3 Squares Diner
Grab a seat at the long blue counter overlooking the grill or slide into one of the matching booths at this southwest Georgia chain, which co-owner Austin Newman said lands somewhere between a Waffle House and a Cracker Barrel.
It has such classic diner offerings as hash browns, omelets, pancakes, burgers, melts and sandwiches, plus a fair share of Southern blue-plate specials, including hamburger steak and gravy, grilled pork chops and fried catfish, all of which come with two sides and a piece of bread for $8.
The Albany eatery started as a Huddle House, but the owners split away from that chain and turned it into 3 Squares Diner in the late 1990s. Newman and his partners took over a few years ago, with the goal of adding other locations across the Southeast.
The diners usually attract an older crowd, Newman said, in part because the low prices are hard to beat.
He prefers the old-school club sandwich served with hash browns, but the 3 Squares burger with thick-cut fries always hits the spot. The Belgian waffles also are recommended; a fluffy waffle about the size of the plate arrives with a large pool of butter melting in the center, and for a little extra flavor, the cooks can add pecans or chocolate chips to the batter.
4 Way Lunch
The squat white and red building sits on a corner in downtown Cartersville, where Fred Garrison set up shop in 1931. Ever since then, the humble spot has been serving hot dogs and burgers, made with beef ground fresh each day, just as the meat market owner envisioned.
The diner now is owned by Lillian “Pete” Starnes, who began working at the 4 Way more than 50 years ago.
You can sit on one of 11 black stools at the red countertop, just a few feet away from where the food is cooked. Breakfast and lunch are served all day, and as regulars walk in, they are asked, “The usual?”
Huge biscuits come from the rear stove, which is next to a smaller counter with three stools, a remnant of Jim Crow days. Many patrons’ plates are covered in chili, whether on an all-the-way burger or a hot dog. It’s almost as sloppy and good as the legendary gravy burger.
Don’t try calling ahead for a seat; the 4 Way takes pride in its claim to be Georgia’s oldest restaurant without a telephone.
The Brunch House
Open since early 2021 and situated in a narrow, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it building at the corner of Greene and Sixth streets in downtown Augusta, this diner offers seating in several booths or at the counter. The latter have a prime view of the tiny galley kitchen.
Guests should come in the mood for both sweet and savory dishes, starting with the fish and grits. A lightly breaded catfish filet is fried to a beautiful golden brown and served alongside two eggs (either sunny-side-up or scrambled), a choice of toast or an impressively fluffy biscuit, and a bowl of creamy yellow stone grits.
Throw in an extra helping of protein with a side of candied bacon, which sees thick-cut, peppered slices brushed with a brown sugar glaze, providing a perfect union of sweet and salty.
As for French toast, purists can opt for the traditional version, but the more adventurous should try the dish stuffed with Dutch apples or strawberries.
Closer to lunch, go for one of Brunch House’s heartier menu items, including the patty melt, which can be made with a burger or chicken breast, smothered with cheese, onions and some of that candied bacon.
Clocked
Many University of Georgia grads from the early aughts on will tell you Clocked was one of their go-to spots for a hangover meal.
The restaurant, which opened in downtown Athens in 2000, when owner David Zwart moved to the Classic City from Oregon, isn’t a diner in the traditional sense — it doesn’t serve breakfast and the hours are a pretty standard 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
But it certainly has a retro diner feel. Although its expansive patio with umbrella-shaded tables is inviting on a pleasant day, the eclectic dining room is a sight to behold. The decor is cacophonous, yet fun, with black velvet floral-patterned wallpaper, blue and red floral tabletops, black and white checkered flooring and vibrant, mosaic-covered light pendants. It’s kitschy in the exact way one would expect of a college-town eatery.
The burgers are the stars of the menu. They’re served thick and juicy, and with such classic fixings as cheese, lettuce and tomato, but it’s the creatively topped patties that really shine. The Meteor burger, for example, has melted feta cheese with bacon, tomato and a feta sauce. And the peanut butter bacon burger gets its punch from the spicy Clocked sauce. Also not to be missed: the thin, crispy garlic Parmesan fries (best when dipped in the raspberry-habanero sauce) and a chocolate malt milkshake served with a mountain of whipped cream.
Corner Grill
Credit: Henri Hollis
Located in a humble stand-alone building on U.S. 129 near Cleveland, Corner Grill is a part of many locals’ routines. The unfussy restaurant opens at 6 a.m. most days, serving coffee and breakfast basics to regulars along the busy rural highway. When it’s not too crowded, servers sit in booths and chat with customers. And it’s not uncommon for people to be greeted by name when they walk through the door.
The menu expands for lunch, with a long list of sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs, plus a whiteboard that is covered in daily specials.
The Corner Grill calls its fried chicken “broasted,” and it’s served dark and extra-crispy, with meat that somehow remains moist and tender. Side dishes are typical Southern soul food, including toothsome collard greens, scratch-made mashed potatoes, okra, green beans, cabbage, potato salad, yams and more.
Lunch at the Corner Grill is enough to make any Southerner on a road trip feel at home.
Cottage House
Even though it opened in 2006, Cottage House in northeast Georgia feels like it was plucked from an earlier age.
The restaurant, which opens at 6 a.m. and serves food until 8 p.m. weekdays, is an old-school meat-and-three place, with a cafeteria-style ordering system and self-serve fountain drinks and coffee.
The restaurant draws a crowd for dinner, with regular specials each day of the week, such as pot roast, meatloaf, country-fried steak, chicken and dressing and catfish, as well as beef, turkey and chicken pot pies.
On a Monday night visit, the special was barbecue brisket, served in a generous portion that had plenty of smoky flavor. The macaroni and cheese also was a treat, clearly made with real cheese and not a packaged cheese sauce.
Customers streamed in starting around 5 p.m., many of whom recognized one another and chatted with the servers. It’s fitting that the name Cottage House is made up of two synonyms for “home.”
Creme Hut
In the early 1970s, a sanitized nostalgia for the late 1950s and early ‘60s was in the air, hot on the heels of the release of the film “American Graffiti” and the Broadway musical “Grease.”
Creme Hut opened in 1973, and, like those celebrated works, the roadside diner elevates midcentury American pop culture, dishing out vibrant nostalgia in a cozy space highlighted by one of the region’s more charming neon signs.
It started out as an ice cream parlor, but soon expanded to add a full lunch menu. The restaurant’s home (its second, after a move in 2014) is a retrofitted filling station and mechanic’s shop, and the decor reflects the car-centric aesthetic of that bygone era.
Red vinyl booths offer comfy seats where patrons can slurp hand-spun milkshakes and malts or share a banana split. Hefty cheesesteaks and uncomplicated burgers zing out of the kitchen window as oldies from the likes of the Rolling Stones and Herman’s Hermits play in the background.
On the other hand, the sandwiches, including a retro egg-and-olive salad on toast, nod more toward dainty Southern lunch fare.
Take note: The retro vibes extend to payment policies, with Creme Hut accepting cash or check only.
D’s Friendly Diner
Nestled in the corner of a quiet commercial plaza on Statesboro’s east side, D’s Friendly Diner has attracted a strong local following with its extensive offerings and quick service.
The breakfast platters offer heaping portions of delectable grits and a broad selection of meat options, including steak, country ham or a pork chop. The sausage breakfast is a standout. Pancakes, waffles, breakfast sandwiches and nearly 20 omelets also are available. The lunch menu focuses on burgers, salads and sandwiches, including a Reuben and a patty melt.
The cozy interior has about a dozen booths and tables, plus several stools at the counter, and is dotted with photo collages capturing the diverse mix of people who are connected in some way to D’s.
Since founding the diner in 2012, owner Dana Smith often has hired employees who are in recovery from addiction.
“Someone gave me a chance and hired me fresh off drugs and alcohol,” Smith said. “And I wanted to do the same, to give people a chance and help them grow during their journey.”
First-time visitors to D’s Friendly Diner won’t know that backstory, but they will feel the sense of welcome.
Duluth Diner
Many American diners have a link to Greek immigrants. However, Duluth Diner’s origins go a little further north on the Balkan peninsula to Albania. Owner Erion Ziu cut his teeth working in restaurants there as a teen before immigrating to the U.S. After time in the corporate restaurant world, he opened the proudly independent Duluth Diner in 2005.
A patient service staff guides patrons as they wade through a voluminous, multi-page menu. The offerings exemplify the sort of only-in-America charm where stuffed grape leaves, grilled quesadillas and fried clam strips all sit comfortably next to one another on the same page — or table. More than a dozen omelet options, and the ability to customize, further make this spot a breakfast enthusiast’s playground.
Eye-catching dishes that aren’t common diner fare include the Caribbean Monte Cristo (turkey, ham and multiple cheeses wrapped into a tomato-basil tortilla, dipped in beer batter, deep fried and served with basil pesto mayo) and the Chicken Princess (moist chicken breast stuffed with chopped crab meat and draped with melted mozzarella).
Fenders Diner
Located in downtown Cornelia and sporting a lively outdoor entertainment space called the Alley, Fenders Diner is more of a modern, diner-themed restaurant than a simple, down-home spot that serves as a daily stopover. Still, it’s easy to imagine many locals regularly visiting this ambitious gathering place with a rock ‘n’ roll-themed decor and excellent food.
Even though Fenders doesn’t open until 11 a.m., the restaurant honors its diner theme by serving breakfast all day. The breakfast menu is big on sweet treats, offering such dishes as cinnamon roll pancakes and vanilla custard French toast.
The main menu, which covers lunch and dinner, includes a wide variety of diner classics, such as burgers, sandwiches, loaded disco fries, quesadillas and salads. The signature Ryeteous Reuben celebrates the pleasures of maximalism with its hefty stack of sliced corned beef and sophisticated sauerkraut, flavored with apples and riesling.
Fenders might not be a true diner, but the team behind the restaurant said their goal is to create a community space with great food, regular music events and a welcoming feeling of community. Fenders seems to hit the mark.
Georgia Diner
Sisters Veena Bagga and Nazz Tucker opened Georgia Diner in 1998, and more than 25 years later the “people-pleasing restaurant,” as they describe it, still has a loyal following.
Inside, you’ll find big-screen TVs with the sound off, along with a steady flow of lively pop music emanating from the ceiling speakers. Open for takeout 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it serves seated customers from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
The huge menu features American, Greek and Italian dishes. Favorites include a bunch of burger dishes, including a classic that comes with egg, cheese, grilled onions and bacon. The deli-style sandwiches include a Reuben and a Philly. In addition, there are entrees, such as roasted turkey breast with stuffing, a deluxe seafood platter, a T-bone steak grilled to order, and even some salads and vegan specials.
One of the more popular sections of the menu is called Skillet Specialties and includes the Hellenic skillet, with gyro meat, spinach, tomato and feta cheese, served with home fries and two eggs fixed any style.
The sisters proudly note that they make all their own cheesecakes, plus cakes for birthdays that come complete with candles. But if you’re looking for a not so decadent dessert, try the fluffy fruit waffles, topped with fresh berries and a heaping dollop of whipped cream.
Greg’s Restaurant
Georgia’s northwest corner is short on classic diners plated in chrome and bustling at all hours. The beloved Southern “family restaurant” fills that need, though, and Chickamauga resident Greg Cornelison has run his roadside eatery on the outskirts of the greater Chattanooga area for decades.
With a menu more expansive than a traditional meat-and-three, Greg’s offers breakfast all day, and hearty platters of biscuits and gravy make fine fuel for hiking nearby Lookout Mountain or tromping the trails of the Civil War battlefields just a mile up the road.
Changing daily specials offer seasonal Southern fare, such as turnip greens, white beans or glazed apples, while patrons can tuck into such American classics as burgers, club sandwiches and BLTs.
The busiest time at Greg’s is Fridays, when locals line up for the all-you-can-eat catfish special, dining shoulder-to-shoulder at tables surrounded by vintage Americana decor.
Next to the register, a case of house-made Amaretto pie and cinnamon rolls beckons. But when the cheery staff points in the direction of the banana pudding, whispering conspiratorially, “No Cool Whip, no box mix, all from scratch, it’s good,” the wise customer heeds that advice.
The Grill
On any given weekday, you’ll find owner Paula Nixon flipping burgers behind the counter and her husband Jeff, also known as Cornbread, chatting with regulars and newcomers alike.
The Grill has been operating in Hawkinsville since the 1930s, but Nixon took over about 10 years ago, with no prior food service experience. Since then, she has expanded the menu to six pages, featuring such fun combinations as a grilled cheese with bacon, blackberry jam and jalapeños, as well as half a page of burgers and omelets. Of the latter, Nixon said they’ll stuff it with whatever a customer wants.
One of her creations even was voted Georgia’s best burger in 2021 by the Georgia Beef Board. The award-winning burger, the Full Monte, arrives with a knife stuck down the center and a mixture of pimento cheese and runny egg yolk oozing out the sides. In addition to such classic fixings as tomato, lettuce and pickles, the burger comes with bacon, a melted layer of pimento cheese and a fried egg to top it all off.
The star of the show is the meat, which arrives fresh daily from nearby butcher M&T Meats. Most of the restaurant’s sauces are house-made, Nixon said. That includes her pimento cheese, ranch and Thousand Island dressings, as well as barbecue sauce.
And between prepping for lunch, manning the grill and keeping the place in order, Nixon occasionally finds the time to whip up an Oreo or lemonade pie.
Home Grown
After 14 years, Home Grown remains a somewhat funky landmark in the rapidly gentrifying Reynoldstown neighborhood in southeast Atlanta.
You can choose outdoor seating or go inside to sit at booths or tables surrounded by knotty pine walls covered in local art that’s for sale. It’s a no-frills but much beloved bastion of meat-and-three cooking — and breakfast anytime. Husband-and-wife owners Kevin Clark and Lisa Spooner said they’ve rarely had a slow day.
Clark takes a farm-to-table approach, using local ingredients as much as possible. Longtime regulars go for the hefty, open-face chicken biscuit with pork sausage gravy, along with perfect fried green tomatoes and Doux South pickles with horseradish dipping sauce.
In addition to turning out sublime fried fish, Clark’s fine-dining background shows from time to time, with the likes of frog legs and crab claws. All of that helped Home Grown win a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation for good food at moderate prices.
And the restaurant’s retro feel has made it a popular filming location for television and movie productions, including “Drumline” and Clint Eastwood’s “The Battle of Richard Jewell.”
Hoochee’s River Basket
When I visited Hoochee’s River Basket on a rainy fall morning, the little dining room felt full between me and two other customers. (In better weather, customers overflow from the tiny dining room onto a deck that overlooks the Chattahoochee.) The locals seemed to know the server and chef, however, so the place was filled with cheerful conversation despite the dreary weather.
Hoochee’s makes everything from scratch, and its biscuits and gravy were excellent. But owner Lindsey Bryant noted that the restaurant has won awards for its lunch menu. He pointed out the French technique used for the mushroom duxelles that tops the Filly Cheese sloppy joe and the jalapeno-cheddar bechamel on another sloppy joe called the Joey.
The breakfast menu, which Hoochee’s starts serving at 6 a.m., shows creativity too, ranging from a sophisticated quiche lorraine to a decadent cold-brew French toast stuffed with coffee-infused cream cheese.
Set on a beautiful riverbank near the Alpine village of Helen, one of North Georgia’s top tourist destinations, Hoochee’s River Basket attracts both locals and visitors. The menu’s unbridled creativity and the staff’s friendly service likely keep them coming back.
Johnny V’s
Credit: Jenna Eason
Mustard yellow walls, red and yellow checkered floors and cherry red booths make dining at Johnny V’s feel like stepping back in time. Johnny Vastakis opened this south Macon restaurant in the late 1960s, and his son, George Vastakis, carries on the Johnny V’s tradition.
Johnny V’s attracts a sizable pre-work breakfast crowd. Between the ringing of the restaurant’s phone, the shouting of drive-through orders and the sizzling grill, it’s the perfect level of noise and bustle to start the morning. And a cup of drip coffee in a classic white mug will finish the job.
The menu posted on the back wall offers plenty of breakfast and lunch dishes, including patty melts, slaw dogs and the namesake V Burger. A hearty breakfast plate always is a solid choice, served with made-to-order eggs (add American cheese for extra heartiness), two thick sausage links that snap when bitten, a heaping scoop of stone-ground grits and the option of biscuit or toast.
It’s the type of place where, at 8 a.m., you can order pancakes or enjoy a hamburger or hot dog to start the day. The friendly but efficient servers bring the food out fast, refill coffee mugs as needed and send customers out the door with a full belly. As the slogan on the back of each red Johnny V’s shirt says, “You’ll go even further for Johnny V’s.”
Landmark Diner
Greek bric-a-brac and international flags hanging from the ceiling of this New York-style diner allude to the story of founder Tom Lambrou. Before moving to New York and purchasing several diners, he cooked on Greek ships navigating the world. He set his sights on Atlanta just before the Olympics, opening the flagship location of Landmark Diner in 1994.
Shiny stainless steel and neon signage set the tone outside. Inside, a baking case filled with pies and fluffy cakes greets you just before someone calls you sweetie, inviting you to sit anywhere in the chrome-accented, marble-tiled dining room filled with time-weathered turquoise vinyl banquettes. The laminated menu ranges from breakfast to Southern fried catfish, lasagna, quesadillas and moussaka.
It’s open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is a late-night crowd from The Punchline comedy club next door, while daytime is a mixed bag of regulars, tourists and lone diners drawn by the large portions or comforting chicken noodle soup. And if you love a Thanksgiving dinner, it’s always available, with roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and lots of brown gravy.
Little City Diner
The town of Winterville sits just outside Athens, with a population of 1,200 and a tiny downtown to match. Blink, and you might miss it. It’s worth slowing down, however, for Little City Diner.
The eatery resides in a nondescript building with a gable roof on a road that has truckers whizzing past, but locals have flocked to it since 2013. The brainchild of married couple Deenan and Matthew Scott (who also own Big City Bread in Athens), the restaurant serves Southern fare in a casual atmosphere.
Don’t let the austere exterior fool you; it exudes warmth on the inside. The first thing that jumps out is the pastry case filled with house-baked treats that’s located prominently by the cashier. Then, there’s the decor — cozy and homey, it has cheery local folk art on the cinder-block walls. The restaurant’s logo even features a painting by Winterville artist Cameron Bliss Ferrelle, with the pastoral chicken motif paying homage to the rural surroundings. On a recent Friday morning, the restaurant hummed with guests grabbing a quick meal before work and students swinging by for a bite on the go.
Although the restaurant offers lunch, it’s breakfast that stands out. You can’t go wrong with an egg and cheese biscuit sandwich; the biscuit is large, with buttery layers, but is light enough that it doesn’t sit like a hockey puck in your stomach. Those who fancy grits will find that they’re served rich and creamy here — add cheese for an indulgent boost. While coffee tends to be an afterthought in some diners, the Scotts intentionally chose Publica, an Athens-based coffee roaster, and the result is a smooth cup of Joe.
Majestic Diner
Serving “food that pleases” since 1929, the Majestic is a neon-lit Atlanta landmark that has struggled a bit in recent times. In 2017, Briarcliff Plaza, home to the Plaza Theatre and Majestic Diner, was sold to the Asana investment firm, giving rise to rumors the property might be torn down. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Prior to the pandemic, the diner operated 24-7; these days, it is open 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.
Still, generations of families have become forever regulars, finding comfort in the widely recognized breakfast-meets-lunch menu. You can choose a counter stool to watch the doings in the open kitchen, grab a table looking out on the Ponce de Leon Avenue traffic, or sit in a cozy booth in the back.
Menu favorites include a generous lox plate with smoked salmon, capers, lettuce, tomato and onions. For a patty melt, you can choose between beef, chicken and tuna; it comes with grilled onions, American cheese on rye and crispy crinkle fries.
Plates for children under 12 feature silver dollar pancakes with bacon or sausage, chicken tenders or grilled cheese. And, of course, children and grownups alike can go for the indulgence of milkshakes and sundaes.
Marietta Diner
Guests can find nostalgic ambience and comfort food classics at this diner, which features mirrored wall panels and Art Deco-inspired ceilings.
On a recent weekday visit, the expansive dining rooms pleasantly buzzed with guests. Among the crowd were families with little ones too young for school, retired folks and college kids dining with their parents (it’s not far from Kennesaw State University).
As you’d expect at a diner, the comprehensive menu includes pages of breakfast items (available at all hours of the day) as well as lunch and dinner. Southern touches stand out, as well as Greek influences in the Athenian omelet and spinach pie, a nod to owner Gus Tselios’ background.
There is lighter fare, but, of course, that’s not why you dine here. You come for the over-the-top indulgences, including the thick Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Or make it a sundae with two scoops of ice cream. For those craving something savory, there’s the hobo banquet: a bed of home fries topped with melted American cheese, eggs (you can choose any style, though sunny-side up works best), peppery country gravy and a biscuit on the side. It’ll leave you feeling full — that is, until you remember the cakes.
Stopping guests in their tracks as they walk in are the cases packed with myriad styles of cakes, including the baklava cheesecake; and the “crazy” cake with layers of carrot cake, cheesecake, red velvet and chocolate ganache. Fortunately, you can take a slice home with you.
Metro Cafe Diner
With its colorful striped awning and inviting brick facade, this place has been a fixture in Stone Mountain since 2006.
The lively, light-filled restaurant, which has a sister location at Peachtree Center in downtown Atlanta, is a gathering spot for families and other locals, who pack into the red-and-teal-accented space that features old-school leather stools and a full-service bar.
The menu hits all the diner staples — egg-centric breakfast plates, burgers and pancake stacks with classic sides, such as cheesy grits and biscuits soaked in gravy. But the food also leans into Southern favorites, too, including giant platters of baby back ribs as well as country-fried catfish.
Finish the meal with one of the stellar desserts that are displayed in a central glass case, including key lime pie and chocolate cake.
Add in quick, attentive service, a dedicated children’s menu and vegan-friendly dishes, and it’s easy to see why this something-for-everyone diner is successful.
The Palace Diner
This restaurant, which sometimes still is called the Diner on Abercorn, is a fixture of the Savannah dining scene. The sleek exterior and retro interior have lured customers for decades and also have made the diner a popular setting for films, including the music video for Travis Tritt’s “Smoke in a Bar.”
Growing up, current owner Amy Stafford and her friends frequented the diner when it was the Pankake Palace.
On an initial visit, customers should consider one of the breakfast plates, such as the rich Monte Cristo, but there are plenty of other choices, including six styles of French toast, eight omelets, pancakes and waffles.
The Palace Diner also has a solid menu of burgers and milkshakes and a wide selection of plant-based and dairy-free items.
Open until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the diner is one of the few reliable options for late-night food in Savannah.
The diner also offers a chance to play trivia on Wednesday nights and bingo on Friday nights, and bands occasionally perform in the parking lot.
Rexall Grill
A mashup of a traditional diner and a pho joint, this is the sort of dining spot that only could be found on Buford Highway.
Open since 1969, the compact space in a nondescript Duluth building retains a retro feel, with cozy red leather booths, an impressive display of vintage Coca-Cola bottles and walls decked with Atlanta sports memorabilia.
Service is as effusive and attentive as expected at a family-owned spot. Owner-manager Danny Sexton has worked in the diner since he was 10 years old, and he still brings food from the kitchen and wipes down tables while greeting regulars as they linger over morning coffee and breakfast platters or grab a quick lunch at the counter.
Rexall’s all-day breakfast menu is full of diner MVPs, such as fluffy buttermilk biscuits, omelets and breakfast platters piled high with eggs, grits and meats. Other standout dishes include a burger, creamy macaroni and cheese, and such Southern favorites as chicken-fried steak.
But what really sets the diner apart is the Asian menu, a reflection of its Buford Highway location. Start with crispy eggrolls before moving on to hearty bowls of pho and lo mein. There’s even a selection of smoothies in tropical flavors, including passion fruit and mango.
And no meal here is complete without a slice of decadent coconut cake.
Ross Diner
Harold “Butter” Ross worked at a diner before shipping off to World War II. After military service, he returned to open his own restaurant. His namesake diner, known for the buttery biscuits made fresh daily, opened in 1945 near the century-old Grand Theater in Cartersville’s downtown square.
The decor and menu haven’t changed much since then. Polished chrome stools align around a U-shaped counter where servers are quick to pour a cup of coffee. Relics from days gone by are all around, including the advertisements from local businesses, some long gone, that line the walls.
The diner has a no-nonsense, homestyle menu. If you visit, someone probably will be noshing on country fried steak with gravy, a long-standing favorite. Fried bologna with eggs and grits is a good choice. Sloppy joes taste like the ones from childhood and drinks are refilled without your asking.
Customers settle in with newspapers and talk about the weather and local football games. It feels inherently American as the train rolls by every half hour and pickup trucks sit in the parking lot. But a fried pecan pie will remind you that your feet firmly are in the South.
Ruth Ann’s Restaurant
This restaurant began as a meat-and-three more than 30 years ago, but when founder Ruth Ann Heisey sold it to daughter Mary Heisey in 2006, Ruth Ann’s went in a new direction, offering gussied-up morning fare, such as French toast featuring Cap’n Crunch cereal, red velvet pancakes and even an espresso bar. Breakfast is a big part of the attraction at this daytime diner.
On the savory side, a standout Southern version of eggs Benedict, called the Red Rooster, features a couple of wobbly poached eggs, fried chicken and tomato gravy on a flaky biscuit. Omelets are filling and can be folded with chicken Florentine, cheesesteak, corned beef, veggies or ham and cheese. And pancake tacos hold eggs, cheese and bacon.
Lunch items include platters of country fried steak, turkey and dressing, meatloaf or a catfish filet with two you-choose-’em sides (top picks: cornbread dressing, mac and cheese or sweet potato souffle with raisins). Handhelds include the French onion-stuffed burger, held together by a toothpick with mini onion rings.
Ruth Ann’s also has servers who are cheery and chatty, while the veteran cooks in the kitchen have been known to break out in song.
And, of course, there are the regulars. “It’s very ritualistic,” Mary Heisey said. “We have a group of young fellas that come every Tuesday, and, certainly, families that are here every Saturday morning or couples that meet every Wednesday morning. That’s the comfort of consistency.”
Sautee Trail Cafe
Credit: Henri Hollis
Like many locally owned restaurants in this corner of northeast Georgia, it feels like nearly everyone knows one another at Sautee Trail Cafe. Located just outside Clarkesville, the log cabin-style restaurant might not look like your typical diner, but it fits the bill with its wide-ranging menu and long hours.
The restaurant is open most days from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Breakfast is simple, with the usual suspects and a selection of omelets, plus some sweet dishes, such as pancakes and French toast. Also, the cafe offers fresh buttermilk biscuits that are baked in-house each morning.
The lunch menu is made up mostly of hamburgers and sandwiches, though the restaurant does offer shrimp and oyster po’boys. The short dinner menu, featuring barbecue, hamburger steak, chicken strips and fried shrimp, frequently is supplemented with specials, such as spaghetti or catfish.
Some weeks, Sautee Trail Cafe also serves cakes that are baked locally by Brigette Howard, whose son has a rare genetic condition. For each piece of cake sold, cafe owner Judy Holcomb said, a donation is made toward research into the condition.
The Silver Skillet
The prices are different, but the menu from when the Silver Skillet opened in 1956 is very much the same as today — the recipes, too.
Located near Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, the restaurant has been family-owned since George and Louise Decker purchased it in 1967; their daughter Teresa Breckenridge took over operation in 1988. Inside, rows of avocado- and orange-colored artificial leather booths, the checkerboard linoleum and boomerang tabletops all appear unchanged since the 1950s. There are six chrome stools facing the counter, where you can partake in the all-day breakfast action.
Your server may call you “honey” when taking an order of country ham with red-eye gravy or plate-sized fluffy pancakes, but that’s what you come for: the familiarity and feeling of time standing still.
Plates lining her arm, she might deliver golden-crusted biscuits or an open-faced roast beef sandwich topped with brown gravy. She also might push the lemon icebox pie.
It’s no wonder this diner has been featured in so many movies and television series; when you’re here, you could be anywhere at any time. And you know walking in that the menu will offer stick-to-your-ribs food that hits the spot.
Sunny Side Up
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
If you’re on the Georgia coast and looking for an extensive menu of dependably executed diner food at prices that are a good value, check out Sunny Side Up, which has locations in Brunswick and Savannah’s Midtown, as well as two in nearby Garden City.
Eggy breakfast items range from sandwiches to 15 varieties of omelet to the hearty, hangover-curing Tex Mex Bowl of fried potatoes topped with a mound of sauteed chorizo, onions and bell peppers, spoonfuls of sour cream and salsa and a handful of shredded cheese, all capped with eggs your way (go with scrambled). Most egg breakfast items come with a side of grits and white or wheat toast.
French toast, waffles and pancakes become a feast when you order a platter, which includes bacon, sausage, ham or corn beef hash and a couple of made-to-order eggs.
The dozen sandwiches hit the mark for meat and fish lovers while burgers — even the most basic — offer beefy bites that require two hands. And they all come with impressively crispy fries.
For a fun, customized meal, mix and match from the nearly three dozen sides.
137 Village at Glynn Place, Brunswick. 912-275-7308; 4800 Augusta Road, Garden City. 912-964-9898; and 606 U.S. 80, Garden City. 912-401-0580, <a href="https://www.thesunnysideup.co/about-us">thesunnysideup.co/about-us</a>
Sunrise Grill
This restaurant, housed in an unassuming spot in the middle of an Augusta strip mall, has a tongue-in-cheek, kitschy farm decor that features rooster knickknacks crowing on a shelf behind the wraparound breakfast counter, painted murals depicting farm scenes, caricatures of longtime staff members hanging on the back wall and framed photographs of eggs and burgers printed with phrases like “Real Eye Opener” and “Let’s Do Lunch.”
The cozy interior is the perfect setting to enjoy a menu of comfort-food, breakfast and lunch options. You’ll find a selection of egg dishes, such as steak and eggs and a handful of omelets, including a tasty Greek version with spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese that’s served with seasoned sauteed potatoes and toast; malted Belgian waffles; breakfast sandwiches on bagels, bread or biscuits; and hearty lunch fare that includes burgers, a turkey Reuben and a grilled chicken club.
The sweet potato pancakes are a must-try. Made with real sweet potatoes mixed into the batter, the fluffy pancakes are great for those who want to venture outside of the traditional buttermilk option. Guests with a sweet tooth can get a dusting of sugar and cinnamon, as well as a swirl of the diner’s house-made cinnamon cream syrup.
And corned beef hash is an acquired taste, but for those who like the diner staple, the finely ground version at Sunrise Grill is worth ordering.
Thumbs Up Diner
The colorful mural on the building of this diner’s flagship location in the Old Fourth Ward says it all: “Atlanta’s #1 breakfast destination.” And the restaurant has lines of customers snaking around the block every weekend (and often on weekdays) to prove it.
Open since 2000, the locally owned breakfast favorite draws an eclectic crowd — tourists visiting the nearby King Center, neighborhood families and those looking for brunch.
The cozy, brick-lined space is narrow — hence the long waits — but the friendly servers take it all in stride as they serve platters of such signature dishes as the Skillet Heap (sauteed potatoes, onions and peppers topped with cheddar Jack cheese and two eggs any style, plus grilled vegetables or meats).
The throwback dining room features chrome accents, snug leather booths and retro black barstools at the curved counter. There’s not a bad seat in the room for digging into slices of strawberry-topped challah French toast and such savory dishes as spicy chicken sausage grits and build-your-own omelets.
The menu goes beyond breakfast fare, with such Southern favorites as a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, plus wings, burgers and salads. And with seven additional locations in the metro area (Austell, Douglasville, East Point, Fayetteville, Marietta, Roswell and west Midtown), Atlantans never are far from an outpost of one of the city’s most enduring breakfast institutions.
Waffle House
Atlanta-based Waffle House seems omnipresent in the South. The diner chain specializes in breakfast fare, including eggs, waffles, breakfast meats and sandwiches, as well as customizable hash browns. But it also has basic lunch and dinner items — including burgers, steak and grilled chicken.
Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner founded the company in 1955 on College Avenue in Avondale Estates. Today, that location has become the Waffle House Museum, a modest monument to the chain’s motto: “Good Food Fast.” At more than 1900 locations — 450 in Georgia — it is the nation’s largest diner chain, ahead of Denny’s and IHOP. It reaches as far west as Arizona and stretches north to Ohio.
A Waffle House usually is a stand-alone restaurant located off a major road. But some Georgia locations show up in surprising spots — the Midtown Atlanta diner is at the bottom of a high-rise, and Athens’ downtown location is on the street level of a parking deck.
Most of the chain’s waffles are broad, with a tight grid of small squares. However, some locations use irons that imprint the chain’s name in the center of the waffle, and others make a taller, fluffier waffle more in line with the Belgian style.
Waffle House is a welcoming environment — customer attire ranges from prom dresses to dirt-stained coveralls — and its food is straightforward and reliable. The staff aims to treat guests like family, In that way, it’s not just the quintessential diner, but a perfectly Southern one, too.
The White House Restaurant
White House is a temple to breakfast food. Founded in 1948, it moved to its current location in a nondescript strip center more than half a century ago. The 1970s wood paneling and mauve vinyl booths are flanked by scenes from Greece, from where Demos Galaktiadis immigrated in 1966, first working at the original location before becoming the owner.
The menu is comprised of a hearty mix of homestyle Southern food with Greek flair. The homey, consistent service brings customers such staples as the White House Breakfast, which includes eggs, grits, a couple of golden pancakes and a choice of breakfast meat.
Biscuits are fluffy, the griddle that sits front and center has a nonstop sprinkling of hash browns, and coffee cups are refilled continually and cheerfully.
A plump Olympic omelet is full of spinach, veggies and feta and arrives with a side of tzatziki sauce. An open-face turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and a ladle of gravy provides the comfort of nostalgia. And if you’re looking for more healthful options, there are plentiful bowls of fresh fruit or cottage cheese.
Yonah Burger
Credit: Henri Hollis
This spot might not have diner in its name, but it certainly functions as one. Located on a busy stretch of highway in North Georgia, it serves coffee and simple breakfast standbys six days a week and the restaurant, open since 1968, has a hot box filled with grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches, with a lockbox for payment on the honor system — a true country throwback.
The lengthy menu belies the simplicity of the offerings. Many of the breakfast staples — including bacon, eggs, cheese and sausage — are available in various combinations on biscuits, in bowls, on plates or as sandwiches. Bence’s Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwich, one of the few items with its own name, is a simple pleasure: a fried egg and a slice of cheese between a couple of slices of grilled bread with mayonnaise.
Lunch offerings include hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches, but for dinner you can get the likes of country-fried steak, pork tenderloin and a choice of “kids spaghetti” or “adult spaghetti.”
In true diner fashion, Yonah Burger keeps long hours and has a wide variety of offerings. It’s much more than a burger joint.
