Golden Diner
If you love pancakes, it’s worth the wait.
NEW YORKFEATURED
Alex M.
2/21/20241 min read
Reservations: Listen close, they take reservations during the week. Highly recommend blocking out a “doctor’s appointment” and going that route. If not, get there between 9 and 9:30AM - if you get there after 9:30, you’re probably looking at a wait of 45 minutes to an hour and a half. By 11:30AM we overheard the hostess give estimates of 4-5 HOURS.
We walked up to a long line at 10:10 put our names down by 10:17AM, and were given a 2 hour estimate. They put your number in a system so you can leave, but you only have 10 minutes to claim your table so you can’t go too far. We were called around 11:50AM so the estimate wasn’t far off.
Experience: Despite currently being an internet celebrity, Golden Diner finds a way to maintain that casual diner feel. Even with 100+ people virtually waiting for reservations, we didn’t feel rushed and the staff didn’t seem particularly overwhelmed. The service is attentive and thoughtful, and the food comes out quickly.
Food: So you heard that Golden Diner has incredible pancakes, but you’ve also heard that the wait times are insane. Is it worth it? Yes, if you are a pancake lover these are a must try, and worth a two hour wait. If you are not super enthusiastic about pancakes, the egg sandwich is worth a one hour wait.
Who to Bring: Whoever you invite to Golden Diner has to be a ‘down for whatever’ type person. They can’t be pretentious or demanding, and need to be okay with killing time in Chinatown for two hours, if need be. I’d recommend bringing a chill friend group (no more than 4 people total), or maybe someone who is overdue for an hours-long catch up session.
What to Wear: It’s a real diner, so no frills here. Sunday morning vibes x 1000.
Chinatown Egg & Cheese Sando; Honey Butter Pancakes
Reservations: Listen close, they take reservations during the week. Highly recommend blocking out a “doctor’s appointment” and going that route. If not, get there between 9 and 9:30AM - if you get there after 9:30, you’re probably looking at 45 minutes to an hour and a half. By 11:30AM we overheard the hostess give estimates of 4-5 HOURS.
We walked up to a long line at 10:10 put our names down by 10:17AM, and were given a 2 hour estimate. They put your number in a system so you can leave, but you only have 10 minutes to claim your table so you can’t go too far. We were called around 11:50AM so the estimate wasn’t far off.
Experience: Despite currently being an internet celebrity, Gold Diner finds a way to maintain that casual diner feel. Even with 100+ people virtually waiting for reservations, we didn’t feel rushed and the staff didn’t seem particularly overwhelmed. The service is attentive and thoughtful and the food comes out quickly.
Food: So you heard that Golden Diner has incredible pancakes, but you’ve also heard that the wait times are insane. Is it worth it? Yes, if you are a pancake lover these are a must try, and worth a two hour wait. If you are not super enthusiastic about pancakes, the egg sandwich is worth a one hour wait.
Who to Bring: Whoever you invite to Gold Diner has to be a ‘down for whatever’ type person. They can’t be pretentious or demanding, and need to be okay with killing time in Chinatown for two hours, if need be. I’d recommend bringing a chill friend group, or maybe someone who is overdue for an hours-long catch up session.
What to Wear: It’s a real diner, so no frills here. Sunday morning vibes x 1000.