Laurel Diner

We found the Laurel Diner while driving to Boston and I was feeling hungry. My Unilocal app pointed me to it where we exited and everything that’s been said about it is spot on. Great small diner with friendly service and good food. I had the Laurel omelet and it was very well made. The home fries were wonderful, just the right amount of crispiness on the outside and soft on the inside. Coffee was very good and not the usual tasteless swill you get at most diners.

Pros:
1. Best breakfast for miles!
2. Coffee very good.
3. Supporting a great local business
4. Yankee Clipper called it one of the best in New England!
5. Service always polite and friendly.
Cons:
1. Parking can be tight.
2. Seating can be tight.
3. Cash only.
What can I say? There’s no other place in town that beats Laurel Diner. Hands down my favorite place for breakfast.
Favorite: Pete’s Philly Omelet.

I ordered the house special hash and eggs. It was ok. Not bad. The service was really bad. We sat there for 10 mins before anyone even looked at us. I wouldn’t go there if you want good service. My kids ordered pancakes and I have to say the pancake was good. The top was crispy and the insides were fluffy. I would like to try their pancakes next time. But I am dreading going back because of the bad service.

A great place. I’ve visited many diners in the area. This is by far the best. The others are all mediocre in comparison. The place is very small. Go early for breakfast. The staff is friendly. I’ve had their egg scrambler with ham and cheddar. By far, the best in the area. Lots of ham and cheddar. Their potatoes are cooked fresh. I ordered mine with onions — delicious! Their iced tea is ok. Not great. But I know most people don’t drink that in the morning. Definitely a place worth visiting.

Been living in Southbury for over two years and finally tried them out for breakfast. Hands down best breakfast around. (no slight to Leo’s that I also like) Hash is off the chain. Pancakes are awesome. (yes I ordered hash omelet and pancakes for myself) Home fries were cooked to perfection.
Service was great too!

Wonderful diner. My kielbasa and eggs were very good – fresh and served hot. Friendly service in a classic establishment.

Best breakfast in the area, hands down. Their homefries are to die for. Literally. When i die, i want to be buried with a plate of them. Its super small so expect a wait on the weekends. Best hangover breakfast, i swear. No where else can cure a hangover like these guys’s bacon egg & cheese sandwich. Its the number one thing i crave after projectile vomiting last nights captain & cokes.

I have been here many, many times. It is tremendously consistent, probably because it’s always the same cook. I will often get a corn beef hash and cheese omelette with grilled onions, and I really wish it wasn’t so good because every time I have strayed away from it as a regular order, I have also been happy. But it’s so good, with the perfect side of crispy home fries, that I just can’t not order it when I go. Service is friendly and quick, and the atmosphere is that of a roadside diner. On a busy weekend morning, you will need to act like a vulture to get a seat, as there is no waiting list. Also, don’t expect a healthy meal (I can’t imagine how much butter this place goes through in a week). But when you are willing to allow yourself an indulgence, this is totally worth it.

Visited this diner over the weekend and was not disappointed. Went for the homemade hash and it was wonderful. Wife had the Patriotic pancakes and said they were so light and fluffy, hardly needed any syrup at all they were so good. The coffee was some of the best I have had lately. The waitress told us the name but not a brand I was familiar with. Lucky enough to get a table but would sit at the counter for this food.

This diner is egg-​citing!
My friends and I don’t usually trust such high ratings on restaurants, however this place delivered.
It’s a very small diner. All of seven tables and a dozen stools on the counter. Sweet staff. Quick service and kitchen.
They pitch the Homemade Hash as amazing and I can attest, it truly is! Try it. You won’t regret it.
The Ruben was also wonderful; the the typical oversized mess most places give out.
Oh and here’s a hint: ask for their raisin toast. It’s homemade quality (I didn’t ask and confirm if they made it).

Been coming here for years. Food is always fresh and cooked to anyone’s liking. In expensive, good service, great selection. You wont go wrong with this place!

I happen to pass this place while driving from Hartford back to Philly and decided to give it a go. I am so glad I stopped! The served a great breakfast at a reasonable price. The server was friendly and on top of things! I’ll be back next time I’m in CT for work again.

I had a western omlette with rye toast and home fries which was great. Fresh vegtables and home fries were cooked crisp and not soggy. Myself and my frien both enjoyed our food in this TINY but quaint place. On a Saturday morning this place was hopping with locals — a great sign. I recommend this place for some good American breakfast.

Love the Laurel Diner. I call in my to-​go orders if I’m in a big rush, if not, I relax at the counter. I go with the double egg sausage and cheese and a side of hash browns. You can’t beat it. Only real breakfast in town under $ 10 out the door. Staple of Southbury.

I LOVE LAUREL! With awesome food and an adorable atmosphere, it can’t be beat. It’s the perfect place for a weekend breakfast but make sure you get there early because the tables and the counter fill up fast and it can be difficult to find a parking spot. The staff is usually friendly but can sometimes seem like they don’t want us there. Overall, I would recommend Laurel Diner to anyone who was looking for a quaint breakfast (and light lunch) place with great food and a cool setting.

The best burgers by far in Southbury. We always have great meals here. If you are in town you have to stop and try it for yourself. Don’t let the outside of the building scare you away as it is clean inside and the staff is great.

My wife and I went to the Laurel Diner for breakfast on 11÷21÷14. We’ve been meaning to go here for a while based on Unilocal reviews and on a friend’s recommendation. It’s a small diner with a breakfast bar for about a dozen people and about six tables of four. It’s seat yourself so we sat a table. The diner was busy but we were greeted relatively promptly and given menus. I had coffee, and the kielbasa special which was 3 eggs, home-​fries, toast and a side of kielbasa. My wife had oatmeal, a grilled blueberry muffin and a side of ham. The diner has one cook, a person that helps the cook and two waitresses. Our food took longer than what you would expect for breakfast. We probably waited just long enough before we were wondering what was taking so long. My eggs were cooked perfectly, the home-​fries were very good, golden brown and tasty. My kielbasa was standard fare and cooked perfectly. My coffee was very hot and good. My wife’s oatmeal was very good and had bananas and blueberries in it. Her muffin was grilled perfectly and the side of ham was very good. The ham wasn’t your cold cut type of side but looked like it was cut from an actual side of ham and tasted that way too. Our total bill with tip was about $ 25. So, maybe your wondering why the 4 stars and not 5? It’s because of the service. I never got a refill on my coffee, which I expect, and should not have to ask for, at breakfast, and I was never asked how my meal was. Oh yeah, they only accept cash which is a pet peeve of mine and not convenient for the customer. Would this prevent me from coming back? Probably not but never the less it’s probably preventing the Laurel Diner from reaching 5 stars.

BEST diner I’ve ever eaten at and that’s saying a lot considering I’ve traveled quite a bit across the country. It’s a tiny diner and doesn’t look like much from the outside, but that does not reflect on the quality of food and service at all.
I hate runny eggs and always order my poached or over-​easy eggs «medium» — the owner and his brother always cook the eggs exactly to order. I don’t even bother ordering my eggs medium at other diners because they always end up under cooked and runny — but not here.
Their bird’s nest w/​eggs (any way you like) is fantastic, homemade hash is awesome!, my sons order the grilled cinemon roll and say it’s to die for! They always have new specials to try out. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything you order.
They are all fast and efficient and the pricing is excellent. Other local diners are over priced for typical breakfast fair.
Honestly, due to it being so popular among us locals, I’m hesitant to share this gem with people passing through. BTW, if you plan to stop, eat and work on your laptop and just take up a table for a long while — please go somewhere else to do that. Eat here, then move on so others can enjoy a meal. This diner is meant for eating, NOT working. Locals WILL rebel if they are waiting to sit and see you sitting working and taking up a table when you’re not eating. lol

Traditional old fashioned diner! True to it’s roots, it’s a small, busy hometown diner that is clearly a town favorite.
I ordered the hash, home fries and eggs. Delicious! Cooked exactly how I ordered it, the servers were friendly and prompt paying just enough attention to keep my coffee filled but still allowed me to get some work done without being bothersome.
I highly recommend for a pit stop off the road or a quick morning bite before your daily commute.

The food is consistently good here. I seem to always get the Laurel Omlette, it’s my favorite. I swap the home fries for hash browns, which always come out very crispy!
The hash is excellent as well.
Expect slow service when they are busy, so try and get there early morning before there are a lot of people there. One time, when all the seats were full, it took 15 minutes for a waitress to acknowledge us, another 10 to get coffee and order, and then 20 more minutes for our food to get out.
I knocked off a star for the inconsistent service and for questionable food handling. One visit, while sitting at the counter, I watched the cook crack a couple eggs into a bowl, and then, with egg on his hand, he picked out 4 pieces of toast from the toaster and buttered them. They belonged to me and my fiancé, and I got to confirm that sure enough there was egg on my toast. I skipped the toast that day.
That said, I still went back!