Your Own Personal Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives - Please Share.

[Luvtoride]

On a related note, every 'official' DD&D place we have ever visited has been fantastic. Here's a link to the show's list of DD&D's, broken out by state if you scroll down just a bit:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives

Elizabeth T, thanks for that link. I’ve used a similar “app” in the past that lists all places mentioned on any Food shows I.e. best thing I ever ate, etc.

We have visited at least a dozen DD&D places outside of NJ, in our travels and they have all been great.

FYI, for any Guy Fieri fans, he has now joined the celebrity Tequila craze with a brand with a Sammy Hagar, called Santo. It’s not high end but it’s pretty good at a nice price.

 

[SecondAttempt]

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-mexico/travis-burrito-outrageous-nm/

Never had it personally but locally famous in Albuquerque! The Travis

 

[Koolau]

I define 'dive bar' as a place where you can get extremely cheap beer deals, and the decor is not quite top notch. One was in Kutztown, Pa where I could get a 64 ounce pitcher of on premises brewed craft beer for $1. Not a typo. That was 20 years ago, of course. Even then, it was a great deal. It was in the basement of a nicer place above it. Same beer the fancy place above served, but at a great discount. Only during happy hour, of course. Lots of poor college students there. Maybe that made it possible. I

Hmmm. I always thought a 'dive bar' could be determined by the smell when you first walked in. Sort of a strong scent of stale, spilled beer, followed by a bit of stale (or fresh) BO and finished off by the essence of "men's room." YMMV

 

[gcgang]

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sheldon-simeon-maui

Tin Roof, on Maui. Take out only. There’s an app you can order from so you don’t have to wait in line to order, and then wait around for your food. Daily special, chicken sandwich, beet box and saimin are what I usually order.

Above is a link to an article about the proprietor, two time Top Chef finalist Sheldon Simeon, who gives ideas on where to eat and what to do for a day on Maui.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Red Iguana in Salt Lake City. I actually feel bad calling this a dive. It's a nice place with great food. But it was on DDD and has posters all over the walls about it.

 

[CatinKS]

Kansas Dives

If you cannot make through Kansas, you at least want to read some the stories about the cozy burger in Salina, KS.

Cozy Burger Salina, KS
https://www.cozyburger.com/stories

The mini-hamburgers similar to White Castle have so much onion cooked in them that anyone from the area knows when you visit as the smell of your clothes will give you away. Story is the restaurant decided to get a new grill. Customers complained that the hamburgers were not as good cooked on the new grill, since the grill wasn't seasoned as well. So the owners went out to the landfill and recovered the original grill.

Roys BBQ Hutchinson KS
http://roysbbq.com

The only BBQ joint that I prefer the pulled pork over brisket, because their unique BBQ sauce goes with pork so well. If nothing else, buy their sauce online, and purchase some pulled pork at a local eatery and serve with Roy's sauce.

Do-B Empria KS
https://www.do-b.com/32-2/
Never been to Philly, but imagine these Philly Cheese Sandwiches are as good. Never tried the hamburger, but the photos look great.

 

[DougJohnson]

Lafayette Coney Island, downtown Detroit https://www.facebook.com/Lafayette-Coney-Island-143071722397988/ - Any time, day or night, there is always room for a coney. Although I never leave without getting a 'loose' too. hamburger meat served on a hot dog bun with chili, onions and mustard. Like the coney which is the hot dog.

I grew up in Detroit. There are two kinds of people there, Lafayette people and those misguided types who go to American Coney Island next door.

Recently, I took DW to Lafayette for the first time after talking about it for years. She said "This place looks like a dive." I said "Well, yeah."

-- Doug

 

[aja8888]

Hmmm. I always thought a 'dive bar' could be determined by the smell when you first walked in. Sort of a strong scent of stale, spilled beer, followed by a bit of stale (or fresh) BO and finished off by the essence of "men's room." YMMV

Yeah, that's more like it. I am used to those places and the waitresses are all "over 40".

 

[PointBreeze]

Mercedes & Family in Yakima, WA. Best authentic simple tacos.

Jaliscos in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Great Mexican food.

Fifth Wheel Food in San Leandro, CA. Great breakfast food.

All of these are hole in the wall, unpretentious places that I always go to when in town.

 

[Andromeda]

Every time we visit Catskill Animal Sanctuary in the Hudson Valley (NY State), we visit Rock Da Casbah, a quirky restaurant in the nearby town of Saugerties, in order to have their vegan Mac n Cheese. It is the best vegan Mac n Cheese ever, and I usually order one serving to eat and a second to take away (and reheat another day). I tried several times to persuade the owner/chef to give me the recipe in exchange for a limited edition print of my prize-winning portrait of a rescued sheep (print worth over $500)! Sadly, no deal.

The restaurant has several other excellent vegan options in their menu, as well as some gluten-free items.

 

[Ronstar]

You girls and guys are making it easy to add all of these places to a map. I haven't seen any post here that has a restaurant that can't be found on Google Maps.

Here's an update to the map. I take a look at this thread every day or 2 and add new ones per the posts.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...ll=37.72647110673631,-122.16432625475925&z=21

 

[steady saver]

While it’s not really a restaurant (it’s a gas station/bakery), Hruska’s on Hwy 71 in Ellinger, TX has some of the best Kolaches anywhere. My favorite is the sausage, cheese and jalapeño. If you’re driving by, it’s definitely worth a stop.

I second this one! It's basically a gas station/spacious convenience store/bakery. THE place to go for kolaches.

 

[2177V]

Quanjude restaurant in Beijing China has the best Peking Duck with plum sauce. CCP brought President Nixon, President Bush, Fidel Castro and other Heads of State to eat there because this restaurant was opened in the Qing dynasty and invented Peking Duck. Generally the best Korean Restuarants are in Korea, the best Thai Restuarants are in Thailand, etc for Asian food. I did not find this to be true for Italian Restuarants which the best Italian Restuarants are in Philadelphia where there is a large population of Italian Americans. Ralph’s restaurant is one of the better ones since President Biden, Taylor Swift and other famous people would have Italian food there. Roy’s restaurant in San Francisco has a dish called “Misoyaki Butterfish” which is the best fish dinner that is humanly possible to make. Roy’s restaurant originated from Hawaii and I have never been disappointed.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

You girls and guys are making it easy to add all of these places to a map. I haven't seen any post here that has a restaurant that can't be found on Google Maps.

Here's an update to the map. I take a look at this thread every day or 2 and add new ones per the posts.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...ll=37.72647110673631,-122.16432625475925&z=21

That's gold, Ronstar. GOLD!

 

[Yoheadden]

The Maine Diner in Wells, ME is a good one and has been featured on triple D. https://www.mainediner.com

One of our favorites in the Litchfield Hills of CT is The White Horse Country Pub & Restaurant. Great place if you eat inside by the fireplace or out on one of here 2 patios. Everyone we have brought here has loved it and we won’t even try going during peak eating times.
https://www.whitehorsecountrypub.com

 

[Koolau]

Yeah, that's more like it. I am used to those places and the waitresses are all "over 40".

Heh, heh, you forgot to add "and usually surly." Reminds me of a scene from "Hell or High Water" with Jeff Bridges. (A bit of language, here.)

 

[Koolau]

You girls and guys are making it easy to add all of these places to a map. I haven't seen any post here that has a restaurant that can't be found on Google Maps.

Here's an update to the map. I take a look at this thread every day or 2 and add new ones per the posts.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...ll=37.72647110673631,-122.16432625475925&z=21

Thanks, Ronstar, that is so cool. Good to know they are EVERYWHERE!

 

[Ronstar]

That's gold, Ronstar. GOLD!

Thanks, Ronstar, that is so cool. Good to know they are EVERYWHERE!

Thanks - I cant wait to put this map to use on our next il - az road trip. There are a few eating places on the map that I can't wait to visit.

 

[MC Rider]

Rock Inn in Lake Hughes CA.
Rustic one of a kind place with good food and friendly staff.
My kind of place.

 

[RobbieB]

Vals's Burgers, Hayward, CA

Tiptop, get a mama, papa is too big!

 

[MuirWannabe]

Rock Inn in Lake Hughes CA.
Rustic one of a kind place with good food and friendly staff.
My kind of place.

Yes! Had a couple great meals there at a town stop during my PCT hiking. Slept in a room upstairs. I think it was a tritips sandwich that really wowed me. But all was good.

 

[MC Rider]

Slept in a room upstairs.


Forgot that. Have never stayed there. They have a few rooms, and I think it is bathroom down the hall. Not inside your room.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Slept in a room upstairs.


Forgot that. Have never stayed there. They have a few rooms, and I think it is bathroom down the hall. Not inside your room.

Well, yes the 4-5 rooms were nothing special. And it was a shared small bathroom down the hallway. But when you’ve been backpacking it was like putting on the Ritz.

 

[MC Rider]

Well, yes the 4-5 rooms were nothing special. And it was a shared small bathroom down the hallway. But when you’ve been backpacking it was like putting on the Ritz.

Rustic. Appreciate the report, not having stayed there myself.

 

[Dtail]

Vals's Burgers, Hayward, CA

Tiptop, get a mama, papa is too big!

Checked out the link. Only open on Fri and Sat. Mama w cheese and fries is $21.
Must be good.