New diner a welcome addition

Jeff’s Diner revives the tradition of Ted’s

By Erick Slattery | Manor Ink

Jeffersonville, NY – In this hamlet a new restaurant opened in September. As you walk into the eatery, aptly named Jeff’s Diner, there is a theme of African safari art on the walls, which is a little odd for a restaurant on Main Street in a small town in the western Catskills.

But the waitresses were kind, welcoming and friendly. They were speedy with our drinks, and gave us an appropriate amount of time to think and decide before coming back to take our order. As nice as they were, when I ordered a simple ice water with lemon, making sure to ask for ice, they brought it with no ice and two lemons.

The menu had many choices, which is normal for a diner, but it made choosing a meal a little overwhelming. I opted for a burger just to make it easy. When ordering, I requested a medium rare patty on my Cali Burger, which comes with avocado, cheese, bacon, a tomato slice, lettuce and an egg on top, with a side of a pickle, coleslaw and your choice of sweet potato fries or onion rings. A side salad was not included, which seems like a missed opportunity.

When my meal was served, it looked delectable. The bun was lightly toasted and everything was placed neatly on top of the burger. Even though the display was fantastic, the pickle was not there. This omission was minor, though, because I was eager to dig into an appetizing-looking dinner.

As I took a bite, I noticed that the egg was cold, and as I ate, I realized my burger was not medium rare as I had ordered,but was actually well done. My enthusiasm was further subdued when I sampled the french fries, and they were not crispy. Soggy fries have no appeal for my taste buds. There was only one other table dining, so it wasn’t like the kitchen was too busy to cook my Cali Burger as I requested.

My fellow diner said the Chicken Corn Soup was delicious, but she also had a disappointing burger and fries, so it would be hard for me to recommend Jeff’s Diner’s standard diner fare. When the bill arrived, I was surprised that two burgers, one soda and a cup of soup cost $50. It seemed like a lot for an underwhelming meal.

Maybe the chefs were having an off night, or perhaps they cook other items on the enormous menu better than burgers. Even though the waitresses were really lovely, I’d call our Jeff’s Diner dinner a miss. But the restaurant has only opened recently, so maybe the staff is still working out the kinks. On the positive side, it’s great that after the closure of Ted’s many years ago, Jeffersonville once again has a diner that’s open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.