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Have you been to an American Diner restaurant?


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Old 24-10-2008, 19:03
myss
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I have to fix up a small table in one and was told that they would like a Chiquito's type of place but american food instead of the latin american menu! So I'm thinking American Diner - less stuffy, more than a Mcdonalds!

So what are your experiences??
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Old 24-10-2008, 19:09
AWESOMESAUCE!
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I had a decent burger in Hooters once.
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Old 24-10-2008, 19:12
degsyhufc
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Are you talking about chains such as TGI's or Hard Rock Cafe?

The food was ok. More of an atmosphere experience rather than a food experience.
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Old 24-10-2008, 21:02
caras
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We go to tgi's and Frankie and benny's quite a bit. Foods usually good, service can sometime be slow as our local ones are very popular.
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Old 25-10-2008, 00:09
nitenurse
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Diner Food is usually old fashioned, blue plate specials. Think pot roast, meatloaf, homemade mac & cheese.

It's comfort food. Lots of mashed potatoes and gravy. Apple pie, ice cream sundaes (vanilla ice cream, not the 5000 flavours), banana splits. Sort of the stuff you fondly remember from your childhood that your Mum never really made right.
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Old 25-10-2008, 00:11
nitenurse
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Damn, it ate my post.

Dinner food is comfort food. Think Blue Plate specials. Pot Roast, Meatloaf, gravy, mashed pototoes, canned corn, homemade mac & cheese. Desserts like Apple Pie ala mode, banana splits, sundaes (just vanilla ice cream).

The stuff you remember your mother making but never really did.
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Old 25-10-2008, 10:10
TommyGavin76
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I find the ones in Britain are pretty expensive and you are paying more for the atmosphere than the food, but some people love them. I went to TGI's once and paid £15 for a steak, in the one in Florida the same steak was £5.
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Old 25-10-2008, 10:31
Scrolllock
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I find the ones in Britain are pretty expensive and you are paying more for the atmosphere than the food, but some people love them. I went to TGI's once and paid £15 for a steak, in the one in Florida the same steak was £5.
TGI Friday, Hooters, and Hard Rock are not diners.

Dennys is one if the worse examples of a diner in America. Diners, as most restaurants, at one time, were privately owned and run. The best diners still are.

Traditional diner layout was a long small building that was meant to be portable. Cooking on one side with bar type stools to eat at counter and booths or tables on the other side. The food itself and menus were and still are very similar.

http://www.geocities.com/jagdinerpla...idea1diner.jpg
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Old 25-10-2008, 11:16
PamelaL
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Yep, mostly in New York, Manhattan and Brooklyn, and mostly for breakfast. As Scrollock said they're not like Denny's or TGI Friday though.
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Old 25-10-2008, 13:01
timey
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Yep, mostly in New York, Manhattan and Brooklyn, and mostly for breakfast. As Scrollock said they're not like Denny's or TGI Friday though.
The best burger I ever had was at Darling Harbour, Sydney, with a gorgeous cold beer.
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Old 25-10-2008, 13:36
yocurio
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One of my fav diners is just outside Albany update NY. Great mac and cheese

here's an example http://www.southeastharley.com/miscpage_010.asp
one with menus
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Old 25-10-2008, 14:26
Grrlscout
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Agreeing with Scrollock about Denny's in terms of quality of food, but in terms of the menu and the general atmosphere, it's spot on for a diner. Open very late (or very early), with breakfast always on the menu - perfect for people just going in to work or just coming back from a late night out.

It's hard for an American to nail down what a diner is because there are so many regional variations to the type. The part of the country I'm from, they're more likely to be a kitchen attached to a truck stop in the middle of nowhere, with someone's wife or mom doing the cooking. The food tastes like food your mom made because it is made by someone else's mom, just in slightly larger quantities. Think rice pudding, bread pudding, pecan sticky rolls, onion rings, burgers, chicken fried steak, shepherds potatoes, deep pit bbq with salsa, hash, apple or cherry pie.

I think what they mean, though, is something vaguely Happy Days-ish. At least that's what most people in the UK mean when they say American Diner.

If you think they are trying for something a little less kitchy and and chrome, though, check out this site for some menu and decor ideas: http://hamletrestaurants.com/ Hamburger Hamlet used to be a staple sort of place to go for a quick salad or burger and beer after work.
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Old 25-10-2008, 17:06
AVTalk
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I have never, ever found a so-called 'American' Diner in the UK that's any good.

In the States however... they can be amazing.

Always make sure I have meal at these two when I'm over there:

www.lorisdiner.com
www.melsdrive-in.com

My favourite is:

www.marinjoesrestaurant.com
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Old 25-10-2008, 20:11
Elanor
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Agree with the others about UK restaurants like TGIs or whatever not being diners.

Real American diners in America are fab.

We were in a great one in Guilford, Connecticut the other day. We were there for dinner and again for breakfast the next day. They had half the place with stools at the counter, and the other half was all booths (with mini juke boxes on the tables by the way). It was independantly owned, I think, and had waitresses with little frilly aprons who kept topping up all our drinks and being really nice. Menu was far more than just burgers, and the food was great.
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Old 26-10-2008, 00:08
GrimmGhost
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A&W Rootbeer is another popular diner(probably more of a drive-in though) chain:

http://www.dinersdriveinsroadhousesj...-rootbeer.html
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Old 27-10-2008, 14:56
nitenurse
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A&W isn't a diner. It's a drive-in.

Big difference. Diners serve breakfast, lunch, dinner with distinct meals.

Drive-Ins are for burgers, fries, hotdogs, floats and ice-cream. It's only in the last 15 years that A&W started doing breakfast in a bun. When I was growing up the drive-ins didn't open until mid-day.

Drive-ins used to have walk up service with picnic benches for eating on or the car service. You'd park, order and the staff would serve your food on trays that either slide through the car and clipped on the rolled down window or attached a tray to each window.

Diners were sit down or take away only.

It's kind of like comparing a chippies to a transport cafe.
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