Today being the last day of summer for the kids before school starts on the morrow, I was feeling particularly melancholy and to tell the truth, under the weather and lazy were also what springs to mind. "Come on", says I to the boys, "let's go out for pancakes!" (they HATE mine...its something I never did manage to inherit from my mom, that light touch with pastry, cakes or pancakes). YAY they said...YAYYYYY!!!!!! (apparently there is a limit to how many mornings your kids like to eat Captain Crunch). So where? Mo's, Bagel Bar or Flashback Diner.
What's Flashback Diner?
That old fashioned place by the racetrack!!
Yeah!!! Let's go to the old fashioned place.
With trepidation I marched the troops inside. What if its shite and they moan and complain the whole time? I needn't have worried. It wasn't kitschy yet at the same time it wasn't Denny's. It was a plain old honest to God diner, the likes you would find in a small lake town upstate New York, or in a blue collar town in PA. Hearty meals served up with a smile. Individual guys at the bar counter hitting on the waitresses. Old couples from Canada in matching Hawaiian shirts and shorts, young families, tattooed couples, groups of gals and guys hitting the beach (stoking up before they start hitting the beers you know they have sitting on ice in a cooler in that jeep with the rollbar parked in the lot), a couple of old ladies with the hairdo's that last all week, Alice and Edith and their husbands Shlomo and Sol (he worked in New Yawk...on 47th street ya know). People were ordering Matzo Ball soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and we were ordering breakfast.
Ah...the New York frame of mind. I think this is why this place gets five stars from me. I reminded me of my NY days, when we partied hard and went for breakfast when other's were going for lunch and it was always the same old diner we went to (the closest to the Irish bar LOL). We had no clue of the actual name of the place but we all called it "Amalfi Donuts". Good times, good times. Did I say I was feeling melancholy today?
We were shown to a table by our line leader of the day, our youngest who was allowed to pick our table LOL. He was rewarded with a novel "keep your kids quiet" sticker game featuring firefighters which was a refreshing change from x's and o's and a pack of crayons and it worked a treat - it kept him occupied the entire time.
The food was just great for breakfast food. The youngest had the kid's meal pancakes with an egg and two strips of bacon which came with a juice ($4.99). The pancakes came out shaped kinda like Mickey Mouse ears which tickled us no end and aided in the JUST ONE MORE EAR as opposed to JUST ONE MORE BITE when moms are trying to feed fussy kids.
The oldest ordered a stack o pancakes and a side of home fries. He declared the pancakes delicious, possibly the most delicious he has ever eaten (little traitor).
Myself had the chicken fried steak with gravy and home fries and two eggs (scrambled) and came with toast ($8.99). It was delicious - the steak was crunchy when cut into and everything was super hot. The home fries were very tasty and nicely seasoned. And half of everything was sufficient. Yes, I got a doggie bag for my other half of my steak and gravy because I am going to drive everyone at work MENTAL with the smell first thing tomorrow morning.
Coffee was extra - $1.99 a refillable cup.
Service was very good; food came up faster than at most Denny's I have been to and prices were very comparable.
The décor is not stellar but they have some really cool old pictures from around the area which are framed on the walls and some news articles and lots of odd things thrown in (like the stars on the ceiling with peoples names) This place has been around forever. Its open 24 hours and they have a great menu. The lamb shanks lunch special kinda caught my eye for those cold Florida days coming up in about 6 months.
Normally this place would be a 4 star place for me but the fact that they are open 24/7 - its five star to me living up here and with such few late night options. read more