Walter Schaefer

Stopped in earlier today while driving through Albany. First time customers, my wife and I loved this place. Neighborhood and outside appearance may deter you from going, but go there, you won’t be sorry. Historic place, first opened in 1948. Food was great, service was wonderful, people were friendly.

Debbie Bisner

First time here and found by searching Google for nearby diners. Is definitely someplace I would eat at again when in Albany. Beef gyro was good and had enough tzatziki sauce to make it messy (a good gyro should be). Food came fast and hot. Service very good!

Angel Gutierrez

As a Salvi, I cannot stress how good and surprised I am that this place exists! Super sad that Mama Julia's doesn't exist anymore... but it's worth the trip for the service, people, and atmosphere! Note though: it is a bit small and we came at a low time (which is a plus for my family) so be aware when this place gets packed. No doubt in my mind they'll get food out quick!!!

Simron Bhatti

Super cute diner with great service and a lot of options in terms of food. I’ve come here a couple of times already and I’ve never had a bad experience! :))

Brad Wilson

What a DELIGHT this place was. Jack’s Diner is owned by Wilfredo Ruiz, an immigrant from El Salvador. That guy is the best! The Albany Times Union did an excellent write-up on him in 2018; it’s worth a read. Wilfredo started a Mexican and El Salvadorian menu in addition to the standard American diner fare. My wife and I got Mexican dishes (chicken nachos and steak quesadilla), but Wilfredo brought us some Pupusas while we waited. He described them as El Salvador’s signature dish, much like tacos are considered Mexico’s signature dish. Y’all… they were SO good. Like two flatbreads with cheese and pork. First El Salvadorian dish either of us has ever had. He was incredibly nice and knowledgeable about the history of his restaurant. It was a PERFECT start to this trip. That article says regulars refer to it as the “Cheers” of Albany. Salud, Wilfredo. Excellent meal!

+1

Kiana J

🥰 Old school charm and a hidden gem on central Ave. Reasonable prices. The corned beef hash is homemade and has a very unique yet flavorful taste. I love anything potato Soo I also tried the hash browns which were great! Large portions I had to bring the rest home, along with the most Amazing churros I've ever tasted. 10/10⭐️ I highly recommend🥰

Gina M

Such a fantastic little gem. We stopped here after a doctors appointment for breakfast. The staff was super friendly and the service was very quick. On top of that they had amazing food. We ordered their homemade corn beef hash and it was absolutely one of the best parts of our meal. Their eggs, sausage, bacon and home style potatoes were cooked perfectly. As soon as they brought out the Belgian waffle you could smell the vanilla. It was such a wonderful meal for a very affordable price.

Joe L

Great old school comac diner, the omelette food was decent but was just missing some flavor. The waffle was great. Great friendly service.

Dahlia Watson

Me and my boyfriend came here for a very late brunch and it was good. French toast reminded me of going to any old retro diner, nice and fluffy. Sausage was giant and had an amazing crunch when you bit into it. Only issues we had were the eggs were lacking a bit of seasoning and the home fries definitely needed more crisp, slightly soggy. All in all both of the main parts of our meal were delicious and we’d come back if we were in the area

Jake Papas

Had a great time here. Definitely go for the specials, they are awesome. The regular food is good diner food as well.

Garrick

We stopped by Jack's Diner today for the first and were quickly greeted and seated in a corner booth. While the nostalgic diner is showing its age, it is comfortable and looks to be clean. They offer a wide selection of breakfast and lunch items; since we were there for breakfast, we chose the huevos rancheros, french toast, and a side of sausage. The huevos came with two eggs, a pinto bean chili, rice with peas and bay leaves, tortilla chips, and a side of sour cream and salsa. It wasn't fancy but it was good and the eggs were cooked to my liking: over medium. The side of sausage was two large, plump links and tasted good. The menu states it's made from homemade challah bread; it definitely is not. While good, it lacked any spices such as sugar, cinnamon, or nutmeg. Our server was extremely pleasant and helpful and checked on us a couple of times during our meal. While we had a primary server, the staff works as a team as they check on each other's tables. Good food at a reasonable price. Prices have increased based on other menu photos posted on Google; these pictures reflect the updated prices. I saw a review here where someone said the restaurant is racist. While I did not experience what that reviewer did, during my visit I observed all customers were treated equally despite varying races and ethnicities.

+5

Margaret McLaughlin

The egg salad was just good, not great. The flavor was great, good level of mustard, but it was too Mayo-y, making it too loose. Also no diced onion or celery. Everything else we ate (French fries, home fries, waffle, sunny-side up eggs) were all 5 stars but I only review egg salad.

Reed B

While you expect a true Diner to be a bit rough around the edges and need a little TLC, Jack’s Diner in Albany just felt a bit gross. Everything was sticky and seemed in poor repair, taped up signs, servers that just weren’t interested in serving and food which was pretty bland. Was it passable for what it was? Sure. But I couldn’t see myself returning.