Diner Tour 2009- March

March was a wonderful diner tour month. We managed to visit 4 diners, 2 of them were re-visits. I have to just say that this tour is a lot of fun. I may have gained a bajillion pounds, but it is well worth it. I really enjoy looking for diners on the internet..then mapquesting them...then seeing them in person. It also gives me a fun way to explore the city.

Anyways, the first diner we went to in March was Deluxe Diner in Watertown. This was a re-visit. The first time we went to Deluxe was back in January and we just felt like it was time to give it another shot.

3/7/09
Deluxe Diner
Watertown, MA

Decor: Deluxe is a beautiful diner. We sat at the counter this time and realized that the seats turn all the way around! Very exciting. I also got to check out the vintage signs they had more closely. Gives it that nice diner-ish feeling.

Staff: Our waitress was average. No "huns" or "sweeties" this time, but service was okay.

Menu Options: Deluxe's menu is very large and has lots to choose from. This time, I went the healthy route and got a salad with salmon on top. It was very good and inspired me to buy salmon the next week at the grocery store. They also have a whole tea menu. Unfortunately, the tea I really wanted was out, but I think it's pretty sweet that they have a whole tea menu.

Taste of Food: My meal was great. Clayton enjoyed his too. I was more impressed this time with the taste of food than I was back in January. That salmon was way delicious. MMMMM

Gut Feeling: Overall, we gave the Deluxe an improved rating of 4.2. Last time, it received a 4.0 from Clayton and 3.7 from me. Re-visits are nice.


3/14/09
New York Diner,
Watertown, MA

Decor: The New York Diner does not look like a diner from the outside. The only indication that it is actually a diner is the sign outside that states "New York Diner". When we got inside, we scored a nice booth, but nothing too diner-ish, except for the counter, was seen. Not too impressed with the decor.

Staff: The staff at the New York Diner is very young. Sadly, no endearing names...no Reinke's, no eye make-up either! Our waitress was nice and all, but no extra points were awarded here.

Menu Options: At the New York Diner, you can get your typical breakfast and lunch. The nice part about the menu at this diner is the price. It is very reasonable and you won't break your wallet. Clayton got a huge breakfast special for really cheap. It honestly could have fed both of us. So, if you are in the mood for a big breakfast and you are money conscious, the New York is good for you.

Taste of Food: We both enjoyed our meals immensely. My club was very good with real turkey..not the slimey junk you sometimes get. It also came with good home fries. Clayton's huge breakfast meal was also pretty good. Eggs could have been less watery, but overall, we were impressed.

Gut Feeling: I gave the New York a 3.1. Clayton gave it a 3.4. Just your average diner. The staff and decor really take away from it's potential.


3/21/09
TumbleInn Diner,
Saugus, MA

Decor: Sadly, the TumbleInn Diner is not set in a diner car, but the inside decor makes up for it. When you walk in, you see tables on the walls and a huge circular counter that surrounds the wait station. It's a pretty cool set-up. Also, it is very homey at the TumbleInn. Everyone seems to know each other and I think we met some of the family members who own it. Plus, a little girl was playing hide-and-seek under the counter while we were eating...it felt like breakfast with the family on a Sunday.

Staff: Out waitress was AWESOME. She had Reinke's, she called us endearing names, she even made fun of us! We couldn't have felt more at home. She also helped us order our meals so they would be the less expensive. I want to go back to this diner just to say hi to our waitress. She was just that cool.

Menu Options: Not too shabby at this place. I liked the specials they had that day (waffles with real fruit, yum) so I might be a bit biased. You can get both lunch and breakfast for a reasonbale price. Plus, they have Italian nights during the week. I told them that they had to start serving polenta. What is an Italian night without polenta?? She said she would mention it ha.

Taste of Food: For my meal, they gave me a glorious waffle, and I was able to put as many strawberries and bananas as I wanted on it. It was very tasty. Clayton enjoyed his French Toast as well, but I think my meal was the better tasting one. If you go to TumbleInn, the waffles are pretty excellent. We need to go back to check out their lunch.

Gut Feeling: Overall, I gave it a 4.4, Clayton, a 4.1. We both want to go back to the TumbleInn sometime soon. If you are looking for a diner with a family feel to it, you will be happy at the TumbleInn..where people just happen to tumble in? Yeah, lame joke I know...



3/28/09
Victoria's Diner,
Dorchester, MA

For Clayton's bday breakfast, he requested to go back to Victoria's. Our experience at Victoria's the first time we ate there was amazing. We rated it a 4.7. This time, we were not impressed. I won't go into all the individual categories because the decor, staff and menu was the same. This time, the taste of food and gut feeling changed. My club was plain, Clayton wasn't too impressed with his meal either. The best part of the breakfast was my french fries. They were perfect. Overall, it was just a bad experience. We might need to go back to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Also, it was the first time in a while that our bill was more than $20.00.

So there you have it...diner tour in March..now I am all caught up. Hopefully, I will be able to write about our diner adventures one diner at a time rather than pack them all into one post.