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Highland Park Diner
960 South Clinton Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620
585-461-5040
Rochester has quite a few diners around, but this has to be one of the coolest. Dated in the 1940’s it’s one of those diners that look like a big airstream trailer, made by the Orleans Manufacturing Company. The diner has a very deco look and it’s quite a hopping place! Expect to wait, especially during peak times. While it’s not the cheapest diner, the atmosphere itself is something to check out.
The space is a bit snug and seats only about 30, but it’s what I picture when I think of an old time diner. Since we arrived a little later than our usual breakfast visit, I chose lunch. The menu has a lot of expected diner items, but are done up right. I chose a Chicken Artichoke Melt. This had to be the best melt I had ever tasted in my life. The thick sourdough bread was crisped to perfection, the cheese melted just so, the chicken was nice and juicy, bacon was thick and top all of that off, artichoke halves were plentiful. I added waffle fries to the mix and it made one of the best lunches I’ve had in recent memory. There was so much food; I got to have leftovers the next day!
My dining companion was still in the breakfast mood and ordered the steak and eggs. This was served with home fries and toast. The steak was a bit grisly, but did come out the temperature it was ordered at. The home fries were heavy on paprika, and tasted like the potatoes were boiled first, so they were a bit soggy. It was still a good sized, decent tasting breakfast.
This is a place I wouldn’t mind returning to. The service was good and friendly, the food quite tasty and you can’t beat an authentic atmosphere!
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