Quaker Diner
319 Park Road, West Hartford
The Quaker Diner is a quintessential coffee shop. You know it already: walls covered in memorabilia, the staff that's been there for as long as you can remember, the sound of a metal spatula scraping pancakes off the griddle. You can sit at one of the booths or on a swivelly stool at the long counter facing the griddle and watch the short-order cook make eggs, bacon, toast, home fries, French toast and pancakes. Plus, you can always find an inspirational message on the blackboard, where daily one of the employees posts words of wisdom from "Life's Little Instruction Book." Part of the charm of a place like the Quaker Diner is its familiarity and the routine that you build around it. On Saturdays or Sundays, we head to the diner mainly for the Belgian waffles, which are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and redolent of vanilla. During the Terrible Winter of 2011 we also walked to Quaker Diner in two feet of snow just for these waffles. Alas, that was when we learned that the waffles are only served on weekends. However, on that occasion, a griddled muffin almost satisfied the craving.
Besides the waffles and the ambience, a good coffee shop also has to have good coffee (obviously), good eggs and good home fries. The Quaker Diner does all three very well. The coffee is delicious. Their omelets are huge and tasty and filled with high-quality ingredients. And the home fries are just as they should be--well-spiced, with a nice combination of chewy potato skin and soft potato flesh. The menu is typical diner fare--eggs, meat, potatoes--but has some nice surprises as well: a delicious Greek-style omelet special with high-quality feta, Sriracha hot sauce for your eggs, and turkey sausage nearly as flavorful and savory as its pork counterpart.
We typically order an egg dish each and split a Belgian waffle. We're partial to the egg sandwich and the turkey special omelet.
Before:
Ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll and a Belgian waffle
Turkey special omelet, home fries, rye toast and the aforementioned waffle
The Quaker Diner, of course, is an outstanding value. For three breakfast dishes, unlimited coffee, and orange juice, we paid $18 plus tax and tip. Warning: this place is packed on weekends and the wait can take 20 minutes--you could be awkwardly staring at someone while they eat and you wait. If you choose to eat at the counter, the wait is much shorter. Luckily, the service is fast and has always been friendly every time we've gone.
After:
Clean Plate Club
