We like visiting an old diner that has been in business for a long time, with lots of loyal local customers. We found one in Brooklyn when we visited Brooklyn Museum. This diner is family owned operated since 1936! And yes, is quite popular among the locals and alike. We were excited to get some good ole’ american diner food.
The exterior and interior screamed old fashion diner, which was great! They had a counter table with bar stools right at the entrance to the left, with a narrow walkway between the bar counter and dining tables. You need to go down to the mid way between the entrance and the back wall, where they have a sign that says “wait to be seated.” It was packed on a weekend during lunch time. A staff came by quickly and told us there will be a few minutes wait.
We waited while we took in all the interesting decorations everywhere. The walls were covered with some kind of decoration, photos, news articles, etc. with years of history. After a few minutes, we were taken to what looked like an outside area from the main restaurant.
It was an add-on to the restaurant (I assume), with lots of windows. It was full Christmas mode in there, even though we were visiting during Summer time. A good way to save time and cost with no need to re-decorate for the holidays. LOL. There were three of us, and they sat us at a small table for two, with another chair. It was too small for us and people were bumping into us, so as soon as a booth became available in the main dining area, the kind staff told us that we can moved to that table. Thank you!
As soon as we sat the first time, the staff asked if we wanted coffee, which we said yes. Their Coffee ($1.75) is bottomless which is always nice. This is not that kind of a place where you take your sweet time to decide what to eat and drink. The coffee was good, not great, your usual, ordinary diner coffee. I like my coffee with milk, and the staff made sure to bring me fresh, milk, which was very nice.
The first item we ordered was Special 2 by 2 by 2 Combo ($11) which comes with 2 eggs, 2 plain pancakes, and 2 pork sausages or bacon. Hence the name. They brought syrup, butter, and a few homemade flavored butter as well.
It was quite big, definitely for a hungry man, or if you are sharing with others. The pancake itself was huge, much bigger than I expected. With the eggs were cooked just the way we liked, suuny-side-up. With their flavored butter, especially the strawberry flavored one, it was delicious. Fluffy, warm, and airy, just the kind of pancakes that soothes your soul.
The sausages were quite good too, it had two sausages cut in half, long way. Meaty and juicy, sweet and flavorful. This dish was absolutely satisfying. It will fill you up and then some. We actually didn’t get to finish it all, so we took the rest of it home.
The second items we ordered was Crab Cakes and Eggs ($12.75). It comes with 2 eggs, home fries or toast, and grits. We got this one with toasts, which I forgot to capture in these photos… When they brought this dish, it didn’t have toast on it, so we had to remind them that we are still waiting for the toast. The crab cakes were nothing I imagined, but deep fried which to me was unusual. It was tasty, especially with the little sauce that came with it, which had a little kick to it. We asked the eggs to be scrambled, and it came with lots of grits. Again, super filling and solid diner food.
The last item ordered was from today’s special, Tom’s Beer Batter Fillet Sandwich ($14.50). It comes with french fries and cole slaw. It was huge, mountain of seasoned fries and large sandwich on a roll. The fries were addictive, but then again, we didn’t get to eat all of that either.
The sandwich also came with their homemade tartar sauce, which was really good and delicious. I put dabbed some on the sandwich and it did elevate the fish sandwich to the next level. It was fried nice and crispy, meaty and hit the spot.
We had a nice lunch here, or should I say brunch? They serve breakfast all day, so you can have breakfast any time of the day. The one thing to remember, is that they are CASH ONLY. Make sure you bring cash! The staffs were nice, not always easy to grab someone since they are always busy, but they are attentive enough. It was a fun diner experience, and a perfect spot to go get some good ole’ American diner food!
Tom’s Restaurant – 782 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238