Lake Effect Diner

3165 Main Street

Buffalo, New York 

Open Daily 7-3

Closed Tuesdays

All-American comfort food from local farms doled out in a chrome & neon diner car dating to 1952.

Lake Effect Diner hand-dip over 20 flavors of milkshakes made .. the old fashion way!

December Milkshake of the Month

Chocolate Peppermint

Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives

In 2009, Lake Effect Diner was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!  Lake Effect Diner puts an upscale twist on your favorite diner classics by making many of their sauces .. in-house.  In addition to making their food with fresh products, they also sell their bagels, bread loaves and rolls, baguettes, granola, fresh-squeezed orange juice and our custom Blizzard Blend coffee beans.

Guy Fieri from The Food Network stopped by the Lake Effect Diner one morning several years ago.   The parking lot was packed and roped off.  Parked, in front, was a beautiful red Camero.  I was surprised to see Fieri's signature spikey blond hair through the door.  Fieri entertained kids with magic tricks, joked around with the diners and posed for pictures with fans. First, the late Anthony Bourdain .. now Guy Fieri.  Buffalo is finally in  the spotlight for something else other than wings!  

Buffalo Rising 

Guy Fieri with Tucker & Erin Curtin, Owners of Lake Effect Diner.

The crew from  Page Productions, who produces "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", began corresponding with Tucker and Erin in May of 2009.  The producers were originally interested in Dug's Dive, a sister restaurant owned by the couple, but decided on the Lake Effect Diner because of the volume and diverity of artisan local foods being processed and served  there.  The six to eight minute segment featured preparations of House Cured and Smoked Ham with Red Eye Gravy, House Ground Italian Sausage and the Italian Haddock dinner with tomatoes and fresh basil.  

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to hit the national spotlight.  The trick here is being as efficient and consistent as ever so that the increase in business won't just be a flash in the pan.

Tucker Curtin

Curtin believes the experience helped define the establishment and build greater camaraderie among his staff members.  The stafff prepared for weeks in anticipation of its television debut.  

It is not uncommon to see business increase by 300% the day after the show aired.

Jeremy Greene

On-Location Producer

The cover of the menu reads as follows ..

This diner is a circa 1952 Mountain View Diner Vin. #446.  It was saved from demolition and moved from Wayne, PA to Buffalo in 2001.  Restored and equipped with a modern state of the art kitchen and knowledgeable and passionate staff, the Lake Effect continues to humbly serve wholesome and fresh locally procured ingredients prepared the way they should be .. from scratch!  From field to fork, our facility makes artisanal fresh, cured and smoked meats.  Eggs are delivered from the Kreher Family right up the road.  All bread is baked fresh in house daily.  

Enjoy our Little Diner, Tucker and Erin Curtin