Shady Glen

You can tell a lot about how good a restaurant is going to be regarding the attitude of the wait staff. The waitress I had, dressed in a tank top and yoga pants (not exactly professional), was more interested in chatting with the other employee sitting at the counter eating. No friendly greeting or anything. She took my order, however the cook delivered the food. She never came back to check on me or to see if I wanted anything, like say a refill on my ice tea.
I ordered a cheese burger club with fries. Oddly they offer a choice of hand cut or frozen fries. I opted for hand cut. I asked her to have the burger cooked medium rare. Medium rare is pink. There was definitely no pink in the burger. The burger patty was very small, it didn’t even fill ²⁄₃ of the bread on the sandwich. It appeared and tasted like it was steamed, there were no grill marks on it and it didn’t have that grilled taste. Also, the fries probably would have been good if they were not cut so thick. They were not cooked all the way through and didn’t have the crunch on the outside that you would expect fries to have.
I finished my meal and probably sat there for more then 10 – 15 minutes waiting for the waitress to come back, perhaps suggest dessert or even bring my bill. I had piled everything onto my plate, utensils, napkin etc. which to me is a universal sign of «I’m finished». I had to go to the counter and ask for the bill. Again, waitress was not friendly, barely said thank you.
I believe in tipping for service. I understand most wait staff work for tips with a menial hourly wage. It would be my suggestion to this waitress that she at least smile, perhaps consider being friendly, the tips would likely be better!
Gone are the days of John Carey, the original owner who always greeted every customer with a smile and hello when they walked in. Also, the older ladies that worked in the kitchen making such yummy foods and desserts! It may have looked like a diner then but the food was definitely first class! Very sad that things have changed so much. Overall, very disappointing!

Its hard to live or work in Turners without hearing about the Shady Glen. My coworkers would frequently go for lunch and I couldn’t help but be curious, what was so great about this place? Honestly, the first time I went I had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that whenever my coworkers came back from lunch they had smiles on their faces.
Let it be said that one of the most awesome things, right off the bat, is OFF STREET PARKING!!! Everyone in Turners knows how difficult it can be to find parking when its meal time because street parking can fill up fast. But I’ve never had any difficulty finding a parking space when going to the Glen. Its enough to put a smile on your face even before you walk in the door!
Another nice feature is that if you park in the back, you can walk right in through the back door without circling around to get inside. If you do take the back door, you can see the bathroom to the right. I know its a hassle to walk outside, but I’ve had to walk through mazes to get to bathrooms at other restaurants. Taylor’s Tavern, anyone? As long as you know its there, you’ll be fine. Its just a few steps away.
Once you get inside you’ll notice how lovely this diner is. They cook your breakfast right there in plain sight! How awesome is that? I love the character the Shady Glen has.
Now, there’s not tons of seating. You have the booths and the counter. If you have a few people and want a table, you might have to wait for someone to clear it off. But in my experience, even going at lunch hour, I’ve rarely had to wait. Tip: let the shorter people in your party sit closer to the wall in the booths, the way the tables are held up makes it a little crowded for the long legged among us to sit on the inside.
As for the food, everything is bursting with flavor. Breakfast is my favorite meal, so I can only speak to what they serve for breakfast, but I have yet to be disappointed. I recommend the omelettes, there’s a million choices and if you don’t like any of those you can make your own. Though the sweet stuff is good too, they make delicious pancakes and french toast. If you want to have some fun, definitely try to mimosa. I’ve yet to have a better one.
The only hazard is I always leave totally stuffed!

Typical greasy diner food. The food is average quality with only a few things on the menu worth ordering but honestly, none come to mind. The place is filthy and you need to walk outside to go back inside to use the bathroom. The staff tends to ignore you unless you are a «townie» and known to them. It’s a shame the food and service isn’t more welcoming since I love to support local businesses.

We just moved to town and live just steps from this place. I had visions of walking there for brunch, coffee, pie, just having such a well rated diner so close to home was pretty nice… until we stopped in today for a late breakfast around 11:30 am.
Sadly, we stood there for 10 minuets waiting for a table to be cleared so we could sit down and were not once acknowledged by any member of the staff.
The staff wasn’t swamped, there was plenty of time for someone to clear the tables, definitely enough time for one of them to at least make eye contact especially when they were facing us directly every time they stood at the cash register… seriously, just a glance, smile, eye contact anything would have been nice.
Customers will be patient and wait if they are led to believe that the staff is interested in having them at their establishment.
I’ve been busy, ran bars, restaurants, dining rooms, and always always always acknowledged customers, my advice is to make sure the front of the house knows more then how to take an order, serve food and take money.
We left without ordering and will not bother trying to eat there again.

Having just moved a couple blocks away, being a fan of diners and having a wife who’s a native, we’ve popped in a couple times so far. It’s a clean, brightly lit place, open in the pre-​dawn hours (well, you’ve got to cater to the local icefishers!), all of that. The service is good, and the prices are as well.
I wouldn’t rank the food over my favorite diners in Greenfield (Brad’s and Denny’s), but it’s been perfectly edible and with reasonable portions for the price. It’s well worth patronizing.

Was driving to VT stopped for breakfast and was pleasantly surprised. Small place great food and fine service a must if u are in the area.

Stopped in here for breakfast on my way back home from a project in Colrain.
Had the two egg scramble, hash, homefries and raisin toast… washed it down with two cups of coffee.
I was very impressed with everything… except for the hash which was standard can or Sysco stuff. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the homefries had a nice season to them.
Very good coffee… not great… but very good. The place seemed to be very clean and was staffed by very nice employees.
Well worth a stop if you’re looking for a quick meal while traveling on Rte. 2.

Went for breakfast
Coffee was so so
Eggs done just right. Home fries were gd, toast was gd, bacon very lousy. Place was clean and friendly.

We always enjoy the Shady Glen. They have add many daily specials and have very convenient hours

We went to Shady Glen today for a late breakfast and found it to be delicious. I had pancakes and home-​fries, while my partner had eggs, ham and pancakes. Both meals were great and really filling .
Since it was a late breakfast we decided to both get mimosas, which were also delicious. When having our mimosas we broke out laughing because we noticed that our Champagne flutes had wedding dates on them from 2012. Finding this on the flutes added a little character to our breakfast.
The staff was great and we can’t wait to go back to this little gem in Turners.

I’ve reviewed this place before, but I guess it didn’t upload?
ive been coming here for years but still not add long as most if the locals bellying up to the yellow counter for solid diner breakfast and the classic housr roasted turkey.
It’s not the same add when the original owner greeted every customer from the spot at the corner & there was a pie list to maker my father in law weep, but it’s still a neighborhood anchor with decent food that preserves the sense of this communities history.
Well worth coming over the newly opened bridge for!

The Shady Glen is probably the most diner-​y diner in greater Western Massachusetts. It’s really truly been around forever, and caters first and foremost to a local crowd that’s been around forever too, and likes solid food at fair prices. It can be a little awkward walking in if you don’t know the deal — service does not tend towards warm and welcoming, so you kinda have to make a place for yourself and ask for what you want. It’s possibly to view the slight surliness as part of the ambiance — more authentic, right? Anyhow, solid food and good prices, if you’re looking for a diner you won’t regret it.

This is my favorite local diner. Good food, good service, and lots of good people watching. Everybody gets a full belly at a decent price served with a smile (or a frown). Love it.

«Delicious, cheap, super friendly folks. Ask for a picnic table outside and they’ll set one up for you. I’m a fan»

The pancakes were amazing. It’d been awhile since I’d eaten good pancakes. We showed up during a busy time Sunday morning, and the owner pulled out a picnic table for us to eat outside and not have to wait. Also, it’s really close to Farley Ledge. So if you’re climbing stop by and have a bite.

This place is fantastic!
My boyfriend and I came here for breakfast on Saturday. Their coffee is only $ 1.25, with unlimited refills! It was good too! I HATE breakfast places that charge $ 2+ for coffee, so was super pleased to see that.
I had the french toast combo ($ 6), which included two eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, and 4 huge triangles of toast. It was the absolute best french toast I have ever had in my life. It was soft and custardy inside, just the way I like it, with a nice crisp but not dry crust on the outside. I want to eat it again right now.
They have other diner-​y sandwiches and meals on their menu. I want to go back for the hot turkey sandwich. I bet it’s delicious!
When we left we were the only people in the place, so they had started their post-​breakfast cleaning. Two of the employees were on their hands and knees cleaning the counter stools with steel wool. I was so impressed! This place may be a greasy spoon, but it sure isn’t grimy.
The service was nice and friendly too. In sum: it’s clean, the people are nice, it’s inexpensive, and the food is great. Oh yeah, it’s warm and cozy in there too, which I appreciated when it was 20 degrees out.

I like a good diner; not a polished, gleaming diner, but a faded, greasy diner. The Shady Glen is just that. My two friends and I had breakfast last weekend and the total bill was less than $ 24. The only negative was the home fries; they were cut like scalloped potatoes so they crumbled easily, and didn’t have any seasonings or the nice crust that makes a good home fry. Thumbs up on the omelets and the breakfast sandwiches.

I good place for a basic breakfast or lunch. Breakfast is straight from the grill behind the counter and the prices are good.
I don’t recommend using the bathrooms though. You have to go outside, then in through the back, and they are small and unheated. They are acceptable if you can stand up.

Been for breakfast a few times.
The people who work here always seem a bit on the grumpy side, but who cares. This is an old diner (no diner car — just a restaurant) here in Turners Falls. Odd yellow décor inside, but the food is pretty darn good. Old school diner stuff. I always like my breakfast here and you will too!!!

Straight up greasy diner food. Not great, but not awful. Definitely a good idea if you feel like coating your intestines with some slippery fatty food.
The most telling thing about the Shady is the exterior view, which allows you to see the inch think layer of filth spewing from the grill vent onto their sign.
Bottom line: Hangover breakfast