Blue Ribbon Restaurant & Bakery

Decent food, service lacks and pricing is rediculously high for diner food. Their desserts are probably the best even out of any bakery I have ever been to but their typical diner food lacks and is way over priced. I paid $ 15 for a bacon cheeseburger served with 17 french fries and 3oz of shredded cabbage (Cole slaw) in all my wife and two kids (2yrs and 5 yrs) paid $ 45, I would of expected soup, salad and bread at these prices. I would of rated 0 stars if it wasn’t for their deserts which I passed on this time because we paid so much for burgers! Bellvue café has better service and a much better value.

DH and I have been going to this place for breakfast way before Unilocal was even invented… I like the place and the owners. They donated some of their wonderful cheese cakes and carrot cakes to our fire department for a event we were having. So needless to say it’s a great place to come for a delicious meal. I did notice the prices have gone up recently… I had 3 slices of French Toast @ $ 5.79 and my DH had 2 Eggs with bacon & coffee for $ 8.69… Mind you it’s not a lot of money total $ 15.64 inc tax but for breakfast it has gone up. I think everyone there was retired… We arrived later in the morning pass the special time which I think is 11am… It was nice to get out for breakfast for a change or maybe I should call it Brunch!

I have been coming to this place for a long time. Lately, my experience with this place is getting worse and worse. Hostess and waitress are snob and rude. They always seat us in very back dark corner. This time we asked them to seat us in different table but hostess said that table is dirty, which was not. Never brought any kids stuff. Pay minimum attention and just drop off the check. I went up and paid. Hostess didn’t thank me and just went back chatting with other staff. Waitresses were eating right where they pick up food (gross) and their breakfast is like one you get in dive in diner (burnt and dry). We paid about $ 30.00 for Mac D level food and service. Yuk. They used to be great. Great service and great food. Now they lost all that in exchange for the appearance and décor. y

I love this place. It’s my go to restaurant. When in doubt, go to Blue Ribbon. I love their salads, gyros, reubens, and most of all; the moussaka. It is so decadent and creamy I end up ordering it most of the time. Their all day breakfast is always great for a late riser like myself. A+ pancakes by the way.

Food was mediocre but surprising for a diner style place. The server was clearly sick of life. A fake smike goes a long way, if he realized that I might have tipped more than 5%.

I’ve been to the blue ribbon for take out breakfast a few times the past couple years and it’s always been a reliable choice. I was recently here for lunch and was really disappointed. I ordered the chicken caesar wrap which came with a side of fries. I know diners are typically for breakfast, but I was in the mood for lunch. I’ve had really good caesar wraps from other diners in the area but this one might have been the worst I’ve ever had. Whoever rolled my wrap needs to take a «wrap rolling 101» class because the the distribution of the lettuce, chicken and dressing on the inside was so off. The chicken was only at the top of the wrap, so when you got towards the bottom of the wrap it was basically empty except for some iceburg lettuce. Half of the wrap was still on the plate when I was done because all it was was a wrap with lettuce in it. The chicken wasn’t very good either, and the fries were nothing special. The wrap was almost 10 $ which seemed expensive considering the low quality food and ingredients used. The service was good, but I’m not sure if I’d be back for lunch. If they can’t make a basic item like a chicken caesar wrap taste good, then I’m not sure what else stands a chance. Maybe this place is good for breakfast only.

It’s almost like all of Schenectady comes to the Blue Ribbon on Sunday morning.
Even though there is a big parking lot, when I arrived just before 10am, there wasn’t a spot to be found. Fortunately, there was street parking right around the corner. Naturally, with such a crowd, there was a line to get seated.
The line kept on moving, but what was absolutely astonishing was the speed of service. We had coffee right away. Our egg sandwiches and grilled blueberry muffin arrived in what felt like mere seconds after we ordered it. Coffee refills kept on coming. And even though the service was speedy, we never felt rushed to order or to leave.
As far as diner breakfasts go, this one is better than average. I guess that’s one reason it’s so packed. And that also makes for some great people watching.

Food it’s great and fast ! Love the desserts on the way out ! Staff it’s courteous and helpful.

Being from NJ I am not familiar with places to eat in the Schenectady area. This diner was picked by my boyfriend and his dad and it was a great pick. The service was quick and the food was good. Perfect for a quick morning breakfast before starting the day. If I didn’t wanna try different places in the area while I’m visiting I would go there again tomorrow for breakfast.

Excellent service and friendly staff. Delectable food, and a bakery on premises makes the best deserts in Schenectady.

My favorite place for breakfast! Beware, though, the fruit that comes on the waffles ruined them.
The selection is outrageous! There are so many options. Desserts too! And they are amazing!
The chicken and rice or cream of chicken soup is the best I’ve had.
The service is almost always good. I’ve only had one off experience and even that wasn’t terrible.
The wait time usually flies. Sunday’s after church gets a little busier, so try to beat the crowd.

Best diner in Schenectady. Never had a bad meal in my life here. Although I do miss getting the White Power Ranger meal as a kid.

Nice diner with a large menu offering anywhere from a large amount of breakfast items sandwiches, full dinners, and a ton of desserts. I ordered a Reuben as it said it was a house favorite, i was little surprised that for $ 10 it didn’t include fries, if you wanted fries it was $ 1.50 extra. It did include one very small condiment cup size of coleslaw which was good put very small and was only about one or two bites. I will say the Reuben was piled with a ton of corned beef and was very tasty and had a lot of sauerkraut as well along with Swiss cheese. While it wasn’t the best Reuben I have ever had it was decent. For dessert i got a piece of black forest cake to go which was excellent it had a decent amount of fruit filling was super moist and was one of the best cakes i have ever had. I would go back again but will agree with other reviewers that is on the pricey side for a diner.

Try their french toast w/​whipped cream, topped with strawberries and a side of sausage!!! Yummy! Quick, attentive service as well!

I have been going here since I was born, before they remodeled the place. The food is always good no matter time of day it is. Just a tad above regular Dinner food. It can get crowded easily here, so plan ahead. Great desserts too.

Okay! Do you want to go to a diner? Lots of options, right? Well if you choose this one, you’ll be happy. Is it the best? Maybe… They’re really good though, so it’s a solid choice. Try them out!
The menus is extensive but not overwhelming. And everything seems to be cooked very well. I’ve only had a few items, but I’ve seen a lot of good looking food come out of their kitchen.

I go here almost every week and every time I come the food is great. The waitresses are very nice, we always sit at the counter and we have the same waitress every time and she is very nice. The cream of chicken soup is probably the best soup I’ve ever had. The salads are very good, pretty good sized. The macaroni and cheese is homemade and is very yummy. The blue ribbon burger, is amazing, comes with sautéed mushrooms and onions. Overall this is an awesome restaurant and a great diner. They also have a dessert case that’s sells everything from cookies to cakes. This diner is my favorite in the capital region, and never had anything bad from this diner

The classic New York diner!
Everything from a grilled cheese sandwich to Moussaka !
The menu is as thick as their 8oz Blue ribbon Burger with everything you can imagine.
You will find everything from a Gyro to Chicken Souvlaki to a Reuben Sandwhich.
Their bakery is one of the best in Schenectady… Try their greek custard and you will be hooked, like going to meetings and attending support groups to stop eating it. :)
Their cheesecake (I like it plain, if it’s good why cover it up with anything) is one of the best in the country & blows away Cheesecake factory.
The only downside is the prices. Now in all fairness they do give you nice size portions
however they aren’t afraid to charge you for it. I ordered the chicken souvlaki salad which comes in a bowl about 15 inches in diameter, fresh grilled chicken & veggies.
However they put it on iceberg lettuce!!! And the time I requested romaine lettuce it was like a $ 1.50 UPCHARGE. Which to me is plain arrogance… I mean a head of romaine costs $ 1.50 and the salad is $ 10.99 to start with.
We recently went in on a Saturday night which we rarely do, usually if we go out on a Saturday night it’s my wife & I and we would normally go to a fine dining establishment
however with the thanks giving holiday just passed I needed a break from cooking & the kids were with us. Food was great as usual however $ 70 + tip for 4 people, 3 had dessert and all drank water. That is the reason the Blue Ribbon Diner gets a four star review from me & not a 5.
I will not be going back for dinner as there are better places I can go for that kind of money.
Food is great, just a little expensive!

The blue ribbon diner is a family favorite. Nice staff, good food, good pricing. One tip for blue ribbon: consider offering flavored creamer for coffee.

We’ve been meaning to update the review since the Blue Ribbon got a renovation last summer, so here goes.
The service problems seem to have been addressed, at least insofar as our last few visits have indicated, so both the table service and kitchen service are back to their previous prompt levels. As ever, they seem to do better during busy times than slack ones.
Update: I am informed by management most non-​breakfast items are available at breakfast, you have to ask (they give you only a breakfast menu by default), so half-​credit there on the Diner-​tude front and a bonus for management responsiveness to my non-​breakfast-​item-​wishes.
The inside has been brightened up, and the new lobby/​airlock has made ingress and egress much easier (as well as adding a double-​wide ramp to the east side, the one with the larger parking lot). I can’t say the décor is exactly spectacular — it’s bland diner standard — but it’s not as gloomy as it was.
The Blue Ribbon’s insanely popular and busy, run in the mill food or not, so if you go expect a little congestion in both being seated and the oddly-​configured cash register when settling up.
I have a modest amount of affection for the Blue Ribbon as a locals joint, but I will say the busy-​ness of the place has made it a bit less relaxed than I like my diners of late, and while the location is convenient the food is just pretty standard. It is certainly the best diner-​style place in Schenectady these days, no doubt. So we go sometimes, other times we head down the road to the diners further down Central.