Today I am here to tell you about a restaurant I tried recently when looking for a place to go for a nice meal on a special occasion. This review is without photos because I didn't know I was going to write this at the time. (Shame on me.)
Where:
119 Conklin Ave.
Binghamton, NY 13903
What we ordered:
Appetizers:
Mozzarella sticks (5 peice)
Bowl of chili
Meal:
Cajun Spice grilled chicken Caesar Salad
Desert:
Piece of chocolate pie
Drinks:
1 soda
1 Coffee
We went to the location because a few people over the year had told us they had previously had good experiences. We decided that we hadn't been yet so we would give them a shot. We went just after Christmas when the river was frozen, I was amazed by the views out the back of the building with its wide windows. I think it would be a perfect view for just about any season because it has trees,flowers, and water which each season will have its own appeal. I did not get to sit by the windows but close enough that I could see out the window when I was standing.
The customers around us were a crowd of people in their 50's and above minus those who came in with large parties. The furniture was dated and reminded me of old mall food court tables or other older lower-cost restaurants. There was a hodgepodge of styles with the nicer stuff near the view. The parking lot was small but made up for it by having parking on both sides of the building. The staff was pleasant and took their time with us while we searched the menu.
When we received our menus we found it hard to pick something to eat. The sticker shock was real. Everything was much more costly than I had expected. I scoured the menu to find something I really wanted and not just something settle for. In the end, the Old Man just got a Bowl of chili because the prices alone had him second-guessing the choice of place to eat. I wasn't going to order the Mozzarella sticks but he told me to get them because I had been wanting some for a while and this was the first chance I had to get them. I am super picky so I tried to order something that didn't require a lot of edits because that always seems to cause issues with the orders coming out right. So I asked if I could get the Cajun Spice grilled chicken Caesar Salad with just regular chicken and not Cajun. Said it was an easy substitute and would be no problem.
The mozzarella sticks were good but not the quality I would expect for $10. They were closer to the last few times I had purchased them when out to eat where they were warm but not enough for the cheese to be super stretchy and gooey like in my mind I expected them to be. Truth be told I get better results buying the under $2 ones at Walmart and throwing them in the air fryer. The salad was of a good size and I did have trouble finishing it because of the size. However, there was quite a bit of the "bad" lettuce in large chunks. I don't know the exact name but I am talking about the white part that doesn't taste good. I picked around that after trying to eat it and getting hit with the terrible taste. The chicken was delicious and honestly my favorite part of the meal.
The dessert is not listed online or on the Permanent menu but on a smaller separate menu. I am assuming it changes often enough that they excluded it from the main menus. I tried to order pecan pie and chocolate pie to go so I could get the full experience. I was only able to get the Chocolate because the pecan was sold out. While the pie was good again it was not $10 good and reminded me a lot of the
Marie Callender's Chocolate Satin Pie, and looked much like it as well. 
I was in the bathroom when the Old Man paid the bill and did not expect him to tell me it came to over $50. We honestly don't feel like what we received was worth the cost we paid. He overheard several people in front of him confused about how their bills were so high when waiting in line to pay.
In the End I would not recommend Park Diner and I will not be returning.
No comments:
Post a Comment