Mike’s City Diner

Everything a diner should be:
— Salt of the earth waitresses who call you «hon» and mean it
— Retro décor
— Massive amounts of for more than reasonable prices
Both the hashes (hashi?) (turkey and corned beef); and the Pllgrim sandwich are justifiably famous. I’ve never had anything bad here.
Three hints: when you order grits, ask for it on the side, otherwise it’s slopped all over your plate of eggs unappealingly. Also: Cash only! (there’s an ATM there) and breakfast items ONLY on sat and sunday.

Mike’s is the place every other breakfast diner aspires to be. They check everything essential and positive off the list: a great atmosphere, awesome service, huge portions, delicious food, and all at a great price. This place is hugely popular, so you’ll often find a line, but it’s worth the wait.
There are a lot of great combos on the menu that offer way too much food for a good price. My favorite? The Emergency Room, which includes two eggs, two huge pancakes, your choice of a meat, toast, and, of course, coffee. The damage? $ 9.60 and a very full stomach.
The place is cash only, but there’s an ATM in the back if you forget. Pro-​tip: if you make it in before 10AM, you’ll usually beat the rush. If you don’t, out-​of-​towners often don’t know that the counter is seat yourself.

HUGE portions, so just be careful not to eat before coming here!
Came here with my sister and ordered:
— side of apple & walnut pancakes
— side of french toast
— side of eggs
We left feeling full. The pancakes were some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had in my life. I thought the french toast was okay (felt that it tasted a bit burnt), but my sister really enjoyed it. Definately come here for breakfast/​brunch if you’re around the area.

We had brunch here last weekend and it was DEEEElicious. The service was spotty but tolerable. The food was fantastic!!! Our table had French toast and eggs with turkey sausage and the two egg breakfast with duck confit, corned beef hash. All of the choices were just wonderful. The French toast was nothing like I’d ever had — very unique but AMAZING!!!
This is a small diner by usual diner size standards — you may have to wait — we didn’t because we went late 2 pm (they’re only open 10 – 3 daily). If you have a chance, try this diner — you won’t be disappointed.

Wish there were more warnings that this place is ‘Cash Only’. Came for breakfast and spent over $ 65 for two adults and two young children. Food was forgettable. The only plus was portion sizes are big, we probably could have ordered 1 – 2 breakfast plates and shared and I would not have left feeling like we got duped.
The corn beef hash was recommended by the waitress, so we had it with eggs. Additionally tried the breakfast burrito with eggs and corned beef hash. The corned beef hash was not the best we have had, definitely doesn’t beat Rox Diner in West Rox. Also had the bagel with lox and bagel was not very good, maybe a supermarket bagel?
Overall food was okay, but prices are a bit high. Again, disappointed there weren’t more warnings on being ‘Cash Only’ establishment.

Whenever I’m in town Mike’s is a must for my dad and I! I love this place so much and will forever hold it close to my heart! It also has been consigned by the frosted man himself Guy Fieri!!! If you love triple D and wants to check out one of his places I promise you won’t want to miss this gem!
Everything is amazing from the waffles to the giant French toast to the huge omelets!
They always make me fell like family. Especially Hannah ! She always remembers my dad and I when we come in and is always super nice! Her service is amazing and is part of the reason I like to go back!

Was here a couple weeks ago for my first visit to Boston and this was such a great find for breakfast!
The prices were cheap, the amount of food they give you could feed like 5 people. And the service very nice and quick…
We came here twice and were so happy both times… Definitely my breakfast go to place next time I visit!

Discovered this neighborhood gem purely by accident… well, just followed the aroma of breakfast. While the place was packed, my girlfriend and I were able to grab a spot at the counter.
She ordered an omelet with hash browns and bacon, while I had Belgian waffles and bacon. The waitress at the counter was friendly and quick to refill your mug with coffee.
The food came out quickly and everything was delicious. What was even better was that it was so inexpensive. We loved it so much we came back the next morning.
Try Mike’s City Dinner… you won’t be disappointed.

I live down the street from here and it is my boyfriend and I’s go to place for breakfast on weekends. There are almost no other ‘diners’ in the area to get greasy breakfast food at so this place gets crowded fast with a crowd that doesn’t want to do the south end Sunday brunch scene at fancier restaurants. The key is to get there before 9 am because otherwise you are bound to wait for a table.
Came here today as the power is out on my street for the second time this month and I didn’t want to open my fridge and spoil my food more than it already is after 5+ hours with no power. Got a seat at the bar for two with ease. All the workers here work very hard and very efficiently. It’s pretty amazing how fast they can be and how well they can multitask.
For our food we got our regular meals. Me– turkey hash with poached eggs, grits, and toast. Boyfriend — the emergency room (two scrambled eggs, two pancakes, crispy bacon, homefries, toast) As always it was delicious and hot and hit the spot.
Is this the best food I’ve ever had? No but it’s quick, hot, the service is fast, and there’s no where else in the neighborhood to go. Until one of those things changes, this will continue to be my breakfast place.

Such a gem in the south end! Reminds me of my childhood in Brooklyn before the hipsters took over.

I been going here for years, food is amazing, customer service never let me down. For an average diner I would give it 5 stars. But this place is not average. They make u want more… even want to lick the plate. I wish the décor was more up beat and spiced up. if that was the case 5 star everyday all day. But if you want some great food. Mikes it is

I’ve never been to Mike’s City Diner before, so I wanted their corned beef hash, homefries, and something sweet, such as a pancake or a piece of french toast. However, with but one stomach to fill, that did not happen. The only options for the hash on their printed menu was as a breakfast entrée with 2 eggs, potatoes, and toast $ 9.95, in an omelette with cheese ($ 9.50 as the Southender), or on the side for $ 5.95. And the smallest portion option for their French toast was 3 slices for $ 6.95, and $ 4.95 for a side order of 2 buttermilk pancakes.
After briefly considering the corned beef hash eggs benedict $ 11.95 off their specials board, I opted for the hash with eggs breakfast which took but 9 minutes to appear before me. The potatoes were plentiful, but the most temperate item on the plate, I wonder if I could have asked them to make them crispy for me, and thus also hotter. The eggs were prepared over easy as requested, and leaked tastily over the buttered English muffin halves after I appropriately pierced them. The hash was chunky with a nice crisp to some of the edges, but served with a lighter hand than the accompanying spuds. Still the plate was more than my appetite could handle and a goodly portion of the potatoes and a third of the hash made the trip home with me.
Their ATM machine stands awkwardly outside the single private bathroom and their office for the convenience of their clientele as they only accept cash here. The bathroom was surprisingly roomy and housed 5 high chairs and 2 toddler booster seats at the time of my visit.
The diner itself isn’t that large, but offers two rows of counter style seating by the door that are up for grabs. While parties who wish to be seated at one of the tables in the dining area to the right can patiently wait their turn by the take-​out pick up area.
Service by the ladies were friendly enough and responsive, with coffee immediately offered. Toast options are white, wheat, rye, English muffin, or raisin, however for the last two there is a minor surcharge for the price differential.

Mike’s diner is a solid, reasonably priced, and quick diner in Boston. It has quite the reputation, and deservedly so.
I went on a quiet Friday morning with my buddy to go see what all the hype was about. Luckily for us, we chose purposely to check out Mike’s on a weekday since we’ve seen the photos of the line outside the door to get in. We were able to walk right in and sit down. Mike’s definitely isn’t a place that is going to seat 100 people at a time, more like 30 or 40?
It was hard to decide what to get at Mike’s, since all of the photos looked awesome. I decided on the corned beef hash over all of the other awesome choices, I wasn’t disappointed. The hash was great, with big chunks of delicious corned beef. It came with a jumbo portion of home fries and some toast (which we added their homemade jelly too, which was awesome). It was actually so much food that I couldn’t even finish all of the home fries, but you bet your bottom dollar I killed off all of the hash.
Another thing about Mike’s is the service is on point. Super friendly, super attentive, and super fast, which I assume you have to be when you have a line of hungry people freezing their butts off outside waiting to get in. Thumbs up to the staff!
Get Mike’s, you won’t be disappointed.

What’s a foodie to do on Valentine’s Day when her Valentine lives thousands of miles away?! Go on a solo-​foodie ADVENTURE of course! So that’s exactly what I did. This morning I came to Mike’s City Diner to try the infamous French Toast I had heard and read about.
The diner was packed, despite the negative temperature outside and fact that it was V-​Day. I grabbed a spot at the counter and was promptly greeted and offered coffee. The staff were friendly, despite how busy the place was. They made sure to keep my coffee full and a smile on my face.
I ordered the «side» order of French Toast (3 slices instead of the regular 5). It came out relatively quickly and was HUGE. The «side» order covered the entire dinner-​size plate. I dove in.
The French Toast was tasty — good balance between sweet and bready. With a hot cup of coffee and warm maple syrup, it was the perfect solo adventure breakfast. As I looked around the diner I saw lots of other dishes that looked tasty as well. I’ll definitely be making another stop by Mike’s City Diner to try some of their other food.

Mike’s is pretty awesome for a relatively inexpensive breakfast or brunch. Large portions, fresh ingredients, and incredibly nice waitstaff. The only reason it doesn’t get five stars is because the coffee needs to be better. It was a bit watery and lacked taste the last time we visited which is a big disappointment when you’re there at breakfast time looking forward to a cup or two of coffee.
The atmosphere is a bit loud but that is to be expected in a busy and popular diner!
Also, before coming here I thought this might be a greasy spoon, aka a slightly dirty or grungy diner, but Mike’s is clean and not too cramped so the experience was even more enjoyable.

I made the mistake of ordering Mike’s turkey hash without fasting for twelve days, thus allowing my body to be completely devoid of foreign matter, thus allowing for maximum ingestion potential thus allowing the entire trough of buttery grits to fill in the dead space between chunks of roasted turkey and potato medleys to thus allow thusly.
Come to Mike’s hungry. They serve inexpensive, quality diner chow, and breakfasting available all day. It won’t blow your socks off, but it’ll fit the brekkie bill without the omnipresent South End, um, «prestige.» Grab a table, meet your neighbor, and order too much food for too short change.

This place is awesome!!! My very 1^st stop when in Boston. When you first walk in, the line/​wait my deter you. Be patient! The service and food both are top notch… Don’t go to Boston without visiting.

Great breakfast and fast. Waitress was on point with the service … I had no problems and left a big tip $$$

Diverse «diner plus» menu, high quality ingredients, innovative food preparation and presentation, good service (not excellent service), good value, and peaceful/​diner ambiance.
As breakfast and lunch restaurants go, I would say that Mike’s City Diner is one of the best in Metropolitan Boston.

Stopped in for a weekday lunch with a colleague around 1245. Not too crowded, and nice to find seating. Love their menu, blend of breakfast, sandwiches, burgers and salads. Frendly staff, attentive and brings water without asking. I had fish and chips, and it was three chunks of fried cod, Cole slaw and home fries. Waiter brought lemon wedges and tartar sauce. Very nice and abundant servings. Friend had a turkey club. We both left with leftovers. Nice local place, good typical diner food. Nice staff, clean environment.

So i saw this spot on DDD and decided to give it a try. The service was friendly and Crystal was sweet and smiling!!! I got the Sirloin burger with FF and brown gravy on side. He got the Emergency room or whatever it was called with eggs, bacon, home ff and toast and pancakes all for like 9 $ crazy good!!! i tasted his and everything was delicious and cheap as hell. I wish we had a spot on Long Island like this. Such a great meal with great people. Def go here!!!

First things first, this is a CASH ONLY diner. Please bring cash, it seems that their ATM is broken most of the time. Also, expect to stand in line for anywhere from 5 – 30 minutes when you get there during lunch time. Lastly, please be nice to the servers, they are so friendly and nice to all the customers even if they usually have a restaurant full of hungry demanding customers.
Now to the good part. I love this diner. For the huge portions of classic diner food and for that typical old diner vibe that I get every time I step into the restaurant.
So, I’ve been here for thanksgiving lunch with my coworkers every year, been here for lunch multiple times, and for Saturday brunch. All of those times I’ve gotten different types of foods and all of it was good.
Their «Mike’s famous turkey dinner» is everything you want on your plate during thanksgiving dinner at your parent’s house and then some more. It has the slices of most tender and juicy turkey with a heaping piles of stuffing, squash, green beans, mashed potato, and cranberry sauce all topped with a bit of gravy. I don’t care who you are, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to finish this dish in one sitting. They give you a pile of food and all of it is still delicious when you take it home and reheat it.
Since it’s obviously a diner, all of their breakfast foods are delicious. But if you can make it out here on a weekend for brunch menu, make sure to try their Hash Benedict. English muffins topped with their corned beef hash, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce and with a side of home fries. It is to die for.

Sat around for 10 minutes. No one approached me. Really frustrating being ignored or to feel like an inconvenience. Sorry to be a bother Mikes city diner.

Came here for a late breakfast on a Sunday. There weren’t as many people at this time which was good.
I ordered the «intensive care» which is steak, eggs, and home fries. Large volume of food, but the quality was disappointing. Ordered a medium cooked steak but it was overlooked. Rest of the meal was otherwise mediocre. My partner ordered sausage with eggs. Noted that the sausages were some of the worst she ever tasted.

Fast, wicked friendly service with a smile. First time I tried the three egg breakfast. It was huge, enough home fries for a meal alone. Second time I tried pancakes and they were fluffy and perfectly cooked. I’d give Mike’s 6 stars if I could — and if they had Coke instead of Pepsi! This place is definitely worth a try, or ten. Just bring cash, cards aren’t accepted.

I came once during lunch and got a pastrami sandwich to-​go. The prices were really reasonable, but they are CASH ONLY!
The portion size was ok and it came with a pickle. However, the pastrami portion was just way too fatty and oily. I’ve had really good pastrami sandwiches from other places that were just less fatty and still delicious! Perhaps I should have stuck with the brunch items… Oh well!

Extremely large portions for breakfast! The home fries are a great side.
The people beside us had pancakes and they looked delicious.
This place gets a line on the weekends so be prepared to wait a little bit. It also is cash only but does have an ATM on the premise.

Lived in Boston for 1 year on the corner of West Springfield and Washington Ave. Each morning I would wake up to the smell of potatoes, onions, and peppers cooking as the home fries were being readied for the morning crowd. It made me sad on days I had to work, happy on days I knew I could get up and head on over for brunch.
Mike’s was a staple in my one year there on the corner. I would visit with friends, my girlfriend, and even visiting company. It was inexpensive, plentiful diner food. The best I ever had. Cash only, but they have an ATM in the store, and there’s a BOA across the street. Once your done, head down the street to get Flour for desert. It’s a combination that can’t be beat! (Or just get the waffles with whipped cream and strawberries)

Mike’s City Diner is my workplace’s go-​to spot for birthday breakfasts! Because of that, I have some nice associations with it. I totally love the fact that this place is open so early, and wish that I could be a regular. It has that diner feel — the black and white tiled floor, the long bar where food is served up, the bar stools that for some reason remind me of Johnny Rockets. The atmosphere accomplishes exactly what it is trying to do.
While the portions are huuuuuuuge, like oh my goodness I have never finished a meal here, the food is just adequate. I’ve never felt truly positive about anything here — it’s all very serviceable. Your toast is just toast, your grits are some instant grits, the eggs are basic but appropriate. There aren’t many fruits or greens options for breakfast, so that would be a nice change — I always feel like I’m stuffed with bread, which isn’t an especially great feeling. Prices are a bit on the high side for the relatively uninteresting nature of the food.
I’ve also been unimpressed with the service. The times I’ve been here it has taken SUCH a long time to get the check, even after asking. And at breakfast, it’s especially important! We’re not ready to sit there leisurely after coffee.
There are always a surprising number of people here in the morning, which makes for a nice and sort of communal atmosphere. For me, I feel like I’m back home in my small town breakfast diner among my home and friends.

no frills diner with plentiful portions and reasonable prices.
what’s not to like?
the pancakes were as big as my head. not one to skimp on a good greasy spoon’s menu option I went with the two pancakes, two eggs and bacon. coffee and free refills were steady.
the menu is extensive — something for everyone. the wait time early on a sunday wasn’t bad (we were on our way out of Boston and heading back to NY trying to beat holiday traffic) and were surrounded by a lot of local regulars that the waitresses knew by name.
Unfortunately I can only speak for the breakfast which won’t disappoint — regardless of your craving. Promise!

Big portions, good food, and excellent value.
There’s usually a line to the door but it moves pretty quickly.
Highly recommend the homemade corned beef hash. It’s amazing and you really can’t go wrong.
Any place that offers you coffee the instant you sit down is a-​okay by me! They know what they’re customers want and waste no time getting it to them.
Staff is friendly but quietly hustles to keep tables moving without making the customers feel rushed.
If you ever want a solid, low-​key, Guy Feuri approved breakfast, definitely it stop in!

We visited Mike’s City Diner on a Sunday morning around 10:30, and it was already packed with a line. I got the Homemade Hash and Egg which included corned beef hash, two eggs, home fries, and buttered toast. The portion was big, and it was definitely a hearty meal. I thought the hash was great and eggs were done perfectly, although I would have preferred the home fries to be crispier. With almost all of the breakfast meals priced at $ 10 or less, you can’t beat the value. My one gripe was that they only serve breakfast on the weekends, so no lunch sandwiches, soup, salads, etc., which deviates from what I think a true diner should be like. Overall though I liked how the food was simple but of good quality and affordable.

3.5 star for the food
4.5 star for the service
My friend and I dined her Sunday morning (AFC Championship game day). We showed up in our Colts jersey (yes…ballsy) and got plentyyyy of stares. The staff all joked with us and praised us for being so brave. A fun little sports rivalry — nobody was actually rude about it. Anyways, we came around 11:00 and there was a line formed already, but it went by super quick, so don’t be discouraged! We were probably a few steps outside the door, but was seated within 15 minutes. The place is small and they seat based on available table. For example, my party only had 2… the people in front of us had 4. We were seated ahead of the party in front of us because a table of 2 opened up. Sooo I wouldn’t suggest coming here with a large group unless you go really early.
Our waitress was lovely! Although I wish I remembered her name… ugh terrible at that. She was very helpful, friendly, and attentive. The menu was pretty extensive — wide selection of yummy diner food. I ordered the corn beef hash with eggs over easy, home fries, and toast. OMG. The portion size was HUGE. It looked like I hardly touched it by the time my stomach told me I couldn’t handle any more. The corn beef hash was really good — I loved the crust that formed. Nice crunch on the outside to pair with the tenderness of meat. The egg on top of course made it perfect. The home fries were alrightttt — flavor was good, but a little too mushy for my liking. My friend ordered the emergency room, which came with eggs, choice of meat, home fries, toast, and 2 pancakes. Also a ginormous portion. He liked his dish too, but nothing really stood out which is normal considering what was ordered.
The prices were good considering the size of the dish. This place is CASH ONLY, so come prepared. Great diner with your expected diner meals, so don’t come here and expect a gourmet meal!

What an amazing breakfast i had today. The place is small and doesn’t take reservations so i recommend getting there as early as possible. The breakfast could not be any less affordable, the food comes out very fast and they gave huge portions. I had to take half my breakfast burrito home. Yes yes yes! New fan of the place

Un vrai ”diner” américain comme on les imagine: petit, accueillant, offrant des plats énormes et plutôt gras et rempli de clients typiques et amusants. Les ”hashed eggs” étaient excellents, mais encore mieux, le pain doré que mon ami a commandé et que j’étais trop heureux de dévorer après qu’il eut démissionné devant le gigantisme de son assiette. C’est d’ailleurs ce qui était le plus impressionnant: le petit jus d’orange était énorme et né coûtait pas 16 $ (conseil à l’ex-ministre canadienne Bev Oda !) et plusieurs plats né comportaient pas une, mais deux assiettes (trop de bouffe pour une seule assiette). Bref, ce ”diner” pourrait à lui seul nourrir pour une semaine tous les habitants d’un pays en développement avec la bouffe qui est servie lors d’une seule période de déjeuner. Et j’exagère à peine !