How often do you eat at a diner?

[Erin1700]

There is one in particular about a minute away from me, that I like to go to. DH doesnt like it, but the kids do. They like the salad bar and the cakes!!
We never go for breakfast, but I take them there for dinner! I love their turkey sandwich made with real turkey!!
So, how about everyone else?? Diner people or not?? What do you like to get there?

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Every weekend for dinner. I have to have my ham & cheese omelotte with home fries.

We have tons of diners by us but usually go to just our favorite.

 

[NMAmy]

DH and I go to one for breakfast on the weekend maybe a couple of times a month. They have these hash browns called Hippie Hash that I LOVE! They include tomato, broccoli, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and top it all with feta cheese. You can also get it with gyro meat. Okay, now I have to eat there this weekend.

They also have homemade corned beef hash that is to die for.

 

[ajk912]

omg, if I had one a minute away I would be eating there every other day. Especially if we could just walk there!!

I haven't been to a diner in years.

 

[asta]

The last time I was in New Jersey. Really diners don't seem to exist in the south. Now, if you wanted to know how often I eat at a 'meat and three' it would be a whole different story. I eat at one of these at least once a week.

 

[Imzadi]

omg, if I had one a minute away I would be eating there every other day. Especially if we could just walk there!!

In college, we had a couple of diners in town. We'd be in ther all the time. It's one of the few restaurants where you can really get almost any type of food, CHEAP! The quality may not be as good as a specialty restaurant, but it can hit the spot.

Really diners don't seem to exist in the south.

 

[suejai]

What is the difference between a restaurant and a diner? If I was standing there looking at it how would I know which one it was?

On a slightly off, but related topic: I've started watching Drive Ins, Diners and Dives on Food Network and I have to say some of those places look amazing!

 

[GeorgeG]

In New York/New Jersey I used to eat at diners all the time (open all night and anything on the menu anytime), but I haven't found one here in Florida. The closest I've seen is Perkins, and that doesn't cut it. The "New York-style" delis here don't cut it either, not even on their best day.

 

[Piecey]

It's been years...

But we're totally going to one tomorrow. DH is dragging me an hour away to go to a Jeep dealership and I KNOW there is one of those retro diners in that town with amazing burgers, fries and shakes!

I'm ready!!

 

[NotUrsula]

Not in ages. There are quite a few good ones in my city, including an excellent one about 3 blocks from my office. Unfortunately, every single one of them allows smoking, and in such a small space the smoke cannot be avoided, so I don't go in.

 

[Imzadi]

Not in ages. There are quite a few good ones in my city, including an excellent one about 3 blocks from my office. Unfortunately, every single one of them allows smoking, and in such a small space the smoke cannot be avoided, so I don't go in.

Order To Go!

The college diner I talked about above has the absolute best house salad dressing. I inhale it when ever I put it on stuff. When I'm driving by that area, I always stop in and order my favorite dish to go and ask for extra house dressing. I usually scarf up all the fries in the car, but the extra dressing goes on everything when I get home.

 

[NotUrsula]

Order To Go!

The college diner I talked about above has the absolute best house salad dressing. I inhale it when ever I put it on stuff. When I'm driving by that area, I always stop in and order my favorite dish to go and ask for extra house dressing. I usually scarf up all the fries in the car, but the extra dressing goes on everything when I get home.

I'd consider it if I didn't have to go inside to pick up the order. I'm really smoke-sensitive -- 5 minutes of exposure to a place that permeated with smoke will have me wheezing for an hour and stinking all day. I'm afraid it's just not worth it to me. I've had colleagues pick things up for me on occasion, but even the paper bags smell like smoke.

 

[jimmalru80]

We have a diner about two minutes away and we eat there about once a month.

 

[KellyMae]

The last time I was in New Jersey. Really diners don't seem to exist in the south. Now, if you wanted to know how often I eat at a 'meat and three' it would be a whole different story. I eat at one of these at least once a week.

I've got to know.. what is a 'meat and three'?

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I went to a 24-hour one a lot when I was in college.

 

[Nie0214]

Weiners in RI

 

[Plantlady]

I worked in a diner for 10 years as a cook. I've eaten my fair share of diner food.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

When I lived in Ct the answer was never. Since I moved to NJ, we eat at a diner about twice a month. There are some excellent diners here.

 

[Imzadi]

What is the difference between a restaurant and a diner? If I was standing there looking at it how would I know which one it was?

On a slightly off, but related topic: I've started watching Drive Ins, Diners and Dives on Food Network and I have to say some of those places look amazing!

That show pretty much will show the difference. diners have an all steel & formica & vinyl look. No paying $2 extra a plate for them to wash fancy table cloths. It's a wipe down of the booth's formica table top, lay down some paper placemats & onto the next customer. They look a lot like Mel's Diner from Happy days, even if they don't quite have the retro theme.

They may also still have the old jukeboxes at each booth, so you can listen to your own music at your table.

And in the corner by the kitchen counter is always a Ketchup contraption, in which they place a ketchup bottle in, upside down and it funnels into another bottle so the can can refill the bottles & always have full ones on the tables.

There is also a large glass, lighted cooler filled with round turning shelves filled with several of their specialty pies & cakes.

The foods aren't fancy. They usually have an overabundance of tripel decker club sandwiches to choose from, assorted salad plates, and lots of burgers & toppings, open-faced sandwiches, ice cream fountain specialties and breakfast served 24/7.

Then on the other menu pages there is a list for chops & steaks, Italian dishes, Greek dishes, etc., But, you don't go there because of these. It's not their "specialty" items, like in a restaurant, where you go specifically for the pasta. But those diner dishes may actually be quite good because they've had years to work on a standard item.

I went to a 24-hour one a lot when I was in college.

The 24-hour ones are the best! The bars & clubs here close at 4 am. So, some people head to a 24 hr coffee shop or diner and have breakfast, get home around 6 - 8 am to go to sleep or get ready for work.

They are also great for first or second dates. When you've been out on your date, like a movie, then actually went & had coffee, desserts or drinks somewhere after. You realise you really hit it off, you both don't want the evening to end, aren't ready to go home yet, and it's too early in the relationship to invite the other person over and give mixed signals. You can sit in a diner, order breakfast and literally sit in the booth and talk all night! : They don't try to push you out late at night. The waitress just keeps refilling your coffee and you give her a BIG tip for the extra booth time, and everyone is happy.

 

[LisaNJ25]

My parents owned 2 greek diners in Jersey over the years. My stepdad still works at one.


I go in for gyros, spanish omlettes, club sandwiches.

We dont go often like we used to.