Absolutely amazing! Great food, great service! Will be recommending to all of my friends and definitely coming back! Adorable outdoor seating!

Picture the coolest diner from the lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1950s somehow teleported through time and space to the Madison, Wisconsin of right now! Absolutely magical in all possible ways: Food, value, ambiance, etc. I was tempted to give it only one star in the hopes that it would make it easier for me to get into the place, but that would only be a blatantly self serving lie. Long story short? My favorite breakfast joint on the planet!

Great little spot off Fair Oaks with an outdoor patio. Good food and friendly service. Thanks!

Wow, large and tasty pancakes. Our first time to eat here. Will be back. Coffee was good tasting, eggs exactly as I ordered. Wait staff ladies were very energetic and kept insuring we were OK with drink and food.

Absolutely GREAT Food AND Prices! Loved it! I will be back next time I am in town. Cute small town feel.

I love food here my favorite dish is huevos rancheros so delicious.

I cant get steak and eggs with American fries(all the veggies and cheddar cheese) with a Java for $13 anywhere else.The patio is like a secret Italian garden. Stellar spot!

Had bfast with two kids, we all had a great meal. Waitress was really attentive and food was great. Their daily specials are really special.

My sons favorite breakfast in Madison. My wife and I had a great omelette and special (latke). My son favors the spicy skillets.

Love it. The food is great. The staff is attentive. You cant beat the prices. They have a great patio.

Food was excellent. Service was spectacular! Give this small local diner a try.

Classic diner food at a fair price. Out door seating available. Service is quick and very friendly. A Madison classic.

This place is the best. It’s one of the few time machines of this world. Walk in, turn off your phone, pick up a newspaper and enjoy existing in a different decade. Food and service is lovely as well.

I love this place I went twice for sitting by the window for great breakfast- thanks gals

Amazing food and friendly service. What I look for in a local breakfast nook.

Friendly staff even when they were super busy this morning! My Wilaby skillet was fantastic and will leave you full and happy!

Yummy reasonable breakfast and lunches

Love the classic diner. Huge portions of great food. Great service.

Gotta say service, food and ambiance still the best even with paper plates. Its so nice to be able to have Sunday breakfast again at FOD.

Great food and service.

Them home fries...so good. Nice patios too

Great place to grab an old school american diner meal. Everything was cooked well and the waitstaff was friendly. Ill be bringing friends here for sure.

Kris is wonderful, she makes the best breakfast ever.

Great breakfast and great service. Pancakes were terrific. Eat local💜

Good is always delicious and the staff is friendly

Great food, awesome patio!

Not only was the food great, and the hospitality, the feeling you get when you walk in is amazing. Its like walking into a diner in the 60s, but 80s and 90s music is playing and everyones in modern attire. the pancakes I ordered were delicious, and so were the hash browns. The coffee tasted great, and Ill definitely be back soon. I wish I had pictures too, because The Fair Oaks Diner looks amazing!

A simple outdoor patio allows me to still get an amazing breakfast at one of the best diners in Madison. The Fair Oaks skillet makes my day and the waitstaff is really friendly.

Wonderful local cafe! Just an old fashioned baby sized diner with amazing home cooked meals. If you are looking for great breakfast made from scratch and fabulous service, come here! Cash only, but they have an atm. Prices are more than fair here. We love it!

Exactly what youd hope to expect. A no frills classic American breakfast spot. Local people, good prices, hot coffee, no bells and whistles. I went with my brother and I got steak and eggs for 7 dollars. My head was throbbing from the night before and this was a perfect remedy. The waitress was on point and just chatty enough, just a nice lady, not trying to charm you, but she cared.Atmosphere was warm and we ate by a sunny window, when I left I felt much better.A good place to start your day. Pce.

Awesome local diner!!GREAT skillet!Highly recommended

This is one of the best East Side Madison restaurants for breakfast. Everything is delicious. Good price and they make you feel like a regular. Cozy little place but always find a table. Hope I dont jinks it with this review. So good!! Classic good breakfast.

Great food and service. Charming atmosphere.. felt like a time capsule!

Fair Oaks diner is an old school American diner. The location is small, yet engaging; the food is simple, yet tasty; the price is absolutely satisfactory!We ordered bacon, french toasts, and a Denver omelet. The food was simple and good as expected. It wast too buttery, but also wasnt too dry.The atmosphere was awesome. This diner is one of a few places which allows you to enjoy the sunlight through the window from any table you seat, and the sunlight made my brunch extra relaxing and cozy.The waiter & waitress are one of the nicest I have ever met in diner across the state.The size of the diner, seating & tables might be not very comfortable for your needs. However, if you like to enjoy cozy morning with relaxing buttery foods in a comfortable and simple atmosphere Fair Oaks is the way to go!

Although the food is extremely reasonably priced, every time Ive ordered eggs, theyre crunchy, like there are shell pieces in the eggs. The sausage I ordered came dry but somehow greasy and weve now stopped eating there. The last time we ate there, we took my mother for the first time, and she was not impressed. Our food took an hour to receive, and it was an order of scrambled eggs and toast. Sorry to leave a bad review, heres hoping for improvements.

$1 for a bottomless cup of coffee, cant beat that! Good, greasy, cheap food and very chill atmosphere. I love that I can go and enjoy a cup of coffee while I read the paper at 6am on a Saturday. Cant beat the price, though options for food including vegetables are limited. But if youre looking for quiche or vegan muffins this is maybe not the place to go.

Great atmosphere, great diner food. Great prices and huge portions, too. Cash only. I recommend going early, as this place is small and fills up fast. More of a breakfast spot than brunch - you snooze, you lose!

Im glad I stopped on my way out of Madison. The food was really good diner food and the sever was very friendly. She managed to chat with regulars and not leave me feeling neglected.It is cash only but there is an ATM that only charges $1.50.

Good place

Great food and great staff. Would highly recommend especially if you like well made breakfast food

The food was fine but not great. The decor isnt great, either, but it isnt dingy. Fine but nothing more and not in a charming way. The service was good the one time I was there: quick to take my order, quick with my meal and quick with the check.There are better diners/greasy spoons on the east side.

Old school charm meets amazing food. Love having this gem in the neighborhood.

Pumpkin curry soup! Oh my! It was great. Always have great soups at the Fair Oaks- along with everything else, of course.

Best bacon around. Great place to eat! Just dont be in a hurry, slow down, enjoy the experience. Its not fast food.

My friend and I went for lunch yesterday. While the food was wonderful, the service on the other hand, was an experience in and of itself.When we arrived, around 11:30, there were three other people in the entire dining area. We were seated and had our drink order taken right away. The only waitress on duty seemed “out of it”. She slurred when she spoke, had to be asked three times to get us utensils and just seemed very peculiar.We enjoyed our meals, not being checked on the entire time, however our waitress was having a colorful conversation with another customer at an adjacent table.When it was time to pay and head back to work, our waitress was sitting at the counter, ASLEEP!I stood at the counter, next to her and woke her by repeatedly saying “Excuse me” and “Ma’am”, to which she seemed annoyed that I had interrupted her nap time.There were only two meals and two drinks on the ticket and I was paying for both (which was told to her when we ordered), so splitting the bill was unnecessary. She asked what meal was mine, to which I replied “Oh, I am paying for both” she again asked what meal was mine and I said “I’ll be paying for the whole ticket”. She stared at the ceiling for a second, then tapped her pen on the ticket multiple times, I leaned in and asked “Are you okay?” She then slurred, “I’m fine, I just need you to answer the question!” Getting rattled, I said “Please just add the whole ticket together and I’ll give you the money to cover both meals”. She scribbled random numbers on the ticket and gave me a “total”. It didn’t sound correct so I grabbed a menu off of the counter and reminded her of the prices of the meals. She insisted that it was the amount she had written down, so I gave her the correct amount to cover our bill and we left.I’ve never had an experience like this! The food was so yummy! Exactly what we wanted. But, the waitress’ behavior was inexcusable.

The staff is friendly as well as the other customers...but the food isnt as good as it used to be. Not many people in there when I ordered but both the coffee and the food was not hot, wasnt cold, but wasnt hot.I may be choosing another place to go as this was the 2nd time the food was sub par. Again tho, the staff and peers were friendly and nice, just wish the food was 😕

Cant belive its taken us 30+ years to finally try this place out . .will return soon awesome awesome awesome!!! Service with a smile!!

Love this place! Classic old school diner. Great food! Huge portions, and decent prices.

When you think small dinner, this is it. Breakfast and lunch. Closes at 1:30 daily. A step back in time. Simple menu. Good food.

Great food. Neighborhood historic eatery

My fiance and i love it here. Delicious food, great service

Nice out of the way diner. Good food for your $$$.

Fast service, old time diner feel to the place. Small place. Step inside and its like stepping back in time. Rotary phone on the wall, old timey radio playing. Great bacon. Greasy burger. I loved it. Cash only.

Super cute and kitchey. Food was pretty good and the twin waitresses were so sweet!

Good food, good service, good prices, tilty floors.

A true diner experience. We went for brunch, and the food was great. Our servers were very friendly, personable, and helpful.

Small diner, wonderful food! Must go for a weekend brunch. Even good for dates if you both love food!

Love this little place! An unpretentious local Diner with tasty food and 1950s prices.

Great local diner. Always nice staff. Love the old school decorations.

The food is good and simple. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service is good.

Tiny place with great diner food.

Unbelievable bean and greens soup. Atmosphere is what youd expect from a neighborhood diner. Very good value.

Ive driven past this place hundreds of times and always thought to myself one day Ill go to this place, but never did. Boy was that a mistake!This is my all time favorite breakfast place in all of Madison. The sausage in the skillet I had has so original savory much flavoring in it it blew my mind. I even ended up taking my mother to this place a week later.Dont do what I did and say one day Ill go here. No, just go and have your taste buds explore a whole new way of old classics in a new light.

Tasty food and the waitress look tasty too

Great service, good food and fair prices.

A taste of Americana! One of the last of its kind. A real diner.

Great food, great service and priced just right

Heres the deal. The REAL DEAL. This is my first review ever so here you go: if you want legitimate breakfast (and most likely great lunch too) just go here. Im from Chicago and when we make trips to Minnesota, mid-Wisco, even coming back from Montana we make it a point to stop here. This is my favorite diner, and I think it could be yours too.You just cant find places like this anymore. Hidden gem? I dont know, but I do know I debate moving to Madison just to be closer to this spot. Stay classy fair oaks

The type of food and service you expect from an old time diner. If you prefer the coffee that has the strength of the coffee popular in the 1970s, this is your place.

Great owner, food and prices.

Adiquate food but they will make you change tables mid bite if that’s convienent for them. We were shuffled around to make room for the friends of one of the staff (or owner?).I prefer to give my money to someone who values me.

Great food. Very reasonable prices.

A Madison staple. The new home of the bomblet and personable service

Awesome food and friendly staff!

Classic diner. Best bacon in town. Sit at the counter and interact with the regulars. You wont regret it.

Love the pancakes there. The owner abd staff are extremley nice. Go there for big servings and friendly atmosphere.

I love the Fair Oaks Diner. Kris is a friend and her diner is an institution on the Northeast side of Madison. Lately I have become addicted to the Huevos Rancheros as the salsa verde is outstanding topping off that dish. My wife is a traditiin-bound lady who prefers bacon and eggs with marble rye toast and hash browns which are quite good here.

Tasty, cheap food. Greasy diner for sure, but if decor doesnt make or break a restaraunt for you this place is awesome for breakfast. Service is hit or miss, but generally friendly and food arrives fast.

Great food, price, and service. Local joint, not a franchise.Whats left to improve?Not sure if they are a primary component of the solution to World Peace, but theyre solving local hunger well.

Great place for food. Good service for a good cost

Was in the mood for some ood old fashioned diner food and was not dissapointed. Adorable decor, amazing service, and delicious food. Cant wait to go back!

Cute little diner thats only open until the early afternoon. Great food and it wont kill your wallet.

Great food. Great prices. Great service.

Always excellent food and friendly service. Could not recommend enough.

Fair Oaks Diner is my favorite breakfast place in Madison. Its small and unassuming, but the food is outstanding, and the staff is engaging and friendly. Huge fan. PSA: cash only.

Food is good. Prices are super reasonable. Classic interior. What a diner should be.

We went to this place because it was highly rated and weve been looking for a great breakfast spot. It turns out that this is what non-native Madisonians refer to as Madison good. People think its great, but the food was mediocre at best and during a slow time (the restaurant was never full while we were there) food tickets were coming out of the kitchen maybe once every 20 minutes. It took over an hour to get a cheese omelet and 2 scrambled egg meals. Had the food been quick is low quality would have been ok, but food that isnt good that should be made quickly takes over an hour its terrible. We wont be back and do not recommend to anyone who actually likes to eat breakfast when they go out for breakfast.

Awesome, Sandy is the best waitress ever.

The real diner deal. Really great and startlingly fast.

Fun and quaint, but food quality depends whos cooking that day.

Good greasy spoon. Very small but theyll take care of you

Great local haunt with exactly the kind of diner food you need in your life. Cash only, but there is an ATM inside!

Food good but slow service

Long wait to get a table, longer wait for the waitress to notice us. Table wasnt clean. Long wait for food. Pretty quick with the check. Dirty and slow.

A great breakfast. Yum!My new favorite place for awesome food.

Simple, older decor.Service and food was great, this time for brunch.

Great employees...most excellent atmosphere...awesome prices and very personal family like feeling here....Love it 💙. ..

The best hole in the wall for breakfast very good service and nice and quant atmosphere

The food was as expected - pretty good, but very greasy. One star is overwhelmingly based on the service. This is a small place, seats probably up to 30 people, but there were only about 10 when we got there at 9:30am on a Sunday. We got water right away, coffee about 5 minutes later, but it took the waitress about 20 minutes to come back and take our food order. The place did fill up while we were there, but Im not sure thats a reason for it taking more than 1 hour and 45 minutes to get our food AFTER we finally ordered. The waitress did everything she could to avoid people in the dining room the whole time. I only got two coffee refills in the over two hours we spent (mostly waiting for food). We had ordered one omelet and one skillet. We were never offered an apology or explanation, and never given an opportunity to ask for one.Also, what they call swiss cheese has to be something like kraft swiss singles, it definitely wasnt actual cheese.

Great food, large portions, at a great price. Would could be better?