Expect the Unexpected

Diner Fare...And Then Some

by Tim Slivinki

When the word “diner” is in a restaurant’s name, it immediately conjures up specific images and food choices. Diner 24 lives up to those images and choices swirling in your brain, and then delivers even more. Offering true diner fare in its extensive menu, Diner 24 also moves beyond into choices that you might not expect from a typical diner.

Of course, diners are known for delivering hearty, first-rate breakfasts. The usual combination of eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast are here, but it’s easy to try something new. The California omelet, for example, delivers a tasty and satisfying package of tomatoes, mushrooms, guacamole, and cheddar jack cheese. It is a delicious, filling start to the day. Accompanied by home fries and a warm biscuit, all you need to add is the hot coffee, which comes with your own small carafe for instant refills.

Early risers, those who can make it between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., have a choice of five options for either $3.99 or $4.99, and that includes coffee or tea. Build your own omelet of three items for $4.99, or chow down on a short stack of either pancakes or French toast for $3.99. It’s tough to beat value like that.

New to the recently revamped menu are special brunch items that are served on Saturdays and Sundays until 2:00 p.m. Creativity shines through in these offerings. I have fallen in love with the Huevos Rancheros: Two crispy corn tortillas are topped with refried beans, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and melted cheddar jack cheese. Sour cream and home fries are added to the plate, and this breakfast is a mouthful of crunchy, get your day started goodness. I try not to eat the whole thing, but I usually always do. It’s that good.

Perhaps an order of Hippie Hash for brunch is more to your liking. Two eggs are scrambled with grilled chicken, onions, and tomatoes, then topped with crumbled feta and served over hash browns. If it sounds like a lot of food, it is. You may be taking some with you for a snack later. It is a combination that satisfies and works, all the flavors blending beautifully in each forkful. Other brunch offerings include a Smoked Salmon Platter, Breakfast Quesadilla, Western Tacos, and a Club Omelet.

If you happen to find yourself at Diner 24 for lunch or dinner, the menu has enough to make your final choice a difficult one. In addition to the above mentioned items, there are various combinations of burgers ranging from the Bleu Cheese Burger to a traditional Patty Melt on grilled rye. Sandwiches move beyond the typical grilled chicken breast to such options as a Monte Cristo brimming with turkey and ham to a BLT chock full of crispy bacon to a Grouben, which is a grouper filet topped with the usual Reuben sandwich condiments.

Diner 24’s entrée selection is not just the typical diner fare either. Try the Chicken Francese, a sautéed chicken breast served with a white wine lemon sauce served over pasta and mixed vegetables. It’s tender, tasty and scrumptious. Dining with someone who has a hankering for something with an Asian flair? He or she can try the Asian Chicken with broccoli. It is Diner 24’s own spin on the traditional General Tso’s Chicken. Roasted Mahi Mahi, Chicken Parmesan, House Made BBQ Ribs are some of the other entrée offerings that will tempt you.

Though I have not tried one personally, I have it on good authority that Diner 24 does good old-fashioned ice cream parlor milkshakes the best. I have seen the milkshakes en route to other tables, and they look creamy and delicious. One of these days my willpower will weaken and the temptation will become a reality on my table.

Diner 24 offers something for everyone, no matter what your craving may be at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Service is friendly and efficient, and the booths provide a comfortable place to sit and schmooze with friends over some common and not-so-common diner fare.