It’s hard to get a decent weekend breakfast on campus. The lines tend to take forever, and chances are you’ll buy more food than normal to make up for all that waiting, which you most likely can’t afford after all those crazy late-night trips to the Nite Owl. And let’s be honest, how long can you put up with the same old Sodexo pancakes and scrambled eggs? Luckily, Binghamton has a hidden gem that can ease all your breakfast woes. Rolando’s Diner at 140 Court Street is one of Binghamton’s greatest breakfast spots, whether you’re looking for a delicious diner-style meal or a morning-after feast to ease your stomach from a long night.
A Binghamton mainstay since 1971, Rolando’s has a charming, low-key atmosphere and is a favorite haunt of both locals and students. One of the restaurant’s biggest draws is that it’s amazingly cheap for the amount of food you get: two eggs, two pieces of toast and two cups of coffee will cost you a mere $3.14 (don’t forget to tip your waitress, though). For those of you who are used to paying upwards of $11 for an omelet, you’ll rejoice at the selection of omelets that all fall around the $4 range. Just an important heads up: Rolando’s takes cash only, presumably due to how inexpensive it is.
In addition to their incredibly reasonable prices, the service at Rolando’s is amazingly fast and the food is genuinely good. The waitresses are competent and the cooks are efficient, so you can expect to get your meal less than 10 minutes after ordering. The portions are large especially considering the price, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to leave with a full stomach.
“The food was really delicious and cheap, and I got so much that I couldn’t even finish my plate,” said Michael Fortuna, a sophomore majoring in biology.
Rolando’s specializes in standard diner fare with some Greek influence, so the breakfast menu covers all the basics like eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, home fries, pancakes, french toast, etc., all cooked to order. For the exceptionally hungry or indecisive, the menu offers various fixed-price breakfast combos; for example, you can get a plate of home fries, two pancakes, sausage, two eggs and coffee for around $6.
Rolando’s opens at 6 a.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. on Sundays, so you don’t have to wait around until lunchtime to get a decent breakfast. The restaurant is usually pretty busy on weekend mornings, but the table turnover is so quick that getting a seat isn’t an issue. Another perk is that the waitresses offer to split your checks individually if you go with friends so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of figuring out who pays what.
“Our breakfast was really good,” said Patrick Marin, a sophomore majoring in biology. “We’re definitely going back.”
If you’re fed up with the weekend dining hall situation or are just looking for a delicious, cheap breakfast in Binghamton, Rolando’s is a must visit.