El Greco Diner

You really don’t know what you have till it’s gone! I miss El Greco and it’s delightful outdoor seating. Their breakfast really hit the spot especially when it’s 3am and you’re drunk. RIP El Greco you will be missed.

After 40 years they tore it down and a 30 story building will be going up in it’s place.

I’ll miss you old friend. You were great at 4am, coming home from a club. Ahhhh, those days are gone and the memory’s on the wall.

Gorgeous view and great ice capaccino. Not the cleanest place but is fun to sit outside and enjoy the scenery. I’m so sad that they are closing.

Coming to this diner used to be a regular thing for me. It was always the place to go to late night to hang out and get snacks or a full meal. I used to come here with friends and chill until the sun came up. The waiters/​waitresses were always attentive and nice. Food was always okay but then again you don’t go to a diner for a five star meal. This was how it was pre-​sandy. I guess sandy really determined their fate.
I’ve heard that after sandy they changed ownership and that really showed. I came here a couple times post sandy and I noticed things weren’t the same. During one visit, I ordered the pancake supreme and I asked if I could get it with chocolate chip pancakes instead of plain ones and they said no. Constantly had to ask our waitress for more water and at times she would disappear for fifteen minutes or so. During this visit, my friend and I ordered the fried calamari appetizer and out came clumps of fried breading and maybe a handful of actual calamari. Picture will be provided.
One my last visit here, I think we had a new waiter which I didn’t mind because people have to learn. My friend ordered an egg white omelet with mozzarella cheese and bacon and out came a mozzarella omelet with bacon on the side. The waiter looked astonished when we told him that we wanted the bacon inside and not separate. I don’t know if it’s a night thing but the staff like to sit down when not needed or until a customer calls them over. I understand that they’re on their feet a lot but you have to be there for the customer. What really ended it for me was when I asked the waiter for more water and he then asked me «How would you like the water?» With a confused look on my face I then said «in a cup?» He came back with a cup of water.

Now that they are about to close forever (Dec 19), I guess I better write my review! I have been to this diner several times over the years and except for its classic architecture, I have never been overly impressed with the food. It offers the standard diner fare at prices that are a bit high, but I guess when you are on Emmonds Avenue, you can charge more. The servers are pretty nice and efficient.
So with this coming week being their last (can you say condo’s & developers?), don’t put off visiting this piece of diner history that has been here since the 1970’s!

Free coleslaw and pickles is always good but skip the flavorless bowl of beans. Mozzarella sticks have good batter, chicken fingers fried to perfection, chicken wings come to the table with no sauce so they look a little pale but are good.
Grilled cheese is buttery with semi melted cheese, still tastes good bc it’s so bad. Tomato goes well with it also.
Chicken souvlaki always good, lamb was a bit too game-​y this time. Fries and salad always pair well. Get the waffle or curly fries, regular fries are soggy.
Strawberry cheesecake is their best seller, I wasn’t sold. Skip the watery coffee.
Not sure my review is worth much bc they’ve enjoyed 40 years and have now succumb to becoming residential space but for those of you with fond memories you have about a week left.

Boneless buffalo wings with sauce on the side, is how i love my appetizers!
They prepare your food just the way you like them.
The staff can be friendly, for the most part. Yes, there are rude employees but there are more good than bad, luckily.
Food is amazing: i love their bagels, waffles, wings, burgers, and nachos.
Come here always with family and sometimes we take it to go and eat at home.
I’ve never actually had an issue with the staff or with El Greco altogether.
Food quality is fine, it is a diner. it’s not a 5 star restaurant, but, in my opinion, it’s not a bad diner either. I gave it 4 stars.
I’m here now and ordered my appetizer, as always.
Sometimes it comes uncooked and sometimes it comes overcooked, so i specifically tell the waiter to make them crispy but not overly crispy. it comes perfect everytime.
The location is absolutely amazing, 2 streets away from where I live so thats an upside.
I never had trouble there and hopefully never do. I love it.

Great location and food. I loved the outdoor seating. Only downside is that people are unable to share plate without being charged extra.

Hometown descent food but the cole slaw was aweful

What I like most about El Greco Diner is it’s location. Working on Emmons years long, we used to stop by for late night French fries and beers and chat till the first lights of the sun. Strawberry cheesecakes might not be the best ones in the town but to me, best ones in the area. They never bring enough half and half for coffee though :) But free coffee refills are always good to have. Prices are reasonable. Try tacos with guacamole dip sauce.

The diner of my earliest days is still going strong. Don’t get me wrong, this ain’t fine dining. But prices are reasonable, portions are HUGE and they bring you the requisite pickles, cole slaw and chickpeas necessary to be a real Brooklyn diner (oh, and they’ll let you have seltzer in place of water, another necessary vestige).
The actual food I’ve had, I’ve enjoyed. Their deli is something they do particularly well. The pastrami and corned beef combo (and it comes with fries!) will make you hate yourself but damned if it isn’t good. Their chicken parm hero (which also comes with fries!) is über rich but über good– in that kind of crappy but still delicious red sauce fake Italian food way.
They also have pretty rad sweet potato fries, their Greek food is good, and the desserts aren’t too shabby either.
There’s also outdoor seating, because well, they’re on Emmons Avenue and had to keep up with everywhere else on Emmons Avenue?

Been here twice. Once a few years ago for a birthday celebration and the most recent trip is to have breakfast with the bf. I had french toast with bacon and he ordered a belgium waffle with whipped cream and ice cream on top. Mind you this was around 9am !! I love diner food but i think diner food is best for lunch or dinner. Breakfast wasn’t really worth it :/​Could have had better service also

I tried El Greco for a late-​night dessert and was disappointed. My group ordered a variety of desserts, and I ordered blueberry pie because the fruit pies are dairy and egg-​free. We all thought everything was «meh». Our waiter brought my pie covered with whipped cream and corrected the error by leaving us the pie and bringing another naked one, which was nice. The pie’s bottom crust was very crumbly while the top crust was hard like a stale thick cookie. Seems like the crust is baked separately and laid like a slab over the pie. And the filling was very sticky and gooey. Oh well, bye El Greco.

Having been here a few times, I’ve never had an issue with El Greco, but could definitely understand the gripes from others. After all, this IS a diner and there are not many diners out there that can really separate itself from the rest, especially when it comes to food quality. Service can always be suspect depending on who your waiter/​waitress is and décor is never the top priority of a diner.
However, on my most recent trip here, my experience was really good. Not having been here in a few years, I felt that the inside just seemed newer. Not sure if they did any type of renovation, but the diner was really clean looking. There was also a huge tree-​like centerpiece in the middle of the dining area too, which was pretty cool. As always, the menu was huge and it took us quite a few minutes to decide what we wanted to order. Our waiter, Demetrius, was really cool and patient as we took our time figuring out what we wanted. Just a note on Demetrius in that he was awesome throughout the night, cracked a few jokes and was very accommodating by always checking on us.
Anyhow, I ended up ordering the Chicken Parmigiana with Penne pasta, which was MASSIVE! I know diner food servings are usually huge, but it looked like they threw some breading on 3 chickens and slapped them together! I managed to only eat thru about ½ of it before giving up and taking the rest home. I’m pretty sure the chicken was thawed out and then cooked/​microwaved, but it was really good for diner food and surprisingly tasted fresh. I’ve never had a problem with El Greco’s food and the Chicken Parmigiana reassured me of why I still continue to come here when I do crave diner food.
A few side notes in that there is also an outdoor seating here, which overlooks Sheepshead Bay, for those beautiful spring/​summer days. In addition, a large parking lot outside provides plenty of free spaces for customers too. As for the customer service, I agree with one reviewer that it can be spotty here with the waiters/​waitresses and front desk people. However, my most recent experience was excellent with Demetrius serving us and shows how far good customer service can really go!

El greco is one of those diners that are constantly changing with the times. It’s not like your old school diners, you know the ones that Denny’s has tried to recreate. It’s more like the theme is completely different as the years go on.
Comfortable seating: two sides of it. One is a more blue and ocean-​themed, comfy, cushion area, the other is a restaurant area with wooden chairs and tables. Wait, did I mention they have a place overlooking the the bay? It’s right by the bridge (ah, childhood) that leads you into manhattan beach. It’s usually filled in the summertime, but if you get a chance, go for it.
Now, onto the food. The food itself isn’t particularly amazing (or cheap), but this place honestly isn’t about the food. Everyone always starts off with their appetizer of coleslaw and bean salad and pickles. I really only eat the pickles, because the other stuff looks like my elementary school lunchroom stuff. The sandwiches and paninis are a bit bland, not like the meaty, cheesy, packed with a punch stuff you see on food network. The breakfast combo is a bit expensive, but they give you quite a bit for your buck. Definitely come here for the calamari (I know other reviews have told you to stray from seafood, but this is a good bet, trust me on this one) and cake. When you walk in, they have the cake display, order one of them! They’re always delicious!
The service is pretty good, free coffee refills, not that I drink coffee anyway.
This diner is open until pretty late and I’ve always come here for late night snacks and just hanging out. It’s a place to really sit comfortably and ramble about random things with your family as I’ve been doing for years.

I came here with family for breakfast. Not a bad diner. Aside from being a little dated, it’s in a really nice location in Sheepshead Bay. I ordered an omelet with hash browns. It wasn’t bad at all, but nothing spectacular either. Right up there with IHOP. My brother ordered the bagel and lox meal for $ 15. Yes, $ 15. It came with a bagel, lox, onions, tomatoes and cream cheese. In my opinion, way over charged, but they did give a really large portion size.
Overall, it’s okay. I can’t really say anything particularly blew me away aside from the view outside. Prices are abover average. Décor is average. Service is average. Food taste was average. Portion sizes above average.
If interested, they do have a full bar.
If I knew more spots in NY for breakfast, I probably would not return here.

El Greco is a landmark in the area. But not the kind you want to put in a travel guide. More of the kind of landmark that serves to remind the public of times of despair and remembrance.
For example, I remember the time I had a sandwich one night and then couldn’t leave my house for 4 days because my intestines, in turn, punished me mercilessly. It used to be fun when me and my friends were 17 and had nowhere else to go at the end of the night and also didn’t understand what food should be. But you grow and learn. I think the cleanest the El Greco kitchen has ever been was when the polluted bay waters during Hurricane Sandy rose up and avenged my belly.
You CAN go to El Greco, if you really need to go to a diner immediately and can’t for any reason go outside the very block El Greco is on. But unless you want to buy a new toilet and liver, just don’t.
PS They have seafood. But please, don’t.

One of my favorite things about El Greco is the fact that they have awesome outdoor seating, overlooking the bay.
The next favorite thing of mine about this place is the fact that it is open 24 hours a day, and whenever you are having some random craving for a burger, or some random sandwich, you just call or show up, and can get whatever food satisfies your craving. They serve cakes and oh my, yes indeed, makes the stroll across the bay well worth it.
I can’t speak to the breakfast here as I haven’t gotten it, however, I’ve had a fair chunk of the items on the menu. The burger is probably the best bang for your buck, the salads are decent and large, but can get old and boring after a while. I’ve tried the Monte Cristo sandwich, which was pretty good as well, and a few other menu items. I haven’t really tried most of the dinner items myself, only a bite here and there, and it was just «fair.» I would recommend coming here if you’re looking for standard diner food, or some pretty darn awesome red velvet cake late night, because that seems to be what this place does best. And, if the weather permits, sit outside.

El Greco has outdoor sitting which is nice for the summer not to mention that its next to the shore where you can sit and enjoy a cup of hot coffee or a cold drink overlooking the shore.
The food is decent, my bf enjoyed his meal. He got the pancake supreme which is pretty much pancakes with eggs, sausage, ham, and bacon. I got corn beef hash and eggs, but was unfortunately disappointed with my food. The corn beef hash was very salty while the home fries were bland. The coffee was hot and our waitress was very friendly and attentive. She came to our table a couple of times to ask if we needed anything.
Overall, I wouldn’t expect too much from the food after all it is a diner. No problem with the service, the waitress we got was very sweet and and friendly.