Well Fed On the Town

On a Sunday morning, the Blue Colony Diner is busy. Really busy. Servers are running left and right, a good portion of the tables are filled, and it’s just generally loud with chatter. That is exactly how it was when my family and I dropped in for a bite this past weekend while paint was drying at our house.

I’ve been to the Blue Colony Diner dozens of times, with the earliest times being during my childhood with my grandmother. As far as diners go, the food is above average – usually fresh and homemade. It’s certainly not gourmet by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s really good for a diner.

When we arrived Sunday, after a moment of confusion where no one seemed to know who was paying and who was waiting to be seated, we were given a booth with a highchair for Will (who has decided that highchairs are for babies – not him – but that isn’t their fault by any stretch of the imagination). We looked over our menus and quickly chose what to have – one egg over easy with corned beef hash, toast and hash brown potatoes for me, one scrambled egg with sausage, toast and hash brown potatoes for Will, and the so-called “Hungry Man” breakfast for my husband.

It was a few minutes more before we saw our server and who only inquired if we wanted coffee. A few more minutes and she returned with the coffee. Despite our closed menus and eager looks, she seemed surprised that we wanted to order. Nonetheless, she scribbled down the choices and turned to leave before I could even ask for my OJ. Fortunately, she caught wind of that too. Such is a busy weekend experience, I suppose.
I was caught off guard when she returned in short order, first with the drinks and second with the food. There was no way that our breakfasts had been cooked fresh. But I guess that makes sense when it’s a busy Sunday – cook everything up in mass quantity and serve as needed.

The problem with the scenario is that things get overdone that way. My corned beef hash was crispy (read: blackened) on the bottom, the toast was not (barely warm is more like it). The potatoes and eggs were dry. The bacon floppy, the sausage greasy. In the past, this has never been the case so I am pretty sure we just caught the diner on an off day. In fact, the last time we visited (mid-week) I was impressed with the freshness of the food hot off the burner.

Coincidentally, our waitress this time left something to be desired – she never returned to refill my husband’s coffee and I had to stare her down for the check. Nothing like our favorite waitress who kindly gave Will a giant cookie from the dinner for his birthday a few weeks back.

This experience isn’t indicative of Blue Colony’s norm though. Usually, the servers are more than attentive and the food is perfectly fresh and cooked just right. I think it really was an off-day. And I think they need to review their procedures for serving on the weekends.
The gist: Avoid the diner during peak times – weekends. But try it mid-week for any meal and you will be surprised with the freshness of the food. It’s definitely a good eat and a good value if you get it at the right time.

Blue Colony Diner
I-84 exit 10
Newtown, CT