Fair Oaks Diner

Amazing pancakes and food!! Prices are low for the quality of food!! Small dining room!! Just a great hole in the wall place

Classic diner with a breakfast counter! Nice thick old-style coffee mugs. The staff is super friendly. Simple menu with everything you would expect or want from a roadside diner!

Not the nicest place in Madison or probably even close, not spotlessly clean, terrible street side parking on days like this day. But is still actually managed to park precisely in front of the door this busy morning. From the get I was a tiny bit perturbed because the only table open when I walked in was still cluttered with the previous occupants refuse. But about 120 seconds later around half the diners suddenly made for the door. So I grabbed the cluttered table anyway and began my selection of greasy spoon dive breakfast fare. As I sat making my decision a mumbling woman wandered in off the street and sat at the nearest bar stool and propped her feet on the chair opposite side of my table and carried on a peculiar conversation with herself in a version of English I'm not literate in. The busy and very friendly girl behind the counter finally clears my table and I'm set with my order. 2 eggs over easy, American fries (chunky hash browns) and bacon. The mumbling woman broke from her private reverie and spoke in a southern sounding pigeon dialect that suggested she was a regular and knew the place and staff and ordered her regular lunch burger. A few split seconds later the cute young server arrived with a plate that deserved to be photographed. My awesome looking steaming hot breakfast. OMG. As I began to tuck in I'm getting a vibe. It was that feeling you get when you think you're being watched. Sure enough, my neighbor the mumbler is peering down upon me and rambling under her breath some amazing tale or perhaps reliving a conversation from an ancestor. Awkward. I haven't visited the Fair Oaks in possibly 5 years. I drive passed it frequently. Since it closes early it's not surprising to me that I skip on by usually. But the food is and has always been superior diner and dive vittles. Today was even better. Offering Sriracha is also a great indicator that they are in touch with the times as well. Tabasco is a given, and they offer it as well as another good quality hot sauce. So many places only offer tabasco, which is actually still good, but when a place offers some 3rd tier hot sauce, from the Sysco truck (beware) you get what you should be expecting. Fair Oaks Diner isn't a contender likely to get Guy Fieri's attention, but it's a place that certainly delivers very standard foods at a nice price.

This is a perfectly nice greasy spoon. And that's what it is. A greasy spoon. The food is pretty standard. If you're looking for your two eggs sunny side up, bacon, sausage, or other protein, and some pretty decent American fries, and this is your place to be. Our hostess was new to the job but very pleasant and knew what she was doing.

Small family friendly diner that's walkable from our house. We don't come here enough. Brought our toddler here the other day after a big snow when we knew it wouldn't be busy. They have toys and books for kids and his favorite... a Mickey pancake! I went with eggs, potatoes and bacon, my breakfast stand by. My partner had something similar. The total bill was $20 and the food was fast and hot. Just the way we like it with a toddler who has a very short attention span. Staff were very friendly and accommodating, they didn't mind that I had brought my own iced coffee with me.

Pancake was huge but sort of bland. Hash browns were awesome. Eggs cooked correctly. Wait staff was delightful. This place has been here for a looooong time. It was fun to come back again. Give it a try. Very eclectic neighborhood. I love Madison's east side.

Decent pricing on the JuiceOk Pricing on the BreakfastWAY TO much seating for the area that they have for my taste.

The food here is the real deal, diner food at it's best and cheap too !! Nice peeps and never ending coffee refills , try it near East

Classic diner food. Nothing fancy. Prices are cheap which is great when your on a budget. I will defiantly go back. They only accept cash.

Great food and service, love the spicy skillet and the Huevos Rancheros . Bottomless coffee . It's like stepping back in time , super cute patio