Say hello by adding comments HERE. You do not need to register or login or anything else.

A great establishment
Posted by boo1233 on 02/03/2006

By far anyone who comes to this restaurant leaves with a smile and promising to come back. Its just an all around great place to eat the owner comes around and shakes your hand and brings you newspaper and they serve you cookies and oranges as you are waiting on line and sitting. Please just check it out for your self and I know that you will feel the same.

What a wonderful place!!
Posted by rebecarc on 01/30/2006

The service and the food are that good that it doesn't really matter how long you wait!
It's a classic. My favorites there are: chocolate milkshake! mmm, any type of pancakes or waffles! and eggs!

Good Value
Posted by cincity841 on 11/14/2005

I've been going to Tom's for about four years now. I love it because it's a quaint little place to grab a bite. Sometimes I grow a bit weary of dining in those pretentious, haughty-taughty, high fashion eateries. The prices are small, the servings are big, I'm a happy camper.

Gotta Love It
Posted by coffey333 on 09/29/2004

Nothing fancy here. Eat and go, but it's a part of the 'hood that just has to be here. Cheap and good, especially when you're hungry.

My favorite restaurant
Posted by emh_ofmann on 06/14/2004

this place is amazing. it's totally an indescribable experience you must have for yourself! you feel whisked back to a time where friendliness, promptness and service were number one. i loved the coffee, cookies and oranges while you wait! and the food comes so fast! this is my favorite restaurant. the only drawback is that it's closed on sundays. so just go any other day of the week and you're all set!

A Classic Greasy Spoon
Posted by taksa on 05/12/2003

People in the Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Park Slope area rave about Tom's. But I highly doubt that they rave about the food. They may love the wacky/tacky decore, the overly gracious host, Gus, and his staff, the loads of freebies (oranges, cookies, lollies and wet naps), but the food is just mediocre. Plentiful, with many choices and variations, but very mediocre. You get greasy breakfasts and lunches served on greasy tables with hovering flies. If that's your thing, go to Tom's, but if it's not… you have been warned.

Good food great service
Posted by redmaeven on 03/27/2003
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

I work in the neighborhood, and if I had time to go to Tom's for lunch everyday I would. The staff are THE BEST! and I don't compliment service often. The menu is large and everything I've tried is good. And who can say no to free orange slices and cookies?!

Reality Check
Posted by darlingstorm on 01/30/2003

Let's calm down folks, this is just a diner. The food's pretty good, but the only amazing item is the pancakes. The restaurant itself is cramped, the heating and air conditioning only work in parts of the restaurant, and it's none too clean. And for a diner, it's not that cheap! If you want a real diner, I'm afraid you'll have to go all the way to Jersey…

"Can the owner, staff and interior be any cuter??
This place has a wide variety of breakfast delights– lots of yummy egg- omelets, Benedict. All sorts of goodies here!! Refills of coffee a plenty here! If you are looking for an old school breakfast diner with great service and fun atmosphere, this is the place!!"
Jenn G

"Not enough stars in the sky to click and drag into this Yelp rating. Far and away the BEST breakfast experience in NYC. This is a landmark diner and cherished by patrons new and old. During the Martin Luther King riots the surrounding neighborhood was on fire, stores were looted, and chaos abounded…however the neighborhood folk held hands and protected Tom's from even a scratch. That is more than just good eggs! The other noteworthy buzz around Tom's is that Suzanne Vega penned the 90's hit Tom's Diner sipping on a cherry lime ricky (a must have) right at their counter.
But oh I would be remiss not to mention the food! THE PERFECT PANCAKE!!! I don't know why NYC is so pancake challenged but this is one of the only places I've been to that makes a delicious, light, fluffy, pancake…not the usual kind that make you feel like you ate cement which seem to be everywhere else in NYC.
There is a line out the door during peak breakfast hours but they give you cookies and orange slices to pass the time. How cute is that? I have a dream…and it's Tom's."
Katie Q.

"Hands down my favorite breakfast place in the Greater United States. If you live in the neighborhood you've probably already stood in the line. If you have you must. Even, if you are not in the neighborhood (hey even if you're in CA) its worth the trip.
I guess I should deny all of this and try not the lengthen the line."
TL C.

"It's really sad that people don't have time for breakfast anymore. But if you do, please do yourself a favor and stop by Tom's. They serve those really great, big traditional breakfasts. It'll make you start eating real breakfasts again."
Li Ping L.

"Tom's is genuinely old school. Open Monday - Saturday from 6am - 4pm, breakfast is indeed served all day. Large stacks of French Toast with delicious strawberry and orange-flavored butter, crispy, long slices of bacon that melt in your mouth and omelettes galore.Don't leave without having an egg cream or the heavily advertised cherry lime ricky and make sure to grab one of the free chocolate cookies and orange slices as they come around. They just don't do diners like this any more!"
Christy V.

"Tom's Diner is kind of a neighborhood secret, but I have to share — it's a beautiful 30s diner filled with fake flowers, twinkling party lights and all kinds of funny ornaments like ceramic hens. Every inch of the two rooms is a burst of color, the staff wear matching outfits and the music is old timey. The pancakes are the thing to go for here; pumpkin walnut, lemon ricotta, mango, sweetcorn & cranberry, and the list goes on. My girlfriend and I usually do eggs and split a short stack. Saturdays there's a line, Sundays they don't even open, so the best time to go is weekdays between 6am & 4pm."
Paula H.

"Ok, this is my absolute favorite breakfast place in New York. Why? It serves DELICIOUS, old-school diner-y, big breakfasts–that aren't greasy and heavy, just hearty and delicious. They have great straight-up eggs and bacon, and then fancier things like Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. THe coffee is good and so is the selection. The real reason to go to Tom's, though,is the unbelievable, we've-gone-back-in-time-to-a- 1950's-that-never-even-existed atmosphere. Everyone is exceedingly, genuinely nice, and they do down-home things like bring you coffee and oranges if you are waiting for a table. They just don't make 'em like this any more."
Emily A.