Uncle Andy’s Diner

Took my wife out for breakfast this late a.m. Went to Uncle Andy’s in So. Ptld near where I grew up… went in with two other groups… seated ourselves. .waited waited. the other groups were greeted given drinks and orders taken… still waiting…15 mins in we asked and received coffee. menu put away ready to order… waiting… 2 waitresses working .what 5 tables… she walked past us refilled all other tables coffee .not us… that was 25 mins in… my wife had had it …28 mins in she asked for our order shook our heads no. she said coffee on them… walked away. I asked to speak with Manager our waitress said she was. there were 2 other tables ahead of us she said. …Extremely Poor Poor. service. I hope D F is not the owner still… I’ve spoken to him a couple of times nice guy…

Holds a special place in my heart.
Uncle Andy’s is extraordinary in the way it serves up ordinary American diner food. They have some of the best French toast in town and their Mill Creek Marathon special leaves little to be desired.
The place has been around for a while has a few wrinkles despite a recent makeover. There are usually oldies playing in the background – think Steely Dan vibes. But this all adds to the experience. The owner, who my friends and I lovingly refer to as Andy (even tho we’re pretty sure that’s not his real name) is one of the few guys who managed to make both me and my mom laugh during my high school years.
Uncle Andy’s has been off the beaten path since the new bridge rerouted route 77 away from its neighborhood in the 1990s. The beauty of the place is that it embraces it’s back-​street, weather somewhat grungy location, serving up flavorful diner food at a good price. A welcome blast from a simpler past.

It’s difficult to find a decent breakfast place in this part of Maine. But Uncle Andy’s is not bad. The pancakes are above average and so were the potatoes. However, the restrooms need a good scrubbing… for that matter the entire place could use a major cleaning. Although the food was better than most breakfast places in this area, don’t know if it’s good enough to make this place a regular stop for us.

Every great breakfast place had a line out the door today except Uncle Andy’s so we went in. There were approximately 4 tables with dirty dishes and food still on them. After sitting at one for almost 10 minutes, a waitress started to clean other tables. Customers were asking for coffee every time she walked by to be told it would be a bit. When she finally got to our table at 11:45, she told us they were busy and if we had something to do we may not want to wait. I suggest they take the «Customers Wanted» sign out of the window.

Really nice breakfast spot — very polite waitstaff and solid menu. Amazingly cute pancake special for kids!!! Affordable and satisfying.

Love Uncle Andy’s. I am a customer 2 – 3 times a week. I read a book and enjoy the banter at the counter. Friendly (Dennis, the owner, does some stand-​up when he is not entertaining his customers and their kids). The entire family works there including a couple of the grandkids who «help» their moms when they waitress. (Brooklyn, you have got the diner biz down!) Yes, the service can be loose, but alway friendly and the food makes up for it. The menu is a nice mix of offerings and they will make it any way you’d like. There are daily specials — real comfort food –like the best mac and cheese I’ve had in any restaurant in Portland — even the high end ones.
For a great breakfast (take your kids, they will love it) or a good lunch like excellent soup, sandwiches and salads, try Uncle Andy’s, a simple place, good diner food and a hard-​working family to make you feel at home.

Love it. Recommended by my kids. They wanted to go there for the chef’s special pancakes… basically the cook makes pancakes in all different shapes!!! Always different and always a surprise. Great prices as well!

This place is a diner with a funny guy that makes the food. If you like that you will do fine here.

Pretend this is a 4.5 star review.
Wifey & daughter were in Chicago for the weekend, so I had free reign to go wherever, whenever I wanted. Naturally I partied it up by getting up early, working an bit, and running errands. Do I know how to live or what?
Hungry after all that Target wandering, I stayed close to home & decided Uncle Andy’s in SoPo was the place with which I would grace my presence.
A cool little place with a cheeky sandwich board out front («CUSTOMERS WANTED!»), it’s an unassuming storefront on a busy road. Walking into a split dining room (tables & three horseshoe-​shaped counters with views of the open kitchen down one side; tables (and booths? Can’t remember) on the other. I chose a counter cuz I was flying solo.
I love places with simple, concise menus — too many options can be daunting and suggests the kitchen doesn’t specialize in anything. I chose a combo of eggs, pancakes, bacon, «homies,» and toast. GREAT coffee here, BTW.
I was not disappointed in anything! The pancakes were the star, and the bacon seemed «craft» — not from a commercial kitchen. I may be wrong but it was great. The scrambled eggs were a bit flat (literally); I prefer fluffier, chopped-​up scrambies, but they were still well cooked.
The service was VERY friendly and the owner greeted me personally and thanked me for coming in and asked how my meal was.
They had good seasonal specials (pumpkin pancakes, a three-​meat, three-​cheese omelette with apple); one of which I hope will be on the menu when I return.
And I definitely will!

We were big fans of this place… 10 years ago. It used to be our late breakfast spot when we were dating. After a few years we noticed a decline in the attitude of staff and slowness of service. The last time we were there we waited 25 minutes to be noticed and over an hour for eggs and pancakes. We almost walked out. We saw our waitress only twice the whole time. We were excited to hear that they would be on Restaurant Impossible and had some high hopes that things would turn around.
Well, again, we heard mixed reviews. We knew some of the people who helped with the renovations and they were excited with the new décor and menu. However, after a few weeks we heard that things were «going backward» and we ended up not going back. We saw the «Customers Wanted» sign back up in the window and shook our heads.
Today we decided to be nostalgic and stop in. We were there around 11am and they were not slammed and had spots open. I was glad to see the horseshoe counters still in place with folks sitting at them reading the paper and eating. The owner (Dad?) is still telling his jokes, the one we heard this morning he told a young girl was «Earlier this morning I was out there chasing a squirrel in my pajamas. What he was doing wearing my pajamas, I have no idea».
I have to say that I really like that the grill is still in the center, but somewhat enclosed with the glass divider. The noise of the grill was pleasantly drown out. Any sort of banter or bickering we used to hear we did not hear this time around. Our waitress was not surly in the least bit which was an improvement! We were greeted promptly and attended to perfectly. Our food was cooked as requested and the suggestion of the pumpkin pancakes was a great suggestion and glad I took it. We had our food promptly and I have to say, I still really like the coffee here. I did miss having one of the old unique mismatched coffee mugs. Funny the things you miss that you associate with the core of what a place is.
The cashier being on the opposite side seemed a little awkward, but I would say that the changes and updating were definitely much needed and done well. I was interested in the Pilgrim Omelet… maybe next time.

Cute space, unique set up once you’re inside. The staff was VERY friendly! I ended up getting some coffee seeing it was snowing, again, and the 3 meat 3 cheese scramble. There was a lot of meat and cheese in the scramble and the home fries where cooked to perfection, not burnt and not undercooked! Price were decent for the amount of food I received! Would come again!

It’s been years since I’ve been here and heard about the renovation so decided to give it a try on a Monday at lunchtime. The place was quiet with just a few other customers at the counter. Ordered the beef soup, kind of salty but okay, and the turkey club with fries instead of chips. Said it came with a pickle but never got that. Fries were hot and fresh. Turkey club? Doesn’t a club sandwich typically entail 3 pieces of bread and a lot of meat? This one was 2 slices of bread, 2 slices of turkey, some bacon, and a little lettuce. 1 soup, 2 turkey clubs with fries and water — $ 23 with tip.

If you live in Southern Maine, you know Uncle Andy’s. The food was consistent and the service typically friendly. Last summer they were apparently featured on Restaurant Impossible with Chef Robert Irvine.
While I appreciate a local fav getting help from a pro and a revamp of menu and equipment, I’m not a fan of the new décor.
Now I admit, it needed the makeover. The floors and seats were long over due for it, but they aesthetic direction they chose just doesn’t make me feel as at home now. The food is still consistent far as I can tell and I AM glad the menu got a make over and pared down. The service is still as friendly as any local Maine place is likely to be. (We are a friendly state after all.)
My husband and I went in July 2014 after the revamp. We agreed on the décor and other touches.

Friendly staff. Nice remodel. The food was good. You can tell they have been really trying hard to breath new energy into this place. Nice job!

Was skeptical about trying this place again after bad experiences in the past… I was pleasantly surprised. The new décor is a huge improvement… Tastefully decorated tables and chairs have replaced the old dilapidated booths… The coffee was better than last time, but still on the low-​end of diner grade. Waitstaff wasn’t very attentive as we didn’t see her again until she delivered the check… And our coffee mugs sat empty. BUT the lobster omelet was delicious! So delicious I would suffer through the coffee again on my next visit.

I have lived in So Po for over 20 years and remember Uncle Andy’s from the good ‘old days’. Up until Restaurant Impossible it was really very run down and dirty-​had not been there is more than 5 years. A group of 6 of us went for breakfast on a Thursday in July-​many weeks after the renovation. I dont think the current owners understand how to CLEAN nor do they understand good SERVICE. They have a brand new place and it’s already dirty and dusty. I can’t even tell you how rude the waitstaff are-​and they really should be made to wear a uniform or apron of some kind. Our waitress looked like she just rolled out of bed in jeans and a t shirt. Anyway-​sadly disappointed! I was really hoping to get my neighborhood diner back!

This place is such a cute diner, and I’m not sure what it looked like before the Restaurant Impossible makeover, but it looks very clean and hip now. The best part about this diner has got to be the pricing, especially when compared to some other breakfast places that I’ve been to around Portland in the past. I got an omelet with homefries and toast for a little over $ 5! There wasn’t too much flavor in any of the food that my friend and I got, but that’s nothing that a little Tabasco or salt & pepper couldn’t fix. The servers were also super friendly and sociable. Overall, I thought the food was great for the price and it’s a very pleasant diner to go if you’re in South Portland.

I have been a customer at uncle Andy’s for years and all I can say is I’m not a fan of the recent changes they’ve made.
I can’t comment on the menu because I was never served, in fact they never took my order after I sat there for 20+ minutes. Not even coffee.
The wait staff was so unorganized it was painful to watch. When a waiter did actually come speak with us, 20 minutes into our wait, he told us that he would not be able to take our order for another 20 – 30 minutes and gave us the option to leave, which we did.
I would not suggest eating at the new uncle Andy’s.

My wife took me here for father’s day brunch. We arrived around 1:00. We heard that the place underwent a renovation from one of those restaurant make over shows so why not?
We walked into the place and it looked fresh. The walls were painted, new dark laminate flooring, the counter-​tops were the same but the base was freshened up. So the visual improvement was welcome. The place was about half full. We stood inside for a few minutes before someone looked up and told us to seat ourselves. There was 1 waitress for our half of the restaurant and service was slow. One thing I saw was the waitress ringing up a check while 2 non-​waitstaff people stood around the register yacking. Cash out the waitress so she can do her job!
The food was good but they were out of hash and sausage so settled for 2 eggs over easy with bacon and home fries. My wife had blueberry pancakes with bacon. My eggs were cooked perfectly but really wanted hash. My wife liked her pancakes. The coffee was decent. The prices were very reasonable compared to many breakfast joints and that is a definite plus. and on Sundays, the farmer’s market is across the street when the weather is warm so go get some fresh veggies for dinner.
So all in all an OK experience at the refreshed Uncle Andy’s. Service was subpar… sorry but it was. The manager was nowhere to be found to expedite or man the register. The waitress was overloaded and no one bothered to notice let alone help. FAIL. The food was good. It was a good meal but not a very memorable experience.

I love eating here. It is the perfect classic breakfast diner. Everything is extremely inexpensive compared to many breakfast joints and it is decent eating. I like coming here because I can come with friends that have children or with pals nursing a hang over.
I am not a huge fan of the coffee at all. I do not think I would be able to find anything to eat on the lunch menu but I do just fine for breakfast. I really enjoy the home fries and one time they had a peach muffin and it was divine!
Note for those bringing kids… the staff is funny and attentive and will even make the pancake in any shape the kid asks. It can be quite entertaining!
Uncle Andy’s is quite dandy!

This is your run of the mill greasy spoon diner. Having only eaten there once, I can’t speak so much about the food other than it came quickly, was tasty and reasonably priced. I will definitely be back for breakfast some time soon.