Main St. Diner

If you’ve ever woken up (hungover) and been really in the mood for awesome diner food for less than $ 5 a meal than this is the place you should go. We stopped here on a Saturday morning and decided we both had to get the breakfast special that everyone was talking about. The coffee was strong, food was hot, and potatoes were fried in butter so that was awesome. The owner was sitting at the counter the whole time chatting with the different patrons, gave the whole thing a very small-​town feel. Very interesting place, make sure you check it out!

Main St. Diner is your typical hole-​in-​the-​wall, momma’s breakfast cookin’ diner. The food is served hot and your coffee cup is always full.
When I went this past week, our server was very friendly. Most importantly, our meal was UNREAL cheap! I got 1 pancake, some bacon, and a donut. They get their donuts from Busken, and it was actually cinnamon roll topped with peanut butter. BUT it was $ 1…holy crap! The pancake was delicious and the bacon was fried crispy.
Watch out because parking may be hard to find.

As a new resident of downtown I am always on the lookout for quick, casual restaurants that are within walking distance. Main Street Diner fits the bill for an amazing breakfast. I had the «special» and it was AMAZING! Eggs, hash browns, bacon and toast. All of it was top notch diner food. We aren’t talking gourmet, but we are talking good grub. I will definitely be back.

Breakfast club!
I don’t know where to begin! So I will take it from the top… it was pretty deserted on Saturday morning, the two other diners set up home at the bar, reading the morning paper and bantering back and forth with the owner. (Bucket list addition: go to the same place for breakfast for 50 years so I can banter and smash talk the owner). We sat down at a booth and noticed it wasn’t getting any warmer from coming in from the chilly street… they don’t have heat. Well, there are a few space heaters but it can be pretty chilly… so dress accordingly in the colder months. These being said I wasn’t wanting to leave, I actually wanted to stay and be a part of this crazy place.
I ordered the breakfast special; typical eggs, toast, meat, and potatoes. The waitress/​cook/​banter queen served it up in no time flat and for about 5bucks I was all smiles. Will be back!

Continued our quest to find the perfect diner in Cincinnati (which we still haven’t found). Went here for breakfast on a Wednesday. Standard diner inside, not crowded. There’s a breakfast special for coffee, eggs, toast, hash browns & meat for $ 4 (ridiculously cheap), but I opted for an egg white omelette instead. The potatoes were very good. Not overly greasy, not overly fried, but not overly spicy, either. Whole wheat toast with jelly, can’t go wrong. The omelette was good. Overall, a solid choice. Not mindblowing, but good.

I am writing this review early on a Sunday morning and blaming God for not allowing this place to be open on Sunday’s! It’s my all time fav greasy spoon here in Cincy!
Breakfast is my favorite meal so you better not skimp on the fixin’s and believe you me, this place does not miss a beat. I usually get the «breakfast special» which includes: 2 eggs any style, choice of bacon/​sausage/​goetta, hasbrowns, toast AND Unlimited refills of coffee or tea. Drumroll please… all for $ 4.50. Yes you heard that correctly.
Screw all these fancy chains pumpin out breakfast specialsassembly line style right out of the frozen packages. This place is down home cookin. Fresh food to table. Their grill is the greasiest, smelliest, most delicious looking thing that has ever existed. You walk in and you can smell it.
The place hasn’t changed their business strategy to keep up with the times. Their mantra is to make you feel like family. Great customer service, you walk in and they bring you your usual. My tea w/​honey and lemon is sitting on the table before she even brings the silverware over. Same waitress every morning. Same owner behind the cash register, (which is ancient by the way).
If you haven’t been to this hidden gem, you have been missing out on something really special.

Please understand that this review is based strictly on the chili and not an overall review of the diner. Justin’s review and pics of breakfast make this look like a solid Saturday morning choice, but for chili, this would be a last stop.
I digress.
Chili: Lite, lacked any real kick.
4-​way: Noodles were too firm. Also, I saw the cook pulling them out of a pot with his bare hands. The chili on top of the plate leaves alot to be desired as well. Very sparse. And the crackers? Stale, square saltines. Not even oyster crackers. Somewhere buried in Cincinnati law is a 2^nd degree misdemeanor that states you can’t serve saltines with chili. I should report them to the authorities.
Also, crackers are only served with 4 ways. My friends with coneys were spared the stale-​ness.
Coney: bun not steamed, right out of a Kroger deli bag. Hot dog was small and tasteless. Cheese, not fresh, also out of a bag and not too sharp.
Hot Sauce: Texas Pete.
They even ran out of chili and one of our chili-​tasters had to go with something else. Seriously, if I were them I would take chili off the menu. They don’t even offer beans as an option for a 5 way.
The restaurant staff seemed polite and nice, and the diner itself is a classic example of american dive diner (a major favorite genre of restaurant of mine) located in a bustling part of downtown. I very well may be back for breakfast (after they read this I may want to come incognito) but all in all I can’t recommend this place as a chili joint.

I am not that big of a breakfast eater (I know, most important meal of the day) but I do enjoy breakfast. I grew up not eating breakfast so it is kind of brushed off in the morning.
As I am not that big of a breakfast eater, I don’t want to have to pay 10 dollars for a meal, a la First Watch. I have found an alternative. I am sure their are many more of these places scattered around Downtown, I just haven’t discovered them yet. I have discovered Main St. Diner though. I came here on a recommendation as I would have never found it just driving or even walking by. For a small old Diner in the middle of Downtown, the cleanliness of the place was actually very nice. As mentioned it is old and they even use one of those old school cash registers where you pull the lever on the side, nice touch.
Main St. Diner is what it is, a Diner. They offer diner food including Burgers, soups, salads, and everything you would expect all for low low prices. I have been here five times since I first discovered the place and four of those times have been for breakfast. They have yet to disappoint me. My go to item (and yours should be to) is the breakfast special which consist of 2 eggs cooked to your liking, to pieces of toast, Bacon or Sausage, home fries, and a cup of coffee or tea for… get ready a whopping, pocket burning $ 4. That’s my kind of breakfast. Not only does the food come out piping hot, but you get to talk with the cook while he makes your meal.
Main St. Diner does offer other breakfast items, as my girlfriend loves the HUGE double decker B.E.L.T., that’s Bacon, Egg, Lettuce Tomato sandwich for only $ 3.50. Along with the B.E.L.T. and the breakfast special we order a side of Goetta for a dollar and our bill comes out under $ 10 for two people.
I have been here for lunch once and the waitress (which seems like it’s the same one every time we are there) informed us of their daily specials. We got the fish sandwich on Friday and it was actually a very very good fish sandwich. Large in portion and very juicy and flavorful.
Parking is sometimes hard, especially during the week when the courthouse is bustling, but weekends there are usually plenty of meters and you can always walk from one of the close parking lots. Even if you have to parachute in from a plane I recommend getting downtown for a breakfast one morning at Main St. Diner. Heck, with the money you’ll save on breakfast you might even be able to pay for the plane ride that got you there.