Tom & Joe’s Restaurant

Will not ever go back. Bought a coupon from a fundraiser and these people are crooks. Had buy 1 get 1 free entrees. We eat 2 of same meals and my 4yo son had a pancake. They said the pancake was an entrée and was the free breakfast. Rip off. I’ll throw away the rest of the coupons before giving this trashy owner any more of my money. Hope you go out of business, you are an asshole.

Delicious Greek omlets and the best home fries you can find anywhere. Love the 50’s atmosphere. All the locals know about it but out of towners seldom find it. It’s definitely worth the search

I went here this past Sunday morning before heading home to NoVa. It was an old building that was expanded sometime between 1933 and present. Needless to say it is worn but it has a lot of character. There is no question that this is a place is «the» go to place for locals. Everybody seemed to know one another. I experienced great service from a server that has been working there for two decades. The food was, well, breakfast food. I had «The Big One» which consisted of two eggs, short stack of pancakes, hash brown potatoes, ham, bacon and sausage… yes, ham, bacon AND sausage. It was awesome and my heart is still ticking. The only disappointment was the coffee. But then again it’s not a coffee shop that serves all the fancy types like most of us drink these days. 5 for the service. 4 for the food. 4 for the traditional down home diner atmosphere.

I’ve gone here several times throughout my life and if your in the mood for breakfast an in a hurry then ok… Otherwise I’d say if you can cook at all stay at home and make your own it’s cheaper and better! This place probably gets patron-​ism due to it’s «historical values» to the downtown of Altoona!
It was much better years ago!

Landmark Altoona restaurant with great food and atmosphere. One of the few places that still serves scrapple!

Very busy here for breakfast. Great food & great service! If you’re looking for someplace quiet, this is probably not the place for you. Old style diner; thumbs up for our family. We’ll be back for sure!!!

Food with personality. Wait staff with personality. What more could you possibly want from a diner? (PS try the Greek omelet)

Came back because my first experience was so good. They are consistent! It’s official: my favorite diner of all time! I will make it my new quest in life to come back here every time I come to Altoona. A true diamond in the rough. Nicely done, George.

Food was pretty good! I eat fairly clean and so this will prob throw my system in to shock. Sanitation is not a priority in this place so if you don’t mind «grime» you’ll like this place. Also, if you don’t mind every square inch of your body, clothes and car smelling like a bucket of grease for the rest of the day… possibly longer, you’ll enjoy the food.

first time and boy the reviews are right! Only open until 12 noon and serving delicious food and the service is so friendly. It’s like your home at the kitchen table and family and friends are there with you, loud and fun!

Delicious food & great atmosphere. The closest thing to a New Jersey diner. Breakfast is my favorite there.

Loooooong wait for food. But definitely worth the time spent. Piping hot breakfast with scrapple cooked to perfection. Would definitely go again, but I’d bring my own coffee!

Very good. Felt like home back in Detroit. Not fancy but good cheap food, good service. The people remind me of home. I had omelet wife had MESS. Had to take home much of it. Glad I went

I have been going to tom and joes since the 60s.
Great service and food and good prices, but its even better now in 2014.
You better go there s soon as you can. FUN and friendly.
steve a caldwell

You couldn’t ask for more. Great comfort food. Entertaining staff. Loud and funny. Quick service. Big helpings. I had SOS. if you don’t know what that is you have to ask a friend. Extremely close to Amtrak Amtran Greyhound and not far from Hwy 99.
Home fries with PEPPERS AND ONIONS. Mmmm. Generous!

Cheap, rather large portions, and good quality food.
I’ve only had their breakfast but it is amazing.
I lived in the apartment facing the restaurant and remember seeing them at work as the sun was rising. Always a good time.

Face it folks, there ain’t a lot of dining choices in Downtown Altoona! But if you’re gonna have limited culinary choices, at least make sure one of ‘em is a delicious five star diner.
Like Tom & Joe’s.
Like last time, some of my co-​workers and I had business in Altoona. As it was an all day affair, we stopped in here for lunch. I can’t remember what everybody else ordered (this review has been sitting on hold for about a week), but because my dinner options would be limited to whatever fabulous offerings there were in the Amtrak café car, I decided to get something substantial for lunch.
So I opted for the steak salad (salads are healthy – right?) with a side of home fries. Remember Elaine Benes’s bit on «Seinfeld’ about the Big Salad? Hoo-​boy was this it! Start it off with some of their terrific homemade soup and top it off with their terrific coffee and you’ve got yourself a great meal!

Tom & Joe’s is the classic, prototypical, old-​school, small-​town diner that you don’t see just anywhere these days. It’s gone through at least 3 generations of family members running the place — according to the guy at the register I talked to — George. I believe he stated that Tom was his grandfather and ran the place back in the day.
I stopped in for breakfast. Ordered two eggs over easy with corned beef hash, home fries, and wheat toast, plus coffee and water. I requested the hash be extra crispy — which they stated would be no problem.
While I was waiting, I noted the old-​school mini jukeboxes mounted on the wall in each booth. Also, there is a lot of yelling going on in the diner — as in the staff yelling out orders to the kitchen and such. It’s kind of cool to experience. You don’t see that kind of banter that often these days!
Food came out quickly and was piping hot. The hash was indeed crispy. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the toast toasted just right, and the home fries had a nice crisp texture to them on the outside. The food was very good, solid, diner food and I very much enjoyed it!
I will ding them on three things: (1) The coffee was not that good — had an odd tang to it; (2) While the hash was very good — the quantity was a bit on the small side; (3) The only sweeteners they had at the time were sugar and pinks (no yellows or blues).
George asked me how my meal was when he was ringing me up — I relayed the three items above to him.
They offer free Wifi as well.
I’ll eat breakfast here again when in the area!

I love me my scrapple. I really do.
I ate here at Tom and Joe’s a few times when I lived in Altoona, but I didn’t appreciate it until I moved away. It’s everything I love about a diner — good breakfast, good burgers, lots of locals, cheap eats, and saucy servers.
Let’s start with the scrapple, because that is pretty much all I order for breakfast anywhere it is on the menu. For the uninitiated, it is made from the «scraps» of pork («everything but the oink!») and cornmeal. It’s a lot like livermush, it’s Southern cousin. It comes in a loaf and is served in slices, seared nicely in a pan. A side is $ 2.25; with eggs and toast, a bargain at $ 5.10.
Ask for your eggs basted — it’s like sunny side up or overeasy, but so much better.
You can’t hardly get scrapple outside of Pennsylvania and the mid-​Atlantic — or so I thought. I asked our charismatic server, Kimberly, where they get there’s. She laughs, looks at me sideways, and says «Sam’s Club!» Well, then I’d get mine there, too, if I could. It was well spiced, had a nice flavor, and was cooked just right — barely crispy on the edges, soft and mushy on the inside, salty enough to make your eggs interesting but not so salty you couldn’t eat it alone.
At some point, Kimberly started referring to us as «scrapple people,» which, to my mind, means she forgave us (by which I mean my husband) for asking for a shot of espresso in his coffee. Her response: «Now, where do you think you are?!»
I’m going to assume she also forgave us for the following exchange:
Husband: «I’ll have the Special Special»
Kimberly: «Bacon, Ham, or Sausage?»
Husband: «bacon»
Kimberly: What kind of toast?“
Husband: «wheat, please»
Kimberly: «eggs?»
Husband: «yes»
Kimberly: (pause) «you want them in your lap?»
(laughter by all)
(To be fair, my husband had driven about 15 hours in the previous two days. He was a little fatigued. And he really needed some espresso. Badly. It’s hard to find in Altoona, PA)
The Special Special was under $ 5.00 (!!!), and our son had the huge, 2-​egg Greek Omelet for $ 5.80.
All of the prices are amazing: a BLT for $ 3.45, cold ham sandwhich for $ 2.60, large chef salad for $ 6.25. The large burger special (with fries and cole slaw) is a whopping $ 7.40.
So if you are lucky enough to be in Altoona and cannot justify having just Mrs. Grove’s sticky buns for breakfast (you know you need the protein), come to Tom and Joe’s, let Kimberly tease you and make you laugh, try the scrapple and basted eggs, meet the locals, and get yourself some rib-​stickin’ eats at a great price. Just don’t ask for espresso. Where ever you think you are, you are not there.

Stunning. Stunning diner.
I knew in my heart of hearts that Altoona must have some wonderful food, and I found it here. The only downsides are that they close after lunch, and their breakfast potatoes could be better.
My first inclination was to try an omelet. They are listed on the menu as being proper two-​egg omelets. Although I was going to go for the Greek one with spinach and feta. Generally that dish is a fine diner staple.
But my wife, being from around these parts, looked at me like I was from Mars for even considering ordering a Greek omelet in small-​town Pennsylvania.
She was right. So I reconsidered and asked for eggs and scrapple, with the eggs poached.
«Sorry, we can’t do poached eggs.»
«No?»
“No, but you can have them basted.”
«Um, ok.»
I have to say, that I had never had a basted egg before. Can’t say that I was even immediately familiar with the form. As far as I can tell, it’s a cross between sunny-​side up and poached. And they were divine. The whites were set but tender, the yolks perfectly runny, and a few nice brown crispys all around the edges.
Basted eggs, where have you been all my life?
The scrapple was delicious. My wife’s bacon was crisp and copious. Coffee was hot, wet and caffeinated.
Great place. Go there.
There is more to Altoona than just chain dining.