With Mario’s, a breakfast diner, being less than two minutes from my house, I have driven past it hundreds of times. It is located next to the Dunkin’ on Route 40, making for a convenient breakfast spot for my family and I. On Sunday, my brother and I finally decided to dine at Mario’s for the first time.

Without calling in advance, my brother and I were able to walk in and sit right away. This caught us by surprise, especially since it was a Sunday morning at 10 a.m., which is a prime time to be at a breakfast diner. We were welcomed by the kind servers who brought us our drinks within just a few minutes of being seated. 

As I looked around the restaurant, I immediately realized the lack of decoration. I was disappointed to see only a few plants and a painting where I was seated. The walls were mostly bland, and there was nothing to look at besides through the window towards the United U gas station across the street. 

After briefly looking through the menu, we were once again quickly able to order our meal. The waitresses at Mario’s worked fast and efficiently. Even with Mario’s only having a five-person staff, the workers managed to cook and serve our food in about 20 minutes.  

We ordered a plate of 3 Buttermilk Pancakes ($7.50), along with a mushroom, onion and American cheese omelet ($7.95) which came with two pieces of buttered toast, and a side of home fries ($2.95).

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Victoria Farley

Three Buttermilk Pancakes from Mario's.

A stack of extremely large pancakes were served to me, and I was given unlimited access to both butter and syrup. The pancakes were soft and spongy, served hot, and most importantly, delicious. They exceeded my expectations, and tasted much better than I ever thought they would. 

The menu gives the option of either two or three buttermilk pancakes. I was not aware of how large the portions would be when I ordered them, so I got three. The pancakes ended up being enormous and took up the entire plate. I ended up only eating half of the pancakes at the restaurant and brought the rest home to finish later. The unexpected serving size definitely was an unexpected twist, but I now know that for next time because I am surely planning on going to Mario’s again. 

When my brother received his omelet, he was pleased to see it hot right off the stove. The eggs were cooked nicely just as we would cook them on our own. On the inside, the omelet was filled with mushrooms and onions making for a delicious plate. The only downside to the omelet was that the cheese was not melted as much as anticipated. It was only melted slightly on top, making for the only weakness of the dish. 

Best of all was the side dish of home fries. The gold and crispy potatoes were served steamy, full of flavor, and seasoned perfectly, making for an amazing addition to the meal. 

Having access everyday to this diner in town makes for an ideal breakfast spot to visit with family and friends. Overall, I highly recommend others to dine at Mario’s for a relaxing and delicious breakfast experience. 

9/10