|
 |
LATE NIGHT DINERS
|
By Christine Imbs
Whether you spent your college years in late night cram sessions, or more like John Belushi in Animal House, you’ve probably experienced that craving for post-midnight munchies. Enter the world of late night diners.
These icons of grease are not for the health conscious or faint of heart, especially at three in the morning. But if you have youth on your side, or simply a desire to wax nostalgic, there are five diners many college students consider the crème de la crème of greasy spoons.
Courtesy Diner on South Kingshighway has been around since about 1965. There’s also a newer one on Hampton Avenue, but diehard customers insist this one’s the best. That’s because the Hampton Avenue Courtesy is a bit too shiny and new for their tastes. But the menu’s the same no matter which one you favor. And the prices suit even the poorest college student’s budget. With the exception of steak and eggs for $7.95, they serve nothing over $5. So you can happily munch away on a double cheeseburger for $2.95 or a Slinger for $4.95. For the uninitiated, a Slinger is a hometown concoction of meat, eggs and potatoes smothered in chili, cheese and onions. Obviously, these are best left to those with cast-iron stomachs.
If you’re near the corner of 7th and Chouteau there’s the Eat-Rite Diner whose slogan, “Eat-Rite or Don’t Eat At All,” takes on a whole new meaning in the wee hours of the morning. Unlike Courtesy, which does have a few booths, Eat-Rite is strictly counter seating with a bird’s eye view of the grill and therefore a sneak preview of what you may be getting yourself into. But because at this hour of the night the only thing going through your mind is “eat food now,” that probably won’t make much of a difference. And besides, where else can you get six hamburgers for $4.50 and a Slinger sided with your choice of ham, sausage, bacon, hamburger patties or an entire T -bone steak for $6.95?
On Manchester Road in Maplewood is Tiffany’s Diner. It’s a small, narrow place so if you’re the least bit claustrophobic you may want to sit by the door. But if you do venture down the counter be prepared to get friendly with anyone coming the other way. With the counter on one side and a pinball machine, cigarette machine and a few video games shoved up against the other, it can get a bit tight. But it’s a food craving that brought you here, and like most diners Tiffany’s is cheap and traditional. Most omelets are under $5 as is your standard Slinger, while a hamburger will cost you between $1.50 to $2.35. But, if you really want to splurge you can actually get a 12 ounce T-bone steak with two eggs for $12.95.
City Diner on South Grand is not exactly your typical greasy spoon. For one thing you don’t necessarily have to get cozy with the other night owls. And the décor puts you more in mind of Arnold’s Malt Shop in Happy Days than a traditional diner like Eat-Rite. They’ve even got a non-smoking section. But if you have a midnight craving, save City Diner for the weekends. That’s the only time they’re open 24 hours. Still, if it’s
4 a.m. on Saturday and the munchies strike, this is a place worth visiting. It’s not quite as cheap as traditional diners, but it’s still reasonably priced and with some very untraditional menu items alongside some old favorites. For instance, there’s a meatloaf omelet with mashed potatoes and milk gravy for $5.95. And at $7.50 there’s the Big Daddy, two one-half pound burgers with your choice of cheese. If this doesn’t leave you feeling satiated, nothing will.
Last, but certainly not least, is Uncle Bill’s Pancake and Dinner House. Although technically it’s not a diner, no list of late night eating places would be complete without it. There are actually two locations, one in Manchester and the other on South Kingshighway. Both are open 24/7, and although a full menu is always available, staff members say most late night Uncle Bill aficionados prefer the breakfast items. And why not? You can get a generous stack of buttermilk pancakes for $5.10 or corned beef hash and eggs sided with pancakes and hash browns for $7.25. If into dessert for breakfast, there’s the Chocolate Alaska—pancakes with a generous scoop of ice cream laced with hot fudge for $6.25. And if you’re counting up the calories and fat grams then you’re probably not young enough or sleep deprived enough. |
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
