The Diner

The Diner was closed a while back for remodeling. I have not been there in a while. What did they change or remodel? What is different? The menu still the same?

I always thought, if it aint broke dont fix it…Diner was great before…hope it still is.

The menu is still pretty much the same, Quarters.

I can confirm that the bacon cheeseburger is just as good as ever (and at the same great price of NT$180).

The remodeling involved putting in a refrigerated glass case for pies and carrot cake and so on. I think they also have a key lime pie–it looked good, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Amy and her boyfriend have been away on a trip, but everything in the Diner is still running as smoothly as it always has.

So, things are pretty much still the same as they’ve always been at the Diner–which, imho, is pretty darn good.

Agree 100%.

Amy, boyfriend and crew do a pretty bang up job.

Good service and great food at reasonable prices.

I enjoy eating at the Diner.

The Diner is now offering a wider selection of pies. They used to only offer Apple, and now offer peacan, pumpkin, and keylime. I am a big fan of pumpkin pie and gave it a try the other night.

I was really surprised at how terrible it was. The Diner has always impressed me with the quality of their food and I have never had any complaints before. But please! Rescue that pumpkin pie! It was just terrible! It was bland, no spice, flat, too thick, too flat, and the crust was much too salty. It came with a scoop of ice cream, but you don’t serve pumpkin pie with ice cream, serve it with whip cream or hard sauce (with lots of rum :wink: )

The only decent pumpkin pie I have found in Taipei is at Capricciosa (by Nanjing MRT). Theirs is more of a tart, but really really good.

Haven’t been for some time but had a great dinner at The Diner last Friday. Called an hour or so before and made a reservation, table was ready on time. My friend and me had burgers and we both enjoyed the food (I also had an apple pie a la mode, yummy!). Service was good, too.

I finally tried The Diner the other night, they were out of the buns for the turkey reuben, alas, so I had a Philly cheese steak sandwich. It was, well, pretty bad. Mostly gristle. If I go back I’ll try the turkey, though.

Yeah, I had the Philly cheese steak at the Diner once, and I wouldn’t order it again. It was very dry.

I think the Diner does burgers really well, and that’s what I always order when I go there.

Friends have been disappointed by the lasagne and other main entrees, and even the pie, as was Quarters in an earlier post.

So, now I always tell people to stick with the burgers (and the breakfasts) when they go to the Diner.

Good luck with the turkey.

I only ever had breakfasts at the Diner, and I love them for that.

However, even when I arrive at 3 or 4 pm for breakfast in the weekends now, the place is full and people are queueing outside.

I thought I had heard the steak was very good… so going downhill eh.

The place is simply ‘Taiwanized’.

[quote=“Ectoplasma”]

I thought I had heard the steak was very good… so going downhill eh.

The place is simply ‘Taiwanized’.[/quote]

Sorry, Ectoplasma, but I’ll have to disagree. I don’t think the Diner is going downhill at all. The bacon cheeseburgers (and the rest of the burgers) are as good as they’ve always been.

The Philly cheesesteaks were not that good to begin with, imho. I’d also give the meatloaf and the pies a miss, as well.

So, I don’t this is a case of things being “Taiwanized.” Some things (burgers and breakfasts) have always been good at the Diner, and some other thing never really were all that great.

Diner will be raising their prices this month.

I would really like to see them expand their menu a bit. Offer some more side dishes ie: potato salad instead of fries or chips with a burger, etc.

I went in the other day for breakfast and was reminded immediately why I like the Diner so much. The staff there rocks! Amy remembers my name every time I come in - and not just Amy, but the wait staff too. Always are talkative. They take the time to “get to know” their regulars.

The food is good considering there isnt much out there that offers real western food without the Taiwanese twist. But like I said, the menu feels a bit lacking recently. Maybe I have just been going there too much. if they are increasing their prices, then Like I said, I hope they add more to the menu.

I’ve had the Rueben and it was pretty good… not the Turkey but the Pastrami. Not exactly the best I’ve had but it satisfied a craving. But yea, breakfast and burgers at the Diner are probably the safest choice.

went to try the Diner today,ordered the Turkey Reuben, pancakes, and shared a pecan pie. First off the turkey reuben wasn’t a reuben at all? who the hell substitutes saukeraut on a Reuben for coleslaw? thats a total diss to Thomas Jefferson’s favorite sandwhich! Just call it a turkey sandwhich, its not a reuben. The pancakes were good tho best ive had in taipei so far. The Pie well the pecan’s and filling were a little disspointing the filling was over cooked or something cuz it was just like sweet mush. Probably my fault for ordering the Reuben or turkey sandwhich at a place know for its burgers and breakfast, I will try the breakfast again tho cuz the flapjacks were deft. tasty

I had the Reuben before and didn’t find it to be too bad.

But I think I’ve fallen out of love with the Diner. The first few months it was new and exciting, but then the waiting…ahhh!

The brownies are way over-priced and not that good. I can see from the earlier posts about the pecan pie, that they’ve still got room for improvement when it comes to the baked goods.

But to be fair, I only like about 1 out of every 15 cakes that I eat in Taiwan so perhaps the bar shouldn’t be so high.

The Diner is always full or crowded at least. Mostly you have to wait for a seat, even at what’s supposed to be a non-busy time, like afternoon 3 pm. It’s become a noisy place, lost it’s laid-backness it used to have - and how a diner should be in my opinion.

[quote=“Ectoplasma”]The Diner is always full or crowded at least. Mostly you have to wait for a seat, even at what’s supposed to be a non-busy time, like afternoon 3 pm. It’s become a noisy place, lost it’s laid-backness it used to have - and how a diner should be in my opinion.[/quote]Ya thats one complaint i forgot to address there was one point of our meal that it was soooo loud that we couldn’t really hear each other talk haha, quite funny actually trying to yell over the music and the other guest

I think it’s clear that this ‘diner’ type of restaurant is popular, and there are not enough of them. Taipei is full of bland coffeeshops, why don’t they jump on this?

So I went there tonight after being dragged into it with a friend from back home, we waited an hour for a table, which they said would take 30 minutes!! it was insane, finally when we did get one we were stuck in a 2 person booth with 3 ppl, service was fast and friendly I can understand with a place so busy that its hectic. We orderd wings, cheese fries, pancakes, eggs bene.,chicken cream pasta…wings were ok even though I would have liked more heat, friends were…fries? i dunno nothing special, eggs bene which i was really excited to eat wasn’t too great the hollandaise was really sweet :astonished: the pasta was terrible, pancakes were on point tho! I guess with the diner u gotta stick with breakfast and burgers

Traditional Reubens are made with sauerkraut. When coleslaw is subsituted it is called a Rachael. Or when made with turkey and coleslaw = Georgia Reuben.

Traditional Reubens are made with sauerkraut. When coleslaw is subsituted it is called a Rachael. [/quote]

Or a chabuduo.

I thought the Diner’s food was pretty good, but only ate there twice (and left twice because the line was too long), haven’t been back for at least half a year and am not sure I’ll ever return, because I can’t be bothered to wait an hour for a meal (or worse, turning around and leave) after taking bus/taxi/mrt and hoofing it across town. My wife feels even stronger about that and won’t even consider trying it again.

[quote=“Tempo Gain”]if i can hazard being an english teacher when it’s probably not really necessary, “they substituted coleslaw for the sauerkraut on the reuben” would seem to be what you’re trying to say here.[/quote]ya that could work to hahaha thanks