Halfmoon Diner (Clifton Park, NY)

Halfmoon Diner (Clifton Park, NY)

While in New York, I wanted to go to a new diner. New York State, has plenty of diners throughout the state and I’ve been to a fair share from Long Island to the City, Albany, Syracuse, the North Country, and Buffalo.  It’s funny; when I went to college in Upstate NY, I spent the least amount of time in Albany. Since moving away, I’ve spent more time in Albany than the rest of the area.

When we arrived at the Halfmoon Diner, it wasn’t crowded, but when we left, it was clear it was the place to be.

Halfmoon Diner Atmosphere: A
The Halfmoon Diner is everything you expect in a stereotypical diner. It’s a big shiny, metallic, building, with plenty of mirrors, and windows.

The inside of the Halfmoon Diner has plenty of booths, tables, a full-length bar, and a good looking dessert case.

Halfmoon Diner Coffee (and Wine!):
The coffee at the Halfmoon Diner was brewed hot and fresh. The waitress brought plenty of refills.

My meal at the Halfmoon Diner came with a small glass of wine. I choose red, and it was delicious. It was the first diner meal I’ve had that has come with wine, so that was fun.

Halfmoon Diner Food: C
The Halfmoon Diner menu has plenty of specials. From breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there is everything you want in a diner and with plenty of specials. I decided to order the “leg of lamb” special. It came with A LOT of food. Soup, salad, wine, and two sides. On paper, that sounds awesome.

I decided to order the beet salad which was an extra $3 but was worth it. The beets on top were great, but the lettuce was watery and had no green to it.

For my soup at the Halfmoon Diner, I chose the Manhatten clam chowder. This was one of my more favorite parts of the meal. There was plenty of clams and the red sauce was good.

My roast leg of lamb was drowning in brown gravy. It was dry and didn’t taste fresh. To me, it felt as though the meal was taken from a bunch of frozen food, reheated and brought out. I expected a leg of lamb; it was a few slices of lamb underneath brown gravy.

My two sides, broccoli and french fries were both frozen and reheated. The broccoli was good, but the crinkle fries at the Halfmoon Diner were bland, and I was too full to finish them.

In all, the food at the Halfmoon Diner was decent and right down the middle. It was nothing interesting or fancy but edible.

Halfmoon Diner Service: A
The waitress at the Halfmoon Diner was one of the best waitresses I’ve had at a diner. Our food came out fast, she gave recommendations for good options, and she was friendly.  She made the visit worth it.

Halfmoon Diner Cost: $
For all of my food, plus the extra $3 for the salad, it was only $18.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back of the Halfmoon Diner?
The Halfmoon Diner was good. The food was boring, but there was plenty of food. It’s a stereotypical diner and a decent stop in the greater Albany area.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee/Wine: A
Food: B
Service: A
Cost: $8-$15
Overall: B

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite type of wine?
Do you like lamb?