NEW YORK CITY STYLE DINER LANDS in STEEL CITY!
When you think of a typical Pittsburgh Diner, you think of a small, quaint establishment with typically some type of bar seating where you can walk right up, sit down, and order your meal. The food is typically inexpensive and delicious. The variety of people that visit diners is unique in that you have everyone from a college professor that educates, to an iron worker that builds America’s infrastructure.
If you have never been to New York City, however, you may not realize that diners in the Big Apple are a little different. Unlike a typical Pittsburgh Diner which have limited hours, New York diners are typically open from morning to late at night. Instead of a somewhat limited menu, the menu selection is huge, and you can literally order almost any culinary item you want.
Pittsburgh residents now get to enjoy the benefits at a New York style diner as Dimitrios Takos and wife Jennifer, have opened Central Diner & Grille in Robinson, Township. They have incorporated their 18 years of restaurant experience in the New York City area to replicate and put their own spin on their New York City style diner. Let us dig in!
The menu – The menu selection is huge and offers a wide variety of options. You can order breakfast at any time of the day. There is a multitude of different salad options to choose from. If you’re looking for a sandwich they have wraps, panini’s, burgers, triple decker sandwiches, and classic/specialty sandwiches. A lot of NY City Diners specialize in Greek cuisine, Central Diner is no different. Other entrees include pasta, seafood, Italian, and steak and chops.
Breakfast – As you would expect at any diner, Central Diner & Grille specializes in in Breakfast items that are complex and full of flavor. The Meat Lovers Omelet (captioned) features bacon, sausage, and ham which includes hash browns or fries and toast. The Western Skillet features hash browns, ham, green peppers, and onions. It is topped with American, cheddar, Swiss, and mozzarella cheese. Finally, it is finished with 3 eggs cooked to your liking. If you want to go all out, the Romanian or Ribeye Steak & Eggs features the most flavorful, marbled cut of steak which is cooked to your liking.
Lunch and Dinner – The list is extensive; it is recommended to check their menu out online before you go so you have some general direction of your menu selection. Here are a few items that caught my eye. The Greek Moussaka features a layering of eggplant, sliced potatoes, meat sauce, and bechamel. The Stuffed Shrimp entrée gives you the best of both worlds which combines seared shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and finished with a garlic butter sauce. Butter/lemon gives a greater flavor pop to most seafood items. If you are looking for a panini, you can’t go wrong with the Cuban. The Pork is slow roasted which makes it super juicy and flavorful. Add pickles, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard dressing, and you have all the elements of a great sandwich.
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My final take – When you have a menu this extensive and a lot of traffic from a loyal customer base, the service must be top notch. In my travels I met an experienced restaurant reviewer that was told that if you have excellent food and poor service, people will more than likely not return. If you have decent food and excellent service, people will be back. Central Diner serves excellent food, is ample staffed, and runs like a well-oiled machine. If you haven’t had a chance to go to a New York City diner in your travels, this is as close as it gets. Once you dine here, you will already be planning your next visit!