While in the Pasadena area, I stopped at Diner on Main. Since moving to the desert, finding diners hasn’t been easy. There are few around me. One of the “silver linings” about having so many doctors appointments in Los Angeles is that I can try new diners (HA). Instead of sitting in Los Angeles traffic for an hour, I decided to sit in a diner for an hour. Which ultimately led to sitting in a diner for an hour and sitting in traffic for an hour.
Diner on Main Atmosphere: A
If you are looking for a stereotypical 50’s diner, Diner on Main is the spot. As the name suggests, it’s located right on the Main Street. Driving there, I was worried about parking, but they even have their parking lot. The outside has plenty of seating with chrome tables. Even when I arrived around 5 pm, there weren’t overly crowded, and there was plenty of seating and parking spaces.
Walking inside, you are walking into a blast from the past. Everything you imagine in a diner, Diner on Main has. There are chrome seats, a jukebox, a full-length bar, and dessert case. It’s one of the most authentic diners I’ve seen in California yet.
Diner on Main Coffee: B
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh, but there was nothing unusual about it.
Diner on Main Food: A
Like the atmosphere, the Diner on Main menu has everything. There is an all-day breakfast menu, plus plenty of lunch and dinner specials. They even serve alcohol and have a happy hour. A diner with happy hour? How fun. A couple of things that caught my eye include the “southern fried chicken and waffles” (I still need a redemption after Waffle Kitchen) and the fish tacos. The Great Eggs Incognito came with 3 scrambled eggs, zesty Chili and Beans, and topped with Cheddar Cheese. You can see the full Diner on Main menu here.
They are also known for their zucchini bread, so naturally, I ordered some. I haven’t had zucchini bread in a while, and I really liked this. In fact, next time, I’ll probably buy a loaf to bring home. It wasn’t too dense or too light, and it had bits of zucchini mixed in. If you are at Diner on Main, I highly suggest trying the zucchini bread.
For my entree, I decided to go with the fish tacos. In the 400 diner reviews I’ve done, I can’t remember getting fish tacos, so it seemed like a fun choice. The “Baja Bites Fish Tacos” came with Crispy battered, Shredded Cabbage, Jack Cheese. I have had fish tacos in Los Angeles a few times now, and these are the best I’ve tried. They were crispy without being too heavy, and everything was cooked perfectly. I really enjoyed them and would order again.
Cost:
For my coffee and tacos, it was $14. Many of the Diner on Main menu items were $15 and above.
Diner on Main Service:
Everyone was friendly, from the host to the server, and I have no complaints. It was a good experience, and the food arrived quickly.
Diner on Main Conclusion/Would I Go Back?
Yes, so far, the Diner on Main is one of my more favorite diners in the Los Angeles and California area. I have no complaints. The zucchini bread is really good, and there are a bunch of other food items I would like to try including the pork chops, ribs, and some of their desserts.
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Cost: $12-20
Service: A
Overall: A
You can see more diner reviews here
Questions for you:
Have you been to Diner on Main?
Have you tried zucchini bread?