Newest Lunch

Reviews

• Patty G.

  star star star star star 11 June 2026

  If you're looking for the best "Coney Island" style hot dogs in the area, look no further than Newest Lunch.  I have been loving this place for 40 years.  Although they have a full menu for breakfast and lunch, I never bother just order "two with everything" or more frequently "with everything but onions" and a side of fries.  The meat sauce is reminiscent of Cincinnati Skyline Chili if you're familiar with that.   The "everything" includes mustard, meat sauce and chopped raw onions.   A side of French fries are always hot, and cooojed to perfect crispy outside and fluffy inside.  A side order is a generous helping (enough to share).
  
  The decor hasn't changed in 40+ years of going here. The same wooden booths with vinyl seats (some patched with matching tape), at the counter are the old style vinyl diner counter spinning stools you expect in a 1950's diner.  It's not winning any awards for trendy decor but the staff are friendly and the food is what you're there for.   The whole experience is a bit of a throwback to simpler times When I moved out of town for college, I would always make sure I fit in a trip to Newest to sate my craving for their dogs.  I would even buy sauce to take home.  It was never quite as good as when I could eat there, but could keep the withdrawal at bay while I was living out of state.

• Joel M.

  star star star star star 6 June 2026

  I am betting that most towns in this country have a restaurant that tells a story like this one.
  
  Sons, Fathers, Grandfathers and even Great Grandfathers may have sat at the counter at Newest Lunch.
  
  They are a simple sandwich shop. They have breakfast. They are very famous for their coney style hot dog which is found in many regions i.e. Rochester, Texas, Detroit.
  
  A Coney is a hot dog with mustard, meat sauce and lots of chopped raw onions. The one at Newest Lunch is fantastic.
  
  People have been coming here for that hot dog for 98 years. There is a plaque on the wall commemorating the business. This restaurant is worth visiting just for the history!
  
  I am also a big fan of the soup. The creamy chicken rice is really good.
  
  Don't swear at me but there is a better Coney style dog in the electric city. The one here is still awesome.
  
  Yes this restaurant is a dump, dimly lit, in a run down portion of Schenectady. Inside you will find happy, welcoming servers and a simple lunch/breakfast menu that has satisfied people for generations.

• Greg W.

  star star star star star 1 June 2026

  Review time Kids!
  So here I am doing a review of a favorite haunt.
  I really like this place. It's old school honest lunch counter,no pretentious B.S. here.
  Food here is honest and priced fair. I dig on their hotdogs"all the way" (mustard,onions, and meat sauce) burgers are always fresh and tasty! The ever so lovely bride loves their Beef orzo soup too.
  FYI the do a stand-up breakfast too!

• Fox E.

  star star star star star_border 26 May 2026

  I'm thinking of opening a brand new hot dog place right next to this place, to force them to change their name to "Second Newest Lunch." But my friend has the same idea so I might end up owning "Second Newest Lunch" and Newest would become Third Newest. Anyway.
  
  WHAT TO GET: Hot Dog
  WHY: I don't know? Because Steve Buscemi told you to?
  
  Parking is tricky.
  
  Not the best hot dog I've ever had, and not the worst. Old style, typical of NY State and indeed Schenectady. This town is probably more famous for these dogs than any other type of food, as it seems many small towns are.
  
  It's nice and greasy, pretty cheap, and the service is nice. The diner serves plenty of other stuff too, but I probably wouldn't go rushing back based on the hot dogs here.
  
  Now if it was Nudist Lunch, then that would be another story altogether.

• Wesley M.

  star star star star star_border 21 May 2026

  This is a local establishment that has what I'd consider some of the best Hotdogs in the area.  I've tried several of the other local hotdog joints and most are average while Newest Lunch is gets my hands down vote as a place to grab a hotdog.
  
  There is absolutely nothing special or fancy about this place and it would be easy to simply look at the exterior and keep on driving. This place has been around for almost 100 years and has a very loyal local customer base.
  
  They have a full menu outside of hotdogs, but I've honestly have only tried their hotdogs so I can not speak to anything other than hotdogs.
  
  If you are in the Schenectady area and are looking to grab a few dogs and some fries you need to give Newest Lunch a try.
  
  I've got it bookmarked and when ever we want a hotdog this is the place we go.