Lille Allen/Eater
America’s diners account for some of the oldest restaurants in the nation. Here are some of the most iconic.
A diner is a mood. It’s the slosh of sharp, black coffee poured from a steel tank behind the counter into a heavy white mug. It’s the miniature packets of butter and strawberry jelly waiting for their foil to be peeled back. It’s the waitstaff who’ve been scribbling orders on blue-striped checks for 40 years and know how to balance eight plates of pancakes on one arm. It’s the assurance that your eggs will always come out just the way you like them — not too runny in the whites, with a soft orange yolk built to drag slices of crisp, buttery, industrial-grade toast through. The promise of feeling like a regular no matter how many times you’ve actually visited.
America’s diners account for some of the oldest and most iconic restaurants in the nation. A dying breed by some accounts and a resurgent one by others, they’re shorthand for a vision of the United States as a place for all, regarded with seemingly endless fascination. Perhaps that’s why they’re so often the setting chosen for film and television — a place that feels universally familiar yet original, and brimming with character. Of course, that ethos can sometimes get hijacked by politicians and media pundits in search of “real” Americans (often white, cis, and conservative). But true diner lovers know this isn’t the full story. Diners — whether you’re speaking about them in the strict Northeasterner sense of the word, or call them a coffee shop, a family-style restaurant, a meat and three, a Waffle House — can’t be boxed into one type of customer, cuisine, or food tradition. Diners in 2023 are both old-fashioned and upscale, omnivore and vegan-friendly, 24-hour and breakfast-only. They serve Korean food, Hawaiian food, Greek food, Mexican food, Lebanese food, Thai food, and Filipino food. They cater to LGBTQ+ communities and also to the blue-collar worker in need of a chili dog, the Route 66 road-tripper, and the underaged kid scooping up forkfuls of banana cream pie purchased with their last $5 after a concert.
There are a lot of diners we could talk about. New Jersey alone is home to more than 500, while Southern California is a veritable coffee shop paradise, filled with beloved truck stops and Googie architecture marvels. Through deep research and the collective, highly opinionated knowledge of Eater staffers and experts across the country, we’ve compiled a list of not only what we believe to be the best modern American diners, but also those that demonstrate the broadly democratic beauty of a restaurant made for everyone. Slide into a booth; the coffee and hash browns are waiting. — Brenna Houck
Note: This list is organized alphabetically by region.
West
Cameo Cafe
8111 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR 873 Inkster Road, Garden City, MI
Brenna Houck
Breakfast means coffee, chickpeas, pita, and sujuk sausage at Al Tayeb Restaurant in metro Detroit.
Metro Detroit is home to one of the highest concentrations of Arab Americans in the United States and with that, some of the best Lebanese food in North America. Among the scene’s stars is all-day breakfast spot Al Tayeb (“delicious” in Arabic), where droves of people go to break (pita) bread. Tables share inviting dishes of ful, hummus with chickpeas in lush pools of olive oil, fattah with beef tongue, and eggy dishes with mix-ins like sujuk sausage. Cups of tea, Turkish coffee, and refreshing mango smoothies complement the pickle plates — a staple of Lebanese restaurants in the region. Crisp piles of freshly fried pita chips round out an irresistible, family-friendly feast for the eyes and the stomach. — Serena Maria Daniels
Courtesy Diner
Multiple Locations in St. Louis
Formica countertops, vinyl stools, and cash only: Courtesy is everything you expect in a diner. Coffee is poured 24/7 and a jukebox spans the gamut of ’50’s standards to heavy metal, but there’s an honesty here that keeps it from falling into the realm of kitsch. Originally started in the ’30s, it’s home to the Slinger, a St. Louis staple that combines eggs, hamburger, and hash browns, all covered with a mess of local Edmond’s Chile Co. chili, loaded with beans and just thick enough to cling to your fork. While Courtesy Diner didn’t invent the Slinger, it did become synonymous with the dish, offering the notable standard version and variations to late-night diners. There are two locations left — the original on Kingshighway Boulevard has now closed — but either Hampton Avenue or Laclede Station will remind you that some things never really need to change. — Asonta Benetti
Duly’s Place
5458 Vernor Highway, Detroit
Gerard + Belevender
Duly’s has all the diner favorites, plus a Detroit classic — coney dogs.
The roots of the coney island — Detroit’s answer to the classic diner — date back more than a century to a period when Greek and Macedonian immigrants were heading West via New York and its established hot dog culture. Once in the Motor City, these immigrants began opening their own modest lunch counters serving American and Greek fare. The humble coney dog is the star of the menu — made with a griddled beef frank in a steamed bun, topped with a loose, tomato-based, all-meat chili, a ribbon of yellow mustard, and diced onions. While there’s debate over which coney island does their tubed meats the best, locals and out-of-towners alike have a fondness for Duly’s Place in Southwest Detroit; during its 100-plus years in business, it’s earned fans including the late Anthony Bourdain (whose photo hangs on the wood-paneled wall behind the restaurant’s narrow counter) and Southwest Detroit’s own music legend Jack White.
The shotgun-style interior is lined with a counter where you’re likely to rub elbows with Detroiters of just about every walk of life — local brujas, construction workers, out-of-town influencers, and night owls looking for hot dogs and chili cheese fries (order them well-done if you’re taking them to go) after the bars and concert venues let out. It’s all served up 24/7 (except Mondays) in an endearing, staunchly cash-only, no-muss, greasy-spoon atmosphere — with just a hint of seasoned Detroit attitude. — Serena Maria Daniels
Lou Mitchell’s
565 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago
Ashok Selvam
Lou Mitchell’s is celebrating 100 years in the diner business in 2023.
If nostalgia were Lou Mitchell’s greatest trait, crews would have boarded up the windows years ago. Instead, Chicago’s famed diner celebrates its 100th birthday in 2023, sheltered from the madness that’s overtaken the trendy West Loop. There’s nothing fancy about the decor. The bacon, mercifully, isn’t thick-cut, and the pork vendor isn’t prominently displayed on the menu, but it’s cooked to order — either crispy or chewy. The line cooks are masters of the egg-and-bacon arts, an overlooked set of culinary skills. The servers greet customers with plates of complimentary fresh doughnut holes and orange slices. During the pre-pandemic years, hosts would hand out mini packs of Milk Duds while guests waited in line.
Lou’s leans into its place along legendary Route 66 with walls that wear classic Americana, but nostalgia isn’t the only thing that fuels this legendary establishment. On a blustery April day, look up at the dry-erase board specials. It’s a half-pound burger wrapped in lettuce served with a scoop of cottage cheese and garnished with pineapple and tomato. After a century, it seems carbs aren’t everyone’s friend. Evolve or kindly move out of the way, please. We’re in the Midwest. — Ashok Selvam
Tally’s Silver Spoon
530 Sixth Street, Rapid City, SD
It doesn’t get more Americana than buffalo steak and eggs with a side of Ronald Reagan. In Rapid City, nicknamed the City of Presidents for its presidential statues dotted around downtown, Tally’s Silver Spoon is a self-described “fine diner” that blends classic comforts with culinary ambition. Located behind a cowboy hat-clad Reagan statue and outfitted with a sleek soft-gray motif befitting its contemporary stylings, this all-day restaurant has been slinging pancakes since the ’30s, when it first emerged as the Bright Spot Cafe. Today, that same pancake recipe imparts an air of vintage authenticity to Tally’s, along with homey staples like eggs Benedict. But the surfeit of foie gras on the menu makes clear that current chef Benjamin Klinkel aspires to more than frills-free morning fare. In the evening, the restaurant feels more refined, as guests swirl wine glasses at the central bar and tuck into plates of smoked sweetbreads and bison Marsala. Can’t decide? The Indecision Menu puts multicourse meals into the dutiful hands of the kitchen. — Matt Kirouac
Northeast
Bendix Diner
464 New Jersey Route 17, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Situated smack in the middle of a highway (no, really) and smack in the middle of New Jersey lore, Bendix Diner is straight out of a movie. It’s a stainless steel box with a sporadically functioning neon sign, proudly no-frills and endearingly seasoned — a quintessential diner, if you will, that’s been used in myriad commercials and films from Jersey Girl to a Bleachers music video. Established in 1947, it’s been operated by the Diakakis family since the ’80s (Manager John Diakakis, who is blind, is the subject of a recent documentary). Perhaps you don’t go here expecting a meal that will blow your mind, but you go for the comforting ambiance: leather seats, glass ketchup bottles, and warm staff. Although it’s not 24-hours, it’s a huge spot for truckers; they park outside in rows to get some rest or mosey in to fuel up on the Trucker’s Special: three pancakes, two eggs, and four strips of bacon. The best part is that no matter who you are or what time of day you pop in, they treat you like you’ve been a regular for years. — Stefania Orrù
The Blue Benn Diner
314 North Street, Bennington, VT
The Blue Benn Diner
Vermont’s classically “crunchy” spirit is on full display on the menu at the Blue Benn Diner in Bennington.
The first thing you need to know about the Blue Benn Diner is that you’re there to order the crunch berry pancakes. The berries in question are raspberries, and the eponymous crunch comes from oh-so-Vermont granola. Served with Vermont maple syrup and a knob of butter, they’re everything a signature diner dish should be. The Blue Benn menu is studded with other nods to the crunchy Bennington crowd, too: Among the many vegetarian options are tofu scrambles, apple-cheddar omelets, veggie burgers, nut burgers, falafel, and mozzarella-topped grilled portobellos. The dessert menu is also full of New England charm, with pumpkin bread pudding, apple crisp, and slices of pie a la mode. From its 1940s dining car architecture to the colorful menu updates on the wall, the Blue Benn is pure East Coast college-town nostalgia. — Hillary Dixler Canavan
Florida Avenue Grill
1100 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
Ray Lopez
Florida Avenue Grill is a D.C. institution.
Around since 1944, Florida Avenue Grill is widely considered the godfather of D.C.’s soul food scene. Founders Lacey and Bertha Wilson purchased the Florida Avenue NW corner with the tips Lacey made as a Capitol Hill shoeshine man and turned it into a neighborhood gathering spot lined with square, white tiles, vinyl bar stools, and signed photos of famous patrons. Today, the breakfast institution remains a go-to greasy spoon for fried catfish and grits, plus French toast, buttermilk biscuits, and other hot cakes that were, as the menu proclaims, “flying off the grill since before you were born.” Hours were drastically downsized during the pandemic and the grill is now a weekend-only fixture — yet patrons still flock here for a homey taste of spot-on Southern cooking. — Tierney Plumb
Golden Diner
123 Madison Street, New York
Joyce Kim/Golden Diner
The chicken katsu club at Golden Diner.
No New York restaurant is a clearer example of the diner remix moment happening in the city than Golden Diner in Chinatown. Part of a wave of newfangled diners keeping the spirit of family-style dining alive in the city, Golden focuses on inventive comfort foods through an Asian American lens. Helmed by Samuel Yoo, an alum of the Momofuku universe, since 2019 restaurant has been known for dishes like its egg sandwich on a sesame milk bun, honey butter pancakes, katsu club, and cheeseburger with mushroom gochujang. Breakfast for dinner is encouraged and there are plenty of vegetarian-friendly options as well (see: the Vegetalian hero). The narrow dining room fills up fast, especially during brunch. So while it might sound sacrilegious, this may be the only diner on this list we actually recommend making a reservation for. — Emma Orlow
Palace Diner
18 Franklin Street, Biddeford, ME
Bill Addison/Eater
French toast at Palace Diner.
What’s old is new again at Palace Diner. When Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell reopened this restaurant as its sixth owners in 2014 in a 1927 Pollard train car, they captivated critics and catapulted Biddeford, Maine — a former mill town 20 miles south of Portland — into the national dining spotlight. At a glance, the setting and menu read like any other cozy slice of Americana across the country. But you don’t need the fog of nostalgia to fall hopelessly in love with Palace’s tuna melt, layered with an inch of crunchy iceberg lettuce on grilled challah, or its pancakes, unbelievably buttery and light. These days, you can even order takeout online, which is great news since this diner only seats 15. — Adam H. Callaghan
Penrose Diner
2016 Penrose Avenue, Philadelphia
Waitresses with heavy South Philly accents. Vinyl-backed booths and laminated menus. An eclectic crowd that more often than not includes a Phillies or Flyers fan straight from the nearby stadiums. Greek and Italian dishes, down to homemade baklava and chocolate chip-flecked cannoli in the pastry case. Breakfast all day, including corned beef hash and scrapple. Penrose Diner has all the qualities that make it feel uniquely Philly. Having come on the scene more than a half-century ago, the restaurant received a revamp in the ’90s from Pete Dovas, a Greek immigrant with experience operating diners in New Jersey. Dovas died in 2014, and his family continues to run the business.
It has a long history, but the Penrose doesn’t feel frozen in time. Though it wrapped its 24/7 tradition in 2018, the restaurant has evolved to serve a full brunch menu and cocktails situated among the gyros, meatloaf, and mozzarella sticks. Order the excellent French dip, served on bread Philly can be proud of, a cup of homey chicken noodle or cheese-smothered French onion, and don’t forget a plate of gravy-soaked and mozzarella-laden disco fries. — Missy Frederick
Phoenicia Diner
5681 New York State Route 28, Phoenicia, NY
Robert Sietsema
Phoenicia Diner is part of a select list of classic train car-style diners.
Phoenicia Diner was built in 1962 by the DeRaffele Manufacturing Co. in New Rochelle, New York — one of a handful of companies that built made-to-order diners. It moved to its present location in the 1980s outside a resort town in the Catskill Mountains, only to shutter in 2011. Luckily, Brooklyn set designer Mike Cioffi bought the restaurant the following year and set about restoring the premises — a lunch counter with stools and booths lining picture windows with views of the mountain landscape. Reopening what had been a local institution on the highway that bypasses town, Cioffi retained the classic diner menu of buttermilk pancakes, club sandwiches, and burgers, but added locavore fare, too: Produce from area farms, seafood from local fisheries, and the products of a nearby smokehouse round out a menu that appeals to locals as well as folks just passing through. — Robert Sietsema
Summit Diner
1 Union Place, Summit, NJ
Hillary Dixler Canavan
Taylor ham is abundant at Jersey diners such as Summit.
Summit is one of Jersey’s finest and oldest diners, occupying a train car (an increasingly rare artifact of diner architecture) in the middle of one of the more walkable towns in Northern New Jersey. The menu has everything a good diner ought to: all-day breakfast platters with butter-griddled pancakes and bacon or sausage, club sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and random dinner entrees like meatloaf and chicken parm to round it all out. This being New Jersey, you can and should order a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich. For the uninitiated, Taylor ham is a Jersey specialty of spiced, cured pork roll; for diner-lovers, it’s perfection. — Hillary Dixler Canavan
Fact checked by Kelsey Lannin
