Diner Devotion: A Look at Brooklyn’s Greasiest Spoons

The American diner is the great equalizer. Diners represent one of the last vestiges of the American Dream. Only in a diner can a campaigning politician eat a greasy, egg-and-bacon breakfast next to a pimp gorging on a steak dinner, across the room from a sweaty construction worker satisfying his post-shift craving with a bacon cheeseburger deluxe, while a drunken Wall Street banker soaks up the top-shelf vodka in his stomach with a Greek souvlaki platter, all at 3am. These family-run establishments are unpretentious and welcoming to all. Without exception, customers walking into a diner will hear the sizzling of meat on a griddle and see formica, vinyl, and chrome in stark fluorescent lighting while the tantalizing aroma of bacon and coffee wafts into their nostrils. There’s nowhere better to get an affordable and satisfying meal than a diner, one of our country’s greatest culinary institutions.

Over the years, diners have cultivated a massive swath of fans and devoted regulars thanks in part to diner aficionados like Richard Gutman and Michael Stern. Sadly, diners are approaching endangered status. Thanks to the combination of urban renewal, gentrification, Instagram-propelled haute cuisine obsession, and other trends, diners have fallen out of grace with much of the American public. In recent years, diners have been forced to either adapt their offerings and decor, or shut down. Perhaps nowhere has felt the effects of this change more than New York City. Although New Jersey is home to the most diners of any state in the USA, New York City may have the densest concentration of greasy spoons anywhere in the world. In diners’ heyday, NYC boasted thousands of diners. Today, that number has dwindled to just a few hundred.

The diners that remain have had to raise prices and sacrifice quality just to stay in business, especially in Manhattan. Once a haven for hungry mouths strapped for cash, diners now serve up $10 2 egg breakfasts and $15 lunch “specials.” With the ever-increasing presence of quick-serve chains, budget conscious diners turn away from their once beloved regular spots out of necessity. Fortunately for Brooklyn residents, the borough’s diners haven’t been as adversely affected as their counterparts across the East River. In Brooklyn, it’s still feasible to find a filling and tasty diner meal for just five or six bucks.

Walter Scott first converted his horse-pulled wagon into a lunch cart serving eggs, coffee, sandwiches, and more at all hours of the night in 1872. That was the first step toward the diners of today, but T.H. Buckley took it a step further when he began commercially producing “lunch wagons” in 1887. Mobile lunch wagons eventually gave way to stationary diners, the first of which was created by Jerry O’Mahony in 1917. In the 1920s, diners became known as places that the average American could visit to fill their belly without overspending. Because of that reputation, diners quickly made their way into the pop culture spotlight.

The 1931 gangster classic Little Caesar features actor Edward G. Robinson plotting his rise to the top of the Chicago underworld while chomping on a ham sandwich sitting atop a counter stool in a diner. A decade later, Edward Hopper immortalized the diner in his famous Nighthawk painting by depicting three solitary customers at an all night diner sharing a moment of solitude. Beat writer Jack Kerouac wrote Visions of Cody in the early 1950s, and he set the first scene in a diner, captivating the reader by describing a smell that “makes the guts of men curl in October” and a countertop with “knife marks and scars and something suggesting decades of delicious greasy food.” The list of diners in popular media is nearly endless. In addition to those listed above, there are diner scenes in Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Swingers, and even Mr. Robot, just to name a few.

Why the obsession with diners? What is it about them that appeals equally to artists, outlaws, junkies, businessmen, cops, and the general public so strongly? The mass appeal in itself is an attractive attribute. Richard Gutman tells the story, “A friend of mine in Pennsylvania ate in a diner and he’s in the middle of two guys. One is the chief of police and the other is just some character. The policeman looks over and says, ‘Didn’t I arrest you last year?’ and the guy says, ‘Yes you did – pass the ketchup.’” That interaction could only happen in a diner. Another aspect of diners’ allure is their atmosphere. Hopper, Tom Waits, and others who’ve romanticized diners have expressed gratitude for the egalitarian atmosphere that is entirely without pretension. Further, city diners serve as a communal gathering place where the barbershop-like environment helps people feel slightly less alone.

Brooklyn is full of quality diners, from Brooklyn Heights to East New York, and everywhere in between. The prices and a few of the menu items may vary from place to place, but most offer similar experiences.  However, there are several worth highlighting for their friendly faces, unbeatable prices, and general diner-ness.

Country House Diner – Clinton Hill

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On the rapidly gentrifying Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, Country House remains a place where anyone can walk in and get a quick, affordable bite. The menu is small but covers the diner staples: eggs, burgers, sandwiches, and a few simple entrees. The service is friendly, the portions are ample, and the regulars give the place a jovial atmosphere. Country House is halal, which is uncommon for diners, and was one of Notorious B.I.G.’s favorite places to eat in Brooklyn.

Fort Hamilton Diner – Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge is replete with diners. Fort Hamilton Diner, conveniently located next to the 95th Street R stop and open 24/7, sets itself apart with its excellent service and speedy delivery. The staff greets most of the customers by name and has memorized many of their orders, and online reviews rave about the reliable 24 hour delivery.  Fort Hamilton’s menu goes above and beyond the typical diner fare, with over 20 variations of hamburger, and also smoothies and “health shakes.” It’s an original greasy spoon that deserves a visit from anyone looking to eat in Bay Ridge.

Mary’s Coffee Shop – Bed-Stuy

Mary’s Coffee adds a Latin American twist to traditional diner fare. This tiny spot on DeKalb Ave in Bed-Stuy serves up dishes like beef tripe soup, mofongo (mashed fried green plantains), and codfish stew in addition to the basics. The counter is always bustling and the characters that pass through are truly unmatched, with occasional entrepreneurs popping in to offer sneakers and other goods at discounted prices to both customers and staff. Where else can you arrive hungry and leave with a full stomach and a new pair of shoes?

Tina’s Place – Bushwick

Tina’s is a pre-hipster Bushwick relic, open since the 1930s. The 3am-4pm hours may seem odd now, but the schedule was initially set to accommodate the neighborhood’s warehouse’s schedules, and it’s never changed. Two eggs, potatoes, and toast with a cup of coffee costs $4, so the prices are pre-hipster Bushwick, too. Although hipsters discovered the place years ago, it remains a quiet spot where everyone is welcome to come in and stay a while.