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-