Restaurant Review: Diner Deluxe

Breakfast is the best part of any morning. Nothing beats waking up to a great meal to ‘break’ my ‘fast’, but I’m also a believer that breakfast dishes don’t have to be enjoyed just during the morning.  I believe that breakfast can be served all day and lucky for me, others also feel the same way. So when we were craving eggs and pancakes in the afternoon one day, we decided to head down to Diner Deluxe to savour a bit of the morning later in the day.

Atmosphere:  Funky retro décor throughout the room reminiscent of a classic diner with many different items on the walls that draws the eye.

Price Range: Mid $10s

Food and Drinks: We were there for an afternoon snack, but ended up ordering a bit of everything after looking at the menu. It’s hard not to since everything sounded amazing but perfect for sharing!  We decided on the Classic Breakfast opting for 2 poached eggs, chicken sausage, hash and toast. Nothing beats a good poached egg, especially the moment you cut in to it and see the yolk ooze out of the center.  I really enjoyed the hash as well, with a mix between potatoes and sweet potatoes it really kicked up the traditional hash by making it more flavourful with the added sweetness from the sweet potatoes.  Plus, it makes it a bit healthier as well.  I found the sausage to be very nicely balanced. Not overly salty or oily, which they can often be.

 

It was nice to see healthier options on the menu as well. To get our greens for the day (and to balance out my pancakes) we ordered the House Salad, which came loaded with fresh greens, tomatoes, onions and topped with pecans, candied sunflower seeds served with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.  The large salads are also served with a side of toast.  I did find the salad to be a bit over dressed, but I should have asked for the dressing to be served on the side because I prefer very little dressing in my salads.  Overall though, it was a very satisfying plate, a meal in itself.

I couldn’t possibly go to an all day breakfast place and not get an order of their pancakes….so I did, ordering them as a side.  However, they’re not your typical small pancakes, they were huge! Think dinner plate sized, making them perfect for sharing (totally optional). The pancake was fluffy and soft the perfect foundation for syrupy goodness and a great way to end our meal.

 

We also ordered a couple caesars and they were delicious. Really enjoyed the added horseradish for that extra kick. A great accompaniment to our not breakfast - breakfast meal! Some of the other drinks on the menu also sounded interesting. Will have to try more next time!

 

My Picks: Since I was dining with some gluten free friends, it was really nice to see all the gluten free options on the menu. They also said that the gluten free biscuits were one of the best they’ve ever had! I was quite impressed!

Overall: They’ve got a great concept and I hope more restaurants and diners opt to follow in the trend, since there are still many places that stop serving breakfast items after a certain time or close in the early afternoon. Sometimes nothing beats a good omelet for dinner or pancakes for dessert!

 
Diner Deluxe
804 Edmonton Trail NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 276-5499
Website: www.dinerdeluxe.com