Tom’s

My secret little heaven in Brooklyn. I go there like once a month maybe twice, cause I don’t live very close to it, but boy do I wish I did, I’d go every day probably
To put it in a few words, this place is like you would want every diner to be, but it never is. This place is like that, and then some.
And of course I can’t not mention the pancakes. Unbeatable! The best by a lot!
The staff is friendly in a familiar way, not in a pushy salesman like way.

Came here for brunch with some local friends who love this place and it did not disappoint!!! Its not a very large space and appears to stay busy (we visited in a weekend). There seems to always be a line but it moves quickly and the staff there make the wait so much better by offering free food while you wait! Plus the staff is just so friendly!
I have heard the staff can be known to give complimentary food and drinks if you’re lucky, but probably more likely if they aren’t so busy as was the case when we dined.
On to the food!!! While you’re waiting in line you’re going to be tantalized by all the food you see coming out. I only tried the breakfast and got the eggs Benedict. One of my friends had the quesadillas and really loved them as well. The portions are fantastically large. They also have a popular horseradish sauce that sits Ina bottle at every table and it is so delicious! Perfectly spicy and tangy, complements their food really well.
Their home fries are super tasty and look like more of a hash — put their sauce on it! The eggs Benedict were very tasty, however my eggs were just a bit over cooked and lacking that perfectly runny consistency I crave in poached eggs. I also tried the potato salad which was just okay, nothing special.
I did get an egg cream (chocolate) which I’ve never tried before and it was a great drink! It’s basically seltzer, milk, and chocolate syrup topped with whipped cream. It’s very light and airy drink and the carbonation with whipped cream makes it seem a little more indulgent.
Very important to note: CASH ONLY.

Breakfast done right! The pumpkin butter is divine ! While waiting in line (well worth the wait) we were brought free coffee and oranges, once seated our server was friendly, our food came quickly and it was delicious. Hot, cooked perfectly and savory!

If you’re in the mood for classic diner food, look no further! Colossal portion sizes, delicious food, great prices! I’d recommend the pancakes or huevos rancheros. Go before 11 on the weekend or expect a long line! Line moves fast but can look intimidating! They also have hands down the best customer service if any restaurant in NY. They provide umbrellas when it’s raining, bring out samples for people waiting on line, and even gave guest Christmas cards this year. Truly a gem!

Was in the mood for a diner, used Unilocal to locate a close one and tom’s popped up, I was greeted at the door by a nice Greek gentlemen, thought he was the owner, he told me to sit where I want.
I was there around 20:00 hours; I ordered a cheese burger and chicken cutlet with fires. Both were very good.
Service was very friendly and good; owner came fast and removed the empty dishes, he checked on us twice.
Overall a very good experience; would go back for a brunch for sure.

Tom’s has a large menu and fast service although there can be long waits on weekend mornings. If you don’t mind sitting at the counter then you usually can get in right away. Average diner food at OK prices. It’s CASH ONLY but they do have an ATM.

Awesome place and great food with large portions! Came here around 7 in the afternoon so thankfully didn’t have to endure the long wait times, but left absolutely amazed at how great the food and customer service was. Tom’s is a super casual place with a great vibe. I would highly recommend the pancakes here, one of the best I’ve had! I ate the famous lemon ricotta pancake which were super fluffy and HUGE along with the veggie omelet. Both items were great and very filling, loved the homemade butters that accompanied the food as well. Would definitely come back.

Yooooo what’s with the wait?!
After the 30 minute wait on a Saturday morning, I ordered the Eggs Benedict. Yes, the food is REALLY, REALLY good here. The waitstaff are friendly and very fast, and the place has a diner feel to it which I really like (who doesn’t like diners?). The neighourhood is sketch, but now it’s called «up and coming».

although i moved away a long long time ago I still eat whenever back visiting. Yes it might be called kitsch or overrated, just a n’hood vibe place or too small and noisy and not hipster or upscale to your liking… no big deal. Don’t return. go to williamsburg instead.
But for those with an open soul, the treasure awaits. Listen to Suzanne Vega’s song about it, enjoy a morning [weekday] breakfast and you will understand why the neighbors protected it during the riots in the 60s, and why kids love it [perhaps the lime rickeys help].
The food is not trendy, just satisfying to the bone. Tom’s is the real Brooklyn, the real deal.

Hubby and I were looking for a breakfast spot in this neighborhood and I randomly chose this one. What a great choice! I loveeeeeed the atmosphere, friendly staff and absolutely scrumptious food. Pancakes were soft and fluffy. They give you 3, yes THREE, different types of butter. Just plain delicious. Oh and I appreciated that the coffee cups aren’t typical diner coffee cups. They were cups that you’d have in your home. Just delightful… Well worth it. I shall be back!

My go-​to breakfast spot. The wait is half the fun if you even have get to experience it! The bussers have cleaning up down to a science. We were given finger samples of beef sausage while in line. I normally go with the crab cakes and eggs and orange juice. Fare is extremely fair! I can’t say enough good things about this place. Cash Only is a bit of a bummer but I guess it keeps things running smoothly as well as retain some of the ambience of the good ol’ days

Amazing food, specially for brunch, breakfast… However, there is always a long line at the door so you better be prepared for cold in winter; but the experience it’s definitely worth it and they bring you sth to eat every now and then to keep you warm. Lovely place!

Dropped in on a Thursday morning to a long line through the narrow entryway parallel to the counter. Fortunately there’s a back seating area, and we were seated quickly and received great service. Lemon ricotta pancakes were damn good, with 1 flavored butter available per pancake.

A friend and I came here for brunch during a weekday because I heard good things about their pancakes. When you first walk in, it seems like it’s such a small place, but in actuality, there’s more space on the side, but it’s still a little tight. Anyway, my friend and I were quickly seated and I already knew what I was going to order, Danish pancakes! We also ordered the steak and eggs with sweet potato fries as well as coffee and a cherry lime rickey. So what distinguishes Danish pancakes from regular pancakes? I honestly don’t know, but I’d imagine it’s because they are more cake like in consistency. They were made with blueberries and hints of lemon and ricotta. Anyway, they were good and don’t even get me started on the flavored butters, love them!
My friend’s steak and eggs were like anywhere else, but I think the steak may have been a tad overcooked. Since he was hungry, he just ate it anyway. The sweet potato fries were pretty good though. The cherry lime rickey wasn’t anything special, but I think it’s a nice touch that they serve it. The coffee here is like that of any diner, still good. Tom’s is a nice diner that serves classic American comfort food and they do it right. It’s a good option if you’re feeling like diner food and you’re in the area. I’m not saying you have to go out of your way to try them, but if you like pancakes, give them a try and decide for yourself if they were worth the trip! I wouldn’t mind coming back for the pancakes… along with their butters.

Loved the service and food the jalapeño and jack burger AMAZING!!! Sweet potato fries BANGING!!!

Although the wait is long at times, it is still worth it because they come around and serve all customers on line with toast, coffee, and fruit slices. This type of service explains why they have been open since the 1930s and continue to be open today.
Once you are seated you won’t be disappointed with your meal. I had their Cinnamon Banana Waffles and was thinking about it for a week straight.
I will definitely be paying this restaurant another visit.

Came here with some college friends and had an amazing time. The food is pretty cheap and the portions are huge. We each paid about $ 15 including tip. The service was amazing and the servers came around with free fries and free samples while we waited. The servers even gave our table free fries and a free shake at the end. I had a spinach omelette which was very good. My friends had the pancakes and enjoyed them. This is a great place for a cheap brunch and amazing service. I have never had such great service at a restaurant before.
The only downside is that there is a long wait to get seated especially for groups but for the price and service, the wait is definitely worth it.

Say what you want but this place is definitely not as good as the reviews say. The neighborhood appeal might be one thing but traveling to it with the many options in Brooklyn is simply not worth it.
The atmosphere is cool with the many notable visitors on the wall and the fact that it’s been around for almost 100 years. However, the food was simply nothing to write home about. If I was around the corner, I might give it one more try.
FYI: CASH ONLY

Don’t call me a hater because of the 2 stars, i just wasn’t a lover of Tom’s.
I was doing a day trip in Brooklyn with the kid and hubs and I wanted to find a nice spot where we could get a hearty brunch.
I ordered the Danish pancakes for me, Belgian waffle for the man with a side of corned beef hash and eggs to share. There was definitely plenty of pancake. It came 3 to an order and they were massive, unfortunately I had no desire to eat more than 1 which was plenty.
Waffle was also just ok. The flavored butters… eh, nothing to write home about.
I can kind of see this place is a neighborhood institution and how locals would have a fondness for its old school diner kitschy appeal, but it wasn’t really worth going out of my way to try their pancakes. Coffee was good. And I’m so glad we came on a weekday and didn’t have to stand online for an hour because then I would have given this place 1 star.

Sublime. Seriously. If you are looking for a true diner vibe with incredible food at reasonable prices, then look no further.
This place gets crazy busy, but don’t be scared by the line. They really move people through, and you should not have to wait very long. Once we sat down, I had a really had time deciding what to get. I heard rave reviews of the pancakes, and I oogled them on the tables of other diners, so the decision was made. I ordered the streusel pancakes, and I do not regret it.
I love my breakfast to be on the sweeter side, and these delivered. My belly was so happy with the fluffy, sweet, slightly textured pancakes. The inclusion of a trio of flavored butters is a nice touch. While I am not a big fan of butter, the cinnamon butter was very good. Luckily for me, these pancakes can stand on their own.
My dining companion had the crab cake benedict and was very content.
My only grievance is that they don’t take credit cards. When you’re this busy, it might be something to consider as less and less people have cash on them.
Overall, I would definitely make this my neighborhood hang out.

After the gym this morning I was a bit hungry and wanted grits and eggs; a friend recommended this diner. As always, went to Unilocal and saw good reviews… So I ventured over and I’m glad I did.
Just from the outside you can tell this is a vintage style diner. Upon entering the hostess said I could sit where, but there is a sign that says «wait to be seated».
The menu was relatively small, but I knew what i wanted so it didn’t matter. I opted for two scrambled eggs, grits, wheat toast, and turkey bacon. I had never eaten turkey bacon in my life. It was pretty good. The eggs and the grits were great as well.
Cons: Although I enjoyed my meal, a few things stuck out.
1. I was never offered water maybe it was because I came from the gym and had my large smart water bottle, but isn’t that customary in any eating establishment.
2. The place is cozy and the couple behind me were speaking rather loud. So be cognizant because you can hear others and they can hear you.
3. They are cash only.
Aside from that I was very pleased and will definitely come here again!

Yay! I finally made it to Tom’s. If you love pancakes and or waffles Tom’s is a must! I had the Sweet Potato Waffles and they were perfect. Not too big. You know when you get food its so much that you know you should save some so either you eat too much and your stomach hurts, or you actually save it but then forget it! Well Tom’s has the perfect portion of Waffles. I used the cinnamon butter and a bit of syrup. Nom nom nom.
Tom’s also has other diner type food: burgers, salad, omelets, meatloaf., etc. Oh and I went on a Sunday at 1:30PM and only waited about 10 minutes. So maybe I got lucky.

Loved stumbling across the diner! Affordable, great service, delicious pancakes and a cozy authentic diner atmosphere. No reservations are taken and if you go during peak hours expect a wait, but they serve breakfast all day/​week. We went in for Sunday brunch at around 130 and were seated right away. The patio seating is slightly cooler than the seating by the kitchen if you go during the summer.
We ordered coffees (which come in cute coffee cups that vary from customer/​customer or table) and a few entrees and pancakes to share. The chicken tenders, turkey club and BLT were decent for diner food and the Greek salad was huge. However the true star of the brunch were the Danish pancakes and also the lemon ricotta pancakes. They came stacked three pancakes high and they were so buttery and fluffy. Besides normal butter, there was also a cinnamon sugar butter and a strawberry butter. They were so good and filling! Only thing that could’ve made it better is if they offered real maple syrup.
The service was also amazing, our waiter was very attentive and got our order right with all of our pesky add ons. He also chatted with us for a while and we told him how my sister had just moved to Brooklyn only a few blocks away. He came back with two delicious chocolate egg creams as a «welcome to the neighborhood» gift. What a kind gesture! We will certainly be back for those pancakes and to try more of their food.

Une limonade et un milkshake à tomber par terre. brunch très copieux dommage qu’il y est des noix dans tout les pancakes. Nous y reviendrons…

Tom. Tom. Tom
Everyone loves Tom. The end
Lol no really everyone love Toms, they give you treats while you eating Like cookies, fruits. The staff is friendly and fast.
The food is delicious and they have so many options

We walked about 20 minutes in the rain to Tom’s. The pancakes looked amazing and I was on a mission. My friend found this amazing spot on Unilocal and we knew we had to go! Thanks fellow Unilocalers!
The Apple Danish pancakes were freaking fantastic! I can not tell you how happy that first bite made me! Those massive, fluffy, golden disks of delicious apple pancake were phenomenal. I still dream about them! I must go back…
Other than the flapjacks, they have a fantastic selection of other breakfast items: tons of omelet selections, Benedict, corned beef hash, huevos rancheros and they even have burgers for those who are into breakfast. (who doesn’t love breakfast!!!) Then they have a decent cup of coffee to go with all of it.
Once we were in it wasn’t too crowded, but this little joint can get packed quick! As we were leaving more people can in to dine and they had to wait for a table to open up — so I could see a bit of a wait happening. The service was quick and they have a counter too you can sit at for an even quicker bite.
The metro isn’t too far, so if you are not a walker, you can get there by the ²⁄₃ off at Brooklyn Museum.