Chuck Wagon Diner

I have been here before in years past and I was not impressed with my last visit. It seemed like the service was off and the food looked to be heat and serve vs. home cooked. Was there a change in management? It may have been an off night, so I am willing to go back and give it another shot.

First, to my friends in Champaign and Urbana, YES, this is the old Chuck Wagon from Champaign and the old Elite Diner of Urbana. The back room from Urbana is not there, obviously, but the place is still quite recognizable and in wonderful condition. In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s we spent much time at the Chuck Wagon and Elite Diners, and most of the changes are small enough that it still evoked strong (and good) memories of friends and food.
It appears that today it remains a place where friends meet, It closes at 8pm, so it is no longer the place for late night «recovery food» before driving home, but it remains a place where one goes for good, cheap food. And, one more memory, the diner and the Chuck Wagon sign have been recently reunited.
The building is a bit hidden from the road, between a garage and gas station, but stands out if you are looking for the shiny aluminum building. Parking is plentiful. The interior is clean, polished, and much as I remember. We took one of the seats along the front windows and felt right at home. We were greeted promptly and our order taken cheerfully and quickly.
The food itself was wonderful given that it was diner food. (Please Note: I rate restaurants on a relative scale; this gets five stars as a diner, it isn’t some haute cuisine place in downtown and anyone going there won’t expect that, so I don’t rate them against one another.)
I was there for breakfast. It was a large but standard breakfast of eggs, potatoes, pancakes, sausage, and coffee. There was a ton to eat and it was all perfectly cooked. Granted, we could have given it a harder test, but we were just happy to be here so we had something similar to our old breakfasts when it sat outside the Courthouse in Urbana. Anyway, it is worth noting that the over easy eggs were actually and truly over easy. They had runny yolks and cooked whites. The potatoes were in small cubes ranging from one-​half to one centimeter cubed. They had a nice brown crust and, for me, just the right amount of grease to make them flavorful and hold the pepper in place but not so much as to make me feel I was eating in a jiffy-​lube. The pancakes were light and fluffy and served with whipped butter and syrup. The sausages were basic pork sausages, neither under nor over cooked, quite tasty and again, not too greasy.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this visit to a relocated old haunt. I hope New Yorkers appreciate this gem. A blast from my own past, but also a great place to show kids and grand-​kids the kind of places that used to be commonplace in America but are rapidly disappearing.
I’ll definitely return again if I am in the area.

Friendly, great service and great food. I understand the previous owner was a bit rough but Chris the new owner is a DOLL.

We’ve been there for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Always delicious!

THE CHUCK WAGON, on Route 20 in Duanesburg, NY, presents a bright, clean and colorful, 50’s era décor. The seats are comfortable even for one with a back problem (such as myself). From there the experience takes a ‘mostly’ downward turn.
Yes, the amiable owner is likely to greet you when you enter. And may also do so during your meal. And may also do so as you settle the bill. In between all these greetings, he remains in the dining room. Because the amiable owner is also the talkative owner, seemingly to the complete exclusion of managing the quality of the food.
At 7:45 AM in the morning (they open at 6 AM, 7 days) you will be choosing from a two-​page, slightly crowded, slightly over-​sized menu selection.
Of course, I realize this is not fine dining, it is comfort food. Unfortunately, the only comfort I took was a marginal one, from the «sausage gravy over biscuits», which is what I would order if I had to return the Chuck Wagon, which with luck I will not.
The «sunny side up eggs» were overcooked, resulting in half the yolks congealed, and half the whites fried to a plastic hardness that stubbornly refuses a bite.
When our second selection arrived, albeit both identical omelets (with mushrooms and cheddar cheese), my partner & I were given each other’s plates. Okay, so all we had to do was swap his rye toast, for her wheat toast. And the mushrooms may have tasted of a number ten can, okay, this isn’t fine dining. But in my opinion, there is no excuse, in the state of New York, NOT to use real cheddar cheese. It did not have to be New York cheddar cheese, but it definitely should have been more than cheddar-​flavored processed cheese food, considering that the menu did advertise «cheddar cheese». I can (and do) make better at home, merely with real American cheese (two slices).
I’ll end with the home fries, and my second main disappointment. The potato cubes made for a marvelous, dare I say perfectly browned, presentation. Sadly, they were bland, with no seasoning whatsoever. ‘Comfort food’ is when one season one’s own, I guess. I would much have preferred a flavorful spin.
Owner, get off your dining room perch, and raise the standards in your kitchen. Put «New York Cheddar» on your menu. And ride your fry cook (like a donkey). With those two changes alone, you might have customers waiting in line for breakfast.
Or, you could just continue to use the customers as your personal support group.

Howdy!
The Chuck Wagon Diner has finally opened for business in Princetown, near the Route 20/​Route 406 intersection. This classic diner was built in 1956 and originally located in Champaign, IL until it closed and sold in 1976. Over the years, this diner has been moved around to several locations in IL and MI. The current owners (the Ketchums) purchased this diner 3 years ago in MI and transported it to their property in Princetown, NY where it was renovated and restored. Also, the original Chuck Wagon Diner «sign» was sold in 1976 separately and the Ketchums purchased the «sign», reuniting with its original diner.
The location of this diner is on the outskirts of Guilderland and Rotterdam on US Route 20, which WAS a pretty popular travel route back in the day, across Upstate NY and cross country across the USA (3,365 miles) between Kenmore Square in Boston to Newport, OR, the longest US route in America (I’ve driven to both ends-​see my Unilocal profile photo). US Route 20 bustled with restaurants, gas stations, motels, shops, and tourist destinations back in its heyday, but after the Interstate Highway System and NYS Thruway were constructed and opened, the traffic on US Route 20 sharply took a decline and became a very lonely and quiet road, some sections 4-​lanes with no traffic. A lot of businesses closed and now look abandoned. I still drive US Route 20 between Albany and Syracuse (via Route 92) as my scenic and nostalgic «toll-​free» route, lost in the 1950s.
Okay onto the review! The Chuck Wagon Diner is open daily 6AM-​9PM, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The interior of the diner is a flashback to the 1950s with classic décor including Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, colorful retro tile floors, a restored Seeburg 100 Selectomatic jukebox playing 45’s (oldies) and an old telephone. The layout is cozy and comfortable with long lunch counter with stool seating and booths along the front windows. Each table and counter also has its own mini jukebox which plays oldies. There’s also a back dining room with several booths.
The menu offerings include the standard American diner fare including the typical breakfast items, soups, crisp salads, sandwiches, burgers, fried seafood, and diner classics (pork chops, Yankee pot roast, beef liver, roasted & chargrilled chicken, spaghetti & meatballs, chicken parm), and desserts (pies, cakes, jello, pudding, ice cream). Pepsi fountain drinks and Chris’s Coffee served here. The prices for diner fare are pretty reasonable, most items under $ 11. On Thursdays, they have Corned Beef & Cabbage ($ 9.99).
I stopped in here on the first day of breakfast service (they opened the night before). I was greeted by the owner and I could sit anywhere I’d like. I was offered coffee, which was very good. I ordered Breakfast Special No. 4 ($ 6.99): Our Own Homemade Corned Beef Hash, 2 Eggs, Homefries, and Toast. The portion of food was piled onto a good sized plate. The homefries were very good, fresh cut potatoes seasoned and grilled/​browned with a good texture and flavor. The scrambled eggs were firm and fluffy. The wheat toast was very firm and chewy and not the typical generic bread loaf. The corned beef hash was alright and had a mushy texture with small diced potatoes like the canned hash, but it was not salty tasting like the canned hash. Real good homemade corned beef hash would not be mushy and have tender corned beef (sliced, shredded, or diced), fresh cut potatoes, and onions in some recipes.
Anywho, the food was very standard breakfast fare, good tasty portion for the money. I needed a box to take the extra food home. I was not charged for the coffee on this visit. The service was attentive and efficient. I was given topoffs on the coffee and offered and given a cup of ice water before I enjoyed my breakfast, very much appreciated. The staff was very friendly. A gentleman who is documenting his cross country travels along the entire US Route 20, was also here enjoying breakfast, taking pictures, and interviewing the owner. Good luck! It’s indeed a very long haul (over 3,000 miles) to US Hwy 101 in Newport, OR.
I will have to return to the Chuck Wagon Diner of Princetown for dinner! I love nostalgia!