Lines are too long.
I stopped going to The Diner because of the lines and my girlfriend refuses to go anymore after we had to wait in line again for over 30 minutes. That was the last straw. It was also too noisy and crowded.
I see that they opened a second location for seating across the street from the main Diner location but that still hasn’t reduced the long lines.
I like The Diner and hope they will open a second or third location.
After probably a year since last going, we went today. Saturday, 1pm for brunch. I was expecting the place to be crowded and we’d need to wait at least 30 mins…but no, we got seated immediately.
Had our food within 10-15mins and it was all good. I had a pancake breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, homemade hashbrowns, 2 slices bacon, 2 pancakes with maple syrup, a small dish of fresh banana slices, a glass of fresh OJ and unlimited coffee - all for 200nt!
I couldn’t help but be happy with that. Thanks Amy and the crew.
We happened to be in the area last weekend with some visitors, and decided at the last minute to go to the diner. About 6pm on a Saturday.
Again, we got seated immediately, and served very smartly. The food was good.
While leaning back in my chair I happened to notice a waiter heading across the lane with a covered plate. I looked a bit closer. It seems that the idea of expansion is being given a try. I ‘think’ what used to be a small Pizza restaurant that is now dining room 2 for the diner.
Plenty of people over there too, but the expansion might explain why I haven’t had to wait at all the last couple of visits.
Heh! That’s good business for Carnegie’s. I know three people who enjoyed brunch at Carnegie’s on Sunday after being turned away by the crowds at the new Diner. Those guys need to rent an aircraft hangar or something. Clearly doing something very right.
[quote=“Incubus”]I’d pick Carnegie’s brunch over Diner’s breakfast any day. So I guess the quality is still intact after TapeiBob left.[/quote]I like Carnegie’s English breakfasts. I’ve had them about four times and they’ve always been good. I’ve also had two Ploughman’s Lunches there (one good; one not good with soggy tasteless pickled onions and a very odd pork pie with grey-pink mush instead of meat) and an indifferent Eggs Benedict on a cold plate.
I’ve had a very good Eggs Benedict at the Diner and an OK one with a slightly stale bun.
I’ve also had very good burgers at the Diner, and very good curries and other dinner food at Carnegies.
So for me, I’d find it hard to pick one place over the other. They’re both good; better than most other western-style places here. Not perfect, but pretty good.
New location, beside Carnegies, is good. Lots of room and has an upstairs and downstairs seating plan. Also, there is a balcony with tables and chairs. Overall, service was OK. Food is the same. But man are the Chinese noisy! They sit down with 5 or 6 to a group and just start screaming, laughing and shouting and we had to move upstairs. The staff didn’t seem to care and would never ask the group to quiet it down. So we asked to move upstairs. The cement walls downstairs amplify the noise. Free internet also - I logged onto my computer and caught a free “Diner” signal.
We (party of 6) went to the new place last weekend. I called in the afternoon to make a reservation for the evening and was told they will only hold the place for 10 minutes. I was a few minutes early and found that they didn’t have any record of my reservation, instead I was asked to wait 15-20 minutes. Since the rest of the group was late (you know who you are!) this wasn’t a problem, but normally I would expect that a reservation is properly recorded, else what’s the point?
It also was difficult to get hold of the waiters, we had to make quite an effort to get their attention when we required service. At the beginning some people asked for a glass of water but never got it.
However the food was served together (burgers all around), i.e. nobody had to wait, and it was very tasty.
Did I say the Apple Pie ala Mode is just sooooo good? :lick:
[quote=“Rascal”]We (party of 6) went to the new place last weekend. I called in the afternoon to make a reservation for the evening and was told they will only hold the place for 10 minutes. I was a few minutes early and found that they didn’t have any record of my reservation, instead I was asked to wait 15-20 minutes. Since the rest of the group was late (you know who you are!) this wasn’t a problem, but normally I would expect that a reservation is properly recorded, else what’s the point?
It also was difficult to get hold of the waiters, we had to make quite an effort to get their attention when we required service. At the beginning some people asked for a glass of water but never got it.
However the food was served together (burgers all around), i.e. nobody had to wait, and it was very tasty.
[color=red]Did I say the Apple Pie ala Mode is just sooooo good?[/color] :lick:[/quote]
Not to burst your bubble…but it is from costco. Tastes great, but if you have a costco membership you could get the whole pie and save yourself quite a bit.
I went with my wife the night before we left for Thailand on our honeymoon. We both had burgers…I forgot to tell our waitress to make it well done…it was pink on the inside. The next morning I was one sick dog. Throwing up and bad stomach cramps. Puked in the MRT station bathroom, puked at the bus terminal, puked on the bus to the airport, and felt sick on the plane. Lucky for me it only lasted 24 hours.
Most likely some sort of food posinoning from that burger.
Never had a problem like that before from the Diner. Now I am a bit hesitant to go back.
I’ve had homemade pie at the Diner - I know the woman who baked it. Maybe they bought from Costco the day you had it, but the stuff I had was homemade and delicious.
Also, their blueberry pancakes are fantastic - better than Jake’s Country Kitchen in Tianmu.
Has anyone been to and tried out the Diner East, or whatever it is they’re calling their second location?
I tried to get brunch with a buddy on Thurs at the original Diner, and they were packed to the brim with a 30 min wait for a table, and it was only 10:50am. We ended up going somewhere else, and only later did I remember they have another location.
I have been to the Diner Dunhua location a few times, their omelet and burger taste wonderful. Unfortunately, few days ago I went in to order country fried steak, out of curiosity, the thing was disgusting! First, the steak is made with beef not pork, the gravy was loaded with onions, chopped onions that was cooked but not caramelized with the gravy. Finally, the steak was half cooked! I don’t mean medium done, but one side of the steak was fully cooked, but the other half still had red and blood. I finished the side that was cooked, and couldn’t make myself eat the other half that wasn’t cooked. I think maybe the stove wasn’t heating up right or something, thus the reason why it was half cooked. I will go back again to eat burger or omelets, but not country fried steak. The service has always been pretty good at this location, the place is also very clean. Oh, I had ordered their apple pies and brownie in the past as well, those taste great too.
I went to the Dunhua Diner last week and it was very good indeed. I had eggs benedict with the smoked salmon and a bloody mary and my old lady had a tomato omlette. All were outstanding, service was brisk, despite our being seated outside, and Anna from Sababa dropped by to add a further ray of sunshine. A very good experience and I’ll certainly be back.
I went to the Dunhua location for the first time on Wednesday and had the Jumbo burger without bacon and it was splendid as always. That place is better looking and more spacious than the old one. I went to the old one on yesterday and had the pancake breakfast. Best pancakes I’ve had in Taiwan.
Sorry, but country fried steak is supposed to be made with beef, not pork. Typically round steak. Although half cooked as you mentioned is pretty nasty.
I’ve been to Diner East several times, very tasty burgers and breakfast sets (I’ve tried the Steak and Eggs, Eggs Benedict, and several Omelettes). The meatloaf is very average however, a bit dry. Service has always been always prompt at that location; we usually go at around 7:00pm weekdays after work.
