I love diners. A lot. In 2020 I set a goal of visiting 50 new-to-me diners. I’m keeping track of my stops on Instagram at @donnadoesdiners (and #donnadoesdiners). This account will surely feature almost exclusively breakfast items, but since I’ve created this challenge, I might also challenge myself to eat beyond the breakfast menu!

donna at blue comet diner in hazleton pa - closed down, sign in ruins
The Blue Comet Diner, in Hazelton, was a staple in Northereast PA. I’m not sure when it closed for good, but I passed it while taking the scenic route home from Wilkes-Barre to Lancaster in Jan. 2020, the same trip I decided to start @donnadoesdiners. I was trying to look sad in the picture, but I ended up with something different. But it’s supposed to be said.

My husband and I talked about what criteria determines if I can count as place as one of these 50, as not all diners have diner in their names. And some places only use “diner” in their name for nostalgic reasons, while the menu is not-so-real-diner-menu. Other places, like Abe’s Hotdogs in Wilkes-Barre have all the makings of a greasy spoon diner: stools, booths, cooking behind the counter, pies, rice pudding… but it’s known for hot dogs and might count more as a lunch counter.

Not all diners are open 24 hours per day, but that’s definitely something that defines diner for me. But, having breakfast all day, no matter if or when they close, I think is a must for my checklist. There should be pie on display and free coffee refills. But rather than just list requirements, I think I’ll wing it. My friend Brian might have said it perfectly, “You know it when you see it.”

One things is for sure: I shouldn’t count the diners I regularly visit as part of the 50; after all, my goal is new-to-me places. However, I might count somewhere I’ve been before if I haven’t been there in at least five years.

Making a List…

I’m going to also keep track of the diners I visit here, on this page. I probably won’t update it daily or weekly, but I’ll be sure to add to this list when I can, complete with links to the diners (if there’s a website.)

If you have a suggestion for me, no matter where in the U.S. it is, let me know in the comments below! I try to visit diners whenever I visit somewhere, and sometimes when I’m bored and have the time, I might drive three hours for something random.

P.S. I love diners so much that the small press I run, Books by Hippocampus, has released an essay collection devoted to diners: 18 people share their stories from around the country and throughout the decades. It’s called Dine: An Anthology, and you can learn more about it here.

My Diner List: 2020

  1. American Diner – West Reading, PA (Jan. 1)
  2. Dee Dee’s Diner – Shoemakersville, PA (Jan. 2)
  3. Dunmore Bucktown Diner – Dunmore, PA (Jan. 10)
  4. D’s Diner (formerly Eddie’s) – Wilkes-Barre, PA (Jan. 10)
  5. Knight & Day Diner – Lititz, PA (Jan. 20)

Diner list last updated on Jan. 26., 2020