The DINER.

[Dinerman]

Found a new one today, in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast DC. It was trucked there from Avoca, New York, and arrived four days ago. It's a 1947 Silk City diner, originally manufactured in Patterson, NJ.

The Capital City Diner at 1050 Bladensburg Road NE is expected to open in August.

Video of the move - Fox
Video of the move - ABC
Photos from the old location

 

[Dinerman]

Neptune Diner- Lancaster, PA- 1951 Mountain View

Airport Diner - Kutztown, PA - 1960 Silk City

5th Street Diner - Reading, PA - Modern Kullman

Letterman's Diner - late 1920s/ early 1930s O'Mahony

 

[Guttersnipe]

If you're in SF and nead some late eats...

...try It's Tops Coffee Shop (feeding 'Frisco's single guys since 1935):

 

[Warbaby]

Here's a 1930s photo of the Danbury (Connecticut) Diner sign. Alas, the diner itself is just outside the frame:

 

[Dinerman]

Saw these today.

Sandy Hook Diner, Sandy Hook, CT - 1920s.

Blue Colony Diner- modern

Gilley's - Portsmouth, NH - 1940 diner on a later truck

 

[Zemke Fan]

D-man...

You slay me! Love this shot of the pie-cookie...

 

[Dinerman]

Miss Portland Diner- Portland, ME

 

[LizzieMaine]

Been to both the Blue Colony and the Miss Portland myself -- both great spots, and the Colony is one of the few modern-built diners I've been to that does well at capturing the ambience without loading itself down with a lot of "theme restaurant" kitsch. The staff there is also very pleasant and accomodating!

I've been by the Sandy Hook, too -- a good friend of mine lives in that town -- but I've never seen it open!

 

[Dinerman]

A-1 Diner- Gardiner, ME

 

[Dinerman]

Capital City Diner- Washington, DC
formerly the Avoca diner of Avoca, NY
I took pictures when it first arrived, see HERE
At that point it was expected to open in August. After a series of nightmares in dealing with contractors and with the city, it finally opened this month, and by all accounts is excellent.

 

[Big_e]

Ever since I checked out Dinerman's blog, I started eating at the diner near my house. The Metro Diner has been around since longer than I can remember and I've lived in Dallas since '67. I found out that it's been in business since 1964, I love it 'cause it's open 24 hours. It's my office whan I'm not at the office. I like the old time feel of the place. Here's some pics I lifted from a restaurant review:

My next favorite place is Norma's. It's been around since the '50's. The chrome fixtures on the inside kinda give the place an atomic feel. I don't go here much 'cause it's always packed and closes at 8:00 but the food and service is great!

Here's me in my favorite Metro Diner after work:

Ernest

 

[exquisitebones]

we have one diner here in vancouver, but it only looks like a cool diner on the outside.
the inside is not cool and old looking, and the food is rubbish.. kinda like really expensive Mcdonalds type food. foul!

I wish we had a great old diner here <3

 

[Ed]

if there is one i have a strong reccomendation for.. I mean the real deal man... the old scool look and the old school service... where some lady named Flo takes your order and tells you need a haircut... there a couple in Albany, NY that also offer the best cocktails you will ever drink in your life. But the best, man the creme d' la creme is the Little Gem in Syracuse, NY where the Greeks still own the diners and hire working class folks to run the tables, where smoking is still legal even though its an ill eagle, where its still under 4 bucks for 2 over ez eggs and homefries. 2 pieces of rye over buttered toast and coffee is included, the place you drive to after the bar or the morning after the bar. The place where the start of a seedy story starts and where most american novels should start.
I dont offer pictures as further encouragement to get there on your own. What other reason will you ever have to visit Syracuse, NY??

Sadly, it's about to close unless a buyer is found.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/little_gem_diner_a_fixture_in.html

 

[Edward_Lindey]

We had a nice one growing up in Mercer Pa. My senior year it was purchased by some German guy and moved to Germany. Anyone know of any Diners in germany? It would be nice to see it again.

Edward

 

[Dinerman]

The Gateway used to be in Germany, but was just moved to the Netherlands. Also originally in NJ.

Then there's the "American Diner"- formerly of NJ.

It doesn't seem either of these is yours. Do you remember the name of the place?

 

[Edward_Lindey]

It was just known as the Mercer Diner.

Edward

 

[poggleberry]

UK Diner

There is a diner I have visited a few times in Church Gresley, near Swadlincote in Derbyshire, UK.
It was originally called Murphy's Diner in 1952 and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, some car dealers brought it to the UK and the present owners bought it off ebay in 2004, they restored the diner and opened it in 2005.
Great atmosphere and classic diner food.

 

[Dinerman]

There is a diner I have visited a few times in Church Gresley, near Swadlincote in Derbyshire, UK.
It was originally called Murphy's Diner in 1952 and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, some car dealers brought it to the UK and the present owners bought it off ebay in 2004, they restored the diner and opened it in 2005.
Great atmosphere and classic diner food.

It's funny that you mention Murphys. Larry Cultrera just did a post on them over at his blog- diner hotline.
Murphy's Diner lives on!

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

One of the latest diners I've been to doesn't sport too much of a vintage look (more of a country diner with a down home sort of feel, I think), but it's been around since the 50's and offers up breakfast, lunch and dinner during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Anything on their menu at any time, and the pancakes are the size of your head!

It's called the Dam Diner, and is up in Ocklawaha Florida (the Ocala area - about an hour or so north of Orlando). I went there a few times for lunch and dinner during and after work at an archeology dig last year. Their waitstaff is friendly, you get timely service and the prices are very reasonable.

I may be up there again next month, and will see to taking pictures of the place. For now, here's an article:

http://www.ocala.com/article/20080623/NEWS/900957615?tc=ar

 

[Dinerman]

The Silver Diner, now 20 years old. One of the first retro styled diners and next to maybe the American City Diner in Washington DC, one of the best executed. It will be replaced by a new location a quarter of a mile down the road.