Diners – Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com The Best of Baltimore Since 1907 Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:11:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Diners – Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com 32 32 The Best Diners in Baltimore https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/best-diners-in-baltimore/ Mon, 11 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?post_type=article&p=151053

The Enduring Joy of Baltimore's Old-School Eateries.

By Amy Scattergood

with Lauren Cohen, Grace Hebron, Jane Marion, Max Weiss, and Lydia Woolever

Photography By Justin Tsucalas

Food styling by Nicola Justine Davis

Food & Drink

The Diners Club

The enduring joy of Baltimore's old-school eateries.

By Amy Scattergood

with Lauren Cohen, Grace Hebron, Jane Marion, Max Weiss, and Lydia Woolever
Photography By Justin Tsucalas
Food styling by Nicola Justine Davis
December 2023


and you feel like you’ve entered a museum of Americana, a roadside portal to the repeating coffee cups, breakfast plates, slices of pie, and inviting Naugahyde booths that form a timeless, comforting network across the country. There’s a reason politicians invariably head to diners when they want to connect to actual people. The diner counter is the caffeinated version of the neighborhood bar, where you can sit with a refillable mug and talk up your server or your neighbor over a plate of eggs and home fries, a short stack, and a side of bacon, and feel somehow at home, whatever time it is, and wherever you are.

The history of the diner began not in Baltimore, filmmaker Barry Levinson notwithstanding, but 370 miles up I-95 in Providence, R.I. There, in 1872, the first horse-drawn “night lunch wagon” served hot, cheap food to overnight workers, newspapermen, and any hungry soul who was up too late—or too early.

These peripatetic restaurants—they could move to wherever they were needed—became “lunch cars,” then “dining cars,” then just “diners.” They got a makeover in the ’20s, getting indoor bathrooms and booths. And they became more respectable after World War II—Edward Hopper’s painting “Nighthawks,” with its lonely nighttime diner dates to 1942—adding AC, expanding the menu, welcoming families. In their heyday in the ’50s, there were some 6,000 across the country, though, then as now, they were heavily concentrated in the Northeast and dense East Coast cities like Baltimore.

These days, there are about 2,000 of what Richard J.S. Gutman, the author of four books on diners and an advisor on Levinson’s 1982 film, Diner—set in Fells Point—calls “honest-to-goodness diners.” This translates to “counter service, good value, and homestyle food,” Gutman catalogs. “Anybody can go in, and you can get whatever you want.”

The diner was always, and should still be, both affordable and democratic. So, while diners can be variable and cater to local demographics—which in these parts means crab cakes and scrapple—they should also have plenty of low-cost options, and the all-day breakfasts that have long fueled shift-workers and truckers, beer-drinkers and families alike. Simple, accessible food, says Gutman, noting that the earliest diners didn’t serve eggs—because they didn’t have stoves. “Sandwiches, pie, coffee, milk, and cigars. That was the entire menu,” he says, of the initial wagons. “And it was on a window. [Drawn] by a horse.”

The rise of fast food and food trucks changed the dining landscape—as did COVID—but the diner survives, thanks to a heavy dose of nostalgia and an ability to provide a particular kind of third space. With food costs skyrocketing, the importance of affordable food has only increased. “It’s really a place where you feel like you can do what you want and get what you want and leave feeling good about it,” says Gutman, “with some money left in your wallet.” And in the wake of the pandemic’s isolation, the comfort of the counter has become even more meaningful.

BLUE MOON

Fells Point and Federal Hill

We’ve got two tips for first-timers headed to chef Sarah Simington’s cozy, rock-and-roll-influenced fixture in Fells Point (with a second location in Federal Hill). One: Go early. (Peak wait times can creep up north of an hour.) Two: Plan to leave absolutely stuffed. Playful plates include the French toast that comes in famous flavors like Cap’n Crunch, churro, “Shut the Fluff Up” (think: a Fluffernutter in breakfast form), or a savory version layered with cheesy crab dip and diced tomatoes.

You also can’t go wrong with the massive omelets or big-as-your-face “Sin Roll” packed with thick cinnamon ribbons. Aside from the food, the best part is the lovable crew. On a recent visit, our server, Nikki, backed us up when a neighboring diner looked askance at our to-go containers by remarking, “Hey, that’s how you do it. You over-order, go home, take a nap, and then have it all over again."

BOULEVARD DINER

Dundalk

On the busy corner of Merritt and Holabird, Boulevard is an old-school, chrome-and-neon box of a diner, opened by the Tsakiris family in 2001. Statues of Betty Boop and Elvis greet you as you walk in, as well as a full bar and a pastry case jammed with cakes supplied by Yia Yia’s Bakery. There are CD jukeboxes installed at the booths—ours was turned to Jimmy Buffett (RIP), though it was the Smiths playing over the sound system—and coffee pots in formation behind the counter. Kids eat for free on Tuesdays, and there are senior discounts, Greek specials, TVs showing local news, an obligatory Guy Fieri callout, and enough space for all the politicians who swing by for photo-ops during elections. Best of all, the sour beef and dumplings is available every day.

Above: A statue of Elvis, the exterior, booths, the meatloaf, a rootbeer float, and coffee, all at Broadway Diner. Opener: Chocolate cream pie from Towson Diner; a bank of booths at Lost in the 50’s Diner.

BROADWAY DINER

Dundalk

You see the dessert case as soon as you walk through the doors of this Dundalk diner: four long shelves of fruit tarts, German chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, and cannoli, all made onsite. (And if you give two-days notice, the bakers will make your favorite dessert for you.) Open since 2003, Broadway Diner is the size of a Nissan showroom, filled with chrome, counters, and coffee machines. The booths come equipped with Rock-ola Entertainment Systems. There’s a food menu as thick as a magazine, another detailing all those desserts, plus fountain offerings and cocktails from the bar. And Guy Fieri was here. Of course he was.

Illustration by CSA IMAGES

On a mid-morning weekday, the dimpled vinyl booths at Honey Bee Diner in Glen Burnie are full. A small mountain of home fries crisps on the grill as servers present plates of eggs and toast to folks sitting at the 14-seat white counter, with every seat taken. Bright red neon runs around the perimeter of the chrome ceiling like airport landing lights. Seventy percent of the diners at Honey Bee are regulars, says owner Nick Filipidis, whose parents bought the diner from its previous owner in 1974. One of the many reasons why locals regularly fill the seats is that it’s been open since 1952—always open, as it’s the last of the 24/7 diners in the region.

“As long as we have power, we’re open,” says Filipidis, who can’t remember the last time the place closed. They stayed open during various remodels and during the pandemic, though they shifted to take-out for a time. “Through all the years, we’ve never closed,” he says. For years they didn’t even have a lock on the front doors.

The first diners were only open at night, street dining cars that catered to night-shift workers and the bar crowd. As diner operators expanded their hours to include regular mealtimes at the turn of the 20th century, the diner became what diner expert Richard Gutman calls “a 24-hour phenomenon.” Over the next hundred years, diners and their hours expanded and contracted with the times—the Depression, the diner heyday of the ’50s, the fast food expansion of the ’70s—but it was the pandemic that effectively closed most of the last round-the-clock diners.

“That concept, which is one of the hallmarks, maybe it’s not that important anymore,” says Gutman. The Towson Diner was open 24-hours before COVID, but these days closes before midnight. Broadway Diner in Canton, also open 24-hours before the pandemic, now closes just before midnight on weekdays but is still open round-the-clock on the weekends.

“AS LONG AS WE HAVE POWER, WE'RE OPEN. THROUGH ALL THE YEARS, WE'VE NEVER CLOSED.”

Boulevard Diner was 24/7 when it first opened in 2001. “There was a lot of traffic, a lot of local bar business,” says owner Marc Tsakiris, and thus enough business to keep the spacious diner, on a busy Dundalk intersection, open all hours. But then the 2008 recession hit, and they shifted to round-the-clock only on weekends. “And then we just started to realize, it’s a totally different crowd at night,” says Tsakiris, whose young sons frequent the diner and work as hosts in the summer. “This is more of a family place, and it’s a little bit more of a crazy crowd at night.” Boulevard stopped its 24-hour service in 2015.

Spiros Korologos, who opened EC Diner in Ellicott City three years ago and whose father and uncles own the seven area Double T diners, says his diner has never been open 24 hours, although most of the Double T diners were open round-the-clock until the pandemic. He worked at the Double T starting when he was a teenager and took the night shift for three years. “Two to 5 a.m. was always the danger time,” he says of the hazards of staying open all night, when fights would sometimes break out. Despite the difficulties, Korologos wants to open EC Diner overnight if he can find folks to work the shifts. “My dream is to open it 24 hours,” he says, recalling his own late nights and the pleasure of finding a place that served early morning breakfast. “We’re not going to give up on it; my goal is hopefully by next summer.”

“It’s more of a hassle to go through the motions of closing everything down, because you have to be open again by five,” says Filipidis, who worked the night shift for a decade when he was younger. It hasn’t been easy. The hours are long and hard, and there are the fights among customers that often come with running a place where people come after the bars close. “Finding help has been a huge issue,” he says, and for a time they hired local cops to work security. He feels a responsibility to keep the place open round-the-clock. “It has a value,” he says. “Honey Bee’s been a part of Glen Burnie for 70 years now. People come in during snowstorms.”

“Diners have been successful for 150 years,” says Richard Gutman. “But you gotta work long hours, the price points have to be right, everything has to come together. It’s not an easy business.”

DOUBLE T

Catonsville and Other Locations

Named for the initials of its founders, Thomas Doxanas and Tony Papadis, the seven-store franchise was born in 1959 in Catonsville. Today, it’s owned by brothers Louie, John, and Tom Korologos. In Perry Hall, a silver roadside treasure box with teal and fuschia signage is our signal to pull over. The location on Belair Road is also frozen in the ’50s, with its checkered floors, red barstools, iced desserts behind a wall of glass, and specials—eggplant Parm, prime rib, whole rockfish, and broiled trout—scribbled on a small blackboard. Here, regulars are crazy about chicken fingers, jumbo saucy chicken wings, and all-day breakfast items: omelets, Benedicts, burritos, breakfast sandwiches and skillets, with a laundry list of add-ons. Did we mention there’s a bar, too?

EC DINER

Ellicott City

If your GPS happens to glitch on your way to Ellicott City’s newish namesake diner on Baltimore National Pike, just look for the huge sign flashing “Extreme Shakes.” The thick treats with outrageous garnishes (ours came with a whole Chipwich and a blondie on top) were among the additions that the former Double T Diner adopted when new owners John Kanellopoulos and Spiros Korologos took over in 2020. The interior got an upgrade, too, with new furniture and retro light fixtures. But classics—including hefty pastrami Reubens, all-day breakfasts, and traditional Greek gyro and souvlaki platters—still remain on the novel of a menu. Also noteworthy: the crab cakes, which might taste familiar to some. Kanellopoulos brought the recipe over from his other restaurant, By the Docks in Middle River.

Above: Nighttime exterior with neon, eggs on the griddle, pancakes and syrup, juggling plates, the interior, a coffee pot, and a guest check, all at Honey Bee Diner.

HONEY BEE DINER

Glen Burnie

This 71-year-old diner has regulars who have been heading through the always-open doors for decades. Two families have owned it since the beginning; Honey Bee’s cook has been working the grill for over 20 years. The menu is loaded with the classic diner fare, with a few specialties (M&M pancakes, scrapple wraps, Texas toast dipped in frosted flakes) thrown in for good measure. With a long counter on one side of the space and booths filling the other, it’s neither the cavern of many roadside diners nor the tight space of some old city spaces, but the kind of cozy restaurant where regulars feel at home—and have been coming back, anytime of the day or night, for 70 years.

KAY’S PLACE

Remington

The blue neon sign reading Wyman Park Restaurant still glows on the corner of Howard and East 25th streets, but now, this is Kay’s Place. Owner Cia Carter bought the neighborhood breakfast counter back in 2021, retaining both the space’s old-school, no-frills feel and its classic, comfort-food cooking. Just before noon on a recent Tuesday, all the maroon booths and most of the stools were packed. Wyman Park regulars are still showing up and Carter has brought in some new fans, too (her other dining establishment, Miss Carter’s Kitchen in West Baltimore, is a preferred choice for fueling up by the Ravens’ own Lamar Jackson). The gyros and crab cakes that Wyman Park once served are gone, but stellar burgers and stacks of fluffy flapjacks are slung from the flattop grill, Belgian waffles are poured to order, and in true Charm City fashion, there’s lake trout (or whiting) for breakfast or lunch.

Above: The busy counter, an order of French toast, shelves of supplies, a breakfast sandwich, and a jukebox at Lost in the 50’s Diner.

LOST IN THE 50’S DINER

Hamilton

Look up the word diner in the dictionary and you’ll likely find an apt description of this adorable Hamilton eatery that beckons with its neon sign along Harford Road. While it just opened in 2009, it could have fooled us: Lost in the 50’s has all the hallmarks of a vintage roadside eatery—sparkly vinyl booths with Formica tables and the requisite jukeboxes, black-andwhite checkered floors, congenial servers, no-fuss coffee, and satisfying breakfast staples with Eisenhower-era prices. (That’s $3.50 for a scrapple and egg sandwich; $4 for a short stack or waffles; $5.50 for a Coney Island hot dog and chips.) In other words, there's no avocado toast or acai bowls, no surprise surcharge, and no one rushing us out after an hour because the table is spoken for. In fact, we could sit here all day. Who says that being stuck in the past is a bad thing?

THE NAUTILUS DINER & RESTAURANT

Timonium

You’ve heard of comfort food—well, Nautilus is a comfort restaurant. There’s a pleasing sameness to every visit here. It’s just a straight-up professional restaurant, from the host to the waitstaff to the back of the house. The place is huge so there’s rarely a wait—but if there is one, it’ll be short and, yes, efficient. The ice water will come out right away and, if you’ve come for breakfast, runners serving coffee will magically materialize at your table whenever you need a refill. The giant menu is stocked with traditional Greek-influenced diner fare—so there’s souvlaki, spinach pie, and moussaka alongside an assortment of sandwiches, burgers, Blue Plate specials, Italian entrees, and pretty much anything else under the sun. (We went in one night craving nachos and damned if there wasn’t a perfectly respectable version on offer.) There’s also breakfast all day (including the inevitable “Hungry Man Special,” which could feed a family of four) and a case of eye-popping house-made baked goods up front to tempt you if you’ve saved a little room—and you should.

Above: A breakfast spread, chipped beef, Miss Betty and an O's fan, a row of counter stools, and empty coffee pots at Overlea Diner

OVERLEA DINER

Overlea

This is not a hipster diner, rather one filled with plenty of chrome and red Naugahyde booths, all of which have remained largely unchanged since the ’80s, when the place was rebuilt after the original 1946 wooden structure was destroyed by fire. Overlea was owned by the same Greek family until Tony Fonseca bought the business in 1995, taking over the same menu and drawing many of the same regulars who still frequent the place. Ninety-five-year-old Betty Kelly has been coming since 1950, when she moved into the neighborhood. For the last few years, she’s presided over a dozen regulars every Friday morning for breakfast. Kathy Lopez, an Overlea server for 14 years, serves them coffee and chipped beef (Miss Betty’s favorite). “I see them coming and line up their drinks,” says Lopez. There are daily specials (liver and onions, meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs), and pie in the refrigerated case behind the counter next to the coffee pots. And, on Friday mornings, there are the name cards Lopez made for Miss Betty and her crew—many who show up in Orioles gear—waiting at their table, next to the jugs of maple syrup.

Slices of Heaven

Don’t forget dessert. From the earliest horsedrawn wagons that were the modern diners’ precursors to the chrome-and-neon behemoths beside our contemporary highways, diners have always had pie. Over the years, the pastry cases have expanded to include cheesecakes, cream pies, chocolate layer cakes, even Smith Island cakes. Broadway Diner in Canton will even bake your favorite dessert if it's not on their lengthy menu.

  • Cherry pie | $4.99
    Towson Diner
  • Smith Island Cake |$5.99
    Nautilus Diner
  • Red Velvet Cake |$7.95
    EC Diner
  • French Apple Pie |$3.89
    Double T Diner
  • Lemon meringue pie |$3.95
    Boulevard Diner
  • Chocolate cream pie |$4.99
    Towson Diner
  • Chocolate fudge cake |$7.95
    EC Diner
  • Red velvet cheesecake |$7.00
    Broadway Diner
  • Coconut custard pie |$3.89
    Double T Diner
  • Cannoli cheesecake |$6.49
    Nautilus Diner
*Prices by the Slice
Illustration by Disha Sharma

Scan a crowded counter at any Baltimore-area diner and you’ll likely see a walnut-colored rectangle, crisped into oblivion, adjacent to eggs-over-easy and a pile of home fries. This is scrapple—a pressed loaf of pig bits, cornmeal, buckwheat or wheat flour, spices, and plenty of salt—and it’s a Mid-Atlantic delicacy. It is old-school regional food, inherited from Pennsylvania Dutch, German, and Quaker farmers, and the object of deep nostalgia for folks who grew up eating the stuff, albeit mystifying for those who did not. It is our answer to Spam, originally made at home and on farms, these days mostly trucked in from Rapa, a 1926-founded Delaware company that is the world’s largest scrapple producer and supplies about three-quarters of the Baltimore area. Unlike Spam, which can be found in Korean Army soup, Hawaiian musubi, and trendy bakery pastries, scrapple is mostly found in the kind of breakfast joints that are as nostalgic as it is.

“It’s diner food,” says William Woys Weaver, whose book, Country Scrapple: An American Tradition, came out in 2003 and whose great-grandfather was in what Weaver describes as “the Quaker scrapple business” in Pennsylvania. “You know, 3 a.m. hot coffee and a slab of grease.” Indeed, scrapple, fried on a flattop until it is no longer gray but the color of 70-percent chocolate, does call for a pile of eggs and rye toast and a bottomless mug. This is not highbrow food, but a primitive kind of terrine built with German sausage-making skills and an abundance of Mid-Atlantic corn.

“Everybody wants scrapple with their eggs. It’s a Baltimore thing,” says Ray Crum, owner of both Pete’s Grille in Waverly and Werner’s, a diner that’s been in downtown Baltimore since 1950. Crum says the two restaurants go through seven cases of Rapa’s product a week. “It’s always been on the menu,” he says, “ever since I can remember.” And while diners serve the stuff mostly as a side, some have gotten a bit more creative, putting the scrapple into egg sandwiches or skillets. Honey Bee diner in Glen Burnie even has a scrapple wrap on the menu, with vegetables (gasp) and melted Swiss.

“Baltimoreans are creatures of habit,” says Weaver. “They’ve been doing this for 100 years, and so that’s the way you do it.” By which he means both the making and the consumption of scrapple. And although you can buy your own loaf of the stuff, it is perhaps best at a diner counter, fresh off the grill and bestowed by a server carrying a jug of strong java to wash it down.

Above: Taking an order, the exterior, local college crew, a waffle iron, and scrapple all at Pete's Grille.

PETE’S GRILLE

Waverly

Looking for pancakes in Baltimore? If you know, you know that means you’re heading to Greenmount Avenue and snagging a stool at Pete’s Grille. Look for the red brick building with black awnings, where breakfast is served all day, and for good reason. Available by the short stack or full stack, Pete's heaps of buttery hotcakes cooked to pillowy perfection on the flattop griddle, served with a sticky pitcher of syrup (and best eaten with a side of salty-sweet sausage links) are a bucketlist must in our fair city. If you’re still hungry, or craving something savory, forge ahead with an order of the creamed chip beef and hash browns. We especially love Pete’s for being a welcome crossroads of Baltimore, just a scramble from the 32nd Street Farmers Market, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and local colleges like Johns Hopkins, Loyola, and Morgan State.

SIP & BITE

Canton

With a two-story-tall red-haired waitress painted on the side of the rowhouse and a picture of Guy Fieri near the door, it’s hard to miss this Canton diner. Opened in 1948 by George Vasiliades, the place is now owned by his son, Tony, and Tony’s wife, Sofia, who took over the business in 2010. Inside, a long kitchen and counter run the length of one side; turquoise booths fill the other. Wallpaper featuring Edgar Allan Poe, the Domino Sugars sign, and Thurgood Marshall cover the walls, as well as another headshot of Fieri, who favored the diner’s crab cakes, which come in a variety of combinations, including softshell crab, steak, and spanakopita. There are plenty of other Greek dishes on offer among the traditional diner favorites. Yes, the crab cakes are very good. And yes, the servers call you “hon.” They’ll also regale you with stories of the old days, when the place would fill up with hungry drunks and drag queens after the nearby bars would close. Sip & Bite was open round-the-clock until the pandemic, but now closes at 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. on weekends. Maybe someday they’ll replace Fieri’s picture with one of Divine. One can hope.

The tall pastry case at Towson Diner features a display of chocolate cakes, cream and fruit pies, strawberry shortcakes, turnovers, cheesecakes, pastry horns, eclairs, baklava, carrot cakes, and oversized chocolate-chip cookies. But what’s even more impressive than the contents of that case is 82-year-old Sam Kourtsounis, the man who bakes everything in it. These days he works three or four days a week, down from the seven that he often worked when he and his brother, Pete, bought the diner on a busy stretch of York Road in the early ’90s. A decade ago, Kourtsounis’ son Nick, a former Maryland state trooper, bought out his uncle and now spends his time running the place, while his father works the decades-old Blodgett deck ovens in the basement kitchens, rolling out dough for cherry pies and sliding trays of cheesecakes into the heat.

“BAKING IS ACTUALLY AN ART. IT’S COMPLICATED. WHEN YOU COOK, YOU CAN PLAY WITH IT. WITH THE BAKING, YOU CANNOT CHEAT.”

Kourtsounis immigrated to New York City when he was 14, arriving alone from Greece. After high school, he joined the Army, started a family, and began cooking in diners, mostly Greek diners that had full-scale bakeries. He and his brother bought their own diner on Long Island and then, some three decades ago, the family relocated to Towson and took over the Towson Diner, open since 1957. Over the years, Kourtsounis has collected recipes, which he keeps in a thick folder, some written in Greek on old guest checks.

“Baking is actually an art. It’s complicated. When you cook, you can play with it. With the baking, you cannot cheat,” says Kourtsounis, who bakes all the bread, including challah and the loaves for the diner’s popular French toast. Given the expense and the difficulty finding bakers, he notes that many diners don’t bake what he does anymore. “It’s like a dying art that you’re trying to keep alive,” says his son. “It has a history, and I don’t want that history to go away.” “Back in the ’60s, ’70s, every diner had a bake shop,” says Kourtsounis. “[I know] because I worked in them. A lot of the bakers, they retired. Some passed away.”

He’s been trying to teach some of the cooks he’s worked with. One got so frustrated, says Kourtsounis, that the young would-be baker would bang his head against the wall. “Others just don’t pick it up,” he says. Another issue, patron’s palates differ according to region. Kourtsounis now makes chocolate-chip cookies, apple pies, and lemon meringue pies instead of Black Forest cake, the layered, German gâteau preferred by New Yorkers. “It takes a lot of effort, but I can make everything that Yia Yia’s Bakery makes,” he says, smiling, referring to the popular Greek bakery in Rosedale.

Not only do diners have pies and cakes, but some have the ice cream sundaes, banana splits, and even egg creams of old-school soda fountains.

TAMBER’S RESTAURANT

Charles Village

“Diner food or Indian food?”—that is the question. Be warned, you might go to Tamber’s thinking you want a burger and a milkshake and end up ordering a chicken vindaloo and mango lassi. (Never underestimate the allure of the smell of Indian curry.) Either way, you can’t go wrong. Certainly the Indian food is superior—it rivals any white-tablecloth Indian spot in town. (In fact, we have a few Indian friends who maintain it’s the best in the town.) But from the chicken Parmesan to the meatloaf and turkey Reuben, the diner food has no business being as good as it is. That’s probably why the restaurant has been serving Hopkins students and professors, Charles Village-area residents, Union Memorial staff, and anyone else seeking a reasonably priced, friendly meal since 1992. (There’s an adjacent carry-out-only spot that serves the same food.) And by the way, nowhere is it written that you can’t get a side of French fries and a malted milkshake with your chicken tikka masala.

Above: The exterior at Towson Diner; Preparing food and the hot griddle at Pete's Grille; Goulash, French toast, and a corner booth at Towson Diner.

TOWSON DINER

TOWSON

A unknown on York Road with its neon sign (now LED) and stainless-steel exterior, this college student favorite, owned by the Kourtsounis family since the ’90s, dates to 1957. Inside, there are double booths equipped with CD jukeboxes, and diners peruse spiral-notebook menus set out on paper placemats filled with local advertising. Trusted favorites—a triple-decker turkey BLT club and the Bagel All the Way, with Nova Scotia lox and all the fixings—have a star next to them. That said, it’s hard to go wrong with the classics: sour beef and dumplings, crab cakes, and the Hungry Person Special, which includes two eggs, two pancakes, your choice of protein, and a side of home fries.

WERNER’S DINER

Downtown

There has been a long slow demise of diners in downtown Baltimore, from Hollywood Diner (used for Levinson’s Diner) on Saratoga Street, to Burke’s on Lombard and Light, tragically replaced by a Royal Farms. Now on Redwood Street, a short trip from the Harbor or The Block, Werner’s might be the last of its kind. Open since 1950, it’s a certain time warp where you can easily imagine the days when Sun workers, politicos, and shift workers all rubbed elbows over cups of hot coffee and plates of scrapple and eggs—and often enough, that’s still true. These days, it’s open every day but Saturday, usually as early as 7 a.m. Under new ownership (the same as Pete’s Grille in Waverly), there’s an expanded menu, still chock-full of standbys. We recommend grabbing a booth or linoleum two-top for a sky-high club sandwich and cup of Maryland crab soup.

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]]> Best Late-Night Eats in Baltimore https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/best-late-night-food-baltimore/ Thu, 25 Oct 2018 11:12:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=26174

At Baltimore magazine, we take our late nights seriously. In fact, we devoted an entire cover story to after-hours activities a few years ago. But we wanted to dig into dimly lit dining options (and go beyond RoFo fried chicken) even further.

Whether you’re a regular nighttime nosher, a chronic insomniac, or just looking for a bite instead of a nightcap, these after-hours pubs, diners, and restaurants will surely satiate your closing time cravings.

Insomniac Snacks

Taco Noche: Get you late-night taco fix at this new Rotunda hotspot, featuring a menu full of Northern Mexican-style tacos and snacks. The stand is open until 3 a.m., and local favorites include the flour tortillas stuffed with smoked beef brisket, the pork carnitas, and the jerk chicken. 711 W 40th St., 410-727-5430

Maria D’s Sub Shop: Placate your midnight appetite with Maria D’s famous super sized sandwiches, open from 10 a.m.-2:30 a.m. The decadent meat lovers stromboli and Maria D’s cheesesteak, complete with fried onions, hot peppers, cabbage lettuce, and green peppers, are just two of this shops greasiest creations. 1016 Light St., 410-727-5430

Stuggy’s: This Fells Point favorite is the perfect spot to hit after a night of bar-hopping or a long Orioles game. The family-owned stand is known for their crab mac-and-cheese dog, piled high with homemade macaroni, crab, Old Bay seasoning, and a twist of lemon. The stand is open until 3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. 809 S. Broadway, 410-327-0228

Hot Tomatoes: Open until 3 a.m., midnight munchers love to refuel with grab-and-go slices at this Fells Point joint. For a dish that’s sure to soak up some alcohol, split The Bad Mother Clucker—a white pizza topped with chicken, bacon, and a swirl of Ranch—with your inebriated gang. 717 S Broadway, 410-563-4453

The Bun Shop: If fried food isn’t your late night go-to, this Mt. Vernon cafe has tons of other options. Open until 3 a.m., this cafe serves up street style buns as well as Vietnamese coffee, empanadas, and an extensive pastry selection. 239 W Read St., 410-989-2033

Brick Oven Pizza: This after-hours pizza place is open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. With creative slices like the decadent lucky 7 Pizza, topped with seven types of cheese, or the meat lovers pizza, covered with strips of beef, bacon, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and salami, this isn’t your average nighttime nibble. 800 S. Broadway, 410-563-1600

Never on Sunday: This late-night eatery champions a menu with a dizzying array of decadent dishes. From Greek and Italian to classic diner options, you just might have trouble deciding. Try the Greek fries, loaded up with oregano, feta cheese, and tzatziki for the ultimate salty snack. 829 N Charles St., 410-727-7191

Drunk-Eat Diners

Towson Diner: Open since 1957, this family-owned restaurant is a Towson staple, offering classic renditions of American breakfast and lunch dishes. Try anything from late-night pancakes and omelettes to chicken parmigiana subs and fried onion rings. The best part? This diner is open 24/7, so there’s no need to worry about getting in before closing time. 718 York Rd., 410-321-0407

Broadway Diner: Featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, Guy Fieri endorsed this diner’s Hungarian goulash, potato crusted salmon, and shrimp creole as his must-order faves. And the diner’s neon, glowing sign, aqua colored booths, and juke boxes give off real retro vibes. Broadway Diner is open 24/7. 6501 Eastern Ave., 410-631-5666

Double T Diner: Full of old-school charm and with a menu stuffed with comfort food and homemade desserts, there’s no better place to end a night of debauchery than at Double T Diner. Open 24/7, this Catonsville classic serves breakfast all day as well as beloved diner dishes like char-grilled chicken sandwiches, hot pressed paninis, and 1/2-pound pure beef burgers. Various locations including 6300 Baltimore National Pike, 410.744.4151

Sip & Bite: Centrally located between Fells Point and Canton, this diner is open 24/7 and is regular gathering spot for post-party posses. Breakfast favorites, like the $6 french toast, are served all day, and you can’t go wrong with kitchen’s hearty gyro platters or the flaky spanakopita. And with famous customers like George Clooney and Michael Phelps, you never know who could run into. 2200 Boston St., 410-675-7077

Blue Moon Cafe: Check out this Baltimore favorite for cheap, delicious, breakfast food served with unpretentious charm. Get your moonlight munch on with the famous Captain Crunch french toast, the huevos rancheros, or the biscuits and gravy. The cafe is open 24/7 Friday-Sunday. 1621 Aliceanna St., 410-522-3940

Midnight Meals

Clavel: This family-run taqueria is the perfect pick for a late-night date night or night owl gathering. Open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, this Remington restaurant hosts a menu full of tacos, ceviches, as well as extensive mezcal offerings. 225 West 23rd St.,443-900-8983

Jong Kak: Open until 4 a.m. every night of the week, this Korean restaurant heats up after hours. Baltimoreans obsess over simmering bowls of bibimbap, platters of fried dumplings, and love to bring groups of friends to take part in the Korean tradition of cooking at the table. 18 W 20th St., 410-837-5231

Nam Kang: Whether you’re looking for a place to end a night of drinking or a spot to get your fill of comfort food after a long night at the office, this Korean barbecue hotspot is fun for everyone. Open until 4 a.m., customers love to chow down on bowls of octopus bibimbap and fish-roe jjigae, prepared in the kitchen instead of at your table. 101 West 22nd St., 410-685-6237

Loch Bar: Located in The Four Seasons Hotel, this seafood-centric restaurant features a 12-foot raw bar and is the classiest place to waste time in the wee hours. Open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, this 1920s-style space, with leather booths and marble surfaces, will transport you back in time. For a savory snack, try the oysters Rockefeller or the moules frites. 240 International Dr., 443-961-8949

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]]> Baltimore’s Diner Daze https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/baltimores-diner-daze/ Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000 http://server2.local/BIT-SPRING/baltimoremagazine.com/html/?post_type=article&p=10445

Happy days are here again.

Well, actually, they’ve been here all along in the cozy booths of
Baltimore’s many diners. You don’t have to drive far before stumbling on
one of these chrome, neon-glowing monuments to days gone by. The menus
tend to nurture visitors with comfort food and homemade desserts, and
with servers who treat you like family, Hon. But what exactly is a
diner? There’s no exact definition, so we decided to look for places
that serve sumptuous breakfasts, pour unlimited cups of coffee, and dish
out a retro vibe. (Of course, nowadays, diners are just as likely to be
brand-new replicas of their namesakes and offer martinis and prime
steak dinners, too!) Here are our 12 favorites.

Bel-Loc Diner

1700 E. Joppa Rd., Parkville, 410-668-2525.

Why we come here: Breakfast is served all day long,
and the cheerful waitresses know the regulars by name. Even if they
don’t know you, they treat you like a special visitor. Tidbit:
Southern Living magazine picked Bel-Loc (named after the Beltway and
Loch Raven Boulevard) as one of its favorite diners in 2009, including a
recipe for rice pudding from owner Bill Doxanas. A peek at the menu:
That rice pudding, always a crowd pleaser, is still available—with
whipped cream, as one waitress recently suggested. Of course, there are
the usual eggs, pancakes, and sandwiches with heartier fare like grilled
steer liver with onions and gravy and two grilled pork chops. There are
also some Italian dishes and a kids’ menu. The surrounds:
This is no retro diner. It’s the real deal. Bel-Loc bills itself as “A
Baltimore Landmark since 1964.” The turquoise booths, some with
jukeboxes, may have been updated, but the décor is still a soothing
throwback. Don’t miss: The three-decker sandwiches. We are particularly fond of the turkey club with bacon, a pile of chips, and a slice of pickle. Who goes there:
Retirees, families, couples, and, during the week, office workers. You
may also see former Baltimore Colts players Bruce Laird and Marty Domres
there, too. Behind the scenes: Doxanas is a hands-on
owner of the business that was started by his dad. He is now the “cook,
chief bottle washer. It’s just me,” he says with a laugh. “We don’t try
to be fancy. We serve quality food at reasonable prices with good
service.” For many of the waitresses, it’s a family tradition to work
there, from grandmothers to mothers and now daughters, he says.

Boulevard Diner

1660 Merritt Blvd., Dundalk, 410-285-8660.

Why we come here: It’s open 24 hours on Friday and
Saturday, which is perfect for late-night weekend munchies. Tidbit: The
retro, family-owned diner, which opened in 2001, replaced The House of
Neptune, a popular Dundalk restaurant, and still serves some of its
dishes like the crab cakes, fried seafood, and Neptune sub with fried
shrimp. A peek at the menu: The eight-page booklet runs the gamut, from
the usual diner fare like hot open-faced roast-beef sandwiches and
french fries with gravy and cheese to numerous Mediterranean offerings
like Yia’s Yia’s (grandma’s) “famous” stuffed grape leaves. The
surrounds: Chrome rules. The exterior, with its silver and turquoise
hues, looks like it just stepped out of the last century. Inside, booths
with tableside jukeboxes and a long counter with stools continue the
theme. Don’t miss: The Boulevard Cuban—really, in Dundalk—is a worthy
version of the sandwich that originated in Cuba, with tender pork, ham,
Swiss cheese, pickles, mayo, and mustard on a flattened, grilled sub
roll. Who goes there: Besides local residents, including many retirees,
it’s a haven for elected officials like state Delegate John “Johnny O”
Olszewski Jr. and Peter Franchot, state comptroller. Behind the scenes:
The idea to put a diner on the prominent corner of Merritt Boulevard and
Holabird Avenue evolved after family friends from New York visited and
suggested that type of venue for the property, says general manager Marc
Tsakiris, who runs the family’s diner. “My grandfather asked me if I
wanted a diner,” he says. “And I was interested.”

Broadway Diner

6501 Eastern Ave., 410-631-5666.

Why we come here: All the desserts are made on the premises. Don’t
miss the cinnamony apple pie à la mode. It’s better than mom’s. (Sorry,
Mom.) Tidbit: If you missed Broadway Diner’s appearance on Food
Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, you can watch it on the diner’s
website, broadwaydiner1.com. A peek at the menu: This is a page-turner
with overwhelming options for breakfast (The Lumberjack, three pancakes
with ham, bacon, sausage, and two eggs), lunch (half-pound Reuben
pastrami burger with fries), and dinner (roast turkey with apple
stuffing). Actually, there are lots of different cuisines,
including—natch—Greek. The surrounds: It glistens with chrome, Formica
tables, aqua-colored booths, and jukeboxes. There’s lots of
parking—great for a downtown restaurant. Don’t miss: The combination
Greek platter, a yummy plateful of pastitsio, moussaka, and spinach pie
with a small Greek salad. Who goes there: You see a variety of
customers, including soldiers in uniform and families with kids. After
Diners host Guy Fieri filmed the TV episode, he came back a couple of
weeks later on his own with family and friends, says owner George
Kavourakis. Behind the scenes: Kavourakis has a lot of history in the
business, having been involved in diners in upstate New York,
Connecticut, and Rockville. Eight years ago, the Eastern Avenue property
became available, and he had the diner built from scratch there. “I
figured it was good for a diner because of its location near the highway
95,” he says.

Double T Diner

eight locations, including 6300 Baltimore National Pk., Catonsville, 410-744-4151.

Why we come here: It’s an original, feeding hordes of visitors since
1959. The diner has expanded to seven other locations throughout the
state, but we still like to come to this one. Tidbit: The diner got its
name from the first names of the original owners Thomas Doxanas and his
partner Tony Parradas—hence, the Double T. A peek at the menu: The
breakfast items merit their own menu with a dizzying selection of eggs,
waffles, and sides like a T-bone steak for $13.50 and scrapple for
$2.40. The rest of the menu at this 24-hour diner includes an array of
reliable staples like grilled cheese, meatloaf, and Greek specialties.
The tempting desserts are homemade. The surrounds: The bustling
restaurant, heavy on Formica and shiny surfaces, is larger than it looks
from the outside with several dining rooms and a counter with TVs,
where customers like to linger. Don’t miss: The fresh spinach, mushroom,
and tomato omelet. Substitute a bowl of fresh fruit for the potatoes
with your meal, and you’ll have a few extra calories to splurge on the
“Bunnery” selection of Danish pastries, apple turnovers, and other sweet
breads. Who goes there: At this busy Route 40 landmark, there’s an
international clientele, including office workers, retirees, families,
and couples. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and other players often stop
by after games, says co-owner Tom Korologos. Flacco signs autographs,
“which is nice for us,” he says. Behind the scenes: All eight diners are
now run by brothers John, Tom, and Louie Korologos. When asked if there
were any more diners in the works, Tom Korologos promptly answered, “No
more.” He credits the diner’s success to serving breakfast 24 hours and
to having a varied menu with reasonable prices. “You can eat from $10
to $20,” he says.

G & A Restaurant

3802 Eastern Avenue, 410-276-9422.

Why we come here: G & A, in the heart of Highlandtown, serves
delicious, classic hot dogs at down-home prices. A peek at the menu:
Besides its signature $2 Coney Island hot dog (chili sauce, diced
onions, and yellow mustard), the diner is also known for its
cheeseburger sliders and gravy fries. The menu has typical diner
offerings like all-day breakfast, gyros, pasta dishes, fish and chips,
and milkshakes. A plus is that all of the omelets can be made into
breakfast wraps upon request. The surrounds: This narrow spot on Eastern
Avenue evokes the classic, ’50s diner feel with sea-foam green Formica
tables, counters lined with pie trays, and prints of James Dean and
Marilyn Monroe on the walls. A nice touch is the wall of UTZ chips that
greets customers at the door. Don’t miss: G & A’s signature smooth
and zesty chili sauce, which can be found on its hot dogs, burgers, and
omelets. Who goes there: Highlandtown locals and blue-collar families.
Behind the scenes: G & A was started as a hot-dog stand in 1927 by
Greek immigrant Gregory Diacumacos. Now, his great nephew Andy Farantos
runs the place and can be found demonstrating his signature move: lining
up a dozen hot dogs on his arm and dressing them with the works.

Jimmy’s

801 S. Broadway, 410-327-3273.

Why we come here: Diners don’t come more convenient than smack dab in
the middle of Fells Point, and when they’ve got quick, cheap, yummy
food—and beer—served with unpretentious charm, we’re in. Tidbit: The
late William Donald Schaefer, former city mayor and state governor, ate
breakfast at Jimmy’s almost every day for 20 years, ordering what came
to be known as the “Schaefer Special”: scrambled eggs, home fries, and
rye toast, with a cup of tea. A peek at the menu: Get your eggs Benedict
elsewhere. Jimmy’s menu is stacked with traditional variations on
omelets, pancakes, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and platters like liver
and onions and pork chops, all at ridiculously low prices. Where else in
Fells Point—or anywhere else—can you get a short stack of pancakes for
$3.89 or a bowl of chili for $3.35? The fanciest—and, often,
tastiest—items available are Greek favorites like the spinach pie and
the Greek burger, a wonderfully seasoned patty topped with a mound of
feta cheese on a garlic-toasted bun. The surrounds: The bare-bones
greasy spoon features a counter where diners get a view of the grill or
tightly packed Formica tables outfitted with paper placemats. The walls
are lightly dotted with ephemera, including a signed portrait of Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and a picture of owner Jimmy Filipidis with
Bill Cosby outside the restaurant. Don’t miss: The chance to down a
16-ounce draft of Yeungling or Budweiser for $2.30 at 5 a.m. Who goes
there: Once upon a time, it was mostly blue-collar folks coming in
before, after, or on breaks from work, but Jimmy’s has become a local
institution, so the locals now share lunch-counter space with tourists
and families from the ’burbs. Behind the scenes: Jimmy Filipidis, an
immigrant from Greece, opened Jimmy’s in 1944 as a candy store. His son
Nick bought the place from his dad in 1981, even though Jimmy offered to
give it to him—“I never would’ve thought it was mine [that way],” Nick
has said—and now runs the place with his own son, Jimmy.

Lost in the 50’s Diner

5512 Harford Rd., 410-254-1639.

Why we come here: The low-key, family-run diner in the Hamilton
business district offers classic renditions of American breakfast and
lunch staples. Tidbit: Lost in the 50’s is the brainchild of
husband-and-wife team William Bosques and Sylvia “Angelica” Gracia.
Their two teenage daughters help out in the restaurant on weekends. A
peek at the menu: Only open for breakfast and lunch, the diner doesn’t
mess around with the tried and true: eggs, pancakes, hamburgers, hot
dogs, club sandwiches, and fries are all given traditional preparations.
There’s also a Lil’ Bopper menu with chicken tenders, PB&J, and
grilled cheese. The surrounds: This is classic Americana right down to
the Formica-topped, chrome-edged tables and red vinyl booths. There are
even individual—though, sadly, not working—jukeboxes in each booth.
Don’t miss: Framed black-and-white photographs of the neighborhood from
the 1950s add a personalized touch to the décor. Or, strike a pose with
the Elvis Presley cardboard cutout near the bathrooms. Who goes there:
Gracia says most patrons are older folks from the neighborhood who
actually remember the ’50s and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and oldies
played on the sound system. “They sit here, and there’s no rush,” she
says. “We’re not one of those places where we hurry people out.” Behind
the scenes: Though it seems like the diner has always been there, it’s
actually only three years old. It used to be a restaurant called The
Golden Key, which offered a similarly traditional American menu. The
grand opening was the day of Obama’s inauguration and the family stayed
up until 4 a.m. trying to get everything ready. If Gracia has her way,
more tweaks are forthcoming. She doesn’t like the fact that the
individual jukeboxes don’t work and says they may rewire each one or
connect them all to a central retro jukebox, like the one she found in
the basement of the building.

Nautilus

two locations, including 2047 York Rd., Timonium, 410-561-9236.

Why we come here: It’s open 24 hours; the menu is extensive; and the
service is speedy. There’s plenty of parking, too. Tidbit: The
waitresses, dressed in functional black and white, aren’t the
gum-chewing, tough types you see in the movies. They’re young,
attentive, and efficient. A peek at the menu: Breakfast is offered all
day long. You can behave yourself with cereal and fruit, but the giant
omelets, challah-bread French toast, stacks of pancakes, and Belgian
waffles merit your attention. The rest of the list goes on and on:
snacks like stuffed grape leaves and French fries, paninis, sandwich
melts, pastas, and big-helping entrees including a crab cake, calf’s
liver, filet of sole francaise, moussaka, and meatloaf. The surrounds:
Lots of chrome with salmon-colored accents, blue-and-ivory booths (some
of which have tableside jukeboxes), a dining counter, and a prominent
dessert case filled with luscious goodies. A seascape mural in the back
of the dining room adds extra cheer. Don’t miss: The breakfast specials
from 6-11 a.m. Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. We like the two eggs
(scrambled, fried, or poached), potatoes, toast, meat (bacon, ham,
sausage, or scrapple), juice, and coffee or tea for $8.39. Who goes
there: Suburbanites, with or without families. Regular customers include
Cal Ripken Jr., former Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley, and
WBAL-TV’s Deborah Weiner. Behind the scenes: General manager Ted
Efstathiou and his partners brought their New York diner experience to
Timonium because “there were not many restaurants in the area serving
breakfast,” he said. They modeled their 11-year-old diner after diners
of the ’60s.

The New Wyman Park Restaurant

138 W. 25th St., 410-235-5100.

Why we come here: To wolf down one of the classic quarter-cut club
sandwiches and soak up the ambiance of a true neighborhood diner.
Tidbit: The secret to the turkey club is the turkey itself, which is
roasted in-house. A peek at the menu: Mostly the standard assortment of
diner fare, including eggs, pancakes (still endearingly called “hot
cakes”), sandwiches, subs, salads, and platters. There are about two
dozen “dinner platters”—which is somewhat odd, since the place closes at
3 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. on Saturdays (closed on
Sundays)—including old-school charmers like salmon cakes, baked ham, and
hot beef, each served with vegetables. (Fear not, green-veggie phobes:
mashed potatoes, French fries, baked beans, coleslaw, and applesauce are
options.) The surrounds: The warm, narrow space features wood panels
and generic artwork, all of which seem to date from a rash redecorating
frenzy in 1989. A posted sign alerts solo diners that they are required
to sit at the counter during prime lunch hours, leaving the 10 or so
booths open for larger parties. Don’t miss: Wyman Park excels at diner
favorites like the B.L.T., rice pudding, and crispy fries served with a
side of thick brown gravy. Who goes there: It’s largely the domain of a
diverse cast of locals and long-time regulars, along with the occasional
Hopkins student and, sometimes, John Waters. Behind the scenes: Owner
Spiro Conits bought the diner, which dates to the 1940s, in 1989 and
added “New” to the name. He hasn’t changed much else, but, among local
merchants, he has become a vocal supporter of the proposed shopping
center, to be anchored by Wal-Mart and Lowe’s, that developers want to
build across the street at the site of Anderson Automotive.

Papermoon Diner

227 W. 29th St., 410-889-4444.

Why we come here: For many, the Papermoon is a Baltimore institution
on par with Camden Yards or the Washington Monument. With its
Technicolor oddness and everything-including-the-kitchen-sink décor, it
represents Baltimore’s kooky streak. Also, the milkshakes are really,
really good. Tidbit: The almost supernaturally delicious milkshakes are
made with regular old Breyers ice cream. Go figure. A peek at the menu:
Open up the laminated menu, bound between covers of bizarre reference
books, and you’ll find pages of diner standards and comfort-food
favorites with ironic wit and foodie flair. Try, for instance, the Green
Eggs and Hen, an omelet with grilled chicken breast, spinach, and
melted cheddar cheese or the Hella Portobella sandwich featuring grilled
portobella mushroom, mozzarella, spinach, tomato, and vinaigrette on
toasted sunflower bread. There are also plentiful options for
vegetarians and vegans. The surrounds: Papermoon embraces the
more-is-more approach to decorating with every available surface—even
the blades of the ceiling fans—covered with toys, collectibles,
tchotkes, buttons, furniture, baskets, and retro artwork. Don’t Miss:
The epic PEZ dispenser collection in the entryway vestibule includes
hundreds of the plastic collectibles representing franchises from Looney
Tunes to Star Wars. Who goes there: Everyone, but especially Hopkins
students and twenty- and thirtysomethings from nearby Hampden,
Remington, and Charles Village. Behind the scenes: For most of
Papermoon’s 18-year history, it was a 24-7 operation. The recession put a
stop to that in 2009, but it’s still a gathering spot for night owls.
Hours are 7 a.m.-midnight. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m.-2 a.m.
Friday and Saturday.

Sip & Bite Restaurant

2200 Boston St., 410-675-7077.

Why we come here: The diner is open 24 hours every day except Tuesday
and is centrally located between two nightlife hotspots, Fells Point
and Canton. A peek at the menu: Breakfast is served all day, and we love
the diner’s rotating omelet of the day and crispy hash browns. But you
can’t count out Sip & Bite’s Greek influence with its hearty gyro
platters, Greek-style meatloaf, and flaky spanakopita. The crab cake,
six ounces of jumbo lump with a slight mayo zing, is another big draw.
The surrounds: Sip & Bite recently underwent major remodeling,
apparent in the pop-art-like graphics on the wall and rebuffed leather
booths. But the old stalwart’s charm can still be seen in the narrow
row-house feel, the counter seating, and refrigerated pie cases. Don’t
miss: The late-night scene. Sip & Bite is arguably the most
entertaining place to be in the city around 3 a.m. Not only can you get a
delicious (and necessary) French toast meal for $6, but the inebriated
people-watching can’t be beat. Who goes there: Young urbanites late at
night and blue-collar workers at the counter in the morning. Famous
customers have included George Clooney, Michael Phelps, and Mario.
Behind the scenes: Sip & Bite is run by third-generation owners Tony
and Sofia Vasiliades. The diner will appear on an episode of Food
Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives this spring, and it will soon
start shipping its popular crab cakes around the country.

Towson Diner

718 York Rd., Towson, 410-321-0407.

Why we come here: Any time, day or night, you can come and get
friendly service and reliably good food in enormous portions.Tidbit: We
especially like the old-school Art-Deco design and tableside jukeboxes,
which stock everything from Frankie Valli to Bob Marley. A peek at the
menu: At nine choice-packed pages, a peek will hardly do it justice. The
breakfast section alone—offered 24 hours, of course—could supply a year
of unique Sunday brunches, including the gigantic omelets, fluffy
pancakes, and scrapple variations. Beyond that, the Greek specialties,
including the gyro platter and Greek salad—complete with stuffed grape
leaves and anchovies—are not to be missed. The hot entrees, particularly
mainstays like baked meatloaf and the hot open-faced turkey sandwich,
are reliably delicious and filling. The surrounds: Classic chrome-filled
retro diner with jukebox-befitted booths and lots of additional tables,
a bar at the back, and a dessert display guaranteed to make you
re-think just how full you are. Don’t miss: Polly, the exceedingly
friendly overnight waitress, who has become a hit with Towson University
students looking for laughs along with their late-night snacks. Who
goes there: For lunch, local businesspeople; for dinner and weekend
brunch, families with or without kids and hungover students; all night
long: students. Behind the scenes: Originally built in 1954, the
Kourtsounis family bought the diner in 1993, gave it a serious
renovation, and expanded the menu. Some locals initially grumbled about
an increase in prices, but pretty much everyone agrees the diner is an
institution these days.

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