Whether your go-to order is a piece of pie, a stack of pancakes, a plate of eggs, or just a bottomless cup of coffee, there's something wonderfully comforting about settling into a booth or perching on a stool at a formica countertop. Diners are embedded in America's food culture – and many are still gloriously retro, with old-school neon signs, bright bar stools, and plenty of tales to tell. We round up some of the best, based on user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team.
Click or scoll through our gallery to discover America's must-visit classic diners. How many have you been to?
A roadside diner that looks like a train yard? A counter that looks like a school bus? Located at Oasis Travel Center, Derailed Diner is a little off the main freeway, but customers reckon this quirky spot is worth the short detour. The themed diner is set inside a full-size train car, with tailgates for tables – and it's chock-full of transport paraphernalia and wall art, from skis to bobsleds. Customers rave about the diner's generously filled sandwiches, like the Train Wreck (with buffalo chicken and bacon), as well as its Southern classics, like chicken fried steak.
Family-run spot Sami’s City Diner has all the fixtures and fittings of a classic 1950s diner, with a relaxed atmosphere and super-friendly staff. People love the generous portions of comfort food – think breakfast sliders, short rib hash, and chocolate chip pancakes. Alaskan specialties like reindeer sausages add a sense of place, too.
This diner's theme is simple: the color purple. Each Purple Cow outpost is fashioned on the classic 1950s model – with a retro soda fountain and plenty of neon – and there are five locations to choose from (three in Little Rock, one in Hot Springs, and one in Conway). They serve all the classics, including a wide range of burgers, hot dogs, and toasted sandwiches, plus signature purple shakes and desserts.
Established in 1958, this famed Inglewood diner is known for its preserved Googie architecture, with an irregular-shaped roof, distinctive neon sign, and retro interior. Typical diner favorites are in plentiful supply, including chicken wings, pancakes, French toast, hash browns, and eggs – but it’s the house specialty of fried chicken and waffles that has people talking.
Located a few miles south of Hartford, this roadside diner started life in Massachusetts before moving to its Connecticut home in 1954. The longest stainless-steel diner in the US, Olympia Diner has table jukeboxes and a simple old-school charm that customers adore. The food is solid, no-frills cooking, with all-day breakfast dishes sharing the menu with American-Italian specialties – but it’s the homely, old-school vibe that people really love.
'Cooked In Sight, Must Be Right' is this diner’s motto, and has been since 1950. The diner was restored in 2004, but the decor, like its tagline, has stayed true to its retro roots. The menu features traditional diner fare, with a few contemporary upgrades (think goats' cheese omelets, crab hash, fresh juices, and açaí bowls). Eggs Howley's – featuring two crab cakes on a toasted English muffin, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce – gets rave reviews from customers.
Just northwest of Atlanta you'll find Marietta Diner, a neon palace you may have spotted on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Not only does it look fabulous inside and out, but it’s also open 24 hours a day. The menu is broad and varied, with timeless breakfast favorites, sandwiches, burgers, and a variety of Greek dishes that reflect the owner’s heritage. Sweet-toothed customers can’t resist the eye-catching cake display (the baklava cheesecake is particularly divine).
This retro joint in Honolulu is not merely a nod to the classic diners of the 1950s, but it's also an homage to the whole era. The walls are adorned with memorabilia, and dishes are named after iconic celebrities, characters, movies, TV shows, and songs. Try the 'Elvis' peanut butter and banana sandwich, the 'Magnum PI' fried chicken and bacon sandwich, or the 'Lassie' chili cheese dog. There's even a shop where you can buy retro movie and music collectibles.
It’s hard not to fall for Dixie’s charms, with its checkered floors, neon signage, grey and red booths, and table jukeboxes. Here, the service is fast and friendly, and the food is top notch. Choose from build-your-own omelets, skillets, burgers, and a range of fresh soups. The just-made malt milkshakes will make your mouth water, too.
Little Goat Diner is run by James Beard Award–winning chef Stephanie Izard, so you can expect food that's a cut above standard roadside fare. That said, the joint stays true to diner traditions, with booths, spinning chrome bar stools, and blue-rimmed plates all adding oodles of retro charm. The all-day menu is full of crowd-pleasers like pancakes and corned beef hash, alongside less typical fare like okonomiyaki: a savory Japanese pancake topped with pork belly and a poached egg.
This fun and funky diner, located just west of Indianapolis, is the perfect place to go if you love all things vintage. Set in a stainless-steel dining car dates that back to the 1950s (it was carefully relocated and restored in 2014), the diner houses a collection of old-school lunchboxes with Pac-Man, Barbie, and Mickey Mouse designs. Customers love the Oasis Burger, which comes piled high with two beef patties, pulled pork, bacon, barbecue sauce, coleslaw, pickles, and Cheddar.
This comfy all-day venue has a vintage look, a warm atmosphere, and a commendable relationship with local food producers. The Bluebird Huevos (smoked pork and green chili topped with Parmesan polenta and fried eggs) are worth the trip alone, and the diner's sweet offerings – we’re talking cinnamon roll French toast and buttermilk pancakes – are adored, too.
The teeny-tiny Palace Diner has a small menu to match its dinky size. The 15-seat spot, located inside a trolley car, serves just a handful of dishes for breakfast, and offers only four sandwiches at lunch. Not that anyone minds, because everything is sublime; the tuna melt (pictured) has been described as 'life-changing.' The fire engine–red trolley was built by the Pollard Company in 1927, and is now one of two surviving Pollard diners in the country.
The Pine Tree State isn't short of retro dining cars, but the A1 Diner, built in 1946, is up there with the most charming. With its pastel yellow exterior, blue vinyl booths, neon clock, and floral tablecloths, it’s cheery and nostalgic. The food is suitably eclectic, too, with fish tacos and a scallop BLT among the top choices. The diner's Sunday brunch menu, which changes every week, is also hugely popular.
A Greek-American diner just off I-95 between Washington, DC and Philadelphia, Broadway Diner made an appearance on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives back in 2009. There's something for everyone on the huge menu, including moussaka and souvlaki, but Guy Fieri’s favorites are the Hungarian goulash, shrimp creole, and potato crusted salmon. The dessert display is pretty epic, too.
Believed to be one of America’s oldest diners still in operation, Casey’s 10-stool dining car has been serving customers since 1922, although it began life as a horse-drawn wagon 32 years before that. It has a long wooden bar, classic diner stools, retro floor tiles, and a bun steamer that pre-dates the diner by around 30 years. People come to experience a slice of history and to try Casey’s famous steamed hot dogs – get yours 'all around,' with relish, onions, and mustard.
Not to be confused with Maryland's Broadway Diner (which is also on this list), this much-loved spot in Columbia, Missouri has a charming vintage vibe and a menu packed with comfort food classics. The diner's signature dish is The Stretch, a mound of hash browns smothered in chili, eggs, cheese, onions, and green peppers. If you're feeling especially ravenous, order the Super Stretch, which is even bigger.
Very little has changed at Lou's Diner since it opened in 1969. The super-friendly spot, in the center of Las Vegas, has purple booths, walls adorned with ornaments, flowers, and doilies, and tables plastered with business cards left by customers. But the real winner here is the food. Everything on the menu gets its fair share of praise – from breakfast dishes like pork chops with eggs, and chocolate waffles with ice cream, to the diner's homemade jams, soups, and chili. As if that wasn't enough, the joint also hosts classic car shows.
Another 24-hour diner, the Red Arrow has been around since 1922, and has four locations across New Hampshire – but the Manchester location is the original. Though many years have passed since it opened, it's managed to hold onto its vintage look, with red-brick walls, red paint and a tall neon red sign. The inside is much the same too; expect booths, red bar stools, and walls cluttered with neon signs and vintage memorabilia. The specialty here is the pork pie with gravy (and you can't go wrong with the cookie sandwich, either).
Like magpies to shiny objects, customers flock to this steel-fronted diner, which must be one of the most easily recognizable in New Jersey. The mammoth menu provides customary diner food, including a must-try meatloaf and tasty chicken and waffles. It also has a large selection of excellent fresh seafood dishes, like buttery crab-stuffed shrimp and grilled scallops.
There are countless great diners in the Big Apple – but Square Diner is both incredibly charming and refreshingly unpretentious. Believed to date back to the 1940s, and run by the same family for the last 40 years, the Tribeca landmark is a classic train car diner with wood paneling. Menu highlights include Spanish omelets, French toast, and steak and eggs, along with great coffee.
The aptly named Midnight Diner is open 24/7, with neon lights reflecting off the silvery dining car exterior throughout the night. It’s the place to go if you yearn for soul food made from scratch – dishes such as shrimp and grits, fried chicken wings, mac 'n' cheese, and collard greens are all endorsed by happy diners.
With the vintage vibe of a classic American diner, and a menu of traditional, comforting German dishes, Kroll’s Diner is one of a kind – and that’s why people adore it. Since 1972, menu items like the Reuben sandwich and German burger (which comes loaded with toppings like sauerkraut) have delighted customers. The standout favorite, though, is the knoephla soup, thick with chicken, potato, and little dumplings. There are also locations in Bismarck, Mandan, and Minot.
This bold blue dining cart in East Greenwich dates back to the 1950s, when it was built by The Worcester Dining Car Company. Although it has since been restored, it retains its original clock, green bar stools, woodwork, and floor tiles. The stainless-steel hood, wooden booths, and photographs were brought in to fit with the retro decor. Head here for brunch – customers rave about the banana bread French toast.
This vintage diner – with an old-school interior complete with cozy booths and jukebox – is a Sioux Falls institution. It’s a tried-and-true community spot, known and loved for specialties including poutine, beef stroganoff, and jambalaya (made with your choice of spicy pork and andouille sausage, or blackened chicken).
Speros Zepatos, a Greek immigrant from Cephalonia, founded Memphis’ oldest café in 1919. Updated by his son Harry in the 1950s, the Arcade remains appealingly old-school, and is now a local landmark, not to mention a popular location for movie shoots (it famously featured in The Client and Walk the Line, among other blockbusters). Try the Eggs Redneck – sausage, chicken, or bacon, gravy-soaked biscuits, eggs, and hash browns – or the sweet potato pancakes.
Built in 1954 as a drive-in, this venue has changed hands and names over the years, but has remained the Original Market Diner since 1989. Changes or no changes, the service is fast and friendly, and the diner continues to dish out home-cooked food in hearty Texan-sized portions, with bottomless coffee. The Denver omelet, homestyle biscuits and gravy, banana bread French toast, and freshly baked pies all get a thumbs up.
Ruth's Diner originally opened in downtown Salt Lake City in 1930, but moved to its current, leafier location at Emigration Canyon in 1949, where it still sits in one of the city's old trolley cars. The eponymous Ruth was quite a character, by all accounts – she started out as a cabaret singer before setting up the diner – and the food still has an excellent reputation. Come for the breakfasts in particular, which can be enjoyed outside on the patio in the warmer months.
This 1940s railcar is charming on the outside, and even cuter on the inside – where there's a blue-and-white color scheme, and a row of booths runs parallel to the seat-lined counter. The Blue Benn is classic diner territory, and wins over customers with its retro feel. It’s been serving pancakes, Philly cheesesteaks, and omelets to hungry passersby since 1948 – and its table jukeboxes keep customers just as happy as the food does.
Frank's Diner is the oldest continuously operating lunch-car diner in the country. Open since 1926, it was in the same family until 2001, but the current owners have remained faithful to the character of the much-loved establishment – which many will recognize from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It serves a mean garbage plate: hash browns, green peppers, and onions served with eggs, cheese, and your choice of meat or vegetables.