know what you’re getting. And plenty of parking!
A bit slow, but service wasn’t bad. Would go back especially to avoid the wait and parking nightmare at other locations! Don’t be intimidated by the location or odd interior.

Yum yum yum! I’ll start by saying that the staff at Parkside are fantastic. They provide a great, hassle free environment to enjoy a little (or a lot when the buffet is concerned) breakfast or lunch. The coffee served here is much better than the standard greasy spoon coffee, it is much more like coffee shop coffee. The omelets are huge and delicious, and while not super healthy, the Belgian waffle is fantastic. This is an excellent breakfast stop!

I am a fan of Parkside mainly for the fact that they can accommodate large groups, and offer a wide variety of options. Me and my friends have made this a monthly, very large gathering place for brunch and the staff always keeps up with our sometimes loud group.
The buffet frankly doesn’t look that great but at 7.99 it seems a good value for the volume. I have never gotten the buffet so I can’t speak to it’s quality.
The menu items are also quite the value, I usually get the Eggs Benedict because its my favorite breakfast food but this last time I went for the greek omelet and boy was I glad I did! the omelet was perfectly cooked, tasty and HUGE. I only paid 6.99 + coffee that kept coming and that makes me happy.

You cannot let the neighborhood or the run down sign scare you away. The food is fantastic and is very reasonable. The brunch buffet is $ 7.99 and is well worth it. The buffet includes a full salad bar with soup in one aisle and on the the other some breakfast staples. I’m a fan of how they included goetta in the buffet line.
If you are not into gorging yourself over the buffet they have an extensive made to order menu. I really liked the blue berry pancakes they had. The Parkside breakfast consisting of 2 eggs, bacon, sausage, tater tots and toast for $ 4.99 is a great deal.

I’m not sure when it started but Sunday brunch has become quite the phenomenon. Quite frankly, I love it! The downsides, however, include long lines, huge crowds and often higher than expected prices. The reason I like Parkside? It has none of the downsides!
My first visit was this morning. I was hesitant because it was further from my favorite spot in Hyde Park. Then as we drove through the back entrance, the crumpled concrete and overgrown weeds in the pavement made me apprehensive… then I had the breakfast buffet. An array of classic breakfast staples had my mouth watering. The eggs were obviously real eggs — none of the powdered stuff. The best part? Goetta. All the goetta you can eat.
At $ 7.99 for all-​you-​can eat, you can’t beat this hidden little gem for Sunday Brunch!

A great place for a quick, hearty, and affordable breakfast!
First things first, Parkside Café is not located in the best part of town. Driving up to the diner, I almost wanted to turn my car around and run in the opposite direction. It is located across from a funeral home, amidst a ton of construction, and seems to be in a really really shady area. However, my friend who adamantly recommended this place was tailing me by car and I really had no way out! But in the end, I’m so glad I stuck to the plan!
We came on a weekday morning at around 11am and was greeted by the smiling face of our server. I ordered the Parkside Breakfast ($ 4.99) which included two eggs, a choice of meat (bacon, sausage, ham, goetta), tater tots, and toast with jelly. The food is very simple, nothing you’ll see on the front page of Food and Wine magazine. But that’s exactly what I loved about it. The food tasted cozy, like a nice homemade breakfast. For $ 4.99 and in less than an hour, I was pleasantly full and ready to take on the day! This will definitely not be my last time at Parkside Café!

Breakfast Club!
Parkside café is definitely a hidden gem on McMillan/​WNH! It was renovated from another chain restaurant so it is quite spacious and was able to seat a larger group together, no problemo! The menu is also extensive, especially for breakfast. I had the traditional breakfast, delicious. The omelettes looked amazing with numerous filling options. Definitely would recommend for breakfast, will be back again if I’m in the area!

Parkside Café was a bit weird for me. First off, it’s located inside an old Frisch’s. They still have a salad bar, they haven’t changed the layout at all, and honestly I just felt like I was eating at Frisch’s.
Even if this place felt weird, but the food was outstanding I still might have given five stars, but my food was average. I ordered the meat lover omelette add green peppers and mushrooms. When it came out it was way overcooked, but some of the ingredients inside were still raw. It was like they just threw them in the omelette at the last minute without actually cooking it. I was a little disappointed especially because of all the hype this place gets.
In their defense this is a solid diner. Coffee is always filled to the brim, and the service was very friendly and nice. I think I will go back and try a simple diner breakfast instead of the omelette because looking around everyone else’s looked delicious including the whopping plate of blueberry pancakes. I definitely need to go back.