Welcome Diner (Phoenix)

[ronnie_suburban]

Our friend in Phoenix told us that we could get a great, unique meal at the Welcome Diner on Roosevelt Street and he was, again, 100% correct.

The tiny place, which is located in a somewhat transitional residential neighborhood, looks a bit out of place, as there aren't really any other businesses in the vicinity. It has about 8 counter seats and some additional outdoor seating.

Welcome Diner - 924 E Roosevelt St, Phoenix

Inside the cozy Welcome Diner

Welcome's hook is that they have an extremely local focus that extends from their ingredients to their packaging. Not everything is locally-sourced but it is a priority. Still, in addition to the regionally-produced brand of soft drinks, Cokes and diet Cokes can be had as well. Additionally, the cheese on the cheeseburgers at Welcome is Tillamook, which is not produced nearby.

Another unique thing about Welcome Diner is their menu, which offers only hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs and house-made french fries, all sourced and processed locally. The hotdogs are fried in peanut oil and finished on the grill. The default condimentation is locally-produced yellow mustard and locally-grown raw onion. While certainly a completely different genre of dog from what one normally finds in Chicago, Welcome's dog was delicious in its own right. So too were their burgers, which are cooked to order and offered with a variety of locally-produced relishes and pickled products. The cheeseburger was very tasty -- more like home-made than what one usually finds at a restaurant.

The french fries were utterly delicious and a lot of care gets put into their preparation. Not only are they blanched in oil first and then re-fried before service to create very crispy fries but also, as the proprietor explained to us, during some parts of the year, the potatoes are particularly starchy. During these times the potatoes are soaked in a vinegar/water solution overnight to reduce their starchiness. In either instance, the net result is fantastic. The fries at Welcome Diner are a true pleasure. Here's a lousy, out-of-focus picture of them, fwiw . . .

Prices are very reasonable at Welcome, ranging from about $3 for the hotdog to about $5 for a cheeseburger, iirc. In any case, Welcome offers very good value. It's also an unusual place in that it's only open a few hours a day and only on certain days of the week. I'm told that it can also be rented out for parties and that a large amount of business is done on that basis. I can see why because the place is fun and is a reasonable size for smaller groups.

During our lunch a very diverse group of people came into the diner. There were suits and ties as well as blue hair and facial piercings, all wolfing down the delicious, hand-prepared food, side-by-side. The guys who run the place are remarkably friendly and take their food very seriously. Still, there's nothing pretentious about Welcome. It's about as basic as it gets. I'm so glad we got to eat at Welcome. It was a great, unique experience and the food was not only inexpensive but delicious, as well.

=R=

Welcome Diner

924 E Roosevelt St

Phoenix, AZ 85006

(602) 495-1111

[molto e]

RS,

I have been keeping this place quiet...only 8 stools inside and summer is coming, you blew it. This is a great place to take someone for the first time because first of all it is relatively unknown and cool authentic diner spot. I love the owner's commitment to using organic ingredients...he is at the Wednesday Farmers Market picking up McClendon produce for the restaurant. The hot dogs he uses come from Schrieners, which is a long time Phoenix purveyor.

Molto E

[molto e]

RS,

      I have been keeping this place quiet...only 8 stools inside and summer is coming, you blew it. This is a great place to take someone for the first time because first of all it is relatively unknown and cool authentic diner spot. I love the owner's commitment to using organic ingredients...he is at the Wednesday Farmers Market picking up McClendon produce for the restaurant. The hot dogs he uses come from Schrieners, which is a long time Phoenix purveyor.

Molto E

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I stopped in yesterday and found a new menu since my last visit...