Peter’s Diner Glens Falls NY – A Storefront Restaurant With a Diner Heart

We were bummed to see  the Prospect Mountain Diner in Lake George was shiny and new*, but that gave us a perfect excuse to go to Peter's Diner in Glens Falls NY (around the corner from ABC Restaurant Equipment) before heading home from our fun Vintage Vacation. Though not a diner by architectural definition, it sure fit the bill in every other way when we ventured inside.

Opened in 1961 and still presided over by owner Pete Demas (who said he's "got shoes older than you!" - I took it as a compliment). Locals at the counter, tasty affordable food, and friendly service even for us out of towners, we were glad we made the choice to head here.

I am not the most forward person sometimes when I'm doing my Retro Roadmapping, but I have gotten better about taking inside photos without the fear of someone yelling at me (don't hold your breath for photos with strangers in 'em!). Luckily since we were on vacation I had the perfect legit excuse to snap some at Pete's while we waited for our breakfasts.

The most expensive thing on the menu was a $9.95 Steak and Eggs combo, but really nothing else was more than $6. What a deal! They're open year 'round for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I even heard Pete tell tale of making some extra meatloafs (meatloaves?) so a customer could freeze them and cook them herself. Don't think you'd get that kind of service at a chain restaurant.

It was neat to hear Pete and (his daughter?) the nice waitress have sassy banter with the folks at the end of the counter. A couple of older gentleman came in, and before they even sat down the waitress knew immediately what they were going to order. Some folks came in through the parking lot entrance and were greeted with a familiar "hello ladies!" as they walked towards a small table in the front.

As we cashed out in the front, I noticed a framed photo of a painting of the facade as well as what I can only imagine are many little fans of Pete's diner.

(I was told the painting is in a local museum - cool!)

While some people who don't "get it" may find Pete's a bit on the shabby side, we found it to be well loved and homey. For the time it took us to eat our tasty bacon and eggs, we felt like we slipped into a slice of small town life before we reluctantly made our way towards the highway.

*Heartfelt thanks go out to Larry Cultrera of Diner Hotline who corrected my assumption about the Prospect Mountain diner, the original having burned down and not remodeled, but replaced by the shiny diner now there in 2007. Here's an article about the new Prospect Mountain Diner, c/o the staff at Diner History. Always want to have the most accurate information on the Retro Roadmap!