Discovering Cleveland

Service and Atmosphere

We opted to finally try Nick’s Diner for a late breakfast on a Sunday morning. Not sure what to expect, we walked in anticipating some sort of a wait–we must have missed the breakfast rush though, as we easily snagged a table near the door. The atmosphere in Nick’s Diner is interesting, to say the least. Comic book-inspired paintings span the block walls, shabby, bright red booth seating tightly fills up the restaurant, and a simple white board at the front spells out the daily specials. It’s simple, but comfortable.

A waitress promptly greeted us after we arrived, took our drink orders, and passed out a couple of menus. The servers must not have assigned tables, because we interacted with at least three of them during our visit, and all were friendly and attentive. I was impressed with how quickly our food came out, just about ten minutes, which is what I would expect for diner breakfast food.

The Food

After inspecting the menu at Nick’s Diner and admiring all that was available to me for under $5, I decided to go with my usual favorite: a cheese omelet ($3.99). The omelet, as with most other menu options, came with a side of toast and hash browns, and it was served on a huge plate. Over half of my plate was covered in omelet, a tasty choice, albeit a little plain because it was stuffed with only cheese. I’d definitely recommend mixing in some ham or veggies for a more satisfying breakfast. The hash browns, occupying the other half of my plate, were some of the better diner breakfast potatoes I’ve ever had: crispy on the top and then soft and almost mashed potato-like underneath. All in all, a solid breakfast for just a few dollars.

Also sampled was the deuces, ordered with two eggs scrambled, two slices of bacon, and two pieces of french toast ($5.99), with the addition of a side of hash browns ($2.75). The french toast was comprised of nice, thick bread, the bacon was perfectly crispy, and the eggs were fluffy and well cooked.

Our breakfast grand total was a mere $14.48 for two people, although you could surely get away with spending much less if you were trying to. The food is not mind blowing, but it’s pretty darn good, and exactly what you would expect from a diner like this.

Overall

I have a feeling that Nick’s Diner is going to be one of those places I keep wanting to return to: I get pretty jazzed for good food at a reasonable price, and I have a soft spot for greasy spoon diners. If that’s not your style, you may want to venture to something a little nicer, like brunch at XYZ the Tavern, Sweet Melissa, or even Grumpy’s.

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