Posted by Michael Stern on April 12, 2008
Any angler who has fished the Beaverkill River during the last three decades likely knows all about the Roscoe Diner. In fact, a large portion of the people who have traveled Route 17 into upstate New York know about this obligatory Sullivan County roadside landmark, which is the sort of place politicians stop when on the stump to show that they, too, like to eat elbow-to-elbow with ordinary folk. The Roscoe has remodeled several times over the years, and current décor is a rather peculiar motif of college pennants, but it remains what it has always been: a roadside diner that serves square meals, fast and cheap.
Like so many large-scale, modern diners, the Roscoe aims to be all things to all people, and features a vast, multicultural menu that provides a mealtime’s worth of reading. Here are literally dozens of broiled steaks and shops, seafood that is fried, stuffed, poached, broiled, and sautéed, Italian fare from Alfredo to Ziti, Greek souvlaki, Jewish blintzes, French toast, Mexican salads, and “diet delights.” The selection of pastries is huge and, in our experience, better-looking than tasting; but we have never regretted ordering rice pudding for dessert.
The meal that can’t fail at the Roscoe is breakfast. Breakfast is what a place like this does best; its repertoire includes some two dozen omelets, including all the usual meat, cheese, and vegetable fillings, plus omelets made from all egg whites or Egg Beaters. Ordinary eggs come with ham or Taylor ham, bacon or Canadian bacon, sausage or corned beef hash; extraordinary egg dishes include lox (smoked salmon) and eggs and pastrami and eggs.
Overall: Worth a major detour
14 out of 18 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
Reviewers "Must Eats" List
rice pudding
($2.00)
"A classic, albeit unhealthy lunch at this diner in Roscoe, NY."
Cheryl67
"Real turkey makes the club sandwich at Roscoe a good version of a diner classic."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"There is a section of the menu devoted to wraps, and they are attractively assembled."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"It's hard to find this these days in restaurants. Crunchy outside and warm and soft on the inside."
Stephen Rushmore Jr.
"This paper thin beauty can be served by itself, or topped with runny eggs."
Stephen Rushmore Jr.
"The rice pudding is homemade (and, in fact, rice pudding is often the only homemade dessert in diners). Roscoe's pudding is popular, although today's specimen was not good."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"Not recommended."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"The diner itself looks more suited to returning a book or renewing a drivers license than eating."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"Where locals -- and travelers -- come to eat."
Michael Stern
"We took this picture on a trip upstate over a dozen years ago. Little has changed at the truly famous Roscoe Diner, outside or in."
Michael Stern
