Diner in South Florida

11432 W. SR-84 Fort Lauderdale

954-423-1787

This behemoth of a diner is a South Florida staple, with a menu nearly as expansive as the multiple dining rooms. At 84 Diner, in Davie, breakfast is served all day long -- as it should be -- with three-egg omelets, biscuits and gravy, and Mickey Mouse pancakes at the ready no matter the hour. But eggs and batter aren't the only ways to throw your cholesterol out of whack; there are also meaty dishes like the Hawaiian ham steak, or carby treats like the baked lasagna, as well as Coney classics like hot dogs and Greek dishes.

3 articles

Diner By-the-Sea

215 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale By The Sea Beaches

954-491-0642

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Diner, Seafood, Traditional, Best Of

Many real-deal diners have gone the way of the dinosaurs, but not Diner by the Sea. This Lauderdale by the Sea throwback comes complete with vinyl stools, cozy booths and a short order cook. It's the eatery of choice for tuna melts, Reubens, chili dogs and burgers. Pop in here for a bite, and you'd be easily fooled into believing not much has changed since the 50s.

4 articles

Egg N You Diner

2621 N. Federal Highway Wilton Manors

954-564-2045

Breakfast, Brunch, Diner, Best Of

If you need a hit of that old-fashioned greasy-spoon goodness, investigate this ancient US 1 icon. You already know the type: the waitresses have worked here since God's grandparents needed a babysitter; the chef probably invented the wife-beater; and the percolated coffee flows non-stop. A seriously 60s vibe pervades (the diner sits next to an equally decrepit carpet/tile boutique). You're best off treating this as a breakfast joint than anything else: if you want biscuits and gravy, eggs over easy, French toast, or righteous hash browns, they've got you covered. It's busy, especially on weekends, and when it comes to the authenticity department, Egg N You works like a blue collar.

3 articles

The Floridian

1410 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-463-4041

American, Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

The kitschily decorated Floridian provides chi-chi Las Olas Boulevard with a shot of down-home diner attitude. Weekend mornings find the place packed with couples (gay and straight) loading up on huge made-to-order omelets, pancakes, and French toast. For an old-fashioned, protein-heavy meal, the country-fried steak and eggs can't be beat, and the biscuits and gravy will remind you that you're in the South. There's also a large selection of sandwiches (including "The Floridian," a satisfying tuna melt) and salads, plus homey hot plates like four kinds of meatloaf, fried chicken, and veal cutlets. Eighteen varieties of burger is almost too much to choose from, but the cheddar burger is one of the best in town. Service is diner-friendly too -- efficient and kindly but not the least bit saccharine.

9 articles

Grampa's Bakery and Restaurant

17 SW First St., Dania Beach Hollywood

954-923-2163

Bakery, Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

This sprawling, immensely likable restaurant-bakery has a fetching old-timey family-restaurant feel and has been pleasing customers for so many years that if your grandparents lived in Dania Beach, they'd tell you what it was like to eat here as little kids. Nothing radical about the menu at Grampa's -- home-cooked food that tastes good and fills you up. Roast chicken, meat loaf, pastas, burgers, steaks, salads -- it's a big selection of American favorites that hit the spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don't pass up desserts, as the bakery portion of the restaurant puts out some good pastries.

3 articles

Horizon Diner II

401 State Road 7 Plantation

954-581-0588

American, Diner, Recommended, Best Of

This nondescript little space is set up in classic diner fashion: booths along the windows, stools at the counter, and emphasis on big personalities, friendly service, and good prices. Owned by Sprio Passako and his wife, Thecia (known to regulars as "the boss"), the fare is typical diner, with emphasis on Greek dishes like moussaka, spanakopita, gyros, and souvlaki. Of course, if you want a burger, grilled cheese sandwich, or BLT, well, they've got those too.

1 article

Jack's Hollywood Diner

1031 N. Federal Highway Hollywood

954-929-2888

American, Diner, Best Of, Menu

The stainless steel restaurant is a true classic, having been manufactured in 1953 by Mountain View Diners, a New Jersey company that was one of the nation's premier eatery makers. And just like the old days, the servers are nice, and with every order you get a massive serving of diner classics. Just steps away from the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, Jackâ??s is a little piece of Americana wrapped up in a shiny tin can bow.

2 articles

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

2401N Federal Highway Wilton Manors

954-565-5599

American, Coffeehouse, Dessert, Diner, Pastries, Tea, Best Of

Few things inspire a greater reaction in Broward / Palm Beach sugar fiends than a lit-up "HOT NOW" sign glowing outside a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Founded in 1937 when Vernon Rudolph purchased a top-secret yeast-raised donut recipe from a New Orleans chef, the donut company set its sites on world domination in the 1990s and embarked upon a mass expansion. The company now boasts more than 700 locations in 21 countries including Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. It's best known for the "Original Glazed" donut, an ethereally light creation that seems to dissolve into sticky sweet thin air on the tongue. Most locations offer a drive-thru, making it all too easy to roll through for a hot dozen and then make a quick getaway. Krispy Kreme is easy to find on Voice Places.

12 articles

Lester's Diner

250 W State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale

954-525-5641

Breakfast, Brunch, Diner, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

There are diners, and then there's Lester's. Everything about this place is a matter of superlatives: It's one of the oldest dining establishments in the county, dating back to the late '60s. It's one of the biggest, with a back dining room that seems to extend to the horizon. And its menu is one of the heaviest, featuring every breakfast food you can imagine and some you didn't know were possible. (Who puts pizza sauce on an omelet?) There's also Italian, Greek, and weird American. (The continental burger is topped with an egg and cocktail sauce.) Lester's is open all the time, which makes it a great alternative to Denny's. The late-night crowds attest to that. While more expensive than Denny's — by about $3 to $5 a plate — Lester's tastes better, looks better, and just feels better.

12 articles

Lester's Diner

4701 Coconut Creek Parkway Margate

954-979-4722

Breakfast, Diner, Readers' Choice

4 articles

Lester's Diner

1393 NW 136th Ave., Sunrise Plantation

954-838-7473

Breakfast, Diner, Menu, Readers' Choice

4 articles

Lucille's American Cafe

2250 Weston Rd. Weston

954-384-9007

American, Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

This isn't just another diner, because it evokes the '40s, not the '50s. The décor and comfort food at this joint suggest a decade of quiet indulgence, when meals were shared mostly at home. In fact, the potato chips, ketchup, blue cheese dressing, meat loaf, and chicken potpie are all made on the premises. That includes the "comfort style" apple pie a la mode for dessert.

3 articles

Moonlite Diner

6201 N. Andrews Ave. Fort Lauderdale

954-938-1116

Diner, American, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

If you're among the many who prowl the streets of Broward at night, maddeningly hungry and just begging for a dining option other than Taco Bell, then the stainless metal lunchbox that is Moonlite Diner is your Northern Star. Why? Well, the doors are open late (till 2 a.m. on weekends), the service is friendly (they don't mind serving the chronically buzzed), and the food is tasty and effective (it soaks up booze like nobody's business). To wit: Among the plethora of stick-to-your-ribs diner options like chicken-fried steak and meat loaf are some of the area's tastiest burgers. Our favorite is the Big Texan, a sinful beast topped with fresh bacon, cheddar cheese, a fried egg, onion rings, and a slathering of BBQ sauce. Tack on one of the nearly three dozen varieties of milkshakes, big enough for two thanks to the traditional shaker tin that holds an extra shake's worth of goodies.

3 articles

Peter Pan Diner

1216 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Oakland Park

954-565-7177

Diner, Best Of, Menu

Old school that has it all: quintessential Greek-diner kitsch, huge dining rooms in need of new paint, upside-down coffee-cups, a working class clientele, and an exhaustive menu that rivals a short-story anthology. You can't go wrong with breakfast; you can't go wrong with the gyro sandwich and the home-made tzatziki sauce; and if you can't find a worthy dessert among the many offerings, you're not hungry enough. This is a popular place to wind down after a night out at the clubs. Cool feature: this was late, legendary bassist Jaco Pastorious's favorite place to grab a bite. Another cool feature: sometimes your drink shakes when the trains go by.

4 articles

Quality Diner

1417 NE 26th St. Wilton Manors

954-564-2858

Diner, Best Of

1 article

Rainbo Cafe

1909 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood

954-922-9767

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Diner, Recommended

The room, with its plush old banquettes, is comfy and cool in coffee-shop fashion. Service is cheerful, the menu exactly as you expect: Hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, club sandwiches, BLTs, chef salads -- need we continue? This is formulaic diner food, meaning decent, filling, relatively cheap, and thoroughly satisfying when the mood strikes. We particularly like Rainbo for breakfast -- big selection, plenty of combo specials, and a good strong cup o' coffee.

2 articles

Rumors Bar & Grill

2426 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors

954-565-8851

Diner, Gay Bars and Clubs, Bars and Clubs

6 articles

The Little Mermaid Bar & Restaurant

2442 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-396-4520

Deli, Diner, Recommended, Best Of

It doesn't advertise. Its entrance is literally hidden at the back of the gifts department on the second floor. And yet, every day at lunchtime, every seat at the twin curved counters of the Little Mermaid is occupied, and more eager patrons queue up in front of the cash register, waiting to pounce on any vacancy in this cramped, wood-paneled nook. What could be better to fuel yourself for an intense afternoon of shopping than a smoked turkey Reuben with homemade Thousand Island dressing? Or a ham-and-hogwash sandwich (hogwash being a tangy-sweet, horseradishy sauce) on grilled egg bread? Or perhaps one of the Mermaid's salads: spinach, cobb, or caesar -- the latter available with grilled chicken or shrimp? The homemade soups are always excellent, so one can't go wrong with the Mermaid Sampler: a cup of soup, half a sandwich, and fresh fruit. Ladies who really know their lunch always order a side of the orange soufflé; it may look like a Jell-O mold, but trust us, it's much, much more. The cakes certainly look tempting, but a full slice is huge. That's why these ladies almost always travel in pairs: the better to split a slice of deliciously moist carrot cake, my dear!

3 articles

Diner in South Florida

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