June 8, 2024

We’re baaaack!

It’s been four years since our last official breakfast blog and we decided to come out of retirement. There’s been much change and turnover in the area’s breakfast scene so we thought now was the time to test out the options. The Pottsville Diner was the first spot on our original list in 2017 and we went back in December 2018 after new ownership took over and the restaurant underwent renovations. Here is the link to the 2018 review: https://breakfastintheskook.com/2018/12/29/the-new-pottsville-diner/

Our crew consisted of Bryan, Mike, Matt and Kevin. Tonto was invited but (similar to our blogs over a half decade ago) was a no-show. Upon entering, we noticed the cleanliness of the diner. In 2018 we noted that the restaurant didn’t have the grease and oil smell that the old building did. This remains true. We rated the cleanliness of the diner 5/5.

The breakfast menu has changed slightly since 2018 but the staple items remain. Bryan ordered the Philly Cheesesteak Omelette with hashbrowns. Mike ordered the Chipped Beef over homefries and rye toast. Matt got his usual scrambled eggs, homefries (with onions), rye toast, and sausage. Kevin informed us that he had another breakfast date at a different diner so he just ordered rye toast with a side of peanut butter.

Service was very good. Our waitress was prompt and accommodating. She frequently asked us if we needed coffee refills and accommodated Kevin with his odd breakfast requests. Kevin, by the way, seemed to know everyone that walked into the diner. We frequently heard him say phrases such as, “Oh, look who it is!”, “Are you paying for my meal?”, and “She must’ve dyed her hair”. His frequent standing to greet guests did not deter our waitress as she maneuvered her way across the diner. A 5/5 rating for service.

Our food came out after about a 7-minute wait and everything looked good. Coffee mugs were an adequate size. 4/5 for food appearance.

Our meals were hot and tasted great. The only complaints were the size of the potatoes in the homefries. Matt and Mike both like bigger potatoes in their homefries. These potatoes were the smaller, frozen kind. They enjoy the larger, sliced potatoes because they provide a bigger fried surface area. We gave the taste a 4/5 rating.

The price for our meals totaled $44.15 which is almost identical to our bill in 2018. That bill included four meals while this one was three plus a piece of rye toast. We rated the price a 2/5 in 2018 but decided to give it a 3/5 this time because we don’t have any recent prices to compare it to.

The Pottsville Diner is a breakfast staple in Schuylkill county and has definitely cleaned up its act since the days prior to 2018. It used to have a reputation as a “dirty diner” but has become a clean restaurant with an old school, retro diner feel. When searching for a quick breakfast spot in the area, this spot shouldn’t be dismissed.