Reviews for Empire Diner

01/16/2024 - MenuPix User

05/24/2012 - QueryAll
The Baldini's Empire Diner is a comfortable and spacious diner with a touch of class.

Over the years Baldini's Sports Casino has gone through several changes in their in their view towards food service. Just over a year ago the Fallen Leaf Buffet closed leaving two remaining options for having a meal there. Baldini's Brickyard sports bar is for the more relaxed crowd that wants a quick bite while watching sports on their many wide screen TVs and their main restaurant, The Empire Diner, which caters to seniors and is reminiscent of railroad car dining.

Normally you think of railroad car dining as cramped and loud, but the Empire Diner is spacious and quiet. Serving breakfast 24 hours a day, their specials are very reasonably priced for the budget conscious. On a weekday brunch time, a guest and myself decided to use a two for one coupon and have breakfast.

Upon standing in line to be seated, we were greeted within seconds by the hostess and led to our table. The hostess took our drink orders, and informed us of our waitresses name. While not being too busy, the waitress only came to the table three times during the meal. The first to take the order, deliver the food and finally halfway into the meal to deliver the check. Typical mediocre service, but the hostess made up for our waitresses lack of being there.

We both ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs. The meal comes with toast and a choice of home-fries or hash-browns. The meal arrived within 10 minutes, hot and appetizing. Normally I find white gravy in most restaurants execute a Béchamel poorly as the flour used to thicken the gravy overpowers the taste of the pan drippings. We have all had it, a country gravy that is pasty and simply unappetizing. Since a chicken fried steak rests on a country gravy, it can either make or ruin the dish. In this case, the cooks at the Empire Diner executed the country gravy to near perfection, allowing the superb steak to shine. The meat was without any gristle and was a joy to eat.

Nothing remarkable about any other part of the meal, all satisfying and I left my plate with food remaining as the portion was quite large. I am a large young man, that can throw down a large meal with ease, so it was unsurprising when female senior companion had enough to put ask for a to go container.

I have eaten at the Empire Diner perhaps 5 or so times all with the same female senior companion, as she frequents this restaurant mainly due to the comps she receives. In the past I have not been too impressed with either the service or food in general. Today I must say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. No, the service was far from stellar, but the food made up for this. I left full and with a smile on my face.