o'rourke's diner

food is decent, but pricey.. people in the neighborhood do not eat there, perhaps because of the prices.. that my friends is almost shameful..

the staff is always very friendly, the food is always clearly made with a lot of care and heart, and there is a wide variety of unique options. it is a must for anyone traveling through or visiting middletown. the best diner i've ever been to. it's always a treat going out to o'rourkes; everyone in my family always picks this place for our birthday meals.

good food, but not worth the hype. this restaurant has typical diner fare, breakfast and lunch items. i had the grilled cheese with fries and it was yummy. i wasn't a fan of the atmosphere. the place is cramped like a can of sardines. the staff was kind and friendly.

we absolutely love this diner for breakfast! the ingredients are so fresh and everything down to the breads and jams are homemade. we love all the french toasts and have enjoyed many of the specials. brian, the owner, is so friendly and welcoming. if you are up for an adventure, the brian's special is a great surprise treat!

absolutely amazing!. warning, it has a great reputation but it's not a 5 star restaurant. now i say this because this place is not a big place but has a big following. yes, if they are full you have to wait outside in the street, don't take your name and it's all up to the people that are outside to be honest among themselves to figure out the rest, it's really not too hard people. i did it, it was no problem.
now the service, well if it's crowded what can you expect. the food, outstanding. the 1st time i walked in i sat at the counter with a full view of a very clean kitchen. i was treated like a king, then the owner "brian" greeted me and we talked. what a nice man. as i waited they gave me a fresh cup of coffee with some outstanding cakes, and deserts. yes it was crowded and they were busy, i was patient and it payed off. i loved it and i live on long island and will find a reason to make the trip back...
don't listen to these hard nosed people who probably complain about everything, check it out for yourself you won't be disappointed. .

went for breakfast tried the banana bread french toast and the dublin omelet. both were very good and would go again i defiantly recommend this place to anyone going through middletown area for breakfast.

we traveled out of our way to eat lunch at this famous dd&d recommend spot, but were not too impressed...at first. first off its small, and they might ask you to share a table. we wanted the famous steamed cheeseburgers, but they were all out! how do you run out of the one thing that makes you a landmark? nevertheless, hunger made us stay and we were pleasantly surprised when our food came. the food was excellent! the onion rings and fries were obviously home made and the irish blt was soooo good. i wouldn't travel out of my way again, but would stop in if i'm in town for another trip.

long wait for diferent breakfast foods. decided to try this place after seeing it on diners, drive-ins, and dives. it was a long wait with a line out the door and down the block. my party of two was asked to share a table with another party of two, which was fine with us - it meant getting to eat a little faster. i had ethan's idea, which is a spinach, proscuitto, blue cheese, and poached pear omelette. tasted good overall, but the poached pear overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients, and i found i had to push it to the side to taste anything else. i would go back, but try something else on the menu.

poor service and unappetizing. we decided to make the drive here based on the recommendation from a friend a couple months ago. the recommendation chain ended with me at this place. my wife and i saw a couple sitting on the bench outside, so we walked inside and were told by the owner and another staff member to wait outside and we would be called in, and there is no "waiting list". when we were inside we noticed that there was room for one couple to sit and wait, and one couple was doing so. so it looks like were the third couple in line. so we waited outside for a few minutes, noticed the couple that was waiting outside go in, so we proceeded to those seats just as a family was getting out of their car. after a few minutes i checked inside and noticed that the couple in front of us was being seated, so i called in my wife and we waited inside now. a few minutes later the family that arrived after us was called in and were being seated so i asked what was going on because we were there first. we explained the situation to the person that was seating customers and she acted like we were trying to jump the line, with attitude and everything. we were asked if we wanted to wait at the bar until a table opened, so we said yes. we ordered coffee, but 5 minutes later the coffee never came. we noticed that another couple was being led to a newly opened table, so now we're really wondering what is going on here. we stood up and asked to be seated as promised. we did see the first person that asked us to wait outside and she looked at us like she knew she screwed up but still didn't say anything to anyone. i feel like we were treated like garbage, which didn't make the food any the better. never going back, and will certainly tell everyone about my experience here.

always welcoming. o'rourke's is a great place. i often go with my boyfriend and we always feel welcome. we are always recognized and we are always given new stuff to try (samples). best part... the food is awesome. the omelettes are good (the have lots of variety). there is always some new breakfast item, which usually involves banana bread or some delicious french toast. the atmosphere is homey. i always feel cozy.... if you like that kind of environment you should definetely go and check it out.

the breakfast menu is eight pages. eight! thirty crazy combination omelets. a dozen varieties of eggs benedict. half a dozen versions of french toast. i could spend all morning perusing the menu.

excellent food, landmark, must frequent. excellent diner. everything from the (sometimes pricey) specials to the very affordable steamed hamburgers are perfect. we have tried almost everything on the menu. to pick a favorite is hard but the breads that are offered free when you arrive, the full list of benedict egg dishes and the soups made from wonderful homemade stocks are a great start to our favorite list. we are able to beat the expected crowds by going mid-week for lunch. you always find booth and a welcoming staff. tina is an integral part of the staff and operations and she always find time to welcome you back. and if brain o'rourke is in the diner, ask him to stop bye your table. you have to meet this local legend and man with the largest irish heart you can find. the location is the north tip of main street parking can be a bit tight but if you bring the luck of the irish with you, you will find something.

ugh. wasn't that great before it burned down. even worse now. would not go back.

tiny, friendly, homey. went with the aim of trying the steamed cheeseburger (particular specialty in this part of ct). $3.50 gets you a good sized portion of patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and cole slaw. the cheeseburger wasn't anything special -- a thick relatively bland patty topped with a thick slab of white cheese puffed up from the steam and the bun was cold. but the fries were good -- fresh, crisp and salty. the cole slaw was too sweet for my taste. breakfast items looked delicious and many diners ordered omelettes at lunchtime. the place was crowded with families and students. all the waitstaff were friendly and prompt.

awesome breakfast spot. the wait in line is well worth it. everything on the menu is great.