Rolando's Diner

Name: Rolando's Diner
Location: 140 Court St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 723-9058
Cuisine: Diner
Price: Dirt cheap. Less than $15 for two.

Review:
I feel like I'm doing this a lot lately, but sorry, readers, for taking so long between reviews. Life gets in the way sometimes, but fortunately we haven't stopped trying new places in and around the Binghamton area and you can expect some new reviews over the next few days.

Today we finally made it down to Rolando's Diner, a mainstay in Downtown Binghamton since 1971 that is well known for its simple charm and low prices. As diner fans, we were hopeful that Rolando's could deliver a quality breakfast, and off we went to check it out.

Rolando's is located on Court St. in a nice, central location. There's plenty of metered parking located out front and we had no trouble finding a spot. The inside of the restaurant features the classic diner layout of some booths lining both sides of the restaurant with a coffee counter along the left side toward the back. I'd imagine the place has not changed much since it opened forty years ago. Which, in my opinion, is not a bad thing.

When we arrived around 11:15 I was hopeful that I could still order breakfast. I was a little discouraged to find that each table had only lunch menus, but when a waitress came by she asked us if we wanted breakfast menus. Big win. A quick glance at the menu showed the usual wide variety of eggs, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, omelets, and pancakes in various combinations. We each ordered a cup of coffee, and Megan ordered two eggs with bacon and homefries with toast ($4). I decided to be an absolute glutton and got three pancakes, two eggs over-easy, home fries, sausage, and coffee included for $6.15. A ridiculously good value, I thought, and it would give me a chance to try out the bulk of the breakfast menu at a low price. Plus, I was really hungry. A win-win situation if there ever was one.


Service was really quick and no-nonsense; our breakfasts arrived in less than 10 minutes. And sure enough, both of us were really pleased with what we got. Megan is tough to please in the bacon department, but it was exactly how she wanted it here. The only complaint she had was that the toast was a little crispier than she would've liked, but overall, she said she liked Rolando's about as much as Danny's Diner (one of her favorite area diners).


As for me, I had no complaints with my breakfast at all. It was exactly what I wanted. The pancakes were golden, fluffy, and most importantly, tasty. The syrup served with the pancakes was the crappy corn syrup variety, but hey, for the price, I'm not expecting real maple. The eggs were cooked exactly to order, the sausage was really tasty, and the home fries were among the best I've had in the area.

If there's one disappointing thing about Rolando's, it's that we didn't visit sooner. Its combination of low-key charm, dirt-cheap prices, huge portions, and tasty food really won me over. This is one of the best diners in Binghamton, and if you are a fan of diner fare in general, Rolando's is pretty much a must-visit.

Grade: A-

Corbin's Cafe

Name: Corbin's Cafe
Location: 115 Nanticoke Ave., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 757-2678
Cuisine: Breakfast/Lunch
Price: Around $20 for two

Review:
Before I begin, apologies to our loyal readers for taking so long between reviews. It's been over a month since the last one. Sometimes the day job gets in the way of writing...but it hasn't stopped us from eating and trying out some new places around the area. New to us, at least.

Corbin's Cafe can be found in West Endicott, near the intersection of Nanticoke and Main. I really hadn't heard too much about Corbin's before heading over to check it out, so I didn't have much of an idea what to expect. We arrived on a rainy Saturday morning around 11:00 AM and the place was bustling. It's a small restaurant with about 10-12 tables of various sizes scattered around its small dining room. Since they were busy, it took us a few minutes to get seated, but eventually we were seated at a small table near the front of the space.

The menu at Corbin's seems to be going for a slightly more upscale diner vibe. They offer various breakfast items, including some specialty omelet choices and Eggs Benedict, as well as sandwiches and wraps for those wishing to go the lunch route. Ever the breakfast fan, I decided to go with their special that day, a Mexican omelet served with home fries and toast. Megan tried out lunch, opting for a Turkey Bacon Ranch wrap with a side of slaw.


I really enjoyed my omelet, admiring it not only for the taste but also for the presentation. The omelet included seasoned ground beef, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and a little cilantro and was perfectly cooked and very tasty. I'd have to say this was one of the finer omelets I've had around town. The rest of the plate was just OK. The home fries were not my favorite and were perhaps a little overdone in spots, while the toast was soggy and soft rather than crispy like I prefer. However, it was still very good tasting bread, even if calling it "toast" might be a slight misnomer.


Megan did not care for her meal very much at all. She commented that her wrap was quite bland and was lacking in the promised ingredients, namely the bacon and the ranch. There was so little bacon in the wrap that at first, she thought they had forgotten to put it in, and not enough ranch dressing to provide much flavor. She did like the slaw, and ended up dipping her bland wrap into the slaw to infuse it with a little more flavor. In the end, I don't think Megan would be too enthusiastic about a return trip to Corbin's.

Service was about average for the area, and I'd say the atmosphere was a little cramped, but somewhat charming. They had some weird, vaguely operatic music playing that was rather loud and intrusive as well. I think Corbin's is a fine spot for a good breakfast in Endicott, but it is not without some flaws. I would definitely go again, and would give a mild recommendation to check it out for yourself.

Grade: B-

Frank's Diner

Name: Frank's Diner
Location: 428 Court St., Binghamton, NY 13904
Phone: (607) 238-1900
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Around $20 for two

Review:
When putting together a Google Map of all of the area restaurants we've reviewed, I noted that one area of town that our blogging exploits have mostly ignored up to this point has been Binghamton's East Side. For whatever reason, we rarely find ourselves over there. Perhaps our distaste for East Side's Cortese Restaurant has led to some subconscious bias. Seeking to remedy the situation, we plan to visit each of the diners on Court St. in the near future. We started with a trip out to Frank's Diner, one of East Side's newer establishments.

Even though Frank's is somewhat new, it takes over the location vacated by the Robin's Nest, one of Binghamton's most popular diners. It's my understanding that Frank, the owner, is a longtime restauranteur in the area, and he appeared to be patrolling the grounds during our visit.

I would classify Frank's as a "family restaurant" variety of diner. It's a reasonably sized place with probably 15-20 tables scattered throughout its dining room. It was evident that the chairs, tables, and floors were newer and cleaner than at most area diners. We went around 12:30 PM on a Saturday, and decided to try both breakfast and lunch. I was in the mood for breakfast food, while Megan ordered from the lunch menu. The breakfast menu was fairly typical, with several egg combos, pancakes, and omelets, but what caught my eye was the offering of several versions of frittata, a quiche-like dish. My mother used to make an egg, bacon, and cheese frittata for special occasions and I always enjoyed it, so I was excited to try out Frank's. I decided to try out the Italian Sausage frittata. Megan was in the mood for a burger and fries, so she went with a Bacon Cheeseburger.


Where to start on the frittata....hmmm... Let's just say, I don't think whoever made the dish I was served had any idea whatsoever what a frittata is. Frittata is a self-contained food like an omelet or quiche. What I was served was a scramble, not a frittata. There were scrambled eggs, sausage, onions, peppers, and home fries, all of which were quite tasty elements. I enjoyed my breakfast quite a lot, but to call it a "frittata" would be completely inaccurate. Not a huge deal since the food was good, but be forewarned.


Megan seemed to enjoy her burger well enough. In her words, it was "passable," yet nothing to get too excited about. On a better note, I tried some of her fries and they were pretty delicious, the crispy, golden-brown variety. Solid.

In the end, my opinion of Frank's is that it's pretty much middle of the road as diners go. Certainly it's one of the cleanest ones in the area, service was fast, and it's the kind of diner where you never have to ask for a coffee refill. The food was satisfying, but I reckon that I was mildly peeved that I didn't really get what I ordered. If we lived in the area, I could see us making Frank's a somewhat regular stop in our dining rotation, but it's not a place we're likely to go out of our way to visit again.

Grade: B-

Acropolis Restaurant

Name: Acropolis Restaurant
Location: 27 Washington Ave., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 754-7766
Cuisine: Greek Diner
Price: Very inexpensive. Around $10 for two for breakfast.

Review:
Another day, another stop on our diner tour. Monday, we ventured to the Red Robin Diner in Johnson City for some old school ambiance. Yesterday, we decided to try out Chris' in downtown Binghamton. Today, it was a trip to Washington Ave. in Endicott to the Acropolis.

The restaurant is much bigger on the inside than it appears from the outside. There's a coffee counter along most of the right side of the restaurant, where the grill is also located. To the left, there is a long, narrow dining room full of spacious booths. The ambiance of the place is nothing to get excited about (the decor looks like it hasn't changed much since the 1960's), but it's pleasant enough. Nevermind the blinking icicle lights strung throughout the dining room. In the end, we found the environment to be comfortable and inviting.

We ordered coffee and I decided to go with pancakes and bacon today, while Megan once again went with eggs, bacon, home fries, and toast. All of this amounted to a mere $9.50, making the Acropolis one of the premier value breakfast spots in the area. For those curious, the menu is fairly standard. The usual egg/pancake fare, in addition to about 6-8 different omelet choices.

Both of us thought our breakfasts were merely decent. My pancakes were not the best I've had--there was something a little weird in the flavor, while the syrup was a far cry from real maple. The bacon was OK, if perhaps a little thin and flabby. Megan enjoyed hers but shared my opinion that it was merely average. But for $9.50 total for the two of us, I'm not expecting a gourmet meal.

For a cheap breakfast in comfortable surroundings with friendly service, you could do a lot worse than the Acropolis. I look forward to going back to try their lunch menu in the near future; I am a sucker for gyros, souvlaki, and the like. For now, I give the Acropolis a mild recommendation. If you are predisposed to liking diners, you'll probably find this one to have some admirable qualities, but if you aren't a diner fan, this will not be the one to convert you.

Grade: B-

Chris' Diner

Name: Chris' Diner
Location: 192 State St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 723-6854
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
The diner tour rolled along again today with a trip to Chris' Diner, located on State St. in downtown Binghamton. The first notable thing about Chris' is the name, which almost certainly is grammatically incorrect and should instead be "Chris's," but I reckon this is Binghamton, not Oxford.

Chris' is the classic "greasy spoon" variety of diner, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They seem to have a pretty loyal following among working class folk and college students alike. Its proximity to the Binghamton Bus Terminal probably leads to a fair bit of traffic as well. Appearance-wise, it's a little shabby looking on the interior with the seats in the booths having gaping holes in the cushions; one gets the sense that this is a place that has seen better days. There are a couple booths and a few tables toward the front of the restaurant and a coffee counter taking up most of the right side along the back. In the old-fashioned diner style, behind the counter lies the grill, where you can watch the cook prepare your meal. From an ambiance perspective, I was not impressed with Chris'.

I ordered a Greek omelet (green pepper, onion, tomato, feta cheese) while Megan went with eggs and bacon. Both meals came with home fries and toast, and we had coffee to drink. Service was quick; within ten minutes, our food was on the table.


As it turns out, I didn't care too much for my breakfast at all. The omelet was on the watery side and the eggs were overcooked (an odd combination, I know). I did not get the sense that the vegetable contents were the freshest, either. The home fries and toast were decent. Coffee was on the weak side.


Megan had about the opposite reaction to mine. She enjoyed her breakfast thoroughly and said that everything was good, even the bacon, an item she is normally picky about. She did agree with me that the ambiance of the diner left a lot to be desired relative to some others in the area, like the Park Diner and the Broadway Diner. On the plus side, our breakfasts were pretty huge and fairly inexpensive.

Chris' Diner did not leave me with the greatest of impressions. I found it average at best, even by diner standards. If you're looking for old-school diner ambiance, there are several places that offer a better experience. And if a good breakfast is what you're seeking, I can't say that Chris' is the place to find one.

Grade: C

Red Robin Diner

Name: Red Robin Diner
Location: 268 Main St., Johnson City, NY 13790
Phone: (607) 729-2346
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
Today, we decided to resume our tour of the area's diners. We've covered a lot of ground and have found some good ones, but still have a few to go. This morning's stop was the Red Robin Diner in Johnson City. We've lived in Johnson City for a long time and passed by the Red Robin countless times over the years, but never bothered to stop. Until the last couple of years, the place looked rather rundown and somewhat sketchy, from the exterior at least. Since acquiring new ownership a couple years ago, I heard that the Red Robin had made somewhat of a rebound to its glory days of years past. I was pretty stoked about giving it a shot.

Ambiance at the Red Robin, located on Main St. in the heart of Johnson City, is old-fashioned even by diner standards. The signage around the restaurant looks like it hasn't changed much, if at all, in the last fifty years; some empty glass Coke bottles in a case near the entrance serve as a reminder of yesteryear. One unique thing about the layout of the Red Robin is that the coffee counter faces the street. A little research shows that the Red Robin is indeed a rarity which has existed in the area since 1950, making it one of the Triple Cities' longest-running establishments.

As you enter, you'll see the coffee counter and some booths off to the right, and a larger dining area (which I assume may have been expanded later) straight ahead toward the back. We chose a booth toward the front and were quickly presented with coffee while we perused the paper menus already on the table. Since we were there at 9:00 AM, breakfast was the only option available to us at that time. The menu featured all the usual diner stuff, eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, French toast, pancakes, corned beef hash, omelets, and many combinations thereof. I did not find the menu to be as expansive as some others in the area, which is fine. It's all about quality over quantity in my book.

Megan and I both ordered the same thing, the Breakfast Special which featured two eggs any style with bacon, home fries, toast, and coffee for $4.00 including tax. A steal of a deal if I may say so. I went over-easy on my eggs with white toast, while Megan went scrambled with wheat toast. In about ten minutes, our meals were ready.


Overall, this was average diner fare. Bacon was crispy (just how we like it--though Megan much prefers the bacon at Danny's Diner), eggs were done properly to order, home fries were slightly crispy and not too mushy. Megan's toast was a little burnt. If you like a cheap diner breakfast, the Red Robin will certainly hit the spot. It won't amaze you, but then again, it's not meant to. Service was friendly and quick. Make sure to bring cash, as the Red Robin does not take credit/debit at this time.

One of the things I like about diners is that the best ones offer a glimpse into the history of the town to which they belong and an overall feeling of nostalgia. As I sat in the Red Robin, looking out onto Johnson City's Main St., I wondered what the town must have looked like 40 or 50 years ago during the Red Robin's heyday. These days, it's mostly rundown and/or abandoned buildings surrounding the place. I am hopeful that the Red Robin will soldier on, as a comfortable, inexpensive diner and as an artifact of the village's past, until better times someday return to the region.

Grade: B

Crepe Heaven

Name: Crepe Heaven
Location: 217 Main St., Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 217-7188
Cuisine: Crepes/Coffee
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
For years, I have been interested in trying Crepe Heaven, but getting the wife to go always proved a challenge. You see, she'd been there once a few years back, around the time the place opened, and liked it, but found it to be more of a dessert place rather than a place to head for a substantial breakfast or lunch. Thus, we often passed right by Crepe Heaven en route to other dining locales downtown. The other day, I finally got Megan to agree to go there for a late-breakfast/early-lunch. We arrived at the restaurant, located near the Price Chopper Plaza on Binghamton's West Side, around 11:00 AM, and I hoped that Crepe Heaven would live up to its name.

I was surprised by the ambiance, decor, and size of the restaurant, which carries a European-cafe vibe (with far more room between the tables than you'd find in Europe, for sure). It's a charming and classy space that stands out by comparison to most area restaurants. We ordered drinks (a french press for me, a cafe au lait for Megan) and took a look at the menu, which featured a wide selection of sweet crepes, savory crepes, and some other specialty items like chevapi (Bosnian grilled beef served with onions and sour cream on a roll).


For those unfamiliar with crepes, a crepe is basically a very thin pancake, rolled up with various fillings inside. Sweet crepes have fillings like jelly, jam, Nutella spread, honey, and fruit fillings, while savory crepes feature meats, cheeses, and vegetables and are similar to omelets. Crepes are considered a French national dish, and I had the pleasure of enjoying a crepe when I visited Paris last year while Megan was living there. In Paris, it's most common to see crepes offered as street food, akin to an American hot dog stand. Thus, I was expecting Crepe Heaven to offer more of a fast food experience; I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. At any rate, I ordered a ham, egg, and cheese crepe, while Megan went the sweet route and got the Nutella crepe with strawberries.


Ten minutes later, we had our crepes. I admired the presentation of the dishes and was ready to dig in. Sure enough, my crepe was pretty excellent. Served with sour cream on the side, it was a great combination of flavors. I think it's best described as a more delicate version of an omelet, but definitely tastier than any omelet I could get at an area diner. I tried Megan's Nutella crepe, drizzled with chocolate sauce, which was also delicious. Our coffee drinks were an excellent complement for the crepes, and the $16 check did not exactly break the bank either.

My trip to Crepe Heaven was thankfully a far cry from purgatory. The restaurant offers a refined dining experience in a classy environment with delicious, well-presented food at an inexpensive price. Service was friendly and efficient. I regret not going to Crepe Heaven much sooner. This is easily one of Binghamton's best restaurants, and I look forward to going back to try more crepes in the near future.

Grade: A

Tom's Texas Hots

Name: Tom's Texas Hots
Location: 1237 Upper Front St., Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 771-4687
Cuisine: Barbecue (Hot dogs, burgers, pork barbecue, etc...)
Price: $5 to $10 per person

Review:
Tom's is the second (and as far as I know, last) of the area's "Texas Hot" joints I'll review. Unlike the ancient Tony's Texas Hots in downtown Johnson City, Tom's hasn't been around too long, popping up on Upper Front St. across from Northgate Plaza sometime in the last five years. They have a surprisingly varied menu of different styles of hot dogs, burgers, specialty sandwiches, and sides, but also feature some Greek-style items like gyros and souvlaki. Tom's is a surprisingly cute and clean little restaurant with friendly service, and there's even a drive-thru for those who wish to take their dogs elsewhere before chowing down. In appearance, Tom's reminds me quite a lot of Skyline Chili out in the Cincinnati area.

I am a sucker for a quality hot dog and was hoping that Tom's could successfully deliver the goods. I decided to order a regular Texas Hot (options with cheese and with peppers and onions were also available) and a Pork BBQ sandwich, and opted to eat there in the cozy environs of the small restaurant. A few short minutes later, my order was brought out to me and I was pretty happy by what I saw.

The pork sandwich was really quite good. This was vinegar-based BBQ (Carolina style, I reckon) instead of ketchup-based, topped with sweet relish and served with a side of homemade cole slaw. The slaw was quite excellent in fact and I think it had an ever-so-slight hint of horseradish to give it a little extra kick. The relish was a nice touch for a topping, while the pork was flavorful and well-seasoned, if perhaps just a slight bit dried out.

I was pretty stoked about the Texas Hot on first glance, and it would not disappoint! The dog itself was the flavorful, snapping variety and was covered by chili, chopped onion, and mustard in perfect ratios. The chili also had excellent flavor and was a little bit thicker and heartier than the chili topping I'd had at Tony's. I really could not find a flaw with this hot dog, and I will gladly return to Tom's again in the future for more.

It surprised me how good Tom's Texas Hots truly is, and it's definitely superior in every way to Tony's in Johnson City. (Admittedly, Tony's is much more fascinating to me from a historical perspective.) For a restaurant of its ilk (fast food) in the Binghamton area, Tom's is definitely in a league of its own, with good, fresh-made food made by friendly folks at low prices. This is truly one of Binghamton's hidden gems.

Grade: A-

Crossroads Diner

Name: Crossroads Diner
Location: 3000 E Main St., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 748-3076
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
Crossroads Diner is a large restaurant located near the corner of Main St. and North St. in Endwell. We decided to check it out on a Sunday afternoon after arriving back in the Triple Cities after a weekend out of town.

The first thing that struck me about Crossroads Diner is its size. I think it's probably among the largest diners in the area, as there is seating to the left, to the right, and straight ahead when you enter the restaurant. It's a bright space with large, comfortable booths. It reminded me of places like Bob's Big Boy that I'd been to when I was younger.

Megan was hungry for a cheeseburger and fries ($7), while I decided to try out the Chicken Souvlaki Platter ($8), which came with a complimentary Greek Salad, slaw, and fries. Our meals came pretty quickly and we found the portion sizes to be enormous, particularly my souvlaki platter. I'll say that the souvlaki platter was not exactly what I was expecting it to be. Normally the souvlaki you get at diners in this area are essentially pita sandwiches, but that was not the case here. Crossroads serves their souvlaki the old-fashioned Greek way, with triangles of pita and tzatziki on the side. This was an attempt to make up for the fact that this really wasn't souvlaki at all, but more like regular grilled chicken strips, since I did not see any evidence of the meat having come from a skewer at all.

All things considered, I liked everything on my plate. The Greek Salad was loaded with feta cheese and olives (my favorite parts), the french fries were good by diner standards, and the "souvlaki" and the tzatziki were tasty, if not exactly traditionally prepared. I may have preferred the salad to come on a separate plate since the dressing made the pita slices kind of soggy. Megan was very satisfied with her burger and had nothing negative to say about the meal at all.

Service at Crossroads Diner was a little mixed. We were seated quickly and served drinks and our meal very promptly, but when it came time to pay the check, it took us forever to get it. The waitress came to the table three separate times asking if we wanted any dessert; each time, we replied that we did not and wanted our check. I don't know if she was drunk or senile or what, but it was probably the oddest behavior I've seen by a waitress at any restaurant. By the third time, both of us were pretty miffed by the whole situation but we did eventually get the check. Otherwise, the waitress was friendly and generally quick. Strange, to say the least.

Overall, Crossroads was pretty much average across the board. It's a nice space with typical diner ambiance, while the food was tasty if not entirely authentic. Prices are reasonable and in line with those at similar diners like Spot Diner and the Read Oak. I'd definitely go back, and would be interested in trying out their breakfast menu. As far as diners in Endwell go, I think Crossroads definitely takes a backseat to the Broadway Diner on Watson Blvd., but it's serviceable and worth a shot if you're in the area.

Grade: B-

Jane's Diner

Name: Jane's Diner
Location: 591 Conklin Ave., Binghamton, NY 13903
Phone: (607) 722-3350
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Very inexpensive. Less than $5 per person for breakfast!

Review:
Jane's Diner is located on Binghamton's South Side, on Conklin Ave. on the way out toward Conklin. It's a quarter-mile past the entrance to Sandy Beach Park if you're heading eastbound, located inconspicuously on the left side of a tiny plaza adjacent to the Susquehanna River. It can be a little hard to see from the road, so once you cross over the railroad bridge, keep your eyes peeled.

We arrived around 10:00 AM on a Wednesday and found the restaurant to be a standard family-style diner. The register is straight ahead as you enter the restaurant, with the traditional dessert case adjacent. There are tables off to both the left and the right, and another small room of tables further to the right. It's a fairly large space, which is good because my understanding is that Jane's is pretty popular among the locals due to a combination of good food and low prices.

We were seated immediately and ordered coffee; moments later, we had the coffee and placed our order. Both of us decided to go with a special. Mine consisted of two pancakes, two eggs, a side of bacon, and coffee for $4.99. Megan elected the Three Egg special, which came with home fries, bacon, toast, and coffee for only $3.99. $8.98 for two enormous breakfasts? To answer Shaft's most famous question, yes, I can dig it.

The pancakes were huge. Bigger than my head, and quite tasty. The syrup was nothing special but got the job done. The eggs were cooked perfectly to order (over-easy), while the bacon was not so good, the flabby, shriveled variety. So the food was a little hit-or-miss, but for $4.99, I'd have to say I was quite satisfied. Megan enjoyed her breakfast as well, for the most part. She shared my sentiment regarding the bacon, but seemed to like everything else well enough.

I felt that cleanliness was a minor concern at Jane's. There were a number of flies buzzing around me, which was a little bothersome, and Megan's silverware was on the sticky side. I can proudly say that the men's room was immaculate as public restrooms go, so I guess you take the good with the bad. Service was very quick and delivered in the no-nonsense fashion that I've come to appreciate at diners such as these.

I'm glad to have had the opportunity to try Jane's Diner. The food was pretty good with enormous portion sizes, service was solid, and the price was certainly right. On the negative side, I got the sense that the place was a little grungy, and the sticky silverware was a definite faux pas. Also, its location makes it rather unlikely that I'll be clamoring to go back anytime soon. Overall, I found Jane's to be an average addition to the Binghamton diner scene, with slight bonus points for the tremendously low prices.

Grade: B-

Tony's Texas Hots

Name: Tony's Texas Hots
Location: 300 Main St., Johnson City, NY 13790
Phone: (607) 797-0366
Cuisine: Diner (Breakfast/Lunch), Hot Dogs!
Price: Around $5 per person. Very cheap.

Review:
I am a diehard fan of the Cincinnati Bengals. (That is probably the oddest way that I could begin a review of a hot dog joint in Johnson City, NY, but bear with me.) I'm such a big supporter of the team that I made the 10-hour drive from Binghamton to Cincinnati for the Bengals' playoff game against the Jets back in January.

My team didn't win, but one positive development from the trip was that I was able to try Cincy's famous Skyline Chili for the first time. Perhaps the most popular item available at these fast-food landmarks is the Cheese Coney. A cheese coney consists of a hot dog, mustard, chopped onion, Cincy's famous Greek-style chili and a ginormous mound of finely shredded cheddar cheese on top. It's said that Skyline Chili is one of those foods you either love or hate, and I certainly fell into the former camp. Upon returning home, I found that Wegman's sells Skyline Chili in cans, which I tried a couple times, but I'll probably hold off on having more Skyline until my next visit to Cincy, hopefully for another playoff contest this season.

My point is, I like a good chili dog, and there are a couple places in the Triple Cities that specialize in Texas Hot Dogs. Despite the name, "Texas Hots" are usually found only in Central and Western New York State and parts of Pennsylvania. They get the name from the fact that chili, or some other spicy meat sauce, is used as a main topping. Tony's Texas Hots is one such place that serves these creations as its signature item.

Having lived in Johnson City for a number of years now, I have long wondered about Tony's. It's located across from the Post Office on Main St., and despite driving past it many, many times, I don't know that I had ever seen anyone enter or exit the place. The most I could say about it is that its phallic-looking hot dog logo on the sign was rather amusing. I had absolutely no idea what it would be like before I went in, but figured the pursuit of a good chili dog would be worth finding out.

As it turns out, Tony's is more of a traditional diner on the inside than simply a hot dog stand. It's a very small restaurant with a few tables in the back, but it appeared that most patrons preferred to sit at the counter in front, a medium-length coffee counter with about 8-10 stools. To my surprise, there were about four or five other patrons enjoying breakfast or lunch when I arrived. I placed an order for two Chili Dogs with the gentleman running the cash register, and a couple minutes and $4.90 later I had them in my possession.

I have to admit, I was not expecting much at all from this place. It's the veritable definition of a hole-in-the-wall, and I'd never heard a word (good or bad) about it in my decade of living in the area. But I'll be damned...these hot dogs were really good! With a light coating of mustard, chopped onion, and a healthy topping of chili, I'd have to say that these dogs reminded me somewhat of those I'd had in Cincinnati. The major difference between the two is the chili itself. Cincinnati-style chili is kind of indescribable. It's beanless, kind of clumpy, and the meat is ground very fine, and is spiced with all sorts of weird stuff like cinnamon and maybe chocolate. As for the chili on these Texas Hots, it was definitely more like traditional chili. It also lacked beans (which I understand is the custom) and had a sweeter, less spicy flavor than the Tex-Mex chili that I'm accustomed to.

In the end, I was glad to have tried these out and would definitely eat them again. If nothing else, I was glad to have tried a place that appears to be in somewhat of a historic location (anyone know how long Tony's has been around? I'm guessing it's one of the area's oldest restaurants...) and which offers a regional specialty food item. They're nothing amazing, but Tony's Texas Hots definitely helped satiate my hunger for a good chili dog until my next trip to the Queen City.

Grade: B

Java Joe's

Name: Java Joe's
Location: 81 State St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 774-0966
Cuisine: Coffee/Bagels/Sandwiches
Price: Around $5-$10 per person

Review:
I'm always looking for good places for bagels and coffee, and even though I've found a few good places lately (Best Bagels In Town, Nezuntoz, Bagel Factory), I decided to give Java Joe's a shot. It's somewhat surprising that I'd never been to Java Joe's before today. I've passed by the place on dozens of inebriated evenings downtown and I never really thought much of it.

Upon entering Java Joe's, I was stunned by how nice it was. It's got a really nice bohemian vibe with wood-paneled flooring and brick walls. I felt as if I had just stepped onto the set of "Rent," and I mean that in the best way possible. It's a long, narrow space, much larger than it appears from the outside. The back of the coffeehouse borders on the courtyard area between Washington St. and State St. where Uncle Tony's and Dillinger's have their outdoor seating. Atmospherically, this is the nicest coffee shop in Binghamton. I regret not taking a picture so you could see it for yourself.

I ordered a bagel with cream cheese and got a cup of coffee. Coffee comes with one free refill so I decided I was going to get my money's worth. I started with a cup of the Ethiopian Longberry Harrar and refilled with the "Parlor City Blend." All of Java Joe's coffee is roasted by the owners themselves.


The bagel did not excite me too much. It was pretty good but nowhere near the quality of the bagel I had a few weeks back at Best Bagels In Town. I got it toasted (or rather, it came toasted by default) and thought it was well-prepared, and the service was quick.

Coffee was the real reason for my stop at Java Joe's, so I am glad to report that it was very good. My criteria for a good cup of coffee is simple. I drink my coffee black (usually), so the coffee must have good flavor and not be too bitter, but should also not be too watery--I like my coffee STRONG. Also, it should get me wired. Java Joe's Ethiopian Harrar was excellent. Very bold, somewhat tangy flavor and strong enough to give a seasoned coffee drinker like myself the shakes. I would drink this again in a heartbeat. As for the Parlor City Blend, I don't know what varieties comprise this blend, but it was medium-bodied and pretty good. The first cup was by far the superior of the two, but that could be just a matter of my personal preference...I can see why others may prefer the second.

All told, I regret not paying a visit to Java Joe's sooner. This is a place I'll definitely be taking Megan to at some point in the near future. I am very interested in trying their sandwiches and paninis. I'd like to see how they compare with Nezuntoz and Escape State Street. How funny would it be if the paninis were better than those at Escape State Street? Then there would be no need to escape State St... But seriously, this is a great little place to hang out; if you're a Binghamton University student, this would be an excellent spot to get a cup of coffee, to chill out with friends, to meet if you're planning a group project, or to get some reading done.

Grade: B+

Red Oak Diner

Name: Red Oak Diner
Location: 305 Front St., Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 722-0440
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
Another day, another diner for the Tasting Binghamton crew. This time we headed out to the Red Oak Diner on Front St. in Binghamton's First Ward for our inaugural visit. With its location right off the highway en route to Downtown Binghamton, it's a place we've passed by a number of times over the years but never bothered to stop in. I had often wondered if it were anything like The Spot Diner, located further up on Front St., given that the restaurants look similarly from the outside.

Sure enough, on the inside, I found it to be somewhat comparable to The Spot. It's a 1970's-style Greek diner with lots of seating. Upon entrance you'll see some booths to the left, the standard coffee counter straight ahead, and a large dining room to the right. We were instructed to seat ourselves in the dining room and chose a reasonable-looking table toward the back, adjacent to a window.

Service is by far the best thing the Red Oak has going. Throughout our visit, the service was very quick, from the delivery of menus, to ordering, to receiving our meals and the check. The waitress was friendly and it seemed as if she was a longtime employee of the establishment. The question is: would the food match the service?

In my opinion, it would not. Venturing a little outside my normal diner order, I elected to go with the Chicken and Biscuits special they were offering. This came with a complimentary cup of soup and a side, so I went with the Vegetable Beef and a side of mashed potatoes. Megan was a little more conservative in her ordering and went with a Turkey Club sandwich, which she proceeded to enjoy far more than I enjoyed my meal.

This is diner food, so I really try not to get my hopes up too much. It's inexpensive and intended to be quick, comfort food, after all. It isn't fine dining. Even so, I was not happy with my meal at all. The Vegetable Beef soup was an OK beginning to the meal. It certainly wasn't skimpy on the vegetables nor the beef. All told, it was a minor improvement over Campbell's. The rest of the meal was pretty much a disaster. The mashed potatoes weren't the instant variety but they were about as close as you can get. The chicken didn't have much flavor, and the biscuits had absolutely none. The entire plate was topped with a yellowish gravy that was equally tasteless and had begun to congeal. This may have been the blandest plate of food I've ever been served. It was edible, and arrived from the kitchen at a breakneck pace (literally, there were fewer than five minutes between the time we ordered and the time we had our plates in front of us), but I felt as if I could probably get a better, or at least similar, plate of food from the Binghamton High School cafeteria. Hell, I'm no Wolfgang Puck, but I could muster a better effort myself. Harsh, perhaps, but that's the honest truth.

Like I said, the Red Oak has some pluses. The service is friendly and as quick as anywhere else I've been in the area. The dining area is a pleasant, large space and has some old-school charm. Megan liked her club sandwich perfectly well. In fact, I think she rather liked the place on the whole. The truth of the matter is that I wanted her to write the review for the Red Oak so that I didn't have to write all this, but the more I thought about it, the more I really disliked my meal there, and as you've probably discerned by now, the food was simply not anything I'd want to pay money for again. With dozens of diners in the Triple Cities, it's my feeling that there are many, many better options to choose than the Red Oak.

Grade: C-

Greek House Restaurant

Name: Greek House Restaurant
Location: 623 Main St., Johnson City, NY 13790
Phone: (607) 798-7899
Cuisine: Greek/American
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
The Greek House is yet another place Megan and I have driven by on hundreds of occasions, but until today, we had never bothered to stop in. Strange, considering we live in the area and are fond of Greek cuisine in general. It's located on Main St. in Johnson City in the Westover Plaza across from BAE Systems.

From the outside the restaurant looks very small; inside it is much larger, with a long coffee counter surrounding the kitchen area and probably 20 small tables and booths comprising the seating area. It's a classic Greek diner that serves a mix of Greek and American cuisines, and they are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Upon entering we followed the sign's instruction to seat ourselves and found a small booth about halfway into the restaurant. Shortly thereafter, we were handed menus by the waitress. The lunch menu, I would have to admit, was not all that extensive, particularly in Greek options. They had gyros, souvlaki, and spinach pie (spanakopita), but that was about it as far as the Greek choices went. The rest of the menu was comprised of standard American diner fare like club sandwiches, burgers, and fries. By diner standards, I found the Greek House to have a pretty small menu, at least for lunch.

I ordered the spanakopita and a cup of coffee, while Megan went with the souvlaki. Less than ten minutes later, our meals were in front of us.

I thought the spanakopita was pretty good. For those unfamiliar, spanakopita is a spinach pie made with spinach, feta cheese, onions, and various spices enfolded by phyllo dough. It's not something I order very often, but given the limited menu and the fact that it was marked as a "specialty," I decided to give it a go. It was tasty and filling--maybe a little burnt on one of the edges--but I would definitely consider ordering it again. Megan was happy with her souvlaki and thought it was one of the better souvlaki sandwiches she's had of late.

We split a piece of baklava for dessert which was also very good and was a definite highlight of the meal.

Service was a bit of a problem at the Greek House. The waitress was an older lady who might have spoken ten words to us the entire time and was just generally grumpy. I will say that the service was quick, but on the standoffish side. Moreover, she overcharged me on coffee. I drank two cups and the menu stated very clearly that coffee came with one free refill, yet I was charged for two coffees. Not cool, but I'm not about to sit there and haggle over $1.35. So I took it out of her tip, which she frankly did little to deserve anyway. The gentleman who served as cashier was much friendlier and thanked us for coming, so perhaps we just got unlucky with the waitress.

Overall, I was generally pleased with the Greek House and would go again. The ambiance is pleasantly old-fashioned while the food was uniformly solid, albeit unmemorable. Negatives included the cold fish of a waitress we had, and a lunch menu that could use a few additional Greek options. Perhaps the dinner menu is more extensive. I wouldn't call the Greek House among the area's better diners, but it's not bad, and its location is good in the sense that there are few other dining options in the immediate area. I give the Greek House a slight recommendation, with the caveat that Mediterranean Gyro in Vestal is far superior as a Greek dining option for lunch.

Grade: B-

Pantheon Restaurant

Name: Pantheon Restaurant
Location: 1203 Monroe St. Ste. 1, Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 757-0275
Cuisine: American/Greek diner
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
As part of the new "Diner Thursday" tradition that Megan and I have formed, we decided to head out to Endicott this morning and hit up the Acropolis on Washington Avenue. We got there only to find that the restaurant was closed due to vacation this week, but I had remembered another diner, the Pantheon, was just around the corner on Monroe St. So we headed across the street and had our lunch there instead.

We got to the Pantheon around noon. It's not much to look at from the outside but is pretty reasonable on the inside with a standard diner setup, including the rotating dessert case and the coffee counter. Upon entering, we were instructed to sit anywhere we wanted. Seeing as the restaurant was fairly busy at the time and all of the booths were occupied, we found a table not far from the door.

We were quickly given menus and got drinks, a Sprite for Megan and a coffee for myself. In perusing the menu I noticed that breakfast food was not an option for lunch, unlike some diners in the area. Luckily, we were both in the mood for lunch, so all was well.

I ordered a cup of the Yankee Bean soup to start out (as a Yankee hater, I wanted the Oriole Bean, but that was sadly not an option) and went with the Ham & Swiss Club for the main course. I tried for the Roast Beef club, but there were out of roast beef. No biggie. Megan opted for one of her diner faves, the Chicken Souvlaki. She ordered it "Deluxe," Pantheon-code-language for "with fries."

I tried the soup first and thought it to be pretty delicious. This was a nice ham and bean soup with a generous portion of tender ham. I would order it again.

As for the Club, it was pretty good, if perhaps a little pedestrian. The bacon was crispy and the lettuce and tomato were fresh, so I was pretty satisfied. The fries that accompanied the meal were quite good, done up in the classic diner fashion, crispy, golden, and tasty.

Megan's souvlaki (not pictured) was a definite home run and a highlight of the meal. I tried a few bites as Megan surrendered to fullness and was rather impressed. The waitress appeared to be of Greek descent, and go figure, in a place called the Pantheon, it makes sense that the Greek food would be pretty solid. On a future visit for lunch, I will definitely go with a gyro, souvlaki, or one of their other Greek specialty items.

Overall, we were pleased with our experience at the Pantheon. Service was friendly and quick and the food was uniformly good. This place is nothing amazing or out of the ordinary, but for a small neighborhood restaurant, it was quite satisfying. This is a restaurant I'd definitely visit again and would certainly recommend to others in search of a good diner lunch in Endicott.

Grade: B