kaiser's diner

great food, terrible service. just got back from eating there. the burgers are absolutely phenomenal, and i strongly recommend the sweet potato fries, they are out of this world. however, part of what goes into a great restaurant atmosphere is the service you receive. i had what i believe to be the absolute worst service i have ever had to deal with in my life. i sat at the bar, was brought my drink, and then ignored entirely for 15 minutes. in previous trips there, the waitstaff has never had an issue with taking my order directly from the bar and sending it to the kitchen. however, despite my attempts to flag waitresses or the barkeep down to send an order back, i finally had to get up, track one down, place an order, then go back to my seat. the only other time a waitress spoke to me was to bring me my check, and then to take my plate. i'm sure at this point many people would be thinking that it was a busy night and i should expect service like that. unfortunately, that was not the case, maybe 10 tables were taken in the entire restaurant. the waitstaff was more than ready to handle the small crowd tonight.

i'm not saying i wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anybody, i absolutely would, but i would simply warn them of the questionable service.

frozen burger. disgusting frozen bison burger :x.
great drink and atmosphere, food is yuck. please just sell drinks, stop selling food.

we liked it!. our meal was excellent! we chose the reuben and the turkey avacado club and our sides were sweet frites (sweet potato fries) and mac & cheese. the food was at the right temp and the sweet frites were amazing - wonderful flavor! our server, taylor, was very attentive. we will definitely be back to try the dessert menu! we selected kaiser's because that's where we bought some punch mix for our wedding...30 years ago. good choice!

such a shame.. my heart just aches for this special landmark that used to be so great. my husband and i have continued to patronize kaisers through the construction challenges and various owner/management messes. on our most recent (and final) visit, we just ran in for ice cream cones about 90 minutes before closing. we were second in line for ice cream with plenty of people sitting at the outside tables, and two groups appeared to be waiting for their meals. i ordered a scoop of salted caramel, and was told it hadn't set up and i wouldn't be happy with it, then i ordered vanilla, same response so i finally got the green light on red velvet. my husband landed on an oreo shake.the guy behind me ordered salted caramel and wasn't told what i was told, so i was confused. by this time, there were several people in line to order desserts. it is abundantly clear the staff is in utter chaos. there is major stress and debate among them about the condition of the ice cream. two adults running the dessert station, and two or three in the dining room area including the cook. the distribution of the dessert orders couldn't have appeared to be more random or more hectic. after 25 minutes, one of the servers sort of bolted toward me with my very melty red velvet cone slopping down the sides, me in my white shirt in a bit of a panic with this bright red blob headed right toward me. she apologized for the wait as she darted away, but not the mess. i couldn't even get a cup to drop this mess in to. we scarfed it down and got the heck out of there. i felt bad for the folks outside that had been waiting far longer than we had. this group should seriously consider hiring a solid manager to restore kaiser's original quality of food/service, because this is just shameful. we're done.

chocolate soda. i worked at kaiser's 58 years ago, i loved it then and still love it now. they have wonderful sandwiches and great! ice cream. i was introduced to an item called "chocolate soda" when i worked there 58 years ago and fell in love with it. i recently went to kaisers for dinner and just had to try the chocolate soda again (they now call it the "black and white") but it was still just as wonderful as it was 58 years ago.

i ate there. my juicy lucy was very good, as were the sweet potato fries. however, using the lintiest paper napkin i've ever seen left me covered in schmutz. not good for an afternoon business meeting.

my bf and i had a girls day of shopping and i told her i had heard of this place and we should give it a try... it was fantastic! i felt it was reasonably priced, the portions were spot on and the food and atmosphere was wonderful. i ordered the tuna sandwich with the sweet potatoe fries and i am now hooked! for dessert we shared a red velvet icecream sundae and it was heaven! definitely try this place, it will surely satisfy your craving for a gourmet sandwich/burger and good ole' ice cream indulgence.

second visit, just as good!. we had lunch at kaiser's yesterday afternoon. the visit was pretty good. ian and i got cfs, erin and reagan got sandwiches. all of this was pretty good. the iced tea was not very good, china mist (that stuff is highly variable). our check was $49.35. probably a bit expensive, but not bad.

speechless. just threw two dinners in the trash! friendly people, but the two dinners were horrible and not edible. i have had their burgers and fries before, when it was the original kaiser's back in 1995. was excited to see that after being an ice cream shop and soda fountain for years ... they again serve lunches and now, also dinners. the burgers, i remember as being one of the best i have ever had, but today decided to try dinner. it was more than disappointing. however, i would like to go back for lunch to try their hamburgers again. hopefully they are just like i remember. i sincerely hope something was just amiss tonight.

not good. i went after the memorial marathon. i ordered a cup of soup and a juicy lucy. my soup was terrible and i sent it back. the juicy lucy was very overcooked, dry and inedible. i won't be returning.

we went expecting the menu online (burgers, fries, etc). that's no longer their menu. if you're looking for healthy, vegetarian/vegan food you'll love it! they still have a burger on your menu but was very disappointed. felt like a bait & switch. dessert was great though. won't go back for lunch but would go back for dessert.

i love this place. really cool interior with lots of the original fixtures and decor. oh the food is good too. went for ice cream treats with family. floats were great and bountiful. my wife had a new york egg cream, which has nothing to do with eggs, but was delicious. i had an egg salad sandwich, very tasty. i'll be back!!!

you don't go to kaisers for the main dishes you go for the finishing course, dessert. the ice cream at this place is over the top for the price. be careful ordering certain items which they will warn you are huge because some of their ice cream dishes are in fact massive huge. the first time my wife and i got ambitious we took on their largest sunday and gave up half way in. wonderful dessert stop but i have reservations about the other dishes i tried.

there's a reason this local gem has stood the test of time. the chocolate nirvana sundae is worth every calorie. it will blow your mind! great spot for a date with your sweetie.

we decided to go to this place after our first choice was not open.  i have only eaten at this place once and that was years ago.  i remember not being impressed at that time and was hoping that impression would change.

the decor is ok.  the tables and chairs wobble.  a little time spent fixing the furniture could go a long way.

the menu had what i would consider a very random selection of food.  i ordered their spinach salad with grilled chicken.  the food came our very quickly.  my salad was nothing special.  spinach, sunflower seeds, feta cheese and lemon dressing.  chicken had a nice spicy kick.

overall,  my impression of the place has not changed.  not my first choice for a lunch/dinner spot in midtown.