3.5/5 Stars
Situated about five minutes outside of downtown Bangor is a cozy hole-in-the-wall diner that has served up many hot meals for the better part of four decades. Located at 125 State St., Judy’s serves up breakfast fare and operates a full bar from the hours of 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It’s a great place to shake off the dust from the previous day, get thoroughly caffeinated and fill your belly with the kind of breakfast food that won’t break the bank. It doesn’t possess all that much square footage, but in return, it never suffers from feeling empty or cavernous.
The interior is wood-paneled, cozy and decorated with various bar signs and hunting pictures. It’s a welcome break from some of the more typical breakfast spot decorations that permeate some of the higher-priced dives located closer to the University of Maine’s Orono campus. The establishment has a friendly and colorful cast of local characters which frequent it, a mix of hardworking Bangor residents and university students alike.
Sporting a generous menu, Judy’s has many different combinations of the typical eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, steak, flapjacks, hash and toast items available to order. Should you have an appetite, I highly recommend the Judy’s House Special. The Special includes two eggs, cooked any which way you’d like, home fries with chopped onions, a choice of sausage links or bacon and a choice of toast: wheat, white or an English muffin. Of course, should that prove to not be enough, corned beef hash can be purchased at a fair price and added on top of the home fries to complete the meal.
In terms of culinary ability, the kitchen staff have done a wonderful job and undoubtedly know their way around a griddle. The eggs, which are best over easy, are runny and don’t have any disagreeable tinge or goo, as can be the case with poorly cooked eggs. They pair well with the accompanying golden brown, butter-slathered toast, or preferably with the crunchy English muffins.
The home fries are pretty standard, and while they don’t get as creative on the spices as they could, they are delicious all the same. They don’t suffer from char or chewy starch due to undercooking. Throw on top of the onion-spattered home fries some of the delicious, and surprisingly not too salty, crispy corned beef hash and the meal really starts to come together.
Lastly are the sausage links, or bacon should one choose, and with just a little syrup on top they will hammer the meal home. Pair the whole deal with a cup of coffee, or a mimosa if you’re feeling brave, and you’re well on your way to a cheery morning.
While it’s not the most luxurious of breakfast joints, nor the most exquisite of meals, Judy’s is a good option for those who are looking for a cozy place to grab a bite and enjoy the morning in Bangor without shelling out a lot of money. Most of the meals on the menu are priced under $10, which nowadays is becoming harder and harder to find. You won’t get better company and a hotter meal anywhere in Bangor for the price and great hospitality.
