Tipped

Mixed Bag

December 13, 2008

We found this by chance just looking for somewhere to have lunch. It was pretty full when we got there. One table by the door was available, or we could have waited for a table to leave. We went for the one by the door, but the glass separators were obviously effective, as the cold and miserable December weather didn't get noticed again until we left. The service was fine. I had a burger which was great. The fries weren't so good. Aparently chips were on the menu, but I missed those. So I can't say whether they would have been better. The menu had lots of variety on it. There was even a Christmas menu of sorts - Turkey burger and Cranberry sauce - as an example. I also had a milkshake, and as a previous reviewer said, it comes with the container it was mixed in so you can top it up. I went for chocolate and there were chocolate chips in it. It was how I think a milkshake should be. The staff were all helpful and friendly.
One member of our party ordered a burger which they wanted well done, so they had to send it back, and another came back even rarer. They finally got it right on the 3rd attempt. So that was a bit of a let down, especially as the rest of us had finished eating ours by then. All in all a bit of a mixture. I have never been to a real American diner so cannot say whether this is like the genuine article, but it was pretty close to what I imagined.

Keywords: burgers, milkshake, wifi, coffee, american diner

Service could be better

November 01, 2008

I really like the diner - free wifi, great burgers, yummy milkshakes and awesome breakfasts. But the service has been pretty darn poor every time I've been. Today I waited upwards of 15-20 minutes for someone to take my order, and then once I'd ordered I found it difficult to flag down a waitress to get some tap water.

Then they go and add the tip on to the bill automatically, a practice I really dislike.

That said, the food is great, perhaps a little steep for what it is, but quite similar to NYC diner-style food. If only the service was more authentically American.

Keywords: diner, burgers, milkshakes, bad service, american food

'Hey look! An American diner!'

May 08, 2008

Much like American attempts at 'English Pubs', this 'American Diner' comes off as grasping a bit too much. I do very much appreciate the inclusion of Brooklyn Lager to the drinks list (as well as a full bar), and the menu keeps it simple which I like, but because of its attitude and clientele, its always clear that you're not really in an American diner.
Having knocked it a bit, however, there is plenty to enjoy about the Diner. They serve up fine comfort food in cozy booths with milkshakes and fries. If you've got a hankering for that kind of meal, they serve it up well.
I just wish it was open 24 hours for drunken pancakes or gravy-fries at 3am like a proper diner. Once I find that in a upscale casual restaurant in Shoreditch, I'll be happy.

Keywords: brooklyn lager, comfort food

Nothing Could Be Finer

April 16, 2008

Most Americans in London will occasionally get desperate and sneak into McDonald's or Pizza Hut for a dose of guilty pleasure nostalgia. Not me; my policy is if I don't eat it in the US, I ain't eating it here. Still, the doughy smell of Pizza Hut and the boiling rancid fat smell of KFC will sometimes tempt me just a little bit.

Luckily, The Diner is there to fulfill my need for American food. True, it does play up the kitchy retro diner motif a bit, not to the Jack Rabbit Slim's extent, but there's no point in denying the obvious. And yeah, the food isn't great, but it is exactly what it should be: diner food, and nothing more. The burgers are really good in that really bad sort of way, they call the chips 'fries', milkshakes come with the extra mixing cup full of more milkshake, and they refill your coffee 7 times before they refill your water once. On top of this, they serve huevos rancheros and a few other Mexican options, and Mexican beer to wash it down. Other people miss McDonald's -- this is the stuff I miss. If only they served root beer floats...

Keywords: american food, Mexican beer, mexican, diner, breakfast