After visiting the Ohio Craft Museum, Tom and I had lunch at DK Diner in Grandview Heights. Tom and I love diners and enjoy eating at one whenever we find good reviews. LoveFood.com recently selected DK Diner as the the best retro diner in Ohio. The website defines a retro diner as a long counter and red booths, where the food is more important than the decor. A retro diner transports customers back to the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Founded in 1978 as Donut Kitchen, DK Diner has been a mainstay in Grandview Heights ever since. Located off the main drag, its parking lot is tiny but there are plenty of places to park along the street. Despite its location away from all the other restaurants and shops, DK Diner was a hopping place at noon on a Friday.
We looked inside for a place to sit, but it was full, so we chose a table in the enclosed patio. Friday was the day of the big wind storm, so we soon decided to head back inside. We shared a table with a man who was leaving soon and it was warmer and less windy than outside.
The diner still sells donuts, but they also have a variety of breakfast foods and sandwiches. I asked our waitress for her recommendation and she said everything on the menu is her favorite. She pointed out a couple of sandwiches and breakfast options that were best sellers. I was very tempted to get the Donut Sandy, an egg sandwich served on a grilled glazed donut.
In the end I decided to go with the Grilled Cheese BS. It was two eggs with thick-cut bacon and American cheese served on grilled Texas toast. I added a side of fresh fruit. Tom got a Grilled Cheese Tuna Melt with fries.
After we ordered, I checked out the donuts. The donuts are still made fresh daily, just like they have been for almost 50 years. The donuts are made overnight, while the restaurant is closed, and then are available for sale during the hours the restaurant is open. They had lots of cake donuts – my favorites. In fact, they had so many yummy looking choices that it was hard to pick. I ended up with a classic glazed cake donut, but passed over the cake with sprinkles and the blueberry cake donut with regret.
Our food came quickly, as befits a retro diner, and it was hot and delicious. The cheese on my sandwich was so melty that the eggs kept sliding. The bacon was chewy, just the way I like it. Tom also enjoyed his sandwich. The sandwiches were just right – regular sized pieces of bread. So we could enjoy eating the whole thing without feeling like we had too much.
While we ate, lots of people came and went. Students and teachers from the nearby high school, retired couples like us, and students from Ohio State. A big sorority group took over most of the outside and didn’t let the wind bother them.
DK Diner was a fun, retro place to eat on a windy Friday. It is the kind of place I would return to over and over so I could sample more of the dishes on the menu. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my waistline) it is a little out of the way for us. Oh well, we will just have to find another reason to visit Grandview Heights. Or maybe the diner is enough of an excuse on its own.