Red Rose Diner

Glad I stopped and very glad I didn’t take some of the reviews seriously. I mean come on. «It’s small inside??» It’s not the Tardis. It’s not bigger on the inside. Also, the cleanliness problem was resolved.
The building is amazing, and the fact that it survives at all is a miracle. Most dining cars are from a more recent era, and most of them have been expanded.
On to the important part… the food!
I had fish and chips, and was delighted by the use of actual breaded fish and cut potatoes, not frozen, which was honestly what I expecting given the size of the place. My dining partner said his steak was one of the best he had. We ordered pie for dessert and was once again delighted by the home made crust. Few restaurants use home made desserts, and I truly didn’t expect that nice touch,
Overall, this is a great place for the food, and the high rating is for that and the fact that this old girl exists at all and that the dining car details have been lovingly restored by the current owner.

Cute little place with a fly problem and that’s the only good things I can say. We went for lunch and ordered Texas hot dog and grilled Swiss cheese sandwich. Prior to taking our order the lady behind the counter was counting money, cleaning plates, etc. After taking our order the lady never washed her hands. She put the hot dog in the grill, handled more money, then put the roll on, then handled more money. She then put the bread for the grilled cheese on the grill went and grabbed dirty glasses with her fingers in the glass and some dirty plates… then went right to the refrigerator got out the cheese and put that on the bread on the grill. She NEVER washed her hands. Maybe it’s just us but my girlfriend and I were so disgusted we paid for our drinks and left. The other lady who was there asked us why we were leaving and when we told her she seemed apologetic but not surprised. My girlfriend remarked to me we weren’t the first people to get grossed out at this place. I can put up with lots of things but unsanitary food handling just turns my stomach. The Health Department should close this place down, like NOW!

Not a local, so it was really cool for this city girl to get to see a historic, authentic diner. (I’m originally from NJ, so I know my diners, and the Red Rose Diner is the most authentic I’ve seen yet!) Ambiance is very nice because there’s lots of cool artifacts and the history of the place is made evident to the patrons through a text supplemental to the menu. Seating is very tight, we had to sit at the bar. I ordered the corn pancakes– yes, that’s pancakes with pieces of sweet corn in it– and it was very tasty and filling. The mac and cheese was not good though, it was very oily and had way too much cheese in it, plus we found a hair in it. Food came out all at different times. Prices were super reasonable and this is the type of place that may have a few good staple items. It’s hard to come here with a large group though.

The Red Rose is a tiny little diner that’s sits right on the main drag in Towanda, PA. It looks very cute from the outside but it has seen its day and is way past her prime…
I went here for lunch one day as I’m new to the area. There were just a few folks in there during the lunch hour and I soon found out why. The place was quaint with rustic old signs and pictures scattered for décor, but it really needs a thorough cleaning and paint job.
Don’t look too closely or the old grease and grime in the cracks and crevices will turn your stomach! I sat at the counter and saw it everywhere. Almost considered walking out and now in hindsight I should have.
The menu is limited. I stuck with a burger trying to be safe. It was ok but way overlooked and so of course a little dry. Not a lot of flavor to the burger either. Utensils, plate, and glassware were all clean by the way — so no issue there. But because the food was under average and the place was filthy I give it only 1 star.
Find other places to stop in Towanda — even a fast food joint.

Had a great lunch when we stopped on a recent road trip. The ambience was classic diner. While a bit run down, the cook/​waiter/​dishwasher/​owner was very nice and made a killer Reuben. I’m going back.

open from 5am to 2pm…
okay, I’ve driven by this place about 100 times, so I figured I’d finally stop in… my stomach is still recovering!
The good… a pretty cool old diner car-​was restored and moved to Towanda. I was mostly wrapped up in observing the cool design elements and original fixtures.
The bad… it’s in need of a thorough cleaning! Could be more enjoyable and attractive, but it needs a serious scrub-​down!
The ugly… the horrendous pain in my stomach hours after eating the fries!
In the end, I got my historical fix and I won’t be making it a point to go back. The little old ladies working the counter and preparing the food are cute, though!