The food and the service are wonderful. If you go, ask for Wendy. She was our waiter and she was awesome.

I❤️Perkins restaurant and they have great food

I had the turkey cobbler sandwich and it was delicious.

Breakfast was excellent and great service. Restrooms DEFINITELY needed lots of attention though.

Had a great breakfast, service was great. I believe it used to be a Howard Johnson restaurant a little shabby looking but plenty of food and very reasonably priced. Always stop on my way to upstate. Chicken fried steak is the best b

Our server gave us the experience we wanted, friendly service, good food, and a nice atmosphere. Had to wait a bit for the food but it came out fresh and tasty.

Food is great. Hot meals. Servers are on Q. The pies are the best.

Great place to go! Always a good time and almost always fast and accurate!

My husband and I stopped here on our way out of town. We stayed at the Clarion directly behind this place (which was great as well). We were seated right away, and our server was wonderful. I really loved the carafe of coffee they give you for the table. Our food was delicious. I ordered the California Avocado Benedict and was blown away. The presentation was flawless and it tasted just as amazing as it looked!

I love the bakery items! It was nice for our large group to have a side room. Wendy did a fantastic job keeping up with us all. The food was tasty. There was a nice selection. And what a great surprise to find pie slices came with our entrees on Monday!

It was a good place to eat. Clean great food and service. Friendly staff that want you to feel at home when there. Plenty of parking. You just can't go wrong choosing this place.

I had the steak and eggs and it was fabulous! The steak was melt in your mouth and seasoned to perfection! It came with not only steak and eggs but also a choice of breakfast potatoes and either toast or a stack of 3 pancakes, all for under $16

Had a very nice breakfast the food was delicious. The staff super nice. Then on the way back from our trip we stopped for dinner once again Great service Tina our waitress super nice. The dinners were very good. Thank you for your great customer service.

I generally order dinner for my husband and I on Friday nights. Everyone I have spoken to to place my order has always been friendly and helpful. We usually get the Turkey dinner and it is delicious every time. They are timely and friendly and I will continue to go back! Thank you!!

Always great service here. A lot of food for the money!

The food was wonderful. The Eggs Benedict was absolutely perfect as was our Cheeseburger. Our server Wendy was outstanding. I have never had such a wonderful server before. She is an asset to the company.

Food was great. Serwis fast and nice. Would like to come again very soon.

Excellent Service, had a Blast! Food was so great we went back next day!!

+1

We drove from Syracuse for my sons birthday we showed up about 45 min before closing the service was wonderful the wait staff went above and beyond to make our experience worth the trip! My boys will have that memory forever thank you!

Everyone was so nice and food is always good!

E.Scott Howard

Went for breakfast on a Saturday morning and had the most amazing service from Wendy. She was so pleasant and friendly. Our party consisted of 10 people and we all received top notch hospitality. Wendy is a professional. Ask for her if you ever visit Perkins in Cortland. PS. The food was delicious as well 😊

Jennifer Stroud

I drive nearly an hour to eat here. LOVE their breakfast menu so much I've never even tried other items. Potato pancakes are my favorite. Worth the drive.

Craig S.

Went for an early dinner today and ordered the hibachi shrimp skillet. I thought it was very good although it’s not a lot of food. I’ll definitely be hungry later. My server was super nice so it was a pleasant experience. The restaurant needs an overhaul inside but I’d take an older establishment with great food and service over a new place with opposite experience. I’d definitely order that skillet again if back in town and get something extra also. I did eat a shrimp before taking this picture.

Joseph Stolar

Great service great food fast in and out.

Terri Nieves

Our first time visiting a Perkins restaurant. I thought it would be similar to an IHOP but it was actually so much better! And we had the sweetest server. 😊

Mark Phelps

Food was amazing. Couldn't even finish it so took the rest home with me. Servers/service were great!

Joseph Redder

The Restroom needs more attention could you a good scrub in front of sinks.Sticky floor and poor air quality in bathroom. I personally told my waitress but it didn't work on our next visit.

Miss Alisha

Stopped in for a Saturday morning breakfast, now we use to have Perkins in our area but we haven't had them for years so we were super excited to have found this and dine in. We were a party of 4 and our waitress was so sweet and personable, the portion sizes and prices we amazing. Glad to see these still around with great service and food, will stop again if we are in the area.

David Krum

The staff was nice and the restaurant was clean. The food was also very good. However I was a little dismayed at the condition of the maple syrup container. The outside was covered in what I guess was syrup residue. I could scrape it off with my finger. I know they can do better.

Максим Коротченков

“Perkins American Food Co. is an absolute flavor explosion! I ordered a burger, and it was a masterpiece—juicy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Unforgettable! And the chicken tenders? Pure perfection—crispy on the outside, unbelievably tender inside. This place is a must-visit! 100% satisfaction guaranteed!”

Stephanie Crain

Breakfast served all day! Best pancakes - never disappoint, great selection of bakery items, friendly staff, excellent service. Highly recommend.

Helena Lockwood

This is a nice place for a hearty breakfast. Food is plenty and delicious. The waitress was so gentle and attentive. The place is always busy, but the food comes without long delays.

Jamie Collins

Love that this place still exists. I took my daughter and we were impressed by both the service and the food. Highly recommend!

Cary Marcous

We got breakfast here on our way out of town, my partner’s choice (though I was happy enough to oblige). Seated quickly, food was prompt, and server was wonderful throughout our meal: friendly, kind, helpful, professional. The whole meal looked and tasted just as expected, which is to say, basically the ideal traditional American breakfast (thanks in part to mass production factories). I typically prefer smaller, independently owned businesses with more locally sourced ingredients, high ethical & environmental standards for sourcing, processing, etc. (I know, I know… I can already see the eye rolls I’m getting...) But I grew up on chains like Perkins and still appreciate, and enjoy, standout individual locations and the employees that hold them up as such. This one felt like one of those to me. Apparently we came on their weekly free-slice-of-pie day: when my partner ordered a slice, our server let us know about the deal and asked if I’d like a slice, too. We took slices both to go but can now happily report the pie and pumpkin cheesecake slices were delightful! Highlights: Wonderful service. Prices are phenomenal. Bottomless coffee in a slim, tall carafe for 2.99 or 3.99. Free pie!

+4

Riya Acharya

A very decent restaurant and bakery place in town. What I liked most about this place is their sitting arrangements has some good views of the peaks from the windows. They also have some good collection of pies. My kids love the muffins from here. Our favourite is all the skillets items on the menu. The servers here are good. It is located in a very peaceful corner of the town. Very good place for comfort food with family. Their menu offers a lot. And the pies and muffins are always a hit.

Allyson Brevetti

Food is delicious no matter what I choose to order. The cinnamon roll French toast is super tasty. Everything has that homemade quality taste you can't beat. I just gave lunch a try the other day. I ordered the half chicken sandwich and garden salad. It was plenty of food that filled me up for the day. My fiancé doesn't have a Perkins by him and insists on going here every time he is in town. Service is always top notch as well.

Food was ok, pricing higher than expected, waitress was good and friendly. Keep going back because you never know what you are going to get, good the bad or the ugly. Restaurant needs a make over too.

Spacious, lots of menu options, friendly waitress

Good food but too much calories!

Food is typically very good, and you're usually not waiting long. Sometimes the wait staff seem a little overwhelmed by the amount of tables on occasion but typically they are great about getting you everything you need and ask for. Amazing bakery options, menu has a huge rage so everyone should be a able to find something.

The waitress that served us was so pleasant that our dining experience was made that much more enjoyable. It was not just us either... there was a table next to us that was trying our patience, but she was kind and always had a smile. The food was standard American Fare, and pretty good. The portions were huge! The decor of the restaurant was somewhat run down, and needed some sprucing up. Expect a Denny's style restaurant with larger helpings and more selections. We would return.

Waited 20 minutes for a table, in a spacious waiting room. It was 11am on a Sunday -so it was reasonable. Food was overall pretty good (there were 5 of us). I got an omelet which was pretty small (but they give you pancakes and hash browns with it, sooo?) Also, omelet was a bit runny in the middle. Service was quick, thorough and friendly. Price ended up being $61 for a family of 5 (only one of which, ended up ordering off the kid's menu.)

I hadn't been here in ages. Memorial Day weekend with pouring rain and every restaurant was packed and we drive here and only a few cars in the parking lot. The service was great. The waitress was very helpful with my 8 yr old granddaughter. Providing options with smaller portions. Reasonably priced.

Update to an update below: Update from below: Waited 15 minutes to be told it would be awhile... I then counted 9 tables emptied, and that did not even include another room I couldn't see from where we stood!!! WE LEFT AND WENT TO DENNY'S which had great service and food!!! DEFINITELY GONE DOWN HILL IN ALL AREAS Service was good.. food was ok but the support beam cob job repair and falling Ceiling was a concern Back again as the mother in law wanted to go.... We had better service. The waitress is on top of her game and helped raise the service from 1 to 4 stars. Food comes out hot Atmosphere is showing it's age but at least the beam and ceiling was repaired properly from where I was sitting

The new French toast platter was absolutely amazing, we enjoyed the banana walnut and the chocolate covered strawberry French toast. The only disappointment I had was there was too much chocolate not enough strawberry. Otherwise very delicious, sorry no pictures as I was too into the food to stop to snap a picture

Very friendly service. Food was good. Needs a bit of an interior update, carpet out of kitchen is very soiled, bathrooms not super clean. Good food and good servicd

Food and pricing is reasonable. I'm sure the slow service was a result of this weekend being Cortland college student drop off. But the waitress we had was awesome and handled the load excellent. I would think that the restaurant would know what weekend it is and be better prepared staff wise

Good food, and options for healthier eating. Our waitress was attententive and friendly. The seating area was really dark and there was a few panels missing from the ceiling, as well as some work being done in the other half of the restaurant. Overall, if you're looking for good food and friendly service, I would recommend it.

We visited this Perkins while on a road trip on July 11. When we walked in, one of the servers let us know that there was only two of them working that day. Even though there were only two of them and a cook I believe, they did wonderfully as servers. Our food came out great and even though they were stressed and exhausted, they were still as attentive as they could be. My only complaint would be that the carpet under our table was incredibly sticky, as if a child had spilled a ton of syrup under the table and it just didn't come out of the carpet. I would hope that management could get a professional cleaning crew in there so that it is one less thing for their overworked servers to have to deal with.

We have eaten here 4 times now. Always clean, friendly staff and good food. We really enjoy this Perkins.

I enjoy eating at the Perkins in Cortland NY. the food is consistently good, and the atmosphere id friendly. I especially like to go on Tuesdays when Wendy is the server. She is outstanding. Today, May 6, 2025 - Wendy was the only server. when I arrived around 11 am. There was private party in the back oom ( I think that I heard there were 26 people) & the main dining area kept filing up. How Wendy managed to take care of all of us, bring our food to the table while it was hot - is beyond me. I sincerely hope the management at the Cortland Perkins rewards Wendy & appreciates the excellent staff member that she is.

Perkins has a very pleasant atmosphere busy on a Friday night but very organized speed of food is good hostess is positive and not slow. Definitely a place you would want to revisit clean on the floor restrooms are clean, restaurant staff pleasant

Not a bad thing to say. Service was exceptional, food was great. Being Monday it was free pie night.

Been coming here a long time. I still enjoy their food, but I think their quality of food has gone down a little over the years

I got the croissant french toast with berries, and bavarian it was delicious! Their coffee is also great... the water tasted a but like chlorine, otherwise a terrific experience. Staff was on top things and the desserts look scrumptious.

Great pies . Fair average food . Really nice waittresses

We love eating at Perkins. It's my childrens favorite place to eat at because of the delicious pancakes and the servers are always so pleasant. Last night I ordered Eggs Benedict (which is my occasional indulgence) and when it came out it was not the classic Eggs Benedict. The server said she must have put it in wrong and she would have a new order made. She was very apologetic and we understood that mistakes happen. When it was brought back out (after I ate some of it) I noticed that the there was green on the muffin (which was Avocado). It looked like they just took the peppers and Avocado off and put ham in its place. Plus the eggs were fried. This is not how the eggs should be cooked, the should be poached. This is twice that I have ordered Eggs Benedict and the eggs were fried. Once was a mistake, but 2 times is not just a mistake. We will be back because we love Perkins, but I will never order the Eggs Benedict again, even though it is my favorite. Please train the kitchen cooks on how to make all dishes. I did not tell the waitress because I didn't want her to think she did something. She was very nice.

It's basic microwave food, our baked potatoes were cold couldn't even melt the butter , my mother in law ordered the steak and pepper it had 1 pepper and 1 onion . My wife ordered the country fried steak it was all grisly and cold . The waitress was very Friendly and helpful. The peanut butter silk pie was great

Place smelled like dirty carpet and could really use a good cleaning at 11am!!! Food was ok nothing really great, took forever for my daughter to get her sandwich after the server said she noticed it had the wrong cheese on it, was at least 15 more min.

Service was lacking to say the least. I went on a weekday at 2 pm to meet friends. Couldn't get any server's attention for over 30 minutes (there may have been 3 other tables occupied.) My Reuben sandwich was delicious. Then my friend wanted pie, so we all ordered pie. Pie was good. I wouldn't go there again unless I had over 2 hours.

It's alright, but the fries are NOT on par with other restaurants available. They taste like pre made fries from Walmart

We got breakfast but must have been a bad day. (Sunday approx noon.) It was very busy but our wait time was very long, only to receive very cold food. Eggs rubbery and cold. Sausage undercooked. The steak was cooked correctly and tasted fine. I have never had a complaint there on prior visits, so hoping this was just a bad day. Prices were reasonable and our waitress was very nice. (Wendy).

Walking in this place is empty with a fee tables or packed to the gills! Luckily we got a slower day & polite waitress! Silverware is to be checked for cleanliness each time. The food and the atmosphere superceded everything but the amazing dessert case! Always impressed!

Tough to overlook the cobwebs, soiled tiles and peeling wall paint. The best part of this place is the wait staff!

Went there yesterday afternoon ,the club sandwich was way too small and not enough fries for $16.00. The place is desperately in need for an update . Booths are old ,seats are cracked,carpets are dirty and the bathroom was not clean. I will say that the baked goods looked very good.

We eat here often, but I'm not sure how else to get a message to the owner. The sewage smell in the ladies room, is overpowering and putrid to the max. It permeates most of the restaurant, and forget about actually using the ladies room.

Food was really really good-much better than expected from a budget chain. Service was also spot on and highly engaged. Chocolate chip cookies fresh from the bakery to take out were scrumptious. The difference between 5 star and 3 star? Fruit flies in the bakery display case that they are serving from. I work in the restaurant industry myself so I know what that comes from. They need to solve that ASAP before health dept solves it for them.

Derick Dookram

Place was slightly busy and understaffed but service was nice. Entrees were good except the mac n cheese side was watery and had a funny taste. Would recommend the chicken fried steak and pies.

Cheryl Otero

Being elderly we selected from the menu the 1/2 sandwich, bowl of soup along with dessert which was a piece of pie. The food was a pretty good serving size and the pie slices were delicious ! It's a much nicer place to eat than an ordinary fast food place being its right off of Highway 81 in Cortland, New York. I thought it smelt a little musty when we first walked into the back room, so they should address this as to maybe newer carpet or a brighter paint job. Overall good fast service, friendly waitresses and clean.

Peter Naughton

Food was okay but there was an odor of sewage throughout the restaurant. It would waft in and out, we almost left but we soldiered through. The staff seemed to just ignore it. There was never any acknowledgement or explanation. Also looked like a roof leak and a "temporary" pole to support the roof, at least they put a bow on it for Christmas (see photo). After the meal, I went to use the men's room and barely had the door open when I was overcome by a strong wave of sewage odor. I immediately turned around and waited the 45 minute drive home. Perkins is far from what it used to be years ago. Very disappointing, will not be back here.

The silverware always looks dirty. The food is something to be desired. I keep thinking I will find something redeeming but never do. I only go for fried pickles. (Not many places close by have them). Alot of the staff look like they would rather be somewhere else. Not rude when they talk to you just act like it's a bit of a chore. The only thing is low prices.

Perkins is located right off 81. My hotel was in front of the restaurant and we were hungry. I did not expect much. We were seated. The waitress looked very tired. She brought the greasy food. Nothing really special. We paid and left. It is a good stop with A/C, bathroom and warm or cold food.

Normally we have never walked away from Perkins disappointed. This was the first time. My meal was delicious. My husbands was way smaller than normal.... it was an omelet... hash browns were left off.... when we asked for them....these too were less than normal.... the waitress was horrible. They were not that busy yet she never refilled our drinks or came over to see if we needed anything.... plus when she handed us the check she had her back to us and was talking to someone else. If she is there when we go back.... we are going to Wendy's.

Had no heat, the ceiling was leaking. Service was excellent just couldnt feel or taste anything being so cold at the newyear. Should of at least gotten a discount.

We went to the Perkins in Cortland. Having just mived here we wanted to try something new. The appetizer and dessert were good. However we ordered two steak dinners medium well. By the time we got them they were over cooked and dry. The mash potatoes and gravy were ice cold as were the mac and cheese that appeared to be something you would microwave at home, the asparagus was cold and limp. I would say may be a good place for appetizers but don't waste your money on the sirloin dinner. Not one person asked us how the food was, so maybe this is normal protocol.

Yes, the Perkins Restaurant in Cortland, NY, was temporarily closed as of early January 2026 due to significant winter weather damage to its roof, as announced on their Facebook page, but they aim to reopen once repairs are complete.

I can't even give the atmosphere a rating. The high chairs for babies were disgusting, there was food all over the floor where they sat us in a booth. I felt dirtier leaving. The only saving grace were the friendly and attentive waitresses.

TL:DR- food is so salty my BP couldn't handle it. Just Don’t. Our oven went wonky just before turkey day and our new one wasn’t set to be delivered until after the holiday. Easy fix- grab a Perkins Holiday Box Dinner for the family and nuke it the next day, right? Wrong. The atmosphere was nice and welcoming, the service staff was as friendly as could be. We got our take out, tossed it in the fridge that night and were super excited about an stress-free thanksgiving. Not so much. Wife microwaved the ribs and had a quick taste to give them a shot. She calls me in and goes “I want you to try this… but you may need to take a blood pressure pill…” Can’t be that bad I thought, and took a small chunk to taste. My mouth rejected it violently. I can only explain it as ribs dipped in a salt bath with a salt dry rub followed by salt-flavored BBQ sauce. I am currently writing this in front of my grill with chicken tenders and grilled biscuits for the family. (Grilled biscuits on a wood grill are awesome, btw.) So if you ever find yourself in a situation where it’s either the Cortland Perkins or a throw-together meal for the holidays, I would recommend skipping the take out. All in all… not my worst thanksgiving, though.

Chris Gordon

The only reason it received 2 stars was thst the waitress was amazing. Hash browns were burnt on the outside and uncooked in the middle. Rest of the food was passable.

I've never eaten here nor been over to this restaurant! Guess two waitresses have an issue with me, as I walked into clarion inn and suites they commented oh there she is and I didn't even look up they commented on that and laughed. Some service, I won't ever eat there now. I have no idea what issue they have as I've nvr met or associated with them and it's a free country to look where ever.

Poor service like this restaurant is the reason Perkins is going out of business. Not seating customers in open booths/empty tables to "help the kitchen staff" is just a poor business practice. When we asked to speak with the manager neither of the two employees greeting customers made an effort to have him talk to us. If the kitchen was so short staffed one of the two do nothing hostesses would be better utilized helping in the kitchen rather than doing nothing other than irritating customers. A short drive diwn the street to Denny's resulted in prompt service and a hot breakfast at a reasonable price.

Food was excellent. Server not so much, highly disappointed. We had Cindy as our server. She was rude and miserable the whole time never even greeted us. When she came to the table it was “can I take your drinks.” When we were unsure of what we wanted and asked for a few minutes she rudely just asked for our drinks again. She never came and checked on us throughout our meal, someone else brought our food out to us and not to mention she took 20 minutes just to get our drinks. Highly disappointed in the service that we received today.

This place is so dirty! Our table was covered in what I assume was maple syrup. The floors, walls, chairs and just about everything are filthy and old. Food was gross and flavourless. If we hadn’t been on a long road trip we would have never stopped here. Don't make our mistake!!!

We were traveling through the area and knew this Perkins was in Cortland. My husband and I stopped for breakfast. We waited over 5 minutes for anyone to acknowledge we walked in the door. Then we were told that it would be a few minutes before we could be seated as there was no tables available. Although there was 3 seats in the first area visibly ready for new customers, we decided to wait. We waited another 10 minutes, with others coming in the door, and also not being acknowledged. In the meantime, 4 other tables of guests were done and left. We decided to leave as well. If this is the initial service when we walk in the door, we were not interested in eating there and having the same delays. It is unfortunate as it was a place recommended to us.

Worst experience ever! It took them well over an hour to seat our party. The food was mediocre at best. Had to wait 10 minutes for a full thing of syrup. Also had to wait for 15 minutes for more coffee. Eggs were not cooked correctly. After all that, we Had to wait 20 minutes for our check, only to find out that the check for our meal was mistakenly given to another party. We were not offered any kind of discount to account for these glaring mistakes. I will never go there again and encourage all others to avoid this restaurant. Go to Denny’s instead. It’s just up the road.

I had called and ask if they take reservations, I was told no but they would make an exception. I called 4 weeks ahead of time and then the Tuesday before to confirm. When my family got to the restaurant before I got there the tables were not set up. We all ordered our breakfast. When the waitress came back to see if anyone needed coffee or any refills she was ask to bring the food out as it was done not all at once, so everyone could have their food while it was still hot. She said she couldn’t do that. I don’t think anyone got a hot meal. There were 15 of us! I ordered a breakfast that I can’t remember what it was other than potato pancakes folded around ham and sausage bits with egg, home fries, and fresh fruit. I’m not sure if everyone got what they were suppose with their order, I know I didn’t get any fresh fruit. The whole entree was not only cold but the sausage was burned. My family and I get together the last Sunday of every month for breakfast. Needless to say it was unanimous that we will not go back to Perkins!

I took my grandson there for breakfast this morning. The food was absolutely disgusting. So bad neither one of us ate the food. All of the vents in that place are black and are in need of cleaning. The general manager has no business being one. Whoever owns this Perkins should be embarrassed.

My steak was still moo-ing on the plate. Then the waitress asked me if I wanted my steak recooked along with my other sides and I said yes. Then I got my steak back with only the steak. At least it was cooked this time. Waitress was nice but I was tight about my food. When a guy is hungover I just need some grub on the fly. Not to mention a bunch of old people were talking trash about us at our table.

The state of Perkins as of October 2023 is just ABYSMAL. Every aspect of the customer experience at this restaurant location is substandard. The place is in physical disrepair, from the parking lot to the booths with broken springs and ripped seats, to the run down decor. Last time I visited, the dining room smelled like a garbage hadn't been changed. The place wasn't busy, yet nobody greeted my brother & I for several minutes. We ordered an App sampler, and a bagel yet 2 whole tables of at least 4 people who came after us, received full breakfast orders of food before we got our small order. I know because they tried to bring that food to us at first before realizing we were the wrong table. I suspect they missed our order completely and only after bringing us the other people's food did they start making ours. No apologies, no interaction. No reassurance that our food was coming. When we did get our orders, the food was cold, hard, and just really poor quality. It was like being charged $35 to get abused. The staff acted like they were caught by surprise that customers existed. This place is specifically designed to cook, serve, & sell food for a large group of various humans. If they can't handle their entire purpose on any level, then the writing's on the wall. Avoid at all costs.

My husband and I stopped here one evening around 5:45. No one greeted us, and after waiting awhile, we were seated. The lone waitress was scurrying around trying to do her best to keep up, although it wasn't even that busy. This place is the dingiest Perkins we have ever been at. We ordered, and then we waited, and waited, and waited !! By this time, there were 3 waitresses/ cashiers. Finally, about the time we were ready to just leave, our food arrived. The soup was very good, but the salad was straight up terrible. It tasted like an iceberg salad from Walmart with rotten (yes!) spinach in it and croutons. I opted for the grilled chicken, and the meat tasted like it was turning spoiled. We were in a hurry and decided not to make a fuss because IMO the best thing to do for something like this is to never come back. We left at 7:20. Also the table beside us had the same problem. The one man had asked for ranch on the side, and after waiting awhile, his friend told him that he might as well eat because if he waits, he might be here most of the evening 😏