DINER IS BACK! For a while there, I wondered . . . Sadly, I think a lot of the negative postings below were fairly accurate. Recently, however, the menu has regained its lost excitement, the execution of the dishes has gotten much better, and the service has improved. After kind of avoiding Diner for a while, I'm back to eating there on a regular basis. Brunch is back to top form and the dinner specials are a lot more consistent. (Plus, they still have the best hamburger in the neighborhood -- with apologies to the DuMont empire.) Diner is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn, and perhaps my top choice in Williamsburg (it's cheaper than Dressler).

kills me to say, but my longtime fave brunch spot is officially over. the new menu can best be described as pretentious - and largely unappealing. i've had their steak & eggs for 7 years like clockwork and now...gone in favor of things i either can't identify, or just don't want to eat for brunch.
the braised pork dish was good, though so small i was still hungry afterward (and i'm tiny!). i asked if they'd changed the bloody mary - the server said "no" - but then brought me a bloody with a ton of salt on the rim!?!? that surely added insult to injury. very very sad to lose Diner.

been eating at diner since 2000, eaten there countless times, was literally having brunch there every weekend. long story short, after today's brunch experience we will NEVER go back again. they've completely lost it and jacked their prices way up. i dread a similar screw up at bonita. profoundly disappointing. boo, hiss, diner, you broke my heart.

totally thought i would never say this, i have stuck up for this place forever. i was there opening night! alas...they suck now and my last trip there a wednesday night- 830pm, there were seriously like only 3 tables taken. Perhaps they are starting to feel the pain of their lackluster service and food. My food was ok- but the waiter was a complete disaster. there was a rain storm- we were seated outside prior to this. we were seated under the awning. once it started sprinkling, the crazed waiter dude went mental trying to reel in the awnings. he yelled- not asked- for us to "get inside". we had a bottle of cava, 3 entrees, a bowl of mussels and other drinks on our table and although it was raining pretty hard... wtf? it's not like a tornado was coming. the guy was over-react city. one of the owners walked by him during his mental fit and told him "we were ok" and looked slightly appauled. i think it's just finally over for Diner. They concentrate more on Marlow now- which is delish, but I do miss the Diner vibe.

Diner is cramped, overpriced, and highly overrated. The wait staff makes eating at a truck stop in rural Texas seem appealing. If you have to eat here, get the burger, then get the fuck out, because this place is a joke.

I agree with Terry. Diner has seen better days. The food lately is just not that good. Bland, uncreative.. it's just not worth going to anymore, which really sucks because it's got such a great neighborhood vibe. Oh well. :(

I've been going to Diner since first moving to New York. Loved it at first, my boyfriend and I even have "our table." But lately the service has been down right atrocious. I was billed while still eating my main course the other night. I told the server I was planning on having dessert, and she was like, "oh?!?! soooory." And then, I was billed again, with my dessert plate hitting the table. I had planned on having some port and coffee afterward, guess not. I might add she was also wearing a wife beater and had a big ring of sweat around her belly button. That, and her seeming to NOT want me to order anything in the place, really put me off. And with 2 appetizers, 2 steaks, cocktails and a bottle of wine-- not to mention what else we would have ordered, I just don't get why she wanted to rush us out. It was midnight! They're open til 2. Are the owners aware of the shift in public opinion? Perhaps a few phone calls would help, I'd like my restaurant back...

Diner is hurting. I used to go here a long time ago and it was really good. The food quality has dropped from good to sub-par in the last year. My last few experiences at diner have left me wanting my money back and with a case of nausea. They better do something quick cause looking cool will only get you so far.

yes, the service in williamsburg is generally shitty but what the fuck do you want...it's williamsburg, not manhattan. the food at diner is always good and if you're friendly enough you'll be treated well. bonita and diner are always a solid choice.

Food is decent. Would be much better if the servers hosed themselves down from time to time and left the attitude at home. Sorry to make you aging Hipsters have to actually do some work inbetween your little artsy-fartsy painting projects. Shut up and bring me my food already.

noodles, i like your style.

anyhoo, i love the delicious brunch at diner. however, call me old skool, but i also like my servers to shower and be nice to me.

I visit NYC on july 06 , i'am from México
i love this restaurant
so cool, oldie elegance
cheers

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blood orange martinis, sparkling seasonal appetizers (last night: sesame bread crostini with marinated feta and grilled raddichio) and super casual servers, who actually do get their job done. and this is all 3 blocks from my house? yay! it seems like the main complaint with many Burg restaurants is the "additude" of the servers. I never seem to have a problem, so maybe if you walk in there like your bodyguard should close off a room for you and Colin Ferrell, you will have a problem. huh.

i loved it. our waiter was cute, and beyond. i dug the writing on the table thing, it made more sense later than at the time, when we were asking each other, What Had The Radishes? they played bright black morning light the whole time we were there, which was so perfect, and the strawberries in the shortcake were as tiny and as good as the ones i grow in my lil barrel in the sideyard.
i'm suspicious of everyone saying the service is "snooty"- maybe they are truly annoying human beings. i'm so over that customerisalwaysright myth!
you gotta earn your respect in this world!!

Owners: Like Mark; Andrew is useless...Gucci loafers and Williamsburg? Not a good look, even if you are making a killing, dude. Food: While the razor-thin ribeye had flavor, it was cooked three clicks past MR, as requested. Fred Flinstone price for a liliputian size cut of beef. Burger is a good standby, and generally the fish is done well. Lately however, the food is bloody inconsistent. Burgers are overdone, fish is dry, one day, next time under cooked, and the service, rude. I guess taking their eye's off the ball (read: getting way too comfortable with success)is costing them what we all went for: careful customer service, quality, well executed foodstuffs, and satisfactory service. What happened?

I've lived in the hood for ten years and I put this place on my personal blacklist at least five years ago. The food is overpriced and average, at best. Service with a bad attitude and the atmosphere is devoid of any charm. Perhaps the place has changed, for the better, but I'm not willing to gamble on it.

I have been a fan of diner since they opened, but the last three times the service has been deplorable!! Rude and off-putting. One of those times I actually told the waitress she was ruining my brunch and I wanted another server. And I got one. Now that Williamsburg has so many options, I don't think I'll go back. And unless you want to feel like you're putting someone out for entering an establishment and paying for service and a meal, I'd advise passing on diner.

I substituted fries instead of the pototes that came with the fish or my friends brisket and got chraged for it, till i brought it to their attention to it

This place is cool and all, although really expensive. What's up with that? And why did they have a million specials that they had to write with a crayon on the table? That was stupid. And it was too much money. So we got burgers and they were nice. Cool hip crowd if you are into that type of thing.

Diner used to be on our regular local restaurant rotation; however, the quality of the food has suffered a bit recently. We order almost exclusively from the specials unless we are specifically in a burger mood. Recently, I had a roast pork meal that was just average. I have never had a big problem with the service.

service is shotty, but not horrible.. the food is always excellent.

We've been coming here from the suburbs since it morphed from "Stacey's" some years ago. We've NEVER been disappointed with the food. The steak is excellent and well seasoned. Our trick is to arrive early, say 6:30 PM when the place is not yet jammed. Service has always been excellent. They make the greatest Gibsons especially when they add their own home made pickled onions! Our grandson loves to watch the "J" trains crossing the bridge. When he was younger, it kept him occupied.

My biggest beef (haha) with Diner is that, even in a generally veg-friendly neighborhood like ours, they have virtually no vegetarian choices on their menu. Not even a veggie burger (unless they've updated since the last time I visited). On my last trip there I had a braised vegetable platter which turned out to be potato and beets. Not exactly my idea of a delicious, savory meal. The service is snooty to boot. Good drinks, though.

Not as good as it used to be.

I have to say Diner has good food....but I've grown quite tired with the snobbish service and owners who act as if you are violating the velvet rope rules at a posh club by entering their establishment. Understand that they don't need MY business but taking care of the customer is soooooooo much cooler than they think.

This was our 2nd visit to Diner, and it was just as special as the first visit over a year ago. Great food - soups, salads, specials, and dessert to die for! Great atmosphere - busy and fun, but they don't rush you out even when there is a line! Only the coffee was disappointing, but we left with smiles on our faces! A great night out!

I went out to Diner knowing it would be crowded and that there would be a long wait. I ordered mussels and fries, excellent beer (duvel) and goat cheese salad. Their salad was dressed perfectly, with the right amount of oniony-sweetness and vinegary oily-ness. I had hoped their goat cheese to be toasted but alas, it was plain. Their fries were crisp and browned and tasty as all heck but their mussels left much to be desired. They were overcooked and some were spoiled.