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$5 Dollar - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
707 E Bidwell StFolsom, CA 95630
(916) 984-8333
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for $5 Dollar
Review Highlights
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"biscuits and gravy, OMG soooo good." In 6 reviews -
"I Definitely recommend Ernie's." In 11 reviews -
"and they cooked my over easy eggs perfectly as well." In 2 reviews
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Candida R.
Fair Oaks, CA
The selection of breakfast place in my area are limited to Lido's and IHOP (those are edible) and other places that are frankly gross and always busy on a Sunday morning anyway. After much contemplation, and searching on yelp, we decided to give the $5 dollar diner a try and hope it was worth the drive.
The easily located diner off of Bidwell looked very nice and clean from the outside. We stared at the diner for a minute, remembering a previous experience here, under a different name. Hopes that the place was as good as the majority of the reviews, we decide to forge ahead.
The Low Down
1. Ambiance & Clean Factors: Clean and nicely laid out, much bigger on the inside that it looks. The tables are placed in a way you feel like it's roomy and you are not on top of the other diners. 5 stars
2. Service. This is service with a smile. Everyone was friendly and attentive, without being too attentive were it can be annoying. Drinks refilled, food delivered in a short amount of time, a happy staff is a good staff. 5 stars
3. Food. I went all out and ordered eggs, sausage, potato's and pancakes. I was going to review this place, so darn it, I will try a little of everything. First off, the portions are large, I could not eat all my breakfast. The eggs were done to perfection, and I like mine over-hard, so normally they aren't done right.
The sausage and pancakes were standard fare, nothing to write home about. The potato's rocked. Crispy outside, tender inside, just the right seasoning.
Also note the coffee is awesome.
David had the bacon, avocado and mushroom omelet. His avocado was fresh and creamy, the omelet was very good and all the food was served pippin hot. 4 stars.
Not only were we pleased with the food and the service, but the prices are so cheap, $15 for breakfast, and I ordered twice what I normally do. We will be back! -
Review from Miss J.
Sacramento, CA
7/11/2011
They open early, so that is a definite plus for someone who works nightshift, such as myself. Or for the normal people, this is great if you want to eat out for breakfast before going to work.
Staff is friendly and generally quick to serve you. Selection on the menu includes all the basic breakfast items: pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, etc. Lots of places to sit, and generally a relaxing atmosphere.
This is one of the few diners I've been to for breakfast in Folsom, but I definitely had good experiences with the service the last couple times I've been here. -
Review from Jennae H.
2/12/2011
I ordered two eggs ($4.50), which included potatoes and toast. I wasn't a fan of the potatoes.. they were overly seasoned and hard/old. A friend of mine ordered the Ernie's breakfast burrito -- she wasn't too impressed. I had to laugh when I was charged $2.00 for orange juice the size of a juice box. My experience wasn't horrible but there's nothing amazing about this restaurant.
Pros:
* Clean restaurant
* Inexpensive food
* Friendly staff
* Adequate menu options
Cons:
* Mediocre food
In short, you get what you pay for -- which isn't much. -
Review from Kevin G.
7/24/2010
Good, not great. The pros:
Decent coffee, and a server on constant watch to ensure your mug is full. Friendly, fast service. Nice, laid back, family atmosphere. Pancakes and waffles that are quite good.
This morning, I had a bacon waffle. The mrs. had blueberry pancakes and a bowl of "fresh" fruit. Out of curiosity, I ordered a biscuit and gravy.
The cons: the gravy! It was THICK and yellow; looked like cake batter. God, I could have patched a hole in the wall with that stuff. The fruit? Some combination of canned, frozen & thawed stuff. Not good.
Return? Sure, perhaps for one of those omelets. -
Review from Yvonne C.
4/6/2009
My 12year old nephew recommended this place for Breakfast this Sunday. Since he lives in Folsom he knows his way around. Ernie's is located in a small strip mall.
It was exactly what we were looking for. A family type restaurant with pancakes and good omelets.
The place was full but we didn't have to wait long for the 4 of us to be seated. Connor ordered the Ernie's Special Burrito which he loved and almost finished the whole thing. It had avocado, cheese, egg, potatoes and bacon with a side of Salsa and sour cream.
Beau the 5 year old scarfed down his Micky mouse pancake in about 5 minutes and was over at the restaurant's book shelf that had books for all ages.
My brother enjoyed his egg white omelet and fruit and I had the Ernie's scram which was tasty but a lot of food and I was unable to finish it.
Service was fast and friendly. I great place to take the family for breakfast. -
Review from Jeff M.
Sacramento, CA
9/14/2008
Had a family breakfast at Ernie's this morning. They sure have become a busy spot at the breakfast / brunch hour.
Although the decor is barely a step above a Denny's the food is first rate. Outstanding omelets with fresh ingredients. Light, fluffy pancakes. Biscuits and gravy. Tasty sausage on the side. You can order anything here and not be disappointed.
Service is outstanding. Juice and coffee are always topped off. Coloring books and crayons for the kids. Ask to sit in Jen's section. She's the #1 server in Folsom.Listed in: Folsom and El Dorado Hills…
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Review from Stacy B.
Elk Grove, CA
2/2/2010 1 photo
At first glance, the Ernie's Scram didn't look very appetizing...I then remembered I had ordered it with egg whites only, lending itself to the appearance of an albino stepchild of an omelet.
The taste, on the other hand, was quite fantastic!
Bacon, cheese, veggies and egg whites. A perfect rectangle of hash browns right next to it. English muffin with (a little) butter and orange marmalade on the side.
Decent prices, fairly quick service for a packed restaurant, and available counter seating. A pretty nice start to a Saturday morning. -
Review from Vince R.
Auburn, CA
Updated - 11/6/2010
I like the theme but the omelet was one of the worse I have ever had. I'll try the two egg combo next time..
Perfect size meal before a bike ride though!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/25/2010
Three and a half stars. Very professional breakfast place. I asked for poached eggs and my server… Read more »
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Review from Jeff C.
Folsom, CA
1/19/2010
I googled "best breakfast in Folsom" and this place came up. After looking through the menu, I decided to read some Yelp reviews and try the place on a Sunday morning.
I looked over the menu again and something caught my eye: The Mountain Man Breakfast. This big-un features 6 sausage links (or bacon, or a fat piece of ham) + 3 eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy and a drink. Are you kidding me? I should've had my head examined for not ordering this fatty. But I had used up my self-imposed allotment of weekly food binges so I opted for the the Denver Scram with egg whites. My wife had a custom turkey/avocado/bell pepper omelet. Both were very good. I'm critical of egg-white omelets, since my experience with places that do them has been less than awesome. Not true of this place. Very fresh ingredients.
The service here was really good. Nice, attentive waiter and the food came up pretty quickly even though the place was hopping.
I'd recommend it. -
Review from Jack P.
Folsom, CA
2/7/2010
I'll preface this to make sure it's understood I am reviewing the Folsom location.
They say three time's a charm. Well it may be for some, but I have not quite found the charm of Ernie's of Lake Tahoe (EoLT) here in Folsom. When I moved here in November 2009 I wanted to experience the local places instead of the usual chains. I found EoLT while maneuvering around the hilly road of East Bidwell.
My first visit I walked in and was enthusiastically greeted by a blond, cheery and smiling person (who I believe is one of the owners). I then sat for over 5 minutes (it was moderately bus) until someone had come to ask me about a drink. After another 5 minutes someone ELSE came to ask the same thing. As I debated leaving a THIRD person came to ask the same thing; to which I replied that 2 others had already asked me and pointed to the result. The first person was informed and was apologetic. I did get my water and coffee. The coffee was amazing! It was hot with a woody/spicy hint to it; and strong! This made up for the wait (sort of).
I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs with their home fries. The steak was served deep fried (does ANYONE know how to pan fry any more?) with the gravy in a bowl to the side. I liked this. The gravy was chicken based with little pieces of sausage in it. It was okay. It was a lot pasty and had some flavor to it. A little pepper and Tapatio sauce (a brand found in a lot of restaurants in NorCal http://www.tapatiohots...) made it tolerable. The potatoes were very good. Fresh, thinly sliced and fried with a nice combination of crispy and tender combined in the lot. BUT they were dull. I know over salting is a tendency in some places, but a little would be helpful. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
My next time visiting it was very busy so I sat at the counter. At first I thought the service would be faster, but alas it was slow. I understand it was busy, but it was over 5 minutes BEFORE I was acknowledged. I got a basic eggs and bacon breakfast with the home fries. Again, nothing outstanding. I have to say that there is one cute, young lady who appears to be employed there, but she has to be told to wait on customers. She has an interesting accent, speaks and understand English, but does not seem to understand customer service. Must be a relative.
Today I tried again. Because it is Super Bowl Sunday many people must have stayed home as it was not busy at all. The service (except for the cute one) was very quick. Although the young man who greeted me seemed confused when he asked how many, I told him 1, and he was not sure where to seat me. There were only 5 or so open tables. Not much to think about. Again tried the chicken fried steak but got a biscuit instead of toast. I looked like an over-grown dinner roll. It had a nice flavor (made up for the gravy). But I guess I was more disappointed as I expected a real biscuit.
I would not recommend EoLT in Folsom. I say this mostly because their service is sub-par. I think the prices are higher than the quality of the food. If you are hungry (I was) and not in a hurry (I wasn't) I would tell you to go there. But do not expect anything out of the ordinary. -
Review from Debbie C.
7/16/2009
For some reason this Ernie's just does not have the same feel as Ernie's in South Lake Tahoe even though the decor is similar and the menu is exactly the same. Perhaps it's the clientele? Instead of a restaurant full of skiers/snowboarders it was a restaurant full of Folsom suburbanites - families with kids that just got out of church, older couples without teeth, and middle-aged women who just got out of their Sunday morning Yoga class.
The food at Ernie's is decent. The scrambles are always the safest bet. This time I got the blueberry pancakes which were a bit of a disappointment...it tasted like Bisquick. bleh. I do appreciate how the waitstaff keeps your coffee mug full though! ;-) -
Review from Tiffany N.
Oakland, CA
5/11/2010
Being from the Bay Area where we have endless top notch breakfast spots, this place is nothing special.
The pancakes were definitely not in my top 5. They were a little rubbery, not very fluffy like I like them. The bacon was fine, cooked crisp at my request. They do use real eggs and don't charge extra for egg whites. That's cool!
It was just an ok breakfast and I don't think I would go here again even if I was in the area.
Service was prompt and friendly! The restaurant was clean for the most part. -
Review from Joanne L.
9/25/2007
Good food, great service!
Come to Ernie's for a quick breakfast. The service is prompt. Most of the time when I go, you can pick where you want to sit. They serve you coffee quickly. The staff is efficient. I usually get the Denver scramble with egg whites only.
Unlike other restaurants who charge for egg subsitutions/special requests, Ernie will happily do it free of charge! Good place for breakfast for the health conscious.
The prices are super reasonable and you get A LOT of food for your buck.
They serve up a wonderful lunch too. There is a daily special on the black board that you can try.
They are open 6:00 a.m. to 2:00pm so don't get up too late and miss breakfast at Ernie's! -
Review from Brett M.
Culver City, CA
9/4/2008
They have made to order b-fast burritos.
Did I studder? they have b-fast ritters made to order! Choose your contents for your very own custom ritter!
That alone gets 4 stars out of me. The place can get pretty busy, but dudes, at least you arent at an effin Denny's or that butt IHOP down the street. There are other brefface spots around town that are pretty taste-o-matic, but where else offers the Holy Grail of brefface, the b-fast ritter, of this quality and specialization? The answer is nowhere. -
Review from Kimberly G.
Folsom, CA
7/5/2011
My husband and I love this place. The staff is always friendly, the food is always good and there is always elbow room and a place to sit due to their back rooms that accommodate any overflow of guests. the $5 diner is by far our favorite breakfast restaurant
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Review from J G.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
This has been my favorite place to have breakfast while visiting Tahoe. I've had the pleasure of eating at both locations, this one in Folsom and the original in South Lake Tahoe. This restaurant is awesome. Their breakfast is delicious. They have a large variety of food. My favorite is their omelets. They have many different to choose from or you have the option of making your own. Their portions are fairly big and reasonably priced.
This past time I was there we stopped at this location with about 20 people. The staff were extremely friendly since the minute we walked in through the door and did everything they could to accomodate our large group. Our wait was less than 30 minutes despite the fact that they only had two servers on duty. We were given our own private room and the option of getting separate checks. They brought our food relatively fast and were very attentive. Awesome service. Oh yeah they didn't charge us gratuity. I Definitely recommend Ernie's. -
Review from Mitch S.
Folsom, CA
8/29/2010
Spectacular value. Wonderful owners and the food is just plain ol simple and good. treat yourself to a Vanilla Malt with breakfast.....
Best breakfast in town and the best price. Love this place. -
Review from Cole C.
Anaheim, CA
7/15/2009
They know how to cook a breakfast you crave.
Loved the pancakes, eggs over easy were perfect, good sausage and perfectly crisp hash browns. Hubby had scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and delicious French Toast. We shared biscuits and gravy as an appetizer - yes, I wrote appetizer. God it was good.
Note: They have a breakfast special for $3.95 before 8:30am on Sunday. Uh huh! Loved it. -
Review from heather s.
Folsom, CA
11/4/2010
mmmmmm....... the biscuit's and gravy is a homemade treat. In this economy the price is right at $5. We took the kids who enjoyed their Micky Mouse shaped pancakes. Friendly waitstaff kept our coffee cup full and wore great smiles. Perfect family experience for breakfast!
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Review from Brett J.
Citrus Heights, CA
3/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really good food. I walked in and was seated right away. I ordered the Ernie's breakfast burrito with sausage, eggs, potatoes, and avocado filling. It was excellent and served right off the grill. Prices were pretty decent, and the service was great. It seems like a great little diner to go to for breakfast.
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Review from Josh N.
Sacramento, CA
10/30/2010
Friendly staff and as the name implies, very reasonable prices. Ordered a Ham, Tomato and American Cheese Omelet with Biscuits and Gravy. Loved the Gravy!!. The Mrs really enjoyed her Breakfast Burrito. The wait to get the food was not unreasonable considering how busy it was, but the server brought the baby a Banana and Whip Cream treat for free, because she thought we had waited a little long. WOW!
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Review from Allison R.
Campbell, CA
1/18/2010
I've been going to Ernie's in South Lake Tahoe for years, but had never come to this location before. My friends and I were in Tahoe, but wanted to get off the mountain before the snow storm hit, so we decided to wait to eat breakfast. I remembered they'd opened this location a few years back so we decided to check it out.
Let me tell you, the service here is outstanding! My friend and I walked in and were greeted right away and the host asked how many we had in our party. I hesitated and said "well, we have a lot....19 to be exact". He kind of laughed and agreed that was a lot, but it wouldn't be a problem (even though he told me a party of 16 had just come in ahead of us!) He went and talked to his manager and came back and told me it would be just a little bit because they only had 2 servers working. We totally understood, especially since we didn't call ahead or anything. We hung out in the lobby area for a little while, but they quickly sat us in a large room so that we could all sit together. It was awesome! Plus we were the only people in the room, so we didn't bother anyone else (my friends can be kind of loud...)
Our server was totally friendly and extremely attentive, especially considering he was one of only 2 there for the entire place. He explained that our food would not all come out together, but it would be out within a reasonable amount of time. And, he even offered to make separate checks for all of us if we wanted (we didn't even ask!)
The food is delicious, but the service is absolutely my favorite thing about this place. Awesome job. I hope to visit again & it's good to know they are running the business just like the original in South Lake Tahoe. -
Review from Brandy a.
Sacramento, CA
8/29/2010
This is the best breakfast joint in Folsom!!! I've tried them all several times! Now we go here every Sunday. The service is great! Always friendly staff. The BEST bacon in Sacramento. I don't know where they buy their pig, but it is good. For me, the quality of HomeFries is a good measure of a breakfast place. Great homefries here -- the kind in chunks with grilled onions and a little browned crispy on the edges. Generous portions but not an obscene amount -- just enough to fill a hungry person. Everything on menu is only $5. They can be busy on weekends but they have lots of seating and will likely get you seated soon. They also have a side room that can handle larges groups of 15-20+ people.
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Review from TERRILIN P.
Fair Oaks, CA
1/21/2011
I had breakfast at this diner, and I'm rating it 4 stars because the food was pretty good and very inexpensive. I may have only rated it a 3 if not for the pricing. I hope it sticks around because its a nice place to take your family if you have kids or are on a budget. It's not fancy and there is virtually no ambiance BUT for the price it's a solid place to eat breakfast. Also, the wait staff was very friendly and the service was quick.
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Review from Richard A.
Placerville, CA
10/5/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Great new $5 meal concept! Love the hearty breakfast offerings!
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Review from Real Deal O.
Sacramento, CA
11/18/2009
Great service. Good food. Fair prices. One of the most reliable restaurants in Folsom. A must visit for a breakfast or lunch.
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Review from Abbee N.
Carmichael, CA
1/23/2011
Service was fast and friendly.
Food was just average in my opinion though. Maybe I was expecting more with all of the good Yelp reviews. -
Review from Chris B.
Sacramento, CA
2/10/2010
Great food. Sometimes the service can be lacking due to how busy it gets but still its better than any of the local "breakfast joints".
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Review from Jason D.
Sacramento, CA
7/17/2011
Used to be Ernies of Lake Tahoe. Switched to "$5 Diner" but then only had like three plates that were $5 (??). The rest of their food was overpriced in my opinion.. especially considering the portions were SMALL. I say "were" because they are now defunct. We drove by this morning and they are closed for good. Guess that's what happens when you charge premium prices for small portions. Too bad because the original Ernies of Tahoe is excellent and has always been a favorite of mine... although Berts is even better.
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Review from Mandy C.
Clovis, CA
8/17/2009
we went here based on the prior yelp reviews. and we were not disappointed.
the daughter got a 1/2 sandwich (packed FULL of meat!) and soup, and she couldn't even finish it, said it was very tasty.
husband got the mountain man plate. biscuits and gravy, OMG soooo good. eggs perfectly cooked, bacon nice and crispy, as were the hashbrowns.
i got the chicken fried steak. it was good but a little heavy on the breading. the gravy, i could eat by itself with a spoon. mmmm. and they cooked my over easy eggs perfectly as well. all in all, very very good. a little expensive for breakfast, but it is late afternoon and i'm stil full, so i guess it was worth it since we haven't had to eat since!
and our waitress, very personable. -
Review from randy g.
Folsom, CA
8/17/2010
Ernie's of Lake Tahoe in Folsom is now called $5 Diner. Apparently they are the same owners and same location. They are open for breakfast and lunch only. I went there for breakfast and had an omelet. For $5.00, the omelet is a 3 egg omelet that comes with 3 items in the omelet, country potatoes, and toast or biscuit. Items that you could choose for the omelet included meat, vegetables, and standard variety of cheeses. Additional items can be added for $1.00 per item. I love this concept and will continue to come back.
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Review from Justin E.
Sacramento, CA
4/18/2010
Went here on a recommendation from someone else. Definitely worth going a few blocks out of the way. It's a medium sized place with great service and food to match. I had eggs benedict with biscuits and gravy on the side. The benedict was as good as I've ever had. Portions were large. The biscuits and gravy threw me a little at first, but I liked them. Also huge! I'm told the breakfast burritos are also a must. Next time...
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Review from Mike G.
Santa Clara, CA
1/25/2010
My wife and I were in Folsom for a conference for a night and did not know the area.
After searching for a great breakfast location through Yelp and recommendations from friends, it came down to two spots. Karen's in Old Downtown Folsom or Ernie's of Lake Tahoe. Since it was Sunday and Karen's was closed, my wife and I decided to try Ernie's.
The wait staff was excellent! We had 3 different people checking on us at all times. They were all very friendly.
The menu was loaded! Very good food! I had the denver omelet and my wife had a custom hash brown creation.
They could have put a bit more ingredients in my omelet, but it was top notch. The hash browns were crunchy like I like em..and the pancake was pretty tasty with the butter and syrup. The coffee was pretty good and the iced tea fresh brewed.
I will definately go back if I am in the area. -
Review from jesus c.
Fort Wainwright, AK
2/23/2010
ideas for a quick business lunch. good menu and good prices. also works well for the family breakfast on weekends.
