Since the dawn of time (2012), Saratoga Springs has been divided between two opposing breakfast forces. On the outskirts of town, the traditional, old-school Triangle Diner sits in a tiny triangular building squished between Maple Ave and Route 9, while Sweet Mimi’s lies in a small, street-level storefront on Phila Street, just within Downtown.

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning (or afternoon) for years, bleary-eyed Skidmore students and Saratogians have made the impossible decision of whether to go to Triangle or Sweet Mimi’s to cure their hangovers. Since the favoritism of one of these two restaurants has become so incredibly ingrained in the Saratoga experience, I have decided to undertake the impossible task of deciding, NUMERICALLY, which restaurant takes the (pan)cake. I will be assessing the restaurants based on the categories of location, ambience/decor, quality of food, service, and food prices. Let the battle begin!

LOCATION:

Triangle Diner: 7/10

Sweet Mimi’s: 9/10

It’s difficult to rank these by location, because Triangle is actually in a more convenient location relative to Skidmore than Sweet Mimi’s is. However, if you don’t have a car, or are not a Skidmore student and live in a different part of town, chances are that Sweet Mimi’s is a more convenient location, given that it’s in the center of town, and it is close to several active CDTA routes (which is so important because parking for both diners sucks)

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AMBIENCE/DECOR:

Triangle Diner: 9/10

Sweet Mimi’s: 8/10

This is very difficult to rank, and many people will likely disagree with me, but hear me out. From the exterior, one barely even needs to look for half a second at either restaurant to decide that Sweet Mimi’s is far more aesthetically pleasing from the outside. Its cute, nostalgic storefront window and old-style awning are far superior to Triangle’s rather dull and ugly brick exterior. But step inside, and Sweet Mimi’s is somewhat under-decorated, and resembles a minimalist art gallery with 100+ people packed inside. The seating arrangement is such that movement is almost impossible, and the noise level can be out of control. Triangle’s ambience is that of a traditional 1940s/50s style highway diner through and through. As soon as you enter the door, you see booths lining every wall, pastry platters sitting atop the counters, and old Saratogians drinking their morning coffees like they’ve been doing for decades. Sweet Mimi’s feels like hugging your rich aunt; Triangle feels like coming home.

FOOD QUALITY:

Triangle Diner: 8/10

Sweet Mimi’s: 10/10

Now, I get that Triangle’s schtick is that they’re supposed to be the down-to-earth, traditional breakfast place, which means no frills and no fanciness, but unfortunately, that slight lack of extra effort does translate into inferior food, compared to the ever-overachieving Sweet Mimi’s. On my first visit to Sweet Mimi’s, I had an unforgettable meal of Bacon Pancakes, which was just about the most incredible thing to ever come in contact with my tongue. And the Heath Bar Hot Chocolate and Challah French Toast were not far behind. On my second visit, I had the Italian Sandwich (pictured below), which was really amazing, showing Sweet Mimi’s versatility in their breakfast skills. While my Eggs Benedict at Triangle was still absolutely amazing, there was nothing at Triangle that I have never seen at another restaurant before, and my coffee was most definitely sub-par.

SERVICE:

Triangle Diner: 10/10

Sweet Mimi’s: 7/10

Here’s where it gets dirty. While I am a little hesitant to make vast generalizations, given that I’ve only been to each place a handful of times in the five months that I’ve lived in Saratoga, I am ready to say that the service at Triangle is most definitely superior to Sweet Mimi’s, and I think it all comes down to Sweet Mimi’s slight air of pretentiousness. The service is just not all that good. Both times that I’ve gone to Sweet Mimi’s, the wait staff have seemed bothered, rushed, and rather begrudging while performing their jobs. You could argue that this has to do with their small space and massive amount of customers. However, the wait staff at Triangle is almost always extremely helpful and responsive, even though it is often more crowded that Sweet Mimi’s. Last Saturday, I spilled my coffee all over the counter at Triangle. The woman running the counter quickly cleaned up the mess, despite my offers to help, and within two minutes, it was as if the spill had never happened. At Sweet Mimi’s, I asked for water three times at one point, and did not get it until I was completely finished with my meal, when the waitress came over and subtly rolled her eyes when giving me my water. Sorry Mimi’s, just because your food defies human explanation does not mean that your wait staff has to defy human courtesy.

PRICES:

Triangle Diner: 10/10

Sweet Mimi’s: 8/10

I imagine Sweet Mimi’s gets a lot of traffic from rich summer tourists, because their prices, while still cheaper than a New York City Sunday brunch, are not exactly the most viable for working class Saratogians and broke college students. While my Bacon Pancakes changed my life forever, the $12 price tag was less than ideal, compared to the $7-9 I frequently pay for my meals at Triangle. This seems like a miniscule difference, but when you’re a broke college student in desperate need of some Saturday morning comfort, these extra dollars really add up. Although I guess I would probably make people pay extra for my food if I came up with Bacon Pancakes.

TOTAL:

Triangle Diner: 44/50

Sweet Mimi’s: 42/50

In the end, Triangle comes out on top. Not surprising, considering they really seem to be a staple of authentic Saratoga, while Mimi’s seems like a Connecticut-based summer visitor who is a little bit reluctant to leave.

Don’t worry, Bacon Pancakes, I still love you.