BS: A Guide to Diners

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Scoville
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 11:38 AM

1) Downingtown Diner (Downingtown, Pennsylvania): the food is fine, but the real draw is that it's the diner used in the film The Blob.

2) Puffabelly's (Spring, Texas) has great hamburgers, and is the kind of place where you eat peanuts as a starter and throw the shells on the floor. In fact, if you don't throw your shells on the floor, the waitress will often do it for you. Seriously.

3) Hammon's [sp?] (Glen Rose, Texas) is a barbecue joint, not a diner, but worth mentioning. I don't like barbecue sauce, but I like their barbecue sauce.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: GUEST,Desdemona
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 11:02 AM

I live in Massachusetts, where many classic "lunch-car"-style diners were manufactured, and there are still quite a few around: the perfect place to take the kids for breakfast at any time of day, and CHEAP!

The diner museum in Providence, RI looks great; it doesn't seem to be open yet, but I'm looking forward to visiting it!

~D

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 09:15 AM

Herrederos. Best Mexican food in town. And you can get lunch from their bus in the CAL Ranch store parking lot 'most every day, too.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:53 AM

"Pig Stomach" - Pork Bellies?

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 12:11 AM

I've always been fond of the Melrose Diner, which is reputed to be the most successful diner of all time, off of Broad Street, in South Philly--the food was, and I suppose, still is always great---wonderful "own made" pies, open 24 hours, and often crowded at 2am--the waitresses wore pins with the number of years they'd worked there--with one or two mafia hits in the parking lot--

A personal favorite of mine was the American Diner at Chestnut and 42nd which, in it's time, was the West Philly neighborhood hangout--everybody moved down to Silk City,which was very hip, but not really quite the same--

Bob's Diner, on Ridge Avenue in Roxborough had the best grilled porkchops ever, with applesauce and real mashed potatoes--Bob's also had the best cole slaw in the world--it was also the cheapest diner in Philly, and, since it was surrounded by a cemetery, also probably the gloomiest.

Zinn's Diner, out in Denver,PA, with it's " Amos, the Giant Amish Man" statue which you could see from the PA turnpike, had great Dutch Country food--I loved the roast pork and saurkraut, but everything was good(Chicken Pot Pie was another fave of mine), and dinners came with salad , three vegatables and dessert--It is no longer a Dutch diner--so the food is probably very different--

The Akron Diner may still be down rte 272, though, with it's Seven Sweet and Seven Sour sides, including Rhubarb Sauce and Chow Chow--I never had the notorious Pig Stomach, though it was supposed to be quite good--I might have ordered it if they called it something else;-)

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: RangerSteve
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 05:38 PM

Moody's Diner - I passed it on my last trip up to Maine, but it was mobbed and I wasn't hungry enough to wait to get in. I did, however, buy a Moody's Diner cookbook later that day, and going by the book, I can recommend the diner without actually eating there.

Yeah, Amos, the Putney Diner is still there, just barely. The whole building seems to be leaning to one side, like it may collapse at any moment. It kind of adds to the ambience.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: number 6
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 04:46 PM

Funny, or I should say sad ... the McDonalds, Burger King thread gets more posts this one regarding good old, mom and pop diners ... goes to show you what it's all about these days.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 01:45 PM

The Blue Moon Bar and Grill, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 10:09 PM

Well, maybe this is the place to mention Bouillion and Soup.

It's an eatry down in Eastern Old Town, on Center, about three blocks from the underpass. The furniture, silverware, glassware, and plates all came from garage sales. The building itself used to be a drugstore and the soda fountain is still in place, along with a stool with a "Don't Sit Here" sign on it.

The place makes bread and soup. Sometimes a sandwich, but usually just bread and soup. Hungarian mushroom soup. Lemon chicken. Etouffe. Clam chowder. Sausage lentil. Tomato pesto. All made fresh every day, with the day's soups on a classroom-sized blackboard. Likewise all the breads -- foccacia, herbed oatmeal, etc. -- are made fresh every day. The place also sells great cookies.

But it's not the sort of place you'd normally go in. That being the case, and because the food is outstanding, I recommend it.

(Tom, the owner, is opening another place across the street. This one will be a high-end steakhouse with an excellent wine list. Tom is a very versitile cook.)

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 09:42 PM

Jerry's Drive-In in Pensacola, Florida, isn't really a drive-in at all. It's also sometimes called Jerry's Barbecue, though there's no barbecue on the menu. But it's not a good idea to just call it "Jerry's" because there's a Jerry's Cajun Cafe' a few miles away and lack of specificity has caused more than one person to show up at the wrong place for a lunch date. There is, however, a real guy named Jerry and, though he sold the restaurant a few years back, he still lives on the second floor and can usually be found in the place most evenings. Rumor has it that free meals for life and all the draft beer he can drink were stipulations of the sales contract.

Jerry's is not a good place to go if you have cardiovascular issues, hearing difficulties, or Formica allergies. The food is fried, the customers are noisy, and the ambience is "flea market chic". The walls are plastered with posters, bumper stickers and novelty signs which provide interesting reading while waiting for one's order to arrive. Jerry's hamburgers, cheeseburgers, shakes and malts are locally famous, as is the fried mullet. (The Pensacola area is one of the few places in the US where mullet don't migrate far enough upstream to make them muddy-tasting.) Jerry's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week. The kitchen is closed on Sundays, but the beer taps open at noon and the television sets are tuned to whatever sport is in season.

By the way, if you order a pitcher of beer at Jerry's it will come in a recycled half-gallon Tropicana orange juice jar, not a real pitcher. Just don't tell whoever serves it to you that it looks more like a jug of piss than a pitcher of beer. They've heard it before.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 07:52 PM

Lord, you Easterners!!

How about Oliver's, right here in Pocatello, Idaho? Or Lou-n-Me's, Pocatello and Island Park? Or Butterburr's, here in Poky? Or The Pilot House, down off US 30 here?

Or Pete's Boat House, which used to be in LaGrange, Missouri? Served only beer, catfish, and slaw, but WHAT a menu!

Or the Oregon Trail Restaurant, off I-15 at the Ft. Hall exit. TERRIFIC Indian tacos, and they'll serve you a buffalo burger if you'd like. (It's run by the Shoshone-Bannock nation.)

And there's the Supper Club over in Driggs. And that place in Swan Valley that's famous, not for hamburgers, but for square ice cream.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Cool Beans
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 05:10 PM

The Blue Benn, in Bennington, Vermont.
Moody's Diner, Waldoboro, Maine.
Miss Florence Diner, Florence, Massachusetts (technically part of Northampton). Locals call it Miss Flo's.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: mrdux
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:51 PM

fields, a tiny outpost in the far southeastern corner of oregon just above the nevada border on the paved portion of state road 205, at the foot of the steens mountain, at the edge of the desert, has a combinmtion general store, gas station and cafe -- maybe called the fields cafe, or maybe not, but it's the only one within thirty miles or so, so you can't miss it -- that makes a truly world-class burger with grilled onions. their real milk shakes and rhubarb pie are pretty remarkable, too. only problem is that it's a bit hard to get to, unless you happen to be in the neighborhood.

michael

ps -- i agree: great thread.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:46 PM

There was an evening more than a decade ago when my son was a baby and my husband was out of town that I watched one of the PBS specials put together by Rick Sebak: A Diner Show (he also did ice cream, hot dogs, unusual buildings and roadside attractions, and more). It made me really hungry (a common response to his shows, apparently -- clicky). It was about 11:30 pm and I though, "If the baby wakes up, we're going out for midnight eggs and toast!" I couldn't think where, though, Denny's isn't really the same.

Tucson doesn't have the same all-night equivalents -- the best ones are the independently-owned breakfast and lunch only places. I miss the diners of my youth back east.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:05 PM

Great Thread!!!

Most of us who love Diners also love burgers and last summer The Sundance Channel ran a documentary called HAMBURGER AMERICA. Check the site and watch the trailer!!

It was a really great film all about these little family run diners who all think they have the greatest burgers in the world. I watched it with a friend and we were both ready to take off on a road trip. In Memphis there's a place using the original grease (too complicated to explain simply), the Guber Burger in Missouri serving peanut butter on theirs........How about the Billy Goat in Chicago where Belushi and Ackroyd stole the "Cheeburger-cheeburger" diner sketch. One place has steamed burger and swiss combos, another features "Butter Burgers".............The whole thing is a cholesterol nightmare but who cares? It truly is a piece of American history on a bun....or bread in the place that claims to have been the first!

They all had some things in common. All were VERY selective of the quality, grind, and freshness of the beef. All but one were family type operations. None gave a damn about getting any bigger or franchising. Most could no seat more than 25 or so. All of them beleive they have the best burger in America and all are proud of their business. Watch the trailer, it's great! Sorry though as there seems to be no view dates in the immediate future.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Amos
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 03:43 PM

I am delighted to hear the Putney Diner is still doing business!! I used to hang out there in the early 60's.... about 1200 years ago.


A

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: jimmyt
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 03:21 PM

RangerSteve has started quite an interesting thread and seems to be very knowledgable about one of America's best kept secrets, the Diner

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: pdq
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 03:09 PM

Diners are part of America's folk art...

                                 American Diner Museum

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: number 6
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 02:56 PM

Comeau's Seafood diner located on Highway 1 in Pennfield, New Brunswick (Canada). Incredible seafood ... especially the shrimp. I suggest you conclude your meal with a slice of their cherry cheescake, it's unbeleivable.

If you stop in there on a Sunday afternoon don't be surprised to see many old guys enjoying their meals with a Tilley hat on their heads ... they're harmless (until ya tell them to take their hats off) ... Comeau's is a favourite place for locals to stop off on their Sunday drives.

sIx

Subject: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: RangerSteve
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 01:56 PM

After reading the "MacDonald's or Burger King" thread, I thought about diners, and decided we need a guide to the best ones. I don't remember the names of a lot of the diners I've been to, but here are some of my favorites. Feel free to add to the list.

Arlene and Tom's - Port Jervis, NY. The burgers are hand-made, not pre-fab patties, and the fries didn't wilt after a few minutes, but stayed crispy.

Red Lion Diner - Routes 70 and 206, Red Lion, NJ - Chicken Tenders, five really big ones, good fries. Snapping Turtle soup was good, too.

Gap Diner - Gap, PA - also had good snapper soup.

Mt. Bethel Diner, Route 611, Mt. Bethel, PA - really good burgers, and fries that didn't wilt. (This is an obsession with me).

Readington DIner - Route 22, Readington, NJ - all the food is good, but skip the iced tea - it's made from a mix.

Spinning Wheel Diner - Rte 22, Readington, NJ - also great food, especially the shrimp poor-boy - battered, fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato on an Italian roll. Best messy sandwich around.

Cornerstone - Harrison Ave, Frenchtown, NJ - the pancakes are the best I've ever had, with excellent home-made strawberry syrup. For lunch, the crab cake sandwich is great.

Putney Diner - Route 5, Putney, VT - try the tomato - cheddar cheese - basil soup if it's on the menu. Follow it with the Green Mt. Special - Meat loaf, cheddar and cranberry sauce on rye bread.

Americana Diner - Route 46, Belvidere, NJ - Biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast, followed by your favorite heart-burn remedy. Unfortunately, they closed down and re-opened as the Belevedere Diner, I don't know how much of the original menu was retained. Too bad, since biscuits and sausage gravy are hard to come by up north.

Ellenville Diner - Ellenville, NY - it's been years since I've been there, but it's a classic American diner with all the standard classic ambience. Or, rather, it was. I don't know if they've gone and remodeled it, the way so many diners have been recently.

Canyon Creek Grill - Route 12, Kingwood, NJ - Really good burger with great fried onions on it.

Vincenttown Diner - Route 206, Vincenttown, NJ - all around great food.

Forked River Diner - Route 9, Forked River, NJ - great classic diner, untouched from the '30s.

Branchburg Diner - Route 22, Brnnchburg, NJ - great food, original, untouched interior from the 40's, unfortunately, this is an obiturary, as the owner went crazy and chased the staff out one day and locked the doors. I think it's for sale now.

OK, it's summer and time to travel, so what are your favorites diners? This is an important public service.



Steve