Top 5 local diners
As the jingle goes, "Everyone knows the Melrose," but did you know that Philadelphia alone has 25 real diners? Beyond city limits, you'll find dozens more. Here's five that will give you a good sampling of what a truly great diner has to offer.
Trolley Car Diner, Mount Airy, Pennsylvania
- Bob's Diner, Roxborough. Pound for pound, Bob's will give you about the most authentic diner experience in the region. Justifiably popular, especially on the weekend breakfast shift, Bob's gives you big portions served up by well-seasoned waitresses in a down-home, vintage diner atmosphere. Visually, it gets no more interesting either given that the diner sits right in front of a cemetery right on the main drag.
- Daddypop's Diner, Hatboro, PA. Unless you've lived in both regions and visited diners there, you might not understand the distinction between a New England diner and a Jersey diner. I describe Daddypop's as a New England diner oasis, due to the fact that it's owner hails from New Hampshire and that he imbues the diner with a more laid-back Yankee sensibility. He also serves up the best turkey club in the Delaware Valley thanks to the use of fresh-roasted turkey.
- Trolley Car Diner, Mount Airy, PA. One of the distinguishing feature of a true diner is its portability, and this diner exemplifies that. Moved to Philadelphia in 2000 from Wilkes-Barre, a local restaurateur attached his 1950s vintage structure to a long closed Arby's restaurant and established a new local landmark. The Trolley car features an amazing animated neon sign made by local artist Len Davidson and the best chicken croquettes I've had in a long time. Also, check out the restored PCC trolley car parked out front the diner uses as an ice cream stand.
- Llanerch Diner, Upper Darby, PA. No, it doesn't look like the iconic diner we all know and love, but the Llanerch was actually built in a New Jersey factory and designed under the unlikely influence of Mies van der Rohe. The Llanerch never closes and serves a broad menu of American and Greek specialties. Whatever you order, save room for a slice of one of the big, moist cakes.
- Fraser Diner, Fraser, PA. One of the last of dozens of diners once-located on the Lincoln Highway, and one of the oldest operating in Pennsylvania, the Fraser looks pretty much as it did when it emerged from the O'Mahony factory in Elizabeth, New Jersey back in the 1930s. Step inside, and you can almost hear the Bowery Boys planning their next scheme. The diner's menu is as basic as it gets, meat, potatoes, pancakes, and hot coffee, but rarely fails to leave a smile on your face when you step back from the black marble counter.