Palace Diner

food was good, coffee was great BUT you have to get their specific food combinations or be prepared to take out a second mortgage to pay for your breakfast if ordered ala carte’. My breakfast was $ 22+

Thanks Apple Maps for leading me here! Classic diner, super friendly and the most unique and tasty home fries ever!

Biddeford, Maine —
«Palace Diner» is oldest diner in Maine …
built in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1927 …
super-​server «Mel» & Maine-​ly friendly customer Burl made my visit truly memorable
#RunAwayBill #DUSATour2016 #Maine-​ly
«Run-​A-​Way Bill» was here!
05.26.16

This place is perfect. They serve great (Tandem) coffee, but still keep the integrity of a cup of joe. The food is out of this world, but perhaps the best part is the service. The waiters are both two of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. We were up in Lewiston and we drove an hour two days in a row to come here. Couldn’t recommend it more highly.

LOVE everything on the menu! Have you ever tried caramelized grapefruit? If not, they have it on the menu and it is such a treat!

Chicken sandwich out of this world ! Breakfast too! Love the music and Breakfast Sandwich. You never leave hungry.

Today was my 2^nd visit to The Palace Diner. This time was for breakfast. We got there 10 minutes after it opened & there was a 20 minute wait. But it was so worth it. This place is truly a gem. Don’t let the name diner fool you cause this place has unique full flavor food. The fried chicken & pancakes left my boyfriend speechless. The pancakes had a nice hint of lemon & we’re perfectly fluffy. The fried chicken was the best I’ve ever had hands down. They also serve Tandem coffee. The breakfast sandwich is one of a kind. This is a must stop place.

Food was great and the service is awesome but the price compared to the value received was to high. I had a bacon, cheddar, jalapeño omlette and was charged 11.00 dollars for it. I think it should have priced out at about 8.00 dollars. A simple bowl of yogurt and granola was 7.00, again to much. A bacon and cheese omelet was charged at 11.00 as well. Just to high for prices. Breakfast for 2 adults and a child… almost 40.00.

Yum! Corned beef hash is delicious, and we loved the challah French toast! Staff is always super friendly too. Fair warning– they are cash only! However, it is so worth it to come in here– seating is limited though. I really loved the breakfast sandwich, though it was a little heavy on the jalapenos for my personal taste (no worries though– ask them to go easy or pick a few off). Seriously great diner and it reminds me of home (I’m from New Jersey!). Can’t wait to take friends and family here when they visit.

I feel torn about my experience at the Palace Diner.
On one hand:
Unlike others, the service couldn’t have been more perfect. The extremely friendly folks running it were like a well oiled machine getting people in and out effortlessly and kindly (when a couple of women jumped the line and seated themselves, the staff very politely told them there was a wait-​list — the way in which they did it was just so… loving? warm… that the women apologized profusely and went back to waiting). Our coffee was always full and when we didn’t receive our banana bread after a half dozen times of asking where it was they comped it.
On the other hand:
I didn’t love the food. We came specifically for The Deluxe Sandwich (ask for Taylor Ham, apparently that’s a thing) which everyone seems to be raving about, but I couldn’t eat more than half because it was
.greasy and
.spicy. Every bite, my face and fingers were dripping with oil. And because there were so many jalapeños, even after scraping them off the bread, egg, and cheese were flavorless because they were so overwhelmingly spicy. The banana bread was just okay. But the Palace Potatoes were divine — slightly smashed and fried new potatoes that were melt in your mouth good. I wish they offered just a giant bowl of these topped with hollandaise.
Other things to note:
— Cash only.
— Prices were really fair, especially if you’re used to Portland breakfast prices.
— There are legit only like 12 or 15 seats, so be prepared to wait (and don’t worry too much about the people lingering behind you waiting while you eat — it’s the circle of life here).
— Finally, it’s totally cool to drink a Coors Light with your stack of pancakes here. #loveit

HOLY… um… (can’t swear here), but it rhymes with ‘fit’. What an amazing eatery!
I’ve heard about Palace Diner for several months, and have never had the opportunity to dine because of a ridiculously tight schedule that leaves me looking like the sad guy on an online dating commercial… you know, where the dude misses every opportunity for a hot date because his iPhone decides to go into software update, and he can’t do squat. EVERY time. Yeah, that’s me and Palace Diner.
But last week, fate intervened. A good friend simply arranged the perfect time to come in, and I had the pleasure of including my sister from Boston, and friend on a 3-​day visit from Los Angeles. Thumbs up on all counts. They approved!
First off… get ANY dish with their «Palace Potatoes». I have no idea what they do to them, and believe me, with my calorie-​counting mantra, I rarely touch the stuff. But on that day, my first date with this luscious bomb of a diner, I sampled (no… devoured) the forbidden fruit. They are simply amazing.
I ordered the highly recommended Deluxe Sandwich. You’d think it was a simple dish of bacon, egg, jalapeño, and cheddar that you can find anywhere. But trust me when I tell you, they don’t list their secret, magic ingredient…
… awesome sauce!
I have NO idea why this sandwich was so good, and I even had to seek the opinions of my sister and friend, both of whom bewilderingly confirmed the amazing-​ness i held in my hands… and i refused to give them extra bites. Yep… so good that I did NOT want to share any more.
I’m looking forward to many more dates with my new love interest. Though be warned, I may not be a gentleman the next time round. I’ve heard extremely tempting stories about the fried chicken…

Standard diner fare, notably the pancakes were good. Moderate portions, except the omelet which was tiny. Friendly service. All three to four star ratings.
So why the two stars?
If the price tag didn’t come to over 40 dollars for two people, I would definitely give this three stars. If you are a stereotypical Biddeford Pool resident and rolling in the $$$, definitely try it out. For a greasy spoon, I’d rather trek to Portland and Becky’s Diner or Marcy’s Diner and spend half the price for twice as much. While everything was really three stars, I expect much larger portions OR all organic/​local OR something truly inventive to pay that much.
Am I sorry we tried it? No, I thought it was a decent breakfast. Will we return? Probably never.
Pro tip: Cash only, but no signs on the door.
Pro tip: No place for you to put your purse/​coat. Leave them in the car or sit on it.

Everything I put in my mouth here was delicious. The experience? Not so great.
Busy Sunday morning at 11am, we come in and were told there were 3 people ahead of us, so, shouldn’t be a long wait. I saw the waitress put my name down on a piece of paper under a different name for a party of 3. Really wanted to try the pancakes so I was okay with the wait.
The party of 3 was seated about 5 minutes later.
We waited outside in the cold as the space is tiny. 15 minutes later a car pulls up, let’s a man out who goes into the diner.
His wife follows after the car was parked and joined him inside. We go inside as we know we’re next and it’s cold out. Two spots open up and this couple is seated. I looked at the list and the other waiter says they were ahead of us. Um, what? WHAT? Their name was definitely not there when we checked in.
They then ordered the last of the pancakes.
Cut to the food– we each had 2 eggs, home fries and toast, split the banana bread and the caramelized grapefruit. All were delicious. Prices are comparable to a downtown brunch in Portland, not a diner. The food is much better than your average diner, but don’t expect the standard coffee, pancake and eggs breakfast for $ 5 like most diners. It’s going to me more like $ 20, no joke.
I heard the waitress thank the couple who was seated before us for «coming back.» I’m assuming they left and changed their minds and came back and cut to the front of the line to be seated. This is not cool. They also got the pancakes I wanted.
I don’t know if I would go back. The food was good but for the price and experience I would prefer to take my business elsewhere.
Oh– and cash only!

Palace Diner is one of the best places in Biddo for bfast or lunch! It’s very small & you will likely have to wait but believe me, it’s worth the wait. I got the Deluxe Sandwich, best bfast sandwich I’ve ever had & I’ve had my share. The jalapeño & cheddar make it all that much tastier, not to mention the Palace Potatoes, fluffy, crunchy, yummy perfection! My dining companion got the pancake, she loved it as did I bcuz I had to take a bite … or two. The service is quick & friendly. If you are in the area, stop by & try anything bcuz it’s all good.

If Willie Mae herself could make her way up from Treme to Biddeford to try the fried chicken these geniuses are cooking, she would cry due to its shear beauty!
The best fried chicken, corn beef hash, tuna melt, and service in the universe.

Very small diner with a small menu and a big presence. Counter seating only, and if I had to guess, about 13 seats+~ loved the music. It’s seems to have a younger, hipper diner vibe. I had the palace royal. Double cheeseburger. Comes loaded (including mayo) and also comes with fries. They had two specials on the board. Fried pork chop and an omelette special. We heard they have fried chicken some days as a special. Hope to be back for that. We saw the grilled tuna sandwich. Looks good and huge!

All of these great reviews about the breakfast at the Palace Diner are true! I like just about everything about this place, except that I have to drive from Portland to Biddeford to get there (and I have to remember to stop at an ATM to get cash)!
They serve Tandem Coffee Roasters coffee (and you can get it with Allen’s and cream), which is excellent. I had the pancakes, my wife had the corned beef hash and we shared the Palace Potatoes (get these, you won’t regret it), and our friend had the caramelized grapefruit and 2 eggs with breakfast sausage. It was all really great.

So darn good, yet keeps getting better! As noted I love, love, love their corned beef hash! However, I recently branched out to try there double cheese burger, the Palace Royale and it was a life-​altering experience. So tall and awe inspiring, I at first wondered how I would take a bite! Fortunately the thoughtfull owners choose a substantiate roll that can withstand a strong grip yet still be delicious. Oh that first bite! Crisp shredded lettuce warm still melting cheese and rich local beef. Slightly salty with a bit ofcrusty crunch, the flavor just leaps into your mouth like no other burger I have ever tried! So satisfying yet so big that despite my best efforts I was unable to finish this masterpiece. Leaving behind my final bite as well as tears of joy.
Ps. The tuna sandwich is one of a kind! Served on Challa!

I was told that the Palace Diner is the oldest diner of its type in Maine. 86 years and counting!
The new owners, Chad and Greg, were looking for a place to open a restaurant and when the Palace came along, they bit and have definitely been on the food radar south of Portland.
Since I was going to be buzzing around Biddeford for the afternoon doing some research, I thought, I’ll start my downtown tour at the Palace. So glad I did!
This is a counter-​only establishment. The word is that sometimes you can’t get a stool if it’s busy. Luckily for me, I was post-​lunch crowd and there were several seats waiting.
I opted for the trad cheeseburger and fries platter, for $ 9 bucks. That’s what a burger should be, containing locally-​sourced beef (from Farmer’s Gate in Wales, ME). The mayo, finely shredded lettuce, with cheddar cheese and a sesame seed roll were el perfecto. While the fries aren’t hand-​cut, one of the few items that aren’t prepped in-​house, they do come from local purveyor, Native Maine, and they are the skinny fries, ala McDonald’s. This isn’t a complaint, but a compliment; they were perfectly deep-​fried and salted so that they tasted like the iconic chain’s french fries, which in my book, is a plus.
The service here is attentive and personal. The owners both were onsite and spend time coming out from the small kitchen and chatting up the clientele. They also answer the questions of inquiring minds like mine, wanting to know all the details.
Loved this diner, the food, and the other diners were friendly, too.
If you haven’t been to the recently revitalized downtown Biddeford, you need to plan a visit and when you do, be sure it’s between 8 and 2 (the hours of the Palace Diner). Oh, and bring cash – they don’t accept plastic.

Damn, what an experience. I somehow ended up in the slums of Biddeford, but if I’ve learned anything about hanging around the south side of Chicago (which is way worse than Biddeford, for the record), shady areas have some damn good hidden gems.
This place is a legit diner. It’s a small trolley with literally one row of seating. The place can probably hold like 20 people max. The trade off to a small establishment is amazing service.
I was treated like a king before I even sat down to eat. I was offered a to go coffee to have while waiting for a seat, which only took 10 minutes.
The menu is small, but everything looked amazing. The breakfast dish I had was perfect. Absolutely delicious. Nothing bad to say. And that service… I got refills like every 4 minutes. It was awesome.
If you want amazing breakfast in Biddeford, go here. Even if you have to wait, it’s worth it.