Big Tomato

best home fries in town — and one of the best deals around. get the breakfast special. it’s amazeballs

The single greatest thing about the Big Tomato is that they are the only establishment in all of Poughkeepsie that serves spaghetti every day. It doesn’t matter if its a Monday or even a Wednesday, the Big Tomato always delivers a quality bowl of fresh «sketti». Next time you have a craving for a bowl of pasta with some sauce and its Sunday afternoon… this is the place to go.

This retro diner, though small, rocks. It needs a new sign outside.
Portions are small. Breakfast is tasty, order meat and potatoes undercooked. As always with a one-​man frying operation.
Food is cooked to order. Never ending coffee, juice and home made ice tea. Staff is talkative, friendly; just pipe in and enjoy the banter and gossip.
They offer cheap special combos, milk shakes rattled in front of you and even smokes, papers and any daily item you might need.
This place is under-​hyped, but miles ahead on what you enjoy.
For loners, couples and small groups.
Check out their wall of vacation post cards sent from frequenters!

If you want to be reminded of a simpler time, Big Tomato is where you need to be. Right now!
The whole restaurant is a cozy sardine can of a space, covered wall to wall in old photos, newspaper clippings, faded wallpaper that’s probably been there for a hundred years — the charm is inescapable.
I ordered a classic: Ham, egg and cheese on a roll with a side of hash browns and a coffee.
I sat at a small bar in the back of the restaurant, which overlooked the grill and cooking space. To my delight, I was treated to several very hilarious exchanges between one of the waitresses and the chef that day. It was very «bickery married couple» with a lot of jokes from the waitress being thrown out to the customers. It evident that this place has a ton of regulars because they all seemed in on her little zingers and she knew almost everyone’s name (and if not, she just called you «honey,» which was the case for me).
I went in there expecting a big plate of hot food and that’s exactly what I received. There was nothing fancy about it, but it was the perfect, grease laden, egg yolk bathed breakfast that I was hoping for. I can’t remember exactly, but I’m sure I only had to shell out a couple of bucks.

This place is terrible. A long wait for a simple breakfast. And the waitstaff was incredibly rude. They told my mother that they couldn’t wait on her because they were allergic to the smell of her perfume. Stay away!

No frills neighborhood joint that offers good breakfast. The pancakes are fluffy and light while the maple syrup appeared a bit watered down since I was almost done with about ¼ of a bottle after one pancake. Omelet was done right– filling slightly cooked and cheese melted. Coffee was well made which means they are attentive to detail. One man runs the grill so patient for your food to arrive when it’s busy.

We just moved to the area a few months ago and were looking for a place to have breakfast. The Big Tomato was just that place. The breakfast sandwich, the home fries and the 2−2−2 were «out of this world» (as described by my boyfriend). We will definitely be back!

Breakfast is great. Everybody is nice. The person I believe is the owner cooks all of the food. No complaints

Hands down, the best breakfast place in Poughkeepsie! Lunch is good too. John cooks on a cast iron grill, which is rare to find anymore. This makes the fid taste amazing.

Food is tasty, prices can’t be beat. It’s a casual, greasy spoon diner so don’t expect a 5 star experience with new modern décor. Only open for breakfast and lunch, but it’s run by a Sicilian and he can cook and uses good quality ingredients for the most part.
The owner is the only cook, so food can come out pretty slowly, but just relax and have another cup of coffee.
The only thing I don’t like are the fries, skip those and go for the home fries instead!

Great egg sandwiches, and a classic sort of greasy spoon throwback sort of place. Very 1970’s feel, which just adds to the experience. We did have to wait an unusually long time to get coffee and place our order.

The food is pretty good, the reviewer who said it was greasy spoon nailed it, and I love greasy spoon, but this is one of those places you go for the atmosphere more than the food. It is almost legendary and has a friendly local vibe that is very rare and impossible to artificially replicate. A must if looking for breakfast in the area.

Had to leave… 15 minutes waiting for coffee and a menu were too long. Oh well!

The blueberry pancakes are fantastic. They have two options for hash browns: regular or cooked with onion. The onion adds something special and those are fantasic as well. John, the owner, is very friendly, always standing behind the counter happily cooking. This is a place that could easily be overlooked, but should not be. The egg sandwich and the bacon were also top-​notch. And I can’t forget to mention the wait staff, very friendly and accommodating, happy to split a meal with no extra charge. I highly recommend Big Tomato!

Really good bacon. Really good potatoes. Simple things that other places just can’t get right.
My first time there and I’ll return for sure with the family.

What can I say about The Big Tomato… Over the years it has become a landmark here in Poughkeepsie. From old timers to the college students, The Big Tomato attracts all walks of life. The staff is super nice and colorful to say the least. John, the owner, always greets you with a mumbled hello but NEVER call him sir! I personally don’t stray too far from the eggs and hash browns (Which are amazing BTW) but people say the pancakes are the best. Something about the (small) old cast iron grill in which all the food is cooked, that creates the magic.

Best Breakfast in Poughkeepsie. My favorite: short stack of pancakes, lots of butter, bacon, and vanilla milk.

Nom, nom, nom. Love this place. Not in the best part of town, but it’s only open till about 2pm anyway. Great breakfast at great prices. I’ve never eaten anything other than breakfast, but my Dad can vouch for the jitterbugs. I happen to like the peeling, greasy tomato wallpaper. Quite small, but friendly staff make you feel welcome and will find a spot for you. Good eatin’!

Greasy spoon all the way. The staff is wonderful, and this was the place to go to feel like you weren’t just a College kid invading the area, here they make you feel like a regular.
Great breakfast deals, and large portions all the way.