Although this classic diner is relatively young (it opened in 1996), it has a distinctly retro feel that makes it popular with locals and tourists visiting Alabama’s Gulf Coast. The food is full of Southern flavour – think po’ boys, grilled shrimp, fried okra and turnip greens – but there are also perennial diner favourites, such as cheeseburgers, apple pie and its specialty: banana split.

The decor of this kitschy diner is reminiscent of your granny's house, with printed tablecloths, curtains and whiteboards, and picture frames and memorabilia covering every inch of wall. On the menu are a few diner classics – the eggs Benedict with sausage gravy and the blueberry pancakes are popular – with a side of friendly service.

Inside a classic Googie (read: Space Age) building dating back to 1964, Arizona’s Welcome Diner is the grooviest restaurant around. The Southern-inspired brunch menu includes a noteworthy range of biscuit dishes, including biscuit eggs Benedict, meanwhile the dinner menu has modern additions such as a jackfruit torta and fried green tomato sandwich.

We love a theme and this diner's is simple: the colour purple. The venues are fashioned on the classic 1950s model, with a retro soda fountain and plenty of neon, and there are now five locations (three in Little Rock, one in Hot Springs and one in Conway). They all serve diner food, including popular burgers, hot dogs and toasted sandwiches, plus signature purple shakes and desserts.

Opened 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 dishes abound, including chicken wings, pancakes, French toast, hash browns and eggs. But it’s the house speciality of fried chicken and waffles that has people talking.

This 24-hour diner has stood on the corner of Colfax and Race Street in Denver since 1942 – information it displays proudly above its door. Check out its fluorescent sign, black leather booths and vintage wall art, all reflective of a decade gone by. Then feast on Greek-influenced diner dishes. The Greek salad with feta cheese, hot chilli peppers, olives, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and pita, and Gyros Melt, a toasted gyro meat sandwich with cucumber sauce and fries, are popular orders.

Touted as the longest stainless-steel diner in the country, Olympia Diner started life in Massachusetts before being brought to Newington in 1954. It has table jukeboxes, booths and bar stools, and has been the location for various films and photoshoots. And when it comes to the food, diners can expect solid, no-frills cooking. Chocolate-chip pancake stacks and cheese omelettes sit alongside American Italian classics such as spaghetti with meatballs and meatloaf with gravy.

Lucky’s is a small but perfectly formed family-friendly diner with a vintage feel. It serves, as you would hope, decent coffee, as well as hearty all-day breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers and desserts. The star dishes are the French toast with bacon, the huevos rancheros and the fluffy banana or blueberry pancakes.

"Cooked in sight…must be right" is this diner’s motto and has been since 1950. Fortunately even after being restored, the decor, like its tagline, stayed true to its retro roots. The menu is traditional diner chow, with a few contemporary upgrades – think goats' cheese omelettes, fresh juices and acai bowls. The crab cakes on a toasted English muffin with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce feature frequently in rave reviews.

A short drive northwest of central Atlanta is the Marietta Diner, a neon palace that you may have spotted on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Not only does it look fabulous inside and out, it's open 24-hours per day, serving timeless breakfast dishes, as well as sandwiches, burgers and, owing to the proprietor’s background, a variety of popular Greek meals. Check out the spinach pie, moussaka and pastitsio (a macaroni, beef and béchamel bake).

This retro joint in the Aloha State not only pays homage to the 1950s diner, it pays homage to the whole era. The walls are adorned with memorabilia (there’s also a shop) and dishes are named after iconic celebrities, characters, movies, TV shows and songs, from Elvis Presley to Mickey Mouse. All-beef Hound Dogs (hot dogs), 1/3lb (151g) “Bopper” burgers, beer and milkshakes fill the menu.

It’s hard not to fall for Dixie’s charm with its chequered floors, neon signage, grey and red booths and table jukeboxes. Service is fast and friendly and food is top notch. Choose from build-your-own omelettes, a range of fresh soups, skillets and burgers. The just-made malt milkshakes will make your mouth water too.

Inspired by mid-century diners, Dove’s in Chicago’s Wicker Park shows retro design and contemporary cuisine are a perfect marriage. The wood panelling, brown tile floor, counter stools and soundtrack of Chicago soul and blues conjure a distinctly vintage vibe, while the menu is modern Tex-Mex and diner food. Expect fried chicken and mac and cheese alongside pozole rojo (a Mexican pork stew), tacos, chile relleno (battered, stuffed peppers) and mezcal cocktails that pack a punch.

Originally opened as a Dog n Suds (a Midwestern chain popular in the 1950s) Edwards is a family-run diner that’s going strong after more than 60 years. A blast from the past, it has a carhop service and hosts vintage car shows. Do as the locals do and try the renowned pork tenderloin (it's enormous) with homemade root beer. You can't go wrong with a Coney dog either.

This comfy all-day venue has a vintage look, a warm atmosphere and a commendable relationship with local food producers. The "Huevos Epsteinos" (smoked pork green chilli on parmesan polenta and fried eggs) is worth the trip alone and the sweet offerings – we’re talking cinnamon roll French toast and buttermilk pancakes – are well loved too.

Known for its signature Spanish burger (a steak burger with a secret sauce) and its apple pie, Bobo’s has been around since 1948 – long enough to earn a firm place in local residents’ hearts. It’s only small and half the custom comes from carhops, but it’s usually worth grabbing a stool at the counter to imbibe the old-school atmosphere, kindly hospitality and thoroughly decent diner food.

The oldest restaurant in Frankfort, and Kentucky's best kept secret (until it featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), Rick’s White Light Diner was established in 1929. Little more than a shack – but an intimate, memorabilia-filled one – it oozes character and serves some of the best Cajun food in Kentucky. Menu items include alligator and scallop po’ boys, fried chicken sandwiches, garlic home fries and beignets.

This cute, kitschy diner has a lived-in look and possibly the biggest heart in America, known as it is for its "cooking with love" ethos. Dishes are inventively named, and there’s a heartening array of veggie dishes, including crowd-pleasing sweet potato pancakes and a dish called the "Garden Slammer", which includes hash browns, vegan bacon and tofu scramble.

The Pine Tree State is not short of retro dining cars, but A1 Diner built in 1946 is up there with the most charming. With its pastel yellow exterior, chequered floor, tiled walls, blue vinyl booths and bar stools, neon clock and floral print tablecloths, it’s cheery and nostalgic. The food is suitably eclectic too, with fish tacos and a scallop BLT (scallop, bacon, lettuce and tomato between two pieces of toast) being the top choices.

Cindy’s modest diner used to be a general store and service station and that old-time vibe is still apparent at this celebrated Eastern Shore spot. It serves comforting home-cooked meals such as chicken and dumplings, sausage gravy over biscuits, and cod fishcakes with veg, in a laid-back setting. Its customers rave about the quality of the food and the portion sizes.

Believed to be one of America’s oldest diners still in operation, Casey’s 10-stool dining car has been serving customers since 1922, though it began life as a horse-drawn wagon. It has a long wooden bar, classic diner stools, retro floor tiles and an 129-year old bun steamer. 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.

A nostalgic diner and soda fountain straight out of the 1950s, Dawson & Stevens Classic 50's Diner has pastel pink and green furnishings and more than 12,000 Coca-Cola items to browse while you wait for your food. You can't go wrong with a burger and a chocolate milkshake.

This cream and red Art Deco dining car is a local legend, dating back to 1939 and open 24-hours per day, 365 days per year. Even though it has now become a tourist attraction, prices have stayed fair. It serves amazing fried chicken, old-school burgers and the best blueberry pancakes, but don't expect it to be a fine-dining experience.

Although Brent’s has had a few facelifts since it opened as a pharmacy in 1946, it has remained true to its roots and the duck egg blue soda fountain and bar stools are still in their original locations. This is one cool, classy diner, and it's little wonder that it starred as a location in Hollywood movie The Help. The burgers and patty melts (a beef patty with onions, Cheddar and Texas toast) are rightly lauded and the shake options are impressive too.

This all-American diner on St. Charles Rock Road, St. Louis, provides the ultimate nostalgic 1950s experience. Not only does it date back to that decade, the red and white striped eatery offers curb service, delivering customers crisp but juicy cheeseburgers, curly fries, onion rings and cherry topped milkshakes straight to their front seats. Go on the right day and you could also catch a vintage car show.

A vintage diner dating back to 1905, Gamer’s Cafe is in an Art Deco building with classy pastel interiors, a counter and stairs leading up to more booths. It prides itself on its Cornish pasty, a meat pie introduced by Butte’s early settlers, who were miners from the UK. Filled with tender Montana steak and local potatoes, its crust melts in your mouth. It’s said to be great with gravy and coleslaw, although this is far from the traditional way to eat it.

With its neon signage, red booths, and black and white pictures on its walls, Mel’s Diner is a retro-themed spot open since 2011. The prefabricated diner, which quickly became a Fremont hotspot for truckers and locals, only took two months to be assembled. It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with customers raving about the chicken fried steak dinner and homemade pies.

For more trucker hot spots, take a look at the best truck stop eats in every state

This friendly diner in the centre of Las Vegas will take you straight back to the 1970s. It has purple booths, the walls are adorned with funky ornaments, flowers and doilies, and there are business cards stuck on the tables. But the real winner is the food. Everything is praised from the breakfasts like pork chop with eggs and chocolate waffles with ice cream to the fries and homemade jams. It also hosts classic car shows.

Another 24-hour diner, the Red Arrow has been around since 1922 and has three more outposts, but the Manchester location is the original. It has kept its vintage look, with red brick walls, red paint and a tall neon red sign. The inside is much the same, expect booths, red bar stools and walls cluttered with red neon and vintage memorabilia. The speciality here is pork pie with gravy.

Like magpies to shiny objects, customers flock to this steel-fronted diner, which must be one of the most recognisable in New Jersey (and the state has no shortage of great diners). The mammoth menu provides customary diner food, including a rocking meatloaf and tasty chicken and waffles. It also has a large selection of excellent fresh seafood dishes, such as buttery crab-stuffed shrimp and grilled scallops.

This roadside diner, which is housed in a former gas station and garage, is one of the best places to fuel up along Route 66. Converted into a 1950s-style diner in 1987, it’s as kitsch and glossy as a movie set and offers daily blue-plate specials. The restaurant’s trademark dish is the "Pile Up", a heap of pan-fried potatoes, bacon, two eggs, cheddar and green chilli sauce.

For more roadside restaurant inspiration, check out America's best road trip eateries

There are countless diners in the Big Apple, many of which are regarded as iconic. However, Square is refreshingly unpretentious. The TriBeCa landmark is a classic train car diner with wood panelling, believed to date back to the 1940s and run by the same family for the last 40 years. Spanish omelettes, breakfast steak, pancakes and endless coffee are the highlights.

The aptly named Midnight Diner is open 24/7 with its neon lights reflecting off the silver dining car 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 and cheese, and collard greens – all of which are endorsed by happy diners.

Kroll’s has four 1950s-style venues in Minot, Bismarck, Fargo and Mandan, which are well known throughout North Dakota. Its USP is that it serves German specialties alongside American diner food, so it’s possible to order knoephla soup (creamy dumpling soup) and cabbage rolls (cooked cabbage leaf parcels with a meat filling), or country fried steak with sausage gravy. Currently only the Fargo, Mandan, and Minot locations are open for carry-out. 

Ohio has a great choice of diners, but if you close your eyes and picture a quintessential 1950s spot, something like roadside Diner 23 is likely what you’ll imagine. The owners of this family-friendly venue are renowned for their hospitality and the home-cooked food is reasonably priced. Breakfasts, such as sausage links and waffles, are especially good, as are the roast beef sandwiches with gravy.

This celebrated diner is located a half-hour drive south of Oklahoma City. Although it opened in the early 1990s, it’s a nostalgic tribute to old-school diners and appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The food is Tex-Mex and the Tamale Breakfast – grilled tamales with eggs, chilli con carne, cheese and fries – gets repeated praise, as does the Eggarito, an egg burrito smothered in tomato sauce.

Established in 1937, Jim Dandy Drive-In is one of the oldest drive-ins in Oregon, growing from the days when carhops served customers through car windows following illegal drag races. Nowadays very much a law-abiding outlet, the diner boasts a cosy and colourful dining room, complete with leather booths and vintage advertising. Diners love the juicy burgers and huge, real ice cream milkshakes in flavours such as lavender.

Want more burgers and fries? These are the best joints in every state

The Depot at Doolittle's is a group of refurbished dining cars set up like a vintage train depot. Here you'll find a diner in a renovated 1950s Pullman Standard passenger car (pictured). Bright red on the outside, with a red and yellow chequered floor, red and white leather booths, and a jukebox, it screams retro. The food, on the other hand, is fancy. We’re ordering the bison, bacon and bacon marmalade cheeseburger plus a side of duck-fat fries with garlic, parsley and Parmesan.

This bold blue dining cart in East Greenwich dates back to the 1950s when it was built by The Worcester Lunch Car Company. Though it has been restored, it retains the original clock, green bar stools, woodwork and floor tiles. Meanwhile, the stainless-steel hood, wooden booths and photographs were brought in to fit the retro decor. Head here for brunch – customers rave about the banana-bread French toast.

Everyone who visits this South Carolina institution insists you must try it at least once. Beacon Drive-In dates back to 1946 and attracts customers with its longstanding curb service. It's also famed for its iced tea, chilli cheese burger, fries, onion rings and huge portions.

This vintage diner, with its old-school interior, part-brick, part-stainless steel exterior, and outdoor seating, is the top choice in South Dakota. It’s a proper community spot, known and loved for its poutine, beef stroganoff (braised beef and mushrooms in a creamy sherry sauce with pasta) and jambalaya (made with spicy pork and andouille sausage or blackened chicken, and cream sauce).

Speros Zepatos, a Greek immigrant from Cephalonia, founded Memphis’ oldest restaurant in 1919. Updated by his son Harry in the 1950s, it remains appealingly old school and is now a local landmark and popular location for movie shoots (it featured in The Firm and Walk the Line to name a few). The French toast, biscuits and gravy, and sweet potato pancakes are divine.

Built in 1954 as a drive-in, this venue has changed hands and names over the years, but has been the Original Market Diner since 1989. Changes or not, it's fast and friendly and continues to serve home-cooked food in hearty Texan-sized portions, with bottomless coffee. The Denver omelette, biscuits and gravy, banana-bread French toast and homemade pie all get a thumbs up.

This retro diner has been owned and operated by the Sill family since the 1950s. Customers love the retro mom and pop vibe, but the food impresses even more. The chicken fried steak with gravy is the most popular dish on the menu, juicy with a crisp batter. However, visitors also say exceptional things about the scones with honey butter.

Over 90-years-old, this diner is as retro as it gets with its lime green exterior, neon red Henry’s Diner sign, bright yellow vinyl booths, bar area and tiled floor. The menu is diner and Greek food, plus a few blasts from the past like root beer float and Vanilla Cream soda. The eggs Benedict served with home fries and the French toast are food highlights.

It’s pink, it’s kitsch, it’s on the tourist trail, and you'll either love it or hate it. We're in the first camp when it comes to this head-turning diner. Expect a pink Cadillac parked up out front, plus "Elvis Burgers", 8oz (227g) double cheeseburgers, and "Hound Dogs", 1/4lb (113g) all-beef hot dogs on the menu. Its signature "All Shook Up Shakes" and sundaes are the stuff of diner dreams too.

Probably the most kitch spot in Seattle, Luna Park Cafe is a 1950s-style diner that opened in 1989. Here you’ll find a 1958 jukebox and other coin operated decorations such as Pepe the Dancing Clown, making it a haven for fans of the era. But while the decor is old school, the food is modern. Expect cauliflower "buffalo wings", vegan nachos and cake-like milkshakes.

The recently renovated Dolly’s Diner is the place to go if you’ve got a sweet tooth. It serves classic diner food such as omelettes and burgers, but the homemade desserts are the star of the show. Visitors can’t get enough of the "Butterscotch Lush" – butterscotch pudding and whipped cream on a nutty, Graham cracker base. Plus its funky architecture, neon lights, part-steel interiors, bar stools and booths will have you convinced you’ve gone back to the 1950s.

This lunch dining car (which, thankfully, also serves breakfast) has been open since 1926 and was in the same family until 2001. The current owners have remained faithful to the character of this much-loved establishment, which many will recognise from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It serves a mean "Garbage Plate", a cooked breakfast of eggs, hash browns, meats, cheese and vegetables.

If you're passing through Wyoming, head to 1950s-style Johnny J’s – it’s fun, friendly, as stunning as a film in technicolour and serves all the American food you could wish for. Delicious options include the Broasted chicken (battered and cooked in a pressure cooker), the burgers and the homemade pies. 

Feeling inspired? Read on for more weird and wonderful American diners