Hampden Diner

Stepping into the Hampden Diner, you're immediately struck by its vibrant transformation from a former Applebee's, setting a new standard for cleanliness and brightness in the local diner scene. Here's a closer look at what you can expect from this charming breakfast spot, based on my two recent visits: Service: A Blend of Swift and Easy-Going The ordering and kitchen service at Hampden Diner are impressively quick, ensuring your breakfast doesn't keep you waiting. However, once your food arrives, the servers tend to slip into a more relaxed mode. While they're not always on their toes, a simple wave from you brings them back with a smile and quick service for things like coffee refills. First Impressions: Quiet Efficiency The host might not be the chattiest, but they get the job done. Upon arrival, you'll be silently offered menus and guided to your table. It's straightforward and efficient, albeit a tad unconventional in terms of hospitality. Ambiance and Cleanliness: Spotlessly Welcoming The diner's interior is notably clean and welcoming, a pleasant surprise compared to many of its peers. Even the tables, freshly wiped, though a bit damp, speak to the diner's commitment to cleanliness. Breakfast at Hampden: A Story of Hits and Misses Homefries: A notable letdown, they arrive hot but disappointingly soft. The lack of crispiness is especially apparent, even when a crispy version is specifically requested. Eggs Over Medium: A high point of the meal, these are cooked just right, balancing firm whites with slightly runny yolks. A reliable choice for egg enthusiasts. Toast with Unmelted Butter: This is where the breakfast experience falters. The toast is undercooked, resembling warm bread rather than toast, and it's topped with unmelted butter, which fails to add that rich, creamy texture one expects from a well-buttered toast. Chipped Beef Gravy: This dish might be divisive, with its thick and somewhat pasty texture. It's a far cry from the smooth, creamy gravies one might anticipate. While the breakfast experience at Hampden Diner, particularly the underwhelming homefries and undercooked toast, didn't quite hit the mark, there's a silver lining. In future visits, I plan to be more assertive with special requests, as this could potentially enhance the meal to my liking. Additionally, the owner's engagement with customer feedback and reviews instills a sense of hope. Their willingness to consider and respond to diner experiences is a strong motivator for my continued patronage, at least in the short term. It also piques my curiosity about their lunch and supper offerings. Therefore, I'm planning to return soon to explore these other meals, offering Hampden Diner the opportunity to showcase its full potential. Stay tuned for an updated review that will reflect these new experiences and insights! UPDATE: Lunch Experience: A Notable Step Up I recently returned to Hampden Diner to try their lunch offerings, and I'm pleased to report a significantly improved experience. This time, I ordered the Triple Decker Roast Beef sandwich, and it was a delightful surprise. Triple Decker Roast Beef: A Culinary Triumph The roast beef in the sandwich was nothing short of phenomenal. It was tender, juicy, and free from any stringiness, showcasing the quality of the ingredients. The sandwich was well-assembled, ensuring each bite was as satisfying as the last. This dish alone has elevated my opinion of Hampden Diner's culinary capabilities and I'm now more eager to return and explore more of their offerings.

Everything was wonderful. From the service to the food, Hamden Diner is worth checking out. Everyone working was pleasant and made sure that our entire party was taken care of. The food was well prepared and tasted great. I wish we had saved room for dessert because everything in the bakery case looked incredible. We'll have to give some of those cakes a try the next time we stop in.

Went here for the 1st time with a friend. Upon entering, I said 2 to the hostess, which stood there, no smile whatsoever, no greeting, basically nothing. He picked up 2 menus and just started walking. I assumed we were to follow so we did. He took us to our table, which was clean, but the booths hwas covered in crumbs, never said 1 word. Pictured is what we ordered. Mozzarella sticks were basic, no fancy, but they were hot and had a cheese pull. French toast and homefries were ok. Bacon wasn't cooked enough. Coffee wasn't hot enough. My friend got the country fried steak, he said it was ok. I noticed the gravy was really thick. Not exactly sure why they didn't pull up the disgusting carpet in the upper part of the dining room. I mean it looks to have 20 years of dirt in it, it's really nasty. That couldn't have been worth saving the couple dollars that I'm sure they were trying to save when converting this Applebee's to this diner. Our server Megan was really friendly, nice and attentive. Overall all wouldn't return...

I know 5 stars is a lot, but I've been in the food service industry a great majority of my life, so I know how hard these folks work. So...I stopped in here on my way back to Massachusetts from South Carolina. It was a very busy Saturday night. I was given a table with a great view of the dining area. The hostess(whose name I didn't get) was very friendly and chatted with me on and off during my visit. My waitress, Olivia, is the daughter of the hostess. They were quite understaffed this evening, having only 3 waitstaff when 4-5 are usually working. This is no way affected any of the servers.They were all very efficient, welcoming and friendly. I placed my order (club sandwich, as I wanted dessert) and shortly after that, the owner/manager delivered my food. Olivia stopped by to check on me and the hostess made sure I had plenty of coffee. I chose the Orange Creamsicle Cake for dessert. When I left, I mentioned to the owner/ manager how pleasant and hard working all the staff were. He thanked me for the compliment and gave a big smile. Bottom line: if you're in the area and are looking for a good meal at a very reasonable price, stop in. You may even be lucky and have Olivia be your server!

I gave this establishment 5 stars. Because it is 5 stars for a diner. The diner itself was extremely clean. The restrooms were clean. The service personnel were kind and courteous. The food delivery was quick on all 3 occasions that we ate there. Our party ranged from 2 to 5 and never a problem. Manager/ owner extremely courteous. No wait.