Van Dam Diner

“Vam Dam Diner is undeniably old school but in the best way.”

“Welp, this small local diner on the corner of Van Dam Street is right across from Laguardia College.”

“The only knock on them is they have weird hours., they are often closed when you would expect a diner to be open.”

Van Dam Diner

Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes

Price range.

$$ Price range $11-30

5 reviews

  1.     

    Not much to say except one of the few diners in NYC that has been able to withstand the test of time. They have a menu that offers a variety of options and their service is really great. The owner/manager is usually around too, which is a good sign!

  2.     

    The waitress called out " two eggs and grits – cheese on the grits".  That was not my order but that's the first thing I heard when I walked in.

    Here the staff don't got no fancy machines or over priced lattes.  You order, waitress screams it out to the chef, soon after you got a mouth watering plate.  This place is old school and I like it! This is how a diner should be.  

    I ordered the waffle with fried chicken for breakfast.  Yes for breakfast! Lol with a cup of coffee and a complimentary cup of juice.  The juice cup is mad small but expected as it's free.  The chicken was delicious and mad crispy just the way I like it.  The waffle was good and had a firm crunch with a moist middle.  I live my waffles like that.  I hate a soggy waffle which a lot of places serve thinking it's acceptable but not here.  

    The price was good too.  11.95 bucks for plate with coffee. They had cheaper options too. I pay more for a latte with a muffin at a cafe.  

    If your tired of the hipster crowd and want a ol school NY diner to enjoy than this is your place.  

    Service and food was good.  I'm coming back again.

  3.     

    the first time I ate here was after a job interview a few months back. I was running on empty and proceeded to demolish a really good Southwest grilled chicken sandwich and a boatload of fries. "well, the dining options around here are certainly better than they are in freakin' Westchester" I said to myself after consuming my meal with a fierceness usually reserved for competitive eating.

    fast forward – I got that job and am now able to routinely hit up Van Dam Diner for lunch. I aim for once a week, but it really depends on my schedule. I've even gotten up early to have breakfast here a few times and it's great. hey, "diner breakfast" is one of my favorite food groups.

    everything I've had here is consistently great quality, affordable prices, and made FAST. plus you get that genuine diner experience when the staff yells orders into the microphone. portions are great, and I'm sure I could easily save half of my lunch to take home for dinner if I wasn't such a glutton.

  4.     

    From delivery to food so many diners get the simplest things wrong, but Van Dam has somehow managed to do everything right. Consistent, quality food at affordable prices, with a can-do attitude and timely delivery make this operation as smooth as they come. There were little to no expectations when I first dined here, but I've managed to become a loyal customer.

    Vam Dam Diner is undeniably old school but in the best way. The interior is what one would expect of any old diner – minimal decor, antiquated aura, older staff, and perhaps at prices that may never change. Is it the perfect diner? Depending on who you're asking, perhaps the answer is yes.

    From the occasional burger to the always tuna melt, VDD excels in a number of items. Breakfast seems to be their greatest feat. Eggs are cooked perfectly, as is the corn beefed hash, and they even offer mutl-grain bread with no extra charge. Even the home fries are solid … and I typically hate home fries.

    The one knock on VDD is that they close a little early, but I suppose that's the price of quality. Happy gem seeking LIC'ers will most certainly find one in Van Dam Diner.

  5.     

    Like a Diner atmosphere? Welp, this small local diner on the corner of Van Dam Street is right across from Laguardia College. It's exterior, like it's interior is nothing fancy but definitely a diner feel and lives up to the quality, yes. The seating is right next to the window for an okay view. Seating is mainly booths and at the counter stools. There is a television in the back. Basically when you walk in, it's a straight aisle of seating on the left and the counter on the right.

    Their burgers are pretty good. Normal order includes fries and soup.

    Recent order:

    Reuben Sandwich: Grilled Corned Beef or Pastrami Topped with Melted Swiss Cheese and Sauerkraut on Rye Bread w. Potato Salad. $8.25

    Fresh Homemade Onion Rings: $3.45

    The order isn't huge like a Katz's Deli or a 2nd Avenue sandwich but this place is not skimping out on ingredients. You get a good sized portion of Pastrami. The bread itself is a light Rye bread toasted golden brown and looks buttered, a flawless example of beautiful looking and soft but not crisp pieces of toast. The bread has a spread of sauerkraut on each side. The pastrami sandwiches are served in four pieces, two halves split open, each quarter has melted Swiss Cheese on top so when you put one half of the sandwich together, you get two layers of melted cheese in the middle and a couple of inches of Pastrami (or Corned Beef). In the middle of the platter is a mound of tasty potato salad with bits of greens. Comes with a pickle.

    Those onion rings are not tiny, they are the size of donuts trimmed down on the edge a bit. Crisp and thick. These are very filling and tasty.

    One star for each of the following for the category it's in: Clean, Good Service, Comfort/Feel, Food Quality.

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Van Dam Street 45-55
11101 NY US
Get directions
Monday, 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wednesday, 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday, 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday, 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday, 6:00 am - 2:00 pm