Selena's Diner in Haines Falls, New York

When I'm visiting the northeastern Catskill Mountains region of New York, one of my favorite places to get a meal is Selena's Diner. The diner is located in the village of Haines Falls right on Route 23A and offers some great food with a variety that should provide enough choices for just about everyone. Plus at Selena's I can get breakfast all day, so I don't have to worry about rushing off when I've slept in.

Selena's is right on Route 23A in the village of Haines Falls, which is located at the top of where Route 23A makes its way up through Kaaterskill Clove to the mountaintop. There's plenty of parking. From the village of Tannersville it's about a 5 minute trip and from the village of Hunter, it's a 10 to 15 minute drive to Selena's. From down below the mountains, it is about a fifteen minute trip to Selana's from the village of Palenville.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is available at Selena's. They are open from about 6 in the morning through 9 at night most nights, but it does change with the seasons. Overall the menu is quite large and you'll have plenty of different choices to mull through as you are considering your meal, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner.

You'll find all the breakfast favorites on the menu. For me, I go with the breakfast special #1, which gives me two pancakes, two eggs, home fries, toast and coffee for about $7. My partner likes the french toast version at the same price. There are also omelets, wraps and waffles, all of which I've had at one time or another and are good.

If you think the breakfast menu is large, lunch and dinner makes it look small with several different pages of choices. There are sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, appetizers, baskets, pasta, entrees and seafood dishes. Since I don't go very often, I usually stick to my favorite, the hot turkey sandwich. I just really like it, the gravy, the fresh turkey, the fries I can dip in the gravy. However I've had other things on the menu and haven't been disappointed, even the appetizers are quite good.

The portion sizes all around are large and I almost always end up bringing food home, as does everyone I go with. Even breakfast seems like a ton of food and I would be surprised if anyone could leave Selena's feeling hungry.

The prices are reasonable with most meals being $10 or less per person if you figure in a drink. The entrees and seafood meals are a bit more expensive and probably will run you between $15 to $20 per person with drinks. Breakfast can be a bit cheaper than $10 per person depending on what you get.

I've been eating at Selena's for years when I'm in the Catskills. I've never really had a bad experience in all that time. The wait staff has always been friendly and quick and if there has been a problem they've been up front with it and we've had a good meal in spite of it.

My Take

I find it hard not to like Selena's. It has as down home casual atmosphere with great food and good service and I think there is something for everyone. So if you are looking for a meal and you are in the Hunter, Tannersville, Haines Falls mountaintop area, stop at Selena's Diner and enjoy yourself.