[brr]

smokey, on Nov 21 2005, 03:27 PM, said:

Ack!  I say stay away from the American City Diner (CT Ave. near Avalon).  I had a terrible dinner there once with SO.  Mediocre diner food (at least for dinner), everything 'eh' at best.

'eh'!!!

nope, much, MUCH worse than just 'eh', even at best

A perfect storm of disgusting food and slovenly service.....but then again I'm probably just bitter because a 'waitress' (and I use that term VERY loosely) once dropped a pot of tea in my lap , and didn't even see the need to apologize

[JLK]

Don't worry - I won't go there. My mother and I had an abominable lunch there while I was in the middle of an apartment search. Between the lunch and the apartments, DC was looking dreary to me that day.

[jm chen]

I have not been able to go back there since an ill-starred second (and last!) date during which my date took off his jacket to reveal that he was wearing, and I am not kidding about this, a tank top.

On a date! In, like, April!

The food was mediocre, and I was concentrating on it really hard too, to avoid looking across the table.

[TedE]

See, I've never had a problem with American City. Then again I've only ever been there in the morning and sufficiently hungover. The bar for satisfying my greasy breakfast food needs after a night of heavy drinking is staggeringly low.

Edit: I'm feeling a little venty and slightly wormish.

This post has been edited by TedE: 21 November 2005 - 04:09 PM

[hillvalley]

You all are missing the point of the diner.

Let's say it's, oh, 1:00am on a Saturday morning and you have spent the past 8 hours drinking with coworkers in Cleveland Park. No one is quite reading to call it a night and you're hungry. Where are you going to go?

American City Diner

Is it great food? Not really, but at that hour who the hell cares? All you really want are carbs, grease, and something to dip them in. Not to mention there are very few places in this city where one coworker can get a cheeseburger and rings while I get the waffle. This diner is for late night, alcohol absorbing, belly-filling-so-you-can-sleep food.

Besides, where else can your arts coordinator buy you a big blue gum ball while you are dancing to Motown at that hour in that neighborhood?

[Jonathan]

they have really good vanilla milkshakes. better than the diner in adams morgan in my opinion.

[TinDC]

But why can't DC have really good diners, New Jersey-style??
I would be so, so happy.

[brr]

Jonathan, on Nov 21 2005, 05:16 PM, said:

they have really good vanilla milkshakes. better than the diner in adams morgan in my opinion.

you know, you have a point there, I do remember enjoying their milkshakes......but I stick to my 'yeuch' for their other offerings....

[Jonathan]

tastee diner is a good diner, open 24-7, like all good diners. its not a temple of haute cuisine, but fries and gravy and two eggs over hits the spot.

[hillvalley]

TinDC, on Nov 21 2005, 04:21 PM, said:

But why can't DC have really good diners, New Jersey-style?? 
I would be so, so happy.

It's the same reason why we can't get decent pizza, bagels, or affordable Italian. Let me know when someone figures it out.

[JLK]

hillvalley, on Nov 21 2005, 05:50 PM, said:

It's the same reason why we can't get decent pizza, bagels, or affordable Italian.  Let me know when someone figures it out.

Don't forget authentic Mexican.

[Jonathan]

i think the bagels from georgetown bagelry or is it bagel bakery on M Street are very good.

[JPW]

hillvalley, on Nov 21 2005, 05:50 PM, said:

It's the same reason why we can't get decent pizza, bagels, or affordable Italian.  Let me know when someone figures it out.

Simple -- not enough people of the correct ethnicity.

[KeithA]

QUOTE(hillvalley @ Nov 21 2005, 05:50 PM)
It's the same reason why we can't get decent pizza, bagels, or affordable Italian. Let me know when someone figures it out.

JPW, on Nov 22 2005, 08:47 AM, said:

Simple -- not enough people of the correct ethnicity.

Ok I agree about the pizza and the affordable Italian. However, I firmly disagree about the bagels. As a native and Jewish (surprise - there are tons outside NYC) Washingtonian, there are good bagels to be found - but just like New York there are plenty of mediocre bagel places around the DC metro area as well.

My recommendation is Bagel City on Rockville Pike in the same shopping center as TGIF Fridays. It has been around for decades and has great bagels, fish, and all kinds of sweets.

Just to get my NYC bona fides across for comparison - I lived there for 4 years.

On a related subject for everyone who wants good kosher-style deli food - head to Parkway Deli in Silver Spring. It has been around forever and is the real deal.

If you didn't figure it out yet, the problem with DC is that most of the Jews live in the MD suburbs so you have to trek out of the city for the yiddishe yummies.

[DanielK]

Speaking as a transplanted Jew from Philly (families from NY several generations), nothing we have can even be used in the same sentence as the 2nd Ave. Deli in Manhattan.

That said, the bagels at Bagel City in Rockville are pretty good, and both Celebrity Delly in Potomac and Parkway in Silver Spring are worth going to.

And, to keep this on topic, the burgers at American City Diner are ok, and if you do a private party of 15 or more, they'll reserve the patio for you, and you can put the movie of your choice on the TVs in there. The only reason, IMHO, to bother going there.

[silentbob]

Jonathan, on Nov 21 2005, 05:16 PM, said:

they have really good vanilla milkshakes. better than the diner in adams morgan in my opinion.

We stuck with the breakfast fare late on a Friday night and were generally satisfied.

I definitely liked my milkshake and drank it up. The malt waffle was on the overcooked side and somewhat less enjoyable.

A word of advice if you're sitting in the lower part of the dining room -- the jukeboxes play music that can be heard only in the main section (i.e., where you enter the diner).

[synaesthesia]

Worst bacon ever. Though I've never consumed them, can't help but imagine are on par with Beggin' Strips.

But as someone pointed out, you go there for what it is, a convenient spot to hang out. And it's the kind of place you go in the morning with your sweetheart because it's nearby and you aren't really paying attention to the quality of the food. And if you are, it's mostly hilarious instead of upsetting.